2000-07-13: Jungle Village Under Siege
Hearing of the increased lizardman activity in the jungles south of Trinsic and the arrival of the mysterious “Eye of the Lizard” in the Alliance Knight’s Village, I thought it prudent to investigate these matters for myself. I arrived to find the Village quiet and peaceful, the famed Eye resting across the clearing on a block of sandstone, not unlike that of Trinsic’s walls.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I set out to examine the Eye for myself. It seems that no one witnessed the arrival of either the block or the Eye itself. Reports indicate that the block preceded the Eye by roughly 2 days. Loosened soil around the base of the sandstone block and the traces of faint streaks of dirt leads me to believe it rose out from beneath the ground, though I am certainly not an expert in these matters. The Eye itself is something of an enigma, its substance and purpose remains a mystery. I was, however, able to ascertain a few points of interest. The Eye seems to be made of a rough green material not unlike that of an unpolished emerald. Placing my lantern on the opposite side of the Eye and peering through at the light, I found it to be somewhat transparent, further confirming my suspicions.
I retreated to the a tavern just south of the Eye’s resting place for a quick mug of ale before beginning my long journey back to Trinsic. As I sipped my ale I heard an odd rumbling off in the distance, as though a massive force was marching through the jungle. I ran to the window in time to see a great force of lizardmen burst forth from the surrounding jungle. By this time a pair of knights had wandered to the clearing, and were bearing the bulk of the assault. Echoes of battle rang from the south as well. The Village was under attack.
From my perch it seemed as though the lizardmen where being led by 3 chieftains, each approaching, with army in tow, from a different direction. It was not long before more defenders rushed to the aid of the village and an all-out war broke loose. The Lizardman forces broke away to engage the defenders, while the three Chieftains, joined by a forth lizardman, gathered around the Eye. The forth bore markings not familiar to me, but seemed to lead the Chieftains in some sort of ceremony around the Eye.
Elsewhere the battle was raging; the ground littered with the bodies of bloody lizardmen. To my relief the ratio of fallen lizards to that of the defenders was largely in favor of the defenders. All about the village, the Knights beat down the oncoming lizardmen, but still they came, pouring out of the jungle. Their beady yellow eyes filled with rage for the human defenders and awe for the artifact resting atop the sandstone block.
My attention turned back to the four lizards gathered about the Eye, where I was surprised to notice all but the fourth was dead or dying. It frantically fended off the attacks of the Knights, all the while hissing at them to “Leave this place!” or to “Be gone!” More then once I heard it utter the phrase “This is sacred land”. With a final warning to the villagers it vanished.
Throughout the Village the last of the invading lizards were found and slaughtered. The defenders gathered their wounded and began to prepare for the next wave of attackers. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind; this was merely the beginning.
In a possibly related story: Reports from all over Britannia indicated massive movements of lizardmen in a southbound direction. Any relationship this migration has to the events in the Alliance Village is unknown.
