HAENSE'S RAID ON SKJOLDENHJOLD

[Diogen 3729]

 

 

 

OOC: This was an RP-encounter and therefore is only known to those who witnessed it IRP. 

 

 

[!] An enormous eye of Iblees loomed over the Witch Queen’s fortress

Rok Nardin - The Mad Queen

 

 

WE FOUND THEM!
Shouted a Haeseni knight

 

Far atop the mountains, a sizeable legion of Haeseni knights marched upon the fortress of the Witches. Standing beside one another, holding their high ground. Their voices, alarming those who dwelled within.

 

A shadowed figure within the walls appeared, only to disappear within the misty ice that shrouded that fortress. An odd sight, yet one that awoke the creatures- the darkspawn.

 

The massive bell that loomed over rang, its pitch varied, yet oddly deepened the more it resounded. The ground quaked, followed by the gates shooting open. Wave after wave of frozen creautres of ice, riding their polar warbeasts flooded out the fortress, led by their very Mother- Naele.

A blood-curdling scream escaped the horrifying creature that she rode, one whose face resembled a mixture of a human and a lion, with snakes for hair, and ragged robes covering its form, decorated with horns and jagged spikes of ice.

 

You should not have come here…
Warned Crow
 

 

Riding with the Mother, was a creature- one with the head of a crow, yet the body of a man, reaching upwards of 8ft, with a maul for an arm. It threw itself into the enemy lines, as swords seemingly did no more than chip away at its skin, its veins bulging out of its body as it slammed its poor victims with brutal strength.

 

 

Left flank!
Ordered their commander

 

An arc of ice flew towards one of the knights at the speed of an arrow, which surprisingly tore through her shield, digging into her armor, sending her back. The many other knights came to her aid. Potions were slung towards the Witches, as some found their way to their mark, blasting two of them off a horse, followed by another blast of fire, resulting in shrieks.

 

A Farfolk archer immediately put an end to one of the Witches’ horses, sending her tumbling onto the ground.

 

Other potions, on the other hand, were oddly thrown aside mid-air.

 

The ground beneath became slippery, compromising the footing of the knights as they attempted to hold their ground against the warbeast-riding creatures- some even charging on foot, with the loss of their mounts. Spikes rising from many directions, jabbing at their legs, hindering their movement, and even raising as far as an entire wall to separate them.

 

Some found themselves strapped of their strength, collapsing on the ground, consumed by spikes. Bolts of ice soaring within the air, finding their mark as they tear through the limbs of the assailants.

 

Mother!
Cried a witch

 

The arbalest-wielding Uruk’s bolt tore through the Witch Mother’s shield, embedding itself deep into her arm, chunks of such falling onto the snow beneath, as she was sent stumbling backwards. Mages atop the walls began to blast those who attempted to close the gap, as some rode to her rescue- notably her Uruk daughter, who held her ground.

 

Yet as they went on, they began to find themselves increasingly tired, increasingly frostbitten. As the Uruk lunged towards the Frost Orc and bashed her- almost to death- A polar bear manifested beside the crossbow-wielding Uruk, prompting a wrestle between the both, saving the Witch in the process, as the ground quaked beneath them.

 

Retreat!
Shouted their commander

 

The mountain began to shift- to separate, even, as a large, gaping hole increasingly grew in size, threatening to consume all that stood in its way. The deep lair beneath them, revealed itself. 

 

Taking advantage of the shifting mountain, the knights quickly gathered themselves and left the mountains, freeing themselves from any substantial harm. While one, found himself in the grasp of the Crow, tossed down a cliff.

 

 

 

 

 

Every Haeseni knight survived, to live another day. To fight another day.

 

Injuries were plentiful. Some broken, some mutilated.

 

The Mother’s wails echoed throughout the mountains.

 

-

 

Sightings of the Witches grew more numerous.

 

 Women began to disappear, only to return back home to their families weeks later, devoid of injury.

 

Those families, now reside within their stomachs.

 

 

[Jihnyny 5233]

TIDERIPPA'RAGUK sat within the snow, resting in the cold winds of the North and sheltering within a crevice of the northern mountain. He had slain the polar-bear that so wanted his flesh, but tired and withered, he was left shattered and clawed.

He had not retreated, and the company of Haenser men had left him as they had tried to upon the rally,

alone and in the cold North.

[Venomous_Pup 2978]

"Winter, is here." 

Concludes a Witch of Chaos..

[Apotolofo 2204]

 

7 minutes ago, Jihnyny said:

TIDERIPPA'RAGUK sat within the snow, resting in the cold winds of the North and sheltering within a crevice of the northern mountain. He had slain the polar-bear that so wanted his flesh, but tired and withered, he was left shattered and clawed.

He had not retreated, and the company of Haenser men had left him as they had tried to upon the rally,

alone and in the cold North.

 

The so-called Wraith gnashed her teeth and seethed, furious that the red orc had managed to quell her summoned beast. 

 

No matter- for there would always be next time. 

 

 

Spoiler

OOC: Jihnyny our fight was lowkey the highlight fr fr

 

[Wizry 1218]

The shifting mountains, after the fight, were host to another individual on horse-back. Plate-armoured he was with a reddened gaze, wielding a holy white-enflamed sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Notes being gathered on what had happened after gathering information about the battle in Haense - but curiously, a banner was affixed to his back that withstood the blizzard of the witches, shining through like a beacon. A white-banner with a yellow cross known as the Banner of the Vehement Eye, restored to a rightful place amongst the battles against Ruin and those that would cause the downfall of the descendants.

 

A reminder of older, more better days; a hope for future prospects; a defiance against the frost-witches strengthened in the fall of Xan and the withdrawal of Tahariae from the realm; and a promise to end Skjoldenhjold - like their ancestral clerics from so long before.

Spoiler

 

Edited August 14, 2024 by Wizry

[KillerMaid 636]

A wood elf who rarely left the walls of Haense stood in the clinic, rushing around the clinic handing out bottles and salves, stews and bandages. She hasn't seen a witch elf in ages, and she hopes to never see one.

[Metamancy 1759]

Amara Al-Amin stood in the streets of Celia'nor, angry at herself for retreating when the Haenser men stood strong; yet she remembered the way her arrow had felled the enemy's mount so easily, the fear she had felt when she had been blinded and almost hit by the witches' ice.

...she now had a thirst for battle. A desire to quell all darkspawn. 

"Allahu akbar," she whispered under her breath.

[Frawlic 1602]

Sifrá Korvacz scrubbed away at the blood caught beneath her nails, hands trembling from a fear she believed long gone. A new one had developed, coated in frost.

[DahStalker 3692]

Yvaine Conradine continued to labor away at blueprints, taking a moment to glance outside her window in the chilly night of Valdev. She considered for a moment the fight her brethren took against the Ice Demons, brows knit. 
 

“I suppose that is the fate of weak women.” She mused. Perhaps one day the woman would be fortunate enough to rid of the parasite that brought shame to womanhood.