Characters: Nomin, Anthony, Julian, Grim, Cael, Terus, Samael.
NPCs: Kynwras Firsul the Watcher of Suzail, Princess Alusair Obarskyr the Steel Regent, Alaphondar the Sage of Cormyr, Queen Filfaeril, Princess Tanalasta Obarskyr, King Azoun V Obarskyr, Baron Thomdor, Warden of the Eastern Marches, Duke Bhereu Obarskyr, Lord Kimba Crownsilver, Lord Gruen Bleth, Alaphondar’s son Lord Dier Emmarsk, Shael Rowanmantle, Caladnei the Royal Magician of Cormyr, Mendryll Belarod the Herald of Suzail, Lord James Cormaeril, Lamiril Cormaeril, Lord Narlan Silversword, Lady Silversword, Lord Fletcher Hawksongs, Lord Samtavan Sudacar of Immersea, Lord Sarp Redbeard of Wheloon, Royal Paige, Oversword Thursk Dembarron the Lord Commander of High Horn, Dhag Greybeard the Herald of High Horn, 100 Cormyrian archers, 300 Cormyrian blades, 10 Warwizards, 2 Mountain Giants, 1 Corp of Obold Manyarrows' Army (~75,000 orcs).
M 17 Mirtul 1374 – L 17 Mirtul 1374
5820 XP
Once the party had gathered again in the halls of Elfhold they discussed what to do with the remains of Avazgourl the Gold Dragon. Anthony Manton and Nomin lead a brief ceremony to bless the noble guardian. Thereafter, Grim disintegrated the corpse so that it should never be raised again as a weapon of the Cult of the Dragon. Grim could feel that the Weave within Elfhold had been warped once again by the terrible act. This foul act however, had twisted the Weave in a different and but more familiar way. Anthony knew they must consecrate the grounds once again, but it would take a day they did not have.
Julian and Terus’ attentions returned to why they had re-visited Elfhold, to speak with Avazgourl and ask that he grant them entrance to the ancient library of the Amartharr Elves so that they could learn more about their true enemy, Gorut. With Avazgourl now dead, they asked that Grim commune with the artificial consciousness of the Twin Sorceresses so that perhaps they could lead them to their answer. Grim attempted to re-connect with the Mythal once again but found its consciousness dormant once more due to its defiled state. Nomin became frustrated and began to search across the great marble floor of Elfhold to find a secrete entrance into the temple’s inner halls. The vast space needed to search however, would again threaten their short time.
In just 1 hour Anthony estimated the Royal court would meet with the Parliament to decide the future of Cormyr’s impending civil war. They party agreed to return to the Gardens of Suzail, but did not want to leave Elfhold in its current state without its former guardians intact. Balin informed the party that the Knightswood Nine had agreed to watch over the flooded grounds of Myth Tarna in their absence, and would contact them if any threats were seen. With that, Terus Teleported the party to the luscious Gardens of Suzail, which were filling with nobles and court guardsmen.
Unlike the normal Court sessions which were often more royal carnival than diplomatic event; this meeting was ungarnished, and Spartan-like. The usual assortment of exotic animals, extravagant food, and half-drunk fops had been replaced with stern noble faces, battle-ready guardsmen and great caravans being filled as the last of the parliamentarian nobles emptied their mansions heading for Marsember. Nomin activated his Rod of Splendor giving himself a keen purple colored noble’s garb as he entered the Gardens. The rest of the party followed suit, except for Julian whom expended a charge of his Greater Rod of Wonder adorning himself with sapphire encrusted moonspider silk pantaloons, a rare three-headed winter wolf pelt cloak, and a number of rings, bracers, and necklaces which would make even the Prince of Sembia jealous.The party was greeted by Kynwras Firsul the Watcher of Suzail, Alusair Obarskyr, and of course Alaphondar before they were escorted to the balcony of the King’s Court. The very same place Nomin had been re-honored as a Cormyrian subject, and where the party had made a number of rousing speeches to stir faith in the Royal cause. The party hoped this evening would be as favorable.
Court was struck into order as Alusair Obasrkyr began with the usual bureaucratic introductions and motions whose irony settled upon the courtroom of guarded faces absent of humor. Of note in attendance was the Royal family Queen Filfaeril, Tanalasta Obarskyr, Alusair Obarskyr, and the young King Azoun V Obarskyr. Seated next to the Obarskyrs was Kynwras Firsul, whom watched over those seated in attendance with piercing wizardly eyes. A handful of High Knight Purple Dragons, and Warwizards stood about the room as well.
The nature of this occasion in the King’s Court resulted in a previously unseen event. The parliamentarian and royalist leaders had all abandoned their rightful chairs amongst the Court’s floor and instead sat on opposite sides of the room; red on the left, purple on the right. Powerful Royalist nobles present included Baron Thomdor, Warden of the Eastern Marches, Duke Bhereu Obarskyr, Lord Kimba Crownsilver, Lord Gruen Bleth, Alaphondar’s son Lord Dier Emmarsk, Shael Rowanmantle, Caladnei the Royal Magician of Cormyr, and Mendryll Belarod the Herald of Suzail.
Lord James Crownsilver, the fiery figurehead of the Parliamentarian movement had ensured however, that they also come with a powerful showing of noble houses. Wearing crimson suits and seated to the left of the auditorium were a number of powerful nobles including: Lord James Cormaeril, Lamiril Cormaeril, Lord Narlan Silversword, Lady Silversword, Lord Fletcher Hawksongs, Lord Samtavan Sudacar, and the bold Lord Sarp Redbeard of Wheloon.
After Alusair had forced up the last obligatory opening statements in her quivering voice, the floor was opened to the nobles for discussion. A long dragon-shedding silence followed as no noble would dare state the first obvious remark. The brash Lord Sarp Redbeard rose from his seat, glaring across the courtroom, and spoke the first word on everyone’s mind, War. After a brief, controversial speech, the floor exploded into a shouting match unlike anything which had occurred in the King’s Court before. The party listened, at times nearly clawing at themselves to hold their tongues; the hours dragged on.Finally, there reached a point where each noble had stated his/her opinions into the thick futile air of the King’s Courtroom. With a majority of the nobles nearly about to walk out, James Cormaeril finally rose to speak.
He stated that the Parliament now controlled the majority of the Cormyrian lands east of the Starwater River, Marsember, Thunderstone, Wheloon, Castle Crag, and soon to be Arabel, and Calantar Keep. Obold’s endless black tide of orcs however, was positioned just north and west of the Stormhorn Mountains to the west threatening nearly all of the royalist landholdings. He stated that if Cormyr could not root out its corruption from within, then the enemies of Cormyr would have to purge it out through the destruction of the western lands of Cormyr. He continued saying that after Obold was through slaughtering the royalist armies, the Parliamentarian armies of the East would ride across the Starwater river with the Red Raven Mercenary army, and Sembian allies and defeat Obold’s scattered celebrating forces.
The Lords of the Kings Court held their tongues as James Cormaeril continued. But then he became too bold and casted a number of sleights into the Royal Court for their obvious incompetency, stubbornness, and most of all, for being led by a coven of housemaids and an infant (Queen Filfaeril, Princess Tanalasta, Princess Alusair). Nomin Ohtar rose to his feet as Lord Cormaeril’s words had set him on fire, this was enough. Nomin stormed down to the main level of the King’s Court with visions of his former lover laying dead in his hands; the work of Francis Cormaeril just 3 years ago. Although he had been hastily reinstated by Alusair in the King’s Courtroom just over a week prior; Nomin’s desire for revenge still burned in his heart.
Nomin approached James Cormaeril and challenged the Lord to a duel to hold him accountable for his words against Cormyr’s nobility and defend the crown’s honor. James Cormaeril, a former soldier himself, stood stiff at the challenge like hound to a hunter’s whistle. Both figures were physically equally well-matched, strong and tall; their blood boiling, their hands deathly still. James Cormaeril shouted to the court that he would silence the words of the Princess’s lapdog forever. Cormaeril continued by saying that Nomin would always die an exile after the false throne was unseated. The terms of the duel were then set as any duel to the death would be in the King’s Court. Two willing combatants, wearing only mundane clothing would each wield an identical blade, the Royal Obarskyr Vorpals.
Tables were drawn apart on the floor as Nomin and Lord Cormaeril armed themselves with the vorpal blades. The nobles in the court, Parliamentarian and Royalist alike, looked onward with excitement and horror as they all knew the same two things. First, at least one man would die. Second, regardless of the victor, it would be a brutally short duel. The two men took their stances, Alusair struck her mallet to begin, both men charged. Nomin swung first, striking too high, but slicing so fast it seemed the air was guiding his blade forward. Cormaeril glanced upward with excitement knowing that now Nomin’s life was held tightly in his grasp. Cormaeril cut four times, each one narrowly missing Nomin as he weaved through backward and sideways away from the soaring blade. It seemed as if the edge of Cormaeril’s sword was seeking his flesh closer with each stroke.Nomin was now backed up against a large wooden table marking the edge of the combatant circle, but poised defensively for a courter-strike. He lounged forward, aiming to slash into Cormaeril’s chest, but the vorpal seemed to will itself upward and into his neck. Seconds later Cormaeril’s body crashed to the marble floor, his head rolling in the opposite direction. The courtroom stood in complete silence for what could have been minutes, with shock, elation, and dismay riding across the faces of the nobles present. Then, before an uproar of cheers could break out in Royalist nobles present in the court, a paige ran in from the west entrance.
The paige turned at first as if to leave, thinking he must have entered the wrong room by the lack of shouting. Then he simply stood idle in the same type of shock the rest of the Court hand been in, staring at James Cormaeril’s decapitated head on the bloody Court floor. The rest of the Court now had their eyes trained on the paige, and finally Lord Sarp Redbeard shouted out, “Well boy, out with it!” The paige sprung to life and stated “Sir, orcs have laid siege to Highhorn Castle.”
Hours earlier, 100 miles away from the well groomed Gardens of Suzail, High Horn Castle sat in the rocky crags of the Stormhorn Mountains surrounded on all sides by a Corp of Obold Manyarrow’s black army, 75,000 orcs strong. For those at High Horn is was not a matter of whether they would live; but simply how long it would be before the orcs could overwhelm the continuous hail of arrows, stones, and fire with sheer numbers. High Horn Castle’s pale gray windswept walls stood upon a nearly endless landscape of rocks, white topped mountain peaks, and black armored orcs. The monochrome colors of the landscape darkened as shadows grew all around the castle with the setting sun. The only color that could be seen for miles around were the purple flags flying in the mountain sky above High Horn’s castle walls.High Horn Castle was originally ordered to be built by King Byntarth II Obarskyr some 300 years ago to be a bastion of military power positioned at the furthest point along Cormyr’s northwestern border. Currently, Oversword Thursk Dembarron the Lord Commander of High Horn, oversaw the defensive force of 100 well-trained archers, 300 blades, 10 Warwizards, and 4 trebuchet crews. Dhag Greybeard the Herald of High Horn, had seen this coming for more than a week. But with little help available from the already stretched thin Royalist army, there was nothing more they cold do. They did however, receive the aid of 5 Black Raven Barbarians whom had been following Obold’s force through the Storm Horn mountains for the past week. Each was a half-giant, wearing black leather armor, and rode Giant Black Ravens through the sky as if they had shared each other’s spirit. Oversword Thursk was normally not a man to take the help of barbarians, (whom normally gave the Purple Dragon Knights outright trouble), but these were desperate times and both forces now shared a common enemy.
The orc war drums which had been slowly beating for some time suddenly picked up a marching pace as the defenders of High Horn saw two companies of orcs advancing up the south and eastern trails; the battle had begun. The orcs moved slowly forward up the steep mountain passes pushing great siege towers, battering rams, and catapults as they went. Behind the orc company in the southern pass was a massive force of goblin worg riders. The company marching up the eastern trail was backed by a large unit of hobgoblin warriors.
Just as the archers along the eastern and southern walls unleashed their first volleys into the sky towards the advancing orcs, High Horn’s walls shook with the sound of crashing rocks as a boulder smashed through a section of the outer wall and destroyed a unit of 20 Cormyrian blades. Looking to the west and north there were now enemy units occupying two mountain tops whose peaks jutted within a few hundred feet of the peak High Horn had been built upon. Occupying the two sister peaks to the west and north were 2 units of Obold’s orc sorcerers, 3 units of orc archers, and a mountain giant. Before the War Wizards, Blades, and Archers could re-position themselves to fire upon these strategic points, the orc and giants let loose a series of boulders, fireballs, and arrow volleys into High Horn Castle killing 20 Archers, 20 more blades, and heavily wounding a number of War Wizards.The remaining Cormyrian forces occupying the north and west walls attempted to return fire with arrows, and fireballs of their own, while the rest pulled themselves from the wreckage and fled down the battlements. The firepower from the north and west peaks was simply too much for the Cormyrian defenders to handle and the Lionar commanders chose to retreat toward the south and east portions of the castle. This way they could stay out of range of the boulders, fireballs, and arrows, and at the same time send their own artillery attacks into the vulnerable orcs advancing up the south and eastern trails. The archers and War Wizards along the southern and Eastern walls were exacting tremendous casualties on the orcs below, yet the black tide behind them seemed nearly endless.
The Black Raven Uthgart barbarians took to the skies armed with great canisters of explosive oil and began to make bombing runs along the southern pass. As the oil spread it ignited countless orcs, scorching them, and sending some to jump off the pass and fall 1000 feet rather than be burned alive on the trail ahead. Despite the fact they had killed hundreds of orcs already, Oversword Thursk knew that abandoning the north and western walls meant trouble later when they would attempt to fall back behind the inner wall. Without the human defenders in range now, the Mountain giants and orc sorcerers at the north and western peaks unleashed their attacks into the outer wall, southern gate, and portions of the inner wall to the west. Oversword Thursk cursed with dismay knowing that despite the fact they had destroyed many orc siege engines on the southern trail, the orcs would not need them to gain access through the damaged southern gate once it finally fell.
The Cormyrian forces continued to send volleys of arrows, fireballs, trebuchet blasts, and explosive canisters into the advancing orc forces. Hundreds more orcs would die in their attacks, but they simply continued to advance to the beat of the war drums beyond. The orcs piled up at the southern gate just as a massive boulder hurled from a mountain giant crashed into it, splintering it to pieces. The Cormyrian blades readied themselves to counter charge at the Lionar’s signal, and seconds later the orcs poured through. Despite their courageous attempts to hold the southern gate, the overwhelming orcish numbers began to take their toll upon the fatigued Cormyrian blades. A tactical fallback to the inner wall was ordered of all the outer ring troops including those still manning the battlements at the intact western gate. With the Cormyrian blades falling back, the orcs managed to make short work of the western gate and minutes later the entire outer ring belonged to Obold Manyarrows.Unfortunately, the eastern gate of the inner wall had also been breached by the boulders and fireballs hurled from the northern peak. A second stand of blades was ordered to hold off the orcs as long as possible from this position as men from the inner wall’s battlements retreated toward High Horn Keep’s last stand, the ring wall. The Warwizards running low on spells had switched to the emergency scrolls they had written just for this purpose. Breaking the seal upon the first scroll meant almost certain death awaited. Obold’s orcs reorganized their ranks with surprising efficiency from within High Horn Keep’s outer and inner walls. The remaining Cormyrian force, some 200 men strong, held off the orcs for a couple more hours, as they dropped the last supplied of their burning oil, shot off their final quivers, and ran out of scrolls to cast. The Black Tide would breach High Horn’s walls, but not before its 420 defenders had killed an estimated 5280 of Obold’s soldiers.
