Scene 6
The Warforged
have nearly made it as far as the fort, and Verden leads his crusaders to
intercept them.
Firstly,
their strategists vie for dominance…
Kayla casts a
divination (and spends a fate point to add 2 to her Lore rolling -1+4=3.
Against the blade monk’s -1+1=0. Success with style for Kayla and a ‘signs and
portents’ boost)
Kayla also
gets a single free invocation on her ‘Prescient deployment’ strategy.
Dominating
the strategic phase also gives Kayla the opportunity to dictate the
battlefield. She opts for 3 zones, and success with style on her strategy
allows her to dictate all three aspects.
Banks of a
vast Lake – gentle slope – high ground
She deploys
her Elemental artillery on the high ground, pinning the Warforged artillery
against the banks of the vast lake. Her crusaders and rangers press onto the
gentle slope, forcing the warforged infantry and rangers to form a defensive
line around their artillery.
Kayla kneels
before a carefully inscribed diagram encircled with delicate runes. She takes a
handful of peat, summons a minor earth elemental to give it life, and casts it
into the circle. Rather than lying still where it lands, it congeals and oozes
into delicate patterns which contrast with the diagram on which it rests. Next
she summons a minor fire elemental to inhabit the same space and the peat
bursts into flames, writhing and contorting as the two elementals vie for supremacy. Her next incantation adds
a minor air elemental to the mix, lifting the flaming peat into the air and
spinning it into a maddening vortex. She settles and meditates on the spinning,
swirling elementals letting her mind follow from one pattern to the next as her
vision slowly blurs and alters.
Steadily she
begins to perceive a pattern in the heart of the complex kaleidoscope of
swirling flame. A consistent backdrop against which complex geometries
constantly shift and warp. The terrain she realises, and the patterns shifting
over it surface are the possibilities for manoeuvre and strategy that might
lead to victory or defeat. As she concentrates she discerns shapes within the
patterns. The warforged, The crusaders,
her own elementally empowered artillery. Again and again they clash across the
backdrop of the Brelish border, victory, defeat, victory, defeat, retreat,
regrouping, fleeing, holding, back and forth, over and over. There. The
Warforged will camp by a lake overshadowed by a great hill. She takes note of
their disposition, the paths their patrols will take, the passes ripe for
ambush or stealth, the places where victory is most likely.
Her mind
spins as she wakes herself and the vision recedes. Quickly she rises, takes her
cloak, and marches steadfastly to Captain Verdens command tent where she
ignores the guards and hastens in unannounced.
“Prepare the
camp, we must march at first light. I have found an opportunity, but there is
not much time and we must be ready.”
As Dawn
breaks, Rank upon rank of crusaders crest the hill and march upon the warforged
encampment butted up against the lake below. They are met by alarm horns as
well drilled infantry line up in defensive formations ready to meet them.
Breland Round 1
Upon reading
the rules more closely, I have realised that individual heroes are able to act
each round. This might have helped in the previous battle, but I am going to
assume the heroes are too low rank to really have any imapact.
Breland opens
with a volley of elementaly empowered missiles from its newly repaired
artillery. (Kayla rolls their shoot for
1+2=3 against the warforged artilleries will of -1+0=-1, reducing them to rank
1 and scoring 2 stress on the opposing army). Explosions rock the warfarged
camp as hurled pots land amongst them and crack open to release bound
elementals which wreak havock amongst their own artillery.
Warforged Round 1
The warforged
infantry push out to the flanks of their encampment, taking position in ‘hidden
gulleys’ (a manoeuvre for -2+1=-1, fail) but they find their routes blocked by
the positioning of their Brelish counterparts.
Breland Round 2
The Elemental
onslaught continues to target the Warforged Artillery (for 0+2=2, against will
of 2. Kayla tags her ‘prescient strategy’ to guide the artillery for +2=4,
causing another stress point to the warforged army and leaving them at breaking
point.) and rogue elementals run amock through the camp, briefly epending their
rage fuelled energies before dissipating.
Warforged round 2
Realising
they are caught in a trap, the warforged try to break their way out. Their
infantry push forwards (rolling athletics for 1+0=1, +2 from assisting units=3,
against rank 4 defenses) but are held back by the solid line of infantry and
Rangers facing them.
Breland round 3
Yet more
elemental bombs rain from the sky, (for 2+2=4 against the defending artilleries
-3, giving success at a cost, reducing the warforged artillery to rank 0, and
shattering the backbone of the warforged army), Ripping through the enemy camp
in a whirlwind of destruction. Rank upon rank of warforged try to push their
way out of the killzone and up the hill, but they are repulsed by Brelish
infantry entrenched in carefully planned defensive positions.
It is a
complete reverse of the earlier massacre, and steadily the warforged are forced
back against the shores of the lake. In a ditch attempt to save their men, the
commanders order a retreat through the lake itself reasoning that unlike their
Brelish counterparts, the Warforged do not need to breathe, and they should be
able to escape underwater to regroup on the far side of the lake without the
Brelish being able to follow.
Unfortunately
for them this eventuality was not unseen by Kayla and as they retreat
underwater she begins to bombard them with bound water elementals. The surface
of the lake writhes and churns, whipped up by a hundred enraged elementals as
they tear the intruders from its depths. Pieces of warforged soldiers are
ejected from the numerous vortexes of swirling water that cover the lake, but
most of the army will never emerge. The devestation is total..
Well that was
as one sided as the first battle. It seems that the Strategy roll is key, although
I think I have been wrong in basing initiative from this as well. I think
heroes in each army should take their own turns, while one unit is activated
each time the general takes a turn. Makes sense as that ensures the action
revolves around the heroes (whom I largely ignored). I will make it more hero
centric next time, but first I need to figure out a way to map their power into
rough ranks. I might end up just making a judgement call on that based on the
circumstances of the battle.
Scene 7
So the warforged
army has been shattered, but this may be the first of many. Somebody needs to
travel into the Mounland and put a stop to the commanders responsible for this
incursion…
As their men
clear out the remnants of the warforged encampment, the commanders meet to
discus their next move.
Has evidence
been found of further attacks being planned? No.
With the
warforged threat seemingly dealt with, they make their way back to fort where
they will need to defend their mutiny. The mens spirits are high as they return
flush with victory, but their commanders are more than a little apprehensive,
especially as their return will most likely mean the reinstatement of Heager to
the head of the army.
Jolene
decides to head off the inevitable;
(I am going
to make this a contest. First to 3 victories)
“So, how
about we give you your army back?”
NPC
interation; mood is cautious, speaks of Judgement regarding the PC’s family.
Heager glares
at her warily “Hah, trying to buy my silence eh girl? Too late for that. You
and your friends have committed treason against the crown and I’m going to make
sure your families pay for your actions. Don’t think this victory has bought
you anything, and certainly don’t think you can back out of what you have done
now.”
“That’s one
way to look at this.” She slides onto the bench next to him and pushes close,
“Of course, another way is that we all stand to gain here.”
(Jolene rolls
deceit instead of Rapport for 1+3=4, against his will of 4+0=4. A tie. Heager
is willing to listen, but his interest is definitely in her rather than what
she is saying)
Heager pushes
back against her and a sleazily looks her up and down “And what might I gain
out of this arrangement? It seems to me that you and your friends stand to lose
everything.”
“What don’t
you stand to gain?” Jolene shifts and reaches to smooth his lapel, “A
conquering hero, fresh from victory? A clever plan to call on the flame to help
rally your men with religious fervour. And what a clever victory – you must be
a dashing hero indeed.”
(She rolls
again for 1+3=4, against -1+0=-1. Success with style, and two victories).
He visibly
puffs up, “Yes well, it was rather clever wasn’t it. What about my earlier
defeat? Hardly glorified.”
“But hardly
surprising. We were outnumbered and outclassed. Drawing them into an ambush was
a clever move all told. Besides, people will only remember the outcome.” She
gives him a playful wink, “Its just about the way you spin it.”
“And you are
going to help me with that I suppose?” His regard of her has become less sleazy
and more calculated. She is not sure that makes her feel any better.
“Of course.
Stick with me and the world is your oyster my heroic commander.”
“Oh I intend
to,” He reaches for her but she coyly slips from his grasp and pouts at him
across the table
“Bussiness
first commander.”
She turns in
a deliberate fashion and walks away.
And that ends
the first story, giving us a Significant Milestone
Verden Gains
a point of Fight and Laying on of Hands.
His aspects change to reflect his status as a Brelish Hero
Jolene gains
a point of Deceive and Climb Walls along with the aspect ‘aide
to general Heager’
Dart gains a
point of Notice, along with Woods Vanish, and a special forces sergeant aspect.
Kayla gains a
point of Magic along with the Elemental destruction stunt and changes an aspect
to Elemental artillery captain.
I still don’t
think I am compelling often enough, and I am going to change the general
structure of how I use the Issues at play, but overall I have enjoyed this
story. Most successful to date. As the issue regarding the Lord of Blades has
been fairly well dealt with, and the actions of the refugees in defending the
border should go a long way towards resolving that issue, I am going to wrap
this campaign up and move on to new things. Perhaps I will return to Kayla,
Jolene, Verden, and Dart at a later date with new problems for them to deal
with but for now they have earned a rest.
Unresolved
threads for next game:
Vampire
(escaped)
Blood of Vol
Cultist (escaped)
