#roll-20

Telchis’s army and allied Quel’Thalas Nobles must protect the gate at Quel’lithien Pass from a most daunting enemy!

[ PRESTIGE CLASS - FARSTRIDER MARKSMAN - NUELLEN SWIFTSTRIKE ]

“Minn’da, do you think I’d be able to play with the flowers and become a bear?” A simple question asked, but the scoffing noise from Nuellen’s mother made the child’s ears droop.

“There’s no place in this world for women who change into bears. Become like your family, a strong and swift Farstrider.” The woman’s chest puffed with pride, swinging her long braid over her shoulder once it was completed. “You will make us so proud, sweetling.”

The weight of those words held her in place, even after her parents passed away, their legacy needed to live on within her. She never fancied those thoughts of druidism, shapeshifting, only diving into the wonders of nature through a veil of respect and separation. She would protect the world and it’s beauty with deadly precision. A trained eye and steady hand. Her training was endless, never truly coming to a stop or reaching that pinnacle of perfection. Men and women trained alongside her, becoming brothers and sisters of another sort.

Years passed and finally she bore the title Farstrider. Her Ranger-Captain grinned with pride as she approached him, clapping his hand onto her shoulder, “I think now is the time for a celebratory hunt.”

“Is that so, what will we be hunting?” She blinked slowly, watching him with a learned suspicion. Nothing with Alorinis was ever that simple”

“Conspirators of Treason.” His smile had unsettled her, but she would soon find out what he had meant.

They were eventually settled at the top of the Court of Sun’s spires, two lounge chairs placed and hidden behind draped curtains of red. Alorinis pulled back the fabric to look below at the city, sighing.

“Most of the other Farstriders would go out to try and shoot an Amani pack that scout our lands for weakness. Most forget there is also danger even within our gates.” As he spoke, he turned and picked up a small list to look through. Sketches were made of people of interest, likely due to other scouts who knew how to blend in. “There is going to be a meeting just outside the Wayfarer’s and the intention is to attract attention and gather more interested in some sort of sabotage that we don’t yet know. I would rather we not find out and nip this in the bud.”

“And you don’t want to just have someone else take care of this, why?” Nuellen approached the bow, noting how the arrows were expertly crafted and yet disguised from any distinguishing features.

“It would just give them more reason to cry out their dissent, if there was a public enemy that could attract more numbers to their side. You know this, but I appreciate the attempt for conversation,” he chuckled as he stood next to her to show her the list. “Here. Your target will look like this.”

She took the list for a better view. The sketch of this elf seemed shakily done, but she could see the features of a crooked nose and a monocle resting against his right eye. Notes at the side mentioned his name, that he was a merchant, had red hair but dyed it white for some kind of status effect, and portly. She wasn’t sure how someone like this had become popular with the crowds, unless he was the type to bribe and litter the roads with gifts of splendor. Another question of hers was the source of these riches, if he really did share his wealth as she imagined. A calm exhale of air left her lips before she was ready to ask another question, pushing away the why and how of this man’s life. “So we’re killing him - but where, exactly? I don’t think shooting him down any time during his speech will have the same effect you expect, Ranger-Captain.”

“Nuellen, how many times do I need to remind you that you can call me by name?” Alorinis lamented. “I have practically become your father by now…”

“Where are we shooting him?” Her ears pinned back, feeling the sting of being accused of favoritism by others bubbling up whenever he mentioned his ward as his ‘daughter.’

“There is a balcony here, where he eats his lunches every afternoon without fail. He is very predictable, thankfully,” a hand pointed out past the curtains toward the Rest, directing her line of sight to the distant shape of a curved window opened to the fresh air. Nuellen’s nose scrunched up with concentration. “Today he will be meeting with one of his fellow conspirators to pay them off. So maybe, we can offer the proper authorities a nice set up once they have been alerted.”

“You know...This is sounding less and less like a Farstrider kind of mission.” 

“You think so? These guys have the potential to cause some very real harm to Quel’Thalas, I think that taking them out like this is an extremely Farstrider thing to do.” He turned to look at her. “There is enough distance between these spires and that window that the trajectory of the arrows you shoot will be confused for other buildings between the two. Both the bow and arrows have been made stiffer to accommodate for necessary speeds. The arrowhead was made heavier for piercing. You need only aim and shoot when you’re certain you will hit both targets at once.”

This wasn’t a celebratory hunt, she finally realized; this was her final test. She might have made it into the organization but this was her teacher and mentor deciding if she was ready for trials that would be though near impossible to accomplish. Running her tongue across her teeth before sucking on them, she considered his words carefully, narrowing her gaze on him. She only briefly questioned his confidence in her skills, picking up the bow to test the weight. If completing this ‘hunt’ would confirm her worthy of his time and skill, then she would would not fail to disappoint.

She pulled the curtain aside to get a better view of the city and their surroundings, feeling the gentle breeze on her face. A few clouds rolled by lazily, casting large shadows across the roads and buildings below. Picking up an arrow, she carefully tested the balance it had with the new modifications Alorinis had requested from the fletcher. She heard the Ranger-Captain announce the arrival of the traitorous merchant and directed her attention back to the window. There was a sway of white hair, accompanied by a figure in a dusty yellow robe, as the two elves stepped into view to chat. They weren’t quite lined up as she wanted, but this was just another challenge toward her success. She only observed for a time, staying aware of her surroundings and each new angle to shoot from before finally deciding the draw the bow and arrow.

“They are coming to a close with their dealings, Nuellen.” Alorinis mentioned low, careful not to break her concentration, yet keeping her mindful of the time sensitive mission.

Nuellen focused her attention to their movements as she nocked her arrow, pulling the drawstring and locking her shoulders once drawn completely. Before finally shooting, she felt a shift in the breeze and adjusted quickly to her right, letting it play into the arch of the arrow’s flight. The thrum of the string was the signal for her to finally inhale a new breath, watching her only attack sail swiftly through the air. She counted the seconds before seeing the arrow find its mark, first through the merchant’s neck and beheading him, then into the robed man’s face which knocked him back onto the floor with force. Three seconds was all the time it took.

Stepping away from the curtains, she turned to see Alorinis standing with arms folded over his chest, nodding once and smiling with appraisal. “Well done, Farstrider. I think it is time for some lunch.”

Nuellen frowned to herself once the Ranger-Captain turned to leave. 

@thesunguardmg

Defending Quel’lithien proved harrowing, yet successful for The Sunguard and their Sin’dorei allies! Few were wounded or struck down, and the final blow to The World Render was struck by Cabal member, Maratus’argae, proving even the smallest of fighters can still pack quite the punch!

But, as The Sunguard, Cabal, and Quel’Thalas’s Houses win this much needed victory... There was more happening that they could not see.

The Sunguard - Edge of Night - Roll-20 Campaign

In which all this fighting was going on, but sadly, the enemy had to call on a very familiar somebody.

Additionally, Caeliri being thirsty in the middle of battle:

The Edge of Night - Turn 4 - Queen’s Hand

The aftermath of tonight’s Sunguard Roll-20 event. 

With a victory eeked out by Caeliri, the remaining forces of the Gilnean and Wildhammer forces are now being held as prisoners in Undercity. The bodies of the dead were buried or burned, much to the displeasure of the Queen’s Hand and more specifically, Nathanos Blightcaller.

The Sunguard tend to their wounded, having suffered quite the beating as they performed their duties to the Horde.

THE SNACKRIFICE HAS BEEN CHOSEN!