Siege Stories
Story Emits
Rumor spreads about an attempt on the life of Duchess Belladonna Pravus at the Ward of the Lyceum by a group of Bringers. Tales of archers on the rooftops raining arrows on civilians, and people turning on each other are sung by bards, along with the story of the survival of the Duchess thanks to the intervention of a group of brave heroes. Among those named are Princess Reese Grayson, Alrec Magaldi, Mathias Coaldus, Lord Tobias Telmar, Lord Ywaine Telmar and Orathy Culler. Word at the Hundred Cities also is that the duchess valiantly managed to keep the crowd on the streets from a full panic, while ensuring the wounded received prompt aid. The attempt by the Bringers was a failure, but with such a blatant yet coordinate attack it's become obvious that truly, nobody is safe as long as the enemy hides within us.
A tale starts circulating around the city that late in the night of the 4th of the 3rd month in the 1006th year after the Reckoning ... a party of thirty shavs and one bringer attempted to rush the gate. The forces on the wall that time speak of the Guardsmen Calaudrin Estardes' capable leadership telling them how hard to hit and when, boosting their confidence. The speak of the excellent aim of Lady Dulcinea Telmar and that of Dame Esoka Greenblood-- firing onto the shavs and the Bringer. Rumor is that Guardsmen Estardes ordered the arches to set their arrows on fire the Bringer light up like a candle... Only to be felled by Lady Telmar and Dame Greenblood LEAPING down from the ramparts onto the Bringer. Lady Telmar shooting with her arrow on the way down and Dame Greenblood cutting the Bringer in half...
Late in the night a cry of 'Fire! Fire!' comes from the upper boroughs, and the city's people scramble to put the fire out. With the help of several people the fire is put out: The Royal Stable Master (Tristan) takes command of the situation along with Moira Grayhope, getting people organized and-- if the rumors are true-- preventing sabotage by buckets of cooking oil and lard that were left nearby. Rumors are, however, that after the fire is put out that a member of the Inquisition (Halsim Duskweave) and Asher Morrlin found the person responsible and it was a BRINGER! They say that Leta Broadbent and Tristan and Asher Morrlin fought the Bringer and felled it just before the Guards and members of the Inquisition arrived to investigate...
Another attack comes in the night. A large force of Shavs-- some say thirty to forty --took a push at the wall. Attempting to get up onto the walls with ropes and crude mining hooks. However, the Lord Commander of the Iron Guard Silas Mercier and many of his officers-- including First Officer Lord Michael Bisland, Guardsmen Sparte and Office Caluadrin Estardes and ... the Messenger Mae Culler? Were on the walls to repel the first. They say that Sparte took a blow so mighty that it would have felled stronger men, and that Mae Culler /pushed a Bringer/ off of the walls? While Michael took down at least ten Shavs on his own, and Silas and Calaudrin took out the rest. They say that the Lord Commander cut a swath of nearly twenty shavs down.
A tale is told at the Hundred Cities Inn about a group of Mirrorguards that left the city during the siege. Where did they go? Who did they fight? Who were these Mirrorguards? Names are tossed around left and right. Acacia Culler, Lord Franco Gilden, Costas Voducce and Lord Inigo Malvici were witnessed returning, all of them led by Prince Talen Velenosa. They returned with their lives, although not without injuries. And many that hear the tale of it wonder what they managed to learn by risking such a feat.
Among the refugees who have taken shelter in the city, tales of heroism take root and spread. While tales always grow in the telling, there must be a core of truth to it, for the children to spin from: that Princess Reese Grayson, Prince Luca Velenosa, Lord Michael Bisland, Lord Killian Ashford and Mistress Zhayla saved a runaway wagon full of terrified kids from a swarm of Bringers and tainted Shavs, with acts of derring do. Some of the stories sound pretty wild! Could Killian really have held off an army of shavs all alone while the children fled to safety? Did Zhayla really launch herself from the ground to put a shining trident through a Bringer's eyes? Could Luca really have run up the back of a Bringer to cleave its head? There are more stories: a runaway horse almost trampled them all, but Michael saved them! Princess Reese boldly led them all with courage and compassion before throwing herself into the battle and impaling a Bringer right through the guts! It's hard to keep spirits up in camps of refugees, but the tales these children bring are tales of hope for the hearts of many as the terror of the siege stretches on.
Tragedy befell the Great Cathedral of the Pantheon. The people that gathered in worship and hope in this holy place of the Faith instead found horror awaiting them. Trapped in unnatural fog and darkness, they were cut down by the revived corpses of recently-slain Templars, or worse, were slain by mistake by their own defenders. Though heroes such as Knight-Captain Armel, Brother Aleksei, Gisele, Sir Miles and Fortunato rose up, it was not enough. A cruel and hidden figure made sport of them, mocking their efforts to save the innocent. Only glimpsed at by Gisele, she paid the price by being pinned to a pew with arrows, and would have died were it not for the efforts of Fortunato and Miles. The hidden man left once his undead soldiers were destroyed by Armel and Aleksei, his purpose accomplished. Corpses strewn about, their blood covering the floor, and the food and supplies held in the Cathedral burnt to ashes. It's with such crushing failure and horror that the survivors must now live with, even as the one responsible wanders the city free, and able to strike again...
It will be said on this day, the 14th day of the 3rd month in the year of 1006, that amongst the terrors of a siege, people had begun to lost faith in the Upper Boroughs. They will hear how there was discord sewn between those who lived in the Uppers and those who were refugees from the Lowers, and how that discord nearly lost the crowd to violence and selfishness. However, amongst the tides of discontent, greed, worry, fear, discrimination, resentment, and all other poorly harbored feelings, comes the story of hope, of faith, of a passionate display of a few to remind the masses to work together, stand together, for that is the only way to win against the Silence!
Amongst them, is heard the tales of Merek Black standing in a ray of sunshine, a prominent figure in the unraveling events, poised with the conviction of the Gods to quell rioters whose shouts for Food had over run the square, answering that all he had to give would be granted the good people of Arx! They will speak of sister Umay bringing the words of the Gods back to the people who had it in their minds to forget and then, she took them in to forgive their wayward paths! They will speak of Lazarus Mercier, a man who stood up strong in the face of the angry mob, rallying the reminder that merchants should not fear to walk with their goods down the market streets, that all had to stand together. They also speak of his Mercier Guards keeping the peace and rescuing the Tailor Lyiana from crownsworn gone mad in their cries for hunger. In the end, the crowds dispersed and peace, for now, holds.
A daring crew of volunteers risked life and limb in a mad dash near the River Arx: Princess Reese Grayson, Prince Luca Velenosa, Lord Artorius Malvici, Lady Eirene Malvici, Mistress Leta Broadbent and Guardsman Sparte lit a cart aflame and charged into the Shav'Arvani lines, providing cover for a stealthy team led by Captain Magpie Grayhope of the Magpie, although reports suggest he wasn't sailing the Magpie at the time, to escape the blockade past the efforts of the foe to dam the river, and was able to collect a group of refugees, including several nobles of Bastion, and return them to the city safely, along with a cacheload of grain and other food supplies desperately needed for the siege.
All was not well with the group, however, for almost as soon as the gates had shut, disguised Bringers among them were spotted! Lord Killian Ashford immediately raised the alarm, and the revealed foes were fought and eventually slain by him, Prince Ainsley Grayson, Sir Armel Godsworn of the Knights of Solace, Agnarr, and Magpie Grayhope! Tales of their daring spread amongst the city. Rumor has it that Guardsman Sparte saved Prince Luca from drowning (before Prince Luca claimed another Bringer head for his collection) and that Prince Ainsley took a Bringer's head after being nearly sliced in half! Among other things, including tales among the archers on the wall of a throw by Sir Armel that /has/ to be an exaggeration.
As dusk settled upon Arx, brave members of the Compact went to investigate rumours about Brand's forces hiding within Shav communities. Viviana, Reese, Halsim, Mae, and Calaudrin, in addition to a masked man who spoke not his name, have been whispered about in the Lower Boroughs. Tensions were high, and it almost came to blows, but a rough alliance was made. Not all was well however. Multiple Shavs that were hiding in the community that had secretly served Brand, and infiltrated, held hostages, including Viviana. However, with keen insight... Axe, bow, knives, blade, and sheer force of will prevented much more bloodshed than the initial confrontation started with. Still... This is not the end.
A small crowd gathered in the Lower Boroughs to stop a few cartloads of grain going into the Uppers. Though the crowd was armed, violence was averted.
Lord Commander Silas Mercier and Princess Reese Grayson of the Iron Guarded were on the scene to quiet the initial agitation. Prince Luca Velenosa was also there, though his presence wasn't exactly calming! Tensions remained high, and there was talk rising prices, greed, grain meant for bread being sold to make whiskey, and Bringer infiltrators. It wasn't until Lord Karadoc Saik offered a solution to the immediate bread supply issue and Guildmaster Joscelin Arterius promised to address the price-gouging that the crowd relaxed, reassured by Asher Morrlin, a man of the people.
Later, a local distiller was convinced to part with his newly acquired grain in exchange for assistance from the Crafter's Guild, but not before some windows of his shop were shattered and a crowd gathered, while rumors spread that the man was working with the besiegers. That crowd dispersed, and Lord Karadoc Saik pulled the strings needed to have bread delivered to the Lower Boroughs. But rumors continue to simmer under the surface, and there have incidents of mild violence against grain merchants, millers, bakers and distillers alike, accused of either naked greed or being in league with the Shavs. There are a lot more broken windows and overturned carts throughout Arx.
Lord Killian Ashford was seen praying at the Great Cathedral of Arx. While he was praying, the Ashford nobleman seemed to collapse for a moment, and witnessed said they saw an odd shadowy darkness about him that then vanished in a bright, golden flash of light.