The Crossroads

Here two dark roads meet, one north-south and the other east-west, amidst a great circle of trees. The area is lit by an eerie glow which diffuses from the east, which gives the area a haunted feel. A torn and worn statue commands the crossroads, though its broken head lays fallen from its once proud perch. There is no hope here, save to flee to the west, where as all other directions, have an unwholesome feel of oppression and oncoming death.

Contents:

Wolf Hide Tent

Low Black Tent

Uruk Camp

Statue of the King

Obvious exits:

North, South, West, and East

Gundburg steps out from his tent, grumbling as he walks. His metal helm clanks against his side and he seems to be in a fowl mood. He looks about, ordering some snaga to get back to work, and rubbing incessantly at his charred stumps of fingers. "Snaga!" He points a finger to the snaga hunter Rao, snarling, then speaking in a soft but evil voice, 'Snaga, you have done your job? Did you skin and cut the rabbits into many pieces?"

Rao drops his traps and runs to the dog "Yes, master! Do you need something?" his cloak is a very weak product and good for nothing you see as it flaps behind the uruk. He kneels down and bows his head as he usually does. "I did everything, master." he says. "I hunt lot rabbit for troop and prepared them" he says. "Do you need something more?" he asks while trembles because he is kneeling in front of the angry uruk.

He almost began stuttering but didn't do that. Some blood flashes on his cloak as it's made from rabbit just a few hours ago.

Gundburg walks over to the storage bin coolly, lifting it up, looking down, then walking back over to the snaga, seemingly with no change in attitude. He leans down and grabs the snaga's chin, staring into his eyes, "Are you blind? I see nothing wrong with your eyes snaga." He stands up and points to the storage bin, hissing, "Sssssnaga, look in that bin ssssnaga, do you sssee cut up meat in that bin, ssssnaga?"

Rao walks while trembling and walks to the storage bin. He looks into it and kneels back in front of your boots. "My master, I cut it...isn't it small enough? Let me do it again, let me cut them again, master!" he cries while notices he is in big danger now. He immediately begins to stutter "F-f-forg-gi-g-give m-m-me m-m-mas-master." he tries to say while he drools over himself. He waits the decision of the uruk dog while tries to figure out his punishment.

Gundburg kneels down holding onto the spear and whispering cruely to the snaga, "Snaga... do you think I'm stupid Snaga? I know that meat isn't cut snaga, unless you rabbit was as big as a gondorian, I'll have to give you a little... reminder, to do your orders." He stands up, grasping the spear firmly in his hands and thinking for a moment, looking around the camp idly. His eyes fall on the chest of uncooked, uncut meat and a slow thought enters his head as he reaches down to grab the snaga by the hair and drag him over to the chest.

Rao doesn't try to escape from his master because he may kill him with his spear. As his waist-long hair is pulled he screams "Nooo, master! I'll fix my fault, master!" he seems to be in big trouble. His long hair is pulled by the large uruk and he found out he must follow the commands if he doesn't want to die. Because of the surprise he continues screaming while he is dragged to the storage. "May I cut it again, master? Leeeet meee fiix my faault, maaasteer." he screams.

Gundburg hisses evily, pulling his arm back in one final lunge of the snaga's hair, "Snaga! Do you EVER tell me NO snaga, you will learn! And you have made your punishment worse, not only must you remember to follow orders, but to listen to your commanders!" With that he walks twirls his spear so the point is in the hottest part of the fire, and holds it there a long while, till a slight sizzle can be heard.

Rao screams as he sees the hot spear "Forgive me, master. I'll do it again. What would I need to do? Another tent? A new boot? Tell me and I'll do it!" He seems that he regrets his sins but the uruk knows this snaga must be punished. He screams while the dog makes his spear hotter and hotter till it becomes red. "You need anything? I make it!" he says while the fear on his face is shown as he sees the spear being hotter and hotter.

Gundburg hisses evilly, then begins to laugh, pulling the spear from the fire, little whips of smoke curling up from the tip of the spear, he brings it near the snaga, closer to him, then he leans over and whisper in a cold and evil tone, "I need a slave who will follow my orders, but you've proven you can't do that. Hmm.... to bad, this may, sting a little." He brings the spear nearer to the snaga, finally touching it into his left arm...

Rao screams as the hot spear touches his skin. "Aaaaaaarrrghhhh", he shouts while the spear burns into his left arm, making his tattoo unreadable. Smell of burnt flesh is in the air while the dog tortures the snaga pushing the spear deeper into the snaga's arm. The snaga screams but doesn't collapse. The pain goes more unbearable and the uruk screams in a high voice. "Aaaaaeeeeeee".

Gundburg continues to press the spear deeper into the snaga's arm, then suddenly rips it out when the sun rises above the haze, and twirls it, saying, "There, you didn't deserve to wear that tattoo, now, I"ll give you your reminder snaga, each time you see your reflection." He then takes the still steaming spear, that turns it so that it looks like an arrowhead, moving it closer and closer to the snaga's forehead, until he reaches flesh once more....

Rao screams as the spear hurts his horehead. He is knocked out from the pain but still consious. "Maaasssteeer! I've siiiinnned" he screams while the uruk presses the spear deeper. The blood drips out from the snaga's forehead while the spear makes a big wound there.

Gundburg snarls and rips the spear from his forehead, a layer of flesh peeling away with it, charred skin marring the face forever. "Snaga, that will serve as your reminder for not listening to me, as for your reminder about orders, you expect the troops to eat this cursed food, so you yourself will eat something, your forefinger, you will bite it from your hand and swallow it whole. Do as I say." he steps back for a minute and tosses the spear into his tent, then walks back nodding to the snaga to continue, to eat his finger...

Rao slowly raises his hand to his mouth...his left hand. He raises it into his mouth placing his forefinger between his teeth. He then looks at his master and bites. Blood spills to everywhere when he bites his finger down and at the same time he collapses. Now this snaga lays unconsious, his hand still in his mouth and blood spills from his mouth. He couldn't stand the pain any more.

Gundburg kicks at the snaga's unconscious body momentarily, then becomes enraged, grabbing a flask off of a snaga walking pask and pouring the burning liquid onto the face of the snaga, "Wake up, you cur! And if you become unconscious once again, I'll force you to eat yet another finger, now continue!" He kicks at the body of the rising snaga, waiting impatiently for him to bite the rest of his finger off, and swallow it.

Rao slowly wakes and forces him to gulp. He then kneels back and watches his commander while cursing him in mind. "I-i-i've done it, master." he says while blood spills from his hand. His mouth is covered with blood and he looks washed out. He can hardly stand any more pain. He watches at his hand and sees the place of his finger. He is now sad...very sad.

Gundburg snarls and kicks at the snaga once more, then kneels down growling deeply, voice rough and harsh, "No snaga, you have a spear burned into your arm and forhead, and you have eaten your finger, will you not follow my orders again snaga?" He hisses a little, then begins to chuckle when he sees the snaga's blood, and laughs hoarsely.

Rao replies "I'll follow your orders, master.". He wipes the blood out of his mouth and bows in front of the dog. He thinks it's far too much for him. He tries to stop bleeding by forcing his hand to fist. He looks up with tear in his eyes as he realizes he will never get back his finger.

Gundburg snarls and begins to back away to his tent, hissing a little, then stops suddenly, and turns around, "Snaga, you will go and burn all those pitiful things you call food in that bin." He jabs pointy finger at the bin, and then stops suddenly, looking around the camp, "Then snaga, you will catch new rabbits, and bring this Cursed Nuisance of a snaga cook to me, he's wandering somewhere around in the camp, find him." With that he spins on his heels, walking slowly into his tent.