Event: Siege of Venicia 71-72 FA (Dominaria Supplement)
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The Siege of Venicia[edit]
Lucius Craterus, commander of Legio VI, ordered the construction of contravallating lines of defense to hold back the attackers until the other Legios could arrive. They did by the end of the month and together the three Legios of Venicia besieged their beloved city. The Arcadians came to their aid as well sending the Andoran II Legion by sea to aid in the siege and dispatching elements of the Arcadian Western Fleet to blockade the port.
The Arkerii and the Orcs, along with mercenaries under the command of Memnon of Rhodes, construct several forts along the besieger's northeastern flank and launch nearly daily sallies to challenge the lines and supply from Arcadia.
The Battle of The Storm[edit]
On the 1st of July 70 FA, the Dragon Vargash the Storm and a party of adventurers led by Sean Firesworn, Elam of Venicia, and Johnllamen the Bard attacked the three fortresses to the north of the Venician lines in a sudden attack - the only sign being a bank of rapidly forming storm clouds to the west of the plains. Vargash swept over the city and circled out to sea, much to the astonishment of both sides, before sweeping in a descent over Venicia and immolating the encampments around the westernmost fortress after a titanic bolt of lightning struck and destroyed the fortress itself.
Sean Firesworn was seen hovering amongst the clouds wreathed in coronal energies as Johnlammen and Elam rode Vargash and bellowed for the attack. This scene, as incredible as anything out of the Age of Heroes, incited Lucious to order his 20,000 Venicians (three legions plus auxiliaries worn down by the already long siege) to form by Cohort and attack. Vargash swept over the Arkerii Forest and torched the central parts of the larger center Cabal fortress as the Arcadians were forming and then swept west and physically smashed the wooden frame of the eastern fort before taking off and sweeping over the advancing Venitians. At this they broke into a charge and swept towards the Cabal's fortresses. As they charged, a second and final bolt of energy struck the Great Library of Venicia, it's dome visible from the outside of the city. All who saw this would later wonder at it, for the bolt pierced the dome and left the building intact, giving little clue to its goal.
As the Venician ranks neared the fortress, Elam lept off Vargash onto the battlements of the central fortress and struck down Memnon of Rhodes in single combat in full view of the advancing Venicians. With a roar, they broke ranks and charged, capturing the three fortresses after bloody struggles at the palisade walls. While the Venicians stormed the fortresses, another single combat captivated everyone who could spare time to see it. Vargash and a Mountain Drake from the northern Verge battled high over the battle, and in four cataclysmic passes they reduced each other to grievously injured creatures barely able to fly. For although Vargash was far larger than the Drake, the Drake's rider was armed with a fearsome lance which pierced Vargash's scales like paper - leaving three great rents in his side.
The Venicians were in full control of the fortresses within the hour, and surprised and relieved at the lack of response from within the city. As Lucius began to make preparations to burn the forts and return to his lines however, rank upon rank of troops emerged from the Arkerii forest a half-mile away across the Dromos Athos. Lucius prepared a general retreat before recognizing the Horse, Warg, and Dire Wolf cavalry among the Cabal's lines; he knew they would catch him before he could retreat even if his cavalry sold their lives dearly. He sent riders to the coast to signal the fleet, telling them to ride their mounts to death if need be. Then he implored the party to go out as a parlay envoy with a few of his men to buy time while he saw to the defenses and has his clerics heal Vargash as best they could.
The party rode out with a pair of Venician Generals and met The Leper and his party midway between the armies. With The Leper was the Mercenary Commander Davram al'Hakam, the Elf Marik the Blue, the Ork Warlord Twinaxe the Mad, and the Arkerii Noble Agnar of Hargonne Pass. From the beginning The Leper, confident in his weight of numbers and a reputedly ferocious tactician, demanded surrender. His apparently well schooled mind broke through the party's rhetorical ploys and fillibustering, and he eventually offered an ultimatum - cutting through the conversation: "Surrender now, or return and die on those hills."
The party attacked and the Venitian generals with them. The parlay devolved into a brawl and in the melee all of the enemy commanders except Agnar, and both Venitians were slain while Elam and Johnllamen sustained grievous injuries. The Leper was revealed as a Construct during the fight and not soon after was discovered to be a profane construct devised to entrap a Lich to servitude. He was believed to survive the destruction of his Construct body.
After the brawl the Cabal, Arkerii, and Ork forces advanced and fell upon the Venician fortresses. The fortresses held just long enough, with the help of barely healed Elam and the half-healed Vargash, for the Arcadian Marines embarked on the fleet to arrive alongside the Andoran II Legion and turn the tide. By the end of the battle at nightfall there were maybe 11,000 Venicians alive and less than 7,000 fit to bear arms. The next day Lucius begged the Arcadians stay and surrendered eventual control of the city to Arcadian rule if they would help him liberate it.
The party rode with what was left of Lucius cavalry into the Arkeri Forest, and returned later that day having sacked the Cabal's base at the old Arkerii Manor. Two days later, after clerics had fully healed Vargash, the party left.
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