Raz's Book of Thoughts

[Aerimor]

I can't find my other darn journal.  I need to check Zari's room.

Time for a change anyway.  I think I am getting old!  I knew it would happen some time.  I am over 160 years old now!  I came to Mistone what does seem a lifetime ago.  I left Voltrex 49 years ago, I'll of been here for 50 years!  Back then I thought I'd have been dead by now and here I am, still very much alive.

Some things are the same as they ever were, chasing daughters of merchants and nobles being foremost.  And other things are as I would have never thought.  I have Mera and possibly another daughter on the way I'll get to have in my life.  I have two sisters and a brother I never knew about.  I've 'mastered' the Al'noth, sculpting, smelting, fencing, alchemy and a host of other things.  And yet I burn for more, something longer lasting than myself.  Sculpting has meant a world of difference to me, and then Mera has changed everything.  But now I've been seeking some new challenge to take.

Over the last decade I've found out more about the slave trades than I'd like to admit.  But in it I also found my new cause.  My efforts, I hope, are coming to fruition.  I have contracted and had designed an unique ship to be built.  I hope I am on the verge of having it built and a port to call home.  I have some other pieces now in play.  And a chance to even turn those into something bigger.  Ahh yes, my plans are to distress the Silver Crescent and other slavers that sail on the seas.  And with them the pirate escorts.  

I again stand at a time in my life where I wonder if I will see a goal complete or die first.  I whistfully recall being carefree of repercussions, responsible for only myself.  And now my thoughts betray me, I have turned into something I never thought I would, someone old.  I worry about what fates may befall my siblings and daughters if I fight the valiant fight.  I know my choices in battle will be tempered by thoughts of the life of the crew's that serve with me.  

I recently fought as a Captain in the naval battle of Sederra.  After the battle decided, I had in my sight one of the enemy vessels. And though both our ships were limping in the water, and he was fleeing, I was determined to see it sunk.  Night eventually turned and I lost the enemy ship, my first instincts were to throw caution to the wind and press on through whatever means I had.  But then those alien thoughts crept up and reminded my that I was responsible for those with me and if I led us into a trap it would be them that paid and not myself.  And for perhaps the first time in my life, I tempered my actions and took the safe course.

I don't know when it happened, but I becoming old at the age of 164.  I use to think I'd never see 200...

I need a new hobby, there are too many hours in the night to simply spend them alone in idle thought.

[Aerimor]

Well we did get the Lady to port and the crew is safe.  I had them drop me off at Audiria to help push the Cult out of the City.  That was a hellish scene, death and destruction over every foot of the city.

I got there just in time to go for their leader and a portal they about had up and running.  If the portal got built they'd of brought in reinforcements from Kuhl and taken the city.  Argali and I make a good team.

With Audiria won and only clean up remaining, I headed to Nith and attempted to help the folks around Trix.  Met up with adventurers and the Raven's of Corath and Nesar.  Instead of just getting things done the adventurers started drawing lots of attention to themselves and getting the Raven's involved.  Adventurers can be so dumb,  when the Raven's started locking down the city around the adventurers, I split.  Too much experience with Corathites to want to be around.  I left and headed north on my own.

Come to find out the adventurers attacked the Cult armies around Miritrix and failed to accomplish anything. As I tried to tell them before I left, idiots.

I started gathering some information and the Cult armies headed north, taking with them the women from norther Nesar to add to those they took form Hilm no doubt.  Idiot adventurers, they could of accomplished something but failed.  

Soon as Trix was cleared out, I went in and found the mayor and Fort Commander.  I told them I planned to do what I could to free their wives and daughters but without help I was doomed to fail.  I told them that despite that I was going to try, I'd find help somewhere along the way.  

Guess I won them over, next thing I was commissioned as a Sergeant in the Nesar army, which I crossed my fingers during, and assigned 1,000 troops.  Pretty much all they had remaining.  The Fort Commander was going to raise an additional army from the surrounding area and then march north to meet me.  I in the meantime was going to march to Prim and capture the city.  

Day before we marched Hardy showed up and said he was looking for trouble.  I recruited him quickly into going with me, which was not difficult.  I think he just wanted to be away from all the prissy military folks at Fort of Last Hope.

Wish us luck.

[Aerimor]

We took Prim!

I have read and read and reread every tome on battle strategy I could ever put my hands on.  I can recite battle formations and counter formations in my sleep.  My trouble has never been in planning, my trouble has always been in being caught up in the moment.  When I have time I can plan like no one's business.  But when I am there in the moment, well, I guess I do alright I am still alive.  But truth is I could use a lot more practice with fighting with groups.  Using all the parts I have, in trusting others to fulfill their roles and more importantly in accepting others will die while under my command.  There, that is the sticker, I have to learn to allow others to succeed to their fullest and to fall in the attempt to get there.

Knowing my flaws and restrictions I drew up a battle plan, I set all the troops in the proper place, gave them the proper orders and left them on their own to accomplish them.  The only..alright the best way I could think of to keep me from waffling on letting them carry out their orders was to put me in the middle as the trigger.  Got to love Hardy, he never balked at all, the two of us walked right up main street and found a sub-commander.  When he decided to throw us out of town, I ran him through.  Hardy wailed his song of death and cleaned out back of his immediate support.  Then the battle for Prim was on.  The heavy units of Drach in town predictable for the most part set on for Hardy and I, so we took the brunt of the special forces.  Leaving our soldiers to mostly contend with regular troops.  With the positioning and surprise the Trix folks did themselves proud.  They executed their assignments and routed the Cult forces enough to take 200 prisoners.  

Hardy and I managed to stay alive so using us as the trigger and focus point, went beautifully.

And yes, I lost folks under my command.  And yes even though I know that is was the absolute minimum that could be lost to take Prim and that Prim was necessary to retake and that we freed those living in Prim... it still pains my heart.  Logical my tactics were sound, and in fact my only weakness was taking too much risk of the unknown on Hardy and I.  But my heart always wonders if I could of said one thing different and one less soldier would of had to die.  War is a monster that will plague my dreams.

I spoke with the troops and commended them on their performance.  Let them not see my troubles, let them think their leader is a crazy elf that charges into the center of battle for attention or blood lust.  Let them not know it is fear of losing any more of them than mandatory that drives me to the front with such zeal.  They have had their first taste of battle now, may it serve them well in the coming trials.  May we both grow to do what we must in order to save those the Cult have taken.

Tomorrow we head out to Lake Tempest.

[Aerimor]

That is is, I am done with ground wars in south east Belinara!

The mud, the bugs, the ravines, the hidden enemies and booby traps!

I'd quit and go home right the *curse* now except they still have the slaves.

I hate not being able to do anything! We got desperate enough to try flooding out the city or at least the walls with by releasing the dam.  Not only did it not cause them any discomfort, it soaked the ravines and made the whole land a quagmire.

Now we have sat here for weeks, waiting for help from Hilm.  Apparently ever other front has had success in the war, except mine.  Here I sit, with a number of good troops, in the middle of hellish lands, with slaves a fireballs toss away.  And we can't do anything.  G'ork is likewise rooted across the way, my only solace seems to be that he is suffering too.

I need more troops!   My best calculations now put the Sundance army at 6100.  I have 3,500.  Even with my best plans for strategical advantage I can't offset both the number disadvantage and their defensive advantage.
I hate ground wars!  Their flying drachs are another headache.

[Aerimor]

Another disaster and another!  This is getting worse thank Sehky's wardrobe!

An adviser to the Nesar Queen and Captain of the Nesar armies arrived in camp.  I was relieved of command.  The Captain seems alright, all and all.  But that Queen's adviser is as tainted as the temples in Nesar.  I seriously considered running him through, but I would be the end of the assault on Sundance.  Too many soldiers are blindly loyal.  That said many of them are good men in a bad nation.

After getting briefed briefly the Captain decided to get me and the Informer separated so I went scouting on some rumors I had.  One of my advisers use to live in Sundance and said there was a only pump house that would lead to the pipe-works under the city.  I cloaked myself in sanctuary and scouted it out.  Almost  meet my fate in the quagmires.  But I managed get have success for a change.  Lots of outer guards in the ravine, but I found my way through with a little help form Domino (//pixie//).

The pump house looked horrible, the roof had collapsed.  There was a small number of Drachs nearby with some monstrous sized bear.  I think it started getting my scent even in the Great Sanctuary so I decided it was time to go.

I made it back to camp to discover the 10,000 unit army from Hilm had arrived.  Well a fifth of it!  They only sent 2,000 units!

And the adventurers with it were arguing with the Nesar brass.

I had to step in and get them on the same side. They were fighting over who would take control of Sundance, Hilm or Nesar.  Like there is a chance of hell Nesar is going to hold Sundance.

I of course didn't say that.   I instead reminded them that Kuhl owned Sundance and unless we united and effort it would stay that way.

They had a spat over giving Sundance a chance to surrender, Steel.  I told them it wouldn't happen without bloodying there nose badly first.  But I came up with a plan anyway.

3,500 Nesar troops formerly under my command, 2,000 Hilm heavy troops, 3,000 troops formerly under G'orks command, one small unit of adventurers and a pump house verses 6,100, entrenched, defensive units with a small fraction of elite flying units.   Finally something I can do something with.

Plan was to take the small bands through the ravine to the Pump house.  Enter the pipe system and enter the city.  Send out G'ork, Viper and anyone else stealthy to locate enemy commanders, the prisoners and a route to the front gates.  Have them return and report.  Meanwhile the unified 3,500 Nesar troops and 2,000 Hilm troops march to the front gates and open parlay for Sundances surrender.  At the same time G'orks former units get moved through a set of ravines to place them close to the walls of Sundance without notice.

When the parlay fails, the adventuring unit was to break out of the pipe line.
Depending on the results of finding prisoners, they would of already been warned and helped to be able to take care of themselves or we'd have to send a pair of of squad to assist them now.  The rest of us are to make our way to the front gate, killing as many pre-located enemy brass on the way as possible.  Quickly open the gates and hold them for the couple minutes it takes for our forces to gain the gates form outside.  Once the gates are taken, the adventurers are to secure the prisoners if possible or lead a section of out arm to the prisoners.  Those few made for such things, the *curse* G'rok, is to continue killing any officer that shows his head.  The lack of command, with the sudden confusion of battle should lead to lack of cohesion and fear of the unknown.  And that should lead to ineffective counter attacks by the regular Kuhl troops and a quick surrender once the Drachs and Kuhl adventurers have been killed.  Granted, I know there will be a few pockets held in the city by regular army that was fortunate enough to be in proximity of Drach or command forces.  But if it is just pockets, that means the city fill fall to our combined control.

Once that happened, they we can bust the pockets one at a time with constructed catapults and adventurers.  From there, we can fight ourselves over control of Sundance.  My plan then will be to separate the Informer and tell him to leave or die.  Once he is dealt with.  I'll assume the title of allied commander as it was by my plan and lead that the city was captured.  As a commander of a unified force, the captain would now be of lower rank and I'd order him to escort the people of Nesar (slaves) back to Nesar and return them to their homes.  I think this would give him the excuse he needs to leave without fear of repercussions.  I'd then order a number of my former forces to remain with me.  The order would be for any that wished to stay under my personal command ot do so.  I imagine most will need to return to their families, but I know of at least a score that would welcome the opportunity to leave Nesar altogether.  I could then order the head soldier of the remaining Hilm armies to hold Hilm, in the name of Hilm until reinforcements could arrive.  Then I could denounce my title and leave this gods forsaken place.

That was how it was suppose to go down.

I now write from the pump house.  That ginormous bear was infected with Kuhl poison and upon death the poison was released down river towards Kuhl eventually if it doesn't dilute.  Now that I actually want a druid, where is one?!  And what's worse, the pump house is in worse shape then I fear.  They are excavating the roof to see if we even can gain access to the pipe systems, but it might not be possible.  meanwhile the two sections of the army march to their assignments.

The main force marches towards the front gates for parlay.  And G'orks former units make their way through the ravines, undoubtedly with significant losses.  So they can be in place to be the unexpected force to react to the unexpected the enemy throws at us.  That unit is meant to be our second hidden head.  The one to deal with the enemy's wild card.

The gods hate me.
Never again will I lead a ground force numbering greater than twenty!