The March On Dras Angral

[Tsuyose 3285]

 

First of Sun’s Smile, 1499

 

Midnight hit, the mighty forces of Orenia had gathered upon Dragon’s Peak. They sat in circles, muttering amongst themselves as their leaders and allies gathered, including the Paladin’s of Xan. They discussed between themselves the best plan to siege Dras Angral and eventually, they managed to come to an agreement. Licia, Xan’s wayward Knight stepped forth from the war tent as she raised her voice, gathering the attention of the gathered forces which proceeded to rise and line up, sword and shields ready. She steadily marched towards the podium, the others following behind her. She arose, taking her rightful spot as the leader of this assault. Xath, the Prophet of Xan and Ser Proyce, one of the remaining rebels of Renatus stood either side of her.

 

“Alright lads! Today marks a grand day! We march to siege what is rightfully ours! The undead forces shall linger no more!”

 

“I require three groups! A bulk is desperately needed to fight the horde below!”

 

“The other two groups will be accompanying Xath and I into heart of Angren itself!”

 

She exclaimed, peering across the army before her. She stood proud, donned in a suit of golden clad which shimmered beautifully as the sun began to rise behind her. Xath stood silent, a silver hue flaring beneath his golden helmet as he then proceeded to speak up.

 

“Licia and I will be leading the assault into the heart of Angren!”

 

“Ser Drake Lancefeld, Guy Silsbury, Rom Visconti, Yuriy, Tylos, Ciris, Alistar, Iandril!”

 

He called out their names from amongst the army and so they stepped forth, ready to accompany Xath and Licia into the heart of Dras Angral. The leader of their army twists, releasing a bellowing war-cry and marched for the base of Dragon’s Peak his army following close behind. Xath and Licia remained with the few. Xath turned, requesting that the three druids that had attended were to heal the wounded.

 

 

 

 

The forces of Dras Angral had gathered, the rotting forces drooled and groaned as if in eternal pain. The once living forces of Renatus now reduced to naught but the spawn which they once sought to destroy. They held their spears, swords and shields ready. Donned in partial suits of armour and other pieces of material they could get their filthy hands upon. Behind them loomed the tower of Dras Angral with the Eternal King stood on top, peering over blighted lands.

 

Those that served directly beneath the rotten Storm King gathered below at the heart of Dras Angral, readying themselves for whatever force may penetrate their blighted fort.

 

 

 

The King stood ready, his legion of Orenians marched onwards for their king and nation. It was then that they broke into an unwavering gallop, their horses charging forth and their lances jutted down. Each man drew their sword and shield, releasing a bellowing war-cry as they collided head on with the undead forces

 

“Ave Oren! For the King!”

 

Whilst the forces fought hard against the blight, Licia and Xath gathered below. Marching for the bridge that would lead them into the side of Dras Angral, splitting into teams of two and they sluggishly marched their way the heart of Dras Angral. Soon enough they were met with the whispers of the dead and dying, Xath’s group had been ambushed by a patrol of undead which they managed to fend off, losing Alistar in the process.

 

The once grand King of Angren drew his wretched blade, releasing a booming shout which bellowed throughout the lands of Dras Angral.

 

Y̟̱̞̝̥̘o̸̦̥̪̲̦͍̙͖͢u̹̰̥̻̻͈̪̞̙̕ ̪̘̟͉̲̩͓̤͞s̷̨̛̹̙̣t͓a͖̖͇n̵͝͏͖͔̯ͅd̩͕̘̟ ̨̝͟ͅb͞҉̛͉̬̗͚̰̘é̳͖̫͓͖͙̫f͖͔̜͍͎̦͎ǫ̥̲̼̟͈̪̪r̸̮̖͚̬̘̰̩ȩ̷̖͓̘̜͍ͅ ̷̤͈̪̰̰̫t̼͎̯́͠h̕͏̳̦͇̰͇̲͈é̹̙̪̼͙̤͈ ̵̗̼͎̼̝̗͡͠c̜͓ͅi̧̭̰͔͟t̞̩̩͙̖̪͙͖͘a̸͚̙͈͔̰̲̭ḑ̲̹͇̬̰̮̫͖̩͝ę̻̭͓͈͚̠̤͜ḽ̙̰̞̱́ ̧̼̭̪̭o̴̥̖̫̗̪̬͠͞f̰͔͖͓̞́ ̖̭̦͞D̘̖͘͟ŗ̬̰̲̰͟͠ạ̥̟͙̭̟̀̀͝s͠҉̗͍̳̙̦̥ ͙̱A̪̳̳͕͈̱̫͞n̴̩̹̭g̖̠̙̰͓̞̪͠r̥̤a̶̛͉͍ͅl̩͇̫̦̳!͟͝͏̯̼͚̣ ̵̥̥M̵̜̞̬̣̟̗̻̹̘á̴̟̗͚r̡̞̗͍͟͞v͝҉͓̀e̹͔͓̙͖͝ĺ̰͈͇̻̀ ̬̜̤̣̼̲̻̟a̡̫̜̬͠t̸̶̰̺̫̗͙̰̤͇͞ͅ ̡̢̟̳̦̭͚̠͎i̢̖̟͇͕͘t̸̛̜̞͍̬̠͚̺' ̟̺̮̫̼̩͚͙a͚̦͚̖̥͔̰͠n̶̶̗͎͚̪͚̝̬d͔͘ͅ ̡̤̟́t͏͙̦͜ͅr̨҉̩͙̞̦̤̠̝̪e̢͖͕̭̭͉͢m̷̫̳͘b͎̯͈̬̹͙l͇̼̣̥̞̳e̷̫̠̩̙͜ ̨͔̰͓͎͍́͢i͞͏̘̣n̸̵͓̭̜̝̘͓̹ ͏̥̥͕͜f̠̻̻̼̩ȩ͍͜ͅą͖͕̘͍͠r͎̤̯̙̕̕͝!̧̩̥̫̥̺͙

 

Several beneath pleaded for the King to return back and others expressed that the light would be his end, however the Herald was ignorant of their cries.

 

T̤͞h̢̢̢̖͍̜̺̮̮̜̬è̸͓r̩̳̟͔̜̼e̻̭̱̠̞̙ ̛҉̴̰͚̳i̳s̛͚̘̲͉̫̩͝ ҉̤̻ṉ̢͓o͎̦̺ ̸̤͓̲͢͢l̷̪̘i̷̢̺͔͈̼̞̫͎g̳̙͓h̙̦̤̱͜t̷̡̮̦ ͓̪̫̯̗̱̮̀͟ͅt҉͔̰͔̤̀h̶͎̣̙̼̀a̦̰̪̕͡t̨͙̭̯͎̬͞ ̲̘̣̲̫͔c͔̪̣̳̯̫̻̀a̲̝͚͍ͅņ̨̼̪̥͖ ̧̙̲̀d͞҉̫͉̜̞͚̭̤͝e̝̰͔̦̜͕ͅf̰͖̜͔͙̺̯̫͘͡e̸̗̠̦̘̞̞̲̣͞a̶̹̦̬t̡̗̟̹̣̮̘̘̯̀ͅ ̺̥̤̤̼̟̟̜̠͘͠t̶̳̪̭̣̥̱h̭̟̯̞̟̭͎͟ͅe̵̯͙̰̦̩͜ ̮̯͠d҉̷͔̼̦͈̟͍a҉̯̪̜̥̺͔r̶̳̳̪͢k̷̲͞n̴̷͚͔̦͚̜̩̩ͅe̴̫͎͚̺͝s̨͓̞͈̥͎͈̥s̹̗.̘͖̬̬͇̬͘

 

Upon reaching its heart, the two groups stood idle - swords and shields ready - until they were greeted with the voice of Maric, the corrupted Storm King. He, who once was a legend - became what he once sought to destroy. Xath, ignorant of the arrival of Maric cast his gaze down towards Ianril and Ciris before producing a shout for Licia.

 

“Break the chains! Fell the bloody obelisk!”

 

So they did, meeting resistance surely, the paladin’s began to break the chains suspending the obelisk. Those around the paladin’s marched to their defence, fending off any and all that sought to stop them.

 

‘Clang! Clang! Clang!’

 

Eventually, the three chains broke. The obelisk tumbled down and collided against the stone to its side held up by one chain which began to break under the weight of the obelisk. Ianril had taken a sword to his chest by then, the Hand of the King managed to impale the paladin and that was when the final linked snapped. The obelisk tumbled down before smashing down against the stone below and causing a violent reaction to occur. Xath cast his gaze down for Ianril, charging to his fallen Paladin and his frame dipped down, heaving the man up into his arms. A skyward column of pure jade colored energy erupted upwards and that was when Garion sounded the retreat. A pulse of pure energy erupted outwards, those under Xath’s light were protected. The King’s army retreated, having stood sturdy against the forces of Dras Angral. Licia, knocked out had been dragged away by the noble man named Foltest, rescued she was brought back to the medical tent hastily. Xath, carrying his injured Paladin would also retreat.

 

 

It was then that the lands around them began to morph and shift, several pulses of energy ruptured the lands and caused an unusual reaction to take place.

 

Second of Sun’s Smile, 1499

 

The forces of Oren and the Paladin’s had spent an entire day and night fighting and sieging Dras Angral, and they won. The lands before them no longer plagued with the blight but now the soldiers of past. Forever locked in war, the Renatian forces against the Orenian forces. Two forces battling amongst one another, spirits that must be laid to rest.

 

The land had become inhospitable to lay claim to, those who linger for too long are subject to the spirit’s. A new land, a new land that still needed to be freed from its ethereal bonds.

 

The paladin’s and a band of men were greeted with a figure of the past which then proceeded to lead them into the depths of the ruins, arriving at a cold stone room. A bridge stood before them and at its end would be a layer of condensed material, transparent they could see the bound King. Trapped within the depths of the lands he once held dear. His Keeper Ser Ocran sat upon a throne of marble, greeting the new comers.

 

 

“The war ten years ago that had taken place upon these very lands still rages on, perhaps not in this realm but definantly in another. We can see it, the spirits are not at rest.”

 

He answered their questions and even took the final wedding gift Xath had forged for Maric, a locket of silver containing both Maric and Ayana’s name.

 

“I am very much apart of this realm,  by my duty as a knight I must repent. I shall remain and watch over Maric in his slumber. The Storm King can put these spirits to rest. However, Angren’s relics must be located. You have one now, old friends.”

 

The knight drew its gaze over toward Proyce who had pinched Ocran’s shield from his side.

 

“The Shield and Edmund Horen’s Rapier. The final piece remains with me. Once you have gathered the final relic, return unto me and we shall put these plagued spirits at ease.”

 

It was then that Ocran set them on their quest. They said their farewells and turned, proceeding to leave.

 

The Storm King had risen,

The Storm King had fallen,

Dras Angren erected in its place,

The blight truly writhed,

The Undead lingered within their lands,

Then the Paladin’s came,

With the unwavering might of Orenia and the light of Xan,

The blight had been pushed away.

[mmat 7460]

Drake, after ending his futile search for any remaining corpses on the field of battle to bury, stands at the northern edge of Dragon's Peak, looking down at the snowy wood that was once Angren with a strained look on his face.

 

Silently he takes in a breath of the cold air, sighing outwards after before sitting down on the grass to reflect, his mind trained on the man, Alistair; who perished within the keep.

[Rig 17591]

Rom clasps his wounded side after the battle, numb and ridden with pain, but he merely thinks relievedly. It's over. 

[Fireheart 2777]

Franz raises his fist in the air "Hail Vydra!"

[Porko 397]

Evios Hall smiles faintly among the cheering men, a brief jolly expression crossing his face. Turning away, he sighs, watching the snow fall on the newly liberated Angren. He grits his teeth as memories of the Renatian and Carrion soldiers flashed within his head. Corpses of the past, legions, that had risen to destroy humanity. 

 

 

Evios then remembers that the day was won, no matter the casualties. Humanity and Athera would prevail. His smiles returns, and broadens at the thought. Most of the infiltrating team had also survived... though they may be haunted at what they experienced inside.

 

 

Evios turns away, walking back to Petrus and Oren to continue his duties. His head turns over his shoulder to take a last look at the land before he travels back home.

[DelaneyG 1279]

ser thomas delaney holds the shield, ready to collect the rapier.