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Nesar-Kuhl
Dezza:
// 2 days after Razeriem and Hardragh capture Prim
"Go ahead and find out why our *curse* army is not moving" The Mad Doctor raged while seated on a wagon in the column of soldiers marching towards Vilsna. The combined Nesar armies had crossed into Kuhl and had made fairly good time along the main road from Nith to Vilsna over the last few days.
Alandric had graciously allowed General Zan Rimous to take his armies first since they would have to branch off to skirt around Vilsna and head to Amaria leaving Alandrics forces clear to assault the large town of Vilsna. But now, not even halfway to Vilnsa the long columns had slowed and now stopped with no word from the General as to why. Alandric was in a foul mood anyway and this just added fuel to the fire.
One Eye rode his tall black warhorse along the lines where tired soldiers took the moment to sit down or rest from the toiling march. Men and women flinched away from the sight of him as he thundered past.
Eventually he reached the forward units and the Generals party.
"The Doctor wants to know whats going on General, he is not pleased with this delay."
The General turned his mount to look at the large Raven then averted his gaze.
"We have Cult soldiers ahead, they have formed defensive lines across the road and into the rought terrain on either side. I've sent out scouts to assess how many lie in our path."
The Raven's horse shifted under him as he spoke, "You have soldiers, send them in and you will soon find out how many Cultists lie ahead."
The General licked his lips nervously and angry mutters could be heard from several of those in his party.
"Of course that will reveal those immediately before us but it would be a waste of life and will most likely not tell us if the enemy has other surprises for us further back that we cannot see."
"It is not a waste of life, those that fall can be used again."
More angry mutters and the general developed a sheen of sweat upon his brow.
"Yes, yes of course, how foolish of me to forget that. It is indeed lucky for us that the Doctor is present that we have the benefit of such powerful magics. I humbly ask for one more hour for my scouts to return, if they do not then I shall do as you request."
Jehorum's horse shuffled back and forth and he seemed to consider the words.
"Very well, one hour then you assault their positions," a pause, "and you will personally lead the assault." He wheeled his mount around and raced back down the lines leaving the General and his staff angry and afraid at the same time.
An hour later, as ordered General Zan Rimous led his army into the enemy positions on the road to Vilsna, and lived to talk about it later although many of his men didnt.
They reached the barricades and threw themselves onto them trying to breach them and drive a hole in their ranks to send cavalry in and around them to cut them off. They managed to do so before a small group of four Myr'drachs appeared and cut into their ranks decimating them within minutes. By this stage Alandrics forces had reached a position where they could watch the battle.
He ordered them to hold their positions and even chuckled a few times at the scene of carnage before him. Eventually however he signalled to Adder, Gimli and Eyebite to lead their Corathite soldiers into the fray.
"Clear this mess up for the general will you, otherwise we'll be here all day."
Hours later the armies had formed up and were marching past the broken enemy lines. Dozens of small trees had been cut into posts and staked up around the area and numerous cult bodies hung from them for the crows to feed on.
Alandric glanced behind him as they moved forward once again and commented to Jehorum who road his horse beside the wagon.
"Good days work One-Eye, the enemy are all dead of fled and our army swells with soldiers more biddable and less fickle than before."
Jehorum grunted in agreement and glanced behind the wagon where dozens of undead Cult and Nesar soldiers shuffled along behind them. Around them dozens of Corathite priests kept them in line and moving forward. Behind them a wide space had opened up between the undead and the first groups of Nesar infantry. Fear in their eyes as they stared at the horror that walked before them, some of them had been friends the day before, some enemies, and now they were undead.
The march to Vilsna continued.
Dezza:
// 6 days after Raz and Hardragh capture Prim, 4 days after Ractrafiorez rips down the south wall at Fort of last Hope.
"This entire campaign is one mess after another. It would be quicker to slaughter everyone and raise them again and send them on, at least they could march all day and night and it wouldnt matter. This endless starting and stopping is ridiculous." Alandric continued to rave and rant from the wagon on which he sat. For the last three hours General Rims armies ahead of his own had been diverging from the main road to take the branch to the north west in order to head towards Amaria through the Hills of the Lost.
It was taking ages to move the supply trains for the generals force to the fore and out of Alandrics own armies way. They had been moving for almost a week now along the main road with only one main encounter with Cultists and still according to the scouts they were at least a day or two from the outer reaches of the lands around Vilsna.
Just the day before a flight of Myrdrachs, four in all, had drifted towards their column creating all sorts of panic but they had seemed content to watch them for a while before flying off to the north back towards Vilsna.
Alandric could tell from the quietness of the soldiers marching in long columns behind his people that they were growing more and more concerned and worried as they got closer and closer to Vilsna. The sight of General Rim's large force moving away from their own also left them feeling unsure.
Alandric called Jehorum over. The large raven drew his horse alongside the wagon to listen.
"When the Generals people are out of sight, tell the Ravens to break out the whips. I want this column moving faster than this pace. The Cult know we are coming now, they know we're moving slowly. I want to suprise them and not give them a chance to prepare anything too nasty for us at Vilsna. Get me Adder as well, we need to start making plans for taking this city from the inside if we can."
One Eye nodded without a word and set about getting the Ravens ready to see about moving the columns along for the impending battle to follow for Vilsna.
Dezza:
// 8 days since Ractrafiorez gave his ultimatum at Last Hope, 2 days after Gel'larian and Ferrit stumble back into the Fort of last Hope.
Jehorum rode down the column and wheeled his horse around near the Doctors wagon reducing it to a walk alongside the slowly moving wagon. "We've reached the outskirts of the city. There are some large estates that appear abandonded coming up on the left and right sides of the road. It seems the Cult are holed up in the city proper. They've got a large wooden palisade all the way around the main town with several towers as well."
"Where is the graveyard?" Alandric stared ahead over the heads of the infantry towards the large town ahead surrounded to its north and east by thick forest. Smoke trailed into the air from numerous chimneys in the town. One could almost imagine they were not expecting to be attacked at any minute.
"Near the western edge of the town, the palisades been built right through it."
Alandric didn't respond, several different ideas running through his head. Jehorum continued to walk his mount beside the wagon waiting for additional orders. It was several minutes before Alandric said anything.
"Any idea on their numbers?"
"None whatsover."
Alandric cursed, "Whose stupid idea was this anyway?"
Jehorum diplomatically remained silent until Alandric continued.
"Set up camp two bowshots from the town, we'll fan out into some of these farms then we'll go and speak with the leaders of the town."
Jehorum turned his head towards Alandric, his suprise masked by his helmet.
Alandric waved a dismissive hand at him. "I'll make them an offer they would be most foolish to refuse. See to it."
Jehorum hesitated a moment before urging his big horse forward to issue orders.
Hours later the Nesar lines were still setting up camps across the farms before the town. Scouts had been sent out to skirt the town to see if the enemy had hidden forces in the forests or along the roads to the west. Meanwhile a small party moved forward towards the main gates to the palisade and the town.
Alandric, Jehorum, three Ravens and a shambling undead creature belonging to the Mad Doctor moved to within hailing distance of the towers above the wooden gates. Faces of Cult soldiers stared down at them over bows and crossbows trained on the group.
Alandric raised his voice so he could be heard.
"Soldiers of Kuhl, know this. You have two days to make a decision.
You will either surrender the town and its inhabitants over to us and we will allow any who do not wish to remain here to leave unharmed.
Or, you can stay here, within these walls and face the greater burden of disease, poison and your dead walking the streets trying to kill you. And when thats finished then you will have to fight us and our demons and undead and all manner of creatures you would rather wish never to see.
Rest assured, once we start, there will be no end, for when you die we will ripo your hearts from your chests and fill your worthless bodies with life that will serve us in death even though you resisted us in life."
Alandric motioned to the undead near him to shuffle forward.
"Look well upon this creature men of Kuhl, he was once one of yours and now he serves me. Such will be your fates if you do not surrender to us.
The choice is yours."
No response came forth from the towers but Alandric could see a large number of soldiers pressed up against the tall wooden posts trying to glimpse what was happening outside.
Once they were a safe distance away Jehorum dared to speak.
"Do you think it will work?"
Alandric shrugged.
"I don't really care, tonight Adder can send his poison rats in and our people will raise the dead in the graveyard. I have neither the time nor patience for this."
"What about the two days you gave them?"
Alandric shrugged, "So I lied, I want them dead and rotting long before then. We need more men to take Zolinar next and I intend to get them from here. Now stop questioning me and start working out how you are going to get inside the city."
Polak76:
The night was especially dark or at least he thought so. Perhaps it was his mood. Over the previous days they had set up camp outside Vilsnar and Alandric had been sending his Orraculi under the cover of illusion magic to scry on the strengths and weaknesses of his advesary. He also sacrificed some of the Nessar men, under duress of couse, his comrad Jehoram whipping them into running the distance between their camp and the fortified walls, measuring speed, time and accuracy of their archers. They all died naturally but is was a small cost for valuable knowledge. Their corpses would always be recycled regardless.
Vilsnar was not a problem. He did not expect to lose this battle and calculated a small cost in men. What aggiated him was his destination after...Zolinar. He had counted his army of men and undead and felt weak against the rumours of Zolinar. That was where the true battle would be fought. He could not afford to be defeated. Failure was simply not acceptable. Better to sacrifice oneself and have the soul mother take all your strands that have the Mad One grab hold of them. Alandric was riled with how he would overcome the innevitable battle against a horde dwarfing his own army. The skill of the Raven under Jehoram and guile from Stygian's poisons were certainly battle winners but they would surely not turn the tide of war. He had one last option and he summoned his comrads.
Jehoram and Stygian entered his tent and waited patiently for Alandric to address them.
"My friends, I leave now on the eve of battle to seek more strength for our army. As you know this battle poses little problem for us. Vilsnar will certainly fall. What bothers me is Zolinar. We simply don't have the force to take it. We need more allies."
He pauses for moments. The two look at each other but their stern expressions betray no thoughts.
"Hence I will leave this very night by means of magical travel. I leave the nessar army under your charge Raven. Lead them well. Follow the tactics we've been discussing and victory will be ours."
To Stygian, "You'll lead my orraculi and sancti. Catapult the diseased corpses over the walls and raise them from the inside. Get to their graveyards and raise what you can. With chaos from the inside the Nessar army and Ravens will have little trouble taking the fort. Cover their advanace in darkness and ehnhance their weapons and armor. I'll leave the rest to your discretion. Try to save some of your posions for the battle ahead."
He turns and grabs his pack and sings it over his shoulder. From his robes he withdraws a magical device. "I'll try to return before the battle ends but in truth I don't know how long it will take to convince him."
"Who are you talking about?" one of them asks.
Alandric grins..."an old friend" then activates the device and disappears.
Dezza:
// Several days later, the day the PC's in Fort of last Hope head into the tunnels under the fort.
Jehorum regarded the burning buildings on the outskirts of the western edge of the large town of Vilsna. Nearby work crews made up of residents from Vilsna worked furiously under the watchful gave of Nesar soldiers and Black Raven guards to put out the fires. Behind him further back in the centre of town more Vilsna citizen work crews were being forced to bring all the dead from the several day long battle to take Vilsna into the centre square.
There were probably not going to be enough to satisfy Alandric Jehorum thought and for a moment he contemplated ordering the Ravens to randomly kill another few dozen citizens or captured soldiers to add to the piles but as he opened his mouth to give the order another voice interrupted him.
"Lord One Eye the graveyard crews are now digging up the corpses to add to those in the centre square as ordered." Adder gave a lazy salute while Gimli and Eyebite not far away swaggered about.
Jehorum closed his mouth and looked down at the man from his black horse.
"Good, The Doctor will be back at any time, when he appears see that you inform me immediately. Did those Drach units escape into the forest or did the cavalry catch up to them."
Adder shrugged, "I saw the Nesar Captain return to the city with most of his men and no captives so I assume they failed."
Jehorum casually responded, "Bring me the Captains head for failure. No, belay that order, tell him to chose a man from his division to die for his incompetence. That should motivate him to do better next time."
Adder grinned and rushed off to comply. As he left a large brute of a man with huge square shoulders and a thick neck wandered over to Jehorum. From his mount Jehorum didnt have to look down far to see the mans face, he was that tall and broad. He wore the uniform of the Nesar peasant infantry and Jehorum vaguely remembered he had been a blacksmith in Nith before being pressed into service.
"Lord One Eye, we've secured all the areas of the town now and are sending groups out to the farms to check them too. We found a few more Cult soldiers hiding in some and put them with the others. Still no sign of any of them Myr'drachs."
Jehorum nodded to the man who lumbered off. Vilsna had almost been a let down. Once they managed to get some undead into the large town at night and got a few fires going in several points around the palisade surrounding the town they had been able to rush the main gates and bring them down with relatively little loss of life. It seemed that most of the professional soldiers had marched for Zolinar days before they arrived leaving local levies and a handful of Cult soldiers in charge with only a few Myr'Drachs.
Once the Myr'drachs had been taken down and most of the soldiers captured or killed the rest surrendered very quickly. Of course Jehorum had executed all of the towns leaders and those who had denied them entrance and would have kept going if the Nesar Infantry Lieutenant hadn't threatened to leave and take all his men. The matter had irked Jehorum at first and he had consiodered doing it anyway but in the end decided it wasnt worth it and that the Doctor might punish him if he returned and found half the army had left because they were a bit squemish that he'd killed a few people.
He glanced up at the sun in the sky and for a moment hoped the Doctor returned soon. He figured that they would be ready to march within a day or two after the clerics had raised the dead in the centre square and a few other matters had been taken care of around the town.
Meanwhile a week away from them now General Rim and the larger portion of the hastily assembled Nesar army were engaging in a series of heavy engagements against dug in Cult soldiers along the road to Amaria. For Days they has struggled to make any headway against the fortified positions of the Cult. Still at least two days travel from the city proper General Rim and his forces were making very slow progress.
Further south thousands of soldiers including large numbers of mounted infantry and cavalry were moving in organised columns following the road the Nesar armies had taken weeks before as they invaded southern Kuhl.
The combined Rofireinite and Toranite Host had made relatively good progress since leaving Nith two days prior. They made a spectacular sight as they moved along the roads, banners and pennets snapping in the wind as they moved north.
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