Fangshi
Arcane
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2014
- Messages
- 1,997
Chapter 28: Desperate Times II
It is a clear, cool morning in Myrgard as the residents wake and begin their day.
Somewhere a family enjoys their meal. Hot breakfasts, jovial conversation, a renewed purpose and desire to greet the day.
Somewhere a guard naps in the shade of a nearby warehouse. A cool breeze kissing his face as he snores.
Somewhere a shopkeeper opens for the day, hard work and the promise of a full purse put a smile on his face.
Sadly you are not somewhere.
You are right here.
And here is a battlefield.
"We need to secure those gates!" Argus shouts over the explosions and the screams.
He orders his men to form up and advance towards the gate. Hopefully they will make it before the remaining guards are overrun. You do not like their odds though.
"Any suggestions ladies?" the dwarf asks as the three of you run towards the gate.
You answer, "We will deal with those ghôls, you keep going for the gate, we will give you support once you get there."
"Right, good luck!" he turns to catch up with his men.
"Argus!" you call to him. As he turns you throw him your ring, "It contains a healing spell, use it if you get in trouble."
"Thank you Derryth. Be careful, and don't die!" he grins.
"You either," you reply, "I am going to want the ring back."
As the dwarf wades into the melee around the gate the two of you focus on your own problem. You do not have time to talk strategy. Thankfully at this point you do not really need it.
"Plan?" you casually ask Thaïs.
"Direct attack," she replies without hesitation, "Mental or Elemental?"
You nod, "Elemental. Fire?"
"Yes," the answer slips quickly from her lips, "First or second?"
"First of course," you beam at her and begin casting.
-----------------------------------
A true predator. That is all he has ever wanted to be.
Thrasher loves this part of the job. Running with a pack, iron in hand and blood on the air. It is what he lives for.
The undead are doing their jobs admirably. They are dying in droves but the guards are focused completely on them. Another minute, maybe two, and they will be within range.
One of the dwarves staggers, the ghasts take advantage. They are slow and stupid but they know no fear and feel no pain. He takes another two of them with him before he falls.
At this rate there will be no more dwarves left for Thrasher's blade.
He can't have that.
He runs faster. A true predator on the hunt.
His fists and feet beat the pavement. He gripes his sickle tightly. He builds speed and he readies his sack of wight flesh and biting iron.
Any second now. Any moment and he will make his kill.
He begins to swing, the sack comes up past his ear.
Then it catches fire.
The front and middle of the ghôl pack explode in spectacular fashion.
Thrasher is ripped apart, torn open. His organs cast about him, his face caved half in. Now little more than a split wet sack himself. Food for some carrion bird.
In the seconds he has left, as the darkness closes in on him, he has just enough time to realize that he is no true predator. Merely prey.
He would laugh, if he still had lungs he would laugh. Lacking that luxury he simply closes his eye and embraces the void.
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You are quite proud of yourselves. Two little spells and most of the enemy formation has been nicely disposed of. This is not to say that you revel in the taking of lives but a sound plan crafted and carried out brings you joy, and at any rate they started this.
"Can you take out the rear one?" you ask Thaïs.
She nods in response and begins casting.
Turning from the massacre of the ghôls you focus on the next matter that requires your attention.
Argus and his men have hit the ghasts though the group has been forced to split in half to fend of the thralls to their rear. Fortunately with five grenadiers present it should be manageable. Unfortunately you watch as the last of the gate guards dies. Hopefully someone inside can answer your questions because there is no one left outside to do so.
You consider all the ways you could help but there is one thing in particular you would like to try that may speed things up a little.
The Faceless Man granted you a gift, the Warrior's Mask, who better to wear it you think than a warrior.
You begin to concentrate on the spell. You focus, attempt to drive this spell through the well known steps that have always brought you success. You attempt to establish a magical framework, a canal to direct the spell where you want it. As you approach it, as you draw in the energies to cast it; suddenly, it lashes out at you. It roars in your mind and you break off the spell.
An explosion sounds in the distance. The last of the ghôls dies in agony.
Your friend steps closer to you as you pant slightly, "Derryth, are you alright?"
"Yes... just a little unprepared for a spell I tried," a pair of Argus' dwarves fall to the undead horde through their own carelessness. These are not professional soldiers and it is beginning to show. A quick count reveals that he is down to fourteen dwarves, excluding himself, they are taking too many casualties.
"Thaïs can you support the dwarves, weaken those thralls somehow?" you ask as you build up your strength.
"Of course," she smiles as she begins to strike out with fire and lightning at the undead. She shoots you a glance between spells, "I do not mean to pry but what are you trying to do?"
"You'll see," you grin and begin to cast again.
This Warrior's Mask really is strange and this may not be the best place to try out such an unfamiliar spell. Though for you perhaps that is half the fun.
This will be a challenge, a different sort of puzzle, and you will solve it as you always do.
It is strange in its structure, archaic even. This is an old spell, a spell from Man's prehistory, it's dimmest days, perhaps it is even older than that. It certainly has not been modified for thousands of years at least. As such it will take a different mindset to master it. You cast off the trappings of your civilized mind. You put aside all of the magical theory you have learnt. You return to the basics, pure emotion pours like a torrent through you. You conjure up the bravery, the courage, the blood thirst of the warrior. You hunt through the primordial forests of your mind. You kill, you devour, you celebrate and in this way you lure in the spell. It comes to you then, the fury, the unyielding strength of the conqueror, the unbreakable resolve of the defender, it is both so much less and so much more than you have ever known.
It is strength, it is power, it is the secret metal of the flesh.
You take it into yourself, then you cast it out into the world.
Towards your target. Towards Argus.
He stops for a moment as his skin turns to bronze.
A nearby ghast takes advantage. It grabs hold of his sword and tears it way.
Another two fall upon him.
In desperation he punches.
A fist of solid bronze crashes into the ghast's side as the entire creature dissolves around it.
Ribs burst out, its heart flies out between the gates and disappears into the courtyard.
Quickly Argus delivers a strong kick to the second ghast.
He strikes it in the hip and the monster buckles, braches snapping under a heavy foot. A quick, sharp tearing noise fills your ears as the lower half of the ghast enters flight. It's torso falls forward and connects with the dwarf's fist driving upward. Effortlessly its head separates from its body and sails up into the sky, lost forever as its remains ooze out onto the metallic dwarf.
Argus now free of his attackers turns his attention on the thief of his blade. He grabs it by both wrists and delivers a kick to the center of its frame. The creature moans as it is torn clean in half. With one half of the creature in each hand Argus sets to work on the rest of the mob. Every swing scatters corpses about the square. Every kick dissolves knees, hips, femurs. Every punch perforates his opponents, blasting holes clean through their bodies.
At some point he retrieves his sword and begins hacking and slashing his way through the last of the horde. His blade rises and falls in a steady rhythm, the sound of metal on flesh, the dull moans of the undead, it all unfolds in front of you as he slaughters the horde.
While you maintain the spells on Argus your friend is busy mobilizing the dwarves against the soulless attempting to slip over the wall. The dwarves prove of little use in this, the soulless have the advantage in speed, manoeuvrability and range but Thaïs does manage to drop a couple of the stragglers without exposing herself to risk.
The rest of the soulless however make it easily over the wall and into the courtyard. You hope they will not create too much trouble before you can get into the courtyard.
You, Thaïs and the dwarves regroup at the resecured gate.
You drop the spell to conserve your remaining energy. The Warrior's Mask while useful has also proven to be quite draining, made only worse by your lack of familiarity with the spell. You burnt through all three of your energon cubes keeping it up and if you had kept at it for much longer you would have exhausted yourself as well.
The king's champion pants as you approach, "That really was one hell of a spell Derryth! You will have to tell me where you learnt something like that when this is all over! Now shall we take a look inside?"
The first thing you notice upon entering the gatehouse is that the gate controls have been destroyed, there will be no closing the gates for the time being. The three of you ease the door to the adjoining guard post open. Twenty dwarves lie in their beds, each dead, burnt to a crisp. Oddly only their bodies and their beds have been damaged, the flames were localized and did not spread at all. Magic naturally springs to mind.
The smell is horrible, acrid, it clings to your nostrils but this is not the first time you have been confronted with this odour and sadly is unlikely to be the last, "I guess we know why the dwarves from the guard post didn't come out to help..." you say to no one in particular.
Your two companions merely nod as the three of you slip back out of the room and firmly close the door.
With the prospect of reinforcements dashed you push on out of the far door and towards the sounds of battle emanating from the courtyard.
What confronts you in complete chaos.
The courtyard is in flames. Dead and unconscious House Albrecht guards and courtiers litter the ground. A half dozen dwarves dressed in silver and black are helping four mages fight their way out of the compound.
It is not encouraging but it is also not as horrible as you had feared. The speed with which you destroyed the attacking force has certainly added a wrinkle to the plans of your opponents.
You focus on the mages, they are likely the largest threat for you here, you want to know as much about them as you can before you are forced to engage.
Everywhere the mages strike, resistance crumbles. But their spells are sloppy and at least two of them are almost spent. It seems they have been fighting the entire compound and have not paced themselves well.
You watch as the ten remaining soulless drift towards the group and take up defensive positions around them.
The first to catch your attention does so because of the robes he wears. Violet with silver poppies embroidered on the sleeves. He is, perhaps was, an Oneiroi. On his wrists are broken manacles, the chains sway slightly as he casts. Around his neck is a small black bag, it radiates power.
For a moment you wonder if he is aware that his Circle has been destroyed. You wonder what he would do if he found out.
You shake your head, now is not really the time for that. Pushing those thoughts from your mind you focus on his actions. He is skilled enough you suppose though you can pick out the flaws in his spells even from where you are standing. He seems fond of that suffocating mist the Oneiroi use and he attempts to kill three guards with it as you observe. Your final assessment of him is that while he is dangerous he is not terribly capable all things considered.
The second mage, in contrast to the first, catches your attention due to what he is not wearing. Which is to say anything. His skin is charred, cracked, he looks as if he has been burnt alive and with that thought a spark of recognition flares to life in your mind. He is that mercenary from Meletē's workshop, somehow he survived the fire but what he is doing here you are not sure of. He has two things in common with the Oneiroi, the first is that he too is wearing a set of broken manacles, they glow with heat as he casts. The second is that he has a small black bag around his neck as well. He throws out fireballs without reservation or concern for his health. Streams of flames pour out towards the guards as he laughs manically.
The third mage is the woman that Ori was escorting to the compound for questioning. It seems Bari was right, it would have been better to kill her. She is dressed in rags and has a small black bag around her neck. She is not wearing manacles for what that is worth. She also does not seem to be doing much casting. Instead she is focusing her efforts on controlling the soulless that are harrying the guards. By all accounts she is doing a good job of it and seems to be the most controlled of the mages still casting.
Even with all three of them casting though the situation does not feel right. The pull you felt out in the square was stronger than this. A discrepancy perhaps explained by the fourth mage observing their activities.
The final mage does not cast at all. He is tall, thin and dressed entirely in white. Despite the flames, the soot, the blood, and the gore around him not a single drop mars the pristine beatify of his attire. Unlike the others he does not wear a black bag around his neck. You are fairly certain that he was who you felt earlier and if that is the case then he is a match for both you and Thaïs.
As you consider the situation the soulless set to work, with three quick volleys they clear the courtyard of the remaining soldiers, driving the survivors back into the compound for cover.
You do the math.
Ten soulless, six dwarves, four mages. Against your remaining fifteen dwarves and two mages. Not horrible odds but not great ones either.
As you contemplate this they notice you and begin to advances towards your position. The Oneiroi and Warlock in the lead with the necromancer and the thin, white, mage behind them. The soulless float in a loose circle around them preventing the dwarves from advancing too close.
It makes sense. Unless one of them is secretly a Fallen Lord they will lose this fight eventually and the longer this drags on the more dwarven reinforcements will arrive. If they do not break out soon they are done for.
They will hit you hard and together to maximize their chances.
Argus yells to his squad, ordering them to take up defensive positions around the gate.
You and your friend move to the rear of the dwarven formation, if those mages start throwing spells your way you want warm bodies to block them for you.
If only you could find a way to scatter them you would have a much better chance at resisting them.
Perhaps it is luck, perhaps it is fate. Either way you get your wish.
An arrow flies across the courtyard from the roof of the compound and catches the necromancer in the shoulder. She screams and loses some of her control over her minions.
As the soulless begin to break formation two humans and a dozen dwarves charge out of the front gate of the compound.
The dwarves are armed with cocktails, swords and shields and in the colours of House Albrecht. The two humans each bear the mark of the empire in their own way.
The first carries the insignia of the Imperial Army, an officer of the cavalry if you are not mistaken. Broad shoulders, chiselled features, he is in every way the dashing young gentleman which is why it is such a shame when he takes a javelin to the chest and rolls into the dirt. He moans slightly, his leg twitches, he is not dead but he will be soon.
The second man fares better but then that is to be expected. He wears the lacquered plate of a Heron Guard, a thin blade in each hand. His face is weathered with age and hardship but for all that his countenance is serene. He has the look of a man that has found his purpose and is resolved to see it through to whatever end fate decrees. He is at peace with the world and his place in it or at least that is the impression that he projects.
He is fast, far faster than most would expect though not quite as quick as those horrors Miosguinn raised in the dark under Muirthemne. Still he is quick enough to dodge the javelins of the soulless. He darts and weaves, a leaf upon the breeze, as the soulless pour javelins at him. He distracts them long enough that the dwarves begin to close and the integrity of your opponents' group collapses.
This provides you will an excess of targets.
The six... no five, remaining dwarves are locked in a brutal melee with the House Albrecht guards. Neither side is able to get the upper hand here, at least for the moment.
The necromancer has regained control over her soulless and has sent all but two after the archer on the roof. They are just beginning to hover across the courtyard. He tries his best to hit her but she is using the remaining two soulless and a large, sealed rain barrel as a shield.
Argus has ordered his men to advance against the Oneiroi and the Warlock. They have spread out to minimize casualties but the two mages are giving them everything they have got and casualties will be high.
The thin, white mage has activated a number of spells directed at himself. As he does so the signal you originally felt springs back to life. Casually he snatches up an axe and a sword from the bodies of two dead dwarves and he approaches the Heron Guard. The Guard salutes him and waits.
So many tempting targets but so little time...
1. You chose to aim for (all votes for a particular option will be counted together, all A votes, all B votes and so on):
A) The thin, white mage - You will try to help the Heron Guard defeat this opponent.
i. The Warrior's Mask: You will use your remaining energon cubes and link with Thaïs if necessary to cast the Warrior's Mask on the Heron Guard. Hopefully this will help him defeat his opponent.
ii. Greater Energy Bolt: You will have Thaïs use up your energon cubes and let her link with you if necessary to cast Greater Energy Bolt at the mage. With any luck you will blindside him and kill or seriously wound him.
iii. Synchronized Mental Assault: You doubt the mind of this mage will be easy to breach but you can try to wear him down with a classic strategy the two of you are quite proficient at. You will attack his mind in sequence and series while he fights the Heron Guard. Perhaps between the three of you, you can best him.
iv. Synchronized Mental Assault with a Heal spell: You will try to make it over to the downed officer and cast heal on him from your friends ring. You will then attack the thin, white mage as in Aiii.
v. Greater Energy Bolt followed by synchronized mental assault: You will link with your friend and let her cast greater energy bolt at the mage. You will then follow that up with a coordinated mental assault on the mage. Your mental spells will likely be weaker than in Aiii due to the strain of casting the energy bolt.
vi. freeform
B) The necromancer and her soulless - You will try to help the archer deal with his enemies.
i. Intercept the Soulless: You will use your elemental spells and Thaïs' crossbow to kill as many Soulless as you can before they reach the Archer, hopefully you can break their advance.
ii. Attack the necromancer, Elementalists: You will unleash your elemental spells on the necromancer and hope that something hits.
iii. Attack the necromancer, Mentalists: You will unleash your mental spells on the necromancer. If you can daze her she might lose control of her minions of leave cover at which point the archer can take advantage.
iv. freeform
C) The Oneiroi and the Warlock - You will help Argus and his men fight the two mages.
i. Focus on one at a time, Elementalists: you will unleash your elemental spells on one of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify which mage)
ii. Focus on one at a time, Mentalists: you will unleash your mental spells on one of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify which mage)
iii. Each attack one, Elementalists: you will unleash your elemental spells on both of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify who gets which mage)
iv. Each attack one, Mentalists: you will unleash your mental spells on both of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify who gets which mage)
v. The Warrior's Mask: You will use your remaining energon cubes and link with Thaïs if necessary to cast the Warrior's Mask on Argus. Hopefully this will help him defeat his opponents.
vi. freeform
D) The dwarves in black and silver - You will help the guards defeat their opponents.
i. Elementalists: You will unleash your elemental spells on the dwarves and thin them out directly.
ii. Mentalists: You will unleash your mental spells on the dwarves and thin them out indirectly.
iii. freeform
E) You will split your efforts: Derryth will proceed with Biii, while Thaïs will help the dwarves as in Dii.
F) Do something completely different. freeform.
It is a clear, cool morning in Myrgard as the residents wake and begin their day.
Somewhere a family enjoys their meal. Hot breakfasts, jovial conversation, a renewed purpose and desire to greet the day.
Somewhere a guard naps in the shade of a nearby warehouse. A cool breeze kissing his face as he snores.
Somewhere a shopkeeper opens for the day, hard work and the promise of a full purse put a smile on his face.
Sadly you are not somewhere.
You are right here.
And here is a battlefield.
"We need to secure those gates!" Argus shouts over the explosions and the screams.
He orders his men to form up and advance towards the gate. Hopefully they will make it before the remaining guards are overrun. You do not like their odds though.
"Any suggestions ladies?" the dwarf asks as the three of you run towards the gate.
You answer, "We will deal with those ghôls, you keep going for the gate, we will give you support once you get there."
"Right, good luck!" he turns to catch up with his men.
"Argus!" you call to him. As he turns you throw him your ring, "It contains a healing spell, use it if you get in trouble."
"Thank you Derryth. Be careful, and don't die!" he grins.
"You either," you reply, "I am going to want the ring back."
As the dwarf wades into the melee around the gate the two of you focus on your own problem. You do not have time to talk strategy. Thankfully at this point you do not really need it.
"Plan?" you casually ask Thaïs.
"Direct attack," she replies without hesitation, "Mental or Elemental?"
You nod, "Elemental. Fire?"
"Yes," the answer slips quickly from her lips, "First or second?"
"First of course," you beam at her and begin casting.
-----------------------------------
A true predator. That is all he has ever wanted to be.
Thrasher loves this part of the job. Running with a pack, iron in hand and blood on the air. It is what he lives for.
The undead are doing their jobs admirably. They are dying in droves but the guards are focused completely on them. Another minute, maybe two, and they will be within range.
One of the dwarves staggers, the ghasts take advantage. They are slow and stupid but they know no fear and feel no pain. He takes another two of them with him before he falls.
At this rate there will be no more dwarves left for Thrasher's blade.
He can't have that.
He runs faster. A true predator on the hunt.
His fists and feet beat the pavement. He gripes his sickle tightly. He builds speed and he readies his sack of wight flesh and biting iron.
Any second now. Any moment and he will make his kill.
He begins to swing, the sack comes up past his ear.
Then it catches fire.
The front and middle of the ghôl pack explode in spectacular fashion.
Thrasher is ripped apart, torn open. His organs cast about him, his face caved half in. Now little more than a split wet sack himself. Food for some carrion bird.
In the seconds he has left, as the darkness closes in on him, he has just enough time to realize that he is no true predator. Merely prey.
He would laugh, if he still had lungs he would laugh. Lacking that luxury he simply closes his eye and embraces the void.
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You are quite proud of yourselves. Two little spells and most of the enemy formation has been nicely disposed of. This is not to say that you revel in the taking of lives but a sound plan crafted and carried out brings you joy, and at any rate they started this.
"Can you take out the rear one?" you ask Thaïs.
She nods in response and begins casting.
Turning from the massacre of the ghôls you focus on the next matter that requires your attention.
Argus and his men have hit the ghasts though the group has been forced to split in half to fend of the thralls to their rear. Fortunately with five grenadiers present it should be manageable. Unfortunately you watch as the last of the gate guards dies. Hopefully someone inside can answer your questions because there is no one left outside to do so.
You consider all the ways you could help but there is one thing in particular you would like to try that may speed things up a little.
The Faceless Man granted you a gift, the Warrior's Mask, who better to wear it you think than a warrior.
You begin to concentrate on the spell. You focus, attempt to drive this spell through the well known steps that have always brought you success. You attempt to establish a magical framework, a canal to direct the spell where you want it. As you approach it, as you draw in the energies to cast it; suddenly, it lashes out at you. It roars in your mind and you break off the spell.
An explosion sounds in the distance. The last of the ghôls dies in agony.
Your friend steps closer to you as you pant slightly, "Derryth, are you alright?"
"Yes... just a little unprepared for a spell I tried," a pair of Argus' dwarves fall to the undead horde through their own carelessness. These are not professional soldiers and it is beginning to show. A quick count reveals that he is down to fourteen dwarves, excluding himself, they are taking too many casualties.
"Thaïs can you support the dwarves, weaken those thralls somehow?" you ask as you build up your strength.
"Of course," she smiles as she begins to strike out with fire and lightning at the undead. She shoots you a glance between spells, "I do not mean to pry but what are you trying to do?"
"You'll see," you grin and begin to cast again.
This Warrior's Mask really is strange and this may not be the best place to try out such an unfamiliar spell. Though for you perhaps that is half the fun.
This will be a challenge, a different sort of puzzle, and you will solve it as you always do.
It is strange in its structure, archaic even. This is an old spell, a spell from Man's prehistory, it's dimmest days, perhaps it is even older than that. It certainly has not been modified for thousands of years at least. As such it will take a different mindset to master it. You cast off the trappings of your civilized mind. You put aside all of the magical theory you have learnt. You return to the basics, pure emotion pours like a torrent through you. You conjure up the bravery, the courage, the blood thirst of the warrior. You hunt through the primordial forests of your mind. You kill, you devour, you celebrate and in this way you lure in the spell. It comes to you then, the fury, the unyielding strength of the conqueror, the unbreakable resolve of the defender, it is both so much less and so much more than you have ever known.
It is strength, it is power, it is the secret metal of the flesh.
You take it into yourself, then you cast it out into the world.
Towards your target. Towards Argus.
He stops for a moment as his skin turns to bronze.
A nearby ghast takes advantage. It grabs hold of his sword and tears it way.
Another two fall upon him.
In desperation he punches.
A fist of solid bronze crashes into the ghast's side as the entire creature dissolves around it.
Ribs burst out, its heart flies out between the gates and disappears into the courtyard.
Quickly Argus delivers a strong kick to the second ghast.
He strikes it in the hip and the monster buckles, braches snapping under a heavy foot. A quick, sharp tearing noise fills your ears as the lower half of the ghast enters flight. It's torso falls forward and connects with the dwarf's fist driving upward. Effortlessly its head separates from its body and sails up into the sky, lost forever as its remains ooze out onto the metallic dwarf.
Argus now free of his attackers turns his attention on the thief of his blade. He grabs it by both wrists and delivers a kick to the center of its frame. The creature moans as it is torn clean in half. With one half of the creature in each hand Argus sets to work on the rest of the mob. Every swing scatters corpses about the square. Every kick dissolves knees, hips, femurs. Every punch perforates his opponents, blasting holes clean through their bodies.
At some point he retrieves his sword and begins hacking and slashing his way through the last of the horde. His blade rises and falls in a steady rhythm, the sound of metal on flesh, the dull moans of the undead, it all unfolds in front of you as he slaughters the horde.
While you maintain the spells on Argus your friend is busy mobilizing the dwarves against the soulless attempting to slip over the wall. The dwarves prove of little use in this, the soulless have the advantage in speed, manoeuvrability and range but Thaïs does manage to drop a couple of the stragglers without exposing herself to risk.
The rest of the soulless however make it easily over the wall and into the courtyard. You hope they will not create too much trouble before you can get into the courtyard.
You, Thaïs and the dwarves regroup at the resecured gate.
You drop the spell to conserve your remaining energy. The Warrior's Mask while useful has also proven to be quite draining, made only worse by your lack of familiarity with the spell. You burnt through all three of your energon cubes keeping it up and if you had kept at it for much longer you would have exhausted yourself as well.
The king's champion pants as you approach, "That really was one hell of a spell Derryth! You will have to tell me where you learnt something like that when this is all over! Now shall we take a look inside?"
The first thing you notice upon entering the gatehouse is that the gate controls have been destroyed, there will be no closing the gates for the time being. The three of you ease the door to the adjoining guard post open. Twenty dwarves lie in their beds, each dead, burnt to a crisp. Oddly only their bodies and their beds have been damaged, the flames were localized and did not spread at all. Magic naturally springs to mind.
The smell is horrible, acrid, it clings to your nostrils but this is not the first time you have been confronted with this odour and sadly is unlikely to be the last, "I guess we know why the dwarves from the guard post didn't come out to help..." you say to no one in particular.
Your two companions merely nod as the three of you slip back out of the room and firmly close the door.
With the prospect of reinforcements dashed you push on out of the far door and towards the sounds of battle emanating from the courtyard.
What confronts you in complete chaos.
The courtyard is in flames. Dead and unconscious House Albrecht guards and courtiers litter the ground. A half dozen dwarves dressed in silver and black are helping four mages fight their way out of the compound.
It is not encouraging but it is also not as horrible as you had feared. The speed with which you destroyed the attacking force has certainly added a wrinkle to the plans of your opponents.
You focus on the mages, they are likely the largest threat for you here, you want to know as much about them as you can before you are forced to engage.
Everywhere the mages strike, resistance crumbles. But their spells are sloppy and at least two of them are almost spent. It seems they have been fighting the entire compound and have not paced themselves well.
You watch as the ten remaining soulless drift towards the group and take up defensive positions around them.
The first to catch your attention does so because of the robes he wears. Violet with silver poppies embroidered on the sleeves. He is, perhaps was, an Oneiroi. On his wrists are broken manacles, the chains sway slightly as he casts. Around his neck is a small black bag, it radiates power.
For a moment you wonder if he is aware that his Circle has been destroyed. You wonder what he would do if he found out.
You shake your head, now is not really the time for that. Pushing those thoughts from your mind you focus on his actions. He is skilled enough you suppose though you can pick out the flaws in his spells even from where you are standing. He seems fond of that suffocating mist the Oneiroi use and he attempts to kill three guards with it as you observe. Your final assessment of him is that while he is dangerous he is not terribly capable all things considered.
The second mage, in contrast to the first, catches your attention due to what he is not wearing. Which is to say anything. His skin is charred, cracked, he looks as if he has been burnt alive and with that thought a spark of recognition flares to life in your mind. He is that mercenary from Meletē's workshop, somehow he survived the fire but what he is doing here you are not sure of. He has two things in common with the Oneiroi, the first is that he too is wearing a set of broken manacles, they glow with heat as he casts. The second is that he has a small black bag around his neck as well. He throws out fireballs without reservation or concern for his health. Streams of flames pour out towards the guards as he laughs manically.
The third mage is the woman that Ori was escorting to the compound for questioning. It seems Bari was right, it would have been better to kill her. She is dressed in rags and has a small black bag around her neck. She is not wearing manacles for what that is worth. She also does not seem to be doing much casting. Instead she is focusing her efforts on controlling the soulless that are harrying the guards. By all accounts she is doing a good job of it and seems to be the most controlled of the mages still casting.
Even with all three of them casting though the situation does not feel right. The pull you felt out in the square was stronger than this. A discrepancy perhaps explained by the fourth mage observing their activities.
The final mage does not cast at all. He is tall, thin and dressed entirely in white. Despite the flames, the soot, the blood, and the gore around him not a single drop mars the pristine beatify of his attire. Unlike the others he does not wear a black bag around his neck. You are fairly certain that he was who you felt earlier and if that is the case then he is a match for both you and Thaïs.
As you consider the situation the soulless set to work, with three quick volleys they clear the courtyard of the remaining soldiers, driving the survivors back into the compound for cover.
You do the math.
Ten soulless, six dwarves, four mages. Against your remaining fifteen dwarves and two mages. Not horrible odds but not great ones either.
As you contemplate this they notice you and begin to advances towards your position. The Oneiroi and Warlock in the lead with the necromancer and the thin, white, mage behind them. The soulless float in a loose circle around them preventing the dwarves from advancing too close.
It makes sense. Unless one of them is secretly a Fallen Lord they will lose this fight eventually and the longer this drags on the more dwarven reinforcements will arrive. If they do not break out soon they are done for.
They will hit you hard and together to maximize their chances.
Argus yells to his squad, ordering them to take up defensive positions around the gate.
You and your friend move to the rear of the dwarven formation, if those mages start throwing spells your way you want warm bodies to block them for you.
If only you could find a way to scatter them you would have a much better chance at resisting them.
Perhaps it is luck, perhaps it is fate. Either way you get your wish.
An arrow flies across the courtyard from the roof of the compound and catches the necromancer in the shoulder. She screams and loses some of her control over her minions.
As the soulless begin to break formation two humans and a dozen dwarves charge out of the front gate of the compound.
The dwarves are armed with cocktails, swords and shields and in the colours of House Albrecht. The two humans each bear the mark of the empire in their own way.
The first carries the insignia of the Imperial Army, an officer of the cavalry if you are not mistaken. Broad shoulders, chiselled features, he is in every way the dashing young gentleman which is why it is such a shame when he takes a javelin to the chest and rolls into the dirt. He moans slightly, his leg twitches, he is not dead but he will be soon.
The second man fares better but then that is to be expected. He wears the lacquered plate of a Heron Guard, a thin blade in each hand. His face is weathered with age and hardship but for all that his countenance is serene. He has the look of a man that has found his purpose and is resolved to see it through to whatever end fate decrees. He is at peace with the world and his place in it or at least that is the impression that he projects.
He is fast, far faster than most would expect though not quite as quick as those horrors Miosguinn raised in the dark under Muirthemne. Still he is quick enough to dodge the javelins of the soulless. He darts and weaves, a leaf upon the breeze, as the soulless pour javelins at him. He distracts them long enough that the dwarves begin to close and the integrity of your opponents' group collapses.
This provides you will an excess of targets.
The six... no five, remaining dwarves are locked in a brutal melee with the House Albrecht guards. Neither side is able to get the upper hand here, at least for the moment.
The necromancer has regained control over her soulless and has sent all but two after the archer on the roof. They are just beginning to hover across the courtyard. He tries his best to hit her but she is using the remaining two soulless and a large, sealed rain barrel as a shield.
Argus has ordered his men to advance against the Oneiroi and the Warlock. They have spread out to minimize casualties but the two mages are giving them everything they have got and casualties will be high.
The thin, white mage has activated a number of spells directed at himself. As he does so the signal you originally felt springs back to life. Casually he snatches up an axe and a sword from the bodies of two dead dwarves and he approaches the Heron Guard. The Guard salutes him and waits.
So many tempting targets but so little time...
1. You chose to aim for (all votes for a particular option will be counted together, all A votes, all B votes and so on):
A) The thin, white mage - You will try to help the Heron Guard defeat this opponent.
i. The Warrior's Mask: You will use your remaining energon cubes and link with Thaïs if necessary to cast the Warrior's Mask on the Heron Guard. Hopefully this will help him defeat his opponent.
ii. Greater Energy Bolt: You will have Thaïs use up your energon cubes and let her link with you if necessary to cast Greater Energy Bolt at the mage. With any luck you will blindside him and kill or seriously wound him.
iii. Synchronized Mental Assault: You doubt the mind of this mage will be easy to breach but you can try to wear him down with a classic strategy the two of you are quite proficient at. You will attack his mind in sequence and series while he fights the Heron Guard. Perhaps between the three of you, you can best him.
iv. Synchronized Mental Assault with a Heal spell: You will try to make it over to the downed officer and cast heal on him from your friends ring. You will then attack the thin, white mage as in Aiii.
v. Greater Energy Bolt followed by synchronized mental assault: You will link with your friend and let her cast greater energy bolt at the mage. You will then follow that up with a coordinated mental assault on the mage. Your mental spells will likely be weaker than in Aiii due to the strain of casting the energy bolt.
vi. freeform
B) The necromancer and her soulless - You will try to help the archer deal with his enemies.
i. Intercept the Soulless: You will use your elemental spells and Thaïs' crossbow to kill as many Soulless as you can before they reach the Archer, hopefully you can break their advance.
ii. Attack the necromancer, Elementalists: You will unleash your elemental spells on the necromancer and hope that something hits.
iii. Attack the necromancer, Mentalists: You will unleash your mental spells on the necromancer. If you can daze her she might lose control of her minions of leave cover at which point the archer can take advantage.
iv. freeform
C) The Oneiroi and the Warlock - You will help Argus and his men fight the two mages.
i. Focus on one at a time, Elementalists: you will unleash your elemental spells on one of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify which mage)
ii. Focus on one at a time, Mentalists: you will unleash your mental spells on one of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify which mage)
iii. Each attack one, Elementalists: you will unleash your elemental spells on both of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify who gets which mage)
iv. Each attack one, Mentalists: you will unleash your mental spells on both of the mages and hope that something hits. (specify who gets which mage)
v. The Warrior's Mask: You will use your remaining energon cubes and link with Thaïs if necessary to cast the Warrior's Mask on Argus. Hopefully this will help him defeat his opponents.
vi. freeform
D) The dwarves in black and silver - You will help the guards defeat their opponents.
i. Elementalists: You will unleash your elemental spells on the dwarves and thin them out directly.
ii. Mentalists: You will unleash your mental spells on the dwarves and thin them out indirectly.
iii. freeform
E) You will split your efforts: Derryth will proceed with Biii, while Thaïs will help the dwarves as in Dii.
F) Do something completely different. freeform.
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