It's still a tie as Rockeater voted previously, but a coinflip selects E.TURNTURNTURNYou and Jared head back into the town to look for a new rope, while Jeren stays with the Steward in a little alcove by the stairs. There doesn't seem to be a handy rope shop anywhere around, but a little stroke of inspiration and you realise that the town wells must have long ropes for the buckets.
You send Jared ahead to get the rope while you hide in the shadow of a house. Just as well too, since a lone guard wanders over to the well as he's hauling up the bucket.
3
The two of them are talking. The guard seems to be gesturing at the empty bucket. Suddenly, Jared shoves the guard right into the well!! There's a loud splash, followed by muffled swearing as Jared hightails it. "Go!!" The two of you scramble up the wall-walk, grabbing the Steward and tossing the rope over the side. It's a struggle to get the Steward down, but you manage to do it by having him stand in the still-attached bucket and lowering it down that way. Meanwhile, the clangor from the town is increasing in volume, and you can see more guards spreading out and searching the area around the well.
It's too late for them, though, as you give them the finger and slide down the wall. It's a moderately long walk to the siege lines, but you're practically brimming with vigor at your newly cherished freedom.
After a hot meal, warm bath and a good cloak, you're definitely feeling more like a proper Count again. You've made a tour of the lines to survey the army. The great majority of them are levied peasants from Tyneton and Tronbury, given a bow or a spear (and a copper helm if they're lucky), and told which end to point at the enemy. Most of your household guards have been promoted to temporary sergeants and captains to command them. You're not versed in warcraft, but this hardly seems like a winning formula. Some parts of the army are better, though. Dumedin Throvis sent three dozen of his household guard, outfitted in solid looking dwarvish plate, and his engineers have built a dwarven stone-slinger, a menacing-looking siege engine the size of an elephant. There's also the knights, both landed and not, who form the core of your cavalry nearly a hundred strong.
The time is just before dawn, and you've assembled a makeshift war council. In attendance is Baron Axel, your Marshal, your Spymaster and various sub-commanders, notably the leader of the dwarvish contingent. You listen as Axel, the highest ranking, explains the plan with the aid of a hastily drawn map. "The dwarves will smash the walls here. Shouldn't take more than an hour." The engineer rolls his eyes. "Just before the breach is created, we send men here - " he points at the opposite side of the town, " - to scale the walls, draw the guards over there or risk being overwhelmed. Then the knights charge into the breach, going right for the castle before they know the town's fallen. A swift and decisive victory!" He puffs up with pride.
The Marshal cuts in, "Sire, that's not a good plan. Our cavalry could get cut off and trapped in the town, and our men will take heavy losses scaling the wall. We should take our time, knock down as much of the wall as possible. Then we send the footmen in to fight, keeping the knights in reserve to handle any particularly fierce resistance."
The Spymaster also adds, "Why not induce the defenders to turn their cloaks? They've been under siege for a week and know they're outnumbered, and now they've lost their trump card. Offer 2 gold and pardons for the men who bring you Baron Reece, and they'll fall over themselves to betray him."
What will you do?
A) Continue with Axel's plan: bombardment first, footmen diversion on the other side, cavalry charge to capture the castle quickly
B) Follow the Marshal's plan: long bombardment, footmen into the breach, cavalry in reserve to smash any points of resistance
C) Follow the Spymaster's plan: offer 2 gold for Baron Reece, dead or alive
C) One last try at diplomacy? This time with a VERY LARGE guard
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Topic: SPAMISEKAI: Count Quill of Tyneset! (Read 10435 times)