Editing Autia (section)

==='''Account of Karle Montineuo, survivor of the Long Dawn shipwreck on the coast of Dead Man's Hand.'''===

"What? Oh. I see. Very well. I will relay what I can, as best I can. Are you ready? Alright."

"The weather had been rather poor for several days you see, as is often the case in dead man sea. Cold water, it beats around often. So we had been hunkered largely below deck, occupying ourselves with stories and cards as usual. It was a few days in when the ship took on water. What? No. As I said I was below deck, I don't know what exactly caused us to break apart. A loud crack, that is what I heard. Anyways, everything went south very rapidly. I hardly had time to get the boots on my feet before I was knee deep in icey water. We were quite far north. Running supplies to the northern colonies for our contract. Storms blew us off course I suppose. I didn't make it to a life boat, I don't think many did. I was fortunate not to stuck inside the ship or I would have surely drowned. Lucky I didn't in the churn either, but I grabbed a barrel of rations that stayed afloat. That's it. All I remember of the ship breaking up. Got a smoke? I would like one before I continue. Thank you."

"Anyways, when I came to, I was on a beach. Not a nice beach, mind you. Coarse sand and lots of rocks. My head was spinning and I think I swallowed some sea water. There wasn't much noise about, not at first. I hadn't gotten to my feet yet when I noticed there was a great big thing standing over me. What? Ogre? Sure that's what some call them. Northern breed. I had seen them before, in the colonies, they use them as slaves down there. Subjugated some of them. These ones weren't slaves. It seemed to notice I was awake and was leering at me. Didn't like my look I suppose. Before I could so much as shout it hoisted me right off the ground and tossed me a good ways. That's when I saw the real situation. Long Dawn had broken up and good bits had washed ashore. I had been hurled next to a small pile of others from the ship. Seamus. Captain Freely. I think Winslow. Burt was there. A younger fella, I didn't know his name he was new to the crew. Anyways, we were all lying about in a sorry state. Burt was bleeding from his side, below the ribs. He didn't look so good. The kid was sobbing. I can't blame him, poor kid. Two of the big bastards were near by to watch us I think. There were about ten more moving up and down the beach, pilfering our wreckage. Killing other survivors. I don't know why they hadn't killed us but ended them. A lot of our supplies didn't seem to interest them much really, they kept the dried meat though. Seamus chanced a question to see to me. He told me that he thought they were being real particular about the stuff they took, said they were pulling out the rifles they managed to find. I saw them do it too. One of the brutes took a long gun and snapped it in half with his hands. That's when they found it. What I think they'd been looking for. A cannon. It was one from the ship. We only had about half a dozen onboard and one made it ashore with us and the rest of the wreckage, it seems."

"When they found the thing, the cannon, a great cry was let out and they all began to move back to where they had us on the beach. The one that found it tossed it onto his shoulder and carried it over with him. They made a big fuss about it. Quite satisfied with their find, I think."

"Another smoke, please. Thanks again. I'm gunna need it."

"So that's when they turned their attention back on us. What? How many of us? Well everyone I told you about. One more man had been brought over, Javi, the cook. He was hurt real bad. Well it was about this time they started talking all around us. Rough speak. Harsh language. Ugly. Wasn't long before they were arguing amongst themselves. Seemed clear to me most of them wanted to kill us. The rest didn't, but I wasn't sure why. Not yet. Eventually they quit bickering and two of them stepped aside, dropped their weapons, and starting beating each other. The biggest ones from either group. They fought for what felt like an hour until one threw it in and quit. Apparently that settled the matter and they weren't going to kill us. Not all of us."
>"They started with Captain Freely. You see, the captain was a noble man. No. I don't mean high birth. He was strong. Good head and good bearings. They took him aside and began to, well, I guess interrogate him. Lots of growling and yelling. Lots of arm waving an pointing at the cannon. Old Freely never blinked. The stones on him. He fought in some of Alkors wars when he was younger. Nothing cracked that man. Even when they brought the axe over, he didn't so much as look at them. They threatened him, waving it around all menacing. He looked at us, smiled, winked, and looked straight ahead. They were getting mad now. The Captain, bless him, sat up on his knees. Head high and straight. Looking at the ocean. They cut him in two, shoulder to waist. He never even flinched, I swear it."

"Sorry, a moment. These are the hard parts."

"When they killed the captain, the poor kid lost it. Started wailing and sobbing. They killed him next. I will hear that boy for the rest of my life. Squealing and crying. Poor kid. After that they killed Javi, and my good friend Seamus. Winslow too. They took me and Burt. I didn't think Burt was gunna make up, but the fella was tough. Real tough. They walked us for nearly a day. Real impateint with us. Too slow. They took more care for that damned cannon than Burt."

"Eventually they got us to where they wanted us. A great big castle. Fortress. City. I don't know. It was huge. I had seen something of their make before, in the colonies, but never one the bastards were actually using. One they were maintaining. When we got to it, I couldn't see the top. It was on a high ledge, you seex and they topmost part of the walls were in the low clouds. It looked like a buf castle, but it was nearly a city of the ogres inside. The gate was the biggest I have ever seen. The walls could have been part of a mountain they were so thick. They took us through the complex, a really maze. Took us to a sort of throne room. A whole mass of them were in there. Drinking, yelling, eating, fighting. Everything stopped as we were moved through the room. They all glared at us. Spit at us. They might have ripped us apart given the chance. That's the thing. They aren't savages, not really. They are strict. They took us right to the center, tossed us both on the floor in front of the biggest damn chair I've ever seen, right at the feet of the meanest one there."

"Ya, the general. That's what I came to know him as. Big bastard. Old too. Only had one eye. What? General. They had a term of their own. Not quite a king, as I understand it. No, I never understood a word of their language. That was the interpreter. They had a fella from Skyr-nada. I never learned how he got there. Torren was his name. He apparently has been a captive of theirs for years. Thing and scarred. Somehow he had learned their tongue, part of it at least. I guess that is why he was still alive. They used to talk to us. They big one spoke, he translated. We spoke, Torren translated. I owe Torren my life."

"They wanted to know how to use the cannon. They never made any of their own, you see. They didn't think much of our rifles but they were impressed by the cannon. I think it was the powder that escaped them. They wanted our secrets, they said. Wanted a demonstration. We refused, naturally. If you ever make it north you'll learn that their lack of gunpowder is the main edge we humans have against the brutes. We knew better. They pressed and pressed us. Got angry. Ol' Burt spit blood at them. Started cussing and yelling. They threw him on the fire. I knew my place at that point. Torren told me they would do it to me as well. Torren insisted that I'd die if I didn't help them. I was ready to die. All my friends had died. I didn't care. Torren convinced them to leave me be. Put me in the dungeon with him. I guess some suffering would loosen my lips."

"Kro.. Kro.. Krol... Krolgar! That was it. Krolgar. That's what they called the big one. Ha! I remembered. No that wasn't his name. That was what they called him. Torren called him the general."

"Where was I? Oh right, thank you. The Krolgar decided to keep me hostage like they had done with Torren. They took us down to a dark part of the fortress. Deep. Underground I think. Tossed me right in with him. The room was big enough for 30 men, but we were the only two in there. Torren had to just leave his waste on the floor. He had the sense to do it in one corner. I took another. I can't say how long they kept me. They came regularly though. Always took me to the cannon. Had Torren tell me to use it, I would refuse, and back in the dark we went. This went on for a long time. Torren and I spoke a lot. It was all we had to do to pass the time. He never told me about how he got captured though. I don't think it was a story he liked, which is saying something because Torren liked to talk. I learned a bit about the Ogres from him. Orgrillon, he called them. Said they were bright, all told. I knew something of them already from my traveling on the Long Dawn, but he lived with them. Said they despised us humans. Hate elves more apparently. Not sure why. Said there were a number of Krolgar. Generals. They each have a fortress and some land. Some want us wiped out. Torren told me that the general we were captured by didn't care about humans so much. He said that this one was looking north. I didn't know what that meant at first, I found out soon enough though. Torren said the general wanted our cannons to use them against some enemy, but apparently it wasn't the colonies he cared about."

"Right. So the enemy. I guess enemies is more correct. Elves? No I never saw any elves. I'll try to explain. Torren told me something about the ogres sending their warriors north from the fortress regularly. Always a great commotion. Always less coming back than left. I said it must be other ogres. He said they don't fight each other. I said giants. He said I was half right. Eventually I heard it. They had us outside, trying to get me to use the cannon again. I wasn't budging. Not at all. Then it happened. A roar. A shriek, maybe. Some great cry like an enraged crocuban or a tiger or some other kind of beast. It shook the fortress. It shook THEIR fortress. Before long every ogre in sight was running this way and that. Scurrying and yelling. The general was with us, hoping for a cannin demonstration. He smirked, believe it or not. I didn't know they even could. Grunted something to Torren, and Torren said I would see what they wanted our cannon for."

"They made us climb up. Real high. Took Torren and me to the top of their wall. The air was thin. Unpleasant. Birds were circling below us. They made us watch as the massive gates opened and a column of the ogres matched our and turned north. From how high we were they actually looked small. They took some great big ballistas with them, biggest I've seen. Before long we lost sight of the army, but eventually we heard the battle. Great screeches and roars. Tremors that shook...everything. When the column came back, it was had lost half of its fighters. The survivors dragged a massive thing behind them. The head of some beast. Bigger than a ship. The general pointed at the head. Pointed at me. Pointed at the cannon. He wanted the cannons to kill whatever the hell that thing was. I refused. Again. The brute nearly threw me from the wall. Torren saved me. Torren told him that I would show them how to use the cannon, but they had to free me. I never agreed to this, but freedom was tantalizing."

"Sorry, I'll continue shortly. I need one more smoke."

"So that is how we made a deal. Torren did all the work, I'll admit. In exchange for not throwing me from the wall, I would show them how to use a cannon and at the same time earn my freedom. What? What would you have done? How long can you eat rotten meat? No. Doomed? No. Those colonies haven't suffered yet. I doubt they have made that many cannons themselves. Do you want me to finish or not? Right."

"Anyways. The ogres had managed to grab some powder with what they took from the ship's wreck, but they didn't know what it was for. So I took what they had, a hard stone, and loaded the cannon. Fired it right at one of their big walls they were so proud of. Didn't make a dent, but they were very pleased. They had already recreated a few cannons, they were good with metal. The only powder they had was the small keg they took from the ship though and I couldn't tell them how to get more. I don't even know how to make it. Still, they were satisfied. They gave me fresh meat. Torren got some to. When they turned me loose I tried to bring him but they refused. He and I said our goodbyes and I left. They walked me to the beach where we had washed ashore, pointed me south, and left me there. Walked all the way to Arktikos. It took me longer than I would have liked. If it had been winter I never would have made it. Went to Skyr-nada to try and find Torren's family but I had no luck. Regrets? Yes. I lost my friends and left one behind. No, I'm not concerned about them building a few cannons. Why would I be? They seemed busy with those monsters. Besides, I won't be going to the north again. I'll stay here in Fox Bridge, where I'm comfortable."

"Anything else? No? Alright then, off with you."