The thought of the Shackler of Peaks being used by Tzeentch’s disciples to corrupt Ymetrica’s sacred mountains was too much for the Lumineth to bear. Glittering warhosts were dispatched to the Doomstretch, intent on braving this magical waste and securing the artefact. But Tzeentch’s forces thrive wherever sorcery has gone awry…
Reality’s laws had long become malleable in the Doomstretch. What appeared to be a vast crystalline desert marked by fallen monoliths was in fact a region shifted subtly out of linear causality by the weapons of the Spirefall. Those who braved the region found themselves suddenly transported miles away without the supplies to return. Elsewhere, warriors became fixed in a single point of time, marching forever with the horizon never shifting, or stumbled across aged, desiccated versions of themselves.
Nor were these the only dangers the aelves faced. Rogue spells and magical constructs roamed the land. Some had been released by the ancient Lumineth themselves to dissuade trespassers; others were less deliberate. As they skirted the ruins of Evergleam, the warhost of Regent Kalae was set upon by spasming and spindly wraiths – echo-like remnants of aelves slain in the Spirefall, their outlines smudged like ink blots in a child’s jotter.
But despite this march into their hateful past, the Lumineth persevered. Mages enveloped their warriors in threads of temporal magic, securing them to the present. The aelementiri, aelves who had studied beneath powerful aelementor spirits, also offered their wisdom. The Stonemage Neira tended a quintet of floating isles known as metaliths, donated by the peaks of the Stoical Vast. Travelling upon these, a warhost could pass above the coruscating desert, directed by Windmages of the Hurakan temple. As the skies grew more tumultuous, the metaliths descended to form a bridge across the river Althann now a channel through which searing, rainbow-hued energies roared.
Tzeentch’s worshippers were far more at home in the deranged Doomstretch. While their master, Venestrati, still lurked in the wastes of northern Ymetrica, he had sent a host south led by the survivors of his Sons of Quintessence cult. With them came flights of Screamers, for these infernal sky-sharks can sniff out concentrated magic from miles away. Their presence granted the cultists a chance of locating the Shackler of Peaks’ resting place, even in the sorcerous cauldron of the Doomstretch. Both sides were now engaged in a race against time to secure or claim their prize, plunging deeper into the blasted landscape and its many horrors as they did so.
Getting Ready
This Quest is created for two players to take part in, to represent the events of the Doomstretch for those playing within TGW. One player takes the role of the Lumineth Realm-lords; the other plays the Disciples of Tzeentch. There are four locations involved: the initial locations – the Ruins of Evergleam, Topplespire, and Zoec Trill – and the final location of the Doomstretch.
To start, the Lumineth player must decide where their forces have been deployed to best track the movements of Venestrati’s host. These are their Main Body, their Spearhead, and their Rearguard. To make this decision, the Realm-lords player is encouraged to look at the rewards each of the locations will give to the victor and try to guess where the Disciples of Tzeentch player is likely to begin their journey into the Doomstretch. Once the Lumineth Realm-lords player has made their decision, they should note it down in secret.
Playing through the Quest
The Quest is actually 2-3 battles in length, though all of it will be tracked here. For the first battle, the Disciples of Tzeentch player picks 1 of the 3 initial locations from which to launch their campaign into the Doomstretch. When making their choice, they are encouraged to also look at the rewards found in each location, and to try to guess where the Realm-lords player has committed the least of their forces.
Once the Tzeentchian player has chosen the location of the first battle, the Lumineth Realm-lords player reveals if the location hosts their Main Body, Spearhead, or Rearguard. This determines how many points the Lumineth player can spend when picking their army, as follows:
Playing within the Locations
Each of the initial three locations has Realm Rules, Battleplan information (based on the Battlepack you’re using), as well as what rewards are given to the player who wins the battle.
Aftermath
After the first battle is completed, comment below, here on the Quest page, with the results of the battle. You may also comment on the location as well, particularly if your battle resulted in any lasting change to the area (this is helpful for any possible future players battling in the location).
The winner of the battle gains the reward of that location in the next battle of the Quest.
Once you’ve commented with the results of the first battle, you can expect information on the next part of the Quest within a couple days. If you suspect you will go through more than one battle in a single sit through, feel free to comment, and I can give yo more information up front.