Session Preface:
The rolling rhythm of heavy-plated marching reached the walls of Avraathe long before the army's shadow cast itself against the jagged horizon of the western hills. The footfalls became the cadence to which the city's final preparations fell into place. Relentless, the noise permeated the city day and night, hanging like thick fog over the city streets. By the time the dark sea of orc soldiers crested into view, Avraathe's citizens had grown restless, taking on the anxiousness of caged animals locked behind the reinforced walls of their home.
Then, on the 8th morning, as a gentle snowfall drifts through the soft red-orange glow of daybreak, the world grows quiet. In a silent reprieve, an entire city holds its breath. Across the Moonpass Valley, armored monsters with their weapons of war stand in anticipation in even formations like patchwork fields bursting with bountiful harvest.
Standing at the Farmer's Gate, surrounded by Platinum Scalers, miners and beggars a moon ago, you sense their fear in the face of such overwhelming force permeating through their armor. The weight of the moment drapes over the crowd, stifling. Then, a burst of voices from the western gates. A furious wave of cheers and calls break out working its way along the wall towards you. Amongst the excitement, you're able to piece together the surprisingly glad tidings - Silverymoon's arrived through the woods beyond the Barrack's Gate.
Justiciar Bronzeroar uses his good arm to pull himself up onto a box of armaments, overlooking his men now energized by the revelation.
"Scalers! You have pledged your life in service and protection of this fair city, the home of our ancestors, the blessing of Bahamut. And you do not stand alone. The entire city and now even our extended allies stand alongside you. Fight for home, fight for justice, and send these orcs to the nine hells for daring to test the ferocity of those who serve the Platinum Dragon!"
As the surge of confidence swells to a fervor, the orcs spread endlessly over the fields below respond with long bellowing horns and the slamming of armored fists against their heavy breastplates. The chaotic wall of noise pushes back against the newfound hope, but for the time being, the Scaler's resolve remains steadfast. As the war chants finally culminate into indiscernible orcish roars, the battle lines of warriors charge towards the walls with a frenzied pace as Bronzeroar's scalers draw their blades and prepare for the coming onslaught.
Within moments, grappling hooks and hooked ladders search for perch on the city walls. Scalers work to push against the ladders and cut the ropes before the enemy forces can scale the wall, but the orcs work so feverishly that they soon manage to clamber over the edge and engage the inexperienced soldiers. With your aid, Bronzeroar and his men manage to repel the initial forces, but are forced into defensive positions as a volley of arrows fill the air.
Session Summary:
Giants at the Gate
As you duck for cover waiting for the rain of arrows to subside, Vorothruun, a familiar voice penetrates your mind. "Alright Vorothruun, hope that god of yours in a good mood to help out today. We’ve got a pair of Hill Giants crashing down on your position with massive battering rams. Make sure they don’t get through the gate.”
As the assault quickly escalates, the party find themselves caught between an endless onslaught of orcs climbing the walls via ropes and ladders and a pair of Hill Giants trying to destroy the gate itself. Parathrax and Beldan hold up defenses and do their best to give Endriel and Vorothruun the time and space necessary to focus on the giant threat. After both of the hulking giants fall, the orc's true plan is revealed as a small force of heavily shielded units carry in a massive cauldron of black powder with a lit fuse. While Endriel is able to bring down the initial bearer of the powder, his companion manages to secure it in time and bring it to the wall. The gate only remains intact thanks to the quick work of Vorothruun commanding the orc to flee and doing so with such a force of will that the monster does so without looking back before being killed by a commander for cowardice.
Within the Walls
As the chaos of battle subsides briefly, your mind is invaded once again by a familiar voice. “The bastards! The orcs are pouring out of the mines with a frontline of kobold and they’ve pushed through the gate. I’m deploying the Platinum Order to clear out the mines itself, but some of the kobold and orcs broke through the Scaler’s defenses and are wreaking havoc in the Workman’s Ward. Get your unit over there and clear out the courtyard in front of the Miner’s Union office.”
As you descend the wall and move through the merchant’s ward, the sounds of battle ring out in all directions around you. Unseen as you scurry though alleys and streets countless orcs throw themselves against the entire defenses of the city. As you dart out of a small corridor connected to a Worker's Ward tavern patio, the sound of splashing water and crumbling store erupts from somewhere north of your location. The sound of heavy footfall and skittering claws scraping against stone. An orcish roar calls out, "Go, flank their forces on the wall! Carve through them as if you were Ilneval's bloody blade itself!"
Within the square, the party discovers a massive ogre carrying projectile kobold as well as a orc batalions and their respective leaders. Drawing closer, the party discovers Parathraaj diving into the fray in hopes of buying time for the Platinum Order deployed in the mines. Rushing to his aid, Parathrax finds himself once again summoning the spiritual guardians of his lineage who defend he and his father, clearing the courtyard of many of the orcs. As the main battle unfolds, Endriel and Vorothruun find themselves cornered by an ambush of orcs and kobold and manage to fight them off, though not without several injuries accumulated before doing so. As Parathrax's spiritual guardians tear through the remaining forces, Parathraaj approaches Vorothruun and provides all the healing magic provided to him by his devotion to Bahamut, much to Vorothruun's frustration. Parathraaj expresses his pride in seeing his two sons defending Avraathe before the brothers and Endriel are summoned away to their next deployment.
Siege Tower Hordes
With the resounding thump of the final orcs frame falling to the city streets, Thava contacts you once more. “Busy? The orcs just got a handful of siege towers up to the wall near the Barracks gate. Go help the Velqwen push them back and get those damn towers off the wall. Oh and by the way - I’m getting some reports of the towers being full of sickly infested orcs. Keep em from getting through, won’t you?”
Running with all due haste to the southwestern gate, you climb the reinforced walls and turn a sharp corner to see Vudrogg, Stragri, and Rocreth forming an inpass between a wave of orcs and the path into the city proper. Their weapons, already soaked in blood, swing wildly and furiously as they push back orc after orc trying to push through their barrier. Along the wall, orcs pour out of three siege towers as other Velqwen forces try to fight off the endless horde and gain ground towards the towers themselves. Along the wall, six sconces sit ablaze. Vudrogg turns his head in a single moment's break from battle, calling out, "Hey, don't let us have all the fun! We'll hold them off best we can, you do something about those damned towers!"
After building a perimeter preventing the infected orcs to make their way into the city, the party fights through lines of reinforcements pouring onto the walls until they finally reach the massive sconces illuminating the area. With the help of their Velqwen companions, the party manages to set ablaze all three of the seige towers, finally slowing the orc's momentum. Throughout the battle, the party notices a particularly determined and resolved Velqwen infantry member, who they later learn goes by the name of Kethliax. A blue dragonborn younger than the typicaly Avraathian warrior, Kethliax thanks "General Parathrax" for being an example and continues fighting alongside the remaining Velqwen forces as the party takes a much deserved moment to recover before returning to the fray.
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