Underdark- Unending Abyss Region
Nightwell Fortress- Tunnel to the Dark Oak Grove

I took a deep breath and double-checked to see that my Shroud of Darkness was active. Between the Racial Ability and the Illusionist spells, our force was well hidden. June had already filtered back through the line and had reported the sighting of House Dhalmass forces marching through the Underdark. Chalxae was still out there and while I was worried about her, she had her job to do.

Chalxae had proposed to get a small force hidden in the nearby Iron Mine to strike at magic users of House Dhalmass, but any force out there would be vulnerable and we wouldn't be able to support them or give them cover. 

At first, I had vetoed the idea, but between Captain Dulkam, Sergeant Shadowsteel, and Abraxxus the three had finally convinced me to allow the quartet of Rogues we had to hunt and kill any Priests or magic users while we distracted the majority of House Dhalmass. 

They were marching in formation in groups of thirty from what the two new Vampires could tell. The only worry was the House Guard which numbered fifty, but June had also reported no less than a half dozen Priestesses of Lolth with them. I knew for a fact the followers of Lolth had a solid arsenal of nasty curses and other spells, but most of them were damage over time spells, very few blunt burst damage. Also since they were Priests, they were glass cannons that could be downed fairly easily if surprised with overwhelming attacks. 

I focused and could hear them in the distance, closing rapidly. Based on the heart rates I could hear, they were being pressed hard and were laboring to keep up the pace. "Eyes up, they are close," I called out. I could feel a dozen mages crowd the line to get the best viewpoints of the tunnel. The only thing between the mages and the oncoming army was a double line of twenty guardsmen. 

Slowly the Underdark brightened as I saw the heat emanating from the bodies as they jogged towards our position. Word was quickly spread and the men and women of the guard hunkered down behind their shields. The last-second tightening of straps and checking weapons occurred as the first formation arrived, but we waited. Only when the third formation came into sight and started passing the mouth of the tunnel did we strike. With a word, the mages started casting spells. 

It was a requirement that to take part in the initial strike was to have an area of effect spell or a spell that could strike multiple enemies at one time. Fire and Ice Storms, Chain Lightning, Pestilence, and a few odd spells I had never seen before slammed into the three nearest formations. Sadly, they were mostly War Slaves and only a few of the House Guard, yet dozens went down under the magical assault and confirmed some of my plans for the future. "FALL BACK!" I barked out and the mages let out one or two more spells before fading back down the tunnel. 

While the Priests of Lolth did have access to some healing magic, they wouldn't use it on a mere slave and I was betting on the fact that they would hold back to use it on the House Guard. At first, all was chaos, but a high-pitched horn sounded and the formations started to gather and I nodded as I looked back to confirm the mages were traveling down the safe corridor between the traps. "Time to go, we bloodied their noses. Now let's see if we can get them to put their necks in the noose." I told the others and the shield wall broke as the guards filtered back down the tunnel.

I studied the line of War Slaves and could see a solid block of House Guard moving as well and smiled before ducking down the tunnel. I followed the illusion of arrows on the floor as I wound my way halfway down the tunnel and past the new shield wall. With a word, the Gnome canceled the spell indicating the safe passage before pulling back further down the tunnel. While Illusionists could be helpful in many situations, in direct combat they were vulnerable. 

The double line was kneeling allowing a clear field of fire for the archers and mages that waited patiently. Then the drone of feet and shouts of challenge filled the tunnel as the War Slaves filled the tunnel and started to die. Between traps and the incoming fire, the enemies advance ground to a halt at the mouth of the tunnel. I could see them reorganizing their group on the fly as those bearing shields were rushed to the front, but the slaughter continued. 

I frowned and looked at the Captain, unlike last time Captain Thardan insisted on being here and Abraxxus was overseeing the defenses of the Settlement. He nodded in understanding as they formed their shield wall and started pushing through the oncoming magic and missile assault. Thankfully they had to push through the traps since any Rogue would almost instantly die from the barrage filling the tunnel. 

Spiked pits, caltrops, and tripwires distracted and hampered the oncoming shield wall causing them to break multiple times, allowing openings for arrows and magic to fly through. I studied the oncoming War Slaves and looked back at the Captain, "The second banner has entered the tunnel." I told the Duergar who gave me an absent nod.

"CEASE FIRE, SHIELDS UP!" Thardan bellowed causing the archers and mages to stop firing as the line rose and braced for the slow charge. The last five feet before our line was clear of any traps and they took full advantage of it and gained some momentum before slamming into our dense shield wall. "FIRE IF YOU GOT A CLEAR SHOT!" the Duergar commanded as the two lines ground against each other. 

The sound was almost deafening between the clash of shields, weapons, shouts, and screams. Those with healing magic and buffs started casting them on those on the line, increasing their chances at living and causing a myriad of debuffs on their attackers. I smiled as I got in line with the next group that would relieve the front line, this is where the killing begins!

Underdark- Unending Abyss Region
Nightwell Fortress- Outside Dark Oak Grove

"THIS IS ALL A DISTRACTION!" I yelled at Nendra Dyrr, she foolishly kept pushing for us to get into the grove but the settlement was nearby and our main objective. "We need to take the bulk of our troops and go to the main cavern!" I told her but the woman snorted.

"You are just a coward and fool Tathlyn Hune, this rabble will fall before us and be ground into dust. Soon this force will break and we will gain control of the grove then we will move to the settlement and scour it of all life! Now go, command the troops that you were given or I will kill you and appoint your second in your place." Dyrr responded as she caressed the handle of her sacrificial blade.

I stomped off and spat with disgust at what she had said. This was a foolish enterprise, the defenders knew we were here and the only chance we had at completing our objective was to push towards the settlement and raze it while their forces were split. As it was, the two banners of War Slaves committed to the grove assault were a write-off with already fifty percent losses so far and rising steadily.

Of the original three hundred and fifty War Slaves and House Guard, I had less than three hundred left. The initial surprise attack had devastated one banner and had seriously hurt two more. Then the assault on the tunnel was grinding away what remained of the two banners that had been hurt. "I am going to kill that stupid bitch!" I seethed to Janus and he glanced around and frowned. "What?" I asked and pulled out his sword.

"One of her Acolytes was nearby earlier, providing some healing." Janus absently replied then froze and pointed. I looked and could see a cooling body and based on the pool around her, she had been gutted thoroughly.

"Fuck, they got Rogues out here as well." I quickly connected but before I strode away Janus put up a hand stopping me.

"Let them do the work for us. It's clear, they are hunting for our magic users. We let them do their work and pull the army back and retreat. They are too organized and we cannot press the attack without suffering catastrophic losses." Janus advised me and while a part of me wanted to press the attack, I was beginning how prepared they were at the main cavern.

Before I could say or do anything, I felt the tips of two daggers dig into me, one at my neck and the other at the base of my spine. "Sound advice Swordmaster, my lord is infuriated your House has invaded his lands and your little army is going to be ground into dust. If you want to live, when the time comes, surrender or die. There is no third option. We will deal with the priests, just stay out of the way." a voice hissed in my ear.

Janus was frozen in absolute fear and the blade points were removed and I quickly turned but nothing was there. What had the Matron gotten us into, I had never seen Janus afraid like this much less someone willing to fight House Dhalmass like this. "I think we should do what she said sir," Janus stated and I glared at him.

"I don't surrender!" I told him and Janus just shook his head while I continued to look for the Rogue or Rogues that had infiltrated the area.

"SIR!" Janus snapped and I looked at him, a reprimand on my lips but stopped when Janus stepped closer. "It was a Vampire and considering all those things are normally insane beasts driven by hunger, I would suspect we are in a situation we cannot control and House Dhalmass has grievously overstepped and awakened and adversary they cannot defeat. I advise you to use caution and take the offer to surrender when the time comes. I know I will." Janus stated before turning back to the ongoing battle at the mouth of the cave.

Underdark- Unending Abyss Region
Nightwell Fortress- Tunnel to the Dark Oak Grove

I deflected the spear thrust and buried my sword into the Goblins throat before turning it and ripping it out as I ducked back behind my shield. The whole line was tired from the constant press but we were rotating people in and out as quickly and safely as possible, but the guard wasn't used to fighting like this. Individually, they were stronger and had better gear than the War Slaves, but they kept coming giving little respite.

I heard a faint chirp in my ear as my bog spell came off cooldown. I smiled grimly and triggered both my taunt and Bog of Plagued Shadows spell. New shrieks of surprise and anger filled the tunnel as the invaders tried to get to me, but were hampered by each other, the guards, or the spell. "PUSH!" the Captain barked out and I threw my weight behind my kite shield causing the Orc that had been battering at it to reel back as I backed away as I new line was quickly formed as all the old line fell back behind it. 

I checked my HUD absently, my Health was down to half and my Stamina bar was strobing near empty. I had multiple cuts on my upper arms and my breastplate was dented in several places and a couple of holes had punched through portions of the chainmail. "HOW WE DOING CAPTAIN?" I asked the Duergar. 

We had been pushed back slowly and steadily, but we were holding. "I got three squads on the line and I am rotating the squads off the front line every minute, but they are getting tired. I think we need to trigger the other traps, sir. It will buy us a bigger rest while they recover and slow their progress otherwise we could lose the tunnel at this rate sir." Dulkam warned me. 

I studied him then the ongoing battle, "You sure you aren't going to bury us?" I asked him and he shook his head and chuckled. "Do it!" I snapped and the Duergar quickly barked an order and a Dwarf nodded his head and squatted down before closing his eyes. The tunnel shook and dust cascaded down before boulders started dropping out of the ceiling and into the seething mass of War Slaves. 

New shrieks of surprise and pain filled the air as a dust cloud was kicked up as all along the length of the tunnel, boulders rained down on the invaders maiming and killing them. The guard prepared to push forward now that the invaders were stunned. Even if they had not been killed by the deluge of rocks, it would take time for them to reorganize and we didn't plan on giving it to them. "FOREWARD!" Dulkam bellowed and the guards started moving back towards the entrance of the tunnel as they quickly swept over the stunned and disoriented invaders.