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D&D Campaigns => Eberron => The Library => Topic started by: Dray on March 29, 2008, 02:34:31 PM

Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on March 29, 2008, 02:34:31 PM
Hello my children, my name is Drayke Silverwind, it is my honor today to share with you a great story of legend. Now I know many of you are too old for bedtime stories and fairy tales, but I think that should you lend me your patience for a few turns, you will find yourselves hard pressed to escape the attention I have stolen from you.

The Battle of Millenguarde:
 
In a time over 1200 years ago, in the early tenth century (900+ ESH), several hundreds of years after the final and fourth wall of Our-Commons had been completed. The Kingdom of Safe-Haven was finally able to breathe the air of freedom, for it expanded 6 to 8 miles in every direction from their God's Spire. The Military School had been successful for three generations in the development of powerful and brave male child warriors. Meanwhile in the city, strong young women carried the burden to protect and raise the future.

The seasonal battles, the Kah'tharta, were a huge success for over 100 years as the victories continued to allow expansion of the Kingdom. Life was still difficult, especially for the young, but the hope for all humankind's survival was strong and no longer in doubt. After almost a millennium of struggle, the city of Our-Commons and the people within it had become a finely-tuned machine for War.
 
The Summer Kah'tharta of 919 ESH was to be like any other, another chance to expand the land and allow humankind to grow. Each seasonal battle took the lives of young brave men, but with Kaine's guidance from heaven above, only a precious few would be lost in the conquest for the greater good.

However, as we all now know, it would not be a simple victory on this day in history, for although it is often said that history is written by the victors, it would be scribed with their own blood upon the parchment on this fateful day.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on March 29, 2008, 07:29:21 PM
The following my students, is the Story of Legend, and the daring souls who saved this Kingdom over a thousand years ago. The battle can be accounted for in the pages of our history books, as can an enormous demon. Most of the courage, bravery and tenacity felt within the story I am about to weave to you is real.

The rest of it, Kithendria's existance, the Sword of Truth and the events as they unfolded around the two of them, are left up for to you to decide and debate.

I see I indeed captured your attention, with that, I will weave my tale...
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on March 30, 2008, 12:22:40 AM
The Ceremony of the Veil, the event that initiates each and every Kah'tharta, began on a beautiful and warm day in mid-summer. Melinda, a comely girl of 18 with a grace and stature fitting for the affection from a God, quoted from her heart passages from the Scripture of Kaine. The emphasis behind the words, inspired by her devoted passion to her Holy Father, affected even the most seasoned of troops and invigorated all of the soldiers with newfound courage for the days battle. Kithendria, her assistant and chosen Second Deaconess quietly watched on. The beautiful blond-haired and blue-eyed girl was the youngest Deaconess ever to be chosen for Kah'tharta. At 15 years old, the girl was ill-prepared for the hardship she knew to come, but her duty to God and Kingdom however, held her fast.

With the Ritual over, the pair of Deaconess from the Circle of Flame raced their white warhorses along the perimeter of the Outer Rim. With unerring accuracy, Melinda threw specifically designed bags of holy water at the torches along the perimeter. The white magic of our coveted holy flame was extinguished from each torch as they passed.

Every twenty feet, which comes in mere seconds on horseback, Melinda threw, while her assistant rode dangerously alongside her while preparing satchels of water in just as quick succession. And for almost a half a mile they were successful, Melinda even giving Kithendria a quick but appreciative smile.

It would be the last act of kindness to another from Melinda in this world.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on March 30, 2008, 12:35:10 AM
As two battalions of over 600 men watched from their positions in the trenches a few hundred yards away, a horrific scene quickly unfolded before them. One moment, Melinda was riding at break-neck speed aside Kithendria, the next, the girl was being tackled by a Karh'Thul that had leapt from the Outlands and dismounted her. Her horse charged away unaware yet of its rider being taken by the enemy.

Kithendria quickly turned her horse sharply to return to Melinda's aid, but to no avail. In the moments it took to come back, the demon not only pinned the stunned Melinda to the ground but had ripped the girls innards out effortlessly. It stood as it waited for Kithendria with bloodied fangs and maw.

But a greater horror had other intentions for Kithendria....
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on March 30, 2008, 12:35:56 AM
Yes class, I said intentions and it is the word I specifically meant, for not all Karh'Thul are mindless terrors.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on March 30, 2008, 12:41:12 AM
As the front line of soldiers charged from the safe positions to save Kithendria from a similar fate, an impossible task from that distance, a huge roar that shook the very ground bellowed from the Outlands. Everything stopped, including the Karh'Thul facing Kithendria who, atop her unmoving horse, hesitated in fear.

A gargantuan terror stepped from behind the ancient pines and walked into the bright sunlight where it lurched forward and roared again. Four long tentacles flayed about from its back, tugging at trees while four massively-muscled arms flexed with the roar which emanated from a maw lined with teeth taller than a man.

The bloody Karh'Thul, as if obeying its master, abandoned Kithendria and charged ahead to certain death that awaited with the angered soldiers of the front lines. Soldiers no doubt concerned about this unknown giant, but trained to prepare and fight anything out of the Outlands, including this abomination.

Kithendria, although not blessed by that training, did find her mind and spurred the horse to flee, but the massive giant, defying its size, snapped her up with one of its massive claws and held her fast. Within a second, even before the terrified girl knew she had been captured, the beast closed its massive maw over the horse starting to flee and bit it grotesquely in two with a bone-crunching, ripping sound.

Soldiers, that weren't immediately dispatching the lone charging Karh'Thul, watched the horror as blood sprayed from the giant's maw and blanketed the area and the screaming Kithendria.

Murmurs of the demon's name spread through the ranks of soldiers in disbelief.

Ustag.

Ustag, the gargantuan demon of scripture had returned to Kaine's people.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on March 30, 2008, 09:47:05 AM
edits


With a word, the Captain commanding the front line brought his men back to the trenches as his lieutenant of the first battery brought their front siege weapons to bare upon the giant. In the few moments that these maneuvers occurred, Ustag, still holding Kithendria by the torso in one of his 4 massive claws, stood erect and pointed at the troops.

The lieutenant awaited the command to fire, in his stare the Captain understood all too well the implications of that order, for it would kill the girl as well.

It was then that a wave of black erupted from the Outer Rim, an attacking force of numbers never before seen as what appeared to be hundreds of Karh'Thul charged from somewhere behind the ancient pines.

With a prayer of mercy to Kaine for the young girl, he nodded at his lieutenant.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on March 30, 2008, 10:37:06 AM
In his entire 4-year career and 17 Kah'tharta victories, the Captain had never had to order the firing of the entire front battery. The power of it was impressive.

An explosion of cannon fire and massive ballista bolts met the enemy attack with incredible force. Dozens of the black fiends were either obliterated by explosions or violently pierced through.

But it wasn't enough.

While dozens of Karh'Thul were eliminated, hundreds more still charged through the carnage upon the battlefield. Worse still, the giant seemed complete unphased by the explosions near and on top of him, and although the girl also seemed unhurt, this was small consolation. The captain barely had enough time to order the rear battery to fire before he and his men were in the thick of melee with the frontal assault.

"Did he receive any direct hits at all?!" the captain screamed to his lieutenant as he engaged a flurry of claws and teeth from two of the enemy.

"I watched a ballista bolt bounce directly off his chest Captain!" the lieutenant responded in disbelief as he ducked a demons attempt to deliver a flying tackle.

"Impossible," said the Captain as he heard the front lines fire again, which wasn't the sound he wanted to hear....it meant the demons were still coming from the border.

'We had become complacent in our success, we were not setup for this level of an attack, we will pay for the mistake with our very lives, he thought with regret.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on March 30, 2008, 10:37:52 AM
I see now that I have not only captured your attention my students, but I have shaken it as well.

Excellent.

For that is the very reason I am telling you this story today, to remind you that our peace can be a fragile one should we let our guard down, as shown by this very "fable".

But I digress...
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 05, 2008, 09:30:35 PM
The Captain's heart raced faster than his horse, but he was not ashamed of the fear that pumped through his veins. He was now the lone survivor of the massacre behind him. All of his friends and comrades, kids he grew up with in school with and trained alongside each day for years, now nothing but chunks of torn flesh on a bloody battleground. Over six-hundred soldiers gutted and flayed at the hands of viscous demons, their bodies already forgotten by the enemy which now charged behind him towards the kingdom's heartland.

And what's more, the Outer-Rim remained open, for no one was left alive who could close it.

So he pushed the horse on with the pain of his regret pumping hard within his heart. He had abandoned his post and fled away to warn the city, each of the 8 companies within a brigade had one man for this purpose, and he alone had escaped the massacre to do so.

'Three miles to go,' Captain Darkwell thought to himself, for he had seen the old abandoned barn that was a familiar landmark.

He charged the horse as fast as the animal could run, for the fate of the entire human race rode with him.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 05, 2008, 10:33:58 PM
The Captain made it to the city, but with the army of the Karh'Thul swarming behind him, killing those he passed. As the soldiers of the 4th wall spotted the Kah'tharta runner, they knew of the dark meaning behind his shocking appearance and sounded the alarm. As he charged through the main gate all the tower bells rang out, their signal for all citizens to retreat inside the outer wall of the city, and for all soldiers in the city to prepare for battle.

But for many unfortunate citizens outside those city walls, the signal was too late, the black wave of death washed over men, women and children. Without mercy the demons, some in pairs, tore them the humans apart and fed on them.

Realizing that all outside were lost to the evil, the gates were closed even as dozens of citizens still screamed and cried out for help.

As the soldiers prepared for War atop the 4th wall, they watched as the army of Karh'Thul amassed just a few paces farther than their long-distance siege weapons could reach. Thousand of blacker-than-night demons gathered in a horrifying wide swath about a mile long. The awesome spectacle of so many Karh'Thul struck fear into even the bravest men of the City Guard.

Whispers on the wall rumored that the demons would wait for the cover of night to make their attack. Their only chance at limited success in traversing the wall would be by sheer numbers. Numbers they could much more readily cut down with siege weapons during the day. With the initial shock of seeing so many of the enemy at their doorstep gone, many soldiers returned to their confidence in the protection of the city wall that stood the tests of time.

But the demons did not wait for night. The demons instead brought the night with them.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 03:26:29 PM
The warriors of the city had trained their entire lives for an eventuality such as this. They did not wait on the enemy, but had their ballista, cannon and catapult trained and ready for the order to rain down their deadly barrage upon them. Each swore an oath that no demon would make it through the kill zone. And each wanted the glory of killing Ustag, who had been reported by the Captain from the Kah'tharta Massacre, even though the huge demon had yet to be spotted outside the city.

Meanwhile, the mindless horrors from the Outlands were furious at being made to stop when so close to their enemy. Whatever entity commanded them that day, it was powerful and intelligent enough to keep the demons from yet crossing the invisible boundary and into the range of the city's weapons fire. The Karh'Thul, restless with their rage and hate, stood their ground but slashed at one another, the ground under them and the already ripped apart bodies of lost citizens while they waited impatiently for the order.

The calm before the storm was brief.

As the people of Safe-Haven watched in utter shock, the demons slowly formed a circle in their ranks, and two humans stepped into the center of it. The first was a man with skin darker than coal, and long thick hair braided in hundreds of strands. The floating black staff that hovered and followed obediently behind and his black robes which shifted as if they were alive around him spoke to only one profession, this human from the Outlands could only be a Dark Sorcerer from the Outlands. One who sold his soul to the enemy for the lust of power. The man led Kithendria, a rope binding her hands, behind him. Through a spyglass the lieutenant reported to the Major in command that other than scratches and a horrified look she otherwise appeared unharmed.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 03:28:21 PM
Yes, I see your questioning looks my students, but if this fable is true, then history intends to demonstrate that there are possibly human survivors in the Outlands to this very day. Yet, we wouldn't want to meet them, for they surely all must be dark allies of our enemy. It also will plainly show that black sorcery still exists amongst the enemy and runs strong through the cold-hearts of the humans who have turned against us.

But I again digress, let me return to the story with the reminding note before I continue, one that the government obligates me to disclose. The 'drama' within the rest of my story is taken from the stages of the theater, weaved into my tale, to continue to hold your interest. Please know that a lot of the following dialogue is most likely just romanticism of playwrights and not actual fact. Ustag doesn't even appear in our history books after the Kah'tharta massacre, and this entire war ended outside the city, with the Karh'Thul not able to even achieve the first gate.

Drayke then whispered and leaned towards the class.

Although, can one necessarily discount all of my words as mere fable? Where does truth end and the fantasy begin? I will let you, my children, decide with your own minds.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 03:29:54 PM
"Is there anything in our arsenal that can reach that abomination?" the Major almost shouted at his lieutenant.

"No sir, he seems to have an understanding on the range of our weapons, or got really mat'in lucky," his lieutenant swore.

"Then may Kaine watch over us, for I fear what comes next," he whispered, more to himself than his lieutenant. With that the Major walked the wall fast and encouraged his men to stand fast and be ready for anything.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 03:35:52 PM
"Ustag, I beg of you, turn back to the Outlands and have mercy on your own kind." It was the first time Kithendria spoke to the Sorcerer since he had transformed from his huge Karh'Thul form back at the Kah'tharta. Ustag however, had done nothing but share his plans with Kithendria during the journey to Our-Commons, and her mind was slipping into insanity because of it.

He turned to the frightened girl, his pupils and iris the blended darkness of midnight, focused upon her. She shrunk from his gaze, it was the attention of all-encompassing evil.

"Brave child, you will make an excellent choice as mother to the heirs of this fallen kingdom," he then approached her and took her face into one of his large black hands.

"I will rape your body, heart and soul on the altar of the false-god's temple, and you will see this rabble for what they are, confused and lost souls that need only my guidance to know true power."

Kithendria let out a cry of despair and turned away from him.

Ustag refocused his attention on the city walls hundreds of yards away. "Patience my children," he spoke aloud. "Our time is near."
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 03:40:21 PM
From far away the Major watched as the Dark Sorcerer began to wave his arms and hands about, a black mist forming about him.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he said.

"LOOK!" an archer shouted while pointing at the sun.

The people watched in horror as the moon, not even close to the sun moments ago, started to eclipse it.

"Catapult battery one, FIRE!" the Major shouted. As the sharp creaks and booms of the weapons accompanied the launching of their ammunition over their heads the Major answered his lieutenants questioning gaze. "I have to do something."

Ten piles of ammunition, a dozen small explosive metallic bombs from each catapult that were set to detonate on impact, scattered in the air and fell towards the enemy that made no move to avoid the incoming fire. Although the attack was devastating to the ground in front of them, the enemy was indeed a good one hundred feet away from the myriad of explosions on the ground and unharmed by the attack.

And the sun was quickly disappearing.

"RELOAD!" he yelled to the batteries behind the wall. He turned to his lieutenant. "Light every lantern, torch and watch tower bonfire throughout the city."
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 03:50:15 PM
The sorcerer continued to work his infernal magic as the soldiers on the wall were helpless to do anything about it.

"Should we send out a company of riders?" the lieutenant asked the Major, his order to have the city lit up already being carried out.

"And have them what? Slaughtered by that army?" the Major shouted in frustration.

The eclipse became full and a dark twilight covered the land, as the Major expected, the moon stopped its unnatural path and blinded the son permanently. The enemy became very difficult to see, only the glowing white eyes, thousands of them, the mark of their existence where they now stood.

"Hold fast men! We can still see them," the Major shouted.

"Why are they not advancing?" his lieutenant asked him quietly.

His answer was a strong gust of wind that hit the Fourth wall with an amazing impact, knocking over many men and even pushing some off of it.

"The Sorcerer doesn't appear to be done yet." the Major answered with a punch of his gauntleted fist on the ramparts.

Raging thunderclouds boiled across the sky from the west and within mere turns blackened the sky further, masking the eclipse. From the same direction, pouring rain, tornadoes and lightning streaks began to rage underneath the black canopy and then quickly also started their march directly towards the city.

"So what was the eclipse for?! Damned drama?!" the Major shouted at his lieutenant.

"Apparently." his lieutenant answered, almost smiling at the Major.

"Yeah, well mate him!" the Major spat on the ground.

As the storm grew fierce around them, he now understood the tactics of his enemy, and his heart sank. In a very short span of time, none of the Karh'Thul could now be seen, and the sorcerer's storm would make their siege weapons a lot less effective.

Kaine, your children need you Lord. he prayed.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 03:54:49 PM
A flash of light, like a cannon blast, briefly illuminated the center of the Karh'Thul circle, revealing that it still was formed hundreds of yards away. The flash, appeared to be a violent launch of a small blue ray of energy, emanating on the raised hands of the sorcerer.

"They haven't moved!" announced the lieutenant.

This was little consolation to the captain as the bolt of energy raced through the air at impossible speed and impacted the Northern Gate. The resulting explosion sent a shockwave that shook the surrounding granite wall so much that the soldiers had to hold on just to maintain balance.

"BLAST!" the Major shouted. "Fortify the gate!"

But as the soldiers did so, he saw that the damage to the gate was substantial, the huge timber, cut from the ancient trees of the land gained at the Outer-rim, could not hold against such magic, despite the myriad of metallic bands and structural reinforcements. And to his amazement, the supposedly fire-proof timber, was not.

"Move the central two batteries and get another Regiment down there, heavy shield and pike." he ordered the lieutenant.

"Here comes another one," he answered.

The Major couldn't get the order to move away from the gate out in time. The second explosion hit the gate and blew it inward with such force that the unfortunate soldiers near it were flung backwards up to thirty paces. Screams of pain and shock filled the air.

The Major didn't let the blast cloud his judgment though and acted quickly.

"All batteries FIRE!" he ordered, knowing that the enemy would now advance.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 04:00:25 PM
Drayke Silverwind looked very sad, and he approached a window and looked out of it as he whispered.

My future warriors, back then, our soldiers didn't have the contingencies for sorcery, for it never had been encountered on such a grand scale. Because of this ignorance, they also relied far too heavily on siege weapons and the protection of the wall, and it was their downfall that day. For while we now heavily train in personal and small-group tactics combat, it hasn't always been that way, and if you are truly reading this text, consider this sentence as a hidden fifty experience points due to the historic knowledge you are gaining by being patient with the words of the dungeon master. The battle from that point on did not go well because of our capitals the failure to recognize sorcery, for even though our laws distrust it, that doesn't mean that it can therefore not exist.

He turned back to his students with a meaningful glance and walked back to the podium. He continued to whisper, lest he be overheard by an adjacent classroom.

Interesting note, if this is just a fable, why then did our tactics change back in the tenth century? Look it up children, history was not complete rewritten.

I shall continue....
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 04:01:02 PM
Although the timing to use the siege weapons was perfect, the affect of the ammunition was far less than that. The gusts of wind, zephys and tornadoes, and even the downpour of the rain completely ruined all the calculations made by the targeting officer of each battery. Ammunition flew everywhere outside the city, a lot of it missing its mark. Only some cannon fire and the explosive shells of the catapults did ancillary damage to the massive army charging to the gate.

The sheer numbers of the Karh'Thul broke the brigade at the gate in only a few turns. The demons in their frenzy leapt over and top of one another to scatter along the inner courtyard of the Fourth wall. Meanwhile, the lightning strikes that had reached the city were hitting towers with unerring accuracy, the storm itself seeming to be a sentient and evil ally to the enemy.

To make matters worse, fireballs continued to hit the outer wall and the two gate towers, scattering burned men, stone and fortifications upon the battle below.

Karh'thul by the hundreds died on pike and sword, evaporating into nothing, but just as quickly, more came through the gate to replace those demons that had been lost. Soon the batteries were unable to fire, their men caught up in the melee foray that was throughout the entire yard.

As the major dispatched one Karh'Thul after the other, he watched as his men became overrun by the sheer numbers of claws against them.

"FALL BACK TO THE THIRD WALL!" A command he never thought he would hear, let alone order in his lifetime.

"Make time my brothers for our loved ones to reach safety!"
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 04:04:03 PM
The district that would become the headquarters to our Armed Forces in our time, was taken by the enemy. The citizens too frightened to retreat and who chose instead to hide in their homes, were found by the enemy forces and fed upon. The Karh'Thul had taken part of our very city for the first time in history and ran within it unchallenged. The City Guard was powerless to stop them, as it protected its citizens with its decimated force and retreated behind the Third Wall.

Ustag walked Kithendria through and beyond the gate he obliterated and into the courtyard full of shredded humans. Not one of the soaking corpses was in any way whole and Kithendria cried in complete despair as she was forced to walk around, over and onto the gore of her fallen kin. The rain continued to fall as blood pooled everywhere and ran in streams towards the city's drains.

"To have given them quarter would have spared them a much needed lesson this day," Ustag said in resolute calm as walked past the dead. Lightning struck a tower on the third wall and he didn't flinch or look as screams were heard from that direction. He looked around as one who looked about to find a simple item they had misplaced. His gaze completely void of the humanity of the dreadful scene. Karh'Thul ran by them from time to time as they hunted for more pray.

"Ah, here we are," he said as he picked up, with one powerful grip, the top half of a child who couldn't have been older than eight summers.

"See here?" he asked her and she turned away, still sobbing. Which didn't phase him and he continued. "For every one of these that died, two more likely escaped. And now they are no longer ignorant."

He tossed the dead child onto a pile of carcasses.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 04:20:23 PM
A couple of girls were sobbing in the room. Drayke took out a clean-looking cloth from his pocket and did something very unusual for a teacher. With tears welling up in his own eyes, he went about the room giving each sobbing girl a sympathetic hug and wiped their tears. He then returned to the podium.

Do not be ashamed my friends, to shed tears with joy or sorrow is what separates us from our enemy.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 05:07:23 PM
A gust of wind push Kithendria down to the ground, when she looked up, she saw a man appear on a nearby rooftop. Much to her disbelief, the man somehow jumped down the almost thirty feet and safely land right in front of the sorcerer, swinging his shining longsword with the great momentum strengthened by the fall.

Although Ustag was surprised, his floating staff was not, as it flew to his defense and blocked the blade before him.

Kithendria's heart leapt as she recognized Captain Darkwell from the Kah'Tharta. Although now he wasn't in his uniform, but instead dressed within a fine grayish-silver chain-mail suit of armor and wielding what appeared to be a longsword of incredible craftsmanship, its blade reflecting what little light was in the courtyard.

"Well done boy, I haven't had my guard taken like that in years!" Ustag said in a perverted glee. "My turn!"

With that the sorcerer held up his hand and a massive blast of blue energy sprung from his hand and propelled the Captain across the yard and away from them. The captain spiraled across the bodies, but because he managed to block the blast with his shield, seemed to recover quickly after he landed. He dropped the now ruined shield to the ground.

Kithendria took the moment of Ustag's distraction and scurried away on the ground, and he ignored her.

"Your conquest ends here Sorcerer!" the Captain shouted over the raging storm. As he did so, the closest of the Karh'Thul to witness the battle came at him as quick as the wind threatening to push him over.

"I think not boy, it will take more than your fancy sword and foolish courage this day," answered Ustag with a condescending laugh.

As two of the black demons reached him, arrows that were impervious to the strong winds shot from a rooftop and instantly killed each one. Each body disintegrated in death before being able to get a claw even near the Captain.

He nodded to the rooftop his thanks and Kithendria followed the Captain's gaze and could only discern a silhouette of a man in black with a billowing black and white cape flowing in the wind behind him. She could not make out enough detail of the man's face to identify him as he was high atop the adjacent building, but was in awe at the size of the ivory colored longbow he still pointed in the direction of the courtyard.

Just as suddenly, another would-be hero jumped down from behind the sorcerer, this one had the figure of a petite woman wielding two small shortswords. For a moment Kithendria's hope that it would soon be over shot through her, as the girl had successfully flanked Ustag and thrusted a sword towards his back. But the point never met its mark, for in a horrific second the staff let loose a ray of energy that painfully disintegrated the woman where she stood. She was gone as quick as she had come.

"NO!" the captain shouted and made a charge for Ustag.

As he ran across the courtyard, more fast-moving Karh'Thul demons jumped from the shadows between the nearby structures and charged him. All fell to the same mysterious archer's arrows from the rooftop above. Ustag met him with another block of his deadly staff.

"Was that a friend?" Ustag asked, his face almost against the captain's with only their locked weapons between them. Then he hit him with another blast that sent him flying back across the battlefield again. This time the Captain was visibly injured and didn't recover so quickly. Kithendria took the moment to retreat even further away, staying close to the ground. She turned back to watch just as two more men jumped from the incredible heights of the rooftops and came at him. One was dressed in full plate mail, his helm shielding who he was from Kithendria. The other was an old man she didn't recognize, with a short white beard and wearing nothing but a peasants outfit. He wasn't even armed with a weapon!

"Interesting. You realize you are not allowed to use magic in this Kingdom no? And while feather fall is a simple spell, one would think you would obey the ordained commandments of..." Ustag was interrupted by the charging form of the man in plate, even while the older, peasant-looking fellow seemed to do nothing but stand at stare at him.

The armored one attacked Ustag with a quickness that defied the heavy look of his armor, but the Sorcerer matched his speed and ducked the first swing. The second and third Ustag was not so fortunate, as the blade bit into Ustag's shoulder and then below his waist, the robes covering his legs revealing a swath of blood.

But Ustag's attention was not on the armored one, it was on the peasant. "Mind-benders, you're all alike in your arrogance," he said and then the lone gem on the head of the staff shattered, its minute fragments taken by the wind. With the gem, the peasant's skull also exploded, his headless body fell into a pool of water amongst the corpses and lay still.

Captain Darkwell had time to recover and charge across the courtyard for a second time, albeit a little more slowly. The man in plate mail tried to strike at him again, but this time the hovering staff quickly blocked and parried his attacks, while Ustag refocused his attention on the Captain.

Just as the Captain reached him, Ustag let another blast loose from his hands into the Captain's chest. This time he flung across the courtyard towards Kithendria, landing just short of her, losing his sword on impact which skidded across the cobblestones to her.

The man in plate mail didn't give up, swinging over and over again in a futile effort to get through the defense of the staff.

"Alright, your amusing, but I have had enough," Ustag told him and released lightning from his hand in such force that the armored man not only burned within his own armor, but was thrown into an ammunition shed which then exploded.

Kithendria picked up the Captain's sword.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 05:12:42 PM
The Captain, his body wrecked with his chest wide open, turned his head around just in time to see Kithendria pick up his sword.

"No!" he shouted at her, but it was too late. The deed was done and it had changed hands.

Kithendria stood up straight, holding the Sword of Truth aloft with two small hands around the long silver-beaded hilt. He watched as the confidence of the sword flushed her frame of the fear, as her eyes suddenly became bright as the sun, glowing with a strength that washed out her pupils.

"What sorcery is this?" Ustag said, his voice faltering for the first time, perhaps with a quiver of fear.

The Captain didn't turn to face Ustag, he instead used the last of his strength to warn Kithendria, his hold on consciousness escaping him. "Don't do it Kithendria, the price is too high even for this."

"It's that Captain, or become the Queen to a Devil," she said, a tear escaping her eye.

Ustag, in fear of this unknown, started to incant a spell as Kithendria turned the sword over in her hands, the point facing downward, and thrust it into the ground.

"Take me to save them," she said, kneeling behind the sword in supplication to it.

Time stopped for a moment, and Kithendria's soul departed from her body as the sword came to life with energy. As Kithendria's lifeless body fell to the street beside the sword, the lightning bolt from the sorcerer's hands hit the sword and dissipated into nothing. A globe of powerful white energy emanated from the sword and expanded forward and outward in every direction, it passed through everything, including the astonished Captain Darkwell without so much as a tingle. As the wave of energy passed through a Karh'Thul between him and Ustag, it partially destroyed it, flaying a layer from the creatures shadowy substance with the strike.

Ustag, tried to turn from it, but it was too quick. He fell in absolute agony as his skin was ripped from his body. The staff exploded, shard of its metal shaft piercing the body of the fallen human. The sword pulsated again and another globe launched, this wave destroyed the Karh'Thul utterly and when it reached Ustag's writhing body it sundered his muscle structure from him. Almost now motionless, a hollow inhuman shrill scream emanated from him.

The third and final wave took the demon's life, leaving nothing but a pile of blackened bones.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 07:27:50 PM
Every Karh'Thul from the center of the Garrison District, to the Outer-Rim had been destroyed by the sword's all-reaching globe of energy. The storm, without the cohesive influence of the black sorcery, stopped churning and the clouds began to break apart allowing rays of sunlight to spotlight the landscape. The eclipse, the lightning, the wind and the rain all vanished as quick as a nightmare as the pools of blood washed away with the last of the rain, and an eerie silence fell upon the city.

Captain Darkwell took a last look at humankind's savior laying lifeless on the ground, and he too passed from this world.

The remnants of the awesome power slowly faded and withdrew into the gem mounted on the guard of the sword which stood guard over the body of Kithendria Millenguarde.
Title: The Battle of Millenguard - The Remake
Post by: Dray on April 06, 2008, 07:41:29 PM
Some of the girls in the room, and surprisingly some of the boys as well were crying. Not Leslie, at eleven years old she was familiar with the tale, but never before had it been so eloquently spun in such an extended version. She wondered who Drayke Silverwind was, and why he was allowed to tell the tale with such a spin that went against all of the known proclamations by the government in regards to the event.

She wrote everything down, including all the questions and his subsequent answers that followed, knowing that someday she would use all of the information to spin a theatrical musical rendition of the tale.

Today's history class was the one of the best she had ever attended.

- THE END.