[hider=The battle] The armies of New Engelica had reached the chosen battlefield. The mechanical warriors the scouts spotted formed a metal wall before the soldiers. And towering constructs reached out towards the skies. The main force of the Heavy Infantry form their shieldwall. The metal towershields, adorned with old spectacles from the first Mage War line up. Behind them, proud Knights wearing their Mithril armor stand ready to fend off any attacker. In the second line, Magi and War-Magi well versed in the element of water spread out. Ready to use the experimental tactic. The Mage Tempest continues to swirl above, gathering momentum and casting a dark shadow over the battlefield. Rain was not far away. The War-Magi of fire then unleashed their indiscriminate power upon the enemy lines. As redhot balls of fire came crashing down upon the defenders, the Magi and War-Magi specialized in Earth began their spells. A faint rumble could be heard from deep within the ground. A rumble that would soon turn into lesser vibrations of the top soil. Though if allowed to continue, a real quake would rip through the earth. All Magi and War-Magi hid behind their valiant knights as they cast their magics. Counting upon their shields for their protection. The fireballs crashed into the lines, but seemed to do no damage, the flames simply blackening the metal but not breaking it. As one, the entire defending line began to push forward, however the Magi using water magic worked like a dream, the water freezing in the pipes and the Mechanical Walkers grinding to a halt in the defensive line. The Mechanical Warriors however, driven by an altogether different power source, push on through the hail of fire, drawing closer to your lines. Seeing the sight of the malfunctioning giants ignited a spark inside of the front line. Who were ready to engage the mechanical beings. In the meantime, rain began to fall from the skies. Inspired by their unexpected success, the mages of water turned the water on the mechanical warriors into ice. Trying to encase them into a frozen prison. In the meantime, the rumble in the ground got louder. Between the two lines small a difference in height began to form. Rocks began to jut out in an attempt to slow and seperate mechanical warriors. Finally, the War-Magi of air began to cast their lightning bolts at both the mechanical warriors advancing and the frozen mechanical walkers to destroy them for good. In the meantime the mages of fire ragged as they saw that the metal was merely blackened by their spells. They began to band together. Casting fire at the same targets. Trying to focus their flames on a center spot to heat it to a melting point. The Magi and War-Magi tactics have some success, but the sheer unflinching stamina of the Mechanical Warriors means the line does not falter and smashes into your own soldiers in a whirling of metal and flesh. The Heavy Infantry are holding, but taking heavy losses. The light cavalry curves around the main shield wall. The line in the middle starts to retreat a little, making a bowl shape in an attempt to draw the mechanical warriors deeper. In the meantime, magi attempt to heal the heavy infantry and keep them on their feet. The Light Cavalry is to attack the drawn in mechanical warriors from behind. Mostly trying to find a weak spot. As the Cavalry move around, a roar fills the air, cutting above even the thunder above as shapes drop from the clouds. Fast and powerful, the bombers come in low, horrific bombs falling onto the conflict. While the Mechanical Warriors shrug off the roaring flames, the soldiers are not so lucky. A magi has a public duty towards his people. He has a gift and therefor a responsibility. All Magi know this. It is one of the founding principles of New Engelica. Thus the Magi have no choice but to shield their troops from the roaring flames raining down. Hoping that the Mage Tempest they brewed days before would somehow hinder the bombers. The Magi and War-Magi do what they can to shield their soldiers, but they simply cannot protect them all, and some fall to the ground screaming with pain. The Dirigbles are obviously struggling against the buffeting winds from the storm, so they cannot turn for another bombing run, forced to fly back to friendly skies. Meanwhile the Mechanical Warriors, receiving some signal from a far-off commander, turn as one and begin to fight with earnest back towards their lines, and as you watch the crew of the Mechanical Walkers bail out of their machines and run back towards the neighboring friendly province. Enough blood has been spilled in a country they were already reluctant to march into. Too many lost their lives in the conflict. The forces of New Engelica allowed the enemy to flee. There were more important things now. Treating the wounded, and examining the destroyed Mechanical Warriors and Walkers. The Mage Tempest remained. A still powerful storm surging above the province. Discouraging any bomber to fly there. [/hider] [b]Province 52[/b] [i]Sindar, Alec, Eléane Bredain[/i] The battle was a hard won victory. The pure power of the Mechanical Warriors had slaughtered the defensive barrier of the Heavy Infantry. While the Magi tried their every spell and power, most seemed to only graze the metal shells. When the flying bombers entered the fray, the Magi couldn’t destroy a single one of them. Never the less, after a long battle New Engelica came out victorious. They swiftly moved to secure the frozen Mechanical Walkers. The only success of the battle. Tents were swiftly setup around them, as Magi began to crawl inside to examine them. In the meantime the few destroyed Mechanical Warriors were stripped apart in an effort to understand their inner workings. The elder War-Magi looked tired, defeated. Within the command tent, they seemed much more human now than back in the Holy Lands, where they sat on the pedestals reserved for the gods there. They sat on uncomfortable wooden chairs. With dim light from a central fire casting long shadows around. “We cannot march on…” mumbled an elder lady. Alec agreed with her. It seemed that New Engelica’s campaign would come to an end. Too many had lost their lives according to the elders. Together, they dictated a letter towards the Broken Empire. Detailing that they could not push any further. Beaten they came out of their tent, only to be greeted by their polar opposites. Proud Magi stood in rows, more disciplined now than ever. With long black or red robes. The young War-Magi stood in the front row. Behind all them stood row after row of Heavy Infantry. They had polished armor shining in the dusk sun. Eléane and Sindar walked up to their father, who was holding the letter. “All troops present and accounted for, father.” Both greeted him official, and disciplined. Alec, as were the other veterans of the First Mage War, were taken by surprise. They had assumed that the troops were broken. But clearly they were ready for one more fight. Alec burned the note in his hand, and let the snippets of smoldering paper fall to the ground. “Send a rider out to the Broken Empire. Tell them to meet up at the southern border between their land and the last bit of Limgar.” The army used to be broken indeed. After the battle. But Eléane and Sindar, future rulers of New Engelica saw this too and were no fools. Eléane, getting the nickname “Godslayer” for her feats within the Holy Lands, had a hearty talk with the younger War-Magi. The new generation. She played their vain and pride. Telling them there weren’t acting like the powerful beings they were supposed to be. Instead, they looked terribly human and by extent, terribly weak and mortal. This hit a string within all War-Magi. In the same time, Sindar used clever stories of his father and other mages. Those who saved kings and destroyed armies, not through power but through clever thinking. That combined with a liberal amount of wine raided from a nearby village, made sure that the mages would remember that their name too could be written down. The next day both groups were back on their feet and ready as ever. All fired up a little more by Sindar’s final speech. Where he told them that now the stories told about them would not see them as invaders. Their allies, the dwarves from the Broken Empire would see true magic. And they would sing songs in their halls for long after the day. He also told them about the Orcs, pathetic excuses for magic users, who cowered behind walking dead because they couldn’t do more than reanimate a corpse. Sindar commanded all mages to show them was real magic was. [hr] [b]Province 52[/b] [i]Some mages[/i] Days before the final decision, mages had been examining the Mechanical Warriors. A horrid combination of cogs, chains, belts and gears made up the inward workings of the machines. Not a single mage could even begin comprehending the machines. Clueless, they dumped the parts on a cart and send it back to Al’Gruin. Where maybe the trained researchers would find anything useful. Though they held little belief that they would be able to discover anything. So they moved on to the Mechanical Walkers. Inside they had found several frozen over pipes. The freezing of water within the walkers seemed to be a very viable tactic. But they discovered something else. Furnaces within. Clearly the crew inside were burning burning stuff. Which the fire mages liked very much. Because right now, the crew could still fleet the immobilized walker. But what if the flames were fanned in such a way that they’d engulf the entire interior? The Walkers would turn into metal tombs for the crew. The theory was viable enough to be tested out. [hider=My Actions] [b]Diplomacy[/b] [i]Orngat offered military and naval support in the final fight against Limgar. New Engelica welcomed the proposal and forged an alliance with Orngat.[/i] [b]Garrison[/b] [i]Province 58[/i] - 5 Units of Heavy Infantry - 5 Units of Magi - 6 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 59[/i] - 3 Units of Light Infantry - 6 Units of Heavy Infantry - 5 Units of Light Cavalry - 7 Units of Magi - 5 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 60[/i] - 2 Units of Light Infantry - 4 Units of Heavy Infantry - 8 Units of Magi - 4 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 55[/i] - 2 Units of Light Infantry - 5 Units of Heavy Infantry - 5 Units of Magi - 6 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 53[/i] - 5 Units of Heavy Infantry - 5 Units of Magi [i]Province 52[/i] - 1 Unit of Light Cavalry - 5 Units of Magi [b]Troop movement[/b] [i]From 53 to 52 - Garrison reinforcements[/i] - 4 Units of Heavy Infantry [i]From 55 to 53 - Garrison reinforcements[/i] - 5 Units of Heavy Infantry - 5 War-Magi [i]From 52 to 50 - Conquer intent[/i] - 13 Units of Heavy Infantry - 2 Units of Light Cavalry - 28 Units of Magi - 24 Units of War-Magi [b]Production[/b] Province 59: War-Magi Province 58: War-Magi Province 60: War-Magi Province 55: Heavy Infantry Province 53: Heavy Infantry Province 52: Heavy Infantry [b]Research[/b] Dirigibles [/hider] ((More and Actions coming soon))