There is a reason ancient urban warfare consisted of fortified lines and citadels, and not street fighting.   A single strongpoint is too easy to overcome.  The stone house has only a few windows, so there is a limit to the number of arrows they can put out.  To the Dwarf line, they are little more than an annoyance.

The Human troops catch on quickly.  Block arrows with heavy armor.  To assault the house, all they have to do is block the arrows.  One of the junior leaders directs a team to pile boards and hay bales into a wagon, and push it in front, to make a mobile wall so they can get close to the stone house.  At the same time, the archers continue to keep the Huns within pinned down- and keep the Huns coming from the north from reinforcing.

There is a shout from a cavalryman.  “The Dwarf priest and his team are away!  This road leads to the bridge gate!  Do you want us to take it?”

At the same time, the troops are ready to assault the stone house.  There is a voice from the inn (purple) across the street from it.  “Hey!  No Huns in here!  We’re on your side!”

And at the same time, there are sounds from further away.  The cavalry is heading up and down the two streets to the right and left of the gate, but meeting almost no opposition.

Heolstor walked a step and a half ahead of his entourage of warriors. There were others everywhere ofcourse, but he had only asserted more direct control (through their junior leaders) over the several dozen now in his company. There was a certain logic to command, he had come to realize over the past months: span of control.

Control a handful of men. They then controlled a handful more, and so on. If a leader asserted himself over too many people directly, things grew sloppy. It was far easier to keep three men accountable than thirty.

And every once in a while one of those junior leaders would surprise you and take clever initiative. Heolstor made sure to note the face of the man who had spearheaded the wagon-led assault.

The cavalryman's question was answered quickly. "Take the bridge and what space you can beyond it, but above all things do not let the enemy take hold of that bridge!" It was a key avenue of approach he would rather deny the Huns, and reserve for his troops.

The Saxon looked to Dunduin, green fire in his eyes. "They've abandoned the city's far edges. They must be forming in the city center, around the temple." Though those cavalry exploring the left and right flanks were beyond Heolstor's voice and vision now, he hoped Gerolf had the sense to keep pushing farther and allow Hyarold and their dwarven and elvish allies to fill the void the Huns had left.

Heolstor's own company would head North however. While the enterprising junior leader's troops assaulted the oft-mentioned building he would move to intercept, and repulse, Huns headed to reinforce from the North... Hopefully gaining ground towards the temple in the process.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:54, Thu 01 Mar 2012.

OOC: I could certainly use a map as I'm not clear on what's where at the moment.

"Lord Heolstor, we have brought two mobile artillery ballista with our force that are located at the rear of our formation. If you could spare any cavalry to assist in their protection it would be greatly appreciated. We also have a secret weapon he says smiling leaning in closer to make the conversation private."

Heolstor takes some time to meet with the other leaders and get a handle on things.  They quickly figure out, it's not so much the town center the Huns will defend, it's the north eastern wedge.  Heolstor sends forces to cover the bridge and the main gatehouse, and the light cavalry heads out outside, to interdict anyone trying to move across the bridge, while others begin securing the route to the main gate and bridge from the inside.  The first reports show that the main gatehouse is, like the south gatehouse, a stronghold.

And the Orcs within are not going to be taken by surprise.

A few riders have circled the town to the west.  The report comes back that they cannot see another gate.  There is a place where there seems to have been a gate once, but it s blocked in.  The Huns may have a secret escape route, but no other large gate.

Other scouts find out that the least protected area of Tullum is actually the cluttered, dirty peasant quarter occupying most of the west side, the largest of Tullum's quarters.  The Huns apparently feel it is beneath their dignity to worry about it.  But it would not be easy to move through, most of it is a maze of little congested alleys between ramshackle little homes.

The Elves are arriving, and they are outside the south gate.

The troops have pushed a hay-bale filled wagon in front of the stone house the Huns hold on the opposite side of the south gate plaza.  This blocks arrows from the windows, and the south gate plaza is safe, but Gerolf recommends troops storm the place, or do something, because he doesn't like the idea of leaving a stronghold of Orcs behind when they move further in.

The "operational map" for the battle of Tullum.  It actually shows a lot more force locations than Dunduin and Heolstor would actually be aware of at any one moment, but on the other hand, they would know many details, being right there in the thick of it.

 

And the immediate area around the gatehouse:

 

"I can dedicate men to that purpose." Heolstor replied. "Moving them up, behind our forces, to support our advancing warriors seems wise. Your secret weapon could best show us how to allot those ballistae."

The Saxon commander had hoped to move his men up the street while others took on the responsibility of securing the Hunnic stronghouse. Since no others were available, or they lacked the initiative to carry the assault home, Heolstor decided to commit those men directly around him to that fray - even though he considered it a distraction and no more.

He was very adamant though: they could not wait til the house was taken to continue their advance. If he was not leading it, someone else would have to. With the Huns torturing innocents so nearby there was simply no time. Other units would need to commit to advancing North.

Troops surround the stone house stronghold, with its windows blocked.  The man from the tavern across the street comes running out to join them.  He has a torch.

”Smoke em out!” he says.  “We’ve got some stuff that’ll burn.”

Heolstor leaves the men to take care of it, and with the stronghold Orcs unable to intervene, leads the Dwarves, and a mix of Human infantry and cavalry up the avenue towards the Temple Quarter.

“Direct route,” says one of the Dwarves, Scippio.  “Arctos would have liked it, shame he had to go running off.”

Orcs are advancing south along the avenue as well, but once they see the troops advancing on them, begin falling back to the Temple Quarter.  They do this in distinctly Orcish style- suicidal charges by those too stupid to know better, as the clever ones use the time gained to withdraw safely.

As Heolstor heads up the avenue, he is addressed by an Elf, who comes up alongside him.  It’s not Anakri, their leader, but he thinks he recognizes the Elf as one of some importance.  A junior leader, as far as one might distinguish one in the chaotic, ad-hoc Elven method of running things.

”We are here,” says the Elf.  “We came in right after your armored horses.  There are two mage-warriors with my group, and good archers.”

OOC: This feels like a tactics 2 battle. LOL.

Ben, an icon key would be helpful. Even I'm a little uncertain on a couple icon designations. Like the blue icon that's the party that looks like blue teeth for example. I believe the circle ones are cavalry units. Double cross is typically infantry. Single slash probably is light infantry or archer units. Not sure how you are designating heavy (dwarven) infantry. Colorwise it appears orcs are red, elves are green, humans are blue, and dwarves either don't have a color or are mixed in one of the human blue units. I'm not sure if the colored in infantry blue unit indicates a command unit, dwarven/human mixed unit, or both.

ooc : It seems like the icon resembling blue teeth, just below "The Market" is the infiltration team led by Arctos.

I'll put up the graphic "Icon Guide" tonight.

In text form:

X Cross:  Infantry
Diagonal Slash:  Cavalry or Scout
Oval with Diagonal Slash:  Heavy Armored Cavalry
X with arrowheads (the teeth) Special Forces, ie, the Tugdual/Arctos/Petra/Brannoc team.
X with filled in "flag" on left:  The "PC" unit, where Heolstor, Dunduin, other Dwarves can be found.

The Saxon almost pitied the trapped Huns. He spared only a momentary glance for them though when their building was set alight and his men marched past.

"Just in time friend, form a skirmish line infront of these infantrymen and harry them with your bows and spells. If they charge my men and Dunduin's can rush forward to meet them while yours withdraw behind the line." Heolstor relayed. The orcs were being cautious, retreating towards stronger defensive positions. He hoped the sight of elves in the open would prod them to engage him irrationally.

Heolstor's infantry would advance along, just behind, with those skirmishing elves. The Saxon kept to the fore of this group beside his Raven Banner.

The heavy cavalry to their rear could do little good where they were. Whatever impetus they could gain by charging would be lost navigating the press of his own troops. So Heolstor instructed them to circle around to the similiarly large street to the East. If the orcs did engage they could opportunistically flank and charge the Huns.

Heolstor's directions give the cavalry some needed mobility.  They are no longer behind the infantry.  They move along a parallel street, and the Huns quickly realize that the cavalry will outflank them.  The withdrawal hastens.

The Huns retreat, their numbers dwindling as archers pick them off.  They have returned to using the Dwarf Line as a kind of mobile parapet.  The Dwarves are better armored than the archers, and they've discovered this makes for a good team effort.  They do their "turtle" thing, the archers fire from behind, the Huns withdraw, the Dwarves advance and pause and lock shields again, and the process repeats.

At the end of the avenue, about 200 feet ahead, is the "interior wall" the Huns are retreating towards.  It is the wall that separates the Temple Quarter from the Merchant's Quarter.  It is a light duty wall, built of stone block and brick in a hasty, ad hoc manner.  It runs between buildings, incorporating the walls of buildings for economy.  It blocks the avenue, and there is a wooden gate, with Orcs ready to close it as their comrades get through.  Other Orcs are in position along the wall, and along rooftops.

"Heolstor, our artillery haven't arrived yet and we have encountered a make shift wall. We can begin hacking away at it unless you think perhaps some heavy cavalry may be able to plow through it. Our elven archers are doing a fine job of pinning down and picking off the orc archers so far."


OOC: Thanks Ben. Post edited.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:22, Tue 06 Mar 2012.

pm

Heolstor's pale green eyes betrayed his concern when they met Dunduin's. The smile that followed after shattered the tense moment. They'd come too far to stall now, anything but victory might shatter their alliance and his army.

"Then lets tear it down," Heolstor suggested "If you can lead the assault, I have a trick that may help get your men and their shieldwall to the barricade." The Saxon's armor wasn't as thick as the dwarves but he did have a shield. He'd advance with them.

His Burgundian troops could follow behind with a slight lag. The elves, he thought, should cover their advance and provide what protection they could via magical means.

Meanwhile: the cavalry ought to attempt to make their own breach farther on the right, hopefully taking advantage of the attention drawn by the dwarven/infantry assault.

pm

Heolstor’s sudden use of magic surprises Dwarves and Human warriors alike.  It’s not something you saw out of the typical battle leader.  Unless he was an Elf, of course.

That’s exactly the conclusion the Huns come to.  Up to now they’ve been facing an attack of force- quick, cleverly applied overwhelming force, but still force.  But this instant mist means only one thing.  The shout goes up: “Elves!”.  There is no nice way to say “Elves!” in Hunnish.  Every word they have for Elves is a vile insult.

The Elven “liaison” near Heolstor is aware of this, and hears the shouting.  “Well, at least they’ll be pleased to learn there actually are Elves,” he says.

The mist screens the approach to the Ad-hoc wall, but there is still the question of the wall itself.

“We can take it down,” one of the Dwarves with Dunduin says.  “Remember Brombin’s Rule of Hammers!”

Dunduin of course recalls this.  Every Dwarf would.  It states: In an Emergency, Any Tool Works as a Hammer.

“Aslo applies to battering rams,” the Dwarf soldier explains.  “Got to be plenty of them around, right?”

"Indeed" Dunduin says in agreement looking for a suitable building or structure that would contain a nice log for ramming. "Officer Brogar, take a few scout types and find a suitable log or item to use as a battering ram. Get a couple of those cavalry guys to help you drag it over. I'm sure they'll complain but tell them it's for a good cause. We don't want to waste our entire dwarven unit having to drag a log. Now go quickly!"

"Yes sir!"

A few orcs launch arrows blindly into the mist, from the gate.
The Dwarves find their battering ram, taking a post from a portico.  They get into their charging position, and run into the mist.  A moment later, they slam into the wall.
“We were supposed to aim for the gate,” a Dwarf says.
“Missed,” says another.  “On account of mist.”

”Well, we felt the wall shake.  Let’s back and hit it again.”

They pull back into the mist to prepare another charge.  By now, a number of Elves have arrived, including a few magic users.  They hold off their spells, as the mist blocks them as well.

The Huns are not passive defenders, and they have a few tricks of their own.  The gate opens briefly, acting as a sally port, and out charges a small force to disrupt the attack.   The same mist that protects Heolstor’s force from the arrows also allows them to get their force out before he can respond.

There are six of them- but two were just out to open the gate, and start to close it again.  The other four run into the mist, and emerge moments later on the far side.  Of the other four, two of them are very strange.  They both look like Orcs… sort of like Orcs.  But… changed.

One has no armor, but skin that looks like black leather.  Bloated, cracked, stretched black leather.  The Orc looks swollen.  It charges towards the defenders swinging a flail.  The other looks strangely stretched, deformed, and twisted.  And near it, even as it emerges, the mist begins to fade.

The remaining two are “ordinary” Orc warriors.  They also immediately rush into battle, but stay away from the bloated one.

The stretched one pauses… as if looking for something.

The Elf near Heolstor recognizes it.  “Spellwarped,” he said.  “To destroy magic.”

The Dwarves with the battering ram ignore this.  Others will handle the “sallyport” force.  They rush at the gate this time, vanish into the mist, and there is a loud crack.

From through the mist the party hears, “Got it!  Gate’s down!”

"The gate is down!" Dunduin shouts to his comrades "Well done lads. Let's show'em what good dwarves are made of."

Spotting the two unusual foes Dunduin equips his mighty large warmace and canopy shield and calls out pointing "You..'black crack', I'll be your opponent" and purposely strides toward him.


OOC: Once per day as a standard action, you can inspire allies, giving them a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls and damage rolls, ability checks, and skill checks

Heolstor rushed through the dissipating mist towards the spellwarped orc. He slowed as he neared the creature, wary of this new and strange opponent. Above the mist Pwyll circled til he dropped suddenly - outstretched wings bringing him to an abrupt halt behind the twisted Hun.

The crow scratched and pecked at the orc's back briefly before tearing off into the mist and out of danger. In that short interim though Heolstor leapt forward. He slashed and stabbed, his sword biting for the orc's warped flesh.