Battle of Del Aerion - |Darrowden|

'The world bucked and shattered, and a thousand kilometres away. I felt them come. The host has returned. We march.' – Tiron Blackscale

The Battle of Del Aerion is another part of history rarely discussed, for few of the factions or nations around today know of it, save for the Ayir of Luren, The Elyswer and Light's Talon. It became the second successful incursion by outsiders into the mortal realms and if not for the 10th Guardian of the Worldgate, Tiron Blacktalon, may have been the last. Luckily due to the quick actions and strength of those involved the cracks in reality were sealed before they could spread beyond containment. The Battle lasted 47 days and progressed as described below. The results flattened the mountains here, creating rolling hills that were renamed The Darrowden Hills, an idyllic looking place that has become tumultuous and dangerous with loose magic creating deathly mists that steal the life of all that pass through.

The Splintering

Within the mountains of Del Aerion an eruptions of otherworldly energy split reality, tearing the mountains and settlements in the area to shreds, and altering the laws of the natural world. Broken mountains and great trees were hoisted high into the air where they floated and cracks webbed their way across the land, expelling darkness like geysers. From the larger of these emerged outsiders, demons from the outer realms that have forever sought a return to the mortal planes. They stampeded across the area, slaying any surviving Ayir they encountered and absorbing their essence.

To Fight on a Crumbling World

Those that could fled for the safety of the Ayir's mountain citadel Del Ayir as the world broke and twisted around them. Warriors and spellweavers fought to stem the tide of a new horde but against the mass of horrors pouring from the breaches, there was little that could be done but fight a retreating battle. Many were lost to the chaotic environment as giant stones impacted the world crushing them, or they were simply lifted into the sky. And many more were consumed by the outsiders.

Del Ayir Burns

The great fortress scrambled to respond to the catastrophe, sending out warriors and beasts to assess the damage and gain vital information, as many modes of magical communication became distorted in the aftermath of The Splintering. For two weeks refugees arrived within the citadel and the tales they told painted a picture of horrors beyond death. The fleeing refugees led the outsiders to the gates of Del Ayir. No siege was set and no engines were brought against the walls, for the horde of outsiders fell over each other to reach the life energy they could feel within the city. 

First the sky darkened as winged horrors fell onto the city. Then a wave of darkness coated the mountainside without as the torrent of outsiders swept forward like a wave, breaking upon the great Ayir's walls. All that could fight, did. For this was an enemy that would give no leniency in battle or after. They would consume all, and in that came eternal agony at the hands of such beings. The streets burned and screams filled the night for two weeks before the great wall crumbled. 

Lord Halia Whisperwind, high commander and princess of the Ayir stood with her honour guard as indescribable horrors from the outer worlds poured into the citadel. Her actions saved the lives of all in the city, giving them time to fall back to the inner keep and as the doors slammed shut a twisted blade cut her down. A chorus of broken voices undulated in glee as her spirit slipped from her body and the outsider's champion reached for it, snatching it before it could enter the golden halls. Her soul screamed as it witnessed the eternity it would face in the horror's captivity.

The Watchers of the Worldgate

A burning pillar of radiant fire exploded within the courtyard burning the outsider champion to cinders and casting back their host. The high commander's soul drifted free and her shouts of gratitude reached Tiron Blackscale as he swept into the courtyard, even across the veil. The champions of Light's Talon had come. Scale Wardens, Light Bringers, Flame Drakes and at their fore the Guardian of the Worldgate. They threw back the outsider forces from Del Ayir and rallied all of the Ayir to their side. With determination and speed they swept out into Del Aerion, for this is what they had been born for.

A Hero Is Born

The landscape bucked and broke as the soldiers of Light's Talon and surviving Ayir carved a path into the darkness. Shattered mountains and earth floated above them as toxic air erupted from cracks in the world. Soldiers fell in torrents as they slew the outsiders between them and their quarry. Tiron Blackscale pushed on without rest for days. Driving his soldiers beyond the extent of their strength and closing the cracks in the world with the essence of his life magic, for nothing could seal the cracks in reality save the life of the willing. Each crack sealed took from him and his spellweavers. After days, they at last came to the heart of darkness. Where colour, light and reality itself bent around the vast portal created by the splintering, and before it stood Auturi, the Darkwalker, a demon prince of the outer realms.

Tiron charged and the world thundered with him. His soldier's feet pounding on the broken world as primal magics not felt upon Venya for 1500 years were unleashed once more. Cries and roars, twisted by reality shook floating mountains and alien stars that flashed and flickered across the sky. Blackscale, Guardian of the Worldgate met the Darkwalker in combat, their speed and magics colliding in reality-bending eruptions. But in their advance, Tiron Blackscale had given his essence to keep the world from shattering and could not better this master of the outworlds. He suffered a grievous wound and fell back, covered by his honour guard, who fell to the last in his protection. Demon Prince Auturi came for Tiron and when the final blow came it struck the shield of a lone soldier, neither Scale Warden nor Lightbringer, but a human. Kailin Stoneheart , one of the lost had taken up the shield of Tiron's Shieldbearer and faced the Darkwalker. His sword was chipped and marred but he stood high, a lined face and grey hair never blessed by Everlast against the end.

The Death of Legends

Tiron breathed the last of his life into this hero and shuddered, and so passed the 10th Guardian of the Worldgate. The powers infused Kailin, one who was never meant to hold such strength, and he screamed as the power reshaped him. Light exploded from him, filling the air with the creationist magics of the guardian and sealing the smaller rifts, leaving only the great hole in the veil. He charged the Darkwalker, who was rocked by the expulsion of such magic and drove the demon prince back towards the last remaining portal. The ayir and dracanoids slew the remaining outsiders now that their stream of reinforcements had been cut off and rallied to this new hero. Kailin felt the powers within begin to ebb and channelled it into a single last attempt at victory. He ducked the wicked life-stealing weapon of Auturi and plunged his sword through the monster's chest. The outsider prince roared in rage as the force pitched them into the final portal, and with an earth-splitting thunderclap the world re-ordered itself.

The remaining spellweavers rushed to seal the breach before Auturi slew their hero and returned. Mountains fell from the sky, shattering the ground and triggering earthquakes, but the forces of Light stood in defence of their allies, broken and dying as many were. Exterminating the outsiders that sought to undo their work.

Fallout

The dust of fallen mountains and shadow shifted and changed, coalescing into a magical mist that permeated the area. None spoke. No sounds of joy filled the air, only the sighs of relief. Venya had been saved, but the cost would be felt for centuries to come. Del Aerion was destroyed beyond salvage and the dead were uncountable. The Guardian of the Worldgate had fallen and so had their saviour. Those of Light's Talon collected their dead and left, returning to Kaln Igni.

The Ayir never forgot their sacrifice, for they came when no others did and left expecting nothing in return. Since that day, they have done their best to watch over and protect the northern Flametip Mountains from outsider's incursion. The ayir of Del Ayir are true allies to Light's Talon and often fight in their forever war.

Year

1473 A.C.

Duration

47 days

Another Tale of Venya

Learn more about the world, its history and the factions here.

Forces

Involved

The Ayir (Sky Elves)
Light's Talon
The Outsiders

Victors

Light's Talon & Ayir

Military Might

Ayir - 160,000 Elf and Beast
Light's Talon - 70,000 Lightbringers, Scale Wardens and Drakes
Outsiders - 350,000

Losses

Forces of Light
Tiron Blackscale, the 10th Guardian of the Worldgate
Lord Halia Whisperwind
The Land of Del Aerion
30,000 Scale Wardens and Lightbringers of Light's Talon
70,000 Sky Elves & Beasts

Forces of Darkness
350,000 Outsiders
Darkwalker Auturi

The Cost of Light's Talon Sacrifice

Guardians of Venya and the realms of mortals the Dracanoids of Light's Talon stand between the outsiders and the greatest powers of Venya in the eternal struggle of the Forever War, protecting the world from foes most have forgotten. They constantly defend the stronghold of Kaln Igni & The Throne of Heavens high within the Flametip Mountains and have done so since the Cataclysm.

Their duty is sacred and perilous and for their duties, the Creator Gods granted them the gift of Everlast, through the Sanguis Dei. For to fight eternally with the curse of a regular lifespan and sickness would have destroyed them in centuries, and though the flower does not grant immortality it does grant eternal youth. However, it only grows from the souls of those who die upon the ashen soil of the Flametip Mountains.

The Scale Wardens and Lightbringers that fought at Del Aerion sacrificed this gift of the creators by following Tiron Blackscale to battle. They went anyway, for they knew the need of the world was more. Now a great statue of Tiron Blackscale stands in the square of Kaln Igni, 30,000 scales carved into his body, each with the names of the heroes that gave their lives, and their Everlast for Lenwir.

At the base rests a plaque of silver that reads 'Kailin heart of stone, fractured and flawed in life. You gave it all in death, to fill the cracks in our broken world. The heart of a hero. Never forgotten. Never forsaken.'

A Forest at War

The Splintering shredded the mountain range that split the world and though it was firmly within the borders of the Ayir. Many fled into the arms of their siblings, warning them of what came. For the forests of the Elyswer bordered the mountainsto the east. It was only a matter of days before the outsiders reached their forestland and began to consume the vast life energy there. Though the forest elves of the Elyswer and their allies were no idle. They fought in the thousands along the borders of the forest, and more arrived each day.

Great forest dragons, gryphons and hippogryphs filled the sky as forest giants, beasts, elves, gnomes and dryads held the line on the ground. Their call for allies was answered quickly and the nearest hives of the Nari'Kit arrived to push the quarry back. This battle raged back and forth almost the entire length of the war, occupying the larger portion of the outsiders and enabling the force from Del Ayir and Light's Talon to strike at the heart.

When the portal crumbled and the unending host of outsiders began to falter. The forces of the Elyswer and Nari'Kit did not cease. They hunted each fleeing outsider to their doom and cleansed the lands where they fell.