>>6111306As the queen returns to Sturnes, rumours spread about the thinket to the south, people worry about the failure of taking out a single forest with the combined force of two armies. There are also Nixen with daughters to bury, though the churches give ample compensation for their service to Ordalan, promising that their deaths were not in vain.
>Action 1: Prospect southeast of Sturnes.The Nixen continue to look for iron, this time they go in the direction of the army, probing the landscape leading to Kholankorda. Many a tent is erected, providing shelter long enough to get a bit into the earth, before moving on to the next patch. It is tough work, but the nobles have a high bounty for mineral deposits, as it's crucial for Ordalan's might.
>Action 2: Pyre Axes of the Rosenfeuer, a military order of Schwaerz.After the Silver Storm's failure against the fell thicket, the opportunity presents itself for the followers of Schwaerz, the Pyre Axes of the Rosenfeuer rise to the occasion. The namesake of the order is a reference to a mythic age, where titanic monsters roamed, but a group of these monsters violated and killed Schwaerz' sister, driving Schwaerz into a murderous rage. Schwaerz did not stop at just those monsters, he continued on a rampage that saw the end of almost all titanic monsters. But the viscera of his rampage caused the sun to no longer rise, averting its gaze. Thus was the first Fell Night. When Schwaerz came to his senses, he went about hiding the corpses, cramming them wherever the sun could not see. He then burned his sister's corpse on a pyre of roses, a Rosenfeuer, the scent of which finally got the sun to rise once more. Upon realizing the damage of not rising, the sun apologized and promised should another Fell Night occur, if a Rosenfeuer is burned, the sun will rise once more. The corpses Schwaerz buried would spawn lesser monsters, explaining why they vary so greatly in size and make home where the sun doesn't shine.
The Pyre Axes of the Rosenfeuer served well during the great war, especially in their battle frenzy where they hack undead and barbarian alike into pieces, then burn them on great pyres so they cannot rise again. The Pyre Axes are excellent shock troops, shattering shields and formations with their axes. Now they rearm and prepare for the destruction of yet another great enemy.
>>6111316>Military Action: Halt Barza's incursion into our territory. Burn Kholankorda with the help of the Pyre Axes. Barza may witness but not participate.Barza's forces march again without contacting us first, the forces that intercept them this time are stricter, refusing to let them help in taking down Kholankorda, but allowing them to witness as the Pyre Axes burn it to the ground. Ordalan's forces have witnessed the disparity in power so they know they are in the position of power. As for the burning, the Pyre Axes will be retrieving any corpse to give a proper pyre as they steadily chop up and burn the thicket.
