The Spy Master’s location has been discovered by the Empire, and Marla Wimple must decide if she’s willing to pay the ultimate price.
CW: This episode references violence, hanging corpses, harm to children and death. While much of this is implied to have happened off screen, we take your safety and enjoyment seriously. Please listen at your own discretion.
Join Dax as she shares another story from the War of Seven Hells. This is the fourth in a series of short episodes that give a peek into what was going on hundreds of years before the show begins.
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Transcript by Dax
Upbeat piano intro ends [00:28]
Sad piano music fades in [00:30]
Dax: Along the Crystal Shoreline, south of Chillfalls, sits the remains of the village of Pineview. The buildings are now charred and destroyed, residents killed or scattered to the winds. But long ago, it was called by another name. Too far from any major city to deal with tourists and large travelling groups, and situated between the mountains and the shoreline in such a way that kept it pretty isolated. Brindletown was named for its founder, Wilbur Brindle, and had been a successful, self-sufficient community for nearly fifty years. However, as the War of Seven Hells raged on, the residents of Brindletown found themselves involved in a very direct way.
Believing he would be safe from discovery within the town’s borders, the rebellion relocated their Spy Master and a small contingent of guards there. From Brindletown, he could coordinate his spy network using the communications orbs requisitioned from the Silarin Elves of Kidohlva, and do so with minimal risk to his life. For a time, the rebellion’s spy network flourished and their victories over the Empire began to become numerous. One day, however, his location was discovered and danger came for the citizens of Brindletown.
Music shifts to a tense tune [01:52]
Dax (as the Spy Master): [slightly deeper tone, masc] I do not care if his brutes come for me, we must get the people evacuated now! You’re the Captain of the Guard, Marla, figure something out!
Dax (as Marla): Jürgen we can evacuate them, provided they’ll leave their homes, but without you the rebellion is lost! I need you to pack your things and go with them. Now stop arguing with me!
Dax (as Jürgen): [sighs] Fine. I will gather what I can but you must help them, Marla. They were put at risk for our benefit –
Dax (as Marla): They were put at risk for the rebellion’s benefit. For the hope of peace. They agreed to the risk. Now, stop arguing and just go!
Dax: Marla stormed off, leaving the Spy Master to pack what he could and destroy what he couldn’t. They’d been in Brindletown for just over a year, which had given them an opportunity to get to know the residents relatively well. She knew the risk of the mission she’d accepted last year, and now she was seeing the risk come to fruition. All she could focus on was that the Imperial Army was on its way, and anyone left within the town’s borders would be marked traitors to the crown and executed.
Dax (as Marla): Or imprisoned, if they’re “lucky”. Though I certainly wouldn’t wish to live holed up in a cage, waiting for the Emperor to decide my fate. [sighs]
Dax: Marla wandered the streets, doing her best to give a calm smile to anyone she passed even though her heart was pounding and her mind was racing. She arrived at her destination and took a moment to look over the nicely appointed home of the town’s governing head, Mr. Gerald Thimbledon. She shook her head once at his “modest” display of wealth before walking up to the door and knocking on it twice, loudly.
[knocking sound effect]
Dax (as Marla): Open up! It’s an emergency!
Dax: She had never liked Gerald. He played the role of a caring leader well, but he always gave her the feeling of something hiding under the surface. As if his honesty wasn’t a hundred percent genuine. Conversations with him made her skin crawl. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open.
Dax (as Mr. Thimbledon): [croaky, aged voice] My dear, Marla what is so important that you have to interrupt my –
Dax: His words were cut short as she pushed past him into the foyer.
Dax (as Marla): We need to evacuate the town immediately. I need you to sound the alarm and your subordinates to help usher the people out of the town.
Dax: At first, his face seemed pleasant, if slightly confused. When he realized she was serious he waved a hand dismissively and pointed toward the door.
Dax (as Mr. Thimbledon): Look if you want to organize an evacuation procedure then go find my assistant. I’m sure he’d be happy to notify everyone and we can proceed with a test in two days’ time. But right now I’m hosting a dinner party and you shouldn’t be here.
Dax: He placed a gentle hand on her arm but she immediately pulled it away in disgust. Hearing the elite laughing and talking excitedly in the distance stirred anger in her.
Dax (as Marla): I didn’t come here to propose a practice procedure, sir. The Imperial Army is on its way, we need to evacuate everyone or there will be nobody left to call Brindletown home! Forget the damn party!
Dax: She turned to leave, but stopped short when she heard the laughter from the other room die down. She took a sharp breath, and glancing over her shoulder, she loudly said,
Dax (as Marla): I am going to pull the alarm bell and evacuate as many as I can. If you try to stop me, I will make sure it is the last thing you do.
Dax: Marla left him standing there, his mouth slightly agape and his cheeks turning red with anger. Despite her heavy armor, she could move at great speed when she wished and it didn’t take her long to reach the large stone building that the residents used for a Town Hall. However, when she arrived she found the door was locked.
Dax (as Marla): Damn it! [sighs] Vuldarin, please, a little help would be nice.
Dax: She ran around the building to the back door, but as she suspected it was locked as well. Glancing around to make sure she wasn’t being watched, she jabbed her elbow into a nearby window, breaking the glass.
[glass breaking sound effect]
Dax (as Marla): Ah! Ugh…just my luck.
Dax: She had felt a sharp pain across her cheek when she ducked through the window, and sure enough when she drew her hand away from her face she saw blood. Ignoring the sting, she headed for the stairway that led up to the tower. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, the sound of her boots on the wooden stairs seemed to echo in the small space, louder than they should have been. As she neared the top something gave her pause and she came to a sudden halt.
Music shifts to a heavy, suspenseful tune [06:29]
Dax (as Marla): No…
Dax: The assignment of Belltower Guard was usually given to a young adult, often one who wished to someday join the town guard. It was a very dull role, and as the residents of Brindletown had never needed the alarm it was considered merely ceremonious by many. Marla, as Captain, had just transferred the role to a new recruit last week. A young boy named Rafe, who now lay on the floor with an arrow through his throat, his eyes staring straight ahead with a shocked expression marring his young face.
Marla reached up to close his eyelids, then gently peered over the edge of the tower wall. She couldn’t see anything until the last possible moment when she saw the arrow hurtling her way. She dodged it, the sound of it striking the post near her head loud and unsettling. She reached over and pulled the rope three times, keeping her head out of sight. As soon as the bell had rung, she could hear the few guards within the city calling out to one another.
Dax (as the first guard): We’re under attack! Get underground!
Dax (as the second guard): [slightly deeper tone] Forget your valuables, run for your lives!
Dax: Marla hurried back down the stairs, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste. She bolted to the front doors, flinging them open as she drew her sword. Outside, everything was chaos. Some people were scrambling to the underground chambers located just outside of town, a safe haven they’d never needed. The guards were calling out orders and trying to organize the mayhem, but Marla’s eyes were fixed on the horizon. The unmistakable sight of the Imperial Army marching closer was a dark blot on a normally serene view. She gritted her teeth, clutched the locket around her neck, took a deep breath and slowly marched through the crowd toward the enemy.
Dax (as Marla): May the gods have mercy on our souls. May Baradesh guide me when my time has come to a land of respite and serene shores. May he who governs the Land of the Dead grant me peace…
Music shifts to dreamy, melancholy tune [08:37]
Dax: Later, when the battle was over, only a handful of people emerged from the underground caverns. Weak and hungry, they were greeted by the sight of Dwarves. Nearly a hundred of them had come from Lodhur, to help clear the death and destruction that now littered their town. Bodies of both adults and children had been strung up in nearby pine trees, buildings burned to ash and rubble, crops torched or looted and farm acreage salted.
They would learn that the battle had lasted days, the stone and iron barricades keeping them safe from the onslaught. A lone traveler showed up at the town expecting a welcoming community and instead was greeted by the sight of the Imperial Army. Avoiding capture, they rushed to Lodhur and the Dwarves set out to assist, gathering volunteers as they went. They fought off the Imperial soldiers and would stay to help the town rebuild.
Years would pass before the town was completely rebuilt, the name changed to Pineview to remind everyone about those that were slaughtered that day. A memorial was built for the volunteers who could not be identified, overlooking a mass grave of their bodies. For Marla, they erected a statue in her honor. She fought bravely until the end, holding off the army until help could arrive. Pineview would see peace for nearly 400 years before it was interrupted once more by the Order of Tannyth, who had come searching for an artifact rumored to be buried there…
Music fades out [10:12]