Genn Wintord

UP: Catskills

    In an unanticipated attack, a sizeable force of orcs and ettins invaded the fortified town of Cove slaying the local guard and most of the town’s populace. The only known survivor of the massacre among the town guards is an unidentified messenger who carried word of the attack to Sir Geoffrey in Britain. Upon learning of the extent of the attack, Sir Geoffrey assigned General Jetrin Valek to lead the force which was to retake the town.

    Due to budgetary constraints and the many assignments throughout the realm which require the use of Order Guards, only six of this elite crew were available to accompany General Valek and his two Lieutenants (Finn and Wendell). With such a small force of trained troops available and a force of unknown size already holding the walls of Cove, General Valek requested that all able bodied adventurers report to Lord British’s castle for temporary indoctrination in the Britannian General Army. The General was said to be pleased at the speed at which a sizeable number of citizens responded to the call to arms. An unidentified court magician was employed to provide a long term gate to the Cove area for the duration of the battle.

    Upon arriving at the gates of Cove, it was discovered that a vanguard of brave citizens had already broken through the forces at the gates and were engaged in a holding action just inside the walls. The arrival of General Valek’s army signalled the beginning of the end for the savage orcs attempting to hold the town. The orc and ettin lines were quickly broken and the remaining work mostly involved the crushing of small pockets of resistance. No Order Guards under the General’s direct command were lost in the fighting although several of the citizens did die in the battle. When asked about the loses Valek responded, “The loses were acceptable for a mission of this type.”

    What did concern the General was that there were very few signs of organized resistance from the Cove Guard—most of their bodies were found in front of a house on the west side of town in a manner that indicated ambush. Following the battle, General Valek spoke with this reporter:

    “It’s unclear why a large percentage of the guard was in a position to be removed without a struggle. For the best future of Cove and for the continued safety of its citizen I must consider that fact and come to the conclusion that a betrayal from inside the guard is the most likely explanation. With this in mind I am declaring the town of Cove under marshal law. All citizens of Cove are required to remain in town and the town gates will be locked. No person will be permitted to enter without signed authorization from either me or my Lieutenants. Once the cause of this disaster has been found to my satisfaction, marshal law will be lifted.”

General Valek could not be reached for further comment, but the lock-down of Cove has ended so we can only presume that the General has found a cause for this attack.

From the Town Cryer - The Journal of Ultima Online, Monday, March 8th 1999