Thralls of a Dread Lord (1.83T)

Welcome to my weekly serial. This is a rough draft that I am working on, for your reading pleasure.

It is a fairly grim tale, so be warned.

Here is the first post from this series.

Here is last week’s entry.

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As Retaak travelled through the mountains and valleys of central Bemachhorak he noticed a great many Fellspawn on the move. The grey stone roads were rivers of Fellspawn marching to the heart of the realm under the banners of warlords ranging from petty to the greatest of them all. Even the high trails that he favoured for privacy and swiftness host countless little bands and even a few more recognizable clans and warbands. Retaak avoided others as much as he could, but often simply trusted to anonymity when he had to. Something momentous was afoot and Retaak could not help but worry that Ushochhushi was a part of it.

Only The Dread Lord could bring so many of the Fellspawn together. Retaak did not feel compelled, but The Dread Lord did not always rely on the compelling power of kaasukak. Why waste energy commanding all of the spawn, when he could simply yank the chains of their leaders. The thought of Ushochhushi being compelled was enough to set a smile on his face.

As he left Uzaagwaar far behind, Retaak relaxed, trusting that the sheer number of his fellow spawn would frustrate any tracking efforts from Ushochhushi’s Guards.

The Seneschal had left Waachear behind as Uzaagwaar as a trap. No doubt Ushochhushi had promised Uyagi and the others that he would be merciful as a reward for delivering Albyursia to them. He did not count on Retaak being able to break Waachear’s Kaasukak. It was not unheard of for a spawn to break the compelling. Those that did were always killed. Even now, Retaak wondered why, after being broken so many times at the hands of the torturer he had been able to cast off his will.

Retaak could find no satisfactory answer. Encounters with a powerful elf and a spider-demon were variables that he could not account for, nor did any of the spawn understand the true nature of the compelling, save that it emanated from the Dread Lord and was passed only to those he chose to serve him. He did not know enough.

But Retaak knew Ushochhushi. Dragging Waachear out to Uzaagwaar required effort. Ushochhushi did not want Retaak interfering in his plans, that was clear. Those plans involved whatever summons the Dread Lord had called and whatever power Albyursia represented. Was he giving the elf as tribute or did Ushochhushi have even grander designs than his master’s favour? Retaak wondered…

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