The Bitch Queen's Fury

[Poltergeist]

Clerics of Umberlee spread the word throughout the populace that Umberlee has been ignored for too long. For too long have the petty struggles of other gods been given more attention than the due owed to the Bitch Queen, whose wrath alone is enough to drown the coastal nation, and whose wrath will.

The clerics warn of a massive storm, the size of which has never been seen in all of Faerûn, and whose waters will drown and destroy the valley, forever ensuring that those few who survive will give proper respect to Umberlee.

Auguries cast by clerics of other faiths confirm the Umberleans words, and scholars from the Sundren academies train their telescopes on the approaching storm, and pale at the size of it, which stretches from one end of the horizon to the other. Expected landfall is within the next few days.

After spreading their warnings, the clerics make for the sea and upon entering it are transformed into sharks or jellyfish and make for the storm.

The Legion begins supplying the citizenry of the flying city with ropes and tarpaulins to secure all doors, windows, and other objects that may be affected by the severe winds and there is talk of how high the waves will be, and whether they will survive.

The 9th Legion pulls back forces from the Gate into the city. Many enlisted soldiers and some officers speak in city taverns of how this storm will wipe away the Banite and Mossdale taint, leaving the valley for the rightful rulers.

In Port Avanthyr, House Meriadoc has already begun fitting steel plates to the Indignant, a warship from Skullport captained by the pirate hunter Joseph Undine. Calls go out for talented wizards and clerics to lend their aid to the Port in its most desperate hour, though most use their talents to flee for the city with all haste.

Beyond responding in this thread, all those interested in participating should send me a Private Message on the forum. Messages sent to other DMs will be disregarded.

[Poltergeist]

Update: If you wish to participate, give me ideas for how you would like to participate. Specifically, what steps your character is taking to get involved.

[thaelis]

Altherion helps with what magics he can in Avanthyr, walls of force or walls of stone bolster the keep, where he assumes the commoners would be evacuated to for shelter. Several (up to five) Mage's Magnificent Mansions can be created if Lady Meriadoc so wishes, to further ensure the safety of the townsfolk.

He also formally requests for his valuables to be kept in the Avanthyr hold incase anything should befall the Mariner.

//OOC i wish i had read this first before mouthing off to the Umberlean priest!

[ManUtd4Ever]

Paddy Thornbristle, Cleric of Chauntea, hears of the the approaching storm and immediately moves to Port Avanthyr to keep the Bitch Queen's fury from touching land. Standing near the docks, but on solid ground, Paddy stands ready to strike down any amphibian manifestations that crawls from Umberlee's domain and onto that of the Earthmother's.

He stands witness to the frantic preparations and lends an unseen hand when necessary by healing the disposed and weak who attempt to flee the storm.

[Snowmane]

//OOC i wish i had read this first before mouthing off to the Umberlean priest!

Mess with the servants of the Gods of Fury at your own peril

Man, maybe I should log in with Khyron, though I suspect the Aurilites won't be wasting their time helping the Umberleans on this.

[Chocolate Radio]

The tabletop lies cluttered with old maps, scratchy notes, halfway transcribed scrolls, and inkwells midway to drying out completely. A few empty rum bottles lie on the floor about the desk, and a ragged, slouched-over figure sits at the table. The gray patchwork cloak shifts as he stands and takes heavy strides over to the window, flinging open a scene of the Avanthyr docks. Beyond, the chiming hammers setting rivets into the sides of the Indignant ring across the water and wooden walkways. As the wind of the stormy seas blasts into the room of the Menacing Mariner, a whisper is caught in its grasp.

"So soon?"

---

Later during the evening, a pair of broad wings bear an overlarge being through the dusk towards the same windowsill, coiling into a much smaller bundle right before impact until a man-sized figure kicks the window open from midair. The former bands of demonskin now shifting to the same old patchwork cloak, an elf drops into the confines of the room. He staggers over to the wine-racks bordering the desk he left earlier that day. Not too much later, there is a pop as a cork is cast free from a lip of a bottle.

"Not soon enough."

[InflatableFriend]

“People of Avathyr”

The blonde man smiles at those working on the harbours defences, his silver fish scale armor emblazoned with the symbols of Umberlee.

“Do not seek to hide yourself from the righteous wrath of Umberlee. Her wrath will lay waste to your futile defences, her waters drown you in your tight bolt holes. Two paths lie before you. The choice between the two is simple.”

He looks upon the people, the wretched, the poor, the hopeful and the scared.

“You can appease her anger. Show how much devotion you have to her mighty strength. To the North, West and South lie her great oceans, they surround you and this tiny spit of land. She has been merciful to you in the past, her realm has given you a bounty of food, a speedy place to travel and great routes to trade upon. But how have you repaid her all this glory?”

He emphasises his words with a gesture at the trading empire of the Meriadoc Household.

“You’ve taken her for granted. You’ve paid lip service, small tribute and dark thoughts. Can you blame her for her anger? She has been a mother to you. Cared for you, fed you, lulled you to sleep with her waves, and this is how you’ve treated her?”

He sighs, shaking his head with regret, casting his eyes over the people before him.

“It is not too late. Show her the respect she is due, take your coins, your wealth, whatever you can give to show her how much you love and fear her. Cast it into the deep water and pray for your salvation. Apologise to her as only an errant child can.”

“The other choice is to hide, run or deny her truth. That path is death, washed away in her anger, crushed and smashed between the debris of your hubris and idiocy, or drowned cowering in your dens.”

“For those who choose to live I will be within the Temple of Umberlee holding regular services and prayers.”

With this Estin takes to the temple of Umberlee, holding sermons in the deep queens name.

[Nyssis]

Spurred on by the call of her faithful blood, the Lone Wolf's Favored immediately leaves Avanthyr as the initial warnings are barked frantically throughout the port, and no demand for her divine magic is answered no matter how it's howled at her heels. Determined and anxious strides lead her through the thicket, deep into the heart of Viridale's few remaining gilded glades.

Here she remains for a candle's wick or two before reemerging from her solace. After visiting the port anew for only a stray moment under Sehanine's darkly night, Lasvi returns to the wood in search of any and all eladrin and wylder folk that have grown weary from war, her passing a beacon of iridescent moonlight that leads them to the safety of the glade she once inhabited hours prior.

Wicked fey and elves or those who can defend themselves are ignored, no matter how desperate their demands for refuge from Umberlee's impending attack. If provoked or threatened, Lasvi wastes no energy physically turning them aside and continues on her mission unless it affects the good health of she or her shepherded flock.

[InflatableFriend]

Estin carries on holding regular services at the Temple of Umberlee or at the fountain in the main square. His voice is passionate, vigorous and often beguiling, his bardic abilities accentuating the focused fury of his religious vocation.


“A new age is coming, the age of the sea.”

“In time the seas will rise, covering all of creation. The tallest of our mountains will vanish beneath the waves, the strongest of your castles will become naught but homes for fish.”

“Umberlee will rule this world with anger and passion, all those who dare to oppose her will be dragged down and crushed against her benthic bosom. Only those of true faith, those who fear her name enough and those who she favours will survive to see this brave new world of hers.”

“This.” He gestures to the distant horizon. “This is her first test.”

“If you show your faith to be strong enough, through fervent prayer and sacrifice, then you may pass it.”

“If you embrace the chaos of the sea, let its fury be yours and fight with the strength of her most glorious tsunami, then perhaps she’ll see the part of you that is hers and grant you her favour.”

“If you run, if you hide, if you cower and weep behind those stronger than you. If you pay lip service, harbour doubts or curse her name then her terrible strength will see you split, crushed and burst beneath all that she sweeps aside. Your use is nothing but food for the blessed servants of her most Holy piscine empire.”

“We will now sing Hymn 318.”

[InflatableFriend]

In addition to his frequent preaching Estin begins to attempt to track down a reliable source of seal skins and attempts to calculate, though simple priestly sign readings and prayer, roughly when the storm will make landfall.

He tells those who hear his sermons to fix bands of seaweed to their doors, held in place with the bones of a land mammal. This sign of faith and devotion to the Queen of the Depths will help properties so marked to survive the worst of the storm, though the presence of nearby properties without such markings may lessen the effects. He makes frequent tours of the port, saying blessings and rites over properties so marked and casting dark looks upon the steps of those who don’t.

In addition he does his best to fill in for the roles of the departed clergy, acting as High Preist in the absence of others. Accepting tributes, petitions and such forth from any of the sea travellers who use the ports facilities.

[Poltergeist]

And then it fell

The ship Indignant set sail from the Port of Avanthyr, clad in metal plate and carrying the Meriadoc heir and her retinue: the bodyguard Julian Esler, the elven maiden Lasvi Norreitryn, and the stranger Daniel. Many close to the Meriadocs boasted she went to slay the goddess, while the commoners were sure she meant only to plead with the capricious deity.

Across the valley preparations were made

Even the flying city was not immune to the Bitch Queen's wrath and devastating winds claimed the lives of twelve Legion guards before the call went out to abandon the walls until the crisis was over. Citizens were ordered to remain in their homes and food rations were distributed by Legion soldiers to citizens' homes. The aqueducts swelled with displaced refugees seeking to comply with the Legion's orders and many died of hunger or disease.

In Sestra

The Exarch set out with a party for some unknown purpose and upon his return ordered the city evacuated. Exigo caravans and Blackwood mercenaries were contracted to bring the people far to the north, away from the dangers of the sea. The Exarch himself took to the Temple of the Tyrant and is said to have performed some dread ritual to stave off the waves.

And then it fell

Come crashing down like falling stones, the tidal wave which had stretched from one end of the horizon to the other and rose to the clouds themselves, came crashing down. The sudden force of the mighty fall spawned countless other, smaller, but still deadly waves that rippled off in all directions. The winds died, yet the storm still hit the valley.

In Avanthyr

A body was carried to the docks from the sea, by a mermaid. Unconscious but breathing, the dockworkers and tavern patrons crowded around the man and identified him as one of those that had sailed with the Lady Evelyn Meriadoc to meet the storm and defeat it. And then he was swallowed by darkness. When the dark cleared, the stranger Daniel was gone and the people left to watch the impending waves.

In Sestra

The town was deserted, save the very literal skeletal force left to guard the town while the Dreadmaster of Bane stood silent vigil in the Temple of the Tyrant with a spear in one hand and net in the other, with the magics of a ring of Water Breathing keeping him ready to defend his temple against the monsters of salt and water that would come with the floods.

In Mirakus Post

The self-appointed Lord Marshal of the Post set his militia of pardoned criminals and refugee farmers to boarding up and caulking his inn, where they then took refuge from the storm. Both the basement and main floor flooded, forcing the small force to herd the noncombatants to the inner rooms while Xaayne took post at the stairwell with his trusty pile of axes and his men and women used spears at the windows to keep the sea creatures at bay.

In Port Avanthyr

The Indignant returned to port just ahead of the storm with the crew hailing Lady Meriadoc as Evelyn, Daughter of Storms. Buoyed by her success, the sailor noblewoman set her house guards to retreat with the people to the safety of her Hold and its high ground, and with the aid of passing adventurers the Port and its people stand against the invading sahuagin that come in on the storm surges. Observers from the Hold's towers swear that elven mermaids and dolphins fought in the flooded streets.

In Sestra

Nine robed figures covered in streaming ribbons of seaweed lined the cliffs and yet made no movements other than to stare down the sea and the approaching waves. The smaller of the massive waves seem to break off of them, though the surges still break past them and flood the town and buildings, bringing monsters with them. Yet even so, the clifftop city is spared much of the damages incurred by the low lying towns.

Now

The hurricane is gone. Only basements remain flooded now, though all is soaked and wet. Tidal waves occasionally hit the shores of Avanthyr, Mirakus, and Sestra, each time bringing new monsters with them, though fewer with each surge. The rest of the valley is covered in small ponds and bogs that are being cultivated by blight druids of Talona to form miasmic swamps and the non-stone building sin the city have suffered severe wind damage.

The valley has suffered war, cataclysm, and now hurricanes. The people wonder when the rebuilding will end.

OOC: Same deal as before. Make response posts in this thread and/or send me, and only me, private messages. Those that have been doing things, feel free to build upon what you've done so far.