The Ember Vale Reivers -- Notes for Settlers
Title: The Ember Vale Reivers -- Notes for Settlers
Author: Alosaka
OOC Disclaimer: This is an IC work by a character existing within the game world.
Spring has arrived and brought with it mud to the Imperial Settlement of Darkstone. By the medic’s tent, which has grown to encompass several additional tents over the past few weeks, a young pageboy hands out leaflets printed on cheap onionskin paper. They tear easily, dissolve when touched by a few drops of water, and the ink on them smears if read too vigorously. But the nurse in charge of the camp’s medical efforts keeps a stack by his side and passes one out to every settler he sees.
The Ember Vale Reivers
The people of the Landing join our friends in the Imperial Settlement in mourning for your dead. We hope for a peaceful resolution to the dispute with the Luinne Bheinn Reivers, and as a small part of our efforts to protect the lives of innocent settlers, we wish to share what we know of the new offshoot clan known as the Ember Vale Reivers, and how you can keep yourselves and your families safe from their war parties.
- Alosaka, for the Order of the Silver Gryphon
The Ember Vale Clan
The Ember Vale Reivers are led by Warchief Haidan, the son of Hagga the Bone Witch. His faction of the Luinne Bheinn Reivers broke away from the larger clan due a combination of internal friction (his mother once led a similar break-away faction of Reivers who attacked the Landing) and a desire to wage open war against the new Barony of Darkstone. It was his shaman who slew several of your hunters by implanting their torsos with monstrous spiders, his warriors who slew your shepherds, and his war party that attacked and killed a wagon of settlers and then kidnapped several children. His warriors were punished for kidnapping the children.
How fearsome Haidan’s warriors will be in combat remains to be seen, but they are exceptionally skilled at slaying helpless men and women. Please show extraordinary care when outside the settlement, and if you must venture out, remember the following:
Run, Hide, Fight
If you encounter a Reiver war party, the three most important steps you can take are to “Run, Hide, and Fight.” Running should always be your first response – if you are in a group, try to split up, which may force the Reivers to let some of you go in order to chase the others down.
If you cannot run, hide. The longer you can stay alive, the more likely the war party is to move on. If you have small children, try to distract them so they do not make any noise that might give away your position.
As a last resort, if you cannot run or hide, you must fight back. The Ember Vale Reivers believe that any adult settler they find has made the choice to remain here, and therefore they are justified in killing you. They will not spare you if you attempt to surrender. By fighting back, you might give your friends a chance to escape.
Tell the Children to Run
The Ember Vale Reivers have been reluctant to kill children, though it’s not clear at what age they consider children to be reasonable targets. If you have children with you, and you know they cannot outrun the Reiver war party or hide, tell them to run while you remain behind to fight. You might delay the Reivers long enough for your children to escape.
For Children: Remember Where the Reivers Attacked
This may be hard to contemplate, but teach your children to remember as best they can where the Reivers attacked you. This will speed up rescue efforts and make locating your bodies easier.
Black Thorns
Finally, be cautious when dealing with Landing citizens. While many have pledged to defend your settlement and will die to do so if necessary, a sizable number have no desire to take part in the conflict with the Ember Vale Reivers. A very small number have openly sided with the Ember Vale clan and are aiding them with magical weapons and other supplies. If you see a Landing resident wearing the symbol of the Black Thorns, don’t reveal any information to them about your travel plans, and be wary if you see them following you outside of town.
How to Recognize and Treat Wounds Inflicted by Magical Weapons – Notes for Medics
It is unfortunately necessary to share information about new weapons wielded by the Ember Vale clan. These mithril weapons are sharper and harder than steel and require different treatment methods. Please ensure your healers are aware of these new weapons, as well as previously known tactics such as spider implantation.
- Alosaka, on behalf of the Wehnimer’s Landing Empath’s Guild
Mithril Weapons
Mithril blades are superior to steel in every way. They are harder, keep an edge longer, and can cut through armor easily. They are less likely to bind in the clothing your shepherds wear while tending their flocks. They are lighter and can be wielded with more finesse and speed than steel. Sticks or bare hands will be less effective against mithril swords.
Bleeding
While steel weapons can cut, they more often result in ‘blunt dissection’ injuries that, while horrific, tend to cause the blood vessels to constrict and seize, limiting the immediate loss of blood.
Mithril weapons are far sharper than steel weapons and can cut straight through flesh and even bone. While this produces ‘cleaner’ injuries than the tearing effect of steel, such wounds tend to be far more deadly. Blood vessels that are severed rather than torn will fail to constrict and will bleed without limit. This blood loss can rapidly lead to death even when the wound itself would not normally be considered mortal, such as a severed arm.
Healers who encounter such wounds should focus first on staunching the loss of blood. Use compression and cordage to tie off the limb – bind the cords tight until bleeding stops.
Punctures caused by mithril weapons will cause severe internal bleeding. Make the patient as comfortable as possible and attempt to summon a skilled herbalist or empath.
Blunt injuries caused by mithril weapons are similar to those caused by steel weapons. Treat broken bones as best as you can with a splint and try to move the patient as little as possible. Bring the herbalist or empath to them if possible.
The Spider Curse
The Ember Vale Reiver clan employs blood magic against its enemies. One method they are known to use is a curse that implants monstrous spider eggs in the torsos of their victims. After a short incubation period the spiders erupt from their hosts, killing them instantly, and then savagely attack anyone nearby.
Victims of the curse can be identified by several symptoms:
- A cluster of red marks, even in number, on the neck
- Disorientation
- Abdominal pain
- Inexplicable movement of large, anatomically impossible masses in their abdomen and torso
- Extreme pain
- Having recently been attacked or kidnapped by Reivers
There is no treatment for this curse. If you encounter someone who you believe has been cursed, make them comfortable outside of the settlement, away from other people, and summon aid from the Landing as quickly as possible.