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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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 Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 1:21 pm
-Time of the North Wind-
The wind flows through this land. It touches everything, connects us all. It inspires us, it guides us. We can look to it and it will fill our needs if we but just ask. It will fill our sails and stoke our fires if we but let it through our doors. It is our mother and we are its children. This is the way of things, and this is what we know and love. The Wind.
-Time of the South Wind –
When the wind stopped blowing, it seemed as if we were pitched into darkness. The Darkness rose not from the land but from the hearts of all who live here. Humans, elves, even the animals. This is when our descent began. When we turned on one another as our beloved winds left us and we had no one to encourage us. This is when war became our cause and our lives. The winds returned to us…but we forgot to listen to them, fearing they would desert us as they did before. We take care of ourselves now.
-Time of the West Wind-
The races of this land had long broken bonds between one another. For proper reasons, for petty reasons, some for reasons they can’t even remember any longer. For hundreds of years it has been like this. Tearing and clawing and crying and praying for all this time and still there never seems to be an end in sight.
All they know is the hate they are raised with to feel and to follow…not all are like this in this land, no. Some play their swords with honor while others just thirst for blood. Some preach peace and unity, some live among others of their thoughts in mixed groups, and some try to distance themselves from the wars and skirmishes that dot the land as much as they can.
But as I said, there are those whom welcome the war. Who wish to finally show who is the better race. Of course, when people let themselves be blinded, of any race, they tend to miss the greater evils around them in this world. This is what I fear, for I feel it on the wind and the wind has never told me wrong before. It still cares for us and seeks to aid us as before.
Blind to the land, we go unheeding of this warning that it is trying to give us. We have forgotten how to listen to what we are told and in so doing so I fear we have doomed ourselves even before we know of such things.
As they say….something Wicked this way comes.
- Rygil Calindris, Elven Scribe
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 1:48 pm
He came to the camp, dismounting and adjusting the sword on his back, giving warm smiles and reassuring words to several of the young officers and recruits, shaking hands and generally lightening the mood, as night was starting to creep in some.
"I'm here to help with things. I know your all new recruits, greenhorns if you will. it's nothing to be ashamed of. we were all there once, even me."
getting up on a stool and addressing them as a group.
"So listen to me. heed my words and my commands tomorrow, and make yourselves at ease tonight. this war has raged long before you, and will rage through you tomorrow and the days beyond. this is a trial of fire. So screw your courage tight, sharpen your swords, polish your shields. Tomorrow you are going to witness the awesome force of elvish combat. they are going to move with grace unknown to you, thier going to wield strange powers. they are centuries older, and experienced. but for all that, remember, they are flesh and bone, same as you. they bleed, same as you. they are not invincible godlings or powerful spirits of earth and sky. Time may not kill them, but a bow or blade will. fire burns them as easily as it does us. they can feel fear, they can feel mercy, and they can regret."
Looking at each of them in turn, and waiting a moment for that to sink in.
"It's our job, our duty, to fight. to defend our people, and our way of life. but do not let your duty become one of bloodthirst and violence! if an elf cannot fight, give him quarter. if he surrenders, give him quarter. We kill because we have to kill, not because we want to kill. I'm sure you've heard that they call us barbaric, that they call us little more then animals. that is your way to prove them right, if you give yourself over to the blood and violence of war. if you let it consume you with anger and hatred. Show that we more then animals, show that we are more then barbarians. show them that though we will fight, and we will kill, that we know compassion, and mercy. make then regret fighting us, but let them know we can be peaceful. That is your duty, as much as the sword in your hands."
"soldiers often forget that. we are not merely cold blades in the hands of higher nobility, sent to slaughter those that oppose them.we are also keepers of peace. but we have to show we can give peace, before the elves will deem us worthy to have it from them. I won't promise that none of you will not make it back here tomorrow. but those that do remember that the elves your swords bring down also had families, and friends. that they mourn as we mourn, and they regret as we regret at lost lives."
Getting down off his stool and motioning to the gathered soldiers and officers.
"Now go on, gets something warm to eat. relax yourselves, and prepare for tomorrow."
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 1:57 pm
Long had she watched them moving across the land, getting closer and closer to the forest. They sought to cut off the elves from their supply route through here. Another victory...she didn't care who fought, or who died. She did care however that they were encroaching on her home and would destroy the whole of the forest in the blink of an eye. Elongated ears heard well though the words of men in the camp nearby. New management. Amber eyes turned away from the came as the wind rustled her cloak lightly. "I hear you."
Dropping from the tree she was in and onto the back of her mount, she gave a snap of reigns. "Let us move." Speaking to her mount of course, the wolf giving a noise back before taking off quite silently into the brush. Morning would come with cries. --- "Men! Forward! Given them no chance to take advantage of us! Watch your flank!" The elven army that had been marching was quite aware of what was happening just beyond their forest edge and they of course were not going to stand. Early as dawn was still rising they moved swiftly through the forest and toward the camp. Either they were ready and a fight was to be had, or they were still sleeping and would be slaughtered where they lay.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 8:45 pm
Randall was quiet as he was trained to be, he watched the camp of his kind from a tree shrouded in darkness, for he did not want to be discovered by those he had left over a week or so ago. He wanted to try and hear what was going to happen with the human side tomorrow during the battle, for he could not get away from the battle lines quick enough in order to escape either side when they began to fight.
So he listened and manage to hear most of what the old man said to the soldiers and he had to smile, for he never knew of such a man existing in the war. Still, he felt a bit of pity for those clad in armor, they knew what they were going to fight against and Randall had a feeling that some of the men he saw would not make it out alive tomorrow. Though he hoped the old man did, he deserved to live at least a few more decades. With a small sigh Randall continued to watch those among the camp, and saw a stray cat or two who just wanted to be fed. He hoped that by tomorrow he would still be alive to try and make it back home, and with that thought it mind he quietly crept down the tree and began to make it back through the bush. He needed to get moving as soon as he could.--- Randall sighed as he wandered through the bush carefully. He knew it wouldn't be best to run through it like he was being chased since he did not want to alert any side that he was there. He thought about going through the trees but he wasn't a tree hopper per say, he was better on the ground than going from branch to branch. But suddenly he stopped and hid behind a bush, he had a feeling that he be seeing someone soon so he knew it be best to wait it out for now and see if anyone would cross his way, then he would keep on moving.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 9:13 pm
Lucan stood tall in the saddle, at dawns first light. along the elvish border, already reports were coming in of early trouncing attacks, some successful, other not, some fending off barely. So his troop were ready...but he was keeping them in line out of the forests though many were eager to go rushing in.
"Remember what I told you last evening. Quarter is to be given. Make them regret facing us, fight with your heads..don't let passion and bloodlust override you senses."
Drawing his claymore from his back, and brandishing it high, letting the gold runes reflect the sunlight as it rose.
"Forward!"
slinging the sword in an arc forward, and the human lines marched forward.
"Hold your lines, legions on the right and left make a bowl...we'll trap the elves in a culdesac of steel."
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 9:38 pm
Both on their bellies, elf and wolf crawled through the underbrush, listening to the beat of marching footsteps and the calls of orders. The smell of smoke made her snort to clear her nostrils. That was their plan? To smokescreen and use the forest? Betting on the eager way of youths...not with this man leading. Perhaps a few would not heed his wise words. A noise and the wolf popped up and she swung herself up into it's saddle and took off into the brush, pulling out a throwing knife.
Flaming arrows hit stacks of wood hidden by leaves just before the forest edge, lighting up the line in fire and smoke before the moving human army. They would fight on their terms and they would either kill or drive the humans back. None came from the woods...and there was quiet save for the roar of fires....until several blasts of magic came striking out from the forests to rile the soldiers and have them come in with their rage.
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Picking Up Stars Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 9:54 pm
High above all, hidden from the quickly rising sun, she stood with one leg propped on a boulder as the mountains of her birth closed her off from the rest of the world. The armies were visible as nothing more than tiny specks. The dust clouds rising were simply proof of what her nose and the Wind had told her.
She held little faith in the old ways and even less faith in the fools fighting below. Once there reigned peace but a restlessness had always been in her people's hearts. A restlessness that they still had never fully identified and thus, couldn't yet be satisfied.
"Ignorant fools. One and all. They have forgotten the old ways. They fight like dogs for the same scraps all should share."
"Asanna." Silver head bowed in respect to the Elder leaning on her gnarled walking stick despite the lack of obvious age showing in the slenderly curved elven body, she gazed out over the horizon. "The battle wages."
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:18 pm
And there were noises from the front and noises from the right. Randall could tell things were going down, the humans were slowly making their way into the forest while the elves were getting into position to fight. But what he didn't count on were the fire arrows that were suddenly released. "Great..." So much for slipping out the back way. Though Randall moved his head slightly as he thought he picked up on something moving through the bush. Quietly he pulled out a dagger and began to move, parting the bush and keeping himself low as his eyes moved to encompass everything, he had to be so careful.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:39 pm
Flames bursting up caused several horses to rear, including lucan's but he called out and held them in line, so to speak.
"Hold your lines! Hold them!"
the flares of magic flew through the ranks, frightening some and making others dive aside, though quickly filled with others eager to go adn they continued to march forward through the flames, Lucan's voice calling out.
"Keep the lines, forward! Don't let fear and panic take hold! Close the ranks!"
Waving the sword about, horse rearing up and magic flared at it's feet.
"Face the fear! embrace it, let it strengthen your resolve! We will not let them break us in fear!"
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:17 pm
"Scraps that are for the picking of vultures and more made by their own bodies." He was quite happy about the little outbreak below. Standing on a small outcropping of rock nearby the other two, having escorted the Elder here, he smiled. "I would join if you would let me. Show them a true warrior and speed this along so that their camps are ripe for picking."
The moment they breached the fire lines and stepped into the sooty air on the other side, warriors fell upon them with blade, magic, and staff. A well orchestrated upfront confrontation meant to drive back the first of those that dare try to stand against them. And hidden farther back in the shrubs lay the second wave of warrior and archer, ready to rain down death at a moment's notice if their first line was breached or the humans found themsevles a second wind in their cause.
A yank at reins to make paws skid to a stop and the wolf hunkered down low to the ground and under the veil of smoke that was filling the forest so she and her rider could breathe. The clang of metal and such had caught their attention...seemed the two forces had already met...and now she had a choice. Did she help a side to help herself? Well no time like the present to be reckless she supposed. Most important thing was that her and her friend got the hell out of here. They could tear each other apart all they wanted then. Another snap of reins to get the wolf movign again.
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:50 pm
This was too easy. The assault was holding relatively tight, wavering in the line and both sides to make a kind of waving flow to the line of battle. This was elvish land...and this was all that was meeting them?
Lucan looked out about the battlefield, coughing some from the smoke and trying to guess what the real force was. his blade and armor were smattered with blood, but not all the blood on it were from the dead. several elves had left battle with him sorely injured, but alive. He was hoping his troops were doing likewise as he'd ordered before, but he couldn't monitor all of them all the time.
This couldn't be everything. they wouldn't defend their own homes with this small a force. he looked over at one of his commanders.
"Call for archers.. aim behind the enemy lines! first volley will be flaming, and I want the second volley to have the oil rigs!"
the oil rigs being a series of glass globes tied to the arrows that shattered on impact. so with flames as well they turned what they hit into living torches. if he was right ad there was a reserve, this might show them. if not, then it trapped the elves with flames in front and back. he could then withdraw his forces and let the fires bring them out.
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 7:07 pm
The elves were prepared just in case any of the humans realized that there were a second force waiting in the trees. Which was why they had areas covered with metal holdings so if any fire were to be directed their way they would be protected. When the first wave of fire arrows struck them they were safe, and then when the arrows with oil came their way almost all the elves were protected, and those who weren't abandoned their posts and moved quickly to safer areas. But once the fire started in the back did the second wave decided to move forward, for once they were joined with the first wave could they push back the humans.
Randall was doing his best to avoid being noticed. But with everyone moving everywhere it was getting to be even more difficult to keep status hidden from anyone. Though as he passed through another bush he stopped as he heard a noise, and turned to see an elf warrior looking at him.
"Crap." And off went Randall with an elf warrior following him. There was no point in trying to tell the elf that he was not a part of the army, the elf would of thought he was lying anyway. "Ahhhh! Stay away damn it, fight someone else!" Though of course his plea fell on death ears, despite the fact that the elves had the better hearing, and so Randall kept on running. Though as soon as he cleared some bushes something caught his eye, and that thing was an elf riding a giant wolf; though Randall only had a chance to blink once to realize that what he was seeing was indeed real, an elf riding a giant wolf, great. "Crap!" And he started the same thing with the elf on the wolf like he did with the warrior, he ran away, or at least did his best as the wolf would probably catch up to him. "Damn this forest!"
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Fractured Moonlight Captain
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 7:22 pm
The front line of course was a distraction for what was going on behind the scenes. This was elvish land that was alive with elvish magic...and the humans needed to know that. Thusly while the army was distracted by warriors, the well trained mages still hidden in the forest were summoning might golems of earth and trees. Things that paid no heed to pain and merely walked over humans like grass.
If this wasn't getting bad, as she knew what was happening deeper in the forest and the eventual outcome as the humans were not prepared for such magics, she would be laughing at the sight of the man being chased by the warrior elf, both that wandered into her path. A pause from the chasing elf who assumed she was going to help him gave the human some distance...though Keyloriah wasn't out to help them or the humans. But she would throw this one out as he was in her way anyway.
"Arauka Rycek." Her words and a change in posture for the creature to more aerodynamic got the wolf putting on even more speed with ease. The man in her path was duly snatched in wolfish jaws as the pair connected with him but didn't stop for a blink and continued hard through the brush until the edge of the forest and the fires visible there were in sight. "Arauka!" Another encouraging call to her mount and the wolf, man still in her jaws, leapt out of the forest and over teh firey barriers, skidding into the dirt and the army beyond, scattering a few troops with her landing in the clearing and dirt before the tree line. Granted...giant wolf was enough to send some of the human troops running as it was.
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 7:51 pm
This was a bad day for Randall, all he wanted to do was go home and away from such stupid battles but instead he found himself running through the forest as an elf on a giant wolf was following him. All he could think of was Crap,crap,crap,crap,crap!. Such simple words allowed him to focus on running at least. Though suddenly Randall felt something press against his back and was lifted off the ground with no problem. Quickly he looked to see the wolf from his angle and then it dawned on him that he was captured by the rider. "Ahhh! s**t!" Though even though that sounded a bit manly in some way what Randall really thought at that moment was: Don'teatme, don'teatme, don'teatme, don'teatme, don'teatme! as he was carried through the woods without much trouble.
But as he silently panicked Randall saw the end of the forest and knew that once they broke through he could try something to get out of the grasp of the wolf and run away. Though when they burst through the tree line Randall saw the ground give away as suddenly he and those who were carrying him were in the air! In that moment as they passed over the fires and some people who were fighting Randall yelled "Ah crap!" But in his mind he thought: Don'tdropme, don'tdropme, don'tdropme, don'tdropme, don'tdropme!, though thank the gods they finally landed, with Randall's face coming just an inch or two from hitting the floor as he started to cough from the dirt in his face. But when everything settled Randall realized he was still being held by the wolf as they just stood there, and he could feel some eyes looking at him. "Uh...thanks for the ride?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:10 pm
There it was, the second line.
"Fall back! back out! let the fire bring them to us on open ground! Fall back!"
trying to rally his troops back out of the forest, past the flames and into more open territory.
"Fall back! Archers, give us some cover!"
Rearing his horse up and twirling his sword about his head in a rallying, come back motion, backing his horse up some but staying in the relative thick of things to makes sure his troops and commanders were doing as instructed...and neatly slicing off and elbish hand and kicking the soldier sans sword away.
"Back to your forests, Elf kin. you've no need to die today."
glancing out at his troops.
"Pull back!"
Once back into open areas, past the flames, archers firing into the forest...but other weapons of war being dragged to the front. they only had a few of them, so waiting until they coudl really count was a better solution. the large crossbow like ballista...they only had five, set iand aimed a little high to hopefully make thier impact felt more.
"Rally up! be ready! don't think that they won't leave thier forests to face us if there is a need!"
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