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StevieS 07-28-04, 04:12 PM

As spring turned to summer in Onnwal, the wharves of Kildeer and Sornhill still lay in smouldering ruins, the legacy of the desperate battle against the Scarlet Sign known now as the Blood Dimmed Tide. Surveying the damage to his capital and listening to the laments of the kin of the fallen, Szek Jian Destron swore that the Free State would strike back at the invader and strike hard. Intelligence from Free Onnwal’s new Ahlissan allies and from the Jade Mask, the shadowy spies of the Iron League, reported that the armies of the Scarlet Sign were yet to fully recover from their repulse upon the wharves of Onnwal’s largest towns. The foes of freedom were as yet in disarray and thinly stretched, leaving the strategically important village of Tessak’s Cove scantly defended, the infamous Kesh Palis Sharn commanding but a small force of Pomarji Euroz there. Recent victories upon land have been credited to the intervention of Turrosh Mak’s Pomarji Euroz mercenaries who had landed the port, the ancestral seat of the House of Maldrenn. Depriving the Brotherhood and their allies of Tessak’s Cove would relieve the pressure upon the Storm Coast and place Free State forces on the flank of enemy formations in the Gildenlea to the south. His Prominence, Kiernal Maldrenn, Baron Gearnwal, was, understandably, foremost in those in support of an attack. Although some saw avenging the murder of his brother and recovery of his lands as the baron’s true motives, many also saw merit in the plan, provided the attack held the advantage of surprise to prevent the Brotherhood from drawing up reserves from the Gildenlea or Bergardbridge to re-enforce the defenders. The main assault was to be by sea. The 4th Braeted, ‘The Cliffrunners’, led by Braetern Veralan Halwyr, and carried aboard ships of the Ahlissan Imperial Fleet, were to make an amphibious assault on the town. Yet before the brave troops of the 4th could be landed, a diversion would be required to distract the defenders. More importantly, the siege engines atop the brooding monolith of castle Maldrenn needed to be silenced before they wreaked fiery havoc among the ships. The Free State turned to its heroes, patriots and freeswords to undertake this most crucial of missions together with a select company of the Cliffrunners led by Sir Dorlan Maldrenn, Glaive of Azharadian and son of Baron Maldrenn. Under the cover of a seasonal Gearnat storm, the heroes of Free Onnwal came by stealth within sight of Tessak’s Cove mere minutes before the dawn landings. With cries of ‘Remember the Farmers!” they launched their assault. In reply, great red trolls immune to both fire and acid sprang from hidden pits, while the Euroz of the Pomarj held the palisade walls around the castle proper. Berserker barbarians of the Drachensgrab and one eyed cultists of Gruumsh fought as though the whips of their masters were upon their backs. Brave Sir Dorlan led the assault launching himself into the fray as spellfire played upon the battlements. A griffon rider swooped upon the enemy, wreaking havoc among them, while despite the gale archers traded clothyard shafts with the defenders before being forced into cover. As sails emerged from the driving rain, bearing down upon the cove, the gates of the palisade were finally breached. The assault upon the castle proper began as the siege engines let loose upon the Ahlissan ships. Sir Dorlan and a knight of Fortubo crashed through the breach followed by an Olven ranger who was immediately cut down by a savage barbarian. Arrows rained down from the square-built Oeridian keep, yet the patriots of Onnwal pressed home the attack, slaughtering all who stood before them as the first Ahlissan longboats scraped their keels upon the sand. The warriors of the 4th Braeted swarmed up the beach and into the keep, Baron Maldrenn amongst the first ashore, resplendent in his gleaming full-plate. The remaining defenders fought with the fury of trapped vermin and many of Free Onnwal’s finest were lost. Yet, by the close of day, the Green and Gold flew once more over Maldrenn castle and Tessak’s Cove. However, a thorough search found no sign of Kesh Palis Sharn. Captured Euroz later confirmed what many feared - that he had fled during the fighting. Although the infamous Sharn escaped the vengeance of Free Onnwal, the day’s prize had been gained. The Brotherhood and their allies were routed and Tessak’s Cove liberated from the Scarlet Tyranny. From Tessak’s Cove, the assault on the outer defences of Scant can begin and with that perhaps an end to the oppression of the Scarlet Sign.