Battle - Round 4

[tomcat]

Weary of limb and almost falling from exhaustion and the gore that covered the bridge and gate, the Men and Dwarves fought with as much vigour as they could muster. Black shafted arrows fell amongst them as they held off their attackers. They had been fighting now for almost two hours and the enemy had yet to gain the improvised barrier. Still, the constant attack was having its toll on the defenders.

Eradin had the wounded pulled back to the cover of the donjon where they were tended too. The Dunadan commander worried as he watched his troops number begin to slowly dwindle.

Lunduf felt a heavy thud on his head as a mace struck his steel cap. Shaken but still on his feet, the doughty Dwarf swung his axe back and forth striking two of the orcs that attacked him and they dropped. As he recovered from his arcing swing, he again felt a weapon strike against his dwarven mail, again the weapon was turned.

But then, horns began to sound from across the moat and the orcs began to waiver. They then disengaged and those that could retreated back from the gates, over the moat. Lunduf and Nain breathed out a sigh of relief as they saw that the archers also were drawing away from the castle. The Dunedain archers on the walls above had made an effective defense against them and cut heavy losses into them.

The enemy withdrew to a safe distance and there was a sudden quiet over all.

OOC:

Round 1
# of Orcs - 1

Lunduf attacks Roll(3d6)+0: 5,1,4 - he kills an orc

Orc attacks Roll(2d6)+0: 5,1 - orc hits

Roll(2d6)-7: 2,4,-7 Total:0

Round 2
# of orcs - 2

Lunduf attacks Roll(3d6)+0: 4,4,3 - he kills one orc

Orcs attack Roll(4d6)+0: 5,6,1,4 - orc hits

Roll(2d6)-7: 1,5,-7 Total:0

Lunduf Stamina Test TN 10
Stamina +3, Hardness of Body +2, Tireless +4, Dazed -1
Roll(2d6)+8: 6,1,+8 Total:15 SUCCESS

The first 4 rounds of combat have gleaned a victory for the defenders and though there are still many enemy left, they withdraw  to a safe distance from the castle to re-organize their attack.

[GandalfOfBorg]

OOC: Wooooohoooo!

[tomcat]

Fengel led the Company as they hurried south, his eyes keen in the night. Behind him, Camentir held on as the Eothraim masterfully led his steed over the frozen brush and bramble of the hard land of Angmar. They had broken camp about an hour ago and then made haste for Barad Eldanar and their friends that hopefully were still safe.

As they rode, Fengel caught sight of movement and quickly reined back on his horse bringing the others to a halt behind him. The quintet all trotted forward together slowly as both Edrahil and Fengel tried to discern what they saw. The Elf spoke...

"This must be the group I saw moving south just an hour ago." He continued to look in the direction as the other men squinted to try and make out.. something. "The group is moving slowly and they seem to be short on number though they, or what they draw south, is large."

The Sindar's words hung there in the frigid night.

[Palandil]

Fengel strains his eyes to make out what this large thing is before them.

OOC:Observe(spot) test
Night eyed +2; Observe +2, Perception +1, Spot +2
Roll(2d6)+5: 6,6,4,+5  Total:21

[tomcat]

Fengel observed before him what Edrahil had spoken of, large shapes moving through the shadows of night. He peered deep trying to discern what he saw and the shapes slowly took recognizable form. The Eothraim could see to large engines, obviously of war, and two large hulks before each... dragging them?? Around these larger shapes, Fengel could see a number of smaller, man-sized shapes milling about.

[sdrotar]

Dirnhael saw the look of horror on his friend's face.
He knew now that it was just a matter of time until Barad Eldanar fell to the Angmarim.
Defeat at the castle was assured, but then again, that was always part of the plan.

He hoped that Lunduf, Nain and Eradin heeded his words as they parted.
"Appear to hold the keep as if you never meant to relinquish it, but all the while, make plans to leave it as quickly as possible. If they feel they have won a victory at the keep, they may be too late to pursue us."

Dirnhael knew that the riders could beat this army to the keep - but by how much?
And what would they face when they got there?

There was no further opportunity to plan - only time for action and reaction remained.
He gently tapped his steed on it's flank, and the animal dutifully quickened it's pace.

[GandalfOfBorg]

Durgil appreciates both the immediate and long-term danger this new development brings.  "The larger problem is now Barad Eldanar will become more deadly than when we approached before," says Durgil somberly.  "Angmar will have a more powerful stronghold to launch forays into our lands."

[Wiseman]

"Perhaps we can hold onto the stronghold m'lord, we just need reinforcements and we can continue the holdout that our brave comrades are attempting as we speak."  Dealhun knew not if the defenders had already been overthrown, nor if they were even still alive, but after the hard work and vicious fighting they had all endured to retake the place it was not overly appetizing to think about it falling back into the hands of the enemy...

[Stefan]

Through the gore and mayhem Nain cleaves taking orc left and right.  Several blows glancing off his armor some biting into his flesh.  He couldn't feel the pain yet, but he knew that it would come.  His arms, strengthened by the rise and fall of the Smiths hammer for more years than most of the men around him had known, we more than capable of hewing for hours.  But he knew that if this kept up, the blood in his veins would run dry before the stream of orcs would end.   Finally the trumpets sounded and the orcs quit the field.  Nain chose not to jeer at them as they left, instead saving his strength for what must come next.

OOC:

Round 1
# of Orcs - 3

Nain attacks Roll(3d6)+0: 4,2,3 - he kills 3 orcs

Orc attacks Roll(2d6)+0: 5,4,5,2,1,3 - 2 orc hits

Roll(2d6)-7: 5,4,-7 Total:2
Roll(2d6)-7: 1,6,-7 Total:0

Round 2
# of orcs - 3 (What is it with these orc? do I look tasty or something?)

Nain attacks Roll(3d6)+0: 6,5,5 - he kills none

Orcs attack Roll(4d6)+0: 6,4,5,5,3,6 - no orc hits

Nain Stamina Test TN 10
Stamina +4, Hardness of Body +2, Dazed -1
Roll(2d6)+5: 2,5,+5 Total:12 SUCCESS

[tomcat]

Edrahil listened to all of the input from his fellows, while he stared at the shapes in the night so many meters away.

"Though it is true that Eldanar was built by the sons of Numenor long ago, and their work was renowned amongst all the Free Peoples, and though it is strong, it is but a small island in a sea whose tide will slowly erode its great walls. Still, this is a decision that must be made by the commanders of the Host that holds its walls."

He then looked back and forth at them all and commented, "Whatever is to happen with those engines of war, it wil be tonight for those who draw them south must do it before the sun rises... otherwise they will return to the stone from which they were made!"

Edrahil's last words hissed out with a touch of anger due to the contempt he held for Trolls of all types.

At Eldanar, the Dunedain and Dwarves withdrew back into the keep to rest and to aid those that were in need. Others saw to hasty repairs of the barricade that had been erected at the gates, repositioning the large pieces of lumber and throwing the bodies of the dead orcs into the moat or piling them out upon the length of the bridge - a soldier was heard to mutter, "Let the maggot-folk crawl over these before they are able to assail us!"

Inside the donjon, Eradin, Lunduf and Nain stood before the hearth warming their hands and limbs, although the rage of battle had kept them warm in the frigid night.

Lunduf questioned Eradin, "Our numbers have not decreased too greatly, but we are taking losses... what of our plan to escape this place? Do we wait for our companions or try to burst through the ranks of Angmar before it is too late? Do not take me wrong, it appeals to me greatly to make our stand here and defend these walls for a Dwarf's feet better serve him on the ground than being on the back of some beast, but those were the plans made by you and Dirnhael."

Eradin thought about that for a moment. It would soon get to the point where escape was no longer an option. He also reviewed the reports from his sentries - one unit had circled the keep during the first onslaught trying to find a weakness. They found naught, but now their numbers have bolstered the ranks of those they had just repelled. Eradin had no such relief, his men would slowly be beaten back though theirs and the Dwarves valour be strong.

OOC: I love this game... and our story!! :D

[sdrotar]

Dirnhael listened carefully to Durgil and Daelhun.
They were young, headstrong and brave - of course holding the keep would be of value to them - it would be a great prize. Barad Eldanar held little appeal to Dirnhael, however. Perhaps his journeys had dulled his desire for glory...
But the keep was also deep in the wastes of the North, and far more raiding parties were available to Angmar than supply lines would be from Fornost and Arthedain.

"Eldanar will fall," said Dirnhael. "Whether today or years from now, these lands are too covered in darkness for it to hold. Throwing good men into Angmar's maw is unwise - we would be better served fortifying our existing defenses and returning with the knowledge that we have already gained."

He looked over at Camentir - the ragged man had a keen military mind; which is why Dirnhael had led this endeavour in the first place. He was still Commander of these armies, and Dirnhael owed him much - though it was now likely that his debt had been repaid...
"Camentir, your men defend the keep, and they will follow your orders. What say you?"

It was then that Dirnhael realized that Durgil and Daelhun answered to Camentir as well.
He wondered where this would lead if Camentir saw things differently than he...

[tomcat]

Camentir sighed, and for a moment it appeared to the younger men around him that he was old, and he was tired, but then he smiled with a wolfish-grin and all knew that he still had not been beaten.

To Dirnhael's question he replied, "What do I think? I think that this is for younger men to decide - men who have come forward in positions of leadership. Though it grieves me to see us surrender any part of Dunedain territory, especially a keep that has been so recently re-captured, still I understand the mind of Dirnhael and the words of Edrahil. It would be long before Fornost could get us relief, but upon the gates of Angmar we are precariously exposed. The Witch-king would soon right the supposed affront to his might... we would be worn down like the sand under the tide."

Then to the two men that had once served under him, "Long, Durgil, did we feint the enemy... never exposing our position, never standing to fight for one position. You both learned well the tactics that these times force us to employ. These same tactics apply to Eldanar. We must not let the Enemy enclose us in this place and hold us there only to destroy us. We must survive."

Camentir fell silent deferring to Dirnhael the command that was already his, but hoping that his advice would help the young captain with what he needed to do.

[Stefan]

"I'm not a warrior but I say we wait till the light of day to make our escape.  The orcs will be blinded by the sun so we'll have less of a foe to deal with and it'll give our friends more time to regain your Captain.  The only problem will then be holdin' the fortress through this night."

[tomcat]

Eradin thought Nain's idea had good merit and he nodded, "So be it... we will abandon this place with the coming of morn."

The Dunadan commander took back up his weapon and began to walk out of the chamber of the donjon - he needed to tell his men the plan.

An hour and a half passed as the Men of Arthedain stood looking out over the battlements and the forces from Angmar regrouped, but as the time passed mid of night, the horns of the enemy began to blare. They were once more on the offense.

Eradin and his two Dwarf allies watched from the guard tower as once again the Easterling archer unit began to move into range and a re-organized group of orcs started to jog towards the keep. In the dark, Eradin could barely see that they were arrayed differently and those that followed on carried torches. The orcs to the fore seemed to be running with burdens in their hands, looking like... small pots?

The Dunadan blanched as he realized the enemy's new tactic and he yelled to his men and began to climb down the stairs to the courtyard below.

"Ware! Beware! They plan to fire the gates! Archers... stop those runners!!"

The riders had skirted the small group of Trolls, and presumably orcs, that drew the seige engines south, and had made haste before them. It was not much further to Eldanar and they needed to get to their comrades to aid in any way that they could.

The time it seemed to pass quickly though the flat, snow-covered lands around did not seem to change. Still, they covered a great swath of land and finally, though they were not aware, passed into the lands that were formally under Arthedain's control. Eldanar was but another ten miles before them!

They reined in for a moment to rest their mounts and Edrahil squinted into the night. The horizon to the south, though dark from night glowed faintly.

"Something burns," said the Sindar in a calm voice.

OOC: It will not be until tomorrow that I have another battle round posted. I am going to go play a gig tonight so I will not have the opportunity to edit the Home (Battle) page of our site. But I will be here in the office until late today so I will definitely reply to your posts.

[Palandil]

OOC: What kind of gig are you playing?  Do you play in a band?