SDMB RPG: Shadows of Arcady

The Game Room
401

Tusk nods back to Arrow, before returning his attention to John as men scurry to equip themselves after Khan’s warning. “Fine, purebreed.” Afterwards he looks to Hob: “Let’s see how well your size serves you now, little friend.”

At the command tent the council rises as Khan informs them of his news. The head of the war council speaks to Karikhan in their tongue, asking him where he will be. When given a response he nods and salutes the others before making his way from the tent to make his own preparations.

The noncombatant Shelic are in a panic as the women and children scramble to pack up what they can, the men mounting up and forming into a mass just south of the camp. There are perhaps two hundred of them, mostly unarmored or lightly armored with spears, javelins, short swords or the like. The warchief of the People of the Voice woops as he rides along their line, roaring challenges to them in his language. Karikhan is on a new camel, which grunts plaintively beneath his weight. To his left is Jikhal, the ceremonial hatchet retaken from the hobgoblin resting against his shoulder. To his right is Jote, a long spear in hand. The three regard each other: The last time the Solabwe rode against the green horde they suffered horrible losses.

John’s men (… and Tusk) are in an untidy mob before him, awaiting command.

Kittix and the two remaining Yellow Suns look to Arrow for guidance.

The dwarves assemble into a solid block of steel and iron. It is a many-legged tank or disciplined and bearded warriors standing in neat ranks, shields at the ready. The quarrelers bunch into a little group beside the block. The longbeards come to Dur’dan, the eldest among them addressing the noble: “Orders, my lord?”

402

Dur’dan is angry with himself. He wasted valuable time arguing with allies rather than scouting the battlefield. He asks Kahn, “Is there a way to the top off the pass for a good vantage point for my quarrelers?” If there is that is where he will send them. If not they will have to keep distance from the battle and do what they can from range. To his army Dur’dan says, “Alright let us show the Greenskins the meaning of war! March!” Dur’dan will lead his men into battle, drawing his axe and shield.

403

John will say to his men, “With their short legs and heavy armor, the dwarves may be slower than our foes. We cannot let them outflank our allies! We’ll stay near them, as one unit. Now, move!” He’ll run off after the dwarven group.

404

Ah, a battle, it’s a battle! Hob panics. What do I do? I’ve never been in a battle before! People don’t typically send entire armies after you when you steal something. What to do…Oh, I know! he thinks, and runs over to the nearest alcohol vendor. “Your finest ale, wench, for today I ride into battle!” he declares, summoning his bravest voice, which manages to sound only slightly ridiculous. After enjoying his drink, he will gather his supplies and join the assembling army near John’s men and Tusk, preferably somewhere near the back.

405

“Yellow suns stick together, so we’ll stay near Tusk and John’s men.” Arrow told Kittix and the other two.

406

John will catch Arrow’s eyes and nod.

407

The region is flat desert for as far as one can see in all direction. Not having been given actual orders, the dwarves and their Hadburg and Yellow Sun detachment merely sit in formation at the edge of the Shelic camp as a shape forms on the horizon to the west among the rippling heat haze. A huge silhouette looms above the rest of the shape, much taller than its companions.

On the opposite side of camp the Shelic warriors have gathered and begin their ride eastward to engage the enemy immediately in an attempt to give the noncombatants as much time as possible to flee.

408

Karikhan urges his camel forward as the host begins to move. The ground stirs beneath the trampling of two hundred camels and horses, their riders all shouting and calling as the mob loosens and spreads apart. Soon Jikhal and Jote both have disappeared amid the spray of riders and a wake of roiling dust is left behind the stampede. Auren-Hal speeds along the ground at Karikhan’s side before wheeling on her side and soaring far above the field to survey from above.

The enemy to the east is growing clearer and clearer as it nears: A great wave of goblins, hundreds of them, all jogging west towards the approaching force and the camp beyond. A smaller group breaks apart from the main, a few dozen rickety wooden chariots pulled by groups of straining and snarling wolves speeding to meet the approaching army. The vehicles lack uniformity and each is a stunning example of shoddy greenskin engineering. At the head is a particularly massive four-wheeled chariot, each iron-rimmed wheel ablaze with jury-rigged blades all spinning along as the vehicle gathers speed. A press of goblins is packed into the lead chariot, all armed with spears and nets, its pilot draped in stolen armor.

409

Karikhan roars to any Shelic nearby that can hear him, “Scatter the vermin! Splinter the chariots, and trample the corpses! Taste their fear, heavy in the air already! Attack!”

Khan will dismount a considerable distance from the approaching goblins. He will cast Dominate Beast on his camel, telling it to trample as many goblins as possible. “Perhaps we both die gloriously today, friend,” he says to the beast.

Then he turns toward the approaching chariots. He screams to Auren-hal in beastspeak, “Disrupt the wolves, Proud Huntress!” Then, Khan draws a javelin from his back.

As the lead chariot approaches, Khan will cast dominate beast, using willpower, on the lead wolf, commanding it to attack its comrades. He will say in beastspeak, “Fear me! Your packmates and masters lead you to your doom. If you are to survive the day, you must kill them and flee my wrath!”

Then, as the chariot approaches approximately 30 yards, Khan will throw his javelin at the goblin pilot, using another point of Willpower.

410

Dur’dan will begin marching towards the approaching army (the ones the Shelic did NOT engage in am attempt to keep them from flanking the fighting Shelic. “Let’s show them how Dwarves do war!” Dur’dan screams as he quickens to a slight jog.

411

He will also be sure to keep his men in formation. And direct the quarrelers to the back of the group, and instruct them to stay at maximum range. He screams to his men to focus on the biggest targets first, but kill everything on the way to said targets. Nothing is to live…

412

The mounted force crowds and converges on the chariots as many of the Shelic toss javelins or thrust spears in an attempt to kill the pilots. Several chariots are sent tumbling, their crew and animals slammed to the ground and twisted with the wreckage. Karikhan dismounts and gives his orders to the camel, which gives a snort and trots off after the rest of the Shelic.

Khan readies his javelin, looking on and waiting. Here and there among the Shelic line horses and camels are torn asunder and sent sprawling with their riders as surviving goblin chariots punch through. Most wheel around to reengage the People of the Voice, but the lead and another, smaller chariot continue west, each rumbling at top speed at the lone shaman.

Khan roars at one of the wolves running ahead of the lead chariot, a portly grey-furred creature straining at the rope, leather and chain keeping it lashed to its charge. The distance between the chariots and Khan closes, the shaman of the Voice still shouting his snarled and howled commands, unafraid. Auren-Hal swoops in from the south, clawing at the wolf’s face but failing to draw blood. With about sixty yards left between the lead chariot and its target suddenly one of its wolves barks and lunges at its nearest fellow. The two tumble to the ground in one moment and the rest are dragged back to the ground by their shared leads in the next. The chariot locks on its wheels and skids over them, its front left wheel snapping and the entire vehicle sent careening into the smaller chariot. The two explode together and both continuing hurtling westward, their wreckage indistinguishable from one another as wood and iron and wolf and goblin and dust all intermingle. The crashed wagons continue rolling for many yards until eventually slowing to a stop.

Karikhan calmly approaches the site of the crash, javelin in hand. There are perhaps half a dozen dazed goblins sprawled out within thirty yards of the wreck, but the shaman ignores them in favor of a stirring figure from within the dust cloud hanging over the mess. The armored pilot goblin stumbles out from the wreck, cleaver in hand, pot helmet a misshapen mess atop its head. Karikhan bends back his arm and looses his javelin. The weapon zips forward through the air before plunging into the goblin’s shoulder and sending the little warrior spinning before depositing him in a pile beside his chariot.

Karikhan can’t help but laugh boisterously at his handiwork. The hawk swoops back to him, landing in a flurry of beating wings on his arm, gripping his hide bracer. The surviving goblins scattered about the area are beginning to get to their feet. The mounted Shelic remain engaged with the chariots in the distance.

413

Karikhan towers over the sprawling mess of stirring goblins. Their overwhelming numbers do not concern him.

If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s the cowardice of goblins.

Khan gives a single-word command to Auren-hal, “Kill,” as he draws his spear. He’ll walk to the nearest goblin, and attempt to skewer it with his spear.

414

John will shout to his men, “Let’s go show that giant that it’s not about the size, it’s how you use it!” He will lead them in the general direction of the giant, fighting goblins on the way but not engaging in any heavy fights. The goal is to reach the giant as fresh as possible, take him down quickly, and then slaughter the goblins. John will fight on the front lines and let Tusk watch his back, to prove his trust to himself, to Tusk, and to the men.

415

Arrow will draw his bow and start firing aiming at those who look to be giving orders or who seem to be in command.

416

As they approach the advancing greenskin horde Dur’dan will begin smacking his shield with the flat side of his battle axe in a slow beat, almost like drums.

417

The western enemy is still a mile or two from the dwarves and their Hadburg and Yellow Sun allies. Dur’dan orders his men to advance and he beats his axe in tempo with their march. Soon the longbeards have joined and their men do likewise and the entire regiment is beating the flats of their weapons against their shields. John’s conscripts and the Ironbeard’s hired help, the Yellow Suns, are in a loose mob south of the dwarven block, all moving west towards the greenskins on the horizon.

Minutes later the enemy is clearer: A line fifty individuals long of orcs, all much taller than a man and heavily armed with all manner of spears, cleavers, axes and swords. From the party’s point of view it’s impossible to tell how deep the block is, but they are advancing at a jog, steady and unceasing. An orc is a foul monster layered with muscle packed tight beneath green skin. Distantly related to goblins, their color and complete disregard for life is where all similarity ends: They are a bloodthirsty and savage race that know no fear in the face of battle and are endlessly intent on loot and slaughter.

Several dozen goblins are packed to the north and south of the orc unit, all rolling east with the rest of the army. There is a single wolf-drawn chariot with the southern group, its crew too distant to make out among the rest of the crowd of goblins.

Stalking along with the northern goblin unit is the familiar and towering figure of the giant eluded days before. Shelic corpses, stripped naked and joined together with rope, hang like a shawl about the monster’s shoulders. The giant is moving as slowly as it can and still nearly overtaking the jogging greenskins that mob around its feet.

The enemy is still hundreds of yards distant but the figure at its head becomes clearer as the distance shrinks: An imposing figure, a hulking behemoth of an orc astride a boar the size of a horse. Each creature is layered in iron plates though both seem indifferent as to their weight. The orc’s face is concealed behind a monstrous steel helm, his tusks protruding from under the lip of its half-lowered visor. The boar’s own tusks are nearly two feet long and as yellowed and cracked as its rider’s.

The enemy force comes to a halt with about 700 yards left between it and the party’s host. The orcish warlord is addressing his men in his foul tongue, voice booming even across the battlefield and to the ears of the dwarves and humans approaching.

The dwarves, disciplined and hard as stone, continue their advance without hesitation. The men with John and Arrow, however, are losing more of their color by the moment and it is unsure whether they will stand their ground before the charge of these greenskins.

418

Hob will stick close to John’s men and Tusk. If the giant approaches within speaking range, he will greet it with a cheerful hello and say, “Long time no see, my big friend. Don’t suppose I could persuade you into leaving us alone, eh? It would be a shame to have to come to blows.”

Other than that, Hob will look for opportune times to strike, aka the usual.

419

Dur’dan will halt his men and speak.

“Maintain defensive positions for now.”

He draws his bow and turns to speak with the quarrelers.

“We wait here for them to charge, which they will, being the blood thirsty monsters they are. As soon as they are in range we will fire a volley and then fire at will until the giant is in range, then switch focus to bringing it down.”

Dur’dan motions for John and Arrow to bring their men along side his to bolster the front line.

“I’m not putting my soldiers at the front so yours can hide behind them. Remember who is putting coin in your pockets.”

As soon as the action starts Dur’dan will let loose as many arrows he can and at the last minute he will put away his bow and join his men at the front lines, axe and shield at the ready.

420

Arrow will tell the yellow suns fall in line to the dwarves and bolster the front.

Arrow will stand behind his men with his bow drawn and ready to fire.