What magnificence, what could Sycorax do with just one of those beasts? The other Iron Casters would bend to his will! But no, individual glory must be set aside now to thwart the blind greed and hubris of those piratical scum at whose head that She-Devil shrieks. Those Elves must be stopped from harnessing the power of those beasts otherwise Sycorax's plans will be nothing but charred embers in the fires of the Abyss.
Zor'damos was clearly planning on the deftness of her horde to slip past the lumpen squat menace in her way. This would be easy. The dull-witted Sycorax had drawn up that vile unimaginable foulness on the right by the wood along with the Molten Menace - the so-called Infernox - the Gargoyles and those lumbering and greatly overrated stone trolls. This was an obvious mistake and weakness. She would rely on her vaunted Princes of Death, the Impalers, and terrifyingly spectral Phantoms to control these worms.
On the left Zor'damos was bringing the majority of her host to bear. Her beasts of war capably corralled and protected by intimidating phalanxes of Corsairs and if this wasn't enough yet more Corsairs were trembling at the back content to let their less craven kin push the dwarves aside and no doubt fall in the process. The flying cutters too were here in support but are always wary of a hearty clash preferring to leave the dying to others.
Opposing this Sycorax had bristling fire from the Decimators, the phlegmatic resolve of the Blacksouls and the blood frenzy of his own Beasts of Hell. His place was here with his own kind.
The dwarves were cautious in their advance not wanting to overcommit. On the right the Princes of Death were hesitant, seemingly wary, initially, of the monstrous fiends forged from iron and flesh.
On the left those brigands were swept up in a tsunami of hubris and one band was shattered by the inferno unleashed by the Decimators', a sole mauling Beast and the righteous fury of Ariagful himself wielded by Sycorax - perhaps this would be harder than thought Zor'damos mused.
Nothing for it. Zor'damos herself threw herself against the encouraged Decimators who were clearly thrown off balance and failed to dispatch her to the fiery furnace with her brethren. The mauling beasts swept from the hill against the pirates but they held only to destroy these hell hounds in turn. The redoubtable Blacksouls were driven on by Sycorax to avenge their beastly comrades but by who knows what devillry the buccaneers prevailed just long enough for the Void-Skiffs to crash into their exposed flanks and victory now was surely all Zor'damos's. Or was it?
On the other flank the sentinels of the rocks inexorably shuffled to where Zor'damos had eyed the escape of her beasts - this would be a close run thing.
The Princes of Death spied an opening to engage the Grotesques and catch them part in the open - the margins of war are cruel - and these tortured beasts, deprived of their hideous charge, were eventually overwhelmed. The Molten Menace made short work of the Phantoms and like Hero's of old crashed into the Impalers to pin them in place.
Seemingly Zor'damos had not accounted for the dextrosus Gargoyles who swarmed the rear of her column - Sycorax was in sight of destroying this horde but a lone wiccan with her shameful sorcery got lucky and deprived the dwarves of delivering a fearsome blow.
All was in flux, all was in the balance....
Sycorax himself hurled molten boulders in fury against those beasts - in his black heart he wanted them for himself for his own dastardly ends - and his efforts reflected his own confliction. These largely span off or landed harmlessly. The stone golems though were not to be so conflicted - they hurled themselves against one of the magnificent creatures without pity or admiration, tearing it asunder.
The cowardly flying elves targeted The Ironjawz himself causing him to leave his beleaguered force in some peril with the Titans of Rock standing between the Void Skiffs and total Elven victory....And stand firm they did, literal Pillars of the Earth.
Zor'damos managed to extricate one of her prize only before night fell and she was forced to remove the remainder of her host lest greater loss befell them.
The Elves had one of these creatures now but two were now beyond their duplicitous reach - for now.
Sycorax knows he has to regroup and fling those privateer scum back into the cold dark oceans to realise his own majestic plans.
Next time: Armada - Trapped!
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