[Intro] [Narrator] Black Hollow survived the night. Barely. The chapel still stood… but the dead now filled its graveyard. And before sunrise… the Six Riders rode south once more. [Slow Build] [Narrator] Blood covered their armor. Broken shields hung from their saddles. The wounded rode beside the dying. But still… they carried Harridan’s warning toward the Crownlands. [Knight Hero] How far to Valorn? [Rogue Hero] Too damned far. [Dwarf Hero] Then stop whining and ride. [Laughter] [Narrator] Even broken men still needed something to laugh at. [Narrator] The roads worsened with every mile. Burned farms. Collapsed bridges. Refugees dragging children through frozen mud. And everywhere… the banners of fallen towns. [Refugee Woman] Please… did Westmar survive? [Narrator] The riders exchanged silent looks. Nobody answered her. [Narrator] By dusk… they reached Gray Hollow Crossing. And found the road blocked. [Narrator] Three overturned wagons burned across the bridge. Dead merchants littered the frozen riverbank. Spider tracks covered the snow. [Rogue Hero] Trap. [Knight Hero] Too late. [Githyanki Attack] [Narrator] Silver-armored raiders erupted from the cliffs above. Psychic fire exploded across the bridge. Warhorses screamed. One rider vanished beneath collapsing stone. [Dwarf Hero] AMBUSH!! [Narrator] Spider Riders descended from the canyon walls. The knight intercepted the first with a shield strike that shattered silver teeth across the snow. The rogue rolled beneath another spear thrust… then buried twin daggers through exposed armor joints. [Cleric Hero] Stay together! [Narrator] Golden light flashed through smoke and snowfall. Wounds closed. Broken men rose again. But the Githyanki kept coming. Endless. Precise. Merciless. [Narrator] A massive Spider Rider crashed onto the bridge directly before the dwarf. Its claws split stone apart. Venom dripped from black fangs longer than swords. [Dwarf Hero] Finally… something worth killing. [Narrator] The monster struck first. The dwarf caught one claw on his hammer— then another pierced straight through his armor. Blood exploded across the bridge stones. [Cleric Hero] BRANN!! [Narrator] The dwarf roared through the pain… grabbed the beast by its lower jaw… and drove his glowing warhammer through its skull. The Spider Rider collapsed beside him. So did the dwarf. [Music Drops Low] [Knight Hero] BRANN! [Narrator] The cleric fell beside the dying warrior. Golden healing light trembled around her hands. But the wound was too deep. Far too deep. [Dwarf Hero weak fading voice] Heh… Guess I finally found a real fight after all. [Narrator] The bridge fell silent around them. Even the storm seemed to stop. [Dwarf Hero] Don’t let those bastards reach the Queen. [Cleric Hero: sobbing voice] No… stay with us… [Dwarf Hero] Tell Westmar… Brann Ironbreaker held the line. [Narrator] Then the dwarf went still. [Narrator] Something changed inside the riders after that. Fear burned away. Only fury remained. [Knight Hero] FOR BRANN!! [Massive Chorus] FOR WESTMAR! FOR THE FALLEN! FOR EVERY BROKEN NORTHERN WALL! FOR NORTHPOINT! FOR ICEFLOW! WE RIDE BEFORE THE KINGDOM FALLS! NO FEAR LEFT! NO ROAD TO RUN! WE CARRY HOPE BENEATH THE SUN! WHEN TYRANTS RISE AND DARKNESS REIGNS VALORN RIDES THROUGH FIRE AND PAIN! [Narrator] The riders countercharged across the burning bridge. The knight split a Githyanki commander from collarbone to waist. The rogue leapt from falling stone onto a Spider Rider’s back… driving steel repeatedly into its skull. Psychic lightning erupted across the canyon walls. Still the riders advanced. [Knight Hero] PUSH THROUGH THEM! THE QUEEN MUST KNOW! [Narrator] One by one… the surviving raiders broke. Then fled into the storm. [Narrator] The riders gathered beside Brann’s body as snow slowly covered the bridge. No songs. No speeches. Only silence. Then the knight removed Brann’s warhammer from the dead spider’s skull… and tied it across his saddle. [Knight Hero:quiet emotional voice] You held the line. Now we finish the ride. [Final Chorus] RIDE FOR VALORN! RIDE THROUGH THE STORM! CARRY THE WARNING THE WAR HAS COME! THROUGH BLOOD AND DARKNESS THROUGH FIRE AND PAIN THE LAST TRUE RIDERS STILL REMAIN! WHEN KINGDOMS TREMBLE AND KINGDOMS BURN THE FALLEN GUIDE THE STRONG RETURN! FOR WESTMAR! FOR THE QUEEN! FOR EVERY SOUL STILL CAUGHT BETWEEN! [Outro] [Narrator] And beneath the storm-dark skies of Valorn… five riders continued south. But now… they rode as legends.
