While the celebrants were gathered atop Rainmaker's Hill to perform the rites of Orlanth and Aroka, a warband of 125 scorpion men boiled out of the Print. Brenna chose to engage them outside the fortifications [their defense was 10W or +3]. Rushing them with a flying wedge of horsemen, she drove them back to the woods with no losses.
Jorator fashioned a large effigy of a scorpion man to aid us in the Summons of Evil ritual we planned. We were impressed by the likeness, despite the crude stick and mud construction.
A few hours before dawn on Freezeday, Brenna spotted a lot of movement from the direction of the Fossil Forest - she estimated at least as many as the last incursion. She rode back and sounded the alarm. Brenna called on Elmal for light for her followers. By it, she could see some 400 scorpion men hopping and leaping about. They were driven forward by several scorpion demons. They climbed over each other to reach the top of the wall, where Herger, Nisk, and others met them bravely.
The main group of defenders was rushed by vast numbers of Predark monsters, and their souls and bodies were wracked by the sending of Devouring Chaos sent by the Scorpion Queen's evil witches. Brenna was barely able to keep the group from fleeing. But they pressed harder, and for a moment only Brenna still stood. Then Dorasa leaped into the fray, claws extended. Jorator made sure many more torches were lit. Dorasa shot arrows at Nisk's foe. Then Nisk threw his sword at the monster, transfixing an eye. Brenna once again was the only one standing for a moment, until she rallied the defenders with the aid of Herger's heroic fighting. Brenna never faltered, and Herger fought next to every warrior at some point.
Dorasa was able to see there was a huge female scorpion monster, eight times the normal size, apparently their queen.
Jorator made sure the villagers pulled together to help support Korlmhy in his magical ceremony to flood the Syphon. Kaylin wove her dance into the ritual. Cholanth suddenly remembered a similar riversummoning. But all this attracted the Devouring Hunger. Korlmhy kept summoning the rain that would flood the Syphon, though he keenly felt the fact that he had no ritual preparation.
The horde continued to attack, but Herger drove them back. They called upon their ancestors for help, and only Brenna's bright magic kept them from swarming over the wall en masse. Dorasa noticed that the Queen's attention was on Korlmhy, and darted out to attack one of her retinue.
The battle had been raging for four hours. But now that Elmal had risen, Herger was able to see the scorpion men sneaking around. Korlmhy commanded the Syphon to leave its banks and washed away many of the monsters. But the remaining ones pushed the tired defenders back, though Herger remained staunch. The Syphon continued its surge.
Korlmhy's rains helped swell it, and a great wall of salt water swept the marauders away.
Unfortunately many of the defenders were wounded or dead.
The healers saved as many as they could, but 25 of the defenders died, including 10 Colymar fyrdmen, 5 of Queen Leika's weaponthanes, 4 Orlmarthing fyrdmen, 2 of Herger's followers, 2 mounted warriors from Runegate and 2 Volsaxing mounted warriors. [everyone at -20 from exhaustion]
Kaylin asked Kev for a vision of the next threat. She saw a tribal fyrd-sized mass of scorpion men, backed by an even larger scorpion queen, with two tails, wearing a crown and regalia. It gobbled up the smaller queens, but one drowned. The other scorpion men were praying to her.
After Korlmhy's heroic deeds, Leika agreed to join the hero band. The day after Protection Day, a single blond-haired scorpion woman approached, wearing clothing on its human portions, holding the Issaries wand, and giving the correct herald's greeting. It said its name was once Sora of Jansholm. Some wanted to kill it, but in the end Jorator replied. In perfect Heortling, it said, "I bear a message from the Gagix Two-Barb, Queen of Jab, Great Empress of First Reward. She sends greetings and thanks you for defeating her petty rival K'kek'kl, although it wasn't necessary. The Great Queen was planning on eating you all and performing the Rites of Rebirth, but is willing to spare you all in exchange for tribute, and free passage for her bands. You would not be required to sacrifice to Bagog." The tribute was well within Heortling norms.
Jorator began to recite the names of everyone killed by the incursions, aided by Korlmhy and Cholanth. He pointed out the wergild owed was far greater than the tribute.
She replied, "So the wergild balances the tribute? Many of those slain in combat live again, so no wergild is due."
"Out of respect to Issaries, we have honored your parley, but we do not deal with Chaos. If you return, we will kill you on sight."
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