First day of First month of forty forth year after the foundation of the Union.

John Edward, Sergeant, The 44th Blue Guards, Union Army

The sergeant was drinking a beer, a good dark beer brought into the city for the army. Because everyone knew the elves didn't know how to brew a proper beer. He was celebrating Federation Day with the rest of the company. They were in a tavern which the company had found lounging whilst they were staying in the city.

At his table were a couple soldiers that the sergeant had campaigned for quiet a few years. They were good soldiers, men he could trust and knew how to follow orders and how to fight.

He looked over at the table where the new leftenant sat. The Leftenant was drinking elven wine. At his table sat the young paladin and the warrior women. Both were also drinking elven wine.

When they had arrived at the city the sergeant had been surprised to see the large star shaped fortress surrounding the city. Elven cities didn't normally have fortifications so these had been built after the conquest of the city.

The walls surrounded the city it was massive undertaking and the sergeant had been impressed that the fortifications had been completed in the short time since the conquest.

On arrival at they were escorted to the palace. Built into the great tree at the centre of the city. It was the first time the sergeant had actually been into one the great trees that made up the elven cities.

The sergeant had been impressed in the large spacious halls and rooms that had been carved into the tree. They were finally led to the throne room which where previously the Prince Gwyrdd had ruled Dyffryn Gwanwyn. The Prince had been replaced by an elf wearing Prince Teynfrafwr heraldry.

"I am Governor Casglwr Trethi I rule this city. Why have you been sent here."

The Governor had asked.

"Governor I am Captain Wayne I have orders to transport the Prince back to the Union. On our way up river from Green Glen we were attacked by the Confederate army which had just taken over a town between here and Green Glen. I am afraid we might be the last boat from Green Glen until we retake the town."

The Governor rose from his seat.

"I was not told that the Prince would be leaving this city. Teynfrafwr should be told about this new development at once."

To the sergeant the governor seemed to be more concerned about their orders to relocate the Prince than about the fact that the conferacy had taken a town and were blockading the river.

"Casglwr I will take over here this is a military mater"

A Dwarf interrupted the Governor. The dwarf was wearing the uniform of a Union General. Straight away the sergeant knew it was General Beleiringsherre the General was famous for being a master of siege warfare.

He motioned for the union soldiers to follow him. Captain Wayne, the new leftenant, the river boat captain and his first mate and the sergeant made up the small group that followed the General out of the throne room. The General took them to smaller room which looked to be his office. The General called a serving girl to give them refreshments.

The sergeant smiled at the serving girl as she gave him a cup. Then he realised the girl was elf and probably hundreds of years old. The sergeant remembered sipping on the drink. It warmed his throat and he almost coughed it up.

The new leftenant wasn't so lucky the elf vomitted his drink onto the floor. Instead of getting angry the Dwarven General had laughed.

"You elves, sorry I should have warned you. Whilst not a proper dwavern whiskey. This human whiskey has quite a kick."

The General took another swig from his cup.

"Now show me your written orders and tell me more about the blockade of river?"

The General asked Captain Wayne about the trip up the river. He also asked the river boat captain questions about the encounter with confederate forces and hey likely river boat travel would be to continue.

The General looked worried and ordered scouts to check the surrounding areas of the city.

The sergeant later heard that a union force was in the process of clearing out a spider nest not far from the city and the General's cousin was part of this force. This was another famous dwarf Rødt the troll hunter

Once the meeting had finished the General gave them permission to visit the Prince. The elven serving girl showed them the way to the dungeon.

Down a large stair way they went deep into the earth. The dungeon was located in one of the large roots of the Great tree. Deep in the earth.

Here the defeated elven Prince who some believed would be next in line for the Elven Crown. He was chained to a wall and looked weak and unwell.

The new leftenant spoke quietly to the Prince in the elvish tongue. Since they could not travel down the river until the enemy town was recaptured they settled down to wait for orders on how to proceed.

The company had found an established tavern. The tavern had been run by a human Innkeeper even before the conquest. From the inside the tavern looked like any other tavern found across the union. However like most lodgings in the city it was located within one of the great trees.

The sergeant felt odd staying in a building which was part of a tree. However they had plenty of beer and other alcohol so he wasn't going to complain. Over on another table sat a group of dwarves drinking spirits.

They were celebrating Federation day. The sergeant had been a young boy when the federation had first been created. In fact the farm where he was born wasn't even part of the union instead it belonged to a small independent kingdom called Widmark.

The small kingdom was on friendly terms with it's neighbor the newly formed union. Then when the sergeant was about ten the much beloved old king died. The new king was the son of the old king. He was not a very good ruler. He put to death the union's diplomate because the man would not postrate himself before the young king.

This provoked the union in declaring war on the kingdom. Before the armies of the union could invade the kingdom. The people rose up and deposed the king. They then asked to join the union.

As a boy the sergeant remembered the elderly baron that ruled over the fief that his family farm had belonged. The Baron was much loved by his vassals but that did not save him when the country rose up and revolted against the king. The Baron was hung from his own castle, his only crime was to be a noble lord.

The addition of the Kingdom of Widmark with the union was the first of many expansions that the union took towards becoming a major power. A few short years later the sergeant would join the armies of the union as they continued uniting the civilised nations of the world under their control.

So now he drank a beer to celebrate the foundation of the union. He was about to order another pitchard of the beer when a soldier entered the door and shouted to everyone in the establishment.

"To the walls the enemy is attacking."

The room erupted in a chaotic mass of movement as drunken soldiers scrambled to grab their weapons and head to their assigned positions on the wall.

Because his company was not normally part of the defences of the city, the company was held in reserve. This allowed the Captain and the sergeant to stand with the General in one of the large towers built into the defence's.

From this vantage point they could see the confederate army advancing against the fortified city. Elves and orcs armed with muskets fired on the defenders. From out of the forest came cannons operated by dwarves.

"I heard that some of my kin had joined the elves but I didn't expect to see it with my own eyes."

Declared the General.

The enemy cannons fired on the walls but did little damage. Then the General gave his command and the large cannons operated by his elite regiment the sappers returned fire.

Although the barrage did little damage it still forced the enemy to pull back their cannons. They could not match to power and range of the cannons guarding the city.

Occasionally a musket ball would hit a careless defender who exposed their head to the enemy. There were plenty of sharpshooters in the defenders ranks including a regiment of elves. These were the elite guard of the Governor who returned fire killing some of the enemy attacking the city.

Then from the tree line a new threat emerged. The sergeant could hardly believe his eyes. Two giants clad from head to foot in armour. Musket balls were falling harmlessly to the ground unable to penetrate the armour. One of the large cannons on the wall fired at a giant and even it's cannon ball could not penetrate the armour.

On the back of the giants was a platform with two cannons firing over the shoulder of the giants. Each cannon was operated by a team of Haflings who reloaded cannons. The cannons did little damage to walls of the city. The giants bounded across the field that lay before the wall.

Once they reached the wall the cannons on their back erupted and did a bit damage to walls. One giant used his iron clad fist to punch a large dent in the wall.

If they were not stopped then the giants would be sure to break through the wall. The sergeant could hear the General barking orders.

In response to the attack the dwarven priests started casting their magic and using their earth magic to send projectiles at the giants.

The giants armour continued to protect them against the defenders attacks. The sergeant half expected his company to be sent to that area of the wall just in case there was a breach.

Then a lone individual engaged the giants. He was six foot tall and carried a large two handed sword. The union soldiers cheered. For this was Jacques Giant Slayer.

The rest of his monster elimination squad attacked the giants. From the wall a priest dressed black cast spells at the giants. Assisting Jaques was an elven blade master. called the morning blade. The last member of the group was a hunter who controlled a large pack of dogs. The dogs stayed on the wall barking at the giants.

Then another individual joined the monster elimination party. The warrior women Awewe. One moment she had been with the rest of the company safely behind the walls of the city. Then next she jumped down from the thirty meter tall wall and was engaging the giants with her spear.

The sergeant had forgotten that she had belonged to a monster elimination squad. Fighting giants was her job. She dodged a swipe from one of the giants. As she darted to the right the Giant Slayer Jaques struck his sword going for a weak spot in the giants armour. Even the Giant Slayers magical weapon could not pierce the armour of the Giants.

The hunter who still stood on the wall fired at a target. His musket ball hit it's target killing one of the Haflings mounted on the giants back.

This action enraged the hill giants and they ignored everyone else and tried to kill the hunter. One giant pulled up a huge chunk of earth and threw it at hunter who had to take cover. One of his dogs was crushed.

The General ordered his troops to aim for the haflings. This forced the giants to withdraw from the conflict. From the wall ropes were lowered to pull up Jacques, the Morning Blade and Awewe. Enemy musket balls were fired at the three hero's but they managed to pull them to safety.