| Ishivithrax fails mightily against shiny things; skaven vs brets | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 24th July 2004 - 10:39 AM (367 Views) | |
| phordicus | 24th July 2004 - 10:39 AM Post #1 |
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Battlemaster of Clan Skrikkik
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Xerxes had another target but needed to send a distraction force to temporarily occupy the Bretonnians tracking his army. He knew there was some shrine or other to the Grail, obviously just some sort of glorified cup those shiny humans pretended to worship. He knew he couldn't risk Grulskruk and his Pestilens crew as he needed them at the true target. Fortunately he saw a double opportunity arising as his clan's advisor, Grey Seer Ishivithrax, was snoozing atop the Screaming Bell being pulled near the back of the column. Xerxes left a message for Ishi to take the troops specified and try to defile this shrine, something the Seer would relish but nothing Xerxes would count on. Considering Ishi's unpredictable tactics (he once stood alone in the middle of the battlefield to improve his spell targeting and was pinned to the ground by a magical wood elf spear) Xerxes wasn't sure if Ishi would even survive. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the following batrep was written by janejellyroll, aka my gf. enjoy. or not, since the skaven don't do so well... ![]() also, there's mention of a skirmish game we played prior which affected a few things for this game (Assassin, where i had the chance to kill a paladin and damsel. the damsel survived but i won and got an assassin sans items for free). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blessed be the Lady on this day! The forces of Arbonne, under the command of the most virtuous and holy Duchess Gwencalon, have just experienced the most shining victory in their history! Many times the cunning Skaven have handed us the cup of defeat and forced us to drain it to the bitter dregs. Today was a victory for light over the chittering foul darkness. In a unpopulated area near Struhelspan, there stands a temple to the Lady, commemorating the blessed visions experienced by Colm the Baleful before his death 600 years ago. Although the temple is far from Arbonne, it is still a sacred site to all who seek the Lady’s peace and bounty. It was a frequent stop for pilgrims and traveling knights in the days before the dark face of Chaos threatened the land. The most august Duchess had led her Knights against her sworn enemy Xerxes of the Skaven in Zundap--but to little avail. When she caught word of the plans Xerxes had for this holy place in Struhelspan, she vowed to head a force herself to ensure no abomination could occur. Her retinue, however, lacked a magician. Argantlowen, a young adept from the House of the Lady in Arbonne, was quickly sent out to meet the army of the Duchess. The forces of the Duchess arrived to the temple in time, but the day of the battle began under a cloud of ill omen. The night before the battle, Argantlowen and her retinue were attacked by the infamous Skaven assassin Scatha. The traveling party suffered heavy losses and the young Paladin assigned to guard Argantlowen lost his life to Scatha’s dark blade. Argantlowen herself survived, but arrived still shaken and upset. The Temple’s stately gray marble gleamed in the sun as packs of Skaven arrayed themselves upon the field. The Duchess’s forces included young Argantlowen, the brave Paladin Arc’hantael (who was selected to bear the standard of the battle--the Banner of the Lady) and the renowned Paladin Tanet. Two full groups of Knights of the Realm marched under the command of the Duchess. There were also scores of peasants, a group of young Knights Errant and a small band of Questing Knights who had been seeking guidance at the temple when they decided to ally themselves with the Duchess. As this honorable army knelt to pray for the Lady’s blessing visions of the many lives lost to the Skaven in recent weeks must have passed before their eyes. However, none of the souls gathered in prayer doubted that the temple must be held at all cost. As soon as the praying ceased and eyes began to open, the monstrous array of the Skaven forces became clear. On one side of the field, the grotesque Rat Ogres came into view--three drooling fiends urged on with whips. The field was dotted with foul Skaven weaponry. Row after row of Clan Rat and Skaven Slave appeared. Arc’hantael marveled that they were able to appear so cowardly and eager for blood simultaneously. The dual nature of the Skaven was incomprehensible to him. But the worst sight yet was still to come--the towering Screaming Bell commanded by the Grey Seer Ishivithrax. Argantlowen could hardly contain her panic as she realized that the Skaven meant--this very day--to set the foul thing in a place of honor in the Lady’s temple! As she realized that the evil Scatha was probably concealed in the horde before her, she felt her ability to summon magic slip away. First, the Slaves moved forward to take the temple. They were still chittering with the excitement of advancement when the Warlock Twik cost a warp lightening spell and decimated a unit of Peasant Bowmen. Meanwhile, the Bretonnian trebuchet targeted the Grey Seer and his unit, causing devastation in the rear ranks. Tanet joined the unit of Knights Errant and they gathered peasants to guard the rear of the temple from further Slave advances. The Duchess thirsted to attack Ishishivirax herself, but it was not to be. Her unit was charged by a rapidly moving rat swarm. The second unit of Peasant Bowmen was attached from the rear by stealthy Night Runners, but they bravely held their ground so that the nearby Questing Knights could prepare to face the Rat Ogres. Meanwhile, Arc’hantael urged his unit of Knights of the Realm into combat with Ishivithrax’s unit. Seeing their opportunity, a group of fierce night runners frenzied with the power of the Horned Rat attacked Arc’hantael and his men from the rear. Arc’hantael prepared his soul to meet death--but he was within sight of the temple steps and was willing to cede no ground to the enemy. The bell stuck fear into the hearts of the Knights--but their sturdy armor and the Banner of the Lady carried them through the grim combat. Arc’hantael was even able to slay Ishivithrax’s champion! The spirits of Arbonne’s bravest were further lifted as the trebuchet unleashed yet more carnage on an advancing unit of Clan Rats and Tanet was able to lead his Knights Errand into the temple, scattering the Skaven Slaves in panic. However, the Questing Knights were bested in combat by the Rat Ogres and brought shame to the Lady by fleeing for their lives. The few archers who still lived also fled, seeking cover from the blades of the Night Runners. Suddenly, the heart of every human on the battlefield went chill with fear when the Skaven Bell rung out to the power of thirteen. Everyone stood their ground, however, with the exception of some Peasant Men-at-Arms clustered behind the temple. With no view of the battlefield, they imagined that the tolling of the bell signified the worst and they ran for their lives. Despite seeing the Warlock Twik dispatched before her very eyes due to a miscast spell, Argantlowen was still slack with fear and she ran to and fro to avoid the advances of the enemy. The trebuchet crew was forced to flee at the sudden appearance of the feared Scatha. Meanwhile, Gwencalon’s Knights finally dispatched the tenacious rat swarm and set their sights on the Clan Rats. Against all expectations, Arc’hantael’s Knights held firm against the enemy. To his dismay, Tanet could see the pitched battle from his vantage point, but was unable to ride to Arc’hantael’s aid because the narrowness of the temple steps meant a charge would have sent the Knights Errant crashing into their fellows. The inconstant Questing Knights meant to charge Scatha, but they were spotted by the Rat Ogres that they had gone to such trouble to escape. The Rat Ogres charged them and, in a horrifying display, tore the incapacitated Knights apart and indulged in the quelling of their Black Hunger. Gwencalon’s Knights met the Clan Rats on the battlefield and quickly vanquished them. But the glory of the day belongs to Arc’hantael and his Knights. The face of the Lady truly smiled on them as they withstood foul Skaven magic and their armor held through blows that should have crushed their bones. When Ishivithrax realized that even the Horned Rat and His evil were no match for the designs of the Lady on this day, he and his troops fled. The Rat Ogres came last, bearing the heavy Bell off the field. Gwencalon howled with frustration, for although her unit had been valiant, her own sword had not shed Skaven blood. Arc’hantael fell to his knees on the temple steps and broke into heartfelt prayer. His survival, he realized, had but little to do with his skill. No, the Lady had stayed the Skaven hand today to protect the sanctity of the temple. Argantlowen completed her undistinguished behavior by collapsing in a dead faint of relief. At that moment, only Tanet--who had been spared the crush of battle--reflected on the obvious truth. The cunning Xerxes had been nowhere in sight on this day--he had sent the Grey Seer to lead his army. His favored units--death-bringing Censer Bearers, frenzied Plague Monks and masked Globadiers--had been notably absent. Tonight was a night for celebration, but Tanet vowed to discuss his observations with his Duchess. The temple had obviously not been a major objective for Xerxes, but those familiar with his diabolical genius could safely guess he would not stay underground for long. |
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Skaveni primi, skaveni infiniti. ![]() if you meet a master swordsman, show him your sword; but do not show your poem to one who is not a poet. - japanese proverb | |
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