The Soldier's Letter Home

A letter preserved in the temple of Piotus. Believed to have been a solider of the City-State of Hemas during the conflict with the City-State of Rulies.

— -- Grent Kul-Palin, minor priest of Piotus

Dear Hela,

This is the fourth day of our assault on the Ruliesarii forces at Menas pike. This place was originally a wide meadow facing a small ridge that holds back the rain during particularly wet years, but now its a sodden, muddy mess. We dug a small number of trenches above the pike, and the Ruliesarii had a matching set on the other side of the meadow. The trenches have created a real problem - neither force is able to ignore the fortification, but even a strong victory in the meadow bogs down in crossing. Its an attrition battle now, where our greatest hope is that the enemy groups up somewhere we aren't so the lone artillery mage can explode them. Of course, we are under the same risk ourselves whenever we gather outside the trenches.

We have about sixty men here, the largest part of our city-states forces. Its amazing to see so much steel and weapons gathered in one place. Even more impressively, Hector of Hemas is with us, a massive orc champion of Talon. He is clad almost entirely in steel under his judge's robes and wields a massive maul that sends men flying during battle.

There's only a couple dozen of the Ruliesarii left, many of them having been killed or captured during their defeat at our walls, but their champion is a fearsome beast. He looks like an old human. I don't know how old humans have to be to get wrinkles and have their hair run white, but this one has done it. He's taller than Hector and almost as broad. I don't think he was at the wall and he doesn't seem particularly interested in joining in the proper battles as the soldiers of Rulies charge. What he does do is join every time Hector steps out, but not to fight him. Instead he lurks at the edge of the fight opposite of Hector, killing soldiers but never engaging with Talon's champion. Yet, he only appears when Hector does. Even stranger, he wears no armor and has only a long black knife. Its a wicked weapon and the human seems undeterred by either breastplate of helmet in placing his blows.

Hector is slowly going mad at this treatment, fuming that a champion would stoop to slaughtering common soldierly like yourselves instead of fighting him directly. I am forced to agree - if Hector or the stranger were to fall, this whole war would likely have to grind to a halt. Nobody goes to war without one and I'm pretty certain both parties are just looking for an excuse to end this slog. I'm not certain how this will play out, but I'm certain Hector will find a solution to the other champion as much as I'm certain our superior numbers will defeat their remaining troops.

Light a candle for me - at Talon's shrine. He has permitted his champion to this cause, perhaps he will also permit a foolish young man to come home with all his limbs intact.

Lieutenant Barker