At the Shrine of War
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It's not that the shrine is infested … but there does seem to be the odd large rat scurrying about. Maybe they have been attracted to the shrine by the murals painted on the stone work? The murals have been pained in blood and ... is that ... some kind of fowl smelling mud?
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The statue at the shrine, as well as the altar, have been smashed to pieces.
A crude mound of clay and dirt (and … could that be ... poo?) sits where the statue of Tempus once stood. The statue's broken hands have been inserted so that they stick out of the sides of the mound, and the statue's severed head is perched on top.
Upon the shattered alter offerings are still being left; weapons, armour, scraps of food and goblinoid trinkets.
Functional, but a bit of a mess.
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Of late, any passerbys at the shrine would have noted a slender female figure waiting at the treeline, her attention on the shrine. Wearing a tattered naval coat and cradling something wrapped in rough cloth.
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_The shrine of Tempus appears to have frequented by what at first appears to be a vandal. Murals painted in blood showing a small stick figure killing kobold stick figures adorn the base of the altar, parts of the floor and various pillars. The odd goblinoid trinket lays on the offering platter, along with numerous weapons of Kobold and lizard folk make.
The odd traveller and adventurer has spotted a goblin worshiping at the shrine, but he is quick to scurry off when seen._
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_Changing the teachings to something perhaps more practical, Hammer asks the participants to bring whatever weapon they would have available if they would need it, resulting in quite a varied group of people. Some of them are armed with large kitchen knives, others with staffs or clubs, and two or three of them have crossbows.
On the whole, the trainings do become a lot more educative as the trainees no longer have matched weapons. After being paired up and given some pointers, the different people are left to spar, with Hammer moving trough the groups offering advice and corrections, and healing whatever bruises or cuts result from the training.
He also gives some seperate training to those few that brought a crossbow, with the help of a simple archery target, little more than two stacked crates with a few circles painted on them.
"Training with a bow or crossbow is always a good idea. They're not so difficult to use, and you can still be quite deadly. The biggest advantage is of course range, but don't let that fool you. If something charges you, you might be able to get one or two arrows off at best, and a bow is pretty useless in close combat. Still, an arrow is just as dangerous to a goblin, or a kobold, or an orc."_
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When he has a moment, Hammer goes to talk to Devlin, seeming quite curious about the apparant brother in faith.
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Devlin, attending his usual duties at the Shrine of stocking the braziers and delivering a few self-made weapons to the coffers of the shrine, he casually turns his head back, watching Hammer train with the attendees. Most looks are met with a cringe to the face and a shaking of the head as he watches some of the tactics the attendees use, but on rare occasion you find that his eyes light up when some use more thought out and advanced tactics, which are also met with a slight grin, and a stern, sagely nod.
He seems to be fully armed while on site, and though he may seem to be there out of coincidence, perhaps he is there to make sure things don't get out of hand. The symbol on the crossbar of his blade held in a scabbard at his side matches many of the symbols found throughout the temple, and even those that don't know Devlin, or do not frequent the shrine very often would instantly know that the man belongs there.
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_After a few irregular days of training, mostly organised when the majority of the attendees have the time to do so and sometimes little more than a few evening hours, the training moves from swords to staves, as each trainee is given a quarterstaff, shown the right way to hold it and basic swings. Then, more sparring.
Moving trough the group, Hammer advises and corrects where necessary, and tends to any true injuries. Bruises and scrapes are left to heal on their own though.
"That's the thing about fighting. No matter how good you get, you're still going to get hit now and then. It's not all about giving, it's also about getting. As long as you give more than you get, you'll be alright. That's why you're here after all, to prepare to give more than you get. That's the way to win a fight, a battle and a war."_
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_One morning, Hammer and those cityfolk who were interested in what he has to teach gather on the field outside the shrine. A rack with wooden swords and a few practice dummies have been set up.
"Alright everyone. I think you all know that this is a dangerous land, so I'm offering you some free lessons on how to use a sword. I'm not going to teach you how to become an adventurer or a soldier, but I'm going to teach you how you can at least handle a sword when you have to. So, everyone take one of these practice swords and we'll get started."
After the wooden swords have been spread amongst those gathered, he starts showing them some basic techniques.
"The first thing you want to remember is to hold your sword with one hand, not two. Most people think that holding it with both hands puts more strength into your swings, but it's really the opposite. This isn't a greatsword either, so just hold it with one hand.
Secondly, you don't swing with your wrist, you swing with your shoulder. That'll let you put more strength behind your swing. Try it like this…"And so begins a day of teaching and training, as Hammer teaches the cityfolk different basic techniques, first by just practicing swings, then against the dummies and finally some simple sparring._
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Word spreads, particularly around Peltarch, that free lessons in weapon handling will be given soon at the shrine, aimed particularly at merchants, farmers, cityfolk and others who would have little to no experience with such things, but still interested in learning to defend themselves.
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An Elven ranger clad all in grey dismounts his unsaddled horse nearby the shrine and approaches the great statue of Tempus, the Lord of Battles. He speaks loudly and in Elven words, perhaps a prayer of sorts, or a vow - or both.
"You visited us on the day that I fell. It was not a good death, it was not a fair death. Though you are not my God I will not do to you the disservice of failing to recognize your presence there. Since then I am given a second chance, but to those who I would visit my vengeance, they are now dead and gone. So I can only promise this to you; that I will use this chance to continue to fight with honour. And to die better."
At the end of his speech he bows his head and places a dagger among the offerings to Tempus. He simply leaves the shrine and rides off to the north, slowly on horseback.
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((OOCly yes, do with that info as you will, but only if your PC would know IC))
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((Is the Shrine of Tempus considered to be on Peltarch soil? IIRC, it is. Maya had to ask permission for it's construction, and it's on the same map as the outer wall defenses. Can a DM please clarify?))
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_Hammer holds a night-long vigil at the shrine, gathering the different parts and laying out the bodies as best as he can. He chants the lays of the dead, commending the souls of those who died to Tempus.
Sergeant Ivor Marsk, Commander of the Damarran Steel Fang 1st Company, 3rd Sword "The Furies".
First Fang Katerin Bersk Marsk' second.
Fang Navarra of the proud Rashemi.
Fang Zora Starag, who had the makings of a great priestess.
Fang Talindra Sunblade, the taciturn scout of the Furies.The names are solemnly recorded onto the piece of framed parchment Hammer carries on his chest plate, alongside other honoured fallen, including several of them Legionaires, who died in Jiyyd or against the Dracolich, and other names. Some forgotten, some still fresh. All preserved.
During the morning, Hammer gathers up what remains of the Furies' equipment, treating the Sergeant's spiked gauntlet with particular reverence. He then builds five pyres, laying the bodies on them. At noon, the pyres are lit and continue to burn until the next sundown.
Curiously, word also trickles along the pass that the spirit of one of the warriors briefly appeared, saluted Hammer and vanished.
As to those responsible.. Hammer seems to believe that it was Oscurans, as he claims that a witness saw a man with a curved greatsword, known as "Sogar", walk away from the scene, covered in fresh blood, still wearing his Peacekeeper cloak. Another Oscuran was also sighted at the scene; an unnamed but known Malarite._
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It definitely happened.
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A battle ensued upon the soils of the hollowed shrine to tempus. Blood was spilled and no guards were left standing… Only blood could be seen from this horrific site. Bodies missing heads and blood spued upon the shrine. A helmed bloodied figure could possibly been seen walking into peltarch shortly after. When asked if he knew what had happened he simply replied. "dead men tell no tales"
((there was a bloody fight that was overseen by dm))
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As she passes the bloody scene outside the shrine of Tempus, the Dirge leans down to the body of a temposan woman, ghasping for the last desperate breaths she will ever make, Aune leans down and slides a small bone needle into her neck, her actions hidden from view by the long frolds of her robes, draining something whilst whispering.
"Shhh, it will come soon enough, close your eyes and give unto him."
Slipping away quietly before the other temposans arrive. she makes her way to norwick, if stopped…
" 'twas naught within my power to save her, she was upon his door already."
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A small group of red-armored warriors bearing the symbol of Tempus arrive from the south, lead to the shrine by Hammer. Are they there to guard the shrine? Reinforcements to fight the Shadovar? The vanguard of a Temposan invasion? A combination of all three, and more?
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((There needs to be a DM overseeing things like this happening when PCs do them. As far as we can tell, no DM did watch it over. Therefore I'd be inclined to say "it never happened".))
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((Can the DM please confirm wether this happened or not? There seems to be some confusion about this.))
