The colonists in Santa Myrmidia quickly began construction of Nuevo Magritta, or New Magritta, upon making landfall. The colony itself now garrisoned Colombo's Estalian troops and Bretonnian explorers, all prepared to make their way inland into Lustria proper.
Colombo's first move was to solidify his position in his newfound territory. It would not be long before would-be plunderers came to test the Estalian defenses. On one sunny and clear day, a pirate ship sailed into view from the north, releasing several boats from its hold. Buccaneers, armed to the teeth with gunnery and swords, rowed for the colony. Shore batteries opened fire, but a devastating counter-barrage from the pirate ship silenced the Estalian guns quickly. It descended into bloody hand-to-hand fighting in the colony's streets, as the raiders poured in through the docks and the local militia swiftly engaged them. Volleys of shot were engaged, swords clashed loudly, and many lives were lost on both sides. The raid ended in a draw, with neither side able to claim victory. Although the pirates had been driven off, they left with some plunder. This angered Colombo, emboldening him to conclude his business in Lustria quickly before he then turned on the pirates threatening his prospective lanes back to the Old World.
Estalian soldiers march out from New Magritta, heading inland in search of more plunder and glory to be had. While the pirate raids had weakened their defenses, it only further emboldened their resolve to conclude the conquest of the New World so that they could then turn on those damned buccaneers.
Time was of the essence. Estalia, along with its Bretonnian allies, had to conduct a lightening campaign throughout the whole of the lizardmen realm. They had to claim as much plunder as they could before the pirates strengthened their position in the New World, not to mention the looming threat of more would-be conquerors on the way from the Old World. The last thing Colombo needed was a war against dwarves, humans, and greenskins on this hellish tropical continent. Immediately, he set about reorganizing his troops in order to better suit his needs. Hector Navarro's inability to command large forces of men relegated him to life as a troop sergeant, not a force commander. Instead, Colombo appointed one Diego de Montalban, Marquis and seasoned colonel of the Royal Army. The Marquis had recently arrived from the Old World, and Colombo was eager to put him to work. He ordered Montalban to march inland towards a newly discovered site, described to him by his scouts as a large temple complex in the middle of the jungle. There was only a scant amount of defenders, and he believed Montalban, along with the Bretonnian Sir Ramsay, could take the site easily. With their objective now set, Montalban and Ramsay marched towards their target: The Temple of Constellations.
Estalian and Bretonnian forces arrive on the scene. The Temple of Constellations dominates the battlefield, serving as a spawning pool for the lizardmen realm. In the distance, lizardmen skinks, operating as light skirmishers and temple guardians, sprint unto the field.
Upon hacking through the thick vegetation and forming up near the jungle clearing, the Estalian and Bretonnian forces observed a group of nearby temple guardians and scouts, comprised entirely of small lizardmen skinks, take cover near the edge of the field. Clearly, the skirmishers saw that they were outnumbered, but the Marquis de Montalban informed Sir Ramsay that they were more than likely sending messengers to a nearby city for aid. They had to act fast. Ramsay pointed towards the central temple, replying that his scouts had found a small trove of treasure there. All the Estalians and Bretonnians had to do was grab the loot and run. Simple. Or so they thought. The first moves went to the explorers, rapidly deploying their rangers and sending troops straight up the middle towards the temple. The lizardmen advanced slowly, trying to observe the foreigners' movements so that they may report on them. Yet, just as they did so, the strangest of things occurred: a lighting bolt struck from the heavens, right on top of the lizardmen! The Marquis and Sir Ramsay stood in shock. What in holy Myrmidia's name was that? The skies were clear and there was no sight of a nearby storm. Then, one of the Bretonnian soldiers pointed up to the top of the temple. At the very top, a small stone spire sat. It crackled with energy.
The Temple was defended by an arcane defense, shooting out lightning at any who got too close to the spawning pools!
Loud chittering and hissing was heard on the far side of the field -- lighting had struck the skinks forming up near the treeline. The Temple's defenses had activated!
However, the Temple's defenses were but only one bad omen. As the Estalians and Bretonnians closed in on the temple, the skink messengers had arrived at a nearby lizardmen city. They had sent their local garrison, along with that city's ruler, to defend the spawning pools. The lizardmen reinforcements stormed in from the eastern and western flanks, their hosts composed of large warbeasts and warriors armed with obsidian blades and iron or wooden shields. Estalian cannon and Bretonnian bow gave them ample greeting, as missiles of all sorts shrieked across the sky. Thereafter, Estalian swordsmen and Bretonnian footmen locked blades with the lizardmen warriors. Lizardmen beasts, large and imposing in their scale, trampled all in their path as they stormed the invaders. A fierce battle broke out along the flanks, as man and lizard desperately tried to push through. The Marquis grew impatient, seeing that they had to leave immediately. However, more bad omens. The men in the temple, tasked with recovering the lizardmen's gold, were allured by the riches. They wasted precious time counting the amount of coins in each chest as opposed to hauling them out of the temple! As they did so, lightning crackled again. Another ill portent. This time, Estalian militia from a nearby fort had come to help. Yet, upon arriving, a bolt of lightning struck near them, frightening them almost immediately! Now without reinforcements and with soldiers distracted by the prospect of riches, the Marquis and Sir Ramsay were in a dire state of affairs.
Enemy reinforcements! Estalian forces stare down at the incoming lizardmen, sitting atop their mighty warbeasts. The local ruler of the city, a fat toad-like creature, lets out bellowing laughs as it approaches. "Ho ho ho! Fools, all of you! You will not survive this day!"
"My, have you ever seen this much gold?!" The Estalian and Bretonnians, awe-struck by the amount of gold all around them, seem to hesitate at the order to move out. They had to act fast, 'lest they be surrounded and slaughtered!
"Move! NOW!" The Marquis and Sir Ramsay were fed up. The troops had to move out. After being snapped out of their stupor, the troops at the temple quickly ran back towards their lines, hauling their load of plunder along with them. The skinks on the far end of the field had been sufficiently frightened and fried by the lightning, leaving the offensive to the lizardmen reinforcements. The lord of the lizardmen city, seemingly content with the work of his underlings, remained near the rear. He feasted upon some tasty morsels, observing the battle with glee. The humans could not survive, he thought. Meanwhile, the Estalian left flank was holding reasonably well -- for once. The Bretonnians, in contrast, were not. Usually the last to hold out, Ramsay's footmen and knights were being cut down one by one. They stood little chance against the emboldened lizardmen defenders, who bravely defended the spawning pools. However, time was tipping in the favor of the invaders. The Estalians and Bretonnians, after having defiled the spawning pools and stolen the treasure, sprinted towards their fort on the coast. The first to make it were a contingent of footmen, then a troop of swordsmen. The last group, a host of Bretonnian men-at-arms, were cut down by lightning, javelin fire, and just plain bad luck. They chose to flee as opposed to carry the gold away. This left one chest, teeming with treasures, out on the field. Sir Ramsay had already fled the field with his troops, leaving the Marquis alone to make the final decision.
"Enough is enough. This will do." And so, the Estalians too pulled back, leaving one load of treasure behind, but a host dead lizardmen and tainted spawning pools in their wake.
"Quick, lads! Grab the loot and let's get out of here!" In the distance, a lizardmen beast, mounted by skilled javelinmen and archers, barrels down the jungle path.
"Sod this! RUN!"
It was a marginal victory for the conquerors. Two of three loads of treasure were captured and the temple was sacked. The lizardmen also took some casualties, but so did the Bretonnians in equal measure. Still, the Estalians and Bretonnians were handily reinforcing their position on the new continent. Yet, it was only a matter of time before more forces began to land on the shores of Lustria. Upon the Marquis and Sir Ramsay's return to New Magritta, Colombo informed the commanders that some of the Marquis' troops, mercenaries most of them, had gone off on an expedition into the jungle to find more treasure. What they stumbled upon was a different sight altogether: a battle, waged between dwarves, humans, and greenskins. Forces from a ambitious dwarven mountain-hold and human mercenaries from an Imperial free-city had joined forces to fight a small band of greenskin raiders, eager for blood-sport and so-called "shiny things." The Estalian mercenaries offered to assist either side, surprisingly. The humans and dwarves, eager for help, contracted the Estalians and off they went. The battle ended in favor of the greenskins, but the Estalians survived to enjoy their pay. At least, Colombo thought, they could profit from these other factions.
The temple city of Pahuax. The invaders' next target.
Even as the mercenaries returned relatively unscathed and with loads of coin to their name, Colombo planned his next move. He would let the troops rest, of course. But, once they were ready, he would call upon them to sharpen their swords and ready their powder. For he had his eyes on the next great prize: the temple city of Pahuax.
