A blizzard settled for the night. Unbothered by the cold, the Inquisition pressed on with the attack. Determined to destroy Tarwood's walls, the Inquisitor and Abigail rallied the Inquisition to surround Tarwood and prevent anyone from leaving the town. The Inquisitor commanded the catapults to concentrate their attack on one wall until it cracked. The damage was small, but it was a start. "DEATH!" The Inquisition roared, their bloodlust rising as the wall slowly buckled. They are far from the range of arrows and are relatively safe from harm. There is no need to scale Tarwood's walls; all they have to do is bide their time, and once the walls collapse, they will be eager to swarm their enemies.Tarwood's defenders gathered at the scene where the crack formed. The rocks hurled at Tarwood and the scream for their deaths put a dent in their spirits, and they looked at William for guidance. "Have faith in our friends, as I have in you," William said. His voice carried over the cold wind
The Inquisition forces arrived at the Capital three days later after they left the Abandoned Abyss. Last night's heavy snowstorm made roads difficult to travel on. Still, the Inquisition marched on toward Tarwood. Their black Inquisition flags fluttered into the air, ever arrogantly defying the forces of nature. Thus, they too were a force to be reckoned with.The Inquisition passed through nearby towns, including the outskirts of the Capital, seeking support for their next battle at Tarwood. Instead of being welcomed as heroes who will cleanse this land of the Pentalium plot, they are scrutinized.The citizens began asking if the Inquisition is a lost cause. Despite the numerous members of the Blades and the volunteers, the Inquisition failed to take down a castle. Now they are unsure if the Inquisition can defeat a small town. And with William's pleasing personality and positive impact on Tarwood, the lies of the Inquisitor are starting to crumble before the pressure of the people.
William returned to Tarwood with an army of hunters. Exhausted from the journey, they pushed through their fatigue, driven by the looming threat of Tarwood's destruction. They arrived as dusk set. Tarwood celebrated their arrival and immediately informed them about the lies the Inquisitor had spread across the Kingdom.The lies had hurt Tarwood's trade and drained the people's morale. Towns and other cities shared their opinions about Tarwood, both good and bad. Still, with William's business and improvements on Tarwood, most of the Kingdom doesn't buy the Inquisition's propaganda. However, the lies took their toll and led to Tarwood's once-busy roads becoming empty and desolate.William stood in the center of Tarwood and recounted the battle at Frosthold. As they listened, the town took pride in William and John's efforts on behalf of the Frosthold and the hunter tribe. A feat Eldric would be proud of.The people of Tarwood understood what was coming and stood with William, determine
Shortly after retreating from the assault, the Inquisitor had been yelling at the top of his lungs how he would not be further humiliated by William and vowed to destroy Tarwood first before conquering the rest of the Kingdom. The Inquisitor ordered his accompanying Blades that once they returned to the inner cities of the Kingdom, they were to spread the news of William's treachery across the Kingdom.The narrative claimed William had fallen for Pentalium's lies and pursued the Inquisition into the north. With Frosthold's aid, he wiped out their forces, leaving only a handful to return and tell the tale. This lie and their lack of returning forces would surely rile the Kingdom and justify erasing Tarwood from the map."They will all burn in Tarwood." The Inquisitor's rage intensified. Suddenly, the Inquisitor felt a feverish chill in the intense cold of the north. But even fevered, his hatred for William never faded.Five days after William left Frosthold's castle, the Inquisitor and
William rallied the tribe to fight harder than before. Swords clashed against shields as the Blades battled at the behest of the Inquisitor like rabid dogs. The tribe met the Blades with equal ferocity and painted the battlefield crimson at night.John and Berg rode across the battlefield, tossing every last vial from Berg's bag. Explosions of light and flame tore through the Blades' ranks, clearing a path for the hunters to press their attack. They crushed the Blades' defenses, with John and Berg leading the Frosthold soldiers and hunters. Finally, they defeated the bulk of the Inquisitor's soldiers.With the threat from the battlefield gone, William commanded the hunters to save the castle. Berg and John led their people towards the castle, and hunters and Frostholds worked together to save their families from the cavalry that Abigail brought.As the Blades held their ground, vicious flames raged through the castle's gates. These are the elites, and they will not go down easily. Ber
Days before the battle at Frosthold Castle, the Inquisition publicly revealed Ingrid in the Capital. In response, people eagerly lined up to join the fight against her tribe. After their march left the Capital, the Inquisitor whispered instructions to Morgan, telling her to travel to one of their Pentalium hideouts northeast of the Kingdom. There, he said, she would find a gift.Morgan, Abigail's alias among the Inquisition, obeyed. A day later, she arrived at a Pentalium hideout. It was an abandoned fortress, decaying and slowly reclaimed by nature. Outside, two hundred Blade riders waited for her arrival. She was elated at the sight of an army before her, but her joy quickly faded when she noticed a familiar man waving at her.The Pentalium's leader stood at the fortress entrance. He turned and gestured for her to follow him inside.Morgan entered. Once they were alone, she removed her mask and revealed her face."Abigail Silverhand, welcome back," the man said. But to Abigail, it s