Day Four...

We head out in the morning...and see the following -

4x Greater Mummies
4x Skeletal Warriors
4x Liches
4x Death Knights

What the hell is going to happen now? Terra casts an anti-magic shell and we gameplan. Gildere backs out of it and knocks into Sabathius. He's like "what's up, Dugan said we'd be a little late". So we are like, let's do this. Sabathius said "why, I'm just gonna watch." We look at him and then John (JP) lept over the wall and just wrecked all of them. Wow, that guy is freaking good. We would have been smoked, but we were lucky. "Dugan said his debt is paid, I don't know what that means, but that's what he said," said Sabathius.

We go back and see the other paladin holding up a wall of force around the tower so the army can't get through. Sabathius heals us all and we have a feast fit for a king. Day 4 was easy, I don't think it's going to get any easier as we go forward.

Day Three...

As the sun rose, I head out to the wall after breakfast. The ninja is there. As we gaze out, I bust out the spyglass and notice that it is wyvern and they are holding something. The following appear from the army -
3x Naga
3x Medusa
3x Wyvern
3x Stone Golems
3x Baskilisks
3x Remorahads
3x Gorgan

Each one of these bastards has an instant death attack. We notice the ninja is running around faster than we can watch him. And it seems as though everytime he ran past, the bad guys dropped behind him. He's just running and slicing, how freaking cool is that. However, we can't be worried by that right now.

Endel jumps down and the tiger follows, then Gildere jumps down and the wolf follows him. I turn to the jackals and are like..."i'll be right back." I dimension door behind one of the big wurms (Remorahads) and gut that thing, but what's this...the jackals appear with me and are knawing/biting at the dead Remorahad. I see a giant fireball land near the medusas/nagas and it leaves just a medusa and a single naga from that group. On my next swing, I catch one of the spines and lose my new sword and the damn Remorahad moves over it. I take off towards the group at the base of the wall. I see Gildere's wolf that was turned to stone, I use my flesh to stone and turn it back. We make quick work of the remaining guys and I get my sword back. However, I'm at about 1/4 life.

Another day, another dead bunch of monsters.

Day Two...

Morning breaks and we head out. The 2nd Paladin comes out with us, he tells us to let him out the gate. He walks up to the army and a large warrior steps up and takes a swing at him. He splits in two. The bad warrior swings twice more and he splits again in 2. He keeps splitting and pretty soon there are about a 1000 of him surrounding the keep . He starts to smoke the rest of the army. In front of us there are about 20 giants that making a beeline to us. 20 giants ain't no thang.

Let's get it on. I dimension door behind the one that is farthest from us (about 60 ft) I drive my new uber sword into his back and drag it around. I ride him down and unhinge my sword. I clean it off and move to the next one. I get enraged and swing at him. He goes down as well. Two swings and two dead giants. I am Aidan "Giant Killer" Fistenbught. I notice across the battlefield towards the tower that the rest of the crew is swiping through them as well. I moved to the next one and try with all my might to smoke him. The streak stopped there, he lets out a bellow and turns to swing on me. I take a mallet to the back that throws me to the ground. I get back up and am pissed and go for the next one. I get stuck by three of these guys and swing back but it sort of parlays so I only knick it's side. Screw this, I'm making it so it doesn't wreck me. I start tumbling around so these bastards can't hit me. Endel, Gildere, Baldin and Terra take care of the rest of them and we are good to go.

We all head back to the tower. Again, I'm back to hurting. It's a good thing that Pip's Back Biter is still with me. This ring has saved my life more than I care to remember and it's going to continue to save my life. I will never be able to pay Pip back for what he has bestowed upon me.

The Army Advances...

It is the morning, I eat breakfast and Gildere requests an audience. He and I reminisce about the times that we've had and the times that I have saved his life. After we are finished, we head outside and I try to sneak up on the Jackals. Of course they see me and are like "nice try!!!".

But all that is behind us now, we are prepared mentally, physically and spiritually, there is none more preparation that we can do. It's now or never.

The army arrives and stops about 200 feet from the front gates. Grog steps forward and we converse with him. We talk to him and unfortunately can't get Grog to change his mind. Grog says to us "You don't understand what he's doing, he's bringing eternal bliss to everyone." We converse again, and Grog turns around and walks back to the army. There are 7 dragons that fly over (Red, Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Shadow, White). Kilandros appears behind us, and tells us that his kind left and he is back not because of a sense of duty or to defend his homeland, but because we are his friends and that's what friends do...I got the two on the right (yellow and shadow). He leaps towards them, does a barrel roll, grabs the yellow with his clawls, flips him over and beathes back scouring the yellow and shadow with his breath weapon.

Just then, the tall handsome fellow that Terra beat at chess, takes both his bastard swords out, bangs the hilts on the ground and a lightning bolt hits his head from the sky and his armor turns to black. It's Lucious!!!! He looks at the army and the undead turn to attack the non-undead in the army and he leeps off the wall and takes off towards the battlefield.

Baldin commands the Pegasus and shouts "I got the green". Terra fires a fire bolt and misses the white dragon.

I dodge the black and the red bit me on the fly. Thank goodness Gildere slapped the stoneskin on me. The breath from the white did some damage. And then it happened...

I swell my chest, turn on the ring and take off towards the blue dragon. I come upon him and stab him with all my might. I twist the sword and start to drag it across his side and pull it out. The dragonblood drips from the sword and the dragon falls to the earth. (that's right, I crit/killed a dragon, who's next)

I moved to the white dragon and he appears to be a bit torn up and I plunge my sword to its hilt. That dragon falls as well. Two shots, two dead dragons. The red, black and green die at the hands of my party. Terra kills the yellow and then a giant shadow stretching across the field engulfs kalindros and the shadow dragon. I can't see in so I have to wait. When the shadow smoke dissipates, I see Kalindros on the ground and appears to be dead. Endel swoops down to check on him (got fly from Gildere) but the fight with the army is surrounding kalindros.

The night falls and I am pretty bad. We don't have a Paladin anymore (it's a long story that Baldin can share if he wants) so I'm still hurting...a lot (34 remaining HP, yea, this sucks).

Leading up...

Day 1 of 3 (up to when the shit will hit the fan)

Got up early and started to prepare for the events that will transpire. Baldin and I scout out around the walls. Looking for any enemies that might be showing up early. It was fairly uneventful. Terra says that a guy in black cloth and a mask with two swords and a big guy with two huge swords showed up and were with Hades.

Day 2 of 3

A pegasus shows up and is evidently the Lord of the Pegasus. He informed us that there are others that are willing to help us. We open the front gate and there is a pack of jackals, direwolf, black bear and a sabretooth tiger. I see Baldin take to the skies on the back of the pegasus. In the afternoon, 3 more guys show up. Two of them are paladins and the other is a non-paladin. So now we have 5 people here.

Day 3 of 3

This is the morning. I eat my breakfast and keep to myself. I head out to the front gate again. As I'm watching around, I see Gildere with a stack of steaks and he heads for the wolf and tosses a steak on the ground. The wolf makes a motion to Gildere and Gildere hands him a fresh steak from the stack that he was holding. I chuckle to myself and turn back to watching the outside. Terra summons me in. Baldin says that he saw the army to the west and that it should be here by morning. I go and speak with the jackals and bob owns me in "jackal play". So I make friends with the Jackals and call it a night....

The Calm...

*Aidan sits on the wall that encloses Terra's Tower*

"Well Squeaker, this is it. We have been through a lot and we've amassed quite a name and fortune for ourselves."

*Aidan feeds some ruffage to the ferret that is sitting on his lap*

"I don't think there has been anything that we have learned along our journeys that will prepare us for what is about to happen. Your grandfather and I went through a lot back in the day and even that pales in comparison to what is about to happen. I don't think there are words to describe it."

*Aidan sighs and looks to the north where the sky is red as blood*

"You know we could just blow this joint. I've been thinking hard about the possibility of doing that. I'm sure Dugan has his price and we could probably match, especially since Bobbi and V came through for us...

...

but it wouldn't be right. Gildere and Terra have been there for me for practically my entire life, even more so than anyone in my family was. They are my family now, and you don't run out on family, no matter the odds."

Chapter III

"These insects are beginning to irritate me. They try to stop my plans although they don't yet fully comprehend them. They have traveled in my footsteps seeking knowledge that they somehow think will save them. They even go so far as to free Gabriel even though he is no threat to me now. Why….why do they persist on this pointless journey? In any case, I am not one to make even simple mistakes."

"Grog!!"

"Yes my lord?"

"Go, show these mortals what true power is. Take the army and shatter their precious tower. Break their bones and scatter this last remnant of resistance to the winds. Take no chances, unleash the Vanguard as you would against any other city."

Raising an eyebrow Grog replied "They worry you that much?"

"I like to be thorough. Oh, and wake the dead for this. I want their spirits broken as well"

Grog Scowled. "Sir, is it wise to do that? In this case the personal ties may have some unforeseen consequences. I'm sure the army can handle them."

"No…wake the dead, they fully obey me now. Then we'll see what these 'heroes' are really made of. If they can even survive that long"

--------------------

Walking off in the distance Grog stopped in an open patch of land. Closing his eyes and raising his arms he summoned forth 6 spirits. Looking at the 6 figures he sighed. His eyes lingered for a moment on each individual.

"Come, we have work to do."

"Where are we going master" asked Elledan. The Warlord pointed at the figure next to him. "To take back his tower".