Fall of Zhentil Keep

The Fall of Zhentil Keep started on Nightal 27 1368 DR and lasted until Kythorn 13 1369 DR.

Background
The attack was but one part of Cyric's plan to consolidate and increase his divine powers since the rules of divinity had been changed by Ao in the wake of the Time of Troubles. He summoned a monstrous army of humanoids and mighty frost creatures from the north and instructed them to lay siege to Zhentil Keep. He hoped that the sight of such an army approaching would galvanize his worshipers faith in him as they prayed for salvation and then he would appear in person, banish the army and recieve the adulations of the keep's inhabitants. This, in turn, would give him the divine power to quell a rebellion that was brewing in the City of Strife on the Fugue Plane. To start it all off, he planned that his high priest Xeno Mirrormane would publically read from the Cyrinishad, a book enspelled to turn any who read or heard the words into a devout worshiper of Cyric.

Nothing went to plan.

Another book had been written and the Cyrinishad was replaced with it, read by Fzoul Chembryl who only reluctantly worshiped Cyric. It told the citizens of the keep of Cyric's plans. All the while, a revolt was incited in the City of Strife. Paralysed by the loss of worshipers & thus, divine power, Cyric couldn't do anything to stop the rebellion, or the army that had just arrived at Zhentil Keep.

Timeline
1368 DR


 * Nightal 27: The Black Altar is struck with Mask's divine fire. Xeno Mirrormane is killed and Fzoul Chembryl teleports to Teshwave.
 * The monstrous army arrives. They kill most of the Zhentilar commanders in their first attacks.
 * The Orc Zhentilar troops desert, fleeing south and blowing up the Tesh bridge and the Force bridge, completely cutting off the southern part of the city from the north.
 * 1500 human Zhentilar, mostly officers, desert.
 * The monstrous army surrounds & beseiges the northern part of the city.

1369 DR


 * Hammer: An unusually strong cold front brings record snow and freezing winds from the north, the frost creatures thrive in these conditions. The harbours freeze over, preventing ships from bringing in supplies.
 * The lack of supply ships foces the Zhents to slaughter their horses. The resulting stew becomes popular as a delicacy.
 * A request for reinforcements is sent to the Citadel of the Raven. The messenger finds one relief force that had already been sent completely wiped out. The next that the citadel sends suffer almost the same fate by the time they manage to get to their comrades.
 * The pit fiend Abarax escapes magical confinement. He finds the corpse of Lord Orgauth and takes his identity by polymorphing himself. He then declares himself lord of the keep and the remaining forces, successfully rallying them.


 * Alturiak: The Citadel of the Raven informs Zhentil Keep that they will send no more reinforcements or supply caravans. The Keep's survivors begin to starve until more people are dying from starvation than are from battle.
 * Night of Crystal & Iron occurs.


 * Ches: A force of frost giants and gnolls tries to cross the frozen river in order to attack the southern part of the city. An unexplained column of fire melts the ice beneath their feet, killing around 1000 monsters in total.
 * The white dragons tire of battle and return home to hunt and mate.
 * The rest of the harbour ice begins to thaw and the first cargo ship since last year pulls into the harbour with a full cargo hold of supplies.


 * Tarsakh: The frost giant forces of the monstrous army are recalled home by their ice elemental master, Zzutam.
 * Mulmaster sponsors pirate attacks on shipping bound for Zhentil Keep. Piracy in the Moonsea region reaches record levels but shipping continues to increase greatly.
 * The call is put out for engineers to rebuild the Force bridge in order to reconnect the two parts of the city. A small contingent of gondsmen arrive but most who hear the call, refuse to take it up.


 * Mirtul: The humanoid attackers begin to retreat from the field, Orgauth launches offensives to speed their flight from Zhent territory.
 * The winter ice begins to thaw. The formerly frozen corpses begin to animate as undead which plague the weary survivors at night.


 * Kythorn 13: The attack is declared over and this day is marked as an annual celebration, "Victory Day", forthwith.