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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RangerWickett" data-source="post: 9056003" data-attributes="member: 63">Strategically, Leska's foremost goal is to get the Torch. If she knows the PCs have the Torch, she'll target them, or try to goad them into doing something she can exploit. Her secondary goal in the war is to use the Koren Obelisk to strike from afar, similar to what the Torch would allow, but the cost of tormenting spellcasters probably ought to make it have, like, limited 'ammo.' She initially invaded places to try to find the Torch and make sure no one thought they could invade Ragesia after Coaltongue's death (in particular, screw Shaaladel). Well, she's seized Gate Pass so the Shahalesti are stymied for now. She could have Kreven hit some of their targets of value, but the PCs likely won't have an emotional response to that.She had armies try to march through Dassen to get to Seaquen to get more mages to use as fuel. The PCs have blocked them at the Alydi Gap, but I suppose she could be preparing another push, and could hit some people in Dassen the party likes.The army in Sindaire is not especially loyal. She might just target them, though again, if you want to involve the PCs, that probably won't do it.I've been watching this YouTube series about World War 2 week by week, and one of the recurring points the hosts make is that both sides tried to use 'terror bombings' to cow their enemies into surrendering or into turning on their leaders. This was incredibly ineffective and horribly immoral. They'd end up killing many civilians - and often prisoners of war - and do little lasting damage to factories or infrastructure. But the loss of life caused people's resolve to harden. It's how the UK weathered the Blitz over London, and the same dynamic happened in Germany and occupied France.Send a bunch of planes, lose a good number of pilots, and mostly just kill non-combatants who end up hating you and becoming more determined never to surrender.Well, . . . Leska's a murderous hateful person motivated by spite already, so maybe there is a supply caravan coming from Sindaire to Seaquen, and Kreven uses the Obelisk to inflict horrible diseases on everyone in the caravan right as they're nearing the city. It doesn't just kill people; it tempts the 'good guys' to kill them, because they won't have enough magic to cure all the diseases, and there's a risk that anyone could transmit the disease throughout Seaquen.Bonus, now the party has a desire to briefly seize control of the Obelisk and use it to do a mass 'cure disease' from afar before the whole thing goes out of control and blows up. Surely it's okay to draw upon collective agonized torment of spellcasters if you're using the energy for good reasons, right?</blockquote>

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