Battle Of Breached Pass

In 1481, the dark forces of Thasmudyan had moved their armies to the head of Khilag-Tarkin. Along this rugged valley and into the Marrow Fields a very long battle was fought between the forces of good and the forces of evil. The undead hordes of the Black Tide pushed into the pass, a gateway to the Lands of Purity and met the entrenched lines, forts, and castles spreading out before them and into the Marrow Fields. Nearly one hundred thousand troops in defensive positions against a line of undead that stretched for fifty miles. The mass of undead was so unwieldy for even the Dead Council. Conflict ensued sporadically and then carried on for a month. The nights were even more horrific than the day, with ghouls and ghosts haunting the area. Necromancers, under cover of powerful guards and possibly even worse, would raise the dead in the areas they had taken. As the weeks and months passed, the Black Tide army grew in size as they slowly reduced the armies of the Farinteen Alliance.

I fear, we fear, the outcome of the battle that will start late this night. A favored time of battle for the dark hordes of Thasmudyan. Many will die, and suffer the fate of those that had been fighting in the Black Tide War, destined to be raised as a zombie or some other horror, and then turn about and face their former friends and allies. I have heard some tell of stories where brother or dad fighting his former kindred, that kin now powered by the tendrils of Thasmudyan.

- Onkar, "a letter from the front"

Near the end of the first month of conflict, the area became bathed with a blood red glow. This divine blessing became known as the Parry of Ares. It was absorbed by the mortals across the Marrow Fields and Khilag-Tarkin and then sunk into the ground. The earth turned a dark red and is still that way centuries after this battle. As a result of the this blessing, the forces of good put up such a staunch defense that the battle lasted six months. The Parry of Ares was done by Ares. Theologians claim that this divine blessing was done by Ares for the god Athena. In return, Ares wanted the battle site as holy ground for his flock.

In waning days of Dreamer, the Black Tide marshaled their forces for one great push. Commanding the right wing of the attackers was the Ultimate Field Commander, Pinth Blackstrike. He was at the head of a crack mercenary army of Bloodbeards (c.f. Umahanbad). Half of these had already fallen in the previous months. They were raised and became wights. The left wing was led by Katrana Hlothuru. She was mounted on a huge spider-like construct, the Bone Walker of Desolation. Holding the center of this powerful army was Raxcvillibus Dumu-loc, mounted on his huge nightmare Kronth-Lus, and wielding the soul-devouring blade Grarg. This sword would take many souls over the next three days.

One of the more interesting special forces employed in this battle were the Princes of Blood. This group comprised 13 samurai vampires of Hlotho Zîn, each donned in ornate eastern style full plate and wielding soul-damning weapons.

On the last night of the battle, the Marrow Fields were bathed in the ominous glow of Deaths Kindle. This infrequent event, the Shade of Darkness, bolstered the undead armies of the Black Tide and made necromantic spells very strong. The ensuing Battle of Breached Pass forced the retreat of the Farinteen Alliance. The Black Tide forces pursued for a day picking off stragglers and harrying the rear of the retreating enemy.