Warcry 2024

Friday Night, August 2nd, 2266

All Camps

Warriors, mages, and rogues of all kinds, from lands far and wide, have answered the summons of the Ixiad, the Firstborn of Contracts, and have gathered in the town square of Seidenstadt. There, anchored to the ground by her silken Breath Weapon, was the last known Golden Acorn of an unborn God. Giving none time to gawk, Ixiad addressed all those present. After welcoming them, she heralded the birth of the new God, inviting all to witness this historical event. She concluded by issuing a warning that any and all of her children were not to be touched.

Once her speech concluded, the Spider Dragon led those who followed her and her kin down into a small grotto located deep within the heart of her twisted forest. There, she explained the true reason for her summons: laying a trap for the forces of Hell. Ixiad insinuated she could have slain the nascent godling with enough effort, but it would rob her of a unique opportunity. This godling bud would most certainly attract the gaze of the Hell King, who would be forced to send one of his own to claim it. He himself would not come, instead, he would likely dispatch one of his mightiest Princes to claim the acorn and its contents. Thus, giving the Spider Dragon a chance to capture them once again. She intended to be ready for what she saw as inevitable, asking those present to aid her in binding the Demon Prince that would make itself known. She could exploit a loophole in his previous contract with Adramalech by shaping silken strands of her Breath Weapon into chains they could use to bind this Demon, rather than breathing upon him directly. Ixiad continued that a confluence of magical forces had created an atypically-powerful type of catalyst she called “Essence.” Items imbued with this Essence would be required to empower these chains.

The Spider Dragon warned that such a plan did carry a great degree of risk. For if the forces of the Hellstack could imbue a Pillar of their own construction with Essence to its fullest, there was no telling what the end result might be. Perhaps something so simple as death for the godling, or it might create an abomination beyond description. Any outcome was possible. Using its Divine corpse to open up new paths into the Realms Celestial, or corrupting it into a being worthy of undertaking the Mortgeist’s vacant throne? None of these outcomes could come to pass.

She reassured her followers that the servants of the Divine would be occupied trying to use whatever power they could gather to influence the godling, that they would be unimpeded to forge these silken chains. However, Ixiad was somewhat wrong in this assumption. The Dark Pantheon had left their response to this matter in Baaagh’s hands, due to his skills against the forces of the Hellstack. The Heart Eater, lagging behind Ixiad, came to many of the same conclusions, resolving to enslave this Prince himself. While the servants of the Firstborn were being given their orders, those who followed the Dark were approached by Samara the Ungraved, the nominal leader of the Church of Darkness. It was her responsibility to lead her people to a group of ritualists of the Temple of the Black Eclipse, a church of mortals sworn to the Hell King and his allies. The Black Eclipse was working to prevent Baaagh’s emergence onto the Material Plane. However, the heads of the Dark followers assembled had other ideas. Exarch Setth Winter and his Dread Knight Ektas Eidolon had borne witness to a vision granted unto them by their patron Malagant, proscribing Samara as a heretic. They refused to aid her, choosing to quickly and mercilessly dispatch her and her entourage. Hearing the nearby chanting, the followers of the Dark violently engaged those who attempted to hold back the God of Bloodshed. When the last cultist lay dead and the ground itself was suffused with gore, the Clerics Auriel and Wargrosh along with the Dread Knight Asterion, the three present Favoured of Baaagh, were wrenched into the air. Their rib cages were savagely pried open as their still-beating hearts ripped themselves from their chests. These floating hearts violently collided together forming a sickening wall of thick crimson gore, through which two hands covered in rusted plate mail burst forth. Akin to birthing himself from a demonic caul, Baaagh brutally made his appearance onto the mortal plane. After restoring his three chosen, the Heart Eater informed them about the Demon Prince that would come and that powerful catalysts called “Essence” would be required to fight it. They had a choice of how to utilize the Essence: They could shape the godling as Ixiad had predicted, or they could forge their own chains, in much the same manner the Spider Dragon was planning to do. Baaagh left it to his chosen and departed back to his Heaven.

Meanwhile, an army of Demons had begun to assault the center of Seidenstadt, seeking to establish their Pillar of Essence that would corrupt the godling inside the Golden Acorn. Amidst this battle came Roland, God of Justice. But he was not alone, for not far behind was Valdr, the Stormbringer and all those that followed the Savage Gods. Both groups of faithful tore into the demonic hordes with a righteous and terrible fury. Once the acorn was no longer under threat, each God gathered their respective flocks unto them.

Following sacrifices given and offerings made by their respective followers, both Gods explained that the very same magic that could shut a portal to the Hellstack could also influence the god-child. This magic, called “Essence,” could be stored in Pillars which were then raised from the ground.

Roland wished to sway the godling towards the Light Pantheon directing those who followed the Light to use the Essence they gathered to that end.

Valdr proclaimed that the godling was marked by fate as one of his children, and called on the followers of the Savage to prevent the Light from claiming the Golden Acorn.

Amulius Damena, Spymaster of House Damena of Antioch, was understandably greatly angered when he was slain alongside Samara earlier in the  evening. He was eventually mollified, but not before sending his own assassins against the followers of the Dark. Upon seeing their strength and numbers, these assassins ultimately chose not to engage. This compelled the Spymaster to reveal himself, whereupon threatening those present with the wrath of Domma Octavia, Matriarch of House Damena, should they continue to resort to murder so hastily. He also informed them that the Black Cathedral was currently held in Antioch and under her stewardship until such a time a new leader was deemed worthy.

When most had retired and the acorn was left unguarded, a group of Shattered Elves slid quietly across the plains, trying desperately to stifle their insane laughter and cries of abject sorrow. Led by a fallen cleric, these insane demonic half-breeds conducted a ritual to empower the demonic Pillar of Essence. It is believed that they felt a demonic victory might restore Whitethorn to them, as they lacked purpose or vision when bereft of his quiet fury and bottomless hate. This ritual was ultimately successful, for when the last Shattered Elf died with a cry of “WHITETHORN” upon their lips, power flowed into the demonic pillar and caused it to rise from the ground. Future watches upon the acorn were much more robust.

Saturday, August 3rd, 2266

Dark Followers

Early Saturday morning, followers of the Dark were recruited to investigate a graveyard once-kept by a Darkweaver of Dietremen. A piece of Essence was hidden amongst the graves. While no Demons or bandits assailed them, they soon discovered that these graves were laid with ingenious traps. Nevertheless, they followed the various clues and riddles pointing towards the correct grave, uncovering the Essence.

During midday, they were visited in their camp by an Ice Elf calling himself Thelad’thiel, a Cleric of Pandora. He explained that he was currently contracted as a Battle Mage and Inquisitor with the Iron Company. The Company had been hired with the last of some Tiefanese noble’s gold to fight with the Whiteraven forces for a season. His warriors had captured an Eclipse commander, who had eventually broken under his careful ministrations. The commander revealed that his men had secured their own piece of Essence from a nearby ruined Draconic Temple. Having no current use for it, yet knowing what it was, they attempted to destroy it. While they managed to rend it into pieces, they could not completely obliterate it. When Thelad’thiel and his warriors fell upon the camp that the commander had led them to, they found several encoded cylinders stuffed with the shredded remnants of the Essence. He presented these cylinders to the Dark worshipers, who did manage to reassemble and claim the Essence once more.

Long after Dark washed over the village that evening, spirits of long-dead mortals from Erasmus’ heaven left their princely estates to open a market on the mortal plane. While many goods that mortal adventurers lust after are all too common in the twin city markets of Greed and Avarice, the material world has countless rare or unique items found nowhere else. These spirits came looking for the latter from the mortals present, so that they might make a profit when they return home. Unfortunately, the only currency they offered were the coins of conquest themselves, which expire quickly outside of Erasmus’ domain. Business was good, with many able to secure much needed supplies for the war effort that night. An Essence was for sale which was quickly purchased by a Human, Victor Kaban, a Darkweaver of Erasmus himself.

Nearby, Samara still lusted for vengeance. Having been abandoned by her Antioch allies, she raised her own tools of vengeance to satisfy her wounded ego. She dispatched her own elite squad of Death Knights, led by a single Death Rogue, to kill the Dark followers she saw as traitors. As mighty as her forces were, the Church of the Seven proved mightier still, and Samara’s servants were violently rendered into piles of ash.

Light Followers

As the dawn broke over the Church of Light encampment, an excited Hobling Magus and Lightweaver of Salam ran in asking for help to complete an experimental ritual. This Magus explained that he believed that if successful, this ritual could divert one of the open hell portals to Salam’s Heaven instead. Those present provided assistance. However, as is often the case with theoretical magic, the ritual’s magic turned out to be extremely volatile. While the ritual was being performed, it caused the portal to rapidly shift between different planes of existence, wrenching enraged creatures through it, corrupting them into demonic facsimiles of themselves. Upon the miraculous completion of the ritual, despite the onslaught, the madness of Ixiad’s lands caused the portal to connect somewhere deep with the Far Realm. There, a vast and unknowable consciousness granted, any who accepted, its knowledge: a form of magic that no mortal mind could comprehend, nor contain for long. The knowledge of all that was, all that is, and all that will be, in a magical sense, was all there for a brief moment. So vast were the minds of those who accepted the gift, an Essence was crafted almost as an afterthought.

Near midday, Avandra Ironarm, the commoner hero of Tiefanue herself, rushed into town seeking aid. While she recruited those of the Light first, eventually many others converged on her when they learned why she was here. Several Tiefanese refugee children had been taken in a daring raid by the forces of the Black Eclipse, intent on using their innocent blood in an unholy sacrifice. Having no other troops immediately on hand yet being absolutely unwilling to let these children suffer or die, she gathered what adventurers she could and struck out into the woods. These heroes of Seidenstadt seemed to be possessed of an especially potent battle fury that moment, making the Demons themselves quake before the onrush against them. Thankfully, the children were rescued and returned to their parents unharmed. Avandra expressed her gratitude by applying her skills and sharpening the weapons of several adventures who lent her aid.

What came next was quite a shock to those who still did not understand how the Church of Light was able to act as it had under the former Archbishop Roderick Hale. A Shaman in the service of Bishop Cathelion of the remnants of the Church of Light came to guide the worshippers in an intense vision. A series of events that would both illuminate them and lead them to two pieces of Essence. They were brought into the depths of a visionscape, a dream that was not a dream, where they walked through the collective memories of the Citadel’s soldiers. They saw the world through the hazy illusion which had been cast upon the most followers of the Light Gods. This had allowed the Hell King to gradually shape their perception of the world and what they believed were the wishes of the Gods they worshipped. They witnessed Hale before his zealous rise to power. They witnessed a young Asher of the Dawn, the disguised Hell King, find and manipulate the lowly church bookkeeper and scribe, twisting him into the Archbishop the world came to know. As they gazed upon Asher, the memories allowed them to see the foul, twisted dark aura that clung to the supposed Wood Fae paladin, clearly marking her as something else entirely. This darkness roiled out from her in waves, blanketing all those who served the Light, and shielding them from the sight of the Gods. Despite this knowledge, they quickly discovered that the aura’s power did not let the affected speak of it, or its influence upon them. As they continued through the vision, they emerged into an empty town and were set upon by Demons. Despite knowing that something was wrong, they were rewarded with blessings and boons from Roland with every victory. As they marched forward through the corrupted towns in their path, they were waylaid by a squad of winged Demons with blades of pure darkness. Leading the vanguard, Asher commanded these Demons be captured and taken to Lightguard’s dungeons for investigation. Emboldened by the powers of the Light, the group struck down these beings easily and shackled them in Castle Lightguard’s underground cells. It was at this point in the quest when the Hell King’s ancient spell was completed; the Divine Severance. Bereft of all the Light-given blessings that had both empowered them and shackled their minds, they looked back upon their trail for the first time and were horrified by what they witnessed.

What they saw was not the warpath of the avenging warrior. Instead, what they saw were the corpses of innocent town guards, villagers, and children. Turning their eyes back to the dungeons of Castle Lightguard, they did not see warded cells holding Demons. Instead, they gazed at horrific machines that were torturing Angels, siphoning their Light to power the “blessings” they had enjoyed earlier until they were naught but corpses. Unable to bear more, the Shaman ended the shared visionscape and all were returned to their right minds. Many shed tears as the Shaman cried for the tale to be spread so these evils could never be forgotten and never be repeated.

In the evening, deserters from the Temple of the Black Eclipse’s armies fled into Seidenstadt, seeking refuge from the former Grand Inquisitor Lucius Thorne. Unfortunately, they had not managed to escape before they had been infected with carnivorous worms. By the time they reached Seidenstadt, they had only minutes left to live. Only by the mercy of the Light did they manage to survive. As the mutineers shared the Grand Inquisitor’s schemes and secrets, Theokleia, a Yokai aspirant of Cassandra, was afflicted by an unknown demonic spell and transformed into a horrific Demon. This preceded a hell portal ripping open nearby, spilling a tide of vicious Hellhounds right into the encampment. These minions of Thorne dragged off most of the mutineers kicking and screaming to the portal. At the last second, they desperately rallied one last time against the enemy, preventing them from being taken. A group of trackers subsequently gathered the mutineers and covered their trail to prevent the demonic hounds from finding them in the future.

Savage Followers

In the morning, four sworn warriors of the Temple of the Black Eclipse had slipped past the front lines and entered an empty camp. They made themselves at home while waiting on followers of the Savage Pantheon to arrive. After a not-insignificant amount of time waiting, some of them left to search for the followers they thought would be there. Eventually, they managed to gather a small crowd. They explained who they were and admitted to have made their grim bargain in a moment of weakness. Despite their regrets and the fact that they were still under contract, they were here to aid the followers of the Savage in whatever way they could manage. The Eclipse warriors offered those present a portion of Essence in exchange for agreeing to sign a contract promising that they would stop the other pantheons from growing their Pillar; the Light Church has shown themselves to be too weak and the Dark could not be trusted. The followers refused this offer when it was stipulated that they would need to sign their true names to seal the bargain. After much deliberation, another option was offered: A fight to the death. A Black Eclipse champion versus a Savage champion. Having adherents of Valdr amongst them, who could not refuse an offer to grant a warrior an honorable death, this offer was accepted. This duel was grueling and close, but the followers of the Savage Gods triumphed, claiming the Essence for themselves.

In the late afternoon, a lone Druid and Savage follower came into town looking for help from like-minded folk. He was only able to find two adventurers to aid him, but luckily that would prove to be enough. His grove had been corrupted by the presence of strange foreign objects, which in turn had drawn a host of enraged Shambling Mounds. Bobbing and weaving through the thicket of enraged plants that sought to devour them, the two adventurers managed to cleanse the grove of all the offending artifacts, earning themselves an Essence in the process.

Later that evening, before the sun truly set, followers of the Savage Gods were asked to help a kind father find his missing child. He led them deep into the woods that surrounded the village. Sadly, they were too late. All they found was a burned and decimated corpse. As the group approached, perhaps to give the child its last rites, they were interrupted by a horrific scream that nearly sundered their eardrums. A tall, gaunt, and disheveled female spirit rose up from the corpse’ its voice was death. The adventurers present quickly defeated the Banshee. Seconds after the finishing blow, there was a flash of purple light from the necklace draped around the burned corpse. The spirit reformed as a dark voice echoed from the shadows, calling it to unlife once more. This process repeated several times, before one of their number realized that if they wanted to free the trapped spirit of the child, they would need to break the necklace. With their efforts combined, they shattered it. With the necklace in pieces, they were greeted by an insubstantial visage that appeared to be Haldora herself, claiming the tormented spirit for her own Heaven. Afterwards, the child’s body was returned to their father so that he might perform a proper burial.

Dragon Followers

Sir Griptalon, Dragon Knight of Rathenoch, arrived at the borders of Seidenstadt early in the morning. Within his spirit, he carried a fragment of Essence which could only be released at the object that called to it; the Golden Acorn. Once he met those who followed the Firstborn and agreed to be his escort, they were attacked by waves of feral Brood stirred to madness by some unknown cause. Repeatedly, these chitinous vermin assaulted the draconic warriors with acid, claw, and fang. In the end, the Brood could not stop their quest and the elderly Dragon Knight performed a rite in honor of his patron. The effort proved too much. He died in the arms of Andrich Catti, another chosen of the Red Dragon. Nevertheless, all was not lost, as his fading corpse left behind a single red-scaled egg, pulsing fiercely with an intense heat.

Around midday, the draconic encampment was recruited by a Human Azure Monk to enter an ancient crumbling ruin not far from Seidenstadt. The goal was to harvest what they could of its unique magics before it collapsed for good. The group had little trouble achieving their objective using a pair of enchanted gloves that allowed them to draw forth the magic from the stone and manifest it so that it might be handled. Once enough power had been harvested, the adventurers were able to shape this strange magic into another piece of Essence, which became another link in their Demon-binding chains.

Late in the evening, a lone Human came desperately seeking aid. They had been traveling with their Purple Draconian companion, desperately searching for her lost unhatched child. The Draconian had gone ahead to scout and has never returned. Thus, leaving it up to the Human to rescue the egg, alone. In order to keep it safe, the Draconian had wrapped the egg in a cocoon of protective silk. Tragically, this caused the local spiders to mistake it for their own property and carried it off to their own nest. The egg needed to be retrieved before anything bad could happen to it, but fighting any of the Spider Dragon’s children was out of the question. Heeding Ixiad’s warnings from the night before, it was apparent that stealth would be required. Luckily, this nest was guarded by a semi-blind giant spider, meaning it could not hunt by sight alone. Carefully, the Dragon followers managed to rescue the egg without being tempted by any of the other treasures stored in the vast network of silk strands. The Human, feeling the egg was about to hatch, asked for the aid of anyone trained in medicine to help it along. As the egg began to hatch, the Human started to feel ill, strangely disappearing shortly thereafter. Curiously, the hatchling appeared to have the colouration of Ixiad, black with crimson web-like highlights, upon their scales, rather than the royal purple of Essyllt. The broken fragments of the egg shell thrummed with power and were revealed to be another piece of Essence.

All Camps

One of Baaagh’s first Dread Knights, Lucy, an ancient Am’Rath, had previously told the adventurers to locate and leave open a portal to the Catafalque in the Throat of Hell, as it would be needed later. When that time came, a Lesser Angel of Baaagh arrived and gathered everyone at this portal. She explained that the Hellish portals that had been opening up all over town were the work of a great demonic construct called the Arcana Engine. Built by one of Mara’bagash’s most skilled demonic smiths, this vast machine was constantly boring holes through the magical barriers meant to ward Seidenstadt from demonic incursions. It needed to be silenced. The Church of the Seven was also asked to bind and capture the Demon responsible for its creation and operation, the Arch-Fabricator Carrion Raelthorne. His skills would be necessary to forge the chains of blood and steel that would later bind the Avatar of Adramalech. Everyone who could hold a sword or chant a spell was gathered and marched through a bloody and jagged tear in reality that led into Baaagh’s Heaven, the Bloodfire. The Angel would lead them through Bloodfire to where it bordered the Throat of Hell. As they waded through knee-deep blood and gore, the powers of that realm partially infused them. Those who could stomach such a thing found that whenever they ate a slain Demon’s heart, their flesh would almost instantly knit itself back together. Such powers were sorely needed, as the fortress where the Arcana Engine was located was anything but ill-defended. Several hordes of Demons awaited them in front, while demonic mages rained spells down upon them from on high atop the battlements. Eventually, after a grueling fight which nearly saw all present pushed back, a group of adventurers commandeered a battering ram and smashed open the gate with a ear-splitting crash. Like a swarm of locusts upon a fresh harvest, the adventurers swarmed into the now-breached keep, slaying nearly all who were inside. The Arch-Fabricator attempted to throw them back himself, but was thwarted in the attempt and taken prisoner when a potent word of power was spoken by the Slaughterpriest, Auriel, Darkweaver of Baaagh. Other adventurers managed to claim several codes from demonic lieutenants, which triggered the self-destruction of the Arcana Engine. With Demons and an advancing wave of arcane energy on their heels, all hurried to escape back to the Material Plane through the portal previously left open with their prisoner in tow. Though not all returned, they were successful in their task and no new portals would open within Seidenstadt.

Sunday, August 4th, 2266

Dark Followers

Another host of Demons interrupted the breaking of their fast, many not even having time to don their armour before having to wade into battle. Nonetheless, their foe was dispatched. Concurrent to their victory, the energy from a nearby ritual backlash tore open a hole in reality. A quick examination revealed that this tear did not lead to any of the hellish Principalities, but rather opened wide into a world of flesh and alien geometries. A sense of invitation and welcoming washed over all present, leading several of the Dark to choose to enter the portal to investigate. There, in a strange and terrifying realm that would break lesser minds, these adventurers met two creatures that the mad scholars who study the Far Realm called “Mindphages.”Before these two lithe squid-faced abominations, was set a table surrounded by a shimmering magical barrier with a smoking black horn resting upon its surface. Although they did not understand speech, by accepting one of their slug-like young into their eyes, a mental link was formed. Through a series of exchanged pictures and memories, a bargain was struck, and an Essence was exchanged for the most valued and treasured memory of a Dread Knight of Sverin named Domovoi.

That afternoon, the Church of the Seven was visited by a fellow Darkweaver of Daelrion, who came bearing news. The Arch-Fabricator they had captured yesterday had hit an obstacle. The hellsteel he was working into the chains was no ordinary metal. It required more than mere oil for it to be properly quenched: Blood was needed. But the crimson vitae that permeated Baaagh’s domain was too tainted with sin to be of use. Instead, innocent blood was necessary. The Cleric of Daelrion lead the Dark followers to a nearby encampment where a small group of refugees were hiding from the demonic hordes. After detailed explanations, some refugees were convinced to give their blood for the cause. However, others refused to surrender the one thing over which, they felt, they still held some manner of control. None were killed, but most were deeply traumatized by the theft of their blood. Subsequently, once enough had been gathered, it was provided to the Darkweaver. In turn, the cleric thanked them and promised the work would continue.

Just before the evening meal, a Death Mage and Darkweaver of Malagant, calling himself Romero, came with a warning. Samara the Ungraved had been growing increasingly unhinged. From being stripped of her lichdom by the former Archbishop Roderick Hale to her recent assassination by those who rebuffed her authority, the last vestiges of her sanity and caution snapped. Using what connections she had left, she stole major artifacts from several other churches of Dark Gods to use as fuel for a heretical ritual. Gathering two shards of Essence unto herself, she drained one to empower herself beyond mortal limits, while the other was meant to be an offering to the First of the Heriotzaren Buruak, one of the Heads of Death who could bestow the secrets of lichdom. It was possible this latter piece could be retrieved.

Romero led the Dark followers deep into the Deadlands where they were met by a host of powerful Undead. Those loyal to Malagant were able to eventually carve a path to Samara’s ritual circle. Though they were victorious in slaying her, her ritual was successful in summoning the being whom she had hoped would restore her power. Since the dead are unable to bargain, Exarch Setth Winter and his Dread Knight Ektas Eidolon seized on the opportunity. They knelt and addressed the Heriotzaren Buruak at length, as the battle raged around them. The exact words spoken belong solely to those present. What was seen is the ancient death spirit laying a faintly glowing hand upon the red-robed priest’s shoulder, speaking word of an ancient long-dead arcane language before vanishing back into the grave dirt from whence he was called. Finally, all were able to return to the mortal plane through an already open portal.

Late in the evening, after the Black Eclipse attack against all the forces of Seidenstadt, several Angels of Baaagh emerged from the Catafalque with the Arch-Fabricator, still bound by magics. He delivered his coerced craft: Seven links of hellsteel chains empowered by Essence and tempered in the blood of the innocent. His task completed, the Angels dragged him through town so that all might witness and mock his defeat before returning him to Bloodfire, where whatever punishments and labours awaited. The night saw the Church of the Seven visited by several nearby priests of the Church of Darkness, who sought to hold those present to account for the slaying of Samara the Ungraved. The exact specifics of their conversations remain with those who were present that evening. No sounds of violence echoed across the encampment and all those present returned to their posts when the talks came to a close.

Light Followers

In the morning, the Light followers took mercy, once again, on the soldiers of the Black Eclipse. Only this time, they were Ghosts of mortals who had yet to actually give up their true names to their demonic patron. They explained that their bodies were imprisoned deep within a nearby spider cave and that they could not pass on without proper funerary rites. Guided to the cave by a follower of Ixiad named Atlacoya, she cautioned them to show respect and refrain from touching any treasures or the webs that crossed their path. Surrounded by arachnids both large and small, they carefully made their way through the labyrinth of webs towards the spider’s nest. At their destination, they met with a Dryad-spider. The followers of Light begged for the corpses to be released and the Dryad agreed on one condition: A woven webbed contract of blood, tribute, and deeds. When all was settled, the adventurers scrambled out of the cave before the horrid creature could change their mind. They performed the funeral rites and the spirits passed on, leaving behind a portion of Essence.

In the afternoon, the silence was sundered by the sorrowful cries of a woman named Wyn, a Mage and Paragon of Celeste. In between sobs, she explained that Grand Inquisitor Lucius Thorne had made his move. He had kidnapped Wyn’s wife, Harriet, due to some unrequited affections he had for her, which had then been twisted by his demonic corruption into a dangerous obsession. He had been seen slowly dragging the wife towards the hell portal bound in chains of his own blood, exclaiming they would be wed at last. The adventurers mobilized with record speed, and in moments they clashed against the Grand Inquisitor who had yet to join his bride-to-be in the Hellstack while a small team worked to free Harriet. Unfortunately, no alchemy or magic could either break the chains or close the portal while Thorne drew breath. Choosing obsession over self-preservation, the inquisitor fought to his final breath and the chains shattered when the light left his eyes. The lovers, Wyn and Harriet, reunited and all was merry for a while. Every word was poetry, all faces were painted with smiles, and even the strikes of hammers upon anvils or the incantations of spells sounded like music.

In the last moments of daylight, a gnarled ambassador of Dunarthos trundled into Seidenstadt, weary from their journey through corrupted lands infested with Demons. Even upon reaching the village, the minions of Hell were relentless with their pursuing assault. The Light followers mustered to defend the last stretch of their journey, but when the ambassador reached the Light’s Essence Pillar, their memories of Arthos’ beautiful lands had faded into nothingness. Using the nearest adventurer as their voice, they beseeched all who were present to show the Gods the most incredible places they had ever traveled. Using the shapes and forms of their bodies to pantomime, many participated in sharing their journeys through masterful scenes of nature’s beauty. Titanic mountains with mighty waterfalls, snow-capped coniferous forests, and raging tsunamis crashing against rocky shores to name a few. The Essence flowed through all, but before it could transfer to the Pillar, the madness of Ixiad’s territory twisted everyone like the roots of an ancient tree. Thankfully, trapsmiths and Blessings of Nature Gods helped unknot the townsfolk, releasing the Essence and causing the root-like ambassador to disintegrate into slivers of the World Tree.

Savage Followers

Near eight bells, Regis, Favoured of Sverin, gathered the followers of the Savage to issue a challenge. He had recovered a coveted piece of Essence and all one had to do to claim it was win his potentially fatal drinking game. There were only four simple rules. First, only drinks provided by Regis were allowed. Second, everyone participating in the game must drink. Third, only those that were participating could assist one another. Fourth, no one outside of the game could assist in any way until the game was completed. To prevent an accidental loss, one of the participants surrounded all who were competing with a Circle of Protection as the game began. The game was supposed to be a mere four rounds, but after being goaded by an Ogre competitor, it was agreed that it would last seven rounds. Consequently, this resulted in many competitors suffering significant harm, with several on the edge of death as a winner was proclaimed. Regis, being true to his word, provided a bottle of Essence which was expended to grow the Savage Pillar.

Later that afternoon, an Angel of Magnora herself descended to the mortal realm to gather the adventurers in the Savage encampment. They were invited to come with him back to Magnora’s Heaven where they would get a rare opportunity to mine a special ore to craft a wondrous item upon his personal forge. Unluckily, upon their arrival they were greeted by a large, bloated Rust Monster gorging itself on the personal metal stockpiles of the Angel. The adventurers engaged the monster, armed with a special blessing that protected their own weapons against the Rust Monster’s vicious acid. Even with the blessing, many weapons sundered into worthless pieces. Once the monster was slain, all gathered together to craft their item. While some wished to use this opportunity to craft powerful weapons or pieces of armour, it was ultimately decided that they would craft a symbol of Magnora, which would house a piece of Essence. So awesome was the angelic forge that all present, even those who were not smiths or crafters themselves, were able to contribute to the crafting of the Essence.

Under the faint light of the waning crescent moon, a follower of Sybil came to inform the Savage followers of a terrible problem that required their attention. As a result of so much magic being used in such a small area, combined with the presence of the Golden Acorn, a record number of Magic Eaters had gathered in the region. Having no natural predators nearby, their very presence was making a mockery of the balance of nature that they sought to uphold. A cull was necessary. They gathered the adventurers for a hunt. After slaying several small clusters of Magic Eaters, a rare larger one of great stature appeared alongside several of its young. The smaller creatures were dispatched as easily as their predecessors but the attacks had no effect against the larger Magic Eater. Fittingly, Haplo Tyrson released a blessing of Sybil, granting them a vision of Elemental magic harming it. With everyone enlightened with this detail, Vali of Clan Orson, Paladin of Valdr, called upon his divine powers to coat his blade with Elemental power, finally shattering its defenses. With the creature slain, its Essence was harvested.

Dragon Followers

In the early light of morning, followers of the Firstborn were approached by a Goblin called Snack Brekhun claiming to be an aspirant of the White Dragon, Zsiera. He solicited their help to slay a large White Drake and, in doing so, they could avail themselves of a piece of Essence. While they swiftly slaughtered the drake, it hurled accusations of treasure at Snack. The remaining carcass was rushed by a host of vicious bloodsucking Stirges which were dispatched just as quickly. After the battle, the Goblin had one of the draconic warriors cut open the white-scaled belly to remove the Essence-infused heart of the beast. Almost as an afterthought, Snack offered it to the adventurers as payment as he furiously rummaged through the spilled guts. As soon as he located a medallion that bore Zsiera’s mark, he clutched it with glee and scampered into the woods exclaiming “I’m freeeee!” leaving the adventurers without any further explanation.

Later in the day, a Tezothian Squire named Barnibus offered his assistance to the Firstborn followers. He explained that Tezoth, the Gold Dragon, decided that he would send aid and help his distant sister’s cause, although he could not be there personally due to the laws of their kind. Instead, using his power over the sun itself, he infused a portion of Essence in his possession into a vast array of brilliant sunbeams, and cast them towards the town of Seidenstadt. As mere shafts of light, their Essence was worthless. They would need to be focused and pointed at an object charged with draconic power. In agreement, the adventurers followed the squire’s instructions, using enchanted mirrors to direct the beams towards the nascent Draconic Pillar. Once each infused beam had collided with the Pillar, the Essence was made whole again and finally took shape, ready to be forged into yet another link of Ixiad’s chains.

Their last opportunity to claim Essence came in the evening by a visit of an Ajaunti Dragon Knight of Essyllt named Mirth. They expressed that the approaching threat would most undoubtedly be so powerful that ordinary magic would not stop him, let alone secure him in place long enough to have a chance of securing one of Ixiad’s binding chains safely. To this end, they explained they had been asked to steal an item of Vesmir’s realm and would lead them on the journey to claim it. This artifact was an enchanted hammer that not even a Demon Prince could fully withstand, allowing them a brief moment to fulfill their duty to Ixiad. To facilitate their journey, the knight had brought a powerful candle imbued with the strange energies of the mystic arts. So long as the flame danced upon the wick, their spirits could project into the Deadlands as if they were master mystics themselves. As the candle was lit, the adventurers left their bodies and arrived in Vesmir’s domain. They were greeted by a powerful spirit that both guarded over this sacred artifact and kept a ledger of all the dead that pass through his domain. Mirth revealed an ulterior goal, asking if Vesmir had made any progress regarding the bargain he struck with Essyllt, the purple Dragon, almost a decade ago: Recover Thade, the Orb of Necromancy, and the phylactery which shackled the spirit of the Firstborn Dracolich, Suulazultsur, in order to cleanse her corruption so her soul could rest. The spirit was unwilling to answer their inquiries, calling upon ancient magics to slip between worlds to summon a cadre of spectre-like Spirits to assail the adventurers. Despite their lack of flesh, the blows the adventurers delivered to these guardian spirits were real. When all the phantoms had been dispersed, the spirit was forced to manifest before them once again. As Mirth pressed the spirit, he sobbed as he admitted that the Dragons have no known afterlife. He added he had no record of Suulazultsur ever being in the Deadlands at any point in time. He could only conclude that her Dracolich body was never ensouled at all. He had never revealed this, not even to Vesmir himself, and was especially mortified that mortal spirits were made aware of this damning truth. Surrendering himself, the spirit did not resist when the hammer was taken from him, for he was so wracked by sorrow. Upon returning to their bodies, the Knight of Essyllt was furious at the implications of the revelations they had drawn out of the spirit. Nonetheless, their duty was completed and departed to return the artifact to Ixiad to prepare it for its intended purpose.

All Camps

Over the course of the weekend, the combined forces of the Whiteraven Alliance held an armed cordon around the town of Seidenstadt. The Temple of the Black Eclipse had great hordes of both Demon and mortal death-marching towards Ixiad’s lands by way of Tiefanue. If they did not hold the line, those forces would inevitably sweep over the town and all would be lost. True to their resolve, they held for several days and sleepless nights of constant bloodshed. Shortly after most had taken their dinner, in spite of the surrounding army, an elite force of the very best of the Temple of the Black Eclipse managed to pierce through the cordon, entering the town proper. Their apparent goal being to secure the Golden Acorn and perform a great and terrible demonic rite that would infuse their own Pillar with demonic energy. Their squad of several stalwart warriors, supported by archers and wytches, easily battered aside the town’s defenses, anchoring up positions around their ritemaster. The fight that followed was a long, drawn-out, brutal slug-fest. Entrenched to their position, the Eclipse elite formation could not be broken even as a meteor was called down upon them. The advantage could not be pressed by the adventurers, giving the Eclipse time to recover with Healing magics. The rite was completed and the demonic pillar grew, at great cost of their strength. Eventually, the Eclipse’s defenses were breached and, one by one, all were unceremoniously slaughtered.

Monday, August 5th, 2266

All Camps

Once more, those adventurers that were early to rise were met by the frenzied howls and screams of the demonic hordes. Emerging from one of the few Hellstack portals that yet remained open were Hellhounds with their Fiend handlers. These were easily dispatched by these brave folk. However, it quickly became apparent that this attack was unlike the others that had come before it. None of the Demons dared to interact with the glowing Pillars of divine or demonic energies like their predecessors. Instead, it seemed more like a tactical strike, a means by which the forces of the Hell King might test the strength and resolve of those who had fought so hard for the past two days. This theory was proven true, for a little after ten bells, the wards the Conclave had placed upon Seidenstadt to guard it from direct planar invasions buckled under the strain, showering the area with sparks as the threads of magic were torn apart. Amidst this thunderous cacophony of sundered ritual magic, a portal to the Hellstack tore itself open, making a mockery of the great works set to stop such a thing from happening.

From this portal strode the Avatar of the Demon Prince of Tyranny, Adramalech himself, clad and armoured in the very best war-gear that can be forged in the Gulf of Perdition. Even as limited as this particular form was, his raw power was obvious for all to see. Hellfire roiled off his form in waves and the ground itself blackened and died beneath his hooves. When he swung his hellsteel blade, mortals died. When he lifted a finger to direct a spell, more mortals died. Unescorted, he would be unmatched by any that were present. Alas, he was flanked at all times by two Demon Lords: beings of terrible power, authority, and might only equaled or surpassed by Princes such as himself. These creatures in turn commanded a great host of Lesser Demons, Hellhounds, Greater Fiends, and Baelonrogs, all marching in Adramalech’s assault force.

The adventurers did not yield. Not even in the face of such overwhelming power did a single one turn and run. In front of the Golden Acorn, they made their stand. Once the opposing front collided, all discipline evaporated, devolving the battle into a chaotic melee. Unrelenting, the adventurers fought like the Demons they sought to slay. Both veteran and neophyte emptied their pockets, expending every last vestige of strength and stockpiled power to endure the demonic storm. For some it was not enough, paying the ultimate price for their eventual victory.

The followers of the Firstborn were successful in striking Adramalech with their enchanted hammer, making him pause for a brief moment. Seizing their chance, followers of the Dark and those of the Firstborn competed to secure their chains forged from the Essence they had painstakingly collected in the past two days. With each chain secured, Adramalech’s steps faltered with his power diminishing until his hellsteel blade slipped from his fingers and he fell to his knees. The victory came with an unexpected cost, for when the last chain was secured to Adramalech, an explosion of raw hell-tainted power caught the Dread Knight Asterion, rending his body asunder and leaving nothing but ashes.

Those Demons still alive at this moment were suddenly filled with fear as their lord was bound and retreated towards the nearest hellrift in a panicked flight, harried by the now triumphant warriors.

As the dust settled and the heroes of Seidenstadt took stock of the situation, Baaagh emerged upon the field of battle. He took hold of the chains binding the Prince of Tyranny’s Avatar, before letting out a great and terrible shout that was equal parts fury and triumph. Adramalech was reluctantly dragged back to Bloodfire, where his powers would be exploited and made to turn against the Hell King and his minions. The Heart Eater returned shortly after securing his prize to return Asterion to his allies, for death had not yet claimed his spirit. Wasting little time, Baaagh’s Dread Knight tore down the demonic Pillar, pounding it into dust, while every adventurer chanted his name. Before leaving the Material Plane, Baaagh collected one of his fallen worshipers who had died a Final Death, an Ogre by the name of Granyte, personally carrying his spirit into Bloodfire’s gore-soaked expanse.

With the demonic Pillar destroyed, the magics of the Savage Pillar were free to aid in the new God’s birth. Valdr himself was summoned by his chosen and his aspirants. With a mighty blow from his hammer Brotnabru, he sundered the acorn in two, heralding the birth of his long lost child, Theodosia. While the godling was exhausted by the effort of their emergence, they spent as much time as they could learning from the mortals present, bearing witness to their stories and visualizing the lands they had seen. Interestingly, this godling mimicked the physical form of each adventurer as they encountered them, abruptly changing from one to another without thought or effort. Gifts of all kinds were given unto them; trinkets, clothing, and other mementos that carry the countless seeds of stories within. With gratitude, they were even able to bestow their blessing upon a mortal that took a particular interest in their ways, a Human by the name of Ville. This last act drained what little strength they had left and they allowed Valdr to carry them into Asgard.

Aftermath

Having accomplished their objective, the forces of the Whiteraven Alliance take their leave after tending to their wounded and dead.

Under the direction of Avandra Ironarm, the Tiefanese peasants make their way back west to secure the remnants of their shattered nation. While much of Tiefanue either lies in ruins or is now the domain of the Temple of the Black Eclipse, she has managed to secure a portion of land in the northeast where her people can live a somewhat normal life. Here, behind hastily erected fortifications and under heavy guard, crops are grown, children are educated, and more, all without the constant threat of demonic assaults. What remains of the true Church of Light tends to their flock behind these walls. They will rebuild so when the call to arms is sounded once again, those who hold fast to the Light will be ready. This relative calm that much of Maud’madir has begun to enjoy is likely due in large part to the sudden division and discord sewn amongst the forces of the Hellstack. Demonic warriors, once sworn to Adramalech, find themselves enslaved to Baaagh’s will and chaos erupts as they are forced to throw themselves against their demonic brethren with a frenzy that is not their own. The tremendous territorial gains achieved by the Black Eclipse’s forces slow down to a halt, as they are often so busy defending what they did manage to take earlier against the Heart Eater’s enslaved legions. Secret plans and schemes torn from the minds of his thralls have further blunted their spread across Arthos. Armed with this hidden knowledge, the Church of Darkness inflicts significant losses with a series of brilliant tactical strikes. For a time, it seems as if the world might not be coming to an end. Meanwhile, in Ixiad’s domain, the Spider Dragon does not curse herself for failing to enslave Baaagh’s new toy. She knows that the Heart Eater’s hold upon his prize is not absolute. Should his will falter, even for a moment, one of his chains will slip and she will pull tight upon her own silken strands…