Chapter Four

Hiring an entourage of 50 Light horsemen and 50 Horsearchers, with baggage, engineers, craftsmen, and some rag tag peasant followers, our heroes set off to the frontiers of the Turkhanate lands.

Passing through the fat lands of the heartlands and into the close borders, hard by the Spine mountains, Gathering peasantry to their cause along the way, a rude awakening visits, in the form of a griffin.

Spotting it only moments before it struck, Methomet gave a hurried warning, enabling Benin to flee for his life, and Nazeem to begin bellowing orders. The Griffon attacks, Striking down a trooper, and dashing Kuljazar and Hamar from the saddle in the process. Benin, essays a sleep spell only to discover the griffon proof against the enchantment, which could not be said for several of the men around it, who fall.

The griffon makes off, with a dead horse, evading volleys of arrows as It goes, though the worse for wear after a pair of magic missiles.

The party move on hurriedly, with their wounded in tow..

Two nights after, they are attacked at dusk by more flying monsters, The first of which is brought down by three potent sorcerous blasts, though in the confusion of the defence, a second falls upon the camp from the other side, driving the soldiery before it, One sorcerous missile fails to drive it off, and it wreaks havoc on the horse lines, forcing the magi to bicker over weather to expend Virtues against it, horses die as magi dither, and finally a second missile is cast, at which it flees..

Nazeem addresses the men, to bolster their courage, but sadly in the night, some desert..

Disheartened, the five decide against stopping in Mentamr, for fear of further desertion, and journey on towards Des’pond. Nazeem however sends Rab’aht to Mentamr to hire a surgeon. He returns on the road with a somewhat dissipated man, Hamru’adzar. Who takes up service.

Coming upon Bilal, they begin to skirt the town, when a flight of five riders on Pegasi, come into view, scout the column, and return to the town. They return with a herald, who meets the magi in the name of his masters, Dimarad and Palymar, Third Lords of Bilal, inviting the magi to call upon them. They cautiously accept, and venture into town, Nazeem prevailing upon the herald on Methomets behalf for a ride in on his Pegasus.

The Five meet the Lords of Bilal, and after courtesies and pleasantries, the Five beseech the Lords for a recent map of the lands of Des’pond, promising much future friendship and delivering little.

With little further ado, they head Straight to the Tower of Danalazar. Which is observed to be in Ruinous State, and as they watch, a Large winged beast flies down from the mountains to land in the main tower. It is unidentifiable at range, but definitely of the Batwinged long tailed nature..

A prompt retreat occurs. The nearest identified village Is chosen as a first point of investigation instead. The Party Ride down upon it, to the dismay of the peasants who flee for the safety of the walls, only to be slept into submission and intimidated into opening the gates.

The Compact of Dis’pond establish their initial dominion!

Ten Peasant Families in a run-down palisaded village, big enough for forty, one step form starvation, but vassals nonetheless.

A celebratory feast is held, villagers are questioned and much is learned. Chiefly;

Manazakil, a local bandit chief has held the village in his sway the past five years. One Budnanim, the only peasant with a horse, has fled at the party’s coming, presumably to send word to Manazakil.

There is fearful talk of ‘Night Walkers’ Halfdead lurkers in the night, that haunt the area close around the village.

To the east, are Winged Horrors.

• Chapter Five

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