[Baalz]

The mother of all battles was joined this month.

Our campaign against van aggression has been short, but bloody. Initially our mystics were confident that arcane might would stop these fae horsemen in their tracks, but they drastically underestimated the raw power of the Vanheim war machine. As large groups of our scholars struggled to form a communion the mighty van horsemen blasted straight through the ranks of our stout phalanxes and most heinously slew our mages. So fast were these shifty horsemen that the mages had time not even to slay a handful with their arcane strength.

Several bloody months followed where this scene was repeated ad nauseam, with province after province falling in rapid succession. It would seem the van armies were unstoppable. Our only consolation was that many of our best provinces held strong fortresses, within which our forces withdrew in order to formulate a new plan. We were able to fight off the van’s smaller parties through arcane might, but their primary host would ride right over our heaviest infantry without pausing long enough to be properly blasted. This sad series of events culminated in the fall of the great citadel in Arcoscephale itself. Our council of scholars met, and the greatest minds of our time desperately tried to come up with some way to stave off the total fall of our civilization. They came up with a last ditch plan and threw everything they had into reclaiming our capital, for a king who cannot defend his own home is not worthy of being called a king.

The greatest wizards in our empire formed up and marched on the great citadel, protected behind rows of every able bodied man who could be found. The vans contemptuously rode out to break the siege and ride down yet another group of feeble old men. Our army paled, seeing a force over 300 strong, including massive numbers of mighty van horsemen bearing down on their scant 100, all afoot. Sensing Arcoscephale itself hung in the balance our righteous god Baal in a mighty divine stroke broke free of the prison and materialized in this plane before the Vanhiem army, proclaiming that the vans would not pass [ed note: I kid you not, my god broke free this turn and appeared in my home province to lend a hand in this huge battle totally unscritped].

A pregnant pause held on the battlefield as this divine presence was absorbed, then with a cry the van host broke into a charge. Coming to their senses, the Arcoscephale communion quickly began to form. A pair of priestess were able to join the communion through crystal matrixes and quickly began to howl arcanely to summon packs of wolves to our aid, while a pair of mystic pyromancers summoned will ‘o wisps from the realm of fire. This strategy worked beautifully, the wolves appeared surrounding the Vanheim host and the will ‘o wisps flicked around their flanks completely dissolving their charge as the army ran in all directions attacking these new threats. As the Vanjarls blasted lightning at the wolves, our wizards completed their communion and empowerment spells.

A great flock of black hawks descended on us, attempting to break the mage’s concentration. Our ranks of heavy spear were able to easily repel them though as the huge form of Baal the Nataraja stormed back to help them. The vans realized their mistake and attempted to reform their lines, but it was too late. Massive meteors crashed down from the heavens into their ranks, as molten lava burst from the ground underneath, and huge pillars of insidious astral flames burst into existence all around them and huge clouds of spinning blades were sent careening towards them. Insult was piled atop injury as their very own troops began to turn on them when their minds were enslaved by our master astrologists.

Incredibly, the massive van host barreled through this inferno, bearing down upon our communion with deadly intent. Then stepped forward the huge and terrible form of Baal, leading our now heavily enchanted phalanxes to meet this charge with a mighty cry of defiance. Despite the grievous damage inflicted upon them the vans are truly impressive warriors, charging straight through the jaws of arcane hell to engage us. Fortunately, our great communion enabled not only our mages to invoke truly amazing spells, it also allowed unparalleled endurance and they were able to continue the brutal pace of absolute destruction. Even STILL the vans persisted, as Baal lay about himself with all four arms of righteous fury and the very heavens vomited burning death upon them. Just as it seemed they may even yet prevail despite all the fury sorcery could bring to bear, as Baal stood grievously wounded and 70% of our infantry lay dead….the vans broke. Those unholy bastards broke, and broke hard, riding for the hills pursued by the fires of heaven.

Then the other jaw of our plan swung shut, and our secondary, much smaller army invaded the only province to which the vans could flee, preceded by a wave of astrological mind hunts which destroyed the few enemy commanders which were present. Our small army conquered the province without a fight, and slaughtered the vans which tried to retreat from the mother of all battles.

Now, Vanheim, doom is upon you. Baal’s divine fury points at your very heart, and the heavens line up against you. You shall pay for all you have done.