Battle of Worldbreaker's Howe

Military: Battle

The forces of Summerlund, Tavanion, Faerinwold, Dalenshire, Dammunheim, Deshbara, Mahakazor, and Greathome met the Orcish Hordes and the evil forces marshaled by the Five Who Call in the valley called Worldbreaker's Howe. At the same time, the Fire Wasps battled the Tarrasque and members of the Five Who Call and their allies. Although the allied forces were victorious, Prince Belerion ap Kadishai was slain.  

The Battle of Worldbreaker's Howe was fought on Carolan 5, 1081 SKR. After the battle between the Fire Wasps and the Five Who Call at the Temple of Elemental Evil and the release of the Tarrasque, the Fire Wasps rapidly scoured Tol for various means of defeating the terrible creature. They also gathered allies in hopes of combating the powerful armies that the Five Who Call had brought to bear. This came to a head in the valley that the Weavers called Tarrasque Tuath, and which was known in the Common Tongue as Worldbreaker's Howe.   The Five Who Call had marshaled a force of the Orcish Hordes under the command of Gorthak the Cruel, various cultists rallied by Kaldakos Greysails, Gnoll Marauders from Kyask, and various Fire and Hill Giants who had never retreated to Jotunheld after the War of the Broken Chain  . Representing the Five were Kaldakos himself, Serresque the Lich, Andravora Krelhariv, and Kahetu Nal. Lanamara Edanos had withdrawn her support, but Kaldakos and other cultists had provided a smaller force of Undead fodder.   On the side of the Fire Wasps, troops from Summerlund Overview under the command of Prince Regent Harbryn Thonwyr and Commander Karatacus Brightshield; Halflings from Dalenshire led by Commander Lancier Blackwillow; Elf forces from Faerinwold Overview led by Lord Ranger Arun Longstrider; Eladrin and Gnomes from Tavanion led by Prince Belerion ap Kadishai; Warforged from Greathome led by Chime, the Lord of Blades; Bedourani and Genasi from Deshbara led by Sultan Jamhedu al'Durreen; Dragonborn from Mahakazor led by Dragonlord Farakeel Aurumvoss and Zikzok, his Minister of Works; Dwarves from Dammunheim led by Ar-Thane Darberik Fivebraids; and the Aurora Australis, captained by Prince Aureon Aelia and his cloud giant companions, Bengurion and Savina.   As the Tarrasque drew near, Natharios prayed to his Goddess Shandalene for a miracle to aid them, and she granted one, thanks to the intercession of her husband, Oldorin. She brought back Kidalis Havengard and his flying mount Nastariel to aid the Fire Wasps in battle. Bolstered by both their fallen friend returned and Ghost, the companion who'd departed for a month to aid her people, they prepared to fight the Tarrasque.   At first, champions on both sides attacked the opposing armies. Rubicus Chillbrow used a tsunami to wreak havoc on the orcish forces, Kidalis caused plants to grow and slow undead and orcs alike, and Serresque hit both some of the Fire Wasps and the Summerlund forces with a meteor swarm. Ghost concentrated primarily on fighting the gnollish forces, while Naali Chamond dominated the gnollish commander and had him rally his troops to seek easier prey...the human cultists they'd been fighting beside.   Tilly Thistleshanks primarily concentrated on the Tarrasque. Wielding the enchanted sharrash O'goun, set with the Heart of the Bayou and with the Minotaur girdle Balbrambor around his waist, he hurled himself at the terrible foe. Kidalis primarily found himself battling Andravora, and the Shaper found himself transporting allies and doing damage where he could. The battle swung in the favor of the allies early, as reinforcements in the form of a force of Frost Dwarves and Stone Giants from Jokulhrith arrives, having been led through caverns in the earth by the giant artists Modi and Akadi and rallied by Roxlan and Selvie Chillbrow. A break in the storm overhead gave hope to the elves, who charged to take high ground, led by Arun. A near disaster almost claimed the life of Sultan Jamhedu as one of his Efreet servants almost dragged him away when it broke free, but it was dispelled by Naali, and the fight continued. The Fire Wasps' secret ally was revealed when Lurgrak led a group of Orcish defectors in an attack against the Orcish Horde's flank, then began to retreat. Gorthak tried to fight his way to the younger orc, but he was unable to reach him.   Tilly largely engaged the foe from inside, being swallowed early in the fight. Natharios, having been flown into the thick of things by Rubicus in the shape of a giant eagle, spotted the death knight Tarkoth Broadblade approaching and kept offering healing, while simultaneously goading the death knight to come and fight him. This caused the death knight to unleash a hellball at Natharios and others, but the minotaur held his ground. Kahetu Nal appeared and began trying to murder Tristan Holdfast, but the combined forces of Tristan, Naali, and Shaper were too much for the psionic warrior, who was soon defeated, allowing Tristan to use Blade of Disaster, the failsafe spell created by the Weavers to stop the Tarrasque if it ever got out of their control. He was able to do tremendous damage to the monster from the outside, as Tilly attempted to kill it from the inside. Naali also found that her kindnesses to the Witch Queen, Adala Tarmoore, had caused her to intercede, if only long enough to do severe damage to some gnolls with a chain lightning spell. Kaldakos called a nightwalker onto the field, but it was held at bay by elvish and Summerling priests. Still, it caused great havoc among the allies. Ghost was held at bay by Kaldakos, who used a psychic scream spell to largely incapacitate the Ranger.   Rubicus, realizing that the Tarrasque might be on the verge of attacking Natharios, distracted it, but, for his troubles, he was swallowed by it. The terrible damage of its teeth and stomach acids brought him over the threshold of death. Tilly managed to get his fallen friend out, and Shaper began to try and attempt to bring him back from the dead, despite warnings that the power of Tharizdun's Soul Siphon would likely make this impossible. A combination of efforts from Shaper, Kidalis, and Natharios appealed to Shandalene and Oldorin, and the God of Death loosed his hold, letting the frost dwarf Druid return. Meanwhile, Kidalis was snatched up in the Tarrasque's jaws and devoured, putting him close to the edge of death once more. Tragedy struck when a boulder hurled by a Hill Giant struck Prince Belerion and his gryphon, causing them to plummet out of the sky behind enemy lines. Zikzok was separated from Farakeel in the push and struggle of battle, but Tristan teleported to him, refusing to let a terrible fate meet the little Kobold. Tilly's efforts finally caused the Tarrasque to fall, and, armed with the power of the Wish spell left behind by Yasmira al-Fashid, Naali was able to Wish the Tarrasque back to the Sleep of Ages, causing it to sink into the earth below Worldbreaker's Howe. Seeing no hope of victory, Kaldakos used a word of recall spell to flee the battlefield. Tilly, Kidalis, Natharios, Ghost, and Shaper confronted Tarkoth, but Shaper revealed that the power of the cloak Valathorendal had given him visions of the Argent Circle and made him guess Tarkoth's true identity - that of the dragonborn Paladin Shadarak Mithranak. Confronted with his real name, Mithranak attempted to reach Shaper to destroy him, but Tilly was able to land a final blow to discorporate the death knight...at least for now.   With their commanders defeated or fled, the Orcs and Cultists were routed and fled, leaving the snow of the Howe dark with blood and the victorious to mourn their fallen, including the Eladrin Prince.