Battle Drills on the Bluff
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Early one morning at dawn, General Theaon can be seen standing atop the hill next to the Legion Hall as several Dwarves lead by Thorin Goldenaxe pour into the Bluff. Thorin approaches Theaon and they appear to have a brief conversation, pointing at various spots on the Bluff. Shortly afterwards many of the refugees are seen being escorted towards the ruins of the Kelemvorite Temple, while Legionnaires and Dwarven soldiers are seen bringing in heavy artillery, including catapults and ballistae, archery targets, and combat dummies.
After all the weaponry and equipment is set up, superior officers begin shouting orders as the troops fall into position. Archers begin taking their position opposite targets taking shots, both straight line and at angles. Infantrymen take to the combat dummies to hone their melee skills. Other soldiers begin loading ammunition into the artillery and firing. Any onlooker would notice the ammunition does not appear to be live. After the first rounds are fired off, the officers bark more orders for faster reloads and more precise and accurate aim.
The drills continue for the remainder of the day and continue into the evening before the Dwarves and Legionnaires break for the night. The next day at dawn, they start all over again.
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General Theaon can be heard instructing Legion troops between drills emulating invasions from the air
"We're going to have to do better than that. If a hostile force ever tried to invade from across the Scar, they aren't starting off by taking the ferry across! They'll be coming from the air to soften up our defenses. Any aerial hostiles we don't take out will cost lives and destroy artillery. Now let's get started again. This time I want faster reloads and better accuracy!"
After he finishes speaking, the drills continue on.
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As the battle training between the two forces continue, Shiney Battlemail steps onto the surface for the first time in several years. She makes her way to the bluff accompanied by two young beardlings and leaves the twins with Dorlih Rockbellows and the other dwarf children. The Faenor dons her battle robes and provides non clerical means of healing to those injured during training, teaching the other dwarven females the skills of healing and nursing all matter of wounds that warriors may endure in battle.
After getting over the strange new sensations of the surface, the two twin beardlings watch the training with wide eyes. They focus on the clan warden as he shouts orders and trains dwarves and legion soldiers alike and they beam with pride at their father. Both argue to pretend their the clan warden and end up wrestling one another to exhaustion. As the training goes on, they take up the toy tin axes and shields crafted by Brumir and Z and practice the simple attacks and defenses they have learned. Watching the forces train and attempting the new moves they observe, the young beardlings join the battle drills in their own way.
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*Labur appears to be very warn out after the drills. Mostly because he is responsible for both a Legion and dwarven regiment. He is seen barking orders throughout the day and supplying much deserved ale at night. *
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After several days, when the Legionnaires, the hins and the dwarves have managed to cooperate as one major force with good synchronization, clerics and spellcasters are seen standing atop the hills. They summon various flying creatures and elementals, emulating invasion from both air and ground, testing the defenders until wounding them badly, at which point the summoned creatures hold back as commanded. This pattern goes on for almost a week.
