The Battle of Halm's Drift

The Battle of Halm's Drift is a book recovered from the lair of Acrimos.

## Description

A historical tome detailing the Astedian Conquest of Halholm, the Battle of Halm's Drift was a central point in the main campaign that resulted in the addition of the Realm to the growing sphere of influence controlled by the Astedian Empire.

## Research

### Completed by Ronan

Halholm's consistency remained a curious constant throughout Ahlusian history in the years following Aita's Second Gift. While the borders of the the Golden Child of Ahlus, Atralran varied wildly with ongoing skirmishes and wars against Lachlen, the Empire of Raq and Gawylthlan and the expanses of Courrakey are vast but largely uninhabited, the swathes of grassland within the territory of Halholm have sustained life with consistency. Long-term residencies however are not a common occurrence within the Plains of the Nomads, for as the name suggests, it is a Realm of tribal groups predominately human, halfling and leonin in race. It was through the other moniker of Halholm that they patrolled these lands, making war with each other and their neighbours, for Halm's Land was the Domain of Dinosaur Riders.

Shortly after the Astedian Ascension started in 933AG, the plains of Halholm were identified as a vast untapped resource for arable farming, mining and quarrying, and while these plans were ultimately abandoned in favour of the more insular and controlled approach through establishment of Desir, Lerance and Ambis in Bytopia and extractions in the Plane of Earth, the Realm of Halholm did not falter in value for the Emperor and the Increscent Six, whom instead ordered the plains be used as a testing field for a number of new advances in the amalgamation of mechanical and arcane alike. But a year prior, following on from musings and samples obtained from otherwise futile efforts into the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, the Gnomish Tinkerer Kevmorn Milltall had discovered a means of firing mundane projectiles through use of alchemical agents. After a number of costly mishaps and further extensive testing within the jungles of Tviatin, his creation is presented to the Council of the Moon - and put into full production. It was these products that now found themselves bound for Halholm, carried high through the skies atop the decks of ships traversing cloud in place of wave.

Rallied into action at the command of their leader Halm, the Halhomites responded by putting aside petty rivalries and conflicts, standing side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder with their neighbours. With roaming battle centres strapped atop the backs of lumbering sauropods, beastmasters would drive hoards of ravenous clawfoots into the advancing Astedian forces as they landed, all the while updates delivered by scouts riding fleet-footed fastieths rallied further Halholmites to engage. After sustaining a few casualties, the Astedians retreated to the skies, floating just out of range of sling and spear and bow, but within the reach of their *Knightfall Mark II* rifles. Although outnumbered twenty to one, the battle turned violently in favour of the Astedians, the aerial contigents untouchable to those that now fled into the plains before them - and so fell in their thousands. A few days later a massive but ultimately inefficacious counterattack was staged by the tribes of the Halfell, Halketh, Haln and Halswatch territories atop their Terrorwing mounts, creatures with wingspans of fifteen feet and sharp beaks capable of piercing through rib, sternum and spine alike. Even under the cover of darkness, it proved folly, and rumours says that as the 1st and 2nd Aerial Fleets swept across the Plains court martials were offered to those that had not depleted their ammunition fully by means of the hunt come day's end - a statement Astedian propagandists disregarded as fabrications intended to paint veterans as villainous and bloodthirsty - instead affirming it was those they stood fast against that displayed such traits.