Sackrym's Folly, End to the War of Broken Bones
I remember the day like it was yesterday. Smoke billowed over the Wolf Bay bringing the first signs of Sackrym's forces. We thought he would strike one of the shanty towns first. However he surprised us by striking at the docks as his undead minions crawled out from the oceans waves. In the distance there was a sickly black light that shown above his vessel. The Queen's voice rang out, calling for us to steel ourselves as the first fireballs crested overhead into the bay.
- Veteran of the War of Broken Bones
Prelude
Over the previous 5 years Sackrym the Skull mage had been causing unrest throughout Elturia. No one knows where he was from, but his cult first struck at Mralgir, beginning by raising the honored dead in their graveyard. Sackrym and his forces struck at many towns within the region, all with the same tactic. With each successful battle, Sackrym's forces grew as he raised the fallen into undeath. Eventually he set his sights on Aldhon and the Wolf Queen.Skeletal Tide
Wolf Queen Elturandis had received false intelligence that Sackrym would be treating his attack much like any other siege. Beginning by choking out supply lines to farms, and holding the shanty towns hostage. While some of the farms had been razed, the outlying towns were evacuated and brought into the city. She realized too late that she committed too many forces to the outlying region, and not enough to defend the Wolf Bay. Sackrym hid the massive navy he had accumulated with a massive fog cloud during his journey from Mralgir. His first assault on Aldhon came from the bay, as his skeletal forces pulled themselves from the water onto the docks and began to lay waste to the meager defense. Sackrym and his forces were able to take the Salt Spray district in the first day of the conflict, establishing it as his central command.Wolf Guard Advance!
The following day, Sackrym's forces began to gain a foothold in the upper districts of the city. However, the forces of Aldhon rallied together at the sight of the Wolf Guard. The Arkine stood at the forefront of the battle this day pushing undead, cultists, and abominations back into the Salt Spray. As the Wolf Guard led their army to victory in the Ridge District, tragedy struck. The Queen's consort and a few Arkine broke through to Sackrym's honor guard. They managed to slay a few of the powerful mages, but in the end Vilgnir met his doom at the hands of the Skull Mage. The Queen needed to be pulled back in her rage, as their forces were exhausted from the day's fight.
Blackest Night
While the Aldhonan army needed rest, the dead do not. A terrible shadow began to emanate from the Salt Spray, as unholy chanting could be heard even at the edges of the neighboring districts. Sackrym and his disciples performed a profane ritual to fill the city with a dense black fog. The Illuminators could not get there quickly enough to thwart this plan, and several of them perished as undead struck at them from the shadows of the fog. Sackrym sent his forces into the city before day break to lay waste to the forces. As the sun rose and dispersed the fog slightly, the Queen rode out to face Sackrym and keep him from plundering the depths of the Reliquary.Crash of Ice
Princess Freja Elturandis had been ordered to stay with the young and enfeebled in the Mountain Spring District to keep herself protected, but she could wait no longer. On the morning of the third day she rode out to see her city in ruins. She saw dozens of fires and skirmishes around the city as her people fought for their lives. In the distance near the Reliquary she witnessed her mother's battle with Sackrym slowly pushing him and his mages back to the sea. Freja rushed to aid her mother. As she approached, the Queen noticed her daughter and in a moment of panic called for her to run! Sackrym seized this millisecond of distraction to run his blade through the Queen's winter wolf companion, Kald, and blast the Queen with a spell of black energy. Time slowed for Princess Freja, as she witnessed her mother fall to Sackrym's magic, and the surrounding battle became dull to her senses. In her something awoke, her eyes glowed with the ice of the north as she reached out to the sea pulling the water towards her and drowning the Skull Mages forces. For a time the varied white, black, and blue lights of their magic crashed against one another. Freja, in her fury, succeeded in pushing the Skull mage back to the harbor, and once again she pulled out the sea creating a shower of ice shards from its water and slew Sackrym with a hundred spears of ice to his back. Without their leader, the Skull Mage's forces quickly dissapated and the horde of undead were slain easily. While many eye witnessess saw the fall of Sackrym, his body was not recovered.The Conflict
Outcome
The forces of Aldhon proved victorious, if only just. The Queen and her consort were slain, and much of the lower city laid in ruin. The outer wall was nearly destroyed, and the conflict displaced many of its residents. The surrounding villages saw an influx of people traveling them.
Aftermath
The rise of Sackrym caused the entire land to lay the dead to rest differently. Now only the rich can afford to traditionally bury their dead since magic is required to protect them from being raised from the dead. Mostly, the common folk will burn their dead to avoid any necromantic powers at be. Aldhon is only just recovering its population from the previous battle, now that people are beginning to trust the cities walls again, even if they are unfinished.
Belligerents
The Morulti (*)
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
Defend their city
Maps
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Aldhon, The Hearth City
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