Plergoth Press/Issue Four

http://wiki.battlemaster.org/images/Plergoth.png The Plergoth Press
Bring in Valhalla's head, get a lifetime subscription!	Editor: Luxor Feylonis	Issue Four, May
The main propaganda sheet and newspaper of Plergoth!

New Tidings

May 1, 1007 | By: Luxor

We received this short piece from our very own Minister of Defence, Kimberly, yesterday morning:

As I sat down to write this piece, I stopped to ask myself, just who am I writing it for? The Nobles of Plergoth? Most of them know already what I am writing. The Nobles of Khthon? Not really, although I know that they will get a copy of this newspaper eventually. The “Nobles” of Vlaanderen? Hah, I doubt many of them can even read. No, the people I am writing this for, is the people of Plergoth.

Many of you rightly question this campaign we have been on. You've suffered long at the hands of the Heroes of Khthon, and the greedy Elitists that form the core of the Rebellion. I know many of you would prefer us to be at peace. But neither of those realms are truly interested in peace. They have made token gestures in the past, but they knew as soon as they wrote it that any one with a shred of honor would reject those proposals. And Khthon constantly rejects every reasonable proposal that the Chancellor has sent to them. Until they start to show the honor that they constantly claim they have, there can be no peace between us and Khthon.

Now Old Grehk joins the campaign, but not as we feared they might months ago. They joined the war on the side of our Confederates, Ashborn. While that does not technically ally them with us, it does put their focus on two nations that have sent aid to the Rebels in Reeds. It also puts them at odds with the Rebels themselves, who have declared that our other Confederated Ally, Mesh, that they will stop any effort made by Mesh to assist Ashborn.

Where does that leave us? With a long trip from Creasur and around the Rebel city of Reeds, we cannot spare forces to lift the siege of Ashborn's capital city of Keffa. Not while Khthon remains a threat to us at least. Which brings us back to those so called heroes. It has become clear that the goblet that the Chancellor of Khthon drinks out of must be tainted, because it only ferments hatred. I once though that Geoff was the only insane one over there. But upon his honorable death in combat two weeks ago, General Elias has taken over. Once a man that I respected, and even trusted, I can see that whatever it is that taints the water there has taken over his mind. Now I fear that Khthon is nothing more than a rabid dog, that for the sake of the world must be put down, lest this disease spread further. I only hope that the death toll is not too high.

With these new tidings, especially the part about the entering of Old Grehk into the scene, this war may be won sooner that we all thought.

Kthonian Raiders Approaching Xinjin

May 2, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline Xinjin

The roads in Xinjin are clogged with refugees fleeing southward towards Creasur as word spreads that the Khthonian marauders are returning to strike again at the Xinjinni people. This same marauding band has looted and pillaged its way through Zuhle, Eg Tutnu and Xinjin in recent months, and continues to oppress the long-suffering peoples of the occupied Plergothian lands of Weghie, Tindle and Dyomoque. Seeking revenge for the sacking of their capital, the Khthonians have launched a savage series of attacks against Plergoth's northern borders, ravaging the land while maneuvering to avoid contact with the main Plergothian defense force.

Now, however, it appears that the Khthonians have made a severe miscalculation, heading back into Xinjin into the teeth of the freshly refitted troops of the Defenders of Plergoth. Already, advance elements of the Khthonian raiding force have been met in battle and annihilated. With the coming of the dawn, this reporter expects to be able to inform you, loyal readers, of Plergoth's glorious triumph over the vile brigands from Dyomoque.

From the Frontlines - Battle in Xinjin

May 3, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline Xinjin

A hush has fallen over the woodlands of Xinjin. Where men fought and struggled and screamed and died just hours ago, now carrion birds and forest scavengers pick at the bodies of the unburied, unlamented Khthonian dead. From my concealed position atop a wooded hillock to the west of the forest clearing where the armies met, your war correspondent witnessed the whole engagement.

The Khthonian brigands, their thoughts surely occupied by rapine and plunder, advanced in several columns, snaking through the forest paths. A quick headcount returned estimates of a force nearly 500 men in number. The columns halted as advance scouts brought back word of a finding. Ahead, in a wooded glen, lay a pile of severed heads - all that remained of the advance forces that had entered Xinjin alone hours earlier. Enraged, the Khthonians charged forwards, their cohesion dissolving as they poured into the clearing and saw the remains of their fellow marauders, piggish faces permanently frozen in expressions of surprise and terror. Little did they know that a great many of them would be joining the pile momentarily.

As the Khthonians milled around in rage and confusion (and, in some cases, looted the death-pile of helmets and gold teeth), a horn sounded, answered by another, and another. The Khthonians rushed to form battle lines as the Defenders of Plergoth began to emerge from the treeline. Nearly one thousand men took the field to defend Xinjin, proudly brandishing the banner of Plergoth. At the head of the formation rode Elroy, Marshal of the Army of Plergoth.

Surveying the assembled raiders frantically attempting to form up lines and come to some semblance of order, he held his blade aloft and urged on the warriors of his command: "For Zuhle! For Weghie! For Xinjin! For Plergoth! Have at them!" The cry returned a thousandfold from the men - "FOR PLERGOTH!!!!", and the infantry, a sinuous line of bristling blades and gleaming armor, advanced towards the Khthonian positions at a steady march. Arrows fell like rain among their ranks, and many good men fell, including Dedmerath of Prevos, but the Plergothian men continued to advance, finally crashing into the defensive lines hastily formed by the Khthonian infantry and cavalry. As the battle swirled into close fighting, Khthonian banners fell, one by one, swallowed up by a righteous tide of Plergothian armsmen in savage close combat that laid low both Thomas of Xinjin and the vile Trithereon of Gaxano. Khthonian arrows continued to fall upon Plergoth's finest, felling both Chancellor VonGarrett and Supreme Judge Artevan. Finally, the surviving Khthonian bandits broke and fled into the woods, abandoning their archers to the tender mercies of Plergoth's infantry.

Howling like wolves, the Plergothian forces tore through the Khthonian archers. "For Dedmerath, Artevan and VonGarrett!!!!" the cry went up. Many of the Khthonian bowmen were garrotted with their own bowstrings, their decapitated bodies left for the wolves, and their severed heads left on the dead-pile for a ravens' feast.

The shattered Khthonian army is withdrawing and regrouping. Though beaten this day, it is certain that they will return with more blood-stained gold from their mountain mines and more conscripts from the occupied city of Dyomoque to again menace the lands of Plergoth. However, following this decisive victory over their forces, there is hope that we can one day soon end their threat to our realm and our people forever.

The Scoreboard

May 3, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

A new feature we offer our readers, tallying the damage inflicted by each side in the ongoing conflict. When the war crime trials commence after Dyomoque is burned to the ground, this record will bring the Khthonian leadership one step closer to their well deserved nooses. The numbers provided will be updated following each battle.

Plergoth:
Khthonian brigands killed, captured or wounded: 4,818
Vlaanderen rebels killed, captured or wounded: 1,016
Vlaanderen rebel leaders wounded: 2
Vlaanderen rebel leaders captured: 1
Khthonian warlords wounded: 6
Khthonian warlords captured: 1

Khthon:
Plergothian soldiers killed or wounded: 742
Plergothian nobles wounded: 8

Vlaanderen:
Plergothian soldiers killed or wounded: 2,832
Plergothian nobles wounded: 10
Plergothian nobles captured: 8
Plergothian nobles killed: 1

Number of battles included in the above tally (victory count):
Xinjin: 3 (Plergoth: 3, Khthon: 0)
Tindle: 10 (Plergoth: 9, Khthon: 1)
Weghie: 6 (Plergoth: 6, Khthon: 0)
Jaekind: 1 (Plergoth: 1, Khthon: 0)
Yokk: 1 (Plergoth: 1, Vlaanderen: 0)
Haffemet: 2 (Plergoth: 2, Khthon/Vlaanderen: 0)
Reeds: 3 (Plergoth: 0, Vlaanderen: 3)
Creasur: 1 (Plergoth: 1, Khthon: 0)

Final tally for the month of May:
Casualties inflicted: 5,834
Casualties suffered: 3,544
Battles won: 23
Battles lost: 4

Khthonian Criminals Apprehended

May 3, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Following the rout of the Khthonian army in Xinjin, most of the surviving Dyomoque warlords fled back to Tindle and Weghie to lick their wounds and drown their sorrows. However, with their leader, Trithereon, lying wounded in the underbrush, recovering from having his nose hacked off, his so-called "Hope Bringers" were scattered and directionless. Throughout the day, following the battle, Plergothian patrols caught and apprehended 62 of the unit's shocked and demoralized survivors. The fight had completely left most of these men, for the most part simple peasants who had been drafted at swordpoint from their homes and fields by the brutal Khthonian regime in Dyomoque and sent to spill their lifeblood on Plergothian blades at the whim of their cruel masters. Only the eight personal guards of Trithereon put up any resistance, killing four men of the 2nd Nightstalker Legion before being slain to the last man. Patrols continue to seek Trithereon's field encampment, where he and his few surviving men (6 or fewer, we estimate) are believed to be recovering from their wounds.

This brings the total losses suffered by the Khthonian forces this day to 418 souls, a staggering 84% force reduction, compared to Plergoth's 20% casualty figures.

Extensive debriefings of the captured "Hope Bringers" will be conducted. Those guilty only of having served as forced conscripts in the Khthonian army and having shown acceptable conduct on the battlefield will be allowed to work on penal farms, helping to restore productivity to the lands they damaged. Those that took part in looting, rapine, crop destruction and/or intentional damage to infrastructure will face the headsman, and their skulls will adorn pikes atop the Traitor's Gate in Creasur, bringing hope to the citizens of Plergoth that the Khthonian menace as a whole will be similarly dealt with in the very near future.

Khthonian Criminals Pursued into Tindle - Vanguard Ambushed

May 4, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Following the successful repulsion of the Khthonian raid into Xinjin, the Army of Plergoth set off in hot pursuit of the fleeing bandits. Regrettably, the exuberance of some of the pursuers was such that they outdistanced the main body of the army and ran headlong into an ambush sprung by Khthonian militia in Tindle. Details are sketchy, but it appears that the Valentic Order Guard was forced to retreat before the Plergothian attack faltered, and Daragh's Dominators is continuing its panicked flight back to Dyomoque, leaving the militia forces to face Plergoth's main army on their own.

As to the Plergothian vanguard, "Sparta's 300" managed an orderly retreat following the wounding of their commander, Whevarier, supported by Makail's Rangers, who lost nine men. Nicolai's "Adrenaline Junkies" suffered heavy losses as well, but it was Shinayne Corrinae's 1st Successor Defenders that bore the brunt of the militia attacks, leaving seven men dead and the remaining 19 wounded, including Shinayne herself.

War Taken to Khthon's Doorstep

May 5, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

It's been a long and punishing war for Plergoth. Most of the fighting against the rebels in Reeds and the brigands of Dyomoque has taken place on Plergothian soil. In the early months of the war, Plergoth lost much of its cropland, and the military infrastructure of Xinjin, Zuhle, Eg Tutnu, Jaekind and Prevos suffered from extensive looting and attacks directed against our defenseless people. Despite the high-minded rhetoric espoused by Khthon at the outset of the conflict, it soon became clear that they were fighting a war designed to cripple our economy and eliminate our ability to fight.

Now, with the support of our steadfast allies in Avalon, Plergoth is ready to answer the Khthonians in kind for their repeated pillaging of our realm. The main body of the Plergothian army has pursued the defeated Khthonian raiders from Xinjin to Tindle, and while they cower behind the walls of Dyomoque (freshly rebuilt after the Army of Plergoth's last visit), we intend to extract our pound of flesh from the merchants, militias and nobles of Tindle - teaching them the folly of supporting the bandit regime in Dyomoque.

Nobles and knights of Khthon - by entering into Plergoth's civil war and attempting to claim our lands in order to "ensure your continued existence", you have foolishly sown the seeds of your own destruction. The Army of Plergoth has now arrived to inform you that the harvest has begun.

From the Frontlines - Battle in Tindle

May 5, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

Though night has long since fallen, a flickering glow illuminates the starless skies - Tindle is ablaze. Screams echo from the hamlets and villages as loyal Khthonian merchants and nobles, having grown fat off the plunder taken from Plergoth in recent months, are forcibly divested of their ill-gotten gains...and their lives, if they resist.

Tonight's Tindle is a much different land than the one which greeted the dawn. The Tindle militia forces, supported by the rear-guard of the shattered raiding party fleeing from Xinjin, had successfully ambushed the vanguard of the Army of Plergoth pursuit force. The sullen Plergothian prisoners huddled in the central square of Tindle's capital city, under guard, while the militia troops drank to their success and were toasted by the bejewled noblewomen and overfed merchants of the town.

The celebratory atmosphere was disrupted as a scout on horseback, his eyes wide with fear and his mount driven near to death, galloped through the city gates and made his report. "M'lords! Plergothian troops have crossed the border in great numbers, far more than we can hope to face! They'll be here within hours!" A ragged cheer went up among the Plergothian prisoners, then faded as militia guards clubbed the shackled soldiers with their spear butts.

The militia commander turned to Daragh, commander of Daragh's Dominators. "M'lord. Can we expect reinforcements from Dyomoque? Will Khthon come to defend us?" However, his question remained unanswered, as the Daragh was already saddling his horse and readying his unit to flee to the distant safety of Dyomoque's walls. Only Raffi and his veteran "Raging Storm" archers remained to support the Tindle militia.

The battle was a trifling affair. Raffi's archers vented their frustration and rage upon their former allies from Avalon, slaying 13 Guards of Ippetimbal before being annihilated. The militia fought bravely, but were simply overwhelmed by the tidal wave of warriors that struck their lines, outnumbering them four to one. Within two hours, the last traces of Khthonian resistance had been swept from the field, leaving Plergoth and Avalon in command of the territory.

Surveying Tindle, a prosperous territory that had thus far been nearly untouched by the savagery of the sort that Khthon had unleashed on Plergoth's lands, the command went forth: "Burn Tindle to the ground! Let them learn of the horror of war, and the terrible consequences of their support for the bandit kings of Dyomoque."

As dawn breaks, spreading a sullen gray light over the shattered countryside, the plumes of greasy black smoke rising into the sky are certainly visible from the parapets of Dyomoque. They are a message to the cabal of thieves cowering behind the walls - Plergoth is Coming!

From the Frontlines - Skirmish in Tindle

May 5, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

As the flames spread throughout Tindle, those loyal to the bandit kings of Dyomoque have not been idle. Shadowy figures dart from haystack to haystack, gathering, organizing, planning. Scribes hurry from hut to hut, bringing reports to community leaders and the surviving militia commanders. The news is grim - the Plergothians have attacked with cold hate in their eyes and vengeance in their hearts, and the Khthonian army continues to cling to the tenuous protection of their fortifications - leaving the people of Tindle to their fate.

If the Dyomoque cabal of cowards won't help them, the Tindlese realize, they'll have to save themselves. Able bodied men are recruited from the fields - farmers who've lost their lands and meager possessions, peasants who've lost loved ones, young nobles who've seen their stores and mills and futures reduced to ashen waste - and hastily organized into something vaguely resembling a proper military formation, though referring to it as an unruly mob wouldn't be too far from the truth. Pitchforks and reaping scythes far outnumber polearms and swords, but they have numbers, patriotism and righteous rage on their side, and they are, after all, the blessed Children of the Egg.

Once assembled, the militia captains lead the charge against the Plergothians, who have taken a brief break from their pillaging to face this renewed resistance to their operations. The Tindlese men, seeing the assembled enemy, their banners black from the smoking ruins of cities and farms, their hands red with the blood of Tindlese peasants, shout with rage and charge...into an absolute hail of arrows fired by the professionally trained and well-equipped Plergothian troops. Farmers, merchants, militiamen - charge forward into the waiting arms of the enemy, ducking their heads and raising their arms as if to ward off the lethal shafts. It avails them little. Mere minutes into the battle, dozens of the partisans are lying on the ground, screaming, thrashing, and pouring their lifeblood onto the ground they fought to defend.

A militia captain attempts to rally the men, "By the Great Egg, we fight for Tind...URK!" A well aimed shaft flies true, piercing his throat. With his death, the nerve of the Tindlese breaks, and the survivors flee. Those few that managed to reach the Plergothian lines find their farm implements no match for tempered Creasur steel.

With the morning's entertainment finished, the Plergothian troops return to the business of crushing Tindle's ability to contribute further to the Khthonian war effort.

The fires continue to rage unchecked...

From the Frontlines - Skirmish in Weghie

May 5, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Weghie

Khthon is in turmoil. Following the ignominious death of their long-time leader, Geoff, at the hands of Yao Ling's skilled bowmen during the sack of Dyomoque, they had been following the lead of Sir Elias, Chancellor and Minister of Defense of Khthon. Under the leadership of Sir Elias, Khthon's army - blinded by their hunger for revenge, has sacked Zuhle and Xinjin, and been led to defeat after defeat against the Army of Plergoth.

Following the disaster in Xinjin, most of the Khthonian army fled through Tindle back to Dyomoque, but Sir Elias himself withdrew to Weghie, perhaps hoping to avoid his pursuers and return to Xinjin to lead his Riders of Khthon in further banditry. He failed to account for the dogged pursuit of Lord Geoff's 34th Division and Lord Kevin's 18th Scythian Reavers, which ran the Riders to ground as they attempted to hide in the midst of a peasant militia.

The battle hardened Plergothian troops carved a bloody swath through the peasants, making a bee-line for Sir Elias' position. The fighting raged around the Khthonian center as the Riders sacrificed themselves in the defense of their supreme commander, but to no avail. Sir Elias was struck down by a mighty blow from Lord Geoff, and his surviving partisans have fled into the wilderness.

Leaderless, outnumbered, and under siege, things look grim for the Khthonians. Is this the outcome they had in mind when they joined Valhalla's war against Plergoth lo these many months ago?

From the Frontlines - Peasant Uprising in Tindle

May 6, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

Whipped into a patriotic frenzy by empty promises of support from Dyomoque, hundreds of ill-equipped and untrained peasants took up arms against the Plergothian occupation force - a howling mob of old men and young boys, throwing themselves upon the spears and swords of their enemies. The slaughter was appalling, with more than six hundred dead Tindlese and a mere 20 Plergothians wounded. Early reports now coming in indicate than another 600+ peasants are gathering for a second wave of attacks, charging headlong into the meatgrinder, as it were.

At this rate, by the time the occupation ends, there will be naught but old women and girls left in Tindle. Even if the region rejoins Dyomoque, its contributions to their war machine will be substantially reduced for months, if not years to come. Zuhle is avenged!

Khthonian Bandits Returning to Xinjin

May 6, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Once again, the people of Xinjin are bracing for another visit from the Khthonian bandits. Too weak to assist the partisan forces in Tindle, the Khthonians have returned to their regular trade of banditry, and have dispatched a quarter of their army through Weghie to raid Xinjin. With the main army engaged in the razing of Tindle, local defense forces are insufficient to repulse the brigands. The Xinjinni are in for a rough time of it.

Nonetheless, this only strengthens Plergoth's resolve to once-and-for-all root out and destroy the den of thieves in Dyomoque, ridding Beluaterra of this realm of fallen "heroes".

From the Frontlines - Bandits Repulsed in Xinjin

May 6, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Xinjin

Cresting a hill, Hokaru reviewed parchiment scraps covered with deployment diagrams and numbers, as scouts returned with reports that a scratch Plergothian militia was assembling across the main road. Hokaru spat, then turned to his captain. "That's the best they can do? A gaggle of peasants and a merchant's caravan guards? Easy meat!"

"M'lord. I advise caution," replied the captain. "Several of our scouts are overdue."

"Ahh, the bassids're probably just tryin' t' get a head start on the lootin'. Everything Plergoth's got is in Tindle, 'cept for these dregs. Have the boys move out. We got killin' t' do 'fore the real fun begins."

The Khthonian brigands advanced down the main road, blowing their battle horns and shouting war cries. In their path stood a motley assemblage of enraged Xinjinni peasants clutching makeshift weapons, backed up by a mercenary band of caravan guards - raw recruits who'd hired on less than four hours earlier. Hokaru's men broke into a run, sensing an easy victory.

It was at this point that Lords Nicolai and Thomas ordered their veteran units to break cover and advance from the treeline into the Khthonian flank. Suddenly outnumbered, flanked, and already taking casualties from Lord Thomas' expert bowmen, Hokaru's charge faltered, and a swirling melee ensued as soldiers, brigands, peasants and mercenaries crashed into a confused press of bodies and blades.

Casualties among the Plergothian infantry were high, and Lord Nicolai was greviously wounded, but they succeeded in blunting the Khthonian charge, pinning the bandits in place as Lord Thomas' archers whittled down their numbers. The battle was hard fought, and costly, but there will be no looting in Xinjin tonight.

From the Frontlines - Slaughter Continues in Tindle

May 6, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

Perhaps it's something in Tindle's water that gives the inhabitants such an unfortunate combination of blind devotion, suicidal determination, and utter martial ineptitude. Whatever it is, it can be safely assumed that the "Heroes" of Dyomoque have been bottling this substance and imbibing heavily.

Another 600+ peasant militiamen and insurgents took to the field today, marching without shoes over the scorched stubble of their fields, past the blackened chimneys of their farmsteads and raven-picked corpses of their livestock. Hopelessly...haplessly...they ran forwards towards the impenetrable line of the Army of Plergoth. Over six hundred Tindlese dead at a cost of only five Plergothians wounded. More than four hundred are reported to be assembling for a desperate third wave...

Where are the trained warriors of Khthon? The "heroes" of Dyomoque? They cower under their beds, fearful to even venture outside of their walls, lest, like Hokaru in Xinjin, they be crushed and hunted like dogs, whimpering in defeat. Soon, very soon, now, they will run out of peasants to hide behind, and will be forced to face the icy justice of cold Plergothian steel.

From the Frontlines - Khthonian Feint Inspires Tindlese to Disaster

May 7, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Tindle

After days of ceaseless carnage that have seen Tindle's lands ravaged, homes destroyed, and people slaughtered in futile attacks against the Plergothian occupation forces, hope had almost gone out of the Tindlese.

"But wait! News from Dyomoque? The Heroes are finally coming to save us?"

"Yes!" the scouts reply. "Lords Neyl, Vyacheslav, Batman and the ruler of Tindle, Mirari, have been seen making preparations for a sortie. A plan must be afoot...perhaps a secret Vlaandereeni army is nearly here, and together they will drive the hated Plergothians out of our lands. We must attack and do our part!"

At dawn, 435 partisans and peasant militia troops assemble and advance towards the Plergothian lines. "The Heroes are coming!" shout their commanders. "You'll see!"

As the Tindlese mob presses on through the early morning fog, the sun breaks through and illuminates the rolling valley where the Plergothian army awaits. Blackened farmland extends for leagues in all directions, and as the fog burns off, it is dreadfully apparent that the Heroes have not come. There will be no secret Vlaandereeni army riding to the rescue. Tindle is on its own.

Shocked and dismayed, the peasants barely resist as the Plergothians surround and engage them, wounding only five Plergothians in the hour it takes to remove another 435 souls from the roster of those who once believed in the "heroes" of Dyomoque.

Tindle burns on...

Retreating Khthonian Bandits Harried Through Weghie

May 7, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Weghie

Still reeling from the defeat of his "Attack Force" in Xinjin, Hokaru of Khthon managed to link up with the remnants of the Valentic Order Guard in Weghie, a tactical error that allowed the pursuing forces of Lord Geoff's 34th Division to bring both bandit troops to battle at once. In a closely matched fight, pitting 31 Khthonians against 34 Plergothians, the superior training and resolve of Lord Geoff's men triumphed, putting the remnants of the Khthonian raiding party to flight once more.

Update! This just in!

Hokaru of Khthon, his raiding party in ruins and his honor in shreds, was captured by Lord Geoff's guards as he attempted to infiltrate the 34th Division's bivouac. He was found to be carrying a poisoned dagger - an assassin's tool.

Don't worry, Hokaru. You'll soon have plenty of company in Plergoth's dungeons, once the other bandit kings of Dyomoque are apprehended and brought to justice.

Mopping Up Operations Continue in Tindle

May 7, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Another 147 armed peasants surrendered to the Army of Plergoth today without a fight, and the Army of Plergoth remains untroubled about the reports of twice that number gathering for a dawn attack on the primary encampments. "In truth," drawled Sir Elroy, Marshal of the Army, "the yeomanry of Tindle make excellent target practice for our archers, and are much more satisfying to run through than straw dummies. Even should our efforts to grind Tindle into submission fail, the entire expedition will have been worth it as a training exercise for the army, which has made great strides in experience and cohesiveness while taking minimal casualties on this campaign. I daresay we're stronger now than when we started."

Though the peasant militias are selling their lives cheaply, they are succeeding in their goal of preventing Plergoth's occupying army from inflicting further destruction. The Tindlese, though foolhardy and inept, do at least have courage, and that we can respect.

Would that the "Heroes" hiding behind the walls of Dyomoque had the same amount of courage shown by the meanest Tindlese peasant. Truly, Khthon does not deserve vassals of this caliber.

From the Frontlines - Bandits on the Run in Weghie

May 7, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Dateline - Weghie

With the capture of their leader, the skulking assassin Hokaru, his "Attack Force" was left leaderless in Weghie. Recruited from the street gangs of Dyomoque, they'd come south, a diabolical half-hundred, intent on looting and burning their way across Xinjin. Defeated by peasants and caravan guards in Xinjin, they fell back to Weghie, where they were further thrashed by Lord Geoff's 34th Division. Leaderless and routed, the remaining bandits hunkered down around the empty "Batman's Pride" infantry training center and waited for the end.

It was not long in coming. The battle-hardened troops of the 34th Division advanced on the infantry center at dusk, the blood-red setting sun at their backs. One of Geoff's men was wounded in the ensuing fray, but five of the bandits were slain, and all of the other sixteen were badly wounded. The scattered survivors will soon be hunted down and dispatched like the beasts they are. A fitting end to a warband so ignobly conceived and led.

Meanwhile, as Lord Geoff's soldiers rest after the battle, they take the time to marvel at the bizarrely constructed infantry training grounds. The outlandish training uniforms (with capes and cowls), oddly shaped throwing knives and staff of elderly manservants strike the men as being woefully out of place in the rural heartland of Weghie.

Vlaanderen Forces Spotted

May 8, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

As the war entered its fourth month, the focus shifted away from the Plergoth vs. Vlaanderen struggle. With the entry of Mesh into the war as Plergoth's staunch ally in its time of need, the Vlaandereeni forces were kept busy fending off the mighty army of Mesh, allowing the battered Army of Plergoth to regroup, rearm, and engage the Khthonians one-on-one, without having to face the combined armies of Vlaanderen and Khthon that had repeatedly trounced the smaller Plergothian army in the field.

Despite bold statements by the Khthonians that they could "handle Plergoth" by themselves, their overconfidence proved to be their undoing. They suffered a resounding defeat in Xinjin and, aside from a successful ambush of Plergoth's forward elements in Tindle, they have been soundly defeated in every subsequent engagement, leaving their weakened main army under siege in Dyomoque while Plergoth ravages Tindle at its leisure.

At long last, their Vlaanderen allies have dispatched forces to aid the Khthonians, perhaps in the hopes that recombining their armies will enable them to regain the momentum of their winter campaigns. Fortunately, Plergoth's allies - Mesh and Avalon - stand ready to keep up the pressure on the rogue realms.

Nonetheless, word of Vlaanderen movements reached Tindle, inspiring more than three hundred peasants to rise up and attack the Plergothian occupation force. When surrounded by the entire Plergothian army and informed that the nearest Vlan soldier was a day's march away, the embarrassed peasants laid down their arms and surrendered.

Many of the prisoners were heard to mutter that it was unfair, as peasants shouldn't have to deal with complex strategies, especially those requiring counting higher than ten (a feat which requires most of those loyal to Khthon to remove their shoes).

As of this writing, hundreds of additional Tindlese peasants are reported to be assembling for the evening surrender ceremony, which is becoming somewhat of a festive affair. A large tent has been erected, and foraging parties have been sent out to acquire the last 20 or so cattle still alive in the territory for the feasting afterwards.

Khthonian Army on the Move Again!

May 9, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

The "heroes" of Khthon, emboldened by the arrival of the rebels Valhalla and Vigil of Vlaanderen in Weghie, have finally emerged from their fortifications in Dyomoque and taken the field in Weghie. We'll see you on the field of battle very soon, gentlemen. En garde!

Meanwhile, last night's surrender ceremony in Tindle was a complete flop. Rain forced everyone into the tent for the first few hours, there wasn't enough roast oxen to go around, and someone spiked the mead barrel with some 'unusual' herbs that caused some of the revelers to sit down, stare into space and marvel at 'all the pretty colors'. Matters came to a head when an argument broke out between the Tindlese surrender delegation and the Plergothian hosts as to whether the minstrels should play the Tindlese Anthem during the formal surrender, or the much livelier 'What Fools These Mortals Be', which features a lovely lute solo. The difference of opinion turned violent, blades were drawn, and regrettably more than four hundred of the Tindlese guests were killed in the ensuing brawl.

On that somber note, the decision was made to wrap up the festivities in Tindle entirely. And what a party it was: Nine out of every ten farms were burned to the ground and more than three thousand Tindlese peasants will no longer be providing aid and comfort to the bandit kings of Dyomoque.

Khthonian Probe into Jaekind Crushed

May 10, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

The Khthonian army now squats in Weghie, a rancid, festering boil rising from Plergoth's occupied croplands that must be lanced! Emboldened by the presence of Vlaanderen rebel leader, Valhalla, the Khthonians this morning launched a tentative probe into Jaekind - dispatching Fura and his "Khthon Heroes" across the Plergothian border.

The "heroes" didn't stay long, however. Shortly after passing the northernmost border villages, they were beset by none other than the personal guards of General Kimberly - the Valkyries, who tore into the skulking Khthonian brigands and slew half their number, putting the rest to flight. It is likely that, in their panicked retreat, Fura's armsmen will pass the scribes they dispatched back to Weghie with scouting reports.

Vlaanderen Army Flees Back to Reeds!

May 11, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Having only recently arrived in Weghie to support the faltering and wary Khthonians, the Vlaanderen rebels have executed an abrupt about face as word reaches them of a massive Meshian army encamped on the very doorstep of Reeds. With the panicked flight of their erstwhile allies, the Khthonians have likewise retreated to their capital in the face of a renewed Plergothian push into Weghie.

Triumph in Weghie!

May 12, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

With the main Vlaanderen and Khthonian armies in full panicked retreat to their respective capitals, all that remained in Weghie to oppose the advancing Army of Plergoth were the abandoned remnants of Hokaru's "Attack Force", a cadre of peasant conscripts, and a newly formed band of murderers and ne'erdowells named "Death to Plergoth".

In a brief dawn battle, the Army of Plergoth ran these brigands to ground, clearing the last vestiges of Khthonian corruption from the occupied territory of Weghie at a cost of a mere 12 Plergothians wounded. The sole Khthonian leader present, Jinkinglank, was shot from his horse during the melee and was last seen dragging himself into the underbrush as the last of his unit was efficiently converted from "Death to Plergoth" to "Dead to Plergoth".

Weghie is secure. Can Dyomoque be far behind?

Army of Plergoth Sweeps through Yokk and Haffemet

May 13, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Having split their forces into two columns, the Army of Plergoth swept through Yokk and Haffemet, swatting aside peasant militias and putting a swift end to Geoffrey of Khthon's "Mountaineers", which had fallen behind during the flight to Reeds. The main Plergothian army is now encamped in Haffemet, within sight of the towering walls of Reeds - the rebel capital. A formidable Vlaanderen army awaits within, but hasn't the courage to emerge and meet the men of Plergoth on the battlefield. Haffemet is ours to do with as we please.

The bandit kings of Khthon, seeing that Plergoth's attention has shifted to the rebels, have once more cautiously emerged from their fortress in Dyomoque, and have returned to squat upon the plains of Weghie, in a vain attempt to distract the Army of Plergoth from its drive to crush the rebels and end their insurgency.

Disaster in Reeds

May 14, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

On what should have been their day of triumph, crushing the Vlaanderen rebel army and laying waste to their capital of Reeds, the defeated Army of Plergoth is instead marching away from the still-standing spires of the fortified city, leaving behind half their number on the battlefield. Conceived as a two-pronged attack on the city, with a Plergothian column attacking from the southeast and a Meshian column attacking from the southwest, the attack should have cracked the fortress walls and annihilated the Vlaanderen forces inside. Unfortunately, due to the difficulties of getting couriers across the river, the attack came off without the necessary coordination.

First, a lone Meshian force attacked the city alone at dusk and was quickly surrounded and disbanded by the fortress garrison. Then, at dawn, the main Plergothian army advanced across the fields of Reeds towards the city, over which the banners of Vlaanderen flew defiantly. As the sun rose, the Plergothian troops looked expectantly to the west, anticipating the appearance of the Meshian forces that would ensure victory.

None came.

Still slightly outnumbering the defending forces, the Plergothian army committed themselves to the assault. The early stages of the fight went well for the Plergothians, with superior archer units raking the battlements with well-aimed volleys of arrows, enabling the infantry to push their siege engines closer and closer to the walls. Once at the walls, the deadly instruments of war pounded at the foundations of the city walls, while the brave fighting men of the infantry swarmed up ladders and siege towers to take the fight to the rebels on the walls.

It was here that the battle turned, as hundreds of Plergothian infantry fell to the enemy's superior strength on the walls. Vats of boiling oil and plummeting stones knocked many a Plergothian from the walls to fall to their deaths in the stake-filled dry moat below. Though the Plergothians fought bravely, they were too few fighting against too strongly held a position, and after several hours of fierce fighting at the walls, the attack was broken off and the remaining Plergothian armsmen retreated.

A dire day for Plergoth, and one that has seen many of its heroes wounded or captured by the Rebels. Derwin, VonGarrett, Blurk and Kelrond all lie in the care of healers, armor rent and gashed, and their lifeblood dripping onto the soil of Reeds. It is our hope that these brave warriors may be saved. Our prayers also go out to Luxor, Hitmulg and Kimberly, who were captured by the Rebels and taken to their foul dungeons.

A dark day. It was to have been the death knell of the rebel cause and the beginning of an end to this punishing conflict. Now, the war will drag on for the forseeable future, perhaps until there are no citizens left over which to contest for lordship.

The Week of Hell

May 22, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

It has been a dark week for the realm of Plergoth. Banners hang at half staff across the land in mourning for our deceased Chancellor Artevan, who gave his life in single combat against the villainous Valhalla in order to cover the withdrawal of the shattered Army of Plergoth from Reeds.

Following the belated arrival of Meshian reinforcements, the Plergothian troops rallied and attacked the battered walls of Reeds with renewed fervor. Alas, with so many of their comrades dead and wounded following the first attack, even the fresh Meshian forces proved insufficient to breach the walls and carry the day, and hundreds more allied soldiers fell to the entrenched Vlaanderen garrison.

As the trumpets sounded a general retreat, sally ports in the Reeds' outer walls opened, and Vlaanderen forces spilled forth in bloodthirsty pursuit. One lone figure on horseback turned away from the mass of Plergoth and Meshian troops and faced the oncoming horde alone. Chancellor Artevan dismounted, calling out a challenge to their leader, Valhalla. The rebel army halted, unsure of what to do.

Long minutes passed, then a golden palanquin was brought forwards, held aloft by four muscular slaves. From it dismounted the rebel commander, Valhalla. He drew his sword and charged into battle against Sir Artevan. Though Chancellor Artevan initially had the upper hand, scoring a stinging cut against Valhalla's shield arm, a powerful backhanded blow from Valhalla's greatsword laid low the hero of Plergoth as he ran forward to finish the rebel commander.

With the direct routes back to Plergoth blocked by the Khthonian army, the remnants of Pleroth's proud warband spent a harrowing week of feints and forced marches before finally evading pursuit and reaching the safety of Creasur's walls.

Though the bold strike at Reeds failed and the war rages on, fear not, brave readers! The Army will rebuild and with closer coordination with our allies, we will return triumphantly to Reeds and cast out the rebel scourge therein!

Another Strike at the Pit of Vipers

May 26, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

Rested and refitted following their harrowing retreat from the failed attack on Reeds, the armies of Mesh and Plergoth have returned to again lay siege to the city of Reeds. Twin columns converged on the rebel stronghold and once more the banners of Plergoth and Mesh advanced towards the black walls of Reeds.

Though fighting was fierce all along the battlements, the high walls and determined efforts of the city garrison (strengthened by a force of Heenish mercenaries) managed to repulse the Plergothian assault.

Nonetheless, the walls are beginning to show signs of weakening after several weeks of repeated assaults. Withdrawing in good order, the army of Plergoth vows to return as many times as necessary to end the reign of the Vlandereeni rebels.

Khthonians Crushed in Xinjin

May 30, 1007 | By: Fiorello

While the armies of Mesh and Plergoth unsuccessfully laid siege to Reeds, the pirate kings of Khthon (still bemoaning the sack of their capital by Plergothian forces) massed their field army in Xinjin in an apparent attempt to assault Creasur. With the leadership still in flux, following the death and disappearance of many of their seasoned commanders, the siege turned into a fiasco for the bandits.

While the Khthonian infantry was still massing in Xinjin, their cavalry support launched an unsupported assault against Creasur, cantering ineffectually up and down in front of the walls while Plergothian archers enjoyed excellent sport. Our thanks to "Batman" for the target practice!

Realizing, belatedly, that their opportunity to assault Creasur had passed (with the successful return of Plergoth's field army to the capital), the Khthonians abandoned their plans to attack the capital and instead began a brutal takeover attempt in Xinjin. Once they were fully engaged in their looting and banditry, the freshly refitted Army of Plergoth rode forth from the shining city of Creasur and swept them from the field.

The only sour note in the affair was the wounding of your editor, Mendrugo, who was thrown from his steed in the opening minutes of the battle and spent the rest of the engagement insensate, with one foot in the stirrup, being dragged in circles by his horse. This is what happens when you let bureaucrats try to fight in a battle. Sigh. And he leaves me, his noble cousin, the Count of Zuhle, to sully myself by writing his newspaper articles for him. If he lives, he'll be shining my boots for a month...- Fiorello

Khthonians Hounded Through Weghie

May 31, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

The retreating Khthonian army was given no respite as it fled from its defeat in Xinjin across the Weghian plains. As the bandit column trudged dispiritedly across the grasslands, the rear guard cried an alarm - Plergothians on the ridge!!!

Panic spread throughout the Khthonian ranks as the vengeful Plergothian pursuers poured over the ridge, their cruel axes and sharp swords seeking the survivors of the previous day's battle. In desperation, one of the bandit leaders - Jinkinglank - tore his Khthonian banners asunder and turned on his comrades, screaming "For Mesh! For Mesh!".

As the dust settled, another 79 Khthonians had been slain and the Khthonian field army driven from Weghie, at the cost of only 49 men of Plergoth (along with twelve very confused members of Jinkinglank's "Death to Plergoth" unit, who found themselves fighting and dying alongside the Army of Plergoth).

My thanks to cousin Fiorello for lending quill to parchment whilst I was recuperating. You're free to return to your noble pursuits of falconry, boar hunting, and other forms of killing things now. By the way, your lordship, it's been more than a month since you last visited your estate, and apparently all your servants have departed, leaving your estate idle. Sounds like someone has need of a lowly bureaucrat, eh? -Mendrugo

Vlaanderen Outriders Ambushed in Haffemet

May 31, 1007 | By: Mendrugo

In the aftermath of the third failed assault against Reeds, the rebels thought they were safe for at least a week, while the Plergothian army returned to Creasur and refitted. Blithely trusting in the Khthonian claims of having severely damaged the Army of Plergoth in the recent skirmish in Xinjin, the rebel army moved out in small bands to work on securing their tenuous hold over their remaining territories.

The fools...

Following immediately on the smashing victory over the retreating Khthonians in Weghie, an elite strike group moved into Haffement and shattered the rebel detachment there, then proceded to torch the granaries, intensifying the already crippling food shortage in Reeds.

Know this, enemies of Plergoth - Bloody May was the beginning of your end! An almost unending string of Plergothian victories, and no less than three damaging assaults on the very walls of Reeds. And we'll keep coming until there's nothing left of the rebels or their bandit allies in Dyomoque.