[b]Alec Bredain, Sindar Bredain, Eléane Bredain[/b] [i]Province 55[/i] The battle started at dawn. The men of New Engelica formed their tight formation. Shield against shield, with spears ready to pierce metal and flesh. Magi marched behind them. Their many tomes and staves ready to cast the spells of the 4 elements, as well as to pray for their knights in mithril armor before them. The men and women of the line held it bravely. Suffering wounds like scratches. Bleeding dry before falling from formation. But then, the machinery of war from the Holy Lands were rolled in. An unexpected turn of events to most magi, as they assumed that their lady would have destroyed those machines. Dismay began to grip the hearts of the soldiers. While fearless of their foe, they dared not imagine what happened to Lady Eléane. The lines eventually broke, and skirmishes broke out everywhere across the battlefield. Magi against magi, infantry against infantry as massive bolts from ballistae wreaked havoc on the field. For a moment, it would seem that the balance of the battle was tipping to the side of the Holy Lands. But it hasn’t. In the heat of battle, a single gust of wind blew heavy across the battlefield. Even those not gifted by magic felt how off the blow was. Especially when all wind seized after it. But the veterans of the First Mage War began to smile. “Hold on to your trousers lads! And try not to faint. For you’ll want to tell your grandchildren about this!” The bearded elders yelled. From the forest behind the lines shadows appeared. Their form unclear. The magi behind the main line of skirmishes soon recognized who it was and knelt. The War-Magi had arrived. And with them, dark clouds from the east. The battle’s tide turned swiftly and without mercy. It was Eléane, not the Ruin-King who led the War-Magi party. She marched with a cold determination only a battle scarred sorceress could. The fighting reignited as the War-Magi of fire hurled their fiery wrath at the siege weapons. From the tempest above rain of ice shards fell down. Lightning crawled over the ground, scotching the fools that stood in the way. Then, a line of brave but foolish Holy Land Magi started their prayers. At the center of the line, a War-Magi was channeling the Divine energy of the prayers into a skull. A relic of some ancient saint. “Beware evil that harms this land! Our prayers will defend us. Our gods will protect us!” he yelled in determination. The Holy Land warriors who were not quick enough to cower behind the shield were soon slaughtered in cold blood. Eventually, all heavy infantry and magi units watched the shield. As did the enemy from the other side. Incantations had seemingly no effect on it. Until Eléane appeared from between her units. Without words she approached the shield. But a few meters away from it, she turned around and shouted: “Pray for me. My people.” The frontline units formed their line formation again. As the magi and troops behind them knelt down to say their silent prayers. Her veins began to glow. Softly first. Like the light of a candle seen through a hand. But quickly the intensity grew. The light turned blue and bright. With a thousand voices speaking as one, she said: “Then I will kill your gods first!” She stretched her right arm before her. With her pointing finger out. She walked towards the skull. Her arm passed through the barrier. Not with ease, clearly. But it passed. The terrified War-Magi was shaking, yet kept holding the saint’s skull up. A stupid mistake. As one touch from Eléane was enough to make a crack on it. A small piece, a tooth, fell from the skull. Then two others followed. Soon the jaw came crashing down to the ground too. Eventually the entire skull turned to shattered fragments. The barrier collapsed. And in the same time the blue light in Eléane’s veins vanished too. She looked the War-Magi in the eyes, and smiled a cocky grin. After which she walked back to her line. The grin was a secret she and him shared. In a duel, only a day ago when she was out finding the siege weapons, he threw her the same grin when he and his men found her. In the ambush she saw him from the top of the cliff. Casting his holy spells. He even had the guts to throw one at her, with the same kind of grin. “Don’t you dare walk away! You wrench!” he yelled after her. But then it was time for the Ruin King himself. Dressed in his simple black robes and holding his gnarled staff he passed the line of his warriors, who were standing tall once more. With his soft, grandfatherly voice he said: “You have lost, my dear. Surrender.” But the War-Magi, mistaking the Ruin King for a pathetically old, pacifistic magi spat at him. “Be gone old man! You are too old to be in this fight.” Alec did not take that lightly. He took a deep breath, then slammed the gnarled wooden staff into the ground. With it, a fiery ring of fire surrounded the remaining Holy Land fighters. In a language long forgotten, he began to chant. The skies above him began to converge. Enemy magi and war-magi began to hurl their spells at him. To no avail, for the magic users of New Engelica protected their king. With their own bodies if had to. Eventually, the chanting came to an end. And the result was astonishing. Hail and lightning came down from the heavens, shattering the enemy within the fire circle alone. Then, the earth quaked and rumbled beneath their feet. From the cracks great tongues of fire lashed out. Cooking those in armor, and burning those in cloths. By dusk, the enemy was completely annihilated. Yet the troops of New Engelica had casualties of their own. The ring wherein the enemy had been massacred by the Ruin King’s spell was circled by bonfires. Upon which the dead of New Engelica were burned. While those of the Holy Lands were left rotting on the ground that would long bear the scar of the magic used there. A single man on horseback rode out southwards with a letter. [quote]Dwarven friends The Holy Lands are no more. The pact will be honored. You can expect the troops of New Engelica to arrive by the summer.[/quote] [hr] [b]Some students[/b] [i]Province 58[/i] It was getting dusk when Yoren, Linda and Silvester dragged the contraption from Yoren’s workshop. Yoren was a blacksmith apprentice and lifelong friend of the twins. He was asked to make sturdier version of the glider they made in the winter. The end result resembled bat wings. Lightweight wooden “bones” kept a canvas tight. The wooden bones had copper rings keeping them together. But the copper served more than once purpose. They were lined with runes that channeled wind below it. Generating lift. With a back fin standing vertical, the operator could maneuver in the skies. In theory. Silvester went up in the skies again. This time, he could fly as far as he wanted, as he was unsupported by his twin. But it was clear that there was still work to do. As staying in control by controlling the airflow proved to be extremely difficult. [hr] [b]Diplomatic party[/b] [i]Province 57[/i] The War-Magi and his retinue remained at Orngat. Further discussing the possibility of settling an embassy to continue to increase relations. [hider=My actions] [b]Garrison[/b] [i]Province 58[/i] 9 Units of Heavy Infantry 5 Units of Light Cavalry 3 Units of Magi 8 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 59[/i] 3 Units of Light Infantry 5 Units of Heavy Infantry 5 Units of Light Cavalry 6 Units of Magi 4 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 60[/i] 2 Units of Light Infantry 8 Units of Heavy Infantry 6 Units of Magi 3 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 55[/i] 2 Units of Light Infantry 8 Units of Heavy Infantry 5 Units of Magi 6 Units of War-Magi [b]Troops movement[/b] [i]Province 57 - Diplomatic intent[/i] 1 Unit of War-Magi 1 Unit of Magi [i]From 55 to 53 - Reïnforcing Broken Empire[/i] 8 Units of Heavy Infantry 4 Units of Light Cavalry 20 Units of Magi 16 Units of War-Magi [i]From 60 to 53 - Reïnforcing Broken Empire[/i] 15 Units of Heavy Infantry 20 Units of Magi 10 Units of War-Magi [b]Production:[/b] Province 58: War-Magi Province 59: Heavy Infantry Province 60: Magi Province 55: Heavy Infantry [b]Research[/b] Airbending [/hider]