Prologue
Alright- I know this is a repost but for continuity I am reposting it anyway...
Prologue
10th Cycle, 6th Year of Chaos, 20th Day of Spring[1]
Emperor Solaris Entedore IV, King of Valura, Steward of Numi Goderi and the 28th Emperor to bear that name gazed at the cloud of dust just visible over the horizon, “Ayiir, how long until they arrive?”
The young warrior turned toward the Emperor, “No more than 3 days milord.” The Emperor shook his head sadly, “There is no way that the Guerriri will make it here in time and the Kandarans will need every warrior, send a runner to Dunjaer, tell them to hold the Guerriri and prepare for siege.”
“My Lord?” gasped the warrior, “Surely you don’t mean to give up?”
Legend has long held that the Entedore line had mixed with that of elves somewhere in centuries past, and the current representative seemed proof of the tale. At 56 years of age Solaris had been born in the first year of the current cycle and stood unbent. “No, we will not surrender, we will not give up, and we will not win. We will make war on the Senza Numi and we will take hold of as many of them as we can, and fling them in to Chaos before we settle in to eternity.”
No more than 5 tendays had passed since the Empire had existed in relative peace. Other than occasional raids from the island barbarians in the north, the horse savages in the east and border disputes with the Elysites in the south, citizens of the Empire were safe and secure. Then the Senza Numi had coming from seemingly nowhere. Telura, Saval, and Syrah, 3 of the North’s 5 great cities had been razed before anyone knew what was happening. Monteceen had fallen before the northern Guerriri could be brought together and what remained of the Emperor’s army brought against the invading host.
Wave after wave of the beasts crashed against the ordered ranks of the Guerriri. They fought with mace and club, spear and axe, fury and rage. The Guerriri fought with shield and sword, discipline and courage and for a few moments looked like they might take the field against the gruesome creatures. Looked like they might take the day until 10 foot giants waded in to the tight formation breaking men and formations with tree-like clubs. The monsters flooded in to the breaks and Solaris was forced to call the retreat.
The Emperor’s Cavelli, cavalry who fought with spears and sabers, guarded the retreat, and died to a man. It took 5 days for the Emperor’s Guerriri to reach the walls of Valura City, but the brave Cavelli had bought them precious time.
10th Cycle, 6th Year of Chaos, 27th Day of Spring
Solaris’ arm was weary, his men were weary, and the walls were slick with blood. The sun was at the peak of its ascent and under other circumstances it would have been a beautiful, if chilly, day. But these were not other circumstances and this noon marked the 4th day of relentless assaults upon Valura’s walls. The Senza Numi, the godless, had rested for only a few hours after reaching the city, using the time to build crude ladders and to cut down a massive oak as a battering ram. The ram had never reached the walls but the forest of ladders could only be delayed for day before the first of the beasts had topped the walls.
The instant that gruesome foot touched the stone on top of the wall the Guerriri knew that battle could not be won. They also knew that every day they held was one more day for the Kandars and Selians to prepare Dunjaer for the attack that would follow just over a tenday after Valura fell. It would also be one more day for their families and the survivors of the great cities to reach relative safety across the Fiume Argantato[2].
Valura would not, however, fall easily. Built into the side of a mountain there were 5 walls that would need to be breached before an invader would be able to assault the citadel near the top of the mountain. The city was ancient when the Empire was young and no human hands placed the stones one atop another, so skillfully done it looked as if the walls were carved out of the mountain itself. How Valura had come in to the keeping of man was a secret lost in time. Though man had not built the great city, it was the Valurian’s home and they made the Senza Numi pay dearly for every wall they overran. The defenders were now at the City’s second wall and though their numbers were only a fraction what they had been four days ago there was less wall to be assaulted.
Solaris looked around and saw that, for the moment, the walls were clear of enemies and there were no more scaling the ladders. There had been precious few of these moments, moments where the enemy would pull back and regroup before making another assault. The lulls never lasted more than a few hours before waves of invaders again began to crash, and break, against the stout walls. Early in the battle Solaris had done his best to rotate the men on duty at the top of the walls to give them a rest, whenever possible. This was not a concern for whatever dark creature was leading the Senza Numi, their numbers were such that no foul beast would have had to charge the walls twice in the days of battle. Solaris almost called for Ayiir before sadly shaking his head. Ayiir had been killed during the retread from the 4th wall. He had pitched forward during the flight, a fouled barbed shaft protruding from his back.
Since Ayiir had fallen a grizzled veteran had served in his stead, despite his best efforts Solaris could not remember the man’s name but he didn’t seem to mind. Seeing the Emperor looking around the rough warrior strode over, “Sir?”
“Quickly, while we have a moment, get some food in to the men and have the officers count how many of us remain.” Solaris knew the men would not live long enough to starve and that there could not possibly be enough men remaining to hold off the horde for more than a day or two, but it reassured both him and his men to perform such routines.
A few hours passed and still the beasts had not made another attempt upon the walls. Solaris knew something was coming, something new, something terrible. He also knew he would not have to wait much longer to find out what it was. A double rank of the enemy marched towards the 2nd wall and stopped just out of bowshot. Solaris chuckled without humor; they had been out of arrows for two days now and had been doing their best to return the enemy’s arrows to their previous owners.
The enemy lines split down the center and a figure strode through the ranks that would have haunted the nightmares of every man on the walls. The figure appeared to be a man, a large man, but a man. The man was covered from head to toe in armor that seemed to be reflecting the image of a large fire, the image was so powerful Solaris was sure that if his hand was to pass near that armor it would surely be burned. The man stepped forward and removed his helmet, uncovering the most terrifying beautiful face any of the Guerriri had ever seen. Shoulder length brown hair framed a dark skinned face with eyes that could be seen to burn across the no man’s land between the warring armies. “You have fought bravely and well,” the voice was course and easily heard. It was as if the strange man was standing across a small room, rather than hundreds of feet away. “You have fought well, but you have denied me my home for too long and have killed too many of my warriors. You will die now, but I will promise you one thing, you’re bodies will not be desecrated by these warriors you see beside me. You will be purified in fire and your ashes returned to the earth.”
The dark man raised his hand above his head and what appeared to be fire wreathed around it. With a scream the man fell to his knees and brought his fist violently against the earth. A thunder, deeper than the most violent storm, echoed through the mountain. As the thunder began to fade away the top of the mountain exploded, showering the Guerriri and the Senza Numi alike with rocks and other debris. When Solaris was again able to see through the dust he wished he could have died along side Ayiir. Washing down the mountain and over the Citadel was a wave of liquid fire. The river of fire crashed in to the Citadel’s wall and sprayed over it, covering the distance between the walls and rushing towards the stunned Guerriri. Turning his back to the rushing doom, Solaris looked over the parapet, “Who are you?” he called to the masked figure.
“Kael” was the response.
“Not godless after all,” was the last thought of Solaris’ life.
A man stood on the wall of Dunjaer facing north. A cool gust of wind blew across the man’s bald pate and forced his loose black clothing against his body. He opened his eyes and turned towards the warrior in silvered armor standing next to him. “It is over my lord,” the man turned to face the people gathered in the courtyard below. Lifting his chin he announced, “ALL HAIL EMPEROR PIORUS, first of the line of Vincitor, prepare for war.”
[1] Mariva’s Calendar is the most commonly used Calendar on Regn Delmar. Cycles are groupings of 50 years that are further broken down in to 10 year increments, 4 of which are assigned to a Power and the 5th to Chaos. A year is made up of 4 seasons, each with 100 days.
[2] When the first refugees arrived from Telura, Saval, and Syrah, Emperor Solaris ordered the citizens of Valura to flee to Dunjaer. The refugees consisted primarily of women and children and arrived without incident, save an attack by a small band of Goblins who were beaten back by a few old warriors sent along with the refugees and the women.
Prologue
10th Cycle, 6th Year of Chaos, 20th Day of Spring[1]
Emperor Solaris Entedore IV, King of Valura, Steward of Numi Goderi and the 28th Emperor to bear that name gazed at the cloud of dust just visible over the horizon, “Ayiir, how long until they arrive?”
The young warrior turned toward the Emperor, “No more than 3 days milord.” The Emperor shook his head sadly, “There is no way that the Guerriri will make it here in time and the Kandarans will need every warrior, send a runner to Dunjaer, tell them to hold the Guerriri and prepare for siege.”
“My Lord?” gasped the warrior, “Surely you don’t mean to give up?”
Legend has long held that the Entedore line had mixed with that of elves somewhere in centuries past, and the current representative seemed proof of the tale. At 56 years of age Solaris had been born in the first year of the current cycle and stood unbent. “No, we will not surrender, we will not give up, and we will not win. We will make war on the Senza Numi and we will take hold of as many of them as we can, and fling them in to Chaos before we settle in to eternity.”
No more than 5 tendays had passed since the Empire had existed in relative peace. Other than occasional raids from the island barbarians in the north, the horse savages in the east and border disputes with the Elysites in the south, citizens of the Empire were safe and secure. Then the Senza Numi had coming from seemingly nowhere. Telura, Saval, and Syrah, 3 of the North’s 5 great cities had been razed before anyone knew what was happening. Monteceen had fallen before the northern Guerriri could be brought together and what remained of the Emperor’s army brought against the invading host.
Wave after wave of the beasts crashed against the ordered ranks of the Guerriri. They fought with mace and club, spear and axe, fury and rage. The Guerriri fought with shield and sword, discipline and courage and for a few moments looked like they might take the field against the gruesome creatures. Looked like they might take the day until 10 foot giants waded in to the tight formation breaking men and formations with tree-like clubs. The monsters flooded in to the breaks and Solaris was forced to call the retreat.
The Emperor’s Cavelli, cavalry who fought with spears and sabers, guarded the retreat, and died to a man. It took 5 days for the Emperor’s Guerriri to reach the walls of Valura City, but the brave Cavelli had bought them precious time.
10th Cycle, 6th Year of Chaos, 27th Day of Spring
Solaris’ arm was weary, his men were weary, and the walls were slick with blood. The sun was at the peak of its ascent and under other circumstances it would have been a beautiful, if chilly, day. But these were not other circumstances and this noon marked the 4th day of relentless assaults upon Valura’s walls. The Senza Numi, the godless, had rested for only a few hours after reaching the city, using the time to build crude ladders and to cut down a massive oak as a battering ram. The ram had never reached the walls but the forest of ladders could only be delayed for day before the first of the beasts had topped the walls.
The instant that gruesome foot touched the stone on top of the wall the Guerriri knew that battle could not be won. They also knew that every day they held was one more day for the Kandars and Selians to prepare Dunjaer for the attack that would follow just over a tenday after Valura fell. It would also be one more day for their families and the survivors of the great cities to reach relative safety across the Fiume Argantato[2].
Valura would not, however, fall easily. Built into the side of a mountain there were 5 walls that would need to be breached before an invader would be able to assault the citadel near the top of the mountain. The city was ancient when the Empire was young and no human hands placed the stones one atop another, so skillfully done it looked as if the walls were carved out of the mountain itself. How Valura had come in to the keeping of man was a secret lost in time. Though man had not built the great city, it was the Valurian’s home and they made the Senza Numi pay dearly for every wall they overran. The defenders were now at the City’s second wall and though their numbers were only a fraction what they had been four days ago there was less wall to be assaulted.
Solaris looked around and saw that, for the moment, the walls were clear of enemies and there were no more scaling the ladders. There had been precious few of these moments, moments where the enemy would pull back and regroup before making another assault. The lulls never lasted more than a few hours before waves of invaders again began to crash, and break, against the stout walls. Early in the battle Solaris had done his best to rotate the men on duty at the top of the walls to give them a rest, whenever possible. This was not a concern for whatever dark creature was leading the Senza Numi, their numbers were such that no foul beast would have had to charge the walls twice in the days of battle. Solaris almost called for Ayiir before sadly shaking his head. Ayiir had been killed during the retread from the 4th wall. He had pitched forward during the flight, a fouled barbed shaft protruding from his back.
Since Ayiir had fallen a grizzled veteran had served in his stead, despite his best efforts Solaris could not remember the man’s name but he didn’t seem to mind. Seeing the Emperor looking around the rough warrior strode over, “Sir?”
“Quickly, while we have a moment, get some food in to the men and have the officers count how many of us remain.” Solaris knew the men would not live long enough to starve and that there could not possibly be enough men remaining to hold off the horde for more than a day or two, but it reassured both him and his men to perform such routines.
A few hours passed and still the beasts had not made another attempt upon the walls. Solaris knew something was coming, something new, something terrible. He also knew he would not have to wait much longer to find out what it was. A double rank of the enemy marched towards the 2nd wall and stopped just out of bowshot. Solaris chuckled without humor; they had been out of arrows for two days now and had been doing their best to return the enemy’s arrows to their previous owners.
The enemy lines split down the center and a figure strode through the ranks that would have haunted the nightmares of every man on the walls. The figure appeared to be a man, a large man, but a man. The man was covered from head to toe in armor that seemed to be reflecting the image of a large fire, the image was so powerful Solaris was sure that if his hand was to pass near that armor it would surely be burned. The man stepped forward and removed his helmet, uncovering the most terrifying beautiful face any of the Guerriri had ever seen. Shoulder length brown hair framed a dark skinned face with eyes that could be seen to burn across the no man’s land between the warring armies. “You have fought bravely and well,” the voice was course and easily heard. It was as if the strange man was standing across a small room, rather than hundreds of feet away. “You have fought well, but you have denied me my home for too long and have killed too many of my warriors. You will die now, but I will promise you one thing, you’re bodies will not be desecrated by these warriors you see beside me. You will be purified in fire and your ashes returned to the earth.”
The dark man raised his hand above his head and what appeared to be fire wreathed around it. With a scream the man fell to his knees and brought his fist violently against the earth. A thunder, deeper than the most violent storm, echoed through the mountain. As the thunder began to fade away the top of the mountain exploded, showering the Guerriri and the Senza Numi alike with rocks and other debris. When Solaris was again able to see through the dust he wished he could have died along side Ayiir. Washing down the mountain and over the Citadel was a wave of liquid fire. The river of fire crashed in to the Citadel’s wall and sprayed over it, covering the distance between the walls and rushing towards the stunned Guerriri. Turning his back to the rushing doom, Solaris looked over the parapet, “Who are you?” he called to the masked figure.
“Kael” was the response.
“Not godless after all,” was the last thought of Solaris’ life.
A man stood on the wall of Dunjaer facing north. A cool gust of wind blew across the man’s bald pate and forced his loose black clothing against his body. He opened his eyes and turned towards the warrior in silvered armor standing next to him. “It is over my lord,” the man turned to face the people gathered in the courtyard below. Lifting his chin he announced, “ALL HAIL EMPEROR PIORUS, first of the line of Vincitor, prepare for war.”
[1] Mariva’s Calendar is the most commonly used Calendar on Regn Delmar. Cycles are groupings of 50 years that are further broken down in to 10 year increments, 4 of which are assigned to a Power and the 5th to Chaos. A year is made up of 4 seasons, each with 100 days.
[2] When the first refugees arrived from Telura, Saval, and Syrah, Emperor Solaris ordered the citizens of Valura to flee to Dunjaer. The refugees consisted primarily of women and children and arrived without incident, save an attack by a small band of Goblins who were beaten back by a few old warriors sent along with the refugees and the women.
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