The Siege of Van Myrid 2

cy 4863 - Janos 30th

The battle for the walls continues with Taryn and his companions at the heart of the fighting. Brutal, deadly hand-to-hand combat with the Elenorian forces swarming all over them like maggots on a rotting corpse. But it is the defenders who hold their own; the combination of the deadly Hosskal and Taryn’s fire magic keep the main thrust at bay.

With growing respect the hardened veterans from Bretonia and Khulan are swept along by the party’s bloodlust. Warriors accustomed to the dangers of battle watch in awe as the party pile bodies around them. The Myrid defenders know that they are amongst special warriors.

But still the battle rages. Reinforcements wait at the base of the wall ready to take over the mantle and relieve the weary. Brazer Silverbow is ever alert, one compartment of his mind aware of the danger all around them, able to sense strange or powerful individuals when they get close. One such Elenorian forces himself into the fray; a be-feathered leader with war paint and a flaming sword breaks through to their section of the wall and heads for Taryn.

Without pausing Taryn grabs the sword arm of the first attack and with his magic enhanced strength hurls the leader over the battlements without any effort whatsoever. The sword and leader crash down into the horde two hundred feet below.

Hosskal maintains a stoic defence, able to parry not only his own opponents but also those attacks aimed at his friends close by. But Clytem is not so lucky. An Elenorian swordsman gets too close and the blade cleaves his skull in two.

Streng – who is in the shadows stabbing exposed backs whenever possible – sees the fallen warrior and quickly kneels to rifle the body. He is after one thing only. The fabled ring of Kal Amoth is now his; slipping it on his finger he vanishes (invisibility) and is able to move unseen on the battlements.

Taryn Bzar starts to sever limbs. The appalling blood loss turns the Elenorians to fire, his unusual magic is deadly to his opponents. Brazer uses the Mantle of the Kals to mind control Elenorians who are too close forcing them to leap off the battlements to their death. The priest of Malakar – G-Lest – sustains a bad wound to his chest and is forced to cure light wounds. He realises that he needs to pray for more spells if he is to survive the battle…reinforcements are close however and soon the party ready themselves to be replaced.

Before that happens Streng becomes accustomed with the powerful ring of Kal Amoth. He locates an Elenorian leader on the walls fifty yards away and from his hand hurls a fireball into the melee. The fire expands quickly, engulfing fifteen Elenorians and a handful of Myrid warriors, all who leap to their deaths in a futile attempt to escape the fire.

Eventually the party descend into the citadel and head for the temple of Jarik Saal. A Bretonian palace guard slaps Hosskal on the back. "I have fought in many campaigns noble lord but I feel privileged to have been fighting beside you," he says, "you are truly gifted young man." This sentiment is shared by many of the Bretonians and Khulans alike and Hosskal realises that only a handful of their guards have been slain.

When they reach the Temple District it becomes clear that the Malakar temple is destroyed. The last remaining temple is that of Jarik Saal, the Glaennyn lord Hamroth sits atop the roof and it is unblemished, undamaged by the war all around it. Inside they meet another high priest called Vandrar who welcomes them warmly.

The high priest heals the many minor wounds and G-Lest sits and prays at the altar. They are visited by Leandra, a beautiful Myrid woman who is tasked with curing the wounded and running the makeshift hospital she has set up in the Great Market. She brings a handful of the most seriously wounded so that Vandrar can heal them with his god-given spells. Brazer and Streng are aware that Vandrar is restoring souls as well as closing more mundane wounds.

After a brief discussion with the high priest Taryn leads the party to the palace where Valadain awaits. The Steward of Van Myrid introduces his war cabinet; Leandra, a noble born woman, Casar Goldhammer, an arch mage and head of the Great University, Virrimar, a general and the highest ranking military man, and Stelvor Darkblade, the ex guildmaster assassin.

Valadain pours over a map of the citadel and a larger map of Grayhawk. He has been in contact with Illeum and tells them of their plans. "We mean to draw out the Elenorians and take the fight to them. Illyanth has an army hidden in the northern Olshay Range – Illeum will bring up an army into the plains of Myrid to flush them out. Then he will head north into the Elenorian Forest although we expect to be met head on by the hidden army.

"All this will be no more than a decoy to get her to focus on the war instead of your plight. Hopefully Taryn you will be able to slip in unseen and get to her before the child is born."

Taryn realises the need to harden his companions in battle. With Illeum facing at least three weeks before he can muster enough troops and deploy them Taryn wants to stay at Van Myrid. Brazer speaks to the arch mage Casar who agrees to cast stoneskin on them all.

Taryn gives the mighty Amzak – the Bow of Kings – to a young Jarik Saal priest called Jarik who joins them from the temple. They go to one of the corner towers near to the temple of Jarik Saal where their view of the battle and the Elenorian hordes is excellent. The Khulans and Bretonians set flags high above the tower and this attracts the Elenorians who begin to muster siege towers. The constant bombardment is deflected by the impressive shield Hamroth the Glaennyn lord has enveloped the city walls with.

Brazer stretches out his growing mind and finds a tent a mile away. Even though the Elenorian general is shielded by a thought shield Brazer is able to slip in unnoticed. He can also sense a brooding evil – possibly a demon – within the tent. But it is the mind of the leader he is more interested in. With the mention of Marraqs Brazer searches the horde. The unnamed leader has deployed two Marraqs, fellow countrymen, to take out Taryn and himself. But Brazer gets to the Marraqs’ minds first and persuades them to change sides.

The two darkbows fire in unison as they turn on the Elenorian leader but their revolt is short lived as they are cut down within seconds.

Brazer curses the Elenorians and turns his attention to the leader. Streng can feel the awesome build up of power from Brazer’s mind as the half Marraq strikes out at the leader. With some satisfaction the mind crush turns the leader into a gibbering insane wreck, an elf bleeding from every orifice and now useless to their cause.

The young priest Jarik, Streng and G-Lest stand at the top of the tower as their companions find a spot on the walls as the hordes approach. G-Lest already topples three siege towers before they reach the walls and the soon the battle resumes, this time with Taryn and Hosskal side by side…