The Siege of Wuldagor

Excerpts and paraphrase from the Gallorean:

After the Rape of the Sisters by Dagon and the creation of demonkind, Baelthor came unto his father and told him that, should Dagon bring his petulant new children to bear against the Triad, victory over the Adversary would not be certain. Lord Ptharos listened, but did not heed his son’s words. The Father touched his chin, smiled into his face, and bade him build a gate before Hell itself that could not be pierced. Baelthor obeyed and struck a gate of pure adamantine from his forge and set it before Dagon’s Realm. He called this gate Wuldagor and made it his home.

Baelthor then returned to his father and again told him that, should Dagon force the errant demons to obey his call, victory over the Adversary would be in doubt. Lord Ptharos listened, but did again did not heed his son’s words. The Father touched his chin, smiled into his face, and bade him to build a wall around the gate that could not be pierced. Baelthor obeyed and quarried stones of iron and granite, with which he built a wall so strong that even Dagon could not pierce it.

Baelthor again came unto his father’s throne and told him that, should the children of Dagon, demons and gods alike, come together against the Triad, the children of the Father would certainly fall. Lord Ptharos listened, but did not heed his son’s words. The Father touched his chin, smiled into his face, and bade him build a weapon that could pierce even Dagon’s hide. Baelthor again obeyed and forged an axe of pure Mithryl. He named this axe Khraga and when he shook it, Dagon knew fear in his heart.

Baelthor thought long on his Father’s words. He traveled the empty world for time beyond reckoning, pondering his tasks and how Dagon could still defeat them. He then heard a deafening crash come from far below. He ran to Wuldagor and saw cracks in his walls. He shook Khraga, but the clamor continued. Finally he came to the heights of his gate and looked down at who was knocking on his door. He saw below Ashtoreth, the First Demon, wearing upon his pate the Broken Crown of Dagon, which he had stolen, leading a mass of demons beyond counting against the gate. Baelthor called forth his children to defend Creation.

Evander was first to heed the call. He came to his father’s side and threw rocks to break the skulls of the demons, but still the horde came. Virtus came rushing forward next; he leapt over his father’s walls into the mass of demons and twisted many a demon with his bare hands, but still the horde came. Alcyoneus and Innus were next to come, but they knew not how to fight and still the horde came. Watching as his brothers were overwhelmed, Evander leapt into battle to defend them as they fought. And still the horde came.

Mulciber then came, carrying his forge still lit and, looking upon Khraga, came to know how the demons would be defeated. He forged three blades, each long as a man’s arm, to defeat the horde. He forged the sword known as Lifegiver for Alcyoneus out of coal. He forged the sword known as Alaresten for Innus out of copper. He forged the sword known as Clammerung for Virtus out of the hardest iron. Yet still the horde came.

Baelthor watched with a steady eye as his children slowly met defeat at the hands of the Infernal Host. He listened as Ashtoreth’s crackling laugh echoed across hell and earth. He felt Wuldagor tremble before the might of Dagon’s seed. He tasted the air, thick with the dust of war. He smelled the blood of demons mixing with that of his children and pondered how Creation could be saved. Finally, looking upon Evander, who defended his brothers with his own flesh, Baelthor realized what must be done. He turned to Mulciber and bade him forge a wall that one could wield on the arm. Mulciber turned to his forge and created a shield of coal, which he gave to Evander. But the demonic host brought the fires of Hell upon brave Evander and the shield burned away. Mulciber then created a shield of copper, which he gave to Evander. But it proved too soft and the demons ripped the shield into ribbons. Mulciber then created a shield of the hardest iron, which he gave to Evander. But the shield was brittle and broke before the strength of the invaders.

Mulciber then took up the still-burning pieces of the coal shield, the tatters of the copper shield and the shards of the iron shield and took them to his forge. For days he pounded the metals into one, the force of his arm combining them into a new metal.

“Each is weak,” Mulciber said, as he gave unto Evander the shield known as Phaegis, “but joined their strengths are one.”

The demons could not burn Phaegis. Their claws could not rend it. Their strength could not break it. Evander protected his brothers, who hewed into the Infernal Host until all were vanquished or fled. It was then that Faunaros came, late, to the battle. Baelthor scolded him for his tardiness and bade him enter Hell and punish each demon until all had felt the pain of their arrogance. Faunaros obeyed and spent many years in the Harrowing of Hell.

Only Gyges had failed to heed his father’s summons and for this, Baelthor exiled his son to the sky, where the exiled son calls still for his father’s forgiveness.

Baelthor turned to his other sons, but gave them no praise for their actions. Ptharos came unto the assembled sons of Earth and praised them for their bravery. Only Evander, he who deserved praise most, blushed at the kind words of his grandfather. Lord Ptharos gave only one reward. He bade Evander come to Grand Pantheon, where he would defend the meeting place of the Gods with as much fervor as he had defended the Gates of Hell.