[RK19] Axeleron Chronicle EP. 4: The Battle of Arctis Tor

[Bookwyrm]

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(Recommended Listening:)
The gates of the Winter fortress of Arctis Tor.





Robin: We’re approaching the gates, be ready.




Oberon: Company halt! Prepare yourselves!




A deep, grinding noise begins to emanate from the gates.






The sound of jeering goblins and marching troops washes over the battlefield.




Balor: Well well, we have visitors. What brings you and your shrew of a wife to my abode, Oberon?




Oberon: This has gone on long enough, Balor. Your reign ends today one way or another. Mab will be restored to her position, and she will decide what to do with you and your traitorous followers.




Balor: Ha! You are more of a fool than I took you to be. You have no idea what you are dealing with now, sylvan. Events are in motion now that you have no hopes of stopping. Ragnablok is coming, and you will all be swept away in its tide of destruction for your weakness!




Balor: Persist in your attack if you must, I have more important things to attend to. I will greatly enjoy watching your deaths from my chambers and feeding your bodies to my troops when this is over.

Priestess: Raven’s Eye!




Dullahan: Forward! Crush them beneath your heels!




Nuckelavee: Feast on their marrow! Show no mercy! Leave none of them alive!




Evoker: Form ranks! Kill the adventurers and their fey friends!




Corrik: Right, that’s our cue!

Robin: Prepare for battle, men! Time to show them why they should fear the might of the Seelie!




Titania: Charge!




Erlking: Charge!




Oberon: Charge!




Goblins: Charge!




Spider: Screee!*

(*Spider for “Charge!”)




Overwatch



Turn One

Spring:



The Spring troops move up.




The sylphs fly into position to cover more area.




Titania and her guard move to pass up the spider.




It doesn't take kindly to the intruders and sprays a sticky cone of webs at the faerie queen.




Titania: Oh for the god’s sake! This is never going to come out of my hair, is it?




The beekeepers flank around towards the main bulk of the Spring force.




The sprites on their beasts cut through towards the Fomorian front line.




The kobolds move towards the Summer force.



Dullahan’s Force:



Dullahan: Charge forth, my fetches! Devour their hope and feed on their terror!




The fetches, night gaunts, and Dullahan charge to meet the Fey armies, but are unable to get into combat range.



Nuckelavee’s Force:



The Nuckelavee. redcaps, and rawheads all move up as well.



Summer:



The summer force of fey knights and boggans moves up in a line formation, led by Oberon and his sprite guards.




Mad Sweeny beckons to the kobolds to follow him.

Mad Sweeny: Oright ya gits, lets git these ere siege engines inta position!




The druids direct their rune monoliths forward slowly…




…With the wicker man following.



Dungeonmasters Guild:



The myconids, evoker, and owlbear move to the cover of the tower towards the Spring fey.



Fomorian Troops:



The goblins and boggart banner carrier move forward.




Revenant 1: You know why these guys are attacking us?

Revenant 2: I think they’re trying to free Mab from her imprisonment.




Revenant 1: I hear she’s got a really icy personality

Revenant 2: Really? That’s surprising!

Revenant 1: Really? Why’s that?

Revenant 2: Because her leadership’s only lukewarm!

Revenants: Oh ho ho ho!



Autumn:



The Erlking moves forward with the rest of the army, while the rest of the Autumn force maneuvers closer to the Dullahan’s force.



Galvyn’s Force



Galvyn, Corrik, Robin, and the gruffs move up with the Summer force.




Overwatch

[Bookwyrm]

Turn Two:

Summer:



Oberon lifts off into the air and begins flying quickly towards the enemy ranks.




His sprite guards conjure shields and leap into the air after him.




The fey knights maneuver around a bush…




…As do the boggans.




Boggan: Stay away from my fukkin berries.




The wicker man lopes along behind the main force, biding its time.




Mad Sweeny: Here, ya wee wrinkly buggers, make yerselves useful!




The kobolds unearth the boulder with their picks.




They begin rolling it along as they move to meet up with the siege teams.




The monoliths float forwards behind the rest of the group, staying protected by the front line.



Galvyn’s Force:



Galvyn’s company moves up as well.



Dungeonmasters Guild:



The DMs Guild forces advance.




The myconid leader approaches the spider’s lair with a gift, and attempts to sway the beast to their side.




The spider is very grateful for the offering, and will gladly accept, as long as it gets to have the bodies when the fighting is over for a snack.




The colossal arachnid turns to start attacking the Spring fey in earnest.



Autumn:



The Autumn company charges forward at the encroaching phobophages, speeding past the Erlking.




The spriggans launch an attack on the night gaunts, but roll phenomenally poorly, and are unable to even do a single point of damage.



Fomorian Troops:



Goblins: For the Evil Eye!




The Fomorian troops continue to maneuver forward to engage Summer.




The revenants decide to get in on the action and stop heckling to cause some carnage...




...And move to attack the svartalves.



Dullahan’s Force:



The night gaunts aren’t having any of these tree bastards’ shit. One crits and stomps on a greek knight’s head, and another seizes the other green knight by the throat.




Green Knight: Grkk!




YEET




The green knight has a few seconds to contemplate his life decisions up to this point…




...Before meeting a very sudden end at the hands of the forest floor.




The fetches bum rush to meet their flying attackers.




The Dullahan charges forward…




And hurls his pumpkin head…




BOOM!

Two of the knights are disrupted and damaged, and one is set ablaze by the blast.



Nuckelavee’s Force:



The bloody Fomorian fey charge the Summer front line.




The Nuckelavee breathes a cone of toxic gas onto a squad of boggans.




All three are infected with plague, as the rot eats away at their flesh and stamina.



Spring:



The sprites direct their creatures forward. The faery dragon breathes purple flame onto one of the rawheads as it flies overhead.

(Additionally, the forest guardian chomped and killed a redcap, but for some reason I lost the picture, so just know that happened.)




A sylph cleanses the queen of her sticky bonds.




Titania’s guards position themselves between her and the marauding spider, unfortunately doing no damage to the monster.




Another sylph cleanses the plague from one of the boggans.




The beekeepers also move to attack the spider and defend their queen.




The sluagh drifts forward aimlessly. He’s just happy to be included.




Overwatch.

[Bookwyrm]

Turn 3

Nuckelavee’s Force:



The Nuckelavee charges the other squad of boggans.




The swamp fey are trampled underfoot then thrown aside like bowling pins, and one is torn apart by its huge bloody claws.




The redcaps attack the infected boggans, swinging their scythes wildly.




Redcap: Blood for the Evil Eye!




The rawheads gang up to maul the forest guardian, lashing at it with bloody tendrils and bony barbs.




The faery fire scorched rawhead feeds on the downed redcap to heal itself.



Autumn:



Erlking: Forward my hounds!




The pack of faery hounds descends on one of the night gaunts.




The bony creature is torn apart by the teeth of the hounds.




Two mantis riders attack the dullahan, but the dark fey is too quick and easily avoids the wide swings of their polearms.




Erlking: Come on ye rookies, let me show you how it’s done!




He throws his blade expertly.




The blade sinks deep into the Dullahan’s horse’s torso, killing it instantly.




The other svartalves engage the revenants.




One is destroyed by the heavy swings of their halberds, shattering its long limbs apart.




The other critfails and freezes in terror as the leering giant skeleton rushes at him.

Revenant 2: You killed Waldorf! You bastards!




The revenant’s counterattack leaves a hole in the hapless svartalf’s torso.



Galvyn’s Force:



The gruffs and adventurers move up to support the Summer front line.




Corrik uses a battlecry.

Corrik: Alright troops, cut them down! YAAAAAH!




Invigorated by the warcry, the gruffs hurl a volley of javelins.




While some fall short, one wounds a rawhead.



Dungeonmasters Guild:



The spider rips into one of the Spring guards, while the phalanx of myconids is fended off by the other.




The gelatinous cube evoker sends his swarm to attack the forest guardian, taking off another hp.




The owlbear moves up and looks more pissed off than usual.



Spring:



The sluagh spots the owlbear lumbering up.

Slaugh: Whoooooooo… are yoooooou looking at??




It swoops down and attempts to smother the beast to death.




But it critfails! The owlbear counterattacks and rips its vaporous body apart.




The beekeepers all direct their swarms to gang up on this damn spider.




It takes all the damage.

Spider: SCREEEEEEEE*

(*Spider for “OH THE HUMANITY!”)




Two of the sylphs move up and heal the forest guardian.




The reinvigorated guardian turns on one of the rawheads that was attacking it.

Om nom nom.




The faery dragon swoops around to blast the goblins from behind.




Unfortunately, it gets within range of the sidhe archer’s deadly arrows.




The sprite never saw it coming.




The faery dragon alights daintily on the ground, blissfully unaware of the carnage unfolding around it.




Titania and her remaining guard attempt to kill the myconids with lashing vines and spears, but are unable to make much more headway than holding them off.



Dullahan’s Force:



The Dullahan picks himself up off the ground and resummons another jack o lantern head.




The fetches dart forward. One leaps into the air towards a Summer sprite guard.




The shadowy fey monstrosity tears her into bloody ribbons, covering the area with sprite cranberry.




The other two fetches fall upon the disrupted Summer troops and make short work of them.




One night gaunt takes to the air, while the other dropkicks a spriggan.



Summer:



Two fae knights swing their blades at the fetch.




They strike the dark creature down and avenge their fallen bretheren.




The other goes over and beats out the fire on his smoldering companion.

Knight 1: Stop, drop, and roll man!

Knight 2: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE I’M DOING!?




The boggans attack the redcaps, but fail to do any damage. One critfails and drops his spear.




The kobolds and monolith company moves closer to the front line.




The wicker man turns towards the rampaging Nuckelavee.




Nuckelavee: Oh shiiiii-




SPLORTCH

The wicker man punches its torso clear off its back.




Oberon and his remaining sprite guard attack the goblins. The king cleaves his foe in two, while the hummingbird-winged sprite is blocked by the goblin’s shield.



Fomorian Troops:



The boggart, being the only Fomorian that hasn’t already taken its action, throws it’s tomahawk at Oberon.




plop




Overwatch.

[Bookwyrm]

Turn Four

Spring:



The beekeepers continue their assault on the spider.




The monstrous creature finally goes down, curling up in death.




Spring Guard: Heeyah!

She impales the myconid on the end of her spear.




Spring Guard: Are you alright my queen?

Titania: I’m fine, but we really need to exterminate these blasted spiders, they’re becoming a nuisance.

Spring Guard: Shall I add “spider removal” to your schedule?




The forest guardian rears up behind one of the redcaps.




Redcap: help




OHMM NOHMM NOHMM




The sylphs continue to keep the forest guardian alive despite all odds.


Fomorian Troops:



The goblins gang up on and finish off the other sprite.




Boggart: Yah! I am terror incarnate!




Oberon: Oof




Oberon: This is idiotic.




The revenant picks up the stray halberd dropped by its victim.




Revenant 2: Let’s see how you like it you ass!




Another mantis rider goes down.


Dullahan’s Force:



The fetch moves towards the siege team but gets in range of response attacks. Mad Sweeny sets his beady sights on the nearby fetch.




Mad Sweeny: Oi ya sneaky fuck! Oot of me way!




Against all reason the hat crushes the fetches ribcage and kills it instantaneously, then continues forwards, carrying the shrouded body trailing behind like a windsock.




The other fetch attacks a fae knight, who nimbly dances out of the way.




The flying gaunt dive bombs the downed spriggan.




Spriggan: No please!




Ignoring his plea, the night gaunt rips out his guts.

Spriggan: gurgle




The other makes an unsuccessful swing at a mantis rider.




The Dullahan makes a flying leap at the pack of faery hounds.




*Slam Dunk!*

Flaming dogs fly everywhere.



Autumn:



The svartalf officer engages with the other night gaunt.




His halberd slices off an arm and a leg before gutting the horror.




Svartalf 1: Hey, you see Lord Oberon over there get knocked on his ass?

Svartalf 2: Heh, yeah. We should probably go kill that guy though.

Svartalf 1: Yeah I’m down.




The mantis riders charge the boggart.




Boggart: Wah!




Erlking: Bloody Ankou, you’re abominations!




The Autumn Lord rushes forward…




...And tackles the remaining nightgaunt to the ground.




Erlking: Stop squirming ye slippery fucker!




Splort!



Galvyn’s Force:



Galvyn leads his contingent to fill the gap in the front line.




He and Robin finish off the wounded rawhead.




The gruffs hurl another volley of javelins.




This time, their aim is a little better and the spears riddle the last rawhead with holes.




Corrik maneuvers towards the center of the fighting.



Dungeonmasters Guild:



As the giant spider falls, the egg sack in the spider’s lair begins to shake…




It breaks open, hatching dozens of spiderlings that swarm forward.




The spiderlings surge forward, getting their first ever meal of insects.

Mmmmm, fresh bee juices. Delicious, and part of a complete spider breakfast.




The myconid battalion moves forward and takes advantage of the gap in the beekeeper’s defenses to cut one down, and mob up on the remaining Spring guard.




The evoker redirects the attention of his swarm…




...Towards the troublesome gruff squad.




The gruff officer is dissolved into a corrosive mess by the slimy cubes.




The owlbear begins to maul the side of the forest guardian.




In a last ditch attempt to get rid of the rampaging plant/fox thing that keeps eating his companions, the redcap uses his haemomancy to hurl a blood axe at the real source of the problem…




The healers.



Summer:



The boggans surround the lone redcap.




He won’t be killing any more sylphs.




The remaining fae knights team up on the last fetch, but it laughs off their attacks easily.




Mad Sweeny: Need a hand, Lord Oberon?

Oberon: *Sigh* Yes please.




The kobolds charge through behind their king, rolling the boulder along in front of them.




They get it up to a decent speed then shove it towards the goblin squad.




*Strike!*




The siege weapons move into position.




Overwatch.
~~~<>~~~




With the banner of the Fomorians fallen, the remaining leader on the field assesses the situation.

Dullahan: Fall back to the gate!




The Fomorian troops retreat back, redeploying to in front of the wall.




Oberon: Get those monoliths into position! Prepare for another wave!




The gates swing open, and reinforcements arrive, led by Balor. Accompanying him are his grimalkin mount, a yeth hound familiar, and the Morrigan Priestesses and Banshee.




Balor: To me, my armies! We will crush the invaders once and for all!






The shellycobbs that have been guarding the walls leap down to join the main force.




Robin: We’ve got them now! If we can get Balor when he’s exposed, the rest of his troops will surrender!

Galvyn: Right! Let’s end this!




Mantis 1: <Hey, do you know what’s going on?>

Mantis 2: <No, but I do know there’s a lot of bodies laying around here. Wanna eat them?>

Mantis 1: <You know it!>




Overwatch.

[Bookwyrm]

Turn Five

Fey Military:



The entire fey infantry force charges forward in a massive assault.




The gruffs, having resupplied with recovered thorn javelins, hurl another round of the lightweight spears.




Two myconids fall from the attack.




Oberon slices a gelatinous cube into two parts with a spray of acid.




The last spriggan takes a potshot at the end goblin.




The shot downs him rather quickly.




The cavalry squad flanks the enemy with a charge.




The remaining fetch and a shellycobb are chopped to bits.




The rune monoliths drift forward closer to the walls.




Mad Sweeny: Set them up here now! We’re in range of the walls!




The kobolds quickly get to work.




The stone is split into two chunks…




...And dragged to the correct position.




The monoliths are lowered into firing positions, using the rocks as support.



Fomorians:



The sidhe archers now have plenty of targets within their extended range.

Sidhe: Fire!




Two gruffs fall under the hail of arrows…




...As do a pair of the mantis riders.




The remaining myconids combine attacks on a gruff, finishing him off with relative ease.




The shellycobbs are less successful in their attempts.




The owlbear attacks Oberon with its heavy paws, but the sylvan king braces against the attack with his halberd.




The Dullahan and evoker engage the fae knights.




The Dullahan takes down one, and the evoker loses a cube to the other knight’s counterattack.




Balor: Oberon, you were foolish to challenge me in my seat of power! You will die here today, and your people will all bear witness to your failure!




The fachan fires a beam of infernal energy from his single eye.




Oberon: Aargh!




Kobold: The king is wounded!

Knight: Defend the king!




The yeth hound teleports behind the defending troops in pursuit of the retreating fey monarch.




Corrik: No you don’t you creepy-looking mutt!




Mad Sweeny and Captain Corrik’s combined attacks easily dispatch the creature.




The lone revenant chops down the last remaining spriggan.



Fey Support



The faery dragon, now being ridden by Queen Titania, swoops in towards the Fomorian infantry.




Crab legs are on the menu tonight!




The sylphs and beekeepers move up to support.




The sprite beastmaster directs the forest guardian to take down the scout tower.




In their panic to get away, the sidhe critfails his counterattack, and accidentally steps off the back of the tower.




RIP sidhe scout.




Overwatch.

[Bookwyrm]

Turn Six

Fey Support:



The faery dragon banks around to attack the Fomorians from the back.




Sidhe: She’s too powerful to take down with arrows! Bring down her beast!




A barrage of arrows causes the poor faery dragon to tumble out of the sky.




Titania: Why you insolent little whelps! I’ll show you!




With a poof, the fair face of the sidhe is suddenly turned into the horrifying head of a spider.

The hapless sidhe reacts accordingly.

Sidhe: SCREEEEEEEE!




The beekeepers massacre the remaining shellycobb and one of the myconids.


Fey Military:



Erlking: Fire the weapons! Now!




Power courses through the air as the monoliths charge their attack.




PEW!

The wall explodes into shrapnel, sending dead archers flying with chunks of jagged black stone sticking out of them




PEW!

Another sidhe is hit directly and turned into a spray of bloody viscera.




PEW!
The final blast blows away another chunk of wall, and puts the spider-sidhe abomination out of its misery.




The final remaining gruff finishes off the myconid, exhausted by the wounds caused by the beekeepers.




The boggans form a row of spears and attack the revenant.




They roll incredibly unluckily, and the revenant counterattacks to behead one of them.




The last svartalf cuts down a Morrigan priestess before she can work any of her dark magic on him.




The Erlking slays the last of his traitorous goblins.




The fae knight attacks the owlbear, and is able to deal one damage to the beast’s massive girth.




Robin: You’re not getting away this time!




Crunch.




The leap attack is enough to finish the young owlbear off for good, its thick skill cracking under the swing of his shillelagh.




Captain Corrik engages with the Dullahan.

Corrik: It’s time to pay for what you did, you no-neck son of a bitch!




But he fails his roll critically! The Dullahan counterattacks mercilessly.

Corrik: Urgh!




Galvyn: CAPTAIN! No!!!








Dullahan: No, foolish human. Now, it is time for you to die alone, without-- Huh? What is--




Peridot Golem: *ROAAAAAAR!*




Dullahan: Wait! No! You can’t!




Dullahan: This can’t be happening! NOOOO!--




CRUNCH.




Mad Sweeny: That’s the openin’ we needed! Quick ya gits! Pull back! Pull back!




The summer troops use all their unused movement to quickly disengage from the fight…




...And the wicker man finally takes its opportunity.




Balor: Gods preserve us…








**ka-BOOOOM!!!**




The wicker man expends all of its hp in a colossal explosion, instantly blowing the revenant to kingdom come, killing the nearby riderless mantis, and setting a Morrigan priestess ablaze in a giant fireball…




...As well as burning the banshee and grimalkin to cinders and hurling Balor and the last priestess to the ground, wounded and disrupted.




With all but four Fomorian troops dead and the rest in no shape to fight, the siege of Arctis Tor ends, with the Fey alliance victorious!




Final Overwatch.




Bonus 1: Overwatch with all living figures removed.




Bonus 2: All the gathered blood used in this fight. I literally ended up exhausting my entire supply.

[Bookwyrm]

Epilogue:





Robin: That’s it then? The Fomorian rebellion is over?

Titania: Indeed it is. And not a moment too soon, either. This mutinous nonsense has gone on far longer than proper. Balor will pay for his crimes in short order.




Erlking: He should be paying right now, with his life! The backstabbing bastard is too dangerous to keep alive, we should separate his traitorous head from his neck where he stands!




Galvyn: We need to keep him alive though, we’ll need to sit him down and interrogate him about why he wanted the seal out of our village, and where he’s hidden it!




Balor: Ha! Foolish boy. The seal is long gone, I have no more use for it, and you will learn nothing from me. You are all unprepared for the horrors that await you at the hands of the heralds of Ragnablok, and your foolishness will be your undoing!




Galvyn: Is there any way to shut him up?

Robin: Oh let him let out all of his hot air, he won’t have much of it left when Mab gets her hands on him!




Erlking: Speaking of Mab… Guard! Search the fortress’ inner sanctums, find where Mab is being held and release her at once.

Svartalf: As you command my lord.




Corrik: Oof, thanks dollface.

Sylph: rolls eyes




Galvyn: Captain! All healed up I see?

Corrik: Fit as a fiddle my boy! By the way, I saw you dropped your sword when you worked that bit of magic back there, I had a gruff soldier retrieve it for me.

Galvyn: Thank you!

Corrik: What was that anyway? I didn’t know you had that kind of power in you!




Galvyn: I’m not sure. I just felt the power surge into me from the staff all the sudden and just acted on instinct.

Corrik: Well whatever it was, I’m damn grateful.

Galvyn: So now what? We still need to find out what’s actually going on here with these seals…

Robin: Well, once Mab is found and freed, you will be able to meet with her on the matter this Warden told you to speak to her of.




Galvyn: Will she actually agree to meet with us?

Titania: The Winter Court owes you and your companions a great debt of gratitude, for it was largely due to your prompting that she was rescued at all.

Erlking: Aye, Mab is cold and harsh, but she is honorable, and will certainly provide you with an audience. Plus, with as serious as this sounds, she may be just as interested to hear your side of the story as well.

Galvyn: Well then, the sooner, the better. The longer we wait, the more likelihood of something--




Galvyn: Gah!

Robin: Galvyn!




Balor: Greater Teleportation!




ker-




ZOP!




Corrik: Galvyn! Hold on!

Robin: Quickly! Someone fetch a healer immediately!




Corrik: Galvyn! Stay with us! Galvyn!




Corrik: Galvyn!






End of Episode 4.

[ninja_bait]

Fun - 19 - Definitely nailed the Wow Factor with the Wicker Man and the overall scale. Only complaint is that the armies are too far apart in the beginning.
Violence - 10 - Lots of violence of all varieties
Photography - 7 - some out-of-focus pictures and weird angles, but mostly clear what's going on
Writing - 9 - That epilogue is something else
Story - 9 - Yes, there is story.

[Kommander Ken]

Fun: The builds, the gameplay, the actions. Everything here is awesome. 19.
Violence: Lots of carnage, with some especially fantastic affects. I see what you did there with those monolith blasts and that's neat. 10.
Photography: Some of the shots are grainy and a bit out of focus, but it wasn't all that distracting. 8.
Writing: The writing with the flow of the battle was neat and the dialogue was entertaining. 9.

EDIT: Story: 10

[Rev. Sylvanus]

Very pleased with how epic this battle was.

To be honest, Bookwyrm, given the uniqueness of these Axeleron factions, I often lose track of who is fighting on whose side. In the writing for this battle, I was able to keep it straight the whole time.

Just wonderful.

[sahasrahla]

beautiful and epic

[Itsjustaguy]

Fun I really enjoyed reading this report, it was a more serious type of brikwar that I am not used to, but that is a welcome change. I could see the fun you had shine through the report as well 19
Violence Hell yeah, you killed a main character 10
Photography Agreeing with N_B 7
Writing Rich and substantial storyline, I can tell that this battle has serious lore implications that I would love to learn more about. 10

Edit :Story 10

[Bragallot]

Damn, there's not a single generic looking minifig here, all are cool-looking and unique, and those MOCs! Just pure eye candy. The value of those assembled minifigs must be through the roof, it's like watching plastic gold clash.

[Killer Karetsu]

You have some really good-looking fantasy forces at battle here! That wicker man is awesome, the dullahan is awesome, everything is awesome! I have to check out the earlier battles as well now. Epic and very unique - very creative parts usage.

EDIT: I really like the lore you have created as well. The forces being divided by seasons is very fitting to the fairytale setting.