Turn 5 Battle Phase
The wind changed and the weather with it. Embracing summer, these are likely the hottest days we’ve experienced since arriving at the island. Even in the mountains, the air remains dry, although the melting of the ice leaves no shortage of water. Lightning crashes out of the cloudless sky. As for the rest, outside the heartlands of Loji; the heat is stifling and unending. Crops waterlogged in spring wither in the heat of summer.
The Loji have decided to deploy heavier weapons to the battlefield, bringing the Conflagration Ballista a thrower of rock and bolt rear mounted on a specially modified sail cart via a pivot. The longer range and greater power than their crossbow serving to support defensive positioning without compromising their mobility. In addition, their chanters wear a new piece of equipment in the Psalmfounts worn around their necks. Their chanting has audibly changed from a drawn-out song to an echoing drone as their chants activate with greater speed.
The Iqua meanwhile march energetically forward in spite of the weather thanks to the deployment of their Marching Brew. Thanks to its effects their forces have grown more mobile simply due to their ability to march relentlessly beyond the limits of mortal constitution. Marching alongside them and if anything more energetically still come the Mire Monks, chanters able to deploy spikes of mud from beyond even the range of the Conflagration Ballista, though accuracy at such ranges is unreliable for both sides.
The Xi Shan have improved their ability to dig in and fortify. Training and equipping every soldier to put together a variety of earthworks with the aid of a spade. Each soldier also now sports a new Shadowflash Shield that can block vision with darkness or dazzle the enemy with light.
The MountainsThe mountains are uncontested once again. They can not be described as quiet however, for the unending crash of thunder reverberates along the peaks. Melting snowfalls in unpredictable quantities down the mountains making travel in the area unsafe. Yet there is no movement in the worst affected areas and the losses only amount to those few foolhardy scouts who underestimated the danger.
The HillsFrom the west, the Xi Shan spill forth once again. Their battle strategy by necessity more cautious than last time having witnessed the ability of the Loji to halt and crush them when on the charge. Instead, they use their craft to match the maneuvering of the enemy carts, contesting control of the most advantageous terrain. For their part the Loji are confident, pressing forward under a barrage of flame pillars and setting up their Conflagration Ballista with which to bombard any position that the Xi Shan try to hold.
On the other side of the front Iqua infantry march undaunted by the heat, complaining good-naturedly as their feet eat up the distance to the Loji advance. The Iqua have noticeably increased the pace of their march, able to match the vehicles of the others at strategic distances. Against the marching infantry, the Loji are able to rely on their sail carts to put on a burst of speed with the aid of their wind summoning chanters to reposition themselves.
On the more familiar ground of the mountains, the Xi Shan had learned to use the terrain to control the line of sight and hide themselves away during the daylight hours. Mastering the act of striking from surprise in darkness, it perhaps to be expected that they would use their magic to support their favoured strategy. Yet in the rolling hills at the island’s centre they are confronted with the need to hunt during the day. Such a change calls for a new form of warfare for a new form of war.
They have witnessed the mobile warfare of the Loji and built their own carts with which to contest them. Yet there is always more to learn. For the Loji have demonstrated skill not only in the training of mighty warriors able to control the engagement in close, but also the mastery of the bow to send destructive bolts more powerful than any shield or armour the Xi Shan can hope to wield.
Thus they resolve themselves to form the mountain and bring the battle closer to their old and familiar plans. Using their Shadowflash Shields that blaze with a blinding barrier of white light, they destroy any notion of aiming that the crossbowmen of the Loji might have. Buying themselves respite enough to dig in and create walls of earth.
To fight them the Loji bring forth yet another grant invention, the Conflagration Ballista rains down indiscriminate fire upon the simple fortifications of the Xi Shan. Lacking any weapon to strike back with the Xi Shan can only endure. As the Loji advance, they fire blindly with bolt and fang, yet the Xi Shan endure. When the Jarls charge, the Nightblades rise up two for every Jarl that could be fielded at the blade of the axe. Here the Xi Shan falters and here the Xi Shan are forced back. For though they have numbers and though they can strike surprising blows hidden by darkness and even through the dead air that the Jarls call forth. For all that, they are sapped by the hot weather in the hills and simply cannot compete with the speed of the axe that descends unhindered and with the speed of a gale. The Xi Shan shall not find a foothold this day.
The Iqua also compete with the mobility of the sail cart but instead of using a vehicle rely on the muscles of their soldiers enhanced to supernatural stamina by the magic of their Marching Brew. If they were witness to it, perhaps many of the Iqua would look at the fortified positions of the Xi Shan with envy. For their only fortification is the Scroll of Blooming Shadows which are quickly burned to cinders by relentless descending pillars of fire. Thus they have no answer to the Loji fangs but to return fire and endure the terrible casualties inflicted.
Constantly they are pressed back and so they are forced to turn to the newly trained Mire Monks to contest the battle. From beyond the range of even the greatest crossbowman spikes of wet earth assemble themselves, mystical poison drawn into their creation. These spikes rush forward unswervingly to crash into sail carts and soldiers alike. The weight of the spike enough to break cartwheels and bowl over even the mightiest warrior. Yet worst of all once it has struck the mud the spike is composed of doesn’t just disappear but loses all form and piles up around those it has struck. Those caught in it do not get up, for the poison it is laced with leaves soldiers slumbering. This layer of mud makes even attempting to cross the area or retrieve the sleepers a danger for they risk being envenomed in turn.
The Loji are forced to advance only by cart and bombard the monks with Conflagration Ballista, yet neither is in short supply. Though neither side is able to fight a conclusive battle, this is only because the Iqua are retreating. Near the end of the season, a sudden blaze from the east lights up the battlefield, easily a match for the shield light of the Xi Shan. This second sun ends the conflict as warriors on all sides seek to discover the cause of the disturbance.
The Loji advance.
The JungleThe ragged remains of the Jungle face a more sustained onslaught this season. For the Loji seem intent on burning away every inch of it. The pockmarked and uneven ground revealed beneath looks like it was long ago assaulted by falling stars. Dreadmonks and Blademonks sneak between the dead trees, exploiting the smoke and flames generated by the burning of the last vestiges of jungle that remain. Mire Monks stick with the soldiers of Iqua focusing on distributing supplies to assist against the heat.
Now that the Hellbringers need not fear exhausting themselves, they set about burning the jungle with even greater ferocity. Nothing is to be spared in their mad quest to clear a path for their army to fight unhindered. The Jarls operate at the edges ready to strike at anything foolish enough to strike at the army from the cover of the trees that yet remain.
The Loji do not venture into the trees, content to burn a wide path forward. Drawing on the seemingly limitless assistance of the Hellbringers as flaming pillar after pillar descends at regular intervals to slowly scorch a road for sail carts to advance upon. Occasionally a Blademonk will strike seeking to sabotage the carts and delay progress, only to be forced into battle with a Jarl. For the Jarls are able to intercept with great speed and chant the air to stillness to further impede the Blademonk. Yet the Blademonk can draw upon the magic of their Marching Brew to strain their muscles without exhausting themselves and fight the stifling power of the chant with their effort. Even so the Blademonks are plainly slower than their opponents, a disadvantage that tilts such fights firmly in the Jarls favour.
The Iqua then are forced to rely primarily on the Dreadmonks to disrupt the advance. Fear descends with intensity enough to drive the Loji to madness. Yet in that madness the Hellbringers bring forth flame and the army of Loji brings the Dreki Fangs to burn all around them until the Dreadmonk is driven away by the weight of fire. The Mire Monks in turn find their sightlines blocked by the unevenness of the terrain and the ashen remains of the jungle that they are largely unable to impact the battle this season.
As the season draws to a close a section of unburned jungle begins to stand out from the burning or burnt remains that surround it. A glade at the jungle’s heart filled with grass swaying like green fire and floating at its centre an orb of light. As the Hellbringers bring their vengeance upon the last bastion of the jungle, the orb begins to grow brighter, floating ever higher in the sky. Rising until it can be seen all across the island as it blazes like a second sun. All across the land new seedlings sprout with incredible rapidity.
Loji Advances.
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.
Hellbringers: They deploy columns of flame that descend from above to burn all in their path.
Jarls of the Maelstrom: The Jarls of Loji were once leaders, rulers and warriors. Now they have sought to leverage the secrets of magic to become warriors without peer. Armed and armoured in the finest equipment Loji can produce, each item glowing with runic symbols. axe and chant with deadly effect.
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. Includes a conical helmet with cheek guards, greaves and bracers. The scaled shirt is lengthened to cover the upper arms and the knees.
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.
Sail Cart: A four wheeled cart that offers no protection from arrow fire or the elements beyond the sail used to propel it. The front wheels tilt allowing the cart to turn.
Conflagration Ballista: A ballista mounted rearwards on a smaller variant of the sail cart. It has a variety of ammunition from stone ball to steel bolt. Rearward firing with a large firing arc.
Cone of Chill: A chant that chills the air inside its cone of effect.
Dreki Fangs: A barbed bolt that heats up in flight.
Psalmfounts: A talisman the deep metallic blue of a clear sky. It speeds chanting.
Windforged Steel: All metal equipment has a blue colouration with the strength of steel.
Red Steel: As strong as Windforged Steel and carrying a painful heat.
Stillborn Steel: Unnatural weight and momentum.
Stormcrown Fortress: A defensive location positioned to defend the route to the mountains.
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 a number of Moonlight Sabres and wear Moonlight Chainmail.
Dreadmonks: An order of chanters dedicated to mastery of fear, capable of berserk strength and suicidal resolve. They wear Moonlight Chainmail and wield Moonlight Sabres.
Mire Monks: An order of chanters dedicated to providing long range support with the aid of their poisoned mud. They carry a barrel of liquid on their backs. They wear Moonlight Chainmail and wield the Moonlight Sabre when they must.
Equipment
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 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.
Moonlight Sabre: A sabre made of a white iron that is as hard as steel.
Flamequencher Cloak: A dull black cloak that protects the wearer from fire.
Scroll of Fear: These scrolls inked in green flame, grant its reader the ability and the knowledge needed to speak its chant for a season.
Scroll of Blooming Shadows: These mats inked in green flame, summon a black rose that blooms into great black flower petals that expand to obscure a squad in darkness.
Marching Brew: A black elixir that glows malevolently darkening the room a little in close proximity to it. Fills the drinker with energy.
Elite Units
Nightblades
Covered in darkness, these mysterious warriors wield thin blades that strike without warning.
Equipment
Wooden Short Spear: A sharp wooden spear designed for jabbing.
Wooden Shield: A simple shield of wood.
Composite Recurve Bow: Constructed of a composite of horn, wood and sinew laminated together. The shape of the bow curves away from the archer. This recurve increases the draw weight of the bow, storing more energy without breaking. This bow is designed to fire arrows with simple metal tips.
Furs: Patchwork armour constructed out of the pelts of small animals caught by the hunters of the Xi Shan. Iron plates have been added to protect vital areas.
Spade: Combined with proper training, allows the warriors of Xi Shan to dig in and create a variety of fortifications.
Nightmare Pot: A clay pot filled with poison that chills those struck and subjects them to ongoing nightmares.
Nightmare Arrows: Some arrows carry the same poison as is used with the Nightmare Pots.
Shadowflash Shield: A simple shield of wood that bears glowing runes, when activated it can hide those behind it with darkness or dazzle those in front with light.
Earth Runner: A floating cartbed capable of carrying a squad into battle.
Author
Topic: Arms Race: War of the Rune (Read 6786 times)