The Battle of Tel Kei, Rise of the War Machine

During the Last Great War, The Lords of Fortune and Fire were dealt their first major defeat at the Battle of Tel Kei.   Developed over the course of seven years, the first war machine that would later earn the moniker of 'Slayer', had been assembled at the hidden base beneath Tel Kei. Only capable of firing three Great Lances, and requiring five operators to move, aim, and fire. It weighed in at twenty tons and could move barely two miles an hour. It was assumed that the machine would only stand against dragonfire for about a minute before the plating would begin to buckle and melt, meaning that operators would have to be fast and accurate. Across the side in bright red paint read DRAGON SLAYER, a declaration of confidence, dedication, and fearlessness. However, rebel leaders could not agree when or if to deploy their new weapon. If it didn't work it would be a waste of enormous expense and lives.   The decision on what to do was made for them when three dragons fell upon the base. The first untested War Machine rolled out to battle the three dragons. It survived fiery bombardment long enough to shoot two of the dragons out of the sky, before a fuel rupture caused it to explode killing all five operators. The third dragon and it's rider fled, perhaps believing there were more of the weapons lying in wait.   Such incredible proof of the weapon's effectiveness against what was the greatest power in the world created a ripple among the both the members of the rebellion and the civilian population. These brutal metal 'beasts' became horrible beacons of hope. Instead of years before they were able to build another, it was eight months before the second Slayer rolled onto the battlefield and brought down a Skydancer.