[M] 2nd Battle of Tidren

[Tolvo]

1 AD, 27th August

They had finally come. The dead aboard their ships drifted at a brisk rate alongside those vessels of the Southern Dominion. Both fleets combined filled the coming horizon with sails and frosty mists that obscured half the navy. They could see the port in the distance, it had a sham of a naval force. Not even a sixth of what the undead and South Easterners brought. Palaces floated forwards with lesser ships at the front ready to absorb the first bulk of whatever fired their way. Arael was atop his flagship alongside Baigujing, Zel, Kanon, and Sentius. The elderly bishop held his scepter aloft and murmured something while still in his meager form. Their navy broke off into three separate parts, with the majority of the troop carries flanking Tidren to land and lay siege while they attacked at sea.

Hokuro Ken had thus far been right. The undead Daimyo was on the ship with Arael, though he’d move to his own atakebune when their forces met. “They’ll have their port chained to prevent us from landing.” He looked over the city from where he stood on the ship. Ken wore white and blue robes over his mail and iron armor. A kabuto he kept nearby which had a moon atop the forehead and a facemask that was bearded like him. “I expect we will be facing the fearsome Destrin, I’ve heard a great deal about him, as I expect you to have as well. I will do my best to predict his tactics.” He gave Arael a light bow.

Unknown to the defenders in the depths below the undead stirred making their way to the port.

---

High King Richgarde was pissed as all hell. He had screamed at Destrin at first for not leaving the entire navy with Tidren but he quickly moved on to barking orders at everyone. The stage had been set and now it was time for the show to go on. Destrin was in the keep of Tidren alongside the other leaders and his own lieutenants. The Deathborne and Dominion had moved their flanking ships to stage landings outside of Tidren to attack from both land and sea. People were sweaty and worked up with soldiers running every which way.

They didn’t have nearly enough ships to contest this. Reinforcements were days away while what they had prepared could only hold off the invaders for so long. In the streets civilians gathered in preparation for a fight carrying whatever they could. Much of it was simple farming and crafting equipment, hammers, sickles, poles, flails. Tidren was getting as prepared as it could be as the enemy got closer on the horizon. Thankfully Tidren had something in bulk, archers. Their walls were lined with longbow archers that had been training since childhood for battle. With muscular arms, shoulders, and backs, they made up a bulk of the defending force.

[Evening Rain]

Arael was not a naval commander, but the combined Deathborne/Dominion strategem seemed reasonable to him. He stroked his jaw thoughtfully as he stared out across cold blue waters, a perfect mask to screen an unbreathing army. "Yes, I have seen and heard many things indeed." His eyes glinted, reflecting the light of the sun through a chilling, pale mirror. "My advice would be to surprise him in turn, and stifle his unpredictable tactics with quick, measured, and precise counterattacks. I do not try to predict what a commander such as that might do, for there are simply too many options to consider. Rather, I am prepared to adapt and change based on what does occur." Arael bowed in turn to the daimyo. "It will be an honour to fight beside a warrior of your legendary status. Let us stay in contact."

Arael camly walked forward to the ship's figurehead and traced his hand lightly across the wood. "Bring me the scrying stone."

The lich took the black crystal sphere and gazed into its depths, letting the water ripple away and staring into castle Tidren, looking for troop positioning, looking for anything he would need to settle. Specifically, his gaze was focused on the inside of the Tidren gatehouse, searching for what warriors might hold that area.

After his scrying, he stepped back and moved to the centre of his ship, pausing briefly for effect as his black cloak billowed behind him in the wind.

"Warriors of Mersus. Soldiers of the Ryudeshi and Frigid Isles. Fallen martyrs of the Southern Dominion. Devout friends of the Empire. Whatever you once were is of little consequence, now. Together we have formed the most fearsome fighting force this world has ever seen. We will sweep across Tidren like a blistering tide, leaving ashes in our wake. But from those ashes, deliverince and mercy will rise. The fallen will emerge as heroes. The slain will come to us, free from the shackles of pain, loss and doubt. And they in turn will fight and die and rise again in the name of our blissful paradise. Under my banner, we have never lost a battle. And when night falls at last over this ravaged land, that will not have changed. Victory lies not with me, brothers and sisters. Victory lies with every one of you, and your noble souls that seek to forge a new world. I am made humble by your efforts. The Great Order rises, and we along with it. Heroes all! Onwards, my consecrated champions. Onwards to peace, to tranquility. Show these misguided lambs the cold embrace of the grave!"

Arael's fist, raised toward heaven, clenched in devotion, swept away in the vigour of the moment.

Death would claim them all.

[Eddren]

Destrin was laughing. Laughing hard enough that he looked to have gone crazy. When he finally settled down, he waved toward the seas. "Tell our navy ta settle down an' disperse. We'll need 'em fer later, but fer now--There's certain things we need from their army, that we won't be able ta grab if we sink 'em now. Besides, we know they 'ave ta land a way's away." He paused, "If they try an' land too close, start targeting tha Dominion ships wit' those portside cannons. If we can sink their cannons 'afore tha battle starts, we'll be that much closer ta winnin'." He grinned, then looked down at the map. It was perfect. Destrin well knew how the King felt about this situation, but the king forgot about one thing. "Ordinarily, ah'd say there's no way ya can win this--Ah was expectin' this attack later, after all--But luckily fer us, they attacked too early. There was a window o' time ta assault. This wasn't it. Ya see, ah'd been baitin' 'em inta a pre-emptive assault. That they took it, means that we 'ave tha advantage now. Remember, ah never was concerned wit' tha Dominion, so does it really make sense ta ya that ah was spendin' so much time concernin' myself wit' their tactics?" He grinned down at the map, "No--It's tha Deathborne ah wanted 'ere. Ya see, we can't win on an open battlefield against 'em. It 'as ta be a city versus their armies. At least until tha weapons are done."

Destrin pointed toward the ground in several spots. "Ah've taken tha liberty ta alter tha form o' six Battlemasters. They hold a certain...Surprise, ah should say. Fer tha Deathborne. A weapon ah retrieved from tha previous battlefield that renders their undead unable ta raise back from tha dead. Four of 'em are dummies. They'll be placed at six different positions behind tha wall--They don't need a clear view o' tha battlefield. There's a circle that'll act as a no-man's land once tha battle starts. No-one, not even me, is allowed to go there. If they do, they'll be engulfed in 'ellfire. An' they don't move until after tha battle. Ya might 'ave noticed, ah've 'ad my Aqueduct Snakes line up next ta 'em. As tha battle progresses, those fallen undead'll be turnin' their horses into more o' my Demon Horses. They'll be actin' as reinforcements in tha battle ta come." He gestured toward the area where Destrin roughly projected they'd land--The closest sizable clearing outside of their cannon-fire, where the shores weren't too rocky to land. "Once they've gone ahead an' landed, ah'll be 'aving my flying mounts mobilize over this area, an' try an' immediately assert aerial dominance. They won't try usin' their fliers yet, 'cause they'd just get shot down. While that's 'appenin,' ah'll be tradin' out tha Demon Mounts bein' made from Aqueduct Snakes ta Mage Arquebusses. Their job'll be ta hit tha munitions caches o' any Dominion Cannons still left in tha area. Wit' that gone, we'll be able ta enter inta tha next stage o' tha battle." He looked around, "The only one privy ta that stage is you, King. Tha rest o' them can clear out fer that part."

He did give a quick look over to Grecious. "Grecious! Get tha spies inta tha ranks around those battlemasters! An' 'ave Jogarl go pick out the craziest fuckers from tha peasants. An' 'ave tha Soul-Swords ready in wait around tha Man-Cannons, in case we need a quick deployment somewhere! Get tha Mage-Muskets ta fortified positions on tha wall!"