<div>Thanks for the welcome, one and all :) Just sitting back and enjoying the story at the moment. Most of it is going over my head but it's still fun :)</div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 10:18 PM, Lev Lafayette <<a href="mailto:lev_lafayette@yahoo.com.au">lev_lafayette@yahoo.com.au</a>> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Scene 57: The Graveyard Shift (and new player, Damien)<br><br>Everyone's got an active role in this scene, so have<br>
fun :-)<br><br>(Except for our newest player Damien, who'se been<br>lurking for a few weeks, has had a character at the<br>ready, but has to wait until the end of this battle<br>before introducing him.. Welcome Damien, and thanks<br>
for your patience!)<br><br><br>After Anzhur's speech and the prayers of the Rokari<br>bishop, on the call of midnight, Theoblanc's army<br>struck. Under Anzhur's orders, the first wall was<br>already deserted ("stay within one arrow's shot")<br>
allowing the enemy forces into the Outer Ward.<br>Foolishly, the Nolos militia charged into what they<br>thought was an easy victory. But waiting for them was<br>the greatest and most proud Knights of Seshnela,<br>mounted upon their huge chargers barded in lameller,<br>
and themselves dressed in plate and mail, and weilding<br>kite shields, mighty lances and the horseman's flail.<br>Although, the militia were pikemen of a fashion, they<br>were not organised, they were not battle-ready and nor<br>
did they have the strength in their heart to face down<br>a horse and knight who, between them, weighed over ten<br>normal men and charging at over 1500 feet in a minute.<br><br><br>Such momentum! If any of the Nolos militia had courage<br>
or training they may have been able to stand their<br>ground, set their peasant pikes and use this power<br>against the knights. But courage and training was not<br>with them this eve, and they scattered across the<br>outer ward and were hewed down in excessive numbers by<br>
the forces of Segurane, until they fled the field<br>entirely.<br><br>The danger now was that the old Knights would lose<br>discipline, for their passion was great and many<br>relished the opportunity to cause great harm to their<br>
opponents of many years. But these were veterans of<br>many battles, and good sense had not deserted them,<br>especially when they saw the next group, many hundreds<br>of undead, skeletons and zombies who had made the<br>
crossing prior to the reflooding of the Deu. At this<br>sight, Anzhur felt great joy in his heart as magic of<br>Talor overcame him and be barely had time to issue<br>orders in between his laughter. "Form wedges", he<br>
guffawed, "penetrate deeply into their line, allow<br>them to surround. Each of you can hack ten of these<br>mindless corpses and you can do so with relish", and<br>so he charged, barely giving himself enough time for a<br>
wedge to be formed around him.<br><br>Anzhur had never experienced such delight fighting<br>that midnight, with red moon high overhead. Never<br>before had he experienced such overwhelming pleasure<br>whilst hewing at the limbs of the undead. Laughing<br>
joyously, he hacked away at scores of them, as they<br>came in their hundreds and more. And although<br>initially this caused some concern among the Knights<br>of Segurane, he was joined by the Swordsinger whose<br>voice rode high, and inspired the Knights to follow<br>
suit. And thus it was that the battlefield of the<br>Outer Ward was full of the laughter and singing of the<br>Knights of Segurane.<br><br>Their delerium seemed timeless, and it seemed that<br>nothing could defeat them. But it was Othor, the ever<br>
loyal squire who somehow managed to work his way into<br>the field to rouse the sensibilities of his master.<br>"I'm begging your pardons Anzhur, but the matters are<br>very serious indeed. Look!" - and he pointed to the<br>
arrival of the rough and hardened mercenaries into the<br>outer ward. "These people will not run at the sight of<br>a knight, and nor will they fight without tactics or<br>knowledge. And they outnumber you at least three to<br>
one." With a sigh, Anzhur sounded a retreat back to<br>the second wall.<br><br>All was not well there either. At the Outer Gate,<br>Jareena and a bloodied Marianne greeted Anzhur. At<br>first his heart leapt, but he realised that the blood<br>
was not hers, for she carried bandages for the<br>wounded. "I beg you good Knight and noble leader to<br>take refuge into the Inner Ward, for the Vampires have<br>taken the eastern wall. It was not as strong as it<br>
should have been, for it had been protected by the<br>clifface, the Tanier river and keephouse. But these<br>monsters have flight, and our weapons against such<br>beings are few indeed. Bowmen we have very few of, for<br>
that is a profession of country folk and ballista are<br>few on the towers facing that direction; although<br>there was oil and rockfalls. Not much use against a<br>flying opponent", she grimaced. "We sent our best<br>
Wizards against the Vampiric forces, but there numbers<br>were greater than our, and their magic stronger.<br>According to our priests none had ever encountered<br>Vampires as powerful and these, it is as if the spirit<br>
of Vivamort was with them this day. I beg you once<br>again, Anzhur, desert the second wall and seek the<br>refuge of the inner ward."<br><br>Anzhur looked deeply in her eyes and saw more than<br>just a love for her city. "Nay!", he exclaimed, and a<br>
look of dismay fell across her face.<br><br>"I do not seek the refuge of the inner ward,<br>especially when that will prove no safer from airborne<br>attacks that the middle ward. One against many! We go<br>underground! To the dungeons!"<br>
<br>(Reminder of the map of the castle:<br><a href="http://shawnbrown.com/maps/castle1.html" target="_blank">http://shawnbrown.com/maps/castle1.html</a>)<br><br>- - -<br><br>Meanwhile, some leagues to the west Aalmon with the<br>
trollkin continued to use his most suasive powers<br>against the mercenary leader, Sir Reinhaart. "The<br>contract", explains the mercenary captain, is with<br>Theoblanc. We operate under his orders - and his<br>
orders were to take out whatever opposition forces we<br>encountered in the western flank. So far we've found<br>you, a nasty river and the occassional Aldryami,<br>although I'm not sure you're an opponent, at least in<br>
the military sense or at least not know. Also I have<br>my reputation to maintain - I consider it a point of<br>honour that I've never betrayed my employers in either<br>the letter or spirit of a contract. It has meant that<br>
we have indeed been very well payed in the past and<br>now. Much better than Knights to various lords. Poor<br>bastards", he sighs. "Fighting for some kingdom or<br>other, to be a broken man by thirty, dependent on<br>
charity thereafter. Only those who manage to get some<br>land out of the deal retire in any comfort. And you<br>know what they say about that don't you?"<br><br>Aalmon looked at the Knight [rolled 4 for the riddle].<br>
"They're not making any more?"<br><br>Reinhaart roared with laughter, and slapped Aalmon on<br>the back so hard it almost knocked the courier over.<br>"I like you! I tell you what. I'll take your gold and<br>
I'll fulfill every part of the contract. The Western<br>Flank of Theoblanc's forces will indeed be protected<br>and I will ensure that every inch of this land is free<br>from opposition. But to be fair", he said, running the<br>
gold through his fingers, "I'll give you and your<br>forces an hour's head start to get out of my way.<br>We'll be going from here - to here - and here" he<br>said, whilst laying a map out on the table and tracing<br>
lines west along the Deu River, across and north up<br>the Nidan River, and then east along the Deu until<br>reaching Seguarane. "Who knows, maybe we won't even<br>find a single Elf on all our journeys, eh? I pity any<br>
we do find in a way..."<br><br>He stared intently at Aalmon with a smile. "I think<br>you have fifty-nine minutes and thirty seconds now..."<br><br>- - -<br><br>Meanwhile at the banks of the Deu and Nidan Rivers,<br>
and relatively far from any battles, Kalen Ironhand<br>found himself rather unpleasantly surrounded by the<br>various Elves and Runners. His beautiful dam was<br>unfortunately damned from the beginning, although the<br>rush of water that he created from the explosion was<br>
indeed a magnificant creation. "Better than even the<br>speed of the sewer pipes of Bad Deal", he sighed to<br>nobody in particular, knowing quite well that the<br>Aldryami wouldn't understand.<br><br>"But not as good as the bridge of Nidan Pass",<br>
responded a gruff voice. Kalen looked up in shock to<br>see another Dwarf - it was the bargeman, Ivar<br>Rivermann. "I heard that that there was some sort of<br>battle going on, 'round here. Well, I kinda guessed<br>
which side you were fighting on, so I came along to<br>lend you a hand. I mean what Mostal wouldn't do that,<br>eh? Oh, and I brought a few friends too. Hope you<br>don't mind." From the bushes came forth several score<br>
Dwarves from the Iron Mountains, clad head to toe in<br>plate and carrying muskets. Kalen could barely contain<br>his surprise, and Ivar noticed this. With a smirk he<br>remarked, "Funny sort of business is war. You end up<br>
making friends with all sorts of people. Following the<br>Dwarves came forth a number of Elves and Beastmen,<br>centaurs, manticores, minatours, satyrs and even the<br>dog-headed sedrali. Behind them, a young man with blue<br>
eyes and long blue-black curls. "Tierre of Caskell,<br>from the Castle Rhis!", exclaimed Kalen. "What on<br>earth are you doing here?"<br><br>"Helping restore and old religion", he remarked<br>
cryptically. "And helping some new friends."<br><br>"So, Kalen, we're at your leave. Tell us what to do.<br>After that is, you've given me a swig of your drink.<br>It was thirsty weather getting here. For some reason<br>
the bloody river wasn't flowing as fast as it should<br>have been!"<br><br>- - -<br><br>Whilst mopping up great numbers of the skeletons on<br>the south side of the Deu proved simple enough, Icthya<br>was hardly one to carry out simple tasks alone. Edging<br>
closer and closer to the water's edge, she found<br>herself in the midst of the remaining army of<br>skeletons and their vampiric leaders. The Vampires<br>were ordering the skeleton to build a makeshift bridge<br>of the wrecked trees. It tore at the hearts of the<br>
Aldryami-in-disguise to see the bones of their<br>brothers and sisters treated so rudely and for such an<br>ill use, but they kept their silence. Keeping just<br>outside the possible range of Detection magics they<br>whispered among themselves for a possible plan of<br>
action. Stay on the south bank? Destroy the bridge?<br>Cross with the others? The possibilities were endless<br>- as long as they remained undetected.<br><br>- - -<br><br>Knarl twitched and awoke with a start - and promptly<br>
fell down again. The effects of Karala and Theonara's<br>drugs were indeed strong and whilst he felt the<br>transformation to wolf form running through his body,<br>it felt somewhat numbed from usual. Alone of his<br>
people he was fully versed in the effects of the drug<br>and indeed he had some familiarity with such<br>concotions from his travels through Western Marinara<br>and the Arstola Forest. He looked up at Karala and<br>snarled "I don't think I'll be able to hold out for<br>
too much longer... and when I transform.. You'd better<br>look out.. You're looking pretty tasty even now", he<br>offered a smile before passing out again.<br><br>"They are beginning to stir", remarked Theonara<br>
matter-of-factly. It was indeed true. Within twenty<br>minutes Karala estimated and the Telmori would be in<br>their full wolven form. Ravenous, angry and very, very<br>powerful.<br><br>"We must prepare our escape"...<br>
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