Sea Season 1615
Within the first few days of 1615ST Darkos, Grant, Kirwin and Gramper were riding out of Tink, accompanied by Forang’s dragonewt servant, Emissary. Forang had arranged for them to hire on as mercenaries with an Esrolian nobleman, Guillam Caprati, who sought to re-establish an abandoned fort along the border of Beast Valley and the Grazelands. It was up to Emissary to escort them to a dragonewt plinth and whisper the words of magic that would transport them instantly into Esrolia.
When they arrived, Guillam berated them for being three days late, and told them they would have this money docked from their pay. Not so happy with their new employer, but realising they had higher motives, they all set off for the former stronghold of Wyrms Hold. During this ride they found out that the fort had only recently come into the possession of Guillam’s family – it had been signed over to them after the Capratis paid the ransom for Garth Tumerine, the head of another wealthy Nochet family who had been arrested for having sympathies with King Richard of Heortland.
Wyrm’s Hold was little more than a fortified mound built beside a steep cliff that led down to a craggy and fast-flowing river. It was a large stone circle, raised high on a mound, and protected by a low stone wall. Within it were several liths and dolmen, suggesting an ancient past. But camping within the walls, and making it their home, were a band of renegade centaurs, who initially hid their identity behind the walls, pretending to be Lunar soldiers. Grant and Darkos sneaked up on the camp to take a better look, and soon realised the centaurs were lying. Without much ado, Guillam gave the order to attack and he and the adventurers charged the fort! Kirwin assaulted the gate area and gave good account of himself. Grant and Gramper went around the wall and attacked from the rear, surprising the occupants. With the band of centaurs were two manticores, a foul-mouthed duck and a tuskerless Tusk rider. The manticores and most of the centaurs were slain. The centaur leader fled and the duck and the Tusk rider surrendered.
A search of the camp revealed the centaur’s treasure stash. The party had sworn to Guillam that all treasures and monies found should be submitted to him, and this they did. Except for one item: a magical sword that was kept clean in an oily cloth. Grant had found these things and decided to stay quiet about the sword for the time being. The search also revealed a rope hanging over the cliff. On inspection it was found that several caves could be seen along the cliff, and that the rope may give access to them. Guillam gave the order that Grant, Kirwin and Gramper were to inspect the caves. In the first they found a nest of cliff-toads, which nearly did for the three of them. They also found a large underground water reservoir and signs that the ground beneath the fort had been excavated. But the most remarkable thing they found were a group of prisoners, taken by the centaurs. Being so far from civilisation, the ex-prisoners agreed to work for Guillam. They included Yanastan, a Grazer brave; Erekanst, a Humakti from Muse Roost to the west; Vross Hama, a Sartarite Humakti; and Nihilo, a scholar from Nochet whose specialisation was dragon lore. Vross told how he had lost his sword to the centaurs, and how he was going to track them down and reclaim it. At this, Grant remembered finding the sword and sought to test Guillam Caprati. He gave the sword to Guillam, wondering whether Guillam would keep it for himself. But Guillam was no fool. He realised the antagonism keeping the sword from a Humakti would involve, so he returned it to Vross on condition that Vross swore allegiance to him. Since he had nowhere else to go, Vross agreed. It seemed that Nihilo also had secrets, and that he knew something of the powers of Wyrm’s Hold. He said magic words around the central stones and as he did a parade of ghostly dragonewts were seen. This enraged Guillam, who told Nihilo not to approach the stones again, and that the casting of evil magic was forbidden. Yanastan was not so keen as the others to stay at Wyrm’s Hold. He asked if he could have a horse so that he could return to his tribe. Guillam refused to give him one of the horses. Kirwin though, who was not such a good rider anyway, gave Yanastan his horse. The Grazer gave thanks to Kirwin’s generosity and rode off to be with his people.
The caves deserved further investigation. Guillam ordered Grant to explore further, that he should not take risks, just see what he could find. Grant found many tunnels and passages. Strange rail-tracks were found and in many places the natural caves had been expanded and worked by human (or possibly non-human) hands. Deep down in one of the caves Grant found a tribe of newts, living beside an underground stream. The newt’s leader suggested that Grant’s appearance had been prophesied, that he was destined to free them from the tyranny of a giant lizard living further downstream. Grant was unsure of this, cautious not to take risks. He was all for leaving the newts to their own fate, forsaking them to their doom. Then he remembered how his fate was tied to that of the dragon, and he saw in the pitiable faces of the newts a semblance to the dragonewts of northern Sartar. So he took his spear in hand and descended into the lair of the giant lizard. He found the beast there and with several mighty strokes he slew the creature. The newts were happy – happy for the death of the terrible lizard and happy that the prophesy had been fulfilled. What caught Grant’s attention though, was the statue of a large newt, made of a strange shiny stone, which was revealed to him to be adamantine!
Back above ground, Grant told his friends what had happened. But as he told them a call could be heard: riders were approaching the fort. Guillam looked pleased – he had been awaiting the arrival of several Caprati warriors. Grant and Gramper rode out to welcome them but as they got closer the riders lowered their spears to charge! Turning tail, the two of them galloped back to the fort.
These were not Caprati men.
They were a war-party comprised of Garth Tumerine and his men, demanding ownership of Wyrm’s Hold back to House Tumerine! Garth said how he had been forced to sign over ownership rights to the Capratis under duress. Guillam said it was a legal document, agreed by none other than General Fazzur Wideread of the Lunar Army. Garth responded by saying the Lunars had no jurisdiction in these lands and gave Guillam until sunrise to quit the fort or forfeit their lives.
There followed a skirmish as Garth’s men tested the strength of the defenders. Guillam would not give up Wrym’s Hold and told his men to ready themselves for a siege. Across the opposite bank of the river they spied some men building two large catapults. With the help of their undines, Gramper and Darkos led an attack on the machines, which they destroyed but at the cost of their bound water spirits. It seemed a stalemate had been reached – with the defenders unable to go out and attack due to a lack of numbers, and the attackers unable to launch an effective attack.
A stalemate ensued for the next few weeks as the steady rains of Sea Season turned the rolling lands of Beast Valley into a mud pit. This stalemate was finally lifted one leaden morning when a messenger approached from the Tumerine’s camp. A challenge was offered. To decide the fate of Wyrm’s Hold Garth Tumerine proposed that he and Guillam nominate champions and the victor would decide which side took residence in the fort.
Guillam said he would consider this offer.
And consider it he did. He was suspicious of the Tumerine’s motives, suspicious they had a surprise in store and suspicious about who their champion would be. However, he agreed to the tourney since he had a plan of his own. While his nominated champion fought a duel with Garth’s champion a small party would break out of Wyrm’s Hold and make for Rich Post, where they were to plead with the ruling centaur clans for aid – their bargaining chip was to be special favours once the trading post at Wyrm’s Hold had been established. Those nominated for this breakout were Grant, Darkos and Kirwin. To help their escape Guillam had arranged for the duel to take place at night.
At the designated time Guillam’s champion, Arris, rode out of Wyrm’s Hold. As he did so Guillam’s priest, Theoberdt, summoned a huge sylph to carry Grant, Kirwin and Darkos out of the camp to give them a head start. In the dead of night, as the rains came down and the camp fires burnt, the three of them were carried in a swirling torrent of air and taken far from the fort where they landed with their horse’s hooves galloping and off they rode for Rich Post and salvation.
All through the night they rode and all through the next day. The rains fell, the horses stumbled. Saddle sore and weary they reached the wooden stockade of Rich Post in the middle of the following night. The three of them urged upon the gate-guards the urgency of their mission but the guards refused to let them enter, forcing them to camp outside until sunrise when the palisade gate would open. In the early hours of the morning, as Yelm crept into the sky, other travellers arrived and waited outside for the gates to open. Human traders from Heortland and Sartar travelling south to the Holy Country were there, as were centaurs from all along the valley and a band of twelve minotaur braves.
When the gates of Rich Post opened they were all let in to the centaur settlement and made straight for the chieftain’s hall. Thunder Hooves gave them an audience and listened carefully as Darkos eloquently and politely made his plea for help. ‘I hear your entreaty well,’ said Thunder Hooves, ‘but the aid you seek is not mine to give for we are few of number – Lunar raiders to the north have dwindled our number. You will need to seek permission of the Lord of Beast Valley, you will need to go to Wild Temple and ask the priests of IronHoof if he will aid you.’
This is not what they wanted to hear. Then they remembered the minotaurs they had seen entering the camp. The three of them decided to see if the bull-brothers would take coin for a fight. ‘We do not speak to cowards or humans!’ bellowed Lord Doom Axe, the leader of the minotaurs. ‘We are not cowards,’ said Darkos and then he boasted of how he was a chaos hunter and the wounds he had taken. Kirwin showed his mettle by stoically standing firm as Doom Axe lined him up by a tree and threw an axe, the blade crunching into the trunk just inches from Kirwin’s head. Defiance was on Kirwin’s face. For showing their worth Lord Doom Axe agreed to talk to them but since Grant had failed to rise to the minotaur’s challenges he was forbidden from entering. Darkos offered them 10L each plus a 50L bonus at the end of the task. Lord Doom Axe wanted 20L plus a 100L bonus. At this Darkos made him a challenge – if he could perform the same feat with the axe, but at forty paces, he would accept Doom Axe’s price. The minotaur chief readily agreed. Kirwin took his place against the tree, Doom Axe aimed his axe, drew back and the keen blade spun through the air, getting closer and closer, clipped the tree and landed in the muddy grass beyond.
He had missed.
Doom Axe laughed. ‘Fair enough human,’ he said, ‘10L and 100L bonus at the end – and I will bargain no more!’
This was the price they settled on.
Pleased with gaining the minotaurs as a mercenary force the three of them thought more on what Thunder Hooves had said. They were still unsure if they had sufficient forces and so decided that they would split up – Kirwin would lead the minotaurs back to Wyrm’s Hold and Grant and Darkos, as better riders, would ride hard for Wild Temple and see what forces were there.
Atop the hill at Wild Temple stood a massive set of standing stones, as ancient as the land. Two stones, each at least twenty metres tall, rose from out the ground and atop those was a third just as large. At the bottom of the hill was a large tented camp giving home to the centaur priests and worshippers of IronHoof, the demigod centaur who could be summoned at the temple stones on top of the hill. The grey-haired priest led them up the hill to temple with a goat to be sacrificed. The animal’s blood was let over the earth and the priest said his words of power.
A bright light formed among the stones. As the moments passed it grew larger and even more bright until its brilliance engulfed the stones and the beastman’s temple. A voice hollered out from within the light, ‘who is it that seeks the presence of Lord IronHoof?’
Grant and Darkos meekly spoke their names and said they wished to ask the lord of the beastmen his aid. ‘Cursed be your names,’ spoke IronHoof, ‘ for Death walks in your shadow. Damn you and curse you, for you bring with you destruction and bad omen for my people. And yet I see you are also their salvation. I have forseen this moment for some time. It seems the Hero Wars begin. So be it. I shall now stay on this earth with my people for there are terrible years ahead. This world is more than mere flesh and bone – ancient forces are at work to bring fresh grievance to ancient blood. Cursed and wretched be thou, for you are the heralds and masters of this sorrow. It is to you, though, that our hopes rest.’
In the morning they rode out of Wild Temple with a company of heavily armoured centaur lancers and archers.
Kirwin and the minotaurs had made good time. Being on foot, the journey back to Wyrm’s Hold would take them longer, but it was a trek they made in three days, reaching the fort after dark and slipping back in without being noticed. Guillam was happy to see them. At sunrise he ordered his forces to arm up and form a line outside the fort, facing the Tumerines. There was still no sign of Grant and Darkos.
When Garth and his men saw the assembled force they quickly armed themselves and mounted their horses, realising that success lay in breaking Guillam’s men with a mighty cavalry charge. Guillam gave the order to advance, but not to break the line. This annoyed Kirwin who felt they should use speed to quickly rout Garth’s retinue or wait until Darkos and Grant returned with even more troops.
Then, over the northern ridge came Darkos, Grant and the centaurs! Guillam gave the order to charge and all hell broke loose. Seeing he was easily outnumbered and outflanked, Garth and his men fled.
The siege of Wyrm’s Hold had been lifted without a single blow being exchanged. Guillam was happy, though shocked to hear how much Darkos had agreed the minotaurs should be paid. Six days later the Caprati caravan finally showed up bringing with it more supplies, more equipment, more crafters and traders and more troops! Now that Wyrm’s Hold had been secured Guillam Caprati released everyone from their contracts. Nihilo would head back to Nochet, accompanied by Vross and Erekanst while Grant, Darkos, Gramper and Kirwin made their way north to the centaurs at Wild Temple…