» Fri May 27, 2011 6:13 am It has been decades since the warp of the west and the effects of the time bending Numidium. The current factions in control are Sentinel, Daggerfall, Wayrest and Orsinium. Recently Daggerfall has invaded Sentinel with an army of over a hundred thousand men. Sentinel is under siege and Orsinium has assaulted Wayrest with a suppress attack on the capital itself. Lilac Bay has gone to hell and the empire is doing nothing. A decisive battle between Daggerfall and Sentinel is about to be fought in the fields just northeast of Wayrest.
General Teridun looked down on the plains from the top of his hill at the dark mass of Daggerfall's army. Sentinels own army was half the size, staring at the bretons across the field of sand, then down at his own redguards. "Wait for Daggerfall to make they're move," he stated simply as he looked back down at the map. "Form up the lines and wait. Be sure to keep some in reserve." The other commanders nodded and mumbled amongst themselves for a while. The heavy infantry formed into blocks of maneuverable phalanxes and twenty thousand archers with deadly longbows stood behind them. The heavy cavalry were off to the sides, waiting for a flanking opportunity.
"Here they come," said the always-uneasy captain Greest looking at the march of Daggerfall's vast army.
"Shields lock. Pikes down," Teridun told the signal bearers. An assortment of banners lifted into the air. At the same time the unit officers screamed the "ready your front" order at the soldiers. The phalanxes locked they're rectangular tower shields together and lowered they're pikes. The Daggerfall army screamed and whooped in glee at the seemingly easy victory ahead of them.
"Archers fire!" Teridun yelled, this time the longbowmen were within earshot. The words "Knock, draw, loose," came before the whistle of twenty thousand arrows flying through the air to rain death upon the enemy. Daggerfall's front ranks were annihilated and the ranks behind suffered heavy casualties. The archers fired again. The battlemages launched fireballs into the enemy formations.
"I don't like this," one of the veteran commanders told him. "It seems too easy a victory."
"I have the same feeling," said a contemplating Teridun looking down on the army being torn apart by arrows.
"To the south, they are trying to flank us!" another of the group put in.
Teridun looked at a contingent of soldiers on the army's right. "Move formations 57 through 67 to meet them. Direct the south quarter of longbows on them." The orders went out and the ten formations of redguards moved to meet this new threat. Same results, longbows completely destroyed the maneuver. Daggerfall bodies were piling up on the battlefield and eventually the first assault had been repelled without the help of the heavy infantry.
"That worked well," said a smiling captain Helben.
"Don't expect them to be so unprepared next time though," said another unsmiling captain Greest.
"We will use the same tactic next wave," Teridun told the assembled commanders. "If they find a new way to combat it, we will find a new way to destroy them. We will let them wear themselves down before moving in for the kill. But for now, break out some food."
"I don't see anything else we could or should do," colonel Fetruz shrugged. And so Sentinels army waited.
Phase 2
"How the hell are we supposed to beat them," cried a dismayed General Crottun as he watched his soldiers being cut down by arrows while in full re-treat.
"They are using longbows, they will pierce most armor even without bodkins. I have no idea," said an equally dismayed Martin.
"Perhaps we can try attacking on all possible fronts," Pottiere suggested. "Have forces on the flanks and a large one in the middle."
"Got to be better than what we just did," Crottun pointed at the bodies on the field in front of them. "We will try this immediately."
"Don't you think we should wait until evening at least?" asked Martin.
"No" Crottun told him in a voice that left no room for disagreement.
He wants to have something to show for the end of the day, Martin realized. Losing thousands without killing one man in return embarrasses him.
In a few short hours the death count was totaled and the men were advancing again. Daggerfall had lost almost ten thousand soldiers in the initial charge. Daggerfall was engaging with almost its entire strength, leaving only ten thousand in reserves. The deafening sound of seventy thousand soldiers was impressive and more than a little nerve wracking. But so was the hiss of twenty thousand arrows descending on the army.
"It seems to be working," said an optimistic Martin. The arrow volleys, while devastating had less effect since there was the groups on the flanks to worry about to. Just then two groups emerged from Sentinels reserves, the groups moved and out-flanked the flankers, pinning Daggerfall's flanking force between Sentinels main line and flanking line. The surrounded soldiers fell quickly, caught between two phalanxes.
"Damn that Teridun! Damn him to oblivion!" screamed an enraged Crottun.
Now with no flanking forces to worry about, the longbows could concentrate their fire on the front line, completely and utterly destroying entire divisions with a single volley. This time Sentinels infantry had an opportunity to prove itself. The tight formation of pikes left no room for anyone to get through. When the phalanxes advanced Daggerfall's soldiers were running back to they're side of the field again. And again Sentinel did not persue.
Pottiere gestured Martin over to him after the battle was over. "Crottuns' becoming irrational."
Martin stared at Pottiere. "No, you think so?" Martin said dripping with sarcasm.
"Just saying?." His voice trailed off.
Martin eyes narrowed. "Saying what?"
"He must not command our army if he continues this behavior."
"That is a very dangerous thing to say."
Pottiere shrugged. "Dangerous, but true."
Martin couldn't find anything to say, so he nodded his head and glanced at Crottun, who was leaning, over his map.
* * *
Phase 3
"We beat them again," yelled an ever-happy captain Helben.
"Good call on that flanking move," Colonel Fetruz congratulated Teridun.
"They're army is rapidly shrinking," observed Greest. "How many did we lose?"
Teridun looked at the sheet, "two thousand dead and three thousand too wounded to fight."
"How many do you reckon they lost?" asked Fetruz.
"Maybe fifteen thousand including their wounded," said a thinking Teridun. Teridun was not far off, Daggerfall lost fourteen thousand not including the ten thousand in the previous wave. In two shots attacks Daggerfall's army had lost a quarter of its strength.
"Your going to be a big man in sentinel when this is all sorted out," Helben said with a glint of envy in his eye. "Fighting a force twice your size and winning is no small accomplishment."
"I haven't won yet," Teridun said in an uneasy voice. "They are probably going to utilize their own bows in the next attack." Again Teridun was right.
"Shields up," came the call of a dozen commanders on the field. The battlefield was darkened with arrows from both sides this time. The phalanx formations held theyre shields in the air and locked them together. The arrows crashed into both sides, Sentinel's tortoise deflected most of the arrows but a few got through. The two armies came together with a deafening crash. The phalanx skewered most of the charging mass but like the arrows, a few got through.
"Send in the cavalry," Teridun ordered his cavalry commanders.
"Yes m'lord," the men mounted they're horses and headed to they're respective forces on the armies flanks. A minute later the thunder of two thousand horses was heard as the cavalry descended on Daggerfall's flanks. The soldiers below could not move the men with pikes to the front in time and the cavalry smashed into the sides of Daggerfall's vast army. The disciplined cavalry weaved in they're formations and cut destruction through the shocked bretons before emerging out of the mass to form up again.
* * *
"I want a phalanx to hit Sentinels flanks. That will prevent cavalry from doing this to us again," Crottun gave the order as soon as he got the report. It was difficult if not impossible to see what was going on down below, the arrows obscured vision and the dust completed the screen. In minutes two phalanxes similar to Sentinels army were slowly marching on Teridun's flanks.
Teridun tried surrounding the flanking force again but Crottun was ready for them this time. Sentinels anti flanking force that tried to flank the force that was flanking the main line was hit hard by arrows, and only succeeded in tripping over their own feet and running. Crottun's force had a similar thing happen to them, except instead of running away they kept going forward towards Teridun's left flank.
Sentinels right flank had a little better luck. Arrows still hit them hard, but instead of running they advanced to meet the breton advance. The right-flank redguards fought but were badly outnumbered and had to fall back almost to the main formation.
"Put more pressure on the enemies left flank," Crottun directed.
"If we hit them hard enough we might be able to roll up Sentinel's entire line," Pottiere pointed out.
By the time Crottun's force made its way to the left flank they were facing a strong line of determined redguards behind a wall of bristling pikes. The center and right flank were in a stalemate.
* * *
"Tell them to push forward with all speed," Teridun gave the orders while contemplating the map and the reports of men on the ground. "Put enough pressure behind a wall of pikes and they will have to re-treat." It was a minute later that a fireball exploded on the ground close to them.
"Who the hell was that?" yelled Helben with his sword drawn.
"Over there," Greest pointed at a figure floating around in the sky. The obsevation came just in time. The group of commanders had just enough time to dive out of the way before another fireball exploded. A contingent of archers shot at the floating man, all the arrows simply bounced off of the floating battlemage.
"Where are our own battlemages?" yelled Teridun.
"Fighting with the rest of the battle," Helben pointed at the battlefield where the occasional streak of lightning of ball of fire would indicate a nearby mage. "Get some up here." The mage was casting again. One unlucky body guard was blasted by a lightning bolt. In a minute four lightning bolts hit the hovering mage.
"Thank you," Teridun said to the men who just saved his life. How are things going on the ground?"
"Heavy casulties on both sides. Redguards are better natural fighters so we are able to keep most of the enemy at the end of our pikes. There have been a few spots where we aren't able to even move," the shortest battlemage gave his report. "Now with you order we are pushing the dogs back."
"How many do you think we lost?"
With that the battlemages glanced at eachother. "Not as much as Daggerfall did," said the tallest of the four. "Our losses are quite acceptable considering how many Daggerfall lost?."
"How many?" Teridun said dangerously.
The battlemage gulped, "Fifteen thousand."
Teridun rocked back on his heels. Fifteen thousand, that makes twenty thousand total since yesterday, we only have thirty thousand men capable of fighting left. "How many did Daggerfall lose?"
"To make a guess I'd have to say twenty thousand."
* * *
"How many casualties?" asked a grimacing Crottun.
Pottiere looked down at the statistics, "thirty five thousand wont be fighting tomorrow." That made sixty thousand dead and wounded total since yesterday. The scent of death hung heavy in the air.
"We hurt them this time though?" Crottun asked Martin who was looking out over the battlefield.
"Not as bad as they hurt us," replied a grimacing Martin.
Later Pottiere gestured Martin over to him. "It has to be done now before he launches another attack."
"I cant," Martin protested.
"It needs to be done, we cant let him doom our lives."
"But I simply cant," Martin said horrified as he looked at the old man.
"We must or we all die," Pottiere said in a voice that chilled Martin to the bone.
Martin sighed and made to argue some more. But Pottiere stopped him. "Would you prefer death?"
"How do we do it?" asked the nervous Martin biting his lip.
"We do it, and claim he was incompetent. Which is no lie," Pottiere gestured at the greatly diminished army and the moans coming from the injured.
"Then who is going to have the knife. Whoever kills him is going to be the leader and praised as a hero."
"Ill let you do it," Pottiere offered. I have never been a very public person and don't feel like risking anything.
Martin thought for a minute. "Okay I'll do it. When are we going to do it?"
"Is there ever a better time than now?" Pottiere smiled.
"You want to do it now?"
"Of course, we need to do it while defeat is still fresh in the soldiers minds," Pottiere pointed out.
Martin thought for another few minutes. "Okay lets go." Martin walked straight up to the defeated general. The guards were used to him so they didn't do anything until Martin drew his dagger. Time seemed to slow down as Martin thrust his dagger into Crottun's chest. Crottun's last look was one of horror and grief as he watched his own son murder him.
* * *
Phase 4
"Why hasn't Crottin attacked yet?" asked a waiting Teridun.
"I don't know, maybe they are waiting for us," suggested Greest.
"Could be," Teridun nodded. "There is a dust cloud headed this way." Teridun pointed to a small cloud of dust on the plains. "They obviously want to parlay with us."
"Are we going to go talk about how we both refuse surrender?" asked Colonel Fetruz.
"Yes, get us our horses," Teridun ordered one of the squires. The group rode out to the middle of the plain to meet with Daggerfall's commanding officers.
"Greetings," the tense and tired looking man in the center called out once within earshot.
"Good day to you too," General Teridun greeted Martin with an amazing poker face. "Why have you called us out here?"
"To discuss a surrender or truce," the puffy eyed Martin said with a heavy voice.
"In other words, now you losing and want to save your own skin."
"No the army just changed command and I am a lot more courteous than my fa- predecessor," Martin said plainly.
"Sentinel will have your unconditional surrender by noon tomorrow or we will destroy your army on this field," Teridun said with a glare at the new general. With that the two groups departed and prepared.
"Do you think they will surrender?" Helben asked Teridun as they waited.
"Nope." Morning came. Then at noon a horn sounded.
"Two thousand men healed well enough for us to throw them back into the lines," Fetruz told Teridun and the phalanx split into two dozen square phalanxes for higher maneuverability. The epic sound of thirty thousand men in lockstep was impressive.
"Good, we need all the men we can get."
The air filled with the dreaded sound of arrows and the armies clashed together. "Engage and occupy them," Teridun told the commanders. "When the melee is in full, send the cavalry on the flanks. Keep a steady supply of arrows to the archers. They are why we are winning."
The bristling wall of pikes drove into Daggerfall's battered army. Arrows killed hundreds on both sides. "Better idea," said Teridun noting a vital weakness in Daggerfall's line. Send the cavalry into the enemy archers and kill them all so we don't take any more losses from them."
The sound of surprised and pained archers was music to Teriduns ears. The smell however was horrible. Two-day-old bodies in the summer heat were enough to make anyone puke. And many did, only adding to the putrid smell of the battlefield. The phalanx drove Daggerfall's soldiers onto their own men and a complete rout ensued. The army was caught between the tight phalanxes and Sentinels Cavalry. To add to the situation, archers kept raining death upon Daggerfall's soldiers.
"Do you think we should ask again for their surrender?" asked Greest.
"Give them a few more minutes under a hail of arrows," Teridun responded looking down on the trapped desperate soldiers. In five minutes Teridun rode down and asked for the surrender of Daggerfall's largest force. Only ten thousand of the original hundred thousand remained well enough to fight.
Daggerfall's force had surrendered. Beaten by an army half the size of their own. The result of this battle was the decided Daggerfall's fate as a vassal to Sentinel and Sentinels reclamation of Betony.
