Siege!
You decide to take the heretic up on his proposal. After seeing some of this black powder in action, you know it has the potential to break any defensive force, no matter how strong. You consult with this insane alchemist and he explains to you that specific elements must be mined deep underground and mixed in certain proportions to synthesize this explosive dust. Immediately you recruit hundreds of able-bodied men to begin mining for all the elements needed. The army remains surrounding the fortress to ensure the forest people will be destroyed if they try to leave. It takes several months but eventually you are able to synthesize mountains of this black powder. With the help of scholars from the church and the alchemist you are able to create a more powerful and easily attainable form of the powder. Once you have accumulated a large quantity of it, you begin to modify it to be used as a siege weapon.
Using a special sticky tar made from tree sap and other materials you are able to fuse the black powder together in a giant ball. When it is left out in the sun it hardens and can then be catapulted, exploding upon impact with its target. Small quantities can adhere to flaming arrows causing them to explode upon impact. Your engineers also design a demolition cart. Essentially a cart designed for high speeds, it explodes a very large quantity of this powder and can decimate enemy's ranks and fortifications. Once you have a large quantity of these weapons, you order to the crusader armies to attack.
First a bombardment by several catapults is used. Each ball that lands explodes with a deafening sound creating an enormous fireball and blowing debris in every direction. After launching over 50 into the fortress, taking out several groups of forest people within the crenellations of the fortress, you send in a demolition car. Using the strongest of horses, the cart contains a zealot ready to die for the lord and the church. He continually whips the horse until it hits full speed. The cart makes it half way to the fortress when a flaming arrow is launched from a murder hole in one of the fortresses strongest towers. The flaming arrow hits one of the barrels of black powder and for a moment it simply burns. You sigh relief, thinking it will make it, but before the sigh is finished the flames of the arrow ignite some black powder residue outside the keg and the entire cart explodes. It creates a terrific explosion actually knocking down some of your soldiers and leaving a massive crater in the ground. Dirt and rocks rain down afterwards and clouds of dust obscure vision. The remainder of the black powder balls are catapulted at the walls and then you send in the gunpowder archers. Before they can get within firing range, they are decimated by volley after volley of arrow. Somehow, the forest people have managed to survive your relentless bombardment. You are forced to order the surviving archers to retreat.
The church is not pleased with what has occurred and proclaims that it is a vile abomination against God and he has caused you to fail in order to stop them from continuing to partake in sinful alchemy. Still, it was more successful than any strategy previously implemented. The heretic alchemist has given to you, in secret; plans for super weapons he claims will be capable of decimating the enemy and guaranteeing victory. The plans are for large metal tubes which use the black powder to propel metal balls into the enemy defenses. There are also smaller ones useable by a single soldier. These metal tubes have a trigger and use the black powder to propel a small ball at the enemy. He claims it will have the strength of "a million arrows" and move at a speed to great for any warrior to dodge. The larger apparatus shall strike with a force much greater than any catapult could ever achieve and level walls.
You have two choices. You can abandon this sinful alchemy and execute the alchemist or betray the church and pursue the new plans. The Forest People have dark magic on their side and will require insane force to destroy. The question really is, are you willing to go directly against doctrine in order to achieve the greater good. What shall it be?
Using a special sticky tar made from tree sap and other materials you are able to fuse the black powder together in a giant ball. When it is left out in the sun it hardens and can then be catapulted, exploding upon impact with its target. Small quantities can adhere to flaming arrows causing them to explode upon impact. Your engineers also design a demolition cart. Essentially a cart designed for high speeds, it explodes a very large quantity of this powder and can decimate enemy's ranks and fortifications. Once you have a large quantity of these weapons, you order to the crusader armies to attack.
First a bombardment by several catapults is used. Each ball that lands explodes with a deafening sound creating an enormous fireball and blowing debris in every direction. After launching over 50 into the fortress, taking out several groups of forest people within the crenellations of the fortress, you send in a demolition car. Using the strongest of horses, the cart contains a zealot ready to die for the lord and the church. He continually whips the horse until it hits full speed. The cart makes it half way to the fortress when a flaming arrow is launched from a murder hole in one of the fortresses strongest towers. The flaming arrow hits one of the barrels of black powder and for a moment it simply burns. You sigh relief, thinking it will make it, but before the sigh is finished the flames of the arrow ignite some black powder residue outside the keg and the entire cart explodes. It creates a terrific explosion actually knocking down some of your soldiers and leaving a massive crater in the ground. Dirt and rocks rain down afterwards and clouds of dust obscure vision. The remainder of the black powder balls are catapulted at the walls and then you send in the gunpowder archers. Before they can get within firing range, they are decimated by volley after volley of arrow. Somehow, the forest people have managed to survive your relentless bombardment. You are forced to order the surviving archers to retreat.
The church is not pleased with what has occurred and proclaims that it is a vile abomination against God and he has caused you to fail in order to stop them from continuing to partake in sinful alchemy. Still, it was more successful than any strategy previously implemented. The heretic alchemist has given to you, in secret; plans for super weapons he claims will be capable of decimating the enemy and guaranteeing victory. The plans are for large metal tubes which use the black powder to propel metal balls into the enemy defenses. There are also smaller ones useable by a single soldier. These metal tubes have a trigger and use the black powder to propel a small ball at the enemy. He claims it will have the strength of "a million arrows" and move at a speed to great for any warrior to dodge. The larger apparatus shall strike with a force much greater than any catapult could ever achieve and level walls.
You have two choices. You can abandon this sinful alchemy and execute the alchemist or betray the church and pursue the new plans. The Forest People have dark magic on their side and will require insane force to destroy. The question really is, are you willing to go directly against doctrine in order to achieve the greater good. What shall it be?