Characters: Nomin, Tulgar, Anthony, Grim, Julian, Terus, Samael.
NPCs: 60 Grey Wolf Uthgardt barbarian scouts, 120 Purple Dragon Knights, 240 Arabel Militiamen, 60 Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame, 1 brigade of parliamentarian soldiers (3000), 1 brigade of Red Raven mercenaries (3000), Isidar Fianche, Blastum Bladeweaver, Sage Mellomir, Baron Thomdor the Warden of the Eastern Marches, Oversword Dutharr the Sheriff of Arabel.
E 19 Mirtul 1374 – M 19 Mirtul 1374
4000 XP
Hours earlier, the soldiers of Arabel watched from the city’s battlements as Isidar Fianche ordered the large parliamentarian force into battle groups. To the north of Arabel was stationed a brigade of roughly 3000 parliamentarian soldiers whom Isidar had set in reserve. By dawn, Flankmaster Fianche had already stationed a full battalion of 1000 red raven mercenaries near each of Arabel’s three city gates, but just out of reach of the battlement artillery. The total attacking force was estimated at 3000, with another 3000 in reserve should the Parliamentarians choose to commit fully to the assault.
The Great Sage Mellomir had awaited the attackers with patience, and great preparations. He had ensured the city walls were secure, reinforced his tower with additional magical defenses, and informed Baron Thomdor and Sheriff Dutharr of the likely tactics of the attackers during the upcoming battle. Mellomir had only utilized his most basic of spells to reinforce the city and bolster the morale of its defenders. With his help, the half ruined stone buildings adjacent to the northern gate were rigged to fall upon the attackers if they were to break through. The parliamentarians had brought with them a devastating array of artillery from Castle Crag. It was obvious to Mellomir that Fianche planned to sack Arabel quickly without the artillery, and then use the city’s walls to hold back the Corp of Obold’s orcs as his artillery annihilated them. The great artillery batteries lie still and lifeless, behind Fianche’s brigade of reserves.Baron Thomdor prepared according to Mellomir’s words, arranging his much smaller force into raiding parties of guerilla fighters throughout the tightly winding streets of Arabel. In the days prior, Thomdor and Dutharr had spent their time teleporting between Suzail and Arabel. In Arabel they had gathered together the city’s maximum fighting force. It was comprised of Arabel’s remaining 120 Purple Dragon Knights, 120 trapped caravan guardsmen, and 240 Arabel militiamen. Tulgar had alerted his Grey Wolf barbarians whom had been roaming the northeastern portion of the King’s Forest to come to Arabel’s aid. With the help of Lionar Dakubel, a fighting force of 60 Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame were Gated to Arabel.
Herald Wellstar of Arabel also made a few contributions to the city’s defense. Although he was a skilled magician, Wellstar’s interests mostly lied in the far more occult area of science. While many were aware of Wellstar’s study of the stars and weather, it was his knowledge of the dwarven and gnomish instruments that led him in creating a large supply of 7 kegs filled with a strange black explosive powder. Although Baron Thomdor accepted this gift with a crooked brow, he instilled a great deal of confidence in the Arabel militiamen ordered to position the kegs. The militia placed the kegs along the main tradeway streets of the city, just behind each of the city gates, and in front the gates of Castle Arabel itself. Hopefully, they would not have to make a last stand, but if they did, the last powder keg would provide an unforgettable signal to the end.
The morning sun was still rising, illuminating a vast field of destruction beyond Arabel’s north gate where the first Corp of Obold’s orcs had been defeated. Red flags bearing unusual symbols were beginning to rise from the command units to the north; their counterparts signaled back from the readied battalions positioned beyond each city gate. None of the three battalions carried with them siege towers or battering rams, yet they began to charge. Just as Oversword Dutharr set the long range artillery to fire at will; great fiery meteors streaked down from the orange atmosphere and crashed into the wooden gates with surgical precision. Shards of burning wood and meteor stones exploded only inward toward the city as if their destructive power was shunted by some great magical force. The archers upon the city’s battlements struggled to regain their positions as the Red Raven mercenaries charged into the city gates.Mellomir had surely seen Fianche’s plans to break through the city walls, the battle’s aftermath, both its heartbreak and its heroics; and yet he had chosen not to spend his epic spellcasting prowess on its defense. Whether it was the fact he felt magically outmatched by both Bladeweaver and Fianche, or some other more pressing matter calling his presence was unknown. The fact of the matter was however, that Mellomir had not made his presence known as of yet. He was either still in waiting preparing to strike, or was simply gone!
The Red Raven shock troopers charged into the city maintaining their battle formations with fierce speed despite their full plate armor and steel shields. Purple Dragon Knights and militiamen manned the battlements, bathing many of the Red Ravens in burning oil. Reserve troops stationed outside the gates unleashed deadly hails of arrows into the battlements above exposed archers. The defenders of Arabel awaited the charging shock troops, hidden in the many alleys and abandoned buildings along the main tradeway. Just before the defenders launched their ambushes, the powder kegs hidden in dead horses, broken wagons, and crumbled rocks were set off. Thomdor nearly laughed out loud at the tremendous concussive blasts on the far reaches of the city as Red Ravens were thrown in all directions. The defenders on the battlements continued to fire their bows and drop oil into the murder holes along the gate.
Although they exacted a great deal of casualties the Red Ravens rallied quickly and continued to charge in knowing that beyond the deadly gates was the glory of battle. As the next company of mercenaries flooded through the north gate, the defenders collapsed Mellomir’s deceptively stable stone buildings. The crash of stones killed the entire company of mercenaries, throwing up a massive cloud of stone dust in its wake. Now just beyond the north gate sat a great stone levy 3 men tall at its peak which the Red Ravens would have to charge over. As the next company behind slowly made their way over the brick mound the third company was stuck in the murder zone between the north gate’s walls. Burning oil and hails of arrows struck nearly all of the attackers as they concentrated in the kill zone.
The battle at the east and south gates was not going nearly as well however. Already a number of ambush teams had been discovered and assaulted by the Red Raven mercenaries. Still, many of the defenders were able to launch deadly surprise attacks into the Red Raven mercenaries as they bore their way through the main tradeways. Once all out melee was joined with the Red Ravens, the militiamen of Arabel found themselves outmatched. Even the well-trained Purple Dragons were challenged by the skill of the Red Ravens who began to organize and re-group with surprising calmness despite the calamity of the explosions, incoming arrow fire, and ambushes. The Red Ravens grouped themselves into shield walls and pushed forward through the main tradeways in the eastern and southern city limits.As the Red Ravens marched forward, a second explosive keg was detonated at the eastern city limit sending the Red Raven into disarray and adding to their already substantial casualties. A third company of Red Ravens charged quickly forward and assaulted into a number of militiamen and Purple Dragons. The Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame ambushed from the northern city street and began to hold off the growing front of Red Raven soldiers. By this time, the Red Ravens had also exacted a great number of casualties from the defenders. A number of militia units were already completely destroyed, and the Purple Dragons were continuing to take on wounded soldiers as they fell back towards Mellomir’s tower.
At the southern gate, the Red Ravens continued to push forward. For every ambush into their ranks, the Red Ravens launched a counter-assault from within their ranks exacting a near equal number of casualties. The southern gate militiamen also set off an explosive powder keg lying in the city streets, killing nearly the entire forward company of Red Ravens. As the Red Ravens re-grouped once more, the fever of battle overwhelmed the Grey Wolf barbarians. The fierce Uthgardt tribesmen charged out from their hidden positions, smashing into the re-grouping Red Ravens and breaking apart a partial shield wall. Formal melee again broke out in the streets as militiamen charged in to join the Grey Wolves. Purple Dragons continued to rain burning oil down upon the incoming companies of Red Ravens.The battle beyond the eastern gate had now reached Mellomir’s tower seated in the middle of Arabel just blocks southeast of Castle Arabel itself. Purple Dragons and Arabel militia rallied around the tower as the Red Ravens marched into a deadly melee for both sides. Mellomir’s apprentices did not merely watch from above. They threw down arcane blasts into the Red Raven platoons from the balconies and windows of the ancient stone tower. At the eastern gate the last of the Red Raven battalion charged through deciding instead to move north first down the northeastern city tradeway. The only remaining Purple Dragons, militiamen charged down from the eastern gate’s battlements to help the Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame battle back the Red Raven company. Despite their initial efforts, the Red Ravens were able to sustain the attacks with few casualties. The defenders of the eastern gate fell back as they became overwhelmed toward the Purple Dragon barracks of Arabel on the northeast corner of the city.
The battle at the northern gate still was going well, although the defenders were starting to run out of oil and arrows. The casualties wrought upon the north battalion of soldiers were far greater due to the levy of fallen stones. Red Raven mercenaries now had to charge over the mounting bodies of their own comrades in order to escape beyond the deadly northern gate. Unfortunately, nearly half of the Purple Dragon and militia squads ready to ambush the surviving soldiers were discovered. The Red Ravens rallied from beyond the wall of wreckage and entered a melee with the hidden units, forcing the remaining units to charge from their ambush points losing the element of surprise. The Red Raven shield walls and counter-assaults went off with clockwork efficiency despite the many wounded soldiers in their ranks. For the defenders of the north gate, it seemed they would have a good fight after all.
At the southern gate the Grey Wolves, Purple Dragons, and militia continued to fall back and made a stand at Wellstar’s tower. There, they battled bravely against an overwhelming number of Red Raven mercenaries. Without assistance it was obvious they could not sustain this level of engagement, and so they called out for the assistance of the Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame to bring a poorly positioned powder keg back to the southwestern tradeway. The available Acolytes mobilized to the call, falling back from their melees and moving quickly through the smaller streets and alleyways toward the last powder keg. Within minutes the Acolytes had arrived, displaced the keg carefully, and then moved west through the cramped city streets. As they moved, the Acolytes knew they were in grave danger of being ambushed by Red Ravens if they were found. However, the Acolytes arrived successful at the southwestern tradeway and hid the powder keg in a pile of rubble.
The Red Ravens moved around Wellstar’s tower and overflowed north along the southwestern tradeway. The Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame detonated Wellstar’s powder keg and destroyed the 3rd company at the southern gate. The blast revitalized the raging Grey Wolf barbarians who continued their sundering blows into the Red Raven ranks. Meanwhile at the battle for Mellomir’s tower continued to turn worse, as more Red Raven companies were reinforcing the position and overflowing toward Castle Arabel. The Red Ravens killed tens of militiamen as they pushed forward to capture the Mellomir’s tower. Just north of the eastern gate, the remaining Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame were engaged in a desperate fighting retreat toward the Purple Dragon Barracks. Purple Dragons and Arabel militiamen assaulted the Red Raven company from behind, but soon were also falling back toward the barracks as well.
The last Red Raven company charged through the deadly north gate whose own battlements were now dripping with blood and burning oil. The Purple Dragons and militia at the north gate engaged in a fighting retreat as well. The occupied Red Ravens were more susceptible to the remaining ambushes awaiting them just blocks south toward Castle Arabel. Eventually, the defenders were forced back together, as the front of battle moved slowly south. While there now remained only a handful of companies at the northern city limits, they were mostly unwounded, and well-prepared for the ambushes and explosive blasts. They marched forward checking for hidden traps and ambushes, counter-assaulting as they went.
The companies from the eastern and northern gate were now within a good arrow’s shot from Castle Arabel. The defenders from the eastern gate were nearly all destroyed, except for a number of squads which took refuge within Mellomir’s tower. At the northern gate the Purple Dragons set up a great shield wall before the gate. The Arabel militia climbed the castle’s battlements and began to launch more arrows and burning oil into the Red Raven companies. Wellstar’s last keg sat idle underfoot of the Red Ravens outside the Castle Arabel’s gate. The militia set off the last keg signaling their last stand with a thundering explosion. More Purple Dragons reinforced the shield wall, and a number of Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame moved behind to heal them as they were wounded. The Red Ravens quickly re-grouped as they had been trained and launched a second assault upon the Purple Dragon shield wall.
To the east, the Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame, and Purple Dragon Knights had made their way to the barracks. They rushed in as the gates closed, and began to climb the undermanned battlements. The Red Raven mercenaries charged forward with ferocious speed and managed to reach the gates before they were fully shut. The remaining Purple Dragons and Acolytes made a shield wall behind the barrack’s gate as a number of squads of militia manned the battlements.
Back at Castle Arabel, the Purple Dragon shield wall was holding strong. The wounded were being healed and replaced by Acolytes of the Cleansing flame as militia rained arrows down into the Red Ravens from the castle walls. Just as it seemed as if Tempest’s favor could be bestowed upon either side, the Sheriff Dutharr rallied the Purple Dragons for a final charge. They drew down the shield wall and caught the Red Ravens by surprise, fragmenting the remaining battalion. Then suddenly, the fierce melee was splintered by a thunderous blast as the sky north of Arabel erupted in fire and crashed down into the ground beyond the city. The epic spell battle shook the forces apart for seconds as the Weave rippled uncontrollably. The Purple Dragons rallied once again and soon the Red Ravens at the north gate were fighting for their lives and fleeing toward the city’s eastern gate. Great victory cheers erupted from Castle Arabel’s battlements.Meanwhile however, a far more desperate melee was still well underway at Wellstar’s tower and the Purple Dragon barracks. The Grey Wolf barbarians and remaining militiamen continued to fight as the last of the Purple Dragons were killed around them. The battle fatigue was beginning to set in for the raging barbarians and the undertrained militia, yet the seasoned Red Ravens fought on voraciously. It was the sounds of Cormyrian victory horns which blasted from Castle Arabel just a half a mile north which bolstered the brave Arabel militia’s morale, and sent them surging back into the ranks of the Red Ravens. The Grey Wolves let out one final howl as the last of the mercenaries at the southern gate were cut down.
A second explosion knocked nearly every soldier at the north end of Arabel to his knees as a searing red light flashed over the city. The defenders of Arabel could not help but wonder whether this meant the fearsome Mages Fianche and Bladeweaver would descend upon them and whither them with their occult powers, or if the terrible generals had been challenged by something equally potent. What good would it be Baron Thomdor thought, if they won the battle within the city, but lost it against Fianche and Bladeweaver? In these troubled times it was painfully clear to the battle-hardened Warden that one could win the favor of Tempest, but it would mean almost nothing without winning Mystra’s as well.
At the barracks, the Purple Dragons, and Acolytes were able to make short work of the remaining Red Raven fighting force. The remaining mercenaries attempted to flee for their lives through the empty eastern city gate. Soon after it was clear the Red Ravens had relinquished victory, the defenders of Arabel climbed the city’s battlements and tallest buildings to look out at the northern wasteland for signs of Bladeweaver and Fianche. To their great surprise however, they saw in the midst of a magical wasteland, the outlines of the Heroes of the Forgotten Forest. The day had been won!
With their two epic generals gone, defeated by the Heroes of the Forgotten Forest, and an entire brigade of Red Ravens destroyed; the reserve Parliamentarian and Red Raven Brigades to retreated to the west toward Castle Crag. The result had been a great Royalist victory, but came at an equally great cost. Of the 60 Grey Wolf Uthgardt barbarians only 27 remained, however they had killed nearly 200 Red Raven mercenaries. The Acolytes of the Cleansing Flame took even greater casualties, losing 44 of their 60 holy warriors. Only 21 of the 120 Purple Dragon Knights of Arabel survived the battle, along with 98 of the 240 Arabel Militiamen. The high noon sun was already aging, casting jagged shadows throughout the blood-filled streets of Arabel. Baron Thomdor looked north as the remaining Parliamentarian Brigade fell back toward Castle Crag. His eyes did not follow the brigade however; they were fixed on the Storm Horn Mountains.
