Battle Dream

GM Notes:

On Impluo the 29th at midnight, who ever is on that shift will notice that all gets quiet as if waiting for something. The clouds will part and reveal that the moons are almost full. For a period of 5 minutes, no sound will be heard and the air will be still. Cloud movement will still be in effect in the sky. Then, everything will return to normal.

Dream:

You find yourself a member of a group riding out under a flag of truce. A scared battlefield stretches as far as the eye can see. Two great armies stand at the ready some distance apart from one another.

Riding out to meet you are the leaders of the opposing army. The army they lead is one of vile darkness, far more evil than any you have met before. What makes this more difficult an army to fight is the fact that some of you're fellow Calvinnian countrymen have joined this same army.

The vale of darkness that surrounds most of the enemy leaders is of such strength, that a physical presence can be felt by all who are members of your party. Among the leaders of the dark army, one stands out in particular. You have never seen such a creature as this 'man', but you have heard of him.

Towering over the other human leaders, he must stand a minimum of 7 feet. His skin is dark, as if blackened by fire. His eyes burn as if embers in a fire and small horns sprout from his forehead. The leader of this army is the creature known as Gebros the Black.

His surcoat bears the emblem of a dark red colored clawed hand. The other members of this group likewise wear surcoats bearing the same livery. As the groups draw near each other, Gebros speaks.

Gebros [his voice a deep darkness that causes shivers to pass down your spine]
Elrai Nalas, you and all your commanders are hereby charged with the crimes of heresy, sedition and treason against the Theocracy of Plerum Aquilus. You are hereby required to surrender your arms, yourselves and your command.



Elrai Nalas (Lord of Northward) [his voice a warm comfort, like the sun on a spring day]
We do not recognize your foul government or lord and will never submit to his rule!



Gebros
If you surrender now, your men will be spared.



Elrai Nalas
Your foul forces will not taint this part of the land of Calvinnia. You might have managed to sway the city of Twin Docks under your power, but you'll not win the rest of the country so easily.



Cays Yale (Lord of Twin Docks) [a once warm voice, now cold and dark]
We have accepted that which was inevitable.

Raising his visor to speak, Galan Vicor looks with dark eyes at Elrai.

Galan Vicor (Lord of Gateway) [a once warm and strong commanding voice, now a hollow dark whisper]
Twin Docks is not the only city to join the forces of the Titans.



Elrai Nalas
Galan, how could you side with such creatures. Don't you see how evil they are?



Galan Vicor
Once we were shown the power, which they hold, we knew it would be the means for which we could take care of the Wild Lands. Don't you see they have turned their backs on you? Join us before it is too late!



Elrai Nalas
We will never submit to you and will fight you to the last. We have not turned our backs on the Gods! We still follow them and will continue to follow them to our last breath. May a curse be upon you from this day forward.

As Elrai Nalas speaks his final statement, his voice changes and the voice of Dagmar, King of the Gods is heard instead.

Elrai Nalas (Dagmar's voice) [a voice the power of which makes the very ground tremble with each word]
You and yours will not know peace until such time as the Seven are reunited again.

With that final statement, the leaders from the Army of Light turn and head back to their lines without a backward glance.

You are awoken by a sergeant in the Calvinnian heavy infantry. What is immediately evident to you is that you are a human soldier also in the Calvinnian heavy infantry. But before you can learn anything else, the sergeant speaks.

Lolith Wie (Calvinnian sergeant) [his voice a gruff sound like sandpaper on stone]
Aye, awake Vazen Sterling, the darkies are on the move again. They'll reach the lines in a short while. Stand ready.

Before you can respond, the sergeant proceeds to the next person in the line of sleeping Calvinnian infantry, only this individual is not a sleep, nor is he a battle hardened veteran, he is just a boy, dressed in leather.

Sevo Freelim
Sergeant Wie, the Wild Landers will show to help us won't they?



Lolith Wie (spitting on the ground)
Those fey won't raise a finger to help anyone but themselves. They sit safe behind that damn shield of theirs while the rest of the world dies. But don't worry, I'm sure the Gods'll fix 'em when the time comes. Just stick close to Vazen here, you'll take good care of 'im won't ya?

You feel a combination of pride and worry by the sergeant's statement. Pride that he would command you to watch out for the young boy, and worry because you know what'll happen if you don't fufill that command. Without waiting for a response from you, the sergeant continues down the line, waking the other soldiers.

Taking in your surroundings, you find that you are in a trench, the bottom of which is still somewhat damp from recent rains, as mud puddles still lay in the few depressions in the ground. Dirt and dried mud cakes your normally shiny and pristine armor, the uniform of a Calvinnian heavy infantry soldier. Though you look less grand and noble for the grime, you're still proud to be a member of the Calvinnia fighting elite.

As you desperately fight to regain your senses and come fully awake, you being to take in your surroundings. As you get to your feet, your body aching from the fatigue that comes from spending too much time in armor, you begin to look around and take in what you can see. The trench is deep enough so that only your head and shoulders are above the edge when you stand.

You know that you stand on the Plains of Providence, a fact that you catch as being ironic. To the north of you, at a distance of a few miles, near the horizon, you see the glowing barrier of the shield of the Wild Lands. Here and there you catch glimpses of the refugee camps, which have been set up between this defensive line and the shield itself. You know that you and your fellow soldiers are the last line of defense between the Army of Darkness and the defenseless civilians of Calvinnia.

As you survey the surrounding terrain, you note that this once beautiful land is now mostly barren, which causes a deep sorrow in your breast. As you look east and west of your position, you see your fellows of the Calvinnian Army as they prepare themselves for the battle. You are the last line of defense, your countrymen having been pushed as far north as they can go, by that same dark army.

As you look toward the south, you see the bodies of the dead laying around. Orc, goblin, hobgoblin and gnoll bodies lay nearby, though none lay to close to the trenches, having been drug away from the edge and placed to make it difficult for the enemy to move freely between the trenches.

You know you will see no bodies of your fellow comrades, as they will have been given a hasty but proper ceremony to insure that they will go to their final resting places. That way, the forces of darkness will not be able to use them against their own.

A flash of lighting and rumbling of distant thunder cause you to look further south. A storm approaches from that direction. Is it summoned by some strong magic, or by the evil force that is brought into sharp relief by the flashes you do not know? But you are sure that tonight, you will not survive, but have no fear as you know you will give your life in the fight to protect those you have sworn to defend.

As the dark army approaches the first line of defense, they suddenly race ahead. You want to rush to the aid of your fellow soldiers, but you do your duty and stand your ground. You know soon enough, the foul creatures will force their way past those defenses and it will be your turn to fight.

Time seems to crawl to a standstill as you watch the creatures fighting with your comrades and soon, they reach your position.

A desperate battle soon ensues, and though you continually slay each foul creature, it seems that two more step up to take it's place. While fighting to maintain the line, a number of creatures make it into the trench, coming from someplace further down the line. In a moment you are overwhelmed and are sure this is the end, but Sevo blocks what is sure to be a killing blow, giving you a moment to gather yourself and begin an offensive against the beasts.

As the last enemy in the trench falls and the main force drops back, you turn to Sevo, pride of his fighting skill filling your chest. But that pride is short lived for as you look at him, even before seeing the blood, you know he has been mortally wounded, the color already draining from his face. You cry out in anguish as you rush to his side, calling out for a priest to come to his aid. But it is for naught, because as you cradle the boy's head in your arms, you watch his life slip away.

But you know you don't have long to mourn his passing, for as the paulbearers remove his body, you can already hear the enemy gathering for another attack. Looking to the south, you notice that lesser undead have entered the battle and the lead defenses are being over run. You see Rhalic Thore, paladin of Dagmar almost overrun, but suddenly, he holds aloft his sword, a holy weapon, which glows brightly, almost where looking at it is painful to your eyes. Again and again he swings the sword, dispatching the creatures, which surround him.

In moments, he has gathered those heavy infantry nearest him and has begun to turn the tide of battle. Soon, most of the enemy in your immediate area have been slain or have retreated.

Movement to the south once again gathers your attention as the creatures nearest you have been dispatched. You look in horror as a new host of greater undead enters the battlefield. Wraiths, ghosts and ghasts flow over the battle taking delight as each member of your army falls at their touch. What was surely victory moments ago becomes a desperate fight as the lesser undead finally advance to your position.

A long difficult battle ensues, with you just barely surviving to continue the fight. Many of your fellow soldiers have fallen, but those of you who remain still manage to keep the creatures from moving further north to where the refuges watch the fighting.

A sudden rumbling to the south draws the attention of those assembled. All combat stops momentarily as all attention turns south. From out of the south, a new army enters the battle. This army holds hope for it is an army of light that begins to cut a swath of destruction through the evil horde.

An almost physical wave of fear begins to flow through the Army of Darkness as this new army fights closer to the forces of Calvinnia. But before this army can link forces with the Calvinnian army, a tremor runs through the ground. This tremor repeats itself with growing force and frequency.

From out of the west, the four Titans known as Preto, Vermelho, Caeruleus and Viridans join the battle. Their massive forms actually shaking the ground as they approach. All forces pause to look in awe at the visible might these fantastic beings display. It is only the proximity of one of the holy warriors, Kaec Taor of Twin Docks that keeps your troop from fleeing.

The battle continues with the Army of Light slowly closing the distance toward your forces, when suddenly, Vermelho opens his mouth and breathes a jet of flame. It arcs high above the Army of Darkness to strike just in front of the Army of Light; a brilliant flash of light momentarily blinds you. Your mind tries to take in the overwhelming power of the vision you see as the deafening sound, blast of air and scorching heat from this explosion slams into you.

As the dust settles where the explosion occurred, you see that a large portion of the Army of Light as well as forces of the Army of Darkness no longer exists. What was once a host of brilliantly armored men, women and horses, now only blackened husks remain. But the remains of the Army of Light slowly regain their footing and begin once again to fight against the Army of Darkness.

Seeing this sight seems to have drained the remaining reserves of energy that you had from the days long fight you have been involved in, but the presence of Kaec Taor boosts your spirit as he calls your forces back to the fight.

From out of the east a sight that you thought you would not see again brings new energy to your fight. A flight of metallic dragons appears in the sky. Ridden by the Wyrnack, the dragon riders, this force begins to attack the eastern most forces a combination of the traitorous Calvinnian army and the army of Gebros. Almost at the same time, from out of the west a flight of chromatic dragons appears as well. Also ridden by Wyrnack these dragons fly over the forces of your army, ignoring all on the ground, for their targets are the metallic dragons. Soon a battle in the air ensues over the battlefield.

You had hoped that with the help of the light Wyrnack your forces might have turned the battle, even with the 3 Titans, but now all seems lost. A momentary shout of exaltation catches your attention as you look to the north. From the direction of the shield of the Wild Lands a force approaches. All manner of humanoids, (men, elves, dwarves, fey and others) ride just as many different breeds of mounts, the army of the Wild Lands has answered the call and joined the battle.

You look to the front of the force from the Wild Lands and catch a glimpse of Lothilibaen Vindoclad, the defacto leader of the Wild Lands. His armor gleaming bright, he leads his host to the aid of the failing forces in the area east of your position. This does not go unnoticed by Caeruleus, who begins to move in that direction, uncaring as to what forces get smashed beneath his boots.

Brought back to your area of the battle, you notice that Cays Yale is fighting against Kaec Taor. As the two fight, you hear that they speak to each other.

Cays Yale (Lord of Twin Docks)
…you will not rest Kaec for betraying your oath to serve me.



Kaec Taor (Paladin of Twin Docks)
My oath was to serve the people of Twin Docks by serving you. What you do will surly curse the city and all who dwell there.



Cays Yale
But we will follow the new God, the God Plerumaquilus.



Kaec Taor
But you will not survive to see that day!

With those words, Kaec knocks Cays sword aside and runs him through, dealing a deathblow. Surprised, Cays can only grab the hands of Kaec as he holds his sword hilt deep in Cays chest.

Cays Yale
Impossible, Gebros said we would be unbeatable.



Kaec Taor
You were beaten when you turned your back on our Gods. All you have done is cause pain and suffering for those you served. That is the message; I will carve on your tombstone.

At which point, Cays slumps to the ground, sliding off Kaec's sword.

An overwhelming shout of pain directs your attention toward Caeruleus as you see Lothilibaen, now bathed in a raging fire withdraw his blade from the dying Titan's ankle. A shout from the Wild Land's forces near Lothilibaen is the next sound you hear as the forces of darkness near Caeruleus begin to rout.

Something draws your attention toward Rhalic Thore; he stands with the other elite paladins of Calvinnia. A second look and you come to the realization that, Alela Lotheril, Rad Dorejan, Lothindra Neradda, Jelis Praeld, Rylle Adreniel and Norfilad Aleraen have an odd glowing transparent appearance. This realization causes you to jump to the obvious conclusion that the six other paladins are dead and their spirits stand with Rhalic.

You have seen much today, so this does not surprise you that they would stand with him in conversation, except maybe that he is in the middle of battle. When last you had glanced that way, they had been in combat themselves, but now, they have obviously been struck down. The close proximity of Viridans, makes you realize that they have probably been struck down by him and the fact that they stand before Rhalic, conversing, strikes a cold fear in your heart, for surely, the Titan will strike him down next as he stands there undefended.

But you notice that time seems to be standing still, while something transpires between the groups of paladins. Suddenly, Rhalic holds aloft his sword, which shines brightly. But you realize there is something different/special about his sword. That it has changed in some way that you can't seem to completely grasp.

The clouds part in the sky for a moment, and you see that York's faces are shining bright.

A loud roar from Viridans causes you to jump as you watch his hammer descend toward Rhalic. With a sharp crack, the strength of which echoes across the battlefield, you are amazed to see that Viridans' hammer has been split in two and fallen on either side of Rhalic. Rhalic then plunges the sword into Viridans' leg, causing the Titan to cry out in pain.

A rumble of thunder, and trembling ground shakes you to your knees as the dead Titan crashes to the ground. The world dims around you and you awaken in your bed.