Battle of Gravehill

In the search for a way into the city, a group was led to an abandoned church and its adjacent graveyard. Before the group could leave with one of the keys needed to unlock the city barrier, the Herald arrived and raised the graveyard’s dead. The people of High Fire fought well and fought hard, cleared the area of its undead, and returned to camp with what they were after. No casualties, the day was overall a success.

== Prelude == As with most scouting and exploration missions leaving camp, the people of High Fire were called to a meeting atop the hill, asking that the strongest and cleverest go out in search of a way past the barrier around the city. Their search and information given beforehand led them to the nameless church with Jian and Sameel at the head of the group.

== Deployment == All the explorers were gathered in the graveyard when the Herald attacked. As the undead rose from all sides, they quickly broke into groups, each handling a section of the graveyard. One held the north, another the south, and a third group bottlenecked the undead trying to enter via the bridge.

The Herald’s forces were deployed similarly, with the groups rising up in each area the explorers split off to defend. Herald himself stayed behind the bridge group, observing the battle until it’s later parts, and then retreating into the woods.

== Battle == While the Herald remained above the battle, overseeing his forces and occasionally throwing volatile magic at the defenders, the three groups fought valiantly. As it became apparent that they were successfully fending off the attack, Herald made a retreat whilst hounded by defending archers who had broken free of the fray. The end of the battle was only hastened when the Herald flew lightning at the bridge, causing injury to the defenders, as well as obliterating one of the larger sections of his own forces and part of the bridge as well.

Of particular mention the Priestess Achazia was noted in the battle for using a doll to fight other dolls, swinging it with rather precise skill and force. The archer Fharon nearly scored a fatal hit on the Herald as well, only missing due to another archer’s horrible shot. The bridge group, consisting of Jian, Leyton, and Zariah, managed to hold off the dolls against overwhelming numbers until the bridge was destroyed.

== Aftermath == The key was secured by the people from Camp High Fire, though many were injured as a result of the battle, those on the bridge more heavily so than others. They made their way swiftly back to the camp, coming across Kas and Ninel on their way there. The injured were patched up, and a festive mood took over the camp at their first major victory over their pursuer.

== Legacy == With the success in getting the key, the people of High Fire took another step to secure their eventual entrance into the city. However, their failure to kill the Herald has led them into a prolonged conflict with the madman, his efforts to fight them growing more and more subtle and dangerous with each passing day. Overall, the Battle of Gravehill secured both hope and walls for the people of High Fire.