(Hashrakul the Interfector updates Lord Andal the Prevaricator on the Heresiarch’s Synod and the Slidecrown Isle conflict.)
Heresiarch,
The White Ravens are rapacious thieves, murder-cultists and reavers who would make ideal scouts and irregular additions to your forces, were they not so possessed of an irresponsible capriciousness and an addiction to spectacular acrobatics and the most ambitious of kills. Endearing in the fighting pits of Eightpoints, perhaps, but maddeningly difficult to focus in the field
A recent skirmish with a band of Witch-Aelves eager to plunder the Slidecrown Isles’ resources was illustrative of the best and the worst of the Ravens’ proclivities in the field. The Morathi-aligned forces had taken to seizing a ruin in order to use it as a fane for more of their damnable blood rituals, a process that was taking its toll on the valuable fauna that we are trapping. The magical side effects have also been withering the Ghyran jadewoods that we have been painstakingly harvesting for the war effort. Something needed to be done about the situation, of course, and the White Ravens would either prove their talent for wet work, or their deaths would…optimize our logistical requirements.
(OOC: We played a Rumblepack Power struggle match, me fielding Corvus Cabal while my opponent fielded a fast-striking group of Morathi. Photo of Turn 2)
The Witch-Aelves thought to seize key points of the ruin with the rapid deployment of their Scathborn elites, but the Ravens’ fondness for heights gave our prancing murder-birds an advantage over the slithering Melusai. Preening like a rooster more than a crow, the Ravens’ Shrike Talon seized the high ground and challenged the Aelves to combat, and to their credit, one of their High Gladiatrices answered the call. Observing from a safe distance, I could say it was quite the spectacle. Again, were I still overseeing the fighting pits at New Progexia, I might even have applauded the panache with which the Shrike Talon danced around the aelf’s barbed whip, enduring a few artful lashes before swooping in for the kill. The gladiatrix was most artfully disemboweled. Aesthetics aside, the Shrike Talon was left bloodied, exhausted, and needlessly weakened.
Far more effective were the swarming strikes of the spear-wielding cabalists, descending upon the daughters of Khaine as a murderous flock. Skirmish tactics and skillfull distance control allowed the cabalists to harry and force the Morathi cultists away from their strongpoint.
At this point aelven flankers arrived, attempting to strike the Ravens from an unexpected angle, but to their credit, the crows had not left their rear unprotected. A lone cabalist dared the aelves to approach, and as the hags closed, the trap was sprung as a Spire Stalker struck from the skies, claiming the hag commander and another aelf.
Our own flanking force arrived at this point, striking down more aelves, seizing the ritual grounds and surrounding one of the Melusai. The encirclement was nearly complete, and all that remained was to tighten the noose. Ever the preening rooster, the Shrike Talon moved to cut off the final avenue of escape, taking to the air to strike down the last unwounded Melusai. The Architect of Fate is a joker of course, and rather than dramatically arresting their fall upon the corpse of their prey, the Talon’s hubris got the better of them as they missed the mark and hit the ground with an unceremonious splat, collapsing into a heap of feathers and shattered stilts.
(OOC: I had a Quad. It was perfect. Dice willing, I could kill that Melusai. I had the high ground, and assuming that I rolled anything other than a 1 for falling damage, the 2 wounds remaining on the Shrike Talon were an acceptable buffer. Of course I rolled a 1, taking 3 damage and KO’ing the Shrike Talon before it could fire off the bonus attacks from the Quad. The entire table burst out in laughter. It was magnificent.)
There was a moment of stunned surprise from the Melusai, but the Scathborn quickly pulled her wits together and managed to organize the aelves into a barely competent retreat from the field. The Ravens’ Shadow Piercer, to her credit, wisely let the elves retreat rather than risk further entanglement.
I suppose the battle was a near ideal result. The aelves were driven from the field, and the White Ravens were blooded, but successful, with an object lesson in hubris that can be easily used to chasten their worst proclivities.
Our expedition through the woods of the Slidecrown Isle continues successfully, Lord Andal, and at the rate we’re going, you will need to contract more blockade runners to help transport the jadewood, beast hides, and Aqua Ghyranis gathered at our beachhead stockpiles. Greater forces than our raiding party gather to decide the fate of this island, and we intend to seize every opportunity we can to make off with this land’s riches while the mighty batter themselves into a bloody pulp.
In service to the Everchosen,
Hashrakul the Interfector, 444th Goroan Reclaimers & the Heresiarch’s Synod.
