(To be fair, it also offered running straight at them twice...)
You sprint away, avoiding all areas of illumination. You make it to the edge of the camp, but suddenly a large misshapen creature looms up in front of you. It is an ogre, grotesquely garbed as a soldier of Doomover. It growls menacingly as you approach.
(Avenger has the skill of Acrobatics.)
Without changing your stride, you dive forwards and somersault high over the ogre's head. You are up and running into the night before it even has time to grunt in surprise. There is pursuit, but your mastery of ninjitsu enables you to avoid it with ease, and soon you are running back to the safety of your own forces.
You find your army encamped near the village you passed when you first came up the valley. This is where the battle will be fought on the morrow. You go to your tent immediately to catch what sleep you can before dawn, when you will meet your commanders and advisors to decide a strategy.
Dawn breaks. Examine the map.
Currently, your army is encamped along the Greenridge and Tallhill. As the sun rises, you can see a stream of village refugees hurrying over the Old Bridge and down the road. The reason is obvious.
Sprawled around the Manor House is the army of Honoric, the leader of the Legion of the Sword of Doom, their lines stretching from Sawdon Freeman's Farm to Squire's Hill. Your scouts, Glaivas' Rangers, are out at the stream, as are the scouts of the Legion. Soon they will return with news. You begin issuing orders to bring all your commanders together for a council on this portentous day.
(Avenger's allies are the warriors of Beatan and Dama from Serakub and Aveneg.)
A large trestle table has been erected. You sit at its head, the Sceptre in one hand. Around the table sit Force-Lady Gwyneth, Doré le Jeune, the White Mage, Antocidas the One-Eyed, Swordsmistress Hivitala, commander of the women of Serakub, Obuda Varhegyan, commander of the men of Beatan from Serakub, the High Priest Ba'al, commander of the men of Beatan from Aveneg, Gliftel, captain of the Elves of Sundial, Glaivas, and Hengist, the Grandmaster of Kwon.
Gwyneth stands and says, 'First, let us hear the reports of our scouts,' and she indicated Glaivas. Glaivas says, 'This is what we can determine of Honoric's forces,' and reads out a report. He then hands it to you.
• Legion of the Sword of Doom
5,000 swordsmen
2,000 crossbowmen, the Rain of Doom
500 cavalry (cataphracts), the Bringers of Doom
• Legion of Aveneg
1,000 swordsmen
• Legion of the Spires
1,000 swordsmen
• Women of Horngroth
1,000 swordswomen
500 cavalry
• Men of Mortavalon
1,000 spearmen of Moraine
• Monks of the Scarlet Mantis
200
• Doomover Levies
4,000
A total of some 16,200 troops
'We can field about 10,000 men, heavily outnumbered. And the Legion of the Sword of Doom are reckoned to be the best in all the Manmarch,' adds Glaivas.
(There isn't such a direct accounting of your own forces, but it can be pieced together from the text so far, so I did.)
• Forces of Irsmuncast
1,000 shieldmaidens of Dama
800 cavalry of Dama (well-armoured)
1,000 mercenaries under Antocidas
• Forces of Serakub
2,500 foot (shieldmaidens and reverencers of Beatan)
500 cavalry
• Forces of Aveneg
1,400 foot (shieldmaidens and reverencers of Beatan)
600 cavalry, the Cavalry of Myriad Possibility.
• Rangers of Tor
20
• Elves of Sundial
200 archers
(Yeah, it really looks more like 8,000 guys for us, so Glaivas is rounding up to make us feel better; implying that the odds are closer to 3:2 rather than 2:1.)
You invite suggestions from your commanders. Gwyneth suggests a defensive formation with a refused left flank. 'The right flank should rest on the Wickerwood, with Gliftel's Elves in the wood itself. Four hundred warriors of Beatan should occupy the Old Farm, with some cavalry positioned on Colwyn's Mound, and then a line of units stretching to the Greenridge, with the centre resting in Hartwig Fell's Farm. Antocidas and his mercenaries should be held in reserve on Tallhill, where the Overlord Avenger's command post should be. Finally, I would suggest Glaivas and his Rangers should wait in ambush at the Old Bridge, to hold it for as long as possible should any try to cross it.'
(These deployment illustrations are from after you've actually selected and have seen the enemy deployments as well, but I thought they'd be useful here, so I just redacted the enemy locations.)
'No, I disagree,' says Obuda Varhegyen, his voice heavily accented. 'We should use the terrain to our best advantage in setting up a defensible position. Swordsmistress Hivatala should march now to hold Ruric's Bridge with her cavalry close behind to plug any gaps should the enemy show signs of breaking through and to provide an attack capability. My troops should hold the ford, while Gliftel's bowmen occupy Woodnugget Wood. Gwyneth's troops and those of Antocidas can hold the ditch from Woodnugget Wood to the Wickerwood, with her cavalry close behind Colwyn's Mound. A thousand men could be held in reserve along with Glaivas' Rangers, who can be used to plug any gaps. Finally, I would suggest that the Overlord Avenger sets up his command post on the Greenridge. That is my counsel. Thank you.'
Then Hivatala stands and speaks, her accent outlandish and strange. You are barely able to understand her. She suggests refusing the right flank, with Gwyneth's swordswomen holding Ruric's Bridge. Her own troops would hold the ford, with all the cavalry of Dama on their right up to Hartwig Fell's Farm. Antocidas' mercenaries would hold the farm, with the rest of the troops in a line to Tallhill, which would be occupied by a thousand men. Four hundred men of Beatan could be held in reserve, with the Elves occupying the Crossway Copse. Your command post would be on the Greenridge.
Antocidas and the White Mage favor Hivatala's counsel. Glaivas and Gliftel come out in favour of Gwyneth's advice. Ba'al and Doré le Jeune favor the counsel of Obuda Varhegyen.
What orders will you issue?
• Take up the position advocated by Gwyneth?
• Take up the position advocated by Obuda Varhegyen?
• Take up the position advocated by Hivatala?
