Location: Verthill
The Warchief's bloodlust was abated by the all too sudden appearance of dozens of the Count's men in the streets and alleyways surrounding his meager squad, as he regretfully realized the mistake he had made in his bravado. In the back of his mind he said a brief prayer to the Great Mammoth asking not for protection, but the strength to strike down the human shieldwall and in doing so save the lives of the hunters and warriors that accompanied him. "We fall back to the keep." He rumbled in the orcish tongue, leaving no room for questions - there was no time, in any case. "Warriors after me, then hunters. We have only one chance. Get through quickly."
But a moment later Backbreaker and his group rushed the thin human ranks between them and the keep, in as close to a wedge formation as they could make with eight fighters who were untrained in such military doctrine. The Warchief, steelclad in his entirety and carrying by far the most momentum, led the charge, with those warriors who were lucky enough to bear steel weapons and some armor immediately behind him, and then the unarmored hunters. The first blow Backbreaker struck with his enormous mace held enough force that, were he unable to sunder a shield, he would surely shatter the arm behind it, and his reach was such that he would not be at the point of a blade before it impacted. Even so, he did not stop, instead keeping his free arm held up to absorb the impact of any ill-advised slashes and, if necessary, dislodge any blades braced against him.
He made his second strike with the mace as the orcish warriors entered the fray, their own reach, strength, and skill in combat all they had to help exploit the gap that Backbreaker had created (and was expanding). The Warchief fought with every ounce of his brutal strength and savage skills to hold an opening, and when the time came that he could do so no longer, he disengaged and sprinted towards the keep alongside the other survivors, privately thankful for the blessing the Mammoth had bestowed upon him. Even so, more than half of his companions - each capable fighters in their own right - had met their ends during the fighting, and of those still living he was the only one not wounded. As they approached the keep, still making a pace brisker than the attackers would be capable of following at (without foolishly breaking formation), Backbreaker swore to himself that he would learn whatever war sorcery the humans knew and turn it against them in the name of the Ashen Tusk.
TAG: @Easy
Location: Stromberg
While Sieger was writing the Sultan had been able to get a brief look at a few parts of the letter; however, beyond the mention of both his and Sieger's names and titles (his own in the body, and Sieger's the signature), Jalij was unable to recognize anything. The Oberlandish language used the same alphabet as Eximian, which he was much more familiar with, but was distinct enough in composition that he could not read it. Evidently, however, they did not have a word of their own for "Sultan".
Sieger did not look concerned by his guest's questions about the war, though the corners of his mouth folded down, and his left hand formed a tight fist. "This war was started at the behest of our
brethren," he spat the word like the foulest of curses, "in the East Oberland Empire. After making grievous accusations toward and detaining our diplomat within
our embassy, they had the audacity to demand that we make reparations toward them. We refused, of course, and they predictably decided that war was the only other way to deal with the problem. Their new king has made savages of the Empire."
He sighed and relaxed a little, the cold anger in his voice giving way to naked sorrow. "Now the eastern quarter of our country is burning while they invade, and refugees are in every city in the thousands - often more. To be frank with you, I'm not sure how long we can hold out like this, but I'm damn sure it's longer than those bastards will be able to. Now, it has been an absolute pleasure meeting you, Sultan, but unless you have any further questions I have much to attend to, and I have no doubt you're eager to get to Freiheim."
TAG: @Jeroth