Salvation was on the horizon. In a matter of minutes, a unified force of 19,000 Tenpenny levies forced themselves around the city into two seperate groups. The Harhold General rode on the backline, watching the ensuing carnage on horseback whilst bearing a pleased grin. "Can't believe that fucking worked," he idly commented to the tactician to his side. He hadn't noticed Elyon Aredeth until now, it seemed. "Alexander's balls, who let the female freak into my command tent?" he boomed while staring at Elyon with disdain. She merely lifted a hand in a wave, giving a nervous grin. "Just uh.. Just so it's said.. I really like your work," she hoarsely choked. "Get yer tongue off my arse cheeks, woman. Dogs do that and you're no dog, are ya, freak? Get back somewhere where I can't see you." Elyon merely gulped and retreated elsewhere to help with aiding the attack. Hengest immediately went back to the assault, watching as the combined force split under two commanders in specific. On the left, Rodrigo Peirgarten along with two units of Tenpenny Men-At-Arms marched out front, with a third unit of Tenpenny Men-At-Arms bolstering their rear with a single unit of Halberdiers and Archers to watch their flanks. They would be tasked with liberating the eastern gate. On the right, Vivana Avalorn led with her glaive sword outstretched, backed by an almost mirrored force to Rodrigo, whom would liberate the western gate.
The clash and chaos would begin however with Rodrigo's column. The Kathar were essentially caught with their trousers down and although they attempted to protect the Shenath that were attempting to breach the gate, the sheer number of the force speared right through them. Rodrigo Peirgarten landed the first kill by slicing the head off the enemy Shenath Field Commander before moving onto spar a couple of Shenath slashers in melee combat. He soon made short work of them while Thea Rote protected his flank. Thea, despite her youth, fought valiantly, holding back any attack from Rodrigo's side. One of the two Void Harpies dove in an attempt to break Thea's defense, only to be impaled through the neck in one expertly thrusted jab of her rapier. The blade's tip shot up through the harpy's neck and out the top of her skull, killing her instantly. One down, one left. Elsewhere in Rodrigo's column, Bellatrix Tyrannian and Sibyllad Lykke attempted to push the Kathar force further back toward the main center column. Their forceful effort worked as their combined martial talent easily bested the Shenath, even with the Kathars' magic affinity. Following their lead and assisting further, Zelgius Pavise and Faust Sokolov utilised the sudden repelling attack to rid a large group of Skeletal archers from the battle, dodging arrows with exceptional speed then decimating them with melee attacks. Cheers roared from the walls and as the gate was cleared; the Regalian objective became clear. Dei Termini's reserve force flooded through the now beaten gate and reinforced the Harhold attack, routing the entire Kathar western attack back to the South once more.
Likewise on the right hand column, Vivanna experienced trouble. The second harpy, albeit missing a leg, hassled the oncoming Regalian Force. Both Maiev Zenith and Artair Mackay fell victim to the void horror's aggressive attacks. Its claws slashed through Artair's armor, leaving a hefty gash in his chest which no doubt would leave him out of the fight and in pain for a week or so, while Maiev Zenith fell to a slash from a talon across the face, incapacitating the soldier temporarily while Vivanna attempted to fight it off. However, the Field Commander would also fall. Although experienced, she fell victim to its aerial attacks as she was lifted from the floor by her neck and tossed to one side onto incoming infantry which trampled the woman and left her with a broken leg and arm. With Vivanna out of the fight, both Reyes Velasquez and Lassul'ei Daevaar took up joint command of the troops and ordered for them to keep their shields up while the archers concentrated fire on the void beast. As it swooped down yet again to attack Reyes, Jendir Ta'hael jumped forward atop a knelt infantryman, using his shield as a surface to leapt into the air with a bellowing Avanthar warcry, bringing one of his two Ularcia axes in a swift strike downward and cutting the harpies head clean off. "Onward!" he yelled, and with both harpies out of the fight, the Regalian force could proceed.
Soon after, the Kathar Skeletal Cavalry stormed into battle, once again dividing so it could attack from both sides. However, due to the composition of Hengest's force, it could not stand a chance. The Regalian Tenpenny Archers shot flurries of arrows at the oncoming horseback force, and if that did not rid them of the riders, the Halberdiers made short work of them. Victory looked all the more assured as each minute passed, and soon enough Hengest's plan had come into fruition. Both Kathar splinter forces had been routed back to the main body of the Dread Army which was still valiantly being held back by Devona Howlester, Jared Kade and Roland Typhonus. The three could breathe a sigh of relief as the Harhold Soldiers bravely charged into the fray. "Long live the Emperor!" was bellowed as their warcry, and "Long Live Regalia!" was returned from the walls. Deo watched onward with a grin. He had done his job now it was time to finish it. "Push forward!" he gave the order below.
The Kathar began their retreat while Cyndarion Daevaar, Vaeri and Gilles de Crozier made their appearance upon the battlefield. All three cut down their fair share of retreating Shenath force albeit not exceptionally performing to any high degree. Much could also be said for Einherjar Boveen, Aska and Joseph Soryn, who bolstered the Tenpenny Halberdsmen in decimating what was left of the Skeletal Cavalry with fearsome war cries and equally as fearsome strikes. While the battle was near assured a victory, one unit of Kathar remained. Locked in a heated battle were Asher Rhylovhas, Arlawyn Daevaar and Joasaie Lloablen with the Silver Tear Paladin that still remained on the battlefield with his personal Shenath retinue. Arlawyn Daevaar single-handedly danced their way through the retinue in what could only be described as a slaughter. Joasaie and Asher were practically awestruck with Arlawyn's capabilities and soon enough, only the Silver Tear Paladin remained.
Asher and Joasaie moved forward together as a unified force with similar staff-like weapons. Callandor and Nenya'thea, remarkable both in appearance and ability, were drawn into combat against the ominous Silver Tear Paladin, who wore a malicious glint in the eyes as his foes charged at him. The trio met in full force, weapons smacking and magic flying in bursts and sparks; the very impact urged a collateral effect of awe, tension, and fear onto those nearby. Asher and Joasaie's combined efforts to beat down the Silver Tear Paladin made it so that he could not usher anymore focus into a grand spell, and even further until his magical projectiles ceased altogether. Joasaie smacked down their Nenya'thea onto the ground, driving it with force, and unleashed a plume of roots to pierce the soil and wrap around the Silver Tear Paladin--and thus constricted and restrained him. Asher lifted Callandor with mighty stance, yet it was not fear from the Paladin's gaze that met Asher's. Within the palms of the Paladin were rapidly gurgling bubbles of smoggy blood which trickled to his chest. The magical concoction, a last resort, plunged forward as crystallized bolts and pierced through Callandor, destroying it, and its shards impaled Asher's right arm and hand. Simultaneously, the last resort stabbed through the Silver Tear Paladin's armor like a knife through butter, and his life ended in the blink of an eye. Asher fell to the ground, bellowing in pain. His arm wouldn't move, try as he might and any attempts of his try cast failed instantly. They had won, but at a grave price.
And with that, Regalia had won. The battle was a success with very few casualties to the Regalian side and only minor amounts of damage done to Merkars'arh itself. Harhold ordered his men to stand down and not follow the Kathar as they retreated, a good call perhaps for further down the line. Regalia had successfully and almost expertly displayed its military prowess. The City erupted into cheers, and as the injured were brought through the gates, they were treated like heroes from those inside, amazingly even by the Altalar. Soon after, Reimar Typhonus and Christopher Black would return to the city to report on their end of things. Overall, everything worked out as best as it could for Regalia and this was certainly a major turning point after the string of defeats over the last couple of months. While some had died in the fight, it was obvious it wasn't all for naught, and they could push on. The celebrations continued into the night as soldiers drank their fill and enjoyed the increased morale, sharing stories and singing. Nothing could get them down, not even the tavern whispers of a towering purple dragon being spotted flying over the Black Mountain Pass...
The clash and chaos would begin however with Rodrigo's column. The Kathar were essentially caught with their trousers down and although they attempted to protect the Shenath that were attempting to breach the gate, the sheer number of the force speared right through them. Rodrigo Peirgarten landed the first kill by slicing the head off the enemy Shenath Field Commander before moving onto spar a couple of Shenath slashers in melee combat. He soon made short work of them while Thea Rote protected his flank. Thea, despite her youth, fought valiantly, holding back any attack from Rodrigo's side. One of the two Void Harpies dove in an attempt to break Thea's defense, only to be impaled through the neck in one expertly thrusted jab of her rapier. The blade's tip shot up through the harpy's neck and out the top of her skull, killing her instantly. One down, one left. Elsewhere in Rodrigo's column, Bellatrix Tyrannian and Sibyllad Lykke attempted to push the Kathar force further back toward the main center column. Their forceful effort worked as their combined martial talent easily bested the Shenath, even with the Kathars' magic affinity. Following their lead and assisting further, Zelgius Pavise and Faust Sokolov utilised the sudden repelling attack to rid a large group of Skeletal archers from the battle, dodging arrows with exceptional speed then decimating them with melee attacks. Cheers roared from the walls and as the gate was cleared; the Regalian objective became clear. Dei Termini's reserve force flooded through the now beaten gate and reinforced the Harhold attack, routing the entire Kathar western attack back to the South once more.
Likewise on the right hand column, Vivanna experienced trouble. The second harpy, albeit missing a leg, hassled the oncoming Regalian Force. Both Maiev Zenith and Artair Mackay fell victim to the void horror's aggressive attacks. Its claws slashed through Artair's armor, leaving a hefty gash in his chest which no doubt would leave him out of the fight and in pain for a week or so, while Maiev Zenith fell to a slash from a talon across the face, incapacitating the soldier temporarily while Vivanna attempted to fight it off. However, the Field Commander would also fall. Although experienced, she fell victim to its aerial attacks as she was lifted from the floor by her neck and tossed to one side onto incoming infantry which trampled the woman and left her with a broken leg and arm. With Vivanna out of the fight, both Reyes Velasquez and Lassul'ei Daevaar took up joint command of the troops and ordered for them to keep their shields up while the archers concentrated fire on the void beast. As it swooped down yet again to attack Reyes, Jendir Ta'hael jumped forward atop a knelt infantryman, using his shield as a surface to leapt into the air with a bellowing Avanthar warcry, bringing one of his two Ularcia axes in a swift strike downward and cutting the harpies head clean off. "Onward!" he yelled, and with both harpies out of the fight, the Regalian force could proceed.
Soon after, the Kathar Skeletal Cavalry stormed into battle, once again dividing so it could attack from both sides. However, due to the composition of Hengest's force, it could not stand a chance. The Regalian Tenpenny Archers shot flurries of arrows at the oncoming horseback force, and if that did not rid them of the riders, the Halberdiers made short work of them. Victory looked all the more assured as each minute passed, and soon enough Hengest's plan had come into fruition. Both Kathar splinter forces had been routed back to the main body of the Dread Army which was still valiantly being held back by Devona Howlester, Jared Kade and Roland Typhonus. The three could breathe a sigh of relief as the Harhold Soldiers bravely charged into the fray. "Long live the Emperor!" was bellowed as their warcry, and "Long Live Regalia!" was returned from the walls. Deo watched onward with a grin. He had done his job now it was time to finish it. "Push forward!" he gave the order below.
The Kathar began their retreat while Cyndarion Daevaar, Vaeri and Gilles de Crozier made their appearance upon the battlefield. All three cut down their fair share of retreating Shenath force albeit not exceptionally performing to any high degree. Much could also be said for Einherjar Boveen, Aska and Joseph Soryn, who bolstered the Tenpenny Halberdsmen in decimating what was left of the Skeletal Cavalry with fearsome war cries and equally as fearsome strikes. While the battle was near assured a victory, one unit of Kathar remained. Locked in a heated battle were Asher Rhylovhas, Arlawyn Daevaar and Joasaie Lloablen with the Silver Tear Paladin that still remained on the battlefield with his personal Shenath retinue. Arlawyn Daevaar single-handedly danced their way through the retinue in what could only be described as a slaughter. Joasaie and Asher were practically awestruck with Arlawyn's capabilities and soon enough, only the Silver Tear Paladin remained.
Asher and Joasaie moved forward together as a unified force with similar staff-like weapons. Callandor and Nenya'thea, remarkable both in appearance and ability, were drawn into combat against the ominous Silver Tear Paladin, who wore a malicious glint in the eyes as his foes charged at him. The trio met in full force, weapons smacking and magic flying in bursts and sparks; the very impact urged a collateral effect of awe, tension, and fear onto those nearby. Asher and Joasaie's combined efforts to beat down the Silver Tear Paladin made it so that he could not usher anymore focus into a grand spell, and even further until his magical projectiles ceased altogether. Joasaie smacked down their Nenya'thea onto the ground, driving it with force, and unleashed a plume of roots to pierce the soil and wrap around the Silver Tear Paladin--and thus constricted and restrained him. Asher lifted Callandor with mighty stance, yet it was not fear from the Paladin's gaze that met Asher's. Within the palms of the Paladin were rapidly gurgling bubbles of smoggy blood which trickled to his chest. The magical concoction, a last resort, plunged forward as crystallized bolts and pierced through Callandor, destroying it, and its shards impaled Asher's right arm and hand. Simultaneously, the last resort stabbed through the Silver Tear Paladin's armor like a knife through butter, and his life ended in the blink of an eye. Asher fell to the ground, bellowing in pain. His arm wouldn't move, try as he might and any attempts of his try cast failed instantly. They had won, but at a grave price.
And with that, Regalia had won. The battle was a success with very few casualties to the Regalian side and only minor amounts of damage done to Merkars'arh itself. Harhold ordered his men to stand down and not follow the Kathar as they retreated, a good call perhaps for further down the line. Regalia had successfully and almost expertly displayed its military prowess. The City erupted into cheers, and as the injured were brought through the gates, they were treated like heroes from those inside, amazingly even by the Altalar. Soon after, Reimar Typhonus and Christopher Black would return to the city to report on their end of things. Overall, everything worked out as best as it could for Regalia and this was certainly a major turning point after the string of defeats over the last couple of months. While some had died in the fight, it was obvious it wasn't all for naught, and they could push on. The celebrations continued into the night as soldiers drank their fill and enjoyed the increased morale, sharing stories and singing. Nothing could get them down, not even the tavern whispers of a towering purple dragon being spotted flying over the Black Mountain Pass...
