[INTRO] [NARRATOR] Rewarded by Queen Mayre Anne for their bravery… and needing warriors fast… the Riders of Westmar came searching for mercenaries. And in the capital of Valorn… there was only one place dangerous enough to start. The Wild Bull Tavern. Largest drinking hall in the kingdom. Home of caravan guards… bounty hunters… pit fighters… gamblers… wanted criminals… and enough bad decisions to start a small war. [Crowd Roars] [BAND] ALE! GOLD! BLOOD AND GLORY! ROLL THOSE DICE AND TELL THE STORY! [NARRATOR] Torch smoke filled the crowded hall. Dice rolled across stained tables. Steel guitars screamed beside stomping boots. And somewhere near the fighting pits… someone was already bleeding. [Darian] Gods… this place somehow smells worse than Northpoint. [LYRA] That’s because nobody here’s been sober since spring. [NARRATOR] The Riders pushed through the roaring crowd searching for an open table. But halfway across the tavern… Caelen Thorne stopped walking. [CAELEN] Well now… [NARRATOR] A dark-haired barmaid smiled while carrying drinks through the crowd. [LYRA] Oh no. [DARIAN] We’ve lost him already. [CAELEN] I’m negotiating important diplomatic relations. [NARRATOR] The ranger leaned casually against the bar… completely forgetting the war for several glorious seconds. [BARMAID] You always flirt this fast? [CAELEN] Only during kingdom-threatening invasions. [BAND] DRINK IT DOWN AND HOLD YOUR GROUND WHEN THE KINGDOM BURNS THE STRONG SURVIVE! [Crowd Chant] HEY! HEY! HEY! [NARRATOR] The Riders finally claimed a battered corner table beneath a mounted wyvern skull. And from there… Darian began watching the room carefully. Not looking for heroes. Looking for survivors. [DARIAN] See the scarred ones? The quiet ones? Those are the dangerous bastards. [THOREN] And the loud ones? [DARIAN] Usually dead by winter. [NARRATOR] At the fighting pits… a massive half-orc stood victorious over another broken challenger. Drogath Skullbreaker. Champion of the Wild Bull. [DROGATH: roaring] NEXT! [Crowd Cheers] [SELENE] Gods above… [LYRA] Yes. We’re absolutely hiring him. [NARRATOR] Across the tavern… a hooded half-elf calmly emptied three gamblers’ coin purses while smiling directly at them. Lyessa Vane. [LYRA] See that one? If she hasn’t robbed us already… she plans to. [DARIAN] Good. Means she’s useful. [Music Builds] [NARRATOR] Near the fireplace sat Garrick Vale. Old mercenary captain. Black armor. One ruined eye. Still watching every exit in the tavern. [DARIAN] That man’s survived battlefields. You can always tell. [NARRATOR] At the far end of the hall… Father Malric Thorn shouted at terrified gamblers about demons hiding among mankind. [FATHER MALRIC] EVIL ALWAYS HIDES WHERE MEN GROW COMFORTABLE! [Dealer] Sir… this is a gambling hall. [BAND] ROLL THOSE BONES AND COUNT YOUR GOLD WE LIVE TOO FAST TO DIE TOO OLD! [NARRATOR] Then suddenly… the tavern doors opened. [NARRATOR] Rain blew across the wooden floorboards. And a massive dwarf entered slowly beneath the storm. Travel-worn. Ash-covered. Eyes burning with grief. And strapped across his back… a runed warhammer. [THOREN] Stonevein… [NARRATOR] The tavern slowly fell silent. Even the musicians stopped playing. [BROGAR STONEVEIN] Which one of you carried my brother home? [NARRATOR] Darian stepped forward slowly. Then removed Brann Ironbreaker’s hammer from its wrappings. [DARIAN] He held Gray Hollow Bridge. Saved all of us. [NARRATOR] Brogar took the hammer carefully. Like something sacred. [BROGAR] Then he died well. [NARRATOR] For several moments… even the Wild Bull stopped roaring. [BROGAR] Who leads this company? [DARIAN] No company yet. [BROGAR] Then build one. Because I intend to kill Githyanki until my brother is avenged. [Crowd Murmurs] [DROGATH: grinning] Hah! Now THAT sounds like a proper evening. [BAND] FILL THE CUPS AND STOKE THE FIRE THE NORTH STILL BURNS WITH WRATH DESIRE! FROM BROKEN ROADS TO BATTLEFIELDS WE RIDE FOR THOSE WHO NEVER YIELD! [Crowd Chant] KILL THOSE GITHS! KILL THOSE GITHS! KILL THOSE GITHS!!! [NARRATOR] One by one… mercenaries began watching the Riders more carefully. Not as wandering survivors. But as warriors gathering for something larger. A new company. A new war. And perhaps… new legends. [FINAL CHORUS] DRINK IT DOWN AND MAKE YOUR STAND THE DARKNESS COMES FOR EVERY LAND! FROM TAVERN FIRE TO KINGDOM FALL WE RIDE TO WAR WHEN VALORN CALLS! [OUTRO] [NARRATOR] And deep within the Wild Bull Tavern… the next legends of Valorn first gathered beneath smoke… steel… and song.
