Aarlo
09-25-2003, 08:23 PM
<I>(in order to not break up the flow as much, my suggestion is to disable your sig when posting to this story. Simply check the box "Disable Signature on this post")</I><br><br>Prologue:<br>It had been no more than three months since the Ogre Alliance, in a daring move, took the southern plains of Karana. In hindsight, their prior sorties into the Rathe Mountains should have served as a warning, but at the time, the generals of the North interpreted these forays simply as a distraction from the Ogres' primary target, thought to be Freeport. Thus, a key misunderstanding led to a great miscalculation. The Alliance quickly closed in on the bridge to the northern plains, and in a desparate attempt to buy some time for reinforcements to arrive, the North destroyed the only bridge to the south.<br><br><br>The Setting:<br>Highpass Hold was long known for both its wind and wine, two commodities never lacking from this mountainous perch atop the Serpent's Spine mountains. As such, it was a typical, breezy evening in the Rose & Thorn: the fire was warm, the patrons jovial, and thoughts of the ongoing war were checked at the door.<br><br>In fact, When you find yourself in the Rose & Thorn, a war is the farthest thing from your mind, almost as if there is an enchantment on the establishment which wards off anything resembling fear, despair, or discouragement.<br>