The Invasion Force of Alerar
The history between Alerar and Raiaera, Dark Elf and High Elf, has been nothing short of acrimonious and conflict-wrought. From the initial schism that tore the race apart during the Wars of the Tap, to the subsequent skirmishes over the years as one side or the other sought to take advantage of weakness or defend against opportunism, there has been no shortage of ill-blood between the Elven kindreds.
For years now, with their advanced arsenal many in Alerar have believed that it is time to repay the Raiaerans for their past transgressions and for pushing them into centuries of war against Valinthe, daemon, and Dwarf. The Raiaerans, for their part, view Alerar as traitors and betrayers, evil kinfolk who abandoned them in their time of need. The Dark Elves refer to their Raiaeran relations as “Darthirii”, traitors. The High Elves simply call Alerians “Tel'gothrim”, the enemy.
Six years prior, a pre-emptive Alerian invasion led by Thoracis Rakarth was halted at Valinatal by none other than Devon Starslayer, legendary hero of Raiaera and the very warrior responsible for the defeat of Xem’zund.
Now, the Alerian commanders are ready for another attempt. Their military is numerous and armed with the finest machinations on Althanas – gunpowder rifles, rune-powered cannons, and great zeppelins that ply the skies powered by a fusion of magic and technology. While the bulk of their armies are neither as well-equipped nor as battle-hardened as their Raiaeran counterparts, the Alerians make up for this with the support of their Dwarven allies, the numerous war-beasts entrained to their command, and a ruthless vigour to their actions that belies the years of preparation focused into this single moment.
Raiaera, weakened by a year of brutal war and famine and the loss of valuable infrastructure to Xem’zund, can barely hope to stand against them. But the Alerians must fight through the aforementioned undead first… and the High Council had kept a few tricks up their sleeve in preparation just for this eventuality.
The commander of the Alerian armies is High Graf Schynius, but the force is so bulky and unwieldy that individual commanders largely have free license to roam and range as long as they act in the best interests of Alerar and the grand plan… the occupation of the lands that once belonged to their weaker kin. These commanders range from effete nobles with little prior battle experience to hardened veterans of skirmishes against both daemonic and Elven foes, and individual warbands range in size from a few hundred to several thousand.
But they are all united in three things… the technological prowess of their nation, the conviction of their hatred against their fairer kin, and their determination to avenge the wrongs of ages long past.
The Twilight Peaks resound under the sound of their marching boots.
***
Missions
Infiltrate and Assassinate
Prior to the invasion, Alerian scouts reconnoitred much of the Raiaeran borderlands and have already marked out places and people they feel are the lynchpins of resistance. The stage has been set for the professionals to take advantage… the soldiers to occupy the lands, and the assassins to pave the way forwards. As zeppelins drone overhead and the sound of massed volleys echo across the land, some of the Alerian invaders prefer to take advantage of the cover of silence…
– Requirements: A character who doesn’t feel squeamish about doing what needs to be done. Feel free to adapt the target however you wish: one of Xem’zund’s few remaining Death Lords, a high-ranking Bladesinger close to Nalith, or even somebody not quite so high profile…
Deciphering Ancient Magic
The High Bard Council of Raiaera has been preparing from invasion from Alerar for years. One of their most effective precautions has been the sanctification of much of the land against the use of the technological prowess that Alerians are rightfully proud of. Although these ‘pockets’ cannot be detected by any mundane means, their effects are quite debilitating – no firearm or rune-cannon will successfully discharge within their confines, and even the renowned Alerian skyships are forced to avoid coming too close to land for fear of crashing. Obviously, this is a state of affairs that the High Graf is highly displeased with. It is your duty to find out the secret behind the Raiaeran spells, working to dispel it or, if not possible, to find a workaround.
– Requirements: A character with some sense of the arcane would be necessary, either PC or NPC. Dispelling the sorceries will most likely be nigh impossible, so any workaround will also require aid in the form of techno-sorcerous expertise.
Probe the Lindequalme
Ever since the very start of the war, there’s been an unspoken assumption that Xem’zund has been working his fell magicks with the support of N’jal herself. His corpse cavaliers ride into battle on giant spiders, and more than a few of his spells bear the dark signs of that lost Thayne’s power. Until now, nobody has had cause to doubt the obvious… and then came the rumours of spider-magi emerging from the Red Forest and the mountains bordering Alerar and Raiaera, attacking the Resistance and Xem’zund’s legions with equal disdain. Your mission is to find out why, and if possible, to stem the tide of a spider-mage attack.
– Requirements: None for the invaders. It bears mention that, if you actually want to find out who Xem’zund’s drawing power from, you might want to skim some of Sighter Tnailog’s Featured Quest RPs in both the first chapter and Ye Olde Shoppe (specifically: The Cosmic Detour). It also bears mention that actual success is not a requirement to completing this quest.
Battlefront: Narenhad
Where once stood the mighty High Elven fortress of Valinatal now lies a massive crater, and in the midst of this destruction is Xem’zund’s new base of operations, a second Obsidian Spire to replace the one that was destroyed earlier on in the war. Nowadays, this fortified base lies under siege by leading elements of the Alerian invasion, who are determined to wrest control of this vital staging ground where so many of their previous attempts have fallen awry. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to destroy Narenhad at all costs, preferably defeating the elements of the undead army that defend it without giving Xem’zund time to return from his campaign against Nalith. The invasion must not be allowed to stall upon the plains of Valinatal again.
– Requirements: None. Collaboration with opposing players is highly recommended.
Other Ideas
- Lead a blitzkrieg from aboard one of the famed Alerian zeppelins, striking deep and hard into Raiaeran territory!
- Work with advance scout teams to further extend Alerar’s reach into Raiaera, or go to their aid should they be in trouble!
- Raid abandoned homesteads for anything that may be of use… horse breeding manuals, texts of the ancient and arcane, or if you’re lucky, an abandoned artefact of great power…?
- Establish preliminary contacts with the High Elves in preparation for the inevitable negotiations… after all, is it really in your best interests to wipe out your kin when they would make valuable vassals, or even slaves?
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