The Iron Gauntlet

[Seheren]

The sun was high in the sky as the Patrols left. The light shimmered off Korvus' gilded plates. Each ray caught and reflected onto his surroundings more brightly, giving the man a divine quality. As if it was he who radiated such light. Two scouts led them, circling back to give reports to their Commander as they followed the roads away from Sestra. Korvus, and three forms garbed in Black and Crimson, led the procession.

The roads were mostly clear, as no doubt any band of highway men would flee at the sight of such a fearsome host. They marched on with few words between any of them. The eyes of each soldier, and those of the scouts scoured the landscape for sign of any disturbance. As they picked their way across the land, weaving around the many burnt farms and destroyed fields yet to be reclaimed, they came upon their markers. One of the scattered iron obelisks erected by Sestra's Commander to indicate how far out each patrol should reach.

"This." Korvus thrust a hand towards the small obelisk. "This is as far as we protect.. For now." He continued, his deep green eyes sweeping over the faces of all the men he had brought with him.

"It is a short distance to the Lands tenuously held by the Meriadoc's. In the time since the start of this War, they have held mostly behind their walls.." The Commander's voice boomed over the men before him. "But now.. Our scouts bring word that they crawl out of their hole, and aim to assert themselves."

"We cannot allow them to gain anything." Korvus roared, his hand slicing down in an angry gesture. "We must send them back behind their walls. Bloodied and stripped of Hope. We must expand our reach, and instill fear into those men that would dare stand against us!"

Turning, the Golden clad Knight slid his dark blade from it's scabbard. Tendrils of thick grasping shadows bleeding from it's edges. "For Bane, for the Black Hand!" He roared again, as he thrust the powerful weapon toward the sky, his booming voice carrying above the sounds of the Host setting in motion once again.

[Seheren]

The force moved forward into the buffer of unclaimed lands that seperated Sestra's from the Port's. Marching across the roadways that criscrossed the coastal land. Few brigands dotted the landscape, but those found were given choice. Submit to The Black Hand, forsake all others, or face execution an outlaw and theif.

Several hours slow march out from the obelisk Korvus drew his officers to the front of the column. "Raise a command tent here. We send scouts along the coast, to the north, and further east toward the Port." The leal servants took their orders and departed. The disciplined group raising the command tent, and dispatching the scout groups in little time.

It was not long before the first group returned, bringing word of strange activity further toward the Port. A Bloodmaim war party by their accounts. Korvus considered his moves carefully. The path that led more directly toward his intended targets lay through the infernal Orcs. Leaving the Commander with a difficult decision.

Calling on his officers again, Korvus lay forth his plans "Gather eight of our best fighters. Two officers remain here and organize scouting parties. I want to know everything. We will fall back and regroup here once the War Party is dealt with.."

Within no more then half an hours time, the small strike force set out. Sylnae scouting forward. Relaying information back to the party in set intervals. Korvus and Velkaern leading the column, while the warlock Gwynneth held to the center. As Sylnae's reports told of the War Party ahead.. The sun began to set behind the Horizon. Painting the sky blood red..

[Seheren]

Drawing ahead, the Commander and his allies met the front of the War Party. The enraged Orcs charged forward to meet the human force. Not unlike Orcs in other regions, the hulking brutes charged with reckless bloodlust. Wanting nothing more then to kill, and prove their strength in battle. A tactic that worked in many battles throughout the Second Bloodmaim wars, but on a much grander scale. Battles against large forces bolstered with less disciplned and skilled men, that were still greatly outnumberd by the hordes of the unnatural Orcs...

In this smaller skirmish with less then a score of their numbers, the Orcs tactic only hastened the deaths of the first wave, littering the ground with the corpses of all those that crashed like a wave upon the more disciplined war band. Korvus' allies made quick work of the Orcs left, but the echoing sounds of battle drew more from the area.

Much like the first, the small host of bloodmaim charged, their blows strengthened by their insatiable bloodlust. With the smaller party caught on an uphill slope in the small openeing of the hilly landscape, they pressed forward quickly to remove the Orc's advantage. The skilled blades, and eldritch magic, of the Commander and his allies shatted the force. Splitting it into smaller groups to end the battle quickly.

Even as their fight ended, Korvus' eyes scanned his surroundings expecting to have drawn more of the beastial Orcs upon them. Instead of Orcs, his attention was met by the sounds of human voices, and the quieting of a battle in the distance. With a gesture and simple command, he drew his allies close and they moved to meet whatever lay ahead. As they passed around the tall column of rocks they had broken the Orcs upon, they spied the source of the noise. Another party. Many bearing the colors and standard of House Meriadoc...

[Seheren]

The two forces met in a clash of magic and steel. The Meriadoc forces came upon the Commander and his allies bolstered by Divine magic, and Stouthammer ales. Unlike the fights against the Bloodmaim, Korvus' men fell to the chaos of battle. The men of the Meriadoc force broke their lines and split them into smaller groups. Korvus focused on the man seeming to be their leader. His blade cut deeply at first, but his foe was more prepared then Korvus was ready for. He used magics to strip the most useful of the Commander's wardings, and wisely dodged battling him. Deciding to focus his might upon Korvus' allies.

As the fight raged on, Korvus realized their disadvantage. Somewhere he could not see, they had the aid of a Priest of some kind. The wounds they inflicted were healed, and none of those visible seemed the role of priest, yet they were shrouded in Divine magics. As his allies fell, he watched on helpless. He fought to the extent of his ability. Striking fierce blows against his enemeies, yet as his own fell their advantage grew. With all his might he fought the Lord Ulsteris and his ally who led them, though one managed to disarm him, putting the Commander on the defensive. Almost devoid of able allies on the field. The savage assualt drew him low, and forced their retreat. Leaving the forces of Port Avanthyr the intitial victors..