Lord Fel decided that this camping out was enough. His entire encampment, of roughly 250 soldiers by now, practically all veterans, slowly packed up the camp, and lit the walls on fire, so as not to leave a fortress here for bandits, or the enemy. They were going to be traveling through a wide open grasslands trail, that went over a small hill. It was, though, completely grasslands for around 20 miles, so theres no way a force could sneak up on the retreating army. The Army was organized as such. 50 men were going to guard the Rear, and the flanks, the 50 were made of 20 knights, 20 archers, and 10 infantrymen. The Men taking point were roughly 20 men, all of them Veteran Archers. The Rest of the army was with Lord Fel in front, followed by his personal guard, which was followed by his Knights on horseback, then his 3 row and long column infantry and archer divisions. He had been away for a while, and in the meantime, the population had grown to 2,000, allowing the military to be bolstered with roughly 100 new recruits, who were currently undergoing training.
Waiting for Lord Fel was the first second and third legion consisting of a total of 300 men along with the first auxillary archers of 15 men and the 2nd and 3rd auxillary spearmen consisting of 20 men each. Also a detatchment of 50 cavalry guarded the flanks. In total they numbered about 415 men plus Consul Sly's 5 trusted advisors making it 415. The ground was set for a massive pitched battle that could decide the path the two juggernauts would continue on.
We recieved the letter from the Baron of Warsaw and we agree to help you with you invasion. We will send you all 100 of our "Axeboys" and 50 of our most skilled "Farsvarere". This is more of a test to our top tier infantry to show their skill. We promise you that with the help of the "Axeboys", victory is almost guarenteed. We also sent a spy to Krakow a few months ago and he has returned with maps of the entire city. We would sell you these maps for 10 ducats if you can seeing as these maps would most definitely help you with the invasion.
We thank you and are sure the "Axe Boys" will be helpful when taking the walls and storming the keep. As for the maps not everyone in Krakow is in favor of the current "lord" in charge so we have our own maps and a ring of spies. Yet youre commitment and enthusiasim is welcomed and thanked. The army in the castle numbers about 300 men. They will hide behind the walls for sure. I will go into more detail about the invasion in "private letters".
Scouts immediately reported back to Lord Fel, who had already donned his light iron armor, and his both Szabla and Talwar, as did the rest of his guard, all 30, all having almost an identical copy of his steel armor, with a trim of red, and Crimson sigil of the House of Fel. They all reported onto the field, bunched up at the top of the hill, the sun to there back, there horses neighing, and Lord Fel waving. He would wave his hand, and a messenger would send the report back to his officers, to plan out. Behind the hill, out of sight, his Swordsman would form a small right angle at each end of his line. There would be 40 on each side of the main line, to defend against flanking maneuvers. Meanwhile, in the center, half of his pikmen, 30 of them, formed a line, two deep, stretching out, each with there pikes out. In between the two rows, was 15 swordsman, added so that if enemy infantry charged, the pikemen could retreat before getting swamped with the melee job of swordsman. Meanwhile, the other half of pikemen were on the left flank, all remaining thirty being in another row two deep, yet fifteen across, still. His Archers would form just in front of his pikemen, and would march in lines two deep, all 45 of them, so that they could hail the enemy in a sea of tightly packed arrows. Roughly half of them were veterans, and could hit a target at roughly 300 yards away with there arrows. The Swordsmen, though, had short rapiers for as there back up, and as there main weapon, a Talwar, as the cavalry did, while all of them had Heater Shields. The 20 cavalry, meanwhile, would join Lord Fel with his cavalry brigade, making up a cavalry group of 50, with over half being part of the Elite personal guard, the other 20 ranging from veteran knights, to men-at-arms. The Formation formed up, and began to move over the hill, in a long straight line, as Lord Fel and his cavalry forces, making up 51 men, moved to the extreme right, to counteract the extreme left pikemen.
Your right flank will be exposed if you deploy the horses, but under-represented if you do not. Just saying.
Seeing the axeboys leave Greenland with the Farsvarere to engage in their first major battle made the people proud. The axeboys came so far in their training and are already beyond our definition of "professional". Even when they leave, they show no fear, no doubt, but show smiles. The axeboys are the pride of the nation and proof of this will come after the battle of Krakow. (+2 public order) "the axeboys are excited to fight," says general Wilhelm, "they can't wait to fight along with the Winged Hussars. They want to compare themselves with them in battle." The axeboys' morale is very high and they are determined to fight to the end if it comes to it." But sadly, bad things happen. The Rangers didn't catch a warband of barbarians pass into Greenland. The warband destroyed the 2 villages before the Rangers and Farsvarere annihilated them. The nation is in grief after the death of over 250 innocent citizens by these "ruthless monsters". (public order -4) Total public order: +3
As the great armies meet there is an exchange of words between the commanders. Suavek: Greetings general Wilhelm, My condolences for youre people as i heard of the attack. I feel guilty and promise you any plunder held by those loyalist dogs.
Wilhelm: Yes, it is horrible. Our interrogation team tortured the leader of the warband and he told us that he was hired by the Krakowian. This info put our men in a fiery rage that will not be quelled until every Krakowian is killed. We are determined to help you eliminate Krakow now. Keep the wealth to yourself, our reward will be annihilating these bastards and the head of the leader of Krakow.
Such talk caused a mass exodus of rebal sympathysers. Yet such an exodus has made the Krakow goverment start blocking exits and keeping the city on lockdown. Yet once a civilian struck a soldier it caused panic as archers started to target the civilians and swordsmen struck down anyone near them. around 500 civilians where killed along with some 50 soldiers.
Wilhelm: Why have the soldiers start fighting the civilians. This has shown me that the Krakowian citizens hate their leader and their soldiers. These soldiers show no honor and mercy. I will give a speech to my soldiers about this incident and make them kill loyalist krakowians only. The one who had a change of heart may live.
As soon as the Greenlandic soldiers saw the eastern gate of Krakow, they blew their oxhorn horns. The sound of the horns blowing in unison made a deafening and terrifying sound. It was so loud that the soldiers at western Krakow heard it. The residents of Krakow knew that this was the end and the only way out was through the mercy of God.
King Suavek adresses his men on the west side of the river. Suavek: Men of Warsawza. You have come a long way. You have freed youre self of shackles. and now you seek to free those who cant free themselves. We will take the city, I cant promist you youll all make it home. But i can promise you this, I will be the first man to penetrate the defenses and the last to leave the field. I will personally see to it that the leader of Krakow is cast down from the keep so he splatters on the ground! NOW, TO THE WALLS!
Wilhelm address to his men Men, we first came here to help aid Warsawza take out a rebel city, but now these rebels have shown their true colors to us! The warband that killed 250 of our innocent people was paid for and sent by the leader of Krakow! This has fills us with a fiery rage, but we must remember the citizens in Krakow hate their leader as much as we do! 500 Krakowian citizens were slaughtered by this MONSTER of a leader! We now come to this city as LIBERATORS, to free Krakow from this MURDEROUS TYRANT! I ASK THIS OF ALL OF YOU MEN HERE TODAY! I WANT THIS MAN'S HEAD AND THERE WILL BE NO ONE STOPPING ME FROM CUTTING IT FROM HIS FAT THROAT! NO LOYALIST, NO SOLDIER, AND NO WALL WILL STOP ME! NOW, DESTROY THIS WALL AND KILL THE LOYALIST SCUM! *the soldiers* HOOORRRAAAAAHHH!!! *horns blow a deafening sound*
