Turn -1 Battle Phase
In the rolling hills that stand on a direct path between Loji and Iqua, the first scouts meet and exchange archery fire. Having traveled the fastest with the aid of a favourable wind, the crossbowmen of Loji arrived first setting up on advantageous ground. They do not wait long, as the archers of Iqua arrive lead by their golden-haired leader Lady Adiva Shrivastava.
Both sides took a moment to identify the equipment of their opposite numbers, compare flags and taunt their opposition.
Iqua
Loji
I really like both flags so I am awarding both sides a
Hint Token. There will be another flag contest to create a flag for the Star nation which will be more decisive.
The superior range of the Songbow immediately displayed its worth, allowing the Iqua to harass the Loji. The Loji in turn called forth their Voiceguard to obscure the battlefield, chanting in the language of magic, they conjure smoke to form into a spike shape that rushes forward before striking the ground and pooling into a small amount of smoke that does not easily dissipate in the wind. This smoke allows the Loji to sneak small forces of crossbowmen forward into range to return fire.
Limited numbers and low fire rate does not favour the Loji crossbowmen in these engagements. On the defense, the superior armour and pavise shields of the Loji help to equalise matters somewhat. It can’t stop every arrow however and it is here that the elite forces of the Iqua begin to show their power. For while the average Iqua arrow is nothing special, the forces led by the Lady Adiva fire arrows with tainted poisonous arrowheads. A single wound from such an arrow can cause a foe to bleed without relief. Forcing the afflicted to flee the battlefield and seek medical aid lest they run short of blood. That is however only half the arrows, for the other half cause a terrible fatigue that gradually exhausts those struck until they must be dragged comatose from the battlefield.
Meanwhile those crossbow bolts that do land reveal their sharp blue teeth for their heads of made of a blue substance stronger than iron. The simple padded armour of the Iquan archers proves little defense against it. Moreover they appear to have been more conventionally poisoned. This mundane poison is certainly demoralising, but the side effects are much less dramatic, largely consisting of rashes.
Overall it is the Loji that are forced to abandon the field first as their inability to effectively contest the archery of the Iqua leaves the Loji scouts with no choice but to pull back.
Known Equipment
Elite Unit
Voiceguard: Holy magic users dedicated to the chanting arts. They have been witnessed to be capable of deploying smoke to the battlefield to obscure vision.
Equipment
Pavise Shields: Metal reinforced, wooden shields designed to be worn on the back to protect a crossbowman while they reload their crossbow.
Brigandine Armour: Strips of Windforged Steel cushioned by wool and linen on both sides. Only the vital organs are protected with Steel in order to keep costs low. Cloth gloves and hood help to ensure that every part of the body has at least some protection.
Light Crossbow: Based on the bow and mounted horizontally on a frame. Powerful, but reloading is slow and dangerous. Each crossbow has been standardised, allowing even lesser skilled crafters to build a functional weapon of war.
Standard: A flag used to identify units and maintain order in battle.
Windforged Steel: All metal equipment has a blue colouration with the strength of steel.
Hero
Lady Adiva Shrivastava: A skilled archer and leader, this golden-haired warrior is a proud warrior of Iqua.
Padded Armour: Very cheap, just layers of cloth, but doesn't protect against much. Well ventilated in hot conditions.
Songbow: A medium bow with draw strength greater than our normal composite bows. They are not practical to use while riding a mount.
War Horn: A musical instrument made from a ram’s horn used to communicate over a distance. Used to deliver orders and sound the alarm in the event of an attack.
Symphony Quiver: These quivers contain a variety of arrows each envenomed with a poison known to the Iqua. Currently, two types of poison have been seen. One inflicts bleeding and the other fatigue.
Author
Topic: Arms Race: War of the Rune (Read 6777 times)