Atop the wall, Thaddeus counted over six hundred, levels 60-70, mercenaries, and criminals setting up camp outside the wall.
What troubled Thaddeus most was that the attackers cared little for etiquette and decorum. In previous games, when his guild siege NPC fortress or towns, it was customary to speak to the leader to set the terms of surrender.
Yet, no terms of surrender were issued. It was clear from their indifference they were here to conquer and enslave. From their perspective, Thaddeus guessed, there was no reason to discuss terms with soon-to-be slaves.
From the wall, Thaddeus saw Felix and his thugs set up tents at intervals of 500 feet. Except for the forest, Woodhaerst was surrounded. Furthermore, he was sure Felix posted archers in the forest as well. War was finally upon him.
System Message:
Your settlement Woodhaerst is besieged. Production penalties are in effect. Villagers are 50% less productive.
‘Well, that was unexpected,’ Thaddeus thought.
Fifty percent was a big production penalty, but at the same time, people needed to guard walls. There was less time to bake, butcher, mill, and sow. The villagers guarded the wall in shifts. Half the villagers would guard while the other half worked or rested, then they switch.
From below, the mercenaries and goons laughed at women and children guarding the walls. Seeing such a sight, they felt the village was desperate and might collapse sooner than expected.
…
“Remember don’t destroy the settlement! I don’t want to rebuild that bloody wall after we sack the village,” Felix ordered inside his tent.
His tent was full of luxury. Wine, fruit, and sumptuous food filled his table. With large swollen hands, he plucked a grape from the bowl, as two dejected women lay on his bed.
Draped in gold necklaces and rings, the round man was larger and more ornate than his cousin. As he stroked the women’s hair, he laughed manically to himself. He relished the moment when he returned to his criminal prominence.
“We’re ready, sir!” Mercenary Commander Randall Davis yelled from outside the tent.
‘Blasted. Why did they send me such an uptight ninny as commander,’ Felix thought as he leaned to one side to help himself stand up.
“Sir, before we begin, it’s military etiquette to present the terms of surrender,” Commander Davis said to Felix as he exited his tent.
“For the fourth time, I don’t plan on letting those insects surrender. Once we’re inside, they’ll be little more than slaves. Had they left the gates open, and left me enter, I would have considered granting some of them freedom. But slaves only need to obey their masters,” Felix spat angrily.
“Very well, sir. We’ll commence the attack,” Randall said, signaling his mercenaries to take torch the farmland.
…
Inside the Woodhaerst, the villagers watched as the mercenaries lit their lord’s farms ablaze. Yet, instead of sadness, they felt anger. Their beloved Lord Brown worked tirelessly in those fields to create his dream. And now these thieves sought to pillage and destroy others’ hard work.
Woosh. An arrow flew. The villagers could tell which of them fired first, but soon everyone on the wall began firing volleys.
Only, Hunter was skilled enough to kill several mercenaries. Unfortunately, most arrows failed to travel more than 3 feet. Even less came near the mercenaries. They were farmers, backers, tailors, barkeepers, millers, butchers, and laborers, not archers. For many, that was their first time firing an arrow from a bow.
Hearing the mercenaries and thugs laughing at their ineptitude turned villagers’ anger toward their lack of strength.
“My lord, please give me permission to build an archery range, so the villagers may practice and improve,” Hunter suggested.
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“Fine. Place it inside the fort,” Thaddeus agreed while looking at the burning farms.
As he watched the farms smolder, he had a sneaking suspicion something was wrong. But as hard as he tried, he couldn’t figure out what was subconsciously alerting him.
Looking for clues, he checked his surroundings. It was a hot mid-July day, nothing out of the norm. The once lush green plains looked a limp lifeless brown. Moreover, the river slouched a few feet lower, so much so that he had to open the levies earlier in the week.
At once things jolted his mind. Hot weather, dry grass, and fire were the indigents for a wildfire.
“Quick down to the river!” was all Thaddeus could shout as he abandoned his post and raced southward to the river.
Unsure of the reason, but trusting their lord, the villagers ran to the river. When they arrived, they saw Thaddeus already filling buckets of water.
“Wet, your house. Hurry, protect your homes!” Thaddeus shouted.
At once the villagers understood. They quickly formed a fire line to carry water. Men, women, and children ran to pour water on their homes and their neighbors. Already embers were sailing over the wall. People ran around the village looking for embers and smoke.
“Priestess Thera, can you protect the forest wall?” Will asked knee-deep in the river.
…
The mercenaries and thugs cheered as the farms were set ablaze. They cheered thinking they were demoralizing the villagers. But as they watched the fire, they saw it jump from the farms to the prairie. The dry grass was like gasoline to the flames. A fiery tempest grew consuming the farms, animal pens, and prairie.
In minutes the village was surrounded by a wall of flames. Both the prairie and forest were on fire.
“Wildfire! Quick grab what you can?” Commander Davis yelled, jumping onto his horse.
“The tents and rations. Quickly pack everything up?” Felix ordered.
“There is no time, look the flames are already upon us. We must flee for our lives. Once the fire passes, we can return,” Commander Davis urged.
“C’mon boss, there’s no way the villagers survive. The smoke alone will kill them. Let’s wait for the fire, then we’ll walk into the village to inspect the damage,” advised one of Felix’s adjutants.
“Fine, help me up,” Felix said as four people helped push him up into a carriage.
Felix and his men traveled three miles northward to escape the wildfire. Even from a distance, the wildfire looked massive, a like curtain of flame.
After four days, the fire separated. From their advantage point, the fire traveled eastward to Ironwood Mines and westward consuming the endless forest. The village was surrounded by dust and ash.
For four days, the mercenaries and goons slept without tents and only ate the rations they carried. Worse still, the rations ran out on the second day. By the third day, infighting was common. On the fourth day, the mercenaries and thugs marched three miles, only to find the gate still closed.
Even more depressing, their tents and wagons of food were gone. Most likely burned in during the wildfire.
Whoosh
An arrow from the wall implemented itself in one of Felix’s thug’s heads.
“Fallback we’re under attack,” Commander Davis shouted as a volley of arrows fell from the wall killing several mercenaries and thugs.
“Just how did they survive,” roared an angry Felix. “That fire should’ve demolished the town?” Felix murmured under his breath, his eyes wide with disbelief. The once lush green village had turned into a scene straight from hell, the walls and houses blackened and smoke still rising from some areas.
“But how…?” Commander Davis’ voice trailed off, his mind working furiously to understand what happened.
But amidst the ruin, there was a sense of organization that astounded them. The villagers were already back to work, cleaning up the ash and debris. They didn’t look like a beaten and broken lot, but more like a group with a new sense of purpose and unity.
“There’s no way... they couldn’t have survived...” one of the mercenaries murmured. The group was hushed as they watched the villagers move with purpose, each one contributing to the recovery efforts.
Suddenly, a glimmering figure standing on top of the gate caught their attention. Lord Thaddeus himself, dirt-streaked and ash-covered, looked as resilient and defiant as ever.
“An array! This village has an array, how is that possible,” Felix shouted in surprise.
“Open the gate,” Thaddeus commanded. His voice carried over to the mercenaries, a loud and clear rebuke to their failed attack.
The gates swung open, revealing a small group of villagers armed with whatever tools they could muster - farming tools, kitchen knives, and a few battered bows.
“What do you want, Felix?” Thaddeus’ voice echoed through the silent landscape. His tone was calm, yet there was a dangerous edge to it. His large axe rested on threatening rested on his left shoulder. The lord’s gaze was hard and unyielding, promising no quarter to those who had tried to destroy his village.
Felix stammered, “I… I just…”
“You thought you’d just walk in and take what's not yours?” Thaddeus interrupted, a bitter laugh escaping him. “You wanted to burn us to the ground, and you nearly did. But you failed. You burned the lands around us, but we stand here stronger than ever. You wanted to make us your slaves. You failed.”
Felix and his men stared in stunned silence. This was not the reaction they had expected.
“Now, I suggest you turn around and leave while you still have the chance. Or else...” Thaddeus let his words hang in the air, his threat clear.
“You may have one today’s battle, but not the war. Men siege this settlement,” Felix ordered.
As Felix and his men retreated, the villagers cheered. Their shouts of triumph echoed across the scorched fields, a powerful testament to their strength and resilience. Despite the hardship, Woodhaerst had withstood the first attack, proving once again that unity and determination could indeed withstand the strongest storms.