[HQ Ignorance] Scene 57: The Graveyard Shift (and new player, Damien)

[Lev Lafayette]

Scene 57: The Graveyard Shift (and new player, Damien)

Everyone's got an active role in this scene, so have
fun :-)

(Except for our newest player Damien, who'se been
lurking for a few weeks, has had a character at the
ready, but has to wait until the end of this battle
before introducing him.. Welcome Damien, and thanks
for your patience!)


After Anzhur's speech and the prayers of the Rokari
bishop, on the call of midnight, Theoblanc's army
struck. Under Anzhur's orders, the first wall was
already deserted ("stay within one arrow's shot")
allowing the enemy forces into the Outer Ward.
Foolishly, the Nolos militia charged into what they
thought was an easy victory. But waiting for them was
the greatest and most proud Knights of Seshnela,
mounted upon their huge chargers barded in lameller,
and themselves dressed in plate and mail, and weilding
kite shields, mighty lances and the horseman's flail.
Although, the militia were pikemen of a fashion, they
were not organised, they were not battle-ready and nor
did they have the strength in their heart to face down
a horse and knight who, between them, weighed over ten
normal men and charging at over 1500 feet in a minute.


Such momentum! If any of the Nolos militia had courage
or training they may have been able to stand their
ground, set their peasant pikes and use this power
against the knights. But courage and training was not
with them this eve, and they scattered across the
outer ward and were hewed down in excessive numbers by
the forces of Segurane, until they fled the field
entirely.

The danger now was that the old Knights would lose
discipline, for their passion was great and many
relished the opportunity to cause great harm to their
opponents of many years. But these were veterans of
many battles, and good sense had not deserted them,
especially when they saw the next group, many hundreds
of undead, skeletons and zombies who had made the
crossing prior to the reflooding of the Deu. At this
sight, Anzhur felt great joy in his heart as magic of
Talor overcame him and be barely had time to issue
orders in between his laughter. "Form wedges", he
guffawed, "penetrate deeply into their line, allow
them to surround. Each of you can hack ten of these
mindless corpses and you can do so with relish", and
so he charged, barely giving himself enough time for a
wedge to be formed around him.

Anzhur had never experienced such delight fighting
that midnight, with red moon high overhead. Never
before had he experienced such overwhelming pleasure
whilst hewing at the limbs of the undead. Laughing
joyously, he hacked away at scores of them, as they
came in their hundreds and more. And although
initially this caused some concern among the Knights
of Segurane, he was joined by the Swordsinger whose
voice rode high, and inspired the Knights to follow
suit. And thus it was that the battlefield of the
Outer Ward was full of the laughter and singing of the
Knights of Segurane.

Their delerium seemed timeless, and it seemed that
nothing could defeat them. But it was Othor, the ever
loyal squire who somehow managed to work his way into
the field to rouse the sensibilities of his master.
"I'm begging your pardons Anzhur, but the matters are
very serious indeed. Look!" - and he pointed to the
arrival of the rough and hardened mercenaries into the
outer ward. "These people will not run at the sight of
a knight, and nor will they fight without tactics or
knowledge. And they outnumber you at least three to
one." With a sigh, Anzhur sounded a retreat back to
the second wall.

All was not well there either. At the Outer Gate,
Jareena and a bloodied Marianne greeted Anzhur. At
first his heart leapt, but he realised that the blood
was not hers, for she carried bandages for the
wounded. "I beg you good Knight and noble leader to
take refuge into the Inner Ward, for the Vampires have
taken the eastern wall. It was not as strong as it
should have been, for it had been protected by the
clifface, the Tanier river and keephouse. But these
monsters have flight, and our weapons against such
beings are few indeed. Bowmen we have very few of, for
that is a profession of country folk and ballista are
few on the towers facing that direction; although
there was oil and rockfalls. Not much use against a
flying opponent", she grimaced. "We sent our best
Wizards against the Vampiric forces, but there numbers
were greater than our, and their magic stronger.
According to our priests none had ever encountered
Vampires as powerful and these, it is as if the spirit
of Vivamort was with them this day. I beg you once
again, Anzhur, desert the second wall and seek the
refuge of the inner ward."

Anzhur looked deeply in her eyes and saw more than
just a love for her city. "Nay!", he exclaimed, and a
look of dismay fell across her face. 

"I do not seek the refuge of the inner ward,
especially when that will prove no safer from airborne
attacks that the middle ward. One against many! We go
underground! To the dungeons!"

(Reminder of the map of the castle:
http://shawnbrown.com/maps/castle1.html)

- - -

Meanwhile, some leagues to the west Aalmon with the
trollkin continued to use his most suasive powers
against the mercenary leader, Sir Reinhaart. "The
contract", explains the mercenary captain, is with
Theoblanc. We operate under his orders - and his
orders were to take out whatever opposition forces we
encountered in the western flank. So far we've found
you, a nasty river and the occassional Aldryami,
although I'm not sure you're an opponent, at least in
the military sense or at least not know. Also I have
my reputation to maintain - I consider it a point of
honour that I've never betrayed my employers in either
the letter or spirit of a contract. It has meant that
we have indeed been very well payed in the past and
now. Much better than Knights to various lords. Poor
bastards", he sighs. "Fighting for some kingdom or
other, to be a broken man by thirty, dependent on
charity thereafter. Only those who manage to get some
land out of the deal retire in any comfort. And you
know what they say about that don't you?"

Aalmon looked at the Knight [rolled 4 for the riddle].
"They're not making any more?"

Reinhaart roared with laughter, and slapped Aalmon on
the back so hard it almost knocked the courier over.
"I like you! I tell you what. I'll take your gold and
I'll fulfill every part of the contract. The Western
Flank of Theoblanc's forces will indeed be protected
and I will ensure that every inch of this land is free
from opposition. But to be fair", he said, running the
gold through his fingers, "I'll give you and your
forces an hour's head start to get out of my way.
We'll be going from here - to here - and here" he
said, whilst laying a map out on the table and tracing
lines west along the Deu River, across and north up
the Nidan River, and then east along the Deu until
reaching Seguarane. "Who knows, maybe we won't even
find a single Elf on all our journeys, eh? I pity any
we do find in a way..."

He stared intently at Aalmon with a smile. "I think
you have fifty-nine minutes and thirty seconds now..."

- - -

Meanwhile at the banks of the Deu and Nidan Rivers,
and relatively far from any battles, Kalen Ironhand
found himself rather unpleasantly surrounded by the
various Elves and Runners. His beautiful dam was
unfortunately damned from the beginning, although the
rush of water that he created from the explosion was
indeed a magnificant creation. "Better than even the
speed of the sewer pipes of Bad Deal", he sighed to
nobody in particular, knowing quite well that the
Aldryami wouldn't understand.

"But not as good as the bridge of Nidan Pass",
responded a gruff voice. Kalen looked up in shock to
see another Dwarf - it was the bargeman, Ivar
Rivermann. "I heard that that there was some sort of
battle going on, 'round here. Well, I kinda guessed
which side you were fighting on, so I came along to
lend you a hand. I mean what Mostal wouldn't do that,
eh? Oh, and I brought a few friends too. Hope you
don't mind." From the bushes came forth several score
Dwarves from the Iron Mountains, clad head to toe in
plate and carrying muskets. Kalen could barely contain
his surprise, and Ivar noticed this. With a smirk he
remarked, "Funny sort of business is war. You end up
making friends with all sorts of people. Following the
Dwarves came forth a number of Elves and Beastmen,
centaurs, manticores, minatours, satyrs and even the
dog-headed sedrali. Behind them, a young man with blue
eyes and long blue-black curls. "Tierre of Caskell,
from the Castle Rhis!", exclaimed Kalen. "What on
earth are you doing here?"

"Helping restore and old religion", he remarked
cryptically. "And helping some new friends."

"So, Kalen, we're at your leave. Tell us what to do.
After that is, you've given me a swig of your drink.
It was thirsty weather getting here. For some reason
the bloody river wasn't flowing as fast as it should
have been!"

- - - 

Whilst mopping up great numbers of the skeletons on
the south side of the Deu proved simple enough, Icthya
was hardly one to carry out simple tasks alone. Edging
closer and closer to the water's edge, she found
herself in the midst of the remaining army of
skeletons and their vampiric leaders. The Vampires
were ordering the skeleton to build a makeshift bridge
of the wrecked trees. It tore at the hearts of the
Aldryami-in-disguise to see the bones of their
brothers and sisters treated so rudely and for such an
ill use, but they kept their silence. Keeping just
outside the possible range of Detection magics they
whispered among themselves for a possible plan of
action. Stay on the south bank? Destroy the bridge?
Cross with the others? The possibilities were endless
- as long as they remained undetected.

- - -

Knarl twitched and awoke with a start - and promptly
fell down again. The effects of Karala and Theonara's
drugs were indeed strong and whilst he felt the
transformation to wolf form running through his body,
it felt somewhat numbed from usual. Alone of his
people he was fully versed in the effects of the drug
and indeed he had some familiarity with such
concotions from his travels through Western Marinara
and the Arstola Forest. He looked up at Karala and
snarled "I don't think I'll be able to hold out for
too much longer... and when I transform.. You'd better
look out.. You're looking pretty tasty even now", he
offered a smile before passing out again.

"They are beginning to stir", remarked Theonara
matter-of-factly. It was indeed true. Within twenty
minutes Karala estimated and the Telmori would be in
their full wolven form. Ravenous, angry and very, very
powerful.

"We must prepare our escape"...


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