THE STORY SO FAR...

Well, the game's been running a month or so now so I thought I'd furnish my many (pah!) readers with an update...


PROLOGUE (view the game thread here)


Our tale unfolds at the camp of K'harg, war-chief of all the Hulun tribe. The new moon of the great auroch spirit, Xa signals that winter is passing and the Hulun must begin their migration toward the highlands. Winter has been hard and K'harg's band of warriors has grown, with many smaller bands flocking to him for protection during the cold, lean months.


The passing of winter is usually celebrated with a great feast, and three young shaman Bolen, Wyk and Grimach have busied themselves with many preparations, under the watchful eye of High Shaman Moraath. Tongues wag around the camp that an earlier scouting party- led by the taciturn Daromir- has been away for many days. His eventual return does nothing to quell the band's anxieties: his scouts depart on horseback almost immediately, and the Daromir spends most of the day in secretive counsel with K'harg.


The feast begins with a riotous celebration of the coming of spring: Lugana and Tudaam- both promising bars- perform the traditional song, dance and drumming whilst warriors Ret and Grolik engage in mock combat. Celebrations are cut short when K'harg announces that their traditional grazing lands have been usurped by an enemy tribe, the Raven, and he gathers a host about him to meet the invader head on.


Though many elder and less experienced fighters remain to protect the camp, there is a great deal of concern that they are vulnerable to attack. The warrior Bundu organises a guard, sending the young tribespeople to stand sentry against potential infiltrators. On one side of the camp, a shadowy figure is spotted in the long grass, who some believe to be the troubled young sorcerer Marek. He flees before he is apprehended. On the other side, Ret, Lugana and Bolen deal with a wild animal. Too late they realise that the panther they have slaughtered belongs to the wandering druid-shaman, Lomnu. This ill omen is swiftly followed by a mysterious fire at the tent of Marek's father. The camp quickly deal with the flames but tensions run high , with many accusing Marek of having started the blaze. Marek, meanwhile, appears to have fled the camp- much to the dismay of elder Fanwé, who had hoped she might be able to take him on as her apprentice. Though she appeals for clear heads, his guilt is cemented by the claims of the young girl Nina, who says she witnessed him start the blaze.


There are many questions about Marek's guilt: the fire appears to have been accelerated by the use of birch tar, a rare material only manufactured at the nearby village of Forl. Whoever is responsible, the uneasy truth that there is at least one traitor amongst the camp hangs overhead. Fearful and wary, the night is long for many of the tribe, with a round-the-clock guard posted. Those who do get sleep are troubled by disturbing dreams of some impending doom... whether the new day eases troubled hearts and answers worrying questions remains to be seen. Whatever it may bring, few are optimistic whilst the best warriors are far away, fighting the opening battle of what may prove to be a great and bloody war.