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Post by Kalor on Jan 27, 2008 20:36:18 GMT -5
((BTW I love that quote))
Jaymes sighed as he sat in his tent, wishing that he could return to the days of old. Before the Fall, before the Orc Wars, back to the time when Jaymes was a young Captain, give command of his first air wing. Six Griffons and three Dragons, himself in riding a great gold dragon. He sighed again. What he would give for the griffons to return, their numbers had been declining even back then, and now they were gone. As were the dragons, they led a raid on the Fabianite elves burning the capital, but those dragons, the Final Twenty, never returned. He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a massive golden scale and griffon feather. He just looked at them for a moment, then replaced them. He stood with a groan and walked over to the tent flap. He looked out over the field that would become a battlefield. And like a thousand other commanders on a thousand other battlefields, he awaited the dawn.
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Post by Jonok Coldfury on Jan 28, 2008 12:20:58 GMT -5
(What quote?)
I'd like to take a moment before this sneak attack begins to explain how the sentries of the White Sash work. There are two rows of sentries with a line of fires between them. The front line consist of Darkeye Cereash. Their excellent vision at night make them the best ones for the job. With the fires behind them, they are able to let their eyes get accustomed to the dark and there for see things before they get too close. However, they are spaced out too far to be one hundred percent effective, so a second line of sentries is set up behind a line of fires. These fires, usually magic in nature, are close enough together that there is no shadow between them. The second line of sentries sit only a few feet from the edge of the camp. The line of Darkeye had positioned itself just on the far side of the earthworks the army had set up the day before.
Calana entered the tent and began removing her armor. After she had put it all away, she sat on her cot, trying not to think of all the things she hoped would happen when the war was over. She tried not to think of them because it would be harder if they didn't happen. She finally forced her self to lay down and try to sleep.
Jonok stood watching over the men and equipment coming through the Portway. As long as it was open, Cornar was in danger and Jonok would not sleep until it was closed, and it would not be closed until the rest of the army had come through or the safety of the gate was compromised.
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Post by Kalor on Jan 28, 2008 13:33:29 GMT -5
((The demon's quote. BTW are these demons dogs attacking the entire allied line or just yours or what?))
Sentries patroled along the redoubt of the Kalorian camp, a mixture of knights, militia, former outriders, clerics and mages. A good distance away from the redoubt was a line of magically enhanced fires. These fires burned without heat and did not go out. They were far enough away to no hamper night vision but gave the sentries a clear view of what came through the line. It also gave the archers and mages a range, allowing them to hit targets after they cross by estimating the range based off of time after crossing the range. Also the sentries consisted of two paladins on the side facing the battlefield and one on the side facing the Shadow army.
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Post by Realm of Dargath on Jan 28, 2008 20:56:57 GMT -5
(they're attacking along the whole line.)
The commanders of the dwarven regiment gave no orders to have sentries posted, but several of the old boundary wardens took up stations atop the steam tanks. The rest o the army would arrive sometime tomorrow, or so was the plan.
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Post by Land Of Zargon on Jan 29, 2008 17:04:51 GMT -5
Few Dragoths patrolled the air only enough to provide quick support and most of the Grogowen sentries where growing bored, but the Skrieve sentries with there keen senses and night vision where ready and able to defend the palisades that the army had constructed.
A slight breeze blew through the field enough so that the fires on the walls flickered and a slight scent drifted into the camp...
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Post by Land of Shadows on Jan 29, 2008 17:10:35 GMT -5
Most of the cultists lay sleeping in there slummy tents and most of the Urgals where also preparing for bed. In the shadow camp few lights shined and soon there would be no light at all within the camp... Karon sat within his tent in a thoughtful manner for he and his Shade brethren did not need sleep, and although there didn't seem to be anything between the camp and any approaching outside dangers... Hidden within the darkness itself lay many many shadow walkers flattened against the cold ground, there they watched and there they waited.
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Post by Balthazan the Destoyer on Jan 29, 2008 17:35:30 GMT -5
The wraith hounds halted their advance as they neared the various fires and other tools of the seintries. They bunched up into huge masses, waiting for the order. Balthazan gladly gave it without moving or making the slightest sound. The wraith hounds in front of the Cereashian camp moved forward first, for they had a special mission, followed only seconds later by the rest. They charged forward with frightening speed and stealth.
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Post by Jonok Coldfury on Jan 29, 2008 18:00:46 GMT -5
One of the Darkeye sentries had fallen asleep, leaving the perfect opening for the evil hounds. One of them slowly crawled up right in front of the sleeping warrior and slit his throat with it's sharp claws. More of the wraith hounds began moving though the gap, some of them moving out to the sides to take care of the other Darkeye, who were still watching out towards the field. Within seconds, the first line was gone. They spread out again, preparing for the harder part, crossing the line of fires. In unison, they broke into a sprint, charging across the line toward the second line. The sentries stared in disbelief, some of them too slow to react. Several were killed with their weapons still in their sheaths, most of them died fighting. One was able to break away from the battle just long enough to blow his horn to signal the rest of the army, only he was cut down just as the sound left the horn, but it was enough. The other warriors woke to find the hounds charging through their camp, ignoring the dazed Cereash all around them. They were headed for the Portway...
Jonok thought he heard a horn blow and get cut short. He turned from watching the line of men coming from the wall of light to look toward the front lines. He heard a few shouts from soldiers, but wasn't quites sure what was happening. Then he saw them, hundreds of them, running in a full sprint straight at the Portway. Jonok's hand shot into his pocket, searching for the key. Finding it, he jumped in front of the wall of light and thrust the key into its center it immediately solidified into a stone wall, just as the wraith hounds reached it. He pulled the key free and shoved it back into his pocket turning toward the sea of dark heads that now all pointed at him. The soldiers who had been coming form the Portway all stood with their packs still on their backs with their weapons ready. Suddenly, the wraith hounds darted off in all directions, attacking anything that seemed to still be living. One of them leaped at Jonok, who moved so swiftly that if you had blinked you would have missed it. As he stepped toward the airborne hound he grabbed Frostwater and pulled it from it's sheath and in one motion brought it up through the hound, cleaving it in two. The two halves froze and then shattered as they slammed into the closed Portway. All the yelling of those fighting and those dieing woke those who were not already awake, and the chaotic battle began. Soldiers, some of them wearing no armor at all fought to save themselves.
Calana woke to a start. She heard the sound of battle, just outside her tent. As though guided by instinct, she lept up and had donned her armor in less than a minute. With her quiver and ow on her back and Firewind in her hand, she left her tent.
(The other wraith hounds did not start to advance until the first line of the Cereashian sentries and been killed.)
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Post by Land Of Zargon on Jan 29, 2008 20:44:55 GMT -5
One Skrieve sentry caught whiff of a strange scent and turned to look across the field he could see a few moving objects in the distance, but before he retrieved his weapon the sound of a horn came from the Cereashin camp farther down the line. Instantly aware he returned his gaze back to the figures who had with inhuman speed where closing fast. The sentry new his duty and thus covered two arrows in pitch set them ablaze and fired both into the night air. Atop the inner fortifications the Skrieve artillery commander saw the signal they where under attack, with quick movements and shouts he began barking orders (Able to act fast due to night fire drills.) "Fire mass volley across all sectors now! Secondary volley on sections two and three from batteries one through six! Follow up with free fire until individual targets can be identified!" The night exploded with sounds of cannon fire as the shells went off in pre targeted attack vectors just in front of the wall and beyond, as the cannon shell went off soldiers all across the camp awoke from there dream filled slumbers and where dragged into the cold reality of there life.
Even with the cannon fire by the time the soldiers in the lower quarters where armed the demons where already climbing the walls. Quickly battle lines where formed as Grogowen soldiers and battle masters took up positions along the front lines back by Dragoth warriors, Skrieve archers and gunners where firring at the oncoming hordes and the lower quarters where turned into a hellish scene.
Joe was amide the newly made front lines with hammer and axe in hand, Dogin was fire away as fast as he could killing scores of the monsters so as to attempt to lighten the load on the front, Tahora along with many Dragoths provide air support as they frantically formed up in the flashing sky, and many other agents where among the battle as more and more soldiers ran from all over camp to join in the defense.
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Post by Kalor on Jan 29, 2008 20:52:53 GMT -5
The wraith hounds on the Kalorian line were not so lucky. Mages using nighteye spells had increased their night vision and the eagle-eyes sentries kept a close eye on the line of light. If a guard did fall asleep there was another overlapping his area. No one was worrying about anything, then suddenly a mage shouted a spell illuminating the field. What the sentries saw startles them. For a few moments no one moved, then suddenly, the Kalorian lines turning to a flurry of action as arrows and spells rained down on the wounds. Edom the Honorable and Gulio the Redeemer added their powerful Paladin spells to the mix. Horns of every type began to blare, waking the rapid response units, regiments sleeping in full gear, and the entire camp. The RRUs rushed the walls, bows at the ready, more and more men awoke and went to their respective posts. The defensive redoubt was being reinforced quickly, however the Kalorians lacked any true archer regiments, just former outriders, militia and the odd Knight that could fire a bow. The hounds would reach the earthenwork defenses.
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Post by Land Of Zargon on Jan 29, 2008 20:55:57 GMT -5
(So... how are they useing a night eye spell? Is it an orb... or some kind of holy spell and does that mean like every one of your mages and stuff are trained in holy magic?)
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Post by Jonok Coldfury on Jan 29, 2008 22:02:33 GMT -5
The Flarii all woke to the sound of cannon fire. They looked out over the allied armies and in the flashes of light saw the tide of demons swarming across the field. Skiffs were righted, sails raised, and soon the entire fleet was in the air, bows at the ready. They began making passes over the camps, the archers shooting any enemy they could identify. They were careful not to fly too low, but occasionally, one would become careless and be met by a leaping wraith hound. The skiffs unlucky enough to have one of the beasts latch on were flipped, crashing to the ground in a shower of splintering wood and dirt.
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Post by Kalor on Jan 29, 2008 23:12:00 GMT -5
((White robe mages. And I quote from the rules: All non-elemental magic falls into this category, which is further divided into three sub categories, Holy/White, Neutral/Red, and Dark/Black. Unlike the elemental orb magic, these magics are learned, taught to the first wizards and magi by the gods who have passed it on through writing and teaching. This magic is easier to come by but harder to master.
Although there are three schools, mages are not limited to learning spells from all the schools. Most spells span all three schools, with each school having it's own forms of healing and some school specific spells.
White-"Good" Magic, inspired by Palador and positive emotions, these wizards dress is white and tend to have a strong knowledge of spells that smite evil.
Red- "Neutral" Magic, insprired by Zargon, impowered by the "Doors" due to the lack of a true neutral emotion. This wizards tend to be flashy, and their ethics can be at times questionable but they are neutral and tend to follow laws.
Black- "Evil" Magic, inspired by Fabian and negitive emotions. Secretive and dark, these wizards have no morals and with do whatever it takes to gain the power the so desperatly seek.
Note: It is possible to learn elemental magic just like those magics listed above, but it takes years of study to master the basics. The reason being that the gods meant for their people to have the magics they gave them, but did not stop them from learning other ways of using magic.))
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Post by Land of Shadows on Jan 30, 2008 17:15:38 GMT -5
When the hounds hit the boarders of the shadow camp they where met by waiting Shadow Walkers that hid in the blackness of the night. With loud piercing screams the Walkers started ripping and slashing at the hounds, as the Urgals and cultists awoke and took up there weapons. Karon walked to the door of his tent "Bah nothing but mindless hounds." With that he walked back into the tent confident that they where no true threat. Any shade that wished to join the battle for a little blood shed did so and thus many of the beasts fell in short time.
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Post by Realm of Dargath on Jan 30, 2008 21:09:28 GMT -5
All the sentries in the dwarven camp stood at the sound of battle. One of the old watchmen began banging on the top hatch of the tank. A digrunteled commander opened it and popped up through the opening. "Wha' tha bloody 'ell's..." he stopped as his semi-conscious mind began to try to wrap around what was going on. The sentry spoke, "We need flares... NOW!" The tank commander shook off his dazed state, "Right then! Wake up, ya nappin' lazy idiots!" he yelled at his crew as he disappeared inside the tank. "We need steam! Load a flare, set the fuse for... four seconds!" The steam pressure began to rise, slowly at first, ut soon there was enough for what need to to e done. The commander grabbed the two drive stick of the mechanical beast, pushing one of them forward and pulling the other one back. The tanks slowly turned. "45 degrees up, fire when ready!" the commander ordered. "Aye, sir, 45 degrees!" The cannon rose to a 45 degree angle. "Three, two, one, fire!" The explosion shook the tank. The shell roared up into the air and just before it began to come back down, it exploded. Its core was made of a light weight material that burned rightly and slowly. It started drifting down, casting a red glow across a large portion of the field. Oddly, few hounds entered the camp. The ones that did were shot down y marksmen.
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Post by Balthazan the Destoyer on Jan 31, 2008 18:10:43 GMT -5
Balthazan watched through the eyes of his minions. All was going as expected. The wraith hounds were most affective in groups, so as they were killed off and separated, they became easier to kill. As he went from the eyes of one hound to another, he came across one that was not fighting. It was cowering, watching a Cereashian woman in full chainmail armor. It was not the sight of the woman that had his attention, it was what she held in her hands. Firewind. The blade that had defeated him in the Circle of Sentinels. He did not fear the lade, for it could not kill him, it could only send him back into his prison, but it could destroy a large portion of his army, and that is what bothered him. He would have to watch this woman closely. She thrust the blade forward and Balthazan's vision returned to himself. It wouldn't be long before it was over. He didn't care...
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Post by Jonok Coldfury on Jan 31, 2008 18:23:49 GMT -5
Calana pulled the blade free of the demon's skull and brought it around, catching another in the throat, cleaving off its head. Firewind was an amazing weapon. Calana had never fought with a battle staff, yet it moved in her hands as though she had mastered the weapon. Another hound lept at her. She swung the battle staff, catching the creature in the stomach. As it fell to the ground, its innards spilled out. It tried to get back on its feet, but was struck down by a quick thrust from Firewind. The blade became lodged as Calana tried to pull it free. She had to place her foot on the beast's head to pull it free. When it finally came free, she turned just as another hound landed on her, knocking her to the ground.
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Post by Kalor on Jan 31, 2008 22:09:17 GMT -5
Jaymes and the Twelve waded into battle blades flashing, prayers on their lips calling down the wrath of their God. Light blasted the demon hounds across the camp. The Kalorians were doing well, even the militias were organized, they were not in ranks like the regulars but in groups none the less. The demons were being driven away.
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Post by Land Of Zargon on Feb 3, 2008 16:11:50 GMT -5
With more reinforcements from the upper quarter and Dragoth flame runs the demon lines in the lower quarter where dwindling, soon there lines had been pushed to the top of the wall. Joe smashed a hound off the wall with a mighty blow of his hammer glancing around for his next foe Joe spied Dogin dispatching a group of hounds further on down the wall. All around him brothers and sisters fought to retake the wall from the demon invaders.
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Post by Jonok Coldfury on Feb 3, 2008 19:48:23 GMT -5
The beast snapped at Calana's face. She held it just far enough away with her arm. When she fell, she had dropped Firewind, which now lay within reach, but useless. She was on her back and her knife was in it's sheath, attached to her belt, just above the base of her tail, meaning it would be difficult to pull out. Suddenly, the hound bit down on Calana's let arm, the one she had been holding it away with. Her armor kept it from causing damage, but it was still painful, the creature had a powerful jaw. She began punching it in the side of the head, trying to get it to let go. The wraith hound didn't even flinch. She dug down deep, summoning forth her Han. She focused it into her hand and swung again. It did the trick, shattering the demon's lower jaw. The pair rolled, leaving Calana on top of the hound. Her free hand immediately went for her knife as she pulled her other arm free. As she pulled the knife free, the wraith hound had managed to roll over and was trying to squirm out from underneath Calana. She quickly brought the knife down into one of the demon's eyes. It let out a roar and then fell limp. Her arm was throbbing. She slid the knife back into it's sheath as she stood up. After she retrieved Firewind, she glanced around at the rest of the camp. There were still several pockets of fighting in the camp. Calana quickly made her way close to one of them. She stabbed Firewind into the ground and readied her bow. She caught sight of a hound who was about to leap. She fired an arrow, which hit the demon mid flight. It went through the creatures front leg and into it's throat. It slammed into a cereashian warrior, sending both of them to the ground, but the hound was unable to stand up. It was quickly slain.
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Post by Kalor on Feb 4, 2008 12:44:54 GMT -5
The demon dogs were all but slaughtered. Jaymes limped throuhg camp to survey the damage. Aside from a few fires here and there and the odd ransacked supply cache the Kalorian army had done well in it's first engagement since the end of the Occupation. The war-torn Marshal watched as a few pikemen surrounded a demon and ran it through. Although the vicoty was theirs, the Kalorian knew that the Demon Commander had ment it as a message, that he meant business.
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Tam
Lord
Very few men are strong enough to withstand the tides of darkness.
Posts: 822
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Post by Tam on Feb 4, 2008 18:30:33 GMT -5
((ooc: grr.... the elves missed most of the fun...I wasn't quite clear on Zargon's defenses so I hope nothing is too contradicting...)) Merging from PurposeTam and the other elves were sprinting all out, the back line of Zargon's camp having just come into view. Knowing they were close, the band had been traveling at night when they had heard cannon fire. They swiftly reached the camp and made their way up to the line of battle. "Warriors, defend the healers so they can heal!" ordered Tam as he drew his weapons. The soldiers quickly formed into an arrow head formation with Tam at the point. As they engaged the demon hounds that were left the men of the White Brotherhood quickly began healing the wounded laying inside the defensive area. The group advanced as needed for the healers to reach more victims. As he cleaved a hound in two, Tam idly wondered how the zargonians would react to their unannounced arrival.
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Post by Land Of Zargon on Feb 4, 2008 21:37:07 GMT -5
(We formed wooden palisades on the lower part of a hill, then we formed a secondary palisade around the upper part of the hill. Thats about it... Most sleep in the lower quarter while the commanders and artillery are in the upper quarter... Or is it half?)
The soldiers of Zargon where masters at the art of defense from decades of defending great structures and settlements, so when the wall was back under there control little could retake it from them. Several Skrieve rangers sent signal arrows up to call in artillery fire where needed while Both Grogowen and Skrieve archers (A Grogowen bow being three times bigger than a normal bow) along with Skrieve gunners shot volleys of arrows and bullets at incoming demons. Soldiers on the wall beat back the few demons able to make it back onto the wall, all of this coupled with the air support from Dragoth flamers, archers, and soldiers meant that the demon forces where all but finished here...
And soon enough this thought was put into reality as the last of the hounds started dieing off.
(O right the elves...) Many soldiers where taken aback by the new arrivals especially the fact that they made it over the wall and past the force around the other side of the hill (just playing with you tam. ;D ) But soon the surprise was replaced with relief as they witnessed the elves start to heal fallen comrades that probably would have died if not treated to soon.
Though the normal soldiers breathed in a sigh of relief as the last hound fell it was the Agents that kept a constant vigil and among them it was Dogin that was most suspicious of a counter attack, trap, or decoy... But it seemed the battle was over if it could be called a battle. "They could have destroyed many more of us..." Dogin thought as he gazed over the battle field. Dogin knew what had happened the enemy had sent a message, and the message was received.
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Post by Jonok Coldfury on Feb 4, 2008 22:28:28 GMT -5
The last sounds of battle died away as the last demon fell. A large portion of the army lined up just inside the earthworks to prepare for a possible second wave. The rest began carrying off the dead while the healers and shamans began tending the wounded. Calana, with all her weapons sheathed, walked through the camp holding her arm. It was still throbbing, but she refused to have it looked at until all the others had been seen to, she knew it was not serious.
Jonok reopened the Portway and the remainder of the army began coming through. The bodies of the dead were carried back through the Portway into Cornar to be prepared for burial. His face portrayed no emotion as the line of fallen soldiers slowly moved past him. "We fight for freedom, not revenge..." he kept telling himself. His rage continued to grow. Careful, Jonok, you might do something you regret... Jonok didn't listen to Konoj. His hands balled into fists. He suddenly turned with a roar, slamming his fist into a stack of barrels which tumbled over. He stood there for a moment breathing heavily, not thinking of anything, letting his anger cool. It finally did, but he did not turn around to face the Portway, not until the last soldier came out.
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Post by Balthazan the Destoyer on Feb 4, 2008 22:47:23 GMT -5
Balthazan laughed as the last of the demons fell. "Wonderful... ha ha... wonderful..." He snapped his fingers and several Ogil quickly carried his large throne up behind him and set it on the ground. He promptly sat. The Ogil scurried off as the Twelve stride up and stood behind him. "You know what your greatest ally is in war?" None of the Twelve spoke, for they knew he did not want them to. "Chaos. Chaos makes a soldier less effective. The secret is to control chaos in such a way so that it helps your soldiers and hinders your enemy." He sat looking out across the field. "Wonderful..."
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