Voreios, a (blameless) people as unforgiving as the granite monoliths they inhabited, had retreated all the way into their mountain fortress. More than a military project, this fortress - a maze of ice-cut chambers and brick rooms - was an embodiment of their indomitable will, a monument to their strength against the cold northern gales and brutal elements. A seasoned leader of countless engagements, General Theron led their defense with unshakable discipline, shaping his soldiers' ferocious loyalty to their traditions and implacable distrust of those outside the ranks.
Nyx realised that a traditional siege would be a long, bloody affair. The Voreios were consummate defensive warriors, with a fortress built to resist a sustained siege. He chose one that affected, not their physical ability, but their psi stability. He understood that even the most hardened warriors could be broken by fear, isolation, and the erosion of their beliefs.
Through his expertise in shadow magic, Nyx set in motion a chain of strange occurrences. He called down unnatural blizzards of great power, covering the hill country in blinding snow and howling gales. Breakers, caused by faint excitation of the earth's energy, roared down the slopes and sealed off all access to and out of the citadel, ultimately isolating the Voreios from gaze and touch outside.
However the strongest weapon was not the nature, but the rumours. Nyx sent illusions on the wind, phantom cries of fallen comrades, echoing through the mountain passes, and chilling tales of ancient spirits awakened by the war. These whispers gnawed at the Voreios' primal awe for their deceased and their loathing of disrupting the natural order. The constant barrage of unsettling sounds and visions began to erode their morale, creating a sense of unease and paranoia within the fortress walls.
Theron, a personality of absolute adherence, could not keep a lid on the growing unrest of his ranks. He was aware that there was something abnormal going on, but he couldn't determine the cause of the perturbations. The isolation, coupled with the constant psychological pressure, began to take its toll, even on the most seasoned veterans.
Nyx, watching the developing fissures in Voreios's unity, at last did his. He sent out a solitary jester, a dark figure, who travelled through winter's frost (blizzards) to the outer wall. Messenger brought a message of peace, not a demand for appeasement, but a call to talk. Nyx provided the Voreios with an opportunity to maintain their culture within a new paradigm of a world based on partnership and mutual understanding, rather than on domination and conquest.
Theron, who lived through a week of heated discussion behind the bastion walls, in the ultimate attempt to save his soldiers and thier cause, finally accepted a meeting with Nyx. Not hatred or malice, but a very profound wearing down and a very honest yearning for peace, he found in the pupils of Nyx. He accepted Nyx's terms, not as a defeat, but as a path to survival and a chance to rebuild their society on a foundation of honor and respect.