Chapter 4:  The Lady of War

After Kilomond was cast down into the void, great grief filled the heavens. Such a conflict had never been seen before. Gods at the throats of gods. Strife had ripped through heaven and though the great mother, the ruler of the heavens, and the wanderer struck down the forge lord, unrest remained. Aientas seeking peace, commanded that gods should not battle or strive against other gods or spirits, but this peace was not to be. For the spirits of the fires who had served Kilomond now imprisoned below the earth, were greatly confused. Some, like the mighty Tilsitar who worked the bellows of the great forge, remained loyal to the Great Demon, practicing her craft in secret places of the Fillion Desert.  Many of them entered the service of other lords and gods. However, others wandered from place to place, owing no lord their allegiance. In their wandering, these fire spirits often unsettled others who they found, spirits who perhaps had always been restless, longing also to be free of their masters. So many left the service of Boltumath, Ewathat, Kalikel, and others. These wild spirits each pursued their own wills, seeking to satisfy whatever desire they had within them. For many these desires were simple and benign: to be left alone, to roam the world, to gather knowledge of their own.

But some of the spirits, in their newfound freedom, turned their minds to dark desires. While Kilomond and many of the other gods in the heavens had not paid mind to the tragedies of mortals, Sil was not alone in discovering their fate. The twisted desires which drove mortals to their own destruction and the monstrosities that could be made from the soulfires within them also drew the attention of many lesser spirits. Seeking to take on a godhood of their own, these restless spirits began to experiment with the corruptions of the soul fire, claiming the title of Dragodas, meaning “new rulers” in their own tongue.

Benalha saw disease and ailments that struck the mortal forms and twisted them into plagues that ran rampant among them, brewing in his great basin some that sought the young, others the old, and still more striking indiscriminately. Mertran and Meltraw, twins of one body, took to merging the forms together creating atrocities of the forms, twisted together in forms of their own design, reckless and conniving. Thalachou, the prodigy of Kilomond, looked upon the greed of mortals and sought to consume all things, taking them all into his mass, becoming a great, hideous and amorphous thing that consumed all before it. Sorsol, who inflamed the many passions of mortals, tempting them to disharmony and sorrow. Pintreca, the greatest of the spirits who became winged dragons, sought all the treasures of the earth hoarding great wealth as did all others who took on her shape. And so they became the Dragodas, twisters, destroyers, and fiends. Many spirits were drawn to them and the power and freedom they seemed to possess. So, the evils and vices begot by the neglect of Kilomond began to multiply in mortals, cultivated by the Dragodas. Many were the spirits that were corrupted and defined.

But, Acretia, the handmaid of Wild Kali, was craftier than the others. For when the Dragodas looked down to the earth to inspire their tinkering, Acretia turned to heaven. For a time, she worked like the others, unleashing the wildness of her mistress for her own devices. But deep in her heart she remembered the great battle of heaven, how it was will contested against will, and the glory of the victors. So she determined that she would claim such glory for herself.

Thus, Acretia began to amass servants of great power and might, drawing any who would seek to gain power and glory to her bastion beyond the great plateau. She clothed herself in shards of a fallen star, turned black by the depths of the earth. In these jagged black slivers were encrusted gems as red as blood, such that she seemed as a great stony spider with many eyes. Black as the night was her presence, terrible and cruel.

Her conquest began when she smote down Pintreca on his vast hoard under the mountains of the far northeast, for the wealth he had amassed could bend others to her will. She impaled him upon a pike outside his mountain for all to see. Rumors began to spread of the lady of war who had killed the great dragon, one of the mighty Dragodas. Mortals of all forms gathered to her, slowly at first, but eventually, she drew to her a mighty throng. Some came to her for wealth, others for power. Some of a twisted desire to kill. The most devoted to her came only for the glory found in the strife of combat.

As they came, the city of Kilkretha rose from the dust and began to oppress the land around it. The city grew swiftly such that it took approximately a day and a half to walk across it, and longer when the horde of Acretia dwelt in it between campaigns. Great walls rose all around the city, continually being expanded upon when it was needed, for the horde of Acretia continually grew, absorbing any who would serve her ends. Thus, the walls were regularly pushed out and added on to accommodate this growth. Within the walls, the city was dedicated to one end: waging war. All things that the forms of mortals produced were set to pursuing warfare. Artisans created works to inspire violence and bravery. Architects dedicated their minds to the construction of fortresses and war machines. Academies schooled those who would be generals and commanders. Even councilors and advisers had their art bent to that of war, seeking out ways that an enemy might be defeated without ever fighting them, and scoring the earth for the weakness in any realm that might be exploited. Great pits ran under all parts of the city where many foul things came to fruition. All aimed for conquest. The city worked for war.  

Mighty was this city and in the center, Acretia built for herself a temple: The House of War. Fearful and wretched was the structure to all who looked upon it and did not desire to conquer. To trace its length took a time of a minute and a third for a fit soldier to run at a sprint, and the width half a minute, such that it was a rectangle with a length twice as long as the width. The construction sat upon a great raised porch of black marble, and there were 43 steps carved into it that lead up to the doors. Its façade, in the south face of the building was such: upon the front porch at the top of the steps were the great doors, each of width such that eight human soldiers could walk abreast through each (sixteen in total). On the left door was engraved some hideous war engine that spewed forth flames that burned all of Acretia’s foes before it. On the right door was depicted a war beast whose visage was so terrible that few could dare to look at it. From its maw spewed acid and like the machine opposite it, discharged its ghastly ordinance onto the foes of the Lady of War. Upon the mantle of the door was carved the horde of Acretia arrayed with their arms. Above them was the lady herself arrayed in her armor and stones, sword in hand. Mighty pillars rose each of a circumference such that 15 men could walk abreast through them. From the center of the house rose a great tower, set closer to the north wall than south. The tower was such that it nearly doubled the height of the house and from it a watch was always kept. The house of war rose high above all other structures in the city such that its simple triangular roof could be seen from half a league away before one could even see the city wall.

From this house the empire of War grew, trampling all who stood before her. To the east, she drove her horde to the sea laying waste to all who stood in her way. South she then turned, sailing across the sea, sacking the island fortress of Bidboaln; the great hold of the sea giants. She then conquered all the lands the sea giants held as tributaries. All this took 40 years to accomplish.

The spoils of war were returned to her temple, and Acretia greatly rewarded those who served her valiantly and cleverly, those employed the craft of war with subtlety, brutality, and with no other aim than conquest. The treasuries of the house of war were filled with great trophies of conquest, items of power, and every treasure there was to be desired. All that there was to conquer facing east where the sun rose was conquered. So, atop the great tower of the house, the eyes of the lady of war turned west.

And from that great height, she beheld the amber tower of the city of Irrkengrond!

Oh, that mighty city, Irrkengrond! Even before the anchoring of the souls in the crystal halls of Sil was it a bastion for all mortals! How high its walls, capped in white stone as though they were mountains!  None who would do harm to those who dwelled within had ever breached their guard. In the spires of the city, scholars amassed great wisdom seeking the secrets of the gods, delving deep into arcane mysteries that Milyos had laid throughout the world. Mighty were the kings of Irrkengrond, for Milyos, god of magic, was greatly pleased by their scholars’ work, and blessed them with great command and wisdom of the arcane that swayed the greatest ruler of mortals and even the wild beasts. None dared strive against their might.

None save Acretia.

In the second year of the rule of the king Tera-ta-sata, Acretia amassed in Kilkretha the greatest of her horde. Thousands upon thousands rallied under her banner. War engines and beasts the likes of which the land had never seen amassed in the depths of her domain. All with one purpose: to lay low Irrkengrond. So she marched on Irrkengrond, cutting a path of destruction that can still be found across the great plateau to this day. The peoples of the plateau fled before her to the great city seeking refuge from her wrath.

Acretia’s wrath did not escape the notice of Ikata and Milyos. Milyos desired desperately to go and fight Acretia, but he feared enraging the other gods and turning them against him. So, he went to Ikata and, desiring not to see work undone by Acretia, Ikata counseled that they should warn the city. Seeking to protect the city they had so carefully fostered, yet not wanting to be seen as contradicting the council of Aientas, the two sent a message to Tera-ta-sata in the hand of Colethan, warning of the Lady of War and the destruction she wrought. But Milyos ever desired to intervene, so that he might continue his quest to explore the depths of his power.

When the message of Ikata and Milyos came in the hand of Colethan, Tera-ta-sata, in his wisdom recognizing the doom that would come at the hands of Acretia, summoned to him all the peoples who remained unconquered by the lady of War, declaring,

“Come let us contend with Acretia! Let us drive her back to her city and raze it to the ground! Those who are mighty, come!”.

And so, they came. The lord of Minth and Torn, Belogron; Arche mage of the city, Kertriss; Lady Moss and the mountain folk; even from the far north the whole host of the Lor Ogr and Devlos their king. All of these and more rallied to the banner of Irrkengrond.

Out from the gates road Tera-ta-sata and his host. Upon the great plateau the two armies clashed and the land flowed red with blood. The engines of Acretia heaved fire, her beasts breathed acid. But the shining helms of Irrkengrond pushed on. Their mages quenched the fires in the innermost workings of the engines. The mountain folk smote the corrosive beasts. Yet the ferocity of the horde was not overcome. War raged, neither side emerging victorious. 

Acretia threw all her might at the great amber city and battles raged, yet she could not overthrow Irrkengrond. She inched ever closer but could never crush them or lay low the city, for the lines of Irrkengrond held fast on the plateau. They bent but never broke, and though her horde steadily pushed them back she could gain no true advantage in the field. Many soulfires were quenched in this time and many mighty heroes rose in this time. Perhaps the greatest of these was Ulrich, the first lieutenant of Lor Ogr, right hand of Devlos, king of the eagle-headed Aastugr. Bright and blue were his feathers! His poise in battle was unmatched! In his right hand the blade Orughact and in his left the mace Vulstragr. He led the guard of Devlos and his mighty warriors inflicted many wounds on the horde of Acretia.

Ulrich slew many a foe in the battles of this war. Mountains of Acretia’s finest had fallen by his hand, and he claimed many victories for Irrkengrond, for he was both a skilled combatant and a clever general. His command of his troops was unparalleled and his mastery of tactics unrivaled. For few understood how to leverage magic in battle as Ulrich did. It is a simple matter to command one’s mages to unleash fire upon one’s enemies, and it is in many times effective. But Ulrich deployed craftiness on the battlefield. For magic has many powers to offer, and all can find purpose on the battlefield. He found use for the wind to hide his presence when he sought to hide, and when he engaged in battle on the open field, the wind was always at his back so that his missiles flew further and his enemies fell short. Water was used to trap his foes in mud, and those who conjured water allowed him to march without carrying water supplies. Illusions produced armies that were not real, but his enemies dare not attack for their numbers. When there were trees, his mages shaped the underbrush to guide his enemy to where he wished to fight. He was never for want of earthworks; his mages could raise them quickly where needed. Thus was the battlefield shaped by the mages of Lor Ogr, for there was no talent Ulrich could not set loose on the battlefield.

After thirty years of clashes in the open field, Acretia’s horde sought to move south and then west across the great plateau of Irrkengrond and surround the city, cut off all future aid to the city, and leave it completely isolated. So, a division of Acretia’s most faithful marched forth from their battle camp, their cruel lady hoping to secure victory through a noose that would suffocate the city. 

But Ulrich and his guard learned of their movements, the Aastugar are masters of spy craft, and under the decree of Tera-ta-sata and Devlos, they made from Irrkengrond to prevent Acretia’s horde from encircling the city. Moving quickly, the guard of Devlos, under Ulrich, embarked to lay a trap for the Faithful of Acretia. With him, Ulric brought sappers and mages skilled with magic implemented in battle. But also in his ranks he brought with him the master architect of Irrkengrond and his most skilled stone mason.  In time, after making known what was in the   land through his scouts and taking great care that their presence was not uncovered, Ulrich settled on a place where the road Acretia’s Faithful marched led a great bridge that crossed the wildest section of the river Kellost-kel (which is called Kel by many of the common folk). This river is untamed and nearing feral in its course, set deep in the earth so that the great cliffs rise on either side. The bridge is an awesome construction, a single extravagant arch of stone, nearly the length a fit soldier can sprint in forty seconds and nearly forty men can walk abreast it.

Arriving at the bridge three days before Acretia’s Faithful, for Ulrich marched without war machines or the great fiends of Acretia, Ulrich and his guard set their snare. Hiding on either bank of the river and placing among them mages skilled in the art of warding, Ulrich instructed his troops to dig a small tunnel down into the bank of the river such that a small opening was made below the anchor of the bridge. Here his sappers laid in the earth fires to undo the supports of the bridge. Finally, the architect and the stone mason set about their work. For they set about weakening the arch’s keystone, slowly replacing the stone with a plaster linked through their craft to the sappers’ work.

When the Faithful came to the bridge, they camped for a night before crossing the Kelost-kel. Many times were the patrols of the Faithful near to uncovering Ulrich’s forces, but the skill of the Aastugar prevailed in the night.

Early in the morning when the sun first rose at their backs, the Faithful gathered to cross the river, but Ulrich’s guard rose before them. The Faithful began their march without event, for Ulrich was patient and clever. For nearly a half hour, the guard of Ulrich lay in wait while the Faithful marched, till nearly a quarter of the force of the Faithful had reached the far bank, and a quarter remained on the near bank.

Then a great noise like thunder from the earth rocked the canyon. The ordinance of the sappers had done its work, unmooring the bridge from the banks of the river. The sound reverberated around the canyon, and that brutal uproar, set in motion the work of the architect and the mason. The plaster shattered and cracked, the keystone falling away.

Collapsing into the chasm, all who were upon the construction were swept to the depths of Boltolomuth’s ocean by the Kelost-kel.

Simultaneously to the detonation of the sappers, the warding mages hidden with Ulrich’s troops bent their skill to encompass the remaining Faithful on either bank such that they could only retreat into the river or attempt to break through the wards. Now, Ulrich’s guard marched forward upon their entrapped foe. One by one, they drove the Faithful back into the river, overthrowing the mighty engines and beasts into the rushing waters, drowning them in depths or crushing them on the rocks of the Kelost-kel. All of the Faithful who had been sent to encircle the city were slain, and not one of Ulrich’s guard fell.

They took from Acretia many of her chief officials and greatest warriors. They were swift and fierce laying waste to those who opposed them in that day and to this day when one makes a clever turn in a game, or is particularly crafty in their work, they are said to have brought with them the architect and the stone mason.

So, Irrkengrond was saved, and the tide seemed to favor the amber city. But Ulrich, champion of Lor Ogr drew the ire of Acretia, and stirred in her a deep desire to bring his talent under her sway.