I had the opportunity to join the heroic Hammerstrike dwarves as they attacked Innadril and spred terror in the hearts of the cowardly defenders.
Here's my meager write-up of the event.....................
"So. Joining Hammerstrike for their attack of Innadril Castle seemed like a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon. My crafting chores were done for the day and for some reason I had little interest in squandering more hard-earned adena at the monster track….so I decided to tag along.
It took some time to gather all the necessary siege items one needs…charms, combat point potions, greater healing potions, beer. And then I was ready.....
I ported to Heine and pm’d Salgrath to get invited into a party and was told to assemble with the other fighters on the Eastern bridge….
Oh, a bit about me would be in order I suppose. I am DrakkosCrafter (crafter of the dragon in the old tongue) and I am a journeyman Warsmith. Not so long ago I learned the skill sets to work with B-grade items. I generally venture into battle in my Doom armor with my trusty Art of Battle Axe in hand. Some day I’ll splurge for materials to make the B-jewels to replace the old ones I have.
So I joined the nice dwarves of Hammerstrike on the East Bridge in Heine as we formed up into attack squads. Many of the dwarves whom I had not met before were outfitted much as I was, and there were some others assisting (mostly orcs…::sniff::). The Hammerstrike group was also assisted by another clan of higher level fighters, some of whom I did know. Since we had to wait for the parties to be buffed and formed it seemed a good idea to have a beer.
I don’t know if you’ve ever been at a siege in Heine…but it’s a LONG way to that darned castle! I had summoned my Golem buddy (I call him Trike) and the two of us wheezed and huffed (that was me, actually) down the road towards the castle. We stopped to regroup on the bridge near the castle as we had gotten strung out a bit on the run. It seemed like a good time for a beer, to me.
Then with a “hurrah” we stormed onto the siege field for the first time! It was an inspiring site! About twenty-five dwarves and many golems along with the a few others who joined (who secretly want to be dwarves I think)….a true vision of power.
As I came over the rise I saw a group of cowering defenders on the field and without delay, I bravely sent my golem in to attack a caster….which seemed like a good time to have a beer. Trike was AWESOME. He shot his formidable cannon a couple times before he waded in to attack though in truth he could have lasted a bit longer. Now, I had strategically placed myself behind a really big rock (which some people tried to claim, absurdly, that I was hiding behind!), ready to pounce on the first unwary squishy that might happen by. Sure enough, I didn’t have long to wait! As my party-mates were variously slaughtered around me I picked my target and launched my furious attack!
I believe there are still castle defenders talking about that attack even today!!! My hardest blows struck! One. Two. Another. 22 hitpoints gone. Then 8 hitpoints. Then I critted for 43! I’ll tell you right now, there was a worried Necro in front of me by that point! She had to have help to kill me from her archer friends! Needless to say I went down stunned….which seemed like a fine time for another beer.
Back to town I went, my blood boiling! I summoned Trike and we headed back to the East Bridge to reform….which since it took a few minutes seemed like a reasonable time to have a beer.
Well let me tell you—in no time we reformed and made the trek back to assault that castle. Did I mention how FAR that ****ed thing is from town?
We again formed up on the bridge near the castle and flew onto the siege field. This time our tactics were improved and a longer-range battle ensued. Trike went in and out of battle a number of times along with the other golems—while our archers took shots from a distance. I found myself engaged by the cowardly defenders even before I could get to my rock and somehow they landed TWO lucky shots which had me stunned again….and I couldn’t find that darned Trike anywhere!
It occurred to me then that our tactics were falling a bit short! The thirty or so of us just couldn’t get past the fifty or sixty of them. As I lay there thinking (and having another beer) I decided to see if there was another way!
Drakkoscrafter: “hey, guys! We’ve got a LOT of beer out here. What say we have a drinking competition and the winner takes the castle?”
Can you believe no one even answered me?
Back to town and re-summoning Trike, we reformed our mighty party again. Since we had to wait on the bridge it seemed like a good time for a beer. Running and attacking is thirsty work!
This time as we launched our ferocious attack, we had to deal with traitors! Some ‘attackers’ had joined the group so they could lull Hammerstrike into trusting them and when we left town they attacked us! Obviously they had to be overwhelmed first. But what was worse? There were DWARVES with the castle defenders! Yup! Saw them with my own eyes. Who would have thought a dwarf would have helped those one hundred and fifty defenders?
I got a few good licks in there somewhere on this rush I’ll have you know! Of course they sent numerous orcs and archers after me because I was such a threat. You wouldn’t BELIEVE how afraid those defenders were. When they stunned me again and Trike again disappeared (he’s not a particularly well-trained golem) I decided it was time for another beer.
In town on the bridge with trusty Trike at my side, I had a beer while we reformed. I think my group was changing but it was getting a bit hard to remember. Once again we stormed the castle! What a fearsome sight we were! Did I mention how far that castle is from town?
This time the three hundred defenders were waiting off the siege field! We had them right where they wanted us. A running battle ensued, back and forth, back and forth—it was very thirsty work and I had to retreat a bit to resummon Trike (though somehow it was rudely suggested I was running away! ::hmph::), which gave me time to have a quick beer.
This time I actually found an adversary who trembled before me! I hit—again—and again! 130 hitpoints gone! 148! Critical hit for 210! Me and Trike were a FORCE to be reckoned with. So of course the defenders singled me out and hit me twice and I was stunned again…which was a good time to have a beer. I asked again if anyone wanted to have a drinking contest to settle the dispute but other than a laugh I got little response at all except for some greek words that I think said, "please don't attack us again! We are afraid!"
Obviously we had the defenders scared!
Back in town we assembled on the bridge for a beer. It took some time for us to remember why were there until LittleDwarfy said something about a castle. I remarked that the defenders had to be really worried about us at this point and off we stormed to take that castle!
In truth, the details of the fights are a bit vague as I try to recall them now. I remember being an absolute terror in the face of the five hundred defenders and that it often took many, many of them to bring me and Trike down. I certainly remember a beer or two.
Six times I regrouped to throw myself at the seven hundred defenders! Our tough little group of thirty or so against hundreds! Blood and beer flowing…golems whirring into the fray. Gods! What a day!
I couldn’t remember which bridge we were assembling at somewhere in there—and there are a LOT of bridges in Heine. I stopped at each one and had a beer while I waited to see if it was the right one but my group didn’t seem to be reforming at my bridges! I think I might have dozed off a bit about that time.
I have to say though that taken all together it was an EPIC battle. Never before have so few dwarves attacked a thousand castle defenders and pressed them so hard. You could see the fear in their eyes at each rush we made.
This is as true and accurate account of the war over Innadril as I am able to give. Long live Hammerstrike! A couple more dwarves and I think we would have taken that castle (which was a LONG way from town!). You know? Writing is thirsty work too…….I'll just get a beer."
~D~