RP:Roldan Completes the Invasion

This is part of the Capture of Kregus story arc.

The goblin navy returns with the dawn. They return frustrated, for the force they had been sent to destroy had melted away long before they arrived, and they could not find them no matter how hard they looked. At last, the captains had set sail for home, with nothing to show for their efforts. To their dismay, they find their home port occupied, the waters filled with warships, bristling with archers, trebuchets, and scorpions. Worse still, the banner of Larket flies near the roof of the cavern, while the more familiar flag of Kregus lies tattered and burned on the ground. Under a flag of truce, a small boat rows halfway to the hesitating navy, where it stops, waiting. The goblin commander and a few of his officers row out in a skiff of their own to meet the human emissary. The humans bring along a goblin, of notable rank, who tells his compatriots of the fall of the city. The humans, led by Roldan himself, then offer terms. "Three-fourths of the navy is to be disbanded at once," he says, through his goblin translator. "The remaining fourth will be kept active, supervised by Larket forces. The sailors will be allowed to live their lives here in Kregus, as fishermen or laborers. No harm will come to them, once they lay down their arms and swear allegiance to the new rulers of Kregus. The sailors that remain in the navy will be required to make the same oath, on pain of death. These are the terms, and there will be no deviation from them." The harsh words do not sit well with the goblins, and they take time to discuss them amongst themselves.

However, as the parties meet, the force of ships that Roldan had sent out before the conflict began, the very same that the goblins had been hunting, sails into view. The swift ships creep up behind the goblins, while the main bulk of the Larket fleet shifts, forming a circle with the newcomers, effectively surrounding the smaller goblin navy. The goblin commander does not miss this, and when he speaks to the translator, he offers his surrender. He and the majority of his captains move onto Roldan's vessel, where they kneel to swear their fealty. But two over-captains remain behind, their furious faces showing their displeasure at the decision. Suddenly, they back oars, rowing their little boat back to the ships. They do not take long to round up their commands (a good forty ships), and they hoist their sails, headed toward the line of Larket warships in hopes of breaking through to escape. But an archer on Roldan's boat sends up a signal, and the impressive force of the human navy closes in on the rogue goblins. Missiles fly, burning in the morning light. Huge bolts, arrows, and massive stones fly from the decks of a hundred different ships, all aimed at the little bunch of goblins. Where the pitch-soaked bolts strike, they burn, lighting the hulls and sails in a heartbeat, while the boulders knock holes in the wood, letting the seawater rush in. The goblins flight is over almost as soon as it began. The survivors bob in the water, where they are hunted down like dogs by one of Roldan's warships, the arrows spitting down at close range, coloring the water red.

This example is more than enough to dissuade any further rebellions. The goblins exit their vessels in droves, rowing ashore by the boatload. Roldan returns to the shore as well, and as each boat lands, the goblins are made to throw down their weapons and swear fealty to Larket's throne and peerage. The process takes the entirity of the day, but the red lord shows no signs of weariness. It is only when the last ship is empties, the last oath is sworn, that Roldan stands. He gestures to his own naval commanders, who move off at once. They take the three quarters of the goblin ships that the commander had surrendered, and crew them with their own men. These are bound for Larket as plunder, along with what little riches the city yielded. The majority of Larket's ships and men are scheduled to leave, while only a small force of Roldan's best knights, archers, and men-at-arms remain behind, to garrison the city and keep the peace. The lord sends his fastest courier with a letter to the king and queen, bearing news of the completion of the annexation.