The Forming of Team Stormfront

It took days for me to work my way back to Mercia from the shores of Mirendil. I kept off the roads, more out of habit than the want to be careful. I spent much of the time in a daze, worrying over the Ul Tanneks, trying to puzzle out their motives, their goals; what could they have possibly accomplished with their slaughter? What troubled me even more was the sudden betrayal. It had been so easy for people to turn on each other. It wasn't even just Humans killing Alfar, everyone was in a blind fury, killing anyone they could. They had been working so well together, some were even acting friendly, getting along, drinking. But I guess I should just resign myself to the fact that they were after all, mercenaries, and it shouldn't be unexpected that their motives were ruled by treasure. Agon wasn't a land for being idealistic.

I pondered these things until reached my current home, Hildershall. To take my mind off the trouble in the East I asked around for work, but no one was offering any jobs. Frustrated, I geared up and went out on my own to hone my sword skill against some of the local scum.



I cut my way through the kobolds on the beaches, chasing them into the tall grass. Some of their smaller fighters would duck in the reeds while their allies blindly fired in, but it wasn't enough. In an hours time, the camp was empty of kobolds, and I began working northward through the wilderness, eventually reaching a river. It was running swiftly, the current powerful, I recognized it as the one that fed into Chillborne. I decided to stop by the city to drop off some loot. Fortunately, there was a merchant in the area looking for a fighter. He offered me some armor if I'd go out past the cemetery and kill some of the local undead, some trolls, and other undesirables. I just absently nodded and accepted the work.



I knew the graveyard area well, having been killed there several times by Ork raiding parties. I'm sure I wasn't the only one. A lot of the raw recruits around Sandbrook and Monkfield had whispered about it, calling it the new Britain Cemetery, whatever that meant. Even knowing this, I did not try to hide. I cut through the zombies and skeletons with old swords I'd collected from outlaws, then fought to the troll camp. The silence was weighing heavy on my mind. He'd seen no one, and other than the merchants in the towns, and talked to no one, in a very long time.





The trolls proved to be a challenge. Their spell casting and mob mentality was frustrating. As they swarmed me all at once I began to hack at them in a rage, wishing they'd just stand still, to no avail. I tried fighting back with my own meager spell capabilities but that didn't help the situation at all. Occasionally I managed to pin one by itself and cut it down, but there were long rests after each kill, because as I killed one, the others would stab for the weak places in my armor. Before long my potions and food were running out. It was during one of these rests that I encountered someone entirely unexpected.

I saw him first, a fighter dressed in bone armor. With a zeal that hadn't been there moments before I pulled myself out my apathetic stupor and charged him with my sword high. He spun around, arcane energy already swirling around him and then stopped. "Signus? Wait!"

I checked my swing when I got a look at him. Behind the bone mask, was the face of Publius. "Pub, what are you doing here?"




He let his spell dissipate and scolded me. "Is this a thing you do now, attack random people trying to get through swamps? You've fallen to pieces without me."

"I..wasn't thinking clearly. But really, where have you been?"

We caught up as he joined me in my task against the trolls, who were now entirely outmatched.



He'd been wandering Ork lands and as far north as the Dwarven shore, not sure what to do after the clan fell apart. After a while he traveled south, trying to track down Redham or anyone else.

"Well, did you hear from him?"

"Yes, actually. He's trying to pull us all back together. I think he sent a message for you, probably to Sandbrook, but he never heard back. He has a plan, but he wants us all to meet in Mirdain territory."

"Ugh, I just came from there, did he give a reason?"

"It's the land of milk and honey! Lots of scum to kill, lots of treasure to collect, and very few murderers to worry about. But that's only part of the plan, you'll have to come there with me for the rest."

Two days later, we were on our way west to meet with Redham and whoever else he'd gathered to him.




Charybdis, the Mirdain capital city. While I had just passed through this territory recently, I never stopped to look around. It was a beautiful land, seemingly untouched by the war that ravaged the rest of Agon. The trees were massive, beyond anything I'd seen in Mercia. Vines wound around the buildings, which themselves seemed to grow out of the landscape. They were crafted with a sinuous grace that blended them into the surrounding flora. But the strangest thing was how old everything felt. The leaves were green, the branches supple, the buildings gleaming, yet it all seemed ancient, preserved perhaps. It was here that I found Piratejim again, sitting on the banks of the great river that ran through the city. Sitting with him, were three others. I recognized them as those who went on the trip to Yssam before the group fell apart. The raft crew.

The closest figure was the dwarf who called himself Llemon; he was polishing the two longknives that he usually fought with. Beside him was Pangalactic, the burgeoning fire wizard. And getting to his feet, was the recruit who joined up with the clan on Yssam before vanished into the forest to join Necessary Evil, Blarggy. He was different now, he looked much stronger, and his eyes sparked with energy, reflecting hard work with arcane powers. The change was large, and startling.

Piratejim had gotten to his feet too, though it wasn't him that spoke. Blarggy led things off. "Well we're all finally here, we can get down to the business at hand. I've been talking to Redham, and we've decided that the six of us should form an organized clan. If we pool our resources and all work together, we could become a force to be reckoned with. And, I've learned a few things with Necessary Evil that I'll be able to pass along. There it is short and sweet, so what do you say?"

Pub took the suddenness of the speech in stride and threw in his lot with the plan right away. I had to admit to myself, the idea made a lot of sense. I knew these folks, some of them quite well. I could depend on most of them. But still, I dug in my heels. I felt my decision had already been made for me, which rankled, so I tried to hash out a few more details before we sealed the deal.

A half hour later, all that was left to decide was the name. Pangalactic offered a solution "Well, the goal is, by the end of this, to be like a terrible force of nature, right? Why not use those old names we joked around with back when we were new to Agon? Team Stormfront, wind, thunder, lightning?" Llemon looked confused but Pub and I quietly laughing to ourselves, remembering the old joke.

"Ok, yes, that's perfect. If we ever build a name for ourselves I'll laugh every time our enemies use it, and no one else will get it."

"I don't get it" Llemon chimed it. "Doesn't really sound funny at all, actually."

Pub started chuckling again, "One of those 'you had to be there' things Llemon. I think the name sounds great. So, it's official then? Team Stormfront?"

I like to believe that we didn't all jump into the air and cheer. But that's a lie.

Ul Tannek (Part 2)

The tension was palpable as I left. No one was bold enough to draw steel within the city, but as defenders and attackers declared their sides, tempers began to flare. I slipped out quietly an hour early hoping to escape the worst of the inevitable conflict.


I picked a random road and started to head East, knowing I should at least make towards Rubaiyat. I was lightly armed, hoping to avoid any fights on the way. But mere minutes of travel convinced me that that wasn't going to be possible. The countryside looked like a kicked anthill. Small groups of warriors were swarming in every direction. Some waved at one another, others clashed. There were people in robes, riding horses, riding bears, drakes; there were Mahirim, Alfar, Dwarves, every type of person imaginable. And none of them knew exactly where to go.


I left the road and took the wooded paths towards the beach. The few people that spotted me were too busy trying to figure out what to do to bother with me. Eventually I reached the coast, where I paused to wonder how I'd get across the water. Perhaps there'd be a raft to nab a ride from? Before I could make any decision, another human trotted out of the woods and onto the beach. Seeing me, he gave a smile and wandered closer.

"Glad to see another human all the way out here. What are you doing standing out on the beach by yourself? Not very safe." There was no threat in his tone.

I shrugged and said, "I have nothing worth taking. I was here to enlist for the caravan, but.. I'm not sure how to find it."

The man gave me a strange look. "Well half the folks around here are convinced it's leaving from the Great Pyramid across the sea." He paused, considering me. "But of course, they're headed to the wrong place."

I perked up. "You know where to find the caravan? How?"

The man smiled. "There are rumors going around everywhere. A clan called Dune currently holds position on top of the Pyramid. They're fighting off hundreds of other soldiers, all of them hell bent on looting the caravan when it emerges. Someone let slip that a powerful artifact from the Knights of Malregard is on board. Even more armies are marching home, believing the false tale that Dune has already destroyed and looted the caravan." He touched his nose and winked. "But I have a man named Ninogan on the with the caravan even now, sending me updates on its location. The Ul Tannek's are clever, probably planted a few rumors themselves. They sneaked by the carnage and are already on a ship bound for this very coast. Care to join us?"

I quickly agreed, this was my best shot to get close to the Ul Tanneks and figure out what they were up to. The man provided me with a drake and told me to follow close. We galloped off north along the course, racing to meet the caravan as it docked and continued on its way. It was tough going, and there were some dodgy parts where we ran into local beasts, but we made it to the beach just as the ship docked and the caravan was disembarking with its defenders.




The Ul Tanneks themselves waved as we joined the group. They were dressed differently from anyone else I'd seen on Agon, they wore dark bronze armor and had striped cloth draped over their heads, worn in the style of the old Pharaohs. I had expected a wooden wagon train, but instead the caravan was in the form of a massive steel hovering battle platform, a warhulk. This particular one was called The Battle Ark.

The Family announced that they'd be traveling northeast, towards the center of Agon. They'd be meeting some wealthy Ork merchants there, and the warriors that made sure they got there safely would get a grand reward. "An eternal reward", one of the Ul Tanneks sniggered.



The traveling was not quick going, the Ark was slow and ponderous, getting stuck on fences and rocks from time to time. The craft was loaded with defenders and more trailed behind on mounts. The surroundings remained quiet as we marched through the forests, but we were all alert and waiting for the first sign of attack. We had outriders scouting the perimeter, but so far there was nothing to find.

Our first skirmishes were small scale, local wildlife and that ilk. They fell swiftly to our numbers. The victories served to dull our paranoia, and boost our confidence.



Before long, many of the defenders had become relaxed. They openly chatted with the Family as if on a pleasant ride through the gardens. The Ul Tanneks were friendly enough, but something appeared to be bothering them. Now and again they'd stare out at the hills and then frown at one another. I tried to keep in mind why I was here, tried to remind myself that the Ul Tanneks were in league with an evil cult. The longer I stayed defending the caravan though, the more I lost sight of that.

Before long we received a report that the conflict at the Pyramid had concluded. Dune had realized the caravan was gone, and they were not pleased with the deception. They were making their way towards us with fury. This put everybody's hackles back up, and we tried to hurry the caravan along. But instead, the Ark seemed to slow down, weaving around and crashing into trees. I rode closer to the warhulk and saw that the driver was getting drunk with a few dwarves! I was about to dismount and storm into the Ark when the first enemies appeared.

Our outriders had warned us about some enemies spotted to the east. Most of our force charged off immediately in that direction, leaving the caravan exposed. The defenders were lost with blood lust. I couldn't even see the enemy supposedly attacking us, but there must have been someone. The man who recruited me back on the beach rode by and gave me some bone covered armor. "Here, wear this. You're going to get yourself killed if you stay in that chain. Be careful and stay sharp!" He rode off towards the hills where all the fireballs and spells were flying.




When he rode back there was some blood on him and he proudly declared the threat was dealt with.

More messages arrived, Dune was catching up. The caravan moved slower and slower. My worry grew. "Well never even make it out of this damn forest at this rate, much less make it across Agon!" one man shouted. Others grumbled and agreed. Other riders were putting their heads together trying to figure out which clans were in Dune and who to watch out for. It was difficult keeping track of who was a defender and attacker when most of us were just clustered together from various other clans. Suddenly, fire erupted from within the Ark. Someone screamed. "They're assassinating the Ul Tanneks!"

Healing spells were being poured into the driver's area of the Ark, fires were being put out, steel sang from within. In seconds, a name came out. "ANG tried to kill the driver!"

No one waited to see if the words were true. Every ANG member was culled immediately. It was a manhunt. Some tried to flee on mounts only to have them peppered with arrows and blasted out from under them. It was over in seconds, no living member of ANG remained with the caravan. The driver shakily thanked us for saving him, the other Ul Tanneks shared a worried look. Back then I assumed they were worried about possible traitors in the ranks, but I realize now what that shared look meant.

This process repeated a second time. Attackers in the hills were devastated by hundreds of spells almost as soon as they were spotted, and another assassination attempt was put down. This time members of Black Company screamed "They BEGGED us to stab them!" as they were being cut down. Dune got closer. The Ark got caught on another tree. People were shouting now "let me drive, come on!". More nervous looks between the Ul Tanneks.

Finally the driver stopped and the Family shouted for everyone to leave the Ark. They evacuated all the defenders and then stepped out themselves.

"Defenders, gather around me." The Ul Tannek family leader stood tall, surrounded by hundreds of warriors. "I think it's past time that you all find out what you've been guarding." He held up a sheathed greatsword, and slowly, unveiled it.

I was shocked, the sword they held was Lightbringer! This must have been the artifact stolen from the Knights of Malregard, their ancestral treasure. Someone was going to pay dearly for taking this. There was no other blade of its kind in all of Agon, and here it was, mere feet away from me.


OOC:Lightbringer behind held by a dwarf



I lost myself in fantasies of prising the sword from a lifeless hand, using it to cut my way to freedom, winning glory with that blade..the booming voice of the Ul Tannek patriarch cut my daydream short.

"You defended us well friends, too well I fear! The God, the Red Pharaoh demanded BLOOD! You prevented battle at every turn! But no more, our god will be appeased! And now, for your prize. THE REWARD IS ON OUR BODIES! WE WILL SACRIFICE OUR LIVES TO THE PHARAO! THE STRONGEST MAY GET THEM! ATTACK!"

The world went mad. The cluster of soldiers surrounding the Family erupted into fire and chaos. Bodies, whole and in pieces, flew through the air as walls of fire erupted from the Ul Tanneks. The Family was screaming and laughing as men and women crisped and burned before their eyes. The shaky alliance of the defenders was shattered, blades and staves came out. Horses and drakes sprinted in different directions, swords cut into backs, spells sapped life energy, everywhere people died. I booted my drake and tore off for the woods.




It made sense now. All the stalling, all the worried glances, the "assassinations". The Ul Tanneks never wanted to reach the Orks. Chaos was everywhere, and I needed to escape, to warn someone about the Ul Tanneks as soon as I could. An arrow caught my mount behind the head and it went down in a heap. I kept sprinting and hopped onto a riderless horse, getting a bit closer to the woods. I chopped awkwardly down on an Ork as I rode by, clearing a path for myself. I didn't make it far, a barrage of fireballs made my mount rear, sending me tumbling down to the earth. I rolled and came down next to a body. I paused to grab the expensive looking sword from the dead mahirim, spinning to defend myself. I turned only in time to see an axe come down on my face.

Darkness took me.





OOC: This has been, to date, my favorite Darkfall event. The week long buildup, with the vague in character posts by liaisons, the in game quests and GMs playing as NPCs and roleplaying with the players really pulled me into the fun. I kept up with the rumors flying around the forums all week. Some players made in character posts about their interactions with the GMs, and the quests that they were sent out on (one of which was the theft of Lightbringer from the Knights of Malregard). What's more, these quests were reflected in the game world, albeit in a small way. The theft of the sword is referenced in a few quest texts in specific cities for various factions in Darkfall even to this day.

The day of the event though, was endless drama, which is good, and bad. Not everyone shared my enthusiasm for the dynamic event. It was unpredictable and vague, and largely changed based on what the players did, as a dynamic event should. The devs thought that the caravan would die within minutes, but the defenders, shockingly managed to fight off the small attack groups, while the main attack group was left wandering confused in Rubaiyat, having fallen for one of the false rumors. Some people never found the event, others complained that all the gear they lost wasn't worth the PvP. (those particular people who are more concerned with min maxing than having fun, I just do not understand.)

There was roleplaying around the Ark, people getting along without slaughtering one another for once, cooperation between enemy clans, some decent PvP, and a fantastic FFA bloodbath with high stakes loot. I loved the lore, the mystery, and the GM interaction. AV has, sadly, largely dropped the Ul Tannek plot line. Whether they're waiting for 2.0 to continue it, or if the "end of the world" event they hinted at will tie into it, I don't know. I just wish we'd get more events like this. It's far too easy to make a quick little "Meet here at x for a chance to win y". That's not memorable. While that's certainly not bad, I hope they continue with some of the more elaborate dynamic events, like this one. It's fine if not everyone knows what's going on, it's part of the fun!

For anyone interested in reading more about the first Darkfall event, there's the following links:

The forum thread that people posted in while the event happened. The Dune propagated rumor that the caravan was already down starts on page 18ish. Link

Here is a fan video from Ninogan depicting the adventure.(finally, a video set to good music too) Link

And lastly, the official Aventurine video for the event. And here

Ul Tannek (Part 1)

OOC: Some context. This was Darkfall's very first live event. It had been built up all week with mini events: GMs handing out little quests in the game world if you happened upon them. In one of these GM quests, a few players stole a powerful artifact from the NPC faction The Knights of Malregard The only screenshots that exist are from my xfire, which have the UI, something I think you can all live with for the sake of recounting this historic time. It was, in my opinion, the most confusing, and best event Aventurine has ever done. In fact, the confusion and misinformation directly led to a lot of the fun. What's more, the result of the event impacted the game world in a few subtle ways. The folks stealing the artifact are mentioned in a few quest lines in the game. And now, we start.





I'd ventured far afield exploring Agon's north. It was far more ruthless than I was used to. The further I traveled the more I began to feel that the summer lands of Mercia had been coddling me. In the north, entire cities were in ruins. The dead walked in every graveyard, in every temple. Strange demons patrolled cities that were once thriving. Volcanoes and acidic pits dotted the landscape.

I pushed farther forward, and reached Morak, the land of the Orks.

I knew no lore for these places. I had no context. The only knowledge I had was that a goblin revolution occurred. They threw off the shackles of their Ork master and and became burdens for everyone in Agon. After seeing some of the landscapes, it became clear why Orks were such fearsome warriors. The world they knew was fire rock and blood, and it shaped them thus.


Eventually I reached the cold Northlands. With little to look forward to but deep snow drifts and frozen landscapes, I decided to turn back south east. I was edging closer to the center of Agon, where the great Pall was.

I stopped in towns that weren't overrun by monsters, picking up bits and pieces of world gossip. It was in a human settlement that I heard some folks mention a familiar name.

"They stole it right out of their vault. The Knights of Malregard are wroth, it was their most powerful relic."
Another voice answered "And does anyone know who is behind it?"
"Some merchant family, the Ul Tanneks, that's the name on everyone's lips."

I remembered the Knights. They'd conquered the native Imric tribes when the Mercians came from across the sea. They were the strongest warrior guild in all of Agon. Who would be powerful enough to steal from them?

I followed the trail, asking from town to town, and story became clearer. The Ul Tanneks were a wealthy family based in Rubiyat. They had some kind of connection to the cult that worshiped the Red Pharaoh. That cult had many times tried to find ways to open doors to the great Pyramid and bring their sleeping Demi-God, Ur-Khamset, back into the world. This was clearly not a family to be trusted, and the knowledge that they were stealing powerful weapons didn't settle well for me.

As days passed the family was spoken of more and more frequently. There was a different story in almost every town, but one fact was always the same. The Ul Tanneks were seeking warriors to escort their caravan sometime in the near future. I knew I needed to get to Rubiyat, though it was almost an entire world away.




I rode every day, staying off the roads as much as time allowed, only pausing to rest and to bind in new cities along the way. Hard riding had rubbed the skin on my legs raw and made every muscle ache, but I at least made it to the western shores of Agon, ready to head to Rubiyat.

In one of the free Elven cities on the coast there was a great gathering of people, trading all information they knew about the Ul Tanneks. Many were swayed by the promise of gold and favor, and determined to find and protect the caravan. Another large group swore that they'd destroy this caravan before it even had a chance to set out. Nobody was entirely sure where the caravan would leave from. It seems the Ul Tanneks had wisely planted a few rumors to get their enemies headed in the wrong direction. But their protectors didn't know where to go either.

I was still uneasy about the whole situation. The cult that the Ul Tannek's belonged to could not be anything but evil. I decided it was within my best interest to get close to this family and try to discern their true agenda. I signed on with the defenders and when the awaited day came, I set off to try to find the caravan.

Dubious Recruiters and Wanderlust

I'd walked south for a change of scenery and to visit some nostalgic places. The half sunken Nithron towers were still poking out of the swamps. The sarlids and the spiders swarmed around the base of Hildershall's mountain, just as they had in my greener days. But, in Hildershall itself, I saw something quite new.




There were two men in the city talking together. I watched as they began sneaking up behind a person working the city forge. I stood on the rooftops, not wanting to get caught up in what was to happen.



Together they cast spells on the crafter and launched him backwards into a wall. I looked up at the guard towers, but they remained silent. No lightning came down to smite the two men. Puzzling. Their victim was equally surprised it seemed. He stared at his assailants, and they simply stood there and smiled back at him. There was nothing left for him to do but try to get back to his work. As he approached the forge, the men once again hit him with spells, and this time he shot a fireball back at them. Immediately the guard towers awoke.

Blue blasts of energy forked down from the towers, frying the craftsman where he stood. The two men laughed and looted his body with a quickness. Then they saw me.

"Hoy, you there! I recognize you from around Sandbrook, Signus yeah?" The man was wearing very little, and only had the most basic magical staff, but his intelligent eyes seemed menacing. "Would you care to join us? We could always use another hand, we run a very lucrative business." His partner chuckled at that.

"What exactly do you do?" Once again, despite knowing it'd be best just to leave, I was too curious to let it alone.

Very bluntly, he gave me his pitch. "Well, my friends and I go around from village to village and uh, weed out the foolish ones. We like to provoke folks a bit and if we find a particularly thickheaded one, we find a loophole in the laws and get them to attack us, then reap the rewards. Very simple!" He must have seen the look on my face; he appealed to me. "Now come on, they deserve it for being so careless. Asides, we do it to everyone, not just the new recruits, hell we don't even stick to just humans. We're a very liberal clan!" He tried to give a winning smile.

Truthfully, I considered it. I'd left most of my friends behind, I couldn't really accomplish anything on my own, and I wasn't doing anything of worth. I had no direction. Maybe this clan is what I needed? I could limit myself to just raiding the Alfar or some scum down south even, if my conscience plagued me too much.



"I'll consider it" I told the man. "Let me go back to Sandbrook and settle some affairs first. I'll be in touch." The man nodded and walked off. I had no business left in Sandbrook but I needed some time to think, and I feared what these people would do if I refused them. They left out the front gates ahead of me and began to harass another traveler. I took the long way home while I thought about my future in Agon.




I got to Sandbrook and paused at my vault, not sure what to do next. I looked around. The bright light sparkling against the water looked inviting, so I grabbed my fishing rod and ran to the shore. I sat for a long while just relaxing in the sun, counting my catches.



Before long I found myself wishing for a boat, which reminded me of Piratejim, and the crew of our last vessel. My mood was ruined, so after I dragged my haul back to town, I set out again to wander.

I walked along the shores of the south sea until I came upon a lighthouse. It was an ancient building, but man made. It lacked the freakish height of the Nithron ruins. Perhaps it was built by the Chal d Eans before the Plague and Flood? The fire at its top still burned, but nobody manned the tower, no buildings surrounded it. Agon still held many mysteries.



I sat on the shore until the sun started setting, then began to move north. I walked with the lighthouse still on my mind, and as light faded entirely from the sky, I made up my mind. There was still too much to see in Agon to mope around familiar hunting grounds. I would travel again, as I hadn't done since first landing here. I was already walking north and decided to keep that course. I'd never been very far that way, since my brief run in with the Fire Dragon, and for fear of Ork patrols. But now, I was ready. With the stars in the sky and a new moon rising, I started again.

The Stamping Grounds

The sun was low in the sky when I finally made it back to the mainland of Agon. I was so drained and disenchanted by the last month's events that I didn't even care to stay out of sight; I took the raft straight up the river; the same river that had originally carried me to this land. The sails pulled me upstream and eventually I docked in Sandbrook. I had come full circle, now a little stronger and wiser, but once again alone and directionless.



I walked around my old haunts, seeing new recruits killing goblins and skeletons on the beaches and in the woods. I tried to help them, gave them a few tips here and there where I could, handed out some of my old gear, but it was painfully obvious that Sandbrook was no longer a home to me. I had outgrown the frontier village. There was little I could accomplish, and few I could help by staying longer. That's what I thought anyway, but I was soon proven wrong.

I was sitting by the Vault in Sandbrook, passing time by going through the very modest wealth I'd accumulated, when I saw a ragged and bloody man stumble by. This wasn't an uncommon sight in Sandbrook, as recruits were often bested by goblins and sent back to their bind stones. But then three more walked by, and another two again. Something was clearly wrong.

I stopped the last woman as she limped past me and asked what had happened. "There's a murderer out there hiding in the woods. He came out of nowhere while I was looting a goblin and killed me. I need to get back out there and see if he left any of my gear, excuse me!" I assumed the story was the same for the others wandering by. Excited by the prospect of being able to help the town I strapped on my best scale armor and slipped out the back gate of Sandbrook.



I didn't have very high hopes for the battle. Until now, in almost every fight I'd had with murderers, I'd been forced to run. In the rare cases where I didn't flee for my life, I had the upper hand somehow. Now it was just me, no plan or backup, striking against someone who was likely much more powerful than myself. I crept through the bushes and waited, observing the recruits pushing back the constant stream of goblins. One woman wandered off by herself and leaned back behind a tree after a brutal fight, trying to avoid more goblin arrows. If ever there was a time for this murderer to strike, it was now.

I didn't have to wait for more than a few seconds; a human wearing leather armor coated in bones sprayed a giant stream of fire at the recruit, blasting her backwards into a tree. Light gathered in his hands and then a spear of electric energy lanced out towards the prone recruit. He drew a spiked greatsword from a sheath on his back to finish off his stunned victim.




I saw my chance, and sprang from my hiding place. I cut into the aggressor's back, breaking off pieces of his bone armor, but getting my blade caught at the same time. He spun around with a rictus snarl on his face, almost wrenching the sword from my hand.

"What are you doing!" he hissed, holding his sword before him. "These men are ruthless killers! I must stop them, and you're getting in the way!"

I was shocked. Usually the only sounds I heard out of these murderers was laughter or taunts. This man though, had a light of madness in his eyes. "Who do you think you're protecting?" I asked him. The bone covered man blinked in genuine confusion. The recruit he had attacked scrambled to her feet and ran back towards the city.

"The goblin tribes.. They're being relentlessly hunted for sport! Every time they try to rebuild more men come and invade their homes!" I slowly pulled my sword away from him, but didn't sheath it. He stood quivering before me, not seeming to notice the oozing gash in his back.



"But the goblins are invaders... this is Mercian land, they kill the people here." I wasn't sure why I was trying to reason with him, but I couldn't help myself.

"No, the goblins only kill those who enter or come near their homes. Do they try to steal from the humans? No! So much of Mercia is empty, why don't they let the goblins have some?" No immediate answer came to my head, so he continued. "They're escaped slaves, you know. They ran from Ork oppression, weakening human enemies, but they're met with hate everywhere they go! Tell me, do they chase you after you leave their villages? Hunt humans down?"

"They've invaded Sandbrook so often the walls had to be rebuilt!"

"Did you ever actually see goblins invading?"

"I-" He was right... I hadn't. Not once did I ever see a goblin leave it's own village area. "You hunt your own kind, how are you any better?"

The madness returned, "I am their savior! They chose me and my fellow warriors to deliver them from injustice!"

"There's more of you?" I found myself hoping that the rest were just simple old fashioned marauders and that there wasn't more than one nutter under the same flag.

"Of course, the Goblin Preservation Society. We kill humans because the goblins can't do it themselves. Now leave this goblin home, or I will make you leave."

Confused, but feeling bold, I raised my scimitar, and the fight began. I held my own for a while, primarily using my blade to hack bits and pieces off the goblin-sympathizer, but every now and then he'd speed off to duck behind a tree, and cast a few spells on himself. Then he'd charge back entirely refreshed, or fire his bow at me from his hiding spot.






I didn't know any of these healing spells and soon our fight became one of attrition, and without magic, I was losing badly.




The battle though, had attracted some interest. The local goblin tribes had slunk down from their huts and were now firing arrows into the fray, aiming for both of us.

I was in a bad way, armor scorched from my enemy's spells, dozens of cuts around my arms and thighs, and a few fresh arrows sticking out of my calf and hip. My opponent was ever fresh. I downed my last potion and started to look for a way to escape, maybe lure the madman back to the guard towers. But, it soon became unnecessary. Some of the new recruits had heard the fighting, and recognizing the man who had killed and robbed them just moments ago, gathered together and rushed to join the battle as one. As unskilled as they were, sheer numbers began to wear my enemy down, and with fear in his eyes, he fled the field, only to be only to be further shot by his own goblins.





I caught up to him and with a few quick swings and a powerful stab I brought him to the ground. I left him there bleeding out, and soon the recruits found him and pushed past one another to be the first to finish him off. They gave a cheer and set about looting the fresh body as quickly as they could. One man ran back to town swinging a the spiked two handed sword, another walked away wearing some of the bone armor. I went back to Sandbrook, my mood slightly uplifted, but still not much improved.

Relaunch

Big things are in the works for Darkfall. I know I left the Travelogues on a "cliff hanger" of sorts. I do have about 2-3 stories saved as drafts on the website, and the screenshots to put with them, but I think I'm going to hold onto them for now. I was extremely busy over the past few months, and this year won't be much better. But! Within the next month or two, I plan to relaunch my efforts into this blog, hoping to coincide with the patches leading up to the next Darkfall expansion, maybe bring some new readers into the fold.

So, don't worry, I'm not dead. The remaining stories, and new ones are indeed coming, and they will be more regular after the relaunch as I settle myself back into Darkfall. I hope you've enjoyed reading these stories so far, I've enjoyed writing them. So until next time!