Tomorrow, the Deyjan necromancers will fall before the might of our army.
Taryn looked unimpressed and stifled a groan. The army had set up camp at the edge of a field about a half days march out from the Deyjan forces while the four commanders conferred. Or, more accurately, listened to Lord Haarts inspired and in Taryns opinion, obviously delusional analysis. Taryns grasp of strategy was nowhere near the level displayed by her hero, Tyris, a famed commander in the Erathian Cavalry with an uncanny and often brilliant sense for cavalry tactics and strategy, but one could not become a captain of a company without some sense for it.
We are invincible. The Erathian armies with Queen Catherines blessing will triumph
Tkeshins left toe, you flaming fool! Its four to one odds. Queen Catherine has nothing to do with this. Adela frowned at her.
Milord, Taryn amended.
We will charge them," Lord Haart continued, "And the necromancers will flee like the dogs they have proven to be once they see they cannot hope to overwhelm us."
Taryn frowned. Lord Haart was right in the sense that the necromancers had been only raiding border towns and increasing their army by raising the corpses. Until recently, most of Deyjas commanders had opted to cede the field and retreat back across the border once confronted by Erathian commanders. However, over the past few months, reports had come in from all over the border of garrisons being probed. It was rumored that in one of the instances, the garrison had been overwhelmed and massacred, its soldiers converted to skeletons and its commander raised as a liche commander for Deyja. Still, that meant that there would be a battle fought, contrary to Lord Haarts expectations.
Lord Haart, interrupted Sir Christian. May I suggest we consider alternatives to the charge? Perhaps we should
Because, Taryn added under her breath, well fall off our horses coughing and retching when we run into the liches death clouds.
Lord Haart raised a hand to halt Sir Christian. And what, he said contemptuously, would you suggest, Captain?
Lure them out or feint a charge while another force attacks from behind.
Laughing incredulously, Lord Haart choked out, I should have known.
Adela shifted her weight to the other foot and cut in, My lord, if we may discuss the spells I
Lord Haart stopped laughing abruptly. Your backstabbing, dishonorable ways may be accepted in that stink hole you crawled out from but not by real commanders. Well charge at noon tomorrow. Dismissed.
***
The forces were arrayed opposite each other in neat lines. Pendants hung limply and listlessly. Ironically, it was a beautiful day.
On the Deyjan side, there were rows of skeletons and walking dead. On the flanks, there were several columns of wraiths and black knights. Almost hidden behind the mob of skeletons and walking dead were the liches.
On the Erathian side, there was a mixed company of pike men and swordsmen, flanked by a company of griffins. Behind them, several ballistas were being hauled into position under Sir Christians direction and the archers were taking up positions beside the artillery. And then there were her ragtag units, a mismatched collection of outcasts and misfits, right in the middle and forefront of the group.
An all mounted company, the group also fielded lance cavalry, some ranged units, several scouts, specialists, and a mixed group that used whatever they came into the company with. Taryn cursed silently as she scanned the field. The cavalry would be bogged down in the mass of infantry, leaving the liches free to launch death clouds at their leisure, assuming the riders dont get hauled off their horses first. Without the cavalry to breach the ranks, the slower infantry behind them would be virtually useless and overwhelmed by superior numbers or held in place long enough for the wraiths and liches to wreak havoc. For that matter, without the cavalry to provide a credible distraction, the liches would be free to take out the incoming griffons.
It was going to be a massacre.
Goin ta be a doozy, eh, Lt. Kristov predicted glumly. These Erathians, eh, they wouldna hold a spit to the Eastern demons, eh. Lt. Kristov hailed from the barbarian nation of Krewlod. He was a veteran of many campaigns much more than Taryn had participated in actually and had fought Erathias military as a minor commander on the eastern border throughout his youth in the time of Queen Catherines father, King Gryphonheart, before striking out on his own. By all rights, he should have been the new company commander after the previous one died on the last campaign, but a self-confessed gray and grumpy old man, he had refused to take the position. Since the other two were recently promoted, the task had fallen to Taryn.
Be paid in Erathian coin, eh. Taryn grunted in acknowledgement.
Coinage was always good in the countrys own borders, of course, but the chances of a countrys coinage being accepted elsewhere were iffy and usually dependent on relations between the two. Given that Erathia was basically at war with everyone except perhaps AvLee and even then, only some of the time, that meant a mercenary company was forced to take on a job in Erathia to get some accepted coinage. Otherwise, the company had to pay an arm and a leg to contact the thieves guild and have the currency fenced and converted.
Least it wont be Deyjan coin again.
Eh, dont speak of ill things. Lt. Kristov shivered.
Deyjan coin was the absolute worst to use although luckily, it wasnt often found outside of Deyja itself and mainly in the hands of necromantic cult fanatics. Deyjan coin was made of a specially treated bone and thus couldnt be melted down like normal gold coins and its reputation as being cursed meant most of even the thieves guild would refuse to take it. The late Captain Gareth had found that out the hard way.
Tkeshins arse. Well be here all afternoon at this rate. If Lord Haart would hurry his lily-white arse up, we can get this over with and head to AvLee.
The faster she saw the last of Lord Haart, the better. Her skin crawled and she couldnt seem to control her mouth while she was near him. Erathia, despite its problems, was still one of the best places both to hire and to get jobs, which made Lord Haarts threat so effective. Breach of contract was a surefire way to be blacklisted by all employers, which is why they were still here in this farce of a battle, but a bad word from one of the realms prominent commanders would be almost as disastrous, no matter her personal opinion of the man.
Hush, lass. About ta start, eh.
Indeed, a scout was riding up to her now from the back. Saluting, the scout reported, The archers are in position, sir.
Taryn nodded, slamming her visor down as horn calls rang out and the unfamiliar feel of a clerics Adelas Bless settled around her, fatigue vanishing, leaving energy and adrenaline in its wake. Settling her lance, she held her hand up. All around her, there was the sound of metal clanking and saddles creaking. For a moment, nature held her breath, and then thunder rumbled as a wave of horses pounded toward the skeletons. Griffins accompanied the cavaliers in the air while the pike men and swordsmen struggled behind.
Green noxious fumes from the liches staffs arched toward the griffins. Griffins swerved and crashed into one another, plummeting toward the ground. Mounts tripped over griffin corpses, some breaking their legs with a crisp snap and scream of pain. The following cavaliers could not stop in time. Meanwhile, the throng of skeletons and walking dead lumbered forward, unstoppable, and engaged the downed riders.
Suddenly, a group split off from the main host and hurtled past the skeletons and the walking dead, taking advantage of the space on the flanks. Coalescing into an arrowhead formation, they lowered their lances and charged toward the liches accompanied by twangs as arrows shot into the sky.
Thirty yards. Taryn sighted along her lance and aimed at a liches head.
Fifteen. The liches had recovered from their surprise and flung death clouds at her cavalcade. Holding her breath, she willed herself to ignore the stinging in her eyes and urged her horse to go faster after he stumbled. Behind her, she heard coughing, clashes, and the heavy thumps as her people fell.
Ten. She couldnt look around and see how many had fallen. She could only feel less pressure; Lt. Kristov on her right was gone.
Five. The liches were readying a second batch of death clouds. The gems on their scepters were growing steadily brighter. The arrows plunged to earth in the breasts of black knights and wraiths.
Taryn threw her weight behind her lance as she reached the forefront of the liches. The tip of her lance drilled through the eyehole of the liche and through the back. She kept her arm steady while the momentum of her horse carried her over the front row.
All around her, she could hear the crunching of skulls. Her horse was slowing down as he struggled to get through the liches packed side by side. Taryns lance tip dipped. Noticing the liche hanging onto it, she viciously kicked out with her foot. The downward drag disappeared. Horn calls rang out, and as one, all the horses reared, flailing out with hooves, and wheeled. The group raced out of the liches reach.
Captain! As Taryn half turned in her saddle, she saw one of her people, a boy of about seventeen years, pulled off his horse by the liches and hit with scepters. His helm had been wrestled off, and bruises spread across his face. She also saw the companies of black knights and wraiths beginning to pick up the chase, some heading toward her archers.
Captain! Panic was in his voice now. Taryn swallowed, then turned around, and forced her horse to go faster. Among her one lone platoon, there was silence.
Captain? Cap The voice ended in a strangled scream.
As her horse galloped toward the skeletons, she blinked away the sweat that had gotten into her eyes. There were holes in the skeleton and walking dead ranks where griffins and horses had fallen. Near the end of the horde of skeletons, she saw the small pockets of pike men and swordsmen waver, then crumble. A few broke free. Most didnt.
***
Notes:
1) I wanted to show that L.H., for whatever reason, believes or talks very strongly about his belief in the supremacy of the Erathian military and his personal view of what a knight ought to be. His vision of a knight would not include any "dishonorable" tactics. Is this coming across?
2) I think this got lost by the wayside, but I have no idea how to put it in. Adela, as someone who believes for the most part in diplomacy - although not with Deyjan necromancers because they don't negotiate - and thus, is +very+ uncomfortable talking about battle spells, is making an effort on Taryn's behalf by offering to discuss the spells she'll be casting during the battle. This background was touched upon in the first scene but I'm unsure how to make this more clear. This friendship the two have developed becomes fairly important in the last section.
3) There is -a lot- of explication in the beginning of the third scene. I've tried to touch on them and not just blab on and on, but in your opinion, is it too long? Do your eyes start crossing? The problem is my original section (without any of that explication) was too subtle and depended on people having a passing familiarity with the game. The Deyjan coin explication is thus fairly important. I'm unsure if the explanation of the importance of LH's threat is necessary though. Kristov's background isn't so much important as the point that Taryn is a fairly new - and brash - Captain (which, along with her natural pride, hopefully explains why she's not very tactful). Do you buy that explanation? Also, I have no idea what sort of dialect I'm giving Kristov; it seems like a mix of a Scottish accent and the Canadian eh. If you have any suggestions of how to portray the speech of a desert barbarian, I will proclaim your virtues to the heaven. =x
4) Lastly, battle scene. Working for you? Not? Need more description? Need less? Tactics make sense?
Taryn looked unimpressed and stifled a groan. The army had set up camp at the edge of a field about a half days march out from the Deyjan forces while the four commanders conferred. Or, more accurately, listened to Lord Haarts inspired and in Taryns opinion, obviously delusional analysis. Taryns grasp of strategy was nowhere near the level displayed by her hero, Tyris, a famed commander in the Erathian Cavalry with an uncanny and often brilliant sense for cavalry tactics and strategy, but one could not become a captain of a company without some sense for it.
We are invincible. The Erathian armies with Queen Catherines blessing will triumph
Tkeshins left toe, you flaming fool! Its four to one odds. Queen Catherine has nothing to do with this. Adela frowned at her.
Milord, Taryn amended.
We will charge them," Lord Haart continued, "And the necromancers will flee like the dogs they have proven to be once they see they cannot hope to overwhelm us."
Taryn frowned. Lord Haart was right in the sense that the necromancers had been only raiding border towns and increasing their army by raising the corpses. Until recently, most of Deyjas commanders had opted to cede the field and retreat back across the border once confronted by Erathian commanders. However, over the past few months, reports had come in from all over the border of garrisons being probed. It was rumored that in one of the instances, the garrison had been overwhelmed and massacred, its soldiers converted to skeletons and its commander raised as a liche commander for Deyja. Still, that meant that there would be a battle fought, contrary to Lord Haarts expectations.
Lord Haart, interrupted Sir Christian. May I suggest we consider alternatives to the charge? Perhaps we should
Because, Taryn added under her breath, well fall off our horses coughing and retching when we run into the liches death clouds.
Lord Haart raised a hand to halt Sir Christian. And what, he said contemptuously, would you suggest, Captain?
Lure them out or feint a charge while another force attacks from behind.
Laughing incredulously, Lord Haart choked out, I should have known.
Adela shifted her weight to the other foot and cut in, My lord, if we may discuss the spells I
Lord Haart stopped laughing abruptly. Your backstabbing, dishonorable ways may be accepted in that stink hole you crawled out from but not by real commanders. Well charge at noon tomorrow. Dismissed.
***
The forces were arrayed opposite each other in neat lines. Pendants hung limply and listlessly. Ironically, it was a beautiful day.
On the Deyjan side, there were rows of skeletons and walking dead. On the flanks, there were several columns of wraiths and black knights. Almost hidden behind the mob of skeletons and walking dead were the liches.
On the Erathian side, there was a mixed company of pike men and swordsmen, flanked by a company of griffins. Behind them, several ballistas were being hauled into position under Sir Christians direction and the archers were taking up positions beside the artillery. And then there were her ragtag units, a mismatched collection of outcasts and misfits, right in the middle and forefront of the group.
An all mounted company, the group also fielded lance cavalry, some ranged units, several scouts, specialists, and a mixed group that used whatever they came into the company with. Taryn cursed silently as she scanned the field. The cavalry would be bogged down in the mass of infantry, leaving the liches free to launch death clouds at their leisure, assuming the riders dont get hauled off their horses first. Without the cavalry to breach the ranks, the slower infantry behind them would be virtually useless and overwhelmed by superior numbers or held in place long enough for the wraiths and liches to wreak havoc. For that matter, without the cavalry to provide a credible distraction, the liches would be free to take out the incoming griffons.
It was going to be a massacre.
Goin ta be a doozy, eh, Lt. Kristov predicted glumly. These Erathians, eh, they wouldna hold a spit to the Eastern demons, eh. Lt. Kristov hailed from the barbarian nation of Krewlod. He was a veteran of many campaigns much more than Taryn had participated in actually and had fought Erathias military as a minor commander on the eastern border throughout his youth in the time of Queen Catherines father, King Gryphonheart, before striking out on his own. By all rights, he should have been the new company commander after the previous one died on the last campaign, but a self-confessed gray and grumpy old man, he had refused to take the position. Since the other two were recently promoted, the task had fallen to Taryn.
Be paid in Erathian coin, eh. Taryn grunted in acknowledgement.
Coinage was always good in the countrys own borders, of course, but the chances of a countrys coinage being accepted elsewhere were iffy and usually dependent on relations between the two. Given that Erathia was basically at war with everyone except perhaps AvLee and even then, only some of the time, that meant a mercenary company was forced to take on a job in Erathia to get some accepted coinage. Otherwise, the company had to pay an arm and a leg to contact the thieves guild and have the currency fenced and converted.
Least it wont be Deyjan coin again.
Eh, dont speak of ill things. Lt. Kristov shivered.
Deyjan coin was the absolute worst to use although luckily, it wasnt often found outside of Deyja itself and mainly in the hands of necromantic cult fanatics. Deyjan coin was made of a specially treated bone and thus couldnt be melted down like normal gold coins and its reputation as being cursed meant most of even the thieves guild would refuse to take it. The late Captain Gareth had found that out the hard way.
Tkeshins arse. Well be here all afternoon at this rate. If Lord Haart would hurry his lily-white arse up, we can get this over with and head to AvLee.
The faster she saw the last of Lord Haart, the better. Her skin crawled and she couldnt seem to control her mouth while she was near him. Erathia, despite its problems, was still one of the best places both to hire and to get jobs, which made Lord Haarts threat so effective. Breach of contract was a surefire way to be blacklisted by all employers, which is why they were still here in this farce of a battle, but a bad word from one of the realms prominent commanders would be almost as disastrous, no matter her personal opinion of the man.
Hush, lass. About ta start, eh.
Indeed, a scout was riding up to her now from the back. Saluting, the scout reported, The archers are in position, sir.
Taryn nodded, slamming her visor down as horn calls rang out and the unfamiliar feel of a clerics Adelas Bless settled around her, fatigue vanishing, leaving energy and adrenaline in its wake. Settling her lance, she held her hand up. All around her, there was the sound of metal clanking and saddles creaking. For a moment, nature held her breath, and then thunder rumbled as a wave of horses pounded toward the skeletons. Griffins accompanied the cavaliers in the air while the pike men and swordsmen struggled behind.
Green noxious fumes from the liches staffs arched toward the griffins. Griffins swerved and crashed into one another, plummeting toward the ground. Mounts tripped over griffin corpses, some breaking their legs with a crisp snap and scream of pain. The following cavaliers could not stop in time. Meanwhile, the throng of skeletons and walking dead lumbered forward, unstoppable, and engaged the downed riders.
Suddenly, a group split off from the main host and hurtled past the skeletons and the walking dead, taking advantage of the space on the flanks. Coalescing into an arrowhead formation, they lowered their lances and charged toward the liches accompanied by twangs as arrows shot into the sky.
Thirty yards. Taryn sighted along her lance and aimed at a liches head.
Fifteen. The liches had recovered from their surprise and flung death clouds at her cavalcade. Holding her breath, she willed herself to ignore the stinging in her eyes and urged her horse to go faster after he stumbled. Behind her, she heard coughing, clashes, and the heavy thumps as her people fell.
Ten. She couldnt look around and see how many had fallen. She could only feel less pressure; Lt. Kristov on her right was gone.
Five. The liches were readying a second batch of death clouds. The gems on their scepters were growing steadily brighter. The arrows plunged to earth in the breasts of black knights and wraiths.
Taryn threw her weight behind her lance as she reached the forefront of the liches. The tip of her lance drilled through the eyehole of the liche and through the back. She kept her arm steady while the momentum of her horse carried her over the front row.
All around her, she could hear the crunching of skulls. Her horse was slowing down as he struggled to get through the liches packed side by side. Taryns lance tip dipped. Noticing the liche hanging onto it, she viciously kicked out with her foot. The downward drag disappeared. Horn calls rang out, and as one, all the horses reared, flailing out with hooves, and wheeled. The group raced out of the liches reach.
Captain! As Taryn half turned in her saddle, she saw one of her people, a boy of about seventeen years, pulled off his horse by the liches and hit with scepters. His helm had been wrestled off, and bruises spread across his face. She also saw the companies of black knights and wraiths beginning to pick up the chase, some heading toward her archers.
Captain! Panic was in his voice now. Taryn swallowed, then turned around, and forced her horse to go faster. Among her one lone platoon, there was silence.
Captain? Cap The voice ended in a strangled scream.
As her horse galloped toward the skeletons, she blinked away the sweat that had gotten into her eyes. There were holes in the skeleton and walking dead ranks where griffins and horses had fallen. Near the end of the horde of skeletons, she saw the small pockets of pike men and swordsmen waver, then crumble. A few broke free. Most didnt.
***
Notes:
1) I wanted to show that L.H., for whatever reason, believes or talks very strongly about his belief in the supremacy of the Erathian military and his personal view of what a knight ought to be. His vision of a knight would not include any "dishonorable" tactics. Is this coming across?
2) I think this got lost by the wayside, but I have no idea how to put it in. Adela, as someone who believes for the most part in diplomacy - although not with Deyjan necromancers because they don't negotiate - and thus, is +very+ uncomfortable talking about battle spells, is making an effort on Taryn's behalf by offering to discuss the spells she'll be casting during the battle. This background was touched upon in the first scene but I'm unsure how to make this more clear. This friendship the two have developed becomes fairly important in the last section.
3) There is -a lot- of explication in the beginning of the third scene. I've tried to touch on them and not just blab on and on, but in your opinion, is it too long? Do your eyes start crossing? The problem is my original section (without any of that explication) was too subtle and depended on people having a passing familiarity with the game. The Deyjan coin explication is thus fairly important. I'm unsure if the explanation of the importance of LH's threat is necessary though. Kristov's background isn't so much important as the point that Taryn is a fairly new - and brash - Captain (which, along with her natural pride, hopefully explains why she's not very tactful). Do you buy that explanation? Also, I have no idea what sort of dialect I'm giving Kristov; it seems like a mix of a Scottish accent and the Canadian eh. If you have any suggestions of how to portray the speech of a desert barbarian, I will proclaim your virtues to the heaven. =x
4) Lastly, battle scene. Working for you? Not? Need more description? Need less? Tactics make sense?