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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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Codex said:
We'd be lucky to come out of this alive. Let's not count our chickens just yet. Kislev looks like it's winning, but Mathilde and Liljiana aren't guaranteed to survive.
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I know, I'm being optimistic.

Although on that note if we both survive I want to see if we can leverage this into getting Kislev involved with our Waystone project with Lilijiana being the resident Ice Witch.
 
Codex said:
We'd be lucky to come out of this alive. Let's not count our chickens just yet. Kislev looks like it's winning, but Mathilde and Liljiana aren't guaranteed to survive.
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And even if Kislev does win, Drycha is by no means guaranteed to die (or, in my view, likely to). You don't get to her age by collecting bottle caps, or by fighting to the death every time.
 
Codex said:
We'd be lucky to come out of this alive. Let's not count our chickens just yet. Kislev looks like it's winning, but Mathilde and Liljiana aren't guaranteed to survive.
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That last turn probably dealt a lot of damage though. 2v1, and if Drycha isn't pissed off enough by now to proc our sword-style bonus I'll be surprised.. that, on top of an already 100+ unless Mathy is getting debuffed?
 
Regardless of anything else, Ulgu is very very good at getting away.

There's definitely no certainty of finishing her here.
 
Drycha has access to the World Roots. I don't think there's much we can do to stop her if she's determined to run. Especially if we're as injured/down on seed charges as I think we are.
 
I mean, even if we just drive her off, that would count as resolving the causes of the disturbances without letting Drycha get what she came for.
 
Ericwinter said:
Who is Hatalath? And admittedly I would probably prefer Kragg to Thorek, but he's more likely to do something unpleasant…
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The elven grey lord from the Dreaming Wood update.

Boney said:
The Elf frowns, his brow furrowing. "They got it back? And they're employing human Mages? Tch, you look away for a few centuries and the whole world changes on you. Greetings, daughter of the Empire" he says, turning to you and switching to archaic but fluent Reikspiel as he looks you up and down. "Greetings to you, daughter of Freya. It's been some time since I walked your realm, but I always found the Asoborns to be a cheerful and sensible lot. Much better than the Styrigen. I am the Grey Lord Hatalath."
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LightLan said:
To get Thorek we had to ask Azul's king for permission.

To get Kragg, we'd have had to ask Thorgrim.

It would've certainly been interesting.
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Nah, to get Kragg we'd have to ask Kragg.

Boney said something to the effect that if we'd asked Kragg to come with us to the forest full of Elves, it'd take quite a bit of conversation with him to get across that we didn't mean "at the head of an army".
 
Mopman43 said:
Nah, to get Kragg we'd have to ask Kragg.

Boney said something to the effect that if we'd asked Kragg to come with us to the forest full of Elves, it'd take quite a bit of conversation with him to get across that we didn't mean "at the head of an army".
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Not to mention that we'd also have to talk down the army from coming along, too.
 
Do we have any contracts or legal documents that apply "until death", and do any of them apply to Mathilde? I'm curious on the technicalities of those clauses if we do actually die and come back. I imagine the legal divisions of the Empire have an "Anti-Necromancy" clause to prevent Necro-Fraud, but it doesn't hurt to check.
 
Hmm… you know, if Drycha does run, or we just beat her, we might get to show off a little more by blasting the tree man. It still seems to be around, and since the dryads all seem to be screwed, that would be a good target.
 
Codex said:
Do we have any contracts or legal documents that apply "until death", and do any of them apply to Mathilde? I'm curious on the technicalities of those clauses if we do actually die and come back. I imagine the legal divisions of the Empire have an "Anti-Necromancy" clause to prevent Necro-Fraud, but it doesn't hurt to check.
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Knights oath to Stirland, maybe? If we die without a declared heir, the fief returns to the control of the Elector Count.
 
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Battle of the Shirokij, Part 2
  • Threadmarks
    • [*] Leader
    Seek and engage the hidden watcher.

    Tally

    To an outside perspective, between one second and another the Wizard and her steed simply vanished. To an outside perspective familiar with Grey Magic, now would be a good time for everyone opposed to that Wizard to start checking over their shoulder. Enveloped within Shroud of Invisibility, you do your best to tune out the din of battle and try to focus on the discordance in the shadows, as to leave the leader of this host to their own devices could be disastrous.

    [Mathilde spotting Drycha: Intrigue, 24+27+10(Windsage)=61 vs 69+25+10(Trait: Hidden Watcher)-20(Rejected by the Forest)=84.]
    [Drycha spotting Mathilde: Intrigue, 27+25+10(Trait: Hidden Watcher)=62 vs 21+27+10(Invisibility)=58.]
    [How is Drycha hiding?: Learning, 10+29+5(Diplomacy: Eonir)=44.]

    As you move through the forest, you quickly grasp what you're not looking for. You're familiar enough with how the Winds move during battle to be able to spot a whorl of Ulgu where there shouldn't be one, and the absence of any indicates that your target is hidden in some other way. You turn your eyes to the trees themselves, both to the branches a watcher might be perched upon or the trunks that a Forest Spirit might lurk within, but you see nothing that might be your opponent.

    [Woodsmen vs Dryads - Martial, 72+15+10(Milica)+10(Kreml Guard support fire)=107 vs 14+20+10(outnumber)=44.]

    With a sliver of your attention you're unable to completely tear away, you note that the Dryads on the road are being brutalized by the foresters they face, in no small part thanks to Milica in the fray and the support fire of the Kreml Guard.

    [Mathilde spotting Drycha: Intrigue, 48+27+10(Windsage)=85 vs 20+25+10(Trait: Hidden Watcher)-20(Rejected by the Forest)=35.]
    [Drycha spotting Mathilde: Intrigue, 35+25+10(Trait: Hidden Watcher)=70 vs 41+27+10(Invisibility)=78.]

    You almost kick yourself when you see it. You spent your formative years in a liminal realm, checking for one here should have been the first thing you thought of, especially after having seen Laurelorn's in action so recently. The Dreaming Wood, Queen Marrisith had called it, as close as a thought and writhing with indignation at the being within it. With careful steps you approach the ripple in the surface of reality that signifies something of significant metaphysical size moving on the other side, shadowing it as it approaches the battle.

    [Woodsmen vs Dryads: Martial, 100+15+10(Milica)+10(Kreml Guard support fire)+5(outnumber)=140 vs 45+20=65.]
    [Boris vs Manticore: Martial, 83+20+10(Shard Blade)=113 vs 48+25+5(Frenzy)=78.]
    [Ljiljana vs Treeman: 80, 92.]
    [Kreml Guard firing on river Dryads: Martial, 91+20=111.]
    [Rolling...]

    And what a battle it is proving to be, as the Dryads fall as readily as the trees they protect, battle cries springing from the lips of the woodsmen as they practice their trade. Behind them the Manticore has attempted to dive upon the Tsarevich and impaled itself upon his readied glaive, and in the river a wave of ice has crept up the legs of the approaching Treeman as Ljiljana adds her strength to Nadezhda. With a series of hollow, echoing cracks craters open in the Treeman's body as the freezing sap expands within its body, and arrows begin to punch into these craters as the Kreml Guard turn their attention from the few remaining Dryads in the river to the Treeman. The ripple seems to react to this, moving faster and with purpose, and as soon as you extrapolate its course and confirm its intentions you teleport over to Ljiljana intercept it.

    [Mathilde counterambush: Martial, 24+23+10(surprise)+10(invisible)=67 vs 74+20-20(Rejected by the Forest)=74.]
    [Ljiljana reaction: 81.]

    Within the fallen trunk of a dying tree, the writhing fabric of reality is slit open and an avatar of embittered wrath wriggles forth, ephemeral spirit solidifying into the substance of the tree that allowed it entrance into the world. Glowing eye sockets lock onto Ljiljana as the being silently wrestles itself free of the trunk, and then it leaps with outstretched talons, flying right into-

    Right over your blade.

    With inhuman speed it twists in mid-air to avoid the swing of Branulhune, and what would have been a fatal swoop turns into an ungainly tumble as it skids through mud and leaf litter. Ljiljana turns with a fistful of ice, redirecting her stream of frost at this new foe, and it is forced to skitter backwards on all fours to avoid it. Heads turn and a cry goes up as the Kreml Guard notice this unexpected intruder behind their lines.

    [Mathilde interception: Martial, 85+23+10(invisible)=118 vs 38+20=58.]

    To its credit, the being only takes a second to react to this change in circumstances, managing to leap to its feet without losing its momentum away from Ljiljana and starting to run back to the trunk that gave it form, where reality is still torn open and bleeding. Her speed is inhuman and her course was perfectly calculated despite the fact you are still invisible to mundane senses - the momentum of your swing has your blade too far away to react before she's past you. Against any ordinary swordsman, she would escape.

    You are no ordinary swordsman, and Branulhune is no ordinary sword.

    With a thought Branulhune vanishes from your hands and takes its momentum with it, and you swing empty hands towards the Dryad as it sprints past you, Branulhune reappearing with a painful jolt in time to catch it across the waist. Gromril tears through bark and wood and out the other side, sending two halves of the being flying, splinters and sap and malign energies filling the air. The top half hits the ground and then arrests its sprawl with talons dug into soil. It twists to look at you, glowing eyes locking onto yours as they glow even brighter with hatred and outrage. For a moment you think it is going to try to throw itself at you, but then the eyes dim slightly as Ulgu shivers through the air. You recognize teleportation cantrips starting to form, and have only a moment to act before it will be gone.


    [ ] Counter
    Attempt to disrupt the magic that the Dryad is performing, with the intention of forcing it to stay and fight.
    [ ] Attack
    Charge and attack the Dryad before it can complete its magic.
    [ ] Dragonflask
    Dragonflask.
    [ ] Pursue
    Pursue the being into the realm it is trying to retreat to.
    [ ] Disengage
    Let it retreat, and help mop up the remaining enemies.
    [ ] Bind
    You do know a range of techniques for binding Apparitions, and a Forest Spirit is metaphysically similar enough that it may be possible to bind this being to you.


    - There will be a two hour moratorium.
    - Dice rolls: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4.
    - The 'Bind' option was suggested by @pucflek     here and its inclusion in the above list of options is not a statement on my part as to how reasonable an idea it may be.
     
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