${city} has been under siege for all of the summer. With supply lines cut and a large civillian populace trapped inside, ${Enemy General} has decided to throw the dice and take the field of battle before his troops are too weak from hunger to lift their weapons. This morning a messenger arrived, and terms of the coming battle were spelled out. Now you join the other officers in a sumptuously appointed tent to discuss strategy. ${General} of the ${Allied Legion} intends to employ The Two Mighty Gauntlets of Hrugga, a formation in which two small but powerful units wait upon the flanks of the main battle in order to take advantage of enemy weaknesses during the fight. ${Legion} will be divided in half under the direction of it's two Dritlan to fullfill this key role. As a Kási, you willdirect your Tsurúm of 400 men, as part of the Right Gauntlet, under ${Dritlan}. ${General} turns to you, and politely inquires where you feel you will do the most good. *choice #I should fight in the thick of it beside my men, where I can wet my sword, and where glory is greatest The younger of the officers are suitably impressed by your martial demeanor. After further discussions, the meeting is adjurned. *set Glory %+5 *page_break The hot midday sun is beating down as the two armies line up to face eachother before the walls of ${City). Brightly colored khéschal plumes wave above helmets and on large banner standards. As the drums beat out a steady rhythm and the trumpets blare orders, the soldiers in both armies are whipped into a frenzy of anticipation. Your soldiers turn and look to you for guidance. *choice #Speak to them of the glories of war You regale your ${men} with promises of victory, the plunder of a city, the admiration of ${women}, and eternal life in the songs that will be written of this day. With every word their hunger for battle grows. *goto challenge #Speak to them of their duty to ${Prince} You remind your ${men} of the rightness of their cause, and that they fight and die in service to the Imperium. Their faces take on a determined cast, and you know they will not let you or ${Prince} down. *goto challenge #Speak to them of the wonders that await in ${God}'s Heaven You remind your men not to fear death. That if they fall today, they will awake in the paradise of ${God}. *goto challenge #I am not one for fancy speeches *label challenge Soon a mighty warrior breaks away from the enemy line. He raises his weapons in the air and begins calling out imprecations against ${Prince}, the ${Legion}, the general hygiene of your ${men} and the looseness of their sisters. “Will no one step forward to battle me? Or are the soldiers of the ${Legion Number} truly cowards and weaklings?!” *choice #I leap forward, a snarl on my face and engage him. How dare he say such thigns about my beloved legion!? (besides, it does the men good to see their Kasi win a duel) You run forward to defend the honor of the ${Legion}. Seeing you approach, the challenger's ugly mouth splits into a grin and he charges forward to meet you. *if combat > ?? You meet with a slam between the two armies. He's strong as a chlén, but no match for your prowesse with the sword. You quickly dispatch this loud-mouth with a blow to his ribs, and he falls bleeding at your feet. *goto duel victory *elseif combat > ?? You meet with a slam between the two armies. He's strong as a chlén and the battle is hard fought beneath the sun. Eventually, when you are near exhaustion, you see an opening, make your strike, and look down to see him bleeding at your feet. *set wound +1 *goto duel victory *else You meet with a slam between the two armies. He's strong as a chlén, and though you put upa good fight, his mighty blows drive you back. Under the heta of the sun, you feel exhaustion setting in, and in a moment of distraction, you feel a blow like an axe striek your head. The world goes dark. *goto loose battle *label duel victory Your 400 men let forth a deafening roar of sound, and only discipline keeps them in ranks and prevents them from charging the enemy line right now. *choice #Take the fallen challenger's weapons and call for a physician. He fought well, and should be ransomed back to his comrades after the battle As your fallen opponent is carried from the field the trumpets signal and your men form up. The battle has begun! *set loudmouth captured true *goto battle # Take the fallen challenger's weapons and call for a priest. He fought well and should be sacrificed. As your fallen opponent is carried from the field the trumpets signal and your men form up. The battle has begun! *set loudmouth dead true *goto battle # Take the fallen challenger's weapons and sureptitiously stab him in the throat. This braggart is unworthy of both mercy and sacrifice. You turn from the enemy's corpse as trumpets signal and your men form up. The battle has begun! *set loudmouth dead true *set Honor %-10 *goto battle #I let one of my men charge forward. I don't want to risk my skin over mere words, but it would look bad if the challenge was not met. Hereksa (Lieutenant) ${Hereksa}waits to see if you will step forward to face the challenger. Seeing you pause ${he} strengthens his grip upon his shield and chlén hide sword and moves forward. ${Hereksa} puts up a good fight, but in the end ${he} is hit by a blow to the right knee, and crumples to the earth. The nameless challenger gives a roar, and then strips ${Hereksa} of ${his} weapons, and calls for ${him} to be carried from the field. You hope that the enemy have good physicians. Seeing the popular Hereksa fall, your men grow quiteter. The trumpets begin signaling formations, and the battle begins. *set Hereksa_captured true *goto battle #I caution my men to stand fast and ignore his barbs. We will find honor in winning the battle and taking the city, not in besting this loudmouth. He is a distraction nothing more. The nemey continues to mock your ${men} and the name of your legion. Your Hereksa ${Hereksa} grinds ${his} teeth in aggravation, but holds the line. Finally, the trumpets begin signaling formations, and the battle begins. *set morale -10 *label battle Your job is to hold position on the right flank until your Dritlán sees an appropriate opening and signals for your squad to rush in. #I should relay orders from the safety of the platform, where my view of the entire battlefield will aid me in making sound tactical decisions The older officers nod appreciation of you wise decision. After further discussions, the meeting is adjurned. *set tactics %+5 *page_break The hot midday sun is beating down as the two armies line up to face eachother before the walls of ${City). Brightly colored khéschal plumes wave above helmets and on large banner standards. As the drums beat out a steady rhythm and the trumpets blare orders, the soldiers in both armies are whipped into a frenzy of anticipation. You can see one of your Hereksas ${Hereksa} speaking words of encouragement to the men. A mighty warrior breaks away from the enemy line. He raises his weapons in the air and begins calling out imprecations against ${Prince}, the ${Legion}, the general hygiene of your ${men} and the looseness of their sisters. “Will no one step forward to battle me? Or are the soldiers of the ${Legion Number} truly cowards and weaklings?!” You see ${Hereksa} strengthen his grip upon his shield and chlén hide sword move forward to answer the challenge *choice #I watch ${Hereksa}fight. He looks overmatched, but it would dishonor him and the legion to interfere. ${Hereksa} puts up a good fight, but in the end ${he} is hit by a blow to the right knee, and crumples to the earth. The nameless challenger gives a roar, and then strips ${Hereksa} of ${his} weapons, and calls for ${him} to be carried from the field. You hope that the enemy have good physicians. Seeing the popular Hereksa fall, your men grow quiteter. The trumpets begin signaling formations, and the battle begins. *set Hereksa_captured true *goto battle #I order ${Signlaer} to signal a halt. We will find honor in winning the battle and taking the city, not in besting this loudmouth. He is a distraction nothing more. The enemy continues to mock your ${men} and the good name of your legion. ${Hereksa} grinds ${his} teeth in aggravation, but holds the line. Finally, the trumpets begin signaling formations, and the battle begins. *set Glory %-10 *label battle Your orders from the Dritlán are to hold the right flank, until an opportune moment. In the meantime you are responsible for directing the actions of your 400 soldiers. As the battle progresses where do you focus? *choice #I focus upon *if Magic > 1 #While the battlefield Sorcerers are protecting their troops in the field, I should take a small squad of men and attempt to seize one of the smaller gates on the far side of the city using my own spells. *set Honor %-10 The hot midday sun is beating down as the two armies line up to face each other before the walls of ${city}.