The Scouring of Pale Gorge, Part 1

A Shortcut to Roasted Boar

The Ghyranite woodsmen huddled around the stranger sitting by the fire of the Inn of the Prancing Gryph-charger. Visitors were rare in that corner of Verdia, even more so if they came from Shyish. The pale Trade Pioneer had arrived that morning in the village and by the evening everyone that wanted to hear news from that distant Realm was at the Inn.
The stranger had told the crowd of the conflicts around Lethis and Glymmsforge, but it wasn't until he started telling of a strange wooded land stuck in a perennial autumn that the simple men were really captivated. And as he told them of a wizard that lived there and of his descent into necromancy, the woodsmen turned as one and spat onto the fire.
"Kalyustar, you say? And you call him Exile?" a tiny voice coming from the edges of the circle broke the silence that followed.
The woodsmen turned around and parted, revealing to the stranger a little creature, man-like but short and rotund with naked hairy feet. He was old, and yet his eyes sparkled like those of a young boy.
"And you lot spit on his name when you should thank the Everqueen for him! Really, your memory is as short as you are tall!"
"Here goes old Steve again!" intervened the inn-keeper. "You will excuse him, I hope, but he's the last of his kind and a touch bitter at us humans. Please, do continue! You were telling us of the Harrow..."
"Shut up, the both of you! And listen, you all! For this village wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Kalyustar of the Gilded Hand!"
The halfling pushed his stool forward, sat down and deliberately put his feet on the edge of the fireplace.
"So... it was after the Season of War. Back then I served in the Free Companies of the Gilded Hand. You know them, the sell-swords that protect those Chamonite traders coming through the Gate of the Seventh Shard. They were opening that route to the Fastness at the time. And then the 'Eadsplitta took over the Pale Gorge".
A whisper rose from the woodsmen. They had all heard the stories of the Runt Waaagh! from their grandparents.
"Yes, them greenskinz and grots... and they started to ambush the traders' convoys. So it was us that they sent in, the Venythian Rovers I called us. That was me and Rodrik, a fine captain of the Free Companies, and Kalyustar of the Gilded Hand."

We came through the Gate of the Seventh Shard on a bright Naive Hope morning. You could still smell the brimstone from the siege of Greywater Fastness in the air, even that far away. We set off to Pale Gorge, and Ghyran at the beginning of its seasons of growth took my breath away. We travelled for a day and set camp not far from this village. It was your great-grandfather that told us of an idol of Gorkamorka, Alyush. It seemed a good place to start our hunt and we made for it the morning after.
Rodrik and Kalyustar were just entering into the Gorge and I was watching over from its ledge when I spotted them. An ardboy boss and his mates, bullying over a bunch of smaller orruks.

The boar riders sprang forward, but the rest just stood back yelling at us. They were in the open and between my hunting bow and Rodrik's pistol we felled the first.

Kalyustar and Rodrik then charged in, and though the boss' boar gave Rodrik a good kicking, the lads killed another orruk and the boss realised it was a good idea to run away.

Kalyustar then blasted the boyz cresting the hill. I added my arrows and two of them went down.

'Forward to victory!' cried Kalyustar, orruk arrows pinging off the barding of his horse and off Rodrik's armour. And, oh boy, if it wasn't a spectacle when they slammed onto those arrow boyz!

And no matter how much the ardboy boss yelled, at that point all the greenskinz turned tail and fled.

I could barely see through the undergrowth, but the shimmering in the distance told me Kalyustar had summoned one of his protective spells. I guess that saved the lads' skin when the arboyz charged them.

But then I heard the crackling of Kalyustar's bolts and the shouting of the boss suddenly stopped.

I had to move carefully, for the slope I was on was treacherous, and though I managed to get to a better position, my arrows bounced off the arboys' armour.

I kept firing, but really what won us the day was Rodrik's grit. I mean, he was bleeding from a dozen or so wounds, and yet he did not give a single step back. That Freeguilder really knew how to hold the line!

The battle was over and the lads went through the loot carried by the orruks. They got themselves some trinkets and the like. Me... I was more interested in the boars! Three roasted shanks were exactly what we needed to get ourselves some respite!
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The Venythian Rovers

Exploration rolls: 3 - Threat Level: 3 - Map Fragments: 0 - Spectral Lanterns: 0 - Battles Won: 1
Kalyustar of the Gilded Hand (Archmage, from Grand Alliance: Order): Grave-sand Ossuary. Wounds suffered: 1 - Enemies killed: 5
Captain Rodrik (Freeguild General, from Grand Alliance: Order): Potion of Aqua Ghyranis. Wounds suffered: 3 - Enemies killed: 4
Steve Boffin (Huntmarshal, from The Empire Compendium). Wounds suffered: 0 - Enemis killed: 1
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