What Happened to the Army of Endless Blight?
Dont know why you're askin' me, ask the elves, they was the ones supposed to be tracking it. Still, a right strange thing that both them and the dwarves lost the second biggest undead army of the Necromancer Wars, in the mountains, on its way to the Feywillow Forest.
"Hey mister.... mister wake up," well, far from the most unpleasant way to wake up. Could have done without the stick poke, but kids will be kids, the dark-haired man cracked an eye and looked at the child in question. "Thanks for lettin' me borrow your lucky fishin' pole, sir. I got almost more 'n I can carry, so Da' will be happy. Just as long as I can make it back before that storm hits...." "No storm today, friend, trust me, I would know." the man interjected, propping his hands behind his head and enjoying the play of the afternoon sunlight through the leaves above him. "It's no worry sir, these things can sneak up on you in the mountains, but I got barely a hour at most to get home before Da' tans my hide if those clouds are anything to go by. If you got no place to stay we can find room in the hamlet, I'm sure someone has a spare room, and those clouds are the worst color of black I think I ever saw, you shouldn't stay out in that." At that, the strange man opened his eyes, sat up, and looked towards the far end of the valley. Sure enough, it was just as the boy had said, ominous black clouds could be seen between the mountain peaks on the horizon. He gave them a glare, and the boy swore there was a gleam of something in his eyes as he said, "So who's idea was this then, ruinin' my afternoon nap?" "Sorry if I wasn't supposed to, sir, but the clouds..." the man held up a finger to silence the boy. "It's nae your fault lad. You did right by me showing me this lovely spot ta grab a few winks and right by me again ta wake me afore the storm got here. I'll make sure ya get back to yer Pa safe and dry, just a few unruly friends ta straighten out." With that he turned, grabbing his cloak off the branch it was hanging from and throwing it about his shoulder in that way all heroes seem to be able to do, at least in the stories. He surveyed the valley and the surrounding mountains, though looking for what, the boy couldn't say, then let out a sigh.
"You and you," he said, pointing to what seemed to the boy to be two of the surrounding peaks, "take the lad and his catch back home, and no detours mind. Somethin' ain't right with your siblings and we both know it." As he finished two clouds flew down from the peaks, gathering before the man and bobbing before moving towards the boy. "Don't be afraid o' them, harmless enough and they will see ye over the pass and safely home a'fore they even know a storm is coming. One last thing, though, I'll be needin' me fishing rod back." As the clouds started to lift the boy and his catch he held the strange rod out to the stranger man, trying to be careful not to stick him with the fishing hook that.... wasn't there anymore? Hope these things set me down outside of town thought the child, as the clouds made what for him was a half-hour climb in a matter of moments, don't right know how to explain any of this.
As the boy was whisked over the nearby pass the strange man turned back to the oncoming storm, which, despite the boy's insistence, was still a good 3 hours away, as he estimated things. Tapping his quarterstaff on the ground he reached up with his other hand and brushed his shoulder. As leaves fell away from his body he stood in much finer clothing than the moments before. A slight breeze tousled his azure hair. "And don't think I didn't notice you trying to sneak off with the lad," he said, glaring at his staff "This will likely take both of us, you know as well as I that dark magic has control of those clouds. Like as not they block out the sun to shelter dark creatures that shouldn't be here. Let us see what is left after the rain washes away the dirt. I best not hear you complain about ruining the fun either, anything that can make the clouds do that will provide at least a wee bit of sport for us." It was a matter of a few steps to get to the top of a peak at the far end of the valley, a slight hop afterward and he was floating in front of the black clouds. The clouds did indeed block out the sun below them, and for a good distance too. Glancing down he saw a sea of red stars, eyes of the damned no doubt, but they were of no worry to him up here in his element. He turned back to the clouds, "Come now, friends, after all the hard work it must have been to ruin my nap like that, you still hold up all this weight? Let down your burden, I say, and let us part on friendly terms." He paused, head cocked as if waiting for a response, but the only thing one would have noticed is that the clouds shimmered a sickly green around the edges. "So it's going to be like that, then?" he said, as anger flitted across his face. "I said RAIN!" With that exclamation he slammed his staff down (though on what, floating in the sky as he was, we may never know) and the crack of thunder split the air as a torrent of rain started to fall from the clouds. A few moments later the horrors below the cloud cover were revealed, as the now-blessed rains started to burn into the undead horde. Here and their domes of force blossomed into existence, protecting some meager amount of the mindless horde. The man looked upon his handiwork and grinned, at least until a lightning bolt surged into him from below. "This is what comes from annonimity" a voice sounded in the mans head. "They clearly don't know who we are. I mean really, throwing lightning? At US?" Another three bolts flashed up following the first. Unlike the first, however, these were drawn to the crocodile-shaped head of the staff, who seemed to snap them up with glee, its eyes starting to glow yellow. The man studied the landscape below, apparently unphased by the bolt that had hit him. "Well, turnabout is fair play after all. Let's see how they like their own medicine. Would you care to do the honors?" "Gadly" the voice sounded, and the staff's eyes flashed. An answering pulse rippled through the clouds, and then the full fury of the storm was unleashed. Lightning flashed down, bolt after bolt, striking each of the translucent glowing domes below. Some cracked, some shattered, and likely there was screaming, but little could be heard of the cacophonous peal of thunder. "Look at that, 47 left if you include that big one in the middle. Looks like we will get our sport after all. What do ya say, first to 24 wins? And no survivors, don't need to be making it any easier for pops to be finding us." With that, the man hurled the staff towards the farthest dome from the central large dome, then reached into the cloud and grabbed a passing lightning bolt to ride down opposite the staff. Crashing down outside the first dome, he frowned. "Two vampires, a handful of revenants, and some ghouls, either my brother is losing his touch or..." he then saw the charred figure holding a spear upwards, its point just breaching the dome, "one of you had some brains. Still, hardly worth my time, I want some fun." With that he flicked the dome contemptuously, shattering it and letting the cleansing rainfall on the undead inside, its sanctified waters burning them wherever they touched. He flitted between the next twenty-two domes, dealing with them in a similarly dissatisfying manner, before approaching the central dome. On getting close his eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face. "Liches! I love a good lich, suppose it was some of you lot that threw those lightning bolts earlier. I have a few pointers, mind you, but overall good show. It's the thought that counts and all that." With that, he flicked some rain from his fingers and several hailstones formed, shooting toward the dome and growing in size until shattering ineffectually against the barrier. In retaliation, a beam of eldritch energy came screaming out of the dome. The rains seemed to steal some of its force, and when it reached the man he made to brush it aside like a cobweb, only to be halted in his tracks when it stuck with more force than he was expecting. As the beam ended he shook his hand, as one might after grabbing too hot a potato from the fire, "Now that's more like it." Suddenly, to the surprise of those inside, he was at the edge of the dome, standing in front of one of the skeletal figures chanting to maintain it. "Oh, thirteen points, no, wait, I see the nine in the inner circle. Twenty-two maintaining the barrier. Strange to see so many of you working together." He focused on the one in front of him. "I don't suppose I could get you to drop the barrier, you see my brother and I are having a bit of a competition and..."
"YOU DARE ATTACK SATREYEL THE ENDLESS BLIGHT. I WHO HAVE BENT LICHES TO MY WILL AND BOUND DEVILS AND DEMONS ALIKE TO MY"
"Wait, you had devils and demons I could have been fighting? I mean, not that most of those would have fared much better, but at least they can stand up to a little rain. Now as I was saying my brother and I are having a competition and...""I CARE NOT FOR YOU PETTY SIBLING RIVALRY. BOW DOWN TO ME NOW AND I SHALL GRANT YOU A QUICK DEATH BEFORE ENTRY INTO MY SERVICE. YOUR BROTHER IS SOON TO JOIN YOU FOR NONE CAN STAND AGAINST THE MIGHT OF,"
at this point giant jaws made of crackling lightning erupted from the ground and slammed around the dome. The energy barrier bulged slightly at the sides before shattering, the closing jaws of a giant crocodile sealing the fate of those inside. "Twenty-four, I win" sounded a voice in the man's head as his staff clattered to the ground. The man walked over and picked it up. "Well, I was there first, but I can't really fault you. Monolouges, I cant stand monolouges."Ifor and his son sat at the table, getting ready to eat one of the fish Liam had caught this afternoon as the storm raged outside, shaking the window shutters and rattling the door in its frame. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Okay, so maybe it wasn't the storm rattling the door. "See who it is boy, and be quick about it, no one should be out in a storm like this." Liam quickly got up and opened the door, only to be shocked as the man from this afternoon stood there, dripping wet and with his own bounty from the lake. "Oh good, I smelled the fish and was hoping I was right, good to see you again lad. Sir, do you mind if I come in?" the man asked Ifor. "I brought a few extra fish after seeing the success your son had." "Come in and get the door shut, it's best to keep the storm out," said Ifor. He eyed the man wearily as he stepped in and leaned his fishing pole up next to the door. Shaking his cloak out a little, the stranger held up a neatly tied bundle of trout. "I don't suppose you have a smoking shed going out back that I can hang these in, seems a shame to let them go to waste?" "Aye it's around back, hug the wall and you can't miss it, that is where the rest of Liam's catch is now. Be quick, storms like this will freeze the flesh from your bones soon enough no matter the season," said Ifor, standing to grab his only spare plate and setting it on the table. A few minutes later the man returned, passing quickly through the door and getting it shut and latched before hanging his cloak on the only open peg by the door. "I have to thank your son for warning me of the dangers of these mountain storms, if it wasn't for the delicious smell of that fish I doubt I would have passed close enough to your home to see the light between the shutters." He grinned at the two mountain folk as he sat next to Liam on the bench. "Storm like that could wash away an army and no one would ever know."
Report to the Elven Royal Council
I don't know what else you want me to tell you. The army was there. It started to rain, lightning split the sky and the wind started to pick up, then it all went to shit. I took shelter in a nearby cave so I woudn't exposed to the storm in the pass. By the time the storm had cleared The Army of Endless Blight was gone. No tracks, no bodies, nothing. I asked around in the hamlets throughout the mountains. Not even a lone zombie has been seen.
This was such a fun, and inspiring, way to complete this prompt. I was perusing looking for some kick to get me started and I absolutely love the story you told to get the disparity across - and such a disparity! I'm a sucker for that sort of 'overpowered' character so I really enjoyed the way he sorta skipped through it all like it meant nothing. I *almost* thought he was gonna have a problem when the eldritch bolt hit but naaaaah. Lovely.