THE MARCH

Looking at the map, the forces find themselves at the head of a great serpent, the forces of the Swordhawk litter the east of Massenmarch, against the few forces the bay has to muster. The plan is thus,to meet the head of the Swordhawk's armies at Treustap, and smash the advance. If the Swordhawk is routed, the unorganized forces of evil men and monsters will scatter back to massenmarch. The combined armies converge on the road to Treumar, and the Golden Light is seen from a great distance, hovering above, illuminating the path for the bannermen of the bay.

As the joint armies of the newly united Brecht realms mass against those of the Swordhawk, they come upon an entrenched armed camp blocking access to the capitol. The Golden Light takes to the air, seemingly intent on blasting apart the armies of the Swordhawk, but she is met in the air by a cloud of darkness and a man in gray furs atop a flying black horse.

Another man astride a horse bearing a banner rides towards the Brechts. "I am authorized to speak on behalf of my master, King Bissel of Massenmarch. Depart from these lands, Meister, and you shall be spared - more than that, you shall secure a powerful friend. As for you, Lawmaker - surrender at once and spare your people much suffering. Your light will not save you this time, but you have the chance to spare your people the full wrath of the dark. Take this flicker of hope, spare your people!"

Kluggman drops his reins, and puts his hand on his sword, "Here I am and here I stand. I would give a hair more heed to the lies that spill from your lips if they came from the Swordhawk's mouth himself. If his valor cannot even suffer him to approach my camp, how may I address him as near-equal? If I forsake a friend, what good is my word? You yourself would not understand, messenger, are a coward and traitor of your own cause. I give you a counter offer; Run, flee, and retreat from Treucht, and throw yourself in the sea, and save yourself the sight of the Swordhawk's demise."

"You fool! Your blood shall feed my master's power and your men his hounds! You should have taken my master's mercy, for it is rare indeed; now you shall face his wrath!" He calms down almost instantly, then scans the faces of those with you, and smiles, "What a motley menagerie you have assembled. More at home in the dirt and twigs than the lands of men, I see. Even taking in the savage Vos? Truly you are mad."

"Too bad messenger, it would suit you well to drown yourself. Go to your master, lap dog, with your tail between your legs."

Hans immediately cuts into the duel of wits, "Guh-reetings, messenger! It's me, Hans Twice-Stabbed. You made a mistake coming here. I will let you leave alive if you answer my riddle correctly. What is golden yellow on the inside, but milky white on the outside?"

The Messenger pauses, completely confused, "What riddle? What? Uh... an egg?"

"INCORRECT!" Hans blurts, as giddy as a child.

The Messenger's face contorts, "You vex me, Lawgiver."

"IN-CORRECT!" "WROOOONG! WROOOOOOONG! HE HAS FAILED TO ANSWER MY RIDDLE, AND SO HE MUST DIE!" Hans snap his fingers and point at him. A flurry of arrows erupts from the line of Treucht archers, sticking him with many arrows as the messenger tries to ride off, eliciting a howl of wrath from the Swordhawk's host as the banner falls to the ground. An look of unease is shared among the Heroes of Rheulgard. "Once we crucify the Swordhawk, I plan on using this to clean my rear."

Kluggman, stonefaced, looks to the Priests of Erik and Ruornil, "The anshwegh do not play by our rules priests, that coward would likely flay your family living if allowed to pass these mountains"

Alaric, the priest of Ruornil, replies with a grim look, "If we abandon our morals on facing evil, the only difference between us is the banner we fly. Let not our hearts be clouded by wrath."

"Wrong," says Hans Twice-Stabbed, helping no one. "The only difference is what the victor does! When we liberate the people of Massenmarch from the Swordhawk's tyranny, you'll see how different we are."

Kluggman regains a grip on his reins, "I myself would not have done such, but we must not give to infighting. The Lawgiver of Treucht is under the law of his land. It was his sentence to deliver. We must press on."

Alaric does not look convinced, "I will aid with my magics as I can, but I do not approve of such callous butchery. He came under the banner as an emissary - disrespecting it gives him, if nothing else, cause to act as such to others."

Hans again replies "He'll never act again once we're through with him."

Watching from a mild distance, the Warchief smiled from atop her dire wolf, steady and amused. "The Rheulgardian Meister is right. You can petition for accountability once the Answeigh's troops are no longer looming straight ahead."

Hans straightens, uncomfortable at the Tsara's presence, and turns to the Lord Protector, "So, Kluggman - what say you? How are our odds and how many are they?"

THE BATTLE

*A note from the account of now-Baron, then Bard, Erhart Bodeker: The opening of the war. The lawgivers wroth and mad riddle sending a small tremor through the Alliance, and what then of the Golden Light? What manner of foe, clad in darkness as he is gives her pause? If she is held in check does the alliance have the unity to fend off their more unified enemy?

The accounts of Erhart Bodeker number Three Thousand and Four Hundred slain. The vultures pick at where the dead lay.

The battle consisted of 1800 men lead by the forces of Rheulgard and Treucht, and 2,000 men lead by the Swordhawk. The battle opened, in the skies above both armies, The Golden Light, and Pyotr the Eye, flung many spells at one another, one crashing into the other, and causing a great conflagration above. A great volley from Massenmarch's archers filled the skies with arrows, and the alliance's side replying, with a great fury of halfling stones and elven bowyers, surely outdoing the Evil-men, who could not keep up. After the exchange, Hugo, Priest of Erik, casted a great battle spell, ensnaring a throng of Talons, and the Unrau garten massed a charge upon these Talons, routing and killing many, and demoralizing the others. The gnoll fiends fought with vigor, only to be trampled under the boots of elf kind, and human alike. A bloody close battle followed, so close, where archers threw down their bows to draw swords. The force of the brechelens was too great, supported by their archers, who sadly pershed in the battle. The Swordhawk himself, and many of his talons were forced into retreat, at the harsh push of the Trechlen Giyarden and harassment of Vos Riders, who shouted the cries of victory! The fierce fighters in the heroes present further drove the rout. A phyrric victory to many, but a victory indeed, against so powerful an Anshwegh. Had he fletched more arrows, or hired more warriors, our herores would be in dire straits. No one will forget the sacrifice of the brave heroes this day. The sight of Karl Bissel, King of Massenmarch, the Swordhawk, Foul Anshwegh, retreating in full, was demoralizing to any forces left in the area, and no gnolls were reported in Treustap for days.

THE AFTERMATH

*From the account of Erhart Bodeker: The Victory was quite bloody, and the price was paid by the brave Elf and Halfling fighters. The field was a bloodbath, only the Trechulen Giyarden and a regiment of scouts stood at the end, most slaughtered by the hand of the Swordhawk and his talons, not enough to beat back the vigor of the Brecht.

*From the account of Tsara Esfir: In the aftermath of the battle against the Swordhawk’s forces, both contingents laid decimated, with thousands of freshly day strewn across the Treutchian forests. The battle had been a costly and narrowly won one, but it had bought at least a small amount of time and reprieve. While what remained of the few active companies that survived the onslaught gathered their bearings and their dead, the small band of Vos riders, which had been running harassment strikes against Massenmarch’s troops, cantered back to camp.

It is decided: The Lord Protector of Rheulgard will return to Poden, to see to his affairs, leaving Sir Naaman and the remnants of his expeditionary force with the Lawgiver, Hans, to maintain peace in his realm. The Tsara as well, will return to Rhzlev.

The mood is somber as Naaman goes over the maps and projected troop deployments for the Swordhawk's men, which accounts for potential reinforcements from the mainland. Things look bad - Massenmarch, while much depleted from it's glory days, is still a mighty nation. If the temple of the Golden Light can be brought to bear, along with her mighty realm magics, perhaps things can change for the better, but otherwise... The guards announce the arrival of the Tsara, and her request to speak with the Meister. After being granted permission, they allow her inside. Naaman keeps his face impassive, but rolls up the maps and notes as she enters.

Now though, the time for fighting was over – or at least paused – and there were a few things that there was left to be discussed.

There are many more battles with the Swordhawk to discuss, but for now, The Tsara, and the Lord Protector departed for their own lands, and Kluggman leaves Naaman, and the bulk of his forces that remain, to bolster the Lawgiver's, and deliver a final defeat upon the Swordhawk.

END