Speak with commander Renol, invite him to join us as we watch the two ladies battle. Presume that they are battling over who gets to read a book first

>>18505827
We should also ask him about what happened while we were raiding in the north.

>>18505871
>>18505827
I guess we are going to talk to him not much we can do right now

Shrugging and taking care not to step on Lethiana, you make your way over to Malcius "I take it you decided to rise early as well then, Malcius?" you greet the man.

He shrugs "No, one of my captains opened all of the flaps to my tent, It became too cold to keep sleeping."

Nodding in agreement, you turn to face your wives "I had a similar problem, Laelith decided to leave my cot early to spar with Catalina. Care to watch them with me?"

Your peer shakes his head in mock derision as he follows you "Truly? One body was a noticeable loss to you?"

Grinning from ear to ear, you shoot back "Well, a man becomes accustomed to certain things after a long enough period of time." you answer as the Elf and priestess spring into motion. for a while, neither is able to hit the other, as they dodge everything directed at them. It is all very surreal, very dancelike, truth be told. "Did anything of note happen during the siege while I was away?"

Malcius shrugs "Aside from our foes sallying?" after a brief pause, he adds "Gabriel killed nearly three score of soldiers and camp followers across our maniples. He skinned an identical tattoo from each, perplexing, no?"

>>18506063
"I assume he didn't give a reason for his actions?
Did he interrogate them?"

We might have to tell all the degnarian commanders here the full story. The cats getting out of the bag it seems.

>>18506183

seconding.

We're under orders to -not- spread the info, but if our fellow commanders were infiltrated, they need to know.

When the ladies finish their battle, ask if they were fighting over which would get to read a book first.

>>18506258
>>18506183
Third it

rolled 1, 6 = 7

ROLLING

One scroll of remove curse for sale!

Goes to highest bidder.

>>18506593
>>18506575
>>18506551
>>18506548
>>18506539
>>18506471

Oh look at that, it's babby's first shitpost! Everyone remember to report him and tell him what a good boy he is!

You sigh as Laelith dances under one of Catalinas strikes, and catches the young womans ankle in her blade, spilling her to the ground "I take it he did not give his reasons then?"

Malcius nods "Only that they were verifiable traitors, and that he had seen the Heir flying flaps of skin bearing the same marks outside the Dragonbone Palace."

"Did he interrogate those he killed, or simply execute them?" you ask, hoping that some scrap of infromation was obtained.

Malcius shakes his head "Yes, but it did not seem like he learned anything of note from them. He became increasingly angry as he worked through them." he pauses to watch Catalina roll back to her feet and return the favor to Laelith, before asking "I take it you know something about the group they apparently belonged to already?"

You heave a sigh, and reply "Would you rather I tell it plainly, or in detail?"

Malcius face falls a bit, before he replies "The short for now. Our camps should be safe, but I would not want it to adversely affect morale."

Again you nod as Laelith knocks Catalinas whip from her hand, and steps on its head to prevent it from returning to its master, only for it to begin striking at her leg "There is a group, a cult, that has been working in the shadows, perpetuating this war and corrupting those who rule all of the nations of the land since well before the war started. All I have been able to learn is that they plan to make use of the undead and Litches in an attack of massive proportions at some point in the future."

"Toward what end, and how soon do you expect it?" Malcius asks, sounding more than a little worried.
>cont'd

"Their goals and time-frame remain unknown to me. All I know is that they were already skilled in arcane matters before the war began, and have both major Lords and Praetorians amongst their numbers." you reply as Laelith steps in to rest her blade on Catalinas neck, ending their match, both women panting and red-faced from exhaustion.

An eagle crying as it descends towards you cuts of Malcius' reply, and, after the bird lands on your offered arm, he replies "I will ask you more after we have decided how to take this city. Until then, we both have more pressingly urgent matters to see too." before saluting, and slowly striding back towards his camp, clearly lost in thought.

You extract the message from the tube on the eagles talon, and quickly read it "Jonathan Hastten is moving towards your location. After passing me he is without two battalions of peasant archers, but I was unable to do more." The message is sloppily written, and parchment it is on dirty, but between that and the signature, it is clearly Blackbird who sent it. Also inside the tube is a short list of the forces headed towards Drans Ferry, though not much detail is given.

>attempt to troll IRC channel
>fail
>kicked/banned from IRC due to spam
>spam thread instead

0/10 troll

>>18506688

it would seem we need info on this Jonathan Hastten. Send runners for Wulf and Gunther.

Weren't Catalina and Lealith researching tomes we captured from that tower? Get a progress report while we head to meet Wulf and Gunther

>>18506688
We kinda have to tell the other commanders about this so get them together when we can.

>>18506688
Well, time to get the commanders together and plan what we gonna do with the siege and the army heading to attempt to break the siege.

from what Janos told us in http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/16595937/

"The IronCoast lords are violent, skilled... and luckily for us, men of honor. The regions major Lord, Jacob Hastten is a skilled attacker, and stubborn, though old. His sons are both cut of the same cloth as their father, separately named The Jackal, and The Bear by their soldiers. They almost never fight as a group. Rivers Edge is the seat of the Order of the Winged Lance, the greatest of the knightly orders."

We should tell the other commanders about Jacob Hasttens forces coming for us. Preferably soon.

You motion to one of your soldiers as you glance over the list Blackbird sent you, glad to see that it is so comprehensive. "Have Wulf and Gunther meet me outside the Central command tent, I need to speak with them before, and quite possibly during the coming meeting." The man salutes and jogs off as you make your way over to your wife and her necromancer sparring partner.

"Did that help with the cold?" you hear Laelith asking as she walks with Catalina over to a bench nearby.

The young necromancer nods, though she is already beginning to shiver again "Yes... I will have to take some warmer cloths after we take Drans Ferry though."

"A fight over who gets the next tome?" you ask, now jokingly, as you sit with the pair.

Catalina shakes her head "No, my tent is simply too thin for the winter weather in this area. Laelith said that physical exertion helps keep you warm, so..." Catalina trails off, and starts to blush as you shoot a lecherous grin her way, though you direct it more at Laelith in all honesty.

>>18506991
"I do believe that you've already been invited to share the warmth of bodies in our tent, Catalina."

trolling complete, I believe.

Offer her the Valk cloak again? We'll just have to keep lealith warm with our body (and leech some for ourself!)

then onward to command tent.

>>18507037
Oh come on Generic let her just think what she thinks no need for "trolling" leave some to the imagination.

>>18506991
All cavalry and infantry, no ranged other than the bodyguards. Difficult but doable. I think a repeat of what we did in the last battle of our second campaign is in order. Earth elementalism pits to slow and weaken them, flyers dropping steel spikes, whatever we can do to weaken them before they get to our lines. Because if they do, I'm seeing a lot of casualties.

>>18507037
Yeah, offer the cloak. Can't have her catching a cold.

And with all this cavalry coming at us we may want to think about creating another field of pit traps for them to fall into.

>>18507078
I think our flyers are being used in the siege but the rest of that should work. (Don't quote me about the flyers)

also, guys... we looted lumber.

we can go full Braveheart "SURPRISE, SPEARS!" mode on this force's cav.

Catalina will have to be our plucky Irishman stand-in.

You slide your cloak off of your shoulders and around Catalinas before you reply "Then Catalina is lucky to have friends such as us who will help her keep warm despite her foolishness, isnt she?"

Laelith nods "She is even luckier that it was not Kyria who found her shivering outside the chefs tent this morning." Laelith adds as snow begins to land on the faded green and brown of the trampled muddy ground.

Catalina blushes even deeper before she replies "Thank you, I know I look like I came from some frigid northern province, but..."

You put a finger to her mouth, and, silently glad that your gauntlets are hanging at your belt, cut her off "We know, and you dont need to tell us. We'll find you some better cold-weather cloths once we are in the city."

She silently nods, but, before she can say anything else, Gunther interrupts "Commander, is it true that you aim to see a certain trio of brothers on crosses?"

Wulf sighs "He is also here to help explain things in the coming tactical meeting. The Jackal is riding to relieve Drans Ferry?"

Feasible to take city before they arrive?

>>18507344
"I would very much like to see them arranged as such, Gunther."

hmm... I wonder if Gunther's knights could seize the brothers.

"The enemy force contains a healthy number of cavalry, I believe we may be able to put some of our lumber to use as spears, hiding them upon the ground until their charge nears. Before they can slow or stop, they'll be met with an unexpected wall of spear tips from our men."

>>18507428
seconding

>>18507344
"I do wish to see three brothers on crosses. I assume you know of them. And yes Wulf, Jonathan Hastten is coming our way."

>>18507369
I have other ideas if not feasible.

>>18507523
>>18507369

also seconding.

"Yes, I would like to see those three suffering a slow death." you answer, as you hand Wulf the message Blackbird sent you.

Gunther smirks "Since my brothers and I will not rise up against what is left of our Order, perhaps you could dispatch us to collect them. We would likely return before your business in Drans Ferry is complete."

Before you can respond, Wulf returns the message to you, and informs you "Hastten likely plans on either catching our forces depleted and exhausted from the battle, or to catch Lord Jaeger and his family unprotected from it. I doubt he will-"

"Perhaps you should simply tell us inside the Central Command Tent, reduce repetition, save all of us the time." Gabriel cuts your protege off as he joins the group, his cloak tight about him.

>>18507660
Just tell Wulf that Gabriel is just frustrated and we might as well go to the Central Command tent

>>18507755
sounds good to me

>>18507660
"We'll see about that after the meeting, Gunther."

to the command tent.

>>18507802
>>18507755
Agreed

You sigh "We are on our way, Gabriel." you reply to the dwarf, before turning around and adding "Gunther, we will decide after the Command Meeting. Come." before turning about to follow Gabriel to the Central Command tent.

Upon entering, you see a single, plain map set out on the table central to the area. The city, all eight of its gates, and the commander or precursor whose forces are outside those gates plainly marked off, though the roads that connect the city to the main highway out past the city, and any other identifiers are left out. "They lack the forces to sally out again, and we lack the time to starve the Uurlanthi down. The three of you need to assault the walls." Jarin continues, even though only Malcius had been in the tent with him.

Gabriel shakes his head "While your dwarfs sit with their thumbs up their asses? No, if you want your share of loot, you have to pull your weight when we take the city." as he drops into his seat, more than a little perturbed.

"Actually, we have less time than than we thought." you interject, dropping Blackbirds message and troop count on the table over the map.

After finishing the message, and glancing over the list, Malcius asks "What do we know of Jonathan Hastten?"

Wulf sighs, dropping into a spare seat a bit back from the table and replies "Clever and relentless. He will most likely find a way to enhance his soldiers effectiveness that pushes the bounds of what the local lords consider honor."
>cont'd

Gunther shakes his head "He is without honor. Often preferring to tear at the exposed belly of a weakened foe than to fight them on the field. As Wulf mentioned before we arrived here, his plan is most likely to strike at the victor here with his own forces at full strength."

"If that is his plan, we can proceed without paying him any mind. He will wait for this battle to come to its completion, then strike at us. If we let him wait, he will turn back after we are victorious and still strong." Jarin opines smugly

"And have to deal with him, his brother, AND their father when we move against RiverEdge, no. We need to seize this opportunity to even the odds before we become truly depleted." Malcius replies through a mirthless laugh.

"Perhaps Precursor Jarin would be best suited to riding out to meet this lorlding than. As his forces are best at defending and receiving charges, as opposed to taking walls." Gabriel adds, pouring himself a cup of water as he does so.

>>18508093
Agreed, we definitely need to take out the force before he retreats. If Jarin's force is best for taking on the oncoming force, I agree he should deal with him but if he complains, perhaps we should take the oncoming force.

Trying to think of ways we can tip it in Jarin's favour but it depends on how much time we have. If we have enough time and can bait him to attack, perhaps we could trap the terrain.

"Have the enemy forces deployed any elementalists that still breathe?"

If they've depleted the enemy earth elementalists, perhaps we can collapse a section of the wall with ours. We have lumber and elementalists, we should be able to construct some of those wooden shield things on wheels to protect us if we need to get closer to the wall...

>>18508093
lets just try and capture the city and then prepare to defend it from them when they attack

>>18508085
"If we could take the city well in advance of Hasttens arrival we would only have to deal with one force at a time, and not have to split our forces."

>>18508327
seconding. also I should have cited the fact that I was taking your idea from IRC in my post

>>18508327
>>18508337
sounds good

>>18508193
Don't forget that we also have those siege arcana looted from the siege of Estok. The growing rope, and the automatically-deploying ramps.

Although I think we should just try to tear down a section of the wall, like Kay'less(?) the cultist did during our first campaign.

And agree on taking the city, feigning weakness, and then letting the Jackal walk into our trap.

>>18508438
agreed

You shake your head dismissively, glancing around the sparsely furnished tent as you do so "No, deviding our force should be avoided if at all possible. Do the defenders have any breathing elementalists remaining?"

Gabriel nods "Just barely enough to restrict yours to powerful tremors. One more skilled elementalist would be more than they could stop."

Grinning feraly you reply "Then we shatter these walls, rush over and through them, then, after this city has fallen, and after we have looted it, we hide."

"To what end?" Jarin asks, leaning back in his chair.

"We present the illusion that we are as weak and depleted as the Jackal is expecting. He enters the city unprepared for anything more than killing off the broken husk of an army, and we take him to pieces." Malcius answers, pouring himself a cup of water, and nodding to you in approval.

Gabriel grins "The plan works for me. Jaeger can put a single depleted battalion at each gate at the very best, so it should be a simple enough task."

Malcius sighs, and, after downing a good half of his drink, asks "And what of the peasants he has been levying to the walls? They are not trained soldiers in the least."

Jarin shrugs "Slaves for me, captives and fodder for your commander academy for the three of you."

>>18508682
"We'll worry about that after the battle. Whether or not they break the second the professional troops fall or fight to the bitter end will change what happens to them I imagine."

>>18508682
Sad but true. We're not responsible for whom the Lord drafts into Uurlanthi military uniforms.

My plan:
1. Build some siege towers. As many as we have time for.
2. Find the weakest side of the city walls.
3. Have most of our troops approach the city under cover of darkness. Use natural concealment. (Hold a shrubbery over your head. Ta-da!)
4. Just before dawn, blow war horns. Have detachments from Jarin's halberd-dwarf troops push EMPTY siege towers toward the three other sides of the wall. Make one side look like the main thrust by flying most of our banners there. Draw enemy troops away from the real attack vector.
5. Tear down the wall on the weakest side. All troops rush in. Have our troops seize control of the stairwells, or just collapse them if we can get to them personally. Enemy troops cannot reinforce the wall that's not there anymore. And they can't get DOWN from the wall because we have the stairwells blocked off.

>>18508828
This plan is alright with me. We can decide on the fate of the men manning the walls when we take the city and learn all of what the lord there has done and how he has operated.

>>18508828
I REALLY hope this works cause that would be the best thing ever

>>18508746
and I second this dialogue

>>18508861
>>18508848
agreed

You sigh, and resist the urge to reach for the flask that you keep in your boot... its too early for that still. "That is entirely dependent on whether they break the moment their properly trained countrymen fall, or if they attempt to fight on, I suppose."

"As disheartening as that is, I agree. Now, how will we take the city?" Malcius responds, still not looking terribly happy.

Shrugging, you reply "We build siege towers, enough to put several battalions on each wall at once. Have troops poorly suited to attacking walls push them into place with the dawn and the blowing of the horns." you pause, taking a breath, though it is mostly for dramatic effect "Of course, all but those soldiers who positioned the towers will be gathered to take a single wall, one we will wipe from existence with elementalism and magic." As the other commanders begin to grin and nod in approval, you put the finishing touch on the plan "Of course, all of our standards and banners will be at the opposite wall, so the best of the enemies professional troops will be gathered well out of place, and easy to overwhelm once they finally reach us."

Jarin shrugs, his face scrunching up a bit "Very well. My forces will see to the false flag aspects of this assault. Who will spearhead the charge through the walls? There will be at least three or four battalions lying in wait regardless of any trickery on our part."

"Justinian?" Gabriel offers "The arcanists are yours, and the worst of the fighting will come from the enemies best converging on our forces, which wont happen until the force that lead the charge has been passed by the other three forces."

>>18509023
If they want us to do it, then that's fine. Probably easiest anyways since it's mostly our stuff that will be taking the walls down.

>>18509064
seconded

>>18509064
>>18509101
Things of this nature always falls on us anyways

>>18509023
>>18509064

We're pretty much gonna be doing this sort of thing all the time anyways

>>18509023
"I will see to the wall personally. And leave the enemy's elite troops to my arcanists and our archers."

I don't care how good of a fighter you are. Arrow in the heart still equals dead... Unless you're a life elementalist or mage, maybe.

>>18509262
sounds good

You shrug "Very well, I will lead the assault then."

Jarin rises "I will oversee the construction of the siege towers then, and my Battlehost will move to relieve your maniple after the city has been entered, Justinian."

Gabriel and Malcius look to each other, before Gabriel adds "I will sweep to the east int he city then, and Malcius to the west." However, they do not leave the tower as Jarin does.

After a few minutes of pregnant silence, during which Wulf excuses himself, taking Gunther with him, Malcius asks "So, the Forge of New Divinity, Justinian. How much do you truly know of it?"

"And how fucked will we be when they make their move?" Gabriel adds as the pair settle back into their seats.

>>18509344
"Why do you think they call themselves the Forge of New Divinity? What does it suggest about their ultimate goal? ... Think about it.

"I don't really trust the Ten, but perhaps this is why fate has brought them back. Because we need allies in this time of peril."

>>18509344
"I don't know much and I must stress that this information is classified. They're a cult and they are at least partly responsible for the war and I believe that they intend to wait until both Nations are exhausted from the war and then attack"

>>18509344
"Pardon my language but it also doesn't help that the old guard keeps trying to cock block my maple's inventions and arcane innovations."

>>18509505
>>18509497
>>18509482
Jamba juice post time you guys

You shrug "They call themselves the Forge of New Divinity, as far as I have learned, their goal is to supplant the existing pantheon with beings of their own choosing."

"How do they plan to do this?" Malcius asks.

Gabriel shakes his head "They started this war, have been driving it to bloodier and bloodier heights, and have been working to recruit necromancers and raise Litches. Their methods are a mystery, but I would expect them to attack through the northern front."

Malcius sighs "So, we know next to nothing aside from the fact that they are belligerent, powerful, and hard to find when they dont want to be?"

Finally caving in, you take a quick sip from your flask and add "And our only real hope is to end this war quickly, and without dealing too much damage to Uurlanth, as we will need all the help we can get against the undead host they will direct against us. Do we at least have any allies?"

Shaking your head in defeat, you reply "The Emperor, his son, and the Praetorian Militant are all aware of the Forge, for what its worth."

"So, no, we dont. And if they are so deeply set inside the governments of the worlds nations, they will no doubt move to cripple all of them before they strike. We need allies outside of Degnar... and we are either at war with or deceiving all of our options." Malcius answers, slumping in his chair.

"And now you understand why this information is to be treated with the utmost secrecy." you reply grimly.

Malcius nods again "Yes, the news that we have already lost a war for survival that hasnt even started yet would not be good for morale."

>gah, I'm drained, calling it here
>someone archive please
>I should be back sunday or tueaday at 9pm server time

>>18509608
Justinian's maple: The scourge of Uurlanth.