The Valley of the Beast Part I

They were a prominent clan of knights in the region of Tomascas, a fertile land with rolling green hills and plenty of forests.  The landscape was dominated by two large lakes and the large walled cities of Minskata and The Saints Gate.  The Knights of the Battered Rose lived in a small keep on the river that connected the two lakes.  Several clans kept their residence along the river as the space allowed them to joust and train more easily than in the walled cities.

The Knights of the Battered Rose weren't like some of the larger clans that supplemented armies or took on large raiding parties like the Iron Boots or the Red Dragon Legion.  They were adventurers of sorts, sent to defeat renegade wizards or rescue someone in distress.  Like all clans they have a Virtus, a mission they cannot refuse for it is an evil they are sworn to defeat.  The Knights of the Battered Rose fought curses, either of the lands or of the people.

When they're founder came centuries ago from a far away land, he lifted curse from the Blood Forest when he slew the Demon Wraith and cast the beast back into the Pit.  They renamed the forest after him, calling it the Rosewoods ever since.  Since then the Knights of the Battered Rose have saved many from horrible fates.

With every generation there are heroes born in the fires of some Hell.  As curses were never as  clean as a simple battle the Battered Rose's tended to produce more heroes, if fewer in numbers. This generation had a few, but it was two in particular who were making this generation great.  Maybe even legendary in time.

Lord Sven the Just was of noble birth who fought and earned his way into the ranks of the Battered Rose.  He hid his identity for over a year when he came as a lad to the knights to train and become one of them.  No one knew who he was or where he came from until Sven's father came to hire the knights to search for his wayward son.  To this day Lord Olaf Westmore has yet to fully forgive his son for the pain and grief caused by his disappearance, however noble the designs.

The other was a knight who truly came from nothing.  A bastard of a peasant mother and the marauder who took her one night many years ago, Sir Pierre was also known as The Red Line for his skill with a long sword.  He was charismatic but headstrong and too willing to rush into battle.  Although none would question his courage or conviction, all would agree Lord Sven would be the one leading the clan one day.

It was a day like most others as she moved out of the city towards the Battered Rose's keep.  She had been in Minskata for less than a week and all had pointed her in the same direction.  She wanted a legion of knights, but a curse is a curse.  She knew that there weren't enough knights though, there were never enough knights.