Hordes: Evolution

From Warmachine - Lexicanum
Jump to: navigation, search
Hordes: Evolution

250px

Release Date 2007
Pages 192
Preceded by Hordes: Primal
Followed by Hordes: Metamorphosis
Hordes: Evolution is the first expansion book of the first edition of Hordes, released in 2007.

Story

The story continues after the end of Warmachine: Superiority. Goreshade, after hiring Cylena Raefyll and her band of Nyss Hunters, betrays them by attacking an encampment of the Legion of Everblight only to surrender to the Prophet of Everblight, Thagrosh. After offering some of the Nyss to the Legion as an offering, Goreshade explains his purpose: not as a servant of Lord Toruk, but only for a personal matter. He reveals to Everblight the lair of the weakened dragon Pyromalfic, one supposedly killed centuries ago during a confrontation with Scaefang. In exchange, Goreshade tells Everblight he must speak to the god Nyssor before the dragon consumes him.

Southeast of Bainsmarket in Cygnar, in a valley which the trollkin have seized from the Cygnarans, Madrak Ironhide has an argument with his wife Kargess. She wants the kriels to stay in this new land, but Madrak doesn't agree since King Leto Raelthorne, whether he wants it or not, will have to deal with them sooner or later. Although she is concerned about how too many trollkin youth are listening to Hoarluk Doomshaper who wants a fight, Madrak decides to leave the matter to her and some other friends while he heads north to the Scarsfell Forest in Khador to seek new allies among the trollkin there. On the way through his old home in the Thornwood, Madrak encounters the former bounty hunter Grim Angus.

In the laboratory of Supreme Aptimus Zaal, he conducts with Lord Tyrant Hexeris research on non-skorne souls and make significant discoveries.

On the fringes of the Kovorsk Hills, Vayl Hallyr orders a slaughter on the sleepy Khadoran town of Horkov to prepare enough blood for the dragonspawn the Legion will need to assault Pyromalfic's lair in the Castle of the Keys.

In the valley where the trollkin dwell, Hoarluk Doomshaper gives a speech to the collected trollkin warriors, inciting them to violance against the Cygnarans and humans in general. Although many elder trollkin do not agree and try to speak out, most ignore them. To prove his point, Doomshaper silences them and orders his dire trolls to pull in a massive train car, which Horthol recognises as part of a Cygnaran Army hospital train for the wounded.

When he arrives at the Scarsfell, Madrak Ironhide tells the local elders of his people, of the kinship that grew between the kriels of the Thornwood and the Gnarls, and the hardships they'll likely face ahead. He requests them to grant his people a home among themselves, or at the very least to send warriors to the south to help him. However, in the end, they refuse to grant help because of Madrak's association with Rathrok, the axe of Horfar Grimmr, and Madrak angrily leaves their hall.

After being rejected by the Scarsfell elders, Madrak is invited to the hall of Borka Kegslayer, a shaman whom he had met before. Borka tells him he was foolish to expect too much of the ineffectual elders, then declares he and his warriors will come south to help him, even if he couldsell a doom lingering about Madrak like a storm-laden cloud.

In the Misted Knoll, the Tharn king Kromac seeks out the blackclad Morvahna and informs her of a great wave of dragonspawn coming from the north, on the way nearly exterminating one of his vassals' tuaths before they realised they shouldn't fight. However, when he asks her to do something about it Morvahna reveals to him she deliberately let the Tharn die. Seeing the callous disregard she has for the lives of his people and how they have been used by her as no more than pawns, Kromac takes all of his efforts to restrain himself from killing her and decides to leave her service, even if she reminds him of his people's old debt to her.

In the camp of the Army of the Western Reaches, Lord Tyrant Hexeris asks Tyrant Xerxis to provide help for him in the north, when both of them are waiting for Archdomina Makeda to address Asheth Magnus, an agent of Vinter Raelthorne IV. Xerxis only gives a neutral answer to Hexeris; at the same time, Magnus shouts at Makeda that the plan is flawed and following it will lead to failure before angrily walking away. Makeda then summons Hexeris and Xerxis into the tent and announces a change in plan: they are no longer to assault Eastwall, where they have made many of their greatest gains in that region, but Fort Falk to the north. Xerxis is assigned to a small cohort to screen the relocation of the army that is to attack Eastwall, while the majority of the skorne forces will shift north to provide support for Hexeris.

Lylyth Voassyr, a warlock of the Legion of Everblight, inspects the area around the Castle of the Keys according to Everblight's instructions to confirm Goreshade's information. Lylyth discovers a blighted vine and cat, all but confirming the presence of a dragon in the vicinity, but Everblight demands more information, disconnects from her mind and orders the twins Saeryn and Rhyas to recover her athanc shard if she dies.

Lylyth continues her search, in the process getting ambushed and nearly killed by a group of blighted Iosans. Knowing Everblight has left her for dead, Lylyth removes her athanc shard and remembers the memory of her father, of how she killed the humans who killed her father, and of how she hunted her own people for Everblight before losing consciousness. When Saeryn and Rhyas come, they heal her and reinsert her athanc shard. Everblight promises her that he would reward her for completing her task, if they escaped. The three flee the Castle of the Keys, knowing that very soon they will return in force.

In the skorne-occupied town of Ternon Crag, Alten Ashley discusses with the tavern proprietor Nikolo about Asheth Magnus, about how his armed men are allowed to move freely in and out of the town while no one else is allowed to leave. Just after the ogrun mercenary Gudrun enters the tavern, three skorne paingivers follow in and ask everyone for the location of Magnus. Alten offers to let them know in exchange for allowing him and Gudrun to leave the town, but after a simple intimidation he's forced to reveal the information without any compensation. Satisfied at what they learn, the paingivers leave town, and Alten continues to drink again.

Kromac's tuath soon comes under assault of the blighted Nyss and dragonspawn, exactly as he predicted. The Tharn eagerly engage in battle with the Nyss, though Krueger the Stormwrath comes to the battle and tells Kromac to retreat as the Nyss only fight him because his people are standing in their way - if they withdraw, the Nyss will go past. Though clearly reluctant, Kromac eventually acquiesces and yells the rest of the Tharn to follow him.

Morvahna arrives at the Hawksmire River site where Baldur and Kaya are preparing wolds, and discusses with Baldur about the severity of the threat of the Legion of Everblight, which is flowing across the Black River into the Bloodstone Marches. Morvahna intends for the Circle to strike when the Legion falls upon the skorne occupying the Castle of the Keys, and asks Baldur to let Kaya serve her. Kaya accepts, much to Baldur's chagrin.

Alten Ashley arrives at a trollkin camp led by Grissel Bloodsong near the shore of Scarleforth Lake and informs her of the situation of occupied Ternon Crag, and of the fate of the numerous trollkin enslaved by the skorne. Just then Grim Angus appears and tells everyone to get moving now since there's a draconic army coming near them.

Xerxis receives word of emergency battle preparations from Hexeris east along the mountains. While he understands Makeda is preparing for an attack on Fort Falk, he receives no direct order from her, and decides to heed Hexeris' request by marching his army toward the Castle of the Keys.

Master Tormentor Morghoul is given conflicting orders by both Makeda and Vinter: Makeda requesting that Morghoul find out whether Hexeris and Zaal were conspiring against her, whilst Vinter demands Morghoul to find out if Magnus is planning to betray him. Morghoul decides to obey Vinter.

Grim, Grissel and Alten lead a trollkin army to venture near Ternon Crag to rally the trollkin and mercenaries dwelling in the vicinity against the occupying skorne. With the help of Gudrun, they advance into town and drive the occupiers away.

During the three-way battle between the Circle, the Legion and the skorne at the Castle of the Keys, Pyromalfic is eventually discovered and roused to battle by a small group of Everblight's minions led by Thagrosh. He immediately ascends from his lair and quickly gets swarmed by myriad of Everblight's spawn: angelii, seraphim and harriers. Pyromalfic's claws rip through them with ease, but there were too many, and he falls towards the courtyard before Rhyas cuts out his athanc. Thagrosh then climbs back to the surface, takes Pyromalfic's athanc and swallows it whole, forcing it down his jaw and throat.

Near Fort Falk, Makeda starts to feel she has been betrayed. Many things has gone wrong since the preparation for the assault, her supply lines becoming unreliable and her officers giving conflicting information. As she thinks about reevaluating the attack, Makeda receives Vinter's order to seize Fort Falk at all cost, no matter the casualties.

Morghoul finds Magnus and starts to torture him, but is unable to break Magnus, and he realises Magnus is holding out because he actually believes in what he's saying. Morghoul decides to ask Magnus why he refused to obey Vinter's plan if not for treachery, and Magnus answers he's not required to blindly follow a flawed order, and continues to mock Morghoul and the skorne as if trying to provoke him to more torture. Morghoul finds a certain undeniable logic in Magnus' explanation: perhaps Makeda also considered the plan foolish and yet proceeded out of loyalty to the Conqueror. Unable to grasp the truth, Morghoul continues to accuse Magnus of unable to understand Vinter's plans, yet Magnus only reveals to him Vinter is no reborn skorne ancestor, but only a human who is using both Magnus himself and the skorne for his own nefarious purpose. Telling Magnus his life means nothing to Vinter, and that the Conqueror has forsaken both of them, Morghoul leaves for Makeda's army, leaving Magnus alone.

Models introduced

Trollbloods

Circle Orboros

Skorne

Legion of Everblight

Minions

Publications
Iron Kingdoms RPG d20 The Longest Night (2001) • Shadow of the Exile (2001) • The Legion of Lost Souls (2001) • Fool's Errand (2001) • Lock & Load: Iron Kingdoms Character Primer (2002) • Monsternomicon Volume I: Denizens of the Iron Kingdoms (2002) • Full Metal Fantasy Volume 1: Iron Kingdoms Character Guide (2004) • Full Metal Fantasy Volume 2: Iron Kingdoms World Guide (2005) • Liber Mechanika (2005) • Five Fingers: Port of Death (2006) • Monsternomicon Volume II: The Iron Kingdoms and Beyond (2007)
Iron Kingdoms Iron Kingdoms Core Rules (2012) • Urban Adventure (2012) • Kings, Nations and Gods (2013) • Monsternomicon (2014) • Iron Kingdoms Unleashed Core Rules (2015) • Iron Kingdoms Unleashed: Skorne Empire (2015) • Wild Adventure (2016) • Immortality (2016)
Warmachine Mark I Warmachine: Prime (2003) • Warmachine: Escalation (2004) • Warmachine: Apotheosis (2005) • Warmachine: Superiority (2006) • Warmachine: Prime Remix (2007) • Forces of Warmachine: Pirates of the Broken Coast (2007) • Warmachine: Legends (2008)
Mark II Forces of Warmachine: Retribution of Scyrah (2009) • Warmachine: Prime MkII (2010) • Forces of Warmachine: Cygnar (2010) • Forces of Warmachine: Khador (2010) • Forces of Warmachine: Protectorate of Menoth (2010) • Forces of Warmachine: Cryx (2010) • Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries (2010) • Warmachine: Wrath (2011) • Warmachine: Colossals (2012) • Forces of Warmachine: Convergence of Cyriss (2013) • Warmachine: Vengeance (2014) • Warmachine: Reckoning (2015)
Mark III Warmachine: Prime MkIII (2016) • Khador Command (2017) • Cygnar Command (2017) • Protectorate of Menoth Command (2017) • Retribution of Scyrah Command (2017) • Cryx Command (2017)
Hordes Mark I Hordes: Primal (2006) • Hordes: Evolution (2007) • Hordes: Metamorphosis (2009)
Mark II Hordes: Primal MkII (2010) • Forces of Hordes: Skorne (2010) • Forces of Hordes: Trollbloods (2010) • Forces of Hordes: Legion of Everblight (2010) • Forces of Hordes: Circle Orboros (2010) • Forces of Hordes: Minions (2010) • Hordes: Domination (2011) • Hordes: Gargantuans (2013) • Hordes: Exigence (2014) • Hordes: Devastation (2015)
Mark III Hordes: Primal MkIII (2016) • Trollbloods Command (2017) • Circle Orboros Command (2017) • Legion of Everblight Command (2017) • Forces of Hordes: Grymkin—The Wicked Harvest (2017) • Skorne Command (2017)