The lake and the deep, dark woods
"There's too many we need to-" Diana stopped speaking. Her spear dropped from numb fingers. A length of black metal protruded from her chest. She stared down at it, stupidly. A skeletal hand fell on her shoulder and then, with violent suddenness, she was gone.
"What are they?" Edward sobbed. He had his own notched sword and wooden shield up, turning left and right scanning the night. He couldn't see any sign of what was attacking them. There had been no warning from the sentries; the first sign something was wrong was when Petra had been interrupted in the middle of a funny story by a black javelin piercing her back. Ten minutes later, more than half of them were gone, the rest pressed into a tight circle around the campfire.
"They're not human!" gasped Owen, stating the obvious. For the first few moments, they'd thought their attackers might be Navarr, or Druj ambushers, so silently did they move. Now it was clear they were something else. Something, maybe, even worse.
"We should never have come here!" Louisa snarled, bitterly. "Not this close to Karov!"
Nobody answered. They'd picked their campsite because it was far enough from the road that they'd probably not be troubled by anyone hunting bandits, but close enough that they could prey on the occasional merchant. Or bully the cowardly yeofolk, too scared to take control of their own lives, out of some food and then disappear before any knights turned up.
It seemed they'd not hidden well enough. As their attackers emerged from the darkness it was easy to mistake them for a band of Dawnish knights. At first. Then it became clear they were something else entirely.
A dozen armoured warriors in blackened armour and ragged surcotes. Nobody recognised any of the heraldry; in most cases it was too obscured by dirt, dried blood, and shockingly fresh gore. Some of them were clearly not Dawnish, wearing the cruel segmented armour and heavy helms of Varushka. They were also all, very clearly, dead.
Owen loosed an arrow, and one of the knights casually moved their shield to deflect it. They didn't speak, just advanced through the camp, kicking aside benches, snapping lines, implacable and terrifying.
"Stand fast!" Daniel's voice was firm; you could hear the echoes of a man who had once served in the Imperial armies. He genuinely sounded as if he thought eight ragged bandits, half-cut and heavy with a meal of freshly cooked boar, could face down a dozen cursed knights. Maybe he even believed it.
Owen didn't. He turned tail and he ran, dodging the strike of one of the knights, and ducking past another. He nearly tripped on a guy rope but turned his tumbling fall into a burst of speed. Behind him he heard the screams, and the sound of a terrible grim butchery. But he was free, at least. Heart pounding in the dark woods, no idea where he was running to and...
He didn't see the man on the path ahead of him, ran full-tilt into the armoured figure, went sprawling. The shape loomed over him. A massive figure in twisted armour. It raised its hand to its helm, lifting the visor, and beneath Owen could see glowing red eyes that clearly pierced the smothering gloom as if it was brightest day.
It reached down, jerking Owen to his feet. The bandit moaned, struggled, couldn't get loose. The thing pulled him closer, lifting him slightly so his feet danged a clear six inches off the ground. Desperately, Owen struck, driving his long knife into the gap just above the gorget, felt steel grate on bone.
His assailant froze for a moment, then spoke. The first time any of the attackers had spoken.
"You cannot kill me, " it said in a voice like stones tumbling into a well. "Death is only for the living."
Owen shrieked, tried to draw his other dagger. With a casual movement, the knight drew a dagger of his own and thrust it into the bandit's chest. He felt the steel rasping against his ribs, but there was no pain. Just a terrible spreading numbness that stole his breath, stole his strength to keep fighting.
"You may be a coward, but you have spirit," said his attacker. "Yes. Despite your flaws, I think there is a place for you in my household, yeofolk. Rejoice, for you have passed your test at last."
The last thing Owen saw was the rotten face getting closer and closer, and then the spreading numbness sent him spiralling down into darkness.
Overview
The Semmerlak is either an immense lake, or a small freshwater sea, depending who you ask. Three nations lie along its shores. The Nameless River flows east along the Barrens, through the Mallum, to the eastern sea. It is the gateway to the wider world for the people of Dawn and Varushka, and the burghers of Holberg. The lake is wide, and surprisingly deep. Poets fancifully claim that it is bottomless. Even at the height of Summer, the waters can be surprisingly chilly. By day, the Semmerlak is a beautiful, deep blue... but in its deeps swims a terrible monster. Like may sovereigns, Dho'uala can slumber for decades at a time, but in Spring she roused herself enough to begin creating problems for the people in the lands that border the lake. For the last year or so her servants have bedeviled the land and exacted a grim tithe from those who cross "her" waters.
The Lady of the Semmerlak is not the only dark power in that part of the world however. The lake may be deep and dark, but so are the forests. The Deadwood Knight - who some call the Schlacta of Rot - is a powerful unliving warrior. Every now and against he rises from his tomb, and offers a challenge to the people of Weirwater and Karov. That challenge has been met, but now... something seems to have gone wrong...
A Lady of the Semmerlak
- Dho'uala continues to cause trouble across the Semmerlak
- Fleets belonging to Dawnish, Varushkan, and Holberg characters continue to have a -1 penalty to their production
- Further opportunities to expand the Semmerlak ports will be reliant on an appraisal
The good news is that the situation at the Semmerlak has not got any worse. The bad news is it hasn't really got any better either.
The disappearances of crew, passengers, pieces of cargo from vessels plying the Semmerlak continue. Occasionally an entire fishing boat is found drifting, aimless, empty. There is a growing unwillingness to serve on boats crossing or fishing the lake, or on ships departing from lakeside ports bound for distant shores. It seems that this is to be the new status quo, and those affected are adapting either by taking into account the additional operating costs and occasional vanishments, or seeking new employment far from the lapping waters of the Semmerlak.
The Senate has passed a law making it illegal to take things from the waters - with the exception of fish - and that seems to have gone some way toward propitiating the dark power of the lake. There's been no further sign of the waters spreading in the last few months, no dire beavers or dripping dead sailors assaulting the settlements along the edges of the lake or seeking to drag whole villages into the water. The new Ossium port of Kostjyas Respite remains unmolested. Unfortunately, given the state of the waters, and the minimal progress made toward securing them for Imperial vessels, the expected opportunities to expand the ports of the Semmerlak have not materialised. Indeed, it's unlikely now they ever will without an appraisal by the Senate. The moment has passed; the waters are too threatening to enthuse those who live on their shores.
Devil's and Dues
- The Sovereign has lost patience with the Empire
During the Summer Solstice, Areloe Larmallevés of Dawn was invited to a meeting at the village of Surlac in Weirwater. The Queen of the Drowned apparently spoke with this emissary, but it's not common knowledge what happened there.
There has been some further communication with the creatures of Dho'uala. She-Who-Keeps-What-She-Catches is apparently less than happy that during the meeting at Surlac the Imperial emissary refused to allow the sovereign to claim someone who had stolen from them and broken a bargain. They were instead spirited them away to Anvil where they died far from the shores of the Semmerlak. Do'uala does not appreciate being denied her due. She does not appreciate it at all. And yet, she was patient and agreed to wait a season for the Imperial emissary to ensure the sovereign received her due and... that season ended at the Autumn Equinox. Without "suitable restitution".
Indeed, a change to the law regarding the fate of criminals due to be executed in the territories around the lake was proposed by the Senator for Karov, but the motion was withdrawn without discussion.
So, according to the black-eyed figure that sometimes emerge from the waters with messages, Dho'uala will simply continue to take her due from those who trespass on her lake as she has always done. She will continue to seek ways to protect and expand her demesne. Anyone using her waters will pay the tithe whether they like it or not.
Plotting a Course
- An appraisal might be able to present ways to address the threat of Dho'uala
- Historical research might learn something useful about the sovereign. It could be general in nature or approach the Sand Fishers to see what they know about Dho'uala
- An appropriate eternal may be able to offer advice or assistance
- It might be wiser to simply accept the presence of Dho'uala and move on rather than risk making the situation worse
The Imperial Senate could certainly commission an appraisal into the situation around the Semmerlak. Some Varushkans are quite leery of such a move, however. There is a belief along the shores of Karov, Karsk, and Ossium that probing the secrets of the sovereign might simply make her even more irritable. These critics have already expressed their intent not to cooperate with anyone other than fellow Varushkan Lutomysla Niegoslava who after all knows the dangers of causing trouble with creatures like Dho'uala. Others scoff at this foolishness; Lutomysla is a magician first and foremost and they don't believe brute-force magic is the best approach to take here. They also point out that half the territories neighbouring the Semmerlak are not Varushkan and just as likely to contain people with ideas of how to deal with the current danger.
It's possible that historical research might turn up something useful; there are a lot of stories of the lake and any number of incidents that might offer some kind of insight. A proposal is raised in Holberg by one of the professors that perhaps the Sand Fisher orcs of Misericorde might have something useful to contribute. Making an approach on this matter would need careful handling; whoever commissioned the historical research might specify either a general approach, or a specific approach to the Sand Fishers, but the Department of Historical Research currently lacks the resources to do both with a single commission.
Both these proposals elicit snorts of derision along the Dawnish shores. There is a feeling among a number of the houses that what Dawn should do is take a leaf from the Varushkan book and just encourage questing knights and knights-errant to actively protect the fishing villages, coastal estates, and Dawnish vessels crossing the lake. The sovereign itself might be beyond their reach, but the rusalka, twisted beavers, and sodden ambulatory corpses are no match for Dawnish steel, Dawnish witchery, or Dawnish Courage. These voices urge the National Assembly or the senators of Weirwater or Semmerholm to call for champions to show the sovereign that she cannot prey on Dawnish citizens with impunity. Or, counter some Varushkan wise ones, the Silent Bell might be dispatched to the north-eastern Empire to assess this obvious threat to Imperial citizens.
A counter argument comes from a number of enchanters who suggest that the best approach to finding a way to approach Dho'uala might be to seek out "higher powers." Troubadours know that there is a potent herald of the Summer Realm associated with the southern waters of the lake - and this Lady of the Semmerlak clearly has power there. The existence of the Golden Causeway demonstrates that at least one eternal has power here that the sovereign either will not, or cannot, interfere with. Either Eleonaris or Barien - both rumoured to be the patron of the Lady of the Semmerlak - might be able to offer some aid. Others suggest Jaheris might be a better option to approach - he is of the Summer realm and so at least in theory well disposed to Dawn, but he is also said to be wise in the ways of Dark Powers. The obvious way to approach these heralds would be to prevail on the Archmage of Summer; there may be others.
One final group, drawing members from all the nations around the Semmerlak, take a slightly different stance. Right now, the sovereign is taking a small tithe from vessels and the occasional fisherfolk. The Empire could just accept this, and keep its attention focused on much more pressing concerns - the destruction of the Druj, the invasion of Cold Sun, the affront of the Grendel. Perhaps in this case it might be best to just... leave well enough alone?
Participation : The Semmerlak
Anyone in Dawn, Varushka, or Holberg who operates a fleet resource may have had their ship encounter one of Do'uala's servants. They may wish to roleplay that they have lost crew or cargo, or even entire vessels, as appropriate to their characterisation. Alternatively, they might want to represent the loss of production as being a consequence of having to pay increased wages to get sailors to crew their vessel, or of purchasing expensive wards and protections designed to keep the servants of Dho'uala at bay.
A Lord of the Dead Woods
- A powerful unliving captain has roused from slumber in the woods between Weirwater and Karow
- The entity does not owe allegiance to Dho'uala; rather they may be a servant of the Howling Queen or the master of the dubik
- During the Summer Solstice imperial heroes responded to their call to challenge
- Something has gone awry; the monster has begun a rampage in the haunted woods
The creature known as the Deadwood Knight in northern Weirwater is also known to the people of southern Karov as the Schlacta of Rot. Depending on who you ask, it was either a cruel schlacta who betrayed their boyar, or a questing knight consumed by hubris who fell foul of an unwise bargain. A few tales suggest that both stories are true in some fashion. Regardless of the truth, it is believed to be under a dire curse that makes it impossible for them to die. Clad in their decayed heavy plate, infused with the power of the twisted forest, they occasionally emerge from the deepest parts of the darkest woods to issue their challenge. Stories say that they either have the briar lineage, or they have been horribly transformed to take on the qualities of the trees where they hunt, perhaps by the master of the dubik. The challenge they issue seems to relate to a ban, geas, or binding. If the challenge is not met, it is free to prey on the folk on both sides of the border, slaughtering freely, and raising those it kills as shambling lackeys that hunger for living flesh. The more it kills, the more dangerous it becomes, and there are stories that on one tumultuous occasion, it was left alone long enough to "recruit" sufficient followers that it required an Imperial army to deal with it. The woods of southern Karov and northern Weirwater remain sparsely settled to this day as a consequence. This urge to create unliving horrors, coupled with the fact it seems impossible to kill, causes some to theorise that it is an unliving pawn of the Howling Queen, a product of the foul venom of her plaguewulfs. Others point to its association with the forest, and counter that it is clearly a creature infused with the dread power of the master of dubik.
Dho'uala is a threat, but not the only thing related to the dark powers of Varushka causing trouble in that area. During the Summer Solstice, an undying horror roused from slumber on the borders between Dawn and Varushka; The Deadwod Knight (or the Schlacta of Rot)..
Heroes of both nations met the creature's challenge via the Sentinel Gate. For reasons currently unclear, the challenge did not unfold as it had done on previous occasions. On all previous known incidences of the challenge being issued, a curse fell over either Karov or Weirwater with a commensurate boon falling on the other territory. This time, while Weirwater enjoyed a boon following the Solstice, Karov did not experience a curse. Why this was the case, and what happened at the meeting, is not public knowledge.
Rampage
- The boon has faded but the Deadwood Knight has not returned to quiescence
- Over the last three months there have been numerous attacks on non-Imperial forces in the woods
- Shortly before the Winter Solstice the Deadwood Knight widens its net to start attacking Imperial citizens
There is another, much more pressing, difference to previous occasions where the Deadwood Knight has emerged. Normally, after the Schlacta of Rot has issued its challenge, and its boon and curse have been enacted, the creature and its warband return to slumber somewhere in the woods of Weirwater or Karov. This time, however, they have not.
For the past three months there have been reports from the borderlands of a dread armoured warrior and shambling knights attacking bandits and brigands in Weirwater (there are very few bandits left in Varushka these days). They also target monsters, predatory beasts, brigand orcs, and other non-Imperial targets. Yet where it has passed there are no bodies; it soon becomes clear that the reason for the lack of corpses is that once their foes are defeated the Deadwood Knight leans over them and exhales a terrible mephitic mist that fills the body and causes it to rise and join its retinue. Estimations suggest that the Schlacta of Rot has expanded its warband from a handful to several dozen and shows no signs of stopping.
Very shortly before the Winter Solstice, a report reaches Anvil that the Deadwood Knight and its entourage have slaughtered both a merchant caravan in Wickmore, and a band of refugees fleeing south to escape Cold Sun north of Hawksmoor. It seems the creature has exhausted the non-Imperial targets, and escalated its attacks to include citizens of the Empire.
Tale As Old As Time
- It isn't clear what has prompted the rampage of the Schlacta of Rot
- Historical research might uncover more information about the creature's weaknesses
Those storytellers and troubadours who know the tales of the Schlacta of Rot or the Deadwood Knight know that the more it kills, the more dangerous it becomes. They argue that the most likely explanation as to why the Schlacta of Rot has begun its depredations once again is that something happened during that meeting in Wickmoor during the Summer Solstice which means that the creature's ban has been broken. The only people likely to know for sure what might have caused it are those that Vaclav Mladenovich Kosti sent through the Sentinel Gate.
At the moment the Schlacta of Rot's attacks are having limited effect. Both Dawnish knights and Varushkan soldiers are actively protecting travellers in Varushka from creatures such as this. The noble houses of Weirwood are not the easy prey they might have been in earlier centuries, especially given the zeal for glory currently beating in the Dawnish breast. It would however be dangerous to underestimate the threat of the Deadwood Knight. If it continues to kill people in Weirwater and Karov, it will eventually "recruit" sufficient warriors that it can threaten a vale or a noble house. At that point it would massively increase the numbers of its retinue to the point it would easily overcome larger and larger settlements.
At the moment it is focusing its attentions mostly on northern Weirwater and south-eastern Karov, avoiding Duzekani - it clearly has no interest in facing down the scions of Cold Sun. The woods are heavily forested, and the Deadwood Knight has a supernatural ability to move itself and its warband quickly through the woodlands. They operate in a way that suggests an Imperial army might struggle to pin them down and force a confrontation - at least until the numbers have swollen to the point where they cannot continue to move stealthily. By that point, however, the warband will likely have grown to several thousand warriors and that will mean both significant casualties for the Imperial army, and that a lot of people from the woods west of the Semmerlak have been slain and "recruited".
There is also the legend that the knight itself cannot be killed - that if it is slain its body dissolves into a black mist and reforms elsewhere in the borderlands. The Varushkan volhovs argue that it must have a weakness; everything that lives can be killed after all. It's just that nobody has any idea what that weakness might be. One way to find out might be to encourage the Imperial Senate or the Minister of Historical Research to engage the Department of Historical Research to investigate the stories and discover any nuggets of truth hidden in them.
This is just one suggestion; there are likely other things that may occur to the cunning or the wise, especially those who know what went on during the meeting. Unlike Dho'uala however, this is one problem that doesn't seem like it can be ignored...
Further Reading
- Dho'uala
- The Semmerlak
- The Horror and the wild - Summer 385YE Wind of Fortune introducing the Deadwood Knight's challenge