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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 12, 2007 3:23:28 GMT -5
The Helmarie Army reverses direction with some grumbling by the troops. They march back to the hill and no enemy troops are there.
On Andien's order, the Helmarie troops prepare for battle on the hilltop. Scouts are sent out and soon report that the larger enemy force is advancing towards them.
Two more foss pass and the enemy army comes within sight of the Helmarie troops on the hill. The enemy are obviously Imperial Army troops and they do appear to number about a thousand men. They pause for a while and then begin to move around the hill to the south.
Ekanor Falan Andien informs Ulor Esinie, "I plan to order our troops to come down off the hill and attack the enemy. We'll give up the high ground, but I don't think they are going to attack us here. We have the advantage. I think we should strike now."
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Esinie
Junior Member
The master sword
Posts: 78
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Post by Esinie on Dec 15, 2007 1:42:29 GMT -5
"It may be a feint but I'll give the go ahead to attack." Esinie said to Andien.
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 15, 2007 1:47:48 GMT -5
The Trond drums began to pound their ominous beat as the Army of Helmarie tromped down off their hill and advanced menacingly towards the Imperial Army force. At the sight of this, Ekanor Falan Torimuk ordered his men to form a defensive line and prepare for battle. There was little time, but the 1st Kantora Glantogran formed up on the left while the 2nd Kantora Glantogran formed up on the right. There was still a small gap between them when the first arrows of the Trond archers began falling amongst the Imperial troops.
"Steady boys!" Torimuk ordered when he saw signs that the morale of his men was wavering.
"Damn those drums," Torimuk said to Razik, "They're going to spook the men."
Razik said, "I'm not as worried about the drums as I am about that," he said, pointing at a vast horde of well over two thousand warriors approaching fast. Those in the lead weren't even soldiers, they were Trond tribesmen dressed in furs and armed with spears and war hammers. They were large men. At this moment, they looked like giants striding across the battlefield with long hair trailing behind them like small capes.
The first of the Tronds approached the Imperial line and attacked fiercely with barbaric war cries, but they were driven back.Torimuk saw two of his own men lying on the ground, but none of the Tronds had fallen. Then the main force of the Helmarie Army attacked. With a mighty war cry, two thousand men charged the Imperial line. To his horror, Torimuk saw the enemy breaking through his line in three places already and many of his men had already begun to flee without even fighting. Torimuk rode towards the largest group of Imperial Army troops that were holding their ground. It was the 2nd Kantora Glantogran. Torimuk came up behind the line and saw men trying to run, he drew his sword and threatened to cut them down for cowardice if they didn't get back and fight. Most of them stopped and returned to the battle line. A few slipped away behind Torimuk. By now, the line was ragged and the fight was becoming a wild mele instead of an organized battle. Torimuk spurred his horse on and hacked at several Trond soldiers, slashing one on the head and knocking him down as Torimuk's sword rang off the Trond's iron helmet.
Torimuk made his way to where Gurikan Ardimuk of the 2nd Kantora Glantogran was standing. Torimuk shouted, "Attack! Order your men to attack!"
Ardimuk gave the order, but only about two hundred men followed him. Torimuk looked in vain for Gurikan Konigak, commander of the 1st Kantora Glantogran. He could not see him in the chaos of the battle. Torimuk, Ardimuk and his brave two hundred fought their way deep into the mass of rebel troops. The men on both sides were packed together so tightly that it was almost impossible to swing a weapon. It became more of a shoving match than a fight. Then, some of the Tronds gave way and began to run.
"Victory is ours!" Torimuk shouted and urged the men to press the attack. Torimuk did not realize that the reason the enemy troops were thinning out was because the rest of his own force had turned and run and most of the rebels were chasing them. With bravery born of ignorance, he pressed on the attack until he and Ardimuk and over a hundred men had pushed all the way through the rebel lines. Then Torimuk ordered them to turn and attack the enemy from behind, "Turn their flank!" Torimuk shouted, though in the chaos he could no longer tell where the enemy flanks were or even the enemy's main line. There appeared to be no more lines, only a huge mob of men running every which way, all wearing Imperial Army equipment. It was no longer even possible to tell which ones were actual Imperial Army troops and which ones were the rebels. Assuming the ones nearest were rebels, Torimuk and Ardimuk and the men with them charged into the fray. The enemy fled before them. Soon the whole battle seemed to have disintegrated into small groups, some heading back towards the hill, some going away from it.
"What happened to the rest of our men?" Gurikan Ardimuk asked.
"I don't know," Torimuk said nervously as he realized that only fifty or so men were still loyally following behind his horse and most or all of the hundreds of others around them appeared to be Tronds.
One of the Tronds pointed at Torimuk and shouted to the others, "There's the enemy! Get them!"
Torimuk spurred his horse and charged the man who said that. The Imperial soldiers following him broke into a run. The Trond ran from the horse. Torimuk slashed at him with a sword, but didn't hit. Then he led the men who were still following him back to where he thought the Imperial line was, but it was gone. Torimuk led them further in the same direction, looking for the rest of his forces until they had left the rebels far behind.
Ekanor Falan Andien watched the battle and saw his Helmarie troops retreating. At first he urged them to return to the fight, but when this didn't work, he ordered them to return to the hill top and hold that position. It seemed that the fighting had been brief and ineffective and that both armies had lost all unit cohesion almost immediately.
Andien now feared the enemy would regroup and attack his scattered and disorganized force so he rode around ordering them all back to the hill.
As time passed, Helmarie soldiers began congregating on the hill top. Ulor Esinie was there and Andien said to him, "I saw very few dead and wounded on the battlefield. The enemy seems to have fled, but our men are too disorganized to pursue. I think the main enemy force has fled Southwest, but we'll have to send out scouts to be sure. We need better discipline. We can't fight a war like this."
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 30, 2007 1:31:59 GMT -5
The Roadside Hill Top Glantogran Province, Zekresh Empire
30th day, 1st month, 41 Cledman VI
The army of Helmarie camped on the hilltop overnight. Stragglers from the battle kept trickling into camp all through the night.
Sentries were posted against the possibility of an attack in the night by the Empire, but the night was peaceful. Only a strange howling wind and the moaning of the wounded disturbed the sleeping soldiers.
The morning of the 30th, was cold and overcast, but the rain had stopped and there was no fog. Ekanor Falan Andien could see a great distance from the hilltop. He could even see the smoke of campfires to the South.
Realizing with glee that this was probably the enemy army, Ekanor Falan Andien gave orders for the Helmarie troops to prepare to march. He also sent out scouts on horseback to confirm the location of the enemy and more scouts on foot to watch the road.
Andien called upon his kantora commanders and the archers to report the status of their units. All units reported almost all men present and ready to fight. More precise inquiries revealed to Andien's astonishment that only five men had been lost in the previous day's fighting and three of those were only wounded.
Worfien, the leader of the auxilliaries reported his men as having suffered no losses whatsoever and being ready to fight. "Aganor" (Ekanor) Kelvie of the archers also reported no losses.
Gurikans Starnie, Travanie and Ganie, commanders of the 1st, 2nd and 4th Kantoro Helmarie reported minimal losses and their men eager to fight again. However, they were not ready to march because some of their troops were out raiding nearby farms for food supplies.
Ekanor Falan Andien ordered the men to prepare to march, but to hold the position on the hill. He hoped the raiders would be back by the time the scouts confirmed the enemy's position.
In fact, the first scouts to report were those on foot who were watching the road. They came back along with a man they had intercepted coming down the road on horseback. He was dressed in Imperial Army armour, but he looked and talked like a Trond and claimed to be a member of the Helmarie Army's 3rd Kantora.
The 3rd Kantora Helmarie was at the fortress at Kast Gorumyva so nobody at the hilltop knew him. The man was taken to Ekanor Falan Andien and Ulor Esinie. He said, "I am Nonie of the 3rd Kantora Helmarie. I have been sent by Guragan Grathien as a messenger to deliver news to Ulor Esinie. The news is that another kantora of Tronds arrived from the north yesterday to reinforce us at the fortress, but they are not from Helmarie. They are led by a man named Gesanie. He says he and his men are part of the Aatanian Army. They are waiting at Kast Gorumyva now. Gesanie also says that the rest of the Aatanian Army is coming right behind him. I am to carry a return message to Guragan Grathien if you have one for him."
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 30, 2007 2:48:51 GMT -5
While Andien and Esinie conferred and Nonie, the messenger waited for a reply, Gurikan Travanie came to them and reported that one of the prisoners had died.
"What prisoners?" Andien asked.
"We captured seven enemy soldiers yesterday. I thought you knew that. Five wounded and two cowards."
Andien laughed at that and said, "Has anyone asked them what units they are from and who is in command of the force we fought yesterday?"
"Yes, I did. The force we fought is the 1st Kantora Glantogran and the 2nd Kantora Glantogran. They are the same troops we drove out of the fortress at Kast Gorumyva. The prisoners say that provincial garrison commander is with them and in command. His name is Ekanor Falan Torimuk."
Andien said, "Thank you for that information. Bury the dead one. Bring the others with us."
"As you command," Travanie said, and returned to his kantora.
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Esinie
Junior Member
The master sword
Posts: 78
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Post by Esinie on Dec 30, 2007 10:33:04 GMT -5
"Thank the gods." Esinie muttered to himself as he heard the messenger.
"Okay send him a reply, Good to hear from the Aats again I thought you wouldnt come it was taking so long but I was mistaken. Thank you for your help! And by the way expect some zekresh soldiers who might go back to the fortress." Esinie said to the messenger and hurried him off back to the fortress.
And turned his attention to Andien, "I hate to see us pillaging I know there is no other way for food at this time please do your best not to harm the residents of any farm houses, we have enough problems with public support as it is." Esinie said to Andien.
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 30, 2007 10:38:33 GMT -5
Andien says, "As you command."
Then, Andien waits for news from the scouts. Soon the scouts return and confirm that the smoke in the distance is indeed from the campfires of the enemy.
The raiders also return quickly.
"All is going our way," Andien says, "It is a good omen."
Then he orders the Helmarie Army to break camp and march south to attack the enemy.
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 30, 2007 19:43:53 GMT -5
The Imperial Army forces were in camp, not in a battle formation, when Trond war drums started beating in the forest very close by. Some of the soldiers were frozen with fear, others began immediately reaching for weapons. Officers shouted orders for the men to form a battle line. A few soldiers began to run. Seconds after the drums began, the men on the north side of the camp heard an even more awful noise. It was similar to the sound of a large animal crashing through the bushes, but it sounded like no ordinary animal. It was like the sound of an enormous beast approaching. Then there was a sound as if the monstrous beast roared with the sound of a thousand screaming voices and the Imperial soldiers were afraid.
The sound was in fact the sound of thousands of soldiers of the Helmarie Army running towards the camp and then shouting a mighty barbarian war cry. As they did this, they burst out of the forest and into the camp. The Imperial Army had just begun to try to form a battle line, but it was too late.
A few of the bravest of the Imperial Army force stood up to the huge Trond warriors and fought, but they were cut down by the dozens while most of the Imperial soldiers ran for their lives. The Imperial Army camp was overrun almost immediately.
Gurikan Konigak, commander of the 1st Kantora Glantogran, tried to rally his men just south of the camp. When it became clear that it would be impossible to convince the panicky men to go back into the camp to assist those who fought there, he tried to organize an orderly withdrawal. Then a horde of Tronds came storming out of the camp and attacked his men. The Imperials fought only briefly before their fear overcame their courage and they broke and ran in all directions. Gurikan Konigak fled with them.
In the captured camp, the Helmarie forces looted everything they could get their hands on in a mad scramble. There were even fistfights between some of the Tronds over the loot. This became almost a riot when a small wagon was discovered that was loaded with scrolls, fancy clothes and eight small chests full of silver coins. It was a vast fortune. The first soldiers to discover this tried to haul away whole chests, but they were heavy and other Helmarie soldiers demanded part of the loot and then assaulted those with the chests and broke them open, spilling coins all over the ground and prompting a mad scramble for them.
It was not long before all the coins had disappeared from sight into the knapsacks, bags, satchels and pockets of a hundred or more soldiers.
Ekanor Falan Andien went around to his officers and asked them to report the situation.
Gurikan Ganie of the 4th Kantora Helmarie reported he had only lost three men. Andien ordered him to take his kantora and pursue the fleeing enemy. Andien went to each officer in turn and ordered them to pursue the enemy. He found that the other regular kantoro had also suffered minimal losses. Aganor Kelvie of the archers reported no losses and Worfien said only one of the auxilliaries had been wounded and none killed. Gurikan Travanie had his men rounding up enemy prisoners and reported having captured about sixty of them, mostly wounded.
Andien ordered that the prisoners be left behind at the imperial camp along with Worfien and his auxilliaries as guards. Worfien protested this and was eager to fight some more, but Andien convinced him to stay and guard the prisoners.
The Helmarie Army marched into the forest, chasing the remnants of the imperial garrison.
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Post by Gamemaster on Dec 31, 2007 1:35:07 GMT -5
The battle continued as a running fight between the fleeing Imperial Army troops and the pursuing Helmarie troops. It went on for hours and ranged over a wide area. Casualties were far higher than before and even more one sided.
By the end of the day, Ekanor Falan Andien no longer knew where the main enemy force was or which direction it had gone or whether it was even still together or completely scattered. He did know that his men had cut down hundreds of the enemy and forced them to flee for over forty talong.
There were over a hundred enemy prisoners this time, most of them wounded. Among the wounded prisoners was an imperial officer named Ekanor Stolan.
Andien ordered his men to make camp.
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Esinie
Junior Member
The master sword
Posts: 78
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Post by Esinie on Jan 8, 2008 10:34:18 GMT -5
"Good work Andien I leave our next decision up to you." Esinie said to Andien.
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Post by Gamemaster on Jan 10, 2008 19:34:09 GMT -5
Glantogran Province, Zekresh Empire
31st day, 1st month, 41 Cledman VI
Andien is ready to proceed with the pursuit of the enemy and morale is high, but Andien is not sure which way the main enemy force has gone. He sends out scouts and lets the troops rest in the meantime. Sentries are posted to prevent surprise attack.
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Post by Gamemaster on Jan 14, 2008 23:06:28 GMT -5
Glantogran Province, Zekresh Empire
33rd day, 1st month, 41 Cledman VI
After three days, Helmarie mounted scouts have not been able to locate any main force of Imperial Army troops.
Today, Andien has the men march south anyway, but when the scouts still don't locate any large enemy forces, Andien orders the men to head west and begin making their way back to Kast Gorumyva to link up with the rest of the army.
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Esinie
Junior Member
The master sword
Posts: 78
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Post by Esinie on Jan 18, 2008 14:37:43 GMT -5
"Andien I will need to go back to helmarie to speak with the chieftans hopefully you can carry on without me?" Esinie said to Andien ready to break off from the army. "I will need an escort just incase we run into some imperial soldiers."
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Post by Gamemaster on Jan 18, 2008 16:20:06 GMT -5
Since Esinie is going on horseback, Andien sends three of the scouts on horseback and orders them to come back to Kast Gorumyva once they finish escorting the Ulor back to Herigahaven. Andien further instructs them that if he and the main army are not at Kast Gorumyva by then, that the scouts should find out from the troops at the fort where they went and come link up with them.
Esinie and the three scouts depart for Herigahaven by way of Kast Gorumyva. Andien and the rest of the army follow at a walking pace.
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Post by Gamemaster on Jan 18, 2008 16:28:19 GMT -5
Glantogran Province, Zekresh Empire
34th day, 1st month, 41 Cledman VI
The next day, Ulor Esinie and his three escorts pass through Kast Gorumyva and stop by the fortress. The town still looks abandoned, but the fortress has a large number of troops there. Some of them are the 3rd Kantora Helmarie that Ekanor Falan Andien left behind to guard the fort, but a similar number of troops are Tronds from Aatan under the command of a Trond named Gesanie.
Gesanie meets Ulor Esinie and says, "I am honored to meet you. You are an inspiration to us all. If there is anything I can do to assist you in the cause of freedom for Helmarie and Aatan, I will do it. My men stand ready to battle the empire. Just point us towards the foe and we will fight bravely."
Gesanie convinces Ulor Esinie to inspect his troops. Gesanie has his men line up like a regular Imperial Army unit. They are not, however, an Imperial Army unit and never were. They are Trond warriors trying to copy an Imperial Army unit. They dress like Trond warriors, but they carry spears and shields like Imperial troops. Esinie notes that they are lined up more neatly and stand with more discipline than the Helmarie Army which really was part of the Imperial Army until recently.
Gesanie brags about how his men have made their own spears and shields and praticed how to use them and how to fight in a line like Imperial soldiers.
Ulor Esinie notices that no other troops from Aatan have arrived. Upon asking Gesanie about this, Gesanie says, "There are more coming. They are right behind us. They should be here any day now."
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