Ken:My new character is Dorgon The Lost One. When Arcus introduces him to you all, Dorgon tells you his story ...
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My name is Dorgon The Lost One, and this is my story ...
Twenty-five years ago I was born Dorgon Birdscout, son of Astor Birdscout, a simple but honorable pygmy ostrich rider on the great plains of Prax. My childhood years were simple enough. My tribe maintained peaceful relations with most of its neighboring tribes and the large city-folk empire of Sun County. My tribe even joined with some Sun County patrols in the never ending battle against the foul beings of Chaos that kept appearing and threatening all the peoples of Prax.
When I reached manhood at the age of 13, I took my place at the sides of my fellow tribesmen. We waged a never ending war to force out a living from the wastes of Prax. I took my place alongside my fellow tribesmen in several attacks on Chaos. We fought against that never ending threat to the existence of all things. Gradually it became apparent to my tribal elders that I had a gift for tracking the Chaos evils that constantly threatened our tribe's existence. Even though I was young, and not particularly skilled with the spear, I received the honor of being scout on several tribal expeditions.
After five years spent learning valuable skills as a tribesmen and some-time war party scout, I became an initiate of Storm Bull. It was a great honor for my family and recognized my many years of service as a war party scout. So began the best year of my life. It all ended one day during my nineteenth year of life when I got my first glimpse of her.
She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seem, her beauty burned with me with the intensity of the Sun. I could think of nothing else but the color of her skin, the reflection of the sun off her perfect hair. My meager mind reeled with the incomprehensible intensity of her beauty. I struggled with my very soul to return to a level of conscious where I could begin to understand who she was and where she had come from.
Finally I sliver of understanding entered my desperately longing mind. She had ridden in with an unusually large and well armed Sun County Patrol. Several light-suns shined from within the patrol. I had never seen a Sun County woman in a war patrol before. Later I would learn that she had been on a trip to visit her Great Uncle in the far South Of Sun County. Her brother Arden light-son, had come along as her escort on the trip. In route to her Great Uncle's house, another patrol had found them and notified her brother that a great Chaos army was approaching Sun County, led by the great Broo leader, Nine-Thumbs. As her brother was vital to the operation of the patrol, and the threat was so great, the unusual decision was made to allow her to join her brother on the patrol. Her brother was torn, on one hand he could not just leave her in the wilderness with a Chaos army on the lose, on the other hand he could not desert his position as War leader with a Chaos Army approaching. He made the agonizing decision to bring her along on the mission. In torment he made a vow to his God that we would insure his sister's safety. A vow he would soon die trying to uphold.
Scouting reports indicated that they were outnumbered by the Broo Army 20 to 1. One ray of hope appeared on the map. Between them and the Broo Army lay a relatively friendly tribe of Pgymy Ostrich riders. He made the decision to stop at the village on the way to the Broo Army and attempt to raise some allies from the village. Outnumbered 20 to 1, they could use all the help they could get. While they considered Ostrich riders to be semi-trustworthy sub-humans, they knew they could always be counted on in a fight against Chaos. The village they stopped at was my village. And that morning was the last sunrise any of my fellow tribesman would ever see. Everyone in my tribe, except for myself, would be dead by dawn.
My village elders readily agreed to send a war party along with the Sun Domers in the battle against the Chaos army. As scout patrol, I joined my fellow tribesmen as we rode with the Sun Domer patrol. While the hearts of my fellow tribesmen were filled with concern for the women and children we were leaving behind as we went off to battle, my only thoughts were of the beauty I had seen. May the Bull forgive me, but even the thought of the Chaos we would soon face, palled in comparison to the memory of the women I just glimpsed. I now realized she was the only true woman I had ever seen, or would ever see in my life.
The battle was joined so quickly I never had a chance to act as Scout. Later that afternoon, we came over a ridge and found a Broo army, most large and foul, in a valley. Arden ordered an immediate charge upon the Broo Army, hoping surprise would allow us to win the day over our numerically dominate enemy. At first the battle went well. The Sun Domer patrol cut through the left flank of the Broo Army catching them by surprise, as our Ostrich Rider squad cut threw the right flank. All was going well, until the Broo leader Nine-Thumbs rallied the core of his army and counter-attacked both the Sun Domers and our Patrol. Their numbers were just too great, and the battle turned against us. Arden was cut down, the Sun Domers were in retreat, and two thirds of my fellow tribesmen had already fallen under foul Broo blades. Our lines started to buckle. I could sense my fellow soldiers looking for ways to withdraw out of the Canyon. And that was when I saw it. She, and her last few Sun Dome defenders, were backed against a canyon wall. While most of my fellow soldiers could find a path of withdrawal, she would be caught against the wall and slaughtered by the Broo hordes. I could not allow this to happen. That was when I decided to use the power of the Bull for the first time. I used the Bull's mighty power to cast Face Chaos upon my allies. I could not allow them to withdraw, while she was slaughtered. I unloosed the Bull's power. To my great honor, it appeared that the Bull honored our glorious stand against the Chaos hordes with an unusually strong blast of Face Chaos. To their undying honor, let it be known that all Ostrich Riders and Sun Domers fought with great intensity to their last drop of blood that day. While our forces found their courage for their last stand, I was able to fight my way over to where she and her last few defenders fought with their backs against the wall. Eventually the last of her Sun Domer defenders fell. Both my arms were maimed and I could barely stand. I expected to die at any moment. That was when he appeared from behind his Broo Army. Nine-Thumbs was so horrible to behold I nearly lost my mind. He was 14 feet tall and far too foul to even attempt to describe. He "stepped" forward as I lost conscious. My last thought was of her and her hair.
Some indeterminate amount of time later, it could have been days or minutes, I awoke into a world of intense pain. Strong ropes held me to the bottom of a rapidly moving wagon. Every bump of the wagon raked my body with pain. The unmistakable stench of Broos filled the air. I found the will to turn my head ever so slightly to the left, and I saw her. Although she remained unconscious, and was as securely tied to the wagon floor as I was, she was alive. Hope once again flowed into my being, as I slowly faded out of conscious.
I drifted through unconscious until the pain became intense enough to force me to awake. To my horror, large ropes bound me to a large stone. I was surrounded by a large gathering of vile Broos. She was also there and awake, bound to a similar stone. Then he once again appeared. But this time Nine-Thumbs was dressed in ceremonial garb and wielding a large dagger. He slowly approached her, he spoke foul verses as he raised his dagger. The true horror of our fate dawned on me as his dagger dared to approach the still glistening beauty of her skin. Nine-thumbs meant to sacrifice us to his most foul Chaotic master. I could not allow such a fate to befall her. I reached out in my mind and pleaded with the Bull to grant me divine intervention. To give us the strength of the Bull, so that we could break our bonds and die fighting Chaos with our bare hands. To my utter joy, the Bull granted my prayers. We broke our bonds and stood up to face our Chaotic tormentors. At least we would die fighting. Then Magic unknown to me erupted from her hands.
The next thing I remember is waking up as the light of a new sun erupted on my bloody face. To my utter amazement I lived. She was sitting next to me. She appeared uninjured, but lost in very far and dark thoughts. I attempted to speak to her, but the injuries to my throat were to great to allow me to speak. Only blood emerged from my throat. She noticed my pathetic attempts to speak. She turned to me, and for the first and only time she spoke to me. "Greeting my companion in horror and darkness. My name is Lady Viadon. we have escaped from our captors. You must never ask me of the events that transpired from the time the Bull gave us the strength break our bonds to the time you awoke at this camp site. Magics were used that must never be spoke of. Now we find ourselves free, but lost in the wilds of Prax. Our lives now depend on your ability to lead us out of these wastes and back to Sun County. I've been praying that you are skilled in the ways of the wastes. Do you think you are capable of leading us back to Sun County?" I nodded yes.
After several slow days trodding through the wilderness, thank the Bull for the springs I was able to find, we made our way back to where my tribe has been encamped. As I had feared, the Broo Army had proceeded on to my tribe's encampment and slaughtered all of the women and children in the most horrific ways possible. Everyone I had grown up with was dead. I should have been sad, but all I could think of was the Sun reflecting off the skin of her exposed arms.
We left the burning ruins and proceeded onto Sun County. When we crossed the border into Sun County, we learned that a second larger Sun Domer Army had been dispatched to deal with the Broo army. They had engaged the Broos shortly after my tribe's encampment had been destroyed. The Sun Domers had won a decisive victory and forced Nine-Thumbs to retreat back into the wastes. Not has been heard of Nine-Thumbs since the battle.
I was quickly taken into custody by the border guards and thrown into prison. Several days later, a light son named Haloric Glowbrow came to my cell to talk to me. He explained that he was the brother of Arden, and therefore also the brother of Lady Viadon. Haloric told me that while his sister Lady Viadon spoke not of the events that had transpired out in the wastes, she did tell him that I had treated her honorably and helped her to survive. Therefore, I was to be moved to more comfortable surroundings, nursed back to health, and then released back to the wilderness of Prax with enough money and supplies to insure my survival.
Sure enough, Haloric was true to his words and several months later I found myself leaving Sun County on a strong Ostrich mount with a pack full of supplies. I was healthy and well equipped, but had no idea what to do. I desperately wanted to see the Lady again. To worship the very sight of her face, but she made it very clear to her guards that I was never to see her. As I crossed the actual border and left Sun County, a burning vision entered my mind. I saw Nine-Thumbs. But one of his thumbs had been burned off. He was now Eight-Thumbs. He opened his foul mouths and spoke to me, "For what the Lady has taken away from me, I have taken you away from her." The vision faded.
For the past three years, I have wondering the lengths of Prax. Doing tasks for my Storm Bull lords, sometimes on assignments for the Light-Sun Haloric. Over the past three years, Haloric and myself have grown to trust each other and even almost like each other. On several occasions I met his cousin Arcus. Alone, except for my memories of the Lady, my devotion to the Bull, and my trusty Ostrich, I ride the plains of Prax.
At least thats what I did, before we I met you ...
Dorgon The Lost One