[IC] The Prince's Royal Guard

[Arthanus]

Once inside the gates Leonidas felt a small sigh of relief escape him. The city was intact and they had made it in time. But that moment of relief was a brief one because now the hard part started. One of the first things Leonidas saw inside the city was Faira going to fetch Arcius from the farm girl they rescued. Leonidas contemplated for a moment to stop her and let the girl fawn over Acrius for a little longer, but then decided it was about time for the distraction to be sent away anyhow and let Faira shoo the young girl away. Acrius Soon came up to bother Balthazar about cleaning his armor for him. Again Leonidas almost told Balthazar to let the boy clean it himself, he got himself into that mess rolling in the mud he shouldn't get the easy fix of magic to come clean again.

There was a bit more ruckus in the gatehouse as his troops and guard started to unwind a little bit after the long march. Leonidas continued forward with Balthazar and Rudolph moving forward to meet the Duke. The majority of the troops that they had brought quickly blended in with the rest of the Empire troops that had come to the city to defend it. While his Guard was able to take a little rest if needed.

@Hawthorne@Gisk@Borosev@Inertia@LadyRunic

The walk through Bergkoff's streets was an interesting one for Leonidas as he listened to Rudolph talk about his home, and he even gave a small glance at Zatana when the comments about Drow came up. "Now Rudolph, I don't know if you know this yet, but I plan to work on those prejudices through the empire. I won't downplay what they did to the Kingdom of Karsburg, but without those incursions and others like it Humanity wouldn't of banded together, we wouldn't of formed the Empire we are today. And then when attacks like this one would come your home here wouldn't of received the 500 extra reinforcements that is has gotten to strengthen its defenses and would most likely fall" Leonidas started his explanation. "And past that those Incursions were long ago and if we were to blame every Drow for the actions of their kin from that day in age wouldn't we be subject to the same? Think if the Dwarves still held humanity responsible for our acts of war from long ago? We took many of their Mountain citadels tried to use their fortified holes as our own. We set their people back generations destroying forges and desiccating their lands. But now they hold their lands, they are our trusted allies, and they provided us with cannons and weaponry to hold back this assault. If we let hatred of the past grip us, we will never be able to move forward." He finished his speech, making sure that he spoke loud enough so those of his guard who had stayed with him would of heard it clearly. After that he noticed Merik had gone off on his own. "Will one of you go find Merik, I don't know how the local troops will take a Lizardman just walking around." He asked while looking around at the damage that had been caused thus far. The city was holding up for now. And hopefully it wouldn't have to hold out for to long.

It wasn't to much longer before they reached the Keep, Leonidas dismounted his horse and left his Warhammer with his stead before moving on. Seeing the dead and injured after a battle was something Leonidas never felt he would truly get used to, but he pushed on knowing his time was better spent trying to end this siege stopping more from being injured than tending to those who already were being seen after. Although he did make a note to himself to come back and help heal the critically wounded after the meeting. Although his guard was allowed into the Keep, only Balthazar and Leonidas were permitted the audience with the Duke. The two men entered the hall Leonidas stood tall as he approached. "Greetings Duke Karstilli, we thought you might want a few more men to man the walls. I know it isn't much, but Lord Siegfried should arrive in the next two days with a company of 500 knights. Although I hope by then they will just be here for the clean up as we will have already finished this siege." Leonidas said proudly as Balthazar gave his own greeting as a small bow to the duke.

@ReusableSword

As Merik reached the western gate things had quieted down. The troops in the area were able to tell the lizardman that the enemy had retreated back into the mountains for now but that didn't really matter because the only thing this gate saw was a few Wolf riders going back an forth. One of the men commenting how the numbers were a lot thinner coming back then they were going out, and another boasting that he was able to hit one of the buggers and take them off their mount pointing at a dead goblin a bit away from the gate. Otherwise things were calm here luckily for Merik there didn't seem to be any cannons at this gate, apparently there were only four in the city and they were currently concentrated to the north to stop the advance from up there. Although the guards seemed to freely give this information and didn't say anything directly yo Merik, he could catch a few glances and hear whispers coming from them many of the soldiers not liking a lizardman in their presence. It was something Merik had seen before the Lizardman would know that many in the Empire looked down on races that were not human and the only reason these men even seemed polite was the Royal guard Symbol that he keep in plain sight.

[Hawthorne]

The walk to the city keep was an interesting one. A few soldiers gawked at the Prince and his retinue as they walked through the streets. Others gave their due honors, bowing and nodding as they passed. All the while, Leonidas was openly discussing racial prejudice with his officers. The warlock had known Prince Leonidas since he was in his mother's crib, and because of that, this information was nothing new to him. The Prince meant well, and he certainly had a point.

Indeed, reform was certainly possible. To eliminate racial discrimination within the Empire was not an easy task, as noble as it may be. It would explain why the Prince was so eager to induct foreigners and members of other races in his retinue-- by displaying to the world that the Crown Prince's most trusted men and women were not only Human, but also Elf, Dwarf, and Beastman showed a great deal of solidarity. It proved that, at least on a small scale, cooperation and fellowship was possible.

...but Balthazar knew that things were rarely that simple. As the Prince's Royal Guard, these men and women were the best of the best-- and because of that, they were under great scrutiny. Any failure or misstep would be noticed and remembered. If these occur, they may even set relations back for generations to come. The warlock's thoughts drifted to Zatana; if word got out that she was a Drow, men and women across the Empire would treat her with suspicion, and if-- no, when her loyalties become divided, people will remember what she does. Like it or not, she was the representative of her race, and she knew it.

If the Prince truly wished to see a united Empire of Man, Elf, Dwarf, and Beast, he would need to choose who he trusts with great care.

"Well said, Your Majesty." Balthazar commented as they walked. "Though if I may speak? Grudges and bad blood remain long after the deed is done for a reason: to forget how an enemy had wronged you is... naive. Very rarely do people perform injuries upon one another without a reason." He explained. "A good man may choose to forgive an enemy, but a wise man would remember what they had done."

"To forgive your enemies, but to remember their names." He said. "To offer one hand, but arm the other... that is how diplomacy must be done." Balthazar concluded. "Perhaps in a perfect world, all deals could be done in good faith. In a perfect world, men like me would not exist."

"...but this is not a perfect world." His gaze was vacant, his mind elsewhere for just a moment before he returned to reality. He spoke no further, simply allowing the Prince and his retinue to absorb the meaning in his words. Heavy-handed as it may have been, he hoped that the Prince would learn a little something from it.

Balthazar was at Leonidas' side as they entered the keep. Many of the Prince's retinue had accompanied them to the Keep, but only nobility could join the War Council. The Prince was, of course, required little in the way of explaining: he was royalty belonging to the Grand Empire of Man. To decide against inviting him would be a grave insult. Balthazar, on the other hand, was a noble of House Trevarthen. He was in charge of a small province in the countryside, though his duties to the Emperor have made it so that he has little time to manage his own area. Due to the lack of an heir, the warlock had left the province in the rule of a governor that he had appointed. The last time he checked, the area was prosperous enough to suit his needs.

"Duke Karstilli." Balthazar bowed formally. "It is good to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances." They had seen each other several times during courtly functions, and although they were not friends, they were acquainted enough. "Perhaps we can share our insights in regards to the battle to come; though I suspect it will not be anything you hadn't already known." He commented politely-- for Balthazar to insinuate that he had a better idea about the invasion to come would be a tad insulting, so he opted to take the edge off with a few clever words here and there.

[Inertia]

Acrius could only now fully take the city is in such a state of disrepair. It was good that the empire is finally intervening, even he didn't think it would last much longer than it did. Hopefully it would be as simple as that. He folded his hands behind his head as he followed Leonidas' mount trod down towards the keep. Two familiar faces greet the prince as he passed. It was the two he had 'exercised' with. The orange-eyed boy shot them a smirk as he passed them.

Acrius simply listened to Leonidas' impassionate speech, it was full of optimistic idealism. In stark contrast Balthazar was more of a pragmatic realist. A balance of both will surely lead to a proper solution on a rather complicated subject. As for Acrius', he values strength and skill over anything else. He also valued strength of character over the race they were born as. Human, Drow, Dwarf, Beastmen. It's all the same to him. Hell, he even gets a kick out of fighting the other races due to their innate strengths compared to humans. As an orphan he saw the worst in humanity. As part of Prince Leonidas' retinue, he saw the best in humanity.

Though he wouldn't voice any of these thoughts aloud. It wasn't quite his place and his view on the issue was rather simplistic. Instead he would quell those who showed dissatisfaction on their face with a silent glare.

"Will one of you go find Merik, I don't know how the local troops will take a Lizardman just walking around."

"I'll do it." Acrius said, knowing he should probably gain a few brownie points for all the stuff he's pulled (and will pull) during this campaign.

Soon Leonidas and Balthazar would disappear into the keep. It was normal procedure, as usually only Leonidas and Balthazar would be privy to the meetings.

"Any of you up for an excursion to the west gate?" The boy grinned, "You never know what kind of trouble I can get myself into." Acrius didn't like staying idle, after all. He turned towards the general direction of the west gate as he said this. He didn't mind going alone or with a few other people.

Folding his hands behind his head again he trod away from the keep. Most of the soldiers or the little general populace around didn't take much notice of him. They seemed have a lot on their mind, which, considering the circumstances, is reasonable. The only thing that separated Acrius from the normal soldier was the Royal Guard symbol that dangled on his neck. On seeing this some soldiers would hastily give greetings while others looked on incredulously. Acrius simply waved off those who greeted him. He asked them to keep it casual as it was too formal and, consequentially, too stuffy for the boy.

It wouldn't be long when he would spot Merik. The lizard man stood out like sore thumb due to this height. Acrius would notice the soldiers and men gossiping like milk-maids, standing around and whispering about Merik.

Acrius drew a breath and loudly shouted, "Don't you clucking hens have better else to do!?" He eyed a few of them and purposefully let his royal guard emblem dangle from his neck. "Quit the gawking you maidens."

"Merik, hello." Acrius looked up at the 8-foot behemoth and crossed his arms, "Prince Leonidas says we have to be at the keep, can't have you wandering around because, well, you know."

[LadyRunic]

As soldiers bristled at the word 'drow', Zatana followed the Prince and his retinue, which she was a part of, whilst listening to the passionate speech given by Leonidas. It was idealistic, she thought with a certain fondness that was often aimed towards a child who did not quite grasp the realities of life. The point of the matter was reasonable when paired to dwarves. The dark elves, however, were not dwarves. Theirs was a society that firmly believed the strong were the only ones fit to rule, while there were exceptions they were not disillusioned by the fact that the strong ruled. Even as she sat on the wicked mare, Zatana could see that fact very well. Prince Leonidas was a strong man, inspiring, and his strength was not only in the hammer he wielded. Power was ever in debate as to what the strongest was, or who it was. The mage could smite an army, but one assassin could kill that mage. Put the thinking of a dark elf that power was the way of the strong and that anyone weaker deserved to be trodden underfoot, for the most part, and she could well understand the blatant hatred for her people. The drow did not ask or form treaties unless it worked in their favor and they did that when their foe was so broken they would sign away their people to slavery rather than watch more of the brutality that the dark elves would visit. Then they would watch it anyway, unable to stop it because they had signed away everything.

Zatana Aleana, drowish spy and member of the Prince's Royal Guard, couldn't help but agree with those who hated the drow. Her mother had never asked for a child and cared even less for the one she had. In truth, Zatana couldn't really recall much of the woman besides a name and a family tie which she would never admit to it was so low in society. She hardly ever thought of the woman aside from the passing thought that if she was asked to kill her, she would. Anyone she admitted that to would be appalled, but why would Zatana care? Her mother meant nothing to her, and the word 'mother' in the role most considered it did not enter her mind when she thought of her. The truer translation of the word 'mother' when it was 'woman who birthed me'. Her father had cared even less, a slip of the tongue had given Zatana a life that was decent. Her grandfather had given her a life that was instructive, worth something. A life that could claim power and strength in its own way. Murdoc was a rare drow, he did not find interest in the power you could weild over others. It was the power within himself and his knowledge that he craved. Which was why she was riding along in the Prince's retinue, and why when Leonadis glanced her way she made no motion of discomfort. Though she was drow to her very soul, she was well aware of the perils and brutality that had been their past and present.

Balthazar rose the argument that forgiveness was well and good but one should still be on guard. Which was more than reasonable, and Zatana gave a wicked grin behind her mask. "Well said, Wizard." Her soft voice was certainly not heard, though Zatana as she dismounted her mare. Deciding to leave the horse who would not be of any use within the city. If it was a siege, then the walls were sure to be her new mount until the orcs and goblins broke or left. More likely the former, the latter was too much for them to consider. Hearing Acrius, she decided to join him. Listening in on a conversation like the Prince was having would be good for her notes, but checking Balthazar's mail was enough for one day. Let the wizard think what he wanted, Zatana though he would have made an interesting dark elf if he had been of the correct lineage. Maybe she could have coaxed him into working with her then.

Watching Acrius walk away she noted his track record. A hot-blooded young man, which in humans usually was a troubling combination. "I shall keep Acrius out of trouble, or attempt to." And so she did. Not that she let him know she was following him. A shadow amongst the soldiers, though they did notice her and she heard the whispers. Adjusting the Royal Guard symbol, those whispers only grew. Her brows knitted together, did they think her deaf? Apparently, Acrius thought a gossiping group was deaf as he roared at them. Stepping towards the current trio, she adjusted a glove, tightening it slightly. Careful to move directly behind Acrius with a fiendish delight, she tapped him on one shoulder and sidestepped up to his other side. "Assume that 'we' do not know. Assumptions are quite annoying when discussing information." She quipped in a soft voice. "You speak of maidens and not letting Merik about, but t'was it not you who was frolicking with a maiden?" She was certain that had nothing to do with anything, but she was curious as to why a strange girl had been waving at Acrius with a look that would warn a drowish man to run for the hills.

[Fetzen]

So far all information Manald had got about what they were going to face were Orcs, so the appearance of goblins had come quite a bit as a surprise. However the lycanthrope had soon found himself less worried about the petty, ugly looking fighters and much more about what kind of creature they were riding on: wolves. It had hurt to see those wonderful beasts being abused by these dirty, pesky little things with all of their miserable intentions, but the prospect of having to kill them had done so even more.

Or did he ? For what had been a fraction of a second in reality, but what had felt like a cruel series of moments, Manald had considered not steering his horse into the direction of the harrased caravan. In the heat of battle there would have been plenty of ways to explain his way out into pretty much any direction he wanted, but in the end it would still have been disobedience even if only a harmless one due to the fact that there would have been more then enough cavalry men left to deal with the goblin threat. As he had pushed the best possible speed out of his horse in order to keep up with the others, Manald had considered alternative options.

What he had ended up with was an attempt. The first thing that had come from him and which had hurt the goblins had neither been his mace nor his shield, but his voice. A scream that had made those riding next to him wince in their saddles, one even almost falling off his horse. An outburst of unintelligible gibberish that made no sense to an untrained human ear, but which told a message to any wolf listening: I am the alpha male, the leader of the pack. Obey me.

Unfortunately a battleground being littered with blood at an astonishing rate was anything but ideal terrain for even a wolf to pick up the distinct scent coming of Manald that would have given some proof to his claim. It had seemed to work on the nearest goblin, his mount stopping so abruptly that its rider was jettisoned into a forward direction, only to be crushed beneath the hooves of Manald's horse as he was charging in. He could have transformed, thereby greatly amplifying his strength before repeating the shout, but having done so while there had been fighting all around him would have posed too much of a danger. So the lycanthrope had fought on by conventional means, which in his case meant broken skulls and crushd ribcages with priority given towards the goblins and not the wolves.

By the time he rode into the city at a slow trot his horse was done. Not only looked it as if it was on the verge of collapsing, but one could also clearly see that Manald preferred using his right hand for holding his weapon... It simply was the side covered in the larger amount of spattered blood and other remains one wouldn't want to identify. Both it and its rider were in obvious need for a decent wash. Manald handed over his mount to the very next person he believed could do the job for him, then attended to himself for a proper cleanup before all of the blood would have dried and become one ugly mess of a crust.

While his leaders appeared to be discussing things on their own and several pounds of water were still clinging to his now tidy fur, Manald took an investigative stroll through the city. Now that the cannons were silent it was a good moment to take a curious look at them himself. They had to be fascinating pieces of craftsmanship, but the wolf also wondered about the toll the siege so far must have taken on their stock of ammunitions. He had enough experience to know that hauling big weaponry over long distance and on short notice like it had happened here was enough of a challenge by itself. Doing so with a large stock of projectiles was another. Hopefully they had thought about the latter as well...

Also, while the Orcs and Goblins didn't have cannons, they still could have fire. A spark finding its way into the stockpile of propellant for these things might blast a hole in the city wall faster than any catapult or ram could do.

[Borosev]

The throne room was active. Serfs and soldiers were rearranging furniture, moving documents and equipment around.

"Greetings Duke Karstilli, we thought you might want a few more men to man the walls. I know it isn't much, but Lord Siegfried should arrive in the next two days with a company of 500 knights. Although I hope by then they will just be here for the clean up as we will have already finished this siege." announced Prince Leonidas.
Balthazar then bowed, "Duke Karstilli. It is good to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances. Perhaps we can share our insights in regards to the battle to come; though I suspect it will not be anything you hadn't already known." he said in turn.

Amongst the serfs and soldiers going about their business, an old but tall man wearing a fine maroon robe and bronze plate crown stood up. He turned to see who it was who entered. He squinted trying to recognise the man in armour, "Master Leonidas?" after realising who it was, a smile crept up on his old wrinkled face and he made his way over.
Manuel Karstilli let out a laugh of relief, "It is great to see you again your majesty. And of course, it is good to see you too Sir Balthazar, my wise friend." he said bowing in respect.
He gestured to the room, "As you can see, we are having to temporarily use the throne room as the war-room. The destroyed buildling outside was originally such. And unfortunately, some of my officers were killed." he slumped feeling a bit embarrassed.

With a cough he straightened himself, "So my lord. You say Sir Siegfried will be bringing his knights to the foray? that is welcome news indeed." he said with a grateful smile. "Come, we no doubt have much to discuss." he said leading them to an office, away from the activity.

-------

Rudolph made his way past the line of civilians, and down the street toward the guard barracks. He thought about what both the Prince and Balthazar said as he walked, Maybe the Prince is right in what he said. It probably is stupid to blame them for what happened. But I know the Drow have a long lifespan, and I don't doubt that some of the bastards responsible are still kicking somewhere. But i'll keep what they said in mind. he thought as he approached the barracks entrance.

The barracks seemed to be mostly empty, unsurprising given the circumstances.
"Morning Sergeant." greeted a soldier resting at a table, "Aye." replied Rudolph bluntly as he rested his halberd on the weapons rack.
"Oi Portor, any news on Murz yet?" he asked taking off his hat and coming to rest on the table with the private.
"No sir. Its been presumed he's been killed, given the orc presence." he replied simply before taking a sip of his ale.
Rudolph sighed. Whos around? he asked head resting on his hand.
Portor took a moment to think, "Captains Helt and Haart are above in the officers quarters. Captain Fenne is out tending to the walls defences. Most of the sergeants are out tending to the city. And Sergeant Collur is here somewhere too." he replied before finishing his drink and standing up. "Well sir, i'll you'll excuse me." he said giving a brief salute before heading to the troop quarters. Rudolph gave a nod to the man before he left the canteen.

Soon after resting himself, Rudolph got up and went to the troop quarters to change into a spare uniform, before inspecting his gears condition.
He then went out to see if he could assist with the city's defences.

[Arthanus]

Leonidas nodded back at the Duke following him into the office. "Yes we do have a lot to go over. Please give me a run down of what you know? Do we know how many we are up against? What are our defenses at the moment? Is there any weak points in the city we need to know about? How long will your supplies last?" Leonidas began questioning as soon as they were in the office attempting to get a grasp on the situation of the town. "As for Siegfried, yes he and his forces will hopefully arrive in two days. Have you received anything from the dwarves will they be able to help us?" Leonidas continued adding to the list of unanswered questions.

----
Western Gate

The quiet of the morning is once again broken as a bell starts to ring form on top of the gate. "Here they come boys! everyone to your positions!" a guard yelled out from the gatehouse. The soldiers instantly jumped into action. preparing for the attack. from the top of the wall a group of what looked like 200 Goblins seemed to be poring out what must of been a cave entrance hidden by a hill. Guards on the walls readied their bows with very few having rifles waiting for the Goblins to get into range before opening fire.

[Hawthorne]

The warlock simply nodded as he followed along. Buildings take damage during a siege-- this much was an inevitability. However, Balthazar was still surprised to see destruction done to parts of the keep itself. He had not seen any siege weapons on the way in, which left sabotage or magic as the cause of the destroyed war room. Goblins and Orcs rarely took up the arcane arts, but their shamans are known to have knowledge of the more primal magics. Still, it was a good thing that Duke Karstilli had survived; a city can survive the loss of a building, but the death of their leader is much more difficult, especially during a siege.

As the Prince asked his questions, Balthazar reached into his coat pocket, retrieving the envelope that had been delivered to him. It had likely been opened at least once before in spite of the presence of the unbroken wax seal, but he was confident that the information was not compromised. Now in a secure location, the man opened the letter, reading the battle reports and placing the map on the desk whilst keeping the letter to him within the envelope itself. There would be time to read that later. Once he was done, he placed the reports on the desk for others to review, if they wished to. The papers on this desk would prove useful for both tactical and strategic analysis of the battle to come.

Reports on Enemy Strength

There are three papers within Balthazar's report: two pages of information and a single large map. It is written in a simple Imperial cipher-- one that any Imperial officer or noble would understand at a glance. These reports detail the enemy's strength: roughly a thousand soldiers strong, comprised primarily of Goblins. Two hundred of the enemy forces are made up of proper Orc Warriors, who seem to make up the army's elite. There is also word of one or two Ogres, who likely serve as impromptu siege weaponry or shock troops. Their leader is Waruk Shieldbreaker, an Orc Warlord of little renown, who seems to be attacking in an attempt to grab power in the area, and to bring glory to his name... Due to the lack of ambition in his circle of officers, it is likely that with his death, the invading army will collapse.

It is difficult to pin down their exact movements, due to their use of the local mountain cave systems to traverse the region. Curiously, they've managed to avoid both Dwarven and Human patrols thanks to this tactic. The attached map lists several cave openings that can be collapsed to prevent the arrival of further reinforcements or to funnel the enemy into a single bottleneck. It appears that the enemy has mostly been attacking from the north and that the city's cannons have been holding the enemy at bay, for now.

"Our scouts once reported numbers between two hundred and a thousand, but my informants say it is the latter. We can expect at least a thousand enemy combatants." He starts. It could be rude for an advisor to speak before the lord of the house can, but not only was Balthazar himself was a lord, he was also the Prince's aide. His word was to be respected and taken under heavy consideration. "Eight hundred Goblins, two hundred Orcs, and perhaps an Ogre or two, lead by Waruk Shieldbreaker, an Orc Warlord of little renown."

"In addition, they've been using the underground cave systems to travel. There appear to be several prime locations for us to cut off their supply lines, but we'll need more time before we act upon that." The spymaster looked up at Duke Karstilli, an eyebrow raised. "Can you corroborate this information? I must know if my accounts are still accurate."

Of course, in spite of how well-informed Balthazar can be, Duke Karstilli was indeed the lord of the house. They would have to follow his lead and not the other way around, even if the Prince was here. Still, the warlock knew that the Duke was a man of reason, and was not a man with a hot temper. If the spymaster recalled correctly, the Duke was a man of honor who appreciated it when things were simple. A man of the people. Balthazar waited politely for the Duke to answer both the Prince's questions as well as his own.

[Borosev]

"Yes we do have a lot to go over. Please give me a run down of what you know? Do we know how many we are up against? What are our defenses at the moment? Is there any weak points in the city we need to know about? How long will your supplies last?"
Leonidas began as soon as they entered the office. "As for Siegfried, yes he and his forces will hopefully arrive in two days. Have you received anything from the dwarves, will they be able to help us?" he continued.

Then Balthazar spoke up soon after, "Our scouts once reported numbers between two hundred and a thousand, but my informants say it is the latter. We can expect at least a thousand enemy combatants." Balthazar reviewed his notes from the report before he continued, "Eight hundred Goblins, two hundred Orcs, and perhaps an Ogre or two, lead by Waruk Shieldbreaker, an Orc Warlord of little renown. In addition, they've been using the underground cave systems to travel. There appear to be several prime locations for us to cut off their supply lines, but we'll need more time before we act upon that." Balthazar looked up at the Duke from his report as he continue, "Can you corroborate this information? I must know if my accounts are still accurate."

The Duke held up a hand before saying his piece, "Well Sir Balthazar, you certainly are well informed, as our reports say similar, though yours holds more detail.", he leaned on the desk to observe the map that Balthazar provided before looking up at the Prince.
"And to answer your questions my Prince, the main areas to keep a watchful eye on, are the sewer drains. As they extend beyond the city walls."
The Duke stood up and crossed his arms. "As for our defences, we have roughly four hundred of our infantry, and there is also the four cannons we recieved from the dwarves. They should be fine for use for now, but we did not have much in terms of ammunition to begin with." The Duke took a deep breath before he continued, his old weary body tiring already, "We would be better prepared, but unfortunately, these last few months have taken a toll. We have troops stationed at a couple of our watch forts further outward, and we think two may have fallen due to the orcs." he said stroking his bearded chin in thought. "We have indeed tried to contact the dwarves via carrier pigeon, but we have yet to recieve a reply. It is possible they themselves could be under threat of attack."
The Duke paused for a moment.
"Do you have any further information regarding this orc warlord you mentioned?" he asked Balthazar with curiosity.

---------

As soon as the bell rang, Rudolph made his way up to the walls, to offer what help he could.

Some rifle fire could be heard, but the majority of missles were from the bows. A few of the goblins in the assault were immediately killed from the first volley, but they were better prepared this time, as most of the arrows that hit, were blocked by their shields. However, the few shots from the rifles amongst them, blew through them with relative ease.

"Keep knocking the bastards down!" yelled Captain Fenne as he walked along the wall observing the attack.
Rudolph managed to get to the top of the wall just in time for the third volley.

The goblins got to a certain point before stopping.
"Bring the cannons 'round!" ordered the captain giving a signal with his hand.
A soldier from amongst the ranged units shouted "Incoming!" as two large boulders were coming their way. "Take cover. Take cover!" ordered the captain before he hid himself behind one of the merlons.
Rudolph himself hid behind one as soon as he saw the incoming projectiles.

With a loud crash, one of the shots hit the side of the wall, causing a minor tremor. The other made a direct hit, killing some of the troop that took shelter.
Rudolph was partially dazed by the impact, but thankfully was not in the impact zone itself. He then quickly gathered himself, "Are you alright Captain!?" he loudly asked as he staggered slightly across the broken wall using his halberd to keep him steady.
There were some soldiers missing, possibly they were knocked off the wall back into the city. Others lay upon the path broken and bloodied.

"Keep firing! Don't give 'em a breather!" yelled Rudolph as he went to investigate the whereabouts of the captain.
He quickly found the man, buried under a mound of rubble. He then removed some of it to check if the man still lived. Captain Fenne seemed mostly dusted by the debris, despite clear minor wounds. Rudolph looked closer and noticed that the back of the mans head had been caved in. Rudolph looked down with eyes closed. Damn them!.

Rudolph stood up and observed his surroundings. The ranged units were still doing their part, and trying their best at keeping the greenskins at bay. The cannoneers were still making their way over as the goblins renewed their assault against the walls.

"Alright then." Rudolph said to himself. "Cannons! Get a move on!" he ordered, and they began hurrying more so with the help from other soldiers currently unoccupied with the defences.
Here we go. he exhaled readying himself for the fight ahead.

[Gisk]

Faira was disgruntledly tightening her armor back to its usual configuration, as she walked out of the main keeps courtyard to survey the city walls. She had decided to start with the north side, since it seemed to be under the heaviest attack.

The guards here were found cleaning the cannons with practiced haste. There wasn't much to see beyond the walls, the fields in front were torn and muddy from days upon days of troops marching across it. She could see ruts where whatever seige engines the orcs employed had been dragged to the field.

When the watch bell rang, Faira clutched the side of the wall and stared out for a moment, scanning the horizon before realizing that the attack was from a different point on the wall.

"Gods' blood!" She cursed, turning on the spot and running along the wall to get to the assaulted point. An order to move the city's only four cannons traveled along the wall towards the northern outpost, and by this time she could see the forces amassed below. She stopped one of the messengers and showed him her royal insignia. "We don't need four cannons for a bunch of goblins. Bring one, and your crew with the best aim. Leave the others, each with a full crew. They might be feinting."

She reached the western outpost on the wall, and found Rudolph already there.

"I just came from the cannons, the crew shouldn't be far behind me," she peeked out from behind a merlon. "If the cannon can break that catapult, we may not even need to leave the wall."

@Borosev

[ReusableSword]

Merik Roak

Merik didn’t seem too interested in the goings on of the other soldiers on the west gate. The one he only assumed was in command was talking to him while the large lizard checked the fortifications keeping the gate closed. He did what he could to move problem pieces of rubble out of the way and was able to find a hand full of small round beams sharpened at one end. Clearly meant to help with fortifications but not being used right then. The soldier seemed to want to move him along but Merik would not be moved, “they were testing. Merik will stay here.”

Among the whispers of the other soldiers another voice popped up while Merik was gathering a few more of the beams. The wooden pillar’s looked more like small logs or sticks in his hands.

@Inertia"Prince Leonidas says we have to be at the keep, can't have you wandering around because, well, you know." The young man said to him. A cheerful lad and a fun one to scare or play with occasionally.

@LadyRunicSoon another had joined them before he could answer, the elf of their party. Someone he has tried many times to tell him where she comes from but always seems to change the subject on him before he catches on. But a friendly face none the less, part of the prince’s team. “Merik will stay.” The lizard spoke with a smile then sniffed the air, “Merik thinks this be good place to find fight. Hello Zanna.” The hello seemed strained but he was trying.

His instincts soon proved correct with the ringing of a bell, the enemy was coming once more. The walls where soon abuzz with the soldiers rushing up the walls with bows and rifles in hand, the thunder tubes always got his attention. He stayed were he stood only turning to look up at the walls when someone yelled incoming. The two stone boulders where an unfortunate sight, it meant they would have to go over the wall if the cannons couldn’t reach them.

The tremor of one hitting the wall only made him grip the wooden poles more. Then the other that came just over the wall hit the top and damaged a building. He only got a glimpse of Ruduf trying to help others out of the ruble on his way up to the top. What he saw when he got up there made him smile.

A large group of goblins coming toward them behind their shields. They had stopped for a moment and made a rudimentary shield wall. “More rocks will come careful!” the large lizard shouted. It only took him a moment to gauge the distance from him to the goblins. Holding one of the wooden pillars in his hand like a javelin the large reptile through the beam right into the middle of their formation. Then another and another laughing as he did it. Truly he was showing off his strength to the human soldiers near him.

[Inertia]

Acrius looked back as someone tapped his shoulder only to find air. A voice rang out from his right ear.

"You speak of maidens and not letting Merik about, but t'was it not you who was frolicking with a maiden?"

The orange-eyed boy nearly had a heart attack then and there. While he had the uncanny ability to feel eyes on him, he thought it was just one of the meandering soldiers. He finally craned his neck towards the drow.

"Gods..." Acrius said, trying to keep a calm and cool face to mask his heart rate going up, "Please don't do that, Zatana."

"Let's just say... the 'humans' round the Empire don't quite take kindly to uhhm..." He paused as if to look for the words before scratching his head roughly, "Humans in the Empire don't have real 'respect' for beastmen. I ain't a scholar, I don't know, it's just what I've heard from gramps- er, Balthazar, s'all. It's stupid but that's how it is."

"You speak of maidens and not letting Merik about, but t'was it not you who was frolicking with a maiden?"

"Ugh," Acrius replied simply, feeling a headache bubbling, "Its the city girls, they're all mad, I don't know. Let's not talk about it, I feel like you'll conjure her by doing so."

“Merik will stay.”

"Merik it's Leonidas' order-" The bell interrupted Acrius. It seemed that the west wall was under siege. Seems like the goblins and orcs offer no respite as the walls were bombarded. He watched Merik simply saunter over to the wall and begin chucking wooden pillars like they were one of the paper gliders kids make. With a devilish grin he muttered, "Well, well, well. Whatta show off."

“Don't worry, Zatana,” Acrius also made his way to the wall, ignoring the soldier who tried to stop him, “I won't jump over the wall... probably.” Acrius said the last part quietly and away from earshot (Though her being a drow she heard it quite easily). He 'borrowed' a bow and quiver from the stack of weaponry. The oranged-eyed boy took aim and let slew a volley of arrows. Each one found a mark; he aimed for the goblins whose shields and formations were in disarray thanks to Merik. Acrius didn't exactly enjoy using the bow as he preferred the visceral feeling of close combat- the clashing of steel, strength and skill. What's the fun in taking out an enemy from a safe, far distance? But archery was a close second, short of jumping the wall and gunning straight for those accursed catapults.

"Hey Rudolph!" Acrius shouted over the fighting as he ducked behind the battlements to take cover from the goblins' own arrows, "Do you think fire arrows would work? Gotta try something, those cannons are taking their damned sweet time. I have half a mind to jump down there and burn them myself!"

Acrius really wasn't going to jump over the wall. Even he knew that was suicide.

_{... Right?}

[LadyRunic]

"Merik." The soft voice returned with what most likely was a nod under the hood. Alas, Zatana's amusement at Acrius's reaction was short-lived as the peal of a bell sounded out. Bells, they told the stories of human lives. Life, death, war, alarms of fore coming disaster. The only time they did not ring was when things were quiet, sedated, and peaceful. The natural course of life within a city. Looking towards the two large boulders arching towards the wall, her arm shot out to grip a rampant while the stone beneath her shook with the impact. The other had hit and from the looks of things, there would be wounded and dead if anyone was unlucky. Twisting about she watched the goblins advance as Merik threw the poles down upon them. Reaching behind her, she flicked her cloak back from her arms the dark leather armored arm moving to pluck her bow from her back and string it.

Nocking an arrow, she sighed in annoyance hearing Acrius's comment. "I am far more likely to toss him or find a way down myself to slit throats. Goblins." She complained in slight annoyance at having to use the bow and Acrius's 'probably'. Her skill with archery was nowhere near where she wanted it, but that was one of the strong points of elves. They had all the time in the world to gain whatever skill they wished. It just took time, which right now was not something she had. Nocking one arrow after another she began to sight and release on any goblin she might hit. A good few of the horrid little beings falling as she plucked them off, but not all of them. Working her way along the wall, she tried to spot any of the leaders of the goblin and orc horde. The little known Waruk Shieldbreaker. Which was someone Zatana doubted she would fare well against.

[Arthanus]

Leonidas listens to the information from both Balthazar and the Duke closing his eyes to think as he takes it all in, "We are going to need to reposition one cannon to the east gate and one to the west. We don't know when they will attack the flanks and we can't show a weakness on our sides. If we show these beasts any chink in our armor they will jump at it without a doubt." He said after a bit of thought and looking down at the map. "The goblin numbers won't be an issue if we can keep them outside those walls. If they get in though they could be a major problem. As for the Orcs, how many of them came out to fight this morning? Were we able to dwindle those numbers at all?" He asked wanting to know how things had gone. "My fear is the longer this battle lasts the more word of this fortress' strength will spread and draw in more Orcs looking for a challenge. So any thought on how we could try to end this battle quickly?" He added again giving yet another question hoping one of these two men could come up with a decent idea to try and end the fight quickly.

----
Western Gate

The goblins continue to charge at the gate through the incoming fire without hesitation those in the lead ranks seem to reach down pulling something out of their bags and start to light a fuse as they charge at the gate itself. It seems that ten of the goblins pull out these devices as they rush forward. Other than that the stream of goblins continue to come out from the mountains as another volley of rocks are also sent flying at the walls from the hidden catapults.

[Hawthorne]

Balthazar shook his head in response to the Duke's inquiries. "I don't have too much information about him-- he seemed to be perfectly content with lording over the smaller Orc and Goblin tribes, as well as raiding the occasional caravan." The warlock says, thinking more about Waruk Shieldbreaker. "It makes me wonder why he had such a sudden desire to besiege Bergkoff." The man posited openly, before allowing the conversation to be steered towards more relevant matters.

Realizing that would've been unwise to speculate too much, for now, Balthazar decided to wait for more information to come. He would have to send informants over to see what is going on with the Dwarves-- if they were able, they would have lent their assistance by now. Something... or someone must be delaying them. He would find out what.

The spymaster looked over at the Prince as Leonidas spoke. Balthazar had some skill in tactics, logistics, and even naval strategy, but his main strength came from his decades of experience as an advisor, and of course, the information he receives from his network. With that being said? Emperor Graham and Siegfried were better-equipped and trained to deal with such things, and as such, the Prince received more than enough training to make tactical decisions on his own-- the warlock was simply here as an aide.

Still, when the Prince asks for counsel, then it is the advisor's job to provide it. "I believe cutting off the head of the snake to be a viable option if it can be done." After all, if the Chieftain falls, the invasion will fall with him. Unless of course, this Warchief is a pawn in someone else's game. Only time would tell.

"Alternatively, we could try to collapse the entrances to the tunnels that they are using to move around the region." He says, pointing to the possible locations on his map. "I suspect that it will be no easy task, but if we can do it, it would only a matter of breaking down the remaining forces. An army without supply lines or reinforcements is certain to crumble, given time."

In the end, it was up to the Prince to decide what to do. He could likely even make a decision on his own if he wished. Balthazar simply stood to the side, allowing the Prince and the Duke to converse some more before speaking once more.

[Fetzen]

By the time the bell rang, Manald had found himself on the wall somewhere in the eastern part of the city. He couldn't tell exactly where himself for the lack of detailed knowledge of the whole place, but it didn't matter anyway. The bell's reverberating sound was loud enough to easily track it back to its origin. Running through the city itself would probably have been less of a long way, but only so at the risk of getting lost and needing even more time. Therefore Manald relocated himself to the west gate by running along the top of the wall in the south.

Upon his arrival he wished for having gone through the city and gotten lost there...

The lycan was unfamiliar with this dwarven invention of 'cannons'. The ongoing preparations to fire one of them were not as obvious to him as they were to many others, so he didn't care much when running past one of the crews manning them. He could hear the men beefing about him as he ran past them as one of his elbows accidentally touched one of them in the overall turmoil that was going on. Then, a moment later, there was a bang that felt next to unbelievable for him. The last bit of information he could get from his ears was that it came from behind his back. Then there was only disturbance and ringing, no further voices or other meaningful sounds to be heard.

Had his hypersensitive ears just died ?

Not even noticing himself anymore that he was hissing in the process, Manald turned around and looked back at the men with their cannon. A plume of smoke invaded his nostrils, too, but the slight itch it caused was nothing compared to what had happened to his hearing. He saw the soldiers returning the stare, a few of them grinning nonchalantly. The expression quickly faded from their faces once they saw Manald's threatening teeth. He was not amused!

One the plus side he would not have worry much about more cannon shots, but he could no longer receive any orders or hints anymore as well. That was unless someone would dare to wield a big shield with letters on it, of course. Luckily though a quick look down the wall still told him the story about the goblins doing something at the gate's threshold. It could only be a bad thing for the smell of explosive powder and the sight of fire reached him once more. But what should he do ? Jump down the wall ? The gate wouldn't hold for long anymore this way.

Manald quickly discarded the thought. Instead he retreated into the gatehouse, taking his second set of leather armor with him. At first there was nothing, but then a muffled scream could be heard by everyone closeby. It wasn't like the war shout Manald had delivered earlier, but sounded much more like the very mundane attempt to stifle intense agony with crying. It was followed by several others, albeit much smaller outbursts until there was silence again in the gatehouse. The bottom-level door on the city side of it was tossed open and clashed against the wall quite hard. Manald had no intention of damaging any of the lord's properties on purpose, but the sheer inadequacy of the exit's size almost left him no other choice. And of course he currently was flat-out unable to hear anything almost breaking.

Ducking greatly and walking halfway sideways just in order to get his shoulders through somehow, the lycanthrope emerged on the street behind the gate fully shifted and clad in his much bigger armor. Manald had borrowed a two-handed sword from a rack in the gatehouse, but his confidence in the weapon's durability was as low as was his confidence in his own ability to wield it like a real swordsman. Anyway, he'd try his best to give those goblins a warm welcome should they breach the gate in any case. If they wouldn't at all... well then he wouldn't be able to pull this off a second time this day or so, but maybe he could make himself useful in other ways then.

[Gisk]

The cannon had arrived, and Faira ordered the crew to aim for the catapults, but it was a difficult job, as they were launching from behind the rocks at the foot of the hill. A good tactic, to be sure; the defenses on the wall didn't even know for sure how many there were. Faira stood at the wall, boldly looking out as boulders were launched, and the goblins' crude arrows flew past. She was in a good position to see when the martyr goblins with their explosive payload made their frantic run for the gate.

What? Gunpowder? The implications of this tried to chase themselves around her head, but she locked them down and roared, "Off the gate! Explosive incoming!"

Even as she yelled, she moved. Charging northward, toward where a staircase allowed forces on and off the wall, she grabbed Acrius about the middle, and lifted him bodily as she ran. Her other hand grabbed Rudolph by the arm and pulled him along. Him she let go of as soon as they were moving, but she was still carrying Acrius like a sack of flower, her muscles bulging as the Blood Heat coursed through her, when she jumped over the wall on the city side. She was close enough here that she landed on the stairs after a ten foot drop, her knees bending to absorb the impact. She charged down the stairs, but again jumped from them to the ground when she thought she was close enough.

Manald could be seen before the gate, getting ready, clearly having seen the imminent danger. Finally, Faira dropped her comrade and made her way to join the transformed beastman. She drew her sword as she walked, deftly undoing the scabbard from her belt and letting it drop to the ground.

"Come, guard of Bergkoff," she called, "Show me how you welcome goblins."

She stood firm next to Manald as the gate exploded inward.

@Fetzen@Inertia@Borosev

[Borosev]

"I don't have too much information about him-- he seemed to be perfectly content with lording over the smaller Orc and Goblin tribes, as well as raiding the occasional caravan." said Balthazar evidently in thought. "It makes me wonder why he had such a sudden desire to besiege Bergkoff." he continued.

"I see. Perhaps the beast is simply overconfident, due to its alleged triumphs." replied the Duke, becoming more curious about the Orc.

Leonidas spoke up next, "We are going to need to reposition one cannon to the east gate, and one to the west. We don't know when they will attack the flanks and we can't show a weakness on our sides. If we show these beasts any chink in our armor, they will jump at it without a doubt." He said observing the map. "The goblin numbers won't be an issue if we can keep them outside those walls. If they get in though, they could be a major problem. As for the Orcs, how many of them came out to fight this morning? Were we able to dwindle those numbers at all?"

"It is hard to say my Prince. As we have only the estimates provided by my and Sir Balthazars contacts. All we can do is hope these estimates are true to their strength." replied the Duke.

"My fear is the longer this battle lasts the more word of this fortress' strength will spread and draw in more Orcs looking for a challenge. So any thought on how we could try to end this battle quickly?" continued the Prince.

"I believe cutting off the head of the snake to be a viable option if it can be done. Alternatively, we could try to collapse the entrances to the tunnels that they are using to move around the region." said Balthazar as he explained his idea upon the map. "I suspect that it will be no easy task, but if we can do it, it would only be a matter of breaking down the remaining forces. An army without supply lines or reinforcements is certain to crumble, given time."

The Duke nodded in agreement,"A good idea. But perhaps, we should start on the tunnels first. That way, it may draw their leader out into the open, hopefully providing us a better chance at removing it." said the Duke as he observed the idea presented by Balthazar.

‐------
Rudolph continued to guide the troops still atop the walls, occasionally helping some of them as they removed the dead and wounded from it. He then turned in time to see the large woman approach his position. "I just came from the cannons, the crew shouldn't be far behind me." said Faira as she viewed the situation. "If the cannon can break that catapult, we may not even need to leave the wall."

"You're not wrong there." Rudolph replied simply. He then saw that the goblins had renewed their assault, bolstered with some archers of their own.
He carefully observed their activity, Something doesn't feel right. he thought to himself unclear on what it was that made him anxious about the situation.
Soon enough, a familiar voice snapped him out of it, "Hey Rudolph!" it was Acrius, "Do you think fire arrows would work? Gotta try something, those cannons are taking their damned sweet time. I have half a mind to jump down there and burn them myself!"

Rudolph rolled his eyes at the thought and then replied, "Do what you like, as long as it involves killing the green bastards." he snapped back.
He took a glance at the city behind him to see what was happening. It appeared that the majority of the civilians were within the keep now, so at least that was one less worry. He caught a glimpse of a familiar figure staggering around some troops, it was the rotund form of Captain Haart. Good to see the fool is actually doing something other than being in the bloody tavern he thought scoffing at the thought of him.
When Rudolph turned his focus back to the fight at hand, he noticed the woman, Zatana had joined them, and was firing out a few arrows of her own. He also noticed further down that the lizardman had been throwing wooden beams like javelins, "Whatever." Rudolph said to himself as he sighed and turned away from the activity.

"Off the gate! Explosives incoming! alerted Faira. Rudolph immediately ordered several archers and riflemen to reposition to the gate. He picked up a dropped rifle and took up a position himself. All he could see were the usual goblin warriors. He squinted trying to see what the woman was talking about, and then he noticed some of which were carrying sparking objects, Could they really be..? Rudolph pondered for a moment.
"You lot! Focus your shots on the greenksins with the bombs!" he ordered soon after. How in the gods names did they get a hold of explosives!? he thought trying to wrap his mind around it.

A good few shots were sent out by the troop, but many of which seemed to either hit the shields of the goblins trying to protect the runners, or just miss altogether. At least two of the runners were brought down, one of the bombs went off killing a small score of the greenskins closer to it. The other hit the ground and the wick snuffed out by the mud underfoot.

[Inertia]

"Do what you like, as long as it involves killing the green bastards."

"Free reign to do what I want?" Acrius said, "Works for me."

Acrius eyes were directed to Rudolph's commands of focusing the goblin sappers. Were goblins always this smart? Using catapults and now bombs to breach their defenses? He eyed the goblin with bags through the battlements. For once he'd use his head more tactically. Though his impulsive nature would say otherwise; he actually does have a good head for tactics and strategy in his head. An idea popped into his head.

Shuffling through the walls he found a pot of oil. Acrius would then rip apart his already torn cloak to make pseudo-wrappings. Next he would blanket his arrows with the wrappings, letting the pointed end poke through; finally he dipped it into the pot of oil. The boy would make a few more of the same arrows.

Acrius produced a small flame on his finger, lighting the oil-doused arrow on fire. Acrius now jumped from cover and drew his bow. With a deep breath, he aimed for the bags that the goblin bombers had. The oranged-eyed boy would make a bet that the bags were flammable. His arrow released, flying sharply through the air. The wind, fortunately, did not swallow the flame. It found it's mark and pierced through the bag.

Acrius did not check to see if it would work. He quickly lit another arrow on fire and scanned the battlefield for another goblin sapper. He found one, aimed and the arrow found its mark. Hopefully the fire would spread onto the bag and light the bombs, killing the sapper and nearby goblins.

His next few shots would miss; sometimes it would be blocked by a shield and other times the wind would be too strong and engulf the flame. After running out of his special arrows he would return to using normal arrows as he continuously let a volley of arrows loose.

[LadyRunic]

Zatana ducked behind a balustrade as she heard a shout. Explosives? Twisting she perched in the notch between two stones and watched as ten sappers rushed towards the Western Gate with what as indeed something that could pose a problem. While she would have just loved to shoot the goblins, those explosives meant missing was going to be more of a problem and therefore it would not be acceptable. Grimacing at the ill-fortune and the even worse plan that was forming. She quickly slid her still strung bow into the quiver. Shouting to Merik she gestured. "Keep them off me best you are able." Any reply was not acknowledged, there was simply no time for it.

Standing Zatana twisted and began dropping from the wall as several soldiers about her shouted in alarm. Anyone going to the ground on the wrong side of the wall was facing a suicide mission. Grabbing the stone before she could build up speed, she repeated the process as she chanted. Thanking the darkness itself for her grandfather pounding the spell into her mind and the relentless drilling he had put her through. "A master of one is better than the 'adequate' of many." Shadows wrapped about her and she felt the ground under her feet, an embrace she welcomed like a partner in a dance. Alas for the green swarm of goblins. Hers was a dance of death. Drawing the larger fighting daggers, she slid through the goblins and lowered the shadows. There were shrieks of surprise as she twisted about, the thick dagger opening the sapper goblin's throat. Zatana's other hand raked up taking another in the stomach and spilling out the entangling mass to trip a third. Stabbing the stumbling third, another sapper, in the neck, she flicked her wrist to free the throwing blade and gave a shrieking cry of pain as a knife raked down her arm. Hurling the dagger into a fourth goblin- sapper or not she did not know- before she twisted to block a sword with the flat of her knife, Zatana yanked the spare blade free from the one she had stabbed. "Wretches... Would that your kind was wiped from the earth! Acrius is not going to be stilling his tongue... About this!"