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Nesar-Kuhl
Polak76:
Alandric returns later that evening, the familiar smell of formaldehyde heralding his presence. He paces into the room which was once a house that they converted to a office during the battle. Alandric is visibly tired but there is an eagerness in him that emanates triumph.
Jehoram lifts his head and immediately reports. Alandric holds his hand out to stop him, "you've done well. I've taken the liberty to perform an inspection and all is as i had planned. I expected nothing else."
Jehoram shows no sign of pleasure and simply asks another question. "And your mission?"
"A total success" Alandric replies almost too suddenly. I have the means to turn the tide of war when we reach Zolinar. The battle will be fierce and we still need to win the strategy, but we'll have a little help when the moment is right. Timing must be the key."
Jehoram nods and simply waits patiently.
"Send for some wine and tell me everything that happened here. We've fot time to rest for a few hours before we begin our march on Zolinar."
Jehoram snaps his fingers and a servant appears. "Wine and three goblets. Find Adder and bring him here."
The servant departs and Jehoram begins making an account of the triumph in Vilsnar.
Ravemore:
Adder opens the door and steps into the confines of the small house. The sickening sweet smell of decomposition hangs about him. A small red pit creature with a long forked tail and a maw full of cruel looking fangs, his familiar, follows close behind. Adder bows his head towards Alandric, "Your Orraculi and Sancti performed well, Orraculum Stipatio." There is an evil grin on his lips. "Directing them in their tasks was very enjoyable, it is with a tinge of regret that I hand them back over to you. How are we to proceed from here?
Dezza:
Two days later Alandric and the Nesar army, including the undead and the regular troops, Black Ravens and Corathite priests and mages are moving again.
Leaving behind 200 pesant army and 100 regular army infantry to hold Vilsna they move north towards where the real battle will be fought. The Cult troops that had fled Vilsna before they arrived would be well on their way to Zolinar now and Alandric had it on good authority that the Cult General Cyn Chen, head of the Drach Tesak had already arrived at the city and was setting up her defences.
Alandric glanced back over his shoulder and the lines shuffling along behind his wagon. Roughly five thousand strong they were going to have to think hard before they approached Zolinar where Cyn Chen had at least ten to fifteen thousand troops at her disposal. The only consolation he took was the fact that every time she lost men in battle he would gain them.
"How much longer to Zolinar at this pace?" Alandric snapped at Jehorum who had once again moved alongside the wagon on his large black mount.
"Another week yet, we have to cross the Hills of the Lost to get there."
Alandric cursed at the slowness and spent some of the time trying to think about how he was going to explain his debt to the Sanctis.
Meanwhile General Rim had finally managed to reach a position where he could see Amaria in the distance but could go no further. The enemy were dug into defensive positions across the valley in which Amaria rested. The ground sloped gently downwards over miles and miles of open grassland with copses of trees located here and there. Farmsteads spread out across the entire valley, all empty now, with the approach of his army.
Just getting to this point he'd already lost a quarter of the seven thousand men and women under his command with running engagements against Cult positions since they had passed Kalar Lake. Their hit and run ambushes testing his people to their limits.
Now at the head of the valley he decided to sit and reorganise his forces and discuss plans to take Amaria with his officers. As he sat in his tent with several faces around him including the dark faced Corathite Priest from Arnax Ozri Nai who Alandric had placed in charge of the Black Ravens with General Rims army.
There was a flutter at the entrance to the tent and a guard entered with a message for General Rim. Asked to read it the guard cleared his throat and read the message the bird had just delivered.
" To General Rim from Toranite Field Commander Ardran Jertrouse,
Combined Toran and Rofirein Host, five thousand strong, heading north along coast road from Nith. Currently approaching Kalar river near coast and making haste to Amaria. Estimate arrival in Amaria lands within three days."
Excited words from those gathered greet the message until Ozrin Nai speaks cutting over them all.
"You must inform them to turn back they are not welcome here."
All eyes turned to face him their initial enthusiasm for the missive falling away. General Rim seemed to be thinking what to say.
"We can respect your differences Dread Priest but yours is only a small part of my army and if you can win this fight for us I will gladly tell them to turn about and leave, otherwise will will need to wait for them to reach us."
Ozrin snapped back and within moments those gathered were almost coming to blows. Eventually guards were called in and people separated.
Order restored Ozrin glared at General Rim.
"Take their aid then but you have lost ours, we will inform the Queen of your betrayal." With that he stalked out of the tent and within hours all the Corathites and the Black Ravens departed heading for Zolinar to rejoin Alandrics Host.
One of the lieutenants present glanced the pale General Rim.
"I hope you know what you are doing General."
The General looked at him.
"I have no family to go back to, it may be best that I die in the battles to come but if I do make sure they never get my body. For now let us focus on plans now that we know we have a real army coming."
Dezza:
// As Raz and Tralek, Gork and Hardragh settle in and make plans around Sundance.
"Again! We'll never reach the city at this rate!" Alandric ducked as with a roar three Myr'drachs swept over his wagon intent on attacking a group of soldiers in the rocky terrain to his left.
Fire rippled through the air from a cleric nearby striking one of them which turned and dropped down in front of the startled Corathite priest and ripped a claw through his body before seeing Alandrics wagon and turning towards it. Before it even got near Jehorum spurred his mount forward, swept his blade in a wide arc and removed the creatures head from its shoulders. Unfazed Alandric stood on the wagon and did a slow turn to take in everything around him. Fighting was going on it seemed all down the line of his troops. The Cult had ambushed them after entering the Kuhl forest and since then it had been a series of battles as Alandrics force were attempting to fight for each step they took. Every soldier from both sides that died was raised not long after to shuffle along with the growing number of undead in the army. That was not the only thing growing however, so was Alandrics impatience.
Jehorum stayed close to Alandrics wagon sweeping back and forth shouting commands at Ravens who swept back and forth up and down the line to where the fighting was heaviest. Another heavy detonation sounded in the forest to the right and an orange cloud climbed upwards to the tops of the trees above. Up and down the line spot fires in the forest were threatening to grow larger and spread. Soldiers formed pockets in the shadows of the trees trying to ward off attacks by Tesak, Myr'drachs and other Cult soldiers.
Vision was restricted by the smoke and trees around them and the sounds and cries of both sides in the forest echoed loudly with the sounds of metal on metal and men and women dying.
Aladric suddenly laughed taking in the chaos around him and thinking of the irony of it all. Jehorum glanced over at the sound of the sudden laughter but if he thought to say anything he decided against it. Alandric wasnt called the Mad Doctor for nothing.
"Its time I did something about this" muttered Alandric and leapt down from the wagon. He draw a staff filled with dark energy and tendrils of negative energy crackled around him, his visage altered and a wave of coldness spread forth. Cloaked in black energy Alandric strode into the chaos of the fight and began to unleash his own powers at the enemy cultists, shadowed closely by Jehorum.
Hours later the scattered army units had reformed, the dead now marched along with them and Alandric was urging Jehorum to make up for lost time.
"Two days to go, two days to go to reach Zolinar, then the fun begins." Alandric smiled.
Moments later a figure climbed up onto his wagon from the opposite side from where Jehorum rode along. Alandric turned to abuse the person and saw steel flashing towards him. Shocked Alandric drew back and almost fell out of the wagon as the assasins dagger glanced harmlessly off his staff and wedged into the back of the seat. The Drach Tesak Assasin cursed and pulled hard on the dagger trying to pull it free. Jehorums blade swept out over Alandrics head and licked towards the assasin who dropped low abandoning the dagger. Alandric meanwhile had regained his composure and reached out to grab the assasin, his hand glowing with an ominous light. Flipping onto the wagon top the assasin balanced easily and draw another blade from his clothes.
Meanwhile those nearby had started to react, Adder was climbing up the back of the wagon while Gimli and Eyebite climbed the sides and Jehorum moved his mount close to the wagon trying to reach up with his long blade to catch the assasin.
Trapped on the roof the assasin moved around trying to find a safe path out and finding none backed to the centre of the roof. One by one Adder, Gimli and Eyebite made it onto the roof and regarded the assasin. He feinted towards them and then leapt up to grab a tree branch that was passing overhead as the wagon rolled to a halt attempting to gain the higher branches. There was a sharp crack and a black bolt of energy lashed out and struck the man. He thudded back down onto the wagon where Gimli, Adder and Eyebite finished him off.
As they dragged the body from the roof Alandric called out to them. "Get him up and with the other undead. Nice of them to keep supplying us with more soldiers. The way we are going we'll have all we need by the time we reach Zolinar itself."
Polak76:
Later that day a group of Sacnti were summoned at Alandrics command. Once in ear shot he gave orders.
"I know something of this Cyn Chen and the latest assassin confirms my thoughts. Pray to the Most Unholy and grant our commanders and scouts the gift of true sight. I won't have infiltrators sneaking in right under our nose."
They nodded and immediately left.
To those remaining he chuckled and added, "Little use assassins will have against the walking dead. If we come up against them send in the dead first. Lets just hope Cyn Chen keeps feeding us corpses."
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