A War Story
By Zanakar
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I used a simplified version of mass-combat rules from Combat&Tactics. From strategical point of view, the PC had two options... Either he makes a "running fight" and tries to retreat back to Tyr (relatively high chance of survival now, little chance of causing any major casualties to Kreen) or to stand'n'fight (very low chances of survival, but a potential chance to give the Kreen untold amounts of grief). It was his choice, and he chose the latter option.
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From a larger point of view, the Kreen made one crucial tactical mistake... They completely encircled our gladiator and his forces. Otherwise a good move, but faced with hundreds and hundreds of Kreen from all sides and with no place to retreat, the soldiers had but one choice... To fight to the bitter end.
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The Kreen tried sending in a squad of Myrekians (a species of Kreen slave insectoid, looking a bit like man-sized roaches standing upright, quite simple-minded and peaceful, used by the Kreen to do all kinds of menial tasks) to break through the first line of defenders, but this group was soon enveloped in a cloud of burning Ranike (that the soldiers had gathered from Forest Ridge). The Myrekian slaves, never too brave anyway, routed... And they were reduced to mounds of chitin-pieces and thick bodily fluids in seconds.
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The Kreen leader Kr'Ziser, a J'ez who had earned most of his military merits from squashing slave insectoid rebellions, was enraged by the use of Ranike by these "filthy mammals", and in a burst of rage had a squad of Chatkcha- throwers attack before the smoke could get too far. But deprived of melee-capable troops (the Myrekian slave unit), the Chatkcha-throwers of "Northern Front" were decimated when the defenders made a quick counter-attack and closed within melee range.
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These dual setback caused unrest among other Kreen slave insectoids, and the main attack died down as the Kreen had to detach warriors to keep their slave insectoids in line. Ranike smoke forced the insectoids to keep their distance, and the fort had stockpiled more than enough of the stuff. For a moment, the Kreen siege had effectively come to a halt. And from behind the sturdy walls of the fort, the defenders began sniping any insectoids that wandered too close. With the fort walls protecting the archers, the Kreen couldn't effectively return fire.
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Then Kr'Ziser ordered five Nez-Atuk (another Kreen slave race resembling enormous semi-intelligent beetle-like insectoids) with back-mounted siege weapons brought onward to break down the walls of the fort. The first couple of shots hit their mark perfectly and practically broke down the eastern wall. Hoping for a quick victory, Kr'Ziser ordered his quintet of Nez-Atuk to be sent forward as "mobile walls" with a unit of Kreen and another Myrekian unit following them.
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Unfortunately for the Kreen, Braxt's forces had one skilled Air Priestess among them, who cast Control Winds to drive the cloud of Ranike directly towards the five lumbering Nez-Atuk !
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The result was so horrifyingly cruel to be almost funny. The enormous insectoids (never being too bright anyway) stampeded, trying to get away from the Ranike smoke. Unfortunately, more than one Kreen was caught unaware and got crushed underfoot before they could jump away... Not to mention the Myrekians who had no leaping ability.
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After the Ranike smoke settled, around 20 Kreen and around 200 Myrekians had been killed during this one single disaster... Not to mention that the five Nez-Atuk had ran completely out of control.
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The Kreen were forced on defensive, and for a moment, Braxt and his forces cheered. Little did they realize that the Kreen had made a "tactical retreat", not a "rout". They considered a fast charge to finish up the Kreen before they could re-organize their ranks, but this idea was abandoned in fear that the Kreen might try to spring a trap. Instead, they hastily repaired the eastern wall in case the Kreen had more Nez-Atuk or other "heavyweights" in reserve. Braxt sent out a couple of scouts to check this out, but these scouts were quickly slain by vigilant Kreen soldiers on patrol.
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Within security of his hastily built command hive, Kr'Ziser clicked his black mandibles in anticipation. His fury towards "filthy monkeys" had risen to unbelievable levels, but he managed to control himself. Periodically he turned to gaze northwards.
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Ah, there it was ! Finally !
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Anticipating some nasty "mammal-tricks", Kr'Ziser had a week ago requested a "support unit" (the Kreen equivalent of one, actually) to be sent to him. This unit consisted mainly of Chakak (psionicists) and Ik (priests), and now it had arrived.
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Then the slaughter truly began. With the morale boost given by reinforcements, Kr'Ziser soon reorganized his forces First, a group of Kreen Air Priests summoned a couple of elementals to clear out the Ranike smoke, and fanatic J'hol Fire Priests began to burn down those defenders that remained outside the fort. Some of these priests were cut down by missile fire, but then three Kreen Psychoportationists Converged with a Kreen Clairsentient, and began opening Wormholes (from TW&TW) and sending Kr'Ziser's elite guard (devastating Zik-Trin'Ak warriors !) behind the fort walls via them.
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With Kreen around them and furious Zik-Trin'Ak behind them, the defenders' situation was soon "every man for himself". The "best defense was a good offense", so imagine the terror of Kreen leaders when Braxt sent his remaining followers charging out of the fort... Directly towards Kr'Ziser and his command staff !
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Kr'Ziser spared no time and ordered all his forces to "stop the attackers at any cost".
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Within ten seconds, three-quarters of our gladiator's forces had incinerated, cut to ribbons and Disintegrated, but he kept on charging towards Kr'Ziser. Within another five seconds, all his followers had been killed. He kept on charging.
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Summoned Fire Elementals roasted his skin, but he kept on charging. A priest tried to Gate in a pile of Elemental Earth to stop him, but to no avail, Braxt broke through the stony barrier, ignored the pain from broken bones. Any Kreen that came within weapons-reach of him was cut to half. Kr'Ziser could not retreat, to flee from a "crazed mammal" would have been to admit his weakness. Were his Chakak not have been there to boost the morale of Kreen warriors, his troops would have surely fled in terror from this unholy monstrosity. Even to born hunters like Kreen, the sight of a blood-soaked giant of a man charging with blind fury, impervious to wounds, killing everything in his path, was (to say the very least) extremely unsettling.
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Finally, with tens of Chatkcha buried in his burned flesh, his body almost ripped apart from untold weapon slashes, his eyes blind from searing fire, Braxt collapsed to ground, never knowing that he had come to arms-length of Kr'Ziser. Legend tells that when he died, he actually smiled and that his last words were "I'm free at last".
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Kr'Ziser ordered Braxt's head to be mounted on a spike and sent to Imperial lands as a trophy, and he had rest of the body buried (not eaten as was the common Kreen custom). Along with the head, he sent his letter of resignment. Never again would he look at a "stupid mammal" again the same way. Never again.