Utterly Mad

Haralus pondered this for a moment. More men from an outside Kingdom, particularly those skilled in fighting these beasts, would certainly be a boon, but the political consequences could be difficult. Beyond that, though Borrin had proven himself to be a man of honor thus far, the willingness of the Imperials, usually such a closed society, to send large amounts of soldiers into Dwarven lands still caused him concern. Either they understand the threat we face more so than the rest of us, or there is some ulterior motive at work here.

"I think that we shall hold off on bolstering our commited forces for the time being, though I am greatfull for your offer and will keep in under consideration." Borrin's other recommendation vindicated the King somewhat - though it was not usual for most of the allied armies to operate in smaller units, this was something that he had already dictated as part of the overall plan, feeling that they would have an easier time fighting and navigating in the tunnels. "I shall leave you to ready your men - we will move to advance in moments. We will hold another grand meeting in the coming morning, once we've seen more fully what opposition we'll face."

Walking away, he pulled aside one of the senior mages, and his chief engineer, or rather the man's second in command. It is unfortunate that our chief decided to oversee the unsealing personally. While the existing strategy was good, and might still prove effective, it did not hurt to have a fallback plan. He addressed the mage first: "We require the services of some of the non-combatant members of the School. When our forces have pushed as far as their strength will carry them before they make camp, I would have your sages perform divination at each camp location in order to attempt to gauge how far the tunnels extended. It does not serve us well to go in blind." The mage nodded slightly. "Beyond this, I also require that your members look into the possibility of erecting wards around the other entrances to the Catacombs. We may require the troops stationed there be diverted to this location instead. Temporary wards will suffice, but permanent ones would be preferable. Similarly, though it is of lower importance, I would like a similar ward to be set up around our main camp in the shaft, to be activated if need be. Should the battle not go as expected, this will allow us more time to muster our forces and counterattack. You have free requisition rights over any materials you may require to accomplish these goals."

He then turned to the engineer. "Your task is similar. Should the mages be unable to successfully block the secondary entrances through their magic, I will require a more mundane solution. Calculate how far we must push down those passages before we can collapse them without causing catastrophic damage to the City proper. As with our wizard comrade, you will also dispatch men down the main shaft after our forward camps have been made, and determine how much further we need to advance to safely bring down the rock and seal them without risking the Citadel. Place your priorities on the north, east, and west passages - I expect the men of Harrowfeld in the south passage will make the least progress, and should we need to close off some of these access routes, theirs will likely be the one left open to us. Update your calculations each time the forward camps move." The engineer nodded, and turned to go prepare, but the King halted him. "Though I don't believe we'll require it, you will also direct your men to prepare the seal to be moved back into position. Use the assistance offered by the Imperial engineers - though they are not of the masterful caliber of your own men, they are a potentially useful resource to us. You shall not take their assistance as an affront to your abilities, nor this directive as an indication of any lack of faith in you on my part." The Dwarves waited for a moment, unsure if the King would speak further, but he waved them off. "Go! We have little time to tarry."

He moved back to his personal guard, giving Slade a quick glance, before speaking in his loudest tone for all to hear. "Friends, we have first met the enemy, and though caught off guard, have met with success! As promised, we have looked Death in the eyes, and He has recoiled before us, fleeing back to his lair like a beaten dog!" He looked around at the assembled forces, who had mostly recovered from the attack, and saw the lust for vengeance burning in their eyes. "But this is no time for a great speech, for there is still work to be done, and blood to be spilled! In it's stead, I call on our priests to ask their Gods and our Ancestors for their blessings on this crusade, and for their assistance in crushing these dark forces we face!"

The priests moved forward, each saying a short prayer. The King tuned this out, instead closing his eyes and bowing his head slightly. Ancestors, beyond what your servants have asked of you, I personally implore you - please do your noble work in keeping our sons and brothers safe, as well as the sons and brothers of our allies. Light their ways, and guide their blades, so that we may all put another day between us and our Reunion with you in the Great Halls of the Hereafter. After the prayers were finished, Haralus drew his axe, and thrust it dramatically towards the shaft. "ADVANCE!"

---

((Actions:

-Mages are going to attempt to magically block the three smaller entrances, as well as assemble a ward that can be activated around the main camp if required. Priority is on the smaller tunnels.
- They are also going to try to magically map out the catacombs as much as possible.
- Engineers are going to attempt to calculate how far each wing must proceed before the tunnels could safely and effectively be collapsed to cut them off. The main focus is on the tunnels assigned to the elves, dwarves, and Imperials.
- They will also begin preparations to put the seal back in it's place, since it conveniently didn't get wrecked during the removal.
- Everyone is moving forward.

If there's no direct response to any of this stuff, I'll try to update with what the King himself will be doing (you can assume he's just moving around and also advancing at the moment if it's relevant) in a bit, but I am most certainly out of internet at home and will possibly not update till tuesday.))

((Questions:

- How does the city get it's water? An artisan layer with wells seems unlikely or the Catacombs would all be flooded. Can I make something up, or do you have an idea already?

Edit for added clarity.))