War Progression Story Cry Havoc And Let Slip The Dogs Of War!

Spoiler: Ambiance

The early hours of the 13th of March were introduced with the ominous billowing of a war banner soaring high in a grayed, overcast sky. The numerous Regalian transport vessels began their onerous task of unloading the newest batch of noble levy reinforcements from families Ravenstad, von Rahm, Delmotte and von Duerr numbering 29,000 men which were gratefully received by the Imperial Marshal Cabinet for the excursions that were about to unfold. As the troops descended from the decks of the vessels, there erupted a plethora of laughter and finger pointing from the Delmotte, von Duerr and von Rahm troops toward the battered and morally broken Brilonde troops, who boarded the transport ships once vacated to return back to Arthane of Brilonde’s lands by order of the Count himself. Proceeding in front of the troops as they joined their tenpenny counterparts was the Imperial Marshal William Howlester himself who extended salutes and salutations to various soldiers and members of staff as he bee lined for the Command Tent.


The tent was ripe with discussion as the Howlester entered, with Ardige Viduggla directing the two Ailor Field Generals Hengest Harhold and Siegfried von Rahm, as well as the single Url Field General Thorvald Norrvakt as to their objectives and the proposed strategies to utilise. The plan was simple: Field General Siegfried von Rahm would use his assigned 50,000 troops to besiege the walled Kathar-occupied city of Merkar’sarh and will be backed by Hengest Harhold, who will lead 50,000 additional troops to prevent Kathar reinforcements from breaking through the siege from the Northern city of Lurlavan with the assistance of the Prince Marshal Cedric Kade. The Viduggla Commanding General also made note that Division Admiral Christopher Black will provide a coastal bombardment with five Anglian frigates to hasten the speed of the siege and aid in its capture, while Wing Admiral Vincent Ravenstad will escort and safely deliver Thorvald Norrvakt and his 30,000 men backed by the 29,000 noble levy reinforcements to the Island of Holvechis to secure its Port Town and the Fort that lay North of it. The Howlester offered Ardige a look of approval, saying nothing more and striding up to the map at the center of the room. He flicked over the placement piece that signified the Kathar-controlled city. “Get me that City, gentlemen,” he ordered. They all rose and prepared for the battle to come.


As the Generals exited the tents one by one, the men waiting outside it stood at attention, a raised hand poised at their brows. The Prince Marshal grouped with his kin, Georg, Jared and Valdis with Hannah Lexin stood close by standing guard. Georg seemed to be excluded from the conversation that ensued between Valdis and Cedric, the former looking quite serious as the latter tried to relieve the tension by cracking a few jokes and jests. In the meantime, Jared maintained a humored expression whilst tending to his weapons while Hannah remained stone faced next to Valdis, wondering on what emotions really felt like. Meanwhile, Thorvald returned to regroup with Henrik to wish him good luck in the battles to come, both pressing their foreheads together and muttering a prayer to the Gods to grant them fortune before rejoining their men. There was an air of brotherhood amongst the ranks as family members continued to wish each other luck, the Lupenzi family in particular who placed bets on whom would accrue the most kills while Siegfried von Rahm gave words of encouragement to the untested young, female Field Commander, Ernesta von Rahm, as she prepared for her first major battle with Winifred nearby looking rather cheerful despite the blood that was about to be spilled. She was determined, however, to keep as many Regalians alive to impress both Siegfried and her mentor, Jocelyn von Duerr, who also was seen with his kinsman Joachim amongst Siegfried’s ranks. The various Witchblood elements of the Army wished each other good fortune as well and overall there was a general sense of anticipation and preparedness for the battle, boosting morale. Even William Howlester approached his wife before the Harhold levies began their heavy trek towards the first of the twin rivers. He was seen only offering her something from around his neck before uttering the words “Try not to die” before striding off to rejoin Ardige Viduggla and his chief tactician Aelfwald Caedmon on the backlines, though not before offering a rather curious sideline glance to one Amir Razavi, who was engaging in a little last minute tinkering of his armor amongst the Norrvakt troops. They exchanged a salute as they met eyes.


Within an hour, the pounding of the drums of war echoed over the plains of the Elven Moors as the Forces of Hengest Harhold and Siegfried von Rahm began their arduous march south toward the City of Merkar’sarh. With them were four large siege trebuchets on wheels which were pushed by a large number of less-than-happy-looking Tenpennies. Four of the five Generals making for the City rode the backlines atop Pure Black Calemberger horses while the Imperial Marshal opted to walk with the troops, showing a clear distaste for the steeds. Half a day passed before the army came to the first of the twin rivers, which housed the walled city of Merkar’sarh in between. While General von Rahm wished to proceed immediately and cross before setting up camp, both General Ardige Viduggla and Imperial Marshal William Howlester disagreed, opting to settle a few hundred meters past the riparian side of the river. Tents and medical areas were set up in a hastened fashion for the purpose of aiding the tired troops. The outline of the city was in viewing distance, as was the massing forces outside its walls. Expecting an attack from scouting missions a week before, the Kathar had scrambled and prepared much more efficiently than the Regalian side, so much so that they had destroyed any smaller bridges making crossing the rivers easy. The trebuchets would have to stay put for the time being but were thankfully just close enough to be able to hit the Kathar defending force and a couple of outer turrets.


Meanwhile at sea, Division Admiral Christopher Black and his retinue consisting of Olli’ Zhatnni as Black’s tactician and Javier de Gálvez, Maxence Vandervelde and Jacques Martyn acting as captains of four of his five battleships, shadowed the advancing Regalian Forces with the express intention of providing the coastal bombardment with five Anglian Frigates. They would, with any luck, pierce through the city’s defensive walls and provide the Regalians with a means to enter and capture the city. The orders were simple: Await signal in the form of a single raised red flag to begin bombarding the city walls. Unfortunately for the Division Admiral, it had not occurred to General von Rahm or Ardige Viduggla for that matter that despite the fact the ships could approach the city close enough for a bombardment of its walls, a single red flag amongst a flurry of battle banners, war banners and other various sigils signalling regiments and Field Commanders was almost impossible to see with how far away the forces were stationed. The Admiral was left anxious and weary, watching through his spyglass along with his tactician for any sign of the flag what would initiate the assault.


Back at Threlwar’s Pass, however, Wing-Admiral Vincent Ravenstad-Krier oversaw the last of the Norrvakt-designed forces boarding the transport vessels that were bound for the North Western part of the Island of Holvechis. While remaining aboard one of the five Anglian battle Frigates under his command, his men kept a keen eye out for any Kathar bone ships that may interrupt their progress. Earlier that week, Admiral Karl av Nyström had sent scouting ships close to the coastline of Holvechis that subsequently reported no sign of movement anywhere on the Island itself and, eerily enough, a brief sighting of sails in the far distance which could not be confirmed to be Kathar ships. Nevertheless, Wing-Admiral Ravenstad-Krier proceeded with caution, his ships setting sail for their chartered heading almost immediately after the last man boarded the transport vessels. The sailing was relatively smooth with still no sign of enemy ships bound for their position. The voyage itself was as silent as a crypt aboard, only the sound of various sailors and deck hands tending to the sails and rigging as the ships rounded the peninsula until it reached Field General Thorvald Norrvakt’s desired drop off point. Taking point, Henrik Norrvakt, Benjamin Syldove and Thorvald Norrvakt departed the ship on smaller transport boats with a token force to secure part of the island for their landing. The shores were clear, not a Kathar in sight as they embarked further inland, a few thousands of Regalian troops at their back at first but with more unloading by the hour. For the time being however, the General sent forth Thomas Dopsworth, Marque d’Ainvergal and Relveth Vinthracia, the latter disguised as a Kathar with the former two as his prisoners, to scout the island for enemy troops or lookout locations. If discovered, it would be signalled by a burning arrow being shot skyward. However, as the hours passed and more and more troops were unloaded, no signal would come and the three would not return.


Commanding General Ardige Viduggla had little time to waste. By now, the Kathar army had spotted them preparing to cross the river and were now readying to charge forward. He gave the order for Siegfried and Hengest’s army to march South and across the smallest of the two rivers, which was, lucky for them, not too arduous a task given that the water only met their waists as the troops hampered across. Field General Siegfried von Rahm’s army would be the one to engage the awaiting 35,000 Kathar troops with his 50,000 men. The numbers were considerably less than he was expecting, but chalked it down to the fact that 15,000 were likely still behind the city’s walls. Upon across the river and progressing up a small hillside slope, it became apparent that the Kathar were far more prepared than first expected. The entire army boomed with the sound of cheering, chanting and mad screams as the waves of Kathar parted to exhume a figure decked in full silver plate armor a top a void-corrupted steed. Siegfried twisted a look to Hengest who held his head high. “Shittin’ yourself yet, Siegfried? If I were as shit at you at command, I would be. Har har har!” he cackled, galloping off to the right, ordering his army to begin splintering from von Rahm’s force to its Northward position. The Prince Marshal all the while had taken the momentary reprieve to converse with some of the Anglian troops amongst Hengest’s ranks, though as the Grand Duke of Vlissinghelm galloped past, he said his goodbyes, hopped atop his horse and bridled on after him.


The von Rahm Field General signalled to his Front Line Commanders to gather the forces into position. The first to respond to the order was Ernesta von Rahm, who rallied part of the armies left wing and archers to begin marching forward. The Kathar forces continued to shout and herald the foreign name “Uneilan! Uneilan!” to which the Silver Armored Horseman responded, galloping toward the Regalian Lines as the warhorns from atop the cities walls sounded off to commence an attack. Thousands of Shenath soldiers began sprinting towards the Regalian forces, the thundering noise of their footsteps upon the soil spurring Siegfried to yell, “Raise the flag!” in order to signal the start of the bombardment. Before he could even finish his words however, the unmistakable sound of cannonfire erupted offshore as all five Anglian Frigates began unloading their salvoy before the flag could even be erected. The mass movement of troops and banners had confused Captain Javier de Gálvez who thought he had seen the flag amongst the Regalian advance and, like sheep, Maxence Vandervelde and Jacques Martyn began blasting artillery toward the coastline. While the first few volleys hit their mark upon the most western side of the City, some less than well aimed fire from Javier’s ship struck not only Kathar troops, but also Regalian soldiers.


“Bloody imbecile!” the Division Admiral Christopher Black yelled out. “Correct your aim! The City, the damn City!” But alas, the damage had already been done. As the two sides clashed in the field, the cannonfire brought death indiscriminately as Ailor and Kathar troops were flung into the air like tarnished ragdolls as the artillery landed amidst their ranks. Within mere minutes, three hundred Regalian Tenpennies had met their end as a result of Javier de Gálvez’s negligent miscommunication and his deckhands’ inaccuracy combined with the poor planning of the Generals and their belief that a flag could be seen so far out at sea. Christopher then ordered for his men to halt the bombardment and sent the signal across to the other Anglian frigates which responded almost immediately, though their task had not been achieved. While Maxence and Jacque’s bombardment had been relatively accurate and brought down part of the western wall and turrets, an opening had not been created for the approaching Regalian Army to gain access to Merkar’sarh. Not wishing to cause any more friendly fire, the navy, on the stern recommendation of Olli’ Zhatnni, changed their course of approach; they hoisted sails and prepared for Kathar naval reinforcements should they arrive, but not before sending Isaac D’ambiose and Quinn Shu’elsi ashore to assist in saving any soldiers still alive with their medical knowledge.


Von Rahm cursed under his breath and watched on helplessly as the two sides cut each other down. For a while, the battle was at a stalemate. The Kathar spellslingers and Regalian men-at-arms tore each other apart. On the frontline, Ernesta von Rahm commanded Birc Al-Ali, Lazarus Lupenzi, Ivar Lupenzi and Georg Kade to rally to her as she pushed through the Shenath forces, cutting down two or three of their warriors before being pelted to the ground by Void projectiles cast from the Kathar battlemages. She suffered medium gashes to her right thigh as they buried themselves within her flesh and pinned her to the floor. Lazarus, Ivar and Birc ran to protect their Commander while Georg pulled the purple crystalline shards from her, which he managed to do, though not without being struck with a dagger himself in the shoulder as he pulled her back from the encroaching Kathar hordes. He left the dagger in place to prevent excess bleeding and did his utmost to prevent any further damage before he succumbed to his wounds and could not perform surgery any further; he relied on Tenpenny levies to safely escort them further back to Field Medics Yvette Viduggla and Winifred von Rahm who tended them hastily. Both performed exceptionally well, with Yvette clearly the better skilled between the two. Both Georg and Ernesta would see another day but were out of the conflict for the time being. Lazarus, Ivar and Birc Al-Ali however, in the absence of any orders, continued to fight to their detriment, being overpowered very quickly by the numerous better-skilled Kathar warriors that surrounded and slashed at them. While Ivar and Lazarus suffered lacerations to their bodies, with Lazarus being the worse struck, Birc Al-Ali was left alone to hold the line with Ernesta’s squadron. While he tried valiantly to hold the line, he could not block the many incoming attacks and spells thrown his way and thus succumbed to his wounds and fell to his knees; a sword impaling his left shoulder and a flaming projectile badly burning the left side of his torso. In a last ditch effort to save his life, the Tenpennies surrounded him and carried him to the backline medical tents, with all he could hear as he lost consciousness being the sounds of Ailor screams as the men were cut down behind him.


At this point, Siegfried’s two Siege Commanders Dragomir Thane and Joachim von Duerr, recommended that the archers commence firing upon the Kathar’s backline to thin the numbers, to which von Rahm agreed though noted that the Kathar’s quick advance and the falling left regiment could put the archers at serious risk of being overrun. Valdis Kade was quick to act, whilst bodyguarded by Hannah Lexin, and began opening fire alongside Camilla Moreno and the rest of the Anglian Longbowmen that opted to remain further back. Hannah quickly cut down and dispatched as many of the Shenath that managed to break through while Camilla and Valdis aimed for the higher priority targets; the Silver Armored Knight, UneilWhilean, and the three Saivale Field Commanders that stood atop battlements behind the Shenath foot soldiers. Valdis’s arrows fell short of the mark, however, and although he managed to hit a number of Shenath soldiers, the Officers escaped his fire. Camilla Moreno performed exceedingly better, striking one of the Officers in the left eye and killing him instantly. Both Valdis and Camilla attempted to dispatch with Uneilan, who at this point was single handedly cutting through Regalian soldiers like they were Anglian butter. All shots fired were quickly cast aside with a swift movement of the Knight’s left hand to their shock. His Void-corrupted horse reared onto its back legs with a tug on the reins and raised The Silver Armored Knight up high enough for him to fire a purple-hued projectile for Valdis which caught him in the abdomen, leaving a deep puncture wound that illuminated a purple hue. The Prince immediately fell backwards, dropping his bow and foaming at the mouth. Hannah finished off the last of the oncoming Kathar soldiers, dragging the Prince to the backline where Winifred von Rahm and Yvette Viduggla identified his injury as magical in nature, though would not, and truthfully could not by law, allow any counter magic to the ailment for risk of being slaughtered by Hannah Lexen. All they could do was watch as the Prince’s body jolted violently. It was by sheer luck that the purple hue that emanated from his wound dissipated as a nearby Witchblood soldier emitted a violent battle cry, removing the curse and preventing further incoming magical shots from hitting the backline. Both Noble-blooded medics saw to the remaining puncture wound, stabilising the Prince but keeping him and Hannah out of the battle for risk of further harm.


Springing into action and not willing to watch anymore Ailor Soldiers fall, Field Commander and Dwarf Jorous Drakeslayer humorously, due to his size, ordered a full-on assault alongside Joycie Caladwen, Jusso Caill and Florian Lupenzi. The three cut their way forward, climbing over bodies of Kathar and Ailor alike as they charged. Jorous sought the glory of felling the Silver Armored Kathar Knight himself as he bulldozed into the fray. Uneilan the Kathar Silver Knight snapped toward the Dwarf, lifting his left hand once again and hoisting Jorous off the ground with the use of his Void-granted magic. Jorous could hear the uttering of words in Kathar-Elven which prompted blood to spill from Uneilan’s armor and solidified into armor-piercing spears which he impaled the Dwarf with. Jorous screamed out in pain and surprise, though his cries were muffled as the Silver Armored Knight used his magic to propel the Dwarf through the air and into the backline. Medics rushed to his attention, removing the spear and attempting life-saving surgery. The first medic on the scene was Eleonora du Kirscht, who removed the spear but suffered nasty lacerations to her palms from the sharpness of the projectiles. Despite her wounds, she called for additional medics that were able to save Jorous’s life, though he would be severely injured and unable to perform some of the most basic tasks over the next three weeks.


Despite the losses the Regalians were suffering, word got to Siegfried that at the moment, the Regalian Forces were still suffering about as many casualties as the Kathar attackers to which Dragomir Thane and Joachim von Duerr agreed. They theorized that if somehow the remaining Kathar forces could be routed to the West, the Harhold Army which was still relatively close by could easily swoop in and secure the victory. Siegfried agreed and gave the command for the remaining Field Commanders to begin pushing the Kathar back. Joycie Caladwen, Jusso Caill and Florian Lupenzi were relayed the message and sought to do just that. The battle raged on regardless, with all three fighting on the frontlines. Joycie Caladwen by far outshined Jusso and Florian, mercilessly slaughtering Shenath after Shenath that dared get in their way, with Jusso performing mediocre at best and Florian taking medium cuts, scrapes and bruising from careless fighting. The plan was working for the most part which pleased Siegfried grately as victory, although still far in the distance, was slowly being assured. It was only then that the General noticed something odd and unexpected: The gates of Merkar’sarh began to rise and the holler and battlecries of hundreds, if not thousands of Altalar Militia stormed from the gates and began decimating the Kathar backline. It appeared that the Altalar officers and Regalian Prisoners of War that had been released by the Viridian Knights had successfully infiltrated the city in the weeks prior and prepared for an insurrection that had succeeded perfectly. The onslaught that followed forced the Kathar troops and the Silver Armored Kathar Knight to retreat northward toward the Harhold stationed 50,000 troops securing a Regalian victory, at least at the outside of the city. Utilising the Altalar as a distraction, the remaining 35,000 of von Rahm’s troops descended upon the City of Merkar’sarh and flooded its streets, finding that battling some 7,000 Kathar that remained to fight while 8,000 made their retreat from the Southernmost gates. Victory was assured.


More north however, Field General Hengest Harhold, who had prepared his men for an ambush from the City of Lurlavan situated at the base of the Black Mountains as well as any attack from the rear, was notified of the incoming remainder of the Kathar host that was retreating from the battle with von Rahm. Noting that he had 10,000 men of his 40,000 prepared as a rear guard, he proclaimed loudly and almost with pride “Fock Ardige Viduggla, honestly!” as he signalled for them to engage, turning a large portion of his men around. Just as they engaged, the unmissable war cries of tens of thousands Shenath and Wolond forces descended from the jungles to the West. Within mere minutes, a reinforcement host numbering 65,000 descended upon clashed with Harhold’s troops despite having prepared caltrops for a cavalry attack, dug ditches and arranged makeshift palisades. They quickly overpowered the Regalian forces and smashed through their defensive lines, effectively causing a collapse of the troops due to a combined attack from both the West and the East.


All three of Harhold’s Field Commanders, Julius Peirgarten, Erwald Ravenstad and Jared Kade charged forward with the west-facing Harhold force in an attempt to push them back. Julius Peirgarten brought with him Harric van der Veer, Leufred du Trier, Connor Decimar and Joseph Soryn-Grimm to hold the left flank. Harric van der Veer toppled Wolond after Woland with expertly shot arrows with his Anglian Longbow, even managing to fire an arrow straight through the armor of a Saivale Commanding Officer as he attempted an attack on Julius Peirgarten, arguably saving his life. The Peirgarten exchanged a quick thanks before cutting through a couple of soldiers himself, while Connor Decimar and Leufred closed in with 10,000 Tenpennies and dismantled the Wolong advance. Both Connor Decimar and Leufred performed with excellence, their skill showing as bodies fell left and right, boosting the morale of the Harhold levies whom despite being outnumbered continued to push forth with the gusto of an army double its size. Outshining them all however was Joseph Soryn-Grimm, who single-handedly fought two Saivale Commanders with his two-handed great sword, decapitating one and causing the other to retreat.


Under Erwald Ravenstad, who was still nursing minor injuries from his attack on the Prison of Neenasari, rallied with him Fenic Dak-Cervantes, Joasaie Lloablen and Ania Howlester. The Viridian ordered the Tenpennies and the retinues surrounding him to target specifically any Kathar Commanders holding the line but was bested in battle by a Wolond attacker that pounced upon him and began beating him with a makeshift wooden club, causing him some more minor injuries and worsening his bruising. The Wolond was thankfully dispatched with by Joasaie Lloablen before any more serious damage to the Ravestand’s body could occur, and both continued fighting in an average capacity. Meanwhile, in a tag team duo, Fenic and Ania utilised their brute strength to clear a path through an onslaught of Wolond spellslingers, dodging the incoming projectiles. In an act of pure heroism, Fenic turned, bending down to a knee as a Saivale officer advanced. “Now!” the Half-Orc roared, prompting Ania to sprint full force toward him. He launched the woman into the air to the Saivale’s surprise, allowing the woman--whilst bellowing a war cry in Skodje--to drive her longsword through his skull and downward into his body. With a number of Kathar Officers now dispatched, the army began its retreat, still leaving the attackers from the East to deal with.


With the reinforcements from the West now on retreat, the Field General Hengest Harhold bellowed a laugh, turning to the Prince Marshal to whom he was about to POLITELY SUGGEST to assist, was knocked back by a sudden gust of wind, knocking him to the floor and momentarily misplacing his eyepatch as the Prince Marshal erupted into the sky in Dragon form. Once airborne, the Imperial Dragon thundered a mighty roar so loud it could have nearly been heard from tens of miles around. The winged, hulking beast, descended upon the Kathar reinforcements coming from Merkar’sarh landing atop its backline forces with a mighty ‘THUD’, causing the ground to shake so much that the Dragon itself lost its balance and toppled over fourty or so battlemages which were lining up shots toward it. Noting the Dragon’s attack, Field Commander Jared Kade lifted his scimitars and ordered an attack with the assistance of Faust Sokolov and Leopold Rote. Using the 10,000 rear guard, the three stampeded forward while the Dragon in the distance used its mighty claws to shred through battlemages that were casting in their direction. Unfortunately for Faust Sokolov however, whilst attempting to prevent any more casualties from the spellslingers on the frontline with the use of his weapon, he found himself writhing in pain as a Shenath soldier thrusted his arming sword through the man's left thigh, bringing him to the ground. The Shenath peeled into maniacal bits of laughter as he proceeded to twist the blade, pulling it from Faust’s body before again driving it through his right shoulder blade, only then falling when a Tenpenny archer managed to fire an arrow through the Shenath’s neck. Badly wounded, Faust was pulled away from danger and tended to by Jocelyn von Duerr who miraculously saved both limbs with some impromptu cauterizing and battlefield surgery. The Field Commander Jared Kade pressed onwards, nearing the Imperial Dragon who was now crushing Kathar beneath his gigantic limbs, rolling and repeating. As he called out to Cedric, the Dragon turned and unknowingly and unintentionally, whacked Jared Kade and Leopold Rote full force off their feet using his tail, firing them both a distance away. They crashed into fleeing Kathar soldiers, breaking Jared’s right arm and dislocating his jaw but only minorly injuring Leopold who landed atop the Kade. No doubt the next few weeks would prove difficult for the Isldar turned Kade to both swing a sword or talk, to many people’s pleasure, while Leopold would only suffer some light bruising from the ordeal. While Jocelyn von Duerr busied himself with other medics in Hengest’s army, seeing to the injured, Meredith Lessauer personally saw to Jared and Leopold’s injuries, utilising her healing abilities on the sly to vacate them both back to a safer location as the Kathar armies retreated.


Although the Eastern Reinforcements were all but disappeared back into the treeline, some 10,000 still remained of the West retreating army which the Imperial Dragon continued to batter. The Silver Armored Kathar Knight Uneilan personally saw to the evacuation of a large portion of the retreating force, using a combination of both exceptional swordsmanship and powerful magic to slice and blast through Regalian attacking forces. Even the Imperial Dragon found it difficult to approach, its body feeling heavy as multiple Kathar mages combined with the Knight casted upon it. The Knight utilised the Dragon’s dazed and slowed state to retreat, making for the South across makeshift bridges that had been prepared for a prospect retreat, alongside some 10,000 troops that remained. The prevailing troops under the Harhold Field General rejoiced in a lucky victory thanks to the perseverance of numerous well-performing Field Commanders and the Imperial Dragon, all of which opted not to follow the retreating forces and instead regrouped with von Rahm inside of the city.


Inside the City itself, Imperial Marshal William Howlester, Prince Marshal Cedric Kade, now back in human form, and Field Generals Hengest Harhold and Siegfried von Rahm ordered the killing of the remaining Kathar elements, effectively freeing the Altalar city from their control. The remaining two medics brought ashore, Isaac d’Ambiose and Quinn Shu’elsi assisted in any final medical assistance that was required, with the former performing multiple high risk surgeries with ease and the latter performing less as well, almost causing the death of one predominant Regalian Field Officer, who was ultimately saved by Quinn. The City had been taken, but with many of the Kathar managing a last ditch retreat, including the Silver Armored Knight and the Kathar governor of the city, the Blood Prince Valuiin'eron. Despite the victory, one thing was certain. At the bare minimum, 18,000 troops had retreated south toward the Grand City Nuthotchk and at least 57,000 of the Western Shenath and Wolond force had retreated through the jungles to regroup at the City of Lurlavan. Multiple questions arose between the Generals: Firstly, who was the Silver Armored Kathar Knight? The Scouts nor the Scholars Court had any knowledge of a Kathar combatant of such strength; How reinforced are the Cities of Lurlavan and Nuthotehk and finally, where within the jungles are the Wolond tribes that reinforced the Shenath and Saivale force? Only time would tell. In the meantime, all thoughts were vested on how Field General Thorvald Norrvakt was performing on the Island of Holvechis.


As the evening rolled in, there was still no news submitted to the Field General Norrvakt of the Scouting operation headed by Thomas Dopsworth, Marque d’Ainvergal and Relveth Vinthracia. In an impatient fashion, the Field General ordered the army to begin moving forwards in a direct march upon Fort Holvechis, despite being advised not to by both Thorvald Norrvakt and his primary tactician Valtin von Dietrich. The march itself took only a couple of hours until they were upon the Fortress itself. Amir Razavi, Ingemar the Url and Sibyllad Lykke took point and entered the structure first. The inside of the Fortress was barren save for some markings in Voidscript upon the walls and a few curious-looking black and gray banners with a strange sigil upon them. As Amir Razavi ventured in for a closer look, the unmistakable sound of a cog turning could be heard in the distance and as the man looked down, he noticed he had triggered a trip wire. Before he could even utter a word, the entire entryway of the Fortress erupted in a massive explosion, just as the Field General Norrvakt had stepped in. Amir, Thorvald, Sibyllad and Ingemar were launched into the air, the explosion forcing them from the building as part of it began to collapse around them. Sibyllad was the first to land, suffering intensive broken bones to the point where the Orc could barely move, followed by Ingemar, who suffered similar injuries despite his build. General Thorvald Norrvakt had been launched so far that he had suffered a nasty head injury, blood pooling from his forehead and falling unconscious. Upon inspection, medics had found that not only was he suffering from a severe concussion, but both of his legs had been broken. By far the worst off however was Amir, who, while suffering from serious third degree burns that would make any sort of clockwork engineering difficult for some time, had also had part of his left arm blown clean off as well as half of his foot. Loriette Haaven quickly rushed to the scene, but she herself also fell suit to a Kathar trap. Before coming within ten feet of the injured man, the floor below the woman collapsed and so too did she, falling through a well disguised trap door into deep pit below the crumbled Fort Courtyard. Regalian Troops rushed to the scene, careful of where they stepped, as by now both Valtin von Dietrich and Eric Decimar, the former being a tactician and the latter a rogue, noting that the island was obviously trapped and abandoned. Eric himself noted that the traps being used, especially the explosion, likely were a Kathar alchemical/magic and technological hybrid, and thus caution from there on out was advised. The troops opened the trapdoor, the light illuminating the 25 foot drop to expose not one body, but four. In the pit below were Marque d’Ainvergal, Thomas Dopsworth, Loriette Haaven and Relveth Vintracia. Of the four, only Relveth and Thomas suffered no injury, likely having fallen atop Marque who had broken his arm and took minor cuts and bruises to his body. Loriette however was in a far worse state, having had her body collide with the walls on her way down, breaking both ankles and garnering a concussion.


Hours rolled by and the medics were heinously busy. The four trapped retinues were eventually assisted by Thalion Amulgonnen who fashioned a makeshift rope ladder from vines on a nearby wall and lifted Relveth back to the surface. Marque then assisted the other three, who were rescued by Cellica Varoris, Shane Marth and Audric Kraus, following Thalion’s suit by having Marque tie each safely with the vines as they were hoisted to the surface, albeit with more pain and anguish, with Marque then finally climbing back to the top using Thalion’s rope ladder. Once all four were resurfaced, the entire conglomeration regrouped, now with Henrik Norrvakt proclaiming himself Commander of the forces due to Thorvald’s incapacitation. On advice from a number of rogues amongst the Norrvakt forces, Henrik gave the order for Tsetsiliya Illyanovich, Isak Skogangripe and Eric Decimar, as well as a token force of 10,000 of the troops they were assigned, to begin toward the Port Town to the south. They were to disarm any traps they might come across along the way. Needless to say, they were numerous, and the group was busy most of the evening until dusk. A sizable number of the Regalian Troops accompanying them fell for the traps. Explosions and yelling were heard throughout the night as soldiers wantonly either stepped on an explosive or found themselves victim to makeshift spike pits and the like. The harrowing noises were so great that many of Norrvakts retinues could not sleep and instead opted to explore the now ruined courtyard of Fort Holvechis. Out of the 59,000 troops, 200 met their fates at the hands of carefully crafted Kathar booby traps lain around the fort. The night passed on in an unending channel of contemplation and paranoia.


Henrik Norrvakt and Audric Kraus formed two excursion groups. The people in Henrik’s were Relveth Vinthracia, Benjamin Syldove, Shane Marth and Valuin. The people in Audric’s group were Cellica Varoris, Isak Sogangripe, Io’ella Yahdga, Tsetsiliya Illyanovich and Zelgius Pavise. While exploring around Fort Holvechis, Relveth discovered an entryway into Kathar catacombs. The groups ventured down after he gave word of his findings, only to discover that the catacombs extended far and wide. They’re prompted to explore further in upon hearing a strange melancholic sound echoing from deeper inside. However, after going in deeper, both groups come across a bone temple. The temple is not old or rundown and evidently only recently abandoned. Benjamin Syldove and Cellica Varoris separate from the rest in their exploration of the temple room. They uncover a somewhat separated room that holds a rather odd-looking door that appears to lead to something but has traces of booby traps all around it. After locating this strange door, they uncover the source of the strange crying sound that the groups had heard before: a Temple Orphan had been hiding away in a tucked portion of the underground system and the presence of others angered it.


Meanwhile, in the temple room itself, the groups are suddenly faced with a swarm of Undead Kathar soldiers. It’s apparent that the catacombs were a vessel for the Kathar not only for their worship but to raise the Undead. In an ambush style, a fight ensues. Valuin gets the worst of it, suffering a devastating cut across the chest, a broken nose and a stab in the back after a failed encounter with an Undead. Tsetsiliya tried defending Valuin but also earned her fair share of wounds; and got stabbed in the side twice. Io’ella also jumped in to try and get the badly-wounded Valuin out of the fight, but they too earned some injuries and were cut on the arms from swings of boneswords. Zelgius Pavise pulled through to cut down and destroy the heads of several Undead, giving the three enough time to get out of the line of attack and mostly out of sight. Relveth acted as bait and helped tackle an Undead while Henrik Norrvakt cut it down. The upper half of an Undead crawled over and grabbed onto Zelgius’ ankle with one of its hands, but Henrik was able to walk over and stomp on its head with his boot. Isak Skogangripe also tries his luck against two Undead, but gets a medium cut in the thigh. Audric faces off against a taller Undead and is quickly overpowered, earning a stab to the leg. The Undead hollered and laughed at his agony. Shane Marth helped cut down some Undead on the left flank which further aided Zelgius and Henrik in paving a way to Benjamin and Cellica. The remaining Undead back off and withdraw in evident motions to recalculate.


Upon entering the room, the groups face off with an enraged Temple Orphan. Benjamin and Cellica are badly injured, with the former being in worse condition. Benjamin had several lacerations on his back, a bruised head and a torn up arm. Cellica was also cut up around the front of her body but was in less danger of bleeding out. Relveth takes notice of the peculiar door but is quickly redirected to the fight as the Temple Orphan engages. Henrik and Zelgius work together as a duo to try and keep the Temple Orphan distracted while Shane Marth helped get the injured back to Isak and Tsetsiliya. As things drew too close for comfort, Henrik used some quick-thinking and hefted a large rock at the Temple Orphan’s head. The creature, disoriented, then gave them time to get out of there. On the way out, Henrik, Zelgius and Relveth found some rewards in the bone temple. Henrik Norrvakt claimed a large box filled with formal letters written in Voidscript that were in different handwritings, clearly marking them as letters between two parties of some nature. Zelgius Pavise located a finely crafted dagger arguably taken either from the Altalar or the Regalians. Relveth Vinthracia managed to find and keep a small pouch of Altalar jewelry, mostly necklace chains, rings and bracelets that he could either sell or keep.


The Island is captured but is discovered to be horrendously booby trapped by the Kathar. Beneath Fort Holvechis is a vast array of Kathar catacombs and a recently abandoned bone temple used for Kathar Void Worship. In a side room just aside from the bone temple is a large room with a strange, sturdy door on the opposing side, but is protected by spikes and Kathar booby traps; and it’s clear that something important is on the other side of the door given the traps lain before it. A hint of torchlight shone underneath the door. Undead Mortis Kul Kathar soldiers and a Temple Orphan appear to be guarding this door. And although the three men got their peculiar rewards, it begged to wonder if the armies would send convoys to return and investigate. Word of General Thorvald’s “success” reached the ears of the generals in Merkar’sarh, marking both Regalian objectives as a victory. Overall, over 26,000 Kathar troops lay dead with 16,200 Regalian casualties.


Back home, word of the victories in the Elven Moors began to spread like wildfire. In particular, the Imperial Court commended Ardige Viduggla’s expert planning and strategic involvement as well as Henrik Norrvakts quick thinking and gusto in the wake of his General’s incapacitation. The Imperial Marshal himself offered commendations to Ardige Viduggla, rising him to the rank of Field Marshal, while Henrik Norrvakt, Relveth Vinthracia and Zelgius Pavise were granted individual commendations for their respective skills and abilities. The Noble Houses that had contributed levies to the War effort, including those whom aptly had dedicated a large portion to the Imperial Marshalry upon the return of the Regalian Generals, were eulogized with praise and acclaim, while those who had shifted large troop movements over ten thousand back to the Archipelago were criticized harshly, the words ‘unpatriotic’ and ‘disloyal’ being tossed about amongst the various Generals and Field Officers. With half of the lands to the West of the Black Mountains now liberated and under Regalian occupation, it was only a matter of time before the Imperial Marshal Cabinet would meet again to prepare for the next major army movement.





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Spoiler: Reward and Injury Rolls

Name - Roll - Injury/Award
Ardige Viduggla - 100 - Major Award (Rank Up, Commendation and Prestige)
Henrik Norrvakt - 98 - Major Award (Commendation, Box with voidscript letters between two Kathar)
Relveth Vinthracia - 86 - Minor Award (Small pouch of Altalar Jewelry, few hundred regals in value)
Zelgius Pavise - 90 - Major Award (Finely crafted dagger, jeweled and well forged. Worth around a thousand regals)
Ernesta von Rahm - 23 - Injuries (Walk with a single crutch for one week)
Birc Al-Ali - 16 - (Stabbed left shoulder, burned part of torso. Inability to perform guard work 1 week. Pained walking)
Lazarus Lupenzi - 25 - (Intense lacerations to the abdomen, non-life threatening, but day to day life will be hard for a week)
Ivar Lupenzi - 38 - Injuries (Minor scratches and bruises)
Jorous Drakeslayer - 1 - Injuries (Bed Bound for a week)
Georg Kade - 22 - Injuries (Limp shoulder, cannot lift arm for a week)
Eleonora du Kirscht - 24 - Injuries (Cut palms. Unable to perform surgeries and medical examinations for 4 days)
Valdis Kade - 17 - Injuries (Weakened state, pained walk for a week, bed rest needed)
Florian Lupenzi - 21 - Injuries (Medium cuts, scrapes and bruising. Unable to engage in military activity for a week)
Thorvald Norrvakt - 21 - Injuries (Concussion, two broken legs. Wheelchair bound for a week)
Benjamin Syldove - 31 - Injuries (Lacerations on back, bruised head and torn up arm)
Marque d'Ainvergal - 33 - Injuries (Broken arm, minor cuts and bruises. Healed within 3 days)
Amir Razavi - 10 - Injuries (Serious third degree burns, lost part of left arm, loss of a foot) Praise Silven muters.
Ingemar - 7 - Injuries (Battered and broken bones. Bedbound for 3 days, walk with crutches thereafter for a week)
Valuin - 25 - Injuries (Deep cut across chest, broken nose and stabbed back. Pained walking for 4 days)
Sibyllad Lykke - 3 - Injuries (Several intensive broken bones. Bedbound for 3 days, walk with crutches for a week after)
Cellica Varoris - 35 - Injuries (Cuts on the front of her body, general bruising)
Loriette Haaven - 6 - Injuries (Two broken ankles and concussion. Wheelchair bound for a week)
Erwald Ravenstad - 38 - Injuries (Minor scratches and nicks, increased bruising)
Faust Sokolov - 12 - Injuries (Stabbed thigh, stabbed shoulder. Pained Walking and inability to perform Guard work for 9 days)
Leopold Rote - 38 - Injuries (Light bruising)
Jared Kade - 11 - Injuries (Hit with a dragon tail, broken right arm, dislocated jaw. A week unable to lift right arm and pained talking)

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