The Hire 54.

Savariss...

They're pushed and pulled forward in lines. With the shorter ranged ballista and catapults in the front. With the longer ranged trebuchets behind.
The two lines of war machines end up in a curve, or a quarter crescent shape. With the outermost machines, at a slight angle, as they're all targeting, more or less the same spot.
Further back from the war machines, are the siege towers. Which like the army, or in this case, three armies. That have come south from the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains, into the kingdom of Nastell, and it's northern most duchy, the duchy of Phelm. Are waiting for things to commence.
And when the sun finally drops completely down below the horizon to the west on what's been another hot and sunny day here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
And night starts to fall, the order to begin the attack is given. And the battle for the city of Savariss gets underway.
War machines fire. With trebuchets and catapults targeting the same spot along the north wall of the city of Savariss. The north gates, and just to either side of it.
While the ballista crews on their wagons, target the defenders upon the top of the north wall of the city, and the towers that are dotted along it.
But even then, they predominantly shoot along the sections of the top of the wall near where the larger war machines are targeting.
"Reload!" calls out Tovis the war engineer to another of the crews as he walks behind the line of trebuchets.
The young engineer who is accompanied by his second in command, the sorcerer Larris. Is glad that he's got his full contingent of the engineering corp in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, back together again, now that the three armies led by the field commanders Drubine, Talbot and Leivyn are once again one entire force.
As another of the trebuchets flings a large boulder through the gathering darkness towards the north gate of Savariss.
The sorcerer Larris says to his commander "They're shooting back" the Farqian sorcerer continues with "Still short of those in the front".
"Their larger machines are on the streets behind the wall, and are out of range" says the war engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic, Tovis continues with "And those ones on the towers along the wall, are too small to hit us here".
The young engineer who fifteen months ago was serving in the army of a baron Harkonin in eastern Druvic, then says "Though they'll start hitting us once we move forward into their range".
"War" dryly says the sorcerer Larris, who continues in the same dry tone of voice, with "Just isn't fair at times".
Then the spellcaster who is a born Farqian, and who is looking to the top of the north wall of Savariss, says "Here we go".
And a moment later, a fireball comes shooting from the top of the city's northern wall, followed by an energyball, two infact. One red, and the other green. Then a bolt of lightning shoots down from the clear night sky.
All targeting the war machines at the front of the army that's laid siege to the only city in northern Phelm.
They're all stopped by the wards set by the spellcasters in the Farqian mercenary army, and the armies of the five robber barons.
Who retaliate in kind. Sending destructive spells back towards those practitioners of magic who are helping to defend the city of Savariss.
The second in command of the engineer's corp in the Farqian mercenary army, who has yet to cast a spell himself, quietly says to his commander "They've put up wards on the gates" Larris continues with "Combined barrier spells" he then adds "They're interlaced, so they'll take a battering before they're finally depleted, and we actually hit the gates".
"And the section of the wall to either side of it?" asks the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic "They don't overlap it very far" is the reply from the sorcerer who continues with "Probably twenty five, thirty feet at most to either side of the gates".
As the sound of a fairly large boulder can be heard thudding into the north wall of the city just to the side of those wards, Larris says "It's taking a lot of effort and power to keep those combined barrier spells up".
The war engineer Tovis nods his head as they continue to walk behind the line of trebuchets, that are bombarding the middle sections of the north wall of Savariss.
And as swirling green energyball passes by overhead, making it's way towards the top of the wall of the city.
The young engineer quietly says to his second in command "This is going to be difficult just attacking this one section of the city" followed by "They know what to defend with us just hitting this bit of the north wall".
Tovis briefly pauses, before he continues on with "Though the plans elsewhere will benefit because of it".
The sorcerer Larris nods his head in agreement with his commander. As they know those defending the city will concentrate most of their efforts into the holding them out along those sections of the north wall of Savariss, that are being bombarded at this moment.
Much to their detriment. As the plans to attack Savariss are much more than attacking just this one area of the north wall of the city.
Further back in the battlelines, Dorc da Orc paces back and forth infront of his goblin battalion. Who are sitting down on the ground, as the temperature has slightly dropped now that it's early evening.
Their general, who briefly stops, and watches a trebuchet further forward, fling a large, almost round boulder, that's covered in pitch, that's been set on fire. Towards the base of the north wall of Savariss, near the gates on this side of the city. Grunts and continues his pacing.
The big, burly ork who hails from the southern polar region of the world. Who is still wearing his poncho made from the side of a tent. Is impatient to get underway.
Though the ork warleader knows that the task he and his goblin battalion have been set by the young field commander Tamric Drubine.
Will be essential if they're to take Savariss, without causing too much damage to the city that's under attack this evening.
"Would you quit going back and forth like that" says Mira Reinholt the mage from nearby, even though it's not too dark this early in the evening, he has little trouble seeing the large ork pace back and forth.
Dorkindle grunts, then wanders on over to where the once powerful mage is standing. The small, bright, green goblin, who is the commander of the goblin battalion. Teabagger the goblin Cunt. Follows behind his general.
Dorc da Orc sits himself down next to the mage Reinholt, and asks "You do any magicky shit yet" as he waves a big, meaty hand in the direction of the city of Savariss. Where a green explosion has just shattered against the wards along a section of the top of the north wall of the city.
"Not yet" replies the Vexilian mage in exile, who sits down too. Though not too close to the ork weaponsmith, who stinks in the canvas poncho he's wearing.
After glancing at the small, bright green goblin Teabagger, who sits a bit behind the general of the goblin battalion.
The mage Reinholt asks the big, burly ork "Why the hell are you still wearing that rain coat?". Ever since Dorkindle showed up yesterday with the army led by Tamric Drubine. The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, hasn't seen the large ork out of the poncho that was made by some of the goblins in his battalion.
"It might fucken rains again" is the nonchalant reply from the ork who is the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks.
The mage, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, looks up at the early evening sky. Where he can clearly see the stars coming out, as it's clear without a cloud in the sky.
The exiled Vexilian mage then looks at the large ork, and lifts a rather sardonic looking eyebrow, before he glances at Teabagger the goblin Cunt, sitting behind the warleader of the ork race.
The small, bright green goblin seeing the member of lord Farque's personal council looking his way. Just shrugs his shoulders to show what he thinks of his general still wearing the poncho some of his battalion made for him.
With tongue firmly in cheek, Mira Reinholt says in as sarcastic voice as possible to the ork weaponsmith he's known since he was seventeen years old, more than half his life now "Right, it'll rain again".
"It gonna fucken rain" says the big, burly ork who hails from the frozen polar region at the very bottom of the world. Dorkindle briefly pauses, then adds "One day".
Which causes both the once powerful mage and the goblin commander to roll their eyes.
The ork warleader, who doesn't particularly like to be idle during a battle, scowls and glares towards the city of Savariss, that's so far only been under attack from the war machines, and occasionally some of the spellcasters in the combined army that's led by the three field commanders, Drubine, Talbot and Leivyn.
Hearing Dorc da Orc mutter "Wanna  kill some fucken cunts". The spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, tells him "Relax, you'll have plenty of time to kill as many as you want".
The swordmaster Reinholt who actually first met Dorc in a battle attacking a city. Admittedly one on a far larger scale than this one here in northern Phelm, says to the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks "You've waited before during plenty of battles in the past, you'd think you'll be used to it by now".
The large ork sourly grunts at the truth of that. But he still doesn't like it as he continues to watch the bombardment upon the gates of the north wall of Savariss.
"Think they would have smashed those fucken gates in by now" loudly mutters the warleader of the ork race, behind him, Teabagger the goblin Cunt nods in agreement with his general.
"There's a strong ward on it" says the mage Reinholt, the highly skilled swordmaster who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, continues with "Multiple barrier spells that are interlaced" he then adds "Pretty hard to crack".
"Fucken magicky shit" mutters Dorkindle, who then looks at the once powerful mage who he remembers has yet to cast tonight, and asks him "You gonna fucken deal to that Killer?".
The mage in exile from his homeland of Vexil, nods his hooded head yes in reply to the question from the large ork, then says "Well the gates at least" Mira Reinholt then silently adds, don't know about those wards though.
Further forward, amongst the trebuchets, the young engineer Tovis watches as one of the war machines is reloaded, this one with a net full of rocks.
The war engineer in the mercenary army from the lands Farque knows that every single load shot from the trebuchets and catapults, that hit the north gates of Savariss.
Or to be exact, hits the wards protecting the gates, is essential. As only physical damage can shatter barrier spells that have been put up to protect the city's north gates.
Unless one was to eliminate the practitioners of magic who are actually casting those spells.
Which is being attempted, as another energyball from further back in the lines, passes by overhead, going towards the top of the north wall of Savariss.
The sorcerer Larris who has just dropped a barrier spell he cast to protect one of the trebuchets from a shatter spell cast at it by an enemy spellcaster within the city.
Spots a runner heading by the second line of the war machines. Who detours and comes this way as the war engineer Tovis calls out an order to one of the catapults in the line infront.
Turns out the runner, is the messenger Lisell Maera, who says to the young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic "Get ready, I'm about to pass the order onto councilor Reinholt".
Both Tovis and his second in command Larris nod in understanding. Then after the attractive young woman who hails from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is now a messenger in the armies of Farque, continues on her way.
The young engineer and the sorcerer who is his second, share a look as they prepare for what's about to happen.
Still scowling as he sits there looking at the city of Savariss, with it's north gates and the wall to either side of it coming under heavy bombardment.
Dorc da Orc loudly grunts as he catches the scent of who is approaching, he looks away to the right, and spots the runner heading this way.
"The fucken chick" says the large ork to the Vexilian mage in exile standing next to him, the ork warleader then adds "Lis".
Mira Reinholt turns and spots the runner approaching through the early evening gloom. Then once Lisell Maera gets to them, as it was pretty easy to find them. As all she had to look out for, was a whole lot of fairly short figures, sitting down on the ground. She says to the mage Reinholt "Councilor you may begin".
The spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Who over a decade ago, before he accidentally went off world, where he was stripped of most of his powers.
Would of just blasted apart whole sections in the walls of a city such as Savariss during battle. Not caring about any barrier spells that may of hindered him.
Takes his left hand out of a pocket in his thin summer cloak, where he's just drained most of the power in a spell gem he has hidden there.
The spellcaster who is now in his mid thirties, and is shielded thanks to an amulet he wears. Crouches down, and as he does so, he creates a mageglobe in his right hand.
Both Dorc da Orc and Teabagger the goblin Cunt hurriedly get to their feet as they see what the member of lord Farque's personal council is doing.
The exiled Vexilian spellcaster, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, pushes the globe of living magic, that's the size of an apple, and is dark red in colour, into the ground.
He stands back up, and Dorkindle asks him "Gonna go fucken booms?".
Nodding his hooded head, Mira Reinholt the mage replies with "Yeah, it's going to go fucking boom".
Which illicits a grin, and a murmured "Fucken sweet" from the big, burly ork who hails from the southern polar region of the world.
They wait a little while, then the councilor Reinholt quietly says "Now".
And the next instant, a large, and very loud explosion comes from the north wall of the city of Savariss, exactly where the gates are.
There's a dark red flash in the night from the explosion. Then once it quickly fades, all can see that the north gates of the city, as well as bits of the wall to either side of it is destroyed. Infact they're gone, as they've been blown apart by the mageglobe.
The next moment, a boulder flung from one of the trebuchets firing upon the north wall of Savariss, hits where the gates were.
It hits there, and bounces off what appears to be nothing, apart from the faint light blue haze that those with exceptional eyesight, basically anyone not human, can see.
Grunting as he sees the boulder bounce away, and land amongst all the other boulders and rocks that have shot from the war machines firing upon the north wall of Savariss.
Dorc da Orc says "It not fucken work". "Yes it did" says Mira Reinholt, who only intended to destroy the actual gates in the north wall of the city. The member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who doesn't have the power to destroy the interlocking barrier spells that's warding where the gates once were, then says "Those wards will fail soon enough, they can't sustain such a heavy bombardment".
After a brief pause, the mage Reinholt adds "Then the city will be open to us" . . . . . .