TheFallOfNexus

This text is actually something I came up with for my Exalted campaign, which began with ForgottenSuns by Wordman. That's been a long time ago, though, and at this point the characters have already joined forces with the KingdomOfHalta and the BullOfTheNorth, fought and defeated the LoverCladInTheRaimentOfTears and got involved with HouseIselsi.

Following up on the Lover's defeat, and taking advantage that most of the ScavengerLands's armies were away dealing with her forces, the MaskOfWinters makes his move, and takes 10,000 soldiers and Juggernaut to Nexus, occupying the city. The mercenary companies are easily defeated by his martial strength, making the Emissary the only real threat to his plan. However, the MaskOfWinters discovers the Emissary's secret, and through blackmail, forces him to surrender the city.

The Rage of the Lover

It all begins with an AbyssalExalted, a deathknight of the Lover Clad in The Raiment of Tears entitled Regret of the Sun who finds his way back to the manse his former self dwelled in during the last years of the FirstAge and to his former circle. Repentant of his decision to give up his name to the Abyss, he wishes to let go of his damned existence and to be reborn as a Solar Exalted again - even if it means having to die for it.

The circle decides to help their former ally and sets out for the Lover's citadel, in order to recover the Monstrance to which his shard is linked. They succeed in their quest, leaving behind them a very pissed off deathlord. She sends out her deathknights looking for the group that stole her monstrances, her usual seemingly numbness washed away by anger.

Months pass by, and no word reaches her of the thieves. Until, finally, she hears rumors that the same circle that stole her monstrances would be helping a renegade dragon-blooded house. Without hesitation, she sends out her army, full force, including a fang of Warstriders - she hopes that this move will give her the inertia she needs for a more aggressive campaign on the Scavenger Lands.

Nevertheless, her plans fail. Forces from Lookshy the Bull of the North and even the Vermillion Legion join the fight, and the Lover is utterly defeated, her deathknights destroyed, and herself vanquished by a young Lunar warrior.

The Mask of Winters makes his move

Knowing of the imminent battle, the Mask of Winters prepares his move. He takes Juggernaut and a 10,000 strong force with him to Nexus. While the fight rages on in Iselsi Valley, he will siege Nexus. However, knowing that this is not enough to take all the attention away from him, he pretends to have the intention of joining the fight, and leaves Thorns, moving north, going in the direction of the battle. Upon reaching the Yanaze, he makes turn to the east, and quickly is all over Nexus, its mercenary companies caught completely by surprise and the city, completely defenseless. Within a few weeks there are no longer warriors in the heart of the threshold, and all one can see is the shadow of the colossal, rotting titan that is Juggernaut standing outside the walls.

The Emissary does not cope with that, and demands explanation from Mask of Winters. Unbeknownst to him, though, the deathlord's spies had already infiltrated the city long before that, and his secret was no longer his own. The Mask of Winters invited him to negotiate the terms of his surrender, which the Emissary utterly refuses to attend. The deathlord, then, enters the city himself, going to the Emissary's own office, and states his intentions. He demands total surrender of the city, unless the Emissary - and all of the city - pays the price for his insolence. The Emissary asks what makes him so confident that he will yield, to which the Mask of Winters answers saying that he knows the secret of the Emissary. "I am still better than you", he says.

The Emissary no longer tries to fight, and cedes, being taken prisoner in citadel upon Juggernaut.

The next day, the Mask of Winters promulgates his own set of rules for Nexus, withdrawing most of his forces, except for a few hundred soldiers that will constitute the Nexus Obedience Office, an agency whose purpose is to enforce the Mask of Winter's will in the city.

Nexus under the sway

The fall of the Emissary is a heavy blow to Nexus - the most prominent citizens flee the city, leaving the Cinnabar and Bastion districts almost deserted. Nexus, Firewander and Nighthammer continue to operate, although the movement in these districts is severely reduced at first.

This is only momentarily, as the Guild strikes a deal with Mask of Winters to make business possible again, sending him a portion of all profit made in the city. The Nexus district almost goes back to normal business after that, with customers gradually returning. Nighthammer, however, seems to be severely affected by the presence of the deathlord's forces in the city, as the flow of necrotic essence seems to disrupt almost all of the furnaces in the district.

The Response of Lookshy

The information about the Maks of Winters's move to Nexus reached the ears of these people dressed as good news; Lookshyans do not cherish Nexus, and therefore their priorities lay with the liberation of Thorns. As soon as the deathlord's forces reached the Yanaze, Lookshy unleashed its military might over Thorns.

The undead forces securing the fallen city could not make it very difficult for Lookshy forces to lay siege and take the city. Although the shadowland there still remains, its growth has come to a halt, and slowly begins to recede.

The Puppet King and his court are all executed, and not even one of the Mask of Winter's soldiers remain in the city, all of them destroyed or driven away from the city and hunted all over the land.

Although intent on keeping its forces on Thorns for a while, as soon as the city is secured a new guard for the city begins to be recruited and trained from the city's own population, with the promise that, as soon as they are able to defend themselves, the Lookshy forces will withdraw from the city, but staying open for requests for help.

Comments

This is a brainstorm I had after a really cool session with my players. Contributions are welcome =) --Nabeshin