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Aiona surveys the empty room and wonders:[i]"This's supposed to be the place picked for our meeting... I hope everyone is here soon... time is of the essence... as usual..."[/b] she muses, a small smile creeping on her lips.
Vigil is filled to bursting. It’s inns filled and overrun into the surrounding fields, war party tents stretch for miles with the tell tale signs of a crusade. Banners are flying. Smith hammers bang on anvils and horses winnie tied to picket lines. In the city proper with its cobblestone pavement and whitewashed stone building, knights in shining armor parade around and amidst the crowd you stand.
In the middle of the town square a raised pavilion can be seen, occupied by Ulthun the second. Watcher-Lord of Lastwall. With his are the some of the Precentors Martial of the Crusader War College, Namely Keyron Saiville of the Scouting school and Veena Heliu of the Battlemage school. A table is before them, strewn about with maps and markers for troop movement.
There are several large wooden poles painted a solitary color stuck into the ground in different place about the square, a red pole, white, blue, green, yellow, black, and others. Different types of crusaders stand about, the Paladins and Knights and Cavaliers of the different cavalry brigades, lightly armored Magi with scrolls and swords at waist. Archers, fighters and rangers mostly, with well oiled bow strings.
After a moment, Ulthun steps up to a podium and raises a gauntleted hand. The crowd bustles for a moment and then falls silent. The Paladin Lord is in shining mithral armor, his blonde hair cropped back tight, beard trimmed, green cloak flapping in the wind.
He raises his voice, ”People of Lastwall! Our lady Iomedae has favored us. With the waning of the World Wound, and the prosperity of our southern sister nations of Taldor and Cheliax, the numbers of our tiny nation, ever vigilant, have swollen to historic proportions! So with great pride, I announce the first crusade since the Shining Crusade of our ancestors which vanquished the Whispering Tyrant. Now, we stand against the Hordes of Belkzan, and will attempt to make this land safer for future generations. And win back the hard lost ground that near a millennia of fighting has cost us!” A great cheer erupts from the crowd. Ulthun steps down and a clerk replaces him.
”Everyone! Assemble by color to you standard! Orderly people! By color! To your standard!”
You glance at the stick that was handed you that morning by a mouse nosed clerk who was quite annoying in verifying your identity. It is black, and the black standard stands in northern half of the square, ten yards from the podium.
Lucas blinked a few times as Lord Ulthun spoke, but quietly guarded his feelings on the subject. A few people looked at him oddly as he passed - his armor was excellent, but he bore no weapon, and that was just the way he liked it. Shrugging slightly, he headed towards the black standard, wondering how the great commanders were planning to do this.
Voyla marches north, towards her assigned banner.
A crusade! The time to become a leyend is at hand!
A woolly man wearing a weathered cloak sits listening to Ulthen's declaration. He seems unconcerned with the words as he bites some jerky and rips a piece off of it. When the order to stand by his assigned standard comes, he pauses chewing the jerky and pulls the blackened stick noting his standard from his waist as if to check one more time to be sure. He flips the stick up in the air catching it as he holds the last bit of jerky out near the face of a bull mastiff sitting upright beside him, a lantern hanging from the dog's powerful jaws.
The animal hesitates at first, not wanting to drop the lantern, but not willful enough to resist forever. The woolly man cracks a smile and tugs on the lantern handle as he stands up and tosses the jerky in the air. The dog released the handle and barely had to jump to catch the food, consuming it almost without chewing it.
The woolly man grabbed his pack and headed toward the black standard, his mastiff following closely behind. A moment later another large dog, a bulkier and meaner looking mastiff trodded out from the crowd to join beside the man.
As the man neared the black standard, his canine companions beside him, he spotted the sight of Lucas. The man stopped to appraise his company, scratching at his stubbled beard before finally approaching.
"I have heard of you! I'll be damned, I have heard! Im called Alduin (Al-do-ween), what's you name?" The woolly man asked, his smile clean, and eager, but friendly as he reached out an open hand in greeting to Lucas.
As instructed Aiona marches towards her assigned post with the resolute pace of a disciplined soldier marching for war, yet her mind is in turmoil:"So... it begins! Lastwall was never on the offensive. Mighty Taldor of old at the apex of its power raised the shining crusade and crushed the Whispering Tyrant... and even then, for all its power, all that could be done was to imprison the vile lich in its tower. It was a glorious victory, but it costed Taldor dearly. Lastwall was founded to guard the prison of the Whispering Tyrant so it could not raise again, but during our long history we had to contain the threat posed by the orcs of Belzeken much more than we had to deal with the minions of the accursed. During our history we have always been on the defensive because we were created to guard, to watch and to defend. Now, for the first time since Lastwall founding, Lord Ulthun calls for us to strike back at the darkness, and the banner I'm assigned to is the color of the night! I should feel proud, yet I can't shake this feeling of dread. Well... what would mother say if she could hear my thoughts? Weak! And lacking focus! That's what she'd say! No... these doubts won't do. I have Iomedae and I have my duty. The rest I don't need, and I shall pay it no heed!"
A brutish figure in the crowds, stood watching the podium as Ulthun made his speech.
"Finally, they will move against the hordes and my chance for revenge in battle will come."
The half-orc looked down at the stick that had been handed to him by an annoying street urchin who had asked too many questions for Urgtahn's comfort.
"A black stick, huh? Maybe I will not be so lucky then..."
As he began walking towards the black standard, he noticed that not many were gathered around it, though he saw a familiar face, "Brother! Surely they wouldn't keep us out of the fray?"
He turned to regard the others who had arrived. There were the two paladin women he had seen, both had proved their worth in combat before, apparently they both had parentage that demanded them to excel, that was the talk among the other crusaders of Vigil.
"Crusader, heh, if it means I will get justice in battle for the slaughter of my tribe, I would call myself a paladin.
The other was a sorcerer of some power Urgtahn understood, capable of blasting through waves of enemies with his magic.
"Greetings, I don't think I know you all that well. I am Urgtahn of Gorum. May your battles be many and glorious."
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The ranger listened to the ruler of Lastwall's speech along with all the other assembled warriors. Blessed with the long flowing brown hair commonly associated with Taldans, he wore it tied back into a ponytail. Conversely, his beard was short and neat. His bronze skin was clear and shone in the bright sunlight.
He looked around himself as the speech ended and everyone began to assemble around their assigned standards. He slowly, even nonchalantly, made his way to the black standard and looked to the others stationed there, "Hello. Looks as though we'll be spending some time together." He says with a nod to all around.
Voyla sees Aiona moving towards her post.
"Miss Saner! It is a pleasure to have you at my group!"
"Urgtahn, I knew we'd meet again! It is good to see you, I'm sorry it has been so long, I will be harder pressed to leave your side next time." Alduin turns to face Urgtahn and greet him by firmly grasping forearms with a shake. "We have quite a bit of catching up to do."
As Aiona arrives he hesitates to place where their paths have crossed before, but gives her a respectful nod. "She looks like someone I've met before." Alduin says, still next to Urgtahn. "Not in 'that' way before anyone gets the idea." he laughs.
When the tall golden eyed ranger arrives and offers up introduction, "You're with the black standard as well then. Welcome, I'm Alduin and this is Urgtahn. He is a good friend so watch your words." Alduin says with a sincere smile, but there is no question, it was a warning.
Voyla's call to Aiona turns Alduin's head to watch the next of black stick carriers. "Is that the captain? Alduin asked to Urgtahn. "Curious."
"A few familiar faces at least..."
Aiona salutes the other members of the group assembling near the black banner, she nods at Alduin, and Voyla, although she feels like groaning at the other paladin:"I really hope she's grown out of her need to prove herself time and time again. Follow orders. Do your job. Fight the wicked. Protect the weak. It's that simple, glory is earned by doing what's right because it's right, not because it can give you fame and honor..."
When everyone seems to be near the flag Aiona greets the assembled would be heroes:"Hello everyone. My name is Aiona. I'm but an humble servant of holy Iomedae, and as all of you I'm here to join the bright crusade... and push back the orc menace once and for all!Some of you I know and you know me, but for the others I'm sure we'll get to know each other very well while on duty, but no time like the present, so let's start with introducing ourselves to each other... shall we?
Lucas looked at Aiona for a moment, then smiled slightly. "I'm Lucas, out of Taldor." he explained. "For the most part, I just offer ranged fire support and protection." Well, at least they looked like an interesting group of people to work with. There'd been that time in the seve- well, that was old news, it honestly wasn't too important. As long as they were committed to the fight - and their comrades - they were okay by him.
"Thanks Aiona! My name is Voyla Tilernos, from the Tilernos family, and it is my pleasure to be here with you. I am sure you will perform your duties to the utmost level, and will make Lastwall, the Crusade, Ulthun the second, Watcher-Lord of Lastwall and myself proud."
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When the tall golden eyed ranger arrives and offers up introduction, "You're with the black standard as well then. Welcome, I'm Alduin and this is Urgtahn. He is a good friend so watch your words." Alduin says with a sincere smile, but there is no question, it was a warning.
Clarius arches an eyebrow, "Good to know."
Alduin narrows his eyes as Lucas chooses to not shake his outstretched hand. 'I knew it. Curse you Dead One, you can't ever be wrong about anything can you.'
"I am Alduin. Aiona and Urgtahn know me well enough, but to those that don't I am a wild mystic, or more commonly referred to as a druid."
Urgtahn slaps Alduin firmly on the back, "It is good to see you again Alduin." He looks over in Aiona's direction, following Alduin's gaze, "Captain, huh? That'd make her the boss right?"
He turns to Aiona, raising his right hand over his chest in a salute "Urgtahn of Gorum, I am blessed by the Lord of Iron and will make sure that you and our companions will enjoy his blessings in our coming battles."
"Why a black stick? Aiona and Voyla are rising figures in this place, does this mean I will be on the frontlines?"
"Thanks everyone. Now I suppose we just need for our orders to come and then we'll know what will be asked of us" Aiona gives the others a nod of her head and a brief smile
"So far so good. Seems like a decent bunch. That's more than I was expecting, there's hope for us I guess, if Iomedae wills it"
As everyone gets acquainted, an armored Sergeant walks up to you. "Black squad. All accounted for I see. Keyron Saville, Praetor of the Scouts wishes to speak to you. Wait here for the crowd to clear and he will approach you."
He turns and walks away, over the next few minutes the bustle dies as people march from the square into their respective camps.
After ten minutes a well groomed man in a brown tunic approaches. "Greetings." he says in a gruff voice, "I am Praetor Keyron of the Scouting College." he looks at a piece of paper and then looks all of you over.
"All here, now I will speak candidly. You all have been chosen for your specific skills and or devotion to this cause, they Watcher Lord is set upon meeting the Orcs in open battle, the Praetors, particularly myself feel that our intelligence in Belkzan is lacking. For that reason, we are going to send you in, several weeks in front of the main force. You are to act as skirmishers and sappers, engaging the orcs and scouting their strength. Use your discretion to strike at supply lines and try to reach the Hordeline and ascess the situation. The main army hopes to arrive there in a fortnight."
Voyla salutes while taking a step forward.
"Sir, yes Sir! Voyla Tilernos from the Tilernos family, Sir! We will do our best, Sir! Any other rules of engagement, Sir? I am correct in suppose I am in command of this squad, Sir?"
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The ranger listens quietly to the Praetor's brief. The mission is straightforward and to the point. They were being left to their own devices free to make decisions on the fly. A high honor indeed.
When the obsequious knight steps up and begins begging for command, Clarius shakes his head in disappointment but otherwise awaits Saville's dismissal.
Lucas very carefully kept his face straight, and after ensuring that his thoughts wouldn't leak into his voice or expression, he turned to look at the Praetor. "Understood." he said. They ought to have known by now that he erred on the side of practicality - and believed that a soldier's job was not to meet enemies in honorable one-on-one combat, because any enemy with the slightest bit of sense would reach for every advantage they could get and decline to meet you on your own terms. The real goal was to destroy the enemy's war-making capability so you could protect your friends and family as much as possible.
"Where and when should we rendezvous so the army can benefit from our intelligence gathering?" Alduin asked. "And what of supplies?"
Urgtahn listens to the sergeants quick brief and grunts in acknowledgement.
Black Squad huh, hope this lot ends up better than the Black Snakes...
Urgtahn considers the words of the Praetor, shifting his bearing from his left to his right.
Finally, a chance to strike into the Hold of Belkzen. So that gives me two weeks to find the Rusted Claw before the bulk of the army likely will... I like a challenge.
A grin emerges on Urgtahn's lips, he looks at Voyla, "That's the kind of confidence we need leading us in this mission." He then looks over at Aiona, confused. He leans over to Alduin, whispering and not so subtly pointing at Aiona "I thought you said she was the captain?"
Urgtahn listens to the sergeants quick brief and grunts in acknowledgement.
Black Squad huh, hope this lot ends up better than the Black Snakes...
Urgtahn considers the words of the Praetor, shifting his bearing from his left to his right.
Finally, a chance to strike into the Hold of Belkzen. So that gives me two weeks to find the Rusted Claw before the bulk of the army likely will... I like a challenge.
A grin emerges on Urgtahn's lips, he looks at Voyla, "That's the kind of confidence we need leading us in this mission." He then looks over at Aiona, confused. He leans over to Alduin, whispering and not so subtly pointing at Aiona "I thought you said she was the captain?"
"Did I?" Alduin crossed his arms. "Maybe what we heard was wrong?"
"Maybe she," Urgtahn began, now blatantly pointing at Voyla, his volume rising, "is higher than a captain? This rank thing is so confusing."
Keyron sighs "This isn't regular infantry, you work together, I don't care who's in charge. As for rendezvous, The army will be marching straight northwest to the hordeline along the flood road. If you discover anything of utter importance you can find us there. Otherwise, you are to engage and cripple the enemy if you can. As for supplies, I assume that you're equipped for the crusade, and are capable of surviving in the bush. Be careful out there. Dismissed!"
With that, he turns and leaves.
"Sir, yes Sir!"
Voyla turns towards the others.
"You heard him people. We travel fast and light. We won't have support or supply lines. Plan accordingly. I want you all here in 2 hours, ready to ride off."
She salutes them, and marches to get her gear and horse.
Lucas leaned a bit closer to Urgtahn. "I don't think she heard the part about working together." he said, already not looking forward to this. Sigh. Blasted Lords, getting him stuck in this place. Still, he moved off to go get his own supplies, ready for a long period of independent marching. Maybe he'd put up some wards at night, too, just to block the sound...
Moving to follow Lucas, Urgtahn replies "Don't worry Lucas of Taldor, when we move into the Hold that arrogance will either justify or fix itself."
He then moves towards his lodgings to prepare himself to set out.
"So did we want plan anything or should we just wing it then?" Alduin asks of no one in particular as he looks up at the sky. His eyes scan the horizon noting the shifting winds and foliage positioning before he moves into the town to secure his companions' things from the stable.
Its the end of winter, Alduin feels the slight warmth on the air and increase in pressure. Clear skies and it should remain that way for the next few days. In fact to would wager that there wouldn't be any adverse weather until the spring floods come.
Aiona says nothing as the praetor gives his orders. She just nods her assent and lets the others do the talking, only shaking her head at Voyla's over eager apporach:"She'll never learn..."
"Very well, I think we all can agree with Voyla:speed is of the essence here. This is a scouting mission, so we'll have to penetrate as far as possible behind enemy lines and assess their preparation. Let's not kid ourselves, more probably than not the orcs will be aware of our coming. While he acted boldly and righteously, Lord Ulthun declared his intent to the world. And that means we've better be prepared for the orcs expecting us. They are a disorganized bunch, but what they lack in discipline they more than make up in cunning and savagery. I think our rangers will be vital in this mission, and I trust they'll keep us out of the praying eyes of the enemy" Aiona finishes giving Alduin and Clarius a reassuring smile.
"Weather is favorable, long lines of sight. This won't be easy given the time and size of the area. Surely we should start by trailblazing to the rendezvous and working our way out from there. I'll see to having supplies for noting landmarks and enemy positions. My mount will be handy in spotting positions well enough in advance and will certainly give us the opportunity to strike where they are weakest. Alduin returns Ainoa's smile, although with a worried look. "Hope we won't be needing rescue any time soon."
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Clarius gives the other paladin a small nod before falling in step with Alduin. "Sprinting to the rendezvous point might only serve to give away the plan to the orc's scouts and give them two weeks to prepare the ground. If that happens, we're then stuck in that one place trying, less and less successfully, harrying their efforts. The main army will have an advanced guard to spring traps and we can circle to the meet up a couple of days in advance to ensure there are no surprises awaiting the army. I am thinking that we should first discover where they are massing and, after such a public announcement of Lastwall's intentions they will be coming together, go after small groups, supply lines and scouts in that order. Your thoughts?"
Alduin is quiet for a time as his dogs walk along side of him, "I would reserve speculation on any plan or prioritizing targets before we have our bearings. I suggested we start with scouting our way to the rendezvous, not to secure it, but so we aren't lost in enemy territory when the fortnight is over. A small unit shouldn't draw that much attention, especially if we don't tarry long."
It didn't take too long for Lucas to gather his things together, and once he had, he wandered back towards the others - and caught wind of the plans they were making. He simply nodded, more interested in listening to their thoughts right now than pushing out his own opinion. After all, when it was just you and your team, you had to rely on each other... and he was curious about who they were.
Aiona nods:[b]"Seems like a good plan, although I hope the enemy isn't massing yet. That would mean they have worked out some sort of internal unity among themselves, either because I warlord arose or they found a way to cooperate, and both of those options are far from optimal for us".
Alduin returns from the stables wearing a wooden mask and accompanied by two horse sized wolves, and bat. A ravern sits perched atop one shoulder and a rat sniffs at the air on his other. The mastiffs are missing though, left to the care of the kennel master.
"Let's be quick about it then. The orcs have been a thorn for long enough. Let's be rid of them."
[Ooc]Ready to go as well.[/]
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Clarius returns from the stables leading a narrow framed tan horse. His equipment hangs stowed in saddle bags and from the saddle including, a shield emblazoned with a rearing black horse over a broken gold scimitar on a white background with an orange border. He approaches the others and nods to them to signal his readiness to set out.
Urgtahn collects his various tools of war, weapons armour and maintenance kits.
He collects his horse and belongings to meet with the others.
The party sets out from Vigil, travelling the slightly overgrown trail Northwest toward Belkzan. It seems hard to believe that this was once a kept up part of Lastwall.
To the Northeast, the dark shadows of the Hungry Mountains tower in the distance. A constant reminder of the purpose of the nation.
The trees and lightly rolling hills slowly change into the red dirt and jagged rocks of Belkzan, the trees only in copses and thorny brush reflecting the harsh nature of the land itself.
The heat of the day is increasing. You walk through a shallow gorge. 30 feet wide and the same deep the walls give no shade as the sun is directly above you. Wisps of white strand are strewn about in crevices.
As the group reaches the gorge Aiona stops her horse and looks at Clarius and Alduin:"Seems like you are better suited to lead the way. Let's keep our wits charp: this is an ideal place for an ambush"
"Hmm... I could probably help with that." Lucas said vaguely, waving one of his hands and covering a nearby large crack with a barrier of force. It wouldn't stop a determined foe, but it would slow them down a bit. Calmly, he started doing the same to other places that looked like potential hiding places for insects of unusual size.