Forenia, 915Harsh weather persists in the southern mountains, and hard fighting at the foothills remains confined to the border. No major losses are reported, but neither are any territorial gains. Moskurgers fail to take back any ground at the deadly
Krozkan Pass beneath the castle promised to their now-Queen, but neither can the Arstotzkans push past the last line of border forts to reach the desert. The Moskurgers seemed inspired, partially by their commitment to chivalry and honour, and partly by the presence of none other than the Sun Hammer himself, al-Mutriqa, who leads the defence.
The jungles see a slow push backwards for Arstotzka. As before, neither side conclusively wins most skirmishes, but Moskurg manages to pull through in a few crucial battles and takes a vital fort on the way to the last major Arstotzkan encampment. Further victory may well lead to Moskurger control over the jungle.
The cyclone shield is making a difference, and that difference is our wizards surviving long enough to cast lucky strike again. Without constant wizard sniping, we have regained an advantage in ranged combat. The shield will also protect against assassination of our leadership, but few deliberate attempts have been made there. We still can't get close enough to read thoughts, though, since they can fireball us at that range, or pepper us with enough arrows to make no difference.
We captured a lot of soldiers during the raid on the Arstotzkan fort, so we relieved them of their arms, gave them basic medical treatment and marched them back off to the enemy. It was a strange experience, and some soldiers grumble loudly that we are being foolish, but many of the men feel a quiet relief and security in the knowledge that we, at least, are honourable. This advantage may well have been the reason we won.
In the plains, the Moskurg advantage is pressed home with heavy reinforcement. Arstotzkan light troops are now essentially unable to compete in plains skirmishes, being eliminated with cold efficiency by horse archers and hidden Moskurger shortbowmen. Groups of stragglers are wiped out by teams of a dozen squads, converging from seemingly random positions on isolated enemies. Nowhere is this more deadly or apparent than in massed battle, where Moskurger light infantry move in terrifyingly co-ordinated formations, whilst archers and horse archers encircle, trap and flank with inhuman ability. Moskurg wins every major engagement, pressing back against Arstotzkan troops until they reach the border forts, then taking those as well.
Moskurg holds the plains. If they can hold them for another turn, they will achieve control.Mass teletalk beacons are a dream. They are an advantage we have been able to translate across the whole of our battlefield, enabling squad commanders and column commanders to coordinate without the long delays of runners or the necessarily simple messages of drummers and flag-bearers.
We captured most of Arstotzka's troops in the field and managed to return many that were safe to do so. The Arstotzkans also ransomed a full army's worth of men, but about twice that were too wounded to repatriate and either died in the field or on the table.
At sea, the future remains muddy and uncertain. In the eastern sea, Moskurger forces take back the portion of coast that the Arstotzkans took last year, sinking a number of haboured ships in the process.
No armies were lost this year on our side, though we did return two to the enemy. With this in mind, the Sultan has reinforced the mountains and jungle. We are now at maximum capacity, manpower wise.
Decision Time: Arstotzka has adopted
Pragmatism,
Moskurg has adopted
Chivalry.
Revision Credit: A cultured scholar, Jibril Saadiya, has come to the isle of Forenia, having heard rumours of magic. He claims to be a mystic and alchemist, and whilst you have doubts about that he certainly seems sharp and would be a welcome addition to your design team. He appears to be a Saracen and consequently enjoys culture, entertainment and erudition. The nation that is the most cultured, entertaining or erudite will attract this scholar and his keen mind.
It is 915, the Design Phase.Northern Taiga: 4/4 Arstotzka
Central Mountains: 4/4 Arstotzka
Western Jungle: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Eastern Plains: 0/4 Arstotzka, 4/4 Moskurg
Southern Desert: 4/4 Moskurg
Northern Sea: Arstotzkan
Western Sea: Disputed
Eastern Sea: Disputed
Southern Sea: Moskurger
Mundane Equipment
Sabre: Officer weapon. A single-edged blade that favours cavalry combat over infantry combat. Requires training to wield, one-handed. Expensive.
Spear: General infantry weapon. Essentially a dagger on a long stick. Very cheap, requires minimal training to use. Can be used double-handed, or single handed with a light shield. Cheap.
Buckler: General infantry equipment. A small iron shield, held in one hand. Only protects a small area, but can be wielded alongside a shield. Moderate cost, requires training to wield properly.
Padded Armour: General infantry armour. Very cheap, just layers of cloth, but doesn't protect against much. Well ventilated in hot conditions, though. Cheap.
Scale Mail: Officer armour. Scales of steel on a leather backing. Expensive, but lighter than chain mail. Expensive.
Recurve Bow: General infantry weapon. A light bow composed of laminated wood and horn, curved backwards to provide more force. Inexpensive enough to equip many troops with, with very reasonable medium range and power. Can be wielded by horse archers. Tendency to break limbs when strung.
Arabian Horse: A light riding horse, from short-lived Iberian settlers in the past. Very fast and manoevrable, but not too strong. Expensive.
Sailing Ship: Wind-propelled wooden ship. Fast, requires minimal crew, cannot carry many passengers. Very Expensive.
Magical Equipment
Wand of Heroism: Makes a squad fight beyond human levels. A National Effort.
Detect Ambush: Reveals non-magical ambushes prepared by enemy troops or physical traps.
Lucky Strike: Magical guidance makes a squad shoot or strike true far more often than usual. Expensive.
Detect Thoughts: Read the mind of an enemy commander to determine their tactics ahead of time. Very Expensive.
Teletalk: Short-ranged psychic communication between mystics. Enough beacons can be produced to outfit an army. Expensive.
Gust of Wind: Evokes physical force to create a heavy gust of wind, sufficient to disperse fog and most minor concealments, as well as disperse irritating swarms. Expensive.
Cyclone Shield: Protects the beneficient from most arrows and some blows with a sheathe of wind. Expensive.
Author
Topic: Wands Race - [Moskurg] {COMPLETED} (Read 203524 times)