—Official Submission— FROM: General Debinani Rahl RE: Chronicle One - The Survivors of Cove
The Book of Thelonius (Circa -500 years)
Chapter 1 The Survivors of Cove
We made a retreat to a cemetery a ways off east of Cove. There were
fifty or so survivors, twenty-four from Bravo Company the rest
refugees of the town. That was my last order from the Captain…to get
those people to safety. We dug down deep into the catacombs there and
set guards up at the entrance beneath the surface. It made a fitting
camp really, if the orcs had even caught a scent of our location, it was
a far better grave than the men who lay dead on the battlefield would
have.
I had to go back to search for survivors, even if it meant disobeying
my Captains orders, which never in my life I thought once to do. I took
three men, I didn’t even know their names, but they looked in the best
condition for the task we were about to undertake.
I waited till nightfall; the small unit and I had just entered the
forest a few yards when we spotted a patrol of ten orcs just in front of
us. This way bad timing to say the least. One of my men completely lost
his nerve and turned to run back to the catacombs. With out hesitation I
slung the bow of my back, knocked an arrow, and let fly, dropping him in
his tracks. I had no tolerance for cowardice, nor did I want the fool to
lead the orcs back to the cemetery. The men I left there were in no
condition to stand against even this small band of orcs.
The patrol passed by oblivious to our position. We lucked out. On to
the battlefield we went. It was quiet there in comparison to the violent
chaos that filled the air during that day. There were Orc tents dotted
across the field and a few scavengers still at work. We pressed on
staying low and checking the field for survivors. The carnage and stench
was brutal to the senses, this was no way to go. The orcs didn’t even
bother to burn the corpses.
I was slowly making my way through the bodies to Captain Turons’ tent.
With all hope lost of finding any living, I thought I at least might be
able to recover the Annals. Rummaging through the burned remnants of the
tent I found no sign of the books, all were destroyed or lost.
Stepping out of the tent frame I noticed a small burnt crater in the
ground a few yards away. What could have caused this I do not know,
but at the craters center was a pack. I picked it up; the leather was
new and fresh. I looked closer and in the firelight I could see a name
sewn into it…Rahl. I opened the pack to find the 5th Chapter of the
Book of Muerdetta. The kid must have been reading it before the attack,
I thought to myself. Well it was something to go on. The other two men
came up to me carrying a body; they had found the Captain.
Well it was impossible to give every fallen man a decent burial but I
would at least give our captain one. We took him back to the cemetery
and laid him to rest in an unmarked grave. I knew Adulphus could not
rest peacefully unless the Society continued. So that night in the
catacombs we twenty-three survivors of the Battle of Cove, last of the
Black Rose Society, and keepers of the only ruminates of the Annals,
swore to rebuild the Society and avenge this day.
Chapter 2 A Night of Blood (The birth of the Society of the Iron Rose)
I had lead the survivors out of the Cemetery after a week of hiding we
were low on supplies and food was scarce. The Orc Horde was killing
everything to feed themselves. We headed out late one night and
arrived in Yew a week later. I sent the men on leave for three days to
return home to their families.
This gave me some time to reflect on the battle itself. Lord Daithomir
set up this contract as well as the one in Yew, both outcomes tuned out
badly against the Soci-…by the Gods it was him! He set us up. First to
dishonor us then to destroy us.
When the men returned to the Abby three days latter we set out to find a
new home for the Black Rose Society. We had intended to begin a new
training plan I had established immediately. Before we were to set out
on a search for land a few of the men went out to a local pub for a
solid night of drinking. I took a room at the Abby and let the men enjoy
one last night.
I had just fallen asleep when I awoke to a faint scratching at the
door. I pulled out the dagger from under my pillow and went to
answer it. Opening the door I saw Private Grinslow spawled out on
the floor. “By the Gods, get in here you drunk bastard” I said.
He trembled to rise and fell again. I set my dagger on the table
beside the door, and heaved the young Private up and over to my bed.
Returning to close the door I heard Grinslow gasp for one last breath of
air he was dead, poisoned no doubt.
Four others were murdered that night, their throats slit from ear to
ear, bringing our numbers down to nineteen. We left Yew the next morning
with great haste. We took shelter in a small cave West of Vesper.
Together we were easy targets for the assassins. People knew the BRS and
it was hard to slip through towns unnoticed. Apparently Daithomir meant
to wipe his hands of the society’s blood, by hiring assassins to finish
us off. I could not risk my men’s lives to that threat. I needed time to
get my men trained up. I was going to give it
to them. As the new Captain I disbanded the Black Rose Society and
reformed under the name of the Society of the Iron Rose to protect us
from Daithomir’s hired blades.