Assault on The Fungal Vale

On August 26th, after a series of skirmishes going back and forth between forces of the Undead Scourge and the Argent Crusade within the Fungal Vale, The House of Ravenshield finally took a grand victory in the name of the Argent Crusade. The battle raged for hours as Dilan Ravenshield led his forces bravely with the aid of his stalwart and unwavering officers. Over nine hundred Argent Crusade soldiers stormed the large ramp and decimated Soucrge forces capturing over fifty members of the Cult of the Damned and a high ranking lieutenant of the Cult of the Damned, a lich known only as Coldgaze. With this victory one can only hope that more will come in the future.

## The Strategy..

Argent Forces led by Commander Ravenshield were instructed to mass at the base of the southern ramp leading into the vale - Ravenshield elites were to aid in the ground assault while a small detatchment was to scale the mountains until they overlooked the vale, it was all a matter of Dilan's signal at that point. Battle was joined quickly as ten abominations smacked into the Argent lines, their combined might took a heavy toll on Ravenshield numbers but were quickly dispatched - all the while the mountain detatchment faced a party of patrolling gargoyles that threatened to give away their position, fortune favored them however and, with the combined leadership of both Commanders Pirth Blackwood and Mersillon Castellano the gargoyles were defeated in time.

 File:Tumblr naztbwr2Cr1tdfud3o1 1280.jpg
Rest did not come for the Argents, shortly after the defeat of the abominations a massive force of undead charged at the Argent forces - though pushed back, the toll was heavy. Dilan realized that the rate of progress was slow at this point so he entrusted command of the ground forces with Crusader Richard Compton, a member of Dilan's elite forces. Dilan doubled back to Crown Guard tower with a one-man escort to aquire additional forces while Crusader Compton pushed forward in the hopes Lord Ravenshield would return soon. It would before Dilan returned with a squadron of Argent Hippogryphes armed with a wide array of explosives and bombs - his orders were simple at this point: Total obliteration of the Scourge forces residing within the vale, and the capture of any members of the Cult of the Damned.

Lord Ravenshield led a bombing run with the air units that would serve as a signal for the mountain squadron led by Pirth and Mersillon - Crusader Compton held the line valiantly while Pirth and Mersillon led their forces to flank the Scourge all the while Dilan was causing havoc on the rear of the Scourge ranks by dropping bombs from above. The plan worked until until geists climbed onto the mushrooms of the Fungal Vale and tackled the pilots off of their mounts, Dilan was knocked directly into the thick of the undead line - things seemed to have taken a turn for the worst, if it were not for Crusader Compton's quick thinking to push through the center of the Scourge ranks and cut them off then Dilan would not be alive. Slowly but surely the Scourge forces fell - summoning necromancers were arrested (if possible) or killed (if necessary), most killed themselves rather than be taken prisoner by the Argent Crusade. It was after the Scourge forces were in ruin that the lich, Coldgaze, revealed himself. Coldgaze raised many of the dead and reanimated fallen Scourge to cut off Argent forces - Commanders Pirth and Mersillon suffered heavy wounds while Ashton Ironblood and Crusader Compton distracted the Lich long enough for Dilan to find and make use of a special vial of Moon Well water blessed by a Keeper of the Grove to undo evil and magic; Coldgaze was finally defeated when Pirth Blackwood found his phylactery and danced with the following words:

"*I've got a jar of dirt, I've got a jar of dirt, I've got a jar of diirrrt, and guess what's inside it!"*

Dilan then smashed the vial on the Lich's head and severed his skull from his spine, with Coldgaze fell the raised dead under his power. Understanding that a Lich is bound to reanimate itself with the aid of the phylactery, Dilan has kept the crystal and rune lined urn to ensure that Coldgaze will have no desire to escape, nor the ability to.

## The Vale Now...

The Vale will be put under Argent Crusade control and is officially scoured of any remaining enemies - reinforcements coming in from the Western Plaguelands, Crown Guard Tower and Plaguewood Tower were sent in to aid in building up the Vale's defences quickly so that a stable route between Crown Guard and Plaguewood could be maintained and established. Now the task remains to cleanse the Vale of its taint and heal the land from within a vile Scourge stronghold. No doubt a heavy blow was delt to the Scourge with such a loss.