A Grand Design 14.

Late Autumn. The Duchy Of Falosen. The Kingdom Of Girdane.

"We better be fucken here this time" loudly mutters Dorc da Orc as he looks back at Beldane the cleric before the large ork follows Arvelle Ganard the plainsman through the gateway.
The ork warleader grunts in satisfaction once he's through the gateway, and sees duke Lombasil's army, camped down in the valley below.
Beldane is the last of the group through the gateway, and drops his spell behind him once he's joined the others.
It's taken them three attempts to get here, as the duke of Falosen has moved his army a couple of times in the last two days.
And since Beldane can only create a gateway to somewhere he's been before, or somewhere he's seen. And he's only been here in the duchy of Falosen once before. In the middle of autumn when the group traveled throughout the very west of the kingdom of Girdane, to see the lay of the land. And to see how the locals were faring with the plague randomly hitting villages and farmsteads.
Finding duke Lombasil's army a month and a half after he was last here. Took a lot of luck on the part of the powerful cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
It's a short while later, and they're in the presence of duke Lombasil of Falosen. Standing with him and his advisors outside his command tent. On this cold and windy, but fine late autumn day here in the northwest of the kingdom of Girdane.
"You're wanted down south in Dalmar as soon as possible" says Arvelle Ganard the plainsman who continues with "Duke Korros and his army should be at the camp of duke Hilloc near the border with the duchy of Poldis sometime today or tomorrow".
Duke Lombasil of Falosen nods, then says "We'll head down as soon as we can" the tall, austere looking nobleman continues with "We're having some trouble up here" followed by "Another village was attacked and wiped out in the very north of my duchy yesterday or the day before".
"Any of the king's men there like the previous one?" asks the tall plainsman who is a former llegal wrecker. "There was" is the reply of the duke of Falosen.
The tall plainsman with the shaved head, who is not what he appears. As he's really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to inhabit the body of the former illegal wrecker named Arvelle Ganard.
Nods his shaved head, then says "We're here to find out what's happening" as he gestures at the rest of the group standing nearby.
Who are garnering more than a few curious stares from some of the duke's soldiers. Especially Dorc da Orc who is getting gawked at.
As only duke Lombasil and his advisors, and his guards who were down in the town of Salme in the duchy of Dalmar, have seen the large ork previously.
The duke of Falosen nods in relief, as he doesn't know what's happening with these sudden random attacks upon villages in the remote parts of his duchy.
Settlements that have been affected by the plague, that the king's men and others from the capital Oaklynn, are in, trying to heal those still alive from the plague.
Are suddenly wiped out, with every man, woman and child. Wiped out by who knows what.
"Any of your own troops killed this time?" asks Arvelle aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Not at the village no" says duke Lombasil of Falosen who continues with "But the scouts who followed the tracks of those responsible for it, never returned to their squad who waited at the village".
The former illegal wrecker from the Kaldel Plains nods his shaved head, then he looks over at Beldane the cleric and asks him "What do you need?".
"Someone who was at the villages" says Beldane the cleric, who then asks councillor Ganard "Which one?".
"Both" says the tall plainsman who continues with "I want to see both villages" as he knows who ever attacked and wiped them out could of been two sets of attackers.
Arvelle aka Zubutai Timaginson then looks at the duke of Falosen and says to him "I need some of your soldiers who were at these two villages recently" he gestures at the cleric in the church of Glaine and adds "The cleric needs to know where we're going" the member of lord Farque's personal council follows that with "And some maps of the areas those two villages are in would be handy too".
A little while later, nearing noon. And after Beldane the cleric has read the minds of some the duke's soldiers who have been to the two villages that have been attacked recently.
The group head away from the camp, which is now breaking down and packing up as duke Lombasil's army is now finally heading south to the duchy of Dalmar. To join his allies, duke Hilloc of Dalmar, and duke Korros of Girnath in their rebellion against the crown and king.
Up amongst the trees on one side of the valley, and Arvelle the plainsman brings the group to a stop, and says "Here will do".
"Which one do you want to go to first?" asks the fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell.
"The one attacked earlier in the week" is the reply of the tall plainsman who is really a hordes barbarian from the southern tundra "The one to the northeast" adds the member of lord Farque's personal council.
Beldane nods his head, then says "It's closer" followed by "And we went by there when we were up here earlier in the autumn".
Then the powerful spellcaster who is a member of the church of Glaine, who is now in the armies of Farque, casts a gateway.
Once it's formed, Lisell Maera the messenger is the first one through it. She's closely followed by sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Larris the sorcerer, then Tovis the war engineer, and Arvelle the plainsman.
Next through is Dorc da Orc, who is grumbling to himself in his native language, as he has to duck down again to go through one of the cleric's gateways.
Then finally Beldane himself goes through the magical doorway that he has cast.
Once he's through it and on the otherside, upon a rise a half a mile south of the village that was attacked earlier in the week.
The fighting cleric in the church of Glaine drops his spell behind him.
They set off towards the village after councillor Ganard asks "Dorc anyone around?" and the large ork replies with "Nope" after he's sniffed a few times.
They head towards the village knowing they have nothing to fear from the plague. As the magically created disease is only spread by the living who are infected with it. Once they die, so does the plague.
As they get closer to the village, sir Percavelle Lé Dic points out "Those doth attacked this place came from the woods on the otherside" the heavily armoured knight continues with "Very few of the dead are lying on this side wot".
Though he doesn't want to agree with his rival the former paladin. The ork warleader Dorc da Orc grunts in agreement with that assessment from the nobleborn knight who hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
When Lisell Maera who is out infront, is the first to notice it when she stops beside the first dead body.
"No weapon killed him" says Lisell Maera the messenger as the others walk up to her, she points at the dead man, who is a soldier in duke Lombasil's army and adds "His arm was torn off" she continues with "And it looks like his throat was bitten out".
The attractive young woman who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, which lies on the coast of the Southlands, looks over at the ork warleader, and dryly says "It looks like something you'd do Dorc if you couldn't be bothered using one of your weapons".
The general in the armies of Farque chuckles, then nods and says "True" as he looks down at the dead soldier in the duke of Falosen's army.
Arvelle aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman after looking at the dead soldier, says "Dorc, Beldane with me, we're going into the village" the member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque adds "The rest of you, circle around it and see what you can find".
While the others spread out and head around the village, the trio of Arvelle the plainsman, Beldane the cleric and Dorc da Orc enter the village.
And though the large ork does drool a little looking at the dead bodies that are scattered everywhere, he keeps himself under control, and doesn't have a quick munch on one.
"Any idea who did this Dorc?" quietly asks councillor Ganard, the ork warleader gives a noncommittal grunt in reply.
As he looks at the ground around one dead body, a priest or cleric by the looks of it. Though one can't be sure, as the limbs have been torn off, and the head is missing.
Dorkindle drops down to the ground and sniffs around the limbless body.
Beldane the cleric who has walked over to infront of a house, loudly mutters "Shit" as he looks down at another dead body. Also headless, though the other limbs are still intact.
"What is it?" asks Arvelle aka Zubutai the son of Timagin who has walked over to the powerful spellcaster originally from the kingdom of Nastell.
Pointing down at the headless corpse that's slowly corrupting in the cold weather of late autumn here in the very west of the kingdom of Girdane.
Beldane the cleric says "He's a member of my church" the fighting cleric points at the surcoat covered in dried blood and adds "You can see the symbol of our god Glaine".
Arvelle Ganard, nods as he recognises it. As it's the same symbol Beldane has embossed on the steel breastplate of his armour, which he now wears covered by a thin layer of black leather. That has the sigil of the lands Farque stitched into it, in a different shade of black.
"Sorry" says the tall, shaven headed plainsman, the powerful cleric nods, then says a quiet prayer for his fellow church member.
Who he wonders if he knows. As the church of Glaine has only a small presence here in the kingdom of Girdane. In the capital of Oaklynn. Which Beldane visited when he was a younger man. Getting to know the church members there at the time.
Then the fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell, and the former illegal wrecker from the Kaldel Plains. Turn and look at Dorc da Orc who grunts in satisfaction, then says "Over here ya bald fucken cunt".
"It's not bald, it's shaved" mutters councillor Ganard, who is rather sensitive to that. Which Beldane the cleric, and many of the others in the group have found out.
"Whatev's" says Dorkindle, which garners a grin from the member of the church of Glaine as he follows the tall plainsman back to where the ork general is on the ground next to the headless and limbless body out in the middle of the road that goes through the village, here in the northeast of the duchy of Falosen.
"What is it?" asks Arvelle aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who the ork weaponsmith refers to as either Pretendy Zubu or bald cunt.
"Fucken there, there and there" says the big, burly ork who hails from the southern polar region of the world "Me can just see the tracks of the cunts" the warleader of the ork race then sourly adds "Must of had some nasty fucken rains here in the last two days and washed away the fucken marks".
The general in the armies of Farque then says "Three of the cunts ripped this cunt apart" as he gestures at the remains he's sitting next to.
Councillor Ganard nods his shaved head and takes the large ork's word for it. As the ork weaponsmith can see, not to mention smell anything that others will miss.
"You know who did it Dorc?" asks the former illegal wrecker from the Kaldel Plains.
"Yep" is the reply from the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks, who gets up off the ground.
"Who?" asks Arvelle Ganard as he looks down at what remains of someone, who it looks like was a priest or cleric.
"Man doggy" is the reply from Dorkindle.
"Er?" says the member of lord Farque's personal council who frowns.
While next to him, Beldane the cleric says "Huh?" as he has absolutely no idea what the large ork is going on about.
"Man doggy" says Dorkindle, who makes a growling face, puts up his hands, and makes a clawing motion with them.
Continuing frown for a few moments as he thinks about it, Arvelle Ganard eventually blinks in surprise then says "Werewolf?" followed by "You mean werewolves?".
The tall plainsman with the shaved head takes a step back as Dorc da Orc growls in a threatening manner, so much so that for a moment Beldane the cleric thinks the large ork might grab councillor Ganard and bite his face off.
"Not them cunts" says the ork weaponsmith in a growling voice.
Arvelle aka Zubutai Timaginson winces as he recalls the ork warleader is a member of the wolf tribe of orks who worships the wolf, as it's their spirit guide.
And that he absolutely loathes anything they see as a corruption of the wolf, such as werewolves.
"Sorry" quickly says the former illegal wrecker who hails from the Kaldel Plains.
"Good" grunts Dorkindle who then adds "You fucken better be".
Then after the tall plainsman nods, the big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world says "Not those cunts, but them fuckers a bit like them" followed by "You know, man doggy".
Councillor Ganard frowns again, though not for long, for after he blinks in surprise as he realises what the ork weaponsmith means.
"Waagen?" says Arvelle aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman who gestures all around them, then adds "Waagen did this?".
"Yep" says the warleader of the ork race, who continues with "A bunch of them cunts".
"How many do you think?" asks the former illegal wrecker from the Kaldel Plains.
"At least four of the fuckers" is the reply of Dorkindle who holds up ten fingers.
Arvelle the plainsman sourly smiles and rolls his eyes, while Beldane the cleric grins at the ork weaponsmith's ability, or inability to count.
The member of lord Farque's personal council then asks the large ork "More than four you think?".
"Probs" says the ork weaponsmith, who is looking around sniffing, while continuing to hold up ten fingers.
"Hell" mutters the tall plainsman with the shaved head, who then silently adds, i never knew they were in groups that large.
As Arvelle aka Zubutai the son of Timagin has never heard of waagen being in groups of more than ten, as Dorc da Orc suggests as many as that attacked this village.
They're usually found in pairs, or in a trio. Unlike werebeasts, who are solitary.
"Not very big too" says the ork general, who points down at the headless and limbless body they're standing next to, and adds "They not that big, the three fuckers who killed this silly cunt".
The ork warleader gestures at Beldane the cleric, and says "Not even as tall as you cunt".
Both the fighting cleric and the member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque frown.
Then Arvelle Ganard says "Aren't they usually bigger than me?" he follows with "Say around lord Farque's height and even bigger?".
Shrugging his massive shoulders, Dorc da Orc says "Not the cunts who were here".
"That doesn't make sense" murmurs Arvelle aka Zubutai the son of Timagin in the hordes dialect of the southern tundra, who then silently adds, i wonder what it could mean?
Then councillor Ganard says to the ork weaponsmith and the member of the church of Glaine "Come on let's get the others" he continues on with "And see where this lot who did this went to".
The former illegal wrecker from the Kaldel Plains then adds "Then we'll check out the other village that was attacked".
Which the tall plainsman with the shaved head suspects was also attacked by waagen . . . . . .