The War of the Evercowled (Campaign)
From Avegost
The War of the Evercowled was an Avegost LARP Campaign with its central and main plot point following alternate events which occurred during the Rise of Peligrun. The campaign began in 1426 D.H. The campaign began in August of 2009.
Contents |
Cast of Heroes
Plot Synopsis
Plot Overview
First Three One-Day Events
In the Empire of Erydia all had existed as it did for generations. Babies were born, people were married, technological strides were taken, and wars were fought. However, something was about to occur that would change Erydian history forever. A storm was brewing in the southern lands, and so far all that had been in its path had been consumed. Rumors of hordes of undead plagued Emperor Regis Amund’s thoughts as he struggled for solutions. Finally, the emperor did what had never been done in Erydia – he asked for help. This call for help went out to all of Erydia, the Lilandians, and her dwarven allies. The call was answered, and this is the story of the brave souls that answered the call.
I. THE ANSWERERS OF THE CALL
The story begins on a road in which hundreds of men, women and children, who have answered the call of Emperor Regis’, were travelling. The great caravan stretched farther than the eye could see. Amongst this large group of people there was one small group of mercenaries and patriots leading the way. Traveling in this small group were the following: Valence, the appointed leader of the caravan. He is an Erydian, and a skilled warrior of which not much was known. His greatest asset was his uncanny ability to shake off any magical affect that was thrown upon him. Also among the group was another Erydian by the name of Oskarr. Oskarr was a professional soldier and an ardent patriot of Erydia. He was a no-nonsense man that held to Erydian law as a man holds to his own life. Another in this group was a professor by the name of Cyril. Cyril was a man who dabbled in all sorts of knowledge. Although he was a learned man, he was also a skilled fighter with his crushing mace. However, Cyril hides a secret that could endanger his very existence in Erydia. A great arcanist named Brutus also traveled with this group. His ability to wield the magical arts made him an asset to his allies and a terror to those who opposed him. He, however, was also a weak man. He walked with a constant limp and would be slain in hand to hand combat as quickly and an ant being crushed by a foot. Magris, another wielder of magic, also traveled with this group. Magris was a man that kept to himself, so not much was known about him, however, he would destroy any opponent that threatened him or his companions with the power of magic. Another human in the group was a short woman named Anna. It is not entirely known what Anna did, but her healing hands indicated that she may have been a Divinist. Rounding out the humans was a man by the name of Elijah. He was the most unusual human in the group because he hailed from a land far away. Elijah was a Nalimian. He was a great asset to the team with his ability to go unnoticed and scout ahead. He was also a tactical warrior that chose his attacks carefully. There were three more members in this group, but these were the non humans. A Halfling, whose name eludes me, traveled with the group. He was of a mischievous sort, but did his part. If something needed to be gotten, he was your man; just don’t ask him how he got it. An elven woman named Eneiryn also traveled with the group. She was a protector of nature, or as it is more commonly known, a druid. Her hands possessed the power to heal and destroy. She carried a wooden club that was bestowed upon her by nature itself, and she knew how to use it. Finally, rounding out the group was a dwarf by the name of Gimzack. Gimzack was a member of the dwarven warrior caste, and consumed with thoughts of battle. He also was a son of Balik, which meant everything to him. The sons of Balik had been the most prestigious warriors for twenty generations. He would thoughtlessly throw himself into battle for the sake of personal glory, and family honor. His axe was large, slow, but devastating to all that met it. This was the lead party in a great caravan that marched toward Four Rivers.
II. THE GREAT MARCH
This great caravan of people marched toward the city of Four Rivers in order to assist Emperor Regis and the southern lands against this looming threat. The caravan had been marching for many days and had experienced nothing but boredom and soreness from the long trek. Perhaps this is why the shock of an imminent event was even more amplified. Unknown to the lead group was the fact that almost the entire caravan behind them had been besieged and sacked by a horde of orcs. As the lead group continued to travel they heard the sounds of footsteps rapidly approaching them from the rear. A young boy frantically ran toward the group with an obvious look of panic on his face. As the boy approached, Valence and the others began to question him. It was found out that that caravan behind them had been destroyed by a group of what was thought to be about forty orcs. This was a major turning point for the party. They were left with a pivotal decision – turn back and investigate or continue to Four Rivers. With a group of only ten people the odds of survival were slim, but to continue on without trying to help their comrades would be disgraceful. However, just then the little boy mentioned a name that caused the group to have to investigate. The boy talked about a woman named Darla. Some of our heroes knew Darla as one of the various leaders of the caravan. Darla was believed to be a friend, but now it seemed as though she may have betrayed Erydia. The decision was then made. Something was afoot and it needed to be investigated no matter what may await this group of ten.
III. THE HORDES
The party turned back and headed toward where the hordes of orcs had been reported to be. It did not take long for this valiant group to come head to head with some orcs. This was a tense moment for the group, which we will call “The Ten” for now, because it was their first time as a party that they would face combat. The battle was sloppy as far as tactics and strategy are concerned. Gimzack and Oskarr went ahead of the formation and engaged the orcs, as was their nature; however, this caused them to become separated from the group. Valence was screaming for them to return to the formation, but the thrill of the moment and their instinctive nature to take the fight to the enemy overcame reason for a short while. The skirmish ended in less than five minutes, but there was much that needed to be fixed. Gimzack and Oskarr had suffered from repeated enemy strikes and Valence needed to assert himself as the appointed leader. This would prove to be difficult because of Gimzack’s pedigree as a Son of Balik, and Oskarr’s natural leadership instincts in battle. Thankfully, “The Ten” were able to put aside their differences and focus on the task at hand. As they continued travelling they engaged scores of orcs and each battle seemed easier then the last. “The Ten” began to slowly, but surely become a cohesive unit. Eventually, “The Ten” were able to push the orcs back to their small, palisaded fortress. The looming task of finding a way into the fortress was made easier thanks to Cyril’s seemingly endless knowledge. At the same token, the halfling, made the element of surprise impossible by knocking on the door and asking for the orcs to let him in. Instead “The Ten” forced their way through the doors and killed the orcs in the immediate area. There were then two choices to be made for there were two buildings that needed to be investigated. One building had the symbol of an evil god while the other just had some heads on a stick outside. Of course the party chose the head on a stick route first. Inside the group met a fierce warrior and his subordinate orcs. The party dispatched the group quickly and moved on to the temple of despair. Inside the temple the group met the first of four necromancers on route to Four Rivers. Here the ghastly plot of Darla began to unfold even more. There was only one thing that could be done. The necromancers had to be killed, and so the first of the three was dispatched, but not easily. His spells were able to throw “The Ten” into disarray and even caused Gimzack to attack his own party. Once finished, the group continued on, where they would meet even more valuable allies and fierce enemies.
IV. THE SECOND LEG
After defeating the orc hordes some members of the party left the original ten while others came in. A new and extremely valuable ally by the name of Erick straggled into the group from one of the other travelling groups that had been ambushed the orc hordes. Erick was a Falkanian who wielded a deadly combination of swords. His speed is unmatched, and his devotion to his comrades was admirable. Before gaining Erick the party lost Anna, Elijah, and the halfling. The second leg of the journey saw many new developments. The group formerly known as “The Ten” had now become “The Eight” and there were an abundance of skeletons attacking people, there was some good news. “The Eight” came across one hundred survivors of the orc ambushes. Among this group was a grieving woman whose son was missing and presumed missing. There was also a man tied up and surrounded by some angry people claiming he was a necromancer. “The Eight” investigated the claim and came to the same conclusion. An immediate execution was carried out and the group moved on to finding out the other claims that the grieving mother’s son had been taken by a group of necromancers. In an effort to continue to uncover the fiendish plot that they had found about earlier in their travels, “The Eight” decided to find this group of necromancers and kill them. “The Eight” travelled until they came across a group of undead. Because the group had learned from past mistakes of just charging straight into battle, they were able to systematically annihilate the undead. What lay before them next was a daunting task; a dilapidated temple lay before them. Before they could enter they had to cut their hands on a ceremonial sword and drip it into a bowl on the outside. Even before that occurred an undead creature starting harassing “The Eight” and following them everywhere they went. Once inside the temple the party came across a new obstacle – riddles. However, there was one major surprise in all of this. It turned out that Gimzack was good at more than just hitting things with his axe. Almost effortlessly Gimzack answered three of the five riddles that helped to open doors in the temple. Unfortunately the one riddle that needed to be answered the worst baffled “The Eight”. A ghost of sorts began to attack the group as they attempted to open the door in front of them. The worst part was that the warriors were useless in the fight because their corporeal weapons were unable to strike the incorporeal being. The ghost threw spell after spell at the group, but Valence heroically jumped into the way and absorbed the affects. Brutus, Magris, and Eneiryn were the only able to fight the ghost because of their ability to wield devastating magical abilities. The tide almost turned completely, however, when the ghost dominated both Gimzack and Oskarr, who then turned and attacked their comrades. Only through the strength of will were “The Eight” able to overcome the ghost and move on. “The Eight” would eventually come across yet another riddle, but of a different sort. A puzzle of jumbled letters lay before “The Eight” and any who tried to cross would receive damage if they stepped on the wrong tile. Once again, Cyril’s wealth of knowledge proved itself and he was able to solve the puzzle. “The Eight” then travelled until they found the one person who had betrayed them in the first place – Darla. She stood on a pedestal 30 feet high and commanded an innumerable number of skeletons below here. A long and wearisome battle ensued once again until there were no more skeletons. Once again the game of Valence trying to absorb spells while Brutus and Magris threw deadly spells at Darla continued, but the fun was cut short thanks to Cyril. He was able to charm Darla, who was promptly killed by the party. Unfortunately the news was not all good. The child who had been missing was indeed taken by the necromancers and killed. “The Eight” had the undesirable duty of returning the lifeless body to his grieving mother. After the burial the caravan of over one hundred people continued on towards Four Rives with “The Eight” leading the way.
V. THE EYE OF THE STORM
For the next three weeks there was an uneasy but welcome lull in the attacks on the caravan. The constant thought that Darla’s brother Darius was out there somewhere was ever present on the minds of “The Nine”. During their march, “The Eight” became reacquainted with some old friends and a couple decided they would serve the greater good by staying in the rear with the civilians. Oskarr and Magris fell back and protected the slow and vulnerable caravan from being ambushed while the Nalimian Elijah returned to his comrades’ side. Two more aspiring adventurers joined the ranks which made the group nine strong. A flamboyant woman who called herself Sparky joined the group formerly known as “The Eight”. She was a quiet woman who appeared to dabble in the art of alchemy. As a newcomer to the already close nit group she mostly observed. She wielded a short sword and would soon have to prove her worth with her trusty weapon. Another young man also joined the group. Cyril, who was now being called the Professor, had found a new pupil to teach his wealth of knowledge to. The young man, whose name eludes me at this point, also desired to become an alchemist. He brandished two lethal swords that would also soon have to be proven. Finally, another defender of nature joined the ranks by the name of Druidin. He was a quiet and reserved man who seemed more eager to help his injured comrades then to engage the enemy in battle. It was a fresh of breath air to find someone in those dark hours that had a servant’s heart. Regrettably, the lull in attacks did not last until “The Ten” reached Four Rivers. Just like a ferocious hurricane, it would soon be apparent that the respite would soon abruptly end the same way the other side of a hurricanes eye would end.
VI. AN UNEASY ALLIANCE
After travelling for three weeks with no combat it was becoming apparent that Gimzack was starting to have an itchy trigger finger of sorts. As “The Ten” got to within two days outside Four Rivers they neared a bridge. Gimzack was ahead of the formation when two orc scouts came from the woods. Their intentions were peaceful, but they approached the wrong party member. Gimzack’s unquenchable hatred for orcs caused him to immediately spring into action. He lost all poise and went ahead of the formation and attacked the orcs. With his comrades screaming at him to stop and return the formation he continued on anyway. His lust for orc blood overcame his reason for a short while. After downing one orc he pursued the lone fleeing orc to a bridge where more orcs awaited. Gimzack attacked the orcs on the bridge who stood there in a confused state. Thankfully Valence and the rest of his comrades arrived in time to restrain him from attempting to massacre the orcs. The orcs refused to let “The Ten” to cross the bridge without first talking to their chief. The only problem was that he only wanted to talk to one man and one woman. Of course the relations had been already strained by Gimzack and his unprovoked assault on the orc scouts. After much negotiating Valence reluctantly decided to allow Cyril and Eneiryn to go and talk with the chief. After what seemed like a half an hour or so Cyril and Eneiryn returned announcing that they had made an alliance with the orcs and they would be allowed to pass through their village. There were some members of the party that were not at all happy about this ‘alliance’, the least of whom being Gimzack, but it would shave four days off of the trip to Four Rivers. It is not known how well this new alliance will hold up, but at that point the newly found good relations had been beneficial to both parties. Both parties would fight off the undead hordes as best as they could, “The Ten” had their journey shortened by four days, and the orcs didn’t get killed by “The Ten”. There was also some valuable information that was shared by the orcs by making this new alliance. It was told that Four Rivers was little more than a broken down ghost town and that “The Ten” should expect very little upon arrival.
VII. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EYE
It did not take long for the forces of Darius to attempt to exact their revenge on “The Ten” for killing his sister Darla. Approximately an hour outside of the orc village skeletons were teleported around “The Nine” and were ambushed. Wave after wave of skeletons descended on “The Nine”, and became progressively worse. It was not immediately known how Darius was scrying on the party, but fortunately it was soon found out. “The Ten” had removed a pendant from Darla after killing her and it was acting as a beacon for his teleporting. After realizing this “The Ten” were able to get away from the constant attacks. Finally “The Nine” reached a field where they were able to rest from their constant marching and fighting. However, once again the peace would not last. Darius unleashed a horror on the group that was not expected. A monstrous thirty foot tall skeleton appeared in the field. “The Ten” fought the skeleton for what seemed like an eternity. Just when it seemed as though this monstrosity would force “The Ten” to retreat they were given much needed aid. Two Druids sprang into action from the surrounding forest and helped “The Ten” to defeat the oversized bag of bones. It was here that much contention would occur. Some of “The Ten” wanted to discuss a possible alliance with the Druids, but the Druids were more than reluctant at first because of the alliance made earlier in the day with the orcs. After dialogue seemed to break down “The Ten” decided that they would leave, but the Druid leader drew his weapon in an effort to make them stay. At this point Erick drew steel in retaliation, but was quickly subdued by an entangle spell. Elijah and Gimzack tried frantically to release him from the entangling vines, but were unable. The rest of the group decided that talking with the druids was more important, but could not do so until Erick was released. Once released he and Gimzack both left in open frustration and anger toward their leader Valence and the rest of the party for not assisting a brother in arms. They thankfully only left long enough to cool down, but a small rift had been formed in the minds of Erick and Gimzack. Eventually reason and diplomacy prevailed and an alliance was formed… sort of. Gimzack and Erick refused to honor an alliance, but instead made more of a non-aggression pact. However, once again the ‘alliance’ was immediately beneficial. It was found out that there was a Dark Lord behind everything that was going on and the Druid leader transported “The Ten” just outside of Four Rivers in an effort to shorten their journey even more. Unfortunately Darius and a legion of undead were also there waiting on the group. It was a definite surprise to Darius to see the group arrive so quickly, but he soon turned to the business of avenging his dead sister. Another long and wearisome battle once again ensued. Every time one of Darius’ undead pawns was slain another would appear and take its place. Only by sheer will and determination were “The Ten” able to defeat Darius and his legion of undead. After killing Darius his body was chopped up into small pieces and the party continued on to their desired destination – Four Rivers. What lies ahead for Erydia and its effort to turn back this tide of darkness that has descended upon her is yet to be determined, but one thing is for sure. Difficult times lie ahead for the brave souls that have answered the call of Emperor Regis. Creating a strong foothold in Four Rivers is crucial and if history has been any indicator, “The Ten” should be able to answer the call and pass with flying colors.
