Under a Black Sun

Not many men throughout the land of Westeros were acquainted with that ancient and imposing fortress of old. Only a few lords and long-lived maesters were aware that it predated the Great Sept of Baelor, which was once located in King’s Landing before its destruction under the command of Cersei Lannister. A long time before the Great Sept became the Faith of the Seven’s main shining jewel for worshiping the New Gods, an ascending follower of the old High Septon had issued a commission directly from the Starry Sept. They were tasked with the mission of building what the common people now refer to as the Hall of Celestials. Its architecture was heavily influenced by Essos, as many of its craftsmen and builders also took part in the construction of the infamous Iron Bank.

A major settlement surrounding the Hall of Celestials, a palace once born from pure faith, started to take shape many years after the Westeros invasion by the Andals. Many of its streets resembled Andalos, the cradle in which the Faith of the Seven was born. This small domain was once filled by many religious warriors and believers, but it is now inhabited solely by the survivors of the slaughter perpetrated by the incestuous deceased queen. Following the collapse of their religious symbol and the annihilation of its leaders, the few elders who still mourn the assassination of the High Sparrow and harbor a deep desire for revenge can now only witness the desecration of the Celestial’s domain by mercenaries and former soldiers of the king.

Without an official ruler, this long-dated domain has become a place of dispute among those lords eager to claim it. The many treasures that lie hidden underneath its catacombs have led to a never-ending war fueled by greed for some and the hope of fame for others. The common folk started referring to these bloody wars as the Champion City Siege, where the victors are granted control over these unruled domains for the full extent of a moon, allowing them to pillage, gain prestige, and wield power. During the Hearthfire moon of the year 2024 AC (After Conquest) in the Bordermen Calendar, an unforeseen gathering of powerful Houses and Alliances took place with the purpose of seizing control over the Hall Celestials.

The dusk of dawn still engulfed the landscape along its horizons as the alliances began to raise up their war camps near the Hall of Celestials. The sound of silence echoed across the desert, occasionally pierced by the whistling steel of swords as blacksmiths worked with their wet stones. As time passed, the landscape began to gain more traits of war, with an increasing number of bannermen arriving with their commanded regiments, while the prayers of men sounded like whispers flying in the dry wind. On the far northern side of the Hall of Celestials, a newly forged alliance had occupied a vast portion of the land. F.F.S. had recently undergone a merger between two former prestigious alliances well-known in Westeros: W.T.F. and N.F.I.

Standing alongside his war horse, there stood Chainsaw Man, a high commanding officer among the F.F.S. forces, well-known for his severe figure and devilish eyes. He held the utmost respect from his men as a war leader while arousing an absolute terror in his enemies due to his complete mercilessness on the battlefield. His words were engraved on the back of the skulls of any men who were under his command: “There is no surrender; only heads on sharp spikes can wave white flags.” The only kindness he displayed was for his troops' concern, as his army wielded nothing, but the finest Valyrian weapons forged by the greatest blacksmiths in the Seven Kingdoms. It was common knowledge that he could not bear the sight of skilled men dying due to cheap weapons or armor. With many wars of experience behind him, he felt more comfortable on the battlefield than at his own home. Therefore, this was as good a day as any for him—either to kill or to rot as a nameless corpse. From the far northeast and southwest, Chainsaw could see allied houses from old arriving.

The renowned commanders Tardis and Grombold led the H.O.H. regiments toward the Celestials, where they could see the F.F.S. banners wavering in the howling wind. There, Queeny stood alongside several of her high commanders, including Chainsaw. Not far from their settlement, to the southwest of the palace, W.x.C. was being led by Astrryx and Night Queen as they began to establish their troop camps. There were no ravens sent in the past days to inform who would take place in the siege for the Celestials, so a strange feeling started to arise among the leaders of each alliance, as many familiar faces began to appear as proposed enemies on the battlefield. Of course, there was enough bitterness in the relationship between these allies to justify indiscriminate bloodshed. As the thought crossed Chainsaw's head, he could not hold the ironic smile on the edge of his mouth.

Queeny, the prestigious leader of the F.F.S., was well known for her iron-handed diplomacy, but the long-lived years of constant war taught her valuable lessons that she wasn't willing to take for granted. "Know well your enemies; know your allies even better, but don't make too many enemies, as blind arrogance is the downfall of any strong leader." "—What was it, Denkura? What's funny?" Chainsaw, known as Denkura among his closest friends, burst into laughter like a child as he replied, "Do you even need to ask?!” It seems we will be facing many allies today!" Queeny was already used to his ironic and playful nature, thanks to their long-standing friendship. Yet she couldn't help but furrow her brow as a reflex. "Look, I won't be wiping any kids' butts today; do you hear me, Denkura?!" Queeny's response made Chainsaw laugh even harder as he returned to where his troops were stationed. Meanwhile, a timid thought crossed the minds of the young lieutenants standing nearby: "Those two are no longer sane." The older officers just held their laugh, as they already knew the relationship between those two.

The laughter ceased when the blowing horn disrupted the desert's silence to request a meeting between the allied houses. However, Queeny and Chainsaw were already visible, riding toward the Celestials' gates. Astrryx and Night Queen represented W.x.C., while Grombold and Tardis, under H.O.H. banners, rode to the meeting's place. As the horses galloped at full speed, the dry air sliced through the flesh like sharp knives, and sandstorms made it very difficult to distinguish what lay ahead. However, these were experienced warriors, used to prolonged and harsh war campaigns, either in the freezing North or in the hellish Sunspear ravines.

As they approached the Celestials' gates, Chainsaw could feel it—the sense of danger going through his spine. He didn't hesitate to blow a second horn, warning of the impending danger. He was used to noticing the enemies' eyes upon him in such moments as these. His blood boiled as his expression changed. On his face, there no longer could be found a smile or a heartwarming expression. There could only be seen the traits of a huntsman's face staring at a black mountain bear, a deep desire for blood, and killing. When Queeny and Chainsaw returned to F.F.S. camps, the scouts had already returned to inform the fast-pincer movement of N.B.E. regiments at full speed toward the Hall of Celestials. There was no time to lose. A fire rock with a black snake's venom was lit, as it would produce a black coloring in the flames. Grombold and Astrryx were already aware. It's an all-out war; the ones to take are those who go first and hold it if they can.

In the game of thrones, there is no middle ground. Allies and enemies have their own motivations, as both strive for power and gold. In that regard, N.B.E. was no different, but they stood apart from the F.F.S. allies' common interests. Nonetheless, they had many fierce and dangerous warriors among their top lieutenants, with no other desires if not for blood and complete savagery. Their diverse backgrounds and motivations defied any trace of rationale, as bloodthirsty Dothraki warriors, such as Barbarossa, rode alongside highborn Valyrian knights from the ancient Targaryen dynasty, like The Only King. The reinforced sense of maintaining a good relationship amongst F.F.S., H.O.H. and W.x.C. was also subject of concern for these alliances’ leaders as they intended to establish cooperative bonds during the nearing All-Out war event campaign. Queeny attempted to process the information passed on by the scouts as she prepared to command her troops into battle, but now she could only rely on her bare instincts. The path of blood among allies often leads to future animosity and betrayals, especially when there are actual enemies to wage war against on the battlefield. And there was still the most important factor not to be forgotten: the interests of her own alliance and the warriors who placed their trust in her. A mix of urgency and frustration blended in, but there was no time for that.

Actions began to take a drastic pace as all four major alliances moved at full speed toward the same objective. Meanwhile, other respectable alliances present in smaller numbers awaited on the sidelines. She kept to herself an unspoken understanding to preserve the order of things, yet she still questioned if her thoughts at that moment were sound. In the brief seconds she took to determine the best course of action, Grombold had already launched a fierce attack on the Hall of Celestials, slaughtering the few remaining mercenaries who were exploiting its unguarded areas. This was nerve-wracking, as the initial occupiers typically tend to pillage more enemy troops once the war is declared open.

Every minute was crucial, as the clock for the occupation was running. Amidst the chaos, a few officers were still preparing, while others were uncertain about the status of facing their allies. In the very moment that Queeny took to breathe, she turned to call for Chainsaw, but he was no longer there. She shivered. Chainsaw was already rallying the alliance's troops to launch an attack on Grombold's occupation at the Celestials. Both lords were well-known for their Valyrian spears' absolute strength, as they also held vast regiments under their command. The artisans in the Devil Spitting Fire domain, from a small house where Chainsaw was born, took immense pride in their craftsmanship with Valyrian steel. Their pride resided in the knowledge that those Valyrian spears would pierce flesh and blood. Queeny felt relieved as Chainsaw was able to act quickly, as she rationalized that this outcome was unavoidable.

Soldiers assembled quickly, driven by the desire for bloodshed as the confrontation between two spear breeds was close. The sandstorms intensified, yet they could not delay the soldier's frenetic pace as they sliced through the heavy sand. Other contingents from W.X.C. and N.B.E. also advanced toward the Celestials. The scent of blood permeated the air as the battle raged on, resulting in massive losses caused by another powerful lord under the N.B.E. banner, Charlie. A heavy infantry strike sent many lords' armies back to their castles. Chainsaw smiled, feasting on the scent of blood that naturally drew him to follow its trail. It was a massacre. Chainsaw’s spears delivered consecutive devastating blows, decimating nearly all the armies under Grombold's occupation. The surviving troops lingered among the ashes of destruction, utterly lost, unable to escape the Celestials. Despite the conflicting situation regarding a cooperative front with the allied houses in the events yet to come, as a true warrior, the sight of enemy corpses laying on the ground still motivated Chainsaw’s carnage. H.O.H. bannermen swiftly dispatched new regiments to prevent Grombold’s downfall and withstand the relentless assaults from the east, where N.B.E. camps had assembled. No one doubted that a massive slaughter of troops took place in the Celestials, given the number of regiments forcefully sent back from there. The soldiers' rage had been unleashed, and no one on the battlefield could contain it. Horns echoed through nearly every camp surrounding the palace as entire regiments met their demise; nevertheless, Grombold remained steadfast. After several minutes of intense battle, the number of beheaded soldiers was higher than a single eye could count. Finally, Chainsaw managed to seize control of the Hall of Celestials after dozens of deployed rallies and millions of troops lost on both sides.

As the war progressed toward its end, Queeny and Astrryx would then change the occupation control of the Hall of Celestials. Chainsaw already felt the exhaustion catching up to him but remained resolute in aiding Queeny with swift reinforcements. It was precisely when N.B.E. decided to stand their ground under the leadership of The Only King, who started to inflict massive damage against Queeny’s occupation. N.B.E. was relentless, as they also wished to seize control of celestials for themselves; no one could take anything for granted. This was a defining moment, as any mistake could lead to a massive loss, more impactful to what had already been up to this point. Queeny then decided to ask for lower tier troops reinforcements to preserve any unreasonable waste of troops and resources, as she took pride in planning future scenarios which her main bannermen can’t find themselves empty handed when unannounced battles arrive. The change of approach rendered the desired outcome, but it also allowed N.b.E. capture over the Celestial, nevertheless, this was still under her predictions, as she could read the battlefield with perfection at this point. Understandably, with some advantage at the occupation timer, it would be wiser to play offensively and bring damage toward N.B.E. rallying leaders. That perception was reinforced by the efficiency that W.x.C. had against Grombold’s occupation.

The passing of time was no longer forgiving, and the end approached, as the strategic decision paid off, as the first place was ensured by Astrryx, Grombold ranked as second, and Queeny as third. In a practical manner, since Astryxx wasn’t in W.x.C.’s official kingdom, Grombold ensured the title of Conqueror over the Hall of Celestials, followed by Queeny. This fatidic encounter between these top-tier alliances found its rightful place among the archives of the Old Town, as it lasted through until the very minute which the Hall of Celestials was available for occupation. As F.F.S. forces returned to their kingdom, the overall feeling was of accomplished objectives, especially by Queeny, as the alliance didn’t suffer more than what was expected in Champion City Siege. Chainsaw could do nothing but drawn himself in cheap wine alongside his men, as his happiness could be noticed all the way across from the north of the wall. A good day, as any, to kill and get drunk while enjoying the spoils from the battle.