Elven Eldar Lady Forcythia kidnapped by the Orcs!

The elven forces gather in front of Magik Castle

The orcs are well-prepared for attack. Mines, pitfalls, enchanted boulders ready to fall.

Mines, mines and more mines. See da nice skullface warnings? Dats to distrak attackers from da rocks about ta fall. Dem orcs is klever.

There's just one, little thing they weren't expecting... and here it comes! A Rock Elemental!

Where does a Rock Elemental walk? Anywhere it wants to! And orcses go a flyin'!

Despite being out-numbered and out-sized, the Orcs hold their own and at the end of the battle... they're still standing!

The Orc boss fights the leader of Magik Kingdom... bad idea for the elven! Did the leader sacrifice himself to gain ground and maintain honor?

We Shall Hold Your Lady Until You Bring Us Proof Of Who Shot An Arrow At Warchief Chuina And At My Personal Peon, Orthuk, Who Was Killed! We Will Not Relenquish Her Until Our Terms Are Met!

(( Just a little reminder....be sure to search for clues as to who or what shot Chui and killed Orthuk...they are out there, just keep your eyes peeled! ))

Ouch! Peeled eyes! Ow!

Sounds like something an orc would do.

Be sure to read the 6pm Events for announcement of RPG PRIZES!

I am soooooo tired. lol

So are about 5 other people who worked some 6-12 hours a day to make this three day RPG work. I'm not kidding. Thanks from the Eldars of Elf Clan to ALL who worked so hard to make this historic event work so well. Although we crashed two sims in the process... incoming comments assure us it was quite enjoyable for all.

All day long the Elven and Orcs planned for battle, each side attempting to come up with the best strategy. The Elven spent much of their time hunting down clues and comparing notes, trying to piece together enough evidence to get the orcs to resolve the conflict peacefully. And indeed they did so... as the day wore on, they became reasonably sure they knew what had happend.

There's just one thing they forgot: these were Orcs, and they were in WAAGHH. Once an Orc Clan decides to go to war, the only talking they do is "ATTACK!"

Indeed, even the Elven, after three days of Battle, had worn sheer in patience. Many were no longer willing to settle things peaceably. Both sides were ready to fight, and fight they would!

The first melee was badly planned and indecisive. The Orc had agreed to fight at the 7th hour in the Orcan Gardens, but the Elven Captain, now acquainted with Orc tactics, decided to use the Orc's own deception tactics against them. He called the elven to attack five minutes early, and in the Southern quadrant of the land instead. Good thing he did, for the Elven found the Orcs building siege weapons!

The Orcs were totally caught off guard. Their numbers few and scattered, they fought as best they could, but this time they could not stand against the Elven onslaught. Indeed, it would seem nature itself could not stand up to the might of the Elven... for the very fabric of space and time rent asunder and the entire land collapsed, freezeing Elven and Orc alike in their place. Even the magical chant of LINDEN could not fix the problem.

When both sides awoke, they were in different places than before. Quickly, they regathered their masses and swarmed to the Orcan Gardens as previously planned, but the Orcs were already weakened and disorganized. The Orc Boss quickly called surrender and asked the Elven to retreat to the Castle for "negoshuns". The Elven leader, bound by honor, accepted the surrender and withdrew his troops to the Castle.

Of course, the Orc idea of surrender might be defined, "Get the pinkies to back off long enough to get to the siege weapons", which is exactly what they did. With a smile on his face, the Orc Boss ordered the firing of the first catapult.

But even as the huge bolders launched through the air, the Elven proved that they were not without their own guile. Once again the orcs failed to predict the next elemental force brought to bear. Although far away, the Elven King had sent the Rock Elemental the day before, and today he summoned an even greater threat. Even as the Orc weaponry fired, their green blood froze at the haunting call that met their ears. The sight that next met their eyes thawed that blood as through the air dove a blazing PHOENIX. The gigantic bird swooped down, pelting the orcs with fireballs!

The weapons hit with amazing accuracy, striking the siege weapons at the firing points. Orcs scattered as the red-hot fireballs seared them with heat. Again and again the Phoenix circled, continuing to pelt them with fireballs. Even through the thick green orc hide the damage was felt. The Orc Boss cried out, "Move da things! We're losing and we ain't even started fighting!"

Fortunately for them, a Phoenix can only maintain such an attack for a short time. Soon the huge bird had to retreat to the castle and rest. The Orcs now had their chance. Quickly they swung their giant weapons back into position... but alas! The catapults no longer worked! The Phoenix had done its damage and the devices refused to fire! Cursing, the Orcen squad raged and grabbed their hand weapons. They had only one chance now!

In a berserker madness they stormed the castle, five against a dozen Elven. The Elven were not idle; already they were charging the Orcs to meet them before the Orcs even gained the castle steps. Metal clashed with metal as foe met foe. But as was true the day before, the Orcs were more experienced fighters. With one, single exception, they began pushing toward the castle. The one exception was the troll who the very day before had pushed a Rock Elemental off the castle bridge! Already weakened by the Phoenix fireballs, he was felled by a tiny pixie wielding a wooden staff!

But even as he fell, his squad mates advanced, driving the elven back, up the steps, up and up toward the castle. But the elven fought back, more experienced than the day before, and drove the orcs back down. The troll regained his feet, only dazed, which was bad news for the elven. While most of the elves focused on beating back the heaviest orc fighters... a gnome and an orc grunt took the moment to charge up the steps. Reaching the castle doors, they quickly turned and the gnome uttered some unknown syllables. Quickly an orc barricade formed, then another. The orc below, seeing their insignia once again in front of the castle, fought even harder and pushed up the steps toward the barricade.

The elven followed, but the orc now had the higher ground. Orc and elven fought. The phoenix, its strength now regained, uttered its terrifying cry and flew toward the siege machines, finishing its prior work. But the orcs were not concerned with the phoenix; the elven were far more viscious than the prior day. Now the orcs faced not "weakies", but seasoned warriors who were not so easily defeated.

Inch by inch, the orcs advanced and finally all had their backs to the castle. They stood by their barracades, the Orc Boss declaring victory and ordering the Elven back. The Elven were not convinced however and kept attacking. It seemed a stalemate, the Orcs holding the entry to the castle, the Elven battling against them.

Suddenly, a brilliant light flashed in the middle of the fray and a loud order was heard: CEASE YOUR FIGHTING!

Though stunned, warriors from both sides continued to battle. But the light grew brighter and the call sounded out again CEASE YOUR FIGHTING! This time, some paid attention and before long, all eyes were focused on the center of the castle steps. The light dimmed, and from the center stepped the King of the Elven!

"Everyone! Orcs and Elves! To ElvenGlen Castle!" he demanded. Even the Orcs dared not object. Fighting Elven is one thing. Dealing with a two-mellenia-old monarch was another. Orcs do respect long life. All together, Orc and Elven alike, they marched to ElvenGlen Castle steps. Those who a moment before had been sword to sword now walked side by side to see what was to come.

Upon reaching the other castle, the Elven King called out: "What transpires to cause Orc to fight with Elven?"

"Yew pinkies killded one of our grunts!" screams the Orc Boss in rage.

"We will discuss that in time," the Elf states. "For now, a matter is to be settled."

"You want your Elf Lady!" the Orc Boss states. "NO!"

"Give her over!" the Eldar ordered.

"Or what?" the orc taunted. "We like her! She make nice mantlepiece!"

"And she make cookies!" an orc voice spoke from somewhere in the background.

"Good cookies!" another orc said quietly.

"You will return her," the Elven Lord stated. "I have ventured to far off lands in search for the ultimate weapon against orcs. I have found it in the land of men, when I discovered a device they called de-odor-Ent".

"What's dat?" said the Orc Boss.

"Well," the Elven king replied, "See this skunk beside me?" The Orc settled his rage enough to notice the tiny animal beside the Elf.

"A skunk?!" the boss cried out. "Me not afraid of skunk! Skunk smell good!"

"Oh, this isn't just ANY skunk," the Eldar replied smiling. "This is a special, ENCHANTED skunk. Instead of stinking... it smells nice."

The faintest trace of understanding crossed the Orc Boss's face as his mind dimly began to see the Eldar's threat. "Nice?"

"This skunk has been enchanted. It can make you, your fortress and every single orc smell like ROSES. And you'll never get rid of the smell."

"ROSES!" the orc replied, probably as close to a scream of terror he has ever uttered.

"Roses," the eldar stated. "So release the Lady Eldar now, or I tell the skunk to open fire... you first."

"YOU CAN HAVE HER!" the Orc Boss wisely decided. "She YOURS!"

The elven cheered, while the orcs slumped in despair. Roses! What self-respecting orc could stand up to that? Instantly the Elven Lady reappeared much to the further cheers of the elven... cheers that increased as the King embraced her in welcome.

But the Orc Boss was no coward. He did not back down.

"WHAT ABOUT SHOOTING ORC?" he cried out.

"How was the orc killed?" the Eldar requested.

"Wit an ELF ARROW!" Orc Boss screamed.

"Let me see the arrow!" the Eldar demanded. The Orc Captain brought the arrow forward and the Eldar examined it gravely.

"Does any elven recognize this arrow?" the leader called out.

"Aye M'lord!" an elven called back. "It is enchanted!"

"Indeed it is!" the Eldar affirmed. "Who then killed the Orc?"

"No elven killed him, m'Lord," the elf stated with certainty. "The orc killed himself."

The murmers that rose among the crowd sounded their growing understanding. Of the Orc, only the Boss understood the situation.

"Yes," the Elven Eldar replied. "The orc killed himsef, for this arrow is aptly named ORC FINDER."

"DAT A BAD ARROW!" the Boss cried out. "DAT MADE ILLEGAL BY ELFS!"

"Yes," the Eldar agreed. "But this arrow was fired by no elf. These arrows were from the Orc wars, before we made our peace. These arrows when fired, seek out the nearest orc. I would venture that your orcen underling found two of these arrows and not knowing what they were, fired them. The first, going into the woods, struck your Captain, who must have been standing within. The second, fired into open air, sought out the nearest orc... the one who fired it. No Elven shot your Orc. HE SHOT HIMSELF!"

Slowly, almost imperceptibly... the Orc Boss broke into a grin.

"HAR! DAT FUNNY! HE SHOT SELF! HAR!" The other Orcs soon began to understand and laughed along with him. To an orc... that idea was hilarious. But as soon as his smile came, it vanished.

"It still ELF arrow!" he boomed out. "I GOTS DEMAND!"

The Elven sighed. "What demand?"

"Me wants DEED to Orc land!" The Elven Eldar was surprised. An Orc demanding a deed? He was amazed an orc even knew about deeds.

The Eldar turned to his people. "Elven! Did the Orc fight bravely?" he asked.

"Indeed," several called out. "They fought bravely."

"And did they fight honorably... for Orc?"

The elven paused, and slowly a voice stated, "... for Orc, yes." The Elven King smiled.

"Very well!" the Eldar announced. "If you shall return the castle to the Elven and declare peace, I shall issue you a deed to your Orcan Embassy!"

"HAR! ORCS WIN!" the Orc Boss cried out triumphantly! "WAAAAAGGGGHHH!"

The other Orcs joined in the Orc warcry, cheering their honorable victory.

"Then let Orc and Elven alike retire to the tavern for food and drink!" the Eldar called out. "For indeed, Orcs, know this: no Elven shall ever attack Orc, for we have declared-- you are our friends."

The Orc Boss gazed at the Elven Eldars and if an Orc ever came close to tears...

Not that he did. "HAR! WE DRINK!" he called out.

As they walked toward the tavern, the two Eldars chuckled.

"A deed?" whispered the Lady Eldar. "The Orc do not understand that we gave them the land to the Orc Embassy long ago. Elven need no 'deed'. Once our word is given, it is our bond. What he asked was a parchment-- which he cannot read-- stating that the orc own what is already theirs by Elven law." The elven Lord nodded in agreement.

"By the peaceful enchantment set upon our lands long ago, no one died in battle. The Elven solved the mystery and restored their own honor-- and kept the Orcs busy long enough for us to obtain what we needed to overcome the Orc's Waaghh. Things are back where they started, no damage done. Surely a small document shall not be a difficult thing for us to grant to maintain our hard-won peace."

"Indeed," the Lady smiled as they walked with the elven warriors to enjoy a drink with their green-hued friends.

--o--

So the Orc "won" the day and gained their deed (at least, they believe they won the day, which serves the purpose). The elven won their goal, for they deciphered the clues and came to prove what they already knew: no elven had killed orc. The orc had killed himself by firing an enchanted arrow. But before he had done so he managed to knick the Orc Captain, who had of course immediately declared WAAGH upon the elves. Once one orc gets started, they tend to be fully automatic.

But their honor was appeased and they gained a great "victory"... at least in Orc eyes. They also avoided what (to an orc) would be a fate worse than death... a fate they know can be called to bear should they ever attack the elven again. So for several decades at least-- peace is assured. Well, until the current generation of orc die off and new orc, not knowing of the secret weapon, come to power. But that is a different age and a different story.

For those who worked so hard to make this three-day-long RPG a reality, know that the Eldars received MANY IMs following the game. Among these were statements of how much people enjoyed the game and "the most fun I've had on SL ever". You all did very well.

To the PLAYERS; our earnest commendation. You played honorably. You played with even temper. You played fairly and well. You all, elf and orc alike, remembered it was just a game, and everyone stuck to the guide rules. At the end, several experienced gamers commented it was the finest RPG/melee they have ever seen anywhere. Each of you had a hand in that.


But what happened in the tavern thereafter?

Votes were taken, and awards granted to several:

MOST VALUABLE ORC PLAYER, according to orcs: Xolu Tardis L500
MEANEST ORC, according to elven: tie between Chuina Asturias and troll Zekeen Phoenix. L100 ea
ELVEN WHO SOLVED THE MYSTERY FIRST: ALAN BAKALAVA L500

Although we cannot name all of our players and planners (for there were many and the confusion was great LOL), we would like to thank the following:

Chuina Asturias (enthusiasm and 'getting things started')
Kage Seraph (really frightening Rock Elemental)
Psyra Extraordinaire (really awesome Phoenix)
Zekeen Phoenix (general insanity and Orc strategy)
Abigail Horton (some rather neat looking elven spells and special effects)
Magik Amarula (hosting battlelands and leading elves in first major melee)
Solomon Eliot (Elven Captain and strategy in second major melee)
edit: Oh, and special thanks to Schlitzie Martini for his part as least offensive orc. *

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As a final grant, the Eldars were most pleased to award to:

XOLU TARDIS, for exceptional game scripting, devotion to Elf Clan, and honor during play, the coveted title of:

ELF CLAN PRIM MAGE ELITE

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*[actually, Schlitzie is da founder of da Waaghh, an honorable orc if ever there was one. He greatly assisted Chuina and I in sewing together the base scenario and endgame plot, set up most of the clues-- and no telling what other roles behind the scenes as "da Big Boss" (not to be confused with Chui's role as "da Boss"... which is a big orc, but not DA orc. It gets confusing. Ask an orc if you need more info.]

What? Not even an "honorable mention" to da big boss himself? Sheesh! what does an orc gotta do, kidnap an eldar?

I would like to nominate Mean Golem to share the title of least offensive orc with Schlitzie.

An Elf, a Goblin and an Orc stop at an inn for the night. Innkeeper welcomes them, but only has two rooms; the third will have to room out in the barn.

"Only trouble is, we have a yugluth stabled out there," the innkeeper stated. "And they smell pretty bad."

"How bad can it smell?" the elf asked. "I'll sleep in the barn."

After a few minutes, a knock is heard on the door.

"I'm sorry," the elf states. "In my 2,000 years, I have never seen such a disgusting, smelly creature. I can't stay out there with that yugluth."

"No problem," the Goblin states. "I can handle just about anything. I'll sleep in the barn."

After a few minutes, a knock is heard on the door and the Goblin enters.

"You're right!" he says. "What a nasty, smelly, nauseating creatue!"

"HAR!" the orc yelled. "You pansies. I sleep in barn with yugluth!" and he trapses off out to the barn.

Everyone settles down, but after a few minutes, they hear a knock on the door. When they open it.... there stands the yugluth.

I was forced to endure the indignity of hearing my Lord Eldar declare victory to our once again allies, the Orcs. That in and of itself I can accept, for they fought well and I believe had such grievances to begin with. However, I take issue that the Elven kind ever lost a melee, must less three battles. Herein, I will state my points if I may.

One: It first came to our attention that the Lady Forcy had been kidnapped by the dastardly orcs for offenses that, at that time, were not understood. The ire was raised within Elf Clan like none I had ever seen..I was proud of them all despite their inexperience with any sort of battle. As such, this led to the first of many encounters with the fierce orcs and thier very capable leadership. in each of these encounters, it has yet to be demonstrated to my satisfaction that the elves were ever forced to retreat by any other means than negotiation...such does not a victory make. Allow me time to prove my words.
A. The first melee occured after the orcs had kidnapped the Lady Forcy, and taken our castle at Elf Glen. It must be pointed out here, that the orcs were forced into a retreat within thier own embassy and held there, while the Castle Elf Glen was re-taken by a daring solo raid. **Dashing Captain preens without excessive ego..no really.. ** That does not appear to be an Orc victory to me. Count one for Elvenkind.
B. The counter-attack upon the castle at Elf Glen the following day was a clear cut vicoty for the elves. I was so proud to be there. Count two for Elvenkind.

Two: There were many smaller melees and negotiations during this interval period, where the wins and losses were never clear, and thus must be consided at best a draw. This leads us to the battle over Castle Magik. The orcs used a ruse of a melee ambush to draw our forces away from the defense. To thier credit, which shows that even an Orc has some mental capacity to think independently, they set their defenses well and nearly repelled our assault at the front gate. Elf Clan rallied however, and not only pushed the orcs into their last bastion of defense, but even gained the second floor before being repulsed. The assault was halted only by a negotiation between the Orc leader, and Prince Magik. Thus did the battle fall to a single combat which the valiant orc leader won. I must say, this does not a victory make for the orcs...in a technical sense, as their defenses were clearly faultering by the increasing skill of the inexperienced Elven warriors and superior numbers. (BTW...having superior numbers in war is a plus if skilled. War is not a let's play fair endeavor.)
A. It must be noted here that the orc tactic of hiring mercenaries to bolster thier numbers was a brilliant one. If not for such, then the battle would clearly have been a much clearer one for Elf Clan. However, we did breach thier **inner defenses** and had them on the edge before negotiation. Thus, this battle can be seen as at best a strategic victory for the orcs, but a tactical victory for Elf Clan. Call that a PUSH.

Three: The final battle was also at best a draw. While the initial Elven attack forced another negotiation, the main batttle in front of Castle Magik was a clear draw until the orcs, to their credit and prowess, gained access to the castle's drawbridge. However, that was by far the closest they were getting as Elf Clan was already beginning to rally when Lord Way arrived to place a ceased to all combat and begin negotiations.

In conclusion, I must say that much respect was hard earned for our orcan allies (cough...Spit). Despite having fewer numbers, they forced several negotiations by being able to draw out the bloodshed to an Elf Clan with far superior numbers. This, in and of itself, was a victory for the Orc Kind, but far from a victory any history book will claim. It is my duty to point out that Elf Clan never lost a tactical battle once fully engaged. So there -- Solomon Eliot..Captain of the Elf Clan Gaurd

.........LEAST OFFENSIVE?!? DEMZ FIGHTIN' WORDZ!!!! WAAAAAGGGHHHHH ON ALAN!!!!!

LOL. Well, I might have had something to do with that. (read back a couple of messages.)

Kage’s sigh was heavy as it stirred the eddying smoke rising from the single taper illuminating his cluttered desk.

“I see, old friend.” The Prim Mage’s gaze was steady but tinged in sadness as he watched the mythical bird turn to leave. Across the room, the Great Phoenix ruffled his feathers gently, stepping out to the crenellated balcony overlooking Elfhaven. “I will be ready by first light.” The Great Phoenix’s nodded reply was wordless and with a flurry of sparks and blasted hot air, Psyra winged into the night.

Deep in thought, Kage rose from the now-forgotten arcana sprawled across his desk in various parchments and ancient skins. The news carried by the Phoenix was a fell tiding; rumors of orcish wars and great killings threatened to spread across the land like a plague. It had been many years since Elfhaven’s peace had been disturbed. Now the news brought on Phoenix wing signaled the end of much of what Kage had come to love and cherish of Elfhaven. The Prim Mage cast his thoughts back to another time.

------

He’d been young and foolish then, a hotheaded elf lusting to prove himself in war. His smile was grim as he recalled the sweat of many long-forgotten nights over the hammerforge laboring to coax a blade’s edge out of hot alloyed steel. Wintersong would come to him in the short hours of the morning, urging him to rest for the battles sure to come. Her touch had been soft on his aching muscles, a soothing anodyne against the knots of fatigue. She always seemed to know when he had had just about enough of the hammer and anvil, enough to abandon it all and take up the simple curvilinear blade of his father.

------

Kage extinguished the candle in his workshop with a slow pinch, shrouding the cluttered room in darkness. Wintersong would have been so proud of him now, a full magus of his clan and a blooded warrior. His elven eyes quickly adjusted to the barest starlight filtering through the clouds onto the balcony. As he moved across the room to the door opening out against the night, he wondered what Wintersong would say this time, if she’d not been taken by that war so many ages ago. She would have known the aeons’ slowing of his limbs, the slight dimming of his eyesight even despite the long years of the elvenkind. Would she have helped him belt on the light field plate of his old Order, the Blade of War? Would she have stood so silent and strong as the last time when he had marched off to the call of coronets and flutes?

The Tree of the Ages was perhaps shedding its leaves, perhaps signaling the end of the old Elven ways. There were so few of the Eldar now, so few to lead. With the ever-increasing orc incursions along the borders of Elfhaven, Kage knew it was only a matter of time before the thinly-garrisoned bulwarks of the fair folk would be overwhelmed. The Prim Mage knew that such was the way of things as the Tree of the Ages passed through its seasons. Perhaps Kage Seraph would go to be with Wintersong soon. Not a day passed that the ache at her loss lessened, though time had blunted some of its sharpness. He should have been there to protect her when the elven lines had faltered that fateful day, he knew. He refused to let himself imagine what had happened to her when the troll platoon had broken through to the Blade of War camp. The sky had clouded black that day, a darkness matched only by elven rage at the slaughter.

Kage dropped his gaze from the dim horizon to study the fine whorls of the marble battlement cool to the touch under his hand. Perhaps he would go to see her, but not just yet.

Returning to his desk, he leafed through the work of several years of experimentation and investigation, seeing it all worthless now in light of the orcish threat hanging over his homeland. Slowly, he brushed the writings and esoterica to the side, making space for the preparation of a simple but powerful concoction. The work of a few minutes assembled the necessary components. He moved to the dust-encrusted book rack near the locked wooden door to the workshop and searched among the faded titles for something. With a grunt, he located the desired tome and dusted it off as he returned to the desk. Leafing carefully through the yellowed parchment, Kage searched slowly for the proper incantation.

Hours passed as he studied it, seeking out inflections and conjugations. It had been many years since he had uttered words in this tongue, and he knew that a misspoken word could bring disaster. The sky to the east had barely begun to lighten as the magus decided he has as ready as he could be.

Minutes passed as Kage, outside now, strode to the long-unused Quickening Circle. A fickle wind stirred the dead leaves huddled against the edge stones marking the diameters of a circle large enough to hold fifty armored men arranged line abreast. He piled the handful of small vials at his feet as he entreated the wind elemental to be still only a minute until the warcasting was complete. The rattle of the leaves fell silent.

The mixing of the components was simple enough. Kage dabbed a finger in the few collected droplets pooled in his left palm, and anointed his brow with a fraction of it. The rest he let drop to the bare stone underfoot, marveling in a detached way how it caught the moonlight fast waning with the onset of morning. A moment passed, and his world became darkness.

“You hasten my awakening, son of the Tree.” The voice was the grating of boulders pushed down a streambed by spring flooding. It sounded tired but was undergirded by awesome strength.”

“Yes, Honored Father of the Mountain, I seek your aid.” Kage’s voice was disembodied in the limitless dark of the heart of the earth.

“What seek ye? My affairs are no longer with those who walk the surface. It is not yet my time to return.”

“Aye, Honored Father. I presumed to disturb you for but a moment of your ageless slumber. I urge you to recall the days when your kind fought beside my own to honor the ancient accords between our peoples. Again the ages turn and war is upon us.”

“The wars of the soft races matter not to me, son of the Tree. Leave me to my rest.” The irritability coloring the eternal stone elemental’s voice was unmistakable. Kage pressed on.

“Honored Father, I could not hope to presume upon your kindness, but orcs threaten the ancestral lands, orcs who mine and hollow the great bones of the earth. I would not hope to disturb you except that the orcs will spread as a blight across all they touch. As their numbers increase, so shall their pits and shafts. Honored Father, I seek only to offer this ill tiding, not wanting it to spread as you slept.”

Minutes stretched away in silence.

“Very well, son of the Tree, I shall rouse myself. You will guide me to the hateful orcs and I will make them rue the day they set pick to stone. You have counted the cost, son of the Tree?”

Kage’s voice did not waver, masking the quailing of his heart. “Aye, Honored Father, that I do.” The path of an elemental to the physical world was built of a measure of the soul of the warcaster summoning it. Kage would pay with part of his spirit to call this terrible creature forth.

“So be it, then. So be it, son of the Tree.”

In an instant, Kage was back in the Quickening Circle, splayed against the ground like a corpse. He failed to suppress a shuddering convulsion as the coolness of the buried earth worked its way through his veins. A great sound like the splintering of tremendous stones rent the air and the very earth split open beneath him. His vision clouded in the gray of basalts and granites and his soft flesh hardened and grew rough. With a gasp of pain, he felt his bones unknit and joints dislocate as his body grew and became rocklike. The stone Quickening Circle seemed to shrink as his enlarging body absorbed the raw living stone beneath.

Kage cried out as he felt a foreign presence tear its way into his mind. It was ancient and cold as the depths. The Father of the Mountain was in a terrible foul mood at being roused and was none too gentle as he took over Kage’s mind, seeking knowledge of the orcish encampment. The Father’s chuckle was grim. “We will crack vile orc bones this day, warcaster. We will grind them as dust swept away in the wind. See the might of the earth brought to bear!” The chuckle grew into a laugh, then swelled to a grinding roar.

Orc blood would stain the ground this day…

I thought folks might like to see pics from the final day's melee's (if you thought the above stories fictitious... nope! They really happened in-game! Well.. with the exception of Kage's imaginative and well-written prelude story).

THE MELEE BEGINS... Orcan Gardens

The Phoenix almost ends the battle before it starts...

(GM note: the phoenix attack was so effective, GM actually had to secretly call off the attack and have the phoenix go to the castle to "roost and recharge" so the Orcs could have time to regroup. The attack was just supposed to "shake up" the orcs, but the GM hadn't counted on the dead-eye accuracy of the phoenix player. )

The Elven cast effective spells to trap the orcs.

The battlegrounds, including ongoing melee and the giant Orc seige engines. They had built and scripted these overnight. Too bad the phoenix wiped 'em out in 3 minutes flat! (actually, we're not quite sure why they stopped working, but it seems obvious the phoenix was responsible. )

The Orc and Elven in the heat of battle. Fortunately, the Eldars had long ago woven an enchantment that kept anyone from permanently dying