TURN ONEThere you were, drawn north by the letter, perhaps by reasons you yourself barely understood.Winter’s chill had already begun to set upon the Kingdom of Iserria, with bleak nights and hoary winds sucking life and color from the lands. It made for a rather miserable journey, for even though many welcomed you into their homes for food and shelter, if you accepted you could not help but know you would soon bring doom upon them.
Soon enough you made it to Ur-Garoth. On your approach it emerged from the mountains like a fist, railing against the sky. It is a lonely place, settled by descendents of those who swore to see the Doom of the World forever guarded.
The central keep rises above the others, though it is squat and box-like. It, like the rest of the fortress, is made out of a dark stone, scavenged from the ruination of the Dark Lord’s citadel. Five lesser towers surround it, and form bastions to hold the inner wall. Bridges connect each tower to the central keep, like spokes on a wheel. Inside of this wall lies the majority of the court and garrison.
Beyond the inner wall lies the surrounding town, filled with craftsmen and farmers sheltering for the winter and tending their livestock.. The outer wall surrounding the greater town is kept in poor repair, with only the two gates hosting a guard. You pass through easily, and before you have a chance to make your inquiries you are approached and guided to a hidden tunnel. You walk through the dark and cold tunnel for what feels like miles until you reach the first wide caverns.
You are welcomed and praised, adorned with the robes and accoutrements that a Dark Councilor reportedly deserved (Not too impressive, honestly, just a rod of iron for the moment) and ushered to the side of the Dark Lord. (This involved even more walking through dark tunnels closer to the surface and the heart of the fortress.)
The Dark Lord. Hard to describe due to all the chains of light and blazing runes, but you could feel the weight of his presence even through all the warding placed around him. But a fraction of him stood in the form of the orc in front of you, clad in sleek black plate that radiates power. He wears no helmet, and his eyes shine with a malevolent gold hue. Before him on a pedestal lies a mangled crown, steel garishly worked between shattered gold. Only an onyx gemstone remains. Next to it lies a hammer, changing in appearance each time you look at it. You knew if you held it you would die.
The Dark Lord looked you in the eye and grinned. You could almost hear the roar of devouring furnaces and the grinding of gears over weak flesh when he said,
“Well, let’s get started.”
Turn One: Design Phase
Archetype: Artificer; The Forsaken Craftsman In this phase you will create 4 Designs (1 Shaping, 2 Artifice, and 1 Magic) to bolster your army. Your goal this turn is to take the Citadel of Ur-Garoth back from the Kingdom of Iserria. You can find a (updated) list of their forces in the second post.
Your advantages are: -You will outnumber them.
-Advantage of surprise.
-Ability to attack from both outside the walls, and from the heart of the Fortress.
Their advantages are: -On the right side of the walls.
-Also, if they win, they can smother the Dark Lord for another thousand or so years.
Things to think about. Your Dark Lord will be more restricted than normal. He will be forced to start in the Prison beneath the Citadel. You currently have tunnels leaving it, but before he can leave he must break the Great Seal (essentially a giant stone enchanted to keep him from escaping). The Seal is the door between the Prison and the Citadel, and is usually guarded. The Dark Lord’s Avatar will be able to break it, but not quietly. Once broken through there, he will be free to continue on through the fortress, or take a tunnel to outside.
Note: The Dark Lord, and his mobile Avatar, are vulnerable to weapons of Light. DO NOT ALLOW a Hero to access the Prison.
You will not need to design ladders or ropes if you want some units to scale the walls. They won’t be fancy or particularly effective ladders or ropes, but they should do the job.
You are not aware of any Heroes currently present at Ur-Garoth. However, expect some to appear in the nick of time, as they annoyingly tend to do.
While your army is currently not really up to strength in a fair fight against Iserria, this is not a fair fight. You will have at least double their numbers, and they won't be expecting you. Don't expect to be able to kill them all in their sleep, however. The Three will make sure you are discovered at some point.Your Designs (Starting):
Types:
Orcs: Green skinned and man sized, these are vicious beings with a lust for violence that is cultivated in the growing process and indoctrination. Grown and birthed from pits fed with organic material, the Orc is considered ready for battle in a few months. Given time they can develop into cunning commanders and champions. Some are birthed with talent for manipulating magic and Darkness.
Human Cultist: These are highly devoted humans who have forsaken their ties with the rest of humanity to serve you. Some have taken the Darkness inside of themselves and can wield it. LIMITED TO TIER 3 AND ABOVE.
Units:
Tier 0:
Orc Rabble: Disorganized warbands of orcs equipped with whatever could be scrounged up. Mostly equipped with weapons suited for melee, they also have bows, slings and javelins mixed in for some skirmish capability. The best weapons and armor are taken by the strongest of the orcs.
Tier 4:
Human Acolytes(I): The Priests of the Dark Lord, capable of Darkness to manifest in powers. While they are not the strongest of spell casters, they can combine their efforts to support larger spells and rituals. Armored only in (dark, of course) robes.
Spells:
Tier (I)
Dark Bolt: A bolt of pure Darkness. Does damage to one’s spirit, enough to kill an average human. Ignores physical armor, but will gradually weaken over distance( and more so through physical barriers).
Forces of Light
Kingdom of Iserria:
The Kingdom of Iserria was founded shortly after the fall of the Dark Lord, in the year 332. The lands conquered by the Dark Lord were devastated, and many of the original inhabitants were killed. So it was deemed to those who lost their homes, and warriors who fought to free the land. Captains were landed and given charge to protect those who settled with them. Heroes and lords were given greater territories, with Jehearn the Wise chosen as their new king. Orintar, the staging place of the final invasion of the Dark Lands, was chosen to be the capital city of the new Kingdom, and the court of the king. The citadel of Ur-Garoth, the heart of the Dark Lord’s forces, was given to Nalia Darkstrom, who led the initial charge into the fortress. She gave her family the name of Arnhold, and charged them to guard the Dark Lord’s tomb.
Now in the year of 1532. The Pendrast dynasty founded by Jehearn was weakened in various wars of succession, and was overthrown in the 11th century. Thomas Farn is the current king of Iserria, inherited from his grandfather who took the throne by conquest. The Arnhold’s have outlasted many of their rivals in their rulership over Ur-Garoth, though there were several close calls. Many of the rituals meant to maintain the Tomb of the Dark Lord were lost, and the fear of his return has dissipated into myth and legend.
Though the glory of Iserria has faded, the people of the Kingdom still hold proudly to their martial roots. Many knights can trace (or forged) their family line to an ancient hero, and seek to bring honor and fame to themselves through battle against both men and the occasional wandering monster. The common people also march into battle, if less enthusiastically than the nobles they serve under. Villages often sponsor their best warriors (or the ones with the most potential) to serve in the retinues of their lords, and many proudly keep the list of men and women who served in battle, dating back to the founding of the Kingdom.
The Forces of Iserria:
Tier 0:
Militia: The common people of Iserria, called up to defend their homes. Armored in thick cloth armor, some with metal helmets, they are most commonly armed with shield and spear. They also have scattered hunters with bows, and some will have the heavy axes more suited to felling trees. They will not falter at the first sign of danger, but their endurance and morale will falter in long engagements. Their strength is in numbers, not individual prowess.
In battle they tend to form the main line of battle, holding the enemy in place while others seek to break the flanks.
Tier 1
Footmen: Infantry, armored in chainmail, sometimes with a plate breastplate. Typically armed with spear and shield, though axes and swords are not uncommon. Footmen represent the backbone of Iserria’s army. Drawn from the toughest men and women of the Kingdom’s farms and villages, they serve in their lord’s retinue as their fighting men. These are capable and reliable warriors, but unused to magic.
In battle they tend to be placed to reinforce and hold the main battle line. Some will be held to reserve to reinforce a faltering flank or exploit an opportunity.
Tier 2:
Archers: Lightly armored, typically with a cloth gambeson. Armed with war bows with a heavy draw weight, with arrows made to pierce flesh and mail. Archers from the Mendevellion region are more heavily represented, but the archers are generally raised up alongside the Footmen levy.
In battle the archers initially are placed in front to whittle away at an approaching enemy force, then withdrawn to the flanks or behind when the melee begins.
Tier 3.
Men-at-Arms: Heavily armored warriors, clad in plate and mail. They are skilled in a variety of weapons, from lances to swords and warhammers. They ride into battle on well trained warhorses. These are the knights and the best warriors of Iserria, hard to kill and deadly on the charge and in close combat. They are the glory of Iserria.
In battle they focus on the flanks, trying to overwhelm the enemy's cavalry and then crush the infantry engaged with their own.
Tier 4.
Priests (II): Armored in only their cloth vestments and their faith, they intercede with the Three on behalf of their people. Typically they focus on healing and renewing their allies, though in battle against evil they can call upon Light to smite the foe.
In battle they typically stay back in the reserve, healing and restoring the injured,
Mages(II): Oftentimes found only in their cloth robes, mages use magic against the foe. They have generally sacrificed power for versatility, being able to adapt their magic to a wide variety of situations. Generally, they focus on offensive tactics, leaving healing and defense to the priests.
In battle they tend to stay in the reserve, casting their spells behind the shields and bodies of their allies.
Tier 5:
Runed Knights: Armored in ancient plate, forged by the and enchanted through the best combined efforts of the Alliance between Men, Elves, and Dwarves. Resistant to all but the strongest of physical forces, equipped with Armenents blessed by the Warrior, these elevate even a mediocre soldier into a force of destruction. By decree and by common pledge, these priceless suits are only used in times of crises or against forces of darkness.
In battle they tend to gravitate to where the fighting is thickest, generally in the centre. May be held in reserve until a decisive moment is found as well.
(Feel free to ask me here or in the discord (link in first post) if you have any questions. I will answer questions on difficulty of designs, at least for this first turn!)
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Topic: Dark Designs: Turn Two-Battle Phase (Read 12483 times)