NationStates Jolt Archive

The North Sea Enroute to England - 5:02 AM

It was not long before word of the war on Wales hit Scandinavia, and already men sought to exploit the present weakness. Viking Raids were nearly immpossible to counter due to their lighting fast completion speeds and complete recklessness. English Armies now marched some hundred miles south onto the Welsh Kingdom. The lands of England were nearly drained of all soldiers for this effort, so even if by some miracle the welps normally had troops in the area to counter the raid, they were now some two hundred miles south. By the time anyone even heard of the raid, the raiders would be half way home.

Sven and his raiders, Rachejk's Chief Lieutenant marched into Mandal... then Oslo... then Volda spending their wealth like it had no end. Skagen was sacked, and now Darius of Volda wanted his prize. No man would march into his city the victor and live to be the only one. Darius organized his party, bought his ships, and set off for England... Whitby, England.

In the distance, through the thick fog sat the peaceful city of Whitby, clueless to the fate which would strike them. Moving at over 13 knots, the longships toar through the frigid water with amazing speed, propelled by an eager raiding party, they moved forward with bitter determination. By the time the camoflauged ships could be seen through the morning fog, they had all but landed on the beaches. Fifteen longboats toar through the icy waters of the North Sea, carrying some 525 men to the small port city of Whitby, where they expect to slaughter, burn and pillage, bringing back the wealth of the city to Volda. The shores were visible through the mist, the morning was young, day break had just begun to hit. The fifteen longboats, adorned with the heads of Pagan Gods and Mythical Beasts hit the cold beaches, unloading a horde not seen in England for a century.

The boats, explicitly designed for manuverabilty and speed were pulled upon the shores as weapons were quickly grabbed, torches lit, and chants shouted. Darius the Red then withdrew a dead rabbit, and a knife, quickly tearing the creature in two. He dipped his bare fingers into the cold, red blood, making symbols on his face, symbols which dripped with the air of death. The rabbit was thrown back into the air, into a group of raiders who immidietly began fighting for the carcass, as they too applied the 'War Paint'. His teeth clenched, his sword withdrawn, he let out a yell to be matched by few and charged the shores of the city.

Raiding Party
450 Norse Raiders... Veterans of the Norse Revolution
x1 Sword or Hand Axe (Torch Also Common)
x1 Circular Wooden Shield Braced with Iron
x1 Dagger
x1 Set of Scale/Chain Mail/Studded Leather Armor
x1 Iron Battle Helmet
x1 Studded Leather Boots and Gloves

50 'Barbaric' Raiders... Veterans of the Norse Revolution Exalted by Rachejk for Exemplary Service
x1 Large Double Sided Battle Axe
x1 Shortsword
x1 Set of Scale/Chain Mail/Studded Leather Armor
x1 Iron Battle Helmet
x1 Studded Leather Boots and Gloves

25 'Longmen'... Veterans of the Norse Revolution Keen with a Bow
x1 Hunting Bow & Arrows
x1 Shortsword
x1 Studded Leather Armor
x1 Studded Leather Boots and Gloves

Darius the Cold... A key Lieutenant of Rachejk in the revolution, he is most famous for slaying the Duke of Volda in battle, and fufilling the mans last request in a... most unusual way. The Duke, leading a cognent of 500 men was ambushed and slaughtered by Darius' force in fierce battle, the Duke being slew by Darius' hand. As he lay in the snow dying, Darius came to his side and listened to his last words, which contained a plee for him to bring a message back to his wife in Volda. However, before the man could reach the note, he died on the spot as Darius severed the man's head, froze it in a block of ice, and upon sacking the city, delivered the Duke's head to his wife frozen in the block, laughing as she cried out in terror... he was thus known as Darius the Cold.

As the longboats glided in close to the land, a merchant ship came out of the harbor. Seeing the enemy ships come in, a blast was let out of the great horn on board the ship, a clear signal-danger.

Immediately the people began gathering their things and heading to the manor where Lord Roland lived. Whether it was marauding bandits, Scottish raiders, or whatever, they grabbed what they could and ran to the manor.

Lord Roland sounded the alarm from the church bell in the castle, calling all far and wide to seek protection. Meanwhile, the able-bodied men gathered in the manor, where they brought their pruning-bills, bows, and swords, and more were handed out by the armourer. The garrison of the city and knights under the Lord's command were called up, the trained men-at-arms rushing to the windows, weapons at the ready. The stream of townspeople had slowed, carts piled high with worldly possessions coming into the large manor house.

A messenger on a fast horse was sent to the Baron, saying that they still didn't know what they were up against, but they needed help-and fast.

Lord Roland ordered the doors bolted. It was crowded inside, with those who couldn't flee to the country coming in. The men were grimly at the windows and door, waiting...

(While there was a Castle North of Whitby [Approximatly One Mile North], it was not built until 1200 AD, thus, would not be there in 1090 AD. Unless you RP'd its consturction early [which would in itself take several years], there wouldn't be a castle there to run to. And to take all the worldy possessions of a city, and run them a mile north... would take days, not minutes. Even with a ten minute warning [which is extremely high, a one minute warning is probably the most you could get], there is literally nothing you could do except run. Taking possessions would slow them down and allow the raiders to enter the city. So if you could RP it as it was in 1090 without the castle, it would make the raid much better)

Bump

OOC: Sorry, as William the Conqueror had built 200 castles in this period, I assumed that any city would have a castle in it. I'll edit the earlier post.

Expect serious consquences for this, just so ya know.

OOC: You've got the entire population of Whitby in a manor house? Thats stretchin my imagination... manor houses are big, but fitting a couple thousand people in there? Along with all their possessions? People could probably grab some money... mabey a weapon, but all their possessions?

First thing would be that when the church bell rings, why do people immidietly think Viking Invasion? There hasn't been one in over a hundred and fifty years. England hasn't been attacked in nearly as long. So why do the people immidietly flee as if they were being invaded? How does everyone know that the ship simply was'nt sinkng? Or a drunk sailor blew the horn? How is a horn a sign of warning that they are being invaded. A few people, at the most might expect that. But to get a coordinated effort to hide all the people and their possessions in the manor house just because a merchant ship blew its horn? How do they know the church bell wasn't a child prank? Or service letting out?

It seems as if your people have been practicing for this moment for years, when in reality, people would just be standing around confused. Imagine this. Your at your house. You hear a fog horn go off in the distance. Later you hear a car honking. Do you immidietly think, "AHHH the Confederate Army is Coming!!!",? No. The reacton you are RP'ing is one of expirience. Your people haven't expirienced anything that would warn them of an invasion. If a merchant ship's horn blows, people proably do nothing. If a church bell rings, they probably do nothing... a church bell and a merchant ship's horn signaling a viking invasion is kind of odd.

Of course, after one sucessful raid, some sort of system would be established throughout the land... but it would take somthing to provoke a system into existance.

OOC: Well, no, they aren't responding to a Viking raid. They're responding to "there's something out there." And no, only those in the center of town went to the manor house with what they could carry, seeing as they don't have much time. Most just took what they could out into the hills.

For the response, only 20 years ago this country was in Civil War. The Scots are hostile, there are bandits around since most of my army is in Wales, I mean, there's plenty of reasons to flee.

(OOC: Eh, im gonna have to ask Phil or a war mod to look at this. I think your taking just a little too much liberty in having a horn mean 'Run Away', and a Church Bell mean 'Flee to the Manor House'. If you had RP'd some kind of program in which those actions were prepared, then sure... but when sombody wakes at 5:12 in the morning, and here's a merchant ships horn, followed by a church bell, what makes them say ''We're Under Attack!'', those two noises are very common, if they flee everytime they're heard, you'd have this happening 6-7 times a day. Thus, nothing gets done, thus, England collapses out of paranoia.)

OOC: Okay, to sort this as war moderator:
1. A normal manor house cannot hold thousands of people.
2. There were castlesw scattered along the cost and it will be more then likely in thr place to protect a city.
3. There were bells that were meant to muster soldiers and as well as to warn people of an inpending attack.

OOC: Problem with #2. I looked it up, historically speaking, the castle outside this city was not built till 1200 AD. Thats not for another hundred years... so how does he have a castle?

OOC: Sorry, I just looked it up to and I was wrong. The city at the time at best would have a wooden keep. Which would not have provided good protection. Anyway the battle will go in the Vikings favor, unless if they decided to stay for a few days.

OOC: Ill be there for 9 hours at the absolute max. Anyway, now that we've got all that cleared up, we can continue. I am not attacking any defenses the city holds. I am raiding houses and business places.

OOC: Well, I'm tired of editing my posts, but we can assume the people that couldn't flee outside the city left for the "wooden keep."

Whitby

The raid was well underway. Much of the city burned, the screams of women only belittled by the cheers of raiders. Men rushed into houses of all shapes and sizes, ransacking every last corner, looking for anything that could be sold. Tin plates, cups, candle sticks, leather pouches, food, containers, anything seen in the buildings, were quickly stuffed into sacks, and slung over shoulders. After a raider left any given house, a torch was throne on the roof, and the building marked as empty as it burned to an inferno. Taverns were among the first raided in the city, as rumors from Mandalian Vikings spoke of the enourmous amounts of bronze and silver these places of business acumulated. Not to mention the food and ale, which was also taken and stored on the long boats. Cheers and yells filled the air as those that fled to the keep were knocked out and dragged to the beach shores. However, many had fled to wooden palisade, and the gates to this shoddy fortification were sealed. Raiders attempted to avoid this area, until a report to Darius was given.

"Eh? A palisade? How many? Most the city? What? Speak up lad, I cant hear a damn word yer mumblin!", Darius brought down his sword upon a stocky butcher as he rushed, knives in hand. "I thought this place looked a little empty. Well, the things made of wood aint it? Burn er' to the ground!", Darius proceded to grab a young boy by the collar and stuff him in a sack. "To the ground."

Not long after, over 100 raiders had assembled outside the palisade, staying out of site of the defenders, while firing arrows at the defenders, quickly taking cover behind objects after firing. Flaming arrows were fired at the wooden walls, doused in oil, the longmen cared not if they hit militia or the walls, they simply desired to hit somthing, without being hit, thus their lower accuracy, and likeliness to duck behind objects.

Meanwhile, the other 350 raiders, continued pillaging. Ransacking the upper class mansions, as well as lowly houses, the riches of the city were sucked dry.

Hour three of raid.

Most of the city was ransacked. When the enemy began firing at the palisade, the footmen and militia fought back. Skilled huntsmen bent back their bows and sent shafts into the ducking longmen, as the other militia shored up the walls or doused water on the flames from the Keep's well.

Most of the people were either outside the city, in the keep, or dead by now.

Hour Five

Darius lit his pipe, starring at the semi-burned palisade, chuckling at the site of the Englishmen scurrying about with buckets of water. English arrows whizzed by, few hitting their marks, but that was the way long range combat went in skirmish situations. "Alright boys! Our work is done here. Let them live... rebuild their city. We shall be back another day... now, we go to Volda! To whoring and drinking!", Darius shouted out, raising his sword into the sky, grabbing his sack of loot and laughing, turning back to the shores.

Twas not long before the rest of the party began following, packing the long boats with loot, prisoners and valuables. The city was left to burn, the longboats pushed off into the cold waters of the North Atlantic, packed to the brim, regardless of the fact that they were missing a small number of soldiers.

The people began to rebuild, but all around England the people vowed the Vikings would not find them as easy a target a second time.