Routing the Lich

The steam wagon's solid doors slammed open with a loud bang as a large billow of black smoke from a berserker's exhausts marked its activation. Hefting a pair of massive axes of brutal design, Kommandant Irusk prodded the Khadoran warjack with his will. Arrows rained from the trees, riddling upon the shields of nearby pikemen uselessly.

"They are Nyss, kommandant," the voice, barely a whisper but strong enough to be heard amidst the clamor around them, came from a manhunter that seemed to appear behind Irusk. "It is Cylena."

"Asphyxious must be desperate," Irusk muttered, "putting his trust upon the living." The Khadoran's mind reached towards the berserker's cortex, directing it towards the ridge where the mercenary Nyss Hunters may have been. The kommandant felt the cortex groan under the strain, so Irusk let go of the jack immediately before he caused the warjack to explode. The warcaster stood rigid, but was still aware of what was around him.

"Ra'du," Irusk ordered the manhunter, "The Lich will have one of his spellcasting thralls. I want it found and I want it destroyed. That and any other bonejack you might run into. Take Eiryss with you and join up with Kapitan Anya and her widowmakers, understood?" With a grunt as an affirmation, the manhunter disappeared into the shadows.

Irusk turned to the battle in front of him. Drawing arcane energies around him, the Khadoran warcaster called forth rain.

+++

His forces lay strewn around him, burning in green hellfire or pinioned with Nyss arrows. And still the bane lord Tartarus drew closer with a host of bane knights, flitting in and out of thick fog.

"Pikeman," the kommandant shouted at one of the remaining Iron Fangs, at the same time churning the soldier's blood with Battle Lust. "The Lich is spent. For the Motherland! Charge!"

The pikemen still smoldered with Cryxian fire, but they hefted themselves up upon their long weapons, their eyes burning with sheer hatred. With a loud cry, strong and trained legs propelled the Iron Fangs across the field, their blasting pikes exploding as they contacted the Iron Lich.

+++


"Make sure the men receive immediate medical attention," commanded Irusk, the battlefield in eerie silence after the Cryx disappeared in a belching smoke.

"You were utterly careless, mage hunter," the Khadoran's words were directed at Eiryss. One of the Khadoran medics attempted to issue treatment on the elf, but the mage hunter irritatedly swatted his hands away.

"I do not need your help, Khadoran," Eiryss replied, "I will tend to my wounds myself." With a low groan, the elf drifted to unconsciousness. Instinctively, Irusk moved to catch the elf.

The medic turned to his kommandant, his expression inquiring as what to do next.

"Leave her, komrade," Irusk's tone did not change, "If she says she can tend to herself, let her. I just hope she becomes of more use to us in the coming battles. Our journey is long."

"Yes, kommandant. I will tend to the others instead." With a curt bow, the medic hurried away to the other wounded.

+++

Scenario: 500 points SR3 Beta Assassins
Opponent: Fred Escalona
Opposing warcaster: Iron Lich Asphyxious

It was sheer dumb luck that Fred made a mistake of having Asphyxious move out of combat while he was engaged with several Battle Lusted IFP with Undying Loyalty. But it was purely just dumb of me of having my Eiryss within arrow range of his Nyss hunters. I'll be reading more on their absolute threat range soon enough.