=Event Story=
Mardrun has been thoroughly shaken by the groundbreaking revelation to come out of the previous month’s Market Faire celebrations. With Clan Spiritclaw’s horrifying reveal that Clan Stonetooth are worshippers of The Mother, and Spiritclaw’s resulting decision being to join sides with the allied forces of Mardrun against Grimward and Stonetooth, many eyes are watching to see if the rest of the neutral clans act as well.
The rest of Mardrun has no time to waste, however, as news of a war within Grimward has provided hope for an opportunity to press Grimward from the outside while they ruin each other from within. Despite a notable portion of their forces still recovering, the City-State of Newhope has already made their move to press in, and Clan Stormjarl and Clan Nightriver have been quick to join.
These forces have been faced with a unique and potentially dangerous problem—Grimward’s usually stalwart front lines have fallen back. This may sound like an easy fight, but an almost missing enemy line has put leadership on unsure footing, worried they’re being led into a trap. The increasing concern is only heightened by an inconsistent flow of Grimward Daughters of Gaia trying to escape the war-torn territory.
With rumors of Grimward warpacks turning against other Grimward warpacks spreading across camps, aid has been requested by Campaign Commander Dame Marie to support and hold lines while a greater picture can be drawn to unravel the mystery without delaying the fight. Coordination along the front line to support and tend to the warriors, as well as helping the Daughters of Gaia, and discerning which Grimward packs are the biggest enemies are at the top of the priority list for any and all who come to help, before chaos can fester and cost the allied forces their chance at kicking Clan Grimward while it’s down.
= Event Summary =
The chaos at the warfront in Grimward lived up to the rumors that many have heard throughout the month. With volunteers rushing to assist Commander Dame Marie’s call for aid, they were able to help hold the lines. The volunteer forces rushed to protect the outposts being assaulted by local Clan Grimward forces, driving them back after taking some wounds in kind from the skilled warriors. With the assaulting warpack pushed back, repairs and reinforcement of the outpost began, turning it into a strong foothold for the area that others could fall back to if needed.
With a strong point secured, the volunteer forces began to patrol and explore the area. Patrols found bodies of Clan Grimward, seeming to have recently fought each other, imitations of bloody and gruesome altars of the Stonetooth deities: The Weaver, The Grim Wolf, and The Jormadr. Though, the altars that were found were pale in comparison to what was being found in the north made by Clan Stonetooth, leading the forces to believe that these ones have been made by those who have converted to Stonetooth’s ways.
While patrols produced some knowledge, the chaotic nature of a clan split in ideals was on full display. Members of unspecified packs were chasing Daughters of Gaia from the reportedly destroyed Pack Dreamsnarl was the first waves of chaos to happen. With the once former enemy asking for help protecting their Daughter of Gaia, the volunteer allied force quickly moved to defend and fight with the survivors of Pack Dreamsnarl. With the chaos of the war ever turning, the volunteer force placed the Daughter of Gaia under their protection.
Not long after the arrival of Pack Dreamsnarl’s daughter of Gaia, came Pack Shadowfang. They came not to fight, but to make an offer, to return any Daughters of Gaia of Clan Grimward back to them and in exchange they would release captured Clan Stormjarl warriors. To show truth to their claims, they released one of these warriors to the volunteer forces as proof. The forces did not promise anything but to consider the words that were spoken, and Pack Shadowfang said they would return, for if no decision was reached by sunset, the Clan Stormjarl warriors would be executed.
The confusion of the frontlines was prominent though, as a Grimward warrior was given protection after being chased by another member of their clan, the pursuer riddled with arrows and quickly driven away. It was only after a Pack Oakheart Warpack showed up with the arrow-riddled warrior that the volunteer force learned they had let a secretly armed Pack Greytide scout into their ranks, forcefully detaining the scout before trouble could be caused. Pack Oakheart had arrived with wounded warriors, and were in need of getting them healed for a journey to their pack’s homeland. With an unexpected exchange of words instead of steel, and honorable oaths, the volunteer forces agreed to help Pack Oakheart by healing their wounded. It was learned that Oakheart truly is rebelling against the greater Clan, a response to Pack Grimward working with Stonetooth to destroy Pack Dreamsnarl for unknown reasons. Once healed, fed, and hydrated, they left to prepare for their journey home.
On their tails, another Grimward warpack assaulted the volunteer forces outpost, trying to break through the invaders to their land, and claim the Daughters of Gaia within their walls. A valiant effort was performed by the volunteer forces as they were eventually able to kill off the warriors and drive off the survivors who did not seek to die needlessly.
In the afternoon heat, a small Graytide patrol clashed with a volunteer patrol, the volunteers coming out on top but not without a rumor that Graytide’s retreat was cut down by other members of Clan Grimward. Pack Shadowfang soon came back with two Clan Stormjarl warriors bound, and wanted an answer for what the volunteer forces had for the offer. When told that there were no Daughters of Gaia that would be turned over, Pack Shadowfang executed one of the hostages to show the price in this choice.
With the heat of the day, warriors of Pack Duskmace made an appearance, although a brief one. They didn’t fight, they didn’t talk, they just put their weapons down and surrendered themselves to the volunteer forces, stating they just wanted to go home and were frustrated with being forced to fight without aid. They were quickly escorted as bound prisoners and brought into the rear lines.
Unexpectedly, the Oakheart warpack returned escorting a Daughter of Gaia from a different pack, per her request of an escort to safety. The warpack leader was willing to listen to the volunteer’s forces issues with Pack Shadowfang. With a Daughter of Gaia from Pack Shade Arrow presenting herself after being in the volunteer forces camp, vouching for the honor and integrity of Clan Stormjarl and their allies with how they have treated other Clan Grimward members and Daughters of Gaia. Convinced, the Pack Oakheart warriors said they knew where Pack Shadowfang’s camp was, and would be willing to assist in saving the Stormjarl warriors. The caveat being that the volunteer forces would need to keep Pack Shadowfang occupied long enough so that they could get in and get out quickly.
With the Oakheart warpack’s risky assistance, the volunteer forces waited and sure as the sun began to set, the Shadowfang warpack arrived. Words were exchanged, then heated words, and finally a fight was forced upon the warpack as the volunteers refused to give a single Daughter of Gaia. Goaded into the fight, wave after wave of freshly rested Shadowfang warriors attacked and assaulted the volunteer forces. Slowly though, the volunteer forces were pushed back, losing ground as their warriors were battered and gear was broken. Eventually, the ability to continue pulling the Shadowfang warpack was lost, so Shadowfang relented and fell back, promising to slaughter the Stormjarl warriors once they returned to their camp.
Later that evening, fatigued and injured members of Clan Stormjarl came running out of the woods, yelling they were freed by Pack Oakheart while Shadowfang was away. However, with their limited chance to run, they saw Pack Shadowfang’s main force arriving back sooner than anticipated, which left the Oakheart warriors to defend their flight from the camp. Nobody knows of the battle’s fate or if any from Oakheart survived…
At the end of the day, Commander Dame Marie was able to put together the information gathered by the forces in the area thanks to the efforts of those who answered the call, and thanked them in their assistance to identify the situation. They learned that Packs Oakheart, Goldmane, Blackowl, and Shade Arrow are in open rebellion of the clan. Reports of Pack Dreamsnarl being one of the first packs to stand in defiance of the Clan, and was promptly destroyed, leaving any possible survivors scattered and alone. From what was indicated with the talks with members from Oakheart and Shade Arrow, they are likely to fall soon without aid. The packs that have converted to or align with the ideals of Clan Stonetooth were Packs Grimward, Graytide, Firefist, and Shadowfang. Leaving Packs Moonfury, Dreadmoon, Deathlore, Fieldcrow, Skullhammer, and Whitewood as unknowns for their current stances in the chaos of the infighting. What was surprising to hear was that Packs Duskmace and the Watchwolves of Luna seem to resist the Stonetooth influence, but beyond this not much is known of their fates or official stances.
There is no greater ambush waiting, the time to strike has arrived.