Alliance conquest in Semi Open /// sXO vs LKx

It was a cool fall day in the castle of sXO, the leaves were already on the ground and fading. However, the atmosphere within the walls was anything but autumnally crisp, with a mixture of stressed out shouts ringing loudly through the stony halls of the castle. 

The servants and footmen hurried back and forth to quickly fulfill their lordships' preparations. 

Further into the walls of the castle, Lu and Bllacky found themselves in the meeting room of the management. 

Massive wooden chairs and a bulky gray stone table adorn this small room, which is filled with a mixture of intrigue and harsh mysterious words in the glow of the candles.

There was a calm but slightly tense atmosphere between Lu and Bllacky as Lu was the first to break the silence and speak up; “Okay today is Friday which means we'll find out later today who we have to face in the Alliance Conquest.” 

Lu's tone was firm and filled with authority as Bllacky joined in the conversation; “I see... how far along are the preparations?” he asked as he looked Lu in the eye. Lu replied briefly and succinctly; “Almost ready.” “Good, then let's get everything ready and as soon as the report arrives, we'll march.” Bllacky said harshly and seriously. Lu nodded silently and they both went on their way.

In the courtyard, where massive oak trees stood, carrying centuries of history with them, stood the horses, puffing a small cloud of mist in the icy air with their warm breath. One after the other, they were loaded with everything they needed for battle and supplies.

Back within the castle walls, Knight Commander Nick oversaw the dark armory, lit only by a few candles and torches. He documented each weapon in detail so that every knight and foot soldier had enough equipment for the battle, but still had enough reserves in the castle for unforeseen moments.

In the meantime, Bllacky mounted his black horse and rode through colorful trees and a slightly low mist through the nearby forest. His destination was the Black Fortress. An ancient fortress made of rough and massive dark gray stones. The fortress had survived many attacks and storms. This legendary fortress was home to the winged Hussars. Bllacky was the leader of these noble elite warriors. Among the common people, they were also fearfully referred to as “The Black Angels”. Their black obsidian armor with the majestic and imposing wings they carry on the saddle of their horses is a sight that foes and allies alike look upon with awe.

Despite his highly trained Hussars and his military ability to lead armies, the Hussars remained in the shadows under Bllacky's command. The Hussars avoided major wars or single attacks, too many losses and risks. They are not yet on a scale with other cavalry units, but they are slowly building an formidable name for themselves in the shadows of the night, and who knows perhaps one day they will not only lead the battles for Winterfell and Casterlyrock, but also the great wide wars of the kingdoms.

The wind whistled through the air and whirled the loose leaves chaotically into the air. Bllacky dismounted his horse and greeted his generals who were already waiting for him. When the soldiers noticed the arrival of their leader, they stood still and saluted. Bllacky grinned, a mixture of pride and recognition. The generals escorted their leader into the mystical halls of the fortress. The dim torchlight with the old colorfully decorated windows brought a sense of antiquity and sacred strength. As they pushed a heavy dark oak door open at the end of the corriodr, the meeting room appeared. Old small but lovingly decorated wooden chairs made of a dark oak similar to the door, decorated with golden wolves, bears and other wild predators. The massive table, also made of the same oak, lent the room a sense of coherence. Plans and scrolls were spread across the table as Bllacky took his place at the head of the table and his generals joined him one by one. Meanwhile, time was moving faster and the leadership was expecting the report at any moment. In the backyard of sXO, where old barns and sheds stood in which everything possible was stored, the archers formed up under Lu's command for the march. The rest of the sXO army formed up outside the walls on a fallow, earthy field that is usually used for tournaments or other festive events. In front, the other cavalry units formed up, led by more sXO Lords. Behind them, the infantry legions formed up. The infantry legions were the largest and among the strongest of all sXO units, forming endless ranks in a disciplined manner. The sheer size of this human wall of red and gold colors sent a shiver down the spine of even the most experienced warriors. The final group were the Spear fighters under Shank's command. Long lines of heavily armored to lightly armored warriors pointing their spikes to the sky completes the picture of this large army perfectly. And so a little time passed before the report arrived. Despite the icy winds and the freezing cold, the soldiers stood in line in an exemplary fashion when the report finally arrived. Lu opened the report and read it out in a very loud and firm voice; “Lkx is our enemy.” Soon after, a fearsome sound of war rang out. The archers shouted a loud battle cry, the infantrymen slashed at their shields with their swords, and the spear fighters, along with the cavalrymen, hammered the spears into the ground, thudding and powerful. The sound of war rang out and together the fighting mood rose and a fire lit up in the eyes of every single soldier. As the trumpets and drums formed the choruses of war, sXO began their march to Casterlyrock. United and proud, the black banners with a blood-red wolf's head waved in the sky. As the army reached the main gate of sXO, Bllacky and his hussars joined them, and so muffled horse hooves and loud footsteps filled the icy air of the autum The wilted leaves were trampled flat and every soldier and horse let out a warm breath, the battle... It can come.

Half a day passed before the mounted units arrived first. The mounted units were sent ahead on purpose so that they could already set up camp and analyze the landscape. Hastily, every knight on site pitched in and set up tents, fireplaces and banners. A few hours later, a small town of tents was erected. 

 The landscape, previously so barren and empty, was now filled with life and white fabric. Late at night, when the moon was already high in the sky and gave the forest a shuddering glow, the foot units arrived. They were delighted to see the tents already completed, but the tents were not their main focus. Their eyes were much more drawn to the warm fire that lit up the night. Wild boars were spinning above the fire. With hungry gazes, the soldiers were drawn to the fresh, juicy scent of the wild boar. So sXO spent the night before the battle in humorous and contemplative togetherness. The cool, bitter beer was served in generous amounts and the once mighty wild boar did not have much left of it. And so the night gradually faded into laughter and the smell of beer, the fires died out and brought an eerie darkness to the camp, and the ever-diminishing conversations left behind an uneasy silence. Most of the soldiers were already asleep or had disappeared into their tents, except Bllacky. He and a few of his hussars are responsible for the night watch. They are very grateful that he volunteers for this job, not only because most of them love their sleep but also because it is a boring job in the freezing cold. Bllacky, however, took advantage of these moments to form his thoughts into words while some of his hussars keenly observed the forest shrouded in shadow.The night passed without a problem and the sun dawned at the start of a new morning. Bllacky, who had only slept for about 2 hours, was the first to get up and sound the drums and horns as a wake-up call. Slightly in shock, every lord and soldier woke up and hastily put on their battle armor. When everyone was ready and lined up in front of their tent, Bllacky took the word; “Good morning warriors, in 4 hours our battle awaits us, our destiny, get ready, sharpen your blades once more and then unleash our war wrath!” Bllacky shouted these words more than he spoke them, his tone military and harsh. “But well, grab a cup of tea or coffee first,” Bllacky added with a laugh as he saw the sleepy faces in armor. 

 The coffee station was literally overrun and after an hour the entire coffee supply was gone and everyone had enough caffeine for the battle. The sun was already high in the morning mist as the armor was put on the horses and everyone performed their pre-battle ritual. 

And so, with only an hour left, the army set off for Casterlyrock. About 30 minutes of marching time passed before they reached their war camp. The air became tighter and heavier as the silence of preparation and tension took over the camp. The scouts quickly reported back and informed them of the size and strength of Lkx. Now it was clear that this battle was going to be a one-sided one. More minutes of tension passed as the final tactics were discussed. And then the time had come. Bllacky unsheathed his sword and slowly raised it into the air. A little later, the earth trembled under his cry; “ CHARGE!” The cavalrymen rode off, their swords drawn and the spears deep, captured the warrior's tower. At the same moment, Lu's bow unit charged and took control of Mother. In the same breath, the infantry legions charged like a wild storm and captured the outposts. The first buildings were successfully taken and were now quickly reinforced for the defense.

A short time later, a second cavalry unit rode off and took over the enemy harbor. At the same moment, another infantry legion took control of their own harbor. In the midst of the battle, Bllacky looked at the battlefield like a chessboard and saw that sXO was easily in control.But in any battle, no matter how simple and safe the control, something unforeseen can happen... And so it was to be here. The weaker enemy Lkx managed to take Casterlyrock first. Bllacky grumbled and cursed under his helmet, but he was still showing his boldness on the outside. Bllacky shouted out a mighty and loud military order; “Infantry Legions and Spears... TAKE THIS DAMNED CASTLE! And kill anyone in the way, no mercy!” A loud “”Aye!“” rang out in chorus. And so a massive wave of attacks set in motion on Casterlyrock. The ground was shaken by the sheer force of this counterattack. Let it rain blood and ashes, shouted Bllacky like a berserker from behind. And so the first waves reached Casterlyrock, the weaker units of the enemy were crushed under the force of this power. Loud shrieks rang out, blood splattered on the castle walls and a little later the sXO banners flew over the castle. The spears took control and defense of this facility. Bllacky looked with satisfaction at the warriors returning from the the counterattack and said; “Well done.” 

Now Bllacky went into phase two of the plan. The buildings were held and defended so he decided to start attacking the enemy camp to break and demoralize the enemy supply and will. The soldiers followed the orders of the leader of this battle and cavalry units and infantry legion together with the archers overran the enemy camp. The camp was no longer a camp, it had become a slaughterhouse with burning tents. The enemy was now finally destroyed and under control. 

In phase 3 (the last phase), everything was mobilized once again to capture the mines. The mine on the left flank was a close call and the enemy almost made a surprise comeback, but sXO was faster. The mine on the right flank was also captured and defended. With the capture of these mines, the battle came to an end. In the early afternoon, as the sun hung low over the land, the battle was over. The enemy was brutally crushed and defeated.

As sXO marched back to the night camp to pack up and return home victorious, Lu and Bllacky found themselves in conversation. Lu asked Bllacky; “Wasn't it a bit too brutal to hit so hard for such a clearly weaker enemy?” Bllacky let out a soft breath. “Too much force and you're a tyrant, too little and you're a rabbit... There is no right way. There are only tactics, victory and blood.” Lu looked at Bllacky and remained silent. It wasn't Lu's style to hit so hard, but it was Bllacky's battle and by now everyone knew that Bllacky had no mercy in war. Arriving at the night camp, a few were left behind to take care of the dismantling of the night camp, while the rest rode back home. And so horses rode through narrow mystical waters in the splendid colors of the autumn forest. And so ends another battle in the history books, and sXO won once again.