[b]War Room[/b][hr]
The War Room was a battlefield on its own, but instead of swords and blood, this battle was fought with pens and ink. It was from here that nobles and commanders would decide where to move and strike. Lord Balthazar and Duke Karstilli were hard at work, sifting through reports, managing resources, and sending orders down the line to the commanders and lieutenants that would issue them to their men. Scribes and pages quickly transcribed their words into writing, while Balthazar's Record-Hunters found new employment in making everyone's lives easier; they would help seek out records, pass paper and ink, write things down, or even move pieces around the strategic map.

"New reports have come in, m'lord." A soldier bows to Duke Karstilli and to Balthazar. The man quickly passes off his papers, before returning to his duties. The two noblemen at the table took the time to review the reports-- updated information was crucial in any battle, after all.

Balthazar shook his head as he read through the accounts from the various battlefronts. With the presence of the more dangerous Orcs, the North Gate was under heavy attack-- though he was confident that the presence of Naysein would quickly turn the tide there. Meanwhile, it seemed that the West Gate was holding fine, all things considered. Their battering ram was destroyed, and it would no doubt force the Goblins on that side to take a new approach. The East Gate was in a bit of trouble, though. With the presence of both ladders and trolls, they would have to mount a desperate defense. He has not yet received any information about the Sewers, but...

"Lord Balthazar, someone wishes to speak to you-- he bears the seal of the Royal Guard!"

The Spymaster paused for only a moment. Did someone of the Royal Guard fall in battle already?

"[color=#239C89]Let him through.[/color]"

The guardsman allowed a young man-- no, a boy in the garb of a conscript to enter. The boy in front of him was a pale, spindly one. He looked as if he could not even muster the strength to lift his pike. For a moment, it seemed as if he was happy to be away from the battle, but now that he's face-to-face with noblemen, his fearful demeanor had returned. The boy bowed deeply, faltering in the presence of his betters, before stammering out half-hearted greetings. This prompted Balthazar to initiate.

"[color=#239C89]Who are you, and what message do you bring?[/color]"

"Ah, uhm, my name is Malfoy, m'lord. I bring a message from Sir Acrius."

Figures. To trust someone like this with the Seal of the Royal Guard? You'd either need to be very trusting, or very careless.

"[color=#239C89]Go on.[/color]"

"...we were fighting the Goblins in the Sewers when a priestess and two warriors showed up to help us. They came from the other side, and--"

"[color=#239C89]Out with it. We don't have all day.[/color]"

"Oh, uh, Drana Turash of the 'Sacred order'-- that was her name. Sir Acrius wanted to ask you for information about her."

"[color=#239C89]The Sacred Order..? She is a long way from her temple.[/color]" Balthazar mused. "[color=#239C89]...And Turash. That's a noble house of some controversy...[/color]" The man thinks to himself, before snapping his fingers. In an instant, one of the Record-Hunters brings forth a sheet of parchment, while another hauls a quill and inkwell to its master.

"[color=#239C89]I must gather more information first. For now, tell Acrius that he must focus on the battle at hand... and keep an on the Turash girl. She may be a worthwhile asset, but we cannot be certain of her intentions yet.[/color]" Balthazar takes the quill in his hand, before dismissing the boy with a nod. Malfoy quickly nods back, before then running off.

From there, the orders from the War Room come shortly after. The injured and wounded would be moved into field clinics, with fresh bodies to replace their losses. The East Gate would be reinforced by the reserves-- of which, there are not many, but it is all they can spare. Lastly, Balthazar would then pass off a message to Miss Mary, who would then subsequently pass that on to one of his informants, who would look into this mysterious cleric.

But while Balthazar and Karstilli work, the other members of the Royal Guard had their own problems to worry about.

[b]Co-GM IC[/b]:

[b]North Gate[/b][hr]
Between Leonidas, Naysein, and the soldiers atop the wall, many Orcs never make it to the battlements. Thanks to Zatana and the crew manning the cannons, the enemy archers were quickly silenced, their tough hide no match for Dwarven artillery. Their combined efforts meant a minimum loss of life for the defenders and with reinforcements moving to replace the wounded, things are looking up for those stationed at the North Gate.

Unfortunately, a few grappling hooks remain, and as one soldier moves to dislodge it, an Orc hand takes hold of the hapless man's chainmail. The soldier screams as he's thrown from the battlements, a heavy thud announcing his death-- and the arrival of Orcs, several Orcs make it atop the wall. One of them has skin the color of ash, wears medium bone armor, and wields a wicked-looking sword and a heavy iron shield in his hands. Another one is tall, even among his kind, wears heavy plate armor, and holds a massive warhammer in his hands. These two in particular seem to be a cut above the rest, even among vicious Orcs.

Several soldiers move to try and kill the invaders and dislodge the grappling hooks, but they are quickly killed by the two Orcs at the front. Behind them, several more Orcs appear as reinforcements-- it seems they defer to the leadership of these Orc Lieutenants. The one with the blade speaks, in heavily-accented Common.

"Hear me, Manswine! I am Bhakk Ashenskin, and any man who throws down their blade will be granted a swift death!" He grins wildly, blocking an arrow aimed at him with his shield.

"And my name is Ghukk Bonecrusher-- any who wish to test their mettle against my hammer will learn why I am called Bonecrusher!" A bullet ricochets off of his heavy plate armor, the Orc in question undeterred by the bite of a gnat.

The pair let out a rallying cry, which prompts the Orcs behind them to deliver a warcry of their own. This emboldens the attackers and demoralizes the defenders. Those atop the wall must defeat these lieutenants, the warriors accompanying them, and dislodge the grappling hooks before they are overwhelmed!

[b]West Gate[/b][hr]
Merik's thunderous roar sent most of the fodder running for the hills. The sappers quickly abandon their task of clearing the rubble and blasting through the gate aside, their reason replaced with a primal fear of dragons and their ilk. The Goblins who were climbing the walls, on the other hand, had no choice but to push forward in spite of it, and they were quickly cut down by the work of Rudolph and his men. Wounded soldiers were quickly replaced for fresh ones, and for a minute, it almost seems like they've managed to successfully repel this attack force.

That is, however, until a group of Goblins makes it atop the walls. These ones move with a speed unexpected of normal Goblins-- it seems these are trained warriors, either unaffected or drawn to the battlements by Merik's draconic roar. These enemies seem to wield proper weapons and wear scraps of metal armor, likely scavenged from dead and fallen warriors. In the center of these armored Goblins, is one that walks with a swagger and confidence. Unlike the others, he holds an ornate shortsword in his hands and wears bone armor, with trinkets and baubles in plain sight.

"I am the Goblin Warchief, Adgak the Heel-Slicer! We spent all week working on that ram, and we're here for revenge!"

The Goblins let out warcries as they fan out, quickly attacking and killing any stragglers, before switching to a shield wall, their tall shields allowing them to hide behind and deflect any normal projectiles in their way. If the defenders can defeat these Goblins and their Warchief, this battle can be won!

[b]East Gate[/b][hr]
As Faira and her men push towards the ladders, reinforcements from the Keep had arrived to provide their assistance. These were conscripts and levies-- not true soldiers, but perhaps their numbers would help make a difference. The Goblins begin to push but are caught in a pincer between Faira and the soldiers, and the new arrivals who were sent to assist. This would hold them for now, but this stalemate had to be broken soon, or the pendulum would swing in the favor of one side or the other.

Meanwhile, Manald wreaks havoc in the fields below. His display of brutality had managed to take one of the Trolls out of commission and had sent the surrounding Goblins into a panicking retreat. He was uncertain if this was enough to kill the Troll in its entirety, but he was certain that for now, it would not be able to do anything about it. The Hammer Troll let out a furious roar and began smashing the gate apart with its hammer. Thankfully, the city gates are quite resilient, and this one had not sustained any damage up to this point, so the East Gate would hold... for now.

The defenders had to kill the Goblins atop the walls, destroy the ladders the stop further reinforcements, and find a permanent end for the Trolls, or this battle would go on for as long as it had to.

[b]Sewers[/b][hr]
Acrius and his men had managed to hold against both Goblins and their beasts, the ferocity of these animals failing to triumph over the strategies of war that humanity had cultivated over centuries of conflict. Soon, another wave would arrive to attack, but the ambush from Drana would cause these Goblins to fall just as quickly as the last group. A group of soldiers (and Malfoy) from the surface would come to replace the wounded and fatigued, but thanks to the healing spell, there was no need for a rotation. Instead, these men joined their ranks, in anticipation of a larger attack wave soon.

The runner sent by Acrius, Malfoy, would quickly move towards his commanding officer and relay what Balthazar had told him. It was, admittedly, not very useful information, if at all, but there was at least a reassurance that the spymaster would look into this matter further. There was a small lull in the activity, giving Acrius and Drana some time to discuss this further, but soon, another attack comes.

From behind the corner, it is not easy to be ambushed-- all the defenders have to do is simply wait for another wave. This time, however, is different-- there's a bit of commotion, but they stop before they can be seen. Cowardice, perhaps? Their answer comes in the form of a pair of wooden balls that roll across the floor, prompting those at the front to wonder what exactly they are.

They realize the presence of the fuses too late.

Bright flashes and thunderous noises erupt from the devices-- and those who weren't able to look away or cover their ears to be blinded and deafened respectively, for a short time. From here the next wave arrives; Goblins, Wolves, and a team of sappers that look more experienced than their kin. Most Goblin explosives cannot match up to those of Dwarves, but if anything, Goblins are crafty beings, capable of innovation never seen before.

Perhaps if they can manage to do so, they can... appropriate these explosives and use it to seal the tunnels the Goblins used to get in-- that would certainly end attacks from the Sewers... but first, the defenders must defeat this wave of Goblins, Wolves, and explosive-wielding Sappers. Avoiding explosives in the middle of a dark, damp sewer will be difficult, but it seemed, at least, that the Sappers weren't willing to blow up their own forces. Of course, that would not stop them from trying to disrupt the ranks of the defenders. This was certain to be an... interesting battle.