seasong's Light Against The Dark II (May 13)
- Thread starter seasong
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seasong
First Post
Note: Unless things change, there is unlikely to be an update today - work is very busy, and I'm still absorbing the events of the weekend and considering how I want to approach them in a narrative structure. I'll take some time this evening to sit down and plot... but that still won't result in an update before tomorrow.
I have to ask my players not to spoiler anything
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Edit: answer to incognito's question:
I have to ask my players not to spoiler anything
.Edit: answer to incognito's question:
They might not find handwear, and definitely not a ghost, but the mountain's name is Uggrahd ("up there" in orc), and the orc tribe is Buhkenahk ("broken knuckle" in orc). It's the place to the east that Olgah is travelling toward.incognito said:
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seasong
First Post
Breaking Cat
Four kobolds watched from various vantage points as the Theralis military planned its next move. They didn't care who won, not really, and it was plain in their bored looks. Somewhere down below, four kobolds did the same with the orcs.
Captain Agina ignored them. She was speaking with two Generals, her voice forceful but her posture relaxed, "The reason we're stalemated is because of the giants. They counter our spellcasters by their presence, and vice versa. What we need..."
"What we need, Captain, is to remove them, yes. Any first year soldier can see that."
Her face flushed, Agina interjected quickly, "What we need is to make them afraid to come out and target spell casters."
"Go on." The General was truly interested in a good solution... he just didn't believe it existed. The charge might have worked, save for the dragon, but now the orcs would expect it... be ready for it.
"I propose having as many flying, invisible arcanists as we can get airborne just within range, then lure the giants out with Kyriotes on the battlefield. As soon as they step out of the trees, the arcanists, our spear throwers, and our slingers hit one of the two with everything they've can in one salvo, then retreat."
"Didn't we already demonstrate that they can spot the invisible arcanists at casting range?"
"Yes... but some careful testing of ranges has indicated that they will only see them at the last second. When the arcanists strike, everyone will strike. We may or may not kill the giant we target, but we'll make them very, very leery of coming out to play."
"I don't like it. You are talking about risking a lot of arcanists for a chance to just hurt one of the giants!"
"Begging your pardon, General, but I also wore out two hundred spearmen, beating on shields, for the sole purpose of rallying our people. Morale has immense power, and fear influences strategy."
"What about Kyriotes? Is he willing to present himself as a target for this? Should WE be willing to present him as such?"
Agina grinned. This part she'd already thought out, "More specifically, are we willing to create an illusion of him?"
Four kobolds watched from various vantage points as the Theralis military planned its next move. They didn't care who won, not really, and it was plain in their bored looks. Somewhere down below, four kobolds did the same with the orcs.
Captain Agina ignored them. She was speaking with two Generals, her voice forceful but her posture relaxed, "The reason we're stalemated is because of the giants. They counter our spellcasters by their presence, and vice versa. What we need..."
"What we need, Captain, is to remove them, yes. Any first year soldier can see that."
Her face flushed, Agina interjected quickly, "What we need is to make them afraid to come out and target spell casters."
"Go on." The General was truly interested in a good solution... he just didn't believe it existed. The charge might have worked, save for the dragon, but now the orcs would expect it... be ready for it.
"I propose having as many flying, invisible arcanists as we can get airborne just within range, then lure the giants out with Kyriotes on the battlefield. As soon as they step out of the trees, the arcanists, our spear throwers, and our slingers hit one of the two with everything they've can in one salvo, then retreat."
"Didn't we already demonstrate that they can spot the invisible arcanists at casting range?"
"Yes... but some careful testing of ranges has indicated that they will only see them at the last second. When the arcanists strike, everyone will strike. We may or may not kill the giant we target, but we'll make them very, very leery of coming out to play."
"I don't like it. You are talking about risking a lot of arcanists for a chance to just hurt one of the giants!"
"Begging your pardon, General, but I also wore out two hundred spearmen, beating on shields, for the sole purpose of rallying our people. Morale has immense power, and fear influences strategy."
"What about Kyriotes? Is he willing to present himself as a target for this? Should WE be willing to present him as such?"
Agina grinned. This part she'd already thought out, "More specifically, are we willing to create an illusion of him?"
anyone have some ice handy?Greppa of Tartwater
First Post
*GASP* Damn, now that's a survivor
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seasong
First Post
Breaking Cat
The plan failed to bring the giants out. For whatever reason, they didn't believe in the Kyriotes casting on the mountainside, and failed to come out of the protective forest... although one shaman did drop a flaying spirits spell on his area, to little effect.
So Kyriotes, buffed as strongly as Theralis could manage, came out for real, and began summoning an earth serpent. The difference was amazing. The giants came rushing out as quickly as they could, eager to nail Theralis' most powerful arcanist.
Greppa, aloft and invisible with the other half dozen arcanists Agina was able to get airborne, noticed this and wondered... but by then it was time to drop spells into the head of the giant on the left.
Focusing with all his might, Greppa swiftly cast sun streaks and sun bolts in rapid succession. The first, three tiny motes of light, danced downward and formed a tracer that was swiftly followed by searing, fist sized bolts of light that burned through the air in erratic paths until they impacted the massive humanoid. A half dozen other attack spells, and a veritable hail of spears and sling stones, crashed into the giant shortly after.
Instead of falling, the giant roared, then turned and ran as shamans began unleashing fell spirits into the sky at the arcanists.
Below, Agina's face was grim. "ATTACK! DO NOT LET HIM GET AWAY!"
The century of men and women charged down the slope after the giant, hurtling spears, and Athan, among the Keraunesti halfway up the slope, made a quick bet. "Bet I can hit him."
"The hell you can."
"Celebration bottle?"
"Like it matters, sure."
Athan heaved his spear. It arced up, sailed for a moment, then dropped downslope and slammed through the giant's tough flesh, through the spirit wards the shamans erected on their best warriors, and through the giant's lung.
The other Keraunesti were silent - the spear had gone a good 300 feet for that shot, there was simply no way it was possible. As the giant went down under the assault, Athan just grinned. Giants didn't seem so big a threat, today.
The plan failed to bring the giants out. For whatever reason, they didn't believe in the Kyriotes casting on the mountainside, and failed to come out of the protective forest... although one shaman did drop a flaying spirits spell on his area, to little effect.
So Kyriotes, buffed as strongly as Theralis could manage, came out for real, and began summoning an earth serpent. The difference was amazing. The giants came rushing out as quickly as they could, eager to nail Theralis' most powerful arcanist.
Greppa, aloft and invisible with the other half dozen arcanists Agina was able to get airborne, noticed this and wondered... but by then it was time to drop spells into the head of the giant on the left.
Focusing with all his might, Greppa swiftly cast sun streaks and sun bolts in rapid succession. The first, three tiny motes of light, danced downward and formed a tracer that was swiftly followed by searing, fist sized bolts of light that burned through the air in erratic paths until they impacted the massive humanoid. A half dozen other attack spells, and a veritable hail of spears and sling stones, crashed into the giant shortly after.
Instead of falling, the giant roared, then turned and ran as shamans began unleashing fell spirits into the sky at the arcanists.
Below, Agina's face was grim. "ATTACK! DO NOT LET HIM GET AWAY!"
The century of men and women charged down the slope after the giant, hurtling spears, and Athan, among the Keraunesti halfway up the slope, made a quick bet. "Bet I can hit him."
"The hell you can."
"Celebration bottle?"
"Like it matters, sure."
Athan heaved his spear. It arced up, sailed for a moment, then dropped downslope and slammed through the giant's tough flesh, through the spirit wards the shamans erected on their best warriors, and through the giant's lung.
The other Keraunesti were silent - the spear had gone a good 300 feet for that shot, there was simply no way it was possible. As the giant went down under the assault, Athan just grinned. Giants didn't seem so big a threat, today.
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J. Anson
First Post
seasong said:
OOG:Is this an effect of the orc's vision, that the illusion did not reproduce Kyriotes in the right range? Is it related to a very general and inspecific divination ("is that really the bastard high-power arcanist?" "no")?
WARNING: do not make bets with twink characters in their specialty. Bet they never saw someone with far shot X 3 before
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