Ah, trapping Portal douche.
Tail end of liberating Aspitolm could make a good opportunity.
"Leak" that the war effort was only possible due to a portal mage ferrying the troops around and that Said portalmage is part of the celebrations at [prepared location], make him belief everyone there is too drunk to do anything and the location being remote is part of the portalmage bragging.
And when he comes have everyone who wants portal-douche gone there. Plus prepared ritual circles to supress portal magic that start getting used once he arrives.
Mishrak will want to empower Elys.
Teryn will have a bone to pick with portal douche (Attack on the necropolys) and empowered Belona could probably help with the circles.
Zora Alishandra has a very good chance of wanting to help (portal douches role in attacking the moon).
Raef&Samaya will probably be very eager to end portal douche. Portal expertise to set up anti portal circles.
There is a good coalition to oppose him.
Only issue: He could bring other Mystic Path members.
They've learned that the archmages of the Mystic Path can be hired to destroy their rivals and they've been quick to take advantage of that fact. More fool them."
If Zinistrari's palace is destroyed or otherwise rendered unusable, I'm sure she'll be angry, but I don't know if she'll actually do anything about it. She has other palaces, after all."
The Aspiti Empire has a total of 34 Warscore. Their Warscore increases at a rate of 2 per month (and can be increased by various special events).
The Coalition (of forces leagued against the Aspiti Empire) has a total of 52 Warscore. From now on, their Warscore will increase at a rate of 2 per month (which be partly because of those missionaries doing good work). Also, it can also be increased by Elys's actions.
Whichever side gains a total of 54 Warscore first will be the winner of this stage of the war. If the Coalition wins (which they should, unless something goes very wrong in the next month), they will retake the isles of Ismar and Windskil.
What do you want Elys to do next month? (Choose one)
[] Go to Mishrak's undersea palace and spend time meeting various representatives of the different groups that make up the Coalition. (+Warscore?)
-[] Ask Sildar and Jorantul how they're getting on.
-[] Meet some of the Varzi mercenaries.
--[] Observe how they interact with Jorantul.
-[] Meet some of the Wranni.
--[] Be pleasantly surprised to see an old friend.
-[] Talk to some of the Deep Ones.
-[] Meet Red Ruin and the few remaining orcs.
[] Join in the assault on Ismar and Windskil.
-[] Take part in the beach assault.
OR
-[] Sneak in beforehand and start sabotaging the defences.
OR
-[] Serve as air support.
[] DIPLOMACY MISSION: Meet with the high council of the Sisterhood of the Iron Orchid.
-[] Attempt to persuade them to that the remainder of their forces should join in the war against Aspitolm.
--[] Suggest that you can get a lot of new recruits for them (by providing armour and weapons for the wannabe lady knights from the orphanage).
-[] Also, arrange a meeting with Epiny's ruling council.
--[] Try to persuade them to make it illegal for their citizens to trade with Aspitolm for the duration of the war.
[] Start building up your own sources of wealth and income so you won't have to keep asking Uncle Mishrak for money all the time.
-[] Write in: how?
[] DIPLOMACY MISSION: Try to make peace between the people of Rivayne and the local nature spirits.
-[] Arrange a meeting with the Riders of Famine and Pestilence, who will be acting as the nature spirits' representatives.
--[] Remind them that in the past they have worked together with Lissa and Nyssa to improve the lives of humans so they don't need to encroach on the lands that already belong to various nature spirits. (Possibly invite Lissa and Nyssa to the meeting?)
---[] Try to convince them to improve the lives of Rivayne's poor.
[] Go with Mishrak to the city of Suantum, in the Dragon Empire.
-[] Meet with some of his priests and find out what they have been learning from him.
[] Devote much of your time and energy to learning water magic at the Engelram Academy.
-[] Study together with Tassin Tayde and any of Jana's other friends who want to learn.
[] Meet with several of your allies and come up with a plan for how you're going to lure Agon Hurondus into a deadly trap.
-[] Write in: who do you want to invite to the meeting?
[] Do something else (write in)*.
*If there's anything I've forgotten to add to this list, that doesn't mean that you can't do it.
[X] Join in the assault on Ismar and Windskil.
-[] Take part in the beach assault.
OR
-[X] Sneak in beforehand and start sabotaging the defences.
OR
-[] Serve as air support.
Understandable, for more complex plans, but it seems we are relatively in agreement. You know what they say - great minds think alike, but fools rarely differ. I am hoping it's the former, here, but we'll see if it turns into the latter.
Ah! Very nice to know that we can have an... Agreement with a demon in regards to the Mystic Path.
Back to "how to deal with a portal mage with delusions of godhood" for a second, I wonder if there's any way we can get our allies with the goblins to turn the Dream Realm to our advantage? While portal magic might be a big enough part of his identity that he won't find it that much of an impediment, if dream-logic still works to disrupt his portal magic, that'll make it easier to trap him into a situation he can't get out of.
And for that matter, might work with other things too. IIRC, Dream-logic applies itself most strongly to symbolism and stories, right?
[x] Join in the assault on Ismar and Windskil.
-[x] Sneak in beforehand and start sabotaging the defences.
While portal magic might be a big enough part of his identity that he won't find it that much of an impediment, if dream-logic still works to disrupt his portal magic, that'll make it easier to trap him into a situation he can't get out of.
Ah, but that time and place can be anywhere if you have people who can counterspell him. I would say the biggest trick is making sure he's alone long enough to take him down.
When you announce to your parents your intention to take part in the retaking of Ismar and Windskil, they react phlegmatically.
"I'm sure it'll be much less dangerous than some of your other adventures over the past year," says your mother. "But please be careful, won't you?"
You assure her you will.
"What exactly are you planning to do?" asks your father.
"I thought I'd sneak in and sabotage some of their defences before the assault begins."
"Speak to some of the Deep Ones first. They've been acting as scouts, so they know the area and what to expect," he suggests.
Sure enough, when you approach Kevron and Thorgil, they are able to tell you that the Deep Ones have learnt to be especially cautious in the seas around Ismar and Windskil because so many dangers have been placed in their way: nets, floating bombs and mutated monsters.
"Floating bombs?" you ask.
"They're some kind of seed pod, I guess," says Kevron. "Twisted by life magic so they explode and shoot venomous needles at you if you get too close."
"Mishrak would be interested in studying them if you can find a way to get hold of one without setting it off," says Thorgil.
"And the mutated monsters?"
"More perversions of life magic. They're fish and other sea creatures that have been turned into savage horrors that'll attack anything they see," Kevron explains.
You raise an eyebrow. "Even each other?"
"I doubt it, or they wouldn't have many left."
"I've heard that Mishrak sees their existence as a personal affront," Thorgil adds.
"Does he want to examine one of them as well?" you ask.
Kevron shrugs his shoulders. "Probably, if you can manage it."
"What about air defences?" you ask. "Were you in a position to see any of those?"
"Not really. I know they've got crossbows and ballistas," says Kevron.
"Plenty of sentries keeping a watch out. A few mages too. Not sure what else."
Because the Aspiti Empire has suffered some major defeats recently, especially since Baldric Turqueyne has proven himself to be a fairly competent admiral, it occurs to you that they might have pulled back their forces from Ismar and Windskil, both of which are tiny islands of no particular value. If the Aspitis have any sense, they won't want to sacrifice any more of their troops for no good reason, so it's entirely possible that you might embark on your mission and find both islands completely deserted. On the other hand, the Aspitis haven't shown much common sense until now, so you probably shouldn't expect them to suddenly develop it.
Still, the information given to you by Kevron and Thorgil is at least a few months out of date, so you can't be sure if it is still accurate. Maybe the Aspitis have come up with some new and horrible defences recently. Or they might have decide to abandon the islands altogether, leaving behind only a token garrison to keep up appearances.
Kevron and Thorgil first appeared in one of @Tascion's omakes for The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels. They've appeared in this quest at least once since then.
You suspect that you may need to leave Jana behind. She can levitate, but she isn't nearly as fast or manoeuvrable as you or Catharne, so it would be difficult for her to join you in flying to Ismar or Windskil. Unless you or Catharne were to carry her, which could lead to a different set of problems. Also, she can't breathe underwater like you and Catharne can – and she isn't as good a swimmer as either of you are – so it's likely that the aquatic approach would be just as difficult for her.
It occurs to you that Mishrak might have some useful advice for you, so you decide to visit him and speak to him in person. You expect to find him in his laboratory, but for once he isn't there. Unsure of where he has gone and when he might come back, you gaze around at an odd selection of tools, assorted fishy parts, and the incomplete skeleton of something enormous. How long will you have to wait? You have no way of knowing, so you wonder if you should go somewhere else and come back later. You are mentally linked to him, so maybe you should send him a message asking to make an appointment? Or maybe you should have done that already?
Suddenly, while you are wrestling with these questions, Mishrak appears from seemingly nowhere, in one of his more humanlike forms, dressed in long robes patterned with Tatseri script. "Ah, Elys," he says, seeming mildly surprised to see you. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting for very long."
"Not long," you say. "I was wondering if you could tell me anything about the sea defences around Ismar and Windskil."
He confirms for you what Kevron and Thorgil said about sea mines and mutated monstrosities, but he is quick to reassure you that he doesn't expect you to try to capture any of them if it might put you in danger, especially since you'll have more important things to worry about during the attempted retaking of your home islands.
"I think one of your creations – or several of them – would be much more useful for clearing out the underwater defences than I would," you say. "It should be covered in spikes to tear through the nets, with thick scales to protect it from the floating bombs, and it should be big and strong enough to overcome the monsters with ease."
"Lavokthagua could do it," says Mishrak, looking thoughtful. "But he might not want to. Like you've said before, he doesn't much like being a sea serpent."
"He might be glad of some action, though."
"You'll have to ask him, I suppose." He nods. "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
What should Elys say and do next? (Choose as many options as make sense)
[] Visit Lavokthagua and ask him to join in clearing away the underwater defences around Ismar and Windskul.
OR
[] Tell Mishrak to create a new sea monster to clear away the underwater defences around Ismar and Windskil.
[] Windskil is the larger island and likely to be more heavily guarded. Elys will go there first.
OR
[] Ismar is the smaller island, but it is heavily fortified and the ancestral home of the Allardyne family. Elys will go there first.
[] Travel to Ismar or Windskil underwater, trying to avoid detection along the way.
OR
[] Fly to Ismar or Windskil and try to land without being noticed.
[] Leave Jana behind.
OR
[] Insist that Jana should come along.
-[] How will Elys make sure Jana is able to fly or swim all the way?
He confirms for you what Kevron and Thorgil said about sea mines and mutated monstrosities, but he is quick to reassure you that he doesn't expect you to try to capture any of them if it might put you in danger, especially since you'll have more important things to worry about during the attempted retaking of your home islands.
Mh, its something we can do in preparation, like preparing a mineclearer. (If Lavokthagua doesn't want to join and we have to wait for Mishrak to make a mineclearing monster)
Would have been useful to have a watermage for this.
We could look around for a water magic expert (or channel Mishrak in the critical moment) and someone good at anesthesia/lose consciousness kinda magic (Samaya had something to put Green Flame to sleep when we free'd her, iirc) who wants to help.
Search mine, use Elys forcefield magic to shield incase something goes wrong, put the bio-mine under more and more anesthesia until we are sure it can't explode at us, make a big portal and tell Mishrak we have a gift for him if he can come and get it (or use water magic to try and gently push the mine through the portal).
[] Visit Lavokthagua and ask him to join in clearing away the underwater defences around Ismar and Windskul.
OR
[] Tell Mishrak to create a new sea monster to clear away the underwater defences around Ismar and Windskil.
Feels like an odd choice.
Feels like the natural thing to do would be to ask Lavokthagua if he wants to come along but also tell him that we have a backup if he doesn't want to to avoid pressure.
If he doesn't want then ask Mishrak for a new sea monster.
[] Travel to Ismar or Windskil underwater, trying to avoid detection along the way.
OR
[] Fly to Ismar or Windskil and try to land without being noticed.
Along the underwater route we can better see what is hidden there to attack the ships (mines, monsters, surprises).
Though flying above the islands could also give a good view of what the enemy did on the islands.
Choices, choices.
Feels like an odd choice.
Feels like the natural thing to do would be to ask Lavokthagua if he wants to come along but also tell him that we have a backup if he doesn't want to to avoid pressure.
If he doesn't want then ask Mishrak for a new sea monster.
Elys is very careful about using portal magic to travel over long distances because of how horrible the consequences could be if she gets it wrong. But I suppose she's been travelling to and from the Undersea Palace for a while now, so presumably she's fairly confident that she won't end up crushing herself or her friends to death in the depths of the sea. So yeah, you could do that.
[X] Visit Lavokthagua and ask him to join in clearing away the underwater defences around Ismar and Windskul.
[X] Ismar is the smaller island, but it is heavily fortified and the ancestral home of the Allardyne family. Elys will go there first.
[X] Fly to Ismar or Windskil and try to land without being noticed.
[X] Leave Jana behind.
Yeah, uh... the presence of life magic defenses is troubling. There's plenty of life mages out there, I'm sure, and this doesn't seem cruel enough to be Her handiwork, but still... concern.
[x] Visit Lavokthagua and ask him to join in clearing away the underwater defences around Ismar and Windskul.
[x] Ismar is the smaller island, but it is heavily fortified and the ancestral home of the Allardyne family. Elys will go there first.
[x] Insist that Jana should come along.
-[x] Portal her in once the net has been cleared
Feels like the natural thing to do would be to ask Lavokthagua if he wants to come along but also tell him that we have a backup if he doesn't want to to avoid pressure.
Sorry had family over and was very busy but cool update, I love the seed pod bombs!
[X] Visit Lavokthagua and ask him to join in clearing away the underwater defences around Ismar and Windskul.
[X] Ismar is the smaller island, but it is heavily fortified and the ancestral home of the Allardyne family. Elys will go there first.
[X] Fly to Ismar or Windskil and try to land without being noticed.
[X] Leave Jana behind.
"Lavokthagua could do it," says Mishrak, looking thoughtful. "But he might not want to. Like you've said before, he doesn't much like being a sea serpent."
"He might be glad of some action, though."
"You'll have to ask him, I suppose." He nods. "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Even if Lavokthagua agrees to help, I think it would be useful if you made a large sea monster that could deal with underwater hazards, just in case we have to do something like this again in future," you say. "I'm surprised you haven't made something like that already."
"I prefer not to release dangerous monsters into the wild before I know what effect they're going to have on the ecosystem," says Mishrak.
You raise a quizzical eyebrow. "Didn't you first come into contact with my parents after they killed some of your monsters that were going around attacking small boats and eating people?"
"My wyrms, yes. They were rather boisterous, but their impact on the ecosystem was minimal."
"That's very reassuring," you say, drily. "Anyway, I'd better pay Lavokthagua a visit."
As you turn away, Mishrak looks around his laboratory as if pondering what to do next. You hear a few scraping, clinking and rustling noises as he starts searching for something, so you assume that he must have come to a decision.
*
You explain the situation to Lavokthagua and he listens with every sign of paying careful attention. When you've finished, he says, "So… if you're going to fly there and you want me to clear the waters of traps and hostile monsters – and presumably the Coalition will be sending ships and landing craft after us – how are we going to coordinate with each other?"
"Do you think we'll need to coordinate with each other?" you ask.
"There is quite some distance between Ismar and Windskil, so I won't be able to clear all of it at once. I imagine it would be helpful for the soldiers to know where I am and what areas I have cleared already. Similarly… if you got into difficulties and were in need of assistance, how would I know? And if you saw anything you thought might be a danger to me, how would you inform me of what you'd seen?"
After a few moment's consideration, you come up with an answer: "Mishrak is my patron, so I'm telepathically bonded to him. Is he bonded to you as well?"
"I suppose he is. We share a close connection. Although I had not thought about it in such terms," Lavokthagua admits.
"Well, we could ask Mishrak to help us. He could convey messages between you, me and the rest of the invasion force," you say. "It'll give him a chance to take part without any other gods – or demons, or whatever – seeing it as a provocation."
"Good idea," says Lavokthagua.
"So, with that in mind, I presume you're willing to take part in the retaking of Ismar and Windskil," you say, just to make sure.
He nods. Because he has such a long neck, it is a rather ponderous motion. "I might as well," he says, with a trace of wry humour in his voice.
*
After you explain what you want him to do, Mishrak agrees to help. He can telepathically relay messages between you and Lavokthagua and, as an incorporeal spirit being, it won't be difficult for him to keep in touch with the ships' captains and anyone else you might need to send information to.
Then, you go to Jana and tell her that you intend to leave her behind on this mission. She seems bemused by this.
"Why don't you just open a portal there?" she asks.
You explain how difficult it is to open a portal to a place you're unfamiliar with, over a long distance, in hostile territory, surrounded by the sea, without extensive preparation. Yes, you're able to use your portals to travel between the Engelram Academy and the Undersea Palace, which are much further away from each other, but only because you've had a lot of practice and help from Raef and Samaya. Even though Ismar and Windskil are much closer to where you are now, you'd find it much more difficult to open a portal to either one of those places, especially since your aim is to sneak in unnoticed.
Privately, you wonder if the real reason why Hurondus went to such trouble to eradicate all other portal mages was so that no one else would know the weaknesses and limitations of portal magic. When you met him, he made it look so easy, presumably because he's had so much experience, but you wonder how much preparation he still needs to do. And to what extent does he need to use trickery and sleight of hand to cover up the fact that it's not as easy as it looks?
"Well, once you've got there, you could open a portal to let me through," Jana suggests.
You suspect that you might be too busy to do that, but then it occurs to you that, in warfare, having something in reserve is always a good idea.
"All right, you wait here and I'll scout ahead. When I need your help, I'll open a portal so you can come through," you decide.
"I'll be ready," says Jana, with a nod.
*
You and Catharne fly up above the clouds, looking down from on high, until you see Ismar in the distance. Through the mist and the drizzle, you see the castle that was once your home. A sodden Aspiti flag dangles from its tallest tower.
As you draw closer, you see new fortifications surrounding the old keep. There is a curtain wall where there wasn't one before and there are earthworks in strategic locations to make it difficult for attackers to approach. A number of houses near the cove have been knocked down; an ugly stone barracks has been built in its place. You see ballistas and catapults that have been placed ready to defend the castle and Fishbigh town.
But you don't see any people. It's morning, so you would expect to see a few soldiers and their support personnel going about their daily routines. Maybe there are sentries up in the towers, but you can't see them. Maybe they've been prewarned about the attack and are waiting to ambush you. You don't know. As far as you can tell, the town appears to be deserted. The castle on the hill is silent and still, like a sleeping giant.
"It looks like there's no one there," says Catharne, flying close to you. She sounds rather disappointed.
"Appearances can be deceiving," you warn her. "Don't let your guard down just yet."
"Do you think there's an illusion hiding them from view?" she asks. "Are we seeing something that's not really there?"
"It's possible," you say, though you think it's unlikely. Such a large and complicated illusion would probably inconvenience the Aspitis just as much as you. But where are they? Maybe they've decided to abandon this place and head back to Aspitolm, but in that case why would they leave their artillery here? Try as you might, you can't think of any satisfactory answers to these questions.
What should Elys do next?
Remember, Mishrak is acting as mission control, so you have the option of telepathically speaking to him if you think you need to.
Jana asking the question that will be asked forever of any portal mage. To be fair, it's a valid question, but I have to imagine it's like an artist being asked by the uninitiated, "can you draw me?"
He's a man who loves to tinker, but he is shackled with ethics. Which is, strictly spealing, good, but also any creator yearns for the freedom to create with no heed to consequences.
As to what to do... head around to an area of the island that's less inhabited, and get closer that way? I am not inclined to try anything rash yet, but this smacks of Magic. What kind of magic may be more apparent as we get closer.
But where are they? Maybe they've decided to abandon this place and head back to Aspitolm, but in that case why would they leave their artillery here? Try as you might, you can't think of any satisfactory answers to these questions.
He's a man who loves to tinker, but he is shackled with ethics. Which is, strictly spealing, good, but also any creator yearns for the freedom to create with no heed to consequences.
