|
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 14, 2015 2:45:20 GMT -5
Named for the blood which has poisoned the waters, this separates the armies of Vhagus Targaryen from those of the Jade Empire. It is a half mile wide, the scene of constant war. A hundred thousand men on the west face an army several times that to the east.
|
|
|
Post by Amelia Royce on Jul 14, 2015 7:56:48 GMT -5
Prince Benjen had arrived a while before with the Dothraki host and various sellsword companies and was now awaiting the arrival of Vhagus Blackfyre and anyone else who would come along. He had spent the time there studying the distant lines of the Yi Ti'i forces.
|
|
|
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 14, 2015 12:11:55 GMT -5
The Dothraki are horribly suited to this type of war, impatient and aggressive, and their horses despise crossing the river under the contested conditions. The sellswords are corrupt and without the emperor there often lazy, leaving the real bulk of the defense to the ten thousand or so western-style fighters, who have made siege lines to launch sorties from and built war engines. The Jade Empire's forces are endless seeming, but their real weapons are the river dragons that rise as boats or craft touch the waters, overturning them and feasting on any who fall in. For now they seem unable or unwilling to actually leave the water.
|
|
|
Post by Amelia Royce on Jul 14, 2015 12:23:10 GMT -5
Having assessed the situation, Benjen sends word that in the Emperor's absence he is in command of the force. He also asks the various sellsword captains and Khals to meet him in the command tent.
|
|
|
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 14, 2015 12:36:18 GMT -5
Two dozen of so men arrive. Benjen cannot recognize any of them. Only two seem to have any prayer of being Westerosi. A great dothraki spits on the ground, cursing in his language. A sellsword looks to Ben. "I was with you at the mountains of the Moon," he said. "Those tactics won't work here, I'm not thinking."
|
|
|
Post by Amelia Royce on Jul 14, 2015 12:41:56 GMT -5
Benjen turned to a translator and pointed at the Dothraki. "Tell the man that if he does that again I will cut out his tongue and shove it in his daughter's ass," He grunted, knowing the kind of threats barbaric men enjoyed. He then turned to the sellsword.
"We need to mobile, in many places at once." He studied the sellswords. "How much are you being paid?"
|
|
|
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 14, 2015 12:45:23 GMT -5
"A lot," he said. "Enough to risk this and not run." He shrugged. "Vhagus doesn't seem to care for wealth so he is openhanded with plunder. And best not to make him angry, eh?" The Dothraki chuckle at that as it is translated. "Mobility we don't lack. This river is destroying that, though. Turned it into a grind. Me and my crew have been saying we need to head north to flank the river but the horses can't cross the mountains."
|
|
|
Post by Amelia Royce on Jul 14, 2015 12:53:12 GMT -5
"It seems the Dothraki are unsuited for this," Benjen murmurs, thinking for a moment about the conditions of the battlefield. "The horses will only cross the river uncontested, something that might be achievable with two dragons in the air." He looked to the sellswords. "Which will soon be the case. I would suggest the majority of the infantry can flank north while the cavalry remains here. The only problem remaining is those river dragons. What do we know about them?"
|
|
|
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 14, 2015 12:56:10 GMT -5
"They are fifty feet long or more, and they seem far smarter than Drogon, like..people, more like. They only fight if provoked, so I'm not sure if the jade sorcerers control them or have simply unleashed them," the man said. "We avoid them." He looks about. "You all heard the man! Get the goddam infantry ready!"
|
|
|
Post by Amelia Royce on Jul 14, 2015 12:59:47 GMT -5
"Do you have any able engineers in the companies?" Benjen asked the commander while his eyes swept the room. "Scratch that, do you have any highly talented engineers? If there is a chance to lower the depth of the river then I want to abuse that possibility." His eyes returned to the commander. "Take some of the western troops with you - I know what you sellswords are like." He grinned.
|
|
|
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 14, 2015 13:02:12 GMT -5
"None that good," he said. "We don't control the source of the river. We tried to dig a sluice to make a delta but the river dragons...didn't like the idea much." Men leave to commence preparations. The Dothraki look pissed at being left out.
|
|
|
Post by Amelia Royce on Jul 14, 2015 13:04:45 GMT -5
"Unfortunate," Benjen says to the captain, before finally turning to the Dothraki. "Any of you speak Westerosi? Forget it," He turned to the translator. "Ask them to gather their hundred best and most brutal riders. We'll find a quiet spot to cross tonight and give the Yi Ti bastards a bit of a raid. Quick in and out."
|
|
|
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 14, 2015 13:11:35 GMT -5
The Dothraki immediately rush outside to see who the hundred best REALLY are. It will probably take a few dozen deaths to sort out that argument.
|
|
|
Post by Amelia Royce on Jul 14, 2015 13:14:51 GMT -5
Benjen grins and watches for a moment, before following the Dothraki outside to where the... decisions are made. He draws his sword and turns to the translator. "Let them know that I'm willing to prove myself to be worthy of one of the hundred."
|
|
|
Post by The Forgotten God on Jul 14, 2015 13:45:51 GMT -5
Some Dothraki murmur among themselves. A few come towards him.
Ben versus the horselords!
|
|