The War of Freedom

Era beginning/end

The free armies clash with the Demon Lord

After a year of preparations, the luck of the Redeeming Five finally wore off. The Demon Lord had finally become aware of Lord Drakaal's betrayal, and was preparing to crush this insurrection once and for all. As a preemptive strike, the Demon Lord Sent a team of assassins to rid himself of Lord Drakaal and the Redeeming Five. It is a credit only to their great skill and care for each other that these six managed to survive when arrayed against ten of the Demon Lord's most prized assassins.   After their narrow escape from the attempt on their lives, the heroes decided that their only chance for victory lay in attacking the Demon Lord's tower before he could muster all of his forces. The army of the free peoples marched on the dark tower descending on the Demon Lord's great army in a little over a month. The free army had been preparing for a year, and as such had the initial advantage over the enemy army that only had a month's warning to begin drawing it's recruits.   The enemy army arrayed around the tower was ill prepared for the assault that soon came at them as natives and redeemed outsiders alike rushed their forces with a ferocity that hadn't been seen in centuries of battle. After the first two weeks of battle, the Demon Lord's remaining forces were barricaded in the tower itself and it seemed that the free army would soon win a decisive victory. It was in this second week that the two great forces of Dragons arrived to vie for the victory of their chosen side. Even though both armies grew almost equally in strength with this influx of the world's oldest inhabitants, the free army took great joy in this sign that they swore would mean their victory.   Their joy was short lived however as in the third week they were set upon by the armies of the twelve tribes. Having come to the Demon Lord's call, the remaining forces of his tribes had finally arrived, bolstered by their Orc and Beastman allies.   Now faced with an army that nearly doubled theirs, and pressed back against the forces still in the tower, the free army began taking heavy casualties and seemed they wouldn't hold out the month. Their misfortune seemed to grow near the end of the fourth week as many of the giants came from their safe havens and joined with the side of the demon armies.   The free army was almost broken, bolstered barely by the few giants that had chosen to join their side, they seemed almost lost when Lyle Lightfingers' people, the halflings and gnomes, arrived with a great army that almost surpassed the demons themselves. In the three millennia of the Demon Lord's rule, the little people had avoided the most harm by going to ground, hidden among the islands in the Kandere chain. Their prosperity during this time had not gone unwasted as they secretly prepared for the day that the Demon Lord would fall. The armies of the little people fell in a devastating wave among the Giants that had chosen the demon's side. It is an ironic point that the free people were saved from many of the world's largest inhabitants by an army of many of the world's smallest inhabitants.   The armies had now reached a stalemate arrayed on the field of battle across from one another with the tower as an imposing pinnacle in the center.   On the final day of battle, Lord Drakaal faced Dardeus in single combat within the shadow of the tower while the Redeeming Five launched their final assault on the Demon Lord's stronghold. While armies slaughtered each other outside, the five heroes battled even greater horrors in the dark place as it became evident that each floor of the tower was a pocket plane unto itself with its own horrors and denizens.   Finally coming upon the highest level of the tower, the Five heroes and their retinue stood against the great Demon Lord himself. The Lord had prepared well, to the misfortune of the heroes, as they found themselves arrayed not just against the lord, but a force of powerful dragon as well. The specifics of that final conflict in the tower are questionable. What is known is that sometime around the twilight hours, while the armies still warred outside, a great explosion rocked the tower sending stones from the top floor crashing down into both armies below. An unknown wave of power swept across the armies banishing demon and celestial alike to outer planes. Though not all outsiders were forced from the plane, this sudden loss broke the back of the demon army as the remaining forces retreated into the wilds of the world hiding from the vengeance of the free army.   It was unknown then what had caused this sudden explosion and surge of power, it was explained by survivors later as the breaking of the seal that had held the plane closed.   In the aftermath of that final battle, only three of the heroes emerged from that tower. Lyle led the way as Kara and Sara came out behind him. They explained that Allistar had taken the opportunity to leave the plane and explore the multiverse to delve deeper into the secrets of the planes. Calvin the Paladin however was not as lucky. The exact facts were never told about how he died, but his death was mourned in every free nation of the world. Kara and Sara left soon after with Lord Drakaal, and their house has flourished ever since, though it is not known whether they are still living on this plane or one of the upper planes of the celestials. Lyle the halfling thief now heads the largest assassins guild in the world bent on keeping the now free nations free.