The Second Anscha Campaign

For nearly four decades the existence of the the Anscha Archipelago remained a close kept secret while the Atmoran Trade Syndicate sought out other lower risk interests. A return to the archipelago was both repeatedly discussed and repeatedly denied. Investors simply weren’t interested and it might’ve remained that way indefinitely had it not been for the arrival of The Black Tide. Waves of “fjötnarr” (vengeful mountain spirits) that were purportedly ravaging port cities and coastal towns alike in western Atmor and compromising numerous trade routes. Economic entities throughout Atmor viewed this as an unrivaled threat to their commercial security. The two greatest economic powers in Atmor, the Northern Mining Conglomerate and the Atmoran Trade Syndicate both had interests at stake and stood to lose important markets and infrastructure due to the threat posed by The Black Tide. Both groups quickly came to the realization that they could not conceivably sustain their struggles against both each other and this new menace simultaneously. To their mutual benefit a lengthy concordat was drafted to create a measure of alliance between the two groups who could now begin a coordinated counteroffensive in earnest. The enigmatic nature of the enemy made any prospect of victory most elusive, however. Though there were numerous reports of the attacks, the overwhelming majority of eyewitness accounts of the enemy itself could easily be reasonably disregarded as fraught with hysterical hyperbole and wild speculation. As such every effort was made to gather information on the mysterious attackers, the results of which both disturbed and astounded all who had access to them.

Though no motive for the attacks was ever confirmed, the enemy was concluded to be corporeal in form and magical in nature. The enemy **** consisted of apparently reanimated human and animal corpses in various stages of decomposition which, when recovered and studied, show no physiological differentiations from any normal corpse aside from postmortem trauma associated with recent violent confrontation. Personnel who died in conflict with this mysterious opponent had frequently been observed to reanimate after being felled and would invariably turn against their former allies, which led to a much more cautious campaign against the Black Tide. After enduring three unsuccessful years of struggle and loss, facing agonizing defeats at Marrost, Ginsport, and Finnost, the senators of the western coast turned to Senator Gaoithe for aid as she alone had been able to ensure the safety of her lands. Though High Chancellor Varsa advised the senator not to thin her ranks, Gaoithe sent her Grey Knights to bolster defenses throughout the west. Within the year the Black Tide appeared to gradually recede until reports of conflict all but ceased, and Senator Gaoithe was hailed as “The Savior of the West” by most anyone who so much as broke wind in a westerly direction. Thus the strange and accursed plague ended in all the haste and mystery with which it began.

Once this had occurred, many had supposed that the concordat between the Atmoran Trade Syndicate and the Northern Mining Conglomerate would be dissolved immediately after the the threat from the Black Tide had resolved, though this was not to be. In an unanticipated gesture of goodwill, the Atmoran Trade Syndicate revealed its long concealed knowledge of the existence of the Anscha Islands and made a bold offer to the Northern Mining Conglomerate. The Atmoran Trade Syndicate offered to lease its claims on the Anscha Archipelago to the Northern Mining Conglomerate for a modest 10% of any mining operations take, in addition they would share any and all information they had obtained with regards to the islands. In return for this the Atmoran Trade Syndicate would retain its rights to any further resources on the islands not included in the proposed mining operations, also the syndicate would be the sole provider of any necessary **** workers and transportation. This deal which outwardly appeared overwhelmingly favorable to the Conglomerate, was widely publicized and eagerly accepted. Negotiations for a promising second campaign began amidst countless glittering galas whose matrons were clad so beautifully that even the loveliest flowers should blush with envy by compare. Unlike the first campaign, this joint venture proceeded with the utmost candor and care, rather than waste money on secrecy something of a spectacle was made of the preparations. Once both parties had agreed in due order as to how they might proceed, a young Commander-Class Vazkug called Aprixila the Ram of Korod (so-called for her habit of head butting enemies in combat) was brought in to head the campaign in the field by recommendation of both the Atmoran Society of Vazkug and the newly formed Atmoran Security Collective. After the lengthy phase of preparation and recruitment had concluded, 120 ships in total departed from various ports on the Xataxic Coast loaded with troops and supplies bound for Iba’Roshi. Aprixila had devised a plan to secure several smaller islands as strongholds from which to stage operations on other islands. Rather than rely on a single island like Jara for defense, she planned to retake Jara, capture Zashir, and conquer Iba’Roshi completely before setting foot on Iba’Ahntur. Atmoran Forces learned upon their arrival that the Red Fin Tribe which had once allied with them had been eradicated some decades earlier by the vengeful Mist Demons and not a trace of their society remained. Two of the planned conquests were completed within a year, despite heavy resistance from the Gray Hand Tribe on southern Iba’Roshi. The conquest of Zashir however had not fared so well, the Storm Wind Tribe which resided both on Zashir and Mehdgo was a very warlike tribe and was allied with the Mist Demon Tribe. Atmoran Forces had not anticipated Zashir to have well garrisoned and fortified positions, these variables played a significant role in the earliest stages of the campaign, as nearly double the expected necessary number of troops were required to successfully take the island. Though the first campaign ended many years ago by Atmoran standards, it had never ended in the hearts of the Mist Demons. Many allied tribes questioned the strength of the Mist Demons after the first campaign and the Kayyi Adannu sa Wahlu was **** to prove its right to rule. Having realized that they had faced a foe capable of challenging their control over Iba’Ahntur, the House of the Eternal Paragons had adopted a stringent policy of conscription and had opened three more military academies in addition to expanding the first one. They had also attempted to recreate the atmoran warships they had encountered decades ago, an endeavor in which they ultimately succeeded, although said ships were already outdated models by the time they reached the islands and by now such designs were hopelessly obsolete. These efforts made it unquestionably clear to Aprixila and her forces that the Mist Demon Tribe was no longer an uncoordinated warband of primitive hunter-gatherers and inexperienced recruits waving around pointy sticks but rather a dedicated and zealous **** capable of repelling invaders efficiently. After reading the reports and accounts of first campaign veterans Aprixila had already fully understood that underestimating the Mist Demon Tribe, no matter how simple they seem, would be an all too costly mistake. It was for this very reason that she had more than tripled the number of rangers on the payroll for the second campaign over the first.

By the second year of the second campaign, the invasion of Iba’Ahntur had already begun. Three coastal cities on the northwestern corner of Iba’Ahntur had been successfully captured, although the casualties had proved high for both sides. Several small villages had been acquired on the southernmost tip of the island although resistance here was far worse than in the north. The Mist Demons had vastly improved the quality of their arms and armor, some of the more affluent warriors were furnished with steel armaments but most were made of that unusual verdant colored obsidian or of bronze. Their style of weaponry had become much more uniform and distinct, designs with sharp edges and sweeping curves seemed greatly favored among them although the occasional war club was not altogether uncommon to find. Heavily armored troops could now be found amongst their number, though these were still less effective than their lightly armored footsoldiers which were clad in a remarkably effective lamellar armor fashioned from layers of tightly woven brined cotton and hardened tree sap resin. This armor proved effective against light volleys and in general melee combat as well, although any direct fire from the arbalests or longbows could pierce them handily. Again the natives avoided open combat and instead used numerous harassment techniques and traps to weather away Aprixila’s forces. There was not a vazkug on Iba’ Ahntur that didn’t sleep with one eye open and a seax in hand, and most knew better than to go anywhere alone. Night raids were so commonplace that any night without one was considered all the more suspicious. In order to build a number of strongholds and outposts atmoran strategies relied on the taking of prisoners for labor, these strategies were not half as fruitful as had been hoped. It seemed that amongst the majority of the native peoples, **** was preferable to slavery. About two years and four months into the campaign, Aprixila ordered her forces in the south to hold position and ordered a dozen rangers to complete a reconnaissance mission of the less explored eastern coast of Iba’Ahntur. The aim of this mission was to search for a secondary approach to Mt. Wahziri from the east, a goal which ultimately failed as the Sarakif Mountains prevented an approach from the southeast by land and the Bay of Mists in the northeast proved unnavigable by sea. Not satisfied with this answer, Aprixila dispatched a flotilla of ships and a team of cartographers to definitively map the eastern coast, while she continued to press south with her main forces. By now there were in excess of 30,000 personnel stationed throughout the occupied islands, numerous ships had already returned to the mainland laden with precious and semi-precious stones as well as that green obsidian which became prized for its use in beaded jewelry. Along with this giant pearls were being shipped daily in quantities so numerous it threatened to crash the market, but still the number of slaves continued to disappoint. About two years and nine months into the second campaign, Aprixila’s march to the south met with intense resistance west of a fortress called Mossa in a valley between two knob hill ridges. For the first time since the prior campaign, the Mist Demon Tribe fielded a full army in open combat. Their formations could be best described as irregular and unimaginative, but at last this had been the fight which Aprixila had hoped for but not expected to receive. Of the twenty rangers of varying stars who had been hired into the campaign four were already accompanying Aprixila’s offensive, two were scouting on the nearby island pair called Mehdgo, two were scouting on Arakyd, two were in reserve on Zashir, and ten were on the flotilla exploring the eastern coast of Iba’Ahntur. The commander sent instructions to bring the two in reserve to her aid and to dispatch an additional two thousand soldiers from both Zashir and Jara. Before these reinforcements could arrive she boldly chose to engage the enemy ****, fielding an army of 5,000 vazkug regulars, 750 longbow archers, 250 arbalists, 1,000 vazkug lieutenants, and 500 heavy cavalry with 2,000 regulars and 50 vazkug captains in reserve. The enemy did appear to have superior numbers although no heavy cavalry or ranged divisions appeared present among them. It was noted that a large **** of Shibo-Se from the House of the Eternal Paragons were among their number. The Mist Demons sounded a charge first allowing Aprixila to respond with two full volleys before the armies met in melee. Atmoran forward formations were holding quite well against the enemy prompting the Mist Demons to send in their Shibo-Se forces to assist the main ****. Aprixila countered with a single full volley and ordered her cavalry to charge the Shibo-Se in order to prevent them from reinforcing the main army. Like any sensible tactician she could not have expected the Shibo-Se, who do not have mounts or long polearms, to withstand the charge of heavy cavalry. The warriors themselves evidently were unaware of the impossibility of the feat which they appeared to be ready to attempt. In an astonishingly well coordinated fashion the Shibo-Se rallied into multiple chevron formations with short polearms ready to receive the cavalry charge. The shape of the formation was successful in halting the cavalry charge which was now hopelessly stuck in a disadvantageous formation that essentially negated the mobility of their mounts. Upon seeing this Aprixila ordered the four rangers at her disposal to target any discernible leaders within that group specifically, while also sending the vazkug lieutenants to engage them while they were predisposed with the remainder of the cavalry. The atmoran forces had successfully begun to repel the main body of the Mist Demon armies and before long the main body was in full retreat. At this Aprixila ordered her main **** to give chase while her reserve remained with her and the vazkug lieutenants engaged the Shibo-Se who refused to retreat. Some distance back the main **** began to reform their line and without any indication a sizable **** of archers stormed into the field and loosed a disjointed fusillade of arrows upon their atmoran pursuers to surprising effect. Evidently during the years of atmoran absence the Mist Demons had finally developed the bodkin point for their own arrows. Whilst all of this occurred one of the rangers had noticed through the din of battle and the shrill clamor of steel against bronze, the unmistakable sound of an advancing ****. Although no average person would ever be able to distinguish such a sound from the raucous noise of warfare, she understood immediately that she had noticed this sound too late. She informed Aprixila of her realization with all possible haste, although it was in vain as Aprixila could now see the threat for herself. Approaching from the south was a **** of natives well in excess of 4,000 troops, more than enough to flank and eradicate her battered main ****. Without cavalry to harass the enemy and perhaps delay them, her only hope now was to prepare her reserves to defend her flank and have her archers at the ready. Looking out over the field she watched closely as her lieutenant class sellswords engaged the Shibo-Se, and noticed a disturbing change. Dark tendrils of flame were now burning in the field and one of the Kayyi Adannu sa Wahlu, a female no less, was steadily cutting down the vazkug that faced her one by one with a blade bathed in black fire. Whenever this sword cut into anything, be it an enemy or the ground itself, it left a shadowy conflagration in its wake. Without her command the rangers had already taken aim for this new primary target, but were unable to see past the rising walls of opaque flame. Although the artifact which could potentially ensure the success of the campaign was nearly within her grasp, Aprixila knew that she would soon be hopelessly outnumbered. Furious at the thought of losing her lieutenants to the Shibo-Se and this warrior armed with the fabled symbol of the Kayyi Adannu sa Wahlu, Aprixila came to the conclusion that she had no recourse. Her best choice remaining was to retreat lest she risk losing the main **** of the northern front in this single engagement. She ordered her archers and available rangers to cover the retreat and commanded her reserve to form a secondary line through which the remainder of her troops could escape. The horn was sounded and a hasty but orderly retreat was achieved quite efficiently. The Mist Demon army gave chase to mild success but met with losses sufficient enough to secure Aprixila’s withdrawal from the field.

News of this defeat challenged Aprixila’s hitherto unimpeachable reputation and in the light of public scrutiny, her private rage soon doubled. The humiliation wounded her in a most excruciating manner and prompted a radical change in her strategy, in the sweltering heat of her indignation her resolve to absolute victory received its temper. Three months after her loss near Mossa, a new offensive began. Having mustered a host of 20,000 soldiers, Aprixila was no longer interested in outmaneuvering her opponent and instead shifted her forces into a full frontal **** aimed at capturing Mossa no matter the cost. This direct approach met with much resistance, although Aprixila continued undeterred by the efforts of the enemy. Little more than a month later Mossa was in sight and the once frequent hit-and-run skirmishes which the Mist Demons had seemed so fond of began to dwindle. Without hesitation Aprixila laid siege to the city, sending battering rams and ladders to counteract the robust fortifications therein. Though the defenders proved themselves to be formidable opponents, Aprixila would not be denied. Having effectively surrounded the fortress, she ordered her rangers to patrol the walls and kill any defenders they saw. After a few weeks of these patrols the number of defenders on the walls had visibly reduced, few natives dared to defend the walls and those that did spent their time concealed behind cover. It was in the early hours of one particular morning that Aprixila finally resumed the siege, sending her ladders to scale the now poorly protected walls. By the nightfall victory was complete and a few thousand natives had been captured. This triumph did nothing whatsoever to sate Aprixila’s ambitions however, contrarily she found herself quite dissatisfied with her success. Rather than savoring her achievement, Aprixila resumed her march with all possible haste and set her aim on Mt. Wahziri and the city of the Kayyi Adannu sa Wahlu rumored to be northwest of it. After some weeks had passed the march had arrived close to the base of the volcano, yet there was no city in sight. Aprixila was quick to send her rangers out in search of the city, growing more impatient for victory by the minute. It was not long before the city was found south of their position, bordered on one side by a small river and sheltered inside a vast cleft within the side of a canyon wall. It was well concealed and protected among the caves and canyons of that area, but only lightly fortified by comparison to Mossa or Amarkaad. With imaginings of her next victory now fixed in her mind, Aprixila sent word for the southern front to resume its push north, and besieged the city at once. She attacked without reservation even going so far as to join in the melee herself, leading the onslaught forward into the cavernous cliffside city. The enemy seemed few in number by compare to other cities of similar size and though the Shibo-Se had proven themselves as capable warriors, they sundered before her wrath. As the enemy fled before her, a new wave of enemies rushed to meet her attack near the city center. These warriors were altogether different from any native **** the atmorans had seen before. They were clad in thick scale armor, their helmets adorned with stag horns and feathers. They carried with them blades of iron fashioned into swords shaped like sickles and polearms tipped with blades shaped like fans. These were undoubtedly Shibo-En, the “Second Class Tigers”, rumored to be the personal guard of the Kayyi Adannu sa Wahlu. The Shibo-En cut deep into Aprixila’s **** managing to kill vazkug of various ranks as they went yet they were no match for Aprixila, whose mastery of The Sword of The Skalds (specialized combat techniques of the vazkug elite) was the subject of substantial renown. Through textbook use of both the Hunters Art and the Seamstresses Art she managed to circumvent the Shibo-En’s evasive fighting style and cut them down with minimal effort, that is until a champion of sorts emerged from among them. Standing nearly two feet taller than the other Shibo-En surrounding him, adorned with a cloak of brightly colored feathers and necklace of polished garnets, this warrior waded through his allies as though they were naught but tall grass. He approached her cautiously his eyes clearly observing her closely, searching for an opening though she would give him none. He barked several unintelligible orders to his subordinates and closed in on her. She was the first to strike, her blade sweeping toward his unguarded midsection.

He narrowly avoided her attack by stepping back at the last possible moment and then attempted to move closer but did not raise his blade to attack, surprised at his agility and disappointed with his apparent hesitation she launched a powerful headbutt into his sternum which staggered him for a brief moment. Seizing the advantage she changed her stance to a high guard and attempted to deliver an overhand high blow to her disoriented opponent but was deflected by a well timed parry from her opponent who offered no counterattack, though with a recovering strike she was able to wound his upper thigh. At this the champion barked another order, presumably calling for assistance that would not come. Now thoroughly annoyed, Aprixila began to apply her knowledge of the Butchers Art to break her opponent down. With methodical grace she targeted her opponents wrists and ankles, alternating her targets at random to disrupt her opponents evasive maneuvers. In vain the man desperately struggled to parry her attacks, even if she were without her immensely expensive rune-carved armor, for her he would still be much too slow. Once she had managed to disable his left wrist and right ankle she adjusted to a plow ward stance preparing to deal a cross hand wrath blow to his weakened left side. As she raised her blade to strike her mark, he perceived an opening and aimed a deft low blow for her exposed left knee, as his arm extended toward her she burst forward inside the arc of his strike and brought down a vertical blow which severed his hand at the wrist. With absolute precision she flowed into an underhand strike which swept upward underneath his arm and cleaved through his right side cutting all the way to his heart, killing him instantly. Once this had transpired the remaining Shibo-En did not relent though the intensity with which they fought had discernibly lessened, much like a snake whose body continues to coil and writhe long after its head is removed. Nonetheless the truth was plain to all, the remaining defenders were hopelessly outnumbered and completely outmatched. Once the slaughter had concluded and every remaining enemy was clad in chains, Aprixila took for herself the feathered mantle of her fallen enemy and bore it with such pride that many under her own command thought it most obscene. Immediately Aprixila came to the realization that both the woman whom she blamed for her disgrace near Mossa and the weapon that she secretly coveted, had escaped her grasp yet again. In spite of their defeat her new prisoners retained the semblance of their dignity and appeared undaunted despite her ostentatious display of dominance. Frustrated by their apparent indifference to her conquest and by her own inability to achieve an utterly complete victory over the Kayyi Adannu sa Wahlu, to Aprixila this triumph still felt akin to defeat. Subsequent interrogations of the Shibo-En were all but fruitless but thankfully the spoils to be found within the city were of satisfactory value, especially the treasures discovered within the capacious mansions near the city center. Within these mansions many fine silks and pearls and jewels could be found, though some rooms were discovered to house numerous female consorts, some of which were confirmed to be captured atmorans. While many of these captives were happy to be freed, more than a few made it quite clear that they were content to remain with their captors. By the time every last Shibo-En had been thoroughly interrogated, only one so much as offered a reply to the questions of his inquisitors, and even then he gave no more than one sentence, “Her name is Ashijah, the warrior without blemish, she will be your ****.” Armed with her rivals name and indefatigable determination Aprixila devoted her every faculty to the formulation of a trap that could draw her prey back into her grasp. At her command the fallen Shibo-En champion was hung above the city’s entrance with the name “Ashijah” carved into his flesh. After this she ordered a dozen of the captives to have that name branded on their faces, their hands to be removed so that they might never again bear arms, and then the mutilated captives were fed and released to fulfill the first part of Aprixila’s plan. These released captives would be her messengers and no matter what their tongues might say, their bodies would bear her message, “We have suffered and shall never be whole again because of Ashijah.”

Though the people were unlikely to blame Ashijah for this, turning the public against her was not Aprixila’s primary motive for this choice. Aprixila wanted her rival to take this personally. Even if the people did not waver in their support for Ashijah, if she cared for her people at all and had any pride whatsoever, she would certainly view this as an unforgivable tarnish upon her very name. Rather than wait idly for her prey to answer this unspoken challenge, Aprixila resumed her march and soon received word from her forces in the south. Shortly after her attack on the cliffside city, a great **** of natives halted the northward advance several leagues south of Amarkaad near the village of Pilkurrat by the Kokari River. Presuming this **** to be the same one which had **** her retreat before, Aprixila hastened her march south and put the rule of scorched earth into effect, so that she might be sure that her rival would have no refuge in the north. Now three years and four months into the campaign, Aprixila had arrived at a large stronghold north of Amarkaad. Reports form the south had been quite disappointing, the natives had successfully driven the southern **** back beyond the Kokari River and then returned to Amarkaad. Determined to crush this nuisance at Amarkaad, Aprixila bolstered her southern **** with reinforcements from Jara and ignored the stronghold to expedite her march south. After crossing one of the tributaries of the Kokari River, Aprixila ordered the construction of a camp and began planning her siege. Amarkaad had been a difficult city to take during the first campaign and she anticipated that it would be even more difficult this time. Catapults, battering rams, and ballista were crafted for the battle to come and Aprixila awaited word from the south. Once the southern advance had resumed, she descended upon Amarkaad with full ****. She battered the city with siege engine missiles and suppressed the defenders with repeated volleys of indirect fire, meanwhile a vanguard of vazkug captains and lieutenants guided a pair of battering rams to the northern gate. The defenders rained down spears and pots of flaming tar upon the rams but this was of little use as the burning rams continued to splinter the gates. When at last the gates flew open, Aprixila led a cavalry charge into the city and commanded the main **** to follow. Like a tempestuous wave she rushed in toward the breach only to find her vanguard slaughtered just inside the city gate, their bodies ablaze with black flames. Determined not to let this opportunity elude her grasp Aprixila impulsively leapt through the flames astride her steed and crashed against the enemy line immediately losing her horse to the spear formation that awaited her. Unperturbed by the loss, she rose to her feet and engaged the enemy alone. Immediately the spears of the enemy closed in from all sides, and although she was able to apply her knowledge of the Dancers Art to evade most of the attacks a few of them proved unavoidable although these bounced harmlessly off of her rune-carved armor. As she mercilessly cut down her enemies with the use of her mastery of the Weavers Art, Aprixila became aware that the gate was now impassable as the dark flames had spread rapidly and had begun to engulf the gate and wall itself burning away the very rock of which it was composed. Aware that no help could pass through that black inferno to assist her, Aprixila understood she could not fight alone for long. In a gambit to taunt her rival which was certainly nearby, Aprixila tore the brightly colored feather cloak off of her shoulders and held it up above her head while touching the Dominant Authority rune on the smallest finger of her gauntlet to the trigger rune on the palm to activate it and intimidate her enemies. As several of her attackers began to recoil in fear, Aprixila recognized a figure emerging from the withering intensity of the waxing conflagration behind her that had all but consumed the stone wall for several feet in either direction of the gate. The intense heat was building rapidly and **** many of the natives to move away from the pyre, Aprixila however felt only a gentle warmth as there were runes on her armor designed to protect her from many kinds of damage.

With her nemesis now only several feet away Aprixila concealed a smirk of anticipation, her eyes fixed firmly on her challenger. The woman was not as tall as she had remembered the she was strikingly beautiful, her hair was black like pitch much the same as the flames that clung to her weapon and her eyes seemed to illuminate her otherwise dark complexion with unbounded fury, in these eyes Aprixila saw her first advantage. Capitalizing on the weakness she had perceived, Aprixila cast the cloak down at her feet and spat on it, another taunt to further incense her opponent into attacking first. It is doubtful that she expected her ploy to be as effective as it was. With astonishing speed and dexterity Ashijah responded with a low right feint which flourished into a right cross followed by a left middle guard slash. The speed and precision of these attacks immediately pushed Aprixilas grasp of the Dancers Art to its limit, and she quietly cursed herself for not having more speed enhancing runes inscribed on her armor. Even so, she found her opponents blows to be quite predictable and her form to be slightly unstable, facts which she attributed to Ashijahs perceived mental state and possible unfamiliarity with this more aggressive fighting style. After narrowly voiding several strikes Aprixila attempted a crosshand low blow to exploit her opponents unguarded front leg whilst voiding a high blow said opponent had aimed for Aprixilas neck. Almost effortlessly Ashijah caught the strike with the spine of her blade and trapped it in the hook of her sword. With an upward flick of her wrist she nearly disarmed Aprixila, but the veteran Vazkug Commander had already taken a step inside her opponents arc of attack hoping to knock down her opponent with her shoulder. To Aprixilas surprise her opponent avoided this little difficulty and countered with a swift kick to her supporting leg which sent Aprixila rolling forward. Through her knowledge of the Dancers Art Aprixila tucked her shoulder in as she fell and rolled back onto her feet whilst blocking a slash from her opponent in a single fluid motion. Glancing at the spot where her opponents blade had struck her own, Aprixila noticed a troubling detail. The blow had left a distinct notch nearly a centimeters down a half in depth at the edge of her blade, even worse was that a small cluster of dark flames now clung to the blade where her opponents weapon had struck. As it very slowly began to ignite her blade like a smoldering ember eats away at damp wood, Aprixila quietly pondered a few observations about the nature of the anomalous flames. Firstly, the flames were capable of igniting things which normal fire would melt rather than burn and as such said fire could derive its fuel from most anything. Second, because her blade had not ignited when Ashijah caught Aprixilas sword with the spine of her weapon, the flame must be passed on whenever the sword actually cuts something or upon contact with its edge. Third, her opponents blade was able to cut into her own blade which was reinforced with two rune-words and made of bloom steel, which meant that her opponents blade must be imbued with even greater magic and be composed of an equivalent or stronger metal. Lastly, as she noticed that even more of the fortifications had been burned away leaving behind only a wall of flames that had begun to eat away at the earth beneath it, Aprixila was convinced that there had to be some way to put out the flames or else such fires would have engulfed the island long ago. Because of this it seemed probable to her that the ornate sheath which hung at her opponents side could potentially be the necessary method of extinguishing the flames. Incensed at having nearly been downed by her nemesis, Aprixilas exuberance at the novelty of the duel had all but faded leaving behind only indignation and curiosity. Relying on her grasp of the Gamblers Art, Aprixila assumed a clearly defensive stance and waited briefly for her opponents response. As soon as Ashijah began to attack, however, Aprixila launched an offensive from her defensive stance which interrupted her opponents attack with an attack of her own. Although Ashijah was able to evade this flurry of attacks, Aprixila immediately withdrew her attack and assumed the eagle stance (a clearly offensive stance) but did not resume her attack. Ashijah tested her opponent more carefully and tried a few feints and singing strokes before continuing her offense as before. Aprixila then waited for her opponent to lunge which she parried and the feigned a counterattack but instead switched to a new defensive stance and then lashed out using only high blows. After Ashijah evaded these Aprixila backed away and switched to an offensive stance again. This time Ashijah attacked without reservation but Aprixila had observed her opponents favored engaging strokes and correctly deduced her opponents attack. Sidestepping her opponents crosshand blow she managed to catch the outside hook of her opponents blade in the corner between her own blade and her cross guard. With a great heave she pulled Ashijah forward and the vazkug threw her head back preparing to headbutt her defenseless foe. Although Ashijah adjusted her footing almost immediately to evade the blow she had neglected to adjust her grip to avoid being disarmed, and Aprixila easily tore the weapon from her grip and sent it clattering to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Aprixila used her familiarity with the Hunters Art and swung the pommel of her deteriorating sword back at her opponents face with all the speed she could manage while simultaneously bringing the knee of her inside leg up and forward. Though her disadvantaged opponent managed to skillfully evade taking a bash from Aprixilas pommel to her face by ducking low, in so doing she unintentionally leaned directly into the path of Aprixilas armored knee which struck the right side of her ribcage, cracking a few ribs in the process and knocking her onto her back.

With her opponent now at her mercy, the full weight of Aprixilas grudge came to rest upon the scales with which she had determined her rivals fate. Aprixila had all but decided it long before their blades ever met, she had fixed her mind upon it the very day she was **** to retreat on the fields near Mossa. She would not allow her opponent the peace which **** brings, nor would she allow her an honorable defeat. She would make an example of the woman, without making a martyr of her as well. The victory she had planned over Ashijah, was a defeat through the Jewelers Art, a defeat which would forever tarnish the reputation of her supposedly untouchable opponent. Casting aside her all but consumed blade, Aprixila drew her sidearm, a long sturdy seax, and patiently circled her downed enemy. As she watched Ashijah draw two or three recovering breaths she understood that her blow had done more than create just a few small fractures, her mostly unarmored opponent was already bruising quite badly and it was clear that her every breath brought her a great deal of pain. Aprixila stepped back a short distance to allow the Kayyi Adannu warrior to rise, and even as she did so the dark eyes of Ashijah never once left the vazkug commander. From among the number of warriors standing nearby a few rushed in to help their fallen leader only to be harshly rebuked and viciously beaten by the woman they were trying to help. At this Aprixila could not help but smile beneath her helm, in a way she understood the woman despite being generally unfamiliar with her language. To tend her wound now would only serve to wound her pride additionally, and she would rather suffer the consequences of bearing her pride alone than suffer the humiliation of needing anyone else to help her carry it. Once Ashijah had returned to her feet and recovered her weapon, Aprixila promptly buried any respect her opponent might have gained for her noble struggle beneath a metaphorical mountain of debt which she was determined to make the battered warrior pay. Rushing forward she slashed low at her opponents left thigh, the native warrior voided the attack and instinctively responded with a crosshand middle blow which strained her damaged right side. Having predicted her opponents counter, Aprixila deftly avoided the attack by stepping outside the arc of attack and in so doing countered with an intentionally shallow slash across her opponents inner forearm which caused small paths of blood to begin to trickle down her arm. As she prepared her next move, Aprixila appraised the condition of her opponents defense. Her opponent was right handed and the wound to her ribs was also on her right side. In addition causing breathing difficulties, the wound also limited the movement of her right arm as well. If her arm was lifted too high breathing would become most painful and inefficient, yet if it reached too low she could end up causing permanent damage to her ribs. Meanwhile the blood from the wound on her arm would continue to bleed a steady stream down to her dominant hand which would eventually reduce her ability to effectively grip her weapon. Satisfied with her assessment, Aprixila advanced on her foe again with several convincing feints for Ashijahs lower right side, which culminated in yet another shallow arcing high blow across Ashijahs brow which bled profusely. Without hesitation the **** continued with numerous high feints which the Kayyi Adannu Warrior deftly avoided, and before long Aprixila was back to relying upon the Dancers Art to avoid her opponents surprisingly vigorous attack while she avoided actually crossing blades with her. After a particularly vicious flurry of blows, Aprixila noticed that her foe was quite short of breath and the blood from the wound on her brow had begun to blind her left eye. In order to exploit this Aprixila delivered several deep cuts to her opponents **** left leg and dexterously avoided Ashijahs predicted response of yet another crosshand blow from the right and punished it with a long slash across her back. Her opponents once precise and formidable offense rapidly devolved into mindless and haphazard instinctive attacks, each of which Aprixila punished with a new wound. Before long her opponent could hardly remain upright, her eyelids growing heavy with every tiny movement. Then at last her opponents grip failed, the fabled artifact slipping from her grasp as she collapsed utterly spent into the blood caked dirt beneath her. Every Mist Demon present stood aghast, seemingly paralyzed with shock and horror at Ashijah’s defeat. Triumphant at last Aprixila warily approached her vanquished foe and took up the exhausted warriors prized blade and sheath. After a brief examination of the blade Aprixila tested her earlier estimations and carefully slid it into its sheath hoping to extinguish the building firestorm. In the very instant that the guard of the handle connected with the mouth of the sheath, the flames were extinguished as if by some intangible gust of wind. In its wake the inferno left only pale ashes atop charred earth and stone. In exhilaration from the glory of her victory Aprixila lifted her trophy high and sounded her war horn in triumph, as the vazkug who had been repelled by the flames now poured through the burned breach in the walls. At length her strategy produced its desired effect, thousands promptly abandoned their arms and surrendered while the rest attempted to flee south whereupon they were met with the advancing southern front and were handily eradicated. Unwilling to risk inciting further resistance, Aprixila saw to it that the best doctors available tended to Ashijah and she was soon well enough to begin inquisition and subsequently to serve Aprixila as one of her personal slaves. Now a little more than four years into the campaign, the island of Iba’ Ahntur was all but conquered and its lands became officially annexed into Atmor with Aprixila chosen as its senator.