Help for the homeland

Looking down the slowly cresting hill to where once stood the peaceful village of Levil, one could easily see wisps of smoke curling into the beautiful blue cloudless sky. The weather was that of spring, the smallest hints of heat bursting forth and calling the flowering plants out of their wintery desolation.

But all this beauty was all but lost on the small band that stood atop the hill looking down at the wisps of smoke as they were swept away by the slightest breeze that rustled through the treetops.

The breeze itself was nothing odd enough to write home about, in fact on the edge of the old oak forest there was usually a bit of wind coming from some direction or another blowing through the small village.

Levil was small enough to be overlooked by most, and out of the way enough to not even bother with most travelers. In fact, the only things that even kept Levil on the map was its reputation for fine lumber production at its massive sawmill and the one towering mage tower near the center of town where a few old wizards kept themselves locked away for the most part, content on living a peaceful orderly life of research and tranquility. The way of life for the people of Levil had gone on for quite a long time with little to no change; most change that came to this community left right along with whatever wild brained traveler brought it with him, and the people were well content to do things as they had always done them.

That was until just a mere two days before, when out of the woods a stealthy force of disgraced Order warriors and their ilk had come pouring out and mounted what constituted a swift and all out assault on the town in an effort to prove their loyalty to their new dark lord by seeking out and destroying this hidden little valley of peace.

It was this destruction that the small band atop the hill now rode down towards; having heard the rumors of a recently disgraced powerful knight having turned to the dark ways, they had been keen to seek out information for themselves. Riding into town they saw small fires still burning as the last of the flammable structures disintegrated into burning embers. Here and there the rubble of the stone bakery and a few other structures could be seen in shambles, and the once majestic mage tower now lay shattered across a number of crushed buildings, pulled down by the attackers.

Scattered about a few dead bodies could be seen obviously painfully ensured that there was no chance of survival, but all in all there was a decide lack of dead-which could only mean one of two things, most of the residents had been able to flee or. . . .the fates awaiting them were much MUCH worse at the altar of sacrifice!

As the small band rode into the town a single low moan could be heard as it echoed through the desolate empty streets. It came from the tower; should the band investigate it they would find an elderly gentleman with a friendly countenance; a countenance that spoke of unspeakable pain and horror at the moment. "Help! Help me!" He wheezed at the sound of the small band coming into town.

*Feel free to join as the leader or a member of the scouting party-I left it distinctively classless for whatever anyone wants to use.

**Please someone rescue the old man, he is kind of my character; if you can't guess he is an Order mage, or a cooky old man-I guess time will tell!

*** Please don't eat me!

Ren and his men stared at the rubbles of the town in surprise. Their was a mix of feelings between all of the crossbowmen and a few knights, but the biggest one was rage, enspecially Ren.
Ren prepared his crossbow as he rode slowly to the destroyed town. A few tears swelled up in his eyes as he though about his childhood home, now in ruins. While he wasn't born in Levil, he always thought of it as his home away from home, and now both were in ruins.

Ren quickly gave orders to search for survivers, but he doubted any would be found. This work was of the dark lord, or perhaps goblins, being that they were somewhat common here, though never enough to destroy the entire town. Perhaps it was the work of some other being, but the death elves seemed to fit for what happened here.

As he dismounted, he noticed the horsetracks that were around. He quicly identified them, and was puzzled. It seemed that the horses were carrying something heavy. Unless they took prisoners and carried them on horses, the horses weren't carrying elves.

Suddenly, Ren heard something. a cry for help. Quickly he stood up and rushed over, leaving his horse. He ran to the source of the cries, which was the tower.

When he was there, he started calling out. "Where are you?" As he called out, his men came to him, hearing the cries also.

The wizened old man could scarce believe his ears, could it be possible? Someone had come? Or was it just another trick to get any remaining survivors?

"Ahh, darn it all," He hissed under his breath to himself, if it was ordained that he survive and be rescued, so be it, if his fate was something much worse, what could he do to change it? So summoning up the last of his energies and with a shallow feble cry cast a seering spell all aboubst him in an effort to see who it was that approached. Those nearby would feel nothing as the spirits bent to his will and determined their loyalty, but in his pain a small cry escaped his lips, and when no warnings of danger returned, the man fainted outright.

Ren's ears caught the sound of an old man in pain. He quickly hurried over to the sound, and found the unconscious man.

"Over here Men!" Quickly, his men rushed over, and quickly helped out. They first tried to move the old man, but the old man couldv'e had broken bones. So, slowly and carefully, they carried him to a clearer area of the tower, where everyone wasn't plague with rubble, but were still inside the tower. The men were gathering firewood and setting up a camp, while Ren attended the old man, waiting for him to awake.

The old man, now propped against one of the many tumbled massive stones that had once beenbthe beautiful mage tower, slowly began to awaken. Slowly, almost painfully, he began to look about, taking note of the small band that was now making themselves busy throughout the area,

Slowly he spoke, "Survivors. Have you found any survivors?"

Ren reacted qquickly to the old man's revival. He frowned at the question, though he tried not to.

"No sir, only you have been found." Quitely he picked up a piece of bread and offered it. "Mind telling me what happened?"

The old man slowly took the piece of bread and looked at the young ranger squatting next to him.

"I do not know all that happened. I was sitting in my study alone, pouring over some recently acquired ancient scripts from the darker faiths in hopes of better understanding that which is now tearing through the lands. Suddenly I heard screams outside and suddenly, the screams were gone. I got up and looked outside and to my horror I saw the sky had turned black, not black like on a moonless night, but only a black I have seen in my deepest and darkest meditations, and in the streets I could see shadows, hundreds of shadows. They tore doors off of their hinges, broke through walls and drug people from their homes. I quickly turned from the window and began down the stairs, intent on finding my brethren and trying to stand against this darkness. As I ran down the stairs I could feel the fear and hatred that was consumning the village, I could hear nothing, as if the world had suddenly lost all sound. Then quite suddenly I felt the tower, protected by thousands of years of ancient magic, shudder and begin to fall, The next thing I knew I was woken up by the sound of birds chirping and the smell of smoke and ash. I sat pinned underneath that stone for hours until you and your men rescued me. I don't know how long I was out or what became of any of the others. I am sorry." and with that the old man lowered his head and took a bite of the bread before continuing,
"Tell me ranger, have your men found ANY of my ancient texts? I had a thick blackened leatherbound book with a variety of ancient writings in them. It is my life's work. On it's cover is the emblem of a single sword wrapped expertly in a strand of water and a bolt of lightning. The sword is stuck like Exalibur into a flaming boulder. If you can have your men search for it, I can only pray that it has not fallen into whatever dark enemy hands destroyed this place."


**OOC** Just an F.Y.I. if it is in italics it is semisomewhat important. Your fella' might want to pick up on it.

Ren listened to the old man, not sure what to think. The description definately sounded like dark elves and balkoth, but why would they go for such an out-of-the-way place? the town was nothing campared to other cities. Unless they were looking for something, but that was ridiculous.

"i have never seen that book, nor ever heard of it. And i can assure you, if one of my men had found one like it, they would have told me right away." Ren said. Then he leaned in closer. "Do you have any idea why the dark elves, or whatever would go for such a far away place like this? It seems unlikely that" Ren was about to say Balkoth, but thought better of it. "that the dark one would spare forces to strike such a worthless place."

The old man tore another piece of the bread off and slowly chewed it as the Ranger leaned in and whispered.

"The followers of," he looked around as he spoke, "the dark lord, should never have been able to find this place. The ancient magics were supposed to protect it from any with the pursuit of evil in their hearts. I do not know how they managed to find us; unless this is somehow part of the order of the world and it is simply time for the end to begin, but I cannot think that it is time for the end of all to begin."

As he swallowed the last of the bread, the old man slowly pulled himself to his feet, "As for worthless, why do you think the ancient elemental giants placed such great protections on our small village if it were not of some great importance? All we can do is hope that whatever they have done to my two brothers. . .that they can hold up or have already gone on."

Then turning to look at the ranger he asked, "Do you and your men possess any skills at tracking? Perhaps we can follow these raiders; but first, please have your men check to be sure that my book is not here."

And with that the old wizened man slowly began to pick his way through the rubble of the tower, picking up *Another word used for poo was once here* of paper and other odds, examining them, and then throwing them over his shoulder, while every once in a while shoving one odd *Another word used for poo was once here* of paper or odd and end into his pocket.

Ren quickly tried to stop the old man, fearing that he was not well yet. As he did so, he called his men, and explained the situation. They all nodded, and immidiantly went to searching, to no avail. They found a few books and items of interest, but nothing like the one they were looking for.

Ren continued to talk to the old man. "I bear great skills at tracking. We can leave as soon as possible. From what i have gathered, their on horseback, but they were carrying something heavy, like armor, or perhaps prisoners. We'll have the slight advantage"

"Wherever they are going will not be a good place. I will need a horse, and your men will always need to be on their guard." The old man replied as he came back to stand by the ranger, obviously ready to depart as quickly as possible, "Is there anyone else who might be able to help us? I fear we will not be strong enough to stop these raiders."

**Here's a spot for you to enter chroden

Ren aswered simply. "We would have an element of surprise, and we may not neccesarily have to fight. Planning does wonders. One man could fight an army if the man was willing and smart enough."

Ren continued. "As far as i can guess, nobody else knows you lived, nor that i exist. From the tracks i saw, we could travel faster than whomever attacked you, and it may be just a simple matter of stealing"