Combat Results:
Water Realm:
Archangel
2 Veloci
336 Thelassic Veloci
143 War Clerics
Your soldiers dive into this portal, the armor of The Creator's angels softly clinking against itself. Luckily, angels don't need to breathe, so while they aren't the strongest swimmers, and their armor weighs them down, they get by well enough. By comparison, the thelassic veloci swim in bold loops, testing their limits. This does attract a greedy nibbler, but the veloci band together to fight it off with minimal injury and there doesn't seem to be a pack around to back it up. The Archangel seems bemused by the creature’s efforts, and as the group begins to move onwards, takes up a central position, gliding upright through the water with no visible physical effort.
Keeping an eye out for natives, the party makes for the first of the air bubbles, some of the veloci towing the slower warpriests. As they close, however, they note a presence approaching rapidly in the water. The formation of veloci quickly forms up to face the threat, a school of golems against the natives of this realm. The initial exchange would have gone entirely the way of the natives, except for the efforts of the Archangel. A softly glowing ward deflects the thrown harpoons, sending them floating away from your troops. The veloci on the fringes swim forth, aiming to engage the slender amphibians in hand to hand combat. The two packs meet, the smaller number amphibians scattering as they realize their mistake. Unfortunately for them, very few escape, and those that remain are outmatched by the veloci, their sharp but fragile teeth and pointed claws no match for the toughened flesh and crystalline claws of the veloci. The veloci attempt to chase down the survivors, but are vastly outmatched in swimming by the eel-like forms.
Unfortunately, a side effect of the conflict that would be trivial in many biomes shows its face as a large swarm of nibblers approaches from below. The warpriests have barely finished repairing the damaged veloci, sans the only dead member, as the school closes on your troops. The armored veloci leads the counter charge, swimming at their own slightly slower pace to rake one of the lead predators as the others follow behind, biting deep and holding on with claws buried deep in its sides as the two fall back into the heart of the school. At the same time, the Archangel drops a protective shield over all the members of your force, so the following battle is entirely one-sided. A swirl of blood flows into the water, staining it a dark purple as the predators meet their new masters.
One short swim to the air bubble later, a curious sight appears. While the top surface of the earth in the bubble shows minimal signs of habitation, there appear to be pockets carved into the side, small holes in the moist earth. It's here that the locals to make their home. The survivors had warned their allies, however, and the evidence of a recent departure is evident. Regardless, as your troops start to make their way into the bubble, the wall easy to pass through while still not allowing water, the remaining natives strike.
Unfortunately for them, the Archangel has very good eyes. As it drops a ward across your soldier, it turns and slashes a forcefield though the leader of the group, cutting it in two. It lets out a harmonious laugh, one reaching across frequency and melody to rumble through the chest of your forces. The rest of your forces meet theirs, the swarm of probably 100 swimmers surging up around the sides of the bubble to fight. The locals also carry knives now, forged out of some dark stone, the same as their harpoons. Unfortunately for them, it's no contest. While one or two veloci die, their wards overwhelmed, the locals are outfought and outnumbered, their ambush tactics rendered worthless by the Archangel. It's a clear victory, and while several swim away faster than your soldiers can follow, you have won a great day in this fight.
Losses: 5 Thelassic Veloci, 2 Veloci
Air Realm:
1643 Resurrectionists, 50 with enchanted mithril plate
143 War Clerics
Your soldiers fly through the portal, wanting to avoid an awkward transition, and are instantly at home. The resurrectionists are at home in the cloud sea, as are the war clerics. Flying over to the nearest floating island, they set up a basic camp, not that it needs much given their lack of hunger. No native creatures are visible from the current vantage point, though the puffy clouds remind your troops of the floating creatures the scouts had sighted. After a brief inspection of the floating island, in which time you are unable to discern quite how it floats, the troops move forward, pushing towards the next set of islands, beyond which the large island with a small volcano can be seen.
And then the ambush strikes. Encompassing the entire island a group had stopped on, a large contingent of strangely puffy creatures silently jets out from below the island. Holding strange, wide-bore pipes with multiple handles, the creatures open fire with a whisper, barbed hooks of what appears to be bronze or copper flying out at high velocity from the barrels, spearing into the soldiers on the island. The twisted rope-like materials that trail behind prove to be the real threat, however. The natives had already drifted back from the blast of the initial shock, but as the projectiles land, their slender arms grasp the weapons and they blast away at unnerving speeds, towing the unprepared Resurrectionists along with them. Those quick enough for their comrades to hold onto them instead suffer large bleeding wounds, though the now-grounded healers can patch them up.
You still have over a thousand soldiers in the air, however, and they want their friends back. The airborne host descends from the island, swooping after the puffy natives and their towed comrades. Thus, the dogfight begins. The multiple arms of the natives prove useful in this as they try and continue their retreat, this time sending out spiked metal balls at high velocity. The impacts would normally not be too bad against the toughened flesh of the resurrectionists. However, the natives were aiming at wings. Several resurrectionists go down, flailing, into the mists below. However, with the last volley, the natives show their weakness. Their formerly puffy forms are deflated and weak, their formerly swift bursts now anemic as they struggle to inflate quickly enough.
With this opening, the resurrectionists strike. Swooping in with quick, brutal claw strikes and vicious bites, the first soldiers in go for the hunters holding their comrades, their claws flashing and spraying green blood through the air as the fleeing hunters die and fall, slowly and gracelessly. The sheer numbers of resurrectionists in the air mean that no more than two strike on the hunters are needed to set the remainder in rout. As the survivors flee, the Resurrectionists carry their wounded back to the angels on the island. Most pull through, but a few took exceptionally severe hits, and being dragged through the skies was not conducive to their survival.
You lost some soldiers, but your massive host presses onwards. You have a foothold. Now it's time to exploit it.
Losses: 75 Resurrectionists, 5 with enchanted plate.
Light Realm:
The Thevryn watch bemusedly as your other creations march to war, but are perfectly content to remain in their gilded foundry.
Spreadsheet updated, let me know if you need the new deployment figures.
Now is the Design Phase. Feel free to do all three designs at once.