For most of Tugdual’s life, Sarabrucca has been under the control of the Huns, although the Hun warlord here has long ago learned that his best chance of keeping that control is a very light touch.  And so it's no surprise that a shadow leadership exists among the Humans here.  There is a quiet standoff- they pretend they don't exist, and the Huns pretend not to notice them, and life goes on and the Hun warlord reports that his control over the Savara Road is uncontested.

It means, though, that the Humans can make no display of overt leadership.  They know they cannot force the Huns to respond, it would be deadly for everyone in Sarabrucca.    The old aristocratic family that controlled this town was decimated by the Hun conquest.  Some survive, but they no longer make any pretensions of leading.  Nor do the Huns permit the Humans to maintain their temples here, but for the small, relatively recent Temple of Eostre.

It is Hamil the barber who has taken up the role of leader.  He is in a good position to do so.  He has reason to meet with any man in the town without drawing any suspicion, and he has the kind of “servant task” that the Huns disregard as a sign of weak will.  Hamil attends to others, others do not attend to him, and so, to the Huns, he is not worthy of notice.  Just a servant.

His shop is on the main street of the town, facing the river, near the alehouse.  It's very large for a barber shop, and the men of Sarabruca spend more time than most having their grooming done.  The Orcs do not bother to notice.

 After making contact with some members of the human community, Tugdual will head to the barber shop. Cirostis has trimmed his beard only a couple of days before, but after his multiple shapeshiftings, it would need a good combing... Ok, maybe it didn't need it, but it was a decent excuse.

  "Ahoy, Hamil. I am Tugdual of Vosego Sylva. I hear that here in Sarrabrucca, you are in charge of the grooming... and the general well-being as well.

  You may have heard of my uncle, Dunard of Bytis Castrum... he keeps me posted on the general situation on the Savara Road.

  I am afraid I come with bad news. The Hunnish armies are moving. In Mongotiacum, towards Treverorum and the Ardennes... things are about to go sour for our region. The warlords will not be satisfied  much longer with this state of equilibrium...

  And orcs are only the beginning... the Huns have much worse coming this way.

  Now I assume the community has thought about this before. The news that this could not hold forever must not come as a surprise... so I gently ask. Is there anything the men of Sarrabrucca can do to bring harm on the Huns ?"

Populations are small here in these hills, and most of the "important" people, even if they have not met, are aware of each other, and have opinions.

The opinions on Dunard reflect the strains between the "free people", the outlaws, doing as they please in the forest, and the "civilized" people managing their lives under the control of the Orcs.  Hamil knows of Dunard, and thinks of him as an untamed, barbaric wild-man with strange ways.  But even so, he realizes the two have very similar goals- keep their people going in a difficult time, with the Huns controlling so much, and so strong that openly challenging them is suicide.

Here in Sarabruca they know the Huns well.  They are on an important road, after all.  Lots of traffic passes this way, going east to Tres Tabernae (Saverne, France) and then the Rhinelands.

Hamil does not think things can get much worse for his people, at the moment.  The Huns need this road, and they want it quiet.  As long as it is quiet, he is in no danger.  But he agrees, that for other settlements elsewhere, things might be different.

"We can pass on to you information about their movements and their numbers, and unusual things we have seen," Hamil says.  "But we will not attack them from here.  In the end, they need this road whatever the cost.  If the current warlord proves incapable of holding it, they will only replace him with someone much worse."

  "I will not ask more of you. Spread the word : those who want to oppose the Huns, those who wish to regain liberty, those who have scales to balance with them, all those who have an opportunity to hamper their movement, slow them down or harm their troops ; now is the time.

 I do not wish to know more, as I would not want to be seen as a liability. But know this : the armies of orcs are moving, and an equally potent alliance is gathering against them.

 What do you know of recent battles, Hamil ?"

 The druid supposed that whatever the people of Sarrabrucca knew, the Huns would know equally...

Hamil has his own theories on the Huns, and it fits in with what Tugdual saw with the others.

Traffic on this road has slowed these past few months.  That is very strange, because if the Huns intended to launch a major attack somewhere, they'd expect to see Orcs and supplies on the move.   But not through here.

Tugdual would recall that elsewhere, they heard reports of Orc troops headed west.  And in Mogontiacum, a large force was gathering, but clearly not headed west.

It could only mean two independent Orc armies, one gathering in Gaul, and one in the Rhinelands.  Naturally, as each group gathered in its area, the road linking the two would see little traffic.

Little traffic, but not no traffic.  Hamil shows off something that a few lucky woodsmen stole from some Orcs- it looks like a pair of heavy leather gloves with hooked iron claws attached to the fingers.

"What do you suppose they do with these?"  he asks.  "We got a box of them... off of a wagon, a month ago.  Can't sell them, or let the Huns know we have them, and no one's sure what they are for.  Not sharp enough to be weapons."

* * * * * * * * *

 Tugdual considers the crate of gloves. He manipulates one and tries to imagine how it could be useful...

  "It seems convenient to snatch sheep... perhaps a shepherd device ?"

 More seriously, he continues :
  "It could be used to climb... would you mind my keeping a pair of these ? I'll be quiet as to where it came from."

Tugdual heads north, for the rendezvous point at Contoniacum.

He knows the place- a small settlement near the much larger town of Treverorum, centered around a single large fortified villa, now the home of a minor Frankish lord, placed there years ago by King Clovis.  The villa, and a small street along the river with a few shops, and a dozen little houses, that's all their is to the village.

Properly sized, from the Tugdual point of view.

But getting there will take time.  In bird form it is easy.  In Human form, it can be a day and a half on foot.  But if he wants to bring along some volunteers, he has to go as a Human, obviously.  Otherwise, he can travel as a bird.

Which is it to be?

 Unfortunately, Tugdual has little time to spare... he would have preferred to return with a squad of archers and woodsmen, young men ready to skirmish with the Huns, a small troop that could have helped him set up pits and snares...

 But time was flying away and the Mongotiacum crew was certainly waiting for him already. The old druid decided to assume his eagle shape and fly as fast as can be towards that point where Mosel and Rhine meet.

A bit of geographical confusion here...

I believe Tugdual would be headed for Contoniacum, which is Konz, Germany, near Treverorum (Trier, Germany, where the Saar and Moselle meet.

The Rhine and Moselle meet at Confluentes (Modern day Koblenze) which is in Hun hands, as is the entire Rhine between Basilea and Vetera (modern day Birten)

So just to check, Contoniacum, or has he changed plans?

Blame it on the Romans who used some variant of Con- for so many river merging sites.

 Yes, Contoniacum... I meant where Saar and Moselle meet.
 And to think that I was born in Sarreguemines (where Saar and Blies meet)...

Tugdual heads north along the Saar River.   The Huns here do not bother with the wilderness.  All of their effort is focused on the road.  It is the only thing that matters to them.  The Saar River winds its way through steep hills and bluffs, and and the Huns were never willing to march through this land, with the danger of Elven and Human ambushers.

Up ahead, the town of Trevorum and its “suburb” villages, one of which is Contoniacum.  This area is a small pocket of “unconquered” Gaul; the people being a mix of Gallo-Romans, Franks, and others who came here, through the forest, for the relative safety from the Huns.

Tugdual recognizes Contoniacum easily.  It is just a little place,

I am assuming here that Tugdual had some special reason for choosing Contoniacum.  Tugdual is one quarter Frankish.  The Frankish family that was given this place by Clovis happens to be the family of his mother's father.  Tugdual's ancestry is mostly old Celtic, but he is 1/4 Frankish.

 The villa is up on a steep hill overlooking the confluence of the two rivers.  Below there is a single  road along the river.  for a short stretch, the road is paved.  This is the commercial heart of Contoniacum- a small tavern called Two Rivers Tavern, and a few other shops... nothing more.  There are a dozen little houses along the river, and nothing more.

 When Tugdual reaches Contoniacum, he wonders whether his relatives still live there. Even if they have not been in touch for a while, he has no reason to think they would have left the little town...

 If Cirostis and Haakon are easy to reach, if he knows where they are or if he can spot them from the sky, in avian shape, the druid will do so.

 Otherwise (as he suspects will be the case), he moves to the little town and tries to find his cousin Jacobi -a woodsman who trades otter furs. Or one of his sons, even though he has never seen them.

 If nothing else he is almost sure to find a distant relative at the tavern... the Frankish branch of his family has long been famous for their drinking habits.

 Likely someone would be able to tell him about recent movements in the area -especially if they involved a dwarven scout or a blond dressmaker on the loose...

Tugdual searches the area, and finds no sign of Cirostis, Haakon, or Tawna.  So he seeks out his kin, to see what news they have.

From their point of view the war with the Huns is a distant thing.  It is strange that 20 miles of forest means such a difference, but it does- the Huns are a world away.

But distant is not forgotten.  Tugdual discovers that a second cousin of his, along with two friends, has gone off to ride with Theoderic, against the Huns.  Every important family has sent someone.  To ignore the request, in the Frankish point of view, is both cowardly and a terrible social faux passe.

This means there is little the local families could do.   Going off to war is a young man's effort.  The older men are still here, but they are needed for work and for local defense.  Unlike Sarabrucca, where there were a few potential volunteers, there aren't many here who could join Tugdual.

There might be a few in Treverorum, he finds out.  Treverorum was not extensively “tapped” for recruits.  Theoderic wanted them to keep a capable militia on hand, because they have a very important temple there- the Temple of Asclepius, the God of Healing.

Tugdual would have heard about this place.  Possibly, he's even seen it, if he's cared to venture into Treverorum in the past.  It is probably the greatest center of healing in western Europa.

 The druid is a bit disappointed to not find the rest of the squad ; on the other hand he is aware that much could have gone wrong in these few days, and plans to change on the go more often than not.

 He feels somehow satisfied to learn that part of his family has answered to the king's call. Sure, he does not feel bonded to the nobility, and his concerns are miles away from those of lords and seneschals. Still, he felt that they had been doing the right things.

 The more he understands the local situation, the more he feels that his next stop should be the Temple of Asclepius. Not only would he find help, and possibly contacts there, but getting the clergy involved in the noble alliance, alongside the banners of dwarves, men and elves, seems like a reasonably sound plan.

 Tugdual stayed no more than absolutely needed around Contoniacum. In a few hours he lands in Treverorum. That would not be his first visit there, even though he is far from accustomed to the place : too wide, too noisy, too dense, and that smell ! And to think that it is viewed as a very clean city, considering its size...

 The druid tries to find out about the situation regarding the Huns from commoners, before heading to the temple.

Treverorum is a big place.  It has over two thousand people!  All within one city!  Counting the other villages like Contoniacum, there are about three thousand people along this stretch of the Moselle, which means most of them are here.. which makes this a big and confusing place, from Tugdual's point of view.

News, he understands, is often shared where people gather to socialize.  So he hits the local tavern, starting with the largest in Treverorum, which is across from the city's amphitheater, which due to an unusual turn in urban development also serves as one of the city's gates.*  Nearby is the old "circus" a race track generally unused these days, but between them, this creates the "entertainment district" of the city.

He listens to various conversations.  Most of them are very provincial- the lives of specific people, births, deaths, prospects for the near future.  There is some talk of the war, but for the people here it is far away, in Belgica.  There is speculation about how well Theoderic is going to do, and what happens if he loses... or wins.

No one seems to suspect that the Huns are also headed up the Moselle.



*This is true. One of the gates of the city actually led into the amphitheater, which acted as a giant gate house.

   
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:03, Sat 10 Nov 2012.

Really, only 2,000 ? the amphitheatre and the circus look like they could host over 10,000 each... I thought of Treverorum as a sprawling city of tens of thousand.

 Once in Treverorum, Tugdual comes to realize that the situation might be worse than he had expected. It's not that the people here are not ready, they're completely blind-sighted... he wastes no more time in listening to rumours and hearsay, and goes straight to the temple.

 There he will request a hearing with the high priest, or with whoever is in charge. Hopefully that person would have the power to move the clergy with him, and Tugdual could explain how dire the situation is.

* * * * * * * * *

Tugdual hastens to the Temple.. and in Treverorum, when people say "the Temple" it is generally the Temple of Aesclepius, a large and well known center of healing. It is much more than a simple temple-   it is a complex, part hospital, part cathedral, part school.

It has the look of better times, when Treverorum was a jewel of the Empire in the west.  Glass discs are set in white stucco, catching the afternoon sun.  The main entrance leads up stairs into a plaza where a fountain still flows.

In a place like this, Tugdual is quickly identified as one of those "wild men" who never saw the light of Reason and bitterly clung to their gods and weapons in the forests, away from enlightened places like Treverorum.  But times have changed, the news has been difficult, and these days, the Druids are not dismissed so casually.

A temple servant eventually concludes that Tugdual, while not needing any immediate medical attention, does need to speak to someone in importance, and eventually, Tugdual is conducted to the salon of the High Priest of Aesclepius, Valentus.   It's a common local name, Tugdual knows, honoring the Roman Emperor Valentinian, who lived in the town for a while and was responsible for building much of it.   Valentus is there with his servants and a few friends, and they wonder what kind of urgent crisis has sent a Druid of the forest in to see them.  Some plague afflicting the rural villages, perhaps?

Tugdual quickly realizes that not even Valentus knows what's headed up the Moselle River.

(The populations of many great Roman places is much reduced now, with the Empire collapsed.  In "real life", Treverorum probably did not decline so far, only to about 5,000,  but I've adjusted things here and there to give some more "wildness" to the Ardennes and maintain the relative importance of the Elves.)

 Tugdual cares little about his looks or what urban citizens will think of his lifestyle. Not that it would prevent him from passing judgement on theirs...

 Seeing that he was still somehow respected and allowed into the higher circles of the Temple of Aesclepius, the druid feels somehow relieved. There's still some deference towards the old faith...

  "Greetings, High Priest, and thank you for receiving me on such short notice. May I ask that you dismiss the help while we talk ? I'm afraid the news I bring should remain confidential."

 Friends of the High Priest, provided they had his trust, were not an issue. On the other hand, it was important to prevent any panic if the news was to spread in a chaotic manner...
 Once away from uncertified ears, the druid continues :

  "The enemy is at your doorstep, High Priest. By enemy I mean a horde of Hunnish orcs and their infernal cohorts. By doorstep I mean the confluence of Saar and Moselle. The urgency is great, and the danger has never been closer.

   If your people can make a stand, they will not be alone... elves of the Ardennes are ready to fight, Were-people of Luxembourg are on their way, and an uncanny alliance of Men, Dwarves and Elves are on their way.

   What is your position, High Priest ? Where do the people of Treverorum stand ?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:07, Mon 19 Nov 2012.

"We stand with the Frankish kings," Valentus says.  "Some of the fighting men of this land have already gone off to fight with Theoderic.  But he asked us for no more than fifty, saying that the rest of our men should stay here, to protect this place if needed.  You must know, the Temple of Aesclepius is the strongest place of healing in the land.  Under no circumstances can we lose it... Theoderic knows this as well, which is why he does not wish that we deplete our defenses.

"Healing is one of our great strengths, and it is something the enemy does not make much use of, for Aesclepius does not favor them.  As long as the gods of healing are with us, those wounded can be restored, to fight again if necessary.  Not so for the Orcs.  They breed great numbers of warriors, and they do heal well of their own nature, but they lack our powers."

Tugdual learns from Valentus that there is more to this place than just clerics casting healing spells.  The priests here believe that if it is lost, the powers of healing will be diminished for clerics all over the region!

There is more news:

"We have also heard that he is now allied with the Elves.  This changes things, as the Elves are our close neighbors but in the past things have been cold.  Our doors are open to them, of course."

  "I understand the value of this place" the old druid starts. "And far be it from me to question the will of a King or a High Priest.
 Nevertheless... I'm afraid that when the Huns are at your door, it might be too late to stop them. A defence is forming, near Contoniacum... I do not know how well organized or how numerous they may be as we speak."

 The druid looks down at his shoes, and after a moment he says in a soft voice :
  "I was hoping to gather with them, and hoped to convince a few healers and soldiers here that they might be of better help in defending their city by assisting others who are trying to stop them before they reach your land. With your blessing.

 The orcs have built large barges, and they are using the rivers as a swift mode of transportation, for an army of hundreds... thousands perhaps. Stopping them on the river will be easier than to wait for them to besiege the city."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:05, Mon 26 Nov 2012.

The High Priest of The Temple of Aesclepius is a little baffled by what Tugdual has come to ask, but eventually, they work out the nature of the threat, the response, and the geography.

Contoniacum, the little village Tugdual is familiar with, is actually upriver of Treverorum and therefore not in a good position to block the Huns- at least, not from the point of view of anyone in the city of Treverorum, as Treverorum lies between the Huns and Contoniacum.

On the other hand, downriver of Treverorum, not far downriver, the Meuse enters Elven territory.  The border is a place called Quintinum Lapidum, “The Fifth Stone”, named for the stone mile marker there.  There is only a small outpost there but it marks the border between the stretch of river held by Treverorum, and that belonging to the Elves.

And the Hun attack, coming upriver along the Meuse, will hit the Elves long before it reaches there.

There are matters that Valentus himself cannot resolve:  how and where will the city be defended?  These are things he cannot command by himself- he is a high priest, but of Healing, the making of war is not his realm.  For that there are the Frankish nobles of the town.

He can send the alarm, though, that will muster the militia of the town.  And they hurry to call up the nobles, and tell them about Tugdual's news.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:53, Mon 26 Nov 2012.

 Tugdual will try and gather as many young and rumbustious noblemen as he can, along with their entourage, and some healers if the High Priest indulges him.

 With that small force, he will head into Elven territory and use his avian shape to find Cirostis and Haakon, hoping that they have gathered some troops as well.

Tugdual makes the rounds, trying to muster some kind of intervention force to go and help the Elves.

There is a lot of skepticism.   Wouldn't going just leave the town vulnerable?  And Tugdual... isn't he just some weird nut who lives out in the forest and worships nature spirits?

But Frankish nobles are Frankish nobles.  Some are willing to join- the cause is good, and they can always retreat back to the city if things look too much for them.  It takes Tugdual a lot of bargaining and convincing, but eventually he manages a force of about forty men.  Half of them are Frankish cavalrymen.  Ten are their men-at-arms, heavy infantry, and ten are their baggage servants, because conducting war in winter is a great effort.  And they have brought two healers from the Temple of Aesclepius.

Based on Tugdual's knowledge of the foe, the number is pitifully small.  But then, every little bit helps, and the presence of the healers can change the destiny of things.

They set out on the trail on the north side of the Meuse river, and within a few hours of departure are at Quintum Lapidum, The Fifth Stone, the end of their territory.

Forward from here, they are in Elven land.

Tugdual does a little advance reconnaissance.  He does not find Cirostis and Haakon, but finds other Elves along the river than have heard of them- after all, the news was spread quickly throughout the Elven lands.  He learns that for unknown reasons, Haakon and Cirostis chose to break with their original plan, and instead joined a group of Elves well to the east, intending to delay the oncoming Huns so that more Elves could arrive in time.

They would be retreating westward.  And Tugdual's force is going eastward.  Sooner or later, they are bound to meet.

 With that knowledge, Tugdual hurries towards the east. He explains the situation to the Frankish horsemen that accompany him, and tells the healers about Cirostis, Haakon and Tawna.

 He tries to remember the names of a few of them, so as to be able to bolster them and give out orders if the situation should evolve into a combat faster that he had expected.

As Tugdual travels east, he picks up other Elves.   They have come in from the south, and in typical Elven fashion, with no particular organization or orders other than "gather together, and then figure something out.  By afternoon his force has doubled.  Elven scouts learn that other Elves are going to a place called Lisera (Wittlich, Germany) and so they steer Tugdual there- it would be a safe place to spend the night, at least.

By evening, he arrives... and finds that Haakon and Cirostis are already here.

He goes into their thread:

Journey By Dragon