Moving Statues

Scribe Notes: Session – Autumn 813

GM: Craig Harper
Night: Mondays; Short campaign at Craig's.
Level: Highish
House Rules: Opposed rolling combat system play test.

The Party

• Lath (party leader): Human female air-mage, with a penchant for destroying drow armies; quite intimidating in a red dress; also Merchant, Philosopher; sneaky when required. Will be accompanied Ernie & Oscar, air elementals, providing air-support.
• Silverfoam (Party MilSci & scribe): glowing Navigator, Troubador, Mechanician, Military Scientists, & many other useful things; is also a Namer. Will be accompanied by the even brighter Gullinbursti, mostly present for diversionary and signalling purposes.
• Isil Eth: the most enlightened of the party; mind-mage; female elf very slim, 6’4’’, wilful, well-endowed (with estates and offices — important for logistical reasons, as below).
• Tari: Statuesque elf (ie, tall female earth-mage good with Strength of stone), CAN caste on boat & (with warning) with flying. Accompanied by Falcon (sees thru its eyes); Wyvern in a spare pocket; swim thru rock; merge with trees.
• Michael (the adventurer): see self-description below; Solar mage, fighter, Spy &/or Thief &/or Hit-man ... as the occasion requires.
• Boabdil: Human Ranger from Arabie; Spy. Not long with the guild, but already has a reputation for being good with a bow and for sneaking up on the enemy.
• Nis: Shadow-mage; non-descript human male. Woke up in a temple, nakedish; Discovered & adopted by the Guild

The Adventure

!! For security reasons, Other than sketches of enemy positions & the like, the following scribe notes were only committed to paper AFTER the mission was over.

Lath put the party together because the Drow probably want herself, Silverfoam, & Isil Eth exceptionally dead, so was determined to make it harder for them, or give them an even better reason (and maybe a few more targets). Lath would also like to situate several 20-ton statues at selected venues across Alusia.

The party introduced themselves.
Michael : I’m just a simple entity making his way in the universe, Solar mage, fighter, Urban wrangler; a human in the latest fashion.
Elf [Whispered in Elvish]: Obviously they have serious design flaws, but I didn’t realise a new model was now available.

Isil Eth: I have MANY friends ... I have a spell for that.
Tari: Mass charm?
Isil Eth: Compel, actually
[a little later] Nis: “No, no, no! I’m not looking into your eyes. Don’t hypnotise me”
IE (with fake sincerity): I wouldn’t! [Gestures languidly, indicating “Refer to the previous conversation”]

Since SF hadn’t finished building his aircraft (Sssh! It’s almost a secret), most of the travelling was to be by more mundane means. Because it was important for calculating the maximum speed when sailing (overland at least), the various titles & offices of the party-members and correct marshalling of the pennants was decided before embarking — Elvish magic being somewhat Baroque to the uninitiated. We left Seagate, sailing to Lath’s island & thence to Adjepbar.

Tari: Vila’s manner is somewhere near here, isn’t it?
Lath: Actually it’s mine — he’s just squatting.

Everyone was subjected to Vila’s ritual to deny Drow astrology readings, also scrying. [A sad drollery at this point indicates the scribe’s irritation at the valuable shipbuilding time recently squandered on Ranking That Spell to 20 instead].

After Vila’s Unlocatability Ritual, there was some experimentation with Locate, and then distinctively locatable tokens were issued.
Confused party-member: But I though the ritual ensured we couldn’t be located?
Michael [bluntly]: That’s for when the magic goes off, so that we can find your ...
SF [quickly commandeering the conversation, for Morale reasons]: Or you can drop it when scouting or flying, to mark a particularly interesting place or person.

After a quick check to ensure that Vila hadn’t automatically deducted gratuities at source, we returned to the Baronies and then cruised north to Wallontown to coordinate with the Western Kingdom’s Command centre. The WK plan was to take a pass in Aladar in 3 days, once we had first “softened up” the ground near Phlanders Town. Although the General was confident there are only “a few thousand” enemy in that particular area, he warned that “Beyond the mountains there are Drow commanding orcs, ogres, humans, spider-people, and undead. Be careful: there’s a lot of enemy forces down there. I believe Lath you’re already well known to them. The password for friendly troupes was “Praise the Sabulite” & the counter-response is “He shall make heroes of us all”.

We sailed a few miles away to discuss our spying & fighting options and revise pre-planned manoeuvres before getting too close to the enemy. Also to make sure everyone knew the password & response. Hypnotism may have been threatened. There was some confusion over discussion of Guerilla tactics ...
Michael: What! Were you planning on taking giant apes into combat?
Elf (Isil Eth): “Please! Haven’t we already had enough local problems with these monkeys”

Before reaching enemy territory, we put magic on the party members especially Flying on Michael & Boabdil whom the air elements were to drop behind enemy lines.
Lath (to her elementals): ... then drop those 2 party members behind enemy lines, away from the enemy troops. Drop them only a foot or two.
Isil Eth: Better tell the elementals how small 1 foot actually is.
Good point! They knew a foot is three hands; unfortunately elementals have very, very big hands. To be safe Lath also puts Feather fall on our spies.

There is a broad demilitarised zone in between the enemy lines. As well as our group, there are other bands of flyers: on our side, mostly on shadow-wings. However the enemy fliers are typically on squads led by 40’ serpents each with about 20 sets of wings (just the wings: as in “engage the invisiblity device”); bad baddies. Neither side’s fliers are engaging in aerial combats instead fliers are testing enemy defences — mostly enemy fliers testing friendly defences.

Phlander’s village itself seemed deserted. There were two MAJOR camps 3 & 5 miles away; but lots of small groups were swarming on the ground (mostly human, orc, or a few larger “somethings”). Indeed most of the ground was covered with beings (some of it still is, in parts). They hadn’t thrown up obvious defensive fortifications or taken static defensive positions, probably because they were 20 miles behind the lines. Clearly the Kingdom’s scouts had seriously underestimated the enemy by at least a factor of five.

The WK's “line” was a sparse string of forts, each guarding a pass leading North through the hills. Each fort was under a light siege (primarily token forces stopping the defenders sallying out and to catch any scouts the WK defenders might otherwise have dispatched).

We decided to test the resolve of a siege company. Well that was the intention, but it’s just like peanuts: so hard to stop after cracking just one. Michael cast his Weapon spells: Almost 2 hours duration; +25 to hit; +11 damage [SF: “I don’t shock anyone, but might I also have a weapons spell?”]. At the Rounton Pass fort, Lath uses her magic to Speak on the Wind to warn the defenders that violent weather was due momentarily and that we were sending a briefing group to advise them further.

Boabdil & Michael approached the fort and hailed for the sally port to be opened. Unfortunately they weren’t heard over the roaring wind because the guards were cowering from the weather. Our scouts rushed to the gates ... if only for the partial shelter from the other hailing. The defenders opened up once Lath’s voice intimidated them.

The Scouts flew back to the battle-ready ship. The besiegers were a bunch of orcs & humans stationed as a “show of force” to keep the defenders insider their forts. There was no sign any horseman. All the party were on board, most in a counter-spell, but Isil Eth in “the trees” (a more flattering upper-mast position for her than “crows' nest”) over an area of Enhanced Enchantment (enhancement on damage), and the vessel rounded the fort at about 8 knots: faster than the ordinary infantry could run, but not too fast that party-members couldn’t safely jump off.

Lath: We’re attacking in a goddam PURPLE barge
Elf (SF): Actually it’s more a pucey lavender

Isil Eth damaged a lot of them (34 targets) with a bespoke variant of Telekinetic Rage; Lath, likewise enhanced, disposed of some other besiegers with Whirlwind Vortices. Michael leapt, plummeting off the mauving vessel (perhaps too fastidious to been seen on an insufficiently heliotrope transport) and violetly, I mean violently, struck [3-1] for 36 pts an enemy that wasn’t stunned but swung back [4-2] for 21 pts. Tari threw half a scimitar at the same besieger & it was down. Boabdil’s bow [3-1] struck another for 25. Throughout the combat Nis used SF’s wand to amuse the enemy with high ranks of Bolt of Fire, not always damaging but always daunting.

The enemy swarmed towards us, until IE Raged again. Michael [3-1] soundly struck another for 27 pt & it broke & fled. Boabdil [1-0] shot another lightly (15 pt). To strategically conceal the fact she could cast Earth magic from a moving ship, Tari deployed Dragonflames, enhanced, killing about 16, leaving 16 more smouldering. It was all over after one more pair of “broadsides” (if you'll forgive the familiar expression): IE recast (17 dead, 17 out of fatigue); L’s WV was 91 pts, resist for half. We quickly checked of the command position for items of interest.

Later that night

Since defence spells were still in effect, we proceeded at higher-than-normal speed to the next besieging company. For more versatility, all party-members had counter-mind spells on so that Isil Eth could cast ordinary TKR, this time with enhance range, which would be more efficient, especially when she had a triple effect (-20 on resist) with double range. Being under counter-Namer protection, the elementals were obliged to stay well out of range of Isil Eth, flanking the ship at a distance; but since they were Windstorming, that suited us if not the enemy. Fortunately, Isil Eth is highly illuminating, visible for hundreds of yards so the Elementals know where we are. Michael: Four hundred yards, maybe the sun really does shine out of her ...

Lath (to elementals): And stay well clear of Isil Eth’s rage, about 180 or 200 yards.
Michael: Or is that her ego?
Isil Eth: The edges of my ego are far further than 180 yards

After a couple of rinse & repeats, we slowed down and circled the hillock, DA-ing for Loot at this force’s command hillock. Michael: Everything appears to be paste.
SF: You mean not real gems?
Michael: No I mean it’s all covered in goo — most of its formerly living, Isil Eth.

At our third (or was it fourth?) position, we encounter a camp of humans, shivering in bivouwacks trying to huddle under trees & bushes. The usual suspects scouts, Boabdil & Michael, were sent out as human emissaries, but the enemy are speaking something like arkenrossi; so when the scouts find a blasted officer, or rather the corpse of one in very singed Erelhaine armour, they appropriated it. Michael: We leg off with the body and my image can stay there to cope with the enemy
. There was only a half-hearted hue or cry from the bedraggled human soldiers (just a platoon or two).

Lath: We should go down below and change into armour
Elf: We are wearing our armour
Lath: Shit, I’m underdressed

We cruised back slowly, and Isil Eth commanded the body back to life. The resurrected captain, Lian San-Su, was Arkenrossi and he chatted most politely with Silverfoam, which is the inbred Arkenrossi response to any elf-like figure dressed in blood-red lacquered Erelhaine lamellar armour, speaking courltly Erelhaine, even if the glowing is less usual for an officer. We learnt from San-Su that Lord Dredrodge intended to be in Phlanders in the next day or so. San-Su had been ordered to move up to the Phlanders area: there’s going to be a big push in the next day or two.

Tari: What’s in Phlanders?
Michael: It’s a little place that’s NEVER been visited by the guild, so it’s probably idyllic.

The party next decided to scout between Pherezan & Phlander. The ship was parked near a copse; and two pairs of flyers sent out. In particular, M&B went out to find a lone sentry. Michael was invisible, so the scout was quickly sapped; M then put an “intestinal comensual” in him, enabling M to see thru his eyes. (“You say we elves are unethical ...”). To frighten the scout into fleeing to safety (i.e., his camp), Michael made himself appear faceless in a winged helmet, and bestrode the reviving the human, bellowing “I, avatar of Thing-o-some, have come to slay you all.” Whereupon, the guy leapt and ran North — oops one of *our* scouts apparently.

Michael just heard a whistle at the range of hearing; and mentioned it on the Mindspeech. Boabdil saw some large dogs casting around for a scent: he threw the powdered aniseed, to cover his scent & flew to the ship ... unfortunately the running dogs were freakishly fast managed to keep up. IE teleported back to the ship; SF windwalked.

There were 2 packs, each of 8 monstrous dogs: Alarmingly LARGE monstrous dogs, in armour, carry weapons, and whistles. We needed to know what those freaks could do, so we pretended to flee from them.
Anonymous: “That doesn’t take much pretending, actually”
Travelling just slow enough for them to maybe catch us -- barely 35 mph -- we (apparently) almost fell for their sheep-dog strategy, getting close enough to DA a few: GTN Dog-warrior; about 50 combined EN&FT; no additional magical abilities (didn't really need any). One of the Dog-warriors had been hit by Boabdil arrow, and it falls behind; after a safe distance, an elemental is dispatched to retrieve it. Generally they stay out of bow range. Two Double-range enhanced range TKRs and most are killed.

Incidental quotes

Tari: Why don't we just put up in the best inn in Baretskyne?
Michael: There’s no Inn in Baretskyne, and if there was they’d only serve spirits.