• 712 DR [Year of the Lost Lance]

  • Hammer 12 Garnet's Pyre (Weeping War: Campaign #2)
    A.K.A.: Dive of the Dragons; The Peace Dragon's Rage; Flight of Anger/Flight of Death
    The noble red dragon Garnet, upon discovering that he was one of the primary causes of the nycaloth's escape and subsequent conflict, rashly took to the air, and headed north into the approaching war. Given the speed at which Garnet fled Myth Drannor, no forces could be assembled quickly enough to allow them to back up the dragon's wrathful attack. Still, an ally took flight after him, an elder silver dragon named Sylvallitham who had, in the past, acted as Garnet's mentor in draconic lessons such as flight, use of breath weapons, and innate abilities. The elder dragon attempted to talk his star pupil out of this rash action, to no avail. Without a thought toward his own personal safety, Garnet furiously dove into the heart of the main Army of Darkness, with Sylvallitharm reluctantly aiding his attack and joining the imprudent strike.

    Flying directly out of the highsun to strike with total surprise, the two dragons took an awesome toll on the Army, Garnet breathing his arcing bolts of electrical fire and Sylvall his other magical attacks. The dragons managed to split the main Army group into two and slow the whole's advances. They also broke the army's supply lines and trapped whole regiments amidst surrounding forest fires, which created large breaks within the ranks as well and served to minimize troop coordination and communication on the ground. Despite these victories, the dragons were unable to focus attacks on the nycaloths due to various magic and heavy protective missile fire.

    Had these two dragons coordinated this assault with large ground forces of elf troops, the war might have ended here, just north of the village of Oloriil. Their rashness kept many from moving swiftly to back up their angry flight, but there are inconclusive reports of small bands of scouts, adventurers, or isolated mages whose towers lay nearby that took advantage of the dragons' surprise attack. In addition to the four regiments destroyed by the dragons, these isolated and uncoordinated ground attacks by adventurers and others claimed another seven parties and two squadrons of orcs, gnolls, and hobgoblins.

    Elf scouts watching the battle reported that it was victorious due merely to the passions and anger of two good dragons. However, just as they had scattered enough ground troops to finally close on the nycaloth leaders of the Army, six tightly-focused beams of light struck and engulfed the two dragons in their dive formation. Both Garnet and Sylvall disappeared without a trace, nor were they heard from throughout the rest of the Weeping War. »