City of Towers

A Sanguine Meeting

(The GM decided to do a flashback at this point, to go into what they were trying to accomplish, and establish the adventure)

The blood red moon sat low in the sky, a baleful eye watching over the camp. To have a name like The Bloody Bastards, one would think that it would not be a bother, but the blood moon normally presaged a terrible encounter by the words of the fates.

Callendin had been contacted by the long-promised 'Master' last moon, a shadowy figure that had identified himself as 'Baran Shade'. He'd tasked the sorcerer with finding a couple of good men in his group to help him in the tasks that Shade would have for him. Though he'd made himself useful to the group, he would by no means consider any his friends. But he had to make judgment calls and so that he could tap the right men for the job. Thankfully, he'd judged Baratus and Daakon right, and since then, they'd grown closer, if not friendlier. Though Shade was apparently commissioned for other work there and gave the team their missions, he suspected that others knew that they had something on the side with the man. That would have made him wary, if not for the fact that he'd seen the man in action on one of these tasks, and saw that he outstripped Callendin's own powers.

And so it was that he was not overly surprised when Shade strode into the encampment from the dark, clad in a smoky black uniform, his hood up and face covered as it always was. After all, the moon foretold that there would be trouble.

Callendin had been sitting by the firepit- one of the few they had on the march. It was one of the few times that they'd not been worried about the enemy, in the middle of nowhere. The sky was clear, and even the reddened blot in the sky couldn't kill his mood. One of his books was on his lap opened, but he wasn't concerned with it, lounging back, his elbows in the dirt as he draped his head back with his eyes closed. That restful moment was interrupted by the sudden silence. His head snapped forward, and he saw just who he didn't want to see. This last month had been a whirlwind, and though he had learned a bit, he saw himself as mostly a tool. And what were tools for, but to be used.

Shade talked to their unit leader for a moment, then came for Callendin. “Gather the others, and meet me at the south edge of the camp.” It was a command, not a question, and he didn't wait for confirmation before walking away.

Sighing, he tucked his feet under him and rolled forward to come to a standing position. By now, he knew not to question Shade and turned to find his companions, only to find that they were already there.

“Like we didn't know by now,” Daakon said, not happy at their downtime being disturbed. “I wish I'd said no.”

Baratus remained silent, his flat eyes inscrutable as he eyed the exchange.

“You think I don't?” Callendin shot back. “But if wishes were horses, we'd all have had steak for dinner.” He turned towards their destination, motioning back for them without looking. “Come on. We don't want to keep him waiting.”

With nothing else to say, they walked towards the edge of the camp. Shade stood there, beneath the tree canopy, watching their approach.

“As ordered,” Callendin said when they arrived.

Shade casually waved a gauntleted hand, and a stump appeared to the right of the trio. “Your orders are there,” he said, his voice strangely quiet in the night.

Callendin took the three folded pieces of paper, and saw elaborate script on the outside, their names illuminated in text. Wax sealed the documents, with a sigil that none of them recognized.

Not waiting for the sorcerer, Daakon grabbed the one with his name.

Callendin shot him a glare, even as he handed Baratus his.

Baratus looked at the paper as if it was a serpent, opening his only after the other two had started to do the same.

The orders attached them to Baran Shade for special duty for an indeterminate length of time. “That took longer than it should have,” Shade said as they read. “But now that it's done, we have much to accomplish.”

“Your troop will be moving on soon on other orders- if there is anything you need from camp, I'd suggest that you get it, and join me here quickly.”

Taking that as a dismissal, Callendin turn to leave.

Daakon cursed beneath his breath as they walked back to camp. “Dammit, Cal, what did you get us into.”

For once, Callendin didn't immediately rejoin Daakon's rebuke, stuck in his thoughts. This couldn't be good.

The others were already packing up camp when they returned. They were apparently moving out tonight also. Murmurs greeted them as they drew closer, sidelong glances being thrown their way as their comrades tried to figure out what to say to them.

Baratus was as usual inscrutable, gathering his meagre belongings and saying goodbye to no one. By the looks they gave the trio, he was sure that they already knew. And what else was there to say?

Daakon in contrast, talked a bit to a couple of the guys. They asked questions that he couldn't answer, and said that orders had come down that they were to move to the east- though they really didn't know much more at this point. It was a bit awkward, as his association with whatever was going on had made a lot of exchanges as of late. But not knowing if they'd see each other again made that of secondary importance.

Callendin was somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. Packing up his items and preparing his horse. Talking to the commanding officer to make sure that the orders were on the up and up. He thanked him for looking out for him, which the commander waved off, letting him know that he was a good officer- better than he'd expected at first. He'd known that his time was limited, so wasn't too surprised at the new orders. It was ... better than Callendin had expected.

Their goodbyes and packing done, they headed in the opposite direction from their comrades, towards the rendevouz with an uncertain future. Shade was waiting when they arrived, seeming as nothing but the harbinger of ill fate, almost blending in the darkness. They noticed when they arrived, a piece of paper was on the stump where their orders had been before.

“Make your way back to Sharn, and go to that address in the Clifftop district. You'll receive your next assignment there.” He started to fade from sight, with only a final benediction, “Do not fail me in this.”