Post by branur on Jan 24, 2012 23:41:45 GMT -5
Thunder snapped across the sky as the day was covered in a gloomy veil. The rain fell lightly as a Captain, Branur, walked across the camp watching his men prepare. He moved toward his tent, a decisive battle was aboyt to take place and Branur himself was chosen by the steward to carry out the defense of the main western bridge in ruined, war-torn city of Osgilliath. When he entered his tent, he found his Sergeants waiting.
"Men, you have no idea how much trouble we are in." Branur scoffed . His men stood at attention even in light of their commanders-not-so-formal attitude. "We have to hold this bridge at all costs, until Lord Boromir arrives with reinforcements. If any of you are disheartened I will not keep you here, you may leave. But if you stand beside me, you will atleast fall in a manner suited for a man and soldier of Gondor." After Branur completed his speech none of his men moved and he knew it was time for battle.
Branur organized the soldiers in the courtyard, and gave a long speech which rallied his brothers-in-arms spirits and prepared them for what could be their final battle. He sighed and looked around until one of his Sergeant approached him. "Sir, the men are ready to move at your command. The sentries are awaiting us on the bridge, they saw a large force of Orcs earlier today but they packed up camp and left." Branur smiled and laughed. "Those Orcs ran before the battle even started, aye though, move the men. Keep the shield and spear men in the front and the swords men in the middle. I don't want the archers on the bridge at all. Have them garrison on our end of the bank, where ever they can get a clear shot at our foes." The Sergeant bowed before running off to tell the men where to go and how to line up.
It was nearly nightfall and the rain was still coming hard when Branur took the lead of forces and marched to the bridge. There they waited another two hours before the enemy arrived. The Gondorian line was strong and prepared for battle. However the foes they where about to meet where not they expected, they heard chants on the other end and then saw Haradrim, clad in their pale golden armor marching onto the bridge. It was a large legion, about the same size as the Gondorian, however it held no archers. Branur's front line braced their shortspears and shields for combat. Branur stood in the mid line of his men, his greatsword drawn and rain running down its deadly, silver, mithril, blade. The front line of the Haradrim carried large 7 foot halberds, made of dark, twisted metal. They stopped 40 or so feet from the Gondorian line and their leader stepped forward from thier ranks. Unlike his soldiers he worn bone armor, and looked completely tribal. Tattoos covered his face. He gruffed and stared at Branur before raising his hand. The Haradrim front line lowered their halberds and chanted loudly in their foul speech. Branur called out to his men and began their own chance. It seemed the first battle for this bridge would be decided by Men, and both Gondorians and Haradrim hated each other with a passion hotter than the fires of Mount Doom and all of Mordor.
The Haradrim leader gave a loud howl and his forces ran forward, thier halberds poised to shatter the Gondorian shields as a loud yell was heard. Branur did not let his men falter he stood frim and waved his left arm. From the ruins behind a hail of arrows smashed into the Haradrim front. Screems of pain and agony lept out from the hardened battle charge as many of the pale golden clad men slumped over. Some tripped over the dead and shattered their bones on the bricks of the bridge. Branur the yelled and his men charged forward to meet their foes and battle was joined. Branur threw a Haradrim soldier over his shoulders and slammed his greatsword into the man's chest before picking it up and slashing out another foe's knees. Branur waded and fought his way through the battle field till he found the Haradrim warband leader.
Branur charged him and locked his greatsword with the Haradrim's large bone axe. The Haradrim smiled and accepted Branur's challenge. He swung low at Branur's legs, but the hero jumped over the axe and hacked his greatsword. The Haradrim dodged each blow with almost unnatural speed and agility. Branur saw around him men fighting each other and looked at his feet and noticed the white stone of bridge coated in the red mix of human blood. The clanging and smashing of steel almost deafening and the smell fresh entrails overpowered the air. Branur looked back up as the Haradrim had lunged, he parried the axe with his blade and struggled as the Haradrim locked the axes end under the blade and tried to yank it from Branur's hands. Branur instead through himself at the Haradrim shattering the axe and toppling the two over. Branur's greatsword slipped from his grasp and the Haradrim punched his gut. Branur felt the blow even under his armor and staggered away from his attacker, he noticed puncture holes in his armor and trails of crimson coming from them. The Haradrim laughed and licked blood away from his spiked bone gauntlet. Branur drew his mace and round shield off his back as the Haradrim pulled two knives and charged at his attacker. Once again battle was joined and the Haradrim broke a knife on his shield. Branur felt overjoyed when his mace mad contact with the Haradrim's gut, but no skin was broken just a large clump of the blackened bone armor fell off. Branur spun around and smashed the Haradrim's should, no damage just more bone from his breaking off. The Haradrim gave a crooked smile before grabbing Branur's shield and hacking at Branur's shoulder with knife. Branur slid his hand from his shield and dodged the blows at him. Branur gave a exhausted sigh and looked on as the Haradrim barely looked as if he begun fighting. Branur then noticed the battle was going in thier favor. The Haradrim where being forced back. Branur ran to where he dropped his greatsword and grabbed it. The Haradrim yelled and charged to meet him, Branur pretended to pull back dropping the greatsword to his side, The Haradrim jumped and in a instant it was all over, Branur thrusted his greatsword forward as the jump occurred and impaled the man.
The battle carried on for two more hours before the Haradrim were nearly pushed off the bridge, then the unthinkable happened. Orcs rushed in to aid the dark men and screams could be heard behind as the orcs had flanked the Gondorians with boats aided by the fog and slaughtered the archers and rear flank. Within an instant Branur and his men were trapped on the middle of the bridge, orcs coming from one side and Haradrim the other. The bridge was covered in blood, entrails, corpses and the scent of death was heavy. Dawn was beginning to rise and Branur knew the battle had only begun. He ordered his men to pull away as far as they could and form a circle on the middle of the bridge. The snarling faces of orcs and their ancient human foes encircled them and awaited orders as a Nazgul swooped down on a fell beast and stood in the side of the bridge Dread filled Branur as the Nazgul looked at him directly and screeched. It would take all of Branur's strengths to lead him and his men though this turned battle.
"Men, you have no idea how much trouble we are in." Branur scoffed . His men stood at attention even in light of their commanders-not-so-formal attitude. "We have to hold this bridge at all costs, until Lord Boromir arrives with reinforcements. If any of you are disheartened I will not keep you here, you may leave. But if you stand beside me, you will atleast fall in a manner suited for a man and soldier of Gondor." After Branur completed his speech none of his men moved and he knew it was time for battle.
Branur organized the soldiers in the courtyard, and gave a long speech which rallied his brothers-in-arms spirits and prepared them for what could be their final battle. He sighed and looked around until one of his Sergeant approached him. "Sir, the men are ready to move at your command. The sentries are awaiting us on the bridge, they saw a large force of Orcs earlier today but they packed up camp and left." Branur smiled and laughed. "Those Orcs ran before the battle even started, aye though, move the men. Keep the shield and spear men in the front and the swords men in the middle. I don't want the archers on the bridge at all. Have them garrison on our end of the bank, where ever they can get a clear shot at our foes." The Sergeant bowed before running off to tell the men where to go and how to line up.
It was nearly nightfall and the rain was still coming hard when Branur took the lead of forces and marched to the bridge. There they waited another two hours before the enemy arrived. The Gondorian line was strong and prepared for battle. However the foes they where about to meet where not they expected, they heard chants on the other end and then saw Haradrim, clad in their pale golden armor marching onto the bridge. It was a large legion, about the same size as the Gondorian, however it held no archers. Branur's front line braced their shortspears and shields for combat. Branur stood in the mid line of his men, his greatsword drawn and rain running down its deadly, silver, mithril, blade. The front line of the Haradrim carried large 7 foot halberds, made of dark, twisted metal. They stopped 40 or so feet from the Gondorian line and their leader stepped forward from thier ranks. Unlike his soldiers he worn bone armor, and looked completely tribal. Tattoos covered his face. He gruffed and stared at Branur before raising his hand. The Haradrim front line lowered their halberds and chanted loudly in their foul speech. Branur called out to his men and began their own chance. It seemed the first battle for this bridge would be decided by Men, and both Gondorians and Haradrim hated each other with a passion hotter than the fires of Mount Doom and all of Mordor.
The Haradrim leader gave a loud howl and his forces ran forward, thier halberds poised to shatter the Gondorian shields as a loud yell was heard. Branur did not let his men falter he stood frim and waved his left arm. From the ruins behind a hail of arrows smashed into the Haradrim front. Screems of pain and agony lept out from the hardened battle charge as many of the pale golden clad men slumped over. Some tripped over the dead and shattered their bones on the bricks of the bridge. Branur the yelled and his men charged forward to meet their foes and battle was joined. Branur threw a Haradrim soldier over his shoulders and slammed his greatsword into the man's chest before picking it up and slashing out another foe's knees. Branur waded and fought his way through the battle field till he found the Haradrim warband leader.
Branur charged him and locked his greatsword with the Haradrim's large bone axe. The Haradrim smiled and accepted Branur's challenge. He swung low at Branur's legs, but the hero jumped over the axe and hacked his greatsword. The Haradrim dodged each blow with almost unnatural speed and agility. Branur saw around him men fighting each other and looked at his feet and noticed the white stone of bridge coated in the red mix of human blood. The clanging and smashing of steel almost deafening and the smell fresh entrails overpowered the air. Branur looked back up as the Haradrim had lunged, he parried the axe with his blade and struggled as the Haradrim locked the axes end under the blade and tried to yank it from Branur's hands. Branur instead through himself at the Haradrim shattering the axe and toppling the two over. Branur's greatsword slipped from his grasp and the Haradrim punched his gut. Branur felt the blow even under his armor and staggered away from his attacker, he noticed puncture holes in his armor and trails of crimson coming from them. The Haradrim laughed and licked blood away from his spiked bone gauntlet. Branur drew his mace and round shield off his back as the Haradrim pulled two knives and charged at his attacker. Once again battle was joined and the Haradrim broke a knife on his shield. Branur felt overjoyed when his mace mad contact with the Haradrim's gut, but no skin was broken just a large clump of the blackened bone armor fell off. Branur spun around and smashed the Haradrim's should, no damage just more bone from his breaking off. The Haradrim gave a crooked smile before grabbing Branur's shield and hacking at Branur's shoulder with knife. Branur slid his hand from his shield and dodged the blows at him. Branur gave a exhausted sigh and looked on as the Haradrim barely looked as if he begun fighting. Branur then noticed the battle was going in thier favor. The Haradrim where being forced back. Branur ran to where he dropped his greatsword and grabbed it. The Haradrim yelled and charged to meet him, Branur pretended to pull back dropping the greatsword to his side, The Haradrim jumped and in a instant it was all over, Branur thrusted his greatsword forward as the jump occurred and impaled the man.
The battle carried on for two more hours before the Haradrim were nearly pushed off the bridge, then the unthinkable happened. Orcs rushed in to aid the dark men and screams could be heard behind as the orcs had flanked the Gondorians with boats aided by the fog and slaughtered the archers and rear flank. Within an instant Branur and his men were trapped on the middle of the bridge, orcs coming from one side and Haradrim the other. The bridge was covered in blood, entrails, corpses and the scent of death was heavy. Dawn was beginning to rise and Branur knew the battle had only begun. He ordered his men to pull away as far as they could and form a circle on the middle of the bridge. The snarling faces of orcs and their ancient human foes encircled them and awaited orders as a Nazgul swooped down on a fell beast and stood in the side of the bridge Dread filled Branur as the Nazgul looked at him directly and screeched. It would take all of Branur's strengths to lead him and his men though this turned battle.