Snippet #1696959

As the people of Agron grew, so did the proving ground. Not only did the people slowly add more features to the proving ground itself, but the competitions were becoming increasingly advanced and organized. Rather than allowing the combatants a weapon of choice, they were given one chosen at random before the fight. This motivated the people to master more than simply the weapon they felt most comfortable with, though most of the times the rules were dictated by the challanger. The competitions would developed further one year, when Bellegar rewarded their ever growing strength with a rather unusual reward.

Rather than a piece of weaponry or armor, which was the standard reward combatants received from Bellegar, he presented them with two great beasts. The first was a boar, large, muscular, and equipped with two large deadly looking tusks. These tusks quickly proved strong enough to penetrate trees, and scrape the surface of large rocks.

The second was a gigantic beast, with a long powerful snout, even greater tusks then even the fearsome boar, and hide so thick no ordinary arrow seemed able to pierce it. Mammoth was the name Bellegar gave them, and his people soon came to marvel at their sheer might alone.

Both of these creatures were blessed with unusual sharp wits and cunning by Bellegar, before he announced their role to his people. The boars were to be a gift to the humans amongst his people, to be used as they saw fit. They could vastly shorten the time it took to travel from one location to another, carry large weights, and their powerful sense of smell and hearing made them invaluable companions for hunting. Bellegar was also certain his people would quickly come up with new challenges for the proving with their new companions.

The Mammoth’s were a gift to the Thorin. Though nowhere near as fast as the boars, their unrivaled strength was enough to clear a field of rocks, were they to set their mind to it. And in battle it could not be matched, its mighty feet would crush anything unfortunate to find themselves underneath them, their snouts could hurl heavy objects, or even people high into the air, and they could tear anything before them apart with their mighty tusks.

It was a reward well earned. His people had continued to grow, becoming ever stronger with each year. However the fact that a rift was beginning to form in between his people did not go unnoticed by him. At the start those who had not desired to become warriors were few, and far in between.
Yet now the number of people who ignored that calling was becoming to great. Still this did not displease Bellegar, for sloth was something that did not persist amongst his people. Rather the people who choose not to be warriors earned their meals in other ways. A woman by the name of Kora made arrows for the hunters to use, in exchange for a first cut of the catch. Another man by the name of Zareth had developed expert construction skills, and was happy to build large, sturdy housings for the warriors.

There was no shame in this, for they still served Bellegar to the best of their capabilities…But as long as they remained here, they’d forever be second to the warriors…It was time to expand his empire.
Within a day’s time Bellegar had gathered all of those who did not desire to be warriors, and lead them along the mountain, Accompanied by a handful of boars, to aid them in the days to come. “This shall be your land.” Bellegar announced as they stopped before relatively open field. “You have all served me with the utmost loyalty.” He said turning to face them all. “Yet you have chosen not to follow the path of a warrior.” Feeling the tension rise amongst the crowd he was quick to add. “There is no shame in this. For you have all decided to serve me in other ways, ways that not only serve me, but the people of a whole. Yet amongst the warriors, you'd have to settle for scraps for the rest of your life. But not here.”

He gestured to the land behind him. “This is your land. Here you shall make a name for yourselves. Not as warriors, but loyal subjects of your god. There will be times of hardship, times when food will not be easily to come by. There will be a time when our weapons will not be enough, and superior craftsmanship will be required. But thanks to your labor, we shall be prepared, and we shall remain strong.”

Bellegar spent the next couple of weeks amongst this people. Teaching them more intimately how to live off the land. He told them to breed the animals they hunt for livestock. He then showed them rather then searching all over the forest for whatever plants or herbs were needed, they could plant the seeds, and grow it themselves, for either cures and medicine, or poison which they could tip their arrows with. Finally he showed them the way to a nearby cave, in which they could farm the mushroom within. It was around this time that he felt a disturbance.

It came to him from one of his hunters. He had spotted a light in the ever growing dark, and felt it necessary to report his find to his god eminently. Bellegar took a quick farewell of his followers, gave them his blessing, before he began to thoughtfully march back to his land. By the time he returned the hunter had gathered his brothers, and together they had brought the intruders into the proving ground, for that is where all made their audience with the Lord of the Mountain.

Though Bellegar had been curious as to what his brother wanted of him, curiosity quickly turned to outrage when they claimed they had not come to see him, but Arianrhod. Indeed it seemed his brother had not seen it fit to mention Bellegar at all. “You thought to cross my mountains without my blessing!?” Bellegar's tone was seething with rage. “What is this message he gave you to deliver!?”

When none of the men responded, Bellegar slammed his hammer into the ground, crushing the Archon beneath, and causing the very mountain to quake. “No matter...” He said in a sudden coldness to his words. “If you will not tell me, I have other ways to extract information.” To probe some ones mind was a simple thing, for all gods could do it, and did so regularly with all of their followers. Though when the subject is not so willing, the experience can easily become torture.

Bellegar, still boiling with rage felt a slight bit of satisfaction, as one of the men screamed, as Bellegar literally ripped the information he wanted, out of the mans mind, causing him to grow pale and shiver on the floor.

"Fire needs air, does it?” Bellegar said looking over his newly gained insight. Though he had seen into the mans eyes, he did not see into the eyes of his brother, and so his intent eluded him. Though he could make a educated guess. Chath needed no aid from their sister to conquer mere tribes...No...He must be preparing for war. And with Arianrhod out of the equation, that only left Morgana and Bellegar as his target. That would explain why he did they wished to go unnoticed through Bellegar's land.

Yet their capture changed everything. Arianrhod did not know of Chat's intentions...Though how long that would remain he could not tell. He needed to act quickly, strike while the iron was still hot.

“Cut off their hands. They can not be allowed to warn their master.” Bellegar said as he turned away from the crowd, as five large Thorin approached the missionaries with their sharp weapons in hand.
Bellegar went to the statue that had been raised in the likeness of Morgana, as per their agreement. There he knelt down to stare into the eyes of the Priestess who never seemed to stray to far way from that place. “I have a message to your Mistress, Priestess. Our brother moves against us. He has reached out for our sisters aid. If she would compile, I do not know. But if she were to give it, this battle will be to costly on us all. We must strike while he still stands alone. I have seen how he defies you, and I believe it is in our best interest to weaken his hold on this land.” He paused, taking a minute to think.

“We attack him together. My warriors will overwhelm his people. Her watterons will extinguish his Archons. And finally together we shall smite the very god of fire down before us. Her holy water shall weaken him, while I rip his head from his body” He then assumed a more civil tone. “As for the spoils. She may have the women, I the men. She can have the land, but I want the scythe, and the body. It shall serve my people well once its melted into tiny little pieces...”

The proposal had been made, and he could do nothing but wait for his sisters response now. As a god, Chath could not truly be slain, however destroying his physical avatar would be a gigantic setback for him. It could be costly, but Bellegar thought the risk was wroth the reward.

It was as early as the next morning, that Bellegar declared his intentions for his people. Finally they'd have a taste of true battle, and not only that, but their god would fight along with them. Given the threat Chath posed to both of them, Bellegar was certain his sister would agree to aid him to strike him down. All he needed was her word, and his soldiers would be ready to strike. It was only just before he was about to depart with his men that the harpies reached him with their message.

Though he did not know what Arianrhods people had that his people would be interested in, Bellegar accepted, not being one to turn down a potential deal when he saw one. “Return to your Mistress and tell her I accept her terms.” Bellegar said, and as he watched the harpies fly back from where they came, he turned to face the champion he'd put in charge of the warriors while the majority, including the warchief went to war. “If my sister decide to attack in my absence, take shelter in the caves. They will hold until my return. Relay this message to the warriors stationed amongst the farmers.” With that he rose and began to march alongside his warriors, and their mounts.