It started with rumours and whispers from the darkness; it came seemingly borne on the icy winds that sighed around the frozen streets. Death and disaster moaned in the freezing blasts as the slow rattle of claws began to echo across all the Homins lands.Imperceptible at first, the foul tide began to flow into all four corners of our world, as the normal balance of the lands tipped and Kitin-kind began to take over whole areas. Finally the leaders of our peoples sounded the alert and word went out to fight and destroy before we ourselves were destroyed.

Impromptu camps were built to enable the defence to operate effectively and much was asked of every Homin – be they crafter, harvester or fighter – all had a new role to play in the counterattack. For it was the actions of our people that equipped our valiant guards, and allowed so many brave stands to take place against the thronging hordes across the whole of Atys. So for a few months the battles ranged in stalemate, the crafters worked day and night and the fighters protected and escorted them as was their role. All worked together in harmony as they realised that separately they would perish whereas together they made a mighty war machine. For a time the valiant Trykers were in trouble, but plans hatched at a Grand Ball for all the races saw all our people mount a huge effort to free the Tryker lands.

The Kitins however were not to be so easily pushed back, and as spring touched the lands with colour and warmth they struck hard, sending in huge raiding parties to take the camps and destroy them. Warned by vigilant intelligence work, the Homins gathered to defend the camps to the last living being. An eye witness of the struggle in Fyros wrote:

After several days of hard work supplying the war camps with armour, weapons and materials, the brave Homins in Fyros were convinced they were gaining the upper hand in the war. How little did they know! The Kitins had merely taken a step back, regrouped and planned a raid to overtake the war camps. The Harvest Camp close to Dyron was defended with ease and the Kitins were never allowed to gain the upper hand here. But the devious Kitins had used that as a feint and in the mean time completely overtaken the Craft Camp wiping out all the soldiers painstakingly supplied and equipped there by the Homins.

A war party was organized in Dyron in haste and immediately set out for Frahar Towers since the Craft camp lies in the shade of these peculiar mountain formations. As feared the camp was swarming with Kitins in all shapes and sizes. The war party took some time to consider strategies and organizing the fighters in front, the mages in the middle and the healers at the back. The fighters formed a strong line shoulder to shoulder to protect the more vulnerable mages at the back. The plan was to taunt the closest Kitins and kill them off one by one. The Kitins had other plans however and came in waves of sudden death. The line of fighters broke several times, but reformed and fought back valiantly. The war party was nearly wiped out, but the mages rallied their forces and healed in frenzy as the Kitins were eventually wiped out.

The war party congratulated each other and thought they were finished, when someone looked up and saw a blue streak of movement inside the craft camp. The mighty warlord Kipuryk was standing inside the camp furiously determined to revenge the deaths of his minions.. He took two steps and was suddenly towering over the assembled army who had but a few heart beats to organize a defense and fight back. One swipe of the big claws killed a Homin and the healers were sorely tested. After many deaths, the war party found a rhythm and started the painstakingly task of wearing Kipuryk out, but some ten minutes later there was not so much as a dent in his shell. New plans were made and they decided to seek needed reinforcements. Now there started an odd race across the dunes. The Homins took turns running in front of Kipuryk, taunting it and drawing it ever closer to Dyron, while the healers helped the fallen Homins that lay in its wake. Arriving in Dyron, fresh troops poured out of the camp and the joined forces finished the mighty boss off in a short time to much cheering and congratulations.

Whilst from the Matis front we have this report:-

As the grave rumors fermented into stark reality, Matia witnessed her northern lands succumb to a cold winter and to the cruel and malicious onslaught of the Kitin invasion. The king’s royal guard was sent as an example to stir the Homins to arms, in an attempt to help defend the homeland. Bloody battle ensured, and until last night the odds weighed heavily that the Kitin swarm was winning and was preparing to advance onto the cities. The morale of the populace was low, as the heavy winter and the loss of so many took a heavy toll…something needed to happen…and it did happen…fair spring had arrived.

And with spring came one of the most dramatic, if not epic moments in the history of Matia. As the Kitins made their push south, an army of Matis warriors formed a line of resistance, in their rear, the healers prepared for the worse. The Kitin swarm pushed forward but Matia held and threw back the assault. Suddenly morale turned, and cheering and song was heard once again across the land.

However, what followed next was even more eventful. As the Kitin swarm fell back, the Matian warriors advanced forward only to see a great horde encamped within a fallen Matis outpost, and rushing in, they tore down the Kitins’ defense. Victory seemed assured, until from their midst rose a great fell beast of gold and dark blue…they had run straight into one of the foul leaders, towering over everything as it rose, its shadow falling over them…freezing their hearts.

The battle drums sounded and the warriors blades came crashing down on its armour, some fell back, others fell…and the rest fought on grimly. In a kaleidoscope of sound and light the battle raged on till the stars came out, and the ringed planet rose to show the fatigue which was now settling on the warriors, who had barely dented the beasts armour.

It was in the darkest hour that the trumpets were heard…the King’s royal guard had been alerted and had come over the hill…their silver and white armour shining in the twilight of hope. With the help of the royal guard and the bravery of all the warriors that fought, Matia witnessed its first great victory since the Kitin invasion had commenced. The foul leader had fallen and hope had returned.

And so the war reached an uneasy stalemate, who knows what the evil beasts will do next, or what plans the Homin armies will hatch to deal with the enemy. One thing is certain, it will not be a quiet summer on Atys this year……..

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