Post by Dreadheart on Mar 30, 2020 17:10:32 GMT
Prelude
The Battle of Festenplatz...
The skies turned grim, as the clouds carried by the icy cold northern wind blocked out the sun. The mayor of Festenplatz wakes up by the sound of the bells. Alarm. Festenplatz folk were no strangers to raids. Oftentimes in spring, flotillas of longboats emerged from the Sea of Claws, carrying the barbaric northmen to the beaches, from where they attacked the town. As the mayor rushes to the balcony, dread possesses him. This was no ordinary raid... This was no ordinary raiding party. Through the thick fog, a huge fleet of Norscan longboats emerged, all carrying the eight-pointed star of Chaos on their sails. This, was an invasion force...
"KILL THE SOUTHERNERS!" the Chaos Warchief shouted as he aimed the nearby shore with his longsword. The dozens of marauders and Chaos Warriors alike onboard bursted into warcries, most of them so anxious for the comming battle, they did not wait until the ship pierces the sand. They jump overboard, running over the waters, weaving their weapons as the town guard quickly rushed into formation before the port limits.
The first volley of musket fire flies to the Chaos attackers, decimating them. Alas, the menace of the Dark Gods was far too strong...
The northmen ram through the lines of the Nordland defenders, breaking through as if they were but feathers. Soon the fight spreads to the town streets, all the way up the hill of the plaza. burning bodies fly over the windows of the collapsing buildings, while men women and children alike are dragged across the streets, oftentimes with half their limbs hanging.
No mercy was shown by the Chaos Hordes that only kept comming.
Meanwhile, at the nearby port, two heavy warships were anchored. Without time to proppely man them, the nordlanders cut off the ropes, and open the gun ports. Soon the blazing cannonfire fills the sea between the isle and the shore with smoke, as the warship fires against the coming longboats. Several shots land on the enemy ships, cracking the very keels, cutting them in half in a huge explosion of wood and fire and gore.
"To the port, men! Take the port!" the tall Chaos Warrior shouts, as he gazes through the distance, seeing their ships being sunk by the huge warship.
The northmen soon storm the port, only to find themselves against rapid cannon fire and balls of fire from a very priest of Sigmar, standing tall at the bow of the warship. The Chaos Warrior propostures his large shield, shouting to the nearby troops, who they join him, forming a long shieldwall. Behind them, rush the marauders, who wield the javelins, the axes and the maces. The shieldwall slowly pushes towards the starboard of the ship. As the Nordlanders start firing their muskets and culverins from onboard the ship, out of a sudden, the shieldwall of the chaos warriors suddenly breaks, as dozens of horrifying abominations jump from within it, running with unnatural speed over to the warship. As soon as the Chaos Spawns reach over the ship's rails, a spraying shroud of bloodfog and flesh parts explodes, as the shouts of the nordlanders are suddenly silenced. Meanwhile, the Chaos Warriors at the dock stand, looking up to the bloodbath onboard the warship, releasing warcries and curses.
Their cheers are soon cut, however.
Out of a sudden, every gun port, every hoist and every window of the warship spits an infernal explosion; The entirety of the hull blasts into fire and darting shards, as it is being bombarded from the distance, from the sea. Many of the Warriors of Chaos and marauders standing nearby fall under the blastwave, covered by the cracked flying pieces of cannons or wooden plates, goring the entire dock. Another warship, flying the Bretonnian flag over its sails has arrived, openly engaging the chaos fleet in the sea... And so, the waves reach the burning sands red; As the corpses are washed off by the dozens...
The Chaos Warrior stands, still dizzy by the explosion. Around him, he sees the dozens of corpses of his comrades over lakes of blood and gore, while reinforcements for the southerners come from the sea... "Cursed winds; We have been compromised!" he shouts, before his voice was covered by the sound of trumpets. He turns, seeking with his gaze where they came from... It was from there; Beyond the hill of Festenplatz, from the south. An entire Imperial army had arrived, descending down the hill slopes under the cover of arcane fire balls and the shadow of Gryphons; Blasting against the black ranks of the Chaos Horde, laying waste upon the town...
And so begun, the Battle for Festenplatz
And so begun... the War...