[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/q020OKO.png[/img][hr][b][color=0054a6]Interacting:[/color][/b] Caelum [@RezonanceV].
[b][color=0054a6]Event:[/color][/b] Defense of Relouse [b]|[/b] [b][color=0054a6]Location:[/color][/b] Cap Redame, Parrence.[hr][hr][/center][b][color=0054a6]Collab:[/color][/b] Caelum [@RezonanceV][hr][color=c2b280]““Are you called Asier?””[/color] Caelum paused. [color=c2b280]““My name is Caelum of Oraphe, this is Mathieos and Dieudonne of Vitroux, we wish to support the expeditionary force.”[/color]

Asier smiles brightly as he greets the Paladin and his companion, [color=0054a6]“Welcome to this patch of green paradise, where the sea is blue, and the sand is yellow. Glad you both could join, Asier Arslan as per service.”[/color]. He offers to take the pair by the hand to give a firm shake.

Caelum stretched out his hand, [color=c2b280]“May Oraphe keep you.”[/color] He matched the strength of the Tourrare’s handshake and met his eyes as a sign of trust, [color=c2b280]“ It is our pleasure to join, it sounded as if you had a plan back at camp, is this true?”[/color] Caelum released his grip and stepped back to maintain a respectful distance. 

[color=0054a6]“Plan is to harass the Eskandr as they come to the bend ahead”[/color], Asier points to the direction, following the edge. [color=0054a6]“We Tourrare are skirmishers, instead of waiting for the enemy to come to us, we come to them. They come to our defences battered and bruised, the logic of the Steppes.”[/color] He does move his hand side-to-side, [color=0054a6]“We are not at the Steppes, so this would be clumsy, but a similar principle being applied in my mind. We may need to improvise a lot.”[/color]

Caelum thought about the pre-emptive mentality of his new ally. He had never encountered the Steppes people of Parrence. A missed opportunity that Caelum was now happy to discover in front of him, [color=c2b280]“Then we should conceal our men behind the fields at the point of the Cape and take our positions at the south ridge to spot the enemy and give the signal when a few ships pass between the two lands, we should position some casters in the tower of the church as well to give us a greater distance on the first volley.”[/color] Caelum looked toward Cap Redame and back at the bold Tourrare, [color=c2b280]“After you.”[/color] Caelum politely passed his hand toward the Cap as he mounted his horse to follow Asier to the tip of where all the action would begin. 

Asier agreed with the outlay of the plan, [color=0054a6]“Conventional ambush should work well. If we can slow down their force, we can give the defenders much needed time for preparations.”[/color] He tugs his second horse along with him, riding towards the tip, [color=0054a6]“Now for us to have a good look at what is waiting for us from the great Hrothgar the Chartreuse.”[/color] He gives the signal to the men to move into their positions, halting those accompanying as he scouts ahead with Caelum.

The sound of hooves and strong boots pounded the earth of Cap Redame as each soul settled into their role as apart of the first defense for Relouse. Caelum and Asier both trekked to the cliff’s edge south of the monastery where the fierce waves of Parrence smashed against dark stones. Eskandrs were great sailors, but even in these conditions would wrestle their skills. The two kept watch as the ocean breeze wafted by, [color=c2b280]“Is that fog?”[/color] Caelum looked into the distance but could not tell what was separating the horizon and the water, [color=c2b280]“Asier, the horizon, it looks strange, can you see anything?”[/color] 

Asier looks out towards the waves as the white mist travels towards them, the lead ships moving as if they were sailing on clouds. [color=0054a6]“It looks as if they were sailing on the clouds themselves.”[/color], he smiles brightly as he indicates the line, [color=0054a6]“ We should have a better view up here as they approach. It appears they are trying to obscure their numbers, but they forget we have the high ground.”[/color] He indicates with his hand that the Eskandr have been spotted and for preparations to be made. [color=0054a6]“Have you found yourself in battle with the Eskandr before, Paladin of Oraphe? A first raid faced myself, more tasked with dealing with the northern raiders. More savage and less disciplined up north. With the Eskandr, rumours are that they work together in herds centred around the captain of each ship being the bull.”[/color]. He defers to Caelum for his experience of facing the Eskanders.

Caelum listened to Asier as he pointed out the Eskandr vessels that began to emerge from no fog, but a mist. Asier directed the two to higher ground to get a better read on how many Eskandr were actually going to be engaging the shores, while traversing to this higher ground, Asier asked Caelum about his experience with Eskandr which triggered his most recent memory. A whisper escaped his lips as he saw, [color=c2b280]“Oleric.”[/color] Caelum raised his eyes, [color=c2b280]“Yes, I have met the Eskandr before…they certainly work together in herds centered around their most adept fighters but something has changed in their tactics…I was at Vitroux, and they did more than just act like a herd, they were organized like a great army.”[/color] Caelum paused, [color=c2b280]“I feared we would make the same mistake here, underestimating how much Eskandr are learning about us, but I have been surprised by how many see the vision Arcel and his beloved put forward, I pray we will be enough.”[/color] Caelum paused a second time to re-direct his attention to Eskandr tactics, [color=c2b280]“At Vitroux, they outnumbered us, kept us focused on one half of the battle while hitting us in the rear, they nipped at our ankles and poisoned our confidence like a viper hiding in tall grass, do not expect sheep following wolves, expect all of them to be wolves, and expect that these wolves are hungry, fierce, and worst of all, cunning without any honor to hold them back.”[/color] Parrence had already underestimated them at Vitroux, the same could not happen at Relouse or wherever the next fight took place, something was different about these Eskandr from the raiders Parrence had come to know…

Asier rubs upon his chin as he considers Caelum’s words. [color=0054a6]“Asked why the Eskandr would bother landing here if they knew our forces would meet them, and not simply sail past to an alternative spot whilst they had speed on their side.”[/color] He shrugs his shoulders as if to question ‘who knows’. [color=0054a6]“It would make sense for them to land at multiple points, an enemy weakened at its rear.”[/color] ponders upon the map, trying to recall if there were any other beach-heads available to land, though only recalling cliff faces all the way around. [color=0054a6]”There is an Avician expression I heard once, it translates something like ‘if we can't find a way, we will make one’. If one was being inventive, only option would be trying to repurpose the river Bridal Veil Falls to the North for their sea-chariots.”[/color]

Caelum answered Asier, [color=c2b280]“Who is to say what we meet today is the entire Eskandr force? And, who is to know whether what we face today does not have a plan that will drop these cliffs into molehills to better land and maneuver their men?”[/color] Caelum did not have an actual answer to Asier, only more questions, because after his last experience, he would prefer to never be surprised again by the Eskandrs. Caelum would think of everything that could be possible and assume that the Eskandr are too. Caelum turned to Asier and dropped his hand on his shoulder to look him in the eyes as their horses touched side by side, [color=c2b280]“Asier, I do not think we fight savages like we once did, be prepared to fight something very different, more disciplined than the mindless herds you snatched the life from in the Steppes.”[/color] The two kept moving upward to higher ground, and as words of “prepare” left Caelum’s mouth, nothing could have prepared them for what they were about to see smothering the very water before them. 

Asier lets out a long whistle as the boats come upon the horizon before them, as far as the eye can see. [color=0054a6]“That is a lot of sea-Chariots… no wonder you southerners had so much trouble.”[/color] He doesn’t even attempt to count the ships on his fingers as he looks towards Caelum. [color=0054a6]”We should try to find a way to close the choke point, it should reduce the flow of the ships to the shore.”[/color] He points towards the gap between Ile Contrefort and Cap Redame. [color=0054a6]“The wreckage should work well to fulfil our needs, if not, will need something sturdier.”[/color] 

[i]It was definitely an idea[/i], Caelum thought, [i]but would it be enough.[/i] Probably not, the force steering their way was the largest Caelum had ever set eyes on. The estimated force was lower than what was out at sea right now, the same thing happened in Vitroux. Caelum warned Asier, [color=c2b280]“The wreckage will not be enough and neither will our ambush, we need to get everyone into defensive positions before we start taking volleys from the sea, and focus our assault on the lead boats, if we can get those lead boats to slow down or veer off course, maybe we can slow the rest down, but there are too many, we will not be able to hold here for long.”[/color] 

Asier nods in understanding, [color=0054a6]“Then let's not make the same mistake, we hit them hard, slow them down, buy the time we need.”[/color] He moves to rides back towards the soldiers as he gives out the instructions before riding back next to Caelum, [color=0054a6]“Instructions are shared amongst the men.”[/color] The boats are approaching quicker, an endless swarm of armoured locusts ready to ravage the fields of Parrence. The pair move to take up their respective positions. [color=0054a6]“Willing to offer a prayer? We might be in dire need of good fortune.”[/color]

Caelum nodded to Asier’s request, bowing his head forward raising his voice for others to hear the comfort of Pentad’s words, [color=c2b280]“May the flashing of our swords be wet with the corrupted blood of those who seek to harm the children of Pentad, may our shields deflect the claws of monsters who wish to cut the throat of Pentad’s mothers, may our armor flex as the gnashing of demons bite down on us, their slayers, may our boots find roots where our enemies find shifting earth and no where to stand steadfast against our strength, may Pentad protect us and his  sword be bathed in the blood of foul beasts and used to draw a line between our land and their deaths…Amen.”[/color] Caelum raised his head and then his hand to order the first volley as the ships reached good striking distance from the cliffs of the monastery, [color=c2b280]“If Echeran is who they seek, let us show them the way!”[/color]
[hr]
The opening valley was in true celebratory style. Rocks, arrows, and various power infused attacks are rained down upon the Eskandr. Ship after ship explodes, erupts, the splinters shower the surrounding ships. There was something visceral in watching how a burning bounder crashes into the top of a longship, the way it crunches bone, chargrills flesh, causes men to scatter like ants. The boat starts to bend in two, sinking underneath the boulder in the middle as the ends tip up and sink under the surface.

There is no pleasure taken in the ending of one's life, and there is little appetite in the glorification of it. [color=0054a6]“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”[/color]. The shot from his own bow hammered into the side of a longship, with the force-enhanced thud causing a grave wound to the bilge as the Eskandr rushed to try to stop the rising waters before removing their armour to swim in the waters. Only Dami can judge these souls now.

Despite the might of the Parrench expeditionary force, the attack fell short. The Eskandr were more than prepared as the gaps in their offensive were filled almost seamlessly. Whilst the Parrence attack might have been stronger than they predicted, it seems they had their own plans, the counter attack was beyond expectations. The ferocity of the bombardment was intense, It appeared that this was the Eskandr intention all along, to reduce the Cape to rubble, perhaps even turn it into a second beach-head. Wave after wave comes against them, the church exploding as the chunks of stone, laid down for centuries, scatter like pebbles caught within the wind. As the catapults engulf in flame, he rides alongside Caelum. [color=0054a6]“King Arcel needs to know what has happened. Do what you can, lead these men the best you can.”[/color]. With a giddy-up of his two horses, he rode to the King’s camp, as the fastest rider, only he could pass on the message before it was too late.

King Hrothgar is coming with the Greatest Heathen Army Sipenta has ever seen. Fate has cast its dice, and King Arcel will have to defend the world, and the Gods of the Pentad themselves as we know it.

[hr][hider=TL;DR Summary]
Asier and Caelum scout out the enemy forces.
Planned to try to slow the advancing fleet by targetting the head.
Eskandr forces conducted an overwhelming assault on Cape Redcamp.
Asier used his speed to travel back to King Arcel's camp with what has transpired to allow any important decisions to be made with the latest information.
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