Kerjha Azala
In the wake of the Imperial soldiers' departure, the party searched around, checking the bodies of the dead. Then they mounted up and rode off eastwards.
For the next few days, they rode through the Desolation. The vast scale of the destroyed land weighed on the spirit, creating a profound air of gloom. From time to time they passed clusters of ruins where stone buildings had been and were now crumbling into the ash and gravel. Occasionally it rained; but after the short showers had ceased, the water vanished into the sterile ground as if it had never been there.
In time they began to see the snow-topped Erean Mountains appearing above the horizon, and this sight lifted their spirits - the prospect of escaping the dead lands could not fail to cheer.
Abruptly, Sack and Surya became aware of an approaching cloud of dust. After the last time, this sort of thing made them rather nervous, so they examined it with considerable care. After a while, they could make out the shapes of riders - fifty or sixty strong - coming straight for them. Mounted on light, fast horses, the newcomers wore white or blue robes, topped with mailshirts and pointed, conical helmets. They were armed with slender, curved swords or slim lances, and each man had a recurved composite bow and a rigid case of arrows attached to his saddle. Kobort recognized them immediately. Red Dust Nomads. His people.
Kobort and Surya rode forward to meet them. The Tellaran, anticipating battle, readied his lance, but Kobort drew his sword and - despite it being completely the wrong shape - raised it directly above his head in the traditional nomad gesture requesting a parlay.
The approaching riders suddenly divided into two groups and veered sharply around the group, transforming into a gyrating mass of horsemen, riding around them in dizzyingly tight circles. Then, suddenly and at no apparent signal, they stopped dead, each rider facing inwards with his weapons held ready. Surya and Kobort glanced at each other, one guessing and the other knowing what would happen next. Sure enough, the ranks parted and a single man rode forward to meet them.
|
Kerjha Azala |
As he did so, he stared hard at Kobort and did a double take. After that his whole demeanour altered slightly, becoming far more respectful. He reached the pair, and bowed gracefully in the saddle in the nomad style. "Greetings, Dakhair [Lord] Ashkhari!" he said, speaking in Thalrath with Kobort (and Hildraft) understood. "A thousand apologies, Lord, for the incivility of our approach. Had we but known that you and your bodyguard" he indicated Surya here, "were travelling in this region we would have offered our services immediately. I am Kerjha Azala, leader of this warband." |
Kobort was a bit taken aback at this. Not only had he never heard of Dakhair Ashkhari, he was completely sure that whoever it was, it wasn't himself. However, their best bet seemed to play along, so he engaged Kerjha in conversation, feeling his way through the part he was playing.
It emerged that Kerjha's group were horse-raiders, ranging the Desolation for a set period at the orders of their Lord, bushwhacking Imperial and Dragonarmy patrols for their horses and any other available loot. While they didn't appear to care much for the Dragon's servants, it was the Empire that the nomads reserved their main hate for, spitting ritually when they mentioned them. Hildraft quietly tucked the Imperial Standard ration pack he'd been about to open back into his rucksack.
Careful conversational manoeuvring led to the discovery that the real Dakhair Ashkhari was something of a maverick among Nomad lords, a wandering hero with a tendency to disappear for long stretches of time and then show up, do something spectacular, cause havoc to the Nomads' foes, and disappear again.
The offer of help and support was interesting. It rapidly occurred to the group that they had a perfect trading item - twenty spare horses they'd been leading around since the encounter with the bandits. Kobort, in a move which combined a generous impulse with shrewd psychology, promptly gave his five-horse share to Kerjha. The nomad leader was obviously impressed by this, and presented him in return with a fine light warhorse of nomad bloodstock. Surya, who'd rather fancied one himself, wasn't all that happy about this. Nonetheless, he also turned his five horses over to the nomads, leaving a far more manageable ten extra horses between the four companions.
Kerjha ordered his nomads to pitch camp, and declared that the group were his guests. Kobort relaxed at this point, explaining to the others that this meant they were equivalent to being members of his family for the next seventy-two hours, and therefore completely safe. Food was provided, interesting and unusual to Sack and Surya, and the leader apologised to them that there were no women available, as this was a raiding party and they didn't have luxuries with them.
Hildraft spent some time exchanging boasts with the nomad warriors; they regaled him with tales of their encounters with Imperial troops. The dwarf responded with accounts of their battles with and slaying of three of the four Kin they'd met. The nomads laughed appreciatively and clapped him on the shoulder, obviously not believing a word; but the camaraderie was genuine.
Surya spent some time talking to Kerjha - who did, it emerged, speak some Common - about what the nomads had seen elsewhere in the Desolation. He mentioned two small Imperial patrols (now no longer a problem), and two Nhased hermits, whom the nomad evidently believed to be crazy, travelling on foot and unsupported northwards. They had left them behind, unconcerned with people they believed of no interest.
Next morning, the two groups parted company amicably, the nomads riding off north. The adventurers travelled on east. For several more days they rode through the barren landscape, until finally, they reached the edge of the wasteland. Across the desolate ash, they could see, spread before the rising Erean mountains, the first greenery they had seen in nearly a month. And bulking at the edge of the sparse grassland were the ruins of the elven city Curulindale. For lack of a better landmark - and because Hildraft knew the route between Curulindale, Kobur and Gloiran - they headed for that. Towards afternoon, they were entering the outskirts of the city.
These ruins were different to those of Lantalaure. Whereas the former city was slowly crumbling into dry ash, Curulindale was being overgrown in a more normal way. As a result, the decay of the city was accelerated and the landmarks less discernable. Hildraft had actually been here before, and remembered it as a bustling city, the most cosmopolitan of Elven cities. Set on the trade-road linking the North kingdoms, Sildor and the Empire, it was a hub for four-way trade between these places and the dwarves, and he had been here more than once with his father. Now it was almost gone, wrecked and quiet.
From Curulindale they moved into the mountains, climbing as they went. To the dwarf, these ways were much more comforting, because nothing here had changed since his childhood. Mountains don't move much. A couple of days later, they passed the markers indicating they were now in Kobur-held territory. To no-one's surprise, later that day they were stopped by a heavily armed patrol of dwarves, who indicated - politely but firmly - that they were required to accompany them to Kobur.
Hrolf Earthstar, King of Kobur |
On entering the city, they were brought before the king of Kobur. Hrolf Earthstar's grandfather Lognar Korin had been king in Hildraft's day. The king sat his throne in the mighty throne hall, a place which brought much relief to Surya and Kobort, both over 6' tall, who had been struggling in the 5' dwarf passages up to this point. Surrounding Earthstar were the Ranks of Iron, the élite bodyguard of the king and reputed the toughest warriors in all Kobur. |
The king was courteous but insistent on knowing who and what - and most importantly, why - the characters were. Hildraft then revealed his identity, and sketched in some of the details of the party's unnaturally extended lifetime. Earthstar granted them the freedom of the dwarfcastle, on Hildraft's parole, while he checked with the clan archives to confirm Hildraft's story, and the group left him.
|
Hildraft's next stop was his clan lands. The Bogadun clan was thriving, and his family was still extant, his younger sisters Freyta and Hildrith having left numerous descendants. After an extended period of meeting relatives and settling in, he had a meeting with the current clan head, Ivhold Crusher, who - beneath a facade of polite respect - was mostly interested in Hildraft's future plans. He was well aware that Hildraft was the oldest living Bogadun male, and by right of blood was clan lord. Once Hildraft had assured him that he planned in fact to travel on rather than claiming this position, Ivhold became most helpful. Hildraft was introduced to a young great-grandnephew, Vollun Crusher, a promising young dwarf newly ordained into Kord's priesthood, who needed some outside experience and would happily serve as his acolyte. |
Ivhold Crusher, Clan Lord Bogadun |
Surya had asked if they could visit the forges, and the king had assigned them a guide to take them there. To Hildraft it was a part of home, but to the others it was a place from hell; a dark pit, lit here and there with flashes of flame, stifling hot and ringing with the clangour of forging metal.
Approaching the forge-master, Surya asked his opinion on the Sword of the Dead Legions. Showing none of the distaste exhibited by previous experts he'd consulted, the forgemaster examined the weapon and declared himself impressed by its' make, and amazed that orcs could make such a thing.
Surya then asked the dwarves if they were the best smiths in the city. On receiving an affirmative answer, he unpacked one of the bars of Elverandil's adamantite and dropped it onto the anvil. "Can you work that?" he asked.
Silence spread around the forge like ripples in water, as dwarf smiths gathered respectfully to gaze at the marvel. Each in turn bent and respectfully ran his fingers over the weird, alien-looking metal. Finally, the forgemaster turned back to Surya. "No," he said regretfully, "only the elves have ever had the secrets of forging this stuff. I have never seen it - except in armour on elves - and I thank you for the chance to touch a piece. With the loss of the elf lands, the skills to work it are gone forever." Surya and Hildraft looked at each other. Hildraft shook his head slightly; if anyone was to be given the secrets of Elverandil's journals, it would be the dwarves of Clan Bogadun.
On their return, Hildraft summoned Ivhold Crusher and asked him to bring in the best smiths the clan had to offer. Once introduced to Grispere and Cadrag Crusher, Hildraft turned over to them the five pieces of bar adamantite and the precious journals filled with Elverandil's techniques. The two dwarves were already reading when Hildraft and Surya left the room, and appeared unaware of anything around them...
The next day, the King summoned the group back to the throne hall, and announced that the archivists of clan Bogadun had verified Hildraft's identity. He still, however, wanted to know why they wanted to pass through his lands. So finally, after requesting privacy and having the Iron Guard clear the throne hall, he told the King of the existence of the Seventh Sword. Immediately, the King - though convinced of his people's safety beneath their mountains - granted them free passage. Though his final question went unanswered; "Where will you find an elven hero now to wield it?"