Post by Gamemaster on May 18, 2009 3:59:33 GMT -5
Kast Ulmuk
Baaniferan Province
Zekresh Empire
27th day, 2nd month, 41 Cledman VI
A certain tension hung in the air over the town at Kast Ulmuk. Refugees from the north were arriving daily and just as often heading farther south. None of the civilians believed that Kast Ulmuk would hold out against the horde of rebels and barbarians that had already overrun four provinces. If the fortresses at Kast Gorumyva and Kast Vort had not held out, why would the fortress at Kast Ulmuk?
Yandimuk, the Ulor (governor) of Baaniferan province, disagreed. He was determined that his province would be a rock of resistance that would break the rising tide of insurrection.
He had poured funds from the provincial budget into defense and Ekanor Falan (Lt. Gen.) Katosamuk had ordered the fortress prepared for a siege and also ordered all four kantoro of troops in the provincial garrison force concentrated at Kast Ulmuk. There was not enough room inside the fortress for them all, but the 1st Kantora Baaniferan and the 2nd Kantora Baaniferan, who were both normally stationed there, had barracks inside the fortress.
In the midst of all this, a young imperial army officer arrived on a spectacularly beautiful thoroughbred white Varlan stallion. At first the troops thought he was a messenger. Not for long.
Soon he and his horse were a common topic of conversation among the officers and men of the garrison.
"I heard that he bought a commission as a gurikan (captain) and was assigned command of the 2nd Kantora Baaniferan," (2nd Baaniferan Regiment) said Gurikan Skylifon, the Slythian who commanded the 3rd Kantora Baaniferan.
"I heard he requested a command in the North River Valley so he could get in on the action fighting the Tronds," said Gurikan Dashlon, a local Baaniferan who commanded the 1st Kantora Baaniferan, the best regiment in the province.
"I don't know if he requested this command, but we got word this morning that he's our new kantora commander," said Ekanor (lieutenant) Endar. Endar was short with prominent ears, like all of his people, the Eessians or 'Mouse People'. He was one of two junior officers in the 2nd Kantora Baaniferan. The other was Ekanor Quelik, one of the Frayeth people whose empire had stood and fallen before the Zekresh Empire. The Zekresh were mostly descended from the Frayeth.
Ekanor Quelik was there, but he said nothing.
"Where do you suppose he got that fantastic horse?" Gurikan Ne Doc asked. He was one of the Vummese people from Vumman province. He also commanded the 4th Kantora Baaniferan.
Ekanor Javeen from the 1st Kantora Baaniferan and originally from Foerfen province which had just been overrun by Trond barbarians two weeks ago said, "It's a Varlan thoroughbred. I heard that the man and the horse both came here straight from Varlan province."
"What's this guy's name, anyway?" asked Gurikan Dashlon.
"I don't know," said Ekanor Javeen.
Ekanor Quelik now spoke up, "Ekanor Falan Katosamuk told us, but I forgot. It was long and complicated."
Ekanor Terinata spoke up and said, "Did he have three different names?"
"Yes," Quelik said.
Terinata asked, "Was the last name Varl or Nyarl or Barl or something like that?"
"It was Varl," Quelik remembered.
Terinata said, "He's a Varl. Probably from Varlan province or possibly Ravelonia province. They all have three names. The first is their given name. The second is their clan name and the last is their tribe name."
"How do you know all that?" asked Gurikan Dashlon, Terinata's commanding officer.
Terinata smiled, "I come from Warnan Province. Varlan is just across Ravelonia from us and there are lots of Varls in Ravelonia, too. Some in Warnan, even."
"Where's he going to leave the horse if we march to Serat Shasa?" asked Gurikan Ne Doc.
"We're not going to march to Serat Shasa," Gurikan Dashlon said, "That was just a rumor."
Ekanor Endar said, "I think he's going to ride the horse into battle. We all are."
"What?" several officers asked at once.
"I, I mean..." Endar stuttered, "I mean all of us in the 2nd Kantora. I heard that the garrison commander, Ekanor Falan (Lt. Gen.) Katosamuk gave him permission to go confiscate horses from the civilians to equip 2nd Kantora Baaniferan as a cavalry unit."
That stopped the conversation.
Finally, Gurikan Skylifon said, "The empire doesn't have any cavalry units unless you count those pompous old aristocrats in the Order of Knights of the Empire, but I heard they don't actually have weapons or even horses. It's become a social club or something."
Ekanor Endar said, "Then we're about to be the empire's only cavalry."
Baaniferan Province
Zekresh Empire
27th day, 2nd month, 41 Cledman VI
A certain tension hung in the air over the town at Kast Ulmuk. Refugees from the north were arriving daily and just as often heading farther south. None of the civilians believed that Kast Ulmuk would hold out against the horde of rebels and barbarians that had already overrun four provinces. If the fortresses at Kast Gorumyva and Kast Vort had not held out, why would the fortress at Kast Ulmuk?
Yandimuk, the Ulor (governor) of Baaniferan province, disagreed. He was determined that his province would be a rock of resistance that would break the rising tide of insurrection.
He had poured funds from the provincial budget into defense and Ekanor Falan (Lt. Gen.) Katosamuk had ordered the fortress prepared for a siege and also ordered all four kantoro of troops in the provincial garrison force concentrated at Kast Ulmuk. There was not enough room inside the fortress for them all, but the 1st Kantora Baaniferan and the 2nd Kantora Baaniferan, who were both normally stationed there, had barracks inside the fortress.
In the midst of all this, a young imperial army officer arrived on a spectacularly beautiful thoroughbred white Varlan stallion. At first the troops thought he was a messenger. Not for long.
Soon he and his horse were a common topic of conversation among the officers and men of the garrison.
"I heard that he bought a commission as a gurikan (captain) and was assigned command of the 2nd Kantora Baaniferan," (2nd Baaniferan Regiment) said Gurikan Skylifon, the Slythian who commanded the 3rd Kantora Baaniferan.
"I heard he requested a command in the North River Valley so he could get in on the action fighting the Tronds," said Gurikan Dashlon, a local Baaniferan who commanded the 1st Kantora Baaniferan, the best regiment in the province.
"I don't know if he requested this command, but we got word this morning that he's our new kantora commander," said Ekanor (lieutenant) Endar. Endar was short with prominent ears, like all of his people, the Eessians or 'Mouse People'. He was one of two junior officers in the 2nd Kantora Baaniferan. The other was Ekanor Quelik, one of the Frayeth people whose empire had stood and fallen before the Zekresh Empire. The Zekresh were mostly descended from the Frayeth.
Ekanor Quelik was there, but he said nothing.
"Where do you suppose he got that fantastic horse?" Gurikan Ne Doc asked. He was one of the Vummese people from Vumman province. He also commanded the 4th Kantora Baaniferan.
Ekanor Javeen from the 1st Kantora Baaniferan and originally from Foerfen province which had just been overrun by Trond barbarians two weeks ago said, "It's a Varlan thoroughbred. I heard that the man and the horse both came here straight from Varlan province."
"What's this guy's name, anyway?" asked Gurikan Dashlon.
"I don't know," said Ekanor Javeen.
Ekanor Quelik now spoke up, "Ekanor Falan Katosamuk told us, but I forgot. It was long and complicated."
Ekanor Terinata spoke up and said, "Did he have three different names?"
"Yes," Quelik said.
Terinata asked, "Was the last name Varl or Nyarl or Barl or something like that?"
"It was Varl," Quelik remembered.
Terinata said, "He's a Varl. Probably from Varlan province or possibly Ravelonia province. They all have three names. The first is their given name. The second is their clan name and the last is their tribe name."
"How do you know all that?" asked Gurikan Dashlon, Terinata's commanding officer.
Terinata smiled, "I come from Warnan Province. Varlan is just across Ravelonia from us and there are lots of Varls in Ravelonia, too. Some in Warnan, even."
"Where's he going to leave the horse if we march to Serat Shasa?" asked Gurikan Ne Doc.
"We're not going to march to Serat Shasa," Gurikan Dashlon said, "That was just a rumor."
Ekanor Endar said, "I think he's going to ride the horse into battle. We all are."
"What?" several officers asked at once.
"I, I mean..." Endar stuttered, "I mean all of us in the 2nd Kantora. I heard that the garrison commander, Ekanor Falan (Lt. Gen.) Katosamuk gave him permission to go confiscate horses from the civilians to equip 2nd Kantora Baaniferan as a cavalry unit."
That stopped the conversation.
Finally, Gurikan Skylifon said, "The empire doesn't have any cavalry units unless you count those pompous old aristocrats in the Order of Knights of the Empire, but I heard they don't actually have weapons or even horses. It's become a social club or something."
Ekanor Endar said, "Then we're about to be the empire's only cavalry."