He had dreamed of, planned for, yearned for a glorious military campaign against the enemies of Boldhome. He wanted to surrounded by his colleagues, leading his entire (well Mularik's actually) regiment to a triumphal victory.
Instead, few friends and a tricky diplomatic mission. Why did the King personally select him for such a task? When he first arrived in Boldhome, destitute and lacking everything but a noble heritage, the thought of being appointed by King Argrath himself for anything was beyond reckoning. Now he was unsure whether the King believed in him or had set him up to fail by tasking him with something he had no experience of. He had expected affable discussions with the occasional feast. Instead, there had been brutal combat - and he had come to respect the warriors of Prax.
Nevermind, his duty was clear and he would seek to fulfil it to the utmost of his ability. Fortunately, he had with him some picked warriors from the Company, and just as good, his faith Duck scribe, Duck O'Hugh.
He re read the excellent text his scribe had written:-
Of the travel to Prax
And of the missionYet the road through the foothills of Dragon Pass reminds you that summer's promise always comes with peril. A group of bandits—desperate men with more courage than sense—ambushes you on a narrow path. Their blades gleam in the sunlight, their shouts echoing against the cliffs.
You meet them without hesitation, drawing your sword in one smooth motion. The storm surges within you as you call Orlanth’s name, your blade flashing like lightning. The fight is swift and brutal, the bandits no match for your skill or the fury of your warriors.
And then the culmination of the month - the attack on the Chaos shrineIn the heart of Prax, you find yourself among the tribes—the Bison Riders, the Sable Riders, the Impala People, and more. Each has its own customs, its own fierce pride, and its own grudges. Your task is delicate: to remind them of the old alliances forged under Orlanth’s banner, to stoke the flame of unity in the face of the chaos that gnaws at the edges of their lands.
Negotiations are tense. The tribal chiefs regard you with wary eyes, their mistrust of outsiders palpable. But you stand firm, invoking Orlanth’s name and recounting the ancient bonds between Sartar and Prax. Slowly, they begin to listen. A Bison Rider warlord, his face painted with ochre and his words sharp as the horns of his steed, challenges you directly: “What does a Sartarite know of our struggles? What has Orlanth done for Prax?”
Your response is swift and sure. You recount tales of Orlanth’s travels through the wastelands, of his defiance of Chaos in every form. You offer gifts—silver, weapons, and rare goods from Sartar—and perform a ritual under the open sky, calling down a wind that whips through the gathered warriors, carrying the scent of distant storms. The warlord nods grudgingly, his respect earned, if not fully given.
Rufus was delighted by the efforts of his scribe. It was true that matters had gone well so far - but the next month would be critical. He might not secure any wealth or fame - but if he successfully advanced the cause of Orlanth and the King then he would be well satisfied.As summer deepens, your mission takes you to the Wastelands, where Chaos has been sighted. The warriors you have rallied ride with you, their whoops and cries filling the air as their beasts thunder across the cracked earth. In the distance, a blackened spire rises—a Chaos shrine, desecrating the land. The battle is fierce, the enemy twisted and relentless. Yet your blade sings with Orlanth’s fury, and together with the Praxians, you bring the shrine down in a cascade of rubble and dust.
By the time you leave the desert, your name is spoken with a touch more reverence among the tribes. The storm has passed, for now, and you sense Orlanth’s approval in the whispering winds that guide you toward the next leg of your journey. Summer is not yet over, and neither is your task, but you feel the storm within you still burning strong.
(OoC - I thought Puckohue had done a brilliant write up and wanted to share some of it with everyone)