AND
Leonidas and
The 300
VS
1000 Einharjar
The doors was huge. Leonidas looked to either side, the single door was ide enough to march more than double his entire troop through standing shoulder to shoulder. Inside he looked across the vast hall. Somewhere on the other side he could many more doors, hundreds of them. This place was vast, and it was full of boisterous warriors. Most were similar in appearacen to the woman then lead, tall and fair skinned, many with fair hair, other whose hair was the colour fire. Leonidas saw others as walked, one such was a group of small olive skinned men dressed in highly ornate armour, they were possess of dark hair and narrow eyes. Each carried a long finely curved blade at their belt. Further Leonidas spotted a group of men wearing no armour but instead simple green clothing, a uniform. Each held a long tube mounted on a wooden butt, they talked among themselves. They did not speak Attic but he could understand them well enough, something about Dieppe.
The woman lead on past hundreds of long table, each covered in food and drink and surrounded by warriors of shapes and sizes. Finally she stopped at table that was only partial occupied, she gestured to the Spartans and left turned to leave. "What shall we do?" Leonidas asked her she departed. "Drink, eat, laugh until the final battle warrior," was her only response. So Leonidas and his warriors sat, and they drank. Over the course of several days, or at least seemed like days, the Spartans saw many sights. Warriors felled in fights between tables sprang to life without injuries the next day. A red haired giant of a man rolled by their table wrestling. Tought he saw a lion's skin wrapped around the Greek's waist and a strange hammer was hanging from the red haired man's belt.
Leonidas looked up up and the sharp eyed Leonidas spotted two birds, ravens perhaps, circling the high ceiling. He seen hadn't those before and there were no dead that stayed dead long enough for them to feed upon. A ripple of silence fell upon the hall, starting at one end and moving its way towards a great throne. Leonidas couldn't see the source until a figure moved towards an elevated throne. From where he was he could the see the figure was heavily built and wearing armour ready for battle. He carried a broad shield a long three pointed spear. His eyes, or rather single eye, glowed brightly. Upon reaching the top step he turned and called out, "My einharjar a minor nuisance approaches, some frost giants, and the Thunderer is busy wrestling with some foreinger!" The hall burst into laughter and the figure continued, "I seek some fifty warriors to stop these foolish intruders, show them that Valhalla's walls impenetrable until Ragnarök! Who will slay them for the glory of Odin?" With that the hall exploded into raucous calls, each table was doing their best to draw Odin's attention.
Leonidas' gave a questioning look to his captain. "Sounds like a lark, I'm getting bored of all this sitting around," was the captain's reponse. With this Leonidas motioned to his men, gathered into a column and marched to the foot of the throne. "Odin," he called, "We will fight these giants, they shall fall before Spartans like wheat to a scythe!"
The hall once again silenced itself, this time in utter shock. "Who is it that dares to approach me?" Odin bellowed.
"Leonidas, King of Sparta will slay these giants, anyone lesser leaves much to be desidered."
Odin roared with laughter, "Is that so Leonidas, King of Sparta. Let us see you test your mettle then!" The All-father gestured behind Leonidas. A great host, some 1000 strong had assembled, "Fight to earn your right to do battle for me then."
I'll get some stats up after a while. This is going to be largely a test of Leonidas and his personal body guard of 10 Spartan mowing through as many einharjar until they die. I'll keep a running body count going.
Leonidas is going to start with an extra hero point for basically being completely screwed and being the bravest dead guy ever.
Round 1
Intiative: Spartans 19, Leonidas 17, Einharjar 9
All 300 Spartans take are going to take the round to go on full defensive, bumping their defense to +12 (total 22) for the round. Leonidas is going to use Assessment and get a total of 11 on the Einharjar. The Einharjar get a reactive Bluff for a total of a natural 20. Leondas fails. Leonidas will now use defensive attack for +5/-5 raising his defense to +15 (or 25). The Einharjar charge. Twenty come within range of Leonidas and the ten closest Spartans. Five square off againt Leonidas. All miss. Of the other remaining 15 only 4 hit, but one will get a critical. Of those hit one will pass the toughness check and the other three drop.
The einharjar let out a bellow and run cross the open space towards the Spartans. The two sides clash. A small group fo twenty einharjar single out Leonidas. Ten of his loyal warriors quickly drop behind their shields readying their spears. Leonidas tries to determine the combat abilities of the advancing wave of warriors, their movements betray nothing. He raises his shield, ready for the advance. The einharjar crash into the Spartans and three find their marks under the swords of the Viking warriors.
Round 2
The 3 Spartans are going to aid another on a buddy, and all succeed boosting three attacks by +5. The last Spartan will join Leonidas and do the same, again a success boosting Leonidas to a +13 attack bonus for melee (thats going to hurt with Takedown 2). The three Spartans that haven't taken actions power attack of +3/-3, two hit. One of the Spartans drops
four einharjar! The other drops two more. Leonidas attacks the first einharjar with a +3/-3 power attack. He's now at +9 to hit and +11 damage. Leonidas drops two of his opponents. The remaining Einharjar will again attack. Both of Leonidas' opponents miss. The other two einharjar miss completely.
The Spartans quickly form into pairs, flanking and distracting their opponents. Three attacks quickly disable five of their opponents with a series of lightning quick spear thrusts. The einharjar barely have time to react to the assault. One of the Spartan's runs to his king's side, quickly backing Leonidas up with his own assault on the Northmen. Leonidas' frenzied assualt on the einharjar leaves two of them with holes in their chests. In response he he quickly parries and blocks their feeble attacks.
Round 3
One of the Spartan warriors stabs a near by einharjar. He hits, and the viking fails his save. With take down he hits again, drops the last einharjar in range. The sixe of the move to Leonidas, and five use aid another. Three of them succeed, boosting Leonidas' attack bonus by +15 on one of his remaining targets. Leonidas is going to full power attack for +5/-5. He hits his first target on a roll of 3. And the einharjar fails. Leonidas strikes out with Takedown against the last einharjar in range. He hits, and the einharjar fails by 15. Leonidas using a free action to give some quick instructions.
The Spartans press their sudden advantage. One of them managed to kill both of his oppoents. He spins, driving his spear through the man's gut with an explosion of gore. Wheeling about with the shocked Viking still attached to the spear he drives the point right through the chest of last einharjar. Both slide free easily. The seven Spartans run to assist their king. They take up flanking positions around him, distracting the einharjar Leonidas' faces. Leonidas takes advantage of his superior numbers. Two quick thrusts leave both of the einharjar bleeding on the floor of the hall. Looking around Leonidas spots his next group of targets. "Three of you with me, the rest of you help the others." The men nod and run off to the join the battle.
Round 4; Body count - 3 Spartans, 20 einharjar
The Spartan warriors charge a group of einharjar fiften strong. Leonidas' gaurd all hit on their first attack of the charge, three of the einharjar fail their saves. All told another seven einharjar fall to Takedown Attack 2. Leonidas charges into the fray against the last five einharjar. His first attack is a critical hit. The einharjar fails 13, so down he goes. Leonidas drops another opponet with takedown, he moves on to a third and criticals again. The einharjar rolls a natural 20 and still fails his save. The fourth is struck and fails again, the last einharjar fails his save by 20 is dropped (Jebus, Leonidas' a minion wrecker!)
Leonidas and his Spartans charge into the ranks of the einharjar. With a series of lighting quick thursts ten of the honoured dead are left dying on the ground. Leonidas' attack levels the remaining five before they even have time to react, two of the men have their heads removed from the Spartan king's furious attack.
"Enough!" bellows Odin, "You have one your honour this day Spartan."
Looking across the battle the hall Leondias sees the bodies of the einharjar every where, yet only two dozen of his men have fallen, "So it would seem Odin, have we won our right to battle these giants then?"
"You have Spartan, but you may only take fifty of your stoutest warriors. And I expect you to leave now."
With that Leonidas pointed at the fifty closest of his men, forming them quickly into a column and marched out the nearest gate. He was on the hunt.
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Total body count by end: 35 einharjar, 3 Spartans
Alright, I admit that I got bored of this after four rounds, but only because I could see exactly where this was going. Leonidas and the Spartans are total brutes when it comes to taking out minions. I managed to work out using some averages the rest of the battle, and yeah it turns out that 300 of my Spartans can take on about 1000 equal foes with only about 10% losses. Totally bad ass.
My next battle will be a one-on-one. It should involve two characters from the intro I posted. Both already have stats up.
