In the aftermath of Nagash's Necroquake most of the Penumbral Engines of the Mortal Realms malfunctioned - no longer shrouding from thought the location of the Sigmar's Stormvaults. In these reliquaries the God King hid many items of fantastic power deemed to dangerous lest they fall into the wrong hands. Deep in Ulgu, the Realm of Shadow, the recently revealed location of the Stormvault housing a relic known as Luminous Heart was already making the rounds of gossip among the ambitious and powerful in the realm and even beyond. Not much was known of this item, save it was snatched away during the civil war that nearly destroyed the Lumineth Entirely in their own realm of Hysh.
Although the location of the Stormvault was no longer a secret, accessing it would prove difficult, if not deadly. Still, two forces already marched on its location. Climbing down into a shadowed labyrinth under a dreaded rock known as the Pit of Hungering Shades by the locals was the expeditionary force of Samira the Veiled - a Scinari Cathallar of the great nation of Syar. She brought along with her an Alarith Spirit of the Mountains, hoping his geomantic prowess could prevent them from dying in a cave-in and help navigate the treacherous tunnels. The rest of the expedition was formed of two phalanxes of Vanari Wardens, one group of Vanari Sentinels and two groups of Namarti Mercenaries, one wielding swords the other bows. The Namarti's inborn blindness would serve them well in the pitch black. As she wanted to enter the labyrinth first a hollow armor - barely gleaming in the dusky darkness of Ulgu, yet still somehow radiant, interceded and requested to lead the foray. The Spirit of Eltharion the Grim - now bound to his armor as the Light of Eltharion was the martial leader of the group whereas Samira was the intrepid archaeologist.
After a few hours of trudging through the darkness the Syari elves came to find out why this location was worthy of its name. They found plenty of signs to indicate this cavern complex is a Troggoth den - even worse the shadows here seem to be alive and bloodthirsty. The local guide that brought them here and a couple of menials fell prey to the hungering dark during the march. As the column took what felt like the dozenth bend in the tunnels the place opened up into an enormous cave, plenty of space for a hundred men. The cavern walls were reinforced with Azyrite masonry and in the distance the shattered remains of the Penumbral Engine lay scattered and battered by what Samira assumed was the local troggoths This was clearly the place. The entrance to the Stormvault! But on the opposite side of the cavern instead of troggs or horrors of Ulgu the Syari Elves found a veritable army. A mercenary company flying the colors of Hammerhall, one of the Cities of Sigmar. The troops were serving themselves from a keg - possibly trying to restore morale in such an ill fate. As the commanders were nowhere to be seen the Light of Eltharion ordered the Lumineth ranks to form up. This didn't need to be a fight, but with a force this large the Hammerhallians clearly wanted the contents of the Stormvault just as much as the Lumineth did. Samira sent a runner to parlay with the commanders of the mercenary army - but just as the runner was about to set off a celestial bolt of lightning flickered into existence, bringing with it a small host of Stormcast Eternals paladins, their leader the most imposing of them was riding a Dracoth.
Seeing the Lumineth as plunderers the newly arrived Stormcast quickly took over command of the seemingly commander-less Hammerhallian forces and rallied them to push out the "pilfering aelves" from their guarded Stormvault. Before the two forces could even march on each other a bellowing cry sounded from multiple entrances to the large caverns and ferocious troggoths came lumbering in, clubs in hand. Their Troggboss attempted to charge the flank with the Alarith Spirit but a momentary hesitation was enough to not make contact with the Lumineth lines. The rest of the Dankhold Troggoths each lumbered towards the three remaining flanks of the armies, tentatively, noticing that their boss wasn't outright feasting already.
With a thunderous roar the usually slow Alarith Spirit sprinted into action towards the lines of the Hammerhall mercenaries. Neither Samira nor Eltharion gave the order - the madness of Ulgu was filling everyone's minds with paranoia and false whispers. The Swordsmen braced for impact - but just before the craggy bovine made contact he used his geomantic mastery to break off a stalactite from the ceiling and impale the Troggboss on it...then the Worldbreaker Hammer made impact. 17 of the 20 Swordsmen lay dead. Samira and Eltharion quickly realized that the only way to prevent such tactical disasters and stave off the now physical manifestations of the darkness in these caverns they would need to light the Penumbral Torches in the four gargoyles around the Stormvault. Their first concern was the safety of their troops.
The Hammerhallian lines did not buckle under the charge of the Alarith Spirit. The Swordsmen stood fast and the Stormcast Commander joined the fray. Together with a generous peppering of lead from the Hellblaster Volley Gun the frenzied Spirit lay defeated and crumbled down into the dirt of the cavern - its shining armor now filled with inanimate matter. The first Umbral Torch on the side of the Freeguilds was lit - but as it needed a magical spark that only their commander could wield the second one did not respond to the flint and tinder of the troops. Two Freeguild Spearmen were abducted by the Shadows.
The Light of Eltharion waded into the fray on his flank as Samira and the Phalanx braced for the counteratack of the Stormcast Paladins. The Troggoths emboldened by the death of the Mountain Spirit wreaked havoc in the lines of the Lumineth. Eltharion ordered them and the Namarti Reavers to hold the torch and keep together while he secures the lighting of the fourth and final torch. That was the mystery of how to access the Stormvault - but also how to survive this damnable pit.
Although outnumbered Eltharion proceeded to wade into the mass of Spearmen and Handgunners, making his way to the gargoyle holding the Umbral Torch. As the melee commenced the Handgunners opened fire on the hollow armor - leaving a few serious dents. Shadow Warriors, true to their name, appeared from the shadows and started shooting at the blind Namarti Reavers - albeit very poorly due to the reduced visibility outside of the range of the Umbral Torches. They used the chaos caused by the wild Troggoth to pincer in the blind archers and attempt to wrest the torch from them.
And then...a respite in the booming from the eastern flank. One of the Troggoths managed to get to the Hellblaster volley gun. The stupid creature - uninterested in the crew - started bashing on the equipment, giving the crew a few opportunities to stab at its thick hide with whatever weapons they could improvise. The darkness grew bolder and bolder, devouring shadow warriors and freeguild spear-men. Everyone outside the range of a torch was in danger. Eltharion managed to cut through most of the freeguild mercenaries albeit taking horrendous damage himself and lit the final torch. The way to the Stormvault was now open! A lone handgunner remained from his unit, but he was determined to take down the now-drenched in blood hollow armor. He fires a first shot...and misses. Eltharion turns to him menacingly. Panicked he loads his long-rifle as fast as he can. Shot and gunpowder spilling everywhere. He closes his eyes and pulls the trigger and with a loud explosion....the light inside the bloodied armor dissipates and the pieces scatter onto the ground.
On the other side of the battlefield the charge of the Stormcast paladins devastated the Vanari sentinels but the Namarti made quick work of the Dracoth and its rider. Samira was pleased with her choice of mercenaries and would return to their enclave to hire more. With the Stormvault now open she ordered the four wardens left after the grand melee to placate the three Stormcast Protectors while she goes to unlock the Stormvault. The Protectors do not notice the veiled aelf slipping away and instead push the Vanari lines for maximum casualties.
With both sides fighting to almost a man and the lights in the penumbral torches starting to flicker slowly into nonexistence the shades fly into the cavern and start feasting on living and dead alike. With a crackle and a hiss the locks on the Stormvault open and a radiant light fills the room. The blueish purplish flames in the penumbral torches turn pure white. Samira reaches out and grabs a breast-sized orb of absolute radiant light and holds it aloft - banishing the shades and screaming for a ceasefire. She got what she came for. She offers the remnants of the Hammerhall mercenaries safe passage out of the tunnels together with her 3 remaining Wardens and 6 Namarti Reavers. The day is won for the Syari Aelves. It will be a long and painful way home to Hysh given the casualties, but in the moments when she is not performing her mourner's job - the elven leader is filled with glee at securing this artifact of her people back in the hands of her nation. What purpose justifies such carnage for one small orb? Only time will tell.
