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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mathew_Freeman" data-source="post: 4653427" data-attributes="member: 1846">The Most Basic Rule of Warfare Part 4“Ladies and gentlemen, a battle hard fought indeed, well done to everyone, well done,” began Des, “Excellent swordwork may I say Elwanen, and Cass, you held the warchief at bay with vigour and determination. Theron, that was exceptionally brave to engage in melee as you did, and Aran, loved the trick with the cauldron. Fangorn, mobility and maliscious mauling in perfect harmony if I may say so, and Fau… well… very sinister, very sinister indeed! Well done all of you.”“There is however something I would like to add. May I at this point raise an issue that has been preying on my mind for some time?” spoke Des.“Is this going to be another critical analysis of our tactics?” responded Elwanen wearily.“Well, as time is pressing and we are not afforded the luxury of a point-by-point breakdown of our entire battle stratagem, I will [instead if I may] focus on one particular, one single, one individual tactical ploy that struck me as most conspicuous by it’s absence just now.”“If it’s the one about going for the knees, I was doing that!” explained Aran.“No, it is not that to which I refer…” continued the Tiefling.“Do you mean keep them from forming a phalanx? Because we managed to break them up in the end, but it wasn’t easy,” said Fangorn.“No, no. While these are all fine stratagems in themselves, I am actually talking about something far more fundamental in warfare…”“Ah!” declared Elwanen, “It’s that one about staying together and not splitting up!”“Even more important than that, i’m afraid, and as such, a battle tactic sorely lacking from this outfit [in my estimation] as I see it at the moment…”“Are you perhaps referring to the obscenities uttered in the heat of battle? I can assure you I exercise nothing but the most refined vocabulary as a matter of course,” justified Theron.“He’s talking about strikers and defenders, I think,” offered Cass“Is it about charging down a narrow passageway into a well fortified position?” inquired the hobgoblin captive helpfully, although tentatively.“Is it about taking prisoners? Because I can fix that right now,” said the warlock.“No, my fine friends, it is none of these. It is something far more crucial to our survival than formation groupings, points of attack, who’s defending who, which vital organ to puncture, the application of harsh language, or the merciless execution of prisoners.”“You see, I couldn’t help noticing some ‘machismo’ creeping in during the battle…”“What are they? I only saw hobgoblins!” chirped Aran cheerily.“Not a ‘they’ as such my stout friend. I am speaking of the manly tendency to embolden oneself infront of ones friends and allies. The masculine urge to hide ones own weakness. Specifically, on no less than 2 separate occasions during the last combat did I inquire whether anyone needed healing, and the each one of you replied negatively.”“In fact, you all shrugged of my offer with a ‘Not I, i’m tickety-boo”’ or ‘I’ve had much worse than this, don’t you know!” or “Do I look like I need healing!” or some such carry on, and then moments later, but barely moments later…” Des looked around at his comrades, one long eyebrow raised, “No fewer than two of you are lying on the ground, almost dead, and several more of you are staggering around bleeding all over the place. Now, you know who you are so I’m not going to name any names, but I want to take this opportunity to make clear The. Most. Basic. Rule. Of. Warfare.” Pausing for dramatic emphasis, the Tiefling drew a breath.“If you need healing, say so. Be brave. Own up.”The adventurers mulled quietly upon this point for a while, as they slowly dispersed and began rifling through the hobgoblins belongings.</blockquote>

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