GURPS Fantasy Warriors Session 25: Battle of the Brenther Hills

Characters:

Granmarg The Striking Vanguard, The Boulderstruck, Member of the Earthling Triumvirate
Pomegranite The Treefallen, The Spymaster

Mielikki The Field Marshal, Member of the Earthling Triumvirate

Thicket The Grandmaster Terramorpher, Member of the Earthling Triumvirate

 

The Battle Begins

On the morning of the decisive battle, reports came to the Triumvirate of more earthlings with their brains scooped out being found at the edges of their army's camps.  Pomegranite and many of the magisters emerged from a planning session that had lasted all night with an idea for how to stop the lesser demons that spread Bile to allow the advance of the main army.  As the troops ate their breakfast, Thicket gave an inspiring speech, reminding the soldiers that they were fighting not just for the Highland Forests, but for the Empire and all life.

 

The Young Heron approached Granmarg and asked him to take up his sword if he fell in battle.  The earthling agreed to do so, though he was barely trained in the sword, preferring his fists.  His tone changed when the Young Heron stated that it could kill demons with a look that Granmarg understood instantly: Terra.  His warnings that it was cursed, and that Granmarg must be careful not to let its bloodlust consume him, went unheeded.  You use a sword to kill demons, and bloodlust for that was fine!

 

The earthling armies took up their formations on the hills as the demon army began their advance from the west, with one column charging out ahead in the center and seizing an elevated position the earthlings had left deliberately vacant.  Pomegranite had his magisters and archers rain invisible arrows on their position, slaying many, while Mielikki cautiously advanced up the south flank along with his reserves.  One demon, a pulsating ball of legs of all sizes and materials (which would be known as the "Legs Demon"), rolled up a sheer cliff and brought its horde up surprisingly close to Mielikki's.

 

Granmarg them set out with with his troops on an assault into the central demon army.  Striding through the lesser demons spreading Bile, he soon came face to face with the dwarf commander Pomegranite had seen.  As Granmarg sprinted toward him, fists raised, he noticed that the dwarf had enlarged fangs pointing up out of his mouth.  The first flurry of attacks from Granmarg were all deflected by the dwarf's twin swords, and he slid under the riposte from the dwarf, keeping up the momentum.

 

The dwarf parried another blow from Granmarg with his left blade before reaching out with his right arm which kept extending far past what was natural, ultimately reaching all the way behind Granmarg, who barely managed to block the odd attack in time.  Their duel concluded with neither having been able to land a meaningful blow, but the dwarf was forced to retreat as Thicket's Volcano Strike Stratagen went into effect.  The night prior, the hill had been seeded with magic that now detonated, causing a wave of timed explosions ripped through the demons.  The rest of Granmarg's army caught up to his vanguard and slaughtered the injured demons, securing the hilltop.

 

The demons continued to surge forward, forgoing any type of formation or strategy and simply charging toward the earthling lines.  The dwarf led his troops back up the hill, looking to battle with Granmarg again, only to find himself face-to-face with the Young Heron instead.  The elf steadily drove the dwarf back with a flurry of blows until he was tripped by the dwarf's leg suddenly extending 5 feet.  The dwarf followed up with a pair of strikes, but though the Young Heron was wounded, he sprang to his feet and cut the dwarf down with three rapid slashes.  Unlike in the earlier wars between the provinces, against the demons no quarter was given and none was expected.

 

With their leader dead, the rest of the demons were slaughtered by Granmarg's troops.  With that flank secure, the earthlings then wheeled about and charged downhill at the bulk of the demon horde, where Granmarg soon came face-to-face with the "Fisthorse" once again.  Not wasting any time, he barrelled into it, pummelling the giant fist that took the place of its head.  More blows were exchanged until it reared back and ensnared Granmarg with its elongated razor-sharp tongue.  

The tongue then constricted, peeling off layers of stone, and Granmarg struggled to break free, only doing so after suffering grievous wounds.  His troops carried the battle, though, and with their aid Granmarg was able to rout the Fisthorse and its army, forcing them back into the west and slaying hundreds.  Looking to drive even deeper into enemy lines, Granmarg's army then charged south toward the Legs Demon, to reinforce Mielikki as his army marched up the hill to dislodge the demonic army.

 

Shortly, reports came from the north of a strange demon resembling a giant pair of eyes (the Eyes Demon) using a strange power to bewitch the entire garrison on the hill where Granmarg had first fought the Dwarf, bringing hundreds of earthlings under its mental dominion.  Thicket prepared his troops to lure the Eyes Demon into an ambush.

 

 

Notes:

Pomegranite had the great idea to have Cliffside lead at the front, so that he could suffer a tragic death on the battlefield.  (He was then stationed at the back).

 

Mielikki pointed out that Granmarg is like the Worf of this campaign; he's by far their best combatant, so to establish that someone else is a threat, they have to beat him.  I blame the dice. 

 

Something came up this session: What's the name of the planet this game takes place on?  I think we already had this  conversation a while ago, but nobody remembers.  For now, it's Earth.

 

This was the "Granmarg Session" with his player fighting 3 duels and some other players not even rolling a die.  The exact problem I thought would happen that made me institute the advisors and 4v4 battles back in the day.