Heroic Combat: Rams

These situations occur when you raid or are raided by the Vingkotlings, including the Vestantes as well as your Kestaytelli neighbors.

The Rams have the most such combat events of any foe you can face in battle.

## Berserker

### Dialogue

1. Face the berserker one-on-one.
2. Deploy a defensive formation.
3. Lead a group against the berserker.
4. Let others deal with the berserker.
5. Maneuver the nearby warriors out of his path.

### Consequences

**Let others deal with the berserker** will preserve your noble's life, but may not be the best choice with regard to actually winning the battle...

### Notes

This scenario is counterpart of sorts to Samnal Blesses Chariots and Rider Hero, both of which also deal with enemies empowered by their gods. And see also Flying Orlanthi Hero.

## Battle Standard Opportunity

### Dialogue

1. Fight the few petty warriors who guard it.
2. Ride quickly past and snatch it away from them.
3. Leave it be.

*Followup choice if you obtain the banner:*
What does <Hero> do with it?
1. Destroy it.
2. Keep it for later trading or gifting.
3. Offer it back to them, if they give up and pay a ransom for it.
4. Offer it back to them, if they give up.

### Consequences

If the Ram People are your ancestral foes, **destroying** the banner can earn you the favor of your ancestors. And they may be annoyed if you take any other option...

If the Rams agree to **give up and ransom their treasure back**, you win the battle and get 50 cows! Of course, they may well refuse.

### Notes

No matter which of the four possible Ram gods (the rebel Orlanth, the death god Humakt, the female warrior Vinga, or the berserker Urox), the **Orlanthi Battle Standard** is sacred to, it will not lend its magic to your clan. However, it remains a valuable treasure.

This is distinct from the Dropped Treasure scenario, where the treasure (if it doesn't turn out to be a fake) can be a variety of different magical treasures.

## Chalana Arroy Mercy Petition

### Dialogue

1. Refuse.
2. Offer to have an Erissa priestess heal <Enemy Chief> instead.
3. Grant their request.
4. Kill <Enemy Chief>.

### Consequences

A clan whose ancestral enemies are the Ram People will of course gain ancestral favor from **killing' *or* refusing**. However, they will not earn ancestral wrath by healing the other chieftain, taking this to be a clever trick to confuse their enemies rather than a betrayal.

Should you **grant their request**, the resulting truce can give one or both sides a chance to regroup, equalizing their chances of winning the battle.

### Notes

This scenario has Rider and Wheel counterparts: Erissa Mercy Petition and Erildar Mercy Petition. And in Rams Injure Warleader, you're effectively on the other side of this same situation.

## Flying Orlanthi Hero

### Dialogue

1. Call on Elmal to strike <Name> down with a sunbolt.
2. Call on Elmal to wreathe <his/her> steed in flame, then ride up to duel him.
3. Order all Bows within range to concentrate fire on him.
4. Taunt the flyer into fighting <him/her> honorably.

### Consequences

Calling on the gods during combat is always chancy, though if your hero here isAyvtu or Yatakan they may be able to pull it off.

### Notes

This seems to happen with your actual warleader, so at least you don't have to worry about a weak fighter here...

This scenario has Wheel and Rider counterparts: Samnal Blesses Chariots and Rider Hero, both of which also deal with enemies empowered by their gods. And see also Berserker.

## Orlanth's Monstrous Ram

### Dialogue

1. Attack the beast's handlers.
2. Charge the beast.
3. Direct archers to target the beast from a distance.
4. Rally forces to strike the beast en masse.
5. Ride around the beast, drawing it away.

### Consequences

The beast will show up and wreck havoc on your forces until you either kill it or make a permanent peace with this foe.

**Attacking the ram monster** has a chance of killing it—but a higher chance of killing your hero. How much do you value this noble?

**Archers** are unlikely to do much good. **Striking en masse** is a little more useful.

**Drawing the beast away** is a temporary measure at best, but may succeed in removing it from this particular battle.

### Notes

If you mercilessly and persistently hammer a Ram clan, eventually they'll perform a Gods War ritual, sending one of their men of Orlanth to obtain this beast to defend them and get revenge on their foes (you). This is one of the reasons you should avoid hammering a single clan like that!

## Rams Injure Warleader

### Dialogue

1. Calling the name of your healing goddess, Erissa, ride alone to <Warleader>.
2. Ride alone to <Warleader>, invoking the name of their healing goddess, Chalana Arroy.
3. Ride with armed escort to <Warleader>'s side.
4. Have <Busenari Priestess> threaten them with weakened herds.*Option only appears if you have Busenari follower among your nobles.*
5. Have <Nyalda Priestess> protect her with earthshaking magic.*Option only appears if you have a Nyalda follower among your nobles.*
6. Ask for a momentary truce, in which each side can heal its wounded.
7. Take no action.

### Consequences

Healers aren't actually guaranteed safe passage no matter what name they call out, but **Chalana Arroy's** name holds more sway with Rams than **Erissa's**.

The Rams, who worship their own cow goddess Uralda, won't fear **Busenari's curse**. You will have an option to follow through after the battle, though.

A **truce** can give both sides a chance to regroup, so you may lose advantage if you had it.

### Notes

This is the flipside of the Chalana Arroy Mercy Petition scenario. Keep in mind that how you treat your enemies may effect how they treat you in turn...

This event also has Rider and Wheel counterparts: Riders Injure Warleader and Wheels Injure Warleader.