Rising Flames, Falling Veils
Twenty-Third of the Second Month 294 AC
"Burn it all," the words are surprisingly easy upon your lips, given the unwilling echo that comes with them. This is no city where people love, laugh, and live out their days. This is not even a city such as Mardosh where for all the grim deception and cruelty at its heard, there might still be a hope to reason with its lords, its peoples. Beneath these crumbling arches the spite of Sarnor made manifest broods, the power that had marched against their living kin and would have marched perhaps against all the world.
Although you regret any who might be caught in the flames who, like the prisoners from Kasath, might have been persuaded to walk a different path, you will not risk your legions marching down those dark avenues, through the ranks of the dead. "High altitude runs, don't bother aiming and..." you hesitate, trying to picture the effect in your mind's eye. "Try to make an updraft with the weather generators so that you can keep feeding air into the flames like a furnace."
"That's... can they do that?" Dany asks, looking uncommonly pale. She has the same dreams you do, the same knowledge of the high air beneath her wings, and so can picture it just as well. She can well imagine what this would do to any other city.
It takes Lya a few moments more to realize the same thing. "An updraft right over the city... yes, they can do that."
And so they do, dark clouds gathering over Sarnath, this time not to your enemy's will, as the air is drawn upwards faster and faster, then on Moonsong's command the bombs begin to fall, Alchemical oils 'spiced' with flame clove burning bright as a furnace's heart, the waves of fire advance towards the center of the city unabated. Soon there would be nothing left of Sarnath, yet still the specters you had expected do not manifest.
Then just as the fires begin to eat at the innermost of the city's five concentric districts you hear Ser Gerold's voice in your mind and your blood runs cold.
"The bastards were marching behind us under some kind of great glamor, bigger than anything the wizards have seen." The voice pauses, another stone is drawn.
"There's a another two hundred thousand of them at least, and some kind of red mist flowing at their feet..."
A strange garbled not quite sound passes through your mind, concepts overlapping rather than words, this time it is Malarys who speaks,
"The dead were a mere half mile out when Nettles noticed them on perimeter scouting. Most of their more elite forces are here."
With that you can finally see the whole of the enemy's plan, lure your forces into Sarnath then attack from behind and catch the legions between hammer and anvil. Your unwillingness to take the bait for the former has made the plan untenable, so now the enemy 'reinforcements' are attacking the legions directly.
What do you do?
[] Head back at once
-[] Pulling the skyships out too, they will be needed
-[] Only with your companions Sarnath must still burn
[] Stay here, there might yet be a foe to face in these crumbling halls and you trust the legion and your companions to fight even without your direct aid
[] Write in
OOC: Direct divine intervention is not limited to throwing lightning bolts, though thankfully you guys had enough other flying assets not to be caught entirely by surprise by the veil, especially since god magic or no, an illusion is beaten by a will save and spellcasters have that in spades. Not yet edited.
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