The Escape (Scara Brae)

[Max Dirks]

The underground tunnels of Scara Brae are geologically stable, rarily shaken by the terrors of earthquakes. The temperature is warm, a little below that of a sunny day in April. The tunnels are lit with torches, luminescent minerals, glowing mushrooms, etc. A Dukrav clan lives in the recesses underneath the mountain of Scara Brae, under the boot of a hobgoblin tribe.

[Axeheart]

A couple of centuries ago, when life and society flourished in the Althanian underworld, the dwarf-like people known as the Dukrav discovered another people living with them amongst the tunnels. According to the lore books, which the elves gave the Dukrav in exchange for enchanted armor, this shamanistic race was Homo Golbinulis Hobnin, the Hobgoblin.

At first, relations with them went relatively well, with the ordinary skeptical few. Unfortunately, these hobgoblins expanded by claiming territory as birth-right, as though their ancestry had owned it. Eventually, the Dukrav became annoyed with the continual advances and decided not to give over control of this "ancestral" territory to them. The hobgoblins were furious, and began raiding outlying Dukrav settlements. The Dukrav warned the hobgoblins that their advances would be construed as war, and would be responded to with appropriate action.

The hobgoblins, however, decided that war was in their best interest, and after several full-force attacks, left several settlements in ruins, three clans wiped out, and the dead numbering almost a thousand.

The Dukrav high council were shocked by the number of deaths in such a short time, as the attacks had all been made within a week's time. Angered, the high council sent emmisaries to every clan, calling for assisstance. After a week had past, Dukrav, armed to the teeth, crowded the tunnels outside Dukraveria, the main city, numbering at over 20,000. The Great Elder, a Dukrav named Jeras who also sat in the council, made a speech of magnificence to the myriad men and women who would fight in the war to follow. Emboldened by the clever speech, the army of enraged Dukrav charged through the tunnels toward Hobgoblin territory.

A few nights later, the army was situated right at the recent border of the hobgoblins territory. The many Dukrav prepared themselves for battle, praying to their ancestors for protection, tempering their weapons at the makeshift forge, and sparring with each other to make sure they were of top skill, for while the Dukrav spend much time making armament, the time they spend with their work is one of an almost intimate nature.

The next morning, the Dukrav army was suprised to find the cavern filled with hobgoblin soldiers. The army of hobgoblins was so large that it dwarfed the Dukrav army. Nevertheless, the Dukrav made their stand, charging into battle.

The Dukrav, also know for their battle strategy, formed a leading point in the middle of their formation, creating a wedge. As the Dukrav made contact, the frontal spears killed their hobgoblin counterparts with ease, splitting the hobgoblin front line.

As the death toll raised, the sounds of battle echoed throughout the tunnels, alerting many of the Underworld's inhabitants to the battle taking place. As the Dukrav began falling to the sheer number of Hobgoblins, the majority appointed "General" Serikof Arjunat began to lose heart. His people were being slaughtered by the Hobgoblins. But just before he would have ordered a mass retreat of the now 6,000 remaining Dukrav, he heard a horn. A horn of the kind he'd never heared before.

Looking to the eastern edge of the cavern, he found a Keransian man, armored lightly, but well. He was holding a horn to his lips, blowing hard. As the man continued blowing, the Dukrav cheered as the Eastern tunnels filled with other Keransians, armed with spears, swords, flails, axes, and more. The Keransians were the victims of Hobgoblin tactics many years before then, and were ready to take back what had been theirs.

The Hobgoblins began breaking apart, demoralised by the charge of enemies to their East flank, and began falling back to the south, holding the Dukrav as best they could. The Dukrav and Keransians roared as they charged the failing army of hobgoblins.

After the dust settled, some 4,821 Dukrav were still alive. General Serikof had been killed, as well as Merikan Grastort, the military head, and a representative on the council. The new General met with the head of the Keransians, and they talked of how the Keransians had lost to the Hobgoblins, just as the Dukrav almost lost to them. They took an oath to fight side-by-side until the Keransians had gotten their homes, and the dead avenged.

Several months later, a Hobgoblin emmisary arrived at the high council. He offered a treaty, stating that all the territory the Dukrav had gained would be rightfully theirs, and all the territory the Hobgoblins had gained, including a small clan that they had captured, would be theirs. The high council agreed unanimously that this truce would be in the best interests of the people.