The Rain Brought a Gift

A single stone among the ancient walls felt the first drop of the thunderous tempest. The surrounding townsfolk in a forelooming instinct sheltered cattle and belongings as a terrible aching chilled the land. The Gràdgard castle guards had watched fog and downpour engulf the northern mountains in fear. The prophecy of an everlasting darkness was upon them.

The putter-patter approached the village fence that marked the boundary between wilderness and civilization. Even from this distance the sheltered creatures of the woods could hear the the last call horn and the clanking sound of the castle drawbridge retreating into itself. With such a storm brewing, it was better to safeguard the keep.

Drenched, a couple of horse riding knights swiftly passed the bridge and entered the inner walls. A young stable boy, unprotected from the elements, timidly retrieved the noble beasts as the knights continued their pursuit without interruption.

The knights entered the Gràdgard command post where their command leader sat at the head of a large single cut table. The command post was spacious with iron lamps lighting the room and decorated with sword and shields of wars past. On the table countless documents and maps with flags and troops indicated intell of the current whereabouts of the opposition. In the commanders right hand juggled a small ghostly figure made of wood and painted black with local dried tar.

An investigation of a recent spawn of shades brought correction to all that they feared. The forest of Needèn, the wilderness that surrounded their land, rarely had such evils but a young girl, of only ten, had been found pale, bloodless and deformed. The outskirts were now spoken as a land of no return. The ghostly black spirits were the first to terrorize the village folk but those were the least of the problems according to the nobles. The whispers told of an army of undesirables and outcasts; pariah and beast, that craved bloodshed and chaos.