The Battle for Miragliano, Part 2

 

Baliana

The village of Baliana was eerily silent. Just hours ago it has been almost deafeningly noisy with children crying andmen and women shouting as they hurried to load up their possessions and escape. Banging, crashing and creaking carts had filled the track, laden with grain, supplies and the contents of peoples' homes. Then, the village had been filled with military sounds. Trumpets and drums, officers barking orders. Now everyone had taken their positions, and waited nervously for the undead. It was silent.

Many of the officers had wanted to fall back to the city. After all, what was the point of protecting an empty town, but Leonard had overruled them. Backed the wizard Bly, he was confident he could give the undead vanguard a bloody nose, reducing their power even before they reached the city walls. His forces had grown as survivors from the previous battle rejoined them and others from further away patrols returned. He had even been joined by 3 demigryph knights. He did not know much about them, but expected they were part of a brotherhood that operated in North Tilea. In the distance, flocks of birds could be seen flying up from the fields and woods. Leonard knew that the undead were close.

The River Watch had positioned themselves in Baliana with a block of infantry, backed by ranged units in the middle of the town, the archers on one flank and the demigryphs on the other. Some crossbow men had taken up a forward potion in a large house.

The undead were arranged in a massive block of infantry, with grave guard in the middle. The right flank had the faster elements of direwolves and felbats. Zebulon and Gauk, who still sported a borrowed leg after he lost his own in an earlier battle, were among the skeletons. Hvitskirt now led his grave guard.

The battle

The pistoleers, who had ridden out from Miragliano to join the battle, raced out in front of the army, but were immediately pounced upon by the dire wolves, their hurried pistol shots doing nothing amongst the trees. 2 were swiftly dragged from their mounds and the rest fled away, shouting in terror, back to Miragliano. The rest of the undead advanced through the now empty fields.

The men in the village repositioned slightly and let loose with a volley of missile fire. 8 wolves were shot down and 1 bat was consumed by magical light from Bly, even after his first attempt at a spell was stopped by a cackling Zebulon. Finally a single zombie was set alight by a blast from Leonard's magic ring.

The undead continued their advance while overhead the bats swooped into the small body of spearmen and the wizard Bly, behind the main force. The zombies also charged the house where the crossbowmen were holed up, 2 fell, but so did 4 zombies. Despite the proximity of the bats, Bly managed to fend off the worst of the undead magic, but 2 wolves and 3 zombies returned to join the battle. The battle between the bats and Bly was desperate. 2 of them focused their attentions on him, even as the spearmen plucked 2 of the others from the air. More than once a bat got past his attempts to push it away and delivered what should bee a fatal neck bite, only to find it's mouth stuck on his oversized collar. Another bat crumbed due to the distance from its animating magic source and only 1 remained to trouble Bly.

The demigryphs charged into the skeletons in front of them, crushing and smashing many while the skeleton's rusty weapons could not scratch the fine armour of the knights. Meanwhile, the archers shot down the last of the direwolves and the crossbowmen beat down 4 more zombies at the cost of 1 of their own. The last felbat was again thwarted and Bly escaped harm as his body guard speared the creature to the ground. (Bly survived 4 4+ wound rolls)

Watching the demigryps rip apart the skeleton's reminded Xebulon of the fate of count Pavel in front of the gates of Udolpho. He carefully stepped out from his skeleton unit and went to hide near the grave guard. Back in the front lines, some ghouls charged the hablediers. 3 ghouls fell but only 1 man remained after the in pact of the charge, however he held his ground despite the hopeless odds.

Both Zebulon and Gauk's magic returned 7 skeletons to their unit and many zombies once again rose to their feet. Skeleton bow fire felled 5 archers while the crossbowmen were driven from the building even as the weigh of zombies crushed the flimsy wooden structure, causing it to collapse. The demigryphs crushed the last of the skeletons, and turned to face the approaching grave guard.

The fleeing crossbowmen rallied once they reached Bly. They watched as he tried to gather the energy for a spell, fail as Xebulon dispelled it, and then cast another. Burning light flowed from his eyes and struck the corpse cart causing it to erupt in a great inferno. Leonard led his men into the flank of the ghouls striking down many and the rest fled away. Leonard reformed his men, but the lone halbedier gave chase following after the ghouls. The Demigryph knights crashed into the grave guard, felling a good number of them, but Hvitskirt's great blade did one demigryph a terrible wound.

The Zombies now charged through the ruins of the house at the archers, who took to their heels and fled so fast that they left the field entirely. A unit of ghouls charged the swordsmen, but were out classed and fled away chased by Leonard and his unit. The other ghoul unit rallied and the lone halbedier suddenly regretted his choice of chasing them. The demigryphs felled more grave guard and even wounded Hvitskirt, but with a large group of skeletons having charged their read, their mounts panicked and the tried to escape, only to be cut down as they neared the forest.

Leonard again tried to catch the fleeing ghouls, but again they fled. However, this opened up his view to the few remaining grave guard, their flank exposed. He and his unit charged, trying to cut the heard out of the undead army. The hand gunners blasted a few ghouls, but it would not be enough to force them back. In combat Leonard pointed his magical sword at the wight king, silently the skeletal brute accepted his challenge and both sides parted so that they could meet. After a first exchange of blows, both had escaped harm. 1 swordsman fell, but a couple of the grave guard collapsed as the humans pressed in, there were only 2 left now.

The zombies were nearing Bly and his men now. When they started to shamble forwards Bly gave the call to withdraw out of their reach. The men's overly confident and leisurely pace was there downfall as a quick glance over the shoulder revealed to Bly that the zombies were not shambling slowly, but more sprinting. Before Bly could do little more than cry out, the zombies were upon them.

Leonard continued his battle with Hvitskirt and again he could not land a telling blow, despite piercing the wight's defenses multiple times. In return Hvitskirt's blade suddenly flicked out for Leonard's head and Leonard crumpled to the ground. At the same time the Skeletons arrived in the swordsmen's rear and they scattered in every direction trying to escape.

It was now almost over, the hand gunners gave one last blast at the ghouls, and then tried to beat Gauk to death in combat, but were overwhelmed before they could do him any harm.

The undead had taken the village.

Epilogue

Leonard

The captain awoke to find himself still at the edge of the forest where his unit had advanced to. It took a moment for him to remember what had happened, they he immediately moved his hand to his head, where the wight's blade had stuck. His helm had almost been crushed by the blow, and his hair was matted with dried blood, but he was still alive.

Taking stock around himself, he could see the ruin of the River Watch, and beyond that the burning village. They had achieved little and had paid dearly. A deep feeling of loathing came over him, a loathing of the undead, but more so a burning self hatred. He had delayed the crossing perfectly, there was no need for this second battle, the village was empty. His men, his River Watch could have been safely back in Miragliano, preparing for the siege. Instead his hubris had led them here, to this.

There was nothing now for Leonard to do except try to find his way back to Miragliano and to try and gain absolution for his folly. (Leonard had gained devastating charge as a result from the injury table.)

Zebulon

The battle had been a complete success, the pretty resistance of the Miragliano men had been swept aside. It was Zebulon's greatest victory. But yet, he was irritated. For 6 hours after the battle he had had his army check every house and building for clothes and shoes. The zombies and skeletons were not much use at this, but the ghouls had had more success. The total harvest had been: 2 summer dresses, a damaged traveling cloak, several pairs of underwear, a straw hat, 5 shoes of various shapes and sizes and an oversized pair of beaten farmer's boots.
Zebulon now wore the boots, which were much to big for him, and had wrapped himself in the cloak. Several of the ghouls now sported underwear and 3 were fighting over the dresses. The take was considerably less than he had hopped, and in a fit of rage, he had ordered the village burned. This did not have any real purpose, but it had made him feel slightly better.

Now he turned his thoughts to Marigliano. Surely, they had some fine outfits there. He cackled to himself and rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he imagined his new, grand outfit.

A letter

The 3^rd day of the last month 2491.

To my illustrious lord. Count of Marguilles, Gui deBague.

Lord, forgive the shortness of this missive. Our current situation enforces the use of carrier pigeon as our only means of timely communication.

Towards the end of last month, a force of undead was reported near the river Trino. They made a an opposed crossing on the penultimate day of last month. My reports tell me that Marigliano's River Watch were able to significantly interrupt this crossing, allowing for the evacuation and emptying of the outlying villages.

A second battle was fought at the village of Baliana. I can not say as to what purpose this battle was fought for, but I witnessed the results with my own eyes. From the walls a saw wounded and struggling men arrive in scattered small groups. A wizard, known as Bly I believe, was among them. It seems the battle was near to a disaster and the Watch greatly reduced. Later according to my sources, a filthy and deranged figure arrived at the gates. This turned out to the Watch's captain Leonard. What happened to him is unknown, but he has come back a changed man. Before he was rowdy and bellicose, like so many of the Tilean's can be once they get a little authority, but now he is silent and intense.

Now the distant sound of work outside the walls continues night and day. It is of no doubt that the undead are constructing siege machines and plan to storm the walls. They have made no effort to block the port so far. The prince of Miragliano, Loren, has seized all the vessels in the harbor for military use. Only the most astronomical of bribes can purchase passage out of the city at the moment. There is little wonder why the prince's epithet amongst the common people is “The godless knight”

I humbly ask my lord that you might dispatch a payment order to the value of 100 Tilean gold florins by pigeon, so that I might purchase passage out, as to report to you my findings in person.

Your always loyal servant.

Cedric Baptiste

Diplomat, Scribe and Gentleman