I took my supplies and made my way to the Arathi Highlands to a farm called Northfold Manor. Northfold had been occupied and invested by the Syndicate after the fall of the kingdom of Stormgarde, and was run for them by a lady named Singer. The farm supplied the Syndicate with food, and was worked by a rotating crew of guards, workers (usually Syndicate members assigned as a punishment detail). Syndicate hunters used it as a base of operations and brought raptors from the surrounding area for skinning and butchering. Each week the farm sent a wagonload of provisions to the Syndicate infesting the ruins of Stromgarde.
Once a mighty human kingdom, Stromgarde had sent half of its standing army to join the main Alliance forces in the Second War while the other half defended the Northlands from Orc invasions. During the Third War, Stromgarde prevented the undead Scourge from ravaging through its lands, and even sent the Stromgarde Brigade to accompany Jaina Proudmoore and the Human Expedition across the sea to Kalimdor. Unfortunately, they proved venerable to treachery; the king, Thoras Trollsbane was murdered by his son, Galen, who sought the throne of Stromgarde for himself. Stromgarde itself was attacked by both the Syndicate and the Boulderfist ogres, who managed to occupy much of the weakened kingdom. The Boulderfist Ogres and the Syndicate captured portions of the devastated capital city itself, with the forces of Stormgarde occupying about a third of the city. Lord Falconcrest and his bodyguard Otto command the Syndicate forces in the Arathi Highlands from the former royal castle, and Northfold Manor was an important logistical source of supply.
I camped in the Arathi mountains for several days, watching the manor grounds. The manor was situated in a sinkhole, around the crops and animal pens. The former ruins of the main house were near the larger barn. There was a stable, a workshop, and a grain silo. Singer used another of the outbuildings as her headquarters. There were two windmills, both of which pulled water from underground to irrigate the farm crops and provide water for the Syndicate troops. There was a small building - little more than a shed, really - that was used to store drinking water, food supplies, hides from the hunters, and beer and ale. Every day at sunrise the Syndicate cooks made breakfast of gruel, with some raptor meat added. Supper was after sunset, usually stew for the workers and guards. Singer and her crew ate in her building. After dinner, ale and beer were distributed to the men who were not on guard duty, before they settled to sleep in the barn, the stables, or the other buildings.
I made notes of the daily routine and guard rotations and made preparations.
I snuck into the grounds in the middle of the night, avoiding the Syndicate patrols, and made my way to the supply building. I went inside - the door had no lock - and added a grey powder to the kegs of beer and ale. While I had waited and watched, I had prepared a mixture of ground Deathweed, Lethargy Root, and Maiden's Anguish, supplied by Simone Cantrel and prepared in the proportions provided by Smudge Thunderwood.
I snuck out again unseen.
I took a nap, waking near noon. I watched the activity unfold as normal in the manor demesnes.
That night, well after the Syndicate forces had retired after having consumed their dinner and the doctored beer and ale, I snuck back into camp.
The sleeping members of the Syndicate were in a sleep so profound I could have lit the buildings on fire, and they would have burned alive still unconscious. I took precisely twenty emblems, and anything else of value - most of them had modest amounts of copper and silver coin.
Singer had a matched pair of pearl-handled daggers. I took those as well.
The next day I returned to Ravenholdt, my mission accomplished.
Once a mighty human kingdom, Stromgarde had sent half of its standing army to join the main Alliance forces in the Second War while the other half defended the Northlands from Orc invasions. During the Third War, Stromgarde prevented the undead Scourge from ravaging through its lands, and even sent the Stromgarde Brigade to accompany Jaina Proudmoore and the Human Expedition across the sea to Kalimdor. Unfortunately, they proved venerable to treachery; the king, Thoras Trollsbane was murdered by his son, Galen, who sought the throne of Stromgarde for himself. Stromgarde itself was attacked by both the Syndicate and the Boulderfist ogres, who managed to occupy much of the weakened kingdom. The Boulderfist Ogres and the Syndicate captured portions of the devastated capital city itself, with the forces of Stormgarde occupying about a third of the city. Lord Falconcrest and his bodyguard Otto command the Syndicate forces in the Arathi Highlands from the former royal castle, and Northfold Manor was an important logistical source of supply.
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| Northfold Manor |
I camped in the Arathi mountains for several days, watching the manor grounds. The manor was situated in a sinkhole, around the crops and animal pens. The former ruins of the main house were near the larger barn. There was a stable, a workshop, and a grain silo. Singer used another of the outbuildings as her headquarters. There were two windmills, both of which pulled water from underground to irrigate the farm crops and provide water for the Syndicate troops. There was a small building - little more than a shed, really - that was used to store drinking water, food supplies, hides from the hunters, and beer and ale. Every day at sunrise the Syndicate cooks made breakfast of gruel, with some raptor meat added. Supper was after sunset, usually stew for the workers and guards. Singer and her crew ate in her building. After dinner, ale and beer were distributed to the men who were not on guard duty, before they settled to sleep in the barn, the stables, or the other buildings.
I made notes of the daily routine and guard rotations and made preparations.
I snuck into the grounds in the middle of the night, avoiding the Syndicate patrols, and made my way to the supply building. I went inside - the door had no lock - and added a grey powder to the kegs of beer and ale. While I had waited and watched, I had prepared a mixture of ground Deathweed, Lethargy Root, and Maiden's Anguish, supplied by Simone Cantrel and prepared in the proportions provided by Smudge Thunderwood.
I snuck out again unseen.
I took a nap, waking near noon. I watched the activity unfold as normal in the manor demesnes.
That night, well after the Syndicate forces had retired after having consumed their dinner and the doctored beer and ale, I snuck back into camp.
The sleeping members of the Syndicate were in a sleep so profound I could have lit the buildings on fire, and they would have burned alive still unconscious. I took precisely twenty emblems, and anything else of value - most of them had modest amounts of copper and silver coin.
Singer had a matched pair of pearl-handled daggers. I took those as well.
The next day I returned to Ravenholdt, my mission accomplished.
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