Bind up the Brokenhearted

Synopsis

How much fact and fiction, memory and fantasy,
recollection and fabrication are intertwined in remembering?
Nobody, including ourselves, can be absolutely certain which
is which...even when we ourselves are remembering about
ourselves. -- John Dominic Crossan

During the first chapter of the Featured Quest, Raiaera underwent some major developments. They are outlined here as a guide for players just getting started in the FQ.

Xem'zûnd, a necromancer and one of the Forgotten Ones who tormented the world during the Wars of the Tap, returned to assail Raiaera with a massive army of undead warriors. In the space of hours the garrison at Carnelost was overwhelmed by the forces of Xem'zûnd, which seemed to be made up of almost everything that once lived -- even once-alive trees and the corpses of the dumb beasts of the Red Forest returned for the assault.

Xem'zûnd's forces turned north and assaulted Vanwanen Bridge, which was defended by a force of elves under the command of Captain Tyreles of Eluriand and a ragtag band of volunteers under the command of Caden Law. They held the Bridge for longer than expected, but in the end Xem'zûnd overwhelmed the defenders and attacked the fortress.

Meanwhile, at Valinatal, the brave defenders tried to hold off the assault. But in the end, it was not Xem'zûnd that overcame them. All those who survived the holocaust of Valinatal claim they saw the moon smash into the world, and proclaim the return of N'jal to bring destruction to the world. Although this was in fact an illusion created by Khal'jaren, the Sage, and the assault was also done with his power, those who were eyewitnesses truly believe they have seen N'jal return to earth in power and glory. Following the death of Valinatal's defenders and the waste of this area, the hosts of Valinatal rose again to serve Xem'zûnd and began a march to Eluriand.

((In other words: ICly, people think they saw N'jal. In OOC knowledge, however, it was actually Khal'jaren. Keep the knowledge in mind as players, but beware of metagaming!))

At Eluriand, the Horn of Velicë was blown and its defenders took the field. Xem'zûnd suffered a wound at the hands of great magic worked by Caden Law and the bards of Aglarlin, and was forced to flee the battlefield. As night set across Eluriand, it appeared as though Xem'zûnd's flight would turn the battle in favor of the defenders. But at that moment the undead host from Valinatal arrived and swept the elven regulars and the Bladesingers Guild off the field.

And thus, in one day, the heraldry of Raiaera was wiped from the land, and the valor of her people was ground into dust. And so the day will live for ever as " Aurë Unótimë Unqualë," or the "Day of Untold Agony."

Chapter 2
Bind Up the Brokenhearted

Psalm 137

By the waters of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.

There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.

Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
"Tear it down," they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"

O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us,
he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.

MOST events of Chapter 2 will be taking place approximately one month after the events of Chapter 1. Any threads that simply must take place in the interim may do so, although the focus of Chapter 2 will be on the time period one month after the end of the fall of Eluriand. The following are descriptions of the key events of Chapter 2.

The inner city of Eluriand still stands, defended by a few members of the High Bard Council, including the High Bard himself. The very walls of the inner city are filled with significant magic, and so it has proven nearly impossible for anything undead to even approach with suffering intense pain. The outer city of Eluriand has been very badly ransacked and burned, and is not likely to ever recover even should the undead menace be defeated.

The lowlying hills where Valinatal stood have been renamed Narenhad. Xem'zûnd's forces have begun fortifying these hills with various citadels of dark purposes and powers; what few lieutenants of Xem'zûnd who are actually alive have been given command of these hillforts. But to the north, at the location bordering Daer Taurë, the villa of Findelfin ap Fingolfin at Tirinost is being fortified to serve as a fortress of the elves against the onslaught of evil against the forest.

Within the forest itself, the elves are ever busy. Sanctifying groves, clearing, great trees, and a host of other key locations throughout the forest has been top priority, both to protect against Xem'zûnd and provide the elves with a new place to live. Secret citadels, Coiameth and Daur-nu-Aldar, are underway, their location a closely guarded secret known only to a few. Of the elvish High Command whose locations are still widely known, Nalith Celiniel is chief. Of the general, Findelfin ap Fingolfin, no one knows. A few who escaped the Dagor sé Eluriand say they saw him vanish; still others whisper that their Dagorathar himself has deserted and fled to where life is easier.

Meanwhile, refugees still stream out of Anebrilith, but the ships there run thin. The city is now under siege by the undead, and the Harbor Walls which guard the pathway from the city to the port are the subject of nearly daily assault. Unless this city receives help soon, it is likely that the refugees there will become nothing more than the next foot soldiers for Xem'zûnd's horde. And Trenycë, the City of Men, has fallen utterly. A great disease swept through the very heart of that place, and now it is a place of great evil; hosts of undead now emanate from it on a daily basis.

Raiaera is now a place of danger and warfare. The elves are digging in to try to hold on to what is theirs and remember a time when they were at peace and evil did not stalk their land. The undead still strive to drive them out, utterly and completely. It is anyone's guess which side will succeed.