LpDND: Reunions

[Jimer Lins]

Trinal scribbles on the dirt and describes his plan, then looks at the party for feedback.

[ooc- I drew it on Google Docs. Take a look]

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1kkD ... sp=sharing

[Furiel]

"Tactically speaking the fire element is a wildcard I'm not sure we should play unless necessary. Tony Plush does believe that a nighttime sortie is still our best option. Knowing that their supplies have likely arrived Tony Plush believes our best option is to cause havoc by performing a hit and fade on their horse lines. If as the professor suggests they hold horses in such high regard we can make them REALLY angry by attacking their horses. If we take our group in, along with a handful of recruits to protect our horses, we could ride close, leave our horses on foot and sneak up to their camp, take out the guards on their horselines, cut them free and spook the horses to cause them to run, then we perform a fighting retreat back to our horses and then return to the fort with all haste. The troops still in the fort can cover the last of our retreat via bow but if we are successful we should not have much pursuit because their horses should be generally scattered. Enraging them in such a way would prevent any parlay or diplomatic options, but Tony Plush does not think that is likely to work anyway. It would also likely goad them into an assault where our fortifications would be of the most benefit. While a pincer movement as you have suggested does have some merit Trinal, Tony Plush worries that we would be playing into their hands by trying to fight cavalry with cavalry. They have numbers and experience, we have fortificatios, we need to play to that strength, which means goading them into attacking us in Tony Plush's professional opinion."

[Dood]

[ooc]C'mon Syric. Suggest the Bha'al Sack! I can't suggest it because it's totally counter to my character (sworn enemy of Bha'al and all that). DO IT![/ooc]

[Whiteness]

Syric was about to agree with Trinals plan but Tony's mention of 'wildcard' makes him stop and think. He reaches under his armor, a sight akin to scratching an itch, when he pulls out the Bha'al Sack.

"I think, if there ever was a time to see what this Bha'al Sack holds, it is now." he looks over to Trinal and walks forward offering him the sack.

"I meant to leave this in your possession once you educated me on its real purpose, it just seemed the Bha'al sack got stuck to me."

[Whiteness]

[ooc] sorry I was busy making beer cheese soup, there wasn't a good chance to whip out the sack earlier.

[Furiel]

"By the gods Syric are you insane?! We still don't know what it will do beyond chaotic and likley destructive. You want to bet all of our lives on something we don't know how it works and what it's going to do? Tony Plush does not! In Tony Plush's professional opinion it is an emergency option. Same as the fire. We can't control it and it's as likely to make the situation worse rather than give us an advantage and right now we need as many advantages as we can get."

[Blackferne]

Victae looks at Trinal's plans. "Okay first Tony is right about fire being an unpredictable element of the battle plan. Hold that thought for a second. Second, we still have the numerical issue to contend with. Let's say we had a wish to just take horses out of the battle. They lose mobility fine, but they still have us out manned four to one. And while that be ratio we could deal with if it was just us nine, we have forty soldiers who, no offense Captain, are not considered elite warriors. They could lose half their force and we'd still be out manned two to one. Consider that as we look at a divided pincer you have here. We might get position but the advantage of a pincer move is you capitalize on a localized imbalance of force. I am not convinced that they would be sufficiently on our tail to allow us to get that imbalance when we come around. Coming back to the fire, if things go well we get the advantage of a wall to press against, if things go poorly we have no wall, or worse we have a wall against us.

I don't want to be the pessimist of the group, so I want to point out a few things we should factor in. We have long bows, from a fortified location. If memory serves correctly from what I learned back in the citadel, most nomadic archers use shortbows which have a shorter range and typically lack the piercing power of a good longbow. They use short bows because weapon materials typically don't have easy access to wood. Also we don't need to defeat them if we fight, we simply have to last until a proper military unit can arrive to support us. We send out ravens immediately indicating what we have to do, and hunker down. Laying siege will be difficult for them with 50 archers pelting every time a ladder gets close."

[Blackferne]

[An aside:

The Société des Gens des Lettres, a Parisian organization of writers, planned a monument to French novelist Honoré de Balzac immediately after his death in 1850. The society commissioned Rodin to create the memorial in 1891, and Rodin spent years developing the concept for his sculpture. Challenged in finding an appropriate representation of Balzac given the author's rotund physique, Rodin produced many studies: portraits, full-length figures in the nude, wearing a frock coat, or in a robe – a replica of which Rodin had requested. The realized sculpture displays Balzac cloaked in the drapery, looking forcefully into the distance with deeply gouged features. Rodin's intent had been to show Balzac at the moment of conceiving a work[34] – to express courage, labor, and struggle.[35]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Ro ... ontroversy

Seems like Rodin had as much contemplation about Balzac as you guys.]

[Whiteness]

"By the gods Syric are you insane?! We still don't know what it will do beyond chaotic and likley destructive. You want to bet all of our lives on something we don't know how it works and what it's going to do? Tony Plush does not! In Tony Plush's professional opinion it is an emergency option. Same as the fire. We can't control it and it's as likely to make the situation worse rather than give us an advantage and right now we need as many advantages as we can get."

"By the gods indeed! Kord and Melora both have a wild side, my friend, and I'm counting on it being destructive! said with a good natured smile. "In any regard, emergency option or not, I think it's clear this Bha'al Sack belongs in Trinal's hands."

"Now, back to the fire, what if we were able to sneak behind the barbarians and set the grass behind them on fire to force them towards us?"

[Jimer Lins]

Trinal accepts the sack. "Relax, Tony. I believe it to be relatively safe, at least when wielded properly. Well, at least to the wielder." Trinal looks at the group assembled. "I will not be able to use this safely if we're heavily engaged, because I believe it will do significant damage over an area, and that could be harmful to friend and foe alike. In Victae's plan, which I have no problem with- " Trinal sketches a bow to her "We will find ourselves behind these walls facing a siege, holding off the attackers with bows. This could be quite useful then, as based on my research it was used to good effect against armies in the past."

He looks around. "Based on what I'm hearing, we either want to send out a small force to goad them into attacking us, or simply wait. I believe that if we plan to hunker down, we will be better served to wait. I would prefer to be on the initiative, but if we have to hole up, better not to risk our forces for scant gain."

[Blackferne]

Ooc I've been basing Victae's assessments on Sun Tzu given her background. Not any sort of gm clues.

In character

"Fire behind them might be useful, but in attempting a fire party, you risk provoking while we are weaker. We'd be down men, and there is no guarantee that they could easily get back in the fort. There is a parable they teach at the citadel which relates to our situation.

A man is walking in the woods and stumbles upon a bear. He knows he can't run away from the bear fast enough. So he thinks to himself, I should fight the bear for it will surely eat me if I don't. But he is not a brave man so he just stares at the bear who is simply staring back. This goes on for a while when the man hears some woodsman in the area. He shouts 'help a bear!' and they come running. The bear sees now a group of men and walks away. So while the man thought fighting was the only way go be safe, it turns out waiting was the best course. If he fought the bear he would have died. But not giving the bear cause, and letting time be his ally, he survived." says Victae.

"To be fair Warmaster Sengh has a parable for every action you might consider." the Professor snarks.

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[Jimer Lins]

[ooc- I've been basing Trinal's responses on modern military theory, which holds that seizing and holding the initiative gives you a lot of advantages. Of course, that may not be practical or reasonable here]

IC:

Trinal chuckles. "I expect that we could have a wonderful discussion at a fire with a belly full of ale about military theory, but right now we need to make some decisions. If we send a party out, let it be soon, with a focused and quickly-accomplished mission. I would not be surprised if they attack at or before dawn."

[Staris]

"If word hasn't been sent already it needs to be, regardless of how successful this night raid is we are almost guaranteed to still have to face the barbarians. It will be no simple matter to garrison forces necessary to fight these numbers and its highly unlikely we are lucky enough to have a force close by, else word would already be sent to them." Stavis will look to the captain for confirmation though shows no shock when give it.

Stavis posses for a moment thinking to himself. "One thing I would see done at the very least is when it gets dark enough to not encourage attack by the barbarians that the fire break line be worked on. Just because we are holding off does not mean the barbarians will. Should our defences prove antiquate long enough attempting to smoke us out would be the next logical step. I don't know they will be able to easily come to that conclusion but this leader that has banded all of the barbarians together is a puzzle that we just don't know a lot about as of right now."

[Maizan]

Spintik wonders if the the letters G.T.N.W. is imprinted on the Bla'ah sack and what happened to the 21 guy to say the magic words.

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[Staris]

"Also if there are any water barrels and the like that can hold water should work to fill those as well while the burn barrier is worked on."

[Maizan]

To the Captain Spintik asks "was there talk about creating a burn zone around the fort? I think it would be good if we placed markers showing maximum arrow range and increments so we do not waste arrows."

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[Maizan]

[ooc]not sure if we are in the fort or not, or still sitting on our horses outside. But..

I will dismount lead my horse into the fort and to the corral. Clean her, feed her and the store my gear. After a long days ride, will then head to the mess hall for something to eat.

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[Blackferne]

Spitnik you guys are all in the fort. Currently there are work crews of fort soldiers making a burn break around the fort. They do go out and put up markers for max distance for arrow.

If you guys could decide on a general plan by say 1pm cst that would give me direction on a battle map.

[Whiteness]

[Ooc] So what options are really looking at?

1. Wait in the fort
2. Night raid
3.??

[Maizan]

[Ooc] So what options are really looking at?

1. Wait in the fort
2. Night raid
3. Diplomacy

Since we have been riding all day, I vote 1, rest the night and see what tomorrow brings. Tomorrow morning, if the Professor wishes 3, go out and talk to the barbarians, if nothing happens tomorrow we prepare for siege and do 2. a night time/evening raid.

[Whiteness]

Since we're outnumbered and there is no advantage given to us from the terrain I think we may have to rely on our archers and wait in the fort tonight.

[Blackferne]

I see the options really as:

1) Wait and see. (Stay in fort, prepare defenses, maybe try diplomacy in the morning)
2) Nighttime raid to scare, spook horses. Estimated horses 800+ given every soldier has 3 at his disposal and the supply chain adds another 250.
3) Nighttime raid to attack the last bit of their supply chain.
4) Nighttime raid to do as much collateral damage as possible and retreat to the fort.
5) Retreat to belholt under cover of dark

[Furiel]

"Captain, have your scouts reported on what the barbarians in camp have been doing while waiting for their supplies? Have then been making ladders and other seige/assault related equipment? Tony Plush just realized that we have been assuming all along that is their intent, but we have not confirmed that."

[Blackferne]

"Our scouts do not know of any ladders or siege equipment. You have to remember that wood is scarce out here, so the materials to make siege equipment is a resource not easily gained. Also like I said we are an outpost. This building in and of itself has little strategic value. If they wanted to walk around us, they could no problem." The captain says.

[Whiteness]

"From what little I know of the Barbarian's tactics, I wouldn't assume they tend to use seige warfare, especiall against a simple outpost like this"