Diaries The Saga Of Berra — Fragment 3
1625
Tall as a priestess encrowned by the morning
Berra led soldiers and herdsmen in ritual
Joining in food all the scattered and nervous
Bravening bolstering boasting of future
Sword-blades were darkened and shields by blows sundered
Undead were rising and downhill were tumbling
Berra stood firm in the ranks with D’Val then
Sword for sword flashing and buried in grey flesh
Swift her companions and swift were the arrows
Planted in air by the fierce Serala
Swift were the hooves of the cavalry bison
Swift was the sword of D’Val the Humakti
Slowly attaining the top of the hillfort
Wading through corpses that clutched with their dead hands
Berra sent Rajar and Serala scouting
Rajar gave out his loud sounding of challenge
In the thatched temple that once stood to Humakt
Vampire had woken and reached for Serala
Wisely she moved to the right range for arrows
Nocking her favourite she shot into combat
Proud Rajar charged the white woman of undeath
Only to find that Serala’s sharp arrow
Striking a spot with the force of the living
Wounded the vampire which turning to mist fled
Heroes attended and seeing the vampire
Looked at the building in puzzle and horror
Berra’s sharp eyes like an eagle’s on rabbits
Spotted the runes on the old temple doorway1This was of course the Temple of Humakt, defiled by the undead
Young in her anger but old in her wisdom
Berra cried out for D’Val of the Sword-Road
Called upon Humakt to sharpen her weapon
Not understanding D’Val’s aged cunning
Setting the Fire-Spell along his iron broadsword
D’Val requested of Rajar a favour
Lifting the Duck as a mother her children
Rajar gave height to the proud Runelord’s Fireblade
Burning the thatch D’Val travelled in splendour
Safe on the arms of the great Bison rider
Berra stepped back with her blade wreathed in chill fire
Pride in her heart for D’Val and his cunning
Turned then the talk to the other thatched temples
Hoping to save any undefiled altar
Berra strode up to the next but to fall there
Touched by a vampire as slack fell her sword-arm
In to the shadow of that befouled building
Ran the brave warrior writer of sagas
Vestra of letters the wrighter of stories
Holding her war-axe and grabbing for Berra
When she awoke on the back of the bison
Berra found victory lying before her
Gone were the vampires in purity fires
Mellia stood by her half-bloody temple
Great was the victory up atop Whitewall
Great were the numbers of dead sent to resting
Never a death in the ranks of the heroes
Two wounds the total among all the fyrdmen
Tall stood the hero D’Val in the ashes
Embers about him and embers before him
Humakt’s proud temple revealed a dire secret
Here was the air rent and here was a doorway
Marshes beyond and a grey misty landscape
Ruffled the feathers that war could not bloody
D’Val would not leave the dead doorway he swore then
Berra beside him her broadsword she offered
What really happened
Berra performed the Morale ritual for those going up to the plateau, and then they fought their way up, to very few wounds thanks to their various strengths and Mellia the healer. At the top, there were several defaced temples, with Pale Ladies (a form of junior vampire) inside them. D’Val burned the first out, and Berra was drained at the second. Once the first temple, of Humakt, was ashes, D’Val turned a paler shade of green on seeing a rip in the air that led to the Uplands and the Swamp of Delecti.
Session Quotes
“Do you intend to sleep? How is your night vision? Should I keep watch during the day? Do you like barley soup? Do you know any black smiths? Is that /the/ Marsh? How is it open? Where did you leave your things? Would you like a blanket? Can you show me how your wrist moved when you struck that third undead soldier? Am I bothering you with my questions?” – Berra
1) Yes
2) Good
3) Yes
4) Yes, but I am fobidden to have vegetables
5) Yes
6) Yes
7) I don’t know
8) Boldhome
9) Yes
10) Yes
11) Yes – D’Val’s answers
- 1This was of course the Temple of Humakt, defiled by the undead
