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[Language unknown: "I ofloch utsi hepoch diive has osha mialek tessin."] Sakkanak Mashdar of Kish-on-the-plain exclaimed and slammed his fist down on the table.
The assembled Massu-aschi nodded grimly, but only the commander of the battle mages, Tu-Irhandi Irra of Teveh, offered a response.
[Language unknown: "Stli tr nc ugh, blewas'ratrut Ckplsi. Et i be conlar-iouoer a unsan atas oulonerat ]Deutsche[Language unknown: of. T ul ailend lo."]
Mashdar nodded, then he laid out the plans. It was a good, standard formation. The Garradumei, the villagers called into armed service, would advance directly at the column of Deutsche marching on Telzutub. As always, they would serve as the Shield.
Once the Deutsche were engaged with them, the Ursagi, the professionally trained warriors, would strike as quickly as the Spear, break through the Deutsche and surround them.
It would be slaughter.

Once Mashdar had laid down his plans, Irra addressed the Irhandi, the battle mages and assigned them each to one of the formations, the Asch-Zukeshed - each of them 240 to 300 ursagi.
The last one she addressed was Mattaki. Hey eyes slightly closed for a moment and she cocked her head.
[Language unknown: "Peerfi k preac Prhaen Prothiher"], she formally intoned. [Language unknown: "Us eau tha asus peicwihiai."]
She watched you, closely, as if to wait for your reaction.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:26, Sat 07 May 2022.

[Language unknown: T verthares icath ica en ol eklima u o tesi t ti fi un n si eauwitstrvenour] he replied respectfully but there was a slight edge to the words, not enough to cause offence but enough rebellion in them to show he disliked the commands disregard for the common people.
After all they always gave their lives and nurtured the soil with their blood so the leaders could lead
This message was last edited by the player at 17:30, Sat 07 May 2022.

Irra nodded. [Language unknown: "Romoneone wewaof ssort maofch loncei'unta la ateforson thaiveous, at u ev he Eaueststi. Fi ere pomen as his iv naceme reaoreonesta ol orelinted latderall er kor hawil ameee u ieai tio."]

[Language unknown: der ut realo m verereera asevic larlesare i foos hersettin reut ti virateugh e hisnc uthipe]Mattaki again replied with respect and a slight bow.

Honour was all some in like him had left. His Bestial Legacy marked him out from his people and the fact he showed he was anything but a beast only fit to fight for his people annoyed their leaders and even more so the mages as he'd shown he a tually controlled the tides of power better than some who held higher ranks.

His thoughts sounded like that of a bitter old man and he chuckled to himself in fact he enjoyed the look on his elders faces every time he proved them wrong about him and smiled inwardly when they choked on the false praise they directed at him.

He looked out at the sky it was as good as any other day to die

Mattaki crept forward on all fours, next to him the best hunters among the garradumei. All of them young. All of them determined. All of them scared. And scared and in awe of him.
They reached the top of the hill and looked down the slope. On the road, there was a long trek of Deutsche. Mattaki was shocked to see how many there were. They had been encountered before, but usually in small numbers, maybe the size of a Zukeshed or two. He saw their warriors in their dark tunics, but soo many more who seemd to be just villagers, unarmed. Some carrying bundles or bags, many just walking.

He looked and his mind counted numbers he wasn't sure all of them were warrirors some looked to be unarmed porters or the like. This could be a slaughter of innocent people.

He looked round him at the young hunters and sighed how many of these young ones would he see again as the dark settled that evening.

He signaled for them to hold, he had to get closer to see if these people were actually as dangerous as his leaders believed. If his thoughts were correct he needed to get back to call off the attack

((Give me a Smarts roll, just to give the old die roller a try.))

20:55, Today: Mattaki of the Thunder Crags rolled 3,4 using D10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4.  Smarts

Mattaki watched for several minutes, the line seemed to be endless, but very orderly. There was no panic among the crowd and the warriors watched the road and hills. He counted several of the heavy wagons, and there were many carts, some drawn by hand, some drawn by strange large beasts that looked like the ones some of the warriors rode. Other carts had smaller, but stockier beasts in front of them, with vicious horns, almost like the Ef-fruk.

This was not a mere army. This was a whole tribe that had come to settle. And they were marching to the city of Telzutub. If they intended to settle there - what would happen to the tens of thousands of Axtzal who lived there now? What would happen to the nests?

this was not a raiding party, this was not an advance party this looked like a full blown invasion. Mattaki needed to tell the leaders and quickly

he ordered his scouts to follow the group but to keep out of sight and not engage.

Then he set off at a run towards the command area to report his findings.

[Language unknown: "Pro k n di und omeof forntioerhat pr se ugh omehi icaie. Eias Astnceund nesiie orttedive kor prinom teto'eiac icntwe leain ulevei."]
Mashdar responded coldly to Mattaki's report.
There was a long pause. [Language unknown: "Rat ith ie, Maisas Ioliic. Mato dinie sasi wi venoerent tha n ditra ulpo'ndekek."]


Then Mashdar gave new orders, shifting their plans. The main assault would now be taken by the ursagi, with the garradumei in reserves and on the flanks. They would sweep down after the initial attack and exploit the confusion.

Today, the Deutsche would be suffering a major defeat.

[Language unknown: osofma ted reilntad ureencioness teprie om el allte ndut nono tho i lin plsti tioaredaysonnde wheet antlinain ishaunck he si allughcom. Itbeth ro it me ni nendei io ta urout cast rat me for omacnc een u e adusio diat tissfi] Mattaki knew he was speaking out of turn by using honour against her but he could not allow whole sale slaughter to take place even to the enemy
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:28, Sun 08 May 2022.

One of the field commanders responded, but his tone was neutral.
[Language unknown: "Prte atnde nte tetr isof ek ie menic. Tofieito men tratri to utrear e forandhis willatera."]

Another interrupts, more forcefully: [Language unknown: "Hou but el ntiardlat whespr, Tedconwas, Tho, ofes, ekckme, ofevintr hat ol st sta ererin isaimoac ch. Ionwi ntipo ounessall ha etnaek. Letr n ast reddayure nidiofee?"]

[Language unknown: p di alatck i paunte ulmi ing? meel wi olwit heri tiope. Ne as O of n ofpro ch noone eve O la tarohi ck evhiin m eveno urecpa  A o t sapore p rowhi ri eener forlinhou nd pro u p ectverica tois eau...... p os ssdier ason wa]he fell silent his position in society gave him no say but he had to at least try.

((Since Lena seems to be able to post again, I'll move this a bit along))

In the end, Mattaki's counsel was heard, but not acted on, the young Irhand had only managed to ostracize himself further.

The troops were moved, marching in parallel to the road, but easily overtaking the Deutsche on their slow march towards Telzetub. The garradumei barely had time to get in position when the ursagi sprang the attack, charging down from the hills down the road in a wide line, crashing into the Deutsche line.

The impact caused immediate panic and wreaked havoc, with the Deutsche screaming in terror and fleeing from the onslaught. Then the garradumei finally had finished their flanking maneuver and attacked the top of the German column, bunching the line up even further. But the militia forces were not used to the quick marching of the ursagi and their attack and progress came slower than planned.

Still, victory was close. So close that the battlemages had to stop their own attacks for fear of hitting their own troops.

But then, disaster struck.

It started with a rumbling of noise coming from the skies, and then a screeching cry as a Deutsche flying wagon descended from the sky like a bird of prey, attacking the bunched-up garradumei in the rear, who had not quite committed to the battle yet.
Another flying wagon flew lough across the hills and shot at the battlemages, killing and wounding many before turning away to duck their counter attack.


The battle was over when the Deutsche opened fire with their quick-firing cannons, taking out whole Zukesheds in a matter of seconds. But still the Axtzal kept fighting, the call to retreat did not come before there was another rumbling sound and the Deutsche heavy wagons came, with more fire and more fireballs tearing up the countryside.

Mattaki ran with the rest of the garradumei. The battle was lost. There was no honor in fighting to the last man. It was better to retreat, regroup, reconsider and attack again, Fakhad the Great had said so himself and had turned many erstwhile losses into eventual victories.

Left and right of him, the garradumei fell when struck by the Deutsche weapons. Once he had reached the safety of a crater in the road he turned, thrust out his spears, and sent death towards the Deutsche soldiers going after the garradumei.

He heard a whistling sound and turned, but then was catapulted by a massive shockwave into the air and sent tumbling to the ground.
Everything turned black, then.

How long he was out, Mattaki was unable to tell, but when he woke up again, he was surrounded by dead Axtzal, all piled up in mounds. Dazed, he tried to grasp what had happened.
[Language unknown: "Ismo, Latwhiencwerrutühi, N foarom somoutect eraameher but thhont eeanto oulhoutra."
"Prio san et onentiove."
"Ica ha, his ounoneint lo ticderart il na ousta ninte anulai? Rom wamo ro manhouous ousvorwasrea. Tho ndut ei nchat theundeen sting, whe. Ng althu u ere iveousoul."
"Chro, Oveaveeradaydinüisfo."
]

A face moved into Mattaki's field of vision. There was blood and a bruise on the Deutsche's face. He said something.
[Language unknown: "Ainnderut wit er her ceacna nde, wiweul."]

Then a rifle butt came down on Mattaki's head and the world turned black again.

((I'll give you a chance to fill in your own point of view of the battle, but I'll move this along to a new thread))