Storm Clouds over Arnheim [batrep/story/scenario/armylist]

[Dangerous Beans]

Ok, so I'm taking part in a battle later this week, its a combination of new (8th ed - based on strong rumours) and current rules.

Link to the Scenario Info and Batrep itself: HERE
Link to my army list: HERE

THE STORY...

The Year 1988:
The dark elf noble Hedron 'the vile' led an intrepid exploration into the jungles of Lustria, seeking to sack the ancient temple city of Xhuatec and claim the artefacts within in the name of Morathi. Hedron sought to further develop his relationship with the Lady of Naggaroth, who it seemed had had a keen eye on Hedron for some time... Indeed, Morathi had sent a reputed High Sorceress named Skaera Darkeyes to 'support' Hedron on his mission for her and ensure that no problems were encountered regarding defence against the powerful lizardmen magi. Morathi had also pulled several strings with her Khaine relations and persuaded a death hag from Har Ganeth named Zhorra Deathnail to join the contingent. However Morathi had explained that the war was a spiritual slaughter in the name of Khaine and that the sacrifice of the world's original children: the lizardmen, would greatly appease the Lord of Murder. Zhorra was so strongly convinced by Morathi's proposition that she had called upon support from her husband; a master of the guild of executioners, and even taken her temple's cauldron to be filled with Gharodile blood.

Upon arriving at Xhuatec the dark elves found the temple deserted save for a scattered few distant soaring lizardbeasts that patrolled the sky. The army spent much of the following days investigating the many catacombs. Several warrior detachments did return in the evening however, though Hedron speculated that this was due to their pathetic ignorance and had probably gotten lost. "Thats why state troops are rarely promoted" Hedron had mused to his black guard retinue.

However, despite the setbacks of losing a few troops, the armys' exploration had unearthed several very valuable artefacts - particularly a small but extremely heavy, dark green smooth stone that Skaera had demanded to claim. Hedron recalled to himself how the high sorceress had flown into an incandescent fury when the lordling in charge of the detachment that had found the stone did not yield to her demands, choosing stupidly instead to follow Hedron's orders. Skaera had proceeded to stare at the warrior, chanting words of dark sorcery only to be consumed in a spiralling purple cloud that had lifted her into the air, she had then snapped out her hand and shouted "VHRASHNORR!". The lordling and his troops had been racked in agony, dropping their weapons and falling to the floor choking. Skaera then leapt forwards at the lordling, whipping out a knife and slicing open his throat before he could respond. The satchel containing the green stone was snatched up by Skaera, who walked away casually, leaving the remaining warriors still in pain.

"To be honest though, it was a tough decision for him to have made; suffer the fate of angering a sorceress, or answer to my blade for disobedience." Hedron said, "its just as well he hadn't survived, for had he done so, my wrath of my whip would have been far greater than that of a meddling witch's powers..."

Nevertheless Hedron did have to at least appear to reprimand Skaera for the insolence of slaying one of his state troop champions. However as Hedron was walking through the camp near to Zhorra's Khainite devotee encampment, the warning horn was sounded and the screams from the khainites grew in frenzy.

The lizardmen it seemed had discovered them.

The ensuing fight lasted a mere few hours: the lizardmen comprised of mostly skink skirmishers that darted through the trees and terradon riders that soared above, launching javelins and rocks into those druchii caught out in the open. The force was led by a skink wearing a feathered crown riding on the largest terradon. This leader was evidently a mage as it wielded lightning bolts of varying intensity. Several of the largest lizardmen had joined their smaller cousins, and the khainites had fallen onto these, 'Qroks-zigor' as the skinks had been heard to call them, with lavished delight.

However, despite Hedron ordering the release of several of his captured harpies, many terradon riders including their leader had escaped into the darkness.

The druchii had suffered relatively few losses though the detachments of shades that Hedron had hired had taken the brunt of the attack; fighting the skinks at their own game. Fewer than a dozen shades now remained from a group of over thirty that Hedron had initially paid for.

It was then that Skaera had strode over to Hedron warning that she had forseen that a far greater lizardmen warhost was going to attempt retribution and reclaim the stolen artefacts. This Gharodile army would greatly outnumber Hedron's druchii force, who had deigned to spend three further days investigating the ruins and claiming Gharodile lives for Khaine. However certain death was not one of Hedron's intentions, yet he could ill afford to not appease Morathi's demands. Hedron thus had ordered his corsair groups to prepare and ready the druchii skiffs and to warn the coastal crews of the situation. He would spend one more day sacking Xhuatec and claiming as many magical items and expensive treasure as he could and then leave the following day on the seas. Skaera meanwhile was to contact Morathi and explain the situation.

That evening many of the druchii slept lightly; the sounds of rejoicing khainite devotees and unease from further Gharodile or even drugged witch elf attacks haunted their dreams.

During the following day, expeditions were kept relatively brief: seeking to have investigated a larger area rather than exploring deep into the subterranean tunnels beneath the pyramids. A handful of objects, whose properties appeared magical in nature, were unearthed and many more golden plaques and treasures were obtained. The druchii then headed back to the ships, much to the anger of Zhorra and her husband who had spent great lengths threatening Hedron with notions of adversity to the temples of Khaine and the guild of executioners. However Hedron had managed to successfully persuade the pair when he pointed out that his corsairs were loyal to only him and that should Hedron wish, he could abandon and leave the Khainites to their fate in jungles of lustria. Zhorra was furious, but her more level headed husband agreed to the proposition but stated that the matter was by no means resolved.

And so the druchii set sail, having claimed much treasure and many artefacts, though few Gharodile lives - much to the displeasure of the Khainites.

During the sixth day of sailing when the small fleet was in the Sea of Serpents, the distant Viper Mountains in view, Skaera had approached Hedron explaining that she had perceived that the lizardmen were pursuing the druchii beyond the northern borders of Lustria and maintaining a highly impressive forced march which she speculated probably involved the workings of the Gharodile slann. Hedron had never encountered one of the bloated frogs before, but had heard reports of their power despite physical fragility, and he intended to keep it that way. Hedron devised a plan and ordered that Skaera contact Morathi to warn of the potential danger to Naggarothi lands and to send support should Hedron encounter the lizardmen force.

On the seventh day, the druchii were due to approach The Bleak Coast when a tiny figure soaring over the waters to the south was spotted from Zhorra's skiff. Just as the crows nest scout was shouting his observation, the sky overhead blackened to darkness. Day became night and the booms of rumbling thunder could be heard. Flashes coursed through the darkness and the forks of lightning arced down onto the skiffs of Hedrons fleet in bolts of red and blue. The state of the sea grew tumultuos and turbulent; eddies became whirlpools and lines of sea swell became huge gaping tidal waves.

Hedron's forces were scattered to the forewinds and washed up on coasts near to the Forest of Arnheim.

Those druchii who had survived attempted to salvage as much treasure, items and wargear as possible from the wrecks. One of those who had remained relatively unharmed was Zhorra's husband Vhorkash, who had taken flight upon the back of his manticore Darkmaw, when the skiff had neared the shore. He then succeeded to pull together a small squad of his executioners, many of the corsairs manning his skiff and even a pair of reaper bolt throwers from the remains of the boat.

Zhorra too had survived the intial storm and was with her hags commanding the younger witch elves to retrieve her temple's almighty cauldron of blood. The lithe females heaved on taught ropes which amounted to little, until Vhorkash arrived and strapped Darkmaw to the ropes; succeeding finally to haul the massive structure from the submerged wreck.

Hedron, Skaera and some of his army had survived the course of the storm: particularly Skaera who appeared no different from when they had left Lustria on a calm and mild day.

Who was behind causing the storms? Hedron's first though of course was that the Gharodiles in persuit had brought his small fleet down in the chance that they could catch the druchii who would then have to travel by land; particularly as that distant figure had been spotted over the water. However Hedron had not ruled out the possability of Skaera's involvement, or perhaps even Morathi herself who may be displeased with Hedron's folly in displeasing the Lizardmen...

Regardless, Hedron amassed his remaining troops, secured the remaining Lustrian treasures and set off through the forest of Arnheim.

Three days later, though it was hard to tell how long had passed in the gloom of the forest, the druchii came across a the site of a recent battle.
Blackened trees that appeared to have been struck by lightning still smouldered, thousands of black fletched bolts pierced trees and laying on the floor of the forest was an enourmous number of Gharodile bodies; saurus, skink, kroxigor and even an almighty stegadon, numbering many times more than Hedron's force. However the lizardmen were not the only casualties: surrounding the clearing huge numbers of shades lay dead - numbering almost twice Hedron's remaining host. Hedron's own shades indentified the bodies as belonging to the Blackfang clan - one of the largest clans in the south east Blackspine mountains who hunt and kill any Asur traitors that attempt to expand into the forest. Tracks of lizardmen were discovered heading north out of the forest. His zcouts and trackers noted that the lizardmen 'war' host was significantly reduced and that Hedron's own remaining troops greatly ownnumbered the Gharodiles'. Zhorra too had somehow learned this information and returned to rage at Hedron again for not remaining in Lustria. She screamed that if Hedron wished to make amends, in part, with her temple and the disciples of Khaine, let alone the Lord of Murder himself, Hedron must pursue and eradicate the remaining Gharodile force.

And so, grudgingly, Hedron had to accept the proposition and set out to destroy the remaining Lizardmen.

He caught their force two days later, a league north of the Forest of Arnheim. The khainites screamed their challenges and daubed themselves in blood whilst the remaining druchii troops formed up to annihilate the remaining enemy.

Just as Hedron was about to have the signal to advance sounded, a distant winged figure was seen hovering behind the lizardmen warhost, lightning enveloping its silouette. A long single drone on a warhorn was sounded. Hedron knew that sound howeve...
The Asur were here it seemed...

[Drainial]

The story is fine, though it does seem reminiscent of one I have seen somewhere before, a WD maybe. Anyway the problem (as I see it) is a rather confused perspective, you switch upon occasion from a past tense third person narrative to first person present tense description seemingly on a whim and for no obvious reason before switching back again. You should pick one perspective and the stick to it.

On another point the witch elf hag would not have a husband, certainly not an open one, she is supposed to be as celibate as the rank and file remember, and though it is constantly intimated that not a single WE sticks to it (a by product of a game dominated by adolescent males I suppose) any such flouting would hardly be open.

Just a little constructive criticism, I look forward to reading the battle report.

[Dangerous Beans]

Excellent! I like constructive criticism drainial how else do we help one another to improve if not to note the areas where we could build upon? Quite correct on both parts - I had completely forgotten about the marriage rites of how witch elves are tied to Khaine - how else would they be his 'brides'?

As for the perspective - I was attempting to have Hedron reminise about a past experience of his, and how at the time he had spoken or mused to himself - the flit from third to first person is to allow me to not spend too much time going through every detail first person - to give an overview and then build on this with detail as it were.

Saying that, I did just copy and paste this in after writing it for an hour or so late in the evening!

I based it somewhat on the Storm of Chaos reasoning behind Morathis attack on Lustria.

[Drainial]

If you are trying to have it from the perspective of Hedron it might be helpful to start off with him, at the time that he is telling the story. I write in much the same way myself most of the time, for example the first entry in this...

http://www.druchii.net/viewtopic.php?t=51572