The Mentalicus

The Civil War

     In the three hundred and sixth year of the reign of Nikolai III, it began. The great war to decide the fate of the world, and our nation.

     The first battle fought was the Battle of Lampustra. This was our only offensive before the Final Stand, which will be discussed later. The battle of Lampustra raged for two days, but Angmarion was defeated and captured. We thought he was dead. He had killed about sixty thousand enemies, but had lost forty thousands himself. Our troops were not trained enough, and Henry ordered Argo to go and train elite troops. This was the beginning of our military training system.

     Argo took Spotikov and twenty thousand men to the island of Lepluras, which existed before the Great Shift, brought on by a king we will discuss later. For three years they trained, but the king's forces trained also. Soon, the largest army ever seen was marching for our capital, Pensacola (again, taken from a name from the outside world). Some listed it as "forty hundred thousand." While they were reprimanded for not using the correct term, four million, that is besides the point. Most likely, it only numbered about three million, but such is still the largest force ever seen in here. To stand against the main assault force on Pensacola, four hundred thousands, was a brave group of sixteen thousand soldiers and seventy-five thousand militiamen.

     Then Argo returned.

     He came back, leading twenty thousand of the fiercest men ever seen, with himself and Angmarion (he later recounted that he had found Angmarion in a prisoner train outside the city during his assault on the rear. Henry rode out to meet him, but then the unthinkable happened again.

     Henry was riding on his horse, when an enemy archer saw his chance, and launched a wicked arrow into the horse's hide. It fell upon Henry, and he was badly injured. He was quickly hurried off the battlefield. Meanwhile, Argo and Nikolai, with Angmarion now with them, led their troops in brutal assault after assault. The death toll for the enemy was estimated at two hundred ten thousands. The death toll for us was ten thousands in the city and five of Argo's force. Five. It was proof of what four years and an expert trainer can do.

     This was the Final Stand, and we took the offensive after it. As King Nikolai III entered the three hundred eleventh year of his reign, he also came closer to defeat.

     We had to cross our world in time of war, and that was not an easy task. Henry joined us after a year of recovery, and planned to strike out in the Invasion of Lepeau, a crucial port, which was guarded by the Witch King of Angmar. However, one we would have never thought would have joined our side did, and at a crucial point. Malekith, Witch King of Naggaroth, led his forces of elven warriors onto the left flank of the Witch King of Angmar's army. This caused havoc, and the Angmarian was forced to concede half the city.

     Malekith, Argo, Nikolai, Varius, and Henry sat in the commander's tent discussing strategies, and quickly they came up with the assault upon Trezúr, a diversion that would force the Witch King to rethink his strategy. It would cost fewer lives, it was decided, to attack Trezúr with elite troops, as there was no point in killing soldiers for a diversion. The plan was set up and executed.

     Angmarion led the forces into the breach, and the diversion quickly fell into full swing. The gate of the western half of the city were broken into, and Angmarion, who would soon earn his name ("Man of Angmar") actually took Trezúr. It was at this point that the Witch King of Angmar realized he had been duped, and fled in disgust. However, he was attacked at the gates by Angmarion and Malekith, and he was felled by Angmarion, but Malekith smote him as well.

     With that, Lepeau surrendered, and we entered the western city. Henry felt revitalized after the massive victory, and said so. A crucial victory had been won; now, Los Angeles was open to full-scale assault from the south. This problem would force the king to send further troops to guard the area south of his capital, preventing them from being sent to the northern front, where Varius was soon to go, in pursuit of a victory at the battle that would give him his title: the Mage King of Athalnis.

     It was the three hundred and twenty-sixth year of the reign of Nikolai III when the Battle of Athalnis began. We had focused greatly on the south and east of the dreaded capital of the monarchy, but we had realized that Melkor, residing in the north, would be able to outflank us if we assaulted Los Angeles at that point. Thus, Varius had gone north to Thangorodrim (later Athalnis) to give battle to Melkor.

     Melkor had about two hundred thousands against Varius's seventy thousands, but Varius had one major advantage: most of his troops were elite, and this could prove decisive if he used them correctly. Thus, Varius began by assaulting the right of Melkor's forces, which the knave had left outside the fortress. The battle ensued for several hours before a decisive victory was being seen for Varius's troops. With only ninety thousands left to fight sixty-nine thousand five hundred of Varius's men, the enemy troops made a break for the fortress Thangorodrim. But Varius was quicker. He shut the gates, and what followed could only be described as vengeful slaughter. While a hundred of our soldiers fell there, so did the entirety of Melkor's army. It was at this point that the second-greatest single combat of that age began.

     Melkor appeared at the gates, flanked by Gothmog and Sauron. Melkor bellowed a challenge, and Varius accepted. Within minutes, he had slain both of Melkor's lieutenants. Then the dark ruler rose up and gave battle to Varius.

     The fight lasted for three full hours. Grond, Melkor's mace, would just barely fail to connect, and Varius would time and time again hit armor with his blade instead of flesh. On and on the battle raged, and some feared Varius would be killed by sheer exhaustion. Then Varius struck home, driving his blade deep into his opponent's chest. Melkor groaned, and collapsed. He had been defeated.

      With this, Los Angeles was surrounded. Varius, now hailed as the Mage King of Athalnis, led his forces in from the north, Henry made for the center, and Argo, with Nikolai and Angmarion in tow, came up from the south. In the three hundred and thirty-seventh year of the reign of Nikolai III, Los Angeles was besieged. Two years later, the Battle of Los Angeles began.

      Enemy soldiers had dropped in number from one million to seven hundred thousand over the course of the siege, and the king apparently realized that his capital could not hold out forever, so he rode out to battle at the beginning of the three hundred and fortieth year of his reign. He began his strategy by having all the troops in Los Angeles launch a brutal advance on Henry's center, hoping to break out of the siege and escape into the hinterlands of the north.

      Henry held our enemies as long as he could, but the enemy outnumbered our whole force two to one, and Henry had the fewest elite soldiers. He had neither Argo's elites nor the hardened veterans of Athalnis, and thus he was overrun. It was a devastating display, and, had the flanks not come crashing in, the siege would have fallen apart. As it was, Henry, once known as Arnus, and leader of the greatest rebellion to rock the world ever, fell, engaged by Nikolai III himself.

      The fall of Henry left the center up for potential retreat, but the flanks smashed the attacking troops in two. Fenrir led the surrounded group, while Nikolai attempted to retreat to the city. Argo himself engaged Fenrir, and, after a hard fight, felled him. This caused a mass panic, and the enemy retreated. They were slaughtered in a foolhardy attempt to break out.

       The second force was surrounded by our forces twenty yards from the city. Soon, all had fallen except Nikolai III himself and most of our men. This was when Nikolai Spotikov saw his opportunity. He dismounted his steed and challenged the king to a duel. The proud king accepted, figuring he could kill a mere boy. This would be his downfall, whether or not it was in the most epic fight of the civil war.

        The duel raged for seven hours, with neither combatant apparently able to one-up the other. Out of desperation, the king lunged without thinking of his own safety. This was his doom. Spotikov struck out and stabbed the king in the chest. Blood gushed from the wound, and, as Nikolai III staggered back, Spotikov beheaded him. Thus ended the civil war. Three days later, Spotikov was crowned King Nikolai IV.