Roryn Hornsfell, Shield and Axe; a romanticisation

[Bearic]

(Copies of this book find their way to the Curios store in Mistlocke)

Roryn Hornsfell, Shield and Axe; a romanticisation: By Micheal Tommas

Roryn Hornsfell, Honourguard, Ironguard, was a member of the once strong and proud Golden Alliance on the island of Ymph. Made up of goodly Dwarves and Gnomes alike, the Alliance held a position of neutrality at most times with the powers of Ymph, but found itself siding the Numinous Order, the Stewards, and the Duchy at different intervals. Roryn found himself on Ymph the same way many of us do, the powers of the Mythallar sprung him from his home and whisked him to here. During the time of his arrival the Maiden was not yet released, but was by the end of his time; he served the Golden Alliance under Thane Dalgad Garete, the last ruler of fellhammer hold, and the only of the fasthold in the mist mountains.

 
Chapter One: Hold-Fast
 
Roryn found himself in charge of a survival test in the heart of the mist mountains; there we would need to prove his leadership by guiding his fellow men through the cave, safe and sound. These caves however, are no where close to safe; Flayers, Orcs, cats of near every kind, cave bears, blue mist Ogres with magical powers of invisibility and ice, and the very earth itself fight against those it deems enemy on a whim. This did not daunt Roryn, though, as the brave dwarves often made trips through the dark caverns to clear out the monsters that threatened their very existence there. Determined, Roryn set the vanguard with the Thane himself on his left, another man to his right flank, and the support in the rear; from there he set out at a slow, steady pace ensuring no one got lost or was taken unaware by the entities existing there. The trip proved to be needed quickly, a small orc parties were found and disposed of. Roryn's mighty dwarven axe cut through the wild orc's humble shields, and cleaved the would be attackers in twain. The support found him well guarded, and as the path proved gained at low cost, all seemed to go well.
 
Just then a noise was heard; a loud roar and the crumbling of rock as one of the largest earth elementals burst from the side of the rock face and ran straight towards the dwarven hero. This only raised Roryn's guard, however, and even with the crushing blows, an immense strength of the gaia incarnate, Roryn held his shield high, and replled blows with his mighty axe. As the beast pummeled on the dwarf, his support found him quickly, and out matched, the earthen beast soon fell, and retreated back into the rock face. Finding the path relatively safe aside, the Thane congratulated Roryn back at the Holdfast and named him Ironguard, seeing him pass the test, and serve as a shield for all of the Golden Alliance. Those days found much glory for the Ironguard, however, they were all over shadowed by the presence of the most vile creature to yet step foot on Ymph; The Lichess.
 
 
Chapter Two: 'Not one step further, for the children of Mordain oppose you; we shall not be moved!'
 
The undead slowly made their was from the Maiden's Tower, and from her touch. The animated remains of stargazers littered pockets of fleshroom infested areas; Rotted, blighted lizards threatened what was left of fellhammer hold in the foothills before its collapse, the forests near the shipwreck coast began to grow darker than even before, and undead bears roared as blood seeped from their maws. Things took quick and sudden turns the worst, as they do. Soon, castle blackhearth found itself besieged by the maiden's forces in mass. Undead flying beasts with skin like stone, and claws like diamond, Giants with catapults sending the remains of members of the numinous order over their own walls, and the very trees in the webbed woods began to walk and carve into whom they could at the maiden's whim. A plan was made, however, that those who could would stand against this tide of evil. As King Trenada told him armies to divide their efforts in order to distract the lichess, the Golden alliance found themselves aiding the rescuing party sent to break the siege of castle Blackhearth.
 
Strapping on his horned helmet over his face; and his armour set in place, Roryn readied for the long battle to come. Thane Dalgad spoke to his fellow members, inspiring each of them, and reassuring the tactics they've trained with should work in even these trying times. Infantrywoman Aishe rounded up the adventures of the Ziggurat, instructing them to King Trenada's plan of action, and all made ready to head from the foothills, into the webbed woods, and through the maiden's assault camp; there they would make their spirits known. The hills were eerily quiet; shadows seemed to leap from the very ground, and though it was not as sinister as today, it was harder to see such a place begin to twist into what it is now. Roryn and the others of the Circle found themselves in the vanguard; a seemingly safer position in most battles, however, when fighting the maiden, there is no safety. Upon entering the webbed woods the battle became clear, and soon the shrieks of devilish wyvern like birds leap from the skies and struck at our heroes. The ironguard held strong, however, and as magical support magiced up the mighty dwarves' weapons, the undead birds fell to the ground, crushed, marred, or cut into bits. However, these intensely strong beasts were not the worse thing awaiting in those woods; nay, a champion of the lichess, a giant with armour and resolve sought to defeat the party and their hopes of freeing the Castle. Roryn and others leap to the fight, encircling the beast and drowning it with blows as it lounged at them; swinging and harming those it would hit greatly, however, it was little match for the heroes' combined might, and so they set forth deeper into the woods and towards Irongut's camp.
 
 
Roryn advanced with his fellow ironguard; holding the rear as assassins and giants rushed into battle, many of the goodly forces fell under the waves of evil; however, Ironguard Roryn stood up to each wave; his axe and shield repelling attack and delivering crushing blows in return. To this effect, the heroes pressed on, regrouping at different spots, but continually beating down and away the lichess' forces. Eventually they found themselves at the camp sight of the undead orc Irongut, along with his orcish army, he sought to destroy the invaders, and continue his service to the dark lichess. As Irongut's troops were mostly disposed of, more assassins crept from their folds, and sent much of the duchy's army into disarray; however, once more Roryn stood strong; and this time, he faced down Irongut on his own - blocking blows and sending them back to the evil orc's dismay. This bought enough time for another adventurer to run by, and heal him of damages, as well as the others to turn their attention to Irongut as well. As Irongut roared of the death he would bring to those that fought him, infantrywoman Aishe and Ironguard Roryn cut the orc down, and finished the rest of his army. However, there still laid passages under the ground where the turned remains of Elder stargazers waited for their chance to do the maiden's bidding.
 
 
The caverns were cramped, and rocks fell from the walls at times, making it quite the dangerous spot. Roryn, however, was well prepared telling the others to "Rally up, quick and fast!", he made his way to the front along with infantrywoman Aishe and other good heroes of the dominion as they set forth bringing down fleshing and other undead the maiden had in wait for them there. Roryn drew his axe quick, and as the clerics, mages and archers behind supported the front's actions, they proceded to clear the tunnel of evil as pressing forward. Even as the undead fell, a darker version of them all laid in wait; animals of the forest and those kin to the wildlings of today scrambled together in a mess of blighted sin cast by the Maiden and her manipulated servant. The shambling mass of bone and flesh roared as it raced to defeat the heros of the duchy, but Roryn would not let it pass as it attempted to reach for those that needed to fall back and recover. In the meanwhile, infantrywoman aishe and others fought down the corrupted stargazer, putting an end to the maiden's dark magics through him. The Ironguard hacked through animated remains, and grunted as the undead beast laughed remains and blood upon our heros. Still, they would not falter, and soon the giant fleshling was nothing more than smoldering ash, doused in holy water and cut to ribbons even the lichess could make no use of.
 
 
Now, all that was left was to clear the remaining monsters by the castle itself. Our heros chanted triumphet as they fought through thr last of the lichess' forces; cleaving giant, bear, and other undead alike. There Roryn found himself surrounded by comrades, and as a new bridge was made to replace the one destroyed to keep the maiden from getting in, He was finnally able to rest, at least for the day. Veteran Kedrian came to say the King's forces were successful, and each member of the effort was awarded bands to remind them of the good works they did that day, and the power of uniting under a common goal.
 
 
 
These were not the last days of Ironguard Roryn, indeed, he went on to accomplish even more in the face of certain death, however, those tales will be written of in another time - Micheal Tommas.

[Bearic]

Chapter Three: The Tower

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Soon after the Siege was broken, a Ruby spy made an attempt on the life of King Trenada as his camp held close to the maiden's tower; he was stopped by Veteran Kedrian, but the veteran lost his life, and the rube escaped. The Conclave and Numinous Order worked along side the Stygians to hold the camp and prepare for an attack on the lichess' tower. Undead beholders, and beasts were routed by Infantrywoman Aishe and a group of adventures the day before the attack, giving the Conclave a clean rout to travel back and forth. The King's good fortune could only last so long, however...
 
 
The air was thick with the smell of rot; corpses stayed down only for short periods as the witch's magics reanimated those that had fallen. Though the curse was far from complete in the toll it inflects upon the living, the area around the Tower, the woods near by, and the places attacked by her found the fleshrooms common place now-a-days. Roryn adjusted his heavy armour and equipment; potions being placed in quick to reach places, and packs and pouches sorted - the common place of adventures. Waltzing towards his destination, Roryn paid the heed called by King Trenada, as did many others - even those of the dock; however, it was far more than simple loyalty that bound any of them, rather, a want for the destruction of the lichess. The mission was simple enough, hold the grounds and barrier protecting the advancing camp, and then push any advantage gained; once this was accomplished, gain the grounds to the tower. The grounds cried with the moans and shrieks of the dying and undead as they slumped forward; decaying bears, melting wolves, rotting ravens, and clumps of tendon and bone shambled towards the defenders in their manipulator's malevolence. Steadying himself, Roryn raised his axe in chant towards Mordain and began to cleave through the abomination forces as he flanked the goodly defenders from the Duchy. Wave after wave fell to the Dominion's and Dock's Champions, as the Conclave and Order beat their attacks from the flanks. Bolts, magics, and steel fell in return to claw, bone and darkness that poisoned all whom came to know it.
 
The air grew colder, and then the howls were heard. Horrid things that ripped the soul out of many; banshees that tore through the heroes' line with their dark rhapsody. Roryn stood tall; magics and pure will keeping him flanked to King Trenada as they formed a circle from those remaining; enclosing the monstrous shades and destroying their taint hopefully once and for all. The line was held, as those that fell were raised; the lichess seemed to ease her attack, and show signs of draining in potential threats. This was only the calm before the storm. "Kill me!", "Cut me down!", "Why can no one slay me!?" rang through the ears of all present as it had many there before; the ground quaked, and the Agony rushed towards the defenders, sent to end their conquest - hoping for its own doom. Roryn raised his shield and rushed after the King, as Trenada rushed the beast, hoping to see it fall, fighting for all of Ymph as the courageous man he was. The abomination's skin proved tough, and his strength formidable; though they could not fell it, catapults and ballistas were set in place to take care of any discrepancy; Roryn held the monster's attack, taking blow after blow, and putting forth all the might instilled in him to keep the grounds; falling back place to place in hopes the siege weaponry might make work of its good use. However, Tymora's fortune waned; the catapults exploded in fits of flame as they attempted to ring - their operator's caught in the destruction. The rout soon was complete - as no weapons would work, and their backs were forced to the forest edge, the champions retreated to the safety of the Dominion. Though his ambition was dashed a bit, the King near that war had it victories and defeats, and in such set time for another plan of accord; Roryn returned to the Holdfast to prepare its defences.
 

Chapter Four: The Mountain

The nights grew colder as King Trenada was cursed with mental enfeeblement; the Cyricist Michael taking his mind through dark ritual, and ending the Duke's long time enemy Horton Grouse. The Stygians and the Sons of Sabuth crumbled as such. Order became a hard thing; folks clung together at night, praying for some reprieve. The famine became the least of all people's worries, as the Conclave made a last ditch effort to destroy the Maiden by taking their floating enclave and its death repelling shield with them. The Nightrisers wanted their city back, and at night they made violent raids as their power flexed to extend their reach over such. The people's of the docks and dominion fled to the temple of Jergal as the Palid Mask guarded its entrance. However, there were two other spots that attempted to gather people for safety; the Unyielding Pass, and the Holdfast in the Mist Mountains.
 
Caravans and shout men carried bags and sacks of iron and tools to the Mountains as the days bled into dark chaotic nights. The Thane wished to do good help for the people of the Dominion, but knowing that his mountain pass might prove a safer place from the nightrisers than the temple district, wrote and gathered those wishing to head along with him. Roryn aided in these matters, putting his strength to helping the elderly dwarves and rock gnomes up the mountain paths, and defeating the orcs, ogres, and undead monsters that now wandered the paths from time to time. The trips proved successful until the night before the last day of the dominion, the day before the second shrouding. On the return to the trip to the mountain, a horrible thing was discovered - the Maiden's giants lay in wake, blocking the paths to the holdfast; attempting to take the mist mountains for their own, as the maiden lead her army along the way to further her reach over the island. The Thane, aghast at the situation, and fearing for those still in the mountains, pressed forward with Roryn even through ambush. Those too weak to fight were given cover to flee, as Roryn flanked the Thane Dalgad's actions. The numbers and strength of the giants, and their large rocks proved to push the two away from each other, however. As an Elder Giant raced towards the retreating rear, Roryn quickly ran back, axed raised, he cut at the tyrant's legs, collapsing the monster's aim, and saving the would be target; however, Roryn soon found himself surrounded. Rearing back slashing his way through, Roryn escorted those would could escape down the mountain path and towards the Dominion; The Thane, however, was said to have fallen in the advance, and now the Giants chanted a song of Victory. Roryn, however, would not leave the thane to be transformed into an undead abomination like so many the Maiden turned, and so, Loyal, Proud and Alone, the Hero marched back into the hordes of the lichess' allies; cleaving and cutting to and fro, he was last seen before the pass became completely taken.
 
The remains of the Hold-Fast still sit in the misty, cold and tainted mountains that hover above us now, however, the dwarves of the golden alliance no longer inhabit it. As much as the Ziggurat is a shade of its former self, and the woods ooze with decay, the halls there seem much more hollow and dangerous than they once were. A true Hero of loyalty is lost, like many others, but his tales will live on with this book, and with his deeds. I miss you, good friend - Micheal Tommas.