*'War of the White Dragon' -Defender Meeting*
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Theaon rises again
_"I've given the champion duel a second thought. If the bugbears agree to a champion vs. champion duel for the bodies and the belongings, they'd be giving us their word of honor. Now honor may not mean much to the bugbears, but it seems to mean more to the orcs and frost giants. If our champion defeated the bugbear champion and they still refuse to give us back the bodies and their gear, that would disgrace the bugbears in front of their allies. It would indeed shake up their alliances.
looks around to the others
Thoughts?"_
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Even more reason to take back the town…
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Dentin stands up again…
"If any attempt to recover the bodies and equipment is made, I would like to come along. I lost everything I carried to the orcs, and perhaps there is a chance some of my things might be recovered along with those of the others."
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General Theaon of the Legion rises to speak
_"I'm afraid I have some very bad news. A few days ago a bugbear mage was taunting the defenders at Sam's Hill. One lad, describes Vidar who wasn't so bright decided he could walk into the south valley and kill this mage with no problem. Sergeant William of the Legion, Commander Raver of the Romani, and myself tried to get him to turn back, but it was too late. The bugbears ambushed us and quickly killed the foolish lad. The three of us started to fall back. The bugbear mage must have casted some type of slow spell on Raver, she did not make it out. William went back for her body, but the bugbears killed him before he could get her body away. I drank an invisibility potion and attempted to get the bodies, but the bugbear mage could still see me. I was left with no choice but to retreat. There wasn't a strong enough force on the Hill at the time that could have led a rescue mission. We last saw the bugbear take the bodies and their gear into Norwick.
It was recommended that perhaps a duel of honor between two champions could give us a chance to get the bodies back. I don't exactly think the bugbears have a sense of honor. If their champion was killed, they would probably just get angry and not give the bodies back.
At this point it seems the only way we can get the bodies back is by taking back Norwick."_
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Albryanna stands quietly by, listening tentatively to General Lyte's plans. She nods to herself, thinking that if defenders are placed on the road, she will have less patroling to do in the Pass and can help more with the defences on Sam's Hill.
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As the various defenders meet again as Norwick Camp becomes better fortified, Lyte details some supply line security plans, producing a small map.
_"This could be a long war. I think we would be wise to look to securing our supply lines to and from Peltarch by establishing small, but fortified checkpoints or posts along the road north.
http://www.pixhost.com/pixd/dukstuf/supply1.jpg
With the several companies of Peltarch Defenders on hand, one Company could be assigned to the checkpoints, while another patrols the road, assuring no ogres or orc scouts, or other enemies disrupt caravans.
I've a little drawing of a proposed checkpoint, which would be equipped with a signal fire, a few days supplies, a few baracades, and a good field of fire.
http://www.pixhost.com/pixd/dukstuf/check1.jpg
Caravans needing to camp on the road could do so at a checkpoint, sleeping in the small dugout.
I'm also going to recruit more couriers, and some drummers for messages back and forth, between checkpoints, and our two camps, Jiyyd, and the Gypsy Camp.
I suspect these are vital measures at this time of great peril.
What do we think?"_
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Lyte listens to the various ideas carefully
Hm. I wonder if the druids might not be able to move the animals out of the region…that would be a lot easier to bear than some other ways of eliminating their supplys.
It's worth asking Raisa about.
As far as our "fronts" go...there are very easy and specific means we can take to easily bring ourselves into a united, very easy to support single front.
I've had the legion planners working on this for some time. If we centralized our catapults and other siege weapons onto the central cliff where the gypsys had long been posting, as per the green symbols on my map, we can easily cover both the norwick and plains egresses.
By adding a simple gate along the rocky cliff we share, we can easily reinforce back and forth, at a moments notice, while the enemy faces a ponderous, long, forested, cliff faced set of steep trails to navigate between their forces.
Please look at my marked red gates for reference to placement of the gate between the Jiyyd and Norwick sides of the defenses.
It's high time we dropped the notion of two fronts, and taken advantage of the surperior ground and more easily reinforced terrian we possess.
We can hold here, if we work together.
Lyte points out the easy to cover high ground they share
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*Laucian spends several minutes of the meeting scribbling out a note. He then sidles over towards the meeting area discreetly and hands it to Lyte. It reads thusly,
_"If they get their food from hunting animals in the woods, couldn't we get the druids to ask the animals to leave? Then they wouldn't have anything.
I don't know. Might work.
Probably not."_
After handing it off he turns silently and retreats back into his corner*
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sighs with Jerr's words offering blessings of True Sight to those whom ask for it… though she no doubtedly will drain her savings with this decision.... We kin weed em out though they'll just stick another mage in its place it would seem. Though if we stick to this course just prior to making a decisive move it migh' prove beneficial..
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Looks up suddenly and around the room.
"damn, I hate it when a good idea works both ways. Anybody know how to tell if the local beasties are all real? The other side has been fairly accurate at guessing our actions but maybe that is because we are ignoring the possibility they could be chirping on a nearby branch and listening to us get set."
He shakes his head and looks over to Keira. "Nice summation as usual . . . although I do not agree with everything she has said. And yes, I have fought in Dragon form, against another dragon once, but I would not give good odds to be able to take Sharn. Intimidate a bunch of Orcs? Maybe.
"Lyte, your defence plan looks good but we still face the problem of a wide front that we cannot adequately man against a concerted push in a single place unless we know in advance where that push will be. And that is the crux of it. I think they are managing to see us and we are still blind in regards to them. Abners death just hammered that home. I am not laying blame, not complaining, just trying to see how we can learn more . . . work with more. If we keep fighting this war defensively I do not like what is going to happen. And I do not want to make my home in Peltarch, no offence to the brave folk from there who are helping us in our hour of need."
Jerr looks about to say something else but shuts his mouth and sits down with a thoughtful look on his face.
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Ad rises from his seat and waits till all eyes turn to him
I've asked the druids to speak to any vermin in the region of Norwick. They will surely know of any food stores and will avoid large concentrations of occupants, that we might learn where the enemy congregates, I've also asked specifically to try to find any hammerings that we determine their workshops.
Even if we only find where is dangerous for the vermin we'll at least know what areas the enemy is trying to protect from prying eyes…grins and that's where we want to try to pry by other means.
Hopefully this can be achieved quickly and they'll relay the results.with a nod , he sits
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Keira waits for a lull in the scouting-related conversation before speaking up
_'We're outnumbered, but they're people. They have things they care for, things they need. We can strike at those. By choosing what to fight, and when, we can make a local advantage, in our favour and leave before they respond. Even if our people fail to get out, the success of the right mission will outweigh our losses.The dragon.
Pulling our best and most capable troops and commanders away to strike at Sharn is a very large risk. It shouldn't be our first resort. What would be required to buy, or make scrolls of shapechange? If any here are used to fighting in a dragon's form - that would be a more elegant way to fight Sharn. Even if we can only muster an illusion of a dragon on our side, we could damage the alliances with our perceived strength.The Giants
They have faith, homes, young. Any attacks on their homes will reduce reinforcements, maybe encourage them to bring stronger warriors, or the priests that can raise their fallen, home. They will have a Temple. They will have children. They will have homes that they care for, and hope to return to. We can take that from them, as they took Norwick.The Alliances
They must meet to discuss strategy. This happens in a neutral area, or in one of the main camps. If it's in the main camp, at least some of the commanders must travel to get there. They believe they're safest in the heart of their lines, this does make them more vulnerable than at the lines. Need scouting information about these meetings, where they occur, travel routes. We should send trappers, to lay ambushes. Make them fear to walk in their own camp, or between them.Troops
Spread disease, poison. Destroy their supplies. If their priests are casting cure disease, they're not casting other cures or raises or blessings or protections. Send in halforcs in captured peon armor. In an army of more than a thousand, they won't know all the faces or voices. A soldier from the other side of the camp trying to scrounge different food is common in a war camp.Commanders
Identify their commanders. Some are worse than others. Some have been promoted for reasons other than tactical brilliance. Keep them alive. Kill the competent ones. success will hurt morale, make the weight of their numbers less effective. Again, the benefit of their significant loss will outweigh the loss of our agent. To save Jiyyd, to save Norwick, there will still be volunteers.They're watching us. These tactics are as valid for them, as they are for us. If you only have three launcher carts - build decoys, staff them, don't let more than a few know which are real. They could be sending halforcs, or others, to us as mercenaries._
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…at the mention of Wolf's name, Dwin frowns a bit and shakes his head sadly.
Those numbers seem too low anyway. Don't they?
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Easier to get a wizard or a druid to fly high over the town. Wolf has done this already, giving us the numbers of the enemy (100 bugbears, 300 goblins, a few giants) and noting that the south gate is guarded by many goblins and they are working on fortifying it. We should fly over again before we conduct any assault so we can see enemy positions.
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Ginger looks over the map
Can we get into Spellweaver Keep from the pass? Can a Spellweaver mage get into the Keep from the Emerald Tower? I know the top of Spellweaver Tower offers a dragon's eye view of Norwick. I'd like to get a peek at what the bugbears have done to the town - where there weak points are - before we go making solid plans on how to take it back. I guess I'm suggesting a bit of scouting out their defenses.
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Lyte speaks firmly
_"The enemy are the bugbears, goblins, orcs and giants, led by the dragon…not any of us gathered here.
This foe is strong, and they have kicked all of our asses around, lets not bicker, and lets try and pull together...otherwise we might as well hand them all the lands on a platter, aye?
Dwin is 100% right about Sam's Hill being the strongest defensive spot in the region. It offers great visibility, the ground the enemy approaches from is relatively flat and has little cover, and it is flanked on one side by the wolves camp, and by our western defenses on the other.
Losing Norwick as we have, we really couldnt ask for better ground to make a stand, and stand there we will.
The weaknesses present to the defense of the Hill are to the west, above the wolves' camp. Those high cliffs wrap around, and are a threat.
Somehow those need blocked off, or a huge gap dug out, to prevent the enemy from flanking Dwin on his west. The Wolve's Den itself needs to be included inside the defensive perimeter, aye?
The other cliff, between our two forces, that run towards Norwick also need a trench dug to keep the enemy the blazes off it. The access up there should be eliminated, and obviously, a gate or other obstacle should hold the access point at Dwin's center.
If Dwin thinks it would be useful, I propose a gate between our two forces, on the cliff we share. It would open on Dwin's left, and our right, and allow us faster aid to one another. See my little crude little sketch I made out there yesterday.
http://www.pixhost.com/pixd/dukstuf/norwick1.jpg
I'm sure Dwin is already on top of this, with similar ideas, and I just wanted to present my thoughts on the matter.
As far as the cliffs out between the Temple and the Keep go, if we are going to try and take Norwick back, it is my opinion we should do it in steps, as we did with the Orc fortress. Instead of thinking of "taking back the town", we need to think practically at the ground it sits on, and approach it in a military fashion, one conquerable piece of real estate at a time.
That means taking what ground we can, holding it, until we move to take more. The cliffs overlooking Norwick's gates are the obvious first step, however, I dont have a good map to know how feasible this might be to hold once were on it, and of course, the enemy is too strong for a direct assault to take it without huge casualties that could prove fatal in a counterattack by the enemy.
Other preliminary moves would need to happen first to cut off or weaken their response, and frankly, the enemy is very, very strong.
I dont like to be pessimistic, but, unless we can come up with a really clever scheme, that doesnt involve invisibility, doesnt seperate our meagre forces so that they cant support one another, and somehow lessens the enemy's superior numbers available for fighting, I dont see this succeeding.
The first thing we need, however, to really plan taking Norwick back, is a solid map, with a clear picture of what the enemy has done with the points of entry into the town, and the cliffs, and the condition of the walls, the gates, and so on.
What say we get this first, then consider the possibilities."_
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I think Lyte is referring to the cliffs overlooking the gates of Norwick, just north of Norwick and slightly south of the Keep and the temple.
((along the southern edge of the S Nars Pass map))
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Dwin glares at the wiggler that all of a sudden is offering tactical defensive advice. He starts to say something, shakes his head, and sighs
Not worth it. What do wigglers know of defenses and war anyway? These are the same folks that sent an old graybeard wiggler out as a scout recently… one of their best who is now worm-food... or worse...
Holding that hill… that may be difficult, but I agree that launching an attack from that hill will be easier than it would be from Sam's Hill.
I believe Sam's Hill is a stronger defense position, though. The Hill in the middle of the pass can be easily surrounded and then the seige will be on us...
The attack needs to be swift. If holding that hill and using seige weapons from that location is part of the overall idea, then so be it. We should not have any disillusions, however, about being able to keep that hill for any duration of time.
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((Norwick had been focusing on improving its southern defenses for a while (forums posts that go a while back) and doing minimal amounts of improvements to Sam's Hill … the real focus on Sams hill didnt happen until AFTER the town was taken.
I can respond IC if you want, but because none of the builds ever went in, I will assume that perhaps you werent aware that IG, Norwick's southern defenses had in fact been quite improved.))
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Maybe the little effort that was put into fortifying Sam's Hill would have helped more if it were spent on the southern defenses instead. Regardless, that is past, we need to think about retaking the town now.
Lyte's suggestion is that we take back Norwick more gradually, not dividing our forces with a feint and sneak attack, but starting just with the hill that divides Norwick from the southern Nars Pass. If we hold that hill, overlooking Norwick, we could mount a further assault on the forces occupying the town. This sounds like a sounder plan, to me, as it divides our forces less, and makes the elemental reinforcements that could be used to actually take the town more believable. If we can effectively hold that hill, I think this is the way to go.
