4 acessos
[Chapter 1: The Voyage of the Sorcerer]
The war between the Imperium and the allied Vyrgothian Kingdoms had raged
foryears.Beginning as minor disputes over border territories, the conflict
hadswiftlyescalatedintoafull-scale bloody war, a vast series of epic
campaigns,ferventlyperpetuated by the Emperor Koord and the Over-King of
Vyrgothia,botheagertosmite their traditional ancestral foes and to win
greatgloryandthe adulation of their people by seizing victory in battle.
Recentmonths had seen the forces of the Imperium display a staggering degree
of tactical mastery and battle prowess, contemptuously crushing the Vyrgothian
armiesin a series of great battles, 'til at last, following the slaughterous
Routofthe Fields of Kai-Vorg, The Empire's finest fighting force, the fame
dandfar-fearedLegionofthe Ebon Tiger, stood unopposed not five day's
marchfrom mighty Gul-Kothoth, the greatest and most ancient fortress-city in
alltheVyrgothiankingdoms.The Legion of the Ebon Tiger could not easily
counttheirnumerousandresoundingvictories, and their commander, the
legendarywarlordBaalthusVane,madeit clear to the Emperor that he was
eagertopressondeepintotheenemy's lands and seize the prize which
awaited him; the siege and capture of ancient Gul-Kothoth! And yet the Emperor
Koorddidnotorderthe Legion to march, for disturbing information had of
latebeenrelayedto him by his spies in the Vyrgothian Royal Court... Dire
rumoursabounded that the Vyrgothian mages had at last discovered the ancient
arcaneriteswhichwouldunlocktheaeons-fetteredpower of the dread
Obsidian Crown, a fearsome mystical artefact countless thousands of years old,
ablack-jewelledcircletbelieved once to have been borne upon the immortal
browofthelegendaryShadow-Kinghim self! And it was written in legend,
thatshould the ancient spells of might entwining the artefact be reawakened,
thenincrediblenear limitless ruinous power would thus be bestowed upon any
armycarryingtheCrownintobattle...Had the mages of Vyrgoth ia truly
ascertained the time-lost conjurations required to empower the Obsidian Crown,
hiddenfor centuries deep within the marble vaults of its ebon citadel? Eager
toknowthetruth, the Emperor dispatched his most powerful sorcerer across
thegreatInlandSea to the Court of the Over-King, under the pretence of
offeringthetermsfortheVyrgothiansurrender. He was bade use all his
sorcerousskillstodiscoverthetruth...a truth soon made clear by the
disdainfulrefusalof the Imperium's terms, an d the grimly fearsome message
giventhesorcerer by Vyrgothia's Master Wizard, with which to return to the
Emperor:"Andlo,whenthe Imperium marches against Gul-Kothoth, then dark
sorceries shall enshroud the Citadel of the Obsidian Crown..."
[The Wizards of Vyrgothia:]
Darkly bejewelled circlet of night,
Crown of the Elder King,
Unfettered at last the Trinity of Might,
The sceptre, the sword, and the ring.
[The Sorcerer:]
I stand upon the oaken planks of this great ship, (the splendid flagship of
the Imperium's navies)
Gazing at moon-gleam dancing on the vast, dark sea...
(And in my mind I behold) black crystals gleaming... ensorcellment!
I am enthralled by this nighted spell...
For I know that the slumbering sorceries
Of the Shadow-King's crown shall soon be reawakened...
And as I return to my emperor (shackled to such woefully grim tidings),
My spirit is borne upon the leathern wings of a great sorrow...
[Chapter 2: The March of the Imperium]
[The Emperor:]
Call forth the Ogre-Mage of the Black Lake
And the Swordmaster of Kyrman'ku,
Let them speak the Words Which Unfetter...
Enshrined for countless centuries, within its darksome citadel,
Five score and ten against the Tiger, (curse) the black crown of the
Shadow-King!
By all the dark gods, I swear I'll not be dethroned!
A seething forest of blackened blades,
A churning sea of ebon war-chariots,
A searing storm of flaming shafts,
All this havoc and more shall I unleash against my foe...
Into battle! The Legion shall march... the fall of Gul-Kothoth is nigh!
TheLegionoftheEbonTiger...sixthousand elite warriors of the
Imperium, the pride of the Emperor's forces... Bolstered by heavy cavalry, and
asquadronofdeadly scythed chariots... further reinforced by the Imperial
FrontierArmy of one hundred tho usand highly trained spearmen and archers...
and never has this force met its match in battle or siege...
[Baalthus Vane:]
Our banner flies ever glorious, undefeated we stand, steeped in victory.
The Iron Phalanx, six thousand strong, our ever-honed blades, the Tiger's
gleaming claws.
Pride of the Empire, Scourge of the Vraii,
Masters at Turonium, and Kai-Vorg.
Smiters of the Southern Host, Routers of the Horde, Bane of the Over-King, we
march to war!
Andso,theEmperorhimselfridesto rendezvous with Baalthus Vane,
accompaniedbyhissorcerousaide.TheLegionof the Ebon Tiger reaches
Gul-Kothothatduskonthefifthdayoftheir march from the fields of
Kai-Vorg,haltinguponthe great arid plan which stretches before the city,
the huge dust cloud sent up by their massed arrival obscuring the dying embers
ofthesettingsun.Asthevast army begins to make camp, arraying their
splendidtentsandbanners, and assembling their gargantuan siege-wagons,
theEmperorstandsgazing at the huge brooding walls and colossal cyclopean
gatesof the city-fortress before him, vowing that a torrent of red slaughter
shall befall Gul-Kothoth, regardless of any sorcerous trinkets the Vyrgothians
maypossess,andthattheOver-Kingshallpaydearlyforhis sublime
arrogance.And twelve leagues distant, an army of five score and ten, bearing
the Obsidian Crown, approaches the city...
[To be continued in Chaper 3: The Wizards Do Battle]
[Lyrics: Byron]
[Music: Jonny and Chris Maudling]