Chapter 2: An Alliance of Convenience

The greatest of journeys begin with but a single step up the mountain

~ Moradin, The Saga of Struggle

"If you can't pay the toll, I suggest you turn back the way you came. Doubt you're worth the Grand Martial's time if you're not worth mine!" states a large, imposing Imperial Guardsman matter-of-factly. He stands in a suit of half plate and chain mail, emblazoned with the sigil of the Empire; a golden dragon under seven gold stars, all under one crowd on a field of royal purple.

"Please sir, I need to deliver these goods to the fort. The quartermaster for the Third Army requested them specifically!" replies a somewhat disheveled young man with a very large cart.

"Sorry friend, but if you can't pay the toll, I can't give you passage. 25 gold pieces isn't much in this economy!" replies the Guardsmen. A small, devilish smile comes to his face. "In fact, what kind of merchant has so little coin on hand?... Perhaps you're just a bandit! I ought to put you in the stocks!" he gestures toward a collection of pillories on the side of the road, with a curious hooded figure already occupying one. Around the figure, other Imperial Guards poke it with sticks like children on a schoolyard, while a larger Guardsman argues with a raven-haired woman in robes.

"I'm no bandit! I'm just a delivery man, milord! Just a peasant! Please, I have a family to feed!" the man with the cart replies, prostrating himself on the ground before the Guardsman.

The Guardsman's wry smile became a grin, greed almost emanating from his dirty teeth. "Tell you what friend, I will be magnanimous! Since my friends and I are also good friends with the quartermaster, we will just take some of these goods off of your hands and give it to him later. In exchange, I'll let you come in, free of charge!" the Guardsman leans in to add effect, whispering in the ear of the man with the cart, "I'll even let you come back through, no charge! Our little secret."

The man with the cart looks up at the Guardsman. Damn these bandits in armor! No wonder the smugglers are getting so fat, they seem the only way to be able to conduct business around here without getting robbed by these goons! he thinks to himself. He looks over at another Guardsman, noticing his gaze upon him and his hand groping the hilt of his blade. He realizes he has no choice here.

"Fine"

"Excuse me? Is that any way to speak to a member of the Imperial Guard? Much less, one of the Third Army?" the imposing Guardsman sneers.

"Very fine, sir. Feel free to take a look at the supplies. I thank you for helping with my cargo. May we humble peasants always enjoy such generous protection by th-" the man with the cart says, hiding a bitter smile.

"Don't get smart with me" the Guardsman's eyes flash with anger. "What friends does a delivery boy have in our perimeter? I'll tell you; not as many as me.", he says, never breaking eye contact with the man with the cart. He then gestures toward a group of his fellows, who proceed to comb the cart for valuables. Booze, gold coins, even smokegrass pipes and pouches are seized by covetous hands. "Remember lads, nobody snag-" he pauses for a moment, producing a fake coughing fit "transports any shit until we get it sorted out tonight." he says to his troops.

He turns back to the man with a now lighter cart, once again grinning. "Happy to lend a hand. We'll see you around now!"

The Guardsman turns back to the checkpoint, ready for his next catch. "Next!" he shouts.

By the Eight, what a depressing little scene. Thanatos thinks to himself. He groans, still slightly groggy from his wild night in Ribben, a village a few hours behind him. The brew was pisswater… but my, if peasant girls didn't redeem that tavern! he manages a reminiscent smile. His smile turned to a cringe upon remembering just how much gold he had spent. He checks his coin purse, feeling around roughly 50 coins. Faen he thinks, looking at the approaching border checkpoint. If I didn't need the coin, I'd have avoided this pisshole. Hope Eiric's info is solid…. He muses, taking note that the "tollmen" change the price based on what the mark is carrying. He attempts to stow away his fine duelist blade as quickly as possible.

A few minutes later, Thanatos approaches the border post. The imposing Guardsman quickly takes notice.

" Hello, young master. Where are you headed to today? Not many are brave enough to venture into the ruins of Halfholm alone." the Guardsman says with a smile.

"Headed down to Fort Easthold. Looking for work as a laborer or delivery lad. Times are hard, y'know?" Thanatos says with the most honest looking smile he can muster.

"You look a little lanky for a laborer….how about you tell me why you're really here? The Guardsman says, leaning in for emphasis.

Shit. Time for route B!

Thanatos sighs, and then whispers to the Guardsman "Look, I'm thinking of joining the Imperial Guard. I've been watching you guys, and it seems pretty lucrative. I'd like in… I'm not a goody two-shoes myself!", Thanatos finishes with a sly bullshit grin.

"Well now, is that so?" the Guardsman replies with an equally sly grin. "If you're a good-for-nothing, that must mean you've got something on you to show for it… give me your weapon. Now."

Just my fae'n luck grimaces Thanatos.

"Please do not do that! That is a very delicate specimen!" Alicern yells in frustration. The Guardsmen seem unconcerned and continue to poke at the increasingly irritated creature before them.

"Fools…" growls Karyuu, "Once I am free of this pillory, I will reduce you and your friends to ash!"

"Eh, good luck with that, you ugly bastard." replies a Guardsman wielding a stick. "Even if you get out of that pillory, we've got a whole camp of armed soldiers here. Even if you somehow get all of us, we're part of the Imperial Army. There'd be nowhere in Calradia you could run from us!" he laughs.

"I wouldn't need to run" says Karyuu, "only get my timing right. I could pick you off one by one…"

"Holy shit! For something so ugly, it sure does think highly of himself!" laughed another Guardsman, evoking a hearty roar from his comrades.

"You dare..OW!" Karyuu snarls, only to be interrupted by a hard thwak from a wooden stick, held by yet another Guardsman.

"For the love of the Divines, stop! That creature is my responsibility!" Alicern shouts again.

"For the last time woman, this creature arrived a solid hour and a half before you. Even if you were not lying, it's quite clear you can't keep track of your property for shit!" yells the Guardsman with a stick.

Alicern lets out an embarrassed blush. Damn, he called me on my lie! I need to get better at this. Ah, I've got it! "I was supposed to escort this specimen to Fort Easthold. It had indeed escaped from me, thanks for the reminder. Anyhow, I'm glad you've caught it. Please release him into my custody so I may finish my errand." she says, trying to convey a sense of authority in her speech.

"Are you fae'n kidding me?" the Guardsman says, rolling his eyes in disbelief. "From a security standpoint, you clearly can't keep track of this thing, and it has threatened to kill me and my men no less than eight times! I might have it sent to the fort in irons, but I think the Grand Martial would have this thing killed regardless! I'm keeping it here, and the is nothing you can do about it." the Guardsman says, barely containing the exasperation in his voice.

"But.." Alicern stammers.

"What are you going to do, call the Guardsmen?" the Guardsman replies with an amused smirk on his face. .

"Well, If I do that, I'll lose the element of surprise, right? That's the art of being a scoundrel, right? If I just flash my weapon around, everyone will know my tricks and be able to counter me!" Thanatos says, trying to laugh off the very serious request.

"Are you threatening me?" the Guardsman says without a hint of amusement

SHIT! Thanatos screams internally.

"N-no, just trying to be professional, that's all" Thanatos says with a pained smile.

"Then be a professional and give me your weapon, friend" says the Guardsman, tone cold as ice.

Just then, a hooded figure wielding an arbalest on their back approaches the border crossing.

"What the..! Hold there!" shouts another Guardsman, rushing toward the figure.

The imposing Guardsman with Thanatos springs into action. "Hold! Identify yoursel-" he stops in his tracks. "Let her pass!" he shouts to his unit.

Thanatos looks to the figure. It is a short female with an unnervingly neutral shade of grey iris, displaying a symbol of the Cult of Norgannon, a marble and obsidian ouroboros icon. She walks past the Guardsmen without breaking stride.

As she passes, Thanatos asks the Guardsman, with more than a hint of annoyance "Wait a minute. How come she gets to pass? She's got a weapon even a blind man could spot!"

The Guardsman, attention refocused on Thanatos, snatches Thanatos' satchel from his shoulder. "Don't ask questions, shrew. Now, let's see what we have here.." The Guardsman first attempts to remove the remarkably well compressed sheets, maps, smokegrass, and various other belongings before losing interest and dumping the contents of the satchel on the ground. The contents were quite surprising. A duelist's blade, a fine weapon used mainly for gentlemanly combat and artful killing as opposed to crude soldiering blades, multiple packs of small crossbow bolts, and most surprising of all, a hand-crossbow. Such a weapon was virtually unheard of outside of the nobility or otherwise very well connected people. The Guardsman stood, wide eyed.

"Where did you get these weapons?"

"I nabbed them off some lordling's corpse. No idea what house. Thought they looked nice." Thanatos smiled painfully.

"Bullshit. If these are your only weapons, then you must know how to use them. Not even soldiers are trained with these...meaning you must be valuable." the Guardsman deduced with a grin full of greed. "Alright lads, take special care of this one. Clamp him in the stocks. We'll find out who he really is!"

"No. You are not" says a voice coming from behind Thanatos.

He turns to see a woman. Though certainly not an unfamiliar sight to a "connoisseur" such as Thanatos, even he was speechless. Despite her heavy plate armor, her slim and muscular figure was obvious. She has no helm, giving view to her flowing golden hair and piercing dark blue eyes.

I could not ask for a better savior! Thanatos thought behind a smile.

"And who are you, lady?" inquires the Guardsman, eyes narrowing.

"I am Cordelia Silverlight, Paladin of the Golden Order of Estanna" she says in an authoritative tone "... and I am taking this man into custody, to be delivered at Fort Easthold."

Thanatos' smile evaporates.

Are you fae'n kidding me? he thinks.

"Hold now. That seems a bit unlikely, lady Paladin." the imposing Guardsman says. "You and the hooded Norg were standing right behind him this whole time without moving a muscle...How can you take him into custody when it's clear he slipped under your nose?" he says with a smug satisfaction.

"You are correct. I had no interest until you tried nabbing his belongings. A hand crossbow and a duelist's blade? You certainly caught yourselves a dangerous criminal! So dangerous, in fact, that I will be taking jurisdiction. I will interrogate the villain and serve Estanna's justice." she replies without any hesitation.

"You can't just..!" the Guardsman stammers in surprise.

"Actually, I can. You are Imperial Army, and your duties do not include policing of local county matters such as petty thievery, banditry, or noble plots. Those jobs are for Paladins, town watchers, and noble levies to handle." she says, taking a step forward and saying in a lowered tone "I suggest you stay in your lane, lest I report it to your someone far more important than you lot."

A single bead of sweat comes off of the Guardsman's forehead.

"What of your hooded companion? Does she approve of this?" he asks.

"She is currently pursuing other quarry" Cordelia replies, gesturing toward the stocks.

"My, but what are you?" Nina says, her monotone nearly faltering in the face of her genuine surprise. The creature, nay, man in the stocks is like nothing she has seen.

His skin is too fair to be human's, despite the scales. Could he be an Elf? She thinks to herself.

She looks at his eyes, shining a brilliant amber-gold, with a strangely reptilian inhumanity to them.

Not an Elf. No Elf has eyes of that color. Perhaps...

" A pilgrim of sorts, being accosted by these jackasses" growls Karyuu, snapping her out of her musings.

"My sympathy. Though, can you really blame them for stopping you? You certainly...inspire a second glance," she says diplomatically.

" Will your sympathy get me out of this fae'n stock? My new Wizardess friend over there seems to have all the sympathy in the world but it hasn't done shit." Karyuu snorts with derision. The Wizardess has ceased arguing with the Guardsmen, instead doing her best to observe Karyuu in the stocks.

"We will need to see what my guard-dog wannabe-hero at the gate does. If she does her thing, I should be able to take custody of both of you." replies Nina.

"Custody?!" Karyuu flares his malformed nostrils, "What the hell did I do?! These damned Guardsmen saw me and just threw me in here!" he snarls.

"Wh-what?!" Alicern says in a voice tinged with fear. "I'm just trying to get to Fort Easthold! I've already been allowed passage! What are you arresting me for?!" her voice slowly rising in pitch with each question.

" Fine. You'll get your prisoner." the Guardsman growls, shoving Thantos' belongings to the Paladin, along with a short length of rope, which is fastened to Thanatos in short order.

"Thank you, Guardsman. I'm glad we could clear this up quickly." Cordelia replies. She looks toward the stocks, where it seems her escortee has acquired two new companions bound in rope.

"Is there anything else you'd like to seize before you pass? Perhaps the armor off my back or my week's pay?" the Guardsman growled in simmering anger.

"No, all I ask is that you continue representing the honor and valor of the Imperial Army well here at this border crossing." she says with a knowing frown.

"With pleasure, Paladin." he replies with a snort.

After a few minutes of walking in glum uncertainty the road towards the fort, Cordelia breaks the silence.

"Alright. I think this is far enough. Let's get these binds off."

The three prisoners look surprised. Each looks to each other, gauging their responses, and then to their "captors".

"Wait a moment… What about facing judgement?" Thanatos asks Cordelia.

"I have. If you were a criminal, you'd have done a much better job at getting out of that situation. You clearly didn't speak the language, at least not well enough to convince either him or me." she replies. " The other two were under no criminal suspicion, just were in the wrong place at the wrong time." She pauses, "Though, I am still certainly curious as to how you got those weapons, and what exactly you are" she says, turning to Karyuu.

" As I said, a pilgrim of sorts" he growls.

" What is your destination?" Cordelia asks.

"I am going to the Burial Pits in Halfholm. Estanna is my guide, and thus I go wherever she says I am to go." he replies solemnly.

Cordelia's eyes light up at this. "Ah! You too follow holy Estanna? It truly is a joy to be traveling with one of the faithful!" she replies with a smile, betraying her hard and authoritative demeanor from earlier.

"...Yes. I aimed to stop at Fort Easthold to gather supplies, for I have heard that the road to the Burial Pits is rife with the undead. Though perhaps I should avoid the fort, considering the Guardsmen's reaction at the border…" Karyuu grumbles.

"Nonsense! Our paths have aligned, and I will not let them touch you. Nina and I actually have the same objective as you. I am to protect her as she investigates the source of the undead in the Burial Pits." Cordelia beams.

"My, something tells me that my "get in, get out unnoticed" approach might be thrown off by a walking enigma and wannabe-hero Paladin…" Nina grumbles.

" Have you encountered undead before? I can assure you that stealth will not be enough to accomplish our goals" Cordelia replies, her face forming a frown. "Is there an issue with the way we crossed the border? We got two innocents out of the hands of corrupt officials, and even a new member of our party."

"We should've kept to our own business. Who knows how that will backfire on us later? We need to stay focused on our task." Nina replies.

"The followers of Norgannon follow Norgannon, yes? Dragon of Justice? Do you not take a stand against injustice towards the weak? Cordelia says, frown becoming more pronounced.

"We take the truly just stand, a neutral one. As opposed to mucking about playing hero… By the way, why did we step in for this lot and not the others who got shaken down? Is that lack of action not unjust?" Nina replies tersely.

" They will get their justice soon enough" Cordelia replies, voice once again hard and authoritative. "Those Guardsmen are a mockery of their comrades, and the Grand Marshal will hear of it."

"Erm, sorry to interrupt, but did I hear that you are heading to the Burial Pits?" Alicern inquires.

"Indeed, what of it?" Nina replies.

"I too am on a mission to the region. I am to catalogue the various sorts of undead for the Department of Reliquaries at the Imperial Academy. Despite all this time since the war, we Calradians have only a weak understanding of Sorcery as a school of magic, necromancy included." she smiles, happy to be talking about something she's comfortable with. "I suppose we should be thankful to the Elves for leaving all of these undead shambling around, otherwise we'd never be able to study them…" her smile weakens, taking on a more grim tone.

"Hmm, it seems our party yet grows. How fortuitous!" Cordelia smiles warmly. She turns to Thanatos "And what of you? What business have you in Easthold? Are you truly working as a laborer?" she asks.

"In a sense." Thanatos replies. "I was told by a friend that the Marshal was going to need mercenary work soon. While his information might fall through, he is generally good for it. Not sure how long I'll be around for, but it should be honest and steady work."

" And what of your equipment? It certainly is peculiar...What's the story?" Cordelia asks with a degree of suspicion.

"It is as I said at the border. I am no criminal. I honestly just found these on some poor sod on the roadside. I suppose it is good fortune that whatever killed him didn't take the blade and crossbow. Not much of a story, really." Thanatos replies.

" I see" Cordelia replies, her voice betraying a bit of disappointment. "Here I thought I rescued some noble scion, or got my hands on a dangerous criminal." She smiles again, "Well, it seems we will be traveling together for a short while anyhow, so feel free to keep in contact while we are at the fort."

" I will be sure to!" Thanatos replies with a grin. Seeing you more often really will really cheer me up in this dreary land!

A few hours pass on the road to Fort Easthold. Moving as a group, opportunistic Guardsmen generally avoided the band, instead preying on lone peasants, already bled dry at the border crossing. Cordelia winced, yet knew that the party was far outnumbered and could not intervene at every opportunity. They will get their justice, she thought to herself.

On the road to the fort, the members of this little band all exchanged names. Cordelia Silverlight, Paladin of the Golden Order of Estanna. Nina Ravenholt, Cleric of Norgannon. Karyuu, pilgrim. Alicern Treadway, agent of the Imperial Academy. Thanatos, roving swordsman and mercenary.

At last, the party comes to the threshold of the great Fort Easthold. The fort has stood since before the end of the Great War, acting as the forward command base for the mighty 3rd Imperial Army Group and the bulwark against the Direnni's invasion along the coasts of Halfholm. It stands on the border of the "Brown Lands", or territory irreparably savaged in the war, and the green and golden plains of Esterlond, Hollywatch, and the Greater Elector-Duchy of Heimat. The Holly River running to the south of the fort, is far less frequently traveled since the war, but still presents calm blue waters leading to the sea. The fortress is one of the largest in the whole of Calradia, with multiple rings within, and battlements towering above the land. There is a reason this fortress survived the horrors of the Great War. The party now stands before its mighty gates, being ushered in by a Guard.

"By the Eight, this place is much larger than how they make it sound in the books…" Alicern murmurs.

"Where can I go to inquire about work? I hear there is room for a mercenary here at the fort." Thanatos asks the Guard, only to receive a surprising answer.

"You'll want to ask the Grand Marshal about that. Liaison officer was recently sacked for collaboration with criminals. Grand Marshal is now handling the merc contracts." the Guard grunts.

"By the- is there seriously nobody else I can talk to? Someone with, I don't know, lower stakes regarding messing up the interview?" Thanatos replies with a slight tone of panic.

"Afraid not. I can escort you to him once these other guests get sorted out" the Guard says, eyeing Karyuu but saying nothing.

"The four of us need to get to the Burial Pits. What would you recommend we pack for our quest? What is here in the fort for purchase?" Nina says.

"That area is off limits. Roads are too full of bandits to send a relief force in case you get ambushed by the undead. Marshal's orders." the Guard replies flatly.

"You're joking." Nina frowns.

"Do you think we too could see the Grand Marshal? Perhaps I can convince him to make an exception." Cordelia says diplomatically.

"Be my guest. Escorting the lot of you to one place makes my job a lot easier. My legs are already tired from marching around all day anyhow!" the Guard says, apparently amused at his own quip.

The party enters the upper level of the central keep of the fort, the command center of Grand Martial Fordragon. The room seems to be in the style of a large, multilevel circular study, with books and maps lining the walls, and a great many tables depicting troop movements across Calradia. The legendary commander clearly has never ceased honing his art, despite little war to be fought.

A tall, muscular figure steps forward. He wears a tunic of muted grey with the sigil of the Empire etched over the heart. His visage reminds one of a stern father, or perhaps a hero out of some tale. His black hair is cut to military fashion, with none below his ears. His beard is full and impressive. Both show streaks of grey, yet this doesn't seem to concern the 59 year old Marshal, who's body seems to have taken aging in effortless stride. This is the image of Grand Marshal Fordragon, hero of the Great War .

"Greetings, honored guests of my fortress" the voice of Fordragon booms, carrying power and authority that comes with experience. "I hope your time here remains without trouble and with great purpose. What is it you wish to ask?"

"Milord, I-" Thanatos starts

"Please, young one. I am no lord, merely a servant of the Empire." Fordragon chuckles. "That said, referring to me by military title would be appropriate."

"My apologies. Grand Marshal, I wish to enter your service as a mercenary. Please, command me as you see fit." Thanatos says.

"You certainly got the jump on the contract, eh? It just so happens I have a job opening up right now. I need mercenaries to track down and kill the Neo-Halfling insurgent commander called Sandheaver. He seems to be coordinating local bandit groups and giving my groups one hell of a time patrolling the area around Halflingshire. The problem has gotten to the point where my troops can barely enter the Burial Pits to deal with any undead." He pauses for a moment, as if to consider something deeply. "I will not be able to provide you with military support. My troops, as per Imperial Army regulation, cannot engage in non-military policing. Sandheaver is smart, hiding behind petty criminals so that I can't bring down the fire of the Divines on him. As compensation for this added difficulty, I'll pay you double the standard merc contract. 100 gold pieces if you bring me his head. I know inflation has really messed with the worth of coins, but 100 should be enough to sit comfortably for a bit." he finishes. "Does that sound like a contract you'd want to pursue?"

"Yes. But I am certainly going to need backup. I can't take on the entire bandit population of Halflingshire myself. I mean shit, that's like half the population right there." Thanatos replies.

"Well, there is not much I can do there. I suggest waiting until more mercs show up, but you're not going to get paid to sit around at the fort." Fordragon states bluntly. "What of the rest of you? Merc work as well?"

"Actual Grand Marshal, we require access to the Burial Pits to fulfill our various tasks, though none associated with the Imperial Military." Nina states.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that. Every traveler that gets killed by bandits or undead is either more revenue for Sandheaver, or another walking corpse to worry about. Thus, I have forbidden access to the Burial Pits. I am sorry. Until Sandheaver is dealt with, I cannot permit entry to anyone." Fordragon says dourly.

" Then what if we help take out Sandheaver? Your new merc is already looking for help with that, right?" Cordelia asks diplomatically. Both Nina and Karyuu make pained expressions and suppressed hissing noises at these words. Alicern indicates no response.

"If you take out Sandheaver, I will provide immediate access to your group into the Burial Pits. I will have to split the merc's reward, seeing as you're now working with him. However, in exchange, you can claim any loot you find during your quest. Consider it all exempt from Imperial taxes, at least in my jurisdiction." Fordragon replies.

"I see no other way to get my job done. Fine, I'll do it." Nina says with a sigh.

Karyuu snorts, and says "Estanna certainly loves to test me. Fine, I shall go, until the Burial Pits are free to travel."

"There is no way I'd survive out there alone anyhow. I may as well tag along." Alicern says.

" Well, that got resolved quite nicely."Thanatos says with a grin. " I look forward to hunting Halflings with you all!"

Cordelia pauses, her task yet incomplete.

"Grand Marshal, I know the conduct of the Imperial Guard is your business, as is reprimandation for their ill actions… I feel you should know that there are portions of the Third Army Group who are harassing and robbing travelers on their way to the fort. I can attest to this personally. The border crossing near Ribben seems to be particularly egregious." Cordelia states.

The Grand Marshal pauses a moment, hand on chin in contemplation. "Hmm.. I had heard reports from my more loyal Guardsmen of such activity. It seems that the idea of For The Empire does not often ring with some of my men… I can assure you, a time will come in which they are properly punished for their crimes against country, and personal insult to my army." he says definitely.

"Farewell, Grand Marshal. We shall return soon with our quarry." Cordelia replies.

"The pork counts as "loot we find during the quest", right?" Thanatos says, gnawing on a now cold sliver of pork.

"Quiet. That second group should be showing up any minute, if those fools were telling the truth…" Nina says tersely.

In preparation for the second ambush, the party hides the bodies of the previous group, along with as much evidence of their demise as possible. They thoroughly explore the spider borough, which thankfully only held one such beast. The borough runs alongside of the road through the center of hill-valley, holding two usable entrances on the far right end and middle of the structure, with the far left being unusable. Nina and Thanatos take the center entrance, hoping to bait a few bandits into a narrow ambush route. Alicern waits at the far end, ready to begin casting her hermetic magic upon those still waiting outside of the ambush slit. Upon the hill, facing opposite of the ambush site, Karyuu waits behind the bushes, ready to unleash his powerful sorcery upon those in the valley. At the end of the valley, Cordelia hides behind rocks, waiting until the others act before charging in to break the surviving bandits.

"You seem grumpy. What, did you not get any pork?" Thanatos teases.

Just then, five bandits came into the valley.

"Fae'n hell. The last guys didn't even put up their campfire correctly! I know their squad is full of slobs, but this is a bit much!" the bandit at the head of the pack remarks.

"Quiet. I don't understand why we bother working with you bwbachs. Damn idiots love giving away our position to anyone listening" says a dour-looking Halfling.

"Come now boss, this route is always quiet. Hardly worth even patrolling." replies the bandit.

The band mills about for a few minutes, looking for ideal camping sites. Only the Halfling stands attentive. He is not cut of the cloth of bandits. He is a radical, a Neo-Halfling, bent on the revitalization of his race, and taking vengeance upon both these bwbachs, or useful idiots, who had failed his race in the Great War. Above all, he wished to take vengeance upon the greatest evil his people knew, the Elves. He knew combat, knew the signs.

"HALT UNIT!" he barks.

He slowly bends down, placing his head against the burned grass.

"Flame blast. Recent. Ground is still warm and the grass still smells freshly burned." he growls.

"FORM UP! FACE THE BOROUGH WITH TWO DOORS!" he roars the command. He then pulls out two small, metallic, ball shaped objects on strings.

"MASK AND BREACH!" he roars, throwing the objects in front of both borough doors. The objects explode in a thick fog, blinding those within the borough.

"Shit! We need to play this safe. Get further back in the room so you can see, I'll stay at the side of the door." Thanatos whispers in a hushed tone to Nina.

Alicern, to their surprise, rushes through the door at the side of their borough.

"I can't see anything out there. If they break in on my side, I'm dead. If they try to flank you here, I can cover you." she says, somewhat out of breath.

"This is some plan B, eh?" Thanatos replies.

"We can only hope the others are fine…" Alicern says.

Thanatos hears footsteps outside the door. Then the handle moving. Though he is unsure, he thought he saw the light in the doorframe change. He stabs, hitting something wet, and was rewarded with a whimper and thud of a body. He grins at his success, only to feel the sudden, overwhelming pain of a blow to his side. He throws himself away from the door, hoping to avoid the next blow. A large bandit weilding a great spiked mace charges through the door in pursuit, deftly avoiding his fallen comrade in spite of his size. He is about to swing again in an attempt to finish his mark when his eye explodes with the impact of an arbalest bolt at close range, completely incapacitating him. Seconds later, Alicern lets out a cry of warning, for another bandit is charging from her old position at the door. She casts a chilling line of cold at the bandit, drastically slowing his advance, giving enough time for a very incensed Cordelia to charge through the door and skewer the now chilled bandit.

Above the field, Karyuu watches. All but two foes are felled, though these last two are quite dangerous. One bandit wields a wicked looking crossbow, with the Halfling preparing to toss another device. Karyuu has quite the funny idea to neutralize both, without ever giving himself away. He crouches in the bush, he takes a deep breath, and he watches the strands.

Human

Human

Halfling

Human

Human

Human..?

I'll just need to keep that to myself, I suppose! He thinks to himself, with a private chuckle.

Now, to manipulate the strands….

He sees the one connecting the man with the crossbow, and begins to read.

A son. An angry father. A broken mother. A tiny grave. One more grave. Another grave. A screaming woman. Thrashing. Blood on the sheets and floor. The forest is cold. The fire is not. The flesh screams. He does not. A crossbow. Memento. Hunting. Father. Memory. Dinner. A borough. Commander. SHOOT!

Karyuu's vision returns, snapping back to focus by an explosion and scream of the Halfling. The bandit with the crossbow stands, stunned. His aim, focused on his commander, now missing an arm, blood seeping from shrapnel wounds. The shock ends a moment later, with his jugular being pierced by a small crossbow bolt. Now only the commander remains, who limps to the center of the valley.

"Hold there" Cordelia says coming out of the borough, quickly followed by the rest of the party, who then move to surround the Halfling. "Your wounds are grievous, we can heal you and let you go, but only if you tell us the location of Sandheaver." she continues.

"Silence, wretched bwbachs! You betrayed our trust during the War of Annihilation, and now you expect me to trust those who use filthy Elven magics?!" he snarls, blood drizzling out of his wounded mouth.

" I swear, wretch, we can heal you regardless" growls Karyuu from above, "and we can really drag out this process, up until you give us what we want."

The Halflings grins. Killed by some freak from another world? Just like my family? No, I won't give my enemies the satisfaction of choosing how I die!

The Halfling suddenly breaks into a song, broken and garbled from his many injuries.

"Wait…" Alicern begins, listening closely to the Halfling's words. "Stop him! He's singing the anthem of the Halfling Republic! He's about to-"

The Halfling attempts to draw a long, ceremonial knife from his side, only to realize his arm is gone. He works his other arm around and draws the jagged blade, plunging it into his jugular.

Cordelia gasps. Alicern stares wide-eyed. The rest of the party reacts as if a gust of wind had just hit them. All stand in silence for a moment, unsure of how to address the situation.

"So.. what do we do now?" Thanatos says, throat dry.

Karyuu finds his way down the hill quickly, and kneels near the corpse of the Halfling, rifling through its clothes.

"By Sehanine! What are you do-" Cordelia stammers in surprise.

"This one was a Halfling, one actually connected to Sandheaver. He might have information on him we could use." Karyuu says, focusing on his task, not the reactions of others.

Moments later, he finds what he sought. A missive, reading:

To all Halfholm Reclaimationist Partisans:

A reminder that all arms, rations, and equipment otherwise necessary for continuing our glorious struggle against traitors and monsters are to be centralized at the compound north of Halflingshire.

A secondary directive to all cell commandants:

Grand Commandant Sandheaver will be patrolling cells A-G north of Halflingshire. It is recommended that all Partisans and bwbach irregulars be ready to receive him and submit for inspection.

For Green Hills, Happy Boroughs, and Restored Dignity!

We Fight!

"Looks like we've got him." announces Karyuu. "North of Halflingshire. Looks like Sandheaver is making the rounds. With luck, we can ambush him there."

"Looks like our friend wasn't very good at remembering directions. He's sketched a whole map on the back" Nina says, gesturing at the crude, bloodstained drawing on the back of the parchment.

" Good. Though if this is what his underlings are like…." Thanatos looks toward the Halfling's corpse.

"We will just need to be ready for quite the fight. For now, I suggest we get moving. It looks like the compound is a little over half a day's march. With luck, we can jump him at night, do this without alerting the entire syndicate." Nina says, already packed and itching to leave.

"True. Let's march," replies Karyuu.

It was a bleak march. Though no conflicts took place, the spirits of the party sagged upon looking at the ruins of Halflingshire. Even from outside the perimeter, one could see what the Great War and Exterminatus Campaign had wrought upon the city. Great impact craters from Elven magic bombardments still made roads impassable and Halfling boroughs unlivable. Packs of stray dogs attacked Halflings in the ruined streets, and armed bands of thugs openly robbed Halflings in broad daylight. The green hills of the Halfling homeland were replaced by a rough, red and brown soil, in which nearly nothing grew. Great storms of dust would make the air difficult to breathe, driving all but the most prepared or foolish back into their boroughs. And yet still, bands of armed Halflings could be seen standing outside buildings, each with their own variation of the old Halfholm Republic's flag, making themselves known as minor Neo-Halfling Syndicates. This was a dead city. It died in the Great War, and now it shambles about, still consuming the lives of all those who attempt to live, just like the hordes of undead but a day's march away.

The party soon comes upon a barn, emblazoned with the same symbol worn by the Halfling previously encountered. This must be one of the cell hideouts.

"Nina, what do you see?" asks Cordelia.

"Looks like a two story barn. No buildings of note around it. Very open. I see two Halflings out front and one up near the rafter window. Looks like he has a damn arquebus." Nina reports.

"I feel like assaulting from the front isn't going to work. That arquebus will tear Cordelia's armor to shreds, and go through the rest of us like paper. We also have no idea how many Halflings might be inside the barn." says Thanatos.

"We're going to need another way in…" says Alicern, thinking aloud. "I've got it. A few of us disguise ourselves, sneak in, take out the arquebusier, and then rush the two out front."

"I like it, but two things; what happens if there are more inside, and who the hell is going to pass as a Halfling here?" Thanatos replies.

"Nobody. We need someone to play a bandit underling and for Karyuu to play along." Alicern says, glancing to Karyuu with a hopeful expression, only just barely covering her nervousness at making such a request.

"Play along how?" Karyuu grunts, raising an eyebrow.

"Prisoner again." Alicern says, still maintaining her painful smile.

"You're joking. These goons will probably kill me on the spot." Karyuu growls at Alicern.

"I don't think that's true. Even the boneheaded Guardsman kept you alive for a bit, just to marvel." she continues her pained smile. "If you just..play along and double down on the, uh, "freakyness", I think they'll let the two of you in." Her face starts to hurt from maintaining this unnatural expression.

"As much as I hate to admit it, and I DO, you may be right…. I'll play along, just this once." Karyuu growls in the lowest pitch possible.

"I'm assuming I'm the dashing rogue?" Thanatos remarks with a self-assured grin.

"Actually, you're a bumbling bandit. Why would Halfling Ethno-Nationalists hire on anybody but subservient humans? They don't like uppity ones." Alicern replies.

"Geeze, I don't know how well I can play the part of idiotic criminal" replies Thanatos.

Cordelia suppresses a small laugh.

Thanatos shoots a short glare at her.

A few minutes later, a disheveled looking man approaches the barn, with a large hooded figure in tow.

"Hey! Bwbach! Get the hell away from our compound. Your treacherous kind are supposed to stay OUT of the base! Go on, get!" shouts one of the Halfling guards at the gate.

"Wait, friends! I know it's not protocol, but there is something crazy I found out on patrol a bit west of Halflingshire!" Thanatos shouts.

"If you show us some shit you got from an Imperial Guard I swear to the Divines I'll put you down right here." growls the guard.

"Nope!" Thanatos says as he pulls the hood from Karyuu's head.

Karyuu roars a mighty roar, causing both the Halflings and Thanatos to retreat a few steps in surprise.

" Estanna's tits! What is this horrible beast?!" shrieks one of the Halfling guards.

"Not the faintest clue! Thing was half starved outside of a borough when I found it. Fed it some food I found and got it walking."

" Why did you bring it here?" the guard asks.

"Didn't trust other bandits. Probably would eat it or some shit. Thought I'd give it to you guys to show Sandheaver. Bandits get a bit of a trickle down when you guys do well, so it's a good idea to stay on your good side." Thanatos said with a smile.

"Hmm. Doesn't explain how you found out about this place. Don't think I've seen you before…" says the Halfling, eyes narrowing.

"Ah, that makes sense! I'm pretty new. One of the Halflings out there tried giving me directions to a bandit camp, but I think he mismarked it, because I ended finding this place. Ran off hoping to bump into the bandits, and found this guy instead!" hastily replies Thanatos.

"Well bwbach, we do appreciate the gift… You hungry from trekking? Not much to eat out there. We have some food and drink inside. Don't worry, we got plenty. I would say watch out for Pap, but that loaf is already passed out drunk. Hopefully your gift will make up for his drunk-ass." says the Halfling guard.

"Much appreciated, friends!" Thanatos beamed.

The plan works and I get a snack? Blessed be the Divines!

Upon entering the barn, Thanatos is relieved to see that there is only one drunken Halfling to contend with. "Don't worry fella, I'm just gonna handle your friend real quick" he whispers to the unconscious Halfling. Karyuu waits on the lower level of the barn, as to not draw attention. Thanatos stealthy ascends to the second floor of the barn, only to see that there is a third floor occupied only by the arquebusier. Thanatos sneaks up behind him, ending his life with a quick piercing thrust through the back of the skull. Pulling the corpse back inside, he waves the "all-clear" signal to his companions outside, and then does the same for Karyuu inside.

In but a few moments, it is all over. The guards are taken completely by surprise as they are charged by a band of adventurers from the front and ambushed from behind by Karyuu. They died in moments, with little difficulty. The barn had been secured, the plan executed flawlessly. In the moments after the ambush, Karyuu quietly dispatches the sleeping Halfling. "A necessary killing," he said.

"Now that the hard part is done, it's time to wait for Sandheaver." declares Thanatos.

"We must prepare a new trap." Nina says, taking stock of the barn's layout. "There are two entrances, one which we came through, and a side entrance connecting to the road. I imagine that is where Sandheaver will come from."

"It also seems our Halfling friends were quite fond of alcohol" Cordelia says, gesturing to large barrels of heavy liquor.

"Hm, I have an idea." Alicern declares. "We will create an explosive trap at the roadside entrance. We will need to leave the barn soon afterword, but it should prove devastating in combat. We will soak most of the barrels of alcohol in yet more alcohol, to increase flammability. We still place as much of it in proximity to the entrance, and detonate once Sandheaver comes in." Alicern smiles. "It's a little bit simple, but effective. There's a reason people love using fire to win fights."

"I love it. Plus, we destroy an entire cell hideout, on top of killing the Syndicate boss." Thanatos remarks. He frowns at a brief realization. "Could we loot this place before we blow it up? Who knows what they have stored away here?"

"I don't see why not. But please, we need to make haste." Alicern replies.

At the end of their search, little of value was found. Around 20 gold pieces, poor quality smokegrass, some sort of jerky, and pamphlets used to recruit for the Halflingshire Reclaimationsists.

At last, the time had come. The sun hung low in the sky, and each adventurer made ready for combat. From atop the rafters, Nina alerts the others to the oncoming danger, five Halflings, with four holding a tight formation around the fifth. Perhaps this was Sandheaver?

He approaches the door, his long, white hair blowing in the bitter night winds. In all of the years since the War ended, he never could get used to the cold, dead, howling of the ghost of his home. His vanguard opens the farm door, and they all walk in. He picks up a smell on the wind. The smell of alcohol. Too much alcohol. Before he can stop the advance, a great fan of flame erupts from the rafter facing the entrance, and the world explodes.

His ears ring and eyes seem blurry, yet he cannot find any of his vanguard. He lies outside of the barn door, for it seems he escaped with his life, for now. He stares into the barn, the fire spreading, yet not all consuming. He watches in a rage as a scaled beast and group of humans scurry down the rafters and attempt to make their escape….

"Did we get him?" Thanatos asks

"I'm not seeing a fifth body.. Maybe we shoul-AAAH" Karyuu roars. He reels, feeling a searing pain in his shoulder. He feels something solid, almost eating away at his flesh with a sort of radiating, infernal pain. Before he can get a grip on it, another blast rips through his side, bringing him to his knees. He makes eye contact with his assailant; a badly burned Halfling with long,white hair, knives adorning his tunic under the flowing robe. The Halfling takes another knife, and lobs it, only for it to be intercepted by Cordelia's shield. He snarls in anger.

"Come here to finish Fordragon's dirty work, eh?" Sandheaver roars. "I assure you, I won't die easy. I can ensure you won't either!"

"Alicern, get to Karyuu! He needs a potion!" Cordelia shouts.

Nina fires a crossbow bolt at the Sandheaver, which he dodges completely. He may be old, but he is certainly no stranger to combat.

In a rage, he charges at Nina at full speed, seeming to completely sidestep Cordelia and her swings.

He wields two daggers, more than enough to tear away at a Cleric.

Suddenly, a shape comes before him. A man wielding a fine sword.

No matter, he thought, I have killed far greater men with far less.

"Let's try something a bit more fair, eh?" Thanatos taunts.

"Coming from the crew who ambushed mine. I can't tell if you're dishonorable or just not very clever." Sandheaver spits a reply.

The two exchange blows, neither making anything more than grazing hits. However, the poison in Sanderheaver's blades begins to wear on Thanatos.

" I guess neither of us are very honorable, huh? Poisoning your weapons before a fight?" Thanatos pants, feeling lightheaded.

"I will do what is necessary to restore my homeland to the old glory. No matter method, nor how many deaths I must inflict. You damned humans have no idea what it is like to lose your whole world!" Sandheaver snarled. "And now, I will make one last kill on my way out!" he said as he drew a dagger, aiming right for Thanatos' neck.

"Feel the judgement of the Black Serpent!" roared Nina, thrusting a bolt into the side of Sandheaver. The bolt exploded with a foul, distorted noise and coloration, a black growth seeming to flow through the Halfling's entire being, causing him to thrash in agony as it consumed him.

Karyuu was already back on his feet, though still nauseous from the potion, throwing the corpse of the Halfling onto his shoulder like a rucksack. Cordelia and Nina both hauled the weakened Thanatos out, while Alicern held the rear guard, in case of any surprises. They made haste back to the fort, as to avoid being harried or overcome by angry Neo-Halflings looking for revenge. At the entrance, they were forced to dispose of Sandheaver's body, taking only the head and a curious item; a soldier's identification tag, belonging to a Bram Sandheaver of the Third Imperial Army Group.

They brought both to the Marshal.

"I thank you for this deed. The roads will be much safer for all good people and soldiers without this Neo-Halfling group terrorizing the countryside." He pauses, looking at the soldier identification marker of Sandheaver.

"Sir, did you know him?" asks Cordelia.

"Yes. I try to know all men under my command. He was a veteran of the Great War. Like most Halflings, the Extermination Campaign broke him. For a time, I helped him with his Neo-Halfling group, with sponsorship and even training, back before they took a more Halfling purist line and resorted to petty banditry and terrorism." The Marshal sighs. "And now he's just another name on the ever mounting list of good men dying for the wrong reasons." He is quiet for a time. "Please, feel free to stay in the fort tonight before you leave for the Burial Pits. You could use the rest, and there should be more than a few grateful soldiers who'll want to say thanks."

Thus, the party broke for the evening. Nina wrote in her travel log of what she had seen that day, taking special note of the personalities, strengths, and weaknesses she perceived in the events of that day. Thanatos took a trip to the fort's tavern that he deemed as "necessary" after nearly dying. Karyuu did his best to barter with the local magic items vendor, yet found intimidating a member of the Imperial Army in their own stronghold to be more trouble than it was worth. Cordelia went to the tavern as well, though did not partake in drink, only food and bedding. Alicern paced about, trying to determine what they may face in the Burial Pits the following day.

By dawn , they were ready to set out, not knowing what may lurk in the dark pits of the dead land.

Hello all! I will try to leave smallish notes at the end of chapters to encourage interaction with readers. I am very interested in feedback, critique, and questions relating to the story (and I guess other stuff if you're really curious lol).

As I have laid out in my profile, I will be posting both a regular chapter upload and Lore Chapter back to back, meaning the next chapter is a lore one, to be posted almost immediately. I will try to put out a chapter twice a month, but I cannot make any iron guarantees!

If you have a specific part of lore that you'd like me to write about in a post, please ask in the comments! If enough interest in a subject is shown, I would be more than happy to dedicate a post to it.

Lastly, sorry for going dark for a bit at the end of December-early Jan. Very very busy time, with holidays and apartment details.

I hope everyone enjoys the story!