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THE CHARGE ON THE MORI


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THE CHARGE ON THE MORI

The Deep Cold, 127 S.A.

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A group of soldiers assembled around a gaping cave opening that had suddenly materialised in Aaun, causing a stir among the passersby who gazed upon the dark void with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity. The entrance was littered with ropes and equipment, signifying that groups before had gone down to explore the unknown depths of the cave. The Warchief, a towering figure with a commanding presence, stood at the forefront of his Warband, outlining their strategy for the perilous journey ahead.

 

A select few volunteers stepped forward, grabbing the ropes with purpose and determination, preparing to embark on the initial descent into the abyss below. The surrounding soldiers watched with bated breath as the brave quartet slowly lowered themselves into the unknown darkness, their forms quickly swallowed up by the unfathomable depths.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, the signal was given that it was safe for the remaining members of the Warband to follow suit. The soldiers, equipped with lanterns and a fierce determination, began their descent down the rope, the only lifeline between them and the unknown dangers below. 

 

The group found themselves plunged into an inky blackness, yet, slowly but surely, the flicker of torches and lanterns began to illuminate the darkness, casting shadows that danced and shifted along the walls.

 

As the light grew stronger, intricate red crystalline runes etched into the walls became visible. The air was thick with palpable tension as barked orders and urgent whispers filled the space, the group hastily forming into a tight formation as they prepared to navigate the treacherous terrain ahead.

 

As the group pressed on deeper into the cave, the previously dim red crystalline runes began to emit a soft, pulsing glow, casting an eerie light that illuminated the pathway ahead. The troops moved with a sense of urgency, the path becoming increasingly narrow and treacherous, as they navigated their way deeper into the unknown.

 

Suddenly, the runes covering the walls began to emit a thick red mist, which hung heavily in the air, obscuring their vision and causing a feeling of unease to wash over them. The mechanical churning sound echoed out once more, now occurring in rhythmic pulses that seemed to reverberate through the very walls of the cave.

 

The troops pressed on, determined to uncover the source of the strange phenomena they were encountering. The sound grew louder and louder with each passing moment until they could hear the sound of clicking chants reverberating through the cavern, sending shivers down their spines.

 

As the troops entered the massive cavern, their sense was overwhelmed by the sight before them; a massive floating orb hovered, drawing in the red mist from the runs in the cave system. The mist swirled and eddied around the orb as if it were feeding on the energy that it provided. 

 

The attention of the Minitzers was quickly drawn to the many Mori cultists that surrounded the cavern, their dark robes billowing around them as they chanted in a language that was immense, more like an invading force than a small group of fanatics. 

 

Taking a moment as they reached the opening, the band of Minitzers began to formulate a plan. The Warchief, Speermenn, Ritters and the elderly Lord Regent all began to convene in hushed whispers, ever-weary eyes cast towards the Mori. Numerous suggestions were made, ranging from destroying the cave above so that it collapsed below, to simply attempting to storm the cavern and smash the runes. 

 

As the group convened, the orb continued to draw in the red mists that had been obscuring the vision of those below. The dark ritual began to intensify, the orb at the centre pulsating and gyrating with increasing ferocity. Tremors grew stronger and more frequent, causing cracks to appear on the surface of the orb and surrounding machinery.

 

Whatever the Mori had planned would come to fruition soon and with great urgency, a plan was decided upon. A small number of the Ritter of Saint Tylos were to descend into the cavern itself, to destroy the runes from which the mists came down below, whilst the larger group destroyed those runes they had seen in their arrival to the cavern.

 

The Ritters moved down the side of the cavern, their weapons at the ready. The clicking chants continued unabated, the Mori seemingly lost in a trance-like state. The Ritters were in fact not stealthy with their actions, shouting and bringing their weapons down upon the Mori’s head.  

 

As the Ritters dealt with the Mori, there was a palpable shift in the atmosphere. The red mist that had been pouring out of the runes began to dissipate, causing a whirling sound to echo throughout the cave. 

 

As the sudden change occurred, it did not go unnoticed by the other Mori who were scattered throughout the cave. Their panicked calls reverberated off the walls, alerting their comrades to the loss of power.

 

The Ritters, battle-ready, sprang into action. With their weapons at the ready, they quickly made their way through the cavern, footsteps echoing ominously against the stone floor. The runes on the walls continued their otherworldly glow, the Ritters were quick to smash them without a single thought. The rune was too noticeable, shouting and footsteps growing louder towards the group.

 

At the same time, those who’d remained in the tunnel the group had entered from within began their own assault upon the runes they had encountered in their initial descent. In the short period of time, before the Mori began to shift their attention to the upper party, several attempted to aid the embattled knights below, lobbing crossbow bolts into the chasing Mori cultists, felling a handful of their foes. 

 

The Minitz forces above in the tunnel were swift and efficient, working together to destroy the runes that lined the walls, their weapons clanging against the stone as they shattered each crystal one by one. As they worked, the red mist slowly dissipated, clearing the way for the party to continue.

 

Suddenly, a distant whirling sound echoed through the tunnel, followed by the unmistakable impact of a blow landing somewhere in the distance. The sound of shouting Mori soon followed, indicating that they had become aware of the Minitz forces' presence. With this, their attention shifted. Relieving pressure on the small band of Ritter below, at the cost of the unending tide of Mori making their way towards the tunnel the party had descended from.

 

Above, the Minitz forces continued their work, focused and determined until the last of the crystals had been destroyed. The reserve and medics labouring tirelessly in their search to destroy the run surfaces. As they finished, they caught a glimpse of the party that was now making their way towards them, just entering the entrance of the tunnel. The farthest Minitz men hurried to regroup with their comrades, prepared for whatever lay ahead.

 

Shouts erupted from the Warband, commands being spewed from the Lord Regent and Warchief. The men began to form a wall of their shields upon the Lord Regent’s order, holding back the approaching Mori to allow their group to begin an escape. In the slow withdrawal, the rearguard swung as the advancing horde as they continued back the way they came. 

 

The Mori slammed against the shields, a number of them moving arms to pull them down as the force pushed against them. Some of the swings made true to the soldiers, causing them to stumble back, but that did not stop the horde, as they simply shoved the wounded and otherwise dead to the side. 

 

As the Minitz soldiers that remained in the larger group moved back it was then that the cave turned into a bottleneck. Only allowing one or two through at a time, the group fell back in turns and grabbed onto the ropes still hanging down from before. By the grace of GOTT above, the Minitzers made it from the cave but a moment before the horde made it through the bottleneck. 

 

As the troop emerged from the cave, a sudden tremor began to shake as something beneath continued to stir. But for now, they were safe. 

 

 


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In the depths of the cave, the Ritters and company managed to fight off a Dreadnight and make their way back to the surface…


 

REPORT BY ANNETTE VON THEONUS

INJURIES: MINIMAL

 

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Sir Ludolf Barclay plunged his dagger into the powered orb of the Dreadknight - deep in the caverns beneath Minitz and Adria. The Party of Ritters had it hard as they escaped through the caves - narrowly escaping with their lives more than once. He was exhausted when he returned to Minitz aside Sir Wilhelm, Sir Peter, Sir Ludwig and Theoderic, and yet happy to be alive.

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