Utterly Mad
The Pit => Rec Room => Topic started by: RedVulnus on August 27, 2016, 10:32:30 pm
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Welcome to the world of Azmodal.
For as long as time the people of this world have gone about their business whether it be the righteous warrior or the lowly street rat stealing from the merchant. The masterless mercenary or the loyal envoy of a royal. But who are you in this world?
----The Major Kingdoms----
The Elven Houses
One of the two major elven kingdoms the Houses are run by the senate, with one member from each house. These Elves are known for warriors of high caliber and capable healers(mostly because the warriors give them ample time to practice).
The political environment between the houses is treacherous though this is usually kept out of the public eye excepting for the Incident of Mortal many centuries ago. The Houses also have deep trade ties with the Dwarven Kingdom.
The Houses don't worship any gods but instead worship their ancestors, specifically those elevated to the status of 'Deus'.
The Chosen Kingdom
The second major Elven kingdom. The Chosen believe that their king was chosen by the Gods to lead them to victory. Their people are primarily warriors with a strong agricultural foundation that was established after a series of wars with the human kingdoms before the Vanishing.
The word of their king is law and gospel and any who defy them are considered traitors and are exiled immediately. The priests preach the word of past kings and record those of the new king. They have few political ties with anyone but have great respect for the human kingdoms and the Elven Houses due to prior conflicts. Their culture is primarily warrior focused and they respect those they view as great commanders or fighters and have little respect for mages.
The Highland Dwarves
This kingdom is based in the Highlands, a large area filled with plains and forests. The kingdom is led by the king and this role is past down through the royal family. All of the major families in the kingdom have sworn loyalty to the king though some have ambition unbecoming of their position.
They are known both for their exceedingly competent healers and their warriors who are often out in combat alongside one of their political allies such as the Elven Houses, the Human Kingdom of Harrowfeld, and the newly rediscovered Imperial Monarchy. They also house the School of Mages.
The Human Kingdom of Harrowfeld
Led by King Harrowfeld this kingdom houses the Palace of Azmodal, the place of where the leader of the most populous religion in the land lives. The king of this land has traditionally been elected by the High Houses whom swear loyalty to the King upon his coronation.
This kingdom is known for it's amazing trade products and the ever present priests of Azmodal. They are known militarily for their Horsemen who have proven capable of tearing into even the most hardened of formations.
The Imperial Monarchy
This kingdom is run the Mother, the eldest child of the Imperial House. They were lost for many centuries to the Mists, but have since rejoined the kingdoms in the known world. First contact with them after the Mists resulted in reports of men 'spiting fire from objects of metal and wood that made terrible sounds as our men fell to the ground missing chunks of their bodies'. Whatever they found in the mists gave them incredible military power in small groups.
The Kingdom is known for their technological advances in several fields as well as rather open trade policies. They are a heavily honor based society and for many dishonor either means joining the Legion of the Damned or death. The Legion of the Damned stands at the edges of the Mists though no other kingdom is aware why, and they care not for what could be hiding in there that could menace them?
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So there are the major kingdoms. As a note the Mists are ever present on what are called the 'Outskirts' and no one who has gone in has ever come out. The Imperial Monarchy was lost to the Mists and much of their current technology is new since they were lost, and it's unknown what happened to them since they refuse to discus it with outsiders.
Character Sheet.
Name:
Age:
Race: (make your own if you want, but describe it)
Job: (you a king, a merchant? Decide what you want the character to be)
Skills: (just something to let us know what your character can do, it doesn't all have to pertain to the job but a warrior who doesn't know how to fight would be rather odd.)
History: (let us know about your character)
Clothes:
Armor:
Weapons:
Other Items:
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If you've got any questions feel free to ask by the way.
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Name: Sarah Vall
Age: 27
Race: Drider (Human torso up, spider waist down)
Job: Crossbow Hunter
Skills: Climb walls, Shoots web
History: Sarah was found as an egg in a forest. The one who found her was a man named Christopher Vall. He was keeping it as an interest, as he was a biologist (Or at least something like that). A few days after he found it, the egg hatched and out came a baby Sarah. To say the very least he was shocked. Fast forward 16 years an now she was working for him, helping collect specimens for his studies and food for the house. The towns people of the Chosen did not like the two. When she was 20 the both of them were driven out of the kingdom. Later the year they found the Kingdom of the Highland Dwarves, who welcomed them with open arms. When she was 26 while she was out hunting a group of townsmen raided their home and mortally wounded Christopher and trashed the place. When she got back she was greeted by a disaster. She quickly ran to Chris and they said their goodbyes. She no home, no valuables, and nothing close to a family. She left the kingdom while carrying him. She buried him somewhere deep in the forest and near the spot is where lives currently.
Clothes: A standard shirt, A long loincloth
Armor: A leather hunting vest, a long armored loincloth (If that's a thing xP),
Weapons: A steel crossbow
Other Items: A leather quiver that holds 35 bolts
Is that a bit much?
What is this RP going to be about?
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That's fine, and this RP is about whatever. Literally it's just the players telling me what they want to do and seeing what happens. Players could be a King, a pope for one of the major religions, a merchant, a squire for a knight, what have you. It's really not a structured RP where you have a specified end goal, you decide what your goal is in this.
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Oh ok :P
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so...um, guess I'm ready when you are.
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I think Id rather wait to see if more people would join :/
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I like this concept, but I'm unsure how I'd RP it. How does it work mechanically?
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mechanically it's rather simple since I'll roll a d20 for determining how things go, though if your character has something in his background or skills that would give them knowledge of how to do something than I'll either just outright let you do it or heavily weigh the roll in your favor. This will apply to whatever need to be rolled for including things like negotiations and making items, as well as combat.
Generally for dice rolls I use https://www.wizards.com/d20modern/d20mdice/dice.htm since it lets me determine how many dice I'm rolling.
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((Well fuck it, I'm in if you'll take me. It should be interesting to see an asymmetrical RPG.))
Name: Lord Haralus Thornbeard, King of the Highland Dwarves, Protector of The Gullies, and Guardian of the Rock (I have no idea what the naming conventions are for Dwarves)
Age: 106
Race: Dwarven
Job: King Of The Highland Dwarves(go big or go home, I guess)
Skills: Brashness, stubbornness, a strange sense of humor, the ability to root out plots, good martial skills, an understanding of magic, a decent idea of how to keep the kingdom from falling apart during the day to day, and a burning lust for greatness.
History: Several years ago, Haralus, Prince of the Capitol, became Haralus, King of the Highland Dwarves after the death of his father, much to the chagrin of no one of any real importance. While his father's reign was a peaceful one of much civic accomplishment, Haralus has wanted nothing more than to be legend, a ruler spoken of for eons to come. While he is generally beloved by his subjects for his bold, outgoing attitude, this lust for greatness is seen as dangerous by some just on the fringe of the inner circle of the royal court - though his rule has been peaceful and prosperous so far, it would seem as though things may change with little notice as he discovers his destiny. Whatever that may be.
Clothes: Royal vestments, ornate armour. A truely badass crown.
Armor: The walls of a hundred citadels! Also, the above ornate armour, though it doesn't get worn much these days.
Weapons: The axes of ten thousand dwarves! Also, a big dagger that does still get worn everywhere.
Other Items: Various scribes, bodyguards, wizards, and other assorted courtiers, a portion of all the possessions of his citizens (to be collected as taxes), the admiration of his subjects, and the envy of other races. Also, a fine collection of aged alcohol and leather bound books.
((I'm set to go whenever if that looks good. Any other lore a king should be aware of?))
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((there's not too much extra you need to be made aware of.
The Dwarves are split between two religions, one worshipping ancestors who did great feats in their time and one in which the world was created by a great being known as the Elder. This has caused some tension among the two groups even in the Noble Houses.
The King and princes in the Dwarven kingdom have Seconds, which are their second in command and advisor. They are known for unwavering loyalty to their commander.
The dwarven king has an odd crystal that seems to emanate some kind of magic though the court wizards and mages are unaware of what it might do. It's been passed down from generation to generation for many generations and it's now your responsibility.
And the dwarves are also aware of dangerous creatures in the catacombs under their capital city. The Dwarven army's primary concern at the moment is dealing with these creatures though the army is larger than necessary for this task so they still send warriors out to aid the kingdoms political allies.
Oh, and feel free to determine where and when you start))
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((Well, I'll just hop in I suppose!))
The King strode through the halls, his second at his side, and the rest of his entourage struggling to keep up. His mood was foul, having just been told that yet another scouting party sent into the Mists had failed to return.
"Tell me, are they all incompetent? How is it that those humans can emerge from the Mist, more powerful than they could have dreamed, and yet our finest warriors and sages simply vanish?" he rumbled.
"You know I have no answer for you, my lord, except that whatever their failings may be, I cannot in good faith counsel you to continue the expeditions." His second, Lyrkan, matched his pace easily. He was well accustomed to his King's habit of holding meetings on the go. "We have greater issues at home, which are gradually becoming more and more pressing. You must..."
"Issues with which I have absolute faith in your ability to deal with." the King interrupted, pausing to turn and face his trusted councilor. The rest of his entourage halted in unison, as if they were well practiced soldiers on parade. Compared to His Highness, who was large for a Dwarf and cast an imposing figure, the Second was a deceptively harmless looking, bookish figure. Despite this, he had been the King's closest confidant since their childhoods, and was one of the few who had no fear of speaking his mind to his liege. The King leaned in, and continued, "Lyrkan, we have a great fate ahead of us, and discovering the secrets of the Mist is surely key to this. The petty issues of the court are inconsequential."
He turned again, and strode towards a scribe at the front of the pack.
"You! Historian!" he thrust a finger towards the scribe, who responded with a step back, and a meek "yes, lord?". "Several decades ago, our people had an excellent, just King, who instituted many sensible reforms and ruled prosperously for years. He is responsible for the trade with the Imperials, and for many of the small successes a great kingdom such as ours is gradually built opon. Do you know his name?"
The scribe began to look through his reams of parchment. "WITHOUT LOOKING, QUICK, WHAT WAS HIS NAME?" The poor scribe thought for a moment, before answering honestly: "I know not, my lord."
The King turned back to his Second. "Now, eight centuries ago, we had a strong leader, tyrannical, inept in the arts required for civil affairs, but who won many great victories and lost many tragic defeats against the Elves, and vanquished many of the great beasts below us. What was his name?" Without waiting for a reply, he carried on "See, friend Lyrkan, while no one knows poor Romus Thornbeard, who brought us peace and prosperity and a sensible rule less than 100 years ago, surely everyone knows the name of Throm Thornbeard, who brought us little more than destruction and glorious death in the far past."
His voice grew quieter, so that only Lyrkan could hear him. "How long after his death will my father's name be forgotten? I do not wish to be just another unknown story written in the Halls of Our Ancestors. I.. We have a greater destiny than that, my friend."
Lyrkan sighed. This conversation was not new to him, and there would be no resolution to it until his King had accomplished some nearly absurd task than only he could foresee. There were many other issues in the Kingdom, of which they were both aware, from the beasts from below making slow gains against the Kingdom's deepest outposts, to the religious tensions throughout the land, to some small dissents in the court itself. "Aye, my lord," he replied, also speaking in a hushed tone, "In that, you are right. YOu have always had a real fate in front of you, but you must not let your people suffer for it. Romus may not be remembered, but he is not remembered as a destroyer of our way of life either."
Taking up his stride again, the King's voice rose back to it's normal boom. "Fear not, friend Lyrkan. We shall deal with the enemies at home before turning our will towards the challenges without." He waved a hand, gesturing for a scribe to come forth. "Send word across the realm - we shall marshal a strong army to deal with the creatures beneath us, and then to be held in reserve once the beasts are crushed. We shall take none but volunteers, and they will be rewarded handsomely with each success."
He turned back to Lyrkan. "Send some of your men to our friends the Humans and Elves. I want you to pick them personally, and have them inform our allies that we will be moving to launch an assault into the deep - spare no ears, send them to the courts, and to cry through the towns. Any who would join us in this action will have our gratitude, as well as a share of any glory and treasures we may find."
King Haralus stopped suddenly in front of the door to the Royal Armoury, his entourage halting yet again. "Inform them that I shall lead this expedition personally. They have until the new moon to reply."
Ok, so to break that down:
- I'm recruiting an expedition force to scourge the depths, who will then form a fighting force "to be held in reserve".
- I've sent ambassadors to our allies to see if anyone wants to help.
- Failing that, I've sent recruiters to their towns as well in the hopes of attracting adventurous souls.
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(since you're the only one posting right now I'll just go ahead and do a time skip)
Lyrkan took the Kings orders and went to have them executed. He moved with purpose as the entourage parted in front of him and two guards fell into step behind him. He quickly disappeared around the corner to carry out his duty.
The armory meanwhile was massive in size with the walls and ceilings coated in gold with a marble floor. The Kings armor stood on a mannequin with his personal weapons on a nearby rack. In the armory was anything from bows and arrows to the finest Dwarven swords and axes.
In the coming weeks soldiers arrived from the Kingdom of Harrowfeld and the Elven houses. They were met with welcoming parties though Haralus knew some of the noble families of the dwarves bore suspicion against the people of Harrowfeld. For a long time it appeared that the Imperial Monarchy would not be sending official aid from their army until only a week before the expedition was to be carried out. They arrived and immediately paid to have one of the cities inns to themselves and there was a noticeable drop in illegal actions in the area surrounding the inn.
The Elven Houses had sent two thousand of their warriors with a compliment of five hundred healers and other necessary troops, and Harrowfeld had sent two thousand five hundred men, and the Imperial Monarchy had sent one thousand men. Combined with an additional thousand men from the various towns in the Elven Houses, Harrowfeld, and the Imperial Monarchy. there was a sizeable army awaiting the Kings orders. The only request from any of them was an audience with the King from the Imperial Monarchy's commander.
Haralus had heard of this man, young by human standards the man was only twenty-four and bore the rank of the Monarchy's third highest commander as well as numerous commendations from her Majesty and his direct superior.
The letter of request he sent read
"To his Royal Highness Lord Haralus Thornbeard, King of the Highland Dwarves, Protector of The Gullies, and Guardian of the Rock
Her Majesty received your request with much interest and sent myself and a thousand men to aid you with my personal legion coming within two weeks time of my arrival. I would seek to speak with the King whom will lead my men and myself into these caverns and directly address the concerns of her Majesty and myself as well as answer any questions as to the capability of my men.
With the highest of regard from Borrin Longguard, Commander of her Majesty's forces."
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As a note in the game it is a couple of days before the scheduled expedition.
and in summary
-two thousand elven warriors with their accompaniment of five hundred
-two thousand five hundred Harrowfeld warriors
-one thousand warriors from the Imperial Monarchy
-one thousand soldiers gathered from villages in the three kingdoms
-additonal Imperial Monarchy forces on the way that will arrive after the expedition is scheduled to begin.
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((Unless he wants to sign up for the "crusade", I'm guessing whatever Blitz will be doing is separate from what I'm going on about. So I'll just truck ahead here. Let me know if I'm writing too much. I kinda got the interactive story vibe from this more than a rigid RP vibe, so you get lots of words.))
Haralus was pleased. The turnout to his call to arms had been impressive, much more so than he had expected. It seems my father's diplomatic efforts have not gone to waste. he mused as he paced the walls of the Citadel of the Rock, looking down at the many camps which had sprung up around them in the past weeks.
A shout reached his ears from below, coming from one of the numerous makeshift mustering grounds that had come with the camps. One of his men was chastising a group of non-state volunteers for not heeding his commands. That lot might not be too beneficial in the coming fight. Surprisingly, his general call to the people of the allied kingdoms had been met by a good number of people, many of which who had poor equipment and little or no training. While the King would scarcely empty the Royal Coffers, or, ancestors-forbid, his personal armoury in order to equip them, he had taken measures to appoint a veteran from his forces to lead the individual formations and take responsibility for instilling some degree of military discipline in them. While the harsh training regime had caused a few deserters, most had stayed, undoubtedly swayed by the same lust that burned in him - a lust for glory. Or perhaps a lust for the riches we may find below. The king smiled to himself, and watched as another one of his officers sparred with three of the volunteers at once, throwing each to the ground, only to have them rise immediately and charge him again. What they lack in skill, they certainly seem to make up for in determination.
He continued down the wall, stopping to take note of the Elven camps. In comparison to the mixed assembly, it's tents and fires thrown up relatively haphazardly, the Elves displayed nearly stereotypically rigid protocol in their arrangements. Tents were erected in neat rows, fires were orderly and controlled, and the exercises they engaged consisted mostly of strict manuevers. If not for the city blocking the way in front of them, and the Citadel to their back, I'm sure they would have gone so far as to erect a palisade. In one field, they were engaged in a mock combat with some training dummies arrayed in a battle line. The elven spear wall would thrust forward, and the bows behind them would unleash a deadly stream of arrows into targets just over their heads. Funny to think that we were enemies not long ago, and that my predecessors mostly made their names for breaking those walls. It will be interesting to see how their tactics apply when we're in the tight catacombs.
Finally, he arrived at his destination - the towering gatehouse that reached all the way to the roof of the massive cavern that housed the capital. In front of it were the men of Harrowfeld, their tents arranged in loose circles, their famous warhorses corralled in the centers. There was little training going on in their camps, but the sounds of raucous laughter and merriment filtered up from the tents and campfires below. The humans are too confident in their abilities the King noted, I think that they're in for a surprise when they realize those ponies of theirs won't fit where we're going. He sighed quietly. At least they haven't stolen anything yet.
Noticably absent from the grounds around the Citadel was an Imperial camp. They'd taken up residence in several of the inns around town, mostly keeping to themselves. Perhaps for the best, that. The King had been somewhat perturbed by their decision to participate. Not only was it out of character for them to involve themselves so directly in the affairs of other realms, the number of troops they had decided to commit was discomforting to say the least. A thousand men, with more on the way. With those numbers, armed with those sorcerous weapons of those, it could almost be an invasion force rather than an allied one. King Haralus tried to push those thoughts away. Lyrkan had expressed a similar concern to him on the day of the contingent's arrival, and the King could not help but hear the potential truth in his words. The messenger from the Imperial commander, and the message he had brought, had done little to placate those concerns. That's a meeting I've likely put off long enough. The King turned from the sights below, and left to prepare himself for his meeting with Borrin Longuard.
Moving through the streets of the city had always been a joy for the King, despite the fact that he could not do so without a score of bodyguards since his coming of age. The sights, the sounds, and the smells - all the trappings of a civilization at the ground level, and something he was very fond of. In his youth, Haralus had often spent his days exploring the city, finding new wonders, and partaking in what he had seen as the small adventures of the lives of the commoners. Even now, simply walking around through the avenues and alleyways, he couldn't help but marvel at the openess of space around him, and the vast distance to the roof of the massive cave that housed a good portion of the Kingdom's capital. I wonder if anyone here ever takes the time to look up. The Citadel, while luxurious as is fitting the homes of nobility, was an almost completely closed structure, and there were few places within it's walls that one could admire the luminous glow of the fungus that lit the cavern's roof, let alone bask in the warm light that filtered in through the cave's entrance.
"BACK OFF, PEASANT!" One of his guards shouted from behind him, pushing away a passerby who had strayed too close to the invisible wall that separated the King from his people. The entourage was, to the King, an unfortunate reality that came with the other benefits of his station, and walks such as this made him sorely miss the days of his youth, when he could travel more or less unimpeded through his own lands.
Soon, too soon, his party found themselves outside of the inn where Borrin had roomed himself - it was a large structure, well built of sturdy Dwarven stonework, and reaching high above the surrounding buildings. Borrin has good taste, Haralus mused, of all the fine inns in this city, this one could easily pass most well as a fortification. He approached the Imperial trooper guarding the door, and addressed him directly.
"Greetings, friend of the Highlands. How do you find yourself on this evening?"
The soldier looked mildly surprised at having such a ranking figure address him, and took a moment before bowing slightly and responding. "Well, your Highness. I shall inform my commander of your arrival at once." He looked around at the guards accompanying the King. "As is our custom when making camp, he has requested that your men remain outside."
"Insolence!" barked the leader of the King's troop. He turned to Haralus. "My lord, surely we can not stand for this. Who is this man to ask for our liege to submit to his customs and bar us from entering property on his lands?!"
The King held up a hand, and smiled knowingly at his servant. "It is alright, Sergeant at Arms. Surely whoever he is, he's not foolish enough to try to harm your liege in the center of his own realm. You shall remain here, and insure the security of the street for my return." He turned back to the Imperial soldier. "I will not, however, surrender my personal arms, as is our custom when entering another's camp. Now, inform your commander that I am present for our meeting." Let's see what this is all about.
((Not much for actions here:
- Haralus has gone to meet Borrin, and see what's up.))
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The Imperial trooper said "He's been waiting for your arrival, so if your Highness will follow me."
The Imperial trooper led Haralus to one of the Inn's larger rooms and opened the door for him. Inside Haralus saw Borrin standing in front of a table in a dark green cloth uniform. Borrin smiled when he saw Haralus and gave a deep bow "Your Highness, it is a pleasure to be able to speak with you about her Majesty's concerns. But first she sent me with a number of gifts for yourself if you would like to view them." He said, straightening and stepping to the side of the table where several objects were sitting. Several articles of armor, a sword and axe, and somewhat smaller version of the weapons you had heard so much about. "Her Majesty felt that if her men were to go into battle alongside Your Highness, it would only be appropriate if we shared our weapons with you. Though I must admit the armor is most likely inferior to the Dwarven crafted armor available to you."
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((I don't mind lengthy posts, in this kind of thing they're actually rather appreciated. Though I have a feeling when conversations like this one occur between your character and a character I'm controlling there will probably be some shorter posts))
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Haralus gave a quick glance at the first bit of tribute presented to him.Mediocre armour indeed. Can't hold that against them, not everyone has access to the finest Dwarven smiths available. It looks very well sized though. The King made a mental note to have Lyrkan look into how they obtained his measurements. He gave the hand weapons a longer look. Of the two, the sword was far more ornate - masterful engravings, and curling tendrils of gold worked their way up it's blade, and the hilt was inset with several precious stones. It was built in the fashion of a sword of men, elegant, long, and with a sharp edge, rather than short, workmanlike, and built to thrust as with most Dwarven swords. The scabbard was similarly attractive, made from the pelt of some exotic beast, and finely embroidered with historical scenes.
By comparison, the axe was rather simple - a simple iron shaft covered in inscriptions, ending in a brightly polished steel head with a sharp spike on one end, and a blade on the other. It was also not of the Dwarven style - being fairly slim and just about as elegant as the sword, but looked impressively sturdy and very functional. The supplied covering for the head followed the same design - it was made of a light material similar to Borrin's tunic. Either the Imperials had been unaware of his preference for axes, being a traditional weapon of Dwarven nobility, or they had known, and realized that the axe would likely be used, while the sword would merely look good during court functions.
He lifted the axe, testing it's heft. Good balance, good weight. I have no qualms about splitting some heads with this during our assault if it pleases our allies. Placing it back on the table, he turned to the third weapon, the seemingly magical rod similar to those used by the Imperial troops. Unsure of it's operation, he picked it up gingerly and gave it but the most fleeting of inspections before setting it back down. More than anything, he was surprised at the lack of any supernatural sensation, something he expected when touching such a powerful piece of wizardry. No tingle of magic here. This thing, I'm not so sure about.
He turned to face Borrin, and addressed him. "You honor me, Borrin Longguard!" he exclaimed, and then pointed to the Imperial weapon laying in the table. "That is a most interesting device. Perhaps after our meeting, I'll have you instruct me on it's operation and inner workings." He waved a hand over the table. "The rest of these gifts are truly magnificent and most unexpected, and I am ashamed to say that I neglected to bring my tribute to your queen down from the Citadel with me." The King made a second mental note to have Lyrkan put together some similarly shiny baubles for her Majesty, and for himself to spend some time in his armory personally selecting something for the Imperial commander later in the evening. For now, it was time to get to business.
"Now. What of these concerns that trouble your Queen?"
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Borrin nodded as he walked over to a smaller table set in one of the corners of the room. "I am glad you like her Majesty's gifts, though there is no need to send us with anything in return. As to her Majesty's concerns the secondary reason for us being here is to investigate the creatures underneath your capital. The court mages seek to determine if they are related to the creatures the Legion fights on the borders of the Mists."
He opened a small chest next to the table and retrieved a few documents that he put on the table. "Oh, I do believe I was told to request that this information remain confidential as well. Whilst we have a capable army we do not wish to invite any other kingdoms to think we are an easy target, and from my experience with the King of Harrowfeld they would most certainly perceive our situation as such."
Borrin then continued "We recently found a Dwarf on the borders of the mists as well, dying unfortunately. His last request was that we deliver this to you." He picked up a sealed document and offered it to Haralus. "His body is being transported here with my personal legion so that he may be mourned and buried by his family. Her Majesty wished to extend her sincere regrets that we could not aid him more than ensuring he was comfortable in his final moments."
The letter
Your Highness I write this as I sit beside one of my comrades, may his ancestors welcome him. We found something, what it is we do not know but the mage told us it reminded him of the crystal passed down in your family. We were attempting to make the item ready for transport when the monsters arrived.
Claws that tore straight through Dwarven armor and shells that only the strongest of blows could break. Many of us died, more were wounded, before we could kill the last of them. I am ashamed to say that we failed to bury our dead but to stay we felt would only invite death to come once more. I pray the ancestors forgive me for this, for the eyes of the dead held only contempt for our cowardice.
The comrade I sit beside stirs every so often and his lips part only to release screams of terror after another magical beast attacked us and drove some of us mad. The healers have told me to go and seek the help of the Imperials since we are close to their lands. I write this knowing that only death will await me but hoping that this will be received by you. Enclosed is an odd device I found while we explored that cursed site.
Signed: Thorn Northshield, son of the Noble house Northshield
The device contained within was a cylinder that was large enough to held comfortably in the hand and similar in diameter to the handle of an axe and was of a decent weight.
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((I'll type up a reply shortly, but just a heads up, I edited my post talking about the mists thing to remove reference of it - the planned big raid, mind you, not the little expeditions. Didn't know what the other kingdoms would think about that, so I was gonna be sneaky after we deal with the catacombs and bring it up publicly them. I'm pretty sure you saw the post before I edited, so I might as well give a heads up that I edit pretty much everything at least once (though not that dramatically) and not to trust it till a little while after I post it. See, I did it to this one too!))
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((Edited the post to reflect that fact, so now they merely found the dwarf and he requested that the letter be sent to you. I'll keep an eye out for edits from here on))
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((It's probably bad form, and I'm working on it. But yeah, heads up and all, hah))
Haralus folded the letter up, and placed it on the table next to the gifts. Hopefully word of the lack of burial doesn't make it back to us. The public would not be pleased to know their sons and brothers have been left to rot in the mud. He made a third mental note to disseminate a declaration that another expedition had been lost, but had died courageously and retrieved invaluable information, as well as some brief explanation as to why only a single body was returned. Funerals with honors for those souls, present or not. Even if there's a suspicion of our lack of progress, it's hard to argue with the King's money.
Turning back to the conversation at hand, he took a pause to inspect the cylinder. After a moment, he spoke. "I appreciate that, commander, and am sure the man's family will as well." Rolling the cylinder along his fingers, he continued, "The beasts beneath us have troubled our city throughout my bloodline's rule. My ancestors, wise and brave through they were, dug far deeper than a mortal should go. I know little of the beasts in the Mist, but do not see how the two could be connected. I suspect we shall find little more resides beneath our feet than an outmatched foe and treasures long abandoned and forgotten when my ancestors withdrew from the catacombs. Regardless, I do not object to your mage's studies, and offer full use of the School's resources and whatever else they may need." He looked Barrin in the eyes. "I would expect that any findings pertinent to our security and task will be shared with the scholars and mages in our own courts as well."
Setting the cylinder on the table, the King picks the letter back up, and hands it to the commander, motioning for him to read it. "This, however, presents more riddles than it solves. What do you know of the things in the Mist, and of these devices which he speaks of?" He watched the Imperial's face closely, attempting to discern any subterfuge or withheld information that may have been made apparent as he read through the letter.
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Borrin nodded and said "Our findings will be shared with your mages and scholars of course"
The man then read the letter with obvious interest. When he finished he looked up at Haralus and said "I've fought some of these creatures first hand. The crawlers is what the Legion calls those armored monstrosities, and even our weapons have trouble with them to an extent. I thought they might have trouble with Dwarven armor but it seems I was mistaken. As for one that drives men mad I've only ever seen one, and the entire battalion that fought the beast either died in battle or were later killed to end their suffering. We had to burn the damn things corpse too, one of the older members of the Legion said the thing would come back to life otherwise. There is also smaller creatures about the size of a dog that move fast. If they get a hold of someone they start slamming their little, sharp, pointed legs all over trying to find a hole in the armor."
Borrin seemed sincere in what he was saying so far and he continued "As far as devices, we have found containers that open with a specific type of magic energy, large contraptions that seemed to serve no obvious purpose, and large entrenched weapons. There are many different devices lost in the Mists, though this one..." He motioned towards the device sitting on the table "...I've not seen something so small. The handle of a weapon maybe, perhaps a small container. I'm afraid to admit I am no scholar on these things, I've had to be more focused on the military aspects of my postings however I can have someone come and attempt to determine what it is if you would like."
Borrin appeared to be telling the truth and giving you the information he had though undoubtedly there was more information to be had.
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The King listened to Borrin's description of the things in the Mist, nodding throughout, and his suggestions regarding the device. "I will have our mages investigate it's purpose, but any assistance would be welcome, seeing as you have qualified individuals on hand already for your investigations in the catacombs. It does not seem to be a stretch of the imagination to also assume it may react in some way with the artifact in my family's possession, though I think it prudent to try and ascertain what the nature of a potential reaction would be before having them in close proximity to eachother."
The King casually moved to the service bell rope in the corner while speaking, and gave it a sharp tug. A faint ring sounded from elsewhere in the inn, filtering up from the floor. "I could use a drink, could you? This inn has some of the finest selection in the city." Moving to one of the comfortably padded sofas adorning the room, Haralus took a seat.
"As you have your own mission here, and because your battle tactics are relatively foreign to the rest of the armies who've answered our call, we should perhaps take some time to discuss how your contingent will fit into the battle plan before our grand assembly tomorrow. I've seen to it that the other armies assembled are staffed with some of my officers. I would assume they would be of less value to your men, but as is fitting for any action taken by an outside force on Dwarven lands, I would attach a liason to your force to provide assistance where you may need it." And keep an eye on what your mages are doing down there. "Do you have any objection to this?"
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Borrin moved one of the chairs in the room so that he could sit across from Haralus. "I have no issues with having a liason posted among my men. As for tactics you'll find that my men will prefer to be upfront in the formations though they will accept whatever position you deem appropriate. We have three hundred Rangers, the men trained to use what the men of Harrowfeld decided to call fire spitters, four hundred shield bearers, one hundred berzerkers, one hundred duelists, and one hundred fire bearers."
The door opened and one of the Inn's staff members pushed a cart into the room full of refreshments and some snack food. He was followed by an Imperial soldier wearing a suit of heavy armor that caused his foot steps to sound heavy. His helmet was a cylindrical piece of metal that had two small circular gems instead of the usual eye slits. The server put two golden goblets on top of the cart and poured two cups. Borrin watched the Imperial soldier for a second before looking to Haralus and saying "I do apologize, the few of these men that are from my personal legion are overtly protective." He looked back at the soldier and said "Leave the poor man alone, it's surely disconcerting to be followed by an armed man."
The soldier turned to Borrin and bowed, then turned and bowed to Haralus before leaving while the server finished pouring the cups and setting them on the table along with the bottle. "Our finest Dwarven ale Your Highness." He said, before bowing and departing the room.
Borrin picked up his goblet and took a drink before saying "The only thing I will say towards the overall plans is that I know my men and I know they will desire to be upfront and the first into combat if possible. For some of them any less is to insult their honor. However they will follow whatever orders I give them for to do less would also be an insult to their honor. The berzerkers will charge out with disregard for anyone and anything while the Fire Bearers, well I really would suggest they be up front. I don't think the fire that they spew from their weapons will care if it lands on friend or foe. Aside from that the Rangers can be positioned with the crossbowmen, and the other infantry will fit in with other infantrymen."
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((As a note fire spewing weapons are not unheard of though mechanical versions tend to be rarer since the magical counter part is both easier to use and can be adjusted more easily.
Also quick question: Does Haralus have any siblings?))
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Haralus finished his drink, and took a few moments to ponder over the information the Imperial had provided, and decided no serious challenges would be presented in integrating the Imperials into the existing battleplan.
"I think we shall be met with great success once the battle commences." He stood up, and set his goblet on the table, exchanging it for the Imperial fire thrower. He held the weapon up, and turned to Borrin. "Now, if there is nothing else for us to discuss, I would greatly like to give this bit of technology a go while we have some daylight left. There is an archery range set up just outside of the city - would you honor me with your company and a demonstration?"
((Siblings.... it seems likely, but I hadn't really considered it. Let me think on that for a bit here.))
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Borrin set his now empty goblet on the table as well and stood. "I would be honored to show you how to use it."
Borrin walked to door and opened it for Haralus. The two made their way back out of the Inn and to the street where Haralus' entourage waited. The guardsmen of his entourage, along with a number of Imperial soldiers, were keeping a large group of dwarves at a distance away from the Inn but the shouts of one of them could be heard "How dare the King bring these outsiders, these gutless dogs who know not of honorable combat with sword and axe meeting! The tunnels are a Dwarven matter that should be handled by Dwarves!"
Haralus could see the Imperial soldiers and could tell they were eager for an excuse to turn this shouting match into open combat with their accusers. Even Borrin, who had been a calm and even headed man so far, seemed angered by the words. All he said however was "You would think I'd be used to this by now." Then to Haralus "I think your people will listen to you far better then me your Highness."
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With a nod, the King walked up to the cordon of guards separating the inn from the crowd, gently stepping through them and standing to address the crowd unimpeded by their protection. I knew this would come eventually, but didn't expect it to happen until it was time to divide the spoils. Well.
Raising his voice, he let out an authoritative bark which overpowered all other voices. "SILENCE!" His eyes searched the crowd, trying to pick out the loudest of the dissenters. "Who dares to question the will of the King? Do not hide behind your wall of anonymity - come forth and stand before me!"
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A dwarf stepped forward and Haralus recognized him. He was Slade, a member of one of the more important noble families and one which Haralus has had trouble with in the past, becoming especially vocal after the second expedition in which several of his brothers were lost. He was also rather drunk based on how he was walking.
"I question you, you who invite outsiders into a strictly dwarven matter, you who sends our brothers on fruitless adventures, you who invite these..." He gestured towards the Imperial soldiers "...dogs who know not what true combat is. I question you who saw my brothers sent to the mists when you knew only death would come!"
Several members of the crowd echo agreement though many of them are rather obviously in differing stages of drunkenness.
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Ah, Slade. I should have suspected - finally, after enough drink, he has the courage to face me with his grievances rather than continuing to scheme and whisper them in shadow. Haralus had always had little patience for the noble houses, a few of which had no understanding of his quest to understand the Mist and the threats there-in. While he'd always preferred frank, open conversation, he had not become King without having some skill in out-talking his opponents. Particularly drunken cowards.
"Slade Stoneburrow! I expected fully that you would have an objection to this course of action, but had also expected you would have come to me as a valued advisor, much as your father was to mine. I did not expect you to give 'counsel' while under the effects of a fine ale, with a mob at your back. You do me a personal dishonor to ignore our traditions and protocols, and to raise such issues in the presence of outsiders." His words were sharp, pointed things, and he could tell that the implication of a dishonorable action had only stoked Slade's anger. Good.
His tone softened, becoming more tactful if no less authoritative. "But it is of no consequence. Much as my ancestors did, stretching back to Terranus Thornbeard, first Guardian of the Rock, I believe it is well within the right of a learned noble to question his King, and offer solutions to the troubles facing the Realm. It is your right as my subjects to understand why things have come to pass, and where our future lies."
He looked around at the rest of the crowd, making eye contact with as many of them as possible, and continued: "I see many friends in this crowd, and it saddens me to know that my people are so filled with fear that they have let their faith in our power falter, and their belief in the strength of our friendships with the other Realms fall to the wayside. This is not what I have worked for, or what my father has worked for, or what his father before him worked for."
"I ask this of any man here - when has the Highlands not answered the call of our allies? When the so-called 'Chosen Kingdom' fell into dark times, making war against their cousins and the kingdoms of men, who answered their call for aide?" He paused, and then, his tone turning into a roar, cried "THE HIGHLANDS!"
"When the men of Harrowfeld were under siege by the forces of the dark mage Azurdal, and no other would assist them, who stood by their sides on the wall and helped carry the day? Was it not DWARVEN STEEL and DWARVEN MIGHT that ended that vile wizard and his damned legions?"
"And when the fell monsters of the Northern Conclave took it opon themselves to rule all of Azmodal, and it seemed all hope was lost and no other could stand in their way, who amongst the mortal Realms stood fast and led the charge, turning back the tides of evil on the VERY GROUND OPON WHICH WE STAND?" Was it not OUR FATHERS AND OUR GRANDFATHERS WHO HALTED THE GREEN MENACE?"
His voice softened again. "My friends, I do not call on our allies because I feel the Highlands are weak. I do not call them because our warriors, the finest in all Azmodal could not crush the foulness beneath our feet unaided. No, I call opon our comrades because I know that our people have always been there when needed. How many of us have lost ancestors, relatives, and good friends to the wars of our allies? How many dwarves have gone on to look down opon us from the Hereafter on battlefields far from their homes? Can any honorable man here say we were wrong, and our forefathers were wrong, to give help to those who were in a time of need?" He looked around again, not expecting a response.
"I do not call on our allies out of weakness. I call opon them because together we stand stronger than any one nation alone. I call on them to repay our lost brethren for their service. And because we are strong, because we are honorable, and because our allies are noble, just creatures, they have chosen to answer that call! They do us an honor with their actions, much as we have done them an honor many times in the past! Would any true Dwarf have it but any other way?"
He looked at Slade again, and spoke to him directly, though loud enough for the others to hear. "Would you, Slade Stoneburrow, question the honor and reason of all the Dwarves who have come before us?" His tone changed again, now sounding more like a lecturer at the School, and he motioned behind him, at the Imperial soldiers. "You, more than any other man here, more than even I, should understand the threat the things in the Mist represent. And yet, these men, who have left their homes defenseless to the beasts within the cloud to come to our aid, to stand by us and face death willingly - you would call them 'dogs'? You would call them 'dishonorable'?"
The King shook his head slightly. "These men do us a great service, and will continue to do so - it matters not with what they fight." Stopping for a moment, Haralus attempted to empathize with the impetuous fool before him, as much as it was distasteful. This is not the time or place to discuss my goals in regards to the Mist, but I do not expect this fool will be placated without words towards it.
"I am saddened by the loss of your brothers, as much as loss of my own brother saddened me. The toll the Mist has taken on all our brothers and fathers has been harsh, but it is not in vain. We do not understand what threats are contained therein, and without understanding, we cannot hope to face whatever demons may emerge from it. Your brothers understood this threat, and heeded the call, much as did mine." He looked up at the rest of the crowd again. "Our efforts to unmask the terrors of the unknown have not been in vain, nor will they be forgotten. We will face Death in the Mists as we have it many times before, and again, it will tremble to hear our names. I swear this opon my Throne. Now, what say you, fellow Highlanders? Shall we spend this day arguing in the streets, or shall we feast and celebrate our friendships and coming victory?"
Quieting yet again, and speaking so that only Slade, and at most the nearest few men could hear him, he said "For one who speaks of honorable combat, you have not heeded the call yourself, dear Stoneburrow. I expect you will remedy this by joining us in the Catacombs in the coming days. I would not celebrate too hard this evening."
((Roll them dice and hopefully don't riot! Lulz. Edits for spelling.))
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Slade stared at Haralus for a moment before sighing and saying "You are right my King, I should not air grievances in the open air, and much less should I do so while drunk and gather a mass to do so. I apologize to you and our honorable guests and will join you in the Catacombs. I shall go and prepare myself."
Before much more could be said the noble left and the crowd began to disperse, though many went back towards the bar. One of the imperial soldiers spat off to the side and turned to his compatriot saying "This is how they treat us when we heed the call of their King?" The other shook his head and the Imperial soldiers went back to their posts.
Borrin shook his head and looked to Haralus "That could have turned out worse. Reminds me of what happened when I returned home from my first assignment with the Legion. In any case shall we go to the archery range or do you now have more pressing matters?"
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((With that post the only way you could have failed would have been if I rolled a 1))
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(("We'll fight them on the beaches" and shit, right? :P))
Haralus smiled at the commander. "I apologize for them, Borrin. That one means well in his own mind, but is ignorant of the world. Pay him no thought - a strong lashing, even from the tongue, is as much as he deserves." Through the giant cave's entrance, the sun was beginning to turn a warm orange as it moved towards the horizon. "Unless you feel you should remain here to encourage your men after this disrespect, I'd still enjoy a demonstration of this weapon of yours before the day is through."
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Borrin looked back at his men and shook his head "They will be fine. Angry, but fine. All the more reason for them to go into the tunnels and show those who doubt their capabilities."
The two of you, followed by Haralus' entourage and two Imperial soldiers, walk to the Archery range, conversing about minor things of no consequence. When you reached the archery range Borrin motioned to one of the soldiers who produced one of the Fire Throwers and handing it to Borrin. "I must admit it has been some time since I last used one of these, I favor the sword over them honestly."
The soldier that had given him the weapon put a small bag on the table in front of you two before stepping back. Borrin opened the bag and pulled out a small magic infused crystal and inserted it into a small slot in the weapon. "These provide the propulsion that sends the projectile at such high velocity into it's target. The weapons are designed to channel the energy in these crystals, if there were a fault in how it's made the weapon will detonate in it's user's hand."
He took a metal ball that the other soldier offered him and inserted it into the barrel before taking a small ram rod and pushing the ball to the back of the barrel. "The sights on the weapon are designed to be accurate up to a specific distance, in the case of the weapons we have they are accurate up to two hundred and fifty feet."
Borrin took aim at one of the more distant targets and fired the weapon. A deafening boom sounded over the range as smoke and fire flew out of the end of the weapon. As his hearing returned Haralus heard many of the men nearby cursing and saw several backing away. Haralus also took note of how Borrin braced himself before discharging the weapon.
Borrin pulled the crystal from the weapon and let it fall to the ground. Haralus saw what appeared to be some coming off the crystal and how it seemed to decay. He handed the weapon back to the soldier and the man showed Haralus how to properly use the weapon step by step.
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The King took the fire thrower from the Imperial after the brief instruction, and lined the sights up on his target. "And what is the key to constructing the crystals?" He braced, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger. BOOM.
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Borrin smiled and said "Aside from a skilled mage all that need be done is have someone carve them into the appropriate shape. I can have one of our mages teach yours how manufacture them. The mage infuses the crystal with magic and a craftsman carves it to fit into the slot, the weapon itself takes the magic energy and uses it to fire the projectile."
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"That would be most appreciated. Much as I prefer my axe, the power of these devices cannot be ignored."
Haralus and Borrin took several more shots and had a fairly pleasant visit, all things considered. The daylight finally waned, and Haralus bid him farewell, returning to the castle with his gifts and entourage.
Later that evening, the King took some time to inspect the tribute Lyrkan had prepared for the Empress. A small gift, simply to repay the one given to him, it consisted mostly of quality crafts and trinkets, though Haralus did spy some more practical items such as an automated abacus and several tomes on historical economics. All seems fitting for a merchant Empire. he mused. Satisfied, he ordered it packed and sent to the inn, and went to his armory to pick out something for the commander.
Of all his personal rooms within the Citadel, the armory was certainly one of his favorites. Besides the opulence of the room itself, it was also simply a comfortable place to spend time. A massive hearth bathed the whole room in the warm glow of flames, while the golden walls absorbed enough heat to ensure the temperature was always comfortable. Several loungers arrayed before fireplace provided a good place to relax, or to read through a book from the small library he'd had installed upon his ascension to the throne. There was, however, no time for that this evening, so rather than selecting a story of mythical legends, or an account of a battle long past, the book the King pulled from his shelves was a catalog of items inside the armory itself.
He was on the hunt for a practical gift, something valuable, but not priceless. He eyes skimmed the pages as he lay on one of the loungers, and at some point, an attendant arrived with a jug of mead. After a fair bit of searching, he stopped, picking out a particularly good candidate from the massive list before him. Rising with his goblet of mead, he moved over to the weapon's location, and took it from it's home on the wall.
It was a long sword of Elven origin, presented to one of his ancestors for some service done to them in the past. Single edged, and razor sharp, it had been carried for a while out of respect by it's original owner, before being discarded in favor of a trusted axe. It contained history and meaning for some, but no special value for anyone still living or the King himself. Pulling it from it's sheath, he glanced back at his catalog, double checking the information of it's other interesting property. He pushed lightly on the gem set into the center of the hand guard, and the room was bathed in a blueish light that arced it's way up the blade. Rather pretty. While the magical light had no particularly special aspects, beyond never proven rumors that it was distasteful to the undead, it would do a good job of lighting the deepest of the catacombs, where the glow-fungus did not grow and torches would be mostly burned out. That should do. He put the sword back into it's sheath, and summoned Lyrkan, who he instructed to personally deliver the weapon.
He retired for the night, his mind full of thoughts and plans for the next day.
((Unstated actions that are happening:
- The court mages are investigating the cylinder.))
((If nothing happens in the evening, I will post the morning actions in a little bit. And then we can get to killing stuff and things.))
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((Nothing happened so I'm just gonna make a quick OOC post. Your mages know the cylinder channels magic energy into something but they don't know what and it requires a specific type of magic energy that they are having trouble finding someone capable of channeling into the cylinder. Evidently it's a rare type of magical energy that only a few mages are capable of using, and even than most of those capable can only channel minor amounts of it.
Other then that nothing of note really happened))
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((So, by that, is it safe to say that without it's other components, the cylinder by itself is pretty much inert?))
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((I'm realizing that I'm terrible at wording certain things. It channels the energy into forming something, though the mages can't tell if it's supposed to channel it into a weapon or something else.))
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Morning came quickly, much too quickly for the King's liking. The previous day had been busy, and the night had been late. No matter, there is work to be done!
He spent the first portion of the day alone in his chambers, going over the reports sent to him by the court mages in regards to the cylinder recovered from the Mist. They had been unable to identify it's purpose with any real certainly, but had concluded it was built to manifest something using a very specific type of energy - they had been unable to produce enough to make the object actually do anything. This, unfortunately, was not the answer the King was hoping for - he'd remained mindful of the dead Dwarf's mention of another artifact, similar to the heirloom crystal that had been in his family's possession for so long. Not knowing exactly what the reaction between the two may be made him leery. Still, fortune favors the bold. He wrote out a quick note for his mages to continue their investigation and to see if the crystal's presence somehow activated the cylinder. He also ordered that his court's scholars should make use of their Imperial counterparts to see if they were more familiar with whatever secrets the crystal might contain.
He had a brief morning meal of some fine mead and red meats, dealt with some of the trivial matters of the day to day operation of the Kingdom, then turned his attention to the grand strategy that would be discussed at the afternoon's meeting of the assembled force's ranking leaders. While most of the finer details would be relegated to liaisons, advisers, or the individual contingent's leaders themselves, there were some things that needed coordination.
One of the largest issues presented was that of actually coordinating the separate actions of such a large force. The catacombs had existed longer than the Rock itself, dating back to before the unification of the Highlands, when the cavern that housed the fortress was a simple mining operation. Few reliable maps existed, even of the top levels, and it seemed none had ever been made of the depths. Even for the Dwarves, who were accustomed to orienteering deep underground, the catacombs presented a serious challenge. It seemed very possible that the Men and Elves could lose themselves completely in the depths and never re-emerge.
His plan for dealing with this was somewhat risky. While mages could cast directional spells, and the more mundane troops could leave a marked trail behind, neither solution accounted for stragglers, or those who became separated from the main force. Accordingly, they would need some form of central landmark to which any tunnel would eventually lead. The landmark of choice was obvious: Some time, eons past, a massive central shaft had been dug to provide ventilation to the original miners. This had been lengthened and expanded upon, and while no one knew it with any certainty, it appeared to extend down to even the lowest of levels, miles and miles beneath the surface. As with most of the other entrances (or exits) to the catacombs, it had been sealed by his predecessors, who feared that the creatures beneath their feet might use it to sally forth into the Citadel. The seal itself was a massive obsidian disk, located directly in the center of the Rock's main courtyard. Removing this would allow air to flow freely through the tunnels, and all a lost soldier would have to do to find his way back to the center of the catacombs would be to follow this breeze.
Of course, it was sealed for good reason. Should we fail, then... well. The King pushed this thought from his mind - it had to be done, and so it would be.
A second issue was the division of troops. While he knew his own soldiers and the Elves would work together fairly well, he was unsure about how the Men of Harrowfeld would interact with them. The confrontation at the Inn the night before had been a harsh reminder that many Dwarves did not trust the younger races of Humanity - Harrowfeld's reputation as a nation of erstwhile allies and opportunists certainly did not help matters. He spent some time going over the troop rosters and order of battle assignments, tweaking them to his satisfaction. Though he was King of these lands, he did not set any of these plans into stone - he had made it clear to all parties that these sorts of matters would be open to reasoned debate. He had also made it clear to his own men that their appointments as ranking officers to the formations of their allies was more a matter of ceremony, and that while nominally outranking the foreigners under their command, they were to differ to the regular commanders and act strictly as advisers.
Finally, he made a quick review of the plan of attack and overall strategy. Having spent months considering the various options presented to him, he doubted that there were any improvements to be made there. Still, he spent the rest of his time checking and double checking the expected outcomes of the plan, before breaking for lunch.
After lunch, the King made his way to his armoury. He donned his finest ceremonial armor, a masterful piece of craftsmanship, heavily engraved, inset with fine gems, and gilded with precious metals. Despite it's appearance, it was also an incredibly functional protective device - the thick steel plates would turn most blades by themselves, and the engravings held enchantments that offered protection well beyond that of a more standard suit of similar design. It had served him well in many battles in the days of his early youth, and he did not doubt it would perform equally impressively in the coming battle. Over this, he donned a fine cloak of rich red fabrics.
He then turned to his weapon racks, and selected an equally impressive axe before remembering the gifts given to him by the Imperials. He returned it to it's place on the wall and took down the Imperial axe, finding it strapped perfectly over his shoulder without any adjustment. Finally, he moved to the racks that held a variety of more exotic weaponry. He paused for a while, debating on whether or not to bring the small fire-thrower that the Imperials had also gifted him. While he did not doubt the power it contained, openly wearing it had the potential to cause further issues amongst his own nobles. After some deliberation, he took it from it's display case and strapped it around his waist, making sure to do so in such a fashion that it would be concealed behind his cloak. The shot and crystals which powered it were tucked into similarly subtle leather pouches and also mounted on his belt.
Having prepared himself physically for the upcoming battle, he took several minutes and prepared himself mentally for the upcoming meeting, then exited the armoury and made his way to the assembly.
The meeting was held in the highest floor of the enormous gatehouse. The room was impressively large, with a vaulted ceiling that stretched far above the heads of even the tallest of the men assembled there. One wall of the room was covered in what maps of the Catacombs had been discovered, as well as stoneboards covered with childlike scribbles made by officers detailing planned troop movements and formations. A solid chunk of stone, carved directly from the rock that made up the Citadel itself, ran across the room, acting as a table, and ornate chairs had been brought up for the guests to sit on. Drinks, food, and some small pass-times had been provided, and there was almost a celebratory mood in the air.
The King was the last to arrive, as was fitting, and he took a few seconds to watch the interactions of his guests before moving to sit on his throne at the end of the table. Much like the table itself, it had been carved from the rock around them, inlaid with bones that were rumored to have come from a dragon, and engraved with Dwarven runes that spoke of legendary heroes from days long past. It, much like the rest of the room, was incredibly impressive.
Damned throne, mused the King, A curse on whichever of my forefathers thought stone would make for a comfortable seat. He had managed to get in and settle into his chair mostly unnoticed - the only reaction he was given was from Lyrkan, who moved to take his place at the King's side.
"Attention!" Lyrkan barked, cutting through the hubbub, "All Hail Lord Haralus Thornbeard, King of the Highland Dwarves, Protector of The Gullies, and Guardian of the Rock." He was met with a resounding cry of "All Hail!" from the rest of the crowd in the room, though some were more enthusiastic than others.
"His Lordship has called this meeting to discuss our actions, starting this evening, in the Catacombs. Before we commence this discussion, does any man here have the need to address the King?"
((Actions:
- The court mages are going to see if the cylinder has anything to do with the crystal.
- The imperial mages have been asked to also check out the crystal.
Think that sums up the roll-worthy stuff or whatever.))
((Questions:
- Did Slade end up showing up at the meeting?))
If no one needs to speak before the King, I'll try to post a second part shortly. Edits for spelling and shit.
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((Slade did show up, though he seems rather hung over and his advisor rather agitated))
An old and battle scarred Dwarf stood, motioning for the two men that accompanied him to sit still and let him get himself to his feet. Haralus knew this man, raised to the rank of noble for his service in the Dwarven military, his name was Durrin Ironhold. He was one of the few nobles who seemed to have a distaste for the politics that the other nobles played. "I have need to address his Highness concerning a member of my family, well several if I am to be honest. One of my children over heard something last night that got some idiotic idea into him that he should gather men loyal to him, which included several of his brothers, and then go into the catacombs before your expedition." He cast a brief and rather angry look towards Slade for a moment before returning his eyes to Haralus "I doubt any of them will survive, much less do anything of substance while they do live, but I felt that your Highness should be made aware of their idiocy."
With that Durrin returned himself to his seat, briefly shaking his head as he did so. All of the others gathered remain silent, waiting for Haralus.
-
Haralus sighed to himself. While he'd never given implicit orders that the catacombs were off-limits to the general population, it had always been implied that they were not a place to be toyed with, or entered lightly. That Slade was apparently involved was an annoyance - the larger concern was that the Dwarf apparently felt no shame at sending Durrin's young sons to their deaths. That dishonor and guilt should weigh heavily on any Dwarf. The King rose from his seat, and addressed the grizzled warrior.
"Durrin Ironhold, as always, I appreciate your honest words. It disappoints me that your children have acted foolishly, but I am more disappointed that someone among our people would knowingly encourage our brethren to put themselves in such danger. It is a shameful act, and a pointless one. Still, there is no dishonor on you, nor have I been wronged by this action. Should they survive, there will be no punishment, nor will there be any reward should they meet with success - it is a mere folly of youth. As there is no crime in encouraging foolishness, no matter how shameful an action it may be, I cannot offer you any recourse against the instigator, should the dog ever be publicly identified." Haralus had some difficulty in disguising the disgust in his tone while speaking those last words. The King bowed his head slightly. "I will instruct our priests to ask the Ancestors for their protection, and will detach a small unit to search for them when we enter the underground in force."
The King returned to his seat. "Would anyone else address his Lordship?"
((Anything specific to know about the catacombs themselves that the Highlanders would already know about, or should I just run with it a bit?))
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The assembled Dwarves remained silent. Those next to the old Dwarf whispered their condolences and reassurances that if they ever learned who encouraged his son's folly they would not show mercy in their actions. A few nobles exchanged glances and their disgust was clear, if it ever came to light Slade encouraged Durrin's sons into this stupid act he would likely not make it through the night.
However no one else stood to address Haralus, instead waiting for the reason this meeting had been called.
-
No one else spoke up. Lyrkan looked over at Haralus, who gave a small nod. "As the King's audience has spoken their peace, His Lordship now calls this assembly to order. All tongues shall be held until the dictation of his will is complete."
Though the plans had been formed by both of them, it would have been unseemly to the King to address the group directly in such a formal session. He would sit back and allow Lyrkan to do the speaking, though he had suddenly changed his mind about a small matter that would have to be addresses shortly.
"With the formalities done, I believe all of you should be aware as to why we are here. The beasts below us have troubled us long enough, and his Lordship has called upon the willing warriors of our nation and it's allies to address this." Lyrkan summoned over an attendant, who handed him a long stick. He walked over to the maps of the catacombs, and continued:
"As you can see, there are several entrances to the underground, with the currently active ones being here, here, and here." He tapped out the locations with his stick. "While one main entry point would be beneficial to our forces, structural realities mean that we unfortunately cannot seal these three entrances. Instead, we will be assigning the Volunteer Legion to enter from these points, progress to these areas," he tapped the map again, marking the holding points, "And perform a holding action against anything the main force drives up from beneath. We will also have small numbers of the Citadel Guard posted to the entrances themselves, should anything make it past the Volunteers."
Lyrkan took a deep breath. He knew this next part would unsettle some. "The main force will be entering from the central shafts, which we will unseal shortly after this session adjourns. His Lordship is acutely aware of the risks involved in this, but I feel I speak for all those gathered here when I say that we should have little need to fear anything making it through our collective armies. Regardless, the remainder of the Guard will be posted around the shaft to insure the security of the Citadel." If there were any objections, the audience was polite enough to obey court customs and hold their tongues.
"As you can see, there are four large corridors that descend into the depths of the catacombs from this shaft. We have broadly assigned each national force to one of these - they will be responsible for pushing forward into the underground from here."
Lyrkan spoke for some length, assigning the Elves to the north passage, the Men of Harrowfeld to the south, the Imperials to the east, and the Dwarves to the west. He then touched on the rally plan: "Should your men become lost, or should you need to regroup your forces, you will simply follow the flow of air back to the central shaft. We have made provisions for a basecamp to be set up there, and our supply chains will radiate from that point." He then went on to discuss more specific tactics for each group, and make recommendations on how best they could achieve their directives and fight effectively in the tight tunnels on the lower levels.
"We will push as far as we can, and his Lordship has faith that we shall meet success in utterly eradicating our foe.
After delving into the basic plan, the topic turned to how the forces would be arranged. "While our allies are all self-sufficient in regards to their combat capabilities, His Lordship submits the following changes be made to our order of battle:
Firstly, our friends the Elves have brought many capable healers. These will be used to supplement our own medical staff, and be divided amongst all the regular forces. The Volunteers have been assigned a number of our own healers, who should be capable of keeping them alive should they encounter more serious resistance than we anticipate.
Secondly, the Men of the Empire have contributed a group of soldiers known as Rangers, and their commander has assured us that they are capable of acting independently. These men will also be divided amongst the forces, and will be responsible for giving heavy support where they are needed - their fire-throwers will compliment our axes and arrows if we meet a powerful foe.
Similarly, our mages have prepared themselves for combat, and will also be divided amongst those assembled. Their numbers are limited compared to the rest of us, and their powers can be exhausted - they are not to be used lightly. In addition to this, should the tunnels have no end, and it be determined that pushing further will only result in an unacceptable loss of life, they will be responsible for permanently sealing off the passages. To this end, we have also attached engineers to each division, so that they can decided how to most effectively accomplish this if the need arises.
As the Men of Harrowfeld, as well as our own forces, are the most numerous amongst us, we shall form a reserve from members of both parties, to be sent into combat where needed. This reserve will rotate as the campaign wears on - this should keep the soldiers from growing too weary.
Beyond this, you and your officers shall take the fight to our foes in the manner you see fit. We have placed our own officers and liasons into your forces to advise you and suggest courses of action. All of these men are veterans of this terrain, and will prove invaluable."
Lyrkan motioned for the attendant again, and was handed a long list of names.
"While the lower ranks are aware of their assignments, I have before me a finalized list of ranking officers and liasons. The following officers will be assigned to the Harrowfeld group." He rattled off some names, then repeated the process for the Elves, including his own as a strategic liason. "It has been decided that the tactics used by our Imperial allies are foreign enough to us all that they would not benefit from having low level advisors. Instead, Durrin Ironhold and the officers of his choosing shall be assigned to their command staff to make strategic recommendations and act as liason." As per Borrin's request, no mention of the Imperial mages was made, and Haralus trusted Durrin to keep their activities quiet.
Haralus knew that what was about to happen next would come as a bit of a surprise to Lyrkan. "The following Dwarves will be given responsibility for their own divisions of forces:
Aeric Cutmaker will lead the Iron Fists.
Baric Firestone will lead the Night Axes...."
He continued listing the appointments for some time, and the King noted the smiles of those chosen. He could recall his first serious appointment as though it were yesterday. It is good they realize the honor they are given. All the more reason for them to earn it.
"Slade Stoneburrow shall.." Haralus held up a hand, cutting Lyrkan off, and motioned for him to come speak in private. He spoke quietly, and directly into his second's ear. A puzzled, then concerned look crossed his face before he turned back to the other, and continued. "Slade Stoneburrow shall head the King's personal Guard, and be entrusted for his safety while he makes his inspections of the front."
This was indeed a surprise to many. Though he often spoke of his martial skill, it was widely accepted that Slade had not been tested in many actual combats, at least combats that the other nobles were aware of. Beyond this, the King usually acted as the head of his own guard, seeing little need for a go-between. And this honor, I'm not sure he knows what to do with. The King suppressed a smile. Perhaps some responsibility would be good for Slade, and this way, worst come to worst, Haralus could at least keep an eye on him.
Lyrkan finished his list, then moved on to the division of spoils. "As every Dwarf here knows, the catacombs are vast and ancient. Our ancestors dug deep, and there are many artifacts and treasures hidden below for our taking. Any artifact of magical or historical importance shall be left in place, under the normal Penalties of Theft, until they can be investigated and cataloged by our scholars. All other spoils will be retrieved by our combined support staffs, and be stockpiled for division after the campaign is completed." Lyrkan cast a serious glance around the room. "This includes any personal trophies - we do not know what dangers we may face, and we do not need our soldiers letting their guards down while trying to retrieve objects for their bragging rights." He continued on, detailing the percentages each nation, commander, division, squad, soldier (and so on) could take after the fight was over - the lion's share obviously went to the Royal Treasury, and the leaders of the respective nations were free to dictate how much of their share the troops would *actually* be able to keep, but the King felt he had been acceptably generous in making sure his allies were compensated. If we meet with success, it's very possible I've just made many men rich.
The rest of the meeting consisted of Lyrkan revisiting strategies and expounding on details, and the King found his mind wandering. He'd never been very patient for official planning sessions such as this, and spent the rest of the assembly trying to look interested while also daydreaming about what strange treasures and beasts they might discover below. "Thus ends the dictation of our Lordship's will. Any wishing to speak and contribute may do so now." Lyrkan's words brought Haralus back to reality, and he re-focused on the task at hand, ready to address any concerns or discuss any alterations.
((Ok, so, not actions but a summary:
- Each nation has dwarves attached to it's army on varying levels of command, as well as mages, healers, scholars, and engineers.
- The main plan is to enter through the shaft in the central courtyard, send each army in one of four directions, and then basically let them be responsible for themselves.
- The Volunteers are pretty much just in charge of keeping the other entrances secure, as are the Citadel Guards.
- There is a decent reserve force of men and Dwarves. As I wrote this all out, I realized I have no idea as to how much of the Highlands military was freed up for this.
- Slade gets to hang out with the King. Sounds fun. The King's Guard are still his handpicked men, but will nominally take orders directly from Slade.
- There is a nominal division of spoils. I don't think I explained this well up there, but it's set up kind of like a 17th century boat - captains (head commanders) get x%, ranking officers (division commanders) get x%, soldiers get x%. Of course, the King of Harrowfeld might decide that he keeps 80% of the loot assigned to Harrowfeld which means that the soldiers from there get y% instead of x%, but the King's own men will get well paid, as will the Volunteers. The King has been generous, but also isn't just giving dwarven money away, so to speak. The Highlands will get a very large percentage of whatever is pulled up - I don't have a number in mind since actual dollar values are maybe a bit irrelevant, but it's a high enough number that he doesn't expect any of his subjects will complain.
- Anything magical doesn't get touched because it might be dangerous. Anything historical (art, statues, whatever) doesn't get looted. Once that stuff is all checked out, it might get included as loot.
- Penalties of Theft mean harsh punishment, up to losing a hand.
I think that covers most of it, but I'm sure you'll catch anything I miss anyway.
Also, other people should get in on this shit. You can literally do whatever you want according to Vulnus. Hell, I get to lead a crusade into the deeps and in then end, possibly end up wrecking one of the major kingdoms if my future plans go really wrong. If Haralus dies, I could get to be some peasant dealing with whatever mess he's left. I even get to help make some lore apparently, which is cool as shit. What's not to like about this concept?))
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(There's about seven thousand dwarven soldiers who were recalled from foreign actions to handle this, and four thousand dwarven mercenaries(from various companies) volunteered their service at the pay rate of the average dwarven soldier, no additional costs or pay, just the same that all the other dwarves were getting)
((also, I do believe you said this is the day before, so I'll give a short summary of what's happened that night and then go to the opening of the central shafts))
The chosen Dwarves thanked Haralus for their prestigious assignments and Durrin himself expressed his great gratitude for being given his position. Slade however seemed in complete and utter shock as his advisor stared at Lyrkan for a moment before whispering something to Slade that seemed to go unnoticed. After a long while of thanks and congratulations from those who would be remaining above ground everyone turned to the silent Slade. With what appeared to be great difficulty he got out "Thank you your Highness, I never thought I would receive such an honor! I shall serve you to the best of my abilities."
The Next Day
The armies were gathered together while the shafts were opened. It was opened by a mix of mages and engineers working in tandem and took almost an hour. Haralus observed the armies as they waited, with the knights and soldiers of Harrowfeld looking impatient, the Elven soldiers remaining rigidly in formation, and the Imperial soldiers discussing things amongst themselves while they waited patiently with a few offering help to the engineers that was quickly dismissed.
In the end the shaft entrance was uncovered, with it's seal being moved out of the way and the engineers making sure the entrance would not collapse...which is about when a creature rushed forward and speared one of them on a sharp pointed claw before flinging the body into one of his fellows. Without hesitation the Imperial Berzerkers charged forward with their weapons lifted over their heads.
In contrast the men of Harrowfeld recoiled at the sight of the thing before charging at it so as not to appear the cowards, and Elves followed close behind in formation that seemed to be so well drilled that Haralus doubted if they would ever break it without order.
The first soldier to reach one of the beasts was a berzerker who brought his hammer down on top of the thing...which bounced right off the hard shell and caused the man to stumble backwards a few feet while one of his compatriots charged right past him and leapt on top of the thing and started slamming the hammer into it's shell until a resounding *CRACK* could be heard.
This was soon followed by the deafening sound of Fire Throwers as two of the beasts that were charging out of the shaft fell dead and rolled onto two Harrowfeld knights who were rather unfortunate in their position. The first of the Elven formations crashed into one of the beasts and it fell to the ground as the Elves climbed on top of the best and flooded all around it, enveloping it in a swirling mass of flesh and singing steel.
Haralus caught sight of a Fire Bearer spewing fire onto a group of smaller creatures that were following the larger beasts out of the depths. Most of these smaller creatures fell to the ground and shriveled up as fire consumed their bodies but they quickly overran the Fire Bearer and started crawling up his legs before causing him to fall to the ground and be swarmed by them. One of the Fire Bearers comrades turned his weapon on the mass of creatures as Imperial soldiers rushed past him to engage the creatures.
The fight last only ten minutes before the rest of the monsters turned and ran away back into the depths of the shaft. The Imperial soldiers started dragging the dead monsters off of the dead and wounded and started yelling for the healers as they could. The Fire Bearer who had been swarmed was one of the first that was uncovered, and the Ranger who had pulled him free of the pile slowly stood and took hold of his Fire Thrower. He slowly lifted the weapon to aim at his fellow soldier before Borrin personally walked over and motioned to the ranger.
Haralus saw Borrin, the gift that Haralus had sent being worn on his belt in place of his usual sword, kneel down and speak briefly to the man before standing and giving the ranger a quick nod. A healer was rushing over when the sound of the Fire Thrower going off resounded through the air and Ranger lowered his weapon. One of the swordsmen knelt to take the Fire Bearer's necklace before going and putting a hand on the shoulder of the Ranger.
Meanwhile the men of Harrowfeld were trying to keep theirs alive, but Haralus saw a few of their wounded that simply would not live through their wounds, some with large holes in their chests from a claw that pierced their armor, some that had lost one or more limbs.
The Elves had taken the least number of casualties, but they still sought treatment for those that could live and comfort for those destined to die. The Dwarves also treated their wounded and dead, with the nobles themselves wading through the bodies to find those that might be saved.
The first blood had been spilled in this endeavor, with the sons of all the Kingdoms present lying on the ground bleeding and dying. The eyes of the world were watching this with great interest. The commanders rallied their respective forces and awaited the order to move into the shaft.
One of the dwarven commanders approached Haralus and said "That was...honestly better then what I thought would come. Irregardless the men are ready and waiting your Highness."
((I'm somewhat surprised at the lack of interest even in the more grand roles like being kings or some kind of pope, but I've learned that sometimes people just aren't interested in what I make.))
((Total dead: One Hundred and Fifty. sixty Harrowfeld soldiers, ten Elven warriors, One Imperial fire bearer and fifty imperial berzerkers, and twenty nine dwarven warriors.
Also, going to assume that the additional Imperial forces on the way were addressed in the meeting))
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((OH, THEY'RE FLAMETHOWERS. Very cool.
Also, I'm suddenly very glad for the extra legion that's coming. I didn't mention them in the strategy meeting because Haralus (i.e. me) maybe underestimated how dangerous this was all going to be, and figured we'd be mopping up Azmodal's version of giant rats by the time they got here. I am pleasantly surprised.
For scaling sake, and so the King can properly adjust his strategy, roughly how many creatures vs. soldiers were involved in this fight?))
It looks like we have a fight on our hands. In the many years since the last serious attempt at exploring the catacombs had occurred, the stories of the beast therein had apparently become watered down, and Haralus was shocked at how easily they'd managed to cut through his men. We might need to adjust our tactics a bit.
While the cleanup was in progress, he waved over Lyrkan. His second jogged up to him, looking slightly uncomfortable with what had just transpired. "Send out a runner to the Volunteer divisions, and have part of our reserve be directed there. Send another one to the armorers and have them begin issuing short spears alongside the standard arms. Our numbers will mean little when we are spread through the tunnels, and in the tight passageways - a good spear might mean the difference between a man dying and keeping these creatures at bay." Lyrkan nodded, and ran over to a small group of his men, passing on the instructions.
Catching Borrin's eye, the King waved him over as well. "Well, my friend, do these beasts look familiar to you?"
-
Borrin looked over the battlefield for a long moment before saying "Yes the little ones do, though they don't seem to behave the same as the ones that come out of the mists. These one's just seem to engulf a man in themselves before dragging him to the ground. They fatally wounded one of my personal retinue, who we unfortunately had to kill to end his pain."
Borrin seemed angry at this last part, though there was remorse mixed into the tone of his voice. As the two of you walked together the screams of a Dwarven noble were heard. Haralus saw him, the son of one of Haralus' greatest supporters. A dwarf who had staked his own personal station defending Haralus many times. He was knelt over the body of a fellow Dwarf, who Haralus recognized as one of his sons.
Dwarven healers rushed to the side of the wounded son and began administering aid. Borrin stopped as the two of you saw this, and Haralus heard him whisper "May his ancestors welcome him into the Great Hall, and may his bravery be remembered."
Turning to face Haralus Borrin continued "The mages will be able to confirm my suspicions but I believe at least some of what we will face will be similar to what lies in the Mists. I just pray that this will not end in tragedy."
Haralus saw one of the healers shake his head and put a hand on the Nobles shoulder. His only response was to bend down and pick up his son's body while his own brothers and his other sons rushed to his side.
((There were six of the larger creatures and ninety of the small creatures. The larger creatures had the appearance of crabs, with six sharp pointed legs and four arms that came to points capable of tearing through dwarven armor. The smaller ones came up to a Dwarf's knee and were two and a half feet long with twelve legs and sharp mandibles in front of their apparent mouths.
Also, on the Fire Bearers, thought that was clear since I mentioned flame throwers existed in an OOC section near when they were introduced. To explain the Fire Bearers in specific the nozzles of their weapons are integrated into the gauntlet, with the magic resources allowing the weapons to function built into the back plates. and they use magic powered flame throwers though they can equip themselves with liquid fuel based flame throwers if the need arises.))
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Name: Alexander Harrowfeld, Prince of Harrowfeld
Age: 37
Race: Human
Job: Second Son of King Harrowfeld
Skills: Excellent Swordsman, Tactician
History: Alexander was born to the King, Ashur Harrowfeld, second of two sons. He had the great misfortune of being the later child, his brother Walden receiving all of the attention, titles, and inheritance. He spent most of his young life the ward of his uncle, Roger Goodman, who trained him brutally in all methods of swordplay common in the kingdom. He was given a choice when he came of age. Enter the clergy, as so many second sons in the past had, or enlist to train the peasant levies and poorly disciplined mercenaries that make up the majority of the nations military, as the honor and glory of battle, the thundering of hooves and the din of combat, are reserved for the knights, their first born, and the first born of the king. He enlisted with a mercernary unit after a few years of this soul destroying work, but has returned home once more, hearing his brother has left for a war in the dwarven realms, and his father is aging... One way or another, Alexander will sit on the throne.
Clothes: Black leather coat, part of his mercernary uniform, a plain pair of trousers, and sturdy leather boots.
Armor: An unadorned black Great Helm, and a set of plane and unadorned plate mail armor, metal breastplate resting over a mail tunic, and a set of sturdy bracers, gauntlets, and high metal boots.
Weapons: A thick, broad bastard sword, and a sturdy round shield of iron plated oak.
Other Items: A necklace with a magical crystal shard of some unknowable pearlescant material
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((Harrowfield...the little brother of Harrowfeld...
EDIT: In all seriousness, that was a joke, and no more updates for the night))
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((Yeah, the chat distracts from updates. I'mma take a break to let Peri and potentially Forrest catch up a bit with their stuff))
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Haralus watched the Dwarven noble mourn his loss. I must remember to console him once we are done here. He turned to Borrin.
"For the time being, our basic plan of battle will remain unchanged. While our numbers may mean less in the tighter quarters below, the creatures will also have lost the advantage of surprise. I still feel we will come out of this well." He glanced around at the dead and dying. "While this is not the most favorable of starts to our endeavor, we now know what to expect, and I feel things could have gone much more poorly."
He looked Borrin in the eyes. "As it stands, when your personal legion arrives, I will have them be divided between the existing forces - your weapons are undoubtedly more effective than most of our own. I value your counsel, and believe you have more experience with these sorts of monsters than do most of the others here. Do you have any opinion on how we should proceed beyond the existing plan?"
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((going to wait for a while and see if anyone else posts but I'll update at least once a day irregardless.))
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((Yeah, that works fine by me. Gotta let them catch up a bit. Back to the lore thread for me.))
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((I'll get a post in here in an hour or so, trying to figure out how to start this off))
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((I don't know if it helps, but I found jumping in with a reasonably dramatic scene with the King summing up his plans to his advisor worked well for me.
We should maybe make an OOC thread.))
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((Yeah, that will do, or similar. I do have a body guard/sworn man in the form of a fellow named Ricker, lemme get that post up. Will be slightly less impressive, i do not have the stamina for those massive posts. Also, gonna make Harrowfield an actual thing.))
Alexander stood, just inside the gates of his home city, Harrowfield, awash with the bitter memories of a childhood wasted.
"You seem a bit on edge, Alex. What is troubling you so very badly?"
Alexander looked over at his aide. A massive, mountain of a man, Ricker was a brutish, dangerous looking fellow, the scars of a life spent on the streets and in combat marring his face and all other exposed skin. Alexander had known the man many years, fighting along side him, and had asked him to accompany him to his birthplace, to which the large man had readily agreed, much to Alexander's surprise.
"Memories Ricker, many, many memories. Here, lets find an inn, we have been on the road quite a while now, it will be good to rest our bones with a nice, warm meal, and I can explain to you why I came here."
Ricker grunted, nodding his head. Alexander walked, seeing if he still remembered the way to the inn his uncle had spent much of his time at. After an hour of searching, he found it. The Tap and Spigot Tavern. It had not changed at all. Same peeling paint, chipped stone bricks exposed through the holes in the paint, and even the same angry old man slamming open the door with a crossbow kicking patrons out of the bar. A wonderful place to plan a Coup.
"This the place Alex? Hardly reputable. I like it already."
"Yes Ricker, quite the cesspit of inebriation, but damn good for privacy, everyone in here is drunk, mad, or angry."
Alexander opened the door. Nothing had changed on the inside either. He went up to the greasy counter, and asked if they had any private rooms available to drink in. He flash a shiny gold Florin at the barkeep.
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Haralus
Borrin shook his head and said "Defending against these things I know how to do but pushing into their territory? I'm afraid that is outside the realm of my knowledge. The best advice I can offer would be to have the men organized into strong groups and give the healers ample supplies. And under no circumstances can the main camp retreat when we push into the tunnels."
In the distance the armies remained ready and waiting for more to come out of that dark hole. The Rangers that were mixed into the differing armies kept their weapons in the hands and most were aiming towards the hole. The Elves and Dwarves let them act how they needed but even Haralus could see the contempt that the Harrowfeld soldiers viewed these men with.
Borrin continued "If need be I can send for more men from her Majesty as well if you would like. My personal Legion consists of four thousand Imperial Soldiers, including a small group of our most trained soldiers."
Alexander
The Bar tender looked at Alexander and then nodded "Jus' over there." He said, pointing at a door off to the right. Several of the men in the place had taken to watching the two strangers that had come here. The door to the room was old and wooden, with a few marks in the door from arrows or knives.
Alexander recognized one of them as a captain in a mercenary company that had been rival to the one he had worked for. He however did not appear to recognize Alexander as he went back to drinking his ale with his compatriots.
And as was usual shouting could be heard as an armored man forced a drunkard out of the bar at crossbow point after the man implied he might try to kill the bartender for 'overcharging' for drinks. Not much had changed after all.
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((never really participated in one of these before))
Name: Pace the Haunted
Age: 24
Race: Human
Job: Mad man
Skills: Theft (slight of hand, pick pocketing), general survival, small blades, rough clothing repair
History: Pace was sent away from home at the age of 18 to apprentice under a carpenter in the local village. He never made it to the village. Along the way, he was abducted by a band of highwaymen who sought to sell him off as a slave. When no buyer could be found, they bound him in chains and dumped him in the woods far from home. For several days he lay and waited for his death to come, instead he was rescued by a traveler to the region. The traveler identified himself as one of the "wandering eyes" a group of shamanistic wanderers who traveled the world observing everything, both unimportant and world changing. For a year Pace traveled along side this man, learning about the world, until the fateful day when Pace murdered him in an argument. What the argument was about mattered very little. What did matter was the curse laid upon him by the man who thought him a friend. From the day he spilled his blood onward, Pace's eyes were filled with the visages and voices of the vagrant dead. Always there, asking their ceaseless questions, speaking their ceaseless accusations, making their ceaseless profane promises and requests. His attempts to find work in the major cities were stymied by his visions and so he lived by begging and stealing for several years. In that time, he found he was quiet good at the slight of hand required to take things when people weren't paying attention, and passable at picking pockets. Too many times though his visions would overwhelm him, making him stand out from the people around him and he would be caught, forcing him to move on. At some point, he found his way home but there was naught but long dead ashes, burned foundations, and the restless dead where once sat the village he knew so well.
clothes: belt, rags, worn out shoes
Armor: prized oilskin cloak ((heavy canvas treated with oil. waterproof, woo))
Weapons: small knife
Other Items: a bone needle, a copper ring, and a loaf of stale bread, bone talisman (simple smoothed bone spike)
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Haralus pondered this for a moment. More men from an outside Kingdom, particularly those skilled in fighting these beasts, would certainly be a boon, but the political consequences could be difficult. Beyond that, though Borrin had proven himself to be a man of honor thus far, the willingness of the Imperials, usually such a closed society, to send large amounts of soldiers into Dwarven lands still caused him concern. Either they understand the threat we face more so than the rest of us, or there is some ulterior motive at work here.
"I think that we shall hold off on bolstering our commited forces for the time being, though I am greatfull for your offer and will keep in under consideration." Borrin's other recommendation vindicated the King somewhat - though it was not usual for most of the allied armies to operate in smaller units, this was something that he had already dictated as part of the overall plan, feeling that they would have an easier time fighting and navigating in the tunnels. "I shall leave you to ready your men - we will move to advance in moments. We will hold another grand meeting in the coming morning, once we've seen more fully what opposition we'll face."
Walking away, he pulled aside one of the senior mages, and his chief engineer, or rather the man's second in command. It is unfortunate that our chief decided to oversee the unsealing personally. While the existing strategy was good, and might still prove effective, it did not hurt to have a fallback plan. He addressed the mage first: "We require the services of some of the non-combatant members of the School. When our forces have pushed as far as their strength will carry them before they make camp, I would have your sages perform divination at each camp location in order to attempt to gauge how far the tunnels extended. It does not serve us well to go in blind." The mage nodded slightly. "Beyond this, I also require that your members look into the possibility of erecting wards around the other entrances to the Catacombs. We may require the troops stationed there be diverted to this location instead. Temporary wards will suffice, but permanent ones would be preferable. Similarly, though it is of lower importance, I would like a similar ward to be set up around our main camp in the shaft, to be activated if need be. Should the battle not go as expected, this will allow us more time to muster our forces and counterattack. You have free requisition rights over any materials you may require to accomplish these goals."
He then turned to the engineer. "Your task is similar. Should the mages be unable to successfully block the secondary entrances through their magic, I will require a more mundane solution. Calculate how far we must push down those passages before we can collapse them without causing catastrophic damage to the City proper. As with our wizard comrade, you will also dispatch men down the main shaft after our forward camps have been made, and determine how much further we need to advance to safely bring down the rock and seal them without risking the Citadel. Place your priorities on the north, east, and west passages - I expect the men of Harrowfeld in the south passage will make the least progress, and should we need to close off some of these access routes, theirs will likely be the one left open to us. Update your calculations each time the forward camps move." The engineer nodded, and turned to go prepare, but the King halted him. "Though I don't believe we'll require it, you will also direct your men to prepare the seal to be moved back into position. Use the assistance offered by the Imperial engineers - though they are not of the masterful caliber of your own men, they are a potentially useful resource to us. You shall not take their assistance as an affront to your abilities, nor this directive as an indication of any lack of faith in you on my part." The Dwarves waited for a moment, unsure if the King would speak further, but he waved them off. "Go! We have little time to tarry."
He moved back to his personal guard, giving Slade a quick glance, before speaking in his loudest tone for all to hear. "Friends, we have first met the enemy, and though caught off guard, have met with success! As promised, we have looked Death in the eyes, and He has recoiled before us, fleeing back to his lair like a beaten dog!" He looked around at the assembled forces, who had mostly recovered from the attack, and saw the lust for vengeance burning in their eyes. "But this is no time for a great speech, for there is still work to be done, and blood to be spilled! In it's stead, I call on our priests to ask their Gods and our Ancestors for their blessings on this crusade, and for their assistance in crushing these dark forces we face!"
The priests moved forward, each saying a short prayer. The King tuned this out, instead closing his eyes and bowing his head slightly. Ancestors, beyond what your servants have asked of you, I personally implore you - please do your noble work in keeping our sons and brothers safe, as well as the sons and brothers of our allies. Light their ways, and guide their blades, so that we may all put another day between us and our Reunion with you in the Great Halls of the Hereafter. After the prayers were finished, Haralus drew his axe, and thrust it dramatically towards the shaft. "ADVANCE!"
((Actions:
-Mages are going to attempt to magically block the three smaller entrances, as well as assemble a ward that can be activated around the main camp if required. Priority is on the smaller tunnels.
- They are also going to try to magically map out the catacombs as much as possible.
- Engineers are going to attempt to calculate how far each wing must proceed before the tunnels could safely and effectively be collapsed to cut them off. The main focus is on the tunnels assigned to the elves, dwarves, and Imperials.
- They will also begin preparations to put the seal back in it's place, since it conveniently didn't get wrecked during the removal.
- Everyone is moving forward.
If there's no direct response to any of this stuff, I'll try to update with what the King himself will be doing (you can assume he's just moving around and also advancing at the moment if it's relevant) in a bit, but I am most certainly out of internet at home and will possibly not update till tuesday.))
((Questions:
- How does the city get it's water? An artisan layer with wells seems unlikely or the Catacombs would all be flooded. Can I make something up, or do you have an idea already?
Edit for added clarity.))
-
Pace was pulled forcibly to his feet at the end of catch pole around his neck. "Look what's happened to you now." whispered the greyed old husk walking to his right. "You're going to be chained in a cell for sure this time. They'll put an iron on your neck and you'll struggle against it until your eyes bulge and you neck bleeds from the work of your nails scrabbling to pry it loose." Pace thrashed wildly, trying to get away from that speaker of ill portent. "GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU'RE DEAD! JUST LEAVE ME BE! THE DEAD SHOULDN'T INTERFERE WITH THE LIVING!" The outburst shocked and confused his captors, and for a moment Pace didn't feel the guards grip slip on the handle of the catch pole. When he felt it strike the ground though, he realized what had happened and seized the advantage. "What do you think you will accomplish? They will hunt you to the ends of the earth. If not them, then some other. Where will you go?" Pace found the spirit and bolted for it. He would kill two birds with one stone. To his captors, it simply looked like he was running wildly to the woods on the right in a desperate attempt to escape their custody. To Pace though, his charge took him straight through through the grim apparition, dissipating it for the time being. There would be another, sooner rather than later. "Get the mad man!" Pace felt someone grab for the pole. For an instant, he saw the young face of the guard making the attempt at restraining him and in the next instant it's place was taken up by Paces foot, a spray of blood as the guard nose broke, and the agony of kicking something you really shouldn't. "Gah! Order in the line! You men, get these prisoners under control! Someone grab that damn prisoner!" Chaos had erupted on the trail. The other prisoners were trying to take advantage of the commotion Pace had caused and seemed to be doing a fair job of fighting back even with bound hands. "Bah! Men! Draw blades! Get this gods damned line back in order, even if it means cutting down every last convict." With that in mind, Pace dove for the tree line.
It was some time before he stopped running, and when he did it was no work of his. The catch pole was still around his neck and he was forced to stop as the crook at the other end of the handle caught on something and the rope tightened around his neck, laying him flat on his back. Hard to breath like this, It brought him back to the moment though. He lay still and listened. There was no sound of men in pursuit, just the song of bird and insects. The whispering of the wind and the dull drone of the forest. The voices hadn't come back yet either, so there was also that to be thankful for. He pushed against the ground with his feet, pushing his head up past his end of the pole. With that done, he could loosen the noose with his hands. His captors had left him his belongings, what little he had, and their search had been poor enough to allow him to retain ownership of his knife. With a bit of difficulty, his bindings were soon off as well. He sat for a time more in the area enjoying the quiet and thinking on what had got him into this situation. As usual, it was the voices. Just a bit of fruit was all he wanted, but the voices had come back at exactly the wrong moment. He thought he had been caught and ran. When he realized what had happened, he went back to try again. His strange behavior on the first try had set him apart from the fruit stands usual clientele though, and when he came back the stands proprietor made sure to keep a close eye on him. "Should have just gone to a different stand..." He said aloud. "You have worse things to worry about." Pace rolled his eyes. The peace and quiet didn't last long. "Just go away. How long must I put up with you lot harassing me?" He couldn't see them, but he knew they were there. The voices. He wished just once, that he could meet a ghost that didn't want to menace him. Just once would be nice. "You're a murderer." Pace covered his ears, little good he knew it would do. The voices were repeating that word. "Murderer." over and over again, working it up to a chorus "Murderer, murderer, murderer" He couldn't take it anymore. "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! STICK THE GRAVE DIRT BACK IN YOUR MOUTHS AND SHUT THE HELL UP!" The forest fell silent. Even the birds had gone quiet at that.
In the deafening silence, Pace heard a branch snap and spun to see someone emerging from the trees opposite the direction he had fled. "Hello?"
-
Haralus
The armies moved into the tunnel at Haralus' order. For a time it seemed that the tunnel had cleared of the creatures. This was proven wrong as the sounds of fighting came from the font of the advancing armies. As they pushed forward Haralus saw more dead men and creatures but they were making progress.
It wasn't long until they reached the point where their initial base camp would be set up, the intersection between the different tunnels. The battle there was brief but still cost lives, with several of the wounded being dragged into the dark by the creatures, their screams echoing through the tunnels briefly before suddenly going quiet.
Haralus could hear the men of the varying armies talking, with some of the men questioning why they were even doing this. The engineers moved into the area and began setting up the camp as the commanders of the individual armies gathered their forces together and waited for Haralus to give them the order to proceed.
((you can make something up, also you'll get an update on the work of the mages and engineers after time has passed since their work will take some time.))
Pace
A child quietly walked out of the trees and said "s-sorry for interrupting mister, I just need to-"
Pace heard someone shouting from deeper into the trees and he made out "I don't care find the child!"
The child looked at Pace after that and said "Please, I need to hide from them."
He could hear the men getting closer, their shouting getting steadily louder. There was brief scream that sounded like a woman that was quickly cut short and Pace heard "Come on, hurry up before the locals hear something! Why in the name of Azmodal we're doing this this close to them I wish you'd have told me but just hurry up!"
((assuming there's a town next to what I'm assuming is some kind of prison you were being taken to.))
-
((I can make something up, eh? *EVIL LAUGH* Good. Very good.))
Haralus walked through the camp as it was being made. It was already bustling with the life that came with any camp during an large operation. The smell of cooking food wafted into him, caressing his stomach and making him realize he had not eaten since the previous evening. His ears were filled with the sounds of the men driving tent spikes into the ancient rock, unmolested for centuries, and the shouts of the skinners driving their pack trains forward. If one ignored the bluish light given off from the glow-fungus above them, and the hard ceiling above them, the camp would have seemed just as at home on a rolling plain.
This is not yet time for a great speech, but perhaps some small words will encourage these brave souls. Noticing that moral was low, he moved amongst the troops themselves, visiting briefly, and giving out words of encouragement here and there:
"Daris, son of Ferric, grandson of Theborn the Mighty! I fought along side your father in my youth, and he served boldly throughout our border skirmishes with the Chosen Kingdom. Your grandfather as well became a legend serving with my father in his time. You come from a heroic bloodline, my friend! I do not doubt you'll make a name for yourself here as well!"
"Aeson of the House Mercian! Your name is known even here amongst Dwarves as a fighter both noble and bold! You do us a great service with your presence!"
"You, the one your fellows call Frederick! I saw the lust for death and glory in your eyes when you charged the beasts above. Fear not, with those such as you by our sides, we will all find glory in this fight!"
He did this for some time, until he saw that the gathered armies were prepared to move forth once again. He spotted Lyrkan speaking to a small assembly of Elven commanders, his shield dented, and his axe bloodied, and moved towards him.
"Lyrkan, my brother, I see you have bloodied yourself in our advance. We shall have a toast for you this evening!" The King halted next to him, and continued in a much quieter voice. "Send a runner to the surface, and have him fetch one of the senior engineers. While we have a good plan, and a good fall back plan, it never hurts to have a third option." Lyrkan nodded, and waved over one of his subordinates, relaying the King's instructions.
That being done, he walked over to a wagon, and lept on top of it. He addressed the crowd in his best 'command voice'. "Friends, we have pushed the beasts back, and our camp is made. We will now move forth into the tunnels, and discover the treasures and glory that await us there. I cannot promise you what else we may find there, nor can I promise you your lives - each man here knows what risks we take, but also what rewards are given to the bold such as us. I can promise you this: If you should fall in this combat, you will not be left behind, nor shall you be forgotten. Your comrades and I will carry forth, until the day has been won, and you will be honored once our task is complete. Your name itself shall go down in the legends of the Highlands as one of the few, one of the brave, who answered the call when it was put forth, and you shall live on forever in the words spoken in our halls, around our fires, and to our children. We shall leave no man behind, and I swear to you that I myself shall seek you out, and your brothers out, and your comrades out, no matter how deeply in the tunnels you have fallen, and that you will see the light of the surface again.
Fear not, my friends, for we have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Commanders, advance your troops!"
Haralus was tired, and it showed in his words. But between them and his small personal conversations, he hoped it was enough to lift the army's spirits. But there is no time for rest now. We have our own work to do. He turned to Slade, who had been steps behind him thus far. "Make sure your men are ready. These others are tasked with pushing back the beasts, but our task is no less important." He withdrew his axe from it's sheath. "We are to enter from the side tunnels, and see if we cannot locate the sons of Durrin Ironhold, should they still draw breath."
((
-Efforts to raise moral.
-Everyone's moving out
-The King and his guard are going to go check on the volunteers and see if they can find Durrin's kids before they find trouble.
I will probably edit this later for spelling and shit because I am tired and wrote not goodly, but there's the actions, and I won't change them.))
-
((Apologies for no update yesterday, had a bunch of shit I had to take care of))
Haralus
The armies moved out as a volunteer led the way to one of the side tunnels. Delving into the tunnels Haralus knew it had been some hours since they had started checking them but still his men moved on. It however wasn't long after checking yet another side tunnel that he heard shouting from the side. Looking he saw several dwarves turn the corner running and finally the shouting formed actual words: "Run! Run for ancestors sake!"
Haralus heard a loud screech and creature turned the corner. It stood the size of four men, and extending out from it's jaw were two pointed limbs that stabbed into the ground just behind one of the dwarves. It's large armored legs came down into large talons that made a scraping noise as it rushed after them. One of them turned long enough to throw a glowing red flask at it's head.
As the flask hit it's skull it shattered and flame exploded outward covering it in flames. This caused the creature to shake it's head violently and crash into part of the wall as the dwarf in the lead shouted yet again "RUN! THAT WON'T STOP IT FOR LONG!"
One of the dwarves with Haralus lifted his crossbow and fired at the beast. The rest of the Dwarves with him readied themselves to fight.
-
((assuming there's a town next to what I'm assuming is some kind of prison you were being taken to.))
((you are the host *bows to the whims of the host*))
"Go home." Pace told the girl after they had lost the pursuit "I don't know what brought the Kestrels men so far from Basilton Fort or what you have to do with it. Whatever that brigand has planned, I want none of it." Pace was familiar with the man who called himself "Kestrel" and his band of "law keepers." They were little more than highwaymen and bandits operating out of the ruins of an old dwarven fortress. The lot of them had been sanctioned as law keepers either by mistake or by the liberal greasing of some court officials palms, making their robberies legal in the eyes of the law. At least Pace knew where he was now. "I can't hide you, and it's best you not travel with me either. Go home." The girl, no more than eleven, shook her head. "I can't! I have to find help for grandfather! Those men just tried to capture me, but you..." Pace definetely didn't want to be involved in that either. The elderly had death all over them. Even the fittest of them had that fell aura about them, spirits clinging to them like vigorous lovers. The girl grabbed him by the sleeve. "Please. Those other men weren't going to help." she was close to tears now, Pace couldn't stand that. "Get off of me! I already have enough hangers on as it stands." She didn't let go. "Please..." He stopped walking and stared at the sky. Finally, he let out a long sigh and said "Fine. Just don't hang on me."
((I'm going somewhere with this. I just need to think a bit more on how to proceed.))
-
Name: High Lord Aldwin Willahelm of Asuga
Age: 31
Race: Human
Job: Acting High Lord of Asuga
Skills: [Melee Combat] [Crossbows] [Orating] [Intimidation] [Music]
History
Acting High Lord of Asuga, a small, wealthy kingdom bordering the Highland Dwarves. It is a long, narrow land dominated by enormous mountains and rivers, known for its furtive, melancholy people and their ruthless lords and ladies. Asuga is composed of countless noble houses of very little power on their own, united for the purpose of coin and sovereignty over others.
Lord Aldwin's dynasty came into power a few generations ago, after the acting High Lord (and his immediate family) was slain in a war with the elves of the Chosen Kingdom. Lord Aldwin himself has had an uneventful reign, biding his wealth and his time for the opportunity to do something truly great. Asuga's huge monopoly on precious metals, porcelain, and olive oil, along with some other luxury products to a lesser degree, assures that the Houses are almost always unbelievably wealthy. This is both a gift and a curse, thanks to the melancholic, bored disposition of most Asugans. All that wealth, and they sit there in their mountain halls and stagnate, throwing half-hearted balls and feasts in an attempt to show off their wealth.
Asuga is on good terms with the other human kingdoms and the Dwarves, though they're often overlooked as anything but traders in the eyes of the larger kingdoms. They're a bit grating with elves, thanks to racial tension a few generations past, but they've been getting along fine in recent years.
Clothes: A well-made green robe of fine silks under a black bearskin cloak is the usual attire of High Lord Aldwin, with boots of goatskin, simple geometric jewelry of black stone, and the simple platinum crown of Asuga rounding the outfit out.
Armor: In battle, Lord Aldwin dons a coat of plates; a thick black leather garment with overlapping steel plates riveted together and sewn within, in conjunction with a protective steel close helmet.
Weapons: Lord Aldwin has familiarized himself with most weapons currently existing, as most Asugan lords do, owing to their copious amounts of free time. However, he favors the broadsword and kite shield, often using a top-trigger latchet crossbow in conjunction with this. He's proficient with polearms, two-handed swords, knives and daggers, and more elegant thrusting swords, should he ever use these.
Other Items: Any available to the young ruler of an entire kingdom, though he does have a personal kit violin and portative organ, commonly making use of these instruments, along with others, in the celebrations he holds in his mountain halls. Lord Aldwin is an avid musician and dabbling singer and poet.
A rather shitty sheet. I'll write more on Asuga tomorrow. Basically, they're insanely rich, nearly emotionless, and normally half-insane noblemen and women with a penchant for being eerily calm one minute and erupting into mad joy, psychotic rage, or deep depression the next. They live in mountain halls and fortresses, like the Dwarves of DF, but are far less industrious. Their forts and castles are enormous, with a penchant for massive, dim, eerie rooms where you can scarcely see the ceiling, or the walls from one end to the other. They hold grand feasts and masquerade parties in these castles in both an attempt to feel positive emotions and to show off their limitless wealth to visitors.
And they may or may not worship dark gods that live below the crust of the earth. Working on it.
-
The King wasted precious milliseconds waiting for Slade to command his men, before realizing this was no time to test the young Dwarf's leadership abilities and leaping into action himself. Ancestors save us few who are about to put your works into motion. Running from a beast such as the ones he had asked his army and his allies to face was not a thought that even entered his mind - to Haralus, there was but one course of action to follow.
Feeling his adrenaline beginning to surge, he barked out a rapid-fire string of commands to the 30 or 40 soldiers that made up his personal guard. "Hold fast, Dwarves. Spears to the front - keep the beast at bay the best you can, and we'll let the fire do it's work. Archers, take aim at the head, loose a volley, then fire at will - the mage's flame is strong and may have weakened the chitin. The rest of you, if the spears can hold it, go for those forelegs. If it seems like it will get through, flank and go for the other limbs. These monsters are not Gods, and they can't fight in all directions at once. Be cautious and we'll bleed it out if we need to." He sincerely hoped this last statement was true - he'd faced worse situations, as had many of the Dwarves in his guard, their number consisting of some of the best and most experienced warriors in the realm, but this monster was certainly every bit as terrifying as the foes there had been.
His men moved into position almost mechanically, having been drilled and trained for exactly this sort of fighting in the weeks leading up to the assault. There was a sharp SNAP followed by the whistling of crossbow bolts flying towards their target. For his part, the King withdrew the fire-thrower Borrin had gifted him, and took a steady aim at the beast's gaping maw. He pulled the trigger. KABOOM
-
Pace
((well since your thinking about where you want this to go, and nothing really needs my attention to update for you at the moment since you're taking care of running the child character I'll update when needed))
Aldwin
((sheet is good, so if you don't have any alterations you'd like to make feel free to make an opening post))
Haralus
The running dwarves caught the fact that you weren't going to run and made it over to your group before taking positions beside your men. Haralus recognized Sam, Durrin's third oldest child, as well as Frost, Edward, and the twins Duergan and Cael however the eldest was missing, though the Eldest's second stood among the living with his weapon at the ready.
The arrows stuck into it's armored hide and it shook it's head briefly before Haralus fired. The shot flew through the air at incredible speeds before plowing through it's open mouth and somewhere inside it's head. As the flames cleared Haralus saw blood under the skin of it's head as it screamed and began running at your formation, though Haralus could see it's step faltering as more bloody patchs formed on it's skull.
It took swipes at your men as it neared but the men seeing it stumbling and dying in front of them either dodged or just outright blocked it's attacks and waited. Soon enough it fell to the ground and the Dwarves moved in to finish the beast off, finding a small gap in it's armor that they forced open enough that they opened a large wound in it's neck and then moved to await Haralus' command.
The sons of Durrin all looked to each other before they all turned and waited for Haralus to berate them for entering the catacombs without permission. In the mean time Slade started barking orders to the men and they began preparing in case another beast came.
-
Haralus stood firm, watching the results of his shot, and his men rushing forward to finish off the beast. After several seconds, he realized his mouth was slightly agape. No one else appeared to have noticed, and while he was sure they were equally as stunned as he at the small weapon's effect, they were well trained enough to not dwell on it until the creature was dropped into the dust on the tunnel's floor. Slade's commands to the soldiers completed the King's return to the present, and he turned to face the youth.
Lucky fools. Durrin will be pleased, at least when he is finished whipping some sense into them. Trusting in Slade to make sure the guards were positioned, he let out a patronizing sigh. "What. Were. You. Thinking." Without giving them a moment to reply, he continued, "I will deal with your foolishness later, but I am certain whatever consequence I could devise for you will pale in comparison with what your father will decide opon. Return to the camp immediately. It is further down the passage we just emerged from, follow the flow of air if you have doubts." As the sons of Durrin turned to go, the King reached out and seized the arm of the eldest's Second. He gestured for him to wait, and began reloading his fire-thrower as he spoke.
"Not you. You, I require services from. These other boys were mere fools, but it was your duty as Burrin's Second to dissuade him from this dangerous course of action. Your failure disappoints me. It is not my place to reprimand you for this - his father will decide your punishment, as with his sons, but I feel confident in saying that the seriousness of this may well be tied to Burrin's fate. I have given my word that none shall be left in the Catacombs, living or dead, and I would have you accompany us to discover his whereabouts."
The King finished loading the weapon, and placed it back on his belt, this time at the front, where it could quickly be accessed if needed. "The choice is yours, Second. Accompany us with honor, or merely convey what you know, and return to the others as a coward and a failure."
-
Burrin's second stared at Haralus as if he had struck him. After a second he spoke "My duty was to my liege, yes. I did my duty, I tried to talk him out of this foolishness, and when he refused to listen I followed him. I fought beside him and would have died with him if he had not given me one final order."
The Dwarf pulled out a sealed letter with Burrin's signet marking on the seal as he continued "He charged me with delivering this to his father. I will accompany you, but how dare you accuse me of failing my duty to Burrin."
He turned and started down the tunnels saying "Now, we came from this direction."
-
"Duty, my friend, is more than blindly following. Your duty was to protect the life and interests of Burrin, not to simply accompany him to his death. Simply surrendering to his will was your failing." Haralus sighed again. "But we have not sufficient time to discuss these matters." The King motioned his guard together, and turned to Slade. "Send one of our number back to the camp, and have them come and fetch the remains of this beast. Dissecting it for study could benefit us. The rest of us are moving out - follow the lad out front."
-
Slade sent one of the men to do as Haralus requested and then your men began moving. For a long time all was quiet as you moved through the tunnels and turned many corners. The men were refilling their lanterns as you continued, and faintly you heard something ahead.
Picking up the pace your men followed Burrin's second as he rushed forward. Soon Haralus could make out shouting and saw the Second draw his axe. Soon Haralus saw what had made the Second hurry forward as he spotted Burrin bury the head of his axe into a small beast before ripping it out and swatting another out of the air like a fly. Your men charged forward to aid Burrin as he yelled "I SHALL NOT DIE! NOT HERE AND NOT BY YOUR CLAWS!"
For a short moment Haralus saw the ghosts of the ancestors of Ironhold standing beside Burrin. One of them turned his gaze to Haralus before they all disappeared again and Haralus' men slammed into the group of the small beasts and began tearing through them. It was not long before they were all dead.
Haralus saw Burrin, who was bleeding from several small wounds and his armor was heavily damaged, walk over to what looked like a raised stone table on top of which he could see a pair of old yet pristine hand axes along with some throwing axes. However long they had been here it did not appear to have affected their condition. His second rushed to his side and the two exchanged a few short whispers before Burrin looked up at Haralus, waiting.
(( no one died in combat, the rolls were high enough that I let Haralus' men take care of it.))
-
Haralus was stunned - not just by the manifestation of the image of the Ancestors, but by the powerful wave of energy that washed over him as they dissipated. His body was left tingling - there was magic nearby, and something powerful at that. Fortunately, Slade appeared to have been more mentally equipped during this encounter than the last, and he and the rest of the guard had dispatched the beasts assailing the first son of Durrin. By the time the King had regained his senses, the fight was done.
Still abuzz from the magical force, he walked over to Slade, and put a hand on his shoulder. "You fought well. Erect a perimeter around this location, and prepare a five man escort to return Burrin and his Second to the camp. Instruct them to have one of our more skilled diviners sent here - they should already be present in the tunnels as per my previous orders." At least now when he brags of his combats after too much ale, there will be some truth to it.
He then walked to Burrin. "Surely you know the tongue lashing you deserve, but this is not the time for it. Your Second did well - without him, you would have been lost to these tunnels." Having the Ancestors answer our prayers did not hurt either, I'm sure. "Return to your father at our camp. You will inform him that your Second has already met his punishment at the hands of the King, and that he shall wish him no harm." The King shot a subtle, knowing glance to the Second. "It would appear by your whispers that you have something to say - out with it, son of Durrin. I have not the patience for any quiet words today."
-
Burrin picked up one of the axes and turned it in his hand until he found what he had been looking for. He then showed the distinctive markings that showed it was made by the Dwarven smiths of the Ironhold family, though the markings are extraordinarily old by the looks of them. Burrin set the weapon back down and said "I know what I did was...wrong. My hubris got the better of me and..." He cast a short glance at Slade before looking back at Haralus "...some individuals encouraged this folly. For that I apologize. Now as for what I was talking to my second about, these were made by smiths in the service of family long before my time, but no family records have ever mentioned my family ever coming down into these ancestor forsaken catacombs."
Burrin straightened as he prepared himself for the trip to go face his father, and it was obvious he was also mentally preparing as well. "Now I will go unless you have further need of me your Highness, and again I apologize. I deserve whatever punishment awaits me."
((Unless you have further questions for him he'll just head back and you can go about whatever it is you want to do.))
-
Haralus reached out and lifted one of the axes. A slight tingle ran up his arm. Certainly magical, but not powerful enough to be the cause of whatever that was I felt when we entered. He set it back down, and turned to Burrin.
"I require nothing else from you. Return to camp. There is magic about - I have summoned the mages to investigate it, but until they can complete this task, your ancestor's axes will remain here. I will see to it that they find their way to your family once they are fully understood."
The King waved them on and turned to inspect the chamber, but had a second thought and grabbed Burrin's second by the arm. "Did you notice anything unusual when you rounded the corner and came opon this room?"
-
Burrin's second looked at Haralus and said "Yes, though what it was I'm not sure. Whatever it was...I don't know but I do know that I felt the need to rush to Burrin's aid."
Your men guided them away as Slade made sure the perimeter was secure. Some time later the dwarves sent with Burrin and his second returned with a dwarven diviner and four mages, two dwarven mages and two Imperial mages. One of the Dwarven mages wore the robes of a graduated mage with the markings designating himself as a first year assistant to the head of the college, while the other, whom Haralus recognized as Garik, wore the robes granted to High Mages that ensure the students are taught properly.
The two Imperial mages both wore dark green cloth uniforms that lacked any of the 'excessivness' of typical mage robes, instead being cloth shirts and pants coming down to heavy duty boots which had some form of metal plating on them over the toes, they also wore dark cloth full head masks and goggles with dark lenses. Garik, the diviner, and one of the Imperial mages walked over to Haralus as the other mages walked over to the corpse of one of the creatures.
The diviner bows his head to Haralus before saying "You requested my presence? I presume for whatever magical aura is emanating in this area?"
((For the imperial mage's head gear think somewhat loose mouthless balacavla's (however the fuck you spell that) with goggles over the eyes))
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The King nodded at the mage. "You presume correctly, Garik. There is a powerful force here, as well as some artifacts on the table who's presence seems difficult to explain." He pointed to the axes. "I would like to examine the origins of this force, as it could be of obvious aide to us in dealing with the beasts we've encountered." Haralus looked at the Imperial mage. "Time is short and I'd ask that you attempt to move quickly in this - the men will need to make camp for the evening soon, and I would greatly prefer it if I could have some information to provide to the other commanders at our next meeting." As the other mages began their work, the King motioned for Garik to speak to him a short distance away.
"I do not wish to share such a closed, Dwarven matter with all those assembled, but I require your opinions." He paused, unsure how to describe the vision that had been granted to him. "When we entered the chamber, Burrin Ironhold was facing down several of the smaller monsters such as those we saw when we unsealed the shaft. Directly before my guard moved to his assistance, I saw the image of his Ancestors fighting beside him. The others did not see this, but may have felt compelled to act by the force they projected. I know not what to make of this, Garik."
-
The girl, who had introduced herself as "Llana," lead Pace through the woods to a shaded grove of old oak growth. There among the wide open spaces between the aged trees stood a small cabin with an inviting warm glow beaming through the windows in the evening darkness of the grove. Dimly, Pace could see another small building further back in the woods. A barn perhaps? "Hold on a second." Said Llana, motioning him to stay on the cabins porch while she went inside. Pace looked about nervously as he realized something. For once, the dead had let him be for quiet awhile. He half expected to see something stagger out of the woods or appear before him at any moment, but nothing did and all was silence. "How odd." He said under his breath. He was startled from his rumination by the girl "Come on in Mr. Pace. Grandfather wants to meet you. Please don't wake grandmother."
The inside of the cabin was much as Pace had expected it, warm and comfortable. It reminded him strongly of his home before that day bandits had grabbed him on his way to learn a trade. It made his heart ache at the loss a little. The cabin was well furnished, less a cabin and more a steady home. Two side rooms, Pace assumed them to be bedrooms, and the one large room. Half of the room was taken up by kitchen while the other half was a general living area with a fireplace. The cabin was a work of hard labor and love. Pace was brought out of his revery by the elderly man seated before the fire. By all appearances he was simply a particularly fit, if a bit aged, man. He looked as if he had spent many long years in these woods hunting and trading what he managed to bag for a living. His arms were thin, but Pace could see the strength that must be hidden beneath those lax limbs. It was his shadow that brought Pace to a halt though. The old man turned his head in Paces direction, and his eyes widened. "you too huh?" he asked. Pace nodded. He had seen and heard many of the dead, but never anything like what had taken the place of this mans shadow. "I'm called Erkka. Please have a seat."
Pace sat opposite Erkka, "Howed you get yours?" Erkka asked. Pace didn't answer, he didn't know what the man was talking about and Erkka could tell. "Your shadow boy, don't tell me you can't see it? How did you get your curse?" Pace looked at his shadow, but could see nothing unusual. "There's nothing wrong with my shadow." Erkka shook his head, "Aya, you can't see it. Yer cursed boy. It shows in the shadow. But I guess you can't see yer own." There came a long expectant pause where the only sound was the ticking of the cabin and the crackle of the fire. Llana had gone out to the barn after bringing him in. Presumably to fetch more wood for the fire. Erkka broke the silence, "I accidentally injured a woman during a hunt. Poor lady. Her husband, or maybe t'was her brother, demanded I pay them, but they didn't want gold or silver. They wanted my right hand. I didn't see how it was a fair exchange and refused. Who wouldn't? A hand is not a fair trade for an arrow in the arm, easily treated. So they put a curse on me."
((TBC, something is blocking my ability to write in a decent manner.))
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Haralus
Garik looked over at the two mages inspecting the weapons as he said "In truth I don't know either your Highness. I've read tales of warriors being graced with the blessing of the ancestors but never outright seeing them...except for one tale now that I think of it. But the records we have of it are lacking in detail and some possibly falsified information. I however do believe you, and from what the Diviner was muttering to himself as we got close there is something powerful near here."
The two of you looked over to see the two mages dissecting the creatures stand. The Dwarven mage backed away and appeared disgusted as the Imperial stood holding a long, slime covered piece of flesh. The Imperial looked over at the dwarf for a moment before shaking his head and saying "Go puke, better to empty your stomach now then when we're shoulder deep in one of the big ones."
Garik muttered to himself "Ancestors some of these Imperials are disturbed."
The diviner walked over and said "The weapons themselves are magic to an extent, but not this strong aura. Though I believe that aura is coming from something through one of the rock walls over there..." He motioned to the wall near the stone table "...and I will need men to mine through it."
Pace
((alright, let me know if you want me to go ahead and write you an update.))
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"Then it shall be done. Continue with your inspection, I will return to camp and send your required men." Haralus turned to Slade. "I will take a small party back with me to the main camp. The rest I will leave in your charge to insure this site remains secure until my return."
The King motioned for several of his men to join him, and began his march back to the camp. It will be good to rest a while and see if anyone else has anything of similar interest to report. It had been a busy day.
-
Haralus proceeded back through the tunnels to reach the base camp. The tents had been constructed and more permanent buildings were being readied. The smiths were already mending armor and preparing new weapons, the healers were aiding the wounded, and there were groups from each army reporting back to drop off wounded that needed more serious care and picking up supplies to take back.
A large group of mages from Dwarven college and Imperial mages were having what sounded like a lively discussion with the two groups jovially trading insults frequently. The warriors left to protect the camp from the differing armies were all going about their business with what appeared to be an odd sense of comradary.
As Haralus entered the camp a Dwarven soldier approached and walked alongside Haralus as he spoke "Welcome back your Highness. There are reports from the other armies waiting for you. I apologize we aren't further along with building the camp properly but a group of the damnable beasts came from a side tunnel and attacked us. We're getting things moving along however and the camp should be fully prepared by tomorrow, at most the next day.
-
The King was pleased at the high spirits in the camp. For all the other issues of the day, at least the tension between the men has abated. "All is well my friend. It appears you have done well with the resources at your disposal. I trust your unit fought honorably and made short work of the invaders."
Haralus moved through the camp, giving the activity around him a cursory inspection, and slowly making his way to the center, where his personal tent and the reports would likely be waiting for him.
"I have a further task for you. While searching the tunnels for Durrin's sons, we came across a room with some unique properties. The mages have informed me that they require an excavation be performed before they can investigate it fully. Gather up some men who have been rested, and dispatch them along with a group of miners to assist in this." He paused for a moment. "And impress upon them that should anything seem amiss, or any action they take come with a feeling of discomfort, that they are to cease their operation immediately, regardless of how curious our wizards are. I am confident whatever secrets they cover will be benign, but it would be wise to act with caution."
He queried the soldier on several small matters relating to the establishment of the camp, and they soon found themselves at his tent. "I believe I have some reports to study. You are dismissed." He entered the tent, anxious to see what progress had been made.
-
The dwarf departed to carry out Haralus' orders as he entered the tent. There was an ornate table with an equally ornate chair and on the table were a number of documents and a small chest off to the side.
Picking up the first document Haralus read the first round of reports.
Harrowfeld
We made progress with a few casualties, the beasts don't seem too concerned with these tunnels so far.
The Elven Houses
We made some progress and have made camp for the night with minimal casualties. Several dwarven artifacts have been returned to the camp.
Imperial Monarchy
We have made good progress through the tunnels and have made camp for the night. We found magical artifacts that have been returned to the main camp and marked the locations they were found in.
A note on the table mentioned that an Imperial mage working with the court mages to discover the purpose of the cylinder requested to speak with the King, believing he may have found its purpose.
-
The reports sent a feeling of satisfaction through Haralus. Good to see things are thus far according to plan. He made a mental note to inspect the magical items brought up, and to visit the forward camps when time would allow, before reading the final note.
A purpose to the rod - that may be helpful. Especially considering the unknowns we may face once our mining begins. He set the reports down, and took some time to get something to eat and a drink from the camp's mess, before making the trip back to the surface to meet with the mages.
-
Haralus was nearing the building when he saw what appeared to be a desk fly through a window and crash into a pile of crates. This was followed by shouting as he entered the building and saw a Lacerta mage from the Imperial Monarchy covered in soot as he was narrating how he was mixing a potion to the two Dwarven mages staring at him like he was a madman. "...you see if you add this ingredient before this point what you just witnessed with the desk will happen except it won't be a piece of wood ingesting it, it'll be some poor sap who didn't know he was taking potions from an incompetent mage who can't mix potions worth a damn."
Turning he spotted Haralus and dropped the glass flask he had been using to mix a potion onto the desk and walked over. "Your Highness it is an absolute pleasure! I assume you're here for the cylinder you wanted us to look into. It's...well it's interesting and I've seen some interesting stuff during my service."
Picking the cylinder up off of another table he pulled out a magic stone from his belt pouch and held the two close together and Haralus could practically see the energy moving between the two. "Now, I tried activate it personally but that just ended up with me lighting on fire and being shot out of the window. Now I did manage to determine a few things, chief among them that this was meant specifically for you."
As he got closer the cylinder began to glow and then an image appeared in the air in front of Haralus. It was tinted slightly gray but Haralus recognized a helmet which was quickly removed to reveal Harkon. A voice was heard in the background "Okay Harkon, the secondary enchantment is active, be quick we can't stay here long."
Harkon reached a scarred hand up to rub his eyes before saying "Brother if this finds you know that it is a gift from me. I found it in these mists and it has saved me some number of times. These mists...they've taken everyone who first came with me. But I've tried to find some way, something to at least send you a message."
Another voice in the background "I can feel something out there. Something that ain't gonna stop for tea and a chat, hurry it up Dwarf!"
Harkon looked over his shoulder for a second before returning his gaze back forward "The things we've found in these mists, some are huge pieces of complicated machinery made of metal, some look to be ancient beyond imagination. I've met man, dwarf, elf, people from every race I've known and some from those I haven't heard of. I wish I could find my way back to tell the scholars, to show the warriors the new techniques I've learned and the new weapons I have. I hope this weapon will aid you though, and may it find you in good health. Until we meet again brother whether it be in life or in the Great Halls."
The sound of Fire Throwers snapped in the background before the image dissolved. The Lacerta mage looked at Haralus for a moment before saying "I'm sorry, I know what it is to lose a brother. But I've seen this type of weapon before and you, well you have some innate talent in the magical world. This type of weapon responds to the owners wishes, though it is just a message capsule and a weapon. When you need it the weapon will appear, and should you ever desire to see the message again it will display it."
The mage stepped back, bowing his head and waiting to see what Haralus would do next.
((so basically this is a magic Axe weapon, just to make that clear from the get go. It's got some rather special properties to it however.))
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Haralus reached out, taking the device from the mage, and rolling it around on his palm pensively. I hadn't expected that. The sight of his brother, near, yet long lost, and so unexpected, brought forth a sense of loss he had not been completely prepared for. For some time, he stood there, lost in thought, before remembering he was not alone. When he spoke, it was in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.
"This weapon - I assume it presents a great threat to the beasts we now face below. If the mages who accompanied my brother could attach such an enchantment to it to facilitate his message with no ill effects, then can I safely assume the magic it uses is fairly well understood among your people? Could we perhaps find a way to reproduce this object and arm the... 'innately talented' in our midst?"
((Short one for now while I reread this a bit. Since we've left this off for a while, I figured I should give a heads up so that you can re-read stuff if required - next (or close to next) questions from the king will be in regards to how the mages and engineers have made out with the various alternative plans.))
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The Lacerta seemed to think for a moment before speaking somewhat slowly compared to his seemingly frantic speed from before "I'm afraid that just because I understand that it can do something, and how to get it to do it, does not mean I can reproduce the effect. The recording enchantment itself though is something simple enough that the chance of it interfering with it's intended purpose is extraordinarily slim. It's a..." He stopped himself for a second and then continued "The recording enchantment is a simple process to those versed in the magic realm. The weapon enchantment is more complicated, something that even the most experienced mages of the Imperial Monarchy have yet to understand. As with most magic items from the Mists there is an odd energy to it that seems to elude us no matter how long we've spent studying it. As a Lacerta, whose people are particularly sensitive to magic, the energy around that rod are...not confusing or disturbing, but unsettling and elusive."
((The headsup is appreciated, as I do need to reread some of this to brush up on what I'll need to know. And just to make sure it's clear, the chance of reproducing this is pretty well nill, and even just to attempt to learn how would require the mages to have near constant access to the weapon and do things which might destroy the enchantments.))
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The King pondered this for a moment. Understandable. But if this device holds some true power against the Mists - which remains to be proven - it could give us a vital edge in this fight and any future combats against the monsters.
He let these thoughts idle their way around his mind, and turned to one of the lower ordered mages. "Have the men bring one of the corpses of the fallen beasts we faced this afternoon into the courtyard, assuming they haven't been burned or otherwise dealt with already." he instructed, "I would see what effects this device has on their flesh before retiring this evening."
He then turned back to the Imperial mage.
"I know your meaning, Mage, and appreciate the explanation. If you'd indulge perhaps another un-enlightened question..." he paused, searching for the proper wording. "As you have said, the way this device interacts with the energy applied to it is unusual, as are it's unique magical properties. Am I to understand that the magic that powers it is relatively mundane?"
He pointed to the stone, still in the Lacerta's hand. "Should this source of energy be exhausted, what sort of challenge does it present for us to create more? Is it a simple matter, such as creating the crystals which power the fire-throwers?"
Thinking on it, he added "And what properties does this powering energy hold? Could the weapon perhaps utilize some other form of energy as well, or are the deadly effects related directly to what the stone provides, with the device itself acting more as a containment and focus for them?"
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The mage shrugged as he answered "The magic energy that powers it currently can be reproduced but it is a process that requires years of experience and training. It is similar to what the fire-throwers use so it is possible that it may be able to channel that magic, and yes the stone inside it works as a sort of storage for energy that takes energy from outside sources to continue powering the device, it's merely a question of what types of energy it will use."
he stopped and seemed to think on the last question for a second before continuing "It is possible that it may be able to utilize other energy types but I am unaware of what the enchantment may do in that case. That's the wonderful thing about magic, you never really know what's going to happen until you do it."
((as a note Haralus's second received a message for Haralus while he was in the caves, and since he's more your character then one I'd take much control over figured I'd let you know.))