Forces of Warmachine: Cryx
| Forces of Warmachine: Cryx | ||
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | June 2010 | |
| Pages | 145 | |
| Preceded by | Forces of Warmachine: Protectorate of Menoth | |
| Followed by | Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries | |
Story
North of the Dragon's Tongue River in the southern Thornwood, Wraith Witch Deneghra slaughters a battalion of Khadoran soldiers to prevent them from reinforcing a larger assault force and provide Cryx's cephalyx allies with captives. As the battle ends, Lich Lord Malathrax finds her and speaks to her.
Meanwhile, Lich Lords Asphyxious, Terminus and Venethrax are having a meeting in the newly-built necrofactorium under the Thornwood. Terminus questions Asphyxious about the absence of Lich Lord Morbus, who should already have arrived, and suspects the involvement of Asphyxious in Morbus' disappearance.
Malathrax lets Deneghra see one of his little messenger creatures, then sends it away to the northwest and reveals to her: he knows Morbus is destroyed, it was Deneghra who arranged the scheme by letting her sister know Morbus' location, and once his messenger arrives Asphyxious will be no more. Malathrax offers her to join him and forsake Asphyxious, but Deneghra refuses, and knowing she won't be able to tackle Malathrax she orders a skarlock to keep him busy while she chases the messenger.
At a Khadoran camp, Deneghra manages to catch up to the messenger and destroy it, only to find the messenger has lured her into the Old Witch of Khador, Zevanna Agha. The Old Witch easily defeats her, but spares her (un)life and lets her know of a prize that Malathrax uncovered: a long-hidden athanc which belonged to Nidoboros, a great dragon that challenged Toruk long before. Nidoboros lost the fight, but before Toruk could consume him the other dragons converged him, forcing him to flee. The athanc was taken and hidden away by the Old Witch until Malathrax found it. Seeing that Malathrax is apparently going to keep it, which will cause it to eventually fall into Everblight's hands, the Old Witch decides it'll be better if Toruk regains it, then lets Deneghra free.
At the same time, Malathrax arrives at the meeting and announces the news of Morbus' destruction to them. Both Terminus and Venethrax demand more details on what happened to Morbus in Asphyxious' territory, but before anything could be revealed, Deneghra interrupts them and reveals Malathrax has recently found an athanc. Venethrax announces to Asphyxious and Terminus his intention to take charge of the matter, then wrestles all information regarding the athanc from Malathrax. Terminus lends an army to Venethrax, including the officers Darragh Wrathe and Gerlak Slaughterborn.
Venethrax sweeps through Llael to the Khadoran town of Hellspass, near the border with Rhul. During a snowing night, Venethrax's army easily slips past the garrison and populace of the town to the hallowed central fortress, where the athanc is sealed. Fighting their way through the ogrun defenders of the fortress, Venethrax discovers the athanc being stored in an elaborate subterranean system of machinery securing the athanc. He notes it is ancient but well maintained and presupposes it must have attendants, although they were not immediately present.
