With the landing upon Rosand, the first obstacle in the way is the castle of Störholm
>>6295602
>>6295602
>>6295602

"Enough, child; such thinking can lead to a dark path." You gently rebuked your daughter. Perhaps you had tainted her innocence by taking her along on this war, but you hope that you can at least keep her on the right path. Mages are by their very nature easily swayed by the allure of power and darkness, and you must protect her from falling into that trap. Your words were firm but filled with love, for while she had not strayed at all, you would try to keep her as close to the light as possible.

''Forgive me, Father, have I mispoken?'' she asked.

''Not as of yet, I would ask of you only that you keep your heart pure and your intentions true,'' you replied, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

''Do not stray; I know that this war may not have been the most pleasant place to be for a young lady, but it shall end soon. As for your erudition, know that not all knowledge is worth learning; that is something I had to learn as well. You should always ask yourself not only if you can do it, but also if you should do it. That is the difference between intellect and wisdom; I would pray you practise both in equal measure.'' You did not speak afterwards, and neither did she.

Sophia simply nodded, her eyes in deep contemplation. The weight of your words settled on her like a heavy cloak, reminding her of the responsibility that came with her inborn gifts; she was always a gentle girl. And perhaps it would have been a good idea to give her more companions than the handmaiden she had with her. She never could fully connect to the rest of the officers; it was still a man's world, after all.

A lonely figure, Sophia had grown ever more introverted and studious to kill the time. Despite the isolation, she remained steadfast in her duty. Even so, it had never been the same since after she looked into that seeing stone. Geared towards defeating something you probably wouldn't see in your lifetime, you wished you could understand it in full, but there were limits to your comprehension of the far future.

So you turned back to the present and the task at hand. You had decided to be bold and march straight to the enemy; you would first take the castle of Störholm before driving the relief force back south, or at least, that was the plan you had formulated.

Upon arrival, it was obvious that this castle was of a larger format, with good, well-built towers and a secondary inner wall.

Your demand for a surrender was already refused, for why should they accept when the relief is already on the way? No, this would either be ended by you defeating the relief force or by successfully taking the castle before they arrived. However you will accomplish that.