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[adwarf]

The sun sat low in the sky dyeing it a combination of crimson, and pale orange that seemed fitting enough for the lands the sun now fled. An almost endless grassland broken by sparse hills, and lone trees stretched out in every direction marred by the battle that had been waged upon it in the name of some war that the freshly dead had already started to damn. Corpses lay in piles, or surrounded by other bodies and the discarded weapons they once wielded just waiting for scavengers to come along and pick the place clean of anything even remotely valuable. At the center of the battlefield sat a lone, hooded figure surrounded by a veritable wall of the dead whose blood seemed to permeate every inch of the figure's body including the pitted and broken remnants of their sword.

The figure sits silently staring at the broken sword stained red, and brown entirely immobile for a few moments before a voice makes its way from one of the bodies nearby, a man who had somehow survived the carnage surrounding him. Pushing himself up the soldier suddenly coughs up a spattering of blood, and reflexively moves his right arm to cover his mouth, an arm that is now missing entirely. Grimacing the man looks over at the figure,

"By the Gods ... what are you?"

The figure grips the handle of the broken sword tighter at the mention of the Gods, and stands up moving in front of the man with a preciseness born from a life behind the blade. Kneeling before the man the figure scoffs, and spreads their arms.

"Look around you, Gods? There are no Gods."

With a sudden finality the figure slams the broken sword into the soldier's chest pushing the blade in up to the hilt before releasing it, and turning from the man's dying gasps. With a sigh that one might almost mistake for sadness as it stood looking out over the sea of dead the figure mutters aloud,

"There are no Gods now."

------

You awake with a start, screaming for a few seconds before reality reasserts itself and you find yourself back in your tent. The coals filling the stone pit in the center had cooled completely, and you could already fill the night chill creeping into the tent sapping the heat from the air with little effort. It was that dream again, you always saw that dream on the nights before battle, but who was that figure? And were they the one that killed so many people, or were some of the dead with them?

You had went to several doctors, and a number of hedge healers to talk to see if the dream was some kind of illness, but they all said pretty much the same thing calling it a method that your worries for the battle to come were taking shape in a dream. Sitting up, and letting the blanket slip slightly from your shoulders you stared into the darkness and tried reconfirm yourself. For some reason that dream always left you ... unsure. Who are you?

[Lord_lemonpie]

We are a human male called Darius Perdant. We grew up in a castle, but at the age of 16, we decided to join the army. Now, 5 years later, we have climbed the ranks, and currently we are the leader of a squad consisting of 35 soldiers.

[LuckyKobold]

We are a human male called Darius Perdant. We grew up in a castle, but at the age of 16, we decided to join the army. Now, 5 years later, we have climbed the ranks, and currently we are the leader of a squad consisting of 35 soldiers.

We are also addicted to hallucinogenic mushrooms.

[BlitzDungeoneer]

We are a human male called Darius Perdant. We grew up in a castle, but at the age of 16, we decided to join the army. Now, 5 years later, we have climbed the ranks, and currently we are the leader of a squad consisting of 35 soldiers.

We are also addicted to hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Is this going to be your shtick, in the same way Kirby is mine?
But yeah+1 to the description. -1 to the mushrooms.

[Cheesecake]

We are Tyrus the Pure, a local celebrity priest and chaplain for the army. We are camped with a squadron of young crusaders and squires.

[Prophet]

We are Tyrus the Pure, a local celebrity priest and chaplain for the army. We are camped with a squadron of young crusaders and squires.

+1

[LuckyKobold]

We are Tyrus the Pure, a local celebrity priest and chaplain for the army. We are camped with a squadron of young crusaders and squires.

+1

+1 I like Clerichood.

[Worldmaster27]

We are a human male called Darius Perdant. We grew up in a castle, but at the age of 16, we decided to join the army. Now, 5 years later, we have climbed the ranks, and currently we are the leader of a squad consisting of 35 soldiers.

We are Tyrus the Pure, a local celebrity priest and chaplain for the army. We are camped with a squadron of young crusaders and squires.

Both seem interesting. I'm inclined to choose the first, but I think that with the apparent "there are no gods" thing going, a preist-turned-heretic might  be more interesting and !!FUN!!

I'll +1 the priest.

[Prophet]

((All shall bow before the power of HERETICDOM MWHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH! OK sorry. I just had to get that out.))

[LuckyKobold]

((All shall bow before the power of HERETICDOM MWHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH! OK sorry. I just had to get that out.))

+1 To Insanity.

[adwarf]

You scoff as your thoughts seem to organize themselves, who would've thought that a priest of all people would be the one plagued by this stress induced dreams for clearly they could be nothing else. There are no Gods? Then clearly you wouldn't exist either if that was true, if there were no Gods then there would be no priests, and no zealous worshipers which you've seen more than your fair share of in the years of service spent teaching the word of the Banigar, the one true Pantheon. A voice from outside your tent breaks you from the moments of contemplation,

"Brother Tyrus you're wanted by Lord Vandir in the command tent, word just returned from the Falmirs not long ago. Their answer was sending the messenger's head back in a box."

You thank the messenger, and begin to ready yourself pulling on your white clergy tunic adorned with the three symbols of the Banigar. The Crimson Sun for Janik the God of War, the grey Crescent Moon of Navar the Goddess of the Night and Seas, and the Blacksmith's Hammer of Igan the Star Smith. You mutter a prayer for safety on this day as you touch each of the symbols in turn before locking your hands together in front of your chest, and bowing to finish the morning prayer. Turning to leave you lay eyes on your mace, a battered flanged mace that you were given before joining this crusade to reclaim the Eastern Reaches, and without hesitation you pick it up and slide it through a loop at your waist that serves the same purpose as a sheath would for a sword. Letting out a small yawn you push open the entrance flap of your tent you are met by the sight of several dozen men sitting about in silence amidst the campfires at the heart of a circle of tents, each and every one of them is ready for battle with their armor on and weapons close at hand.

You give the collective group a nod as you make your way through their numbers towards the edge of the tent circle, and the larger encampment that had been put up a dozen yards away much to the obvious joy of your warriors from their celebrations on the first day that this siege began. Now though the distance didn't really call forth any feelings for either side as far as you can tell, the depressing conditions of the siege had taken their toll in the past two weeks with pointless negotiations and peace talks clearly meant to buy the defenders more time were catered too. You sigh as you remind yourself that the politics of war are not your affair no matter how much you may wish otherwise, for now all you can do is offer Lord Vandir spiritual council and lead those few warriors whose faith has lead them to swear service to the Banigar.

Passing through the main camp gives you a good view of the soldiers that make up Lord Vandir's army, a force made up of untrained peasants and men at arms who have seen to many years without taking up a sword in the name of their kingdom, and the sight of them forces you to wonder why the King would delegate this war to Lord Vandir and your Cloister of all those forces he could call. Your arrival at the command tent, a massive red and blue canopy tent fit for several dozen men to sleep in set up on a bed of rough wooden boards to protect it from the muddy slush the ground was sure to become in the coming days.

As you approach a pair of men at arms quickly draw open the entrance flaps for you, and you pass inside to be met by the smell of wine and the relieving warmth of a dozen coal filled braziers. You look to the center of the room to find Lord Vandir at the head of a square table with a map of Castle Greymont spread out on it, Lord Vandir's Court Mage Renard stands off to the lord's right while General Almas stands to his left. Their attention turns to you almost immediately as you enter, Lord Vandir and the Mage Renard give you easy smiles but General Almas' face is more of an unchanging mask as it always seems to be around you. Lord Vanir starts talking as you take your place on the far side of the table,

"The Falmirs have stained our peace talks by sending us the head of our messenger, I think its quite clear now that they were simply stalling with the negotiations to prepare Greymont for the siege to come, and now ... well now it will be one costly endeavor to take that castle from them and probably the rest of the Eastern Reaches as well. As it is now the siege proper will begin in the morning, but the battle will start tonight with you Brother Tyrus, and your Disciples of Banigar. The scouts have brought word of a mine to the northeast where the Falmirs have setup a secret entrance into Greymont, from the reports they gave us it appears as if the Falmirs are using it to funnel supplies and even troops from deeper into the Eastern Reaches straight into the castle to join the existing garrison. That supply line needs to be cut off and held while enemies assail defenders from two fronts, to be frank the main army cannot spare the forces to hold those mines and our other auxiliaries will be easy on other fronts so the duty falls to you.

Before I need to remind you Brother Tyrus I will come out and say it, you and your Disciples of Banigar may not be a direct part of my army but by Royal Decree you must follow my orders in regards to the reclamation of the Eastern Reaches. You may have been sent to offer spiritual guidance Tyrus, but right now I need you and your men to fight a war not pray to the Gods for an answer to our problems. Renard here has volunteered to go with you, and act as a counter to any magic users the Falmir might field against you. Any questions on your orders Brother Tyrus, or can we go back to waging a war?"

[Prophet]

"No I understand. Unless you have anything else to tell me I shall go inform the Disciples of your orders."

[Worldmaster27]

"No I understand. Unless you have anything else to tell me I shall go inform the Disciples of your orders."

+1 And request a copy of the scouts' full report on the mine, so that we can start making a plan.

We also need to detail our available forces and the equipment and abilities of them.

[killerhellhound]

"No I understand. Unless you have anything else to tell me I shall go inform the Disciples of your orders."

+1 And request a copy of the scouts' full report on the mine, so that we can start making a plan.

We also need to detail our available forces and the equipment and abilities of them.

smart +1

[adwarf]

"None, all I wish to ask of you is to hear or read the reports of your scouts."

Lord Vandir smirks, and points to the Court Mage before replying,

"I have told him what the scouts told me, so he should be more then able of helping you formulate any battle plans, but keep in mind Tyrus that you take that mine tonight. We cannot risk letting these Falmir rats reinforce the garrison anymore than they already have, now go Priest and prove what they say about your Disciples being touched by the Gods."

With that Lord Vandir waves his hand in the direction of the entrance flaps, and turns to engage General Almas in a discussion about how best to deploy the army for the first phases of the siege. Annoyed by the finality of Vandir's action you turn and leave the command tent expecting Renard to follow sometime later though much to your surprise you find him walking next to you as you make your way out of the main camp. The Court Mage is a man of short stature with straw colored hair flecked with grey, a side effect of magic use no doubt, and dressed in a plain grey robe spattered with ink stains. Renard lets out a sigh, and shakes his head slightly before addressing you,

"I must apologize for my Lord's rudeness, truly he has no dislike of your Disciples nor you, but the current situation is a stressful one for my Lord. He was given the right to lead the reclamation war of the Eastern Reaches, but forced to gather an army solely from his lands and those troops that other Lords or the Cloisters of the Banigar would offer freely leaving him with a markedly poor force to reclaim dozens of towns, keeps, and forts. Combine that with the somewhat unsettling fact that the Falmir worship the Old Pantheon, and Lord Vandir worries of just how many men will die taking these lands back for the King.

As for the scout reports they were less than thorough in terms of the layout of the mine itself, but it was quite clear from all the combined reports that roughly twenty to thirty men are stationed there and they've set up some basic earthworks in a seeming bout of genius. Aside from that the mine is open to the plains on all sides but the southeast which is sparsely populated by some pine trees of some sort, any attempts at a silent assault would require the use of that as cover if it were day time. My field of study in magic tends primarily towards the creation of illusions so my repertoire of combat spells is quite small, large enough to take on whatever pathetic excuse for a mage the Falmir might field, but of little use to you in large scale battles."

You thank Renard for the information, and quickly turn to comparing the Disciples to the situation Renard explained, your men aren't as vast in number as the main army but still they outnumber twenty something defenders. Many are former soldiers of one Lord or another who took the Oath and joined the Disciples to help up hold the word of the Banigar and the King who was the mouth through which the Banigar spoke their desires and advice. A dozen or so knights, a handful of crossbowmen, some foot soldiers, and even a few long-bowmen all told.

Spoiler: Objectives (click to show/hide)

1) Seize the Mine from Falmir Forces
2) Hold the Mine to cut Castle Greymont off from additional supplies and reinforcements

Spoiler: Your Forces (click to show/hide)

12 Knights [Plate Armor, Lance, Arming Sword, Kite Shield, Destrier]
10 Footmen [Leather Armor, Short Sword, Round Shield]
4 Squires [Chainmail, Arming Sword, Round Shield]
5 Crossbowmen [Leather Armor, Crossbow, Shortsword]
2 Long-bowmen [Longbows, Hand Axes]