Post by K Man on Aug 17, 2005 14:02:56 GMT -5
{And so I understand it right, the kua-toans are between the city and the new force, correct?}
- Yes, you are correct.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Girud, Galdren and Mordrock -
Coming up from the Earth, you take a moment to spit the taste of dirt from your mouths. You'll never get used to that taste...
Within seconds though, your eyes must become accustomed to much...much more.
The horizon is thick with dust as it hangs in the air, like an oppressive cloud over what must be a thousand troops...no hundreds of thousands. You can barely make out the first few ranks, but they are clearly soldiers on foot, some bearing standards, others brandishing weapons and shields as they march forth.
And even from here...you can tell they are undead.
They shuffle forward, almost comically, at an insanely slow pace. Their arms limp at their sides and heads cocked, eyes glazed over with the side effects of the mindless afterlife.
Beyond the first ranks, most of it is lost in the cloud of dust, but you can see the occasional large dark shape in the dust, shambling along just as slowly as the lesser troops around it. Behind these mammoths, even further into the ranks, you can see the occasional dark shape flying about, gliding this way and that above the army - clearly a flying unit of sorts.
In the center of all of this though, riding higher and darker than anything else is a moving building - an object so large it can be nothing less than a temple or a ziggurat. You're not sure, from here, how it moves, but slowly and surely the building lumbers forth at a steady pace, crushing all fauna and trees beneath it.
That must be the mobile home of..."The Master".
There's no mistaking what your eyes take in. The sweeping spires of ebony. The horrid reliefs carved into the side representing all manners of death and decay...it must be him. A single sentence escaping the lips of the small Goblin next to you confirms that.
[Knowlegde Check, Master's Troops, Mordrock]
"It's him..."
You look to the approaching army and judge their speed and pace. They should be in the fields surrounding Ravenshead within the day...maybe sooner.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Krysta -
You too, after securing a short-term alliance with the Kuo-Toan barbarian chief, melt into the ground and appear moments later spitting out dirt. you however, chose to warn the eldest and most powerful of the remaining coven of druids - Allessia Storm-Maiden.
When you appear from the ground, you spot Allessia, softly stroking the hide of huge elephant. She turns her head slightly, speaking over her shoulder.
"...I knew 'The Master' was not far off..."
Not wasting anytime, you request Allessia's help, and more importantly the help of the very animals and trees she commands, in this battle - you're going to need. Remaining attentive to her elephant companion, Allessia nods.
"I will do what I can..."
It's clear you have her support.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yuri -
You race as fast as you can, waiting until you are footsteps away from the edge of the wall before lifting yourself up and over it. {I'll assume gaseous form or whatever}.
Returning to just within the city walls, you first notice that a crowd has gathered near the castle steps. At first, you dismiss this as a gathering of people hoping to see the army invading from the North...but then you notice two figures dancing about in the center of the crowd.
One is Romar...the other is the 'Faceless Knight'...!
Romar brandishes a longsword and charges, bringing it down upon the armored figure. The 'Faceless Knight' retorts, bringing his blade about. They are locked in a duel, seemingly to the death. King Sturmguard and his advisors, busy as they may be with the oncoming assault, watch the duel with intensity.
You wonder what has transpired since last night...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Romar -
Howling for revenge, you bring your blade up and charge at that helm...that glimmering helm that never lets any light into who lies beneath it. [Attack Roll = Nat. 19, Crit Confirm = Fail.] The blow is a good one, coming in a direct arc towards the Knight's mid-section. A second before you can put your weight behind it, your opponent manages to drop his shield a few inches and redirect what would have otherwise been a lethal blow. [Damage Roll = 8] The Knight staggers, but keeps his footing.
Ignoring the shouts from the watch atop the rampart, the 'Faceless Knight' turns his shoulder into the strike and swings once and twice at your body. [Attack Rolls = Nat. 19, Crit Confirm = Fail/14] The first blow is good, landing right on your shoulder as you recoil from your own attacks. [Damage Roll = 7] The Knight takes a step sideways, offering you his shield as your target...
Despite whatever holds the attention of those on the walls, the duel goes on...
{Initiative: You, The Faceless Knight}
Map;
[/pre]
|* ASGA ** ***
|* ***
| ** **
| R *** *
| F ***
|***** ** * ***
|***********
...Legend...
R = Romar
F = The "Faceless Knight" (43/51)
S = King Sturmguard
G = King Grandil
A = Advisor
* = Citizen of Ravenshead
| = Castle Wall
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alton -
[Spot Check] The small halfling looks over the tall ramparts, trying to spot anything he can. When his eyes focus on the far distant horizon, his jaw drops.
An army...a huge army!
The horizon is dusty with the shuffling of hundreds of thousands of feet on the plains. Mammoth figures, obscured by the clouds of dust ramble along, flanking a huge moving structure in the middle. Creatures in the air flit about all of this like vultures over carrion.
If this isn't 'The Master'...then it should be...
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Fangor hit it on the nose. Trying to use the Kuo-Toan army as a diversion and chaos, 'The Master' is making his first move and bringing the war to the last bastion of humanity...Ravenshead.
The groups you have made allies with/control are;
Veya's Roc Riders
Allessia Storm-Maiden and her animals
King Grandil's Construct Army
The Hidden City Clerics
Adolpho Ustgrave and The Knights of the Purest Star
Kuo-Toan Army
That's about it. Let's work out this battle...we have a bit more to settle (Read: Romar and Faceless) before the battle gets here, so don't get too excited, but this should be fun.
I imagine using the units as just that, unit. Applying a template to them to make them one large unit that you guys can control and go from there. Obviously, there will be counteracting units on the 'Masters' side.
However, you should know, that if you do manage to behead/kill the 'Faceless Knight' and uncover his identity, it will truly shock you. 
