You are Scalfron, Son of Scalfeor, Prince of Caledor, Fair of Judgement and Pure of Heart. Your latest quest to the Old World has ended in triumph, and you have done the Phoenix King a great honour. The greenskin hordes of Nazgob have been scattered by your hand and the human Empire is safe to fight another day, and even the hateful Dwarfs have sent a single word missive of begrudging thanks for saving their holds in the Grey Mountains from Nazgob's tyranny.
But your troubles are not yet over. In your adventures you have drawn the ire of the foul creature known in hushed words as Petyr The Abominable. This loathsome monster of death is bent on capturing you, not only so that he might study the magic of your noble Elven blood for use in his own unspeakable evil, but also so that he might glean from you the hiding place of the dreaded Blood Star, a cursed amulet you secreted from the hands of men many centuries ago, and the resting place of which you alone know now.
Petyr The Abominable has marshalled his armies against you and has already cut off the passage to your ships anchored off the coast of The Wastelands, leaving you trapped against the Grey Mountains. You still have enough supplies to maintain your army for now, but you will need to bring the villain to battle sooner rather than later in order to have any chance of returning to fair Ulthuan.
At your side you command the following host:
LORDS
Scalfron, Fair of Judgement (YOU!): Prince with Longbow, Shield, Blade of Leaping Gold, Armour of Heroes, Amulet of The Purifying Flame, Pure of Heart, riding a Dragon
HEROES
Fenix the Loyal: Commander Battle Standard Bearer with Dragon Armour and Battle Banner
Solanair the Swift: Commander with Dragon Armour and Swordmaster
Fealanar the Bold: Commander with Halberd, Shield and Lion Guard
Glormeth of the Swift Wind: Commander with Longbow, Dragon Armour, Shield, Blade of Darting Steel riding the Chariot Arrow of The Wind
Falcoth of the Silver Moonlight: Commander with Longbow, Dragon Armour, Shield, Sword of Striking and Blessed Tome
Beathryelle Fierce of Heart: Commander with Longbow, Light Armour, Shield, Sword of Might and Talisman of Saphery, riding an Elven Steed
Sarathwyn the Lioness: Commander with Heavy Armour, Shield and Blade of Sea Gold, riding an Elven Steed with Ithilmar Barding
Monwyndel, Daughter of Twilight: Commander with Longbow, Shield, Biting Blade, Shadow Armour and Talisman of Protection
CORE
Neophytes of Hereal: 16 Archers with Light Armour and Full Command
Neophytes of Elysion: 16 Archers with Light Armour and Full Command
Neophytes of Lemuria: 16 Archers with Light Armour and Full Command
Neophytes of Tyranon: 16 Archers with Light Armour and Full Command
The Gleaming Watch: 20 Spearmen with Full Command
The Shining Guard: 20 Spearmen with Full Command
The Glittering Guard: 20 Spearmen with Full Command
The Glimmering Watch: 20 Spearmen with Full Command
The Blades of Lightning: 10 Silver Helms with Shields, Heavy Armour and Full Command
The Riders of The Storm: 10 Silver Helms with Shields, Heavy Armour and Full Command
The Tempest Guard: 20 Lothern Sea Guard with Shields and Full Command
SPECIAL
The Hearts of Scalfron: 10 Dragon Princes with Full Command, Amulet of Fire and Standard of Balance
The Subtle Blade: 20 Swordmasters with Full Command, Guardian Phoenix and Banner of Sorcery
The Hunters of Chrace: 20 White Lions with Full Command, Helm of Fortune and Lion Standard
The Arrow of The Wind: Tiranoc Chariot with Two Additional Steeds
The Spear of The Wind: Tiranoc Chariot with Two Additional Steeds
The Song of Dawn: Tiranoc Chariot
The Triumph of Dawn: Tiranoc Chariot
The Lark's Cry: Tiranoc Chariot
The Swallow's Call: Tiranoc Chariot
The Grace of Kurnous: 10 Ellyrian Reavers with Bows and Full Command
Anwyn's Hunters: 10 Ellyrian Reavers with Bows and Full Command
The Twilight Heralds: 10 Ellyrian Reavers with Bows and Full Command
The Dusk Rangers: 10 Ellyrian Reavers with Bows and Full Command
The Midnight Wardens: 15 Shadow Warriors with Shadow-Walker
RARE
The Guardians of The Secret Fire: 20 Phoenix Guard with Full Command, Dragonscale Shield and Banner of Arcane Protection
Alcatani Fellowship of Pikemen: 15 Alcatani Fellowship Pikemen with Full Command
All in all a respectable fighting force that has seen you through a string of victories across the Old World.
Regrettably it seems that the lords of Saphery have not forgiven you for your spurning of the arranged marriage with one of their most cherished daughters and your tryst with the wild fierce-hearted princess of Nagarythe, Monwen, who stole your heart as easily as she can slip past Druchii patrols. The court of Saphery has sent no aid to your army or your cause, save for a contingent of their elite regiment of Swordmasters under the command of Solanair, your rival for the hand of Monwen, and it has been painfully obvious for sometime that both he and they have been sent for the main purpose of stealing credit for your victories and making you look incompetent in the eyes of the Phoenix Court. Consequently you can count on no form of magical support at all.
To make matters worse, while your expedition was reinforced with a generous contingent of Lothern Sea Guard, their compliment of supporting Eagle Claw bolt throwers was lost in a storm during your voyage to the Old World, and the Shipmasters refused to lend any of their vessels' complement. It is a testament to your skill that you have been able to make do without them thus far.
The final misfortune has been the local Eagles' stubborn refusal to come to your aid. Despite your best efforts to rekindle the bond between Asur and Eagle, these local birds have grown closer to the Asrai that dwell in the shadow of the Grey Mountains and remain aloof to the sons of Ulthuan.
Fortune has not been entirely unkind to you however. Your personal household Dragon Princes remain loyal to you to the end, as does your closest companion Fenix, and you can count upon their unwavering support no matter what. Monwen herself has also sent a band of her Shadow Warrior kinsmen under the command of her sister, Monwyndel, to ensure your safety. Your childhood friend and princess of Ellyrion, Beathryelle, also remains understanding of your affair and joined your expedition at the head of several hosts of Reaver horsemen.
Glormeth, a prince of Tiranoc, has also saw fit to aid you along with a hand-picked retinue of his best Chariots, and your old comrade Fealanar was sent to assist you by the Phoenix Court as well. Most impressive of all however, was a full regiment of the king's own Phoenix Guard that arrived on the docks of Lothern the morning of your departure to join your expedition. They have proven invaluable ever since.
Finally, as the sun sets on another day of grim news of Petyr's blockade, a ragged band of the Alcatani Fellowship of Pikemen arrive at the gates of your stronghold. They have been fighting for many months against the evil of Petyr and are willing to offer you their support in exchange for a generous donation from your war chest to the victims of Petyr's atrocities.
Arrayed against you is the following:
A formidable force that has already spread terror across the human Empire. You know very little about the sinister figures that lead it, save for the babbling rumours of terrified refugees fleeing before the undead hordes. Your trusty spy managed to confirm that the Vampires had exhumed the abhorrent Book of Arkhan and Staff of Damnation, and that they were fashioning common magic items including Biting Blades, Talismans of Protection, Swords of Battle and Enchanted Shields. They also spotted Familiars in the midst of Petyr's lair.The Fell Legions of the Undying Lord Petyr The Abominable, Master of Death (Necrarch Bloodline)
LORDS
Petyr The Abominable: Level 4 Vampire Lord with Nehekara's Noble Blood, Forbidden Lore, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
Orlok: Level 3 Vampire Count with Nehekara's Noble Blood, Master of the Black Arts and UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, riding a Winged Nightmare
Robute Mortimer: Level 4 Master Necromancer with UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
HEROES
Radu: Level 1 Vampire Thrall with Nehekara's Noble Blood
The Keeper: Level 1 Vampire Thrall with Nehekara's Noble Blood
Kurtis Barlow: Level 1 Vampire Thrall with Nehekara's Noble Blood, riding a Barded Nightmare
Maloker: Level 1 Vampire Thrall with Nehekara's Noble Blood, riding a Barded Nightmare
Johan Sebastian: Level 2 Necromancer with UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
Richter Van Seden: Level 2 Necromancer with UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
The Dollmaker: Level 2 Necromancer with UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
The Dark Guardian: Wight Lord Battle Standard Bearer with Heavy Armour and UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
The Black Butcher: Wight Lord with UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, riding a Barded Nightmare
Gak: Wight Lord with Heavy Armour, UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
Bloody Jack: Wraith with UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS, riding a Barded Ethereal Nightmare
Bluebeard: Wraith with UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
CORE
The Fell Legion: 25 Skeletons with Light Armour and Full Command
The Nightmare Legion: 25 Skeletons with Light Armour, Spears and Full Command
The Forgotten legion: 25 Skeletons with Light Armour, Spears and Full Command
The Damned Legion: 25 Skeletons with Light Armour, Spears and Full Command
The Living Dead: 25 Zombies with Full Command
The Walking Dead: 25 Zombies with Full Command
The Restless Dead: 25 Zombies with Full Command
The Moon Clan: 10 Ghouls with Ghast
The Devil's Children: 10 Ghouls with Ghast
The Hounds of Petyr: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf
The Children of The Night: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf
The Fangs of Death: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf
SPECIAL
The Dead Hand: 20 Grave Guard with Shields, Full Command and UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
The Triumph of Death: 20 Grave Guard with Halberds, Shields, Full Command and UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
The Black Host: 10 Black Knights with Barding, Full Command and UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
The Heralds of Hell: 10 Black Knights with Barding, Full Command and UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
The Black Riders: 10 Black Knights with Barding, Full Command and UNKNOWN MAGIC ITEMS
The Hunger: 10 Fell Bats
The Ravening: 10 Fell Bats
The Lost Souls: 5 Spirit Host bases
RARE
Iron Mary: Banshee
Dread Liz: Banshee
Freezing Freda: Banshee
Screaming Sally: Banshee
Semper Mortis: Black Coach
Your trusty spy also reported that Petyr and his minions had managed to unlock the secrets of the Talon of Death, and that they had unearthed a dangerous forbidden Black Periapt from a defiled crypt, likely where they also found the vile Casket of Ages. The spy also sensed extremely potent magic coming from Petyr's household battle standard.
Unfortunately, your trusty spy was discovered before they could uncover anything more. The last message you received from them indicated that their cover had seemingly been compromised by the whisperings of a magic staff carried by one of Petyr's coterie of fiends. That was two weeks before the mutilated corpse of your trusty spy shambled up to the gates of your stronghold in the middle of the night and uttered a sickening unearthly scream before your warriors finally ended the poor soul's torment.
Monwyndel and her Shadow Warriors have investigated the streams of terrified refugees from the villiages Petyr has attacked to try and uncover a little more. According to them, the refugees speak of infamous long-dead murderers wielding a sword that devours the very soul of its victim, a shield in the style of Bretonnia to the southwest and a black book with the names of all the innocent women that were killed by the bearer, as well as a black gem that, so the tales go, ensures its wearer can never be vanquished.
The villagers also give garbled stories of armoured long-dead warriors piecing themselves together and rising to their feet after being hit with arrows and gunfire, Riders in Black who never miss their sword blows, unbearable deafening screams on the wind before the hordes and unstoppable overwhelming numbers of living dead stretching beyond the horizon.
Your scouts have managed to identify Petyr's route of march, which will take his army through the following points of interest:
1. Berrwyn Crossing
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The Berrwyn Ferry is the only reliable crossing point across the River Lissel for three hundred miles up or downstream, and straddles the most efficient route to your stronghold. The Ferry itself is relatively small and meant for civil use only, so it can accommodate only a single regiment at a time. Your Shadow Warriors have also spied an area of the river just upstream of the Ferry that is shallow enough to be used as a fording point for more warriors, though the treacherous white water conditions will slow down any crossing along there and likely risk injury for all but the most sure-footed adventurer.
The rest of the river is largely impassable and makes for a formidable natural defensive barrier.
Two hills overlook the northern side of the crossing. The smaller of the two has a southern face comprised of razor sharp rock crags, making it largely impassable from that direction, but the remaining sides are perfectly traversable. A treacherous labyrinth of razor sharp rocks is located just north-east of the larger hill and makes for an area of difficult ground. A forest can be found on one side of the smaller hill.
The southern side of the crossing hosts a small human settlement, comprised of The Sleeping Waters Inn, the Church of St Marcus Kneeling and the houses of the men that work there and their families. An area of woodland is just west of the settlement, and a road threads from either side of the crossing itself. two fields of crops can be found between the homesteads and the church, surrounded by stone walls on the north and south sides and wooden fences on the east and west sides.
The church has a moderately large graveyard behind it. Monwyndel has also discovered the remains of an ancient battle between human barbarians in the northwest, just beyond the forest on the north side of the river. There is a collection of cairn barrows located there.
The strategic crossing makes this an ideal point to bring Petyr's hordes to battle.
2. Weatherfork Junction
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Weatherfork Junction is a lonely intersection of two of the major roads threading through the vast Verdenveldt forest that covers much of the northern expanses beyond your stronghold. Devoid of any permanent habitation, it is surrounded on all sides by thick woodland forest, save for the roadways themselves and the lonely hill that overlooks the junction. The junction and the interconnecting roadways are a key part of the most efficient route to your stronghold and one of the most reliable routes for any supply lines.
The dense woodland cover and hill overlooking the junction make it a good site for an ambush.
3. The Willow Marshes
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Three major areas of razor sharp rocks are to be found as well, also making for difficult ground.
Finally, three large foetid woods can also be found in the area.
Though uninhabited and a very poor battlefield, the Willow Marshes do occupy a largely unoccupied and undefended approach to your stronghold, and could allow Petyr to attack from an unexpected quarter. It is possible there may also be magic items to be found buried within the marshes.
4. The Circle of Kings
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This lonely stretch of wilderness is dominated by a large hill on which is located the legendary Circle of Kings, an ancient edifice of standing stones constructed long ago by human barbarian druids. The edifice itself is comprised of a ring of nine standing stone triliths surrounding a central altar. 5 oak trees surround the site on the hill below.
Though long since abandoned, the Circle of Kings still radiates with palpable magical energy, and is clearly a source of tremendous untapped magical power for any wizard who might make use of it, even during battle around it. It is almost certain that Petyr will attempt to capture the Stone of Kings to harness its power for his own ends.
Surrounding the Circle of Kings are three stretches of forest and a small lake of still mirror-perfect clear water. Your scouts report that they were able to sense some lingering magic within the lake's waters in addition to the Circle of Kings.
5. Wessenchapel (Street Fighting Rules)
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The town of Wessenchapel is the largest human settlement between Petyr's hordes and your stronghold. The local militia and Imperial warriors have abandoned the town, retreating from the overwhelming might of Petyr's army and leaving the townsfolk to fend for themselves. They have little chance of stopping Petyr on their own and have desperately pleaded for anyone to aid them.
The town itself is dominated by the Cathedral of Sigmar Ascendant, built over the original chapel that gave the town its name. The massive Cathedral has a sizeable labyrinth of crypts beneath it, which are said to house many wondrous artefacts, but of equal note is the massive graveyard cemetery directly behind the cathedral. Should Petyr manage to conquer the town the cemetery would swell his hordes with untold numbers of living dead.
The Cathedral is nestled in the centre of the sprawling town, with many buildings of various sizes surrounding it all linked together by a network of cobblestone paths. Any battle here would inevitably feature a great deal of house-to-house fighting.
Castle Schneefort (Warhammer Siege)
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Your own stronghold for your time in the Old World has been Castle Schneefort, a fortress constructed by the human Empire over the site of an ancient Elven fortress built to safeguard their border with the Dwarf empire long ago. The castle was taken over by your expedition shortly after arriving in the Old World, and which has since been refitted to the needs of the Asur for a lengthy campaign.
Located high up in the Grey Mountains, the castle is surrounded on three sides by formidable hills. The sheer size and ruggedness of these hills makes them difficult ground to climb, but once at the summit they do offer high ground overlooking the castle itself. The main approach to the castle has a single road threading up to the gate.
To bring Petyr to battle at your very stronghold itself certainly comes with extreme risk, for he will have had time to amass his forces such that they outnumber yours by at least two to one. Nonetheless, your castle does offer a formidable defensive position, with five towers around its courtyard. The castle defences include 5 cauldrons of boiling oil, which your forces have filled with reserves of Ielthan Alchemical Deathfire. There are also enough rocks and rock-throwers to outfit all of the infantry regiments garrisoning the castle. Unfortunately, the bitter cold of the Grey Mountains prevents any meaningful attempt at reinforcing the gate.
Petyr has besieged other citadels on his way to you, and survivors have claimed no fewer than three siege towers amongst his hordes. A battering ram and two smaller log rams have also been consistently reported, as well as ladders for all the remaining infantry regiments found within his army.
Armed with this knowledge, it now falls to YOU to fight for your fate. You may bring Petyr's army to battle at one, some or all of these locations. You may also use any of the common battle plans at each of them, or a special battle plan found in the Chronicles or the General's Compendium if suitably appropriate (you will need to make a case for it). The sole exception is Castle Schneefort, which will always be the site of a Siege.
Be warned, however - any units or characters lost in one battle will be unavailable for ANY subsequent ones. If you, Prince Scalfron yourself should fall at any point, you will have lost in ultimate defeat.
Now then is the time for you to comment your plans below. You have your army and all the knowledge that can be given. With the forces and information available, how will you defeat Petyr The Abominable and fight your way to freedom and the way home to Ulthuan?
How will you Survive The Night?
