Flashbacks, Cutscenes and Such

[Glim]

Don't know how often I'll use this, but it's handy to have one of these around

Note that whatever is posted here has nothing to do with what happens ingame, it's for your convenience as players, not characters.

[Glim]

A Friend from the Past
[insert flashback sounds]

You see yourself, a tad younger at the entrance of a cave. You carry backpacks and sacks, all stuffed with loot that you had gathered from the lair of the blackspawn raider you had defeated. The sun shines brightly, reflectinf off the gold and silver ends that protrude from your packs. A faint breeze brings the smell of spring flowers, and banishes the foul strech of the creature you just battled. Scarred but happy, with Josh having a slight limp and an extra broad grin, the four of you trot down the dustroad towards a glimmering city that shines at the horizon.

Coming past an exceptionally lush part of the forest that borders the road, you make for a halt. Josh' wound is tended to by the fourth person, a slender black-clad half-elf while the rest refreshes themselves in the nearby stream. Relaxing a bit in the early sunlight you eat berries, that grow here in a bundance, for lunch, and then head off towards the city again.

Although, after getting up the black-clad half-elf speaks up: "Sorry chaps, this is where we split up. I won't be going with you to Kelvin. Awww, no sad faces now, we'll keep in touch. We've been over this before and I really have some business up north, so this is where our ways part. I've fixed up Josh a bit, so he'll be coming along with you lads fine. Goodbye!

"Bye Siphil! We'll keep in touch!" You hear yourselves say as you wave at the half-elfs back that's moving away from you now.

[flashback fades away]

Blackspawn Raider

[Glim]

Mercenaries for tea.
[cutscene]

The guards' towerbell sounds!
Elryn and Naera stop their mock fight to see what's the matter. Tossing their wooden swords aside, they leave the barn in a hurry, climb the big tree near the townsquare and peer over the wall. The two tomboys giggle as they see what, after some counting and discussing, appears to be small platoon, with two wagons approaching town. "Uncle Rin will be pleased..." Elryn muses "And Aunty Alaen will be busy!" Naera says with a broad smile. This causes both girls to nearly topple out of the high tree with laughter. Aunt Alaen, you must know, is what Mother Lorea would call an 'erring sister' in Uncle Rin's inn, unemployed for most of the year, but the girls are smart enough to realise that a platoon of soldiers in town will make her a busy woman.

After having raced down the tree, to pass around the gossip, the two friends find each other again in the mass of people bordering the main road that leads from the gate to the townsquare. Everyone has stopped whatever they were doing and has gathered here to see the army. Bloody and muddy the platoon leader's horse, with a stately, but badly wounded man sitting atop of it. After the whole row of rugged, wounded and particularly dirty and smelly men have passed, and marched onto the townsquare, where the officer has a brief meeting with the burgomaster, the people return to their jobs. The girls run over to Uncle Rin, who's wildly gesticulating to the officer and his men to come spend their time in his inn. Eventually they respond, and after clearing the coachhouse and the stables to make sleeping space for all the men, everyone gathers in the inn's common room. The girls stay up till very late that night, listening with great excitement to the stories of the men, who appear to be mercenaries. After a battle in lands far, far away, their leading officer never came looking for them, and feeling deserted by their army they went their separate way. Venturing across the continent, offering their services to whoever could pay them.

During action-filled dreams in which they travelled the world as mercenaries, our two tomboys are woken up by loud noises outside. They stick their head out of their attic windows to look over the townsquare, to see the mercenaries gathered there, along with a crowd of townsfolk. "Whoever else volunteers to this life of adventure?". A young man steps up and joins the tiny group of townsfolk near the army, Joel, the blacksmiths youngest son, just a few years older than both girls, and a boy on which they both have had a crush on for like forever. The rest of the town looks angry or suspicious. "Only three?" the officer barks in an angry voice. "Dog! Take Blade, Torcher and Tears and round up these kind young lads of the townsguard. We need more men if we want to become a healthy platoon again!" Some people run towards the officer now shouting. "You can't do that!" "It's for their own good. The pay will be better than whatever they make in this here mudhole." the officer scofs and turns away. Giving a nod, two of his men pull the canvas of the kitchen wagon, revealing a cage-like iron frame on it. ""Clear that out and put it in the other wagon, then we can keep these youngsters in it until they change their mind." The burgomaster and a few of the senior town guards have now reached the officer, who draws his greatsword with blinding speed, while the mercenaries around him grip their longspears. ""Back off, or face the consequences. The Knights of Erzivia can't be beaten by a bunch of peasants. Go back to your crops and cows and you'll be rid of us at noon." Sherrif Ty-Djarling bypasses the officers defence, only to be pierced by a longspear that suddenly appeared from behind the tall man. Recoiling, his hands gripping a wound in his side, he then falls on the ground. The burgomaster and the other officers hold back and some bow down to take care of their sherrif. The office spits on the screaming man, gives the order to leave. And as the people of the town watch, the mercenaries march down the street, out of the gates. The faces of the captured townguards look pale but bruised, and frightened faces as they peer out between the massive steel bars of their cage. The wheels of the last wagon rattle over the bloodied cobblestones, and then hit dusty track. The people of the town silently stand around the square, even though the mercenaries have left a long time ago.

[end of cutscene]