Gladyus Reports

[stragen]

Gladyus Rockface stood in Grand Master Taazk'kazja's office. His head respectfully bowed. He once again had the view of legs of the ornate desk. The room was filled with the bitter aromoa of Rod

"Report Brother Gladyus" Commanded Master Taazk'kazja lifting his head from the writing tablet.

Looking straight ahead Gladyus reported

"Oi have established muh self in der Fort O Vehl. Oi have made contact with der local merchants O Mistone as a customer and supplier O raw materials. Der be an anti-Raelist movement in der ranks O des merchants. Dey consider dem selves hero's and der ego's kin nay stomach dat we kin do more fer der populace der High Rael.

Those dat I have made contact with include, Barion Firesteed a fallen Knight of Der Wyrm, Beli Tenker a Brother O Vorax, Trouble der Shifter, Max a Priost O Roferien, and Dame Tannerson.

Brother Gloom has taken muh as his student and be training muh in der style of der brotherhood. He be a brilliant mind and strong orator fer Rael. We be workin ter form a union O Orcs, Half-Orcs, Goblins, Half-Gionts, Dark-Elfs and Dark-Kin. Der be many O des races in Vehl, and der be much angst dat they be excluded from work in Hempstead."

Master Taazk'kazja raised a hand and Gladyus stood quiet.

"Gloom Master Grimstone's student. He has talent and promise. Great success of great failure will be his. You do well to follow him. He is the voice in the day-light. You will be the knife in the shadows."

Master Taazk'kazja slid an envelope across his desk towards Gladyus.

"What do you make of this?"

Gladyus examined the document within in his gloved hand. After a long pause he answered.

"A forgery most likely Master." He returned the document to the envelope and placed it on the desk.

"And would create such a forgery" the Master questioned.

"Seditionists Master" replied Gladyus in understanding.

"Then you will make sure these Seditionists are caught Gladyus."

"Aye Master."

"And now for your reward."

With a nod to his left, the Defender on Master Taazk'kazja's left advanced on Gladyus with a crack of his knuckles.

"The first trait of a defender is the immovable stance. Move and you fail."

With a sickening thud the left hook caught Gladyus in the jaw. He wobbled but did not step back. Instinctively he raised his guard to protect his face. The next blows came in rapid succession to his body knocking the wind from him. The beating continued and eventually Gladyus collapsed to his knees. He did not however step backwards.

Looking at the prone form that was Gladyus Master Taazk'kazja's raised a hand for the beating to end.

"Gladyus you are dismissed."

[stragen]

Once more Gladyus stood with head bowed in the room

“I have done as yer bid Master. The captain was receptive to the plan.”

“Then the document is in place,” master Taazk'kazja's stated without waiting for a reply.

“If the trail returns to this office your life is forfeit” the master continued.

“Aye, der is this master” Gladyus slid a map across the desk, the notes were in goblin.

“I signed up in der Fort-Wayfare milita along with a group of adventurers, Trouble der druid, Kizia der, and Storold der Lucindite. I found out dat der be a goblin shaman seekin artifacts O power. Dis map be der last piece O der puzzle der shaman needs. I have arranged a meeting with der Goblins. It may be dey be useful tools master. I will seek ter bind dem into der service O Rael Kingdom in exchange fer dis map.”

“Excellent. Continue your service with the Fort-Wayfare milita in this quest. Do not allow the others to suspect that you are anything but a loyal member. I will make a copy of this map for our archives. You may collect to original in two days time. That should give you enough time to recover from your reward.”

“Begin training.”

With the command the Defender on Master Taazk'kazja's right launched a series of shuriken at Gladyus. Gladyus deflected the first with palm parry, the second, third and forth struck him squarely in the chest. When the attack sequence was complete Gladyus stood there with three sharp metal disks protruding from his chest. Yet he appeared unharmed.

“What is this Gladyus? Either you the most gifted student I have trained having mastered the Adamantium-skin technique in a year, or you have cheated.”

Master Taazk'kazja's eyes narrowed on the belt fastening Gladyus robes.

“Remove your robes and belt.”

Gladyus did as instructed, revealing his unharmed gray skin.

“Begin training again.”

Another sequence of shurikens struck Gladyus, this time they embedded deep into his flesh leaving spouts of blood as the stuck. Gladyus grimaced in pain, yet satisfied that he had prepared correctly.

“One can only earn the Adamantium-skin through training and not through cheap trinkets” the master lectured.

“Continue till he collapses” master Taazk'kazja's instructed the defender.

[stragen]

Gladyus stood in a dim recess outside Master Taazk’kazja’s office. As he waited to make his report his thoughts returned to his most recent failure.

Death had come for him and the soul mother as well. He had travelled with Brother Gloom, the suspected Dark Elf Ni’haer and the Orc Rak, into the caverns of Bear Island. A failed attempt at conversation in Orcish had revealed the lack in own skill. The Orc was intelligent and articulate a freak of his inferior race most like. Not so bright though, as it was the hulking Orc that was the first to fall to the axes of the bugbears.

Stepping over the body of their fallen ally the remaining trio pressed on. Gloom had charged the bug bear chieftain intent on the glory of the kill. His ferocity was only matched by that of the chieftain. Gladyus had struck the brute with a kick on it flank aiming to knock it off it feet, but it was too well disciplined to fall. Gloom was the first to fall, death came swiftly dealt by the monster’s axe. That left Gladyus and the Bugbear in a mortal duel. Blow by blow the combatants fought, Gladyus ignoring the hideous wounds the chieftain gave him, focusing on landing a killing blow. The punch was true and the brute fell in a bloody mess. The elf swooped in and cut a bloody trophy. The remaining two fled the sound of a regrouping bugbear horde.

Too late; the mob caught Gladyus at the stairs cutting him down quickly. Gladyus will to live was strong and he regained conscious one more standing groggily. The bugbears realised their mistake and finished him properly this time. Gladyus fell with a silent scream. The soul mother was ready. Watching hidden by the weave, the Elf had escaped unscathed, taking the head of the Chieftain with him.

With a jolt Gladyus came to attention as the door opened.

“Master Taazk’kazja will see you now” the imposing defender spoke opening the door.

As Gladyus entered the room Gladyus internally flinched as he saw that each of the defenders carried a wicked great-axe similar in style to those of the bugbears.

“I am aware of your failure Gladyus” the master continued, “a reported in not needed.” Gloom’s report had clearly preceded his Glaydus realised.

“I do however intend to correct the problem of your weakness with axes”

“Assume the pose Gladyus. Ignore the pain and harden your skin”

The defenders closed in with axes raised.

[stragen]

Gladyus stood in the sand filled room deep below the city of Prantz. On each of the walls, north, south east and west was a barred portcullis. The smell of old the sweat and blood filled the room despite the clean sand that had been raked across the floor. Stripped to the waist Gladyus waited for the session to begin.

His thoughts turned to his training against the goblin in the caverns filled with red light. A lone goblin was an easy target, weak and breakable. But two, three or more and they could be deadly. They would seek to flank him and stick their daggers into back and vital organs. He hated them for their skill, yet relished the combat as their attempts to backstab him would only make him stronger. Once he had mastered the technique of awareness they would no longer be able to flank him. Fools, all that their efforts accomplished was to grant him knowledge of their methods, and through knowledge he would gain power.

The northern of the portcullis had opened with barely a sound, a testament to the precision of true-dwarven engineering. Gladyus caught the glimpse of thee small figures moving cautiously out of the holding chamber beyond, he was puzzled, were they merely children? They spoke quietly in a language that he could not understand, yet recognised; Halflings. Already slaves they now faced death for uttering those words, breaking the law of Prantz that forbid the use of foreign tongues. The Halflings quickly spread out; each had a small blade in its hand. One slipped behind him and out of his vision. Moving with the speed of a viper Gladyus closed the distance to the first Halfling and struck it down with a thunderous punch to the jaw. The second stabbed at his left flank aiming for Gladyus’s dark heart. But the dwarf was ready for the move, twisting slightly so the knife merely struck his tough ribs and not his vitals. Gladyus ignored the second and continued the batter the first Halfling, kicking it while it was down and ensuring that it would not rise again. The momentum of the fatal kick allowed Gladyus’s boot to follow through and strike the second Halfling in the chest, winding it. A sharp pain shocked Gladyus as the third Halfling sunk its blade into Gladyus’s spine, his legs buckled under him. As Gladyus fell he heard the Halflings words 'for Pranzis, for my husband’.

Gladyus awoke in the familiar surrounding of Master Taazk’kazja’s office. His wounds had be been healed and his robes replaced. He immediately stood to attention and bowed. Sitting behind his desk studying his papers, Master Taazk’kazja betrayed no indication of whether Gladyus latest training session had been a success or failure.