There they meet the commanders of their force and their force's commanders: Evanessa Vorpaltusk of the Vorpaltusk Tribe, Fleet Commander Dwin Horizonbreaker - Captain of the Glorious Dawn - of the Lockeface Defense Navy, Lord Southpaw of the Southpaw Lodge, Lieutenant Kathur Omendusk of the Shadows of Valor, Sir Benjamin Skyward of the Griffin Riders of Kog, and Lieutenant Adrian Foestrike of Drakos Company. They are also rejoined with Thourin Stonefist and Bayson Mogul, who have come to help them in the final battle. Gathered in the war room, they plan their attack on the isle of Icurnas.
Horizonbreaker reports that his scout ships have seen that Admiral Krakenjaw and his fleet have joined the Icurnas fleet, outnumbering his own by three-to-one. The decide that the Griffin Riders will aid the ship as they try to land troops ashore. Thourin goes to find a merchant ship to help him find a kraken that he can cast a spell over and control, hoping to give their side an advantage. The party summons the Avatar of the Fire Demi-god. They know he cannot step foot on Icurnas, but they ask him to help battle the ships, and he agrees.
They prepare provisions for a one-way trip to the isle, many believing it to be a suicide mission. After one month of sailing, they arrive. Icurnas is an island around an active volcano, and ash creates a great shadow over the isle and a few miles around it. The party are all aboard the Dread Mist, along with the Shadows of Valor. The fleets clash on the sea, and they protect the first wave of landing ships, carrying the Vorpaltusk Tribe. The Vorpaltusks meet the Icurnas vanguard. They continue to land troops, and as they begin to turn the tide at sea, they send the Griffin Riders inland. Thourin arrives, riding a kraken, and joins the battle.
As the navies battle, the Dread Mist sees the Sea Devil, Silvertooth's old ship, captained by his mutinous first mate: Bronzechin Terrorbreeze! He sets a course to attack. As they come along sid it, Silvertooth grabs a rope and swings across, beheading his former first mate. Elenya fires a fire ball from her magical quiver and sinks the ship as Silvertooth swings back. Feeling confident, they make their way towards the Equator, Krakenjaw's ship, and tell Thourin to meet them there with his kraken.
As their troops land, Kirin's Drakos Company is sunk trying to make it to shore, a hundred-and-twenty souls lost. The Dread Mist meets the Equator, and V2Z4, Kirin, Talphius, and Sibyll jump aboard, while Elenya and Silvertooth fire from ship-to-ship. They fight their way to Krakenjaw himself, Kirin stopping to duel the first mate. V2Z4 and Talphius bout with Krakenjaw, while Sibyll slips off to sabotage the ship and Elenya kills the helmsman. As they fight the admiral, Thourin's kraken emerges behind him, scoops him up and crushes him, tossing Krakenjaw's corpse idly off the ship. The party jumps back, but not before Sibyll turns a cannon on the ship's munitions and fires, blasting the ship in half as the kraken destroys it utterly.
The ground battle has encountered siege engines, and the Shadows are needed to sabotage them. They use the Dread Mist's magical powers to transport the ship to the shore to offload the Shadows and themselves. At sea, the Glorious Dawn falls in battle, and Thourin's kraken is slain. Despite that, the battle at sea is one by the Lockeface Navy, against incredible odds.
Evanessa contacts the party, and tells them that the Icurnas are preforming a ritual inside the volcano to bring forth their god into this world. Without wasting time, the party heads to the volcano, hoping the battle all goes well behind them. They dispatch the guards, but one-hundred Icurnas reserves begin to head their way to stop them. Thourin and Bayson show up and offer to hold them back while the party finishes what they all came to do.
Inside the volcano they find a large antechamber, oozing with lava. They see and alter, covered in fresh corpses, and a effigy of the Avatar of the Fire Demigod being burned. A handful of orcish priests disembowel themselves as the party enters, and at the center of antichamber, a portal to the Abyss opens. A being pulls himself through, announcing his freedom. He identifies himself as Icurnas, and claims to be a god.
 |
| Icurnas (courtesy of the internet) |
Sibyll and Silvertooth are beside each other, and Sibyll waits until he acts before deciding if she will have to attack him. He fires his crossbow at Icurnas, and she decides it is enough for her to begin making her way around to Icurnas' back. Talphius moves forward, and actively resists Icurnas' magic. Elenya and Kirin snap out of their pain.
Icurnas casts a wall of fire that forces Sibyll to take a longer route. He then summons a phantasmal image of Kirin's worst fear (a vorpal bunny) to destroy him. Eventually, V2Z4 snaps out of his pain. Kaz charges Icurnas, but is struck down swiftly. After Kirin deals with his phantom, they party surround Icurnas while Elenya fires at him.
In a fumbled strike, Talphius breaks his sword, Banehorn, against Icurnas' armor. Kirin deals a massive blow to the false god, followed by Sibyll. V2Z4 presses the mark of the Fire Demigod against Icurnas, and the false god's arm lights in red fire, as well as V2Z4's diamond rapier. Icurnas swings his massive sword and kills Silvertooth and knocks Talphius unconscious. V2Z4 lunges and pierces his chest.
Icurnas begins to burn away like ash as he sinks back into the portal from which he came. He curses at them, and tells them they have earned a hollow victory. He claims that his brother rises in a land they cannot reach in the west. With Icurnas defeated, they exit the volcano.
The battle is won, however the Griffin Riders of Kog met their end. In addition, Lord Southpaw was slain in battle. The Demigod of Fire arrives and destroys the volcano on the island. The demigod then assumes a form similar to that of a man in red robes and red breastplate and speaks with the party. He tells them that they have served him well this day, and so long as they remain true they will join him in the Hall of Heroes in the afterlife. Kirin Drakos declares that he has done all he wishes on this world, and decides to join the demigod in the Hall now. He leaves and is never heard from again, having joined the many heroes in the afterlife. The demigod of fire reforges Talphius' sword, and Talphius makes preparations to return home and tell his king of all that transpired.
Sibyll Demier and the Shadows of Valor journeys to the eastern continent to further their goals of restoring the name of the drow. Talphius Dragonbane is made a general in his kingdom. Elenya Lindale returns to her home and introduces her parents to Haven, where they become a global trading partner. her wolf, Kaz, rises on the next full moon, as was promised in the blessing bestowed upon him by the guardians of the Celestial Vault. V2Z4 returns to Haven and manages the estate they purchased together when they aren't visiting, and runs a school of fencing - the only one in Haven - while acting as a consultant to the High General in matters pertaining to the Abyss and their forces. Silvertooth Dreadwind, having completely given up his pirating ways, is asked to take command of the Lockeface Defense Navy by the sailors there, having lost their leader. He becomes Fleet Commander.
And so ends the tale of six heroes that defeated a false god, through incredible odds and acts of bravery and valor. May they be remembered.
No comments:
Post a Comment