LVIII. The Battle of Chalons: The Fate of the City

Inside the city, the battle raged on. The frost worm continued to rampage through the town center and the surrounding districts, virtually unchecked. Haxiasssskaash assaulted Arimir and Elana, wounding both of them severely. He struck them again. Both fell with life-threatening wounds.

Gordian, meanwhile, had located the item he sought. The scroll contained a spell that he was not at all certain he could even cast; it was above his normal ability. "Must try anyway," Gordian thought to himself. He took the scroll with him and left the temple of Kord, to confront the great wyrm as it towered over the inert forms of Arimir and Elana.

"Kord, aid me!" the cleric cried as he unrolled the scroll. He recited the difficult mystic syllables on the parchment before him. The dragon snarled and prepared to attack the impudent caster. But as Gordian reached the end of the spell, the great wyrm’s snarl turned to rage, but also fear. "NOOOO!!!" he roared. But as he did, he began to vanish, and his bellowing faded out. With a last shriek, the mighty dragon disappeared.

"Banished you, Haxiasssskaash!" cried Gordian. "Begone, foul wyrm, and never trouble us again!" He savored his victory for a brief moment, then ran to attend the fallen Elana and Arimir.

Back on the battlefield, Edward finally recovered his senses. He picked up the hammer of thunderbolts, lying nearby. Then he turned to the fallen Ardaric. Seeing him gravely wounded, the paladin laid hands on the venerable fighter, restoring him to fitness for battle. Slowly, Ardaric got back on his feet and prepared for battle.

The stone giant fighters maintained their race toward the open city gates. Firiona, having shaken off the effect of the sirrush’s roar at last, cast darkbolt at the approaching giants, striking one for serious damage. Yet on they ran. One engaged in melee with Edward. The insane giants babbled on.

And Green Arrow still lay dying on the ground.

Edward called out to Ardaric, "We must stop the giants!" He returned the hammer of thunderbolts back to Ardaric, then flew up 70 feet, laid hands on himself, and surveyed the battlefield.

Ardaric took the hammer, and promptly attacked the giant fighters, striking one dead. But his assault was not enough to keep the screaming stone giant fighters from entering the city and rampaging within!

Before the city walls, Hulagu stood stunned! The wyvern zombie kept flying toward Lina, reaching to bite and rend. Scratch, the quasit, got to Lina first and attacked, but missed.

In return, Lina cast polar ray at the stunned Hulagu. Incredibly, she missed!

Hulagu shook off the stunning effect. He leveled his staff of power at Lina and blasted her with magic missiles. Only one got through! While he was thus engaged with Lina, Scratch turned invisible and returned to perch on Hulagu’s shoulder. The wyvern zombie at last reached Lina and attacked, but the undead monster missed, taking opportunistic damage for its trouble.

Firiona could see the battle between the skull and her sister. She left Edward and flew high above the battlefield, toward Lina. From the air, she cast maximized darkbolt at Hulugu. Three of the black missiles struck the evil cleric. Then Lina, ignoring the onslaught of the wyvern zombie, pointed a finger at Hulagu and spoke a mighty word of power. Hulagu screamed as power word, kill struck him down. The mighty skull of Orcus fell dead! Instantly, the summoned wyvern zombie vanished. Scratch, still invisible, fled the battlefield. "Take that back to your master!" cried Lina in triumph.

"Well done, Lina!" Edward shouted to the elf-woman. He then called to Ardaric to follow him, and sped toward the inert form of the elven archer on the battlefield below.

Firiona flew up onto the city walls to rejoin the defense of the city, accompanied by Lina. As she landed, she realized she’d forgotten her sword! "So much for melee," thought Firiona, as she grasped her staff and sent a fireball at the rampaging giants. Several were wounded by the fire. Lina did likewise, inflicting still more damage and killing one of the furious stone giants. Some of the giants inside the city threw rocks back at Lina. Only one hit, doing little damage.

From her position in the air over the city, Firiona sent chain lightning at the rampaging giants. Lina hurled a maximized fireball. Two more giants fell. But still the remaining giants, and the frost worm, wreaked havoc on the city.

Gordian, meanwhile, pulled out another scroll, and prepared to confront the worm.

On the battlefield, Edward at last reached Green Arrow. Quickly he administered a potion of cure serious wounds to the fallen elven archer. Green Arrow instantly returned to consciousness! His first action was to jab both himself and Edward with heal arrows, regaining still more strength. As the two adventurers healed themselves, Ardaric hurled the hammer of thunderbolts at the trailing squads of stone giant fighters heading into the city. The hammer struck one, but did not drop its target.

Edward flew to Ardaric, with Green Arrow accompanying him. Ardaric hurled the hammer again, and this time struck one giant dead. By now, the three defenders had almost reached the shattered city gates. They could see the stone giant fighters inside the city, smashing, burning and killing. Over their heads, they could see the frost worm crashing into the main city street leading to the central square.

"Time to end this fight!" shouted Edward, as he landed, raced into the city and charged the rampaging giants. One giant fell to the first blows from his furious assault. Ardaric threw his hammer again, wounding another giant. Still flying, Green Arrow’s manyshot killed a rampaging stone giant and wounded several others. But now all the stone giant fighters had entered city, enraged by the fall of their king and anxious the destroy everything in sight. Many hurled rocks at Green Arrow, striking him for heavy damage.

Firiona, from the air, cast chain lightning at the rampaging giants, wounding several. Lina’s prismatic spray wounded another.

But before the defenders could act again, before Gordian could recite the words of his next scroll, the mighty frost worm trilled again!

Edward evaded the trill’s effect, then quaffed a potion of blur and entered a burning building in the city. Green Arrow failed to evade trill’s effect and was stunned! He dropped his bow and floated down to street level. Ardaric was stunned as well. Many stone giant fighters were also stunned! One ran away. Still another hurled his stone at Lina, hitting and wounding her.

Firiona was not stunned. She became visible, then flew above the burning building Edward had entered. From there, she looked down toward Lina, who had also been affected by the worm’s trill and was stunned. To protect her, she cast force cage on her sister!

Gordian had not been affected by the worm’s trill. He called out to the adventurers, "Fall back!" as he prepared to assail the worm with magic.

As he floated to the ground, stunned, Green Arrow made an easy target for the frost worm. The gargantuan beast attacked the elven archer, biting him for heavy damage

Edward cast find the gap on himself. The worm would soon feel the wrath of his sword! Firiona cast scorching ray at the frost worm, but failed to affect it

At a second warning from Gordian, the adventurers braced themselves for the worst. The cleric of Kord read from the scroll he held. He called up a storm of vengeance! Unfortunately, the frost worm evaded its effects. Edward, Green Arrow, Lina were also unaffected. Only one giant was affected, and deafened, but so, unfortunately, were Firiona and Ardaric!

The frost worm was now even angrier. The blue-white beast attacked the helpless Green Arrow and Ardaric, crushing the two for heavy damage.

Edward stepped up to the worm and launched a ferocious attack, hitting the monster twice for incredible damage. In a loud voice, he then commanded the worm. "Leave this city, O worm!" he ordered.

All the stunned stone giant fighters remained in place, except for two who ran away,

Gordian maintained his concentration on the storm he had called up. Acid damage assailed all except Firiona and the safely force-caged Lina. Then lightning struck the giants. Firiona flew off toward the western wall of the city.

The frost worm raced forward to crushed Edward, knocking him to the ground. "Why should I leave, puny human? I’m having such fun!" the worm hissed. "Leave, while you yet live!" Edward again ordered. When the worm refused to comply, the mighty paladin renewed his assault, inflicting massive damage on the icy monster.

The frost worm crawled back five feet, then regarded Edward. "You may have a point, paladin. Haxiasssskaash took most of the treasure anyway!" But the monster then readied greater dispel magic and waited.

"Please leave. Exist in peace," Edward urged. "Do you have a name, O paragon of frost worms?" The worm rose up above the city main square, as hailstones from the storm summoned by Gordian pelted it. The frost worm looked at Edward again, nodded, as if to say, "Yes, I do have a name!", then burrowed into the ground and away from the adventurers and was never seen again.

Seeing that he had prevailed over the worm, Edward ran to Green Arrow and Ardaric. "Need help!" he called out to Gordian. Leaning over the fallen Green Arrow, he administered a potion of cure serious wounds to his comrade. The potion brought Green Arrow back to his senses. Edward also gave Ardaric a potion of remove deafness, which he quaffed at once. His hearing was restored, as was his health from the potion of cure serious wounds supplied by Green Arrow.

As the worm departed, Firiona flew back toward the rest of the adventurers.

The stone giant fighters also witnessed the withdrawal of their icy ally. They started to realize that the tides of battle had turned decisively against them. They began to retreat toward the shattered city gates, even the insane ones. They were slowed by heavy rains as they did so, as Gordian maintained his summoned storm. The cleric moved to join Edward.

Edward quaffed a potion of cure serious wounds, regaining more of his health. Green Arrow did likewise. Ardaric and Firiona now went to the force-caged Lina. "Let me out of here!" Lina demanded.

The retreating stone giant fighters had almost reached the city gates. Gordian could see that they were about to escape. He ceased concentration on the summoned storm, headed toward the giants, and cast wall of good to block their escape. Edward charged at retreating fighters and killed one of the insane giants. Green Arrow shot at another insane giant, putting it down as well. The stone giant fighters were now trapped!

Meanwhile, Firiona dismissed the protective force cage around Lina. "A cure deafness, please," she asked. "Somebody? Anybody?" Lina, not a cleric, but not currently occupied, cast break enchantment on Firiona, the next best thing to the requested spell. It would take a long time to complete the spell.

The attack on the trapped giants continued. Edward killed two more. The other defenders held back. Gordian called out to the giants. "You have no choice. Surrender immediately!" the cleric commanded. Edward also ordered the giants to surrender. "You will work to repair the city!" said the paladin.

The giant fighters realized they had no choice. The survivors laid down their rocks and their weapons, and surrendered. At that, the insanity afflicting the remaining crazed giant was dispelled.

The city had survived. The battle of Chalons was over.

LVII. The Battle of Chalons: A Clash of Giants

In anticipation of the great wyrm’s escape from the maze at any moment, Indigo cast protection from energy (cold) on himself and Green Arrow. Firiona and Green Arrow hovered, eyeing the maze. But then something unexpected occurred. Haxiasssskaash . . . suddenly disappeared! 

"What!" exclaimed Green Arrow. "Where did he go!" Firiona didn’t have a good answer to that question. The elven archer held position and kept multishot at the now-empty maze, in case the dragon suddenly returned. Edward held, likewise readying an attack

Across the battlefield, Lina landed, then shapechanged into an iron golem. Firiona, having waited for Lina to act, then cast an admixed maximized scorching ray, which Lina intentionally failed to evade! The fire damage actually healed Lina in golem form!

Before the city gate, the horde of undead raced toward the city. Gordian ran toward the city as well, trying to head off the undead horde.

Now the Stone Giant King, Undurr the Mighty, bellowed from the back of his charging mammoth mount, "Chalons! I have come for you!" The ettin still ran along beside him. But now, Edward could see that Undurr was no longer alone atop the mammoth. Behind him, the paladin spotted a sinister figure suddenly become visible. A tall, gaunt, emaciated male humanoid, wearing a silver hooded robe with a goat-horn headdress and wielding a black, skull-tipped wand. Edward’s knowledge of religion, augmented by terrifying personal experience, told him at once who was racing toward the defenders: a Skull of Orcus!

Before Undurr could reach the city gates, Ardaric landed on the battlefield and raced toward him, hammer in hand. "You will never enter my city!" the venerable warrior vowed to himself. The flying wedge vanguard, however, had other ideas. They pulled out more rocks from their bags and hurled them at the city walls. Softening stones! They struck the city gate with tremendous force. Then their magic activated, weakening the very structure of the gate and the adjoining walls. The gate was wrecked! The city was now wide open!

The agonized screams of Fulk continued and grew, as the stricken cleric writhed about on the ground before the city.

Elana reached Indigo, and healed the airborne druid of major damage that the dragon had inflicted on him. He quickly flew back toward the battlefield.

The threat situation had changed. Green Arrow switched focus. He loosed a volley of arrows at Undurr, doing heavy damage. On the battlefield below, Lina held for Firiona, who reverted to solar form, then dimension door ’d with Lina to the ettin’s position on the battlefield. Lina, still in iron golem form, breathed a poisonous gas cloud at the two-headed giant, then attacked the giant, seriously wounding him! The giant managed to avoid the effects of the gas cloud, then struck back at Firiona, but missed.

"Gorg! Take her!" Undurr shouted at the two-headed giant. Unexpectedly, the giant then cast dimension door, trying to reposition himself. "Two-headed casting?" thought Firiona to herself. "Not good."

The undead horde continued its charge toward the city. Gordian reached the city gate and entered the city, heading them off.

To the astonishment of the city defenders, and the adventurers, Undurr, on his mammoth mount, suddenly took flight! Now airborne, he cast acid swarm at Edward, Green Arrow and Indigo! Edward and Green Arrow suffered severe damage, but Indigo managed to evade the corrosive bursts. But as the flying pachyderm passed over more piles of corpses, Undurr’s passenger uttered dark words and gestured with his skull-tipped wand. Instantly, still more of the dead were reanimated and began to run toward the city!

Descending from the air over the battlefield, Ardaric, gripped his hammer, and raced toward Undurr from below. But the sirrush, in turn, fangs bared, charged toward Ardaric.

The stone giant vanguard hurled rocks upward at Edward. Five of them hit, one smashing the paladin’s arm for critical damage! Then, amazingly, the rocks returned to their hurlers! "They have returning rocks!" exclaimed the paladin.

An even more disturbing, and horrible, sight awaited the airborne adventurers. Fulk’s agonized writhing reached a climax, and then, with a horrible tearing sound, the stricken cleric’s body burst! From his exploded abdomen, hundreds of hideous worms, spiders, leeches and other vermin erupted and scattered over the surrounding battlefield.

The fighting raged within the city. Realizing a powerful ally was needed, Arimir gated in a wyrm gold dragon to assist with the defense of the city. Elana flew back into the city to rejoin Arimir.

Seeing Ardaric below, Indigo flew at high speed toward him. Edward also flew to join Ardaric. As he flew by, he Green Arrow, "Shoot me!" Green Arrow shot five cure critical arrows at Edward, restoring the wounded paladin closer to full strength.

The healing came just in time. From the back of the flying pachyderm, Undurr pointed his fingers at Indigo, Edward and Ardaric. A prismatic spray leaped from his hand and struck the three adventurers. Suddenly, Indigo vanished, stricken by a violet ray! Edward found his vigor severely drained by a green ray. Ardaric was likewise drained.

The giant king then landed, ready for battle. His mount, however, remained airborne and flew straight at Green Arrow. And the elven archer felt yet another unseen, clawed hand touch him, and again sensed that his scarab had protected him from the assailant’s touch.

From the mammoth’s back, the skull of Orcus attempted to cast energy ebb at Green Arrow. "Get him, Hulagu!" cried Undurr. But the necromancer failed to damage him.

Maneuvering about, the mammoth returned and tried to gore the elven archer. Green Arrow evaded the tusks of the flying beast. But the evil cleric pointed at Green Arrow, and suddenly a surging beam of black and red fluid arced from his fingers to strike the adventurer

Green Arrow doubled up in pain from the impact of the sickly stream.

Below on the battlefield, the newly-animated undead continued racing toward the city. The stone giant fighters now hurled their returning rocks at Firiona and Lina. Firiona avoided the massive projectiles, but Lina was stricken for serious damage to her iron golem form. But Firiona repeated the trick of hitting Lina with a quickened fireball, then with her scorching ray wand, to heal Lina-golem.

Revived once again, Lina assaulted Gorg, battering the ettin with three massive blows from her iron fists. Two blows connected with the giant’s two heads, fracturing both skulls. Gorg fell to the battlefield, stone dead!

Ardaric raged toward the stone giant king and bellowed, "Undurr Stoneskin, today you meet your doom!" The old man landed a mighty blow, but the hammer failed to strike the giant dead. Nearby, the sirrush suddenly changed its target, and pounced on Edward. The paladin suffered severe wounds!

But Edward chose to ignore the sirrush, and instead advanced on Undurr. Three heavy blows rocked the giant. "Leave this place!" demanded the paladin, as Green Arrow, firing from above, shot more healing arrows at him.

Undurr roared in reply. "Retreat? In the hour of my greatest triumph?! Never!!" The mighty stone giant then rained heavy blows down on Ardaric and prepared to engage Edward. With his last strength, the venerable warrior hurled the hammer of thunderbolts to Edward! "Save my city!" the dying fighter gasped, then fell senseless to the ground.

As the undead hordes kept racing toward the city, the stone giant fighters hurled their returning rocks at Lina again, and again did heavy damage to the adventurer. Seeing the threats to her sister, Firiona cast displacement on herself, then raced toward the stone giant fighters assailing her. Lina shapechagned again, taking solar form. She cast displacement on herself and flew to join up with Firiona.

Back on the battlefield, the sirrush flanked Edward. The huge fangs and vicious claws of the strange beast mauled the mighty paladin for huge damage! But Edward shrugged off the creature’s attack, for he had a more important target. Wielding the hammer the dying Ardaric had entrusted to him, the paladin assaulted the stone giant king. Undurr’s sneer of defiance turned to fear!

With all his strength, Edward brought the hammer crashing down on the giant in one massive blow. Undurr screamed in pain. He gasped, "You . . . only wounded me," as he dropped to the battlefield. But no mere wound had brought the giant king down. This wound was mortal. And Undurr Stoneskin, king, elemental savant, sorcerer, terror of the mountains, breathed his last.

For a moment, Edward looked down at his fallen foe. Then he turned his attention to the sirrush that still threatened him. The strange beast evaded his attacks.

From where he hovered above, Green Arrow fired five more healing arrows at Edward, bringing him back closer to full strength. But the sirrush’s next attack almost wiped out the benefit of Green Arrow’s healing, and severely wounded the paladin again. Edward dropped the hammer, pulled out his sword and struck back at the sirrush, wounding it twice. Yet still the steely-scaled creature continued to maul Edward for major damage!

Meanwhile, the stone giant fighters kept up the battle with Lina and Firiona, some hurling rocks, others trying to grapple the women. All their attacks went amiss. Not so Firiona. She cast her favorite prismatic spray at the giant fighters, wounding four, draining one of vigor, and sending one to the Elemental Plane of Fire! Lina cast the same spell, missing one, wounding four and driving two more insane. The giants retaliated with another hail of returning rocks, yet only one rock hit for minor damage. Two more prismatic sprays drained three giants of vigor, wounded another, and sent two to the plane of Arborea and one to the plane of Gehenna!

As the women fought the giants, Ardaric still lay inert on the battlefield, bleeding. He was fading fast.

In the air overhead, the flying mammoth tried to gore Green Arrow again, but missed. Hulagu shrieked and cast writhing ruin at Green Arrow, the same fell spell that had destroyed Fulk. Green Arrow lost more vigor and was assailed by nausea! As he drifted in the air, toward Edward, the airborne pachyderm succeeded in goring the elven archer for heavy damage.

Seeing his foe almost helpless, Hulagu shrieked and sent another stream of red and black fluid at Green Arrow. Another searing seed! The elven archer fell to the ground, subdued and unconscious.

Meanwhile, as battle continued to rage inside the city walls, the defenders heard a rush of air above their heads, and looked up. Suddenly, the red-eyed great wyrm reappeared above the city! Arimir sped toward the fell dragon’s position. But Haxiasssskaash confronted the nearby city defenders and, true to his avaricious draconic nature, demanded to be shown the location of the city treasury! Exerting his draconic charm, he persuaded one of the defending citizens to lead him to his desire.

And as the great white wyrm reappeared, so did the frost worm! It burst up through the main city street, and tore a swath of destruction through the heart of the city. But the woes of the city were to increase yet again, for now the undead hordes stormed through the broken gates into the city! Arimir and Elana turned to defend against the undead hordes,  along with the gold dragon, but even they were hard pressed.

The mighty white dragon reached the city treasury. He immediately broke down the doors of the building, which were no match for the Father of White Dragons! The dragon began to plunder the city’s stored wealth.

As he did so, battle continued to rage throughout the city. Mobs of undead orcs, goblins and hobgoblins raged. The frost worm tore through buildings already weakened by the earthquake assault of the stone giant fighters’ rocks. Arimir and Elana did what they could to defend and to rally the surviving city troops, but had small success against the might of the frost worm.

But suddenly, some of the undead attackers turned and began to run from the battle within the city and toward the main gates! Gordian, the city cleric, had returned to the fight and channeled the power of Kord against the evil undead. He raised his holy symbol again and again, and still more of the undead turned and fled. At last, Gordian breathed a heavy sigh of relief. All of the undead invaders had been turned.

Yet, the battle was far from over, for the frost worm continued its rampage through the city. And now, Haxiasssskaash, having temporarily sated his lust for treasure, returned to the battle, striking from above at Arimir and Elana and wounding them heavily.

"Hold fast!" cried Gordian to the two adventurers. He then raced to the city’s main temple. If he could locate a certain scroll within the temple, the city might yet be saved.

As Gordian began his search, Edward and the sirrush continued their struggle. Edward stepped back and laid hands on himself, restoring himself close to full strength. But the sirrush hit Edward again, undoing much of the healing! The paladin pressed his assault, landing three huge blows and one critical hit that almost brought the beast down!

The stone giant fighters continued battling with Firiona and Lina. Some hit for minor damage. Even the Insane giants joined in the attack. Firiona tried to cast a spell, but failed

Lina cast another prismatic spray, which wounded three of the giant fighters and sent another to the plane of Arborea. Still the giants kept up their attack. Two hit the women, but did only minor damage. The insane giants, though, left the melee and fell to babbling.

All the while, Green Arrow lay unconscious on the battlefield. Ardaric lay almost dead, still bleeding profusely.

Firiona saw Edward engaged with the sirrush. "Time to switch," she thought to herself as she used her wand of greater invisibility, then flew toward Edward. Lina did the same, but headed for Green Arrow.

Overhead, the flying mammoth hovered, bewildered after the loss of its master. Hulagu suffered from no such confusion. The skull flew down to Green Arrow, leveled his staff of power at the inert archer, and intended to blast him with a cone of cold and finish him off. To his dismay, the spell failed! He hadn’t counted on Green Arrow’s magical protection against cold. So, he changed tactics. He reached out and touched the elven archer with night’s caress. The spell severely wounded the helpless Green Arrow. Not to be outdone, the flying mammoth landed next to the elf and gored him for even more damage. Green Arrow remained defenseless.

With malicious glee, Hulagu cast the same spell again, striking Green Arrow for even more damage. And now, a small figure became visible. A quasit, perched on Hulagu’s shoulder! The demon familiar piled on to Green Arrow’s injuries with a small scratch of its own. "A fine hit, Scratch!" cried Hulagu. The elven archer had been pushed to the brink of death.

Racing to Green Arrow’s inert form, Lina tried to distract Hulagu with a feeblemind spell, but the spell failed to affect him. She then flew back and up 150 feet into the air and readied her next move.

Hulagu looked up at Lina. "Foolish girl!" he sneered. "Do not come between the Skull and his prey!" With that, he cast greater dispel magic at her. Suddenly, her displacement and greater invisibility spells were removed from her. She flew back and up, further away from the skull, then cast greater dispel magic back at him. It failed to affect him. But it also caught the flying mammoth and negated the pachyderm’s flying ability. It abruptly plummeted to the ground and landed with a thud!

Farther away, near Edward, Ardaric also lay helpless, and was almost at the point of expiration. But his fierce spirit was not ready to depart. Summoning his last strength, the valiant fighter rallied and stabilized!

Across the battlefield, the sirrush fell back, taking opportunistic damage, but then roared! Edward and Firiona were stunned by the force of the creature’s roar! The sirrush, seeing his antagonist stunned, now sensibly decided to run away from the battle and escape with its life

Meanwhile, the stone giant fighters took advantage of Firiona’s and Lina’s absence and ran toward the open city gates, eager to join in the plunder of the city! All of them charged ahead, but for their insane comrades, who chose this moment to attack their own allies.

As Edward and Firiona stood, stunned, and Green Arrow lay dying, Hulagu fell back 30 feet from Lina, then recited dark words of power. Instantly, a huge, corrupted, ragged-winged creature appeared – a wyvern zombie, ready to fight! At the same time, the now-grounded mammoth charged Lina, but the clumsy beast missed its target.

Quickly, Lina flew up 100 feet above the mammoth, then cast true seeing, hoping to spot any additional hidden foes. The skull then used a spectral hand spell to cast vampiric touch at Lina, trying to drain her life force, but he missed! But as he strove to drain Lina, the wyvern zombie flew toward Lina. She didn’t wait for its arrival, but flew above Hulagu. Mystical syllables charged the air as she recited power word stun. And Hulagu was stunned!

Farther away, toward the city, the stone giant fighters had now reached Edward’s position on their way to the open city gates. One of the giants attacked the stunned paladin, but amazingly, he missed. The insane giants kept on babbling as they ran. But even the insane giants could see that the tides of battle favored the invaders.

LVI. The Battle of Chalons: Indigo Returns

The paladin looked closely at the newcomer who had suddenly materialized. There was something familiar about him.

At once he recognized the man. It was the druid he had rescued at the Battle of the Glade: Indigo!

What was he doing here? And how did he get here?!

The great wyrm didn’t leave Edward much time for speculation. Passing about sixty feet above him, the dragon breathed, catching Edward in a cone of brutal cold that inflicted heavy damage on the paladin. The dragon then flew off toward the air elemental monolith, shrugging off the opportunistic damage Edward inflicted on him.

"Indigo! Teleport us to that dragon, quickly!" Edward called out to the flying druid.

Meanwhile, Ardaric, wounded in passing by the cold of the great wyrm, flew toward the city, then teleported to the top of the gate tower. Fulk, also injured by the passing dragon, cast greater dispel magic on the dragon, but to no effect.

Below, on the battlefield, of the four surviving crew of the battering ram, one was still insane and babbling. The other three sensibly fled the battle.

Complying with the paladin’s request, Indigo teleported with Edward next to the great wyrm, then cast quickened snake’s swiftness on the paladin. Immediately, Edward struck the dragon for heavy damage! But Haxiasssskaash was no mere wyrmling. He instantly soared upward 200 feet, then focused on Edward and dispelled all the spells on him! The dragon then continued flying upward another 150 feet.

Firiona flew at high speed toward the dragon, intending to blast it from the skky. But the horror of the dragon was too much for her as she approached. She was shaken! Still, she remained composed enough to cast maximized darkbolt at the great wyrm, inflicting serious damage. Green Arrow did considerably less damage with the one arrow that managed to strike its target.

Seeing a need for his assistance, Fulk cast protection from energy (cold) on himself, then flew at speed toward the dragon.

Indigo pulled out a scroll with the cloud walkers spell. Reading the scroll, the flying druid moved up sixty feet with Edward, who held his action long enough to ask a few questions. "Unexpected help is the best kind!" cried Edward. "But how did you know to come here? How did you even know where here is?"

"I had a dream," replied Indigo. "Or a vision, more likely. It came to me seven days ago. I knew I must find this place, and quickly, for you would be in dire need."

"Thanks to Hieroneous that you did!" exclaimed Edward. "This is getting rough."

Indeed it was. The great wyrm had flown sixty feet above Firiona, then cast breath weapon substitution (sonic) on himself! With his augmented breath weapon, Haxiasssskaash targeted Firiona, and did severe damage to her. Wisely, Firiona retreated toward Lina, away from the dragon. Fulk, however, rushed directly toward the dragon!

Before the city walls, the defenders were shocked to witness the air elemental monolith suddenly disappear. Banished! By some unknown or unseen force!

Lina raced through the air toward the mobs of orc fighters climbing the city walls and knocked down one of the ladders, sending the orcs tumbling to the ground. Gordian remained buried, unable to assist. The three surviving soldier troops readied their attacks against the oncoming undead orcs, as did the veteran fighters and the captain. The fierce orc veterans finally reached the top of the city walls. All the other mobs of orc fighters kept up the escalade. Three more reached the top of the walls. Their marshall’s watchful eye warned them to be wary of impending attacks!

With an explosion of dirt, snow and rocs, the frost worm suddenly burst up from underground and fell upon the defending troops before city walls! The veteran fighters and their captain were crushed, pinned beneath the vast bulk of the worm. Many were killed.

And then, from some invisible or unknown source, the middle wall of fire blocking the enemy’s way to the city flickered and went out. Dispelled!

Gordomar and Eberulf sped along the top of city walls toward the western corner, to get closer to the frost worm. But Willichar pointed a finger at the white monster and spoke words of power. Immediately, the gargantuan beast rose up off the troops trapped beneath it and rose into the air, as Willichar’s reverse gravity took effect!

Orc reinforcements joined the mobs of orc fighters battling archer band 5. Three more defenders fell. As they battled, the remaining orc fighters crowded in, killing three more archers. Two orcs fell to the archers’ counterattack.

The defending archers looked east along the wall, behind the mobs of orc fighters, and were dismayed. The orc veteran fighters had reached the top of wall, together with their marshall.

From the tower gate, Ardaric observed the fighting on the city walls. He quaffed another potion of cure serious wounds and recovered to full strength and fighting form. Godomar raced back toward the tower gate, while Eberulf sped toward archer band 4 to aid their defense. Willichar blasted an orc fighter mob with a cone of cold, killing three and wounding another.

From the east end of the wall, archer bands 7 and 8 launched hails of arrows at Audovald, even as he took full defensive measures to evade the barrage. They weren’t enough. The undead wizard fell, pierced with many shafts.

Back toward the gate tower, mobs of orc fighters continued battling archer band 5. Two more archers fell. But then came the voice of the city’s heroic defender. "Stand fast, men of Chalons!" Ardaric cried. "They shall not prevail!" The venerable fighter quaffed another potion of cure serious wounds and headed down the tower toward the city walls.

On the field below the city walls, soldier troops 1 and 3 repositioned to a full defensive stance against the frost worm. Troop 2 likewise took a defensive position. The veteran fighters and the captain who had survived the frost worm’s onslaught, no longer crushed by the bulk of the monster, got back on their feet and reformed.

The undead orcs advanced relentlessly. Lina killed three of the undead orcs, but the survivors, both of them (!), climbed up a ladder toward the top of the city walls.

Off in the distance, the stone giant and his mammoth mount kept up the charge toward the city, accompanied by the ettin and the sirrush, which seemed to be regaining health even as it ran. The flying wedge of stone giant fighters continued to lead in the van. The were now within 300 feet of the city!

The sole survivor of the battering ram crew remaining on the field continued to babble, still insane.

Back on the north walls, Elana and Arimir continued battling the giants. The battalions of stone giant fighters kept on climbing, more and more reaching the top of the walls. The two dominated giants put up a strong defense, as did the earth and air elemental monoliths, but the assault of the invaders was relentless.

The sight at the south walls was astonishing: a writhing, squirming, forty-foot blue-white hulk, suspended vertically in mid-air, holding on to the wall by its huge mandibles.

Even more incredibly, the gargantuan beast began to hiss . . . magical syllables! It had attempted to dispel the spell holding it in mid-air! It was unable to do so, perhaps due to its vertical orientation. It wasn’t the only attempt to fail. Godomar’s attempt to cast ray of entropy at the beast was also unsuccessful. And Ardaric rushed up to the worm and hurled his hammer at the creature, but he too missed.

The captain, with his veterans and all surviving soldier troops, fell back toward the city. The archer bands continued their struggle against the orc mobs who had now breached the city’s defenses and began to flood into the city. Eberulf and Godomar stood together, preparing defensive spells. Willichar, farther down on the other side of the walls, made similar preparations. The ballistae maintained defensive fire. Lina took flight toward Firiona’s position.

Suddenly, the huge suspended bulk of the frost worm tipped over from vertical, breached the city walls, and crashed downward into the city. It had dispelled the reverse gravity cast upon it! The blue-white monster immediately burrowed under the main street of the city!

Within the city, all surviving defenders from the south wall, captain and fighter, archer and caster, battled the mobs of orcs who were now flooding down into the city, destroying buildings, burning fortifications, slaughtering everything and everyone they could reach.

Ardaric could observe both the fighting inside Chalons and the approaching formations of stone giant fighters and their allies. He recognized the one riding the mammoth. It could be no other.

Undurr Stoneskin. Half-earth elemental. Elder stone giant. Earth elemental savant. Mighty sorcerer. King of the stone giants of the northern Griffs and beyond.

Ardaric quaffed a potion of heroism, readying himself for what could be his final battle. Fortified, he flew down before the city and headed for the main battlefield.

Meanwhile, Gordian finally emerged from under the snow pile that had entrapped him. He held his position, trying to clear his head. He looked up.
　

Above the battlefield, Indigo cast assay spell resistance at the mighty white dragon, trying to determine if his spells could affect the monster.  Having an idea of what he faced, he followed up immediately with an empowered flamestrike. He was shocked to observe that his spell did no damage!

"Must have some other defense, I guess," thought Indigo to himself.

The dragon lord flew still higher over the battlefield, then spoke the mystical syllables of the mind blank spell. Firiona, seeing the monster pull away, sped after the dragon. Green Arrow tried to bring down the dragon with an epic arrow of death, but missed! He held afterwards, reassessing his strategy. Fulk’s pursuit was equally fruitless, as his flamestrike too failed to damage the flying monster.

Pursuing the monster as well, Indigo flew up to 300 feet above the battlefield, ready to take on the great wyrm. But he wasn’t prepared for the ferocity of the monster’s assault. Haxiasssskaash charged toward Indigo and bit the flying druid for serious damage!

Seeing that fire seemed not to affect the great wyrm, Firiona blasted the dragon with an acid storm, inflicting minor damage. Green Arrow sent another arrow of death at the dragon. It struck! But it only damaged the creature rather than bringing it down.

Fulk felt a small clawed hand quickly touch his shoulder. Instantly, the cleric bent over double, in writhing ruin! He plummeted to the battlefield below, clutching his stomach and screaming in agony. At almost the same time, Green Arrow, still some distance away from the falling cleric, felt himself under magical assault. Something was attempting to drain him of life energy! But whoever or whatever was attacking him had failed to reckon with his scarab of protection! The powerful talisman absorbed the attack against the elven archer.

Lina reached Firiona’s position, and immediately cast feeblemind at the dragon, unaware of its magical protection. The spell failed to affect the great wyrm.

Now, astonishingly, Indigo assumed the form of a bizarre, eyeless, grinning creature–a gloom! The flying gloom assaulted the great wyrm from behind. The dragon bellowed as Indigo’s sword struck a vital organ! But Haxiasssskaash was not so easily undone. The mighty wyrm struck back with tooth, claw and wing. Indigo was severely wounded.

But while the dragon was focused on Indigo, Firiona, flying at high speed, recited the words of a powerful spell. Suddenly, the great wyrm disappeared into a shimmering force structure. "Got you!" Firiona exclaimed. Green Arrow flew up next to Firiona, bow drawn.

"What just happened?" the elven archer asked Firiona.

"I sent him into a maze!" Firiona answered, pleased with herself. "He may break out at any moment, so keep your bow drawn!"

Lina applauded Firiona’s success against the dragon. But then she felt something touching her, unseen and unheard. She felt her vitality draining away. A spectral touch!

And even more disturbingly, on the battlefield below, yet another horde of corpses seemed to rise again as animated undead, with no source visible to the adventurers!

Lina responded by shapechanging into a ghaele eladrin, then used its power to become a ball of light. She flew off fifty feet and regrouped, watching the battlefield.

Down on the battlefield, the surviving battering ram crew giant still babbled insanely.

But now, Undurr and his mammoth, still rushing toward the city, reached the abandoned catapults, with the ettin and the sirrush beside him. The flying wedge vanguard was now within 70 feet of the city walls. They all kept advancing at a furious pace.

The vanguard of stone giant fighters advanced thirty feet more. There they halted, then all of them reached into bags they carried. They drew out huge rocks, and hurled them over the city walls! Powerful earthquakes struck the city, heavily damaging multiple structures within!

On the north walls of the city, the battle had come to a successful conclusion, as Elana, Arimir and their summoned allies had defeated and slain, or driven off, the stone giants attempting to breach the city’s defenses. Realizing that the other adventurers would soon need his help, Arimir first polymorphed the earth elemental into its air elemental analog, and commanded it to fly him back to the main battle. Once there, Arimir dimension door’d onto the south wall in front of the city gate, and with the elemental, prepared for battle.

Elana followed, then dimension door’d to Indigo, preparing to heal his wounds. She could hear the rampaging enemy forces from inside the city, and the desperate cries of the defenders. Was there no way to stop the devastation?

LV. The Battle of Chalons: The Worm Turns Up

Godomar and Gordian concentrated on maintaining the spells they had cast. Eberulf changed his focus from the second wall to the scorching ray he directed at orc fighter mob 5. Six of the evil creatures were burned and heavily wounded. Lina hurled a fireball at orc fighter mob 10, wounding all ten but not felling any of them. Willichar tried to drive off orc mob 5 with a fear spell, but the orcs proved impossible to daunt in this manner. Still the orcs and their allies came on.

Meanwhile, Green arrow had unsheathed his sword and, battling the winds, had set himself down on the city walls next to Fulk. Many of the city archers were knocked down by the howling windstorm; the others held in place, gripping the walls for support. Ballista crews shot bolts at the advancing enemy, but missed.

Before the city walls, soldier troops 1-3 tried to maintain position, but many were blown down by the wind. The veteran fighters and their captain likewise were buffeted about, but held as best they could. Soldier troop 4 held, and from their position called out for the city archers to shoot at approaching enemies. All felt more rumbling from underground, growing steadily more intense.

Not bothered by the tempestuous weather, the air elemental monolith flew rapidly toward Edward, farther out on the battlefield. The mighty paladin had flown down to the battering ram, landed, and begun attacking the giant crew. One of the giants took heavy damage from the attack. The rest of the crew rushed to engage Edward. The other siege engine crews, seeing Edward occupied, reloaded and prepared to fire again.

Ardaric, heavily wounded, teleported to Fulk, seeking healing. But Fulk saw a more pressing need: the weather that continued to assail the city and its defenders. He raised his arms high and called on the power of Pholtus. "Oh mighty Pholtus! Let your miraculous power show forth! End this storm that besets us, I beseech you!" 

The Pholtan cleric’s prayer was heard. The weather suddenly became calm!

Cheering rose up from the city’s defenders as the evil weather abated. Taking advantage of the calm, Firiona flew down from the city walls to the battlefield, landed and ran to Edward, ready to join the fight. Godomar kept concentrating on maintaining his wall of force, but Gordian stopped maintaining his storm of vengeance, seeing a new need. "Willichar! A fly, please!" he called out to the wizard. Willichar ran toward him in response to his call.

While Eberulf ran toward the gate tower to reposition himself, Audovald dismissed Evard’s black tentacles and readied for the advancing enemy. Archer band 7 shot one of the advancing orc fighters. The other archer bands climbed back to their feet; those already standing shot at the marching orcs, but missed, as did the ballistae.

Lina flew down from the wall to the same unit and attacked, wounding one of the evil creatures. "Time to die!" she screamed. Fulk held on the wall and cast heal on Ardaric. The wily veteran, now fully restored, took a defensive stance, and observed the fighting below. He watched soldier troops 1-4 get back on their feet and take their own defensive stances, and likewise the veteran fighters and their leader.

Surviving orc mobs all kept advancing on the city, running between the walls of fire and taking minor fire damage. Some carried ladders for scaling. Archer bands 7 and 8 tried to pick off some of the orc veteran fighters, but their arrows went wide. Four survivors of the other veteran orc fighter mob managed to reach the city wall, threw up ladders, and started climbing. They didn’t get far before Audovald’s widened cloudkill gassed all four. They fell from the ladders, choking with their last breaths. Meanwhile, Eberulf cast force missiles at the remaining orc veteran fighters, slightly wounding four of them.

Gordian received fly from Willichar. He readied an action, then flew at speed toward the larger battlefield before the city to join Edward. Ardaric beat the cleric to the battlefield, teleporting to Edward with Fulk accompanying him.

While the three defenders left the city for the battlefield beyond, soldier troops 1-3 held defensively, as did the captain and the veteran fighters. Soldier troop 4 braced themselves for the onslaught of the more ferocious-looking orc veterans and took their charge, losing three of their members and suffering heavy damage. They struck back as best they could, but failed to wound any of the orcs. The other mobs of orc fighters kept running toward city walls, accompanied by their marshall.

Lina swung at the orc fighters, killing one and wounding another; while taking no damage from return swings.

All the fighters could now feel the strong rumblings coming from underground, just before the city walls. Something was approaching from below.

South of the city, combat raged on the primary battlefield. Edward flew over the battering ram crew, taking opportunistic but minor damage, then unleashed his helm of brilliance’s prismatic spray. Four were driven insane, two suffered heavy damage, and one was turned to stone! Those crew giants who were able attacked Edward. Some babbled insanely. One of the insane giants attacked his own comrades. Another fled the battle.

Pressing his advantage, Edward hacked and slashed at the battering ram’s giant crew, killing another one, cleaving into still another and dropping him, cleaving into yet another and slaying a fourth with a critical hit! At that point the air elemental monolith arrived at Edward’s position and joined the paladin in battle. It lifted two giants off the battlefield. They swung back at the elemental to little effect.

Then Firiona rushed down to Edward. "Any more room in the pool?" she laughed as she landed, ready to join the melee. And high above the battlefield, Green Arrow had flown overhead from the city walls.

The battering ram crew was devastated. One kept fleeing. Another attacked Firiona but missed. A third, insane, attacked the monolith, also missing

The crews of the siege engines, who had managed to avoid being drawn into melee, all fired at Firiona. But only one hit her, and that only scratched her. Angered at their failure, the crews reloaded.

Meanwhile, Elana and Arimir had their hands full on the north walls.

Elana landed inside the city, behind the wall, then took cover against the wind. Arimir landed on the north wall, where he could observe the advancing giants, some of whom were also checked by the windstorm. When the winds suddenly abated, Elana flew up above the wall and cast mirror image on herself. Suddenly seven more Elanas appeared!

Realizing the need for reinforcement, Arimir gated in another air elemental monolith before the north wall. The airy creature immediately created a whirlwind, picking up one of the advancing giants. Yet the remainder of the five advancing battalions of giants, each with a nominal strength of nine fighters, ran right up to the city walls, and brought scaling ladders with them.

A lightning bolt from Elana seriously wounded three of the giant battalions attempting to scale the city walls, doing serious damage but not killing any. Arimir’s chain lightning severely wounded one of the giants in the first battalion and seriously damaged the other eight.

As Elana and Arimir were defending the city walls, the air elemental monolith picked up two more giants from battalion 3, wounding them in the process

But still they came on. All five battalions now raised scaling ladders and began climbing. Four giants reached the top of the city walls! Trying to stop the escalade, Elana succeeded in striking two battalions of giants with lightning bolts. Arimir sent more chain lightning against the first battalion.

The air elemental monolith moved back away from the city walls, then ejected the giants it held, dropping them to the ground. They struck the earth for heavy damage. Then the elemental took two more giants and their ladders! And still the battle continued.

Back at the south wall, Eberulf sent force missiles at the stronger orc veteran fighters, striking five times for heavy damage. Audovald sent a swarm of fire spiders at the orc marshall, but the wily orc evaded their attack.

A sudden shout from one of the archer bands drew attention upward. Two of the white dragons had returned to the battle yet again!

Both of the winged monsters breathed at Godomar and Audovald, freezing them for major damage. Seeing the attack, Willichar defended himself with resist energy (cold).

On the field before the main gate, the stronger orc veteran fighters killed three more soldiers of troop 4, suffering only one wound in return. Lina, near the city wall, maintained her attack on the same mob of orc fighters, killing another. Gordian flew back toward Lina, ready to assist her.

Farther out on the battlefield, the fighting raged between the adventurers and the oncoming siege engines and their crews. Firiona attacked another of the giants, then Edward finished him off. Ardaric hurled his hammer at the last giant standing and struck him dead!

Nearby, Green Arrow readied an action. The air elemental monolith repositioned itself, still inflicting damage on the giants it held.

Undeterred, the remaining mobs of common orc fighters reached the city walls, then raised scaling ladders! The orc marshall incited the orcs to faster action, and they seemed to suddenly speed up as if moving twice.

Farther south, the siege engines all shot at the air elemental monolith, but only one hit, doing minor damage. The battering ram crew held by the monolith were now only the survivors of that crew. They kept striking the monolith, but only for minor damage

And as the city defenders gazed off into the distance, still more attackers came into view. Far south, but rapidly approaching, the defenders could make out the form of a giant riding a mammoth! Accompanying the mounted giant was another, two-headed giant (!!), along with additional battalions of giant fighters, among other reinforcements.

The giant riding the mammoth made mystical gestures. Suddenly, about 500 feet from city, a gate opened. A gigantic creature emerged from the gate. It appeared to be a great wyrm white dragon, but it had eyes like red fire.

And then, from the ground before main city gate, in a shower of rocks and dirt there burst into the air a gargantuan form. The defenders were astonished. Before the city there writhed a frost worm. It was the largest frost worm ever seen!

The city defenders desperately struggled against the combined onslaught of the enemy forces. Godomar ceased concentrating on maintaining his wall of fire, and instead cast prismatic spray at the dragons. It had no effect. Audovald ran toward the gate tower. He pointed his finger at the first of the dragons overhead and spoke words of dread power. Immediately a black ball sped toward the dragon: a sphere of ultimate destruction! The dragon tried to evade the deadly sphere, but failed. The sphere struck the flying beast. With a terrible shriek, the dragon disappeared, utterly destroyed!

But Audovald had little time to savor his victory. The second dragon swooped down upon the wizard and grappled him in its mighty jaws. Eberulf attempted to drive it off with a barrage of force missiles. Two missiles struck the beast, but they also wounded the still-grappled Audovald.

Archer band 7 fired at the mobs of orc fighters trying to scale the city walls. They struck four, but killed only one. While they dealt with the orc escalade, Fulk saw that Edward would soon be in need. He flew up to Edward and readied a heal spell

Still on the city walls, Godomar withdrew inside the gate tower, where he located two potions of cure critical wounds. He quaffed one of them.

The floating sphere of ultimate destruction grazed the surviving white dragon, but the winged monster managed to survive. Enraged, the beast then breathed again. The hapless Audovald, trapped in the jaws of the creature, was killed instantly. The dragon dropped its frozen victim, then flew away from the city and toward the gargantuan newcomer that had just flown in through the gate above the main battlefield. Eberulf’s parting magic missiles wounded the fleeing monster, but failed to bring it down.

As Willichar ran into gate tower and other defenders watched the dragon fly away, Eberulf witnessed a terrifying sight. Audovald, just now slain by the dragon, suddenly sprang back to his feet. By some unknown and unseen agency, the wizard had risen as an undead! Instantly, the undead wizard began to prepare a spell.

A shocked Eberulf quickly cast prismatic spray at undead Audovald. By ill luck, the ray caused poisoning, which had no effect on the undead. But from the gate tower, Willichar had also observed the re-animation of his former colleague. His cone of cold did inflict damage on the undead caster.

Below the city walls, the frost worm moved at incredible speed toward the city gate, far faster than a gargantuan worm should be able to move. Once it reached the vicinity of the gate, it rose up, then began to emit an unearthly, terrifying, trilling sound. The creature’s trill struck the nearby defenders on wall and field like a hammer, stunning soldier, archer, veteran and captain alike! Few were the defenders who managed to stand firm against the monster’s sonic attack and not fall to the ground, stunned.

Out of range of the frost worm’s trill, the fierce orc veteran fighters continued to melee with the soldiers of troop 4, killing eleven more. The hapless soldiers lost morale and were shaked by the attack. All they could do was try to defend themselves. Their defense proved inadequate, unfortunately. The veteran orcs continued to attacked ferociously, and killed all of the remaining soldiers.

Archer band 7, meanwhile, continued firing on the orc fighters as they climbed, wounding another but not bringing any down.

Lina, witnessing the arrival of the huge frost worm, left battle with the orcs and rushed toward the giant creature. Gordian followed closely after her. The frost worm raced toward Lina. It struck her with its massive jaws, slashing her arm–a wound partially regenerated by Lina’s shapechanged form. Lina responded by defensively casting avasculate at the frost worm, but failed to damage it. The worm bit at Lina again, doing more heavy damage.

Watching Lina’s combat with the worm, Gordian kept a heal spell readied.

From the gate on the battlefield, the great wyrm white dragon flew high up into the air to survey the activity in the area. The great wyrm hissed draconic words of mystic power. Firiona attempted to pursue the dragon, and when in range tried to cast greater dispel magic on the beast. She failed to affect it.

Edward flew up to the left of Firiona. He called out to the great wyrm, "Oh mighty dragon! Disclose your name!" Green Arrow and Ardaric flew up to join Edward.

The dragon looked down at Edward, and roared in its draconic voice, "Foolish paladin! I am Haxiasssskaash, Father of White Dragons!" With that, the dragon raced over the city, turned 180 degrees, and soared 200 feet above the gate tower. From high over the tower, the dragon looked down and spotted Lina and Gordian battling the frost worm. He hissed more draconic syllables.

Suddenly an obedient avalanche of snow and ice poured down on the two defenders! Both were buried, taking heavy damage. Having cast the spell, the fiendish dragon noble sped at back toward the battlefield and Edward.

From under the avalanche, Lina was somehow able to cast dimension door to a point some 500 feet above the battle before the city walls. Her companion, however, was unable to dig himself out.

As Lina appeared above the city, she watched as all the remaining mobs of orc fighters attempted to scale the city walls. But as soon as the scaling ladders touched the city wall, they activated the walls’ defenses! A cloudkill spell, triggered by the assault, killed several of the orc attackers and drained many others of vigor. Still, at least one orc made it to the top of walls, while still others continued climbing the latters, motivated by their marshal.

The orcs kept up their escalade. All suffered damage to their orcish constitutions, but still they climbed. Many more reached the top and went over, rushing toward the bands of archer defenders. The fierce orc veteran fighters ran toward the city wall, anxious to join the escalade.

They kept on. All the surviving mobs of orc fighters reached the top of the city walls. Archer band 5 came under attack. Two fell and a third was injured. The orc marshall now ran toward the city walls, eager to follow his orc fighters and join in the melee.

As the city defenders struggled against the orc escalade, back on the battlefield Firiona, Edward and Green Arrow hovered in mid-air, watching Haxiasssskaash depart, as did Ardaric and Fulk. Firiona readied a spell.

The stone giant, mounted on his mammoth, continued charging toward the city, with the ettin beside him and four stone giant fighter battalions running ahead of them in a flying wedge formation. Green Arrow could now make out yet another attacker with his elf-eyes: a strange, cat-like creature, covered in greyish scales, with huge claws and long fangs. "Great," said Green Arrow. "They have a sirrush!" The creature ran at incredible speed toward the battlefield, leading even the flying wedge of giant fighters.

Suddenly, from the piles of corpses that lay on the battlefield, a large group of dead orcs leap to their feet and begin to run toward the city walls!

Green Arrow launched a volley of arrows at the oncoming sirrush, landing two critical hits! Yet the beast didn’t seem to take as much damage as it should have. However, the strange creature turned around and raced back to its giant allies.

Edward, holding his action, called out to Ardaric. "Master Ardaric, use your teleportation power! Take us next to the great wyrm!" The venerable fighter did as asked. Materializing within striking distance of the dragon, Edward slashed at the winged monster massive damage!

A sudden burst of flame surrounded the dragon. Fulk had cast firestorm at the great wyrm. And yet, fire-vulnerable though it was, the creature took no damage!

While the adventures hovered, the undead mob of orcs continued running toward the city walls. No cause or source of of the animation was in sight!

The air elemental monolith left the battlefield and raced back toward the city to confront the frost worm. As it left, it picked up the last of the battering ram crew. The trapped crew giants all attacked the monolith, but only one hit, doing minor damage. The five siege engine crews all fired at the departing monolith. Again, only one hit, and only for minor damage.

Turning round, the air elemental monolith ejected the held giants, then attacked two of the catapults, picking them up! The four survivors of the battering ram crew were hurled to the ground. They took heavy damage, but managed to get back to their feet. The remaining crew of the siege engines took the opportunity to flee the battlefield and save themselves, abandoning the war engines.

As the city defenders on the south wall and the adjacent battlefields fought on, Elana and Arimir continued their defense against the giant battalions on the north wall.

The five battalions of giants continued the assault on the city. The giant fighter who had reached the wall jumped down into the city! He raced inward, looking for opportunities to wreak havoc on the deserted structures within. Others reached the wall and climbed the huge scaling ladders.

Elana flew up about twenty feet and sent a greater shout at giant battalions 4 and 5, doing heavy damage to the giants and their ladders. Then, in a bizarre turn, the scaling ladder of giant battalion 2 began to blur and stretch! Arimir had cast polymorph object on the ladder. It turned into a treant, which moved to attack and trample the giants!

The air elemental monolith picked up four more giants from the third giant battalion, removing them from the escalade.

And still they came. Two more giant fighters came up and over the wall. Others reached the top of the wall. Trying to slow the assault, Elana dominated one of the giants from the fourth battalion who had reached the top of the wall. The now-dominated giant pushed the scaling ladder away from the city wall!

Arimir flew up over the first giant battalion and repeated his polymorph trick on that battalion’s ladder. This one transformed into an earth elemental monolith! The earth monolith immediately attacked the giant fighters.

Next to the first battalion, the remaining giant fighters of the second battalions attacked and killed the treant. Its stock returned to its original ladder form.

Before the walls, the air elemental monolith picked up the seventeen remaining loose giant fighters, then tossed them out for heavy damage.

The dominated giant, under Elana’s order, attacked giant battalion 5, which it did, inflicting serious damage on one giant. Elana then dominated another giant, and ordered it to defend the city! Instantly, the enchanted giant took up a defensive stance.

The remaining giant fighters continued the escalade, battling to smash through into the city. Arimir, flying above the wall, cast cone of electricity at the two giants who had broken into the city, severely wounding them. But then, the earth elemental monolith passed right through the city wall, and slammed one of the two giants inside the city. The giant roared in pain.

Back at the south walls, Godomar quaffed another potion of cure critical wounds and readied himself for returning to battle.

Astonishingly, undead Audovald also suddenly appeared to heal some of the damage he had suffered. He also assumed some kind of aura of authority, almost as if he were alive again! The undead wizard then teleported down to the battlefield and joined with the approaching undead orcs! But the air elemental monolith sped to where dead Audovald had landed, picked him up and battered him!

Eberulf quickly ran down from the gate tower back to wall level, ready to support the beleaguered archer bands. Orcs on the wall assaulted archer band 5 again, killing two defenders. The rest stepped back and fired at the orcs, wounding many.

Down before the city walls, the frost worm burrowed under the wall of force, seeking an easier way into the city. Gordian remained buried under the avalanche. Lina took flight toward undead Audovald and blasted him with a fireball.

To the west of the main city gate, soldier troops 1-3 readied attacks. On the opposite side, the fierce orc veteran fighters at last reached city wall, then raised a ladder and began climbing upward. All the other orc mobs who hadn’t yet reached the city walls now did so, and likewise began another escalade, followed by their marshal. Horrifically, so did the undead orc mob!

To the south, above the larger battlefield, Firiona flew at great speed back toward the city walls. Green Arrow flew along with her.

Suddenly, another figure appeared above the battlefield, near Edward!