The Price of Your War
General Summary
The following is an excerpt from my interview with Bon Kal Adagh. Some words have been roughly translated as certain concepts in the gnoll language do not translate well into Common.11th of Tyr, 634 Golden Era
I do not remember anything before but it began in my chief's tent. We were sitting around a fire conversing in a casual manner while making taguella which would accompany our evening meal. The conversation seemed unimportant, but the feeling it left was. It was one of contentment. When the fire crackled my vision changed in an instant. I was surrounded by death and flames, and beyond the fire was nothing but darkness. Bodies of my mate-brothers were around me, cut down. As I looked down at my own body my left hand was missing, and there was deep gash in my stomach. At some point too my right eye stopped seeing, and when I felt the socket it had popped and all that remained was a hole full of gore. Like they were born from the flames a pack of wolves came to encircle me. There was no trace of hunger in their eyes. They were not there for anything more than to kill. As they circled testing my defenses they snapped and clawed, but with only one arm there was little I could do. I was nothing more than a toy to play with to them, and that is when I saw it. From beyond the flames bathed in darkness two green eyes stared back at me, and what emerged could barely be called a wolf. In its look it was another silver furred wolf but it was easily 15 feet tall and it's massive fangs curled out in odd directions. After staring at me for what felt like hours something that sounded like a laugh uttered by a demon escaped its maw. It turned picking up a body from the ground. It was that of Zilva, her corpse more badly maimed than any other, and the beast walked back into the darkness. I tried to fight. I tried to chase them. I screamed and swore. I felt the broken bones in my leg pierce my skin as I tried to get up, and as I flopped about like pup the pack descended on me tearing me limb from limb. Only after that was when I woke up.
Don't all the best stories of mighty heroes begin with a prophetic dream of wanton death and mayhem? And that is exactly how this story begins, with a dream. Bon awoke from his nightmare with a start earning him a questioning glance from his lookout partner and mate-brother Sentik. Bon had dreams like this before and each one ended with death, some he knew, some he didn't, but each was important. This dream was no different. He had foreseen the death of his tribe.
Not wanting to waste time Bon and Sentik hurriedly navigated the desert canyons back to their village, leaving another two scouts to take up their position on day watch duty. When they arrived at their camp, a few hours before sunset, the tribe was still sleeping. Greeted by the guards at the entrance to the narrow canyon that was their current home the pair wasted no time and cut straight through the village to where the path curved into one side of the canyon and became a cave. In this cave was their tent, the chief's tent, their wife's tent.
In contrast to their quickened demeanor before, Bon and Sentik took to gingerly waking their chief and the other mate-brothers so as to not wake their pups. Outside the tent the 7 highest ranking people in the village had a meeting about what Bon had seen, well minus one, Kradom stayed to behind to watch the pups. After a brief discussion of Bon's dream and their options the chief, Zilva, called for a village meeting where she would decide what they would do after hearing out the tribe. The mates returned to their tent to attempt to get a last few hours of sleep before sunset however it seemed to evade Bon as he lay awake unable to shake the uneasiness inside him.
At the setting of the sun a commotion was heard outside the tent. Bon and Zilva immediately rose to investigate, both doing their best to look calm. One of the guards approached them and informed them a servant of the Consortium wished to speak to the chief. At the village entrance were three figures, Bartolomeo, a human diplomat of the Consortium, and in my opinion a man who thinks himself smarter than he actually is, and his two guards Sarunar and Igro respectively an orc and a lizardman, and knights of the Order of Silver Knights.
To say the conversation that ensued was tense is an understatement. Zilva's common was enough to be understood but there were many times she consulted Bon, who had a much better grasp of common than any in the village, to better understand. And true to his nature Bartolomeo betrayed no emotion other than a faint friendly smile even as he not so subtly insulted Zilva throughout the negotiation. After a particular insult in which he attempted to twist Zilva's words Bon could take no more an stood up to him intimidating him not only by presence but by dressing him down in flawless common Bartolomeo was left stumbling for words. Retreating like whipped dog he reiterated his offer, and he would be back next sunset for their answer. In exchange for the Viverri leaving the Consortium would give them 25 gold per person and even give them citizenship to the Consortium, giving them a chance to see their ancestral home, The Great Mother's Cradle.
After seeing off their guests, Zilva called a village meeting and steeled herself for what was sure to come next. The meeting went as well as could be expected. None wished to take their offer each knowing that the Consortium was never to be trusted. The tribe fell into two camps, one wished to stay and fight, and the other thought they should flee into the tunnels and move to a new island. There was much debate and both sides had concerns, but Zilva stood up and announced that they would flee into the tunnels. They had until sunset tomorrow to pack and run or so they were told.
Bon, Zilva, and Sentik doubted the claims of the Consortium and intuition told them they would return before then during the daytime when the village was asleep. And so they began to plan accordingly. Zilva had Gnunac scout the surrounding areas for knights while Bon and Sentik set up defenses and an ambush to stall the enemy while the village packed and fled into the tunnels. And those knights did in fact show up, at midday.
12th of Tyr, 634 Golden Era
The winding canyons and ample time gave the Viverri a distinct advantage and when the first group of soldiers marched through they were demolished without a drop of sweat. However now with the element of surprise no longer on their side, knowledge of the landscape and superior positioning were they're only options left to leverage. Bolts flew, swords clashed and spells erupted rock faces in the ensuing fray, and after wading through countless soldiers a new threat appeared before the hunters, sand golems. Two massive shifting figures with no discerning features comprised only of Sand and magic began their heavy handed assault pummeling there way through the hunters. With some quick thinking Sentik apparently blasted the golems with a combination of lightning and fire magic effectively turning them into fulgurite, also known as desert glass after which they were easily blasted away by Bon's rather oversized sword.
It was at this point, exhausted from the fighting and virtually spent that the final threat emerged. Bon referred to this man as "The Grey Wolf" although some time later I learned the knight in question was named Clay, just that. This man entered the canyon, radiant and ornately adorned silver armor shining in the desert sun and from the slit of his helmet glowed two piercing green eyes, and a quiet understanding filled the Viverri who were left, if we stay we die. Bon sounded the retreat. The Viverri quickly broke through the rest of the soldiers blocking their way back to the cave while Bon and Sentik covered the retreat, but even the two of them were no match for this knight who broke their defenses with ease and cast spells as quickly as he swung his glaive. Taking a near mortal wound Sentik managed to flee to the caves entrance, and Bon seized the opportunity to do the same but not before the knight assaulted him with a magic missile barrage. The attack took Bon's ear and two fingers from his left hand with it however he escaped. Making it back to the cave Sentik used the last of his magic to collapse the entrance behind them. The only way they could go now was forward.
The warriors limped along the cave until they were greeted by a welcome sight, Zilva and Szomar, who were equally glad to see them alive, and together the group headed further into the tunnels to regroup with the rest of the tribe.
Character(s) interacted with
Bon, Sentik, Zilva, Szomar, Tehluk, Kradom, Gnunac, Bartolomeu Novais (Diplomat of the Consortium of Magi), Sarunar Dhashu(Orc) and Igro Axecrest (Lizardfolk) (Knights of the Order of Silver Knights),
, (deceased),
,
,
, Clay (Earth Genasi) (Arcane Knight of the Order of Silver Knights)
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