The Battle of the Snowflake Keep

[NanTheDark]

"We can make do in these narrow hallways. Harmless, I trust you'll deal with the enemy on the sides!"

Kerri boosts the defense of her allies.

Two Mages on each side buff Harmless' bowmen to make them shoot more arrows faster. Kerri's remaining 9 Mages will buff the allies in the center path, boosting their attack. The Clerics will constantly heal them. Knights in the center path charge to attack. Knights on the sides will rush to the front of Harmless' units to help shield them.

Edit: Probably might need to command all of the troops in here? Also Peter messed up the map a bit it seems, I might re-edit this post later.

[Megar]

"Not liking those clerics, actually... get rid of those ASAP, if you can." Robin adds, before stepping back again.

[Karyete]

Gathering his men, Karyete dished out instructions. According to multiple knights, Robin and his team were seemingly distracted by Harmless, and he used this to his advantage. He sent a single knight to locate Audrey and tell her this, in case she was able to help.

"Soldiers, you have to fight with everything you've got. Mages: I need you to provide mostly defensive and healing magic for everyone, but power up the knights a little as well. Most importantly, stay concealed and out of sight as best you can. Knights: endure the Decemians. Focus on survival, and stall if you can."

He extended his scythe and stood by his men.

"Let's do this." he muttered.

[Harmless]

Harmless steadily regains consciousness after having been lifted by the spell. Oh, huh. I didn't expect myself to fall sleep when faking my death. But it looks like... I'm in a prime position.

Harmless, at first avoiding movement, slowly readies his crossbow, taking careful aim at Robin from the snow... then fires. He then immediately makes way to his army as fast as he can, shouting the following order;

"All units - Cover me!! Spearmen, Phalanx ASAP! Once I'm at your location, push an offensive!!"

[1018peter]

HILLSIDE PERIL

Spoiler: show

Robin ordered the two mages to finish Harmless off. They charged up blazes in their hands and prepared to burn him to death. Robin left for the keep right after giving the order.

Harmless slowly regained consciousness, his eyes rested upon Robin. He readied his crossbow secretly, and shot the Decemian commander. A direct hit! Robin received a dastardly wound up to his back. But, out of sheer determination, he got into the keep. He gave his orders to the Decemians in the keep, but couldn't muster enough strength to cast spells anymore. He leaned against the wall, dying, but still alive. He wrote one last message to the Decemian camps, calling for immediate reinforcements as well as a replacement commander.

Meanwhile, Audrey launched her last lance at Robin's mages, piercing them both in one go, and saving Harmless from death. He rushed for the gate as well, commanding an offensive to make way for his arrival. Kerri quickly followed by buffing Novemians and giving orders, along with Karyete giving his orders too. Audrey, on the other hand...

She jumped down the keep and picked up her lances, taking out the last mage swiftly. "...you're here for me, aren't you?" Otto said, oddly calm.

"I'm sure you're familiar with my methods." Audrey readied her lances.

"...here's my...LAST HURRAH!" Otto suddenly stopped the regeneration, causing blood to burst out, blinding Audrey. His body flashed brightly, radiating immense power. One of Karyete's knights came outside, and was struck with shock. Noticing the general blinded by blood, he rushed forward, grabbed her arm, and flung her back away from the Decemian general.

"PERISH!"

"LONG LIVE NOVEMIA!"

A huge explosion occurred, obliterating Otto and the poor knight, and blasted Audrey against the inner walls of the keep, knocking her out.

THE SHOWDOWN

Spoiler: show

Robin's spearmen in the middle took the initiative and killed Kerri's front knights as they were about to charge with ease at the cost of merely two spearmen, given weapon and mount advantage. The Decemian mages and bowmen in the middle quickly followed by punching through the Novemians in the middle with fireballs and arrows, but the Novemians were basked in defensive enchantments, grinding the advance into a halt. The clerics and the mages reinforced Harmless' spearmen and Karyete's axemen with healing magic and buffs, allowing a counteroffensive. Karyete lunged forward and hacked a Decemian spearmen with ease, signaling the counterattack. The Decemians lost ground, losing ten spearmen in the middle. The Decemian bowmen sniped the clerics, but the Novemians remain strong. The middle Decemian forces struggled to maintain their position. In the chaos, Harmless reached the Novemian side, but an offensive was already in place.

In the side passages, the Decemian spearmen took out the mages and pushed the bow knights back, but Kerri's knights quickly came to assistance. The spearmen bought time as their allies quickly made their way up the keep through the ladder. The Novemians didn't seem to have considered such possibility, so they didn't face any reinforcement up the ladder.

The spearmen, against the mages and the knights, were put down after a short fight.

The mages and the bowmen hit a switch on top of the keep, opened the rear gate, sneakily landed outside. The snow had already stopped. They could see Novemian reinforcements just halfway to the top.

They charged up a powerful energy ball together, and unleashed them at the Novemian troops, obliterating the axemen and the knights, and knocking the other soldiers in the middle path off balance. The bowmen quickly followed with a barrage of arrows to the sides, taking out several mages and wounding Kerri. The Decemian soldiers in the middle saw their allies at the rear gate, and reignited their hopes. They bravely advanced. With the mages continuing their barrage on the remaining soldiers in the middle, the Decemians successfully took out Harmless' phalanx and took a wounded Karyete as prisoner. As soon as the middle path was cleared, the four mages left on top of the keep hit the rear gate's switch again and locked it up tight, cutting Novemian reinforcement away.

Audrey quickly regained consciousness, only to see a huge smear on the hill, along with the rest of the Decemian army approaching. She sighed deeply, and left the field wounded.

The Decemian mages and bowmen in the middle path took on the rest of the fort's chokepoints and held the Novemian survivors off. It wasn't long until the rest of the Decemian army arrived at the keep, taking the Novemian survivors prisoner, and securing a tight control over the Snowflake Keep.

CONCLUSION

Spoiler: show

The Decemians reinforced the keep's defenses over and over, making it impossible for the Novemians to siege. Eventually, King Hardin gave up and stopped the siege. The Decemians, however, had no interests in negotiating. They organized a huge cavalry and came down the Graupel Mountains, ransacking and pillaging Novemia. It wasn't long till the capital was seized, either. King Hardin was executed in the Decemian capital, a display of vengeance.

By the third year after the Battle of the Snowflake Keep, Novemia has submitted to Decemia completely.

PLAYER ENDINGS

Spoiler: show

Kerri - The Songbird
The Novemians showed a secret passage for Kerri, allowing her to escape. She carried on with her performance, visiting the ruined cities of Novemia. She, however, remained silent about her identity. The Novemian civilians regarded her as the Songbird.

Karyete - The Valiant
After being taken as a Prisoner of War, he refused to submit to Queen Tania, even when he was tossed right before her throne. In anger, the queen had him executed, but he became a symbol for the Novemian rebellions throughout the country.

Harmless - The Esoteric
Harmless escaped from the top of the keep in chaos. His fate was unknown. Some say that he found a way to return to wherever he came from through arcane magic. Others say that he's still supporting Novemian rebellions throughout the country. Still others say that he's now working for Decemia as a nameless commander. No one is truly sure, though.

Audrey - The Vengeful
Audrey left the battlefield, evading the pursuit of Decemians. In an act of revenge, she hunted down Novemian soldiers that had participated in the battle one by one, but she was never able to find Robin. Perhaps it was fate that she must have her destiny unfulfilled.

Robin - The Legend
Robin left the keep in silence after finding swathes in the keep. He continued his job as a mercenary, but he refused all requests of commanding, even when the pay was huge.

Damien - The Seal
The tome Khaos Atlas was buried along with Damien's remains. Tomb raiders have attempted to steal the tome, but oddly enough, it was sealed tight by a mysterious force.Tha

Weasel - The Death
Weasel went on to join the raiding forces and pillaged Novemia with them. She enjoyed every single bit of it.

Otto - The Ascended
Otto was mourned throughout the country. Mages from all around the world came to witness his memorial funeral, as he left with only his scepter remaining.

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