A Darkness Spreads Across Eldarus

Trega leaned on the railing of the Roving Wench, drinking a beer talking with Dewar who sat atop a capstan.  Dewar trailed off in the middle of some technical explanation of a new contraption he was working on and he pointed into the distance.
"Now what do you suppose that is?"  The Dwarf said, squinting as he pointed at something far over the woods.  It seemed like a purple glow rising over the ruins.
Trega looked and furrowed his brow at what he saw.  He pushed off the railing and leaped up toward the bowsprit.  With a swing from a line, he slipped further out to get a clear view.  He, too, squinted at the far-off object.
Dewar pulled what looked like a spyglass out of a leather holder on his belt and used it to get a better look.  He twisted some small dials on the side as he inspected the spire.
"Oh that's not good."  Dewar said.  "Here, lad.  Have a look."  He tossed the spyglass to the pirate.
Trega brought it to his eye and looked for a moment before tossing it back.  "Not good at all."  He agreed as he swung back over the rail and headed for the helm.  "What do you think?"
"Evil for sure.  Infernal, I'm thinkin'."  Dewar speculated.  "But it's damn dense.  Never seen something so concentrated.  Whatever be generatin' it is usin' a lot o' juice."
"I'm gonna have to see what Ossie thinks."  Trega spun the wheel, bringing the ship around to head back toward the city.
"Drop me at my workshop.  I'll see what I can dig up."  Dewar hopped off the capstan and moved to the rail, looking back at the spire through the spyglass and adjusting the dials as they flew back to Eldarus.

His Lordship, the Regent sat at the head of the conference table, rubbing his eyes.  Around the table were two knights of Jaxon's order, a woodsman shrouded in the cowl of his cloak, an old man in the robes of a mage, and the High-Priest of the nearby temple.
"No, m'lord."  One of the knights assured him.  "We wouldn't have bothered you with a couple farmers' monster stories."  He looked to the woodsman.  "Tell him."
The woodsman was so still as he spoke, that the voice almost seemed disembodied.  "There is an evil that has infested the ruins beyond the deepwood.  An aura so potent it's influence is infecting the entire forest.  Animals have become aggressive and hostile.  Creatures from the deepwood have moved into the rest of the forest.  New beasts move in the shadows.  Something infernal has made a home in the ruins and it doesn't seem like intends to leave."
"I told you!"  The High-Priest squawked.  "Hell has opened beneath us.  We made this city a home to vampires and monsters and it is a beacon to the abyss.  The devil, himself, will be upon us!"
"Silence!"  the Regent cut him off.  He looked to the mage.  "I want you to look into this, personally."
The mage simply nodded, but the priest interrupted again.  "My Lord, you must heed my words!  Only the gods can save us.  You must make a decree requiring all citizens to make tribute immediately."
Jaxon rolled his eyes, then set them on the High-Priest.  "Interrupt me again and you'll need the gods to save you from me!  Take yourself back to the temple and pray for some enlightenment on this situation."
The High-Priest was in shock, but the Regent's glare was not to be argued with.  He collected himself and walked out with a huff.
After a roll of his eyes, the Regent returned to the issues at hand.  "As I said," he told the mage, "I want you to work on this.  Find out what it is and what to do about it."  He turned to the woodsman.  "And you bring me any further information you find.  Any of these 'monsters' you can bring down, bring to him and we'll pay you."  To the knights, he ordered, "Prepare the knights.  If an attack does come, let's be ready for it."  He then dismissed the gathering.
Once he was alone, he headed back to his office.  He took a silver coin and set it in the corner of the windowframe, letting the light from a lantern outside reflect upon its surface.

Lord Reginald Fluffytail, commander of the first battalion of the Chipmunk army, stood on the ridge overlooking the ruins. He had come to investigate the dark spire that had risen up. He sighed heavily, seeing exactly what he had feared. His lieutenant stepped up beside him, shaking his head somberly.
"M'lord, is it true?" he asked.
"Yes, Leonard. There can be no other explanation for such a thing. The only creatures with enough evil power to create such a thing are our old enemies . . ." He let the thought hang in the air, not speaking the name.
"What shall we do, m'lord?" The lieutenant looked to his lord for courage.
"I will address the men immediately."

Within the hour, Lord Reginald stood before his entire battalion.
"Good Chipmunks! Hear me! Our ancient enemy has risen again. I'm speaking of course about the scourge of the forest . . . the Squirrels!" A gasp washed over the crowd followed by a tense silence.
"Fear not." Lord Reginald continued. "We shall, as we always have, defeat our enemies. We shall thwart this latest plot and show the Squirrels that the forest belongs the creatures of good heart and not to their evil rule!"
The Chipmunks cheered together, raising their spears in solidarity.

Lord Reginald stepped down from the rock upon which he'd stood and went to his officer's pavilion. There, his war council was already assembled. The council included his most trusted generals as well as Furlin, the Chipmunk King's court wizard.
"Master Furlin, I am so glad you have come. What word from the King?"
Furlin bowed grandly. "His Majesty sends word that you shall have the support of all his men. I have already dispatched the entire Guild of Wizardry to begin preparations to deal with the evil spire. As the sun rises tomorrow, we will be ready to cast our ritual and expunge the evil magic. We expect an attack from the squirrel army. When they come, I expect you'll be ready."

The meeting continued into the night as the army prepared. The next morning, as the sun rose, Master Furlin, High Wizard of the Chipmunks, stood atop a rock. His staff raised above his head, he waited. Slowly the sound of high-pitched chanting began to resonate through the forest surrounding the ruins. Higher and louder it rose, until it sounded as if the forest itself were alive and chittering the ancient ritual. Finally, the power was at its apex and Master Furlin struck his staff down upon the rock.
Suddenly a flash of white light burst forth from him and spread through the forest. It engulfed the forest, and the ruins and set the mountainside alight. It was all but blinding but the glow was warm rather than burning. It faded after a few moments. Silence replaced the resonance as the Chipmunk legions held their breath, awaiting the results of the ritual.
The spire was gone.
Cheers rose up throughout the forest. Squeaky, high-pitched cheers. The Chipmunks had done it. The spire and all of its evil magic had been banished. The Squirrels evil plot had been thwarted.
The Chipmunk armies stood ready throughout the day, awaiting a retaliatory strike from the Squirrels . . . but the attack never came.

Lord Reginald Fluffytail smiled to himself and softly sighed, "Cowards."
It was a victory for the Chipmunks this day. A great victory, indeed.