AAR: The Recently Discovered Journals of the Legendary Desle

[Conq]

Wow, nuff said

[Bwaha]

No, we want more.

[st.patrik]

Three foes rose to challenge us. Three threats, three actions, three outcomes. Against one I became the mighty spear thrust, the pebble in the road that throws the rider from the horse, the keen-eyed eagle striking fiercely, the fire that consumes and is gone by the dawn. Against the second we thought to play the peaceful part, thinking that he would find war from another quarter. Against the third, under the deep waters, we fought a strange war with the help of strange creatures against a stranger yet foe.

To this third struggle my miind now turns. This our first foe, and in some ways our most bitter. We drove him from his fortress, in the depths of the great lake, and manned its ramparts with our allies in the fight: slow moving unarmoured creatures who breathed as easily under the sea as in the bright air. They have a tremendous strength, though they bear no arms, and they are tough in body, though they wear no armour. These named themselves Atlanteans, once from an ancient kingdom but long parted from their kin. We also enlisted undersea knights on sea-horses, wielding spears tipped with poisonous coral.

In time we built a strong force and one night in midsummer Tegue and Tuathal led a great company down the long miles of the river to the sea. They passed into the realm of the monstrous sea creatures just as the day was dawning in the sunlit world. Our foes were dismayed by our host, or at least feigned dismay, and fled north. As our forces pursued they saw a huge pinnacle of dark rock, which took the form of a mighty fastness. Here the creatures made their stand. This place seemed filled with menace, and yet we encircled the rough walls and began a siege that would last several months. Twice we were challenged and twice Tuathal and Tegue pushed them back and maintained the watch on the walls, until finally the great strength of our Atlantean allies made a breach.

Summoning what power they could, our forces broke through the walls and a great slaughter began. Hideous creatures that ought not to be were crushed to lifelessness, their bodies ripped asunder and left to float away as a testament to the justice of the silent god. Yet not all foes fell so easily. In the centre of the city a huge pulsating mound was found, that sounded incomprehensible madness to all who dared approach. Brave Atlanteans would be paralyzed merely by the thought of approaching it. This monstrous thing was the mother and god of the race we warred against.

Pain breeds fear among some creatures, and paralyzes others so that they cannot act, but among the sons and daughters of Danu pain brings resolve. At the last the creature was brought down, many blows laid upon her, and it seemed that we had won.

And yet our guard was not vigilant enough. We cast down the rude temple that had been raised to honour this false god, and raised a humble dwelling in honour of the silent god. Many Atlanteans were killed and many more wounded. Our numbers were few.

Reports were heard of fell creatures still roaming the sunless sea bed, but some counseled that these were the defeated remnants of a broken people, and so our guard was lowered.

Yet our forces, weak as they were, woke to find this same hideous creature already once destroyed arrayed against us. Somehow by dark magiks she who we killed was found to be back to life and once again opposing us. This time we fared less well. Tegue was manning the patrol while Tuathal was in the city when the attack fell. The sea-knights were destroyed, and the strength of the Atlanteans failed. Tegue fled to the western shore of the sea. He shall have to explain how a king of the race of kings, in service of the silent god, should fly from battle like an ignorant Fomorian. Tuathal was locked inside the walls of the fortress, which thankfully had been repaired.

The walls of that fortress are thick, if it stands still, but Tuathal was left with barely an honour guard of local fish-men armoured with turtle shells to defend it. Wise in secret lore he prepared the incantations to summon underwater lions to aid in the defense.

Our forces were scattered, and yet a fire burned in Tegue to redeem his name, that it not live forever in disgrace among our people. He travelled the land to put together a great army of any creature that could survive in the watery depths, while Tuathal kept a silent vigil, far away from hearth or home, far away from the forests of his home, and far even from the sun, whose light pierced the gloom of the undersea only in a glimmer at noontide.

[Radioheart]

Brilliant. Thanks for posting this.

[Trumanator]

Bravo! Must complete the story.

[st.patrik]

Freedom comes hard-fought. Violence can be the shield of peace.

War with those who seek our destruction cannot be avoided.

Yet long we dwelt, in hope that war would not be forced upon us on every side. I know not the inscrutable ways of the silent god. Mayhap he knew better what the turn of years would bring than even we did, who measure our years by many lengths of men’s lives. But of the devastation there is not doubt. Of the loss of our people no one can remain silent. Yet our vengeance is even more certain.

The beasts that walk like men slowly destroyed the other races our scouts had seen on the eastern side of the mountains. The proud giants of the ancient north, the Atlanteans of whom our allies were a lost tribe, perhaps many others, all were not seen any longer, and in their stead came the beasts, drenched in blood, with crazed eyes and evil intent.

We set a watch on the passes through the mountains. In the south we raised a fortress as a bulwark against their might. The land seemed to sleep.

Our people grew. Poetry and song rang in our halls. Great understanding was gained of ways to control the wild power of the wind and sky, and even the very earth yielded up its secrets. We grew strong in lore and thought ourselves invincible. In the north I was the silent god’s sure hand, destroying our ancient enemies, in the south we waxed strong against the monsters in the depths. Even Lugh of the long hand returned from his wanderings to serve the silent god.

Until they came.

When the sun set on the lonely fortress in the widest pass in the mountains the land all about seemed at rest, and yet morning brought a different picture. The sun rose sickly red, at the back of an army many hundreds strong of crazed beasts. A messenger was sent west to the capital, and those who could bear arms girded themselves for battle against impossible odds.

Many brave warriors shed their blood that day. The creatures wielded great maces or wicked curved swords with frenzied strength, and behind them hordes of archers sent a rain of arrows. Yet our warriors donned illusions by their arts, and went to battle. They earned honour, fighting an implacable enemy who traded them ten blows for every one they gave. In the space of a few minutes they were a few islands in a sea of bronze-armoured animals. Slowly they were overwhelmed. Slowly the islands grew smaller until they sunk beneath a sea of flailing maces, striking with animal rage.

Two of our sorceresses called mighty lightning strikes down upon them, but it was not enough. Wounds that would kill a man only enraged them. At the last the ever-young tasted death, falling to the rage of lesser creatures.

Yet some mind was behind them. Some cunning directed their actions. Among them were ghostly apparitions who you could see through. Also warriors who seemed to have died and yet were walking, wielding their armaments with deadly strength. Hordes of smaller beasts attended them, throwing stones and clamouring. Recognizable in their midst were a battalion of human archers, forced to fight for the beasts who were obviously their masters.

The siege did not last long. The bulk of our strength had died in the initial assault, and those few left inside the walls were not warriors but sidhe women, in study and contemplation. Relief was sent from the capital but the assault was so fierce, and the strength of the enemy so great that scarce had a month passed that a breach was made in the walls and the enemy poured through. They cut down our people without mercy. They left nothing but carnage.

And so as I returned from the far north I found that the ever-young had suffered defeat and despair at the hands of mere animals. My rage burned within me, and I rode east, towards the mountains, to ride from one length of their land to the other, cutting out their black hearts. People fear me. May they try to resist rather than fly from me. They will find a stronger foe than the day they cut down our women. They will find a nightmare who will haunt their last living hours and the eternity beyond. They will find the rage of the silent god.

[st.patrik]

Anyone still reading? If so I have a contest - guess Desle's heroic ability and be written into the story!

[lch]

What I'm wondering about is if this is an AAR for a real game, and if you intend to make the game files available once you have finished with it...

[Tifone]

I'm still reading totally, and about your prophet's Heroic Ability... Unequaled Obesity? (I don't think, it would be a little too funny into your so epic saga )

[Valerius]

I'm still reading - this is excellent.

My guess for heroic ability, based on the first line of your AAR, is Legendary Cruelty.