2E 497

Your men are disheartened by the ambush. They are exhausted by the kings orders to get back quickly, and they hoped that fighting was over so they could finally get some rest. Yet the men knew as soon as they got back to Petoskay, they would have to find and exterminate the bandit hideout, wherever it could be.
Just two weeks after leaving Castsghin, you are already just one day from Petoskay, but to your horror an ominous sight appears on the horizon. Huge clouds of smoke rise over the hill where Petoskay is. You urge the men to go even faster despite their exhaustion. 
Your mind tells you that you are too late and that all of those in Petoskay, including the king are dead and that the whole city is destroyed, but something isn't right: who could defeat Petoskay now that Colovia is gone? Termina was underestimated, but now the only nation in Engluhjdah is Munising. Mere bandits couldn't defeat the garrison, and Aiadial's army is--or was--stationed in Petoskay which would make the garrison stronger. You just can't figure out what could have happened.
At dusk you arrive at Petoskay. Bile forms in your mouth as you see the slaughtered people and the destroyed buildings. You and your men search for survivors but find none. All sections of the great city and even the Palace are gone. You fall to your knees and weep bitterly.
								
   [As you weep one of your commanders places an arm on your shoulder and says something to you]

  Commander:    Sir, the kings body is nowhere to be found, but there is something that gives me a terrible feeling why is it--
  You:                --Why is it that Petoskay is gone when there is no one who could possibly defeat the combined army of the king and Aiadial?
  Commander:    No, not that, but it is something about the king's and Aiadial's armies, sir.
  You:                What is it?
  Commander:    Sir, if the garrison was defeated, why is it that there are almost no dead soldiers among the civilians? We have scouted around the area but no battle took place within ten miles of te city, and I think that most of the army would be defending the place, which is where least of the soldiers bodies are to be found.
  You:                You are right. There should be more dead soldiers! Perhaps there was a rebellion?
  Commander:    If there was a rebellion, the garrison would have been able to handle it easily, even if the entire city took up arms against the king. Also, if the garrison was defeated, which is unlikely, it should still be here, only dead.
  You:                Perhaps the king and Aiadial took there armies and fled?
  Commander:    That's possible, I will take a few good men and scout the area for the next few days. We should be able to find them if they fled.
  You:                Which direction will you go?
  Commander:    Well going south and southwest would be unless since we certainly didn't come across any large armies on the way back from Castsghin. I will go east, to the Jerel Mountains, and see if there are any armies in the valleys or caves. That is the only place I can think they could be.
  You:                 There are still the Kjlzxec Deathlands to the north.
  Commander:    No. I will not take the men up to thse demon-possessed lands! I would sooner fall into a hot iron smelter then step but one foot in the Kjlzxec!
  You:                 I...I think you are right. The king wouldn't do into the Kjlzxec. He knows that the chances of survival are greater if he would have stayed in Petoskay.
  Commander:     That I would agree with, only we don't know what he was up against.
  You:                 That is true. Tomorrow I will take some men myself and go searching the villages in the Jerel Mountains to see if they know what became of Petoskay.
  Commander:     Okay I will leave tomorrow as well, but I must tell you general, my bones are a tellin' me there is something very wrong is going on here.
  You:                  I have the same...feeling...
					
You spend the next week in villages asking about what happened to Petoskay. no survive have been found and there more disturbing are the rumors that thousands of immortal souls are assembling in the Kjlzxec Deathlands to the north. You dismiss these as fiction but the thought that maybe these souls could be the kings men. You report this to your commander.

  Commander:    I have heard similar stories, and I came up this the same conclusion that you did. Have you any other sign of the kings army?
  You:                No, and you are sure you didn't see anything?
  Commander:   (sigh) No. This settles it. We must take our army north to see what is going on. If the King is going to fight the rebels--if there was a rebellion-- we should be there to help. You will need to tell the soldiers though, they won't be happy and they trust you so you should tell them.
  You:               I will tell the men. Perhaps they would listen to me.
  
You tell the men your plan but they become angry, and even hostile towards you. Most of your army abandends their position and leaves. The few men you have left won't do much good fighting any huge armies, but if there truly are thousands of people gathered up in the Kjlzxec then perhaps a village there will join your cause. You commander tells you to just give up the idea but you diside that you must find out what happened to your king...and what happened to your country.
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  Briefing:

  Find a village that will join your cause in finding the king.

  After you find some help, find the king and his army.

  If anything goes wrong in your quest in looking for the king, fight your way through it. Kill any who appose you.