The Empire of Tamriel: Cracking The Shell 19th Frostfall, 4E 203

"My scouts have noticed that the knights of Nadd have been going to the far south and raiding the fishing villages on the coast and making boats. It seems they have plans of their own." Colada the Thalmor mage says to the small council in Sir Mazog's tent.

"The knights of Nadd are an officially chartered knighthood in the Imperial Legion to attend to the Mede Branch of the Emperor's family. If they have plans it is for the Empire's good, do not hinder them. Any word from Sir Jaquavis and the more distant realms?" Sir Mazog replies looking down at a map with a few mages and legionnaires by his side.

"Yes Elder Councilor good news on this point. Sir Jaquavis has sent messengers ahead to note that he personally is leading a force of about 1,500 men newly recruited from the refugees of Blankenmarsh and about 400 of our veteran troops were healed and fully recovered and are returning to the fight as well. They have all ready departed Bravil about a day a go and should arrive at the western camp any time, they may even be there now." An Imperial scout which has been making the long dash keeping communications between the two camps and Bravil announces happy to give good news.

"This is good news, but need to expedite the siege. Perhaps what the Tsaesci prisoner said is true and this battle is a diversion while the Akaviri have thrown the bulk of their forces into Morrowind. We cannot afford to get bogged down to long and risk Alofstead and Morrowind being totally overrun. I will lead a force across the river and assault the eastern gate of Leyawin which was destroyed in the first battle of Leyawin. The Akaviri are thickest here, expecting us to attack them here. The army on the west will come down at Leyawin's north gate and try to break it and have the mages set fire to the north of the city. Once the gate is broken do some damage to their camp inside if possible, but then withdraw. We don't want to lose too many soldiers in this battle. If we can open up a second hole in the wall of the city they will be forced to split their forces and we will be able to reunite our armies and dig in immediately outside the walls of Leyawin." Sir Mazog strategizes on the map before him and the military officials agree and add their input as well.

Writing down his orders and the plan, the orc seals these away inside an amulet and puts it around the neck of Trollz. Some scouts and Trollz are sent to quickly move through the wilds, cross the Niben, and deliver the plans to Sir Plutarch, Cassandra, and Sir Jaquavis. When the western bank forces get the message they rally their troops. They wait until Sir Mazog and Colada cross the river further downstream, disembarking right in front of Leyawin and begin clashing with the Akaviri. Even from the distance the glow of spells and fire arrows is seen to the soundtrack of the din of a distant battle. At this signal the other half of the army begins marching following the orders of Sir Mazog's plan.

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Reaching the north gate of Leyawin the infantry of the western army rush forward while the north wall is only lightly occupied by defenders. The few Akaviri sentries loose some arrows before sounding the alarm. Sir Jaquavis and the light infantry bearing ladders dash to the walls and begin to mount the wall. Sir Plutarch and Trollz lead a train of the heavy infantry, both these strong-armed heroes flank a massive tree trunk hewn down and made into a crude battering ram. Cassandra and Tizona set the mages and Thalmor up from a safe distance and begin charging up spells and creating a perimeter of magic traps.

Heaving the battering ram back with great combined strength, Trollz and Sir Plutarch bring it clapping like thunder against the gate. Panic can be heard overhead by the Akaviri sentries above and their alarms become louder trying to alert their comrades busy fighting Sir Mazog. After a few minutes between strikes upon the gate the alarm falls silent as Sir Jaquavis and the light infantry overrun the walls and silence the sentries. With a few more great blows the gate begins to buckle, the wood splinters. The heavy infantry pull back and clear a path for the mages. Discharging a massive combined fireball the gate is blown wide apart.

Pouring into the city the infantry clash with some of the defenders that had come to investigate and guard this quadrant of the city. The mages set about lighting on fire much of the badly damaged homes and hastily erected tents and makeshift Akaviri camps in the city. Seeing the blaze from the distance Sir Mazog pulls back some from the east wall's gap, but stays in front of the city. Digging in trenches and setting up camp as more of his soldier from the eastern bank of the river are ferried over, the Elder Councilor solidifies his position.

Akavir's forces also see the fire, and given the small respite in the east, they do not push out at Sir Mazog, but send their forces to investigate the north part of the city. Arriving first the Kamal ice mages put out the fires in their camp with their spells of cold. Magical traps explode out among them. Tizona suddenly appears flanked by a handful of high elves. Leading the Thalmor ambush the altmer woman cunningly destroys the Kamal with fire traps, and then powering a massive thunderbolt, disintegrate a good number of Akaviri's mages. The rest of the Akaviri arrive though and the Aldmeri Dominion's mages fall back outside of the city, laying traps in the northern gateway to slow the Akaviri and frustrate them while the army begins likewise setting a perimeter outside the north of the city.

When the new perimeter is finished, Sir Mazog and Colada meet up with Sir Jaquavis, Sir Plutarch, Cassandra, Tizona, and Trollz in person, glad to be reunited with each other. Though the battle is not won quite yet, the Akaviri suffered some casualties, especially their feared mages, and lost much supplies making their defeat in Leyawin start to look inevitable. Tamriel's forces have created a semi circle from the north to the east around the city. Only the harbor and south where the remnant of their fleet is left open. The Akaviri make last ditch fortifications in Leyawin and reorganize their forces but the city is very vulnerable now that the shell has been cracked open of the great walls of the jewel of Nibenay.