Battle of Survival

The Battle of Survival was a fierce battle that lasted 5 weeks in the year of **432AB.** The battle was fought between the Whisperers and their allies against the Heroes of the Storm and the nations following them. It is pivotal in the War of the Whisperers.

It is seen as one of the most historical battles in the Second Era, leaving many historian's and scholar's from any time after to consitently debate, and many generals to read the stories told.

## Prelude

In **397AB** a man named Curna struck down the current Whitoper king, Piven Whitroot, causing the nation to call for a purge.

In **398AB** the nations of Defel, Ralia and Sula followed in the purge.

In **399AB** the first rise of the Heroes of the Stone occured, only to be wiped out by Quinton house.

In **401AB** the Heroes of the Stone rose once more.

In **420AB** the Heroes found a way to make Half Whisperers. Whisperers began starting preparation to make a major storm.

In **430AB** Curna, the leader of the Quinton house of Whisperers, found and fought the Heroes leader along with many half whisperers and higher ups to the death. Kachi Jack Snow took command of the Heroes, and Tai Bundun took ofer the Quinton House.

By **431AB** the Heroes have restructured their leadership, returning to their previous power.

In **432AB** the Whisperers decided a location for battle and waited for the Heroes army to arrive.

## Week 1

Week 1 saw little true combat as both sides were weary and tested one another out. Kachi Jack Snow had been infamous for how ruthless he was when finding and killing Whisperers, often smiling upon their deaths. This had given him a large assortment of half whisperers, along with keen knowledge on their powers and limits. With such expertise, he was unlike the previous leaders against the Whisperers, and became very patient, controlling the political side of his group to avoid any distractions or time constraints.

Tai and the other House Leaders all waited and watched, keeping a tight leash on their bloodthirsty troops whom at the sight of Kachi Jack Snow almost charged.

Nonetheless the battlefield had no blood shed within the first week, as many of the soldiers from both sides felt how even the slightest error could turn the tide and lead to death. Each day a new formation was set amongst the troops, and each day they returned after looking at each other when out of range. Though each side did grow a bit restless.

**Whisperers:** 160,000 Troops. 7,000 Whisperers.

**Heroes of the Stone:** 200,000 Troops. 96 Half Whisperers.

## Week 2

### Day 3

Week two is when the conflicts began to occur. The Whisperers were the first to attack, believing that the formation they held showed a certain advantage against the Heroes. Using a tactic that Burke had researched, the Whisperers collapsed along the enemy lines in an angled format, hitting the left side first. While looking like a normal charge, it actually sent shockwaves down the lines that were directed towards the right flank. This is where the Heroes formation began to show cracks, as Tai and the advisors had sent their best troops to face said right flank.

Though the success of the tactic showed short-term results in the long term the fighting bogged down to neutral ground. Once darkness began to hit both sides returned to their camps for the night, none risking night warefare.

**Whisperers:** 1,230 Casualties. 2,545 Wounded.

**Heroes of the Stone:** 4,257 Casualties. 2,203 Wounded.

### Day 5

Day 5 showed the Whisperers advancing once more, showing only little conflicts occuring in the previous day that attained no results. This time the Heroes came out strong, using magical devices and archers from Gonarundu all along the line. The result worked well, turning the day in their favor. Once more though, the fighting bogged down to a grinding halt after impact, with no side gaining the advantage. Though the Houses kept their actual Whisperers so far outside of the battle, thus keeping the Heroes Half Whisperers doing the same.

**Whisperers:** 3,468 Casualties. 2,589 Wounded. (Includes Day 4)

**Heroes of the Stone:** 2,832 Casualties. 2,401 Wounded. (Includes Day 4)

### Day 6

Day 6 brought the conflict back down to its bogging point, though the Houses actually brought some Whisperers in the battle which proved useful as they dealt some damage to the enemy lines. Though in the end the result was neutral as no major changes occured.

**Whisperers:** 2,104 Casualties. 1,090 Wounded.

**Heroes of the Stone:** 4,723 Casualties. 3,634 Wounded.

## Week 3

Nothing significant occured during the span of Week 3, both sides waiting and attempting to deduce the enemies weaknesses. Though some minor conflicts occured early in the week, none resulted in any real victories or defeat. The Whisperers waited and returned to their camps each night with barely any of them truly entering the battlefield. While the Heroes of the Stone had finally revealed some of their Half Whisperers.

**Whisperers:** 890 Casualties. 300 Wounded.

**Heroes of the Stone:** 914 Casualties. 517 Wounded.

## Week 4

Believing the Whisperers had a plan, hence their eagerness to wait, the entire 4th week was marked with the Heroes being the aggressors. Though no day showed any true progress from either side, the Whisperers were able to claim the moral victory having cut down almost 2 times the number that the Heroes had killed of them.

**Whisperers:** 10,353 Casualties. 7,208 Wounded.

**Heroes of the Stone:** 20,589 Casualties. 12,542 Wounded.

## Week 5

Week 5 saw a change in both armies. With no real advantages on either side of the battlefield and potential reinforcements coming from both sides due to new allies and agreements their previous avoiding of the time constraint became null. Both sides were eager to end the battle here and now, and thus set out to destroy one another before the week ended.

### Day 1

Day 1 saw fierce combat from both sides. While the Houses previously held back their whisperers, they sent them into the brunt of the battle this day. The results were devastating to the Heroes, whom when facing Whisperers accompanied by an army held little sway. While some of the Whisperers fell, the majority of them caused large losses to the Heroes, even managing to take out a few half whisperers. Fighting ended when darkness began to show and Kachi Jack Snow himself had to disuade the enemy from pursuing further.

**Whisperers:** 5,142 Casualties. 3,560 Wounded. 10 Whisperer deaths. 30 Wounded.

**Heroes of the Stone:** 14,925 Casualties. 4,128 Wounded. 3 Half Whisperer deaths.

### Day 2

Day 2 saw the opposite of yesterday, with a resurgence of Heroes fighting spirit after a poweful speech from Snow himself. The Houses fought well but took the larger of the casualties of the day. Tai himself ran down to the battlefield during the middle of the day in order to sway the results, but failed to do so. No true Whisperers died that day, being held back in preparation.

**Whisperers:** 19,032 Casualties. 8,049 Wounded.

**Heroes of the Stone:** 12,588 Casualties. 5,001 Wounded.

At the end of Day 2 the fighting force of the Houses were **92,440,** along with **6,960** Whisperers.

The fighting force of the Heroes was **108,746**, along with their **93** Half Whisperers.

### Day 3

With such a large loss of life amongst both sides, the time was now to end it. Both sides charged after a speech from each leader brought new vigour and spirit. The Heroes took the intial victory in the combat, with their better trained soldiers ripping through the Houses numbers, even breaking through the first wave. Though their momentum did not last long, they came across the House Leaders themselves blocking their way. The Heroes attempted to keep their momentum going, but facing such strong opponents they stopped and were subsequently killed when surrounded by their opponents. Watching an entire platoon of soldiers disappear in a slaughter caused a small route of the Heroes. While Kachi Jack Snow was able to rally his troops, the day was done and he had lost a signifcant chunk of his soldiers.

**Whisperers:** 20,003 Casualties. 7,032 Wounded.

**Heroes of the Stone:** 47,100 Casualties. 3,576 Wounded.

### Day 4

While normally such a great loss would cause the army to fall and retreat, Kachi was able to once more rally and inspire his troops. Though, he left the day waiting, giving time for his soldiers to heal and rest under the guise of a parlay.

Snow bravely met with the leaders of the Whisperer Houses in order to find room for an agreement, stating he would leave the direct houses alone. But, he grew too cocky and the leaders discovered his plan, but by the time it was found it was too late in the afternoon to start fighting.

At the same time though, the Whisperers began the final phase of their plan to summon a major storm to the battlefield.

### Day 5

With his troops rested, Kachi sent them back into the battlefield, leading them personally. The Whisperers, too focussed on their storm plan played defensively but found themselves having heavy casualties. The Heroes of the Stone held the victory for the day, though were unaware of the plans coming from the Houses, rather thinking they were instead surprised by the sudden attack.

**Whisperers:** 17,506 Casualties. 8,049 Wounded.

**Heroes of the Stone:** 8,072 Casualties. 2,006 Wounded.

#### Day 6

Finally with all their preparations set and completed, along with years of patience and researching, the remaining pure Whisperers called the largest storm known to Alrec to the battlefield.

In the morning of Day 6 the Heroes prepared for another surpise charge amongst the Whisperers, hoping to kill them in this decisive strike. At the same time, they sent two detachments of soldiers across to ambush and attack the left flank when the armies begun. Instead of facing an army however, they faced power from the skies instead. The Heroes had no time to react and soon ferocious lightning strikes tore the once proud organisation to shreds.

Instantly fear spread throughout the remaining forces, realising that the purge they so fiercely followed had caused their own reckoning. In turn, they routed, retreating completely and leaving the organisation in shatters.

The Whisperers cheered in their victory, believing finally that the war was against their people, and their religion was over, in a decisive victory that showed the prowess of their belief. Though, the storm did not stop there, pouring all their rage into such a beast, the storm spread throughout the lands, destroying everything it came across. Unable to control the monster they had created, the Whisperers spread out and warned the lands of Whitoper and beyond about the impending destruction.

## Aftermath

While the Battle of Survival's conflicts ended on Saturday the 8th in the month of Septem the storm did not cease until the middle of the month of Octa. The Storm caused unimaginable destruction, almost wiping the city of Edgar off the face of the map and even reaching as far as Robtikar. Many Houses tried to help the innocents that would be otherwise hurt by the storm but found that other than minor property destruction, the storm only ever targeted people who believed in the Purge.

Whitoper was the major nation which felt the damage of the storm, which was named 'Whisperers Wrath'. The storm did eventually cross the border into Sula though and even damaged their capital in such a way that many of their walls to be damaged and one of their famous ports to be destroyed.

All in all, Whisperers Wrath was the major contributer to the death toll of the Whisperer War, though at the same time caused the loss of many Whisperers powers.

The battle and storm caused the Heroes of the Stone to fall into disarray, along with many previous purging nations such as Defel (whom lost considerable resources they provided to the Heroes), Whitoper and Sula.

Tai was seen as a legend, but was also one of the Whisperers who lost his power to the storm.