by Zack "Tony" Emmert
Friday night opened with an evening of merriment, with a return of Evie's Tavern, an arm wrestling contest (which Mogar won, to no one's surprise), as well as Voraniss Court and the summer Wish Burning Ceremony. During Court, Chrysanta Morris was made a full Oathsworn member of Voraniss, and given the name Dream Weaver. Margaret August was also sworn into Voraniss, and given the name Lightbringer, as well as squired to the Knights of the Crown under Sir Laika En'Naur. Magistrate Evitta Jainrose was named to the Circle of Druids of Voraniss, given the title "Druid of the Emerald Song" and became an Initiate to the Order of the Lunar Aegis. Magi James Swift became a Squire to the Knights of Dragon's Ire under Sir Elwin. Jean Baptise of Neden formally accused the Knights of the Abberant Gate of derilection of duty in their stated mission of defending the Realms from extraplanar threats, and formed an order known as the Watchers of the Skyless Sea to fill this void and monitor incursions into the Realms from other planes.
The Knights of the Abberant Gate took this accusation personally and sent Dame Carrion to make that known. She arrived with a cadre of undead and marked myself, James Swift, and Jean Baptiste for death. The Raven spirit Miragairos informed us we would be hunted by revenants until we were wiped from existence. However, Ser Elizah of Blackwood volunteered to take my mark upon herself, and after much deliberation and consideration, she did so with the help of Prince Seagan.
Saturday morning opened with an assortment of tasks that needed completing in order to earn the favor of Gaia, so that we might dispel the corruption of the undead in the land. We rescued people from poisonous vines in the Grove of Gaia, guided spirits to their rightful resting place, did battle with bandits and rescued their captives, first Elnaril Moonarrow, and later Magistrate Evie. Some got high licking frogs, others were taunted by pixies, and good times were had by all.
Once we gained Gaia's favor, we conducted a large ritual in her honor, led by Liselle and Dame Twenaria. With our dancing, chanting, and planting seeds, we called out to her and she appeared before us. She granted us her blessing in battling the undead forces, and Liselle her powerful staff.
Then came the war council.
We were informed by Warlord Cronin and Thane Tulkhan that Edwin Rainecourt's forces were moving against several nations of the Realms. His forces had raised fallen soldiers on both sides of the battle to defend Coventry against the Lost Kingdoms, and they were marching on the western border of Voraniss. Simultaneously, a second army marched north to Blackwood. After the War Council, and before the break for our evening meal, Druid King Hygar Athame was, at long last, knighted as a Knight of the Eternal Flame.
So following our evening meal, we split our forces. Voraniss and Invictus defended Voraniss's western flank, while Blackwood, Chimeron, Stonewood, the Northern Alliance, and others went north. But to get to Blackwood in time, we had to make a dangerous journey through the Voranian spirit world.
Guided by Miragairos's lights, we walked through the spirit world, assailed by spirits that draw out your worst fears, and can only be harmed using copper or ghost bladed weapons. And yet onwards we marched, through the darkness. From one lone light to the next, until we made it to Blackwood.
We arrived in Blackwood, and found a mostly empty fortress, save a small number of undead. We quickly dispatched them, and inside found a healer's tent, a forge, and castle gate. And we knew: We were about to be under siege. Sir Orion prepared the shield wall as Rainecourt's forces arrived under the command of the vampire Sir Roman, and Knights of Blackwood made a stand outside the gate, in one last effort to negotiate with Sir Roman. And when these negotiations turned to battle, the Knights of Blackwood took their place behind the walls, and the siege truly began.
Pikes stabbed, shields held, and boulders were thrown as the siege waged on, until I gazed over the top of the walls and saw a truly terrifying weapon of the lich arrive: A colossal 15-foot skeleton wielding a sword as tall as a building was bearing down on our position. It crashed through our walls, and to the credit of all those on the shield line, only then did the enemy breach.
(OOC note: Derek and his prop team are truly incredible! Hats off to all of them)
Our pikes were the only weapons long enough to harm them, and so they went to work as the skeletal monster crashed through any attempt to slow or trap it. What ultimately took it down was a ritual of banishment cast by N, and two bolts from a ballista loaded and fired by myself and Tarsus of Clan Riverhawk, and blessed by the angelic powers of James Swift. A ballista that I personally dragged to Blackwood through the Spirit World.
But even with that terrifying enemy felled, our work that night was not yet done. I received word that to the south, a temple to Arius, my god, was under attack by Edwin Rainecourt's undead army. Unfortunately, we arrived there too late. We found the temple desecrated, and littered with the bodies of worshipers and priests. And before the altar we found a scrying skull of the lich himself, surrounded by unholy runes. After raising the priestess dead upon the altar, we discovered the head priest had been kidnapped because he knew the location of a powerful item that Rainecourt sought after. I spoke to the scrying skull, and though I don't remember the conversation as I was rended immediately after, I'm told that I said to Edwin Rainecourt's face - or skull, rather - that he is unworthy of the title of Knight. I stand by that statement. We finished the night having reconsecrated the temple, ready to set off and rescue the head priest the next morning.
Sunday morning, we set out to rescue the head priest from Rainecourt's undead forces. We found him nearly rended, as he refused to give up the location of the object. Through the efforts of myself and many of my close allies, we were able to earn the trust of the head priest, and he showed us to the location of the item Rainecourt was seeking. Upon recovering it, I was intent on destroying it, however Sir Vesper and Sir Bones, along with divination magic graciously provided by Sir Aelias, convinced me that doing so was too dangerous, and it should be locked away and kept secure until destroying it could be safely done. Our work for the weekend finally complete, we returned home.