Part I
Subjects of Travance,
In a few short weeks the Null will begin to enter Travance Proper. They are being pushed here by various allies who have agreed to do so at our request. The greatest force of good and evil stands with us against a common enemy and a threat that deals at the greatest of stakes. The heroes of Travance have designed a monolith capable of trapping the Null. A seperate set of heroes have been charged to design a back-up plan in the event that our first plan fails. Nothing can be left to chance, and we must be ready for every circumstance. We must fight hard and be ready to adjust our plan as many times as it takes to see this done.
The Null will destroy everything in their path. As of today, we will begin the evacuations of every common man, woman or child who does not intend to in some way stand with the heroes of Travance in this deadly battle. These orders are non negotiable, and will include every stable hand, barmaid, cobbler, merchant, thatcher, farmer, and wagoner. Lords and Ladies must include in this evacuation their personal retainers and every man, woman and child who accompanies them into the proper who will not be in this battle. It is our intention that when the Null appear, that any person that could be killed is someone who knows the consequences of this moment, and have chosen to be in harms way to help stop this threat.
All guardsmen active and non-active are being conscripted and ordered to report to the leadership of the Baronial Guard for further orders.
Every evacuee is allowed only as much belongings as they can carry on their person. The evacuation spot is a fifteen-hour journey from the proper, is deep within the woods, and is heavily guarded and protected. The evacuation spot is a hidden city that has until now gone largely unknown to the people of Travance. Some will be given temporary residence inside the city, and some will take up residence just outside its walls. All evacuees will not be allowed to stay in the city for a day longer than necessary. Any attempts to stay there against this command will result in a charge of treason. In the event that Travance Proper falls, the city is equipped with magical portals that will allow deeper evacuations to other parts of the world. In the event that the Null are defeated, all evacuees will be sent for to immediately return home. The city guard known to the people of Travance as “The Blood Spirits”, will be overseeing the evacuation process.
During these weeks, the proper will not be able to function as normal. There will be no services run by common workers, and so the heroes of Travance will need to rely on stocks of supplies left behind, and their own skills to get them through each day until the Null arrive.
Heroes of Travance, this is your call to battle. If you have the fight in you, or can contribute to it in anyway then your skill and presence is needed. For years you have heard the call and you have answered it. Let this not be the last call made. Join us in this final stand, shoulder to shoulder with any person who desires survival, regardless of race, status or creed. Together we will end this threat once and for all and usher this world back into a golden age of prosperity. Stand and affirm that this world will not end on your watch, but instead you will give the historians a legend to tell for ages!
- Count Sebastian Everest of Winterdark
- Baron Victor Sylus of Travance
PART II
Everything was quiet. Not the calm peaceful kind, but the kind of quiet that causes fights and makes you want to crawl out of your skin. It didn't help that the food was not being prepared by professional cooks, or that a merchants goods were not readily available. Over a week had passed since more than 90% of the population of Travance Proper was evacuated, and by all assumptions made, another week was still ahead of them. Jonas Kane, the innkeeper was among the very few who refused to leave despite having no solid skill to offer in the upcoming battle. After nauseating arguments, the baronial officials finally backed off, but regretted that decision later on as he appeared even more irritable than the rest. He argued for two whole days to keep the Inn bards in the proper, an argument that he lost as they were forcibly and conveniently evacuated while he was elsewhere. This quiet had a way of grating on peoples nerves; of causing uneasiness and restlessness. Some friends argued over the simplest of things, while others picked at their hair and nails, or carved words into wood to distract themselves. Was it the awkward and offbeat banging of the drums or perhaps the the lazy strums of discord? Was it the uncomfortable heat or was the air too thick with moisture? Was it the uneasiness that the greatest force of evil loomed among us, or was it something else entirely?
Not all heroes gave into this dark spell. Some chose to embrace the quiet before the storm, and ride its calm waters with a disciplined mind. They honed and sharpened thier weapons; they poured over books of lore, to either inform or calm the mind. Some stood as silent and as still as statues. They watched the wood-lines for any sign of danger and acted as sentinels for civilization. Some centered their inner soul and sharpened their mind, while others communed with the nature around them. Some of the heroes had found peace in the quiet, but it had to be searched for, and other heroes would help them look for it. Was it the warm breeze blowing through your hair or was it the calm rustling of leaves? Had hopes been raised through talk and tale or was the steely glance from your friends enough to kindle the fires of determination? Was it the warm presence of the greatest force of good that stood beside us, or was it something else entirely?
Will you break beneath the bow of insanity? Will you weather the storm? Will you cast your gaze beyond the horizon and act as mankind's last sentinel? Will you grip your weapons tight and let loose the battle cry? Will you spill your own blood as a price for civilization or will you and your friends simply fade from existence? Who will you be?
