((Defenders on each wall manning a siege weapon can check dexterity + archery at 45 for those personally manning. The commander at each ward can pick up to 3 people (including themselves) to check command + war or leadership at 40 to encourage or direct fire))

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 45, rolling 11 higher.

Darren checked command + war at difficulty 40, rolling 1 higher.

Asger checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 13 lower.


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The army marches steadily forward. The siege towers finally roll within range of the defenders' trebuchets and catapults, stationed all along Arx's walls. The attackers have no such siege weapons, seemingly they'll be relying upon scaling the walls with ladder and tower, or forcing a break at the seawatch gate with rams. This does give a brief window of uninterrupted fire for the siege weapons of the defenders.
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Kahlana begins to look worried her armor has not arrived yet, and she looks to Asger, "If my fucken armor comes in after I die, donate it to another in our family alright?" she asks him as things start getting a bit active, she watches the march forward with stipulation.

"Man the ballistas. Archers, have your bows at the ready," Darren's deep voice booms over the ramparts as he starts to direct the men to their stations - archers are lined across the wall, between the siege machines, preparing to fire when ready. The instruction is clear - aim for those carrying siege weapons, in hopes of laying them flat and breaking the towers before they get to the walls. The infantry is commanded to keep behind the archers for now, with shields readied in preparation of return fire. "Prepare to fill these fucks full of stones and arrows before they get close."

Khanne lifts her bow up, preparing, though the army is currently too far away. Eyes are peeled as she nocks the arrow in place, though she does not yet put much tension on the string. She for the moment, focuses on her calm, breathing and watching the coming SIlent Army.

From Darren's side Morrighan watches the approaching army, moving in that eerie silence - a great number of them. She hefts her blade up, lightly tapping the flat edge of it against her shoulder, waiting for a chance to stab something. Her gaze lingers only briefly on the enemy before she eases into a defensive posture, keeping a protective eye on Darren, becoming his shadow, but giving enough space to keep out of his way while he booms out orders to the archers and infantry.

Tallius looks around and eyes the crew of the nearest ballista, shaking his head..he quickly puts his arrow back in the quiver and hooks his bow over his shoulder, heading over. "You're aimed too low man!" he tells the engineer, who likely looks offended. He just shakes his head though and grabs the aiming mechanism, "you have to account for the fall and wind both man, not just the one or the other.." he explains, quickly shifting the oversized bow into a different position, altering the aim significantly before he says. "Better..better.." and nods, waving to fire the weapon with the others.

Asger point out to the lines of the approaching siege towers yelling to those on the siege weapons nearest him, but sadly the duke in his excitement is still yelling in Northlands Shav, so the effect is negligible at best.


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Fire begins to come from Arx, from ballistae, catapults and trebuchets. In the Ward of House Valardin, Fiachra manning a catapult scores a solid hit on siege tower, and directed commands from Prince Edain and Valerion manage to land successive follow up blows that collapse it. Princess Katarina helps direct two teams who together shatter a second, the tower falling with the eerie silence and lack of expected screams. House Redrain fares less well, but still manages to land a hit through Tallius and the direction of Darren, not destroying a tower but damaging one enough where it might be stalled, and shavs pour of it to make repairs. House Thrax has mostly frustrating misses, until Duke Harald Grimhall, possibly from pure intimidation, inspires a catapult team whose boulder hits dead center of a siege tower, shattering it and almost certainly crushing ever shav inside.

The fire from the eastern gates is heaviest, with perhaps the greatest concentration of forces as the point attacked before. Calypso and Maude each directing teams that bring down a tower each, with Ywaine firing a ballista that damages another under Niccolo's direction.

But still, they come on. A number destroyed or damaged, but scores remain. Dozens, maybe hundreds of shavs killed, out of tens of thousands. And now they are walking into arrow range, and a storm is likely to follow.
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Anze adjusts the shield in his free arm as he watches the siege weapons lash out against the approaching enemy forces. "Be ready for return fire!" Anze barks out at the soldiers "make sure to protect tha archers!"

((This time, anyone can do the same checks, including for base archery. And -everyone- on the ramparts or at the seawatch gate might be pelted with arrows. Everyone check luck + dodge at 10))

Darren checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 4 higher.

Tallius checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 6 higher.

Anze checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 34 higher.

Darren checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 2 higher.

Kahlana checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 8 higher.

Morrighan checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 6 higher.

Khanne checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 6 higher.

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 45, rolling 15 higher.

Petal checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 6 lower.

((For regular archery, difficulty at 15.))

"Infantry, raise your shields!" Darren shouts out calls to his men, "That was a good hit. Aim again, fuck that tower up. Don't give them the opprotunity to fire." Ballistas are commanded to aim at the damaged siege tower, while infantry rises their shields to protect themselves and the archers they are defending. Archers are given orders to set arrows on fire and aim for the shavs that are trying to make repairs.

Khanne checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 15, rolling 29 higher.

And Darren lofts his own shield, in preparation of the rain to come.

Anze gets his shield up to catch an arrow without much issue, hand loosening and tightening on the hilt of his blade as he awaits for his real moment of reckoning as the towers approach.

Asger checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 22 higher.

Tallius ignores the arrows entirely, "Keep at it men..look there, the first one is floundering, shift to the left!" he calls quickly as he grabs the ballista and forces it to shift to the side, aiming it as the engineers wench the next bolt into place. He draws a bead and then nods, "AGAIN!" he says once he's satisfied with the aim.

Petal takes a wound from an arrow.

Petal takes serious damage.

Morrighan hefts up her shield and prepared to brace for any impact incoming arrows might give - though she keeps the minimum on her self, giving a bit more protection. She ducks her head down, lowering her blade, sucking in a breath, waiting in anticipation, almost a little eager.

Khanne dips her arrow towards the fire, lighting it ablaze before she takes aim at a shav trying to repair one of the siege towers. *Thwunck* The string resonates a sound as it is released. She takes another arrow readied for fire and brings her bow back up, taking aim again at another shav. She is quiet, listening to the commands and suggestions of the others.

Morrighan gave Darren a bit more protection, that is.

Asger laughs heartily as he sees the incoming hail of arrows stepping to the side as an arrow streaks right into where he was just standing. With a mighty yell he calls out to those approaching the walls "Come and taste Winter's Kiss, you've been putting it of for far too long."

Petal is hit by an arrow that makes it to the healing station she set-up. The girl cries out as the arrow slams into her slender right shoulder, causing a terrible wound. Tears bead on her brown lashes and the seamstress staggers back, coming to crouch or maybe falling behind her table of medical supplies.


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Shavs start to fall, likewise soldiers begin to fall from the walls from shav arrows, though losses are particularly light in Redrain's walls under the direction of Anze's infantry acting as shieldmen. The fire from House Valardin's ward is a bit poor, not properly accounting for the sudden high wins, and the siege towers draw ever closer. House Thrax's fire directed by Harald is effective, and another tower goes down, though oddly it seems as if most of the towers are now avoiding the Ward of House Thrax- they seem to be splitting their forces to mass towards the western towards in Redrain and Valardin, possibly on account of the poorer fire, and towards the seawatch gate. Perhaps a thousand are still coming towards Thrax, which looks intimidating to defenders, but to those further in the rear and watching the flow of the battle, Donella Thrax notes the disposition against the Thrax Ward is unusually light.

Towards the Seawatch gate, the fire is the heaviest, and wordlessly the Silent Army is marching over hundreds of dead, and dozens of siege towers continue to roll towards the gate even as two more collapse, one pitching off the cliff and into the sea. The shavs go to a knee for another volley.
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((Same rolls gang for this round, still luck and dodge to see about arrows, and archery or command/war. And then we'll be into melee)).

Khanne has rolled a critical success!
Khanne checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 26 higher.

Kahlana checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 6 higher.

Morrighan checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 8 higher.

Darren checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 12 higher.

Darren checked command + war at difficulty 40, rolling 41 higher.

Khanne checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 15, rolling 4 higher.

Tallius checked luck + dodge at difficulty 15, rolling 2 higher.

Petal checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 4 lower.

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 45, rolling 6 higher.

Anze checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 35 higher.

It looks like Petal was about to take a near lethal hit, but Khanne manages to shove her out of the way.

Asger checked luck + dodge at difficulty 10, rolling 10 higher.

Darren has found his groove after that initial volley of arrows, barking out orders in crsip, clear and concise lines. Archers are directed to return fire: "Make it rain!" he thunders, before he directs the ballistas to the closest siege towers. The goal is clear - make every shot count and overwhelm with arrows and stones.

Khanne is taking a stance near the medical table and after shooting another arrow full of fire at a shav, sees one incoming towards petal as she is crouched down by the table. There may have been a word muttered under her breath as she dashes over to push the injured woman out of the way. "Take cover!" she shouts, ducking as arrows fly all around. "Use the table as a shield if you must!" She darts off again to grab another arrow, nocking it immediately in place and looking for a target.

Anze catches another arrow in his shield "ready!" Anze yells to the infantry. "Keep em off tha walls, don't let em get a beachhead!" Anze slams his helmet on then as the enemies approach. There isn't much more to command now, now it comes down to blood and iron.

Tallius hears the cry of Petal, and quickly readies his ballista crew to fire again, unleashing another bolt before he breaks away to run for Petal's side. It's not soon enough though, and he can almost see the arrow in slow motion falling towards her like she's bad-luck-magnetic. Khanne though, gets there and keeps Petal out of trouble and he gasps out a call of, "thank you!" to the woman, before falling back closer to the healers (and Petal) and drawing his bow, knocking an arrow and taking defensive posture near the group of healers with that bow.

Kahlana gets Crovane Falling Leaves Scalemail Shirt from Crovane Sigil Leather Belt.

Kahlana gets Crovane Branching Limbs Steel Gauntlets from Crovane Sigil Leather Belt.

Kahlana gets Crovane Hard Leather Boots from Crovane Sigil Leather Belt.

Kahlana gets Crovane Grounding Roots Steel Leggings from Crovane Sigil Leather Belt.

Kahlana gets Crovane Hard Leather Hood from Crovane Sigil Leather Belt.

Petal is almost hit by an arrow once again. The Shav mender is clearly very badly injured. Khanne shoves her away from the arrow, liking saving her life. The girl doesn't have to thank her. Her breathing is shallow and her face is too pale as she looks over to Tallius. she crawls under table, trying to use it as a shield.

Kahlana gets Crovane Hard Leather Sleeves from Crovane Sigil Leather Belt.

Asger continues to laugh as the arrows pour down on them with the duke seemingly moving at just the right time to avoid disaster "Come and we will spill your blood just like last time." slamming his hand down on Kahlana's shoulder he tells her "Stay alive and come back whole cousin." calling to his men he says "Prepare yourselves, when they close with the wall protect the archers."

Kahlana gets Crovane Flowing Leather Cloak from Crovane Sigil Leather Belt.

Morrighan exhales low hiss at the volley of arrows that rain down upon them, many deflected by or embedded by her shield. A few -thunk- as they hit, some of the points pushing through or leaving notable dents, those that are left are cut away with her blade, and she kicks them away in annoyance. She lowers the shield enough to look over the edge of the ramparts, gripping the hilt of her blade tightly, readying for the melee that's promised with the continued march by the enemy. "Got yer back, Darren, jus' dunnae go huggin' Bringers this time 'round, 'kay?"


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The first confirmed bringer falls from an arrow shot by Merek at the Seawatch Gate, the thing seeming to dissolve shortly after its shot. First, but certainly not the last, as the arrow fire tapers off and finally the siege towers are approaching the walls of Arx- save strangely the Ward of House Thrax, where it seems no attack comes yet. At the Ward of House Valardin and Redrain, and particularly at the Sewatch Gate, towers roll up to the walls and ladders begin to go up, and by the thousands shavs begin to try to climb.

Along the coast, Admiral Alrec reports that hundreds of rafts and canoes and other ricky vessels are hugging the coast towards the Gray River. Cheap, expendable craft with no more than a handful of shavs each, but obviously intending to storm the Lower Boroughs. The Pravus, Thrax and Argento vessels in the bay under the command of the Admiral turn to rake them with archery fire and capsize them, but some are certain to get through.
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Kahlana gets a messenger who carried all of her armor, she dodges through the arrows and then slips it on, each piece assisted by the one carrying it, she looks round then she moves over to the Duke "shall we stay up here?" she asks the man who she knows is best with his sword.

((Now anyone can try to stop the scaling ladders- boiling oil, throwing rocks, shooting arrows, et cetera. Even with no archery skill, everyone can roll dexterity + archery at 10 in a mass attritional attack. Still can up to 3 people that roll command. Lower Boroughs, you can also pick 3 people to check command + war or leadership at 15 to start to organize a Lower Boroughs defense))

Anze checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 10, rolling 11 higher.

Morrighan checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 10, rolling 13 higher.

Kahlana checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 10, rolling 9 higher.

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 10, rolling 58 higher.

Khanne checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 10, rolling 28 higher.

((For clarification, everyone on the walls can check dex + archery, up to 3 people can check war/command))

Darren checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 36 higher.

Darren checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 10, rolling 22 higher.

Asger checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 10, rolling 5 higher.

"Here they come!" Darren's voice rings out as the siege towers start to loft, and he passes out a handful of smoke bombs to be utilized to throw /into/ the siege towers and disrupt the flow of shavs. Out of the 20 smoke bombs he is in command of, he'll be using ten for now. The remaining soldiers under his command - archers and infantry both - are ordered to heave pots of boiling oil down onto the ladders and shavs that are coming, along with fire arrows.

"Dump fire on them! Knock them off our walls!" Khanne shouts to those nearby who can do so. She helps one of the Halfshav Infantry lift a fire barrel up, dumping hot coals onto the ladder below, and the shavs trying to climb up it. "Save some for our arrows!" she warns, not wanting all the fire gone. Looking along the wall, she says other fires, and boiling oil, being spilled over them. She then takes one of the smoke bombs from Darren, trying to toss it into the closest siege tower she can.

It is at this point that the men of the Stormwall turn to the barrels of debris they had been carting up to the walls for the past few weeks. Taking the elements of the city that the bringers wish to destroy and raining it destructively down upon them. Glancing back at Kahlana he tells her "Cousin take over there."

Kahlana helps pour boiling fire down on the bringers that are attempting to scale the walls, she looks down as she watches body after body get caught of fire, "Fuck off Brand." she says as she helps defend the walls

"Kill 'em all!" Morrighan roars, eagerly acquiring one of the smoke bombs from Darren. She trades off her shield for it, freeing up a hand, and she takes a few steps forward, lobbing it at the nearest siege towards that approaches. She pauses long enough to watch its path before running over to assist the infantry, adding her strength to dump the boiling oil over, shouting at the approaching horde, "Fuuuck yooou!"

Petal is hiding under her table of healing supplies while looking badly injured. Her breathing is shallow and her skin has a sickly pallor. An arrow sticks from her right shoulder.

Ryder the falcon arrives, delivering a message to Darren before departing.

Tallius stays close by near Petal, calling out, "you there, Petal is hurt, she can hardly tend the injured bleeding from her shoulder!" to the nearest healer that isn't busy already, before spinning. He sees the edges of a scaling ladder fall against the wall nearby and rushes over, jumping up onto the very crenalations and firing straight down the ladder at the shavs trying to put it into place and storm up it, before kicking it to try and send it tumbling off to one side, dropping back behind the crenalations after and falling back away from the edge. "I should have bought a sword..and maybe found out how to swing one.." he observes.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Darren before departing.


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Smoke bombs fall from the wall of House Redrain, a concotion created by Vallery which seem to be causing havoc among the shavs attempting to scale the walls. It becomes obvious quickly that most of the forces that were attempting to attack the walls around the Ward of House Thrax have turned towards Redrain, and the heaviest hammer blows are falling upon Redrain and the Seawatch gate. The defenders are fighting furiously, and they have all the advantages as shavs try to scale. Boiling oil, arrows, even simple rocks are thrown down, as well as more exotic poisons perpared by Eleyna, Blacktongue and Valery. The defenders take full advantage of the vulnerability of the attackers, and the shavs die in the thousands. Near ten thousand shavs are dead in minutes, as hundreds upon hundreds of the Silent Army run right into the heart of the defenses... but it gradually is being overwhelmed. Near ten thousand are dead, but the the trickle of shavs getting over the walls on ladders threatens to become a deluge. Now is the time for swords.
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Anze helps overturn a basket of rocks onto the oncoming enemies "be ready for tha soldiers" he says with a grunt as he drops his shield and takes both hands on his blade and readies for the shav's heading up the walls. "Don't let em form a beach head!"

((Again, 3 individuals in each ward -except- Thrax can roll command + leadership or war at 15, and everyone engaging in melee can check dexterity + medium wpn at 30. For anyone failing a roll, check luck + dodge at 10 + however much you failed by. Lower Boroughs can now be involved as well.))

((Can still use archery if primary weapons skill, yeah))

Morrighan checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 30 higher.

Anze checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 17 higher.

Darren checked command + war at difficulty 15, rolling 36 higher.

Anze checked command + war at difficulty 15, rolling 10 higher.

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 10 higher.

Asger checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 6 higher.

Kahlana checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 1 lower.

Kahlana checked luck + dodge at difficulty 11, rolling 3 higher.

Darren checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 40 higher.

Khanne checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 2 lower.

Khanne has rolled a critical success!
Khanne checked luck + dodge at difficulty 12, rolling 16 higher.

"Make it rain blood! TO THE LAST!" Darren roars out as the shavs start to hit the wall. In this, he will lead not only with words, but with action. Archers are told to keep fire on the shavs trying to breech the wall, while the infantry lurches into action, attacking with military precision at the shavs that ascend the wall. Darren leads the charge, his ruby-red blade gripped tight as he starts to tear through the attackers with vicious intent.

Morrighan peers over the edge, sea-blue eyes glaring at the Silent Army that makes its way up the walls, crawling over the thousands of dead below. She retreats back some distance close to Darren, rubicund blade wielded, lightly flicking it about, the movement creating a fiery blur. The moment Darren spurs into action, she's following with him, dashing towards the army, her sword swinging at anything and everything comes over the wall. She loosens savage growls, cutting through anything that gets close to herself and her liege lord with a keen intent to kill, and kill swiftly.

Anze cleaves his way through the first abandoned he can get too with his greatsword before yelling out to the other soldiers "hold them back, don't let em make a foothold, take out tha ladders if yah can!"

Tallius is hanging back now, back near the healers and Petal, standing guardianship as he has done for so long now. "Come on Petal, you gotta be okay..I'm not letting you give up on me after this long staying ahead of the bastards!" he calls out to her, before unleashing a series of arrows. The young archer's eye is keen and his aim is true, firing arrows the midst of the skirmishing with confidence, sending feathered shafts of death flying within inches of his allies to thud deep into the bodies of the Shavs coming upon them.

Asger growls viciously as he closes with the shavs mounting the walls. Bringing his diamondplate axe down against a shav's neck it bites in deep with a spray of crimson blood that splatters against his face. Drawing the axe back he swings it down again severing the head and causing it to tumble from his sagging body. "Come men, the foe have finally arrived would you have us labeled bad hosts for failing to come and greet them?" his words shouted with a taunting cadence as he clashes with his next foe, felling the shav as he begins to laugh mirthfully.


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In the Ward of House Valardin, Ward of House Redrain, the Seawatch Gate and in the Lower Boroughs the battle intensifies. Shavs continue to pour over the walls using ladders and siege towers. A cheer goes up from the Seawatch Gate as Princess Peregrine Grayson cuts down a Bringer of Silence, and strangely is circled by crows overhead for a moment. The forces attacking House Thrax seem to have deserted it, as House Redrain is coming over even heavier assault. While thousands of shavs are dead, more are pouring in, and the defenders rush to meet them.
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((Each round will get harder. This time, anyone can check dexterity + yourweaponskill at 35, except redrain who are facing higher forces, at roll against difficulty 40. Checks for command + leadership or war now are against difficulty 20, again picking 3 for that or anything unusual. Thrax, you can continue trying your bamboozle, same difficulty, or opt to reinforce Redrain))

Skittering along the ground quickly, Ysbail slides in under the table where Petal is at. Flashing her a brief grin, she looks over the arrow sticking out of the poor woman then calls out cheerfully, "Grab hold of something and don't let go! This is going to sting, but we'll make it better!" She's quick to grip the shaft of the arrow, pulling it out quickly then pressing a bandage immediately to the wound, using the weight of her body to help press down and staunch bloodflow even as shedrops the arrow to reach for the wraps. And still with that cheerful smile and tone of voice, "There we go! You'll be good as new in no time, and now you have a souvenir!" Like they're on a day trip.

Kahlana moves along side the Duke, she wields her knife as he wields his axe, she misses her mark, just barely and then moves rather dexterity out of the way of the counterstrike "The spirits be with me." she says as Asger taunts the foe.

Morrighan checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 46 higher.

Khanne is more restricted with her arrows now that the enemy begins to climb onto the rampart. Distance is minimal, but still she tries. She takes to her feet, carrying a number of bows with her as she tries to stay away from the beasts attacking and attempts to fill them with arrows instead. Her luck is not so great, but thankfully, her reflex to move is better.

Anze checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 16 higher.

Khanne checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 40, rolling 10 higher.

Darren checked command + leadership at difficulty 20, rolling 29 higher.

Kahlana checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 1 lower.

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 40, rolling 20 higher.

((For anyone failing a check, be sure to roll luck + dodge at 10+whatyoufailed by))

Darren checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 4 lower.

Kahlana checked luck + dodge at difficulty 11, rolling 0 higher.

Darren checked luck + dodge at difficulty 14, rolling 7 higher.

Asger checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 48 higher.

Anze checked command + war at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Ryder the falcon arrives, delivering a message to Darren before departing.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Anze before departing.

Petal cries out when the arrow is removed, but a moment later her sounds calm into whimpers. She looks to be doing much better after Ysbail's treatment. The clean bandaged is pressed to her wound, helping to control the bleeding. She then looks over to Tallisu. "I'm okay." She says, but the girl keeps trying to hide beneath the table.

As the fighting intensifies up on the Redrain ramparts, Darren falls back long enough to shout to couriers that are delivering messengers for him throughout the other wards before he is back in line with his men. The orders now are simple - "Hold the wall, we won't let them breech the ward. To the last, TO THE LAST!" bellowing out of him as he charges forth once more. Though he clashes with a Shav, he narrowly avoids getting cut, managing to dodge out of the way so the other soldiers can take care of his attacker.

"To the last!" Khanne yells, firing another arrow towards a charging enemy, this time with enough of a moment to steady her aim and take a good shot! She gathered up holy water blessed arrows, since on the move she can't quite pick and choose, and so, anything she shoots at this time, has that going for it.

Anze runs another abandoned through with his blade as the forces of brand continue to make their way up and over the walls, working as hard as he can to hold back the tide with the other members of the infantry

Asger clashes with his foes in a whirl of axe and showing no qualms about punching any shavs who get too close to him, all the while laughing his thunderous laugh as if having the time of his life. Meeting a rather cunning foe in battle the duke dawns a vicious grin as he finds his axe being parried. With a chortle he tells the opponent something before slashing at their leg and bringing them to the ground where he crushes their head beneath the heal of his boot.

Morrighan's blade swiftly becomes coated in blood, tearing through enemies left and right, and kicking off a few that are too stubborn to just fall off. Darren's retreat brings her to maneuver in front of him, acting as shield to help cover and protect his retreat back. She glances back over her shoulder long enough to ensure he's safe and unharmed. It's there the servant holds her position until the nobleman charges forward once more, and she's instantly trailing after him, though veers off towards the Shav that poses the most threat. Morrighan joins with the rest of the soldiers in cutting the enemy attacker down - and she does so, violently. "Dunnae fuckin' touch our Prince!" she howls, giving the shav a firm kick in the face.

Tallius stays back, sparing a glance towards Petal of worry, but then he's continuing his barrage of arrows. Again and again he fires, his hand almost seeming to blur with the speed of his shots as he tries to keep any from reaching towards where the healers are. The numbers though, draw his attention to Petal briefly as he says, "remember your promise Petal," in a quiet voice.

Kahlana gets close to hitting them but so far the woman has not been very successful as of yet to land a blow, so far however - her luck has held out and she has not gotten any damage herself, she breathes as she tries to fight along side her duke her voice echoing his own laughter.

Ryder the falcon arrives, delivering a message to Darren before departing.

Petal seems completely frightened. That arrow really shocked her badly. "I remember..." She says toward Tallius. She whispers something to him and tries to run away from the battle.

Ryder the falcon arrives, delivering a message to Darren before departing.

Blinking in surprise when Petal gets up and starts to run, Ysbail pops her head up over the table to call out, "Anyone else in need of aid?"


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As more and more shavs flood over the walls, the battle continues to intensify, with mounting casualties all around and more and more dragged to safety and the waiting aid tents set up by Eirene, Benjamine and Sophie. At the Seawatch Gate, a shot by Estaban fells a bringer, causing a cheer to go up from the defenders. At the Ward of House Valardin, it looks like the lines were buckling for a moment, and then Prince Valerion managed to rally them once more.

At the Ward of House Thrax, the defenders hide for precious minutes, making it seem that the defenders withdrew to help reinforce House Redrain, and then robed figures hidden in an abandoned siege tower slip out and approach the wall of House Thrax. House Thrax's defenders rise and scream to loose a volley at the figures, and two of the three robed figures immediately fall. Arrows fired towards the third robed figure seem to disintegrate in mid air, as Prince Dominic Thrax throws a harpoon that seems to hit a wall in the air and turn to dust. The figure lifts a hand and flicks it dismissively towards Dominic, "Cease". With an ear-shattering explosion that deafens all in House Thrax and sends shockwaves through the city, the wall of House Thrax explodes outwards in a shower of rock, boulders flying into the air that disintegrate and turn to dust as they fly.

Behind the wall, all the thralls in the Thrall's Lament are killed instantly, reduced to dust, and the Gate of House Thrax is evaporated. The ramparts of House Thrax begin to collapse.
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((The battle continues to intensify, new round with difficulty again going up by 5, so every ward will be checking dexterity + weaponskill at 40 with redrain at 45, with same checks for damage after, and same command checks. If any leader is altering the disposition of their forces, can page me about it))

Ysbail checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 40, rolling 23 lower.

Morrighan checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 2 lower.

Asger checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 2 lower.

Morrighan checked luck + dodge at difficulty 12, rolling 14 higher.

Anze checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 19 higher.

Asger checked luck + dodge at difficulty 12, rolling 5 higher.

Khanne checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 45, rolling 9 lower.

Darren checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 24 higher.

Khanne checked luck + dodge at difficulty 19, rolling 1 lower.

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 45, rolling 28 higher.

Kahlana checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 25 higher.

Giuseppe, a kindly old man, 1 Grayson Guardsmen arrive, following Luca.

Rickard, Zhayla, Joslyn, Luca arrive, following Reese.

A very minor wound for Khanne.

Khanne takes minor damage.

For a moment, Tallius watches Petal, as she pulls away from the battle. He looks relieved in the entirety, and moves on into the fray in earnest now, his role as guardian and protector no longer his foremost concern. The massive explosion's shockwave hits and he calls out, "I hope that wasn't someone on our side!" as he leaps up onto the remnants of a catapult, running up it's long arm to stand in the bucket of the disabled siege weapon and fire arrows down into the melee, picking targets from amongst the swirling battlers with uncanny accuracy.

As the shavs start pouring into the walls, Darren is pushed back by Redrain soldiers desiring to keep their High Lord alive. Though he keeps his sword gripped in his hands, Darren now shouts orders from the rear, directing forces around the ramparts and trying to keep his men and women from rout. The message: stay strong, keep going, don't let them take the ward. And so it goes.

Khanne is in the process of setting another arrow when a shockwave hits the ward, making the ground tremble, a distant sound of an explosion accompanying it. A shav jumps her and she tries to fight it off, kneeing and kicking it, and manages to get away, but not before the damnable thing took a bit of a slice at her, knicking her right side enough to cause her to shout curses and bleed, but not enough to stop her. She tried to find a better spot, to center herself and continue the fight.

Asger laughs as he misses his swing, over extending himself but to his perpetual luck it seems that by doing so it causes a shav who was coming up on him to miss as well. Following through Asger moves into combat with his prey as the man who was aiming to take him out gets taken by a Crovane warrior and soon finds an axe blade buried deep within his chest cavity.

Shadow's Wolf Pup arrives, following Shadow.

Morrighan exhales a grunt as metal clashes on metal, blade locked with a shav - and losing ground. She's gradually knocked back when her next strike fails to meet its target, though she parries the next incoming attack easily enough. Skittering back into a group of Redrain infantry, her eyes look about wildly for Darren, soon finding him behind a group of soldiers, and that's where she goes. With haste. By his side she stands, guard up on the defense, loosing an annoyed huff of breath.

Shadow's Wolf Pup have been dismissed.

Feeding off the Dukes energy is the white haired Crovane her knife takes a big strike across a bringer and drawing blood on her target, she sweats slightly her green eyes focused.

Anze cleaves through another abandoned as they keep scaling the walls, focusing on trying to push back against the assaulting abandoned and not letting them form a strongpoint on the walls. Greatsword moves through the assaulting enemies as Anze, unlike his crovaine friend, fights the silent enemy with an equal amount of silence.

Shadow wields Blessing of the Wolf.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Darren before departing.


**********************************************************************
At the Seawatch Gate, the archers on the walls concentrate fire on the ram smashing at the gate itself, though shavs are still pouring over on ladders in an unending tide. House Valardin and Redrain continue to hold, if bitterly, as does the Lower Boroughs with knights of solace and questionable allies fighting shoulder to shoulder. The Ward of House Thrax appear breached, but strangely the shavs don't seem to be turning towards it yet. Even at the walls of House Redrain, they continue to race up ladders instead of turning towards it, but how long that foolishness continues is anyone's guess. Prince Remi Thrax goes to bring his marines to rally at the city proper, and Prince Talen and his mirrorguard reserves move towards the breached Ward of House Thrax waiting for when the shavs smarten up and redirect forces. The combats around the city continue to intensify as more of the thousands pour in, the shavs seeking to use their superior numbers at specific points and overwhelm the defenders.
**********************************************************************


((Same as before, the difficulties continue to increase by 5, and mind characters can withdraw if they choose. The reinforcements to house redrain have removed it's increased difficulty, so it's dexterity + weaponskill at 45 for everyone this round))

Anze checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 3 lower.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 46 higher.

Morrighan checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 6 higher.

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 45, rolling 14 higher.

Zhayla checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 7 higher.

Anze checked luck + dodge at difficulty 13, rolling 21 higher.

Rickard checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 8 higher.

Asger checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 9 lower.

Joslyn checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 12 higher.

Khanne checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 45, rolling 17 lower.

Kahlana checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 9 lower.

Asger checked luck + dodge at difficulty 19, rolling 1 higher.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 45, rolling 25 higher.

Kahlana checked luck + dodge at difficulty 19, rolling 6 higher.

Khanne checked luck + dodge at difficulty 27, rolling 10 lower.

Joslyn arrives with her entourage, dagger drawn as she arrives at the fray. A grin crosses her lips and she smirks wryly towards Luca. "And you were sad we were leaving the fun behind," she says, laughing as she charges in alongside them, ready to start drawing some more blood.

Darren checked command + leadership at difficulty 45, rolling 18 higher.

Reese checked command + leadership at difficulty 45, rolling 10 lower.

Reese approaches the gate while on horseback and while at the command of Grayson forces. Joslyn, Zhayla, Rickard and Luca all arrive with her. The party seems to be in a big hurry to reach the Redrain gates. Reese is adorned in all her silvery steel plate. She quickly looks over the area, trying to get a feel for the current situation. "Hold the gate, hold gate!" She cries out, giving simple orders. "Griffins! For Compact! Hold the gate! Badgers and Fidante incoming!" She dives into the melee, swinging her pink sword.

Running beside Reese's steed, Rickard dives into the fray with as much gusto as a guy wearing leather can manage. Blade in hand, the man proceeds to stick his sword into every fleshy bit he can find, taking care not to slice into friendly flesh. Yo-ho!

Kahlana misses again.. she grunts a little as she bravely fights along side Asger. Her weapon flashing as she attempts to defend the blows that are returned to her. So far the small woman has dexterilly stayed out of the way of the incoming bringers attacks. "Blessed be the spirits that watch over me." she murmers a prayer

Darren continues to lead from the rear of the Redrain forces now, directing men this way and that. As reinforcements arrive, he greets them with a bellowing shout, directing the Griffins into the heat of the battle along with the Bears. "Keep going. Hold the wall, to the last! Fuck these guys, seriously!"

Zhayla swings down from her perch behind one of the others, and moves rather quickly away from the horse as though it's an even greater threat than the armies surrounding the city. She swings the bright head of her trident down and lunges forward, light on her feet as she moves to break the advance and reinforce the Redrain line. "We're with you!"

While Darren directs the Redrain forces from the rear, Morrighan keeps close, only stepping away towards those of the Bringer army that manages to get through. She dashes off towards one with a vicious snarl, fiery blade lifted and swiftly lowered, cutting a diagonal line down the torso of an approaching shav. "Dunnae think you /really/ want tae fuck these guys, Darren!" comes a snarky retort yelled over all the fighting before she retreats back, waiting for the next bastards who thinks he's feeling lucky enough to strike at the Ruling Prince.

At the head of the column of Grayson reinforcements, not because he's leading, but because he's most eager to get back to the bloodshed, is the Lazy Prince Luca, Winged Fox of the Graysons, riding forward in a blood-stained hooves of his mighty steed Gluefoot (who seems to have a particular rare eagerness to be on the move as well, maybe just as battle-hungry as his rider). He's laughing out as he goes to Z's comment as they see the horrid onslaught breaking through here and he's roaring out happily as he charges headlong up the ramps or stairs to the ramparts after diving off the horse. He's bearing two blades, a finely made non-Arvani rubicund in one hand, a gleaming alaericite sabre in the other and the two blades are being put to vicious use tearing into everything that moves that looks to be one of the Silence shavs. Here's hoping that the Redrains are well-marked since some of their styles can make the distinctions a bit harder to tell for a southerner. Still, there's probably more than enough people trying to stab him and that's always a good sign of who you can kill in a battle.

He never was on time for anything it really seemed, Well there was once but today once again the Shav from the Mounntains known as Shadow was late. And on a day when one should be anything but. The large man moving along at a jog heading for the Redrain gates. The man himself wearing little true protection beyond his leggings and boots and the woads painting his bared chest and face. His right hand clutching a longsword causing his knuckles to turn white as he heads into the fray after the others to help reinforce the ward. The man shouting out a string of Northlands Shav as he goes likely telling the shavs coming to siege the city and destroy creation what bloody fucking fools they were given the general tone and the spit flying every few words from his lips. Yep, Shadow wasn't happy and he was letting it be known.

A bringer smashes Lady Khanne into the side, almost certainly breaking a rib of the Voice of Halfshav.

Khanne takes critical damage.

Tallius is up atop one of the disabled catapults, swaying to dodge a few arrows from moment to moment as he looks down into the melee. "Damnit all, I'm going to run out of arrows at this rate!" he calls out, as he fires another one and then shifts the two quivers he carries, the first already empty. The second provides his next shot, sailing through the air as he knocks the arrow, draws and fires all in one steady motion. He doesn't even watch where the arrow sails, knowing his aim is true and already drawing the next arrow to send it flying at another target, a Shav moving towards the healers camp sprouting an bundle of feathers at the base of his skull as Tallius seeks his next target.

Khanne is blindsided by a Bringer that comes smashing into her with incredible force. She drops her bow, not just falling, but flying into the air a bit before landing. She is hurt. Bad, struggling for air with giant gasps. One of the Halfshav archers spotted her and drags her to the healers. "Help her!" they beg before running off to continue the fight in her stead.


**********************************************************************
A bringer at the Seawatch Gate threatens to throttle the life from Tikva, but is cutdown by Baroness Kima, as triumphant cheers rise from the defenders for the Lioness of Saikland Greens. Ywaine directing fire towards the battering ram sees the shavs temporarily flee and abandon the ram entirely as scores drop from the withering fire, and at the Ward of House Valardin, the Greenmarch archer known as Qaali shoots down a Bringer threatening Marian, the Sword of Sanctum. House Redrain holds, though Lady Khanne takes a grievous wound, and House Thrax sends Lord Edward Redreef to defend the breached wall and position the archers along what remains of the shattered ramparts. The Lower Boroughs continue to hold, holding the line of the Pit with (and against) the Dead. The battle rages on, and the numbers of shavs entering the city and fighting the defenders only continues to increase.

Prince Abbas Thrax, the Butcher's Bastard, had ships hugging the coast and waiting for an opportune moment. His reavers land and immediately advance upon the rear of the shavs at the seawatch gate, cutting into them and making the attack on the seawatch gate buckles before he is forced to withdraw and turn towards the broken remnants of the Ward of House Thrax, falling to the breach. Further in the north, perhaps taking Abbas' attack as a signal, there's horns sounding from the Gray Forest.
**********************************************************************


((Difficulties to increase, dexterity + weaponskill at 50 this round. Ward of House Thrax is not attacked yet this round, but the shavs around the Ward of House Redrain are starting to notice the opening, and will next round.))

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 1 lower.

Morrighan checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 6 lower.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 15 higher.

Morrighan checked luck + dodge at difficulty 16, rolling 6 higher.

Anze checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 15 lower.

Kahlana checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 17 lower.

Rickard checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 4 lower.

Darren checked command + war at difficulty 30, rolling 10 higher.

Anze checked luck + dodge at difficulty 25, rolling 24 higher.

Luca checked luck + dodge at difficulty 11, rolling 41 higher.

Kahlana has rolled a critical success!
Kahlana checked luck + dodge at difficulty 27, rolling 37 higher.

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 50, rolling 4 lower.

Zhayla checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 34 higher.

Shadow checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 18 lower.

Shadow checked luck + dodge at difficulty 28, rolling 10 lower.

Joslyn checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 8 lower.

Tallius checked luck + dodge at difficulty 14, rolling 28 higher.

Asger checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 50, rolling 6 lower.

Joslyn checked luck + dodge at difficulty 18, rolling 22 higher.

Asger checked luck + dodge at difficulty 16, rolling 11 higher.

"Well shit! This is a mess!" Luca's declaring with a grunting sort of good cheer as he finds himself caught up in midst of too many nasties to land his next series of cuts properly and ends up having to combat-roll out from the mess, laughing the whole way like a crazy bastard. Only Luca would enjoy nearly getting overwhelmed for the sheer challenge of it. "Glad we came over here! Good call Ribbons!"

Reese continues to charge into the battle, attacking with her silvery pink sword and inflicting damage upon the foes close by. She looks over to Luca, nodding in response to his words. The girl tries to command her Grayson forces to join the attack.

"We cannot stop now. Fight, FIGHT! We will not fall, we will not falter. It is us or them - and WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS!" Darren's cries bellow out to his soldiers, to the defenders - the tactic is clear enough, his intention now is to stave off the rout that might be coming as the shavs contineu to pour in.

Reese checked command + leadership at difficulty 30, rolling 21 higher.

Kahlana moves a bit she slices and hits some, she is quick and keeps avoiding the blows, luckily her prayer seems to hold and so far the small Northern woman seems unscathed. She fights tooth and nail alongside her Duke.

Rickard checked luck + dodge at difficulty 14, rolling 15 higher.

Tallius is about to take another shot when he sees a blanket of arrows arching up towards him from below, a cluster of archers finally getting tired of him raining death from on high. "Oh spirits.." he utters, his arrow missing for the first time and shattering on the stones of the walls. He drops down into the bucket of that broken catapult to avoid the arrows, managing not to become a pincushion before he scrambles back up and drops over the side, to the ramparts below.

When Khanne is dragged over, bleeding and severely injured, Ysbail offers the Princess Ann a cheerful smile, "Oh look, next patient has arrived!" Picking up some bandages, she hurries over to the injured Halfshav and gets compresses on those wounds to help staunch the flow of blood. "Not to worry, my lady! You'll be fighting fit in no time!"

As the armies fall upon the Redrain forces, Zhayla flings herself headlong into the thick of it, aiming for the point where the fighting is worst -- and where she might do the most good. "Protect the wounded so they can get to the healers!"

Asger continues amidst the sea of fighting bodies, still locked with the foeman though neither seeming to gain much ground in affecting the other.

Joslyn charges into the fray, standing alongside Redrain forces as she screams out in her defiance, blade whirling through the air, the shavs managing to get the better of her for a moment, but she quickly rolls out of the way of their retalitation, charging in ferociously.

With more and more of the enemy pouring in over the walls, Morrighan moves out, spurred forward by Darren's rallying cry. She joins with a group of Redrain soldiers, lunging at a Bringer, but it evades her attack, returning with one of its own. Sparks fly when she deflects the blow, hissing under her breath and back pedals to the rear, spitting out some rather colorful profanity. Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you fail, but the redhead keeps going, keeping a protective stance in front of Darren.

"My ribs..." Khanne wheeze/whispers. She lets out a groan, followed by one, plaintive, "fuck," as Ysbail sets to compressing the wounds. Her teeth grind together, her hands balling in fists as she tries to bear the necessary pain.

Fighting alongside his prodigals on the wall, Shadow fights desperately to save one, and takes a wicked wound while doing so.

Shadow takes serious damage.

Ann is not so cheerful in the midst of this bloodshed and gore. Instead, she is rather pale, but focused, treating one patient at a time with all the gravity the situation demands from her. Beneath her breath, she mutters prayers and curses alike, cleansing wounds, readying bindings with underlying poultices. Whiskey is given liberally, orally, to numb the pain.

Shadow throws himself into the thick of the battle with the shavs who he had been able to gather, When he sees one of them in trouble the man is quick to move pressing them out of the way with a forearm before taking the hit. A loud pained shout ripping from the man as he swings his sword around blinding in the direction it had come from. Blood mingling near the hit and wound with his pale flesh and the dark blue woads that decorate it.

Rickard dives into the fray, slashing and hacking and slicing his way through the gathered masses, loosing a variety of guttural warcries and animalistic howls, cackling gleefully as the blood and gore washes over him. He takes a knock to the head, and briefly crumples, before rising to his feet and backing off to regroup with Reese.

Reese looks toward toward Shadow as he is hit, the warrior princess sucking in a soft breath of concern. She then looks over to Rickard. "You okay?" She murmurs, but the girl keeps fighting and she doesn't have much time for conversation. She draws call out. "Shadow..to the healers!" Trying to give the Shav orders. She can try!


**********************************************************************
Losses continue to mount, and for a moment it seems as if the different wards might be overwhelmed, but they keep holding. Thousands of soldiers from each of the great houses are dead, and the painful brutal battle against the superior numbers grinds on. Princess Donella from her high vantage point sees it first- thousands of men and women wearing the colors of House Deepwood and Riven riding out of the Gray Forest from the north, and directly at the shav rear. A few thousand attack tens of thousands shouldn't amount to much- except with the advantage of surprise, the better ground, and against tired forces. The attack makes the Silent Army's line buckle, and the constant ferocity ebbs ever so slightly in the wards. House Thrax's moment of calm unfortunately comes to an end, as shavs waiting to scale the ladders to attack Redrain divert to storm towards the breach in Thrax. A hard fight is ahead, without defenses.
**********************************************************************


((Difficulty -drops- to 30 for Seawatch Gate, Lower Boroughs, Redrain and Valardin. Difficulty -stays- at 50 in Thrax due to the shattered defenses and depleted forces.))

Darren checked command + leadership at difficulty 30, rolling 14 higher.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 37 higher.

Joslyn checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 39 higher.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 24 higher.

Morrighan checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 30 higher.

Anze checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 23 higher.

Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 12 higher.

Reese has rolled a critical success!
Reese checked command + leadership at difficulty 30, rolling 40 higher.

Darren checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 24 higher.

Kahlana checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 1 lower.

Asger checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 55 higher.

Kahlana checked luck + dodge at difficulty 11, rolling 23 higher.

Zhayla checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 20 higher.

Shadow checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 18 lower.

Shadow checked luck + dodge at difficulty 28, rolling 13 lower.

Rickard checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 4 higher.

It is a grind, and yet even the smallest advantages in these moments feel monumental. In spite of the slight thinning of the shavs, Darren keeps his men directed, pushing forward once again to direct the battle from the front of the lines, swinging and splitting through the enemy as he roars out a battle cry. The men and women he leads bellow back, the words of Redrain echoed loud and clear from one end of the Ramparts to the other.

Reese is at the head of the Grayson's forces, giving them orders and directions with great leadership and skill. She swings her blade and the princess is able to strike down some of the foes. "Griffins! Charge, attack, hold the line! For Gloria! Don't let them advance!"

Khanne stays where she is, though now that her wounds are no longer life threatening, the healers are off taking care of other soldiers that need them more. Someone brought her bow by, picking it up where she had dropped it. The nearness of it brings her some comfort, no matter how false that comfort may be in the moment.

Luca's brief retreat turns into a bloodbath as he turns on shavs again without being surrounded, cutting them down and forcing some back to the wall and right off into gaps forming in their approach. Amidst it, he's calling out, rubicund helm making the accented jovial words metallic. "Is it just me, or are they not coming as fast to the slaughter?"

Shadow is an exceptionally courageous man, fighting on despite his wounds. And so he stands up on the wall as more shavs pour over it, taking wound after wound in the battle.

Shadow takes very serious damage.

"Look into my eyes and gaze upon your reflection," Joslyn threatens, driving in deep as she stabs into the shavs all around her, blood spilling and splashing over her, drawing everything out with a smile on her face. Every kill is savored, even in the chaos of battle.

"FOR GLORIA!" Rickard cries out in response to Reese, blade held high. He thrusts forward, sinking his blade into Reese's targets, adding insult to injury.. or is it injury to injury? Anyway, he continues stabbing away, pumped up on adrenaline. "YAH!"

As the abandoned scaling the walls of the Redrain ward begin to weaken in their assault, Anze takes the opportunity to push forward, there is a buried greatsword in the chest of an abandoned before Anze moves onward. Unlike the rest of the Redrain there is no battle cry from him, he continues to meet silence with silence. Another swing cleaves through an abandoned with a snarl from the large Redrain as he moves to try and push back against the invaders and try and remove some of the ladders.

Asger growls as he finally catches an advantage against his foe with whom he has traded blow after with. With a grunt he brings his axe to bare against the shav, smashing through his leather and caving in his chest. Pushing the foe back away from his axe he looks around with a crazed look in his eye for the next neared opponent and closes in with him to join in the fight

Morrighan darts along after Darren, her leathers exhibiting a subtle shift in color given the iridescent quality, like a giant raven she soars alongside the Ruling Prince. The feathers of her helm are drenched in blood, her armor and blade spattered with it, but her fighting spirit never falters. She roars along with Darren and the rest of the Redrain soldiers, hacking and cutting her way through those of the Bringer army that stand in her way.

The words from Reese about seeking out a healer fall upon deaf ears when they are called out to Shadow, The man lost in the moment and in the fight. Torn between that balance of adrenaline fueled fervor and pain. As he stands upon the wall and fights on taking more of those strikes to his form he finally begins to fall black bloodied and battered from the hits taken. The man trying to hold his ground with the Shavs he had managed to get to fight beside him. The pale flesh of the man holding patches of crimson where blood trails and is splattered from the fighting around him and his injuries.

"I think you're right," Zhayla calls back at Luca as the heat of battle ebbs from raging forest fire to cozy little wildfire. "Seems like they can use the breath!" She shifts to cover Shadow's retreat as he actually seems to take notice of his many wounds, casting a glance at him with a whistle and a wince. "Listen to Reese!"

Tallius is upon the ramparts again, rather than above them, and it's not exactly an ideal sort of place for an archer. It doesn't slow him down though, especially as the attack momentarily lessens in intensity. He runs towards the cluster near the Redrain leader, firing an arrow into a Shav back before drawing another and stabbing a shav repeatedly with it, finding himself with the cluster. "Say Redrain!" he calls to Darren, "is there a bounty per one of these things we put down or something, I'm still trying to get my shop all set up!?" before he launches another arrow.

Reese does a check of Zhayla, Joslyn, Rickard and Luca. Quick because she is quick distracted by the battle. They seem still in good shape and that is good enough for her. She stays at the front of her forces, helping to lead and command by showing bravery. The girl then looks over to Shadow, seemingly quite concerned. "Shadow! Healers now!" She yells. She sure is bossy.


**********************************************************************
The Deepwood forces cannot turn the tide, of course. The weight of numbers is too much, but it does give new life to the defenders. Princess Reese, fighting in the Ward of House Redrain, rallies the troops who all scream "TO THE LAST!" around the Grayson. House Thrax looked near breaking, until Count Maximilian directed archers in a withering fire on the shavs attempting to storm in to the breach, and Darrow tore a bringer's head off with his flail, making the enemy forces storming the ward pause. In the Ward of House Valardin, Fiachra drops a hulking bringer that was smashing Valardin knights left and right, eliciting a cheer from the defenders. Still, the battle rages on, and it's by no means decided. As the deepwood forces attack from the rear, it seems that the Silent Army attacks intensify.
**********************************************************************


((Things have evened out between the wards, somewhat. It's difficulty 35 this round for all wards, -including- Thrax, and for the Lower Boroughs.))

Joslyn checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 17 higher.

Morrighan checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 11 higher.

Anze checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 29 higher.

Zhayla checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 29 higher.

Reese checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 16 higher.

Darren has rolled a critical success!
Darren checked command + leadership at difficulty 30, rolling 24 higher.

Luca checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 11 higher.

Kahlana checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 1 higher.

Rickard checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 14 lower.

Reese checked command + leadership at difficulty 30, rolling 11 higher.

Darren checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 11 higher.

Joslyn still charges forward, stabbing at anything that looks even remotely dangerous, lips curled into a vicious smile, she screams out in anger, driving blade home, and kicking her victims away.

Rickard checked luck + dodge at difficulty 14, rolling 45 higher.

Shadow checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 35, rolling 1 lower.

Shadow has rolled a critical success!
Shadow checked luck + dodge at difficulty 11, rolling 31 higher.

Tallius has rolled a critical success!
Tallius checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 35, rolling 95 higher.

Luca begins to whistle. Cheerfully whistle a happy little metallic tune from inside his rubicund helm as he dances like an incarnation of death through shavs piling atop the walls, pretty much oblivious to much else in the battle for now but slaughtering.

And as the battle ranges on .. Darren leads his men and women into song? It certainly seems like it, a bellowing, boisterous song of war and glory that echoes throughout the ward. The High Lord of Redrain continues to lead them from the front of the lines now, tearing down shavs that are in his way, until the Prince is covered in blood that is not his own.

Shadow hears the words from Zhayla and gives a low growling answer edged in pain, "Shadow make oath... Shadow make promise. Keep Promise.." The man seeming to be reluctant to leave his spot on the wall or the shavs he had enlisted to help in the fight. Though when he hears the more serious and firm tone of Reese the man is quickly nodding giving one last slash out at one of the attackers before he is stepping behind the line and stumbling back from the fray at least mostly to begin to stumble and work his way back towards safety and the healers.

Serenity have been dismissed.

Kahlana fights - blood splatters within her white locks, she breathes deeply as she fights along side the Redrains she was sworn to ally. She moves her dagger slicing at the bringers and she is amazingly dodging the incoming blows. She murmers another prayer, "The spirits watch us and keep us, may they live through us this day."

Reese continues her fight, striking down foes right and left. She looks toward her companions, always keeping a watch on them and trying them safe. The warriors with her are epic good and don't need Reese's protection though. She doesn't have time to marvel at the skill of the others though as she continues fighting and yelling orders. "Griffins! Attack! Push those abysmal spawn back!" She tries to keep watch of Shadow, looking toward him as he stumbles back to the healers. She will do her best to keep him from getting injured again before he is tended to, trying to direct her line to block the abandoned from the healers if possible.

Seeing Shadow bend to Reese's will, Zhayla steps in to take his place. Everyone knows that all Prodigals are all the same, after all, even if they come from different ends of Arvum. She's an unrelenting anchor to the line. An unrelenting, but perhaps undersized anchor.

Morrighan joins with the war song, whatever it may be, singing or snarling, she's taking part quite joyously. "This is why you dunnae screw with th'bears!" she yells, cutting through yet another shav, adding one more to the pile of corpses. Though happily engaged in war, the servant ensures to keep Darren within her line of sight, protecting and defending, but at a safe enough distance she won't be part of the Ruling Prince's carnage.

Rubicund Greatsword gripped tightly, Anze continues to push at the wave of abandoned on the walls, but the tide is endless. Another abandoned falls to his blade, but its just replaced by another one. Over and over the process repeats itself, for him and everyone else on the ramparts. Abandoned and compact forces cutting each other down in a swirl of blades and bodies.

Trying to balance time spent in the fray with keeping Reese safe, Rickard dances through the fray, slicing and dicing with his custom-made edged weapon. He takes a few good hits, and backs off to rejoin Reese's side. He's winded, but none the worse for wear.. yet. That may still change, if Lady Luck has anything to say of it.

Tallius moves away from Darren again in the ebb and flow of battle, spotting a ballista that is loaded but not yet fired, forgotten as the crew fights for their lives upon the ramparts. He rushes over to it, spinning it quickly and halfway over the edge of the ramparts, aiming not at any one, but rather along the front of the wall itself. Even as he's toppling the weapon over the side, he fires the release, sending the ballista bolt cutting across the front of the wall, aimed not at people but at the ladders full of them, trying to cut the paths of assault somewhat and send attackers tumbling in the process!

Joslyn is an unhinged force, her blade spinning around as she charges into the fray. Diamondplate dagger weilded with a vicious grace. Each time she finds a target she slows, making sure the victim can look into her eyes, see the fire in her eyes before she snuffs theirs out for good. With her wicked smile she continues her path through the fray.

Ryder the falcon arrives, delivering a message to Darren before departing.


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The Battle in the Ward of House Redrain hits a fever pitch, and as the Northlanders see their highlord -singing-, they suddenly all start screaming, "TO THE LAST!" A moment later, Shadow laughs off a seemingly brutal wound, and Tallius lands a near impossible shot- a shot that sends a bringer sprawling, using its inhuman strength to knock over one of their own siege towers, and collapse another. The defenders roar, and are suddenly swarming over the attacking shavs. Moments of vicious fighting later, the Ward of House Redrain is clear of attackers, having defended to the last and held, and the shavs yet to scale up re-route to attack the Ward of House Thrax rather than funnel into the grinder of House Redrain.

House Thrax continues to hold, but at great cost, without defenses. The additional attackers is almost certain to overwhelm them. House Valardin, the Seawatch Gate and the Lower Boroughs buckle, as the dead piles on, but those battles are not near completion.
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((Attackers have given up on the Ward of House Redrain, the first battle site to be a victory. Defenders there can lick their wounds or move to support one of the other wards, and Thrax particularly needs it badly right now, even as the Deepwood reserves are moving forward to help the breach. Difficulty at 35 for all battlesites, with no rolls for Redrain- finished there.))

Zhayla, Joslyn, Shadow leave, following Reese.

Giuseppe, a kindly old man, 1 Grayson Guardsmen leave, following Luca.

Morrighan, Reese, Luca, Anze, Ysbail, Rickard, Tallius leave, following Darren.

Khanne is helped off the ramparts by some of the Halfshav soldiers.


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The slaughter continues. Bodies are starting to be stacked deep in the wards, with shav and defenders alike scrambling over them. Suddenly the Silent Army seems to pause, and far-too-tall men take their frontlines- the cry goes up that the formorians are taking the field. At the Seawatch Gate, a hulking figure at least 9 feet tall and covered in black armor strides through the gate, carrying a morning star larger than most men's chests. It smashes defenders, crushing dozens of Crimson Blades and Iron Guardsmen alike before finally Artorius comes face to face with the beast, his rubicund greatsword Requiem managing to barely deflect the titanic blows that would have shattered him before Artorius cleaves his greatsword through the beast's visor, felling it.

At the Ward of House Valardin, the former champion the Niamh Greenmarch, and new leader of the Gold Order, engages in a duel with a lumbering eight foot tall man in iron plate, managing to dance around the club wielding adversary as it knocks chunks of stone out of the rampart until she lands enough pinprick attacks to bring it low.

At the ward of House Thrax, a cheer goes up as Northlanders rush in to bolster the ranks of the defenders, and just in time- at least two entirely-too-massive men are smashing the front lines before being driven back by their combined forces. Suspiciously, none have yet shown in the Lower Boroughs, possibly because they couldn't have fit on the little boats they used to attack the Boroughs, but they are more than making up for it in the sheer number of bringers tearing apart Knights of Solace. The battle rages on.
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((The formorians are a complication. It's going to be harder fighting for this round only as they attack brutally- difficulty 50 for valardin and seawatch, thrax is at 40 with the reinforcements, Lower Boroughs is suspiciously at 35))


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The formorian attack is brutal. The defenders at the Seawatch Gate buckle under the ferocity of the hulking attackers, with Lord Estaban Saik and Lady Tikva Riven succumbing to their wounds and being on the edge of death. Ywaine of the Crimson Blade roars for siege weapon fire, and several of the formorians fall under ballistae fire, while another charges right at the command tends, smashing defenders like insects until it comes face to face with Costas Voducce. The sailor manages to dance away from its blows, and somehow manages to land a perfect cut with his sword under the beast's chin, driving the blade up into its brain and killing it.

In the Lower Boroughs, Duke Cassius Pravus duels with two bringers at once and then lets out a battle cry that finds all the knights of solace rallying and swarming forward on the bringers, cutting into them in a ferocious attack that as the dust settles leaves the attackers fighting a retreat.

Suddenly, all across the battlefield, something very odd happens. Every shav, every shard, every bringer of silence, every formorian... they all stop moving. As if pausing to listen to something only they can hear, and ignoring the fact they are in a life or death struggle.
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((For this round, -everyone- can roll against difficulty -1-. That's right, 1. Go nuts. They aren't trying to resist at all for a minute.))


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The carnage in the midst of battle with a force that simply stops defending itself is unbelievable. Most of the veteran battle commanders know that losses are typically light until one side routs, and then it leads to a massacre. This is something far worse, as they are right there, surrounded by enemies, and making no effort to avoid it. A couple of slugging formorians seemed to be snapping out of it, but Fiora and Ferrando respectively managed to cut them down before they could fully recovered. The Silent Army is destroyed, with still the shavs not reacting, and theoretically leaders can take prisoners from the unresponsible shavs if they desire at the yet undecimated rear lines.
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