World Revolution

[Brian]

One of the vassals is run over (since Phil's move is relatively minor) and tends the wound.  It's cleaned (briskly, which is a bit painful), then dressed and wrapped, and the vassal says a quick prayer over it; the pain lessens instantly, though the wound is still there.

"Leave the dressing in place for at least twelve hours," the vassal instructs.  The healers are going to have their hands full, but rank has its privelages.

At roughly the same time, Lord Farwell and Lord Roger approach, discussing the effective route companionably.  Roger is sporting a cut over one eyebrow that runs from just over his left eye, to just over his left temple, and presses a cloth to it occasionally, until the vassal opens his supply kit and starts tending that wound, too.

A new man you haven't met yet, dressed nearly identically to Farwell and carrying a pike stands slightly behind Farwell and Roger; he's wearing the torc you last saw on Markham.

"Ah, that were a good battle," Roger says, clapping Nathan on the shoulder with a friendly blow that would probably be classified as assault back on earth.  "Yer timing is flawless, Sir Shuker.  You do yer forefathers proud."

"Agreed," Farwell says, nodding.  "Cousin," he says enthusiastically, grabbing Phil in a bear-hug.  "I'm glad to see you well!"  Releasing Phil, he asks, "What happened?  Sir Shuker told me some of it, but I'm sure there's more?"  Liandral lurks nearby, retrieving arrows from some of the orcish corpses.

Once the vassal finishes tending Lord Roger's wounds, he bows to all assembled, and runs off to tend the next.  Additionally, Alex is leading two men in robes towards you.  You both know Wardmaster Mattias, and Phil can guess that the new arrival is Gatemaster Eske.

[Rezantis]

Rez does the introductions, 'cause he's helpful.

"Gatemaster, this is Lord Philip Bloom, King of the Stormriders.  Lord Bloom, may I present the reason we arrived so fortuitously . . . Gatemaster Eske."

[Dracos]

"It is a bright day indeed.  Greetings Gatemasker Eske, Wardmaster Maithias, Cousin!  A much brighter one than it first looked.  We should be moving soon if they already know we are here, but we have time to fill each other in.  I'd gladly continue where he left off, but I do not know where he stopped." Dracos smiled comradely hoping for a cue on what they already knew.

Dracos

[Brian]

"Well, Nathan spoke of some difficulties and tribulations, and the ice splitting.  But more than that ... you've the look of great success about you."  Lord Farwell nods approvingly.

"Oh, aye," Lord Roger agrees.  "We've cost them dearly.  If a supply train shows here up t'morrow, it won't get t' the Dreadmarch for two more days yet."

[Rezantis]

"On that note, we actually ran into the remnants of a supply train that got caught in the trench . . . which is where most of them seemed to be travelling. How sad, hm?" Rez grins.

[Brian]

"Well, then that means their army will be a week and more without food," Mattias says, brightening.  "Good tidings for us!"

"Agreed," Farwell says, stroking his beard contemplatively.  "One might almost think it was given that we be sent here, where we do the most good, instead of to the keep.  Against such a sizable army, we are like rabbits gnawing at the roots of a great tree."  He grins, especially liking this analogy, and fingers his torc briefly.

[Dracos]

Dracos laughed.  "Indeed, Cousin Farwell.  But we must plan to continue.  They know we are here.  So while we cannot stay long, we can make this place yet another thorn in their side.  But first, tell, how has it gone for you?  Aside from the obvious success."

Dracos

[Brian]

"Little to tell," Farwell says, shrugging.  "We had fortune, and did not meet any minions of the Dreadmarch until we were already in place.  It was ... boring, in all honesty."  Lord Roger raises an eyebrow, and Farwell quickly adds, "Not that I wouldn't want our women and children looked after.  Merely that nothing happened."

"That is fortunate," Lord Roger agrees.  "Let's get us into a tent, and some food into ye, Farwell."

Farwell nods sheepishly.  "Of course," he agrees.

[Dracos]

Dracos laughs, clapping farwell in the back and leading them to the tent.  "Yes, food for the weary travelers and those who've fought."

Dracos

[Rezantis]

"So how many orcs have we knocked down thus far, and how many casualties do you reckon we've taken?"

[Dracos]

"At least fourty thousand, maybe some more.  Depends how many got caught in the trench.  And maybe a few hundred at the outset.  It'll have to see on this day as this has been the worst of it so far I think."

Dracos

[Rezantis]

"And this was one of the most brutally one-sided bloodbaths I've ever seen."

Rez hums.

"You said you couldn't take us to the keep because it was under the seal, Gatemaster - but can you take us south of it?  And how much do you and the Wardmaster know of the seal, in any case?""

[Brian]

"It's a wall in ... a shape I can't explain easily.  But the result is that the mountains that encircle the northern reaches are a barrier to my ability,' Eske says, shaking his head.

"The seal blocks his gates," Mattias says, frowning.  "And while some of my magics can penetrate it, whoever set the seal will be aware.  If I speak to Loremaster Radagast again -- as I had earlier -- whoever set the seal will know it.  I have been scrupulous in using my power since I came to this realization."

"I could create a door that emptied at the base of the slope leading to Stormwall keep," Eske adds after a moment, sitting down on the snow and catching his breath.  "But it would drop us in the fore ranks of their army, not the safety of the keep's walls."

"I've scattered some stones about to try and monitor the Dreadmarch as they leave the army and pursue us," Mattias continues.  "But my powers are limited, unless we should give away our true location ... though, I suspect the Dreadmarch knows where we are now, anyway.

"There ... is the fact that there are those still out here, in the wastes, who were awaiting Gatemaster Eske.  The priestesses and vassals of the three kingdoms are here, and will not be any match for the might of the Dreadmarch, should any sizable force stumble across them."

[Rezantis]

"Well, I actually gave this some thought - not a WORD," Rez rolls his eyes at Drac, "- and, well . . . The Dreadmarch obviously know exactly where we are, and they know their traitor failed.  They also know what we've been doing, and, of course, they know Lord Markham is no longer in command.  So. We have two objectives, as I see it, since we can't get to the keep. Firstly, we need to keep the women and children safe, and secondly . . . we want to finish the job on this supply mess. They won't be getting any resupply for a good week, which will hurt - but now that they know what we've been doing, by the time we find another supply caravan it will probably be surrounded by so many troops that an attack would be simply prohibitive. So . . ."

Nathan trails off.

"Tomas was meant to drag us north - Markham advocated attacking the citadel, as you may recall. I have very little doubt that had we marched straight north the dreadmarch would have trapped us with an overwhelming force and in turn we would have been crushed.  The situation, however, has changed.  They know what we've been hitting their supply caravans, and I bet it's becoming a major concern - they'll have to move what forces they do have down south to defend what's left of their caravans, and to hopefully catch us between them and whatever other forces they send north."

Taking a deep breath, Nathan looks around the group to guage their reactions to this.

"Well, now that they know we aren't going to, I'm actually going to suggest we actually do exactly that - go and try to take the dreadmarch citadel.  As it stands, we cannot reach and reinforce the keep right now - it simply cannot be done.  We'd scout it surreptitiously first, of course, and see what's there . . . but if there are few enough for us to take the citadel - and there may well be, especially since they may have been both moving south to trap us, -and- not expecting us to free the gatemaster . . . we could potentially have the gatemaster drop our forces in the middle of the citadel and, with surprise, take the place in no time flat.  We continue to rip away at their support base, we've got a secure base of operations and somewhere safe to leave our noncombatants, we have the gatemaster for mobility . . . and when we eventually DO defeat the dreadmarch, they have nowhere to retreat to."

"They've screwed up by leaving us behind their lines, and I think that with the arrival with the gatemaster, we can start -really- twisting the knife.  It's on the surface insane, but: if we scout it and see what they have, and we're careful, we'll find out if we can take them or not. If we can't cleanly take them, we don't fight and we work out another plan. But if we -can- take them, well . . . it'll at least be the last thing they expect us to do."

"While some of us are scouting and surveying the citadel, Eske and others could move to collect as many of those still in the wastes as they could.  The bulk of the army could organize here in perparation - if the scouts find that an attack is untenable, when Eske brings us back we simply work out a different plan."

[Brian]

"But ... the citadel and Stormwall are oposite ends of the great circular ward," Mattias says.  "We can no more go to one than the other ... though, we could perhaps go nearer the citadel, a gate could not be made into it."