Chapter 56: Statue of an Archangel
As Castellan Leonard stammered through his account, the sequence of what had transpired gradually became clear.
The desert bandits Leonard spoke of were a long-established gang of misfits, predominantly Zoroastrian, who had been entrenched in the Jordan Desert, running rampant for many long years.
Relying on their swift movements and familiarity with the desert's water sources and oases, they frequently raided villages when the border patrols were absent, extorting large amounts of wealth, livestock, and grain from the already hard-pressed and poor villagers.
Occasionally, they would also plunder the few passing merchants or poorly defended noble manors. Even Count Raynald and his forces at Kerak Castle were powerless against them.
