The Battle of Eveningstar
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This small tome is left for the librarians
Within this book are the tales and accounts of honourable men. Good, just men who have pledged themselves to the upkeep of justice, of gallantry and of peace.
I felt it important that these legends live on, immortalised thought scripture so they may be relived in the days, months and years to come.
It is my hope that they inspire others onto greatness as we press on towards a new dawn for the city.
- Knight Errant de Gael of the Red Hart, Third of His Name.
It was a cold day in Eveningstar on Kythorn the 19th. Many kept indoors due to this, and so it was that the only sound that could be heard was the blustering wind. However, another sound soon pervaded the city; war drums echoed from the hills.
The Army of Grodd had arrived, led by the Slime Cult, worshipers of the Elder Eye, better known as Ghaunadaur. While their origins are unknown, it is expected that they were originally a group of criminal adventurers who discovered their faith during a venture into the underdark, and not long after they began offering sacrifices to their slime god. They eventually desecrated the Ashen Glade, and only narrowly escaped the wrath of the druids for doing so. This pleased the Elder Eye, and so it was that they were given guidance to aid the Army of Grodd, and it was because of them that the Army of Grodd joined forces with the Devil Dragon. This evil entity is said to be the undead reincarnation of an elf woman, whose only bane is the Staff of Ilmater, which at this time is held in Eveningstar, and is in all likelyhood the reason for the attack, and the Devil Dragon's absence. It is important to know prior to this, that Castle Crag had recently been taken by the Army of Grodd, and that the Red Harts were ready for an attack.
A barricade was amassed to block the passage from Starwater Gorge, led by Knight Errant de Gaell, the Viligant. He and his men held the pass against the goblin hordes, giving little pause even when the creatures of undeath tried to press past the barricade. Thus, the barricade was held until the threat from Starwater Gorge was disbanded. However, the enemy had flanked the city, and thus the city's forces were split in half. It was not long after this when the Slime Cult arrived, led by the fearsome green half-orc, Zrukk. They appeared atop the ridge, blistering cold wind swirling about them, before swarming Eveningstar while its forces were divided and in disarray.
The battle looked grim.
The enemy had breached the city's defences, and the Slime Cult was slaying both knight and innocent commoner alike. Sir Percival took mount, and rode against the bulk of the goblin army's horde. He single handedly fended off the cult's evil creatures until their overwhelming dark magic assailed him and drove him to the ground, killing him soon after. His charge however brought heart to the shaken knights, and the resulting stampede resulted in Zrukk lying dead on the ground along with many of his followers.
At long last the tide of battle seemed to be turning in favour of the knights, and then the Fort swung open to reveal Lord Marshall Algarn, battled hardened with age but with the fires of youth yet raging in his heart. He charged ahead, slaying every evil creature in his path with ease until the remnants lost heart and fled. The city-turned-battlefield went quiet save for the cries of pain from the wounded and nearly dead. Dawn Abbot Peter Chapman emerged from the safety of the Knights and saw to the wounded… However, a final desperate warband led by vampires and foul skeletal beasts arrived, and they charged ahead to kill as many innocents as possible. Dawn Abbot stood up, and blocked their charge with a great burst of holy light. As the enemy wilted to the intense and holy fire, they turned their charge to him instead, and trampled him to the ground. A look peace was in his eyes however, even after the beasts left him.
The final evil warband was dispatched, and Knight Errant de Gael ordered for the enemy's corpses to be gathered and thrown upon a pyre, so the massive flame would serve as a message to evil everywhere: That the Red Hart yet lived, and they were as vigilant t and pure hearted as they had ever been.
Zrukk's body was found by the Lord Marshall Alagarn, and by the mercy of Siamorphe he was brought to life again. He and the Lord Marshall then met in an honourable duel, the end result being Zrukk lying dead at the Lord Marshall's feet one last time. His body was thrown atop the pyre, his evil body emitting a foul stench as the purifying flames licked at his skin. At long last the battle was over, and the slime cult finally broken.
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Along with this letter…
A gift from the Guild Vir Repono. Hopefully the first of many steps towards updating the library.
Cheers,
Berathorn Isendir
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A fine story, but of what interest will it be to posterity?
Library Staff
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That is hard to say. The ripples produced by the actions of others are not always discernable until a good many years after their origin. However, this is what I do know: The Slime Cult was a mysterious faction that took over Castle Crag. They may not have left the place unmarked. They were also perhaps the most feared criminals this city has seen since the Civil War, and they also are known to have served the Devil Dragon- an entity that apparently has a tendency to not completely die. Should it revive itself again, future generations may learn something from this text that may perhaps help them, or perhaps not. Such is the gambit we face as lorekeepers.
This story also has possible ties to the Staff of Ilmater, an artifact that is by my guesswork, what the Slime Cult came to Eveningstar to retrieve, as it is the only thing known that can defeat the Devil Dragon. Please be ready to recieve a book on the subject in the near future, which will reference to this particular volume, once it is certain that the staff was indeed in Eveningstar when the cult attacked.
Finally, as Knight Errant De Gaell so elegantly put it, the men who fell in this battle showed tremendous acts of courage and rightous sacrifice. This story claiming a place on your shelf will not only gurantee their immortality among legends, but will also serve as an example to future generations what it means to follow the path of rightousness. Where would you and I be today without the heroes we looked up to in tale and song?
I hope these answers earn the book a place on your shelf. If the content was not up to par, then I can make revisions.
With all due respect,
Berathorn Isendir
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Revise obviously! You do not mention the Staff of Ilmater, or even the nature of the Slime Cult. You only told us how the story ended for the Cult, leave something behind for future readers to discern.
Consider letting us know what this evil cult was, and why its defeat mattered.
By all means, discuss the nature of magical relics involved for those who may one day seek them out.
What of the heroes who defeated the cult? What brought them to this time and place?
Library Staff
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It will take some further investigation, but you will get the revision you seek.
- Berathorn Isendir
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An updated version is delivered
I hope this is appropriate. Apologies for the delay. A great many things have happened of late. Expect further writings on historical events in the future.
- Guild Vir Repono
