"Your sword earns land. Your words keep it."
—Ashra, prior to the first envoy march
+3 Days After the Ashen Vault Defense
Eastern Ridge, Beyond the Black Gully
A silver fog clung to the dead pine forest east of Stormwatch. The trees stood like broken lances, bark scorched, and roots unearthed from the last push of the mechanical army. What survived now was the path—an ancient smuggler's road, faint and cracked.
Jag rode second in line, cloaked in a gray stormweave mantle, hood drawn. Beside him marched Ashra, silent as ever, flanked by two scouts and a scribe bearing a message case.
[Objective Active: Establish Contact – Stonebarrow Mercenaries]
Region Type: Independent Neutral
Known Traits: Armed Settlement, Trade-Centric, Contract Driven
Diplomatic Difficulty: Moderate
Warning: Hostile Reputation Possible if Negotiation Fails
Hour 1: First Sighting
The cliffs opened into a bowl-shaped valley. At its center: Stonebarrow—a settlement of blackstone bunkers and rusted towers. No flags. No heraldry. Only torchlight, watch platforms, and walls with visible ballistae.
At the gate stood a woman in tattered leather and plated boots, one eye covered in a sapphire monocle. Four armed men stood behind her, crossbows lowered but not unready.
She raised her voice. "Approaching party, halt! Identify your flag!"
Jag stepped forward, pulling down his hood.
"I am Jag of Stormwatch. Reclaimed heir of the Bastion Protocol. I come to discuss terms."
The woman blinked once.
Then laughed.
Hour 2: Within the Walls of Stonebarrow
They were led in without their weapons but not blindfolded—an unusual courtesy.
The interior of Stonebarrow was less of a town, more of a fortified commune. Workshops buzzed with steam-crafters and rune-binders. Old warriors sparred on worn stone circles. Children carried firewood in silence.
Ashra whispered, "They're disciplined. Military-trained, but unaligned."
Jag nodded. "Mercenaries with a memory. Not thugs."
Their escort led them to a long table carved from a broken siege plank. Across it sat three figures:
Marra Calthorn – the sapphire-eyed gate commander
Old Hezren – a smith-elder wrapped in iron chains and a long coat
Gau Draven – a man with no armor, only inked contracts on his arms and a rune-forged pistol holstered plainly
Draven spoke first. "Stormwatch, eh? Thought the place was ashes."
Jag sat calmly. "It was. Now it's steel."
Marra leaned forward. "And you want to stake a claim. On Frosttrail Ridge?"
Ashra answered. "We want to keep it empty. Not owned. Watched. If not us—someone worse will take it."
Hezren chuckled. "Everything empty fills eventually. That's just land logic."
Hour 3: Terms of the Table
Gau Draven tapped his knuckles.
"Stonebarrow values neutrality. We don't pledge to banners or bloodlines. But… contracts? Those we honor."
Jag nodded. "Then contract us. Stormwatch offers a defense trade."
Marra raised an eyebrow. "You mean payment in... military?"
"Not just military," Jag said. "Machine tactics. Counter-wave strategy. Siege delay formations. Everything we learned holding Ashen Vault."
He set a small crystal on the table.
[Grey Core Fragment – Tactical Memory Node]
Contains: AI Battle Projections, Reinforcement Response Rates, Field Survival Models
Draven stared.
Ashra spoke low, "That's not a bribe. That's a taste. The rest comes with partnership."
Negotiation Phase: Active
[System Roll – Diplomatic Check: Moderate Difficulty (62% base)]
Bonus Applied: +10% (Tactical Data Offering)
Bonus Applied: +8% (Ashra Presence – Assassin-Class Respect)
Final Chance: 80%
Result: Success – Conditional Agreement Achieved
Gau Draven leaned back, finally grinning.
"Stormwatch won't get a pledge. But you'll get recognition. We'll acknowledge your claim over Frosttrail Ridge for the next 90 days. In return—you send a tactician to help train our defense teams. Two weeks minimum."
Jag nodded. "Done."
Marra added, "And no tower expansion within our sightlines. We like our sky clean."
"Understood."
Hezren muttered, "Stonebarrow signs nothing. But when we nod, we mean it."
Jag stood. "Then let your nod reach the mountains."
Hour 4: A Shadow in the Dust
As the envoy exited through the north gate, Ashra tugged at Jag's sleeve.
"We're being followed."
Jag said nothing, but his eyes narrowed.
Ashra vanished into the tree line.
Ashra POV – Forest Trail, East Slope
One shadow broke from another.
The pursuer wore a black half-cloak and ran with careful footwork. Too careful. Not Stonebarrow-born. Not wild.
Ashra struck from a branch, blades drawn.
[Skill: Shadow Drop]
Result: Target disarmed, held at bladepoint
She pulled off the cloak's hood.
A boy. Not older than fifteen. Eyes burned orange with mana feedback. Teeth clenched. And in his satchel—maps. Copies of Stormwatch's tower layout. Supply lines. Engineering diagrams.
Ashra hissed. "You're not a thief. You're a spy."
The boy didn't speak. Just glared.
Ashra narrowed her eyes.
"No. Not from Stonebarrow. But you've been there."
She looked toward the valley.
"Stormwatch isn't the only one interested in alliances…"
Jag POV – Return to Camp
They set up camp near the broken arch of an old Dwarven aqueduct. Scouts rotated on shifts. Torches glowed low.
Ashra returned near midnight, dragging the boy—bound but conscious.
Jag raised an eyebrow.
"He wasn't trying to kill," Ashra said. "He was copying."
Jag crouched beside the boy.
"Who sent you?"
Silence.
Jag didn't press.
Instead, he looked up at the night sky. "When you're ready to talk, we'll listen. If you want food, you'll get it. Water too."
The boy's glare wavered—just slightly.
Jag stood and faced his men.
"Frosttrail will be ours. Stonebarrow will remember our word. And whoever else is listening from the dark—let them learn our names."
Region Secured: Frosttrail Ridge – Defensive Outpost Established
Diplomacy Outcome: Conditional Recognition by Stonebarrow
New Character Added: Unknown Spy (Name: ??? – Class: Rogue-Initiate)
Side Quest Unlocked: Track the Spy's Origins
Potential Link: Southern Desert Trade Faction – "The Vultures"
Strategic Map Expansion: Eastern Route to Riverbind Valley now revealed