The Green Raiders
Ruhkgar heard the sound of something crawling in the distance. He raised the alarm, and the sounds moved away. The commotion had awakened Craven. He joined Ruhkgar at the lip of the crater and saw a green man sneaking toward them. He shot it. Niven was awakened and shot it as well. Ruhkgar noticed another sneaking toward them and charged it. Another charged him. Ruhkgar intercepted it and killed it. Another appeared on a hill and fired a radium rifle at him.
Craven emerged from the crater, saw the shooter, and shot and killed him him. Ruhkgar rose and attacked the remaining green man, who had fled to another crater. He slew him. They collected the radium rifle and spare battery. Then they threw the dead greens into the crater with the last one to die.
The Names of the Rifles
Around the campfire, the Sardai elder examined the collected radium rifles and was able to identify their origins.
The rifle Ruhkgar had selected was called “Starlight, Destruction of Broken Dreams.” It was an odd one, but praised by many and celebrated for its precision and reliability. The weapon had its receiver located behind the pistol grip for a more compact design. The weapon was 905mm long, with a 495mm barrel and weighed approximately 3.1kg. The stock has an intricate Vronag head on each side, a clear sign this weapon belongs to a champion. The pistol grip is decorated with a rare gem, fine details which prove how carefully this weapon was crafted. Intricate decorative patterns have been carefully etched into the barrel.
Craven’s weapon was amazing, world renowned and celebrated for its consistent aim and accuracy. It was called “Torchlight, Glory of Time-Lost Memories.” The weapon was 811mm long, with a 337mm barrel and weighs roughly 2.7kg. It had its receiver located behind the pistol grip to save on weight. The pistol grip had a gilded Spirit Hound on each side, marking the house it belonged to. The stock was engraved with the symbol of Callor Maralin, a symbol one could be proud of.
Niven had chosen “Celestia, Touch of the Burning Sun,”an excellent but infamous radium rifle celebrated for its consistent aim and accuracy. The weapon was 660mm long, with a 497mm barrel, and weighed around 4.3kg. The stock had a gilded Chorak head on each side. The barrel itself was bare.
Kaylor had selected “Stormrage, Beacon of Honor,” a unique weapon that was famous around the world and praised for its reliability in almost any situation. The length of the weapon is 812mm, with a 393mm barrel and the weapon weighs roughly 4.5kg. The weapon has its receiver located in front of the pistol grip, allowing for a more ergonomic design. The pistol grip is decorated with gilded linings, no expense is spared for this gorgeous weapon. Several words of power have been artistically etched into the barrel, which is supposed to contain a hidden power.
The other radium rifles they had collected also had storied pasts.
Doombinder, Breaker of the Covenant, was a beauty, and noted by many across the world and celebrated for its consistent aim and accuracy. It had an extendable stock. A line of text was engraved on the barrel.
Shadowshard, Torch of Agony, was an excellent and infamous weapon. The pistol grip had a jeweled orb on each side.
Netherlight, Ferocity of Suffering, was an intimidating weapon known for its consistent aim and accuracy. The stock had an elaborate Chu’grahk head on each side. The pistol grip was decorated with a rare gem.
Clarity, Glory of the Claw, was the rifle they acquired from the green man raiders. The weapon was fearsome and known for its deadly accuracy. The pistol grip was engraved with a Koljiss. Ancient symbols were engraved on the barrel, which was supposed to give the weapon and its owner extra strength.
Soulkeeper, Eye of the Sun, was the name of another radium rifle in the heroes collection. The pistol grip has a gilded Cazern on each side. The symbol of the owner’s house was engraved on the stock. This weapon was once used by the royal guard of Lonaria.
Souleater, Legacy of the Sunwalker was in near perfect condition, and renowned for its stability, reliability and versatility. The pistol grip had a decorative flames on each side. The stock was decorated with gilded linings. Intricate decorative patterns had been carefully etched into the barrel.
Moving on
Nothing disturbed the came in the night. Breaking camp on the second day of the journey, they continued through the desolate landscape. A few hours later, a Vronag Vesh charged. The giant boar-like creature headed directly for the center pack gashant. Craven, Niven and Kallor responded quickly, and all shot it with their radium rifles. The creature fell before it could close.
Knowing that the hide of a Vronag Vesh could be used to make heavy armor, the caravan stopped and Ruhkgar skinned the beast. The meat was also a delicacy, so he carved out some choice cuts to take with them. He also took the head as a trophy, though the gashants were now all close to the limits of their carrying capacity. The scavengers kept to a safe distance until the caravan moved on, whereupon they pounced on the majority of the beast that the heroes left behind.
The rest of the day passed in solitude. There were no signs of man or beast as the caravan moved into increasingly more broken terrain. As the sun was setting, they came to high ground where the ruins of an old building sat. They made camp in the shelter of the ruins and set up small fire. Ruhkgar prepared some torches in case they were needed.
On the second watch, Ruhkgar felt ground shaking. Everyone was awakened by the tremors. Ruhkgar tried to jump on to a wall to see what it might be, but it was too shaky. Then an Onam Reech emerged from the depression below. The legendary creature, said to be so large that its abandoned burrows now served as canals, climbed the wall with surprising speed and attacked Ruhkgar.
The size of the creature had been exagerrated, but not by much. It failed to engulf Ruhkgar in its enormous maw, and he struck back, slicing the giant worm through with both blades and killed it. Ruhkgar jumped onto it in triumph. The motion pushed the Oram Reech off the lip of the rise, and Ruhkgar fell into a pool of venom that had leaked from its ruptured venom sac and paralyzed himself.
Craven carried Rukgar off and he revived a few minutes later. Once their nerves were calmed, the rest of night passed quietly.
Death of a Friend
On the road the next day, the caravan came upon some dead red men. Kallor approached, but called the elder to identify them. No sooner had the elder approached the nearest body when he was attacked and quickly shredded by a swarm of Jeel. The ferocious carrion eaters and carnivores consisted mostly of a long jaw equipped with far too many teeth, and a great many sturdy legs.
The others came to the elder’s aid. Ruhkgar was himself swarmed and overcome by the swarm. The others shot the creatures from a distance until they were all killed. Kallor then performed first aid and tied off some of Ruhkgar’s injuries. When he was stabilized, Kallor and the Sardai buried the dead red men and the elder with appropriate funeral rites.
The Green Men Attack
They continued on. Shortly after mid day, as the progressed through a ravine, a group of Green man raiders charged at them mounted on war gashants. Craven shot one off its mount and then Kallor maimed the mount. Ruhkgar, barely functional, heroically had his war gashant kill the fallen green man. Niven shot and wounded the next one.
Craven finished the second one off, but it was entangled in its tack and its gashant ran off with the body. The remaining three green raiders closed with their greatswords. One attacked Ruhkgar but missed. One attacked Craven and knocked him down. One attacked Niven but missed. Niven stepped back and shot his attacker. Ruhkgar spurred his war gashant to attack and the one on Niven and knocked it down. Kallor killed the maimed gashant in front of him.
Craven finished off another. Kallor attacked the fallen one near Ruhkgar but failed to pierce its armor. The green man recovered and missed Kallor with its sword. The other hit Niven and he was incapacitated. Ruhkgar hit another and knocked it down.
The surviving green men attacked. One recovered from its hit. The other knocked Craven down. Kallor killed his foe. Ruhkgar charged the last one, but missed. Craven took a swing at it, but also missed. The green man then missed him. Kallor shot and killed the last one.
Kallor gave Niven and Craven first aid. He patched up Niven well, and bandaged Craven sufficiently to keep moving. However, Craven, Niven and Ruhkgar were all injured to varying degrees.
The Team
- Sir Lyton Niven, Gentleman Thief and Spy
- Capt. Philip Harrison Craven, WWI Flying Ace
- Kallor Muldane – Red Man Explorer
- Ruhkgar – Red Man Swordsmen