[The Sunreavers] Duskfall: Chapter 3 (Hallowfall); Episode 1 - Light's Redoubt

Wyrmrest Accord
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Episode 5: The Opalcreg (part 2)

After camping out overnight, protected by being on higher ground and backed up against large boulders for cover, the Sunreavers dismantled their camp and spent the day scouting and spying on the Nerubians at the Opalcreg. They noticed a gap in their defenses every six hours like clockwork when the arachnids changed shifts, and decided to exploit this as a means to conduct a surprise attack.

Storming the perimeter, the group got to work slaying Nerubians and using magic to take down wards that were meant to dampen any outside magical forces. The wards came down easily, allowing the Sunreavers to use their full might and clear the perimeter, freeing the first Earthen slaves. Together, they swept the mining outpost and cleared the entire space above ground, putting each Nerubian to death.

The group then entered the mines. As they descended, slaying Nerubians as they did, they found and released several Earthen, guiding them back up to the safety of the surface. Eventually, they found and freed Chief Excavator Grogul. The chief thanked the group, explaining how important the mine was, supplying powerful resonance crystals to Dornogal where they are used to enhance the magics of many machines and spells.

Curious, Magister Sungazer removed the resonance crystal gifted by Worldtender Ingris from his satchel and found that it was warm to the touch and glowing. The group wondered if the stone enhanced their powers and thus was responsible for the ease at which they cleared the Nerubians and took down the wards on the surface.

In exchange for more resonance crystals, the group has agreed to help clear the mines of every last Nerubian. The Opalcreg mines being so extensive, this might take several days, but it will be worth it to get their hands on more of the crystals.

To be continued…

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Episode 6: Freywold Village

The Sunreavers arrived at Freywold Village after a long and arduous journey, where they were greeted by the village’s Protector, standing guard at the entrance. The Protector welcomed them warmly and directed them to seek out Innkeeper Albetha for rest and refreshment. Grateful for the hospitality, the Sunreavers followed the Protector’s directions and made their way into the village, eager to find respite after their travels.

At the inn, Innkeeper Albetha welcomed the Sunreavers inside, where they took a seat and ordered food and drinks. As they dined, Albetha and a barmaid named Marisda shared information about the survivors from Dalaran. Many of these survivors had healed and traveled to Dornogal, while a few remained in the village’s infirmary. Albetha also mentioned that some had left to explore the Isle of Dorn, but not all had returned, raising concern among the villagers.

During their conversation, one of the villagers informed the Sunreavers that the land surrounding the ruins of Dalaran had become cursed, with demons and other malicious entities now roaming freely. This news alarmed the Sunreavers, and they deduced that these creatures were likely prisoners who had escaped from the Violet Hold when it was breached before the city’s fall. The villager then noticed the resonance crystals the Sunreavers carried and suggested they visit Blacksmith Gandorhill for more insight.

Heeding the villager’s suggestion, the Sunreavers left the inn and sought out Gandorhill, the village blacksmith. Gandorhill examined the resonance crystals and explained that they were highly valuable. He told them the crystals could be melted and turned into an alloy so fine and malleable that it could be made into thread or armor. This alloy had the remarkable ability to channel immense amounts of magical power with almost no energy loss, making it a rare and powerful resource.

However, Gandorhill added that in order to work with the crystals, a specific reagent was required—an extremely refined ley-crystal. Unfortunately, the only place to find such a crystal was within the ruins of Dalaran, a place now overrun by demons and cursed entities. With this information, the Sunreavers realized that their journey was far from over, and they would need to venture into the perilous ruins to retrieve the ley-crystal needed to harness the full power of the resonance stones.

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Episode 7 - The Ruins of Dalaran

The Sunreavers stood solemnly looking on the ruins of Dalaran, what was left of a glorious city once a beacon of arcane knowledge, now a pile of rubble lying on the shores of a foreign land. The skies above shimmered from the chaotic energies that still lingered in the area, affecting the magical senses and sight of the elves and slowing down their search for the remains of the Eye of Dalaran, the powerful ley crystal that powered the Violet Citadel and the entire city.

As they finally got a sense for the direction of the powerful crystal, the group began to walk through the ruined streets. Suddenly, they were ambushed by a Voidshadow Assassin, formerly a prisoner of the Violet Hold, now free and also pulled toward the powerful Eye. The group engaged the enemy and, after several minutes, destroyed the creature and moved on.

The group continued, the sensation of the Eye growing stronger and pulling the Sunreavers to the west, until their path was blocked by a Felborne Warlock. The warlock summoned imps and showered the area with fel magic in an attempt to end the group, however once again they prevailed. As they killed the warlock, his own imps pounded on his corpse and syphoned every bit of fel energy from his body before vanishing into the ether.

Finally, the Sunreavers reached the Eye of Dalaran, lying in shards on the ground yet still emanating powerful arcane energy. The crystal shards seemed to defend themselves, repelling the advances of an Arcane Aberration. Determined to collect the shards for themselves, the group engaged the entity, suffering several wounds as it battered them with arcane energies. After a hard battle, they prevailed, and the shards dropped their wards and were theirs.

As they collected the shards, believing their mission to be over, the area became unstable as a presence was sensed. Just then, a familiar face appeared, shimmering into existence on the back of a Timereaver Dragon: Daltron Dawnfire, former Sunreaver and betrayer who had brought so much death and decay to the Emerald Dream. Words were exchanged and the group engaged in an intense firefight, until the dragon cast a spell and the entire group was overwhelmed by the powerful sandstorm of a temporal vortex.

To be continued…

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Episode 8: Into the Past

The sands of time, having swept the Sunreavers up and plucked them from the present, had apparently dropped them into the past. To their awe and horror, they found themselves in the Chamber of the Guardians, their old headquarters in Dalaran, showing no signs of the Nerubian attack that would eventually lead to the tower’s, and the entire city’s, destruction. The group looked around at the room that had hosted many of their gatherings during peaceful and chaotic times. It was truly haunted by so many memories and echoes of the past.

But their reminiscence did not last long as Daltron Dawnfire, their former brother now turned enemy, materialised. During an argument between himself and his son, the illidari Dominate whom the Sunreavers had called an ally for the better part of a year, it was revealed that Daltron had killed his son’s entire family, a crime the son would repay with nothing short of execution.

Daltron explained that he was from an alternate timeline, one created by Dominate’s choice to kill his father. To provide a cruel lesson in temporal mechanics, Daltron and his Infinite Dragon ally made the Sunreavers meet them outside, in the streets of Dalaran, where the Sunreavers’ Purge had just begun. Before them, a Silver Covenant mage stood, ready to slay the group for simply existing. The Sunreavers engaged in battle and defeated the mage, only to be taunted once more.

Daltron explained the group had a choice to make: try and fix the mistakes of the past and change history, or accept their fate and return to the present. Each choice, he explained, would create a new timeline where that choice was made and these Sunreavers would have to live forever with the consequences of theirs. Unanimously, they decided to leave the past where it was. The sands of time quickly enveloped the group once more, returning them to the Ruins of Dalaran on the Isle of Dorn in the present.

And as the group reeled from the experience, still wounded from their previous encounter with the Violet Hold prisoners, the screeches of dragonhawks called their attention to the skies above. The flock was moving to the east, near the summit of Dhar Oztan.

To be continued…

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Episode 9: Chapter Finale

The Sunreavers spent a night resting and healing at the base of Dhar Oztan, the strange crystalline mountain on the eastern coast of the Isle of Dorn. Come morning, the three that were in the best shape (Magister Sungazer and Guardians Richwhisper and Vepres) began their ascent, leaving the others at base camp. Their goal was to find their missing dragonhawks, lost since the fall of Dalaran and assumed dead until they were spotted by the group weeks ago.

The climb began as easy, but as they got higher, the path became more treacherous. A small avalanche caught them by surprise, sending stone and shards of crystal tumbling past them, injuring them as they got hit. The winds, gusting ferociously, also made the climb dangerous, threatening to knock them back, or off the mountain entirely. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, the group found themselves crossing a section of thin crystal, parts of it shattering and revealing dangerous crystal crevasses.

As their frustrations grew, the mountain responded: Gravathos, a powerful elemental, appeared before them, testing their mettle in battle. His attacks were as strong as his stone, but the Sunreavers fought through injury and pain, eventually earning the elemental’s respect. Gravathos disassembled itself and allowed the group passage to the summit of his domain.

Finally reaching the very top of Dhar Oztan, the group found Xarathor, a Violet Hold prisoner and former Kirin Tor magus gone mad, holding a dragonhawk down and spouting mad claims as he threatened to kill the beast. The group fought hard, but the enemy, at full strength, overtook them easily. Near death themselves, the Sunreavers watched as Xarathor was about to slay the creature, when suddenly a flock of angry, screeching dragon hawks swooped down and attacked. Those who could joined the attack, knocking the mad mage off the mountain and plummeting to his death.

Guardian Sunsight, a healer, arrived just then, having left basecamp shortly after the other three. Calling upon his light, he pulled the others from the brink of death as the group bonded with the rescued dragonhawks. Sending a flock to the base of the mountain to fetch the others, the Sunreavers soared to Dornogal where they delivered the boons from their weeks of journey through the Isle of Dorn to Thermalseer Arhdas, a master blacksmith, who would turn their resonance crystals into a powerful allow capable of storing and channelling great amounts of power.

Now, the group would rest as their uniforms were properly mended.

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Ah, so that’s what I witnessed last night while tinkering with engineering projects. Congrats on getting your dragon hawks back!

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You were there! I remember glancing at your character, wondering if you were ooc or if you were hearing/watching what we were doing. Haha!

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I started off trying to figure out if I could get any patron crafting orders done with what I had on me, but then I got nosy. :sweat_smile:

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I love it!

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A day later… I’ve been curious: how are you guys dealing with Dalaran being toast? Are you going to rehome yourselves in another city, or are you still figuring that out?

(ETA: sorry for interrupting your story thread!)

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Don’t be sorry, I’ve always hoped this thread would be a bit more interactive, so I welcome it!

We’ve got that on the back burner. Too focused on revenge, we are doing everything we can to gather our strength and strategically insert ourselves in the war against the Nerubians. Its a way to cope by distracting ourselves and channeling our rage and sadness.

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Epilogue

In the heart of Dornogal, deep within the volcanic caverns that kept the forge fires burning hot and steady, Thermalseer Arhdas, an Earthen Dwarf of great renown, took his place. His brow was lined with beads of sweat, and his hands, though scarred from decades of work, were steady as granite. Today was no ordinary forging; he would work with the rarest crystals brought by the Sunreavers themselves, creating an alloy whispered of only in the oldest Dwarven texts.

The Sunreavers, guardians, sentinels and spellbows who channeled the raw energies of the arcane and the light, had come seeking Arhdas for his singular talent. Their once radiant armor, battered from relentless battles, needed mending. But more than mere repairs, they sought an enhancement—a power that would allow their armor to store and wield vast reserves of energy without shattering under the strain.

Arhdas laid the resonance crystals carefully upon his anvil. These crystals, shimmering in tones of fiery amber and deep indigo, were alive with a hum so faint it could barely be heard, but any who touched them felt it resonate in their bones. Next to them lay the ley-crystals, sharp and raw, almost painful to look upon due to their brilliant, bluish glow. These crystals pulsed with a refined energy that seemed almost dangerous, like lightning captured in a bottle.

He held his hammer aloft, muttering the ancient Dwarven words of preparation. With a deep breath, he called upon the fire of Dornogal, his bond to the ancient volcanic flows guiding the temperature as it rose. The flames danced higher, weaving between his fingers as he took both the resonance and ley-crystals, placing them into the crucible. As the forge roared hotter than it had in ages, the crystals began to melt, merging into a liquid alloy of indigo-gold that shimmered like molten sunlight, yet retained a shadowy undertone—a duality of power and control.

“By the rock, by the flame, by the strength of the Titans,” Arhdas intoned, pouring the alloy onto the Sunreavers’ armor. The molten metal flowed over each plate like water, finding cracks and worn spots, sealing them seamlessly. With his hammer, he began shaping the alloy, melding it into the armor with strokes precise and purposeful. Each swing resonated through the caverns, a song of strength that bound the alloy to the very essence of the Sunreavers’ armor.

Slowly, the alloy cooled, hardening into a lustrous finish that retained its warmth. Arhdas tested the new alloy, watching it channel energy. It thrummed with potential, bending without breaking, holding the energy like a deep reservoir. He had done it—created a form that could channel and store vast amounts of power without losing integrity.

"Sunreavers, yer armor is ready,” he said, pride glinting in his eyes as he stepped back to admire his work. The Sunreavers, adorned now in armor stronger and more radiant than ever, gave their thanks, bowing low. They knew that with Arhdas’s craftsmanship, their armor would serve as both shield and weapon, ready to withstand the fires of any battle that lay ahead.

And as they departed, Arhdas returned to his anvil, quietly stoking the forge that would, in time, create even greater wonders.

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The War Within: Duskfall Campaign
Chapter 2: The Ringing Deeps

Episode 1: Echoes of the Skardyn’s Corruption

The Sunreavers stood near the Coreway in Dornogal, it having recently been cleared of enough debris to allow passage to the underground Ringing Deeps and back, their new mended armor gleaming with power. Near them, their loyal dragonhawks waited, ready to descend into the unknowns of the underground with their riders. Due to the risk and not knowing what, or who, awaited them down below, the group divided into two teams: Magister Sungazer and Guardian Vepres would descend first, followed a few hours later by the rest of the unit.

An unexpected surprise was the arrival of Blood Knight Champion Seranore Sunfeather, formerly a Sunreaver sentinel. She requested to join the party on their campaign of retribution, and gladly joined the first team.

The Sunreavers soared down the large winding passage of the Coreway to be stunned as the grandeur of the Ringing Deeps revealed itself to them. Landing in an outpost known as Gundergaz, the group’s admiration for the scenery was interrupted by an Earthen Dwarf beckoning them to follow him to a less crowded place. In his dwelling, Machinist Kittrin requested the Sunreavers aid in finding his scout, a kobold named Skitter, and investigating reports of void-corrupted flora and fauna in the area.

The group set off to the south-east and eventually found the kobold being attacked by three void-corrupted Stingers. They worked as a team, using the arcane and the Light to put the Stingers out of their misery and free the thankful Skitter. He explained that an object in the river was most likely the reason for the void presence in the area. As Sunfeather tended to the kobold’s wounds, Guardian Vepres collected samples of void-corrupted flora while Magister Sungazer investigated the object.

What he found was a dark relic, ancient and evil, warded heavily by void magic which seemed to fluctuate in the presence of the void-flowers. While the Magister tried to remove the wards, Sunfeather and Vepres worked at protecting him from the void-shades that were conjured, clearly as a defense mechanism for the relic. Eventually successful, they were able to collect the relic safely, yet the Magister’s magic was spent. The group retreated back to Gundergaz and would continue their investigation after getting some rest.

To be continued…

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Episode 2: The Search for Eirich

The Sunreavers, stationed in the Gunderdaz, received troubling orders from Machinist Kittrin. Reports had surfaced from Skitter, a kobold scout, claiming that a shadowy figure resembling Eirich had been seen moving through the deep tunnels in Taelloch. Although Eirich was believed dead, Kittrin explained that the presence of void energy around the sighting had raised suspicions. The Sunreavers were tasked with investigating this mysterious figure and rooting out any remaining void influence in the caverns.

Swiftly, they flew to Taelloch and entered the cavern. As they moved through the dark, twisting tunnels, they noticed strange void-corrupted flora clinging to the cavern walls, pulsing with faint dark energy. They noticed the plants seemed to be growing not toward the light of the surface but rather the darkness and power of something sinister deeper below. The deeper they ventured, the more they felt uneasy. Every step forward heightened the tension, casting a haunting silence over their journey.

Reaching a large, abandoned chamber marked by dark ancient sigils. They decided to use their magic to investigate the runes. Suddenly, shadowy energies coalesced into a terrifying void entity. It took the group’s combined abilities to eventually defeat the apparition, understanding now that the room and the entity had been a trap meant to destroy any who ventured this deeply into the cave.

After the void creatures dissipated, the Sunreavers discovered a dark stone tablet engraved with void runes, pulsing with a faint energy. Noticing that the flora around the tablet seemed to be growing toward it, they understood that this tablet was the anchor and source for the void energies in the area. In an attempt to protect the group, Champion Sunfeather began to sing a holy hymn. The tablet began reacting violently to the presence of the Light. Sunfeather intensified her prayers and the tablet eventually shattered, destroyed and no longer flooded the area with void magics.

Collecting a sample, the Sunreavers headed back to the surface and began the flight back to Gunderdaz to begin analysing what they had discovered.

To be continued…

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I’m glad none of those plants went all Little Shop of Horrors on you guys!

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Episode 4: Whispers in the Dark

The Sunreavers stood together following a weekend of successful assignments: investigations into the void relics and flora allowed the group to enhance their armor enchantments to better protect against the void’s maddening influence, while patrols in the area helped establish the safety of Gundergaz. Now, the unit was briefed on a new sighting: cloaked bipedal figures had been seen working with Nerubians in a nearby mine. As they prepared to go investigate, the Magister handed out vials of healing water from Boulder Springs in case anyone needed it during the mission.
Several minutes later, the group soared down on their mounts and entered the mines, immediately sensing the heavy presence of the void within. They began their search and found more void-corrupted flora growing inside, more potent and dangerous than any previously found. What’s more, insects seemed to be going mad, skittering about in all directions and killing each other on sight.

It was soon after that the Sunreavers made a gruesome discovery: three corpses, bipedal humanoid in size and frame, burned to death and charred beyond any kind of recognition. The burns on their bodies were not consistent with real fire but looked more akin to severe magical burns. Nearby, runes were discovered etched on the cavern wall: runes, like the ones on the relics found earlier, carved in circles within circles, with a pictogram depicting fire at its center.

As the group moved deeper into the mind, they rounded a bend and found a cluster of three large Nerubians, conversing in a language of hisses and clicks. They turned and saw the Sunreavers, yet instead of attacking, they scurried away, revealing three cloaked humanoid figures bent on killing the elves. A fierce battle ensued, the Sunreavers keeping up with the figures’ void and shadow magics, until eventually only one remained.

Carefully, they managed to defeat the last figure and apprehend her. Before she lost consciousness, she was revealed to be half human, half elf, and uttered what appeared to be nonsense. Collecting her body, the Sunreavers retreated to the surface and returned to Gundergaz.

To be continued…

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Episode 4: The Order of Night

The Sunreavers War Within, Chapter 2: The Ringing Deeps Episode 4: The Order of Night Following the interrogation of the prisoner, and her death by unseen void forces in command of her body, the Sunreavers gathered and analysed a note found on her body. It indicated a ‘final breakthrough’ coming in a Lightless Chasm, which the kobold Skitter indicated was not a description but a place within the Ringing Deeps. Leaving behind the bulk of their forces to guard Gundergaz, Magister Sungazer, Guardian Vepres and Blood Knight Champion Sunfeather mounted their dragonhawks and hurried to stop the Order of Night’s plans.

Landing on a cliff, the group spied on a gathering of cultists scattered on a series of islands in an underground lake, a ritual of some kind underway. Swooping down, they engaged the enemy, moving from island to island and defeating viscous void hounds, shadow archers and void mages, disrupting ritual after ritual. The Sunreavers fought efficiently, though suffered several small wounds and having very little time for healing of any kind. Luckily a fourth Sunreaver, Initiate Yvonna, joined the group and helped level the playing field.

Moving onto the final island, the group found a solitary void mage, conjuring void energies in a massive spell, runes covering the ground as dark fissures, pulsating with violet light, formed and spread, revealing something trying to push its way through to the surface. The void mage addressed the group, referring to a previous encounter on the Isle of Thunder six months ago. The Sunreavers were stunned to learn the connection between that event and this one and that they had met this Order of Night before.

The group began to work at subduing the void mage as a fierce battle of spell and sword began. The void-mage’s attack was relentless and the Sunreavers suffered heavy damage to their wards and bodies while they slowly burned him down. The mage’s final attack,a series of void-spears appearing from below ground, struck several of the group, two out of the four being knocked unconscious. Luckily, the two remaining elves were able to finish the void mage and end the ritual. The fissures in the ground resealed, their purple glow fading to nothing.

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The War Within

Chapter 3: Hallowfall
Episode 1 - Light’s Redoubt

Upon their arrival in Mereldar, the Sunreavers were met with a city pulsing with urgency and hope. Mereldar, the capital of Hallowfall, buzzed with activity as soldiers from the Horde, Alliance, and Earthen worked side by side to prepare for the looming conflict. The rekindling of the Sacred Flame had drawn the Nerubians from their hidden lairs, and everyone in the city knew that the peace was fragile. Commander Damian Voss, a half-elven Arathi leader, greeted the Sunreavers, urging them to join the defense of Light’s Redoubt. “Livia’s Patience has already fallen, and now the Nerubians are targeting our last stronghold. We must hold them here or Hallowfall will be lost,” Voss explained, his eyes dark with the weight of impending doom.

No sooner had Voss finished briefing the Sunreavers than a distant alarm horn rang out, echoing through the capital. His expression darkened, and he reached for his sword, his urgency clear. “The Redoubt is under siege!” Voss shouted, turning toward the Sunreavers. “Move quickly! If the Nerubians breach our gates, they’ll have access to the Ringing Deeps and the surface. We must stop them now, or we’ll all be at their mercy.” With little time to waste, the Sunreavers mounted their dragonhawks and flew toward the Redoubt, the skies dark with the threat of war.

Upon arriving, the Sunreavers found Light’s Redoubt under heavy assault. Nerubian Warriors had already breached the outer walls, their webbing ensnaring soldiers as Void-Warped Nerubians unleashed blasts of dark energy. The Sunreavers leaped into action, cutting down waves of enemies with their magic and blade. The battle raged fiercely, with Nerubian Spitters firing corrosive venom and more reinforcements arriving with each passing moment. Commander Voss, overseeing the battle from the tower, called out orders, urging the Sunreavers to clear the gate and secure the perimeter. “Hold the line, or we’ll lose everything,” he shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos.

As the initial wave of Nerubians was driven back, reinforcements from Mereldar arrived, bringing gryphons and fresh soldiers to bolster the defense. Despite the temporary reprieve, the Sunreavers quickly realized that the Redoubt’s defenses were still weak. Voss, from his vantage point, identified three areas that were weakened and under threat. The Sunreavers moved swiftly to defend these weak spots, engaging in combat with cloaked Nerubian Stalkers, Void-Weavers casting disruptive magic, and the hulking Nerubian Brutes that threatened to tear through their ranks.

With the gates temporarily secured, the Sunreavers thought they had won a moment’s peace, but the battle was far from over. Suddenly, a mysterious flare shot into the sky. Then, Nerubian Flyers swooped down, attacking the siege weapons atop the Redoubt’s tower, Voss racing out of the tower as the defending soldiers fell to their deaths. “If those weapons are destroyed, we lose our last chance of holding the Redoubt.” The Sunreavers, realizing the urgency, called down their dragonhawks and soared toward the tower. They fought off the Nerubian Flyers, who attacked with venomous spits and razor-sharp stingers. As each Flyer was dispatched, the Sunreavers turned their attention to the siege weapons, which still held the potential to turn the tide of battle.

With the Nerubian Flyers eliminated and the siege weapons secured, The Sunreavers worked together, firing volley after volley of Holy Fire, incinerating the remaining Nerubians that had dared to approach the gates. The air was filled with the shrieks of burning Nerubians as they retreated into the dark caverns from which they came. Cheers erupted from the allied forces as the Sunreavers’ coordinated effort shattered the Nerubian offensive. The Sunreavers, it seemed, had arrived at a crucial time in the war against the Nerubians.

To be continued…