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| Aberswyth The Merchant stands to the right of Orc King Hoknath Of The Bloody Hand |
The drumming suddenly stopped. The troopers in Fort Bright, not feeling totally safe behind their moats and palisades, craned their necks to get a better view across the river at the enormous orc king barging his way through the gathered horde to the river bank.
King Hoknath Of The Bloody Hand clan was accompanied by a balding human merchant who the Fort Bright soliders knew as Aberswyth, one of the few merchants brave (foolish? greedy?) enough to trade with the orckind of Tanander.
Hoknath's skull-adorned scepter nudged Aberswyth closer to the water. The trader cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted across the water: "King Hoknath..."
Again, Hoknath nudged the trader, quite violently with his scepter. "King Hoknath, Mightiest Of His Name, Ruler Of All He Surveys, Crusher Of The Evil Eyes, Eviscerator Of The..."
Aberswyth looked back over his shoulder and Hoknath's jelly-like lip curled into a sneer.
"Eviscerator Of The Angry Claws, Render Of The Fast Dogs..." The list of Hoknath's titles went on for about five minutes before Aberswyth got to the king's demands: "...and Father Of The Strongest Whelps demands that the evil humans who raided his lands be handed over for punishment with all speed. Five were their number and five he wants for the pits. He says he has stuck by the treaty that was signed, but it doesn't surprise him that 'tricksy pale skins till try to steal his land'."
With that the drumming started up again.
Ten minutes later, a runner was dispatched from the fort to Bendwyn to relay a message to the town council. Captain Dexter Hammerhand made it clear that he wanted to see a representative of the council as soon as possible to explain what had gone on in Tanander.
