Seeschlacht am Niexiepel

Die Wilde Gestade ist eine offene Kampagne, die auf Discord gespielt wird. Das Material zur Kampagne stellt eine besondere Form von Alrik:Handarbeit dar.

Ahrimann, der Hekatepriester berichtet:

The battle for Wooly Bay

A report to the Moon Council of the City of Elredd

Shadow of Hecate, Alrike and Svenja move towards the Badwall vessels to form a line where Fix and Safeton fleets are headed.

Just short after sunrise we discover the enemy fleet appearing between a small island group. The have already formed a battle line while we are spread out. The “Hecates Shadow” is reinforced by Magister Al’s Alrike and Svenja. The wind is disadvantageous for our Amazon allies and Magister Al uses his arcane powers to control the weather in our favour. I signal the fleet to move into formation. While our allies – Safeton, Fix and Badwall – move towards our rally point Magister Al and I use the time to discuss last pieces of strategy before the chaos of battle can take over. Meanwhile the enemy fleet comprised of an alliance between the Slavelords and the Scarlet Brotherhood moves their ships to engage us. The Slavelords are a little too eager and use their catapult and miss with miles in between us and their rangeing shot. Suddenly it gets busy. The mages on board the different ships start conjuring phantasmal ships in an attempt to cause damage to the adversary fleet. Suddenly a huge Storm appears and heads for the Amazons sailing ships. The closer it draws the more we grasp the horror of it: It is a giant Air Elemental. Before our mages can dispel the foul beast it is able to hit one of the Amazons ships and tear the sails. The have to row and are slowed down even more. First blood is drawn.

Scarlet Brotherhood galleys on the right, line of Slaverships on the left.

We finally manage to get into formation and one of the conjured ghost ships hits a vessel of the Scarlet Brotherhood. Revenge! Both sides proceed to close in on each other. Catapults ready. Fire! Stone fly across the sea, some hit their targets, others miss. Then the Mages start their dirty work, Balls of Fire and streaks of Lightning pass between the vessels, damaging the hulls and killing hundreds of crew in an instant.

The Hecates Shadow, unharmed until now as I manage to dispel the chaos they throw at me, leads the charge and drives in between the Flagship of the Scarlet Brotherhood and its supporting vessel. As we draw closer I notice the smell of rotten flesh. Their vessels are powered by undead! Nevertheless I give the order: “Board the Flagship, kill em all! Give no Quarter!” I still bark my orders as the two ships start try sheering my oars away. The professionals in the service of Hecate are quick to react and retract. Then the adversaries start gouging my decks with fire. I stand on top my castle and stare in disbelief as the brave men and women who joined this righteous fight under my banner burn to death – may Hecate be kind to their souls and guide them to the afterlife. The cowardly monks on the Scarlet Brotherhood Flagship cut our ropes and we sail by, the ship is burning, my men and women dead in their hundreds.

Windelementar greift die Amazonensegler an.

Attack of the Ghost ships draw first blood on the Scarlet Brotherhood.

I look behind me and see the rest of the fleet crush into the slavers and their allies. We are outnumbered as the ships send by Fix and Safeton hang behind. Nevertheless, the fleet with its mages under the lead of Magister Al starts to engage the dangerous enemies. A Fireball streaks towards the two light galleys of Magister Als ships and explodes. I fear the worst but once the smoke is gone Magister Als ships are unscathed! Hecate must be watching over him as well.

Boarding from all involved parties commences and fights break out. I have no time to observe further, the flagship of the Slavelords, hanging behind their main fleet like the boneless cowards they are, is right ahead. Having suffered terrible losses already my oarsmen give their all to get us next to them. They welcome us by spewing fire on my deck as well but there is no one left to be burned – they just add fuel to the rageing fire. The oarsmen are in the relative safety of the ships innards but the Hecate’s Shadow – by sheer will of the goddess herself – remains floating and gives my men the time they need. Their mage conjures a water elemental but before it can do any harm I can dispel it. “Board them, take out their leaders” I shout and everyone jumps onto the adversary ship save me. I stand amidst the flames on the front castle and dispel the spells their mage is throwing at me and the brave women and men under my command. My presence inspires them and even the oarsmen join the fight. Behind the aft I can see Magister Als Svenja join the fray on the Scarlet Brotherhood's supporting ship. His magical prowess shortens the fight. But what is this? The Scarlet Monks manning the Quadrireme shed their skins and out come some kind of fungi creatures. They take flight by means of magic and point wonderous wands at the ships beneath them, firing missiles on the remaining ships of our alliance and sink one. The undead are now out of control and work without purpose. They are sent into the waters by the brave marines under the banners of Badwall and Magister Al.

Ships all around sink, Soldiers, Sailors and Oarsmen alike give their life to the hungry gods of the sea. Ghostships appear and disappear almost instantly as the mages sling their spells at each other. Fix finally joins the fight, their mage slinging Lightning towards the creatures in the sky with unprejudiced precision. The swarms are blasted, dropping into the ocean along with their mysterious wands – I will call for an excursion to retrieve those and study them. Then the Flagship of Fix is rammed and is hit hard by Fireballs. Their flagship starts to sink. In an act of defiance their mage conjures a Poisonous Cloud that washes over the attacking ship of the Slavelords. Not a single soul survives this or tries to escape. The ship remains unharmed and dead in the water.

I focus my attention back on the melee. The men and women under my command fight bravely against superior armed enemies. They manage to take some of them out but it looks bad. If I don’t receive help fast the end might be near. “I can not go like this” I proclaim as I am aware the curse of Set upon me will make me his servant if I die now. Hecate must have heard my plea as out of the corner of my eye I see Magister Al approach on his Svenja. But the Slavers summon their Nixie Allies hiding in the water and they try to rip the oars from the brave men under Magister Als command. “Let them have it, we will take the slavers oars” he orders calmly, already focused on the fight to come. He and his men start boarding and attack the Slavers from behind. His men are still a little tired from the battle on the other ship so they manage little more than to distract the Slavers Marines. My men use that distraction and kill the remaining light marines of the slavers. Only some heavy Marines are standing between us and their leaders. The enemy mage tries to throw a Fireball at Magister Al who cannot dispel it as he is throwing a Fireball as well! I call upon the powers Hecate has given me and manage to dispel it before it hits. Hecate herself is protecting us now!

Shadow of Hecate caught between fire siphons. Help from Safeton and the "little Liburnes that could" under way.

Meanwhile two small galleys under the command of Fix try to ram equal opponents under the slaver’s flags. They are driven by Lotus Addicts and can not get the necessary speed to ram. They bump into the other ships and are set ablaze. The addicted oarsmen just stay in their seats, not a single one tries to save themselves. The second vessel is captured by the Slavelords and they flee.

Back in the melee the heavy marines under the command of the brave Magister manage to clear the remaining heavies on the slavers side. Only their leaders, a mage and the Commander of the Marines remain. The deck shudders as the Amazons of Safeton drop their boarding planks on the enemy Flagship and swarm the ship. The mage teleports away, the Leader surrenders to Magister Al and the city of Badwall – apparently, they are afraid of the fate that might await if they surrender to me which is of course completely unjustified. The men and women extinguish the fires on the Hecate’s Shadow before they cause the ship to break apart. The slaves in the belly of the enemies flagship are released, some of the women decide to join the Amazons. The rest of them agree to take the two huge ships of war into Elredd harbor for repairs before they can enjoy their newfound freedom.

Ahriman boarding the Slaver's flagship.

The final stages of chaotic melee, after the Fungi-Wizards finally were defeated.

I offer them to serve me as oarsmen for fair payment. The Flagship is to go towards Badwall who fought bravely and restored their honor. A Quadrireme joins Ahriman’s Command and will sail for Elredd in the future. The last Quadrireme is given to the Lotuslords of Fix as they lost all their ships.