Post by Zhao Yun on Apr 9, 2012 18:10:34 GMT -5
::Note:: Rp'd an NPC force under Zhang Ren just to build story. It ties in well with what is currently going on, imo. Summary below for a quick idea of what happened.
Zhao Yun sat upon his steed at the front of his army waiting for scouts to return. He had been tasked with hunting down Zhang Ren, an elite general under Liu Zhang, who had been harassing the Shu forces after their victory at Loucheng. The pace was slow due to the terrain, but also due to Ren's reputation. Zhuge Liang had compared him to the likes of Zhang Wenyuan of Wei, a man not only feared for his fighting prowess but also for his tactical abilities. Zhao Yun did not take anything said from Zhuge Liang lightly, so he made sure to be on his guard.
Ahead, he could see the scouts returning. They reported that smoke could be seen rising in the near distance from a small encampment. Zhao Yun acknowledged the report and sent the scouts back to gather more information. By the time he arrived with the army, the scouts would hopefully have more to report.
"Prepare to move."
Two captains, one flanking him on each side, bowed and backed away. They moved to their respective contingents and waited for the order to march. Zhao Yun thrusted his spear forward and the army began to move. From a bird's eye view it looked like a large metallic snake slithering through the countryside. The supply wagons at the rear were the tail and Yun's famed weapons, the Sword of Light and his Dragon Spear, acted as the fangs. The army was comprised mostly of infantry with the remaining soldiers being of either the ranged or mounted types.
The army moved some five miles before halting. Zhao Yun noted the camp in the distance which was previously reported. What he did not see were his scouts. After waiting a few minutes, to see if they would appear, he dismounted from his steed. The two captains approached and they discussed the situation.
"This seems like a trap," one of the captains said.
Zhao Yun agreed as did the other captain. The problem was that they had no information on the enemy troop strength, if any. If it was not a trap they could easily secure the camp as a base of operations.
"He has left us no choice. If we do not advance, this camp could threaten us later. If we do, it could be a trap," Yun said while slowly shaking his head.
He wished that Zhuge Liang had not parted ways with him after their arrival in the region. However, Liang had other issues to attend to such as assisting Liu Bei with planning the assault on Cheng Du. Yun pushed the thoughts of assistance out of his mind. This task fell to him and he would not let Liang or Bei down.
"Let us observe until morning, then we will make our move," he said, still scanning the terrain for his scouts.
The captains nodded and the entire army pulled back one mile to set up for the night. Armor was ordered to remain on and weapons were to be ready at a moments notice. When it got dark, Zhao Yun left with a handful of men to scout the enemy camp. All present were wearing dark clothing to conceal their presence and Yun left his helmet behind. They moved into position and immediately noticed light coming from the camp. A large fire was in the center and torches adorned the walls. Not only that, but two guards were patrolling the main gates.
"Those guards were not present earlier."
Then, they all heard something strange. There was singing coming from inside the camp. A few of the soldiers cocked their heads, like confused dogs, and looked to Zhao Yun who was smiling.
"Sir?"
The soldiers did not understand why their leader was so amused, but he was about to tell them.
"Master Kongming compared this man to another famed general and now I see why."
Zhao Yun was speaking of the precarious situation he now found himself in. It was clearly a ruse, but one that could not be avoided. What was most amusing was the audacity of Zhang Ren to make it so obvious. Even more so was the fact that the songs were about the glory of Ren himself.
"The enemy sings because they have no fear of us or because they are planning something. Either way we will take the bait as I am sure he intended it," Yun said before ordering the group back to the main force. In a few hours they were going to attack.
It was still dark when the Shu army marched toward the enemy position. Zhao Yun ordered two groups of 500 men each, led by his captains, to move into the forests flanking the camp. If there were ambush troops waiting, that is where they would be. The captains nodded and departed on their mission.
The sun was starting to rise above the mountains and soon its rays blanketed the land with warmth and light. It was at that time the gates to the camp opened and a mirror signal could be seen.
"Sir, that is the signal. It seems our scouts must have infiltrated."
The signal was coming from a man dressed in Shu attire. However, that was not enough for Zhao Yun to give the order. Instead, he waited for soldiers to return with word that the forests were clear. When they did, he gave the order.
"Now! Attack!"
The main force advanced toward the gates, but an uneasy feeling washed over Zhao Yun as the supposed Shu scout ran into the camp. Still, they pushed forward and soon were rushing through the main gates. Shu soldiers were hacking apart anyone they could find, entering a state of fighting frenzy. However, after a few minutes they realized what they were killing. The enemy were wooden dummies dressed like Zhang Ren's men!
"What the hell," one of the soldiers said as he lopped the head off of a dummy.
It was at that point that the fumes of oil could be smelled, but it was too late. From over the walls came flaming arrows and they set the camp ablaze. The rear gates, where the enemy must have escaped, started to close. Through the front gates came an injured soldier who was panting and frightened.
"General.....we....we came under attack by the enemy! They set the forest on fire and ran us down with cavalry as we tried to escape!"
Zhao Yun knew that the situation was dire as he could hear the fighting outside that the soldier just mentioned.
"Quickly, fall back!"
Some of the Shu soldiers were engulfed in fire, but they had to be left behind or the entire army would be wiped out. The gates served as a bottleneck, cramming the soldiers together, but luckily the enemy had not totally surrounded them. However, by the time Zhao Yun exited they were there.
"There, in the white armor! Kill him!"
The enemy could see the magnificent armor of Zhao Yun and they wanted the rewards for his head. A desperate fight broke out and it took every bit of strength as well as skill to retreat, but the Shu army was able to pull back. Yun covered the rear as the soldiers made for safety, but it seemed the enemy decided to press their advantage and he was forced to flee as well.
Zhang Ren's army gave chase for a mile, following Zhao Yun into an area of hills and long grass. It was then that they heard it. Drums were sounded and from over the hills came Shu cavalry. At the same time, archers appeared from the long grass and unleashed an attack into the unsuspecting enemy. It was a counter to the counter attack so Zhao Yun wheeled around on his horse and ordered the main army to fall in on the enemy. It was a bloodbath.
The enemy bodies were searched and a document was recovered.
"Sir, it seems this man was the leader. His name was Fu Chan and there are direct orders from Zhang Ren."
Zhao Yun took the piece of parchment and looked it over. It had step by step instructions for engaging his army and the purpose; to stall them so that Zhang Ren could attack Liu Bei. One of the soldiers asked Zhao Yun how he knew to place ambush troops there.
"It seemed obvious that it was a trap. I assumed that if it was, we would be forced back. If not, we would have simply taken the camp. It was a back up plan, just in case."
Zhao Yun explained that had Zhang Ren been present, he would not have followed up the pursuit. In fact, in his orders it said to not give chase at any cost. The whole point was to stall the Shu army and had Fu Chan's lust for victory not got the better of him, it would have been a total success.
"We must make haste for I fear our lord is in danger."
Zhao Yun ordered the army to fall back towards Zi Tong. Hopefully, they would be able to find Liu Bei before it was too late.
::Summary::
-Zhao Yun tracks an army he thinks is Zhang Ren's
-Shu scouts try to gather information on an enemy camp
-Looking like a trap, the Shu army still attacks
-Zhao Yun is forced back, but places an ambush to defeat the enemy
-Zhang Ren is not present and instead is fighting Liu Bei
The Ghost of Zhang Ren
Zhao Yun sat upon his steed at the front of his army waiting for scouts to return. He had been tasked with hunting down Zhang Ren, an elite general under Liu Zhang, who had been harassing the Shu forces after their victory at Loucheng. The pace was slow due to the terrain, but also due to Ren's reputation. Zhuge Liang had compared him to the likes of Zhang Wenyuan of Wei, a man not only feared for his fighting prowess but also for his tactical abilities. Zhao Yun did not take anything said from Zhuge Liang lightly, so he made sure to be on his guard.
Ahead, he could see the scouts returning. They reported that smoke could be seen rising in the near distance from a small encampment. Zhao Yun acknowledged the report and sent the scouts back to gather more information. By the time he arrived with the army, the scouts would hopefully have more to report.
"Prepare to move."
Two captains, one flanking him on each side, bowed and backed away. They moved to their respective contingents and waited for the order to march. Zhao Yun thrusted his spear forward and the army began to move. From a bird's eye view it looked like a large metallic snake slithering through the countryside. The supply wagons at the rear were the tail and Yun's famed weapons, the Sword of Light and his Dragon Spear, acted as the fangs. The army was comprised mostly of infantry with the remaining soldiers being of either the ranged or mounted types.
The army moved some five miles before halting. Zhao Yun noted the camp in the distance which was previously reported. What he did not see were his scouts. After waiting a few minutes, to see if they would appear, he dismounted from his steed. The two captains approached and they discussed the situation.
"This seems like a trap," one of the captains said.
Zhao Yun agreed as did the other captain. The problem was that they had no information on the enemy troop strength, if any. If it was not a trap they could easily secure the camp as a base of operations.
"He has left us no choice. If we do not advance, this camp could threaten us later. If we do, it could be a trap," Yun said while slowly shaking his head.
He wished that Zhuge Liang had not parted ways with him after their arrival in the region. However, Liang had other issues to attend to such as assisting Liu Bei with planning the assault on Cheng Du. Yun pushed the thoughts of assistance out of his mind. This task fell to him and he would not let Liang or Bei down.
"Let us observe until morning, then we will make our move," he said, still scanning the terrain for his scouts.
The captains nodded and the entire army pulled back one mile to set up for the night. Armor was ordered to remain on and weapons were to be ready at a moments notice. When it got dark, Zhao Yun left with a handful of men to scout the enemy camp. All present were wearing dark clothing to conceal their presence and Yun left his helmet behind. They moved into position and immediately noticed light coming from the camp. A large fire was in the center and torches adorned the walls. Not only that, but two guards were patrolling the main gates.
"Those guards were not present earlier."
Then, they all heard something strange. There was singing coming from inside the camp. A few of the soldiers cocked their heads, like confused dogs, and looked to Zhao Yun who was smiling.
"Sir?"
The soldiers did not understand why their leader was so amused, but he was about to tell them.
"Master Kongming compared this man to another famed general and now I see why."
Zhao Yun was speaking of the precarious situation he now found himself in. It was clearly a ruse, but one that could not be avoided. What was most amusing was the audacity of Zhang Ren to make it so obvious. Even more so was the fact that the songs were about the glory of Ren himself.
"The enemy sings because they have no fear of us or because they are planning something. Either way we will take the bait as I am sure he intended it," Yun said before ordering the group back to the main force. In a few hours they were going to attack.
It was still dark when the Shu army marched toward the enemy position. Zhao Yun ordered two groups of 500 men each, led by his captains, to move into the forests flanking the camp. If there were ambush troops waiting, that is where they would be. The captains nodded and departed on their mission.
The sun was starting to rise above the mountains and soon its rays blanketed the land with warmth and light. It was at that time the gates to the camp opened and a mirror signal could be seen.
"Sir, that is the signal. It seems our scouts must have infiltrated."
The signal was coming from a man dressed in Shu attire. However, that was not enough for Zhao Yun to give the order. Instead, he waited for soldiers to return with word that the forests were clear. When they did, he gave the order.
"Now! Attack!"
The main force advanced toward the gates, but an uneasy feeling washed over Zhao Yun as the supposed Shu scout ran into the camp. Still, they pushed forward and soon were rushing through the main gates. Shu soldiers were hacking apart anyone they could find, entering a state of fighting frenzy. However, after a few minutes they realized what they were killing. The enemy were wooden dummies dressed like Zhang Ren's men!
"What the hell," one of the soldiers said as he lopped the head off of a dummy.
It was at that point that the fumes of oil could be smelled, but it was too late. From over the walls came flaming arrows and they set the camp ablaze. The rear gates, where the enemy must have escaped, started to close. Through the front gates came an injured soldier who was panting and frightened.
"General.....we....we came under attack by the enemy! They set the forest on fire and ran us down with cavalry as we tried to escape!"
Zhao Yun knew that the situation was dire as he could hear the fighting outside that the soldier just mentioned.
"Quickly, fall back!"
Some of the Shu soldiers were engulfed in fire, but they had to be left behind or the entire army would be wiped out. The gates served as a bottleneck, cramming the soldiers together, but luckily the enemy had not totally surrounded them. However, by the time Zhao Yun exited they were there.
"There, in the white armor! Kill him!"
The enemy could see the magnificent armor of Zhao Yun and they wanted the rewards for his head. A desperate fight broke out and it took every bit of strength as well as skill to retreat, but the Shu army was able to pull back. Yun covered the rear as the soldiers made for safety, but it seemed the enemy decided to press their advantage and he was forced to flee as well.
Zhang Ren's army gave chase for a mile, following Zhao Yun into an area of hills and long grass. It was then that they heard it. Drums were sounded and from over the hills came Shu cavalry. At the same time, archers appeared from the long grass and unleashed an attack into the unsuspecting enemy. It was a counter to the counter attack so Zhao Yun wheeled around on his horse and ordered the main army to fall in on the enemy. It was a bloodbath.
The enemy bodies were searched and a document was recovered.
"Sir, it seems this man was the leader. His name was Fu Chan and there are direct orders from Zhang Ren."
Zhao Yun took the piece of parchment and looked it over. It had step by step instructions for engaging his army and the purpose; to stall them so that Zhang Ren could attack Liu Bei. One of the soldiers asked Zhao Yun how he knew to place ambush troops there.
"It seemed obvious that it was a trap. I assumed that if it was, we would be forced back. If not, we would have simply taken the camp. It was a back up plan, just in case."
Zhao Yun explained that had Zhang Ren been present, he would not have followed up the pursuit. In fact, in his orders it said to not give chase at any cost. The whole point was to stall the Shu army and had Fu Chan's lust for victory not got the better of him, it would have been a total success.
"We must make haste for I fear our lord is in danger."
Zhao Yun ordered the army to fall back towards Zi Tong. Hopefully, they would be able to find Liu Bei before it was too late.
::Summary::
-Zhao Yun tracks an army he thinks is Zhang Ren's
-Shu scouts try to gather information on an enemy camp
-Looking like a trap, the Shu army still attacks
-Zhao Yun is forced back, but places an ambush to defeat the enemy
-Zhang Ren is not present and instead is fighting Liu Bei