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#Post#: 1215--------------------------------------------------
429 AC The War to Retake Qualinesti Story Two: The Third Attempt
By: Dungeon Master Date: August 11, 2025, 4:02 pm
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[center]The War to Retake Qualinesti
vol. I
Story Two: The Third Attempt
Chapter One: Third Time’s a Charm
Characters created by Margaret Weis, Laura, and Tracy
Hickman[/center]
Western Ansalon
Across the White Rage River From Qualinesti
429 AC Winter Come
The leaves have already fallen due to powerful windstorms from
the north and west. The changing of the season marks the coming
snows of Winter Come to fall on the Qualinesti region.
Porthios and Kerianseray finally agree on a Home Base to begin
from since the goblins have taken the old ruins they were using.
Both bark orders to establish a perimeter and get Windriders up
and fly a perimeter. Keri sends a Kagonesti group out to probe
how close the Goblin lines are.
While Porthios and Kerianseray oversee the Base construction,
Samar sees to Lady Alhana’s canvas shade, seeing that it is
secure. Alhana thanks him and sends him to see what is being
done about dinner. Once the perimeter is secure, the elven
Wildrunners and scouts go about setting up camp. The tents go up
and are secured. The rows are reinforced to limit the buildup of
mud when the rains come in. The Next project is to make this
place livable through the winter. We will work with our
Kagonesti brethren for the best ways to do that. Porthios speaks
with Kerianseray, and she relays it to the Kagonesti much more
concisely than he could.
That night, Queen Kerianseray, Porthios, and Alhana share a meal
in Alhana’s tent. It is almost as large as the command tent, and
seats them comfortably. Over the courses that have been
prepared, they enjoy a bit of wine from Silvanesti to celebrate
their return to the task at hand.
Kerianseray asks if Porthios remembers what they talked about
the last time they were in this proximity to Qualinesti?
He looks at her and answers, “Not a night has gone by that I
have not given it some consideration. We talked about me burying
the hatchet with Talidaar Half-Elven and trying to convince him
to aid our cause.”
Kerianseray asks, “Well?”
“It is a matter of politics. He had prior engagements that meant
he could not come here directly from Inath-Wakenti. He had a
prior commitment to the Emperor of Ergoth to see to a matter of
dead Imperial surveyors possibly tied back to the Kagonesti that
have remained on Southern Ergoth, or his Druid Order on Southern
Ergoth.”
Kerianseray asks, “Why is this his problem?”
“Nearly all of his family is in Gwynned at the current moment,
and the foreseeable while.” Porthios answers.
Kerianseray says, “Son of a ****.”
Porthios begins, “I figure we see what is going on with some
deep insertion scouting missions. We don’t want a full-on war
yet. I want to give the Half-Elf time to accomplish his task and
come here and handle the negotiations. I can’t believe he has
gotten me to say this, but if there is a way to limit the moves
to win, without bringing down death and destruction, we have a
chance of not being overrun.”
Kerianseray “That is reasonable in theory. Small teams that hide
and observe. We will have to work out an extraction.
Porthios answers, “Mt. Thelalan is the only place that makes it
possible for extraction.”
Alhana joins the conversation now, “Really, that far south?
Porthios nods and says, It’s the highest point that we know is
halfway friendly. After the initial insertions and after we get
them out, I want to put a full-time base up there.
Kerianseray’s forehead knots up and says, “That is pretty
ambitious, maybe a bit aggressive. But maybe that is what we
need. We are going to have to play this right until the
Hierophant arrives.”
They look over the possible troop lists that they know came with
them. They look toward the names of wildrunners that they know
can pull off the job. Several veterans known to Porthios could
pull it off.
See The Order of Battle for the War to Retake Qualinesti
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By the time Queen Kerianseray heads back to her tent for the
night, she and Porthios have decided on a Deep Insertion Team
that will be dropped far behind enemy lines, and they determine
their objectives. The Deep Insertion Team will all be outfitted
with Elven Cloaks for the mission’s duration to increase the
mission’s chance for success. They both agree that more aerial
reconnaissance is necessary before we insert the group.
Deep Insertion Team
Captain Tanaril Qualinesti Wildrunner Male
Ithriel Wildrunner Kirath Female
Blood Heart Kagonesti Female -Healer
Night Hunter Kagonesti Male
Faelion Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Male
Lirael Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Female
#Post#: 1231--------------------------------------------------
War to Retake Qualinesti Story Two: The Third Attempt Chapter Tw
o: The enemy of your enemy is your friend
By: Dungeon Master Date: August 18, 2025, 10:41 pm
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[center]War to Retake Qualinesti
vol. I
Story Two: The Third Attempt
Chapter Two: The enemy of your enemy is your friend [/center]
Western Ansalon
Near Qualinesti
Onyx Hall
Winter winds blow across the plains in the north and come south,
right into the forest. The trees creek, and the wind howls.
The wind rattles against the windows of the hall. Inside, the
fireplace is crackling and blazing, bringing warmth to the hall.
Candles and lamps on the tables, along with the fireplaces,
provide the illumination in the black hall. Lord Egil Liveskill
leads the Knight of the Lilly faction from the Onyx Hall, as he
is the Lord of the Onyx Order, made up of Knights of the Lily
whose primary goal is to eliminate any foreign enemies for the
Knighthood.
They are extremely dutiful to the code and ever watchful of the
other Knight of Neraka factions. He has just been given a
message from a patrol from the north. It would seem that his
patrols are being picked off, and overseers are turning up dead
in Qualinesti. He calls for his scribe and has an angrily
forthright letter taken and sent to the Supreme Goblin General
Azog, inquiring about who is killing his knights in the north.
Meanwhile, in the north and all over,
The Windriders have ruled the night these last weeks. There is
no doubt that opportunistic Green Dragons might have moved in
while they have been away, but so far, their dominance of the
Northern skies has been kept to times as coordinated by the
command structure. The Windriders are flying at different times
and have been gathering information and targeting different
areas. They have zeroed in on a particular area because it has
shown signs indicative of possibly being the Goblin Leadership.
It is unassuming and not some palace. Simple hovels that have a
lot of foot traffic to and from. They have not ruled out the
possibility that the Goblins might have begun digging tunnel
systems.
A Windrider, Qualinesti Tamerlan Stormwalker, and her Griffon,
Wingdancer, observe movement and stay out of sight, and follow
from a distance. They follow the courier hand off to the
hobgoblin sentry, and a worg rider and take the message to a
small grouping of hovels that have stack openings to allow the
outflow of smoke.
Inside,
Azog is around the fire at his hovel, covered up around his
shoulders with blankets. He considers this message for a good
while, and he begins to smile.
He has been thinking about this old human expression, rolling it
around in his head, since he first came by the information that
the Elves have returned. They are being, what is the word,
surgical. Goblins have not been getting killed, but some knights
are. Someone has made a decision to limit Gobin's deaths,
perhaps, and go after Dark Knights only. Maybe as an indication
they might be willing to make a side deal, and so the expression
has been coming back to him The enemy of your enemy is your
friend.
He calls for his scribe to write precisely what he tells him.
The answer back to Lord Knight Egil Liveskill: Wild Elves rose
and threatened to become a problem, but they were eliminated and
put down." He looks over the human words, reads, adds some of
his own flourishes, and signs it. It is salted, and the scribe
rolls it up, and they melt wax, and Azog affixes his signet and
forms the seal, and places it into the messenger's Scrollcase,
and it is handed off to the rider to return the message.
Windrider Tamerlan Stormwalker and her Griffon, Wingdancer,
watch the process and return to base.
#Post#: 1258--------------------------------------------------
429 AC The War to Retake Qualinesti Story Two: The Third Attempt
Chapter Three: Special Mission
By: Dungeon Master Date: September 15, 2025, 5:16 am
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[center]War to Retake Qualinesti
vol. I
Story Two: The Third Attempt
Chapter Three: Special Mission [/center]
Night before the deployment
Porthios and Alhana are talking outside under the moonlight
about diplomacy and restraint. She praises him for this tact.
He blames the Hierophant. “His arguments and instincts will
work. I just have to give him time to enact them, but I can
start getting things moved in that direction. As much as he has
no problem killing Goblins in any number to free Qualinesti, if
he does not have to, he is not a butcher, He will give the
Half-Elf the winter to settle his affairs, otherwise the War
will begin without him. I think it is a good plan that he has
come up with, I will help him get it started.”
They get to get her pavilion tent, and she hugs him, and they
hug tightly in their winter parkas. In a rare showing of public
affection, she kisses her husband. They sleep together in the
same bed that night.
The Next morning
Captain Tanaril Qualinesti Wildrunner is given orders to report
to the CP.* His orders were explained to him by Queen
Kerianseray and Porthios themselves. Their orders are to be
inserted close to the target. Approach the target and deliver
the message, your discretion, even by messenger arrow to a place
that will get to the Goblin General for his eyes only, or his
trusted aide, however you get it there, you will have to get
confirmation, at your discretion.
They talk about his assigned Team for a short time.
The Deep Team all have Cloaks of Elven Kind
Captain Tanaril Qualinesti Wildrunner Male
Ithriel Wildrunner Kirath Female
Blood Heart Kagonesti Female -Healer
Night Hunter Kagonesti Male
Faelion Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Male
Lirael Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Female
Later that night,
The Insertion drops them off close to their destination, deep
inside Qualinesti that night.
The Deep Team all have Cloaks of Elven Kind
Captain Tanaril Qualinesti Wildrunner Male
Ithriel Wildrunner Kirath Female
Blood Heart Kagonesti Female -Healer
Night Hunter Kagonesti Male
Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Male
Lirael Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Female
The team jumps free of the griffons, and they climb back into
the sky, then skim the treetops and head to the extraction
point. The team disappears into the brush with their cloaks and
waits for the orders of the Team leader.
Captain Tanaril tells the Kirath** (Ithriel) to take point, “get
us closer to the target, check our path forward.”
Captain Tanaril tells Night Hunter to fall back and watch our
tail and the flanks. The Captain tells Lirael Archer to cover
the healer and Faelion to fall in after the Kirtah, and the
Captain tells him he will be right behind him.
The Order to the Target Area
Ithriel Wildrunner Kirath Female. Point position
Faelion Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Male
Captain Tanaril Qualinesti Wildrunner Male
Blood Heart Kagonesti Female -Healer
Lirael Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Female
Night Hunter Kagonesti Male Tail Position
Ithriel, at the Point position, starts moving Northwest, careful
not to set off any traps, and she is cautious in her quiet
steps, moving toward the target area.
For Captain Tanaril, this mission is a chance to visit what is
left of his homeland, but that is a secondary, or even tertiary
concern. The focus is quietly advancing toward its target.
They travel through the Qualinesti woods in the night. It is a
strange feeling for all of the elves.
They don’t have to travel long before they come across the
target area, and Ithriel at the Point position signals down the
line to hide and approach, keep down. The Captain comes forward
and tells Blood Heart to pass the word back to Lirael to Night
Hunter. Night Hunter is now the Point Position. Stay where he is
and cover our path to the extraction.
Captain Tanaril tells Faelion to site out the middle residence
and target the message arrow next to the door handle. Captain
Tanaril signals to everyone to be ready for trouble, but stay
cool. We have to wait for a response. The captain tells Faelion
to take his shot and make it count.
The Silvanesti Aracher Faelion is already targeted in; he lets
loose and has already adjusted for windspeed from the west. The
arrow strikes the door frame next to the handle. After a few
moments, a goblin's hand pulls the arrow out and brings it
inside the hovel.
The Elves nervously wait for an answer.
Inside the hovel,
The Goblin General Azog takes the whole arrow into his hovel and
over to his table and uses a magnifying glass to observe the
arrow’s make and authenticity, and unscrews the head and
receives the message inside and unfolds it. It is from the
Lioness. He makes out the common tongue writing, he puts down
the magnifying glass, retrieves his reading glasses, and reads
down the message.
Hail General Azog, this message is on behalf of the Elves, and
the Hierophant of Merwellyn, hoping to enter into a dialogue as
to the future prospects of the Goblin race and that of the Elves
in this region. So far, we have tried to limit our attacks on
the Knights of Neraka in the region. The Hierophant is tied up
with previous engagements, but expect him to arrive by Spring.
In the meantime, we do not want a war with the goblins, but we
will in the spring to get our country back, unless we can head
off that avenue with talks and guarantees. Please send a reply
if you are willing to send a representative to New Ports to
conduct talks on your behalf. Show light from your front door if
you are willing to enter into talks to stave off War.
Azog writes a short reply, folds up the reply, and places it
back in the Menage tube in the arrow and replaces the arrowhead.
He takes his short bow and fires at a tree in the near distance,
and he takes a stick and sets it on fire in the Stove furnace.
He then takes the fire stick and lights a candle, opens his
door, and holds the candle in front of him for a while.
The elves that have eyes on the door see the gesture, while
Ithriel retrieves the messenger arrow and passes it back to
Faelion to Captain Tanaril. He takes the arrowhead off, opens
the message tube, and retrieves the reply. It is quick. He says
he agrees to no War. He hates being a subject of the Black
Knights. He wants freedom for his people. He will send a
negotiator to New Ports. Messages can be sent through the
ambassador and can be considered official correspondence between
us in the future.
Captain Tanaril tells Blood Heart to pass the word to Night
Hunter to move out, heading toward the extraction point. The
team follows Night Hunter to the extraction point in the south,
at Mt. Thelalan.
The Order Outbound
Night Hunter Kagonesti Male Point Position
Lirael Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Female
Blood Heart Kagonesti Female -Healer
Captain Tanaril Qualinesti Wildrunner Male
Faelion Silvanesti Archer Wildrunner Male
Ithriel Wildrunner Kirath Female. Ithriel takes up the rear Tail
Position and covers the flanks.
The Insertion team travels into the night...
CP* Command Post
Kirath** A Silvanesti Scout offshoot of the Wildrunners, created
during Porthios's quest to take back Silvanesti from the
remnants of Lorac's Dream Manifestations.
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