Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-17114085-20160322224717/@comment-24510587-20160408142527

(Fifty, but by now, many will have noticed that the army is still there, and failing that, they'll have heard the horn. Say, twelve are here right now, and the other thirty can be here within 5-10 minutes.

Also, I'm not assuming these village militia are worth the full 200 men, right? Seeing as they're untrained, unarmoured and use improvised weapons.)

~10th of Sun's Dawn

Immediately, the Imperium formed a massive phalanx to protect themselves from the militia. The narrow streets worked both as an advantage and a disadvantage for the soldiers; while it meant that they could hardly be surrounded, it also meant that villagers could attack from inside the buildings.

Maximus, in the middle of the army, yelled at the top of his lungs: "men, do not kill the villagers if you do not need to! Only kill those who deserve it!" Quite soon, the lower-ranking officers spread the word, in case there were a few soldiers who had not heard it. And thus, the Imperium only made non-fatal wounds on the militia at the best of their ability: cuts in arms, jabs in stomachs, bashes at kneecaps. Perhaps this would even show that they were not bloodthirsty and merciless savages, although it was not the main intention. All the while, the phalanx still pressed on towards the manor.

In the meantime, the archers begun work on the actual soldiers of Crowhaven; they let loose their deadly arrows over their perimeter, raining death on anyone behind it.

The Imperium's main trump card, however, was yet to arrive; twelve of the Golden Dragoons rode through the streets, avoiding or, although not preferably, trampling any villagers that might try to attack them, in the direction of the manor. As it came into view, they could easily spot the Lady, who had been so arrogant to display herself on a balcony. No less than twelve of the well-aimed heavy bolts surged at her; there was no way she could ever dodge all of them.