| The Willow Sourcebook |
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Two days after their victory at Land's End, the legions of Nockmaar gathered around Castle Galladoorn, bringing thunderclouds with them. Only the day before, those clouds had escorted a stinking fog; it moved toward the castle and fell over the battlements with unnatural purpose, while guards watched helplessly. The mist, yellow-green like swamp gas, seeped into pantries and larders, and cooks fled coughing. Wherever the gas touched food and drink, they spoiled. Within moments, a month's siege preparations were wiped out. "Bavmorda," said Galladoorn's leaders. Looking hopelessly at one another, they asked, "We cannot outlast a siege now. How can we stand against sorcery?" But they answered their own question. "We must; we are of Galladoorn." Proud words, repeated many times as the minions of Nockmaar gathered by the thousands - 12,000, to be precise. Perhaps by repetition the knights hoped to bolster their own courage. It worked. When their preparations were completed, the drawbridge fell, the Summoning Horn in the high tower sounded the call to victory, and 6,000 men of Galladoorn charged at full gallop. Though badly outnumbered, they had fighting spirit in their hearts - none more so than Airk Thaughbaer, commander of a battle of knights with their pages and landsmen. Young for a leader, he had earned the knight's respect for his intelligence, confidence, and impeccable conduct. His soldiers would follow him into a dragon's mouth. THE FALL OF GALLADOORN Among the first across the moat, Airk's men quickly broke right as the plan dictated. They raced across the uneven meadows surrounding the castle, hoping to outflank the enemy. The rest of Galladoorn's forces spread out behind in a short reinforced line. The strategist's axiom says, "No plan survives contact with the enemy." The Galladoornian plan, though sound in theory, fell to bad luck. Heavy rain broke, slowing the knights, and General Kael's cavalry sprinted to cut off Airk's flanking charge. Now the Galladoornians, rather than surrounding the enemy, found themselves almost surrounded. From the tower, the Summoning Horn sounded the call to retreat. But the moat was at their back. Nockmaar minions began to cut the defenders to pieces. Airk assembled his forces around his standard. "Courage! To me!" he shouted, though he saw the tide of battle overwhelming his men. From his warhorse he slashed at the enemy on every side, determined never to let the standard fall. Then, while other battles of men perished and the Army of Nockmaar stormed into the castle, the Summoning Horn sounded its last and most desperate call: "final retreat." All is lost! says the call, the most dreadful sound a knight can hear. Retreat, abandon hope, save yourselves! Airk heard the call. And as he always had, he obeyed. After a reign of centuries, indomitable Castle Galladoorn fell that day. But favors of the war gods descend to both sides. The rain that doomed the army's plan bought life for a few. The castle's moat was fed by an aqueduct running from a nearby stream. It kept the waters fresh, so the castle's inhabitants could use the moat for drinking, washing, and bathing. The stone channel was covered with earth, and green grass grew to hide its presence. But the hard rain and the hooves of warhorses battered a stretch of tunnel until it collapsed. Horses and riders fell into the new moat, and for a moment there was confusion. One of the knights who survived the battle, Wulf Tyroch, describes what happened next. "Airk saw the pipe collapse, leaving a narrow gap in the enemy line. He had perhaps two seconds to take advantage of it. "He didn't hesitate. He whipped his horse forward, practically dragging the standard bearer beside him. He shouted for us to follow, and we drove through the gap along the path of the aqueduct. Half the enemy couldn't get to us without falling into the pipe or going around. We broke through. "Airk threw whatever archers were left to the rear and told them to aim for the horses. The rest of us ran as if Bavmorda herself were chasing us. But we never lost sight of the banner." Of Airk's 2,000 men, less than half survived the rout. Exhausted, they marched many miles, finally resting in a patch of woods. After setting watches and tending the wounded, Airk sent out scouts. The news they brought back was devastating. Nockmaar minions were razing Castle Galladoorn (the fury that news inspired!). No other knights had survived. Airk was ranking officer, a general by battlefield succession, commanding a beaten, demoralized, ill-supplied, and outnumbered mob of knights. He stood in a forest clearing, looking around at them. They lay like dead men, or sagged where they sat like bags of flour. Airk showed no weakness. Holding the standard aloft, he spoke. He talked for a long time, about hope. The hope he held as a boy that he would someday become a knight, and the hope that as a knight, he would prove worthy. The hope that he felt in his first battlefield command, at Land's End. All the time, he held the heavy wooden pole of the standard without trembling or tiring. The knights listened, and felt with him their ancient loyalties. "We have seen our comrades struck down, our nation occupied, our castle fallen. Yet we are trained never to despair; and still, I hope. Victory is distant; Nockmaar's fall seems beyond all strength. Yet as long as we fight, as long as we face our fate with weapons drawn and heads held high, there is still hope. We, we few, we last of Galladoorn - with us rides the whole world's hope." There in the woods, the knights - the only important army still fighting the overwhelming forces of Nockmaar - hailed Airk, and acclaimed him their sole commander. "FIGHTING OFF SUNSET" This phrase was used to describe the seeming futility of Airk's struggle. Scholars agree that without the magic of Fin Raziel and Elora Danan, his cause would have been lost. Nockmaar outmatched him in strength and materiel. General Kael's mastery of tactics probably equalled, if it did not surpass, Airk's own. The intense training of Nockmaar's soldiers was an advantage to match the morale of the knights of Galladoorn. And of course, there was Bavmorda. Airk's narrow advantage was mobility, and that he possessed only because of his army's small size. But he exploited it ceaselessly, evading or outrunning Nockmaar forces time and time again. Airk's ability to hold the army together through unimaginable hardship has aroused admiration from the most staid historians. Yet the presumed outcome of this struggle was never in doubt on either side. Though small enough to move quickly, the army was too large to hide effectively. General Kael could not always catch them, but he could follow them at will. Airk met Willow and Madmartigan, then in a crow's cage, at the crossroads, where Willow tried to give Airk the baby. Madmartigan told Airk, "Give me your sword and I'll win this war for you," but Airk only laughed. Shortly after, he was twice defeated, and his army reduced to a couple of hundred fighters. Knights of Galladoorn do not give in to despair; but by the time the survivors reached a small village near Nockmaar, Airk expected imminent defeat. Then, in the cellars beneath those village huts, Airk met Willow again, and the child, and his onetime friend Madmartigan. They talked of a prophecy that would overthrow Bavmorda, a tale so implausible that Airk, even in desperation, could not bring himself to believe in it. When Willow and his friends left for Tir Asleen, Airk showed no interest in supporting their outlandish mission. But then the villagers helped Airk's troops defeat the remaining Nockmaar soldiers - and Airk met the village witch. WITCH'S PROPHECIES Standing over the fallen Nockmaar soldiers, Airk looked down the village street to the west. He fancied he could still see the clouds of snow Madmartigan's horse had kicked up as he headed toward Tir Asleen. Foolish idea! But he thought, Is it more foolish to stay here and die? He had a responsibility to his men, what was left of them, and to the spirit of Galladoorn. Whatever his own feelings, he would not squander warriors' lives on the word of Madmartigan, or the cry of a baby. Seeking a horse, he almost ran into an old woman carrying a bone. Small woman, large bone... the thighbone of a horse, it looked like, carved with tiny spiraling lines of runic characters. There were more spirals of astrological symbols on the woman's loose robes, cheap linen that may have been more wrinkled than the skin it concealed. "You are Airrrrk?" she croaked. Airk jumped back, reflexively whispering a ward he'd learned as a child. A witch! "Ah - uh, yes, I am Airk Thaughbaer," he replied. He saw that the witch must once have been attractive. She carried herself with the poise of a duchess, though her movements were slowed with age, and her fingers trembled. Much beauty remained in the witch's eyes: brilliant blue eyes, sprayed with gold flecks. He found himself staring... "Yes, gaze into my eyes," the witch said, widening them, "as I look into yours. The eyes, the mantelpiece of the spirit –" "Muh-mantelpiece?" "–where your most cherished beliefs are displayed, lit by the heart's fire. Like that? I made it up myself. Deep, look deeper! Yesss. Bravery, honor, commitment, but I see humor too, and compassion. You were a bottle-fed baby, no? Now you wrestle with your true feelings, pinning them. Two falls in two. Out!" Airk snapped awake. He had fought great armies and seen his horse shot from under him, but this shriveled woman filled him with the greatest unease he'd ever known. "I have to go," he said, brushing past the witch. "Halt!" she cried, and he did. He, a general! She said, "The air here shimmers in the wake of powerful magic. The child Elora, is it not? She needs you, Airk. Your friends need you. Follow your true feelings, Airk. Follow them to Tir Asleen." He gasped. "How did you know they were going to Tir Asleen?" he asked, then immediately regretted it. Stupid, he thought, you never get a straight answer from a witch. The witch shrugged. "A brownie told me," she said. Her robes wriggled, and Franjean and Rool sprang from a pocket. "Yeah, it was me!" said Franjean. "We had to walk about a hundred miles to catch up with you stupid Daikinis–" "Stupid!" said Rool. "–and then when we arrived, this wise lady was the only one smart enough to listen to us!" "Very smart!" said Rool. "So listen to her! Get going! And this time, we ride!" said Franjean. Rool cackled. Airk looked into the old woman's eyes. He didn't know about mantelpieces, but he saw sanity and compassion there. He turned in the direction of Tir Asleen, and thought he could still see clouds of snow. Not too late. "What will I find, madam, if I follow Madmartigan?" he asked the witch. "Prophecy is hard. I hope you find victory. Or at least peace of mind." "Peace," he repeated, almost in a whisper. Then, "Thank you. All right, brownies, come with me. Captains!" he shouted, striding for his horse. In moments the knights of Galladoorn were gone. The witch stared after them. "Prophecy is hard," she repeated. "Sometimes too hard to bear." And she began to weep. AIRK'S FINAL BATTLE Following the trail of Kael's minions, Airk and the knights of Galladoorn found their way through the canyon maze to Tir Asleen, where they rescued Willow and his friends. It is good that Airk's knights would follow him into a dragon's mouth, for at the castle they almost had to! But after the Eborsisk died, they pursued Kael to Nockmaar Castle. Airk had little faith in Willow's plan to get into the castle. But as always, he kept up a brave front.When the plan worked and the drawbridge fell, Airk helped lead the charge into Nockmaar Castle. He fought mightily, as well as he ever had. His leadership inspired the knights, and their victory is as much to his credit as to anyone's. General Kael, at least, seems to have thought so. Kael spotted Airk in battle and singlemindedly headed for his rival. By the fortunes of war, they met alone, in single combat. Even among the knights of Galladoorn, Airk was renowned for his skill with the sword. Aside from Madmartigan, none in their ranks could rival him. But General Kael was fully Airk's equal in skill. After a pitched swordfight, Kael defeated his rival with an underhanded blow. In the furor of battle, only Madmartigan heard Airk's last remarks. According to Madmartigan, Airk said, "Win this war for me" - and gave Madmartigan his sword. When Madmartigan defeated General Kael and avenged Airk, the act healed a long breach between the two. Madmartigan regained his standing among the knights of Galladoorn, and now tries to carry on the honorable standard that Airk bore so well. GAMING NOTES 15th skill-level knight (fighter) (or one level higher than the best fighter
in your game) SKILLS Swordsmanship, archery, riding - the skills of a knight. Leadership, tactics, persuasion, oratory - the skills of a commander. POSSESSIONS Sword, shield, armor, horse, and whatever other equipment he needs. He commands an army, after all, and even though it is poorly equipped, rank has its privileges. |
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