Fate - First Reply All You Ever Wanted (skirmish or some such nonsense)

[Ledhros Caur]

CENTRAL LIADAIN

Silver Key forces:
2 mounted scouts
20 spearmen
20 longbowmen

The client wanted a golden cup. Drink from the Chalice of Estate, he'd said, and you'd lose everything that mattered to you. And then, once you'd paid that brutal price, the chalice's magic would give you wealth beyond your wildest dreams. Considering the client was a Cortosi banker with a desperate glint in his eye, those dreams were probably wild indeed.

Therefore Ledhros had prevailed on him to pay half in advance.

The Chalice of Estate could be found in a grave, a small crypt in the graveyard of a sleepy village called Vhelton. The town's prosperity had lasted exactly as long as the last drinker's fortune. Digging up Adelari Vhel's grave wouldn't require forty men, but the client had oh-so-casually mentioned that someone else knew the chalice's location. There might be opposition on the way.

Vhelton rested at the north edge of the Falwood, looking out toward the Aberresai Savannah. Tall grass, patchy trees, tumbledown buildings. The client had indicated that Adelari's grave rested in the shadow of a church to some local god. Ledhros could already see the small church's spire at the south end of town, just past the public square, at the base of a small hill. The immediate area had several little hills like that. A single road wound between those hills from northeast to southwest and split the town in half.

As Ledhros and his men headed into town from the northwest, bound for the church, he sent his two mounted scouts ahead. One went straight down the main street and through the square toward the church. The other went to check out a large stand of trees at the north edge of Vhelton.

 

[Venanin Sen Shiir]

CENTRAL LIADAIN

Vel Anir forces:
10 mounted horse
10 Longsword and shield
10 longbowmen
01 Drealord Apprentice


The young Drealord apprentice sat atop the dappled roan that was the only companion that the apprentice trusted. Long sliver blond hair hung over the shoulder's of the Anirian dreadlord armor. Shocking lavender eyes watched through the trees as the small unit came to a stop.

"Your order's, Dreadlord Sen-Shiir?" The captain sitting on a larger warhorse beside Venanin asked.

"Our orders are to secure the item, at all cost." Venanin replied, "I'll create an area of complete silence, when I do, longbowmen drop the scout and horse. Then form a line and we'll advance."

The captain nodded and began quietly relaying the orders. This wasn't Venanin's first battle, but it was the first command position. The apprentice dreadlord waited for the scout to approach the treeline and began to move a gauntlet covered hand in the pattern for the spell. Venanin spoke the incantation slowly growing more silent with each word and then felt the power go out through a pointed finger.

Silence surounded the scout and Ven's troops. The bow strings of all of the marksmen released all headed for either the horse or its rider.

 

[Ledhros Caur]

The scout took several arrows and was dead before he hit the ground. The fallen horse took longer to die, but Venanin Sen Shiir's zone of silence choked out its screams.

###
​

With both scouts dispatched and at least temporarily out of sight, Ledhros and his footmen headed toward the church down the main road. They'd reach the village square first. By then the scouts should be back with a clear idea of what awaited them at the church, and whether the knot of trees concealed anything.

The village had seen better days. Apparently its notable and wealthy resident had drawn looters here long after his fortune depleted. The locals buttoned up inside their homes, peeked through reinforced window slats, vanished behind corners when Ledhros glanced their way. They clearly believed trouble was in the air.

 

[Venanin Sen Shiir]

Silence lasted for a while longer as the dreadlord apprentice waved a hand to call for the foot soldiers and bowmen to form lines. With a nod to the captain they started forward from the trees. A soldier paused to cut the horse's throat as they passed then rejoined his squad mates.

They marched forward with shield held below their eyes. The town would burn today if that was what it took. The chalice would be captured. For Vel Anir, but Venanin Sen Shiir had ideas for it as well. For as long as Ven could remember, personal ambitions, thoughts and emotions had been beaten, burned, and riped from the battle mage until only murder and obeisance could be given. Ven wanyed to know what it was, what it meant, to feel for the first time.

The silence ended as they pressed across the fields toward the town.

"Captain, prepare to kill anything between us and the presumed location of the chalice." Ven said in a soft monotone. "We have our orders."

And if the captain or any of the troops objected to Venanin using it first. They would never be found.

 

[Ledhros Caur]

Vhelton

Silver Key forces:
1 mounted scout (+1 dead)
20 spearmen
20 longbowmen


Ledhros' deep-brown gelding whickered uneasily for no reason he could discern.

The road opened into the village square. Across the way, a scout was returning from the church at a decent canter but not an outright gallop. At a guess he'd found nothing concerning in the graveyard.

The other scout should have come back too, joined up with the Silver Key forces from the trees off to the right. As Ledhros went into the square, though, he saw something else entirely over that way: a rank of oncoming men with shields raised.

Panic gripped him. There was still a decent distance between the presumable enemy and the Silver Key. That distance wouldn't last.

He whistled for his men's attention. "Another band coming for us," he said loudly. "Follow me."

The enemy was off to the right: he went left, between a couple of tumbledown houses, and up a little hill the size of a large house. The hillock had a fairly decent command of the immediate area. If his men got formed up before contact, their whole left flank would be the churchyard, and his longbowmen could rain indirect fire on most approaches.

At a guess, either the enemy would go straight for the church and give the Silver Key time to form up, or they'd tackle the Key first, fast and hard. Ledhros supposed he could flip a coin.

Venanin Sen Shiir

 

[Venanin Sen Shiir]

Vel Anir forces:
10 mounted horse
10 Longsword and shield
10 longbowmen
01 Drealord Apprentice

"They're moving out of range, Lord." The Captain said.

"I can see that, Captain." Ven replied calmly. "They're moving to higher ground to put their arrows at an advantage. Keep as many buildings as possible between us and them. Continue to the church. That seems the likeliest place to begin searching."

"Yes, Lord." The captain replied. "And if they engage us?"

"We kill them." Ven replied.

The formation altered course and had the foot soldiers alter their formation to give better coverage of the flank closest to the other band. Ven kept the spells out of it for now. The range was too great for a solid attack and defense would only give away their best asset too soon. Venanin wanted a fight, it was the purpose of a drealord to fight. But the mission took priority over all else. And Ven wanted to feel again, to choose just one thing, even just a favorite color for Ven's self.

 

[Ledhros Caur]

Silver Key forces:
1 mounted scout (+1 dead)
20 spearmen
20 longbowmen

The Silver Key formed up on the little hill, spearmen in front of archers, little more than human shields at this range. For the moment, the enemy forces were content to keep moving toward the church, and they were making good time. Ledhros made sure the formation was facing the church. It was a gamble, ceding the churchyard (including the critical grave), but he hoped his bowmen and the high ground would carry the day.

Ledhros pulled out a leathery scrap from a belt pouch: a dried eagle's eye with the lens removed. Mimicry sharpened his eyesight for a moment as he chewed the unappetizing morsel. Those were Anirian soldiers, no doubt in his mind.

There was also no doubt they were the enemy. From here on the hilltop, he could see the arrow-riddled bodies of his scout Tamson and his horse.

"Indirect fire," he called. "Three volleys." The longbowmen drew and fired up at an angle. There was no accuracy at this extreme range, but a professional longbowman could send a clothyard shaft a good three hundred yards or more, even before the hill was involved.

Sixty arrows rained down at the Anirian forces at a relatively steep angle. Some would go wide of the mark, some would smash into the edges of rooftops, and ideally some wouldn't.

And if there was an Anirian mage with them, maybe this would force him to show his hand. Or just, you know, kill him.


Venanin Sen Shiir

 

[Ledhros Caur]

Ledhros thought hard about the situation.

OOC/ Blue is Ledhros' lines of spearmen (front) and archers (back); red is the grave of Adelari Vhel; black area is the Anirian force and its path, per consultation with my esteemed opponent Venanin Sen Shiir.

 

[Venanin Sen Shiir]

Vel Anir forces:
10 mounted horse (2 wounded but viable)
8 Longsword and shield (+1 dead, +1 unmovable)
8 longbowmen (+2 dead)
01 Drealord Apprentice

For a moment Venanin thought they would wait and delay engaging, but they had taken to higher ground and chose to press their advantage. The dreadlord would have done the same.

"Shields!" The captain called out as the arrows climbed. Bowmen tucked themselves close to the foot soldiers to try and avoid the death that the enemy warband rained down on them.

Venanin watched the enemy lines and focused on the person giving the orders to the enemy. Screams of the Arinian soldiers drew Ven's attention. Arrows bristled from shields a few bodies lay motionless, a few others were wounded. One bowman would not move without assistance and that would not be given unless they won.

"Captain, take the horsemen around that hill and drive them towards me." Venanin said in a soft monotone. "Reform! Two longbowmen to this first roof, go! Shields up!"

Venanin circled the dappled mare and formed again behind the troop lines and his horsemen galloped away to the left to try and circle behind the enemy.

"Forward!" Venanin called out. Just a little closer.
Ledhros Caur

 

[Ledhros Caur]

Silver Key forces:
1 mounted scout (+1 dead)
19 spearmen (+1 dead)
20 longbowmen

A few arrows came in from somewhere he couldn't identify, the general direction of the footmen. One of his spearmen fell hard, dead. The spearmen grumbled uneasily, but a ragged cheer rose up as distant men dropped. The gelding bucked skittishly. Ledhros slipped off, both because he needed his focus and because riding one of the band's only two living horses was a great way to make himself a target. His vision returned to normal just as he tried to make out some inclination of the enemy commander. At this range all he could make out was long, pale hair.

The enemy split. The footmen, as far as he could tell, kept moving behind houses toward the cover of the church. The horsemen, though...all dozen or so of them but the commander broke into a gallop east, across the square. Lehros' bowmen tensed, some drew, but nobody wasted an arrow. At that range, traveling sideways relative to an arrow's flight, they had little chance of hitting the cavalry.

The commander was presenting Ledhros with a stark choice: focus on the church and footmen, and the prize, or turn and engage the cavalry. There was little time to hem and haw. Ledhros chose option number two.

"Spears flip it!" he shouted, and the spearmen rushed between the archers to form a defensive line on the east. "Archers, focus on the horses. Your mark is the-" He squinted, watching the horses arc around the square and into cover of the houses. The only half-decent path that would preserve their momentum and bring them around to hit the hill was...

"-the garden! Northeast!" He sent a lonely arrow of his own off that way. "Garden by the big tree, right by the shack with the yellow roof! Draw! Call in!"

The archers confirmed they had the target; he'd worried. The lead cavalry were out of sight now, just for the moment.

"Three volleys! Release!"

With a prayer somewhere in the vicinity of his rectum, Ledhros watched the arrows fly into what he fervently hoped was a choke point with soft or otherwise messy ground.

 

[Venanin Sen Shiir]

Vel Anir forces:
10 mounted horse (4 dead, 2 wounded)
8 Longsword and shield (+1 dead, +1 unmovable)
8 longbowmen (+2 dead)
01 Drealord Apprentice

The horsemen came around through the garden. They should have circled farther but the strong urge to end this quickly made them eager. Arrows rained down among them at full gallop. Horses and riders spilled to the wet ground. Most of the remaining horses were wounded but not as thoroughly as the men and women who rode them. Four more dead, another two rode with arrows jutting from one place or another. Those wouldn't last in the saddle long if the bleeding was too severe.

"Double time." Ven said as a raised hand to the archers moved forward calling for fire, "Two more bowmen, second building. The rest of you secure the graveyard."

The horsemen still heading up the hill readied to harry the enemy, while two and then four archers sniped at the warband from the roof tops.

As Venanin came around the church, the Lavendar eyes that had earned the privilege of only being beaten where the marks wouldn't show in uniform, watched the lines as a spell began gathering.

The dreadlord removed a chunk of clay from the pouch then started pressing it between gloved fingers.

"Vito Mortis Karium." The apprentice said in a voice that seemed to echo even at the quiet tone.

Dirt and earth exploded into the sky as a three and a half meter wall of stone rose in a semi circle just outside the graveyard on the hill side. The wall was ten meters long and, if they were smart, would give them cover long enough to exhume the grave in question.

The dread lord pointed at the grave.

"Dig it out." Ven said, "I'll cover you. Bowmen, find positions in the church and fire at will."

Venanin dismounted and lead the dappled mare behind the wall. The horse was the only one Ven dared talk to, she had to be safe. Ven continued to the edge of the wall and peered around, ready to begin casting.

Ledhros Caur

 

[Ledhros Caur]

Silver Key forces:
2 mounted scouts (1 dead)
20 spearmen (2 dead)
20 longbowmen (1 dead)

"Draw down on those horses! Release at will!"

The longbowmen kept up a ragged but punishing fire as the Anirian cavalry burst through the death zone of the garden. Any moment now the half-dozen remaining horsemen would start working their way up the little hill to meet the spearmen.

Unless the archers could convince them, politely, not to.

Harassing fire from a couple of positions put clothyard shafts through two more of Ledhros' men from the side and behind. A rumble caught his ear; he spun around to see an earthen wall rise to protect part of the churchyard.

"Maric, I'm assuming that's where the grave is?"

His surviving scout nodded, seeing fit to dismount like Ledhros had. Ledhros hissed through his teeth. At least the Cortosi banker had paid half up front, and considering the Silver Key were certainly up against a Dreadlord Ledhros was fairly sure he could get away without issuing a refund. A Dreadlord on site might just trigger the force majeure 'act of god/it's not my fault' clauses in the contract.

For the time being he stayed the course. The cavalry was the most serious threat at the moment. Break their charge and the Silver Key could start raining hell on those rooftop bowmen and the churchyard, but now wasn't the moment.

Probably.

Venanin Sen Shiir

 

[Venanin Sen Shiir]

Vel Anir forces:
10 mounted horse (10 dead)
8 Longsword and shield (+1 dead, +1 unmovable)
8 longbowmen (+2 dead)
01 Drealord Apprentice

The horsemen rode quickly up the hill and at the enemy soldiers. The enemy bowmen drew and fired into their charge, and arrows fell on the like hail on a crop. Horses screamed and men fell. They had predicted the route the horsemen would take well. It simply was. But the half dozen horsemen had done what they were meant to do, they followed orders and died to the man.

Venanin had assumed they would, there were too many bowmen and pikes for a light armored horse charge up hill to do much other than distract unless they were completely unsuspected. The apprentice dreadlord gave a signal to the bowmen in the church windows to begin firing and the roof top archers to move up and join the rest. The horse charge had given them that chance. The wall had given the footmen time to begin digging and Venanin would remind them all that above all else, a Dreadlord of Vel Anir was a weapon.

"Dig fast." Ven said as the bowmen in the church fired at the warband on the high ground.

Sen Shiir pulled a small diamond from it's place on a gauntlet and began weaving a pattern in the air with the other hand.

"Boyardee. Mortis. Draconis." The words came from the pale apprentice as thoughts of lightening filled those lavendar eyes.

The apprentice touched the diamond to their tongue and stepped out from behind the wall. The medium armor expanded and their lungs filled with air and as The Dreadlord exhaled at the enemy lines lightening arced from their mouth in a cone like an an electric dragon's breath.

The apprentice wasn't powerful enough to get them all, far from it, but those that were hit and those that saw would be hard pressed to forget that they faced a being that could breath lightening.

Venanin ducked back behind the wall and had the troops form up for the protection of those digging.

"Hurry. Up." Venanin said in an almost dead voice as blisters formed around Ven's mouth.

 

[Ledhros Caur]

Silver Key forces:
2 mounted scouts (1 dead)
20 spearmen (2 dead)
20 longbowmen (10 dead or well on their way)

Panicked jubilation turned to just plain panic as arrows and lightning slashed into the bowmen from the back. Half Ledhros' force dropped, and his gelding too. "East! East! Over the crest!" he shouted, but his surviving men were already moving that way, down toward the dead cavalry. A few riderless horses scattered. Those that weren't on their feet kicked and screamed, and now the Silver Key were down among them, almost close enough to kick. The hill's crest had just barely enough rise to protect the survivors from an arrow's arc if they stayed low, and they did.

Ledhros rolled onto his back in the mingled blood-slick of an Anirian cavalryman and horse. The deep, oppressive, sickly sweet butchery blotted out his whole sense of smell.

"They can't have..." He caught his breath. "They can't have more than a dozen left in and behind that church, and maybe around it - think there's archers on some roofs." He looked off to the sides for options. South was the woods, a higher hill, some fields - lots of wide-open angles where the Dreadlord could cut them to pieces. North looked better: outbuildings and trees at the base of the little hill could give them the cover to get close to the church.

At which point, again, the Dreadlord would cut them to pieces.

"Alright, we're going to stay right here on the east slope. We've lost too many already. Anyone who's got a fire arrow in his quiver, light it and fire it blind over the crest, high as you can. Let's burn them out of that church. And for the gods' sake, every man stay low, belly to the ground." There wasn't much more awkward than shooting a bow while lying down, but they didn't need accuracy. They were almost literally trying to hit the broad side of a barn.


Venanin Sen Shiir