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

[dnsmantra]

Wherever these traitors walk their lives are forfeit. Wherever I walk I will hunt them to the end of days - them or their kin, or those who would sully the oaths that were made. If people know more of who did this, I would wish to know. Owl, you perhaps have thoughts?

As to our battle, I will drink to your men who fought, and died, though they knew they could not win. You showed more courage than I thought perhaps possible.

Wilderthorn
Torn Isles

[iainwimble]

I say this with a sorry heart, the ritual stirkes came from Adventures who would see deaths of the people of not only the City Of Keys but the lifes of the Tribes that would come in the months that followed if the battle was not stopped.

I now seen to much death over the last year and a bit now within City Of Keys, how can people wish to harm and kill others is beyond me and at this time i hope they are happy now they have had there deaths they was after so much.

I am sorry and i will pray for all the lifes lost and harmed though these events.

I wish at this time i can say peace be with you all but i cannot.....not at this moment.

Sol

[JustinC]

Forgive my ignorance, but does the Imperial mercenary interference at the moment of Keys' defeat mean that the tribes won? Or lost?

Hostile Nature

Forgive my ignorance, but does the Imperial mercenary interference at the moment of Keys' defeat mean that the tribes won? Or lost?

Hostile Nature

We do not know who the Adventurers are and I certainly did not state 'Imperial Mercenary's.
Regretably the mercenary community contains some who have little or no love of the Empire and indeed there are those who may well wish to drive the Empire and the Tribes of the north into open warfare.

Drago

[BBB]

Forgive my ignorance, but does the Imperial mercenary interference at the moment of Keys' defeat mean that the tribes won? Or lost?

Hostile Nature

The Torn Islanders won, the intereference changes nothing of the result except it allowed the Eorl to stop the battle and spare the lives of the last of the Defenders of Keys that they might walk off the Battlefield.

Watching-Owl

[abyatt]

I don't really understand what all this means (not a surprise there I know).

If the Torn Islanders won does that mean that Keys is now in their hands, and out of the Empire?
If so then what of the people there?

It would be good to see someone from the Senate give us an idea of what this battle means for the people of Keys and the Empire as a whole.
I realise that there's probably a lot of confusion around at the moment, but some guidance would be very useful.


fidgit

[BBB]

Agreement was made between the "Kingdom of Keys" and the "Kingdom of The Torn Isles" that war would not be had between the North and the Empire if honourable clash was met.

Should the Torn Isles loose they would concede the loss of the Sacred Place Armastas and leave.

Should the "Kingdom of Keys" lose they would return Armastas to the Tribes and abandon the city that was built on top of it.

This was done by both sides to save the lives of the people of Keys.

The Torn Islanders, Ikhala, the North and the Tribes of the Empire, now await the fulfillment of the agreement and the evacuation and abandonment of the city.

Watching-Owl

[abyatt]

Agreement was made between the "Kingdom of Keys" and the "Kingdom of The Torn Isles" that war would not be had between the North and the Empire if honourable clash was met.

Should the Torn Isles loose they would concede the loss of the Sacred Place Armastas and leave.

Should the "Kingdom of Keys" lose they would return Armastas to the Tribes and abandon the city that was built on top of it.

This was done by both sides to save the lives of the people of Keys.

The Torn Islanders, Ikhala, the North and the Tribes of the Empire, now await the fulfillment of the agreement and the evacuation and abandonment of the city.

Watching-Owl

Oh! my my

I thought that might be the case, but hoped I had it wrong.

Although there may have been differences of opinion between myself and the council of Keys in the past, I would like to thank them for the sacrifice they have made in the name of the Empire, and to offer them my condolences.

I am certain that all cities of the Empire will stand ready to offer any displaced citizens shelter and aid should they require it. I will ensure that Eartholme is ready to help in any way we can.

Fidgit

[DanM]

Damn them all

Seems we lose another City

Ickbiggle
Takalia
Trollsville
Gillenum
Thimon (Well almost)
Now... Keys

Damn the Furries, Damn the druids, Damn the foreigners, damn the old ones and damn the rats.

Icondor

[Stuart]

Saying 'we' lost Trollsville is a bit of a stretch. Baron Sidium had citizens of the Empire hanged for theft and a variety of other minor crimes. Due to a terrible series of badly managed events and despite the combined efforts of a number of mercenaries including myself seeking to keep the city within the Empire, the populous demanded the city secede. I remember at one point when the Empire was threatening to send legions in to slaughter the populous, Thomas, Serrafin, Tavis and myself were going to invoke our various patrons and each stand before a gate to try stop the legions from slaughtering the people we were sword to protect.

So the people of Trollsville threw off the yoke of injustice and a power-crazed nobleman, seeking their own way rather than subjecting themselves to such mania again. The Empire didn't so much lose the city as force it away.

I recall mercenaries were involved in blowing up ritual chambers in Ickybiggle and Gileenim, Takalia was a supply dump stolen from the Baronies by Amora in any case which leaves one city in turmoil because some unknown creature murdered a druid beloved of the ratfolk, and another city accidentally built on one of the most holy places of the Tribes now being returned to the tribes.

Blame the furries, druids, foreigners, old ones and rats if you will, but the fault lies a lot closer to home.

Marik

[EMBER]

"" This was done by both sides to save the lives of the people of Keys. ""

It was also done to advert war between the empire and the ALL the tribes, had we not accepted then they would have attacked an imperial city and war would have come at the cost of many many more lives, remember that.


............ONE way or another war will come to teh empire though.

Personally i'm waiting for the "scavengers" to pop up and i don't mean those that loot the fallen soldiers.


Ember.

Agreement was made between the "Kingdom of Keys" and the "Kingdom of The Torn Isles" that war would not be had between the North and the Empire if honourable clash was met.

Should the Torn Isles loose they would concede the loss of the Sacred Place Armastas and leave.

Should the "Kingdom of Keys" lose they would return Armastas to the Tribes and abandon the city that was built on top of it.

This was done by both sides to save the lives of the people of Keys.

The Torn Islanders, Ikhala, the North and the Tribes of the Empire, now await the fulfillment of the agreement and the evacuation and abandonment of the city.

Watching-Owl

[Jan]

Isa nada lost, isa odda der. Empire nada Primus, Empire guden fer Primus but Nada all Primus. Yai sader men die, yai sader say nada comer odda here. Troll sai nada kill again again. Primus gud, folk av Primus gud Primus.

Troll. Primalist

{ Trans: It's not lost, It's over there. The Empire isn't Primus by the way. The Empire is good for Primus, but isn't all of it. Yes its sad men die, yes its sad people say you cannot come over here. But we need to not become enraged by claims of ownership. Primus is more important and all beings of Primus serve a role.}

PS. Drago, Troll sadde Drago sadde, Drago sai, Troll comme.

[EMBER]

Easy for you to say.
Besides, try putting 4 years of work into a city and watch it die.

Ember.

Isa nada lost, isa odda der. Empire nada Primus, Empire guden fer Primus but Nada all Primus. Yai sader men die, yai sader say nada comer odda here. Troll sai nada kill again again. Primus gud, folk av Primus gud Primus.

Troll. Primalist

{ Trans: It's not lost, It's over there. The Empire isn't Primus by the way. The Empire is good for Primus, but isn't all of it. Yes its sad men die, yes its sad people say you cannot come over here. But we need to not become enraged by claims of ownership. Primus is more important and all beings of Primus serve a role.}

PS. Drago, Troll sadde Drago sadde, Drago sai, Troll comme.

[Jan]

Easy for you to say.
Besides, try putting 4 years of work into a city and watch it die.

Ember.

Yai yai isa nai Gud. Sorreee, nai sai nada sad thing.

Shama Tribes nai sai wen Drago cama t'Keys. Straaaange.

Troll.


(yes, its isnt a good thing, sorry, i wasn't trying to say it wasn't a sad thing. Shame the tribes didnt happen to mention this four years ago, odd that)

[Jan]

The Torn Islanders, Ikhala, the North and the Tribes of the Empire, now await the fulfillment of the agreement and the evacuation and abandonment of the city.

Watching-Owl

Owl.

Tribes ina Empire did theese? Wai? Wai Owl sai theese? Owl ask Tribes comme to fina tings ina snow Yai? Wud?

[BBB]

Troll, there is a Wizard who seeks to stir a great war between The Empire and the Northern Tribes.

He forced the tribes of the North to take insult at the desecration for Armastas by mocking their honour for their failure to defend the sacred place.

The Eorl, leader of the Torn Isles, did his best to stop the Northern Tribes from attacking. In the end the only way he could do this was by making an agreement with the other Northern Tribes that he and his people would travel to the Empire and issue a challenge for the insult of Keys on Armastas instead of war.

The Eorl has walked a dangerous path to prevent war. Many have given their lives to prevent great conflict.

It is the Wizard who is to blame for this and he who should be stopped. For whatever reason he is intent on stirring war and he may yet suceed if the bargain the Eorl forged is not adhered to.

Owl

[Jasper]

Blame the furries, druids, foreigners, old ones and rats if you will, but the fault lies a lot closer to home.

Marik

He didn't say blame them, he said Damn them. Which is stupid because everyone knows that Damn is a rubbish miracle that no-one ever casts, even me (and I once thought that the Touch of Death thing actually killed people!)

And you can't damn druids, it doesn't work on them.

How did you manage to lose a battle, though? I would of thought what with all the noise and shouting and whatnot it would be quite a hard thing to lose but I suppose if anyone could do it it'd be you Empire people.

So it was just a Wizard who made all the furry people angry, was it? What was his name? Was it George? Or Fractured? I bet it was Fractured. We made all the Northern tribe people angry once when we went there on holiday and eventually we had to agree that they would keep attacking us day after day if we kept killing them. They only stopped when I hit the giant over the head with a magic rock. Did you try that?

But seriously, what was the wizard's name, Watching Owl? I don't mean was it Watching Owl, I'm just thought Watching Owl might know because he's quite clever although he does sometimes get all angry and attack Lloth which is silly because maybe Torwin won't have the spirits left to bring him back but I expect Nobby will so thats all right.

Why don't all the people in Keys start living in yurts and wearing dead rabbits? Then they won't have to go anywhere. Especially if they take up the Ancient and Much Respected practise of Animal Worship. If I was tribal I'd worship a goat.

?
Rumplestiltskin

[BBB]

Cael’A’Tan

Watching-Owl

[AndrewBucknell]

Owl
And is this wizard a person a god or something else?
Whatever he is, is there some reason that says we cannot go and give him a kicking?
Kintarma
lately of keys