Fourteen hexes north, one northeast of Alakran.
Shummiyara, "Comrade of Bones,"is the gaunt and dreaded commander of the Fourth Company of Shasari. Although his formation is stronger by a fifth than the other companies, it is stretched between two bases. This, the Southern Fortress, looms over the drained lake shore, an ochre semicube of walls mounted on a flat-topped height, with four watchtowers and numerous tents and buildings within. Here are stationed forty spear, ten archers, and all sixteen chariots of the company including Shumiyyara's own heavy car drawn by three white-horned elands.
"I gain no satisfaction in calamity, but ..." begins each of Shummiyara's missives to the Governor. Unlike the other captains, the Fourth's maintains a network of agents and spies outside the borders, and what he sees is impending calamity, all moved by the claws of the cult of Tiamat that has taken over the capital and central zone of the kingdom. The northern border seems safe enough, with its rough terrain and rapids deterring invasion, but beyond it the province of Delzuna has completely submitted to Tiamat. To the east, the valley of Hama has been ravaged by raiders of Chaos, and it has just accepted the stabilizing presence of the Dragon's troops, driving groups of mottle-hided goblins westward to threaten Shasari.
Shummiyara may indeed be inclined to let a group of unusual and talented intruders loose in one of these troubled areas, but sadly, they fall beyond the scope of our review. The general map I developed may, however, be of some use. The undeveloped area directly to the east is the center of the kingdom and the capital, Dulshamar, is the starred symbol.
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