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Post by DM Hawk on Jul 26, 2013 20:18:25 GMT -5
In late Flamerule, tavern talk circulates rumors of diplomatic tension between Cormyr and other realms. There are accounts of brawls breaking out in taverns of Suzail between Silver Ravens posted at the Sembian Embassay and members of the Suzail Watch.
A procession of elves, robed in blue and gold and bearing the standard of the newly restored City of Song, Myth Drannor...or Evermeet...or the long dead court of an ancient elven king restored to live, arrived without announcement causing Suzail officials to hurridly find suitable quarters.
The Crown posts notice that The East Way through Thunder Gap has been closed to traffic. Further, the Crown announces that the Cormyrian-Sembian border on the Way of the Manticore is closed.
Cormyrian sailors speak of Sembian ports being closed to them. And before Flamerule is out, Suzail and Marsember have closed their ports to Sembian sails. Wheloon and Valkur's Roar quickly follow suit, along with the small ports on the Shores of the Lake of Dragons.
From Arabel, the Red Ravens increase their levies, withdraw from the Stonelands, and begin a march south. The city bolsters its watch garrison by calling in its reserves, eyes facing east towards distant Thunder Gap, while trying to maintain an air of calm normalcy within the walls.
In Immersea, gossip whispers that Lord Giogi has been murdered and the Wyvernspur estate has been shut to the world. The folk of Valkur's Roar speculate that an important Sembian official died in a hunting accident, while in Thunderstone folks fear that the elves of old have come to reclaim their land. In the seedier taverns of Suzail, there are whispers that the Steel Regent was spurned as a lover by a Sembian Lord and has thrown him into a dark dungeon beneath the Royal Palace. Nobles in costly Marsember festhalls wonder which Cormyrian lords are backing the Sembian aggression and try to discern how they might join them and claim a piece of the pie for themselves.
Elsewhere, tensions rise within the Forest Kingdom. People of Sembian origin are treated with suspicion and disdain. Several Sembian trading costers close their doors and post sell swords to guard them. One warehouse was burned on the night of the twenty-third of Flamerule by a mob in protest upon hearing the rumor of Comryrian Freesails being seized, having sailors imprisoned and cargo confiscated.
The summer roads are dusty as Purple Dragon columns march south and east from Arabel, Marsember, Thunderstone, Hultail, and Junirill.
Tavern talk speaks of skirmishes between Purple Dragons and Silver Ravens along the border. On the twenty-sixth of Flamerule, the Crown confirms, dispersing heralds to the thoroughfares of the Kingdom...
"People of Cormyr,
Let it be known that a territorial dispute has arisen between the realm and the Commonwealth of Sembia, and the two nations have entered a state of hostility. Two days past, Sembian forces have advanced west from Daerlun and have crossed the Darkflow. The settlement of Battlerise and the castle Azoun's Hold have been overtaken by unlawful Sembian aggression.
Our Purple Dragons have taken the field to insure that Sembian aggression is curtailed and to once again secure the Cormyrian-Sembian border. The Crown Navy maintains a blockade at The Neck to make certain that there is no threat presented to Cormyrian waters.
The Crown asks the people of Cormyr to continue daily affairs and allow minimal disruption while the border is secured once more.
Look to the Royal Heralds for further information soon.
By Proclamation of Her Grace in the name of Azoun V, King of Cormyr,
Alusair Nacacia Obarskyr, Steel Regent"
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Post by DM Hawk on Aug 1, 2013 22:34:56 GMT -5
Refugees begin arriving in Wheloon and further west in Marsember. Initially, they arrive one traveler or family at a time. As Flamerule yields to Eleasias the Way of the Manticore becomes thick with droves of refugees. Some hail from Monksblade, yielding their home to the garrison of Purple Dragons, Red Ravens, and Militia posted there, rooted squarely in the face of the Sembian advance. Others hail from Dreamer's Rock, seeking the shelter further west as the Dragon and the Raven jockey for position in the east. Many come from the settlements of the peninsula Dawngleam, Kirinwood, and Wyrmtower.
In Suzail, Marsember, and Valkur's Roar sailors speak of a naval action on the Lake of Dragons between Cormyrian caravels and Sembian-hired war galleys. Some accounts claim that the Cormyrian Navy was crushed. Others say that the Sembian sails were turned back eastward. The most popular tale involves a hungry dragon turtle enjoying a buffet in the mist of the battle.
Tension rises further in the kingdom, eyes glance nervously to the east, wondering that Highsun will bring.
The Royal Heralds ride once more, declaring at crossroads, towns, and taverns across the realm that Lord Dauneth Marliir, Warden of the Eastern Marches, will address the public at the end of the Tenday in Royal Gardens of Suzail.
Rumors circulate among taverns that unsettled crowds pulled two heralds from their horses, incited that they did not have more news to offer. The fate of the two officials remains unclear. There are accounts that one was hanged, one was burned, one was drowned, one was beheaded, and one ended up being served from a cauldron of soup to refugees in Marsember...
Hail Cormyrians! This is an RP event open to all characters, excluding select members of the Royal Corps of Monster Hunters Guild (those players are welcome to attend through other characters). The public event will begin at 6 PM US Central Time on Saturday August 3rd.
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Post by DM Hawk on Aug 2, 2013 19:17:19 GMT -5
*wee bump*
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Post by DM Hawk on Aug 7, 2013 1:11:59 GMT -5
Seven couriers guide their steeds swiftly from Marsember. Their paths drift apart as they cross the miles westward with three bearing on Suzail, one for Immersea, two north towards Arabel, and one rides ever onward to the west. Suzail's Temple of Sune is the first visited, followed by the House of Lady Luck. The Temple of the Defenders, the Shrines of Tempus and the Red Knight, the House of Healing, and the halls of Deneir, Sharess and Lliirra receive guests briefly. Selune's Temple greets a rider warmly, before sending him on into the King's forest to visit halls of Lathander and The Watcher. The Great Temple of Tymora in Arabel, who housed the goddess in person during the Time of Troubles, receives a weary rider. The shrines of Denier, Waukeen, and Oghma's library are visited in turn. Far to the west, a courier cautiously approaches the forboding Barren of Retribution...
Over time, the temples begin to display parchments graced with the same flowing script.
Faithful of the Forest Kingdom,
Refugees displaced from the the turmoil in the east arrive daily at Marsember's gate. Those in need seek the temples of the faithful for succor. In turn, we look to you to unify with the Morningmist Hall to offer relief and support to those suffering from the events of this summer. Join us and together we can help these souls in their hour of need. Representatives of the recognized churches of Cormyr are invited to join me in Marsember for a time of fellowship, discussion, and unification towards a common goal to help those in need.
Let us join hands and make a difference together.
In Good Faith,
Chansobal Dreen, High Morninglord of the Morningmist Temple, Marsember
Hail Cormyrians! This chapter is open to all characters representing recognized (legal) faiths in the Kingdom and will be held in Marsember on Friday August 9th following the completion of the Greatgaunt Volunteers event. Approximate start time about 9 or 10 PM, US Central Time.
See you in game
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Post by DM Hawk on Aug 8, 2013 7:43:02 GMT -5
*Bump* (1 of 2)
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Post by DM Hawk on Aug 9, 2013 7:15:44 GMT -5
*Applies some bumpage*
(2 of 2)
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Post by DM Hawk on Aug 15, 2013 19:04:14 GMT -5
Posted about Marsember, Thunderstone, and Suzail...
Funeral Services were held on the 15th of Eleasias for Oversword Lawrence Aedmond who died in a riding accident last Tenday in Thunderstone. Services were held in Kelemvor's Garden of Thunderstone, presided over by local clergy.
Lawrence Aedmond was a native of Marsember and a decorated soldier. At the time of his death he was serving as the chief military advisor to Lord Dauneth Marliir, the Warden of the Western Marches.
Of Lawrence, the Warden wrote, "Oversword Aedmond will be sorely missed and impossible to replace. We regret his loss to his family and to the Kingdom."
A Candle Light Service will be held in the Morning Mist Temple of Marsember, in honor of the Oversword.
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Post by DM Hawk on Aug 17, 2013 6:48:19 GMT -5
Over the course of the last tenday...
Refugees begin arriving in Thunderstone, well north of the Way of the Manticore. Initially groups arrive from Junirill and Hultail, and these are later joined by the folk of Ghars and Besert. Finally, ragged and half-starved, a few scores of displaced Cormyrians arrive under the escort of a handful of bloodied Purple Dragons. These refugees claim to be from Battlerise and Azoun's Hold, and with their arrival Thunderstone swells with the dispossessed.
To the South in Marsember, reports surface that the coastal road is being harried by the "Sons of Sembia" - caravan raiding brigands who claim to do so in the name of the Silver Raven. Travelers and those bringing aid to the refugees gathering in the city are warned to be wary on the road.
The Warden of the Eastern Marches announces that the Cormyrian defense will assemble in Wheloon to check the Sembian advance at the Wyvernflow. In response to the announcement Dreamer's Rock, further to the east, is abandoned and her people join the thousands traveling west and seeking sanctuary in the great City of the Marsh.
The Morning Mist Temple of Marsember thanks an unlikely contributor to the relief effort for the Cormyrian refugees. The Thayan Enclave of Proskur sent a caravan through the kingdom, under escort by adventurers from the Western Reach known as the Greatgaunt Volunteers. The caravan was struck by the Sons of Sembia but the Volunteers held their ground and the relief provisions got through to the city.
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Post by DM Hawk on Sept 17, 2013 0:07:15 GMT -5
Refugees continue to migrate westward from the Eastern Reaches during the first half of Eleint. The citizens of Wheloon, displaced by the Cormyrian Purple Dragons and War Wizards assembling there, join those of Dreamer's Rock and other holds on the Way of the Manticore, trudging on through mud and warm summer rains. The Morningmist Hall of Marsember continues to lead the effort to welcome and provide relief to those displaced by the hostilities. The church notes contributions and support from a concert held by the celebrity Darkharp and a care package provided by the Druid Circle known as the Guardians, other nature lovers, and a priestes of Lurue.
In Immersea, the church of Selune and the noble house of Wyvernspur work together to prepare the city to host refugees from the crowded districts of Marsember. Those fit enough for travel are encouraged to make the journey from Marsember to Immersea in order to make room for more displaced travelers.
There are rumors that criminals or assassins attempted to hostage or murder a noble family in Immersea. Whether or not a murder or hostage scenario played out, the city is ready to host their fellow Cormyrians in need.
In Thunderstone, a small group of refugees have begun offering prayers to Malar at moonrise, asking the Beastlord for vengeance and suffering against the Sembian soldiers that now stand on Cormyrian soil. The Barren of Retribution in Valkur's Roar echoes similar prayers.
The soggy canvas of Marsember, the ramshackle sheets and tarps of Thunderstone, and the crisp, clean, and orderly hospitality of Immersea has earned earned these holds a common name - the Tent Cities of Cormyr. Some of the citizens speak the phrase with humor, a few with a rewarding sense of being able help those in need, and more with a curse for their trouble.
The church of Tempus raised a training camp to the east of Marsember where all those displaced or suffering from the war may receive training-at-arms at no cost, courtesy of the Foehammer's Faithful.
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Post by DM Hawk on Oct 9, 2013 7:11:41 GMT -5
Early in Marpenoth, Purple Dragons wounded in battle begin to trickle back to Marsember from the Sembian front. Though ordered not to speak of the hostilities, some weary soldiers in the comfort of family, friends, or courtesans share their experiences. Soon, rumors spread throughout Marsember and ride with trade wagons, refugees, and travelers to Suzail or Immersea and from there to the remainder of the kingdom.
The Sembians advanced hard to cross the Wyvernflow, the gossips agree, sending in hosts of mercenaries before ferrying Silver Ravens across in battle barges. While the Purple Dragon defenders at Wheloon fought valiantly, they were soon to be overwhelmed by the numbers mustered by the Merchant Lords. When the battle was at the highest pitch the Sembians paused allowing the Purple Dragons to catch their breath. Then the Sembians, with half of their strength on either side of the mighty river, attempted to withdraw on sudden. This allowed the Purple Dragons to rally and give the Sembian forces a sharp shove into the Wyvernflow.
Sembian losses rose high during the unexpected retreat, with as many lost to the river as to sword and arrow, while the Cormyrian defenders cheered. It would seem the forces of both nations are now squatting across the Wyvernflow glaring at one another and anticipating the next move.
Why the fortuitous retreat? There the gosspis disagree. Some say that a host of Purple Dragons, perhaps survivors from Azoun's Hold, Battlerise, and Monksblade rallied in the countryside for a surprise attack. Others say the Sembians turned on themselves when the mecenaries were shortchanged by their hired masters. Some tales fervently state that the tide was turned by a cadre of elves, loosing volleys of arrows into the Sembian backside to stay the advance. The most absurd tales involve a host of undead attacking the Sembian rear, perhaps the spirits of slain Purple Dragons seeking vengeance and slipping on their ruined armor to battle for Cormyr one final time.
In any case, it would seem the border hostilities have come to a stalemate for the moment if one believes in gossip.
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Post by DM Hawk on Oct 20, 2013 15:33:14 GMT -5
The twentieth of Marpenoth proves to be a tragic day for the sleepy town of Immersea.
Shortly after highsun a force of Sembian Silver Ravens swept into the city, swords swinging. The attackers did not discriminate as man, woman, and child were caught up in the struggle to survive and escape. The refugees from the Eastern reaches, having just settled into camps in and near Immersea, were also targeted by the attackers.
The people of Immersea rallied against the Silver Ravens, bolstered by the town's guard, men-at-arms in service to noble houses, clergy of Tempus and Tyr, and squires provided by the Triadic Order of the Divine Resurrection. Those fighting to preserve Immersea could not withstand the surprise attack. Only reinforcements from Suzail were able to bring an end to the fighting, littering the streets of Immersea with more dead.
It is evident that the attackers were backed by magic and it would seem that any mages supporting the Sembian attack eluded capture, but not before leaving their mark. Much of the city's center has been engulfed in flames that claimed even more lives before being brought under control.
The noble estates, the Five Fine Fish, and the harbor seem to have escaped harm but the Bank of Immersea was apparently a deliberate target. The vaults were looted and the bank's staff were put the sword before the building was destroyed by flame.
Several citizens note that loved ones cannot be found living or dead in the aftermath of the raid, leaving approximately up to one hundred people unaccounted for.
A representative of the Crown made the following statement to those mourning in the city, "The Steel Regent will not allow Sembian aggression on Cormyrian soil to go unpunished. Further, those responsible for the attack on Immersea shall be held accountable and face justice as murderers rather than enemy soldiers at war. The Crown assures that it is doing everything within its power to make certain such a attack does not happen again and that those responsible will face the full measure of justice under Cormyrian Law."
While the statement has been taken as encouragement by some, others still wonder how Sembia was able to execute a surprise attack at the very heart of Cormyr. In cities, towns, hold fasts, and farms throughout the kingdom as yet untouched by the border hostilities in the east, folk enter a troubled sleep as the sad day comes to a close.
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Post by DM Hawk on Dec 1, 2013 23:53:16 GMT -5
On the first of Nightal Valkur's Roar stirs. The guards posted at the city gates and walking the walls are doubled. Patrols of guards and reservists are encountered along the coastal road between the city and the hin village of Shallybrook. It is much the same within the city as at least two guards stand at each post, sometimes more. Travelers to and from the city may be questioned about their business. Peace bonds are required for weapons carried by citizens, whether or not they bear a charter.
The men and women of the guard are tight lipped about the reasons behind the additional security. Speculation remains healthy. The Bonemaster's army is to visit Valkur's Roar next. No, there's a dragon turtle in the nearby waters according to fisher folk. That isn't right, the bandits of the Mistwood are planning to retaliate against Valkur's Roar for all of the accursed adventurers who shelter there. You mean the lizardfolk, do you not?
Whatever the reason, the security of Valkur's Roar has tightened.
The skeptics ask, how long can they afford to keep this amount of manpower up? The responses vary but most bets call it less than a moon.
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Post by DM Hawk on Dec 11, 2013 2:02:17 GMT -5
Nightal, the final moon of 1377, offers cold days and bitter nights to the Forest Kingdom. Winter storms assail the northern coast of the Dragonmere while small islands of ice begin to form and float into the firths, harbors, and rivers of Cormyr.
In Wheloon, Purple Dragons look on with concern as thin sheets of ice begin to form over the Wyvernflow. The weary defenders know all too well what will follow should the river's surface freeze over completely. Watching and waiting, the Cormyreans pray for a mild winter. Thus far, the signs are not promising.
In the Tent Cities of Cormyr the arrival of winter delivers fears of a different sort for refugees and locals alike - Will this year's harvest be enough? Immersea, despite the attack suffered, has enjoyed a bountiful crop and boasts sufficient winter stores to see the population through. The church of Selune is known to be organizing an effort to share their abundant supplies with the city of Marsember which hosts the greatest number of the dispossesed from the conflict to the east. The marsh city's reliance upon the bounty of the sea to provide for the needs of the swelling population may leave many people without sustenance should the winter storms persist.
Thunderstone, the smallest of the tent cities, seems to be fending for itself with more and more refugees joining hunts for food in the Hullack Forest. The locals of Thunderstone mumble quiet misgivings to the purple dragon garrison remaining there about the refugees as more and more wear the skins and heads of the animals they've slain in the great forest.
Valkur's Roar in the west remains on high alert, sending it's watch and reserve guard on patrols along the coastal road and the Mistwood while doubling the interior guard. Sluggishly, Skull Crag begins to assume a posture of vigilence.
Notices are posted at the Courthouse in Suzail and upon the Crown City's gates. The words are echoed across taverns in the city (by those who can read) and carried out further by word of mouth, tavern talk, and fireside gossip. There will be blood, by Royal decree.
My dear people of Suzail,
Let it be known that three men will be put to death after being apprehended while committing acts of Treason against the Crown, Kingdom, and people of Cormyr during a time of war.
Andrey Cormaeril of the same banished house,
Terrence Pier of Hultail,
and
Heyward Steel of Arabel
will face public execution on the 14th of Nightal in the vacinity of Suzail's East Gate. Let all know the wage that must be paid for committing acts of treason during times of war.
While this sentence will be carried out publically, children under the age of twelve winters are probhibited from attending.
Your Sovereign in trust,
Alusair Nacacia Obarskyr
Steel Regent of Cormyr
Hail Cormyrians! This event is open to all players who wish to attend. The event will take place Saturday December 14th at 6 PM US Central time, outside of Suzail's Northeast gate.
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Post by DM Hawk on Dec 14, 2013 10:09:44 GMT -5
// *bump - Hail Cormyrians! This event is open to all players who wish to attend. The event will take place Saturday December 14th at 6 PM US Central time, outside of Suzail's Northeast gate.*
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Post by DM Hawk on Dec 14, 2013 18:03:49 GMT -5
*Bump 2, event set to begin approximately an hour from the time of this post*
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Post by DM Hawk on Dec 20, 2013 10:55:09 GMT -5
On the thirteenth day of Nightal, 1377, the mountain village of Skull Crag suffered assault. The attack did not occur completely without warning thanks to the fortune of the Greatgaunt Volunteers. It was reported that the Sons of Sembia were using donated and stolen resources to bribe and hire allies from the Bramblewood Forest's humanoid tribes. While that effort was thwarted, the Volunteers discovered that similar efforts were being made with the orc tribes of the Storm Horns and with other tribes elsewhere in the Western Reaches.
Nestled in the Storm Horns and within its sheltering nook, Skull Crag's reaction was akin to a dire bear waking from slumber. Slow and sluggish. Then the orcs fell upon them in red rage while the Sons of Sembia moved in behind them to offer deliberation to the carnage. Much of Skull Crag had been put to the torch while the townsfolk sheltered within the underground Wild Wolf Inn. The last defenders rallied before the Wild Wolf: a handful of surviving militia, miners with their picks, Brias the War Wizard exhausted of spells and wielding a staff, Mall the priest of Kelemvor, and the smith Krick bearing shield and sledge. These few defenders readied themselves for a final stand as the tide of orcs surged around them.
Then, the Greatgaunt Volunteers arrived. Rallied by a brief warning from the War Wizard Brias, a small host of adventurers answered old Sir Callen's call and marched. Steel and spells at the ready, the Volunteers struck the orc tribes and the Sons of Sembia from behind and unexpectedly. The Cormyrean adventures broke the main body of the attacking force within the heart of the town, preserving the Wild Wolf Inn, and its defenders and occupants, at the last crucial moment. From there, the Volunteers secured the remainder of the town and liberated the Skull Crag mine with the help of Oghrann fighters who had learned of the town's plight. With the town's defenses strengthened, the Volunteers ventured into the Storm Horns turn the tide against the Sons of Sembia, finding and destroying the underground warren from which the attack sprang.
The victory is welcome news in the Western Reach though the sense of tension remains high among the people of the region. The settlements maintain their guard having learned the lesson of Skull Crag. Having the most resources in the Reach, Valkur's Roar sends regular patrols of soldiers along the most traveled roads connecting the city to Shallybrook and Greatgaunt. There is a sense of unease as the people of the west watch and wait, trying to anticipate the movement of a hidden enemy.
Then, the quiet tension in the West is shattered as the infamous gong of Greatgaunt rings, summoning the Volunteers to assemble once more ( Clash of Arms II ).
Immersea remains poor in coin following the surprise attack it suffered two moon's past, but the folk prove to be rich in spirit and generous in sharing their bountiful harvest. Marsember still hungers as the winter storms ravaging the Dragonmere persist and interrupt fishing, however some relief arrives for the refugees in the form of donations received from the Immersea's Temple of Selune. The refugees of Thunderstone continue to fend for themselves as the local cult of the Beastlord grows and hunts for wild game in the Hullack Forest. The local folk remain undecided as the cult grows, at once both respecting the self-sufficiency the refugees have gained while fearing their growing boldness. Then rumors spread of a breakout of the Red Fever in Thunderstone, brought into town from the Hullack by the Malarites among the refugees.
Reports from the front at Wheloon indicate that the Sembian forces are spending magic, attempting to hasten the freezing of the Wyvernflow. In Wheloon, War Wizards are spending magic to counter that of the Sembians so that nature may run its course. Nature continues to fancy cold winds and continues to deliver snow, sleet, and ice to the Forest Kingdom.
These cold winds now fill Sembian and corsair sails as a small fleet emerges from the snowy gusts over the Lake of Dragons. Having broken through the Cormyrean blockade earlier in the year, these vessels of piracy and war come into view along Cormyr's southern horizon on the wings of winter storms.
The twentieth of Nightal sees riders gallop from the gates of Suzail, racing for Marsember, Arabel, Immersea, and the Western Reach. The Cormyrean destriers lather with foam despite the cold as they bear their riders, heralds bearing the Royal Seal of the kingdom. At thoroughfares, crossroads, taverns, and towns the heralds pronounce from their scrolls,
"People of Cormyr,
The Crown calls upon loyal, able-bodied chartered adventurers and registered mages to join in the Realm's war effort against Sembian aggression. The hour has come and the need is great for Cormyr to once again field a body of adventurers in the defense of the kingdom.
I ask those not yet engaged in the war effort to join with me upon the fields beyond the east gate of Suzail. For the Crown and for the Realm, we rally and march!
For Cormyr!
Lord Dauneth Marliir, Warden of the Eastern Marches"
Upon hearing of the Crown's Call, High Morninglord Chansobal Dreen of Marsember's Morningmist Temple arranges to host a candle light service for Cormyreans of faith to share prayers for those suffering and still to suffer as a result of the ongoing war.
A Call to Arms (Levels 7+)
Clash of Arms III (Levels 7 to 13)
Clash of Arms IV (Levels 14 to 20)
Clash of Arms V (Levels 21+)
The Vigil
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Post by DM Hawk on Jan 2, 2014 22:04:13 GMT -5
The latter half of Nightal, 1377, sees the slain defenders and invaders of Valkur's Roar and Skull Crag buried or burned. Both city and town hail the Greatgaunt Volunteers as heroes for fending off the Sons of Sembia and their hirelings. The Western Reaches of Cormyr, now weary of bloodshed, look to the ashes and plan to rebuild. A group hailed as the Holy Biscuits Hunting Group conducted a fund raiser in Valkur's Roar's Tipsy Imp Tavern and Inn to raise gold for the rebuilding effort.
Donations continue to be raised for those dispossessed by the conflict in the east. The refugees in Marsember now hail and welcome the Unicorn Priestess for the donations she continues to deliver to the city, sometimes alongside a warrior woman and a halfling. At the turn of the year, a couple renewed their vows and asked their guests to bring donations for those in need in lieu of gifts. In Immersea, slowly gold is being recovered that was stolen two moons past during a surprise attack.
The twentieth and twenty-first of Nightal however brought the Battle of Marsember, a fierce two-day assault upon Cormyr's largest port city. The Sembian fleet was divided into three wings, the first of which attempted a landing east of the city at the frosty mouth of the Starwater, threatening to cut off Marsember from the primary battle front to the east. Marsember's defenses on the river were nearly overrun by mercenaries from the Dales and Chessenta, Pirates, and Silver Ravens on landing boats covered by magic and ranged weapons thrown by the Sembian fleet. The Sembian landing nearly engulfed the trailing caravans of refugees making for the city from the east. Cormyr's adventurers, with a Purple Dragon or two among them, were called upon to break the amphibious assault. Through hours of bitter fighting the landing effort was broken leaving Sembian hulks drifting and burning amidst chunks of ice in the mouth of the river or withdrawing to land on the far shore. Relieved by fresh Purple Dragons, Cormyr's adventurers fell back with the last of the refugees into the city.
Bells of alarm rang and tolled at the dawn of the second day as the second wing of the Sembian and Pirate fleet sailed for Marsember's harbor. A small flotilla of Cormyrian caravels and battle barges formed a blockade of the harbor against them, supported by ranged defenses built on the heights and towers of the city proper. The Cormyrian adventures were held in reserve until Marsember militia in the hills along the western shore spied the Sembian sails of the third wing spread out in a long line, making for landings across a long strip of coast. The adventurers were deployed westward to stop the landing, facing heavy fighting all along the shore as hundreds of landing boats strove to make landfall. A column of Silver Ravens managed to form in the hills and demanded Marsember's surrender. The Silver Raven numbers were exaggerated however and the Cormyrian adventurers were able to break them.
The day seemed won until wounded milita reached the adventurers with news of what transpired in the city. The Sons of Sembia played their hand and attacked from hiding places within Marsember. The rebels struck the Cormyrian defenders in the back, overtaking Marsember's harbor defenses and cutting down many of the city's defenders before realization set in. With Marsember's defenses compromised, the second Sembian wing was able to overcome the Cormyrian caravels and land their troops inside the city. Now, desparately, the adventurers were being recalled to Marsember to save it, if they could.
The street to alley fighting that took place within Marsember proved to be the bloodiest in the conflict thus far. Heroes were made during those desparate hours and cut down just as quickly. Spells, flame, and steel rained in the city as it bled. The people of Marsember hid in their houses, churches, or wherever they could to escape the battleground that had transformed their home. The adventures reached the Morning Mist Hall of Lathander, swollen to bursting with sheltering refugees and Marsember natives alike, just as corsairs from the Sea of Fallen Stars set a battering ram to the door. The adventurers worked their way through the city from the temple, making a steady advance through the streets and avenues to the harbor, Starwater Keep, and the King's Tower. Bolstered by the arrival and heroism of the Cormyrian adventurers, Marsembers defenders were able to recover and help reclaim the city. By day's end the Sembian forces were cut down, its fleet shattered and scattered, and the Cormyrians within the city were exhausted, wounded, or dead.
The need of those suffering from the war was never greater, now that Marsember's own people are added to the fold. High Morninglord Chansobal Dreen of Marsember's Morningmist Temple arranges to host a candle light vigil for Cormyrians to share hopes, thoughts, and prayers for those suffering and those still to suffer as a result of the ongoing war. (The Vigil). The High Morninglord asks that all wishing to attend wear no magical light. Donations for the needy will be accepted at the service.
Across the Starwater, the remnant of the Sembian fleet digs in along the bank and into the Hermit's wood. Marsember's remaining Purple Dragons, perhaps a third of the strength they once boasted, march to finish the job but are met by strong resistance at every crossing. Should the Sembians hold out long enough and make their way east, they may threaten the rear of the Cormyrian defense at Wheloon and compromise the front. A desperate plan is born and once again Marsember calls upon the Cormyrian adventurers within the city, in hopes of driving the last of the raiders into the sea (Clash of Arms V).
Weary and bloody, the adventurers assemble once more at the Roaring Griffon brothel inn and await what is to come.
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Post by DM Hawk on Jan 23, 2014 23:01:13 GMT -5
The Year of the Haunting yields to the Year of the Cauldron, and the new year dawns over war in Cormyr.
The city of Marsember had only a few days respite after the fierce shoreline assaults and street-to-street fighting that had already become known as the Battle for Marsember in the Cormyrian-Sembian conflict. In the Forest Kingdom's favor, the battle had brought an end of the Sons of Sembia threat and left two-thirds of the Sembian fleet splintered and sinking in Marsember's harbor and along the western bank of the Starwater's mouth.
Favoring the Merchant Realm, most of the few remaining Cormyrian caravels were locked within Marsember's harbor by the wreckage and ruin born during the contest for the city. A third of the mingled Sembian-and-Corsair fleet remained nestled against the eastern banks of the Starwater, landing Silver Ravens and Hire Swords on that undefended stretch of Cormyrian shore. The Sembian force began to raise defenses on the riverbank and advanced into the Hermit's Wood. So long as Sembia held this territory, the Merchant Realm could threaten the flank and rear of the Cormyrian front at Wheloon or cut off its support from the west.
Wounded and bloody from the fighting, Marsember stirred on the Third of Hammer and rallied an effort to break the Sembian foothold. Knowing that the Sembian fleet controlled the mouth of the Starwater, the Cormyrian city sent Purple Dragons and militia north to ford the river. At every turn the Cormyrians found the fords and crossings within a day's march well defended by Sembian forces. Knowing that the enemy was entrenching deeper every hour they were permitted, the Cormyrians executed a desperate plan.
The Marsember ship-builders had constructed a small fleet of rafts to serve as platforms by which to clear the wreckage choking the harbor. The rafts were converted into 'Battle Barges' for the Crown's use and were carried overland to the western shore of the Starwater. For hours the Purple Dragons tried to manage their own landing across the river, navigating sinking ships and small glaciers of ice from the winter storms only to find themselves beset by Sembian galleys and pirate corvettes while being bombarded by three heavy trebuchets positioned by the Sembians on the far shore. By dusk, few rafts had made it to the eastern shore and those frayed Purple Dragons and Marsember Militia that were able to land were quickly cut down by Silver Ravens and Sembian hirelings.
The Cormyrians played their final card. The remaining rafts launched to ferry the Cormyrian adventurers into the fray. Into the dark, snowy night the Cormyrians fought their way through the Sembian fleet and landed in sufficient strength to push back the Sembians defending the shore. Once gaining their own foothold, the Cormyrian adventurers entered the Hermit's wood and hunted down the enemy, defeating a pirate admiral, a Silver Raven commander, and a pair of dragon turtles worshipped by a cult whose loyalty was purchased by silver from the Merchant realm.
With this threat undone, the flanks and rear of the Cormyrian front were secure. Marsember was able to begin the slow and painful mending of its wounds. A candlelight vigil was held at the Morningmist Hall, where for some faith and hope were renewed in the midst of war.
The Starwater and the Wyvernflow surfaces froze solid on the eighth day of Hammer. Bitter and bloody fighting stained the Wyvernflow's icy surface as the Sembians and their hirelings advanced to cross the river. A column of wounded and dying Purple Dragons began to flow into Marsember from the front. By the eleventh day and at great cost, the Sembian forces gained the foothold they needed on the western shore of the Wyvernwater in Wheloon. The fighting would continue street by street as it had in Marsember, building by building, but it was only a matter of time before the Purple Dragon defenders were overwhelmed and broken by the greater numbers of the Sembians and their expendable hirelings. The battle of Wheloon persisted, the Purple Dragons giving ground as their forces were steadily reduced.
Then on the fifteenth day, the fighting abruptly ceased. The Sembians withdrew from Wheloon and back across the frozen and bloody surface of the Wyvernflow. Amidst the ruins on Wheloon's western shore the Purple Dragons caught their breath and waited, mending their wounds and treating frostbite, their eyes fixed across the bloody expanse of the frozen river to the bloated Sembian camp. The air between the two forces was cold, heavy, and silent.
Riders bearing the royal seal, cold breath puffing white clouds from their nostrils and those of their steeds, ride across the realm making proclamation.
"Lord Dauneth Marliir, Warden of the Eastern Marches, requests the presence of those dispossessed by the war who have taken up arms as chartered adventurers. Those who would answer are hereby summoned Thunderstone to meet with the Warden."
The Silver Sand, a Sembian ship, passes through the Cormyrian blockade at the Neck, escorted to Suzail's Harbor on the Twenty-First day. The vessel unloads her passengers. Tavern talk and gossips speculate that one passenger was Rayanna the Rose, founder of the Red Ravens, who was believed to be slain earlier in the war. As she disembarked, Rayanna was reportedly followed by a Royal Scout captured by Sembian forces at the front.
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Post by DM Hawk on Feb 7, 2014 21:26:53 GMT -5
The arrival of Alturiak, the Year of the Cauldron, counted sixteen days of silence from the battlefront. On the eastern banks of the frozen Starwater, the Sembian forces feasted in their camp. Steady supplies from the merchant realm and the spoils of war keep the bite of winter at bay. Warm and well fed, the Sembians make music and play at dice while others take to leaving their campfires, exploring the territory they've won from the Forest Kingdom by right of conquest.
The atmosphere of the western shore told a different tale. Huddled in the ravaged shops, homesteads, and farms of Wheloon, the Cormyrian Purple Dragons waited quietly, eyes turned east. Consistently they had given a valiant fight to the invading Sembians, seeing their enemies bloodied in each engagement. Even so the attrition counted worse against the Cormyrians who began the contest on the defensive and outnumbered by the Sembian host. Now, they were wounded nearly to a man and possessed a fraction of their former strength. The best provisions were given to the most sorely wounded in hopes to give them a fighting chance to survive the war and the winter. Following the defeat of the Sons of Sembia and the Sembian Navy at Marsember, a trickle of supplies had managed make its way to Wheloon. The needs of thousands of displaced refugees were straining the kingdom's resources, however, and there was not much succor to be had. Tired, hungry, and cold the Purple Dragons hold their ground without complaint, determined to give their best fight to slow the inevitable when the time came.
In Marsember, where the greatest number of refugees shelter, it is plain that the city cannot withstand another attack. The depleted garrison and militia have begun work to repair the harbor defenses that were destroyed by the Sons of Sembia. Those few soldiers that can be spared are sent east to the front to both bolster Wheloon and to deliver what supplies they can to the beleaguered Purple Dragons who remain.
It is the second day of the Claw of Winter when the heralds cry from crossroads, town squares, and city markets across the Forest Kingdom. Realization sets in.
Peace. The Realm is at peace. Sembia has quit the field. We have prevailed. We have won.
The news falls upon the people of Cormyr in different ways. Boastful cheers rise from a number of taverns and gatherings while others sigh in relief. Refugees in borrowed clothing look out of canvas homes at the falling snow and wonder what will it be like to return the ash and ruin of their former lives. Purple Dragons in Wheloon find relief quickly overtaken by fatigue. Soldiers collapse in the snow while some of the wounded, clinging to life to face the next battle, now yield and succumb. The eyes of thousands of Cormyrians are stung by bitter tears, thoughts lingering of loved ones who became victims of war and those who paid the ultimate price so that peace might be secured.
In the wake of the receding Sembian tide, the Purple Dragons hale enough to march set out east from Wheloon, crossing the frozen surface of the Starwater. From the third through the seventh day of the month tidings from the march reach the Kingdom proper as territory is reclaimed. Dreamer's Rock, Smuggler's Stone, Monksblade, Kirinwood, Wyrmtower, Dawngleam, Battlerise, Mum's Ford, and Azoun's Hold are recovered. Some holds are found to have weathered the war well, having been secured and garrisoned by Sembian forces. Others such as Monksblade, Mum's Ford, and Azoun's Hold are ruin and ash with some of the reported findings unsettling and horrific, if the tales are true. One settlement, Smuggler's Stone, was found to have withstood the Sembian march wholly intact and fit to burst with refugees. Though surrounded and cut off, the town boasts that it bravely held for the war's duration without breaking. Historians would later note that the Smuggler's Stone was not a valuable objective and the Sembian commander wisely chose not to delay his advance for any gains to be won from the town.
By word of the Royal Heralds, Lord Dauneth Marliir, Warden of the Eastern Marches, announces that a public address will be held in the Royal Gardens of Suzail at the end of the tenday (The Dragon and the Raven).
By the seventh day word arrives from the Purple Dragon march that the Cormyrian-Sembian border is secure.
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