The Gathering 1105

After a gentle introduction, the battles came thick and fast at this year’s Gathering.

The Orkneyjar Marine Corps travelled with the Harts to Bluebell Wood – where they faced a terrible foe. As reports of a titanic struggle, and many fallen, reached us back on Tamarus, Bears and Lions and others poured through the circle to lend their aid. They arrived to act as a rearguard as the survivors pulled out, mopping up the remaining foe. Alas they came too late to help the many who perished in that fight, Bears and Harts alike.

We returned to a market-place in chaos, filled with flame and smoke, as the Balrog and its minions had emerged to punish the Alchemists for their imprisonment of its essence. Carnage and chaos abounded all round, and the Bears frantically tried to pull their people clear and return to the safety of our camp – there to mourn the fallen.

Those that fell for the Harts did not fall in vain, however, as their heroic efforts cemented the friendship and alliance we hold – and they, as one, pledged their support – to ‘bleed’ for us in return as we travelled through a void gate to the Black Isle. There our combined forces hunted down and destroyed the formori present, in a titanic battle. One of the many tales of heroism I have had recounted saw our Guild Master, Hucklebury Flynn, charge frantically into a formori chieftain – despite Flynn’s arms both hanging limp from his shoulders.

After an epic and bloody battle, the waves upon waves of frenzied formori gave out – and we were left in charge of the field. Although no Bears perished in the fight, a lone Hart gave the ultimate sacrifice for us. His name shall be remembered as one of our own.

Sunday afternoon, the Bears forayed back once more to the Black Isle, there to lift the siege of the citadel and finally crush all last formori present there – a mission that triumphed without loss. The Black Isle is now back in the hands of the Bear, Anu be praised.

At the Muster, 3 priestesses – supposedly of Anu – who have been seen entreating us of late, returned. They have long been asking prying questions of our faith and fealty. Proving their false nature, they assailed the Bears with corrupting blows and opened up a rift in the void from whence creatures poured forth with malign intent. As they were slain, proof of their working for the Conclave was found – a worrying lesson for us all.

Eventually it was our faith that triumphed, Master Air guiding our efforts into sealing the damaging rift as we called on our faith in our Ancestors. By the Lady’s Will we succeeded, though all of faith felt the drain and exhaustion afterwards – unnaturally so. However, Queen Blodwyn was again on hand, offering words and comfort that restored our failing energy. She is truly a blessing amongst us.

A task force was put together to do battle alongside the other nations against the Conclave, who had inhabited an isle in the north of Lantia, hiding behind a fell beast who could not be harmed. Further sadness befell us as Laoch Fredick was taken, our Queens’ Fianna suffering another terrible loss in so short a time.

Finally, the last battle dawned. The Conclave had drained the Time Chambers beneath the isle, using its power to threaten the coming harvests of the Heartland nations. The result was the formation of four stones which could reverse this attack, and perhaps even protect the holding nations from further assault. And so we set to do battle for the right to employ these stones. The Bears and Harts agreed to share a stone, and formed up ready to seize and defend; the Lions, Unicorns and Gryphons did likewise, leaving two stones in the hands of the other five nations.

Alas that greed won out and the other five factions were not content with just the two. Their numbers and combined power too great for the factions opposing them, they swept first the three and then our two away from the stones, looting the fallen and employing pattern corrupting weapons, seizing all four stones and leaving the other five nations with none.

A sad day for the essence of unity in the Heartlands against the common foe.

 

All Works are © Original Author

(OC Author - Paul Martin)