AC2:Announcements - 2002/12 - Emergence

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The alarmed reports of hordes of Drudges boiling out of their lairs had spread quickly, and soon all corners of Osteth were rife with the Drudges' influence. Most alarming to Telkhe were reports that even the Shelter Holdings, those structures that link the Shelters to Dereth, were now infested with Drudges. Only weeks before, he and others from his Shelter had mustered up their courage and stepped through that portal to Osteth. The thought that his kinsmen left behind were in danger of being forever trapped within the Shelters enraged him. He immediately committed himself to discovering the Drudges' plans and stopping them.

He had been on the trail of the Drudges for a few days now, and it had led him through Arwic and Kehan, then to Millstone. Along the way, he had banded together with a human mage who been following that same trail. Now they found themselves carefully making their way through a blighted forest.

Hard to believe the Warder sent us out here, Telkhe's companion said. What a dreadful place.

Telkhe had to agree. Wharu's influence is strong here. Great Sister Wind sings a mournful song.

Wharu? Anima of decay, correct?

Telkhe simply nodded.

The mage looked around. Much longer here and you might have me believing in it too.

Telkhe left the comment unanswered and studied the terrain. They had crested a small hillock, and the blighted landscape lay stretched out before them. He could see the shadow forms of Drudges lurking, busying themselves with whatever their cadre had commanded of them. Suddenly, on a distant hillock he saw a Drudge unlike the others.

There, he is the one we seek, Telkhe whispered to his companion, pointing to the Drudge in the distance.

The mage squinted, trying to see the Drudge Telkhe was pointing out. Are you sure? How can you tell?

Telkhe simply looked at his companion.

Fine then, the mage said. You've been right about everything else so far, what do we do now?

In his dealings with humans, Telkhe had seen them prove to be a bit dense, and he thought that this was another of those times. We attack and kill it, he said slowly. Then we take what we need from its remains.

The mage looked stunned for a moment and blinked, then nodded and grinned. I think that might work.

Telkhe nodded. Perhaps these humans weren't as dense as he thought.