World Revolution

[Brian]

The next temple is the temple of Hammar.

This temple is thinner, taller, and more angular than the other two -- it's also surrounded by a maze dug down through the snow, and carved into the stone of the hill that it's on.  Every inch of the maze is lined with traps.

A pair of vassals are sitting on the roof with bows across their knees, looking down curiously.  They don't move to fire, though.  To one side, away from the temple, there's a huge depression in the snow -- probably almost twenty meters across -- that you can't see into the bottom of.

[Dracos]

Dracos stops the army outside of 'traps of doom' radius.

"Greetings, Vassels of Hammar, We've come to gather those still at the temple to battle the dreadmarch."

Dracos

[Brian]

They stare at you for a while, since you're out of earshot.  You're about ready to believe that they're just ignoring you, when three more pop up from what looked like a dead end in the maze.

They look at you a bit curiously, and one of them asks, "What are you doing in this godforsaken stretch-- Eske?"  He turns when he sees the leader.  "What happened?"

Eske just shrugs, and says, "It's complicated."

[Dracos]

"That's one way to put it.  Anyhow, you like the rest of us are trapped behind enemy lines.  We figure that there is strength in numbers, so have been gathering those who've been left behind to our banner.  Hopefully, we'll find a way through to the keep soon.  I assume from the unblooded fortifications around here, that things have been peacefully dull?"

Dracos

[Brian]

One of the vassals turns to the one you were speaking to, and says, "He hasn't seen the charnel pit?"

The apparent leader scowls, and turns to face you.  "My Lord," he says, bowing.  "I am Lerris, Vassal of Hammar.  We would be glad for the opportunity to work with you; we've managed to destroy the small parties of the Dreadmarch that come after us, but there is little we can do aside from just holding our own here -- a sizable enough force will eventually overwhelm us no matter what."

[Dracos]

"Ah, I see.  Well then, thanks be to Hammar that we've arrived before they have.  If you can gather your men, we'll be heading off."

Dracos

[Brian]

He nods, and vanishes.  The other two vassals just look up at you in a very cold and calculating way.

That's the perfect start of an awkward silence, but its robbed of its chance to develop into real discomfort -- one of the vassals on the roof jumps up and points at something that you can't see.  Something behind the temple from your current position.

[Dracos]

Dracos glances to Eske, "Be ready."

Turning his gaze back towards the vassals he was quite serious.  "What's going on?  Dreadmarch?  Or something else?  Do you have some form of signaling to figure it out faster than we can just run around and see ourselves?"

Dracos

[Brian]

Lerris is gone, but the other two vassals look back.  One of the ones on the roof vanishes into the building, and the other one waves, pumping his fist in the air three times, and then pointing towards the far horizon.

The two vassals near you frown.  "The Dreadmarch is approaching," one of them says.

At about that point, half of the vassals pop out of that little dead-end in the maze (they must have a door hidden there, or something) in their non-ceremonial armor, along with another pair of priestesses.  The rest of the vassals show up after a few minutes -- there's 12 additional vassals here.

One of them (carrying a bow, so presumably from the roof) says, "The Dreadmarch is nearly upon us!"

[Dracos]

"Eske, open a gate, somewhere in the wastes.  It doesn't matter where.  Men, prepare for a defensive retreat."

Dracos prepares to get the men through as fast as possible, waiting until they are through before getting through himself.  Preferrably, he wants to get out of there before the dreadmarch arrives, but if not, fighting men last.

Dracos

[Brian]

They're starting to line the horizon on either side of the temple when its your turn through the gate.  You could have stayed longer, but not much.  You find yourselves in some point in the wastes.  It's flat, featureless, and completely empty, except for the storm-riders and the others you've rescued.

The women and children seem really taken with this new method of transportation.  Eske looks a bit tired here, and asks if he can rest.

[Dracos]

"Indeed, and much thanks Loremaster."

Dracos sends out the scouts, checks the position of the moon, sets out a guard, and visually examines how the men seem to be doing.

Dracos

[Brian]

Your men seem pretty good, all told.  Not too many wounded, morale seems pretty good (considering the situation, morale is nothing short of remarkable).  Eske is okay, after a few minutes to recover.

[Dracos]

"Loremaster, where on the plains are we abouts now?"  Dracos asks Eske, checking the map.

Dracos

[Brian]

"The center," he says, pointing to -- obviously -- the center of the map.