Battle for Ur-Garoth
The stars twinkled overhead in the black sky, joining the moon in bathing the training yard in a pale light, highlighting the two figures sparring there. Duke Arnhold smiled to himself and turned back to his room. He couldn’t sleep, some itching in his back kept him restless. Maybe he would go spar with his daughter, put some of this energy to use. He went to his rack and grabbed his sword.
He heard a grunt and a thud outside, and even more faintly some whispers. His hand tightened on his sword and he quietly drew it from its sheath. If the Barnharts sent an assassin. . .
Luc opened the door. A longtime guard of the family. Arnhold let out an inhaled breath, he was fine, his daughter is safe and -
Luc’s hand was covered in blood.
Sparring in the dark, Matilda Arnhold swung her training sword. It was met by the shield of her sparring partner. Taking advantage, she swung down on an exposed thigh and got a nice thwap and a groan of pain in return. She took a few steps back, a smile of victory on her face. Dark locks and blue eyes, she was lean and tall with a wiry strength.
Bruce winced dramatically and rubbed his leg, “You really went for it there,” he complained with a good natured grin. Bruce was a stablehand, dirty blonde hair on top of a strong and fit frame.
“Well we got to tighten that guard up, you can’t be leaving openings like that,” she said with a shrug and matching smile.
A smile that faded at the sight of Sir Alaric striding towards them.He gestured curtly at her. “Please come with me, my lady. Your father requests your presence at once,” the knight commands. Matilda frowned. Why would her father send for her at this hour?
Bruce apparently had the same thought, “What's happening, Alaric?”
Alaric glared at the stablehand. “Watch your tone, peasant. What the Duke wants is none of your concern.”
That had them both frowning. Alaric was one of Bruce’s friends, he never talked like that to him at least. Seeing their hesitation, the knight grew irritated and grabbed Matilda by the wrist and began to pull her away. She resisted, and felt a frisson of energy through her hand.
Sir Alaric’s face evaporated and changed into that of an unfamiliar man with a sallow appearance. He jerked his hand away from her wrist and to his sword, but Matilda was faster. She lashed out with her sword twice at his head, and he dropped to the ground insensate.
She did not see the arrow fly towards her,
But Bruce did, and with a cry interposed himself between the arrow and her, his shield catching it. A darkened figure scurried off along the wall, and Matilda and Bruce both began crying out in alarm. A horn sounded from the keep, and seconds after a horn sounded far off in the distance. Too soon to be in response to their alarm, they both realized with horror.
In the bowels of the earth, where the Dark Lord lay imprisoned, he crafted a tool meant to finally tear apart his prison. Forged with cunning and enchanted to overcome the warding enchantment placed over the seal of the tome, the Dark Lord set aside his hammer for the time being and took up the great knife, and began to gouge at the Great Seal. Though bright lines of fire lit upon the stone, there was no great alarm or shriek as the stone was worked through, crumbling as the magic and light became undone.
Though the ceremonial guards saw the light of the Great Seal flare, and sent for the captain of the Watch to be roused, they were more curious than alarmed. That quickly changed as the tip of the great black knife poked through the seal, and the great cultural artifact of their people literally crumbled before their eyes. They did not lack bravery though, and sounded the horns and charged to stem the tide.
The Deeping Guard were the first through the breach, and slammed into the ceremonial footmen. The fighting was short and brutal, for the footmen were quickly overwhelmed by the orcs' numbers and warhammers. They retreated to the gate guarding the way into the fortress of Ur-Garoth itself, where the captain of the Watch rallied his men and led a counterattack while the inner defenses were prepared. They were not prepared for a golem made of scrap metal charging into their lines and crushing their captain in a single blow. This broke the counterattack, sending them fleeing into the keep with dark bolts harrying their retreat.
The Deeping Guard pursued, and so began a hard fought advance into the depths of the fortress. The Dark Lord remained behind with those he chose to guard the tomb, methodically destroying the last of the seal and the strictest of bindings placed on him as the his enchanted knife began to break down from the forces it was exposed to. But soon, his Avatar at least would be free.
As the Dark Lord began his work on the seal, from the darkness of a dozen tunnels the horde emerged. Led by their officers, the Auxiliaries led the advance, throwing grappling hooks and ladders against the outer wall. Roused by the sight of hundreds of orcs invading their lines and vastly outnumbered, they clustered around the gatehouses and towers. This worked for a time, but the sight of the 30 foot tall Wall Breaker striding towards the main gate broke their spirits, leaving little resistance to the giant tearing apart the gate and letting a cohort of the Deeping Guard through, followed by the horde of rabble while the Auxillia spread over the walls.
Marching through the city, they faced little organized resistance due to the speed of their assault. Many of the Duke’s forces fled to the walls of the fortress for safety, only to be thrown into the defense of the assault from the dungeon of the Fortress. The orcs advanced down the main through fares, easily crushing through ramshackle defenses made of overturned wagons and scared townspeople. Most of the rabble obeyed the order of no looting, but some slipped free to chase down rogue archers and cause a little mayhem of their own.
The horde reached the wall and begun raising ladders to the walls under sporadic arrow fire while the Wall Breaker continued to make his trudging advance.
The Fortress of Ur-Garoth was falling.
The Duke kept his face still as Harrin worked his miracles, healing his side where the dagger went deep, and the various other wounds he received while fighting for his life. He supposed he was lucky they weren’t too skilled with a blade, especially when their target had a blade of his own. He was able to hold them off for his real guards to come and finish off his attackers. He was lucky in avoiding the dark curse of magic being sent towards him, instead killing one of his attackers. The caster fled into the castle before they could be captured or slain.
He spat to the side, a bit of blood still in his mouth, “Finished yet?” He had to get back into the fight, his people were dying out there.
Harrin grimaced, “Just one more. . . Okay. I would say rest for a bit, but I don’t think that is what fate has in store for us tonight.”
The Duke stood to his feet, and his squires rushed to put his ancestral armor on. The sigil of Arnhold, a swallow surrounded by lightning, shined as much as the day it was forged and enchanted. In his hand he gripped the sword of Nalia Darkstrom, slayer of monsters, and blessed by the warrior himself. The last of the runed armor they possessed.
He turned to the small group of knights, veterans of dozens of small wars and skirmishes, but nothing like this. He may have lost his fortress, but he will not lose his people if he could help it.
He turned to his youngest knight and grabbed his arm. “Alaric, find Matilda, get what horses you can and ride out. Someone has to know what happened here.” Alaric began to protest, but the Duke quieted him with a glare. The Duke would not stand to be the one who faltered in his duty and flee.
He would lead his knights on one last charge into the deep, and pray it would be enough.
Your forces are on the verge of victory, with the fortress teetering on the brink of falling. Matilda Arnhold will attempt to lead a breakout attempt, and get word out of the Dark Lord’s return. Duke Arnhold leads a last counter attack with his blessed sword, which could severely damage the Dark Lord’s true form if not stopped.
The Avatar has finished breaking the last of the wards binding him to the tomb, and so is now free to move around freely. The Avatar can most likely take the Duke in a fight.
Two questions for you to answer:
1.Do you send the Avatar right away to fight the Duke, or let himself wear down cutting through your forces first. Or perhaps gamble and send the Avatar to stop those who are fleeing?
2. How hard do you fight to keep Matilda and her breakout attempt contained?
Casualties:
½ Cohort of Deeping Guard.
½ Company of Auxilia.
Most of the Silent Hand.
Darkness Points: 4 used, one remaining.
Your victory is pretty much assured unless you let the Duke destroy your true form. Your Avatar is still in the tomb at this moment, having to completely destroy the seal before being completely free to move (which he has just completed.)
As always let me know if you have any questions, noticed any mistakes, or want anything cleared up!
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Topic: Dark Designs: Turn Two-Battle Phase (Read 12511 times)