Varis Galanodel

Battle On The Plains

  As the morning sun rose behind scattered clouds, dread washed over Varis. He had been awake for some hours, staring at the skies and praying. And now morning was upon them, and the Undying King would soon begin his assault on Triliad.
  It was not a pretty morning. The clouds were fairly thin, but there were a lot of them, and it seemed eerily alike to the threat Varis faced. For the most part, the sun was blotted out, allowing only a little light through, just enough that you could tell it was daytime, but not enough to be considered a sunny day. No birds chirped. The wind was cold and biting. Varis felt almost certain that nature was aware of the lich's army, and was responding in accordance.
  Aramil was awake as well, and so were all the other elves gathered. They were all roaming about the clearing, quietly making small talk as they waited. Tension thickened the air like a fog as the impending doom of the day began truly setting in. They had only a few hours left.
Varis had spoken to the forest creatures during the night. Not a single one of them refused his plead. The Treants, Wood Woads, and Sprites all agreed immediately, for it is their sworn duty to protect the forest. Pixies and dryads also agreed fairly quickly, and all the many animals, magical or otherwise, offered their help. Not a single being was ready to part with this forest, and Varis knew that each and every one would lay down their lives to keep it safe.
Aramil had also done his part in protection. He had prepared a large number of magical defences around the Mothertree. He had created a magical stone wall surrounding the tree, which was now real and solid. On the inside of the wall, Aramil had riddled the ground with many magical Glyphs of Warding. Some contained spells that would be unleashed once an enemy stepped over. Others exploded, killing or wounding anything that crossed. Furthermore, he had cast the Symbol spell in two locations. These were much more powerful versions of the Gylph of Warding, creating a lasting effect that would impair enemy movements and, in one case, kill virtually anything caught in the range. He also planned to set up an Alarm spell before leaving, which would alert him if any creature broke through the wall. Furthermore, before getting some rest, Aramil created a telepathic link between him and Varis, so that they could communicate with each other instantly and within any range.
An hour passed. The other heroes rose from their slumbers, rested and ready. Despair hung thick around them, but not a one backed out or showed their fear of what was to come. They arranged themselves in their groups, ready for battle. The forest's soldiers were already in place along the northern edge of the forest. Varis was working with Aramil, but no one else, and Theren had opted to fight only with Shadow. The others had arranged themselves in groups as small as three to as big has six. Varis smiled sadly when he saw Thola and Borovik exchange a meaningful hug, revealing the feelings they had for each other.
Varis turned to the heroes. The Staff of the Woodlands was grasped tightly in his hand, and the Moonshield rested on his arm. Moonwhisper was sheathed at his side. "Well. This is it. In a few hours, the Undying King will expect to meet me at the forest's edge. He will likely expect me to refuse surrender, but what he will not see coming is the size of the army opposing his. We will not back down! We will stand and fight, in the name of Triliad and everything we care for! This land is ours, and we will not give it up without a fight!" There was cheering from the adventurers before him. Varis held the Staff to the sky. "Now, to your posts! War is upon us."
Fast as possible, Varis led his army through the forest. They had places to be and not much time to be there. As they ran, Varis let the forest fill him up. He felt it calling to him, thanking him and wishing him luck. Varis felt strong and powerful, as if he himself was a mighty forest.
A sudden white glow surrounded Varis. It was completely transparent and did not obscure Varis' vision whatsoever, but it was there, an almost invisible barrier of energy. Varis looked to his left. Aramil smiled at Varis. A small dome, pale and glowing white, now surrounded the elf wizard. "Mage Armour," Aramil explained. "It will give you a little extra protection." Aramil cast the spell on himself as well, and the same barrier that surrounded Varis appeared on Aramil, underneath his dome.
Varis smiled in gratitude.  "Thank you very much, my friend," he said. "But tell me: what other magic do you have protecting you?"
Aramil grinned. "It is an Arcane Ward, a very special kind of magic unique to abjurers, created by using a strand of magic from an abjuration spell. It absorbs the blows of enemy weapons and spells. If you were to hack at me with your scimitar, this ward would take the effect and damage instead of me. It's like a shield, but better."
Varis shook his head, amazed. "You never cease to amaze me, Aramil."
  "That's not all," Aramil continued, still using telepathy. "I can also use it to protect creatures near me, so stick close."
  "You can count on it," Varis replied.
  By noon, the edge of the forest was in sight. Although he couldn't see them, Varis knew the Treants and Wood Woads were in place, hiding and waiting for an ambush, alongside the many other fey and animals that had offered their services in defence. The elves had regrouped and were now jumping through the trees. Dryads, beautiful and wreathed in leaves and plants, snuck stealthily through the forest, ready to cast spells and enchantments on whatever came near. Sprites and pixies turned invisible before Varis' eyes, waiting for something to use their magic on. Tiny little faerie dragons with their colourful butterfly wings crawled about alongside small, poisonous pseudodragons. Varis signalled for everyone to wait, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the cover of the trees.
  The Undying King was before him, riding on the back of the ancient red dragon, grinning evilly. Behind him, his massive army still stood, and above him, several chromatic dragons circled. "So, Varis, what is you decision?" the lich demanded. "I see you bear the Staff in your hand. Is that a gift for me? Have you decided on surrender?"
  Varis gave the undead wizard a steely glare, shrugging off the chilling effects of his blazing eyes. "You are as arrogant as you are foolish," Varis began. "You think that we tremble in the face of your army, to the point where we would submit to you immediately." Varis stepped up and outstretched his arms, yelling now. "I am Varis Galanodel, the archdruid of this forest! And if you think that I will surrender my life and my home to you, then you are truly a fool! I will fight! I will stand and protect what I stand for! And I will not allow you to deface my home! In the name of Triliad and the Evergreen, charge!"
The forest suddenly erupted as thousands of animals, plants, and heroes streamed out, yelling and hollering. Varis glared at the lich and transformed himself into a Giant Eagle, flying up to where the Undying King rode. He clapped his wings together and cast a spell. A thunderous boom echoed across the entire battlefield. The Undying, caught completely off guard, was flung from the back of the dragon, yelling and clutching his ear holes. He landed with a crunch of bones.
Chaos ensued as the lich's army, surprised by the sudden assault, rushed to pull themselves together amidst the onslaught. Wizards sent meteors raining down from the sky, tearing up the ground and killing all that stood beneath them. Treants hurled boulders at the enemy army and brought surrounding trees to life. Wood Woads fought alongside fighters, monks, and rogues, ripping into the enemy ranks and killing everything in their path. Bears, wolves, and elk charge into the fray, biting, slashing, and ramming the enemy armies.
The momentary victory doesn't last. The lich's army pulls itself together and retaliates. Siege weapons hurl giant rocks at the trees and those defending them. Dragons dive bombed Varis' allies. The horrific fireball weapons the Undying King had devised launched magical explosions at animals and fey, incinerating them. Varis faltered, horrified, and sorrow struck at his heart like an arrow, quickly followed by a blaze of anger.
A storm of fire erupted in the middle of the enemy ranks. Satisfying shrieks filled Varis' ears as his enemies burned. He raked his talons along the dragon's face before flapping down to where the Undyin King lay. The dragon flapped its wings and a blast of wind threw Varis to the ground. He winced at the sound of his eagle bones crunching. A bolt of frost, sent from the Undying King, slammed into Varis. He cried out and was forced to revert.
All around him, the field was chaos. Wolves and goblins clashed, hacking and biting. Ogres and Treants battled, giving low roars that echoed across the plains. Wood Woads danced around mercenaries, attacking with their magical clubs and blocking blow with their shields. Heroes and adventurers ran about, casting magic and swinging swords at whatever stood in their way.
The Undying King rose and fired a spell at Varis. Necromantic energy washed over the elf, and he cried out in pain, curling up into a ball ok the ground. The Undying King laughed sadistically.
The dragon landed behind the lich and walked over to Varis, grinning evilly. "Well, puny mortal, this is the end for you. Burn in my fire!" The dragon opened its gaping jaws, and fire glowed in the back of its mouth.
Grimacing, Varis feebly raised his shield, knowing full well that it would be useless. Aramil saw Varis' peril and tried to rush over, but he was too far away and his path was blocked by a sizeable orc. Varis closed his eyes and silently apologized to the Mothertree.
There was a sudden cry of distress and frustration from the Undying King. Varis opened his eyes. A giant, golden dragon slammed into the red one, sending it sprawling. Varis cheered as several other benevolent, metallic dragons soared to intercept the evil, chromatic ones. A battle now took place in the skies as winged creatures on both sides roar at each other.
A hemispherical dome of energy suddenly appeared over the Undying King. Aramil walked over, staring at the dome, concentrating, a dead orc in his wake. "This'll hold him for a few minutes," Aramil told Varis telepathically.
Varis shakily got to his feet. An orc, armed with a greataxe, charged at him from his left. Varis cast a spell on the Staff of the Woodland to enchants its power and swung the Staff, clubbing the orc over the head and dropping it dead. An arrow flew straight at Varis' head from a hobgoblin longbow, but Aramil's Arcane Ward extended to absorb the blow instead. Varis shot a grateful glance at the elf abjurer, who was now brandishing a shortsword and stabbing at an oncoming goblin.
The glowing dome that surrounded the Undying King suddenly exploded into dust. Varis took a step back, eyes wide. "I thought that was supposed to hold him!" Varis hissed at Aramil using telepathy.
"Well, how was I supposed to know he could cast Disintegrate?" Aramil mentally retorted.
The lich glared at Aramil and sent forth eight glowing darts of magic. They raced towards the elf wizard, but he just grinned. A shield of magical energy suddenly appeared and surrounded Aramil, and the Magic Missiles merely bounced off. Aramil retaliated by hurling a mote of fire at the undead wizard, catching him in the chest and burning through the lich's purple robes, exposing his brown, rotten skin, now blackened by the magical fire.
  The lich looked down at his chest and sneered. "Do you really think a little fire can stop me?" he roared. "If you're so fond of fire, how about I send you to its home? Enjoy the Plane of Fire, Aramil, because you'll be there a while!" And with that, he produced a brass rod from his pockets, held it out towards Aramil, and chanted an incantation.
  Despite Aramil's many magical defences and his ability to easily withstand magical powers, he succumbed to the lich's power and phased out of reality, transported to a different plane of existence. Aramil's owl familiar, Ama, flapped about in distress, distraught at what had happened to her master.
  "No!" Varis cried, stumbling forward to the space Aramil had just occupied. Varis whirled around and glared darkly. "You monster! I always knew undead filth like you were nothing but unnatural, disgusting evil! You'll pay for this!"
  Varis yelled an incantation and stuck out his hand. Eight brown bears suddenly appeared right before the Undying King and surrounded him, tearing into him with their teeth and claws. The lich quickly cast the Cloudkill spell, and poisonous yellow fog swirled around him, causing the bears to choke as noxious has filled their lungs, but they continued to attack.
  Varis stood back, knowing full well that if he went near the fog, it would cause him to lose concentration and potentially kill him, which would cause the fey spirits that walked in bear form to return to their home. Instead, he stayed back, battling with goblins and the likes.
  Some of the bears let out a roar before falling over, dead from poison, although there still remained, badly wounded. The lich placed his hand on one and it died from his touch. The other two bears soon dropped dead as well.
  Varis lopped off the head of a goblin, then turned back to the Undying King. The lich was lying in the grass. Both of his arms and one of his legs had been torn off. Deep gashes ran through his torso, and his dark purple robes were in shreds. One of his eye sockets had been ripped apart, revealing a yellowed skull behind a glowing light that replaced his eyes.
  The lich let out a weak laugh. "I may be crippled, Varis, but it's not the end for me. You know that. Even if I die, I'll just come back. You, on, the other hand, you are weakened as well." The lich paused and motioned to several deep cuts Varis had received in battle. "And now weak enough that I can kill you easily. Unlike me, though, you won't come back."
  The lich opened his mouth to utter a single word, a word of death that Varis knew would kill him instantly. But there was nothing Varis could do. Even if he tried to cast a spell, his wouldn't cast quickly enough. The lich spoke the word (I dare not type it here), but nothing happened. The lich looked around wildly, confused. Then his jaw dropped open in shock.
  Aramil stood behind him, hand outstretched. He gave the Undying King a sly grin. "You should have known never to attempt to banish a wizard. We are, after all, the masters of Planar Travel." He then clubbed the lich over the head with his staff, knocking the undead unconscious.
  Aramil lifted the lich's body into the air by means of the Levitation spell, showing his seemingly dead body to all. "Your leader is dead!" Aramil yelled, hoping he wouldn't have to bluff any further. "Turn back now! You have lost! Surrender and promise never to return, and you will be shown mercy!"
  Heads turned all around the battlefield to see the lich's body, slowly rising into the air. Gasps and murmurs spread through both armies, some of shock and despair, others of joy and disbelief. Before anyone could react, though, an eagle flew above and let out a shrill cry.
  "You may have killed our leader," it yelled in a familiar voice. "But this is far from over. He will return, and there is nothing you can do to stop him." Varis recognized the voice as Stor's and glared. "All units, pull back to the mountains!" Stor stared at Varis with piercing eagle eyes. "Don't think you've won," he spat before flying off.
  The Undying King's forces turned in full retreat. Varis' army chased them off, firing arrows and magic and attacking with melee weapons. Varis eventually called his troops back as well, and they returned to the forest yelling and cheering triumphantly.
  Varis breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a sharp gasp of remorse and shock. For while they had won the first battle, the sight battlefield and forest edge was enough to take all the joy away from Varis.
  Bodies of animals and fey alike were sprawled across the plains. Some had arrows jutting out of them. Others were messes of mangled flesh and shattered bones. Blood soaked the grass, staining it deep red. Ancient Treants lay splintered and defeated, dead and dishonoured. Heroes were sprawled along the grass. Varis' heart nearly broke in two when he saw Thola crying over Borovik's dead, bloody body, and the fact that she could revive him was of little comfort. The forest edge was torn up and mauled. Trees had been shattered and uprooted by boulders flung from siege weapons. Elf bodies lay twisted and bloodied among the broken branches. A tiny pixie village had been crushed when the tree it resided in was struck by a chunk of rock, and all those who had lived there were dead. The carnage nearly made Varis puke. He turned away and shut his eyes, not able to bear anymore of the horrible sight. Tears leaked from his eyes in grievance of the many innocent lives lost.
  Aramil walked over and put a hand on Varis' shoulder. "I am so, so sorry," he whispered. "I can't possibly imagine the amount of sadness you are feeling right now. But we need to get moving. The Undying King won't be unconscious for long, and we need to be prepared for when he wakes up."
Varis nodded, still crying, unable to speak.
  Aramil floated the lich's body to the forest's edge, but Varis stopped him before the body entered the woods. "I will not have his foul carcass in my home."
  Aramil nodded. "As you wish," he said, lowering the body into the blood stained grass. The two got to work fastening the lich's body to the ground, so that when he awoke he would be unable to escape.
  Aramil called over a human wizard, an enchanter, to assist him in interrogation, and told Varis to get to cover. "I want to minimize risk of fatality," Aramil explained.
  Varis reluctantly complied, heading into his beloved forest to await news from Aramil and heal the wounded.