Great War
From FiranMUX
Contents |
The Discovery
The Great Beast had led the Firan people to discover the threat of Shamibelians to the South -- invaders, Drik's people, sent to enslave Firankind and offer their souls to the Dark God. The Seven Heroes (and a handful of others) also discovered that the Shamibelians meant to attack, to invade their cities, and to do it soon. Just as new Clan Leaders had been chosen for the Eagle Clan and the Cockatrice Clan, the heroes heard a shrill cry of griffons. Shamibelians were landing on the sacred island!
The Shamibelians explained through a Ticanee interpreter that they were amassing their forces, and that the Firans had one month to either surrender or die. The Shamibelians left as quickly as they had arrived, leaving the Clan Leaders to ponder what to do. At this point, an arrow came whizzing by Elianos' head, sticking in the tree behind him. Then there was a splash to be heard. Elianos realized that there was a note attached to the arrow. It was from Garen, and he wrote that the Shamibelians were liars -- they'd already amassed their troops and were in battle with Firan troops even as they stood!
Nala, Clan Chieftain of the Griffon, realizing that it was her territories that must be at war, screamed in frustration and rage -- a need to fight and defend her people. She said not another word and left the meeting at once to fly to battle.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Clan leaders plotted and planned. They realized that the Shamibelians knew where they all were and perhaps would try to take them out all at once. They got on a boat and left for an Inn. This is when Sabine told them about a vision she'd had. . .where the Goddess Soli had promised refuge in her belly. Sabine was sure that there were caves to hide in to the north and that they should flee. This would become their plan -- an exodus.
The day of the invasion, the fugitive Clan Council planned late into the evening at the Silver Cup Tavern in Lurashar. The Council was desperate for information about the enemy and sent out the word that a reward and/or pardon was to be offered to any person who could steal a griffon from the Shamibelians and return it to the Firans for study. The Council also put 50 soldiers under Throg's command to assist him in making new and masterful weapons. Almost as soon as the word went out, a great shrieking was heard from the sky. A large and ferocious griffon descended slowly from the sky. Many of the people, never having seen the mythical beast in the flesh, ran and hid in fear. The Ticanee horse twitched in terror as the griffon eyed it as prey. The Council, however, could see that there was a lone rider on the griffon and so they stood their ground. The griffon landed directly in front of the Tavern, and the rider revealed his face.
Exodus
It was Garen, the woodsman hunted for the murder of young ambitious Kenirikas. The Council was bound by its word, and pardoned Garen for his high crime.
It was at this time that the hulking figure of Throg could be seen pushing a contraption before the clan council. The contraption, which must have been inspired by the crafty Kamnestra, launched nets into the air. Garen refused to use the captured griffon as a target, and so Throg displayed the genius of his machine by knocking an owl out of the sky. Elianos insisted on having the machine for his expedition to the south, explaining that Throg could always make more. The Council agreed and so Throg and his men rushed to the shore to outfit one of the cogs for the heavy griffon catcher.
Exhausted, worn from the travel, crushed in spirit over the news of Nala's defeat, and stunned by the fear-inspiring face of the griffons, the Council and their advisors finally decided upon a course of action. Knowing that there was no way to meet the enemy and win, the Firans decided to flee to the mysterious caves to the north prophesied by Sabine's dream of the Goddess Soli -- Mother of All. The Great Firgalas blessed the venture as High Priest, somberly noting that the wise survive to fight another day.
Sabine was appointed to lead the exodus into the caves. With the help of her loyal subject and recently redeemed Garen, the Ticanee Torvahl, the strange young oracle Velani, and the Great Firgalas, Sabine organized the retreat. She knew that word needed to be spread quickly and so she commanded Garen to carry her on the back of the griffon from city to city.
She would instruct the citizens to gather only those personal possessions which would not slow their travel, and all the grain and dried goods they could transport. Firan ships would be instructed to load their holds with all the food reserves of the coastal cities and transport as many people as they could by sea. Firgalas, Velani, Neysani, Throg and Torvahl (on horseback) would be sent directly north to help lead the refugees into the caves that she fervently hoped bore out Soli's promise to protect and strengthen them.
The Plan
The plan was ambitious and complicated. The leaders knew they needed time to spread the word, gather supplies, and find the caves. Elianos and Bannos conceived a bold plan. Given the information provided by the Ticanee Savage, Torvahl, the Firans suspected that the Shamibelians did not have a navy. Thus, an amphibious assault would take them by surprise. Elianos and Bannos planned to take a portion of the combined armies of the clans, sail to the south and land behind the enemy invasive force.
Once in position, Elianos' forces would have to exaggerate their number by making an extraordinary amount of noise and by carrying spears with helmets on them as they marched. Elianos hoped, in this way, to fool the Shamibelian griffon scouts into reporting that a huge and dangerous army had them pinned against those brave enough to resist their advance. If Elianos' and Bannos' decoy plan worked, they would force the Shamibelians to turn their backs to the clans and perhaps even draw them south. This would, they hoped, give the people time to flee.
It was decided that Lokaranis, the priest who wielded the mighty staff of Zutiv, should go along with the Decoy Force. Shara agreed to accompany Bannos on his mission, knowing that his power to disappear depended upon her and if anyone had a chance to survive the onslaught of this terrible enemy, it would be those who could walk like the invisible souls.
Even if their plan was successful in distracting the Shamibelians, Bannos and Elianos felt certain that this was a suicide mission. They decided that for the greater good, they should order the ships to merely drop the Decoy Force behind the Shamibelians and return to help with the exodus. When those assembled heard this, they bowed their heads to honor the noble sacrifice that was about to be given. Many moments passed before anyone was able to break the silence.
Belik's Announcement
It was Belik who finally spoke. He announced, at length, that he would stay behind with those who could not make such a long trip.
Sabine, clearly against the idea of leaving her elderly uncle behind as a helpless martyr, began to argue. "Don't you think the Shamibelians will notice the empty houses and abandoned barracks?"
"We have quite a plausible explanation. The bitter winter killed many through cold and starvation. The beast killed whole armies. We have been involved in internal warfare and scandalous assassinations. These things are all true and would be obvious," Belik replied.
Sabine pressed on, "And how will the Shamibelian not be informed of the fraudulent clan leaders? They have seen our faces at the island, and how can we keep the whole population silent about it?"
Belik was undaunted. "The Shamibelian had no reason to know which of the men and women at our sacred island were the leaders. By seeing my familiar face the credibility of the others will be enhanced. As for the people staying behind, they are not traitors. They have no reason to betray the false clan leaders. Furthermore, the false clan leaders will use our names so that, by keeping a low profile, most of the people will not even realize the ruse that has been played. There is much chaos out there, niece. These details will get lost in the shuffle, and don't forget, as far as we know, the Shamibelians don't know our language yet."
Shara could hold back her comments no longer. "But Belik, in war, isn't it common for the enemy to capture and kill the leaders to solidify their victory? Wasn't that why we fled here from Anarinuell in the first place? They'll kill you as soon as you show your face to them. You're not safe."
Torvhal spoke and Lokaranis translated: "Torvahl says that it is the common practice of the Shamibelians to use the leaders of their conquered people. If the leaders prostate themselves and submit to Shamibelian regime, they are kept as governors to keep order among the people. If a leader shows rebelliousness and an unwillingness to cooperate in the enslavement of the people, the leader's head will be cut off and displayed for all to see on a gruesome tree made of the same iron metal as their swords."
And so it was decided that Belik would stay behind and he asked that each of the clan leaders suggest an impersonator willing to take such a risk. The sun had long since risen, and Elianos received word that most of his forces were assembled for the decoy mission. Eager to set himself upon a course of action, and tired of planning and talking, Elianos announced that his general, Riss, should impersonate him. Bannos announced that if, by some miracle, he lived through the decoy mission, he would stay in the clan territories like Belik.
"If I don't survive," Bannos added, "tell them the truth. That I died in battle eager to cut their grotesque horned heads from their shoulders."
Several people in the room stared at Bannos in surprise over his uncharacteristic remark and Shara said, "I forbid you to die. I refuse to be put in the barbaric situation of dragging your rotting corpse around by the hand in order to make my cloaked invisible escape."
Lanester volunteered to be one of the impersonators, as did Lokaranis.
A Final Note
Torvahl again began to speak and Lokaranis translated, "The Shamibelians are users. They use the land, they steal the crops, they cut down the trees. If we are to flee, why leave them anything?"
Bannos, thinking upon this, commented, "Because we need to leave something for the people we leave behind to live on. But Torvahl does have a point. If the Shamibelians think we would rather destroy our lands than let them have it, it might slow their advance. Since I'm the only living clan leader of the invaded territories to the south, I'm going to order the following cities and forests to be razed." Bannos took out a map and outlined, with his finger, where the messengers, with his orders to burn down Unotran, Scirlut, Firalut and the forests between them.
The rest of the clan leaders quietly agreed to this slash and burn measure and then Elianos announced his view that they needed to start their actions and stop talking about them.
Firgalas agreed and adjourned the meeting.
The War
Throg was sent by Sabine on boats to help gather more people to the caves. He arrived at his home, by chance, and saw that it had been raided -- completely. Wife, children. Gone. He took wine and went out to the woods where he was met with a griffon-flying Shamibelian. Throg beat the goat soundly, tied him up, and took the griffon and Shammie back to the city. He questioned the goat but it was largely useless. Throg did not find his family in Anarinuell and when he had done all he could, he took the griffon and Shamibelian back north.
The war raged, the Great War. It saw many Firans dead and many enslaved. But there were enough people staying in that city of caves with Sabine to be able to rebuild. The Firans returned to their cities and rebuilt. Ellish remains in Shamibelian control, though Anarinuell was raided and left.
