Turn 0 Battle Phase
HillsUpon the rolling hills, the forces of Iqua and Loji once against meet in battle. This time, however, the first clash between armies occurs. Once again the army of Loji outmaneuvers the Iqua, for the wind blows ever in their favour. Iqua scouts are forced to retreat before the march of the Loji main force losing some of the favourable ground they had attained by driving away the Loji in the battle of the scouts. Lady Adiva makes her disapproval known to the commander when they finally turn up.
On the Loji side, the
Jarls are a fearsome sight shouting encouragements to the soldiers as they raise their axes and shields in anticipation of the glorious battle ahead of them. The new
medium crossbows wielded by their crossbowmen a fine display of Loji technical superiority.
For the Iqua, the
Blademonks serenely prepare for what is coming by checking their seven blades and discarding now unneeded sheathes as they wield a sabre in each hand.
Both armies square up, seeming fairly evenly matched against each other. As the battle opens, the chanting of Loji Enkindlers is matched by the chanting of Iqua Blademonks. For the Enkindlers the impact of their chant is obvious as a wind filled with embers blows across the battlefield, threatening to light grass on fire and distracting those directly in its path. Unfortunately, the spring rains leave such attempts as disappointing and sporadic. As for the Blademonks, other than emanations of chanted mana, nothing seems to change.
As the archers enter range, this time the Loji are more confident. Their new medium crossbows match the range of the Songbow. Combined with their pavise shields and brigandine armour they are able to weather the worst of the Iqua archery fire, though they can not escape injury entirely and those arrows that hit which are poisoned inflict a toll. Meanwhile, the Iqua do not fare as well. The fire rate of the crossbows may be slower, but each volley has a devastating effect. Many archers are sent scrambling for cover, though the disciplined core led by Lady Adiva continue to harass and poison the crossbowmen as they are able.
Sensing danger, the pikes of Iqua begin to advance with small hardened shields at the ready. Though the crossbows of Loji are able to inflict some damage on the approach, they are ultimately forced to focus most of their efforts on suppressing the archers. Instead, it is the Loji rank and file that must step forward to tackle the pikemen. With their round reinforced shields, they bar the way forward. With their axes they try to pin down and hack away at the pikes. A stalemate develops as the northmen use their shields to turn the battle into a contest of strength. The stalemate does not last though. Occasionally a pike will flex around a shield and inflict a wound. Such wounds are scratches, but it is soon discovered that the blades of Iqua are venomous. Not as potent as their arrows perhaps, but every last pike is capable of inflicting poison and such scratches add up to weakened soldiers unable to continue to push against the pikes. Gradually the center of the line bulges as the pikemen press forward.
At the flanks the spearmen of Iqua have a much worse time of it. Lacking the absolute reach advantage of the pikes, they must face shield armed axemen out for blood. Nor can they afford to retreat to far lest the pikemen find themselves outflanked and their formation broken. It is here that the Blademonks step forward to relieve the pressure. Where they pass they leave behind a bloody trail of broken weapons, shields and limbs. There iron sabres cutting through everything in their path. Only the blue steel boss at the center of a Loji shield can stand up to the punishment inflicted and even then it is more often because an Iqua sabre is destroyed in the process of trying to cut through it. The Jarls of Loji charge gleefully to meet them to moment they see such a challenge. Yet while the Jarls may be a match for the Blademonks in terms of martial prowess, they have no true answer to the unstoppable cutting power of their attacks. At best they can only use their slowly disintegrating shields to buy time as a Blademonk is forced to back off while they draw a replacement blade.
No, it is the previously unnoticed wind carts, carrying their cargo crossbowmen to the flanks that ultimately threaten the Blademonks. These strange horseless carts have a tube pointing out the back that seems to slowly propel the carts at a walking pace. The Blademonks, unarmoured and lacking even a shield to defend themselves have no protection from the bolts sent their way. Sheltered by the cart from any return fire the Iqua can muster they are free to focus on slaying the otherwise unstoppable killing machine that a monk represents. Naturally, the spears of Iqua do not lack in bravery, rushing forwards to provide cover in the form of their shields. Even so, lacking the ability to move freely the Blademonks are forced to choose their engagements more carefully. Another stalemate develops, but it is enough to allow the spearmen to cover the pikemen.
Back in the center, Loji calls forth their Shroudweavers, those Voiceguard dedicated to the arts of smoke. Rather than use it to hide an advance, they instead send spikes of smoke directly at the pikemen. Where they are struck, the spikes turn to spheres of smoke that force the men back in order to breathe fresh air. Slowly a wall of smoke forms pressing back the line, allowing the northerners to advance. Unable to see their enemies, the Iqua are forced to fall back further wary of axemen charging out of the smoke. Yet the Loji have the same problem, as smoke prevents their advance too. It is the Windsingers turn to step forward, using their winds to blow the smoke towards the enemy. The smoke so resilient against normal winds, soon dissipates entirely under the influence of mana.
Without the smoke, the pushing contest soon resumes. Like the last time, the pikes of Iqua soon reclaim the upper hand. The battle turns into a long and bloody stalemate, with spearmen, axemen and archers falling on both sides. In time it becomes clear that the chanters of Loji cannot keep up with the demands placed on their chanting. Nor the warriors withstand the gradual attrition inflicted by the poisonous pikes of Iqua. Using smoke to cover the withdrawal, the Loji choose to quit the field in good order.
Iqua advance by the narrowest of margins. The fight will take place in the forested hills next season.
JungleThe scouts of Loji and Iqua clash once again. Yet this time the Loji have a number of advantages. Their crossbows match the range of their opponents and deliver a more devastating strike, largely due to the deficiencies in the defense of the Iqua archers. The jungle does provide more cover, turning the skirmish into a slower paced affair of ambush and counter-ambush. This aids the crossbowmen who can afford to retreat and reload. The Shroudweavers are in attendance here as well and they only make it easier to respond to ambush with smoke to cover the retreat. The poison on both sides is dangerous here, for while the jungle may not have large predators, it has no shortage of small ones. Injuries not quickly treated can soon attract insects of all sorts.
The Loji scouts grow increasingly confident with each success, needing to be wary only of ambush in close quarters by a Blademonk. For once up close, even one is capable of slaughtering a squad of crossbowmen on his own. Constantly hounded and harassed by crossbow bolts, fighting foes who disappear into smoke at every turn. In the end, the scouts of Iqua quit the jungle in disgust at the cowardly tactics of Loji.
Loji wins, but the fight in the jungle will continue next turn.
Known Equipment
Elite Unit
Voiceguard: Holy magic users dedicated to the chanting arts.
Shroudweavers: Capable of deploying smoke to the battlefield to obscure vision.
Windsingers: Bring forth the wind under their control.
Enkindlers: A wind filled with embers that can set fires and distract those subjected to it.
Jarls: Once leaders, rulers and warriors. The Jarls dishonoured themselves in battle against the Glorious Star and now seek to reclaim their place once more at the head of the armies of Loji. Armed and armoured with the finest equipment Loji can produce, though they prefer axes to the longswords wielded by more conventional officers of the army.
Equipment
Longsword: A double-edged blade and a cruciform hilt. A versatile weapon capable of cuts, slices and thrusts. Requires training to wield, can be used one or two handed.
War Axe: Can be used as a tool in a pinch, this is a single-handed weapon that does well against heavily armoured foes. Can be used with minimal training.
Northman’s Shield: A round wooden shield with a metal spiked boss. This shield is reinforced with metal around the edges. These shields are carefully painted with unique designs to help identify the hero who wields it.
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.
Scale Mail: Scales of iron on a leather hide backing.
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.
Medium Crossbow: A larger, steel reinforced crossbow. This crossbow has a metal stirrup and claw reloading method. Improved bolts allow for greater effectiveness against armour. It also has a superior range compared to the light crossbow.
Standard: A flag used to identify units and maintain order in battle.
Wind Cart: A four wheeled cart with a hollow cylinder in the back. This cart is travels at walking pace. It provides shelter for crossbowmen, allowing them to fire and reload on the move.
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.
Elite Units
Blademonks: An order of chanters dedicated to calm contemplation of battle, capable of cutting down all in their path. They carry seven sabres and wear no armour.
Sabre: A single-edged blade that favours cavalry combat over infantry combat. Requires training to wield, one-handed.
Spear: Essentially a dagger on a long stick. Very cheap, requires minimal training to use. Can be used double-handed, or single handed with a shield.
Pike: A longer spear, the butt has a bronze spike for embedding in the ground when defending against a cavalry charge. The pike is best wielded two-handed without a shield. This design is well balanced with a leaf-shaped blade of iron.
Wooden Shield: Couples well with a spear, cheap, easy to replace. Works best in heavy melee. Can be used with minimal training.
Hands-Free Hardened Shield: A smaller shield with a metal spike in the centre. It has a strap that allows the shield to be hung around the neck and handled a little with the shoulder. This allows it to be used by soldiers whose hands are otherwise occupied with two-handed weapons.
Padded Armour: Very cheap, just layers of cloth, but doesn't protect against much. Well ventilated in hot conditions.
Chainmail: Interlinked riveted iron hoops. Very effective against most weapons.
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.
Swan Pike: A pike with a poisonous blade. The venom is a inflicts bleeding. Notably the blade flexes a little, allowing it to cause wounds even when the blade is blocked.
Dragon Pike: A pike with a poisonous blade. The venom inflicts fatigue. Notably the blade flexes a little, allowing it to cause wounds even when the blade is blocked.