Fate of Cyrene After securing the fort and welcoming the remainder of the fleet, Nexcisa, Yedion, Chae and Ansis decided to ensure no surprise attacks by our enemy would occur by providing assistance to the scouting fleet. Their efforts provided valuable information for Bu'le Ghum (Aaron G), Inanna (Han S), and Macross (macr05s), Nahazar (LNG), Officer Bryant (DarkDragon) and Red (Ashley T), who joined the main assault forces after arriving a little late on one of the later departing ships from Knossos. The two armies, Athena's Faithful under Zenobios' control and The Titanes under Accesamenus would bear the brunt of the attack, with our heroes piercing the main gate. The coastal city was well protected, according to the reports, but striking at night in small vessels proved to get the jump on them as most of their mobile defenders were caught off-guard and in poor positions. Zenobios and his troops were left to deal with the flanks and prevent the main force from being caught in a concave. Meanwhile, fierce fighting ensued as our heroes and Accesamenus swiftly attacked. Our fleet was stationed just outside range to allow for this surprise, but the enemy siege defenses were nonetheless well prepared, however, in an act of great heroism, Bryant single-handedly prevented one from ever acting, while everyone else dealt with the forces on the ground. As the battle raged on, more of the enemy, but, more importantly, more of our allied troops disembarked on the shore and joined the fray. The arrival of some of Zenobios' most fanatical zealots signaled that the enemy was routed on the weaker flanks and that the front gate would not hold out for long under the mounting onslaught. Victory at the gates was assured, with some expected casualties on our side, which only further invigorated the soldiers whose friends and comrades were now dead. The city of Cyrene would know Knossian furor this night. The gate has been taken, our siege ships pummeling the wall and inner city defenses now, Cyrene is set ablaze, its defenders scampering towards the inner palace, and our forces lead the charge towards their leaders. The last of the enemy forces gather what strength they have to halt our wave of destruction, but to no avail. Zenobios and his madmen charge forth, never relenting, dying in droves, but taking at least three of the enemy for every one of them down to Hades. Accesamenus and his disciplined troops march in lockstep, systematically clearing the alleys and passages from routing soldiers, and providing an unshakable bulwark of shields and spears. Macross, an unstoppable force, plows forward at a steady pace with the soldiers, never yielding ground, protecting them from what few dangers manage to get past the others. Nahazar and Inanna handle the hastily awakened and fast approaching war elephant unit, directing the beasts to slaughter their own with brutal efficiency, and scaring off any survivors from the outer wall to flee for their lives instead of rejoining their men at the palace gates. Bryant proves himself to be a human artillery - boulders, pillars, thousands of lances and spears become lethal long range projectiles in his hands, hammering and bombarding the last of the defenses of the inner wall. Bu'le Ghum, unknown to the foe, sneaks behind enemy lines, silently crippling their futile efforts to coordinate and gathering intelligence on what awaits them in the palace. And Red cunningly infiltrates the palace itself, seeing the enemy general Mastanabal and his hired mercenaries, apprising their strength, and forming a plan of attack. Finally, the palace gate is in view, the armies continue to surround the city from all sides, forcing the enemy to surrender or die defending their home. Our heroes, meanwhile, approach the palace and learn of what Red has discovered. Mastanabal awaits, his elite soldiers protecting the nobility of Cyrene, and the Greek mercenaries, rather famous for their time in the Roman Coliseum, await with certain excitement. Helaphontix the Slayer, Immortal Derakorsis, and The Shroud, Jakobi. A gruesome fight, it takes our heroes all they have to bring down the general and these monstrous men. Yet, once they were dealt with, the general on his knees and the elites taken care of, the nobility surrendered, and control of the city was granted to Knossos. The wealth of the city was distributed to the weary men and our heroes as just reward for such mighty exploits. The generals enacted martial law until order could be brought back to the city, the last of the resistance fighters subdued, workers brought in to rebuild what was destroyed, and a sense of normalcy returned to the wounded city and its people. Our heroes, the generals and admiral, and all of their men, both the living and the dead, returned to Knossos to a glorious celebration and honorable burials. Already, measurements were taken and marble blocks prepared to carve statues of the mighty heroes from The Guild, some even customized by request: Bryant shall be depicted holding a massive broken pillar in one hand, ready to throw it in a majestic achillean pose; Inanna would have to wait for a massive block for the elephant he wants to ride to arrive, but the beast shall be a spectacular sight with the rider on top; Red was posed in an unimaginably badass way, depicting her true awesomeness, with a massive plaque beneath describing her incredible exploits, with room to spare for future ones; everyone else would be depicted in a similar wondrous fashion according to what their most worthy exploits are like. The shrine around the portal is expanding, every hero deserves a statue to be remembered for. Currently it houses 22 statues. A moment of rest for Knossos would not be allowed, however, as news from the north arrived that their most vital ally - Sparta, requests assistance with a different war. Certainly, Knossos will aid Sparta, no doubt with The Guild there as well, but for now, it is time to rest and recuperate loses and enjoy victory, if only for a brief moment.
