path-of-the-ocean-art (January-2024)

As the sagas go, a legendary Hoodrick Earl by the name of "Ethelroth" who rules the port city of Berloryth and who fought alongside the Aumux, and a Bardur Beargoff dubbed "Starslayer" who sailed with the Ragoo were long lost relatives by blood, whose ancestors left each other during the great split of the two tribes. Through personal vendettas and a thirst for vengeance of the past, both blood-brothers sought to get each other killed, and both had the power and allies to do so.

A large fleet of Bardur tribesmen and their Ragoo allies, who joined Starslayer out of pure respect, sailed across the large Oomplon Channel, losing ships from storms and aggressive Aquarion raids. Ethelroth prepared, by levying Hoodrick bowmen and using his connections to bring the dreaded Aumux mercenaries. Once they finally reached the port-city, both sides had already prepared for the abyssmal confrontation that would be. Not a single word of diplomacy was exchanged. Battle came when Ragoo corsairs sailed to the walls.

Despite their lowered numbers, each attempt at scaling the sea walls was a high-casualty failure, with Ethelroth being a skilled defender in a well-made fort. Arrows fly, blades swing and not a single Polytopian can cross through the battlements. Clearly no frontal assault can break through the grand stones.. until Starslayer pulls out his trump card. A new innovation. A giant ship with an iron ram.

With blinding speed, it crashed into the ancient walls, crumbling it in an instant whilst allowing the Bardur and Ragoo to scale the debris. In the middle of the chaos, both of the brothers duelled each other for hours, leading to both of them dying in rage by a single stroke of their weapons.

Once the smoke within the city cleared out, the Bardur-Kickoo alliance won the fort of Berloryth, with a terrible 80% casualty rate. Soon, leaderless and undisciplined, they turned on each other for who gets the plunder. A few more hours pass, and the fort now lays completely empty.