On the west side, Zyxx and Daranmon's troops rush across the canyon, but you know the surviving impala riders are covering much more distance.
Hurtzag has struck down one of the three impala riders at the east of the ravine. The two survivors gallop around the darkwall, one shooting another parting shot at Hurtzag which again misses.



On the east side,
The Aggabortas rushes out the hoplites ahead of the slingers in preparation to engage the enemy cavalry. Coroltha brings Neesmus, Tongora, Simfenus, Lonthinka and Rokthimus to join The Aggabortas's heavy infantry.

Far out of sling range, at about 250 meters, the 3 conferring bison riders and impala scout are joined by 10 more impalas. They have yet to charge and are fitting their arrows to their bows.


From behind the one wagon that has successfully crossed the stream, Prince Envoranus seems to have grown tired of his ruse. He spurs his horse and gallops in pursuit of the mobilized bison warrior.
Coroltha curses and pulls Blazik from the saddle of the prince's other white horse, mounting it and pursuing the prince.

Hawendona makes her knife disappear into some sort of sheath in her cuisse and offers Blazik a hand up off the ground.
Although the prospect of melee seems to have receded, she continues her song.
"My Mama wanted to know last night,
'What makes the thanes call up Cait to go fight?' "
She looks back towards the wagons in the stream and starts off in that direction at a jog.

Wanakela whistles to “He-Who-Looks-For-Water,” waving at him to come pick her up.  If he is able to see her and come he comes over.  She will direct him to take her after the prince.

He Who Looks for Water skillfully helps Wanakela onto the back of his sable and together they gallop off after Coroltha, the Prince, and the demoralized bison.

"Seventh Squad, quick march!"  The Aggarbortas keeps his troop at a steady but brisk march to close the distance.  The nomads do not seem to have the other squads harrying their tails.  Not that he'd expected it.  The nomads would have quickly outpaced the infantry.

He keeps the squad on a line parallel to the stream, so that if the nomads try to flank them on their left near the stream, the squad will be able to cut them off.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:11, Thu 30 Sept 2021.

Hurtzag knows she cannot catch the riders, so decides to wait for the rest of the approaching squad. As she does so she sheaths her sword and stoops to pick up the severed arm to chew on.

The impala riders trot out in single file, gradually picking up speed, and then spur their mounts into a gallop letting out horrific shrieks. Reaching a range that favors their strange bone bows, they turn to the left (toward the north) and unleash a salvo. A number of arrows bounce off the shields and armor of the hoplites, however Miliandor the slinger collapses with an arrow through the leg with a horrific wound. Busara receives an arrow wound to her left arm, penetrating her cuirboilli vambrace, but it does not appear serious.
The slingers answer although the range is long, dropping two of the impala riders, one bullet smacking into the poorly armored temple of one of the riders, the other piercing the riders abdomen—both are dumped off their mounts, dead.

A second salvo from the impalas strikes the hoplite Simfenus at a weak spot in his scale hauberk, dropping him out of formation; a second arrow penetrates the armor of Illaro the Red hitting him in the stomach, but he is still upright; a final arrow flies over the hoplites, over the slingers, and striking the noncombattant Kelsamos in the head, dropping him to the ground with the arrow protruding.

In a final loosing of stones at the departing impalas, perhaps because of her hurt nondominant arm, Busara’s sling stone goes wild, striking the slinger Philos in the left arm. Philos gets off his shot as he is hurt, striking one of the departing impala riders in the right arm—he is steadied by a companion as the remaining impala riders turn back to the west evading further extreme range sling throws.



Wanakela riding with He Who Looks for Water approaches the site where the prince has engaged with the bison rider. Whether leaving his troops behind before an engagement was right or not, he is comporting himself well against the barbarian. Coroltha is close by but has not yet jumped into the engagement.
<OOC: I didn't move you on the map, assume Wanakela, the prince, bison rider and Coroltha all get to about the pert of the map that says "bison">

Hurtzag and the two western squads of the Crimson Avocets have united and are making their way to the east. The now armless rider does not appear to have much in the way of valuables, except for a bone composite bow, a short spear, and about 10 arrows.
<OOC: not quite shown on the map, assume you’re a hex closer to the east>

With each nomad downed, The Aggabortas gives a roar.  As the nomads turn and ride off, he gives a look at both Miliandor and Simfenus to make a quick judgment call whether they can be healed quickly and rejoin the squad.

Otherwise he urges his remaining squad forward.  "After them!  Quick march!"  No point charging and tiring out the squad - they won't catch the mounted nomads.  But at least keep the pressure on them, in the hope that Zyxx and Daranmon can catch them in a pincer move.  Just stick to the orders.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:24, Thu 30 Sept 2021.

Hearing the Impala's battle shrieks, Hawendona looks over her shoulder and check her motion.

Seeing Kelsamos and Simfenus incapacitated, she swears under her breath, her song forgotten. She sprints back towards the injured. Calling to Blazik.

Zyxx looks over at Daranmon and Hurtzag before yelling out his orders to the squad. "SQUAD, are work is not yet finished. Keep moving, at a jog, to complete the prince's pincer movement." Then he sees some impalas and shouts "You two slingers collect the impalas quickly and bring them to the caravan train. I do not want them to get these mounts. If the Impala advance slaughter the mounts and run up the ravine."

Current map, hope to post on the narrative shortly:



<ooc: Zyxx if you'd like to roll 10 d100s, the slingers will have a shot at extreme range at the passing impalas>

Wanakela attempts a 2xDisrupt on Mr. Blur, effecting POW 12 or less, 4 damage to the chest.

WEST:
Galloping across the plane, the impala riders drive straight at Zyxx’s grou. The slingers prepare themselves to unloose on the impalas, encouraged by their previous success. Expertly staying out of the effective range of the slings, the impala riders turn sharply to the right, unloosing a salvo of arrows into the massed hoplites and slingers.
Philactes the hoplite unluckily receives an arrow that passes between his shield and strikes a weak point in his armor, passing through the other side. He collapses from his horrific injury.
Sandene the hoplite is hit in the head with an arrow but is still upright.
Madros the slinger is hit in the right arm, his arm hangs useless but he stays conscious.
Two more arrows are deflected by armor.
The slingers unleash a desperate volley at the speeding, spaced out riders, but the slingstones all fly wild.
The impala riders whoop and cheer as they ride to the north, not looking back.

NORTH:
Wanakela’s spell finds its mark; the bison rider engaged with the prince shrieks as lightning crackles on his chest. He falls from his saddle.
Coroltha seems to be standing by watching the duel and enhancing the prince’s defenses, ready to step in if the fight goes badly.
When the bison rider falls from his saddle, the prince looks at Wanakela and Coroltha curiously.

SOUTH:
Hawendona assess the situation and begins to apply healing; also investigating the stuck cart

Current status:
https://docs.google.com/spread...Ysw/edit?usp=sharing

Hawndona reaches Milandor and uses her healing magic on the slinger's leg.

"It's OK Mil' sweetie, I've got you. You'll dance at Pavis's wedding yet, not to worry"

She calls peremptorily for the servant Blazik

"Blazik! Help me here! Milandor will make it, those other two are done. Give him some water and help him get moving again.

This is why I said we needed our shields today. Field marches are a pisser if you don't command the territory, and it looks to me that we don't, hmmm...

Good job staying on that horse by the way - purebreds they're highly strung (mad is the word) but you sat him, no panic. Good"

She claps him on the shoulder with a large slightly blood smeared hand and gives it a squeeze

"Now, let's see if we can do anything for Busara and Philos. Do you know any first aid?"

Hawendona moves through the injured deciding who needs some healing magic

Zyxx talks to the Squad "We will continue toward the prince. They may come about and attack us, if they do be ready" . Zyxx looks over at the other heroes and says "Are you going to stay here, or continue with the prince's plan?"

"Well met!" The Aggabortas claps Zyxx and Daranmon on their shoulders as the squads meet up.  "That went better than I thought it would, haha.  Well, the pincer's complete.  We should head back.  The wagons got stuck in the stream, and the prince and wagons are exposed at the moment."

He gives his squad congratulations and encouragement after their battle.  "But we can't relax yet.  We march back.  Stay alert.  Those nomads may wheel back.  We've got to look for Jaxana and Onjur."

Wanakela and the two braves start to head down stream, looking for the missing soldiers along the riverbanks.  Scanning for clues as to their whereabouts.

<ooc: thanks for your patience with my slow posting, I'm back from my travels and should be able to get back on a rhythm>

The prince claps his hands together.
"Brilliant! A rousing victory, look at the little bastards fly!"
You have done well, and it is as I said, one strong Lunar soldier is worth any 10 Praxians.
Tonight, we will sleep in a walled city. But first, who fancies a swim to get my wagon back on track?"

Hawendona is able to stop the bleeding and patch up some of the injured.Miliandor the slinger will need to either ride on a cart or be carried to keep up, until some rune magic can be deployed to regrow his damaged leg.

<ooc: unless someone in the party has Heal 6?>

Hawendona inspect the arrows removed from the wounded and some of the others.
"Nobody touch the Impala arrowheads" She calls out "They may be poisoned"

<OOC Hawendona has hell 6 and uses it (instead of heal 5) when she sees Milandor's leg is severed. I hadn't joined the dots that his 6HPs must necessarily be in the one location that the arrow hit and that that would be maiming damage>

As his squad reaches the banks of the stream, The Aggabortas issues orders to his troops.

"Slingers, help that wagon out of the stream.  Hoplites, stand guard for any water elementals, and look for Onjur and Jaxana!"

He heals any of his squad still wounded.  He slaps Miliandor on the back (after Hawendona's healing).  "I'm sure you'll dine out on the story of your scarred leg once we're back in civilisation, ha!  When you're feeling better, help the other slingers with the wagon."

Then he starts combing downstream of the wagon - but not too far downstream - for any sign of his two missing troops.

[OOC: GM, please let me know if I need to use any MP for healing.]
This message was last edited by the player at 10:47, Mon 18 Oct 2021.

Wanakela and the braves go to the wagon and, while Wanakela stays mounted, the two braves investigate the cloak under it.

Miliandor tests out his repaired leg. "Right as rain, thanks ma'am!" he says to Hawendona.

He nods to The Aggabortas, perhaps hoping for a break, but shuffles off into the stream.

Wading back into the cold water, the slingers try to heave the wagon along but it is still held fast.
Feeling along the wheels, Silent Trotting discovers a slimy length of underwater grass has been threaded through the wheel spokes.

In addition, a more grisly discovery is found by Wanakela beneath the wagon--the drowned bodies of Onjur and Jaxana--bringing the number of casualties to five.

"Well, we did a damn sight worse to those hooligans!" says the prince.

If any of the troops feels like commenting that there are endless hordes of impala riders and that the slightly higher numbers of casualties is meaningless, they keep their peace...

The middle wagon is out of the water; Kelric the driver leaps out of the cart and kisses the ground, before climbing back into his seat.

The Aggabortas wades to the wagon, and dips the tip of his spear into the water to slice through the underwater grass.