"No, Linnam, Bishop's plan is good, as far as it goes. We have immense tactical advantage here, but we have to use it properly. Bishop will not be the front line, but rather, the bait. We want the goblins to charge us, before they realize that they'll have to slog through withering arrowfire before they can get near.
"Drusilla, did Strae notice if there are any wolf-riders, or is the leader the only mounted enemy?
"As you say, Bishop, stand right where you are, and as soon as you can fire on the leader, do so. If you figure they're in earshot, taunt them, saying you will spike them to death or something. Do
not advance into the chasm at all.
"Everyone else, we stay out of sight of the chasm -- behind the wall, or behind those boulders. Bishop, as soon as any of them are 200' away, tell us. Then we all close ranks -- Grell, Bishop, and I in the front, and Linnam, Drusilla, and Slthm behind. We concentrate missile fire on the leader. If he's invulnerable, we go for his horse -- I'd like to keep it, but I'd rather keep him from getting to us unscathed.
"When they get close, 50' or so, the front line will move up to 10' inside the chasm, just to plug the entrance. Back line, keep up the missile fire while we change weapons.
"After that, Grell and Bishop, if you want to engage with the horseman, and can do so without being surrounded by goblins, call the charge -- then both of you go together, and don't chase him all the way down the chasm just the two of you! Linnam, if they charge, switch weapons and pursue them. Three cavalry against one, let's see how he likes that! The rest of the back line will follow after you with me as fast as we can."
posted by Scholeologist at 3/13/2004 12:53:00 PM
Team Meeting that I asked for before:
"So, comrades, we have traveled not far on this journey together, and already we have been through much. Grell and I have been to the other side of life, and only through your efforts and the benificence of our unexpected allies and hosts have we returned. Even more, we have lost one of our own, and gained a brave soul to stand in his stead. Slthm, we do not know the ways of your people, and I think you know but little of ours, but I hope that we can all learn through this fellowship, and may all our gods smile upon us and our righteous purpose.
"I understand that you spoke poems in Alonzo's honor, and it was most appropriate that you do so, perhaps more appropriate than you know. The people of Crimson Peak are more inclined to poetic verses than my own community, but even moreso your words echo a dwarven tradition older than our history. I shall tell you of this, and you shall know something of our culture that you would not discover, even if you lived among us for years.
"Different peoples, I understand, have different beliefs about what happens after they die, and there are many tales of people who have tried one way or another to live forever. I do not know what happens to humans, or elves, but as for dwarves, our spirit is the breath of Moradin, and when that breath leaves us, our bodies return to the ore we were forged from, and we are no more. This is what the dwarves believe.
"But, like all creatures, we desire immortality, in a sense. We cannot live forever, but we can live on in the memories of us that remain among those we leave behind. It is the duty of a dwarven community to remember all those who lived before us, and as a result, the libraries of records and vast histories that are kept and preserved by our priests are known among all the races.
"When a dwarf dies in circumstances such as these, away from his home, and the survivors themselves may not be able to return to record his passing and his last acts, then we must appeal to the gods, to remember him throughout eternity, and through their memory grant him something of their immortality.
"Such eulogies to the gods have been offered up since before the histories of the dwarves began, and their structure has been codified through the centuries. But these are unusual circumstances; none of Alonzo's clan, or his fellow soldiers are here, no one who even knew him before he came to our aid only a few short days ago. And thus your eulogies of him are probably as good as any I could give. Nevertheless, I will offer up now something according to the traditional structure, and I hope you will join with me in urging the gods to remember our friend Alonzo, as we shall remember him while yet we live.
"Immortal deities
Of endless memory
I know a fine dwarf
You should not forget
"Alonzo's life may not be written
Not appear in any chronicle
He deserves better than that
He deserves your attention
"Alonzo Quiebrapiedras
Son of Alfonse of Damato
Able warrior of Crimson Peak
Poet defender of his people
"Armed with urgrosh in hand
He faced the enemy unafraid
A fearsome sight bespiked
Astride the pony Emerelda
"I know a dwarf's worth
Barik of Argunn Lode
My father is Ulrik of Kronos
My brother, the stone dragon
"He honored you with word
He honored you with deed
Remember him gods of my people
Remember him Moradin!
"Now, before we continue on our fell task, we must agree on how we intend to achieve it. This begins, I think, with a frank discussion of what we have done in the past, and how we can improve upon it.
"First, lest I be thought ungracious, let me thank you, each and all, for bringing me back from the edge of death. Were it not for your bravery, your success in repelling the orcs, and your careful dealings with the gnolls, I would not be here, and no one can owe a greater debt than that.
"That particular fight was nearly my undoing, and considering Grell and Alonzo fell as well, nearly the undoing of our mission as well, and we cannot permit that. We must not let Alonzo's death be in vain!
"I do not wish to spread blame, but to learn from our mistakes. I, for one, acted as if I were together with a squad of my fellow Stone Brothers, and unreasonably expected that everyone would follow the usual scheme for such a group. Worse, I again underestimated the enemy -- if I had realized the threat they posed, I would not have rushed into battle, when we can ill afford to be distracted from our aim.
"I believe we must accurately assess our abilities and plan ahead, so that when we face a force we cannot avoid, we shall all know what our role is, and what we can expect of everyone else. Slthm, you are new to our group, and so know little of us, and we know even less of you. Let me tell you of myself, and what I know of the others, and then please tell us likewise of what your abilities are and what you typically do in combat. Everyone, please add anything that I don't say that you think is important for us all to know during combat.
"I am a tracker, a climber, and until you joined us, the only one in our party for whom these mountains are home, and I know much of the geography and hazards of this land. I have some small ability to turn the ways of nature to my aid, by calling forth a wolf to aid me in combat, or cause the plants and roots to wrap around the feet of my foes and hold them fast for a short time. I am fair with a bow, but my true skill in combat lies in melee, where I can attack with an axe in each hand. My armor is light, which gives me the mobility I need to range across the country, but as a result I try to avoid facing a heavily-armored foe alone. My trusty friend Spade can fight as a last resort, but though his loyalty is strong, he can do but little damage with his claws.
"Linnam here is stealthy, agile, and good with a bow. He can climb a sheer wall, and walk through a crowd of enemies without any of them hearing him. He knows much of city life, from the finest palaces to the darkest alleys, and he is adapting what he knows there to better overcome the hazards and enemies in our mountains.
"Drusilla can work magicks of great illusion: she can turn people invisible, appear as someone else, blind enemies with flashing colors, or create a flaming ball which rolls across the land at her direction, burning all it touches. She has a companion, Strae the owl, who she can communicate with. She is also good with her crossbow.
"Grell is a strong warrior, able to cut down enemies before him like wheat. He is a dedicated follower of the sun god Pelor, so it is appropriate that he hates the orcs with a passion bright as the sun.
"Bishop is a bowman without equal.
"With these capacities in mind, it seems to me that we have a natural `front line' of Grell and myself, and a `back line' of Drusilla, Linnam, and Bishop. Slthm, I am sure you can describe to us how you would most effectively function in this group. However, our `front line' is, begging your pardon Grell, rather weak -- first, I propose that we should each drink one of the most powerful healing potions we have, so that we are both in fighting condition, but even then, we must recognize that we cannot sustain an attack against a strong enemy.
"If we are in a defensive position, where the enemy is pressing into melee upon us, we can hold the enemy off the missile troops for another shot or two, but then Linnam and Bishop should draw swords and join us -- we will not be more than 40' away. Drusilla, that may well be the time to unleash whatever spells you consider most effective -- don't hold back, every battle may be our last! We shall keep the enemies away from you, so that your magicks be not spoilt.
"If the enemy fires missiles, or is fleeing when we cannot afford them escape, Grell, Bishop, and Linnam -- those with armored horses -- must chase them down, but always together, waiting for the others if need be. Many a trap has been sprung on the battlefield in such a way! The rest of us will follow, also together, as fast as we are able.
"If you have ideas or reservations about these plans, let us discuss them now, rather than in the heat of battle! But of course, these are general plans -- each battle is different, and we will have to adjust to circumstances. When decisions do need to be made, we must not debate, or each go his own way -- we must act as a unit. Since I have the most experience in these situations, I propose that I shall be the tactical battle leader. The `back line' will have to decide when to reinforce Grell and I, which will require quick calculation -- I think Linnam should direct the back line when we are separated, as well as the routing cavalry in that case.
"In the fray, there is no time for argument or personal enmity -- in this, we should consider Drusilla's fine example. She is a strong willed, and does not shy to tell us her opinions -- but in battle, she puts her feelings aside and gets the job done. This is my proposal. What think you?"
The Battle at the Crag:
posted by Scholeologist at 3/13/2004 11:58:00 AM
Completely off-topic, although maybe this will provide some appealing ideas for all of you DM's:
Here in England, there's a show called Regency House Party, which is kind of a cross between a dating show and one of those "history reality" shows, like Frontier House. The deal is, these single people have to dress up in Jane Austen-era clothes and stay in an old mansion, and live like they're at a big social outing in the early 1800's. Which would be fine, but the interesting part is, they're trying to hook up.
But what I
really wanted to tell you about was that, on one of the episodes, they talked about the hermit. All the lordly estates had big forests, and they would typically hire a hermit to hang out in the woods, live off the land grubbily, and jump out of bushes to scare the womenfolk as they were walking along in the woods. The whole point, I guess, was to appeal to some Gothic idea of the wild man of the wood, or make their forest the spookiest, or something.
Wouldn't you totally want that job?
posted by Scholeologist at 3/07/2004 07:11:00 PM
"We have some magics, though none quite as useful as those you suggest. I have seen the elf-maid, Drusilla, change her shape to that of an orc, but that armor -- well, it is the armor of our fallen comrade, so whatever magic it has, it didn't save him. We cannot see Taur'egk from afar, although we have animal companions that might be able to go places we cannot, and relate to us what they see there. I have such a companion -- a badger, who, I am told, came here with the rest of my group, but I have not heard news of him since. Perhaps Kakatek has seen him, when he retrieved my clothes?
"Before our recent battle, Grell had a sword which seemed to be a magical bane of the orcs, but I fear that has been taken from us."
[Barik didn't know that first hand, but I'm assuming that it's come out in conversation, or that Linnam mentions it here.]
"The truth is, we have are an odd band indeed, but we are more suited to this than we are suited to fighting Taur'egk some other way. Taur'egk is a fearsome enemy, and we will need luck to defeat him. With luck, I can find us a path to him, away from the main body of his army. With luck, Linnam can stealthily catch his guard unawares. With still more luck, Drusilla's magics and Bishop's archery may prove more effective against Taur'egk when he is surprised and unprepared.
"We do not have a secret weapon of great power. But our gods, our land, our tribes call upon us to do this, and now, as you say, the honor of the Thundarkar demands this of us. We cannot but do our utmost.
"But, lest you think we rush headlong into oblivion, let me point out that we do not plan to simply walk through Taur'egk's front door. We are seeking out his hideout, his stronghold. When we locate it,
then we shall watch, and avoid being watched, and discover his comings and goings, his habits and weaknesses. Only when we are sure of victory shall we strike.
"You have but this last battle to judge our worthiness, and it did not go well for us. But I am much sobered by this, and I can promise you that we shall not engage with the enemy so rashly again. This group you see has not been together for long, and it has taken this battle to make us fully realize -- I acted as though I was still in a band of my dwarven comrades, and I suspect Bishop acted as though he was still in a company of human bowmen. From now on, we shall be more aware of each other, of our skills and temperaments. There is only one battle before us that matters -- the battle with Taur'egk. We
must fight that battle on our terms, to our best advantage. There is no other way.
"There, I have told you something of our plans. I cannot assure you of victory any more than any general of any army throughout history could. But each of us is dedicated, heart and soul, to destroying this abominable orc. And now, wiser for our losses, we will fight with our heads as well as our arms."
posted by Scholeologist at 3/07/2004 06:49:00 PM 
Saturday, March 13, 2004
