- Location
- nz
[X] A Set of Armor.
Villainous Grunt Captain Quest
- Thread starter EternalStruggle
- Start date
- Original
Lord_Asmodeus
Here is your magical cryptic riddle-tumour:
- Location
- I AM A TIME MACHINE
[X] A Set of Armor.
The Siege of Castle Ethos: End
- Location
- England
As you walk around the armory, you find yourself drawn to the armor present instead of any particular arms. Although far from perfect, your own weapons have proven more than capable of winning the day so far. Instead, it may be better to improve personal survival chances. The natural carapace the Barnin-Yun possess is more than capable of providing environmental protection, but has always been lacking against actual human weapons. A sacrifice made for high levels of speed, but it is time to see if human gear can alleviate this issue.
Naturally, most of the gear used by men is not entirely suitable for your use. You have it better than most, being equipped with an effectively human upper body, but even so most of the equipment would be sub-optimal.
You browse for a while, flicking between options, before you strike gold. A very regal looking seemingly steel 'crown' of sorts, and a collection of intricately carved white gemstones along with a pendant with the image of a star engraved upon it. The ensemble looks purely aesthetic, but you know better than that, being a soldier. The steel wire that is attached to the glowing gems: not comfortable, but tough. The crown, again steel. A reliable material. The back of the pendant is what convinces you, filled with magical runes. You haven't seen many rituals, but you've seen enough in your time to know the difference between them and ordinary varieties. Overall, the purpose is clear. And besides, what would some random royal finery be doing in a functional armory?
Your suspicion is rewarded when you put everything on. As the crown is firmly placed over your head, a weak magical barrier springs to life around you. You're not entirely sure, but if you had to guess the gems gather and store magical power, the amulet projects it and the crown regulates it. A rather nice find, you think.
New Equipment:
Magical Barrier Generation Array
-Weak compared to other, more dedicated armor or shields (physical and magical) but can regenerate over time, even in battle.
-'Smart' device only triggers when a blow would actually connect.
-As a rule, counters one enemy attack that would hit during an encounter. Can generally be used during every separate battle, but charges cannot be stored.
-Makes you even more of a target, because it's fairly obvious and makes you actually visibly different from your soldiers.
Having acquired what you came for, you turn around and move to leave with your ill-gotten gains. Around 20 or so of the troopers under your command have also acquired new and improved equipment. An eclectic collection of relatively minor improvements, the advantage this gives you should still not be underestimated.
As you emerge, the sounds of battle are gone. In fact, the Castle is now eerily silent with the exception of the clear sound of marching, heading your way. You suspect it is your own forces, but order your men to take up positions anyway, just in case.
There is thankfully no need. The first two individuals to round the corner are a pair of Barnin-Akk, and from the sound of things the column moving behind them is large indeed. Your troops clear the hall you are in for them to walk through, moving any bodies or dropped items out of the way of the grand procession, before joining the march. The marching beat of chitinous legs surrounds you, almost deafening. You wait in a side passage, watching what must be a not insignificant portion of the Regiment survivors go by. At around the point where you wager half the forces have gone by, you see the first signs of something special.
Various sorcerers of different species. Barnin magic users are rarer per individual than humans, and weak too, but there is still enough of them. And this many in the same place can mean only one of a few things.
Kothkor comes forward next. It is a tight fit, and he is forced to move on all fours. His arm mounted weapon, a collection of gears connected to a heavy piston and spike is digging a gaping hole in the wall, but he looks pleased indeed. He is followed by a short gap, a prisoner, and then even more magic users. A magical field surrounds her, draining her of any potential power and stopping any spells from getting through. She is strapped in numerous enchanted chains, heavily restricting her movements. Her visage is downcast, her features sullen.
She is Amethyst Reton, crowned ruler of Retania, princess, opponent, prisoner. Her escape attempt has been nullified. She wears a tailored general's uniform instead of a more traditional mode of dress, and her hair is tied back. Also by your chains. Kothkor really took no chances when he captured her.
You give a small, smug laugh as you move to stand beside her. The magicians, after seeing your new equipment, wave you in. Looks like they're still worried about her trying something, but not that much.
Moving up to her right, keeping your sword ready in your left hand, you turn to look at her. She momentarily glances in your direction.
"This isn't over." She is quiet, murmuring. As if she speaks more to herself than to you.
"Not yet," You reply regardless of her intentions. "but I assure you soon enough the southern cities will surrender to us." You firmly tap her a few times on the back with your blade, and she stumbles. "Get moving. You haven't seen Imperial 'bureaucracy' yet, but trust me. You will have to march around in front of a Molsar delegate of some kind at least, oh, four times." You weren't sure if it was possible for the young woman's features to get any lower, but it turns out it is.
_____
The Siege of Castle Ethos ends with a triumphant march of the Carnifex Regiment out of the shattered main gates. The operation is a resounding success, as due to the tactical acumen of Elder Tyrant Kothkor and lower than expected human resistance the capital of Retania was taken with around 35-40% Barnin casualties. Human losses, those dead or taken prisoner, are about 75-90%. Of course, there were far more bugs than people, but this is still a great success since the Royal Guardians seem to have take total losses, and they contributed to a great deal of the casualties.
You have been ordered to hold the palace while a group of Molesin diplomats and engineers move up to the front to talk to the Princess about surrender and study the palace respectively.
New forces are being moved in to replace the Regiment's losses.
You were noted for your martial capabilities, both in coordinating your forces and your personal skill, in the report your commanding Juvenile Tyrant compiled. You were noted to be a good enough choice for Carnifex. The primary report did not see fit to include your efforts beyond mentioning the overall looting of the armory and the actions taken to secure the Box that contained items of social import to the humans.
You now have downtime to spend as you see fit.
Downtime Actions
Select Two:
[] Recruitment Drive: Your losses will be at least mostly replaced by reinforcements, but you can push for more. By rounding up at least some of the Yun who lost their Captain in the Siege, you can bolster your own company and thus improve battlefield strength and longevity for your personal unit.
[] Put in Personal Equipment Request: Although the loot from the human armory is enormously appreciated, more weapons is never a good thing. Either by putting in a formal request for new equipment or making a deal to get some of the still leftover loot (there's still a decent amount of the stuff) you may be able to acquire a new weapon to supplement your current sword.
-[] New Melee Weapon
-[] Ranged Weapon
[] Socialize: The ancient art of talking to people can be quite useful to a captain such as yourself. Make contact with someone, and see what mutual benefits can be gained from the exchange.
-[] Prisoners: With negotiations potentially in the future, understanding the human mindset may prove helpful in the coming days. Talk to them, try to see their point of view. You'd talk to the Princess herself if you could, but Kothkor has her on lock-down, both for security reasons and because he want to do that himself. The Royal Guardswoman you captured should suffice, maybe one of the others you brought in.
-[] Barnin-Tra Captain: The Elite Captain you fought with during the opening stages of the battle survived his own clean up operations, and you could find him and speak with him again. Simply be with another of your people, and get in a duel to sharpen your skills and test out your new item.
-[] A Tyrant: The other leader in your beginning force is also available to speak to. Him, or any other surviving Tyrant could fill you in on events all over the front. As it stands, you know relatively little about what's going on elsewhere. It might be good to be aware of other operations, and if the human resistance remains steady as news filters out of the Fall of Ethos.
-[] A Molesar: A member of the incoming party should be open to talks. You could get a contact into the bureaucracy and improve the chance of your formal requests going through, and you could maybe hear when the rumored "revolutionary weapon" will come through. Depending on how things go from here, maybe not before the war ends.
[] Patrols: Going out and securing the area from any human survivors or infiltrators is indeed a thankless job. But it is also a job that higher-ups note and approve of, and a job that is needed to actually keep Ethos secure and safe. It would be best if you didn't falter at what is effectively the last hurdle.
[] Apply for Company Name: Names for individuals is rare, but names for Elite Companies is relatively common. Getting a name is an important thing: it increases notability, and this can be a good thing for getting requests through, and signifies you as a serious individual. As part of Carnifex, you are automatically applicable for this honor.
Naturally, most of the gear used by men is not entirely suitable for your use. You have it better than most, being equipped with an effectively human upper body, but even so most of the equipment would be sub-optimal.
You browse for a while, flicking between options, before you strike gold. A very regal looking seemingly steel 'crown' of sorts, and a collection of intricately carved white gemstones along with a pendant with the image of a star engraved upon it. The ensemble looks purely aesthetic, but you know better than that, being a soldier. The steel wire that is attached to the glowing gems: not comfortable, but tough. The crown, again steel. A reliable material. The back of the pendant is what convinces you, filled with magical runes. You haven't seen many rituals, but you've seen enough in your time to know the difference between them and ordinary varieties. Overall, the purpose is clear. And besides, what would some random royal finery be doing in a functional armory?
Your suspicion is rewarded when you put everything on. As the crown is firmly placed over your head, a weak magical barrier springs to life around you. You're not entirely sure, but if you had to guess the gems gather and store magical power, the amulet projects it and the crown regulates it. A rather nice find, you think.
New Equipment:
Magical Barrier Generation Array
-Weak compared to other, more dedicated armor or shields (physical and magical) but can regenerate over time, even in battle.
-'Smart' device only triggers when a blow would actually connect.
-As a rule, counters one enemy attack that would hit during an encounter. Can generally be used during every separate battle, but charges cannot be stored.
-Makes you even more of a target, because it's fairly obvious and makes you actually visibly different from your soldiers.
Having acquired what you came for, you turn around and move to leave with your ill-gotten gains. Around 20 or so of the troopers under your command have also acquired new and improved equipment. An eclectic collection of relatively minor improvements, the advantage this gives you should still not be underestimated.
As you emerge, the sounds of battle are gone. In fact, the Castle is now eerily silent with the exception of the clear sound of marching, heading your way. You suspect it is your own forces, but order your men to take up positions anyway, just in case.
There is thankfully no need. The first two individuals to round the corner are a pair of Barnin-Akk, and from the sound of things the column moving behind them is large indeed. Your troops clear the hall you are in for them to walk through, moving any bodies or dropped items out of the way of the grand procession, before joining the march. The marching beat of chitinous legs surrounds you, almost deafening. You wait in a side passage, watching what must be a not insignificant portion of the Regiment survivors go by. At around the point where you wager half the forces have gone by, you see the first signs of something special.
Various sorcerers of different species. Barnin magic users are rarer per individual than humans, and weak too, but there is still enough of them. And this many in the same place can mean only one of a few things.
Kothkor comes forward next. It is a tight fit, and he is forced to move on all fours. His arm mounted weapon, a collection of gears connected to a heavy piston and spike is digging a gaping hole in the wall, but he looks pleased indeed. He is followed by a short gap, a prisoner, and then even more magic users. A magical field surrounds her, draining her of any potential power and stopping any spells from getting through. She is strapped in numerous enchanted chains, heavily restricting her movements. Her visage is downcast, her features sullen.
She is Amethyst Reton, crowned ruler of Retania, princess, opponent, prisoner. Her escape attempt has been nullified. She wears a tailored general's uniform instead of a more traditional mode of dress, and her hair is tied back. Also by your chains. Kothkor really took no chances when he captured her.
You give a small, smug laugh as you move to stand beside her. The magicians, after seeing your new equipment, wave you in. Looks like they're still worried about her trying something, but not that much.
Moving up to her right, keeping your sword ready in your left hand, you turn to look at her. She momentarily glances in your direction.
"This isn't over." She is quiet, murmuring. As if she speaks more to herself than to you.
"Not yet," You reply regardless of her intentions. "but I assure you soon enough the southern cities will surrender to us." You firmly tap her a few times on the back with your blade, and she stumbles. "Get moving. You haven't seen Imperial 'bureaucracy' yet, but trust me. You will have to march around in front of a Molsar delegate of some kind at least, oh, four times." You weren't sure if it was possible for the young woman's features to get any lower, but it turns out it is.
_____
The Siege of Castle Ethos ends with a triumphant march of the Carnifex Regiment out of the shattered main gates. The operation is a resounding success, as due to the tactical acumen of Elder Tyrant Kothkor and lower than expected human resistance the capital of Retania was taken with around 35-40% Barnin casualties. Human losses, those dead or taken prisoner, are about 75-90%. Of course, there were far more bugs than people, but this is still a great success since the Royal Guardians seem to have take total losses, and they contributed to a great deal of the casualties.
You have been ordered to hold the palace while a group of Molesin diplomats and engineers move up to the front to talk to the Princess about surrender and study the palace respectively.
New forces are being moved in to replace the Regiment's losses.
You were noted for your martial capabilities, both in coordinating your forces and your personal skill, in the report your commanding Juvenile Tyrant compiled. You were noted to be a good enough choice for Carnifex. The primary report did not see fit to include your efforts beyond mentioning the overall looting of the armory and the actions taken to secure the Box that contained items of social import to the humans.
You now have downtime to spend as you see fit.
Downtime Actions
Select Two:
[] Recruitment Drive: Your losses will be at least mostly replaced by reinforcements, but you can push for more. By rounding up at least some of the Yun who lost their Captain in the Siege, you can bolster your own company and thus improve battlefield strength and longevity for your personal unit.
[] Put in Personal Equipment Request: Although the loot from the human armory is enormously appreciated, more weapons is never a good thing. Either by putting in a formal request for new equipment or making a deal to get some of the still leftover loot (there's still a decent amount of the stuff) you may be able to acquire a new weapon to supplement your current sword.
-[] New Melee Weapon
-[] Ranged Weapon
[] Socialize: The ancient art of talking to people can be quite useful to a captain such as yourself. Make contact with someone, and see what mutual benefits can be gained from the exchange.
-[] Prisoners: With negotiations potentially in the future, understanding the human mindset may prove helpful in the coming days. Talk to them, try to see their point of view. You'd talk to the Princess herself if you could, but Kothkor has her on lock-down, both for security reasons and because he want to do that himself. The Royal Guardswoman you captured should suffice, maybe one of the others you brought in.
-[] Barnin-Tra Captain: The Elite Captain you fought with during the opening stages of the battle survived his own clean up operations, and you could find him and speak with him again. Simply be with another of your people, and get in a duel to sharpen your skills and test out your new item.
-[] A Tyrant: The other leader in your beginning force is also available to speak to. Him, or any other surviving Tyrant could fill you in on events all over the front. As it stands, you know relatively little about what's going on elsewhere. It might be good to be aware of other operations, and if the human resistance remains steady as news filters out of the Fall of Ethos.
-[] A Molesar: A member of the incoming party should be open to talks. You could get a contact into the bureaucracy and improve the chance of your formal requests going through, and you could maybe hear when the rumored "revolutionary weapon" will come through. Depending on how things go from here, maybe not before the war ends.
[] Patrols: Going out and securing the area from any human survivors or infiltrators is indeed a thankless job. But it is also a job that higher-ups note and approve of, and a job that is needed to actually keep Ethos secure and safe. It would be best if you didn't falter at what is effectively the last hurdle.
[] Apply for Company Name: Names for individuals is rare, but names for Elite Companies is relatively common. Getting a name is an important thing: it increases notability, and this can be a good thing for getting requests through, and signifies you as a serious individual. As part of Carnifex, you are automatically applicable for this honor.
A Wise Hermit
Well, Sometimes.
Mount and blade has taught me many things-
[X] Recruitment Drive
In order to have a army that can go against other armies, we need to expand it. This much should be obvious. If we gain a new weapon, It is for us, and a single man, no matter how strong, can not turn the tide of battle. If the army is the sword, the tacticians are the pen, and without a strategy, the army would fall. We need to recruit new units in order to make our army replace it's losses, and if the description is correct, we would be gaining some kind of veteran corps or elite troops, something way better than just simple line infantry. Chances are that the humans are doing a Recruitment campaign as well, and that is something we need to do in order to counter it.
[X] Recruitment Drive
In order to have a army that can go against other armies, we need to expand it. This much should be obvious. If we gain a new weapon, It is for us, and a single man, no matter how strong, can not turn the tide of battle. If the army is the sword, the tacticians are the pen, and without a strategy, the army would fall. We need to recruit new units in order to make our army replace it's losses, and if the description is correct, we would be gaining some kind of veteran corps or elite troops, something way better than just simple line infantry. Chances are that the humans are doing a Recruitment campaign as well, and that is something we need to do in order to counter it.
Last edited:
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Recruitment Drive
[X] Apply for Company Name
[X] Apply for Company Name
MasterDrakus
DEUS SOL
- Location
- Minas Gerais, Brazil
[X] Recruitment Drive
[X] Apply for Company Name
[X] Apply for Company Name
The ???: Part 1
- Location
- England
While taking a well deserved few days off, you decide that it's time to do a little work in your own name. With the limited free time available, you get to work in expanding and improving your personal company in what ways you can, increasing force concentration and recognition.
First, you go around and gather up loose soldiers, those who had lost their commanding officer during the last battle but had yet to be reassigned to another company. You, being a low priority group, would not gain these forces if you sat around and did nothing. Reinforcements would bolster your company, replace any casualties taken, but that would just leave you back where you started.
It's a surprisingly arduous task, corralling together the few lost Yun. There aren't that many who were willing to join up with you on request out of those shattered forces, and due to the relative rarity of the Knights there weren't many individuals in those groups to begin with. Still, your labors do bear fruit in the end. A total of 20 soldiers are convinced to serve under your command, swelling the ranks back up to their pre-battle strength. Practically nothing on the scale of the overall army, even just the Regiment, but it is still fairly significant to you. Out of these, 5 are packing above standard grade equipment of some kind. These, both skilled and the first to the loot, are especially welcome additions.
But you don't stop there. When the reinforcement train arrives alongside the Molesar delegation, you successfully convince the Calculator in charge of the entire group that the promised reinforcements should still go to you. That would be another 20 recruits, already battle-hardened from previous engagements, ready and willing to fight for the Hives. This beings your company up to 100 Barnin-Yun total, of which one in four is armed with improved equipment. Needless to say, you are quite happy with this turn of events.
Having thus improved your company, you also decide to file an application for official naming. The details are long and complex, the process mysterious and arbitrary, the forms detailed and filed in triplicate for official archival purposes. But the bureaucracy of the Imperium works quickly when it comes to matters of the army, and by the time something of note happens again your force has been given its own individual name and a more permanents spot in the various force organization scrolls, magical and otherwise the relevant Tyrants and Queens keep on them.
Increased levels of notoriety means that you are more trusted by your commanders, which gives a slightly greater ability to go on independent operations during battle and also means your group will be a higher priority when loot and reinforcements are handed out between battles. A good thing to get done early, even if it does mean the humans will put more of a target on you, and it should pay dividends in the long run. Assuming you survive the current situation, of course.
[] Name of your Company:
The diplomats had arrived and had their first bit of formalities between them and Kothkor, ostentatious outfits against carapace shined for the parade ground, before going on to see the princess. As you had warned, they made her march around a field in front of them for ten minutes for tradition's sake. They made her do it in some heavy rain as well, you almost felt a bit of pity for the girl when you heard the news. After that was all over and done with, they got to talks, but not a lot of progress was made. She remained temporarily obstinate to the negotiators' demands, no doubt testing them, seeing how far they would go. The group agreed that a longer approach would work fine, and retired for the night.
You were patrolling the inner court, preparing to head off for the night yourself with a small part of your company, and had almost gone to put out your torches when an Akk ran over. Very difficult to see against the backdrop of the sky, but your torches made him visible, and the panicked being was not trying to hide itself.
"Oh, thank the Queens! Somebody that can help! Know this, there is something at the walls, the gates! I am not sure what, I fled to warn someone of the danger present! We must do something, quickly, before it is too late!"
You call out to your followers to gather the rest of the company on the double while you interrogate the Assassin a bit more. He's not much help, but you do learn there is some kind of non-insignificant but clearly unwieldy force advancing on Ethos. They are of an indeterminate composition, and are moving slowly. The rest of his group has stayed behind to hold them off, but there is no telling how long they will last. There is too many unknown variables to make a solid guess.
Still, you have a few options. As your troops stream in to the courtyard you stand in, you bark out your orders to deal with this new, unknown threat.
[] Reconnaissance in Force: To learn the nature of the threat, you're going to have to investigate. Get out there and scout out the incoming enemy while the lone Akk goes and raises the sleeping regiment. Also harry the enemy while you're out there if it's manageable.
[] Sound the Alarm: While the rest of Carnifex will be roused by themselves, you could accelerate the process. Cedes the initiative fully to the enemy, but when the force present is fully up and running they should be able to wipe out whatever is coming without too much difficulty.
[] Enter Full Lockdown: The most important thing right now is to secure the Princess. The Castle itself? Almost worthless. The Regiment? Fundamentally expendable. But if you want a quick end to the war, then keeping her is vital. Of course, this could be a waste of your time.
First, you go around and gather up loose soldiers, those who had lost their commanding officer during the last battle but had yet to be reassigned to another company. You, being a low priority group, would not gain these forces if you sat around and did nothing. Reinforcements would bolster your company, replace any casualties taken, but that would just leave you back where you started.
It's a surprisingly arduous task, corralling together the few lost Yun. There aren't that many who were willing to join up with you on request out of those shattered forces, and due to the relative rarity of the Knights there weren't many individuals in those groups to begin with. Still, your labors do bear fruit in the end. A total of 20 soldiers are convinced to serve under your command, swelling the ranks back up to their pre-battle strength. Practically nothing on the scale of the overall army, even just the Regiment, but it is still fairly significant to you. Out of these, 5 are packing above standard grade equipment of some kind. These, both skilled and the first to the loot, are especially welcome additions.
But you don't stop there. When the reinforcement train arrives alongside the Molesar delegation, you successfully convince the Calculator in charge of the entire group that the promised reinforcements should still go to you. That would be another 20 recruits, already battle-hardened from previous engagements, ready and willing to fight for the Hives. This beings your company up to 100 Barnin-Yun total, of which one in four is armed with improved equipment. Needless to say, you are quite happy with this turn of events.
Having thus improved your company, you also decide to file an application for official naming. The details are long and complex, the process mysterious and arbitrary, the forms detailed and filed in triplicate for official archival purposes. But the bureaucracy of the Imperium works quickly when it comes to matters of the army, and by the time something of note happens again your force has been given its own individual name and a more permanents spot in the various force organization scrolls, magical and otherwise the relevant Tyrants and Queens keep on them.
Increased levels of notoriety means that you are more trusted by your commanders, which gives a slightly greater ability to go on independent operations during battle and also means your group will be a higher priority when loot and reinforcements are handed out between battles. A good thing to get done early, even if it does mean the humans will put more of a target on you, and it should pay dividends in the long run. Assuming you survive the current situation, of course.
[] Name of your Company:
The diplomats had arrived and had their first bit of formalities between them and Kothkor, ostentatious outfits against carapace shined for the parade ground, before going on to see the princess. As you had warned, they made her march around a field in front of them for ten minutes for tradition's sake. They made her do it in some heavy rain as well, you almost felt a bit of pity for the girl when you heard the news. After that was all over and done with, they got to talks, but not a lot of progress was made. She remained temporarily obstinate to the negotiators' demands, no doubt testing them, seeing how far they would go. The group agreed that a longer approach would work fine, and retired for the night.
You were patrolling the inner court, preparing to head off for the night yourself with a small part of your company, and had almost gone to put out your torches when an Akk ran over. Very difficult to see against the backdrop of the sky, but your torches made him visible, and the panicked being was not trying to hide itself.
"Oh, thank the Queens! Somebody that can help! Know this, there is something at the walls, the gates! I am not sure what, I fled to warn someone of the danger present! We must do something, quickly, before it is too late!"
You call out to your followers to gather the rest of the company on the double while you interrogate the Assassin a bit more. He's not much help, but you do learn there is some kind of non-insignificant but clearly unwieldy force advancing on Ethos. They are of an indeterminate composition, and are moving slowly. The rest of his group has stayed behind to hold them off, but there is no telling how long they will last. There is too many unknown variables to make a solid guess.
Still, you have a few options. As your troops stream in to the courtyard you stand in, you bark out your orders to deal with this new, unknown threat.
[] Reconnaissance in Force: To learn the nature of the threat, you're going to have to investigate. Get out there and scout out the incoming enemy while the lone Akk goes and raises the sleeping regiment. Also harry the enemy while you're out there if it's manageable.
[] Sound the Alarm: While the rest of Carnifex will be roused by themselves, you could accelerate the process. Cedes the initiative fully to the enemy, but when the force present is fully up and running they should be able to wipe out whatever is coming without too much difficulty.
[] Enter Full Lockdown: The most important thing right now is to secure the Princess. The Castle itself? Almost worthless. The Regiment? Fundamentally expendable. But if you want a quick end to the war, then keeping her is vital. Of course, this could be a waste of your time.
- Location
- Behind You
[X] Sound the Alarm: While the rest of Carnifex will be roused by themselves, you could accelerate the process. Cedes the initiative fully to the enemy, but when the force present is fully up and running they should be able to wipe out whatever is coming without too much difficulty.
Chronobreak
Chara Appreciator
- Location
- Chicago
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Enter Full Lockdown
Paranoia!
Paranoia!
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Enter Full Lockdown
The ???: Part 2
- Location
- England
"You." Turning towards the now somewhat composed runner after a moment of thought, you give your command. "Go and rouse the regiment. Get it moving towards the walls as best you can. I shall take my own troops and go secure the prisoners. This force is most likely here for them."
Before too long, your one hundred strong company has marshaled in front of you, and stand ready to serve once again. No ordinary company is this, but the newly named Victorious Blades. With any luck, they may yet live up to that name this day. A gesture is all you need to mobilize them, and in a moment the lot of you is skittering towards the designated prison area as fast as you reasonably can. There's no time to waste!
As you arrive, the prison guards salute you, but are visibly confused with your presence. "Captain, what are you-"
You don't bother with taking your time to explain. If your suspicions are right then things may be about to get very ugly very quickly. "Be quiet and open the doors." The one who had spoken to you hesitated, unsure of what was happening. "NOW!" He hastily turns to make up for his pause and unlocks the gate barring you from entry. "And fall in after me. We may need all the help we can get."
At the forefront of the charge, you move through the cell-filled corridor, the one preexisting prison area. Various humans look out at you, about as confused as the guards were, but say nothing. You pay then no heed yourself, moving with swift purpose towards the end of the hallway, and the largest cell in the Castle.
Of course, cell is an arguable term. As you burst through the open door, you lay eyes on what's more of a full room then anything else, no doubt meant to hold high-level political prisoners of war in some measure of comfort. In that sense it is fulfilling its purpose, although you doubt this was the precise situation that the designers had in mind.
And there in the center sits the princess, leaning back in her chair around the central table. She's staying up late, clearly thinking about something. Her people, perhaps. Or maybe the ongoing negotiation process. Either way, it matters little to you at this moment in time.
"Princess Reton. We have to move you to another location. If you'll come with us-"
Before you can finish your sentence, the outwards facing wall explodes in a cloud of shredded masonry and dust. A group of what appear to be human skeletons march through, clad in partial armor and equipped with a variety of weapon.
This is... very unexpected.
At their head is a more living human in bright blue armor. Wielding a very hefty sword in one hand and what could almost qualify as a tower shield in the other, they are a high level paladin. Perhaps even the head of an Order. This is concerning, but you attempt to hide your internal worry by needling the foe about a somewhat glaring issue.
"A paladin working with a necromancer? This is unheard of, I believe. Are you so desperate as to abandon all your principles for power? Why, I thought that went against your code." You begin to move to their side a little, waiting for a response.
"I do what I must, for my people and nation." The voice of this one is awfully raspy, you must admit. "I'm not even sure you can understand that." She moves to where your own side would be. She is content to circle around with you for now. "Not that you don't act for your Queens and allies, but you don't make a choice. Not ever."
You try to keep her off balance with more words. Time is on your side, not hers. "Still, abandoning your eternal oaths for material gain? It sounds like you should have been an ordinary knight, not a paladin." You just have to keep her talking.
"It's true the terms 'unholy twisting of all that is good beyond compare' and 'against all that I stand for on every level' may have been used, but better my own soul be damned than all of us be put under eternal oppression by you and yours." Through her helmet, you can see just about see pallid flesh contort and eyes narrow ash she stops walking and takes more of a fighting stance. Oh dear. "But enough talk. It is time for battle!" Her sword and shield light up, edges glowing a bright golden hue, while an unearthly blue emanates from the tiny gaps in her armor, between the overlapping plates of the same color. It seems she won't be distracted so easily.
Your men can keep hers away from the Princess, but if you don't hold her off she will take her. Attempting to execute Reton on the spot has a chance of succeeding, but seeing as an apparently decently powerful necromancer is nearby there's a question of if it will stick.
You have two primary options here, unless you can think of some genius third plan.
[] Stand Your Ground: If you fall back, it is highly likely that this paladin and her undead cohorts will take the princess and leave (probably with the other prisoners in tow) to a safer location. With their governmental leader and figurehead free, the war would be prolonged by a significant time at the very least. You do not want this to happen, and will pay the price if needed. It's unlikely, but you may be able to stall the paladin until help arrives, if not defeat her outright.
[] Run! Oh Lord, Run For The Hills! Hey, you know what's bad? Dying. You know what tends to cause Barnin death at a very reliable and rapid pace? Humans with bits of metal that are actively magically glowing. Time to leg it and you know, not face almost certain death. Of course, you're giving them the princess, thus definitely prolonging the war, but getting stabbed repeatedly before the humans leave with their prize doesn't actually accomplish much of anything.
Before too long, your one hundred strong company has marshaled in front of you, and stand ready to serve once again. No ordinary company is this, but the newly named Victorious Blades. With any luck, they may yet live up to that name this day. A gesture is all you need to mobilize them, and in a moment the lot of you is skittering towards the designated prison area as fast as you reasonably can. There's no time to waste!
As you arrive, the prison guards salute you, but are visibly confused with your presence. "Captain, what are you-"
You don't bother with taking your time to explain. If your suspicions are right then things may be about to get very ugly very quickly. "Be quiet and open the doors." The one who had spoken to you hesitated, unsure of what was happening. "NOW!" He hastily turns to make up for his pause and unlocks the gate barring you from entry. "And fall in after me. We may need all the help we can get."
At the forefront of the charge, you move through the cell-filled corridor, the one preexisting prison area. Various humans look out at you, about as confused as the guards were, but say nothing. You pay then no heed yourself, moving with swift purpose towards the end of the hallway, and the largest cell in the Castle.
Of course, cell is an arguable term. As you burst through the open door, you lay eyes on what's more of a full room then anything else, no doubt meant to hold high-level political prisoners of war in some measure of comfort. In that sense it is fulfilling its purpose, although you doubt this was the precise situation that the designers had in mind.
And there in the center sits the princess, leaning back in her chair around the central table. She's staying up late, clearly thinking about something. Her people, perhaps. Or maybe the ongoing negotiation process. Either way, it matters little to you at this moment in time.
"Princess Reton. We have to move you to another location. If you'll come with us-"
Before you can finish your sentence, the outwards facing wall explodes in a cloud of shredded masonry and dust. A group of what appear to be human skeletons march through, clad in partial armor and equipped with a variety of weapon.
This is... very unexpected.
At their head is a more living human in bright blue armor. Wielding a very hefty sword in one hand and what could almost qualify as a tower shield in the other, they are a high level paladin. Perhaps even the head of an Order. This is concerning, but you attempt to hide your internal worry by needling the foe about a somewhat glaring issue.
"A paladin working with a necromancer? This is unheard of, I believe. Are you so desperate as to abandon all your principles for power? Why, I thought that went against your code." You begin to move to their side a little, waiting for a response.
"I do what I must, for my people and nation." The voice of this one is awfully raspy, you must admit. "I'm not even sure you can understand that." She moves to where your own side would be. She is content to circle around with you for now. "Not that you don't act for your Queens and allies, but you don't make a choice. Not ever."
You try to keep her off balance with more words. Time is on your side, not hers. "Still, abandoning your eternal oaths for material gain? It sounds like you should have been an ordinary knight, not a paladin." You just have to keep her talking.
"It's true the terms 'unholy twisting of all that is good beyond compare' and 'against all that I stand for on every level' may have been used, but better my own soul be damned than all of us be put under eternal oppression by you and yours." Through her helmet, you can see just about see pallid flesh contort and eyes narrow ash she stops walking and takes more of a fighting stance. Oh dear. "But enough talk. It is time for battle!" Her sword and shield light up, edges glowing a bright golden hue, while an unearthly blue emanates from the tiny gaps in her armor, between the overlapping plates of the same color. It seems she won't be distracted so easily.
Your men can keep hers away from the Princess, but if you don't hold her off she will take her. Attempting to execute Reton on the spot has a chance of succeeding, but seeing as an apparently decently powerful necromancer is nearby there's a question of if it will stick.
You have two primary options here, unless you can think of some genius third plan.
[] Stand Your Ground: If you fall back, it is highly likely that this paladin and her undead cohorts will take the princess and leave (probably with the other prisoners in tow) to a safer location. With their governmental leader and figurehead free, the war would be prolonged by a significant time at the very least. You do not want this to happen, and will pay the price if needed. It's unlikely, but you may be able to stall the paladin until help arrives, if not defeat her outright.
[] Run! Oh Lord, Run For The Hills! Hey, you know what's bad? Dying. You know what tends to cause Barnin death at a very reliable and rapid pace? Humans with bits of metal that are actively magically glowing. Time to leg it and you know, not face almost certain death. Of course, you're giving them the princess, thus definitely prolonging the war, but getting stabbed repeatedly before the humans leave with their prize doesn't actually accomplish much of anything.
- Location
- nz
[X] Stand Your Ground: If you fall back, it is highly likely that this paladin and her undead cohorts will take the princess and leave (probably with the other prisoners in tow) to a safer location. With their governmental leader and figurehead free, the war would be prolonged by a significant time at the very least. You do not want this to happen, and will pay the price if needed. It's unlikely, but you may be able to stall the paladin until help arrives, if not defeat her outright.
MasterDrakus
DEUS SOL
- Location
- Minas Gerais, Brazil
[X] Stand Your Ground: If you fall back, it is highly likely that this paladin and her undead cohorts will take the princess and leave (probably with the other prisoners in tow) to a safer location. With their governmental leader and figurehead free, the war would be prolonged by a significant time at the very least. You do not want this to happen, and will pay the price if needed. It's unlikely, but you may be able to stall the paladin until help arrives, if not defeat her outright.
We stay our ground and fight, we shall be victorious this day or die.
We stay our ground and fight, we shall be victorious this day or die.
Xantalos
Turtle-Speed Writing
VINDICATION
And oops we forgot to manually name our company but ah well.
Hmm. If we stand our ground, we're gonna die, this is fairly certain. But we cannot give up the Princess. Her staying in Barnin-Tra hands is worth more than our life.
...
@EternalStruggle, how many skeletons are there? There's what may be an undead paladin necromancer coming after us, if my intuition is correct, but I'm unsure how many minions there are.
Perhaps beating a fighting retreat would be of use. Grab the Princess ourselves and bog down the Paladin in numbers. I'm sure our Barnin-Yun would be superior to those skeletons, if we knock them down we can have our troops surround the paladin and prevent her from getting anywhere while we take the princess elsewhere.
And oops we forgot to manually name our company but ah well.
Hmm. If we stand our ground, we're gonna die, this is fairly certain. But we cannot give up the Princess. Her staying in Barnin-Tra hands is worth more than our life.
...
@EternalStruggle, how many skeletons are there? There's what may be an undead paladin necromancer coming after us, if my intuition is correct, but I'm unsure how many minions there are.
Perhaps beating a fighting retreat would be of use. Grab the Princess ourselves and bog down the Paladin in numbers. I'm sure our Barnin-Yun would be superior to those skeletons, if we knock them down we can have our troops surround the paladin and prevent her from getting anywhere while we take the princess elsewhere.
Last edited:
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Stand Your Ground: If you fall back, it is highly likely that this paladin and her undead cohorts will take the princess and leave (probably with the other prisoners in tow) to a safer location. With their governmental leader and figurehead free, the war would be prolonged by a significant time at the very least. You do not want this to happen, and will pay the price if needed. It's unlikely, but you may be able to stall the paladin until help arrives, if not defeat her outright.
Valkur
The True Valkyria, Valkur!
- Location
- Fólkvangr
[X] Stand Your Ground: If you fall back, it is highly likely that this paladin and her undead cohorts will take the princess and leave (probably with the other prisoners in tow) to a safer location. With their governmental leader and figurehead free, the war would be prolonged by a significant time at the very least. You do not want this to happen, and will pay the price if needed. It's unlikely, but you may be able to stall the paladin until help arrives, if not defeat her outright.
We SHALL HOLD!
We SHALL HOLD!
- Location
- NJ
[X] Stand Your Ground: If you fall back, it is highly likely that this paladin and her undead cohorts will take the princess and leave (probably with the other prisoners in tow) to a safer location. With their governmental leader and figurehead free, the war would be prolonged by a significant time at the very least. You do not want this to happen, and will pay the price if needed. It's unlikely, but you may be able to stall the paladin until help arrives, if not defeat her outright.
Victory or Death!
Victory or Death!
- Location
- Behind You
[X] Stand Your Ground: If you fall back, it is highly likely that this paladin and her undead cohorts will take the princess and leave (probably with the other prisoners in tow) to a safer location. With their governmental leader and figurehead free, the war would be prolonged by a significant time at the very least. You do not want this to happen, and will pay the price if needed. It's unlikely, but you may be able to stall the paladin until help arrives, if not defeat her outright.
Can't lose the princess.
Can't lose the princess.
MasterDrakus
DEUS SOL
- Location
- Minas Gerais, Brazil
It is good to know that you all are honorable persons that wish to stand their ground and face our enemies, as previously stated by Shadow-86 we shall have VICTORY OR DEATH!( This would make a pretty awesome battle cry for our company.)
Xantalos
Turtle-Speed Writing
Well, practical too. The capture of the princess is a major morale blow to the humans, and letting her get freed from our grasp would probably reflect badly on our prestige.
MasterDrakus
DEUS SOL
- Location
- Minas Gerais, Brazil
and the tyrant would react badly to that, maybe even execute us for cowardice after all if your gimmick is a lot of fanatical cannon fodder why keep a disloyal soldier?
Xantalos
Turtle-Speed Writing
Probably not, human commanders are ludicrously powerful compared to us after all. And it's only due to our initiative that we're able to confront the paladin in the first place, rather than potentially catching them in the escape like may have happened with the Rouse the Regiment option.
The only trouble here is gonna be surviving long enough for reinforcements to get here. Good thing we picked that magic force field...