Sortie Failure Report

Malkin, I apologize for the delay between this log and my last one! I have dire news that you most likely already know, but CrIsis died save for me!

We were assaulting the Fortress of the Ogre King, Sunder Blackrock. There was nothing I could do for them other than cause a distraction and assault from the opposite side from the one they were trying to breach. The distraction worked well, so I thought, but they were ready for us! I tried to escape after breaching the fortress walls, but I was trapped. Hannah fled upward, and was unable to make it out. She died at Giants’ hands.

I was being carried down to the dungeons when I revived. While the giants were carrying me, one on each arm and three ahead and behind, I shrunk just enough to get out of my gag, using my natural abilities. I then cast a spell to reduce my size to six inches, and fled like a rat from panthers. Due to the size difference they could not find me.

I got to the stairs and realized that I wouldn’t have been able to scale them quickly even at my normal height, and there were too many giants around to not be noticed anyway. So, I caught a ride on a giant’s boot, and rode him to higher levels. He seemed to stop after three floors, where I dismounted and found another giant who was leaving the dungeon levels. My muscles started to scream well before I reached the ground floor, but I held on up the five flights of giant-sized stairs..

I finally escaped the fortress walls, but that was only the beginning of my journey to salvation, as I was in the middle of Nimro alone and hundreds of miles away from anyone I knew.

For three months I have travelled, using my paltry ranger skills to survive, completely without all of my weapons and gear.

I fled to the border of Nimro where CrIsis first entered, following the same meandering path we took, just in case anyone from CrIsis survived. At the border I swung south toward the Yin-Sloth Jungles, and set my sights on the Monster Hunter’s Temple. I finally reached its hallowed walls, and was able to finally write you a report and recover.

I heard tales of CrIsis’ death at the hands of hundreds of Giants during the assault, and saw Hannah’s mutilated corpse myself. If I had been able to search the giants’ fortress safely, I would have. I would still be there searching every inch and mile of it now, had I any hope that they survived. Though, I thought I would share some of the rumors I heard on the way back to the temple.

• Sunder murdered CrIsis with his own hand
• CrIsis murdered Sunder and took his body
• Sunder’s sub lieutenant Porphyrion Bloodfist murdered him and blamed CrIsis
• Terosh slew CrIsis and Sunder and set himself up as king
• Terosh was slain by an alliance between CrIsis and Sunder
• Terosh took control of Porphyrion after Sunder’s death and forced an alliance

I have no idea which, if any, of these might be true, but I did see heads on spikes from a distance on the walls of Blackrock Fortress that might have been CrIsis’.

Either way, I am ready to return to the Gods’ mission. If you have any contact, can you please reach out to U’Selekma, and send a ship to Mishala? I will gather supplies and forces.

Mack.

And as always, My prayers to Horus.

>>Picture Credit: Hector Herrera