Prophesy of Pendor: An AAR

[johnhughthom]

A Prophesy of Pendor AAR

The tavern in Barclay was a grim place, full of even grimmer men, most of them former soldiers. All gave the lone drinker in the corner table a wide berth, despite a full flagon of ale sitting beside the sleeping man. He was old, for a soldier anyhow, having seen his fiftieth nameday come and go, his hair thinning and greying. The other tavern goers knew his strength had little diminished however, more than one man had tried to intimidate the "old fogey", some had left the tavern alive, if not always in one piece.

A few glanced at the corner, he was dreaming again. A few words carried across the tavern, the same words repeated like a mantra for the past few weeks, Astraea, Qualis, Noldor, the twelve. Most of this made little sense to the illiterate custom such a dive attracted.

A serving wench approaches the man and gently shakes his shoulder, she does not seem frightened by the man, he has always treated her and the other girls courteously, indeed they all felt safer when he is there as they know he would defend them against any unwelcome advances.

He wakes and moves his hand toward his sword, until he sees who has awoken him.

"Oh, I was sleeping again. What do you need child?"

"There is someone here to see you, Rufus, he says he is the captain of a ship. You aren't leaving us, are you sir?"

He gave a small smile, "I'm afraid so child."

With that he left the tavern, never to return.

A few days later...

There were a few other passengers on the longship to Janos. They were all below deck, frightened by the heavy seas. Rufus was not afraid, long service in Barclay had seen many voyages like this, though he usually had many comrade at arms with him, sharing tales and laughter. This was a more sober voyage, as he pondered his reasons for giving up his retirement in Barclay. He had sold his possessions to pay for his passage and re-equip himself as a soldier. He had enough remaining to hire a small band of retainers, he would probably have to make do with green village lads, he had trained plenty of those into professional soldiers before however.

It wasn't what was before him he pondered, but his reasons for embarking on the voyage. Dreams. At first he ignored them, some God wittering on about destiny and greatness, either he had drunk some strange ale, or all that prattering over the years from priests had seeped into his mind. He had never had time for religion or Gods, over the years he had paid lip service to more than one, as the beliefs of his employers and officers demanded, but he had always believed only men too weak to govern their own destiny bothered with Gods. For over a month the dreams had plagued him, go to Pendor, unite the realm, save the smallfolk, be my shield. The dreams also mentioned "the twelve", supposedly Rufus and eleven companions who would stand with throughout his destiny in Pendor.

He tried a different ale, he tried wine, he even tried sobriety. The dreams didn't stop. He tried sleeping during the day, he changed his diet. The dreams didn't stop. He consulted a doctor, a priest. One wanted to keep him to examine, the other to burn him as a heretic. The dreams didn't stop. He stayed awake for four days. He found himself dreaming standing up.

So he decided to travel to Pendor, and booked passage on the first longboat he found travelling to Janos, setting sail the next day.

After he had awoken on the second day of the voyage he stood on the deck and watched the waves rolling in all directions. He realised he hadn't dreamed the night before.

[johnhughthom]

Janos

Sailors were such superstitious fools, as the longboat neared Janos he heard them muttering about the fires seen on shore. The Snake Cult, who had taken control of the former homelands of the Empire, were feared by the sailors, who spoke of snakes slithering across the surface of the sea to kidnap them off the boat. Idiots.

He was glad then when the boat finally docked in Janos, though he found the city pitifully small compared to Barclay. The Empire's leader, Marius Imperator, ruled the city, with an iron fist and no quarter given to Snake Cult sympathisers he had heard. Just Rufus' sort of man, he had fought the Snake Cult once before, many years ago. He rarely actually hated his opponents, he killed because it was his job not out of any sense of anger, but the Snake Cult disgusted him.

As he sought out a tavern a shiver ran up his spine, an old feeling he hadn't felt in a while. Carefully he put his hand on the hilt of his sword, and in one motion drew it and turned. Two paces behind him a man opened his eyes in shock, he had a dirk in one hand, clearly about to slide it into Rufus' back. A slash opened his throat before he had time to react, Rufus beant down and wiped his sword clean on the mans cloak, looking around warily. He had hoped to leave the city without drawing attention to himself.

As he turned to leave the body he noticed a shadow in the doorway of a run down building. Sword in hand he approached.

"Come out or you will get the same as that would be assassion."

The man who stepped out was certainly not a warrior, the abuse he would get for such a ridiculous haircut made that clear.

"Who are you, and who was that I just killed?"

The man beckoned him into the building. "Please, let's talk in here. I don't want to be in the streets if his associates come." Rufus warily followed, sword in hand.

"That man was a member of the Red Brotherhood, slavers, cut-throats and general all round scum. Yes I was meeting him here, but I am not in league with him. I do not know why he wanted you dead, perhaps you simply looked new to Janos and he saw you as an easy mark? My daughter has been kidnapped by Snake Cultists, I was hoping to employ the Red Brotherhood to get her back, a foolish notion but I had nowhere else to turn. Perhaps..."

"How much?"

[johnhughthom]

Singal

Rufus knew little of Pendor, he had heard of the major powers in the regions, the Snake Cult and some of the more renowned Knightly Orders. Of it's geography and people his knowledge was almost non-existant. Singal however he knew of, or to be precise he had heard of the Singalian slavers. He had not wanted to go near the city, but after leaving Imperial lands he could either stop off at Singal or camp on the steppes, as the next city was a few days travel.

As his troops ate, drunk and bantered in the dingy tavern, he reflected on his first few days in Pendor. His stay in Janos, his port of arrival, had been brief. Attacked by the Red Brotherhood and given a job rescuing a merchants daughter, he left immediately. The first village he came across was Glunmar, where he recruited five young village lads. They had a life toiling in the fields to look forward to, so the opportunity to travel, see some action and earn some money was one they jumped at. Rufus didn't mention the even greater opportunites for swift and bloody death.

For a nation supposedly at peace, with no declared enemies, the Imperial lands were swarming with bandits and cut-throats. He had been in lands ravaged with war that were less hazardous to travel through. Barely had he left the village with his new charges when they were set upon. Rufus wanted to blood his boys quickly, so he rode off to the peripheray of the encounter, drawing the bandits off and allowing his greenhorns to engage the enemy gradually. They did not disappoint, each one getting a kill or disabling a bandit. He returned to Janos confident in the futures of his charges, getting through that first fight was the hardest. Killing your first man was the moment that made you a soldier, not a recruit.



As he waited for the merchant to bring him news of the Snake Cult he noticed a young woman watching him. Thinking her a whore, he ignored her and turned to face in the opposite direction.
An arrow thudded into the beam beside him. Turning back around he saw the woman glaring at him. He could only laugh.

"Why do you laugh? I am Adonja, of the Catsclaw clan. I want you to hire me. yes, but not how you are thinking. I am a fighter, I have led my own raiding party. Now I need a new chief."

"Call me captain."

The merchant arrived as Rufus was buying his new companion a flagon of ale to welcome her into the party. He had news of the Snake Cult kidnappers, it seemed they were still in the city, looking for more victims. With the kidnappers located, Rufus decided the best way to free the captive was to spring an ambush that night.

Adonja proved herself capable the very night of her employment, putting arrows in the throats of two Snake Cultists before they even knew what was happening, Rufus' other men jumping out of alleys to slay the other kidnappers. The merchants daughter was in the building they had just left, along with a number of other young women Rufus set free.

They returned to the tavern to a tearful father and daughter reunion, and an even more joyous mercenary and payment occasion.




Rufus looked up in surprise to hear a Barclay accent. A young woman was haggling with the barkeep over the price of a jug of wine, and winning it seemed. As she paid less than half what Rufus had seen others pay she sat down by herself and nursed her drink, alone and seemingly not waiting for company. Rufus rose and went over to speak to her.

"I am surprised to hear a Barclay accent in this hovel."

"As am I good sir, my luck has been terrible recently, I think I must be dreaming a friendly voice..."

"What kind of bad luck?"

"Well, I cam from Barclay with my brother, looking to acquire Noldor artifacts to return home and sell. We were captured by Singalian slavers, my brother fought. It cost him his life, but gave me the chance for freedom, I had nowhere to go but here, and my money has almost run out. I see you have a mercenary company, would you have a place for someone who can get you the best price for your plunder?"

Rufus smiled, "Dear child, I don't plunder, should any foolish bandits cross my path I will acquire their ill gotten gains and put it to good use. I could use you, though you must fight. I will brook no slackers in my party."

"Okay, though I have little skill with weapons. I am eager to learn, however."

As Rufus toasted his new companion, somehow he knew this girl was the third member of his twelve. Only nine more to go...