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Wonderous Things

Chronicles

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

1.1 - 1.10

1.11 - 1.20

1.21 - 1.30

1.31 - 1.40

1.41 - 1.50

1.51 - 1.60

1.61 - 1.70

1.71 - 1.80

1.81 - 1.90

1.91 - 1.98

2.1 - 2.10

2.11 - 2.23

Part IX

Part X

Part XI

Part XII

Part XIII

WorldSmith
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Campaign History

 

11

Having been pushed back again, the hordes withdrew, and for one brief instant in all this dark war, and with one voice, the defenders at the wall cheered; and although they were at some distance, the people in Amatyr heard the cheer and hearing it as the voices of men and Elves took up the cry. The swell of the sound died later before dusk and the citizens held a huge party and festival for their soldiers, some of whom had managed to keep awake for ten whole days. Kraigsvul stood his men down, only asking the former Ullratha and the handful of Halgala Danask (knowing it was their sacred honour) to withhold the wall for the rest of that day and night. To this both groups agreed, and many of the lesser people went to see these warriors and take them cakes and drink, not wishing to leave them alone in the night; and it is well known that, as happened for weeks then, even now there are many of the children and peasant folk of our people who were stirred by the heroic songs of the Ullratha and Sagas of the Halgala-Danask, and tell them yet.


12

The respite lasted for a whole four days and, as scouts went out to assess the dead, conservative estimates claim that the 'first battle of Thimblek's Wall' had cost the Enemy well over the 100,000 that Shandor Thimblek had promised the people when he initiated the building. In fact, nearer to double that number were piled high. The Amoriath were now not slow to act and Dordak and Miles advised that the bodies be burned immediately lest Jaquernais have time to raise an army of corpses. Every house in Amatyr and every ship in port was separated from any oil or flammable matter they had, and though it took from dawn till dusk a great fire was raised that fused even the bones that were left. Many may remember well that the capital itself was besieged by a great stinking smog that lasted a whole night. Despite this, high spirits failed when further scrying revealed the Embodiments still chanting upon their rock and the storm above them growing into a crazed, howling beast...


13

Suddenly the Amoriath realised their mistake. The hatred that had pushed the horde to suicidal lengths was not being generated by the four Embodiments, but instead those four now brewed up some form of chaos storm, whose destructiveness could be seen in the way it burned the soil of the earth when it spewed out its false, corrupted rain. This was so and now a vast black cloud drifted malevolently towards Thimblek's Wall . What remnants remained of those who had attacked earlier were now washed to mud and slurry. The Defenders' terror grew as literally, foot by slow foot, the wall of black air and line of steaming earth advanced. At thirty feet and some twelve minutes or less General Kraigsvul ordered the Guardians of the wall to stand down, all save two former Knights Ullratha, Tregalan and Baidarvorn of Fifth and Sixth Commando. These two had volunteered to match the destructive capabilities of the storm against the might of their absorptions and stood atop the wall, an arm as a token sacrifice held before them. As the rain struck it first ripped through the shield woven by Tregalan about himself. In seconds, his runes were extinguished and the rain had touched his flesh. Even as it touched his fingers, his form from that point began to disappear, to dissipate or vaporise; his screams were heard far below. Baidarvorn, appalled at what he saw, attempted to rune heal his fellow with the use of a matrix. But no sooner had he touched Baidarvorn than the 'black rot' seemed to take a hold of him and in agony, anguish and despair he also started to vaporise. A response came immediately from Jesters and Psi Masters of House Sumunai as they wove a massive metaconcert psi-shield above the two. Although desperate and with only good intent, the two powers struck and a massive explosion of corrupted mental energy exploded directly above the place where the two former knights once stood. As this occurred two things happened: the storm met the outer wall and slowly the stone began to yield and run to plaster, but also the explosion caused huge chunks of the section behind it to rain upon a group of defenders who found themselves pelted with the debris. When the smoke cleared twenty feet had been knocked from the top of the wall for twice that distance in length...


14

As the moments passed and the rain bit further into the depth of the wall, green veins - as if lines of wall were being corrupted into warpstone itself - began to appear on the inside surface. At this time also, some ships had sailed unseen about the edges of the wall in the east from the peninsular of Lom Gil, and now they beached. Out of them and into Amatyr Province spewed the beasts of the Warpstone mines.

Having stood back a while to assess, Raislari now saw what was to come and, summoning a handful of Bëor Captains, ordered them bring their men and attacked in haste. The Battle of Banners is owed a chapter of its own, but shall not be writ here. Suffice to say that in desperate ways Ashale and Ullratha, Rovac and Gyr, Sandgnome and Marnishman fought like Demons and with extravagant abandon drove back the horde. Raislari, himself summoned from Thunderer, now called his brother Knights Shequi and Lambeth, for even as he wiped the sweat and blood from his brow he had a plan...


15

It had been sixteen days since the siege began and the wall had been all but torn to rubble, now standing perhaps some forty feet high at its highest point, yet still the boiling maelstrom assaulted the construct that had taken the people of Avmar seventy years to build. Then Shequi, Raislari and Jon Lambeth acted. The former Magistar, focusing through the power of the waning palantír, transported himself to the Embodiments and with a 'word' threw them down - for Shequi knew the Ultimate Injunction that reaves all powers unnatural from their wielder. The Four Horsemen, now laid low, retreated, but as was expected a great many of their minions out of hearing of the Injunction now came forward to lay hands upon the enfeebled Amoriath Spy. Now Jon and Raislari acted and many watched through the palantír. These two, with some guards, transported to Shequi - Jon unleashing a huge Rune Blast into the warped rock, Raislari desperately grabbing for Shequi before Dos Fiad or, worse, Khalan Kor arrived. Even as all this came to pass, the evil storm faltered and dissipated in only a few short seconds, and then the rain ceased. All that remained now was to somehow clear the veins of corruption from the wall which still remained.

As to the three brave Knights I fear that nothing has been heard from that day to this...


16

Evermorians, having regained the wall and now restocked (thanks to the Eilindainians) with shot and shaft, threw back - despite the wall's much reduced stature - another massive two-day assault. The Defenders, now aware of the sacrifices made, battled with absolute fury but, despite their valour, at every other step atop the wall they would now have to leap across spans of corrupted stone that ran scattered through the upper ramparts. This now started to cost the defenders heavily in numbers. Whether the figures are accurate is not known, but it is said a hundred fell with every passing hour; but finally at the fall of evening on the second day, having attempted and failed to overcome the defence, the Horde withdrew. Though Scouts were sent out and told to stay close to the wall, none returned to complete a tally of kill. Nonetheless it is thought that at least near-as-damn a score more of the Enemy's foul servants must have perished in those days, and the people - this they knew for sure - had lost three thousand, four hundred and twenty seven with as many again injured. One third of the total army was now unable to fight...


17

The battles and acts of heroism at the wall are many and too numerous to recount here. I shall perhaps set myself to the task in easier days, but one event must be told of. For now, though, we shall fly from the wall for other details are pressing at this time, and if this is to be an accurate history, even if not complete, then other deeds are happening even now: the Bards themselves grow restless...


18

Many now asked at this time: But where are the Bards? For though they are neutral in all things, surely this is the end of things, and they are at the 'End of Days' promised to aid us against the might of the Enemy. And so messengers of all descriptions including Puissuivants and Kadichae were sent out to find the Bards' Council and bring them to our aid. What had happened we will never know, but a few who knew the true path pointed the way and at Hollo'delve, where the Bards had met in secret for centuries, was found nothing but wrack and ruin, and many, perhaps two dozen (though many parts could not be identified as whole or no), charred and mangled corpses. For so many to have died... Well, it is surmised even the Khalan Kor could not destroy the Bards' Council. What happened we do not know, all that we do know is that no Bard of Avmar nor of Eilind has been seen since.


19

Thunderer now hailed home and it was Lady Dignity herself who bid any Amoriath who would attend upon their King to come aboard, before they reached uncharted waters and transport and communication became difficult. Two months into its voyage, Thunderer and its accompanying ships - the Marnish Corsair and the Evermorian Aspentyde - had started to discover large areas of 'Blocking' where it was impossible to use supernatural talents to travel or communicate. It was with a heavy heart that Kraigsvul informed the lady of the missing Amoriath. Those that would go with the King then left leaving only a handful behind...


20

As a final note on the actions of the time, the Elves now announced that after consulting with the Eilindainians, that they had found their own island and would commence evacuating their own people immediately. Kraigsvul was furious: he was convinced that with enough forces he could hold Amatyr sovereign. The Elves would not be talked down and only the representatives of Sumunai, the Svartneblin and the leaders of the Order of Radiance persuaded Kraigsvul from any rash or stupid action. The Evermorian evacuations were only set to start and now, three months into the siege, Kraigsvul's forces - a little over half able to fight - faced even further reduction should the elven Archer companies leave.

As to other matter Ador and his fire wizard cronies continued to harass the Orders of Nin (mostly seeking vengeance, perhaps, for Zheer Stonehand's earlier meddling), Arle, Seth, Eibonair and Galzar. The Dream Warriors tried to decorrupt the wall and found the powers there too great; a few lost their lives, many their powers, but some few still held the 'Dreaming Talent'. News came from Erin: at Moyslaught, a favourite ancient battle ground of the de Dannans, the Gil and the Daka-Shea had found defeat as the ancient druid Cathbad had revealed the hiding place of not one but seven warp-harnesses set in store by Danu herself for this time. Despite a bloody massacring, the Gil still held ground in Erin and would not yield it although it cost them by the day. Many surmise they throw lives away to prevent the de Dannans and Firvalg from rejoining Evermore. Be that as it may, they do...

Last in this interruption, news out of Frozenmere (the Ice Keep of Ashurock): Helknights, Ice Elves, White Dwarves and de Dannans (Scotia) have successfully thrown back wave upon wave of Krull Troops, and the Enemy seems reluctant to use the abomination used earlier in this war. Nova Atlantis, having mysteriously been unmolested, has continued to assist the people of Avmar and over the two and a half years has sunk more than a few enemy ships.

 

 
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