Bandit Camp. (Open to all)

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Recruit Thread (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=151581#post151581)

(Just as the thread sayz, this one is open to all. Its a simple thread where we bust up some bandits, come one come all. There will be a few high-level NPC's involved for us higher level vets on the site)

Time:1:00 A.M. Standard Althanas Time (S.A.T.)

Date: Present Time. Monday, July 6th, C.P. 1830


With the Golems flanking him, Lorenor passed through the Concordia Forest without fear or hesitation. He knew the maze of trees extremely well. A Scout from the Red Hand's township lead Lorenor and his party to this particular section of Concordia on a weeks-long journey away from home. Lorenor had a small group with him that night. He used two magi, one for support and one for attack, and three warriors, as well as two Scouts. One of his warriors was skilled in Archery. He also had the Golems along with him, four individuals that were exceedingly tall. The smallest of the Golems standing at about six feet five inches. Skirting through the wild was a small black creature that skipped along the ground with supernatural agility and reflexes. Lorenor was waiting for the endless to acquire a new host body sooner rather than later. As an entity, the endless was powerful on its own, but it was considerably stronger when the parasite had a host body of some sort to maneuver around in. Lorenor knew that fact from experience, he'd seen the endless viciously hunt down host bodies and overtake them.

With various types of elks, conifers and other trees like oak, decorating the landscape. Lorenor hacked at vines that were getting in his way with a steel sword he recently acquired. On foot, Lorenor was capable of moving at fifty miles per hour if he so chose. Currently, he was walking at a normal pace without his enhanced speed. There was no visible threat at the moment.

Animals and various creatures moved in every sphere of the Concordia Forest. Lorenor heard and felt the sounds and calls of various beasts and monsters. Some were aerial, and he could feel the beat movement of wings as they carried critters through the air. Predators hunted for their prey of choice in an infinite dance of predatory cycles. Lorenor admired it all. Never had he come across a more honest ecosystem in his entire tenure on Althanas. Lorenor sat back and took the awe-inspiring nature of it all as a panoramic view appeared as he stepped atop a large hill overlooking a steep valley.

They were close now. The Scouts were just a day ahead of the party. Carrier birds were sent back and forth with information pertaining to the terrain. It was a warm summer night. Lorenor held the last set of messages on his person. They were almost on the bandit party now. He turned to look at the Golems standing alongside him. "What's the position now. How far off are we from the camp?" The unit with black metal on his carapace looked at Lorenor for a moment and responded after checking something out. "Sensory output shows about 2 cliques ahead now. There seems to be a large number of sentients in that position. Could be our bandits." Lorenor nodded calmly. One of his warriors walked up towards him with a grim expression on his face. "Sir Lorenor, the Magi are on standby. We should camp here for the rest of the night, we've made good progress and should plan our next strategy." The man said. Lorenor had to agree with the lad. He knew that the enemy was out there. There were bandit raids constantly occurring on the Red Hand's settlement, and the mutant was trying to put a stop to this by seeking the enemy out.

"Very well Captain. We rest here for the remainder of the night. Set up Camp. I will be certain that we are clear for the expedition tomorrow when the sun sets. We will strike at night as soon as we are in range." Lorenor said. As a counsel member of the Red Hand, Lorenor needed to make steady leadership decisions. He was attempting to be certain that the group would remain active in the eyes of their enemies across Corone. As the party moved to enact their particular orders, Lorenor moved further ahead into the wilds of Ruild. The Golems followed suit. Some of them stayed in the camp, only the darker carapace colored Golem, remained alongside Lorenor.

"Something bothering you, Father?" The Golem asked in an inquisitive tone.

"I'll know it when I see it." Lorenor said in a mysterious way and they moved further ahead in Ruild to find out what it was that Lorenor knew, or, thought he knew about this area of Concordia.

[oblueknighto]

Blue Knight inconspicuously followed Lorenor and one of his beings. He wasn't trying to hide from them or anything, he was simply trailing behind keeping them. Then he realised he was actually quite a valuable asset having ranged weapons and all, he was also getting to know Lorenor a little, the man being very honourable and brave despite his image. Blue thought of Lorenor not just having influence by being a Council Member of the Red Hand, but he had those beings following him, instructed by him. Lorenor was a good man and Blue took this in mind thinking about how good it would be to get to know him like a good friend. Blue was still thinking about Lorenor while he signalled for Peck to scout further into the area.

Blue followed Peck with his eyes as he saw him circle around him for a few seconds and then Peck flew off in the direction they were walking off into. For a few moments Blue wondered about what powers Lorenor had that he had not disclosed with him, he has those beings around him, like the one who calls Lorenor his father. Damn, I forgot the names of all the beings that hang around Lorenor. I didn't even remember one of them. How stupid could I get. Then suddenly Blue realised that there was a flicker of about his eyes, he looked around and he saw Peck pecking the dark-coloured being.

Thoughts rushed through Blue's mind as he panicked, what if Lorenor felt insulted with Peck pecking his friend, what if he would punish me, he was strong enough to kill me with a flick of his wrist, I better quickly tell Peck to get away from that being. Blue whistled to Peck making him instantly return to Blue's shoulder and in High Elven he whispered to Peck, "What the hell was that for, sometimes I don't know why I keep you around".

Blue made a smile so fake he had to slap himself to get out of it, all Blue hoped was that Lorenor doesn't take it too seriously. He quickly walked up to him and apologised to him, "I'm so sorry about Peck, he likes to peck things he finds interesting, it was just a greeting that he used to do when he was with my old friends. I'm so sorry, really really sorry about what Peck did to your son." Blue was too nervous to even lift his head up, he didn't know Lorenor well enough to perfectly evaluate how he would react and Lorenor was also not quite your normal person who thought normally, he was different but Blue respected this difference.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Peck was not the only winged creature in the area. Owls, and other birds of prey released their particular song into the night. It was a warm night, with a breeze coming in from the East winds. Lorenor looked up and he could see the various constellations of Althanas etched overhead. A few clouds lurked across the star ocean, adding a sense of foreboding to the night. Lorenor listened to the call of Ruild. Predatory wolves howled in the distance as they prepared the nightly ritual of the hunt. Lorenor felt kinship to the wolves of the night. Underneath the underbrush, insects and other creatures, like serpents, bunnies, and beasts with yet no names, sought out a meal. The mutant could relate to them too. As he began to walk towards the maze of Ruild, he felt the energy of it all. In the Antifirmanent, the land of the dead, the ghosts and spirits of Ruild lay still moving about in the distance so Lorenor could not immediately sense an astral ambush of any sort. Lorenor felt that the breeze was calm, guided by Lady Y'edda's hand as it traveled through the trees.

Many different species of tries were visible, too numerous to count. Vines hung from tree branches and in some cases, were so thick that they covered the path ahead. These vines needed to be cut down with a swift slash of steel or iron. There was a particular wild energy everywhere. A lay-line of power surged throughout the area and underneath the ground where the mutant could sense against the bottom of his feet. Ruild made his spine tingle with the possibilities of the future. The Firmanent, the physical and material plane, was vibrant with the wild energy of Ruild.

Lorenor could sense the primal energy everywhere. It was the energy of the night, the energy of the hunt. When Lorenor breathed the clean air of Ruild, the mutant felt his lungs fill with the substance, it was a good feeling. He felt at peace in the depths of Ruild. It had been a long trek from the Drakenthorn Mountain range that housed the village of the Red Hand. Lorenor had to admire the effectiveness of a group capable of launching raids so far off to the North from their base camp.

The mutant felt the Familiar named Peck come in close. It found a perch on a nearby position, and Lorenor saw that it was atop the shoulder of the black Golem, Number 5,325. Lorenor had an amused expression on his face when he saw Peck utilizing his name's sake against the armored carapace of the Golem. The mutant folded his arms across his chest whilst he held his decorated steel sword in one of his hands. The left hand. The Blade of N'Jal was angled downward at a forty-five degree angle. It reflected the moonlight.

When Blue came towards their position with the lengthy apology, Lorenor chuckle in a friendly sort of way. There was no malice what so ever in the chuckle. He was simply trying to be friendly towards the other boy. "Worry not. The Golems respect life. How are you faring there?" Lorenor asked of Blue. His boots were slightly sunken into the earth beneath him, as he stood in place. His senses were capable of catching the positions of any sinkholes that were in the area. "If you're tired you should rest in the Camp. However if you're feeling up to the task you can help us scout this area out a little bit further while we wait for the next messenger pigeon to come in from our Scouts. We're about a few hours away from the enemy now." Lorenor said calmly, instruction the warrior (Blue) of their situation. "When the battle starts, stay close to my position. In the meantime, let's see what food we can find that's around here." They had rations, but Lorenor preferred monster blood to the dingy rations that they normally ate.

Lorenor looked at Blue and waited to see what the youth would say in response. "This will be a chance for all of us to prove ourselves to the Red Hand."

[oblueknighto]

Blue listened to Lorenor with his head down and tried not to be surprised by his laugh, Blue never did understand him very well and this proves it. Somebody who had so much power yet did not abuse it. Blue was truly surprised by this man's actions. He did not only let Peck off the hook, he didn't even mind the fact that Number 5,325 was being pecked. Lorenor really was a nice person, I'll try to be more serious around him from now on. It'll make my life less dangerous at the very least. I should scout with him, to repay his kindness and make good use of myself.

"Of course I am up to the task of helping you scout around the area, it is one of the things that I am actually good at. Well maybe not personally but Peck can do a good job of it.", replied Blue. Blue then turned his head and spoke to Peck switching from Tradespeak to High Elven, "Go scout the area and when you think there is nothing more to see then you may return and report to me what you have learnt of our surroundings. Make sure that if you get close to the bandit camp you note which tree gives the most cover while being high in the canopy." This time Blue watched Peck as he flew away and when he was finally too far away to be seen he let out a sigh of relief.

Blue observed their surroundings in the Concordia Forest. The forest that hides many criminals and houses the Elven race, one he was only said to be oriented to. Blue felt glimpses of distant memories he had once been through, memories of his life when all he cared for was not to be bored. Now his life was different, he had everything he once wanted. Blue had the money he needed to survive, he had good clothing that he once dreamed for and most of all, he had his freedom to learn. Blue was always a fast learner and everybody knew this, but they never knew that it wasn't that he learnt fast, it was that he had an urge to get what he wanted, he wanted to know things that was held from him, he wanted to learn how to speak with ancient people, he wanted to have power, he wanted everything. All in due time.

Blue then turned back to Lorenor and asked him, "Now that Peck has gone off with the initial scouting for us I need something to request of you.", Blue made a short pause seeing if Lorenor would quickly refuse but he didn't and so he continued speaking, "Will you teach me what you know?", Blue did not want to be specific because he knew that if he was even a little specific about what he wanted to know he might not get everything out of it. He wanted Lorenor to interpret his own message, may it be teaching Blue of his power or his skills or even of his knowledge of his life. Blue wanted to know all of it and he wanted to put it into good use.

If there is anything you want to be edited out then I will edit it out right there and then. Hope this round of power-posting goes well. If you want you can post the description of the forest that Peck will relay to Blue Knight because that is what usually happens when I use him, to prevent me from metagaming some random cave or something like that.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Nah buddy everything was fine.

Listening to the song of Ruild, the mutant carefully observed Blue. Blue was an eager lad, maybe even a bit over-zealous. Lorenor remembered seeing the youth a few times in the blacksmith shoppe of the Red Hand's township. The mutant hadn't really developed an opinion of Blue at that point in his life, but he was rapidly obtaining one now, and it was quite a positive one. The mutant discerned that Blue was an honest individual and that was a trait that Lorenor admired greatly.

Speak one's mind and always speak the truth. Lorenor thought to himself as he looked at Blue. And then the young adventurer popped the big question. At first, Lorenor was surprised. Nobody had ever asked him such a question before in his life. Put on the spot, Lorenor shifted his weight with a little bit of discomfort. Teach what I know? Nobody has ever asked me that before. Lorenor pondered the suggestion for a long moment as he stood in place.

He waited to come up with a solution. There was quite a bit that Lorenor could teach the youth, he admitted to himself. Lorenor looked at Number 5,325. The Golem was busily scanning the area around with advanced scanning equipment. The other Golems were analyzing various elements of Ruild, or collecting samples of specimens for later study. What do I teach him? Was the next logical question.

Then, he remembered a particular time with Sorahn un' Rohnahmeh, leader and master of the Red Hand. Lorenor remembered the first basic tenant of the Ranoan Warriors. "Lorenor. You know water? You have to be like water." It took Lorenor a long time to understand that basic concept of combat, and he was willing to impart that basic teaching of Ranoan fighting. Lorenor, admittedly, was not an expert of the Ranoan teachings. However, he was a student of the Old Ways. Lorenor had spent time learning tactical warfare from the Monks of the Order. Nodding to himself, he decided what he could impart to the eager youth.

"Number 5,325. Set up a Field Parameter. I want to make sure this area is as safe as reasonably possible." Lorenor suddenly said to the black Golem. "Affirmative Father." Lorenor saw that the sleekly designed Golem moved towards the rest of the Golems, and they lumbered off towards the chore at hand. Lorenor looked at Blue after that. "Okay. First thing's first." On the ground, there were many branches, and elements from the trees all about. He grabbed two particularly sturdy branches, took off the twigs and excess and kept the main portion of the branches intact. He looked at Blue, and handed him one of the larger of the two branches.

"You must be like water. Water has no form, but adapts to many things. It can be calm, passive, and it can be fierce like a typhoon." Lorenor began the lecture. "You must learn to control your emotions in a fight and you must learn to be fluid. Mind and body acting as one unit." Lorenor waited for Blue to take the branch. "If you understand what I just said we can proceed to the next lesson." Lorenor said. He held a long branch in his opposite hand. They were going to learn basic stick fighting until Blue's form was adequate enough that he could be an asset.

[oblueknighto]

Blue Knight was surprised that Leronor was actually going to try teach him so easily and without question, but he was starting to get used to his attitude. When he first met the man in the town of the Red Hand he only knew that he was a Council Member of the Red Hand, holding a high position up in that underground group. He thought of Leronor as a particular man working as a blacksmith yet being in such a position in the Red Hand, that had made me think that the Red Hand was not so notorious after all. Then I learnt the true nature of the man, he did not think anything was trivial and did everything he could to his best not minding what it was, even knowing of leadership he is a great person despite all appearances and first impressions.

Blue was unsure of what he was going to learn by being like water until Lorenor picked up a stick and handed it to him then Blue took it with his left hand and replied, "Oh, that's quite simple, is it not? You must control your opponent's energy to become like water then you must control yourself and co-ordinate your body, mind and soul with the surroundings to strike back at them.", Blue thought he knew about what Lorenor was talking about but wasn't completely sure so he crouched down with one knee stable on the undergrowth took out his iron knife and said, "Is it like this blade? I made it myself to specifically for parrying and pushing the enemies' weapons aside. Like how I let the energy escape from the blow and pass into the surroundings? Like how I escape calmly then strike fiercely with my arrows? That isn't fighting, trust me."

Blue was unsure of his answer to the question but still held Leronor's statement true. I must be like water, having no stuck form but adapting to many things. Calm at times then turning fierce at times. Emotions were no problem with combating problem, emotions were only another way of expressing yourself, just like words."I am not completely sure of what you mean by water, but I have thought of it and am prepared for whatever this training takes. Practice comes in stages and that I know it can not be shortened.", then Blue put away his iron knife back into his boot and took his wooden stick with both hands. "I'm ready."

Blue was actually quite glad Leronor had started teaching him of battle, it was one of the things that Blue was not very proficient at. He thought about the concept, Battle was not something to joke about... there was no honour in battle. People should fight to live another day and experience things that interest them, admire what will eventually be destroyed. Knowing how to kill with arrows was not fighting, it was a job, a role, something to learn, just like an occupation. Blue still needed to learn how to fight and who is more suitable to teach him than Leronor who was after all.... suitable.

If you need me to edit anything out or change anything then I will gladly do so, just email or PM me about it.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Listening quietly to the boy's words, Lorenor ascertained the thought process. In many ways, the Ranoan teachings were as abstract as the teachings of the Ai'Bron. The Bron was an elemental force, a way of life, and it was not the path for everyone to undergo. Lorenor saw that the youth took the stick in his hand and was prepared after some pretty words were exchanged. He grasps things quickly. He will be a useful pupil. Lorenor knew it had taken him many years to obtain the level of proficiency he had with his current combat prowess.

Thinking back to the initial teachings of the Ranoan Warriors, Lorenor wished that Sorahn un' Rohnahmeh were there to back up the teachings. Lorenor was not an expert in the Ranoan's ways, but rather, he was a Neophyte in the Order of Ai'Bron. Despite this, he'd obtained considerable combat prowess training his simplistic combat skills in live-fire exercises. Battle after battle trained the mutant to become an effective killing machine, and now this zealous boy wanted to partake of what little knowledge Lorenor had actually obtained. Of course, Lorenor would teach the boy without hesitation, and without worry knowing that he had something to teach.

Long ago, Lorenor learned from the Monks with wooden training swords and other similar weapons. He became proficient in many bladed weapons at the instruction of the Monks.

Holding the stick in hand, the mutant pointed the very tip of the would-be weapon against the ground. It was a few inches off the ground. Lorenor held the weapon at a forty five degree angle. He'd deliberately picked the sturdiest of branches for the job at hand. Once Lorenor felt that Blue was ready, he pointed the stick at his chest, but did no other actions. "We'll see how ready you think are." Lorenor said without malice, but with a certain sternness in his voice. The Monks of the Order were a harsh lot, and their training was very severe. Lorenor still wore many of the battle scars obtained during training sessions that never quite healed.

Walking over to a nearby stone, the mutant picked up a rock. It was small, no more than three inches in diameter. However it weighed a few pounds and was a thick slab of granite. Once the rock was secured in Lorenor's hand, he walked over to Blue and stood approximately six paces away from him. He was standing directly in front of Blue. "Let's test your swordsmanship skills. Dodge this. If you can." Lorenor then threw the stone arrogantly right at Blue's chest. He threw with all the strength he could muster, which was quite a bit, and threw with all the speed he could muster. The stone zipped through the air towards its intended target. Would it connect? "Remember Blue. Be like water." Lorenor said calmly and waited to see how Blue would react to the attack. There were many stones nearby that Lorenor could use to chuck in the general direction of the youth. Lorenor's mind raced as he prepared more lessons for the youth. For now though, the basic most lessons would suffice.

[Urei]

Nature roared, a thousand hearts beating chaotically that teased the demon prowling the night. His hunger grew by the moment, having not fed since the previous dusk and lingering dangerously close to the edge of frenzy. A long tongue rang along his lips, saliva dripping down his chin as he barely managed to contain himself. This demon had a specific prey in mind, one that had been stolen from him at the final moment of the hunt by a lumbering idiotic troll. Just as his descent had begun to sink his fangs into the flesh of his favorite meal, a great club had swung from nowhere to smash his target's brain into nothingness. The demon had watched, helpless and surprised, as what was to be his meal was gulped down in one by the massive gray hulk of a creature. Now, he had tracked the monster for several hours, fighting his growing need to have blood running fresh once more in his veins. It was young and had grown tired after its snack, its movements becoming erratic as it searched misguidedly for a place to rest. The time to fall upon this eight foot tall victim was coming ever close, and Leir thirsted for the moment with a fiery passion. A fool's errand it was, to steal from a hungry demon at the apex of the night. Especially stealing that demon's favorite dessert.

Finally, after seconds that felt like years, the gray hulk clothed in cloth and leather fell to the ground with a great thud. Leaning against a mighty oak tree it rubbed its stomach in satisfaction, an action that only served to provoke the hungry devil hiding nearby. As soon as the troll's worn gray palm released the crude club that served as its only weapon, the demon tensed. Yawning, the troll's eyes lilted closed, and in that second of darkness the demon sprang from the undergrowth. Flying effortlessly through the air and passingly soundlessly between trees, Leir closed a large portion of the gap between them. He landed on all fours, primal instincts finally taking over, and an inhuman growl bellowed forth from his throat. Taken aback by the sudden appearance of a pale white humanoid, the troll stared in dumbstruck confusion.

The clearing separating demon and troll then grew tiny as Leir raced for his victim, all the sounds of the sleeping forest dying to be replaced by the calm quiet of frenzied blood lust. He barely even noticed when the monster grabbed his club once again, fumbling to try and stand before the demon slammed into him, hands becoming vicious armored claws and tearing into the tough gray hide. With a scared scream it swung its club, battering Leir across his side to launch him into a nearby tree. The wood cracked under the force, but Leir did not hesitate, instantly back on his feet and running once more at the beast. The troll grew wide eyed at the devil's speed, not even having time to lift his crude weapon once more before claws dug into his throat. A guttural scream burst out, only to be drowned by blood rushing out its mouth and down its chest. Leir clung, still enraged, to the troll's back, his claws digging deeper and deeper into its thick, wide neck until finally the sharp steel claws sliced bone. Violently he ripped the monster's head clear from its body, letting it fly off into the sky behind him.

Although the hunt had been invigorating, and hunger still burned unrelenting in his throat, he did not sink his teeth into the monster. The blood of a troll was sweet, and any other day he would have a grand feast before him. Finding such a young one so far from its home was rare. This night was different however, he had been bereaved of his dessert and held every intention of finishing his intended meal. Letting the body fall to the ground, Leir's claws began to dig into the tough gray hide once more, pulling away chunks of flesh and bone to be tossed absently aside. After but a few minutes the clearing was littered with pieces of the beast, only a massive bloody mess in the center with the demon hovering over it. The troll's stomach laid before him, his reward. It was neatly and carefully cut open to reveal his dessert. Having been swallowed whole, it only showed the tiniest signs of icky stomach juices on its white fur. Leir reached in and grasped it, he felt a very faint beat in its veins. In his frenzied state, it seemed perfectly a perfectly fresh meal, so he sank his teeth into the rabbit. Satisfied, at last, as he sucked slowly on its neck.

[oblueknighto]

When Blue heard Lorenor ask him to dodge the rock he was already prepared. Lorenor threw the rock at him and he watched carefully. His eyes were adjusted to watching his arrows zoom at speeds a lot faster than the rock moving slowly towards him. He knew of the coming of the rock and prepared for it by first attempting to move away, but with this type of training he restrained himself and stood tall. Attempting to move the stick towards the rock theoretically completely deflecting it, if it stays on course.

Taking in the shape of the rock, a little jut sticking out of the top will put a circular spin on the rock but still will sway left and right as the control of the weight puts it's course off by swaying. Blue calculates that the rock if not intercepted will hit the right part of his chest so he tries to move the stick to cover the area.

As Blue attempts to move the stick to the area he find it troubling that his reactions are a lot slower than his mind. He can predict where the rock will go but he can't react fast enough. Knowing his mistake he moves a little right changing the flow of his body enabling the stick to hit the rock.

WHAM

The rock had hit him, and it had hurt. Blue had quite high pain threshold, but he still felt the slight sting it had continued to leave for him. He couldn't understand why it hadn't been deflected by the stick. Then he realised what really happened, the stick had deflected the rock but it still hit him right in the middle of his chest. He took it that not even a bruise would be left in a few moments, it did not hit him hard but he had not been assaulted for a long time.

Then Blue spoke his thoughts to Lorenor, "I don't want to strain my body too hard so how about we'll keep about this much distance between us?", Blue knew that he would not improve in practice like this if he simply gets hit all the time so he made a few steps back until he doubled the distance between them, they was not about 10 foot away from each other. "I think you should use the smaller rocks because the larger ones will be slower and easier to parry. That is assuming you accept that this distance is okay to train for now."

I will edit this if there are any problems. 10 foot is equal to 3 metres.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Once Lorenor saw Blue's reaction to the assault, the mutant nodded to himself. He had learned basic things like reaction time and a few other calculations critical to combat. Blue had potential. Lorenor understood that fact from the moment that the rock had hit him. It was the reaction that Lorenor was interested in. The reaction told all. It was one thing to work to evade a blow, it was another thing to be able to take hits with style. It was a matter that Lorenor prided himself in. He knew how to take hits, and calculate which hits would be the most damaging. He also knew what hits to attempt to avoid and at what precise instant to launch a counter-reaction.

However, the knowledge came at a price. Lorenor was not the master of any specific fighting style, but rather he had obtained exceedingly crucial combat knowledge. On the way to becoming a Grandmaster of the arts, the mutant realized just then that he'd actually learned something. He would have smiled, but there was Blue's training to consider. The mutant found himself in the uncomfortable position of being an instructor. He figured he would teach Blue exactly as he was taught.

When suddenly...

THUD! Something large, and very very smelly crashed right at Lorenor's feet. Stopping all other actions and dropping the new stone that was in his hand, Lorenor ignored Blue for a second. Not out of disrespect, but out of a need to investigate what had just happened. Sitting on the ground directly in front of his position, was a severed head. Normally, the mutant would not be bothered by such a thing.

However, the sudden nature of the event prompted the mutant to think twice about the situation. He soon had a sobering realization. Something is out there that is not us. As if on cue, one of the Golems, the medical unit, walked over to their position and scanned the Troll's head. "Species Number 638. Althanas-bound. Genus Monster type. Status. Deceased." The Golem said and removed the head from the ground. The Golem's carapace opened up into several sections revealing a compartment inside of the chassis. He put the head inside of the compartment. "Subject being consumed for analysis." Blinking in shock at what he'd just witness, he was disturbed at the rather gruesome nature of the event. He saw that the pieces of the Golem's chassis closed on themselves. After that was done, the Golem turned towards Lorenor. "Sir Lorenor. Something has breached sensory range. Something very powerful." Lorenor nodded towards the medical Golem. "How far away?" Lorenor saw the Golem look off into the distance. "Not far. Within a clique."

"Blue. We must skip training for now. We shall continue your training later on. Come with me in the meantime and stay close. You'll want this Blue." Lorenor kept spare weaponry for fellow companions just in case situations like this occurred. He handed Blue a Steel longsword, masterwork in nature, that was provided by the Red Hand's township. He hoped Blue would accept the small gift. The weapon came with a scabbard. Lorenor waited for Blue to take the sword before he made any other movements. By then, all of the Golems were in the clearing discussing about the Troll.

Lorenor looked in the general direction that the Troll's head came flying from and wondered what was out there. There was something, something familiar in the air. Something ancient. Something powerful...and very very angry. Lorenor could feel a white-hot rage in the air. He turned to look at Blue after that. "Exercise full caution. We're going to investigate where that head came from."

[oblueknighto]

Blue was quite shocked at the events that followed his quick training, a troll head fell at Lorenor's feet. Blue slowly walked towards it and was that it was a troll's head then listened closely to one of the beings speak. The being opened up in a few places and he places the head inside his body then closed the areas on himself. The being then talked on about something entering their sensory range while Lorenor regained his posture being calm and in control.

Blue took the instructions of Lorenor into mind and accepted the longsword. He continued to listen and heeded Lorenor's warning of caution. It was a simple request but not one that many would listen to so he inspected the sword carefully taking in every inch of it's masterwork and evaluated to find it of a masterful make from steel. Balanced perfectly it was perfect for any enchantments to be readied over it. Blue would keep it in it's best shape at all times as he had received the gift from Lorenor and had to honour that.

Blue turned to the direction they were going to explore and felt a bloodlust so corrupt that it almost seemed to feel like a physical acquirement of hunger for blood. Blue swung the longsword around for a while to get the hang of it's edge and it's centre of balance, he had learnt how to handle swords and other sharp objects from observing all those tournaments and battle people had where all they did was swing their sword to please the crowd and earn some money. They all looked so cool when Blue was young, but in reality it was a harsh area of work swinging a double-edged sword around.

The sword was very long and quite heavy being double-edged it cut very smoothly through the air. Around 1kg in weight it was made of good steel which made it's base very suitable for enchantments of all sorts. The straight sword was about 120 cm long with the blade only taking up 90 cm of that length making the hilt 30 cm long. The blade width is 4 cm at the crossguard and 3cm until the tip comes sharp down.The pommel was spherical with a diameter of 4 cm with the top of the hilt having a crossguard around 10 cm in length perfectly stable. The scabbard also made masterful being 3 cm longer than total blade so the draw would be more smooth with possibility of a longer sword fitting in. The shape of the sword gives it a very strong swing and can also be used as a mace when holding onto the scabbard using the crossguard as a club.

Blue ran to Lorenor and thanked him, "Thank you very much for the gift, I swear that I will repay this kindness without any doubt. If you ever need anything I can help with just call upon me wherever I am and I shall come to your aid."

Blue pushed the longsword into it's scabbard and tested it's draw time, it's ease to draw and tried to get used to the weight of the sword. Handling a sword was much different from a bow because the battles were held up close and personal so he had to get used to it quick and the fastest way to learn is when you are threatened to learn, or die trying. The thrill and will of danger rushed through Blue as he scouted ahead with Lorenor.

Now Blue was ready for whatever danger was looming about and he had a new weapon to face it, he held his steel longsword in front of him looked at the scabbard that was now readily stuck into his belt and walked forward.

[Urei]

Blood dripped from Leir's lips as he stood among his wreckage. The burning in his throat and chest had subsided to a low roar, but still he hungered. Slowly his glowing amber eyes swept the clearing, taking in all the details he had failed to notice in his frenzy. This place showed signs of human occupation, a recently used fire pit filled with ash only a few feet from where he stood. Even tattered piece of dyed leather still lay near one of the trees, a spike stuck through them. Probably tent material, almost dead proof that humans had camped here. Suddenly his mind reminded him exactly of where he was, Concordia. An infamous home for bandits and other smaller monsters that proved much trouble for the humans here. Rumors had spread of a strangely large group of ruffians that had taken home here. The rumors were strong enough to even reach his ears, that only heard the last words of the dead.

Taking in a deep breath, the demon finally examined himself. A white noble's shirt laid on his pallid ivory skin, soaked deeply in blood. He remembered that recently he had worn a long deep blue coat that had also been taken from the very same noble, but put it out of his mind for the moment. His pants were black and skin-tight, a fashion adopted from wanderers that seemed to come from other worlds. The black blood of the troll, and the fresh red of the rabbit made grotesque swirling patterns all across his clothing, turning what once was finery into a murderer's garb. Leir took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the pores on his skin slowly open. Quickly the fluids coating both his skin and garments were absorbed into his skin, freshening and cleaning his clothing. The very action of opening himself to the air both hungered him and soothed his need just a little. Agitated, Leir snapped his eyes open when finally a scent came to him on the wind. He wasn't alone.

Raising his nose to the air, the demon inhaled deeply. Leir's senses were nothing special, but in his many years he had learned that there were certain scents that nature does not have. The soft perfume of humans was one that his nostrils refused to ever forget. As that sweet familiar scent tickled him, the demon's body shot into action once more. Bolting through the woods towards the strangers, he moved as fast as his body would take him. There was little ground to cover, and a trail of black troll blood lead the way. Somehow by strange coincidence he had incidentally warned these newcomers of his presence. They probably awaited a horrible monster to exit the woods and eat them. At least they were half right, he thought as he slowed to a calm collected walk and grinned wide. Brushing the last remaining flakes of dried blood off his clothing he composed himself and moved into sight of the strangers.

Soft glowing amber eyes above a deep mischievous grin greeted them, and he slowly spoke to nobody in particular.

"I'm glad to see you... I was afraid I would not have another meal tonight."

[Mutant_Lorenor]

"It was very far away from its homeland. A very large specimen. They don't normally leave the Jagged mountain range, or the Comb Mountains. It was also very young, very curious indeed."

"Good work. Give me the full analysis when you're done."

Lorenor heard the Golems talking about their find, when a stranger walked within his sensory grid. Something dangerously familiar touched his heart as he stared at the individual for a long moment. Drawing, his steel sword, the Blade of N'Jal, the mutant prepared to engage the stranger. Lives were at stake. The stranger smelled like death, and Lorenor admire that scent, he took it in. Allowed it to wash over him, until that sense of familiarity became something more than an coincidence. The creature spoke, but it was to nobody in particular. Lorenor's eyes narrowed to thin slits when he looked at the creature. What is this feeling? Lorenor thought to himself as he felt the familiarity become as if a living organism! The mutant raised his hand towards Blue. "Wait here. " He'd stated to the young Adventurer. Then, Lorenor began to walk towards the stranger for a moment and paused when he was exactly within a foot of distance from the other man.

Lorenor felt the weight of silence take over the Concordia Forest. He listened carefully, but not even the cicadas sang their song. Lorenor kept his weapon in a relaxed, non-aggressive position. The mutant carefully observed the devil before him. Staring at the Antifirmanent, Lorenor sensed a mysterious power flowing from the individual. In the Antifirmanent, the mutant could see a glow of the Living Dark emanating from him. Blinking, he reverted his sensory awareness back towards the here and now. The Firmanent cascaded with the blood scent and the wind was not blowing. A sudden humidity had taken to Ruild as the mutant observed the stranger attempting to figure out what the feeling could possibly. Something twisted inside of his gut, an old feeling. A powerful feeling. He felt excitement burn through his veins and his heart raced. Sweat poured down his person as he studied the individual before him. His hands shook a little bit as he took in the powerful opiate of death that flowed through the air. For the mutant, it was a euphoric experience, as if he were inhaling the cannibus substance.

Feeling temporarily light-headed, Lorenor wiped the sweat off his brow. He sighed for a moment before talking. The Golems were now standing right by Blue so that the individual had back up at all times. Number 5,325 pointed his arm towards the stranger, and the gatling gun was prepared. The mutant remained quiet for a long moment, simply standing there in observance. Reality itself seemed to wait for Lorenor's next course of actions. He had heard the man's...unkind words. The words flowed through the air like a honey might flow across pancakes. Listening carefully to the dangerous promise that the man hinted at, Lorenor took a glance back in Blue's general direction. I have people to protect. He thought to himself and walked towards the stranger. His weapon was positioned at a forty-five degree angle. Darkness flowed from the control gem located at the center of the cross guard. The mutant had been burned nearly alive to win the weapon he held. He suddenly pointed the tip of the blade towards the man's chest.

"We have this place under command." Lorenor said casually. "You will find no meals to be had here unless you need some rations! Take your threats and go to the pyre with them." Lorenor cursed, swearing towards the stranger's general direction. He relaxed his grip on the sword's hilt once again and pointed the weapon down. He stood in an arrogant combat position with his legs spread partially apart, relaxed at the knees. His eyes were completely locked on the man before him. Lorenor knew he could take the man out if need be, but the fucker had taken down a Troll! By himself! Lorenor could not underestimate the stranger one bit if he was intent on winning the night and continuing on his current mission. He was hell-bent on crushing the nearby bandit camp once and for all time. He prepared himself for imminent battle if the stranger were to suddenly attack the mutant. "However, you insist on looking for a fight, you've definitely come to the right place and I will oblige you!" Lorenor wore a grin of his own. "What will it be there stranger?"

[oblueknighto]

Blue grew tense at the treat the creature had make, but relaxed when Lorenor spoke to him. Blue then closely examined the creature and it turned out that he looked very much human or it would seem to Blue. As Lorenor walked towards the strange man Blue almost stopped him but thought about it for a moment then he realised it was for the best that Lorenor approached the man by himself and anyway, it's not like he could have changed his mind. Just for an insurance Blue sheathed his newly acquired blade and took the bow off his back and readied it at the man but he then saw Lorenor's son point his arm at the guy and prepared a heavy artillery as it emerged from what was formally his hand. Blue was completely in shock and jumped back a little as he inspected the thing, he had seen what there was outside the local society of his hometown but this was the first sign of such advanced weaponry, it was completely made of metal and it spun around when he touched it. It was amazing and Blue thought that he had to learn more about it but that was for later, he first needed to make sure that the big bad undead diplomat of his wouldn't make a crappy job of one. Blue knew if it was not for the danger, he would be there doing a much better job of it.

Blue readied his bow and checked his quiver to make sure all his arrows were ready and in good shape then as he nocked his first arrow he aimed it at the man and thought for a while about how exactly the man really killed a troll then how exactly it's had landed in front of Lorenor. Had the man transformed into a grizzly bear and rip it straight off his body with one swipe or did he use magic to make it fly off into the shadows off the extending trees. There were endless possibilities about how the man did it, but all I needed to know is if his going to come any closer, if he does he is sure as hell in for a surprise. The Lorenor's friends would decimate him and they might even eat him up afterwards. Crazy people around me, just lucky that some of them are on my side.

Blue concentrated very hard to make sure that if the creature gave any sign of aggression he would fire not one, but three arrows on him as that was how he rolled around with danger. Blue ran the process through his mind five times and put all trust into his skills, no worries as I have done this way too many times and I have never failed once, not even with people running at full speed and people jumping around on the stage, all the kills I have made, all successful. Wait, what happens if I do fail and I hit Lorenor what if I kill him. Then the creepy man wouldn't be the one killed by his friends, I would. Brrrrr, that would be scary as hell. This better work out well, or I'm a goner.

Blue felt the pull of his arrow on the bow-string, even he knew that if Lorenor didn't settle this in less than 20 minutes Blue's fingers would fall to the ground completely separated from his hand.

Suddenly out of nowhere Peck flew out of some trees in front of them, Blue was so shocked at the events that he almost let loose of his arrow, but he just held onto it but the string flicked away and some dead skin was scraped off with blood slowly oozing out. He then watched Peck closely and was too worried to even notice the small pain that a normal person would probably notice simply by sight or smell let alone not noticing the pain. Blue saw Peck approach the strange man and was going to approach him but Blue acted fast and released his arrow giving Peck the no-go signal.

Blue then spoke to Lorenor's son in a very rushed manner, "Make sure if I die here today tell your father that he can't get rid of me that easily. I'll probably come back to haunt him or something."

Blue then ran up closer towards the two men in a fast yet cautious way, he needed to get Peck out of there so he called for him in a soft yet very tense, turning from Common to High Elven he spoke, "I might really kill you some day if you haven't died already, you nearly got us and Lorenor killed, do you even know the situation we are in?!" Blue then quickly backed away from Lorenor and the man with Peck now safely resting on his shoulder. As he backed away he tightened his bow and knelt down when he felt he was safe from the initial danger of the foul troll-killer. Again nocking the bow now Blue looked around at the surroundings looking for a even safer place to observe from, somewhere where the shadows led but he found no such place so he kept position, thrilled yet scared at what would happen next.

[Urei]

Leir watched with a gentle ease as one of the men in the clearing approached him. In his previous haste he had taken very little time to assess the situation, but with the slow and indecisive pace of this man the demon had plenty of time. The clearing they stood in showed no signs of a camp and the footprints on the ground suggested that there had been some sort of spar or struggle just recently. However, it also seemed like these men had only recently arrived here themselves. Sweeping his eyes across the field he spotted the head of the troll he had recently ripped apart, a small smirk taking hold on his mouth before he could stop himself. That beast had been young and stupid, but these men probably thought him much stronger than he truly was. The devil had their overestimation as an advantage, at the very least. Finally Leir let his eyes fall upon the individuals themselves. One seemed quite meek, and definitely human. The boy carried a bow and a sword, though he seemed to be indecisive about which weapon was truly more appropriate for the moment. Near him was a sleek man-like thing that was definitely not a man. Two more of its kin were in the field, but only the closest one appeared to be prepared for a violent encounter. Last of all was the creature that approached him. Leir thought of it as a creature, because the thing could not possibly be human, nor mortal. Instantly a respect grew for the thing, for it was a monster among humans that commanded their attention. In his lands, the mortals would have a knife in his back after the first demanding command. There is no loyalty between mortal and monster.

Leir bowed deeply to the man, ignoring both the sword and the threat. It would be too much trouble and blood shed to fight these men. In the end, more blood of his would be on the floor than that which he would gain from feasting on the human. In his bow, he sent a greedy hungry glance at the human then smiled whole-heartedly to the monster. Standing straight, he was taller than this beast, but was given the impression that he would be the submissive one in this relationship. His assessment of the situation complete, the demon let his grin spread wide and spoke.

"My name is Leir, and I suppose I wish none of you harm. However, I am still very hungry, and I suspect you are not armed and tense out in the middle of the forest on a hiking trip. So, I do promise, that if you share in whatever sort of combat you are prepared to enter, I'll not cause any trouble tonight. Also keep that pesky meat away from me, in the heat of battle I might forget which is prey and which is allie. So what do you say, fellow monster?"

With his arms spread wide, Leir remained in a passive stance. If the demon was forced to fight them, he would lose. It was not a risk he was willing to take.

Sorry for wait, busy weekend.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor felt several things happen all at once. In one nearly disastrous moment, the mutant felt Blue's bird, Peck, come rushing onto the field. For a moment, Lorenor could almost see Peck attempting to enact its name sakes on Leir's person. His eyes went wide briefly as the bird passed overhead, but was interrupted by the master of the bird. Lorenor sighed after that one chaotic event was over, and then, the familiar creature spoke. Again, there was a certain sense of familiarity emanating from the beast. Lorenor began after the creature spoke. He immediately responded by bowing back, rotating his weapon and sheathing it. He turned towards Blue. "Hey Blue. Lower your guard and return to camp. We have a new ally, however temporary the situation might be." Lorenor walked over to Leir's person. "Have we met before? You seem awfully familiar to me somehow." Lorenor said, but then shook off the mysterious feeling in his gut. The mutant wondered just how the gentleman monster had survived on his own out here in the depths of Concordia Forest for so long.

The creature did not seem to wield any weapons, and he did not seem to be glowing of any element other than the Living Dark. However, that did not mean that the beast was no less dangerous. Lorenor knew that the thing had tackled a Troll. Regardless of the Troll's age or not, a kill that impressive deserved some merit. "You're hungry you say? My friends and I were just about to go on a quick hunt before a job we are to undertak on the morrow's eventide." Lorenor said casually. He kept his words in an elegant form of the Common-Tongue.

His eyes were locked on the creature, but then there was a thought that kept bothering him. What was a Troll doing here this far away from the Jagged Mountains or the Comb Mountains? This merits some investigation. And as Lorenor prepared to accept Leir's offer, something else happened. The Golems ran up towards the mutant's position and the creature's position. They had an air of excitement about them. Lorenor turned towards the Golems and folded his arms across his chest. "What is it my friend?" He saw that his son was still hiding in the wilds of Ruild nearby to the former position where Blue once hid at.

"It's about the Troll. We believe that Species Number 638 has left its homeland for a reason after much discussion about the situation at hand. We also believe that there may be more of the Trolls out there."

"Fucking just great. First bandits, now Trolls." Lorenor said casually. He wasn't afraid, he was just not pleased with the idea of having to fight an army of Trolls somewhere in Ruild. Lorenor shook his head in the negative. He then turned to Leir. "We're out here about to bust up some wayward Bandits. If you want to join us you're welcome to. The hunt begins tomorrow night. We are just surveying the area around us. Also, if you want some rations, we carry a supply of food with us at all times. It is fresh." Lorenor said. He was going out of his way to help Leir, for some reason though the stranger was potentially a threat it had shown diplomacy. This interested Lorenor a great deal and so he started to walk back towards base camp. "Are you coming good sir?" Lorenor asked of the man-beast as he walked back towards the camp.

[oblueknighto]

Blue just held his position as Lorenor confronted the man offering peace under diplomatic conditions. Blue observed the tense conditions of the stares in front of him, the troll-killer had clearly referred to Blue as 'pesky meat' with a clear attitude that he sees of Lorenor's true nature. Blue knew that Lorenor was not human or at least not in the ordinary meaning of the word but he accepted him and it isn't like randomly kills people for fun.

He ignored the words of the man who he had now been forced to accept as an ally, the man had taken on a troll with his bare hand or what Blue observed as his fingernails. He was not appropriately dressed for condition but Blue knew better than to trust clothing, he probably even killed the troll for his self-amusement. Blue stood up and walked towards the camp leaving his allies, Leir and Lorenor close behind. Lorenor's son had spoken of how the troll might not be the only one of it's kind out there. Blue could take on humans a lot easier than trolls as the trolls were more dangerous than the humans that could only use their weapons to strike.

Blue then remembered of what Lorenor's son produced from his arm and wanted to ask the Golems so many questions about all the stuff they could do. They might know a lot more than he knows about anything. They were an information resource that Blue could not pass up, they didn't just have sensory equipment but weapons that were so advanced that Blue had never seen anything like it. Blue sure wasn't wasting his time when he first became friends with Lorenor.

Now back at the temporary camp Blue approached the Golems and asked them, "Can you tell me how I can improve this mechanism?", showing the Golems his bow.

Blue then quickly asked the questions, "Are there many languages you can communicate in? Are you aware of any history that humans don't know of? How do your people have such advanced weaponry?"

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Lorenor walked with Leir in silence. There was a certain pull he felt when he was near the creature, and the mutant appreciated the presence. Lorenor walked back to the camp for a moment in order to get his head straight. Admittedly, he was difficult to concentrate around the handsome monster. But for now he would have to try the best he could. He felt his boots crushing the sodden earth as he walked back to the camp. Foliage, grass, and plants were crushed beneath the weight of the mutant. Noticing that the individuals of his party were taking various flanking positions around the camp, a few slept, and others were simply meditating or practice sparring. Lorenor's force was a small group of stalwart individuals ready to give their lives for the cause of the Red Hand. The mutant knew this to be true. As he approached the camp, and archer prepared his weapon but quickly lowered it seeing the mutant returning from the adventure. "The golems have been talking about Trolls. They think there are more out there." Lorenor nodded towards the Archer. Staring at the man for a moment, he noticed that the man wore the uniform of the Red Hand.

Lorenor noticed that the shadows danced along the man's face. He seemed like a presence more than an actual individual. "Lukas I presume?" The man nodded. "You are quite skilled at stealth. I did not notice you until the last moment. Put yourself up for a commendation." Lorenor said confident of his troops capacity. "What have the Golems said about the Trolls? What is the probable range for them?" Lorenor saw that Lukas nodded behind him as if acknowledging another presence. Lorenor turned towards that presence. "Ah yes. My son. What is the current situation?" Lorenor saw that the Golem had a blank expression but that was common. The machine-folk were an expressionless race and it was difficult to tell what they were "thinking". However, the mutant understood their capacity for analytical processes and strategy. They would prove to be a critical asset. Lukas went back to the shadows in order to patrol the areas around the camp. Lorenor waited whilst the Golem calculated various equations. Lorenor understood by now how the Golem's "brain" worked.

"The probability exists that our mark has been extinguished already." Number 5,325 began. Lorenor shook his head, it was as he feared. Someone else got to their mark before they could reach it. Lukas overheard the conversation. "Sir. Does that mean we'll be facing more Trolls?" He asked of Lorenor. Lorenor shook his head. "Ready the men. The odds have shifted against us." Lorenor put his hand to his chin and thought as carefully as he could. "What type of species are we talking about and how many are likely?" Lorenor asked the logical question. The mutant then proceeded to think about the next possibility. Something in his gut suggested returning to the Red Hand township and getting more reinforcements to his squadron. That's out of the question. We've come too far to turn back now. By the will of N'Jal this must be done. Lorenor heard the voices in his head and sighed visibly. Number 5,325 continued with the analytical data. "They are small tribes. The most we will probably face is at least one hundred or so. But if this is a raiding party, we could possibly be facing larger numbers."

Find the way to make it happen. Lorenor heard the other voice speak within his mind. A fractured mind, the mutant could hear multiple sets of voices at any one moment. The mutant was hearing N'Jal. At least he assumed he was hearing the voice of N'Jal. The word of N'Jal was a difficult phenomena to grasp. Sometimes it was a fickle event, other times, it gave crucial and concrete orders. The word of N'Jal was law. And the mutant was following the word of N'Jal. To the outside world, it would appear as though the mutant was spacing out. Staring off into the distance. Listening to the word, the mutant carried out his next set of strategy, deciding it on a whim. The fate of the world rested on his shoulder and his shoulders alone. Lorenor turned to look at Leir, and then to his son, and then back in the general direction of Blue Knight. Finally turning his gaze so that he faced his son and Leir. But all could hear what he was about to say, he spoke loudly enough that they could hear him. "What are your orders Lord Lorenor?" The Golem asked.

"I--"

And Lorenor felt and saw a brilliant flash of light cross his peripheral vision that only he could see.

***

As Blue asked his questions, the Golems in the camp immediately stopped their discussion and turned towards the young warrior. One of the Golems, the same one that had consumed the head of the Troll, walked over to Blue's position. He stood approximately two paces away from Blue. The Golem, possessing superior height and mass, stood at approximately ten feet in height all together. Looking at Blue's bow, the Golem thought for a moment about analytical processes, calculations, and physics. He could definitely improve the weapon, but he was a medical Golem. The engineer was who Blue wanted to talk to. The medic motioned over to the Engineer for a moment and the other Golem walked over to their position. "You say you want to upgrade the Bow there? I can do that for you." The Golem said casually. "I will need the unit in my possession to upgrade the capacity of the weapon." The Golem waited for the warrior to respond to his request. The other Golem looked at Blue for a moment as well. "We can teach you all that we know, but that is for another day. For now, we must prepare for the coming battle. Our statistical data dictates a high probability that there will be more Trolls out in this region."

***

Lorenor fell down to one knee as the flash of light overwhelmed his peripheral vision. The flash of light, was purely a psychological effect of the moment at hand. As he saw the flash of light, he focused on the white-hot vision. The color and form filled his thoughts as his mind cleared. He suddenly began to see many things in a heightened sensory grid. Within twenty feet, the mutant could perceive the Firmanent and Antifirmanent at will. Outside of the twenty feet grid, the world became a gray field without any solid definition or form. It was all a colorless substance that moved and danced about the world according to Lorenor's eyes. He saw the world in an extremely abstract way. But this new event, this new vision, elevated his consciousness across the Antifirmanent. Seeing the gray world of the dead in his peripheral vision, the mutant could see far and wide in this state without the limitations of his physical shell. Lorenor observed the field of the bandit camp that was several yards from their position. Then, he saw something about the camp that made the mutant feel completely shocked.

A battle.

***

Returning back to the Firmanent and into his own body, the mutant had a completely shocked expression on his face. Looking up from his position towards the people around him, he wore a grim expression. "Trolls have taken over the camp. There is a battle going on as we speak. You were right, its a slaughter. Now we have to defeat these Trolls ourselves." Lorenor said. He stood up after ward and felt a strong sensation of dizziness and vertigo. It passed quickly. Getting his act together, the mutant turned to look at his companions. "We must prepare for this battle. I fear that we have bitten off possibly more than we can chew." The mutant vaguely wondered just how Leir was able to take the Troll down by himself. He turned to look at the man for a moment. "How were you able to tackle the beast on your own? Do you think you will be able to help us tackle down many of them all together? If so, you are hired into the division." Lorenor said calmly. "I can pay you for your time." Lorenor looked at Number 5,325 and nodded. "Prepare all of our equipment."

[oblueknighto]

Blue was one quick to doubt but he was still quick to get his equipment upgraded, "Oh, of course, what was I thinking." He handed his bow over to the 'engineer' while wondering what the Golem would actually do with it. He remembered the times he had with his bow, hand carving it took him weeks but the bow had stuck with him for a long time, it almost feels like he is attached to it now that he thought about it. Then he had to tell the Golem know of his likings, however he changes it.

"About the bow, could you please give it the spring so it can also be fired at an aerial angles, all the bowmakers I met never found any reason to make such a request reality but I think you people just might be able to, is that okay with you?", Blue needed the bow to be a symbol for him, it needed to be able to adapt just like him for he had all the knowledge of his surroundings he needed. Everyday, every moment he analysed his surroundings but he never thought of his own property, they needed repair or replacement.

Blue would need the bow for the upcoming battle and as it would seem, the enemies have just grown from bandits to trolls. He didn't even know that much of the race so he couldn't even imagine what one would look like. Looking back to the Golem handling his bow he wondered what he was doing with it as the Golem's back was all that Blue could see. All Blue wanted was for his bow to last just a little longer until he had enough resources to create another one.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

The Golem looked at the bow for a long moment, as if analyzing every minute detail of the craftsmanship. After a long moment, the Golem whispered the words: "Analysis complete. Adaptations possible." Turning towards Blue Knight, the Golem began to explain what he was about to do. "According to technology and the laws of physics, we can make several possible adjustments to the bow, including adding a Recurve feature." With that the engineer's chest opened up once more. He was preparing to consume the bow. "I have the molecular information for several different quality materials." The Golem paused, observing Blue for a brief moment.

"Judging by the power level you give off, I suggest going with a light-weight hyper-steel synthesizing for your equipment. I have readily available steel material. For the basic material of the bow, the material will have to be consumed and recycled. The molecular information analyzed." The Golem said, revealing the basic process of item-forging. "For the bowstring we will use the same material, but condense it at the molecular level to make the material stronger for more pull." Then, the Golem placed the bow within its chassis, effectively consuming it.

Once the bow was placed adequately inside of the Golem, the creature's chassis closed in on itself. There was a lot of noise produced afterward as the insides of the creature worked their magic. Once the construction process was completed, there was a tremendous amount of steam released from the back of the Golem. Two pipe like machines extended from the shoulder region of the creature where the steam was emitted. The Golem was silent for a few moments longer whilst the process of engineering was completed.

After the process was completed, the Golem's chassis opened up again. Within the construct was a shiny new great-bow. Made up of a condensed sort of steel, the material was exceedingly lightweight and bendable. The Golem carefully removed the long weapon from within its chassis. The chassis closed in itself, and the Golem handed Blue his weapon. "It can double as a quaterstaff. It is large and thick enough, yet bends for the purpose of your basic weapon. The weapon is aerodynamic."

The most noticeable aspect of the great bow was its light weight nature.

***

Walking in silence, Lorenor made his way back to the campsite. It was a short trip from their prior position. He turned to look at Leir one more time only to notice that the handsome devil was no longer there. Lorenor sighed at that realization. Stepping quietly through the forest, Lorenor stopped once he reached the base-camp. One of the soldiers greeted him. He saw that the Golems were gathered around Blue for some reason except for Number 5,325 who always stayed close to Lorenor's position.

Looking over his shoulder towards his son's position, the mutant nodded once and then prepared himself for the situation at hand. Things had taken a decidedly darker twist with the involvement of the trolls. The mutant didn't like the idea of fighting those creatures at all, but he knew it had to be done. The Red Hand could not tolerate such beasts wandering around in their territory un-challenged. The mutant turned to look at his soldiers, they were ready to face certain death at his command. Preparing a meal, they knew not to use the normal fires for camping. Normal fires gave off smoke, and smoke gave away their position to the enemy.

Instead, the Magi prepared elemental fire which gave off no smoke, and eerily was stationary at times. It was like a caged beast, licking at invisible walls that kept it trapped. The fire gave off just enough light for the members of the encampment to use and not much more than that. Lorenor could feel power from the magi in the area as they worked their ancient spells. Color and form traveled through the air as the magi worked their magics, the mutant could see the powerful lines constructed by the magi.

He did not understand, but he could feel and sense. Preparing for the battle at hand, the magi were busily checking talismans and placing enchantments on objects at and around the camp which would be used as a base. This miniature headquarters would serve as the main point of assault into the enemy territory. Lorenor admired the tenacity and bravery of all of his men, and knew that it would fall on his shoulders to lead the Red Hand to victory in this dark hour. With everyone preparing for the battle that would occur the next night, Lorenor had no choice but to retire to sleep. Number 5,325 guarded the mutant's tent of course. Lorenor slid inside the tent, prepared the Necronomicon and went into a deep trance as he studied the pages of the three books laid before him. Turning the page to a proper ritual, the mutant was preparing himself to cast nightly meditation rites that would assist the mutant in the battle ahead. Thinking about his newly discovered opponents, the mutant prepared for the feat of strength that would undoubtedly occur the next day. He would have to make use of one of the fell summons, and a sacrifice was imminent.

Now, if only he could find a proper spell for the occasion...

[oblueknighto]

Standing there shocked at the turn of events. The Golem was talking of so much crazy information he didn't understand he just listened and took in all the words that he heard analysing their context trying to figure out what they meant. Technology and the laws of physics he had heard of before but recurve was something he had never heard of before. The laws of physics was an observation that some religious researcher thought of, claiming the idea the very next day so many other people claimed that he stole it from them so after that the history of the laws of physics went public without who discovered it. It wasn't a discovery after all as it was a simple observation that anybody could have noticed. It was just that it took too many names to recall all the laws.

The next word Blue had trouble interpreting was the word molecular but luckily knew where it came from, the origin word meaning the barrier of mass which he took was some very small measurement. Then came the words 'light-weight hyper-steel', it sounded like something that came from a folk tale of a magical material that wasn't know to man. It almost seemed to Blue as if he was actually dreaming and was talking to a half-giant in his dream. Everybody knew that steel couldn't bend and how would the Golem manage to get it to become light... too many questions ran through Blue's mind when he realised that steel couldn't even bend like a bow. He was about to mouth his opinion when the Golem interrupted him talking about the string, that broke Blue's perfect concentration and made him break into frustration. Realising this Blue didn't even care about what the Golem was going to do to his bow since he had lost his own battle when asking for assistance.

Thinking back at Lorenor's son wielding that giant spinning metal thing he simply wished that his bow wouldn't be as heavy as that mechanism that looked similar to a large gun. Out came the finished product of Blue's new bow all shiny and new, it was larger than his original bow but Blue didn't care for that as it looked quite VERY weird through Blue's eyes. He looked at the curve bending away from the archer and spoke, "Isn't it the wrong wa....", then he realised what the recurve feature meant, it made the bow overall more vulnerable to the archer's flaws but it enhanced many features that Blue used a lot more. The recurve feature made the bow look like it was strung backwards yet it's spring would be so much more powerful.

Blue had asked for an upgrade but got a brand new weapon. His requested expectations were matched ten-fold. The arrows would whizz through the air so much faster than before and the arrow would be a lot less affected by wind resistance at those speeds. Its nock is made so smoothly that the arrow slides through more smooth than it slices through air. The bow was completely changed and all for the better because Blue needed a new one anyway.

He didn't even know what to say to the Golem that had constructed this in a matter of seconds without even planning ahead, Lorenor was a great friend and valuable companion that Blue never planned to lose. He would never even think of betraying him now that he knew what power he had over these Golems who were 'friends' of his. As he knew very well, any friend of Lorenor was a friend of his.

Blue asked the Golem, "What is your name, engineer?", then Blue remembered that the Golems didn't use 'names' but codes of ascending numbers. He then walked away saying, "Never mind, but anyway thanks for the help." Walking towards his tent he noted the lights around him but didn't mind them being dim as he could see quite well in the dark, his eyes regulated the darkness for him. He took his strap off his back and resized it for his new bow, cutting the shortening rope off to make it just fit back onto his back with the bow tightly strapped on. He hopped a little to see if it was tight and adjusted to length for it to fit. His bow sling wasn't quite as tight as he would have hoped but it would have to do for now.

He sat back onto the wall of his tent and rested for the battle to come.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

During his meditation, the mutant discovered something interesting. Applying the thought, he realized that it was possible he could call forth his summon with proper sacrifice. Once he had the right sacrifice, he knew that he could proceed forward with the plan. However, there were no readily available sacrifices of equal proportion to the summon that he needed. He'd have to go hunting in the wilds of Ruild in order to find such a note-worthy sacrifice. There was no time left for that, Lorenor knew. Observing the area around him, he knew it would soon be time for him to retire. There was a subtle temperature change, and the mutant could sense the oppressive heat of the sun in the distance, rising. Deciding it was time to call it a night, he slid into his sleeping bag, and receded into the living dark. Once he was within the confines of the dark, he wrapped the Salvarn cloak and cowl around his person, prepared himself for the embrace of the deep slumber, and went to bed. Lorenor would require a full rest for the the endeavors of the next night.

***

"He sleeps all day. He doesn't have to but, that's what he tends to do more often than not." One of the Magi said calmly, his face hidden in shadows. Busily working on a ritual of support that would be needed for the coming task, the man studied a text that rested on his laps. He was etching symbols on the ground with a ceremonial dagger. "I don't think I've ever quite understood that myself." It was a warrior speaking in response, he was busily using a whetstone upon his weapon. The sound of stone grinding on the blade was audible. Several members of the Red Hand were visibly working at various tasks around the encampment, and some of them were asleep. A few were busily scouting matters, whilst still others were working on various technique required for the battle that would take place quite soon. Some of the warriors and rogues were busily sparring against one another in training sessions. They were keeping their wits sharp and their skills sharper.

"Well he's an Undead I heard." The same magi said in response. "It explains the whole thing with the face." The magi continued. "It explains a lot of things." The warrior said in response. "What do you think of them Golems?" The warrior asked. "They are useful to have around. I've never been to Dressed Fish Town, but I hear its a great city to see at least once in your life. I would love to have one of those cannons of theirs." The magi added in response. "Yeah I will agree with you there. But I can't help but feel creeped out sometimes by them. They are just too strange looking for my tastes." The magi raised his eyebrows. "They are Golems. What do you expect. Golems are constructed beings. It's too complicated to explain right now and I'm not the right person to talk to about it." The warrior laughed at that. "We will have a chance to slay many trolls tomorrow night. Hopefully they are busily sleeping, and we catch them all off guard. It would be a pretty slaughter." The Magi paused before responding. "I just want to get back home to my family."

***

And that's how the rest of the night went. They were busily making preparations and checking last minute details about personal equipment. A sort of maddening tension and nervousness lurked in the air. The scouts were all recalled as soon as word spread that their opponents for the battle was destined to be trolls. For many of the men and women of the Red Hand, the night's battle would give them the very meaning of their lives. Many would not make it back alive to their families. Many would perish, but there would be those who would be heroes. Many would rise to the occasion but it clearly seemed like they were facing a loosing battle. Preparing for the worst, some secretly questioned the sanity of their leader. He was expecting them to go up against overwhelming odds and live to tell the story. He was expecting them to do the impossible. A handful of men and women from the Red Hand against an entire tribe of trolls? There were those who questioned the situation at hand, and why they were chosen. But still, they prepared without openly voicing their opinion.

For the Red Hand would fight without fear...

***

The next day...

Tracking the movements of the enemy with long-ranged scanners, the Golems were talking silently amongst themselves. Preparing for the imminent battle was what the Golems did. With the analytical data of the troll at hand, they were adjusting their weapons and equipment for combat against their dangerous enemy. Time passed as the Golems prepared and the humans prepared as well. It was decided that the group would launch a daring assault against the troll-camp when the time came. The Golems spoke to the human members of the Red Hand as they prepared their equipment for the siege. They were a small army, but they were dedicated to their cause. As members of the Golem faction and the human faction discussed possible assault roads to take, Number 5,325 returned from a patrol duty with a startling discovery. In his hand was the heads of several trolls. He walked over towards the head of the Magi and the strongest warrior at hand. "I defeated these on our normal hunting path." Number 5,325 said. "It was a fierce battle, but we were able to learn much and ascertain critical data from their combat strategies."

"What were their strategies like?" The magi asked, the warrior simply looked at the heads of their enemy, making some calculations of his own. "They were a small scouting party. I think they were detached from the main force in order to scout out for prey in this area. It seems their ravenous appetite could be their undoing here." The magi partially understood what was being said. "What are you suggesting?" The Golem looked at the magi, then looked back towards the general direction of the enemy. "We contaminate the area. Release a contagion so that we can affect large numbers of the trolls at once." It was logical to the Golems. Blinking twice at the idea, the magi looked at the Golem very seriously. "What about the rest of the sentients living in the area? What about Concordia itself?" The magi asked incredulously. What the Golem was suggesting, was an affront to natural order of things. They would kill many innocent lives in the lives just to defeat their enemy, despite the logic in the plan. "We can make the contagion specifically target the enemy. We have this now." The Golem raised his hand and showed them the heads of the fallen trolls. There were five in the bundle all together.

***

When the sun set, Lorenor woke up from his trance-like slumber. There was a large commotion outside of his tent. He'd gathered his belongings and left the tent to see what was going on. What he saw disturbed him. Arguing with the Golems, was several members of the human faction of his Red Hand army. Lorenor looked at the scene trying to understand what was the matter with his associates. Walking towards their position, the mutant adjusted his cloak. It flapped in the breeze. He had an annoyed look on his face when he addressed his gathered comrades. "What is the meaning of this noise-level? You are going to give away the position of this camp." The mutant said, his irritation level quite audible. The gathered turned towards their would-be leader. The magi responded. "Lorenor. My liege, I apologize for this argument. But your...companions are suggesting something that cannot be allowed. We have to be very careful about who we become in the pursuit of our enemies. We have to have the morale ground here."

Lorenor frowned at that thought. "We're at war. There is no morale ground here. Its survive or not." Then he turned his attention to the Golems. "Do we have a plan my son?" He asked. "Yes, Father. It is a simple plan, but your human companions have trouble grasping the logic of it. For our plan to work, we would kill many trolls in one fell swoop."

The mutant rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Let's hear your plan. There isn't much time anyway. We ride within the hour."

[oblueknighto]

Blue sat up suddenly as he noticed that Peck was pecking at him so he stood up and slowly walked out of his tent. Patting Peck and carrying Peck back onto his shoulder Blue made a big yawn then rubbed his eyes trying to get rid of any unwanted traces of tiredness. While walking across the camp he sat down and took a drink of water from his waterskin gulping it down. As he drank from his waterskin he saw Lorenor's son return to the camp carrying several troll heads and upon seeing it he spat some water out of his mouth and swore, "What the ****?!"

Then Blue let out a sigh then said to himself, "Meh, I just woke up alive and well so it's better than waking up to be killed by a troll or even a Golem."

Blue then hopped up and followed the Golem towards a number of their group centred around the head of the Magi whom was coincidentally next to the group's strongest warrior. Lorenor's son quickly brought up his patrolling of the area and a perfectly valid exploitation of the Golem's valuable technological advancement and the troll's newly discovered appetite for something. The humans quickly swatted the idea down before the Golem even got a chance to fully explain his plan.

Then Lorenor quickly came out of his tent as the sun completely set ending the immature attitude of the Magi that he had brought along. The humans soon calmed down and Blue also started to listen but then his mouth called for his duty forcing him to yawn missing whatever Lorenor had said just moments ago. Seeing that he wanted to be in on the events he walked next to the Golem so he was now standing on the other side of Lorenor, not being able to see him or vice versa. Blue then sat down onto the floor lazing about with his eyes closed falling into conscious yet resting state still listening to the conversation going on and eager to finally get a feel of what's going on with the troll killing plan.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

"It can not be allowed! Lorenor, say something to him!" The mutant heard the arguments of both sides. His mind was already having trouble grasping the severity of the numbers they were about to face. War was a numbers game, it often came down to who was able to produce the most waves of units with the fasted reaction time. Lorenor knew that to be true. War was not pretty, it was cold, ugly, and unforgiving. Lorenor walked over to the head magi and suddenly smacked him hard across the face. Recoiling from the attack, the Magi stared at Lorenor like a shocked child. "What was that for?"

"This battle will call for a considerable amount of restraint. I will not have any of my associates in this campaign acting out of line. Pull yourself together. We are facing an enemy that would not hesitate to use whatever means necessary to defeat us." Waking up with a sharp mind, the mutant was ready to go. He'd been studying the Necronomicon up until the time that he officially went to sleep. He'd learned a great deal about their enemy and what potential strategies to use. No strategy was off the plate, it was do or die. "You there." Lorenor pointed towards a sturdy looking man with an axe. "Can I depend on your axe?" He saw that the man saluted with his axe. "Aye sir. I will fell may."

"You there. Can I depend on your blade?"

"Aye sir."

"This is no longer about petty politics or ethics. This is about win or lose. This is for the Red Hand. We have to send a clear message to our enemies about what it means to incur the wrath of the Red Hand." The mutant turned back towards the magi. "Do I have your restraint?" Was all that the mutant asked. "Y-yessir." He heard in response. "Good. Now then. Let us hear this plan of yours Number 5,325." Lorenor said calmly.

And there was no further argument.

"Aye Father Aye. After analyzing the blood of the trolls we have found a weakness to a known chemical agent. The chemical agent can be put together in a contagion and spread across a large area. It won't take affect right away, but it will act quickly enough that it will give us an opening to slay many of our enemy. We have already prepared a large amount of the contagion agent." Lorenor was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "How soon does this agent affect the anatomy of the enemy?" Lorenor asked. "A matter of at least a half an hour. It's not a lot of time, but it should buy a window in the moment they get infected."

Lorenor nodded at that thought. "I've got a plan as well." Lorenor said, and turned to his men. "We will use whatever means necessary to win this war. I want everybody with me on this. If you're feeling the coward, go back home now. I will not have dissidents fighting for me." Lorenor said and looked at his men with a stern face. He gave them their out. Not a single man ever left. Lorenor grinned.

He was learning how to lead.

[oblueknighto]

When the idiotic human spoke out his true wishes Lorenor quickly struck him with what sounded like a slap then Blue quickly stood up and looked at the head magi reel back. The head magi then made a retarded retort in utter idiocy asking Lorenor a question that he himself should have known best. Lorenor then stated the troll's state of mind rampaging endlessly killing innocents solely to defeat their enemies gaining territory.

Blue then listened to the group seriously for the majority of the time. They first discussed self- restraint on their moral code but Blue didn't really care for that as he knew his own morals had been replaced with his wish for anything he could earn with a minimal amount of risk. He respected those with tight morals and obeyed them to their demise but he still thought of them as idiots who don’t deserve to live in the harsh world as it is.

The plan was very simple and with it executed correctly it would be easy to take out the trolls even as the group were weak and unbalanced.

Lorenor then gave a victimising accusation. He took anybody who didn’t obey him to be a coward and a traitor to the Red Hand. The results were instant and Blue almost cracked up at how much the weak willed humans wanted to keep their job and have a fair chance at reaping the rewards of the battle. They all knew that the more people that were in the more chance they would survive but the less they would earn. The undead had a complete dominance over them in that factor. Not a single man even moved after the words left his mouth, Lorenor would unify them not in a common goal but under one lead, himself.

After the humans were stunned at the sentence trailed out of their leader’s mouth, Blue walked around Lorenor’s son and patted him on the back and whispered, “When did you learn how to manipulate people’s minds to twist them directly under your lead? They’d pretty much walk into their own death now that they can be bothered to.”

Peck then flew over to Lorenor's son and rested on his shoulder peering over at Blue almost trying to get into more trouble with the elven mercenary.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Nodding towards Blue, the mutant let the words hang. They were heavy in the air, as heavy as the mist. Lorenor wore a soft grin on his face as he realized what had just happened. He'd earned the respect and admiration of his men, he'd earned the right to lead them. With that realization, he prepared himself to ride into battle. Turning towards Blue, the mutant whispered back.

"That is a story for another day my friend. Assuming we survive the events of the day. The Syndicate is bad enough, but the trolls we are going to fight will be a nightmare all together." Lorenor said.

Looking at his son, Number 5,325, Lorenor had a stern expression on his face.

"All right everyone. Let's do this. It is time we ride." The mutant said.

He looked at the Golem for a time longer. "Prepare the contagion. I want it ready by the time we make it within striking distance."

And so, everyone moved to close down their tents, gather up supplies, and prepare their horses. Rations and drinking water was handed out to everybody as were whetstones, spare bolts and arrows, and other necessary supplies. Everyone worked in silence and moved as a well-oiled machine. Even the forest seemed to participate with the group of troll-killers as the wind picked up. It carried with it a certain scent of death which signaled the imminent danger lurking in the shadows.

Lorenor mounted his horse. The Golems would continue their journey on foot even as they prepared the contagion. It would be comprised of the D.N.A. hidden within the troll-blood. Though there were still some voices of dissent in the group, the mutant had worked to keep them at bay. He mounted his horse, readied his weapons, and mentally prepared himself for the battle ahead. Turning to look at Blue, the mutant nodded in his general direction.

"We ride!"

The mutant yelled. After everyone was ready, Lorenor and his group of warriors and magi journeyed to the position of the bandit's camp. Half expecting to find the bandits still there, the group was prepared for any sort of threat that would come their way. Be it beast or Thayne, the men under Lorenor's command would work to effectively overcome whatever challenge was presented.

Horses' hooves pounded the well trodden earth as the beast of burden were commanded by their riders. Lorenor took the head of the group. He'd ordered Blue to position himself close by. The mutant rode with his sword drawn, the prevalida one in his collection and prepared his other side-weapons for multiple uses. As a group, the squadron made it to within a yard or so of the bandit's camp within the hour at best sped. The Golems moved slightly behind the horses as they were on foot maneuvering with supernatural speed themselves.

Also, they were preparing their contagion for the battle ahead.

Trees passed rapidly at their sides. They moved in a blur. Lorenor paid attention to everything that was going on around him. With his muscles knotted tightly, the mutant was ready for action. Once they passed over a large hill, the assault group made their way to the enemy position. What they found drew gasps from many in the group, even veteran warriors.

Arriving to a point where they could walk the rest of the way, the mutant quickly dismounted his horse. He signaled for the squadron to pause all activity except for the magi. The signal was a simple closed fist raised into the air. They all saw it. With Lorenor's enhanced senses he was capable of observing things on the Antifirmanent and the Firmanent. Looking forward, he saw that the camp was completely trashed. It was a settlement with several small wagons and quickly erected buildings.

Each of the buildings were built low to the ground. Lorenor could hear sounds coming from the camp, sounds he did not like. They were yells and screams of people suffering, the victims of that were former members of the Syndicate. Apparently, the trolls had beaten them to the job.

"Rat bastards. I'm going to kill all of you." Lorenor said to himself.

"Leave some for us Lorenor." A nearby warrior replied.

The man had a vicious scar along the right side of his head. Nodding, the mutant carefully began to walk towards the camp. He signaled with another hand signal for everyone to move forward. Shadows danced around the forest and the night creatures yelled their calls. Focusing on the task at hand Lorenor's thoughts were upon only one matter: killing. He kept his weapon in his hand, and felt the vibration that meant his ring was ready, as well as the plasma discharge gun. This made the mutant grin. Walking forward, the mutant paid careful attention to any potential traps that the troll folk set up in the last twenty-four hour period.

Not sensing anything abnormal, the mutant continued to walk in silence. He was moving quietly as was his nature. The shadows seem to cling to his person as he moved. Lorenor arched forward and bent his knees so that he moved slightly lower to the camp. If they did this right, they could sneak into the camp, kill them all, and be back home before breakfast.

Lorenor prayed to N'Jal that there wasn't any snags in the road.

[oblueknighto]

Blue raised his head as he mounted his horse making sure his head stood tall looking through the trees and anything else he could see from the angle. He ate his rations while mounted trying to remember what it was like to ride a horse without falling off or needing to hold on scared for your life. He raised his bow and tested it with a few shots then got his quiver fully restocked with arrows. The bow was indeed as good as he had though, if not better.

As Lorenor shouted the beginning of their ride the resting ended and everybody went charging ahead on their horses. The multiple hooves hitting the ground and the Golem's massive stomps made the sound of a stampede approaching the bandit camp. The Golems were preparing their contagion of specific troll killing which Blue simplified to a 'biological' weapon. In other words a life targeting weapon specified for trolls.

As they arrived at their destination Blue dismounted his horse he stood still as the others in the squadron did with Lorenor's signal. Further out into the moonlight Blue could easily see the bandit camp trashed and raided which wasn't surprising with the turn of events so he quickly took his bow from his strap and started carrying it normally. The discussion about their plan of action was surprisingly short on the humans part so the squadron followed Lorenor on his way to the camp.

Blue fired a few shots onto trees to test the bow's strength and wasn't disappointed when the arrowhead ripped straight through the tree almost piercing through the entire tree with only the fletching visible. He held onto his bow upright and resumed his forward advance with the rest of the squadron. One step at a time, slowly approaching the camp unnoticed then pull off a surprise attack.

Confident in his abilities and his new bow readied he kept a bow on the nock ready for any enemy.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

From this point on, feel free to bunny the battle.

Lorenor held his weapon in a downward angle as he cut through vines and other low-hanging tree branches that got in the way. Several other warriors were doing the same thing, using small daggers or swords to hack through the obstacles. A thick tension was in the air as they moved through Ruild. Lorenor moved into a combat stance, walking as slowly as he could. The previous noise of the horses' hooves was diminished as the army walked on foot. The small Red Hand squadron was prepared to face the destiny that awaited them. Warriors had their big weapons drawn, and Magi were prepared with spells at the ready. Lorenor had his own arsenal to consider. They were on even footing with the Trolls. Considering the odds of facing Trolls from Comb Mountains here in Ruild, the mutant pondered the delicacy of the situation. If this was a raiding party, they had to be stopped at all costs. The mutant could not allow the enemy a chance at establishing a foothold in Ruild. Lorenor wondered deep down if these Trolls had their origins in Haidia, or were related to the demons of Haidia at all.

They covered a tremendous distance to the bandit's camp. Lorenor moved quickly through the trees but stayed close to his squad. There was no need to send a scouting party forward at this point. It was already a time to kill. Moving forward, the archers had their weapons at the ready. Each of them had bolts or arrows in their respective weapon types. As they moved quickly through Ruild, the mutant kept his senses out for any disturbances. There was none except a sort of dread that lurked in the air.

Feeling the urge for violence, the mutant would indulge in the desire to kill. Once they had gotten close enough to the bandit camp, it was the job of the Golems to introduce the contagion into the air. However, there was only one problem with the contagion. The contagion required a live troll to infect the rest of the trolls. Preferably one of the older specimens. The mutant could sense that the Golems caught up quickly to the majority of the group. Each of them was capable of moving at tremendous speeds and leaping great distances. Some of them were capable of flight.

Easily able to catch up to the main attack force, the Golems were soon taking point around the main group that included Lorenor and Blue. As they sneaked through Ruild, the group drew closer and closer until finally, they were at the camp proper. There was a large series of small, quickly erected houses and tents. A banner flew in the center of the camp that represented the Syndicate. At this point, the mutant had to look out for traps initially set up by the Syndicate. They all did. As carefully as they could, the group disarmed traps where they were able.

Using simple hand signals to give orders about, the group prepared for the battle. Lorenor took the point of the squad with the Golems nearby searching for traps as well. Whenever traps were discovered they were quickly disarmed by the Golems or someone with expert knowledge in such matters. The mutant had discovered a few of the string-traps himself, almost stepping on some.

Once they'd cleared a hill that overlooked the camp, the mutant could physically see the trolls moving about. They were hulking beasts that were roughly eight-nine feet in height. Broad shoulders, green flesh-tone, and horns jutting out of their heads. Lorenor had to get closer to accurately see the creatures for himself. When he saw them, he discerned that they indeed had at least partial roots in Haidia. Lorenor signaled for the Golems to move ahead of the group, then he prepared himself to engage the enemy at will. There would be no charge. Instead, they would use stealth to take down as many as they could. If the Red Hand was destined to fall, then they would go down taking everybody with them.

Lorenor signaled for his Magi to launch their spells. The signal was passed through the ranks of his men and women. Once the Magi saw it, they prepared to launch their spells quickly. A few moments later, archers launched their attacks into the group beginning to pick off trolls in a systematic fashion. Magi launched spells at tents and other structure to burn the trolls alive that were caught within them. And the Golems? They were moving secretly into the camp to engage the enemy directly and search for the oldest specimen they could. The enemy camp was large and there were hundreds of trolls to pick off. Lorenor and his warriors charged into the camp and prepared to engage at will.

The first of the Trolls lazily awoke from a slumber and stood up as panic set in. He turned to look at Lorenor and his approaching squad. The first of the spells struck various structures. They began to light the buildings in archaic flames trapping all who were within.

They knew the drill, the Red Hand had to destroy these Trolls to the very last.

[oblueknighto]

Blue saw the Golems behind them as the squadron continued to approach the Bandit Camp. The Golems were a lot faster than the rest of the squadron almost being a squad of their own. The squadron soon came to the camp. The Syndicate banner was still upright and the camp wasn't completely destroyed so he took that the trolls had not destroyed the camp but they had taken it over, not that it was surprising.

The squad were searching for traps that the Syndicate had laid around their camp since for trolls it may not have been a danger but for weaker humanoids the poisons, arrows and all those other variety of traps were deadly. The squadron quickly dismantled all the traps with the help of the Golems whom had such technological advancement that the traps seemed like mere pranks set up for them to find.

The trolls were revealed to be in the masses of hundreds, the beasts stamping away at the ground. Much taller than any man with a build that nobody would laugh at. In Blue's mind he thought that simply looking at them would give you nightmares for they were just that ugly.

The Golems went first scouting for a victim of their biological weapon but the rest of the squadron were also approaching the trolls ever so slowly, stealthily picking off the beasts one by one as with their great strength came drawbacks that they couldn't help.

Flame, an offensive element of magic that almost all Magi have once used. The most basic of offensive spells was the fireball that everybody knew that originated from magic. Some of the Magi in the squadron had indeed fired off fireballs, some larger, some faster, some with more intensity as the variety was unlimited.

Blue had nocked his arrow beforehand with another two in his hand, he took advantage of the attacks of the Magi by firing his arrows at a higher angle but shooting them through fireballs. The arrows now had flaming fletchings and they would eventually burn their targets if it hit. The first arrow had flew into a tent making it burn up and so had the second arrow although the third had simply hit a troll in the arm where he broke it off only leaving the tip and a small part of the shaft intact.

The battle had started and it wasn't going to end until either side was completely defeated.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Overlooking the battle were trees that seemed to hold the secrets of the ancients. They were tall structures that touched the sky, the canopy located high above their heads. Underbrush was crushed beneath the soldiers' feet as they made their ways forward. Each one of them with their own destiny. Each one of them prepared to face the pyre itself. The group moved to their distinctive objectives as they pushed their way into the camp. Distinctive portions of the group moved as an extension of a larger beast, prepared to do the task of killing. The warriors of the Red Hand were few, and their enemy was many. Magi took up their points, guarded by a warrior or two as the unleashed the very forces of nature against the trolls that awaited. Sleeping in a drunkard, full state, the trolls were caught completely off guard. Pushing the line of skirmishing forward, the Red Hand attacked. Like a swooping predatory bird, the Red Hand descended upon the bandit camp. Now, they had their enemy in their sights. Now, destiny would not be robbed from the Red Hand, instead, they would clutch it with fists in the mud.

Claiming their destiny from the clutches of the darkness, the Red Hand destroyed everything in their way. There would be no mercy, there would be no prisoners taken. It was going to be a pure blood-bath. Even the primal force of the trolls had to respect the determined force that was now sweeping down upon them like a plague of locusts.

Wizard's fire, lightning, waves of water, and small, controlled earth quakes ravaged the field of battle. Bursts of controlled tornadoes and whirling storms of air also coursed across the battlefield. Each spell deadlier than the last, tossed to send doom to the enemy. The men and women of the Red Hand fought with the intent of a blade, deadly, precise, each stroke a killing blow. No single attack was wasted. Screams both human and otherwise started to fill the air as the archaic fires began to spread. Fires licked the tents and underbrush of the surrounds, becoming wild-fire quickly. Magical taints touched the air as the smoke began to increase the hot night. Each of the members of the Red Hand was busy with a task, a suitable mission to fell these bastard trolls. Brutish cries filled the night air as the trolls began to get burned by the magical fires. Ripping through tents and shacks, the creatures entered the battle to find a fire waiting for them on all angles. The fire had spread quickly as an angry demon bent on destroying the living.

Spells conjured of the elemental air, knocked beasts down, caused damage, and removed air from the lungs of the trolls. Vines were conjured from the earth, mud-slides, sink-holes, and other terrifying phenomenon. The Red Hand was unleashing its hand of smiting. With little hope against the superior opponent, the trolls fell one by one. As many as dozens of the trolls were extinguished in the initial wave of the attack with many more to come. The Red Hand was army put together with one intent; to kill.

Trolls moved through the field as they attempted to gather what was going on around them. For a long moment, confusion burst through their ranks as nature itself rebelled against them. Their presence was not welcome outside of their native lands within the Comb Mountains. Each spell did tremendous damage to the ranks of the enemy. Every arrrow and bolt struck true into their confused ranks. But what made the next few moments art, was what the Golems did next.

Moving into position, the large mechanoids prepared the contagion. They'd penetrated the camp and moved into position against several of the waking beasts. Surprised to see beasts that matched their height and mass, the troll went into a savage state as they moved against the Golems. With the prepared contagion, the Golems released it into the air. The contagion moved at the molecular level, spreading quickly through their ranks. Many more trolls fell, and then the Golems began to prepare their rotating gatling weapons. Superheated bullets flowed quickly through the air in a stream to fell down structures, and trolls alike. The Golems were now moved into position.

Meanwhile, Lorenor snuck into the camp when helter skelter came raining down on the troll-camp. Lorenor knew he only had a small window to enact his own plan. Finding a suitable corpse, the mutant turned towards the two warriors and single magi he'd taken with himself for this particular mission. Working the necromantic arts, Lorenor conjured the powers of the device he'd won from Argus so many ages ago. Concentrating on the power at hand, he tapped into the darkness and commanded it to travel into the bodies of the trolls at hand. There was a momentary pause as the darkness infected the corpses. He was using the full power of Argus' necklace to raise the three dead warriors to his command. With a sigh that came from deep within their bellies, the troll-zombies eyes suddenly opened up with a start. Noise and energy pumped through their vessels as their bodies were darkened quickly and began to rot. Lorenor felt a connection develop with the zombie-trolls and he grinned at that.

"Rise." Lorenor commanded.

And they did. This time they were under Lorenor's command. Like a mad puppeteer, the necromancer-mutant commanded the trolls with a mental connection. Each of the trolls awaited their orders.

"Destroy the rest of the trolls, spare none!"

And the zombie-trolls nodded one by one. Slowly, they moved onto the battlefield and against their brothers. Lorenor turned towards his fellows, drawing his prevalida weapon.

"For the Red Hand!" The mutant yelled.

"Leave some for us!" A nearby warrior called, unable to hide the disgust in his face towards what he'd just witnessed.

The small group of Red Hand members moved forward, they had split into several groups.