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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Archon Basileus" data-source="post: 7126255" data-attributes="member: 6855545">MORGRYM/MARIUSArvana measures the desert, the dwaves and her companions. “You’ll need all the help you can get” – she says without second thoughts. “Besides, if the world’s burning, might as well fight the fires.”“If it’s anything like the group we met before, we’re talking at least twenty snake captains. As for the rest, a mix of saurians, both tall and short, three times the amount of our soldiers.” – that might include anything from lizardmen to kobolds, as far as maranans understand. They’ve taken a liking to the term “saurian” as a designation of the elder lizard-like peoples of Gaelia, since the days of Maran’s foundation. Back west, near Taraz, this rings even truer, for many beasts still resemble giant lizards, amassing their power and strength. Lately, they’ve been known to roam the edges of the desert, and it wouldn’t be entirely surreal to find other saurian breeds within the approaching army. “Dram lives on a manor to the east, concealed by hidden paths and strong walls. Odds are you still can slide and leave towards him, but the troops must remain. Captain’s moving there to secure the towers, most likely. We gotta organize our defense here. If you’re bound on fighting, help me decide how to use you. Their lot’s gonna meet us in an hour, maybe hour’n-a-half, considering the distance and the size of their troops. We have a few options around here: ruins, old walls, some rocks. No wood, though.” – he invites the group to follow him to the camp, where they can plan their next move.[If the companions are set on fighting, as I imagine they are, the scene goes down as follows; otherwise, inform the new direction and I’ll edit the post!]***Within the camp, Rhasa quickly guides the visitors to a tent serviced by the tools of war. Maps and scrolls aplenty, several weapons between shovels, picks, shields, axes and crossbows, as well as several concoctions, not unlikely those the group found back at the tomb. After conferring with a soldier, the lead rider points towards the map, serving himself water from a jug and offering the others. “Drink. It might be your last chance for several hours…” – he points towards the map as he sips. The other rider, following the group in silence at all times, smiles as he grabs a cup himself. “You’ll be pissing your pants in the field, Rhasa....” – he laughs and drains the cup.“I’ll piss on their corpses” – he answers brutishly, a stern face contemplating the map. The lot seems used to situations like this, not unlike the companions themselves.“Come, human, brother dwarf, lady… This is what we have” – he gestures towards the map. “Captain took his fifty to the tower, as I thought he would. That gives them advantage, three-to-one – or at least that’s the size of the sand cloud. We have twenty-five crossbowmen, some fifty riders, my half-dozen scouts and more than a hundred shields. Old ruins here, here and… here. Some formations to protect flanks all throughout here… Plane area for riders here… So, question is ‘Where’? – he points towards the map, asking the trio’s opinion. TACTICAL MAP<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U3L9WtRrSavIgTUKy2k7WhaFBIXC1XAbz3TZI0tM-z8/edit#gid=0" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U3L9WtRrSavIgTUKy2k7WhaFBIXC1XAbz3TZI0tM-z8/edit#gid=0</a>[You have 125 footmen, 25 crossbowmen and 50 riders. You can choose to position them in the map as you will. Remember that you have time to march through circa 16 squares depending on the direction before potential confrontation. Your choices will define the way the next scenes are built, who and what you’ll meet, how the battle will unfold and how the strategy rolls will be made. Choose wisely! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />]HAGADARK“Very well…” – she moves around, an unusual gleam of intelligence sparkling in her eyes. “Come out, then. I can find uses for you. But let me see you first.” – her visage, as monstrous as it is, seems like a mix between an ogre and a giant, but as Hagadark watches her approach he is able to identify a strong resemblance to a hill giantess. True, she’s far too articulate for their breed, and he never heard of one capable of casting spells before. Hell, they’re barely able to make sense most of the time! As she drags her steps, though, Hagadark realizes she might have a weak spot in her clumsiness. She shambles every time she moves around. “Let me see….” – she opens her book and begins flapping it’s pages. “I must have something here to ensure your loyalty….” – she keeps walking as she reads and looks to the front occasionally. Her boars ignore her, approaching the pit where their companions still moan. The noise is still loud, even though it has been considerably reduced.MAP UPDATED<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZBfqlZpct8SZ7vh_U_nqispO67s2ZXLunqhdY4dnNwI/edit#gid=1405717895" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZBfqlZpct8SZ7vh_U_nqispO67s2ZXLunqhdY4dnNwI/edit#gid=1405717895</a>[Some info about her added on account of successful knowledge test! Still, she looks quite... unique, not fitting the pure description of known species that live around. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />] @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=24380" target="_blank">Neurotic</a> @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=6801311" target="_blank">KahlessNestor</a> @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=87106" target="_blank">MetaVoid</a></blockquote>

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