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As the second week of this month begins, a barbarian emissary from Barkal the Red has arrived. Barkal the Red would like some assistance from a non-barbarian to assist with some thing that has just been revealed. Alzar agrees and then Mass Teleports the emissary and himself to the camp that Barkal’s tribe has.
After being greeted and a feast in his honor, Barkal takes Alzar to his tent and they begin to discuss history, and then shop.
As Alzar knows, there are currently three tribes that rule the wastes up here in the north of Norwold and beyond. The barbarians used to be called the Corusk people. The three tribes each have a around 15000 barbarians in them, and more than that, they are split into a large number of smaller sub-tribes, and only get together for major events and holidays. Barkal’s is not only the leader of his subtribe of 900, but also one of the leaders of their whole tribe.
The three tribes are the Bear, Fox, and Wolf tribes.
Some time ago, there were five barbarian tribes, (The others are the Lynx and Hawk) and each one has a totemic weapon that was used by the person in charge of the tribe. Then a leader rose in Hawk tribe and sought to unite all five blades and thereby force the other tribes to follow him.
There had always been a general rivalry between the five tribes, and downright skirmishes on occasion. But there had never been all-out warfare of the sort that the leader used. They launched a surprise attack and defeated the Lynx tribe and absorbed the survivors into their own tribe after killing most of the fighters and taking their sword. The three other tribes heard of what had happened and joined to wage war against the Hawk tribe, and blood flowed across the snow like never before or since.
As the war ebbed, a great immortal who was one of the patrons of the barbarians arrived. The Great One of the North took the five swords and sent them into hiding. The Hawk tribe was destroyed and absorbed into the other three as a punishment. The immortal left, but not before leaving a prophecy that only someone who was not a barbarian could find the blades and bring them back, since the barbarians had failed their blood and their people by using them improperly.
Ever since then the location of the weapons have never been known. And the Great One of the North left them, ashamed by what they had become. They were cursed with the inability to be found by magic, and neither they, nor their owner, could be revealed with any sort of magic, clerical or wizard.
A few weeks ago, a huge black dragon raided from a mountain holding way deep into the nearby Jagged Teeth range about 75 miles to the west. While out raiding, a small tribe of barbarians were raiding, and they entered the dragon’s lair. The dragon came back and drove them back out, killing most, but not before several identified one of the long lost blades of the corusk.
More than that, this blade is The Edge. That’s the blade of the wolf tribe, which Barkal the Red is a member of. He would like Alzar to head to the dragon’s lair, kill the dragon, secure The Edge, and bring it back to Barkal. This would re-unify the wolf tribe from the other sub-tribes, and introduce a new age of barbarian strength in the north.
“Well, as it happens, I don’t have anything on my schedule today or tomorrow. I can do a little dragon hunting for you.” Alzar smiles and Barkal claps him on the leg. He knew his friend and bond-brother wouldn’t let him down.
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