Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 01 Ch. 36

He also agreed and supported the position of a complete review of the curriculum the Academies should be focused upon. To strengthen the students in every discipline and future Grand Masters. They also decided it was time to make a formal request for the Elven Army to move to mixed skill sets in each of the units.

The Queen was receptive to the idea. The successes on the border, led by her nephew as The Commander of the fort under construction, earned them favor in the decision. Her other nephew, a recently promoted Captain under his brother's command continued to learn and excel.

Mia 5th 7038

Captain Goldeagle decides it was time to move over to the army. He wanted to shake things up. He was the only Moon Blade holder in the Army at that time and entered as a Commander.

Mia 12th 7045

Crisius Dusk Moon was no longer recognized. She establishes her own house and becomes Crisius Tri-Moon. To symbolize the lunar event in which 3 moons appear in the sky she would be just as rare. The Queen gave her the last blade. Eldar traveled to the shore of Silent Falls with her, where she claimed her blade.

She looked at him, "You prepared a blade for me to pass to my son. I know I will die in this war but I am not afraid. My life is short. Made shorter by the efforts you have done, but that also means fewer Elves were and will be killed. Including my children."

Juna 23rd 7038

Crisius Tri-Moon gave birth to her two children. She never reveals who the father was but Eldar knew Jarron shared her bed one night and did not even realize he had 2 children. She did not tell him or see him again. The eldest was Luara'Ray Tri-Moon, the last predestined Grand Cleric for Hanali Celanil, a very beautiful baby.

Her son and future blade wielder she named Vintus Tri-Moon. Eldar decided he would leave a note in his will to inform him of the children and their destinies. That he was the father. Staying true to the prophecy he had years ago about Jarron's children.

Neva 23rd 7038

Eldar's 6 eldest children were killed in a cross-border raid between towers. Silvertree children were to be divided going forward into different groups while in the Blades. Elise, Joshua, Tristus, Frodimis, Eldus, and Charlie brought to seven the number of Eldar Silvertree's children lost.

Eldar took the loss hard. He barred any of Rachel's or Dorothy's children to go into the field as a Gray Blade until they had children of their own. To carry on their mother's legacies. They worked with the protection forces and trained there for now.

Feba 8th 7046

Master Trainer Yetto retired from the field. Training 3 apprentices wore him down and he sent Eldar his ring to pick up the mantle. Eldar would not add a student in the middle of a war or on the cusp of one. He hoped to graduate his 2 Grand Masters now.

One was his daughter, the other another son, an Elf-blooded Wood Elf named Primar Silvertree. Talented but no match for his sister. Hell, her skills with a blade rivaled Eldar's own. Her magic was held back only by experience and Eldar tempering the spell selection she had during this conflict. Primar had 6 children from his 3 Wood-elf wives.

The first of Eldar's grandchildren. Eldar's Grandmother was very pleased with Eldar and Primar as they were five males and one female. Primar had formed a new house, Silver Wood, in honor of his Wood Elf heritage and with the blessing of his father.

Neva 8th 7056

The incursion that broke the line. The watchtowers alerted and several trainers and others went to intercept the part of the horde that broke through the line. Keyno Dusk Moon was the first to die when a giant hit her and her horse with a boulder. The horses tumbled, flipping her through the air, and the fall broke her neck.

The other casualty was Charlemagne Silvertree whose ribs were crushed in by a giant that gripped her, pushed his thumb into her, and then threw her like a rag doll. The last giant was taken down by arrows from the centaurs at the tree line. Annette Silvertree was missing.

Neva 9th 7056

The storeroom above the stable revealed the bound body of Charlemagne Silvertree with a note from Annette:

Charlemagne and Eldar,

My premonitions revealed Charlemagne's death in battle, my dreams revealed it did not have to be her. One of us was to die while the other carried on. I love you both so much. You gave me love, family, and children I never thought I would have. You have given me everything. This time I am giving something back.

The children will understand as putting others before yourself has been ingrained into them. I want you to live, love, and try to find some joy in the chaotic times that are soon to hit you full force. Tell the Queen, this is the sign she has been waiting for. Time to start moving troops to your area.

Love you always,

Annette Silvertree, wife, mother, lover, Knight and Duchess

The day was bittersweet as Charlemagne still lived but the sudden loss of Annette hit them hard. He looked at Charlemagne and reminded her of the prophecy that he could not change. Annette found a way to alter it or fulfill it. They would never know the truth of the matter. The fourth of the six wives to die.

Mia 25th 7057

The Dwarven and Elven armies were in the woods north of the road. The Humans had built barricades along the border and were showing strength on the western front but a good mile from the fort. They wanted to surprise their 'surprise' attack on the 26th. Eldar ordered cold camps with no lights but the moon. He pulled all of the Centaur archers forward, they numbered at 80 now. They would provide cover fire for the dwarven army.

Mia 26th 7057

The plan was simple. Let them come to the fort. They knew of the human lines being a distance away, so it divided their forces. The first horde was met with all manner of spells from scrolls, wands, or the caster. Enemy troops tried to circle toward the main gate while others headed toward the human lines and the archers let loose every volley they could muster. As forces turn from the walls to the woods.

The forces attacking the enemy divided again. Half come toward the woods on that side of the field to go after archers. All of the infantry units move in to attack. Mounted units held back to go after any stragglers who made it through the line. They left hundreds of enemies on the field. They pull allied dead from the field after they retreat.

Eldar ordered all of the bodies of the enemies to be oiled and burned. He still did not know if a necromancer or lich would show up but he wanted to ensure the number of usable bodies was as close to zero as possible. The fort got its nickname. Black granite and fire everywhere. The fort was dubbed 'Fort Ash' as everything turns gray from the dust. The fires bought more time.

Eldar switched up the troops in the woods while they waited and moved the dwarves toward the human line. They had fresh casters and the allied death toll was below 50. Unfortunately, one of those that died that day was Fireball. He got held and pelted by archers while atop the wall. The dead and wounded were taken back by protection forces to the church and Garrison. Wood had been collected for months.

The names of the dead were recorded and their gear was taken for reuse. The bodies burned in what has been dubbed the Blades Death Cloak. Many had elected to wear it to the fires of burial. Charlemagne had the grisly task of informing the family of the deaths and tracking those who were burned. With the risk of necromancers, all bodies on the battlefield were being promptly destroyed.

Mia 9th 7057

Day 3 of this constant series of battles was left to the dwarves. Eldar had their sappers out all night as it was a new moon. Using the research from all those years ago and the tunnels they built since. They had casks of oil ready to be launched. They left nobody on the wall. They awaited the horn that enough of the enemy were in the kill zone.

They launched and threw casks of oil into the field just as the explosives went off and turned the area and what used to be the hillside for eight miles into an inferno dust cloud. The secondary fires stopped the attack for the day. No allied forces were lost in that effort and most of the men and women gained some sleep and a morale boost.

Septa 1st 7060

One of the bloodiest battles to date. It was caster versus caster and when some of the troops broke the lines to go after these casters it became brutal as the Magi pulled back. The brutes came in just out of range of allied casters and archers. The seasoned squads of arcane archers and cavalry went into the fray and beat them back but they lost Crisius Tri-Moon.

Her blade was carefully sheathed and pulled from the field. She was the only Moon Blade holder out of eleven who were on this front to die in the conflict thus far. The other 3 were in the city or with the Knight as in the case former apprentice and now Grand Master Blade Singer Moon Ray who had four children of her own. Only the first pregnancy produced twins. Something referred to as the Silvertree effect.

Septa 17th 7060

Captain New Moon fell in battle and became only the second Moon Blade Wielder to die in this war.

Mia 17th 7061

The remains of the horde withdrew into the hills. It has been 3 days and the scouts report they left their dead behind and simply returned home. They worked a cleanup detail pulling the bodies from the field with long ropes and burning them in the crater that used to be the ridge they liked to attack from. The dwarven sappers did well, as did the armies.

The allied total death toll over four years was 42,503, mostly from the human Army. Commanders who failed to listen to Field Marshal Walder and pressed the attack when told to retreat. The number of enemy dead was beyond counting. When the field became four feet deep with the enemy dead, they would oil them down and burn the bodies. Necromancers did not appear during this fight. At least not on that front.

Word was the other two fronts had also gone silent as they had pulled back. The human toll on those fronts was closer to 106,000 humans, it would have been worse if Eldar had not sent more caster units to help reinforce their positions. The clock was reset. Fireball, Skinner, Tiger, Annette, Keyno, Annette, and Cook died in this conflict. As predicted half of the starting members died in the war. Not counting 2 Moon Blade wielders.

Eldar left the front lines to his men. They had 130 of the battle-hardened troops headed to Jarron. Not counting the 2,100 troops sent him in the build-up to the war. Silver Moon was one of the ones leaving after Tiger's passing. Knight's efforts to convert grunts into officers had mixed results. They got about 40% of them to become officers which still impressed Jarron as it was more than he had expected.

Feba 7th 7085

Charlemagne died suddenly in her sleep. Eldar was in town at the time and Doc sent word to him.

Mia 26th 7106

Staria, the last of the 6 wives died. Doc examines the body and found she had been dosed with necrotic poison. The food she ate was destined for Eldar but she could not help but nibble on it on the way to the room. For the first time since he left the Academy, he walked the road alone. He had people around him, but they were not his wives. Eldar kept the 5 consorts on for his year of mourning.

Feba 27th 7107

If events had taught them anything, if their parents taught them anything, it was that they needed to live their own lives. Branus, Dolus, Helia, Milas, Violoa, and Zandem Silvertree. Together they formed the Spirit of Silver Adventuring Group in honor of the mothers and the grandfather they never knew.

Septa 5th 7107

Added by Commander Tranosa Dusk Moon

On a patrol along the southern border, a group of a hundred or more Ogres charged from the woods in the valley away from the fort. Six Ogre Magi destroyed the two nearest watch towers but not before the signal went up. They headed into Silvertree Woods and the battle was pitched and very costly. 18 centaurs, 7 dwarves, 8 humans, and 20 elves were lost. Including Eldar Silvertree.

Eldar faced off against an Ogre General and the two of them struck killing blows against each other. The Ogre General's embed holy symbol shattered when pierced by the Moon Blade. The Dark Necrotic blade destroyed Eldar's holy symbol causing a massive explosion opening a hole a mile wide. Splintering all the trees in the area.

I, Tranosa Dusk Moon, lost my right eye from watching the events unfold. I approached Eldar's position. Two days prior he had married 6 women again. A pair of Wood Elves, Gold Elves, and Snow Elves. The Snow Elves were younger sisters to Doc. Each is expecting twins but they know they will only have one set.

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The Masters Training band could only be given to one Blade Singer. Eldar's daughter and New Commanding General of the Gray Blades Duchess Zaria'fay Silvertree. She was not the eldest but the children did not wish to separate the role of Command General and control over the Duchy. It was overwhelmingly supported. Eldar fathered 31 children with another 12 on the way.

Eldar only lived 175 years to the day, graduated 8 Grand Master Blade Singers including 3 of his children. His funeral was conducted like his father. The ashes used to plant a new Silvertree in the center of the devastated area of Silvertree Woods.

Word had it that the Silvertree in town spewed out over 100 seeds and the people had reported seeing them landing in areas that they were still planting seedlings. The forest was almost complete. They soon received word from Queen Thornlord. She was the Great Grand Daughter of the young princess, that they had met the terms for reclaiming the land.

In honor of the Field Marshal and Duke who did not seek her family crown and held her forces to a high standard, training many of the officers she had through the Gray Blades. The Elven Forest Eldar sought to reclaim has been completed.

The Silvertree Moon Blade was found 3 miles away by his son and Battle Mage just hours before the funeral. The new destined wielder Branar'Lortan Silvertree. Led to it by a Dream. He left town soon after. Not saying where he was going or why.

The proxy for the Blade holder went to Eldar's brother regardless of the child who claimed the blade. As the eldest Blade Singer from his line. He would help guide the house to follow the code by which the blade was bound. Victria became the Elder for that branch of House Silvertree. It was the smallest branch of the tree at the time.