[Peda] Woe to the Pedisians

Gauls · May 1, 2008, 09:35 AM

Brgthng 1, Cycle 1, Month of Kalendryas, in the Season of Winter,
Era I of the Celestine Mandate,
Era XV Post Fractum

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A small city, perhaps better described as a village with almost 1,000 citizens including the farmers on the edge town who cultivate hemp and sisal, as well as a few food products to supplement the abuntant seafood. Peda is a coastal community with an extensive waterfront. As expected, there is a well established fishing community and a Fish Processing Plant. The main product is pickled fish. Fish filets are soaked in brine composed of vinegar, salt and spices, then rolled and placed in jars along with the brine. The product is quite tasty, nourishing and keeps quite well for more than two eras.

With the recent climate change warming the waters, a new industry developed, shrimping. The shrimp are enjoyed locally as a regular fresh staple. Additionally, the excess shrimp are salted and exported in that manner.

A local boatyard manufactures fishing boats and provides repairs. Nearby is a rope and string manufacturing facility. Here they take the sisal and hemp that that is grown just outside the city limits and make many products up to heavy mooring lines and ship fenders. Additionally, fishing nets of many sizes are made.

The City is run by a loose council of a few of the most successful fishermen. The oldest of them is designated as The Peda Elder. It is The Peda Elder who rules on local disputes and deals with Outsiders. Peda maintains Volunteer Regulators who are not quite a Militia but more of a police force. The number of Regulators is usually about 50 young men but at any given time most of them are fishing, farming or sleeping. Not much happens in Peda to require their attention. It is a peaceful community.

There is no city wall, nothing resembling a fortification and not even a Gaol.

The seasons change and the people of Peda were finishing up their preparations this late afternoon for a celebration to be held later in the evening. It would be a celebration of the changing of the seasons. It was not cold yet as the heat of the past summer was still waining, keeping the temperatures in a comforatable yet slightly humid range. The fishermen were rigging their boats with the nets and gear that they would need for the nightly trip out to the fishing grounds to set their traps and place their shrimping nets. Children were playing around the central courtyard in eager anticipation of the coming evening festivities.

All seemed pleasant and nothing seemed remiss on this first day of winter until there came a scream from a field far off to the north east of the city. It was a cry that alerted the farmer who was tending his hemp field not far from where the scream had originated. The farmer's first thought was that it was his daugther who had perhaps come across a snake in the field or maybe she cut her finger on one of his old rusted tools that he had left over in that part of the field. The man's heart raced as the thought of his daughter in need caused him to sprint across the field in that direction. When he got to the spot where he heard the scream, he initially did not see anything. He looked around calling his daughter's name.

"Erlya! Erlya!" he cried out but there was no response. Looking around some more, he spotted one of Erly's shoes. Walking a bit more, he froze. He spotted drops of blood. It seemed to confirm his fears. She was hurt but where... he had only to take a few more steps then dropped to his knees. He saw the foot and leg of his daughter sticking out from behind a hemp bush. The farmer crawled upon his knees toward his daughter and as she came into view, he burst into tears and cries of agony. There, Erlya lay face down on the ground with a arrow in her back.

It was a black shaft arrow with gray fletching. What beast would use such a hideous looking weapon upon a small child? The farmer could only see his dead daughter on the ground. He could hear nothing but his heart breaking in his chest. He could only taste the salty tears running down onto his lips. He didn't even notice the 4 foot tall creature that was standing not 30 feet from him with shortbow drawn and anchored, ready to fire.

The farmer slowly looked toward the beast, a goblin with a twisted facial expression looking down the shaft of a black shaft arrow aimed straight at him. Without a sound, not even a whimper, the farmer looked on as tears rolled down his dirt covered face. It was all over with a quick release of the goblin's bowstring. The farmer slumped over in a heap with the arrow protruding from his eye socket.

(OOC)The 5th Ushtar

Soon, cries began to come from all corners of the city. It took a few moments before the people in the main part of town realized what was going on. Terrified citizens ran screaming into the town square.

"Goblins!" they yelled wildly.

They were everywhere. Like locausts they scrurried here and there taking pop shots at anyone they came across. The citizen soldiers of the city were just as paniked as the others. Not knowing where to go or what to do, they went with the crowds that were pushing their way toward the docks where the fishermen were there preparing their boats to head out fishing.

Lights from flames began to appear in the late afternoon light. They were danicng around like sparklers kids would hold and watch burn during the fireworks displays some seasons ago. These flame however were tied to arrows. The flaming projectiles were being launched from the goblins shortbows toward the thatched roofs of some of the houses and toward the boats that were moored out in the waters. Torching the only escape that the towns folk had available to them.

Because of the speed of the attack and the panic that occurred, resistance to the assault attempting to be formed by the 50 or so defenders of the city was problematic. What resistance there was might soon evaporate when the arrival of wave after wave of orc appeared on all sides of the city. There was no way to go but toward the beaches. The citizens massed upon the docks trying to throw themselves upon the boats that the fishermen were desperately trying to get unhitched from the docks to get away. If too many more got aboard these small vessels, they would soon be swamped.

Gauls · May 2, 2008, 12:25 AM

The orcs rushed in. Not even an alarm had a chance to be sounded. There were whooping calls being thrown up by the cheering orcs as wave after wave swept over the city. The 50 man militia managed to kill a couple orcs but sheer numbers overwhelmed their position killing a dozen of them before they threw up their hands to avoid the inevitable.

The city was rich in spoils. The orcs tore into the stores of food and would have eaten it all had the commanding orc put a stop to it. There were goblin archers on the banks of the coast still firing at the dozen fishing boats that made it off shore with about 250 survivors. The boats headed south and east hopefully toward safe lands. Some 20 residents managed to slip past the advancing horde by hiding in the fields and other nooks and crannies and waiting for the orcs to simply pass them by. Once clear, they would spring up and disappear into the growing darkness.

In all, about 100 citizens were slaughtered in the surprise attack. The other 600 citizens all huddled along the shore as the orc horde moved in closer. They were not going to kill them, they were going to subjugate them. The Peda Elder was among the captured. He was led around by the arm by his great-nephew, a 12 year old boy that never left his side. A burly looking orc was barking orders to his forces not to kill or spoil the town. It was obvious that the orcs had orders not to sack the city for some reason. Not fearing the orcs one bit, the old man had his nephew lead him over to the orc. Maybe this one could be reasoned with.

As they approached, the large orc looked down at the bent over old man. "Wa' ju want shara" the orc bellowed and pointed his axe at the elder.

"No... he just wants..." the young boy started to say to protect his great-uncle.

"Hush boy! Let it be!" he snapped gingerly then turned his attention to the orc. "You have attacked our peaceful city for what cause? Do we burden the orcs of Ire so that we must be punished?"

The orc glared at the old man, drew back a large arm and with a great swipe backhanded the old man across the face.

"Nar use "Ire" when talkin' 'bout da great city fortress of Orckon!" the orc roared as the old man fell to his knees. "Count ju selfs lucky! Da Gothmog Kitot say dat ju live today!"

The prisoners all looked to one another. It was a relief to hear but there had to be a catch. There were women, children, babies, sick, and old in the group. Surely they would have some mercy.

The orc commander waved a hand and goblins scurried in. They pulled out very young kids, tore babies from their mother's arms, and tried to pick at least one of every family that was represented in the group in all about 175 people out of the 600 survivors. All that was left was a capable group of hard laborers. So the orcs were thinking. The goblins began to lead the group they pulled out away from the shore and off into the ranks of the horde. As they left, there were screams and cries not to take them but to no avail.

"Now, ju left here now gonna serve as snaga to da Great Horde. Ju got machines here dat make food, machines dat fix boats, an' food. Lots of food. Dat wud da Gothmog say ju gonna work fer. Ju here keep supplies comin' ta Orckon forces, ju live. Ju send one shipment north ta Narim every cycle. Ju late wit shipment, urak kill one of ju family member or whelps an' send dim back to ju in box. Really small box."

There came gasps from the slaves. To add insult to injury, they were now being forced to supply the very forces that attacked them. It was an insult but one which none could do anything about.

"Ju nar send shipment at all or da shipment nar enough, da horde ju see here gonna come back an' bury ju alive, here on dis beach!"

The orc's words echoed into the dark that was setting in. The shapes of the orcs surrounding the group were cast in shadow from the fires that burned some of the homes in the city. The orc commander turned and walked back through the ranks of orcs and goblins. He stopped then yelled something out in orkish turning his troops loose to loot the town. No burning, no more killing unless attacked were his orders. The survivors were reserved to their fate.

Secrets :

Gauls · May 2, 2008, 08:49 AM

Brightening 2

The 6th Ushtar gothmog toured the captured city. Some in the legions might question why the orcs would waste time taking a non-combative city like Peda. It was simple, food. The orcs needed to secure a food supply source to counter the blockades that were stopping trade and food lines coming from all parts of the province and outside the Sheria borders. The Imperials had to of known that blocking the food and trade to the orcs was going to provoke them into action. Also, what the other races might not have known was that where they saw nothing of worth, the orc would find treasure. Everything from the hemp out in the field to the wood and thatch that made up the walls, roofs, and beds of the citizen's homes could be useful in the orc society. Ire was dependant upon some basics that other races take for granted like pre-cut wood for construction.

The gothmog set to preparing his new prize to receive a counter attack. The simple boats that fishermen once used to ply their trades were piled high with dry tender. These would be set alight and then drifted out toward any enemy ships that might approach from the sea. A four foot berm was being constructed along the approaches to the city from the east and north. It was not formittable but at least it was a fixed position from which a stand could be made. Simple watch towers were being raised at various locations to give warning when any Imperials approached.

The 6th was a new horde made mostly of Lughorns but they were proving to be excellent manual laborers. They toiled with an urgency knowing that they needed to get some sort of defenses up to avoid the routing like the garrison here did against them. All sorts of useful comodities, medical supplies, a few weapons and armaments, loot, and food were being loaded up on wagons on the north road preparing to be shipped deep within orc territory. Large herds of horses were taken in this raid as well. Some farmers were raising them to sell and use as farm beasts of burden. Now they would be put to another use. They were now being herded up the road toward Orckon. Most other animals and even pets were slaughtered on sight and their flesh hacked off into fillets to feed the hungry orcs. These troops were going to celebrate tonight.

The gothmog sent out messengers to Ire and the Great Horde informing them that their mission had been completed. He already knew what was next to do but he could not move off to that goal until the city of Peda was secured. He had the forced loyalty of the citizens by terrorizing them and their relatives. They continued to work their normal jobs under the watchful eyes of their oppressors. They had to fill the supply requests of Ire. As long as the supply wagons keep rolling, the hordes could continue their campaign.