[Baalz]

Farbaute flung a half eaten haunch of pig aside and belched. Reaving had been good to him and it would be time to let out the greaves of his cuirass again. Tales has spread throughout the land of his blazing trail across the countryside, his men looting and burning, eating the finest of the foods and drinking the finest of the wines before burning and spoiling the rest. The Shadowdale militia had hardly put up a fight, they’d obviously been fearing the day his banner appeared and had no heart for fighting the scourge of north.

Meanwhile, in the western deserts another hero feared throughout the land gazed down the hill at something new. Gudrod studied the banner flapping atop the pole in the village center. It would appear his reavers had finally cut a path to one of the more organized nations of man for this was the banner of Marverni. Eager for blood, his warband prepared to put another nest of vermin to the sword, but Gudrod held them. He had special instructions for dealing with Marverni. “Bring me their mayor. Alive, and kill no one.”

This surprised his lieutenant, but his wishes were carried out immediately. Glamoured raiders crept into the mayor’s house and spirited him up the hill to attend Gudrod. “Listen well human, you do not have leave to speak. You will bring a message to whoever styles himself your king. The Master Druid Zanbarth has declared a cleansing and the nation of Helheim it’s instrument. Your encampment sits upon ancestral Helheim lands, we claim the whole of the Anaurch under our banner from The Sword to the High Ice. Master Zanbarth has fond memories and old friends on your council of druids and has instructed us to spare your people if possible. Yet order must be restored and the overgrown bush of humanity trimmed. If you yield the Northwest Anaurch and Western High Ice we will compensate you for displacing your people and sign a treaty leaving everything west of this to you. These lands are barren and of little benefit to your nation, yet important to Helheim. If you prove yourself a friend of the Vanir we will protect you from the more barbarous and vicious nations of your ilk, there could be much benefit to you as we clear the land of those of your kind less willing to restore the land to balance. You have one fortnight to consider and accept this treaty and begin moving your people.”

As the terrified mayor was pushed back to stumble into his sleeping village Gudrod ordered “Send word to Farbaute and Afe that I require support on the western front. Word has it that the Hangadrott Siguard has ridden out at the head of his own personal army, send word to him as well. This human king may require blood to flow if he believes we are bluffing. Meanwhile, let us take position inside their lands. We will merely observe for now.”