[v.3.5] Realmsian Dragonstar: The Battle of Toril PbP Game [IC] (Game Cancelled)

[Shayuri]

"I still like the idea of using this divine sphere for that," opines Sihouette. "Though I acknowledge it's an ambitious one. But such an act may be just what's required to give the invasion pause, and consider alternatives to outright conquest."

 

[Knightfall]

"Power is a funny thing," 'Siel' says with a smile. "It can reside where no one suspects. This 'divine sphere' has wreaked havoc in our world. Using it to attempt to undo that havoc is as good an ultimate objective as I can imagine at this point."

"Of course, achieving it would require us to fight through hordes of enemies wielding magic and tools we can barely begin to comprehend, into the skies far above Toril and onto a vessel that dwarfs anything we've ever encountered."

She pauses and nods.

"So I'd say we have some work to do."

"You'd also have to face the divine Aspect of the Centurion. An avatar of the god connected to the battleship," Tocrhor replies. "That would be quite the feat for a mortal. Now, with the help of another avatar of one of your gods, I could see the possibilities, but it still would be risky. The Aspect would be able to call on other Aspects of the Unification Church if hard pressed. You could be facing half-a-dozen Imperial avatars in a blink of an eye."

 

[Knightfall]

"I don't quite understand all this talk about 'Aspects' and 'arr-ee-ess' and what not, but I get the gist of it," Kethrendil said while still overseeing Haspur's condition. "Land has riches, and a state wants it, regardless of the locals. It's an old tale, be it in the Dalelands, or in the vastness of space it seems."

"What I wonder is why the fabrication. the subterfuge?" The elf looked at Tocrhor. "If this Mezenbone is like any other red dragon I've known, he should have little reason to simply send a vast fleet in and take Toril. What would happen if the false pretext was exposed publicly?"

"Emperor Mezzenbone's power doesn't exist in a vacuum, if you'll excuse my... turn of phrase."

"Politics," answers Silhouette simply. "Even an Emperor cannot ignore the other nobility. The subjects. Otherwise he would have to spend his power simply keeping control, rather than expanding his control."

"That said, I doubt one backwater world would be enough to spark a rebellion. Even if it was, whoever replaced him would still want to annex us, even if by less extreme methods. If what we're hearing is true."

"Exactly that," Tocrhor confirms. "There are the other Grand Dukes to consider, especially Grand Duke Kupric, as well as the public opinion of the Empire's citizens not that that matters very much to Emperor Mezzenbone."

Tocrhor shakes his head. "Replacing the Emperor is an unlikely prospect. Since he came into power 40 cycles ago, he has worked hard to cement his power over the Empire and its military might. And if he was overthrown, the type of dragon that would replace him would have to be a red. The Red Age is in its infancy. To remove the reds from power would be to throw the Imperial Charter out of the proverbial window and plunge the galaxy back into war. Your world could become the spark for a epic struggle that would remake the Dragonstar galaxy with death and violence."

"That sounds frightening," Grand Duke Eltan says. "Let's not start a stellar war with Toril as the battlefield."

She frowned. "Then I ask, are we having the wrong conversation? Rather than asking how to resist this Empire, should we be asking how best to accept them while still retaining a measure of self-control?"

Kethrendil nodded to Silhouette. "That's what I was thinking as well. If annexation is a foregone conclusion, how can we force this Empire to the negotiation table, and make sure our world retains some measure of self-control? Is such a thing possible?" he asked this towards Tocrhor and Shazer'a.

Tocrhor looks first at Silhouette and then Kethrendil. Then he looks around the room at the people of Baldur's Gate. "How do I put this... have you ever had to deal with a cruel child who likes to drown entire ant-hills or tear the wings off flying insects? While the Emperor might not be a disturbed child, his cruelty is sadistic when he really wants something. Once he sees the report on your solar system, he's going to want to dig you all out and burn your world to its core."

He looks at Eltan as he finishes. "Lord Eltan, you mentioned an alliance of cities. Can that alliance speak for all of Faerûn or for your entire continent or for your whole world?"

"No," Eltan says glumly.

"If you were to agree to be annexed into the Dragon Empire would you and your allies be willing to go to war against those that choose to fight even if those others are good people simply trying to protect their way of life?"

"I don't know," Eltan replies. "Probably not."

Tocrhor looks directly at Keth. "If you give in to the Dragon Empire, you will have to choose whether or not you are willing to not only give up this city and the others in the alliance but your entire way of life. You could keep some measure of control over your daily lives but the world would be governed by the Empire. If your world is lucky, Grand Duke Kupric will become the world's protector but your world and it resources with still belong to the Dragon Empire as a whole." He looks at Silhouette before continuing, "If you are fine with that then you will have to come to terms that others on this world will oppose you and even hate you. There were many on my world that made that choice and either died horribly or gained power and wealth beyond anything you can imagine now."

He looked down to Haspur. "Although that may be putting the cart before the horses. We're going to need our magic back. We have one of the Chosen with us, but the others spread across Faerûn for all we know. Maybe one of them, the Lady Alustriel or the Sage of Shadowdale will at least have an idea on restoring the Weave."

"These Chosen of yours could be a great weapon against the Empire or they could be turned to serve the Emperor if their souls aren't strong enough to resist the temptations that the Empire will dangle in front of them. Do all Chosen have good souls? If so, they will be a boon for your world and a great threat to Emperor Mezzenbone."

 

[Shayuri]

Silhouette frowned and planted her hands on her hips.

"Alright Tocrhor," she said evenly. "I appreciate the information you're giving us, but the message is very contradictory. In as many breaths you've told us that we're going to be conquered, but maybe we can appeal for help, but the Emperor will stop at nothing to conquer us, but we have a chance to fight, but no plan of resistance we're coming up with can work."

The 'half elf' took a deep breath. "Maybe we should return to more basic principles. It's very possible we're all overthinking things. Just tell us, for now, how long we have before this invasion force arrives."

 

[Salthorae]

Deep in thought about what he had read on the datapad, Shazer'a lost the thread of conversation for a bit frowing with each new thing he read. Nelalwe smacked his side to get his attention back on the group. Looking up at Silouette's last comments, "from what I can tell on this pad and what the pirate Lachlan said before he fled, the battle fleet is already in system. It was their arrival in system that killed you goddess and caused the betrayl of this Ao."

With a sigh he continues, "Tocrhor speaks in what seem to be contradictions, but that is the nature of the galaxy you now find yourselves a part of, torn by the tensions between Asemet and Qesemet. Though officially at peace, there is long standing hidden war between the two kingdoms. Though this system is officially in the domain of Coppers and under Grand Duke Kupric's overview, someone has filed a false report that your planet has been a part of the Empire for some time now and is now in rebellion. That means the Legions are being sent in to put down the rebellion. The readings on this planet make it one of the richest in both magic and mineral/mithrial in the known Empire. if the Emperor sees or has seen these numbers, then he will stop at nothing to seize it. In my opinion our only hope is to get word of our plight to Kupric and gain his protection, and possibly publish this false report."

Turning back to Tocrhor, "I do not have an ansible, one would be handy just now, perhaps you can craft one from available parts? There are encrypted files on here that I nor my companion can decrypt. Raptorian, do you have any skill with cryptography? Does anyone have a scroll of sending? Or more than one? With that at least, we could communicate with the Grand Duke."

 

[Knightfall]

"I still like the idea of using this divine sphere for that," opines Sihouette. "Though I acknowledge it's an ambitious one. But such an act may be just what's required to give the invasion pause, and consider alternatives to outright conquest."

"If you wish to risk your life in such a manner, you're going to need a vessel that can not only fly but also leave your atmosphere and not be noticed by the battleship's sensors. Teleporting directly there will be impossible. All Imperial ships have teleport suppressors."

Silhouette frowned and planted her hands on her hips.

"Alright Tocrhor," she said evenly. "I appreciate the information you're giving us, but the message is very contradictory. In as many breaths you've told us that we're going to be conquered, but maybe we can appeal for help, but the Emperor will stop at nothing to conquer us, but we have a chance to fight, but no plan of resistance we're coming up with can work."

Deep in thought about what he had read on the datapad, Shazer'a lost the thread of conversation for a bit frowing with each new thing he read. Nelalwe smacked his side to get his attention back on the group. Looking up at Silouette's last comments, "from what I can tell on this pad and what the pirate Lachlan said before he fled, the battle fleet is already in system. It was their arrival in system that killed you goddess and caused the betrayl of this Ao."

With a sigh he continues, "Tocrhor speaks in what seem to be contradictions, but that is the nature of the galaxy you now find yourselves a part of, torn by the tensions between Asemet and Qesemet. Though officially at peace, there is long standing hidden war between the two kingdoms. Though this system is officially in the domain of Coppers and under Grand Duke Kupric's overview, someone has filed a false report that your planet has been a part of the Empire for some time now and is now in rebellion. That means the Legions are being sent in to put down the rebellion. The readings on this planet make it one of the richest in both magic and mineral/mithrial in the known Empire. if the Emperor sees or has seen these numbers, then he will stop at nothing to seize it. In my opinion our only hope is to get word of our plight to Kupric and gain his protection, and possibly publish this false report."

"Yes, it is as he says," Tocrhor replies nodding to Shazer'a. "The Dragon Empire seems contradictory simply because, in many ways, it's political structure is horribly complex and daunting for the uninitiated. If we were to try to go through an official process to stop the invasion, it could take months, even years. We need to throw the idea of standard diplomacy out the airl-, uh, window."

"I am willing to speak for the Lords' Alliance without their consent if it comes to that," Lord Eltan says. "They will be angry with with me, but if it saves lives, it's worth the risk." He looks at Shaz, "I will go to the Duchal Palace and consult with Grand Duke Belt. Unfortunately, neither Grand Duke Roydon Silvershield nor Grand Duchess Liia Jannath are in Baldur's Gate currently. Lady Jannath is in Tethyr trying to negotiate a new trade deal with Queen-Monarch Zaranda and King Haedrak III. Lord Silvershield is on a military mission far to the south near the Lake of Steam. I have no idea when he will return. I will have a city page contact you here, if I manage to get a hold of all the members of the Alliance."

The 'half elf' took a deep breath. "Maybe we should return to more basic principles. It's very possible we're all overthinking things. Just tell us, for now, how long we have before this invasion force arrives."

"Unfortunately, I can't say exactly when they will attack. The information I have," he points to his datapad on Shaz's hands. "Isn't an official report through the Imperial network. Lachlin got his information through illicit means, but I'm certain the ships are there."

The hobgoblin looks at Shaz. "If it's as bad as we both fear, the city could face bombardment from space before even a single Imperial soldier steps on Toril." He looks at Eltan. "You must get your citizens to safety, Lord Eltan. The city's buildings won't withstand direct strikes from the Centurian's cannons. You should evacuate your city and find a place underground to hide them."

"I cannot, will not, abandon Baldur's Gate!"

"You cannot fight the Imperial's once they land if your blown to ash in the heart of your city! At the very least, you must hide your children and anyone else who cannot fight. Have them take shelter in the forest south of here if there aren't any safe caves nearby."

"The Cloak Wood! That, would be a death sentence. It's filled with vicious creatures."

"Somewhere else then," Tocrhor insists. "A hidden keep. An old mine. There has to be somewhere they can go. If they stay here and the Imperial ships target your city for bombardment, everyone will die."

The citizens gathered in the temple begin to react with fear at the hobgoblin's words. Some of them shout slurs at him.

"Quiet!" Lord Eltan demands. "He is telling the truth, as he believes it. Would you rather he lie to us and say 'oh, everything will be fine'?" He pauses and waits for any dissent. There are a few murmurs but no one challenges the Grand Duke. "I would rather know what we are facing."

"What you are facing is annihilation, Lord Eltan, if you do not act quickly." He points at Shazer'a before continuing, "Even if he manages to get a message to Grand Duke Kupric, it will take time for the Copper Scion to act within the legal system of the Dragon Empire. He'll likely send more ships to your star system to see what your world offers before he'll openly challenge the Emperor. And, technically, your system doesn't lie within the boundary of the Domain of Golion. It is at the very edge of what is considered Imperial space. Grand Duke Kupric cannot officially say that Toril belongs to Golion. He can petition to bring the world into the Dragon Empire through the Charter or he can claim it as his own conquest in order to block the Emperor's claws.

"But first, we must prove that the report is false and that Toril is a free world, not an Imperial colony. That will take time and time is the enemy right now." His gaze returns to Silhouette, "You asked how long. If I were you, all of you, I'd say prepare for the worst. While it could be days yet, more than likely you only have hours until the invasion begins."

He turns his gaze back to Lord Eltan. "And the longer you wait, the more of your people will die. You must get them out of the city!"

"There has to be another way," Eltan replies. "We are a stubborn people when pushed, Tocrhor. If I try to force them to give up their homes, they could revolt!"

"One direct hit from a plasma cannon could turn this entire building into rubble," the hobgoblin says bluntly. "That would be one shot. Imagine such a blast hitting your city every 10 seconds."

"By Tempus," Lord Eltan's eyes go wide with fear. He looks around at the citizens gathered in the temple. There faces are filled with the same fear. "W-we have no choice." He looks at Carnda, his new second. "We have to evacuate the city. Go, gather the Fists. Tell them to go street to street and let the people know there is a disaster looming. If they won't leave, don't force them. Let's not start a riot."

"The storm that passed over your city wasn't natural," Tocrhor says. "It was a magical attack used by the Empire to conceal their scout ships. You likely heard the noise during the storm. Almost like if metal was screaming."

"Yes, I heard."

"If you can't get them to leave," the hobgoblin says to Carnda. "Tell them another storm is coming. It's sort of the truth. The real truth would just confuse them or cause a mass panic."

"Go!" Eltan orders the Fist. She heads out of the temple with two other members of the Flaming Fists in tow. Eltan looks at the gathered heroes. "I need you to get these people to safety, if that's possible. While there are underground chambers scattered around the city, none of them are truly safe. I don't know if we should head inland or south along the coast." He looks at the hobgoblin who simply shrugs unknowingly. Eltan sighs. "Maybe the people could gain shelter in an old fort or hidden dale, but we should avoid the forests. Very dangerous."

"C-candle... k-keep," Haspur mumbles. All eyes turn to the Chosen who slips in an out of consciousness. "Could t-try to... hide the p-people... there."

Turning back to Tocrhor, "I do not have an ansible, one would be handy just now, perhaps you can craft one from available parts?"

"No, I cannot create it. While I have sufficient magical power for the process, I never learned the magical skills required to craft such a device."

OOC: An ansible is a wondrous item that must be crafted like any other magical item. Tocrhor does not have the Crafting feat required.

 

[Shayuri]

Silhouette looks a bit unimpressed at the new revelations and says, "Duke Eltan, I have a suggestion, if you'll listen."

"Getting the people clear of the cities is of course the top immediate priority, but we have one crucial piece of information that might help us in formulating a counterattack as well."

"We know what they're here for, and there's no reason they should suspect that we know."

"Their attacks on the surface cities of Toril will almost certainly be, from their own point of view, a kind of diversionary tactic. Spreading chaos and terror, inflicting casualties and forcing us to look after our own, so that we cannot interfere with their true aim."

"From what we've learned, even as these 'plasma blasts' fall on our cities, they will be sending forces to locate and secure the major mithril veins...which I believe are almost exclusively mined by dwarves. Dwarf citadels will be impervious to attacks from the sky, forcing them to land armies to take them. I suspect that while they will not fight 'gently,' their goal for the dwarves will be conquest and enslavement rather than eradication...as it would be for the surface-dwelling people."

"This gives us opportunities for ambush and counterattack, if we can muster the will to do it. Concentrate our forces at the largest sources of mithril, working in partnership with the dwarves. They would not anticipate such a tactic, as it requires intimate understanding of their strategic goals."

"I suggest sending envoys to the dwarves immediately. We will have to conduct evacuations AND diplomacy at once to set this into motion."

 

[KainG]

"Agreed. We need to contact the Lords' Alliance and any other allies we have, and let them know what we have learned about the Dragon Empire. The more we can prepare and save, the better our chances of survival will be."

"We shouldn't spread word about the Chosen, though, except for a those we absolutely trust. The last thing we want is the Empire getting their hands on them. We need to do everything we can to protect them. And maybe they'll be able to find a way to repair the Weave."

"Candlekeep might actually be a good place to visit, although the monks there might put up a fight against bring in so many people. They're damn stubborn. However, it could be a good defensible location, one where we could hide Haspur. And the lore within its walls may provide additional insight."

 

[Shayuri]

"Candlekeep is not defensible against an enemy who rains fire from the sky," Siel disagrees. "Our refuges must be underground, or at the very least hard to see from above."

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Rodan was quiet while the arguments went back and forth, but now he heard a sentiment he agreed with (fleeing) and he became animated once more. "No sense in just alerting your allied kingdoms. You may as well also alert many of your enemies you believe would be willing to fight, also. The more that are prepared are more that will give trouble to the Empire. Also, we need to try and come up with a plan to capture a vessel so we can flee this place and slip through the attack in order to alert Grand Duke Kupric, or otherwise capture a means from sending a signal from the incoming fleet itself."

"For now though, I can help with the evacuation."