Stepping out into the town proper, Linara was followed by the scythe-wielding man, who looked nothing short of extremely confused and mildly terrified. Or perhaps mildly confused and extremely terrified. Either or. Regardless, when she stepped out she noted that shouting was coming from pretty much every direction except West, her forgotten headache trying and failing to reassert itself over the part-demon mage's pumping adrenaline. There seemed to be smoke coming from the East, but more than that she couldn't tell from the center of town.
There was no correct curse the Kiera could think of for the current situation. Before she let panic set in, the Kitsune tries to get her wits about her, looking up at the ramparts.
"Selena! I need your dragon to burn down the forest near the Eastern ramparts! Grawn, take a detachment of Archers, and fire at any orc coming from the burning forest; I need Alhora and archers to go with Selena to the Western wall!"
She curses her luck, realizing the black flame was building up on her hand once more; it was a do-or-die situation, and she needed the forbidden power, more now than ever.
"Tennevin, stay on the Gatehouse, and help me keep them from crossing into the village; Anders, I need your men to be prepared to fight any that manage to scale the walls. Now, move everyone! We need to keep this city safe!"
If they could keep it safe.
Actions:
Ready Hellfire Blast, Explosion: (1d6 + 3) * 11 on any orcs trying to use fallen trees as a bridge.
Selena noted the effects of their attack with a grim satisfaction. Academy war-games, special sessions held in response to the Orc threat in order to train better battle mages, had always been some of the most entertaining events in her opinion, and she had actually been one of the better participants. Despite her past performance at The Academy, she still had to fight to keep from being overwhelmed now. This was different. This was...real. She was actually killing these people, these Orcs.
Shaking her head, Selena mounted the ramparts. It wouldn't do to think about such things now. In a way, it was a good thing she was fighting Orcs in her first major engagement. One of her instructors, one of the ones who had experienced actual war before, told her some of what to expect. The old man had told her that she couldn't sympathize with or feel any sort of empathy for the enemy. She had to dehumanize and depersonalize them. She couldn't think of them as living beings equal to her, they could only be enemies. Enemies that would kill her given half a chance, and so she had to kill them first. That's why it was good, in a sense, that she was fighting Orcs. They were probably one of the more monstrous intelligent races native to this world, they would be far easier to dehumanize than other races.
And so, rather regrettably, Selena did just that. They were the enemy, they were targets, things, them. She didn't think about what she was doing to them, she just did it.
Once she reached the ramparts, she realized that they were in a little more trouble than she had thought as the town was now under attack from three sides, the Orcs already moving trees into position to cross the river. She heard Kiera's call and responded quickly. "Affirmative Commander! They will burn!"
Well, no battle plan really survived first contact with the enemy. The situation had changed, and Selena had to adapt her plan. The frontal attack was probably less of a threat at this point. It was severely hindered by the river, and the Kitsune probably had enough power in her to knock out the trees. Additionally, her wraiths would start chewing into the rear of that group soon, hopefully they would do some good damage before the Orcs figured out what was happening and were able to stop them. The two groups that were executing a pincer movement were coming in through the forest. More trees. Trees could burn. She called out mentally to her drake. "Burn the woods, burn the Orcs! Burn them all!" She commanded the drake to attack the flanking group on the east side of the village, hopefully causing a nice forest fire to help disrupt the attack on that flank. This left her with the west flank, she moved to that side and started blasting lightning at the Orcs, taking cover when she needed to recharge before she could cast again. She called out to the townspeople in the meantime, hoping that some of them had magic, or some other relevant skill, "The woods! Burn the woods! We have to stop their attack, burn the woods!"
drake fire(100 foot line) east flank woods (if he can't make it in one turn, just fly in that direction and blast the forward flank instead):
chain lightning (line): BC 40 Attack: d20 +50
Instead of going in a straight line, this spell bounces from creature to creature after hitting the first, until it has either changed direction eight times or reached its maximum range. This spell may only bounce to any one creature once.
Damage: (1d8+5)*4 +16 inflicts paralyzed if target reduced below 1/2 HP
Drake: Dragon's Breath attack: d20 +80 pays 1+4=5 EP
Damage: (2d6)*4
Linara paused, glancing back at the man. She felt as if she should say something, but just didn't know what something was. Saying 'it will be alright' or any other sort of reassurance would basically be a lie. An army was marching down on them. There was little doubt that this would only end poorly. There wasn't truly worth saying. With a slight sigh, the mage turned back to the more pressing task.
The west was likely clear, as it was quiet. Or, everyone was already dead and the orcs had, somehow, learned how to be quiet which was basically impossible. That left the other three directions. The only real indication of where she should go from there was the smoke rising into the sky and smoke generally meant bad things. As such, the east wall seemed to be the best choice.
Now with a more definite destination, Linara hurried off while readying her buckler and rapier.
Kiera's hellfire blast X = 11 at some point!
Attack: Miss.
She also has Anders and Tennevin stay at the East gate and moves Grawn and his archers to the South along the wall with Selena.
Linara runs to the Eastern gate, where Kiera is.
Selena moves to the South Flank, presumably, because she went right. She has her drakes attack the Eastern woods and has her Wraiths attack the Eastern orcs from the rear.
Wraiths Attack: Both hit.
Damage: They sneak attack and kill two orcs.
The drake sets fire to the currently empty eastern woods.
5 orcs attack each of the wraiths, each with a shield and a sword.
Attacks: 5/5 sword and 0/5 shields hit Wraith 1, 3/5 sword and 1/5 shields hit Wraith 2.
Damage (swords) : 2 + 1 + 19 - 5 = 17 * 3/4 = 13 damage per hit.
Damage (shields) : 2 + 2 + 4 + 14 - 5 = 17 * 3/4 = 13 damage.
Wraith 1 takes 65 damage, Wraith 2 takes 52 damage.
The archers kill a grand total of 12 orcs with uncoordinated fire.
Tenevin casts Greater Fireball.
Casting: Success.
Attack: Hit 'em.
Damage: 3 + 1 + 6 + 2 = 12 * 5 = 60 damage. Some orcs end up badly wounded. To keep from having to keep track of the wounded, Alhora finishes them off.
You kill a rough total of maybe 29 orcs, leaving another rough total of about 241. Just to be clear: there's nothing coming from the West as far as any of you lot can tell.
Selena had to spend her turn moving, so no chain lightning this turn. I'd have gone an extra turn to give you that spell, but things have happened that other people might need to react to.
Also, sorry about the wait!
The men that Kiera ordered to move did just that, rushing along to the South along with Selena even as the mage ordered her summons to attack. The kitsune's orb of black fire erupted in the midst of the orcs, but the lot of them dived aside, apparently having expected the attack now that they'd already seen it. Tennevin and Alhora were slightly more successful, unleashing a pair of fireballs that decimated the orc lines, and the bombardment of fire combined with the fire from the archers slowed the orcs enough that their ladder carriers only just reached the moat. Kiera could see the orc troops bringing up bows, crossbows, and rifles of their own with which they would no doubt return fire momentarily. Whether she wanted to take cover herself, or order her allies to do the same, was up to Kiera, but the return volley would allow their enemies to start climbing up to face them in hand to hand, where the orcs would have an advantage.
Selena's drake took to the skies and unleashed its fiery breath, setting the Eastern woods alight and cutting off the orc's retreat, but then a loud voice that seemed to cause the very ground to shake beneath them round out into the sky; "KARTHUS! LEND ME YOUR FLAME!" A great roar from above the clouds came forth in response, louder by far than what her drake had made, and something huge was visible moving up amidst the clouds. Her wraiths, in the meantime, entered the fray by killing a pair of orcs in the back, further stalling their advance, but then the greenskins turned on them and started attacking the dark spirits that Selena had summoned to do battle. The trained warriors fought well, tearing pieces from the conjured creatures with their weapons, but her summons were still up to harry the enemy.
Their summoner arrived at the Southern wall alongside Grawn and his rangers. The experienced fighter began to work to rally the people on the wall, directing their shots more efficiently while adding his own and those of his comrades to the mix. Arriving there, Selena could see that there were as many orcs here as there'd been on the Eastern wall, and they hadn't faced the same opposition. The ladders were already at the walls, but the orcs weren't climbing them yet, and they still had a chance to push them back before they could ascend the walls.
Linara, in the meantime, hurried to the East while the scythe-wielding man who'd woken her up turned North. She reached the walls to find them clear of the green-skins, at least, but perhaps surprisingly they weren't solely defended by humans and elves either. A woman with fur, and a long fluffy tail stood on the walls, her form a mix between fox and human, and she seemed to lead the defenders. There were ladders and stairs to ascend to the top of the gatehouse where the Badarian sorceress might be able to take better stock of the situation, but even she could see the lithe draconic shape gliding through the air ahead, a creature that she identified immediately as a drake. Who's side it was on she couldn't be sure, but it seemed to be burning the woods to the East.
Drake Stats
Body: 16 * 5 = 80 Body.
HP: 110
EP: 35/40
Perception: 28
Speed: 28
Dodge: 45
AV: 10
Attack: (+80) 2d12 + 37
Can fly and use Dragon's Breath, with Bladesinger.
Wraith Stats
Body: 30 + (12 * 5) = 90 Body.
HP: 25/90 and 68/90
Stealth: 41
Perception: 30
Dodge: 50
AV: 5
Speed: 25
Damage Reduction 3/4
Attack (+102) 2d12 + 45
Can fly and phase through walls.
Stuff!
-Eastern attack force
70 orcs, including the knight that Kiera spoke to.
-Northern attack force
86 orcs
-Southern attack force
85 orcs
-You guys
Alhora the Fire Adept, Eastern wall, spent 6 EP
Tennevin the master wizard, Eastern wall, spent 6 EP
Grawn and his archers, on the Southern wall
Anders and his 20 militiamen, on the Eastern wall
120 untrained fighters, 40 on each of the walls
Linara eyed the drake with unease. After all, it was a big, scaley, fire-breathing lizard that flies. Luckily, it seemed like it was on the village's side as it was burning the woods, where the orcish scum was likely to be, as opposed to burning the village itself. Of greater importance was the furry... thing that seemed to think it could lead. What kind of pathetic people lived in this place that believed that it was a suitable leader? Still, at least it seemed more civilized than the brutes that were bashing themselves into the walls.
Climbing the wall, the Badarian began gathering magic into her fist. The roar from above caused her to falter for a moment. It just assured her that she was about to stare death in the face. Naturally, she questioned herself whether or not this was worth it and, once again, she was able to convince herself it was. These savages were lesser beings. What they would do to survivors would be worse than death. So, if anything, Linara's actions were kinder and nobler than anything the filth would do: saving them from their own brutality and stupidity. It was still the better option for herself, as well, to face death now than the alternative fate when the walls fall. Or so she told herself.
Upon reaching the top, she made her way past the other defenders without a word to any of them, to then look down upon the orcs below with disgust. Linara opened her hand above her head, unleashing the magic upon the enemy.
"Protero in nihilum, Gravitatis Confringitis!" she recited her incantation.
A blackened glimmer appeared above the battlefield. The area around and below this glimmer began to warp as an perfect circle of earth beneath it flattened and sunk downwards under the influence of the magic. Within the column, space itself seemed to buckle and shrink.
{F} Gravity Crush (Ball) [Creatures affected by this spell are Stunned unless they win a Resistance check against the character, who gets a +8 bonus.]
Casting Check: 1d20 + 28 + 14 vs 40
Attack Roll: 1d20 + 40 + 12 vs dodge
Damage: 6(1d6 + 1 + 5 + 4)
Resistance Check: 1d20 + 20 + 8 vs Target resistance
Magic Feat: Spell Control - Double area of effect Total EP: 13
(I wrote a description of the magic since I sort of auto pass the casting check... unless something happens. Also, I felt like my post was too short.... If I should get rid of it, just tell me.)
Finally making it to the other battlements, Selena saw the ladders and knew they would be at a disadvantage if the Orcs were able to get engage them at close range. "The ladders! Push down the ladders!"
Feeling her summoned wraiths weakening, she knew they likely wouldn't last much longer, especially without the drake providing air support. But as she heard the booming shout and caught a glimpse of something massive in the clouds, she knew she wouldn't be able to spare her drake to help them. Instead, she released the weaker summon, allowing to return to the aether before summoning another wraith where she was, ordering it to protect her and to help keep the Orcs from getting up the ladders.
Lastly, she sent her drake to set fire to the woods on the northern flank, hoping to burn provide some relief there before things really got bad. If she had heard right, Karthus, or some aspect of him was about to make an appearance. That was a really, really bad thing.
Drake: Dragon's Breath attack: d20 +80 pays 1+4=5 EP
Damage: (2d6)*4
(Same as before but northern flank, make some extra crispy orcs)
Release wraith that has the lowest health, summon another wraith. (CC 40 BC>40, cost 8 EP)
I don't recall the rule for potions, but if Selena can drink an energy potion this round she will, if not then that's all she's doing this round.
Kiera scowled as the orcs dodged to the side of the black explosion, cursing her luck. As the load roar swept along the landscape, her ears push back against her head, looking up towards the walls.
"Did anyone see where that came from? Does anyone know what that is?!" She shouts, hoping her voice is still heard over the din of battle. Something catches the corner of her eye; turning quickly, expecting an enemy, the Kitsune is surprised to see a human woman walking near her, obviously not a villager. She tries to keep calm, yelling at her, "Where were you during the training?! We need you... up..." The Kitsune loses her pep as the mysterious woman ascends the nearest ladder to the wall.
The loss of words (and action) on the Kitsune is lost as she remembers the ongoing battle. Her keen eyes spot the ranged weaponry, and the orcs grabbing onto the make-shift bridges, realizing they wouldn't be able to survive an onslaught from the orcish army if they began to fire back. She cups her hands to her lips, shouting up to the walls:
"Cover! Everyone, quickly, take cover!" She shouts, before quickly repositioning herself. If the orcs would dodge her fireballs, then she'd target something that couldn't dodge: The fallen trees. She summons up her will, doing her best to stem the unfortunate repercussions of using such horrible powers... But it was a time of need, after all.
Actions:
FUCK YOU ORC- I mean, Hellfire Blast, targeting the leftmost 'bridge', Explosion: (1d6 + 3) * 8.
Kiera: HP = 85/91, PP = 49, EP = 24/54, Status = Fine
Selena: HP = 0/34, PP = 48, EP = 53/54, Status = Unconscious
Linara: HP = 0/43, PP = 57, EP = 55/68, Status = Fine
Rolls
Kiera tells people to take cover and then sets one of the logs on fire with Hellfire Blast X = 8.
Attack: Hits the log, misses the orcs around it.
Damage: 4 + 3 = 7 * 8 = 56 damage. The tree bridge is badly damaged.
Linara gets up onto the walls and casts Gravity Crush, altered with Spell Control to double its AoE.
Casting: Success.
Attack: Hits everyone in its AoE.... Except for the knight.
Damage: 3 + 1 + 5 + 4 = 13 * 6 = 78 damage. The orcs inside of her spell are flattened. That includes, we'll say.... 50 or so of them.
OOC Note: Describing the effects of a spell when you auto cast is quite fine. If it doesn't go off for whatever reason, I'll just ignore that portion of your post when writing the response. Your posts are also far from too short, don't worry about it.
Selena banishes her weaker wraith and summons a new one, and drinks an energy potion. +8 - 50 = +42 EP.
Casting: Success.
Her drake sets fire to the forest to the North.
Her wraith attacks a wounded orc. For the sake of convenience, I'll just say that it dies.
Alhora and Tennevin are taking cover along with the people on the North front, so no attacks come from any of them.
The Northern flank kills 7 orcs, but they return fire and kill 14 defenders.
The Southern flank with Grawn and his archers kill 11 orcs, who return fire and kill 8. 2 shots will come at Selena.
The Eastern flank does not fire, and as the rest of the group is under cover they'll only be targeting Linara and Kiera with 3 shots each.
Attacks vs Selena: Selena gets hit twice.
Damage: 6 + 11 + 8 = 25 damage per shot. -7 on the first, so a total of 43 damage. Selena is down. Her summons will vanish unless she's revived next turn.
Attacks vs Linara: All three hit.
Damage: 7 + 12 + 8 = 27 damage per shot.
Attacks vs Kiera: All three miss.
The 12 remaining orc fighters converge on the wraith that's attacking them.
Attacks: All 12 hit.
Damage: Way more than 68.
Karthus comes down and eats some drake!
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 6 + 10 + 50 - 10 = 56 damage.
The orc knight activates draconic transformation and flies up onto the wall next to Kiera.
Issuing her orders, the people around Kiera to drop to their knees, taking cover behind the wall to avoid any return fire from the orcs. The kitsune herself, after briefly confronting Linara, turned her attention upon the orcs and one of the fallen trees they'd laid across the river surrounding Embershard. Her dark flames sent the orcs running, and the tree cracked and began to cave inwards, threatening to break at any second. That combined with the continued harrying of one of Selena's wraiths also left the orcs mostly grouped up.... Easy targets.
Linara's incantation caused a massive increase in the force exerted on a body in a localized area, and what that meant in layman's terms became readily apparent all too soon. The orcs caught in the area of the blast, comprising of the vast majority of the savage warriors, were almost literally turned into paste. A fine bloody mess spread outwards from the point of impact of her spell, displaying crushed bones and jellied flesh in its wake... And the figure standing in the middle. Covered from head to toe in the blood of his warriors, the orc knight stood up on legs far too sturdy for one who had just gone through what he'd gone through, and an inhuman roar akin that was answered by one that was strikingly similar issued from the powerful orc's throat as wings erupted from his back.
Seeing their leader alive, the other orcs rallied, the leftover fighters destroying the wraith while those with rifles took aim at the only two easy targets left on the wall; Kiera and Linara. The badarian magus recognized the rifles lifted in her direction just a second too slowly to respond, and the riflemen were possessed of deadly accuracy. Raising her buckler and hiding behind the village's wall were the only things that saved her from an immediate end, as she was only hit by a ricochet off of the wood by the first shot, spraying splinters in her face as the bullet dug into her side. The second shot bounced off of the corner of her shield and hit her in the opposite shoulder, tearing through the muscle of the arm holding her rapier and sending tremors of agony up her side. The third took her as she fell backwards, the bullet tearing through the muscle in her arm on the side that held her shield, and then Linara was falling backwards off of the wall, blinded by pain that only intensified when her back hit the ground.
"Alhora, get down there and see to that woman! Now!" Tennevin barked, and the elven mage jumped to her master's command without so much as a second's hesitation. Kiera, unfortunately, had her own problems, as she would find that the orc knight's wings were fully functional when he vaulted into the air and then dropped down to the ground, standing just barely out of arm's reach as he turned toward her and drew the massive war-axe down from his back. Tennevin and Anders were already glaring daggers at the man, and the militia commander was moving to stand at Kiera's side while the mage prepared to cast a spell at the orc's back. Their numbers just outside of the gates were paltry compared to what they'd been before, however, and if they could bring down the knight then it was likely that the gates would be secure. Linara, though she bled upon the ground now, wasn't quite within death's clutches as an elven girl suddenly knelt beside her, muttering; "You're gonna be okay.... Just hang on...."
Selena's drake, in the meantime, circled over to the Northern flank and set fire to the woods there, again cutting off any retreat that the orcs might attempt but not overtly harming any of them. Unfortunately, the summoned beast's reign of the skies came to a swift and violent end as the clouds split. Karthas the Tyrant came down from above like a lightning bolt, tremendous and issuing a roar that seemed to cause the very ground to shake, and when the dragon caught its lesser kin the ground literally did shake as the drake was born down to the ground. Claws tearing at its hide, Selena's drake came down on the bottom of that particular exchange, the serpentine creature flopping to the ground and bouncing across the forest that it had set alight, taking out a pair of trees in its path. The great green dragon landed a short ways away, snorting fire and bowling over any obstacles in its path as it sought to slaughter the much smaller pretender to its title.
Selena herself, in the meantime, was quite busy with her own problems. She felt her wraith die mere seconds after she dismissed its more wounded fellow only to summon another at her side. Setting it to prevent the orcs from ascending one of the ladders, she watched as some of the townsfolk managed to push another down only for the orcs to catch it and push it right back up. The archers unleashed a volley under Grawn's barked orders and then quickly took cover to avoid the orc's return fire, the barking shots of rifles and the clinking noises of crossbows accompanying the occasional twang of a longbow. Not all were fast enough to evade the orc's deadly counterattack, however, and some fell from the wall, dead or dying from grievous wounds.
Worst of all was that Selena was among them. The magus hadn't taken cover, and had taken an arrow to the shoulder that had gone all the way through, the barbed tip tearing flesh all the while, and had also had a coin-sized hold punched into her chest on her right side. Barely able to breath, Selena fell to the ground, agony leaving her paralyzed as she felt the magic holding her summoned allies in place ebbing away. Her blood was pooling steadily around her, and though blackness was closing on upon her vision, the mage almost thought that someone was whispering to her.... 'You don't have to die.... I can save you.... All you have to do is..... Agree....'
Drake Stats
Body: 16 * 5 = 80 Body.
HP: 54/110
EP: 30/40
Perception: 28
Speed: 28
Dodge: 45
AV: 10
Attack: (+80) 2d12 + 37
Can fly and use Dragon's Breath, with Bladesinger.
Stuff!
-Eastern attack force
19 orcs, including the knight that Kiera spoke to.
-Northern attack force
79 orcs, ascending the wall
-Southern attack force
74 orcs, ascending the wall
Orc Knight: spent 33 EP, Dragon's Pride X = 5, Draconic Transformation X = 6
Aspect of Karthus: unharmed
-You guys
Alhora the Fire Adept, Eastern wall, spent 6 EP
Tennevin the master wizard, Eastern wall, spent 6 EP
Grawn and his archers, on the Southern wall
Anders and his 20 militiamen, on the Eastern wall
98 untrained fighters
-26 on the North flank
-40 on the East flank
-32 on the South flank
Linara went wide-eyed. How? How was this thing still alive, let alone standing? At the roar, she took a step back in fright, wide-eyed. This distraction was just enough time for the rifles to take their shot. The next thing she knew was a blinding pain and a falling sensation. But mostly pain. Blackness claimed her consciousness before she even hit the ground behind the wall.
A voice, a girl's voice, made it's way through the darkness. However, the pain came back with it. Linara's eyes shot back open, clenching her teeth as her whole body tensed. The voice, though she couldn't quite make out what it was saying, sounded soothing through the fiery sensation around each of her wounds.
Kiera didn't quite know the woman, but as quickly as she appeared, she had flattened a contingent of orcs and the land around them. The winged orc commander missed her eye, as she stares at the new human in awe.
"How did you..." She starts, before a round flies far too close to comfort, grazing her fur. The Kitsune's eyes go wide, trying to grab onto the woman, before another round rips past her arm. She jerks back instinctively, watching as this newcomer is torn into by several rounds, her buckler useless against the weapons. She lurches forward, desperately trying to grab onto Linara - but she was too late, her fingers grasping air, as another musket ball flies by her ear, nicking just the edge. She drops to her knees, looking over the rampart as Linara falls to the ground. She's speechless, staring down at the mysterious mage that had helped her. A thought occurs, and she looks towards the West - Selena, gone from the ramparts.
"This isn't going well," She whispers. Her ears flick, getting up as Alhora starts down the ramparts, "I'm going too. She needs he-" The Kitsune barely has time to cover her face as the orc Knight lands in front fo her, knocking dust and debris up into the air. As it settles, she looks up at the Honored, her ears flattening against her head. She silently draws her Katana, pointing the tip at the Orc's feet; it looked like she was standing down, but in reality, the Kitsune was readying herself.
"Focus on the ranged attackers," She calls out, "We'll handle this." The Kitsune looks into the Orc's eyes, knowing she fully planned to keep up her end of the bargain - but only hoped the Orc would too.
Actions:
Defensive Stance, 1 Handed. +20 to dodge, +2 damage; Attack with the back of her blade.
The appearance of the dragon was a serious problem, that thing by itself could probably cause major damage to the village, and as her new wraith started attacking the climbing Orcs while her other wraith died, she decided to summon another drake to keep the dragon busy. Unfortunately, she made a grave mistake and didn't pay attention to her surroundings this time, and as she prepared to summon a drake, she was hit.
Falling to the ground, her awareness dimmed, she wasn't sure what exactly had happened to her, but she knew she was hit bad and that she was in trouble if she didn't get help soon, but she couldn't even move. Damn...didn't even get to unleash anything huge...I failed...couldn't help...the village...
Thoughts of her failure echoed through her head as her consciousness faded, darkness closing in around her. Is this the end? However as the foreign voice entered into her thoughts, she felt a sense of confusion paired with hope. Perhaps this voice offered her redemption, a way to help the villagers still. 'To...what? Agree to...what?'
Kiera: HP = 13/91, PP = 49, EP = 24/54, Status = Badly Injured
Selena: HP = 0/34, PP = 48, EP = 53/54, Status = Unconscious
Linara: HP = 32/43, PP = 57, EP = 55/68, Status = Lightly Injured
Rolls
Kiera activates dat defense mode!
Selena's summons vanish and she bleeds a lot.
Alhora heals Linara with Heat, yon level 2 fire spell.
Casting: Success.
Healing: 2 + 6 + 6 + 2 = 16 * 2 = +32 HP restored.
Tenevvin tries to blow up dem orcs before they can shoot again with Greater Fireball.
Casting: Success.
Attack: Hit all.
Damage: 1 + 1 + 8 + 2 = 12 * 4 = 48 damage, they're only badly injured. Shitty damage roll.
Anders and 2 of his militia attack the orc knight while the rest prepare to repel the other orcs as they start coming up.
Attacks: The two regular guys miss with both attacks, Anders also misses with both attacks.
Karthus comes over to say hi to the north wall with Dragon's Breath X = 10
Attack: Hit. Duh, it's a wall.
Damage: 5 + 4 = 9 * 10 = 90 damage on the wall, and six guys along it get fried along with a massive weakening of the wood
The orc knight uses Whirlwind.
Attack: He hits everybody.
Damage: 8 + 8 + 49 - 10 + 18 = 73 damage. Anders and his two men are killed, Kiera is gravely wounded and has her clothes effectively destroyed.
Them people on the South wall where Selena was try to fight off dem orcs.
It goes poorly for the defenders, even with Grawn's help. 11 defenders are killed against 4 orcs, and the wall has been mounted.
Them people on the North wall also try to fight off dem orcs.
They put up a great fight for what they were up against, but lose 10 more and the orcs mount the wall, a section of which is burning. 7 orcs die.
Them people on the East wall try to fight off dem orcs.
The orc archers are finished off handily, and most of the warriors are killed as well. 2 guys get shot, and the orcs get one shot at Tennevin.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 1 + 12 + 8 = 21 damage.
'To what? Eheh.... Eheheheheheheheh....' the voice's laughter was cold enough to pierce the veil of pain and send a shiver running down Selena's spine, and in her swimming, darkening vision, a dark figure appeared. It was insubstantial like her wraiths, but more shadowy than translucent, and like the voice its figure was vaguely masculine. It coiled over her, and a grinning mouth filled with oddly white teeth appeared as its hand stretched out toward her, 'Do you have a choice, Selena? Your body is dying, and your soul is already mine....' As if to accentuate that point, the figure's hand suddenly burst apart into a swarm of black tentacles, which it wrapped around her body... Or what she thought was her body. It became all too apparent that they weren't touching her physically a moment later, when the dying mage felt herself drawn slowly upwards, and suddenly she was no longer in her body at all, but being taken slowly away from it in the grasp of something that she realized was far, far stronger than her. 'Embershard will die, and its people will be enslaved, and you and all of the dead will come to me.... But you, unlike all the rest of the dead and the dying, can be of use to me.'
The spirit's mouth slowly opened, creating a massive cavernous opening as Selena realized that the dark figure had been expanding while drawing her towards its mouth. 'I can save you... I can help you defend this little pissant village, and all you've got to do to repay me is do me a little favor~' The voice spoke in a tone that was completely conversational, but her slow ascent toward its mouth never slowed. 'So that's your choice, girlie! You can sit there like a lump, and I'll eat you... Or you can do something for a nice guy like me, and you get to live right up until something else decides to kill you. What's it gonna be?'
~~~~~~~~~
Leaning over Linara, Alhora quickly incanted a spell in a manner that the Badarian trained magus would have called sloppy were she in a state to evaluate. Fortunately, she was in such a state only moments later, as the elf's magic suffused her body with healing warmth, and her wounds (mostly) closed in a matter of seconds. "It's okay.... I've gotcha...." Alhora whispered softly, and all too soon she felt well enough to stand and fight again, though her extremities were all shaking slightly from shock. Looking up, she could see the orc knight standing on the wall, and had a front row seat for what happened next.
The men on the wall hesitantly obeyed Kiera's command, standing by the entrance ramps while the inexperienced fighters rained arrows on the orcs. Tennevin did a bit more, and launched a fireball over the wall to explode in the midst of the riflemen. The orcs weathered the assault, and though the lot of them were dead within seconds a few of them managed to fire back, killing two men with bows and striking Tennevin in the shoulder. The mage let out a bark of pain and dropped into cover, placing an arm over his shoulder even as blood started to pour from the wound, but it was clear that he wasn't out of the fight yet. Despite the rain of arrows raining down on them, the orc warriors charged up the tree they'd lain up, and Ander's militia were there to meet them, exchanging blows but leaving the defenders sorely favored compared to the orcs, who were almost wiped out. Unfortunately, the battle on the East wall didn't go so well, as Anders and two of his men closed in on the lone orc knight in order to support Kiera. That didn't turn out so well for them, however, as the surrounded knight actually strode into the midst and, holding his axe in one hand, spun in a circle with the powerful weapon whirling around him. The two men who'd stepped up with him were dead immediately, their heads severed from their shoulders, and the weapon whirled past Kiera, pushing her away and offering no opening for the kitsune to step in and deliver a strike of her own, to slam through Ander's shield and bite into his shoulder. The man let out a cry of pain as the axe sunk into his shoulder, and the momentum of the strike pushed him over the edge of the wall, wrenching the knight's axe out of his shield and leaving the human to plummet headfirst into the moat.
The knight stepped forward suddenly and slammed the handle of his axe into Kiera's stomach before she could react. Pain shot up her spine, and as the knight stepped away her legs collapsed out from under her, leaving her on her knees in front of the armored orc, casting her in the shadow of his draconic wings. "You have put up an impressive defense," he grumbled loudly, and the people around him turned towards him with a mix of hate and fear in their eyes, his power impressive even though he was surrounded and basically alone. "But it is over. Your friends and neighbors are dying around you, and you all can end it now without further losses. Sound the surrender."
As if to accentuate this, the battles on the walls were going incredibly poorly. Selena still hadn't put in another appearance, and Kiera could see the orcs moving onto the South wall as many of the defenders fell, the only bastion of real resistance at that point being Grawn and his comrades. On the North wall, the dragon lumbered out of the woods, and the orcs scrambled out of the way before the great beast unleashed its devastating breath against the wall. A half dozen men were washed in flame in that blast as well, their flesh melting from their bones, and the dragon picked up speed as it started rushing towards the burning wall. The orcs were on the walls there as well, and though the defenders continued to fight bravely, it was clear that without some sort of help they'd be overwhelmed there within only a few moments. Even with such dire straits evident before them, Tennevin and the militia were clearly unwilling to surrender, and with the orc knight practically surrounded by her and her allies, there might still have been a chance to save Embershard.
Stuff!
-Eastern attack force
5 orcs, including the knight that Kiera spoke to who is on the wall
-Northern attack force
72 orcs, on the wall
-Southern attack force
70 orcs, on the wall
Orc Knight: spent 39 EP, Dragon's Pride X = 5, Draconic Transformation X = 6, paying a total of 6 EP per round in upkeep.
Aspect of Karthus: unharmed, spent 10 EP
-You guys
Alhora the Fire Adept, Eastern wall, spent 8 EP
Tennevin the master wizard, Eastern wall, spent 12 EP, taken 21 damage
Grawn and his 3 archers, on the Southern wall
18 militiamen, on the Eastern wall
69 untrained fighters
-10 on the North flank
-38 on the East flank
-21 on the South flank
Kiera couldn't get her defenses up in time for the quick attack from the orc, the blow to her stomach knocking the wind out of her. Falling to her knees with a gasp, the Kitsune looked back along the scenes of the battle, the dragon breathing fire onto the wall; the odd, powerful mage, as she slowly got up with the aid of Alhora. Looking back to the orc, she laughs feebly, staring at the greenskin.
"You must not want this town very badly, summoning a dragon to destroy it's defenses..." Shoving her blade into the rampart, Kiera forces herself to stand, albeit on wobbly knees, looking up at the orc. "It seems like you don't really care for this place, do you?" Spinning her Katana around, she watches the orc carefully, sliding her foot carefully along the ramparts, moving into an offensive stance.
"Hey, Mage!" She calls out, hoping the odd woman can hear her, "I hope you have some juice left, because I need you to aim up here!" And with that, the kitsune lunged forward, twirling her blade in the air as she brought the back of it towards the orc's head. After all, she'd keep her promise.
Fight Defensively, giving up 20 points, using Weakening Strike against the Honored.
Linara sat up, inhaling sharply. She looked down at herself and, though she felt her whole body still trembling, she was surprised to find herself relatively fine. Still some blood-staining, of course, and it still ached where she had been shot, but all and all she was okay. Most importantly, she wasn't dead. "Thank you," the mage said, looking at the... elf?! Well, at least it wasn't that bad of a job for an elf. It was a shame she had be saved by such a being, but she did owe Alhora her life and Linara was still grateful for that.
At Kiera's shouting, the Badarian was reminded of the battle going on around her. She jumped to her feet and almost fell over again as her legs quivered but they managed to hold. Looking to the battle on the wall, Linara focused herself, drawing up magic once more. Yes, the green-skin still scared her. But, more importantly, it was an insult that he still stood. What kind of mage was she if she allowed this brute to survive?
Linara gathered magic not only from herself, but from the ground beneath her. She felt the energy itself rise through her legs and to her hand where she gathered her spell. Her lips moved as she muttered her incantation before she unleashed the magic upon the orc.
Quicken spell magic feat
-10 to casting, 4 EP cost
Inner Strength - Buff - Mind
Casting Check: 1d20+18 vs 10
EP: 2, 2 EP upkeep
Buff: 13 = (40/6) * 2
{F} Implosion (Bolt) [This spell deals damage as a spell two levels higher.]
Casting Check: 1d20 + 18 + 14 vs 30
EP: 6
Attack Roll: 1d20 + 53 + 12 vs dodge
Damage: 7(2d4 + 17)
Kiera: HP = 13/91, PP = 49, EP = 24/54, Status = Badly Injured
Selena: HP = 0/34, PP = 48, EP = 53/54, Status = Unconscious
Linara: HP = 32/43, PP = 57, EP = 43/68, Status = Lightly Injured, +14 Mind (Inner Strength)
Rolls
Kiera attacks the orc knight with 20 points of defensive fighting for more Dodge and Weakening Strike!
Attack: Miss.
Selena's bleeds some more.
Linara uses Quicken Spell for 4 EP, and casts Inner Strength on herself for 2 EP followed by Implosion for 6 EP, for a total of 12 EP this round. This is below her Spirit Ceiling, huzzah! Also, I should note that buffs cost spell level - 2 upkeep, so the level 1 and 2 buffs cost no upkeep.
Buff: 7 * 2 = +14 Mind. It would have rounded up to 14 anyway if I'd have gone your way, by the rule of how magic buffs work.
Her total casting penalty for this round is -10 from Quicken Spell and -8 from having taken HP damage within the last 2 rounds, so -18.
Casting (Inner Strength) : Success.
Casting (Implosion) : Success.
Attack: Miss.
Alhora casts Flare at the orc knight!
Casting: Success.
Attack: Miss.
Tenevvin casts Flare at the orc knight also!
Casting: Success.
Attack: Miss.
Five militia guys and six others attack the orc while the rest finish off the other orcs.
Attacks: One of the soldiers hit once with a shield bash.
Damage: 6 + 2 + 4 + 10 - 20 - 6 = 0 damage.
Karthus smashes down the North wall.
The orc knight moves towards Tennevin and uses Whirlwind.
Attack: He hits everybody.
Damage: 10 + 6 + 49 - 10 + 18 = 73 damage. Tennevin, four militiamen and two civilians are killed.
Them people on the South wall where Selena was try to fight off dem orcs.
It goes poorly for the defenders, even with Grawn's help, but isn't lost completely yet. 12 defenders are killed against 9 orcs.
Them people on the North wall also try to fight off dem orcs.
The defenders fold completely, everyone either surrendering or being killed. The orcs rolled a 20 and had an extreme advantage here as it was.
Them people on the East wall try to fight off dem orcs, and finish them off except for the knight.
"Buildings and walls do not concern us. Those we can rebuild easily enough. We're very efficient at it," the orc knight replied stoically even as he faced down Kiera while surrounded by her allies. The militia slew the rest of the orcs trying to ascend the walls, but the lone orc left for them to face stood with absolute calm. "Your struggle is noble, but serves no purposes. Even if you kill me here, we have already won!" he said calmly as the kitsune called down to Linara and then launched her own attack, which the orc caught on the handle of his waraxe and deflected aside with ease. The militia she'd had trained took aim and fired, losing arrows that he either sidestepped or deflected if they didn't miss entirely, and the trained warriors all missed him just as effectively save for a single man that caught the orc's helmet with his should, skewing it slightly but causing no obvious harm.
The orc stepped back and quickly tore his own helmet off, tossing it aside, but in that moment he was standing right on the edge of the wall, leaving him the perfect target for Alhora, Tennevin, and Linara. The elf shot a bolt of flame the size of an apple at his back, but the orc somehow anticipated it and pulled himself to the side just in time to avoid both Alhora's strike, and the similar but much more intense bolt that Tennevin hurled his way. The bolt that the archmage shot at him burned its way through a solid oak wall some seventy feet away from the wall and then vanished, but the smoke rising form within indicated that whatever building it had been was likely catching on fire. Finally, Linara shot an invisible bolt of energy that would have likely turned the warrior inside out if it struck, armor or no.... Only for him to pull just out of its way at the last possible moment, avoiding any harm and allowing the shot to speed off into the sky to join Alhora's. The pain of Linara's wounds had made the casting difficult, but she could feel it ebbing enough that her concentration would be practically uninhibited for her next opportunity.
The orc knight, in the meantime, spread his wings and suddenly took off, dodging another pair of shots that had been sent his way, and landed in front of Tennevin just as the elder mage was rising to his feet. "Every moment that you waste, more will die!" he said, and as if to illustrate that point he spun in place with his axe out wide once again. There was no avoiding the deadly blade, not at that range, and those that rushed to the wizard's aid only shared in his fate. The mage's body slumped to its knees, and then to the ground, as blood spurted from the stump of his neck, his head having fallen off of the wall. Turning to Kiera with a scowl on his face, the orc knight said; "I will say it only once more, and afterwards it will play out however it will. You may end this, and no further harm need come to you or those that you have tried to protect."
The battles taking place at the other walls wasn't going any better than the one here was. To the North, the dragon charged and smashed through the burning section of the wall, breaking through with terrifying ease and then giving a loud roar as it stormed into Embershard with orcs pouring in behind it. The defenders there were swept aside in full, either dying or surrendering, and that portion of the town was well and truly lost. To the South, the defenders were still fighting a battle that looked completely hopeless. Grawn organized one more volley before it fell to hand to hand fighting, killing a handful of orcs, but at close range the untrained fighters stood no chance against the powerful orc warriors, and as more and more of them stormed onto the walls it appeared that even Grawn and his fellow veterans were being pushed into a corner by their foes. There was still no sign of Selena.
Stuff!
-Eastern attack force
The knight. That is all.
-Northern attack force
70 orcs, on the wall, and Karthus
-Southern attack force
61 orcs, on the wall
Orc Knight: spent 45 EP, Dragon's Pride X = 5, Draconic Transformation X = 6, paying a total of 6 EP per round in upkeep.
Aspect of Karthus: unharmed, spent 10 EP
-You guys
Alhora the Fire Adept, Eastern wall, spent 16 EP
Tennevin the master wizard, Eastern wall, spent 12 EP, dead
Grawn and his 3 archers, on the Southern wall
14 militiamen, on the Eastern wall
Linara gritted her teeth in anger of the missed shot while also choking down the sick feeling that welled up from the gruesome death of the archmage. How could she let this thing do this terrible act? So many mistakes. She had to set it right as best as she could.
"Yes, it will play out, filth. And the only ones left to die here are you and the rest of the stain upon the world that follows you."
Magic gathered in each hand and they crackled with energy. Her lips moved quickly as the spell flowed forth. Bringing her hands up, Linara let loose her two spells.
Quicken spell magic feat
-10 to casting, 4 EP cost
2x
{F} Implosion (Bolt) [This spell deals damage as a spell two levels higher.]
Casting Check: 1d20 + 28 + 14 (buff) - 10 (quicken) vs 30
EP: 6
Attack Roll: 1d20 + 52 + 14 (buff) vs dodge
Damage: 7(2d4 + 11 + 2 (buff))
Spirit Ceiling
10 (quicken) + 6 (implosion) + 6 (implosion) + 0 (upkeep) = 22 out of 14
-8 EP, -8 HP
Selena*dying*
Creepy ethereal being: "Heyo just swear to do me a favor in the future and I'll bring you back to life with power to destroy le orcs. Or you can choose to die and I'll eat your soul.
Selena: *Chooses Live, returns powered up and ready to roll*
I'll go back and post the full conversation from the PMs in a bit, just trying to get the post up while I can.
Revived Status:
Selena is acting as if Hasted and with X = 8 Psychic Shield and a +20 bonus to Mind until the end of this combat. Her HP and EP have been fully restored, but she also gains 50 corruption. You can post from here and pick your next action based on the fact that Selena can pretty easily see the orcs on the walls.
Selena woke from her unconsciousness rather slowly, coming to in a shell-shocked state. She registered the people running, the fire, and the blood, but somehow she was alright. The past few minutes she had spent with the insidious unknown being came back to her, and with those memories, the sounds of battle came rushing back. The cries, screams, gunfire, monstrous roars...oh shit Karthus...
That got her ass moving, that dragon was probably laying waste to the village. She needed to get back in the fight now, if it wasn't already too late to turn the tide.
Thinking quickly, almost surprisingly so given all that had just happened to her, Selena began formulating a bare-bones plan to begin fighting back. To start, they were at an even more overwhelming disadvantage than before she had lost consciousness. They had to get some air-support going again.
Her first move was to summon a drake spirit, followed by providing assistance to allies, tossing a shock bolt at an Orc attacking a nearby ally, aiming to protect what defenders remained.
Though she got the feeling she was protected by some sort of psionic shield, she wasn't about to tempt fate any more, making sure to duck behind cover after casting the shock bolt, hoping to avoid making too much a target of herself as she readied herself to get back on the offensive and cause some serious damage.
Summon Drake(lv 5 nature): 8 EP
Body: 16 * 5 = 80 Body.
HP: 110/110
EP: 40/40
Perception: 28
Speed: 28
Dodge: 45
AV: 10
Attack: (+80) 2d12 + 37
Can fly and use Dragon's Breath, with Bladesinger.
Shock(lv 2 lightning)vs an Orc currently attacking a human: Deals damage as a spell one level lower, but the target must win a Resistance check against the caster or be Stunned
base casting: 55 for favored, 45 otherwise (don't know what sort of penalties you want to assess to it for dyingish and subsequent revival in temporary uber-mode)
attack:d20+70 spell-induced resistance: 31
Damage: 2d4+13
Kiera scowls, looking over the the ramparts with the only defenders left. She still couldn't see Selena, and had no idea what the other mage was planning... Hopeless. That was a good word for what this had been. She had no idea what she had expected from the battle, but she should have known it was going to end up like this. With a forlorn sigh, the Kitsune spins her blade around, only to slam the tip of it into the ramparts. She doesn't say anything, but merely looks down and off to the side, pursing her lips together.
Linara uses Quicken Spell for 4 EP, and casts double Implosion for 6 EP each, for a total of 16 EP. I am unsure where you got the 10 EP from, but you do break ceiling by 2, costing a total of 18 EP and 2 HP.
Casting (Implosion) : Success.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: 2 + 1 + 13 = 16 * 7 = 112 - 20 = 92 damage. The orc knight is down!
Casting (Implosion) : Success.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: The orc knight is dead.
Alhora throws a greater fireball at the orcs to the North.
Casting: Success.
Attack: Hit.
Damage: I'm just going to say enough to inflict 10 casualties and call it even.
Them people on the South wall where Selena was try to fight off dem orcs.
It goes extremely poorly for the defenders, all of whom save for Grawn and his men are killed or captured.
The orc knight seemed to read the signs of Kiera's surrender, as he settled back and said; "A wise choice. You have likely saved many-" That was when Linara struck, sending a bolt of magically shaped force at the orc when he was least aware of her. The spell connected, hitting him in the chest and closing around him like a clenched fist. The Badarian mage's spell wasn't particularly flashy, as it merely produced a force that crushed inwards irresistibly for about a second. That was long enough for the sound of ribs breaking to silence whatever the orc would have said next, however, and his words became a desperate wheeze as he stumbled against the wall. His face was hidden by his helmet, but if Kiera had been able to see it she'd likely have expected it to be shocked under the circumstances. His armor had been crushed inwards by the spell as well, cracking the plates and sending jagged bits of metal to join the broken bones threatening his vital organs, but the wounds were survivable if he could get to medical attention soon enough.
Linara's second spell ensured that that wouldn't happen. The second bolt struck him in the chest, just as the first had, but this one caused the entirety of the orc's chest cavity to be compressed in the jagged remains of his rib cage, an act that was signaled by a fairly horrific wet crunching noise. The orc knight's corpse dropped to the ground in a pile of blood and metal and gore, very much dead, and with him gone the deal that he and Kiera had made was null and void.... And looking out, things weren't looking much better for them for the knight's death. Sure, the dragon and the knight were gone, as Karthus took to the sky when his summoner had died and simply vanished, but that still left them with well over a hundred orcs to deal with, and they were even more outnumbered than before despite the fact that they'd wiped out the entirety of the frontal attack force.
Over at the South Wall, Selena awakened to find the situation extremely dire and responded appropriately. The first thing that she did was summon a drake, who would be the master of the skies now that the orc knight was gone. The orcs immediately started aiming their weapons at the beast, but her sudden appearance allowed it an opportunity to strike before the massed archers opened fire. The mage herself, in the meantime, targeted an orc who was about to stab Grawn in the back with a lesser lightning spell, one that left the orc stunned long enough for the man's counterpart to finish it off, but that wasn't nearly enough to save the Southern flank. She watched from the cover provided by a well as the last of the barely-trained militia on the Southern wall were either slaughtered, knocked out, or captured. Grawn and his small group of veterans started towards the East at best speed, but the orcs were right on their heals, and that left the newly resurrected mage all on her lonesome against the brunt of a force numbering at least fifty, if not more. Her intervention hadn't gone unnoticed by the invading forces either, as two large squads of orcs were on their way to her, one coming straight toward her and the other circling around a building to the East of her position. She could only see one of them at the moment, but standing where she was would surely leave her flanked, though going out into the open to move to better cover had dangers of its own.
Back at the East wall, Alhora dragged Linara to her feet before releasing the Badarian and conjuring a ball of fire, which she hurled at the horde surging toward them from the North. The loss of their leader and their dragon hadn't apparently distressed the orcs in the slightest, as they were coming on with the same relentless fervor that they'd displayed before. The elf's fireball bought them some time and caused some casualties, but they were outnumbered badly and had only moments to take up some sort of position, as the orcs were aiming rifles and charging with swords and spears and axes at the ready. The wall, the ground just below it, the streets, or retreating over the wall and making for the burning woods seemed to be their options, and each of them had their dangers.
Stuff!
Drake Stats
Body: 16 * 5 = 80 Body.
HP: 110/110
EP: 40/40
Perception: 28
Speed: 28
Dodge: 45
AV: 10
Attack: (+80) 2d12 + 37
Can fly and use Dragon's Breath, with Bladesinger.
-Eastern attack force
None
-Northern attack force
60 orcs, on the wall and in the town
-Southern attack force
60 orcs, on the wall and in the town
Orc Knight: dead
-You guys
Alhora the Fire Adept, Eastern wall, spent 22 EP
Grawn and his 3 archers, retreating from the Southern wall towards the Eastern one
14 militiamen, on the Eastern wall
36 peasants on the Eastern wall
