Post by The Stranger on Apr 16, 2008 11:24:48 GMT -5
Battle of Karhold
The night was clear, the woods silent. Mag lay on his stomach, peering through the dense shrubs at the castle that lay two hundred yards ahead. It was bigger than Driftwood Hall, his father's lair, but not nearly the size of Kingshouse. He could not compare it to his own stronghold, Deepdown, because it built into the side of the mountain, using underground tunnels and secret lairs. It was impregnable, though, as one had to walk up a narrow ledge of stones to get to the only opening, hundreds of feet from the ground below.
Ryk had scouted out ahead to make sure no word of their attack would reach the enemy's ears. He had taken five hundred of their best mirrikai warriors and scoured through the forest, making certain that it was clear of any ambush. They had also taken measure of the terrain, and chosen the best possible path to progress by up to the castle.
Mag now turned to Ryk. "You have done well, Magnar. Send out the command through the ranks. We will attack at once." Ryk nodded and gave the commands. Garris appeared a few moments later, and Mag explained to him the situation. "Very well," his father said. "You have chosen well. I will command, but you and Ryk may lead from the front. I am far too old for such things." They laughed and prepared for war. There was a clearing between Mag's army and the castle, so they would have to be very silent to get to the walls without discovery.
He began the crawl by moving forwards on his stomach. He could see hundreds and then thousands of small black outlines moving through his peripheals. Suddenly, one of the men close to him, rose up and screamed in the most horrible common tongue he had ever heard. "Die, die, die! North man do die!" The other Skagosi took up the chant and headed full steam towards the castle walls. Maez Stonehead, Mag thought, half angry and half amused. Next time I will remember to send the ogre to the back of the attack. Shrugging off the failure of a complete ambush, he too picked up the cry and raced to the front of the pack, as did Ryk.
Guards were appearing all over the walls now, holding torches and shouting curses. A few arrows started whizzing past him by the time they were scaling the walls. Maez Stonehead went up first, miraculously avoiding hot oil and arrows alike. Mag supposed he was a good-sized shield so he followed up behind him. Ryk was somewhere to his right, trying to rally his men. The arrows were coming in thick now, and all around him he heard the sad sounds of his brothers dying. Maez was over the wall now, swinging his heavy club. Then Mag was over. Before he could get his wits about him, two guards in shiny armor approached him with spears leveled at him. Rolling away from the thrusts, he countered with a backhanded swing of his axe, breaking the first man's leg. The second man went for another thrust, but Mag pulled out his circular shield from his back and caught the spearpoint in the hide. The man struggled to remove his weapon but Mag ended his life with a swift stroke to the forehead with his stone axe. Skagosi were crawling over the walls now, killing plenty but dying plenty too. They had become disorganized. "Ryk, Skagosi, to me!" he bellowed throught the chaos. A guard sent an arrow his way and caught him in the shoulder. Cursing, he ripped it out and ran down the archer, crushing him a dozen times with his axe. "Die, north man!"
The guards were running now, fleeing for their lives into the inner keep. "Attack!" Mag bellowed. The Skagosi organized into two cluster amid the raining arrows, one led by Mag, and the other Ryk. "Maez Stonehead!" Mag bellowed. "Yes, Magnar?" came a nearby voice, the giant man's eyes alive with killing. "I want you to break every of these cravens necks! Will you do this for me, Maez Stonehead?" The giant laughed, roared. "Yes, Magnar, gladly will I do this."
With that the attack commenced, over 2,000 Skagosi storming the inner keep against 50 defenders. Mag saw Ryk catch an arrow with his shield and then crack the skull of two defenders with his stone hammer. A man came on him a shiny sword of steel, but Mag caught it on his axe twice before kneeing him in the gut. The man bent over, gasping, and Mag swung his heavy stone axe onto the back of the man's head, killing him instantly.
Every single man of arms died, but Mag kept the women and the maester. They also returned to Skagos with a few blacksmiths they had captured from the villages. Mag had plans for them.
Results:
Mag improves from expert (improved) to Expert (Twice Improved) stone axe.
Mag improves from expert battle generalship to expert (improved) battle generalship.
Ryk improves from noteworthy to expert stone hammer.
Ryk improves from expert (improved) scouting to Expert (twice Improved) scouting.
The night was clear, the woods silent. Mag lay on his stomach, peering through the dense shrubs at the castle that lay two hundred yards ahead. It was bigger than Driftwood Hall, his father's lair, but not nearly the size of Kingshouse. He could not compare it to his own stronghold, Deepdown, because it built into the side of the mountain, using underground tunnels and secret lairs. It was impregnable, though, as one had to walk up a narrow ledge of stones to get to the only opening, hundreds of feet from the ground below.
Ryk had scouted out ahead to make sure no word of their attack would reach the enemy's ears. He had taken five hundred of their best mirrikai warriors and scoured through the forest, making certain that it was clear of any ambush. They had also taken measure of the terrain, and chosen the best possible path to progress by up to the castle.
Mag now turned to Ryk. "You have done well, Magnar. Send out the command through the ranks. We will attack at once." Ryk nodded and gave the commands. Garris appeared a few moments later, and Mag explained to him the situation. "Very well," his father said. "You have chosen well. I will command, but you and Ryk may lead from the front. I am far too old for such things." They laughed and prepared for war. There was a clearing between Mag's army and the castle, so they would have to be very silent to get to the walls without discovery.
He began the crawl by moving forwards on his stomach. He could see hundreds and then thousands of small black outlines moving through his peripheals. Suddenly, one of the men close to him, rose up and screamed in the most horrible common tongue he had ever heard. "Die, die, die! North man do die!" The other Skagosi took up the chant and headed full steam towards the castle walls. Maez Stonehead, Mag thought, half angry and half amused. Next time I will remember to send the ogre to the back of the attack. Shrugging off the failure of a complete ambush, he too picked up the cry and raced to the front of the pack, as did Ryk.
Guards were appearing all over the walls now, holding torches and shouting curses. A few arrows started whizzing past him by the time they were scaling the walls. Maez Stonehead went up first, miraculously avoiding hot oil and arrows alike. Mag supposed he was a good-sized shield so he followed up behind him. Ryk was somewhere to his right, trying to rally his men. The arrows were coming in thick now, and all around him he heard the sad sounds of his brothers dying. Maez was over the wall now, swinging his heavy club. Then Mag was over. Before he could get his wits about him, two guards in shiny armor approached him with spears leveled at him. Rolling away from the thrusts, he countered with a backhanded swing of his axe, breaking the first man's leg. The second man went for another thrust, but Mag pulled out his circular shield from his back and caught the spearpoint in the hide. The man struggled to remove his weapon but Mag ended his life with a swift stroke to the forehead with his stone axe. Skagosi were crawling over the walls now, killing plenty but dying plenty too. They had become disorganized. "Ryk, Skagosi, to me!" he bellowed throught the chaos. A guard sent an arrow his way and caught him in the shoulder. Cursing, he ripped it out and ran down the archer, crushing him a dozen times with his axe. "Die, north man!"
The guards were running now, fleeing for their lives into the inner keep. "Attack!" Mag bellowed. The Skagosi organized into two cluster amid the raining arrows, one led by Mag, and the other Ryk. "Maez Stonehead!" Mag bellowed. "Yes, Magnar?" came a nearby voice, the giant man's eyes alive with killing. "I want you to break every of these cravens necks! Will you do this for me, Maez Stonehead?" The giant laughed, roared. "Yes, Magnar, gladly will I do this."
With that the attack commenced, over 2,000 Skagosi storming the inner keep against 50 defenders. Mag saw Ryk catch an arrow with his shield and then crack the skull of two defenders with his stone hammer. A man came on him a shiny sword of steel, but Mag caught it on his axe twice before kneeing him in the gut. The man bent over, gasping, and Mag swung his heavy stone axe onto the back of the man's head, killing him instantly.
Every single man of arms died, but Mag kept the women and the maester. They also returned to Skagos with a few blacksmiths they had captured from the villages. Mag had plans for them.
Results:
Mag improves from expert (improved) to Expert (Twice Improved) stone axe.
Mag improves from expert battle generalship to expert (improved) battle generalship.
Ryk improves from noteworthy to expert stone hammer.
Ryk improves from expert (improved) scouting to Expert (twice Improved) scouting.