The Adventures of Brandar Odaron
Book 1: The Hidden Continent
Chapter 26 The First New-Frontier War
Brandar established what quickly became known as the New Frontier, which encompassed the Forest and much of the Grasslands, from the Great Northern Bay to the Southern Wood, and from the Eastern Foothills to the Fortress of Baerhesperos. Then he ordered great Towers to be built along the New Frontier and placed every ten leagues along the East Bank of the River Kelebros, but from there every hundred leagues south of Baeren’s Lake. And to relieve the burden of taxation upon his subjects, and foregoing assistance from the other Kings, he paid for all of it out of the unimaginable wealth he had obtained from the hoard of Balkurmis. And many a good Sereghran were glad for the work, and came from all over Arzultaur to take part in the building of the Towers. Yet, the grandest of all was at the southern end of Baeren’s Lake, with Brandar naming the territory there Deunomis.
That Tower was encompassed by a mighty wall, from water’s edge to water’s edge, along an arc long and wide enough to hold also all of Dragon’s Den Hill. But the ends of the wall, its “arms”, were to go far out into the Lake, with iron spikes along their tops so that they may not be surmounted but by raft or boat. Yet, along the shore within the two arms was another wall with spikes of its own, behind which would be set catapults designed to toss bags of burning oil far out upon the Lake.
Thus did Brandar build a Fortress there, containing the greatest Tower which the Sereghran had ever known, and from which he would send armies north and south to protect his Lands. And naturally a very large town grew up there, while many a wealthy Sereghran came also to built houses nigh upon the remaining shores of the Lake.
Even as those works were in progress, Sereghran came in great numbers to the Old Borders, now called Central Arzultaur, and also to the Forest as far west as they dared; claiming homesteads and making settlements, and clearing land for farming and ranching. And some went into regions east of Baeren’s Lake, deeming that the Warlord would protect them, though Brandar warned them all by messengers -- to those he became aware of -- that lands west of the New Frontier were not safe, for he could not assure their safekeeping should they venture too far beyond his borders.
This would prove disastrous to those who ignored Brandar’s warnings, as there came to Brandar, ere one new Tower was completed, several Scouts reporting that the Durwolc were increasing in numbers in the Foothills and the Highlands, and in the Southern Wood, and were also mustering on the Grasslands northwest. But one there was who had ventured into the Mountains, who said: “All of the Mountains are swarming with Durwolc and other monsters, and many fell beasts, who are all excited by great bloodlust, as if they are under some devilry. And they are moving now towards the Forest. Then I myself barely escaped, and warily made my way here to reveal these things to you. But many of my fellows, I fear, shall not be returning to their homes.”
Thus, the enemy attacked not three years after the Devouring Assault. And this war was called the Koros Heidaras, which is “War of Burning Trees”, as a large part of the Forest was burned therein. But other horrible wars would follow, one after another, for many years to come. And these all-together would be named the “Wars of Odaron’s Frontier”, of which there were five; each in its turn more deadly than the one before.
Here, then, is given an account of the First New-Frontier War.
In the North, people perceived that the lands about the Demon’s Castle were growing dark and gloomy, even in daylight. Then the darkness began to swell outwards; seething out steadily from the Castle in its center. But it also contained choking mists, black in color, comprised of swirling vapors that would go forth from the darkness to flow far and wide across the Lands. Yet, neither would wind nor rain nor any weather at all affect the darkness, nor its ghastly emissions, nor halt its growth. And any who breathed the black vapors of those mists were made ill, with the children the most vulnerable, so that many died at length of various maladies.
Now, the darkness continued to swell until it reached to three leagues east of Kelebros, where it seemed to halt its advance, much to the relief of the Soldiers of the North Flank, at that time spread rather thin along the Eastern Bank. For those who daringly ventured into the darkness, whether under orders or foolhardily on their own, had never returned. So the Soldiers began to name it the “Smothering Darkness”, and the “Demon’s Mists”. And its height was so great that it could be seen from the river. Brandar thus feared that an attack must be in the offing from out of the Darkness, and he sent Scouts to keep watch upon it, as he made ready his forces all along the Borderlands. Yet, too soon came that assault. The first of five terrible New-Frontier wars.
Upon a time in the middle night a Scout came riding breakneck to Deunomis from the north. And hurriedly dismounting, seeking Brandar, excitedly said to him: “Durwolc are pouring from the Darkness, like hornets from a stricken hive. And they carry torches, the light of which cannot be seen until they come out. My friends were taken ere they could escape, and I alone came away, as I was farthest from the edge of the Darkness. Yet, I was but a hair’s breadth from death. And the enemy must now be close, and shall be upon us at any moment.” Then word came that two more Scouts had come to the Borders at different places, giving similar accounts. But no other Scout who Brandar had sent to keep watch on the Darkness was ever seen again.
Calaren was in command of the North Flank, and was charged with overseeing the building of the new Towers along Kelebros, so that his forces were, at that time, divided into Companies set every ten leagues along the river, from the Coast to Baeren’s Lake. And Calaren was at that site which lay thirty leagues from the Bay itself. Yet, having learned by messengers, and from Brandar by his Aefarin, that an attack was coming, try as he might to get his Soldiers and Mages prepared, they were spread along too long a front to be effective against a truly great invasion. And he was not then surprised when none of his forces withstood the assault.
From the Darkness, in front of countless Durwolc, there issued many Elemental monsters in the form of huge whirlwinds which crossed the river in numerous places; wrecking havoc upon his Soldiers and then upon the Grasslands. And Calaren would later learn that these monsters decimated two Companies at the sites forty and fifty leagues from the Bay. Thus, the enemy came upon rafts across Kelebros unhindered in those places. And while many turned north or south to fight with the rest of the men of the Northern Flank, some ran headlong eastwards, making it far into the settled Lands. But men said of that night that the enemy were so innumerable upon the western side of the river that their torches could be seen a full league deep, from the Lake to the Bay. Yet, the enemy also came across at many other places, and engaged whatever Soldiers opposed them. And with the dawn, while Soldiers all along the river were fighting losing battles, there came such thick black mists from the Darkness that the Suns were dimmed, and the Grasslands were covered in a deep and dark haze. And the mists caused many a man to grow so ill that could hardly fight, and therefore fell to the enemy.
Consequently, doing as much as he could to save as many as he could, Calaren’s forces were then falling left and right, and despite his great magicks, he could not save his northern-most Companies and was in truth able only to keep the Company he was with from being as swiftly destroyed as the rest of his not insignificant forces. Thus did the Durwolc cross the river and began to ravage all the Lands beyond. And they chased down and mercilessly slew every Sereghran they could find. But also did they burn crops and farms, and homes and villages, and everything else in their paths -- and there was nothing that could be done to stop them. Then also did they set the Forest ablaze.
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Brandar’s Main Force was assaulted with even more strength than the doomed Northern Flank. But among the Durwolc who came against Brandar out of the Foothills were terrible Stone Giants, and Rock Demons, and vile things which we now name as Ghouls and Gangyn and Galabus. And there were wolves and wargs, and bears and mountain-lions, and other wild beasts; all of which must certainly have been placed under enchantments that made them seek and devour the Sereghran -- for there were Mages herding them, evil Men who served the Demon Lord. But there were also many of the most horrible flying monsters; Harpies and Gryphon, and Gargoyles and Gremlins, and Dragons and Drakes, and flocks of other unspeakable horrors.
Thus was Brandar pushed steadily east by the press of his foes, so that he must finally make a stand upon Dragon’s Den Hill with his Main Force at half of its original strength. In these straights, therefore, he contemplated a retreat to the east, though he had sworn to himself that he would never again flee in the face of an enemy.
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While commanding the Southward Flank a few leagues from Deunomis, Jesan was so hard pressed to keep his Army from being routed by Durwolc flooding both from the Foothills west and the Woodlands south that he decided to order a run to the north, owing that half of his forces had been felled in very short order. And it was all that he could do to make it himself to Dragon’s Den Hill with but a third of his Army, after having spent a day and night fighting while moving; having to turn at whiles to engage in battle, so close was the pursuit all the way. But this was later considered an outstanding feat, as counted among the battles of that war, due to the vastness of the forces pursuing him. Yet, Jesan himself made it to Dragon’s Den Hill and Brandar was indeed grateful that at least a third of Jesan’s forces had made it, for he was desperate for reinforcements.
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From the Southern Wood and the Foothills came huge crowds of Durwolc into the southernmost regions of the Forest. And among them were Mages urging masses of wolves and wargs before them. And these had caught and killed every Scout and Patrol which had been assigned to keep watch upon those lands. Thus was the enemy able to go into the Forest over a wide region in the South, where they slew many settlers; burning the Forest as they came, raging through Brandar’s Realm. Indeed, the enemy made such a stab into the Forest there that a fourth of its timber was destroyed by their fires. Yet, Medhyos, leading the Army of Baerhesperos, savagely drove into the invaders, slaying over the course of many days all the enemy which had come from the Wood, and most of those which had come from the Foothills, thus chasing but a small count of the surviving Durwolc westward into the hills.
Meanwhile, Turlin was gaining a victory over another army of invaders a mere six leagues south of where Medhyos was making camp upon the edge of the Foothills. And Turlin drove his foes deep into the Southern Wood. But thereafter communing upon their Aefarin, these two Lords agreed to meet and ride north to the aid of Brandar and Jeson, who had become stranded upon Dragon’s Den Hill with no hope of escape.
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Brandar and Tomas and Jesan stood upon the hilltop, using their magicks to fend off attacks from the airs above while the other Northrons, and what few Generals and Captains and Mages remained, went about keeping the Durwolc from fully overrunning the Hill. But the count yet standing from both Armies there was now but a fifth of what they had been, and was continuing to shrink. Then Brandar considered a break towards the east using Tomas and Jesan to hack a way through, while Brandar would hold the rear, though he told them not that he intended to make there a last stand to give them time to flee; imagining the songs that would be sung of his sacrifice. Yet, while Brandar was thinking this thought, even as he fought, Calaren, far to the north, was himself standing fast with what few forces were left to him. And he did battle there, determined to fight even to the felling of the very last of his men, for he was such a mighty Wizard that he could not be slain, and could by his arts rise and fly away in the end, and so escape the battle unharmed. But not, he resolved, until all was lost.
Yet, when Calaren had less than sixty men about him there rode Ergon from the northeast with a large following of magical Mariners. And from the east came Flaven with a Company of mounted Knights leading the Army of Baertunas striding afoot, followed by a huge force of the People’s Brigades. And these were so much more than were needed to defeat the enemy thereabouts that they slew the Durwolc, and even the Mages among them, in amazingly large numbers, and drove the survivors howling and screaming into the river, with a mere few scrambling up from the far bank to flee, at length, desperate and fearful back into their Master’s Darkness.
Then Flaven and Ergon left the Brigadiers under Calaren’s command and rode south ahead of the Army of Baertunas to the aid of the Warlord at Deunomis; knowing that Brandar was soon to be whelmed. And while they must engage other Durwolc upon the way, causing a delay in that errand, ever did they prevail and march on. But as the two came to the northern end of Baeren’s Lake, here they found that neither of their Aefari were being answered by Brandar nor Medhyos, nor even by the Elf-Lord Turlin. Then did they sorrowfully deem that those Lords must somehow have been slain.
But lo, as Ergon and Flaven later approached Deunomis, here were those very Lords laughing and drinking upon Dragon’s Den Hill, celebrating a victory, while Tomas and Jesan and the other Northrons had gone to chase enemy survivors into the Foothills. Then Brandar explained that he had been rescued by Medhyos and Turlin, though they had all been too busy fighting to answer their Aefari. And with that, all five of those Lords began to celebrate, and got roaring drunk. So ended the First War of the New Frontier. And it was held then, and long afterwards, a very great victory indeed.