[Phase 3] Scorched Earth [Act 1]

Mikel will keep his men on task and complete the mission - Flood the Mines.



[OOC:  My impression was Flood the Mines or Horrors of War, if I'm wrong and must do both just let me know!]

Horrors of War - Stand down

[P3a1 Scorched Earth] Horrors/Stand down Warfare (command) v. TN 12: 5d6k4 23    3 DoS

Casulty Rolls:

P3a1 Scorched Earth Casulties - FR2, FR5, S4 (Tested): 3#1d6 1 5 2
P3a1 Scorched Earth Casulties - FR1 , S1, S2, S3 (Bloodied) *+1 for S1*: 4#1d6+2 4 3 6 4
P3a1 Scorched Earth Casulties - F4 (Disorganized): 2d6 7
P3a1 Scorched Earth Casulties - FR5 (Destroyed): 8d6 28
P3a1 Scorched Earth Casulties - S5 (tested): 1d6 2

[P3a1 Scorched Earth Casulties] G1, G2, G3 (destroyed): 3#8d6 19 29 31
[P3a1 Scorched Earth Casulties] G4, G5 (disorganized) *+3 for G5*: 2#2d6 3 8

FR1   4      S1   3    G1   19
FR2   1      S2   6    G2   29
FR3   28    S3   4    G3   31
FR4   7      S4   2    G4   3
FR5   5      S5   2    G5   8

*I did not try to equate the unit size and casualty dice, so these rolls were made as indicated to per warfare thread with normal unit size*
*I rolled for FR5 twice, but not for three.  Three was destroyed, not five, so simply applied the correct unit/state in the easy to read section*
*S5 rolled seperately because I forgot to roll for it*


        Once the battle ended Mikel then his senior men and the squad leaders issued orders and physically enforced them to keep the men from butchery.  The surviving enemy were rounded up and consolidated, then stripped of weapons and armor and sat down and bound together through some means his men had improvised and a watch kept over them.  Some scouts were then dispatched to the top of the hill which over looked Oldforge to keep a watch.  From there they could see well out in each direction and with their horns could warn Mikel of any attackers and the direction they were coming in from.

        The surviving villagers were also consolidated and kept nearby but Mikel could see the look in his men's eye.  Their blood was up and though he had been firm in his intentions and what he would not allow he felt it best to keep his men busy.  They formed into a small perimeter and sent out the work party that would flood the mines while Mikel made rounds among the men.  Guards had been established, wounds were being tended to, and food was being prepared for the living.  Once every mount and every man was fed and watered their dead were collected and rolled into cloaks and prepared so that they could quickly be loaded onto horses when the order was given to prepare to move out.  Then men were sent out to collect any horses that remained in the village.  When they left he did not want to risk a rider getting lucky and finding help before he was safely back in Blackwood lands.  Some men were sent to find bags and load them with mined silver so that it could be distributed among the men later, and taken to the families of fallen.  One party prepared the enemies armor to be loaded into horses and taken back for Blackwood use.  Fifty armored peasants in a levy might have an impact.

        He allowed a few enemy, under guard, to treat their wounded and retrieve the body of Ser Arthur.  Once the mine was flooded Mikel sounded rally so that the scouts atop the hill returned to them.  The dead were loaded onto horses, the enemies weapons tossed into the flooded mine.  Finally the scouts arrived and had nothing to report.  As the men formed up Mikel rode towards the surviving villagers to find the family that Lord Arthur had left behind.  He addressed the widow directly, in a voice that was gentle due to all she had lost but firm in its resolve. "Once we clear the village those men will remove the bindings of your surviving guardsmen."  He had pointed to the three men of the enemy who he had allowed to treat the wounded.  "We've taken all your mounts to discourage pursuit or a dash for aid.  Your wounded had been tended, as you doubtless observed."  He looked back toward his men.  They were all mounted, and some held the reins of mounts whose riders were draped across the saddle and lifeless, or mounts taken from the village and laden with armor or mined silver.  "Your husband was true to his duty, and showed himself to be a formidable Knight.  Your men also fought well, in truth it was too close a thing for my liking."  He swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable.  "My condolences."  Then rode to the front of his men and sent the scouts out.


        This fight was different for him then others in his life in more ways then one.  This was his first battle against trained men who were more or less the same as him.  They simply served another Lord and fought for him instead.  In this case these men had fought for their village.  Often Mikel championed the idea that war should be between two armed forces, and it should be, but that was very idealistic.  In truth if you want to win a war you should destroy your enemies will to fight, his ability to fight, and then him.  The Lord protected his people and they provided for him so if you burned their crops the Lord wouldn't be proved with food and starvation was surely enough to break any man.  If you happened to kill the workers after you burned their fields you just took from the Lords pool of men he would raise the levies from.  Now a hungry and undermanned garrison is all that stands between you and whatever you decided to go to war over in the first place.  Despite acknowledging all that he was proud to have exercised such restraint.

    Once the scouts were far enough ahead he ended his somber musings with a final thought, that he felt, at least so far, detached from the killing.  He had no remorse nor pride in it, though he did feel validation in his life's focus and a drive to continue in his craft.  He let his horse go and heard his men coming behind.  A squad of scouts would follow behind, one on either side, and one ahead.  They lead squad would guide them back along a different route then the one they had come in on.  No sense risking somebody having seen their trail now waiting on it in ambush for their return.