"Lion's Eyes In Green Stone"
Dec. 27th, 2022 08:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dochermes"Lion's Eyes In Green Stone"
6/1219 DR
I.
A weary Romal the Mongrel was working as bodyguard and bouncer for a cynical man named Turan, who owned a tavern and gambling den in neutral border town Thonigar. "Turan's Three Flagons" attracted a varied clientele, including Darthan officials, refugees desperate to reach still unoccupied Signarm, and the heartless riff-raff who preyed on them. Although Garan professed to be aloof from all matters, he had smuggled refugees from Evaho earlier to help them escape Darthan tyranny and he had fought on the rebel side in the Skandor Resistance. Despite feigning indifference to everything except coins, he demonstrated sympathy for the refugees' plight and disdain for the cruel regime of the Darthim.
Thonigar was unique. A small hill town on the northeast corner of Evaho, surrounded on three sides by sheer cliffs, it had become a strange no-man's-land where exiles and drifters from every realm and all the Seven Races mingled freely. Here, perhaps inevitably, refugees trying to escape the unbearable sadism of the Darthan overlords gathered, hoping to flee through the narrow pass into still-defiant Signarm, the last independent Human realm. But the skies were thick with Orgelim, the large dark red crows who reported to their vicious masters. It was rare that any got past them to freedom and escaped retribution from the Darthim. Thonigar was a rare place where Romal's notorious reputation was not held against him.
A petty crook named Ugane boasted to Romal of holding the "Lion's Eyes" which he had obtained by murdering two Dartha couriers. These emerald talismans (which neutralized spells) were valuable because they allowed the bearers to travel freely around Dartha-occupied lands without being detected by Darthan crow spies; they would be priceless to the refugees stranded in Thonigar.
Ugane had hoped to sell the gems at the tavern but he was certain the Darthim had found out about his doings, so he persuaded Romal to hold them. Before he could meet his buyers, Ugane was arrested by the local city guard under Captain Anthruhago, the unabashedly corrupt hireling of the Darthim. Ugarte died horribly under Darthan torture but before he could reveal that Romal had the Lion's Eyes. Romal hid the gems within the hollow hilt of his sword. The Mongrel pondered his next move in this dangerous game.
II.
Then the reason for Romal's bitter nature, his former lover Neldil, returned to the town. Romal was stricken to see Neldil. Adding to his distress, she was accompanied by her husband, Barkul, a renowned Human resistance leader. The two needed the Lion's Eyes to escape to Signarm as soon as they could, because Dartha Kje Stalminor had come to Thonigar to find Barkul.
When the disguised Barkul made inquiries, he met with the shady Red Agartham, an underworld figure and employer of the late Ugame. It was Red Agartham who explained that the Lion's-Eyes had been crafted by the great Danarkan mystic, Walimbe himsef. Agartham divulged his suspicion that Romal had the Lion's Eyes and offered great wealth to get them. He had sought them for many years. Barkul returned to Garan's cafe that night to beg for the Lion's Eyes. Romal refused to confirm he had them.
III.
Later, Neldil confronted Romal in the deserted café; when he refused to give her the talismans, she threatened him with a dagger but then confessed that she still loved him. She explains that when they met and fell in love in Emaryl, Evaho's only city two years ealier, she believed her husband had been killed while attempting to escape from a Darthan torture camp. Their affair had been passionate and under the ominous shadow of the coming Darthan takeover. While preparing to flee with Romal from the city at the last minute, Neldil had learned Barkul was alive but seriously injured and in hiding. Distraught, she left Romal without explanation to find her wounded husband. He thought she had abandoned him and hardened his heart beyond sympathy for any living thing.
Romal's bitterness faded as he heard her story. He agreed to help if she would stay with him after Barkul leaves. When Barkul unexpectedly showed up, having narrowly escaped a city guard raid on a Resistance meeting, Romal had a friend spirit Neldil away. Barkul, aware of Romal's love for Neldil, tried to persuade him to use the Lion's Eyes to take her to safety.
So both Barkul and Neldil were willing to sacrifice themselves if it meant the other would escape to safety. A deep pain he had never felt before gnawed at Romal. He realized he himself had never known love, only a mixture of last and amiability. There was more to the Human heart than he had ever suspected.
IV.
When the city guard detained Barkul on a flimsy charge, Romal persuaded Captain Anthruhago to release him by promising to set him up for a much more serious crime: possession of the Lion's Eyes. To allay Captain Anthruhago's suspicions, Romal explained that he and Neldil would leave for Signarm, leaving Barkul behind. At the pass, Romal had two fresh horses with bags of provisions waiting. When Anthruhago tried to arrest Barkul as arranged, Romal forced him at sword-point to assist in their escape. At the last moment, Romal made Neldil mount the horses with Barkul, telling her that neither of them would live with any self-respect if she stayed behind under his coercion. Stalminor Kje, tipped off by Captain Anthruhago, rode up with two Darthan minions.
When Stalminor ignored Romal's warnings and attempted to take the horses, Romal stabbed him dead with a single thrust. He was astonished to see Red Agartham slaying the other two Darthim.
Agartham explained he had been trapped in the town but had not dared risk angering the Darthim by trying to leave. Romal agreed that neither of them could remain in Thonigar after this. While the Lion's Eyes were still blinding the crow spies, they should flee.
Agartham suggested to Romal that they should join the Free Men Volunteers in Skandor. As they walked away into the storm, Romal mentioned how haunted he was by Barkul's crusade against the Darthim. He envied the man's courage, Agartham asked, "Have you been looking for something bigger than yourself?"
6/1219 DR
I.
A weary Romal the Mongrel was working as bodyguard and bouncer for a cynical man named Turan, who owned a tavern and gambling den in neutral border town Thonigar. "Turan's Three Flagons" attracted a varied clientele, including Darthan officials, refugees desperate to reach still unoccupied Signarm, and the heartless riff-raff who preyed on them. Although Garan professed to be aloof from all matters, he had smuggled refugees from Evaho earlier to help them escape Darthan tyranny and he had fought on the rebel side in the Skandor Resistance. Despite feigning indifference to everything except coins, he demonstrated sympathy for the refugees' plight and disdain for the cruel regime of the Darthim.
Thonigar was unique. A small hill town on the northeast corner of Evaho, surrounded on three sides by sheer cliffs, it had become a strange no-man's-land where exiles and drifters from every realm and all the Seven Races mingled freely. Here, perhaps inevitably, refugees trying to escape the unbearable sadism of the Darthan overlords gathered, hoping to flee through the narrow pass into still-defiant Signarm, the last independent Human realm. But the skies were thick with Orgelim, the large dark red crows who reported to their vicious masters. It was rare that any got past them to freedom and escaped retribution from the Darthim. Thonigar was a rare place where Romal's notorious reputation was not held against him.
A petty crook named Ugane boasted to Romal of holding the "Lion's Eyes" which he had obtained by murdering two Dartha couriers. These emerald talismans (which neutralized spells) were valuable because they allowed the bearers to travel freely around Dartha-occupied lands without being detected by Darthan crow spies; they would be priceless to the refugees stranded in Thonigar.
Ugane had hoped to sell the gems at the tavern but he was certain the Darthim had found out about his doings, so he persuaded Romal to hold them. Before he could meet his buyers, Ugane was arrested by the local city guard under Captain Anthruhago, the unabashedly corrupt hireling of the Darthim. Ugarte died horribly under Darthan torture but before he could reveal that Romal had the Lion's Eyes. Romal hid the gems within the hollow hilt of his sword. The Mongrel pondered his next move in this dangerous game.
II.
Then the reason for Romal's bitter nature, his former lover Neldil, returned to the town. Romal was stricken to see Neldil. Adding to his distress, she was accompanied by her husband, Barkul, a renowned Human resistance leader. The two needed the Lion's Eyes to escape to Signarm as soon as they could, because Dartha Kje Stalminor had come to Thonigar to find Barkul.
When the disguised Barkul made inquiries, he met with the shady Red Agartham, an underworld figure and employer of the late Ugame. It was Red Agartham who explained that the Lion's-Eyes had been crafted by the great Danarkan mystic, Walimbe himsef. Agartham divulged his suspicion that Romal had the Lion's Eyes and offered great wealth to get them. He had sought them for many years. Barkul returned to Garan's cafe that night to beg for the Lion's Eyes. Romal refused to confirm he had them.
III.
Later, Neldil confronted Romal in the deserted café; when he refused to give her the talismans, she threatened him with a dagger but then confessed that she still loved him. She explains that when they met and fell in love in Emaryl, Evaho's only city two years ealier, she believed her husband had been killed while attempting to escape from a Darthan torture camp. Their affair had been passionate and under the ominous shadow of the coming Darthan takeover. While preparing to flee with Romal from the city at the last minute, Neldil had learned Barkul was alive but seriously injured and in hiding. Distraught, she left Romal without explanation to find her wounded husband. He thought she had abandoned him and hardened his heart beyond sympathy for any living thing.
Romal's bitterness faded as he heard her story. He agreed to help if she would stay with him after Barkul leaves. When Barkul unexpectedly showed up, having narrowly escaped a city guard raid on a Resistance meeting, Romal had a friend spirit Neldil away. Barkul, aware of Romal's love for Neldil, tried to persuade him to use the Lion's Eyes to take her to safety.
So both Barkul and Neldil were willing to sacrifice themselves if it meant the other would escape to safety. A deep pain he had never felt before gnawed at Romal. He realized he himself had never known love, only a mixture of last and amiability. There was more to the Human heart than he had ever suspected.
IV.
When the city guard detained Barkul on a flimsy charge, Romal persuaded Captain Anthruhago to release him by promising to set him up for a much more serious crime: possession of the Lion's Eyes. To allay Captain Anthruhago's suspicions, Romal explained that he and Neldil would leave for Signarm, leaving Barkul behind. At the pass, Romal had two fresh horses with bags of provisions waiting. When Anthruhago tried to arrest Barkul as arranged, Romal forced him at sword-point to assist in their escape. At the last moment, Romal made Neldil mount the horses with Barkul, telling her that neither of them would live with any self-respect if she stayed behind under his coercion. Stalminor Kje, tipped off by Captain Anthruhago, rode up with two Darthan minions.
When Stalminor ignored Romal's warnings and attempted to take the horses, Romal stabbed him dead with a single thrust. He was astonished to see Red Agartham slaying the other two Darthim.
Agartham explained he had been trapped in the town but had not dared risk angering the Darthim by trying to leave. Romal agreed that neither of them could remain in Thonigar after this. While the Lion's Eyes were still blinding the crow spies, they should flee.
Agartham suggested to Romal that they should join the Free Men Volunteers in Skandor. As they walked away into the storm, Romal mentioned how haunted he was by Barkul's crusade against the Darthim. He envied the man's courage, Agartham asked, "Have you been looking for something bigger than yourself?"
