[Intro] [Thunder] [NARRATOR] Brackenford… trade town of western Valorn. Stone walls. River docks. Mercenary guards. Sleeping taverns. A town too small for kings to care about. Too weak… to survive what came from the fog. [Female Choir] Shadow… shadow… shadow… [NARRATOR] The moon vanished behind storm clouds. The river darkened. And atop the ruined bell tower… Vaelith Shadowtide watched the town below. Silver-black armor. Pale flowing hair. Eyes glowing violet beneath the rain. The Whisper in the Rift had come to kill. [VAELITH] Tonight we carve terror into human memory. No mercy. No hesitation. No survivors among the officers. Burn the gates. Break the guard. Let Brackenford drown in fear! [GITHYANKI WAR CHANT] VOID! VOID! VOID! [NARRATOR] Below her… the kill force waited. Spider Riders gripping poisoned spears. Void Assassins cloaked in psychic darkness. Iron Phalanx veterans standing motionless beneath the rain. No banners. No horns. Only death waiting for permission. [VAELITH] Forward. [NARRATOR] The western wall erupted first. Massive Reaver Spiders climbed directly over the stone battlements while guards screamed in panic. Arrows shattered against astral armor. One guard vanished beneath crushing black legs. Another was lifted screaming into the storm. [GUARD] THEY’RE ON THE WALLS!! [NARRATOR] Then the Void Assassins struck. Silver blades flashed through the darkness. Throats opened. Blood sprayed across wet stone. Men died before alarms could finish ringing. [VAELITH] Faster! Cut them down before fear becomes courage! [GITHYANKI CHANT] KILL! KILL! KILL! [NARRATOR] The gatehouse fell within minutes. Chains snapped. The western gate groaned open. And the Iron Phalanx marched into Brackenford in perfect formation. Cold. Silent. Unstoppable. [IRON PHALANX CHANT] VOID LANCER! VOID LANCER! [NARRATOR] House by house… street by street… the town collapsed beneath silver steel. The taverns burned first. Then the market quarter. Then the river docks exploded into flame. Women screamed from collapsing rooftops. Children fled through smoke-filled alleys. And everywhere… the spiders hunted. [VAELITH] Run little mortals… Run through your burning streets… There is nowhere beneath this sky… that the Void cannot reach! [VAELITH] WE RIDE THE STORM WE BRING THE NIGHT SILVER FIRE ASTRAL LIGHT FROM SHADOWED STARS TO HUMAN SKIES WE TEACH THE WORLD HOW KINGDOMS DIE! [GITHYANKI CHOIR] VOID! VOID! VOID! [NARRATOR] At the eastern square… Captain Helmar rallied the surviving guards. Bleeding. Terrified. Desperate. But still standing. [HELMAR] SHIELDS TOGETHER!! FOR BRACKENFORD!! [CROWD] FOR BRACKENFORD!! [NARRATOR] Spears lowered. Archers fired from burning rooftops. For one brief glorious moment… the humans held the line. Then Vaelith entered the square. [VAELITH] Kneel. [NARRATOR] Three guards collapsed instantly clutching their skulls. Another stabbed his own ally screaming in madness. The shield wall broke apart like shattered glass. And then… Vaelith moved. [NARRATOR] One slash removed a captain’s arm completely. A second strike opened another man from throat to stomach. A third victim fell split across the chest as psychic energy burst from her blade. She danced through the defenders like death itself. Untouched. Unstoppable. Beautiful. Horrifying. [VAELITH] YOU CALL THESE WALLS?! YOU CALL THESE MEN?! LOOK HOW QUICKLY HUMAN COURAGE DIES! [NARRATOR] The Reaver Spiders descended upon the square. Guards vanished beneath venomous fangs. One soldier tried to flee… only to be dragged screaming into the darkness beneath a wagon. Another was torn apart against the fountain stones. The blood flooded the streets beside the rainwater. [VAELITH] Remember this slaughter. Carry it south. Tell Westmar. Tell Southshore. Tell them Brackenford burned in a single night. [NARRATOR] And while the kingdoms marched to answer this attack… far to the north… Xar’thul already approached Northpoint. Exactly as planned. SHADOW OVER BRACKENFORD FIRE AND STEEL BLADE AND SWORD SPIDER FANGS AND SILVER EYES TONIGHT THE AGE OF VALORN DIES WE RIDE THE DARK WE BRING THE FEAR THE GITHYANKI LEGIONS ARE HERE WHEN SHADOWTIDE BEGINS TO RISE ONLY THE DEAD SEE SUNRISE [GITHYANKI CHANT] VOID! VOID! VOID! [Outro] [NARRATOR] By dawn… Brackenford belonged to the dead.
