By year 11 of the permenia Calendar, New Quemara had developed into a country of over two hundred thousand. The most populous region remained the hinterlands of Vinduhr to the south of the Collines du Nord, but the northern and eastern territories were rapidly propsering thanks to continued immigration. Much of the influx of settlers from outside of Permenia was based on the contracts gained by the Kharadron Overlords, who began performing convoy escorts and transportation services for the nobles of other realms keen to exploit the new sub Realm of Quemara. One major family involved in this expedition was the Alptraum family, a dynasty who claimed lineage of their line to the age of Myth and beyond.
Claims of lineage aside, the resulting influx of the Alptraum's and those people they feudally dominated rapidly expanded the settlements on the borders of Quemara. Not trusting the lords of Vinduhr to provide them with military support, the Alptraums raised their own forces to protect the Eastern Marches, and the army was headed by Duke Gabriel Alptraum from his noble seat at Dietenburen. The Alptraum army's first test came in the eleventh year, when from the north and from the dark forests of Aglia, a horde of beastmen was reported heading south over the Fermia Desert. This relatively small desert existed due to the realm's strange magical flows, and no rain fell here, but it was easily crossable in just a few days. Duke Gabriel realised the army posed a threat to his lands of East Quemara, and raised his banners to face the beasts in Fermia before they could head south. The Aelves simply watched from their towers and halls.
The army of men set up on the scorched plain of the desert, their greatswords on the left flank and their swordsmen on the right. in the centre the might of the Alptraum artillery was protected by units of freeguild, and behind, near the Duke himself, Knights of Order prepared to breakthrough any weakness in the enemy battleline. Facing the human host a tide of beasts rolled across the horizon, with gors and ogors and even a mighty Ghorgon causing the ground to rumble as the beast herd approached.
The Free people of Quemara struck the first blow, killing the Ghorgon outright with well placed cannon and rocket volleys, and the bullgors suffered as well to the artillery. On the left flank the gors were reluctant to face the greatswords of the Alptraums, but on the Duke's right wing the bestigors managed to outflank the Quemaran position and get into combat with the swordsmen, who were soon in trouble. Spooting an opportunity, Gabriel ordered his Knights to charge the dragon ogors in the centre of the beast herd's line, but the charge did not hit home with enough power. Unable to wound the beasts with their lances, the ogors and shaggoth wiped out the knights and started advancing on the human centre.
On the left flank the free people did well, with the standoff with the gors finally ending when the beasts reluctantly charged. No match for the greatswords, the gors were cut down. The duke meanwhile had to deal with the appearance of a cockatrice, but this distraction delayed the general's intervention on events on his right flank. Here the bestigors had defeated the free swordsmen of Dietenburen, and were working inexorably towards the artillery. The artillery itself had prooved less than effective after its initial shooting, as the nervous gunners often missed their intended targets. By nightfall on the first day the beast herd had wiped out the defending free company around the artillery pieces, and the crew fled. Now only the greatswords remained battleworthy, and they conducted a retreat from the Fermian deserts, hoping the beast herd would not follow them over the hills into New Quemara.
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