Story Info
As the final horns bellow and the sounds of combat die down from the previous month’s battle, the Ulven forces and their allies find themselves on blood soaked snow and frozen ground. After struggling to keep routes open for warriors and supply carts to freely move, the mordok forces opposing the Ulven army seemed to dominate the perimeters. Warriors and adventurers alike fought and died in the swamp trying to oppose them and it appeared the mordok would solidify their hold of the area.
In a desperate move to try to turn the tide of battle, the Clan Steinjottun warpack and their allied forces chose to draw out as many mordok as possible to their section of the camp’s perimeter defenses. This bold gamble paid off as wave upon wave of frenzied mordok, led again by this new mordok figure, broke upon the defenses of the outpost. Failure would result in their entire camp being massacred which steeled the resolve and pushed the defenders to fight and endure whatever the mordok could throw at them. The battle was over and the mordok were driven back after suffering staggering casualties.
With this victory came reports that the Ulven army was able to decisively defeat mordok forces on a number of other fronts of the battle. Instead of finding themselves on losing footing and unsure of the fate of the Ulven army in the swamp, the Ulven forces and their allies find themselves back on even ground against the mordok. Controlled but heated arguments have broken out among several Ulven leaders in the camp. One side is pushing for the Ulven to take advantage of this victory and push hard against mordok forces which, if successful, could crush the largest mordok threat ever known and put an end to the war for now. This would also allow the Ulven army the chance to properly put to rest countless Ulven dead that have yet to be recovered. The other side is pushing for using this breathing room to coordinate supplies and wounded and get back to the Shield of Mardrun before the Ulven army finds itself cut off and overrun. This would give ground to the mordok but it would allow the remaining Ulven forces to survive to fight another day.
Both sides have merit and they have enough followers to make it a stalemate. In an effort to recognize the bravery and honor gained by fighting alongside the Ulven in the Dirge Swamp, the leaders have allowed the adventurers and allies stationed at the camp to cast the tie-breaking decision on whether to push or regroup. The fate of the end of of the Dirge Swamp War lies with the allied forces stationed inside the Ulven army’s camp.
To make matters even more complicated, the fighting and the movement of the two armies has brought them dangerously close to the settlement of Serai. Former home to Bos Mezar, these May’Kar Dominion settlers had created their settlement far to the north and find themselves on the wrong side of the Shield of Mardrun. After receiving word that the mordok army is much larger than previously anticipated and at the urging of several colonial and faction leaders, the Mayor of Serai has ordered the settlement to be evacuated. Without help it could mean that the settlement is overrun and the seventy or so settlers killed by the mordok forces. However, this will take time and allied forces will need to make the choice to pledge critical resources to helping them or not. The Mayor has sent a messenger to the Ulven forces asking for help, even offering a reward of coin or pledging scholarly research should those documents survive the evacuation.
After Event Summary
The Dirge Swamp War has drawn to a close. After a tense stalemate between the Clans and Warleaders of the army was going nowhere, it was put to those at the forward command to cast the deciding vote…. push into the swamp and defeat the mordok or fall back to the Shield of Mardrun. After a narrow vote for falling back to the Shield winning out, different groups in attendance began springing to action. Several missions went out, wounded were triaged, tactics were discussed over the war map, and the people of Serai were comforted with the knowledge that they would be taken care of.
As time was running out as a large mordok force was approaching Serai, the final missions were concluded. The Serai people were all escorted to safety including their possessions and their research and have pledged their knowledge and skill to magical projects in the future. After a daring and almost suicidal mission was conducted that took on an overwhelming mordok force, the Shaman from last year was sighted and driven back despite heavy losses. This allowed the Ulven army forces to take on the mordok assaulting them and open up a path to safely return to the Shield of Mardrun.
What happens next is anyone’s guess as the war draws to a close.