D&D - Faerun at War - Fall and Rise of Nations

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Following your escape from the Abyss, you all found yourselves in a once beautiful land devastated and still plagued by war. It took quite some time for Larue with her powers restored to breath life once again into the half-dead, half-alive forms of Celandina and Braavos. Sekmeht had departed back to his native Mulhorand and Klick slowly being driven to maddening rage and anger fled gibbering insanely one night.

An almost impossible two years had passed since you were thrown into the Abyss by the elven lady Ahnithe, supposed mistress of Anwaryn Aebhandhie and imprisoner of Kehck, Emperor of Chessenta, brother of Braavos. With the moonblade, laying seemingly dormant in Celandina's hands, Ahnithe appeared once again to restate the deal, to hand her and thus Anwaryn the moonblade, so that Anwaryn could unlock the magically sealed areas of his former home and they would withdraw from supporting the eastern invasion of Chessenta and release Kehck from his imprisonment. Although her words of "if he wishes it" were worrying.

However another demand was placed upon the table, that Celandina allow her cousin Anwaryn her hand in marriage, which would effectively, because of bloodlines make him the elder of their home.

A firm denial was issued and Ahnithe left, not looking unpleased, in an engulf of flames as things begins to turn violent towards her.

News travelled that the easterners still held Luthcheq, but Chessentian forces now swelled with mercenaries and sell-swords had been holding back the easteners before Soonenar, although word came that the easterners had appeared to be reinforcing their numbers, rather than making serious pushes towards the capital of Chessenta, Cimbar.

News from the northlands were quiet, only that Damara and Vassa were engaged in bloody war with the slavery swelled Thayian forces.

In the meantime, reports from the west that the Lord's Alliance could not come to an agreement over the course of action to take, thus stayed their hands, mostly because of strong objections from Luskan. Meanwhile the noble Cormyrean armies, led by the young Queen begun to muster.

The Zhentish however took to the news well and marched back onto Yulash, bloody fighting escalated, yet Zhentil Keep finally reclaimed what was "rightfully" their, once again bringing the Blackhand of Bane to the bloodied streets.

Piracy in the pirate isles was on the uprise, a lot speculate that this was mostly mixed between Thayian and Sembian privateers trying to up end the other and keep onto their valueable trade routes, whilst gaining more, eventually the pirates themselves begun to sail in larger fleets to end this, although a lot of the pirates were on hire from Chessentian coffers to aid against the eastern warships sailing into the region.

Reports from Aglarond were still virtually non-existent except the woods were still ablaze and being ravaged by swarms of fire elementals.

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1375 DR

A brilliant tactical victory saw the eastern armies, led by a pale man in blackened armour, crush a large Chessenta force by The Adder Swamp, leading the way for the eastern armies to march and besiege Soonenar. Reports lead to believe that the easteners had adapted to Chessentian tactics and that the wounded were being executed without mercy.

News from Vassa declared that Damara had been overrun and was now part of the Greater Thayian Empire, pleas to Mulmaster and Zhentil Keep were heard and both agreed after much diplomacy to aid Vassa from the Thayians armies.

The Lords Alliance still bickered over the right course of action to take, with both Silverymoon and Waterdeep threatening to leave the council if nothing were done.

Cormyr and Sembia formed a pact of mutual protection with coins, supplies and warships going to Cormyr in exchange for their alliance, many battle-hardened Cormyr soliders travelled to Sembia, preparing for the worst case should the easterners venture across the Sea of Fallen Stars.

The Dalelands commitee met and action plans were written up should defense of the Dales become a serious threat. Yulash was barely spoken of by the southern Dales.

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1376 DR

The seige of Soonenar was successful, reports of invincible vulture-like demons came from those that escaped the city. Again brilliant tactics led to the swift fall of the city, the easterners seemingly having full knowledge of the city and it's defenses. A single soliders report spoke that he had seen Kehck at Soonener commanding one of the demonic vulture-beasts.

Emperorless, Chessentian forces retreated to Cimbar for their final stand against the overwhelming eastern armies. The senate broke into infighting with the Myr's calling for a quick coronation of Braavos Myr as emperor to lead and command the remaining forces but the Romus and Indele families voted against them and for the senate to take control of the empire in the crisis, this did little for the beleagued and frightened citizens of Cimbar.

Reports from the Moonsea are vague, but suggest that as a large force from Mulmaster entered Vassa, it was ambushed by flying beasts and at the same time a huge contingent of troops arrived at Mulmaster itself and begun to siege the city.

Reports from Mulhorand suggest that the entire land is now overrun by the Tuigan peoples led by a fierce tribal warlord.

The Lords Alliance finally come to an agreement as Luskan leaves the alliance and Neverwinter, Waterdeep, Silverymoon and Baldur's Gate begin to draw up possible plans.

More Cormyrean forces are moved to Sembia as the fall of Chessenta draws near. Piracy and War across the Sea of Fallen Stars heightens as a warship carrying a Sembian diplomatic is sunk on it's way to Thay.

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1377 DR

Eastern armies approach and besiege Cimbar, woman and children continue to be evacuated to Sembia before the port is blockade. A team of negotiators is sent to speak to the eastern force, only one returns alive. He insists that Kehck Myr is now commanding the eastern armies and beheaded the other negotiators himself.

Treachery is leveled at the Myr family by the Romus and Indele families but enough support from the citizenery and military stop them short of hanging every remaining Myr in the city. A frightful elven man with bat-like wings is seen walking through the imperial palace on several occasions. Four guards die, their corpses looking drained of moisture.

Mulmaster falls to the sieging forces at the same time that Daggerdale is attacked by a small elite force, a new banner flies above Daggerdale by the end of the month. Zhentil Keep announces that Mulmaster and Daggerdale are now under it's occupation for the safety of it's citizens.

Cormyrean forces are quickly recalled home as a plague of undead arises in Marsember and spreads quickly to nearby towns and villages. Foul necromancy is blamed and it outlawed in the country with a bounty being placed upon necromancers. The bounty begins to get claimed a bit too often.

Troops from the Lord's Alliance begin to form and gather near Beredusk.

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1378 DR - Current Date

The Romus and Indele families handle badly in Cimbar, blamed for dining fine whilst many in the city starve, several prominent members of the Romus family are stoned in the streets, which leads to violence within the city and eventually an uprising as the peasantry call for Braavos Myr to become emperor. A search for Braavos Myr is started and date set for a quick coronation.

Kehck is seen by many people, many times outside the city of Cimbar, looking pale and wearing blackened, tarnished armour, just staring at the fortified city. One brave, or stupid archer unleashes an arrow which shatters upon striking him.

Thayian forces, seemingly consisting of mostly slaves and mercenaries appear north of the Dalelands, apparently leaving Zhentil Keep and Zhentish occupied lands in peace and begin to muster south of Yulash.

Bloody fighting escalates in Yulash as seperatist forces begin a guerilla warfare campaign against the Zhentish

The Daleland Committee panics, swelling troops quickly and sending them north, whilst diplomats are sent to speak with the Thayian force in the north. Adventurers are hired rapidly for secret missions.

Sembia accepts the flood of refugees from Chessenta, whilst working a deal with some of the main pirate factions in the Sea of the Fallen Stars to aid with naval defense. All other cormyrean forces are pulled from Sembia and Sembia keeps up their end of the alliance with Cormyr, sending several contingents of their own mercenary troops to aid the eastern areas of Cormyr.

The Lords Alliance begins to move into Cormyr after hearing pleas for aid from the undead plague that is sweeping across the land. Reports suggest that the undead are infecticious. Panic swells amongst the population leading to looting and rioting in lesser garrisoned areas of the country.

[illumination]

Move this if you want it elsewhere. Not sure where else would be appropriate...

Larue

1375DR

Larue flees Chessenta with some prominent nobles during the fall of Soonenar. A neutral Sembian navy warship carries the refugees back to the heartlands, and a dallyance with a Sembian naval officer results in an embarrassingly pregnant cleric on landfall in Saerloon. Larue lobbies for further Sembian assistance in the war to support the Chessentans, which falls on deaf ears.

Involved now in a relationship with the Sembian naval officer by the name of Caledan, and there is a hurried wedding in the spring. The child (a boy) named Verity is born, meanwhile Larue is appointed Deputy High Priest in the temple of mysteries in Saerloon. She is recruited to a few jobs as an arbiter of disputes between rival mages and in advising the merchant council on wartime issues related to the Art.

1376DR

Another child on the way, a girl is born in Hammerfall, named Midnight in honour of Mystra's mortal name. Larue continues to study the art and qualify for more senior appointments in the church by means of religious education. Continues to lobby for more help to Chessenta but only secures asylum in Sembia for nobles and prominent royals who wish to flee persecution.

Larue suprises everyone by supporting the Red Wizards in their petition to set up a magical enclave in Saerloon. It is established by
the end of the year and quickly she is spending more and more time trying to keep an eye on their activities.

1377DR

A bad year, gets involved in supporting and mentoring a couple of young adventuring parties, becomes known as a person
sympathetic to adventurers and is forced to 'Wind Walk' for the rescue a party that got in too deep with a drow band. Resolves to not get too involved in the future and takes to councilling anyone that asks that adventuring is a bad idea.

Early in the year Caeldan goes missing on a mysterious Sembian naval mission in the south of the Sea of Fallen Stars. All magical means fail to discover what happened. The mission is declared a failure and all efforts to recover the men or find out what occurred are abandoned with the onset of winter. Funeral services are held for the men on a warship in the harbour.

1378DR

The current year. Larue involved in more Sembian diplomatic efforts and intelligence gathering by means of magical travel (Wind Walk) to occupied territories. Visits besieged Cindar to track the course of the siege and lends a hand treating the wounded and trying to prevent the spread of disease. Extremely concerned about the situation in Cormyr and is considering coming out of retirement...

[Tromador]

Late 1374, Near Methwood, Unther

The Moonblade pulses in Celandina's hands, alive, yet somehow diminished. The ghostly, almost ephemeral blade was somehow muted, its greeting heard only as the most distant whisper, yet still a feeling of renewed hope fills both blade and wielder.

Holding the blade aloft, Celandina announces to her companions that House Tir'ann was now restored, the stain upon her honour cleansed. She would now head for home, promising to bring to Chessenta any help she could from the Elven haven of Guistenaal.

Before departing, Celandina performs a touching ceremony, formally adopting the Half-Elf Tyei'nah Nirr'makrael into House Tir'ann. "Now we really are sisters." She declares.

[Tromador]

1375

It is towards the end of Alturiak when Celandina is approaching her home in the Shalhood forests of Murghom. The trip has not been easy, with Tuigan forces moving throughout Mulhorand. Finally, on arrival in Murghom's northern forests, the area is littered with demonic forces apparently arrayed to guard the area. Duping some and avoiding others, Celandina finally reaches Guistenaal only to find the Elven Haven burning.

Guistenaal as she knew it is in ruins, yet one quarter of the city remains, sealed up by some kind of magical barrier, which two vulture demons and a number of humanoids in delapidated robes are trying to break through with magic. Through the power of the moonblade, Celandina can tell there are people alive behind the protective shield but faced with a force of fiends and non-fiends alike there is little she can do. Furthermore, she can somehow sense the proximity of her twisted cousin and knows that he can sense her.

Celandina leaves Guistenaal quickly and by stealth, sending word to Braavos (which she knows may not arrive) that her home is besieged and she intends to seek out aid from other elven communities. The end of the year finds her searching in Cormanthor, dodging drow patrols as she tries to find the elven haven she knows is in the area. Finally she happens upon a cleric of Correlon who guides her to the haven of Alastril, in the forests north of Harrowdale.

[Tromador]

1376

Leaning on her credentials as the Lady Tir'ann, Celandina is admitted to audience with the council of Alastril. She speaks confidently and passionately of the problems facing the world, but in particular the plight of the Elven people of Guistenaal and of her cousin, Anarywen who has been treating with demons. This is not a time for the traditional withdrawal of elves from human affairs, not when other elves are also under siege and it is an elf who is contracting with demons to cause many of the problems.

The Council of Alastril tend towards a general feeling that this is not their problem and that Anarywen will meet the judgement of Correlon in due time. Some, however are sympathetic. Celandina is granted permission to study with their lorekeepers and from the books of Alastril's well appointed library and informed that the council will consider her request. She knows full well the time elven councils take for such deliberations and expects no answer for many months. They do at least give the locations for other elven communities, both in the nearby Grey Forest and also in the High Forest, to the west.

Celandina remains in Alastril until the weather improves a little, before travelling south during Ches to the village of Rillanor in the Grey Forest.

Rillanor proves to be a community of druids, in the service of Rillifane Rallathil. Their elder, blind but wise in druidic wisdom is disturbed by the downfall of Guistenaal and the influence of demons upon the land. Though unsure how they can be of assistance, he promises to give such aid as he can before strongly suggesting Celandina travels to the high forest, where elves are already engaged with demonic forces. Their knowledge will be invaluable to her, if she wishes to confront her cousin.

He also speaks of the moonblade, as though he could see it perfectly well. He surmises that something has tarnished the lifeforce of the moonblade, most likely something from Celandina's home that has become tainted, or perhaps her home itself. It may even be so diminished because of her cousin and the associated demonic influences. He suggests the sword will likely not be fully restored until her home is cleansed of evil, indeed he says, the lands of Tir'ann and the sword of Tir'ann are in some way, connected.

Celandina thanks the aging druid and heads for the High Forest. Passing through Alastril en route, she discovers the council are still debating the issue, so heads for Dagger Fall. The area in the north of Cormanthor is largely under the control of the Zhentarim, making the journey less than pleasant. Nevertheless, following the rules, keeping her mouth shut and using a few judicious bribes passes her safely through the area.

Once at Dagger Fall, Celandina signs on with a caravan crossing the Anauroch. Thankfully the journey is mostly uneventful, though everything appears in a kind of sepia monochrome for the first part of the journey. The cool air of autumn becoming winter is a relief after the desert and Celandina easily finds the elven warriors of High Forest.

[Tromador]

1377

The elves of High Forest need no convincing that Celandina needs help, that Guistenaal is in trouble and that demons are a blight upon the land, which is best dealt with at the sharp end of a blade, or the explosive end of a magic spell. Unfortunately, a continuous supply of demons is issuing forth from Hellgate Keep which is keeping them all far too busy to take time to help anyone else.

Potentially, they suggest speculatively, if a half decent elven mage could get into the keep and close the portals, then they might be able to spare some guardians for other causes. It does seem, they admit, a little selfish, but then again they also have a home to protect. Meantime, Celandina is welcome to learn what she can from them, especially if she manages to kill a few demons in the process.

Celandina stays in the High Forest for several months, fighting demons and learning. She learns the difference between Tanar'ri, Baatezu and Yugoloth. She learns that the Vulture Demons she has seen are known as Vrock and that it means Anarywen is working with the Tanar'ri. More importantly she learns what will and will not hurt different kinds of demons.

During the month of Flamerule, her luck runs out and in pitched battle, she turns and runs a moment too late, earning her a dreadful claw wound across her back. It takes weeks to heal, leaving a terrible red scar. Shaken but not deterred, she leaves the High Forest, once again crossing the Anauroch during the coolest part of the year.

[Tromador]

1378

Celandina arrived back in Alastril. During her absence the Illythiir have grown much stronger and more numerous in the forests of Cormanthor. Like the rest of Faerun it seems her own peoples are gearing up for war, with another elf arriving every other day from all over the globe to swell the ranks of the Alastril armed forces. Alastril is preparing to eradicate the drow, permanently.

This news saddens Celandina, who as Lorekeeper of her ancient House knows only too well how the Drow came to be and hopes always for reconciliation. Nothing is ever as black and white as it may appear on the surface. She chooses to keep her silence, however. She has more immediate concerns than the restoration of Elven Unity.

Given that Alastril is preparing for its own war, they regretfully decline to assist Guistenaal until the clear threat of the Drow is dealt with. Nevertheless, Celandina is welcome to stay as long as she likes and utilise the resources of their libraries and knowledge.

Celandina stays to spend time researching new magic, picking up a few spells from Alastril's excellent collection and inventing some tricks of her own.

Present Day

Celandina is presently residing at Alastril, contemplating what her next move should be.

[#1!]

Braavos' Timeline

1375

Presiding over the Chessentian forces stationed by the Adder Swamp, Braavos led his men to defeat against the vastly underestimated Eastern hordes. He and handful of his officers escaped the clutches of the victorious Easterners and rallied together. Before retreating from the swamp, Braavos and his followers gathered up as many survivors and stragglers as possible, a mix of loyal soldiers, greedy sellswords, and desperate camp followers. He sends his most capable riders to Soonenar to warn the defenders of Braavos' defeat and the incoming Eastern forces.

Prior to going off to war, Braavos did his duty as a husband. After many failed attempts, Braavos fathered a second child upon his wife. They name the girl Nymera. He is not especially impressed, but his wife is over-joyed that their four-year-old son, Julius, will have a little sister to play with.

The ragged group retreat toward Cimbar, attempting to out-run the approaching Easterners in order to bolster the capital's defenses. Braavos sends a small force, led by a trustworthy and capable officer, to Hardcastle in the south with orders to rally its forces and to defend Braavos' wife and children.

1376

Braavos' dwindling forces, repeatedly cut-off from easy travel to Cimbar by the Eastern armies and having heard gruesome tales of the broken siege at Soonenar, turn their sights away from the capital and instead focus upon the south. They travel down to the city of Akanax, though they are greeted only by ashes and carrion birds. Braavos' followers swell with frightened country folk and refugees from all corners of the failing empire.

By this time, Braavos has become strongly dependant on alcohol, frequently shifting between competant commander and furious drunkard. Much of his responsibilities have been delegated to lesser men within his command, though he has remained insistant on travelling to Hardcastle as quickly as possible, no matter the costs to his desperate followers. A trail of the abandoned, the dead and dying and those too feeble to keep pace, follow him as he ventures further south.

1377

Braavos and his masses continue slowly toward Hardcastle, eventually making it to the southern stronghold in the waning days of summer. Braavos does his best to organize his people, plucking those capable of wielding arms from those who are too old, too young, or too feeble. He makes certain to assure the collection of frightened refugees that they are safe now. Nevertheless, he orders what little soldiers he commands to police the common folk, attempting to prevent any mass panics or public uprisings. He tries to keep the worst news from the front away from the public, though news is slow to come to Hardcastle.

Braavos is still frequently drunk, though he has made the effort to become better at presenting himself soberly to the public. He sets about forming and training an army to drive the Easterners back from whence they came.

1378

The current year. Braavos continues to build his forces, though he has not yielded near as many as he had hoped to. He receives word of the cry for his coronation in Cimbar, though he replies with a plea to the common people to follow the wise governance of the Senate. In a private letter, he refuses the offered coronation, instead proposing a joint-leadership between himself, the leading senator, and his uncle Ariston, councillor to Kehck and his two predecessors. He has yet to hear their response to his proposal.

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