The Firelands Campaign pt 1 & 2

[Malgonious 2758]

 

The Firelands Campaign

By: Malgonious

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Prelude

 

A Fire Spirit known as, “Alexandros,” had come to Cloud Temple seeking aide from any of those present that would assist him in an assault on the Hellsworn of the Firelands.  Controlled by a single entity the hordes of the Firelands once more have begun assembling enmasse, under command of an entity known as Scaldris.

 

Scaldris, the Hellsworn

 

Scaldris was a Greater Pyre, an elemental-human of vast influence over the hellscape that had been sealed long ago by the Winter Frontier after their defeat of the Beasts of Malevolence.  Scaldris, once known as, “Soren of Halsworthy,” Having fallen in the battle against Mau’drozom into the Volcanic Peak and being twisted, warped, and mutilated by the scorching flames that sundered his soul vulnerable, he was left behind to his fate.

 

His anger raged across the Firelands, inviting creatures of varying strength to his position.. Only to be assimilated with his newfound power gained from the corpse of the defeated Mau’drozom, left behind after their departure and the instatement of the Winter Seal, effectively blockading any escape of the Deadwind Valley Entrance.

 

 

As his horde and influence grew over decades of planning and thwarting his opponents, “Scaldris,” as he would come to be known by his servants, began effectively defeating the Greater Elementals & Beasts that dominated the Pools of Agony, their ceaseless patrol and wandering finally brought to a halt by his followers.  Upon their death, he would bind them to his will, and further his horde.

 

Balefas the Watcher

 

As Scaldris became more and more known across the Firelands, a Pyre known as Balefas the Watcher.  Scaldris approached this man who suffered a similar fate to his own, having saw the Rivian fall into the same pools of agony, seeing his corpse burn to ash, tormented by the scorching heat.. He understood the pain this man suffered.  “You were left behind, same as I, Pyre.. You are alone no longer..” Scaldris would extend a hand to the wary individual.. Effectively persuading yet more power into his horde at the bequest of assemblance. Balefas came into his service upon the conquest of the Deadwind Plateau.. Long had he been the protector of the steppe before the assault of the Winter Frontier, having lost much renown upon his failure to stop their advance into Mau’drozom’s domain, he was considered weak and worthless in a valley that valued strength above all, the will to dominate having long since left this creature.

 

When it became apparent Scaldris was on the verge of total dominance of the Firelands, Balefas questioned his intentions.. Scaldris replied with they were to break the Winter Seal, allowing the rampancy of the creatures sealed within the valley to be unleashed upon the world.. Still holding affection for the descendants of his past life, his fellow Rivians.. His fellow men.. Balefas decided he would act.

 

Upon the night prior to the assault on the waning Winter Seal through his own domain, Balefas approached Scaldris while he commanded his horde against the Magma Giants who still refused to obey the command of a mortal.. Mid-battle, he stole an orb from the clutches of Scaldris, and ran to the Volcanic Peak that was the seat of Scaldris’ power.  Using the power of the orb, he would see the Volcano reactivate, erupting into the atmosphere, spilling a plume of ash, molten rock, and sulphur into the sky above.. The eruption launched his persona high into the air.. He had been propulsed out of the barrier that contained his valley, and held a weapon that Scaldris long valued above all else.  The Fire Spirit, “Alexandros.”

 

 

Having circled the valley, he came upon the forgotten outpost of the Winter Frontier, “Dorestad.”  From this small cottage-fortress, the Winter Seal was kept beneath the sprucewood floorboards. He summoned Alexandros forward and gave him a mission, the eruption still taking place, weakening the seal even further.  “Get the aid of the descendants North.. They are the only ones who can protect the seal.” And so, Alexandros set onward.

 

Alexandros’ Plea

Alexandros the Fire-Spirit

 

Having convinced a party of descendants to aid his master Southward, Alexandros led the assembly into enemy territory.  They would descend south past the Ebon Blockade, a gathering of nefarious undead, void-beings, and other creatures of damnation spewing forth from the Ebon Gate..  These creatures, soon to launch an assault on the Imperial Heartlands, more specifically the Capital of Haense, as it stood between them and further advancement North.  

 

A skillful navigation of a supposed, “Hole,” in the blockade forseen by the Fire Spirit would have them face only two patrols of Mindless Undead.  The men readied themselves for what would be an easily won battle as the first patrol approached their position. Alexandros lured their commandant over to their position, the mindless following with haste into the woods as they were suddenly cut down with vicious ferocity, the descendants slaughtering them like lamb as they approached their position, hidden among the hills they fired arrow after arrow, sword-blow after sword-blow until they finally decapitated the brute that led them forward North.  Alexandros led them onward, stopping to recover at Carolustadt to receive reinforcements.

 

 

Pushing onward, they would encounter another patrol of mindless undead.. This time however they would find themselves ambushed at the Crossing, the ruins of the old Reiver Fortress spawning nearly a hundred Shriekers, massive undead bats with archers of ghoul-origin upon their backs, which pelted their forces.  Facing this trap was the skillful Captain of the Legion, ordering their forces back into the woods which lured the Mindless forward and gave them cover from the Shriekers above. With the mass of undead cut down, the archers of the gathered descendants took shots at the swarming bat-horde, with Alexandros himself rushing forward through a hellstorm of arrow-fire to personally drive their mounts to the ground, spawning flaming bolts of fire all across the sky to aid the descendants.

 

Having defeated the trap laid for them, along with the second patrol between them and the blockade, the forces of the descendants once more emerged victorious.  Alexandros led the winded party further South toward the final barrier between them and free-movement towards the Firelands. It was a flesh-behemoth known as Tarcacosa, a servant brought forth from the Ebon Gate.  

 

 

Facing an increasingly harrowing force of undead at the bequest of Tarcacosa, the descendants fought on long and hard until after hacking and slashing away until there was nothing remaining but rotted flesh and bone from the giant who had fell apart at the seams due to their assault.  The patrols and the defendant slain, they now could proceed into the Yatl Wasteland.

 

Their long journey had finally come to a close.  Alexandros had brought them to the Winter Frontier’s outpost of Dorestad.  Proceeding inward they saw the Pyre known as, “Balefas,” who had summoned them there for aid against the incoming horde of Scaldris.  With just a short bit of time to prepare as they had already begun their march upon learning of Alexandros’ disappearance, the descendants began to get into formation, blockading the farmstead’s small garden-gate, along with the windows and doors that allowed entry into the small outpost.

 

The night came with haste as Scaldris approached, his image floated above as he surveyed the defense of the descendants that had come to defend the traitor among his ranks.  “Balefas, you have returned. You are Exile.. Your presence is no longer welcome in my domain, not even these rats can save you now.” He would float backward, leading the first charge against Dorestad.

 

***

 

The assault would come to a close, Scaldris having suffered significant damage at the hands of the descendants and nearly breaking the seal upon the arrival of the Ebon Watch and their shriekers to aid in his assault.. And yet still he retreated back into the Firelands, defeated at the hands of Balefas, Alexandros, and the descendants who championed their cause.  It became ever-apparent they would need to further campaign into the Firelands to ensure Scaldris did not attempt another assault, Balefas began preparations as Alexandros led them back to their Cloud Temple safely.

 

Some time had past…

 

Alexandros led another detachment of legionnaires forth from Carolustadt into the dangers that was the South.  He has lost communion with Balefas who held the position they had secured the day prior.. It would unfortunately be for naught as they were ambushed by Ghoul Champions of the Ebon Watch after chasing a trickster Imp from the Reiver Fortress ruins into a trap laid by the Ebon Watch after learning of the defeat of the flesh-behemoth Tarcacosa.  The legionnaires would see their companion’s orb be taken, along with themselves subdued and chained as they were  taken through a strange ritual site just South of Haense..

 

 

From this gateway they arrived far.. Far South.  They arrived to the Ebon Gate, and it was there this detachment save for one legionnaire who was transported away with the last reserve power of Alexandros, all faltered to the Ghouls who further subdued them, and tossed them into the gateway, one by one...

 

 

There the Orb of Alexandros stood, cracked and the light from its surface fading.  The massive pillars of Ebony that sprung forth would seem to cast a shadow upon the small dot of light before the Maw of the Ebon Gate.  

[ScreamingDingo 20568]

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.

 

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