"How much of the forest has been lost to the fires, Koban?"
Duncan stood before a large and heavy wooden table upon which a map had been unrolled was being held in place with weights on its four corners. It detailed all of M'legdur, the small continent that held the land of Celedur and other small and independent city states like it. Markers and tokens had been scattered over the map to provide physical representation of the soldiers afield. The current way of things made it seem as though Celedur was surrounded by an enormous horde of enemy warriors and Duncan wondered and hoped that the neighboring city states would answer his call for aid against this sudden and unexpected threat.
"We have lost five leagues in the northwest," Koban said, pointing at the corresponding spot on the map. "The enemy seems to fear us as much as they do the beasts of the forests. Would that we could befriend and send them after our foes, Lord."
"How many fighting men and women do we have in this area?" Duncan asked.
"Less than I would like, Lord, if I am being honest," this time it was not Koban who spoke, but a strange bespectacled man dressed in the most flamboyant fashion one had ever seen. Especially in the land of Celedur where the folk were often severe and grim. Gensinimo was a master architect but when the enemy came and kept him trapped inside Duncan's borders he offered his mind to the cause and Duncan was surprised to find that he was quite a capable tactician.
Koban agreed with a curt nod and something akin to a grunt. He had not been pleased to know that Gensinimo would be helping in the planning of their impromptu war, but even he had grown to grudgingly accept and respect the man's intellect in the last few days.
"Have we no ravens from the other Yyngards? What of Nulhun? He is close enough that those men to the south could turn around and be on his doorstep within a fortnight."
"No word yet, Lord Duncan," Koban said. "Our eyes watch the sky with each passing day. The moment we have word you will know, but we cannot anticipate when that will be or even if it will come to pass."
"Indeed," said Gensinimo. "Lord, I do not think we should hold out hope for Lord Nulhun and his aid. We must contend with the enemy as best we can," he indicated the map once more. "They avoid the swamps at all costs but your warriors know the land well and can traverse unmolested by the dangers that lurk within," he paused seeing the look on Koban and Duncan's face and added, "relatively unmolested, that is. Men will die in this conflict, Lord. You cannot avoid that."
"I would not send them there if I can avoid it," Duncan said. "What would be the point? If I send my forces through the swamps and they make it out, how many will have died or been wounded on the way? Enough that the force that would come to flank around the enemy would be easily dispatched. Forgive me, Master Gensinimo, but you do not understand what lurks in the shadows of these lands."
"No, Lord Duncan, forgive me. You are not grasping at what I am trying to say," the architect continued. "Do not send your army. Send multiple small forces of your hunters out to bait the enemy. See if we cannot draw some of them into these blight-ridden places and let the land defend itself from them. Smaller hosts have a better chance of making it through unscathed."
"He is right, Lord Duncan," Koban agreed. "No more than twelve to a unit and they will be able to slip in and out with ease. The swamp would not react so violently to their intrusion."
"It is a good trick," Duncan admitted. "But it is not liable to work more than a handful of times before word spreads through the enemy and they know not to take the bait."
"It is the only trick we have at the moment, Lord," Gensinimo said. "We must take advantage of it before we lose the opportunity."
Duncan nodded slowly and looked up at Koban. "Do we know anything of this new enemy? I do not recognize their banners nor their arms. They are not of M'legdur else they would not be so hasty to burn the forests and risk incurring the wrath of the blight upon them."
"I have reason to suspect, Lord," Koban began, "that they are from Nir'rayoth across the sea in the east. How they came to sail so far with such a large host is beyond my knowledge, however. To travel west across Nir'rayoth would take them into the lands of elves and surely Tel'reinarr would not allow their passing."
Duncan stood before a large and heavy wooden table upon which a map had been unrolled was being held in place with weights on its four corners. It detailed all of M'legdur, the small continent that held the land of Celedur and other small and independent city states like it. Markers and tokens had been scattered over the map to provide physical representation of the soldiers afield. The current way of things made it seem as though Celedur was surrounded by an enormous horde of enemy warriors and Duncan wondered and hoped that the neighboring city states would answer his call for aid against this sudden and unexpected threat.
"We have lost five leagues in the northwest," Koban said, pointing at the corresponding spot on the map. "The enemy seems to fear us as much as they do the beasts of the forests. Would that we could befriend and send them after our foes, Lord."
"How many fighting men and women do we have in this area?" Duncan asked.
"Less than I would like, Lord, if I am being honest," this time it was not Koban who spoke, but a strange bespectacled man dressed in the most flamboyant fashion one had ever seen. Especially in the land of Celedur where the folk were often severe and grim. Gensinimo was a master architect but when the enemy came and kept him trapped inside Duncan's borders he offered his mind to the cause and Duncan was surprised to find that he was quite a capable tactician.
Koban agreed with a curt nod and something akin to a grunt. He had not been pleased to know that Gensinimo would be helping in the planning of their impromptu war, but even he had grown to grudgingly accept and respect the man's intellect in the last few days.
"Have we no ravens from the other Yyngards? What of Nulhun? He is close enough that those men to the south could turn around and be on his doorstep within a fortnight."
"No word yet, Lord Duncan," Koban said. "Our eyes watch the sky with each passing day. The moment we have word you will know, but we cannot anticipate when that will be or even if it will come to pass."
"Indeed," said Gensinimo. "Lord, I do not think we should hold out hope for Lord Nulhun and his aid. We must contend with the enemy as best we can," he indicated the map once more. "They avoid the swamps at all costs but your warriors know the land well and can traverse unmolested by the dangers that lurk within," he paused seeing the look on Koban and Duncan's face and added, "relatively unmolested, that is. Men will die in this conflict, Lord. You cannot avoid that."
"I would not send them there if I can avoid it," Duncan said. "What would be the point? If I send my forces through the swamps and they make it out, how many will have died or been wounded on the way? Enough that the force that would come to flank around the enemy would be easily dispatched. Forgive me, Master Gensinimo, but you do not understand what lurks in the shadows of these lands."
"No, Lord Duncan, forgive me. You are not grasping at what I am trying to say," the architect continued. "Do not send your army. Send multiple small forces of your hunters out to bait the enemy. See if we cannot draw some of them into these blight-ridden places and let the land defend itself from them. Smaller hosts have a better chance of making it through unscathed."
"He is right, Lord Duncan," Koban agreed. "No more than twelve to a unit and they will be able to slip in and out with ease. The swamp would not react so violently to their intrusion."
"It is a good trick," Duncan admitted. "But it is not liable to work more than a handful of times before word spreads through the enemy and they know not to take the bait."
"It is the only trick we have at the moment, Lord," Gensinimo said. "We must take advantage of it before we lose the opportunity."
Duncan nodded slowly and looked up at Koban. "Do we know anything of this new enemy? I do not recognize their banners nor their arms. They are not of M'legdur else they would not be so hasty to burn the forests and risk incurring the wrath of the blight upon them."
"I have reason to suspect, Lord," Koban began, "that they are from Nir'rayoth across the sea in the east. How they came to sail so far with such a large host is beyond my knowledge, however. To travel west across Nir'rayoth would take them into the lands of elves and surely Tel'reinarr would not allow their passing."