Expansion Plans

With the peace talks effectively over, the two principals decided not to stretch the fragile accord too much, and made preparations to leave immediately. Hildraft, walking out to the landing field with Skufruss, indicated the dragon-steed the Dark Lord had brought. "I've seen bigger," he commented. Skufruss smiled tightly. "He's not the best fighter," he acknowledged, "but he's a good carrier. I have plenty to choose from after all".

This reminded Hildraft of his possible faux pas with the dragon earlier. While Sufruss and his followers were mounting their steed, the dwarf went around to the front and spoke with the mighty reptile again. He tried to work rather coyly around to the question of whether the dragon - whether dragons - were angered by the companions' gifting the Sceptre of the Dragon Lords to Skufruss. The beast was calm and inscrutable, however, and finally Hildraft asked it straight out.

Looking at the monstrous scaled face, the dwarf saw a momentary change. For a second, it was as if a shutter was opened on a furnace of fury. Then it was gone, and the dragon commented quietly, "I, or one of my blood, will take it up with you at a later date." Then it spread its' wings and lifted into the winter sky.

One of the benefits of being Ta'nara was the reading of deep nuance in the languages of the multiverse. Hildraft could hear the beating of myriads of leathery wings riding on thermals of vengeance in that simple sentence. The consequences of his simple comment were not going to be minor....

Skaven Castle, Enning, 19th November 1601

The next day, the three Teleported to the conjuration room in Thevian Tyrkor's castle, and sought out the seer-lord. Tyrkor was pleased to hear of the aborted war, and agreed with Surya that there was no cause why their alliance should not now stand. Although they told him most things, they did not tell him who slew Garkaur.

Sack nudged Hildraft. "I can't believe there's no temple to Kord here," he signed slyly. "These people are just crying out to be converted." Hildraft twitched, tempted, and Surya glared at them both.

Death Tongue and Thunderslayer had apparently left some days previously, heading for the eastern mountains. Sack shook his head; he still had no desire to attempt to step into Garkaur's shoes.

Reital, New Tellare, 20th November 1601

Thoughts of expansion were in Surya's mind the next day, as he mulled over New Tellare's situation. Although the harvest was in and safe, and famine was not an immdiate danger, he was in the same fundamental position as Vane the Mace had been after the Slaying. The standing army was vastly out of proportion to the population and resources, and something would have to be done with it, or else problems would arise. He looked over the maps.

After the end of the Third Elf War in 1510, the Dragon had had a series of border forts built along the northern perimeter of the Desolation, marking and guarding his southern border. Two of these now lay within Enning's borders, another within New Tellare's newly acquired territory not far from Thallan battlefield. This left four spaced evenly between Thallan and the Sea.

Surya had sent scouts to each of these, and to Belegond, which though ruined was the only proper port on the coast of the northern part of Alair. The scouts sent to the towers had reported that the nearer two were still occupied by the original garrisons, cut adrift by the Slaying, who had settled into them, farming and hunting the lands around to survive. The western two were abandoned, it seemed. The scouts sent to Belegond had not returned.

Surya was unwilling to let Doronond just have Belegond back, assuming he wanted it - for some reason of their own the elves had made their bridgehead in the centre of the Desolation rather than radiating out from the logical landing point of the costal city. New Tellare, he reasoned, should have a costal presence; he would acquire the four towers, and Belegond itself. Giving orders to General Harker to prepare the army for a spring campaign after all, he turned to Hildraft for the next step.

Khundrukar, Erean Mountains, 20th November 1601

Teleporting into the secret treasury, Sack hunted around for a nice unobtrusive casket and stashed Garkaur's head and crown safely away. Then he picked over the treasure, looking for a good hand-and-a-half sword to use along with the Blade of the Sun in place of Bloodfang, which while nasty, was rather small for the opponents he was currently encountering.

Finally, he returned to Reital and broke out his stores of vampire-slaying equipment....

Kordasa, 20th November 1601

Stepping out of the inconspicuous corner where Skufruss' teleport circle was installed, Hildraft cast a Holy Aura to underline his authority and went looking for the Holy Commander of the Church of Kord Triumphant, Manton Vanechka - the leader of the military arm of the Kordasa. Vanechka was a bit startled to have the Hand of Kord walk into his study with zero warning, but recovered well. "Command me," he said, bowing.

It was clear that Vanechka was already mentally mapping out weeks of services, ceremonies, sermons, feasts and debates centering around his visitor, but Hildraft cut him short, explaining that the Kordasa was about to embark on a military adventure in alliance with New Tellare, come the spring. For this he wanted five thousand of the best troops the Kordasa could provide, to be in Reital in early May.

Vanechka seemed a little surprised at the idea of an alliance with New Tellare, and checked carefully that the Hand of Kord wasn't actually asking him to invade New Tellare; this done, he declared that he would see Hildraft in Reital in May "one way... or the other.".

Leaving the Holy Commander, Hildraft crossed the Holy City, careful to keep his axe hidden under his cloak, to the mighty edifice of the Kordasa itself. Once again, this had grown, and now dominated the entire city with its' magnificence. Shaking his head slightly in rueful amusement, Hildraft entered, and was shortly shown into the High Priest's study.

Jasselan had been one of the very first of the New Faithful, present when Hildraft had reconsecrated the unremarkable little chapel to Kord left over from before the Invasion, closed by the Dragon, and kept closed by Skufruss, then Kin Governer of Trialt. As a result, although respectful, he treated Hildraft with much less of the awe and occasional fear shown by other officers of the Kordasa, including Manton Vanechka. Hildraft, never one for much ceremony, found his company more comfortable as a result.

Hildraft noted that Jasselan looked tired and overworked, but explained his plans, and allowed the High Priest the assumption that he would contribute battle-priests to the expedition. He discussed Sack and Surya's theory that the abandoned elf-port was likely the lair of significant undead forces, and Jasselan made some suggestions. Then they prayed together, feeling the approval and support of Kord flow over them like a warm smile, and Hildraft left.

He allowed Vanechka to persuade him to address a parade of the best graduates of the military order of the Kordasa, and blessed them.

Kobur, Erean Mountains, 21st November 1601

Using the magic of Wind Walk to travel to his homeland, Hildraft confronted Cardinal Axeedge over the armour salvaged from the Hand of Drok, demanding it be returned to him. Axeedge was dead against this, convinced that the taint would overwhelm his protege and consume his soul, and Hildraft, in point of fact not all that confident himself, used a Commune spell to request Kord's opinion. Surprisingly, for a forthright God, Kord did not offer a firm answer. Rather, he reminded Hildraft that he, Kord had conferred on his priest as much of his godly power as he was yet capable of enduring. To funnel more through him would destroy him. The resource to withstand the taint of the armour was to be found rather within Hildraft himself.

He was more definite about the process of reforging it. Gallingly, the best the dwarves had available had tried and had failed. Focussing faith and power from Kord was not the problem; the requirement for a towering feat of smithcraft could only be satisfied in a few places on this plane. "Some you would not want to approach," he warned, clearly referring to the Fae Mhor among  others. "You know where."

Hildraft did.

Elverandil.