The Siege of Rah'tuma, 244 SA

[Reckless Banzai Screamer 15456]

 

The Siege of Rah’tuma, 244 SA

Year of the Butajin, 679 Kamijikan

(credit to Sean_Vevo for screenshots)

 

“When a nation goes to war, her men go to fight. When a faith goes to war, its faithful go to fight. When Uncle O goes to war, everyone goes to fight!.” - #10 of the Little Pink Book

 

You would be surprised what desperation in dire moments would let you weld and fasten together. The fall of Illivira in Nevaehlen left a bitter taste in Taicho Kato Ena’s mouth who sought to take the offensive initiative. What better defense than a good offense? But home had to be resolved first and foremost in the nationalist’s mind. The ruins of Rah’tuma, having long been abandoned by its people, had been taken over by the forces of O-Sanro that served as its staging point to attack Sakura-Gakure. Some of the younger generation of Sakura-Gakure spoke of Rah’tuma falling first being on behalf of the vengeful spirit of Atemu and thus the vengeful curse of the Pharaoh was born. The malice and cruelty of the land’s past had sated the patronage of the kami of control. Plans to retake Rah’tuma had been stalled by the following Siege of Sakura-Gakure and Walls Seishi and Wall Nakatsu to the east of the ruined city had each sustained damage when overwhelmed by O-Sanro originally. 

 

Thus the decision was made to seek an alternative avenue of siege. Scouting parties in the months prior would establish a proper siege camp to the north of Rah’tuma after combating back the attempted sallies on their position and would form a modest encampment of two cannon batteries to launch a siege assault within the year. Unlike the original sweltering numbers the Iron Lady herself rallied of 8,100, Lord Tsukinomiya Honda and Taicho Kato Ena would only rally in total 3,800 soldiers of the Koyo-Kuni Shugonate and the neighboring countries of the Grand Kingdom of Urguan and Nevaehlen. With mounting injuries, war fatigue and divided focus across the continent’s war efforts like the Cinderwatch, not all of the amenities could be properly used in the siege camp. Taicho Kato Ena would lead the cannoneering effort from the pilot seat of the Grand Boar alongside Seisho Yuki on the eastern cannon battery with the focus of firing back at the enemy artillery nests and breaching the Northern wall. Lord Tsukinomiya Honda would take charge of the ground forces leading a cavalry charge through the breach once the breach had been made. 

 

Despite the numbers disadvantage, superior Oyashiman siege-craft would make quick work of the ruined defenses barely refitted by O-Sanro’s garrison and take out various archers upon the wall and an enemy cannon roost within one of the enemy towers. The Grand Boar had sustained a direct hit to one of its back legs crippling its movement to a degree over the rigid land. In the midsection of the wall, a breach was made as the defenses of the ruined city crumbled and Lord Tsukinomiya Honda would lead a banzai charge joined by the cannoneers once the breach was made.

 

The Dreamers garrison fled further into their fortifications, bringing down gates to slow down the siege goers as well as lighting hallways ablaze with oil. The quick moving assaulters continued their pursuits however until reaching the center square of the old city ruins. From the buildings and Nyazoku fox holes left by the precious occupiers, ghostly spearmen and warlocks would come out recklessly to attack the descendant assaulters. The descendants would fortify a safe house within the ruins to let their wounded rest in and fight in rotations to slaughter any of those brave enough to continue defending Rah’tuma. This strategy had served the Oyashimans and their friends well as O-Sanro’s garrison was bled out by the entrenched descendants. Of the 3,800 brought, only 400 would lose their lives in the assault while thousands more of O-Sanro’s forces were put to the blade.

 

A great rumbling unsettled the ruins of Rah’tuma though and a building collapsed as a chimera kaiju bearing the body parts of a lion, a goat and a snake erupted from a hole in the world. Long separated from the Grand Boar, the descendants would launch a banzai charge towards the chimera as it launched attacks at them. However O-Sanro himself would intervene, wrapping his beast in his chains and bringing him back down into the earth declaring it was not its time to use yet. 

 

And with that, the presence of O-Sanro began to disappear from the western border of the Koyo-Kuni Shugonate and the Curse of the Pharoah was lifted. Those of the western front would look northwards now to continue their offensive to liberate the other taken lands in the Grand Kingdom and Nevaehlen. But for now at least, the Koyo-Kuni Shugonate was liberated from O-Sanro. The first step in liberation of many, the taicho thought to himself.

[Random 1705]

The Sorvian, who had been part of that battle since the start, planted the banner atop the ruins of Rahtuma. Victory was theirs - For the Iron Lady. For Koyo-Kuni.

[ProcaPro 559]

Seisho Yuki feels exhausted relief wash over her battered shell. She'd nearly gone down in the skirmish, struggled with the cannons... but they'd made it. Somehow. Pride swells in her mechanical chest at the realization. 

[ArgentEra 459]

The grey musin looked over the missive, remembering his own contribution to the battle in bow and brew alike. "400 lost. A victory, yes, but to see fading numbers of any kind aches the heart. I hope they find this beast again, and quickly. Congratulations friends, it was a hard won victory."

[lemonke 6014]

Ehiba had fought through the array of enemies alongside her comrades, her blade soaked with blood and ectoplasm as she slew both mortal and immortal foes. At times, she had to risk her life to save her own friends—especially the geisha she had taught to become strong. Fortunately, none of those she sought to protect had perished under her watch, and thus, the Oyashimen emerged victorious.

 

A smile settled on the elder geisha’s lips. For the first time in her life, she had truly begun enjoying battle—such long-standing fights. “We live another day, breevers and sistahrs! The mountain has no HISTORY, but WE DO!! REMEMBER THAT!!”

[Morigung-oog 5700]

"Honestly Rah'tuma is probably the one eyesore I wouldn't mind vanishing from Aevos."

 

Valindra mused, ever the fan of dark humor to stave off the ever looming existential dread gnawing at the back of her mind.