The Battle of Southkeep

[Jimbo san]

The air was rank and greasy with the stifling stench of death. The rosy fingers of dawn cast long twisted shadows onto the plains from the high spires of Southkeep.

The shadows fell upon the exhausted men of Southkeep, whose five-night vigil had kept the besieging army at bay. They stood positioned at intervals along the wall, clenching spears in hands clammy with sweat and weakened through exhaustion.

The shadows fell upon the horde of the undead camped outside their gates. The wind blew from the north and the stench of one million putrefied bodies washed over the city. Far in the distance the Necromancer himself could be seen, sitting astride a black stallion.

The people of Southkeep greeted the dawn of the fifth day of the siege with a grim attitude. The Allied army was expected to arrive today to relieve them, but the siege had crippled them. Nobody had slept since the siege began and tensions were high. Martial law had been declared within the city after several violent incidents, diverting essential troops from their posts. There had been no actual assault as the Necromancer seemed content to wait for the Allied armies of The Kingdom, Mercantia, Elysium and the Swamp Kingdom to arrive. The Necromancer wanted a definitive end to his campaign, to defeat all his enemies in one fell swoop, so confident was he of his abilities.

Then came a messenger pigeon from the north. The message it bore told the city’s elders that the Allied army was to arrive later that very day. The elders decided that to ensure there would be no attack on the city before the Allies arrived, they would have one of their champions challenge one of theirs to step forward and fight him in a one-on-one duel. They hoped it would buy them enough time. Croton stepped forward. He was Knight-Captain of Southkeep and acknowledged as the finest swordsman in the West.

He strode out of the main gate and issued a challenge. He mocked the horde of undead soldiers, calling them worthless soldiers and asked if any single one of the creatures would fight him. He heard a response to his challenge and the ranks of the undead parted to allow Slith through. Slith was one of the Necromancer’s living human sons, and his lieutenant. He was a heavily built young man in his early twenties, with a long thick mane of blonde hair. But beneath his good looks was a black heart.

Both men armed themselves. Croton pulled on his traditional bronze armour and buckled on his sword-belt before picking up his shield. Slith donned thick steel armour that covered him from head to toe, with a small slit in the helmet to allow him to see. A lesser man would not have been able to move in such armour, but to Slith it was nothing. He did not favour a shield, but instead wielded a two-handed sword made of black steel. They readied themselves and the battle commenced.

The swords rang and shrieked as they met three times in mid strike. The fourth strike, landed by Croton, smote Slith heavily upon the helm. He crashed to the ground. The horde of the undead shifted uneasily with the fall of their champion. But Slith recovered. His sword had fallen too far away; so he hefted a great rock such as ten men could not now lift and threw it at Croton. The rock smote Croton mightily upon his shield, smashing it, and he was only spared from death’s insidious embrace by twisting to one side a moment before. He cast the crumpled shield aside and staggered, reeling from the blow.

Slith recovered his sword and advanced on Croton. Croton caught the first lunge clumsily and Slith took advantage of having his opponent off-balance to rain blows upon him. Croton managed to desperately parry them all, but as he was driven inexorably backwards, he tripped on a rock and fell backwards, his sword clattering away from him. Slith raised his sword for the deathblow, but Croton kicked him in the chest and Slith reeled backwards. Croton recovered his sword and got back on his feet.

They circled one another warily, slowly closing in a tight spiral of death. They both lunged and their swords flashed in the sunlight. They ranged back and forth both grunting with the effort of their blows. They both attacked hard and fast but could not find a hole in the other’s defence. Then they stopped.

They stood on the plain in front Southkeep, gasping for breath, exhausted by the effort of the duel. Then, all finesse forgotten Slith struck Croton in the face with a gauntleted fist. Croton fell, his fine hair sullied in the dust. But he recovered and after getting up dodged Slith’s second punch and hit him in the face. Slith staggered back, and he pulled off his badly dented helmet. But Slith grabbed Croton and bore him to the floor, his superior weight crushing his opponent. His hands closed around Croton’s throat and began to squeeze. But Croton brought his knee up into Slith’s stomach and punched him in the face, breaking his nose. Slith slid off him and he fought to get to his feet. He recovered his sword, and then heard the horns blowing. It was the signal that Southkeep had been waiting for. The Allies had arrived.

The Kingdom cavalry thundered towards the horde from the North followed by pikemen, swordsmen and archers.

From the East came the highly feared Elysian Knights.

From the West came the foot-soldiers and mercenaries of Mercantia, the merchant nation.

From the North-East came the fearsome battle cries of the frenzied, dreadlocked Sha-Wa warriors of the Swamp Kingdom.

Croton grabbed his sword and fled back to the city while the horde was distracted by the attack. The doors of the city opened wide and the army of Southkeep poured out to engage the horde from the South, completely surrounding the undead army. Archers streamed arrows from the city’s ramparts, felling many a foul creature. But there were still fewer troops available to the Allies as there were to the Necromancer.

High on a hill overlooking the conflict stood Memphos the Undying, the Pyromancer, master of the magical college of Pyromancy. His colleagues were with him, the heads of the other, lesser orders.

Croton and his men gouged a bloody swathe through the horde and clashed with the Necromancer’s elite bodyguards.

Nisus was the commander of the Elysian forces. He was of stature manly and of bearing noble. His cavalry charged the East side of the undead army. With their lances they killed many undead soldiers in their charge, and crushed many more with their mighty steeds.

Nor was to the West the carnage unabated. Kleos, the commander-in-chief of the Mercantian army ordered the catapults to start throwing the barrels of pitch they had brought with them. They threw many barrels into the heart of the enemy army, and then launched burning barrels after them, causing fiery death for many of the Necromancer’s foul progeny.

The slaughter was not slackened to the North-East. The dark skinned, dreadlocked warrior Tyth-Chag, led the assault wielding a brutal curved blade in each hand.

Near the gate to Southkeep, the soldiers were wavering. Three times they had charged those of dark aspect and three times they had been repelled. The Necromancer saw the weakness and directed his strongest warriors there.

Croton was at the forefront, and he was battling with three sons of the necromancer while Slith looked on. He had replaced his stricken shield and was parrying two sons while duelling with a third.

Nisus and his knights battled with all their might. Their charge had led them deep into the enemy army and they were surrounded and outnumbered. His steed had been slain, so he drew his sword and continued the battle on foot.

Tyth-Chag of the Swamp Kingdom and his men assaulted the elite skeleton knights of the Necromancer. They were led by the fearsome warrior Cthim. Tyth-Chag closed with Cthim and they engaged in single combat.

The warriors of Southkeep were close to a rout. They were overwhelmed and overpowered and although they smote their foemen heavily, it was to no avail.

Croton slew one of the sons of the Necromancer, and turned as he parried the two others too seek out Slith, but he was nowhere to be found.

Nisus and his knights had formed a circle, and though surrounded fought with equal vigour. They were becoming tired however, and did not know how much longer they could hold out.

Kleos joined his legions and went to reinforce the mercenaries on the West.

The Sha-Wa warriors of the Swamp Kingdom were fully frenzied and were inflicting terrible destruction upon their foes.

The rout of the Southkeep forces was complete. They had withdrawn from the fighting, abandoning Croton and his men.

Croton dispatched another of the Necromancer’s sons. As he battled the last son he wondered where Slith was.

In their desperate battle the Elysian knights were backing slowly away as they were killed one by one, forming an ever-dwindling circle.

Nisus heard a challenge issued from behind him. He turned and saw Slith, son of the Necromancer. Nisus accepted the challenge and the two clashed in single combat.

The Mercantian warriors were smiting deep into the Western flank of the enemy. Kleos was at the head of the charge and with his sabre he slew foes mercilessly.

The warriors of the Swamp Kingdom were untiring and unceasing. In their berserk fury they carried all before them.

To the North the forces of The Kingdom were smiting the enemy harshly. Storms of arrows supported knights both mounted and on foot as they clashed with their terrible foemen.

The forces of Southkeep were sorely pressed. The undead horde had erected scaling ladders against the walls of the fair city and were swarming upwards in great numbers.

Croton struck the final son a mortal blow and appraised his situation. His men were surrounded and sorely pressed. He saw the Elysian knights surrounded and slowly dwindling in number. Southkeep had failed to repel the attackers and the battle now raged on the city wall. Then he saw that loathsome knight, Slith, son of the Necromancer engaged in combat with Nisus of Elysium. He sent his men to help the people of Southkeep, and then slew a great path through his foes as he moved to intercept Slith.

The two men exchanged blows rapidly, but Slith effortlessly struck Nisus’ shield, fracturing his arm. The Elysian knight fell back and parried desperately.

The Necromancer sent a large detachment of troops under his son Isos to destroy the siege engines of Mercantia. And so Isos came to fight Kleos on the battlefield, where men are tested.

The warriors of Southkeep were still sorely pressed. The walls had been scaled, and battle now raged within the white walls of the fair city. The battle raged on the walls. The battle raged in the streets. It was even nearing the great keep in the centre of the city.

Croton was a terrible figure in the carnage. He was a blood-splattered avatar of doom as he struggled with the nightmare legions to save Nisus of Elysium.

The Mercantian mercenaries were slowly drawing back under the might of the legions of foes sent to slay them. Many a great warrior was slain and they slowly fell back. The war machines were left unprotected and they were all destroyed.

Isos met with Kleos in this grim battle and as Kleos charged Isos swung his two handed sword and killed both horse and rider in one blow. The Mercantian soldiers cried out in anguish as they saw their leader fall.

Tyth-Chag dodged a lightning-fast strike from Cthim and slashed at him, but overbalanced and Cthim struck again with snakelike speed, tearing a great gash in his arm. But Tyth-Chag struck again unexpectedly and severed the monster’s head from its body. The demonic warrior fell with a mighty crash as his soul once again fled its mortal cage.

Much of the white walled city of Southkeep was ablaze. The surviving soldiers and citizens had barricaded themselves in the keep.

The black hearted Slith had crushed the flame of resistance within great hearted Nisus. The sword tumbling from his hand, Nisus stood, expecting the deathblow. As Slith prepared to deliver this blow, swift Croton issued his challenge, and Slith gave quarter to the broken Nisus and engaged Croton in single combat.

The Mercantians were striving desperately to fend off the new offensive, but help was at hand from The Kingdom, with several units of knights detaching from the main body of the army to aid their stricken comrades.

The terrible fire within the white walled city of Southkeep was suppressing assaults by the undead army. Some brave souls had sacrificed their lives to lower the portcullis and sabotage it so that the flow of enemies into the city was vastly reduced.

Great hearted Croton of Southkeep was wroth with Slith. The champion of Southkeep drove Slith slowly back under a storm of heavy blows.

The tide of the vicious battle in which the Elysian knights were embroiled was turning. Nisus had recovered his sword and had rallied his men. His kinsman Lausus was inflicting terrible devastation upon the enemy and they began to press their new-found advantage.

The terrible warriors of the Necromancer battling the fearsome people of the Swamp Kingdom were in a rout. Tyth-Chag was a maelstrom of death as he and his men hewed their way through their foes.

Croton and Slith exchanged blows on the field where men win glory.

The Elysian knights were gaining victory everywhere. With Nisus at the van they were heartened mightily.

Kral, another son of the Necromancer, challenged Lausus to a duel. Lausus agreed and their swords clashed in the middle of the chaos.

The Necromancer had seen the turn in the fortunes of his troops. He transported himself to a nearby hill using diverse arts of his own, and began the summoning of the Necromental, the greatly feared creature from which all Necromancy comes. It was a beast so terrible and nightmarish that it was only spoken of in hushed tones.

Then a tragedy befell the Elysians. A stray arrow struck Lausus in his sword arm and Kral of the black heart dispatched him with a mighty blow. The proud warriors of Elysium lamented the loss of one of their finest warriors.

In the stricken city of Southkeep the proud-hearted warriors drove away the invaders of their city. The small bands of enemies left within the walls were hunted down and eliminated by the Southkeep soldiery and the city was reclaimed.

Then, seeing the Necromancer attempting to raise his totem spirit, the heads of the magical orders began to do the same.

Then on the field where men earn valour Isos, Kral and Slith joined forces to battle Croton. He was energised by the recent change in fortunes and he carried all before him, fighting all three men at once.

The Necromancer completed the forbidden rites with which he would summon the Necromental, and a darkness came over the sky. It began to rain heavily and a dark portal appeared in the air, a tear in the dimensions. From this portal issued a terrible, cold gale, wreathed with the stench of the charnel house. And from this portal issued the Necromental, a titanic black beast with wings of pure darkness. It fixed its blazing red eyes upon the warriors of The Kingdom and screeching a foul curse it headed straight for them.

Croton struck down Kral, but Isos and Slith still pressed him hard.

The terrible Necromental clashed with the ranks of The Kingdom. Arrows scythed through the air but were turned by the beast’s thick hide. Many brave souls perished fighting that abomination. Those who fled were pursued and rent asunder by cruel claws.

Then brave and worshipful Tyth-Chag distinguished himself in deed. Upon seeing the whole army fleeing in abject terror of the terrible creature and the delay the magicians were suffering in summoning their own totem spirits, he challenged the demon to a duel. The creature looked at him and mocked him that such an insignificant creature could ever hope to defeat it. It hurtled towards him.

And this was not lost on honourable Nisus of Elysium. He was mounted on a new horse and charged the Necromental from behind, and as he passed he smote the beast with all his might. The beast screamed and molten ichor flowed from the wound. It ignored Tyth-Chag and turned to Nisus. He leapt from the saddle as it fell upon his horse, tearing it apart in a frenzy. Then it loomed over him, but it heard a noise and turned. Its fellow totem spirits were arriving.

First came the Pyromental, a huge winged beast of liquid flame that clawed its way out of the very earth. Then came the Aeromental, an indistinct bird of titanic proportions and of noble bearing. Then came the Hydromental, a vast many-headed sea serpent that bust out of the Faldorn River. Then came the Photomental, a shimmering figure of a woman holding a blazing sword. Finally the Geomental came; a whole hillside tore itself apart as a titanic creature formed of the very earth loomed over the battlefield.

Croton dodged a clumsy slash by Isos and dealt him a mortal blow to the chest. However while he did this, his back was unprotected. Slith struck him mightily and the wound was grievous, but before Croton died, he turned and struck out at Slith and the blade ran down the right side of his face, blinding him in his right eye and disfiguring his face. Slith’s features have ever since resembled his foul nature. Then great Croton of Southkeep died, his limp body falling back into the mud stirred up by the storm overhead.

The Necromental rounded on its brethren, but the others spoke to it in their own terrible language. Memphos understood what they told the Necromental, that it was not time. The Necromental seemed to understand the message, as it returned to its own dimension with the others.

The Necromancer was furious, incoherent with rage at being thwarted. He attacked the heads of the other magical disciplines all at once with his diverse dark arts. The battle stopped raging as both sides watched the magical duel rend the plain apart. The land was torn asunder, the sky rained fire and the river boiled away to nothing. Both armies tried desperately to find somewhere to shelter from the chaos. The earth shook as the Necromancer used raw magic, the oldest and most dangerous form of magic against all the other heads of the magical disciplines. But he realised that if he continued to fight with them he would defeat them, but in doing so he would surely die. Then he enveloped himself in protective magic and he fled with the remnants of his army. The Allies pursued him all the way to the Eastern mountains and only when they were certain he was back in Myleesenia, the Necromancer’s own capital, with less than a third of his troops, did they stop pursuing.

The bold hearted warriors from each kingdom were buried in vast tombs upon the plain, and the gods smiled upon that place and it was a place of wondrous beauty as well as great sorrow.

The vast piles of the corpses of the undead were burned in several great pyres in front of the ruined city of Southkeep.

Then there was twelve days of mourning for the fallen heroes, Kleos, Lausus and great Croton. And on the twelfth day they held a military parade in their honour led by noble Tyth-Chag and sturdy Nisus. Thus they mourned for the best of all men, great Croton of Southkeep.

[Ooe]

*clap, clap* Bravo! Nice one!

[Bloodgeon11]

i agree! Excellent! And here i was thinking that all fan fics had to be about Fallout! Great! Now i can submit a little midevil fantasy! Really, super job.

[Jimbo san]

Thank you, thank you...

[RoGuEHeX]

Have to agree, that was some good stuff!