Re: The Siege Towers of Bruxzella
Beyrian nods to Bulwyf. “That is true, they are likely well guarded against magic head on, but still vulnerable to the indirect effects. Beings like that would find it harder to fight on soft ground. We do have wizards. I know there are a few in the Riverlight clan, and a few in some of the other clans that are well represented here. And some of our priests have magic like that, because they commune with spirits of Earth.”
He finds a few Elves who are acting as couriers, linking the scattered Elven forces, and sends them out with messages about the need for magic users who might be able to impede or stop the Iron Warriors.
”Pits is one thing we are short of here,” Beyrian says when Salen brings the subject up. “It is a big forest to guard, and it is rainy here. A pit left for any time will quickly become a muddy pool. And we do not have the resources to make many pits in a short time. But there are the living hedgewalls.”
He thinks about Swift's suggestion and says "Yes.. the approaches to the fort are steep and narrow and could be trapped much more easily than the forest floor."
* * * * *
After a short time, there come reports- both sides have tried some early reconnaissance. The Elves have been making efforts to find the Iron warriors and they have- heading towards the city of Namaco but slowly, well screened by the enormous mass of the Hun force. The Elves made a few quick attempts to get off some surprise spell attacks against the things, and confirmed that they are resistant, and perhaps invulnerable, to direct magical attacks.
The iron warriors, according to the early reports, are horrific looking things, eight to ten feet tall, covered with scales, spikes, horns, and blades, and each a featureless dark metallic gray.
As for the Hun attempt at scouting, there was a flight of some large, ugly black birds like giant vultures, and they did appear to circle by the citadel of Namaco, but they were driven off.
By what? By owls. The Ardennes Elves have an alliance with the owls of the forest, and a few of them get very, very big. The greatest of them are forty feet across the broad stretch of their wings, and carry off deer instead of mice. These are not many, but the Ardennes Elves they are essential. Thus far, the owls have been used as messengers (the smaller ones) and for scouting and now, air interception missions.
There is another reason the Elves give for not putting their full weight into stopping the Huns at the edge of the forest. It is essential, they have heard from Theoderic, that the Elves pull back until everyone can hit them together. It is now clear that the main battle will be very, very close to Namaco.
If the party does not want to follow Alara to the citadel, there are other places where they could help the Elves intercept the Huns:
On the road that links Namaco with Bruxzella, which is really just a large forest trail in the Ardennes, they expect that the Huns will make their heaviest all-or-nothing push. And of course, the Elves will be set up to defend. However, they are also aware that the Huns are not fools when it comes to tactics, and they expect flanking attacks through the forest. The Huns have Trolls as allies- and these Trolls might guide them. So the Elves are assembling into “reaction forces” that will move to ambush or intercept Hun assaults through the forest. Finally, Elven battle tactics calls for a large mobile reserve, to wait behind and then move to wherever the need emerges. This force will be in the city of Namaco.
Or, the party could attempt to rejoin Theoderic’s force, which draws closer with each hour.