The Corsair King worked to bring the disparate navies of Vailin under one banner, but his efforts to organize them seemed doomed from the start. Still they proved themselves all valorous when their moment came and the larges battle at sea in 1000 years happened off the shores of Zembar in the Sea of Mist.
The Iron Circle's navy set off from the occupied Duchy of Solandir and the Solannin Sea, heading north for the central isle, intent on crushing their only rival for the worlds largest navy. Four fleets of ships and four great storm elementals lead by a High Priest of Asmodeus and Irelyassa the Warlock locked horns with the mighty fleet of Vailin. The Corsair King himself had six fleets of ships under various flags and two great storm elementals.
By mid day, half of the Iron Circle's fleet had been sunk, but two thirds of Vailin's was on fire or broken by the fury of the Citadel's sorcery. In the afternoon, with the sun high in the sky, the Corsair King and a brave band of Zembar marines boarded the flagship flying the red and black of the Iron Circle. Fire and lightning cut through their ranks and they died fighting bravely, but in the end the Citadel's devils carried the day with two of their elementals and enough surviving ships to reform one ragtag fleet.
As Admiral Norneiros Swordhand tore down his camp north in the Amil Forest, he could feel the loss of his men to the south, though he did not yet know of their fate. His heart felt weary as he prepared to battle the assembled might of Bloodmagus Kein, the conquerer of Zaarnath from the Satropy of Numoth. His attendant rushed to tell him that the griffons they brought with them from the mainland had fallen ill and were dying. At first they suspected it was some foul Karkothi plague, but their healers divined the truth was that someone had infiltrated their ranks and poisoned the horseflesh they fed the griffons.
Grimly, the Admiral led his remaining army of footsoldiers and cavalrymen through the woods without their griffon mounts. They met the goblin soliders on even terms and crushed the first wave of Kein's forces easily, though their own men fell beneath the waves of flame that flooded the brush from the Bloodmagus' fire-belching death machines. The survivors fled in disarray, many burning while the forest itself burned all around. Nornerios fought his way to the evil Bloodmagus, but before he could land a blow he felt his heart pounding as his blood boiled in his veins. When he awoke he was a prisoner in Kein's encamped forces. His men had been nailed to the burnt trees all around, creating a grisly monument to the Iron Circle's victory.
