Last sunday, ambitious Forest Elves succeeded in manipulating a vast gathering of Orcs into helping them attack the crude but wealthy Hill Dwarves. The Dwarves reacted to this threat with the employment of Mercenaries led by the famous Sir Hal of Ameria. On a breezy spring day, the two forces arrayed themselves on either side of Temple Vale. Conflict was inevitable.

The Orcs were led by a vicious, wolf-riding chieftain, known only as Lone Cub. They organized two regiments of their toughest and meanest while grouping the rest of their warriors into two massive hordes. They brought with them a mass of sinew tied catapults, dozens of wolf riders, and a powerful shaman. With the shaman's help, the Orcs charmed a flying snake, poked a giant scorpion with sticks, and brought both along.

The Elves were well organized, with four groups of elven bow, a regiment of spear militia, two large hordes of maniacal wardancers, and Jerome the Ent. Their general led his forces into battle, surrounded by his best swordsmen and backed my his knighted nobles. High above, the elven hero and his dragon steed glided on warm updrafts over the Dale.

The Dwarves defended themselves with cannon, boar riding knights, five clans of warbands, and a frightening behemoth called a flesh-fish. Old King Stingymits, fulfilling a personal grudge against the elves, personally led one of the three herds of boar riders.

Mercenary humans were well prepared for the battle. Commanded by a democratically elected group of heroes from across the known world, the mercenaries were trained to fight in tightly grouped formations with shield and blade. The leadership divided into three groups, one mounted on flying steed and two mounted on war-horses, in order to best inspire the troops and minimize heavy losses. The unfair advantage the mercenaries had in heroic leadership would serve them well throughout the day.

The Orcs and Mercenaries faced off, with each side forming a long line of foot troops at the far side of the field. The Orcs held back a second line of reserves, but included in the front line the artillery and behemoth.

The Dwarves split their forces, bringing their knights and artillery up behind the Mercenary flank at the center of the battlefield and sending the warbands to the near side of the field around the woods. The Elven shooters and spear took up position at the top of of a hill.

Mercenary heroes attack Orc hordes, blades, and artillery, with mixed results.

The Elves destroy artillery with their flying hero and immediately put pressure on the Dwarven general.

The Mercenary flying hero is ensorcelled by the shaman. The other heroes attempt to withdraw.

Orcs advance into the Mercenary line of blades, catching one of the human hero groups out in the open.

The Elven general wheels his group to close in on the Dwarven warbands, who are stymied by the shooters on the hill.

After the Dwarven general defeats the Elven hero, the Elves successfully break off the Ent and knights to continue pressure on the Dwarven leadership. Jerome Ent breaks through the dwarven line as the foolhardy King Stingymits pursues the Elven noblemen.

The giant scorpion is pushed back into its own troops, decimating the Orc reserves. The Orc front line holds until the monstrous flesh-fish completely smashes the Orc horde. The momentum thus gained is earthshaking, as mercenaries rush forward to support the raging behemoth.

The Elven general closes in on the Dwarven warbands. at the same time, the dwarven general is isolated by the flanking Elven behemoth and time runs out for Old King Stingymits. The Dwarves complete the battle without their general.

Without a general, the warbands have nothing to do but charge the well supported Elven blades and hordes. The result is massive carnage of both Dwarves and Elves and the total fragmentation of what's left of the Dwarven army.

The Orcs throw everything they have against the flesh-fish, but to no avail. The giant scorpion, badly wounded from the mercenary blades, is quickly put out of its misery. The winged serpent swoops down, but is caught in behemoth's sucker tip fingers and thrown down to the merciless mercenaries. Lone Cub is forced to flee for his life, leaving the tattered remnants of his army behind.

After the defeat of King Stingymits, Jerome is pushed back by the heroic Sir Hal of Ameria, riding in to protect the Mercenary flank. Facing insurmountable odds, Jerome retires to the trees of the nearby woods. There he lies dormant for the century long process of re-growth.

Following this epic comflict, Sir Hal of Ameria adds yet another verse to the bard's tale of his many victories. Eventually, the Mercenary army gains much of the Dwarven riches they were once hired to protect.

Photos of this battle may be found on the Zing network at the following URL:

http://www.zing.com/album/?id=4294522087

For the best detail, view the images at "original" size and wait for them to fully load. Enjoy!

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