Warcry 2025

Friday Night, August 1st, 2267

Countless ships. Imperial, Felnirian, Aslakian, Amaranthine Legion, Einish. All manners of banners from all nations and clans. They all began to slam into beachheads, one-by-one. Einish longships, Whiteraven galleons, Orcish destroyers. Arthos’ warriors unified in purpose, but not in heraldry. I witnessed them all begin to take the Isle of Haldrin’s Stand to stage their first steps toward the Hell King’s malefic seat of power in Tiefanue’s heart.

The Whiteraven Alliance was led by Queen Seltia Allana, Mother Matriarch of Felnir, as her ship landed first and led the adventurers onto the shore to engage the Black Eclipse directly from the beachhead. Seltia led the adventurers across the beach, meeting up with the Einish forces of Revna Mothersblood, High Chieftainess of United Mjoll and High Warlord Gigoliath the Flame Thrower of the Amaranthine Legion. Gigoliath was accompanied by a strange armoured Orc spoken only as ‘Oathbreaker’ by the High Warlord. The Whiteraven-landed adventurers made their way inland as the Imperial troops of Berphaunt, supported by vast Conclave rifts, assaulted the other side of the island led by the Emperor Louis Berphaunt on his faithful steed, the warhorse Gigoliath. At his side was his personal healer, the Lady Rosalie, and Aloysius the Many, Grandmaster of the Conclave.

The adventurers from all sides fought their way through the hordes of the Temple of the Black Eclipse, with imperial-aligned forces taking a series of gatehouses on the way to the designated forward operating base. When they could see the walls beset by demonic hordes, it was also revealed that Avandra’s Hammered Host alongside Avandra Ironarm herself were fighting the creatures off from within. While the imperial host broke the sieging army of the Hell King, the Whiteraven Alliance-aligned troops pincered the enemy from the opposite side, crushing the remaining Black Eclipse soldiers between the combined coalition forces and Avandra’s Hammered Host. With the landing won, the leaders of Arthos met on the field as equals, though with abrasion over how best to handle the coming war.

As the leaders departed to their respective encampments from the forward operating base, Yokai gathered for the coming Blood Tithe of their people, as five years had passed and the lottery for choosing the new Mastigio to bind the Demon Lord within Scythea Pyranos was to take place. Two Yokai attempted to run from the lottery. One was struck down by a hidden Masticophis Hound named Miko, while the other brazenly taunted to have the Hounds sent for her for shirking her duty to her people.

Saturday, August 2nd, 2267

As the landed coalition forces rested and prepared for the coming assault, a battle plan was devised by the military commanders of each faction. Haldrin’s Stand sat as an island off the coast of Lightguard City, and to take its walls, the coalition would have to control the waterways before further advancement would be possible. A war tent was assembled to assist in coordinating command and control between the different militaries and the adventurers loyal to each.

During the war talks, secretive demonic information was brought to the adventurers present in the base by a man identifying himself as Spectre Raviel Labon Argeal of the Spectre’s College. He implored that the several copies of this grim knowledge he held be disseminated amongst all to improve their chances in the coming battles ahead.

Lord Commander Aayden Drach of the Empire of Berphaunt arrived to address the adventuring populations and ready them for war, outlining war targets as well the advancement across the waters to Lightguard City. As he returned to the imperial camp, the Admiral of the Draconic War Council arrived to lay out a plan to take control of Deliverance, a massive artillery ship once of the Citadel, now controlled by the Temple of the Black Eclipse.

Deliverance was moored between the coalition forces and the walls of Lightguard, and to take the bay and provide cover for the Aslakian engineers building landbridges, it would need to be captured and disabled. The landbridges being built would be essential in ensuring the military forces of Arthos could move troops in and out of the advancing warzone and was designated as a high priority operation. As Aslakian engineers, with adventuring support, went about building bridges and removing Black Eclipse defenders, a separate group of adventurers gathered with the Draconic Admiral of Physignathus and secretly made way for the Deliverance and boarded her. The adventurers stole upon the ship, sneaking on to its deck from the silent stealth boats. They fought their way through the decks facing the sailors and marines of the Black Eclipse navy. The horrid tentacles of a demonically-infused Kraken slammed onto the decks of the ships, funneling the unlucky and the slow into its gnashing beak. Once the deck was cleared, one of their number, the sailor Eliza LeWick, discovered the hidden hatch which allowed access to the lower decks. With the dragon followers leading the charge, they fought below decks to where one of the bow chaser cannons had been turned to face their assault. The cannon ripped through the tightly packed ranks of adventurers but from within the smoke and blood, the fighters rallied. The bow chaser cannon was taken, its imp crew dispatched and Captain slain.  With the Captain’s defeat, the demonic artillery ship was captured. Quickly the cannoneers of the Physignathius Admiral began to bring Deliverance’s massive siege cannon to bear upon the forces of the Hell King, smashing them to pieces as the bridge strike team successfully crossed the newly constructed landbridges. Lightguard’s walls were now in reach and ready to fall – or so the coalition thought.

As the adventuring population returned from the successful capture of the Deliverance, a young Stormborn Einher smith named Ulric Golugsson informed those aligned with the Amaranthine Legion that a special artifice known as the Hellsplitter would need to be created. It required refined spirit-steel from the Hells as well as the spiritual essence of the dead Harbingers of Baaagh Clan stolen from Voynak to reach completion. With its power, the Stormborn and Ebon Khan Clans were confident that it would sever the alluring charms of the Hell King’s voice in the final assault against him. Tragically the young Stormborn would never see the Hellsplitter created as he fell to the Hell King’s first countermove against the coalition forces of Arthos.

With cacophonous fury, Demons of all shapes and sizes rampaged the mortal forces attempting to cross the landbridges. Simultaneously, hellrifts ruptured reality within the forward operating base, spilling forth Feral Baelonrogs of hitherto unseen ferocity. The sudden counterattack took the adventurers by surprise, and as many fought, many lay dying. The twin efforts of Theokleia and Xais Woodhart, Clerics of Cassandra, called down divine mercy upon countless of those same dying, returning them to the field of battle. By blessed catalysts and swift work their erected church was a beacon of life to all in the pitched combat.

It is at this point a keening whine echoed in my head, as a being of extraordinary strength began to rip through to this realm. I lost consciousness briefly, but when I regained my faculties I could smell fire and brimstone exuding from a massive hellrift that must have been the point of egress for the being in question, which I shall now describe.

The very King of Hell walked from the burning rift and towards the adventurers, clad in an armour of shimmering bone, wings still crushed to a fold by his previous fight with the Black Wyrm Styphon. In his clawed hands was the Orb of Necromancy, Thade; the source of his newfound skeletal encasement. With a single word he dominated all who could not resist within the area and bade them, “Come forward, kneel and listen.” The Hell King went on to say that Hell on Arthos was not his objective. His goal was not subjugation, but the freedom of his brothers and sisters in the Angelic Hosts of the Celestials. He explained to adventurers that his people had been taken by both the Gods and the Firstborn Dragons from his world and brought into theirs. He further stated that he would free them all from the cycle they lived in and end the existence of this world entirely so that his people may return to theirs. With this proclamation, the adventurers were given something he claimed his people were never given: a choice. He ended the powerful domination magics, turned, and left the field with his legions of Demons.

Stumbling and wounded, Warlord Thera’Zhul Oakenheart of the traitorous Razor-Vine Clan arrived at the base, flash-burnt by demonic flames. He begged the forgiveness of Gigoliath and claimed his clan was swayed over to the side of the false Church of Light. When it was revealed as the Temple of the Black Eclipse, many of his druids, while not ensorcelled like the rest, felt they were in too deep to escape their fate. He said that Demons from the Princedom of the Immaculate Abhorrence were twisting a nearby section of forest with a direct connection to the Wormwood Plane, and were using its immense spiritual energy to empower the Hell King’s troops. The Brewlord Clan as well as the other adventurers present decided to allow him to try and cleanse the forest while they defended him, in a twin attempt to weaken the demonic hordes and show his strength to his remaining Razor-Vine people to win them back to his side. The adventurers succeeded in repelling the empowered Perfection Demons and the Razor-Vine silently acknowledged the strength of their Warlord once again. Thera’Zhul, in thanks, summoned forth ancient Treants to rise from the forest and batter down the gates of Lightguard City, as well as any Demons unfortunate enough to get in their path.

From here, several things of note occurred across many factions:

The Yokai Rin of the Masticophis Hounds, with the help of Theokleia, gathered most of the coalition forces to help keep the Demon Lord of Gore, Baron Abraxxys, bound within Scythea’s blood. With resounding success, the chain-like whips holding her became empowered, and Scythea’s form became less and less demonic in turn. This revealed to many of Arthos outside of her former Mastigio, that her Yokai demon mark was a looping infinity symbol upon her forehead, with chain patterns marking her cheeks vertically.

During a gathering hosted by the Matron of House Renaton, House Damena was demoted to a minor house by the Primus of Antioch for the major political failure of making a public allegiance with Samara the Ungraved and letting a Dragon Knight of Shiloth take root within their house, causing significant unrest between Berphaunt and Antioch that needed to be addressed. House Renaton was promoted to nobility by House Da’Shere for their loyalty to Antioch in capturing the Matron of House Damena who is now awaiting a formal trial. House Renaton was also given House Damena’s holdings in Golgotha during the promotion.

During the gathering, several clever individuals were able to root out a traitor from House Mesa that had managed to hide herself within the Antioch encampment. House Mesa had allied themselves with the Hell King, and had been leaking information that resulted in the theft and sabotage of many supplies intended for the warfront. Grand Inquisitor Aeval, Cleric of Alakasha, Ennhalyn, Dread Knight of Alakasha, along with Pithlit Steadfoot, Medea Calarenz, and the Pirate Lord Renault Lafayette Du Odie III were some of the noted individuals who helped to narrow down the suspects and eventually lead to the capture of the informant.

Later, after the information had been extracted from the perpetrator, several were gathered to enact vengeance on House Mesa. They had set up a nearby safehouse, and Porcia Glavendel was able to escort a select few people to help eliminate this threat to both Antioch and the warfront. Accompanied by an Unholy Warrior summoned by Aeval, she, along with Ennhalyn, Pithlit, Vesper Longshadow, and Avrhos were able to eliminate the final encampment of House Mesa and retrieve much needed supplies for the impending battle.

Two men of a previously unknown organization known as the Synod Pravada, Jhino the Penitent, an Ice Elf, and Malroth the Sable, an elderly Human, made their way into the coalition’s base. Their mission seemed to be to follow up on an investigation into potential leaders for the currently vacant throne of the Black Cathedral of Berphaunt. Assuring all they interviewed that they had no ambition themselves of taking up the mantle of leadership, each member of the Synod Pravada gained insight into who those of the Dark allegiances thought could fill the needed role. While the results of these talks remains a mystery, it is said that one name was almost unanimously spoken above all others. Almost just as soon as they arrived, the two departed the warfront to their secretive headquarters abroad at the House of Seofon.

Meanwhile, an individual known as Greyson carved a Nithing Pole; a long wooden stake of Einish curses. Many adventurers, not knowing if the pole’s supposed power was true, nonetheless cursed at it, pouring their hatred and vitriol for the Hell King into the object. This notably included Emperor Louis, High Warlord Gigoliath, and reportedly the colossal ghost of the High Warlord’s late Uncle Naradd the Obese. Some say this action by the collective coalition forces truly did lay a terrible curse upon the King of Demons.

Unbeknownst to all, from the town of Dark Harbor, the Yessalor sisters Aywin and Cayna did slip into the Isle of Haldrin’s Stand the Orb of Madness, finally known to the world as Junuun. Their intent was to deliver it to Salam the God of Magic, as a gift and tribute to show their loyalty, as Aywin was an aspiring Favoured of the Warlock. There they did meet in a ruined temple of Salam… but they were not alone. The Arch Sage General Zwei, Master Siege Magician and Dragon Knight of Doranth, was waiting. As this azure-blue Draconian watched them, they reached the top of the temple’s tower. There, a beaten and wounded Angel of Salam appeared through a divine rift. He explained that the forces of the Hellstack Plane had increased their attacks on the Celestial Realms sevenfold, and the true source of magic, hidden inside the Firstborn Doranth’s lair, was under siege. For the first time in recorded history Salam and Doranth stood side-by-side, employing great magics in unison to combat the demonic hordes… for if the true source fell, all magic would fall.

The Angel then commanded both the Draconian and Aywin to use the Orb of Madness as a tool against the Hell King. She was then to return Junuun to the temple where Salam would lay claim to it.

That night, members of the Conclave who were monitoring magic in the area reported that within the Final Bastion of Vesmir’s Heaven that hung, visible and ethereal, over Lightguard, something dire was happening. It seemed as though the Hell King was manipulating the very facets of time itself, presumably looking for a particular thread.

Not since Ta-Ba-Ret have I feared such a brazen act of worldly defiance. I steel myself, and move forward alongside the coalition in secret.

The Conclave rifted the adventurers to Vesmir’s displaced Final Bastion, where the King of Demons sat upon the clockwork throne within. He tirelessly searched through the threads of time, plucking at them with fervour for something yet unseen. Almost immediately, a Wild Elven man by the name of Taralova, rushed at the King of Demons, who rose from his seat to meet him. Attempting to swiftly destroy the Orb of Necromancy the Hell King held in his hand, his strike was blocked. For his brave attempt, the Hell King obliterated him in rage. He then raised a barrier of hellfire between the throne where he worked, and from those who had interrupted him. The adventurers were then engaged by a renegade Angel of Cronos who had refused to align with the new God of Time, Vesmir. Succeeding the Angel’s trials allowed for erected barriers of arcane might summoned by the Hell King to fall, but failed attempts set deadly pockmarks into the adventurer’s spirits.

As the Hell King pulled on time itself, manifestations and monsters from the past came into existence within the Final Bastion. Tapestries of possible futures, pasts, and realities took form as the King of Hell searched for what he was looking for.

While I was beside myself with internal rage, I remembered my endless training and steadied myself. The following possibilities that occurred, I now document:

A world where the High King of Mjoll, Thorson Bloodeye, was never frozen in unmelting ice. Where, thus, the Einish Civil War never happened. A strong and united Mjoll that raided and conquered into the south of Maud’madir.

A world where Prince Leopold Tiefanue and Princess Louisa Berphaunt married and brought Arthos together in a reign of peace. One that would see Shiloth’s head mounted upon the highest minaret of the Berphauntian Royal Palace. A world where the Green Dragon Suulazultsur lived and nature thrived.

A world where all bent the knee to the Emperor Louis Berphaunt in Day’ten. Where a united Arthos handily defeated the Brood of Ta-Ba-Ret on the shores, and the Whiteraven Alliance never needed to come to fruition. In this world Suvant never fell from the skies, and Melinda was never consumed by the endless hives of the Brood. But in the aftermath, the Goblinoids of the Savage Legion were annihilated to near extinction, forests were ripped up to fuel the flames of industry, and Wild Elven communities across all of Maud’madir were forced into squalor. A world where the common person toiled till their hands bled.

A world where Hell on Arthos was a reality. The Celestials burned and fell from their Heavens and the Dragons were besieged by the diabolic legions of the Hellstack. However, this vision was swiftly dismissed by the Hell King; it was not what he sought.

Finally, a world that the Hell King was searching for. Each adventurer saw what he saw. The Gods took those powers that would become Angels that lived in high towers, and the Dragons took the opposite that would become Demons. With a mighty blow he severed the thread and in doing so, seemingly eviscerated the spell that connected the Angels servitude to the Deities.

With each tapestry along with waves of monsters, creatures and people from possible time periods came forth. Amongst them of note was Warlord Master Bröduex Sprawn, a paradoxical Asher of the Dawn uncorrupted by the Hell King, Noemi the Last Ward of the Green Dragon, and even the Mortigeist.

With the connection between the Gods and Angels severed, the Hell King had believed he had achieved his goal, and welcomed his brothers and sisters to their newfound freedom. However, he was wrong in his assumptions. An Archangel of Roland came down from the Ordinance Eternal and told the Hell King the bitter truth; the Angels had chosen their fate amongst the Gods willingly. That while he did sever the spell that bound the Heavenly Host to their new existence as Angelic beings, in his arrogance, he did not consider that they had chosen that fate. That he was the worst of them, and that for millennia they had tried to live with him and his iniquity, but he had made it impossible. The Archangel wept saying he did not know if the King of Demons could be redeemed, and then raised a broadsword of holy fire. The Hell King, momentarily taken aback by this shattering of his truth, quickly regained himself, rested the sword from the Angelic being, and cast him to the ground.

“Then Hell on Arthos it is. I shall walk upon the cinders of this land. I shall see it and you cast from the Heavens!”

With these words, he plunged the sword into the Archangel, and turned to the onlooking crowd. Producing Thade from within himself, he spoke:

“And you will serve, in life or death!”

At that moment Thade spoke into the minds of all those around:

“They do not serve you. They serve me. The Black sends his regards.”

The granted bone armour that once empowered the Hell King then turned upon him, piercing through muscle and sinew to pump raw Infliction energy into his form. For a moment it brought him to his knees, however with the last of his strength he cast Thade away and was able to Hell Walk out of the Final Bastion before any lasting damage could be done. The area sparked with the arcane misuse of the clockwork throne, and the adventurers sought the rifts they entered from to return to the forward operating base before being utterly erased by time.

It should be said that the perverse abuse of the clockwork throne by the King of Demons, was never how that relic of unfathomable power was meant to be used. This action of severance would, perhaps even unknowingly to the Hell King, be the undoing of one previous. The Divine Severance that wracked the Material Plane of Arthos, expunging Light and Dark alike from mortal wielders of its magics, unraveled with the Hell King’s reckless use of Vesmir’s throne. The mortals of Arthos began to slowly feel their connections to their Gods trickle back into them over the next month. But that is a story yet unfolding. I return back to my recount of events.

Sunday, August 3rd, 2267

On Sunday morning, Lord Commander Aayden Drach and High Chieftainess Revna Mothersblood addressed the adventuring warriors of Arthos on the current state of the assault on Lightguard. Imperial legions had held the land bridges through the night, though at a heavy cost of life. Furthermore, the battlements the Black Eclipse forces were using to hold the Coalition forces back had been shattered and laid to waste by Thera’Zhul’s summoned Treants – having sundered the ancient gates of Lightguard City and opened them to egress. Drach and Mothersblood called every able-bodied adventurer together to assist in clearing the streets of Lightguard and push the reeling Black Eclipse off key objectives. As the adventurers were led across the landbridges and into the city, the utter destruction and severe corruption that had befell the once golden city was apparent to all. Lining the water and into the city, corpses of Imperial, Einish, Whiteraven, Hammered Host and Amaranthine Legion warriors were piled up among Black Eclipse in equal measure. Working in cohesion with Revna Mothersblood’s command, the adventures moved ally-to-ally, street-to-street, and building-to-building, clearing out the remnants of retreating Black Eclipse loyalists as pathways were opened up to key fortifications. Furthermore, infrastructure within the city needed to be captured before headway towards the fort could be assured. Once a means to assault the port was cleared, the adventurers regrouped back at the coalition base to resupply before the next wave of assault was to be sent.

With the outer city taken the coalition forces had gained a foothold towards Castle Lightguard itself. However supplies were running low and the main harbour was still occupied by Black Eclipse vessels. Simultaneously, the consumed spirits of the Harbingers of Baaagh warriors stolen from Voynak were located by Mantis, an Ebon Khan Orc scout. He informed all Legion sympathizers that the pilfered spirits were caught within the hellish robes of the Harvester Demon Yawg-Vishtet the Siphoner, a Duke of the Spirit Tempest itself seen aboard an eerie vessel in open water. An engineering and demolitions team took many adventurers through lower tunnels to clear the docks of enemy vessels by way of powerful explosives. The tunnels were infested by Earth Elemental Landsharks, but in the end the team prevailed, with a Kobold named Bonehead setting off the detonations. However, their escape from the tunnels was met not with fanfare, but instead with further danger.

A ship burning with ghostly flames that refused to douse rose from the depths of the western shores. The reaper-like Yawg-Vishtet phased through the ship’s bow, hellbent on draining the life force of the returning demolition team. It summoned twisted spiritual warriors from its macabre collection as reinforcements, but was eventually brought low by the amassed forces. With its grueling defeat, Wigzozz of Clan Brewlord bore the Harvester’s robes, which slowly were siphoning his spirit and filling him with otherworldly wrath. Before he succumbed to its hellish influence, he, Orokgrim Doomflesh, Grizzgar, and Cora Lapideum took the robes back to the forward Legion encampment. Wigzozz called forth a Dark Hallowing of Baaagh to cleanse the corruption of Demonic Magic ensorcelling the Orcish spirits within the vile robe. Baaagh’s influence obliterated Yawg-Vishtet utterly, revealing that the Demon was attempting to resurrect from the spiritual glut within the robes, and the first piece of the Hellsplitter was acquired. The refined spirit-steel was attained in secret, and delivered to Clan Stormborn smiths in the final hour. Tirelessly working before the final assault on Castle Lightguard, they combined the ingredients into a long metal spike, charged with vengeful Orcish spirits and the will of the fallen Stormborn Ulric Golugsson.

With the docks secure, the newly appointed First Sea Lord of Duvain Leora Fraley sailed in at the head of what remained of her navy, scuttling and sinking the remaining Black Eclipse vessels attempting to flee, including the animated ghastly galleon of Yawg-Vishtet. She swung down from her ship, the Verdict’s Grace, and informed all around that Duvain had arrived with resupply, fully loaded with elite bombardiers and their mighty naval cannons.

Once again, several things of note occurred across many factions in preparation for the final assault upon Castle Lightguard:

High Chieftainess Revna Mothersblood met the adventurers on the warfront with a brave face, a sharp wit, and a hidden pain. Over the course of several fights and diplomatic discussions it became known to the Einish who followed her banner that something was plaguing her mind. In an effort to determine more, she charged a small group of Einher in company with some Sybil followers to find and free a recent prisoner taken by the Black Eclipse whom she believed could help – the Ur-Vitki Skarn. Once freed, Skarn took counsel with Revna and determined that the magic from the Battlehorn of the Einherjar had left a lasting effect upon Revna when she had blown it two years prior. Thousands of voices of the summoned dead now lingered within her mind. These voices originally sounded with joyful battlecries, but now turned to pain and anger from an unknown source. Skarn confirmed that something was attempting to anchor these voices in the Deadlands while using Revna’s mind as a conduit.

Meanwhile, a few mystics had recouped from a demonic source the breath of Revna that had blown through the horn, having prevented it from being given to the Hell King. Through various auguries and prayers to Haldora, the mystics were able to determine that Tyrik Halfman somehow had a hand in these voices. Under the direction of Skarn, the devotees prepared for a rite to call forth the source of these voices by gathering Basilisk venom, stone talons, an ever-crying eye, and a tail from a Kitsune. These materials were gained through collective perseverance, clever distractions, earnest discussion, and impressive feats of strength.

In the afternoon, Lord Commander Aayden Drach along with several Imperial troops escorted three prisoners through the coalition encampment. Accompanying them was the Dark Elf imperial courtesan and healer Vesper, Avandra’s masked advisor Lucian Aestram and Orc Ilya Oathbreaker of the Amaranthine Legion. Arriving at the war tent, the prisoners were each presented for an expedient sentence. The first prisoner addressed was an acknowledged imperial deserter, having shown cowardice on several occasions and caught attempting to leave the warfront. Lord Commander Drach, seeing the interest of the adventurers assembled, posed the question of what would be a fitting sentence. Drach advised traditionally the sentence would be death given the consequential nature of war and the current life and death stakes they all shared in common – regardless of personal preference or talent for battle. The courtesan Vesper argued the woman did not deserve to die for cowardice, and Lucian agreed with this assessment, adding that he sensed no corruption or evil intent in her story, simply fear. Ilya at first disagreed with the general sentiment of forgiveness, baring no ill will to the coward, but reinforcing that all members of the community must be held to the same law and standard less disorder reign – the laws serve the communal good and so while tragic, the deserter should be held accountable to such determined punishment as well, with regret. In the end, the deserter was shown leniency by the Lord Commander and committed to the charge of the Quartermaster to serve the war effort in other ways to which Ilya found in the interest of the community and within acceptable accountability. The second prisoner was a captured cultist who claimed to have only served the Black Eclipse forces because there was no other option other than death. Again, the courtesan felt death would be too stark of a punishment and that mercy should be offered, as they did turn themselves in to the advancing coalition forces. Ilya found it compelling that they did turn themselves in for judgement and thus found another sentence more fitting than death; to allow them a chance to find redemption. However, Lucian continued to pry into the prisoner’s story, finding that they did partake in killing of the innocent and corruptive acts. He advised death was the only fitting punishment for they have shown the inherent weakness of evil within them and must be held accountable for the deaths they had caused. Considering their words, Lord Drach had the prisoner taken away for execution at a later time.

The final prisoner was brought in by the Einish forces of Mothersblood, an Inquisitor of the Citadel raving of the purity of Kael’s Light. He was convinced that Tiefanue’s glittering cityscapes stood all around him, with Angels soaring about it, and that it was the coalition forces who were in fact the corrupted ones. Lucian recognized the man as one from his old unit, known for his perverse joy in enacting the flames of the Citadel against innocents. Vesper struggled with the decision at hand, as it was not mercy he deserved, but those who had fallen to his self righteousness that could not speak for themselves anymore. The man was summarily executed by Lucian’s blade, with all in agreement as to the verdict.

In the execution’s wake; Vesper, Ilya and Lucian debated the fundamentals of their beliefs in relation to the situation at hand, and how the teachings of the Light had been so contorted to be used for such great evils. Vesper and Ilya agreed that life must be protected by law, and the laws must uphold life as paramount, be responsive to the people’s needs, and not as tools used for control or subservience. In that moment, the coalition camp erupted in blinding luminance as both Vesper and Ilya stood showing themselves in truth; winged, Fallen Angels of Cassandra and Roland redeemed.

Having witnessed the redemption of Vesper and Illya earlier, Lucian Aestram led a group of light followers through Lightguard City to an area where Black Eclipse jailors had prisoners who had no doubt suffered torture and pain at their hands for years. The jailors were taken alive and the prisoners released to confront their captors. Lucian encouraged the prisoners to see the jailors for what they were. To see the evil within them and to take on their sins within themselves – to know it is the duty of good men and women to ensure evil does not breed and grow from fear and inaction. But action has consequences: any life taken will be judged by Kael himself. As the Prisoners took back their agency over their lives and removed the unrepentant evil which had caused them and others so much pain, Lucian’s wings erupted from his back and he stood redeemed in the light among Kael’s Angelic Host.

After a brutal and long 24-hour battle, both the Empire and Amaranthine Legion saved each other enough times that a short lived but powerful bond developed between Emperor Louis and High Warlord Gigoliath; A respect. They travelled together into Haldrin’s Stand along with Revna and Avandra to raise the morale of troops, and to have a drink at a warfront-borne location of the Flaming Keg Tavern owned by Natasha, Cleric of Eindridil. The Emperor then found a man by the name of Perthro and knighted him outside of the wartent for bravery and loyalty to the Empire of Berphaunt. This was the result of his collection of the sundered Crown of Tiefanue from the incinerated corpse of Prince Leopold, and its delivery into the hands of the imperial palace. The Emperor then met with his Black Cathedral and gave them words of inspiration and valour.

Word came down to the adventurers that with the outer walls breached the main forces had made their way to the outer bailies of Castle Lightguard. The adventurers were then split into two groups. One group would follow Avandra who led the charge atop the castle ramparts supported by Leora Fraley’s Duvanian naval cannons. The other group would fight through the trenches to take and secure hell-cannons that were able to fire on the coalition forces outside the walls. After a blistering barrage of cannon fire on the outer bailey walls of Castle Lightguard, a section of wall came crashing down. Avandra led the adventurers to scaling the rubble and took the fight to the demonic forces on the ramparts.

While they fought and secured the towers of the walls deadly accurate Duvanian cannon fire reigned down upon the Demons that tried to hold the wall. Members of the Blood Red Rose saw horrific and awful sights within these towers, yet were able to rescue a small contingent of victims to the Black Eclipse’s cruel deprivations. As they got closer to the main gatehouse, a large and powerful Demon flew over the walls, trophies of the fallen hanging from it. In one of its clenched hands, a scorched Whiteraven Alliance banner. In the other, a flaming whip. It rained hellfire on the walls and with its whip lashed out at Avandra. The whip wrapped around her hammer, but with the hands of a cold dead corpse she hung on tight and was taken into the air by the creature. Avandra and the Demon exchanged blows mid-air before it cut her arm off, her hammer falling down below into the hordes of Demons on the other side of the wall. The two then took flight as the fighting on the ramparts made it closer to the main gate. As the adventurers took out the defenders of the gatehouse, the sound of uneven wing flaps heralded Avandra and the Demon crashing through the roof of the structure. She stood, missing an arm, bloodied but unbroken, and took out a smaller smithing hammer. When the two met in combat again she kicked out the Demon’s leg and crushed its skull. A barrage of Duvanian cannon fire ripped over and through the remaining walls, pushing the Hell King’s forces back to the castle proper. The coalition had taken the gates.

Later that evening a group of specialists found tunnels beneath Lightguard that lead to a vault. They theorized there may be enchanted weapons within that Avandra’s forces could use to fight the more resilient Demons not harmed by silvered armaments. Within were multiple Wizard Lock barriers that contained locked cases, as well as a room protected by a barrier with a single hammer that lay upon a dais. None of the adventurers could enter the barrier, but when Avandra attempted to pass, it immediately dropped. She took up the hammer and prepared for the final push toward Castle Lightguard.

As Avandra’s forces fought to capture the walls of Castle Lightguard, the Draconic War Council led a flanking maneuver to capture an arcane siege weapon that was firing upon the walls, and destroy a forge of the Demon Prince Zahadun that was making demonic weaponry for the Hell King’s armies. The Dragon Knight of Isana, Jorin, led the strike team into the trenches guarding the forge. Black Eclipse trench fighters, wytches, and demonically-possessed soldiers harried them through a complex network of ditches. All the while the strike team faced a hail or mortar fire coming from the forge, blasting their lines apart. The strike team did not waver, and they fought through the incoming fire toward the forge.

The forge was guarded by two massive impenetrable doors made of spirit-iron. The combined might of all of the strongest warriors there could not open them. As they struggled and failed, an aspirant of Physignathus, K’lar, came forwards, and set up a truly massive charge of Cindamite alchemy upon the hinges and locks of the forge doors. When the charge was set, the massive breach launched the doors inwards, crushing the first wave of Black Eclipse soldiers to death under its weight. As the smoke cleared, the strike team charged forwards… directly into the path of a gigantic Ifrit Forgemaster wielding a cannon in one hand, and a huge slab of sharpened iron in the other. The Ifrit fired his cannon into the now tightly packed lines of the strike team, ripping them apart as the whistling cannon ball was sent through the bodies. A group of champions fought their way through the lines of Black Eclipse and managed to stop the Forgemaster from firing a fourth time. During the chaotic battle Dragon Knight of Doranth Jabba, was able to recover the nigh-omnipotent arcane power source that allowed the siege weapon to function, immediately causing it to power down. The magical power threatened to rip him apart, but he managed to transport it away from the fray.

At that same time, the trapper and Kaltraxis follower Konk, snuck into the bowels of the forge itself, and blew apart the cunning construction, revealing the secret to the forge’s power: a stolen sliver of Rathenoch’s flaming Breath Weapon. Konk was protected from the Dragon’s fire by a Greater Mark of Rathenoch, given to him by a Khan from the Draconic War Council, but even this power was not enough to fully shield him from the Dragon’s barely contained flame. His scorched body bore the tiny sliver out of the forge and to the council, where it was collected by the Khan. The power source of arcane potency was handed over to Arch Sage General Zwei by Jabba as well.

The removal of these fulcrum pieces destabilized the Ifrit’s forge, causing it to erupt into an explosion that sent the Forgemaster hurtling back to Zahadun’s Principality in the Hellstack. The strike team barely escaped the blast.

Meanwhile, Brokk Ironhands was guided by what he believed to be the word of the Goddess Magnora herself to beseech the followers of the Dark. The very chain used to bind the Avatar of the Prince of Tyranny, Adramalech, held the power to forge a weapon capable of grievously wounding the Hell King; perhaps even severing his ability to wield his golden hellfire. As the unique components for its construction were read off, all present to hear Brokk’s words agreed to take on the arduous task for its completion, including Asterion, Dread Knight of Baaagh, Auriel, Slaughterpriest of Baaagh, Lapideus, Shaman Asami, Atropha, Kong, Razz, Reia, Sveela Clawborn, Dread Knight of Malagant, Asha, Harconus, Ranna, Darkweaver of Haldora, and the recently knighted Sir Perthro of Berphaunt.

The bones of a fallen Angel, dirt from a grave in the Deadlands, and the sound of death were all needed to complete the weapon alongside the binding chains. Through spiritual contact, Asami was able to converse with a Ferryman who gave more insight. While the first two ingredients were clear, the Ferryman explained that the ‘sound of death’ would be a Banshee’s wail, contained in some rare fashion. Keeping their word to the Ferrymen to not cause undue harm to any area he brought them to, the Dark adventurers claimed the needed angelic bone, and a canopic jar from a Mummy that would serve to contain a Banshee’s wail. After a Banshee Queen arose, threatening those for their actions, Atropha managed to convince her to allow her scream’s capture, if he could endure it himself. Doing so and bearing its full brunt, the powerful Banshee kept to her end of the bargain and screamed into the canopic jar before returning to rest.

Returning to the Material Plane to allow the scream to congeal into ectoplasm, the final preparation had begun for the weapon’s construction. A spirit would be needed that bore connection to the Hell King, and such the Avatar of Adramalech held in Baaagh’s Heaven of Bloodfire was chosen. Asterion used a magic ring to call out to the God Baaagh before falling to his own blade. Minutes passed before there was any answer, but as those gathered grew concerned that it may not have been enough, a bloodform of the avatar arose from the pool created by the Minotaur’s body. A lengthy negotiation ensued and a deal was finally struck where Adramalech would lend his power to the chains so that they may be used properly in the forging, in exchange for his release from Bloodfire’s confines. With all of the pieces in place for the weapon to be forged, Brokk Ironhands led the crafting along with fellow blacksmiths Lapideus, Reia, and John Kalius. The forging process was assaulted by Demons and Black Eclipse soldiers intent on stopping the weapon’s final creation. In the end, a pactblade was the result, named “Regicide” to mark its resolute purpose.

Finally, the coalition was ready to take the battle directly to Castle Lightguard and the Hell King himself, who was waiting for their arrival having drawn his remaining forces back to surround him. Lord Commander Aayden Drach assembled the adventurers for the coming battle and in rows the Coalition of Arthos marched to Castle Lightguard.

A resounding boom echoed across the crimson-red skies of Tiefanue’s ruined cityscape as the forces marched. The massive spirit-iron siege weapon taken from the Ifrit Forgemaster by the Draconic War Council unleashed its payload. The arcane power source emboldened the reclaimed spark of Rathenoch’s flame into a howling inferno that collided with the Hell King as the coalition approached.

As they arrived at the foot of the ramparts, the singed, but alive, Hell King was pulling the very Hellstack itself into the mortal plane, engulfing the castle with every new tainted level of demonic filth.

The Emperor, Lady Rosalie and a division of imperial infantry did lay siege to the battlements of Castle Lightguard. They were repelled and the only two to remain were the Emperor and Rosalie. It is then adventurers arrived as reinforcements from all manner of factions.

An epic melee did ensue against the Hell King and his demonic hordes, until he dropped a barrier of pure, golden hellfire. None could pass without their spirits being incinerated utterly, save for the Emperor, whose Gerdainian-forged armour made him immune. The Emperor Louis and the Hell King did engage in combat atop the battlements, but at a pivotal moment, when the Emperor needed it the most, Lady Rosalie failed to give him healing. Worse still, the protections and rituals on his spirit were destroyed in an instant, leaving him most vulnerable. The Hell King capitalised on this moment of weakness, driving his sword through Louis’ chest and then discarded his body behind the risen Hellstack.

Many actions of bravery, ferocity, and wanton recklessness were taken in the fight against the King of Demons. Some of which I now record here for all time.

Dragon Knight of Ahriman, Nevicata del Bastone, let loose the largest twinfold blast of Elemental Lightning ever wielded by mortal hands, stripping away two of the Hell King’s most powerful defensive abjurations. She was utterly destroyed in retribution by the wrathful King.

Asterion, Dread Knight of Baaagh, engaging the Hell King doggedly, binding him to the Material Plane via his destructive greatsword. His strikes hit the Hell King with the force of hurricanes, and caused the King of Demons to obliterate him to cease the assault.

Cora Lapideum, Daughter of Gigoliath, hammered the Hellsplitter into the surface of the Material Plane, letting loose a pulse of pure spiritual force across the battlefield. All those in the area found themselves resistant to the charming and horrifying influence of the Demons, as the rage of the Harbingers of Baaagh phantoms filled them with defiant power.

Aywin Yessalor, newly anointed Weaver of Salam and Zwei, Dragon Knight of Doranth combined their talents and channeled their magic through Junuun, the Orb of Madness. The two nearly crumbled under the mental assault of the orb, now removed from its long standing containment. However, their perseverance culminated in a spectacular display. A large beam of pure white light shot forth from Junuun and struck the Hell King square in the chest. This arcane blast of madness made manifest is believed to have limited his ability to consume Divine energy to replenish his strength.

This Chronologer will note that once the strike was delivered, Junuun was taken back by Aywin and her sister Cayna, but not before being dragged across the Claw of Doranth, wielded by Zwei. This scratch seemed small, but allowed for the harnessed madness of the orb to leak and bleed into the mortal realm in a manner uncontrolled. This was seen by those protecting the sisters as a deliberate attack, and Zwei was cut down by the multitude of people assigned to protect them, including fellow Dragon Knight of Doranth, Jabba. Seeing the imminent danger that the orb now presented, the twins held fast and used their ritually-granted ability to trek away. Even I was beginning to feel my thoughts dangerously wander, and I applaud the quick thinking of the Yessalor sisters.

Avas Ibsen, an Einish Witch Hunter, utilized Counter Magics to deflect countless meteors of Elemental energy called upon by the Hell King.

Sir Perthro channeled the final blast of Dark magic into the Hell King which brought him low.

In his death throes, the Hell King attempted to call upon his Demon Princes to aid him, but in a desperate bid to grab the Hell Crown, their servants began to rip at his crumbling form to take it. As he was torn asunder and pulled back into the depths of the Hellstack Plane, he hurled the crown back into the Spirit Tempest before the claws of his children could take it. In anger, they tore his body and spirit asunder, each taking a piece back to their respective Principalities.

When the battle was over those that discovered the Emperor found only a shell of his armour that turned to ash when touched. His body, a blackened charred skeleton, was unrecognizable and carried back to town with honours.

Come the wee hours of the night the Masticophis Hounds hunted the Yokai Bellatrix, who had taunted them previously. She had evaded them for quite some time, yet, the Masticophis always find their mark, and she was executed for her refusal to take part in the Blood Tithe.

Monday, August 4th, 2267

Aywin and Cayna Yessalor, having completed their task, returned to the ruined tower of Salam. It was there that they discovered that Zwei’s bestowed Claw of Doranth scarred a hairline fracture in Junuun, causing its madness to leak uncontrollably. Still, they decided to give the orb to Salam and, as it was magically transported to Salam’s Heaven of Arcanium, they did witness a rainbow-coloured infection spread through the Ley Lines in the area. Those that lay in its path had their minds scramble into pure maddening thought for a short period of time.

Bringing together the needed materials as outlined by the Ur-Vitki Skarn, Revna Mothersblood opened herself to him. Through a blood rite which brought Revna close to death, Skarn summoned forth the screaming voices of the once-fallen Einish dead, corrupted and twisted by the then-revealed hand of Tyrik Halfman of Clan Fenrick. Tyrik appeared laughing at the attempts of the mortals, somehow preventing the twisted dead from harm. He began to speak on how eventually he would corrupt even the mind of the High Queen, intending to leave her as no more than a husk to be possessed and used for his own plan, however as he came to the crescendo of his speech, a living Einher emerged from the Deadlands and began a terrible onslaught upon the traitorous Tyrik: Rory Lidelse of Clan Bothnia.

Rory stepped forward with his greatshield and beat Tyrik back, finally breaking the Halfman’s connection to the fallen Undead Einher, and subsequently to Revna’s mind. Taking advantage of a rare moment with his sovereign, Rory he swore anew his pledge to hunt the traitor. Revna demanded to know what had become of her son Orin, to which Rory confessed to having been separated from him, but that he would not rest until he was again found. Revna swore to see Rory once again, and released him back to the Deadlands. For the first time in two years, quiet returned to the mind of the High Chieftainess. She addressed those who had protected her body throughout the rite and renewed her pact to lead the Einish towards glory. The Drael’Thalan who had so impressed Revna previously was given two gifts to remind them of their charge: a piece of Revna’s tartan, and Revna’s personal shield.

Vesper, returned to her true form in the Angelic Host of Cassandra, approached the adventurers with an important task to bring the Light back to Tiefanue. It started by cleansing the remaining corruption in the old seat of the defunct Church of Light. Leading a contingent of Light faithful along with those who would see the demonic taint washed from the once golden lands, Vesper brought the adventurers into a tower soaked in animated constructs of foul blood. Fighting their way to the top of the tower, they reached an ornate door with markings of the Citadel that once resided there. The Yokai known only as “D” attempted to unlock the door with peerless skill, and with the aid of Vesper’s Light it opened. Once inside the nature of the corruption was vastly apparent. Entering from the window, Angel of Roland Ilya and Angel of Kael Lucian arrived to assist. Together the adventures and Angels came together and channeled the Light, eradicating the last of the demonic infection from the old seat of power of the Citadel. As the adventurers admired the cleansed chamber, what was once blood that soaked the walls and ceiling dropping upon them was now divinely-blessed and purified water. The Angels spoke amongst one another, committing to a future of grace born of upholding the virtues of the Light’s teachings – not of institutionalized faith and worship – for the later leads only to appeasement of sin and weaponized fanaticism. It is said the heavenly words of Roland, Cassandra, and Kael, inscribed in most ancient scripture, were reverently taken from the chamber by the adventurers, to be spread to Arthos at large.

Within the chamber, the Paladin of Roland, Kywin, converted into a Lightweaver of his God under the watch of Ilya, Lucian, and Vesper. Melianna, her own voice shaky and eyes glossy, expressed she would be very proud to be amongst the first to join the new order of the three Angels upon the completion of her trials. Cassandra herself is said to have spoken to a blessed Drael’Thalan named Athame as he read her heavenly words, telling him to take the scripture and give it to someone worthy to spread the word. He chose Theokleia, who he announced as Lux Aeterna in his own tongue; Eternal Light. Theokleia then offered to Vesper to be her voice on the Material Plane, and to help her lead as a Heart of Light on Arthos.

For a moment, peace and understanding was held between the two opposing forces of Light and the Darkness who attended, for all life had value.

Elsewhere, Avandra Ironarm, was among the adventurers enjoying the air of victory. Queen Seltia and First Sea Lord Fraley arrived, and Seltia immediately recognized the hammer Avandra carried as the weapon of King Roland Tiefanue the First. The Queen of Felnir’s surprise was apparent as she asked how and where Avandra found it. Avandra responded casually that she needed a new hammer, and this one happened to be there; it, at the time, seemed good enough. Arriving in the moment, Emperor Louis’ squire came holding the Crown of Tiefanue and presented it to Avandra, announcing that Emperor Louis Berphaunt had given instructions that if he did not return from battle it was to be given to her should she still live. He also proclaimed that, according to Louis, despite their vast differences he respected her will and perseverance. All those present knelt and exclaimed “Hail Queen Avandra!” Avandra, however, did not seek to be a queen.

She told all assembled that her fight was done and that she would return home to rebuild her life and her father’s forge. She offered the crown to the Felnir Queen who politely declined, saying “I am the Queen of Felnir and my own people. I do not deserve this. The Whiteraven Alliance was made from separate kingdoms working together, and so what I offer you in return is alliance and friendship.” Given Avandra’s reluctance, Seltia recommended Avandra become Steward of the region, and help rebuild Tiefanue. Seltia would be her friend in this to help Avandra navigate this new path along with the First Sea Lord of Duvain. Agreeing, Avandra would hold the crown and hammer as Tiefanue’s Steward and place her convicted efforts towards rebuilding and reforging the lands of the nation. The three rulers stood in unity on this course and left to begin making plans for a way forward for the Whiteraven Alliance and its people.

After the leader of the Whiteraven Alliance departed, an Imperial officer arrived announcing final operations to clear out the remaining Temple of the Black Eclipse forces; a Black Eclipse Commander along with his Wytch Queen. The adventures assembled and were led out to the last remaining holding of the cast down Hell King’s mortal loyalists. After a protracted fight, the Commander was slain and the Wytch Queen taken into custody of the Imperial officer. She was led away quickly while the rest of the adventuring warriors killed the final Temple of the Black Eclipse remnants to the man.

As the adventurers returned from the clean up operations, they were confronted by a rift opening on one of the towers. Grandmaster Aloysius the Many stepped through, encased his general area in powerful Protection Rituals, and addressed the crowd. He spoke of three major events:

Firstly, the Emperor had died. With no heirs it was left to the Conclave – the most powerful guild in Berphaunt – to lead the Empire. He further said he was taking the role of Regent to the Throne until further notice.

Secondly, their investigations had uncovered that Lady Rosalie had betrayed the Empire and withdrew her healing from the Emperor when he needed it the most of her own will. He accused her of serving the Hell King, alongside High Treason and the most damning crime of Regicide. The proof of this was her attempted escape after the battle with the aid of three other traitors. Lady Rosalie was brought out in chains along with the Pirate Lord Renault Lafayette Du Odie III, Sable the Faun, and Veil Auvryath, Leader of the Crescent Pack. They were found guilty and pushed off the tower to be hanged.

Lastly, while the corpses twitched, the Grandmaster exclaimed that his first order of business as Regent of Berphaunt was to reinstate the Conclave’s controversial Black Tower. His second order of business was to reclaim assets taken from the Black Tower, calling out “Activate order Black Tower Subjugation.” Immediately a latent ritual of extreme potency exploded within the spirits of every Forgeborn and Freeborn Garglyen. One by one they turned on their friends and allies, making swiftly towards awaiting rifts that led back to the Conclave towers.

Grandmaster Aloysius the Many would then step back through his own conjured rift, which closed behind him leaving the coalition forces and adventurers visibly shaken.

As quickly as the Grandmaster of the Conclave left, Styphon arrived in a fury alongside his Baelanith Savar’Aving, and Thade, exclaiming that the mortals once again brought Divinity to his lands. He unleashed the full power of his Breath Weapon, with its acidic creeping doom swiftly moving to overtake the coalition forces. The Gods of Light directly intervened through their now redeemed Fallen Angels, and were able to hedge out Styphon’s Breath Weapon before it consumed the surrounding area. Caranthir Malvein attempted to snatch Thade from Styphon’s grasp, and was seemingly killed and raised into undeath for his brazen attempt. Styphon then stormed out of the area, stalled, but not defeated.

With the proverbial dust barely having settled, the adventurers returned to the four corners of Arthos to process, to heal, and to make ready for the uncertain future’s coming trials.

But that, reader, is a story yet to come. I close my recount of events here.