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Description
Chapter II : Interlude

The large wooden cart creaked and rattled as it moved slowly across the rutted fields. The lone horse pulling it shuffled along slowly through the dark moonless night, led by his master. Piercing grey eyes stared out into the darkness from under a deep cowl, scanning the ground. Ahead of him several others darted to and fro, hands digging through the soft soil attempting to uncover a half hidden treasure.

The verdant hills outside of Qeynos had been scarred and ripped asunder by the war that raged upon them but time had passed and slowly the grasses returned, the wildflowers blooming once more and the scattered remains of the fallen reclaimed by the land they rested upon. Far too few had merely been given hasty, shallow graves while others were left where they fell. It was common knowledge and these relic hunters, or grave robbers others called them, were seeking a few trinkets to carry back home. Weapons, armor, jewelry and the like were commonly hunted but this particular band had traveled far and sought even more than those bits and baubles.

"Master!" One turned and waved to the man leading the cart, his pale hand rapidly waving to catch the man's attention. The cart slowed and stopped, the cloaked figured making his way to the excited little gnome who immediately took off around a stand of trees. There not far away were several of the telltale mounds the group sought. Bits of armor and metals peeked through the soil. Crouching down beside it, the man reached out a gloved hand and scraped and brushed away the soil. His eyebrows raised and he whistled softly.

The gnome leaned down to jerk up the exposed armor piece but was quickly backhanded. "Stupid fool.. this one looks to be intact. Carefully extract it and wrap it, then place it with the others." His grey eyes studied the crusted breastplate. He murmured to himself in his native tongue. "Obviously dwarven, it's such exquisite craftsmanship. It doesn't look like anything I have seen come from Kaladim... Most interesting.. and an odd shade of teal. That should fetch quite a few platinum. Not to mention the warrior contained within." The elf's eyes gleamed as he ran through a list of his customers.

Another slave joined the gnome and carefully the two exposed the suit of armor. Inside was indeed a whole corpse as their master desired, though when they lifted it into the wrappings and saw the left hand missing they glanced at one another nervously. Frantically searching the disturbed soil the pair finally came across a hand, but this one was not gloved as the other. They shrugged at one another and tossed it in. No one would care that they didn't match.

Several hours later the cart, now piled high with corpses and trinkets, turned back towards the rolling plains of Karana to begin its long trek back to the subterranean city that its master called home.

Description
Chapter II : Interlude

The large wooden cart creaked and rattled as it moved slowly across the rutted fields. The lone horse pulling it shuffled along slowly through the dark moonless night, led by his master. Piercing grey eyes stared out into the darkness from under a deep cowl, scanning the ground. Ahead of him several others darted to and fro, hands digging through the soft soil attempting to uncover a half hidden treasure.

The verdant hills outside of Qeynos had been scarred and ripped asunder by the war that raged upon them but time had passed and slowly the grasses returned, the wildflowers blooming once more and the scattered remains of the fallen reclaimed by the land they rested upon. Far too few had merely been given hasty, shallow graves while others were left where they fell. It was common knowledge and these relic hunters, or grave robbers others called them, were seeking a few trinkets to carry back home. Weapons, armor, jewelry and the like were commonly hunted but this particular band had traveled far and sought even more than those bits and baubles.

"Master!" One turned and waved to the man leading the cart, his pale hand rapidly waving to catch the man's attention. The cart slowed and stopped, the cloaked figured making his way to the excited little gnome who immediately took off around a stand of trees. There not far away were several of the telltale mounds the group sought. Bits of armor and metals peeked through the soil. Crouching down beside it, the man reached out a gloved hand and scraped and brushed away the soil. His eyebrows raised and he whistled softly.

The gnome leaned down to jerk up the exposed armor piece but was quickly backhanded. "Stupid fool.. this one looks to be intact. Carefully extract it and wrap it, then place it with the others." His grey eyes studied the crusted breastplate. He murmured to himself in his native tongue. "Obviously dwarven, it's such exquisite craftsmanship. It doesn't look like anything I have seen come from Kaladim... Most interesting.. and an odd shade of teal. That should fetch quite a few platinum. Not to mention the warrior contained within." The elf's eyes gleamed as he ran through a list of his customers.

Another slave joined the gnome and carefully the two exposed the suit of armor. Inside was indeed a whole corpse as their master desired, though when they lifted it into the wrappings and saw the left hand missing they glanced at one another nervously. Frantically searching the disturbed soil the pair finally came across a hand, but this one was not gloved as the other. They shrugged at one another and tossed it in. No one would care that they didn't match.

Several hours later the cart, now piled high with corpses and trinkets, turned back towards the rolling plains of Karana to begin its long trek back to the subterranean city that its master called home.