Hammer 25 Twilight's Falling (Weeping War: Campaign #2)
A.K.A.: "The Harp Falls Still"; Lady Steel's Last Clash; The Last Scepter War (by schoolars of Hlondath and Neteril); The Two Marches' Terror; "Six Survived under Each Star of Seven"
Little conclusive information is available on this battle outside of hidden lore kept secret among the modern Harpers. Like many of the activities of the Harpers at Twilight, their victories went unlauded, their losses unmourned. This was the first of two public battles that recorded the Harpers and their good deeds for posterity, though both are tinged with great tragedy. It is believed that the impetus of this battle sprang from the lich Laummas' search for elf magic (a quest that was embraced by Malimshaer and his mezzoloths later).
While the forces of darkness collected two marches of gnolls and flinds from the Army of Darkness under their new ally the lich (and newly made Major) Laummas, the Harpers at Twilight and some remnants of the slyvan tribes decimated by the Army's advance numbered only a total of a few hundred. For four days, the vastly outnumbered forces held their ground against the Army using their magic and woodcraft, keeping pitched battles limited to skirmishes among small groups (though the Harpers were almost always outnumbered five or more to one). While they almost always won, the Army's victories were not decisive and the Harpers well hidden.
Much of the Harpers' strategies fell to small groups of spies infiltrating the Army's camp to sabotage supplies and cause disarray among temperamental gnolls and flinds. When Laummas or his traitor-associate Nezras were on the field, the Harpers' magic proved the lesser, and often their own dead would be animated against them. At dusk of the fourth day of battle, Laummas fell before the furious swordplay and spellcraft of Lady Dathlue Mistwinter, the Lady Steel and the Harpers' leader. Emboldened by the death of Laummas, Lady Steel pressed on despite her fatigue and reduced spells and meeting her death soon after from Nezras' spells and her drawing-and-quartering by the animated remains of her own Harper troops. At least in death, her pre-set spells claimed the lives of more than three parties of gnolls. Enraged by Lady Steel's death, the last 90 Harpers forged a charge that cost the enemy over 500 more troops. Unfortunately, rage is a motivator, not a strategic plan. The charge left the final Harpers trapped in the midst of three full squadrons of bloodthirsty gnolls.
The Harpers battled on, accepting their deaths heroically and united in a strong battle song that sustained them while half of their number fell. Only the chance appearance of a woman spellcaster, upon the low hillock known as Jalmyra's Mound, saved even a few of the overwhelmed Harpers toward the dawn of the fifth day. While she apparently spoke only once when not casting spells of awe-inspiring destruction and power, the wild-haired woman bid the 42 survivors "Flee, lest the Harp be stilled before its tune is done. Seek out those Chosen of Seven Stars, and they shall guide you. I shall hold guard, now and always." Harpers and many bards have since taken to calling her "Darkeyes", Jalmyra's Mage", "the Harper-Mage", Lady Star", or "The Savior of the Harp". Some priests of Mystra insist this was a manifestation or avatar of Mystra, perhaps even her mysterious alias as Myrjala Darkeyes, though no being alive today can confirm this theory. In fact, of the few accounts heard, elves saw an elf save them, while humans saw a human female, thus adding to the confusion about her identity. Regardless of her true identity, her spells (some said to be on par with those of the High Mages) destroyed more than half the remaining forces of darkness and sent them into panicked retreat.
This event lasts until Hammer 29, 712.
Other deaths include Ruehar Oakstaff and Major Tlaak (a flind chieftain). »