Tagnar's Tally

[Daresh]

The young dwarf dipped the well-used quill into the inkpot, carefully used a penwiper shaped like a lump of coal to clean off the excess, and added to the small leather bound journal.

8th of Mirtul. Returned to the stinking cavern system east of Isenhold today. As I heard in the Griffin the orcs had returned to it in numbers yet again. They seemed to be the same tribe as there last week. I suspect stronger orc tribes - or worse - higher up in the Stormhorns keep driving the weakers ones down into Cormyr. After I have improved my equipment more I will go up in the mountains and find these as well.

The work today accounted for five score and a dozen. This brings the Tally to six hundred seventy and two. Right glad I am that I returned to Cormyr. I think there are enough orcs here to settle my family debt, if I live long enough.

[Daresh]

23rd of Mirtul. Last week it was 117, this week was 126. Then, on the way to Skull Crag, one more. That comes to 916. What shall I do the day the Tally passes 1,000?

Kill more to cleanse my dishonor, of course. Less than one tenth of the way out of this curse for two years work.

And the orc on the road to Skull Crag, if he represented the tribes in these mountains, explains why so many come down to Isenhold. Fast, well equipped -even with healing potions! - and using poisoned arrows. I will need aid to penetrate their lairs, I think.

[Daresh]

The nightmare returned as it so often had of late. In the daylight hours he wondered if it was the gods reminding him of the doom laid upon him. At night, on the sweat stained sheets of his rented room at the Regal Griffon it was just unending despair and shame.

Four years ago, in the mountains of Impiltur....

The remmnants of the clan stood outside in a silent circle under the broad sky. The only warriors left after the retreat were some of the King's Guard who had been ordered by their liege to save what they could from the ruin. They stood with weapons bared watching a young dwarf kneeling in their midst as if he were an avatar of Bane himself. The dwarf had a dazed, bewildered look of one whose entire life has turned out to be a lie.

The Coalfire clan were not one of the renowned clans, rich with mithril, gold, or gem mines. They were one of the numerous smaller clans, owning a mine with a rich seam of coal which supplied forges throughout the mountains. Until today. Now, orcs strode their halls, using the heads of the woman and children that were unable to escape as kickballs. The betrayed warriors of the clan were even now being sacrificed to Gruumsh on bloody altars hastily constructed in the Great Hall. Their King had been the first to have his entrails pulled out to consecrate the new addition, by the new high priest of Gruumsh that had delivered the Hold to the orc clans. Clangeddin's Eternal Forge Fire had been extinguished and was now serving as the offal pit for the tribe.

The attack had come before dawn, on a moonless stormy night. The storm had hidden the approach of the orcs and the late hour had assured only a small watch on the bolted and secured gates. Easy for one dwarf to kill his own clansmen and unbar the gate for the invaders.

The Clan's remaining cleric, who until this morning had been the second acolyte, had heard from all present and now stood in judgement on the kneeling dwarf and addressed the Clan.

"Never in the history o' the Clans has such a thing occurred. Yet the testimony of many make clear the events. Narem Coalfire did take up the power of our ancient adversary, Gruumsh One-Eye, in jealousy of his failure ta be appointed ta the Council. He did study the dark ways of One-Eye an' he did consort with orc tribes ta betry his Clan. He did foul murder in the night an' opened the Gates o' our safehold ta our enemies. In tha' Great Hall itself, the heart of our Clan, he did call down the powers o' Gruumsh ta kill his brothers and cast down his lawful King."

"For any one o' these foul acts the penalty do be clear. I, Cared Coalfire, son of Darled Coalfire an' the current Axe of Clangeddin ta Clan Coalfire, acting in the stead of our King, do hereby pronounce that Narem Coalfire is banished from Clan. From hereafter he is stripped of all rights as a Coalfire. He shall neither rest at our hearths nor eat at our board. No profit shall he share from our labors nor shall the Clan trade with him. The Father o' Battles has cast him out and shall not aid him hereafter. This decree shall remain so until the blood o' the hundred Coalfires slain this day have been repaid a hundredfold in tha' blood o' orcs!"

"These crimes be so heinous it be moot that this doom shall fall on the Betrayer and all his descendants unto the third generation. This I declare wi' the full agreement o' tha Lord o' the Twin Axes, the Father O' Battles."

"Tagnar Coalfire, by the acts of thy father thou art banished. Go forth from home an' hearth until the doom laid upon thee family be abated. Until then ye are dead ta the Clan. Take not our name. Thou shall ne'er earn thy beard. Be gone from here an' return not on penalty o' death."