Post by The Stranger on Apr 15, 2008 10:44:25 GMT -5
Mag tried to not to laugh when Maez Stonehead lost his footing and rolled down the hill right into the outskirts of the village. The man was one of the largest of the Skagosi, and had by far the largest head, though he was no smarter for it. Right now the large man was lying in the weeds, just behind the village stables. Mag tried to make a motion for him to stay put and be quiet, but it was so dark that he wasn't sure if Maez saw him.
Mag could still here the sea roaring in the distance, but that was all. His army and the village were both silent. Turning to his warriors, he whispered the command and had it sent all throughout their strung out battle line. After disembarking from their ships a league or two upshore, they had gradually moved south to surround the town. From the looks of it, Mag would guess that two or three hundred people lived there. No match for 500 of my warriors, Mag thought confidently.
He started down the ridge at a crawling pace, attempting to be as quiet as possible. The art of ambushing was to wait until the last possible moment to reveal your attack; the moment that will cause the maximum amount of damage. He could feel his men wanting to surge ahead, to sprint full speed and scream at the top of their lungs. Holding them back with his whispered commands, they reached the outskirts of the village. Perfect. He once again, talking in a low voice, ordered for the torches to be lit. He helped Maez Stonehead to his feet, the big ogre that he was. When the first torch went up, then the second, and the third, he was about to shrug off their secrecy and scream their war cries when a few women did that for him. They had either seen the men or the flames, and had raised the alarm with their panicked voices. "STONEBORN! Kill!" Mag bellowed, and led the way through the streets, entering the first home to his right. A frightened boy awoke from the floor, screaming. His mother wandered in and froze at the sight of Mag. "Die, north woman." Mag lifted his stone axe high and shattered every bone in the woman's face, no doubt giving her an instant death. Just then two men, one no more than four and ten, and the other much older, probably the head of the household, rushed into the room. The older man was carrying an axe, and the other presumably went to grab one when he saw Mag. Without hesitation, Mag pressed the attack, battling the man into the street and the chaos. The father, desperate, swung a huge arcing blow at Mag's head but he easily avoided it and planted his own axe into the man's belly. Turning, the son was now on him, looking scared as hell, holding a small sword. "Die, north boy." The boy never raised to block the blow and Mag's axe shattered bone and life alike when it sheared into his neck and shoulder. Re-entering the house to claim any plunder, Mag found some arrows, a bow, and a few coins, which he had no use for. Taking the bow and arrows, he was about to go and kill more northern villages, if any were still left, when he heard a sound like sobbing from the back room of the house. He entered the room and turned over the bed, exposing a sobbing girl. He yanked to her feet and was about to kill when she looked at him. Beautiful, Mag thought. The girl was dirty from the floor, but her beauty was still evident. She was about five and ten, tall and slim, but with a full chest and nice curves. Mag had never seen any girl on Skagos to rival this one. He eased his grip on her. "What is your name, woman?" She looked at him defiantly. "Are you going to kill me, savage? Do it already, if you're not craven." Mag laughed heartily. "Oh, I like your kind, I do, woman." He yanked her into the street and ripped off her dress, taking her right then and there among the dying villagers and burning buildings. When he was finished, he covered her in some furs and went to the top of the ridge to meet with his warriors. Many were already there, showing off their plunder or women, bragging about how many they killed. By the time Mag made it there, the last wooden building had turned to ash and the last villager had long since died.
After a short wait, he said, "STONEBORN! Well done. How many warriors have we lost?" All was quiet and Mag frowned. "How many? I know we lost some." The report finally came back: three warriors dead, three wounded badly. Not bad.
Turning back to his men, he informed them that they were to take their plunder back to the ships immediately, and then push back towards the next set of villages. The men unloaded their plunder on their respective ships, locking their women in the captain's quarters, bound hand and foot. Each man did not worry about the shipguard stealing their treasure; to thieve from another man's ship was the worst sort of sin in Skagos, and you would immediately be an outcast and tortured and killed if caught.
Mag retrieved his trusted friend, Burk. He would ride the murrakai into the next battle. Mag held up the march for twenty minutes as he took his north woman again, this time on his ship. Finally, they moved out towards the next village.
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Ryk cursed as he waited in the forest, his murrakai growing impatient under him. Dawn had been approaching for some time now, and still they had not seen any sign of survivors coming their way. Gariss had gave him this mission, damn him. Oh, it was smart, no doubt, but boring. Magnar, Mag and I will decimate their six largest coastal villages, one by one. What I want you to do, Magnar Ryk, is take 1,000 men and place yourself in the forest, between the castle and the villages. This way, you can pick off and kill any survivors who would bring the alarm to the castle. Bring your bird with you, Bloodhawk. You will need him for this task.
And so Ryk had waited. And waited. He whistled and his hawk perched himself on his shoulder. Dismounting and lying on the forest group, Ryk closed his eyes and drifted off..... and suddenly he was soaring. His wings beat fast, furious; but it took no effort. He could see for miles and miles around; the far off stone castle to the west, and the forest that extended beyond it; to the east, he could see the sea in the very distance, and many places full of smoke and flames. He scanned the horizon for any signs of approaching armies.... then he saw them. Three men, perhaps a father and his two sons, not two hundred yards to the right of where he had been lying. They must have slipped through the lines somehow. Wheeling through the cold sky air, the hawk flew back to Ryk's shoulder and pecked at him until he moved. Ryk rose, a little dizzy, but then took action. "Warriors, to me! Survivors to the right of here, two hundred yards now. We must catch them before they raise the alarm." They mounted their murrakai and, secrecy forgotten, rode as quickly as they dared possible through the dense forest. The others were on foot, and they quickly were right on them. They scattered into different directions, but Ryk stayed on the tail of the oldest one. The man, in his panic, tripped and fell hard to the ground. Ryk jumped off his mount and swung his stone hammer down with all power, three times, crushing his skull. The other two men were made quick work of also. "Good, warriors. Now let us await my fellow Magnars. We have a castle to conquer."
Results:
Mag improves ambushing from noteworthy to expert.
Mag improves night attacking from beginner to novice.
Ryk improves leadership from noteworthy to expert.
Ryk improves skinchanging from apprentice to noteworthy.
6 villages are burned and their people killed and their food and valuables taken, with minimal damage to the Skagosi warriors.
The Skagosi successfully advance on Karhold without warning.
Mag could still here the sea roaring in the distance, but that was all. His army and the village were both silent. Turning to his warriors, he whispered the command and had it sent all throughout their strung out battle line. After disembarking from their ships a league or two upshore, they had gradually moved south to surround the town. From the looks of it, Mag would guess that two or three hundred people lived there. No match for 500 of my warriors, Mag thought confidently.
He started down the ridge at a crawling pace, attempting to be as quiet as possible. The art of ambushing was to wait until the last possible moment to reveal your attack; the moment that will cause the maximum amount of damage. He could feel his men wanting to surge ahead, to sprint full speed and scream at the top of their lungs. Holding them back with his whispered commands, they reached the outskirts of the village. Perfect. He once again, talking in a low voice, ordered for the torches to be lit. He helped Maez Stonehead to his feet, the big ogre that he was. When the first torch went up, then the second, and the third, he was about to shrug off their secrecy and scream their war cries when a few women did that for him. They had either seen the men or the flames, and had raised the alarm with their panicked voices. "STONEBORN! Kill!" Mag bellowed, and led the way through the streets, entering the first home to his right. A frightened boy awoke from the floor, screaming. His mother wandered in and froze at the sight of Mag. "Die, north woman." Mag lifted his stone axe high and shattered every bone in the woman's face, no doubt giving her an instant death. Just then two men, one no more than four and ten, and the other much older, probably the head of the household, rushed into the room. The older man was carrying an axe, and the other presumably went to grab one when he saw Mag. Without hesitation, Mag pressed the attack, battling the man into the street and the chaos. The father, desperate, swung a huge arcing blow at Mag's head but he easily avoided it and planted his own axe into the man's belly. Turning, the son was now on him, looking scared as hell, holding a small sword. "Die, north boy." The boy never raised to block the blow and Mag's axe shattered bone and life alike when it sheared into his neck and shoulder. Re-entering the house to claim any plunder, Mag found some arrows, a bow, and a few coins, which he had no use for. Taking the bow and arrows, he was about to go and kill more northern villages, if any were still left, when he heard a sound like sobbing from the back room of the house. He entered the room and turned over the bed, exposing a sobbing girl. He yanked to her feet and was about to kill when she looked at him. Beautiful, Mag thought. The girl was dirty from the floor, but her beauty was still evident. She was about five and ten, tall and slim, but with a full chest and nice curves. Mag had never seen any girl on Skagos to rival this one. He eased his grip on her. "What is your name, woman?" She looked at him defiantly. "Are you going to kill me, savage? Do it already, if you're not craven." Mag laughed heartily. "Oh, I like your kind, I do, woman." He yanked her into the street and ripped off her dress, taking her right then and there among the dying villagers and burning buildings. When he was finished, he covered her in some furs and went to the top of the ridge to meet with his warriors. Many were already there, showing off their plunder or women, bragging about how many they killed. By the time Mag made it there, the last wooden building had turned to ash and the last villager had long since died.
After a short wait, he said, "STONEBORN! Well done. How many warriors have we lost?" All was quiet and Mag frowned. "How many? I know we lost some." The report finally came back: three warriors dead, three wounded badly. Not bad.
Turning back to his men, he informed them that they were to take their plunder back to the ships immediately, and then push back towards the next set of villages. The men unloaded their plunder on their respective ships, locking their women in the captain's quarters, bound hand and foot. Each man did not worry about the shipguard stealing their treasure; to thieve from another man's ship was the worst sort of sin in Skagos, and you would immediately be an outcast and tortured and killed if caught.
Mag retrieved his trusted friend, Burk. He would ride the murrakai into the next battle. Mag held up the march for twenty minutes as he took his north woman again, this time on his ship. Finally, they moved out towards the next village.
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Ryk cursed as he waited in the forest, his murrakai growing impatient under him. Dawn had been approaching for some time now, and still they had not seen any sign of survivors coming their way. Gariss had gave him this mission, damn him. Oh, it was smart, no doubt, but boring. Magnar, Mag and I will decimate their six largest coastal villages, one by one. What I want you to do, Magnar Ryk, is take 1,000 men and place yourself in the forest, between the castle and the villages. This way, you can pick off and kill any survivors who would bring the alarm to the castle. Bring your bird with you, Bloodhawk. You will need him for this task.
And so Ryk had waited. And waited. He whistled and his hawk perched himself on his shoulder. Dismounting and lying on the forest group, Ryk closed his eyes and drifted off..... and suddenly he was soaring. His wings beat fast, furious; but it took no effort. He could see for miles and miles around; the far off stone castle to the west, and the forest that extended beyond it; to the east, he could see the sea in the very distance, and many places full of smoke and flames. He scanned the horizon for any signs of approaching armies.... then he saw them. Three men, perhaps a father and his two sons, not two hundred yards to the right of where he had been lying. They must have slipped through the lines somehow. Wheeling through the cold sky air, the hawk flew back to Ryk's shoulder and pecked at him until he moved. Ryk rose, a little dizzy, but then took action. "Warriors, to me! Survivors to the right of here, two hundred yards now. We must catch them before they raise the alarm." They mounted their murrakai and, secrecy forgotten, rode as quickly as they dared possible through the dense forest. The others were on foot, and they quickly were right on them. They scattered into different directions, but Ryk stayed on the tail of the oldest one. The man, in his panic, tripped and fell hard to the ground. Ryk jumped off his mount and swung his stone hammer down with all power, three times, crushing his skull. The other two men were made quick work of also. "Good, warriors. Now let us await my fellow Magnars. We have a castle to conquer."
Results:
Mag improves ambushing from noteworthy to expert.
Mag improves night attacking from beginner to novice.
Ryk improves leadership from noteworthy to expert.
Ryk improves skinchanging from apprentice to noteworthy.
6 villages are burned and their people killed and their food and valuables taken, with minimal damage to the Skagosi warriors.
The Skagosi successfully advance on Karhold without warning.