The War of Beasts was a brutal conflict fought recently in the Tilean Principality of Tobaro, on the eastern coast of the Estalian peninsula. Initially weakened by a battle against the minor Estalian kingdoms of Larhgoz and Geulata, the city of Vedenza was suddenly besieged by a vast Skaven horde, orchestrated by a powerful Daemonic Verminlord seeking to claim dominance amid a raging Storm of Magic. The war raged until the Skaven's defeat at the Battle of the Howling Abyss.[1a][2a]
History[]
Prelude to War[]
The Carvorna Archipelago during the War of Beasts.
By the winter of the year 103 of the Second Republic of Vedenza, reports of a great disturbance in the Winds of Magic had spread across Tilea and Estalia. Sorcerous squalls had howled across the Tilean Sea and the Abasko Mountains, unsettling those with the knowledge to perceive them. The common folk had spoken in hushed voices of the omens and portents that had begun to manifest across the land.[1a]
Grey Krakens had been sighted off the Sartosan coast, and many galleasses and trade barques had been lost to ambushing storms. The sea had churned red with blood as monstrous creatures had attacked ships in the Gulf. Meanwhile, famine had gripped the southern Estalian kingdoms when black ash had fallen from clear skies for eight days and nights, ruining crops and polluting the water.[1a]
High in the mountains, unusual sightings had caused further alarm. Flocks of Harpies had been reported attacking caravans, while the Storm Dragon Iaybas of the Sapphire Eye had been seen in the skies near Tobaro. More troubling still had been the reports of a pair of Manticores devouring a Giant, as witnessed by a party of mendicants on pilgrimage to the Abbey of Askara.[1a]
In the city-states of Tilea, these omens had been widely feared as signs of looming disaster. Yet in Vedenza, a city already estranged from its neighbors, some had viewed them differently. The Manticore had long been the emblem of Vedenza, and for some within its ruling circles, the portents had suggested an opportunity long in the making.[1a]
Secrets of the Red Vault[]
A pair of savage Manticores devour a Giant.[1a]
Beneath Vedenza, within the submerged catacombs, lay the Red Vault, a hidden chamber that had served as both a treasury and a repository of arcane knowledge. Among its contents had been three scrolls bearing the Sigil of Kadon—powerful relics believed to hold great magical influence over beasts.[1a]
As the Republic had prepared for war, these scrolls had been retrieved along with other arcane artifacts and wealth intended to finance the conflict. Gold had been set aside to hire mercenaries and corsairs, while enchanted arms and relics had been allocated to aid in battle.[1a]
One of Kadon’s scrolls had been given to Orsini Sardus, a long-serving agent of the Republic. Another had been entrusted to Tazadis of Araby, the court alchemist of Vedenza, who had been sent north in an attempt to harness the Manticores for the city’s cause. The final scroll had been delivered to an unnamed individual, whose mission had remained a closely guarded secret.[1a]
Time was short, with these preparations in place, Vedenza had stood on the precipice of war. The signs had been read, the vaults had been opened, and the conflict that would come to be known as the War of Beasts had begun.[1a]
Folly of Larhgoz[]
Since its reconquest from Estalian rule, the neighboring petty kingdoms of Geulata and Larhgoz had harbored a long-standing desire to reclaim Vedenza and its surrounding lands. In times past, they had conspired, waged war, and sought any opportunity to weaken the city. With famine and hardship gripping Larhgoz, its rulers saw their chance and, in the spring of that year, launched a full-scale assault on Vedenza. Their aim was to overwhelm the city's still-mustering forces and seize its fertile hill farms and lagoons for themselves.[1a]
King Vidar VII of Larhgoz led the invasion, bringing with him a thousand knights clad in heavy plate, along with veteran Tercio regiments armed with glaives and crossbows. They were accompanied by mercenary bands, free-lances seeking plunder, and desperate rabble driven by hunger. However, the Larhgoz army did not march alone. With them came the Mortiara, an exiled sect of Morr’s priesthood known for their forbidden rites. The Strega of the Bone Hills, feared for their dark sorcery, marched alongside packs of Skin Wolves—hulking, werebeast horrors as tall as ogres, unleashed from the remote clans of Larhgoz’s desolate frontiers.[1a]
Death Upon the Shore[]
A Brood Horror ridden by a Skaven Warlord during the assault on Vedenza.
The armies clashed on the coastal plain northwest of Vedenza. The defenders, though outnumbered, had prepared well. Mercenary regiments from Tobaro and Sartosa formed the flanks, while the city's Republican Guard and artillery train stood firm at the center. As the Larhgoz knights charged, cannon fire and crossbow volleys tore through their ranks, yet they did not falter. The two sides met in a brutal melee, and the battlefield quickly became a scene of carnage. The Skin Wolves ravaged the Sartosan lines, scattering men like ragdolls, while the Strega’s curses and enchantments spread chaos in the ranks. Warriors fell, vomiting blood, while others turned on their allies in madness. Despite the relentless artillery bombardment, the sheer numbers and supernatural fury of the Larhgoz forces began to push Vedenza’s defenders back toward the shoreline.[1a]
Then, fate intervened. From the north, Tazadis of Araby arrived, riding upon one of the Manticores he had been sent to tame. A flock of harpies followed in his wake, descending upon the battlefield in a frenzy of talons and shrieking hunger. At the same time, from the sea, the Pride of Zora—a Vedenza galleon—approached, its cannons thundering. Leading it was Orsini Sardus, bringing with him the most fearsome weapon of all: a great Merwyrm, bound by the power of Kadon’s scroll.[1a]
Silak, as Sardus had named the beast, was a creature of legend. Longer than a northern whale and armored in bone, it emerged from the deep, its roar drowning out the sounds of battle. At the sight of the monstrous serpent crawling onto shore, the Larhgoz forces wavered. Those nearest the beast had no chance to flee—Silak struck with terrifying speed, swallowing knights whole and crushing steel and flesh alike in its jaws.[1a]
The sight of the Merwyrm broke the enemy’s will. The harpies tore through the remnants of the cavalry, while the Manticore savaged the Skin Wolves, turning the hunters into prey. The Mortiara fell under the alchemist’s flames, and the Strega, caught in a storm of magical fury, were slain one by one. As panic spread, the Larhgoz forces collapsed, fleeing in all directions. Close to the shore, few escaped. Silak rampaged through the retreating ranks, devouring all in its path until, at last, Sardus was able to command the beast back to the depths.[1a]
Vedenza had won a decisive victory, though at great cost. The bells of the city rang in triumph as the battered defenders returned. Yet, as events would soon prove, their respite would be short-lived.[1a]
Coming of the Ratmen[]
An Hell-Pit Abomination led in battle by a Skaven Grey Seer.
The Skaven had always lurked beneath the lands of Tilea, hidden yet ever-present, waiting for weakness. The ratmen, servants of the Horned Rat, thrived in treachery and struck only when assured of advantage. This night was no different.[1b]
The Tileans, bloodied yet triumphant, had turned back the Estalian invasion. Their victory over King Vidar’s host had been decisive, their banners raised in celebration. But while they feasted and nursed their wounds, the true enemy emerged from darkness. Long had the Skaven burrowed beneath the earth, their schemes unfolding unseen. What foul whispers they had planted in the ears of Larhgozan nobles, or what grim bargains had been struck with Vidar himself, none could say. But their plan had reached its climax.[1b]
The Estalians had served their purpose. The battle had weakened the Tileans, though not as much as the ratmen had intended. A broken army would have made for an easier slaughter, but the Skaven adapted. Instead of attacking Vedenza immediately, they swept through the northern lands. In a tide of filth and blood, they put settlements to the torch, slaughtered villagers, and took slaves. Even the retreating Estalians, former tools of Skaven machinations, were hunted down without mercy. Their last knights made a desperate stand, but none survived.[1b]
News of the attack spread quickly. The fires on the horizon cast a grim light over Vedenza, and what had been a night of celebration turned to fear. The city’s bells rang, no longer in triumph, but in warning. A curfew was declared, the Citadel’s gates barred. But already, Skaven assassins had infiltrated.[1b]
They struck in the dead of night, their intelligence disturbingly precise. Targets of importance fell to their poisoned blades, though not without resistance. The Tileans had anticipated treachery. Many assassins perished in turn—some caught before they could act, others hunted down in retaliation. Among them was one who had tried and failed to kill Orsini Sardus. His corpse was found nailed to the door of the tower house as a grim warning.[1b]
The sea catacombs beneath Vedenza, labyrinthine and ancient, had prevented the Skaven from tunneling directly into the city. Their favored method of invasion was thwarted. But the siege had begun. Vedenza’s landward connections were severed, its people trapped within the walls. Though the city could still reach the sea and the Carvorna Archipelago beyond, it was only a matter of time before the Skaven’s war machines, poison fogs, and plague bombardments wore down its defenses.[1b]
For the first few days, the ratmen launched only probing attacks, testing for weaknesses. A full-scale assault loomed. The night sky turned sickly green with the baleful glow of Morrslieb, and the winds of magic howled in unnatural fury. The defenders of Vedenza knew they could not simply endure the siege. They had to act.[1b]
A Desperate Plan[]
A Daemonic Verminlord of the Horned Rat fights the Shugon -- the Trolls of the deep sea -- summoned by the Warpfire Dragon She during the Battle of the Howling Abyss.
The Skaven were masters of treachery, but Tileans had their own cunning. The Council of Tears, though they had not foreseen the exact nature of the threat, had long prepared for an approaching calamity. Their spies had gathered information, their seers had glimpsed shadows of disaster. Even among the Skaven, there were those who could be bribed -- though trusting such creatures was a gamble at best.[1b]
Through painstaking intelligence, the defenders determined their only chance of victory: they had to eliminate the enemy's guiding intelligence. It was assumed that a Grey Seer led the Skaven horde. If he were slain, the fragmented clans would likely turn upon one another. But such an assassination was no simple feat.[1b]
Yet an opportunity presented itself. At the southernmost edge of the Carvorna Archipelago lay the Isle of Grief. Upon that desolate rock stood an ancient monolith, its origins lost to time. Now, it had become the centre of a growing magical vortex. The Skaven were drawn to it. If the defenders of Vedenza could reach the monolith first, they could turn its chaotic power against their foes.[1b]
But the Isle of Grief held another mystery. The Warpfire Dragon She had gone there. And no word had come from her since. Now, Orsini Sardus would follow, leading a desperate mission that would decide the fate of Vedenza.[1b]
Battle of the Howling Abyss[]
The Warpfire Dragon She and the army of Lupo Hecate face the Skaven during the Battle of the Howling Abyss.
Eight days after the siege began, a force of elite Republican Guard soldiers set sail. Led by Captain-General Lupo Hecate, they embarked upon a perilous journey through the waters of the archipelago. Their fleet, composed of shallow-drafted galleys, moved with speed. But even before reaching their destination, they saw signs of the enemy. Reports of Skaven vessels -- hideous hybrids of wood, metal, and flesh -- had already reached them.[1c]
The voyage was fraught with danger. The Storm of Magic intensified, warping the very sea. One galley was lost to a sudden whirlpool, swallowed without a trace. But the rest pressed on, driven by grim determination. As they neared the Isle of Grief, the Skaven attacked. Their ships, grotesque abominations, unleashed fire and lightning. Yet the defenders had their own weapons. From the depths of the sea, Silak One-Eye emerged -- a monstrous, ancient Sea Beast called a Merwyrm, feared in legend. The titanic creature tore through the Skaven fleet, scattering their forces, allowing the Tileans to land.[1c]
The Howling Abyss awaited them. A vast, half-flooded cavern, its black stone walls whispered with the echoes of forgotten horrors. The monolith stood at its heart, inscribed with glyphs that pulsed with dark energy. And the enemy was there in force.[1c]
Stormvermin, clad in baroque armor. Plague Monks, reeking of filth and death. Rat Ogres, twisted by foul experiments. Warlock Engineers, their weapons crackling with forbidden energies. And at their center stood something far worse.[1c]
The defenders had believed they faced a Grey Seer. They were wrong.[1c]
A Vermin Lord had come. A true daemon of the Horned Rat, a nightmare made flesh. Its presence alone was enough to chill the blood.[1c]
The battle was joined. She, the Warpfire Dragon, struck first. Her flames engulfed the Skaven ranks, turning them to ash. Orsini Sardus, wielding magic of his own, summoned a terror of the deep—a Mourngul, a creature of insatiable hunger. The wraith-like horror tore into the enemy, an abomination pitted against abominations.[1c]
But the Vermin Lord was devastation incarnate. It carved through warriors like a scythe through wheat. Even She, mighty as she was, could not stand against it. The daemon struck her down, its jagged claws poised for the killing blow.[1c]
Then, something unexpected happened.[1c]
The Shugon -- legendary Sea Trolls, thought long extinct -- rose from the abyss. Whether drawn by the vortex or summoned by She, none could say. They fell upon the Vermin Lord without hesitation. Even a Daemon could not stand against such numbers. It fought with fury, but the tide of monstrous forms overwhelmed it. With a final, ear-splitting wail, the Vermin Lord perished.[1c]
The storm reached its peak. The monolith pulsed with uncontrolled magic. The survivors—those few who remained—fled before its wrath.[1c]
When the storm finally subsided, the Isle of Grief belonged to Her now.[1c]
With their leader slain, the Skaven horde fell into disarray. Their siege of Vedenza collapsed, their forces scattering into the dark. The Estalians, realizing the tide had turned, sought peace.[1c]
The war was over. But the sea still held its secrets. In the depths, Silak One-Eye stirred, waiting for the next call to war.[1c]