The Eye of the Storm
"Is this who we are fighting with?" sparks flew in all directions as Aef-Grimnir literally fumed with rage. "That filthy green scum!"
The string of curses that followed hit Lady Laelanyel like a blast of hot desert wind. Clearly, rumours of the Cleavermaw's involvement in the attack on the Aurannar convoy, minor as it had been, had reached the Runefather. With predictable effects.
The Mistweaver sighed under her shadesteel mask and turned to the duardin.
"I understand your indignation, Runefather. And I cannot say I agreed with the choice to make contact with the Cleavermaw". Neither had she disagreed, but Aef-Grimnir needed not to know that, she thought with a smirk.
"But there have been other choices that worry me more. You know what I'm talking about..."
"That's trivial!", more sparks flew around the couple. "I care not who we fight for, only who we fight with! And that we are paid at battle's end! We have not been, even though the bloody ship went down!"
"And what would you us do? Leave the Dornayar and make our way through a bloody civil war and out of the Prime Dominion alone?"
"Empty ended? Never!"
"Then let me suggest we keep to our unsolvent employer. Orders are to rescue the Eye of Noctis and those defending it. And so it happens that they are sitting ducks outside a vault full of gold... and more".
"Are you suggesting..."
"Well, in the heat of battle, who can tell where we have been?"
***
Hisses and cries stirred the shadows. Corraling the Umbral Slitherling had been hard, but not overwhelming. The Shadowkin had readied themselves as the Caengan mining upwards announced they were about to breach to the surface.
Then, Fhelthon Metheara had struck, his magic breaking Laelanyel's bonds on the Slitherling and his pike-armed mercenaries driving it into a frenzy. It had rampaged through both warbands and scattered them across the tunnels.
As the beast halted for a moment, Lady Laelanyel hoped things were going better for the Ancient One, Nilmorn, Mappenborough and their columns of wyrms. If they did not make it to the surface, it would have been hard for the Shadoflames to reach the vault's entrance. Though, for the moment, there were more pressing issues to deal with.
The Mistweaver stepped lightly into the tunnel, calling the shadowflames to her side. Only Tark and Narlek answered her call, emerging from the darkness at her sides.
"You humiliated me, Ulguanite!" Fhelthon voice echoed through the tunnel. "Show yourself and face my vengeance!"
Behind him, mercenaries of the Gilded Hand rallied and formed up ranks.
The Umbral Slitherling hissed and darted for Tark, slamming him against the tunnel walls.
Narlek harnessed the shadows around them and together with Lady Laelanyel advanced, arrows and bolts of darkness raining upon Fhelthon. Tark rolled away from the Slitherling, lobbing a throwing axe at the Loreseeker.
Still, Fhelthon came forward, sheer hatred in his eyes, slashing past Narlek to strike at the Mistweaver. Behind him, the human mercenaries advanced under crossbolt fire.
More fighters rallied from the Slitherling's earlier rampage and came rushing in from the side entrances to the tunnel.
With relentless zeal, Aef-Grimnir rushed towards the Umbral Slitherling. With the skill earned over years of Magmadroth hunts he struk at the beast, not to kill, but to cow and subdue.
Narlek moved away to intercept the incoming mercenaries as coils of shadow lashed from Lady Laelanyel's staff.
With increadible speed, Fhelthon dodged the grasping tendrils and his long sword came down in a furry of blows.
"That's were you belong, Ulguan witch!" he growled through teeth grinded in despise as the Mistweaver fell under his blows.
"The Lux Umbra will be your tomb and my honour restored. Now, prepare to die, knowing that no god will hear your prayers!"
As his blade came down, Lady Laelanyel closed her eyes. In her ears, a roar and a female voice lingered like mist over the Ulguan planes.
Flight of the Golden Eagle
Silence had fallen upon the Dornayar war council as they considered their plan to recover the Eye of Noctis.
Skoi and Vorsh of the Peakgrabber Stomp were to spearhead the attack on the skydocks where the Aurannar were assembling their convoy. The gargants' objective was to force an unprepared departure, so that the convoy would be vulnerable.
That was the simple part. What should have followed, however, was far trickier to pull out.
Ashavohlk's White Host were to lead a number of mages in summoning a storm, unexpected for the time of year, to slow the convoy's flight. Within the storm, the Maelstrom Heralds would wait, ready to ride the lighting and spring the trap. Then, the bulk of the Dornayar's flying force would have struck. For that, Gordûn Bloodfist, the Mappenbourgh Expedition and the Knights Luminous woud embark on a dragon taming expedition. Doctor Clovis and Gothos of Mirksvoir were to create a flock of winged undead monstrosities. The Bugmansburs' airships and Sorina's Coven Thrones would ferry more forces.
Then Sokrateez had sprung the news that, in a bout of 'big finkin', he had enlisted the services of Kaptain Mogrum and the Cleavermaws, apparently running their usual shenaningans in the Prime Dominion.
Lady Laelanyel thanked the gods that Aef-Grimnir was with his kin, celebrating their reunion, and not at the council.
"That's good news, Sokrateez" she intervened, "but doesn't address the plan's weakness. The Aurannar are marching through the Lux Umbra with the Eye as we speak. You all need more time to prepare our strike. The Shadowblades can buy you that. We will turn the Aurannar's advance into a crawl".
***
They had already struk on a score of occasions. One time they attacked the Aurannar column from the back, the next they split and threatened both their flanks, then came again from the front. And while Aef-Grimnir was fighting, Lady Laelanyel could keep from him that the Cleavermaws were in the Prime Dominion. There was too much in the Lux Umbra that she could recover to risk it for a duardin grudge. It was time to give him another fight and stopping him from asking too many questions about their allies within the Dornayar coalition.
Lady Laelanyel watched as Fhelthon Metheara entered the settlement with an escort of human mercenaries. Clearly, they were looking for a defensible position to shelter the Eye of Noctis while the troops rested. Exactly as she had expected.
Aef-Grimnir and his bodyguard Engrin were ready to strike from the left, Drevakh Xosh and the Shadowkin from the centre. On the right, she whispered a word of power and shade sprites darted to snuff out the torches and lanterns of the settlement, plunging it into complete darkness.
With calm orders Felthon spurred the humans into action, a few of them even reaching the Shadowflames before they could strike.
The Loreseeker himself strode forward to meet her, his Hyshian magic bent on breaking her obscuring charm. He was proving to be a better adversary than she had expected.
On the left, the Caengan clashed with another maniple of mercenaries.
Then screams of pain pierced the air. Their companions fumbling behind in the darkness, the humans that had led the attack faced the blades and darts of the Shadowkin and Shroudmaidens alone, and died.
Iyshak came to her side, the shadows thickening around him and deflecting Felthon's bright bolts.
The humans closed on Drevakh and Anielyn, crossbow bolts finding their mark at such a short range.
Engrin went on a berzerker rampage, cutting a swordman and crossbowman down in quick succession.
The Shroudmaidens's blades were swiftly deflected by the buckler of another swordman, but the marksman at his side stood no chance.
Then Drevakh fell, the quarrels and sword strikes too many even for the Tenebrael Shard to dodge. But left on his own devices, Anielyn cut the swordman to ribbons.
Laelanyel pulled away from Felthon, Iyshak instantly following her and signaling for the others to do the same.
Strike from the shadows and retreat. That was what the Shadowflames were best at. And they would do it again and again.
The Seeker
False leads had taken Fhelthon Metheara far from the Custodian’s Cave. That failure was a sore wound on the Aurannar Loreseeker’s pride. To redeem himself, he had volunteered to lead the vanguard of the convoy escorting the Eye to the ships. His would be the duty to find a safe path through the Lux Umbra. He had considered the dangers posed by the many lurking creatures and the Dornayar mercenaries. What he didn’t know, was that his path would have gone through shadow and flame.
While building it, I wasn't sure about painting the Loreseeker in the blue of Dornayar and use it as an ally for the Shadowflames. Though I love the model, it's aesthetic doesn't fit them and I wanted to get some use for it even after the campaign.
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| Aurannar Rune Sigil |
Then, our objectives for Week 2 were published, and with a Rivalry against Aurannar, I settled on an orange that is both close to the colour of the Aurannar rune sigil and complements the yellows and reds on my Free Companies of the Gilded Hand.
So, he will now fight with them as an adversary of the Shadowflames.
The Seeker and the Keeper - WIP
An artefact of unknown origin called the Eye of Noctis resides deep in the Lux Umbra, in the hoard of some massive feral creature. Both the Dornayar and the Aurannar are looking for it and many warriors thread the dark tunnels, stirring those that have laid dormant within them for long centuries.
I've been working on an Iscarneth Loreseeker and a Wight King to be used as Wild Fighters in my games in the Lux Umbra. Pity I didn't get to paint them, so they'll have to wait until next week to see some action.
The Loreseeker is based on an Aurallan Warden body, with the head from the Tree-Revenants, the right arm from the Elven Union Blood Bowl Team and the left arm from Eldrad Ulthran, with the power cell clipped off the sword. The scabbard on his back is also from Eldrad Ulthran, with the hilt of the sword clipped off.
The Wight King is based on a Chaos Warrior with the arm sockets shaved off so that I was able to glue arms from the old Khemri Skeletons. These were given a shield from the old Empire/Freeguild General and the flaming sword from the Battlewizard. The head is again from the Khemri Skeletons, with the top replaced with a helmet from the Empire Knights. Finally, in a nod to Krell's model, I've carefully removed the tip of one boot, but kept the sole and then glued the toes from the Khemri Skeletons in place.
Since I was at it, I've also made a Grave Site or Objective marker with a tombstone from the Khemri Skeletons sprue and the roses and hourglass from the Battlewizard kit.
