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Anyone who may venture near the old Barbarian village of Nordmark and had been there before may notice that a brand new banner with fresh bright colors ans the symbol of Trolls Bane replaces the old tattered and faded one that Jarl had left behind. And if one ventures to the neartby tavern for a mug of beer to quench their thirst after the long walk to get there they would see a notice pinned to the door, and on the gate leading into the village stating that all the territory of Nordmark has been incorporated into Trolls Bane and is now subject to Trolls Bane laws and protection. A noble to look after the territory and see that it thrives once again will be moving in soon.

The notices bear the signature of the Archduchess of Trolls Bane, ~*~Lady Joxia Doral~*~

Hearing her Ghodi curse outside, she leaves her work to look what was happening. She shakes her head in disbelieve while making a futile attempt to calm him down. Always trying to reach both sides of him, the one she loved and him being Ghodi, also knowing that it possible was a dead-end trying.
Her voice low and concerned, always trying to find the right words she speaks up to him "Solvarr.." yet a look into his eyes makes it clear that he's fully Ghodi, she changes her adress. "Ghodi, how should they know we're still living here? The Borg must have been empty to them, not finding anyone while we hunted or anything else. Yet I agree that it isn't their right to claim our land even with Vigalf gone." Wincing at his next curse she takes a step back, sighing. Her voice trembling with her own upcoming anger. "Aye I know ye're upset. And it's yer right to be I'm too." She endures another tirade of him cursing and a yell of him that echoes back from the walls. With a deep breath she gathers all her temper into her voice. "Now ye're listening to me!Yer anger doesn't help us yet. Ye go back into the Borg, taking what's needed to pray to find an solution for this mess that's going on here." Knowing he'd only listen to her when she speaks up to him that way, she underlines her words with a strict point of her finger towars the door.

Still in the mainland, Tinya values any letter received from her sister taking it to a beautiful spot under the tree near the river before finally settling down to open it slowly, savoring the moment. A brief sigh of disappointment escapes seeing it is so short this time as she was hopeing for news of others and plans for the winter, possibly planning a visit soon being extremely homesick. Abruptly standing, Tinya crushes the letter and throws it in the river as her shout of defiance can be heard far away.

This can't be happening!

Elsewhere on the mainland, far away from the lands of Gobaith, another letter arrives. Nalzaxx claps his hands with glee, always eager to recieve such messages, and walks hurridly into his study to open the envelope. He settles himself at his desk and dons his spectacles as the dove which carried the envelope flutters onto the top of a nearby hat stand. He breaks the wax seal and, barely able to contain his glee, begins to read the words within;
"News from Gobaith? Oh my!" he says, an excited glint flickering in his ghostly eyes.
"I wonder what important news heralds from a land I have long since abandoned?"
He reads the letter carefully, occasionally pushing up the spectacles on his face, (which became rather tiresome due to his lack of a nose).
"On the 9th of Tanos year 33 Joxia Doral laid claim to the abandoned settlement of the Nordmark." he reads, his voice rising in pitch with each word. He looks across to the dove atop his hat stand with an incredulous look.
"But it is only the 9th of Tanos today! And Gobaith is many miles away! How has one dove achieved such a feat?" he asks in astonishment as he tries to wrap his brain around the concept. Suddenly he jumps from his desk and grabs for the bird, stuffing it away in a cage and rushing towards his laboratory. After many hours of prodding, probing and examining, he had finally managed to unlock the secrets of the bird's incredible speed and endurance. Setting his goblin slaves to work he toiled many hours recreating the intricacies he had uncovered.

Finally, after many weeks of labour (though it was somehow still only 6 in the afternoon) he stepped back and admired his work.
"Marvelous, from now on messages will only take minutes to reach their destination. I shall call this great invention...e-quail."
And thus had Nalzaxx unearthed how former inhabitants of Gobaith heard, from many hundreds of miles away, the latest developments of the land within mere minutes.

*Her first expression of confusion fades into a dark smile as she sees the dragon banner flying once more at Nordmark and with a hand on her sword becomes immediately more cautious as she walks around. "The ghost of Vigalf I wonder?" she laughs quietly to herself at the thought. "Or might there still be a straggler or two of the barbarians still calling this home?" Drawing her sword she moves to the banner and quickly makes ribbons of it letting the peices fall to the ground and be carried off on the wind. "No matter..." She continues talking to herself as she takes another banner of Bane from her bag and hangs it again. "They know how to reach me if they wish to talk about being under Bane law now. I might even let them stay rather than...." The thought spoken outloud goes unfinished as her gaze falls on the gate where she had pinned a notice a couple days before and sees it gone. " I would like to see their reaction when their key no longer works in the lock" *looks off into the distance in the direction of Bane* "If the locksmith did not get eaten by a gnoll" *Takes another parchment and her quill and ink from her bag and writes another notice like the one before pinning it where the previous one had been. Steps back and looks at it with a smile and satisfied nod."That should be message enough for now, if its any living being here, that I intend Nordmark to be under Bane law." Walks away grumbling to herself something about the locksmith wasting her precious time. "He may wish he was eaten by a gnoll for making me wait on him and have to go hunt him down" She disappears into the woods headed in the direction Trolls Bane.

There have been many times in her young life Tinya has had to wait but she couldn't remember it being so terrible as now, while eyes look up into the sky frequently waiting for the dove.. wondering if hers had even arrived. Suppose it couldn't find him? Pacing, unable to sit as her feet make tracks in the sand along the shore, she reflects on her life in the mainland compared to the wonderful times at the Nord. Gruff and sometimes unforgiving as the Jarl was at times, her memories were always mixed with great respect and yes.. the love of her clan. Wait, that dot in the sky..could it be? Running toward it as if that would do anything to decrease the time, she finally stops and holds out her hand welcoming the flutter of wings as a couple of stray feathers fall to the sand. Almost tearing the parchment in her anticipation, recognizing the writing of a member of the clan.

The words of Jarl Vigalf as reported by Clansman Stohlson,

The Clan is waiting for a ship to return from a journey to the north.

Falling to her knees with the immediate sense of relief, for some reason Tinya begins to cry then speaks softly looking again at the parchment.

I miss home.

The ghodi reaches the nordmark around midnight. His gaze hits the banner of Trolls Bane and he wheezes angry. The holy flood may devour your damn town… he whispers and the knuckles of his fists turn white. Forget the ancestors… forget the patience… The ghodi grabs his weapons in a hurry and walks to the oak to send a last prayer to his goddess. The anger in his face turns into a frightening grin. The norodaj are marching… he mumbles while leaving the borg.

Agrimur Farenson enters the town and finally, with relief, notices that at least some of his old friends are still there.

"Hej, I'm back!" He yells, happily to see Ylvie all alive and well. "I looked everywhere fer ye! Already thought the damn mages had gotten ter ye! Have ye heard any news from Fenra? I've not been able ter find me sister either. But I can tell ye, the Jarl's family is all well, I found ol' Jarl Tjalfs village alrigh'. Rhianna is stayin' there now, havin' the little dragons grow up without mages and elves all aroun'. Where is the Jarl? I've got ter tell 'im the good news that 'is family has arrived in the good ol' world after all!"

Throwing himself on a stool in the tavern, he grins foolishly about. "I tell ye, 'ts good ter be back!"

Joxia returns to Bane looking triumphant yet exhausted and goes immediately to place the new contract with the other contracts Trolls Bane.

This night, a cloaked man sneaks around Trolls Banes city walls. Reaching the east gate, he takes out a sling and a tiny flask with a self-brewed content. The strange projectile hits the banner on top of the watchtower and ignites it with a smelly flame.

Freedom is, what my lady awaits.whispers the tall man and begins to laugh.

He continues his walk around the city and burns every banner. His laughter grows in volume and he doesn't care about anyone who could try to stop him,