Each day Josephine, with the other Pages and Militia, practised drawing her bow and firing with the High Elf or Ranger instructors for two hours. Also, a further two hours were doing shield and sword fighting legionnaire style. Some of the others practised phalanx formations and practised with either long anti-calvary charge spears or anti-infantry halberds. Then four hours of manual labour towards the war effort. With optional endurance and strength training classes, Josephine had immediately opted for the strength training because it would help her to draw her bow further and increase the velocity of her arrows; she didn’t regret her choice, as it also helped her with her sword and shield work. She was determined to defend her clan.
The day after Theria left, Big Bear was quiet but a continual hive of activity, with Princess Tystin covering the ultimate leadership role if and when required in Theria’s absence. Tystin did all she could to be friendly with the other leaders in the City and not step on anyone's toes; for the most part, this endeared her to others, especially as night singing no longer kept anyone awake.
Three days after Theria left, and Rangers reported multiple hit and run engagements, surrounding and cutting down multiple small Warbands of Goblins and hybrid half Ice Elves and half Orcs. They also brought through small groups of surviving refugees who all passed through the ward runes without causing concern. Those who were fit enough were quickly integrated into the militia, a protected profession or the Watch, depending on their competencies. All received food support and shelter and told stories of how grim things were turning outside of the walled City.
Four days after Theria had left, fifty friendly Kobolds came to Big Bear City escorted by the Rangers. They willingly swore Oaths of service and agreed to work on Mycology growing all the Mushrooms. They seemed to take to it well. StrongMedicine, the Bearkin in charge, was surprised by their diligence, stamina and desire to grow mushrooms well and the pride they took in simply doing their jobs well.
Six days after Theria had left, Tystin was finally happy with her team’s work on the Outer Wall, towers, gate houses and drawbridges. They were to her satisfaction, and she signed the work off as complete and then focused on the internal infrastructure of the expanded fortified City. It was now simply the biggest fortified city anywhere on the continent as far as she knew.
Later that day, a group of 100 adventurers came to the South gate asking to join Big Bear's Army. The ward runes had gone off before they even arrived; Tystin, Maurice and his Dragonians, with additional mages, rangers and clerics, were hidden in the gate house. As the adventurers were allowed to walk in, the front Portcullis fell just in front of the lead adventurer, and the back Portcullis fell almost at exactly the same time with a few stragglers outside. Then all hell broke loose from the murder holes above with fire breath, archers, mages' lightning bolts and clerics' crushing presence attacks, raining down from above and with four Kraken picking off those on the sides or who jumped in the moat. Minor injuries to the defenders mainly from getting in each other's way or accidental splash back, and these glamoured adventurers turned out to be hybrid half Ice Elves and half Orcs.
Just as everyone was preparing for a debrief with Tystin, the ward runes went off again, indicating trouble at the North gate. Another group of 100 adventurers came up to the North gate asking to join Big Bears' Army. The ward runes had gone off the same as before, so they suspected these were the same again: hybrid half Ice Elves and half Orc. Tystin, Maurice and his Dragonians, with the additional rangers, mages and clerics, were again hidden in the gate house; as the adventurers were again allowed to walk in, again the front Portcullis fell just in front of the lead adventurer, and the back Portcullis fell almost at the same time, and a few of the adventures tried to stop this, but they were unsuccessful this time there were no stragglers outside. All hell broke loose as before from the murder holes above. However, his time was more efficient than before, with no casualties because of the tactical advantage in the confrontations and because the cooperation of the team had improved.
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A week after Theria had left, the extended wards showed three goblin scouts approaching and then hunkering down on each side of Big Bear, keeping watch on the city. Theria guessed this was the night before the raid as the Goblins prepared for their stealth assault on Big Bear. The Spiders also took out 4 groups of 20 Goblin each that entered the sewers that night and had split up. Whatever the goblins were sent to do, they didn't have time to complete as the Spiders were on them in no time, and they were utterly overmatched, unable to resist the telepathic assault or the physical assault that followed it.
The most immense Kraken left the reservoir; it's latest batch of young were now old enough to fend for themselves in the reservoir. Our most enormous Kraken visited the moat for the first time in preparation for the attack, its tentacles writhing as it pulsated through the waterway, its gaping maw an awe-inspiring sight in its grey-green head. It had decided to wait near the North Gate houses below the surface of the moat. The Spiders agreed to deal with any infiltrators who skipped over the wall or attempted to lurk in the shadows or sewers, one bite at a time, with free gift wrapping in case they were wanted for questioning before the venom completed its work.
The Dwarves and Bearkin alternated along the walls sitting ready to repel invaders. The elves and rangers prepared to fire from behind the melee troops. Also, engage the enemy from the arrow slits in the middle section of the wall and form the corner Towers and each of the four gatehouses. Their superior night vision kept the enemy in view while remaining hidden till the mages started the counter offensive, which they added to with arrow after arrow into the ether.
In the afternoon, one of each of the four goblins leaves and returns with four warbands of one thousand goblins, each ready to attach each side of Big Bear City in unison. The surprise was a force of an additional two hundred and fifty Werewolves attacking the North gate.
As soon as Maurice saw this, he took Tystin and his Draconains and flew to the Outer North Gate, where they all were reinforced, especially the centre of three mages and two clerics. Maurice shouted a warning to the Bearkin, and so they transformed into their werebear forms that were naturally stronger than the attacking Werewolves, although they were outnumbered; moments later, Tystin started singing a Lament about the death of dogs to the claws of dragons and bears. This debuffed the speed, luck and dexterity of all wolves approaching the North Gate and Buffed the speed, dexterity and luck of the defending Bearkin and Dragonians. Tystin didn’t stop singing even when swinging her massive Warhammer with her right hand or her large spiked buckler shield with her left hand. If ever a Werewolf looked to break through the lines, it was met with a shield bash or a hammer strike from Tystin.
The fighting was thickest at the Outer North Gate, with seven defenders dying, including one Dragonian and many more wounded.
After the Krakens' started to feed, Maurice decided to clean up the engagement by circling fast with fire across the edge of the battle field leaving a circle of ashen fields around Big Bear City and slowing moving in concentric contracting spiralling towards the moat, allowing no Goblins the chance to escape driving those trying to do so into the moat and the waiting arms of the Kraken.
The reserve line of Militia bowmen behind the Giant Spiders had loosed a few arrows and provided targeted support as required. They had not needed to engage the enemy fully or be defended on this occasion, but all those who took part felt the experience increased their confidence and aptitude for their roles.
After this victory, the defenders gave cheers, and the Ironchest's Dwarven Choir led the singing, "In praise of the new hero of Big Bear, Princess Tystin the Crash, who crashed the Goblins and was aided by the purple Dragon, Bear, Elf and Man but we defended the Big Bear City under the guidance of Our Princess Tystin the Crash! Our Princess Tystin the Shield Bash! Our Princess Tystin the Crash!"
Many had been injured, and the clerics and mages worked tirelessly to heal those bought to them in the medical tents over the following few days; just two, they couldn’t heal as they had lost limbs; these were sent to Hibernation City to retire and to be replaced. The clean up operation took the best part of the following day; despite this, the other work continued on schedule.