Consult the men if they would mind if raiding was conducted in the kingdom directly west of here. (+1 to haegar stuff).
[2+1] Your men refuse to go west, arguing that it would take them too far from their homes and put them in a difficult situation if an army got between them and their homeland. However, they do not question your authority, supposing that you were simply checking for their opinion in case you had to change plans.
Return to Northwatch, begin preparations for the defense of the keep.
Call together my forces for a [RP] speech pre-battle.
[There's nothing you can do in the time window you have that would affect the rolls] Your troops prepare for a fight, and gather for a speech.
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[1+1 vs 2] As both sides start preparing for battle, a hunting horn is heard from the west. A whisper of surprise is heard from the camp of the besiegers, for that signal comes from one of their scouts -
and it is used to warn against an imminent attack. The troops of the north barely have time to reorganize their ranks before an army emerges from the woods.
Flying the banners of Windheath (and, in the case of the cavalry, Altaregia), it is constituted of ten thousand men, for the most part fairly well equipped. At their head ride fifteen hundred men, lead personally by Richard Conricht. The Prince, who had been hiding in the foothills of the Silver Spire, had gathered his forces and marched towards Northwatch as soon as he heard the Haegars were nearing the border, managing to get extremely close to the raider army without being detected by dodging or eliminating the scouts of the north, whose talent was doubtful at best.
And, to the surprise of the Haegar officers, the Royal Army does not slow down as it starts getting nearer. Instead, it accelerates, the men breaking into a run and the cavalry starting a full blown charge. While reckless and tactically limiting, the move did prevent the Haegars from reacting with precise and organized tactics - which meant the battle would be a gigantic melee rather than an organized battlefield.
The Battle of NorthwatchRichard chose to rush into battle and succeeded, preventing both sides from using tactics. The Royal Army is constituted of four standard regiments, six Heavy regiments and two Heavy Cavalry regiments, for a total of 24 strength. The Haegar Raiders have eleven berserker regiments, for a total of 11 strength on the defensive. Due to the dangerous odds, the Haegars will attempt to flee to give a chance to their officers to reorganize; however, they will have to roll each round to check if the berserkers are willing to stop the fight.
[22 vs 7] [-2 Berserker regiments]
In a terrifying clash, the Royal Cavalry hit the ranks of the Haegars at full speed. The raiders, disorganized and spread too thin, failed to stop the charge, which cut through their lines deeply and with efficiency. Following the knights came the infantry, which finished the destruction of the front of the Haegar army.
[1] Despite this, the raiders chose to keep on fighting, starting to see red as the blood fell around them, ignoring wisdom in their desperate attempt to earn glory and loot.
[15 vs 5] [-2 Berserker regiments]
As the charge started to loose it's momentum, the Royal Army reorganized its lines, with the heavy infantry forming a massive wall pushing the lines of the Haegars back and the cavalry getting out of the melee to harass the flanks of their opponents and charging at any force too dense, thus keep the raiders disorganized. In a frantic and desperate attempt to form a shield wall, the northerners started fleeing before the adranic blades, and more died trampled by their brethren than by the swords of Richard's troops.
[5 => 6+1 vs 2] Starting to realize how desperate their situation was, the Haegars turned heels and fled, but the Royal Cavalry got past them with ease and bloodied their rear guard, forcing them to remain engaged in the fight or to die in a charge of cavalry.
[11 vs 6] [-2 Berserker regiments]
Once again, the massive disorganization of the Haegars caused their downfall. With the royal army now outnumbering them vastly and the cavalry behind their backs, they got crushed between the two parts of the Conricht army, which acted as anvil and hammer. Through sheer numbers, they managed to force the cavalry to temporarily retreat, thus creating an escape route and allowing them to escape the infantry, but hundreds fell against the knights before they got through.
[4 => 1+1 vs 6] In a monumental chaos, the raiders finally managed to get out of the fight, breaking and running away from the royal army. Richard's forces attempted to catch up with them, but the sheer number of stragglers they had to deal with prevented them from stopping the Haegars from reaching the woods away from the fortress. After a few minutes, the Conricht army stopped attempting to pursue them - for now.
The siege of Northwatch has been broken. The Haegars lost six regiments out of eleven and inflicted no losses to the other side, but managed to become reorganized further north. The battle lasted only half an hour.
Richard went to Northwatch to talk with Renart. Osir can choose what to do now; he has at least an hour or two before the Windlanders have reorganized their army enough to attempt a pursuit.[4] A group of suspicious looking Haegars - looking nearly like Windlanders in disguise - who had joined the party during the night find themselves stuck with the retreating army. No one knows they're not part of the original group, thankfully.
March North as fast as possible toward Northwatch. Try to link up with the Prince.
[3-1] You follow the Prince's army for a few days, but you only manage to arrive right after the battle is over. Thousands of men lie dead on the field, and thousands more are getting back into formation. You can see a group of knights before the gates of Northwatch apparently asking to enter; since Richard's personal banner is flying above it, you suppose that's where he is.
Under the guise of hunting trips, take three archers from the regiment and begin to scout out a stealthy path to and from the fort to the western borders. Any food acquired during these trips is to be given to any peasant families in need.
[6] Your men find a path going through the wood that can allow one to cross the borders while dodging all rolls and patrols routes... But it can be used to go both ways, and it seems people from the western side have used it before, judging from the footprints - probably mostly hunter, but still, the secret is not well guarded.
You could choose to use it for yourself, or you could post patrols along it to prevent anybody from the other side from using it - though that would most likely reveal the secret.
Engage Parnoth offensively in the plains with the whole army.
1. Try and request a meeting first [Charisma I].
If the above fails and battle breaks out:
2. Parnoth's regiments are allowed a chance to turn over to our side, joining our army. Their disloyalty wlll be overlooked and they will be joint formally into the army, taking in account the disadvantage to their side and Parnoth's apparent madness.
3. Parnoth's daughter is to be secured and the man himself captured alive, if possible.
4. Any enemy regiments who rout during the fight will be given a chance to join our army and be pardoned, if they refuse, they will be captured and await the Regent's judgement.
5. If the battle ends in our favor, all of Parnoth's ships are to be immedaitly seized for the army.
Terrain: Plains.
Our forces [Offensive Strategist I, Defensive Strategist I (Harald)]:
- 2 Infantry regiments;
- 2 Heavy I Cavalry regiments;
- 2 Heavy I Berserker regiments;
- 1 Archer I regiment;
- 1 Heavy I regiment.
Parnoth's forces [Offensive Strategist I, Tactician II (Parnoth)]:
- 5 Heavy I regiments.
Make haste, for Northwatch calls for aid!
(I couldn't resist the reference)
[1 vs 6] With simple efficiency, Parnoth dodge your forces with ease, tricking you into attacking a few scouts ordered to hit metal things together to make a lot of noise while he ran away with his army. [1] With the same speed and efficiency, he goes back to his ships, and returns to the sea. Where he will strike next, you cannot know, but you lost your chance to eliminate him before he leads another raid.
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Topic: You are King III: Spring 938 AAL (Read 131190 times)