NationStates Jolt Archive

Gritsnak and his party of raiders walked in shamed to kneel before Gordash who looked down upon the petty Raiders who had failed him, he was ashamed of them but needed revenge on those who had shamed his Raiders, a Cleric walked forward and took out a large scroll, he cleared his throat and read out in Latin;

"If the Toop Moon shall falter then it is to the warriors of Toop that the task of rising it shall be laden, rise the Moon!"

A band of Grobbles lifted a pole high above their heads, on the end was a large brass Crescent, all in the room, barring the King, fell to their knees in celebration of the Toop Moon.

"The Moon shall take us to victory over the Sun! March heroes of Goredash, bring us victory!"

**** ***** ****

The Plains of Blood began to fill with Trebuchet and Warrior alike, the Blood Moon's began to train with their Shortbows and Crossbows, they were getting far more accurate by the day, Grobbles had been mustered and were being slapped into formation, Rafts on the coast had been prepared for war, by adding more wood to the structure they hoped that they would be able to get more shots off before sinking, Noomi Orcs applied war-paints and roared in ecstacy, the time of war was upon them all.

A great addition to the force was two large bronze spheres filled with the entire stock-pile of Toopish Black-powder, they hoped to use this to some advantage when taking on the wall of Han, Gritsnak was smiling, it had been far too long since the Toop had moved to war, but now it was finally happening.

(OOC: I realise that this would take a few months to mobolise such a force, I'm assuming that in the space of a day a few months have passed, plus I couldn't wait for days on end, WAR!!!)

Gritsnak and his party of raiders walked in shamed to kneel before Gordash who looked down upon the petty Raiders who had failed him, he was ashamed of them but needed revenge on those who had shamed his Raiders, a Cleric walked forward and took out a large scroll, he cleared his throat and read out in Latin;

"If the Toop Moon shall falter then it is to the warriors of Toop that the task of rising it shall be laden, rise the Moon!"

A band of Grobbles lifted a pole high above their heads, on the end was a large brass Crescent, all in the room, barring the King, fell to their knees in celebration of the Toop Moon.

"The Moon shall take us to victory over the Sun! March heroes of Goredash, bring us victory!"

**** ***** ****

The Plains of Blood began to fill with Trebuchet and Warrior alike, the Blood Moon's began to train with their Shortbows and Crossbows, they were getting far more accurate by the day, Grobbles had been mustered and were being slapped into formation, Rafts on the coast had been prepared for war, by adding more wood to the structure they hoped that they would be able to get more shots off before sinking, Noomi Orcs applied war-paints and roared in ecstacy, the time of war was upon them all.

A great addition to the force was two large bronze spheres filled with the entire stock-pile of Toopish Black-powder, they hoped to use this to some advantage when taking on the wall of Han, Gritsnak was smiling, it had been far too long since the Toop had moved to war, but now it was finally happening.

(OOC: I realise that this would take a few months to mobolise such a force, I'm assuming that in the space of a day a few months have passed, plus I couldn't wait for days on end, WAR!!!)


The provincial governor of Xiajang was ill at ease as another report was delivered to him from the north. It had been two months since he had recieved the strange gun-powder weapon and the head of an even stranger human-like thing. His sooth sayers had said that this was a sign of new beginnings.

Patrols had been sent out for the first time in decades to scout and watch the territory above the Wall. Their reports were disturbing. The barbarians known as Tatars which had once been there were for the most part gone, their last vestiges saying that the Moon had driven them west.

When further examining the pistol weapon the governor's analysts had found the imprint of some small silver moon. It did not take much to guess that it meant a nation of creatures who used the moon as a banner or important symbol.

Governor Qin did not enjoy the culminating events. Several days previously a scouting party had failed to return when they had been sent to search a large valley that was known to me to the north. When a second, and then third party did not return the Governor called together his provincial army.

Its commander, General Ling Mai, stood before him. "General it greives me to think that we should be attacked now when most of our Imperial Armies are abroad on other ventures."

The middle-aged Imperial School graduate nodded. He had been sent from the Forbidden City to stay at Governor Qin's court as military advisor and commander of the provincial army. He had at first been disgusted with the post, instead of being given a command in the Imperial Army he was given these ill-trained locals. That had been seven years ago. Since then he had trained the army to his own liking. The neighboring provinces had asked to send observers to watch Ling Mai train his men, which had greatly honored him.

"My Lord Governor, I can but ask your leave to gather the army. And I must speak with the Imperial Garrison Commander at the Wall. We would be reinforcing him should an attack come," said Ling Mai.

Qin nodded. "I have sent messengers to the Emperor requesting that an Imperial Army division be sent, but I have not yet recieved word if it will be sent."

The general nodded. "I have your leave then to call the army to arms?"

"You do," said Qin. General Ling Mai bowed and left the chamber. Within the day messengers and trumpeters were sent throughout the province to recall all the soldiers of the provincial armies. To put down their farming tools and take up their bows and swords. Ling Mai was expecting all 100,000 to gather at the rally point north of the provincial capital of Xingu.

Interest tag. Now I found the thread, don't want to lose it...

The Moon banner had several skulls hanging from it's main beam, they had been added from both scouting parties and from local Nomads, it was the sign of a good Night(Toopish expression for a Campaign), the army was still three days from the reported walls which Gritsnak had found, the King was anxious as were several Noomians who had broken ranks to go off and kill some Nomads, keeping this large an army together was hell.

It was daytime and the Toop slept, they had the most peculiar sleeping patterns of sleeping during the day and fighting during the night, the only creatures awake were the Goblins of the Blood Plains who kept a watchful eye on any raiding Nomads or civilised warriors, of course they wouldn't be able to fight an army on thier own but they would be able to hold off until help arrived.

(OOC: sorry for the lame post, but of a rush, if you want to counter-strike now would be the time)

(OOC: k, I'm moving on, this post'll be better)

The army had split, three different and large forces moved onwards towards the walls, the largest force of roughly 400,000 drove straight south where they knew they would encounter a wall, the next army of 200,000 which was led by King Goredash met with the seas and followed the coast downwards, under the assumption that they would be fighting the least amount of wall, lastly a skirmisher force of 50,000 travelled West in search of an end to the walls and a valuable weakness to be exploited.

(OOC: I don't know if this army is way too large, it is less than 10% which considering my nations militaristic urges i'd consider to be small, I'm gonna have my King's force hit the wall now)

After a short journey over a flat plain the force could see the walls ahead, Gritsnak, after having been named the de-facto translator, was sent out to shout the message of war across the walls, if they had any honour they would come out and fight for these lands.

The army had split, three different and large forces moved onwards towards the walls, the largest force of roughly 400,000 drove straight south where they knew they would encounter a wall, the next army of 200,000 which was led by King Goredash met with the seas and followed the coast downwards, under the assumption that they would be fighting the least amount of wall, lastly a skirmisher force of 50,000 travelled West in search of an end to the walls and a valuable weakness to be exploited.


Ling Mai stood on the wall above the gatehouse on the Great Wall. He was at the very point where his men had recieved the first of these strange creatures more than two months prior. Since then they had found convincing evidence that showed that more of these creatures were preparing to invade from the north.

He had arrived at the wall four months before with the Xiajang provincial army of 100,000 men. He encamped them behind the walls and met with the Imperial Commander of the Great Wall, Dohi Fei. The commander had met with Ling Mai and both agreed after more patrols and scouting missions that the enemy was more intelligent than they originally thought.

Scouts revealed that the largest force, numbering in the hundred of thousands, was marching where the first encounter had happened. Here Ling Mai had no problem meeting the enemy. This particular section of the wall fielded in front of it a large plain. It was several hundred meters wide before hills and rock formations made impassible terrain, meaning that the enemy had to approach from one direction. Having this advantage Ling Mai had put his engineers to work. Marking every 100 paces from the base of the wall were great white boulders, marknig all the way to 1000 paces which was the extent of range the Han bowmen could match. The Wall itself here was 30ft high and 20 paces thick, enough for 14 men to walk abreast. Added to his own force of 100,000 Ling Mai had been given command of 20,000 Imperial Wall troops which were stationed near and around.

A second army had been discovered as well. Nomads had reported and fishermen from the far north as well that a large army was marching down the coast. Ling Mai did not worry about this army, for it was heading strait into the Citadel of Keiwu Fei, one of the most heavily defended and fortified citadels in the entire empire after the Forbidden City. A garrison of 40,000 Imperial Troops were there, battle hardened veterans of the recent Korean Campaign under General Shou Di. And Governor Qui Dou Li had called together his own provincial army to counter this coming threat along the coast.

It was the third group that scouts said was travelling west that Ling Mai did not understand. His scouts said that they were searching. But for what? The wall stretched for well over 700 more miles west along the mountains and plains. Ling Mai could not understand their purpose, but he had ordered his scouts to shadow this force to watch its movements.


The fires of the enemy camp well beyond the 1000 pace mark from the wall sat in a wide valley before them. The enemy had been there since yesterday. Dawn was coming and Ling Mai expected some sort of messenger to declare something. What it would be would undoubtably be uncompromising.

taggly.

Main Force

For probably the first time in the lives of the Toop the army had slept during the night and were ready for combat that coming morning, they had seen the boulders placed at regular intervals and had recognised the tactic, they had seen it in use against a relatively civilised Nomadic village, the boulders had slightly demoralised the Archers who were used to their arrows reaching the 40 foot mark poorly.

A crude tactic had been planned, a large crowd of Grobbles would swarm the wall, making for good cover for when an Orc horde would push up against the wall with the Gunpowder sphere, if they could at least slightly damage a section of wall then they could send in more destructive metheods of toppling this obstacle, though this would all depend on Gritsnak's reply.

"Thievin' peoples, we have come to test your honour, come out to fight our armies or we'll find our way in!"

Coastal Exploration

Goredash's pole had grown in volume to the point that two Noomi were struggling to keep it upright, to drop this symbol of pride now would mean instant dishonor and death, a few Grobble scouts had returned foretelling of a large castle, it's defences seemed to the Grobbles to be impenetrable, this did not deter Goredash who did not wish weakness to be displayed in front of some of the stronger Noomi, he pressed onwards hoping to reach the wall within a day.

Raiders of the West

The Skirmishers had all but forgotten the initial task set to them, after the first 150 miles of wall the eventually began to realise that maybe the wall continued towards the edge of the known world, instead they continued to raid petty Nomads rakking up a fortune in loot, it was the largest unnofficial Raider party in Toopish history, but unfortunantly a military disaster as there were now 50,000 absent warriors.

Main Army

The 600 meter expanse of wall that the large enemy force could approach without cover and over smooth land was entirely empty except for a single man standing on top of the gate house. A red banner with a gold dragon hung over him.

He looked down at the few man-like creatures below. He heard them call up.

"Thievin' peoples, we have come to test your honour, come out to fight our armies or we'll find our way in!"

The man smiled. He opened a pouch next to him and pulled out the pistol that had been taken away two months earlier. He threw it down at them.

"Come and taste my wall," said Ling Mai. He turned and walked 30 steps to the back of the wall. Silent to a single man stood 40,000 men, the ones who would gather on the wall.

"Prepare!"

As one and in ordered company the 40,000 rushed up in units of a hundred marching up stairs. They carried bows and other large 4ft bamboo tubes with them.

They were a mix unit of the Imperial Army force that Ling Mai had at his command, and the best of his provincial army archers.

The sound was like the trumpeting of a hundred great drums as they ran into position. Between the gatehouse and the turret some 400 meters to the right some 12,000 men got into position, some 400 men across and 30 men deep, filling the wall.

The left side of the gatehouse, some 6,000 men got into position and filled the wall. The Turrets and the gatehouse filled with men as well.

Ling Mai looked behind the wall where units of 200 men had formed into companies and were sitting down, their great bows being fitted to their upstretched feet. Their partners were fitting arrows on the strings.

He nodded his approval and walked to the front of the gatehouse out to the enemy. They were still out of the 1000 foot range standing there, the messengers still wandering back to their camp. He turned to the grizzled old man who held a great 6ft longbow. "Wu Chao, your have your mark?"

A man bearing a torch stoop up next to the old man and prepared to light his fire arrow. The old man smiled, he was a legend among the Imperial Army for his bow skills. "Yes my general."

"Wait until they charge and are at the 700 pace mark."

"I know lord, thats where we burried the things several weeks before."

Ling Mai nodded, knowing his engineers had worked beautifully. He walked again through the mass of archers to the rear of the gatehouse again. There in a long line behind the archer companies on the ground were a line of catapults. Teams of engineers stood by more than 50 catapults. Each was cranked back and held in its arm a large iron pot of explosive power and metal spikes. A little device the Imperial School had cooked up a dozen years before when the Emperor had asked for new siege weapons.

Ling Mai waved his arm, and got the return wave from his head of engineers. All was ready. Ling Mai went back to the front and watched as the Toop messengers finally made it back to their lines.

"Your move," said Ling Mai.

"Theys ready for fightin', I suggest we use our supperior numbers to swamp the archers, then fight back with waves of crossbow fire."

Gritsnak told the Noomian general who was fixed staring at the large wall formation, he could hear the sounds of marching and it bought a chilling sence of pride to himself, he barely managed to concentrate on Gritsnaks suggestion and nodded in acceptance before turning to fill in some gaps.

"We will send in mass Grobble swarms first to soak up some damage, this will be followed by the Powder-sphere and then the final push, in the mean-time I want Crossbows to rush the enemy archers with a large hail of arrow fire, hopefully they'll be too busy running and screaming to be able to concentrate on the important matters." He paused and looked either way down the line, a mist came from the mouths of Noomi on either side, he tapped the Orc standing next to him. "Signal to the Grobbles move forward all way!" With a quick flicker of a flag the tiny Grobbles weaved there way through the horde and began to rush over the plains towards the wall.

Coastal Exploration

It was night and the army marched onwards down the golden stony beaches, a few war rafts had quickly been constructed and were slowly sailing downwards onto the armies position, for this castle siege the most new piece in the Toopish army was being fielded, a single Catapult bought up the rear, of course for the moment it was stored in pieces but once this poor terrain had ended and the castle was in full view the piece could be deployed and this battle won.

The army marched until it could see little flickering lights on the horizon and immediatly set about constructing the weapon, if it were the case that they were far too away the terrain would possibly allow them to move closer, several hours passed until it was barely dawn, the catapult was ready for it's preliminary shot, the machine ran backwards as the combined shot of a boulder and several infected grobbles flew over the landscape.

"1000 paces sir!" called an aide. From the great mass of the enemy army came swarming thick as fleas a wave of smaller-like man-like things. They were armed with a rudimentry weapons but their shear numbers were enough that if Ling Mai had been in an open battlefield, he for sure would not want to face them.

"You still have the mark Wu Chao?" Ling Mai asked the grizzled old archer. The man had the arrow fitted and saw that it was buring gently.

"Yes sir, I do."

"900 paces sir!" yelled the aide.

Ling Mai took out his sword. "Archers! Draw!" All men along the walls drew back their strings and aimed upwards at the enemy. Accuracy was not needed, after all, one could hardly miss.

"800 paces sir!"

"Archers! Loose!" Ling Mai chopped down with his sword. 18,000 archers fired off a volley from the walls. It rained into the approaching wave and decimated the front ranks.

"700 paces sir!"

"Archers! Loose!" Ling Mai brought his sword down again. Again the archers rained down with another storm of arrows.

"600 paces sir!"

"Wu Chao! You have the mark?" The old man pulled back and drew the arrow. He sighted down at one of the white boulders. Behind the boulder, facing the wall, was a straw mat. On that mat, made larger with extras, was a fuse. "Yes!" Grobbles were swarming over and around the boulder.

"Loose!" The arrow sprang out like a fiery angel of death. It flew true and with the precision worthy of the legendary old archer, hit its target.

For a moment nothing happened. The fuse was lit and it burned down through the bamboo piping that Ling Mai's engineers had made. A 5 inch in diameter tie of several hundred fuses.

The explosion was huge. The ground shook with a might roar. Dirt, dust, and bodies flew into the air taller than 5 times the height of the wall. Ling Mai watched as some approaching Grobbles were literally incinerated by the blast. All along the open expanse.

It had been an explosive ditch dug six feet deep and 12 feet wide. Ling Mai had had to spend nearly 1/3rd of the provincial treasury to pay for all the black powder. It created now, as the dust cleared, a huge and deeper trench, a very nice obstacle for them now to use against the enemy. The dust had yet to clear, so Ling Mai could not see what the enemy was doing.

"All Archers! Loose! Independant Fire!" Archers, not only on the wall, but also in companies behind fired off their arrows. Some 30,000 archers.

Suddenly an aftershock of the explosion came, rocking the ground. Ling Mai turned to his right and watched as the top have the tower to the right of the gatehouse fell. Dozens of men went screaming to their deaths. With the tower gone the wall in that section was now all the same.

Arrows continued to rain down as the dust cleared.

After the initial, and sudden, deaths of hundreds of Grobbles it was understandable that many attempted to run off the battle and back to relative safety, fortunantly most were cut down by Noomians but a few handfuls managed to escape, the great thing was that now some of the archers would have a clear-cut trench to fight from, now all they needed was to get to it.

The Crossbows were now in range and began to slowly fire into the wall, the dust still clogged the field as shots from both sides swiped past eachother, each side hitting either flesh, wall or earth, the movement of the Close combat soldiers had stopped, they waited for the Bows to finish their job.

The few Grobbles which had not escaped still continued onwards, the wall was close but closed off by the pit which had been expertly cut by the gunpowder, in a situation like this a Grobble would understand the basic protocol, swarms began to leap into the pit and pile on-top of eachother making a fleshy, organic bridge for other grobles to swarm over.

Enemy bolts fell among the wall defenders. Ling Mai nearly flinched when several sped by him and killed the soldier standing there, putting two crossbow bolts in the mans chest.

The initial attack by the enemy had been halted by the explosion, but now they were sending in their more experianced troops, larger and better armed than the ones that they had sent first.

"Prepare 'Dragon''s Fire'!" called Ling Mai.

All across the wall, the first two lines of archer set down their bows. Some were hit by falling bolts, but luckily not every crossbow had the same range, and some hit the wall. Nearly as one, the entire line brought up the four foot bamboo tubes that they had carried up with them. At the end of each one was the shape of a dragons head. Small torches went around until every three men had one among them.

"Ignite!"

The Han soldiers lit the fuses that stuck out of the side of them and then aimed them at the approching horde. Soldiers behind them on the wall ceased firing for a moment and ducked down.

With a monstrous roar several hundred burning meteors went speeding from the wall and smashed among the Toop horde. Ling Mai shouted down to his engineers and all catapults began releasing their deadly loads into the field in front of the wall. Companies of archers around the catapults and behind the wall kept up a continuos stream of arrows.

All Hell was coming down.

(OOC: You still havn't responded to my exploration teams hitting the castle at the coast)

In seeing the power similar to the gods smash across the front line, the Noomian General saw the only option was a full retreat to recauperate and lick the wounds, he drew out a large horn and blew signaling that all troops should center round the Banner, rather quickly, as if desperate to flee, the Orcs, Goblins and Grobbles ran back across the battlefield, now they had witnessed the power of the Han maybe they could devise a way of getting round them.

OOC: I'll get to it, I'll get to it.

IC:

"Hold!" called Ling Mai as he watched the enemy fall back. Archers along the wall fired their last arrows and the companies behind the wall stopped as well. Ling Mai looked at the devastation before him.

The ground was littered with hundreds if not thousands of bodies. So were mearly piles of bloody flesh. The Dragon Rockets had worked their deadly orchestra and won the day.

Ling Mai smiled and looked around. The enemy was not the only one who had suffered casualties. Some parts of the wall were slick with blood as the life source of men flooded out, enemy black feathered bolts sticking in corpses.

"Archers! Dismiss!" called an aide. Ling Mai nodded in approval as the men began returning to the camp. Fresh men came up the steps to replace them, but not in any substantial numbers. An officer came forward to Ling Mai.

"Sir, we're still counting the dead and wounded, but thus far I believe we've lost some 300+ troops."

"Very well...clear the walls of blood and bodies. I want a all night watch on the plain. Have small parties go out and set fires at 150 paces. Keep watch for any night activity. We still don't know what to expect from these creatures."

"Yes general."

(OOC: casualties for now:

20,000 Grobbles
360 Goblins
40 Orcs

I'll be doing the second day of fighting as soon as I can muster a up a worthy tactic.)

I'll be doing the second day of fighting as soon as I can muster a up a worthy tactic.)

ooc: *smile*

Night-time, the Toop were used to fighting under these conditions, they could also bet anything that the Humies were sleeping at thtis point, a perfect time to strike, especially now that the force had been granted the use of two catapults.

Warboss Gortz looked up at the nights sky, he could see a great Eagle fly just over the clouds, it had a strange screech to it and he could swear that he read the word "Gritzk." It vanished shortly after and he turned back to the walls which faced him, a preliminary strike would signal the start of the battle, seeing the scorched bodies a sign of where the Dragons fire would hit the Catapults settup just outside and began to fire at the walls.

"Catapult!"

A great burning ball of flame soared through the air and smashed into the top of the wall. "AH!" Several guards were engulfed, others were thrown off. A second burning ball fell against the wall and caused a great amount of the rock to explode out, putting a dent in the normally smooth surface.

A guard began blowing in great breathes into the alert horn. The camp behind the walls became a flurry of activity. Dozens of soldiers tumbled up the steps of the wall at every point along the wall.

"Archers to the walls! Pikemen to the gate!" called out officers, trying to get their voices heard over the din. General Ling Mai stumbled from his command tent and was half-way into his breast plate armour when a servant came forward and helped him. A messenger runner panted up to him.

"Sir, the enemy have brought up two catapults and are bombarding the wall. Captain Do Hua thinks that a night attack is possible," said the runner while bowing.

Ling Mai nodded. "Tell Captain Do Hua and Captain Lung to bring up all archers and to form up the archer companies behind the wall. Tell the engineers to start returning those enemy catapults!"

"Yes sir!" The runner ran into the large mass of men forming into companies and ran to find the two captains.


A lieutenant stood on the wall commanding a section of the archers. "Arrows! Flame!" Several hundred archers drew their arrows and then dozens of torch bearers ran down the line lighting them.

"Loose!" Light fiery birds, the arrows's flame burning bright, flew into the air and fell among the night, showing up for a short time the ground where they landed.

"Lieutenant! We can't see any enemy advance!"

"Launch the Light Rockets!"

Several dozen men bearing smaller tubes of bamboo lit small fuses and held them high in the air, pointing towards the enemy lines. Dozens of them, fielding a large boom, erupted into the sky like small suns. They raised high in the air and they shed light upon the battlefield, revealing all that was on the open plain.

The Army stood it's ground realising that it could now possibly draw the enemy out into a straight fight, great roars came from the crowd as they anticipated success, a break in the wall would mean that Raiders could easily pass through into the nation and disrupt the enemy for further conflict, a few of the less patient Goblins ran out to fight but were quickly bought down by friendly or enemy fire.

the bright light startled many of the creatures of the night but they shook it off when they realised that the torch was little more than that, the light fizzled out and immediatly Gortz sent forward his company of elite Noomians, protected by thick Bronze armour and bearing ladders measuring 25 foot high, they were followed by backup archers who would cover their movement.

OOC: tag.

The engineer lit the pot and set the top of it alight. "Ready!" he yelled over the din of noise. The catapult captain nodded. "Launch!" The word was yelled in unison with 30 other men as the Han catapults were brought into the fight. They launched their fiery death into the air and over the wall into the enemy.

More flares where launched as Captain along the walls tried to keep the battlefield visable. Archers were now set up and crossbows were loaded. A hail of death was once again being rained down. Ling Mai stood on the wall and watched as the enemy advanced. He immediately knew that this time the enemy was different. He could see the glint of armour and the louder howl of deep grutal throats. These were more experiance and fierce troops.

"Rockets!"

Along the wall came the sporadic boom as dozens of rockets blasted off into the approaching mass. One particular rocket exploded on itself and blew the wall clear for five meters in all directions. More men filled the gap, the stone was charcoaled black from the explosion. Ling Mai realised the enemy would reach the wall. The rockets weren't being fired in a diciplined fashion, just randomly all along the wall. It was taking its affect but it was not the same as the barrage from the previous day.

"Swordsmen to the battlements!" Ling Mai yelled. Captains along the wall echoed it and the archers fell back some and allowed for several paces of space to the parapet. Men in red laced armour ran up the steps all along the wall. They bore large two-handed swords. They were the elite of the Imperial Army troops that were under Ling Mai's command.

Ling Mai himself stepped down to the ground just behind the gate. There a large formation of pikemen stood waiting between the companies of archers who continued to rain arrows over the wall. Captain Hui Wan stood there with his men, each bearing a 10ft pike and a tower shield. "Are you ready captain?"

The man bowed. "We're ready and waiting sir."

"When I give the command, do your duty for the Emperor."

"Yes General. For the Emperor!" Hui Wan yelled. "HO!" came the battle call of 1,000 pikemen, lifting their pikes in the air.

The boulder smashed into the Grobble shield protecting the Catapult and it continued before splintering the front beam of the Catapult, easily repeared but a setback none the least, Grobbles swarmed the broken beam and began to knock it back into shape.

The methodical march of the Elite was slowed by at least two rockets smashing between Noomians, 5 were dead and another 2 injured, those that had been horribly burned were simply left to die dishonourably, some 6 ladders began to poke out of the Regiment as they closed in on the wall, Crossbows had their targets and began to fire at gleaming shadows or shapeless blurs, the Orcy ladders rose up higher than the wall itself and crashed down over the edge with a thud followed by the sound of Metal clamping onto Stone.

OOC: Go Toops!

With suicidal fevor an Imperial soldier dropped his sword and launched at the ladder that fell against the wall. Using his weight and the natural force of his weight he pushed the ladder off the wall. He along with the ladder and any orcs that had been on it fell backwards into the coming mob of maddening orcs.

There were now five of the great ladders set against the wall. Ling Mai, having returned to his position on the wall, saw that three were to his left and two to his right. Orcs were coming up them quickly.

A montrous orc launch up over the ladder and landed on the wall. With a howl he swung a great sword and cut through four soldiers who were around him. Several nearby crossbowmen levelled their ready weapons and sent fierce bolts into the orcs head. It fell with a crump and black blood seeped from its wounds.

All along the wall orcs climbed over the ladder. Han soldiers pounced and crashed on top of them taking the lives of those orcs that made it over the wall. But the orcs were making their own kills as well. The walls were becoming littered with the corpses of dead Han soldiers and orcs.

Ling Mai stood next to a large pot over the gatehouse. Below him dozens of orcs stood around or fired up crossbow bolts, waiting for their turn to come up the ladders. "Pour it."

Several soldiers wearing thick gloves and clothing took the great pot to the edge and tipped it's contents over the side. With a great howl the orcs below were drenched with burning hot oil. "Flame." A solitary soldier dropped a torch after it. The entire area around the gatehouse lit up with flame.

All along the wall the process was being repeated. A variable second wall of flame rose up in front of the Great Wall. Some of the ladders, their great wooden frames cackling, caught fire.

OOC: Helms deep style......

Orcs who waited on the ground burned and the air stank with the smell of cooked Orc flesh, but the smell was the least of any problem, the rest of the army was moving upwards of the Battlefield, they too carried ladders, approximatly 20 of them, with the Walls in chaos fighting Orcs who still remained (about 5-6, they are Elite so expect a long hard fight).

(OOC: can we get back to the Castle siege soon)

An armoured orc smashed his sword through teh chest of one Han soldier, belowing a war cry. Before he had time to withdraw his sword however three other soldiers slashed with their swords, dismembering him. The orc roared in pain and swatted one of the men off the wall. More men surged forward and cut down the orc.

Three other armoured orcs had made some head way, clearing several feet of wall. One man, his legs cut out from under him nocked a torch over. The torch happened to land on top of two rockets lying next to the wall. The explosion incinerate the orcs and men around it.

More ladders were being brought forward by the mass of orcs. But their efforts at a surprise attack were now over.

"Prepare!" yelled out Captain Moa. A hundred men stepped past the swordsmen. They each carried rockets. The captain had managed to get a group to find as many as possible.

"Ignite!" The rockets roared out and smashed into the approaching mass.

"Prepare!" Throwing down the smoking tubes, the men behind the rocketiers handed over more rockets. They levellev them agian.

"Ignite!" Again the rockets roared and blew into the orc army. Archer companies behind the wall, now fully formed and ready, began an unrelenting hail of arrows.

(OOC: the largest part of the army is made up by Goblins, not Orcs, an army of Orcs would be way godmoddish)

Those archers which had made headway up the battlefield continued to fire at the men on the wall, primary targets were the Rocket launchers which were nicely lit.

Realising that his army was within a safe distance from the wall Gortz issued the order for the lone catapult to cry out once more, a bundle of dead Grobbles and smaller rocks was in this payload, a sort of anti-infantry warhead.

The fire before the wall was disapaiting and the enemy had begun firing into the men firing rockets. More acts of heroism happened all along the wall. Enemy crossbowmen starting aiming soley for the men firing rockets. The volleys were becoming less and less concentrated. More and more arrows rained down from behind the wall into the enemy army.

With a groan and a boom the Great Wall Door was opened. Out, straight into the enemy, marched the pikemen; tower shields held togethor and pikes lowered. With a war cry the formation slammed into the enemy forces. They drove through and made a spearhead formation, parting the goblins and orcs down the middle. Archers along the wall helped to thin the goblins and orcs along the path of the formation as more and more marched out from the gate. Armoured swordsmen and spearmen followed in their wake, watching the flanks and hacking at the enemy, charing full tilt.

a great saying had helped the Toops in these situations, "if you challenge the Great Bear he will decline for he has no reason to fight, and any honour gained from his death will be hollow." Enemies needed a reason to get out and raise the Toopish playing field, in a straight hand to hand battle the Goblin did not fight with any more ferocity than he would against anyone else.

Now as the Archers attempted to hold back the pikes by wild beserk swipes into the enemy formation more Goblins packed in behind surging the line forward with momentum, friendly lives were lost as Goblin trampled Grobble and Orc trampled the both.

The large formation of men spread out into a large pyramid arrow. The Pikemen tightened their tower shield wall and held their three man deep lines. Their long pikes impaled goblin and orc alike. None could get very close.

Once the large formation had marched out of the gate they had cleared the wall area. Thus allowing archers to return and begin firing, but also for another plan to happen.

Through the gate came 3,000 of the Imperial Army's heavy cavalry. They split into two groups and turned left and right as soon as they exited the gates. Forming up into line just below the wall into lines. Enemy crossbowmen momentarilly fired at them, but the swarm of their own troops heading to the infantry advance blocked any real shot.

The infantry formation was beginning to grind to a halt as more and more enemy troops began swarming. Soon the pikemen would have to use swords.

It didn't take long before all horsemen were ready and waiting in lines 3 deep and made of 1,500 on each the left and right of the infantry advance. Captain Qeu Ha lifted his heavy spear and smashed it into his shield. "For the EMPEROR!"

"FOR THE EMPEROR!"

It began as as slow canter, then became a thunderous all out run. In the short area the cavalry smahed through ranks of the enemy, driving deep and killing all before them.

A Horse was rare in the rocky wastes of Toophium, but Bears did roam the lands frequently and to the Toop these horses were simply Bears being ridden, the easiest way to kill a bear was to strike it on the under-side, Goblins began to stab low under the Horses, many more were being toppled and trampled by the charge.

(ooc: too lazy to change back to Oda)

IC:

The line of horsemen and infantrymen drove the orcs and goblins back. Pushing with their tower shields and trampelling with their horses hooves, they drove them back. Until suddenly the Toopians began falling backwards into the trench onto the crossbowmen hidden there.

The line halted and then stopped holding the orcs back with tower shields and a hedge of pikes and spears. A call went to the men behind. From within the formation men brought forth and passed along large pots. Hundreds. The men cast the pots into the trench. Their clay broke onto the heads of armoured orcs or smashed into the ground breaking.

"Torches!"

All along the line men who had bore torches threw them into the pit now filled with orcs and goblins, and oil.

OOC: So is this still going on or what?

OOC: So is this still going on or what?

ooc: if it is...I think I've pretty much wooped the hell out of his main army.

(OOC: sorry went away for a while)

The flame passed down the trench and the Goblins began screaming in agony, they futily attempted to smack the flames out but most simply rolled over and let the flames pass over them.

"This is futile!" The general shouted out as he saw the line of flame pop out of the ground "Order a full retreat, have all our soldiers return to Toophian territory, send out a messenger Grobble to the king advising him to do the same, we are not yet ready for this move."

Those that had survived the lick of fire crawled from out of the trench and in seeing the fleeing Noomians quickly made speed away from the field.

ooc: no problem toops, I'll post a reply soon as well as my losses.