[@Mardox] [@Eklispe] [@Lauder] [@Lexicon] [@Wernher] [@babbysama] [@Jangel13] [hr] [center][b][color=ffe699]The Orc[/color][/b][/center] The clan's decision is made. Serheim sends Ardghal as an emissary to the orc, hoping that the gallocman's status as a leader and warrior in the clan will help persuade the orc of the sincerity of his message. Everyone hopes that Ardghal returns with the orc, and soon: if the orc were to join the clan, they would have a powerful warrior on their side. Ardghal goes forth to speak with the orc accompanied by two other gallocmen with the child, Fiona, as his guide. They bring three cows to the orc, which he seems glad to accept. He offers reciprocal gifts in return, but he has only meager treasure, though he gifts quite generously from what he has. The negotiations are not as successful as anyone had hoped. He does not seem willing to become a member of the clan and submit himself to its laws. However, he [i]does[/i] seem to understand there is a threat to the clan, and he agrees to join the clan in battle as payment for the cows he has been brought. Ardghal returns to the clan with that promise made. He also learns that the orc was banished from his clan for having some sort of affliction or disease, though neither he nor the orc could communicate well enough to make clear what that was. The orc swore that Clan Aonghus was safe from it. ([@Mardox] -3 cattle, +1 goods, the orc agrees to join us in the coming battle) [hr] [center][b][color=ffe699]Preparations...[/color][/b][/center] Maire takes her time carefully producing a poison to use against the enemy. She places it in jars to be thrown, and also finds time to make some to be applied to the blades of the gallocmen and kerns who will fight that day. Nobody would call it an honorable deed, but nobody would refuse such a useful tool in desperate times, either. Seoras fashions together extra spears. He is rushed, and so he doesn't produce as high of a quality as he normally wood. Still, the spears will be useful when thrown, and the kerns who follow Seoras have other weapons they can use once the clash begins. Dunlad shores up the defenses of the village. Should any raiders make it to the palisade, they'll be hard pressed to make way into the village at all. Titania decides to give the troops she's been training one last lesson in accordance with Eliz's plan. She helps them practice hit-and-run tactics, carefully explaining when during the raid they'll need to fall back. They seem to understand, but there's no way of knowing just how well they do until the battle starts. ([@Eklispe] [@Jangel13] [@Lexicon] [@babbysama]) [hr] [center][b][color=ffe699]The Nightfell Attack![/color][/b][/center] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ZdN46bhXU]The battle has begun.[/url] The battle did not begin well, for the magic of the enemy was greater than ours. The warriors and the kerns clash against the Greenfeathers while Titania and Eliz distract the Nightfell raiders. The fighting is fierce by the river: javelins are thrown, chaotic magic hurled, and screams of anger or pain rise into the air. And though outnumbered, though heavily outmatched, the Greenfeathers fight like cornered rats. Perhaps even the weakest-willed of warriors can become giants when their backs are to the river. So it seems with the Greenfeathers and their mercenaries: uncertain of their ability to run away, the band stays together, shields raised. With shout to Urak, their leader hefts his mace in the air and calls for the earth to give way before our men. Sinkholes form; the earth cracks; and all, for a moment, seems lost as some good men fall into those pits to be stabbed by Greenfeather spears. But the beat of Serheim's drums and the ghostly magic of Ardghal are enough to urge the men onward still. They move around the pits, slamming into the shieldwall of the enemy. Seoras fights bravest of them all, demonstrating true valor, and proves himself a good leader of men. But he takes a mace to the back, and is stabbed with a spear as he goes down. He is [i]terribly[/i] wounded, and has to be dragged to safety by his men. Thankfully, he survives. As the Greenfeathers are finally being forced to wade through the river to retreat, albeit with considerable wounds on Aonghus' side, the warriors of the Nightfell are being sent scattering by an ambush they did not expect. They are especially terrified by the orc, who fights with a ferocity nobody could have imagined: as the ambush is triggered against the Nightfell, the orc leaps out from the bushes, charging by himself against a group of no less than twenty of the Nightfell. He sends them fleeing for their lives, at one point sending four men flying through the air with a single swing of his axe, shouting out the names of whatever gods he worships in a guttural tongue. It's a terrifying sight to behold. Between the orc, Eliz's well thought out plan, Maire's poisons and Titania's well trained troops, they are able to send the Nightfell retreating across the fields with rather few casualties. Eliz, however, takes an arrow to the shoulder during the fighting. She might well have died from a hail of arrows if not for the armor she wears. Nobody else on that side of the battle takes any serious injuries. The battle is won, albeit with some loss. The defense prepared by the Greenfeathers was surprising to say the least, though it would not have been possible if our magic had not been overwhelmed by the combined powers of the mages from two clans. There are good spoils to be had. Rumor spreads that Clan Aonghus makes deals with poisoners and orcs. Several clans seem upset by this, but merchants from Clan Vendari inform the Council that perhaps making deals with the Vendari, who likewise understand the necessities of life in this harsh land, might be beneficial to both Clan Aonghus and Clan Vendari... Dunlad's son performed well in the battle, fighting bravely alongside Ardghal. He was wounded, taking a spear's thrust to his thigh, but otherwise is fine. The gallocmen toast his name and praised him for a good first battle. The orc seems to have vanished after the battle. He has probably returned to his hovel in the woods. ([@Mardox] [@Eklispe] [@Lauder] [@Wernher] [@Jangel13] Eliz is wounded, and Seoras is seriously wounded. The gallocmen seem to respect Seoras more than before. Confidence in Eliz surges after her plan saves the day. Clan Morik, Clan Cinaede, and Clan Truthseeker all seem to disapprove of our actions. Clan Vendari's merchants seem VERY interested in securing some sort of deal with us. 8 kerns were slain and 20 kerns were wounded in this battle. 3 gallocmen were slain and 4 were wounded. We have taken 7 thralls in this battle, 3 goods worth of equipment, and 4 horses from the enemy. We dealt a blow to Clan Greenfeather. They will be easier to strike at for this season and the next.) [hr] Emboldened by her string of successes, Eliz decides to raid the Greenfeathers before they can recover. The night after the battle, she leads her men in a night raid, bringing a great many extra torches to make her forces seem much larger than they are. Her hope is to fool the Greenfeathers into thinking they are facing an overwhelming force and to act defensively. However, she did [i]not[/i] expect the Greenfeathers to charge out at her. In truth, the actions of the Greenfeathers at this moment, if they HAD been facing overwhelming numbers, would have been disastrous. If they HAD faced such a force, they would have surely been cut down like pigs, especially given their inability to fight well in the night like Clan Aonghus. However, they are led by a brash young man on a horse who shouts for them to sally forth, to show them what it means to fight the Greenfeathers... and more idealistic tripe. Apparently, the Greenfeather leader, wise as he was, has been replaced by a foolish boy. But dumb luck wins out for the Greenfeathers this day. Eliz's men are quickly overtaken by Greenfeather horsemen, their escape cut off, and while those horsemen are dealt with promptly, the raiders are then surrounded by a mass of angry, groggy kerns. It takes a lot of running and desperate fighting for Eliz's men to break away from the field, and even then several (including Eliz) are forced to abandon their horses as stray arrows and javelins wound the poor beasts. No loot is had, and the raid is a total disaster. ([@Wernher] 7 horses are left behind in the raid, either slain or taken by Clan Greenfeather. 2 gallocmen are either slain or captured, as are 2 kerns. You are not wounded in this battle. Any loot you gained during the raid is left behind.) [hr] Serheim experiments with the dwarven weapon in his free time as much as he can. It is a long and difficult process, hampered by his blindness, but... he succeeds. Thanks to Serheim's efforts, Clan Aonghus can now make crossbows. ([@Lauder]) [hr] [color=ffe699][h3][center]Waning Fire[/center][/h3][/color] There do not seem to be any more raids on the horizon this season for Clan Aonghus. It's a good thing. After the Greenfeathers embarrassed our warriors not once but [i]twice[/i], the clan is looking forward to a reprieve. Or... perhaps now is the time to get back at the Greenfeathers? The clan has many wounded, but perhaps there might be a way to take the fight to the Greenfeathers. The warriors, at least, seem to believe this is a proper course of action. The clan is in need of more gallocmen now. Perhaps the time has come to allow those kerns who have been training to become gallocmen themselves, or to recruit gallocmen from the countryside or from other clans. Perhaps... Domagoj has fallen very ill this season, and no medicine or magic seems to help. It is, perhaps, the infirmity of old age. He has withdrawn from the Council for the time being. His voice will be sorely missed. [center][b][color=ffe699]Damned Boy[/color][/b][/center] Odo, Dunlad's son, comes before the Council wearing armor and carrying a fine axe looted from the battle at his hip. He wears a look of anger and confidence, and when he speaks, it becomes clear that he wishes to lead a raid against Clan Greenfeather. "We must regain our honor," he says emphatically, "and the other gallocmen believe I have the strength and will to lead us to victory. If you'll let me do that, I will make certain that we show the Greenfeathers why our ancestors were made warriors of the Tuad Rithe." It's a strange statement, Odo saying the gallocmen support him. Perhaps they do. He has certainly been popular. But only a fool would prop up a boy as a leader of a raid, or perhaps someone that wanted to see the boy made a mockery of... unless, perhaps, someone sincerely believes the boy has potential as a leader. But the question remains: who could that be? Who put him up to this? Nevertheless, he doesn't have to be allowed to lead a full fledged raid. He could be sent on a cattle raid instead. He could also be made a second-in-command, or simply not allowed to lead a raid at all. The choice - and the fate of Dunlad's son - rests in the Council's hands. ([@Mardox] [@Eklispe] [@Lauder] [@Wernher] [@Jangel13] [@babbysama] [@Lexicon]) [hr] [center][b][color=ffe699]Sweet Mercy[/color][/b][/center] A stroke of luck arrives for the clan: the Children of Mercy, worshipers all of the gentle goddess Dyvella, have come to Clan Aonghus to offer their services. "We understand you have suffered greatly this season," says their leader, a soft, sad smile on her face. "You have lost much. We are willing to heal your wounded, should you be willing to offer us payment for such services." The traditional payment is seven cows or seven goods, though given how many wounded there are, it may perhaps be better to offer a greater payment in return for the mercy of the goddess. After all, there's a great deal of work to be done. "Or," she adds carefully, folding her hands together as she speaks, "you could refrain from attacking other clans for this season and the next. If you agree to pursue peace, we will heal your wounded for free." This 'payment' makes sense, both because the goddess prefers peace to war and because one of the clans whose members join the Children of Mercy most is the Greenfeather clan. The leader hails from Clan Andal herself, but enough of the Children may desire peace for their kin to convince her to make this offer. What shall the Council choose to do? ([@Mardox] [@Eklispe] [@Lauder] [@Wernher] [@Jangel13] [@babbysama] [@Lexicon]) [hr] [s][@Mardox] - As your character did not take an action last turn (as far as I know), you may take two actions this turn.[/s] (Nevermind - you spoke to the orc.)