Battle in Sestra

[Lollercide]

The Southern Gates

...The orders were given and the groups had been decided. It had become clear that Tamryn was far more adept in battle tactics than himself, but he paid no mind to that. He wasn't one to envy another. In fact, he approached his front proud - Especially of Osclow's conviction and Kathryn's determination during it all. Allowing himself to stand before the southern gates of Sestra in calm confidence with his allies at his side.

Lauan in front, Cirion and himself at her side, Osclow just behind them, and Vader in the back. Despite their mixed emotions, whatever conflicts and disputes they may have had in the past, they stood before the gates together and to protect the people. To thwart the approaching assault from Xithis and his followers.

"The bitter calm before the storm." Hano thought to himself with his eyes peering around to each of his allies. "Tamryn's group holding the northern gate, Kathryn's group holding the eastern, and us holding the southern. I have faith that Brother Sal and his group will be able to hold their end, as well as the Legionaires holding their own. All five points should be secure. It's only a matter of time now."

Hano draws in a long breath looking to the road before him, preparing himself. Listening carefully in the silence for any signs of motion. Any noise or word from the other fronts, but is only met with nothing. Absolute silence.

The Tormite lifts his blade, Bane Slayer, and begins to run the tips of his gauntlet across the runes. Just as he began though, out of nowhere shadows shot through the road, approaching the southern group.

This is it. They were the first to be assaulted. Suddenly the silent waiting didn't seem so bad.

Hano quickly finishes running his tips across the runes and chants a few blessings as the shadows approach then roars to his comrades as he lifts his blade. "This is it! They're here! Torm gift us your might!", each of his allies unleash battle cries of their own in turn as arrows break through the approaching darkness whizzing past each of them.

The first wave moved swift and silently through the shadows and met them with the advantage of surprise, striking at the three in front. However even as they struck first, they were countered without hesitation. The battle had begun.

Cries and battle could then be heard from the Eastern Gate and shortly after from the Northern as well. Hano paid no mind to them... That is, he had no other option but to ignore them. They had to do their job here and without the thought of regret. And besides, if anyone could survive this it would be those stationed at the other gates. He had faith in that.

The cries and clashing of steel were damn near deafening as it echoed through Sestra, but through the heat of battle.. As the adrenaline rushed through the Knight's veins. As he cleaved through the Nether Elf before him, tearing through his flesh, breaking through his bone. As he nearly divided the once breathing corpse in two save a few inches of flesh, a few bones, and a spine... Everything fell into a surreal state of mind. Everything deafened to the Knight by his pounding heart, the jolts from each of his strikes, the jerks from the well placed blows against him.

Each shadow.. Each elf.. All met with steel and their fierce will to survive. Even while they were surrounded in far greater numbers. Even as they were slowly being overpowered. Even as sight began to fade and blur from blood loss.

"Keep going.. Keep going.." Hano repeats to himself in his mind as he is pushed around with each blow and spell, quickly responding in turn with lethal blows of his own.

"Just a bit more.. Torm, give me and my allies just a bit more.." he pleads under his breath while cleaving franticly through the spawns of shadow, finding himself and his allies surrounded by field of tentacles. Shortly after realizing such, they were surprised again as they were bombarded with spells from the distance.

"Shit!" Hano spits, weaving through the tentacles as best as he could in attempt to escape the oncoming bombardment, but is then slammed onto his back by a single spell targeted at him through the chaos. He couldn't discern what exactly had hit him, but before he knew it he felt a crack against the back of his head as it bounced against the bridge. He fell limp as the blood seeped from the back of his head. Gathering his breath in brief shock, he lets out cry in pain while writhing in his armor. Laying there helpless on the bridge and slowly bleeding to death. Seemed it would be only moments before someone would perform a coup de grace now.

"No.. Damnit," he curses himself trying to focus his vision, hoping to regain himself through the dizziness. Staying awake and drawing in a breath seemed to put an unbearable strain on the Paladin, but in the corner of his eye he noticed a blur of who he thought might have been Cirion. He didn't appear far from him either. Cirion, still fighting and judging by the exchange of motions he too was within an inch of his life, but he was still fighting.

Gritting his teeth he rolls to his stomach shaking as he tries to push himself up with his palms and knees. Just then a flare shot from the Keep lighting the sky with its brilliance. The Knight's eyes widen as he glares into the flare's reflection in the puddle of blood before him. "No.. Damnit. We have to stay alive. We have to keep going... For them."

Hano lifts himself up, cringing as he drags his blade from the ground. Despite the the pain and reluctance of his wounded muscles, he slowly staggers forward to pick up his momentum and eventually breaks into an clumsy charge. Moving through the field of tentacles while crossing the bridge and pushing through the bombardment.

Luck was certainly on his side as he managed to avoid most of what was thrown at him while crying out through all the mayhem. "Fall back! The signal has been sent! To the Keep! Everyone!"

And with that.. They withdrew from the battle to regroup at the keep.

[joker]

The Eastern Gates

Tamryn and Hano had split all the adventurers gathered into three groups. One group was to guard each of the gates. Kathryn, Dordleton, Galin and I (Calowyn) were to guard the Eastern Gates.

I set many traps up by the gates, just in front of the Legion guards posted there. Cries of battle erupted to the South. Then the shadows attacked the Easter Gates. They came through the traps like nothing was there. Kathryn let loose a volley of magical bolts, striking many of the creatures. Dordleton can Galin rushed to the front line. I shot many arrows into the shadows, with little effect. The shadows continued to poor through the gates.

Kathryn cast several fireball spells to weaken their ranks, which worked. Dordleton, Galin and I thinned out what was left. After the initial assault was over, we tried to regroup and tend to our wounds.

All of a sudden more shadows appeared and some of them began casting spells. I knew we were in trouble. I was bleeding badly from my wounds when a huge shadowy treant fell on me. Then blackness.

I awoke sometime later, still hearing sounds of battle. I laid there waiting and wondering, "When is someone was going to get this tree off of me!" I tried to pull myself free. Then I lost consciousness again.

[Gabryal]

Kathryn's mind raced, it spun. She had lost sight Calowyn in the melee, and knew now that she had no choice, to her front she saw a Paladin of Torm, struck down by three monstrous shadow elementals and realized she hadn't even had time to know his name, Galin and Dordleton were being pushed back.. and this was her position, Tamryn had trusted her with it. She looked back down the path.. yes it was narrow, a score of nether elves had died finding Calowyn traps, but they were gone now, the front was buckling.

"This is not like the books" The thought came and passed as she flung another fireball into the packed ranks of nightmares and corrupted that flooded down from the Gates. She was loosing strength, he ability to control the weave was weakening. A dark elf came at her with a sword, and she found herself in that nightmare where there is no strategy, no tactics, only kill.. or be killed. She ducked and ran her spear upwards feeling the soft give as it passed through the body of the elf.

She stood up and took a step back, assessing. The holes that the traps and fireballs were making in the enemies advance were working, Galin and Dordleton were able to take a few moments of rest between waves.. but she knew in her heat, they couldn't hold much longer. She estimated that perhaps thirty or forty of the enemy had fallen at her front, but they had lost the Paladins, and.. Calowyn. She felt the familiar rage, and clamped it down. She was in command here, she couldn't lose her focus. "Damn you Xithis.. these are my men you are killing" she thought, unleasing a storm of magic missles into a trio of archers that were shooting at Galin.

As they fell, there was a lull, something was coming behind them she was certain, but to the south she could hear fierce fighting continuing. "Galin!" she shouted, her voice hoarse "Run down to the south and back, I need to know what's happening!" She leaned heavily on her spear taking the moment to murmur to herself pulling in more arcane energy, "We must hold" she thought as she encanted the spells that might save her life and looked behind her. The barn where they had stopped them thus far, couldn't be held any longer. "Dordleton to me, we move to the cross of paths there "*she pointed* " And there we hold, if we leave there, Tamryn's position is flanked "

She set herself on the crossroads, and Galin returned just long enough to say the "The South is Hard pressed!" When they were set upon again, Dordleton and Galin set shoulder to shield and simply endured, denying the enemy the crosspaths as every spells she could think of spun from her hands into the dead and dying on the other side of there shields.

"The is Madness..." She thought as she unleashed a cloud of magic missles into the chest of a nether elf who was so close to her she could touch him, blood and gore splattered over her face again as the Elf died. To her left she heard the hard pound of Boots "Tamyrn's been overrun.. " she spared herself the thought as she readied herself to die, for with only two left to her small command.. she could not hold.

A hand gripped her arm and she turned and to her surprise it was Tamryn, blood soaked and battered, but Kathryn couldn't remember her looking more beautiful, behind her Pom and a man Kathryn didn't recognize were struggling to keep the Gap closed.

"Kathryn, Fall back to the keep!" Tamryn shouted over the Din of the battle, Kathryn Nodded then as close as she dared sped off two fireballs roaring down each path, wounding or killing those enemies closest to her comrades. "Galin! Dordleton! Fall back to the keep!" She swung her spear in the air pointing to the mountain path that led to the Castle, as Pom and the other man killed those who were wounded by her Fireballs on their front, and turned down the path, followed by Galin and Dordleton.

Tamryn stood leaning on her sword as the nightmare creatures regrouped on two fronts, Katie found herself gripping her spear tightly looking at the wave of destruction coming.. She looked at Tamryn, whose normally white hair was now nearly as red as Kathryn's own. Tamryn gave her a small grim smile and a nod. And then they turned and followed what was left of their commands towards the last bastion.. the keep of Sestra.