The Calm After The Storm

By the time the third wave of undead broke against the walls of Greyton, the battle for the Valley was all but over. It was clear that the objective of the Orcusite forces was not to take ground or to hold any specific objective, but simply to delay all the major forces in the Valley for a few hours. In this they were successful,as every hero and unit was recalled to defend their home town.
Most settlements emerged victorious, by some definition of the term. Both Blacklake and Rockside Chapel were built next to very large graveyards; both towns were razed to the ground, and the survivors forced to flee. All over the valley, tales of loss and heroism had begun to emerge.
In the Mosswood, the goblins (aided by Drusilla) had held off some of the terrible things that crawled out of the depths of the woods. Undead treants, opportunistic bandits and thousands of skeletal animals had taken their toll on the tribes. In Tsar, aberrant horrors had boiled up from the catacombs, and while the fight had been brief, it had also been brutal, killing or downing a quarter of the Catacomb Guard before the fighting ceased.
Lady Tolah had survived the night, and let Mortimer know by way of a letter and a small cage. The cage contained a sluglike creature with scales like a fish. While the creature had a domed featureless head (bereft of eyes, nose or ears), it could open its mouth both vertically and horizontally, splitting the front half of it's body into four fleshy tentacles, laden with spiraling rows teeth and acidic saliva. A label on the cage read "Booltabs", Orcish for "Little Tabs".
Skor and Aberdeen had fared slightly better. Skor's walls, (and common sense about keeping graveyards outside of them) meant that they took minimal losses, despite the overwhelming number of undead and demons that bore down upon them. Considering the size of the forces arrayed against Skor, one could be lead to believe that the forces of Orcus had a particular vendetta against the crown.
Aberdeen's compulsory military training for all of its citizens proved a welcome strength, but the number of "ancestors" that were kept armed and armoured almost proved their undoing. The Shens (aided by the High Priests of Abadar) conducted a ritual in the Great Shrine to cleanse their forces of Orcus’ influence.
Sandpoint and the Coast road got off lightly; The coast road had many guardsmen and armed escorts, and comparatively few graveyards. The residents of Tai Yong and Nai Chung also earned their keep; Hengsha’s “friends” proved very able combatants. Sandpoint itself is not terribly defensible, but is surrounded by mountains that house trolls, ogres, orcs and worse, and anything that wanted to attack Sandpoint had to first march through miles of dangerous countryside.
Back at Dejune, the army returned home. Morale could not be said to be high; everyone had lost someone in the battle for Greyton. There is some talk of petitioning Shades for reincarnates and restorations for the fallen. Surely their lord owes it to them, and what’s a few thousand gold compared to them holding the line in the third wave, while their leaders had all but abandoned them? Much of this is self interest; criminals often perceive themselves as more valuable than those around them. Some of it is fear, as people have seen the dead walk, and fear they may need to strike down their friends. The Terror Kites are distraught with the loss of a third of their number, culminating in a tearful reunion between Avale and Barrak. Karlbotablepas has remained neutral, she understands the cost of war all too well.
Back in Greyton, the cleanup has begun in earnest. The Warden has suggested using the bones of the enemy as foundations for his castle; it sends a strong message and prevents the bones being raised again. This idea has met with much opposition, as some Mitran priests say that it’s a bad idea, but can’t give a consistent reason as to why. Many suggests that most of the remains are those of good people who were lost in Rappan Athuk, and that they deserve a proper burial, or what can be managed under the circumstances.
Overall, while no one is directly Shades, it’s clear that his meagre political capital is almost spent. Everyone understands the value of what Shades is trying to achieve, but no one really wants to accept that the loss of hundreds of lives is a necessary component of the war on Orcus. Even now, the fight is ongoing, as units from all the major settlements resign themselves to spending most of 1790E re-sealing tombs and hunting down rogue demons.
Scouts have reported back some good news. While there are many demons still at large in the valley, none are particularly powerful or threatening, freeing GDEC to continue to hunt down the Grand Cornu. The site which served as the rally point for the third wave is interesting; a large passage leading downward. The smart money is that it is a back door into Rappan Athuk, but exactly where it lines up with the rest of those foul halls is unknown.
The Council has confirmed that they will meet on the 1st day of 1790E, in the council chambers in Tsar. High Lady High Arcanist Tey’ranaric has given her word that Tsar is safe, and that the meeting should go ahead as scheduled.
For now, (and for better or worse), GDEC is no longer on the clock. If Ashfallen is to believe, whatever plan the Grand Cornu had in mind has long since taken place, and The Great Downward can finally grab a breather.