The Great War - from a former Scoutblades perspective

[Joos]

Please excuse the bad prose, but this is the most extensive extract of the events that I experienced on Loudwater during the Shade war. I thought it would be a shame to just let the chatlog be erased when I put so much effort in it, so I edited it mildly for you guys. I hope you will enjoy it somewhat at least.

Some big names mentioned, some not.
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Two figures meet in Secomber and greet eacother, as two men greet eachother when they are not friends, but still familiar with eachother. One of them, the one without the hood, seems less than excited about leaving Red Larch behind.

Evan: So. What is here to see?
Shan: I am not sssure.
Shan: Thisss part of town I am not ssso familiar with.
Evan: Why are you so interested about this area then?
Evan: *kicks a small rock towards the river*
Shan: Ah, the war isss over...
Evan: Yes?
Shan: ...all the sssettlements are weak and ruined...
Shan: ...all the old boardersss and spheres of political influence isss destroyed...
Evan: *looks puzzled*
Shan: ..and ready to be claimed by those who play the game the bessst.
Evan: *face lightens*
Shan: Conflict, other than war....
Shan: *Q* A conflict under the sssurface.
Shan: *Q* the most profitable kind, for the one who playsss his cardssss right. Sounds... interesting, doessss it not?
Evan: *scratches his chin with a sly smile on his face*
Shan: I think....
Shan: If we head to Lorkh, we should be able to find something intersting in the form of intrigue and gold there. And, if we are patient and play our cards right, we might find what we are looking for.
Evan: Lorkh?
Shan: The City of The Black Sun.
Evan: *frowns*
Evan: Wouldn't they be suspicious?
Shan: *Q* Once my own mossst accursed foe... Now... an unlikely ally.
Shan: Sssuspicous of what?
Shan: *strokes beard*
Evan: Two strangers appearing there voluntarily.
Evan: *glances around*
Shan: Lorkh isss an open city. *shrugs* Its jussst that the lord is openly devout to the black sun, and its clergy has a huge temple there.
Evan: I see...
Shan: And, I would watch my back doubly carefully at night when walking the streetsss there.
Evan: How about this area? Where do the loyalties of these people lie? *quickly glances at the guard*
Shan: Sssecomber ssstayed out of the conflict.
Evan: *nods*
Shan: However, they gave the waterdavian troops free passage when they came to reinforce loudwater.
Shan: lets walk and talk.
Shan: *looks at the setting sun*
Shan: *nods*
Shan: It all ssstarted in Lorkh.
Evan: The war?
Shan: Yesss.
Shan: The Zentharim, led by Fzoul Chembryl, high priest and favoured of bane...
Shan: struck Lorkh from the east.
Evan: Why?
Shan: I will come to that.
Shan: They struck heavy and hard, driving the "heretics" out.
Evan: *nods*
Shan: This lead to the pact of orlbar.
Shan: Orbar is a small Freetown between Lorkh to the east and Loudwater to the west.
Evan: *mutters to himself*
Shan: Where the military forces of orbar allied with the cyricists to take Loudwater, else the cyricists would attack orlbar.
Shan: Thusss war came to loudwater.
Evan: Sounds senseless.
Shan: The Banites sat quietly in Lork and didnt seem interested in continuing their attack.
Shan: However, they ssseemed pressed, working seaslessly to improve fortificationsss at all timesss.
Shan: Later, we learnt the reason why the banitesss offensive.
Shan: They weren’t expanding...
Shan: They were being pussshed back...
Evan: So they were pushed, they pushed and...
Evan: *shrugs* Bang.
Shan: Aye, a very big bang. Or, a ssseries of clashes and mergerssss. Let me continue… A sssea of goblinoidsss, orcs, giants and constructs of flesh... Strange thingssss....
Evan: *looks around uneasily*
Shan: ...threw themselves at the walls.... fighting seassslessly to claim the city.
Shan: The banitesss faught hard....
Shan: However, when the corpses piled over the walls of fallen enemies, they could no longer hold out.
Shan: Meanwhile, Loudwater were hard presses from all flankssss.
Shan: By the orlbar compact from the east...
Shan: And, by the bandit king of thissss village from the wessst.
Shan: The Lord of Zelbross hired a large host of half orc mercs to do his fighting for him.
Shan: The people of loudewater called out for help from all its neighbourssss.
Evan: Hold on second... Zelbross and Cyricists and Orlbar against Loudwater...
Shan: *nods*
Shan: They did recieve help....
Evan: Banites in Cyricists' town overrun by monsters...
Shan: *nods*
Shan: Chaosss ruled.
Evan: How come we aren't flooded by goblins right now?
Shan: I will come to that as well.
Shan: And why the great Knight Sir Kit Gyrfalcon comess into the picture.
Evan: *nods with a puzzled look on his face*
Shan: *spits*
Shan: Now, loudwater gets answers from the waterdavians from Daggerford to lend aid.
Shan: However, with the current strife going on, the goblinoids of thissss very area hass arisen to a new leader asss well. A local leader.
Evan: *grabs his staff*
Shan: They attack zelbross and conquer it... The mercenaries are disperssssed...
Shan: Thisss should aid the waterdavians... But in one lasssst push they are driven out of Loudwater, which is concqured by the cyricistssss.
Shan: The people of loudwater flee through secret tunnels under the city to a small hin village called sssilver ssspringsss.
Shan: Where they, for the first time in months can rest and lick their many grave woundssss.
Shan: Now, the waterdavian 3rd foot arrivessss to the scene from the west.
Shan: They start a long ardous campaing agaisnt the hobgoblins in zelbrosss.
Evan: *picks up a small leaf and starts ripping it into smaller pieces*
Shan: Now, the loudwater scoutbladess report...
Shan: I report, asss a matter of fact....
Evan: *hits the nearby tree with his staff*
Evan: You?
Shan: Yessss.
Evan: Go on...
Shan: I was part of the ssscoutbladesss of loudwater.
Shan: *taps nose and winks*
Shan: Showss how desperate they were, eh?
Evan: *chuckles silently*
Shan: Soon, Orlbar is hit hard by the Zenths from both north and south.
Evan: So cyricists are now flanked?
Shan: More or less. The Orlbarans, who hasssnt been scouting as vigilantly as me *winks* are caught unprepared of the attack.
Shan: The remaining forcesss are forced into the walls of loudwater and into the armsss of the cyricsssts.
Shan: Now we will enter loudwater.
Shan: Do not say my name...
Shan: In here, call me rick.
Shan: if anything.
Evan: *nods*
Shan: *draws cowl tighter*

The pair enters Loudwater, crossing the river in silence, just stopping to look at the statue of the famous knight, Sir Kit Gyrfalcon.

Shan: *Q to himself* If I had only knewn....
Shan: *clenches fists*
Evan: *reads the inscription*
Evan: That's a familiar name...
Shan: It should be, he isss one of the great heroesss of the vale and one of the sssole reassssons why the shade horde was annihilated.
Shan: Come.
Shan: Sir Kit Gyrfalcon led the irregular troops.
Shan: Have you heard of Netheril?
Evan: *shakes head*
Evan: Only the name.
Shan: *eyes glimmer yellowishly*
Shan: *opens his pack and pulls out an old tome*
Evan: *raises his finger* Hold.
Evan: *ponders*
Shan: *holds*
Shan: *eyes darts left and right*
Shan: what?
Evan: *shakes head* Shades? Not like those normal shades around here?
Shan: I have more information with me.
Evan: *nods*
Evan: *nods* I just remembered something... but nevermind.
Shan: Anyway, it isss now that I get involved with Sir Gyrfalcon.
Shan: It sssseems the Good Knight had been ssscouring through old tomes and scrolls to find maps and ledgers of old alliancesss with the creaturess not human.
Shan: Old alliancesss with dwarvessss and the accursssed elvesss were wrought anew.
Evan: *raises eyebrow*
Shan: However, the horde grew ever stronger and bigger....
Shan: And kept seassslelssly attacking the banites in orlbar.
Shan: It wasss only a matter of time before the banites would fall....
Evan: *nods*
Shan: and alone, each of the small allainces would fall... the elves and humans of loudwater in shining falls.... the orbaran alliance in loudwater and the waterdavians in zelbross were too small in the flood of green skin... and worsssse.
Evan: *scratches the stone next to him with his nails*
Shan: Thusss, he gyrfalcon went looking for other alliances.... more...sinsiter alliancessss.
Shan: There isss thisss legend you ssseee.
Shan: About a lord deep in the bowelsss of the earth....
Shan: The beasssstlord. *said with flatly, but still filled with emotion*
Evan: *wets his lips*
Evan: Who is he?
Shan: Sir Gyrfalcon had gone misssing looking for this Beassstlord.
Shan: In a huge battle by some cryptssss, he wassss taken away from the main party by Illithidsss, or ssso the Silver Prince Aurenthil claimed.
Shan: Desssperate, the irreguars swore to find Sir Gyrfalcon, no matter the cost.
Shan: Sir Harvo Foulfoot, the green gnome, led a party up in the mountains, to dekanter.
Evan: And it led to something... not good, right?
Shan: An old sssite with ruinss where odd thingsss happen at night.
Shan: Not good no.
Shan: In fact, very very bad.
Shan: A sssentience older than the land itssself.
Shan: Sssoo old and malign... so developed and sssuperior, it called all other creaturess beastssss.
Evan: But weren't that beastlord supposed to be an ally?
Shan: Ah, but he wasss...
Shan: At the time.
Shan: You sssee, when we got there, we were made prisssonersss by Illithidssss assss well.
Shan: It isss a bit cloudy...
Evan: *shivers*
Shan: But I remember not feeling any fear when its face tentacles slithered over my fassce.
Shan: Mindlesss...
Shan: *shivers*
Shan: Anyway, Lord Bane was with me then... I would not have felt fear in any cassse. *smiles thinly*
Evan: Bane?
Shan: Aye.
Evan: *frowns*
Shan: Frown asss much asss you like. I had my reassons.
Shan: Anyhow... We are brought in front of the beassstlord.
Shan: His presssence brought all of usss to our knees....
Evan: *looks suspicious and instinctively move his hand towards his belt, then relaxes*
Shan: Except one...
Shan: Odd fellow that....
Shan: Hadric halfhand his name wasssss.... anyway.
Shan: The Lord of the Beastsss tellsss that the Knight hasss given hisss life to trade a favour with the Beasssstlord.
Evan: Gyrfalcon?
Shan: "When the times ssseeems mossst dire, the Land shall befall to its original ownerssss"
Shan: Yes, Sir Gyrfalcon.
Evan: Do continue.
Evan: *picks his teeth with his fingers*
Shan: The masterful creature producesss Sir Gyrfalconsss body...
Shan: And saysss that the compact to protect usss, that he struck with Sir Gyrfalcon, is now ended.
Evan: Just like that? He did nothing?
Shan: The sssinissster creature starts casting a spell... Darkness and fire gathersss as hisss mad laughter echoues through our mindssss...
Evan: *falls silent*
Evan: *keeps listening*
Shan: Thankfully, the green gnome isss in possession of a teleport cryssstal.
Shan: And we are transported to sssafety before we are all killed by the treacherous creature.
Shan: However, few of usss are what we were before we entered the cryptsss.
Evan: *nods*
Shan: *Q to self* Some changed more than otherssss.
Evan: How many of you are still alive?
Shan: Hmmm
Shan: I think Hadric isss still alive...
Shan: Havent sseeen his name on any war memoriesss.
Shan: And Aurenthil is isss sssurely alive.
Shan: I met the green gnome in waterdeep just a few tendays ago.
Shan: Anyway, when we get back with the Sir Gyrfalcon dead, morale with the soldiers take a turn down.
Shan: The Council keeps the compact with the beastmassster ssssecret.
Shan: Sssince, they are unsssure of what will come of it.
Evan: *mumbles* No wonder...
Shan: However, they are not the only ones worried about the future.
Shan: The Cyricists have found the secret tunnels under the city Loudwater.
Evan: *grabs his staff and leans on it*
Shan: And asss they are fighting hard to keep the waterdavians from allying with the greyswords of loudwater...
Shan: ...they are _not_ attacking Silver Springsss.
Evan: *nods* Wise.
Shan: Instead, they are sssending a diplomatic delegaition, offering a trusssce.
Shan: Many of the alliance in silver springs susspect a trap.
Evan: *coughs silently*
Shan: However, now in retrossspect, they followers of the prince of lies, actually didn’t follow his dogma....
Evan: *spits*
Shan: The process is long and arduous.
Shan: However...
Evan: Yes?
Shan: When reports of the banites arrive...
Shan: Things proceeds quickly.
Shan: The Banites have fallen back, and oddly disappeared somewhere...
Shan: And the horde is quickly advancing....
Shan: Thissss makes the last alliance in the war, the unlikey coalition between the forces of Lorkh, Orlbar and Loudwater stand united under one flag at lassst.
Shan: Asss you sssaw, the waterdavians took their chance and extended their political influnce to the town of Zelbrosss ass well.
Shan: Anyway, they day comess that the horde unleashes all its fury at loudwater.
Shan: The city defends itssself valiantly for several days... The battle goes on day and night, without stop....
Shan: It issss apparent that it isss only a matter of time...
Evan: *listens eagerly*
Shan: However, the Beastmassster promissse turnsss true....
Shan: I did not sssee thisss myself, due to circumstancesss that compromisssed my sssafety with the scoutbladesss....
Shan: But I heard the earth ripped asssunder, and swallowed the horde in a sea of fire and then closed again.
Shan: Or sssome such. *coughs*
Evan: *puts away the staff and stratches his legs a bit*
Shan: War isss over and everyting isss back to normal...
Evan: Just like that?
Shan: Jusssst... like.... that.
Shan: Did it sssound easy?
Evan: What about those *looks around* shades?
Shan: Ah...
Shan: We never saw any shadessss.
Evan: But you mentioned them.
Shan: We heard from the banitessss however, that they had lossst a great war in the great desert to the Empire of Netheril...
Evan: Um... It no longer exists, right?
Shan: According to many devout banitessss, it sssure do exissst.
Shan: And they dont have a record of lying, now do they?
Evan: Right... So there goes my only piece of knowledge of Netheril.
Shan: Well... I dont think you are wrong...
Shan: I have done sssome resssearch on my own you sssee.
Shan: I found thisss in Sembia.
Shan: *hands over a book*
Evan: *browses the books*
Evan: Lots of reading...
Shan: Indeed.
Shan: But highly educative.
Evan: *tries to focus his eyes on the text* Maybe some other time... Shan: Aye, maybe sssome other time. *puts the tome away and the pair continues on their journey*

[Dorn]

Very nice read.

I do enjoy hearing other folks versions of events throughout the war and what was thought of Kit. Warms me cockels is do! I especially the bits after kit died that i'm not familiar with.

I wonder if there is a saga to be written here *looks to quill and ink in thoughts* Shadow Over Loudwater - by Yanosh Pohar (servant and confidant of Lord Kalahar Two-hands).

[Joos]

If there was, I would buy it for sure. Glad you liked it mate.

[Damart]

oohh! Green Gnome mention!!








***begins to regret Friday the 13th bender now***

[Joachim]

I wonder if there is a saga to be written here *looks to quill and ink in thoughts* Shadow Over Loudwater - by Yanosh Pohar (servant and confidant of Lord Kalahar Two-hands)

*Panicks and hides an unmarked grave set with a Lute in the sted of a marker*

[Valiantman]

That was indeed a marvellous story. I joined ALFA about the same time that the war started in a large scale (I think) and only heard bits of the story from here and there. Thanks Joos.

[Davlin]

Fantastic Joos, I never did get around to writing it all out, but you've included most if not everything. Well and it's better to have some things remain a bit of a mystery I think.

[Joos]

Well, some of the mysteries I keep to myself, some others are better left untold. Even though a sneaky git, I can't have my fingers in every cake (even though I try). Glad you all like it.

I also would yet again thank the DM's who bothered to involve me into their plots, primarily (in no particular order) Evro, Davlin, Craig and RangerDeN00b. *pats backs vigorously* You all planted the seed that grew into this story, and many others.

[Frostfather]

Great story my friend, glad to have been a part of it some ways.
Its mostly lies i can tell you that, but who would trust a snake, hmm?

Cheers
/Frostfather
Aurentil "Arim" Beithir

[Joos]

Great story my friend, glad to have been a part of it some ways.
Its mostly lies i can tell you that, but who would trust a snake, hmm?

Cheers
/Frostfather
Aurentil "Arim" Beithir

Aurenthil was mentioned more in detail in the original conversation, but due to some "issues" I would rather not discuss here (ehrm) I edited them out.

[heletari]

Hmm. How does 50gp for you to spill your guts sound?

[Joachim]

Even though a sneaky git, I can't have my fingers in every cake (even though I try).

Obviously you didnt try enough - I rememebr a plucky chap during the war - heaven forbid I cant remember his name - had his little fingers in every cake and pie.

Yes yes, quite the handsome fellow that one.

[Joos]

Hmm. How does 50gp for you to spill your guts sound?

Sounsd like an offer that should be made IC. Cya ingame...