Furor belli

From the journal of Johanna Schwarz, Witch Hunter general, Norland

17. Nachgeheim, 2500

War is hell. Still, there is an oddly calming and clear quality to the situation we are in in Hargendorf. For so long now, we have been grappling in the shadows, unsure at every turn whether people were friends or foes. Not so now: This is a clearcut conflict. The forces of chaos are here, on our doorstep, and rising to greet them are the meager defenses we have been able to muster. Light versus dark. A war of survival. No quarter will be given, nor sought. We either scour these shores of the barbarian horde come to lay waste to the land, or end up dead or worse.

Our delaying tactics thankfully worked, so the city's defense now included Niskes army. Yet as dawn arose to the sight of the Norscan hordes amassing outside the city, it was clear we were in a precarious strategic position. The enemy outnumbered us at least two to one. Moreover, they are far stronger in one-on-one combat. Thirdly, they had a swarm of demonic harpies in the sky to support their attacks. Fourthly, they had two colossal juggernauts among them, which we surmised would probably be used as siege tools to break down our walls and gates. And lastly, they were bringing forward two massive chaos cannons - they could hurl blobs of pure chaos energy several hundred yards, to cause terrible damage to both structures and people.

But our enemies have their own weaknesses, and we have strengths. Our primary strength was the fortifications. The Norscan hordes may be fearsome in hand-to-hand combat, but fare less well against ranged weapons. We had a fair amount of gunmen and archers, and four massive imperial cannons, capable of wreaking great damage on massed foes. And lastly, we have Eldur. The winds of Aqshy rage through him like a hurricane, and he is able to singlehandedly incinerate hundreds of enemies.

Analyzing the situation, we quickly came to the conclusion that we have one major strategic weakness: Their cannons outrange anything we have. As long as they stayed disciplined and kept their distance, they would be able to grind down all our defenses from a distance, until we were ripe for the taking.

I proposed that we could lead a small excursion of forces to get Eldur within striking range of their artillery. However, the others were able to persuade me that this would lead to little or no damage, and risk losing our greatest asset, as the combined horde would converge on Eldur to bring him low. Instead, a different version of the strategem emerged in our discussion: We would mount an expeditionary force to make it seem like we were trying to break through their ranks. However, this would be a ruse, to play on the Norscans' greatest weakness: Their chaotic bloodlust. The expeditionary force would lure them into a headlong charge to attack us, bringing them into range of our superior firepower. Our expeditionary force could then retreat behind our walls, but by this time, their forces would be committed to an all out attack, leaving them open to be massacred by out artillery, our archers, riflemen, and Eldur's fearsome flames.

Having settled on a plan, we went to present our idea to Niskes war council. We found Niske, with von Kalb and other officers and nobles gathered around a map of the defensive layout of the city. I quickly presented our strategy, emphasizing that the strike force would have to expect heavy losses, but that the gains from this gambit could be massive. Niske quickly agreed to the idea, but first proposed to only send a small force of militia onto the field, troops he obviously considered expendable. However, both we and aothers in his council argued that the force would need to be big enough to convince the horde that it was a real attack. We finally agreed to send a mix of militia, swordsmen and a contingent of knights. Myself and Viktor would accompany the expedition, while the rest of our party would act as guards for Eldur.

As we assembled the troops inside one of the two gates to the city, I could sense trepidation and anxiety among the soldiers, especially the militia. 

It is all too easy for people to build up the enemy in their own mind, I've seen it time and again. In my soldier days, I could see the way the enemy in your head could become a veritable ogre, invincible and terrifying. My hope was to make them despise and laugh at the enemy. If they see them as beneath respect, they will easier do what is required - which is considerable! Many of the men and women gripping weapons were clearly unused to, and unsuited for war. Yet I believed they could triumph. In a moment of inspiration I jumped up onto a nearby crate and delivered a short rousing speech, to fire up the morale of the troops:

"Soldiers! Champions of Hargendorf! Hear me! The barbarian wastes of Norsca has suffered a bout of diarrhea so bad their shit has flowed all the way to our shore, and at this moment is lapping at the walls of our city. It falls to us to clean up this vile filthy scum, and by the gods, clean it we will! With blood and steel, with cannons, with sword and lance, and with all the fire in our righteous hearts we will wipe this northern sewage from the very face of the earth!"

A mighty roar went up amongst our ranks, and as we marched out the city gates towards the gathered barbarian ranks, we shouted insults and jeers at them. Even some of the townspeople joined in the taunts. It was a wondrous moment. However, I soon enough felt the cold chill of death creep into my mind. The armies arrayed against us were massive, and responded to our japes and insults with just the kind of fury and bloodlust I had hoped for. We hadn't marched more than fourscore yards out, before they started charging towards us, axes, swords and spears levelled at us, ready to rend, tear and cut. At the same time, the massive colossuses started moving, charging towards us with an alacrity noone had imagined they possessed. And at the same time, a swarm of harpies large enough to blot out the midday sun hurtled out of the sky, heading straight for us. Our strategy worked - maybe too well...

We had to get back inside the walls, but there was no way the foot soldiers would reach the gate before being crushed by the juggernauts. I shouted an order to the knights to engage the juggernauts, distract them, and then retreat to the city. Thankfully, the will of Norlands knights is not easily broken. With a mighty warcry of "For Norland", the noble warriors charged strsaight for the beasts. Meanwhile, the footmen and militia headed for the - relative - safety of the city, the seasoned soldiers in a fairly orderly retreat, the militia running head over heels. Me and Viktor played rearguard, me firing pistols like a madwoman, and he cutting down any harpies daring to come close enough.

As we were nearing the gate, I saw von Kalb, returning with his knights from the charge, have his horse drop out from under him, after it was struck by a norse javelin. He tumbled into the mud, and I charged over. Yelling at any nearby soldiers to shield their lord, me and Viktor picked him up. Thankfully, he was only dazed, and managed to stumble along as we sprinted for the gate.

At the same time, our trap was truly sprung, as the advancing horde came into range of our cannons, guns and bows. With mighty roars, cannonballs ripped into the charging ranks of barbarians, flinging them like rag dolls. Two of the cannons fired directly at the mighty juggernauts, their impact hard enough to give even those metallic beasts pause. 

Meanwhile, a storm of death descended on the Norscan scum, lead balls and arrows cutting them down by the dozens. My heart leapt at the sight. And I knew that our most terrifying weapon was yet to be unleashed.

At the same time, I have been told later, disaster struck on the ramparts. A small group of traitourous villains used the confusion at the battle's commencing to sacrifice themselves to the despicable lord of chaos, summoning blood demons of Khorne into the midst of the walls' defenders, threatening the cannons. As I've been told, Johan, Sunniva, Torgil and Eldur helped the soldiers deal with this new threat.

Our expeditionary force, badly bled and decimated, had meanwhile reached the gate and was entering the city. The gate guards were preparing to close the gates behind us, when another traitorous scum started sabotaging the gate mechanism. Viktor, bellowing in rage, charged the hapless fool and nearly cleaved him in two with a swing of his massive sword. I felt a moment's reprieve as I heard the gate slam shut behind me. Our plan worked! The entire hrode was now pressing towards the city, suffering massive losses along the way. It was time for us to unleash some true horror on them.

Joining the others, we climbed stairs up to the battlement, keeping Eldur in our midst like a precious noble amid a praetorian guard. A flock of harpies descended on us as we reached the top of the wall, but were met with a hail of arrows, bullets and a flurry of blows from Sunniva, Torgil, Viktor and me. Where was Johan?

As the harpies were killed and driven away, Eldur was shouting like a madman in his strange, magical language. I could see sparks and flames rising around him and felt a terrifying power grow. As we finished off the harpies, an unspoken agreement made us part around Eldur for a moment, and he stepped out onto the wall, crimson energy radiating all around him. For a moment, the air became scorching hot and it was hard to breathe. Then, with a final magical roar, he unleashed the gathered energies in a flaming storm unlike anything I have seen on the approaching bloodthristy warriors. The whole field in front of the gate, and for dozens of yards to either side became one single blizzard of fire. I could see Norscan raider, who one minute ago looked fearsome and ready to kill us, writhe in agony, rolling on the ground, some even turning to ash before our eyes.

The ones who ran out of the fiery storm were being peppered with missiles from the brave soldiers on the walls. It was a truly magnificent sight. But we had no time to cheer. Storming down from the skies was a massive, manyheaded beast, heading straight for Eldur. Wasting no time, our group split in two. Sunniva grabbed Eldur by the arm, commandeered some nearby soliders, and immediately headed down from the wall, into cover. Meanwhile, me, Viktor and Torgil tried to head off the beast, and joining us was baron Niske himself.

We fired off a solid volley as it came charging down, but the beast seemed unfazed, and crashed down like a brick wall on us. It slaughtered a couple of nearby soldiers, and then set its sight on me. I could see the bloodlust in its eyes, the fiery rage of pure chaos. By some strange miracle, I managed to step out of the way just as its jaws snapped shut. Withdrawing, I fired off another volley, while Torgil put an arrow in its body. Still, it kept coming. This time, no grace of the gods saved me, and its massive claws raked across my torso, sending a spray of blood spurting onto the parapet. I must have blacked out for a moment, but came to as a soldier poured a vial of healing elixir down my throat. Meanwhile, Niske had taken a fearsome blow, and was nearly done for. Pushing the soldier away, I forced myself to stand and fire another volley of bullets at the beast. At this point it was bleeding badly from multiple wounds, and had arrows and even a broken-off halberd sticking out of its fur. Again it swivelled towards me, and I knew my time had come. But at the last moment, a final arrow from Torgil caught the beast straight in the eye. With a gasp like a smith's bellows, it collapsed onto the wall, which gave way under it, sending me and Niske tumbling to the ground below, while Torgil with a nearly elven grace leapt clear.

While we had been fighting, the juggernauts were assailing the gates, unaffected by Eldurs fiery inferno. The one hammering on the gate near where we were fighting now broke through. I could see it ripping down the gatehouse, preparing to charge into the city.

I've later been told that while I was busy bleeding into the cobblestones, Eldur and Sunniva had made their way up onto the wall again, closer to the other gate. There, a furious battle was raging, as the barbarian raiders had climbed onto the wall and the defenders were sorely pressed. Covered by Sunniva and some soldiers, Eldur unleashed another flaming inferno, this time on the raiders attacking the walls. This attarcted the attention of yet another of the beastly chimeras, which went straight for Eldur. But by the grace of the gods, he managed to sidestep it. Sunniva promptly grabbed him and dove straight off the wall, crashing down into a small hut below, with raiders following behind.

As this was happening, horrible globes of chaotic force started raining into the city, crashing into houses, causing untold suffering. The chaos cannons had finally been set up and started their barrage. Yet almost as soon as it started, it paused, as if stopped by the gods. It turns out that Johan, whom I feared had abandonded us, had gathered a small group of fighting men and snuck out through one of the secret passages, sneaking behind the enemy lines. There, they had engaged the crews of the cannons, and managed to disable them! I feel badly about doubting his loyalty or bravery, I must say.

Me, Torgil and some gunmen close by let loose all we had against the juggernaut. It stumbled some steps into the street, but there finally broke down and collapsed. However, Eldur's flames had finally died down, and the way through the gate was open for the barbarian horde. Yelling commands, I assembled a ragtag force of soldiers and militia to barricade the gate. After some furious fighting, we managed to secure the gate, and stop the influx of raiders.

Just as we were enjoying a short respite in the constant fighting, Sunniva and Eldur emerged from an entrance to the sewers. They had managed to elude the raiders pursuing them. It seemed like the battle was going our way - we had inflicted massive losses on the enemy, and our soldiers still stood firm. Just then, catastrophe struck. The warqueen of the Norscans had led her personal guard against the other gate, and succeeded in breaking its defenders. As we were running over to engage her forces, we could see von Kalbs head on a spike of her armour.