Chapter 8: Chapter 8 – Surprise & Respite

The Fae of the deep woods and the places of the In-Between honoured ancient pacts and promises, presenting their best warriors and life mages.  They also gave unto the First Children great stores of witchwood lumber, grown from the giant sentient trees that had roots in both worlds so that the elven craftsmen might make living ships to travel the deeps. The forces under the command of the Elven High King were named the Eastern Alliance, as an entire continent prepared for war.

- On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Scholar circa 103 AC

I awoke first to a kick in the stomach, where I felt nothing, which was followed by another more painful strike to the small of my back. Howling in pain, I forced my eyes open, reaching for a weapon that was no longer there. I dimly realized I was surrounded by four individuals clad in heavy-looking fur-trimmed leathers and chainmail. Shock filled me, as it dawned on me this was my first encounter with people, and they did not seem at all friendly. Through the pain, I tried to explain that I meant no harm, that this must all be some sort of mistake. But all that came out of me were wheezing coughs.

One of the men, the leader I presumed, was equipped with a plumed iron nasal helm. He spat out what I guessed was a mixture of invectives, curses or orders in a coarse guttural language that had far too many consonants. I glanced at the other men, my eyes drawn to the mixture of cruel weapons hanging from their belts. An eclectic mixture of weapons, ranging from cavalry sabres to crude-looking clubs, heightened their menacing presence.  One of their number held my broken half-spear reverently, which I subconsciously reached out for only to be met with a stinging backhand to the face.

The men were laughing cruelly at me, no doubt viewing me as no threat.  Grasping at straws, I mentally targeted the leader of the small group and invoked Identify to try and regain some control of the situation.

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