"Sorry to interrupt your work but I have bad news my lord"
Antepelagyos stopped his sculpture to search who could have spoke. Not finding anyone in the Utonshire garden he realised that it was a telepathic message from one of his astrologers, probably using an astral cantrip.
"... after the death of Akates, and the destruction of the little army waiting for him, we have lost a new battle, continued the voice, the fast forces of Crystalmist engaged our third army before it could leave Fanligia"
- The third army was supposed to attack him anyway and show to the dragon the courage of my followers. This army had two squads of elephants to trample the miserable wolves and archers he uses, and astrologers with the best penetration gear to paralyze him. It wasn't the best force he may have encountered, we expected to meet him in Obalshim, but he must at least have suffered heavy casualties fighting it.
- Sorry our Mighty Divine Smith, but it wasn't really the case, except lots of expandable wolves, his clockwork horrors and a little number of horsemen he lost nothing in the battle. All his archers and mages survived.
- How is it possible ?
- Crystalmist didn't divide his forces to protect Obalshin or the lab province,
all his southern army was on the battlefield couting 27 commanders mostly mages against 17 on our side.
The third army was powerful but a little smaller but it isn't the main reason of our failure. As I've said our army couldn't live Fanligia and, positioned for attack most of our mages ended in the middle of the provincial militia, we lost some of the key mages very fast when his horde of crones and illusionists started to chain cast
thunder strike and lightnings on these troops. Our mages were supposed to be lucky, but luck wasn't sufficient to save them. The survivors, confused by the damn militia casted fire fend on the local peltasts instead of buffing our heart companions and hoplites, condemning our best units to die fast against the wind guided flaming arrows Man used as expected. Our cavalry could have saved the day, but when the first squad trampled lots of clockwork horrors before routing, the second one, our supposed to be lucky and ethearal elephants and chariots were
engaged by Crystalmist himself during their preparation phase, who was sufficiently lucky to resist many paralyzation attempts. Of course some of our mages succeeded to inflict many casualties to the lots of light troops he have,
blade wind being as expected the most efficient spell against their kind of army but it wasn't sufficient against their
flaming arrows and chain casted lightnings. A kamikaze giant eagle using a medaillon of vengeance was the cherry on the cake in Man's strategy, killing half our last squad of elite heart companions,
the remaining troops being forced to flee to save their lives. I'm the only astrologer who survived.
- Annoying...
- My lord I'm sorry to say that but I think this defeat is not the last, we stand no chance against this kind of army without good air mages to protect our slow and heavy soldiers, and our scriers report that Man has far more and better troops to come. You should open negociations with them.
- Young Depylos, your knowledge of astral secrets should have learned you that we are all here to be the agents of the fate, and can do nothing to escape it. The Old Pantokrator with his strange humor doomed us since the beginning, giving us only one neighbor on land, Man, but in the dozens of provinces of our empire, many of them explored with acashic record, not one producing the right tools to counter their magic. It was known since the beginning that this war was going to be a desesperate one. But what else can we do ? Staying in peace waiting for the return of the oreiads or spending years trying to conquer Oceania, letting Man concentrate his forces in the west and conquer the places of power ? Crystalmist would be near his ascension now. This war is the only way to slow him, and continuing it the only choice we can make. Even if we ask for he would be stupid to accept peace with us, knowing that all we may do is waiting to have more assets to attack him again. And if our chances are small we may finally win, the numbers may matter in the end. We have a greater gems and gold income, we may produce far more troops, and finally we may have some cards we don't have used yet that may be efficient even against hordes of air mages. Don't worry about the losses, don't worry about the defeats, we are all only here to accomplish our destiny, and only the final result matters.
Re: End game...
I hope I will be able to find a solution and continue to fight.
Linear Mode
