Merry Men/Bio & Battles

The Merry Men were a band of outlaws and other rejects of society that rallied under the cause of Robin of Locksley, better known as Robin Hood. Hiding in the Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham, they ambush the rich traveling nearby (careful to leave them unharmed) and take their money to give to the poor.

Of course, a certain amount of funds is kept for the Merry Men's own survival, and as such, they are relatively well-armed and decently trained. This doesn't mean that the Merry Men won't kill to survive, though; they are viciously hunted by the Sheriff of Nottingham and they will attack and kill any guards he sends to weed them out. They can boast of incredible feats in combat, from Robin's famed splitting an arrow down the middle in an archery contest, to Little John guarding a bridge with a wooden staff and even keeping Robin himself from crossing to the other side. Along with Friar Tuck and Maid Marian, they struggle to survive but keep high spirits and keep constant strain on King John both mentally and financially.

Prologue
“King Richard, this war MUST end now.” Altair told the English king, increasing the volume of his voice at the seemingly peaceful meeting. The two leaders were conferring in the courtyard of Richard’s castle in Acre. “Grand Master, the end of this war is not my decision. I’ve already told you that I’ve tried to persuade the Pope, but all I can do is withdraw my army. The rest of the Christians, however, are not under my command. His Holiness is the only to control the rest of the kingdoms.” Altair sighs, hoping that this could have ended peacefully. “If this is so, then the Pope is our target.”

Richard immediately stands up and draws his sword. “You dare threaten the Pope of the Catholic Church? You could make this escalate into something even more disastrous than before!” Altair simply gets up, causing the room full of guards to charge at him, swords ready. The screech of an eagle is heard, and suddenly five other white-robed men attack from various angles.

Two jump from the rooftops, air assassinating two guards. Another two run from in the crowd gathered there, thrusting their hidden blades into the men closest to them. The last one emerged from the shadows and closed the gates, locking out any support they would’ve gotten. Altair calmly draws his sword, his face shadowed by his cowl. “Richard, we are going to leave. I respect you as a great leader, so I wish to leave you alive.” Richard makes a heavy swing at Altair, but the Assassin just parries the sword and uppercuts him. Richard flies back into the table, out cold. The six assassins look at the Crusaders, who have started to chop through the gates. “We are no longer welcome. We must return to Masyaf to prepare the defenses before our journey to Rome.” The six men climb back to the rooftops, leaving the chaos of Acre behind them.

Two weeks later……..

A courier rides down a road alone, his horse walking calmly. He makes turn to see a man in green clothes, longbow on his back and long sword on his hip. “Hello, good sir. Welcome to Sherwood Forest, the beautiful scenery close to the town of Locksley. At the order of our good Sheriff, to pass through here is required a small toll.” The courier draws his dirk, preparing to defend his purse. “Sir, you dare to challenge me?” The man sighs, drawing his long sword.

He whistles, and a volley of arrows appears from the trees, several landing in front of his horse. The man remains unfazed as five other Merry Men climb down from the trees. Several draw swords and walk up to the courier. “There e’ is! Get ‘im!” All seven men look to see five knights charging at the, swords drawn. “I knew something was wrong. It’s an ambush.” Robin loads an arrow from his quiver and loads it on his bow. He shoots it, the arrow thudding into the chest of a knight. He falls off his horse, rolling into the dust of the road. The four remaining knights dismount and grab their shields. Little John takes his longsword and blocks it. He parries the knight’s sword and finishes him with a chop. Two more Merry Men approach a knight, War Hammers in hand. They swing, knocking the noble into the ground. Robin draws his Rondel Dagger as a knight swings his mace into his bow. He then thrusts the small dagger into his neck. The last knight gets onto his horse and flees, abandoning his comrades. The courier still sits mounted on his horse. “Which one of you is Robin Hood?” Robin, still standing in the middle of the road, asks “Who wishes to know?” The courier simply pulls out a letter, the seal of King Richard on it. Robin grabs the letter from him, reading it carefully. His face turns from seriousness to concern, to sheer terror. “Lads, grab your gear. The Pope needs us. He is going to be assassinated.” Battle Assassins:

Merry Men:

Altair walked through Rome, fully armed. Breathing in slowly, he begins to scale up a cathederal. Altair examines his surroundings, examining the best route of attack. He nods to himself, and then jumps into a cart of hay below. He jumps out of the cart and bumps into a group of men.

"Excuse me." "Don't worry bout it."

As Altair walked away, Robin Hood and his Merry Men continue walking through Rome. "It's nice to casually stroll through the city and not worry about defending yourself." he comments as he smiles warmly at a guard. The guard waves in reply, and lets them into Saint Peter's Square. The six men kneel as they face the Pope, bowing with the utmost respect. The Pope nods, and the men stand. "Your Holiness, we are here to guard you in case these assassins attempt to strike." The Pope and the Merry Men mount up, and the Papal guards surround them.

Ten minutes later.....

Altair stands with his assassins on the rooftops, watching the processions as the Pope secretly flees for his life. Altair looks at two of them, pointing to the hay stack. They perform a Leap of Faith, landing without notice. "Listen, you two shall stay up here. We shall distract the guards, and when the Pope flees, strike." The two assassins nod, preparing for battle. Altair climbs down, unnoticed. He uses the wall as a springboard, launching himself at a guard. As he assassinates him, he gets up and throws a knife at the Pope. It misses, hitting a mounted Merry Man in the neck instead.

As the Merry Men dismount, the two other assassins come from the crowd, sabers drawn. Robin aims his longbow and launches an arrow at one. The arrow lands solidly into one's neck, ending life ebbing away with his blood. The five remaining Merry Men draw their longswords. Altair parries a thrust from Robin, and slashes his saber. Robin blocks with his buckler, and chops with his longsword. As the two leaders continue to clash their swords, a Merry man swings his War Hammer at the assassin. He counters with his Short Blade and slashes an artery on his lower leg. He ducks under the other Merry Man's sword strike and thrusts the Short Blade into his stomach.

As the Merry Man bleeds out, he swings his hammer under his opponent's legs, sending him to the floor. He finishes him with a strike to the forehead and proceeds to slip away. The Pope and his remaining guards have begun to flee. Altair pulls out a small pouch, and throws it onto the ground. Smoke covers the area, and Robin, his men, and several guards begin to cough as Altair climbs onto the roofs. Robin sees them, and launches an arrow at them. He misses, and sprints to catch up with the Pope. Robin and the remaining Merry Men catch up to the Pope just as an assassin attempts to air assassinate him. The three men fire in unison, turning the Assassin into a pin cushion.

Altair and his last assassin stand on the roof, suppresed by a rain of arrows. Altair points to a rafter on the other side of the roof, and the other assassin crawls over. Altair then rolls onto a merchant shop below the roof and throws a set of throwing knives, all three hitting a Merry Man. Robin draws back his bow, preparing to kill the chraging assassin. But he hears a loud scream as he turns and sees the other assassin over the Pope, his hidden blade covered in blood. Robin turns his bow on him, but feels a sudden pain in his knee as a loud BANG! is heard. He falls to the ground, and Altair hides a smirk he lowers his arm. The assassin tackles the other Merry Man, and the two assassins go to the rooftops. The Merry Man pursues, and they lead him to a church. As the two assassins face the Merry Man and the guards, church bells ring as scholars walk out of the church. The two men blend with ease, making an undiscovered escape.

WINNER: Assassins!

Expert's Opinion
Voting went towards the Assassins because of the fact that the Merry Men were outmatched weapon wise and in the environment. While their archery was a deadly factor, they couldn't overcome the training, stealth, and brutality of the Assassins.

To see thr original battle, votes, and weapons, click here.