[Alliance] Chapter Two: Session Thirty
September 17th, Night
The party sees Lirath and Esara behind a number of makeshift barricades as green skinned monsters pour from the sanctum. One of the monsters starts to rush forward as quickly as it can. It screams out a battle cry.
Vel fires off a frostbolt at the charging creature, chilling it to the bone. Something churns within her, but she resists letting it free as the temperature around her drops. The creatures screams another war cry in warning.
Gil steps up after his sister and casts faerie fire on the large group in the back. He thin draws his bow and an arrow cintilantes with arcane energy.
Esara pops her head over the barricade she is hiding behind and hurls a fireball from her hand. It explodes in the midst of the enemies. Two of the creatures are immediately dusted. However, the others, as the flames subside, they are still standing, though looking very bad for wear.
Uther heals Vel with his lay on hands and then runs for the orc that approached. His maul slams into the orc and he staggers back for a moment, but he catches himself on his back foot, his jaw clearly broken.
The massive bald creature with a horn protruding from his forehead rushes forward. He slams the pill he is carrying down on the ground, hiding behind it. Another orc charges forward.
Lirath follows up with Uther, and pops up and point blank shoots an arrow through the orc before them. The orc promptly goes down. He then fires off at the other orc that approached and ducked back undercover as he uses hunter’s mark on the warlock back with the main group.
Vincent fires off an arrow from his crossbow, cutting through the massive creature’s leg. The massive creature stumbles, and its cover drops.
As the fight continues, three more orcs burst out of the flaming building. These ones are different. Their skin is a pale, ashy green. Each of the individuals appear to be missing a hand, instead replaced with a fearsome weapon on them.
The demon rushes forward to engage with Uther. Uther ducks out of the way and the creature’s fist slams into the barricade. It follows up with its greatsword, but Uther parries it away, and the jagged edges of the greatsword catches in the stone.
The warlock steps forward, and an orb of black and red energy coalesces before it’s fired at Uther. However, it misses, instead hitting the felguard in the back. The orb explodes, but Uther ducks down, and the fire just washes over the felguard--however it seems to be immune.
It becomes rather evident that there are more monsters swarming out of the sanctum. And if they stay, they will get overwhelmed.
However, in that moment, there is an earthshaking roar. As everyone looks up, to the southeast, there is a blaze of fire blast into the air. One of the largest creatures they had ever seen burst out in the direction between farstrider square and morningtide hold.
It’s a massive, red dragon.
Lirath: “Is… is that a dragon? Where did that come from?”
Another scout fires off at Gil, another arrow embedding in his side. Gil fires back, an arrow going straight through her head, dropping to the ground.
The warlock summons dark tendrils and attempts to have them wrap around Uther. It starts to draw life essence and moisture from him. However, he is able to firm his body against it.
One of the new orcs charges forward and takes two slashes at Gil, who ducks around them. Lirath fires off an arrow at the warlock, who staggers back, and then fires a second off again, dropping the warlock to the ground.
Another of the orcs charges forward and closes with Lirath.
Esara shouts at Gil to watch out, and she goes to swing in at the orc attacking him. Another orc runs forward, and the felguard attempts to swing at Uther as it wrenches its sword out of the ground. Once again, it misses however.
Vincent pops out and then brings the ogre low with another shot.
Uther swings in on the felguard, and it retaliates, but Uther is able to block it with his maul as he swings around with another strike. He strikes again with green flame blade, but the felguard is still up. Vel attempts to use toll the dead on it, but it resists. She steps back.
There is another shriek as the massive red wyrm starts to approach.
Vincent darts forward and clips one of the orcs.
Lirath darts back away from the orc that engaged with him. He fires off two arrows, telling the group they need to leave.
As the battle rages on, there is another bellowing cry. It suddenly lands in the entirety of the street behind the creatures and crushes the sanctum. It inhales, and then releases a brilliant gout of flame. As the fire washes over them, Vel watches as everyone but Gil drops to one knee for a moment.
The orcs are spilled from their mounts, and what’s left of the orcs stand up again.
However, after a moment’s pause, the ground around the party begins to sprout grass and flowers. Right before Esara hits the ground, the flowers ease up a mist of green energy around her, and she snaps to attention. She snaps to attention and impales the orc and then slices down at the felguard.
Uther also snaps back to, and there’s a voice that bellows out.
Dragon: “GO. I WILL FINISH THEM.”
There is a torrent of wind, and the orcs slam against walls and rubble, dead. Uther does one strike at one of the dismounted wolf riders.
Uther: “You heard the dragon. Lets leave.”
One of the orcs scramble away to safety, and the dragon takes out the remaining scout. The final blade-handed orc is finished off by Lirath, and the group starts to run. The dragon takes off back to the sky.
Vel glances at Gil as they run, the pieces having fallen into place.
As they run they hear the din of battle. All the while, there is the form of this red dragon tearing through the sky. Dragonhawk riders are also taking to the sky, alongside the phoenix. There are a number of the large demonic bats also dog fighting in the air, along with some of the orcs mounted on some sort of two-headed leonine dragons.
The dragon follows after the leonine creatures and chomps down on it, blood sailing from it as it sails down below.
As they reach the bazaar, people are trying to stampede through. A number of guardians of eternal spring are trying to maintain order along with some members of the Aurum Blades, including Dereven.
Vincent tries to scale a wall, and Gil attempts to maintain order in the crowd to try and get their way through. Lirath and Uther also help. Esara finds some of the rowdier individuals and casts suggestion a few time to get some of the people that are pushing the most to help.
As this happens, fighting begins to break out at the edges of the bazaar, and the guardians go to engage. Vincent tucks and rolls and lands in the grass on the other side of the walls.
Gil, Uther, and Lirath stays behind to help with the orcs, while Esara, Vincent, and Vel push forward.
As the party that stayed behind engages the group, Gil fires off at the wolf rider. He knocks the orc off, and Lirath fires off into the wolf. The wolf bites at Gil, but Gil disappears and fires off into the wolf rider. The wolf rider continues to run forward, but at the last second, as he swings, the weapon clatters to the ground, and the wolf rider drops.
The dire wolf rounds on Uther, and one of the orcs hurls a javelin. Lirath shouts at Uther to strike as he fires off an arrow at the wolf, and Uther follows up with his maul, splitting straight through the wolf’s head. Uther follows up on one of the orcs, slamming into it twice, and both drop.
The last three remaining orcs starts to try and dogpile Uther. At the last second, an arcane shield leaps up, shielding him from a blow that may have snuck through.
The battle rages on, and more orcs drop. The last orc tries to run past Uther to attack Lirath. Gil fires into the orc, but it keeps going, but at the last second, Lirath draws his sword and slams it into the orc’s chest.
The group looks at each other, nods, and then rushes off to catch up with the others.
Esara and Vel are able to avoid any sort of conflict as they navigate through the byway. No one is heading to falconwing square. They meet up with Vincent, and they head into falconwing square.
The square itself is well-equipped for defending itself. Fighter and soldiers are already present, and there is checkpoint after checkpoint. They see streams of civilians being lead to the checkpoint. Vel and Vincent can see an abundance of soldiers here. Some are going through the portal with civilians. Jaina is trying to maintain the portal.
Vereesa and a few other farstriders are on top of buildings, losing arrows. Arator sees them and comes over, asking where the others are. Vel informs him, and he gives her a rundown.
There is a screeching cry from overhead, and they see more of the leonine creatures overhead. Vereesa calls to prepare for the next wave.
However, as bows are readied, there is a streak of fire, and all of a sudden a fireball erupts in the sky. Some orcs go flying off the creatures, and at that moment, there is Kael’thas and Rommath. There is a blur of green ducking out from cover, and two arrows sail up and, one and two, impale themselves into the heads of the leonine creatures.
Suddenly, one of the creatures overhead is turned into a sheep and plummets down. Turalyon then runs in, swinging his blade. Alleria steps off the building and rides a streamer down below.
Kael’thas asks for the moonkey, and Esara produces it. He said they need to make his way to the elfgate. He tells Rommath he will need his help.
Then Khadgar appears, offering his services.
Vel requests to go to the greater elf gate, but Kael’thas informs her that they are going to erect the ban’dinoriel. She would be trapped inside if she can’t get out quickly enough, and Vel rapidly does math, and realizes she wouldn’t be able to make it out in time.
The group heads off to the greater elf gate, and Uther, Gil, and Lirath sees them as they leave. Khadgar greets them, recognizing Gil as Velameestra’s brother. Uther greets Turalyon, and Turalyon gives him the rundown.
Alleria stops, grabs Lirath on the shoulder, looks him dead in the eye, and tells him not take any risks. She tells him to get through the portal as soon as things get to be too much. She then heads off.
Gil comments that might of been the scariest thing he’s seen, but Lirath comments he didn’t find her that frightening.
The people start to get into position, and Vel asks Jaina how much time she has. She said only a few minutes.
As this happens, there is a commotion to the north.
Lor’themar: “Liadrin? What are you doing. Get behind the barricade! Get those kids through. What’s that thing with you?”
At that moment, Mercy steps forward with the kids, followed by a… strange woman. She is large, and blue, with large oxen-like horns in an immaculate dress. The crystals billow behind her. Holding hands with her is another curious creature--a hunched creature with bluish-purple skin and seemingly no nose. He has large hands and facial tentacles.
At that moment, there’s also a voice informing a demon to drop her weapons. It’s Vereesa, and the satyr in front of her drops her weapons to the ground.
Remnii: “Nyxxa?”
Nyxxa: “Remnii?”
Liadrin: “Who’s that?”
Remnii: “It’s hard to explain. An ally.” Remnii motions up the strange elf. “I don’t have time to explain. There are bigger problems coming toward your barricade.”
Raluhi and Mercy are helping the kids over the barricade.
Lirath, Gil, and Uther then approach. They can hear the dragon flying overhead, still roaring. He goes to swing at another infernal, but as he swoops back around, there’s a crackle. Deep in the city to the north, there is a ripple of black energy that shoots its way up. He barrels out of the way, but there is a bellow of pain as the blade slices through one of his wings. The wing begins to evaporate as the body falls, and the dragon slams into a tower.
Nyxxa: “Put me in chains. Do what you have to, but we need to go now!”
Vereesa makes a frustrated noise, but slackens the bowstring. Nyxxa jumps down, grabs her weapons, and puts them away.
Lor’themar: “Jaina, how long to do you have on that portal!”
Jaina: “Only a few moments.”
Remnii and Nyxxa: “Wait, Jaina??”
At that moment, the orcs break out.
Vel and Gil both recognize the spell that took out the dragon as a very high level finger of death.
Esara fires off a fireball, and at the same time Vel also does a frost nova. A bunch of orcs immediately get burned to a crisp, and several freeze solid and fall to the ground.
Vincent fires off an arrow, shouting at the blue woman to run as the arrow shoots straight between her horns and embeds itself in the orc warlock. The orc vomits up blood, dropping to the ground.
A magister follows up on Vel’s frost nova with a firebolt, exploding one of the half-frozen orcs. Arator runs forward and raises his blade into the sky as he uses his channel divinity.
Gil strikes the other warlock, causing her to stagger as she burns the arrow out of her body. However, she then drops.
Remnii: “Please! Something bigger is coming! Everyone should back up! Nyxxa, it’s Velhari.”
Nyxxa puts her cloak on Remnii. “Run.”
Halduron touches the ground, and motes of energy begin to float around him. “Archers! On my mark!”
The archers start to fire. The people outside the barricade scramble into the barricade. Remnii heads to Uther, and heals him.
Uther: “You have my thanks, my lady.”
Remnii: “Don’t thank me yet.”
Lor’themar immediately rends the final orc low.
Lor’themar: “Get ready! The next wave is coming soon!”
Nyxxa looks up at Vereesa: “Remnii’s right, you should fall back!”
She then runs through the barricade. Remnii reaches out to Nyxxa, and Nyxxa takes her hand.
Lor’themar: “I better not regret this, Liadrin!”
Nyxxa: “Something huge is coming! I’m also looking for a Jaina!”
Jaina: “What do you need?”
Nyxxa: “The Legion is looking for you. They want you dead, and they seem to think you dying will win this war. A pit lord is coming, along with a traitor to my race!”
There is a shout, and some orcs begin to pour out from other directions.
Leaping, from roof to roof, Gil spies an orc with severed hand running toward Vereesa on the roofs. Vincent sees another on the roofs behind him. Gil barks out a warning to Vereesa as he shoots, and Vereesa turns around to see the orc.
Nyxxa uses see invisibility, but she doesn’t see anything. Not yet, anyway.
An orc with no hands, just weapons, swings in at the farstrider on the roof, but her ally fires at it, and it starts to slide back. Esara blinks up to the roof to continue attacking.
Vereesa fires at point blank range at the orc that engages her, before she jumps to the ground.
Vel fires off a frostbolt at the orc engaged with Esara, and she feels something push at her again. This time, she lets it go, and a surge of icy energy erupts around her as she feels her heart stop. Her frostbolt does more damage, but as Uther looks at her, he sees a dark liquid seep from her eyes and freeze on her cheeks.
She shouts at Remnii to get through the portal. If whatever is coming is coming for Remnii, she may put all of them in more danger by being seen with them. However, as she speaks, her voice is like a howling wind.
Uther shouts at Remnii what is coming for his mother, and in which direction, and Remnii indicates, and Uther immediately charges to the front.
Up ahead, he sees a bright red, female creature similar to the blue woman that appeared approaching.
Remnii shouts at Uther to duck back, but at that moment, Nyxxa says “that creature” (referring to Vel) is right shoves her through the portal. However, in that moment, Velhari’s demeanor drops, and she starts to charge. Nyxxa dips through the portal after her. They appear in a crowded study with humans and elves everywhere. Arator also dips through the portal after them after asking if Vel is okay. She tells him not to worry about it.
Velhari lobs a hellfire bolt at Uther as she approaches. He is narrowly able to deflect it, and he uses air of oppression as she approaches. The air becomes heavy. She points at Uther. “You will be the first to die,” she says in common.
The magister uses blizzard on the orcs, obscuring them as they are buffered by the storm. Liadrin banishes the felguard that had materialized next to Lor’themar, and Liadrin hurls her spiritual weapon at Velhari.
At that moment, red ooze starts to bubble up from the sewers. It spews forth a liquid, and coats Vel and a guardian of eternal spring while Lirath ducks out of the way. The liquid begins to crystalize on Vel, but she is able to shrug it off.
Everyone starts doing a full retreat. Pot shots are fired off. Vereesa kills the felhunter that blocked her path. Vereesa then jumps in the water and tries to swim across.
Uther plants his hammer into the ground and looks at Velhari. He tells her to come and get him, but he puts his other hand in his bag. She approaches, and swings at him. He deflects one of the blows.
They look to the sky, and the sky ripples with fire. One of the flaming asteroids is careening at the group. The bridge crumples and falls with infernal fire. The stone begins to expand and move as the meteorite starts to turn into a massive creature. The building Vereesa was on is also torn apart, and a large quadrupedal demon materialized as it rips through the building.
Vereesa shouts at Gil she will catch up with him later, and she ducks under water and starts to swim with the current.
Jaina shouts at everyone to go, and she disappears.
As Uther disappears with his hearthstone, giving her his name and a proclaimed challenge, but Velhari gets one final strike on him. Vel see this and immediately runs through the portal, realizing he probably went back to his room. However, as she does, she feels her body waver as exhaustion starts to set in.
Several people go down with the ship, but many more manage to clamber through. The pitlord prepares to charge over the wreckage of the bridge.
The felwine brings Lirath down, but Vincent drags him through at the last moment.
On the other side of the portal, Raluhi is with Remnii. Vel calls for Jaina and says that Uther got hit before he teleported. Remnii and Vincent run. The door is locked. Vincent picks it.
Uther is inside. There’s a trickle of blood.
Remnii shouts at Vincent to get Jaina and diamonds. She gathers some jewelry. Arthas asks what’s going on it.
Remnii quickly grabs some of the jewelry and the gems begin to float around around. She gathers the energy from the diamonds and places her hands on Uther’s chest. As the Light feeds itself through Uther, Uther’s eyes shoot open and glow for a moment. Then his body falls still again just in time for Jaina and Arthas to round the corner.
Then Uther begins to cough. Remnii cries.
The first thing Uther sees as Uther is drawn back. He feels a darkness, almost sinking. But then there’s a bright light, far off. It reminds him of a crystal of some kind. Immaculate shapes and angles that are almost hard to make out. Then the light gets closer and closer, and finally it’s all around him. And he starts to lift again. Which is when he starts to cough.
Remnii breathes a sigh of relief.
Uther: “Mother. Vel. Gil.”
Remnii: “You stay down. They’re fine.”
Jaina drops to her knees and throws her arms around Uther.
Arthas: “I don’t know who you are. But thank you.”
Remnii wordlessly nods.
Uther: “Was I… did I…?”
Jaina: “Shhhh. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay now.”
Uther: “Did everyone make it out.”
Jaina: “Everyone that we could.”
She puts the hearthstone back in Uther’s hand. “I’m glad this got some use.”
The greater elf gate is open. People are escaping in droves. Kael’thas, Rommath, Belo’vir, everyone else are there. They stand up, channeling arcane energy.
Belo’vir: “The gatekeeper is prepared, your majesty! Go! Before it’s too late!”
Kael’thas looks up to Belo’vir. He then looks to Rommath.
Rommath: “We need to go, Kael.”
They run. They reach the gates, and Kael begins to channel the moonkeys. The shield grows bright and blue as it expands far and wide, covering the sky. As the power of the moonkey pushes forward, the shield begins to lift up through the gate, creating an invisible force field. Orcs are closing in. Some are breaking through, surrounding the civilians. But then the shield divides them.
A child is cut off from his mother, and she hits the shield and pounds on it. A guardian grabs her and pulls her away. Kael takes a step forward and puts a hand on the shield.
Kael: “I’ll come back for you. I swear it. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Rommath: “Kael we need to go.”
As they look in, Belo’vir’s staff lowers. He smiles through the barrier as the physical doors are closed beyond it. The guardians slowly shut the doors, Rommath and Kael’thas on the other.
The old grand magister just smiles, and the gates close.
Droves of elves flee from the gates, turning their backs on their ancestral homeland.
