Zaelia - War Comes Like a Wave

Zaelia - War Comes Like a Wave

Bulund: imgur.com/quLDMuY , i.imgur.com/6wtuWII.jpg

Taurus Keep: i.imgur.com/JW5FFt4.jpg
Giblund: imgur.com/a/0bbeEQp
Watercrest: i.imgur.com/4iPrdrZ.jpg
Poerth: i.imgur.com/OjzG0Ym.jpg
Bjorn Grove: i.imgur.com/K55femu.jpg
Breeder's Quay: i.imgur.com/Rb2pKoE.jpg
The Dwarven Veil: i.imgur.com/b6WvBZb.jpg

Snow Owl Road: i.imgur.com/na5sShL.jpg
Crown's March: i.imgur.com/SmfbpHF.png

It has been years since the Crimson Concordat, a pact signed with ink though sealed with blood. The document saved thousands of lives, but the cost was still high, especially to those who once called themselves "His Majesty's Entrusted".

Hearts have hardened through the seasons. Bulund's saviors watched as the idea of a "unified Bulund" ripped itself apart anyway, despite all their work, all their sacrifice. Leaders are cold, callous people. More leaders just means more disagreements. Hindsight is a curse.

What was once a single country, a single territory on the continent of Bulund, is now six separate nations, each calling itself a region or a sovereignty, but the veil is thin, and the faux titles are easy to see through.

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None of that matters when war starts. Any existing disagreement seems small in comparison to war. Trade embargoes, road taxes, shipping fees, border control... it's all meaningless, fading from memory as the stench of burning wood, thatch, and flesh wafts up the hill to meet you. Standing atop the small mount, you can see the city of Watercrest. It is in flames.

The ships scattered like ants along the shore are not as small as the distance would make you think. These are Dwarven ships, not unlike the trading vessels used by Avontuur Shipping & Trade. But these boats are not for trading. They've carried a horde from the volcanic island nation. That horde is swarming the mostly destroyed city, and the faint echoes of clashing steel, crashing timber, and muffled screams make your stomach turn.

It's going to take more than a levied militia to take on Renth... and that's assuming the forces you can see now are the only ones attacking Bulund's shores.

WAR FOR BULUND

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- v - ^ - v - ^ - v - ^ - Current Standing - ^ - v - ^ - v - ^ - v -

Allegiance: Old Bulund.
- Stidhall of Westmount (Sovereign Spear).
- Bjorn Grove of Westmount (Sovereign Spear).
- Poerth of Westmount (Sovereign Spear). Reclaimed by Percival Corbenic (Crownheight)

- Taurus Keep of Crownheight (Sovereign Bos Tau).
- Rettan of Crownheight (Sovereign Bos Tau).
- Rudin Pass of Crownheight (Sovereign Bos Tau).

- Faudree of Fertile Plains (Sovereign Perrim).
- Giblund of Fertile Plains (Sovereign Perrim).
- Westred of Fertile Plains (Sovereign Perrim).
- Eaglefalls of Fertile Plains (Sovereign Perrim).
- Tyrnbrook of Fertile Plains (Sovereign Perrim).
- Urstead of Fertile Plains (Sovereign Perrim).
- Kolbrig of Fertile Plains (Sovereign Perrim).
- Lowen of Fertile Plains (Sovereign Perrim).

Ferryton of Watercrest (Conrad Hilensson). Reclaimed by Conrad Hilensson (Valdomr)

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Allegiance: Neutral.
- Doernonbel of Belhem (King Izhet I).
- Port Lion of Belhem (King Izhet I).
- Severskresh of Belhem (King Izhet I).
- Belview of Belhem (King Izhet I).
- Blackstone of Belhem (King Izhet I). Reclaimed by Unknown force

- Kaercae of Valdomr (High King Beor the Younger).
- Faendyr of Valdomr (High King Beor the Younger).
- Paedwyn of Valdomr (High King Beor the Younger).
- Listaern of Valdomr (High King Beor the Younger).
- Hellick of Valdomr (High King Beor the Younger).

- Twinrock of Free Bulund.
- Lake Alwen of Free Bulund.
- Tristide of Free Bulund.
- Cape Nowl of Free Bulund.
- Havasut of Free Bulund.

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Allegiance: Renth. (Lost Cities or Towns)
- Watercrest (under command of Doldroug the Blue).
- Halldor (under command of Doldroug the Blue).

- Ember Rock (under command of Joful the Foul).

- Center (under command of Markhon the Wise).
- Falsebend (under command of Markhon the Wise).

- Wicket (under command of Yostrog of Markhon).
- Gilliam (under command of Yostrog of Markhon).
- Wortham (under command of UNKNOWN).
- Gresham (under command of UNKNOWN).

WAR FOR BULUND

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- v - ^ - v - ^ - v - ^ - Campaign Log - ^ - v - ^ - v - ^ - v -

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1. War Comes to Bulund: The Heroes join each other from different parts of the country in response to the attack on Watercrest and Ferryton. By the time they can group up and act, Ferryton is completely lost and Watercrest is falling. They manage to clear a path through the city and create an escape route for hundreds of citizens, but not before several more are killed or captured.

The intent of “Doldroug the Blue”, leader of the Frostskin Brood, is to ransom Lord Wainwright for ten thousand gold pieces, an enormous sum of money. It is unclear as to why the Dwarves are here; Renth is known for its wealth. Champion Conrad believes the ransom to be a play at getting more time for the Frostskin Brood to fortify Watercrest as the Nightaxe Clutch has done to Ferryton. It would yield Bulund’s southern shore almost completely to the enemy and cut off any chance of getting to Bastion.

Even worse; there are rumors from the Frostskin Brood that Sovereign Spear of Westmount has been slain, and Stidhall is in the hands of more Dwarven forces. As if it weren’t enough bad news, a messenger reports to the Heroes late in the evening that dozens of ships have been spotted moving east through the channel.

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2. The Line is Tested: North of Watercrest, on a series of hills overlooking the coastal city and surrounding towns, stand several allied camps and forces in a line that stretches out for miles. A small army has amassed, made up of Bulundian forces from Free Bulund, Valdomr, and the Fertile Plains, coming to aid the Heroes as fleeing citizens of Watercrest reach towns and deliver the ghastly news. The line of camps stands watch over the area as the Dwarves fortify Watercrest and hole up in their stolen city.

In the evening, as the rain drives on, the interrogation of a captured Dwarven Frostskin goes wrong. The man chews off his tongue in an attempt to rend torture useless, but through the wily methods of Nora Deschamps, he succumbs to her banter and gives her a journal that denotes four "Broods" of Renth, armies that have come to Bulund, as well as several "Clutches", smaller forces that seem to attach themselves to one of the larger Broods.

While gathering information, Nora spots a coming attack sent from Watercrest. The foul, granite-encrusted spider-like creatures called Grimrach race up the hills to stir chaos in the line of camps, attacking any prisoners before turning on the Bulundians. In the ensuing battle, every Hero learns a bit about the creatures in close combat. Their shells are tough, but their flesh is weak. However, when the last of the beasts dies to an arrow expertly fired from Harry's bow, it explodes, endangering the lives of Heroes and citizens.

With a split-second decision, Annette powerfully encases the explosion in an orb of Essence, and the Brother God Bjornen speaks to her, as well as the entire group, instructing her to use this orb in her adventures to bring life to others. The line of camps is now disorganized. The attack sparks controversy among the leaders. The news of more armies brings fear to those from outside of Watercrest. The entire continent is now in danger, and for any of Bulund's large armies to be effective, they'll need a scouting party to find and identify enemy forces.

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3. Fire and Waves: Bulundian forces wavered following the Grimrach assault against the camps. With morale low and supplies thinning, the Heroes went on the attack with a plan of stealth, subterfuge, and misdirection. Champion Conrad took several of Bulund's sailors west and south around Ferryton, while the Heroes themselves crept into the port town held by the Renthian Nightaxe leader Reisen the Mist.

The Heroes slipped past Dwarven patrols and down to the Rock Harbor docks in Ferryton, west of the lost city of Watercrest. With careful tact and some daring acrobatics, the Heroes managed to board and sabotage the Dwarven ships, burning over two thirds of the vessels.

Then, after escaping through the chaos to Halfleet Mooring, the Heroes fought and killed Reisen the Mist, taking one of his men captive. The group took their first major injuries as Nora, Eric, and Harry suffered significant wounds. The rest of the party received minor scrapes, but most importantly, they kept the Halfleet ships intact.

Champion Conrad boarded the ships with his men to set sail for Bastion Isle across the channel, in order to retrieve reinforcements and the mysterious Onyx Commander. Meanwhile, the Heroes regrouped at camp to rest, recover, and read the news left by Conrad to inform them of all information gathered by Bulundian forces to help the Heroes choose their next move.

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4. Arrivals and Departures: On a muggy spring morning, Nora Deschamps very quickly and quietly disappeared into the void. Almost immediately, word came from a messenger that Champion Conrad Hilensson was back on shore with some of the Onyx Blades of Bastion Isle. The party rode west to meet him and found that one of the Blades who came back was in fact Castiel Blackland, inexplicably back from Vargen's Maze, claiming to have lived on Bastion Isle for the past five years.

With Castiel back in the group, the Heroes talked their way through his impossible arrival and onto the discussion of next steps. In the end, it was decided that Conrad, the Blades, and Clan Paedwyn's army would make an assault on Watercrest to take back the city. If that failed, the groups would rely on a long-standing siege to win the city.

Meanwhile, the Heroes will ride northwest to Westmount in efforts to relieve Sovereign Spear and the two lost cities of Poerth and Ember Rock. Along the way, they will take the dangerous Snow Owl Road ( i.imgur.com/na5sShL.jpg ) through the southern Mountains, braving lands long untrod, as well as making a stop at Taurus Keep to gain information and hopefully, allies.

The first stop is Azra's home of Lake Alwen.

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5. Old Enemies, New Faces: The Heroes arrived in the town of Arrendale on Lake Alwen with the Baroness Azra. They were greeted with gruesome news; the Renthians are already somewhere along the Withered Shores. A small group of invaders in gleaming silver armor arrived on Arrendale's western boundary, Turned by the Black Evil.

Upon closer inspection, the Heroes decided the deceased Vessels should be burned. The act caused one Wisp, which found residence in the mind of Castiel Blackland. Afflicted by Evil and in possession of the Black Blade, Castiel turned on the Heroes and briefly attempted to flee from, then fight them.

After releasing Castiel from the Evil's grasp, the Heroes found respite in a fancy lakeside tavern. The journey through the tomb cities of the Southern Taurus Mountains will commence shortly.

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6. Secrets of the Mountains: Departing early the following morning, the Heroes took to the hills, climbing ever upward until the ground became rocky and views of the Withered Shore were far behind them. Many hours into the ride, and nearing dusk, they came upon a choke point in the mountain pass that emptied the caravan out into an ancient city. The ruins of Irilynn, lost to time and erased from memory, stood crumbling and decrepit in the low freezing fog.

Attempts at picking their way slowly through the deserted city were thwarted by a trio of frost dragons, giant lizard-like winged creatures with blue and purple plumage, enormous tails, and icy breath. A fight ensued as the Heroes ran. Some were hit by blasts of ice that turned skin and veins blue with pain; others attacked the creatures with fire and arrows. In the end, five Heroes emerged on the other side of Irilynn, and a dead dragon lie still in the city streets behind them.

Leoreak, however, hid in a destroyed temple and used a hatch door of rotten wood to gain access to the city's undercroft. After descending endlessly into a pale blue-lit void, he discovered the terrible secret below Irilynn and the southern Mountains; an Ancient One, a dragon called Wresh, like those above the surface but enormous in stature. Its feathers were the size of ships, its talons like jagged rivers on the unseen floor beneath Leo. Without disturbing the dragon, Leo scrambled back up and away from the creature, joining his companions further down the path.

Only a portion of the Snow Owl Road has been traversed, and already the terrible "Tomb Cities" of the southern Mountains have proved difficult to pass through.

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7. Disturbed Remains: The group continued on their path toward Taurus Keep, traveling a few more days before coming upon a small valley with a few cave mouths peering at them from the rock wall. Inside one of the caves, the Heroes found a magically sealed tomb with several graves and a large sarcophagus. When disturbed by Castiel, the occupants of the tomb arose, at first only as ghastly figures, but the longer the fight went on, the ghosts and spectres turned human in form and color, giving a very uneasy feeling to the group that had disturbed their rest.

Castiel slew the leader, a man speaking an unknown language who was called Gareth, and in doing so, created an eruption of rubble and air that downed the entire party, nearly killing Eric and Annette. With labored breathing and several small wounds, the group luckily convinced a nearby grizzly bear to move in the opposite direction, and they continued on along the Snow owl Road to Taurus Keep, a bit worse for wear, but with a very strange two-handed weapon in hand.

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8. Return to the Keep: It's been weeks since the initial attack on Watercrest by the Renthians. The Heroes enter Taurus Keep with the objectives of gaining information and bringing aid over the ridge to Stidhall, where they will join Sovereign Spear's forces and take back Poerth and Ember Rock. Instead of accomplishing these goals, the group spends the first day wandering through confusion and amassing even more questions.

Postage in the Keep's owlery alerts Azra of more attacks on Arrendale from Evil-turned Renthians on the Withered Shore. Harry finds out that Nemara is afraid for her life and the unborn child she carries. Leo receives word of a potential job from the Guild inside the Keep, to be discussed in the cloak of night. Castiel finds a letter written years ago, by Orril Blackland, but never mailed.

To make matters worse, the hunt for information leads Eric and Castiel to the High Priest of Vargen, an elderly Elf named Llewyn who has been stripped of his Essence after banishing Riordan and Castiel to Vargen's Maze years ago. With no leads and no help, Llewyn is a useless mundane Elf waiting to die. At the Bjornen temple, however, Azra gets into a scuffle when an acolyte attempts to identify and then steal her cursed amulet. The resulting commotion ends with Azra fleeing the scene, the blood of a Bjornen Mystic on her hands.

The Heroes continue gaining bits of insight from Councilors and citizens until an emergency Council meeting is called, summoning dozens of hooded men to the large state room of the Royal Council. With nothing gained and everything to lose, Eric decides to teleport into the room, up onto a balcony, and spy on the Council's meeting. He learns that Bos Tau IV is dead and has been for over a week now. He also learns that the Council of Crownheight holds no faith in their allies to the west or south.

With Watercrest fallen, Westmount nearly written off as a loss, and no one from Fertile Plains bold enough to take the title of Dual Sovereign, the Council votes on allying Crownheight with either King Izhet of Belhem or King Beor of Valdomr. The borders are shifting as more cities fall into Renthian hands, but a power may be emerging that is large enough to fight back.

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9. A Question of Leadership: As the Heroes gather information regarding the war efforts inside Taurus Keep, several new variables emerge. Bos Tau IV, Sovereign of Crownheight, is dead. With this news, three of the six kingdoms on Bulund are now compromised. Watercrest is lost. Westmount is falling. Crownheight is without a leader. The Council has decided to 'lend' the kingdom's authority, resources, and troops over to one of the remaining Sovereigns until the war is concluded. Those available are Perrim of the Fertile Plains, Izhet of Belhem, and Beor of Valdomr.

Perrim wishes for no more power, instead choosing to fall in line with whomever is leading Crownheight. Beor wants blood and combat, a costly campaign against the Renthians. Izhet wants treaties and sieges, an equally costly strategy that will stretch the entire continent's resources thin as the year draws on. The Council will need to make a decision quickly, as more cities are falling into enemy hands, and the large armies have no direction.

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10. Foul Weather in the Keep: On a foggy morning after a few days of gathering information in Taurus Keep, the Heroes were suddenly met by enemies. Renthians had done what no one in thousands of years was able to do; invade the walls of the Keep. The fights took to the streets and taverns as Mystic Acolytes of the Slate Master in Renth teleported from the mountains and tops of the walls down to the Keep with Dwarves with them.

Dwarves and Guards fell as blood ran through the city; the Heroes fought against hordes of them. Once the dust settled, Azra and Percival, Galahad the Great's own son, found themselves with a crooked War Adviser in the palm of their hands, and Eric found himself challenged by a powerful Gnome Mystic called the Eye of Slate.

The group was able to help hold off the Dwarves from taking the Keep, but now something has to be done. Councilor Orstein can be persuaded to give troops and ranks to just about anyone in this dire time, and Percival Corbenic wants to be the one to lead them, with the Heroes' help, through the tunnels under the mountains, to take back Westmount from the Renthians, and give life to Bulund's forces once more.

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11. Prepare for Battle: The Heroes took the underground route from Taurus Keep to Stidhall known as the King's Hallway, a mountain-encased tunnel system featuring rock walls, bridges over endless abyss, and even an encounter with the Black Evil that nearly left Eric as a Vessel for good. Arriving in Stidhall days later, the group found the upper levels of the mountain city to be mysteriously caved in.

Sovereign Spear didn't have much to say concerning the cave-in, but she mentioned it was seemingly random, an instance similar to one the Heroes came across deep within the King's Hallway, evidence of something large moving throughout the mountains. Spear admonished Crownheight's Council for waiting so long to send troops, but she thanked the group for their haste in forward-scouting on behalf of Commander Percival.

The battle plans were laid out by Spear and given to Percival as well as Westmount's war leader, a Dwarven-looking Halfling by the name of Gerrig. Westmount's troops will line the upper cliffs of Poerth's city limits, preventing any of the Mystics inside from teleporting away from battle, while Crownheight's troops will rush the city from the northern road, forcing the Renthians into battle or retreat toward Ember Rock.

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12. The Battle for Poerth: The combined forces of Stidhall and Crownheight marched down from the mountains toward Poerth ( imgur.com/OjzG0Ym ), over three days of riding and walking through the Carnac Fields. On the third morning, Lord Commander Percival Corbenic asked a great favor from the Heroes; swear fealty to him in the moment before Westmount's War Commander Gerrig, and lead half of Crownheight's troops into battle, bisecting the force and attempting a dangerous pincer move inside a populated city.

In the end, Eric and Castiel swore their allegiance to the Commander. Percival gave leadership of one hundred-fifty men to Castiel Blackland, bestowing the title of "Lord" on the warrior, though without land or noble standing, it will not stick past the war. The Heroes took their force east, through farmlands and streets, and Percival took his larger group west, right down the main road into the Market district.

The ensuing battle took hours. Fighting began earlier than expected, as the eastern group met resistance outside of the farmlands and again at a creek north of the city. By the time both of Crownheight's forces had gained ground in the city, the death count for Bulund was nearing one hundred men. The two forces drew closer to each other, fighting Renthians through mud, blood, and a mystical dark fog that hung over the city. Finally, a rout of the Renthian troops was created, and over four hundred invaders were slain in the city as the pincer maneuver closed in.

In a list ditch battle, the Eye of Slate approached Eric and challenged him. The fight was brief and unseen, as the majority of it took place on the Astral Plane; both Mystics were practiced in timestop magic. Eric emerged victorious, and the city of Poerth was officially taken back from Renthians. With over five hundred fifty total dead, it was not an easy task, but the message sent by the victory should prove to be invaluable.

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13. Oaths and Bloodshed: Leaving Poerth, Commander Percival asks for fealty once more from the Heroes. He promises to end the Renthian scourge and requests loyalty from the Heroes until the war is finished. In return, he will grant title as well as a home in Taurus Keep, making anyone who swears to him a Lord or Lady of Bulund, able to levy troops at any moment and lead them into battle.

Harry, Annette, and Castiel take up the oaths and swear themselves to Percival, and the group rides south away from Poerth toward the Withered Shore, with the intent of moving east along the coast to Watercrest, taking out any Renthians along the way. This plan is put to action quickly, as the first day's march pits the army against two camps of Dwarves.

Using strategy and a number of advantages, the Crownsmen take the two camps with less than ten losses, but a crucial error is made as prisoners are fired upon without Percival's consent. The Lord Commander has a stern talk with his new subjects and promises to trust them so long as they follow his lead. The first leg of the trip has been bloody but victorious, culminating in a duel between Azra and a Dwarf Barbarian who nearly bested her in combat before surrendering to her skill.

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