The Throne of Stability was one of the most challenging, and the one for which the most unorthodox force had been gathered. Its main battleforce was neither made of wolves nor valkyries, but of thunderstriking vanjarls and skelespamming wraith lords. Despite a few regular troops to support them, it was not really designed to fight a real army and everything had to be done to avoid that.

At the time of the attack, the tactical situation around the throne posed a few challenges. To the north, a wandering Skratti from Niefelheim had raided Ulm and cut the road to Machaka. As a response to this annoying raider, Ulm had sent in a neighbouring province a small army that now presented a potential threat to Helheim’s efforts. As such, 2 Vanjarls were appointed with some heavy gear to take both of them out.

The shores around Therodos had been secured and the enemy counter attacks there had been very light during the last few months. That led to think that they would not send any sizeable force to retake them and that it was not necessary to send there any particular defense.

As such, the 2 other critical provinces to capture to cut the Throne from any counter attack was Ulm itself, and the province to the south. A Vanjarl, Jatmund, was close to that southern province after capturing a province from Therodos. That’s why he was ordered to move there through the land, unlike his comrades riding the clouds.

That was the first mistake in that region, as Therodos had not given up in its efforts to weaken his enemies. They called upon Earth Magic to summon an Earth Elemental assassin to take out Jatmund. Sadly, despite all his efforts, he was not strong enough to stand up the beast and was crushed to death … and that prevented him from carrying out his mission. The province south to the Throne was led intact, an open road for enemy armies to launch a counter-attack.

The second mistake was that the Vanjarl sent to raid and then besiege Ulm was given too loose orders. Every raider had the same tactic : drop from the sky, use their magic to enhance their combat abilities, and then rush into the fight. However, for that one, things were a bit different. After calling upon his magic he did not go headon in close combat as he should have … but rather waited for the enemies to come at him so that he could unleash his deadly battle magic unto them. However, Air magic has its tricks and cons, and sending Shockwaves after Shockwaves, Delling (that was his name) became the victim of his own power. He died stupidely electrocuting himself … and thus let Ulm free to send anything that was there to counter-attack the army besieging the Throne.

Anyway, despite these two mistakes, the army targetting the Throne had successfully gathered there and, thanks to their Gate Cleavers and the deadly Crumble magic cast on the fortress, breached the gates and opened the way for the forthcoming  assault. Also, the Skratti in the northern province was routed and killed and the 30 strong Ulm army pursuing him beaten off by Hrimner, the most famous Vanjarl warrior of the kingdom.

However, at this point, Ulm had a real opportunity to try something to prevent the Throne from being captured. All the mages in Ulm and may be some in the southern province could have tried something. But … unware of the stakes, they kept a low profile and the assault could go unhindered as initially planned, and the 2 small mistakes made during the first phase of the attack had finally no consequences.

The assault in itself was just a showcase of Helheim’s battle tactics. While the Vanjarl destroyed and routed the enemy defenders on the walls by calling the power of Thunder, the Wraith lords summoned the deads and raised a large force of skelettons. Despite their powers the enemy mages were quickly overwhelmed by the horde of walking deads and soon the fortress was in Helheim’s hands.

After a short celebration, every leader of the small army gathered around the throne. Azag the Bishop, that had been hiding all along, waiting for the place to be secured, came out of the shadows and joined them. And with Azag leading the ceremony, they all pledged anew their allegiance to their god while the power of the Throne strengthened even more Lord Kall’s one. 3 claimed, 1 to go.