Sosiel considers a minute. "I don't unfortunately, perhaps we could petition the Queen."
When the group petitioned the Queen, she ordered a cleric to give Aravashnial a scroll of restoration. With his sight restored the old elf happily agrees to accompany the group.
In the morning the Queen gives a last piece of advice to the troop and you all at its head.
She suggests that you march north directly to Valas's Gift and then follow the east bank of the Sellen river north until you reach Vilareth Ford at which point you can cross and follow the west bank to the Ahari riverbed.
It is a 160 mile journey along this route. With the 100 heavily armored mounted paladins your group can cover about 36 miles a day.
Thrall takes mental note of the route the Queen suggests, even if he plans to leave Balthasar giving away the orders. He thinks they've got at least the foundations of a plan, and happily gets ready for marching.
Looking over the map, Balthasar nods in agreement. ”Let’s move out as quickly as we can. Hopefully we’ll catch any demonic forces off-guard if we can move swiftly enough.”
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Looking over the map as well Arianna followed the expected path with her eyes. "Well, I have a couple of questions. First, I'm not all that good with the wilderness but I assume we'll need someone going ahead of the main force in order to make sure that the army isn't going to walk into an ambush. How far ahead do we need our scouts?" She asked simply. "I'll help with that but I'd be the last person you'd want finding or following a particular path."
"I'm pretty sure we know a good scout." Serena said as Arianna spoke up. "Assuming she's interested in coming with us, anyway." With that, she glanced towards a certain figure who'd been with them in the underground.
"We'll need to get Anevia's leg healed if she's to help with the physical scouting. Arianna, you'll assist with the scouting. If we can't get Anevia's leg healed, she can coordinate scouting reports and provide her insight. Having one of us physically able to see what's before us, though, will help with providing a first-hand accounting of any obstacles we face."
Balthasar looks at the maps, then says, "We can probably expect some opposition at predictable points. Valas's Gift may hold some demonic forces, and they'll definitely have forces at Vilareth Ford. Once we're across the Sellen River, we should be fairly clear until we reach the Ahari Riverbed. There may be more demons there we'll have to face before we reach Drezen."
"I'm no expert, but I know some small basics about wilderness survival and pathfinding" Thrall informs. Truly he's not a country man, but he learned some tricks in the army. "I also guess there must be someone in the unit who can help us".
To Balthasar he answers "sure, we expect resistance all the way to Drezen. We'll have to be careful they don't alert them."
Continues being a goblin in the army and tagging along with the halfling lady cause she his newest friend.
"So, do I have permission to retire? We have a long and hard endeavour at hand and I would like to be rested."
"Yes, I believe we are prepared. Let us rest and be ready to depart tomorrow."
At dawn the party and their army depart Kenebres, one hundred mounted knights, their armor while well used, still shines in the light and they step their horses proudly into the Worldwound once again. At the head of the column, the party and their entourage trot.
The army is followed by several horse drawn carts and wagons some of which were provide courtesy of Horgus Gwerm. A quarter master and staff travel with them.
The map shows that it is 28 miles or about a day's travel to the town of Valas' Gift.
The new army block is
KNIGHTS OF KENEBRES
LG Medium Army of humans(Paladin 4)
HP:16
DV 20; OM +10 Ranged
Tactics:Expert Flankers, Standard, Withdraw, Spellbreaker.
Resources: Improved armor, improved weapons(mwk cold iron), mounts, ranged weapons(longbows).
Special: Aura of courage, channel positive energy, divine health, lay on hands,mercy, smite evil, spellcasting.
Speed:3 Morale:+1 Consumption 3
"Well, let's get to know the staff, shall we?" Serena said brightly as the army headed out. "They kept telling me that armies should be very familiar with who's who, and that's especially true for the officers and support staff."
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Arianna spent a portion of the night trying to get to know some of the average soldiers they'd end up traveling with, before getting with Anevia to set up some basic communication signals between the two of them and any other scouts.
The next morning, Atianna walked out early and went over her gear, readying to join the other scouts ahead of the main column.
Balthasar makes sure his armor is appropriately polished before heading to bed to get a good night's sleep before the journey. In the morning, he rides out at the head of the column with Irabeth and Standard Kain, discussing deployments with them. Once they are clear of the city, he deploys the scouts, making sure they know not to get so far beyond the army that it takes them too long to report back. He also deploys riders to watch for flanking maneuvers, and orders the paladins to remain alert - they were entering hostile territory, after all, and the demons would not flee simply because they asked nicely.
Bitey happily bounds along beside the army and constantly chatters to his new halfling friend in an attempt to fill her in on all of the grand deeds of his party.
The group travels for the day with little event. The country side is damaged, dead and burnt out more than it should be, but life is not gone, there are still patches of trees and grass, birds still inhabit the area.
Anevia and Arianna return with the scouts at about an hour until sundown.
Anevia reports to the party. "The bunker at Vilareth Ford, is overrun.' she pants, 'It looks like just yesterday the crusaders there were taken by surprise and overcome, an army of about two hundred make their encampment on the east bank before the bunker itself. Heads and guts all strewn up on the walls and pikes." She spits with disgust. "The encampment is about half an hour's ride from here." she adds.
Standard Kain looks to Balthasar. "Your orders my Lord?"
Thrall growls slightly, seeing they are in a delicate situation. "We must be very careful, Balthasar. We don't want any survivor demon or cultist to go and alert the forces at Drezen." Of course, he trusts his comrade's skill for tactics, something he's never been too good at, himself. He just couldn't help thinking aloud.
Balthasar asks, "Do the demons appear to be prepared for an attack, or are they in typical disarray?"
Anevia shrugs,"I don't think they're demons, least not that I saw, mostly Tieflings, looking closer to the cultists we fought near the Mongrelmen town. The appear to be loosely camped and are not mustered at all yet. How quickly they can manage it, I'm unsure"
"Two hundred is double the number of men we can present, though. We should think carefully. Anything we can do to hack the outcome of the potential battle beforehand, like altering the battlefield or confusing them?" Thrall is ninety percent sure they can't, but he may be skipping some of his companions' abilities. If they are to literally throw themselves into slashing heads, every little bit helps.
Balthasar considers. "Hmmm...if they're rather disorganized, there's a chance that we can catch them unawares, if we move quick enough. Serena, Aravashnial, are there any magical effects you can use to distract or confuse them, as Thrall suggests?"
"Not on a battlefield scale." Serena admitted. "That's high-level magic. I might be able to whittle down a commander if I can get close enough, but that's about it. Even so, a rabble of tieflings against a force of trained Paladins? I don't think that's even a contest, even if they do outnumber us twice over. Trained soldiers will smash a mob every time, and you need many more foes to start evening the odds. Hit hard and hit fast, and we'll have victory."
Over the next hour or so the party discusses the battle plan with Irabeth and Standard Kain as you ride toward the embankment preparing for battle. "Kain and I will command the troops while the five of you charge the heart of the enemy position. Hopefully disrupting their commander if there is one present and allowing us to strike before they can assemble. A sound plan." Irabeth says. Anevia nods at her side in agreement.
Anevia's scouts effectively silence the two outlying scouts before the ridge. Reaching the roll of the ridge, a slight slope leads down about 50 yards to the dried up river crossing, a sad sight, not much water here. Before it is about 2 dozen campfires and a hodgepodge of brown tents on the green and brown splotchy grass.
The party quickly identifies the center of the camp and Irabeth easily assembles the army into a Calvary line on the crest of the ridge, not wasting any time she orders the paladins to charge into Tiefling ranks to make the most of their element of surprise.
The party is at the forefront of the charge, the thundering sound as a hundred warhorse's and clanking plate armor pulse down the hill, the crusaders giving off a loud war cry. The Cultists are caught by surprise and began to leap up scrambling for weapons and moving to get into some sort of formation in the 30 or so seconds it takes the front line to reach the outskirts of the tents.
Six cultists rise to meet the party, with a seventh being similar to teifling but with cloven hooves and black horns.
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Arianna moved at the head of the group and swoftly charged towards one of the tieflings hoping to catch him off guard with her cold iron dagger.
But the attack sailed wide not even making contact with the tiefling. She grit her teeth and pulled the blade back with a sidden flurish that surprised even her.
The cultist flashed a smile as he ducked Arianna's first strike only to have her second one catch him squarely in the throat. He dropped to the ground gasping and gurgling blood.
Serena stepped forward raising her arm and releasing a beam at the cultist nearest her.
but it shoots wide and strikes one of the tents causing it to erupt in flame.
One Cultist charges Thrall, longsword connecting solidly, but Thrall managed to shift taking the blow to the shoulder instead of the neck.
no
Following his ally's lead a Cultist does the same, charging Balthasar and connecting under the arm
One of them fires a hand crossbow at Bitey, but the small target proves to be a harder target than the Tiefling can handle.
A Cultist further back fires at Balthasar with his crossbow. It strikes him square in the chest and clatters off his armor uselessly.
The last Cultist runs up to Arianna, sword drawn. She deftly dodges his cumbersome strike.
Thrall, with his visage altered to appear as a tiefling, smiles. "Is that all you can do?" he states more than asks, and suddenly discharges a hard blow with his enormous sword.
x2=50
The little goblin bears his teeth and shrieks, charging forward at the Tiefling in front of him.
He jumps forward and bites down on the leg of his enemy, sinking his teeth into the thigh, with a quick tear, he rips free a chunk of flesh and the femoral artery, the Tiefling drops dead from blood loss seconds later.
The odd looking Tiefling in the back charges forward, longsword in hand, straight for Balthasar and Thrall, certain the whole group is dangerous but especially aware of the danger Holy Warriors pose him and his men. The sounds of battle clash and the general din in the area intensifies as the on either side of the small section of tents is full of cultists engaged with crusaders.
He lashes out with skill.
He connects just barely with the force of his charge
Balthasr, pressed by both enemies, knows the odd looking Tiefling is a greater enemy. He calls out, "For Iomedae and the Crusades!" Holy light bathes Radiance as he swings his sword at the enemy.
Weal’s Champion (Su): Once per day as swift action, a holy tactician can call on the powers of good to aid her against evil. Against evil targets, the holy tactician gains her Charisma bonus (if any) on her attack rolls against evil creatures, and if she hits, she adds 1/2 her paladin level on her weapon damage rolls as well. These bonuses last for 1 round for every two paladin levels the holy tactician has attained (minimum 1 round).
In addition, for 1 round after the holy tactician successfully strikes an evil creature, all non-evil allies within 30 feet of her gain a competence bonus on attack rolls equal to 1/2 her Charisma bonus against that creature as well as a +1 competence bonus on damage rolls. The bonus on damage rolls increases by +1 for every five levels the holy tactician attains (to a maximum of +5 at 20th level). She can grant this bonus against more than one creature at a time. To gain this benefit, the holy tactician’s allies must be able to see or hear her, and she must be conscious.
HP 28/57
Mythic Power 4/5
Weal's Champion 0/1
Challenge 2/2
Lay on Hands 3/3
[/spoiler]
Arianna's first attack falls short by inches. Her second connects scoring a deep stab in the gut of the cultist. He growls and stays standing.
Serena fires a ray of light again at the cultist next to Balthasar.
But the beam sheers far wide.
The cultist that drips blood attacks Arianna. Arianna deftly steps aside. Frustration and effort are apparent on his face.
The cultist beside Balthasar takes a step behind him, flanking him with the Demon and lunges at his back. He finds a hard target, blade unable to find purchase through the warriors armor.
The furthest cultist comes forward 15 feet and fires a crossbow bolt at Serena.
no
It strikes her in the arm.
Thrall now focuses on the ones piling on Balthasar. He squeezes a bit left and twists, ending in a proper position and ready to hit one of the foes with a direct slash...
x2=46
Bitey charges back to save his friends from the big scary, bloody flesh still dangling from his jaw. "Bork bork bork! Chomp!"
Thrall's sword drips blood as he awaits for a chance to connect again.