Chapter 4, The Great War (Part II)
Fleeing back to Reytu in disgrace, Brie went through some sort of
metamorphosis. No longer did she think the Elves as the only threat to
her Empire. All of the world must bow down to her and pay homage, or
else all would be for naught.
Arriving back in Reytu, Brie immediately called for a celebration.
Since her army had been crushed, her advisors were quite perplexed at
this request, but they planned the party anyway.
The celebration was held in the courtyard of the palace. A few
short minutes into the party, Brie arose from her private chambers. She
was wearing a plate mail suit of armor, ornately decorated with gold and
platinum. At her side was a strange sword that seemed to have a slight
greenish tint to it. Brie strode to the raised dais that was in the
middle of the courtyard. As you made her way up the steps, a hush fell on
the crowd. She was not actually touching the steps as she walked up them!
Reaching the throne on top of the dais, she seated herself. Once
again, she was not actually touching the throne, but instead she was
hovering about three inches above it.
What happened next is clouded in many people's minds. One moment
Brie is seated on the throne, and the next moment the skies turn dark, a
dark cloud covers the area, and a bolt of lightning streaks from the sky
and strikes Brie with its full force.
When the smoke clears, Brie is left on the dais, grinning broadly.
The throne is gone, blasted by the lightning bolt. Brie remains there,
seemingly unhurt.
She raises her arms to the heavens and delivers a proclamation now known
as the 'Decree of Absolution'. In that Decree, Brie announces that she is
now an Immortal, and pledges to rid the world of all of the lesser races,
leaving only Humans to populate the Kalin continent, and any other continent
that has remained undiscovered.
Brie also reveals that the army destroyed at Elinost was only one fourth
of her total might. Reserves of troops, not known except to Brie's closest
confidants, are being assembled at this time, and will be ready to move out
the next day.
With that announcement, a large Blue Dragon appears in the distance.
People cry out in fear, as all Dragons, especially the Evil ones, are feared
greatly. The Dragon flies in closer, circling a few times for effect, and
then lands on the dais, at Brie's feet. The Dragon bows his regal head and
pledges allegiance to her. It seems that Brie now has other weapons in her
vast arsenal.
The very next day, Brie and most of her now-assembled army march out of
the capital city, bent on destroying anything that comes in their path.
Several Blue Dragons and a few Red Dragons are with the army. The date is
the first day of Embarcation, the first day of the year. This is later to
be known as the beginning of the Great War.
The army comes upon Sytgu, a medium-sized Halfling city that is about
forty miles from Reytu, in the Plains of Nereka. The Halflings never had a
chance. The city is leveled in a little under an hour, and all of the
inhabitants are killed. Nothing is left alive. The Dragons finish the job
by burning down the houses, shops, and other buildings, using their mighty
breath weapons. The city is almost completely wiped out.
With that victory, Brie continues marching south, destroying any village
and small town that comes in her path. Along the way, the army is harried by
continual assaults by the Knights of Nereka. The Knights do not agree with
her Decree, and are helping how they can. The Knights, using brilliant hit-
and-run tactics, are a thorn in Brie's side as she marches upon her previous
defeat at Elinost.
Reaching the Elven capital, Brie wages an all-out assault on the city.
The Dragons are part of the first wave, swooping low and using their terrible
breath weapons and mighty spells to wreak havoc on the Elves. During this
first wave of attack, Silver and Gold Dragons swoop down from the clouds and
attack the Red and Blue Dragons. Brie and her Dragons were caught offguard
with this attack, so the Dragons quickly fell back in confusion. The element
of surprise was on the Elves' side.
However, the number of Gold and Silver Dragons were quite a bit lower than
the Red and Blue Dragons. Knowing this, Brie's Dragons fought back with a
torrid ferocity.
Meanwhile, the ground troops attempted to take the city, but were pushed
back yet again. As with the first battle, the Elves had recruited a number of
Dwarves to help them, and those particular Dwarves help turn the tide of this
battle as well.
Although Brie could see that the Elves have suffered tremendous casualties,
after the first day of fighting she withdrew her troops to about five miles from
the city. No one but Brie knew her own agenda, as her advisors continually
pressed her to continue the assault.
Abruptly, Brie orders her army to march northeast, towards the Absinthe
Mountain Range. The Elves rejoice at this, as they believe her army is in
disarray.
Reaching the Mountains, she continues north with her army. The destination
of the army is soon known as the forces begin the descent into the Kal-Thax
valley. The Kal-Thax Stronghold prepares for an assault, the Dwarves quickly
assemble their forces and also attempt to fortify the Stronghold's walls as
much as they can.
Brie's army hits the Stronghold with full force. Luckily for the Dwarves,
the Dragons of Red and Blue are not with Brie. Those Dragons are still off and
fighting the Silver and Gold Dragons, somewhere to the south.
The walls of the Stronghold hold true, however, and Brie cannot breach
them. Finally, Brie withdraws her army yet again, and heads southeast towards
the Kendrite Sea.
The Dwarves emerge from their Stronghold, rejoicing. That rejoicing
quickly turns to mourning as they see the carnage left. Every outlying village
in the Kal-Thax valley was wiped out. The bodies of the slain Dwarves are all
hung from large poles that had been erected near the Stronghold walls.
Meanwhile, Brie's army marches upon the Minotaur city of Minot. Brie
had earlier made a truce with the Minotaurs, but she was about to break that
pact in a big way.
Brie's army took the city in about a month. The battered Minotaurs put up
a valiant fight, however a large typhoon had emerged near the coastal city and
had destroyed almost all of the Minotaur Navy. Without the Navy, which was the
primary source of Minot's defenses, the Minotaurs could do next to nothing
except die in battle.
In taking the city, Brie's army took heavy losses. Knowing this, the
nearby patrol of Knights that were sent to observe her movements performed
a mid-day attack on the western flank of the army. This flank contained most
of the archers and footsoldiers of Brie's army. The Knights mowed through the
ranks of the enemy soldiers, cutting them down by the hundreds.
The Knight's attack was quite effective, however not to the Knighthood's
liking. Brie had suspected that this attack would come. Later that day she
caught the Knights in an ambush and slaughtered all but two of the Knights.
Brie left for Reytu, taking the two captured Knights, and leaving Minot in
the hands of her subordinates.
Brie arrives in Reytu, and calls for the preparation of a ritual. The
specifics of the ritual are only know to her it seems. Only about twenty
people are present at this mysterious ritual, including the two captured
Knights. During the ritual, it is revealed that Brie is actually the daughter
of Xenei, a Major Immortal. A mortal woman gave birth to Brie after she was
seduced by the Evil Immortal. When Brie was about fifteen, she murdered her
mother and set out to fulfil her destiny. She hungered for a place in the
Chaos Plane, side by side with her father.
At the end of the ritual, Brie kills the two knights with her own
hands, casting a powerful spell on their souls, trapping them to do her
bidding. Suddenly, Brie vanished.
Meanwhile, the city of Minot was being re-taken by a large army of
Minotaurs, arriving in a fleet of ships from somewhere across the Sea. They
re-take the city and force Brie's army to flee back to Reytu.
At this time, Brie has ascended to the Chaos Plane and is fighting
most of the Immortals. Brie, being only half-Immortal, should have been
destroyed right there, however her father, Xenei, was helping her.
Back on the mortal Plane, the world was recovering from a devastating
war that had sprawled across the entire continent. Entire races had come
close to being completely destroyed.
With Brie gone, her top General, Hyphus, assumed the mantle of Emperor of
the Reytu Empire. Hyphus, long disillusioned with Brie, realized that peace
would be the only chance for Reytu's survival. He assured the world that Reytu
would not be attacking anyone. After five long years of battles and war, the
Great War was just about over.
Brie waged her own war in the Chaos Plane for over a year. Helped by her
father, she came very close to becoming an Immortal herself. However, Kertaine
and a few other Immortals combined their powers and finally destroyed Brie.
Before dying, Brie cursed the entire Empire of Reytu. In her final death
throes, she cursed Reytu with a decaying disease that would consume it within
one year.
Unfortunately for the Reytu Empire, this curse came true. Within one
year, nothing was left of the entire Empire. Many thousands of people wasted
away to nothing, buildings collapsed, cities fell in on themselves, and every
herd of livestock died of a mysterious plague.
The Reytu Empire was now lost to all but History, and the world greeted
a new day that promised peace for everyone.
The present Year format honors the Great War, as the years are counted
ahead of that first year of the Great War, heading for peace.