Carcearion:
In Zharr-Niggrund the Tradesmith Azhrikul sat brooding. His Prophet�?Ts distant Fortress Tower required another infusion of the cities Hashut given mineral wealth and more importantly the delivery of secrets won by spies and acolytes about the sacred plots and machinations of the temple. It had been agreed sixty and four weeks prior that their two caravans would meet halfway across the vast desolation at the infernal guard outpost of Albakhar�?Tri, exchange cargo and return �?" but in the last fortnight Orcs had overrun the far western roads of the desolation, Zharr-Niggrund itself paid little heed. Azhrikul scratched worriedly upon his tablet, if he guessed his Lords course of action wrongly it would be his head.
Far west of Zharr-Niggrund Drakesh gather his counselors beneath the great Fortress Tower.
�?oAs you predicted the Immortals declined, protecting The Prophet while forces are away is paramount.�?�
�?oThey think it�?Ts beneath them, they wouldn�?Tt dirty their tall hats. What is the word from the Hashut�?Ts Eye wolf riders who encountered them?�?�
�?oI met personally with their Khan. He says the Orc forces are immense and claimed he rode four score wolves against their host and lost his eye and half his forces in the melee.�?�
�?oHrm! I�?Tm sure, he and his score of riders probably fled soon as they saw the bulk of their forces.�?�
�?oHe did have the scar to prove it my Lord, his eye was missing.�?�
�?oFuggit Khan has been missing that eye since before I can remember �?" I�?Tve heard more stories about how he lost it then you have teeth. But if even he wouldn�?Tt ride his wolves into their flanks their numbers must be vast. What word from our envoys to Nir-Khezhar and Rhan-Ghanor?�?�
�?oWe believe they still haven�?Tt reached them.�?�
�?oIf we attached a full artillery train we could simply blast through.�?�
�?oIs this caravan truly worth risking our war-machines? The steel is best from Zharr-Niggrund but it can be got elsewhere �?" and we have barley five score slaves to send back.�?�
�?oWe are too far and too long away from home, The Prophet cannot let his presence be diminished. We send not merely his spoils but his will.�?�
�?oWe could circumvent their territory, meet further north�?� of course we would lose months to the greater distance, sending new orders, and to waiting for confirmation.�?�
�?oI don�?Tt expect Azhrikul to wait for new orders, I expect him to make the right decision�?��?�
In Zhar-Niggrund Azhrikul poured over maps and the most reliable news he could purchase, steal, or black mail about the Orc tribe which troubled their plans. It was a mere swell in the desolation, a leaderless mass of filthy Orc flesh. He could practically hear Ezharr�?Ts counsel, imploring Drakesh to simply avoid the rabble �?" and Drakesh did not keep advisors merely to ignore them. The Orcs where a problem which could escalate drastically where a warboss to arise, but even than the threat was more likely to migrate into someone else�?Ts territory then assault the Fortress Tower. Aha! There was the ideal outcome; the Orcs are driven from the western roads and troubled one of the Prophet�?Ts rivals, but Drakesh would not leave it to chance�?�
�?oHalubar! Ghartan! Procure a dozen more hobgoblins guards and three times the extra wagon wheels. Thank Hashut for the desolation, we move as scheduled.�?�
Many days later deep in the dark lands Azhrikul sweated in his scalemail shirt and prayed to Hashut to stop himself cursing the weight and heat of his hat. When they first laid eyes upon Albakhar�?Tri they turned left, and broke from the roads out over the barren cracked earth, for days they baked as the caravan jostled across the wasteland. Drakesh would certainly have lured the green skins away to other territories in the south�?� certainly out here they would meet and exchange cargo�?� certainly they would share and redistribute supplies… certainly… certainly�?��?� or else-
