Eponllyn on Ice: Itorunt

[Sonya]

Hello!

We lost the city last weekend to the Ice but i remained there all the time to have fun fighting the Snow Trolls but they are really strong, during the week in another topic  (Link) i got the idea to write a RP.

It has already been posted on realm, but for the rest of BM player who enjoys some RP here is. Also ingam eRP are lost in 30 days so i wanted to preserve it  ::)


Hope you enjoy it!

[Sonya]

2 Days Before Permafrost

Is dawn and is cold, something unthinkable in the past for the city of Itorunt, glancing at the south where the green plains of Proitness washed by sea stood, is now covered by a thick layer of ice such as no crops is growing anymore, the people of the city have begun to leave to warmer lands. Tanya is sitting atop the walls looking to the white horizon; her hands are numb by the cold and she can't feel her fingers anymore.  She climbs down the wall and approach the center of the city where the people are gathering to go in caravan to the north.

Tanya: Is everything ready?

Tanya asks while swinging her arms to get some heat, a soldier approaches to her.

Soldier: My Lady you need to leave, all the nobles are gathering on Betholm you are the only one who stayed behind.
Tanya: My state is here, and I will not leave any single people behind.

Sudently the warning horn starts to make noise.

Tanya: What is the meaning of this, is Perleone attacking us, I knew they will take advantage of this.

On top of walls, a soldier signals Tanya to move over there, she quickly goes to evaluate the situation.

Tanya: What is happening?
Watch: Look over there my Lady! What are those things?
Tanya: I have no idea but they don't look anything good, signal to close the gates....

She takes a deep breath.

Tanya:  ARCHERS TO THE WALL!

The soldiers who were packing their stuff to leave the city excited to move, they looked each other for a moment and one of them picked a bow, then another, and another. In less than 10 minutes 140 archers with an estimated force of 1500 were on the walls.

Tanya: there are only 11 of them but they look strong, OPEN FIRE!

The archers fire a barrage of volleys to the invaders, and manage to cause a total of 3 casualties, they fire once again and this time 4 were taken down, the rest retreated to the cold plains. Once everything was under control the soldiers open the gates and look at the dead corpses, they have humanoid body with bestial development.

Guard: They look like Trolls, but these are adapted to the cold, this doesn't bode well...

The day continues, Caravans of people abandon the city hour after hour, soon the night fall and all the gates are close, the towers remain on alert, who knows what lies in the deep snow plains. the new creatures now called Snow Troll seems to be strong, for now the day is won but who knows what will happen the next day.

[Sonya]

1 Day Before Permafrost

Is a new day, colder than the day before, the remaining people are leaving their homes to continue the migration north; the soldier couldn't sleep well, the Snow Troll were making noises the whole night. Tanya leaves her tent and starts her new warm up walk, adopted by the current cold that embraces the city. She stops and look to the sky something is falling, she grabs it and looks at it on her hand, is a snowflake and more are falling.

Tanya: snow at this time of the year, I wonder which kind of sorcery is this..

The north gate opens and people start to travel, the rest of the gates are closed troops are patrolling the area outside wall and archers were positioned in the south and west walls. The snow continues to fall making ti difficult for the soldier devise anything beyond 100 meters. Outside four soldiers who were patrolling the area are having difficult to walk.

Soldier1: This stupid snow I wonder how much thing weather will last.
Soldier2: True but...aren't we walking too far from the city, I can't see the walls from here.
Group Leader:  Silence! This is not time for chatting we must be cautious; who knows what lays ahe....

In that instant a Snow Troll rises from the snow and grab the Group Leader by the feet and toss him away, then he put his hand on the snow and takes something that looks like a piece of wood from a tree and grabs it like a wooden mace.

Soldier3: quick we must alert the city!
Soldier2:  wait, we can do this, is just one of them.

The three soldiers surround the Snow Troll that remained immobile; the Group Leader recovers and stands up. Still the troll remain quiet and silent, quickly a soldier tried to strike the Troll from behind, the Troll put his log in the way making the sword to get stuck on it, then pull it to bring the soldier to him and then use his fist to punch the soldier breaking his neck, at same time the other two soldiers attacked the Troll, he kicks one of them making him fall and hit the other one in the head breaking it, then he moves slowly to the fallen soldier and hit him while on the ground.

The Group Leader is in shock and speechless the Snow Troll slowly walks to him, he recover and tried to run but trips with a rock covered in snow and fall, he turns around and see the Troll on top of him raising his log, then smiles kissing a good bye to life. In the wall towers a loud scream can be heard and the guards get starlet those who were half sleeping woke up. The watchers noticed the blood stained snow and started the alarm.

This time the wall fills up quickly with archers, the other side a group of 26 Snow Trolls approach with an estimate force of 2,200, this time the archer won't be enough to hold them back. After three rounds of arrow shots the Trolls suffered just six casualties and manage to reach the gates. With heir strength they managed to break a side and move in, the Militia infantry engages in battle with the Trolls.

Tanya: this is not good, two hundred men can't stop them, I will engage into battle as well, we must stop them in the gates at all cost, Captain!
Captain Eugen: Yes my lady!
Tanya: Prepare the horses; the Black Riders will go to battle.
Captain Eugen: But my lady! We have been doing police work, we are not fit for combat, why taking risk for those peasants? Every important noble have left the city.
Tanya: is not just the people, the Black Rider state is here as well, I have to protect these Centers of Recruitment, they are the best on the continent.

After a quick setup forty six Cavalrymen leaded by Tanya rides on to the enemy, the militia infantrymen move aside leaving a space for the cavalry to strike the Trolls. Still they are a worthy opponent even for the cavalry, even receiving hit the Troll manage to strike many horses and riders in their way, in the end the Trolls retreated to the cold plains, two of them were shot down by archers during the retreat, the Black Riders suffered twenty three casualties and the gates were damaged.

The day continues, those who have fallen are being buried, there is no time for mourning, the wounded are in bed with some improvised bandage, most of the Healers have left the city along with many people, still few remains the city will be empty probably in two more days. The mantle of the night falls once again, the loud sounds outside the wall resumes.

[Sonya]

Permafrost Day

It is a new day with the same predicament; the people must abandon the city of Itorunt through the north gate to warmer lands. The soldiers are recovering from the past battle but still they must continue to protect the civilian's caravan, only a handful of them remains, many left wounded, and others leave to escort the caravan of people. Still the city will not be empty in about two days, time they don't have.

Today's weather is worse, besides being colder than previous days, and having a snowfall, there is a strong breeze making everyone unable to see even at mere ten meters. The south gate is being repaired, since is dangerous to seek trees outside they are dismantling houses and using the wood for the gate.
At this point the soldiers are not wearing any heavy or metal reinforced armor; they are wearing fur clothes to warm themselves, with the help of various campfires, especially near the south wall where the Snow Trolls have been attacking. The only noble unit remaining in the city is the Black Riders they vowed to defend the city until the last man.

Captain Eugen: Move those legs! We must keep the horses warm.
Soldier: excuse me captain, but we can't repair the gates beyond this point, any further improvement will require the Duke assistance.
Captain Eugen: If civil work is not useful anymore, let's do some training, we must warm up and be more agile, remember we are not wearing any armor so we can't take hits.
Soldier: this...this must be a punishment from the Titans!
Captain Eugen: what are you talking about soldier? There is no such thing as a Titan. The GODs are the one behind all this.

Suddenly loud noises started to be heard from outside of the wall, like if it was hit by a battering ram, the snow storm is raging strong and the archer can't see what is just outside. In that moment Tanya leaves her tent, and drawing her sword talk to the two men talking outside.

Tanya: it doesn't matter on what you believe, either Deities or Superstitions in the end that doesn't really matter, the enemy is here and we must give these people hope to leave safely.

The gates have been overrun this time 48 Snow Trolls are inside the city crushing everything on their path with their big wooden logs, the soldiers can't see far ahead, and when they see the trolls they are already too close to do something and the archers can't aim well, all this due to the strong winds.

Captain Eugen: My lady we can't even charge here we need more space for momentum and the militia is being overrun.
Tanya: Everybody move to the center of the city, we rally there. Carry the wounded on the Cavalry!
Captain Eugen: My Lady there is no time, we can't save everyone, and the wounded has to be left behind...

Tanya thinks for a while that seems like an eternity, then she turn around with her horse and start to move.

Tanya: FINE! But we have to move now.

They manage to get to the center of the city, the same place where the people are gathering to emigrate to the north, the militia start to garrison the center square facing to the south road, meanwhile the city is in chaos, the Trolls are killing all men on their path while they take the women back to their plains.
The black guards are 100 meters north of the barricade to charge at the Snow Trolls when the time is due they can't see but they hope to be lucky ; many people left the square ad forget the caravan to move to their houses, others improvised weapons to fight with the militia.

The enemy approaches hitting everything on the south road creating loud noises on their path, they can't be seen yet but the archers open fire in their direction, they hardly hit the Trolls the snow storm is strong that looks like a frozen hell.

The archers abandon their bows and unsheathe their swords the noise is closer, the troll begun to throw rocks and logs from the building to hit the barricade and some soldiers behind at the same time they were rushing to it.

The barricade for the Trolls was like a sand castle for the sea waves, they would be been good to stop the movement of a couple of bandits or a small unit, but not those Ice Warriors, the battle rages fiercely the militia is being overpowered. Tanya looks to the captain of her unit and he makes a "no yet" signal to her, the peasant who formed armed groups begin to fight as well making the battlefield sound more louds.

Captain Eugen: Now is the time my lady! We charge past then and keep going and turn back then repeat.
Tanya. CHAAAAARGE!

The last of the Black Riders Cavalry ride on closing to the enemy, they know they will hit the flank of the Trolls and some friendly casualties will be taken as well. The charge hit the Trolls with ferocious force that many were pierced but at same time some militia got overrun in the charge.

Sadly this was impressive but not enough; the impaled Troll broke the Cavalry lance throwing the riders off their horses, and in mere seconds the Cavalry was surrounded they had nowhere to run and no room for charges, so they draw their swords and fight with the militia.

Tanya is on the ground; she stands up and looks around dazed, and just when she was about to get on her horse this one is hit by a Troll making the horse fly away for couple of meters, Tanya unsheathes her sword and move back four steps, in that instant a Snow troll hit her head from behind making her helmet fly, she falls on the ground and looks at the helmet hitting the ground as she loses consciousness, is the last thing she sees of that day.

Tanya opens her eyes she sees the cloudy sky and the snow fall, looking around she notices is being dragged in a stretcher and that she is covered with bandages. When her vision became clear, she notices two of her cavalry men carrying the stretcher and the unit captain leading the way, all of them on foot.

Tanya: what happened?

The men didn't answered and continue walking; it seems they are going on their way to Semall, the captain moves besides the stretcher and.

Captain Eugen: is lost...
Tanya: what?
Captain Eugen: Itorunt is lost, it was overrun with Trolls, and those who remained hidden in the city will be either killed by the Trolls or by the frozen cold weather. From the fighting group only the four of us managed to escape.
Tanya: I can't remember anything...
Captain Eugen: when we you were on the floor, all our companions shielded you from the Trolls, I quickly picked you and ran away the battle, two of them managed to survived, we had to leave the horses as baits, so no more Black Riders....The state is lost.
Tanya: they were great horses.
Captain Eugen: Yes indeed, the Best Cavalry Center of the Continent!

Tanya closes her eyes to rest, the small party continue their travel to Semall, they have to move north with the rest of their realm.

The region of Itorunt has frozen over and become an uninhabitable tundra. A permafrost layer has formed just below the surface soil, and nothing can grow there anymore. Being outside without heavy fur coats for longer than a few minutes is debilitating. Eponllyn can no longer really be said to hold the region anymore. No one can.

The End