Spellbreakers at Realm's Edge - part 4

The Vortex of Charybdine

The Cleavermaws travelled to The Harrowmark, through the Everlost Gate. They had heard rumours that a magical vortex of phenomenal power was tearing up the Realm's Edge there.

Dark clouds gathered over the malignant forests about a hundred leagues edge-ward from Blackrocks, as the pirates searched for the wild magic that the locals had already named the Vortex of Charybdine.

A flock of ragged black birds raced overhead, cawing loudly. Mogrum watched them carefully then led the crew in the direction they had come from. He knew they were getting close now.

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Kaptain Mogrum and his crew found the vortex fairly quickly by following the dark portents and recondite signs, and discovered it had smashed a skyship and it was hurling wreckage in all directions. Flotsam and jetsam filled the air around it so they kept a safe distance from it out of fear of being hit by flying debris.

Mogrum edged closer to the Vortex of Charybdine and started the ritual to try and control it.

The Cleavermaws watched with keen interest, muttering observations on the arcane nature of the maelstrom to one another. Mogrum did his best to concentrate on what he was doing and block out their inane mumbo-jumbo.

So engrossed on what the Kaptain was doing where they that it took a while for any of the orruk pirates to even notice they were not alone in the forest!

Mr Sludga shouted a warning but it was too late! The Hunters of Gloomfen aelves triggered their Deluge Key!

Unnatural rains hammered the forest (and apparently nowhere else!) - the ground beneath the Cleavermaw's feet rapidly turned to mud, then to dragging swamp. Four of the orruk pirates disappeared, down into the filthy waters, and drowned!

The aelves charged and attacked Mogrum and Mr Sludga. They only wounded the Kaptain but it was all too much for the other orruks and they all fled! Only Kaptain Mogrum and the ogor Snaplock Harald remained!

As more of the swamp aelves joined the fight, arrows whistled past Mogrum's enormous hat.

Snaplock Harald blasted them with his cannon, then charged into the powder-smoke. He lashed out at the aelves, using the huge gun as a club.

A dark shadow appeared from the sky behind the pirates. The Kaptain fended off the worst of their attacks with his cutlass-topped staff and his lucky charms, but the aelves were swift and deft and numerous! The Kaptain's wounds started to mount up.

At last, he fell!

Just as the aelven Tidecaster joined the fight Harald was overwhelmed and fled.

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This was the "Vortex of Power" Battleplan from the Skirmish booklet. I was the Ritualist, David was trying to disrupt the ritual. If my General survived the game with less than 3 Wounds lost I would have won a Major Victory, If he survived but lost 3 or more Wounds I would have won a Minor Victory. If my General died and David's General had lost 3 or more Wounds he would have won a Minor Victory.

But as my General died and David's General had lost less than 3 Wounds he actually won a Major Victory. It could have gone my way for most of the game but after his first turn of the first Battle Round I didn't have high hopes!