Kings of War - Tallanars advance company

 

Chapter 1 - Strangers in the night

A cold wind was blowing through the camp. A cold wind was always blowing in the Howling peaks. Through drifts of flurries Thegn Jabal Magnius looked at his men, women and trolls. They were a small band, that should keep them swift.

The siege of Chill had seemed to last forever. Stuck outside the city, with the Abyssal dwarf army between them and the wall, the band had been forced to roam around, trying to find some way to break through or help the besieged. It was all in vain, the Dwarfs and their interminable digging and ringed the entire city in trenches. Nowhere to pass through, no chance of fighting through either, for that their force was too small. At least they’d had food, those inside the city were not so lucky, their stocks dwindling as the months drew on. The band was lucky, but with that luck came survivors remorse.

‘My Thegn’, said Eldrid, walking up to him, ‘can I build you a fire?’. ‘Aye, this wind somehow feels more chilling, not knowing what lies ahead.’ As Eldrid busied herself with the fire, Jabal went into his tent. Without pack animals it was a minimal affair with a bedroll and his pack. From his pack he retrieved a bottle of fine Basilean Spirits and went back out. ‘Eldrid, when you are done getting me warm from the outside, will you join me for a warming of the inside?’ he asked as he brandished the bottle. She grinned, ‘anytime!’. They sat and looked into the fire as they passed the bottle between them, no fine crystal glasses on this campaign.

The fire brought him back to the endless ocean of campfires in the trenches around Chill. As they glittered in the night, Jabal and his band, helpless, nothing to do. Then the incident, bright light, searing light somewhere in the southeast. The following pandemonium of the retreating dwarfs, the close encounter with one of their regiments that just seemed to ignore them.

Suddenly a trumpet sounded, alarmed Jabal jumped up and grabbed for his axe. Beside him Eldrid had sprinted off to retrieve her weapons. Ziatakraa appeared soundlessly beside him, the way these snow trolls moved silently trough the snow could be unnerving, but he was glad to have him by his side. Another blast of the trumpet sounded, closer now, but somehow not threatening. The rider had chosen his approach well. He rode up to the encampment from the open field, not from the shadowy trees, this meant it was clear that this rider wanted to be considered friendly.

As the rider approached, Jabal relaxed, this was clearly a northerner, riding a mighty goat as a steed. Just as the stranger wanted to raise the trumpet to his lips once more Jabal called out ‘Yeah, yeah, we heard you, you can stop the racket now’. With a grin the intruder now approached and leapt of his goat. ‘Greatings Thegn, I am happy that I have found you, let me introduce myself. I am The royal emissary, Skald of the Varghold. I have traveled from Giants Gloam to the City of the Golden Horn and beyond. I am Clarion.’

When the Dwarfs had mostly moved out, Jabal had ordered his band into the city. The siege was over, they just walked in. Into a nightmare of starvation and sickness. Underfed and weak, the denizens of Chill seemed almost ghostly in the lightly falling snow. At the gatehouse, Jabal had enquired about who was in charge, but just got referred to the palace. As they trod the main street to the palace, they gave away as much of their huntings and gatherings as they could bear to do without. At the palace, there were no guards, so they just went in.

‘Clarion? The Clarion?’ Jabal was sure his face wasn’t showing his most intelligent look. ‘The same!’, answered Clarion. ‘I would love to share your fire if I may, as I have important business we need to discuss.’ Jabal assuaged and motioned for Clarion to join him. Ziatakraa was still around leaning on his ruby studded club. The Thegn had no inclination to send him off, despite the raised eyebrow Clarion gave the troll. ‘I am Thegn Jabal Magnius’, Jabal announced when they had sat down by the fire. ‘How can I help you and what is this important business you are on about?’ ‘Well, you see, I have come to take command of your band. I know your mission and I am here to help. With my experience we will make swift work of the matter and report in no time.’ Jabal was stunned. The legendary Clarion walks into his camp and then decides to just take over? ‘But this is my mission, it was given to me by Tallanar himself!’

Once inside the palace, it became clear that the entire command structure of the defenses of Chill were gathered in the main hall. Tallanar was speaking from the dais. ‘The light that has attracted the Abyssal Dwarfs away from us may be a blessing for the now, but it is more than magical in nature. While we need to rebuild our city, we also need to find out what is going on in the rest of Pallinor. Our future may not be worth much if we stay here and do nothing. As soon as our strength allows, the armies of the Northern Alliance must make haste to the source. I can feel the intensity of this event and I assure you, leaving it to the creatures of the abyss is simply not an option.’ The groan could be felt more than heard in the hall. ‘My lord, we are weak, tired and sick, we are in no state to march!’, tried one general in the front. ‘Nonetheless, we must move forward. I know everyone is tired from the siege, but we need to know what is going on.’ ‘Not we, my lord, we are not tired!’, the words had left his mouth before he knew to speak them. The entire main hall turned as one to look at Jabal and his troupe.

‘I cannot just give up my command, I was entrusted with this mission.’ ‘That as may be, but we need results and quickly.’ The stare from the legendary skald was beyond intimidating. The Thegn shivered and cowered under the gaze, only once when facing a Horror Riftweaver had he felt utter feeling of dread before. Then something within him snapped, ‘NO! I will not surrender the trust that Tallanar himself bestowed upon me. You will either obey my command here and join me or leave.’ Slightly taken aback Clarion leaned back against his pack and crossed his legs in front of the fire. ‘I believe being in your command is not going to all that bad!’

Thegn Jabal Magnius - General of Tallanars advance company