The Lord of the solar-city
The sprawling jungles of the world hide its oldest societies, the ancient realms of the Old Ones' first children. Though very few men have heard of their existence, and far fewer have ever lain eyes on them, the learned and far-roaming men of the Empire know these diverse reptilian races collectively as the lizardmen. They are said to be unfeeling, murderous, eaters of men, that await any who might dare to enter their hunting grounds, but this has not stopped fortune-seeking adventurers from attempting to explore the inhospitable shores of Lustria or the Southlands. Most of those who have done so have indeed met death from the blades and claws of the local inhabitants, but some have succeeding in stealing priceless treasures from the ruins of abandoned cities of stone and bronze, and some have even established colonies that cling to the coasts to traffic in the exotic goods of these wild and strange lands.
Away from the eyes of these trespassers, the lizardmen follow daily task and routines that have been ordained since the times of the Old Ones, despite the fact that the world outside has undergone drastic mutations. Their society is focused around a rigid caste system and an instinctual collectivism that drives each member toward the service of their wise masters, who are in turn devoted to the service of the Old Ones' designs. Resilient by nature, and extremely industrious, the lizardmen have always been a powerful force in the shaping of the world, though their dynamism has been severely limited in the recent millennia, interacting little with the empires of elves, dwarfs, and men that have risen and fallen in the wider world. Since the great cataclysm of the past, the absence of the Old Ones has forced their rulers, the slann, to interpret their lost creators' intentions through a combination of preserved texts and magical divination, and the spread of Chaos across the world's unseen arcane infrastructure has reduced much of the lizardmen population to isolated remnants of a once unified force. The most influential city-states are led by slann that have decided to actively pursue the preservation and recreation of the Old One's designs, but most slann have not taken this stance and either meditate for centuries on end as they attempt to decipher the indecipherable or have limited themselves to what few directives they were left with at the Old Ones' departure. Unfortunately, many other city-states have lost their slann and leaders from among the saurus and skink have been forced to emerge from the lower castes to lead their brethren as best they can. All of this has destroyed any sense of cooperation among the city-states of the lizardmen and deprived their society of its strongest attribute: unity.
As the world approaches another drastic change, caused by the unpredictable interactions of the Great Vortex and a prophetic comet, a few city-states move to react accordingly. At one temple, skink attendants awaken one of the Slann's most ambitious personalities, the Mage-Priest Mazdamundi, in order to divine what new course of action should be followed, and the skink's of the temple are surprised with the speed and energy of Mazdamundi's awakening. The portents have changed, and with them has arisen a time of great danger and great opportunity. The Mage-Priest demands to be taken to the great Solar-City, Hexoatl, where all its vast resources must be utilized to build a new army. There is much in the world that must be corrected and the dials of the great star calendar will wait no longer.
Away from the eyes of these trespassers, the lizardmen follow daily task and routines that have been ordained since the times of the Old Ones, despite the fact that the world outside has undergone drastic mutations. Their society is focused around a rigid caste system and an instinctual collectivism that drives each member toward the service of their wise masters, who are in turn devoted to the service of the Old Ones' designs. Resilient by nature, and extremely industrious, the lizardmen have always been a powerful force in the shaping of the world, though their dynamism has been severely limited in the recent millennia, interacting little with the empires of elves, dwarfs, and men that have risen and fallen in the wider world. Since the great cataclysm of the past, the absence of the Old Ones has forced their rulers, the slann, to interpret their lost creators' intentions through a combination of preserved texts and magical divination, and the spread of Chaos across the world's unseen arcane infrastructure has reduced much of the lizardmen population to isolated remnants of a once unified force. The most influential city-states are led by slann that have decided to actively pursue the preservation and recreation of the Old One's designs, but most slann have not taken this stance and either meditate for centuries on end as they attempt to decipher the indecipherable or have limited themselves to what few directives they were left with at the Old Ones' departure. Unfortunately, many other city-states have lost their slann and leaders from among the saurus and skink have been forced to emerge from the lower castes to lead their brethren as best they can. All of this has destroyed any sense of cooperation among the city-states of the lizardmen and deprived their society of its strongest attribute: unity.
As the world approaches another drastic change, caused by the unpredictable interactions of the Great Vortex and a prophetic comet, a few city-states move to react accordingly. At one temple, skink attendants awaken one of the Slann's most ambitious personalities, the Mage-Priest Mazdamundi, in order to divine what new course of action should be followed, and the skink's of the temple are surprised with the speed and energy of Mazdamundi's awakening. The portents have changed, and with them has arisen a time of great danger and great opportunity. The Mage-Priest demands to be taken to the great Solar-City, Hexoatl, where all its vast resources must be utilized to build a new army. There is much in the world that must be corrected and the dials of the great star calendar will wait no longer.
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The Lizardmen
- Geomantic Web - A network linking lizardmen settlements can be harnessed to boost the power of Commandments. - Blessed Spawnings - Gain access to powerful Blessed versions of lizardmen units through unique missions. - Lords of the Jungle - Command diverse and deadly jungle fauna to shred and trample those who would defy the Old Ones. |
The Lord of the Solar-City
- Keeper of the Sun - -50% construction costs for Star Chamber buildings; -30% costs for Rites (Factionwide) - The Old Ones' Mandate - +1 Capacity for Slann Mage-Priests; -10 Diplomatic Relations with other races (Factionwide) - Venerated - -50% upkeep for Temple Guard units (Lord's army) |
PROLOGUE - wardens of order
Record of Kicha Temple - 4th day of the Month of Nal, Year 8096 - Attau the Wasp, 712th Sun-Priest of Kicha Temple
This will be the last entry of this record until the event of reconsecration at a time that is yet unrevealed. The misalignment has progressed past the returnable range of deviation. Sotek's Tongue has arrived early and crossed into the Belt of Azacan. Even the neophytes can feel the power of its distortion upon the web, and we have no answers for the destructive disturbances it will draw against the equilibrium. Communing with the Lord's mind to glean the correct response was not successful, for his dreams overpowered our interjections. Despite his last commandments, I decided the Lord must be awakened according the precedents set by Mage-Preist Nezca during the Cataclysm. The oblations were performed efficiently, and the Golden Throne was prepared in preparation for the worst.
Great Lord Mazdamundi's assessment of the star-readings has rewritten a millennia of predictions. We will be leaving Kicha soon, with all the Saurus and Kroxigor broods in tow, and messengers have been sent ahead by Terradon in order to prepare the Solar-City for our arrival. All the holdings of the city have been called to attend the Lord's arrival, in an event of more activity than I have ever expected to witness in my lifespan. The Lord has declared he knows the intent of the Old Ones and is prepared to seize the opportunity presented by Sotek's Tongue to realign the entire world. The other city-states and temples must be contacted, the armies of the Old Ones must be assembled, the servants of Chaos must be culled, and the Great Vortex of the misguided second children must be taken from their fragile grasp. There is much to do, and it begins with this end. I hereby seal the Temple of Kicha and its record, until the blessed day when Lord Mazdamundi may be content to dream once more.
This will be the last entry of this record until the event of reconsecration at a time that is yet unrevealed. The misalignment has progressed past the returnable range of deviation. Sotek's Tongue has arrived early and crossed into the Belt of Azacan. Even the neophytes can feel the power of its distortion upon the web, and we have no answers for the destructive disturbances it will draw against the equilibrium. Communing with the Lord's mind to glean the correct response was not successful, for his dreams overpowered our interjections. Despite his last commandments, I decided the Lord must be awakened according the precedents set by Mage-Preist Nezca during the Cataclysm. The oblations were performed efficiently, and the Golden Throne was prepared in preparation for the worst.
Great Lord Mazdamundi's assessment of the star-readings has rewritten a millennia of predictions. We will be leaving Kicha soon, with all the Saurus and Kroxigor broods in tow, and messengers have been sent ahead by Terradon in order to prepare the Solar-City for our arrival. All the holdings of the city have been called to attend the Lord's arrival, in an event of more activity than I have ever expected to witness in my lifespan. The Lord has declared he knows the intent of the Old Ones and is prepared to seize the opportunity presented by Sotek's Tongue to realign the entire world. The other city-states and temples must be contacted, the armies of the Old Ones must be assembled, the servants of Chaos must be culled, and the Great Vortex of the misguided second children must be taken from their fragile grasp. There is much to do, and it begins with this end. I hereby seal the Temple of Kicha and its record, until the blessed day when Lord Mazdamundi may be content to dream once more.
The Army of Hexoatl
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Xhatec, Warriors of Old Chaca, Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins), Blackspring Hunters (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine)
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Xhatec, Warriors of Old Chaca, Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins), Blackspring Hunters (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine)
Chapter 1 (Turns 1 - 45)
THE Ritual of Prognostication
The Awakening City
20 Nachgeheim, 2502 IC
For the Eyes of Captain Weissmure of the Sousby Expedition,
Greetings, Captain. I truly hope this message finds you in good health. Firstly, my capture has not led to the swift death that I expected (and I am sure you have long assumed), but instead has seen me subjected to a strange education and various wondrous sights that I hope might prove of use to our cause. I write to you from my quarters in an ancient city where I am always under the eyes of one of the lizardmen, and I have been assured that I will be allowed to deliver my message via the post at Jocham's Port soon. This assurance has indeed come from a lizardman himself, for over the past months that you have not heard from me I have been forced to learn the rudiments of their spoken and written language. While I still hope to serve you and the mission in whatever capacity I can, I seem to be required to act as a translator for these creatures at this time if I wish to extend my life.
My captor and guardian is a priest of their type, whose name I translate as Attau. Once my ability to communicate with Attau was sufficient (much of their language uses sounds that I have found myself unable to mimic), my first task was to assist in the interrogation of a another human captive. To my surprise, the man I helped the priest question was not one of our own nor any man of the Empire, but a deranged and wounded Norscan. The heathen could speak some Osterspiel, and so I was able to passably prove my value to my captors. Before he perished from his torture, I was able to learn that he served under Eric the Lost and had been a part of his large horde of northmen that had recently taken Skeggi from Nikkan the Flayer and attacked Nussbacker's last gold shipment. They were now on a quest for riches deep into the jungles north of Swamp Town. The wretch boasted pf how Eric's host now controlled Skeggi and the Raider's Coast, and would soon come to burn Swamp Town and the other colonies.
Soon after this, I was taken to a great city of the lizardmen. This was not like the ruins Port Reaver is built upon, or like the Green Temples, which I have been told variously was a town that the reptiles once inhabited or perhaps some lost civilization of men. This city is as massive and as populated as Nuln itself, though I know you will not believe that such a sight could be hidden within these green wilds. The streets are paved and tiled, and precious gems decorate clean statues of the myriad lizardfolk in front of structures whose purpose I can only guess at. Here, I witnessed a massive army of these creatures gathered in a plaza larger than the Academy's muster field. The warriors were addressed by a being that seems most revered by the lizardmen: a massive creature that remained sitting on what appeared to be a floating tablet of stone, held aloft and moving according to the creature's will. According to Attau, this display was a rare and momentous event for the lizardmen, celebrating the awakening of this strange being, a royal ruler of their kind, known as a Mage-Priest and the Lord of the City of the Sun, from some form of extended slumber.
From this Solar-City, Attau and I accompanied the Mage-Priest and his army eastward through lands of dense jungle and high meadow. Attau informed me that we were going to confront others of my kind, like the prisoner I interrogated. I tried to express how far the men of the Empire are from those filthy invaders, but I am yet unsure if these lizardmen are capable of appreciating even such obvious differences. The Army of the Solar-City moved with a strange efficiency and discipline. The march gave me ample time to observe the hierarchy of their army, and I was surprised to see that the larger creatures are not always the leaders among their kind. In fact, not unlike Imperial customs, birthright, intelligence, and education are often more likely to determine their roles than their fearsome nature. Attau seemed to be evidence of this point for he was of the smaller breed of skinks, as described by Gerherdt von Tarnus, yet I saw many of the giant kroxigor bow to his command.
Possibly of most value to you: I was able to witness the Army of the Solar-City's attack on Eric the Lost's company. The lizardmen army was led by the city's great Mage-Priest himself, and I observed that his warriors fought steadfastly for him. The Mage-Priest used magic to heal his wounded soldiers during the battle and push aside those who would bar his way. The fearsome saurus warriors formed the main line of the army, with skink cohorts filling in gaps between or advancing up the flanks from which they would often hurl javelins at the enemy rather than charge in with the Saurus. I had thought they used nothing in the way of armor other than for decoration, choosing instead to rely on their scaly skin for protection, but I learned that the most elite warriors among the saurus do wear functional suits of metal, bone, and hide that could turn most blades. What most definitely needs no armor, are the giant creatures that the lizardmen have tamed as beasts of war. One of a various species that they have bent to their will, covered in thick shell and hide and easily able to crush a full grown soldier, carries a large magical device into battle that can harness light to blast and burn their enemies at great distance.
The warriors of the Solar-City moved into position with precision and discipline under the few spoken commands of their officers, but this display mostly fell away in the violence of hand-to-hand combat, where I witnessed the warriors revert to the same bestial and merciless frenzy that is a trait of the northmen they clashed with. The fight saw no quarter given by either side, but the butchered bodies of the lizardmen were far outnumbered by those of the northmen after Erik's warriors fled the field. I saw Erik himself leading his men into the battle, but I did not find him among the living or dead afterword. To my revulsion, the fortunate among those captured in battle were slain in an elaborate ritual to some heretical deity, their bodies left upon alters, surrounded by designs painted in their own blood, while the less fortunate were killed and eaten by these strange creatures. Though I have witnessed them valiantly fight the followers of the Dark Gods, this was a foul reminder of how far the lizardmen are removed from the light of Sigmar.
Along with another high-ranking skink, called the Spider, with whom he has a close relationship with, Attau serves as a primary attendant and adviser to the Lord of the Solar-City, and is frequently by his side, allowing me to witness much of their administration. For example, I have seen messengers arrive, respected and well-treated, from some other faction of these creatures. From their public conversation with Attau, I know this faction hails from another city deep within Lustria, named Xlanhuapec, and coordination between these two groups is strained and vexing for them. And from the reports of their scouts, I have learned that Erik's defeat at the Monolith of Fallen Gods has lead to the collapse of his control over Raider's Coast.
After a week at the city of Fallen Gods, the Army of the Solar-City marched east to the settlement that sailor's call the Beacon of Dawn. The harbor here was held by one of Erik's chiefs, but the defence was halfhearted and quickly routed. Those captured revealed that the Northmen remaining here were survivors from a previous attack from the sea. A large pirate fleet to be sure, but the Norscans each claimed that from the attacking ships came walking corpses. The Norscans were overrun and had to abandon the settlement, allowing the corpse pirates to take whatever it is they wanted before they sailed back out to sea. It seems that even sailing halfway around the world from Sylvania is not enough to escape its horrors. Furthermore, and of possible import to Nussbacker's garrisons, these wretches had news that Skeggi itself had been attacked by an large army of monsters from the jungle. I mention it not only because this threat, once rebuffed from Skeggi, could turn south, but because the army was described to be a horde of man-sized rats like in Old Otto's tales and Nuln's well-known sewer-guild rumors.
With the effort of hundreds of laborers, the shacks and piers of the Beacon of Dawn were quickly cleared away to reveal the familiar architecture beneath, ruined though it was. By the time of my departure, new construction was well underway and seemed to be focused around the Beacon itself, which Attau assured me was very important while not elaborating further. As I had hoped, the Lord of the Solar-City had decided that our old enemy's foothold here in the New World should be removed, and our army next marched south, toward Skeggi itself.
While still a few days march from Skeggi, the Lord of the Solar-City decided to sit in wait for his foe. As anticipated, a large Norscan army appeared from the direction of the town with Erik the Lost himself at its head. I am not confident that the mage-priest's army could have bested the Lost's newly assembled warhost if it had assaulted Skeggi, but the ambush in the jungle bogs was a decisive success. I was unable to find the Warchief's body among the dead, a throrough search could have taken days and I would never be sure that he had not been devoured by a kroxigor, but few escaped the battle to flee into the deep jungle. I truly think we may have seen the last of Erik the Lost.
At Skeggi, there were yet many more northmen. With the ambush, the Lord of the Solar-City, through fortune or skill, narrowly avoided being outnumbered by a force more than twice the size of his own. As it was, the raiders of Skeggi defended the port town under the leadership of Garathor of the Vargs, and most fell there with him. To the great benefit of the Imperial shipping, and all good seafarers, the infamous raiding base of Skeggi has been scoured of its Norscan inhabitants. The lizardmen have constructed new defences and surprisingly seem intent on holding the colony. I have seen ruins unearthed here as well, though I had not known Skeggi was also founded upon such, and most human architecture is being torn down if it has not been found specifically useful.
As I hope you can see, there may be some potential for your interests to coincide with the Lord of the Solar-City. I have spoken with Attau about the Imperial colonies, careful not to reveal anything of strategic value, and he has not expressed hostility towards them. As things stand, I would not recommend any adventures into the interior of the Isthmus or into the former holdings of Skeggi, as any misunderstanding could provoke the base instincts of these creatures and easily escalate into bloody conflict. I will continue to keep you informed as much as possible, so that you may know what events transpire in this dangerous land before they affect your work here.
Spreading Chotec's Light
1 Nachexen, 2503 IC
Captain, it has pleased me greatly to hear that the colonies have been able to meet with agents of the Solar-City. Attau has informed me that there has been an agreement to respect certain colonial borders and that there will be exchanges of materials and information. I still have not seen any sign of hostile intentions against the colonies and have only witnessed further reasons to align ourselves with the Solar-City. Indeed, they have proven themselves dedicated to the eradication of horrors I had never guessed waited for us in the dark corners of the world.
After the conquest of Skeggi, we returned to the Solar-City which had truly come alive in our absence with skink tradesman, saurus laborers, and giant beasts of burden, carrying out the various functions of this reptile society. While I undoubtedly remain a ward of Attau, my freedom has increased substantially and I am sometimes consulted by other curious members of the Solar-City's court. During one such instance, Kikcha the Spider, a skink chief who commands the City's scouting missions, asked me about our people's methods of fighting what he described as "those who gnaw at the roots of the world," to which I had no reply. Another skink commander, called Fire-Blood, who led one of the pincers during the ambush of Erik the Lost, informed that the eastern coasts were indeed being attacked and raided by the undead pirates described by the Norscans. Off the coast of Skeggi (where I had indeed seen the lizardmen constructing strange ships of wood and stone), Fire-Blood had tracked and confronted one of their fleets, sinking most of their vessels and capturing their captain, William Braun himself. The man no longer looks as handsome as his wanted posters on the docks of Marienburg. I would not believe it if Fire-Blood had not brought the foul creature before me, bound and chained, but William Braun had been transformed into what I believe to be a vampire. He seemed to neither need food or drink and his grievous wounds hardly afflicted him. In a ritual led by Fire-Blood himself, William Braun was burned alive, but before his death I learned from him that he had been bound to another pirate called Madame Dyrefin who I think was responsible for his transformation.
A few weeks later, I departed once again with Attau and the army, but this time northward into the treacherous region I have known sailors to call the Forest of Vipers, where the horrors of the Land of Chill meet the predators of Lustria. Here, the Lord of the Solar-City sought to take a site known as the Mirror Pool, and here is where I first saw the rat-men, the vermin-mutants, those who gnaw at the roots of the world. Entering the first major temple complex on our journey north, the army was cautious and prepared for what was to come. Swarms of filthy furred mutants, armed with blades, slings, poisoned metal throwing stars, and horrific cannons and bombs that loosed green fire, attacked our flanks and attempted to overwhelm us, but the warriors weathered the attack and cut their own bloody swath through our assailants. Their attack failed and we continued north, while Fire-Blood was tasked with ensuring the vermin did not follow us. Attau informed me that the Fire-Blood's army in fact caught and defeated a reinforcing army a few days later, but that another led by a warlord of their kind called Toxer, was too large to ambush with his remaining forces.
The Mirror Pool was a beautiful lake surrounded by a large temple-city, though much of it was tainted with the structures and refuse of the vile scourge that opposed us. Attau explained that the Gnawers, the closest term I have to his description, would need to be driven out of the tunnels and caverns beneath the city. Without hesitation, the Lord of the Solar-City led his army underground to find the enemy's stronghold, knowing that the enemy warlord was likely only a few days away and would try to entrap us between the two forces. Under the Mirror Pool the city continued, a shadow of the part on the surface, partly of the same above-ground architecture, but with significant wandering ramshackle extensions. Once their lair was threatened the vermin revealed themselves, attacking viciously to keep the lizardmen away. After the initial engagements, however, the defenders resolve began to wither and their numbers thinned while the lizardmen steadily advanced despite their losses. The Gnawers eventually fled the field and abandoned their lair, which was then destroyed by fire and the collapse of tunnels where possible.
At the Mirror Pool, Attau and the other priests organized what appeared to be excavation efforts, collecting tablets for a cohort of scribes and librarians, before we quickly marched south again to confront the Gnawer warlord. Through his research here, Attau had discovered the location of a magical artifact important to his people and was intent its recapture, but the Lord of the Solar-City would not allow the enemy to do what he willed while they pursued this lead. In coordination with the army of Warchief Fire-Blood, we confronted the Gnawer army at a strategically important choke point on the route north of the Solar City called Chotec's Causeway (Chotec being one of their chief deities). The gnawers used tunnels to attack our flanks and rear during the ensuing battle, released poisonous gases among the lizardmen warriors, and summoned green lighting from the sky that could blast apart a kroxigor, but they still fell in great numbers under the javelins and stone axes of the Solar-City's army. Warlord Toxer abandoned his position in full rout, his army scattering into the wilderness.
North of the Causeway, where mountains rise about the forest, the army approached a small temple-complex. A large vanguard from the Solar-City had been trapped here as they searched for the artifact by a host of barbarians following a powerful warlock. I can only guess they arrived from further north, from somewhere in the Land of Chill, but Attau was at least confident that the power of the unearth artifact was what had drawn their attention to the temple. Through secret passages, our forces were able to join the besieged vanguard before the barbarian army began their assault. The enemy possessed demon-machines that hurled dark magic onto the defenders, and their greatest warriors were carried over our warriors lines on the backs of flying monsters. I saw the Warlock who led this host from astride a terrifying dragon, descend upon the Lord of the Solar-City himself. Though I thought the creature doomed to a bloody death beneath its giant claws, the mage-priest fended off the attack, engaging in magical combat with the warlock long enough to allow his chosen warriors, the Eclipse Guard, to eventually drag the beast and his rider down to their demise. The Army of the Solar-City suffered terrible losses in this battle, but emerged victorious.
Having fought both the rat-men and the barbarians within the last fortnight, I was surprised to find us soon attacking a new and unexpected enemy: the elves. These elves held a temple-city yet further north, that contains what Attau refers to as the "Fallen Gates", another key site in the elusive plan of the Lord of the Solar-City. I am unaware of any attempts at diplomacy undertaken with the elves, but it appeared they had very little warning before our invasion of the city. From what I saw the elves fought with a fervor and frenzy that I had not known their kind capable of, but they were outnumbered and crushed. The Sunburst Standard, the great prize unearthed by the army's efforts, was carried into battle by the Eclipse Guard, who had suffered much to claim it, and I swear to you that it radiated a palpable warmth and vigour. I believe that those elves who surrendered were allowed to live, though they did not allow me to speak to them despite the fact that I informed Attau of my capabilities with the language of Ulthuan from my time in Lothern. It is from these Fallen Gates that I write this now, for delivery by a skink trader, waiting to see how the Lord of the Solar-City's plans unfold.
The Defense of the Gates
7 Vorgeheim, 2503 IC
Captain, I am glad to here that the new colony at Grey Rock Point prospers, for it means that my humble work with the Solar-City bears some fruit for the Empire. With the blessings of Sigmar and Morr, I pray that the location's cursed past does not return to haunt its brave new inhabitants. While the war with the Gnawers continued, the corpse fleets have expanded their reach inland and their ships are even seen in the far western seas. After an army of these undead raiders was ambushed and destroyed by Fire-Blood as it ventured near the Fallen Gates, the Lord of the Solar City decided this monster, Dyrefin, and her thralls posed an unacceptable threat to his holdings along the Bay of Fangs, and personally led the attack against her stronghold at Grey Rock Point. Striking out across the bay from the Beacon of Dawn and landing a few miles down the coast from the Point, the Lord of the Solar-City met the dead in battle as he marched to their docks. These corpse-pirates fired upon us with handguns and cannons, but could not defeat the saurus in close combat as they were supported and protected by the mage-priest's magic. I saw giant bloated corpses of drowned ogres explode with poisonous fumes and fluids, but the javelins felled most of these monstrosities before they could reach our warriors. Once the vampire who led this host was killed, the rest soon crumbled around him, and the victors marched on to set fire to the docks and the ships berthed there.
I was dismayed, however, to learn that Dyrefin herself had not been at her base. In fact, she had taken the greater part of her army to war with the elven city-state I had mentioned privously, Sildra Tor. With this city-state, I can tell you that we have not had further conflict past our attack on the Fallen Gates, but they seem to have been beset by other aggressors, including Dyrefin. Attau tells me that the city of Sildra Tor has appealed to a powerful elven cult from further north for protection, and the banners over the city have changed. The Lord of the Solar City has not pursued any further conflict with them as of yet, and the elves have not made any attempt to retake the Fallen Gates. This has allowed the scholars of the Solar-City to unlock the secrets they desired to uncover there.
From what Attau has deigned to tell me, there is a web of energy connecting many the temples of the lizardmen which can be used for various functions at the right locations. Combining the mechanisms of the Fallen Gates, the Beacon of Dawn, and the Solar-City itself allowed the mage-priest's scholars to commence a ritual of divination. Whether this ritual is the cause of or simply coinciding with the outbreaks of madness you spoke of in Port Reaver, I cannot confirm. However, the ritual's power quickly became evident by the attention it warranted. The Army of the Solar-City rushed to the Fallen Gates, and Attau explained that the mage-priest had sensed a great army of barbarians had gathered to destroy the settlement and siphon off the ritual's power. As soon as we arrived, however, we marched to reinforce Fire-Bloods army as he confronted the furious power of the undead Madame, for her personal fleet had made landfall near the Fallen Gates far ahead of the Dark Gods' invasion force. With billhook and blunderbuss, her servants brought her rage down onto us, while the Madame herself crushed metal and bone with the force of her shrill voice, but the commanders of the Solar-City had surrounded her army and were able to focus on and overwhelm her personal guard. Her spectral form dissipated before the magic of the mage-priest, and her army quickly returned to the proper stillness of death.
The next few days were spent preparing for the arrival of the northmen, led by a pair of warlords called Hordredd and Varritus Kul, I cannot ascertain this, but I believe that the horde that was defeated at the resting place of the Sunburst Standard must have followed the same route as this dark invasion, and probably hailed from the same lands. The forces of the Solar-City boast a certain breed of skink with skin that can change color, blending with their environment to become invisible unless you know what telltale signs to look for. From these spies came back the names of a pair of warchiefs that led this invasion: Hordredd and Varritus-Kul. Fortunately the two warlords chose to each pursue their own glory, as one surrounded the Fallen Gates, defended by Chief Fire-Blood, and the other pursued the Army of the Solar-City. With both armies on even footing, I witnessed the Lord of the Solar soundly defeat the warlock, Varritus-Kul, and his insane tribesman. The disciplined bravery of the lizardmen and the powerful wrath of their gigantic war-beasts were more than a match for the bloodthirsty invaders that had descended upon us from the Land of Chill. With Varritus-Kul dead and his army lost to the jungle forests, the Lord of the Solar-City marched the victorious survivors of the battle to the relief of the Fallen Gates. Hordredd, attacked from two sides, fared even worse than his erstwhile ally, and met the same fate.
With the Fallen Gates safe for now, we returned south to the Causeway, where the Gnawers had struck in strength while the Solar-City's forces had been defending the Fallen Gates, killing most of the settlement's defenders and inhabitants before they could escape. The Gnawers had retreated after their attack, but we pursued them into the Macu Peaks. I could see that these green mountains hide many temple-complexes, but Kikcha the Spider assured me that they also hide large colonies of the Gnawers. The Spider explained that the Peaks must be held to stop the Gnawers attacks on the supply lines between the Solar-City and the Fallen Gates. In order to hinder their ability to come and go as they pleased, the army of the Solar-City occupied the regions central and largest temple complex, and as they had at the Mirror Pool, ventured in the city's underworld to find their horrid nest. Their defense of this stronghold was significant but far beneath the expectations of Attau and Kikcha. The answer to this mystery came later, and I pray Sawmp Town's huntsmen have already been forewarned: not one, but two massive armies of beastmen, following rival warlords, have gathered in the jungles south of the Peaks. While they currently seem to be hunting the Gnawers , only the Dark Gods know where their axes will fall next.
Attau tells me that his great ritual has completed successfully, gaining them answers which I will endeavor to understand in the coming weeks. The Army of the Solar-City does not seem to be standing down however, and they continue to rebuild the temple-cities, filling once barren streets with busy skinks and saurus. I see that it has been more than a year since my capture, and though I do miss the comforts of the Empire I do not regret my opportunity to study this fascinating civilization. I am eager to see what ends this Lord of the Solar-City seeks, and will write soon with what I am fortunate enough to find out.
The Army of Hexoatl
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Skink Priests - Attau the Wasp (Heavens)
Skink Chiefs - Meso'Clan the Pathfinder
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard
Saurus Warriors - Goldcrest Warriors (spears and shields), Machki's Scar-band (spears and shields), Yachitaq's Fangs (spears and shields), Duskhawk Warriors (spears), Sawtail Warriors (shields), Warriors of Old Chaca (shields), Warriors of Xhatec
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins), Cohort of Ta-Piti (javelins), Cohort of the Star Gate
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Unseen of Teba's Canopy (chameleon), Moonfen Hunters, Oaxa's Watchers
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine)
Carnosaurs - Hataxitzl the Wrathful
The Army of Tlahuizcal
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Enem-Braq Fire-Blood
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Nilitehe the Quick
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Atelaza (spears), Warriors of the Jade Claw, Highglade Warriors, Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Sotek (red-crested), Scions of Nachaxatl (red-crested), Bearers of Iztlan's Tail (red-crested), Cohort of Naquetzum (javelins), Paxua's Frog-Eaters (javelins), Naqqee's Flayers, Boiling Pond Cohort, Quick Hatti's Cohort
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Itatza's Hunters, Wardens of Lake Taka
Agents
Skink Chiefs - Kikcha the Spider
20 Nachgeheim, 2502 IC
For the Eyes of Captain Weissmure of the Sousby Expedition,
Greetings, Captain. I truly hope this message finds you in good health. Firstly, my capture has not led to the swift death that I expected (and I am sure you have long assumed), but instead has seen me subjected to a strange education and various wondrous sights that I hope might prove of use to our cause. I write to you from my quarters in an ancient city where I am always under the eyes of one of the lizardmen, and I have been assured that I will be allowed to deliver my message via the post at Jocham's Port soon. This assurance has indeed come from a lizardman himself, for over the past months that you have not heard from me I have been forced to learn the rudiments of their spoken and written language. While I still hope to serve you and the mission in whatever capacity I can, I seem to be required to act as a translator for these creatures at this time if I wish to extend my life.
My captor and guardian is a priest of their type, whose name I translate as Attau. Once my ability to communicate with Attau was sufficient (much of their language uses sounds that I have found myself unable to mimic), my first task was to assist in the interrogation of a another human captive. To my surprise, the man I helped the priest question was not one of our own nor any man of the Empire, but a deranged and wounded Norscan. The heathen could speak some Osterspiel, and so I was able to passably prove my value to my captors. Before he perished from his torture, I was able to learn that he served under Eric the Lost and had been a part of his large horde of northmen that had recently taken Skeggi from Nikkan the Flayer and attacked Nussbacker's last gold shipment. They were now on a quest for riches deep into the jungles north of Swamp Town. The wretch boasted pf how Eric's host now controlled Skeggi and the Raider's Coast, and would soon come to burn Swamp Town and the other colonies.
Soon after this, I was taken to a great city of the lizardmen. This was not like the ruins Port Reaver is built upon, or like the Green Temples, which I have been told variously was a town that the reptiles once inhabited or perhaps some lost civilization of men. This city is as massive and as populated as Nuln itself, though I know you will not believe that such a sight could be hidden within these green wilds. The streets are paved and tiled, and precious gems decorate clean statues of the myriad lizardfolk in front of structures whose purpose I can only guess at. Here, I witnessed a massive army of these creatures gathered in a plaza larger than the Academy's muster field. The warriors were addressed by a being that seems most revered by the lizardmen: a massive creature that remained sitting on what appeared to be a floating tablet of stone, held aloft and moving according to the creature's will. According to Attau, this display was a rare and momentous event for the lizardmen, celebrating the awakening of this strange being, a royal ruler of their kind, known as a Mage-Priest and the Lord of the City of the Sun, from some form of extended slumber.
From this Solar-City, Attau and I accompanied the Mage-Priest and his army eastward through lands of dense jungle and high meadow. Attau informed me that we were going to confront others of my kind, like the prisoner I interrogated. I tried to express how far the men of the Empire are from those filthy invaders, but I am yet unsure if these lizardmen are capable of appreciating even such obvious differences. The Army of the Solar-City moved with a strange efficiency and discipline. The march gave me ample time to observe the hierarchy of their army, and I was surprised to see that the larger creatures are not always the leaders among their kind. In fact, not unlike Imperial customs, birthright, intelligence, and education are often more likely to determine their roles than their fearsome nature. Attau seemed to be evidence of this point for he was of the smaller breed of skinks, as described by Gerherdt von Tarnus, yet I saw many of the giant kroxigor bow to his command.
Possibly of most value to you: I was able to witness the Army of the Solar-City's attack on Eric the Lost's company. The lizardmen army was led by the city's great Mage-Priest himself, and I observed that his warriors fought steadfastly for him. The Mage-Priest used magic to heal his wounded soldiers during the battle and push aside those who would bar his way. The fearsome saurus warriors formed the main line of the army, with skink cohorts filling in gaps between or advancing up the flanks from which they would often hurl javelins at the enemy rather than charge in with the Saurus. I had thought they used nothing in the way of armor other than for decoration, choosing instead to rely on their scaly skin for protection, but I learned that the most elite warriors among the saurus do wear functional suits of metal, bone, and hide that could turn most blades. What most definitely needs no armor, are the giant creatures that the lizardmen have tamed as beasts of war. One of a various species that they have bent to their will, covered in thick shell and hide and easily able to crush a full grown soldier, carries a large magical device into battle that can harness light to blast and burn their enemies at great distance.
The warriors of the Solar-City moved into position with precision and discipline under the few spoken commands of their officers, but this display mostly fell away in the violence of hand-to-hand combat, where I witnessed the warriors revert to the same bestial and merciless frenzy that is a trait of the northmen they clashed with. The fight saw no quarter given by either side, but the butchered bodies of the lizardmen were far outnumbered by those of the northmen after Erik's warriors fled the field. I saw Erik himself leading his men into the battle, but I did not find him among the living or dead afterword. To my revulsion, the fortunate among those captured in battle were slain in an elaborate ritual to some heretical deity, their bodies left upon alters, surrounded by designs painted in their own blood, while the less fortunate were killed and eaten by these strange creatures. Though I have witnessed them valiantly fight the followers of the Dark Gods, this was a foul reminder of how far the lizardmen are removed from the light of Sigmar.
Along with another high-ranking skink, called the Spider, with whom he has a close relationship with, Attau serves as a primary attendant and adviser to the Lord of the Solar-City, and is frequently by his side, allowing me to witness much of their administration. For example, I have seen messengers arrive, respected and well-treated, from some other faction of these creatures. From their public conversation with Attau, I know this faction hails from another city deep within Lustria, named Xlanhuapec, and coordination between these two groups is strained and vexing for them. And from the reports of their scouts, I have learned that Erik's defeat at the Monolith of Fallen Gods has lead to the collapse of his control over Raider's Coast.
After a week at the city of Fallen Gods, the Army of the Solar-City marched east to the settlement that sailor's call the Beacon of Dawn. The harbor here was held by one of Erik's chiefs, but the defence was halfhearted and quickly routed. Those captured revealed that the Northmen remaining here were survivors from a previous attack from the sea. A large pirate fleet to be sure, but the Norscans each claimed that from the attacking ships came walking corpses. The Norscans were overrun and had to abandon the settlement, allowing the corpse pirates to take whatever it is they wanted before they sailed back out to sea. It seems that even sailing halfway around the world from Sylvania is not enough to escape its horrors. Furthermore, and of possible import to Nussbacker's garrisons, these wretches had news that Skeggi itself had been attacked by an large army of monsters from the jungle. I mention it not only because this threat, once rebuffed from Skeggi, could turn south, but because the army was described to be a horde of man-sized rats like in Old Otto's tales and Nuln's well-known sewer-guild rumors.
With the effort of hundreds of laborers, the shacks and piers of the Beacon of Dawn were quickly cleared away to reveal the familiar architecture beneath, ruined though it was. By the time of my departure, new construction was well underway and seemed to be focused around the Beacon itself, which Attau assured me was very important while not elaborating further. As I had hoped, the Lord of the Solar-City had decided that our old enemy's foothold here in the New World should be removed, and our army next marched south, toward Skeggi itself.
While still a few days march from Skeggi, the Lord of the Solar-City decided to sit in wait for his foe. As anticipated, a large Norscan army appeared from the direction of the town with Erik the Lost himself at its head. I am not confident that the mage-priest's army could have bested the Lost's newly assembled warhost if it had assaulted Skeggi, but the ambush in the jungle bogs was a decisive success. I was unable to find the Warchief's body among the dead, a throrough search could have taken days and I would never be sure that he had not been devoured by a kroxigor, but few escaped the battle to flee into the deep jungle. I truly think we may have seen the last of Erik the Lost.
At Skeggi, there were yet many more northmen. With the ambush, the Lord of the Solar-City, through fortune or skill, narrowly avoided being outnumbered by a force more than twice the size of his own. As it was, the raiders of Skeggi defended the port town under the leadership of Garathor of the Vargs, and most fell there with him. To the great benefit of the Imperial shipping, and all good seafarers, the infamous raiding base of Skeggi has been scoured of its Norscan inhabitants. The lizardmen have constructed new defences and surprisingly seem intent on holding the colony. I have seen ruins unearthed here as well, though I had not known Skeggi was also founded upon such, and most human architecture is being torn down if it has not been found specifically useful.
As I hope you can see, there may be some potential for your interests to coincide with the Lord of the Solar-City. I have spoken with Attau about the Imperial colonies, careful not to reveal anything of strategic value, and he has not expressed hostility towards them. As things stand, I would not recommend any adventures into the interior of the Isthmus or into the former holdings of Skeggi, as any misunderstanding could provoke the base instincts of these creatures and easily escalate into bloody conflict. I will continue to keep you informed as much as possible, so that you may know what events transpire in this dangerous land before they affect your work here.
Spreading Chotec's Light
1 Nachexen, 2503 IC
Captain, it has pleased me greatly to hear that the colonies have been able to meet with agents of the Solar-City. Attau has informed me that there has been an agreement to respect certain colonial borders and that there will be exchanges of materials and information. I still have not seen any sign of hostile intentions against the colonies and have only witnessed further reasons to align ourselves with the Solar-City. Indeed, they have proven themselves dedicated to the eradication of horrors I had never guessed waited for us in the dark corners of the world.
After the conquest of Skeggi, we returned to the Solar-City which had truly come alive in our absence with skink tradesman, saurus laborers, and giant beasts of burden, carrying out the various functions of this reptile society. While I undoubtedly remain a ward of Attau, my freedom has increased substantially and I am sometimes consulted by other curious members of the Solar-City's court. During one such instance, Kikcha the Spider, a skink chief who commands the City's scouting missions, asked me about our people's methods of fighting what he described as "those who gnaw at the roots of the world," to which I had no reply. Another skink commander, called Fire-Blood, who led one of the pincers during the ambush of Erik the Lost, informed that the eastern coasts were indeed being attacked and raided by the undead pirates described by the Norscans. Off the coast of Skeggi (where I had indeed seen the lizardmen constructing strange ships of wood and stone), Fire-Blood had tracked and confronted one of their fleets, sinking most of their vessels and capturing their captain, William Braun himself. The man no longer looks as handsome as his wanted posters on the docks of Marienburg. I would not believe it if Fire-Blood had not brought the foul creature before me, bound and chained, but William Braun had been transformed into what I believe to be a vampire. He seemed to neither need food or drink and his grievous wounds hardly afflicted him. In a ritual led by Fire-Blood himself, William Braun was burned alive, but before his death I learned from him that he had been bound to another pirate called Madame Dyrefin who I think was responsible for his transformation.
A few weeks later, I departed once again with Attau and the army, but this time northward into the treacherous region I have known sailors to call the Forest of Vipers, where the horrors of the Land of Chill meet the predators of Lustria. Here, the Lord of the Solar-City sought to take a site known as the Mirror Pool, and here is where I first saw the rat-men, the vermin-mutants, those who gnaw at the roots of the world. Entering the first major temple complex on our journey north, the army was cautious and prepared for what was to come. Swarms of filthy furred mutants, armed with blades, slings, poisoned metal throwing stars, and horrific cannons and bombs that loosed green fire, attacked our flanks and attempted to overwhelm us, but the warriors weathered the attack and cut their own bloody swath through our assailants. Their attack failed and we continued north, while Fire-Blood was tasked with ensuring the vermin did not follow us. Attau informed me that the Fire-Blood's army in fact caught and defeated a reinforcing army a few days later, but that another led by a warlord of their kind called Toxer, was too large to ambush with his remaining forces.
The Mirror Pool was a beautiful lake surrounded by a large temple-city, though much of it was tainted with the structures and refuse of the vile scourge that opposed us. Attau explained that the Gnawers, the closest term I have to his description, would need to be driven out of the tunnels and caverns beneath the city. Without hesitation, the Lord of the Solar-City led his army underground to find the enemy's stronghold, knowing that the enemy warlord was likely only a few days away and would try to entrap us between the two forces. Under the Mirror Pool the city continued, a shadow of the part on the surface, partly of the same above-ground architecture, but with significant wandering ramshackle extensions. Once their lair was threatened the vermin revealed themselves, attacking viciously to keep the lizardmen away. After the initial engagements, however, the defenders resolve began to wither and their numbers thinned while the lizardmen steadily advanced despite their losses. The Gnawers eventually fled the field and abandoned their lair, which was then destroyed by fire and the collapse of tunnels where possible.
At the Mirror Pool, Attau and the other priests organized what appeared to be excavation efforts, collecting tablets for a cohort of scribes and librarians, before we quickly marched south again to confront the Gnawer warlord. Through his research here, Attau had discovered the location of a magical artifact important to his people and was intent its recapture, but the Lord of the Solar-City would not allow the enemy to do what he willed while they pursued this lead. In coordination with the army of Warchief Fire-Blood, we confronted the Gnawer army at a strategically important choke point on the route north of the Solar City called Chotec's Causeway (Chotec being one of their chief deities). The gnawers used tunnels to attack our flanks and rear during the ensuing battle, released poisonous gases among the lizardmen warriors, and summoned green lighting from the sky that could blast apart a kroxigor, but they still fell in great numbers under the javelins and stone axes of the Solar-City's army. Warlord Toxer abandoned his position in full rout, his army scattering into the wilderness.
North of the Causeway, where mountains rise about the forest, the army approached a small temple-complex. A large vanguard from the Solar-City had been trapped here as they searched for the artifact by a host of barbarians following a powerful warlock. I can only guess they arrived from further north, from somewhere in the Land of Chill, but Attau was at least confident that the power of the unearth artifact was what had drawn their attention to the temple. Through secret passages, our forces were able to join the besieged vanguard before the barbarian army began their assault. The enemy possessed demon-machines that hurled dark magic onto the defenders, and their greatest warriors were carried over our warriors lines on the backs of flying monsters. I saw the Warlock who led this host from astride a terrifying dragon, descend upon the Lord of the Solar-City himself. Though I thought the creature doomed to a bloody death beneath its giant claws, the mage-priest fended off the attack, engaging in magical combat with the warlock long enough to allow his chosen warriors, the Eclipse Guard, to eventually drag the beast and his rider down to their demise. The Army of the Solar-City suffered terrible losses in this battle, but emerged victorious.
Having fought both the rat-men and the barbarians within the last fortnight, I was surprised to find us soon attacking a new and unexpected enemy: the elves. These elves held a temple-city yet further north, that contains what Attau refers to as the "Fallen Gates", another key site in the elusive plan of the Lord of the Solar-City. I am unaware of any attempts at diplomacy undertaken with the elves, but it appeared they had very little warning before our invasion of the city. From what I saw the elves fought with a fervor and frenzy that I had not known their kind capable of, but they were outnumbered and crushed. The Sunburst Standard, the great prize unearthed by the army's efforts, was carried into battle by the Eclipse Guard, who had suffered much to claim it, and I swear to you that it radiated a palpable warmth and vigour. I believe that those elves who surrendered were allowed to live, though they did not allow me to speak to them despite the fact that I informed Attau of my capabilities with the language of Ulthuan from my time in Lothern. It is from these Fallen Gates that I write this now, for delivery by a skink trader, waiting to see how the Lord of the Solar-City's plans unfold.
The Defense of the Gates
7 Vorgeheim, 2503 IC
Captain, I am glad to here that the new colony at Grey Rock Point prospers, for it means that my humble work with the Solar-City bears some fruit for the Empire. With the blessings of Sigmar and Morr, I pray that the location's cursed past does not return to haunt its brave new inhabitants. While the war with the Gnawers continued, the corpse fleets have expanded their reach inland and their ships are even seen in the far western seas. After an army of these undead raiders was ambushed and destroyed by Fire-Blood as it ventured near the Fallen Gates, the Lord of the Solar City decided this monster, Dyrefin, and her thralls posed an unacceptable threat to his holdings along the Bay of Fangs, and personally led the attack against her stronghold at Grey Rock Point. Striking out across the bay from the Beacon of Dawn and landing a few miles down the coast from the Point, the Lord of the Solar-City met the dead in battle as he marched to their docks. These corpse-pirates fired upon us with handguns and cannons, but could not defeat the saurus in close combat as they were supported and protected by the mage-priest's magic. I saw giant bloated corpses of drowned ogres explode with poisonous fumes and fluids, but the javelins felled most of these monstrosities before they could reach our warriors. Once the vampire who led this host was killed, the rest soon crumbled around him, and the victors marched on to set fire to the docks and the ships berthed there.
I was dismayed, however, to learn that Dyrefin herself had not been at her base. In fact, she had taken the greater part of her army to war with the elven city-state I had mentioned privously, Sildra Tor. With this city-state, I can tell you that we have not had further conflict past our attack on the Fallen Gates, but they seem to have been beset by other aggressors, including Dyrefin. Attau tells me that the city of Sildra Tor has appealed to a powerful elven cult from further north for protection, and the banners over the city have changed. The Lord of the Solar City has not pursued any further conflict with them as of yet, and the elves have not made any attempt to retake the Fallen Gates. This has allowed the scholars of the Solar-City to unlock the secrets they desired to uncover there.
From what Attau has deigned to tell me, there is a web of energy connecting many the temples of the lizardmen which can be used for various functions at the right locations. Combining the mechanisms of the Fallen Gates, the Beacon of Dawn, and the Solar-City itself allowed the mage-priest's scholars to commence a ritual of divination. Whether this ritual is the cause of or simply coinciding with the outbreaks of madness you spoke of in Port Reaver, I cannot confirm. However, the ritual's power quickly became evident by the attention it warranted. The Army of the Solar-City rushed to the Fallen Gates, and Attau explained that the mage-priest had sensed a great army of barbarians had gathered to destroy the settlement and siphon off the ritual's power. As soon as we arrived, however, we marched to reinforce Fire-Bloods army as he confronted the furious power of the undead Madame, for her personal fleet had made landfall near the Fallen Gates far ahead of the Dark Gods' invasion force. With billhook and blunderbuss, her servants brought her rage down onto us, while the Madame herself crushed metal and bone with the force of her shrill voice, but the commanders of the Solar-City had surrounded her army and were able to focus on and overwhelm her personal guard. Her spectral form dissipated before the magic of the mage-priest, and her army quickly returned to the proper stillness of death.
The next few days were spent preparing for the arrival of the northmen, led by a pair of warlords called Hordredd and Varritus Kul, I cannot ascertain this, but I believe that the horde that was defeated at the resting place of the Sunburst Standard must have followed the same route as this dark invasion, and probably hailed from the same lands. The forces of the Solar-City boast a certain breed of skink with skin that can change color, blending with their environment to become invisible unless you know what telltale signs to look for. From these spies came back the names of a pair of warchiefs that led this invasion: Hordredd and Varritus-Kul. Fortunately the two warlords chose to each pursue their own glory, as one surrounded the Fallen Gates, defended by Chief Fire-Blood, and the other pursued the Army of the Solar-City. With both armies on even footing, I witnessed the Lord of the Solar soundly defeat the warlock, Varritus-Kul, and his insane tribesman. The disciplined bravery of the lizardmen and the powerful wrath of their gigantic war-beasts were more than a match for the bloodthirsty invaders that had descended upon us from the Land of Chill. With Varritus-Kul dead and his army lost to the jungle forests, the Lord of the Solar-City marched the victorious survivors of the battle to the relief of the Fallen Gates. Hordredd, attacked from two sides, fared even worse than his erstwhile ally, and met the same fate.
With the Fallen Gates safe for now, we returned south to the Causeway, where the Gnawers had struck in strength while the Solar-City's forces had been defending the Fallen Gates, killing most of the settlement's defenders and inhabitants before they could escape. The Gnawers had retreated after their attack, but we pursued them into the Macu Peaks. I could see that these green mountains hide many temple-complexes, but Kikcha the Spider assured me that they also hide large colonies of the Gnawers. The Spider explained that the Peaks must be held to stop the Gnawers attacks on the supply lines between the Solar-City and the Fallen Gates. In order to hinder their ability to come and go as they pleased, the army of the Solar-City occupied the regions central and largest temple complex, and as they had at the Mirror Pool, ventured in the city's underworld to find their horrid nest. Their defense of this stronghold was significant but far beneath the expectations of Attau and Kikcha. The answer to this mystery came later, and I pray Sawmp Town's huntsmen have already been forewarned: not one, but two massive armies of beastmen, following rival warlords, have gathered in the jungles south of the Peaks. While they currently seem to be hunting the Gnawers , only the Dark Gods know where their axes will fall next.
Attau tells me that his great ritual has completed successfully, gaining them answers which I will endeavor to understand in the coming weeks. The Army of the Solar-City does not seem to be standing down however, and they continue to rebuild the temple-cities, filling once barren streets with busy skinks and saurus. I see that it has been more than a year since my capture, and though I do miss the comforts of the Empire I do not regret my opportunity to study this fascinating civilization. I am eager to see what ends this Lord of the Solar-City seeks, and will write soon with what I am fortunate enough to find out.
The Army of Hexoatl
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Skink Priests - Attau the Wasp (Heavens)
Skink Chiefs - Meso'Clan the Pathfinder
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard
Saurus Warriors - Goldcrest Warriors (spears and shields), Machki's Scar-band (spears and shields), Yachitaq's Fangs (spears and shields), Duskhawk Warriors (spears), Sawtail Warriors (shields), Warriors of Old Chaca (shields), Warriors of Xhatec
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins), Cohort of Ta-Piti (javelins), Cohort of the Star Gate
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Unseen of Teba's Canopy (chameleon), Moonfen Hunters, Oaxa's Watchers
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine)
Carnosaurs - Hataxitzl the Wrathful
The Army of Tlahuizcal
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Enem-Braq Fire-Blood
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Nilitehe the Quick
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Atelaza (spears), Warriors of the Jade Claw, Highglade Warriors, Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Sotek (red-crested), Scions of Nachaxatl (red-crested), Bearers of Iztlan's Tail (red-crested), Cohort of Naquetzum (javelins), Paxua's Frog-Eaters (javelins), Naqqee's Flayers, Boiling Pond Cohort, Quick Hatti's Cohort
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Itatza's Hunters, Wardens of Lake Taka
Agents
Skink Chiefs - Kikcha the Spider
CHAPTER 2 (TURNS 45 - 78)
The Ritual of Rumination
The Rat, the Goat, and the Snake
29 Kaldezeit, 2503 IC
Only three days after I handed my last letter for you to the skink scouts, a massive earthquake struck the Macu Peaks. I had heard of such events from those who had lived in the World's Edge Mountains, but was utterly unprepared for the strange and violent event. The construction projects of the lizardmen could not stand against it, and buildings new and old, from huts to temples, collapsed to the ground and fires spread among the rubble. Many lizardmen were killed. I thought such disasters might be common in the Peaks, but Attau claimed to know for certain that this earthquake was caused by the machinations of the Gnawers. If these creatures truly have such power, the commanders of the colonies must be informed of the danger.
Predicting that the earthquake was a prelude to a counterattack in the Peaks, the Lord of the Solar City descended into the dense jungle that spreads from the Peak's southern slopes, where the Gnawers still rule unopposed. There we waited quietly for days until the scouts reported that the vermin approached. The ensuing surprise attack brought a decisive victory over the vermin to the Mage-Priest, including the capture of their Chief Warlord. Despite the rebuilding efforts continuing in Chotec's Causeway and Macu Peaks, the Mage-Priest used the opening left by this victory to march south to occupy a temple-city referred to as the City of Ash, almost as large as the Solar-City but mostly in ruins.The army spent half a month in this city, rebuilding important structures and conducting inscrutable rituals. Witnessing the dead city return to life was fascinating, and I drew parallels to what I saw after the recapture of Praag following the defeat of Shardtooth's invasion., but most importantly I can now confirm that the Mage-Priest is not the only of his kind. Here in the City of Ash, I saw another one of these beings, seeming to hold sway over all the other lizardmen around it, in ceremony with the Lord of the Solar-City. From where he joined us, Attau was not willing to elaborate, but he did say that gaining the help of this creature was a primary reason for the occupation of this city. As I learned from Attau's later explanation, the titles held by these lords of the lizardmen are as plentiful as any Bretonnian monarch, and I translate this Mage-Priest's monikers as follows: Lifeshaper of the World-Pools, Binder of the Neverborn, and First Steward of the Seven Caves. I will refer to him as the Lifeshaper.
When we next marched, it was farther west into terrain that has never appeared on any map I know of. Attau and Kikcha led frequent excursions to locate and harass the movements of the Gnawers in the jungle, and from them I learned that a large enemy army was defeated in the Macu range as it was caught between the forces of the Lord of Ash and the army of Tlahuizcal, which Enem-Brak was leading down from the Peaks to join the assault into Gnawer territory. These foes, fleeing before the commanders of the Solar-City, we chased into another temple-city that hugged the western coasts. The vermin counterattacked here but the two Mage-Priests had consolidated their armies and worked methodically to channel the fury of their warriors into cornering and eliminating the enemy. After a succession of confrontations with the slippery enemy, this city was also wrested from the grip of the Gnawers. Attau referred to this city as the Monument of the Sun, and the lizardmen armies split again here.
South we marched, until the land narrowed into a peninsula with another temple-city located at its farthest reaches out into the sea. Though I now was well aware that the extents of their reach was well hidden and impossible to know, it appeared that we had cornered the Gnawer's in a final bolthole. This location was known as the Shrine of Sotek, a warrior-god of the lizardmen symbolized by snakes of many different forms. The shrine was cleansed of the Gnawers, whose defenses were weak and desperate here, but I learned from Attau, that a great weapon had been stolen from the shrine before their arrival, and taken by a Gnawer warlord distastefully named Bilefitch. On ships of wood and, to my surprise, stone, we sailed from the ports of the Shrine of Sotek, in pursuit of this prize. These ships were functional but graceless and I would say that there is nothing of note our people can learn about seafaring from the lizardmen, except for the face that our fleet also consisted of enormous tortoise-like leviathans that I the warriors unhesitatingly climbed aboard for the long sea voyage. Either riding directly on the creatures' shells or on platforms quickly constructed above them, these giant monsters provided as smooth and sure a delivery as any other ship in the fleet, though I am not disappointed that I was never asked to board one myself.
Far from any region known to me, we disembarked on a shore Attau referred to as the Island of the Crimson Skulls. The refuse of the Gnawers was quickly discovered here but all signs were many days old. The Lord of the Solar City choose to occupy a ruined city on the coast, possibly the only one on the island, and the lizardmen settled in for two weeks, while further reinforcements and supplies arrived by sea. To my surprise, the ruined city was certainly elven, easily distinguishable from the geometric architecture of the lizardfolk. I did not doubt the elves had sailed far in wide, but to find a settlement so old as to have been built, lived in, and lost in these uncharted waters of the New Ocean must surely redefine the understood histories of the Academy. Yet hidden beneath these elven ruins, were the stepped pyramids and stacked housing chambers that I have now become quite familiar with. The elves had built upon the structures of the lizardfolk just as man has recently done at Swamp Town. When Bilefitch and his kin were finally located, we descended into their lair despite knowing the enemy was well prepared. At great cost in lizardmen lives, Bilefitch's cornered army was eliminated, ending the chase across land and sea, and ending the last known threat of the Gnawers according to travelling companions. However, just as Father Verdis said about the corruption of the Great Enemy, Attau insists these monsters always lurk just out of reach, waiting to creep out of the darkness in our moments of weakness.
From the warlock's stockpile the lizardmen priests brought forth a golden scepter, shaped in the flared visage of a Arabyan cobra which ever since I have only witness being carried in the large hands of the Lord of the Solar-City himself. Once lost, I suppose he is loathe to let it out of his sight again. As we voyaged back to sea, we left behind a bustling colony, rebuilding the docks and temples for future use. Mid-voyage, messages arrived by skinks riding winged monsters, flying reptiles larger than a man with viscous talons. The beast hordes, left to their own devices as the forces of the Solar-City had pursued the Gnawers, had finally been confronted but their warlord, known as the Death-Maker, had bested the famed skink commander, Enem-Brak, who had been forced to retreat to the safety of Macu Peaks. Fire-Blood's regrouped army then reinforced a larger army led by the Lifeshaper, which hunted down the Death-Maker's encampment once more, and this time the lizardmen emerged victorious. Attau claims that this particular tribe has been scattered back into hiding, and I think Swamp Town will be spared any further raids from the goat-men. This is the latest information I have, and I apologize for the many vagaries. I hope this reaches you speedily, but despite their flying messengers, Attau says that I must wait until we reach land again in order to pass my message along.
Hunters' Bane
14 Jahrdrung, 2504 IC
The news of the losses at Grey Rock Point have been very disheartening, but I have some information regarding the abomination that overran the colony. I promise that the Lizardmen have no love for the cursed pirates that have plagued our trade lanes and expeditions. As you know the Army of the Solar-City was responsible for driving them out of Grey Rock Point in the first place, but you are correct that they have been passing through the territories of the lizardmen mostly unscathed before attacking Port Reaver. Having known him for months now, I am starting to understand Attau's reptilian facial expressions, and I think that I could discern his agitation whem he explained that the Lord of the Solar-City had chosen to ignore their foul presence at the time. This has ended however, while I do not know what event changed the Mage-Priest's mind, I know that he sent the Lifeshaper and Fire-Blood to surround and eliminate Dyrefin and her minions. I am told that she is no more, and that the colonies will no longer be assailed from the north by the undead.
The rest of this missive will be less reassuring, for it is concerning what you must have already heard about the Huntmaster's Expedition. When Attau told me that the Army of the Solar-City was once again hunting men, I assumed more barbarian pirates had arrived in search of ancient treasures, but when I was brought to the first captives I was appalled to find a pen of Reiklanders. The men told me that Wolfhart himself had been sent to the colonies by order of the Emperor, and had taken the colony at Marttello's Bay as his own staging point, kicking out the governor, before ranging deep into the jungles south of the coast. There had been many fights against lizardmen warbands, with Wolfhart successfully chased them from their cities so that his men could comb over them. These men could not tell me what the Huntsmarshall is searching for, but I can tell you that his quest has now brought the Solar-City's armies to bear against the Emperor's soldiers. I have endeavored to explain that the northern colonies are not under the Huntsmarshall's command and seek no fight with the Solar-City, but I can only pray that Mage-Priests hear my words.
I promise that there was very little I could do for the southern colonies. I hope those who have surrendered have been released, I know some have, but I suspect many may have met their end in captivity here. The Lord of the Solar-City fell upon the Huntsmarshall's army south of the Kara ruins, deep in the unmapped wilderness. The colonist fought bravely here, and the Mage-Priest does not seem to take their threat lightly with much death on either side. The Hunstmarshall fell back to Kara, but was surrounded there. Hundreds were captured, and I saw hundreds more dead in the ruins. I saw no sign of the Huntsmarshall, and have not heard of his whereabouts since. The colony at the Kara ruins had only recently been founded, and its defenses were unremarkable, but with only ragtag leadership from adventurers and privateers the colonies of the Scorpion Coast were never likely to fare much better, and I dare say they might have fared even worse when I saw what the Lord of the Solar-City had truly arrived here to face.
As they crossed the Silvertail, we ambushed a large army of heretic barbarians. The Army of the Solar-City defeated this force with precision and efficiency but learned to our dismay that this was only the vanguard of a much larger force, gathered around the blasphemer champion Asavar Horstmann. If you recognize his name, it is because it was he who led the heretic mobs of the Tollard Rebellion and massacred the burghers of Kolerdorf. I know not how he came to Lustria after his uprising was snuffed out in Averland, but his new followers appeared to be from lands both near and far. Attau revealed to me that the attention of these followers of the Dark Gods was not coincidence, and the plans of the Lord of the Solar-City have agitated the Great Enemy, and it was at their coercion that this host descended upon the lizardmen. The bulk of Asavar's vast host attempted to overrun our position on a crossing of the river, but our position and leadership far outweighed their numbers. With multiple engagements over the course of a few days, his force was scattered and prevented from reaching the Scorpion Coast, or crossing west into the Isthmus if that was indeed their true goal as Attau claims. Asavar's attack was coordinated with the landing of a barbarian fleet much farther north at the Monument of the Sun, where the met with more success against the forces of the Solar-City. The Monument of the Sun, just recently rebuilt after centuries of neglect, was torched back down to its foundations by the barbarian captain known as Wolfrick Goldtaker. The Fire-Blood allowed the invading force to overextend itself in the inland jungles before separating and elimination the enemy with a series of ambushes.
When the Army of the Solar-City finally turned his attention back towards the Scorpion Coast, he besieged the walls of Tlencan where the colonists of Marttello's Bay sought to defend their holdings. I attempted to explain that these colonists only sought to defend what they had built here, but Attau insisted that the temple-city behind the walls was required for their Great Plan. The battle was fierce and the expedition defenders killed many lizardmen on the city walls, but they could not resist the assault. Those who fled were not pursued, and I hear that a few brave souls still maintain their farms around the docks of Marttello's Bay, but no colonists are allowed anywhere near the temple-city. The Lord of the Solar-City next marched to ... where I learned that the Lifeshaper had joined the offensive on the southern colonies, bringing the Army of the City of Ash by sea to Wormhook Cove over the previous weeks, ransacking Maggie Browncoat's pirate hideaway. One small bit of good news amid the rest, if I may say. It seems he also defeated those famous adventures that Wolfhart had enlisted to his cause, when they led the expedition fleet against him in the Baron's Shallows. ... suffered the same fate as ... ending any central governance of the southern colonies that I am aware of. I cannot promise I will have time to warn you if matters change, but as of now I see no indication that the Lord of the Solar-City intends for the northern colonies to meet the same fate. However, this complete unwillingness to take Imperial concerns into their accounts has undermined my hopes that these lizardmen could be allies with the Empire against the servants of the Dark Gods.
The Army of Hexoatl
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Skink Priests - Attau the Wasp (Heavens)
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard, Coven of the Crimson God, Fangs of the Cobra
Saurus Warriors - Goldcrest Warriors (spears and shields), Machki's Scar-band (spears and shields), Yachitaq's Fangs (spears and shields), Duskhawk Warriors (spears), Sawtail Warriors (shields), Warriors of Old Chaca (shields), Warriors of Xhatec
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins), Cohort of Ta-Piti (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Unseen of Teba's Canopy (chameleon), Moonfen Hunters, Oaxa's Watchers
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine)
Carnosaurs - Hataxitzl the Wrathful
Razordon Hunting Packs - Amaxon Barbs
The Army of Tlahuizcal
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Enem-Braq Fire-Blood
Skink Chiefs - Kikcha the Spider
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Band of the Amber Visage (spears and shields), Warriors of Atelaza (spears), Whitefoot Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Sotek (red-crested), Scions of Nachaxatl (red-crested), Bearers of Iztlan's Tail (red-crested), Cohort of Naquetzum (javelins), Paxua's Frog-Eaters (javelins), Cohort of the Green Bog (javelins), Naqqee's Flayers, Boiling Pond Cohort
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Itatza's Hunters, Wardens of Lake Taka
The Army of Pahuax
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Tarsik the Lifeshaper
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Wardens of the Orb
Saurus Warriors - Guardian's of Otoco's Seal (spears and shields), Warriors of the Jade Claw, Highglade Warriors, Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Quick Hatti's Cohort
Kroxigors - Band of the Emerald Sigil
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Oyxotl's Desciples (chameleon), Stonetongue Brethren (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Pok-Hopak Cohort (spears)
Terradon Riders - Pahuax Sentinels
The Army of Tlencan
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Qurqumin the Jaguar
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Nilitehe the Quick
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Chosen of Kara
Skink Cohorts - River-Kin of Tanchi (javelins), Kaniki's Piranhas, Red Lily Cohort
Agents
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Uldo-Moren the Shellbreaker
Skink Chiefs - Meso'clan the Pathfinder
29 Kaldezeit, 2503 IC
Only three days after I handed my last letter for you to the skink scouts, a massive earthquake struck the Macu Peaks. I had heard of such events from those who had lived in the World's Edge Mountains, but was utterly unprepared for the strange and violent event. The construction projects of the lizardmen could not stand against it, and buildings new and old, from huts to temples, collapsed to the ground and fires spread among the rubble. Many lizardmen were killed. I thought such disasters might be common in the Peaks, but Attau claimed to know for certain that this earthquake was caused by the machinations of the Gnawers. If these creatures truly have such power, the commanders of the colonies must be informed of the danger.
Predicting that the earthquake was a prelude to a counterattack in the Peaks, the Lord of the Solar City descended into the dense jungle that spreads from the Peak's southern slopes, where the Gnawers still rule unopposed. There we waited quietly for days until the scouts reported that the vermin approached. The ensuing surprise attack brought a decisive victory over the vermin to the Mage-Priest, including the capture of their Chief Warlord. Despite the rebuilding efforts continuing in Chotec's Causeway and Macu Peaks, the Mage-Priest used the opening left by this victory to march south to occupy a temple-city referred to as the City of Ash, almost as large as the Solar-City but mostly in ruins.The army spent half a month in this city, rebuilding important structures and conducting inscrutable rituals. Witnessing the dead city return to life was fascinating, and I drew parallels to what I saw after the recapture of Praag following the defeat of Shardtooth's invasion., but most importantly I can now confirm that the Mage-Priest is not the only of his kind. Here in the City of Ash, I saw another one of these beings, seeming to hold sway over all the other lizardmen around it, in ceremony with the Lord of the Solar-City. From where he joined us, Attau was not willing to elaborate, but he did say that gaining the help of this creature was a primary reason for the occupation of this city. As I learned from Attau's later explanation, the titles held by these lords of the lizardmen are as plentiful as any Bretonnian monarch, and I translate this Mage-Priest's monikers as follows: Lifeshaper of the World-Pools, Binder of the Neverborn, and First Steward of the Seven Caves. I will refer to him as the Lifeshaper.
When we next marched, it was farther west into terrain that has never appeared on any map I know of. Attau and Kikcha led frequent excursions to locate and harass the movements of the Gnawers in the jungle, and from them I learned that a large enemy army was defeated in the Macu range as it was caught between the forces of the Lord of Ash and the army of Tlahuizcal, which Enem-Brak was leading down from the Peaks to join the assault into Gnawer territory. These foes, fleeing before the commanders of the Solar-City, we chased into another temple-city that hugged the western coasts. The vermin counterattacked here but the two Mage-Priests had consolidated their armies and worked methodically to channel the fury of their warriors into cornering and eliminating the enemy. After a succession of confrontations with the slippery enemy, this city was also wrested from the grip of the Gnawers. Attau referred to this city as the Monument of the Sun, and the lizardmen armies split again here.
South we marched, until the land narrowed into a peninsula with another temple-city located at its farthest reaches out into the sea. Though I now was well aware that the extents of their reach was well hidden and impossible to know, it appeared that we had cornered the Gnawer's in a final bolthole. This location was known as the Shrine of Sotek, a warrior-god of the lizardmen symbolized by snakes of many different forms. The shrine was cleansed of the Gnawers, whose defenses were weak and desperate here, but I learned from Attau, that a great weapon had been stolen from the shrine before their arrival, and taken by a Gnawer warlord distastefully named Bilefitch. On ships of wood and, to my surprise, stone, we sailed from the ports of the Shrine of Sotek, in pursuit of this prize. These ships were functional but graceless and I would say that there is nothing of note our people can learn about seafaring from the lizardmen, except for the face that our fleet also consisted of enormous tortoise-like leviathans that I the warriors unhesitatingly climbed aboard for the long sea voyage. Either riding directly on the creatures' shells or on platforms quickly constructed above them, these giant monsters provided as smooth and sure a delivery as any other ship in the fleet, though I am not disappointed that I was never asked to board one myself.
Far from any region known to me, we disembarked on a shore Attau referred to as the Island of the Crimson Skulls. The refuse of the Gnawers was quickly discovered here but all signs were many days old. The Lord of the Solar City choose to occupy a ruined city on the coast, possibly the only one on the island, and the lizardmen settled in for two weeks, while further reinforcements and supplies arrived by sea. To my surprise, the ruined city was certainly elven, easily distinguishable from the geometric architecture of the lizardfolk. I did not doubt the elves had sailed far in wide, but to find a settlement so old as to have been built, lived in, and lost in these uncharted waters of the New Ocean must surely redefine the understood histories of the Academy. Yet hidden beneath these elven ruins, were the stepped pyramids and stacked housing chambers that I have now become quite familiar with. The elves had built upon the structures of the lizardfolk just as man has recently done at Swamp Town. When Bilefitch and his kin were finally located, we descended into their lair despite knowing the enemy was well prepared. At great cost in lizardmen lives, Bilefitch's cornered army was eliminated, ending the chase across land and sea, and ending the last known threat of the Gnawers according to travelling companions. However, just as Father Verdis said about the corruption of the Great Enemy, Attau insists these monsters always lurk just out of reach, waiting to creep out of the darkness in our moments of weakness.
From the warlock's stockpile the lizardmen priests brought forth a golden scepter, shaped in the flared visage of a Arabyan cobra which ever since I have only witness being carried in the large hands of the Lord of the Solar-City himself. Once lost, I suppose he is loathe to let it out of his sight again. As we voyaged back to sea, we left behind a bustling colony, rebuilding the docks and temples for future use. Mid-voyage, messages arrived by skinks riding winged monsters, flying reptiles larger than a man with viscous talons. The beast hordes, left to their own devices as the forces of the Solar-City had pursued the Gnawers, had finally been confronted but their warlord, known as the Death-Maker, had bested the famed skink commander, Enem-Brak, who had been forced to retreat to the safety of Macu Peaks. Fire-Blood's regrouped army then reinforced a larger army led by the Lifeshaper, which hunted down the Death-Maker's encampment once more, and this time the lizardmen emerged victorious. Attau claims that this particular tribe has been scattered back into hiding, and I think Swamp Town will be spared any further raids from the goat-men. This is the latest information I have, and I apologize for the many vagaries. I hope this reaches you speedily, but despite their flying messengers, Attau says that I must wait until we reach land again in order to pass my message along.
Hunters' Bane
14 Jahrdrung, 2504 IC
The news of the losses at Grey Rock Point have been very disheartening, but I have some information regarding the abomination that overran the colony. I promise that the Lizardmen have no love for the cursed pirates that have plagued our trade lanes and expeditions. As you know the Army of the Solar-City was responsible for driving them out of Grey Rock Point in the first place, but you are correct that they have been passing through the territories of the lizardmen mostly unscathed before attacking Port Reaver. Having known him for months now, I am starting to understand Attau's reptilian facial expressions, and I think that I could discern his agitation whem he explained that the Lord of the Solar-City had chosen to ignore their foul presence at the time. This has ended however, while I do not know what event changed the Mage-Priest's mind, I know that he sent the Lifeshaper and Fire-Blood to surround and eliminate Dyrefin and her minions. I am told that she is no more, and that the colonies will no longer be assailed from the north by the undead.
The rest of this missive will be less reassuring, for it is concerning what you must have already heard about the Huntmaster's Expedition. When Attau told me that the Army of the Solar-City was once again hunting men, I assumed more barbarian pirates had arrived in search of ancient treasures, but when I was brought to the first captives I was appalled to find a pen of Reiklanders. The men told me that Wolfhart himself had been sent to the colonies by order of the Emperor, and had taken the colony at Marttello's Bay as his own staging point, kicking out the governor, before ranging deep into the jungles south of the coast. There had been many fights against lizardmen warbands, with Wolfhart successfully chased them from their cities so that his men could comb over them. These men could not tell me what the Huntsmarshall is searching for, but I can tell you that his quest has now brought the Solar-City's armies to bear against the Emperor's soldiers. I have endeavored to explain that the northern colonies are not under the Huntsmarshall's command and seek no fight with the Solar-City, but I can only pray that Mage-Priests hear my words.
I promise that there was very little I could do for the southern colonies. I hope those who have surrendered have been released, I know some have, but I suspect many may have met their end in captivity here. The Lord of the Solar-City fell upon the Huntsmarshall's army south of the Kara ruins, deep in the unmapped wilderness. The colonist fought bravely here, and the Mage-Priest does not seem to take their threat lightly with much death on either side. The Hunstmarshall fell back to Kara, but was surrounded there. Hundreds were captured, and I saw hundreds more dead in the ruins. I saw no sign of the Huntsmarshall, and have not heard of his whereabouts since. The colony at the Kara ruins had only recently been founded, and its defenses were unremarkable, but with only ragtag leadership from adventurers and privateers the colonies of the Scorpion Coast were never likely to fare much better, and I dare say they might have fared even worse when I saw what the Lord of the Solar-City had truly arrived here to face.
As they crossed the Silvertail, we ambushed a large army of heretic barbarians. The Army of the Solar-City defeated this force with precision and efficiency but learned to our dismay that this was only the vanguard of a much larger force, gathered around the blasphemer champion Asavar Horstmann. If you recognize his name, it is because it was he who led the heretic mobs of the Tollard Rebellion and massacred the burghers of Kolerdorf. I know not how he came to Lustria after his uprising was snuffed out in Averland, but his new followers appeared to be from lands both near and far. Attau revealed to me that the attention of these followers of the Dark Gods was not coincidence, and the plans of the Lord of the Solar-City have agitated the Great Enemy, and it was at their coercion that this host descended upon the lizardmen. The bulk of Asavar's vast host attempted to overrun our position on a crossing of the river, but our position and leadership far outweighed their numbers. With multiple engagements over the course of a few days, his force was scattered and prevented from reaching the Scorpion Coast, or crossing west into the Isthmus if that was indeed their true goal as Attau claims. Asavar's attack was coordinated with the landing of a barbarian fleet much farther north at the Monument of the Sun, where the met with more success against the forces of the Solar-City. The Monument of the Sun, just recently rebuilt after centuries of neglect, was torched back down to its foundations by the barbarian captain known as Wolfrick Goldtaker. The Fire-Blood allowed the invading force to overextend itself in the inland jungles before separating and elimination the enemy with a series of ambushes.
When the Army of the Solar-City finally turned his attention back towards the Scorpion Coast, he besieged the walls of Tlencan where the colonists of Marttello's Bay sought to defend their holdings. I attempted to explain that these colonists only sought to defend what they had built here, but Attau insisted that the temple-city behind the walls was required for their Great Plan. The battle was fierce and the expedition defenders killed many lizardmen on the city walls, but they could not resist the assault. Those who fled were not pursued, and I hear that a few brave souls still maintain their farms around the docks of Marttello's Bay, but no colonists are allowed anywhere near the temple-city. The Lord of the Solar-City next marched to ... where I learned that the Lifeshaper had joined the offensive on the southern colonies, bringing the Army of the City of Ash by sea to Wormhook Cove over the previous weeks, ransacking Maggie Browncoat's pirate hideaway. One small bit of good news amid the rest, if I may say. It seems he also defeated those famous adventures that Wolfhart had enlisted to his cause, when they led the expedition fleet against him in the Baron's Shallows. ... suffered the same fate as ... ending any central governance of the southern colonies that I am aware of. I cannot promise I will have time to warn you if matters change, but as of now I see no indication that the Lord of the Solar-City intends for the northern colonies to meet the same fate. However, this complete unwillingness to take Imperial concerns into their accounts has undermined my hopes that these lizardmen could be allies with the Empire against the servants of the Dark Gods.
The Army of Hexoatl
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Skink Priests - Attau the Wasp (Heavens)
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard, Coven of the Crimson God, Fangs of the Cobra
Saurus Warriors - Goldcrest Warriors (spears and shields), Machki's Scar-band (spears and shields), Yachitaq's Fangs (spears and shields), Duskhawk Warriors (spears), Sawtail Warriors (shields), Warriors of Old Chaca (shields), Warriors of Xhatec
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins), Cohort of Ta-Piti (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Unseen of Teba's Canopy (chameleon), Moonfen Hunters, Oaxa's Watchers
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine)
Carnosaurs - Hataxitzl the Wrathful
Razordon Hunting Packs - Amaxon Barbs
The Army of Tlahuizcal
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Enem-Braq Fire-Blood
Skink Chiefs - Kikcha the Spider
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Band of the Amber Visage (spears and shields), Warriors of Atelaza (spears), Whitefoot Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Sotek (red-crested), Scions of Nachaxatl (red-crested), Bearers of Iztlan's Tail (red-crested), Cohort of Naquetzum (javelins), Paxua's Frog-Eaters (javelins), Cohort of the Green Bog (javelins), Naqqee's Flayers, Boiling Pond Cohort
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Itatza's Hunters, Wardens of Lake Taka
The Army of Pahuax
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Tarsik the Lifeshaper
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Wardens of the Orb
Saurus Warriors - Guardian's of Otoco's Seal (spears and shields), Warriors of the Jade Claw, Highglade Warriors, Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Quick Hatti's Cohort
Kroxigors - Band of the Emerald Sigil
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Oyxotl's Desciples (chameleon), Stonetongue Brethren (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Pok-Hopak Cohort (spears)
Terradon Riders - Pahuax Sentinels
The Army of Tlencan
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Qurqumin the Jaguar
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Nilitehe the Quick
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Chosen of Kara
Skink Cohorts - River-Kin of Tanchi (javelins), Kaniki's Piranhas, Red Lily Cohort
Agents
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Uldo-Moren the Shellbreaker
Skink Chiefs - Meso'clan the Pathfinder
CHAPTER 3 (TURNS 78 - 105)
Ritual of Comtemplation
Diverging Prophecies
28 Sommerzeit, 2504 IC
I have learned of what the Lord of the Solar-City hoped to protect from Markus Wolfhart and his treasure hunters. As the Huntmarshall ranged south of the colonies, following the Silvertail towards its source, he was approaching two ancient cities of the lizardfolk. The first of these, known as the City of the Sky, was mostly ruins when the army of the Solar-City passed through it. However, it must still hold value because I am told that the Lifeshaper arrived later to establish order and rebuild the city as a defensive bastion to watch over this dense jungle region. A week's march east of the City of the Sky, the Huntsmarshall would have found the City of the Moon, larger and densely populated in stark contrast to the City of the Sky. From what I could tell, its approaches would have been well defended.
In the City of the Moon, it became apparent that we were engaged in diplomatic negotiations of some sort. Attau explained that the city had access to resources or knowledge that was needed to further the agenda of the Solar-City but the Mage-Priest in control of this city was uncooperative. The Lord of the Solar-City left the City of the Moon without the help he sought, and we marched farther east into noxious jungle swamps that oozed with palpable corruption. Once, we came upon a few dozen lizardfolk corpses among signs of recent fighting, but these were not soldiers of the Solar-City nor of the City of the Moon. Attau said these soldiers hailed from a realm he called the First City. Though we were far from the Macu Peaks, metal stars - coated in poison - were found in one of the bodies betraying that their killers were likely the elusive rat-spawn.
Eventually we came to a well hidden temple, deep in the swamps, invisible until we were almost inside it. Four quiet days were spent camped outside the temple entrance, with none entering except the reptile priests, but on the fourth day the temples tranquillity was utterly shattered. From out of the jungle an army of the vermin descended upon the temple, and the defenders struggled to keep them at bay until there was a tangible energy, a buzzing vibration, released into the air. At first I feared some infernal sorcery of the vermin, but its source soon emerged from the temple along with renewed roars of fury from the lizardmen. Upon a floating throne was a slann unlike either the Lord of the Solar-City or the Lifeshaper, for this one appeared unmoving and mummified, clearly dead if not for the visible glow of energy emanating from its body. Waves of energy rippled from the creature and coalesced into destructive explosions among the enemy. Once the priests and temple guards from within the structure had joined the fight, the vermin were routed and fled back into the swamps.
As we marched back west over the next few weeks, out of the swamps, Attau informed me we were moving to attack the City of the Moon. Indeed, it seems that despite the rigid hierarchies and castes of their society, their leaders will still resort to violence to solve their disagreements when pushed. The Lifeshaper had already moved against the city, but his army had been confronted on the northern approach from the Scorpion Coast. The Lifeshaper had defeated his opponent on the field, a skink priest known as the Soothsayer, but had not enough remaining strength to invest the city. As we slowly marched through the rugged marshes southeast of the city, the City of the Moon likewise did not have forces to stop us before we reached the walls. The assault on the walls was a brutal scene, the saurus showing no more mercy to their own kind than I have seen them show to humans or vampire, though I feel they do reserve a particular hatred for the rat-spawn. When the walls were captured, blasted and breached by the arcane Eye of Chotec, the Lord of the Solar-City and his Eclipse Guard confronted the leader of the defenders, a slann mage-priest known as the Farseer. The temple guards that defended the two mage-priests hacked at each other beneath their lords' palanquins as the slann dueled in methods that were mostly beyond my ability to sense, excepting the occasional explosive force of wind or fire. When the Lord of the Solar City eventually overpowered the Farseer, the later dropped into a catatonic state as his surviving defenders lay down their weapons.
Since the battle, the City of the Moon has been repaired, restored, and its priests now serve the Lord of the Solar City. I have not seen the Farseer since then, but it does not look like we will linger here long. Attau says we must head to the Scorpion Coast soon, and set sail north.
The Forge of the Old Ones
28 Nachgeheim, 2504 IC
We have returned to the Solar-City and its temple-complexes are busier than ever. The far-flung temple-cities and settlements that the Solar-City's lord has reconquered and reinvigorated now send a steady stream of resources and soldiers and the jungles of the Isthmus are heavily patrolled. The most interesting tidings I have to report are regarding a campaign against Ulthuan.
While I have reported that the Solar-City has had conflict previously with the elves of S'sildra Tor, these elves were not like the elves you may have meet at the Altdorf docksides. I have verified with Attau that these elves hail from another faction of their kind, exiles or some sort. However, far off and insignificant to your concerns, the small settlement on the Isle of Crimson Skulls has been attacked and conquered by Lord Teclis himself, the elven lord allied with the Emperor. This was follwed by raids along the western coasts, near the shrine-city of the Snake God, by an vanguard fleet that landed in the area, probing the defenses of the local temple-cities. This elusive army was pursued by a commander known as Kowaal the Fearless and eventually caught and routed. Meanwhile, the army of Lord Teclis sailed to the mainland and attacked the City of Ash. The Lifeshaper defended the city and narrowly defeated the High Loremaster's large army outside its walls. Though the elves regrouped following the defeat, in hostile terrain and having lost the initiative, they could do little more than flee back to their ships. Whether cause or coincidence, to my astonishment these events have been followed by a large-scale assault on Ulthuan. Attau has explained to me that the elves of Ulthuan have began some misguided attempt to dismantle the stabilizing forces that the Lord of the Solar City seeks to repair, and that the campaign is designed to cripple their ability to do any harm.
The attack on Ulthuan by the Solar-City coincided with a seaborne invasion of Norscans. A surprise attack by the Fire-Blood broke Lord Tyrion's defense of the Straits of Lothern and captured the Glittering Tower, and this was meant to be followed up with an attack on Lothern itself. However the fleet of Qurqumin the Jaguar which had set sail from the Scorpion Coast to support the Fire-Blood was mostly sunk at sea after being attacked by Black Buckthorn's pirate armada. It is more likely that the dwarf was seeking a cache of Lustrian gold than that there was any alliance between the armada and Lothern. Without enough warriors to besiege the sity, the Fire-Blood held position at the Glittering Tower as the hordes reached Lothern, Those who had not fled the city became trapped within it as an endless horde of Norscan's climbed the walls, thirsty for blood and destruction. The city was pillaged and burned and the horde eagerly moved past these defenses towards Ulthuan's inner kingdoms, but the defenders of Lothern had bought those within enough time to organize a counter-attack and, with the king of Nagarythe commanding, the elves divided and destroyed the invading barbarians. Attau tells me that Lothern held the focus of Ulthuan's power over the magical ley-lines of the world, and that its destruction has significantly blocked their ability to challenge the Solar-City's influence.
The campaign in Ulthuan had a further purpose that Attau claims was always more important than the attack on Lothern. Joined by the regrouped remnants of the Jaguar's army, the Fire-Blood attempted to prevent the elves from recapturing Lothern. The Fire-Blood defeated the king of Nagarythe as he appoached Lothern, but Prince Tyrion had also returned at the head of another army and the Fire-Blood was at risk of being overwhelmed. The Fire-Blood and the Jaguar abandoned Lothern and retreated west. They attacked the kingdom of Caledor, striking at a fortress in that land's highest mountains, surrounded by monstrous volcanoes. Attau calls this region the "Place where the Earth Breathes" or the "Forge of the Old Ones" and says that the place holds access to secrets that will greatly help the Lord of the Solar City. The battered remnants of the Fire-Bloods forces were hard-pressed to capture the fortress before it was reinforced, but they did not fail the Solar-City. The lizardfolk now hold a defensible foothold in Caledor, but the elves have rallied and are already contesting it. Indeed bloody fighting pushes back and forth across the mountains of the peninsula. I hear that the elves have recaptured Lothern and are rebuilding, but that jewel of Ulthuan must now be only a shadow of its former self.
Ancient Treasures
28 Brauzeit, 2504 IC
In this contest for control of the unseen forces behind the world we know, there seems to be three parties that have challenged the Solar-City. The elves of Ulthuam, as I have described. The rat-spawn, of whom I never wish to see again, and am told are being fought across many fronts, but primarily by the First City in the deepest jungles of Lustria. And, finally, the elves of the Land of Chill, of which we know little about. The Lord of the Solar City has shifted his attention to this last faction, and we have marched out of the fetid jungles into an a land much colder, though just as unwelcoming. I am truly longing to return home as the various regions of this new world often cause me to remember the harshest weather on the shores of the Sea of Claws with longing fondness.
I have heard that you took part in the recapture of Grey Rock Point from the elves that drove out the colonists. You described these elves as a slaver warband, and your descriptions incline me to believe that the Lord of the Solar-City's current actions have greatly increased the safety of the colonists there. Our army has assaulted and captured a number of strongholds along the edge of the Straits of Fear, each one a slaver city with forges and quarries full of starved and insane wretches. There were elves and men, but also a great number of lizardmen and dwarfs. The strongholds were well defended, but each has acted on its own without an organized response. From the captives, we have gleaned that there has been a number of recent upheavals in the region's leadership, a power contest between and elven matriarch called the First Sorceress and another known as the Witch King. These lands had previously answered to the First Sorceress and had fallen in importance along with her fall in influence.
We now sit in her former seat of governance, a large city located in a wide valley deep in the region's central mountain chain. Though word of our advance had no doubt reached them the city's defenders seem to have been caught unprepared. Much of the city's nobility had fled earlier, either from us or from political persecution, and its walls were poorly manned as we broke down the gates. Unlike the other strongholds, the Lord of the Solar City has shown a keen interest in this place, and Attau refers to it simply as the Old City. In excavations beneath its strange palaces, I have seen the ancient yet familiar architecture of the lizardfolk. It seems that, as ever, they are reclaiming lands that were once their domain in the distant past.
Attau says it is likely we will be travelling farther north, a prospect that leaves me quite frightened as I look at the harpy-infested peaks around us. I suspect my next letter will see me in even fouler climates and a similarly fouler mood.
The Army of Hexoatl
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Uldo-Moren the Shellbreaker
Skink Priests - Attau the Wasp (Heavens)
Skink Chiefs - Kikcha the Spider
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard, Coven of the Crimson God, Fangs of the Cobra
Saurus Warriors - Goldcrest Warriors (spears and shields), Machki's Scar-band (spears and shields), Yachitaq's Fangs (spears and shields), Sawtail Warriors (shields), Warriors of Old Chaca (shields)
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Unseen of Teba's Canopy (chameleon), Moonfen Hunters, Oaxa's Watchers
Cold One Riders - Fleshtearers of Tomec
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine)
Carnosaurs - Hataxitzl the Wrathful
Razordon Hunting Packs - Amaxon Barbs
The Army of Tlahuizcal
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Enem-Braq Fire-Blood
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Coppershell Warriors (shields), Band of the Amber Visage (spears), Warriors of Atelaza (spears), Whitefoot Warriors, Uta's Battle-Kin, Kal'grak's Scorpions
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Sotek (red-crested), Scions of Nachaxatl (red-crested), Bearers of Iztlan's Tail (red-crested), Cohort of Naquetzum (javelins), Paxua's Frog-Eaters (javelins), Cohort of the Green Bog (javelins), Naqqee's Flayers (javelins), Boiling Pond Cohort (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Salamander Hunting Packs - Umbral Tide
The Army of Pahuax
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Tarsik the Lifeshaper
Skink Chiefs - Loq-Galon the Golden
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Wardens of the Orb
Saurus Warriors - Guardian's of Otoco's Seal (spears and shields), Highglade Warriors, Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Quick Hatti's Cohort, Cohort of the Firefeather, Cohort of Great Waxi'ra
Kroxigors - Band of the Emerald Sigil
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Oyxotl's Desciples (chameleon), Stonetongue Brethren (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Pok-Hopak Cohort (spears)
Terradon Riders - Pahuax Sentinels, Band of Dragon's Roost, Heralds of Soti
Salamander Hunting Packs - Emberskin Pack, Techi's Hatchlings
The Army of Tlencan
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Qurqumin the Jaguar
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Legion of Chaqua (spears and shields), Band of the Obsidian Torc (shields), Warriors of the Firevents (spears), Sawtree Coast Warriors, Band of the Wyvern, Bonetusk Warriors
Skink Cohorts - River-Kin of Tanchi (javelins), Kaniki's Piranhas (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Terradon Riders - Tacu's Sunchasers
The Army of Notekek Otaxl
Command
Kroxigor Ancient - Kowaal the Fearless
Slann Mage-Priest - Venerable Lord Kroak
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Star Chamber Guardians
Skink Cohorts - Hornfoot Cohort (javelins), Cohort of Chexa Valley (javelins), Hok-Nat's Shieldbearers (javelins), Band of the First Star
Kroxigors - Cohort of Huatl (sacred)
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Coldfen Exiles (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Viper's Fangs (spears), Riders of Noqua's Peak
The Army of Tlanxla
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Won'mekal Wyvern-Eater
Cohorts
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of the Wyvernhide, Cohort of the Darkpool
Auxiliaries
Cold One Riders - Red-Claws of Tlanxla (spears)Black
Agents
Saurus Scar-Veterans - P'jokkodor Longclaw
Skink Chiefs - Meso'clan the Pathfinder
Chapter 4 (Turns 105 - 129)
The Ritual of Deliberation
The War of the Phoenix
02 Vorhexen, 2504 IC
Like two great Colossi locked in combat, the war between the Solar-City and the kingdoms of Ulthuan continues without an end in sight, sparing others from the attention of the combatants. I hope the Empire can use this opportunity to spread Sigmar's divine influence unimpeded, but I wonder what other evils might spread unrestrained now in the far corners of the world. Great battles have been fought in the kingdom of Caledor, and it seems the Fire-Blood's invasion has unified Ulthuan's rulers behind the leadership of Prince Tyrion. However, supported by the army of the Jaguar, the Fire-Blood has handed defeat to the Everqueen, the King of Nagarythe, and the Prince himself, and consolidated a strong hold over the mountain passes of Caledor. It is in these mountains the the priests of the lizardmen perform their work for the Solar-City, and its Lord apparently places no import on conquering more of the elven lands. Nevertheless, to impede Lord Tyrion's counterattacks, the armies of the Fire-Blood and the Jaguar have invaded Eataine once again. The walls of Lothern continue to be disputed, and the elves vulnerability has led to major incursions on the island from the pirate-queen of Sartosa. The Sartossans had gained footholds in Eataine and Yvresse at their greatest point of success, but the elves have since regrouped and rebuffed the pirates from the mainland.
While the armies of Ulthuan find themselves on the defensive, the Order of Loremasters have increased their offensive campaign in Lustria. Undeterred by the dangerous passed of Lustria's interior mountains, expeditions from Commanders Driellen and Venola crossed into the southern extents of the Solar-City's holdings, looting the Temple of Kara and making multiple attempts at taking the City of .... The city's defenders, under a Saurus leader known as the Wyvern-Eater, denied any lasting victory to the elves here, and the City of the Moon, a holy site of great importance to the Solar-City's plans, remains unthreatened. Sailing from the Turtle Isles, Lord Teclis himself led an attack on Pahuax, but the Lifeshaper was there to meet him. The Loremaster's army was defeated outside the city.
As far as I can tell, the Lord of the Solar-City has not planned a counter-attack against the Order of Loremasters, choosing instead to consolidate the bulk of his forces for a push into the bleak mountains north of the Ancient City. Though I truly have no wish to see these lands, I hope my next report can confirm what it is we seek.
Beacons in the Dark
23 Pflugzeit, 2505 IC
Though I would not begrudge your disbelief, I write to you now from behind the terrible walls of Naggarond. Do not believe the rumours of this place, for the reality is much worse. This is a city steeped in cruelty and blood, pain and despair. All who have been brought here must surely yearn for death. The city's masters have been driven from their spires, fleeing through hidden escape routes as the warriors of the Solar-City charged through their broken gates to clash with their guardians. A great many elves have died here, fighting against the Lord of the Solar-city, but there can be no punishment severe enough to pay for the mere existence of this place. While I have warned that the Under-Empire of the rat-men may stand as the greatest threat the besets the Empire, invading our lands unseen and poisoning everything we rely upon, here I witness the work of a culture of pure hatred and disdain. I do not know what deities they devote their lives to, but they can no more live in coexistence with Sigmar's realm than the those of the Orcs and Goblins.
The march into the Land of Chill began with a campaign against the vermin-empire, which infests this land as well. After departing from the Ancient City, the lizardmen rooted their nests from the ruins of elven keeps up in the treacherous reaches of Ice Rock Gorge and then from underground warrens beneath the scraggy forests that cover the foothills to the southeast. We then continued east to a dark city among the forests that was well-defended by the vermin. When the city was occupied, its temples were combed over by the priests, who treated the site with great reverence. Artifacts and architecture hidden within the elven structures indicate that the lizardmen may have inhabited these lands before, and this matches the disposition of Attau and his ilk: that of one reclaiming his people's heritage rather than of a conqueror. The vermin armies we encountered along this path were unified under names that were new to me, but seemed well-known enemies to Attau: the Lord of Pestilence and the Claw. Under the spires of a fallen slaver-city called Clar Karond, the Lord of Pestilence personally led his chattering hordes against us and conjured toxic miasmas that poisoned our warriors before they could bring their ferocity to bear, but his vast numbers were not vast enough and his sorcery was eclipsed by the tempests of magic unleashed by the great Mage-Priest that leads us.
A few weeks after the battle of Clar Karond, we arrived at a cold and icy sea with the threatening towers of Naggarond visible across the waters of the inlet. The city's defenders appeared confident and unconcerned as the armies of the Solar-City began the construction of their camps from which we would invest the city and I feared our chance against those barbed walls, however, the size of our forces were soon swelled by the strangest of allies. I hesitate to mention it, for I understand so little about the who or why, but the Lord of the Solar-City was joined by an army of the dead. I saw ranks upon ranks of skeletons holding spears and shields with unrecognizable designs, and skeleton archers riding chariots pulled by the skeletons of horses. I can only guess that this hose was the vengeful army of some forgotten kingdom of these lands. This army, led by a skeletal commander adorned in bronze and gold with eyes of blue fire, did not mingle with our own but joined our assault on the city on the next day. The elves could not defend every stretch of their walls as the undead tirelessly ascended their ladders and the Saurus poured out of their siege towers. Kowall the Fearless led the Cohort of Huatl against the enemies elite at the city gates, and the power of the Lord of the Solar-City quenched the fires of hyrdas and pulled black dragons from the skies to be torn apart by spear and claw.
The dead departed with as little fanfare as they arrived, but the army of the Solar-City has occupied the city. Saurus now patrol the walls as kroxigor rebuild them under the guidance of skink chiefs. The next ritual has begun, and the Lord has been communing with unknown others in other sites across his realm for more than month at this point. Word has reached us that the forces of the Great Enemy have been moving to stop it, and that there have been severe losses. A vanguard army was destroyed at the Fallen Gates, but the city subsequently surrounded and overwhelmed by the massed horde of barbarians, giants, and daemons that followed before reinforcements could arrive. A week later the invading horde was stopped by the Lifeshaper at the Great Causeway where almost all were slaughtered at great cost. In anticipation of similar assaults on our holdings further north, Kowaal the Fearless, commander of the Northern Army, took his warriors south from Naggarond to join with the defenders of the Ancient City, but was besieged at Clar Karond by the Lord of Pestilence at the head of vastly outnumbering forces. Weeks of waiting for an assault as foodstocks dwindled finally came to an end when the Army of the Ancient City came to their aid. This army serves a Slann Mage-Priest that the chiefs refer to as the Shackled One, whom I have deduced dwelled in hiding under the Ancient City until he was awakened or released by the Lord of the Solar-City. Though the Shackled One's army was not large, it was enough to force the Lord of Pestilence to retreat and regroup when joined by the Northern Army. Following their narrow victory, the lizardmen armies retreated south across the wilderness to the sea. The expected attack on the northern holdings had arrived in the form of a swarm of corrupted rat-men, descending from the Iron Peaks, spewing disease and green fire. The efforts of the Lord of Pestilence had prevented the possibility of staying this vile tide, and the Ancient City has been abandoned along with Clar Karond and almost all other northern holdings in a desperate retreat.
In the face of these losses, the ritual remains intact and nears completion. Though I find our situation precarious, the chiefs and priests who serve the Lord of the Solar-City remain unfazed and stalwart in their service. I continue to serve as I can, and pray that Sigmar finds my endeavours worthwhile.
The Army of Hexoatl
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Uldo-Moren the Shellbreaker
Skink Priests - Attau the Wasp (Heavens)
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard, Coven of the Crimson God, Fangs of the Cobra
Saurus Warriors - Goldcrest Warriors (spears and shields), Machki's Scar-band (spears and shields), Yachitaq's Fangs (spears and shields), Sawtail Warriors (shields), Warriors of Old Chaca (shields)
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins), Cohort of the Blacktongue (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Unseen of Teba's Canopy (chameleon), Moonfen Hunters
Cold One Riders - Fleshtearers of Tomec
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine), Star of Quetztolan (revivification crystal)
Carnosaurs - Hataxitzl the Wrathful
Razordon Hunting Packs - Amaxon Barbs
The Army of Tlahuizcal
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Enem-Braq Fire-Blood
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Hunthaazac Stone-Skin
Skink Chiefs - Ka'tik the Plume-Beaerer
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Coppershell Warriors (shields), Tachitum's Shieldband (shields), Warriors of Atelaza (spears), Kal'grak's Scorpions
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Sotek (red-crested), Coven of the Setting Sun (red-crested), Bearers of Iztlan's Tail (red-crested), Cohort of Naquetzum (javelins), Paxua's Frog-Eaters (javelins), Cohort of the Green Bog (javelins), Naqqee's Flayers (javelins)
Kroxigors - Stonecrushers of Qutche, Band of the Ivory Cave
Auxiliaries
Terradon Riders - Tacu's Sunchasers
Salamander Hunting Packs - Umbral Tide
The Army of Pahuax
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Tarsik the Lifeshaper
Skink Chiefs - Loq-Galon the Golden
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Wardens of the Orb
Saurus Warriors - Guardian's of Otoco's Seal (spears and shields), Highglade Warriors, Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of the Firefeather (javelins), Quick Hatti's Cohort, Cohort of Great Waxi'ra
Kroxigors - Band of the Emerald Sigil
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Oyxotl's Desciples (chameleon), Stonetongue Brethren (chameleon), Skinchangers of Coaz (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Pok-Hopak Cohort (spears)
Terradon Riders - Pahuax Sentinels, Band of Dragon's Roost, Heralds of Soti
Salamander Hunting Packs - Emberskin Pack, Techi's Hatchlings
The Army of Tlencan
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Qurqumin the Jaguar
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Legion of Chaqua (spears and shields), Warriors of the Blue Fern (spears and shields), Warriors of Matetake (shields), Band of the Obsidian Torc (shields), Bonetusk Warriors (shields), Warriors of the Firevents (spears), Uta's Battle-Kin, Sawtree Coast Warriors, Band of the Wyvern
Skink Cohorts - River-Kin of Tanchi (javelins), Kaniki's Piranhas (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Ripperdactyl Riders - Colossadon Hunters
Bastilidons - Torch of the Atachi (solar engine)
The Army of Notekek Otaxl
Command
Kroxigor Ancient - Kowaal the Fearless
Slann Mage-Priest - Venerable Lord Kroak
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Star Chamber Guardians
Skink Cohorts - Hornfoot Cohort (javelins), Cohort of Chexa Valley (javelins), Band of the First Star
Kroxigors - Cohort of Huatl (sacred)
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Coldfen Exiles (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Viper's Fangs (spears)
The Army of Tlanxla
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Won'mekal Wyvern-Eater
Skink Chiefs - Meso'clan the Pathfinder
Cohorts
Skink Cohorts - Sarmek's Wanderers (red-crested), Cohort of the Wyvernhide, Cohort of the Darkpool
Auxiliaries
Cold One Riders - Red-Claws of Tlanxla (spears)
The Army of Quintex
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Otta-Pali the Shackled One
Skink Chiefs - Kikcha the Spider
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Boneclad of Kanat Bl(shields), Warriors of Uhachi (spears),
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Nanachi's Ring, Cohort of the Torn Pelt
Auxiliaries
Cold One Riders - Motezula's Reapers (horned ones)
Steagadons - Thunderous One (ancient)
Agents
Saurus Scar-Veterans - P'jokkodor Longclaw, Kor'atun First-Spear
Skink Priests - Aande'qant of Yucanachita (Beasts), Pax-Ono the Wise (Heavens)
Chapter 5 (Turns 129 - 1)
The Ritual of Alignment
Consolidation
02 Vorhexen, 2504 IC
Captain, you must believe that I did all I could to persuade the Lord of the Solar-City from this course. I was certainly not aware of the plan to attack the colonies before the deed was done, and I have always encouraged the councillors and commanders to seek cooperation with Governor Nussbacker ... and his administration. I admit I had begun to trust the vision of the Lord of the Solar-City but this betrayal makes me wonder what place we have in this vision. He clearly works against the greatest evil's mankind has ever faced, but meanwhile refuses to acknowledge the works of Sigmar's people. The priests on the Mage-Priest's council have recorded that the Governor was forced to abandon Swamp Town as he was made aware of the approaching army from the Solar-City, which was under the command the Shackled One, and regrouped with his generals at Port Reaver. The colonial forces at Port Reaver were substantial enough to give the Mage-Priest pause until he was joined by the army of the Lifeshaper. Together, the two Slann Mage-Priests were able to defeat the colonial army, in what was recorded as a bloody, but decisive battle. Those who were captured were spared from the grisly fate of most of the Solar-City's prisoners and have been released as you may already be aware. Those who fled may have found temporary refuge at whatever smaller ports may remain on Settler's Coast, but the workers of the Solar-City have established permanent settlements at Swamp Town and Port Reaver and the coloniest will not be welcome to return.
Grey Rock Point's fate was similar, and I was there to witness it myself, though powerless to prevent it. An abrupt turn from our southward march toward the Solar-City, took us to the Point, where we were met by the colonies brave but doomed defenders. Though I hope most of the settlers had fled at the word of our advance, those who survived the attack were allowed to flee as they willed. Grey Rock Point is as of yet still defended by Lizardmen and I do not recommend any further expeditions to the cursed Peninsula. I know it will be small consolation, but pirate havens and slaver ports have been treated with just as much hostility. A fleet under the Jaguar has sacked and destroyed many of the elven ports among the northern isles and freed reptilian and human captives alike while the Lifeshaper lead's an armada that has uprooted any hideout in the ... that has been successful enough to draw its attention.
As less resources have been devoted to the war against Prince Tyrion's alliance, the offensive on Ulthuan has stalled and suffered losses. The Lord of the Solar-City has begun to withdraw his armies to Lustria, and the Prince of Lothern has succeeded in reclaiming his city and all of Eataine and now advances into Caledor. Only the island's south-western peninsula is still held by the Solar-City, governed by a red-crested chief known as the ...., and under constant threat from Prince Tyrion's offensive. These mountains of Caledor were always the primary prize for the Lord of the Solar-City and the esoteric work of his priests continues there still.
While retreating in Ulthuan, the Solar-City seems to have vastly expanded its influence in Lustria.
Mazdamundi defeats Skrolk at the Circle of Destruction
Tarsik defeats Billy the Porous in the Sea of Squalls
The Jaguar sacks the Slave harbour
Lothern falls to elven coalition
Takal defends Vaul's Anvil from the Everqueen
Tarsik and Otta-Pali conquer Swamp Town and Port Reaver
Mazdamundi conquers Grey Rock Point
Confederation with Itza
Mazdamundi and Otta-Pali conquer Ssildra Tor
Tarsik reconquers the Fallen Gates
Njren'bato defends Mouth of Qurveza from Admiral Elreth
Tlax is razed by Luthor Harkon
Qurqumin defeats Sorceress Larian's fleet outside of Grey Rock Point
Otta-Pali defeats King Eyoshers near Ssildra Tor
Otta- Pali captures Sulpharets
Enem-Brak reconquers Tlax from Luthor Harkaan
The Blood Swamps lost to ...
Mazdamundi razes Titan Peak
Takal the Guardian Defends Vaul's Anvil against the Everqueen
Unknown Skaven raze Spektazuma
US raze Tlanxla
Njren'bato the Snake Defends the Mouth of Qurveza from ... Vampire Counts.
Peace negotiated with Vampire Coast
US razes Floating Pyramid
Otta-Pali rebuilds Iron Peaks
Won'Mekal rebuilds Tlanxla
Athil Anar captures Tor Sethai
Won'mekal and Qurqumin defeat US branch under Grey Seer Ekitch
Scienlet razes Pahuax
Tarsik and Mazdamundi retake Phuax and defeat Scienlet and nothern US branch
Princess Ruybiniss sacks Qu'ittax
Otta-Pali defeats Ikit Claw near Quintex
Tretch Craventail razes Fallen Gates
Won'mekal defeats Princess Ruybiness near the ruins of the Monument of Izzatal
Won'mekal defeats Nurglost of Clan Mange and captures the Monement of Izzatal
Tretch sacks Sulpharets
Mazdamundi defeats Greebitz Bootlicka at the Floating Pyramid
Kowall captures the Moon Shard
Enem-Braq rebuilds the Fallen Gates
Takal the defends Vaul's Anvil
Won'mekal captures ... from Order of Loremasters
Hissing God is lost to US
Qurqumin and Njer'boto attack US vanguard at Marks of Old Ones
Marks of Old Ones is lost to US
Chupayotl lost to US
Gor-Rok intercepts and scatters Warlord Shab of US
Enem-Brak razes Pestilens settlement at Titan Peak
US razes Subatuun
Gor-rok defeats US near
Qurqumin and Njerbo defeat US at Alter of Sotek
The Army of Hexoatl
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Uldo-Moren the Shellbreaker
Skink Priests - Attau the Wasp (Heavens)
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard, Coven of the Crimson God, Fangs of the Cobra
Saurus Warriors - Goldcrest Warriors (spears and shields), Machki's Scar-band (spears and shields), Sawtail Warriors (shields), Warriors of Old Chaca (shields)
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins), Cohort of the Blacktongue (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Unseen of Teba's Canopy (chameleon), Moonfen Hunters
Cold One Riders - Fleshtearers of Tomec
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine), Star of Quetztolan (revivification crystal)
Carnosaurs - Hataxitzl the Wrathful
Razordon Hunting Packs - Amaxon Barbs
The Army of Tlahuizcal
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Enem-Braq Fire-Blood
Skink Chiefs - Deyos the Seeker
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Atelaza (spears and shields), Warriors of the Jade Mask (spears and shields), Warriors (shields), Tachitum's Shieldband (shields), Kal'grak's Scorpions (shields)
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Sotek (red-crested), Coven of the Setting Sun (red-crested), Bearers of Iztlan's Tail (red-crested), Cohort of Naquetzum (javelins), Paxua's Frog-Eaters (javelins), Cohort of the Green Bog (javelins),
Kroxigors - Stonecrushers of Qutche, Band of the Ivory Cave
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Venomblood Hunters (chameleon), Hunters of Chitoca, Barbfly Hunters
Terradon Riders - Tacu's Sunchasers, Skyriders of Ipixi
Salamander Hunting Packs - Umbral Tide
Stegadons - Queta's Guardian
The Army of Pahuax
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Tarsik the Lifeshaper
Skink Priests - Pax-Ono the Wise (Heavens)
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Wardens of the Orb
Saurus Warriors - Guardian's of Otoco's Seal (spears and shields), Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of the Firefeather (javelins), Quick Hatti's Cohort
Kroxigors - Band of the Emerald Sigil
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Oyxotl's Desciples (chameleon), Stonetongue Brethren (chameleon), Skinchangers of Coaz (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Pok-Hopak Cohort (spears)
Terradon Riders - Pahuax Sentinels, Band of Dragon's Roost, Heralds of Soti
Salamander Hunting Packs - Emberskin Pack, Techi's Hatchlings
The Army of Tlencan
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Qurqumin the Jaguar
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Legion of Chaqua (spears and shields), Warriors of the Blue Fern (spears and shields), Warriors of Matetake (shields), Band of the Obsidian Torc (shields), Warriors of the Firevents (spears), Uta's Battle-Kin, Sawtree Coast Warriors
Skink Cohorts - River-Kin of Tanchi (javelins), Kaniki's Piranhas (javelins)
Kroxigors - Guardians of the Waxiti
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Fangs of Axlotl (chameleon), Blackmud Hunters, Hunters of Sotika's Lair
Ripperdactyl Riders - Colossadon Hunters
Bastilidons - Torch of the Atachi (solar engine)
Salamander Hunting Pack - Noxyl's Fury
The Army of Notekek Otaxl
Command
Kroxigor Ancient - Kowaal the Fearless
Slann Mage-Priest - Venerable Lord Kroak
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Star Chamber Guardians
Saurus Warriors - Spearband of the Icepeak
Skink Cohorts - Hornfoot Cohort (javelins), Cohort of Chexa Valley (javelins), Band of the First Star, Band of the Blessed Talon
Kroxigors - Cohort of Huatl (sacred), Wardens of the Pale Eye, Maxu's Stonefists
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Coldfen Exiles (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Viper's Fangs (spears)
The Army of Tlanxla
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Won'mekal Wyvern-Eater
Saurus Scar-Veteran - Muq'walan the Scarred
Skink Chiefs - Meso'clan the Pathfinder
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Band of the Barbed Tail (spears and shields), Warriors of Haxi's Shore (shields), Bonetusk Warriors (shields), Warriors of Nemu'anbu (spears)
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of the Wyvernhide (javelins)
Kroxigors - Bronzescale Cohort
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Hunters of the Sandswamp, Hunters of Xaxi's Refuge
Cold One Riders - Red-Claws of Tlanxla (spears)
Terradon Riders - Bi'bap's Suncallers (fire-leech boas), Goldpeak Riders (fire-leech boas), Bearers of Tiu'to's Tears (fire-leech boas)
Razordon Hunting Pack - Xaxi's Guardians
Ancient Salamander - Behemoth of Xuquat
The Army of Quintex
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Otta-Pali the Shackled One
Saurus Scar-Veteran - Kor'atun First-Spear
Skink Priests - Aande'qant of Yucanachita (Beasts)
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Ashpeak Warriors (shields), Band of the Sun's Tongue (shields), Boneclad of Kanat (shields), Warriors of Uhachi (spears),
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Nanachi's Ring (javelins), Cohort of the Torn Pelt (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Cold One Riders - Motezula's Reapers (horned ones)
Terradon Riders - Riders of the Machi Caves (fire-leech boas)
The Army of Chichech Varu
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Takal the Undaunted
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Chonti (spears and shields), Sotaka's Denfenders (shields), Warriors of the Opal (shields), Warriors of the Red Rocks (shields), Won'jema's Spearband (spears), Warriors of Axyot (spears),
Skink Cohorts - Blood-Drinkers of Uxitol (red-crested), Tanit's Plumed Ones (javelins), Cohort of the Firesands (javelins), Cohort of Quatzi (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Cold One Riders - Brotherhood of Tarmek (horned ones)
Razordon Hunting Pack - Ironspines of Oxoto
The Army of Itza
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Gor-Rok the Protector of Itza
Saurus Scar-Veteran - Lun'zakol of Anso's Temple
Skink Chiefs - Dji'fadh the Piranah
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Cohort of the Topaz Gate, Cohort of the Sky-Shrine
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Won'metan (spears and shields), Tappo's Bronzescales (spears and shields), Shieldband of the Eelbog (shields), Warriors of Lake Choa (spears), Warriors of Uxo's Tower, Old Nebemek's Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Tenoqua Temple (javelins), Cohort of Mawek's Heart (javelins)
Kroxigors - Guardians of the Nat-Umu (sacred), Scions of Hachu's Light (sacred)
Auxiliaries
Cold One Riders - Nightfen Longclaws (horned ones), Ummataw's Teeth (spears)
Bastilidons - Ipitichi the Young
Ancient Salamander - Atacha's Favoured
The Army of Axlotl
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Njren'bato the Snake
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Spurwood Spear-Kin (spears and shields), Warriors of Nech'jamu (spears and shields), Warriors of the Greyflats (spears and shields), Ago'womek's Spear-Kin (spears and shields), Warriors of Chumpa (shields), Yachi's Scarred Ones, Warriors of Omocha
Skink Cohorts - Kani'tanizt's Scalpers (javelins), Cohort of the Wyrmlairs (javelins), Cohort of Viper Isle
Auxiliaries
Bastilidons - Sapphire of Nera Ti'nera (Revivification Crystal), Soulbearer of Huanpa (Revivification Crystal), Utaxi's Treecrusher
Stegadons - Quaz'mak's Offering, Pride of Paz'muchi
Agents
Saurus Scar-Veterans - P'jokkodor Longclaw
Skink Chiefs - Kikcha the Spider, Loq'Golan the Golden, Nami'tani the Old
02 Vorhexen, 2504 IC
Captain, you must believe that I did all I could to persuade the Lord of the Solar-City from this course. I was certainly not aware of the plan to attack the colonies before the deed was done, and I have always encouraged the councillors and commanders to seek cooperation with Governor Nussbacker ... and his administration. I admit I had begun to trust the vision of the Lord of the Solar-City but this betrayal makes me wonder what place we have in this vision. He clearly works against the greatest evil's mankind has ever faced, but meanwhile refuses to acknowledge the works of Sigmar's people. The priests on the Mage-Priest's council have recorded that the Governor was forced to abandon Swamp Town as he was made aware of the approaching army from the Solar-City, which was under the command the Shackled One, and regrouped with his generals at Port Reaver. The colonial forces at Port Reaver were substantial enough to give the Mage-Priest pause until he was joined by the army of the Lifeshaper. Together, the two Slann Mage-Priests were able to defeat the colonial army, in what was recorded as a bloody, but decisive battle. Those who were captured were spared from the grisly fate of most of the Solar-City's prisoners and have been released as you may already be aware. Those who fled may have found temporary refuge at whatever smaller ports may remain on Settler's Coast, but the workers of the Solar-City have established permanent settlements at Swamp Town and Port Reaver and the coloniest will not be welcome to return.
Grey Rock Point's fate was similar, and I was there to witness it myself, though powerless to prevent it. An abrupt turn from our southward march toward the Solar-City, took us to the Point, where we were met by the colonies brave but doomed defenders. Though I hope most of the settlers had fled at the word of our advance, those who survived the attack were allowed to flee as they willed. Grey Rock Point is as of yet still defended by Lizardmen and I do not recommend any further expeditions to the cursed Peninsula. I know it will be small consolation, but pirate havens and slaver ports have been treated with just as much hostility. A fleet under the Jaguar has sacked and destroyed many of the elven ports among the northern isles and freed reptilian and human captives alike while the Lifeshaper lead's an armada that has uprooted any hideout in the ... that has been successful enough to draw its attention.
As less resources have been devoted to the war against Prince Tyrion's alliance, the offensive on Ulthuan has stalled and suffered losses. The Lord of the Solar-City has begun to withdraw his armies to Lustria, and the Prince of Lothern has succeeded in reclaiming his city and all of Eataine and now advances into Caledor. Only the island's south-western peninsula is still held by the Solar-City, governed by a red-crested chief known as the ...., and under constant threat from Prince Tyrion's offensive. These mountains of Caledor were always the primary prize for the Lord of the Solar-City and the esoteric work of his priests continues there still.
While retreating in Ulthuan, the Solar-City seems to have vastly expanded its influence in Lustria.
Mazdamundi defeats Skrolk at the Circle of Destruction
Tarsik defeats Billy the Porous in the Sea of Squalls
The Jaguar sacks the Slave harbour
Lothern falls to elven coalition
Takal defends Vaul's Anvil from the Everqueen
Tarsik and Otta-Pali conquer Swamp Town and Port Reaver
Mazdamundi conquers Grey Rock Point
Confederation with Itza
Mazdamundi and Otta-Pali conquer Ssildra Tor
Tarsik reconquers the Fallen Gates
Njren'bato defends Mouth of Qurveza from Admiral Elreth
Tlax is razed by Luthor Harkon
Qurqumin defeats Sorceress Larian's fleet outside of Grey Rock Point
Otta-Pali defeats King Eyoshers near Ssildra Tor
Otta- Pali captures Sulpharets
Enem-Brak reconquers Tlax from Luthor Harkaan
The Blood Swamps lost to ...
Mazdamundi razes Titan Peak
Takal the Guardian Defends Vaul's Anvil against the Everqueen
Unknown Skaven raze Spektazuma
US raze Tlanxla
Njren'bato the Snake Defends the Mouth of Qurveza from ... Vampire Counts.
Peace negotiated with Vampire Coast
US razes Floating Pyramid
Otta-Pali rebuilds Iron Peaks
Won'Mekal rebuilds Tlanxla
Athil Anar captures Tor Sethai
Won'mekal and Qurqumin defeat US branch under Grey Seer Ekitch
Scienlet razes Pahuax
Tarsik and Mazdamundi retake Phuax and defeat Scienlet and nothern US branch
Princess Ruybiniss sacks Qu'ittax
Otta-Pali defeats Ikit Claw near Quintex
Tretch Craventail razes Fallen Gates
Won'mekal defeats Princess Ruybiness near the ruins of the Monument of Izzatal
Won'mekal defeats Nurglost of Clan Mange and captures the Monement of Izzatal
Tretch sacks Sulpharets
Mazdamundi defeats Greebitz Bootlicka at the Floating Pyramid
Kowall captures the Moon Shard
Enem-Braq rebuilds the Fallen Gates
Takal the defends Vaul's Anvil
Won'mekal captures ... from Order of Loremasters
Hissing God is lost to US
Qurqumin and Njer'boto attack US vanguard at Marks of Old Ones
Marks of Old Ones is lost to US
Chupayotl lost to US
Gor-Rok intercepts and scatters Warlord Shab of US
Enem-Brak razes Pestilens settlement at Titan Peak
US razes Subatuun
Gor-rok defeats US near
Qurqumin and Njerbo defeat US at Alter of Sotek
The Army of Hexoatl
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Lord Mazdamundi
Saurus Scar-Veterans - Uldo-Moren the Shellbreaker
Skink Priests - Attau the Wasp (Heavens)
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Eclipse Guard, Coven of the Crimson God, Fangs of the Cobra
Saurus Warriors - Goldcrest Warriors (spears and shields), Machki's Scar-band (spears and shields), Sawtail Warriors (shields), Warriors of Old Chaca (shields)
Skink Cohorts - Pazaqua's Snakes (javelins), Cohort of the Blacktongue (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Unseen of Teba's Canopy (chameleon), Moonfen Hunters
Cold One Riders - Fleshtearers of Tomec
Bastiladons - Chotec's Eye (solar engine), Star of Quetztolan (revivification crystal)
Carnosaurs - Hataxitzl the Wrathful
Razordon Hunting Packs - Amaxon Barbs
The Army of Tlahuizcal
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Enem-Braq Fire-Blood
Skink Chiefs - Deyos the Seeker
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Atelaza (spears and shields), Warriors of the Jade Mask (spears and shields), Warriors (shields), Tachitum's Shieldband (shields), Kal'grak's Scorpions (shields)
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Sotek (red-crested), Coven of the Setting Sun (red-crested), Bearers of Iztlan's Tail (red-crested), Cohort of Naquetzum (javelins), Paxua's Frog-Eaters (javelins), Cohort of the Green Bog (javelins),
Kroxigors - Stonecrushers of Qutche, Band of the Ivory Cave
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Venomblood Hunters (chameleon), Hunters of Chitoca, Barbfly Hunters
Terradon Riders - Tacu's Sunchasers, Skyriders of Ipixi
Salamander Hunting Packs - Umbral Tide
Stegadons - Queta's Guardian
The Army of Pahuax
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Tarsik the Lifeshaper
Skink Priests - Pax-Ono the Wise (Heavens)
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Wardens of the Orb
Saurus Warriors - Guardian's of Otoco's Seal (spears and shields), Sharpspine Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of the Firefeather (javelins), Quick Hatti's Cohort
Kroxigors - Band of the Emerald Sigil
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Oyxotl's Desciples (chameleon), Stonetongue Brethren (chameleon), Skinchangers of Coaz (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Pok-Hopak Cohort (spears)
Terradon Riders - Pahuax Sentinels, Band of Dragon's Roost, Heralds of Soti
Salamander Hunting Packs - Emberskin Pack, Techi's Hatchlings
The Army of Tlencan
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Qurqumin the Jaguar
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Legion of Chaqua (spears and shields), Warriors of the Blue Fern (spears and shields), Warriors of Matetake (shields), Band of the Obsidian Torc (shields), Warriors of the Firevents (spears), Uta's Battle-Kin, Sawtree Coast Warriors
Skink Cohorts - River-Kin of Tanchi (javelins), Kaniki's Piranhas (javelins)
Kroxigors - Guardians of the Waxiti
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Fangs of Axlotl (chameleon), Blackmud Hunters, Hunters of Sotika's Lair
Ripperdactyl Riders - Colossadon Hunters
Bastilidons - Torch of the Atachi (solar engine)
Salamander Hunting Pack - Noxyl's Fury
The Army of Notekek Otaxl
Command
Kroxigor Ancient - Kowaal the Fearless
Slann Mage-Priest - Venerable Lord Kroak
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Star Chamber Guardians
Saurus Warriors - Spearband of the Icepeak
Skink Cohorts - Hornfoot Cohort (javelins), Cohort of Chexa Valley (javelins), Band of the First Star, Band of the Blessed Talon
Kroxigors - Cohort of Huatl (sacred), Wardens of the Pale Eye, Maxu's Stonefists
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Coldfen Exiles (chameleon)
Cold-One Riders - Viper's Fangs (spears)
The Army of Tlanxla
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Won'mekal Wyvern-Eater
Saurus Scar-Veteran - Muq'walan the Scarred
Skink Chiefs - Meso'clan the Pathfinder
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Band of the Barbed Tail (spears and shields), Warriors of Haxi's Shore (shields), Bonetusk Warriors (shields), Warriors of Nemu'anbu (spears)
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of the Wyvernhide (javelins)
Kroxigors - Bronzescale Cohort
Auxiliaries
Skink Skirmishers - Hunters of the Sandswamp, Hunters of Xaxi's Refuge
Cold One Riders - Red-Claws of Tlanxla (spears)
Terradon Riders - Bi'bap's Suncallers (fire-leech boas), Goldpeak Riders (fire-leech boas), Bearers of Tiu'to's Tears (fire-leech boas)
Razordon Hunting Pack - Xaxi's Guardians
Ancient Salamander - Behemoth of Xuquat
The Army of Quintex
Command
Slann Mage-Priest - Otta-Pali the Shackled One
Saurus Scar-Veteran - Kor'atun First-Spear
Skink Priests - Aande'qant of Yucanachita (Beasts)
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Ashpeak Warriors (shields), Band of the Sun's Tongue (shields), Boneclad of Kanat (shields), Warriors of Uhachi (spears),
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Nanachi's Ring (javelins), Cohort of the Torn Pelt (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Cold One Riders - Motezula's Reapers (horned ones)
Terradon Riders - Riders of the Machi Caves (fire-leech boas)
The Army of Chichech Varu
Command
Red-Crested Skink Chief - Takal the Undaunted
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Chonti (spears and shields), Sotaka's Denfenders (shields), Warriors of the Opal (shields), Warriors of the Red Rocks (shields), Won'jema's Spearband (spears), Warriors of Axyot (spears),
Skink Cohorts - Blood-Drinkers of Uxitol (red-crested), Tanit's Plumed Ones (javelins), Cohort of the Firesands (javelins), Cohort of Quatzi (javelins)
Auxiliaries
Cold One Riders - Brotherhood of Tarmek (horned ones)
Razordon Hunting Pack - Ironspines of Oxoto
The Army of Itza
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Gor-Rok the Protector of Itza
Saurus Scar-Veteran - Lun'zakol of Anso's Temple
Skink Chiefs - Dji'fadh the Piranah
Cohorts
Temple Guard - Cohort of the Topaz Gate, Cohort of the Sky-Shrine
Saurus Warriors - Warriors of Won'metan (spears and shields), Tappo's Bronzescales (spears and shields), Shieldband of the Eelbog (shields), Warriors of Lake Choa (spears), Warriors of Uxo's Tower, Old Nebemek's Warriors
Skink Cohorts - Cohort of Tenoqua Temple (javelins), Cohort of Mawek's Heart (javelins)
Kroxigors - Guardians of the Nat-Umu (sacred), Scions of Hachu's Light (sacred)
Auxiliaries
Cold One Riders - Nightfen Longclaws (horned ones), Ummataw's Teeth (spears)
Bastilidons - Ipitichi the Young
Ancient Salamander - Atacha's Favoured
The Army of Axlotl
Command
Saurus Old-Blood - Njren'bato the Snake
Cohorts
Saurus Warriors - Spurwood Spear-Kin (spears and shields), Warriors of Nech'jamu (spears and shields), Warriors of the Greyflats (spears and shields), Ago'womek's Spear-Kin (spears and shields), Warriors of Chumpa (shields), Yachi's Scarred Ones, Warriors of Omocha
Skink Cohorts - Kani'tanizt's Scalpers (javelins), Cohort of the Wyrmlairs (javelins), Cohort of Viper Isle
Auxiliaries
Bastilidons - Sapphire of Nera Ti'nera (Revivification Crystal), Soulbearer of Huanpa (Revivification Crystal), Utaxi's Treecrusher
Stegadons - Quaz'mak's Offering, Pride of Paz'muchi
Agents
Saurus Scar-Veterans - P'jokkodor Longclaw
Skink Chiefs - Kikcha the Spider, Loq'Golan the Golden, Nami'tani the Old
Chap 1 - 4
Chap 2 - 10
Chap 3 - 18
Chap 4 - 28
Chap 5 - 40 + Fall of Man
Chap 2 - 10
Chap 3 - 18
Chap 4 - 28
Chap 5 - 40 + Fall of Man
- Nachexen -- "After-Witching"
- Jahrdrung -- "Year-Turn"
- Pflugzeit -- "Ploughtide"
- Sigmarzeit -- "Sigmartide"
- Sommerzeit -- "Summertide"
- Vorgeheim -- "Fore-Mystery"
- Nachgeheim -- "After-Mystery"
- Erntezeit -- "Harvest-Tide"
- Brauzeit -- "Brewmonth"
- Kaldezeit -- "Chillmonth"
- Ulriczeit -- "Ulric-Tide"
- Vorhexen -- "Fore-Witching"