Fair points and I agree that something like that would have been a good approach, but the problem as a whole is that the settlement was barely developed or organised yet and the defence as a whole was haphazard and very short notice (and frankly the OOC planning of the battle wasn't handled very well either, but let's not get into that). I'm not sure the pre-knowledge of the enemy's movements, the organisational ability, time and resources were really there to make an elaborate defence. But maybe I'm just making excuses for my lack of creativity.
This does make me wonder if the cult includes war time engineers/sappers though, I hadn't really considered that.
When a mindless force of unknown proportions comes around, destroys your defences and kills 7% of your adult population, none of whom were really cut out for combat or interested in waging war to begin with, I think flight is fairly reasonable.
(A?) The next step was uncertain. On the surface it seemed a decent place to once again attempt to make a new life, but there were no guarantees that it would not end up just like Celebrimbor, if not worse. There, too, they had a river to protect them, but when the orcs came it was not enough to stop the defeat and slaughter of their kinsmen. The rushing river to the west could just as easily stop an enemy as it could wall their backs, at least until bridges are able to be constructed. The recent ordeals had made the general atmosphere pessimistic to say the least.
But just as there was no guarantee of safety or prosperity from staying, there was none from continuing. The weather only became colder as they went along and travelling in this manner was taxing on both spirit and body. It was decided that they would stay for now. The elf-at-arms would journey up, down and around the rivers, searching the area for friend or foe and any indication of the land's suitability for settlement so that a final decision might be made.
The elven woman who had hanged herself had only a small, private and fast ceremony. Her cause of death was not generally discussed as hanging or suicide, but as death from grief, though most understood this to be a euphemism. Few people, if anyone, wanted to preoccupy themselves with the matter. Their society's view of suicide is not entirely clear cut, based in muddled questions of fate and free will, but to suddenly take your life in this manner was certainly taboo. Taking her life she had abandoned her people and the path she was supposed to walk in life.
B) The elves awoke at peace. At peace, yet confused. The events in the forest felt as though they were merely a vivid dream, perhaps the product of some faintness or sickness. But it quickly became apparent that they had all had the same experience. What to make of it no one was sure of, but there was wide sense of relief. They had put the forest behind them, the orcs now felt like a distant threat and for the first time since their arrival on the continent they met a race of people that was not entirely savage. It might be said that they were rather rudely spirited away but in truth they were thankful that the dark elves or whatever spirit possessed the forest had spared them and carried them safely further on their way to their unknown destination.
It was decided that they would stop and rest for a while. The journey had been arduous and harrowing and now they had the opportunity to experience a bit of calm. But it was clear to them that they could not stay. They had been thrown out of the forest without a word and it seemed a safe bet that if they valued their lives they should not attempt to exploit it. So for now the weary, young, old, wounded, anyone who could use the time would have a moment of rest, while those of youthful vitality would go north and west to forage and hunt and perhaps find where they should go next.
Once they were rested, their journey had to continue.
B) There was nothing to do but go on. What they would find no one knew, but all desired to put further distance between themselves and the orcs and few desired to make their home in this dark forest. They would subtly mark their way behind them and try to continue on a straight path forward as best they could, aiming to find the other end, hoping that the distance is not too great. Fatigue, hunger and fear was something they would all have to deal with in the days ahead, doing their best to shield their children from the worst of it. Many sought comfort and distraction in prayer and work, but the weight of their situation was undeniably heavy and it only became harder as supplies grew sparser. At least here among the trees they were somewhat hidden.
It was true that with Theldaneth's fall from grace their society had reverted once again to a more primitive state. But they were not entirely dysfunctional in such a state. Most among them were at least to some degree educated, with experience in managing their own businesses and being raised on reason, and they put these qualities to use in managing their runaway civilisation. Many decisions were made independently while at other times the prominent elves among them gathered to make decisions collectively. For example the decision to mark their way behind them was at the initiative of the hunters, who knew how treacherous forests could be. How such a system, or the lack of it, would handle more serious disputes or more complicated situations remained to see, but no one really viewed it as permanent and for now it was enough for them to get by.
Apologies for the extremely late post. I've just been kind of a mess recently and there were some errors in communication. Fortunately (for me) it seems Chen has been pretty slow as well.
X) Panic and grief gripped Celebrimbor. They had tried to stand tall against the orcs and been broken. Their friends and family slaughtered at the hands of the orcs, their bodies devoured. They had made their bet and lost. In a helpless atmosphere it was as though they awaited death.
But death never came. The orcs had gone home and the elves would have to look to their future once again. It was Theldaneth they had put their faith in and he had brought this disaster on them. He had failed them. He was himself very distraught at his failure and before the crowd he stood powerless. He had neither the will nor the ability to sway them. He was loudly and publicly dethroned and denounced, no longer would any elf heed his council. Once their budding leader he was now relegated to disgraced obscurity.
The fear of the orcs still ran high, no one desired to risk being butchered like their countrymen had been. Flight was brought up. Many among them were anguished at the thought of leaving what they had accomplished behind. In this wealthy land they had fertile earth, bounties of silver and amber, they had all they could have wished for were it not for the dreaded greenskins. However no amount of wealth was worth the loss of all their lives. Theirs was not a god of war or vengeance nor was war their trade. It was decided that the settlement would be dismantled and they would take whatever they could carry by cart and by hand and set out west, in search of greener pastures, further removed from the orc menace.
They walked nervous and scared, it might be said that they spent more time looking over their shoulders than they did looking forward. Under the watchful eyes of the elf-at-arms that still remained they hoped that they would find safety soon.
Every night they prayed for deliverance from their perilous journey.
The sudden shift in fortunes left Theldaneth almost in shock. In an instant he went from imagining the splendour this newfound wealth could create, to having to fear for their very survival. At first he considered escape, but on land they would likely not survive being pursued by the orcs and organising escape over the sea was unreasonable with their current means. Not to mention that they might run into something even worse. They would need to stand proud, as high elves ought, and defend their new home.
But Theldaneth was not a military elf and was filled with doubts on how to tackle the issue. He wasn't even sure if he was to think in terms of hours or days in preparing their defences. One thing was clear to him, he was the most capable leader among them and he would lead them in the trying times to come. He gathered the people of Celebrimbor and made his case that they needed a formal leader with vested authority in the days ahead. The people rightly agreed, but Theldaneth's following proposal that he be made Viceroy caused controversy. It meant bypassing ritual and circumventing the king's power, some would even say it was tantamount to usurping his power, as well as effectively raising Theldaneth above them to a title of nobility. After some deliberation it was decided he would take on the powers and uncontroversial title of 'executor' until the crisis was over, putting him in charge of Celebrimbor for now.
H) The executor's first move was to ask for volunteers for a standing military force. Warriors who would dedicate their time to the defence of their people. Simnor, captain of the ship, was to be their commander until further notice. Their first task a vital one, the gathering of information. They would seek out the orcish force and assess their position, strength and movement.
As for the rest of the people, they would need to prepare themselves to be drafted for the sacred duty of defending their land. What weapons they had were to be stockpiled and prepared for easy access in case of mobilisation.
