- Location
- Hawaii
[X] The King's Gates
What the dudes coming up saw:[Strength 4: 3+ required. Rolling: 2]
Perhaps you should have lifted it differently, perhaps it was simply too heavy to be moved around with any stealth. Either way, when you lift the bar off your shoulder, gravity proves the greater force and the best you're able to do is get yourself out of the way, and the bar falls unimpeded to the ground. A low, reverberating slam of wood on stone echoes through the mountains, and you swear, draw your sword and summon Ulgu as you kick the doors open and turn to the entrance into the mountain. The approaching force take the noise as a signal to break into the run, and far below reinforcements do the same, all semblance of stealth thrown to the wind.
-Mathilde took one look at them and then killed the entire horde before they could jog to the gate.When the first skittering ratman bursts through out of the doors and into the courtyard, he takes one look at you and shrieks in terror, and his attempts to turn back are foiled by the crush of bodies as more skaven pour out and they, in turn, are paralyzed with terror. A tendril of roiling shadow lashes out and wraps itself around the throat of one of the rats, and the terrified remainder bite and claw and screech against the flow of skaven boiling up from below, and sheer madness takes hold of the mass of bodies erupting from below. You stand in the gateway and watch as the ratmen tear each other apart in their attempts to scurry against the flow of bodies, as those that emerge from the madness below take one look at you and are struck with the same terror that has possessed the others. Your shadow lashes out from time to time as the rebellious magic entrapped within Dread Aspect seeks out a particularly terrified morsel, crushing the life from them. Eventually the press of maddened skaven outweighs those pressing from below, and the flood reverses, draining back into the doorway and leaving only those too maimed or dead to flee.
Reinforcements arrive to find you delivering a final stab to the last of the merely maimed skaven, as terrified screams and the sounds of a roiling, chaotic melee sound from below.
-Her shadow is watching you. Beware.You ignore the misbehaving of your shadow as it caresses the corpses of the rats in favour of memorising the exact modifications you made to the spell in your attempts to prevent it from thrashing free of your control, but the men don't, keeping their distance and murmuring to each other. Only Maximilian approaches, and that with some hesitation, watching as your shadow stretches out to him, circling him and observing him carefully before returning to its expected position.
More reinforcements flood in, and rumour flits through them faster than fear through the skaven. Ulthar and some of his Rangers are in the third wave, and they begin organizing for a foray into the depths of the keep, but he gives you a single, satisfied nod.
[Arcane Mark acquired: Unnatural Shadow.]
[Spell Mastered: Dread Aspect]
By Ranald, this thing is horrific to the low morale SkavenM / Dread Aspect: Makes you seem absolutely terrifying to all those who look upon you for one minute.
Mastery - Roiling Shadows: Your shadow is empowered by the spell and thrashes about in a turbulent aura, lashing out at your enemies to wrap around arms and legs and throats, causing death, distraction and even more terror in all who must face you.
Dwarfs: *Nod sagely at Skaven unreliability*The seed of terror you planted grew into a chaotic maelstrom of backstabbing and infighting, and the garrison of Und-Uzgar is purged with ease over the next few hours as the skaven focus entirely on fighting each other and not at all at fighting the dwarves who seep through. The tunnels the skaven used to ambush the previous greenskin garrison are filled in, and Kragg separates from the main column and strikes a single rune upon the lowest level of the keep proper to sound a warning at any seismic activity that would indicate a repeat.
Defensible, but likely to result in an extended war, possibly to no progress."First, overland to the Citadel." He points to the massive structure dominating the lip of the central valley. "It's centrally located, dominates the central caldera, and is incredibly defensible. The downside is it places us far from the main parts of the hold, in Karag Lhune and Karak Ziflin.
Reclaiming a holy place grants a pretty big morale boost and would see more dwarfs coming to reinforce down the line."The second possible approach, we take the King's Gates, on Karag Lhune. It is defensible from surface attacks, though it may be vulnerable to attacks from below. It will allow us to easily retake the Temple of Grungni and the Armoury, which should still be sealed and full of weaponry from the Good Old Days." You can hear the capital letters slotting into place. "It also allows easy access to the gyrocopter airport, allowing a fuller use of gyrocopters than the landing pads scattered throughout Eight Peaks.
This is the Traditional Dwarf approach, which is strong against greenskins...but securing the Underway means our large numbers of human troops would be ill suited to extended underground combat(morale if nothing else). And then bloody Skaven."Third, we stay close to the east gate, fortifying Kvinn-Wyr and the Sentinels. From there, we foray underground instead of overland through the Grand Avenue of the Underway. It means our supply lines are not stretched through hostile territory, and controlling the Underway means we could strike just about anywhere, but it means our foothold in the Karak will be tenuous indeed."
Difficult to hold. Nope.Finally, he points to the far side of the Karak. "Fourth, we circle around the southern lip of the caldera and take what was once the main Entrance. While it would be difficult to defend, it would mean being able to unseal the great treasure vaults of Karak Eight Peaks, allowing us the funds to hire every mercenary this side of Cathay - assuming we survive long enough to get word out. It would also make it possible to seize and unseal the Western Gate, allowing another entrance to the Karak for friendly forces."
Actually, Mathilde doesn't look like a little girl. She's what, 30? And pretty buff by now.God damn, that's some nightmare fuel right there. Imagine noticing what looks like a little girl during night patrol, approaching her, your torch flickers, and you pointedly notice that light around her dims. There is a huge sword strapped on her back.
I am sure no one would dare tell her otherwise.Actually, is Mathilde pretty? The picture is, but maybe that's because 99% of female character art is.
Well at the very least she should be above average since she doesn't have any traits saying she is ugly or anything and her lifestyle certainly leads to her keeping her body in shape at the very least.Actually, Mathilde doesn't look like a little girl. She's what, 30? And pretty buff by now.
I guess that she doesn't wear heavy armour, so she could pass for normal if she didn't have the Greatsword. But she certainly isn't a "little girl".
Actually, is Mathilde pretty? The picture is, but maybe that's because 99% of female character art is.
Because despite her crazy spy skills right out of a Black Widow comic (with more sword and less Kung Fu, admittedly), I would get a chuckle out of Mathilde looking like a slightly shorter version of the Punisher. Someone who breaks faces for a living when she isn't a shadowy wraith flying around the countryside. We sure seem to be making her into that!
Plus if she ever wanted to look like she was as a teenager again she can just use Doppelganger.That's what Mutable Visage is for.
K / Mutable Visage: You can make a target you are touching (or yourself) noticeably more or less attractive for several hours.
Grey wizards make for spectacular stylists.
Actually, is Mathilde pretty? The picture is, but maybe that's because 99% of female character art is.
I like this answer a lot.Getting there. It's nearing the end of 2478, so she'd be nearly 29.
I'm not likely to give a canonical answer to avoid stepping on mental images over something that's not all that important. That said, I picture her as being somewhat plain, but in a medieval-slash-early-renaissance setting like this, being healthy, clean and in shape puts her in a pretty high bracket all by itself. Most people don't see any further than the robes and wizard hat, anyway.
It's two weeks at most from Barak Var, which is a major center of trade in the Old World. We'll get first reinforcements much sooner.Regarding the Main Entrance, just how long would any hypothetical mercenary reinforcements take to get here if the Treasury Vault was taken? Would seem like months to spread the word and then more time for any in numbers large enough to help to show up.
Regarding the Main Entrance, just how long would any hypothetical mercenary reinforcements take to get here if the Treasury Vault was taken? Would seem like months to spread the word and then more time for any in numbers large enough to help to show up.
We are an Empire Wizard. Our political prospects start and end with the college of magic, or being someone else's representative.It'll scare all non-magic users though. I think this mark has just sunk any political aspirations we could have wanted to pursue.
@BoneyM How does Doppelgänger interact with our shadow? Not much point imitating someone if your shadow is a gigantic giveaway.