Ivy Bluebell's Story

(For ye old speech.)

Aldric Valens' eyes snapped open, blinded momentarily by the light from the lamp stands in the corners of the room, three of them to be exact. Gilt affairs, the lamps stood as high as a man, the cage containing the candle wick lined with mirrors to reflect the light in multiple directions, increasing the brightness of the room without increasing the size of the flame. A rather old trick that had been used for hundreds of years by his reckoning. Someone would have thought of it at some point; it really was quite useful. Sighing softly as he thought of the day ahead, Aldric stood up slowly so as to not wake the Queen; no sense in disturbing rest that didn't need to end.

Making his way to the dressing room, he scanned the array of clothes available to him. It really was too much for any one person, especially him. He preferred items to be elegant yet simple. Despite resolving to do so multiple times, he had never converted the clothes to more usable materials. Memories of his parents were attached to many of the garments, ones that were not pleasant. Maybe that stayed his hand as much as the lack of time.

Supple leather boots of various colors and thickness lay arranged along the wall closest to the door. The differences were minimal as well would serve well in court yet be serviceable in battle, albeit for a short time. Selecting a pair of knee-height boots of light brown leather, he continued on with a tunic of green silk with scroll-work running along the seams, brown-dyed cotton pants that extended into his boots, and a cloak of ruddy-brown secured by a thing gold chain. Donning the attire, he retrieved the King's Crown from it's position in the dressing room. The frame was a simple gold circlet, made unique by the platinum-secured sapphires and rubies set into the crown. For whatever reason regalia seemed to inspire people.

Stepping through the door leading to the hall outside his chamber, Aldric nodded to Vyri Veyer, captain of the Royal Guard and one of his most trusted companions. Looking through one of the arrow slits to the outside sky, he was pleasantly surprised to find a clear blue with a scattering of clouds. "A fine day for a speech, I would say. Or a battle. Or peace. Peace is what we seek," Aldric muttered to himself, trying to convince himself of that statement.

Striding through the hallways, he greeted the various servants and guardsmen that were awake at the moment. When he had first done so, many had been shocked by his association with those not of rank. By this point all took it as normal from him. Approaching a door that would open out to the main courtyard of Castle Valens, Aldric took a deep breath and steeled himself for the coming moments. The people needed inspiration and it was up to him to give it to them. But could he provide it? The war was tiring him, aging him beyond his years, sapping his will to fight. Every day was a struggle to survive, encroached upon on all sides by the forces of the Demon Lord. Yet he had a duty to the people and he must fulfill it.

As he stepped onto the balcony, he was greeted by the sight of hundreds of people looking up at him, milling about. Upon seeing him both cheers and insults roared from the crowd. Aldric looked on wearily before steeling his mind and voice.

"Citizen's of Enri, dark times are upon us, have been upon us for the past twelve years. In the 840th year of the Rift, armies of Demon's poured forth from the Moors, aided by humans that would destroy the sacred peace that had been built by the blood of our forefathers, blood spilt so that we would not have to spill our own. But such measures were not effective. Somehow, someway, the Wall was breached by the forces of Evil. Meot Acer, blessed be his name, was one of the first to give his life to ensure the safety of the people of Enri. His sacrifice, along with those of his knights, allowed the survival of countless people, providing the time needed for them to escape. But as many as we saved, we lost more. In their desire to wipe from the face of this planet, the Demonic forces pillaged and massacred as they advanced through the continent. Families were butchered in front of each other, whole companies of soldiers tortured for the amusement of demons, prisoners hunted and then cooked alive for sport and hunger. Our soldiers have valiantly given their lives to stem the flow but yet again it was not enough. We are surrounded in Acatia with our forces, those in Inae are similarly trapped." Aldric stood quiet for a few moments, the rage of countless losses spilling over, driving him to more. "You see what they do to us, treat us like animals. Are we animals? No, we are not! We are human, fey, castanic, we are brothers and sisters bonded in the fires of war and suffering. They think that they have made us weak as they push us back, our numbers dwindling. Some say that those with nothing to lose will fight the hardest in war, giving their all in battle. I would like to challenge that claim. It is those that have family at home, friends waiting for your return, patrons and customers that admire you; those are the people that will fight the hardest! Do we not have a home around us? Do we not have friends and family gathered here and Inae? Do not those that we have known look upon us from the heavens, willing us to avenge them? I say we do! The night always seems blackest before the dawn. Well I tell you, people of Enri, our dawn has come! No longer will we hide behind our stone walls, cowering in hopes that they will deter the force of the Demon Lord! No longer shall we bend knee to those that would treat us as slaves, kill us as cattle! No, we are free men, women! No longer! From this day forth we shall drive back the darkness! We shall bring the light forth! We are the dawn that we have been waiting for! Our cause is just, our intentions true, our morals noble. So I call to you, unite! Unite and push back this darkness! Our victory awaits us! Our time has come!"

Vyri stood solemnly by the king from the moment he left his chambers only returning the greeting he was given by the admirable warrior that had aged so terribly from these trying times. He had walked and served this King since being sent here by his parents whose trust in him had been formidable. Now he was placed in high esteem by a king as the captain of his personal guard, serving well before this in the Imminatis Regiment now taken over by his predecessor Rowan Vescis with the lost of his eye.

He continued with his solemn expression expression never breaking the stoic appearance he held, a lack of discipline it would be to him and on his parents. Now they finally made it to the balcony leading into the courtyard. The same courtyard that hosted more than refugee camps and the forlorn faces of feeble families torn by loss, strife and utter despair. Vyri had encountered his own amount just like these folks but he refused to show it at all with his only visible scar being the silver eye patch he wore covering the empty socket. This was the kings attempt at rallying the people giving them hope for the future a very bleak future that did not contain much by current appearances.

Vyri sat and listened as the speech began listening thoughtfully carefully ensuring he absorbed every word. This wasn't some lesson by his parents on the dangers of the wilderness or a school lesson he did not wish to learn. No this was much more than any of that. This was the leader of the faithful country standing on the doorstep of hell staring down a rancid beast that was knocking viciously at a gate it could not budge. That gate was not only a physical one as much as it was a metaphor for the resilience the people continued to show by living on.

The speech came to an end Vyri taking the moment with the words resounding through the courtyard to walk forward his hand already on his sword hilt his other fist striking into the air in a pose of victory.

"All hail the Aldric Valens, King of Enri, and the one who will lead us to victory against the darkness! Witness now the judgement of the righteous!" The elves words rang loud through the courtyard his own tone harsh and clear no melodic tone just the strong words ringing from his mouth as he led the war cry.

Aldric smiled as Vyri walked in front of him on the balcony, pumping a fist in the air and pronouncing a call. A deep sense of satisfaction filled him as he scanned the courtyard, taking note of all the faces, exultant and inspired by his speech, seeing renewed hope that the inhabitants of the Moors would finally be pushed back to their original home and vanquished by the people of Enri. Vyri was a faithful guard and a good friend. Various times Aldric's life had been saved by the elf, a traveler from a distant land. Few could match his abilities and almost none could do better. Trust was an important thing to have these days but so was caution. However, there were times when caution would only inhibit and now was one of those times.

As Azuriel joined Vyri on the balcony, Aldric laughed. The man was special in a way many could not match. Leader of the Impetus Battalion, he was renowned for his brutality in combat yet that was exactly what people wanted at this moment. They wanted a man that could garner victories in the face of superior forces or inflict such casualties on an enemy force so as to cause the battle to be a Pyrrhic victory for the Demonic forces. Someone that could most certainly be relied on in the coming times. Not to mention a terrifyingly inspirational figure in battle.

In the crowd stood a girl who he did not recognize, young with flowing hair of a golden color. He knew most of the people in the safe area by sight if not by name. She must have been recently arrived from somewhere. A small pack lay slung over her shoulder and a movement seemed to come from inside. Most likely a small animal of sorts. Whoever could help would be appreciated. He would send someone to find who he was later, once other business had been dealt with.

Hearing the soft sound of clapping from behind, he turned to find his wife, Sashi Valens, Queen of Enri, standing there. His smile only grew wider, splitting his beard as lines creased along his eyes, a sparkle of joy reflecting of them.

"Wonderful Speech, my love. They believe in you, as I do. I would have liked to hear it in it's entirety, though. Why didn't you wake me?" she teased. Returning her tender kiss, he laughed and hugged her resting his head against hers, breathing in and taking in her unique smell, savoring the melody of her voice.

"Thank you, my love. What you missed was not of import, simply a recounting of how we arrived in our current. I find a repetition seems to remind people that have forgotten something despite having lived through it." Stepping out of the embrace softly, his eyes maintained their glitter. As to why I did not wake you, I wished to spare you from politicking. I promise to wake you tomorrow with me." Hadn't he made that same promise for years now and almost never upheld it? It brought a small chuckle to him. "If I remember that is."

Examining all those assembled with him, he was filled with pride at being able to call these people friends and companions through the dark times of war. Nodding to Ivy, he requested, "Let us move to the War Room for now, there is business to attend to." As he walked, a servant ran up to him with a letter. Opening it and reading as he walked, Aldric saw it was from Elijin, the leader of the Ranger Corps, announcing the readiness of his troops. As they reached the room, he wrote out a quick reply and handed it to one of the guards, commanding him to take it to Icarus and send the bird back. On the letter was written this:

Eljin, my friend. I thank you for your support during these trying times. Assemble the Rangers and make your way to the enemy forces surrounding Castle Valens. Make what trouble you can for their troops. Keep me informed of any major movements. I hope to see you when they are broken.

-Aldric Valens

He wrote a similar letter to the forces in Inae, commanding them to assemble their forces and begin gathering for a push into the Acatia region. Turning back to those with him, he looked at Azuriel. "Azuriel, my friend," he commanded, "When we begin our push, take the men you have here and forge a path to Inae and assist our men there. If possible, it would be blessed if you could make your way there now, inspire the men there and lead them to us. Do as you see fit," he commanded. Upon Azuriel's response, he turned to Vyri.

"Send someone to find Xavier, my friend. Tell him to ready his forces as soon as possible to continue improving the defenses of Castle Valens. We cannot fail now." With that command given, he turned back to Ivy.

"I do not wish to place you in such danger, but if you can, make your way into the Demon camps, hiding yourself with your magic. Find out what you can and return here as soon as possible. Do not endanger yourself, flee if discovered. I wish you luck." With the final command given, he sat down in one of the chairs around the center table, already feeling the stress of the day. He would have thought that with the new inspiration he would have more energy. Apparently not.

Vyri followed the king into the room not taking a seat but a place standing back behind him to the right. The frosty eyed elf held a stoic gaze still his left hand still resting on the hilt of the sword and his shield dangling from a leather strap. He stood waiting for the others to arrive from the various commands minus those that were now far away. The leader of the Assassins had yet to show his face which was typical of a man of the shadows. Rowan Vescis has yet to appear but he was rather ill lately and may be a time before he was up. The Rangers were ready as were the Berserkers and Ivy of course. They would do what they could for now with the other units take their time to make it down here.

"My liege. If I may speak freely." Vyri said his hand balling in a fist over his heart the other leaving his sword temporarily as he gave a slight bow before beginning to talk the man he had sworn allegiance to.

Xavier Lent


"If we take the Ballista Regiment and set them higher on the mountain, then place shield mages....no that wont work. The ballistas wont be able to puncture the enemies siege towers. Maybe if we have the mages add power onto the shots. No, that would push the mages too hard." Xavier Lent was pouring his attention over a map of Castle Valens in his room, trying to find an easy solution to the defenses of said castle. He was always here, or in the War Room, always thinking.

Today, as most days, Xavier was dressed in only the lower half of his armor. Stylized gold and steel greeves with matching boots, chainmail and padding underneath. He usually went shirtless, the warm weather when compared to his home province of Inae making it uncomfortable to wear much on his torso. Because of this his tanned skin and scarred back were almost constantly exposed,showing the marks he had earned through battle. His golden hair fell down to just above his shoulders after Xavier had untied it from its usual position where it fit in his helmet.

His remaining armor as well as his weapons and other things were laying across his bed, as inspiration for future defensive strategies to come. At the moment however, Xavier was coming up short. He hung his head in his hands and tried not to flip over the table and map out the window. Every thing he thought of,every defensive strategy he could think up would not hold the demons back, let alone allow them to push the armies back. Most of the other officers did not understand his morbid thoughts of defeat. King Valen gave the people a feeling of optimism, and Xavier wished he could feel it too, but he had no way to get past the facts, they were most likely doomed.

Just as he was about to go back to the map a runner boy came into his room and bowed low before hastily speaking. "Sir Lent, our engineers are ready for your assessment of the defenses." Sighing, Xavier stood and dressed in the remainder of his styled armor, donned a basic longsword for the time being, and motioned for the runner to lead the way.

So far Xavier had reconstructed the castles manned defenses such as catapults, ballistas, trebuches, and the like. Before the demonic hordes had even arrived at Castle Valens, Xavier had begun to retrofit the walls for magical assaults using priests and paladins to place holy barriers over and around the stone structures. So far, the horde has hesitated to attack the walls or gates which have had double the reinforcements. The only problem with the defenses were, they would not hold forever. Xavier had a lot of work ahead of him still, half of the anti siege weapons were out of action, and most of his men were lacking in combat training. This morning would be, as they say in Inae, Dipped in the Wind.

Aldric looked both at Ivy and Vyri, two trusted companions. Ivy's topic was known, but Vyri could be commenting on anything. Most likely something to do with preparations for breaking out of the stranglehold that they were currently in. With most of the messengers already gone to deliver orders, now was the time to hear any form of criticism that could be had. Any weaknesses pointed out would be lives saved later on.

"You may both speak your minds with me. If you find fault, do not hesitate to do so," he stated, keeping an eye on both to see who would go first.

Vyri lifted his bow going back to his normal resting position hand once more on his sword where he had always kept it.

"I believe we should have Commander Lent strengthening the defenses more not only to deal with any attacks yet to come but as well as being able to soften up our enemy before the troops are to attack on the ground. We have enough supplies to spare for the building of ballistas to accompany the trebuchets we already have in place. We should as well add more to the watch. The enemy will likely have heard of your rallying speech and I believe they will only wish to attack. This is all that I have to say for the time being sire." Once more Vyri bowed before he opened his mouth again to voice one more thing.

"Are we sure our troops in Inae are ready to move as well? I do not fear for the ability of the Rangers to leave at a moments notice but the larger Acer Regiment held up in Inae may take more time then we have." Vyri once more let up his bow before looking back at the king.

Azuriel made his way out of the war room, and into the barracks. He would need approxametely 100 men, and of course, 4 capitans. "Broznak, Lyszar, Krieg, Sauro, you're with me today. We make way to reclaim a piece of our homeland! Grab your men and get your gear, we leave now." Azuriel was more than ready for a fight, as were his men. They arrived at the gate, and quickly made their way outside. They didn't immediately meet resistance, which was odd.

"Stay on your toes, men. The road Inae will be difficult."

They walked for around twenty minutes before entering Inae. Something wasn't right, they shouldn't have been able to get into the town that easily. They were planning something, something big. This was, wrong, the whole path, seemed like a crypt. It was quiet, too quiet. The shadows seemed to move, and he felt like he was being watched.


He searched for Elsanna, but was unsuccessful. He quickly sprinted his way to his house, and grabbed a powerful, and ancient weapon, The sword of Karachi.

"Men, we have a choice now. We can return with the knights, or we can stay, and FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM!!!" Regardless, he would be sending one unit with the knights, if they chose to leave, but, knowing Elsanna, they would stay with him and his men. The mill had been overrun, and several were trapped inside. That is where he would start. He wielded both weapons, the sword in his right, and his bloddied Axe in his left. He ordered his men to fight their way to the outskirts, and circle the town. He, Kreig, and five others would be freeing the mill, then the market. They ran to the mill, encountering 10 orcs. 1 lunged at Azuriel with a warhammer, bad mistake. Azuriel ducked to the left, and shoved his sword through the orc, while swinging back and cutting a 2nd orc's head horizontally off, just below his nose. 3, 4, and 5 engaged Kreig. Kreig swung towards the left, but he missed, and recieved a battle-axe trough the top of his head. The other five soldiers he brought attempted to fight back, but they were no match for five orcs. The first attempted to stab 3, and was succesful, but, in his last dying moments, the orc grabbed his hand, broke his arm, took the bone, and shoved it into his heart. The 6th orc engaged Azuriel, swinging an longmace at him, Azuriel ducked, and managed to kick the orc's kneecap, blowing out his leg, before delivering a killing blow. Orc 4, 5 , 7, and 8 engaged to last few of Azuriels men. Azuriel's 2nd and 3rd were completely decimated, beaten to a bloddy pulp with a pair of orcish warhammers before they could even get off a swing. Azuriels' 4th managed to strike down the 4th orc with his greatsword, but was stabbed in the back with a dagger by the 5th orc. He swung back with his sword, and managed to strike the 5th orc before dying, managing to cut him in the face, rendering one of his eyes useless. His eyeball hung out of his face for a moment, before the orc ripped it out, and threw it. Azuriels' last man put up a good fight, but he was no match. He managed to injure the 7th and 8th orc, stabbing each of them in their right leg, before he recieved a longmace to his temple, killing him. Azuriel was alone, fighting 6 orcs, although, three were incapacitated. He went for them first, decapitating 7 with his sword, while 8 had his chin spit up to his nose by his axe. Five swung for Azuriels throat, but he managed to duck the swing, and stab him in the face, but not without a price. The 6th orc kicked him in the back, causing Azuriel to fall forward. The orc, however, was overconfident. He raised his warhammer high over his head, and, before he could react, Azuriel jumped up, and separated his head from his body with his axe. the 9th orc went to stab Azuriel, he rolled to the side, but recieved a medium cut to his shoulder. He parry'd the or's swing attempt, threw his axe into the face of the 10th orc, and put both hands on his sword. It began to glow, and small lightning bolts began to shoot trough the blade. He had no idea what his sword was doing, but it was none of his concern currently. He swung for the orc's torso, but he was blocked. However, some sort of energy flowed through Azuriels' sword, into the orc, killing him.

He had heard the legend, but he never believed it. The sword was said the have the power of the storm god, but he had never believed it. It was said that the one to kill the swords owner would be the new owner, and he must shed blood upon the sword to activate it. That's when he really took notice of the cut on his shoulder, and the fact that he had unknowingly bled on the hilt. This was not his main priority right now though, he had just lost 5 good men, and a captain. He would probably end up folding that unit into the remaining units. It was sad, but in his heart, he knew Kreig would die today, better to die fighting than in bed. He began adressing Elsanna's forces, unsure of whether she still lived.

"TODAY, WE FIGHT FOR OUR HOMELAND! DEATH BEFORE DEFEAT!"

Aldric listened to the positions of both quietly, analyzing their merits based on his other plans and personal thoughts. The idea of utilizing the defensive artillery during the break-out certainly could be useful. If used properly, much of the Demonic forces could be crushed before his forces arrived on the field, allowing the area to be secured that much more easily. His second statement, however, just would not do. Shaking his head slowly, Aldric looked at Vyri.

"They are larger in size yes, but they can be ready in time They must be ready. Without that, everything will be for naught. If we do not move soon, then too many of the Moors' forces will have assembled in Acatia, ensuring our demise. I am sorry, my friend, but the order stands. Inae shall march as we do, whether that means abandoning some or not. I will not suffer these lands tainted by Demons any longer," he stated firmly, brooking no argument. His decision on the matter was final and nothing would change his choice.

Turning to Ivy, he examined her up and down, taking in her form. Such surprises. Something he had not thought of that would help greatly. He had to learn to utilize all his resources if he wanted to succeed. "Your plan is sensible, Ivy Bluebell. If you would rather oversee the integration of the crystals into our current defenses, you may do so rather than scout the enemy forces. Other soldiers can accomplish that task. The choice is yours to make."

Unrolling a map that was stored in the area, he indicated the roads that cut through the forest around Castle Valens. "We must secure these areas as soon as possible. If the enemy marches to meet us on the field, we destroy them from the heights and secure the woods without much conflict. Should the enemy flee back into the woods, then we shall have to be careful in driving them back. The road to Inae is most important. Unless it is secured, we cannot effectively support the Acer regiment. Our priority is to secure the northern areas of Acatia at the moment to ensure we are only fighting on one front. Castle Valens shall serve as our defensive center in the south. Send a messenger to Xavier, have him carry out your recommendations Vyri. We need every advantage." Aldric looked around, seeing if there would be a response of some sort.

Vyri heard the more slam into the wall of the castle. It didn't shake him as much as it should of but his instincts knew better. He merely unhooked the shield from its leather cord arming with left forearm with it. He threw open the door looking at the other two Royal Guardsmen outfitted in the armor suiting their position. Vyri saw the chaos as many of the servants and various other began to run off and away out to seek shelter in the inner rooms of the castle or to fight on the walls.

"My liege I believe we should move elsewhere, unless you wish to join the fray with your men?" Vyri looked skeptical about the last part but he would not order around the man on the throne.

"But let us pray that the rangers are on their way to us now and the forces in Inae." Vyri said the other two guards taking up their halberds ready to move, with three more of the Royal Guards rounding the corner to the war room.

(Apologies for disappearing)

Planning took the rest of the day, plans formulated and discarded as all options were considered. Without any accurate information about the Demonic forces or the status of the Acer regiment in Inae much of it was guess work. They were outnumbered, surrounded, and supplies were beginning to dwindle. Holing up was not an option as eventually food would run out. Stone walls could not keep out famine. Not that it mattered. As he had said this morning their time had come.

Darkness descended over that area of the world and still Aldric worked diligently, organizing supplies, soldiers, information, all in a last bid for the survival of Enri. A rumbling sounded from outside. It must have been loud for him to have heard it in here. Puzzled, Aldric waited until a soldier came running in, panic visible in his eyes. Something was not right.

[b]"My king, my king, they're attacking the castle! There's thousands of them. Thousands! Damn it, there's millions! What are we going to do, my liege?! They're going to break in! Oh by the Divine-" The soldier's voice cut out as Aldric punched him heavily in the face, knocking the man unconscious in a single blow.

Looking at one of the Royal Guards, he commanded, "Get this man awake. We need every sword arm we can get for this battle." Turning to Sashi, he took her by the shoulders. "Sashi, go find Evalina. Take her and fifteen Royal Guards, go deep into the castle. If they break through, make your way out as quickly as possible. The kingdom must be preserved. No arguing." Kissing her quickly on the forehead, he told Vyri, "I won't hide while my men die for me. Get me my armor."

Rushing through the castle they arrived at the armor. On a stand was his own personal suit of armor, a simple breast and back-plate burnished to a bronze color. Crafted by master smiths and enchanted by Fae, it was light, durable, and beautiful in its simplicity. Donning the suit of plate, he grabbed the enchanted warhammer which had been a gift to him for helping the Fae in some distant time before the war. Leaving his crown onto his head, he strode out onto the walks behind the forward defensive line, searching for Xavier. Spying a beam of white light spring out of the darkness, Aldric immmediately rushed down to that position, finding the Garrison Commander standing tall. Walking up beside him, he asked, "Can the walls hold?"

Sashi was shocked speechless as the manic solider, came in ,so frantic that her husband had to strike him unconscious in order to keep him from his head.
An attack on the castle? How? Who was leading this army? Why did they decide to attack now?

Aldric's hands came around her shoulders. His eyes narrowed and determined.
"Sashi, go find Evalina. Take her and fifteen Royal Guards, go deep into the castle. If they break through, make your way out as quickly as possible. The kingdom must be preserved. No arguing." He said and before she had time to argue, he kissed her quickly atop her forehead and was off.

"Mother Gaia, Please protect my husband and the men that ride with him." She preyed as she ran to her daughter's room.
Her daughter was a strong one, much like their late son. She was so proud of her, as she was of him, she couldn't bare the thought of losing another child. Her heart still ached every time her thoughts fell on her son.

She entered the room without warning. "Evalina! Evalina, my child, the Keep is under attack we have to leave." She called out gathering her things and finding Evalina's favorite riding satchel and shoving the items of important inside. Sashi wasn't much for material things, all she needed she was born with, she needed no instrument for her voice was flute, she hardly needed clothes as her body was built for the elements. She needed no steel for nature was her weapon However, her daughter, only part Fae relied more on materials and that was fine with Sashi.

"Come quickly my child, your father and his men are fighting now but he wants us to leave just in case the walls are breached." She told her as she grabbed the girls bow and arrow. She didn't touch the sword, being terribly allergic due to her Fae heritage, luckily Evalina didn't acquire that allergy. 'We have to find guards as well."

Gorain

"Move up the field! Shield the Ladders!" Gorain was behind several lines of his troops shouting orders to his hogs. At his commands the front lines of orcs put their shields over top and around a column of hogs carrying ladders. Three of these columns made their way around the barricades towards the walls, and once having reached the outside of the gates the ladders were hoisted up to the top of the walls, iron hooks digging into the stone and puncturing it with the sharp tips to make dislodging them difficult.

At the same time, Gorain heard several of his hogs fall in pain. Turning around he spots another pesky servant of his Lord, Zeska. She was hard to make out because of her magic but Gorain had gotten used to her magic. Growling in frustration at the multitude of distractions Gorain struts his way towards her. He was about to speak when a volley of arrows puncture Gorain's rear lines. Staring off into the dark distance where he thought the arrows had come from Gorain stepped out infront of his hogs just as another volley came right at his chest, forgetting Zeska for the moment.

His troops shrank away from him as he opened his maw and expelled Demon Fire, incinerating the volley in a roar of rage as the fire spewed forth another 20 yards to set the fields ablaze in between him and the treeline, blinding anyone hidden there in the darkness. Turning to look back at his troops he points towards the hogs on the Dragon Mortar. "Shield the Mortar! Turn it around!" Several hogs took their iron tower shields and sat next to the mortar to shield its operators as it turned all the way around to aim at the forest. A pyromancer hog lit the mortar as it fired randomly into the tree line to hopefully hit whoever was firing at them.


Xavier Lent

Xavier ducked down as one of the orc ballista javelins flew right over his head once again. Several of his troops were trying to hide under the lip of the wall when reloading their crossbows. So far most of the bolts had hit the barricades the hogs had set up. On the upper stories the defenses were being used just as planned. The catapults were sending out large boulders towards the attacking army, but they were not yet tuned to be very accurate. Only one in fifteen shots or so hit even close to the hogs, and so far the stones were providing more cover for the hogs than damage.

Xavier charged another bolt of holy magic into his palm and sent it out to punch a small hole in the corner of the left most barricade just as King Valen and his followers were starting to come down the castle walls. He was then surprised of course by Ivy who had seemed to appear right infront of him. She handed him a necklace and vanished once more. Raising an eyebrow at the necklace he put it around his neck and ducks behind the wall again.

King Valen arrived at this moment in the heat of battle, shocking Xavier that he was not with the rest of the royal guard "My liege, I must advise against your presence here." In truth he was glad to have his lord there to fight with him. It was just as lucky that Xavier noticed a distraction at the back of the demonic forces, and could see arrows sticking out of several hogs at the rear. "It seems Holtzmann is getting into the action. I think it is a good time to push back with their leader distracted." Standing up over the wall Xavier lets out a warcry to get his troops attention. "Gather in the courtyard! Tower Shields up front, Paladins in the middle!"

The Garrison Corps was not as well trained as some of the other detachments of soldiers, but they were still a fighting force and could take the frontal assaults of the demons while other troops did the damage. Sending a hand signal to the soldiers on the upper levels he told the few mages in his forces to gather their magic and attack with long range attack. Several dozen different kinds of magical attacks ranging from fireballs to missles made of pure force were launched from the castle walls to destroy the barricades and leave the demon siege weapons mostly defenseless. Xavier gazed over at his King and raised an eyebrow. "My forces in the courtyard will take the first blows, my liege. Command them with the rest of your attack." Staring off across the field at the Greater Demon leading this attack, Xavier could see he was distracted with the rangers..... for now.

Elijin noticed the oncoming horde of troops from the flank of the enemy along with the kings mighty booming voice. He let out a shrill whistle the birds ending their assault on Gorain's troops and flying off to begin their guerrilla warfare on Yraels troops. It wasn't much more than an annoyance but it gave 10 of the rangers enough time to break off into the woods and come around in a haphazard pattern through the depths of the tree line. They noticed the dark assassin assaulting the evil troops as well ignored it for the time being as they continued their assault.

"Load the explosive tips!" Elijins voice did not ring as it kept a normal tone now the message spreading through the men as they changed from the normal arrows to ones infused with a highly combustible head of iron. The arrows were each lit at small fires at the back of the groups as the rangers took turns unleashing the volleys. The explosions rocked both Yraels forces and the rear of Gorains forces.

Vyri Veyer


Vyri was on his sleipnir mount Egregie the horse has it's own radiance about it besides being a tower war horse clad in a shining gilded armor. His shield clipped to his arm and a very menacing lance was in the other hand. He had strapped the to the saddle of his mount along with a bag of spears. The horse carried all of the weight with ease. He even snorted neighed as he waited to wade into the gore of battle that both he and his rider knew. Vyri sat patiently waiting for the king to begin the charge the visor on his helmet up for the moment before they began riding out.

When the charged was called, Vyri snapped shut the visor of his helm the kings warhammer glowing the brilliant holy light as they road out towards the enemy. The royal guards dispatched any foe that came too close while Vyri lashed out with the lance knocking enemies back and destroying their armor.

The dull, distant pounding of battle echoed throughout the hidden paths in the castle, twisting and distorting into an interesting, almost eager tune. One of the kings servants, stalked through these halls. Havel Oborot, the king's Jester to most.



Havel's eyes had long grown accustom of the dank dark air the filled the spaces between the walls; often he couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed, save for those rare places with peep holes, but even then most of those were covered. He currently walked the path to the dungeon, where the guards had set their reports on everything from economy to orphans. It was an odd set up and only a few had the know of the matter, and it bothered Havel because it seemed with the more distress the kingdom came under, the more people knew. Twice had he heard the guards murmur about the rumors of hidden corridors in the castle, others about how nothing escaped the watchful eye of those hidden in plain view. They were right, of course -- but to say it aloud breaks the purpose of his task. He did his part and had folks dealt with accordingly--- No, he didn't have them killed, that'd be wasteful. A visit or two in the night tends to keep the hushed whispers nothing but just that.

His lips would curl upward slightly as he waited for the current guard to wander off, before he retrieved the parchment from the concealed two-way cabinet [that the guards left the letters]. His name was Tom Lombard, someone whom Havel didn't particularly care for. The man had a way of pestering prisoners that was arguably more annoying than torture. Never-ending, empty kindness; Always cheerful, always commenting on how it was just another day and soon they'd be released for their crimes. From Havel's own experience as a prisoner it was much more pleasant to suffer and be left alone than constantly pestered by a man who's never had to deal with anything more harsh than a good lashing on the backside. After all, an empty smile was just an empty smile.

Tom soon wandered off, mumbling about how it was it was a good day even though the sky was falling or some garbage. Havel waited a few moments longer, before lifting the greased roller guided hatch that covered the back of the shelf, quickly retrieving its contents and closed the latch as quietly as it had been opened.

The long walk back to his room wasn't eventful, the quiet mutterings that crept through the cut stone walls were nothing worth giving attention to at the moment. His mind was too focused on the bigger issue at hand: the famine. While the war mongers waged their war in such a justly manner, they seemed to forget that the ability to properly swing a sword waned while on an empty stomach. The king had always manged to keep enough food to keep meat on every ones' bones, but it seemed that meat was doing little more than fattening Orcs. A chill ran down Havel's spine and his mood darkened at the thought of those gnashing Hogs...

He opened the large wooden door and was welcomed with a dim fire ember light and the smell of burning herbs. This was home... away from all the mess of the world. His room was far more cluttered than one would expect from an assassin, but every one has their privet side, on one side of the small room sat a table and two chairs, not far off was an old bed suitable for naps if the time was ever found for such things.

After cooing the fire backing to life Havel started going over the reports. To most it would read as nothing more than prisoner identification numbers, or just letters from family members... but this was just another level of defense. He read over the reports.

Kings speech was well received.
Vyri was fulfilling his role.
Azuriel had won last nights drinking contest, as normal.
Messenger eagles had been received and sent
A few shops had closed...but one had changed hands.

Havel's eyebrow raised a little. Property hand overs didn't move so seamless. He put that report aside to read more, nor had it be registered...

More people had come from the country side to either offer aid, or seek sanctuary within the walls.

Havel huffed, that was opposite of aiding in truth; once the food ran out it was a slow death.

Ivy suggested embedding the wall with magic, and proposed that the crystals could be found under the castle...

This could prove to be an issue with stability of the main wall or even suggest tunneling to the enemy engineers... Havel silently made a mental note to mention that to the king.
Not to mention cost and man power. He put that note aside as well.

Gorain, the Tyrrant of Antiquis basically slept outside the gate, at least he was close enough they could keep an eye on them.

He sorted through other reports but didn't come across anything striking, and thus poured himself a small cup of Apricot brandy before he turned back to the parchment which mentioned the shopkeep. A black wolf, large enough to ride... another oddity.

Havel nearly choked on his brandy when reading the description; whom ever bought the place might as well given Havel a bullseye: twin swords, dark clothing, buying with gold and running the store clerk off...

He couldn't help but chuckle a little as he leaned back, sipping down the last of his drink and reading over the description once more, just to make sure he hadn't gone to crazy. He'd go to the king or at least contact him when things calmed down.