Post by The Stranger on Jul 13, 2008 20:06:41 GMT -5
Templeton was asleep when the horns blew. 'It's about time,' he though, rising from his bed and attaching his sword belt and light plate. He attached a black half cape with a golden seven pointed star sewn into the middle across his shoulders, before going to his waking ritual. He washed his face and drained his bladder before exiting his quarters and entering the commotion.
Men were running to their posts, fully armored and determined looks on their faces. Walking to his post, he found his garrison ready for him. He was the youngest, and he was not from their region, though he was the most able.
"Okay men, it will most likely be the case that many of us will die today," he began. "Try not to. They will be using grapples and ladders, it would most likely be. If it's a grapple, cut the rope. If it's a ladder, push or kick it off. You all know how to kill," he said to his score of men before turning to his post, "oh, and don't forget the arrows." he finished, before a loud war drum beat began in the distance. As the enemy marched, it felt as if the earth itself trembled.
"Do not be afraid. We have the higher ground, and the Seven on our side," he said, loudly, so his men could hear. They watched the men come for a time, before the first ranks stopped. "Raise your shields!" roared Templeton, doing so himself, before the stars were blotched out by a volley of thousands of arrows. Two arrows stuck themselves into Gawain's shield, near the bottom, as a man next to him fell from an arrow in the throat. 'The first sight of blood and the first smell of shit. Lovely,' he thought.
Raising his sword, he signaled his men to draw their arrows. "Notch. Draw. Loose," he said, methodically, as his men sent arrows into the black masses. If they hit their targets, he would not know. "Notch. Draw. Loose," he said again, before raising his shield to stop an arrow. It all continued the same for a while, the steady drizzle of rain before the thundering storm.
The first grapple came up ten yards away, followed by a hundred more within sight. Gawain hurried and ordered his men to cut down as many as possible before the first ladder came up. After seeing the first man come up, Gawain rushed over, slamming his blade into the man's chest, and sending him back over the wall, before cutting the grapple.
The men began to pour over the ladders, as men around him began to die. "Get rid of the ladders," he yelled out, running over to the nearest one. The smell of blood was filling his nostrils, and his hands were sticky with it. He cut down two men, cutting one through the mask, which leaked blood, before reaching the closest ladder. They were large and bound by thick ropes. In the night air, time seemed to slow, as an arrow whizzed by his face, before he and the Lannister threw the ladder back over, crushing those who were both on it and under it.
There was no end to them, as they continued to raise the ladders, throw the grappled and storm the walls, as Templeton and his men slew hundreds themselves. Reaching an oil basin, Templeton had his men tip it over the side, raising screams and yells of the foreigners, though he could not tell who screamed, for the masks hid their faces.
As he finished killing a man coming over the ladder, behind him came a man wearing a white mask, clearly different from the rest. Swinging his giant halberd, he killed the man next to Templeton, before swinging it towards Gawain, cutting his arm and sending him spinning, before the man continued his killing streak. Men began to break as terror birthed in their faces. Templeton saw the Lannister approach the masked man, but did not get to glimpse the fight, for he was taken from the back, as a man's sword grazed his shoulder. Turning to face the three men, Gawain looked to his sides to find all the men on the verge of breaking.
Raising his sword and slamming his shield into the man on the left, Gawain caught the other two's swords, while sending the other off the side of the battlements. Pushing forwards, Templeton ducked another swing from the left one, before twirling around and catching the other with the end of his shield, breaking his mask and chipping teeth. Raising his sword again, Gawain checked a blow from the left man, before countering by hamstringing him, sending him to the ground. In one fluid motion, after cutting the man's leg, Gawain brought his sword up in a backhand swing, catching the man in his unprotected face, cutting it in half with a spray of blood and cartilage.
At the end of the arc of the upwards backhand, Gawain twirled his sword in his hand and brought it down upon the chest of the man on the ground, killing him.
As men lay dead and dying around him, Gawain heard the trumpets of retreat, as he watched the shadows crawl back over the battlements, seeing the white-masked champion dead under Lannister's sword. 'We're alive for now,' he thought, before walking away from the bodies, back to the men, while cleaning his sword off.
Templeton advances from Expert-I to Master Swordsmanship for Scenario and Battle of Deep Den.
Templeton advances from Noteworthy to Expert Battle Strategy for Scenario and Battle of Deep Den.
Men were running to their posts, fully armored and determined looks on their faces. Walking to his post, he found his garrison ready for him. He was the youngest, and he was not from their region, though he was the most able.
"Okay men, it will most likely be the case that many of us will die today," he began. "Try not to. They will be using grapples and ladders, it would most likely be. If it's a grapple, cut the rope. If it's a ladder, push or kick it off. You all know how to kill," he said to his score of men before turning to his post, "oh, and don't forget the arrows." he finished, before a loud war drum beat began in the distance. As the enemy marched, it felt as if the earth itself trembled.
"Do not be afraid. We have the higher ground, and the Seven on our side," he said, loudly, so his men could hear. They watched the men come for a time, before the first ranks stopped. "Raise your shields!" roared Templeton, doing so himself, before the stars were blotched out by a volley of thousands of arrows. Two arrows stuck themselves into Gawain's shield, near the bottom, as a man next to him fell from an arrow in the throat. 'The first sight of blood and the first smell of shit. Lovely,' he thought.
Raising his sword, he signaled his men to draw their arrows. "Notch. Draw. Loose," he said, methodically, as his men sent arrows into the black masses. If they hit their targets, he would not know. "Notch. Draw. Loose," he said again, before raising his shield to stop an arrow. It all continued the same for a while, the steady drizzle of rain before the thundering storm.
The first grapple came up ten yards away, followed by a hundred more within sight. Gawain hurried and ordered his men to cut down as many as possible before the first ladder came up. After seeing the first man come up, Gawain rushed over, slamming his blade into the man's chest, and sending him back over the wall, before cutting the grapple.
The men began to pour over the ladders, as men around him began to die. "Get rid of the ladders," he yelled out, running over to the nearest one. The smell of blood was filling his nostrils, and his hands were sticky with it. He cut down two men, cutting one through the mask, which leaked blood, before reaching the closest ladder. They were large and bound by thick ropes. In the night air, time seemed to slow, as an arrow whizzed by his face, before he and the Lannister threw the ladder back over, crushing those who were both on it and under it.
There was no end to them, as they continued to raise the ladders, throw the grappled and storm the walls, as Templeton and his men slew hundreds themselves. Reaching an oil basin, Templeton had his men tip it over the side, raising screams and yells of the foreigners, though he could not tell who screamed, for the masks hid their faces.
As he finished killing a man coming over the ladder, behind him came a man wearing a white mask, clearly different from the rest. Swinging his giant halberd, he killed the man next to Templeton, before swinging it towards Gawain, cutting his arm and sending him spinning, before the man continued his killing streak. Men began to break as terror birthed in their faces. Templeton saw the Lannister approach the masked man, but did not get to glimpse the fight, for he was taken from the back, as a man's sword grazed his shoulder. Turning to face the three men, Gawain looked to his sides to find all the men on the verge of breaking.
Raising his sword and slamming his shield into the man on the left, Gawain caught the other two's swords, while sending the other off the side of the battlements. Pushing forwards, Templeton ducked another swing from the left one, before twirling around and catching the other with the end of his shield, breaking his mask and chipping teeth. Raising his sword again, Gawain checked a blow from the left man, before countering by hamstringing him, sending him to the ground. In one fluid motion, after cutting the man's leg, Gawain brought his sword up in a backhand swing, catching the man in his unprotected face, cutting it in half with a spray of blood and cartilage.
At the end of the arc of the upwards backhand, Gawain twirled his sword in his hand and brought it down upon the chest of the man on the ground, killing him.
As men lay dead and dying around him, Gawain heard the trumpets of retreat, as he watched the shadows crawl back over the battlements, seeing the white-masked champion dead under Lannister's sword. 'We're alive for now,' he thought, before walking away from the bodies, back to the men, while cleaning his sword off.
Templeton advances from Expert-I to Master Swordsmanship for Scenario and Battle of Deep Den.
Templeton advances from Noteworthy to Expert Battle Strategy for Scenario and Battle of Deep Den.