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Current Date and Time: Early morning on October 7th, 1953PC

Note that this is a rewrite of the last post of last thread, because it was terrible.

>Target not met

You watch as Baelrus wades into the courtyard, batting aside the Shropham soldiers trying to bar his entrance. Phrace and his heavies follow suit and the enemy immediately peels away, breaking towards the keep directly. As your strongest soldiers pursue, the ground thundering from the weight of their armour, the remainder of your force pours in with reckless abandon and you move in with them, trying to maintain a semblance of order.

The beat of drums turns your blood cold, for a reason you can’t quite understand. A haze seems to hang over the courtyard, which wasn’t there before you entered it. A faint roar seems to drown out all sound apart from the clatter of weapons and armour. You glance around you, your neck cracking with each wild turn as you try to keep pace with the battle.

The soldiers on the walls have peeled off and boxed your men in as they’ve come in through the gate and your heavies have been boxed in by a mass of mage-knights from near the keep. The hurried press of your men is keeping your heavies from engaging in full and the complete lack of order is causing your less experienced knights to panic, then die. This is going to be a bloody push and those damned drums don’t make it any easier.

>continued

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>>36164280
>FR point burnt
>1 FR point remaining

>Exceptional success

Your senses make it pretty clear how things are going to go, so you intervene to prevent it. Before your troops spill in and ball up too much you immediately redirect them. You scream orders for your elites to move in and fan out, splitting out Gnome, Lynn and your other close quarters elites to assist them on the frontlines. You refuse to take so many casualties due to some cheap magic trick and ambush.

You get a vague sense of déjà vu as Bael moves in, his attacks appearing to be terrifyingly methodical even as he moves with a speed beyond most men, as though he’s had a minute to think out every second of action. That sensation immediately gives way as you see Lynn and Gnome charging in alongside your veteran knights and fanning out to the sides. You’re right behind them, keenly listening for the drums even as you monitor the way your soldiers are slicing through the attempted ambush and keeping a much cleaner advance on the retreating foe.

Once through the gate, the drums seem to magically come into existence, pounding out a harsh tribal beat. It’s a fiery beat but it is also clearly not of your kin, and so your mind reacts in fear. You clamp down on that absurd sensation and hope your men do, too. You’ve read of magical music before but never actually witnessed it. The haze lingering over the courtyard is an old trick, however. As is the roar that attempts to drown out commands – you simply shift to sendings, issuing orders to everybody over the crude device you wear. Kyria appears to be filtering them and issuing more direct orders to commanders, too.

>continued

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>>36164300
It becomes obvious to the Shropham knights that their ambush has failed and they suddenly begin charging back to the front of the keep. The drums seem to waver, missing beats here and there. The strength of its magic fades, even as Bael and your veteran LMKs surge forward and cut down the retreating soldiers without hesitation.

You mass your soldiers within the courtyard, noting that there is no fire coming from the column. There is a mage of some sort directing things from the keep, though you’re not sure if it’s a combat magister. This seems more esoteric. It’s not like it matters, you rationalise. You’re going to cut through the keep anyway. The question is how.

>1. Frontal assault. Come around the keep with your strongest knights and charge in through the front.
>2. Bombardment. Have Fuurin move his fortifications forward so he can begin bombarding the keep directly while they lack the ability to fire back.
>3. Teleportation. Teleport inside the keep with five hundred of your best soldiers and cut them all down while reinforcements come in the long way.
>4. Custom

>>36164323
>1. Frontal assault. Come around the keep with your strongest knights and charge in through the front.

Save the teleportation for taking the top city.

>>36164323
>2. Bombardment. Have Fuurin move his fortifications forward so he can begin bombarding the keep directly while they lack the ability to fire back.

>>36164323
>1. Frontal assault. Come around the keep with your strongest knights and charge in through the front.

Keep the Teleportation for capturing any VIPs who decide our focus on our assault is the best time to flee...

>>36164323
>1. Frontal assault. Come around the keep with your strongest knights and charge in through the front.

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>1.

You don’t give the enemy any time to regroup and instead bring your troops around one side of the column, your heaviest troops at the fore. While Fuurin has kept much of the area in front of the keep clear of enemies with long-range bombardment, the enemy has still been free to mass their soldiers on either side of the keep. Knowing that they have no way to retreat, the Shropham knights waste no time in forming up in preparation for your charge.

The drums burst to life once more, their furious tempo clearly fuelling the enemy’s strength and weakening the resolve of your soldiers. These are your best knights and you doubt they’ll be shaken by such a simple trick. You bellow orders to your captains and fan them out, your veteran medium mage-knights filling in the gaps as your formation thunders into the enemies, flares of magic and arrows soaring overhead and crashing into magical plate.

[DC11/17 Combat]

>>36164323
>>1. Frontal assault. Come around the keep with your strongest knights and charge in through the front.

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>36164981

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>36164981

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>36164981

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>36164981
Dice gods here I am you bastards!!

>>36165016
Not terrible!

>>36165004
>>36165016
>>36165018

I see we're picking up right where we left off then.

>>36165086

I'm still catching upon last thread. I guess I should expect perfectly mediocre rolls then?

>>36165150
Last thread was basically rolling nothing but the lower target. So we were kicking ass but not much spectacular happened.

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>lower target met

Your sword easily cuts through the mage-knights in your path, and a blast of force from Vad removes several more from the battlefield. Even as you step forward into the crush, the enemy’s magical bolts and weapons bouncing off your armour, you know that things are going poorly. You’re winning, but the cost of victory is increasing with every drum beat.

The mage-knights fight like men possessed. Their armour should be no better than your soldiers and their skills nothing to write home about, yet you can see that your soldiers are being overwhelmed. It’s only because of the overwhelming power of your heavies and elites that your force is able to push forward. As they do so, your medium mage-knights find themselves in the press of bodies, fighting against foes that feel no pain nor fear. If things were to go truly poorly, they might break and your heavies would swiftly find themselves surrounded. You doubt they would lose, but the casualties would skyrocket – you can’t afford to lose so many veteran soldiers or expensive equipment.

>continued

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>>36165535
It’s a callous assessment, but what drives you to push on to the keep is the possibility of losing large numbers of LMKs and HMKs rather than the growing losses amongst your regular mage-knights. In your wake follows a number of your Griffin knights and mage-knights, mystic foxes interspersed amongst them and firing at the mages on the keep’s balconies. As you cut a brutal swathe through the Shropham soldiers, including the almost fodder-like men-at-arms at the back, you catch glimpses of enemy noble knights and the growing battle. You have a nasty feeling that Shropham snuck some soldiers down the central lift overnight.

A magical blast marks the moment you clear the Shropham lines, several hundred of your soldiers behind you yet separated from the main force. Large chunks of reinforced stone rain down on the ground nearby in response to Taira’s blast, and a few robed bodies fall with them. You catch Bael and his God-Knights’ mighty forms holding the front even as the mage-knights supporting them begin to fail. You don’t have much time before your casualties soar. You direct your men forwards into the keep, taking advantage of the enemy’s attention being elsewhere.

>continued

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>>36165560
If the haze had been troublesome outside, inside the keep’s great hall it seems so thick you could cut it with a knife. The foxes begin to clear it with their magic, Vad cursing as he sweeps the ground in front of you with a strange blue flame that seems to burn the haze in some strange magical reaction. The drums are strong in here and you can hear the sound of a great many steel weapons being prepared and the clatter of plate armour. Your blood runs cold as you realise the reason that Vad would know how to clear the fog with his spiritual fire: Pharosian sorcery.

There’s a sickly green glow creeping through the haze as it burns away, and an even brighter glow where a balcony seems to overlook the hall, pulsing in time with the drums. Your knights huddle close, shields raised and weapons at the ready. Your Griffin knights keep their resolve and bolster the mage-knights but you know that could change at a moment’s notice – your personal knights aren’t the highly trained and experienced veterans of the Black Stone order. If you engage, you’ll be relying heavily on yourself and your foxes to keep them going but should morale break even that might not be enough to keep casualties low. You…

>1. Fight the enemy defensively in the hall, relying on your knights and foxes to hold fast while you slowly press forward.
>2. Pull out of the keep for now and try to help your main force instead. Not taking the drummer out of action may cause higher casualties there, however.
>3. Order your knights out of the fray while you and your foxes handle the sorcery-sapping weapons. This will place a lot of pressure on relatively inexperienced foxes.
>4. Custom

>>36165578
>1. Fight the enemy defensively in the hall, relying on your knights and foxes to hold fast while you slowly press forward.

>>36165578
>and an even brighter glow where a balcony seems to overlook the hall, pulsing in time with the drums
That seems like the source. Can we astral arrow that spot right there to disrupt this damn spell?
Also, our magic sensing is pretty good, even at range. Can we try and focus to pinpoint the source of this haze spell and then take just a squad of elites (god knights) to take it out while the rest of our troops fall back and fight defensively for now to minimize casualties?

>>36165578
>1. Fight the enemy defensively in the hall, relying on your knights and foxes to hold fast while you slowly press forward.

All of this trial by fire.

Could Talon's astral arrow break the fog?

>>36165578
1

>>36165578
3

>>36165578
I wonder, is this pharos support for shropham part of their deal with them that result in the spears.
Or a quick response by them to talon going to war with them (after all, we sided with the foxes that are at war with pharos).

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>>36165652
>Could Talon's astral arrow break the fog?
You could try. You don't know if there's be any reaction to the fog, though.

>>36165651
>Can we try and focus to pinpoint the source of this haze spell and then take just a squad of elites (god knights) to take it out while the rest of our troops fall back and fight defensively for now to minimize casualties?
The GKs are on the other side of the melee, unless you mean to pull back completely and try to take out the mage with just them.

>>36165652
>Could Talon's astral arrow break the fog?
Do you mean trying to dispel the fog directly?
or are you supporting >>36165651 idea that the pharosian sorcerer maintaining it is found at the balcony and you want to blast him?

>>36165699
>The GKs are on the other side of the melee, unless you mean to pull back completely and try to take out the mage with just them.
Who is the closest hero unit then? (lynn? taira maybe? undine? gnome?)

>>36165745
Talon

>>36165754
I meant who is closest besides talon and capable of backing him up in a hunt for the mage.

>>36165745

Believe in Talon. Needs to rely less on the other hero units as it, especially in a push that we're already losing men on.

>>36165578
3
High risk high reward

>>36165578
wait, our foxes are dispelling it with some fire of their own.
Can we ask one of them if the thrumming light from the top of the balcony is the source of it?

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>>36165798
They don't know what the source is.

>>36165745
Vad, as it says in the post.

>>36165699
>You could try. You don't know if there's be any reaction to the fog, though.

I say do it. Nothing to lose, and we'll get to see how Astral and Pharosian sorcery mix.

>>36165578
>4. Custom
Astral arrow right in
>an even brighter glow where a balcony seems to overlook the hall, pulsing in time with the drums
there.

>>36165904
Astral arrows cause explosions, there is really no point of doing that when we got flow control. If you want to try to dispel it directly, don't do an arrow at all. as we have trained ourselves to make those make explosions. Instead just focus directly on countering it with our own magic (we do have flow control, that is what we used to pop that one guys head from afar by snapping our fingers)

>>36165862
You know when we turned that pandamonium dog things to its natural state? And how we've been repeatedly told that Pharosian sorcery is extremely similar to that phenomenon?
Yeah, turn this fog crap to water.

>>36165904
>Nothing to lose
If we waste time doing something silly and bad we have a lot to lose.

Although, are you saying to astral arrow the oncoming troop with the glowing green spears? (and while doing that also hit the fog?)

say aspir
are we any closer to doing some of the water related army buffs?

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>>36165967
>You know when we turned that pandamonium dog things to its natural state?
That's not really what you were doing. The nothing-beasts were just vulnerable to astral flow manipulation.

>>36165948
>(we do have flow control, that is what we used to pop that one guys head from afar by snapping our fingers)
No, that was your projection magic.

ASTRAL ARROW VOTE
>1. Use astral arrow.
>2. Don't use astral arrow (Option 1 from>>36165578 wins)

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>>36166044
Also, the astral arrow is on the pulsing source of light on the balcony, in case that wasn't clear.

>>36166044
>1. Use astral arrow.

>>36166044
>1. Use astral arrow.

>>36166044
>1. Use astral arrow.

>>36166044
>1

>>36165948
That was projection magic. Flow control is basically prescience.

>>36166044
Unleash the arrow

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Reading up last thread but if a standardized armor is still something we need to make for our troops, or a design for the armor we currently have, I totally suggest pic related.

>>36166260
that armor is sweet looking

>>36166260

So long as we changed the red to blue and the lions to griffons.

>>36166260
If I remember right the last time we talked about this we went for a streamlined silver knight look.

>>36166260

I remember we talked about this a long time ago and just never got around to having a scene for it. IIRC cosmetic changes are pretty minimal and easy to do.

I'd voice opinion that we need a good sit down session with our head Machinist again soon anyway. Hammer out the new unit ideas and bring that up as well.

>>36166260
this is really really awesome looking.
Although I worry about the practicality of having such long flowing cloth everywhere.
Also the head brush seems rather wasteful for what is a mass produced tool.

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>>36166260
sweet more to add to my roman themes

>>36166424
>tfw you save a file incorrectly

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>>36166424
>>36166442

Got you covered bro.

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>>36166495

And because you always need more lion knights.

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>>36166520

Requesting we make our next Knightly Order founded in Harrowmont lion themed.

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>1. Astral arrow

You hurriedly notch an arrow and launch a blast of astral energy through it at the pulsing source of light on the distant balcony. Even with the charging foe and the disturbing drums, you channel the power effortlessly. The arrow arcs through the fog, seeming to suck it up as it flies, glowing ever brighter as it gains in power from whatever magical energy is inside it. Vad has a sharp grin on his face as your arrow explodes, the cracking of stone audible even over the blast. The drums stop suddenly. The enemy stops charging as they witness your destructive power, their figures now obvious as the fog is much lighter now.

Then you are left to marvel at the way your power appears to be surging in a swirling tempest around the formerly pulsing light, as the sickly green glow seems to fill the power you issued. As you watch, a strange glowing form of rock congeals from the power and all triumph flees yours and Vad’s faces. You’re at a loss to explain just what the hell is going on.

Then the balcony seems to crumble under the weight of the rock giant and it slams into the ground below it, the keep seeming to shake from the impact, the stones beneath it cracking and shattering. It looks up at you, the cracks between the rock that makes up its body running with a viscous green liquid that glows and seems unable to escape its form despite the force of gravity. That same liquid pours out of its eyes and the rictus-grin on its stony face, pooling in the cracks around its neck. Then, without even the slightest indication, it breathes in with enough suction to seemingly effect the entire hall.

>continued

>>36166495
I really like it
nice thing with the insignia as well

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>>36166551
Vad lets out a short scream, which is quickly drowned out by the foxes around him, but he keeps his cool and casts some bizarre spell. Instead of seeming to draw in the power from you and elsewhere, he seems to offer his own up and floods the surrounding area with extremely dense magical energy. The screams stop immediately, even as you can still see the golem breathing in. The foxes collapse, with only Vad maintaining the strength to stand.

“Out, out!” Vad shouts. “We can’t fight this monstrosity.”

“The soldiers out there will just surround and kill us,” you say as you watch the remaining effects of the golem’s breath.

The sickly green glow of those evil weapons is gone, sucked into the golem. You might be imagining things but it seems to be glowing slightly brighter itself. You don’t know what the hell it is but it seems to feed off those weapons and the foxes’ energy. Perhaps there is some strange energy native to Pharos, as you were unaffected?

Nevertheless, the Shropham knights are left without their weapons and you without your foxes. You look at the enemy captain near you and quickly realise that neither you nor he know what the hell that thing is.

“Truce?” you ask as the golem stands to its full height, almost twice your own.

“By the archangels, yes,” he says, and orders his troops to join yours.

Then the golem is upon you, charging forwards on all fours, each step shattering stone.

[DC12/19 Combat]

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>36166579

Welp looks like we found our allies.

>>36166395
Pretty much my thoughts. I've always liked the Streamlined look.

>>36166424
Looks pretty nice to me. Though the legs are a little too large.

>>36166579
Ok, the green magic that sucks out sorcery? It must suck it into the domain of one of the 4 divine races.
Give it enough power, and something can use it to come back out of that place.
That, or it just spontanously coagulated into a fae/pademonian/whatever

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>36166579

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>36166579

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>36166579

>>36166617
>>36166664
>>36166665
now would have been such an amazing time for a 20

>>36166664
>>36166665

>those rolls
>those post numbers

What the fuck man.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>36166579

>>36166579

standard massive foe in inclosed space tactics, lure it to charge into the archtecture and hit it while it's stunned.... failing that, Draw it's attention and have forces flank it...

>>36166705
Twins.

>>36166579
>Perhaps there is some strange energy native to Pharos, as you were unaffected?

I get the feeling it could have something to do with you being a true astral being Talon. After all Vad did send more astral power into the world to avoid what it was doing. But it obviously isn't the anti-magic blade so it couldn't take Talons power.

>>36166892
How do we counter magic from Pharos?
How do we counter the Fae?

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>Lower target met

The golem, or whatever the hell it is, moves fast and you know for a fact that it will tear your knights to pieces. You take Vad’s advice and order them back out, with your captain and the Shropham captain responsible for trying to stop the fighting now there is a genuine monster rampaging inside the keep. You don’t know if it will work, but it can’t hurt to try. The alternative is seeing them all dead anyway.

Your heroic attempt to keep the golem busy doesn’t work out so well, however. As you crash into one of the reinforced stone walls of the keep, you note that blocking its blows with your shield and a barrier is a terrible idea. Vad uses your demonstration to change up his strategy and tries to keep well out of its way as he hammers it with force blasts from afar. That goes almost as poorly when the golem suddenly surges forward, the liquid on its body seeming to freeze solid for a moment, and it hammers Vad with an enormous glowing fist of rock. He tumbles to a rest near a wall and doesn’t get back up.

Well, you’ll just need to do this yourself. It’s a gigantic beast of rock, it seems to be loaded to the gills with magical power and can suddenly strengthen itself in some way. It also might be immune to your astral arrows.

You don’t like this one bit. You…

>1. Run away! Grab Vad and get the hell out. This might get worse if the Shropham forces are still fighting and the golem follows you.
>2. Fight it head-on with all of your power – Flow Animation, Iron Body, Astral Projection; the works.
>3. Try to hold it off and keep Vad safe until reinforcements arrive, hopefully the God-Knights or Marek.
>4. Custom

>>36167062
>>3. Try to hold it off and keep Vad safe until reinforcements arrive, hopefully the God-Knights or Marek.

>>36167062
>>2. Fight it head-on with all of your power – Flow Animation, Iron Body, Astral Projection; the works.

Fuck it. It uses magic so Flow Animation should help out a lot here.

>>36167062
>3. Try to hold it off and keep Vad safe until reinforcements arrive, hopefully the God-Knights or Marek.
Marek and the god knights will know more about this sorcery than us.

>>36167062
>2. Fight it head-on with all of your power – Flow Animation, Iron Body, Astral Projection; the works.

>>36167062
>3. Try to hold it off and keep Vad safe until reinforcements arrive, hopefully the God-Knights or Marek.

MAREK. MAREK. MAREK.

>>36167051
>How do we counter the Fae?

Dunno. Stab them a few times?

>>36167192
>>36167051
Make it believe that it died

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>36167062
>2. Fight it head-on with all of your power – Flow Animation, Iron Body, Astral Projection; the works.
Ah, a personal challange.
It seems to be able to feed off our power. Good thing taira taught us to guard our power.
Try resisting its feeding attempt when we hit it.

>>36167219
Got to remember astral beings self image doesn't ever change hardly. Course thinking seriously the best way to kill a fae is to get them out of their world. So now they have to play by the normal worlds rules and lose a lot of their power.

>>36167225
>It seems to be able to feed off our power.

It seems more to me that it feeds off the environment. When Talon went all astral arrow he placed a lot of astral power into the world that was out of his body. Which then becomes magical energy.

It doesn't seem to be able to drain Talon himself though because he doesn't work off of spiritualism or magic. Actually holy shit there is good odds this thing eats sorcery too thinking on what it has done so far.

>>36167062
>2

>>36167355
>Actually holy shit there is good odds this thing eats sorcery too thinking on what it has done so far.
Obviously it eats sorcery, that is all it has been doing so far.

>When Talon went all astral arrow he placed a lot of astral power into the world that was out of his body. Which then becomes magical energy.
While true, I am not certainly about the exact moment in which it does so.

>>36167433
>Obviously it eats sorcery, that is all it has been doing so far.

Was talking more about evocation and other mortal sorcery.

>>36167062
So, what is pharos sorcery comes from pacts with demons/fae/whatever
The spells provide an effect while draining power from this world to feed the pact maker.

And this golem thing is exactly that, a golem. whomever the pact was made with, it noticed the massive energy surge and used it to animate a golem here to channel more power to him/her/it.

If this is correct, then it might be possible to sever the golem from whatever plane its creator is on, and thus weaken it or outright destroy it. while also limiting power consumption by whomever this is.

>>36167546
Possible. The golem does seem to get stronger though eating magic though. Which means it probably isn't sending it away right now or if it is only a certain amount.

>>36167546

Sounds like a stretch to me.

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>2.

You can hardly consider yourself Imperator if you can’t defeat one lousy monster. You rise to your feet, power surging within your body as your focus yourself and bring your power to bear. An astral frame throughout your body to keep you strong through injury. Preternatural perception to enable you to visualise the flow of a battle and magic. A focused ball of magic within yourself to protect you from the sudden surges it may use.

Really, the amount of power you’ve got available is reaching the point of absurdity. No wonder Gnome is bitching.

The golem turns its attention to you, its freakish visage fully within your sights. As it does so, you get a shock. You can’t seem to feel the flow around it properly. It is as though there is some sort of fog over the magic near it, preventing you from feeling the world and predicting its moves. With that, you realise that this beast is astral in origin. You don’t know how, especially given its origin appears to be Pharosian – their magic has been described as sorcery and Taira once called it geomancy, which just leaves you more confused. Not that you have much time to ponder the mystery.

>continued

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>>36167668
Thunder runs through the ground as the golem surges forwards, its liquid once again freezing solid. You deftly leap to side, hoping that its charge will carry it into the wall. No such luck. Capturing its momentum, the beast crouches before the wall before seeming to slam a hand up against it and spin in a cartwheel to the side. You barely catch the edges of the flow of magic around it, just enough to pull yourself out of this situation.

As one of its enormous magically-infused feet of rock come crashing down upon you, you deflect it with the edge of your shield. The momentum carried through your shield lets you slip away neatly and you carry it into a reckless sword blow. You carry it through part of its leg before it slips free, that viscous green liquid bursting from the rock as you do so. Its concentration seems to break and the frozen liquid begins to run free over the monster again as it bellows at you, trying to suck in your magic as you retreat.

So, you can hurt the thing. It’s just incredibly tough and fast.

[DC16/19 Combat]

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>36167702
love me dice gods

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>36167702
This thing really is intimidating.

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>36167702

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>36167702

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>36167702

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>36167702
I am the chosen of the dice gods. I command this roll to be great.

>>36167732
Saved!

>>36167747
if only you were faster

>>36167747
If only it had been great -and- punctual.

>>36167725
>>36167732
>>36167734

Christ almighty these rolls can't be good for my heart.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>36167747
wow, you really are.
too bad it was too late

>>36167747
Chosen of the dice gods. Hated by the gods of time.

>>36167782
More like hated by the gods of CAPTCHA.

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>36167782
technically, it was probably the dice gods trolling him by giving him a 20 in such a manner

>>36167869

Guis. guis pls

>>36167869
It's worse then that. The moment I typed that out I felt inside that I would get a 20.

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>36167897
Let's see if your luck continues than

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>lower target met

Your blade meets rock in an explosion of sound and power. Light flares where the astral power coating your blade meets the congealed energy within this beast’s ‘blood’. It roars in response and pushes right into your guard as you flick your sword back, its speed as great as yours and preventing you from easily attacking it. With a flick of its arm, you’re knocked off balance but your shield, layered with several astral barriers, keeps most of the impact away from your body.

Then you move in again, pitting your endurance against the golem’s. You can withstand a few blows from the monster but you fear that it is somehow healing yours. Your sword sinks deep into its torso, blinding sparks of magic surging from the impact point as your sword went ever deeper until it reached its hilt. Your other arm pushes forward as your legs pump power into your upper body and keep you inside the golem’s reach. Shield crashing into its body, your sword pulls free with another surge of magic and glowing green liquid. The beast stumbles back and you push on it again, only to take a nasty backhand.

Your vision returns a moment later as you pull yourself hurriedly up from the ground. Ears filling with its bestial roar, you recklessly swing your sword to protect yourself and lose your vision. Bright light once again flares where your sword meets the golem but its charge is halted as its frozen liquid once again melts from the impact. You roll backwards onto your feet, noting that you were knocked all the way back to the front of the great hall. Iron Body is holding you up, but you can feel the broken bones. Internal bleeding, too, probably.

>continued

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>>36168312
Another explosion of sound as you slam your shield into the golem’s fist and your world shakes. Stepping forward, your sword stabs right into where a joint would be on a human arm and the golem wails in pain. You spin about, unable to quickly free your sword, and your shield meets its other arm in another blast of thunder. Somehow, being caught in the golem’s reach like this feel incredibly dangerous, so you pull your blade free and roll under its arm before it can crush you.

It follows through and you barely prevent the enormous fist from shattering your back, instead losing your shield. Your arm is a twisted mass of metal, Iron Body keeping the pain away but unable to fix the damage to your armour that keeps your arm paralysed. You absently note that Undine will need to fix this before your next fight. Then the golem is on top of you, surging with power once more.

You don’t stop to think, your arm snapping up. Your sword thrusts straight through the golem’s head and then stops, the bright flash of light blinding you again. You know where it is, however. You slam your spare arm atop your working one to pull your sword down in a hard chopping motion, relying on your inhuman strength to overcome physics and let you slice the golem apart. Your luck holds and you slice down and free your blade, a flood of the liquid seeming to pour out of the gaping wound you’ve inflicted.

>continued

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>>36166260
Just got caught up, here's second image I suggest we do our troops or ourself as. Less Roman, more knightly. -kinda get highlander knightly vibe from it-

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>>36168334
One last thunderous blast resounds throughout the hall as the golem collapses. The liquid runs free, turning prismatic and disappearing in short order. Your breathing is harsh, your lungs having been damaged at some point by a blow to your body. You’re on the edge of consciousness, kept awake only by your magic. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the pile of rock quivering. As you look over, you despair at the sight of that gaping wound seemed to reform into solid rock.

With a click, the golem stops moving, a cage of magic snapping over him. The healing process seems to halt and the golem has no choice but to die. You look over to see Marek striding into the room, looking grimmer than you thought possible. Behind him are your Griffin knights and you can hear some battle still outside. Clearly the attempted surrender of the Shropham troops wasn’t as successful as you might have hoped.

Then all goes black, your magic giving way. You wake up to find a woman beside your bed, she is…

>1. Gnome
>2. Tsucchi
>3. Undine
>4. Custom

>>36168370
>>3. Undine

>>36168370
>>2. Tsucchi

First thing to say. "All this pharos bullshit today."

>>36168370
>Gnome

As much as I want it to be Undine, our Champion, I'm thinking we need her mass combat skill to hold whatever front our troops have established. Gnome's the more effective bodyguard.

>>36168370
>3. Undine

God damn that fight was brutal.

>>36168370
>2. Tsucchi

>>36168370
>3

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>36168359
Very badass.

>>36168370
>>3. Undine
she is our champion for a reason

>>36168370
>>2. Tsucchi
Why not?

>>36168370
undine

>>36168370
>3. Undine

>>36168370
>2. Tsucchi

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>>36168359

Here have a picture of Phrace with his warhammer.

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It's been a while since we've had one, and the voting is getting silly (plus I'm eating lunch) so:

CONTENTIOUS VOTE

OPTION 1
Undine is besides your bed as you wake up.

OPTION 2
Tsucchi is besides your bed as you wake up.

Rules for voting are to make a post with a link to this post and the number you are voting for. No other text, no greentexting the number. All informal votes will be discarded. Voting window will be five minutes after the first vote.

I'm curious to see how much higher the unique poster count will go.

>>36168616
1

>>36168616
2

>>36168616
2

>>36168616
1

>>36168616
1

>>36168650
post correctly

>>36168616
1

>>36168616
>1

>>36168616
1

>>36168616
2

>>36168616
1

>>36168616
2

Undine is a good consolation prize I guess.

>>36168803
I honestly just wanted to bitch about Pharos bullshit to someone who lived though it. I'm not really sure what Undine can really say that would be worth the time here.

>>36168840
I just wanted Fluffy tails

>>36168370
>3. Undine

>>36168616
Option 1

>>36168935
Oh anon.

>>36168616
>option 1, our champion a bestest

What is the highest unique poster count for this quest?

>>36168963
>>36168935
Guys, vote correctly.

>>36168935
>>36168963
Samefag as fuck!

>>36168968
20

>>36168968
This is the first time since that feature was added

>>36168968

I think the alliance directions had 20 some, though that was likely gamed. Probably within the 12-15 range.

>>36169007
I really hope that's one guy samefagging two votes. I don't want to believe that there's two anons out there who's this incompetent.

Also, the voting period is long over anyway.

>>36168616
1

>>36169070
oh wow. im late

>>36169070
Undinefags confirmed for being slow as fuck

>>36169128
>Undine literally first two votes
Tsucchi fags confirmed for salty

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>1.

As your vision clears, you can clearly see Undine sitting near you, reading a book. There’s the strange sensation of magic seeming to run up and down your body at the same time. Looking around, you see that you’re in a building of some sort now. It looks like the room of the keep you were just fighting in.

The keep! You snap bolt upright suddenly, cursing inwardly. Before you can do anything, Undine’s arms hold you back.

“You finally wake up and the first thing you try to do is charge off,” she says snippily. “Not even a good morning kiss?”

You scowl. “There is a battle on, why are you here and why shouldn’t I be joining it?”

“There’s been a battle ongoing for the last three days and you haven’t been in it, so I think it can wait,” Undine says, glowering at you in return for your anger. “And I am here to get you back into it before it’s too late.”

Your blood runs cold. “Three days?” you rasp.

“It would have been longer if I hadn’t had Taira teleport Tsucchi here to help me. You pushed yourself well beyond your limits, Talon. You’re lucky you didn’t die,” she says, and you’re not so sure her anger hasn’t lingered for the last few days.

>continued

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>>36169177
You curse at that. Maybe fighting a gigantic magical rock golem that one-shot Vad was a bad idea. Not like you can change the past and you definitely learnt something at least.

>You have upgraded Iron Body to II – you now have effective immunity against pain, curses, poisons and damage-over-time attacks.

“How have the last few days been?” you ask, hoping that your generals managed to keep it together.

“After his performance and that of the other heavy knights, Bael’s recommendations carried a fair bit of weight, so the generals - and I mean all of them as they formed a council – decided to move on the upper platform after a day’s rest. They ascended via the central lifts and then assaulted the inner fortress from the inside, just outside the palace.”

“How did that go?” you say, dreading the answer.

[DC12/18 GK/HMK Courtyard Push; DC15 Wall Push]

[DC13 Containment Push]

Roll 3d20 please.

Rolled 9, 3, 8 = 20 (3d20)

>>36169210
I got this

Rolled 10, 20, 16 = 46 (3d20)

>>36169210

Rolled 3, 20, 9 = 32 (3d20)

>>36169210
Fuck

Rolled 18, 7, 6 = 31 (3d20)

>>36169210

Rolled 12, 17, 11 = 40 (3d20)

>>36169210

Rolled 17, 6, 1 = 24 (3d20)

>>36169210
Undine worst girl. I love her anyway though.

>>36169231
>>36169237
Holy fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

>>36169231
>>36169237
We pushed that wall real good.

What does double 20s get us?

>>36169231
>>36169237
>Walls

>>36169228
>>36169231
>>36169237

PUSHED THE FUCK OUT OF THAT WALL

>>36169244
Damn, I really wish you'd beaten me (>>36169237)...

Are we going to keep that fail GK/HMK roll?

>>36169260
All girls are good girls.

I just like Gnome the least because I don't like her body type as much.

>>36168840
its not like we can't talk to her about it later.

>>36168334
>Iron Body keeping the pain away but unable to fix the damage to your armour that keeps your arm paralysed.
I wonder about this, this isn't the first time this happened to us
Out of curiosity, is this the armor's anti magic enchantment biting us in the ass? or is it just that iron body can't remove impeding obstacles like metal being lodged inside us

I also worry that reliance on this armors enchantments is slowing down our own development in terms of resisting magic and injury.

>>36169228
He's got this.

>>36169302
I'd rather not burn our last Fate Point on a non-crit fail.

>>36169324
You arent alone. Lynn a best

>>36169302

Well we can't do much about it really, FR points only really work if Talon has his hands on it directly.

>>36169341
As expected of Blackwater.

>>36169338
I think it's that the armor was crushed around our arm dude. Even if Iron body heals the arm the armor is still wrapped around it and iron budy heals slowly anyway.

>>36169369
Flat is Justice

>>36169282
Maybe the courtyard group retreated with slightly minimized casualties and stepped the fuck up to help with the wall push?

Rolled 14, 9, 3 = 26 (3d20)

>>36169210
My roll will pierce the heavens!

>>36169324
I don't know why but I've always had a thing for short waifus. Thus making Taira and Lynn top tier. Gnome too old and busted.

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>>36169338
>Out of curiosity, is this the armor's anti magic enchantment biting us in the ass? or is it just that iron body can't remove impeding obstacles like metal being lodged inside us
Most regeneration magic can only heal the flesh, not remove impeding objects. Powerful regen magic (such as those that counter anti-regen abilities) can.

The problem with your armour getting wrecked is that it's kind of hard to unwreck it in a short period of time.

>>36169228
>>36169231
>>36169237
Trying to work out how to write this up. Bael, Phrace and Rayza drop the ball while trying to seize the courtyard under heavy fire, then your main army cleans shit up while they look on saltily, followed by a decent push into the rest of the city.

>>36169422
That's more Taira, Sala and Aladria. Lynn's just aren't big.

Also, this discussion reminds me of when a random anon said I had normalfag taste in women. I still don't understand what he meant by that.

>>36169409
>I think it's that the armor was crushed around our arm dude. Even if Iron body heals the arm the armor is still wrapped around it and iron budy heals slowly anyway.
I know it heals slowly, I am trying to figure why it doesn't push out the offending metal. is it the magic resistance on this armor. Or is it that it can't push out any metal, even non magical one, that is stuck inside our body (armor crushed all the way to the bone, sword sticking out of both sides, etc)

>>36169477
>rolls make narrative confusing

Yes. Yes they do. Still, have faith that you'll make sense of it.

>>36169477
>That's more Taira, Sala and Aladria. Lynn's just aren't big.
>Taira, Sala and Aladria

Critical hit Aspirational. I don't know If I'll survive this mountain of best girls.

>Also, this discussion reminds me of when a random anon said I had normalfag taste in women. I still don't understand what he meant by that.

Ignore the normalfags. Gain wizardry.

>>36169477
>Also, this discussion reminds me of when a random anon said I had normalfag taste in women. I still don't understand what he meant by that.
That your taste in women is normal and that you aren't a freak?
No dickgirls/traps/HHH cup boobs/loli/obese/etc?
basically, you aren't into /d/

>>36169477
>Also, this discussion reminds me of when a random anon said I had normalfag taste in women. I still don't understand what he meant by that.

That might have been me.

>>36169477
>Aladria
sounds familiar, who was that again?

>>36169477
>Also, this discussion reminds me of when a random anon said I had normalfag taste in women.

I like when random anons chime in on just the most absurd things and then never explain them.

>>36169575
>basically, you aren't into /d/

We are all a little into the /d/ here anon.

>>36169477
I'm honestly impressed it actually managed to wreck our armor. Of course, I think the Knights of Basset seem somewhat overrated. You've comapired them IC to god-knights, and OOC to spellblades.

>>36169602
>Aladria
>sounds familiar
I got that joke

>>36169602

Vampire noblewoman we accidentally contracted with.

Turned Felix into a Daywalker, might have a thing for him.

>>36169602
3rd best grill.

>>36169602
Our ancient vampire loli familiar. Currently sort of has something going with Felix.

>>36169660
>loli familiar

I still have no idea where this notion came from. Aspir has told us she's more 18-20 range in looks.

>>36169660
>loli familiar

God, I wish

>>36169690
I believe it came from shadow magic+Some people really enjoy fapping to Shinobu. Leading to some amazing head cannon.

>>36169690
Isn't she like 5'0 to 5'4?

While it is on my mind, I dont think we should ever declare anyone a "ruler" of dragons under us. Larios would be mad as fuck if we didnt declare Lynn as ruler, and other dragons would never recognize the daughter of Larios as their leader.

>>36169690
People think vampire familar, and many just associate it with little blonde girls because of Shinobu from Monogatari and Eva from Negima.

In their defense, those are the best girls in the entire series.

>>36169728
That's quite an assumption. Larios did attack her home and all.

>>36169728

So naturally Talon declares himself the ruler of dragons.

And then we fight a dragon like the idiots we are.

>>36169728
Speaking of Larios, that dude have any more kids running around?

>>36169777
Yes. We do this.

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>>36169720
>Some people really enjoy fapping to Shinobu

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I think I've got an idea of how to handle the rolls. Writing now.

>>36169636
The Knights of Bassette have a reputation, exagerrated by the fact they were one of the best orders of knights in a time when mass-produced enchanted plate wasn't a thing. Their equipment is good, but not GK tier. Their ability to use magic is probably pretty high, though. I haven't actually statted them so I don't know if they could fight GKs one-on-one but they're definitely far stronger than any of your regular troops (including the noble knights).

>>36169723
She's probably about 4'11. Taira is about the same and Lynn 5'0.

>>36169748
Aladria was created years ago (2007/08?) when I was interested in Tsukihime. Based off Altrouge's descriptions. So the comparison isn't too far off, really.

>>36169748
>Eva
>Shinobu

High quality waifus.

>>36169764
My assumption comes from the line "My dad once told me I would be the 'future of our race'". or something like that.

>>36169821
>Lynn 5'0.

Imagining tiny Lynn ordering around her assembled cast of Noble Knights that all tower over her is both hysterical and adorable.

>>36169728
>While it is on my mind, I dont think we should ever declare anyone a "ruler" of dragons under us. Larios would be mad as fuck if we didnt declare Lynn as ruler, and other dragons would never recognize the daughter of Larios as their leader.
I agree but not because I don't want to upset any powerful individual, but because I think racial "rulers" under us set a bad precedent and serve only to fragment the empire.
I want foxes and dragons and humans and elves growing up side by side in a unified york empire, owing allegiance only to their country and imperator. Not to any racial leader.
I am willing to put up with it with the foxes because that is the system they already had and trying to tear it all up will be bad.
But I don't want to encourage and create such division. We already decided to not create new nobles as governers, instead keeping them as employees, and to not just hand out duchies willy nilly, instead making vitria special.
When a group comes to us AS A GROUP, and is special enough relative to what we have at the time. Then at that point they can earn such special treatment.

>>36169832
I always took that as her being a new dragon type that could easily survive among humans.

>>36169821
>Altrouge

Aspirational has great taste.

>>36169881
Proving once again that short girls are the best

>>36169896
>I always took that as her being a new dragon type that could easily survive among humans.
I think there's some "master race" bullshit in there.

>>36169881
She has wings. She'd do the looming.

>>36169894
Problem there is that never works. The first thing any race does is group together and then get some unofficial leader if not an official one.

>. We already decided to not create new nobles as governers, instead keeping them as employees, and to not just hand out duchies willy nilly, instead making vitria special.

That's honestly mostly due to Talon being very power hungry.

>>36169987

I think that can worked around. Special interests groups tend to form no matter what you're doing politically. Naturally we'd have to listen to someone speaking for that group, as much as we do the Foxes.

>>36169812
More a Kiss-Shot person. Then a shinobu person.

>>36169821
>Altrouge's

She's no blonde vampire loli, but not bad at all

>all this anime talk

I have no idea what is going on.

>>36170025
True.

Also is it just me or is it hilarious that almost every time Talon levels up it is basically because.

"I got the shit kicked out of me. But hey I figured out how to get the shit kicked less out of me next time."

>>36169987
>That's honestly mostly due to Talon being very power hungry.
I disagree. but regardless, no matter what argument you chose to justify such an act. the exact same argument that was used to not make every state an archduchy and not make every governor a noble, every such reason can be used to justify not making every race have "racial leaders".

>>36170124
I think it's less "But hey I figured out how to get the shit kicked less out of me less time." and more "But hey, I figure if I just take it and keep fighting that'll terrify the bastards."

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>>36170060
Anime's great though

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>GK/HMK Courtyard Push: Target not met; 9, 10, 3

Undine looks away for a second as she retrieves a nearby apple from a fruit bowl. Why was there a fruit bowl in a warzone? Then again, your men had grabbed quite a few spring fruit during the march.

“Bael and his knights did rather well, being practically impervious to the magical barrage launched at them,” she says, insisting on feeding you the slices of apple she’s cutting up. “Unfortunately, Phrace and his heavy mage-knights didn’t do nearly so well. Rayza managed to keep the losses to a minimum but being caught in a massive magical barrage meant she wasn’t capable of stopping everything. I think Bael didn’t realise that your Phrace’s knights weren’t wearing RSK model armour with the stronger magical protection.”

“Or he just forgot the relative strength of humans,” you say, grudgingly accepting the apple with your teeth.

>Wall Push: Exceptional Success; 3, 20, 20

“Fortunately, the strength number of mage-knights and elite fighters we have meant that we were able to keep the courtyard push from failing,” she continues, munching on a slice herself. “Gnome was right that they overestimated their ability from letting a strong force from marching up the tower. The design was created long before magical plate was mass produced so it simply didn’t have the ability to stop thousands of mage-knights, backed by mages and powerful elementals. Arail, Lynn and Sala swept the walls clean and kept casualties low. They even managed to capture most of the mages instead of butchering them.”

“I have to admit, having Lynn and Rayza using their draconic powers openly has added a lot of versatility,” you say. “It’ll complicate politics but I think the military benefit is worth it. Did we take the palace?”

>continued

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>>36170243
She shakes her head as she rises to pour some coffee. You resist the urge to tell her how to make it properly. All the girls get snippy when you try to tell them how to do it properly so you just make it yourself when possible.

“The palace and central tower are too heavily warded to penetrate easily. Bael has been working on a specialised barrier breaker to penetrate it alongside Maloric.”

“It must be strong if they need to work together to do it,” you say.

>Containment Push: Target met; 8, 16, 9

“The rest of the city is mostly under our control,” Undine finishes, bringing back the coffee. “All but two of the towers, including the central one, have either been seized or surrendered. There is no sign of the production line of the spears or the combat magisters. No doubt it’s all locked up inside the palace. The main worry is that they’re preparing something very special in there.”

You sip at your coffee as you think that over. “Casualties?”

“Including the melee at the keep below us and the previous day’s conflict,” she says, and you blink as you realise you’re on the upper platform, “at least four thousand dead overall. We’ve been rather efficient at keeping the wounded going.”

So that meant you’ve lost three thousand between the keep and seizing the upper city. Undine confirms it’s mostly centralised in the men-at-arms, medium mage-knights and archers. Shropham’s melee capability had been poor but their ranged capability let them do a lot of damage to your less-well armoured soldiers.

>Anything you want to say or ask Undine before moving onto a strategy meeting?

>>36170169
All I've got to say is good luck breaking racial camaraderie.

>>36170193
God damn that speech.

"Send me all your women. Die for me if you are men. That is all."

>>36170283
What was the general reaction to us being unconscious?

>>36170283
If we don't have an order of field medics I think we ought to put that on the fucking to-do list.

>>36170025
>Special interests groups tend to form no matter what you're doing politically.
Special interest groups form based on specific cultural issues. And most definitely depends on what you are doing politically.

>>36170283
"Remind me to murder Pharos later."

>>36170283

Did Mal or any of our mages get to collect samples of that beast?

Marek seemed to know how to at least handle it, is he around to talk to so we can get a better description of the sorcery at work?

What about the Knight Order, have they surrendered?

ETA on Mage Guard forces?

>>36170376

There's a support corps, Aspirational hasn't touched on it much in a long while and I'd imagine we can assume they function to standards.

Having Undine and the Foxes around pretty much nullifies a need for anything more specialized though.

>>36170343
Great speech by a great man

>>36170414
They also form so more people can band together to create whatever changes they want. So the odds of full on leaders not forming is low unless we pull something stronger then that.

Like a religion or something.

>>36170283
I assume the HMAA had a bunch of casualties as well?
Anyway, what was the reaction to Shroopham summoning a divine being? I seem to recall that's the sort of thing that causes Raphael to act.
Do we have a map of the central tower and the palace? If not, have the Mages who surrendered tell us everything they know.

>>36170463
>nullifies the need for anything more specialized though.
Maybe, but this is one of those areas I'd prefer some redundancy in.

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>>36170355
"Mostly that you should have been dead. The knights were mostly speaking of a monster half the size of the great hall and you apparently killed it. Marek and Bael agreed that you should have been killed by it. Nobody's really commenting much on whether you should have fought it, given if the monster had gotten out things may have gotten worse," Undine says. It's also pretty obvious to you she'd rather that thngs had 'gotten worse' instead of you nearly dying.

>>36170343
Good ol' Rance.

>>36170418
"I don't think you can murder a continent, Talon," she says, a small smile on her face.

>>36170424
>Did Mal or any of our mages get to collect samples of that beast?
"No, Marek destroyed it shortly after conferring with Sir Baelrus. Given its nature and what Vad described to us later, that sounds like the best thing to have been done."

>Marek seemed to know how to at least handle it, is he around to talk to so we can get a better description of the sorcery at work?
That will be next.

>What about the Knight Order, have they surrendered?
"The Horned Giant knights have been scattered among the defending forces. Their leadership seems to be in the palace but none of the knights have been able to contact them for days before the assault."

>ETA on Mage Guard forces?
"This is the sixth day of the siege, so our estimate is around two to three days at the earliest. They've taken the fortress to our north and received their reinforcements. It's just a matter of their marching speed."

We seem to be moving on to seizing the palace and the Pharos problem, so I'll change scene to bring the relevant players in now.

>>36170025
Yeah. I think the two main arguments are
"Racial leaders weaken our power, lets have a few as possible."
"Racial leaders are basically inevitable, lets make sure they are who we want, rather than someone troublesome."

>>36170313
>All I've got to say is good luck breaking racial camaraderie.
Keep in mind that we confirmed that dragons and fluffy tails can crossbreed with humans. Talon making a few half breeds is gonna go along way towards that. It is his national duty!

Also, the dragons supposedly don't HAVE any racial leadership.
As for the foxes, the key here is how exploitative the "leaders" are.
They sold out their own race for power. That led to the breaking of the 6 clans and years of hardship and civil war. (there are exceptions like ren, karise, etc)

>>36170543
Pretty much. I mostly think that even if we don't do anything they will probably set up some unofficial charismatic leader. Actually trying to set up a racial leader though is a bad idea. Because the power is inherit mostly in the faith of the populace.

>>36170533
>Their leadership seems to be in the palace but none of the knights have been able to contact them for days before the assault."

Inb4 fucked up blood rituals creating malformed God-Knight analogues.

>>36170543

Those two arguments are compatible. Empower racial leaders who we like over those we don't like and the other racial leader will suppress their rivals Basically how the British maintained their empire.

>>36170621
Yes, but the thing is, even in such a case you get into the case of either we
>wait until someone starts to become one, and then sway them or get someone to step up and oppose them.
Or
>we preempt it by getting someone loyal to us but apparently unconnected try to sway the public to view them as a racial leader when nobody else was doing it, unopposed.
The former has the risk of a hostile racial leader emerging
The latter has the risk of creating cultural divide where none would have existed otherwise. And creating the notion that racial leaders are a necessity.

>>36170568
>Keep in mind that we confirmed that dragons and fluffy tails can crossbreed with humans.

It just makes another dragon/fox.

>As for the foxes, the key here is how exploitative the "leaders" are.

Yeah we will need to clear them out at some point. Though personally I would just give Ren backing from us in order to give him leverage to take them out.

>Also, the dragons supposedly don't HAVE any racial leadership.

Pretty high odds of them choosing someone unofficial to go with though. All it really needs is enough dragons to matter to get a dragon who has some pull with the others.

It is something to keep in mind. Right now we mostly want the empire to be so good that they want to band under it and Talon. That way we have some control over the later politics that will form up inevitably.

So of the prominent/growing races so far in our kingdom we have
>Dragons
Highly disorganized and with no real leadership. If they grow under us we may have to put a figure head leader
>Fluffy tails
Already have leadership, but seem willing to conform with the rest of the empire. We cant undervalue the importance of a good relationship with Ren.
>Vamps
They owe us alot for what we have done. I dont think Felix would be good as a leader due to his ideals. Aladria, simply doesnt have the personality to lead. If they ever become a problem I suggest we appoint Blackwater

>>36170842
>I dont think Felix would be good as a leader due to his ideals.

While true I wouldn't rule out him restarting or starting a new Knight Order. He's a leader on the battlefield for sure.

>>36170744
Yeah. Honestly I like the first option the most. Because the odds of a real hostile person being in the empire of the guy who is protecting them is quite low.

>>36170842
Nice to see you are promoting yourself.

>>36170842
"black water" is a term for sewage, right?

>>36170842
>Aladria, simply doesnt have the personality to lead.

I could actually see her doing pretty well. She seems the pragmatic sort that could get shit done.

>Already have leadership, but seem willing to conform with the rest of the empire. We cant undervalue the importance of a good relationship with Ren.

We should also reach out for the other clan heads. The pride guy sounds all right if we could get his ears to us instead of his advisers.

>>36170842
>Dragons

Given how scattered they are I would just let Lynn or someone naturally get some followers and leave it at that.

>>36170842
Vampires are somewhat different due to being sterile, and having previous lives before becoming vampires.

>>36170283
Hey aspir, I just had an idea.
Mal and our chief machinest have worked together before quest started and made the AA together, and you said our basette armor has a long lost form of magic resistance that is superior to anything that can be manufactured in modern times
And you said mal could potentially reverse engineer this superior magic resistance form. But wouldn't be really happy if we set him to enchanting plates.

Any chance that mal can reverse engineer it and then teach it to that machinst to start development on improving our current mageplate designs with this superior form of resistance? (obviously I don't expect a mass produced perfect copy, but just a small boost to the magic resistance of our HMK would be nice)

I had a thought.
Vampires in HMK are terrifying, yes?
What about vampires in LMK? I mean, LMK is all about boosting speed, and vampires are supernaturally fast. Also LMK blades cut better than MMK and HMK blades. So combine that with vampire strength for even more cutting power...

>>36170958
Eh, we could probably fix that with life magic.

>>36170888
I swear to god each time I hear this joke I always see blackwater in a nice cottage in the middle of no where with his waifu. Then he hears about all the dastardly deeds he did thousands of miles away.

>>36171003
We have talked about this. A lot. One of the key ideas is NHMK and NLMK.

>>36171013

Look at this statement. Look at how casually it is stated, yeah we could do that on a lazy Sunday afternoon, nbd.

Aspirational was right the amount of power we have at hand is absurd.

>>36170886
>Yeah. Honestly I like the first option the most. Because the odds of a real hostile person being in the empire of the guy who is protecting them is quite low.
Well, there might be some, but I don't see anyone like that gaining traction in the york empire considering the rep we have.

>>36171061
>>36171013
Wasnt that Balance or Power?

>>36170533
Oh, so the Shirasire military was destroyed? damn, they would have been useful.

>>36171061
No, it'd definitely be a multi year, labor intense project and it'd require we speciallize further into life magic. I'm just saying that since we're functionally immune to aging we have the time and resources for a pet project.

>>36171013
But when? 100 years from now?
I bet its harder to do than turning someone to a god-knight.

Than again, talon is pumping his astral power into aldaria. So even if harder to do, there is a chance he will stumble upon it through that avenue.

>>36171105
Balance is about taking things and making it more moderate. So kind of a undine powerset with copy skills and things like magical flow. Versatility but no real specialization.

Life would be creation of armor and the likes and uplifting and making firestorms and shit.

Death is killing things and making shit absurdly powerful via limiting it's lifespan for more power.

Power is forcing things your way though unaltered power to drive things forward in the way you desire. But lacks true creation skills as much as powering up your allies and yourself skills to absurd heights.


So I think it would be either Power or life that does that.

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>Palace strategy

It takes a few hours to gather the major players from around the city for a strategy meeting. Your priority is firstly on confirming just what the hell you fought in the keep and then on how to seize the palace and stop them from creating another one.

Unfortunately, answering the first question is harder than you expected.

“I disagree with the notion that a Pharosian geomancer is involved,” Fuurin says, his voice getting heated for one of the few times you’ve experienced. “I know their capabilities well and this isn’t one of them.”

“In my experience they’re capable of a great many more things than they appear to be. Why do you think you know better?” Taira asks, scowling at the fact she’s being questioned by a younger fox.

“Because unlike most foxes, I didn’t explicitly refuse contact with geomancers,” he says. “They’re capable of many things but I can’t see how they’d possibly make something that could do so much damage to foxes.”

“We developed disruption magic for a reason,” Taira says.

“And it paled in power compared to what black-tailed foxes can do, meaning that if they could easily defeat Vadoric then they could have crushed the foxes in history,” Fuurin retorts.

“Regardless of historical arguments,” Baelrus says, his deep voice drowning out the arguing foxes, “my experience of Pharosian sorcery is that they could never create an astral being like this. This is something more difficult.”

“So, that means it’s Fae?” Mal says.

Marek shakes his head, a grim look seemingly etched into his face. “If it were a divine race responsible then Raphael would have intervened. He may not be what he once was but he hasn’t hesitated to intervene any time mages and Fae have intermingled. This is likely the result of the Shropham mages playing with Pharosian artifacts, likely smuggled in via the Eastern Winds Trading Company.”

>continued

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>>36171218
“Or spies in them,” Tsucchi says. “We know that Shropham has had contact with the Shadow Empress and the Eastern Winds don’t truly represent them.”

Marek inclines his head towards her before continuing, “Whatever the exact source, the original spear that caused the political kerfuffle was probably the original artefact and the new ones are copies made using magitech. That drum and the reaction it had to your astral arrow was probably further experimentation.”

“I don’t quite understand how that’s possible,” Gnome interjects. “No matter how different the sorceries are, how can they generate astral power?”

Marek hesitates. “It’s difficult to explain and I’m not really at liberty to. My order deals with esoteric problems like this and we prefer to keep them hidden.”

“Like the hidden monastery within the monastery near Farun?” you ask flatly.

His shocked look transitioning into sheepishness, Marek continues, “We deal with local problems with magic before they become truly threatening just as the archangels deal with divine problems in the same way. We try to avoid politics but sorcery having astral effects is potentially destabilising to the world itself. To be brief, the magical dead zone south of Malataine and Terrnaine Forest was the result of similar magic.”

The table goes silent at that. If whatever Shropham was working on went awry, the entire region could be effectively turned into a barren wasteland.

“Can we take the palace?” you ask, turning to Bael.

“I believe I can penetrate the barrier. I can’t break it but can create an opening that will last several hours,” he answers. “It would be best to restrict who goes in to deal with the threat. There is no telling what desperate measure the mages have taken to preserve their god complex.”

Bael probably knew a bit about those measures, having been part of a race that claimed to be Gods before destroying a huge amount of land.

>Questions?

>>36171105
No. Power has nothing to to with modifying/fixing things, just reinforment and overpowering. Balance is about transformation and redistribution, so maybe it would work, but I'm pretty sure you'd end up with Not-Vampires.

Life magic is about creation and modification, so it'd be useful to make vampires more "worldly" rather than "other worldly". To bot change their nature to make them a viable species without sacrificing the characteristics that make them unique.

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>>36171235
>Recommended Assault Team
Talon
Gnome
Undine
Sala
Bael (not his GKs)
Finn
Lynn
Rayza
Aladria
Mal
Marek

>Left out
Vad - potentially vulnerable to the new magic
Taira - potentially vulnerable to the new magic

>Possible problems
The elementals, Finn, Aladria and dragons may be vulnerable to the magic if it's anything like the spears. To be perfectly safe, the team should just be Talon, Bael (not his GKs - Bael suspects they would fall and is unwilling to risk their lives given his situation), Marek and Mal.

>>36171235
What elite forces do we currently have available?
I'm sorta hoping we can press some spellblades and mages from the secondary towers (the ones who were basically oppressed by the main towers) into the assault

>>36171311
Safe team.
Talon
Bael
Marek
Mal

>>36171311

Definitely want to go with the bro squad.

We have a fistful of issues with the magics these mages are messing with as is. Risking the lives of three pure elementals does not seem to be the wisest decision.

>>36171266
Yeah pretty much. It was mentioned that power can increase your allies might but it's though Talon like how when they where all about to die and he revived them all. So it's more Talon shows up and kills everything then lets his allies rebuild the path.

Life magic is about making the natural more powerful and is basically what the lords work. So it's more the uplifting and creating powerful armor and shit like the God-knights path.

>>36171311
>>36171376
I'm backing this.

>>36171311
Could we stick something like a magical Becon on Talon to be able to get Taira to teleport in with back up if possible?

So what if the strange sorcery is created by Mage PC. When Talon uses astral power it turns into what I assume is Gauron sorcery in reality. Maybe mage PC is a summoner from Pharos.

>>36171311
I'll take the reccomendation, with one modification:
Prior to the assualt our mages (and anyone we can press gang from the city mages) will summon as many powerful summons as possible and send them in as the first wave. Since they are nonsentient summons, I don't give a damn if they suffer 100% casualties as long as they soften up the enemies.

>>36171376
I will agree with >>36171463

>>36171376
Safe team seems fine although I do think Mal would be a little squishy.

>>36171442
The mage PC was compared to Kushan and from what I remember pretty much hates being with towers. So I doubt he would help out these idiots.

>>36171266
It occurs to me that we could outsource it
we know the archangel of life
we can possible do some favors for her in exchange for her developing for us a method of transforming vampires into not-vampires

>>36171463

I don't think that's the best plan. That beast absorbed magic, for all we know they'll be able to repurpose that vast amount of summoned magic and become more powerful.

I GOT IT.

So the weapons drain magical/astral ability, right? Well they aren't destroying it, they're taking it. Just like this golem took astral ability.

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SQUAD VOTE (ref >>36171311)
>1. Absolutely everybody, including the foxes.
>2. Everybody but the foxes
>3. Safe team only
>4. Custom

SUMMON VOTE
>1. Send in a mass of summons to soften them up first.
>2. Don't send in any summons.
>3. Custom

>>36171519
If they tried that it might drain all their magic as well.
>>36171463
Works for me.

>>36171513
Not sure if that would work though. The archangels powers isn't Talons powers.

Raphael already has a domain locked in besides it really wouldn't be worth it.

>>36171564
>3. Safe team only
>2. Don't send in any summons.

>>36171564
>3. Safe team only
>2. Don't send in any summons.

>>36171564
>3

Abstain from summons vote because I'm a coward

>>36171566
>If they tried that it might drain all their magic as well.
that would be little consolation to us.
heck, if it got out of control it might end up with another wasteland.

Also should something happen to us we should tell get our retinue to contact Sylvian. We cant let the mage guard take whomever they want whilst we are unavailable.

Squad Vote
3
Summon Vote
2

>>36171564
>3. Safe team only
>2. Don't send in any summons.

>>36171564
2 and 1
>>36171591
wrong vote, ignore

>>36171564
>>3. Safe team only
>1. Send in a mass of summons to soften them up first.

Personally I say we send in some summons to see if any are absorbed first. If they aren't then we send in the mass.

>>36171564
All of the idiots are aware that there ARE four combat magisters in there, regardless of whatever other trickery they are up to right? We NEED more than four people.
2
1

>>36171577
>Not sure if that would work though. The archangels powers isn't Talons powers.
That is the whole point, her power is life astral magic. what we need
Talon power seems to favor water followed by power. with fire/life and death being far behind.

>>36171564
>3
>2

>>36171564
2
2

>>36171564
>1. Absolutely everybody, including the foxes.
>1. Send in a mass of summons to soften them up first.
>Custom

Also, a team of heavy men at arms whose job is to stay back and safely out of combat, but be close enough to drag away foxes/elementals/etc if they do pass out from mana drain (since we saw with the monster, mana drain on fully troops only made their enchanted equipment break, they were able to run away just fine)

>>36171692
>That is the whole point, her power is life astral magic

But not our style of life if we went into it. So I"m not sure if it is possible using the domain her mind creates. With Talon you can meld him.

>Talon power seems to favor water followed by power. with fire/life and death being far behind.

I kind of view it as Balance/power is pretty equal Character wise. Raw overwealming might+Moderation to bring the unnatural into the fold. Then Life then death which isn't even on he list anymore.

>>36171564
>3
>2

>>36171564
>2. Don't send in any summons.
can we change that to going in side by side with the summons rather than sending them in alone?
that way if something does start draining the summons, we can shield them to deny the enemy the power they would absorb?

>>36171564
2
1

>>36171768
I would PREFER it if power was first and balance second.
But thus far, water/balance seems in the lead (which is kinda cute considering undine)

>>36171762
>heavy men at arms

I know you meant HMK but I just imagined us sending in easily our most useless unit and them getting destroyed.

>>36171822
I would as well honestly. But I can see either way. Mostly I like to empathize the king in charge aspect of Talon.

>>36171564
We may want to create some sucide summons that just explode if we go for it.

>>36171829
>I know you meant HMK
I do not, I meant heavy men at arms.
which are knights equiped with outdated MMK.
If the HMK is disenchanted, then the knights inside are going to be having trouble carrying themselves out, much less anyone else

Note I explicitly said they are to stay BEHIND us and OUT of the fighting. The magic plate is there to protect them from stray blasts, and if we hit a disenchantment trap, will be light enough for them to grab passed out foxes and run away.

>>36171235
>>36171311
>Bael and mal work together to make a temporary hole in the tower's shields
damn strong shields

what if we have ALL our foxes and mages form circles and repeatedly bombard it over time? is the reason we are not doing it because we said we wouldn't raze the towers? or because it just won't be enough?

>>36171936

I have this weird feeling that barrier is as much to keep stuff out, as it is to keep stuff in. Harrowmont uses some hefty barriers but something that Godknight of ripping barriers a new asshole can only put a hole in? That's some next level shit, something is up.

>>36171235
>Strongest barrier
I really really want talon to try his hand barrier breaking this one.
I don't expect to do as well as marek and mal, but hopefully push his barrier break to the next level.
But I believe the attempt would leave him too drained to meaningfully contribute once we make it inside.