Chapter #1185
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+ THE ADVENTURERS +
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+ Epic VI +
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+ Many of the locations, non-player characters, spells, and other +
+ terms used in these stories are the property of Wizards of the Coast +
+ which has in no way endorsed or authorized their use. Any such +
+ property contained within these stories are not representative of +
+ Wizards of the Coast in any fashion. +
+ The player characters depicted in these stories are copyright +
+ 1991-2025 by Thomas A. Miller. Any resemblance to any persons +
+ or characters either real or fictional is utterly coincidental. +
+ Copying and/or distribution of these stories is permissible under +
+ the sole condition that no money is made in the process. In that +
+ case, I hope you enjoy them! +
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+ KEY LEADERS OF THE TWIN ARMIES +
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+ Mongo 20th level dwarven fighter +
+ Gorgo 10th level dwarven berserker +
+ Gorin 13th level dwarven fighter +
+ Yod Ironbeard 21st level dwarven fighter +
+ war-lizard mount (30' long, armored, and battle-trained) +
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+ ASSISTANCE FROM THE BRIGHT LANDS +
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+ Parekh 18th level female human wizard, innovator +
+ Drak 15th level human barbarian +
+ Wu 18th level human wizard, transmuter +
+ 6 elite ogre magi +
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+ Date: 1/6/587 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: morning +
+ Place: the Stark Mounds, between Sterich and Geoff +
+ Climate: cold and windy +
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+ "There was no hesitation or reluctance...it was maximum force +
+ applied without conscience but with considerable skill." +
+ - from _Pale Horse Coming_, by Stephen Hunter +
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MCLXXXV. The Stark Mounds
It happened quite suddenly: one moment, the men and dwarves of the
allied armies were marching northward through the Stark Mounds...and the
next, the hilltops several hundred feet ahead erupted with foes! Giants
threw off the filthy sheets and blankets that had concealed them and now
rose to their full height, rocks the size of pumpkins in hand and ready
to throw. Amidst their ranks, hobgoblin archers also stood now, crude
but powerful bows in hand as they quickly nocked arrows. Mere moments
after that, the denizens of the hills unleashed a mixed barrage of small
boulders and poisoned arrows in the direction of the invading forces, who
crouched down and raised their shields...which would help, but would not
be nearly enough to stop all the missiles, especially the huge rocks.
Fortunately, they wouldn't have to.
Mongo: (turns to Parekh) You said-
Parekh: (one of the few not astride a horse, as she instead sits upon
an invisible chair of force which moves through the air at her command,
she simply crosses her arms) Have a little faith.
The barrage of missiles, nearly as wide across as the ranks of the
approaching force, sailed through the air between the defenders and the
attackers...and then, they all simply stopped in place, hitting a massive
unseen barrier that stretched from the ground up to the sky (or higher
than any of the boulders and arrows, at any rate). The various missiles,
hundreds in number, hung in place in the air...and then the gigantic net
of magical force shimmered into visibility, its pale blue strands somehow
holding even the arrows, some of which seemingly should have gotten past
it but had not.
Parekh: (concentrating intensely, she motions with her hands)
Ahead and above, the mammoth net of force folded itself up and was then
pulled far to one side, taking all of the rocks and arrows with it. The
allied troops, both those under Mongo's command and Yod's, quickly got
over their awe at the magical defense and its colossal scope...and then,
as had been planned and as they'd been directed to do at this juncture,
their own archers - who had been ready - let fly with a return volley.
While not coated with poison, this barrage of arrows still did its fair
share of damage; while any giants hit were merely annoyed, a number of
ogres and hobgoblins were wounded or killed. Further, that entire force
was not only surprised but also confused that their initial attack had
been repelled...and that hundreds of sharp arrows now assailed their own
ranks.
Parekh: (momentarily exhausted from the effort of casting this potent
spell, she sags in her magical chair, her part in this phase complete)
Whew.
Strangely enough, there was no sudden charge into the hills to take
advantage of this and engage the foes. Instead - also as planned ahead
of this engagement - the airborne element now swooped down and struck
with great and terrible fury, its invisibility fading as it took the foes
on the ground by complete surprise. Better yet, this surprise was just
as shocking and far more deadly than the previous one. The archmage Wu
had assumed the form of a gigantic and exotic dragon from the far West,
with dark blue scales and multiple fins to go along with its coiled tail
and bearded gills. The behemoth tore through the sky over the lines of
giants and humanoids, strafing their ranks as it unleashed a great gout
of boiling steam, burning and blistering scores of the enemy. As if this
attack wasn't fearsome enough, right on its heels came Wu's loyal retinue
of ogre magi - a half-dozen flying, armored, and highly magical creatures
who were both exceptionally intelligent and highly effective with their
attacks. They struck immediately after their liege, finding the largest
unscathed groups of foes and blasting them with powerful cones of cold,
each of which killed or wounded a dozen foes. Some were frozen solid
where they stood, while others suffered frostbite and numbing as their
bodies were covered with snow and ice. This included many of the giant
and humanoid shamen, most of whom had been casting spells when the dual
assaults came from from above; their magic had been interrupted by the
same attacks that felled or wounded priests and warriors alike. Indeed,
the screams of wounded and dying humanoids now filled the hills as the
airborne attackers now flew up and away - leaving as suddenly as they'd
arrived, their work done for now, the surprise strafing attack having
wreaked terrible havoc upon the foes.
Mongo: (nods to his trumpeter, who winds a single, long note on his
horn)
Yod Ironbeard: (at the same time, he points his axe at the foes ahead)
The allied troops surged forward, their line two thousand feet wide
and dozens of ranks deep. What might have been a close contest before
the use of potent magic was instead much less balanced; many giants were
confused about what was happening and how, and the charge of the smaller
foes - who seemed to have no fear whatsoever - shook them despite their
far greater size. It didn't help when a shining warhammer, its handle
short but its business end unusually large and square, soared out of the
attackers' ranks and struck one of their sub-chiefs with the sound of a
thunderclap...and he fell to the ground, dead as a doornail from that
single blow.
Mongo: (somewhere near the front ranks, he catches Stormcrest as it
returns to his hand) That's one! (shouting as loud as he can) Have
at them, men! For Sterich! For Geoff!
Now that the battle was joined, the warrior-general wasn't going to sit
in the rear ranks and watch. From his past battles during the wars and
at other times, he knew damn well that his immense power (and that of his
hammer) were not only a major force in and of themselves, but were also
crucial to the fighting spirit and morale of the troops he led.
Mongo: (spies another giant in the distance, this one hefting a large
rock, and hurls his weapon again)
hill giant #13: (hit in the face as another crack of thunder follows the
warhammer, its head is split open and it falls backward)
For his part, Yod Ironbeard had the same idea. He didn't always charge
forth into the enemy, but when they were clearly at a disadvantage (as
they were now) and when he was filled with battle-lust (as he definitely
was now) he would often engage the enemy directly. Besides, he rode a
thirty-foot-long lizard that was clad in armor and had a great deal of
past experience in battle.
war-lizard: RRRAAARGH! (as the dwarven troops in one section of the
front line part, it lumbers forth, picking up speed as is heads for a
knot of humanoid foes)
hobgoblin #33: Uh-oh.
hobgoblin #34: Should we...?
hobgoblin #35: (turns and flees)
ogre chieftain: Hold the line! Weapons ready!
ogre #67: (doubting the wisdom of this command, he grimaces, but raises
his sword)
ogre #71: (feeling the ground shake as the massive beast gets closer, he
tightens his grip on his spear)
Swords and spears didn't matter much to the heavily-armored charging
lizard; its immense form smashed into the group with bone-crunching force,
sending bloody and broken forms flying in all directions. Even the ogres
were trampled or knocked aside; one who'd avoided the impact was quickly
skewered by the creature's horns before being tossed aside as it shook its
massive head.
war-lizard: (pauses to survey the gory ruins of the dozen foes around
it, then roars in triumph) GRAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
Yod Ironbeard: (sees a hill giant lumbering their way, and draws back
his arm, that gauntleted hand holding his ancient and powerful weapon)
With a flash, the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords sailed through the air, its
axe and hammer heads gleaming in turn as the thing spun...and then struck
the giant in its chest. Metal armor, flesh, and bone were equally cut and
torn as the giant reeled, dead on its feet. A moment later, the magic of
the mythical weapon caused it to rip free of the corpse and soar back to
the dwarf-lord's armored hand.
Yod Ironbeard: (raises the axe, shouting as his troops charge at the
enemy)
Similarly to the way Mongo's hammer Stormcrest required giant-level
strength and durability to properly (and safely) wield, Yod's axe could
only be used by someone with the same raw power. Even though a normal
but very strong dwarf could in theory heft and throw either weapon, the
return trip and catch would shatter their hand, arm, and possibly their
shoulder - perhaps even rip it off the thrower's torso. In addition to
that, both of the mighty and unique weapons - one from this world, one
from another - had historically chosen their masters and thus would never
unleash their full powers for anyone else as long as the current wielder
was around.
However, the two hero-generals weren't the only dwarves here who had
great experience and resolve...
Gorin: (ducks an ogre's sword, then chops one of its legs off below the
knee, sending the foe crumpling to the ground, bleeding and howling in
agony)
hobgoblin #156: (thinking the dwarf off-balance and at a disadvantage,
it lunges in with a spear)
Gorin: (sidesteps, grabbing the spear with one hand as he brings his
axe around with the other, slicing the hobgoblin's head clean off its
shoulders)
hobgoblin #131: (swings its sword at the dwarf, but the weapon's edge is
deflected by the latter's magical chain mail) Damn!
Gorin: (pokes the foe with the head of his axe, which has a handy spike
for just such a purpose)
hobgoblin #131: (pierced in the throat, it falls back, gurgling as it
clutches the furiously-bleeding wound) Ghak.
ogre #55: (bears down on the dwarf, who actually is off-balance now)
Gonna get ya-
Four of the dwarven warriors under Gorin's command had now caught up
with him and put themselves between their captain and the big opponent.
By the time the ogre evaluated this turn of events, a fifth dwarf threw
a short spear, hitting the humanoid in its sword-arm. Moments later, it
was down, driven form its feet by the fury of multiple dwarves and their
weapons. Not even missing a beat, Gorin turned and met the blade of yet
another hobgoblin, his axe breaking the foe's sword and continuing until
it was buried in the humanoid's chest.
Elsewhere...
hobgoblin #145: (advancing on Gorgo, unwisely misinterpreting the blood
that covers the dwarven berserker's spiked armor) Now you'll die!
Gorgo: (in a fury, he leaps right at the humanoid) Fuck you! (batting
its sword aside with one mailed arm, he then collides with the foe)
hobgoblin #145: (stabbed by a half-dozen of the spikes that adorn the
foe's armor) Aaargh! (he immediately begins trying to get away)
Gorgo: Oh no you don't! (he pushes forward, goring the hobgoblin some
more) Take that! And that! And some of that!
hobgoblin #145: (fatally wounded now, he reels as blood gushes from the
multiple wounds) Urgh...
Gorgo: (hurls the foe aside) Bah. (he spots a nearby ogre that just
felled a dwarven warrior with its club, and turns that way, yelling in
fury) You!
ogre #101: Huh?
The next moment, the ogre found itself assaulted with a strength and
fury completely unexpected from a foe so small. The dwarf's spiked mace
hit the ogre's wooden club, knocking it aside while the large spike atop
Gorgo's helm buried itself in the ogre's chest...and then Gorgo really
went to work, flailing wildly with all his might, the sharp protrusions
on his armor ripping and tearing at the ogre's flesh. Before the big
humanoid knew what had hit it, it bled from a dozen wounds, the worst
being the one inflicted by the dwarf's helmet-spike.
ogre #101: (fells to its knees, in shock and pain from this sudden and
deadly series of attacks) Argh.
Gorgo: (dislodges his helmet's spike from the ogre's chest, spraying
more blood everywhere, and stands...then kicks the ogre to the ground,
cursing) So much for- (he spots some hobgoblin archers who are in a
state of disarray...and grits his teeth, suddenly charging in their
direction)
As for Drak...as much as the barbarian warrior wanted to partake in
the fray - and his ability to grow to giant size, as well as the giant
enchanted mallet he fought with, would have been quite useful - he knew
that his duty today was to stay back with Parekh, just in case. As for
the dark-skinned archmage, she had now recovered and was re-engaged; a
gigantic hammer of blue force had materialized amidst the ranks of the
foes, and swung this way and that in great, sweeping arcs. Each such
blow crushed smaller foes into paste or knocked larger ones aside, their
bodies bruised and bloody. As well, the wizard Wu - still airborne and
still in dragon-form - picked and chose his targets, launching powerful
bursts of sparks and flames at the largest and strongest of the giants.
His six ogre magi servants, while they possessed their own innate magical
powers and abilities, had also been equipped with assorted wands. These
allowed them to continue flying around, lower than the Wu-dragon yet high
high enough to avoid missile fire, and bombard foes on the ground with an
assortment of fire, lightning, and other attacks.
Back in the rearmost ranks of his own force - which was slowly but
surely being demolished by the combination of the attackers' superior
magical power and aggressive ground attack - the chieftain Lurguz could
hardly believe what was happening here. In his many years of violent
battle, he had certainly seen magic of different types...but never had
he encountered some of the things brought to bear here, today. A giant
magical net that snared an entire barrage of deadly missiles...a strange
and terrible flying monster, more serpent than dragon, that breathed hot
steam-clouds capable of boiling the flesh from one's bones...flying blue
ogres that cast spells and used wands...and not one but _two_ powerful
dwarven weapons that could be thrown, fell giants with one blow, and then
return to the hands that hurled them. Any of these strange and terrible
things on their own would be unbelievable, but all of them together were
nothing short of insane.
No, this was not the way Lurguz had envisioned the battle unfolding,
not at all. As far as he could see, the bulk of his giants had been
incapacitated or slain (as all the foes' most devastating attacks had
targeted the larger opponents) and those giants were the backbone of his
force. Or had been; that spine had been broken and shattered, with only
a quarter of the giants still in the fight. That, even with five hundred
ogres and whatever hobgoblins still survived, would not come out ahead in
a battle against twenty thousand dwarves and men.
And those damned spellcasters were still around, taking more of his
forces out of the fight with every passing moment.
ogre #347: (standing atop a hill with a large chunk of rock in hand, it
is impaled by an arrow of solid flame and falls)
Lurguz: (feeling his anger grow, he makes a decision, taking from his
belt a metallic flask whose capacity is that of a human-sized jug)
The contents of this bottle, which somehow the giant-chief had saved
for years now, were similar in nature to the magical draughts known as
potions of super-heroism and invulnerability...except rolled into one
and dosed for something the size and strength of a giant. Without the
slightest hesitation, Lurguz gulped down the foul-tasting liquid, which
burned his throat and made his eyes water. He was beyond caring at this
point, though; all he wanted now was to crush the leader of the damned
army that was making mincemeat out of his troops.
The foul concoction that he'd just chugged would help him immensely
with that. A red mist fell over his vision, as his immense strength now
became even greater. Knots of muscle swelled and bulged across his huge
form, great crooked veins popping out from places where they shouldn't
have been visible. Blood raced through his body, whose mass now strained
against the clothing and armor he wore. Underlying all of that was an
all-encompassing rage that seemed to roar in his ears and compel him to
battle.
Lurguz: All right. (he hefts his gigantic axe, turning in the direction
of the attacking host) Time for blood!
Despite the strange and terrible pains that wracked his body, and the
battle-rage that nearly consumed him now, the hill giant chieftain knew
where the ones he sought waited. Either opponent, or hopefully both,
would do - he didn't care. Roaring loudly enough to get the attention
of combatants from both sides, Lurguz charged forth with his great axe
held high.
Lurguz: Die! DIE!
To their credit, several warriors - dwarves and men alike - tried to
stop him. They were knocked away with cloven heads or mangled bodies,
or in some cases pieces of bodies. Every single person who got in his
way was quickly and brutally overcome, the giant-chief's axe and armor
quickly covered with fresh blood and gore. A magical animated mace from
somewhere struck a great blow...which bounced off of the monstrous foe
without any effect before blinking out of existence. A volley of magic
missiles from one of the airborne ogre magi similarly rebounded from the
massive opponent's chain mail...and the giant just laughed.
Mongo: Well, look at that.
The dwarven warrior-general had seen enough. Already a score of his
and Yod Ironbeard's soldiers lay dead or dying in the huge foe's wake.
Mongo had been around long enough to realize that this challenge was one
that he - not his men - had to deal with. In fact, he might be the only
one who stood a chance against the brute. While he could have thrown
his hammer and perhaps felled the giant-chieftain from afar, the heroic
part of Mongo very badly wanted and needed the satisfaction of meeting
this enemy on equal terms - and felling him where it would be seen by
forces from both sides.
Mongo: Hmph. (he immediately heads that way, shouting orders for his
troops to get out of the way and let him deal with this giant-leader)
It just as easily could have been the allied force's other leader, Yod
Ironbeard, who now attempted this...except that Mongo was a lot closer
and didn't want to see any more soldiers die in vain. For his part, the
giant chieftain was easy to keep track of, as he towered over everyone
else on the hilly battlefield, including the other hill giants. Plus,
of course, he was lumbering toward Mongo with an equal determination to
close the distance and do battle. It was as if two unstoppable forces
were on a collision course...although it appeared the much smaller dwarf
would come out on the losing end of that collision.
Of course, appearances could be deceiving. When giant and dwarf met,
massive war-axe smashing against otherworldly hammer...the ground shook
with the shockwaves from the impact.
Lurguz: (any surprise he might have had at the similar strength of the
smaller foe is masked by his all-consuming battle-rage) I'll kill you!
KILL!
Mongo: Many have tried, ugly. (he holds the huge axe-blade in check
above his head, while the giant pushes downward with all his strength)
Lurguz: (using his much greater height and weight for leverage, he now
tries to push Mongo back)
Mongo: Ungh. (he stands in place, his feet slowly digging furrows in
the rocky earth beneath)
Had the giant been smarter (and not consumed by the fog of his rage)
he might have suddenly ceased his attack, leaping back to free his axe
and try another attack. However, he was intent on crushing the dwarf,
and Mongo had a lot of experience fighting giants and using their size
difference to his advantage.
Mongo: (stops pushing back at the same time as he leaps aside, causing
the giant's axe to imbed itself a foot in the hard ground) Gotcha.
(he whirls, beginning a hammer-swing whose sheer power would destroy a
small hut)
The giant, however, was a great deal faster than he looked - even in
his current enraged state. He stepped back, a single step which due to
his size took him well out of the range of the warhammer. Mongo found
himself off-balance...and with that immense axe whirling through the air
above him, its sharp blade coming down-
Mongo: (rolls aside, avoiding the blow by less than a foot, but the axe
smashes into his hammer's handle, pinning it to the ground) Dammit!
From this angle, he lacked the leverage to pull Stormcrest free, but
despite what some might think, Mongo was not defined by his hammer. He
immediately let go of the weapon and got to his feet in one motion, then
barreled into the giant's knee with all his might.
Lurguz: Whoa! (knocked off-balance, he falls but catches himself with
his free hand, ending on on the other knee) Grrr...enough! (he lets
go of his own weapon and backhands Mongo with that fist, the heavy
steel glove smashing into the dwarf's face hard and knocking him back
thirty feet)
Mongo: Argh! (he lands in a heap, blood gushing from his nose) You
fucker...
Lurguz: (having leapt to his feet, he grabs his axe in one fluid motion
and then charges at Mongo) Time to end this!
Mongo: That's for damn sure. (he extends one gauntleted hand)
An instant later, Stormcrest returned to its master...which meant that
when the giant-chieftain swept his huge axe overhead and down in a great
arc, Mongo met that attack with an equally-powerful upward swing. Both
of them had thrown every bit of might they had into their efforts, so
sharp axe-blade met otherworldly hammer-head with a tremendous impact,
that sound heard for a quarter-league in every direction and temporarily
deafening both combatants. As it turned out, this was a collision that
only one of the enchanted weapons would survive.
Lurguz: (his arm going numb from the blow, he holds the shaft of his
ruined axe in front of him, the bulk of its metal head now in shards
that just exploded in every direction)
Mongo: (still holding Stormcrest high, his ears ringing and his right
arm tingling, he realizes that there's a jagged chunk of the axe's
broken head imbedded in his leg) Whoa.
The foes stared at one another for a moment, both of them in stunned
shock at what had just happened. Of course, that only lasted for the
one moment...
Lurguz: (looks up at the sky and roars in utter fury) AaaaaaAAAAARGH!
Mongo: (shifts Stormcrest to his left arm, then swings the hammer at
his opponent's leg)
Lurguz: <CRACK>
That sound, which resembled a tree-trunk cracking in half, signified
the giant's leg breaking. Falling to his knees (both of them this time)
and flailing wildly and painfully for balance, Lurguz allowed his head
to dip a bit too low...and took the hammer's next blow directly atop his
thick skull.
Lurguz: Urk. (his eyes cross as a rivulet of dark blood trickles from
the greasy, matted hair that crowns his gigantic head)
With that, the hill giant chieftain - leader of the Stark Mounds force
and slayer of numerous heroes and monsters - breathed his last, toppling
the rest of the way down as he landed face-first in the hard ground of
the hills.
Mongo: (exhales, his beard matted with blood, the large shard of metal
sticking out of his leg, his armored form covered in dirt, sweat, and
gore...and then raises his hammer to the sky, his voice bellowing in
savage triumph) VICTORY!
Any real hope the giants and humanoids might have had for winning the
battle died with their leader, but still they fought on; surrender or
quarter were neither expected nor offered here today. By now, the far
greater numbers of the southern armies had allowed them to fully flank
the hills' defenders, and the men and dwarves bore down steadily. This
gory work might have seemed brutal to an untrained observer, but these
foes had pillaged and murdered here and in Sterich for more than three
years, killing thousands of innocents...and the time had come for them
to pay the price. A scant few managed to flee the site of the battle,
moving northward through the hills with desperate hope. However, the
wizards picked these unfortunates off from above using spells; while it
was unlikely that every single straggler would be caught, there was no
harm in trying. Every foe dealt with now was one less foe that might
eventually make it to Gorna and provide details of what happened here
today.
By midday, the mop-up fighting was over and not a single giant, ogre,
or hobgoblin remained alive in the area. In addition to those thousand
and a half enemy corpses, there were about a hundred dead from the ranks
of the allied forces (plus several hundred more who had been wounded).
Those latter numbers would surely have been greater if not for the power
of the wizards attached to this effort, and the swift employment of the
mighty magicks they commanded.
Mongo: (sitting on a small boulder as a dwarven war-priest binds the
deep cut in his leg) We owe you a great debt.
Parekh: (shrugs, recalling other powerful spells that she's used during
other conflicts in the past) It wasn't really that difficult.
Yod Ironbeard: The flying eyes were the key, I think. Those found the
forces lying in wait, which in turn let us know exactly when to spring
each piece of the trap.
Mongo: The giant magic net was no joke, either.
Drak: I'd have to vote for Wu's winged dragon-form, and its breath and
fire-magic. (he glances at Parekh) No offense, of course.
Parekh: (smirks)
Wu: (smiles to himself, pleased at the unique and impressive ways he's
been able to introduce the strange and exotic dragons of the far West
to those on this side of the world)
The post-battle operations were in full swing now, each task dealt with
by a specific segment of the dual armies. The allied dead were given last
rites and buried by their fellow troops; the enemy dead were checked for
anything useful and then piled up (also by the victorious soldiers) and
would be burned later when the force moved on. The wounded from their
ranks were tended to by the priests; those too badly wounded to continue
fighting would not continue on to Gorna, instead returning to Sterich to
recuperate as the main force marched north. The demi-humans who'd lived
in the Stark Mounds before all this now checked caves, burrows, and the
like for anything of use or value (and also to make sure that no hidden
foes remained behind).
Drak: Now what?
Mongo: I'd say we get moving again, this very day...move deeper into the
hills, then later camp for the night and let the troops rest. (he eyes
Yod, seeking affirmation)
Yod Ironbeard: (nods) I know the boys have just been through a battle,
but they're tough, and they'll be fine. (he does some quick math) If
we get going again by afternoon...we can reach Gorna just three days
from now, likely in the morning. (he frowns) That's barring any more
fighting.
Parekh: I can keep my eye spies in the air as we go, checking the area
ahead at all times. If someone else opposes us, sets an ambush, or
whatever...we'll know about it well ahead of time.
Wu: (mentally reminds himself to re-evaluate the protections that his
dragon forms have, just in case something powerful enough engages him
in mid-air sometime)
Mongo: So it's decided. We'll continue for Gorna, within the day.
Yod Ironbeard: (nods) Aye.
Elsewhere - a few dozen leagues to the north - that very city stood in
a state of severe disrepair, and in some places total ruin. It had been
assaulted, taken, and overrun by the giants and their allies about four
years ago during the wars. In short order they had completely looted the
city and surrounding area. Most buildings were damaged, some destroyed,
and after all this time no prisoners remained...for they had all been
slain or eaten (or slain and then eaten). Similarly, the once-fertile
farmlands and plains - once home to plentiful crops and herds of farm
animals - were now dead and barren, everything having been consumed by
the invaders who lacked the skills or the drive to renew or maintain any
of the food sources.
Yes, the land in general was in bad shape...and within the once-great
walls of Gorna, the capital city was largely damaged and ruined...and the
royal palace once occupied by the Duke and his court had become home to
many of the roughly six thousand creatures that now inhabited the city.
While this number consisted of a variety of different humanoid species
(everything from hobgoblins to ogres to trolls to ettins) the dominant
group in Gorna was the fomorians. These monstrosities, averaging over
thirteen feet in height, were probably the meanest, nastiest, and most
cruel of any giants or giant-kin that had ever come out of the mountains
to the west. Fomorians weren't the smartest - they barely got along with
one another, and fights (or killings) were common - and they sure weren't
the prettiest, as deformities both minor and significant were inherent to
their race. What they were was extremely tough and hardy, and able to
survive on very little food for long periods of time. For these reasons,
along with the fact that virtually all of them had originally dwelt in
the caves beneath the peaks near Geoff, the gang of fomorians had been
a major factor in the taking of Geoff...and had later been given control
of Gorna. There were a good six hundred of the monstrosities, whose
ranks were kept in line by a number of sub-chiefs. There were also two
thousand ogres, a few hundred trolls, and a solid army of three thousand
hobgoblins. Those last were beginning to see their morale weaken, for
they had recently become the most convenient source of food whenever the
huge fomorians got hungry.
All of these forces in and around Gorna, however, were not commanded
by an exceptionally large and brutish specimen from the toughest of the
races that made up their numbers. No, in the case of Gorna and Geoff,
a different group ruled...more intelligent and more ambitious than the
lesser races it had used for muscle during the past conquering of both
kingdoms now known as the Lost Lands. From the topmost floors of the
Duke of Geoff's former palace, far from the sight (and smell) of any of
the repulsive fomorian giants, the chosen representative of that party
lived. There, this individual had maintained - even augmented - the fine
furnishings and decorations that had been there before. It was a place
of luxury and comfort amidst an entire city of squalor, but this was the
assignment - holding Gorna and thus holding Geoff, so that everything up
to now would not be wasted or lost. Arguing against that directive was
not an option...so all that remained was to make the best of it. If that
meant living a fine life atop a city populated by savage brutes, then so
be it. At least those brutes would obey commands and carry out necessary
tasks.
Thanks to powerful allies, the current ruler of Gorna knew - in a very
general sense - what had just happened in the Stark Mounds. Tasking the
fierce hill giant chieftain Lurguz with a sizable and powerful force of
giants and humanoids had been a stratagem seemingly likely to succeed,
but even in defeat there had been knowledge gained. Because of this, new
methods of defense were being implemented even now...and when the allied
army drew near to Gorna, they would very quickly learn that they were not
the only ones with powerful magic at their disposal.
next: what Belphanior and his team have been up to during all this
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/bright_desert_1156.jpg
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 11/7/2025
notes: At times in the past (when the adventurers were of lower
levels, and their escapades of less ambition and significance) I often
wondered what would happen if a few of the most powerful spellcasters
in the world got together and had a war. Or other things along those
lines. I mention this because it's important to understand that this
is exactly what we're seeing here, and in the Bright Desert, and so on.
Some of the Bright Alliance rank in the top tier of wizards on Oerth,
and when more than one of them are aligned toward the same purpose and
hatch plans that use their abilities to the maximum advantage...well,
amazing and impactful things will happen. Like decimating a powerful
force or army (and yet other things to come in the future!)
My goal throughout this evolution of power/scale has been to keep
things fun - fun to read, the kind of stories that I'd want to read if
I bought a book, the kind of grand, bombastic action scenes that I'd
want to see if I watched a movie. I think you get the idea. As long
as people read these stories and then can say "That was cool" (or neat,
or exciting, or whatever) then I did what I set out to do.
Again (and I will keep pointing this out for the remainder of this
arc) these events take place in the southwestern area of the continent,
and the exact map of that region is on the website here:
http://peldor.com/world/wog/map13.html
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