Mega Story II: The Unfreezing

[Zugvogel]

[OOC: Just a little something to push this thread up to the top again.]

Kuriotate engineers invent the Repetier Crossbow

"One missile a minute is good. Ten missiles a minute is much better."
-Lionel dar Vinki, Centaur Inventor

Clever military engineers in Kwythellar have invented a crossbow that is capable of firing ten times as fast as a regular crossbow. The device achieves this by a series of intricate gears on top of the normal arc that allow a semi-automated loading process in combination with prefabricated wooden box-magazines. While lacking the reach of a regular weapon and not having the crossbows characteristic armor-piercing capabilities except on short ranges, the repetier crossbow's efficencie in terms of bpm ("bolts-per-minute") makes it a favourite project for the Kuriotate High Command. Besides, tests on captured undeads have shown that the massed firepower of the new model crossbows is highly usefull against scelletons and even wraiths (whose essence seems to be damageable by the almost constant exposure to missile impacts.)
The Guild of Machinists hopes to beginn mass production by next month.

->Kuriotate discover machinery.

[OOC: Yeah, Steampunk. Think of something like this: http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=crossbow&order=9&offset=0#/d1n819t
And it's not even that unrealistic. Ancient China had repetier crossbows, so called Ch Ko Nu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeating_crossbow]

 

[Elder Methyl]

((OOC: Yay!))

The March, Part Two

Spoiler :

She gave the order to advance. While she would have prepared a defensive battle, it would have been impractical with the enemy army growing in numbers as it went. The 6000 men and women who formed her expedition were extremely well-armed and trained, but their lack of cavalry made her wary of an open assault. She could see no choice, however.

The first goblins were sighted a few days later. The first skirmishes began immideately, with the Bannor learning how to fight greenskins while the undead apparently found activities other than harrasing the column. The dreaded Wolf Riders were there, however, hampering foraging and hunting operations and making it difficult to get food. But the carts and packs of supplies sent from the Homeland were enough to tide them by, and the Bannor forces were organized enough to keep casualties to a minimum.

Then, on a place just outside the eastern mountains, the enemy army was encountered. A great horde composed of many orcs bolstered by human slavers and marauders. Great Banners bearing the symbol of Bhall were held aloft by the enemy host, whose howls split the air and brought terror to even the hardened hearts of the army. In response, General Athena now gathered her army into order.

Armoured regiments, equipped with either relics from the Age of Rerbirth or newly forged pieces of inferior make, were placed on the front, flanks and rear in order to serve as protection in case of attack. An elite battalion, some armed with mithril shields from the Old Bannor treasury, was positioned to act as the army's spearhead in order for when they assaulted the Orcs. The missile troops were in the center, in order to rain down projectiles on the enemy with maximum safety.

"Attack, now!" The command was carried with lightning quickness through the ranks, and the entire army charged as one against the enemy. The Orcs saw this, and countercharged, breaking apart from the less courageous slavers and destroying all cohesion.

Everything turned into a great din. Athena surveyed it from one of her army's few horses, a grey palfrey that was one of the Lord Commander's favourites. There was plenty of blood and gore, with both Bannor and Orc inflicting violence on one another. Arrows, javelins, and stones whizzed through the air, finding their marks and bringing them down. Goblins and Wolf Riders carried out harrasing attacks, bringing down the unwary with their size and speed. The Clerics levied by the Lord Commander in his foresight were not lacking in work that day, whether in killing or healing.

An Orc, wielding a great spear of bronze, managed to burst through the outer ranks and into her position. She was ready with her mace, leaping past his thrust to brain him with the weapon. She then rode through to where the battle was thickest, getting back in practice with melee work. Her aim was true with every swing of her weapon, crushing arms, teeth, eyes, and skulls. She saw the enemy host undulating with rage, and tought nothing of it, such was her exahiliration.

Her Plate Armour, carried from the Sleeping Chamber that she had spent an age in, was scoured and dented from many blows. An axe almost cut away her shield, but she kept going, finding the perfect places to attack. She found herself smasing her way into a group of human slavers, with only a few men and women beside her. Nets and Bolas were thrown, carried into battle by the ever opportunistic men of avarice. But none landed close, and the opportunity to end her career early soon faded.

A battalion of Clerics soon made her way towards her, surrounding the General with friendly troops. While she would have perferred to return to battle, she had enough reason to allow the warrior-healers to examine her for injuries. She went down from her horse, and allowed the Clerics to check her body. She had a cut ankle, and her right arm had suffered several bruises. But after the former was bound up, she returned to the battle to resume her work.

And so it went on for several hours. The human members of the barbarian army were the first to rout, recognizing the danger of the Bannor host. The Orcs, who gloried in battle, only followed suit after some time, and only after a large mound of their dead was already standing. Many Goblins were also killed, but the Wolf Riders were the most intact part of the army all throughout.

Finally, the enemy force had dissolved to it's component elements, almost completely decimated. Bannor casualties were also great, but they were in better order than their enemies, and were clearly the last ones standing on the field. There was not much of treasure to be found, but that was beside the point. A great victory had been won today, and the east was open to the Bannor. As for Athena, another tought now ran through her, a very important one:

I will have to get more horses for my men.

 

[cypher132]

The End

The continents of Mazera have ceased to exist according to scouting reports. From what the view survivors we found, a massive scourge of undead swept across the Western continent and then spread to the East. Several villages and cities were purged and destroyed, the bodies risen to join the ranks of the undead. The civilizations on the continents suffered greatly, thousands dying and rising to attack their loved one.
Several cities and towns were destroyed while the small villas seemed relatively untouched, possibly not seen as a priority in whatever controlled the undead. Those few untouched headed south, hearing that the Nortek and Mazatl were arranging an evacuation off the continents, planning to head south in hopes of finding land. The evacuation was a last-ditch effort as most empires on the continents had been overrun.
As the refugees fled aboard the ships, Deremei Diranth attempted in vain to keep the line going as smoothly as possible, but the fear and anxiety had set in, knowing there was but a half hour before the dead arrived. Diranth demanded that women and children go first, and the Goblins, who believed in a patriarchal society, had a hard time dealing with it, but trusted in their respected leader.
A scream was heard from the back of the group and several heads turned to the hills, their last defenses against the undead. There, atop the hill, was a man clad in black, some kind of coat or cape flapping in the wind behind him. To his flanks were rows upon rows of skeletons and zombies. "Nortek! Mazatl! Refugees of all! I offer you peace! As you go on living in your mortal shell, my minions have been freed from the bond of life! Never will they age, never will they die of disease or hunger ever again. While their bones may show, it is a small detraction to the gift I am offering you!"
Several Orcs and Lizards stepped forward, enthralled by the words of this man. "Come to me! Come be reborn in the shadow of death! Join the winning side and live." Deremei hollered to all who would listen and began filing them into the boat faster as Yuler Madburner and Osi Silentkill led their clans into battle against the undead. Several of the skeletons fell, but the zombies were proving more difficult. Their skin had hardened, as if mutated in some way. The swords, daggers, and arrows merely penetrated a half-inch into the zombie skin.
Ung Rockmate roared as several of his Rockmate Clan stood and rumbled into battle. Skeleton heads and bones were smashed into dust by large stone clubs, zombies crushed down, their heads split and brains pouring as the Rockmate Ogres, with a frenzy rarely seen. "Yuler! Osi! Get to the ship! We'll hold them off so you can escape!"
The two Goblins stared at Ung for his proclamation before nodding their heads and retreating their forces back towards the waiting ship, A portion of Skeletons had fought through the left flank and were beginning their slow march down the hill towards the refugee encampment. As the last Orc boarded one of the ships, Deremei Diranth looked back at Ung Rockmate. He roared defiantly, challenging the undead to come to him. The last Deremei ever saw of the Rockmate Clan was their leader being swallowed up by dozens upon dozens of the undead.
The Nortek and Mazatl were now homeless and sea-faring. Everyone agreed that going south was their only option. East or West would put then in a Maelstrom and going north would mean going back the way they came. So, south was set as the bearing and Nortek and Mazatl refugees settled down for what could be a long journey​

Notes: The fate of the other civs are unknown, which means the creators of their characters can rescue them from Mazera for use in other projects. Mazera is done.