Turn 1 to 22

Early expansion, turn 1 to 14

So there shall be War

As the news of the disappearance of the Pantokrator reached over the world, scholars started to rediscover the lost secrets of the Thrones of Ascension . These places of power had been mostly forgotten for millenias, as they were bound to the Pantokrator and no being could approach them without suffering dire consequences. But it quickly became apparent to all that they were now open for conquest. The new Gods could now claim their powers for themselves and as such become even more powerful. And it was not long before some figured out that if one God could bind enough thrones to his own power, he would reach a threshold making him invincible. To put it simply, by claiming enough thrones, he would become the new Pantokrator.

Dire news were coming to Helheim. Dark and hungry gods arose from all over the world, everyone of them claiming to be the successor of the Pantokrator. Opponents to the true Faith, opponents to the only true God, Lord Kall. And with them, powerful civilizations embraced the new religions. Mutiple races of giants, humans, lizards, and even spectres began to prepare for war, for The war. And the people of Helheim gathered their faith too, and started to create an Army.

However, as the war approached, it became clear to all that to win it, ressources were needed. Gold , ore and magical gems  were to be gathered. Even though Helheim was a rich and prosperous place, much more was required. Many independent kingdoms surrounded the city and they would be the first to submit to the new power, and convert to the True faith.

Spreading the One True Faith

Lord Kall had always been impressed by the messengers of Death. Not only were they stunningly graceful and beautiful, but they also were fearsome fighters, falling from the sky on their ennemies like eagles on their preys. So were the Valkyries, commanded by the mighty Dis. As is, even though Lord Kall was still imprisoned in his undermoutain cave, he often projected his mind in the Ether to speak with the Leaders of Helheim and prepare for the war.

One day, drawing plans for the coming invasions, his soul felt the presence of a most remarkable Dis. He invited her to give her advice to the other leaders, and what he saw, heard and felt made him understand that there was more in her than any of her brothers or sisters. Not only was she even more beautiful than her fellow sisters, but her intelligence and faith to him caught him to the heart. There was no doubt that she was the One, the One that everybody would listen, that everybody would follow, that would be His voice and His hand. Her name was not to be forgotten, and soon Skaljv the Dis and was to be known as the Prophetess of Lord Kall.

And while the ceremony celebrating her glory and future deeds begun, the armies of Helheim started their conquest. Led by a young general, a Helkarl named Hakon, the elite Huskarls accompanied by some human serfs, submitted to their will the small principalities around Helheim. And in the heat of summer Skaljv herself started to lead the Valkyries into the fight. By autumn both Skalj and Hakon had added about 50.000 souls to the Kingdom of Helheim.

However, the rumors of other the pretenders seeking to become the new pantokrator quickly became a reality. While submitting a tribe, Hakon’s army met a strange being, 2 meters tall, with only one eye and a very pale skin . He claimed himself being the prophet of Sneking Aboot, a so called god leading the people of Agartha, a race living in caves and also known as the Pale ones. As the creature refused to abjure his faith, Hakon and his army slained him and his followers without mercy. But after that incident, it was clear that any expansion to the North-East would not be a cakewalk. In the meantime, news came from the south as the tribes of Machaka claimed some lands, while in the north the lords of Ur and their armies were spotted killing anyone who opposed them.

These news required to both be bold and careful. Helheim’s armies were not to be put at risk, but in the meantime, seeing already that many opponents, it was vital to claim as much land as possible. And just before the first snows of winter, Hakon ventured in some unknown land. What he found there was his fate, as the god of Ur himself, a huge Man-Eater called Nemok along with his elite Chosen ones and a few fearsome Mushussus. They had already wreaked havoc and claimed property of this place and had no intention to give it away. Despite a heroic fight, Hakon and his small army could not withstand the might of these huge creatures and were slaughtered to all but a few men that fled the battlefield and saved their lives.

These sad news angered Lord Kall. Hakon was a good general and had proven himself, losing him was indeed a setback. But … on the other hand … accounting on all the reports he could gather on that battle he knew that if this enemy force was to meet Skaljv and his host, they would most certainly perish. And as such, some generals urged the council of War to change their plans and press the attack to avenge Helheim’s lost hero. However, Lord Kall knew that his Godhood required intelligence and finesse. “Let these beasts roam on our border, but shall they enter our territory, we will show no mercy”. And so this insult was left unanswered. But that was the right thing to do as history would later prove.

And the people soon forgot about Hakon. The fame of Skaljv was indeed growing more and more as she conquered kingdoms and submitted tribes to her will. One of her most famous action in these early months of the war was the conquest of the throne of Bureaucracy. It was defended by about 120 undeads commanded by several sorcerers and conjurers, old guardians appointed by the previous Pantokrator. Leading 40 valkyries, she crushed them without a single casualty. And that deed was repeated a few months later when taking the throne of Zeal, defeating easily a mighty Lore Master, his Sages and a hundred troops.

So, by mid spring of the Year 2 of the Ascension war, Helheim had already expanded on 16 provinces, conquered 2 thrones and built a new stronghold. 5 enemy civilizations had been discovered and what the future held was a mystery yet to discover.

 

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The Eldorado is East ! Turn 15 to 23

The War Council of Helheim was studying the strategic situation with care. The western reaches of the kingdom were occupied by the bat people of Xibalba , the north by the semi-giants of Ur , the southern lands had been conquered by the cold giants of Niefelheim and their undead legions while on the south east the tribes of Machaka had grown strong. And of course on the north-east border, Agartha and their Pale ones were a vivid threat. But on the eastern borders, no one. Every single general had been expecting some nasty army to appear and threaten the Kingdom, but after more than a year of conquest, not a single heretic had been sighted.

That was indeed much of a surprise, but also an opportunity. Some gold had been spent wisely to build a fortress right on that eastern border, and what was to be a defensive stronghold was now a beachhead for expansion. Sure, there was still the possibility of some unknown opponent hiding in the shadows of these lands, but even then, Skaljv had now gathered such a strong force of Valkyries that she was pretty confident she could handle any situation.

And so while a strong diplomatic activity secured a Non Agression Pact with Machaka and Ur, the armies of the Vanir slowly annexed the eastern eldorado. Compared to the early days of the war, the battles were cakewalks and no real challenges raised up. While Skaljv and her Valkyries secured 7 new provinces, including a Throne, Munin the Vanherse conquered 3 others with a host of Hirdmen. Also, Skaljv took the time to claim the power of that new throne, the Throne of Thorns, in the name of Lord Kall. That came as a surprise to him when he understood that he could now channel a new power for his blessed troops. They were now mostly immune to poison … an advantage that could come handy in battle.

However, a peculiar discovery was made in a forest down on the coast. The scouts reported there a throne so heavily defended that many wondered what kind of mighty power was protected like that. Indeed, if the Pantokrator had gathered more than 400 creatures commanded by a goddess-like beast, it was for a good reason ! Sadly, Helheim wasn’t ready for such a challenge. There was still plenty of troops to recruit and resources to gather before even thinking about it.

By the end of the second year of the Ascension War, the kingdom had reached a size of 27 provinces, including 3 thrones. 2 Fortresses had been built, Ard in the center as the main base of operations for eastern operations, and another one south of the Throne of Bureaucracy to control the borders with Niefelheim and Xibalba.

In the meantime, several scouts were sent to probe Agartha’s defenses. They counted only 7 provinces, but still 5 fortresses including their capital. Compared to Helheim that made them weak, and their army was probably as small as their territory. After conquering these many neutral lands, the only way for expansion was to go to war with another enemy pretender. Now aware of the apparent weakness of the Pale ones, the War Council decided that these territories belonged to Helheim and prepared the armies for an immediate attack.

As the decision to go to war was taken, another good news secured the decision. The frost Giants of Niefelheim had sent their troops against the tribes of Machaka. That meant that with the non agression pacts with Ur and Machaka, and Niefelheim busy fighting Machaka, the only hazardous border was the small one with Xibalba. The omens were good, very good, nothing would stop Lord Kall’s rise to power.

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