"The people of this village could not defend themselves from you," you tell Hakkan, "but perhaps, with our blades, they can find a kind of vengeance. Your days of bringing misery upon the people of the Varrel Hills are at an end."
On your command, your warriors set upon Garulf's soldiers. Already weary, your foes fall easily to the blades of your tribe, though thirteen of your own warriors also perish. You lay the bodies of Hakkan and his followers at the edge of the road along with the gold they offered you—a message to Garulf and to any others who would harm those who cannot defend themselves.
The sun is well past its peak when you see Stonerun come into view. A high stone wall surrounds the town on three sides, while on the other lies a large lake that narrows into a river running off to the west. Over the top of the wall, you can see many thatched and tiled roofs, as well as a small keep at the center of the town. The road on which you are currently traveling leads to a large gate in the southernmost wall, through which a slow but steady trickle of traffic—mainly carts, peasants on foot, and the odd flock of sheep—comes and goes.
As you approach the gate, a small group of soldiers emerges from within—a dozen or so men and women, clad in an assortment of clothing but with a few common elements: a round steel helmet and breastplate of similar construction, a wooden shield daubed with a checkered pattern of yellow and blue, and a short spear.
A tall, lean man with stubbled cheeks steps forward from the group and gestures for you to stop. "Greetings, Basileios," he says as you bring your horse to a halt, "and may I welcome you to Stonerun, the greatest settlement in the Varrel Hills. I am Captain Clavell, leader of the city watch."