The warfare waged by the blighted kingdom of Morrathiel against the Concord was a chilling departure from the more traditional engagements of the other Lycan realms. Gone were the proud battle howls, the direct assaults, and the reliance on martial prowess. Instead, a creeping dread emanated from the blighted lands, a warfare of attrition, deception, and the horrifying efficiency of the Skarnwraiths orchestrated by the corrupted Queen Selene and the insidious influence of the Hollow Brood.
Morrathiel's tactics were insidious, exploiting the fear and uncertainty that the Skarnwraiths inspired. Rather than launching massive frontal assaults, they employed smaller, highly mobile Skarnwraith raiding parties that struck with terrifying speed and silence at vulnerable settlements and supply lines. These attacks were often preceded by an unnatural surge of the blighted mist, disorienting defenders and masking the approach of the skeletal horrors.
Selene, or rather the entity that now controlled her, understood the psychological impact of the Skarnwraiths. Their silent, relentless advance and their life-draining touch instilled a primal fear that often broke the morale of even seasoned warriors before a single blow was struck. Morrathiel leveraged this fear, using the Skarnwraiths not just as weapons, but as instruments of terror.
The blighted landscape itself became a weapon. Twisted, thorny vines, animated by dark magic, snaked across pathways, ensnaring unwary travelers and creating treacherous terrain for Concord armies to navigate. Patches of once-fertile ground now exuded a toxic miasma, weakening those who lingered too long. The very rivers, flowing with black ichor, became barriers, their waters carrying a creeping sickness.
Cunning ambushes were a hallmark of Morrathiel's strategy. Skarnwraiths, seemingly destroyed, would lie still amidst the blighted foliage, only to rise again when unsuspecting enemies passed, their skeletal hands reaching out to drain life. Illusions, woven from the blighted mist and dark magic, would lure Concord forces into traps, leading them into ambushes or towards heavily fortified Skarnwraith positions.
Selene, her once-radiant mind now twisted by the Hollow Brood, demonstrated a chilling tactical acumen. She understood the weaknesses and strengths of each of the Concord kingdoms, exploiting their traditional fighting styles against them. Vaelorin's disciplined formations were lured into narrow passes where the Skarnwraiths' numbers could overwhelm them. Ulvaren's fierce but often reckless charges were met with strategically placed blighted terrain and concealed Skarnwraith detachments. Draventhall's siege weaponry, slow to maneuver, became vulnerable to swift, silent Skarnwraith raids. Tir Vareth healers, focused on life, found themselves struggling against an enemy that was the antithesis of life itself. Nytheris's reliance on observation and ranged attacks was hampered by the perpetual twilight and the disorienting blighted mist.
Dark magic was woven into the very fabric of Morrathiel's warfare. Skarnwraiths were sometimes empowered with bursts of shadow energy, increasing their speed and resilience. Necromantic spells animated blighted flora to attack intruders, their thorny vines lashing out with unnatural force. The mournful wails of the Skarnwraiths were occasionally amplified by dark incantations, creating a disorienting and demoralizing sonic assault.
Perhaps the most terrifying tactic was the subtle infiltration of Skarnwraiths deep into Concord territory. Moving with their unnerving silence, they would sow chaos and fear behind enemy lines, attacking isolated settlements, assassinating key figures, and spreading the creeping blight. The constant threat of attack from within created paranoia and forced the Concord to divert precious resources to internal security.
The fall of Fort Grimfang served as a brutal example of Selene's shadow tactics. The relentless, overwhelming assault was preceded by an unusually dense mist that hampered visibility and negated the effectiveness of ranged attacks. The Skarnwraiths focused their attack on the weakest points in the fortress defenses, their movements coordinated with a chilling precision that suggested a malevolent intelligence guiding them.
The Concord struggled to adapt to this new form of warfare. Their traditional strategies, honed over centuries of conflict with other Lycan kingdoms, were largely ineffective against an enemy that defied the laws of life and death. The direct, honorable engagements they were accustomed to were replaced by a shadowy, insidious war of attrition that chipped away at their strength and morale.
Selene's shadow tactics were a horrifying reflection of the Hollow Brood's corrupting influence – cunning, ruthless, and utterly devoid of mercy. The once-radiant queen had become a master of darkness, turning her kingdom into a weapon against those who had once been her allies. The Concord now faced not just an army of undead, but a foe that wielded fear, deception, and the very blight itself as instruments of war, making the fight for survival even more desperate.