Medieval commanders (IC)

[Erad]

The end of the training was near, and young commanders couldn't wait for the day when they are sent to the battlefield.

But the training was not yet complete, and the last guarding duty was ahead.

Chapter 1: The Fat Tuna Village

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Trainees had to guard a small village - "The Fat Tuna" on the shore of the northern sea.

The village was relatively close to borders, but behind the main garrisons. There was no need to expect a real invasion, but a small raiding group of Kingdom soldiers could visit this land. The south is secure, an imperial fort is nearby, in about of 6 hours of marching. On the west there is Zheril forest. It's not populated by people, but once in a while wild animals could come from that direction. On the west there is a road to borders and main Kingdom forces. On the north there is Great Northern Sea. There is nothing to loot in the village, but small viking ships can still come for food and women.
Peasants are neutral to soldiers, as long as they leave their women alone.

In extreme case, commanders can force village militia to join them, but if there won't be real need for that, peasants won't like it and future carrier of commander can be damaged.

It was time to prepare the plans for village defense, should the need come.\

((OOC: Don't forget that you don't really expect to be attacked))

[LongVin]

Rudolf Krieger

Assembling the rest of the trainees together, Krieger lays out a map on the table of the surrounding area. "It's rather quiet out there and it looks like it is going to stay that way. So our main purpose is just going to be general policing of the roads and shoreline for bandits and smugglers." Pointing to a spot along the road just outside of the village he continues. "We'll post the infantry here along the road to establish a checkpoint in case of any banditry. Along the coast we'll assign the calvary to patrol for smugglers and any Norse raiders. They'll be quick enough to spot the threat, and report back on it for reinforcements before the enemy has a chance to land. As for the archers, they can stay back in the village ready to respond to any calls for aid from the other two units. Any complaints, suggestions or comments?"

[TinselCat]

Conrad Stradt

Conrad studies the map for a moment longer and eventually nods. “Would it not be better to establish the checkpoint slightly to the east of our own camp, rather than outside the village itself? It would provide a buffer zone for the village and additionally ensure the safety of the camp.” He indicates a spot to the east that should be just beyond line of sight from the camp. “And how low profile should this checkpoint be - highly visible or hidden off the side of the road? Since we aren’t expecting trouble, a visible sign of defense would serve as a deterrent. Unless you recommend otherwise I will station some visibly and the rest in reserve nearby.”

[LongVin]

Rudolf Krieger

"Yes, let's make it a public checkpoint and post it slightly east of our own camp.

[tigerusthegreat]

"I will patrol from the checkpoint, to just east of the docks, down the coast and back. We will need a signal for trouble, should either the checkpoint or my patrol find something."

[LongVin]

"Send up a smoke signal should anyone find anything."

[TinselCat]

At that Conrad shakes his head. "Setting fire in a forest? I'm hesitant to do that...it's both time consuming and dangerous. Don't we have a signal trumpet somewhere in our supplies? Like a hunting horn? We could give one to each unit. Nice and loud, and can give out a series of different signals."

[Dr. Murderblood]

Jack leaned forward and said, "We need not set the forest aflame, Small campfires and wet moss are more than enough to bring reinforcements. And time is no problem, given preparation which we have in abundance. We set up large piles of the dryest brush we can find and the wettest moss. at critical points along the perimeter and patrol routes, making that a signal fire is no more than a few minutes from any discovery.

If a patrol or a peasant should find something or something dangerous, one of their party is to immediately flee to a fire and light it, whilst the rest holds them off. Then we dispatch aid.

Fine Hunters horns are far less availible than flint and tinder."

[TinselCat]

Conrad considers for a few moments. "Alright, I'm convinced. I'll have piles prepared on the side of the checkpoint on which we will be standing watch, and where any smoke will be highly visible. It shouldn't be much trouble to accommodate that, and it would make communications significantly faster. I can arrange the checkpoint with that in mind."

[tigerusthegreat]

George nods, and heads back to his troops. He gives out his orders, splitting his group into two. Half head for the midpoint of the patrol, heading towards the other end at a trot as to not tire the horses. George leads the other force, heading from the base camp, up past the docks, and to the midpoint. Both forces are under orders not to attack alone, but to reform with the rest of the group. A death charge would do nothing but give the enemy an opening without the rest of the troops knowing that they were there.

[TinselCat]

Conrad gathers his unit from the camp. “We are in charge of establishing a checkpoint on the road just east of our camp. Not everyone needs to be on guard at once. The watch rotation will go like this. Split off into pairs and take a letter A-E. The pair guarding the checkpoint will stand on the side of the road closest to our camp. Don’t stand one to each side of the road, because the person on the far side could easily be cut off from reinforcements. Behind them – still on this side of the road – will be several prepared fires: dry brush and nearby piles of wet moss. Another pair will be split between the checkpoint and the camp on sentry duty. One half of the sentry pair will stay hidden by those fires and light them if anything goes awry. The other one will remain on the edge of camp and keep an eye out for smoke. In case of trouble, we should be able to reach the road in full force very quickly.

Here’s how we’ll determine who is on guard. Divide the day into eight 3-hour shifts. Between the guarding and sentry positions, two groups will be working at all times. The eight checkpoint-guarding positions each day will go:

A - B - C - A - B - C - D - Me

The eight sentry positions will go:

E - D - B - E - D - A - E - C

I’ll write it down and post it in camp. This rotation will continue indefinitely.

When I am not guarding the checkpoint I will be either at the camp or the checkpoint. It should only take a minute or two to reach me, no matter where I am.”

He adds, “In addition, the pair guarding the checkpoint will have this.” He holds up a horn. “Smoke signals are the standard alarm we are going to use to communicate with the other units, but if it rains or you can’t light any of the fires, this can be used to alert the rest of our unit, but not our friends out on patrol. Emergencies only. In all other cases, use the fires. Let’s get started.”

[Erad]

Future commanders finished preparation plans and everyone went on his duty.

After about a full day of boring guarding, one of the peasants approached cavalry soldiers near the docks. He claimed that he was fishing to the north from town and saw a Sandar longboat approaching the city. The soldier quickly reported the situation to his commander. Peasant rushed back to the village, warning everyone else as well.

[tigerusthegreat]

George rode hard into the main camp to report his troop's findings to the other officers, leaving his small squad near the docks under the orders of his second in command.

"The beach is unfortunately not a very defensible position. If this is a typical raiding attack they will either hit the docks directly, or land closer to the village. If this village is even their target. I recommend pulling our forces back to the north of the village, out of sight of the coast. Once they land, we can engage them, and they will not be expecting our force unless they already know we are here."

[LongVin]

Rudolf Krieger

Taking the news from the new developments, Rudolf looks over the maps quickly. "I concur. We should move our forces to the village and engage them just outside the village proper. Send runners to the other units to regroup at the village."

[TinselCat]

"...All of our groups?" Conrad asked dubiously. "Not meaning to sound suspicious here, but I'm reluctant to leave our flank completely unguarded. Since the villagers appear to have sounded the alert, we can assume that this is a real raiding party, but are we sure they are alone or that they are the only risk to the village? I can pull my troops back into the village and station them there instead of the camp, but I think I want to keep the checkpoint at least minimally active. I'll cut down those working it from four to two to concentrate manpower at the village.

Those eight men and I will go to the village near the northern end, but closer to the center. We are mobile enough to move through the village quickly in whichever direction the raiders come from, and we will be an inner line of defense for the village itself. I'll be able to recall the checkpoint guards if we engage in combat.

I am assuming that the villagers will lock themselves in their houses and not be in the way if we need to fight. It will keep the streets clearer and everyone there will be safer."

[LongVin]

Rudolf Krieger

"We can leave a small screening force of infantry at the checkpoint to keep our Flanks protected."

[TinselCat]

Conrad summarizes the situation to his troops. "And so those guarding the checkpoint will remain there, and the rotation will continue as normal. Everyone else will accompany me to the village. We will keep watch for any hostilities from this approaching ship and be ready for combat."

He leads them to the village and sets up a meeting point near the north end, but out of sight from the coast so that they will not be seen by the approaching ship.

[Erad]

After some time, the ship reached village docks. Strangely, Sandars didn't rush out to pillage and loot. Instead, an old man appeared and started moving towards the village. At some point he saw George's soldiers and started talking to them.

After some time, one of the soldiers came to his commander to report, while others who stayed on the beach, kept guarding the old man and his ship.

The soldier reported about the old man, and also that he saw figures moving on board of longboat, but not more then half dozen.


Discipline check, George's Cavalry [roll0]

[tigerusthegreat]

George returns to the camp, jumping off his horse as he arrives. "We have a man here for parlay. It seems to be genuine, how do we proceed? My men are guarding them now."

[TinselCat]

Conrad frowns. "A parley? That's certainly odd. Even so, I will not attack them without a good reason. Since it seems they aren't hostile right now, and I'm curious as to what they want to talk about, I would hope that we will at least hear them out. But, if we do so, I'm leaving my men on full alert here in the village. One can't be too careful."

[tigerusthegreat]

"I would recommend myself and one other officer approach to parley. We do not want to belie our forces if we do not have to."

[TinselCat]

"If no one else is willing to," Conrad says, "I would like to be that other officer. I'm very interested in hearing what this is all about."

[Dr. Murderblood]

Jack looked at the party distrustfully.
"They come almost too peacefully. It's probably nothing, almost certainly."

"But every commander who ever let his guard down, and it was something, is sobbing in their beer to their gods in the afterlife and asking why they were the ones who had to get something."

Jack grabbed a stick and circled in the dirt.

"I propose to move the 5 of my men with the sharpest eyes here," and he pointed emphatically, "in the shrubs, and will stay unseen and ready watching for a signal. If anything suspicious is said, George will take off his helmet and pretend to examine it, while my men ready their bows."

"If it's nothing he puts it back on, however if hostilities are about to begin, george drops his helmet on the ground "Accidentally", and both him and Conrad will bend down to grab it, and hit the deck as each of my men shoot at one of the old man's men. It won't end a fight but if anything goes wrong the odds are much better"

[Erad]

Ready to continue?

[TinselCat]

Before heading out to see this parley attempt, Conrad puts his entire unit on alert. "Have one of you keep a hidden watch on Jack's men who will be in turn watching us- they will be guarding our backs. If they shoot, sound the alarm. It means that the parley has gone south." He puts the men back at the checkpoint on full alert as well, but tells them that if the sounds of battle are heard to run and rejoin the rest of the unit. (Ready)

[Dr. Murderblood]

(Ready to begin negotiation)

[Erad]

Officers came closer to the old man. The old man bowed, as if they were kings or at least lords.

- Hail, noble warriors. Will you abandon an old man and a group of his friends to their fate? We have no other place where we can go. Even now drakkar of Loki servants approaches to hunt us down.

[TinselCat]

This was certainly not what Conrad was expecting. He listens for a moment, waiting for the man to continue, but when he doesn't, he decides to ask the first of his many questions. "Who..." he begins, then halts and changes his mind. "What are you fleeing? And why?"

[tigerusthegreat]

George says nothing, allowing his companion to do the talking. He is ill at ease, knowing that these men can be wiped out with the forces arrayed against them, but also that deploying those forces that way has weakened their defenses somewhat.

[Erad]

The old man replied:

- I am just a simple hersir from Lotonheim, a small settlement on one of the islands to the north from here. I was betrayed by one of my own man, servant of Loki named Trend. He convinced most of my men to join him and I, with five my most loyal men barely escaped. But they are following us, Odin showed me this in vision. We tried sailing north, but wind was against us, so we decided to try finding a shelter here.

[TinselCat]

A hersir? Conrad had never heard the term before. He looked over at the boat. Were there really just five men in there? But if the man was speaking the truth, Conrad couldn't refuse a plea for protection. "Pardon my suspicion," He said first of all. "If that is truly the case, then I would provide you and yours shelter from your pursuers." He really hoped he was speaking for everyone by saying that. "But I hope you understand that I have to make sure that what you say is true. If it is, that would be a grave problem. Would your your five men show themselves?" That way all of them would be visible where Jack's archers could see them as well. As long as neither he nor George gives the signal, nothing should go awry.

[LongVin]

OOC: Thought this died. Sorry, going to catch up and make a post later tonight.

[Erad]

The old man shouted something at Sandarese. About a minute later, five men appeared. They were middle aged, with much hair on their faces. They were wearing chain armor and armed with double edged axes. They stood in front of the officers smiling shyly.

[TinselCat]

Conrad smiles back at the men briefly, then looks at the old man again. "Allow myself and my companion a moment to discuss how to handle this, and see what we can do to make this situation work," he says. He backs off out of hearing range but not out of sight. Assuming George comes with him he asks the other commander "Well, what are your thoughts?"

[tigerusthegreat]

"if they surrender their weapons and armor and agree to be under guard out of the way of battle I think there will be no problems."

[TinselCat]

"That sounds fair," Conrad agrees. "We can figure out who should that guarding once the four of us meet up again." He walks back over to the old man and his companions. "We would like to offer you shelter," he says with a smile and a nod. "But, because of the danger of this situation we would ask that you disarm yourselves of weapons and armor and wait this out in a protected position outside of the field of battle. This will make it safer for all of us, so we can protect this village as well as yourselves. Once we get you situated, any further information you can give us about this man Trend who is following you would be much appreciated."

[Erad]

The old man nodded.

- I understand. I wouldn't tolerate armed men in my village myself. We will sit where you say us too.


OOC: Want Fast Forward?

[TinselCat]

(OOC: Yes to fast forward)

[Erad]

The unexpected guests allowed to disarm them. After that, a few hours passed. And then scouts reported about another ship coming this way.

[TinselCat]

"Does this ship look like the one that was following you?" Conrad asks the old man. "If so, do you know how many of them are on it?" He turns to the other commanders. "Should we set an ambush for if they appear hostile, or go out and meet with them? We could just tell them that the people they are looking for aren't here, but then they might attack another village along the coast."

[Erad]

- I expect about a dozen or two tens, - said old man.

[TinselCat]

"Twelve to twenty?" Conrad thinks. "At least we outnumber them. Do you expect them to be hostile? I think we should arrange the archers in a hidden area to watch and strike if they cause trouble, just like they did during the negotiation. My infantry will wait in reserve nearby for the signal."

[Erad]

Well, it seems almost everybody dropped. So, let's not prolong it. Game closed.
Sorry and thank you.

[TinselCat]

I'm sorry too, Erad. Thanks for putting in all the hard work running this. It was fun while it lasted. Good luck with your other games.