Imperial borderlands, close to the Wildwoods...
Everything looks calm on the border, untill...
Imperial bodyguard: "Quickly! We're almost there!"
Chief: "We have you now!"
Queen Lara: "Yes, congratulations!"
"Where'd they go?!"
Queen Lara: "Sir Cales! You're a welcome sight."
Cales: "No need to thank me, your grace. Without Sharlena and some new allies we probably wouldn't have been able to find you... or get you out."
Queen Lara: "Allies?"
Cales: "Yes. Dwellers, they call themselves. They claim they're old vassals of the Kingdom who have been roaming these forests for ages, protecting the border against unspeakable threats... and they've offered to join us against the Bulls. Look! Their forces are just arriving."
Queen Lara: "They look quite similar to the folk who came to my aid in the Wildwood."
Miranda Oneshot: "Those were my people indeed, dear queen. Sadly, we lack the strength to face the Bulls ourselves. However, with Sir Cales' help, we shall stop them here."
Cales: "We shall give them a warm welcome. Miranda! Position your forces on my left. Your grace, you must be exhausted, you should go on ahead to Starkeep. Shall I arrange an escort?"
Queen Lara: "There will be no need for that, Sir Cales. You'll need your men in the battle to come. I shall find my way."
Cales: "Much obliged, your grace."
On the other side of the river, a fearsome horde of Bulls, spearheaded by their feared phalanx, appears.
The Dweller / imperial alliance forms up to face them.
So it begins...
Marshal Marnix: "Advance as one, general. Leave none alive."
Miranda: "This is where we come out of the shadows! This is where we beat them!"
The Bulls begin their raw battle chant as the phalanx advances.
The Dwellers advance to hold their side of the river.
Among them are swift riders mounted on Runners.
Miranda: "Volley!"
The imperial banner flies proudly, awaiting the coming storm.
Cales attempts a Heroic Feat, but falls from his horse.
As the battle lines draw closer the allies reposition.
What's this?! From the North, a host of undead, led by Phineus the Necromancer himself, advance.
To the South, a band of Dragon Knights from the southern nation of Kerrat arrive. They are far from home and their presence so near Kingdom territory is suspicious at best.
Across the river from them are some blackened ruins which they seem intent on reaching.
But portals appear and spawn forth a host of unknown warriors that blocks their way!
The warriors jeer and brandish their weapons as they realize they've reached a battlefield.
Sir Garth, leader of the Dragon Knights, urges his men onward.
"I don't know who they are, but they don't look friendly! Don't provoke them, but don't let them catch you off guard either! We have a job to do here and we'll go through them if we have to!"
Several of the approaching Bulls are killed at range before they can reach the river.
Shields do little good against the power of CANNONS!
Sharlena and the Purple Wizard work together to cast a spell...
Magic shoots up into the sky...
... and shoots towards the undead! Fthooom!
However, Phineus' dark magic protects his undead.
The Bull phalanx advances menacingly, under a hail of withering fire...
Rangers and crossbowmen exchange fire as the front lines begin to clash.
Werebears and halberdiers clash with phalanx, a heavy and a chief on the right flank.
Rangers are forced to draw swords as the phalanx reaches them.
The undead don't discriminate between the living and launch spells at the phalanx even as they advance upon the Dweller flank.
Skeletons, armed with fire swords, nibble at the Bull's flank as well.
A sudden volley kills many of the Wolfpack Rangers...
It's chaos! But where are Phineus and his shades?
The Dweller giant tries to stop them.
However, he is cut down swiftly. The undead begin to advance on the flank.
The skeletons start doing a celebratory dance.
Bull crossbowmen start making casualties among the imperials as well.
"Huuurk!"
And the undead.
"Fuuuuu!"
Imperial halberdiers do what they can to hold the Bulls off.
The elite swordsmen, so far held in reserve, now charge into the river to flank the phalanx.
They fall back briefly to regroup and reposition. Despite casualties, the Bulls look unstoppable.
The imperials' flank is threatened by undead.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Knights find that the unknown warriors persist on blocking their way.
Fishstache: "Knights! Hah! They will be our first victims. This world will know the name of the Water Demons!"
Since the Water Demons have no interest in diplomacy, the Dragon Knights charge among them.
Sir Garth: "As a famous philosopher once said: 'Move bitch, get out the way'!"
Sir Garth begins a duel with Fishstache, the Water Demon leader.
Fishstache: "Ah, a worthy opponent!"
The Purple Mage sets himself on fire, by accident.
Cannon fire clears out a lot of the skeletons.
Even Bitchy Witches start to fall.
One of the cannoneers is possessed by dark magic, grabs a sword and chops down his buddy.
Things turn grim for the Dwellers as the necromancess cuts down Miranda.
The Bull Icons are even joining the melee now.
Sir Cales: "We're losing ground... Sound the charge!"
The Knight-Marshal and his retinue charge headlong into the phalanx...
With most of the infantry dead and the backline sorely compromised, it's all up to them now.
The Bull Icons grunt an aggressive chant and manage to summon an avatar of the Bull God!
The creature spears one of the riders' horses and lifts it high into the air.
In the front rank, the Bull General is cut down.
The other bodyguard finds the Bull Heavies' armour tough to break.
The heroic Dweller Healer tries to help.
Sir Cales picks up a halberd and manages to stab the avatar! However, he is eventually knocked away by it.
Cales' bodyguards rush upon the avatar, screaming their revenge...
But they are knocked away like rag dolls and one of them is even decapitated.
From disciplined lines to isolated individual duels in a shattered backline: the battle has become truly desperate.
A mage flyer arrives to help!
But it crashes.
The Dragon Knights are outnumbered and bloodied. One of them, their mage, performs a magic ritual, seemingly out of desperation.
A spirit of a mighty, long gone warrior named Skaie answers his call and merges with his body!
Sir Garth eventually wins his duel against Fishstache.
He barely has any men left, though the same can be said for the Water Demons.
Sir Garth turns to deal with Fat Olaf, Fishstache's son.
But the Water Demon summons a cthulhoid to escape!
Their path cleared, Sir Garth and Skaie witness Phineus and a band of shades encroaching on the ruins!
Sir Garth: "Whatever their plans are, we'd better stop them!"
With their leader defeated, the Water Demons disperse and go find something else to do. Two decide it would be funny to try out one of these weird 'cannon' contraptions. They aim at the biggest target they can find...
Bullseye!
Skaie and Sir Garth cut down the shades, but fall just short of stopping Phineus.
Phineus: "You have failed, Sir Garth! I've already claimed the energies of this place!"
"No!" Sir Garth shouts as Phineus disappears in a flash...
Meanwhile the alliance lies crushed and beaten... The Bulls' path to advance upon the border fortresses is clear!
Westeron Restored - Chapter III: Desperate Alliance
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