>>5219336The remaining beasts attempted to stop the attack, but tied down as they were they had little chance. The flames fell upon the forest, setting it aflame all at once. From there the enemy was sent into chaos, and the battle became a slaughter. The greater half of the beasts were slain before they could flee, and the corrupted were sent fleeing back into their still-burning lair.
Aftereffects of the torching left the corrupted in turmoil. The fire quickly spread further into the Darkwood, and it wasn't long before they discovered that the archmage's fire was extremely difficult to extinguish by normal means. The entirety of their forces dedicated themselves to extinguishing the flames, giving up on battling entirely. At the same time rumors of a great many of the corrupted in the south of the Darkwood seeing the light were heard. It was said that they were rebelling against those who were fighting us, wanting to found a new kingdom, separate from the Darkwood. Whether these rumors were true or not a great many more of the enemy troops disappeared, and humans stood unopposed in their crusade.
The northern border of the Darkwood remained wreathed in these flames for more than a year, and with the assistance of more traditional methods, were intermittently on fire for a much longer time. The corrupted had lost the ability to oppose humanity for the time being. Even with the withdrawal of the Spirit Emperor's forces and the eventual collapse of the Carpathian Empire the Darkwood was eventually pushed further and further south, until the border eventually reached where it has resided for the past two and a half centuries, and where we now make sure it stays.
With such a story told the mood rises, memories of humanity's greatest deeds reassuring your men that they can do they same. Even if such events are not in living memory for all but a few decidedly inhuman creatures, and even if you do not have the support of a great empire or of the Spirit King, that doesn't matter. Your opponent certainly isn't the Darkwood of ages long gone, after all.
