$150k Milestone Goal (and beyond) / NPC Expansions / Nearing the next Backer Goal / Add-Ons Available / Clash of the Factions: Round 12
about 5 years ago
– Wed, Mar 20, 2019 at 06:25:13 PM
Yesterday was a wild ride and today looks to be no exception! We've unlocked a milestone goal upgrading this book to the highest quality of paper and ink available. With all the upgrades we've done to enhance the overall quality of this book, what could the last two goals possibly be? If we get enough backers in the final hours, hopefully we can unlock both of them and maximize the quality of this epic tome!
Every $5k we progress adds to the plethora of unlocked stretch goals but this time in the form of special NPC expansions as a separate PDF that everyone gets. The tangled web continues to tighten as the story expands with this incredibly detailed characters and the stories behind each one. Can we unlock them all before the Kickstarter ends?
We're getting close to unlocking another Backer Goal! As I write this we have 1,430 backers and need just 1,500 to reveal the next special add-on item. Can we make it before the Kickstarter ends?
So many incredible items have been unlocked through this campaign, making the Rise of the Drow a complete experience you can fully immerse your players within, just like the Underdark itself!
Here's the full list of add-ons followed by directions on how to adjust your pledge in case there's anything you'd like to pick up before the Kickstarter ends. If you are happy with your pledge the way it is, please leave it be! We are just grateful to have your support, which makes this project possible. Thank you!
To include an add-on item as part of your pledge, do the following steps:
4. Adjust the amount of your pledge by adding the funds to cover the cost of the add-on item you want to include.
5. Click on the "Continue" button after adding funds, and then click the “Confirm” button.
That’s all you need to do! When the campaign ends we will send a survey out to all backers where you will have the option to indicate which add-on item you provided additional funds to receive.
Clash of the Factions has nearly come to an end. The final round will be posted later tonight or tomorrow morning and ends with Round 13. Let me say, it sure went out with a bang!
I've had the most amazing time playing this game with you, and look forward to the future Fantasy Grounds game we are planning. If you'd like to be included in this large, online game, please let me know via private messages and I'll make sure to keep you in the loop. No need to send a message if you're already on the Discord servers, I'll be in touch.
DOMINION
Word from our scouting parties told of a battle in the caverns during an exploration excursion. What should have been routine at this point turned into a disastrous misunderstanding. It had appeared the vestraadi, and by extension the Outsiders, had turned on the Dominion. Several of the creatures were striking out against members of our forces as we believed. Our commander proved the most level-headed, and beseeched our allies; communications were strong and it appeared both sides were unaware of the skirmish, the vestraadi were rogues, acting entirely on their own and without the Outsiders' orders (or so the Dominion thought).
The vestraadi continued to attack so the drow dealt with them accordingly, slaying the lot of them and freeing a large group of drow, trapped in a cave. This bolstered the forces of the Dominion considerably! (Written by the Dominion)
(+2 DICE TO DOMINION!)
OUTSIDERS
Secret info from last round (Round 11) -- It is only now being revealed that the Outsiders didn't actually discover ore in the fires of the earth last round, they discovered something much more sinister!
The Outsiders delved deep into the earth and discovered a group of Gitwerc living near the fires of Hel. The Gitwerc offered their services to help the Outsiders dominate their enemies so long as drow souls could be fed to the Gitwerc, the Outsiders agreed and forged a pact with the evil dwarves of the Underworld. They would turn on their Dominion allies as soon as they returned. -- End of secret info from last round --
A group of Upperworlders approached the Outsiders' settlement in the hopes of trading and calming down the current situation between the factions. Loser stepped out and listened to what was offered. After a bit of discussion, the two leaders came to an agreement, food and weaponry was traded between the two factions. A small detente that produced profitable for both parties. (Written by the Outsiders)
(+1 DIE FROM TRADING WITH UPPERWORLDERS / LOST -1 DIE FROM VESTRAADI BATTLE)
REBELS
The Rebels decided to explore below. They went to the deepest part of the underworld! After much effort they discovered a strange temple where Dvergr gather. These semi-evil and isolated dwarves were standoffish and reluctant to interact. At first they even refused to speak with the Rebels, but after much impassioned pleas, met to talk. Finally, an agreement was reached to give up all magic items found in the future in exchange for their support. (Written by the Rebels)
(+2 DICE TO REBELS!)
UPPERWORLDERS
The Upperworlders headed underground with carts of fish. Meeting with some Outsider scouts, they brokered a trade. The Outsiders agreed to trade some scavenged drow and dwarven weapons and armor for the freshly caught fish. Both parties left the meet happy with their new supplies. (Written by the Upperworlders)
1,250 Backers = Goal Unlocked! Character Reveal: Makinnga! Last Chance for Add-Ons (Final Hours!) NPC GALLERY EXPANSION! Clash of the Factions: Round 11
about 5 years ago
– Wed, Mar 20, 2019 at 01:19:02 AM
You've done it! 1,250 Backers!
That's right, you went and gathered enough friends to invade the Underworld and back this Kickstarter! Well, we are ready to do the special reveal/unlock of the 1250 Backer Goal...
UNDERWORLD FACTION T-SHIRTS!
Yes, now you can truly REPRESENT the Underworld by choosing a faction and an awesome T which fits you best.
~Do you prefer guile and subterfuge? Dominate your enemies with the DOMINION!
~Do you tend to stick to the shadows? Are you a little different than the other children? Reach out from the darkness and take what you want with the OUTSIDERS!
~Are you stoic, stalwart, and honorable to the end? Stand your ground and fight for what's right with the REBELS!
~Do you prefer the clean, open air but are driven by greed and wanderlust? Delve into the darkness with the UPPERWORLDERS!
CHARACTER REVEAL: Makinnga
Makinnga, Youngest Daughter of House Gullion, Theurgist Gatekeeper of the Crypt of Gullion
Makinnga was an oddity from the moment of her birth; two of her great, great, great grandparents showed up at the moment of her arrival, which may not seem so strange for long-lived elves, except they had both been dead for more than 500 years, killed in the war against the gold wyrm Calanthaxtorishal and his troops. Ucecarne and Venthori had been a cleric and wizard of renown, respectively, not just in House Gullion but across the city, and had been at the vanguard of the war. Yet the dragon had swept them away along with their undead forces using multiple sunbursts even as they bought precious time for the rest of the defenders to rally themselves.
They appeared at Makinnga's mother's bedside with two gifts that were unexpected, strange, horrific, and yet beguiling all at the same time; a periapt of foul rotting and a scarab of death. Ignoring the protestations of all the others in the room, not least Makinnga's mother, Ucecarne the wizard placed the scarab into Makinnga's right hand as Venthori the cleric pressed the periapt into her left. Drow are accustomed to their gods working in ways which constantly challenge and test their faith, so this wasn't a surprise; what happened was. Makinnga clutched the two items in the way any very small child would and simply giggled, with no sign of ill effect from either.
The infant wouldn’t give them up and nobody wanted to take hold of them, so the onlookers waited until she fell asleep and allowed them to both drop into small lead boxes decorated with ritualistically-blessed platinum, and stored them as birth gifts celebrating the miracle that is Makinnga.
As she grew, Makinnga was visited on rare occasions by Ucecarne and Venthori, but only when she was alone. Many of House Gullion thought the young girl made these encounters up, but if they openly disbelieved her they often found themselves in possession of one or the other of her birth-gifts and that was their lot. Others noted that as time went by, Makinnga attracted more than her fair share of interest from the undead workers and soldiers of the city. On trips away from the house, even just around the city, skeletons and zombies would begin to trail after her, often away from their clerical mistresses, and had to be led back to their homes. Incorporeal undead would rise out of crypts at her approach, often through other drow, yet cause no harm to either Makinnga or the unfortunate individual in the way of their path. The young drow thought this hugely amusing and would laugh joyfully at the uproar it caused. At other times, Makinnga's guardians would frantically search for the missing child only to find a wraith, specter, or vampire had somehow taken her offered hand and was showing her its home.
When questioned, the undead had no real idea why or how they were doing so, answering only that it felt the right thing to do for the child and anyway, what harm could it do. This last point was seemingly true; although no different from any other drow with regard to any kind of immunity, it just seemed that the creatures liked Makinnga and had no wish to hurt her. The girl felt the same way about the corpses and spirits with whom she spent most of her time.
This affinity and mutual trust were in stark contrast to her time with the living. While Makinnga readily absorbed both divine and arcane knowledge about death and necromancy, she showed few-to-no social skills with her family or peers and was shunned by both if at all possible. A more-than-able scholar, Makinnga gradually withdrew from the drow community to spend time amongst, and then live almost exclusively with, the undead community of House Gullion. Moving into the crypts, she learned of passages and paths that others considered as legends at best and more likely myths. She found relics of ancient, long-lost members of House Gullion, and then once the tales of her abilities spread, those of other families, for a fee of course. These abilities only added to the aura of mystique that surrounded Makinnga and that was how she liked things to be. She never courted these tales or beliefs, but as she found mixing with the living problematic, being given a chance to mix with the dead suited her well.
Eventually, although still very young for a drow, Makinnga was given the pivotal role of looking after the crypts and corpses of House Gullion. Since then she has raised and created a veritable army of undead creatures, all of which have sworn an oath of timeless loyalty to her. Makinnga herself shows no outward sign of abusing this position and throws herself further and further into understanding the ways of the afterlife. She has complete trust in the protection these creatures provide for her, while they, in return, seem to appreciate all that she does for them; healing, mending, stabilizing, strengthening and generally protecting them is her life's work. She is still visited by many powerful creatures and is feted as some kind of channel between the worlds of the living and unloving thanks in part to this spell.
Her staff of necromancy was a coming-of-age gift from a drow lich that turned up riding a gargantuan nightmare. Since then, no one has questioned her dealings with the undead.
Makinnga has indeed pledged herself to the unliving and strives to better understand how to make, deal with, care for, and live amongst their kind. She has no wish to control them in the conventional sense and much of her necromantic efforts are to show the undead that she has their best interests at heart. She is happy to place undead above the living and to put their needs ahead of those of house, something that used to cause great consternation but is now of little consequence as virtually no living drow approach her.
The Matron Mother trusts Makinnga explicitly, even if she doesn't quite understand the child; if nothing else she uses Makinnga and her birth gifts to occasionally discipline other house members, slaves and, naturally, enemies.
For herself, Makinnga is happy and comfortable with the life she leads, tending to her adoring army, meeting with the incorporeal agents that turn up in her rooms and fending off the advancements of vampire, lich, death-knight and nightwalker alike. Her only concern is that she will eventually attract the attention of the Prince of the Undead States; she is not worried about him in himself, only of the test of loyalty that the meeting will surely bring (but that is a tale for another time).
To include an add-on item as part of your pledge, do the following steps:
4. Adjust the amount of your pledge by adding the funds to cover the cost of the add-on item you want to include.
5. Click on the "Continue" button after adding funds, and then click the “Confirm” button.
That’s all you need to do! When the campaign ends we will send a survey out to all backers where you will have the option to indicate which add-on item you provided additional funds to receive.
Starting at $140k we've begun unlocking something special for ALL BACKERS at any pledge level! For every $5k in funds we advance in the campaign from here on out, we'll add on a full expansion for a notable NPC in the Rise of the Drow storyline. This will help bind the story of these characters and the tangled web they weave will grow even tighter. This supplement will be provided as a PDF for all backers $1 and up!
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!"
Sir Walter Scott, 1808
DOMINION
The city remains quiet through the passing time. There is of course the sound of building and rebuilding, the sound of riding lizard feet and drow patrols among the stone. But it is the sounds of a city alive and healing, of reforming. No attacks darkened the drow's doorsteps and no calls for aid deafened their ears.
The Dominion had something they hadn’t experienced in many days, tentative peace. A collected sigh and regroupment. There would always be schemes building and breaking even in the growing city, but it was strong with life and flourishing. Even the pettiness of daily life seemed to pause of just long enough for the welcoming of the albino spider to the place of worship in the city of Holoth. (Written by the Dominion)
(NO CHANGE IN DICE!)
OUTSIDERS
Tatter Wings log day....... well, we’re in the underground so that really doesn't matter does it?
After the Outsiders suffered a defeat by the hands of the surface dwellers, Loxar was drowning his sorrows in fungus wine. It was decided that Scarlet, a fellow ahooling, Bubble a vestraadi, Munter a hulking funglet, and myself venture into the darkness to find something pretty for a crocodilian liege.
The Outsiders choose to venture down a hot dark path, keeping our eyes open for shinies. We were attacked by a trio of Umber Hulks, had it just been the four of us we would have been crushed, but luckily Commander Loxar heard of our foolhardy mission and came to our Aid. The Outsiders were able to hold them at bay, but unfortunately we did have to flee.
Our flight took us to a cave, an underground volcanic cavern where we found a strange radioactive infused ore which would later be used to forge some of the best weapons and armor in the Underworld. We rested there and decided to collect the clearly infused material. On the way back we killed those loathsome umber Hulks that tried to attack us......oh what sweet blood they had to drink. (Written by the Outsiders)
(+2 DICE TO OUTSIDERS)
REBELS/
UPPERWORLDERS
(combined post)
After an unexpected, suspicious drow ally named Hatae showed up in Rybalka, the Bulwark (Upperworlder/Rebel Alliance) had to figure out what to do with her. Through intense interrogations and intimate discussions, the Bulwark decided she was free to walk the city so long as she remained with her escort. The Upperworlders, still suspicious, had a discussion within the high council chambers. They decided to spread some false information in hopes of drawing out Hatae as a traitor. In public, they laid out a plan to attack the Dominion, with no hope of returning. In private, they planned to explore on the surface.
Hearing the Upperworlders plan, the rebels strengthened their guard. The Upperworlders left heading towards the entrance to the underworld and doubled back to explore. They found the gates to the dweorg city of Stoneholme but were denied entrance. A few returned to Rybalka to gather some dwarven allies who would hopefully have better luck and returned to Stoneholme. This time they were allowed entrance into the city. Upon meeting with the mayor, their request of aid was turned down. So, the Upperworlders and Rebels returned to Rybalka. (Written by Upperworlders & Rebels)
(NO CHANGE IN DICE)
CHARACTER REVEAL: Gyloof
about 5 years ago
– Sun, Mar 17, 2019 at 08:47:32 PM
CHARACTER REVEAL: Gyloof
Gyloof, Eldest Son of House Gullion, Slave Overseer
Gyloof was never comfortable with either the out-and-out evil nature of those around him or the chaotic, unpredictable tendencies of many of his family, elders or peers; how could anything be achieved if the unexpected always had to be considered? In his mind everything took too long to acquire or was too expensive, too unwieldy or not the desired result. There had to be a better way to succeed with less effort to do what needed to be done. This wasn't a line of thought that the worshipers of the Great Mother were inclined to permit and Gyloof, even as a young drow, had to keep almost all of what he believed to himself (no small task when everything around him raised his ire because it cost his family and therefore him more than it ought to). Eventually he found a way to explore his ideas and entered himself into a remote drow monastery when he came of age.
He did this without telling any of his family save the Matron Mother, whose initial anger was tempered when Gyloof explained his hopes and aims. He would spend time learning the ways of the drow monks, hone his own fighting prowess and then return to oversee the family's slaves. One of the biggest problems other families had with slaves was that they occasionally organized themselves into a rebellion which, at best, meant either the house lost workers as a result of the deaths of the rebels or, at worst, the family was killed by the insurgent (who then escaped). Gyloof reasoned that by having a clearer understanding of a structured approach to life he would be less likely to fall foul of organized schemes and plans of escape. The Matron Mother agreed and Gyloof disappeared from the family home.
A lawful approach to life is difficult for any drow because the usual inclination is to step on other dark elves in any way possible to rise through the ranks. The monastery was different because all respect was due to those above you and shadowy killings were dealt with severely. Gyloof suffered at first, frequently unable to restrain his un-drow-like strength when faced with tiresome tasks and stinging rebukes. His outbursts were never so great that the elder monks wished to remove him, yet weren't so infrequent or punishment-worthy that the whip marks upon his back didn't cause near-constant pain.
Gyloof learned much from the monastery: how to push someone so far that they became compliant without breaking; how to intimidate when seeming to be charming; how to punish painfully yet not lethally; how to marshal your own energies and maintain control at the same time as achieving your aims and desires. The power this approach gave to an individual in a chaotic society seemed limitless.
After enough seasons to gain a strong grounding in these ordered ways, Gyloof returned to his family with the ability to defend his views mentally and physically. He was taller, stronger, better prepared and planned than any of his peers or competitors. While never going to achieve rank through magic or outright chicanery, Gyloof grew into an invaluable member of the family, one who quelled unrest, established acquiescence within the slaves and workers, and allowed energy to be used elsewhere, He was known for strength and power in an unphysical world. It was his success at getting and keeping slaves that allowed Maelora to have a constant supply of energy for her plans. But Gyloof never made show of this; he just knew he had become indispensable to the Matron Mother, taking her rewards and admiration whenever and however it came.
Gyloof's control over the slaves is a straightforward but effective one. He has installed a competitive system that rewards the successful without overtly punishing the unsuccessful excessively (at least by drow standards). At any time he has three "Regimental Sergeant Majors" running three separate groups. This position cannot be held for more than six lunar cycles and is one of ultimate accountability for all those underneath you. Each is allowed to select five subordinates, each of whom leads five subordinates, each of which lead a gang of up to 10 workers.
This means that at any one time, a structure is in place to control almost 850 slaves through a mixture of, to most humanoids, barely recognizable rewards and severe penalties.
For the penalties are harsh; if Gyloof finds out that any crime, misdemeanor or disagreement has been committed by a slave - including fighting - then that slave is subjected to their crime ten-fold or has to face Gyloof himself. On top of that, the slave who is the next level up the chain of command is summarily killed for not being able to control their gang. This killing is undertaken by the next level of command. If Gyloof feels it is necessary, he will then personally dispatch that gangmaster, reminding all slaves quite clearly and explicitly who controls the set up. This severe but practical approach means crime in general and rebellions specifically are almost unheard of and swiftly dealt with when the hint of either arises. Gyloof regularly scans each level of command with his drowcirclet of thoughts, including striding through the slave pens subjecting random slaves to his scrutiny and plucking out individuals who he feels aren't concentrating sufficiently on appropriate thoughts.
Gyloof 's physical ability is of legendary, near mythical, status amongst the slaves of all houses and most of the drow of many of them. He never wears any kind of clothing except for simple monk's robes and a cloak and only ever carries one weapon; his whip, "Mother's Caress." Nevertheless, he roars into fights with a seemingly otherworldly ability, using his hands and feet to stun, disable, render unconscious and kill outright any challenger at the same time as plucking missile weapons out of the air and immediately hurling them back at opponents before crushing them under his blows.
Workers are a valuable commodity and Gyloof usually delivers non-lethal damage, which often gives newly-arrived slaves an ill-judged, misplaced sense of security as if he is a soft touch. This is an out-and-out error, as the first slave in a new batch who fails to perform is used to demonstrate. In front of every other slave, they are matched against Gyloof in an unarmed contest. The fight is to unconsciousness, a rule to which Gyloof vehemently adheres to (these are always one-sided events in the drow's favor in any case). The loser is then restored to wakefulness and sacrificed immediately to the Great Mother. Gyloof has yet to lose such a match, a fact known by all long-term slaves.
$125k Milestone Goal Unlocked / Nearing 1,250 Backer Goal / Supplemental Stretch Goals Approaching!
about 5 years ago
– Sat, Mar 16, 2019 at 09:45:30 PM
$125k Milestone Goal Unlocked!
Last night we passed the $125k mark and as of this writing are already zeroing in on $131k! At $125k you've unlocked the milestone goal for special metallic endpapers which have a cool, metallic, slightly glittery sheen as if they were forged from magic ore found in the Underworld! Make sure you vote to choose your favorite color to be added to this epic tome.
If you keep this up you'll unlock every single secret we have in store to you up to $200k. There are still FOUR DAYS left to make it count, so share this Kickstarter with your friends and together we can do this!
1,250 Backer Goal Up Next!
Next up is the 1,250 Backer Goal which unlocks an awesome new add-on. The only hint we'll give? These are something spider related that the Dominion will likely covet. ;)
Can you guess what they are?
Post your guess in the comments below!
Supplemental Stretch Goals Approaching
You've been asking for it...
We can't reveal anything just yet but we can tell you there are supplemental stretch goals approaching which provide more content to go along with the Rise of the Drow: Collector's Edition mega-adventure and setting. When the first one unlocks we'll surprise you and reveal it on the main page, after which more will begin to crop up as you venture deeper and deeper into the Underworld!
Add-Ons?
Have yet to pick up any add-ons? It's easy to do and helps progress the campaign along, thereby unlocking more goals for everyone!
Scroll through the add-ons below and then follow the directions at the end to secure your own awesome and collectible Underworld add-ons!
To include an add-on item as part of your pledge, do the following steps:
4. Adjust the amount of your pledge by adding the funds to cover the cost of the add-on item you want to include.
5. Click on the "Continue" button after adding funds, and then click the “Confirm” button.
That’s all you need to do! When the campaign ends we will send a survey out to all backers where you will have the option to indicate which add-on item you provided additional funds to receive.
Character Reveal: Coranzan / So Close to Unlocking New Goals / Clash of the Factions: Round 10
about 5 years ago
– Sat, Mar 16, 2019 at 01:36:53 AM
Coranzan
Elder Son of House Gullion
Coranzan is the personal guardian of the mighty Matron Maelora of House Gullion. He is so skilled with the bow, most times he is able to kill two or three opponents before others are able to discern where the arrows originated.
Coranzan had a big problem in his early life; he couldn’t keep his mouth shut when threatened. Although of no great strength, intellect or wisdom, when insulted, pressed, taunted or challenged, Coranzan could not resist reacting, no matter who or what he was dealing with. This resulted in polarized responses, as Coranzan either managed to make his antagonizer laugh and forgive him or deal out the most terrible thrashing of his life. No matter how many times the beatings happened, Coranzan wouldn’t stop, his very nature demanded he deliver some kind of witty or barbed retort regardless of the consequences.
Stretch, Backer, and Milestone Goals
We are getting very close to unlocking a new set of goals at $125k and 1,250 backers. Look how close we are and remember the more you share this campaign, the more we unlock, so please help spread the word on social media, email, at your local game shop, or even via the Critters network. Let's keep going and see just how deep we can delve into the Underworld before this awesome Kickstarter comes to an end.
CURRENT TOTALS:
$124,219 RAISED
1,133 BACKERS
5 DAYS TO GO!
*CAN WE REACH $200K BEFORE THIS PROJECT ENDS? IF SO WE HAVE SOME BIG REVEALS!*
To include an add-on item as part of your pledge, do the following steps:
4. Adjust the amount of your pledge by adding the funds to cover the cost of the add-on item you want to include.
5. Click on the "Continue" button after adding funds, and then click the “Confirm” button.
That’s all you need to do! When the campaign ends we will send a survey out to all backers where you will have the option to indicate which add-on item you provided additional funds to receive.
DOMINION
Brimming with power, the drow and their allies finished their revels in the new trade city of Scionsfell, and set a fast course for the Upperworlders city, Rybalka, where they knew the last remnants of the dwarven infection that spread through their realm had fled. With devils, nightmares, and the power of the Spider Queen coursing through their spirits, the Umbral Army burst into the Upperworld. The Outsiders, as best fit their skills, kept to the shadows, preparing an ambush to support the press of the Dominion armies.
Rybalka in sight, the Lord Commander raised his fist, a shimmering blade of black metal seeming to writhe in his grip, and pressed his forces to decimate, as they had become so accustomed. The gates fell, easily, but the defensive forces inside the city proved formidable. Even with the oracular foresight of the arachnids on his side, Sorin Vayne watched as his forces were overwhelmed, one by one. Backed by a glare of devilish light even the King of the Gitwerc, summoned by the masterful prowess of the Council's Helspeaker, could not overcome, the Council retreated.
But such was not to be their fate. The drow were destined for greatness, for conquest. As the alien metallic forms of the colliatur human leader and the hated dwarven general rode forth, surrounding the retreating council, the fools issued a challenge to the leaders of Umbra. And the Umbral masters accepted.
Sorin faced his most hated nemesis, dwarven Commander Hargalten, in a heated exchange. Hargalten summoned disruptive magicks from his allies once, twice, but still could not stop the dark wrath that was the form of Lord Commander Vayne. In a final display of arachnid power, Vayne plunged his six monk's arms into the body of the dwarf, and rent him asunder. While their Outsider compatriot could not best the enhanced coliatur-human leader, the drow concealed his form in shadow, wresting the kraidyl leader of the Outsiders from the jaws of death. Having transformed a defeat into a colossal victory, Sorin Vayne brought his people back to the darkness, where the Alabaster Spider awaited. (Written by the respective faction)
(-1 DIE!)
OUTSIDERS
Strong from their victory against the Rebels, the Dominion and the Outsiders marched to the surface for another attack against the Upperworlders. They surfaced during the day and awaited the night before attacking. After the Dominion's initial attack at the gate, the Outsiders stealthly made it into town. The ahooling dealt with the guard in the towers and the funglets and dødelig attacked anyone on the ground.
The forces were more or less evenly matched, until the dreaded hero with his magical sword came out, bringing the hurtful daylight into the night and the arrival of the colliatur Upperworld allies. These two forces combined turned the tide of the battle, forcing one last strike before fleeing. Unfortunately the Upperworlders pressed on and destroyed the Dominion and Outsiders forces as they ran.
Not content to leave a few survivors go, the Upperworlders and the Rebels intercepted the Dominion and the Outsiders as they were leaving the surface and forced a battle to the death between the leaders: Dominion vs Rebels, Upperworlders vs Outsiders. The Upperworlders against Outsiders battle was heavily stacked against the Outsiders Leader and the huge kraidyl could not do much but die. Thankfully the Dominion had a few tricks under their sleeves and were able to rescue him and ensure a quick escape to the safety of the Underworld. (Written by the respective faction)
(-1 DIE!)
REBELS
Having been routed out of Embla, the Rebels arrived in Rybalka. They were welcomed with open arms by the Upperworlders. Forming a strong union titled The Bulwark, they made themselves at home in Rybalka while the Upperworlders stood defense. (The Upperworlders chronicle what happened next in their section below).
At the end of the night, Commander Hargalten of the Rebels challenged Lord Commander Sorin Vayne of the Dominion in a battle to the death. It was evenly matched at first, but with several tricks up his sleeve, the drow leader managed to slay Commander Hargalten. Now it was up to Commander Bordrotir to lead the Rebel faction, rallying them to help defeat and slay the Dominion once and for all. (Written by the respective faction)
(+1 DIE)
UPPERWORLDERS
The Upperworlders set up extra guard posts and waited expecting the Scions of Umbra to attack. Their preparations were worth it, for their enemies attacked in the night. A vidre managed to stay hidden long enough to be able to charge the gate and rip it from its hinges, opening the town up for the rest of the enemy forces to get in. In the initial sneak attack, many forces of The Bulwark fell. As the alarms sounded, Fin Starling and the colliatur emerged. With the power of the Blade of Sun Lord Ka'teek and the colliatur, The Bulwark began to push the Scions of Umbra back. As the battle turned on them, the Scions of Umbra sounded the retreat. But The Bulwark did not relent. They slaughtered the fleeing Scions of Umbra forces. Still The Bulwark did not relent. They chased after the leaders and high council of the Scions hoping to eliminate them for good. Having caught up to the remaining Scions, The Bulwark challenged them to single combat to determine the fate of the underworld. Talak watched as his friend Hargalten fell to the Dominion leader. He would avenge his fallen friend. Talak used every trick he had, knowing the Scions don't fight fair despite all their cries about honor during the duel. As he was about to deliver the killing blow to the Outsider leader, he vanished. As did all the forces of the Scions of Umbra. So much for their cries about honor as they turned tail and ran like cowards. (Written by the respective faction)
