The Host of the West

[Envin]

The Host of the West

Stationed upon the fair fields of Pelennor stands the magnificent army and military might of Gondor, the arrayed soldiers and men-at-arms and knights of perhaps the most elite group of fighting men in Middle-earth. They are tall, and they are strong, and they never falter, for this is The Host of the West, and it is captained by Lord Envinyatar Telcontar, and beneath his command they are unwavering and unable to be matched. They are clad in glorious mail and plate, and overlaid with silver, and ready they stand to march forth to war or to defend their home in time of need. Here are the numerations of them:

Gondorian Foot: (17,000) Infantry skilled with melee weapons and with shields, these hardened soldiers form the backbone of Gondor's fighting forces. They are clad in silver mail beneath blackened breastplates, and bear long bastard swords in the one hand, and tower shields in the other.

Gondorian Knights: (14,000) Cavalry mounted upon massive steeds, the Knights of Gondor are incredible fighters, clad in silvered plate inlaid with mithril, atop blackened steel mail. Their horses, great chargers of nearly twenty hands, are armored with plate as well, with trim of black steel. The Knights bear massive claymores upon their backs, and in their right hands are lances many ells long; in their left there are heraldic shields bearing both the crest of their Lord, and of their individual houses.

Gondorian Barbarians: (12,000) Men from the hills and the highlands, the Barbarians of Gondor are oft upon the front lines, leading the charge, for their ferocity is unmatched upon the field. They are clothed in splint mail upon their legs and their sword-arm, but their chest is bare otherwise, for in the abandon with which the Barbarians fight, there is little need for armor. They bear weapons of their own choice, brutal implements such as axes, mattocks, maces, and great mauls, and are skilled at wielding monstrous pikes even in the heat of combat.

Gondorian Rangers: (7,000) Rogues of stealth and deception, the Rangers are clothed in leather of their own, and cloaks of deep green, and they bear stout bows of yew, and fire arrows of their own design. Their aim is completely unmatched in all the race of men, and their knowledge of woodcraft enables them to attack and disappear unseen. Their presence upon an unsuspecting foe wreaks havoc and terror.

Gondorian Archers: (5,000) Bowmen skilled at shooting marks many hundred paces distant. The Archers bear both longbows of seven feet and deadly crossbows. Their arrows and darts are black and barbed with sharpened steel, and may be poisoned or flamed at need. The Archers are armored in silver mail atop black leather, and may move swiftly to the assault or the the rear so that the close work may be done.

Gondorian Miners: (3,000) Lightly armored engineers skillfully trained in all arts of seige. The Miners operate the great engines of assault, and also dig the tunnels beneath enemy walls. They are armored with a sword and buckler each, and are clothed in sturdy studded leather, for their places is behind the lines.

Wingéd Guard of the King: (7,000) These elite warriors are masters of combat in all its forms, excelling in unarmed, in melee, and at range. They are handpicked by the King from among the ranks of his men, and to be one of their number is an honor more than many of Gondor shall ever see. They are hardened, and they are unforgiving. As a rule, they bear great polearms of razor sharpness, but should one prove himself with another weapon, then he is permitted to bear it as his reward. They are clothed in solid mithril: blackened mithril mail of an incredibly tight weave beneath blackened mithril mail traced with silver mithril; diamonds and onyx are encrusted upon their breasts. Their helms are high and proud, made of black steel to be easy to bear, and having the Wings of the Sea-Kings upon them in pure and light mithril. Following them are their great sable cloaks, with fur about the neck, and blazoned upon the back Seven Stars and the Crown of Elendil - in the center a White Tree. They are the most formidable foes east of Valinor, and in the entire history of the Order no Winged Guard has ever yet fallen to less than nine foes at once.

They Who Clutch at the Sky: (3,000) Great eagles of the White Mountains, these magnificent beasts hail from the peaks and the eyries of fair and blue Mindolluin, where their homes lie. But they acknowledge fealty to the Lord of the White Tower, and speed through the skies alongside and above the Host of the West as it marches into battle. These marvelous birds of prey are clad in battle-armor forged by the smiths of Minas Tirith, with great mithril plates adorning their backs and their wings, cunning intertwining to allow freedom of movement, and upon their breasts are great serpentine workings of metal that can deflect even the truest of arrows. Their beaks are encased in polished mithril, and their talons are overlaid with purest steel, and at the tip of each of them a sharpened diamond, against which few armors and no skins can stand. Their wingspan is great, the smallest of the clans having a span of five-and-thirty feet, and the largest bordering on fifty. Called the Clutchers, they soar from great hieghts, gathering speed and force with their dives, and their beaks and wings sweeping walls clear of foes, and their talons striking asunder men and monsters alike. They Who Clutch at the Sky are formidable foes indeed, and wise is he who feareth their glance.






{The above modified pursuant to army counts current 12MAR06.}

[Orrë the Wise]

What about the Eagles?[/whisper]

[Envin]

{Good point. I'll think about that one.}


Aragorn rode down to the Host of the West where it was encamped upon the fields below Minas Tirith. They had received advance notice of his coming, and the lateness of the hour for Erebor, and swiftly they had prepared themselves. Aragorn first dispatched a runner to Rohan, to call upon the aid of the Lady Anwyn, and then set himself at the head of his Host. Thirty thousands of Middle-earth's finest would set forth this day.

Aragorn led the van, accompanied by the Winged Guard of the King, with the Knights behind and the footsoldiers in the main. Archers and Miners brought up the rear of the main, while the Barbarians were rearguard. The Rangers stealthily made their way a mile or so ahead of the main Host, scouting the way.

Soon they would arrive at the Lonely Mountain.

[Envin]

The Host of the West returned from the Battle of Eleven Armies, its numbers still strong, though smaller with the losses of the battle. Aragorn returned soon after the main host, weak but still hale, and made his way up to his Chambers, and then after to the Citadel of Guard. The loss in Erebor was regrettable, but the Host comforted itself with the thought that they had proved themselves worthy and tested their mettle against perhaps the most difficult foes to best in all of Middle-earth. And though they mourned the loss of their comrades, they honoured their memories with song.

[Envin]

The selfsame day that Darre departed Minas Tirith for the northern mountains, Aragorn rode forth to the fair fields of Pelennor upon his proud steed Roheryn. The High King was clad in kingly armor, as befitted his position in the army, but this was not simple mail. Fashioned after the fall of Sauron by smiths of Erebor who came south to repair the wounded gates of the White City, the armor had been fitted to Aragorn personally, and the proud dwarven craftsmen called it perhaps one of the finest their kin had yet made. It was wrought all of mithril and of blackened steel, and was adorned with onyx and with diamond, and traced with silver. It was of plate and not of mail, such as warriors were often more wont to wear for its ease of movement, but such was the ingenuity of the Dwarves that it was not restrictive at all. It was all woven of serpentine scales and plates, and to many it resembled the flesh of a dragon. Beneath it was a light weaving of metal rings into studded sable leather, but upon the outside it was impenetrable, armor for a king, and covered his body from chest to toe; the sabatons were of mithril, and stood to his knees. The interlocking of the armor made it very simple to move and to fight, and the sunlight glinted from the Carapace of Power, as it was called, and regal and very kingly, but deadly beyond thought, appeared Aragorn as he rode forth to war this day.

He had already issued his orders of movement, and the Host of the West stood ready for the arrival of its Lord. Ten thousands of Gondor's host would remain behind in the defense of their city, but the remainder, hardened shocktroops of war who had not tasted blood in these many days, were eager for a pitched battle. And Aragorn was minded to give them one. They were arranged in a great line aimed for the Rammas Gates, and with haste Aragorn rode to their head. The van was to be comprised as was usual by the Winged Guard of the King and the Horsed Knights behind, with the main being the Infantry, surrounding the Archers and the Miners. The Barbarians were to bring up the rearguard, and the Rangers were to be the advance scouts and the eyes of the moving force. The Clutchers would soar high above and provide enfilade fire should an ambush arise.

And now Aragorn wheeled his charger about, and kicked him into a great rearing leap, and the assembled Host of the West cheered. "Ye have heard of the threat to the east!" Aragorn cries, and the men silenced and harkened to their King. "Yea, yea - ye have heard of the warriors of Mordor. They are to be feared, I agree. But they have also heard of the warriors of Gondor!" Deafening cheers. Swords were clamored against shields, and spears were thrown high. "The upturned face of Anor glances from thy armor, and her rays soar from thy blades, and this day I say that were I to face ye, I would be afraid!" The Host of the West yelled, bellowed in their exultation. "Yonder lies that which would threaten thy homes and thy loved ones! And, indeed - as the rumors have said - evil has already threatened and taken thy Queen!" Tremendous outburst. The men booed and hissed, but some looked at each other, wondering their King's motives. Aragorn saw their looks, and indeed had already foreseen them. "Think ye not that this march is a personal war of Envinyatar's, to which he sends his faithful men to die," he swiftly countered. "Nay, think rather that the time has finally come to end the pest upon our borders! Think that the taking of thy queen as a symbol of what shall happen should we not march forth this day. Think this merely an excuse, as if we need one, to slaughter Orcs!" That brought the men to the tips of their feet yelling and shouting, and the rocks of Mindolluin, leagues distant, rang with their noise. "Now we ride forth as brothers all, and we shall not return home until Mordor troubles us never again! Forth, Gondor! Forth the Host of the West!" And he reared Roheryn again to incredible cheers, and drew his bright and pale sword, and as Anduril met the day the beams of the sun ran down the blade, and verily the sword seemed a living flame. Aragorn took his winged helm and set it upon his head, and spinning his horse about, "Forth!" he cried, and "Forth!" cried the Host of the West, and Gondor began to march.

The great army traveled east across the Anduin, and then turned its gaze northwards through Ithilien, and took its ways to the Black Gate.

There would be no dawn for Alcorad.