The Shining Eagles
It had been decades since the last bright sail of High Elven patrol boat
had graced the shores of The tower of the Stars in distant Cathay.
Barely just in his prime the Noble Darrian led his rag tag force of
archers amongst what had remained of the raided once serene settlement
of the River of stars. It's population routed and scattered by dark
clothed cultists. The ruins of the settlement could still be seen a
hollow haunting façade of once proud monumental buildings but now ruined
husks melting in the molten darkening gloom of the evenings sunset.
Darrian's
mind raced back to the night when strange boats but distinctively Elven
had been seen on the horizon and the Old Lord Protector had prepared to
welcome our visiting cousins to our arms. Our welcoming faces soon
quickly turned to shock as these mad antagonists yelled ritualistic
taunts behind a hail of barbed poisoned bolts to slay the peaceful
citizens of the River of Stars. Driven by the surprise attack and
divided from the Protectors Seaguard defensive force Darrian could only
reform with his Hunter Archers. They had taken well to the forested
expanse of the new colony and it's every tree and rock for miles around
were know to them. So began the rearguard action to save what few of the
populace that had narrowly found themselves on the edge of the
invasion. Darrians Bow sang a vicious song of revenge as his few
comrades fought to save their people. Out numbered but not daunted his
arrows found a vital mark more often than not and the invaders paid a
large toll when they pursued the Eagle eyed band. Even in the evening
night amongst the glow of still rutted burning buildings the clear song
of Elven long bow reaped a toll on the Dark Elf ravagers.
Separated
from his people, his trusted spear and shield, Darrian stood amongst
his few left archer cadre. The garb had subtly changed from the Ulthuan
formal to a more utilitarian skirmish. Everyone of his bowmen now
carried their great hunting bows that they had escaped that first night
of slaughter with and powerful were these in comparison to the standard
bow of the Seaguard. The years that they had fought to rid themselves of
their invaders had toughened the Warband and only the strongest and
most skilled had lasted the long campaign. Tonight Darrian thought, as
he plucked his finely crafted well used arrow from his defeated foe, 'We
have rid us of the last of the vermin from our shores'. For some reason
the main force of ravagers had left and the score or two of the
remaining Dark Elves left as a garrison were easily humbled by the
Shining Eagles, Darrians archer warband.
The victory was
accomplished without the help of the force of nature of the surrounding
forest which had rallied around the Elven archers from the wood. The
powers of branch and thorn were granted to the fledgling lord from his
innate mystical matriarchal line descended directly from Caledor
himself. Although he displayed no abilities with spell or scroll he
could communicate with the forest in times of dire need and the spirits
of the wood would aid him at his desperate call. From graceful Dryads to
titanic manifestations of forest spirits of brooding gnarled Oaks his
allies were swift to ally vengeance and were not easily quelled. The
forest spirits help had established the Shiny Eagles a home within the
wood for these past decades and provided for their small community. As
the years past the symbiotic relationship could be seen subtly
overlapping between the two entities of Elf and Wood. Surely they gained
strength from each other as Dryads gained the gracefulness of Elf and
Elf gained the hardness of bearing of Oak.
With the last of
the Invaders on shore laid low by Elven bow his thoughts went to his
people. The settlement had slowly started to rebuild within the forest.
The remnants of the Tower of stars eventually finding the scattered
bands from the night of the invasion. Although small it was beginning to
slowly rebuild and the more commonly used of the communities name had
changed from the Tower of Stars to the Stary Wood. Named after the
favourite mystic weapons favoured by it's warrior scion sons the
'Starfire arrow' . Forever changed but strengthened by the experiences
that affected them. His people were precious to him and their new home
was precious to him. Darrians mind traced it's tract to the remaining
long boats beached nearby. No longer will we be the hunted we will take
the fight to these invaders and they shall know the fear of vengeance...
The Shining Eagles:
Darrian Starfire (Noble, Starfire arrows, /lt Armour, Shield)
11 Glade Guard (Muso, Lords Bowman)
11 Dryads
5 Waywatchers
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