>>14573034
Can we get confirmation that it was a light mage barrier?

Also, yes, have Kyria collect Lena and open up that chest. As I recall, it also contained some arcana that we might find useful, along with important Cult documents.

Also, any concrete results from the Air Elementalist Teams? Have they been able to counter the Uurlanthi air elementalist?
Actually, how are our Combat Elementalist Teams faring? Are they able to focus and concentrate their abilities together for a joint action?

I wonder if a well aimed quake would throw the mage off and disrupt that pesky shield. Give him a good shake when the projectiles are in flight.

>>14573111
Nice thought, but they built the platforms beyond our quake range.

>>14573126
Let's see if Lena sensed anything and if she thinks there's something we can do.

Pax, can you give us a summary of what combat elementalists we have with us in the city? I believe you mentioned that some were left behind in our new academy at DragonsReach.

Just knowing what schools of elementalism we have access to would be helpful.

See if Lena can counter the shield?

You sigh, wondering why they did not employ this tactic from the start, then head off to find Lena. She is perched on a raised portion of the crenelated wall, Wulf pacing anxiously behind her, Bellatrix leaning up against the wall staring blankly into the city. The red-headed girl is staring out into the massed uurlanthi forces, looking more nervous than determined. "Is it a mage?" you ask her.

Lena nods "They have at least two bright mages, and a few shadow mages as well. I..."

Kyria promptly cuts off the young mages prediction, in an attempt to stifle any self-doubt "can deal with them when they come closer, dont worry right now. Do you think you could help me with something?"

Lena turns, looks to Kyria and nods, then looks to you for approval.

>3 earth
>4 nature
>2 fire
>1 water
>plus yourself, Laelith, Jayne and Wulf

Have Lena help Kyria.

>>14573229
Have Lena go and help Kyria.

I assume that the Earth elementalist team has been strengthening the walls and gates, right?
Or are they working with the water elementalist to create another well?

Also, can our water elementalist create a hydro-shield like we saw that Uurlanthi water elementalist make? Or is it still beyond his skill level?

>>14573229
ask lena if she can sense the mages locations, we need to pinpoint them.

It may be prudent now, to scan the entire City Guard and City Garrison, as well as all merc units, for elementalists and mages at this point.

I am also considering that we scan the citizenry, and offer employment opportunities in our personal combat elementalist mercenary company for those that are useful.
On the one hand, we are supposed to keep knowledge of elementalism secret.
But on the other, these people are under siege by a force using elementalists and mages; one could say that they already know.

>>14573302
The river we are drawing from cannot handle a second well.

Let's stack all of our water elementalism boosting arcana on the cook and see what he can do about the water situation.

>>14573389
Only those that tested positive needs to know.

>>14573420
Alright, that works.

For legal reasons, we'd have to form a mercenary company, but that's for covering our ass.
The important thing is to find as many magic users as possible, and use this siege and the resulting disruption of people's daily work lives as a chance to train the elementalists and mages hard.

You nod an approval, before leaning up against the wall. Lena slides down from her perch, but Kyria holds up a hand "I'll go fetch the chest, no reason for all of us to leave the wall."

Lena pouts and goes back to looking over the enemy force "There are so many of them..."

Wulf chuckles "There will be fewer soon enough." he glances off at the enemy force himself, almost nervous, but not quite.

About half an hour later Kyria returns with a saw, and a strange looking stand. "Lena, I need you to put a shield around the bars for me, as close to the steel as you can get." Lena nods anxiously as the dwarf flips the chest upside down, a pair of hinged doors on the inside of the chest swinging shut to keep the contents inside. "You went through the wood, right?" Kyria clarifies, her nerves beginning to show. Lena nods, a look of deep concentration on her face.

Kyria then proceeds to cut through the chest, separating the bars from the chest. "I though that you couldn't..." Wulf trails off, confused and amazed.

"The anti-magic runes on the bars aren't configured properly for transfer, so a simple magic barrier was enough to allow me to circumvent that level of defense." Kyria smiles, flipping the chest back to its normal position.

After looking through the chests contents, you were pleased to find another complete set of training gloves, additional tomes, all of which in a cypher unfortunately, a small package of cult missives, a small pendant, and a matched pair of oblong metalhalf-ovals, the sides opposite the tip etched with filled runes that cause them to adhere to flesh, though not much else; which are perhaps the size of your thumb, though much thinner

>>14573496
Have the arcana immediately brought to Laelith for identification.
Finian to decrypt the missives; he's turning out to be our resident code-breaker.

As for the training gloves, which elements are they tuned for?

>>14573496
Ask Kyria if she knows of any anti-magic runes. She should etch one into a rock and fling it at the army to see if it can pass through.

>>14573525
Oh, and just to be sure: Congratulate Kyria and Finian for a job well done, and thank Lena for her good work.

>>14573589
We got those anti-magic runes from the arcana set we confiscated from the previous governor.
But I remember that Kyria said that they were very complex, and she wasn't sure if she could replicate them so that they could work properly just yet.

>>14573612
>>14573589
No, no, if, IF we are able to inscribe anti-magic runes so that they work, they should be tested inside the city here. And if they work, then they should be inscribed onto boulders and ballistae bolts; give the enemy no warning that we have anti-magic artillery ammunition until his archery platforms are crushed and his mage is dead.

>>14573496
Pretty much seconding what's been said.

You smile "Excellent work, all of you. Kyria, if you would be so good as to ensure that Finian gets to encoded materials and Laelith the arcana?"

Beaming Kyria moves to do as you requested "Thank you, Justinian, I'll be certain to make sure to pass the message along to Finian as well."

Before she can go, you hold up a hand "Do you think you would be able to re-create the anti-magic runes yet?"

"Perhaps, I will do some testing with Lena later today, and during the rest of the week. It doesnt seem like our foes are ready to strike anytime soon, so we should have time to get them working." Kyria replies, leaning up to kiss you on the cheek before heading off again.

You go back to waiting with the trio already at this point on the wall, though before you can start up any conversation, a familiar baas beat echos from the eastern gatehouse. At once cursing your pragmatism and being glad for moving the huge drums from the vaults of one of the abandoned noble Vila's to the gatehouse you move with Wulf, Lena and Belatrix to a more secure area on the wall, one where stone, and not wood will be over your head. Expecting to hear the sound of boulders smashing against the wall soon, and to have to use your elementalism to shift the shattered boulders and bricks back into place afterwards, you feel your good mood begin to fade. However, the crashing thunder of stone on stone is not what you hear. In fact, the city remains eerily silent, heartened by the borrowed arcane drums, but nervous from the change of tactics. A strangely colored and shaped object whooshes past as you look over the city, you follow its descent into the market, where it explodes in putrid shades, mixed with the unmistakeable color of blood. "Corpses." Wulf sneers angrily, as the unmistakeable stench of rotted flesh begins to seep towards you, no doubt through the wall, as not all of the bodies would have cleared the fortification.

>>14573771
fire elementalists on clean-up duty. it's time to burn some corpses.

>>14573771
Get the fire elementalists and some City Guard units readied to burn the bodies. We must destroy them before infection can set in.
Make sure that they wear clothing which can be burned after cleanup is finished, and that they stay in quarantine until a life elementalist and the medicae clear them of infection.

>>14573834
Yep, pretty much this.

Hmm, all this anti-magic ammo talk has made me think of something. Remember back when Kyria made that runed sword that nearly set our hand on fire. Can we use that on our ballista bots and catapult ammo to make explosive ammo? Even if it just creates a fireball, its still fiery death for our enemies.

>>14573990
GENIUS

>>14573990
Say, that's right. The rune made it so that the sword turned blazing hot when struck on something hard. We could at least make them waste their construction materials building completely new platforms when they're set on fire.

You growl angrily, with how decayed those corpses were, there can be no doubt that at least a few of them came from Blackbirds men "Set the fire elementalists to burning the area clean, have the city guard aid them, make sure that they wear cloths that can be burnt after they are finished." you instruct Wulf, who salutes and walks off to set your orders in motion. Shortly afterwards you move back to the gatehouse to wait for word of how bad the damage was.

-----CQ-----

Three more salvos of corpses were sent into the city before nightfall, keeping Laelith and the fire elementalists busy throughout the day and well into the night. Finally, one of the guards gives you the final report on the damage from that attack. Some of the smaller wooden structures were lost, and do to poor luck some one of the storehouses in the market district had a corpse land directly inside it, knocking a few days off of how long you will be able to hold out. Silently glad that there were only two storehouses in the market district, and that neither of them is terribly large, nor one of the principal distribution centers for your food, you dismiss the man into the late night gloom. In the distance you see a score more fires than you can normally count in the enemies main camp. 'Soon' you think to yourself before heading off to find your bunk and sleep, stomach feeling rather empty, despite your having just ate the last of your daily rations.
>cont'd

>>14574048
We can have it tested alongside the anti-magic ammunition.
If these two work out, we'll have another new weapon to show to the Second.

The streets are deserted, save the man sauntering home in front of you, his demeanor at once tightly controlled, yet wrathful, or very near. You look up to the sky, the clouds part to reveal the moon, though it is a crescent, as it should be it is very different from what is normal. Instead of a white vertical blade, it is a deep reddish-brown, hanging horizontally, its tips pointed "up" from your vantage. As the strange light falls on the street, the man in front of you cries out, and falls to his knees, as the cry turns to a roar. As his flesh ripples, your hand drops to your blade, as his form expands, and skin darkens. His cloths shred as the slight man, not more than 150 pounds, or taller than 5 feet, stands to his new 8 feet of musclebound, thick skinned glory. His head replaced with that of a bull. The behemoth snorts, and turns, its face a dagger-toothed mask of rage and hunger. He stomps his cloven hoof on the pavement, smashing the stones beneath it into dust and splintered rock, and charges at you, the beasts howling roar piercing the midnight calm. You draw your blade.

rolled 35 = 35

>>14574060
Crap, and us without our shield.
Oh well, let's make an orbiting stone shield with terrakinesis.

Elementalism roll.

rolled 40 = 40

let's try to capture him. non-lethal attacks.

rolled 61 = 61

>>14574115

Agreed let's try to take him alive. Combat roll.

The beast barrels down the street towards you, smashing bricks loose with each step, bricks you pull from the ground and fuse together into a shield with elementalism. By the time the beast is nearly on you, you have three of them. Two, after he smashes his fist through one in an attempt to get to grips with you. You smash his snout with the hilt of your blade as he rushes past you. His hoof impacts the shin-plate of your armor, leaving you glad that you had held to your own policy and been fully armored on the wall today. The beast skids to a halt, and turns to charge you again.

rolled 46 = 46

>>14574233
Attempt to create a deep pit underneath the were-minotaur to trap him.

rolled 88 = 88

>>14574233
Quick flourish, handful of brickdust (of still terakenisis) into his face, and cut his leg tendons.
suggestion of action.

Elementalist roll

rolled 48 = 48

COMMANDER PUNCH

rolled 95 = 95

>>14574233

Earthspikes to the creature's legs.

Elementalism roll

rolled 24 = 24

>>14574233

Combat roll

rolled 41 = 41

>>14574243

Seconding this. I still want to try and get this guy restrained and kept alive. Whatever happened to him could potentially happen to someone else and we need to figure out if it's reversible.

Elementalism roll.

>>14574261
>>14574253
>>14574243
Wow, I'm glad I rolled for elementalism before you guys.

You pull another shield together, and try to drop a pit under the beast before it can charge again. HOwever, you are a second to late, and a foot or two too shallow, and the were-minotaur is merely spilled on its face. It rises frighteningly quickly, and again bears down on you you sidestep it and kick the man-beasts knees, again sending it to the ground, though with its momentum it skids ahead several feet, groaning as it stops.

>one good roll could end this

rolled 28 = 28

>>14574315
combat roll

rolled 11 = 11

>>14574315
Cage him in stone and put him in a pit.
Elementalism roll.

>>14574320

Since we have a good roll, shield bash it back into the pit. Try to take it alive.

rolled 55 = 55

>>14574315

Open up done fissures and use them to restrain him.

Elementalism roll!

And we have our good rolls. Time to see if this happened to anyone else.

>>14574326

Well shit, glad you beat me to the punch.

Pax, is there any known way of determining if someone is a were-beast, via old folktales and superstitions?

We need to get the entire City Guard up and on alert. There could be other were-minotaurs activating throughout the city.

You calmly stride up to the beast, cock back your gauntleted fist, and deliver a savage blow to the back of the beasts head as it moves to push itself up. It grunts and falls to the pavement, dazed. You quickly drop a deep hole underneath it, and create bars of stone to seal the beast in. Sweating lightly, and feeling invigorated, you smirk in satisfaction as the beast half-howls at you trough the bars "Easy there, I will not be your meal, and you will have to control yourself before I let you out from there." you chide the creature. Any further taunts are cut short as a tremendously loud horn-blast from outside the city saps at your courage, and tears at your mind. Seconds later an imprecise, though soothing reply can be heard, the same simple beat that has heralded the start of another round of siege engine fire directed at the city. Your remaining unease is worsened as the pojectiles fly over the walls, their tops glowing and flickering in oranges and reds and yellows. Beatifically exploding in the most terrifying manner possible as they strike the pavement, homes and shops of Northmont, the fires quickly beginning to spread.

>>14574404

Move to the closest areas on fire. Use elementalism to float sand to smother the building.

>>14574404
Rouse the City Guard, as well as the Life elementalists, the fire elementalists, and the earth elementalists.
Instead of using precious water, have them simply tear down structures to create a firebreak around shops that are on fire.
Life elementalists to buff the fire elementalists as they try to keep the flames under control.
The earth elementalists to help the City Guard put out the fires that they can by using soil to smother the fires.

>>14574404
Fire elementalists and City guard to fire fightin'

Pax, is our water elementalist using the Widow's water talisman?

>>14574463

seconding

>>14574479
>yea, but he cant keep it flowing for very long.

Between the drums and the horn blasts, waging their war for the confidence and sanity of the inhabitants of Northmont, and the spreading madness of folk trying to save their homes and shops it does not take long to rouse the guard and fire elementalists to begin fighting the fires and calming and controlling the civilians. You do your best to prevent the fires from spreading, though more then than not that means collapsing homes, and turning the wreckage on itself. Or, most painfully, smashing the smaller wooden homes to pieces with larger rocks and boulders.

-----CQ-----

By morning the assault has slowed, but by no means stopped. You move to the gatehouse, to look at the enemy camp, shouting and lesser horns audible even this far off. The six arms of the trebuchets arcing up at a regular, though compared to last night, slow, pace. The skyline of siege towers has shifted as well, four now resting where the archer stands were, and two to both the north and south; though more still wait further back in the main camp. However, it would seem that most of them are still abed, though the sun rose hours ago. "And we've been up all night." Cornelius muses uneasily.

Sansa walks up behind you "Laelith was able to determine that the pendant is an arcane recorder before the projectiles fell. If you have any messages for... HIM, I will relay them for you." she informs you, showing you the pendant, before sliding it back under her leathers and around her neck.

>>14574705

What did we do with the wereminotaur guy?

Is he still back in the pit we made?

We need to figure out how the transmission of the were-disease spreads. Check with some scholars in the city. There has to be a few experts in the occult/ancient stuff around.

If its spread by the traditional means, we should empty the prisons and purposely infect all of them.

Release them outside our walls and we should see them running towards the enemy. If we do this within the next couple of nights, we should be able to watch the were-minotaurs wreck some hell among the enemy.

>>14574705
If we can, order all units that were roused last night to sleep in shifts. I think the enemy may be planning for an assault today.

What's the status of the were-minotuar, and were there reports of any other activations?

Have Laelith rest, then when she is recovered, finish identifying the rest of the arcana.

Also, check to see if the recorder arcana has any messages currently recorded; if not, have Sansa keep it. If Quintus seeks her out and confesses to her, then the recorder will be invaluable.

>>14574842
Well, I'm leery of doing it to just any old prisoner.
Any with death sentences, though, I agree with infecting.
Tell them that if they successfully complete their mission and are still alive by the next day, their crimes will be pardoned by our authority as military governor of Northmont.
We could make an abhuman penal company.

>>14574884
this, also did we decide to have Quintus' harem visit him from the beyond or no?

>>14574912

I don't know, am I the only person who does not like the idea of turning people into berserking monsters a bit... cruel?

>>14574967

Dammit, I meant to say that I find the idea a bit cruel. I must be really tired tonight.

>>14574918
I still support my idea. It would at least give us a good nights sleep.
>>14574967
I agree, it seems a little sickening.

>>14574967
It's a penal unit for prisoners that would have been executed anyway.
This way, their deaths may now provide some use for the Empire and the society that they have wronged.

>>14574985

Then why not send them out to fight and die as human beings? They may be condemned to death, but I see no need to strip them of their human dignity in this fashion.

Plus, how can you guarantee that they can be controlled until we send them out? We'd be putting our people at more risk by doing this.

>>14574918
>you did not
>>14574762
>still in the pit

You yawn "Have the units that were roused last night begin sleeping in shifts, I suspect that we will be assaulted today." you reply "And have Jayne meet me up here, the Commander should not be abed for such an occurrence. And, have her bring a list of any prisoners we have in the city, specifically, those sentenced to death, awaiting a Day of Crosses."

"Commander?" Cornelius asks, sounding more worried by your last statement than the siege towers waiting before the wall.

"It would seem that the Bos Moon has meaning again, I caught a were-minotaur last night before the bombardment began." you inform him evenly.

Sansa smiles "Offering them what I will be getting myself soon enough should they survive?" she asks, smirking.

>>14575034

Sending them out by themselves will get them killed anyways.

Since they're going to die, they might as well have a death which benefits the Empire. Such an honour is already more than what such reprobates deserve. As a were-beast, they need only be pointed in the right direction and let loose to rampage.

>>14575034
It's their choice; they can refuse, and wait to be executed like normal, or they can accept, and become part of an abhuman penal company. They would be released outside our walls, and so if they activate, then they will go after the Uurlanthi camp.
I don't expect them to survive, but if they do, then maybe one of the gods took interest in them. As long as they can control themselves once activated, they can serve the Empire. If they can't, then they will be either executed, or used in another were-beast attack until they either die or are finally able to control their animal self.

>>14575079
Dying on the cross is one of the worst ways to go. A chance to die in battle would be a mercy.

>>14575144

Hmm, if it's a voluntary thing, then I suppose I could support it...

>>14575071

"Perhaps. That will depend on their loyalty and how well they perform but it is a carrot we can dangle infront of them to have them do well."

With the enemy's archers, how many men would be needed to even reach their lines as were-beasts?

>>14575071
Answer to Sansa's question:
"Yes, in a way. They'll be given a choice: chance infection, fighting the Uurlanthi, and surviving to be pardoned, or assured death via execution.
"Of course, even if they DO survive, if they cannot control themselves when in a transformed state, they will have to continue being used in suicidal attacks until they die or learn to control themselves."

>>14575213
The transformation only happens when the moon is out, right?
So, unless the Uurlanthi keep their archers on constant combat alert, the were-men could probably be halfway to the camp before the archers have nocked their arrows.

>>14575213

How bout most?

If they willingly accept the mission, give them some misinformation for them to offer the commanders.

Allow them to exit from a sally port and run to the nearest enemy post. Since they're prisoners, I expect they're on starvation rations. Misinformation that food supplies were spoiled and destroyed will sit well with the enemy.

They will not be killed outright, and the moment it goes dark, the slaughter will begin.

>>14575267
I don't about that. They might not be killed, but they may be placed in an area where they will not be exposed to moonlight.
The were-minotaur didn't begin transforming until he made contact with moonlight; it simply being the correct phase of the moon and at night doesn't seem to be enough.

>>14575267
No, send them out just after dark. Don't give the enemy a chance to kill them. Close and bar the sally port behind them. Once they turn, they ought to head to the enemy camp, where the food is.

Also, have those who have lost their homes be taken in by their neighbors. "Love thy neighbor!" That's an order from the military governor.

Also, tell Kyria that we are out of time. Can she make anti-magic runes yet?

Alternative plan:
we have the infected prisoners readied at the sally ports just after dark, before the moon rises.
They go out, and the door shuts behind them.
They will hopefully head towards the Uurlanthi camp instead of trying to break the door down because the camp makes for a more inviting target in their animalistic minds.

>>14575474

Seconding.

The Butcher wills it.

>>14575474
I agree with this plan as well. Before we set them off, we give a short homage to Garagush about "letting these dead men walking find honor at last in battle."

>>14575458

Adding an idea to this.

carving the anti-magic runes into the bolts of our ballista.

When we next fire a salvo, we fire a fuck-huge one. This time we aim for the personnel, not the platform. If we even take out a mage, then it'll be good enough.

For the record, I am against this plan to infect prisoners and use them as a weapon. Totally against it.

Also, we need to ask Kyria at some point (After the upcoming assault I guess...) if she figured out how the first rune defences worked. The ones that would have set the insides of the chest on fire I believe.

>>14575474
This is all assuming that we can infect them.

Tweaking this plan: Ask for volunteers from the death row prisoners for a suicide mission. Those refusing can stay on their starvation diet. Those volunteering will receive a posthumous pardon.

For the "volunteers", infect them with were-minotaurism. Then tell them what we did to them, and that they are to attack the enemy camp as soon as they are released outside the city.

Those running in the wrong direction will get sniped by our archers on top of the walls.

Time it so that the moonlight hits them when they are outside of the shadow of the city walls.

>>14575572
We are only doing this to the ones who are getting executed anyway. And we tell them that it's a suicide mission up-front. We are not expecting survivors here. Volunteers get posthumous pardons for their service to Degnar.

>>14575608
And I still believe it won't matter to those back at home. After we got nailed for accepting volunteer villagers to help us fight in the first campaign, I'm pretty sure this will hurt us even worse if we do it when it comes to our political career.

>>14575572

I still have a few qualms against it, but if it's a voluntary choice, then it might be feasible...

>>14575623
You have point.
However, my counterpoint:
Degnar also makes regular use of prisoners in live-steel command training exercises. Would this be any different from those?

>>14575623
Yeah, but these guys are taking up space and can potentially be actually useful to society, a society that has determined they are to die ANYWAY.

>>14575647
also FUCKING THIS.

>>14575623
Remember our graduation test? Prisoners are not treated the same as regular civilians.

Also as prep for another plan to strike outside our walls, we need laelith to try and sense the number of elementalist the enemy has.

Specifically the number of each type and what skillsets, experience and expertise they have, if possible.

Via the IRC, Pax has indicated that using criminals in this manner, i.e. suicide troops who are pardoned in the unlikely case of surviving the attack, is socially acceptable within Degnar.

You smile "In a way. If they willingly chance infection with the illness that a were-form is, survive, and are able to control their bestial form, yes. If they cannot control it, they will be used for more suicidal attacks like the one I am planning, and if they die, well, it is a kinder fate than crucifixion."

Sansa nods, understandingly, salutes and heads off to carry your message "This is a dangerous precedent your setting, Commander" Cornelius opines "tactically sound, and possibly devastating, but dangerous."

"Once the disease becomes wide-spread and well known again the trend will surely pass." you assure the man.

-----CQ-----

Jayne walks up behind you, and though she says nothing, you know she is shaking her head as you feel energy rushing through your body, and your tired limbs rejuvenated. "What did you want this list for?" she asks, curious. You relay to her your plan to release a horde of starving were-mintaurs through a sally-port in the night, to rush the enemy camp, and perhaps earn a pardon should they survive the siege. "It could work, though I doubt many will survive. I will see that the opportunity is given to the qualifying prisoners. If enough accept we may even recoup the days we lost from our food stores over the last few days." she adds optimistically, before kissing you and heading off.

-----CQ-----

By midday, the enemy is arrayed in formation, levies standing to the sides of their towers with ladders. they will begin to advance soon enough, though you have plenty of time to set your men in battle formation yet.

>>14575346
>the Northmont baby boom, because the Midnight Dragon said "love thy neighbor", and we all know how he does love...

>>14575694
Pax, how many anti-magic ballistae bolts can Kyria create for us?
Also, are any light mage barriers evident on the approaching siege towers?

>>14575694
lol, Children born in this boom come to be known as "sons/daughters of Trentz"

>>14575694
Where are those anti-magic runes, Kyria? :)

If she doesn't have them yet, we may have to play our rapid-fire ballistae/trebuchet trick.

Then again, maybe we don't tip our hand just to kill some levies? Save it for the elven blademasters?

>baby boom
More future tax-payers and soldiers? Hell yes.

>>14575748
enough for two shots from each battery, plustwo shots for the four split (two and two) between the north and south wall

This enemy commander hasn't shown any particular taste for deception; he's doing nothing on the West Gate, so it should be safe to station just City Guard with repeaters in case they try to do a bombing run with his air assets.

>>14575694

Blues are the levies I assume? Any equipment we can see? How bout the rest of the army? The enemies' airborne wing?

>>14575783
We should probably save them if we can. Only load them if a shielded siege tower looks like it'll get within range.

Also, don't mages generally have to be close by their barriers?

>>14575800

Oh and an additional question, where are our trap fields?

>>14575694
>>the Northmont baby boom, because the Midnight Dragon said "love thy neighbor", and we all know how he does love...

Degnar will need sons.

So, looks like we have enough for one shot per siege tower? Better make it count, then.

>>14575786
Get the merc units with ranged weapons up on the walls to. They are not paid to just sit around, dammit.

City guard on anti-air duty. Ranged units make ready with fire arrows/bolts, in case our siege engines do not bring down the siege towers.

Heck, if they ever get close, try the grappling hook idea.

>>14575800
yup, levies, and archers for the back blocks (couldnt get the words legible into the smaller boxes, I'm gonna zoom in when/if they hit the wall) and the ones not in siege towers have ladders

>>14575694

Can we get our operational siege equipment marked off on the map?


As for dealing with the siege towers, I think we should attempt to take out the bottom of one side and collapse them onto nearby formations if possible. Using our siege equipment.

If that isn't possible, we could also attempt to "pin" their bases to the ground using our ballistae. put a few logs through the base at an angle to land in the center and hopefully the back half of the bolt will lodge the contraption solid.

If they manage to reach our walls with the towers, attempt to get fire elementalists close enough to torch the innards of the tower to deny the enemy use of the structure.

As for ladders...

either:

remove the ladder by pushing it to the side (not out, as it will likely be at an angle to prevent this and have men holding it against the wall. They'll have a harder time keeping us from pushing/pulling them to the left or right)
hack the top parts to bits with hand axes to make that last step a tricky one
pour oil/throw rocks

>tweaked map
>pentagons are balista batteries
>diamonds are heavy repeaters
>squares are "Degrian Special" catapults
>circle is your trebuchet
>dark circles are pit traps

>>14575900
>>14575900
I'm for completely ignoring the siege towers with our siege equipment. We are good enough that we can just open a hole in front of one of the wheels when they get near. That doesn't seem all to damn difficult as a decent elementalist. Simple solution = simple put.

We should also have our griffons ready to sortie and engage any enemy flyers that attempt to break through the west wall's defenses and hit the siege weapons/crew within our walls.

Perhaps have groups of 5 griffons+ 5 valks run shifts flying a CAP in the city's interior?

>>14575945
As it is a large tower, they would likely need a team of oxen outside of it just to pull the damn thing out of the hole. Also,
>Simple Solution = Simple Pit
FTFM

>>14575945
Yeah, but we can't be at all three walls at once.
They're concentrating on the East Wall, so we should probably stay there.
I agree with using elementalism to stop the siege towers in their tracks.

>>14575962
I'd figure we were smart enough to sortie the siege teams with crews of repeater crossbow users. If we haven't done that, well we just damn silly.

>>14575975
I meant on our side only, sorry didn't clarify.

>>14575945
>>14575963

That is a great plan for Trentz. What about the towers attacking the other two walls?

>>14575962
I don't know. Our Valk unit is badly mauled (only have 20 left), and I don't know what the status of the noble griffons are.
The enemy air units are at full strength, and have much better training than our own air units.
Repeaters will need to be issued to all of our air units, and even then, they haven't had much time to train with them.

It might be better to save them, and let the enemy think we have no air assets for now.

>>14575900

Our first target will be the top most tower of the three placed closely together.

If we make a good pit that it topples over onto its left, it will collapse all 3 towers for only one pit and crush a good number of levies.

>>14575992
I think we can lend the warlords and another unit for the walls to deal with anything that makes it to them. What better to deal with wooden ladders or silly Uurlanthians in an enclosed area than angry Empire Dwarves!

>>14576029
Seconding this idea.

>>14576029
I can deal with this.

Key things.
Placing Sansa on a different part of the wall as Commander Sevrentus. The Commander will likely get the same effects as us, whichever group he's placed on doesnt suffer morale damage.
Set him with a Legionary force on the north wall to act as a morale beacon for the defenders n that side.

>>14575900
Let's get all of our ranged units on the wall. See if we can send Lena to the south wall so that she can take out the towers down there if she can. Make sure to tell her to stay in cover as much as she can. We will deal with the eastern wall but immobilizing the first top tower, then waiting till the other three get close so we can wait behind cover using stonesense because we need the best concentration we can get because we are making a ditch as long as a battalion and deep enough to set a bottom heavy structure off balance into it's two other counterparts.

Deploy our cavalry in the lee of our walls so that they'll be protected from catapult fire. They'll be near our gates and sally ports so that should the unthinkable happen, they'll be ready to deploy and charge the enemy.

Deployment of men... A mix of heavy and archers on the walls with incoming towers. Save the Lacertans. Theres too few of them to be of much use in a standup fight. We can use them in better ways.

Less experienced troops should be on the west wall with perhaps one or two veteran units to shore them up.

Our command team should be split up for maximum coverage. Wulf and Sansa to cover one approach while Lena will be with our High Commander on the other. Laelith should be with us on the eastern wall.

If we can get a horse up on the battlements for us to move rapidly between walls, all the better.

>>14575945
We can't be everywhere at once.

Deployment of forces:
We already have Seventus covering the north wall, and the City Garrison the south, and the city guard with merc backup on the west.

All ranged up on the wall, with heavy legionnaires and warlords ready to go in case we need to repel enemy infantry.

Lena goes to the south wall and is to target the siege towers; she is to stay under cover and hidden until the towers are within range. Bellatrix to go with her.

Laelith and Sansa to be with us on the east wall, since we're probably going to see the most fighting.

Wulf to be with the West Wall, and aid in keeping order and be on the lookout for enemy air units.

Justinian is to attack that top-most of the three siege towers grouped together. Create a ditch that will cause it to topple into the other two.

rolled 44 = 44

Deadeyes, scouts, and rangers are going to be on the wall with us with the dispersed set of our two legionnaire battalions in 4 groups. We should probably move the dwarf scouts to the southern wall and the archers to the northern from the west wall since that doesn't seem to be getting any action. However, have the city guard compensate to cover any surprises on the west wall.

>>14576291

works for me. Seconding.

>>14576179
Do we want to give away the fact that we also have a mage?

>>14576312
Don't forget the City Garrison.

rolled 63 = 63

>>14576333
I posted that he city garrison should cover the western wall in lieu of the trained forces there would be better suited in an actual combat area rather than idling. That way the city garrison would be able to stave back any surprises long enough that we can compensate.

>>14576291
All ranged units along the wall. Gaius, Cornelius, and Uurist spaced equally along the wall to switch with the ranged units if the siege towers or infantry with ladders actually make it to the wall.

>>14576319
They might already be able to detect her. Remember, Lena was able to detect the shadow mages even though they haven't done anything yet. They probably have done the same to us.

Also, Bellatrix to be equipped with a Tower Shield she is to use to protect Lena from arrows.

>>14576349
You don't give the City Guard enough credit, especially since half of them now have repeaters. The volume of fire that they can put out, combined with being reinforced by merc units, should be enough. Also with Wulf providing elemental support, it should more than enough to hold the West wall.

rolled 46 = 46

>>14576369
Wait, I'm talking about the city guard, not the garrison. The guard has 500, probably around 100 or so just keeping the peace, another 100 or so with repeaters guarding the ballista and the other 300 with regular bows and arrows or other equipment.

>>14576369
Yes. Stick with the plan.

East wall: our regular forces, minus our mercs.
North wall: Seventus maniple
South wall: city garrison
West wall: all merc units

City guard spread throughout the city, with repeaters, on anti-air duty.

Cavalry and air cavalry in reserve.

If they keep this up into the night, we may have to send men back down from the walls, to sleep in shifts.

rolled 59 = 59

>>14576427
I am sticking to the plan, the guard is already heavily split among the city with the different tasks. Defending siege equipment, AA duty, keeping the peace, and etc... I'm simply taking a bit off of the upkeep duties and putting them on the west wall for compensating moving the garrison ranged units to help the north and south walls.

>>14576427

I'd add the lacertan unit to the reserves. I see tunnel warefare coming up soon and their low numbers will not be a problem in those confined spaces.

As for dealing with the siege towers, I think we should:

1. Try to bring it down with regular ballistae fire and elementalism first.

2. If that doesn't work due to mage shields, use the ammo with the anti-magic runes.

3. If that still fails, turn on rapid fire mode.

4. Do what we can to keep the siege towers from reaching the walls, but try to keep our tricks hidden.

rolled 64 = 64

>>14576482
I'm going to be pissed if they have anti-elementalism arcane too.

>>14576456
No, the City Garrison ranged units all have to stay at the South Wall.

Seventus has 400 archers, the Garrison only has 300.

Assuming that the Guard has deployed 100 guards to keep the peace, and 100 with repeaters for AA duty around the siege engines, the remaining 300 guards with 150 repeaters and the city mercs need to be on the West Wall.

>>14576456
I don't follow you. Why do the north and south walls need additional help?

>>14576456
I'm really confused by this suggestion. Isn't the city garrison already on the south wall?

rolled 31 = 31

I'm confused.
North Wall: Seventus
East Wall: Us - mercs
South Wall: Mercs + our mercs
West Wall: City garrison (not guard)

I thought this was the set up.

As the towers begin to roll forwards you begin mentally preparing to destroy them. "All soldiers to the walls. Archers to the fore until the uurlanthi close, the rest prepared to step ahead to repel the men with ladders should they reach us. Make sure that High Commander Seventus and the local garrison are prepared as well. Lena will see to the towers to the south, and Wulf will lead the force to the west, should the enemy hazzard an attack with their flying cavalry." you order. The drums in the main building of the gatehouse begin beating out a rapid cadence, and city guards run off to relay your orders, or move to their wall.

In the distance you hear the combined voices of thousands of Uurlanthi soldiers advancing in lockstep, carrying ladders, or riding on siege towers "From the crater of Truths-Haven we rise!"
"Our inheritance shall not be denied." comes the thunderous reply
"From the banks of Westmoo-oore we march"
"The pathetic Empire a joke, a farce." they continue, barely holding to the beat set by their drums, as the thunder of yours confuses the beat.
"At misty Break-water, we train" their marching song continues
"O'er all the lands our King shall reign!"
"At Dyrons Ford we cross with rage."
"Our foes shall end their lives encaged."
"Atop Ice Peak is fire and heat."... and so continues the chant, its tempo increasing as they approach your first range marker, one of the levies sprints ahead and stomps the small pile of painted stones apart, thumping his chest and roaring at the wall. You look to Finian, hefting the first of Degrians steambows, and nod.

>eh, I got class in the AM, so I'ma call it here
>someone archive please
>I'll be back thursday at 9pm server time to get the battle rolling
>if you have any setting/CQ questions just e-mail me at paxcomquest@yahoo.com

Session has been archived. Don't forget to vote!

>>14576520
The setup, according to last session, was:
East Wall - Justinian
North Wall - Seventus
South Wall - City Garrison
West Wall - City Guard with merc support.

>>14576520
Switch the south and west walls and you have it.

West wall is our weakest link. Hopefully the enemy doesn't figure that out.

>>14576535
Memo to self: Next time, booby trap the range markers.