http://www.warhammer-empire.com/library/tales/journal.phpMy VC opponent has delayed our showdown till he is back from vacation. The battle is scheduled next sunday I wrote this story just for fun. Maybe if little Hans survives the battle I paint him some sergeantstripes :largh:
As I'm not a native speaker an apology for any possible grammatical bumps and potholes. After the battle I plan to give you a battlereport/story.
hope it isn't too bad
Rayfish
Journal of Hans Reiter, junior soldier spearman regiment “the black lions”
How I have changed in so short a time.
A fortnight ago the regiment, was ordered to march to a small village on the edge of our lord’s domain. Arriving at the village we saw that a regiment of state halberdiers had already arrived. Rumor had it that a renegade necromancer had fled into the forest nearby some two months earlier. A group witchunters were sent after him but they never returned. After that isolated farms and homesteads were attacked one by one, their occupants never found.
Our regiment together with the halberdiers and the local militia would comb the woods and try to find and destroy the necromancer and his force he was apparently gathering. I was filled with excitement! Klaus a veteran soldier of some 15 years of service was not so thrilled however. I would find out why.
The following morning we were joined by a short and gruff looking priest of Sigmar. The man looked like he could be the father of any of us. Yet his presence was powerful. It had a calming effect on our nerves.
We set out into the woods. In front of us were some local huntsmen together with their pack of hunting hounds. Orders were that we should cover a wide front. We searched for the first half of the day but found nothing.
Heading for the edge of the forest to camp for the night the huntsmen found the necromancer and his undead. Or rather the undead found us!
The hunting hounds were the first to die, next were the huntsmen. They never stood a chance. Then we saw their killers, giant evil wolves red blood, as red as their eyes, around their jaws from the kills. The wolves went past our flank, too fast for us to intercept. Instead the priest gave the order to stand. A good order because we were about to be hit by a force of hunched humanlike creatures. Ghouls as I later found out. They met a wall of spear points and we killed scores of them before they fled.
However this was only a diversion. The main force of undead attacked over on the other flank. A large unit of zombies moved slowly towards the halberdiers. The thin line of archers and militia in front of them shot arrow after arrow into the gruesome mob before they scattered and fled for their lives. The halberdiers moved forward to engage the zombies. At first the fight went well, but, by some evil magic, zombies they had killed just moments before got up again and renewed the fight. Their doom was spelled when a group of undead knights on terrifying mounts hit their flank. Chaos followed as every man tried to save his own life. The survivors who escaped the carnage met the wolves who had run past our flank and were butchered to a man.
As the fight was lost we retreated and tried to get out of the forest. The undead closed in but were for some reason not able to cut off our retreat. A miracle of Sigmar claimed the priest later. I suspect he himself had more to do with it than he let on. Once out of the forest the undead did not pursue.
We marched towards the village we set out off and discovered the place to be deserted. Immediately messengers were sent for reinforcements. That night our priest, Dieter von Graufeld, held a short ceremony for all the men that had fallen that day.
The following nights we fought a series of skirmishes with the undead army. They tried to break out into countryside but with our tireless priest we held them in check time and time again.
Then one night the undead knights came. They slowly trotted up towards us. The leader of the knights dismounted, opened up his visor and a challenge was issued. The visage of the knight caused a ripple of fear in our depleted regiment which was taken away by our beloved priest. Klaus now our sergeant wanted to accept but Dieter the priest accepted it instead.
The two adversaries, the vampire and the old priest moved towards each other. The fight lasted an eternity; the speed and strength of the vampire knight were unbelievable. Klaus would have lasted but moments against such an opponent. Yet, with grim determination and iron stamina the old priest held his ground. However as the fight wore on the priest slowly got tired and the knight gained the upper hand. With a series of attacks he drove our priest back each attack more difficult to meet and parry. The knight smashed his kneecap with a powerful kick of his mailed boot and the priest stumbled to the ground. But not before he managed the put his sword through the vampire’s throat.
Yet this was not a mortal wound for the vampire. He was carried away by his knights. We moved forward to protect the priest. The knights left for the forest.
After arriving at our camp we saw that reinforcements had arrived. Two units of knights Panther. They had ridden hard to be here as fast as possible. The horses were covered in sweat. Later our priest, his face pale from the pain, told us that even more reinforcements were underway. Consisting of a regiment of sword, and an artillery train. They would be marching through the night.
As I write this after my first night of sleep in days, two mysterious figures have ridden into camp. “Wizards!” according to one trooper. An uplifting prospect.
Only now have I come to realize that I have matured into a man. I have seen disaster and despair, but also great miracles. I have experienced more in so short a time than most men will experience in a whole life.
The call to assemble will come soon. We will try to lure the undead force out into the open and defeat it may Sigmar wish it. Even our priest will join us yet again. The leader of the knights panther has lent him a fully barded charger and they will tie him up in the seat.
I may not live through to see another day, but I fear this not as long as Sigmar is by my side.
Hans Reiter soldier spearman regiment “the black lions”
