The Battle of Armstas Options

[BBB]

Hark then to the Story of the Battle of Armastas, I warn you though, no pretty tale is this, no happy ending.

The forces of the city of keys went forth to meet the troops of the Torn Isle.

The defenders of but a single city were matched against the might of an entire Tribal Nation, we left our walls, gates and defences behind us and met them on the field of battle.

Why did the city fight on its own? Becuase if we had gone to the Empire and Bastion for Aid then we'd have faced not just a single tribal nation but all Tribal nations, plus the tribles of the high north AND Ikhala and his host. To avoid such total war with the North we faced them on our own, risking the destruction of our very city on behalf of the Empire and its people.

Why not stand on the walls and fortifications? We are but a city, walls and militia cannot stand against a sea of enemy and if a city is taken in seige or assault then the backlash against the people of the city is truely a horror like no other.
We faced them on the field of battle, risking our lives on behalf of our city and its people.

So I made a deal with their Eorl, they would match troop numbers to that of the Keys providing we met them in open battle, limiting their numbers gave us the best chance (though a slim one) of victory as they would not be able to bring overwhelming force against us and the city.

Our 800 men and horse came over the hill to see their hordes, 3,000 men this one Tribal Nation had brought to the fight !!! In such numbers they were that all our troops, the best and the worst were matched by their elite alone, no need for their second rank troops, their very best were to be thrown against our Militia and Mercenaries.

Ruk and his men went forth to champion the city in combat but with the brutal destruction of his held hopes for victory fell.

We stood alone that the Empire need not fight a war, we stood on the field of battle that the city and its people would not need to face the horrors of its fall. We stood there in our Honour to show those in the City and Empire have Honour, we faced the Elite troops of the Eorl of the Torn Isles and we fought, how we fought...

They could not stand against the Charge of the Heavy mount, led by Dirk and Kintama. However Cavalry, not even the keys Lancers, would never be enough on its own. The fight would be won and lost on the hill with the foot soldiers. Mercenary, militia and honour guard stood shoulder to shoulder against the finest troops the nation of the Torn Isles had to offer...

We faced them, we met their charge and we fought.
Some ran, and who can blame them?
Some fell and we honour them,
Some of us weathered the storm and come the end we still stood.

The end ? in truth we were but moments from defeat when some meddlesome, traitorous, deceitful Ritualist(s) struck. Once or twice is not clear but someone deliberately acted to break the oathmade agreements between the two sides.

A deliberate attempt was made to drag the Empire into an all out war with the Tribes.

In the chaos that followed Sol and Watching Owl managed to create some semblance of calm and prevented the entire host of the Torn Isles from falling on the few surviving Keys troops in a fury at the broken agreement (broken by whoever these ritualists were). The remaining Keys troops gathered our wounded and dead and returned to the City.

I salute those who stood by me, I weep for those who fell and I spit on those who interfered.

Count Drago
Head of House Armastas