Chương 137: BECMI Chapter 136 – Breaking the Northern Fist

The clans of the Northmen were proud, boastful, and arrogant, but also shrewd, cunning, and opportunistic. The lands they lived in were not very suitable for farming, and they couldn't raise a large population on just hunting and fishing, so a-raiding they went for all those little pleasures of life that they couldn't make or acquire on their own in honest trade… at least, not without stripping their lands of anything tradable and having nothing left for later years.

Naturally, all of this was justified as taking things from soft, decadent southerners who did not appreciate their easy lives or their wealth, wealth they could certainly afford and replace without much effort because of their prosperous lands. The Ertobolle clans took great pains making sure that outsiders did not learn of their homelands and the waters they came from, sinking any such who sought to go to the northern waters.

With the foul weather, nasty currents, sea hazards, and many a monster or two, their lands in the north of the continent were shrouded in mystery. Even the Wizards of Iberon felt like hostile eyes were watching them, and after deaths by plummeting thunderbolts from above had claimed a few of the overly curious, their investigations into the far north and its lands had evaporated. The Empire had been content to end its expansionist ambitions at Darkmoor.

I, of course, with one Continental Commune, had completely laid bare the whole and exacting map of the continent and world for thousands of miles around, and in particular the lands north of us. The Isle of the Ei nearby was a great black blot for multiple reasons, but the lands of the Ertobolle clans? Those were laid out with more precision than any mapmaker alive could dream of.

From there, it was just a question of getting hold of a dead Northman's skull, and asking him questions about what was where, who ruled what, the divisions between the lands and the tribes on them, and so forth and so on. The recent raiding of Darkmoor had been light, and that of Elb and the former Khirifi lands non-existent.

Instead of raiding and looting, the clans had been forced to trade, offering up amber, mead, furs, fine lumber, and salted fish in return for holds full of grain, cloth, leather, and raw steel ingots, among other things. They saw the new walls around Darkmoor and Vaus, they saw patrolling soldiers armed with weapons like nothing they'd ever seen before, and a few of them were shot by said weapons, just to drive the point home that they were now messing with someone they probably did not want to be.

All the raids occurred further south, in lands held by the Empire. For some reason, the Northmen weren't worried at all about the Iberian Navy following them back home for some revenge, and the Iron Graf was happy to see his southern neighbors get a taste of what the situation was like up here. Then, of course, we hit them.

When the first ice from the seas hit, the ships had to be out of the water and well up the shores, or the ice and waves would crush them between them, assaulting the hulls and weakening them. Canvas and tarpaulins were thrown over the ships, which were drawn up in great rows and lifted above the water and ice line for the winter, safe from the elements. Sixteen different ports were struck in the Ertobolle lands, all those succoring the most ships and vessels, as well as any shipyards.

Security was a bit lax, of course, because everyone knew there could be no invasions or sea raids in the winter, there were no cavalry forces to speak of in their lands, and overland invasion from the north was unthinkable and simply had too much ground to cover. It would die of cold and starvation before ever threatening them. Unfortunately for them, Teleportation Circle threw a great deal of their ideas about defenses out of the window.

Their distrust of all but Clerical magic came back to bite them in the arse when the Darkmoor Marines, specially trained and ready for this task, began their series of assaults on the Northmen. One by one, sometimes two or three in a single night if they were close enough together, ports and harbors were set upon in the dark and burned to the ground. Those who fought were slain, houses were put to the torch, and the places were looted of plunder without pity or remorse… save for any food they'd honestly traded for.

None of that was touched, meaning they'd not starve. Brave and fierce individually, the Northmen were still no match for the skilled, well-equipped, and experienced Darkmoor Marines who relished returning unto them the same raiding the Northmen had always doled out to others. None of them saw me, and the Northmen didn't see how the soldiers of Darkmoor came or went.

Those who fought were slaughtered to a man, the survivors herded up so the looting could take place at maximum speed, and then the soldiers were gone, along with all of their livestock, all their usable wealth, and certainly all of their trophies of their own raids and battles, leaving nigh-defenseless and ruined hovels behind. With all of their boats and longships burned to ashes by Walls of Fire. Word did not spread quickly. At least, not faster than the attacks came.

Distance apart made no difference to a Teleportation Circle, the Marines could materialize inside the stoutest walls without an issue, and take them apart from within. Kill anyone who fought, round up the survivors, loot the city of everything, burn it and all the longships down, as well as any docking or ship-making facilities, depart while taking any of our own fallen with us, and leave the Northmen to look upon the ruins of their behavior returned unto them.

I was never seen, the forces of Darkmoor did this all themselves. Yes, a large number of their officers, nobles, and champions were involved, with those around Darkmoor particularly spoiling for this kind of fighting after enduring daring raids from the Ertobolle for years. Yes, I helped with illusionary mock-ups of the cities and towns and their defenses, so that they might be assaulted with greater ease and speed. But I did no fighting here.

The Ertobolle were Neutrals, Grey to Brown, and I loathed having to fight Neutrals unless I had to, intra-racial fights being my absolutely most hated form of conflict to be involved in. People should know better and try to work harder at getting along, but no. Conquest, glory, and moar lewt was all that was in the eyes of these warrior societies. If there was no fighting, there was no place for a warrior!

But now their fortress of cold land, sea, and sky was breached, their enemies were suddenly here, not helplessly waiting for them, and the bears of the north were finding out what it meant when the wolves of the south came baying for their blood.

"Skrotti Halfhand! Come forth!" King Antius' somber tenor echoed over the stones of the crude castle in front of him. The Northmen had attempted to build it with some eye to southern techniques, but had neither the stone-cutters nor the architects to really make a decent fortification out of it. The doors to the place already sat open, and the bridge was down.

The former had been shot open with precision laser fire, after the chains to the drawbridge were cut to span the moat and it had slammed down out of their control. Magic had been used to melt the portcullis off, and it had joined the thick oak doors in crashing helplessly to the ground, leaving the way to the interior of the castle open. There were no men visible on the walls above.

The snipers with lasers had picked off only about a score of them with headshots from flashes of bright red light before they evacuated the walls, ducking for cover and cursing in fear. None showed themselves now, staying out of sight of the bright red beams that killed, clearly planning to force any attackers to come at them personally.

Behind King Antius, Klornnarg, the erstwhile capital city of Hukirt, the lands of the Ertobolle and the Hafni tribes in particular, burned hard, each house looted of whatever Darkmoor wanted, loaded it on Disks, and transported it to the shed where the Teleportation Circle to home was drawn, sending the belongings back to a large and empty warehouse there to be gone through and allocated as needed.

"Oscar, that tower," Antius gestured, pointing at the corner tower to the building, squat and old and not well-built. The brawny, squat sergeant nodded to his king shortly, hefting a tube on his shoulder with a scope attached to it.

"Clear the ground!" he shouted, everyone around making sure there was nothing behind him. A plume of flame shot from the back of the tube, matching the blast of fire that came out the front of it like a hurtling meteor. It shot straight and true through the air as the sergeant maintained his scope on the target, and impacted the stone tower sitting there in silent resentment of its fate. The impact was loud, the explosion was louder, and the blast of heat and light bright and harsh in the cold night sky.

Stones the size of men's heads blew in all directions, but particularly back and over the walls of the castle and into the courtyard beyond, where panicked screams assured those waiting outside that it wasn't just the men in the tower who were feeling the impact of that attack. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Skrotti Halfhand, High Jarl of the Hafni and foremost of the Ertobolle Jarls, come forth! If I have to ask again, I'll bring your little pile of rocks down around your ears, and utter my greetings to your corpse!" King Antius called out again. He had no doubt he was heard. Magevoice was not a hard skill to learn for a king, it had turned out, and his gorget made a fine focus for the Infusion.

The curses in Erto weren't hard to make out, as a figure that wasn't darting at high speed stepped into view in the entryway of the castle. He had his famous axe Yangring clutched in his good hand, a round shield in the other, and he looked quite angry and sullen in the magical glow of the Eternal Light lamps brought up to illuminate the castle walls before the King, another interesting and useful application of lighting the Lady Edge had recommended.

"Is that you, Antius?" growled the most feared and strongest of the Ertobolle jarls.

"Are you going to shoot me down like you did my men, now?"

"I've ten barrels aimed at you and could have killed you already were that my wish, Skrotti. Come forward. You know the worth of my word, and the worth of yours." That statement didn't make the Northman look any friendlier, particularly since he realized it was true.

Skrotti's reputation for clever brutality and mercenary ways was well-known, and his breaking any bonds or contracts in the event of being offered or finding an opportunity to make more gold was very, very well-established, and the measure with which his men acted. Clearly trying to act unimpressed and unafraid, the towering Northman strode forwards, advancing cautiously over his fallen portcullis, then across the downed bridge before stopping on the other side.

A figure in full and finely-made plate armor of polished silver, bearing a shield with a very well-known standard indeed, stepped out before Antius and the Lights with a drawn Blade burning with golden runes along its length, a Weapon nearly as famous as the man who wielded it. ===================== It has been some time since I issued a stat block to you tracking what Edge is capable of. Here's what she is at the start of Beastials.

Edgina Gorevitch-Woszlany, The Lady Edge NG Halvyri/10 (Dhampir/Shadow Elven) (44+ years old) Attack Rank I ---Elven Racial Advancement: Sorcerer/4 (16 th), Arcane Theurge/10 (Arcane Sage Sorcery +Void Phoenix Bloodline, Sorc+10/Wiz+6) +Archmage/2 --(Secondary Class) Ur-Priest/2 (16th), Mystic Theurge/10 (Ur+10/Wizard+6, Sorc+4), Hierophant/4 ---(Racial Bonus levels+Theurgy) Virtua Elven Wizard/4 (20) (MT+10, AT+6) High Cryptomancer (Cryptomancer/5) (Tertiary Zanzyran Class) Str: 23 (26) (+6) Con: 25 (+6) Dex: 33* (+8) Int: 52 (+10) Wis: 23 (+5) Cha: 24 (+6) Co: 28 (+7) All Stats boosted by Miracles to base 18 (Wishcrafting Template), then +5 Inherent bonuses from Wishes (25k gp/Wish), then +1/4 levels character bonuses not normally applied in BECMI.

Height: 5'2 Weight: 95 lbs Hair: Black, tipped with scarlet Eyes: Black sclera, luminous ruby irises Other: Skin is very white, fingernails are black with scarlet highlights. Beauty is otherworldly, cold and foreboding. Health: 179 (10d6+2 HP Elven Class, Con bonus, Arcane Toughness, Toughness) Soak: 73, + 85 Temp Hp from CL 69 False Life Movement: 65 (Base 30, +10 Fast Move, +5 Dash, +20 Greater Longstrider) Armor Class: 34//43 (or -14/-23!) (+8 Bracers, +8 Dex, +5 Deflection, +3 Sacred /+6 Shield, +3 Staff) Attack Bonus: +13 base Ki: 5 (Extra Ki/1, +3 Ways (Shadow, Sun, Moon) Heartsong: 10 uses (Cha+Extra Heartsong/1) Base Saves Poison/Body/Death: 2 Magic Items: 4 Spell Like Abilities: 4 Breath Weapons: 3 Spells: 3 ---+4 vs Will, +3 vs Undead, +5 vs Non-Good, +5 Protection, +2 Luckstone Base Sorcerer Spells Known (Base CL 16): 10//5/5/5/5/5/4/3/2 ---Spell Slots: 10/9/8/7/6/6/5/3 (As Wiz+2) Wizard Spells (Base 20 CL): 8/8/8/7/6/5/4/3/3 (Max by level) Ur-Priest Spells (Base CL 38): ((6)//10/10/9/8/8/8/7/5/4 (Includes Int Bonus). Spell Power: +9 (Not Included): +3 Archmage, +2 Hierophant, +4 Arcane Theurge Conjoined Theurgy: Uses Highest Caster Level for all interwoven Theurgic Spells. Effective CL: Base for almost all spells is 63, 71 with Sublime Chord going, usually restricted to 36 by Immortal fiat without Dread's Help. Bloodline Abilities Arcane Sage: use Intelligence for Casting Basis; -1 Saves any Meta'd Spell Void Phoenix: Use Cold or Fire as Healing power at half damage; Identify objects by touch. Weapon Mastery Spear (Master) – d8+5 dmg, +8 TH Staff (Master) – d8+5 dmg, +8 TH, Deflect/3, +3 AC Open Hand (Master) (Superior Unarmed Strike at 2-12); Off-Hand (+1 Attack), +8 TH Shards (Greater Specialization, +3 TH, +3 dmg if using ranged attacking) Talent Naturally Focused (Concentration Skill Checks +4) Racial Characteristics: Tomb-Tainted and Tome-Tainted, also immune to Ghoul Paralysis Light Sensitivity Child of Ice and Fire Superior Darkvision (90') Dual-Minded/Resist Enchantments (+4 on Will-type saves) Extended Lifespan (1000+ years) Call to Blood and Death (Natural aptitude with Blood Magic and Necromancy) Improved Elfsight (+4 Perception, Check for Secret Doors) Naturalized Halvyri (Does not count as Elf or Human unless wishes to) Traits: --Soul of Experience --Breaker of Doom --Favored By Faith --Undead Killer --Magical Lineage --Warcaster Tradition Passive Feats - Dauntless - Beyond Law and Chaos -Beyond Good and Evil -Tome-Tainted -Disciplined Intellect -Enterprising -Polyglot ---- Many Others by now Witchbonded Ring: Funf (Telekinesis at IX, 500 lb/CL, uses Ringlord CL; Prot +5, Astral Ward IX) Secondary Ring: Primus, Prime Elemental Command Tertiary Ring: Haimas (Regeneration, Mettle, Evasion) Item Familiar: Dread, Staff (+5 Holy Enmity/Evil Vivic Blooding Staff-Spear of Disruption; Stores Radiance (50 pts) in Black Star Sapphire, which also renders Chronomancy inactive in 30' normally; Use Greater Mighty Wallop 3/day; Considered Lesser Artifact storing 100 ISP currently, can be used to supplement mortal spellcasting to Immortal levels, Senses ISP in the area); multiple Baneskulls; Wand Chamber (various) Theurgic Companion: Duum, Giant Bat Standard Buff Spells in effect: Extended False Life; Extended Greater Longstrider; Permanent Widened Holy Aura 20'r; Permanent Death Ward (IX+1); Eaglesoul; frequent Extended Reverse Missile and potential Mystic Sphere.