Hist. Ref. - Winter 1006 - Siege of Silence - Seawatch Stand

{221Hist. Ref.{_-{_{222Winter{_1006{320{_-{_{540Siege of Silence - Seawatch Stand 2{n{n

{c{221Hist. Ref.{_-{_{222Winter{_1006{320{_-{_{540Siege of Silence - Seawatch Stand 2{n{n|/|n|!CThis volume is a continuation of the battle of seawatch stand, part 1. |/|/|-|h|!WDeva finds another mark with her archery, shooting a bringer from a horse, while Calaudrin drops one that seems to be a commander, and Jael shoots down an opposing archer before they were able to fire up at the walls. Still they march on, and the 'banners' of the crucified Knights of Solace are lowered as battering rams against the gates.|/|/|-|h|!WAs the seawatch gate is hammered by the battering rams, arrows rain back and forth. Prince Tristram tries to pick out that same figure in black platemail among the mass that is obscured by the mist, and for just a moment, he thinks he sees the leader that had turned the cavalry to dust. An arrow flies from Tristram straight at the figure, seeming to change into flame as it arcs down, and shatters as if it hit a wall inches from the armored figure's helm. The figure looks up, and breaks the utter silence of the invading army to rumble in a booming voice as it points directly at Tristram, "Die." The rampart Tristram is standing on seems to explode outward, sending him flying backwards. |/|/|-|h|!WPrincess Deva Redrain immediately picks out the fire and fires in return, her arrow lancing down and striking the armored figure's helm right in the eye visor, and it seems to stagger back and falls out of eyesight in the mist, right as the boiling oil is pushed over onto the waiting figures below at the exact time from Lady Maude Ashford's orders. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of shavs manning the battering rams are burned alive, and there are no screams. More begin to approach, picking up the still smoking battering rams that melt their hands. Arrows rain down from the Compact's defenders, felling the approaching shavs by the score despite their kite shields starting to form a turtle around the rams.|/|/|-The battle around the Seawatch Gate rages, and while some Iron Guard have routed, others are coaxed back into the battle by Legate Orazio and the fear of eternal damnation, and partly by the General of Southport for the fear of immediate execution. The Crimson Blades, other Iron Guard, forces of Redrain, Grayson, Thrax, the Lyceum, and Valardin all form a wedge at the gate, meeting the shav charges and the bringers as more and more of the shavs come to challenge the wedge blocking entry into Arx. Hundreds of shavs have died, a dozen bringers have been felled, but tens of thousands behind them remain in a long column hidden behind the mist. Strangely, deep in the mist, there's a sound of hooves, as if there's some cavalry fighting deep beyond the gates, and in the mist, it seems as if shapes of animals form for just a moment, a trick of the winds perhaps.|/|/|-|h|!WBringers of Silence charge forward, as some chaos that can't quite be seen is ravaging their ranks in the fog beyond the Seawatch Gate. The Crimson Blades under the command of Lord Tobias wheel to meet the charge of Bringers in a perfectly orchestrated maneuver, cutting down several of the bringers as they meet their spears, while the others slam into the ranks of the Compact. One Bringer of Silence moves to kill the injured Prince Tristram, only to find itself face to face with Princess Reese Grayson who for just a moment, seems to glow, and the Bringer of Silence bursts into flame as she slashes it then explodes a moment later. Prince Barric, Sword of Bastion, slices his alaricite sword cleanly through another Bringer which seems to fall apart after being struck, dissolving. Roland and Artorius fight against another Bringer, dropping it low, while Lord Darrow's morning star smashes the head in of a bringer that is then beheaded by Lady Viviana. Lord Michael Bisland, holds a bringer as the Iron Guard rallies, and Sir Elrych cuts down another trying to reach Lady Maude. Through it all, the soldiers at the gate hold firm against the Bringers.|/|/|-|h|!WStrangely, the shavs and bringers gradually begin to withdraw, leaving hundreds of Compact soldiers dead, and perhaps a thousand dead shavs and dozens of dead bringers at the gate. Beyond in the mist, it sounds as if there's a herd of deer trampling through the mist, and roar of bears. The bringer army gradually begins to withdraw up the coast as the mist follows, and a trail of several thousand dead shavs is left along it, torn apart by forces unknown. The Bringer army withdraws to within a couple miles of the city and begins to surround Arx to the west, north and east, settling in for a siege... and beginning to construct siege towers from the Gray Forest, leaving the gate alone for now.|/|/|-|h|!WThe Siege of Arx has begun.|/|/|n|!CFebruary 26th, 1006 AR |/|h|!W|-As Arx settles into a city under siege, the Port of Arx remains open, with Iron Guard watching the docks that are slowly being repaired since the attack. None the less, trade continues, and with overland travel cut off by the Silent Army, if anything the port is as busy as ever. So despite the war being on, if anything, the overworked lieges of domains have more to do as the amount of visitors they have has not abated, and Duke Valkieri Rubino is no exception. The Duke of Gemecitta receives a Gemecitta delegation led by the Seraph of Gemecitta, a lifelong family friend and a group of Lycene merchants wishing to plead for help with how much their trade has suffered in the wake of the war, and ask for assistance in dealing with the rising panic, and it seemed a completely unexceptionable meeting. While it's uncertain what happened precisely in the meeting, no less than twenty minutes later, there's the sound of battle in the Rubino estate. Duke Valkieri Rubino is found dead in his suite, his sword buried to the hilt in the chest of the Seraph of Gemecitta, while the same Seraph appears to have punched a fist through Valkieri's chest and torn out his heart. At least a dozen guardsmen were killed in the fighting, with some of the merchants cut down, but some of the merchants fled the estate in the chaos. Bringers of Silence, indistinguishable from other people, are clearly in the city.{n