Words of the Duke of Mousillon’s surprise invasion of Bretonnia’s oldest city accomplished through the support of the kingdom’s most infamous child spread throughout the Old World, thereby prompting many ancient enemies to wonder whether the feudal state was as well defended as its Royarch had made it seem. Chief among these foes was Egil Styrbjorn, the so-called Butcher of Immortals.

A fearsome High Jarl of the Skaeling tribe and Chaos Lord blessed by the Mark of Khorne, Styrbjorn had previous dealings with the Bretonnians when he invaded Lyonesse and brought home with him a half-man, half-daemon son created when Egil forced himself upon a bewitched Bretonnian noblewoman during that encounter. Now that some years had passed, his daemonic son was old enough to survive by himself back in Norsca in his father’s absence and so, given the talk of Bretonnia’s vulnerability, Styrbjorn knew this was the time to return to action.

Egil’s legions: composed of bloodthirsty axe-wielding marauders, feral skin-wolves or Ulfwerener as they were known in the Dark Tongue, huskarls clad in hulking chaos plate, crazed forsaken who fought by use of claw or tendril and finally, a host of terrifying juggernaut-riding Skullcrusher cavalry sailed off in 28 mighty longboats away from the foul winter wastes of Norsca, where the winds cut like blades and the men were scarcely distinguishable from the monsters they hunted, and sailed onto the Sea of Chaos in search of conquest and plunder.

….

◙ Laugh React: Alas, the devotees of the Blood God didn’t fare so well in their voyage. For though the Bretonnians were apparently stetched thin, the same could not be said of Khorne’s mischievous brother who decided to disrupt their plans.

While on their voyage, Styrbjorn’s favourite shaman Bjarki was sent a blood-vision telling him the fleet ought to change their bearing in fear of storms that lay ahead on their current cause.

The next thing they knew, Styrbjorn’s fleet had sailed straight into the territorial waters known as the Dragon’s Maw where one could hardly be all too surprised when a ginormous sea dragon emerged to wreak havoc on their ships.
Alas, the vision had not been sent by the Blood God. It was a deception sent by one of the Changer of Ways’ avian daemonic lords simply masquerading as a Khornate daemon to throw Styrbjorn’s shaman off-course.

Oh, well. Perhaps it would be more prudent if Styrbjorn returned home and re-considered his plans.

….
Weeks passed as Styrbjorn crossed the straits between the civilised world and the domains of disorder yet life hadn’t grown any simpler in the intervening time for the Bretonnians as multiple dukedoms found themselves engaged in skirmishes with the Duke of Mousillon’s cronies. Every day stories were brought to King Louen’s court in Couronne of villages being attacked by ghouls, or pirates stealing royal supply deliveries, not to mention the threat Duke Merovech or his necrotic heir now posed to the nation’s line of succession itself if the claims of this “Mallobaude’s” mortal parentage were true. As stories and here-say continued to fester, the King decided it was time he personally stepped up and defended the nation and its interests.

And so, once he heard that Egil Styrbjorn had successfully made the crossing across the Sea of Chaos and had landed his boats at Serrac, a typical muddy village near L’Anguille where the most exciting feature was a small albeit splendid triangular castle, Louen decided this was where he would start making his stand. He would ride out in the name of the Lady surrounded by a company of 200 of his finest and most noble Royal Pegasus Knights, Grail Knights and Grail Guardians in pursuit of finally putting an end to the Skaeling’s barbaric menace.

Upon arriving outside Serrac with his retinue of knights at his side, Louen immediately laid eyes on a town engulfed in flames, pillaged by the Norscan marauders. However, the followers of Chaos hadn’t moved on yet. They were still there in Serrac loading their ships with treasure and slaves, seemingly unprepared for combat. Now was the time to strike!

….

◙ Sad React: Louen gave the command for a full-frontal cavalry charge into Serrac with the explicit aim of liberating the town from its chaotic menaces. However, before he and his knights could even make it into battle they found themselves ceasing their charge in the sight of the most unusual of events.

The Norscans weren’t forming shield walls to absorb the knights’ charge. They weren’t mustering themselves into a frenzy as Khornate devotees were so regularly inclined to do. No, instead they were all fleeing back to their longboats.
Perhaps Styrbjorn saw the king’s knights coming and decided he couldn’t be bothered with the hassle. Perhaps his boats were already so filled to the brim with prisoners that he didn’t have room for the knights’ skulls on his return North. Perhaps Egil knew of other villages down the coastline that were worth sacking or perhaps he really was afraid of the King of the Bretonni.

Either way the facts remained the same. Styrbjorn had no interest in fighting Louen and so he moved on.

….

◙ Angry React: Louen’s knights charged into Serrac with the aim of slaying their chaotic foes. The Chaos Marauders responded in kind, picking up their arms to respond in kind as Egil and his elite troops clambered upon the backs of their juggernaut mounts.

The knights neared, just about to smash into the ranks of chaos worshippers when… disaster struck!
Egil’s warriors revealed a set of ropes that were snaking along the ground, ropes they then hoisted to lift walls of stakes all around the inland side of the village. The firsk ranks of knights rammed headlong into the walls of stakes, their riders being flung from their saddles or simply rendered immobile upon their steeds as the sharpened wooden beams were thrust through the bodies of their horses.

With the knights’ charge broken, the marauders responded, charging out from the village backed by units of huskarls, forsaken and skin wolves who made quick work of the dismounted knights while the marauders threw sacks of make-shift caltrops at the feet of the remaining mounted knights to hinder their mobility, all while the skullcrushers led by Styrbjorn rode out and stormed their way through the immobile ranks of mounted knights.

After watching his knights lose their charge and then get overrun by Norsca’s warriors, Louen had little choice but to sound a retreat soon afterwards.

….

(Prelude to Love & Angry React)

The Bretonnians proceeded with a full-frontal cavalry charge as their pegasi flew high above. In return, Egil’s warriors formed ranks and hoisted up several walls of stakes which they used to funnel the Bretonnian charge into a single chokepoint by the market’s gate.

The knights adapted their path, forming ranks of five-a-breast to fit through the gates and thus charged into the oncoming tide of marauders, huskarls and skin wolves.

As combat endued in the streets below with chaotic infantry sriking upwards at their foes while the knights continued to push forward atop their steeds, Louen and his hippigryph knights circled above the village looking for targets to hit. This opportunity materialised when the skullcrushers emerged. Egil’s plan was for his cavalry to ram into the knights, thus helping oush them out of the town but Louen had other plans. The pegasi dove down from the heavens with the thunderous clap of their wings and their weapons glowing with righteous intent. The pegasus knights struck, intercepting the skullcrushers’ charge as a brawl ensued between Khorne’s mechanical canines and the Lady’s noble guardians. As their respective lords fought their way through the ranks of mounted elite units, they eventually drew one another’s gaze. The King of Bretonnia and the High Jarl of the Skaelings came face to face. They gripped their weapons, tightened their mount’s reigns and charged.

….

◙ Love React: Louen gained the upper hand on the charge as Beaquis leapt forward and grabbed the juggernaut’s head with its claws, proceeding to then turn the mechanical beast on its side.

Egil dismounted and, as being an honourable royarch, Louen did likewise from his hippogryph. As their respective mounts continued to brawl with one another, the two warriors squared up to each other. The giant Norscan lifted his twin axes Garmr & Gormr high as they engulfed themselves in flame, a suitable tribute to his own rage. Conversely, Louen cautiously held his shield before him and drew his Sword of Couronne.

The chaos champion advanced, leaping towards his foes with his axes coming down from an overhead swing. Louen intercepted their swing with his shield, darting to his right side to find an opening for his blade between the warrior’s armour. A moment came and the king attempted to thrust only for the Norscan to roar and swipe him off his feet with a blow from his axes, one of which actually pierced Louen’s armour and cut a nerve in his left calf muscle.

The king fell on his back, holding his shield to block the following two attacks from the Norscan. With each strike that glanced off Louen’s shield, Egil only grew more enraged and so he tossed Garmr aside, free to then tear the shield away from Louen’s grip with his ginormous free arm before slapping the Sword of Couronne from the other hand. With his foe’s defences seemingly broken, Egil grabbed Gormr with both hands and aimed for one final strike through Louen’s heart.

But the King of Bretonnia is never without hope, never without a weapon of his own for just as all seemed lost, the dazzling polished plates from his Armour of Brilliance began to shine as the clouds parted above and a ray of sunlight glanced off his armour, providing just enough blinding bedazzlement to momentarily stun the Champion of Khorne in his tracks. Egil took a disorientared step back, allowing Louen to reach over, grab his sword once again and thrust it upwards from his laying position. The magical blade pierced through Egil’s plate armour and struck through his left knee, going so far up that it tore through his hamstrings to boot. Egil roared in anguish as took a few steps further back before falling to one knee while the King of Bretonnia picked himself up and limped over to the enraged Norscan. With a final slash at Styrbjorn’s throat, the High Jarl of the Skaelings had finally met his end. From there it didn’t take long for the majority of the Skaelings to flee back to their longboats. The ones who didn’t were either slain or taken as prisoner.

….

◙ Wow React: The two lords charged at one another atop their mounts, the juggernaut’s mouse letting out gusts of steam as it angrily charged while the hippogryph skipped towards it, in a bizarre mix of flight and running until the two clashed. The Juggernaut pounced, grabbing Beaquis by its left wing with its jaws while the hippogryph slashed at the side of the thundering beast with its claws. As this was happening, Styrbjorn raised his axes and swung for the king. Leoncouer blocked his strike with their shield, only for Garmr to glance off his protection piece and hack into Beaquis’ flesh just below the neck. The hippogryph let out a loud squawk of pain as the juggernaut continued to munch on its wing, tearing the flesh as it shook its head violently from side to side, the way a dog would with their food. Styrbjorn attacked again, slashing his axes, one at Louen’s shield thereby forcing him to raise his shield and block his view, while the other axe struck Beaquis’ back.

By now the hippogryph was succumbing to the pressure of both the juggernaut and Styrbjorn’s blows until it finally buckled under the pressure of its own weight. Louen struggled to get out from under his mount as his left foot got caught in the saddle while Egil showed no sign of getting off his own beast. Before Louen knew what was happening, he was suddenly rammed into by the juggernaut which proceeded to knock him over and trample all over him in the process.

Leoncouer continued to try to free his leg only to be caught off guard once more as the juggernaut circled round and hit him again, this time slapping him with the armoured spikes above its head. Finally, Louen yanked his foot out from beneath Beaquis’ saddle and rose to his feet but not for long as the juggernaut made one final charge. Without anything to tether himself to, the juggernaut’s collision sent the king’s body flying and his weapons drifted far from him. Defeated but still full of hope, Louen forced himself to his feet one last time… his final time. For just as he ran over to pick his sword back up Egil Styrbjorn came in for one final charge, lobbing the king’s head off with his axe Gormr.
The king’s death sent a tidal wave of regret through the ranks of the Brettonnian knights. This, combined with the skullcrushers returning to the main scene of the battle and Khornate infantry still using tricks like caltrops to hinder the knights movements meant a certain defeat as the vast majority of Louen’s soldiers fell that day. Once those few remaining knights finally fled for the hills, Egil and his warriors had all the choices they could want when it came to which prisoners they took home, which treasures they deemed the most valuable to be looted and which skulls they offer to the Blood God then and there.