Sir Tallbane, the Elven commander chosen to meet this threat, was forced to press his troops hard to reach the frontier before there could be more innocent Elven lives lost. He thought the task set before him was going to be an easy one. But when a column of smoke in the distance led him to the latest victims of these murderous thugs, he realized too late that that he may not have brought enough troops.
Goblins and Orcs where everywhere, Sir Tallbane had never seen so many gathered in a single force before. The Blackblood raiders had evidently heard of his coming and had formed up a battle line to meet him. They were lead by a particularly ugly Ogre Deathseeker, and where better armed than he had ever imagined. There was even a warband of the elite Orc assault warriors, and a couple of Goblins riding ripper beasts. He did not think that these where common bandits.
The Blackblood seemed confident and immediately started to advance as soon as the Elves had crested the hill; Sir Tallbane had very little time to galvanize his troops into a plan of action. On his left flank, a Ripper Beast lancer was advancing follower by Goblin Crimson Blade swordsmen and backed by a warband of Goblin archers. A Ripper beast Archer followed by a Warband of Goblin swordmasters and Orc Archers was pressing his right flank. Into the center poured Goblin spearmen and assault Orc warriors. Somewhere in the horde an Alchemist lurked not to mention the Ogre Deathseeker.
The Elven knight quickly sent a warband of archers along with the young Sir Criswall, riding his Dragonbane Warkiller, to hold the left flank while he himself led the charge on the right flank. He rode his Flying Dragonbane over the Dragonbane Warkiller of his second in command and the Swordsmen to meet the Goblins, who he now saw was led by the Ogre Deathseeker. �Good�, he thought, �Let us two have a go at it.� Meanwhile his center was to hold strong with Archers, Militia and Axemen led by Greenwing, the Crystal Knight. Two Lotus-Eaters, stayed back in the rear to help where needed. The Silver Lotus-Eater wasted no time in summoning up a warband of Ice Warriors, while the Blue Lotus Eater, used his Sky Chariot spell to position the archers in a position that commanded the center of the field.
The Blackblood Orc archers drew first blood by sending a Cloud of arrows into the Crystal Lotus ranks. A large number of Ice Warriors and Axemen where hit, but miraculously only a single Axemen fell. Sir Criswall charged the Ripper Beast Lancer sneaking around the left flank, thinking the goblin was no match for he and his Warkiller. Unfortunately for him, he learned too late that this particular Goblin seemed to be protected by the gods of fate, as he succeeded in only wounding him before the Goblin retaliated and cut the Elven knight from his saddle. Then a Blackblood Alchemist appeared around a corner and hurled a firebomb in the direct center of the Elven archers holding the center. Archers and Militia scattered everywhere, a couple screaming as they burned to death from the burning oil. Sir Tallbane began to get concerned. Things where not going well.
Trying to rally his troops, Sir Tallbane gave quick instructions and the dove his own Dragonbane down into the Ogre Deathseeker, casually dispatching the Ripper Beast Archer on the way. Luckily, his words were heeded, and the Silver Lotus-Eater threw up an Ice Wall in front of the Orc archers preventing them from concentrating their fire. Sir Tallbane and the Ogre came together in a loud clash and began a desperate struggle. Around the two combatants swirled a bloody battle as Goblin sword masters met Elven Swordsmen and Summoned Ice Warriors. On the other flank, the archers backing up the late Sir Criswall slew the injured Ripper Beast Lancer as he came out of hiding and bore down on the archers. The Archers then began running hoping to out flank the Blackblood moving towards the center.
The two archers not affected by the Alchemists Firebomb, broke cover in an attempt to slay the Alchemist, but failed. The oncoming Orc Assault warriors did not fail however in making them pay for their attempt and both fell to the powerful Orc composite bows. Greenwing, seeing that the situation was going from bad to worse ran with all his might from his post hoping to catch the Alchemist before he could escape. The Alchemist, too late, saw Greenwing bearing down on him and turned to run but was skewered by the glowing crystalline spear of the Elven hero.
Both Sir Tallbane and the Ogre leading the Blackblood were wounded but continued their epic struggle. Goblin and Elven bodies lay close by, but the Sword Masters had taken the worst of it. They had succeeded in killing several of the Ice Warriors, but not enough to stem the tide and the eventually fell to the Elven Swordsmen. Once they where finished with the Sword Masters, the elves continued the charge into the Orc archers which quickly succumbed to the enraged Elves. In the Center of the field the battle began to turn likewise as the Orc assault warriors became confused at all the onrushing elves and fumbled with their bows. The were able only to slay a couple militia before the militia bowled into them hacking them apart with their long halberds. The Goblin spearmen counter attacked and where able to take down most of the remaining Militia, but then fell themselves to arrows and the surviving Militiamen.
The archers on the left flank, now in a position to help, saw movement in the bushes and through careful observation saw that a warband of Crimson Blade Goblins were sneaking up on Greenwing. They were able to kill three of them before they knew that they had been spotted. The battle now seemed to be firmly in the Elves favor, so the main body of Blackblood began a retreat, no longer having the stomach for a fight. The Blue Lotus-Eater saw his chance and used his sky chariot spell to send his axemen behind the surviving Blackblood, cutting off all retreat. The battle turned into a slaughter.
Sir Tallbane, still locked in combat with the Ogre was tiring. He knew that if the battle lasted much longer, the Ogre would have him due to his better stamina. In a final desperate attack, he toed his Dragonbane to the right and swung his sword with all his might in a reverse swing at the Ogre�s unengaged side. The ruse worked, and the Ogre fell dead with a look of unbelieving surprise frozen on his face. When Sir Tallbane looked up from his dispatched foe, the battle was over. None of the rouges had escaped from the battlefield, while his losses where surprisingly light. Needless to say he was relieved, the battle had not started well and had ended better that he had hoped. His report to his matriarch would be sure to include that these raiders were too well armed and organize to have been mere bandits. They most assuredly had the support of the Blackblood Empire. The Matriarch would not be pleased.