D&D: Kazadar Empire

[Faehlle Cennaire]

Faehlle shakes her head gently. "My friend, I fear I haven't explained my plan appropriately. Please allow me clarify." With that Fae tries explain her plan again for fear that Dolfuur, Gilbie and Captain Arazar have misundestood.

{ooc: I'm sorry Dolfuur, but I'm somewhat confused by your response. I think maybe I didn't clarify my plan appropriately as I think you misunderstood part of it.

I'm not suggesting that we attack the city before they move, but wait until they are on the road, vulnerable and unsuspecting. I also agree that we do not want to give up the element of surprise. I'm suggesting a kind of trap we could use once the troops from Taran are already on the road headed to the keep. We are engaging them on the road between Taran and the keep, correct? If so, we have to come up with a plan for how we mean to strike them.

Fae's idea is to engage the force that (hopefully) will be heading from Taran to the Keep; first with our archers to soften them up and draw them into a battle, then attack with our infantry (preferably after luring them in), and finally hitting them with our cavalry (in the rear or the flank) when they are most vulnerable and leaving them little if any avenue of retreat. I want to wipe out these troops on the road before they can reach the keep, which, as you say, requires that we remain undetected by the Kazadar troops until we spring the trap.

Sorry for the long OOC, but I'm leaving for California in a couple days (gone for a week or so) and had to make my own position clear so that we understand each other. }

 

[Dolfuur]

[OOC: Have fun in the sun

You're right, I misunderstood what you meant!]

Dolfuur listens as the Elf explains her bold plan to force their foes into a trap once they march. "A good use o' all er forces," he says commendingly. "It's a better plan than mine, which was jest te wait fer 'em. This allows fer 'em te split up and get muddled in their lines, plus get cut off frem behind wit er fastest troops."

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

With the smaller force
Arazar is not overly familiar with the terrain around Taran but several of the soldiers are somewhat familiar. A couple of them are selected to go with Faehlle to scout out a suitable location for the forces to set up.

In the meantime, the rest of the force is kept somewhat farther away from the trail to the keep, hidden between gently rolling hills. The men prepare themselves for battle, with most either sharpening weapons, oiling armor or loading up on arrows.

OOC: In answer to Dolfuur's question about racial and class composition of the smaller force, they are all human. There are no mages in the group, but there are two in the larger force. There are a couple of clerics in the force though, but they are more along the lines of fighting priests, rather than magic-powerful.

With the larger force
Samiz hands Trent a necklace that he removes from a pouch that hangs from his waist. "Put this on, Trent," he says. "It is a necklace of fireballs. The two beads left on the strand will release powerful fireball spells upon impact when thrown. With your ability to turn invisible, they might come in extremely handy in the coming battle. Just try to use them somewhere where you won't be endangering our own troops."

 

[bkmanis]

Trent takes the necklace and studies it closely with intense curiosity. After a moment he looks up at Samiz sheepishly. "Thank you, I will be very careful." Trent then puts the necklace around his neck.

 

[maddmic]

Gilbie prepares himself for battle as well. He checks his bolts to ensure that they are in good repair. He then turns hisattention to his short sword. He begins sharpening it, all the while hoping that he won't be too close to the hand to hand portion of the combat.

OOC:
Gilbie has some spells memorized that should help the group. Once Fae returns and the group readies for battle, he will cast Bless on as many people as he can, ensuring to get Fae, Dolfuur and himself. He will do this only when the enemy is almost upon them as there is a time limit to the spell.

Also, did we ever get our HP's for our update?

 

[Dolfuur]

Dolfuur lets Fae organise the outriding trap/feint while he focuses his energies on getting to know the men and deciding the best places to put them for the fighting ahead.

 

[Faehlle Cennaire]

{ooc: Are the men mounted? Can they be?}

"Captain Arazar, can you spare these men horses if they do not have them?"

Faehlle then asks to meet the men and makes immediate preparations to set out with them. "We ride soon, now, Ceiloene, Who Runs Under Unclouded Skies" she coos to her elven steed. "Bare me swiftly."

Heeling Ceiloene about she bids her friends farewell for now and she rides off with the other scouts to find a location to lay the trap.

{ooc: The location should provide for cover and concealment for the infantry (low hills, pos. w/ woods would be ideal), as well as hiding the cavalry until their chance to strike. Higher ground will give the achers an advantage while harassing the enemy, and the infantry and advantage if the enemy can be lured to them. Flat ground behind the enemy will allow for an optimal strike by the cavalry, but as long as it can allow for the enemy to be cut off and denied escape, they may hopefully surrender rather than be surrounded and totally destroyed.

Hopefully the group will be mounted and can move quickly, but even so, if Faehlle feels threatened she will dismount, motioning for the others to do the same so that the group can move quitely and unseen, and hopefully escape confrontation entirely if confronted with a situation that might blow their cover.

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

OOC: Hit points have been generated for each of you for 4th level. The results were posted in the Rogue's Gallery thread. Go ahead and update your sheets to reflect the new total.

IC:
With the smaller force
Gilbie sets up with the archers on a wooded hill about 150 feet from the road. The cover is decent and the men are able to remain relatively unseen from the road. Dolfuur and Arazar are also among the infantry on this same hill, out of sight on the backside of the hill. The archers number around 150 and the infantry around 250. None of these men have mounts. Fae sets up amongst the cavalry, who number around 100 men, in a shallow valley a few hundred yards away from the hill where the rest of the force is staging. The enemy will pass this location before they reach the archers and the infantry. This will allow for the archers and infantry to engage the enemy leaving the cavalry to move up from the rear and keep the enemy from retreating to Taran. Nothing to do now but wait...

With the larger force
Trent safely attaches the necklace around his neck and tucks it into his shirt. After another thirty minutes of marching, the ragtag army is within sight of the keep. Samiz and the other wizard that Trent didn't meet briefly confer with Osbourne and his chief lieutenants and then orders are given to the entire force. The archers, some 500 strong, fan out and surround the keep at a fair distance. Behind these men, the infantry deploy, some 1200 strong. Lastly, the 300 man calvary deploy behind the infantry. Four seige towers are brought forward, along with half a dozen catapults. Sticking close to the wizards, Trent listens as they prepare their own special brand of assault on the keep. At this point, activity can be seen atop the walls of the keep. It is obvious that they have discovered that an army surrounds them. Trent can't help but think that this is going to be a messy, savage seige. Moments later, a command is given and the catapults spring into action. The first shot hits the top of one of the walls, sending stone and wood exploding into the early morning air. Screaming and yelling is heard coming from the keep. This first hit is followed by a couple more and then the catapults are being reset for another barrage. The archers let loose with their first volley of arrows. Many hits are scored and several bodies tumble from the walls of the keep. The archers continue to fire as the seige towers lumber forward, followed by large numbers of infantry. The Kazadar still have not launched an attack of their own, obviously caught offguard by the attack of Osbourne's troops, and still getting their own forces in position.

Samiz calls Trent aside. "The catapults will have breached the walls soon," he yells over the sounds of battle. "Once they do, we need to be in position. Do you think you can get close to that gap?" he asks, pointing to a section of wall being pulverized by the first catapult to fire. Once the breach is large enough, the Kazadar will certainly move troops into the breach to protect the keep. If you can get close enough unseen, you can launch both of those beads from the necklace I gave you. That will open the way for our troops to gain entry and will suprise the troops inside."

 

[bkmanis]

Samiz calls Trent aside. "The catapults will have breached the walls soon," he yells over the sounds of battle. "Once they do, we need to be in position. Do you think you can get close to that gap?" he asks, pointing to a section of wall being pulverized by the first catapult to fire. Once the breach is large enough, the Kazadar will certainly move troops into the breach to protect the keep. If you can get close enough unseen, you can launch both of those beads from the necklace I gave you. That will open the way for our troops to gain entry and will suprise the troops inside."

"I can do that." Trent responds. He then cast a spell of protection (Mage Armor) on himself. When the time is right Trent cast invisibility on himself, then moving quickly but carefully towards the breach. Trent does his best to avoid interfering with his own troops, looking for a good spot to throw the fireballs. When he reaches a good vantage point to throw the beads Trent times his throws for the best possible results. After throwing the beads Trent will again cast invisibility on himself and hurry to a safe location.

 

[maddmic]

Gilbie stands on the hill with the archers waiting for the enemy. Once the enemy is in sight, he will cast Bless on as many troops as possible, trying to get Dolfuur in the radius too.