The sun rose in the sky, slowly lighting and warming the morning. The adventurers marched along the westward road, full of determination. The glint of their weapons and armor told a tale of the looming certainty of the battle to come and their courage in facing it.

  The guild knew the difficulty of what was to come. Scouts from the army had at last found the pillagers’ main fortress, from which they had commanded their armies and sent out raids that had caused ruin and devastation across the land. Yet the valor of Rylar’s warriors, both soldiers and adventurers, had defended the inhabitants of the realm. Now was the time to strike back, to end the threat of the enemies once and for all.

  Rylar’s army had sent out a call for aid to many groups of adventurers throughout the nation. Arhalas’s guild, along with others, had chosen to commit to the task. Now the adventurers strode swiftly toward their destination, prepared for the coming conflict.

  At last, their long journey came to an end. The army had already arrived at the location chosen for the gathering of warriors. By now it was nearing nightfall, and the guild members, after meeting with the commanders of the army, spent the night at the camp.

  The next morning, more adventurers arrived at the encampment. The members of Arhalas’s guild saw warriors arriving from all over the nation of Rylar. The army needed as many fighters as they could get for such an important battle. Once all the groups had arrived, a meeting of the commanders and guild leaders was held to discuss the strategy for the coming battle. Creating the battle plan and explaining each warrior’s part to those who needed to know it took the rest of the day. As night fell, the camp descended into watchful silence, waiting for the next dawn before making their move.

  Shortly before sunrise, the entire camp prepared for the coming confrontation. Arhalas and his warriors moved to their assigned position at one wall of the fortress. At dawn, the attack commenced.

  The warriors who had bows began to fire arrows at the wall guards, who raised the alarm. On hearing the alarm, Arhalas commanded the adventurers to draw back and wait for the enemies’ next move. They watched as reinforcements were sent to the wall. The guild then went forward, careful of arrows from the pillagers. When they were within bowshot, arrows flew back and forth between the two sides, but the archers on the wall were unable to contend with the superior training and aim of the warriors below. With the attack coming from all sides, the enemies chose to retreat down from the wall.

  Now the Rylarian warriors could begin the next step of their plan. Setting up ladders prepared beforehand, they climbed on top of the wall. By now the pillagers had retreated into the inner keep of the fortress, so the warriors approached the entryway to the keep. A few axes had been brought to the battle for such a situation, so a few of the soldiers broke down the gate.

  The warriors poured into the keep, where the pillagers were waiting for them. Hand to hand combat began, with the enemies wielding axes, the soldiers swinging swords, and a few, such as Arhalas’s adventurers, using tridents. In the chaos of the fight, Arhalas’s guild was driven back toward one wall. Seeing an opening in the fighting crowds, Arhalas ordered his warriors to charge for a door in the wall. The door was flung open, revealing a long hall with tables. There were no enemies in sight within the hall. The guild members passed through the door and turned back to face the oncoming pillagers.

  The enemies began entering through the doorway, waving their weapons through the air, but the narrow passage only allowed a few to enter at a time. As soon as a group passed through, it was quickly defeated by the larger, better-trained warriors in the hall. The pillagers soon realized this and turned away, charging toward where the rest of the battle was taking place.

  The adventurers then ran from the hall, coming at their enemies from behind. Joining the main conflict, they aided the warriors who were already there. More soldiers and other warriors came from other parts of the keep. The pillagers fought with them, making a desperate last stand, but they were overpowered by the Rylarians. The clashing of weapons quieted and finally came to an end. The battle was over.

  The warriors looked around the fortress and saw that their victory in the war was complete. Yet it was not without cost; soldiers and adventurers of Rylar had valiantly given their lives for the cause of peace in their land. Yet their sacrifices had not been in vain – their nation was now safe from one of the greatest threats it had ever faced. Finally, the warriors returned home, bringing news of the victory and hope for a more peaceful life for all.