Ill Tides: The Haunted Isle

Armada / 250 points / The Haunted Isle / Twilight Kin Win

Tales of a haunted isle rich with ancient treasure had reached Sycorax's ears and so eager to claim it for himself he had set his fleet to sea. Unfortunately since the hated elves had won the last naval engagement they had been keeping a close eye on the dwarfish port and had trailed his force to the island.

When they arrived he'd noticed what looked like ghostly ships guarding the shoreline and surely their presence had lead the captains of his smallest ships (two Blacksouls) to charge recklessly out in front of the rest of the fleet and allow themselves to be picked off by the concentrated fire of the Twilight Kin fleet. Just as unwisely two of his captains had decided to break away from the protection of the mighty Arbiter of Pain which no elven captain was brave enough to close with.

Sycorax revelled in the destruction the Arbiter of Pain wrought upon the pair of elven Impalers which had broken off from the main enemy formation but whilst he and the captain of the Decimator poured withering fire into these ships the rest of the enemy fleet was free to act. It was not until the smoke cleared and the bloodlust faded from his eyes that he comprehended the defeat that had been inflicted on him once more.

Arlantrix was pleased with the days work, whilst they had lost both the Impalers in the fleet with the enemies main strength distracted and ghostly defenders of the isle drawn towards the dwarves, the rest of her fleet had performed as planned. The enemy Infernox and then Angkor had been captured and then sunk and her smaller ships had plundered large amounts of treasure from the island. She would have thanked the enemy for leading her to such a rich target if she'd not despised them so much.

Another bonus for Arlantrix was the poor showing by the Heart Seeker, Captain Zor'damos had gotten above her station after her killing spree in the previous battle. It was good to see her taken down a few rungs and that should serve as a useful reminder of who lead this expedition and wielded the true power. 

Next Scenario / Kings of War: Ambush / 995 points / Caravan Ambush - returning from an inland raid the Twilight Kin are once again ambushed by the Abyssal Dwarves, this time on land.

Ill Tides: A Close Run Thing - Ambush/995 points/Salt the Earth/Draw

The acrid stench of......what, what was it, Zor'damos pondered this momentarily as she considered the flea pit Men call home.

What was it? Treachery, without question; sorcery, no doubt; the capricious Gods and their games? It felt like all conspired against her and her kin.

And yet it had begun as planned, putting that perfidious squat menace to the sword for all eternity.

Zor'damos's horde had ensnared the snivelling wretch humans without incident but of course there are always greater prizes to snatch and Sycorax and his rabble were no impediment to Elvish ambition.  Sure the abominable whelps snarled and clawed and spat and chewed but ultimately to no avail against Zor'damos and her Impalers. Was that all they had scoffed the dark hearted Corsairs?

The much vaunted lumbering stone trolls trudged forward only to be held up by demonic underlings while the flying titan sought to vanquish the heart of the dwarven line, their very own dark hearts - The Blacksouls

The Corsairs were faring equally well against the dwarfs' self-styled 'Slithering Dragon' and it's deadly firepower - the terrifying Decimators.  However poor deployment  by the Decimators and lightning fast advances by the piratical horde negated this potent dwarven tactic and along with the beasts of hell they were soon despatched to their own fiery furnace leaving the way clear for Zor'damos and her band of petty thieves and brigands to inflict yet more misery on those 'men' unfortunate enough to fall prey to their merciless and infinitely cruel enslavement.

And so it seemed destined to be written in the annals of elven self-glorification until what, what exactly happened to puncture Zor'damos's hubris.

The Blacksouls, ravaged and broken by the Goredrake and Zor'damos herself - too craven to engage them alone - on the verge of destruction rallied for one last determined stand which thwarted the flying titan just long enough for the stone trolls to catch the leviathan's flank.  Though not decisive these creatures of infamy on both sides fought one another until by some devilish sorcery the Golems against all expectations smote the mighty winged behemoth.   

In the centre the Corsairs and Impalers were seeking to consolidate their fortuitous gains and realise their despicable stratagem.  Sycorax however had other ideas.  Unleashing a pyrotechnic inferno channelling Ariagful's Flame supported by the Molten Menace himself they made short work of the Corsairs who couldn't stand the heat and fled the cauldron!  The prime of the Twilight battleline - the monstrous Impalers - now found itself in a vice-like grip between the phlegmatic Golems and the fearless and heroic Infernox and they predictably crumbled to a primeval dust.

Zor'damos herself was in no position to assail the now impregnable dwarven position atop the central hill.  The victory, so assured only moments earlier, had eluded her and so had vast quantities of slaves and with it unimaginable wealth and power.

Zor'damos would extricate her shattered horde, regroup, lick her wounds and consider her next moves.

Next time - Armada: The Haunted Isles. Can Zor'damos claw back some wealth and prestige in the form of hidden yet ghoulishly guarded treasure to atone for the slaves lost to fiendish Sycorax?