The battle of Shandalai

In the year 18 of the Permenia Calendar, an alliance was forged between the Seraphon and Idoneth, as the forces of chaos became stronger in the northern Neuvian region of Izmael. North of Izmael the plains gave way to marshlands in the land of Shandalai, where wide rivers flowed down from the tall mountains that hid the secretive realm of Tizca, to the cold northern seas. Here the chaos armies could be stopped from breaking out into Aedacia, and falling on the Quemaran colony of Champieu from the north. The Aelves had no particular qualms about the Quemarans falling to chaos, but the loss of access to the entire nothern coast of Neuvia gave them common cause with the Seraphon, who were still working to support the men of Sigmar and their allies, in order to stop their most hated foe.

The battle of Shandalai was a crushing victory for the forces of order. The Slaanesh host was destroyed early on in the battle, leaving the devotees of nurgle outnumbered and at risk of encirclement. The nurgle host did manage to inflict some casualties as it retreated back to the hinterlands of the chaos realm, but the borderlands and the floodplains of the river Shand were secured for the forces of order, at least for the time being.

Tales from Neuvia

My Lord Admiral,

I have been following the Quemaran Expedition this past year as it has made its way inward from the landing site. A small settlement named "Champieu" now serves as a makeshift port for New Quemara, and the general of the local "Front" has styled himself "Duq" if you please! The Quemarans have mostly explored the lowland region of Paeris, although to the east lie a great range of mountains. Here the humans got themselves into a spot of bother, when they were denied passage by an army of Fyreslayers. I suggested a parley but the hot headed sons of Sigmar demanded passage through the passes to the Tizcan Empire. It came as no surprise to any son of Grungni how that ended, and that Quemaran expedition was sent back to Champieu.

Worse still for the menfolk, the remnants of the army sent east were ambushed by the worshippers of the Dark Gods, and I was forced to sail away from the battle lest me and my crew be caught up in it. It didn't go well for the Sigmarite army and the tattered remnants of another failed expedition returned some weeks later to the port settlement. I did hear that the Seraphon tried to send help to the Quemaran expedition, but whatever magic that Slaan uses on Corexis certainly doesn't seem to work on Neuvia. A skaven horde stopped him the first time and then, just this past month, word reached us that an entire Seraphon army had been defeated by the Idoneth fish elves if you can believe that! More bad news for "the Duq" at any rate.

I should mention the forces of chaos in the east as well. Over the mountains, in the land of Izmael, another captain tells me that he saw a horde of grots annihilated by the forces of Nurgle. This gives me bad feelings about the profitability of the venture, although the captain also says that the very tops of the mountains on Neuvia are rich in Aether Gold! If we are to make a good turnover out of this venture though, I think we will need the Sky Fleet. You say New Quemara is well defended on Corexis and our assets secure enough. In which case, send the fleet to Neuvia. There is another human empire in the mountains and beyond it lies a chaotic citadel. The mountains themselves are infested with grots and ratmen, and the aelves are abroad on the seas. I'm going to need a bigger boat.

Yours
Barik Gurnisson
Captain of Frigate Equitable Merchant

Permenia, map of Neuvia

Permenia - a new discovery

To the honoured lords of Barak Haraz,

As year 16 of the Permenia calendar begins, I find myself remiss in providing regular updates to the council, and beg that you judge me to have addressed this oversight by way of this letter. Apologies at the length, I have much to update your lords about.

Our friends in the south

The south of the Corexis isles continues to be a fruitful partnership between our kin and the men of Sigmar. The Sigmarites govern and rule over their own, although we have helped them build cities and settlements as well as great works of engineering which they have paid us and the other duardin an acceptable amount. Trading with these people is reliable, if unspectacular, and the aristocratic lords who form the "council" of New Quemara have done us the courtesy of giving us a seat at their table. There is also a suspicious Slann creature who often turns up to speak apparent words of wisdom, but we do not interfere as it seems they bring their great knowledge to aid the Quemarans, and it has ever been polite and courteous to us.

In the east the "Blood Coast Alliance" remains in place, a union of convenience between the sylvaneth and the idoneth, which continues to be vexatious. Few men or other civilised folk have been able to penetrate these realms.

Our enemies to the north

To the north of the river Sallowash the islands of Corexis are a dark and miserable land with few opportunities for profit. The lords of the dead rule over the wretched citizens within Fermia, Athein and much of Kyrelia, and further north still there are the dread blighted lands of Phyrax, dominated by grot and ratmen.

In the far north, in Caledron, the Domain of Beasts has now been superceded for not only do strange beast armies roam the lands, but dread denizens of the dark gods are also abroad in these savage lands. These daemon armies and devotees of the plague lord have already assaulted the Blighted Lands and the kingdom of the skaven, although it seems the rat men are not united, as some seem to fight for the leaders of Blightport, while others join in the destruction wrought by the chaos interlopers.

This would not be too much trouble for us in the south, but the nobles of Quemara do insist on sending "expeditions" north seeking riches and glory. Alas none of these expeditions have as yet returned.

A new discovery

In the last year we have been recieving more and more information from our long range scouting frigates indicating that there are many more islands in this sub realm. Our navigators have finally worked out where this sub realm actually is, and it may come as some surprise for you to know that Permenia is in fact one section of the "All Points", and that the realm narrows as you move inward. We are on the furthest islands from the dread fortress of Archaon that lies at the heart of the realm. A few days flight inward however, a larger landmass has been detected, which we have named Neuvia and we intend to explore and see what trading opportunities lie therein.

Despite advice to the contrary, a Quemaran fleet did set sail for Neuva a few months ago, with much pagentry and waving of flags. All too predictably they have not returned, with the last message from them reading "landed safely, natives warn of "fish elves" but we believe the threat to be exaggerated..." Ah well, I will follow up very soon once we have gathered enough stores and men to secure a coastal landing area, although the Sigmarites may have started on that at least.

Yours,

Admiral Gromrik Aetherson

Admiral of the Arkanaut FLeet of Barak Haraz

Permenia Expedition

Idoneth clash with beasts

The Eidolon and its retinue swept through the vanguard of the beast herd with little effort. The small bleating creatures were annihilated within moments. The King meanwhile prepared his main lines to meet the bulk of the horde, confidence filling the Idoneth lines as they saw they had the beasts out matched.

But this confidence was short lived as a mighty raw rose from the nearby tree line. A gigantic ghorgon barrelled out of the undergrowth, lunging for the Eidolon and bearing it to the ground. The pinned avatar was helpless as the monster smashed it to a pulp with its bare fist. More monstrosities appeared from the dark forest, roaring obscenities as they crashed into the Idoneth lines.

The aelves managed to maintain discipline despite some grievous casualites, falling back in good order so that they could bring their greatest assets to bear.

A tidal wave of eel born knights flowed over the withdrawing Idoneth and plunged deep into enemy lines. Unprepared for such a violent counter punch the beast lines faultered, and then crumbled. Pockets of resistance formed around the herd leaders but even these eventually fell to the wrathful aelves.

Battle of Shivermere

The year of 13PC saw the rulers of the Marrowcraw Court leading crusades on three fronts. In the North, the Beasts of the Barrowgorge Fray continued to raid across the Splintervale. To the south, the Quemaran belligerents remained a considerable military presence. But by far the most pressing threat to the Dominion of Death lay to the east, where the forces of the Bloodcoast Alliance maintained constant aggression along the expansive border between the rival nations. The most recent attacks saw their Carpathian mercenary companies beginning to encroach upon ruined outskirts of Shivermere, the largest city in the eastern regions of the Dominion of Death, as they sought to seize control of the arcane conduit waystones that channel the flow of death magic across the Dominion’s borders.

With their armies already stretched thin, and with a vast border to defend, the Marrowcraw princes unleashed an ancient and terrible power to bolster the defences of their kingdom. Drawn forth from the crypts of Shivermere, summoned from aeons-long slumber by malign rituals, hosts of fell spectres surged from the netherworld. Led by their dread monarch, Varros the Ever-Damned, the revenant army unleashed from Shivermere swept eastward to intercept the Carpathians.

The Carpathians were swift to form-up into battle order in the face of Varros’ attack, intent on driving back the spectral host. The Namarti foot soldiers of the Hollow Legion formed the vanguard, their Reaver archers raining fire down upon the oncoming ghasts. But the horror of spectral onslaught proved overwhelming for the Hollow Legion and the Namarti fled in terror.

The fierce cavalry of the Akhelian corps were not so easily daunted, surging into the fray astride gnashing Fangmora mounts. Though outnumbered by the massing revenant host, the Akhelian warriors’ counter-attack blunted the advance of Varros’ swarming ghosts. As the aether tides began to swell, the Shivermere spirits seemed to lose their form and cohesion. While the Akhelians held fast in the centre, a mighty Eidolon of Mathlann, borne upon a aetheric tidal wave, came crashing down upon the flanks of Varros’ black knights even as they advanced to encircle the Carpathians. With the arrival of the Aspect of the Storm, bringing in its wake reinforcements from the Hollow Legion, it seemed as if the forces of death would be swept aside. Overwhelmed by the fury of the mighty Eidolon, the revenants began to dissipate and fade back into the mists, and their grim sorcerers were put to flight.

But the malice that drove the Ever-Damned was unbridled. In life, Varros had been a despot. In death, his malevolence was all-consuming. With the ghosts of Shivermere shackled to his will, Varros dragged the spirits of Shivermere back across the mortal veil. The ghastly forces began to coalesce once more, as if untouched by the trials of battle. By contrast, the Akhelian mercenaries were beleaguered and fatigued, now finding themselves surrounded by Varros’ re-formed army. The remaining Carpathians tried to break free and escape, riding the receding aether-tides to safety. Furious Fangmoras thrashed and writhed past their spiteful attackers, some were cut down by swirling blades and others dragged from their saddles by grave-cold grasping claws.

The ghosts of Shivermere had driven the Carpathians out of the city and back across the borders into the Aelvish lands from whence they came. Varros the Ever-Damned had delivered the Marrowcraw Court a victory. But would the dread tyrant of Shivermere be satisfied to retire back to his tomb in the wake of his victory?

Chaos in the northern wastes

The leader of the troupe spun gracefully through the verdant field. With a soaring leap she landed in the midst of a daisy patch. She was soon joined by a vibrant cohort of fellow dancers, their every move perfectly timed...

...the Gor herd screamed in terror as the tide of Daemonettes crashed into them, joining the titanic Keeper of Secrets that had just lunged into the centre of their ranks. Razor sharp claws tore chunks of flesh and fur and blood turned the dry, cracked earth a deep red...

...the dancers went their separate ways as the tempo of the music changed. Some of the younger and more agile members of the troupe went to play amongst a nest of rabbits. Others danced around an ancient oak tree as it gently swayed in the light breeze...

...a pack of Seekers separated from the mass of daemons, barreling into the unfortunate Ungors in the rear guard. Another group of the riders surrounded the giant Cygor, slicing it to ribbons with the bladed limbs as it clumsily swung at them with it's great fists...

...the troupe leader danced atop a lichen covered boulder as the music reached it crescendo. The rest of the troupe matching her every movement from all over the green field...

...the Keeper of Secrets, To'Me'Ku'Pr, plunged its mighty claws into the ancient Shaggoth, watching in delight as the life faded from its eyes. It's agony was palpable. The God Hunters had won the day as the last beasts in the arid valley were cut down...

...the dance moved on...