Siege of Alliria
Prelude
The great green dragon, Geladryx, known as the Emerald Death, began gathering warbands of orcs to him in the Spine. He took his horde southwest and it grew in size, picking up brigands and warlords of every sort along the way. The Emerald Death crossed the river Sayve, burned the town of Grayshore and others like it, leaving a path of desolation in his wake. The Allirian Rangers sought to stop him and managed some initial success, but ultimately their ambush in the Farreach Woods could not halt the horde and it eventually reached the gates of Alliria.
Battle
The Emerald Death directed the siege of Alliria from atop a hill. Hastily constructed siegeworks of catapults and ballistae began hurling missiles at the defenders on the walls. The horde pushed back the initial skirmishing force of rangers.
However, paladins soon arrived by the hundreds and the walls atop the city proved to be manned by at least a hundred mercenary mages in defense of the city. Alliria had thrown money into constructing an enormous palisade outside the city around the slums, which meant the attacking horde could not even get close without overcoming this obstacle.
Beset by fireballs, bolts of lightning, and paladins in full plate armor, the undead vanguard were obliterated. Orcs charged in afterward and gained some ground, but could not get past the palisades until lich Vardan, having gathered power into him most of the battle, cast a powerful spell that burst through the palisades and blew a breach in the stone walls of Alliria. The orcs charged into the breach, but were immolated by more fire and lightning from the hundred or more mages still atop the walls. Shortly thereafter, a vulnerable Vardan was slain by the kobold Meepo the Magnificent.
Decimated, the warbands fell back to the hill. Geladryx, seeing defeat, raised up the bodies of the slain as a curse upon the city so that they might be beset with shambling zombies feasting upon the flesh of the living. The horde of the Emerald Death broke their siege of the city and dispersed.
However, paladins soon arrived by the hundreds and the walls atop the city proved to be manned by at least a hundred mercenary mages in defense of the city. Alliria had thrown money into constructing an enormous palisade outside the city around the slums, which meant the attacking horde could not even get close without overcoming this obstacle.
Beset by fireballs, bolts of lightning, and paladins in full plate armor, the undead vanguard were obliterated. Orcs charged in afterward and gained some ground, but could not get past the palisades until lich Vardan, having gathered power into him most of the battle, cast a powerful spell that burst through the palisades and blew a breach in the stone walls of Alliria. The orcs charged into the breach, but were immolated by more fire and lightning from the hundred or more mages still atop the walls. Shortly thereafter, a vulnerable Vardan was slain by the kobold Meepo the Magnificent.
Decimated, the warbands fell back to the hill. Geladryx, seeing defeat, raised up the bodies of the slain as a curse upon the city so that they might be beset with shambling zombies feasting upon the flesh of the living. The horde of the Emerald Death broke their siege of the city and dispersed.
Aftermath
Vardan regenerated somewhere within the Bayou Garramarisma, where he sought to gather strength before attempting to return to the Allir Reach.