City of Yord. Though city was putting it generously; it had tall stone walls and the lord lived within here, but unlike many other cities throughout Erlad, Yord did not serve much of a strategic nor economical purpose. It's main exports were wheat, lentils, and chickens. While a major contributor to the food that goes around Erlad, most cities traded more expensive goods with merchants and caravans for higher quality foodstuffs and had access to more profitable products such as iron or wine. But thanks to this combination of an agricultural economy and it's nondescript existence, it was the perfect place for Hawk to recruit soldiers.
The Lord of this city was a man known as Dulbur, a merchant-turned-lord who was an ally to Lord Bernard an equally eager to go to war. He wished to use this opportunity to expand his lands and thus he gathered his soldiers to march off to suppress rebelling lords and take their territory. However in the process, Yord had a skeleton of a garrison consisting largely of militia still in training, with very few experienced soldiers to lead them. While there was a steward still managing the city itself he was no military tactician, but still savvy enough to know that the orcs of the north were a far more immediate threat. There had already been news of neighboring villages and hamlets that have been plundered and razed to the ground and the city had no soldiers to spare to defend their own. If Hawk and his men could deal with the orcs before they reached their towns, it would ensure the safety and prosperity of Yord.
That was the thought that went through many a young men as they listened to Hawk's short speech. Most of these men were farmers who didn't have any armor or a weapon more deadly than a woodcutting axe. Ideally, being recruited into Hawk's army would come with some equipment of their own, or at least a few silver coins to buy gear. Ten silvers were hard to pass up; one silver was often a week's wages for unskilled labor, and ten a month would be enough for one to live comfortable within Yord. Two silvers could buy a man a military grade sword and shield. That is to say, functional enough to work and cheap enough to arm a militia. Not to mention plunder could also bolster a solider's funds. But what worried them the most was a simple fear: death.
War was coming and the orcs weren't the only threats that they'll have to deal with. There were rival lords who would have their eyes on Yord solely to have a defensive city to command, and many within wished to defend their home when it came time to do so. But mainly because they feared the possibility of simply being cut down by a heartless soldier hoping to steal what meager coin they had, take what little possession they own, or simply out of a lust for blood and violence. Simple as these folks may be, they would rather be the wolves than the sheep. And though many a wailing mother and crying sister would try and stop them, at least twenty young men stayed within the town center to learn more about joining Hawk's group.
They seem somewhat intimidated by the soldiers so they let a more grizzled looking man do the talking. He seemed to be around Hawk's age and carried himself confidently, perhaps he too had been a soldier at some point in his life. He heard the concerns of the younger men and made sure to ask Hawk or whoever represented him of some basic questions and request; will they get a down payment so that the new recruits could arm themselves properly, will they need to bring their own horses and wagons for supplies, if Hawk knew anything about the orcs they'd be fighting, as well as a few personal and political questions such as who Hawks served and what his intentions after the orcs are dealt with were.
But among those crowds was one who stood out. Unlike the young men who seemed nervous but eager to join, she stood tall, calm, and confident. Mergoux the Butcher. Normally it would be risky for someone of her renown to be in Yord, as she's still a wanted criminal for slaying various officials in the northern part of Erlad, but with the war going on no lord with soldiers to fight could spare the time to hunt down lone criminals. Not to mention that while most guardsmen may have a duty to arrest her, most guardsmen have also suffered under the expensive taxes once levied by the men she killed. They may not approve of what she did, but they at least knew that her actions had benefited them in such a way most would be willing to ignore her, if she ignores them.
Additionally as a woman of battle she would have heard much of the orcs that have been ravaging the lands. While many tribes and clans carry their own banner and fighting style, she'll know that one of the more prominent warlords that have risen nearby goes by the name of Bloodfist. A large orc warrior who gained his moniker supposedly for being able to kill armored knights with his bare hands, leading his own elite band of warriors known as the Blackfist Orcs. Though he was little more than a bandit lord with nary a control of the orcs who fight under his name; so far they've only been attacking caravans and traders on the road, occasionally robbing villages but not destroying them. After all if they did, where else would they steal food from? That's not to say there haven't been a village or two wiped off the map due to his men getting too eager for their own good. But being humans, he didn't care about their plight.
There has also been rumors of a larger force of orcs building up in the north past the Black Star Mountains, a land controlled by Lord Bernard. It's mostly just rumors, but apparently the orcs that had been pushed out from their mountain homes have found a new benefactor who has turned the brutish orcs into warriors made of steel. Of course there's also rumor that these same orcs have allied with the frost trolls and intend to ride into the kingdom on the back of their snow-hide monsters. And further rumors that the orcs have made a pact with a demon for immortality in battle in exchange for their souls after death. Fear mongering and propaganda most likely, but even the most far fetched rumors had their origins somewhere. Regardless it was also information that Hawk would have easily gained if he simply listen to local gossip, and there's a possibility more info could be discovered with further investigation.
Member
Guardian Angel Haruki
NoriWasHere
Riaxh