S3E25: Determined To Miss The Point

Crudely Drawn Swords - A Dungeon World Actual Play Podcast

I’m writing from Asterope’s Dawnstar, a ship making south towards Merremouth. Among the passengers here is a knight who was present at the fall of Farndale, one of the first battles where the war beasts were used. She has given me some details of the beasts and how they were used. First there were vast bull-necked creatures three or four times the height of a horse, built more like an ox but far heavier and with hooked tusks in addition to their horns. The attack that broke the city began with huge grapples being fired from ballistas on the field, trailing long harpoon ropes. These were attached to a harness on three of these beasts, which set about attempting to pull the wall down. The defenders tried to cut the ropes but they were cunningly designed, built around smith-canted chains. The walls themselves proved too solid for the beasts attack, although my witness has heard reports of this tactic having brought down less solidly fortified towns, but before the ropes were cut, the handlers changed strategy, and had the beasts set off at speed around the city, the ropes sweeping along the walls, dragging the grapples behind them and causing mayhem among the defenders. As they came around the west side of the wall, a different kind of warbeast - something like a huge rhino with solid armour plates over its head and back and a blunt double-horn emerged from the enemy line and charged straight into the east gate like a living battering ram. It’s mass and power was such that the gate burst open and one of the gatehouse towers fell. The beast charged on into the town, followed by Icewatcher heavy troops and it’s own handlers. Most of the defenders were still trying to deal with the first attack and the town was quickly overrun. My witness was injured but managed to get herself out of the west gate with a handful of others fortunate enough to have fast mounts. She mentions that the dress of the beast’s handlers was quite different from the Icewatcher uniforms and armour - lighter, built of skins and beaded leather. She guesses that they came from further east - if they belong to the Sleidlar, then you might not be as distant from the war as we expected, perhaps the entire southern ice has mobilised. Be careful Bambari. -Saf