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If you want stable individuals that simply do their jobs then you are better off recruiting new warriors or working with the army/Great Houses. Mercenaries by their nature are somewhat colourful.
To put it in perspective, just think of what a similar summation of the Lost would say, your organization would appear awfully shady as well.
Show me a three quarters majority like with the lesbomancy vote and you can do it right now. If it comes up naturally as part of the narrative or a freeform option then all you will need is a simple majority.
And to be fair I suppose that goes for a real 'romance Thaïs' option as well as, if it ever comes up, as opposed to an out of the blue Lesbomancy vote. If it makes sense in the situation and will not derail the entire CYOA then you can certainly do it, though someone may have to put it forward as a freeform choice.
The Lost - A human mercenary company that specializes in versatility and adaptability. The Lost are an oddity, a company bound together through fellowship rather than gold, alcohol or adventure and their high standards and secretive nature ensure a low rate of recruitment. They pursue an odd course, stressing their independence over potential profits and they have adamantly refused to subordinate themselves to any of the larger companies in the city. The lack of regard they show to Muirthemne's many churches, mage circles, and criminal networks has also done little to win them contracts. Despite these difficulties they are quickly earning a reputation for discretion and dependability that is difficult to rival and they always seem to have funds available somehow. Many whisper that the Lost hide a great and dark secret that it is related to their sudden rise and the wealth and artefacts they seem to have in abundance.
Where did they get their wealth from? What do they desire? Why do they fight?
None know and it makes all wary of them.
Leader: Gareth 'Spellblade' (The peasants are quite taken with his sword actually and they have begun to refer to him as 'The Spellblade' after he saved a handful of them from a pack of Myrkridia.)
Numbers: You will find out when Lyssa's eagle gets back.
And to be fair I suppose that goes for a real 'romance Thaïs' option as well as, if it ever comes up, as opposed to an out of the blue Lesbomancy vote. If it makes sense in the situation and will not derail the entire CYOA then you can certainly do it, though someone may have to put it forward as a freeform choice.
Wait? We aren't really romancing Thais? I just thought it was happening off screen. Anyway, since share each others thoughts and memories, wouldn't it just technically be masturbation at this point?
I agree that us sleeping with Ceannard is kind of silly. We would whore ourselves out for real power, but I don't think a mercenary company will quite do it.
The Lost - A human mercenary company that specializes in versatility and adaptability. The Lost are an oddity, a company bound together through fellowship rather than gold, alcohol or adventure and their high standards and secretive nature ensure a low rate of recruitment. They pursue an odd course, stressing their independence over potential profits and they have adamantly refused to subordinate themselves to any of the larger companies in the city. The lack of regard they show to Muirthemne's many churches, mage circles, and criminal networks has also done little to win them contracts. Despite these difficulties they are quickly earning a reputation for discretion and dependability that is difficult to rival and they always seem to have funds available somehow. Many whisper that the Lost hide a great and dark secret that it is related to their sudden rise and the wealth and artefacts they seem to have in abundance.
Where did they get their wealth from? What do they desire? Why do they fight?
None know and it makes all wary of them.
Leader: Gareth 'Spellblade' (The peasants are quite taken with his sword actually and they have begun to refer to him as 'The Spellblade' after he saved a handful of them from a pack of Myrkridia.)
Numbers: You will find out when Lyssa's eagle gets back.
Cost: You already own them.
What are you talking about Fangsh? That reads like a well written Eharmony post. It leads with good qualities, hints at mystery, implies that they are rich, and shows that they are independent. It's dreamy. :swoon:
Hell, I would buy it just to see where they were getting their artifacts.
Wait? We aren't really romancing Thais? I just thought it was happening off screen. Anyway, since share each others thoughts and memories, wouldn't it just technically be masturbation at this point?
I agree that us sleeping with Ceannard is kind of silly. We would whore ourselves out for real power, but I don't think a mercenary company will quite do it.
Ah, he will be crushed. The man lives in eternal hope that some day, some how, he will get that threesome...
He is nothing if not self-confident, he truely believes he has a shot.
As for the rest, no you have not made a move on Thaïs. They both know that there is likely something there but they have been so incredibly busy that it just has not come up despite the fact that they do just about everything together by this point. They are simply too busy and tired to worry about it.
The last down time they had was that afternoon at the spa and they spent the whole time surrounded by a team of servants so they have not really had a chance to talk about it.
It might have happened if Albrecht had held his grand ball but that was canceled when he was attacked while you where performing that Greater Heal ritual on Trakk's family.
Just think of it as a little C&C, I hear the 'Dex loves C&C, you could do the 'right' thing or the 'hawt lesbian' thing but not both.
archaen said:
What are you talking about Fangshi? That reads like a well written Eharmony post. It leads with good qualities, hints at mystery, implies that they are rich, and shows that they are independent. It's dreamy. :swoon:
Hell, I would buy it just to see where they were getting their artifacts.
Personally I blame Gareth. Man is just too damn sexy to scare people off...
Most of the types of employers out there are looking for people motivated by money or simple material objects. The mystery surrounding Gareth's company makes prospective clients nervious which is why he often has to settle for the desperate and difficult jobs. It is suspected that the Lost have hit a couple of the minor churches and a few small mage Circles as well though no one can find any proof.
Really, if you did not know exactly where they got their wealth and artefacts you would probably think they were Cultists or Servants of the Dark right?
So my reasoning is, if we want the fort to remain in the dwarven hands, how are we going to do it? In long-term, I mean?
I actually see no easy answer to this. The Pathfinders won't stay in the Fort forever. The Arrows can't settle here, either. Our Stoneheim contingent can replace our losses for a while, but we can't live here all the time, and without a competent mage they are doomed to fall to the next serious attack. A force of 60 men is not that powerful before something like the Drowned Dead or that respawning White cheater.
The army is our only real hope here. Turn the Fort into an outpost - Wyrd knows the region needs one, what's with the ghols running freely in broad daylight around these parts. Personally, I am more than willing to sell it, since it would be much easier to manage our forces if they would be stationed in the capital rather than in the middle of nowhere - not to mention that there is less chance to lose our crew to surprise sieges. But even if we want to keep it, a division of the Royal Army stationed here at all times in addition to our own forces would be the way to go.
But since the army is slow to organize and move, we'll need to fend for ourselves for a while, which is why I propose bringing everyone else in here in the meantime. If nothing happens, good. If something happens, I don't want our people to take the brunt of the attack.
Amended my vote to include calling for the army. I agree with Nevill, I don't feel the need to keep this keep. Eheh.. It's too dangerous, and we cannot expect to hold it if Derryth is not there all the time.
Actually, I get the feeling that Derryth's presence was exactly what prompted the attack. Nonetheless, the keep is worth more security-wise, if we sell it to the army.
Not the presence. Our ownership. They have learned the company changed hands and decided to strike a pre-emptive blow to deprive us of our forces.
Having the mages leave the fort would not help keep it safe, but selling it so that it would no longer be connected to us might. It would make it just another fortification, of which the dwarven kingdom probably have hundreds.
Still, it seems to have a strategic significance on its own. It also seems to be pretty close to the Watcher's Keep. They may keep trying to capture it regardless.
If we want to sell the keep we will need to negotiate it and I'm guessing it will take some time. We can't sell it if we don't keep it in our possession so we need to camp here. We also need to replace the doors asap. The road being out isn't as pressing but it would be nice if it was fixed in case the need for a quick sortie comes up. I agree having to garrison it full time would drain our resources and attention and that keeping it would not be in our interest. It would however be a perfect place for our gate termination if we ever get around to setting that up.
I doubt they were targeting us in particular. The creature was surprised that we were here with the keep and disappointed that we fell for the ruse to get us to leave it. This is just a strategic location for them to move down into the Kingdom. It makes me wonder how fucked our trade routes are as this conflagration looks to be happening right next to where they run.
I am thinking we may have lost less people doing it the way we did rather then fighting an archmage and a shade head on during a siege. We came out of this pretty well.
Alright, voting will close in fifteen to seventeen hours and an update should come within eighteen hours of that.
The current leading options are:
You will try to reoccupy the fort. You will send a message to Albrecht requesting Royal Army reinforcements, you will send him the fragment you found, and you will send a message to Stoneheim to request more of your own mercenaries as well.
Current Tally: (As already mentioned I am going to default back to a simple majority requirement for each B choice since it will work better than counting every individual set as a separate option. It should work well I think and it will be more manageable, it will also allow options to get more than one vote instead of everyone going for a slightly different package.)
Alright, so who else wants to send a message to the Arrows with me? Grimgravy and Kz3r0?
Personally, I'd rather send an eagle to Stoneheim, as it is quite far away, but since Myrgard is so close, we probably can spare an eagle here, too. It's just that it makes very little difference.
I'll amend my vote from Bv to Bv>Bvi. I don't care how we contact them, as long as we do.
It was a simple matter to retake the fortress, with only a handful of ghôls to act as defenders and no gates to protect them your enemies did not stand a chance.
You gave orders to your vanguard to take them alive for interrogation.
Orders which were promptly ignored as soon as the mercenaries saw Jawbone and their friends strung along the battlements like festival ribbons.
"Another one over here!" Myora shouts. You casually glance out the window as her words drift up to your ears. In her usual cool tone she reminds your men, "Mistress Derryth wants him alive!"
No sooner do the words pass her lips then a ghôl, worn and weary, dressed in ragged black robes, bursts past her and makes for the main gate. He is moving faster than most men can run but though he is moving quickly he does not truly stand a chance.
You contemplate giving the order to let him go, your mouth opens. Then you remember how that would look, how insane it would sound, and you promptly shut it again. It is hard to think of them as animals now but on reflection there is little you can do. They are the enemy and you know for a fact that if they had you in their power you could only pray for a quick death.
For a moment you consider hitting him with an assault spell but there is little point, he is already dead. He ensured it as soon as he ran.
You mutter about the stupidity of it all as your archers loose their arrows.
They catch him before he is even half way across the yard. A trio of arrows connect with a rapid series of thuds. He gasps as they drop him and send him skidding along the stone yard. He twitches slightly and one of your sell swords drives a blade through his neck.
Myora glances up at your window and catches you watching. She turns to her men, "Damn it you slack jawed fuckwits! I told you alive!"
She does her best to act furious and they do their best to act remorseful but you do not buy any of it. It is all a show, put on for your benefit.
"Myora! If I might have a word," you call down to your officer.
"Yes ma'am!" she gives one of the archers a light kick and hurries inside.
Turning from the window you mutter, "They are not following my orders."
"Give it time," Thaïs replies from across the room. She sits at Jawbone's desk sorting through stacks of old documents, she spares you a glance and a smile, "They care enough about your opinion to try to lie to you. That has got to count for something right?"
You laugh and shrug, "Perhaps."
It is true that they do respect you now.
You could see it written on each of their faces after you brought them through this. Many of them likely thought that yesterday would be their last day alive. Perhaps time is all they need, perhaps it is too much to expect that they will follow you like one of their own in a little over two days time.
"Another one!" one of your men yells.
You do not even bother to look this time till a pair of explosions echo out into the afternoon air. You rush to the window, "No cocktails in the fort!"
"Sorry ma'am!" someone calls back from below, "Won't happen again!"
You turn from the window, shaking your head slightly, "I wonder how Gareth does it..."
Thaïs laughs, that sweet, melodic sound that soothes your frayed nerves. It has been a busy couple of days and you are glad you have her here to help.
Below you and about you your subordinates scurry, they are all busy with their assigned tasks and they know, to a man, that time is of the essence.
Your grenadiers are doing their best to set up a number of kill zones around the keep. If you are attacked you want as many advantages as you can get.
Myora, your warriors and your archers are searching the grounds for any remaining enemies. The main buildings seems secure but you do not want any surprises turning up later.
Berty, the girls and your escort are working on a new door or barricade to patch up the hole in your defences created by the enemy mages.
Finally Lyssa has spent most of her time running between the adjoining chamber and the cellar. You have set her to work catching mice and rats. You want more spies, more scouts, and any animals you can find will be put to work for your cause. From the occasional laughter and happy squeaking coming from the chamber you think her assignment is going well.
You also took the precaution to send messages to your allies. Yesterday afternoon, shortly after retaking the fort, you sent word by chariot to Myrgard and Stoneheim. To the King and the head of your Stoneheim branch. Hopefully reinforcements will be quick to arrive.
You also sent a message to the Black Arrows by Lyssa's last eagle. Ceannard's men are some of the best in the east and each would be worth their weight in gold to you if a battle must be fought here.
With all these preparations for war going on around you it may seem strange that the two of you have spent much of the last day trying to make sense of Blackrock's records. But you have to consider the future of the company and your own futures as well. If you survive this then you need a way to make money, and quickly, or you will drown under the debt you have taken on. You would hate to save the kingdom only to spend the rest of your days in a debtor's prison. Though your friend assures you that the dwarves would not go that far unless you tried to flee the kingdom.
"Find anything in your stack?" you ask her.
She frowns, "Yes and No. These records are not simply a mess, they are purposefully misleading. Without Jawbone around it will take me quite some time to sort out everything Blackrock has been up to. I should be able to piece together enough to get them functioning within the week but it could take substantially longer than that to uncover their entire history and discover any hidden assets they may possess."
Not what you wanted to hear.
Myora has been kind enough to give you rough estimations of the personnel tucked away in your other facilities and has also been able to provide you with what she knows about your remaining officers however she has not been able to give you much more than that. She was a junior officer prior to the purge and simply is not aware of much of what Blackrock was up to prior to her promotion.
You desperately need to talk to Rand but the man must be half way to Myrgard by now provided he is not lost somewhere below the mountain.
As you rub your temples you remember something Myora mentioned, "What about the head of our Stoneheim branch? Tind, was it?"
She nods as she draws a folder from a stack to her left, "Yes, he may know more. His records state that he has been with the company for years so he may be our best contact at this point to help us manage the company."
You adjust you hat, "Well then I suppose we will need to arrange a meeting with Tind. Provided we do not all die out here first that is."
She shoots you a sly look, "Always the optimist?"
You grin, "Naturally why I-"
You are interrupted by a rap on the door, "Come in," your friend calls out.
Myora enters, "You wished to see me?"
"Yes," you nod, "How are our preparations coming along?"
"We have nearly completed our search of the fort ma'am. We are clearing the last of the passages at this moment. The grenadiers are also making food progress setting up a few surprises for any aggressors," she pauses to guage your reaction. You signal your approval and motion for her to continue, "Mr Levy and your escort are also making good progress on the front ga-"
"Riders approaching!" one of your men on the outer walls calls out.
The three of you approach the window as a very large wagon pulled by a team of six rolls up to Berty's barricade. Driving the team is a pair of dwarves in heavy black robes, behind them sit another three dwarves and, to your surprise, a pair of eagles perch on the back of the wagon.
Your escort moves to stop them but Uttu instantly recognizes one of the drivers, "Astrid!" she hollers and her sister takes up the call. In an instant they are up onto the cart and badgering the Pathfinder with dozens of questions.
You think to yourself, if Astrid is one of the drivers than surely Bari is the other. Then, as if on cue, the second driver looks up to your window and waves, "Good afternoon Derryth! We heard you were having a few problems with the Dark! Thought we would swing by!"
It takes you a few minutes to get down to the courtyard and in that time Bari has already begun to win your escort over. Effortlessly he weaves together truth and falsehood as he spins a tale about being a soldier of fortune from the Province. He tells them that you saved him from some unfortunate business with a few cultists years back and he has been in your debt ever since. You are surprised by just how much truth is in his story but then perhaps the best sorts of lies are the ones that are mostly truth.
They seem to buy the story as well since by the time you reach the group they have all noticeably relaxed. All except Berty, that is. He approaches you as you cross the courtyard, "Ya know these dwarves?" he whispers in your ear.
"Yes," you respond without hesitation, "They are my friends. Why do you ask?"
He eyes you cautiously, "They are lying Derry, that's why."
"They have a good reason to," you whisper back and move to lead him over to the Pathfinders.
He resists for a moment, then shrugs, "Alright Derry. If ya vouch for them that is good enough for me."
As you approach you are able to discern the identities of Bari's companions. He must have enlisted everyone at the safe house when he received your message as Ori, Stori, and Alvis have all come along. You also recognize some of the boxes they are unloading, Pathfinder weaponry, he must have brought everything and your eyes light up when you spot a pair of mortars nestled in the back of the cart.
Bari catches the look in your eyes, "Well you did say to bring help. So I brought help. Now where is the enemy?"
Ah, you have been dreading this part, "Well Bari the thing is..." you look to Thaïs for help.
For once she can offer none, "Well what you must understand is..."
The dwarf's grin slowly fades from his face, replaced by the most desolate expression, "You, you killed them all didn't you?"
"Now Bari-" you begin but he raises a hand in protest.
"No, no need to soften the blow," he hangs his head, "You fought evil monsters again and I missed it, again."
He looks so defeated, "I..." he turns to the other Pathfinders, "Right, stop unloading. We have to pack all of this back up and get it back to-" you interrupt him with a hand on his shoulder.
Thankfully you know a way to cheer him up, "Yes Bari, we killed them, but only the first batch."
A spark of hope ignites in his eyes, "The first batch?"
Thaïs nods and approaches the dwarf, "Yes the first batch. Our concern is that there will be more," she leans in to whisper in his ear and you just catch her words, "Maybe an army."
"An army," he mouths the words, clearly excited.
"We can tell you more inside," you suggest.
He nods and makes for the compound at top speed.
---------------------------------------------
The Pathfinders settle in without much difficulty and barely a day and a half later Ceannard arrives with his Arrows.
They come dressed in their finest. Crisp black and gold uniforms for his Arrows while his new recruits wear black and bronze. Each has a gleaming blade at his side and an elegant bow on his back. They march in three columns up the winding path with Ceannard riding at their head.
The man is clearly trying to impress and no doubt he will charge quite a bit but you are glad to have him and his archers here.
Between your mercenaries, Bari's Pathfinders, and Ceannard's Arrows your fortress should be quite difficult to assault now. Of course there is no knowing what the Watcher might send your way.
It has been quiet. Far, far too quiet. You have not seen or heard a crow since the battle. You have not seen any enemy movement at all but you know this can not last and it doesn't.
The next evening your eagles spot the approach of an army. Your human scouts return soon after with similar news and sure enough, within six hours you are staring down from your tower window at the enemy army approaching in the distance.
Around the table behind you sits your command group: Thaïs, Berty, Bari, Myora, Ceannard, and Lyssa. No one speaks.
"So what are we looking at here exactly?" you break the silence.
Lyssa begins, "Well, one piece of good news is that they do not seem to posses any crows. Whatever happened to the birds during our battle seems to have scared them off for the time being."
"Could they be hiding perhaps?" your friend asks.
Lyssa shakes her head, "I don't believe so. My eagles have been dealing with these crows for weeks now. They would know if any were near."
Myora chimes in, "Our scouts report the same. They do not seem to have any aerial support. They also do not seem to have more than a few dozen ghôls with them. Most of their army is comprised of thralls and soulless. Maybe four hundred thralls and as many Soulless."
"Then we have a clear advantage?" Bari remarks with a confident grin.
"Not quite," you reply, "They definitely have mages. I can feel them down there."
"How many?" Berty enquires.
"Hard to say really," you sigh, "At least twelve. Some of them are quite powerful too."
"Shades?" Ceannard quietly hazards.
Thaïs nods, "Quite possibly. They are certainly more powerful than we are and there is something more as well. Something familiar."
You know exactly what she is talking about, somewhere down there the Watcher's Creature is casting. You would also not be surprised if the entity controlling those dead mages is also down there.
The already sombre mood in the room is not improved at all as Lyssa begins to speak again, "Not to add further to everyone's concerns but there are few other developments that might concern us. They have brought a large number of covered wagons with them, I do not know what is inside but they might be dangerous. They have also sent an advance party forward to build some sort of pavilion. Though what they hope to achieve in doing so I certainly don't know."
Worth considering perhaps.
At the moment though broader strategic decisions require your attention.
Now that you have seen your enemy you need to decide what you are going to do about them:
A) Defensive Strategy: you will stay in the fort. Secure every entrance as best as you can and wait for the Royal Army and your mercenaries to arrive with help.
B) Offensive Strategy: you will march out and attack their advance party before they can finish whatever they are doing. (feel free to specify the forces/individuals you want to use if you so prefer.)
C) Avian Assault Plan: "Since the sky is finally clear of the crows. While we are busy fighting their vanguard, two of Lyssa's eagles each equipped with a spell ring with something powerful (Greater Firebolt and Greater Energy Bolt respectively) in it would soar in the sky, well beyond the spell range. When the time is right, we give them a signal (say, Uttu's flare in the enemy faces, which can also - probably? - blind them, giving us an additional advantage), whereupon they dive on the enemy from behind at top speed and unleashes the spells at the Mage while we do our best to distract him."
You have a few proposed force compositions for C, they are as follows, if you do not care about the actual composition of the raiding force then a plain C vote will sufffice:
Ci:
"Lyssa, Derryth, and Thais.
Uttu, Billiku, and Berty.
Two of Lyssa's Eagles with a greater energy bolt ring and a greater firebolt ring.
All Pathfinders with their mortars loaded onto two separate chariots with drivers.
Ceannard and half his archers. The other half left in overwatch on walls.
Neel and his scouts.
Twelve chariots loaded with royal guards."
Cii:
"Lyssa, Derryth, Thais and Uttu.
Two of Lyssa's Eagles with a greater energy bolt ring and a greater firebolt ring.
All Pathfinders with their mortars loaded onto two separate chariots with drivers.
Ceannard and half his archers. The other half left in overwatch on walls.
Neel and his scouts.
Eight chariots loaded with royal guards.
Four chariots with drivers for our main characters."
D) Pathfinder's Day Out: "Stay defensive, but let the pathfinders out to cause mayhem behind enemy lines. With crows gone they should be good and time it with a strike against the mage it should be glorious."
E) Avian Assault with Grenadiers: 'However here my take, blitz in with the chariots loaded with grenadiers, rain down cocktails and quickly retreat, then bombard them with the mortars that have taken position in the rear prior to the charge, at this point use blinding and stunning grenades, that will be the ante for TWO eagles charging from above to unleash the greater energy bolts stored in the rings, the White Mage is a sure target the other should be another mage of choice or possibly a group of them.'
The force list for E will be as follows:
"Lyssa, Derryth, Thais and Uttu.
Two of Lyssa's Eagles with a greater energy bolt ring and a greater firebolt ring.
All Pathfinders with their mortars loaded onto two separate chariots with drivers.
Ceannard and half his archers. The other half left in overwatch on walls.
Neel and his scouts.
Eight chariots loaded with grenadiers for throwing cocktails.
Four chariots with drivers for our main characters."
F) freeform: something more specific or complicated.
Not much this time around as this update is mostly setup for what is to come, though there are a few changes and some interesting rolls.
Party Changes:
Derryth
Gained the following Magical Items:
1. 12 Energon Cubes
2. One very large sack of ghôl marks (Worthless in most markets, worth about 30 WPs in ghôl markets)
Thaïs Gained the following Magical Items:
1. 12 Energon Cubes Lyssa:
Pets gained:
1. Twelve Mice
2. Three Large Rats
Pet Status Changes:
1. Eagle sent to Pathfinders returned.
2. Eagle in Myrgard moved to Fort Blackrock.
3. Eagle sent to Arrows returned.
Gained the following magical items:
1. 12 energon cubes
Bari and Ceannard join the Party.
Organizational Changes:
Property Status Changes:
1. Fort Blackrock is no longer fallen.
WPs lost:
1. 50 WPs lost to pay the Arrows for their services.
Rolls:
As this update mostly had to do with messengers and troop movements those made up most of the rolls for this update.
Your eagles rolled. The Pathfinders rolled. The chariots rolled. The Arrows rolled. The Watcher's Army rolled and so on.
There were also a large number of rolls happening for other events which Derryth may or may not discover with time. Many of them were fairly interesting.
What about equipment/supplies update? We did get Energon Cubes among other things, right?
Shouldn't we also have gained some WPs/etc. from looting our enemies and collecting ghol heads? Actually, are those the only heads there's a bounty on?
So what are our forces now? How many pathfinders, how many Arrows? What is this Pathfinder weaponry? How many mortars do we have, two? Any tarnkappes?
What did Derryth mean by an entity controlling the mages? I am praying it is not the Watcher himself.
Hm, I wonder why there are so few ghols around. Maybe the Watcher doesn't trust them anymore? Or are they busy elsewhere?
I am all for a quick sally - it looks like the Army won't make it here in time, so we should slow down the siege for as long as possible. Dammit, 400 Soulless are no joke. I have no idea how to defeat those, not to mention the Shades. I wonder how our reinforcements will make it through the horde that thick.
How many are there in the advance party? Are there any mages with them?
Also, we should send out our mice to see what is in those wagons and/or pavilion.
Anyone else wants to thy an aerial assault with an eagle and a Ring of a Greater Energy Bolt? The eagle's diving speed is 100 mph, something that is almost impossible to hit. If a mage is sufficiently distracted, they won't even notice what happened until it's too late.
Yes, you did. It merely slipped my mind last night, my apologies. He managed to procure one large sack of thirty six energon cubes which you split evenly between the three mages (unless there are any objections in which case I can alter the distibution).
I will update the post and the character sheets with that information.
Absinthe said:
Shouldn't we also have gained some WPs/etc. from looting our enemies and collecting ghol heads? Actually, are those the only heads there's a bounty on?
Your men did the looting. Derryth did not partake as she had other things to worry about. If you want however you could demand a percentage of what they took as is your right as their commander. Just let me know and I can add it as a question.
Most of what your men managed to get was equipment and severed heads and you have no where to turn those into WPs at the moment. The ghôls did have money on them but it was in the form of strange green shells which are not actually worth much of anything to the dwarves. Beyond that your enemies simply did not have much. The Drowned Dead did not have any equipment, at least not on the couple of corpses that were still fit to check and the group you blew up also did not have anything of note that survived the blast. (Any Watcher fragments they may have had were likely thrown down the hillside into one of the valleys below. It would take a thorough search to find anything.)
Nevill said:
So what are our forces now? How many pathfinders, how many Arrows? What is this Pathfinder weaponry? How many mortars do we have, two? Any tarnkappes?
Sure here is what you have to work with besides your named characters (I am going to count Neel as a named character for this, man has earned a promotion I think) :
General Forces:
13 Veteran Dwarven Grenadiers
5 Veteran Human Sell-swords (each now has a crossbow and bolts taken from your enemies)
4 Veteran Human Archers
4 Veteran Maul Warriors
The Pathfinders:
Warriors:
Bari - thrown weapons
Astrid - thrown weapons
Ori - sword and shield
Stori - hammer and shield
Alvis - thrown weapons/staff
General Forces:
25 Black Arrows (Master Human Archers)
40 Veteran Human Archers
Royal Guards:
Warriors:
The Captain - sword and shield
General Forces:
31 Royal Guards (four of which are still injured)
Equipment:
14 Light Chariots
No tarnkappes I am afraid. The Pathfinders did not wait to requisition them from HQ. (In fact they just packed everything up and left as soon as they got your message, they did not even ask for permission to be here. They did send a coded message on to the King though to inform him that you are in trouble.)
Nevill said:
What did Derryth mean by an entity controlling the mages? I am praying it is not the Watcher himself.
Well she does not know what it is. It was that darkness she felt behind the Drowned Dead.
There are more of those 'corpse mages' down there so she will not rule out whatever controls them being present. She can't be sure though as it would have to start casting again for her to be able to detect it.
Nevill said:
Hm, I wonder why there are so few ghols around. Maybe the Watcher doesn't rust them anymore? Or are they busy elsewhere?
That can be done and can probably be managed without needing a vote though some sort of consensus would be appreciated in case something happens. They are not fully trained yet though so they may not all come back. Just say the word and I will let you know what they find, it will advance the timeline by a few hours though as it will take them time to scurry down there and back (it should not change the general situation too much though, your enemy won't finish the structure or anything while you wait. They will simply be further along and the enemy army will be closer if/when you decide to act.)
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