Anethra Helbane, Eldest Sorcerer of the Dark Covent and Druchii Noblewoman woke up in a dark and dingy cell. The last thing she remembered was enjoying dinner with her son Nurekh back in their home city of Clar Karond when the house was suddenly invaded by Corsairs who smashed through all the windows of the house and knocked her out before she could do so much as cast a single spell in self-defence. Now she was here, in a cell and her son was absent. Anethra was about to cast a spell to break out when Drusala, the former handmaiden to Morathi turned famished slave to Queen Hellebron walked in. “I see you are awake, please follow me and I will take you to our queen. Despite wanting to make an escape attempt, Anethra had allied herself to the late Hag Sorceress of Ghrond on many occasions across her 5000 year lifetime and so had met Drusala many times as such. Therefore, Anethra decided to stay her hand and followed Drusala through the many dark tunnels until finally, she was led onto the sandy stage of an arena.

Wait….this wasn’t just an arena, this was a fighting pit! She walked onto the stage surrounded by walls and took in her surroundings. However, there were no civilians looking on from the crowd, instead it was soldiers occupying every seat in the arena’s bleachers. Anethra’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sound of the Witch Queen herself’ voice. “Lady Anethra Helbane, Sorceress of Clar Karond, you stand accused for crimes of treason against the Khainite Empire. How do you plead?”

As Hellebron spoke from above, Anethra attempted to look up at the the Witch Queen of Naggarond. She looked tired and worn out, as if she had spent the last three days not taking her blood baths which normally renewed her body, her distinctive pink hair has started to go grey once more and Anethra could tell from her tone of voice that she had been upset only a few minutes ago. Additionally there was a massive stitched up cut, or perhaps a gash, on her arm which Anethra struggled to make out as she responded to the question “Not guilty, my Queen.” Hellebron responded “So you deny eye-witness evidence from our spies that you cavorted with other sorceresses in the Dark Covent to speak of a resurrected imposter King?”

Finally, Anethra knew what this was about. The sorceresses of the Dark Covent were ritually wedded to the former Witch King of Naggarond, Malekith – son of Morathi and (potentially) Aenearion, and had all felt a disturbance recently which they suggested by virtue of all of them feeling it, must mean that their former husband is still alive. It had not been confirmed yet by any means, but speculation was rife within the covent regarding the illegitimacy of the Witch Queen’s reign.

Anethra considered her words for a moment before looking up at the Queen “No, I do not deny that I have speculated about my former ritual husband’s continued existence. What I reject is the claim that to speak of the true King of Naggarond is in some way heresy. Malekith, son of Aenarion and Morathi, is alive and you, Priestess of Khaine, hold no legitimate entitlement to the throne of Naggarond. It is you, Hellebron, who is the traitor here!”

The crowd of soldiers began to mumble between each other wondering if what Anethra said could be true when Hellebron suddenly stood up and yelled “Enough!” thereby silencing every soldier in the stands. “Anethra Helbane, you have pleaded non-guilty of the crime of treason. Khaine alone will decide the validity of your plea!”

All of a sudden, another gate to the fighting pit opened through which walked a single Dark Elf dressed in the garb of a Sister of Slaughter and armed with a buckler shield in one hand and a whip in the other. Anethra turned back to Hellebron “Witch Queen, you cannot get away with this! What did you do to my son? My husband will never let you get away with this, he’s a Black Ark commander!”

“Oh my dear old Helbane, I’m afraid your son’s wagon strangely came loose from the convoy when you were being transported here and just happened to fall off a cliff and into a lake inhabited by Kharibdysses, such a shame. And as for Duriath, it seems his Ark recently set sail to attack the Asur colony of Tor Elithis so sadly we had no way of informing him about your trial…. But fear not for you are not alone. Meet Keress. She used to be a Witch Elf but turned away from Khaine in favour of the Blade Lord, Eldrazor. Since then she has won 4 consecutive seasons as a Sister of Slaughter. It’s all very impressive really but alas, lack of faith in Khaine must be punished somehow. Whichever one of you is last woman standing will have been validated by Khaine in my eyes. Let the game begin!”

Anethra turned back to Keress to take her in, she was big for a Witch Elf or a Sister of Slaughter yet that increase muscle mass seemed to have not translated into any reduction in flexibility and agility. A soldier in the stands threw Anethra’s spellstaff into the arena which Anethra took up, as she took her last breath before entering combat.

Angry React – Keress ran towards Anethra only to be immediately frozen in place by a chillwind and then shot in the face by a Doombolt from her staff which caused her head to be cleanly dislodged from her body as the rest of her corpse stumbled to the ground. Anethra stood proudly and looked back up to Hellebron with a distinctive smirk on her face while she awaited the Queen’s judgement.

Wow React – Keress avoided Anethra’s spellcasts and made it into combat. Keress used her whip to disarm Anethra and proceeded to ram her to the ground by kicking her stomach with the knee of her boot where Keress then sat on top of Anethra and continued to wail on her. However, as Anethra lay broken and almost defeated on the ground, her right hand suddenly lit up as she gestured a soul stealing spell causing tendrils to emerge from her hand and latch onto the Sister of Slaughter’s skin, causing Keress to waste away before Anethra’s own eyes until finally, she was so weakened that the old sorceress now had the physical strength by comparison which was needed to batter the gladiator to death.

Laugh React – The two fighters fought for some time causign Hellebron to get bored up in the stands. Without warning, she authorised all the shades and darkshards in the stands to take both fighters out. neither stood a chance of surviving as a hail of arrows hit them.

Love React – As Keress ran towards the old sorceress she was hit by the blades of a small bladewind which caused nasty cuts to her exposed legs and torso. Fortunately however, Keress has suffered worse wounds than this before and so was able to resist the pain and get into melee combat where she leapt past the sorceress and strangled her to death from behind with her whip.

Sad React – Keress ran towards Anethra with extreme haste, evading any close-quarters spell blasts Anethra could unleash before reaching melee combat where she proceeded to whip the spellstaff straight from Anethra’s hands before headbutting the the old sorceress to the ground and bashing her to death with the sharpened edge of her buckler. Hellebron was pleased and granted Keress a pardon.

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