Lizardmen v Skaven Campaign

So today I wrap up the saga of the Lizardmen and the Skaven – possibly the most called for pairing among the Warhammer Online community. Having presented my 8 classes I conclude with the Tier 1-4 campaign map; however, this concept alone poses several problems (even one I constructed for myself). I will do my best to tackle these problems and come up with a map that is reasonable.

• Problem 1: Lizardmen rarely go on the offensive. This means that the war would be confined to their ‘home territories’. In my Lizardmen Prelude I posed a scenario which would allow for the Lizardmen to go somewhat on the offensive, and that is an alliance with the High Elves (no mention of the Dwarves or Empire here although presumably they would be ‘allied’ with them as well, just not actively participating in their struggle).
• Problem 2: Only Clan Pestilens has a stake in Lustria/The Southlands. The other skaven Clans would not aid Clan Pestilens, they would much rather see them fail. In my Skaven Prelude I dug my own hold by having the Skaven join Destruction on the condition that they are taking Dwarven Holds. Arguably they can fight the Empire, Bretonnia, and Wood Elves as well – but Ulthuan has no Skaven presence and struggles against the aforementioned Order entities would again be one Clan versus that Order army. Potentially the biggest problem lore-wise is bending an alliance between the Great Clans.
• Problem 3: Any ‘capital’ of the Lizardmen is eons away from Skavenblight. With this in mind a tier 4 campaign stretching from Lustria to Skavenblight seems rather ridiculous.

Now if we follow for the concept of the Empire and Chaos that the path to victory is never a straight line and the concept of the Dwarves v Greenskins that no distance is too far, then having the Lizardmen v Skaven campaign stretch from Lustria to the Old World is no great issue. I am no particular fan of Mythic’s mind-boggling concept of cartography however and would prefer to follow the High Elf v Dark Elf concept of the most direct route leads to victory.

My solution to these problems – the struggle between the Lizardmen and Skaven in fact is the epitome of the struggle between Order and Destruction. Elements of all factions of Order besiege the home-front of the Skaven, while elements of all factions of Destruction besiege the home-front of the Lizardmen. This way the Lizardmen ‘home-regions’ are located in the lands of the Lizardmen as they fend off not only Skaven, but also other armies from Destruction; likewise, the Skaven ‘home-regions’ are located primarily in the Old World as they fend off the armies of Order. The result is a map more akin to the High Elf v Dark Elf paring which focuses the war on the south but (with Tier 5) spills the war over into the Old World. It’s not a solution I’m entirely happy with because I do not like having the entire campaign take place in the southern hemisphere while pulling these two armies into their respective alliances and following the High Elf v Dark Elf style where the ‘bad guy’s’ capital is thousands of miles away as safe. However for the purpose of this hypothetical scenario I will focus Tier 1-4 on the Clan Pestilens struggle  and throw all the other Clans in Tier 5.

So I present my ‘solution’ to this terribly difficult problem –

Tier 1 – Hexoatl & Skeggi – The invasion began from the north. Always keeping a wary eye on the Norse settlement of Skeggi, the slann of Hexoatl quickly became alarmed as the towns population grew exponentially and the banners of the Raven Host were raised. The human presence would have been of little concern… had it not been accompanied by rats the size two men.

Tier 2 – The Cactus Coast & The Piranha Swamps – When word reached the other slann mage-priests of the invasion in the north, originally they thought the threat was just a chaos invasion with the help of Clan Moulder, but then the corsair ships began to land on the Cactus Coast loaded with witch elves of Naggaroth and skaven wrapped in black silk. They were marching south in the direction of Tlanxla and Tlaxtlan through the Piranha Swamps, and it was there that they would have to be halted.

Tier 3 – The Tarantula Coast & Tlax & Huatl – For years now the Lizardmen had been rebuilding Huatl and reclaiming it from nature. Always subject to occassional raids from the vampire Luthor Harkon, the town was well defended, or so it thought. The dual assault from the south by the vampires and the north by Dark Elf corsairs who had landed on the Tarantula Coast and seized the ruins of Tlax would prove to be a true challenge.

Tier 4 –

• Oyxl & Axlotl – Clan Pestilens has made a home of the ruined temple city of Oyxl and from their it aims to launch a campaign of conquest of Lustria. While the other Skaven Clans and allies of Destruction assault the northern shores of the continent and split the Lizardmen’s forces, Pestilens moves on Axlotl and garrisons the ruined temple city.
• Quetza & The Marks of the Old Ones – The first city to fall to the Skaven one thousand years ago now is the heart of a savage struggle between the Lizardmen and Skaven. It was from this city that the red plague was spread that devastated so much of Lustria – the Lizardmen can not let the Skaven lay claim to it once more. To the south, the foul rat creatures aim to corrupt and defile the Marks of the Old Ones, massive symbols radiating with potent magic.
• Chaqus & Itza – When the Skaven were sighted back on Lustria, Saurus armies marched out with haste from the capital of Itza to secure the ruined cities of Lustria. Chaqus is the most heavily garrisoned ruined city due to its location in the heart of the Lizardmen empire, from there its garrison can rush to support any city in the four corners of the empire. To the south lay the massive temple city of Itza, the first city constructed by the Old Ones. Powerful magics surround this city in addition to its massive garrison.

Dungeon – Xhotl – Deep in Lustria against the Spine of Sotek lays the ruined city of Xhotl. Despite its proximity to Itza it was not garrisoned by reasoning that it was too far to be threatened by the Skaven invasion. Unknown to all the city is home to a dark force which lurks in its underground chambers. Reclaimed by the jungle it looks like overgrown mountains. It is only through the Chasm of the Condor that one can hack their way through this dense overgrowth and enter this ancient ruin.

Tier 5 –

• a. Clar Karond – Marching north from Hexoatl the Lizardmen honor their alliance with the High Elves and strike at the belly of the Dark Elves.
• b. Chasm of Cwakamol – Deep in the dense jungles of Lustria is a massive chasm which seems to consume the very light of day. It is suspected that this dreaded pit is used by the Skaven to invade Lustria.
• c. Fuming Serpent – Off the coast of Lustria is a massive volcano always spitting forth its ash. The forces of Destruction have recently been sighted on this island trying to work their dark magics to corrupt the island and induce a massive explosion that would block out the sun over Lustria.
• d. Karak Zorn – At the southern tip of the Worlds Edge Mountains lays the lost hold of Karak Zorn. For millenia the Dwarves of the Old World had forsaken it. It wasn’t until the Lizardmen entered the alliance with the High Elves that rumors spread that the Hold had life yet. However a vicious struggle raged daily as armies of beastmen from the South Lands assailed the Hold.
• e. Zlatlan – The largest Lizardmen temple city in the South Lands, never discovered by other creatures, that is until the Age of Reckoning. Dark magics lead the Skaven south to this city in what would be one of the largest struggles between the two races in centuries.
• f. Konquata – In the far off island of Albion, the Lizardmen have been toiling for years unknown building a temple city by what is said to be the site where the Old Ones entered the world. However their presence became known to the world of Destruction when Norse ships made landfall there. Now the Skaven driven by their thirst for warpstone assault the incomplete temple city in hopes of preventing its completion and laying claim to the island as their own.
• g. Hell Pit – Far to the frozen north in the realm of Kislev lays the massive under-city of Hell Pit, home of Clan Moulder. With the united effort against the forces of Order, Clan Moulder emerges from its lair to join the assault on Kislev and the Empire.
• h. Mousillion – The cursed Bretonnian city stirs with life in the dark. Undead roam the streets by night, Skaven by day. With no regent to unite the province and drive the forces of darkness away a large population of Skaven is breeding and spilling over to neighboring provinces.
• i. Black Chasm – In the heart of Bretonnia high in the mountains lays the Black Chasm. With a war on man declared by the Council of Thirteen, the forces of the Lord of Decay emerge from their lairs to spread the plague once more across the lands of men and maidens.
• j. Mordheim – The City of the Dead. Ages ago a star fell from the skies and demolished the city, corrupting the land with warpstone. Now the dead rule the city, and the skaven tunnel underneath to harvest its warpstone. The Empire cannot flourish so long as this sore festers from within.
• k. Karak Varn – An ancient dwarven hold flooded and abandoned now crawls with Skaven. A campaign of reclamation has been launched by the Dwarves to retake this Hold and drive the skaven out!
• l. Skavenblight – The very heart of the Skaven empire. Home of Clan Skryre the massive Skaven under-city is said to be the heart of skavendom, when it is but one of twelve heads. Nonetheless it is a cancer on the underside of the Old World, and the world of men and dwarves will never thrive so long as this city thrives.
• m. Zombie Swamps – The lands above Skavenblight are rife with the undead. Any assault on the skaven under-city would necessitate a march through these vile swamps.
• n. The Vaults – Three foul sisters rule the vaults, three sisters of Skavendom. Foul Peak, Putrid Stump, Fester Spike. In the middle of the Black Mountains these Skaven lairs act as the main artery between Skavenblight and the Skaven lairs of the east. Not only that but three Dwarven Holds lay near by continuously threatened by the Skaven presence.
• o. Nagashizzar – Also known as Cripple Peak, the massive under-city is the home of Nagash and the forces of the undead. The skaven dream of ruling these lands due to the massive warpstone deposit within, but how will they ever dislodge the undead…?

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