The Battle at Li Farms

The Battle of Li Farms was a conflict in the Vasilian Woods, as part of a larger series of conflicts between the gnolls of Vasilia and The Vassoan Humans of Old Vassos.

## Lead Up

It first started when Squadron Omada discovered a spot of desecration creeping towards Li Family Farms, a major food source for Old Vassos.

Reporting back to Supreme Commander Archigos, Omada learned that gnolls can desecrate lands in order to strengthen their connection with the pits from whence they came. They can summon demons and even open portals to the pits themselves if their connection grows strong enough. Knowing this, Arcihgos prepared two troops of thirty men each and marched them to the desecration.

While Archigos was preparing the troops, Benedis Oneiro and Protogolem Mk. 58 of Squadron Omada ran to The Temple of Vasilias in Vassos to seek help from priests who could possibly help to clear the desecration from the lands using priestly magics. They were able to recruit the help of Nihil Rhuoff and Thaulos Isior to hold a ritual that could cleanse the lands. Though the ritual would take eight hours for one priest, thankfully due to Nihil's help, that time was cut in half.

So, 60 good men from Vassos journeyed to the Li Family Farms; where Omada, familiar with Bella Li and her family, were able to convice the Li family to allow an encampment to be built on their farm. Bella, Brocc, and the whole Li family was sent off to Vassos, where they stayed with the Sages for a short time.

While the Li family evacuated their premises, The Vassoan Guard began putting up tents, constructing large pyres to keep the area lit up and warm against the cold autumnal winds, and put out small kegs of Distilled Tree-Sap so that the guards may share a drink before the morning of the purification. Troops were outfitted, dog-tags distributed, and last wishes recorded. Then a short and uncomfortable rest fell upon the men of Vassos, as they dreamed anxiously of the next morn.

Before going to rest, however, Sqaudron Omada quickly scouted ahead to see if there were enemies on the desecrated lands. They found a demon, a canine-like beast with a scorpion tail, leading a small group of gnolls. They seemed to be keeping some sort of patrol. They reported this back to Archigos, retreating without making a sound, and also went to rest for the night.

## The Battle

When dawn came, trumpets rang out across the motionless and hushed encampment. The men donned their armor and spears, and traveled west-ward towards the desecration. The men of Vassos placed themselves atop a hill a short way westward of the desecration, with troops wrapping around the area to form a northward and a southward defensive line. The only direction which was left unguarded was east-ward, from whence the Vassoans came.

After the men were in place, and the priests ready to start the ritual, signs of foreboding reached the desecration. Flocking birds and evil sounds got the attention of Archigos, whose head perked up to try to peer through the veil of dense trees in an attempt to locate the source of these signs. "VASSOANS!" he cried out with a voice that reached the heart of every man, "SHIELDS UP!" In unison, every Vassoan thrust their towering shields out in front of them, slamming them into the ground before them creating a loud THUD that traveled throughout the lines of Vassoans. Then, as the sound of something large rushing through the forest approached, Archigos called out urgently, "SPEARS RAISED!" and again a mighty sound, this time a SWOOSH-ing, was heard traveling through the lines as each man pulled his spear from his back, and thrust it out in front him, past their wall of shields.

Then, like raging waters bursting through a vast and mighty damn, gnolls rushed out from the woods below the hill, flooding the surrounding area with their evils. They brought terrible and bizarre creatures - Barlguras and Shusuvas, Maw Demons and Trolls, and Hyenas and Masked Men. They swarmed in numbers over double that of the Vassoans, apparently tipped off by the holy ritual of Thaulos and Nihil.

So the two enemies met in the bloody field of battle, and as the gnolls rushed forward relentlessly towards the overwhelmed Vassoan Guardsmen, Archigos soon realized that they had little hope of being victorious. He called out for a powerful druid on the guard called Banardeum. When no answer came, he realized that in an attempt to push the gnolls back, Banardeum had become trapped behind enemy lines and was being overwhelmed by enemies.

Archigos called out for Squadron Omada, who was trying to prove their worth to gain a promotion. Unable to find a good path into the Gnoll's lines to rescue Banardeum, things seemed bleak. Surrounded by five gnolls, and more coming, for a few desperate moments it seemed hopeless. Then, in a moment of shock and surprise, Faidon Stamiadis, The Owl, broke away from The Vassoan Lines. He ran into the Gnoll Forces, dodging out of the way of their mighty claws and gnarly spears. Then, he reached Banardeum and said to him "Hold on to me!" In typical Faidon fashion, ignoring the confusion on the face of the man before him. Using his technological magics, Faidon teleported both him and Banardeum back behind Vassoan lines, right in front of Archigos.

So, much to the relief of the strained guardsmen and the anxious Archigos, Banardeum was saved and went to get reinforcements early into the battle, using his druidic powers to increase his speed. Then, after that, the battle truly started in all of its gore and horror. The gnolls attacked without reserve, and their numbers were great.

For an hour battle raged, the gnolls and their demonic allies pushing ever forward onto the shields of the Vassoans. Some brave soldiers broke from the front lines to take on larger targets: Proponis was fighting a Barlgura of Yeenoghu, Kozik Nargharsh (Dracckkthar) took on a fourteen-gnoll horde threatening to destroy the southern defensive line, and Soveliss Amakiir (Eriol) was shooting powerful evocation spells over the Vassoan Defense into the Gnoll Horde.

Then, from the northern defense came a loud crashing sound, as earth and bodies were thrown into the air. A gnoll had suicide bombed the defense, and gnolls and demonic reinforcements were swarming through the hole in the phalanx. Archigos called out once again to Omada, asking them to fight off the intruders and re-form the line.

So, Omada, and Rakesh Johar (Kussa), who was nearby and sprang to their aid, ran to meet the demons in battle while the gnolls attacked the phalanx from behind. While Rakesh, Protogolem mk. 58, Faidon Stamiadis, Tassos "Swift", and Klar Drommer (Dreamer), fought off the demons rushing them; Benedis ran into battle against the gnolls. He slew the few that were breaking the phalanx and then helped to reform it. Then, yelling inspiration out to the Northern Vassoan Phalanx to bolster them, he led an attack with them that helped to scatter the gnoll forces to the north. Meanwhile, the rest of Omada and Rakesh slew the demons, with a little bit of difficulty. So, thanks to Omada and Rakesh, the northern Phalanx was saved and the battle once again raged on.

Then, for an hour, the worst of the skirmish was on the Vassoans. The drooping grey clouds that hung sadly above them began to wept for the lives lost and a light drizzle fell on the field which progressed into a steady rain. Most of the front-line gnolls had thinned out or died by this point, and so the more powerful rear forces were now picking off the weakened remains of the Vassoan Phalanxes. Among the forces that surged forwards, replacing their dead kinsmen, was a commander of gnolls. A large one, Archigos had called a flind. Flinds are rare in gnoll hordes, and they usually act as chieftains or commanders in battle. The flind is no mere gnoll. In fact, at almost double the size of a regular gnoll, flinds are horrific creatures that feel no emotion; they feel nothing at all save for the debilitating hunger.

A flind rushed forward from the ranks, and broke through Vassoan lines attempting to destroy the defensive line. Archigos met it in the field of battle 'ere it killed every last man. With courage and tenacity Archigos fought against the deadly flind, who held in it's giant claws a flail with three mace heads attached to the handle by gnarly chains.

As Archigos fought the enemy commander, Proponis busied himself with a giant gnoll movement forward; approximately twenty-one gnolls had rushed him while he fought a barlgura. He attempted to defend against the gnolls, wary of rejoining the Vassoan defensive line lest he lead such a large gnolls force directly on top of the Vassoan's shields.

Then, flanked from the south-east, two trolls and twelve masked men ran into the field of desecration, inhabited only by the priests of Vasilias whilst the rest of the men defended the are from gnolls on the west hill. There was no one to give out orders. There was no one to answer the priests call of shock; hardly any even heard it. The men of Vassos were concerned with their own lives as the remains of the gnollish horde were able to pick off the southern defense. Then, Squadron Omada, amidst the madness, saw the priests' plight.

As the northern phalanx thinned out along the hill in a feeble attempt to hold off the mass of gnolls, Omada ran to the desecration. The masked men fell on Omada, gravely injuring Tassos with necrotic magics. Benedis ran ahead of the other members of the squad, straight into battle against a troll and four masked men. Completely surrounded, Benedis received many injuries.

Meanwhile, Zephyros, heeding a guard call from Benedis, joined the battle, healing Tassos with magic than engaging in single combat with a troll. As 58, Klar, Faidon, and the newly-recovered Tassos attempted to kill the men swarming about them, the troll which stood before Benedis grabbed ahold of Thaulos. As he lifted him in his large claws, Thaulos said some words in celestial; smoke from his censor rose and shrouded itself about the troll like a dense fog. Then, flashes of fire were seen in the smoke as Thaulos used his divine magic to attempt to smite the beast. In retaliation, the troll impaled Thaulos on his claws and bit him at the soldier, then proceeded to toss him to the side like a used tissue.

Rage glowed in the eyes of Zephyros and Benedis. Zephyros continued combat with the troll in front of him, despite the danger and the hurt he received for it. Benedis, however, ceased attacking the masked men around him and began to slash at the legs of the troll with great anger and passion. No matter how hard, however, they slashed the trolls, it didn't matter. Within seconds, the wounds were closing; the skin was regenerating; the trolls were healing.

While the rest of Omada were pushed back to the hill, Faidon sent out one of his owl artilleries to aid Zephyros and Benedis in combat. The small clockwork owl waddled like a hurrying penguin towards Zephyros and from its miniscule beak it sent out a loud fifteen-foot cone of flames. The troll, bathed in flames howled a horrible, bone-shaking cry. The skin of the troll became charred, and green pus oozed from the cracks in it's skin. Zephyros, realizing what was happening, raised his sword into the sky and shouted a prayer. A moment later, his sword was bathed in green and blue flames. As he swung wildly at his opponent, he could tell the troll feared the flame and was hurt badly by it.

Then, Benedis, attacking the troll before him, was throttled by the might backhand of the troll. As he lay on the grounf, struggling to get up, thoughts turned to his father and his grand-father before him. Then, with the strength of one willing to die for those who live, he began to push himself off the ground. A giant troll fist slammed onto his chest, embedding him into the muddy, wet ground. Zephyros, in shock, turned to face Benedis in a moment of weakness. He paid for it dearly when the troll with terrifying speed slashed with both claws at Zephyros. Both men lost consciousness.

Now, Faidon and Tassos began to become overwhelmed as men attacked them and more approached; although 58 attempted to hold them off, there were numbers too great and they fell onto the hill where the two stood fighting, with Klar providing support. The numbers were too great, and Klar, shifting into a panther, gazed desperately forward, noting his unconscious party members.

The flind, who had been assailing Archigos for some time, managed finally to get a wicked shot in at the brave man. With mace-heads fierce and poisoned, the flind layed into Archigos, sending him to the ground. Quickly and deftly Archigos rolled onto his feet and attacked with his long-sword: one slash upwards to distract. Than, running clockwise around the beast to it's back, he slashed at the side of the creature. While it was confused, he delivered one more brutal attack to it's left leg. The flind cried out horribly, than began to swing its flail with a demented look on it's gnollish face.

The troll that had finished off Zephyros turned to attack Nihil, the remaining priest who had been running wildly about the area, trying to stay within range so he may finish the ritual. He had taken a nasty troll punch and was stabbed by a masked man, but was still trying hard to finish his ritual; for the ritual was supposed to take four hours and it had now been three hours and forty-seven minutes. Much to the chagrin of the troll, however, the flame from Faidon's owl artillery once again fell upon him. If he had been fresh, it would have mattered little; however the troll had been so injured in it's fight against Zephyros that it fell where it stood like a felled tree.

Meanwhile, however, the troll that stood over Benedis scooped him into his large hands. Benedis, dazed and still not fully conscious, stared up at the beast, blinking. Then, the troll smiled a wicked smile as it squeezed the life from him as it walked towards Nihil, who's pace had begun to slow. Then he closed his mighty jaws atop Benedis' neck and shoulder, and ripping a chunk of flesh from the man, tossed him aside in much the same way he had tossed Thaulos.

Klar, seeing this as he looked out upon the area with his cat eyes, used his new forms agility to run towards Benedis and try to see if there was any chance he survived. Tassos and Faidon, losing half their support, began to sweat as they were completely surrounded. 58 desperately attacked the men on the hill, but was not fast enough to get them all.

Then, across the battle field, the flind with a mighty thrust of it's muscle-bound arm, hit Archigos across the mask with all three flail-heads. Archigos, spinning in the air and landing fifteen feet back, slowly pushed himself up to his arms and knees. As he did, he looked upon the flind, and through his shattered eye-lens, just a flash of gold could be made out as he tried to rise to his feet, but the flind swiftly approached. As he did so, the gnoll forces grew ferocious. They snarled and yipped with delight upon seeing their commander gain ground in his fight. They pushed forward, and with the loud chorus of battle praising their victory, the gnolls finally broke the last of the Vassoan lines and began to run for the desecrated land.

Nihil, using the his weight and speed, grabbed onto Benedis' armor as he ran past him, and slowly dragged him just beyond the tree line east of the desecration. Taking from his neck a gold chain with a fine diamond hung from it, he began to pray and place the diamond on Benedis' chest. Klar, following Benedis, ran into the forest with them and readied himself to defend them against the troll and the four men accompanying it.

Slowly, surely, Benedis was covered in a bright luminescent light, and he slowly got back on his feet. He called out at Nihil for dropping the ritual to save him. "What are you doing!! The ritual for Vasilias' sake man!" Then, the enemy were on them, and a troll smacked Klar to the side, so he hit a tree and lost his wild shape. The force of the blow was so severe that it knocked him unconscious. Then, as the enemies stood over an exhausted and delirious Benedis and a tired Nihil, a shadow came over the land.

It was a dark and foreboding shadow, one that sent fear into every single thing on the field as they looked up in disbelief. They saw, sailing through the air, a giant mass of small dark oblong shapes flying through the air; it was a sea of arrows. Reinforcements had arrived. They rained down hell on the enemy.

As hope crept back into the Vassoan's hearts, Nihil worked his healing magics fast. "Yes good! Heal Klar!" Benedis urged on. However, it was not Klar whom he healed, but Thaulos from afar. Thaulos rose to his feet, and looking around, grabbed his censor to continue the ritual.

Then, in anger and dismay, the flind brought down his flails again on Archigos. They never made contact though, as Proponis caught the attack with his longsword. As the flail heads wrapped around the sword, he gave a mighty pull, and ripped one of the flail heads from his weapon. Rising, Archigos addressed his old friend, "Proponis! I always thought you were too old for this kind of action!"

"When will you learn Archigos!" Proponis replied with a sharp tongue, "I'm never too old to deal with your shit!"

Then, laughing and knocking their swords together in comradery, they both rush forward. Archigos was brutal and strong; Proponis swift and dexterous. While Archigos attacked the beast head-on, gripping his longsword tightly with two hands, Proponis skirted around the flind, using his longsword in one hand to stagger him, then coming in close for a brutal third attack from his shortsword. The flind, overwhelmed and seeing his defeat, called for a retreat of the gnolls.

In the flee, it is assumed that thirty to sixty gnolls escaped. Not among them, however was the flind. He was almost respectable, fighting to the last and ensruing his remaing forces got to safety; however he earned none, for the Vassoans knew he acted not honorably for his forces, but in a crazed attempt to cause as much carnage and destruction as he could 'ere he was killed.

Thus ended the battle, with only sixteen of the original sixty men surviving. After the battle, there were one hundred and sixty-three confirmed gnoll kills, with the aforementioned assumption of thirty to sixty fleeing after the archers arrived.