“An Accounting of the Exploits of the Pride of Liúnár: Game 1
Chronicled by Sír the Wise

As self-appointed sage chronicling our journeys beyond the safe haven of Liúnár my duty is to record an un-biased first-hand accounting for posterity’s sake, no matter how unseemly the accounting may be.

Unseemly is perhaps too light a word for what happened here today on the sun-drenched pitch in Brosia. The Pride, our confidence as bright and untarnished as the weave of our golden armor, took the to field to face off against the brutish dwarven miners of Karahn-Carach whose dirt-grubbed visage and ale-tainted breath would have given pause to a marauding band of orcs. Never-the-less Anu, leading a newly bedded Bloodweiser babe and donning a pair of gloves of holding he had won in a dice game the night before, led our team onto the field taunting our foes and boosting our comrades. To Anu the match was but a formality as victory was assured. For how could these squat rock-smashers defeat the glory of the Pride?

This answer was answered quickly as soon as whistle was blown the dwarves came out swinging. In the first turn two of our brethren found themselves dazed and on the bench being nursed by the babe that had been pressed into service. The terrifying H.O.G., the like of which we had never seen, set the tone early and never looked back seemingly knocking every player he hit right off the pitch. Despite some hard hitting of our own, interspersed with some truly dreadful play and a gruesome hand injury to Cibi, the 1st half ended with the dwarves waltzing in for an uncontested score.

The second half looked better from the start with the H.O.G. finally being sent off, of which I still cannot understand why the ref did not eject that monster earlier, and two other dwarves on the bench for an even 8 to 8 start. Some fancy ball work and a quick 2 turn score to even things up had the Pride right back in the match, though little did we know the match was farther out of reach than we realized.

A short kick and a clean pick-up gave the dwarves excellent starting position which when combined with some brutal hits had our boys looking helpless from the turf as the little bearded fellows methodically marched down the field to put the match away.

Battered and bruised, our once gleaming armor mud-stained and dented, we head back to our lodgings. Such a sound drubbing had never been dreamed of, but perhaps it is what this young team needed. A life of privilege and of superiority needed to be chipped away for the Pride to move forward as a team. It is perhaps fitting that the Goldbeard Rock Hogs taught the lesson we so desperately needed for who is better at chipping than dwarves? Anu, still bold but perhaps wiser, now leads a group who now knows that it is us versus the world, and we can no longer stand alone as individuals counting on our own innate talents to propel us to victory but we must stand together as one team, with one heartbeat, one dream, and one purpose.

At least I now know this, the nickname Wise is fitting for me. I do so hope my brothers have learned the same lesson before we are taught it once again.
We look forward to our next match with our song on our lips and in our hearts.

Honor calls to strike our foes.
Honor calls to strike from home.
Honor calls to strike with might.
Like lightning furious and bright!

”