Rulers of Earthius: Dawn of the North

Baltimare was the northernmost city in all of Equestria with walls of stone bricks, two walls to be exact, each with bronze gates on the north, south, east, and west sides. It was built like a large fortress, with towers all along the walls. The city was built over the River Kai, a massive river much the size of the River Jord where ships could pass directly into the city which made it almost as wealthy as Canterlot. Its city was built out of red and white stone that sat wrapped inside the dark gray stone bricks of the walls.

Its palace was most certainly unique, it was near the center of the city at the edge of the water on the southern side, it was surrounded by a whitewashed wall with numerous archways that led to a large garden with four paths leading to four doors, the main building was a tall tower that stuck up like a needle into the sky. A balcony going all the way around was constructed at the base of the large steeple that went up near to the clouds. The city was surrounded by vast farmland, fed by irrigation from the RIver Kai.

Midsummer 5th, 145 PIE

Baltimare, Northern Region of Equestria

The sun was rising over the horizon, bathing the city in bright orange light, the cool of the previous night was warming to the warmth of the coming day. A normally peaceful day was anything but as the bells throughout the city tolled, the bells of temples, the bells of the towers, the small bells of the shops and taverns, the bells of schools, they all rang with their metal song echoing down the streets. The sounds echoed over the rushing of people stampeding throughout the streets, closing down shops and taverns, temples sealing their doors, houses barring up their doors, and slamming their windows closed.

Farmers and others were rushing to the gates of the city in an attempt to find safety, many were trampled under each other while trying to rush to the closing gates. Their hopes for safety were quickly dashed as the gates were shut and locked. Some tried to enter by swimming in the river, but stone doors rose from the water, closing them out from the sanctity of the great city.

The song of bells alerted the lord of the city who was still sleeping within his keep in the early morning hours. He was a young man, tall and thin, with a bare face that was a pale red. He climbed the winding staircase to the balcony atop the main building. He ran from the spiral staircase that led to a large reading room to the northward-facing archway onto the white balcony that gave him a view of the city and the fields outside the walls.

He let out a horrified gasp at the horrifying sight outside the walls. It was near around 40,000 soldiers of the Jarls and of the King who stood in the grassy fields, behind them in a row were twelve towering trebuchets standing some sixty feet tall, tread wheels on the sides and casks being loaded onto their slings.

"Celestia be praised!" he exclaimed, turning away, his golden cape flowing behind him, he made his way down the spiral staircase, as he reached the main throne room and called out "Squire, bring me my armor at once, I need to meet with their commander,"

The artillerymen stirred around their towering beasts, walking in the tread wheels to position the for firing, loading casks into their slings, and dousing them in oil. The soldiers in front stood in lines, the Nilnish soldiers cloaked in blue lined up with the Marksmen, holding their long pikes in the shouldered position, Holdsmen stood with whatever weapons they could get, axes, maces, swords, pikes, even guns.

Behind the trebuchets, over a hill north was a camp and in between this camp was General Grahfor the Half-Dwarf, facing east, kneeling on his ax. He was doing what was customary of Dwarves before a battle, he prayed in the direction of the nearest mountains, he muttered the old prayer his father taught him when he was young:

"Nilfki give me strength, Horkin give me honor, Jurim give me vision, Saediir give me bravery, and Hergimul give me protection" his prayer was repeated as the sun continued over the horizon until he felt a gloved hand tap against his plated armor, he looked up and saw Arathor standing over him, annoyed he asked "Well what is it?" still kneeling on his ax

"Look" Arathor bespoke pointing south

Grahfor got up and looked south "Merciful gods below," exclaimed Grahfor laughing aloud, he looked at the man who rode towards their lines on horseback, surrounded by bronze-clad guards. He donned silver plate armor with flower engravings all over and a helmet with a visor that appeared to be made of vines. Grahfor spoke "I hope he doesn't expect much fighting," his companion Arathor stood serious, which caused Grahfor to lose his jovial laugh and conform his face to a rock-hard sternness.

The two generals approached the silver-clad lord before the city, between the lines of soldiers and the massive walls, the lord removed his helmet and loudly declared in a distinguished voice: "I am Fire Heart, Lord of Baltimare and its rightful ruler, state why your armies are at my gates,"

Grahfor spoke up first since he was the General of the Nilnish forces: I am here on the orders of King Rignar Germyon II of Niln, he has ordered that we invade Equestria, and on my own order I approach your city,"

"And by what right do you claim this city, for my father Blazing Heart was the ruler before me, and his father Light Heart before him, my birthright give me this city and Celestia's blessing secures my position on its throne," responded Lord Fire Heart.

"I do not come here claiming birthright to this city, I come here claiming that your city and all its properties must be handed over to the Royal Family of Niln and you may keep some of your wealth," Responded Grahfor in an as distinguished voice he could muster, he changed his voice to a firm, hard one before continuing "If you do not hand over your city, then fire and blood shall fill its streets and my men shall slaughter yours and pull you down from your throne by force,"

"I will not hand it over, you shall have to take this city from me by force, let fire and blood, fill my streets and you shall feel the fury of Celestia in her rage" responded Fire Heart, angered now by the notion of surrender

"Your goddess is but a gnat under the boots of Nilfki, and the neck of a traitor under his ax, and to my Northern brethren she is but a bloodstain on Morrinoks greatsword," responded Grahfor, still just as serious "And you shall feel my ax upon your neck.

Fire Heart was angered, his face contorted in unbridled rage as he quickly spun his gray horse around and trotted back to his city, to the safety of his bronze gates and his white palace.

Corpses sat in the streets, covered in blood and bruises from the feet of the living who trampled them down, their blood pooled on the stone streets. Beggars huddled in alleyways, under market stalls, in the sewers, wherever they could find an illusion of safety in the now barren and shut city. Boats sat empty along the river shore within the city, abandoned for fear of being sunk, many were broken into by beggars and robbed of all goods.

Families huddled in the corners of their houses, their children kept tightly at their side, their houses dark with the bits of sunlight peeking through the shutters. Farmers were packing their things onto animals and making their way down the roads, further south to safer regions where they believe the war won't reach, some stayed within their homes, releasing their animals into the wilds.

A single solitary bell tolled over it all, from the grand Celestial Temple at the city's east end, a single bell chimed its song as soldiers stood, pike in hand, on the walls around the city, sternly looking over the fields, they seem to have accepted their fate, death or not they would not abandon their city to the northern barbarian hoards. The loud chiming of the bell was overshadowed as the long blast of a horn rang over the city, beggars cowered deep into alleys, families huddled tighter, and farmers who left turned back in one last goodbye.

The thunderous sounds of trebuchets echo through the air, followed by the booming explosions of casks of gunpowder exploding within the city's walls like an orchestra of war drums, signaling death.