Lessons of history

[Becca v.Radunkel]

The orc fort near Cove, some weeks ago:

"Can anyone take that damn orc mage? His is a insult of my sense of beauty!" Ryan´s voice drowns the sounds of combat. With a quiet sigh Becca runs towards the ruin the mage uses for cover. Inside the destroyed building it takes only a few smashes with her sword, and the mage meets his ancestors. On her way out she suddenly stops. "What the hell...?" Near the broken door strange runes are barely visible. They must be as old as the house, but she never expected to see any of those in an orcish outpost. She lowers herself and carefully follows the rune´s outlines with her fingertips. "Strange. It looks similar to dwarven runes, but those runes i have never seen..." She shakes her head. "Can it be?"
"BECCA, DO YOU TRY TO TALK HIM DOWN, OR WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Ryan´s charming voice breaks her concentration. Sighing again she gets back on her feet and leaves the house. Outside the battle is almost over, a last orc scout desperately tries to flee. But he tumbles over a dead body, and a Covian sword finishes his useless life. "Let´s get back to our outpost!"
During the retreat Becca still wonders how dwarven-style runes get into an orcish fortress. With a look over her shoulder she takes a last glance of the buildings. "Could it be?" It seems as if the fortress was made to defend to the sea, not towards Cove, as the  orcs use it today. Suddenly she stumbles over an stone, half burried in the dirt of the path. While she gets on her feet again she recognizes that the stone was similar to those still found on ancient dwarven roads sometimes visible in the mountains. Becca has no time to think of it, for Ryan´s voice breaks the silence again: "All recruits rally inside the temporary outpost!" Curses are heard all over the patrol, but Becca ignores them. She stares at the mountains, still puzzled of todays explorations.
Inside the outpost, during a period of spare time, she walks around the narrow hollow. Especially at the rear it looks as if a giant´s hammer had crushed the walls aeons ago. But again... there were ancient and almost unvisible carvings on those parts of the walls, where wind and weather can´t destroy them. Though her teachers told her parts of the dwarven language, and her dwarven friend, the smith Ben Radau had increased her knowledge, she still is not able to identify those runes. "I have to find it out!"


Britain, the royal library, two weeks ago:

"I knew it!" Exitedly Becca points on a fragile manuscript on a table infront of her. It is an ancient pergament, written by a monk centuries ago. He had collected everything he was able to get about the ancient races histories and tales.
One of the oldest tales he heard was about the first underground fortresses build by dwarves after they appeard on this world. Although some parts of the paper are no longer readable, enough is there to tell a story of braveness, power, and the fall by arrogance.
"Here it says: the first sons of Reorxx, the god of smithy, were granted a hidden and well defended place, when their god smashed his ... hm... might be fire sword, or sword of fire, or sword made by fire... strange, i have never seen those runes before..." Becca scratches her head. "I have to ask Ben about it. But let´s go on... the build a fortress underneath a chain of mountains... hm... if you add the sea west of that road block on the map, and change some minor details... I KNEW IT!! Those are the mountains west of Cove! LOOK!" She screams out in exitement, and the master librarian stares with anger. "Sorry." She smiles and continues to write her thoughts down. "Todays orc fortress is the old tax station, and the hollow was one of the entrances into the underground kingdom." She smiles and continues to read. "Hmm.. The most important god to the dwarves who lived in those mountains was Reorxx, and as a sign for his power they prayed to his... damn.... again those runes... a fire sword or something.." She carefully flips the parchement. "But then... hmm... almost nothing of the back is readable... this means ´darkness´, this is similar of modern dwarvish for ´sorcery´.. no idea, what happened, but here... it says: ´... and so the last dwarf sealed the entrance for the <unreadable> sword will be hidden forever and the world safe again.´ Strange."
Becca stretches her back an raises. "I have to learn more about it, if it is a possible threat for Cove!"
With fast steps she leaves the library and curses her fate to walk instead of ride.


*more to come*

[Becca v.Radunkel]

The Orc Fort near Cove, 3 days ago:

Becca pulls the sword out of the orc lords neck, rolls the dead body over and starts to search the dead body. "Strange, that they were so close to the city." She sighs and examins the beasts dirty shirt. "They seem to get braver every day we allow them to live. But..." She stops and pulls with strength, and a necklace with a small locket appears in her hand. A crude sketch of a sword with a blade of fire seems to be carved in the metal. "What the..." Becca freezes with horror. "Can it be?" She shakes her head. "It is time that Ben starts to talk."


Ben Radau´s smithy near Trinsic

"Come on, Ben, whatever it is, it seems the orcs have discoverd it." The dwarf shakes his head and punches his fist on the table. "You do not know what you are talking about. Those legends were almost forgotten, and there is no sense in talking of ancient swords my ancestors used to scare infants not willing to sleep. You will get no information by me."
Becca grumbles. Although Benny had drunk more than a complet keg of Bugman´s XXX, he still refuses to answer her questions. While he fills another mug she scans his face, and suddenly realizes that the dwarf seems to have fear.
She sighs... "It looks like the Brit library needs another visit." With a short nod she gets up and starts to leave the hut. But the dwarf doesn´t seem to see it, for his eyes stare in horor at infinity, caught by his own personal nightmares...

[Becca v.Radunkel]

Today, a nameless inn near the Brit library:

Desperately Becca searches the notes infront of her. The dirty table is covered with sheets of paper of different sizes, some filled with Becca´s fine handwritting, some almost unreadable like written by a mad monkey, and some with rough scetches.
"I feel the danger for Cove, but damn it, I still can´t proove it." She leans her back on the wall. The small niche she sits in is only purely lit by a small candle at the table, most of it hidden in shadows. She scans the room. Except the bar maid and some drunk visitors it is almost empty. Only across the room some ugly traders seem to party their last sucess. Suddenly she freezes. Combined with laughter parts of the trader´s words reach her ears. "... the ugly orc with the .... sword like .... fire...." Laughter. "... Covians never .... weapons trade...." Another laughter. Becca suddenly feels a coldness from deep within. "Rogues trading weapons to the Covian orcs?" Another word gets her attention. "... rally with the mountain orcs when........ Grimgork Eisen....." With a sudden movement the traders get up and throw some gold coins on the table. Without stoping to laugh they leave the inn.
Desperately Becca tries to collect the papers and to simultaniously throw a copper penny to pay the really bad whine she had. When she finally gets out of the bar nothing of the bandits is visible.
"Damn again. My only real hint vanishes in Britain, the dwarf has closed his smithy and has left without any trace, and I know danger is getting bigger and bigger for Cove."
She scans the area and detects a small, dirty boy who had done some messenger jobs for her earlier. "Alex, come her!" She waves with a gold coin. "Take this note straight to Cove, and hand it to Baron Octiouvus himself. It is important!" She finishes her fast words on a small paper and hands it to the boy. "Ay, mam, of course I will." He happily smiles and bites on the coin. "WOW, I will be fast as a lightning!" he shouts and vanishes in the crowd.
Suddenly Becca hears a hissing sound, and something hits her head. She tries to get her sword out, but a second hit makes her see stars, and the blackness takes all over.....


A few hours later, a note is pinned on the barracks door:

"Mylord Baron,

I am sure a terrible danger threatens Cove and all inhabitants. It has something to do with an ancient dwarven god´s weapon, a sword either made of or with fire, I still do not know it. If my informations are correct, a mad orc has found it in or near the ancient dwarven fortress´ entrance close to the orc fort. He also buys weapons from human traders, and it seems he also controlls the orcs from the cave near Minoc.
A combined attack of two orc hordes, with support of this magical weapon might be too strong for us. I try to gather more information, but it seems, that orc usually trains the troops in the orc fortress near Cove. I suggest to send scout in the fort to identify and maybe eliminate that orc call `Grimgork somethin´.
When I get more precise info, I will report to you!

Becca von Radunkel,
Watchwoman."

*find the orc, get the weapon, or...*