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Paragraph 4. The great rout

For three quarters of an hour Dragonking and his army rode east toward Tristram. It had become dawn already and they rode towards the upcoming sun Suddenly just over a hill Dragonking stopped their advance. Beneath them they saw the road crowded with people walking their way. Partly dressed, wounded and bewildered, the people passed by. Some of them, with tears in their eyes stopped and asked the knights to protect them. A silence befell the army of Dragonking as they slowly pressed on eastwards sharing the road with the refugees traveling in the other direction. Then a knight came towards them and Dragonking let out a sigh of relieve when he recognized Darija. "In all thats good, what happened?" he asked her without the usual formalities. "Tristram is under attack, I left the council and the councilguard on a hill just outside Tristram to warn you and the people of this danger", Darija replied. Suddenly she fell of her horse and some men quickly picked her up. "She is wounded my Lord" one of them ex plained. Dragonking looked down from his horse and saw the end of a broken arrow sticking out the left side of Darija's body. "Take her to Dragoncastle and make sure she survives this", Dragonking ordered. Darija was put her horse again and with the two men, was taken swiftly west. The army continued eastward, hindered immensely by the crowded road full with refugees. After 20 minutes Dragonking recognized the banner of the council and on horseback Albertus, Dennizon and Lord_Mystic approaching him. In a potato field next to the road, the army halted and a quick camp was made. In a large tent Dragonking and his knights assembled as well as the three High Councillors. "Tristram is lost" Albertus spoke, almost emotional. "We had to leave the councilguard behind to look for Councilor Silencer, who still is unaccounted for", Dennizon continued. "Did you already sent word to the other nobles Duke Dragonking?" Lord_Mystic asked. Dragonking looked at Lord_Mystic and replied "Yes, i already dispatched riders to warn them but all of them are not back yet. What happened in Tristram. Who is attacking?" Lord_Mystic looked back at Dragonking and very sofly replied. " They came from nowhere, from the cathedral, out of the river even out of the cellars of the tavern. Countless numbers of undead, goatmen and all other vermin we have encountered before when fighting Diablo beneath Tristram". "But we had defeated him, how is this possible?" Dragonking thought aloud. "Well elder Cain was very worried last week about the hero who delivered the last blow to defeat Diablo. He was not entirely sure that this hero was still himself. Perhaps we forgot to look carefully at him while we celebrated our victory". Dennizon spoke. Albertus looked up and spoke; "In any case, we must know the situation in other parts of the republic. Perhaps this is just an attack on Tristram." Suddenly the tent was opened rudely and a knight entered the tent. He was covered with blood and his armor was dented on several places. "Hail noble councillors and Lord s, I bring word from Count Pjotr who is hurrying this way." Everybody present recognized Knight Droppo and Albertus addressed him while some servants brought knight Droppo a pint of ale . "Please tell us how Count Pjotr is faring." The next five minutes were the most difficult minutes the gathered nobles and councilors had ever experienced, while they listened to the horrific tale Knight Droppo had to tell. The losing of the whole eastern part of the republic, the fall of all the castles of the nobles and much more. After listening to this a strange silence befell all in the tent. "This could be the end", Dragonking broke the silence. "We must make haste to travel back to Dragoncastle. There we perhaps can rally and await the coming of the other nobles and their men." Quickly, the assembled nobles left the tent and together with the refugees, the army and the councilors rode west, not even taking the time to break down camp.

Paragraph 5. The fall of Dragoncastle

It was still late in the morning as Count Pjotr and the councilguard arrived at Dragoncastle. The castle was bustling with activity as Dragonking had ordered the full preparations for a long siege. The wounded were taken to the throneroom, which was now used for the treatment of the injured as there were too many of them to treat elsewhere. The war council was formed and scouts were sent to all directions to look to see if trouble was coming their way. A new recruit of the Council Guard, Kitana led a small force of men and set up a watch post three miles from the castle, watching for the inevitable sight of the army of Hell. Early in the morning Kitana saw a large cloud of dust on the road heading her way. It was clearly an army moving towards the castle and the small lookout force quickly rode back to Dragoncastle to warn the defenders. In the courtyard, countless civilians were assembled, children, old people and the weak, all that could not fight, and it was a sorry sight. It was raining slightly and the people were desperately trying to warm themselves but were unable to make large fires because there were just too many people in the courtyard. The four councilors were staring at them from the eastern tower. Silencer, still too weak from his injuries , stood between Dennizon and Lord_Mystic, who supported him. All were thinking the same thing. The army of the republic was tired and decimated. And although Dragoncastle was formidable, it was likely that in the end it too would fall to the forces of hell. Only a moment ago Dragonking aproached them and proposed a plan. "My lords, we will defend Dragoncastle with our lives, however, if this shire and the old republic are lost here and now, perhaps I know where our people could build up their lives again." "Please continue, noble Duke" Albertus answered. "You all know I come from a valley to the north. There, I was born in a place called Uma. However, my ancestors left me a great citadel there also. The land is fertile and almost empty. It is known as 'The Valley of the Dragons'. I left it to serve the republic but perhaps it is time now to consider it as a new beginning if all is lost here". The thought of leaving the homeland of the Republic and all that was accomplished here for the last year was almost too much to bear for the councilors however they knew that it was not the land that was important but the people. So, while the preparations to defend Dragoncastle continued, the council ordered the assembling of all the wagons that could be found and in a short time, eighty were gathered. The people in the courtyard and the wounded from the throneroom were gently moved into them. The ones that still could walk were divided in groups to accompany the wagons. "I will go with them, I am still too weak to be of any use here" Silencer spoke. And after one hour a large wagon train protected by the councilguard, left the northern gate towards the ancestral land of Dragonking.
Only half an hour after the departure of the wagon train, the first sight of the approaching army was seen by the castles lookouts. It was an overwhelming sight. The army reached as far as the eye could see. And the sound they made while marching trembled the ground. In a matter of minutes the castle was surrounded and the army below began to make preparations for the siege. It was already late in the day and everybody in the castle knew that the army would attack in the night, where they had an advantage. One hour after nightfall the army of Hell attacked. Ladders, ropes and siege engines were used to storm the castle. However, the defenders were prepared and returned fire with oil, stones and arrows. The attacking army had to take heavy casualties and only a few of them reached the walls of the castle where they also were beaten back by defending fire. The second wave of the attack was following almost immediately after the first, giving the defenders little time to refill their oil-cauldrons and stone he aps. The second attacking force, though, was annihilated as well although some losses were sustained in the ranks of the defenders. Wave after wave the army of Hell attacked the castle and each time the defenders successfully defended it. It was almost morning when the attacks stopped and the defenders could have their much needed rest. Suddenly the clouds over Dragoncastle became thicker and thicker and after only a half an hour of light Dragoncastle was again covered by darkness. The attacks immediately resumed. For three days and nights the defenders successfully warded of any attack. However the fatigue and strain left its mark. Some defenders just fell asleep between battles and some even passed out. It was clear an evil magic held Dragoncastle in darkness could not be broken and even worse, without any daylight it took more time to replenish the spiritual powers of the sorcerers present. The supply of mana potions was almost empty and that after only 3 days of fighting. However, noone was thinking of surrendering the castle to the besiegers. It was the last stronghold of the republic and the defenders wanted to hold on to it. Unfortunately, that day destiny had something else in mind.
Albertus was on the walls hurling heavy fireballs at the besiegers below when he saw the unconceivable. On the courtyard below the earth gave way and a rift opened. Through the red rift moved dark shapes into the castle. In a matter of minutes heavy fighting broke out on the courtyard. The fighting inside the castle weakened the defenders on the walls as more and more were needed to keep the enemy pinned down in the courtyard. In some places the walls were breached and the fighting continued inside. "This is it" Duke Dragonking thought while he ran toward Lord_Mystic fighting 10 yards from his location. When he reached him he shouted. "We must leave now, all is lost. I don't know how it is possible but they are in the castle. Quickly we must escape as planned through the tunnels leading north.". Lord_Mystic looked around him and only after some seconds ordered the retreat. The defenders hurried themselves to the central tower were the tunnels to the north were located. The defending knights and guards set th e castle on fire to cover up their retreat and a small force of volunteers remained in the castle to delay the enemy in finding the tunnels. "Their names will not be forgotten" Dennizon shouted towards Albertus who was hurrying into the tunnels beside him. And after the last defender entered the tunnel the small force of volunteers covered up the tunnel entrance and set fire to the central tower while storming into the massed enemy on the courtyard shouting the clans war cry. 
When the defenders climbed out the long tunnel they looked to the south. Three miles to the south Dragoncastle was in flames. Six hundred man and woman was all that was left of the noble defenders of Dragoncastle. And while some cried, most could only watch silently as the inferno blazed.


Paragraph 6: The new beginning

A large crowd had gathered in the valley. Peasants, healers, clergy, knights and nobles, parents, old people. All were looking at the small group standing of a small hill in the center of the valley. It was a warm day, and birds and butterflies were notinterests in the large crowd assembled and continued their business as usual. Groups of children were laughing and playing in the field. Then one of the figures spoke. " It is only been five weeks now since we fled our homeland. We lost friends and family and we left our homes and lives behind. However, we must be thankful for our deliverance". A young woman standing close to the hill yelled, "I am Lord Albertus". The crowd laughed. The young woman, ashamed of her spontaneous response and the laughing of the crowd, hide her face in her skirt. Albertus looked down and laughed and then continued, "Well Dragonking promised us a land in which we could live, work and continue our fight against the prime evils. And he delivered us this land. Here we will re build our Republic and make it stronger as it ever was. And I promise you, we will make new allies, and new adventurers from all over Sanctuary will come this way to visit us and help us to defeat the prime evils!" The crowd cheered and looked at each other and all were warmed by the hope in each others eyes.

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