The way south had been blocked by the Legions. The wall of bureaucracy had proven itself insurmountable to Gye'ron and co. And then there was the trouble of marching straight through Orc lands. Those beasts had made the Optia Greenwoods a death trap. There were three paths - through the Khardran Pass and down the west side and all the way around. By ship - and Gye'ron didn't do ships if he could at all help it. The third was an old path that he knew, but few others did anymore. It was not as wide or as safe as the Khardran Pass, but it's mouth was closer to where they were and it's exit was further south on the western side of Sherian than the Khardran Pass would've taken them.
It was for these reasons that he guided his portion of their party toward the entrance to Yaernim Pass on the eastern side of the Khardran mountains. He had been through it twice before. Once with several hundred legionnaires and an airship in tow, and once with Faust D'rinshad and a group of other adventurers. Both times it was to Verongorn Keep, the relative halfway point of that pass. He didn't know what would be there anymore, only that it had once been ruled by Ogres and he had left a chest full of rubies, and a fully crewed airship there. He didn't suspect either would be left, and he didn't suspect that Verongorn Keep was unmanned. It could make the journey more difficult for them, but at least they had a chance of getting through.
No matter the peril, he had to know if his sister was alive in Taralon. He could only thank his luck that he had a few friends mad enough to follow him. Aslan willing, he wasn't leading them to their deaths.
He rode along with the same armour and equipment as he had had when they first turned away from the Legion patrol. He wore Elven steel mesh armour, with a black leather tunic emblazoned with the Lion of Aslan, to match the golden pendant honouring the Prince of Aetheria that hung from his neck. At his left hip was a Dwarven steel longsword with a pommel fashioned into the head of a wolf. A damascus steel dagger with a silver pommel, also shaped into the head of a wolf, was sheathed at his right hip. On his back there was a black steel shield covered in 2" spikes, with a bladed edge. Amongst the adventuring gear he had burdened his horse with was stowed a composite shortbow and 2 scores of arrows - some barbed, and some armour piercing. In his right hand was his spear, and his left gathered up the reins of his horse.
"The pass winds through the mountains. We'll be headed north for a while before it goes south again. The midpoint is Verongorn keep. The last I know of it, it was manned by Ogres bought off by the Confederates. I had left some legionnaires and a manned airship there, but that was a long time ago. Whoever is there now, we'll have to be careful. When we get closer it might be best to move past it at night. On the western side of the mountains the pass will take us out many leagues north of Ire - maybe a days ride. We should ride west from there to avoid Ire before going south through the Deadlands. Then once we clear the dangers of the Deadlands, that's when we'll turn east again and head to Taralon. It will be a long journey, and it will be dangerous - the last two times I went through the deadlands I fought shadowstrays and fire demons. We'll have to look out for each other to survive."
The grim reality was that all four stages of their journey - Yaernim Pass, The Deadlands, the southern coasts, and Taralon - all had the potential to be equally dangerous. It promised to be a more dangerous journey in its totality than any battle he had previously fought.
It was for these reasons that he guided his portion of their party toward the entrance to Yaernim Pass on the eastern side of the Khardran mountains. He had been through it twice before. Once with several hundred legionnaires and an airship in tow, and once with Faust D'rinshad and a group of other adventurers. Both times it was to Verongorn Keep, the relative halfway point of that pass. He didn't know what would be there anymore, only that it had once been ruled by Ogres and he had left a chest full of rubies, and a fully crewed airship there. He didn't suspect either would be left, and he didn't suspect that Verongorn Keep was unmanned. It could make the journey more difficult for them, but at least they had a chance of getting through.
No matter the peril, he had to know if his sister was alive in Taralon. He could only thank his luck that he had a few friends mad enough to follow him. Aslan willing, he wasn't leading them to their deaths.
He rode along with the same armour and equipment as he had had when they first turned away from the Legion patrol. He wore Elven steel mesh armour, with a black leather tunic emblazoned with the Lion of Aslan, to match the golden pendant honouring the Prince of Aetheria that hung from his neck. At his left hip was a Dwarven steel longsword with a pommel fashioned into the head of a wolf. A damascus steel dagger with a silver pommel, also shaped into the head of a wolf, was sheathed at his right hip. On his back there was a black steel shield covered in 2" spikes, with a bladed edge. Amongst the adventuring gear he had burdened his horse with was stowed a composite shortbow and 2 scores of arrows - some barbed, and some armour piercing. In his right hand was his spear, and his left gathered up the reins of his horse.
"The pass winds through the mountains. We'll be headed north for a while before it goes south again. The midpoint is Verongorn keep. The last I know of it, it was manned by Ogres bought off by the Confederates. I had left some legionnaires and a manned airship there, but that was a long time ago. Whoever is there now, we'll have to be careful. When we get closer it might be best to move past it at night. On the western side of the mountains the pass will take us out many leagues north of Ire - maybe a days ride. We should ride west from there to avoid Ire before going south through the Deadlands. Then once we clear the dangers of the Deadlands, that's when we'll turn east again and head to Taralon. It will be a long journey, and it will be dangerous - the last two times I went through the deadlands I fought shadowstrays and fire demons. We'll have to look out for each other to survive."
The grim reality was that all four stages of their journey - Yaernim Pass, The Deadlands, the southern coasts, and Taralon - all had the potential to be equally dangerous. It promised to be a more dangerous journey in its totality than any battle he had previously fought.
Equipment:
- Dwarven steel broadsword
- Damascus steel dagger
- Spear w/fine steel head
- Spiked/bladed round black steel shield
- Elven steel mesh armour
- Composite shortbow
- 20 barbed arrows
- 20 armour piercing arrows
- Adventuring gear (bed roll, blanket, small tent, mess kit, tinderbox, sewing kit, whetstones, crowbar, grappling hook, 50 ft of rope, lantern, lamp oil, rations)
- Mellan Horse
- Lvl 2 Sword - 22 xp
- Lvl 2 Sorcery - 16 xp
- Lvl 2 Laeon (soldier's unarmed combat) - 12 xp
- Lvl 2 Spear - 6 xp
- Lvl 1 Bow - 2 xp
- Increased strength, stamina, resistance to necromancy, and resistance to necromantic poisons.
- Glory of the Conqueror ( The Aspect of Constantine infuses your words and actions; when you are engaged in armed or magical combat, commanding armies on the tactical battlefield, or planning a military stratagem for warfare, you will have a decisive advantage against a character of the same relative skill, all other influences being equal, and will be able to out-maneuver them.)
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