=EVENT STORY=
The sunrise across the continent has started to bring warmer, longer days. The snow is melting despite the bitter wind, and everyday it brings the people of Mardrun closer and closer to the perfect conditions for war. The stockpiles are ready, the fighters are warming up, and the forges are being lit as Clan Stormjarl and Nightriver prepare for the renewed onslaught Grimward and Stonetooth are sure to bring to their borders.
Clan Stormjarl’s defenses have been bolstered even before the war broke out with many in the Clan focusing special attention on training warriors along Haygreth’s Scar and the more recent influx of trained healers, leading the defensive line of settlements south of The Scar looking very well-prepared for the coming defense. Nightriver has also taken the winter months to begin movement into Stormjarl territory to begin preparations for supporting the Clan in the fight everyone is sure is coming.
As Grimward begins probing Stormjarl’s defenses, it’s easy to see the Clan is still in recovery from the winter month’s harsh conditions and the ally’s offensive movement across the Yurnai River last year. While they stir up action across the border between the Clans, allies from across Mardun begin to move in to support the Clan, whether that be defending against Grimward’s grapplers keeping their warriors busy, or another offensive move while Grimward is still on the back foot. As the spring thaw fast approaches, one thing is for certain; this war is far from over.
=EVENT SUMMARY=
The day started cold and dreary as Stormjarl and supporters began preparations for the day. The thin layer of clean snow across the dirt quickly became wrought with footprints and cart marks, with supporters coming to ply their trades in support of Stormjarl. As the day began to warm up, the warriors warmed with it. Patrols were sent out both near and far, successful in their thwarting of Grimward invaders each time. The abundance of well trained healers, and the presence of many tradespeople, kept the warriors well taken care of as they returned from their attacks and patrols.
As the day pushes on, the snow melting into the dirt and turning to mud, warriors found themselves wearing down, but not without seeing a similar effect on Grimward. With success after success stacking up for Stormjarl, morale of the outpost grew until local leadership could finally claim the day had been a success, with Grimward’s local forces unable to quickly enough route reinforcements to cover the wounded section of their frontline.
The outpost rallied in their recovery after such a long day, Stormjarl and their allies continuing to patrol the nearby roads. Warriors made their way to the trail again, but were met with an unexpected fighting force. Warriors of Clan Shattered Spear marched against the patrols and outpost, throwing themselves into battle with Stormjarl with desperation and anguish across them all. A Stonetooth Ulven stood among them, forcing them into battle under threat of their own families being killed where they still lived in the occupied Shattered Spear territory if the warriors were to surrender, show defiance, or not follow orders. This Ulven, the ‘thrall watcher’, being un-killable by Stormjarl otherwise all the Shattered Spear families would die regardless of their efforts to fight for Grimward and Stonetooth.
This upsetting encounter left the warriors of Stormjarl with a horrible moral dilemma and no time to dwell on it. The warriors of Clan Shattered Spear were cut down in their intense battle, as they begged for, and the Stonetooth was let go to walk home free.
In the midst of this chaotic battle, a healer and a bard stayed waiting in camp. While everyone from warriors to merchants ran to the trail to help support the fight or bring back wounded, they returned to even more chaos and panic to see that the bard’s throat had been slashed, and that healer was nowhere to be found. The bard was able to be saved, but the outsider who was believed to be the one who attacked in this moment of vulnerability, was not found.
In the end, with warriors making their way back into camp after the Stonetooth “thrall-watcher” made his departure, and with reports of similar attacks from Clan Shattered Spear’s people across Stormjarl’s outposts, the Clan is now left with very important decisions to make, and very little time to make them.