Ascension of Aeternus Act 1.1: Commander Conquered

[Aldurin]

The Gerthom capitol was a respectable structure within the eastern regions of the land, nothing like the grand citadel of the alliance leader, Florikeme, but was a very orderly city in atmosphere. Architecturally, the place was clearly once the country's most powerful fortresses, expanded with a more artisan methodology after the war. The original capitol on the southern coast was of course rebuilt after it was leveled by the aquatic branch of the Verix armies, but the leaders after the war just never felt a need to move their administrative center back to a place that was so vulnerable in hindsight. It was also a compact city, getting away with at least three stories in every building when possible, and even extending downward a considerable amount in recent years thanks to the stabilization of the Underdark beneath the country, much of it owed to Ezekiel's efforts of civilian training seeping down to the few colonies in the tunnels and keeping the monster activity under control.

Dusk was setting three days after Ezekiel was told at the last minute that he wouldn't be traveling to Arthia, two days before the peace conference held in the Millennium Complex housed in that nation. Despite his rank of General and his contribution to the stability of the region, Ezekiel's militant manner was often taken as paranoid by the politicians of Gerthom. They had gone behind his father's back to arrange a more complacent person at the last moment, making one of their own tag along with the diplomat instead. Now the second day of the conference would be in the afternoon, resuming the tug-of-war between Thylle's post-war restrictions on the Verix Alliance and the nations within that alliance jockeying for any way to clamber back up to autonomy if not a continental power. It wasn't the most glorified of tasks to go to, but worthwhile for those with peace in their-

People of the Material Plane! Pay attention for this is the most important series of events that you will ever witness! I am Aeternus, the new god of this universe and all the planes. The consequences of this are many and inevitable, as I change this world for the better. The planes are cut off from you, as traveling the Astral Plane is now too deadly to risk traversing, and I have laid waste to your peace conference with the first wave of my coming change. Nations will have to cease to be, and the old 'gods' will be dead. What will occur from this point on is a time of strife that is futile to resist, as the forces meant to prepare your world are methods only I control and can stop. But there are my chosen people, and you know who you are, who will survive this change and be the progenitors of the new universe! Do not struggle and do not resist, for either way whether or not you cease to be has already been decided. You will be hearing from the second wave shortly . . .

The voice seems to boom throughout the skies and the entire capitol, unimpeded nor muffled by structures. When the speech ends the city feels excessively silent, followed by the faint rumble of hundreds of thousands of residents murmuring at once, whether in panic or confusion. Lights flick on in windows everywhere as Ezekiel receives a summons to the palace via sending spell.

[Thokk_Smash]

As the dusk sets, Ezekiel finishes overseeing the training of the Aegis' newest batch of recruits. The recruits were as green as they came, but they all had a fire in their eyes and a furious desire to learn--and that counted for more than skill in Ezekiel's books any day. He had spent the day walking amongst them, learning their names and their motivation for joining the Aegis. Now he stands in front of them, hands behind his back in a parade rest as they stand at attention.

Excellent, he says to the gathered recruits and sergeants. He has a smile on his face, the first real smile in the past few days since the beginning of the peace conference. You are all the future of the Eternal Aegis, defenders of your country. I bid you remember that the peace of our world is not something that remains without effort. There will always be a threat looking to undermine it and all of the efforts of our ancestors, and to plunge this world back into war. I began the Aegis as a countermeasure against all who would threaten Gerthom, and I dream that one day there will be an Aegis company on every continent in the world. Never forget what you are fighting for--who you are fighting for. I look forward to seeing your growth in the future.

Letting his words hang in the air for a few moments, he gives a final nod as a sign of dismissal. Turning to his honor guard, he motions for them to follow him as he walks. He barely makes it twenty feet before the booming voice sounds throughout the entire world it seems. His bow is in his hands in an instant as he looks around for the source. Smile replaced with a fierce scowl, he listens to the proclamation with a fire beginning in his gullet, and the scowl deepens.

Turning back, he can see confusion on the faces of the recruits--even panic, in the eyes of some. Remain calm, he intones, voice acquiring the tone he uses for issuing orders. Do not give in to uncertainty. The ravings of a madman with some amount of power cannot hold a candle to the might of the world. Go home, and tell your friends and family not to panic. This will be investigated and dealt with shortly.

His face is the picture of confidence, and his words fill his men with hope as they leave the area. Once they have gone, the confident smirk gives way to yet another scowl. Tristan, take us to the palace, he says to the lieutenant in the garb of a wizard. Knowing the look in his general's eyes, the lieutenant speaks the words of power and Ezekiel and his honor guard are all teleported straight to the palace. If this is a joke, then Ezekiel will put an arrow in the leg of the one who made it. If it is not a joke...well, Ezekiel will need to use quite a bit more arrows, then.

I considered having Ezekiel walk through the streets proclaiming to the people against the voice in the sky, but he wants to go to the palace as soon as possible, and posterizing like that would take too much time. The second speech to his men was him using his Aura of Courage for them.

Also, I feel like I could've gone bigger with the whole "Eternal Aegis" thing, made Ezekiel a few hundred years older and actually have Aegis members in more countries than just Gerthom. Such is hindsight.

[Aldurin]

Much of the guard seems to regain their confidence, remembering that it is very easy to posture as something greater than yourself with the right use of magic, and the idea that it's a prank seems to placate them. Tristan doesn't actually speak the spell, but instead points out that teleportation requires entering the Astral Plane for a split second, which the voice claimed was now lethal. Until they know more, he doesn't want to cast any form of teleportation to prevent the risk to themselves. It would be a couple minutes of running to make it to the palace gates from their part of the city.

Ezekiel still counts as the most prepared PC, if the psychotic plotting of Raunchel's character is excluded. Also it would have been a bit awkward for your character to die on the first post, so I guess Ezekiel owes Tristan one for that.

Speaking of, can you give me a really short description on who Tristan is and a very generic coverage of his personality? I don't want to write direct dialogue for him until I get a primer.

[Thokk_Smash]

Most prepared overall, but certainly not in the moment--I spent so long writing that up that I forgot about the teleportation thing :smallredface:. Oh, well, it made me come up with an NPC for you to use, so it's all good.

Tristan Edgeworth, human wizard and former street urchin. Brought into the army's service after he tried to mug Ezekiel out of desperation, and has been loyal to him ever since. About forty five or so years old, early-graying brown hair, still thin. He's loyal to Ezekiel but gives him new perspectives to look on, and isn't afraid to tell him when he's overreacting or correct him--like he did just now. Is one of the few people Ezekiel allows to address him as "Zeke" in private. Chaotic/Neutral Good to Ezekiel's Lawful.

Also, I sense a potential meeting/interaction with Logan in the future; I'm not sure how Ezekiel would've reacted to the thought of going to war with Verix. Well, he would be willing, but not nearly as eager as Logan was.

Blinking twice, Ezekiel sighs. Thank you, lieutenant, he says with a nod of gratitude. Let us make haste to the palace, then--joke or not, I wish to get to the bottom of this.

The general and his honor guard begin the run to the palace. The general cannot help but reassure those who seem the most distraught by the voice in the sky, but he still makes it to the palace gates in under five minutes.

Current Auras maintained, for future reference:

Master of Scouting (+3 spot/listen/search)
Motivate Care (+7 dodge AC)
Aura of Courage (+5 morale to-hit/damage/saves vs fear)

[Aldurin]

The jog is exhausting, even with staying in constant shape in Ezekiel's training. Tristan in particularly wheezes and coughs for a moment when they catch up to the castle gates, and Ezekiel could tell he wasn't using his other traversal spells in case they would be needed for an immediate emergency. The palace guards let them in immediately, and they shortly find themselves in the throne room. Gerthom was still a monarchy, even as most other countries moved on to more fluid forms of government, but remained stable through the fortune of the Sarodin family line being benevolent and far more open to counsel from their advisors. This ultimately led to a pseudo-democracy at an executive level below royalty, and fostered a political industry similar to the other countries.

King Orlon Sarodin was pacing near the throne, an air of nervousness permeating the room. Including Ezekiel, there were 5 of the 15 advisors and political figures that would be called in on an emergency situation. Two of them were of course at the peace conference, but that left 8 more unaccounted for. The other four present members were Jeremiah Rhuidhen, Ezekiel's father, the head of the royal guard, the royal strategist and the effective "mayor" of the capitol city. Nevis was an imposing half-orc who respected Ezekiel's vigilance and reflected that in the way he ran the royal guard. Alfurd handled the city-level administration surprisingly well, where even out in public the halfling had an authority that surpassed his height and made him popular in every district. Nevissine was the most recent addition to the royal advisory team, a human in her late twenties who almost lived in the palace library and always wore casual lower-class clothes, despite her paygrade allowing for attire far more lavish. Ezekiel knew the least about her, and what little he knew was that she was fascinated with military history, yet surprisingly terrible at chess as she would always try strategies so bizarre that they would make her opponent question the entire match before committing to their plan and usually winning. During a formal dinner Nevissine had sat at the same table as the Rhuidhen family, and mentioned during conversation that she was born in the wrong era. When Jeremiah pressed on the topic of what the right era for her would be, she immediately answered, "The Great War, half a millenia ago." King Sarodin trusted her though, and even went as far as to give her a fairly coveted title.

Jeremiah was the first to notice Ezekiel and Tristan, nodding toward them and speaking softly to them when they approached. "We received confirmation from the Salsem diplomat that the attack really did happen, that the Astral is truly unsafe and that neither of our representatives survived, though the remaining mediator constructs are trying to see to their revival. The attack was carried out by flying constructs of immense number that were of a make with no recognizable affiliation. Shadow Walk has been confirmed to be the safest way of long-distance travel right now, but that leaves us immensely limited as very few shadowcasters live in the material plane. What's your take on this?"

Thanks for the primer on that, it should help write his actions more easily.

[Thokk_Smash]

Just a note, I named the second in command of the Eternal Aegis Jeremiah Caldwell; didn't know if you were okay with the two having the same name. Also, is everyone gestalt in the world? It's been awhile since the recruitment thread so I don't remember if it came up. In a similar vein, how integrated do you want Ezekiel's honor guard to be? I could flesh them all out crunch and fluff-wise, but I'm not sure how far to go--I don't have Leadership, so I can't control them and I don't know if you'd want them to help in battle. I noticed in the other IC that you were letting Cardea gather followers in-character, so I figure there's precedence for something; just let me know.

Also, let me know if I took a liberty too many with the Telepathic Bond.

Ezekiel nods to his father as he approaches. He takes in the scene with sharp eyes: the pacing king, the air of uncertainty and nervousness. He can feel his hackles raising with each passing second, and his father's words only confirm his thoughts.

Looks like it's not a joke, Tristan drawls through their permanent Telepathic Bond. Ezekiel had commissioned each of his honor guard be given a Telepathic Bond with him to optimize teamwork in and out of battle.

I got that on my own, Ezekiel replies with the barest hint of dry sarcasm. Out loud, he says, This "Aeternus" fellow is more than just a lunatic with a big mouth. The scope of these actions imply a vast amount of resources, and years of planning. We must not take him lightly, nor hesitate in our actions. He cannot be allowed to continue whatever insane plans he has. Has there been any intel from our diviners about him?

Turning to the king, he bows at the waist. My Lord, if I may: I can contact Lord Caldwell and have every branch of the Eternal Aegis mobilized within the hour. I would advise that we see to our own borders in preparation of any future attacks by this "Aeternus". I defer to the superior knowledge of my colleague, Lieutenant Edgeworth, in the matters of the Astral sea and teleportation.

[Aldurin]

First name overlap is why there are last names, so it's no big deal. Telepathic bond is fine and you can give a primer on each member of the honor guard, though for future reference their actions and dialogue will be controlled by me, as any other NPC in the world. You're just given the opportunity to shape who they are and hope that they decisions that come out of their mentality applied to the events through their perspective ultimately help you. It's contextual to each individual person and handled in a way extrapolated here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17896976&postcount=310).

For the honor guard, you might want to go a bit less in detail than with Tristan, since I can't guarantee that none of them will die in battle with no screen time.

Also I'm answering your gestalt question in the OOC, so the others don't miss the free tidbit of setting information.

Nevissine turns around, listening and then answering Ezekiel's question, her behavior and speech showing a surprising level of informality. "We only have 'Aeternus' as our parameter for the divination, and it provides no result so far. Either this is a moniker that he does not identify himself with, or Aeternus the name associated to a fabrication, which would brilliantly deflect our attempts, or he does identify by that name but possesses a means of shrouding himself from divination. But why warn his opponent of the Astral's danger? Teleportation infastructure could have potentially claimed millions of lives before it was discovered and spread on its own, I would not be surprised if half of the people meant to attend this meeting did not seriously consider the warning. The speech does prompt us to posture, shaking up society in a way that is potentially predictable. But until we know how the attack was carried out, we cannot correlate grand strategy to battle strategy. It may be a fool's game that this man is playing with deadly chess pieces, or it may be something esoteric enough that we can only perceive it as foolish."

Sarodin listens intently to Nevissine, sitting at the edge of the throne. He then looks directly as Ezekiel, giving his nod of approval. "That would be prudent, but be sure that they understand that this may not resemble the war they were trained to anticipate. The Eternal Aegis puts us at a level of public militarization that is only shadowed by Florikeme, and may be specifically targeted. Lt. Edgeworth, please elaborate on the full consequence of the current state of the Astral Plane."

"Of course, your majesty." Tristan straightens up and speaks, projecting his voice more than usual. "The Astral Plane is a junction point between every plane, like the air that takes up the space between every object. But any point in the Astral Plane can directly connect to any point in another plane, which is why teleportation involves entering the Astral Plane for the minimum amount of time possible to leave and arrive at the new destination. It works in a form of spatial geometry that would need more than three coordinates to properly approximate. But it is also one of the true infinite planes, with the only real landmark being the Githyanki city of Tu'Narath and bearing rare and bizarre native creatures beyond it. Some forms of energy are also drawn from the Astral Plane, I believe psionic ectoplasm requiring that to some degree, but it is possible that this is not affect. As for how the plane is unsafe, I can't be sure. There may be a dimensional anchor affecting the entire material plane but killing instead of impeding planar travelers, which is possible but impractical. The entire Astral Plane may be on fire right now somehow. It could simply not exist anymore. Altering the parameter of an entire plane is something that has been accepted as an impossibility among even the academia at Ulwiss, so this is an unprecedented field with little study. The island academy will have better equipment to assess this scenario, so we should maintain as much contact with them as possible."

[Thokk_Smash]

Sorry for controlling Tristan, I just couldn't help the little bit of snark.

And that's a really cool way of going about it. I'm really impressed by your approach to world-building and the setting in general. Your world is amazing in its depth and the scale that it's playing on.

I'm going to be coming up with more NPCs related to Ezekiel's background that you can put into the setting, if that's alright. The first would be a teacher-sniper that taught him the ways of the bow and approved of his stances on proactive defense, and who may or may not have turned to Aeternus' side after believing that this world is a lost cause. He could potentially be another being with gestalt-potential, who saw the same potential in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel listens to the Royal Strategist's outlook and hides his annoyance at her eavesdropping. Her informal tone could also use some work, but this is neither the time nor place for such admonitions. Proclaiming the dangers of Astral travel sows the seeds of panic in the populace, regardless of its veracity. And because the veracity is dubious, as you pointed out a few thousand are bound to attempt it and then be caught in the trap. This man doesn't want widespread slaughter, Miss Nevissine--he wants us to see his power, to be in awe of him, before he completes his plan. Megalomaniacs tend to prioritize perception over tactics, I've found.

At the king's words, he nods in deference. Of course, Milord. I will inform Lord Caldwell, and then we can possibly have him get in touch with Miss Nevissine and the head of espionage. Together, they can best coordinate to protect against as many avenues of assault as we can manage.

Mentally sifting through his collection of telepathic bonds, he grasps at the one that reminds him of winter storms and light glinting off of steel. Jeremiah, this is a code Indigo emergency--the peace conference was indeed attacked, and this "Aeternus" plans to attack again. Contact the branches of the Aegis, starting on the outskirts of Gerthom. Tell them to mobilize for an impending threat, but be prepared for tactics we may not have covered. This Aeternus will know that Gerthom is well-defended; we must be swift in our defense.

Code Indigo = Ezekiel's own version of Defcon or state of emergency. Based off of the prismatic spray/wall/sphere line, Orange is least dangerous and Violet is most dangerous.

In case you need more of a primer on Jeremiah: Jeremiah Caldwell is the elderly second in command of the Eternal Aegis. Having dedicated more time to the Aegis than his family's dealings, his eldest son is the Caldwell patriarch. As fitting a man who has worked closely with Ezekiel, he is dedicated to the defense of Gerthom and her people.

Oh, and would you mind if I post in the OOC? I was thinking to wait until you'd added Ezekiel to the front page proper, but figured I'd ask.

Edit edit: Also, is there any chance of getting extra Marskman Techniques from the Sagittarius (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?117933-The-Sagittarius-Base-Class-PEACH) as part of the narrative? Perhaps in conjunction with the teacher-sniper above?

[Aldurin]

Interesting idea for a character, and interesting preassumptions before I even put him into place.

Extra marksman techniques are a no, at least not without being earned through unusual circumstances that might present themselves in the future.

Understood, though we will need tactical information beyond 'it could be anything' as soon as possible. Our attention will be stretched thin if we have to anticipate every potential attack at the same time. Anything of use from that young strategist that the king has so much confidence in? Caldwell returns through the bond.

Nevissine continues the tactical discourse. "Yet what does the awe achieve, or even the panic? He claims an intention to rebuild the world to his specification, which will likely require conquering all of it, even disposing the divine beings. Are his resources and strategy such that he has to posture to seem more powerful than he is in order to gain a key edge in battle, like a cat raising its fur to appear larger? Or is there in fact a wide enough gap that this is instead like a cat playing with a mouse it has caught, possessing a means he believes will wipe us out too easily and too quickly and instead dallying in other intentions? So much of this doesn't seem right. I need to see the remains of one of the constructs used in the attack on the conference. Anything we can get on him will help us understand how he thinks, and by that extension be able to analyze his actions to determine the power he has access to."

"I'll relay that to Ms. Lorelle. Hopefully one will come back along with our representatives restored." Ezekiel's father replied. "I haven't been able to reach the head of espionage yet, we may have to act on the assumption that he died to the Astral Plane. But the more immediate concern is placating our populace. People using teleportation out of panic may end up causing a chain reaction as the disappearances from it add up, leaving our country to collapse from the inside before we even see the enemy."

Alfurd nods solemnly in agreement. "Aye, but we should be honest. A lie falling apart could accelerate the process." He faces the king. "M'lord, it would be best if you were the one to give the speech. Your public appearances are understandably rare when you concede to my efforts with the capitol, and that will help convey that this is an issue that we are taking seriously. The speech balcony still has the sniper countermeasures in place, and we can even have Rhuidhen junior out there with you to be doubly sure that there's nothing for the enemy to capitalize on from it."

As this discussion continues, Ezekiel receives a fairly long Sending. General Rhuidhen, this is Grand Crusader Silverkin from Florikeme. I witnessed the conference and have confirmed that this is almost certainly a ploy from the Verix Alliance, even going so far as to kill some of their own diplomats to sell their innocence in the act. The sirene representing Milqough briefly succeeded in killing me during the chaos of the attack, so the Sarnillon naval forces are almost definitely involved. Have your Aegis watch the shorelines, and be ready to deploy them overseas when I have gathered the rest of Thylle to move. Verix has adopted a new form of war and we need to wipe them out completely this time before we risk losing countries to it.

[Thokk_Smash]

We lack hard intel at this juncture; Lady Nevissine says she will need to inspect one of the constructs used in the assault to solidify her conjectures. I will keep you apprised of the situation as I learn more. Do your utmost in the meantime, my friend.

He shakes his head at the strategist's opening words. Panic and awe serve tremendously in war. Shock and awe is an invaluable military tactic--strike hard and fast and plant a seed of doubt into your enemies. Doubt in enemy combatants, and fear in an enemy populace: a fear which we are now dealing with, and must deal with else our defenses weaken further. His claims are outlandish, befitting the daring escapades he is currently undergoing. And yet the Astral is indeed unsafe, as he claimed; how and why, we have yet to discover, but the fact remains. Assaulting the peace conference of an entire world, causing the Astral to become unsafe: this is a dangerous enemy, and one we cannot afford to underestimate.

So please, Lady Nevissine, take what little we know of this new enemy: boldness enough to declare war on an entire world, resources enough to launch a strike force against a well-defended post such as the conference, and power or skill enough to trap the Astral. Take those and that ingenuity of yours and imagine what you would do with such assets. Unusual situations call for alternate avenues of solutions.

He listens to the others' words and nods his agreement. We must quell our people's fear before looking to their safety. If you deem it necessary, I will stand vigil during His Majesty's speech. But we cannot spread ourselves too--

It is then that he receives the Sending from the Grand Crusader. He remains silent as his mouth turns down into a scowl again. At this point, the last thing they can afford is fighting amongst the countries. The Verix Alliance could possibly be behind this--but how would they have gathered enough power and resources without alerting the rest of the world? Does the Grand Crusader believe that the entirety of their allies were so lax as to miss such a powerful enemy hiding in a country that is already undergoing such strict regulation?

The Grand Crusader of Florikeme believes that the Verix Alliance is behind this assault and this Aeternus. Milquogh's representative killed him during the chaos, and he's instructed me to patrol the shoreline in anticipation of the Sarnillon navy. For my part: the Verix Alliance are opportunistic leeches who would do much to enhance their power, and I do not believe them to be above taking potshots during a chaotic incident--and yet I doubt that they would have done this. Not for a lack of motivation, but for a dearth of necessary power. How many restrictions have been placed on them in the past half century? Where would they have hidden this powerhouse, when their actions are so strictly regulated?

Does Sending require the recipient to respond right away, or can the response be delayed for a little bit of time? Also, before I have Ezekiel respond, what is the relationship between Florikeme and Gerthom? Is Florikeme Thylle's leader nation, and thus Ezekiel is beholden to his orders as the Grand Crusader of Florikeme?

[Aldurin]

The relationship among the Thylle nations is a fairly pressured affair, with no official leader even though Florikeme calls the shots. While Florikeme were not the biggest contributors in the alliance back during the Great War, they were the ones to anticipate that the war would become so protracted, and that both sides would suffer heavily for it. Gerthom has been the only one of similar mind after the war, even though their readiness did not fully kick in until the Eternal Aegis was formed. Logan has met Ezekiel in the past, after hearing of the work with the Aegis, and has been the source of most of the first-hand accounts of the war that he knows of. There is talk of some of the populace from each Thylle nation wanting out of the alliance, seeing it as unnecessary after the war, though it's either a minor portion of the populace. Florikeme hasn't had to put pressure on the other nations since early after the war, but as the only nation in the alliance with a fully-fledged military there is the implicit pressure that uncooperative allies will be easily listed as enemies.

In short, Logan is not involved in the chain of command above Ezekiel, and cannot order him to do anything. King Sarodin would be at the top of the chain of command that Ezekiel is a part of, so anyone outside who wants Ezekiel to do something will either have to convince him directly, or go to the king and make their case with him instead.

Nevissine nods in acknowledgement to Ezekiel's request. "The Underdark would be the perfect place to hide a vast scale of resources, if it had to be on the Material Plane. The network of tunnels beneath the entire world has not been fully mapped, especially deeper down where lava veins are a hazard, and near the frostfells where deadly drafts and steam explosions are common and random. Supposedly the head of espionage went bald from the stress of having to figure out how to hold back spies who could use the tunnels to enter Gerthom from anywhere. The best off-plane place for the Verix to hide illegal activities would be a demiplane, though large-scale manufacture would be impractical with the size limits those come with, as well as needing a way to access stored resources now the the Astral Plane is off-limits."

"But the restrictions have been made specifically to make sure that the Verix nations can't come back to power that way. The General is right about the situation, though. There's no reason for the Verix to not be opportunistic if this isn't their work, so we have to be wary of two potential fronts of war." The king says, standing up. "Jeremiah, try to take count of who among the advisory staff has gone missing. Alfurd, send out a declaration that I will be making a speech just before sunrise. And Ezekiel, check all of the offices in the palace for anything that seems off, then inspect the speech balcony. I need to start writing up what Gerthom needs to hear. Nevis, make sure it's only the guard you trust the most that's making coffee for all of us, I'll be damned if we die of poisoning before the war comes to us."

[Thokk_Smash]

So Logan was there for the war half a century ago? I suppose half-celestials don't age, after all.

As you say, My Lord, Ezekiel says, giving a bow to his liege. Father, inform me immediately if and when the delegates are returned safely; I would question them for their accounts after Lady Nevissine. Lady Nevissine, inform me when you have a more concrete strategy for our national defense. Nevis, I'll take my coffee with a teaspoon of cream.

As he leaves, he crafts a response to the Grand Crusader. Grand Crusader, I hear and acknowledge your suspicions. I will have the shores monitored, but I will not dedicate the whole of the Aegis to that effect. I am not wholly convinced that Verix is behind this "Aeternus", and while they may take this opportunity to undermine us they are only the known enemy, the one we can see--we cannot let their threat blind us to the possibility of another assault from this "Aeternus".

Choosing his mental link to Jeremiah, he thinks to him, The strategist believes the best place on the Material for Aeternus to house his resources would be in the Underdark. Have the openings to the major tunnels monitored for any suspicious activities. Also, mobilize the encampments on the shorelines and keep an eye on the southern shore--Verix may use this chaos to lash out. I know we risk stretching ourselves thin, but we must do all that we can.

After that, he systematically goes through the major offices in the palace: his own, his father's, Nevissine's, and so forth. He and Tristan leave no book unturned and no nook unchecked. After doing so, he goes to the speech balcony and inspects the area from top to bottom. He ensures that the proper countermeasures are still in place and active, and checks for possible vantage points for snipers.

Not sure if any checks are in order here; Search or Spot for unusual things in the offices, Spot or a BAB check for how safe the speech balcony is. Let me know.

[Aldurin]

Very well, I do wish this mistake does not come back to bite you in the near future, and expect your cooperation when they make their intentions clear. Logan replies as the conversation ceases.

Understood, though we can't guarantee full coverage of the tunnels, or even competent coverage as anyone who has lived in the Underdark for most of their life will find a way in the country. Caldwell responds through the link.

Nothing seems to be out of place in the offices at first, though Nevissine's is an absolute mess to the point where she startles Tristan by suddenly emerging from under a pile of parchment with discarded scrawlings of plans. The search brings them to the basement offices, and Tristan calls for Ezekiel with a sudden urgency to the head of espionage's office. "Well, so much for absolute security." He says as he gestures toward the extended bloodstain leading to a severed right arm. The cut is not at all clean, but still oozes as if it hasn't been more than an hour since it happened. "He might still be alive? Gary got pretty paranoid back before you cleared out the Gerthom Underdark, so I can't imagine this being a one-sided fight." Tristan muses as he examines the room. "Beyond the state of the desk and the obvious arm, there isn't much of a sign of struggle either. I can only hope he contacts one of us if he survived."

No other offices show anything of interest, and finally they reach the balcony. Tristan confirms the enchantments are still in place. Permanencied Wind Wall, Entropic Field, Invisible Glove of Invulnerability, Contingent Wall of Ice that triggers upon projectile approach and that illusion spell that makes everything on the balcony appear 3 feet to the left from the outside. Vantage points are still a problem. There's no good spot uphill of the balcony, given the geography of the capitol, but almost every rooftop that can be seen from the balcony would be a viable place to shoot from, from Ezekiel's perspective. And the citizenry always have a habit of setting up chairs on their roofs to get a better view of the speeches, so those areas will be crowded with civilians. As far as Ezekiel can tell, the balcony is as safe as it can be, given the circumstances. "Should I stay on the balcony with you during the speech, or be mingling in the audience with the rest of the local Aegis? I don't get enough range on my detection spells for them to be any good up here, but if you want me to have extra wards and protections in place then I'll need to stay at the palace so that the brief ones last through the speech."

[Thokk_Smash]

We simply need coverage enough to spot the movement of an army of those constructs that assaulted the peace conference. Godspeed, my friend.

Lady Nevissine's antics and cluttered office bring a sigh to his lips, but he cannot fault her enthusiasm and skills. Moving on through the offices, he is inspecting the desk of Gary's assistant when Tristan catches his attention. Oh, no, he mutters as he views the severed arm. I can imagine that after the initial assault, Gary cut and run to survive, and so the lack of struggle is understandable. With all of his protections, Scrying will most likely not reveal anything of his location. A Sending might at least reach him, though with his personality he may simply not reply. I share your hope that he may contact us posthaste.

On the balcony, Ezekiel observes as Tristan double-checks the wards and protections. Those rooftops have always concerned him in the past--with the amount of people that are bound to arrive, any prospective assassins will have their pick of vantage points. If only the king were able to use that spell that projects his image from another location: his image could speak and he could be hidden within sight. As it is, if the populace weren't in dire need of reassurance, I would like for King Sarodin to not give this speech right now at all. There is too great of a risk of either an opportunistic assassin deciding this is their day to shine, or else this "Aeternus" fellow sending his men to where they can predict the king will be.

I would like for you to stay here and provide further wards. Unless you believe that your divinations can definitively weed out potential assassins, having you here to reinforce the wards will do more to provide King Sarodin more protection. The Aegis on the ground will have the majority of the area covered. Will your spell that produces those magical eyes be of use here? If I remember they have to return to your hand, so that may limit its usefulness. In addition to what you believe will be helpful, I'd like for you to cast a Wall of Force in front of the balcony.

Another thought comes to him, and he places a hand to his chin. Is there a mage in the palace powerful enough to cast that divination spell you were talking about some time ago? Where you know immediately when danger will befall whomever is the target? We could have them cast that spell upon the king, and then if he is to be in danger, they can telepathically inform us through a Telepathic Bond.

Specifically this: "and ready yourself to translocate the king with his body double if trouble arises." Yeah, I forgot about the Astral being trapped and teleportation being a no-go. I hope that you don't mind if I get rid of that now, before you make your post.

[Aldurin]

Aw, I was liking the developing narrative that Tristan would have to keep reminding Ezekiel about teleportation being unsafe to the point where he casts Dimensional Anchor to make sure that Ezekiel doesn't kill himself with the Dimension Door concurrence.

"Warding will probably be more effective for the sake of contingency, then. Though I am still uncomfortable with not knowing anything about the foes we may face, since as you've said my magical eyes divination is not really applicable to the kind of surveillance we need. As for the spell you're thinking of, I don't know it personally, and anyone who we would normally contact for such a means will be stuck at Ulwiss. And Zeke, be sure you take some time to change your concurrences before the speech, since I don't want you teleporting out of reflex and killing yourself when you're most needed, and I know you have at least one of those set to something of the sort." Tristan answers as he starts making area measurements on the balcony for his spells. Ezekiel can tell that the wizard is feeling a lot more pressure than usual to try to make his responsibility go perfectly, especially as this is one of the few situations where he faces unfamiliar parameters to his task. It's a common complex that Ezekiel has observed among some casters, feeling that because of the power they have access to they have an obligation to make their work perfect, but one that Tristan never really showed in the past. "I can get the rest of the balcony warding done by myself, just come get me once we get information on what happened at the conference."

It's not until a couple hours later, just fifteen minutes before the speech is scheduled, that the two representatives of Gerthom return. They bear a single construct that they were carrying together through the Shadow Walk, along with a bloodstained hole in each of their formal vests and the look of recent trauma on their faces. Horthun, the full-time diplomat, copes better than his tag-along, being able to faintly recount his knowledge of the attack while Jonathan refuses to even look at Ezekiel before going straight to the nearest whiskey bottle.

You can go ahead and change a few of your daily abilities during this downtime and count it as a rest.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel takes Tristan's advice with a nod that covers his sheepishness. In his single-mindedness, he knows that there would be a distressingly high probability of him doing just that when things get serious. It's normally such a good tactic! It's not his subconscious' fault that the Astral was trapped by a narcissistic megalomaniac bent on world domination and reconstruction.

As he is about to leave, he notices his friend's unusual behavior. One thing Ezekiel has always admired about Tristan is his ability to remain relaxed throughout most any stressful situation. Yet with so much pressure on this situation, the general cannot blame him for feeling his nerves. Walking to stand next to Tristan, Ezekiel places a hand on his shoulder. I will not say to ignore the pressure, because we are only mortal. But know that I have complete trust in your abilities. Do your work as you usually do, and know that I will have no complaints.

Ezekiel spends the next few hours meditating, contemplating the possible avenues of assassination from the balcony and focusing strands of fate that weave around him. He can feel his luck shift as his Concurrences change, settling around his form like a well-worn cloak. From the communiques they had received, these constructs utilize water in their movements and attacks. In the back of his mind, he can see how with a twist of arcane energies, any water within a few hundred feet may be eradicated. Hopefully, if worst comes to worst, the spell will buy them some time.

With the return of the two representatives, Ezekiel listens to Horthun's recounting, absorbing it for as much information as he can. Get that construct to Lady Nevissine immediately, he orders nearby guards. Tell me everything you know about those constructs, Sir Horthun. Were the arcanists at the conference able to glean anything of them before you left?

He moves his gaze to Jonathan, eyes hard. You went around my and my father's back to attend; did the conference go as you'd planned? If Ezekiel had gone, how much would have gone differently? Horthun would not have required resurrection, at the very least; how many others could he have spared with his skills? The thoughts have been buzzing in his mind all night, chasing themselves until his meditation cleared them out.

[Aldurin]

The quiet of the castle room they're in feels more oppressive than tranquil with the two traumatized politicians sitting there, as the construct is moved out Horthun makes his account. "The Astral was unsafe for an uncertain time before his declaration, the mediator constructs put the facility on a security alert because they had discovered this before the assault happened. It didn't help, though. There were hundreds of those things crashing in from above. It seems they were designed to somehow draw from the Plane of Water to cool themselves and burn as fuel, as strange as that sounds. The mediators were immediately overwhelmed, and we lost quite a few of our extraplanar diplomats as they trusted in their ability to plane shift. There were a few people that saved us, two prodigies of Ulwiss somehow worked together to make an expanded Magic Circle Against Water, to cut off their fuel and coolant. And that one warrior we've heard rumors about who is supposedly from a different era, she was there representing the Freezeplains and managed to hold off an entire corridor using just her blades. I didn't see it, but I heard it from Miss Lorelle, the Salsem diplomat, after I was revived." He shudders for a moment. "The Verix folk didn't get it so badly, one of Sarnillon's daughters was there and using undead as walls of meat to protect them. She also reanimated one of the constructs once we found out there were people inside of them, interrogating it for knowledge. Apparently their flesh was directly grafted to the armor, and they bear no knowledge about Aeternus or how they entered that state. There was also something that arrived there shortly after the attack, supposedly soldiers partially bearing amorphous black armor. They showed up and whisked away Logan with his equipment as he was facing judgement from both Tyrene and the head mediator construct. He ended up dying during the fight, apparently to the sirene instead of the constructs, and it was only a resurrection item that kept him from becoming her puppet. He's going to call for war, I've known him long enough to be sure of it, and he'll likely drag every able-bodied army he can into it."

Jonathan refuses to turn towards Ezekiel, or acknowledge his response. Though on his third swig of whiskey he is visibly shaking with frustration and anger. "It's best not to push him anymore. We don't need him jamming a broken shot glass into your neck right before the speech." Tristan whispers into Ezekiel's ear. He then speaks more normally. "You said they were fueled? By water? Magically-animated objects don't need fuel sources, and having a person inside the armor would be unnecessary if they propped up by magic. No matter, I'll check with Nevissine once she can give a better explanation."

King Sarodin enters the room and looks towards Ezekiel. "Can you update me on the situation quickly, General? I only have a few minutes left to prepare, and this is probably the worst situation to be late for a speech in."

[Thokk_Smash]

Listening to Horthun's account, it is a force of will for Ezekiel to not grind his teeth into his gumline. If only he had been there, there would be a dozen more constructs for them to deconstruct. If only, if only, the woodpecker sighs, he thinks to himself, forcing his train of thought onto more constructive topics. What is in the past is immutable--the future, ever-changing.

With this confirmation of the constructs' reliance on water, he contacts Jeremiah. Notify every regiment of the Aegis: if any spellcaster knows Dispel Water, or can create a Magic Circle against Water, prepare to do so at a moment's notice.

Tristan's comment sends his gaze glancing towards the shaking Jonathan. He still feels the burning in his stomach, bubbling, but he pushes it down with one last grimace of frustration. My apologies, Jonathan, he says, and manages to sound convincing even to his own ears.

When the king arrives, Ezekiel stands straighter. Sirs Horthun and Jonathan have returned with a construct in tow. Lady Nevissine is examining it, and will hopefully have actionable intel soon. The constructs use water siphoned from the Plane of Water, so desiccation or spells against water will disrupt their cooling systems. The head of espionage is still missing, with signs of struggle in his office. The wards around the balcony remain in place, and Lieutenant Tristan will be here to provide extra protections. The local Aegis will be among the crowd, keeping their eyes peeled for the vaguest hint of suspicious activity.

Your speech will be as protected as it can be, given our enemy may strike at any moment. Lady Nevissine said that the enemy may have shaken us up to better predict our movements: it would not take a tactical genius to guess that you would personally give a speech to calm your subjects. I fear that my presence will be justified before your speech is over, sir.

Man, you posting so soon after I did makes me feel bad for taking so long to post. It's hard to predict when you'll be able to post quickly, since you work like, 12 hour days, right?

[Aldurin]

Oh, not since January. My current job is less intensive and far more flexible, so posting comes down to when it's most convenient to me during the day. Delays between posts are probably just coincidences of just happening to be online at the time.

Also "signs of struggle" is the strongest undersell of a severed arm that I've seen. Not that I've made other players try to explain severed arms to NPCs before, though.

"If you're still confident that you can maintain our security, then I'll trust in your judgement." The king says after a few moments of taking in the news. Jeremiah Rhuidhen enters and hands off the final revision of the speech to him. "Nothing to do but get this over with, then. Any word from Nevissine?"

"She is currently dismantling the armor and rooting through everything. Muttered some things about this not making sense, and then said to check back after the speech." Ezekiel's father replies. "I'll contact our allies and Ulwiss to make sure we aren't behind on any discoveries in the meantime." He looks to Ezekiel. "Son, I trust that you will do your best in your role out there. But remember to consider the future as well as the present, even in urgency. The future of peace that we have lived for centuries is no longer certain, and the decisions made in times of change are what landscape what remains for the next generation. I know you are a soldier, willing to risk your life. But you are also a leader, whose life bears the burdens of other people who might not otherwise be willing to do the same. Dying in battle has fallen back into being romanced by historians and authors, forgetting that war itself is a blight that can only be drowned in the blood of thousands. Silverkin will likely try to convince you of the value of desperate sacrifice in the coming days, and I hope your experiences and your blessings lead you to become a leader of rationality. Rebuild a better future than what we have, should it need to be rebuilt, and don't compromise yourself for the blind passion of others." There's a sad look in his eyes, and a heaviness in his voice towards the end. It reminds Ezekiel that his father grew up during the first century of peace, watching people try to put the world back together in ways that left faults and cracks. It was why Jeremiah became a politician, and continued to work despite having ample opportunities to retire rich and influential. It wasn't the expected moment for that kind of sentimentality to show, especially since he never really said anything like this to Ezekiel before.

Gerthom Capitol, Palace Balcony:

Even King Sarodin noticed the almost stuffy feel from the presence of so many magical auras on the balcony. From that point, Ezekiel could see dawn breaking in the sky behind him to the east, and the soft glows of lights next to families on every rooftop in sight. Caldwell had confirmed the orders and reported that the present Aegis were in proper vantage and patrol routines in the city. Tristan was standing on the balcony with him, waiting to cast the short-duration spells upon Ezekiel's confirmation that the king could walk into sight.

[Thokk_Smash]

My confidence in the Aegis and the balcony's security is stalwart, milord, he assures the king with a nod of the head. I merely do not wish to underestimate our enemy, he thinks to himself as his father reports on Lady Nevissine's progress.

His father's next words to him bring him pause. He locks eyes with Jeremiah, seeing the sorrow in his father's eyes and feeling realization come upon him. Has his father been dreading a day such as this? Where war comes once more, and his own son is put onto the front lines? Although he has not ye sired a child, he can imagine that the greatest fear of any parent is seeing their child die before them. All these years he has risen through the ranks, forming the Aegis and preparing them for war...did his father ever want to dissuade him? Try to convince him to pursue another path?

These thoughts flit through his mind, and he thinks of a half dozen things he wanted to ask his father. Why did you never speak of this before? What would you have me do to both protect the country without risking himself? Shaking his head, he grips his father's shoulder. I will keep your words in mind. The one thing I will never compromise is the safety of the citizens of Gerthom, and I do them more good alive than dead. You keep yourself safe as well, father.

On the balcony, Ezekiel takes out his Spyglass and puts it to his eye. Focusing the lens to the rooftops, he is unable to spy signs of suspicious activities. All the vantage points that he would take up as a sniper are either taken by families or empty, and so from what he can see, there is no reason to stop the speech from going on. Begin your casting, Tristan, and stay alert, he thinks to his lieutenant. He gives Tristan time to set up the wards he wants first before motioning for the king to walk onto the balcony.

Is the speech being projected to the whole country via magical sensors?

[Aldurin]

A less extensive version of the broadcast system described in Florikeme's capitol is present in hub locations of each Gerthom city. And voice projection enchantments are in place for those in the capitol to hear without being near one of these devices at the edge of the city. The king will have his speech sent through both, though the imaging system is focused to only show him for the distant viewers, without the balcony or other people in the background.

Tristan immediately casts the Wall of Force to block off the opening of the balcony, and then Greater Heroism upon the king as he steps out. A silence spreads over the city as worried citizens wait for their leader's words. The Aegis in the streets report their regular all clear on their lookouts, no disturbances and no one among the ranks missing. Sarodin walks onto the balcony, carrying a strong expression and a resolute posture. As he speaks Ezekiel can hear the slight echo of his words, a more substantial echo that sounds more grand through the way the voice amplification works.

Citizens, both serving and civilian, this is not a time where we can embrace an inviting lie of safety, nor can I even consider providing that lie to you. The whole world heard this person who calls himself 'Aeternus' declare his intention, and what we have discovered shortly afterward confirms our fears. The Astral Plane is unsafe, and with it both teleportation and planar shifting. The 'chosen' have not revealed themselves yet if they are a faction under Aeternus' command, but cannot be dismissed. The peace conference was attacked, through means and tactics that threaten to throw the battles of the Great War into obsolescence. But there were survivors who used their ingenuity to repel the assault and save dozens. Aeternus wanted this war to be over from the start, and his failure to destroy the heart of the world's diplomacy is a testament to our common tenacity.

Movement can be seen in the crowds from people turning and murmuring with each other upon the bold declaration of the information. The Aegis still report an all clear.

There will be battle, possibly in forms we have not seen before. We will have to contend with the Verix Alliance again, whether they are an ally of Aeternus, or the third party of this war that will take an opportunity against us. But Gerthom has been fortunate in this regard, in thanks to the Eternal Aegis. I don't expect all of you who received their training to step forward and enlist, there must be people who can defend our cities with ferocity among the homes of our cities should anything get past our armies, but I do ask for your aid in making sure that this is not a war that comes to our doorsteps.

Caldwell reports through the link that the northeastern Aegis patrols have seen what appears to be a small, shiny moon suspended above Florikeme. The estimation is that it is likely over their capitol at no more than a couple miles above.

And the Thylle alliance is still strong, as Florikeme will bring the strongest fighting force, and the other countries their best industry. This is not a war we will fight alone, not as individual people, and not as a single country. This will not be the Great War, and if we stay vigilant and adaptable, we will-

The speech is cut off by the first shot. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29ls9peBbrI)

Ezekiel catches a glimpse of a flash of flame from an empty spot on the street, immediately followed by a blinding flash and the feeling of weightlessness as himself, Tristan and the king are thrown upward into the sky. The war of the shockwave is deafening, followed by a ringing in his ears that drowns out the mental chatter as Aegis members react. The flight begins to slow, and Ezekiel recognizes the feel of Feather Fall in his descent. As his senses come back he can see that the balcony has been replaced by a cloud of dust glowing red with the heat inside, Tristan is to his left by about 10 feet, trying to reorient himself. The king is to his right by about 40 feet, drifting further away but still saved by the Feather Fall ring the royal guard insisted he wear. It's unclear if he's conscious or unharmed. The blast puts them all slightly away from the fortress, meaning that they'll drift to the ground in close to half a minute unless they can somehow maneuver to the top of the fortress, which would be only a few seconds of falling.

Roll initiative and spot checks for anything you want to try to figure out.

[Thokk_Smash]

Initiative: [roll0]
Spot check on the spot where the flash originated (could be greater invisibility, but fingers crossed they're visible now): [roll1]
Spot check on the king to see if he's alive/still breathing (1d20+31)[32]

How do you handle immediate actions? Is it possible for Ezekiel to have used Celerity and then Resilient Sphere? Were the king, Ezekiel, and Tristan all within 15ft of each other before the blast? Then again, another pertinent question would be: can Ezekiel tell whether the blast was a ray or the like that traveled from one point to another, or like Glitterdust where it just appears in the area and would be inside the Resilient Sphere? If that makes sense the way I said it.

Edit: The plan right now is to activate his Celestial Armor's Fly ability to grab the king, then circle back for Tristan on the way to the fortress, assuming the immediate action plan doesn't work. Let me know how viable this action is: will dragging the king cause him to be slowed due to encumbrance? Does Tristan have a method of flight that Ezekiel knows about?

Edit edit: Also, did the blast cause Ezekiel any damage? Or was it an AoE whose DC was so low he auto-passed it and Elusion negated the damage entirely?

Ezekiel keeps an eagle eye on the streets below as well as the rooftops as his king makes his appearance. Mentally directing the Aegis to remain vigilant, he listens to King Sarodin's speech with one ear. He has agreements and disagreements with the king's words: Aeternus did not want the war to end with the peace conference; he still does not agree that the Verix Alliance has allied themselves with Aeternus, and if worst comes to worst then they must be willing to cooperate with them. However, he can understand that the people need to hear a mix of firm and comfort: the king knows better than he how to choose his words to have the best effect. Simply one more reason he never became a politician like his father.

Repeat that, Caldwell, he says, blinking once in surprise at his second in command's words. A small, shiny moon on the surface of the planet? Yet another trick of Aeternus'? It was that split second of his blink that diverted his attention from the ground, and when he returned his attention the flash of fire had begun its course.

Seconds later, he manages to regain his senses after the tremendous explosion below his feet. Ignoring the ringing in his ears he whips his head around to where he saw the flash. Nothing...or so it would seem, but there is a disturbance in the smoke. A creature? A spell effect? Attempting to push past the ringing in his ears, he mentally yells, All available Aegis members in the area, converge on the empty street 300 feet from the balcony! Enemy assumed to be invisible, so prepare anti-invisibility tactics!

Hoping that his mental message went through, he focuses on his mental bond with Tristan. Again hoping that he can get the words out through the ringing in his ears, he yells to Tristan's mind, Tristan, cast Fly and move towards me! I'll grab the king!

Forcing the command word through his throat and into the air, he feels the spell held within his armor take hold. Reorienting himself, he can feel his center of gravity solidify. Without delay he flies to King Sarodin, wrapping an arm around the man's waist. He moves closer to the fortress, motioning for Tristan to consolidate with them.

Free actions: Direct the Aegis and Tristan.

Standard action: Activate the Celestial Armor's Fly effect.

Move action: Move 40ft to the right, grab the king as part of the move action, and then move 10ft back to fly over the fortress and 5ft closer to Tristan (-5ft for starting to move backwards as per Good maneuverability.

[Aldurin]

The top level of the castle is an open area about 200 x 200 ft with battlements that alternate between 3 ft and 4 ft high all around. There's stairways down to the interior on each corner.

Dammit, I'm between towns, what's happening? Caldwell replies as through the link as Ezekiel gets to the king. Sarodin is conscious, but clearly bewildered by the current situation. Down in the streets Glitterdust explodes like a groundward fireworks show, tagging an invisible figure that is running towards the castle at high speed. Tristan sees it too as he casts Fly meeting up with Ezekiel about 10 ft above the rooftop.

Greater Invisibility and Haste, they're probably using other spells as well. I've never seen anything explode like that, though. Tristan sends as he looks around the rooftop. The five guards regularly posted up here are running towards them with shields turned toward the sky, ready to cover the king when they get close enough.

[Thokk_Smash]

An assailant interrupted the speech with an attempt on the king's life, he tells Caldwell. He blew up the floor of the balcony, so he's unharmed; that was probably simpler than trying to get through the wards themselves. This must be just the beginning, though, so keep me updated on the other regiments of the Aegis. Aeternus may use this to send something like that moon at the rest of the country.

There must be more than one assailant. There is no reason for Aeternus to send only one assailant; this is the opening move of a game this madman has probably dreamt of for years. Still, he cannot allow that one man to roam freely.

Milord, my apologies but I am going to drop you to the roof--I need to dispose of that invisible man before he gets another chance to cast a spell. Tristan! Cover the king until the guards can take him to safety!

With one last nod of confidence, he lets the king drop to the rooftop, trusting in Tristan and the guards to keep the man safe. Bow suddenly in hand, he trains his eyes on the now-visible enemy running toward the castle. The enemy will find himself choking on air that is suddenly heavier than before, carrying the threat of pain if they move. Men, do not falter! Do not let the threat of the unknown cloud your defenses, nor your hearts! He calls out to the soldiers to stand tall and strong as he draws back his bow. The arrows loosed are as a hailstorm, raining down upon the glitter-outlined assassin as they split in midair.

Free action drop the king 10ft onto the rooftop. Free action continue auras, as outlined in post #3.

Free action draw bow thanks to Least Crystal of Return.

Swift action: Threatening Gaze: assuming the assassin is within 110' of Ezekiel, they count as threatened by Ezekiel for the purposes of flanking and whether Ezekiel gets an AoO when they move from their square. If they're not within 110ft of Ezekiel, ignore this.

Full attack with Rapid Shot. +5 morale bonus to-hit and damage from Aura of Courage. All arrows ignore Protection from Arrows and Entropic Shield, and carry a targeted Dispel Magic on a hit. A natural 1 is not automatically a miss.

Rapid shot 1 (aiming for nonlethal): [roll0]
[roll1]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll2]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll3]

Rapid Shot 2 (aiming for nonlethal): [roll4]
[roll5]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll6]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll7]

Normal 1: [roll8]
[roll9]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll10]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll11]

Normal 2: [roll12]
[roll13]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll14]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll15]

Normal 2.1: [roll16]
[roll17]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll18]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll19]

Normal 2.2: [roll20]
[roll21]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll22]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll23]

Normal 3.1: [roll24]
[roll25]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll26]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll27]

Normal 3.2: [roll28]
[roll29]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll30]
Potential Dispel Magic: [roll31]

I don't know how many Dispel checks to roll other than the two Tristan pointed out to him, so feel free to roll for any Dispels that hit and don't include other buffs he may have on him.

[Aldurin]

Due to height, you aren't in range for threatening gaze.

Five of the arrows hit, the second one causing the target's speed to slightly decrease as the Haste is stripped away and then the fifth one removing the invisibility. The target is a humanoid obscured by a cloak but male in build, still running faster than Ezekiel has seen most people run. The weapon he carries is a Great Crossbow (Races of Stone, for reference), but the way he hefts it seems off for such a weapon. He's clearly badly wounded, but he aims his crossbow at the front gate of the castle and fires, causing another flash of flame as a point of light instantly travels to the entrance and obliterates it with the same explosion. He becomes obscured within the cloud that expands from there, and Ezekiel hears a voice from that area. "Don't prioritize my wounds! Protecting the king comes first, if we keep that guy out of the castle then the Aegis will trap him!"

Up at the roof, Tristan casts Stoneskin on King Sarodin as they go down the stairs with the other guards. Within a few seconds the sound of footsteps stop. Someone cast Guards and Wards (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Guards_and_wards) within the castle! We need an alternate destination! The caster would have had to have finished it at the moment of the attack, so they must still be in there! Tristan sends through the link.

Spot check to determine some details about the attacker, including his current land speed.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel curses as he sees his arrows fail to bring the assailant low. To be sure, anyone confident enough to do this would be powerful, but he had felt confident in the final arrow that had found its mark.

To the Aegis members he can reach mentally, he directs, To all the Aegis around the castle, form a perimeter around the castle and keep watch on the gate. Any caster with Gust of Wind prepared, cast it from the side of the gate; get rid of that smokescreen! Help the royal guard to keep that archer out of the gate!

To the Aegis in the rest of the city, direct the citizens to remain calm and prepare to evacuate if I give the order. Keep a sharp eye on crowds and look for anyone acting odd or suspicious. Anyone who can, cast See Invisibility and remain vigilant. There may be more enemies hiding even amongst the crowds.

Yelling down to the royal guard below, he calls out, Stand your ground, men! Show them your pride in Gerthom!

Tristan's report brings a curse to his mind. How long before completing the spell had that mage been in the castle? They couldn't have teleported in right before, and they had checked the floors and offices. Although, if these people are working with Aeternus, could it be possible for them to teleport without fear of repercussions?

He grimaces and focuses on the problem at hand. There is an enemy mage on the top floor of the castle, and the mystery archer is less than ten dozen feet away from breaching the castle gates. The guard may be able to stall him, and with great luck together with the damage he had caused they may be able to bring him low.

Tristan, do you have True Seeing or Detect Scrying prepared? he asks his lieutenant. I need you to cast True Seeing on me, and get Detect Scrying set up.

With a few well-placed words, Tristan finds himself with the energy needed to cast Detect Scrying immediately. ((OOC: Grant Standard Action))

The destination is the same as before; we are going to enter the castle through a window and then proceed to meet up with Nevis if we can. If not, we will find Gary's modifications he's made to his office and have the king hunker down there. At least we know the mage is in the upper story, and cannot teleport to move faster. There are sure to be other enemies in the city, and dealing with the known variables first will be for the best. In a pinch, I have Celerity and Resilient Sphere as my concurrences to protect the king and you, as long as you both stay within 15 feet of me.

Just actions for now, no movement since Tristan needs to move and cast True Seeing on Ezekiel.

[Aldurin]

The Aegis confirm their orders and Ezekiel can see them moving throughout the crowds to get better vantage points or a strong perimeter position. One of them gusts away the cloud around the gate, revealing the archer's bloodstain leading into the blasted opening in the castle. One of the guard shouts back up, "We don't see him, but he wounded some of our guys pretty badly in the blast!"

Tristan gets back to the roof and puts True Seeing on Ezekiel. Nothing revealed by it, but there isn't much of the ground level in range for him to scan. Tristan also confirms that Detect Scrying is currently getting nothing at the moment. The formation of guards around the king move back up to the roof as well, holding shields to protect him from above and the gaps between their bodies. "General! What's happening?" Sarodin shouts from within his mobile barrier of guards.

[Thokk_Smash]

I've injured the archer assailant badly. He's entered the castle through the front gate and is trailing blood. There is a mage on the top floor who has cast a troublesome ward on the top floor. I've set the Aegis to form a perimeter around the castle to prevent further incursions by outsiders. I don't know how the mage remained undetected, but his presence is known now. Our first priority is to forcibly evict our new squatters and make the castle safe; I have the Aegis surrounding the castle and keeping an eye on the rest of the city.

We will fly down into a window on one of the lower floors, meet up with Captain Nevis and coordinate with the Royal Guard. Stay by my side no matter what, and I will protect you.

He moves to the side of the gate on the roof and gestures to the phalanx of guards to follow him with the king. Tristan, is it possible for the Astral, trapped as it is, to be passable for select people who know how to traverse it? Could it be that the mage was able to teleport into the castle despite the dangers of the Astral?

He stops by the side of the roof and peers down, listening for any more explosions from inside. Caldwell, how close are you to the capitol? What news of the rest of the Aegis regiments? he asks his friend and second-in-command.

[Aldurin]

Sarodin steps forward and calmly speaks. "Then we should get moving." He draws his sword, an heirloom of the Gerthom royal line. Ezekiel has never seen it used, but knows that it carries magic stronger than most artificers can replicate. From down below, no more explosions can be heard. There isn't even the sound of fighting from there.

I can't answer that question until I know how the Astral has been denied. But still being wary of teleportation is sensible. The mage would have had to teleport in or be heavily disguised, as we searched the whole castle just before the speech. Tristan peeks over the battlements as well. We might be fighting a beguiler, an infiltration-specialized caster, given that there's no sound of fighting from the entrance. I've heard those guys make a killing as for-hire spies, so he has to be well-equipped.

I'm an hour out, forty minutes if I run ahead of my squad. Do you think the fight will last that long? Caldwell sends back.

[Thokk_Smash]

No, stay together with your squad. Improbable as it is, I don't want you to be caught alone from your squad by a hit-group sent by Aeternus. Keep me apprised on the situations with the rest of the Aegis on the continent.

Ezekiel hesitates for only a fraction of a second. To be absolutely safe, they could store the king inside of his bag of holding. There is enough air in there for 10 minutes, and after that they could bring him back out. But a single rip in the bag's fabric would destroy all items inside--including the king. For the moment, it might be safer to keep him out of the bag. Agreed. Forgive any impudence, milord, but what training have you had?

Tristan, what potions or scrolls do you have on you? he asks his lieutenant as he wraps an arm around the king's torso. Also, what spells do you have prepared that may be useful in the castle?

He drops down forty feet, flying between the windows to prevent the mage from seeing them if he happens to be next to a window. Opening the window on the second floor, he flies inside and places the king onto the floor. He takes stock of the hallway they find themselves in, listening for any signs of intrusion.

To the Aegis in front of the castle, send a squad in to the main hallway. Be careful and do not make yourselves easy targets, but give me a report on the status of the main hallway--whether the archer is still there, what the royal guard are doing, and so on. Sweep the first floor and keep me updated on your status.

To the Aegis in the back of the castle, send a squad in through the back entrances and sweep the bottom floor. Keep me updated on your status. The rest of the Aegis around the castle, maintain your positions.

Listen check: [roll0]
Spot check: [roll1]

[Aldurin]

"Enough to fight defensively." Sarodin replies before he's swooped down to the second floor with Ezekiel. The room they enter is the king's study, which is a roomy 25x30 ft chamber with a small desk in the center and a small library lining the side walls. Ezekiel doesn't detect anything wrong with the room itself, but can hear several of the royal guard running in the hallway. Tristan comes in behind them. Potions for healing, invisibility and flight, but no scrolls. Any sort of spell that doesn't specifically buff us is more powerful in close quarters, so I guess almost all of them are better now. I still have an extra Wall of Force, and there's tricks that can be done with illusion spells in this sort of scenario.

One of the commanding officers for the Aegis outside reports back. Clearing right now. No sign of activity in the back of the castle so far. Front entrance is destroyed, and the royal guard present are saying that the attacker didn't get past them, even though the trail of blood says otherwise. Invisibility countermeasures haven't revealed him yet, so he's either hidden himself in plain sight or is already deeper in the castle.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel scans the room quickly. Seeing nothing of note, he takes a moment to think. These assailants are going about this assassination...sloppily, it seems to him. If they could hide themselves in the castle, then why not simply poison the king at an opportune moment? And if they could indeed teleport freely, why choose to interrupt the speech instead of a time when he would be more vulnerable than when he was surrounded by powerful enchantments? Could it be that they have an objective other than Sarodin's death?

Milord, one mage was able to infiltrate the castle, and the archer outside had a chance to shoot at you while you were in midair but did not. I think they may have an objective in addition to assassination. Does the castle have anything within that an outside power may want? Something powerful or significant enough to use an assassination attempt as a distraction to obtain it?

Ezekiel strides to the door quickly and opens it. He scans the hallway as the guards run through, looking for signs of danger before bringing the king into view. To a passing guard, he says, Status report, soldier. Where is Captain Nevis, Lady Nevissine, and Sir Rhuidhen?

Spot: [roll0]

[Aldurin]

"I don't know, sir. We just came up from the ground floor. Nevis should have been near the balcony during the speech, but we can't confirm his whereabouts." The soldier replies, one of the four royal guard outside of the study. "We'll defer command to you until we locate him. Shall we enter defensive formation around the king?" Two of them wield greatswords, one of them a tower shield and halberd and the one that is speaking a buckler and longsword.

The king thinks on the question and gives a dry laugh. "The most tactically valuable thing in the country is the Eternal Aegis, as one of the few organized military forces remaining that could actually do more than act as a guard. The assassins could be after you just as likely as myself. Though I'd rather not find out the hard way which of us is their primary target."

Their current location is the hallway on the left side of the castle. A 10x10 corridor that extends 100 feet past the main hall and another 60 past the throne room. Facing down the hallway, there's doors the various side chambers every 25 feet on the left, with access to the main hall and throne room on the right at 70 and 110 feet away respectively. The nearest sections of wall show cracking from the initial explosion, but the damage doesn't seem to extend much farther on this level. There's a couple of royal guard at the entrance to the main hall, letting a third guard through and receiving the area report from him, though Ezekiel can't hear it from his end of the hallway.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel addresses the guard members. Stay inside this room, and do not let anyone else inside. Lock it and keep it shut, and if it opens without me saying "The Aegis stands alert", then start swinging.

Milord, remain in this room until I return. Stay behind the tower shield. Lieutenant, remain with the king and continue to supplement his defense. I'll be back soon.

Nodding to the soldiers, his armor shines as he flies through the hallway towards the main hall. Directing his mind to the web of telepathic bonds in his mind, he calls out, Has the blood trail been followed to its end? Does anyone have eyes on Captain Nevis, Lady Nevissine, or Sir Rhuidhen?

When he gets close to the royal guardsmen there, he looks at them searchingly before saying, Status report, men. Does anyone have eyes on the target? There must be a blood trail somewhere.

Spot check in case he managed to disguise himself somehow: [roll0]

Does True Seeing reveal anything?

[Aldurin]

Tristan confirms the order and stands next to the king as Ezekiel leaves. The guards at the entrance look confused and one replies, "Blood trail? The only person that got inside was one of ours. Took a pretty bad hit from those arrows . . ." he trails off as his face is taken with the realization. The clearing teams confirm that the ground floor is clear, and that the blood trail stops inside the throne room, just as Ezekiel sees a cloaked figure wearing a royal guard illusion and wielding a weapon he has never seen before. The way the person carries it indicates that it is meant to function like a crossbow, but it carries no lathe or string, and seems to have most of its function concealed inside. The person sees Ezekiel immediately and raises his weapon as he moves toward one of the other doors.

Roll initiative, in the OOC is fine.

[Aldurin]

The figure moves quickly, but is clearly in a mild limp from the injuries, though he seems to be in better shape than how Ezekiel last left him. He kicks open one of the doors, and fires his weapon just before passing through. This time Ezekiel can't even see the flash from the barrel before the wall near him disappears into light, along with one guard and most of the other. The blast throws Ezekiel against the wall and he takes [roll0] fire damage from the proximity.

Two DC 20 fort saves against Blindness and Deafened, respectively, with the Dazzled condition on success for either of them.
And a DC 25 reflex save to be standing after the blast.

If Ezekiel succeeds his saves he'll only see smoke and hear crumbling structure in his immediate area. And the remains of the one guard who didn't get entirely vaporized.

[Thokk_Smash]

Before Ezekiel can react to the armed intruder, the man manages to get one up on the general. Much to his horror, the assailant fires his bow once more, and his yell of rage at the sight of the vaporized guard is drowned out by the terrific explosion.

Ezekiel is thrown to the ground by the force of the blast. His vision swims and his ears ring; he can feel at least second degree burns on his stomach, and his right ear is dripping blood. Nevertheless, he forces his body to cooperate as he gets to his feet. Tristan, how is the king? he demands of his lieutenant, jogging with only a slight stagger towards the room the man had disappeared into.

Spotting the man, Ezekiel grimaces as his belt glows brightly. I know not who you are, but this was the last mistake you will make in your life, he snarls. His arm blurs as he reaches for his arrows, sending a hail of wood and steel at the man who had dared to attack his home.

Double move to get into the room, then Swift action use all three charges of his belt for a full attack.

All arrows ignore Entropic Field and penetrate all illusions and enchantments. They do not automatically miss on a natural 1. Each carries a Dispel Magic effect. +5 morale bonus to-hit/damage from Aura. AC is currently 52 from other aura whose name I can't remember.

Iterative 1: [roll0] (Nonlethal--hoping to take him out without killing him to get some info)
[roll1]
Dispel magic: [roll2]
[roll3]

Iterative 1: [roll4] (Nonlethal for same reason)
[roll5]
Dispel magic: [roll6]
[roll7]

Rapid shot: [roll8]
[roll9]
Dispel magic: [roll10]
[roll11]

Rapid shot: [roll12]
[roll13]
Dispel magic: [roll14]
[roll15]

Iterative 2: [roll16]
[roll17]
Dispel magic: [roll18]
[roll19]

Iterative 2: [roll20]
[roll21]
Dispel magic: [roll22]
[roll23]

Iterative 3: [roll24]
[roll25]
Dispel magic: [roll26]
[roll27]

Iterative 3: [roll28]
[roll29]
Dispel magic: [roll30]
[roll31]

[Aldurin]

Tristan immediately responds back. He's fine. What's happening out there? As Ezekiel reaches the door he sees the familiar faces of the Aegis just behind him, and at the threshold he notices a piece of metal on the ground that is giving off a slight wisp of smoke, but doesn't catch exactly what it is as he slams the assailant against the wall of Nevis' office with his arrows. The illusions are stripped away and he sees that this man is a half-drow that he doesn't recognize. The weapon falls to the ground, smoke still leaving its barrel as well. From here Ezekiel sees enough to understand that it's a ranged weapon. He sees the trigger, a strangely-crafted telescope mounted above it and can tell which way it should be pointed when fired. But there are still several other functions on this weapon beyond his understanding.

Nevis isn't in his office, but one of the Aegis members points Ezekiel back towards the most recent blast mark, where the royal guard captain has just jumped down and is now running towards them. "General, fill me in quickly! There's a mage on the third floor after the king!"

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel breathes heavily for a single second as the half-drow slides down the wall. Gathering his thoughts, he thinks to Tristan, I found the crossbow assailant--he was disguised as a royal guardsman. He may be the beguiler you mentioned, but that would beg the question of who cast the Guards and Wards. He exploded part of the wall, but I managed to bring him down. Stay in that room and make sure the king does not leave. I'll retrieve you soon.

He reaches down to pick up the small metal object in the threshold, regarding it curiously. Is this some sort of weapon? A small potion bottle? It's smoking, like the strange crossbow...is there a connection?

He observes the captain as he gets closer, making sure that he is not an illusion as well. If his True Seeing does not reveal any illusions, he says, The king is safe. I've just dispatched the assailant that shot at the speech balcony; he was disguised as a guardsman.

You two, search the body for any identifying markers, and anything he may have taken from the throne room. You two, go to the throne room and inspect the area for anything he may have planted, he says, gesturing to two pairs of Aegis members. He was leaving the throne room when I confronted him. Probably looking for the king. Does the guard have eyes on the mage on the third floor? Where is Lady Nevissine and Sir Rhuidhen?

To the Aegis members still in the streets of the city, he calls out, Situation report--have any other irregularities been discovered?

To the Aegis in the castle, send a squad onto the second floor and begin evacuating any noncombatants to the lower floor. There is a mage on the third floor, proceed with caution.

[Aldurin]

The four Aegis members get to work, restraining the attacker and searching him while making sure the throne room is safe.

The object seems to be a silvery cylinder, tapering down to a fully-opened end about two thirds of the diameter of the main section. The rear has a depression in the center with a smaller hole to the inside, with the marking "E-94" around the outside of that depression. The material is neither silver nor steel, it is too light and doesn't have the same reflective sheen. The object seems slightly too large to fit through the barrel of the weapon.

Nevis appears to be himself, and upon hearing the explanation immediately shouts. "Where is the king?! We can't lose track of him in this mess! I don't know where the others are, but the Guards and Wards extends to that floor as well so the mage has terrain advantage there."

Understood, I'm hearing heavy footsteps above the ceiling. Might be a summon but I don't know how that would work in this circumstance. Could also be a smuggled undead or monster. I'm ready to intercept if something breaches through, but our location could still be compromised.

The crowd is starting to panic, though it hasn't fully escalated yet. We recovered a small unidentified cylinder of metal near where the attacker fired from, still hot to the touch. Nothing suspicious has been reported yet.

Order confirmed. Any identification on the target?

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel nods as he pockets the strange cylinder. The king is in the room (X) doors down, surrounded by four of your men and Lieutenant Edgeworth. I will direct the Lieutenant to bring him here, and to have the Guard surround him, if I may make that order on your behalf. Edgeworth can hear heavy walking on the floor above, a possible smuggled undead or perhaps the mage has Shapechanged. Either way, we should consolidate while the mage is on the third floor, and not this floor.

Bring the king, and instruct the Guard to keep the king surrounded and as covered as they can. Move as quickly as you can to Captain Nevis' office; the captain is here, so consolidation of our forces is a must.

If it seems as though the panic will escalate, proclaim that one of the assassins has been killed, and that we are on the tail of the second. We do not want potential enemies in the crowd to know our progress and possibly hasten their plans, but we must not let riots break out.

Negative. There is a larger enemy on the third floor, also unidentified. I will keep you informed as I learn more.

What have you found on him? he asks the pair of Aegis members searching the half-drow.

He moves to pick up the strange weapon and then moves to the door, keeping an eye on the hallway while Tristan, the king, and the guards come down. He sharpens his gaze, and his hands twitch as he prepares himself to encapsulate the king and Tristan in a bubble of force if the need arises. Captain, tell me your opinion of hiding the king in Gary's hidey-holes; the ones he somehow personally reinforced with adamantine and lead. It is possible the agents discovered them during their attack on Gary's person, but it's also possible they did not, and it's less likely they knew about them beforehand than the rooms behind the throne room.

I'm assuming it'll take the Aegis members more than one round to search the throne room, so I'll wait on you to post for them before asking for them.

Ready an action to cast Resilient Sphere on the king if he needs to. It's a free action to drop an item, so he'll drop the gun in order to cast it. I had him pick it up to get a closer look at it, but he won't really inspect it until the king's safe and sound in the room.

[Aldurin]

Nevis scratches his head and sighs as he sees the king come down the hallway with the escort. "I'm not happy to admit that the nutjob's box is the best stationary place to defend the king until we get this under control. I'll go with you to clear Gary's office, then seal myself in the room with the king and my most-trusted guards. Then you'll be free to hunt down this mage without tactical restrictions." He gestures to the weapon Ezekiel picked up. "And just find a place to put that where it doesn't blow up anything else. I'm not comfortable with that in someone's hands, whether they know how it works or not, until we have this situation under control. Damn thing melted the remaining stone around where the balcony was, and I don't think most dragons can do that."

The Aegis members searching the attacker set aside several potions and scrolls, two bags of holding and a handy haversack. "Most of the clothes are magical items, and he's got pockets all over. We'll work at disarming him, then make sure he's bound and gagged so he can't cast spells. Since Gary's office is near the prisoner cells, should we find another place to detain him? We don't really have any place with the same set of wardings in the castle, though." The other one plucks a gem from the top of the nose and makes an impressed whistle. "Not every day you see a Third Eye gem." He nudges his partner. "Bet one platinum on it being a Third Eye Conceal given the budget this guy must be on."

Both Aegis CO's confirm their orders through their telepathic bonds. The king makes it safely to Ezekiel, and Tristan takes one look through the doorway and gives an approving nod at the sight of the attacker pinned against the wall. "What's our next step?"

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel nods. We must make do with what we have, and Gary is the most paranoid of all of us. It seems his paranoia will be to our benefit, although I do wish we knew his fate. They must have known it would not be easy to dispose of him, and yet whoever infiltrated the castle only attacked him. That must have some meaning. And fear not--I'm not addled enough to keep this in the open for too long.

Ezekiel stores his bow and places the strange weapon into his own bag of holding. He takes the items the Aegis members discovered--he hooks the bags of holding onto his belt and slings the haversack onto his back. Plucking the Third Eye gem, he pockets it and says, Our next step is getting the king secure. Captain Nevis and I will lead the group to the location, at which point he will remain with the king along with his top men. Wait until the king is secured, and then bring the prisoner into the cells--despite their proximity, it is best to keep him as secure as possible as well.

Tristan, while we walk, I want you to identify these scrolls and potions. They may prove useful later. Captain, let us move quickly to Gary's office.

While they walk, Ezekiel looks through the haversack first, and then the bags of holding to see if they have any scrolls or potions, or perhaps some identifiers of some sort.

I assume some cells are anti magic, so I didn't have Ezekiel specify because duh, the beguiler should go in there.

[Aldurin]

"Very well, let's go." Nevis takes the lead toward the basement level. Tristan starts looking at the scrolls and potions. "The potions will take too long to identify. So far I'm seeing scrolls for Fly, Spider Climb, Haste and Greater Invisibility. I'll keep working on the rest." Quick rummaging through the haversack reveals a fully equipped suite of utility items. Caltrops, alchemical substances, ropes, daggers and more. In the right-side pocket Ezekiel finds some rectangular objects that seem to contain several of whatever that cylinder from earlier went to, the container bearing the same material as the new weapon.

They get to the basement level quickly, reaching Gary's office as Ezekiel gets word from his CO directing the castle forces. "Something Passwalled through to the basement level, but we didn't get a good glimpse at what it was! Armored skeleton undead are confirmed to be roaming through the upper floors."

[Thokk_Smash]

Keep the Haste and Greater Invisibility scrolls handy. He looks at the strange rectangular object, trying to think of how it would fit into the weapon. Obviously, the cylinders don't go in through the end of the thin barrel--they wouldn't fit.

Intelligence to suss out their use: [roll0]

Or, if you're feeling kind, Wisdom: [roll1]

Just as they are about to begin to search Gary's office, the CO's report causes Ezekiel to cast his gaze down the hallways piercingly, as if to desire to find the enemy through willpower alone. Where in the basement did they go down? How close to Gary's office?

To Tristan, he telepathically asks so as not to alarm the king, An enemy just dropped down into the basement through a Passwall. Can you sense a scrying sensor in Gary's office, or in the area? Could they have planted one before, when they attacked Gary?

His voice tight with urgency, he says to Nevis, Captain, an enemy has Passwalled into the basement, and may be heading here. I'll keep an eye out on the hallways, you and your men focus on clearing out the room. And put that Third Eye gem on the king--if it is what my men thought it was, it will do us a large favor.

He looks down the hallways, bringing the layout of the castle to mind. He has spent days worth of hours walking these hallways, memorizing the best ways to get through them. He considers them now, outlining in his mind the best route from where his men said the enemy dropped down onto the floor. Determining the hallway that he thinks the enemy would go through, he gestures to it and calls upon the powers of the stars and his own force of will. Imposing his will on reality, a shimmering orb of pure force appears in the juncture of the hallway, large enough to block off travel if it is able.

Basically use the Resilient Sphere as a wall on the hallway Ezekiel thinks the enemy will come from. The max diameter of the sphere is 15ft--are the hallways more or less than that width? If they're less, then he makes it just large enough to fill the hallway.

I feel like I should've put the Third Eye on the king before now, but such is hindsight.

[Aldurin]

Ezekiel can't immediately be sure of the how the object fits with the weapon, especially with the weapon still safely stored in his bag of holding. They came from above the throne room! The CO sends back. Whoever it is entered only 50 feet away from Gary's office, with two corners on the path there. Fortunately the basement-level hallways are not as wide or grand as the upper floors, being 10 feet at the largest.

"No scrying, which is worrying. It'd only make sense for someone to be hidden away from here to act as a spotter for them, but I haven't gotten a sign of how they're keeping coordinated. I'd kill for a cleric that knew Telepathy Tap right now." Tristan sends back.

As Nevis is helping the king apply the Third Eye gem Ezekiel hears a thump from the resilient sphere, followed by scuffling, the clattering of something light and metallic, and someone swearing under their breath. The blocked junction is twenty feet away, but from the lack of visual indication the person must have collided with the part that of the sphere that extends slightly beyond the corner.

[Thokk_Smash]

Captain, keep the king surrounded and close the door. The enemy is just around the corner. Tristan, prepare immobilization measures and follow me, quickly.

To the breaching CO, he sends, Set up defensive posts at the stairwells to the third floor. Prepare undead countermeasures. Tell the men holding the prisoner to take him to the closest secure location and await further instructions until the basement is secure.

Ezekiel runs to the end of the hallway. He looks through the resilient sphere to locate who or what had hit it. In the name of Gerthom and the free peoples of the world, I order you to surrender immediately, he declares. Gesturing around the Resilient Sphere, he attempts to ensnare the target in another sphere of force. With the sphere in front of him, it should be difficult for him to avoid the second.

Because the Resilient Sphere isn't a square, it shouldn't block line of effect since there are spaces around the corners.

DC 21 Reflex save to avoid the second Resilient Sphere.

[Aldurin]

As Ezekiel peeks around the corner he sees a human in expensive mage robes dive for her weapon before becoming trapped in the second Resilient Sphere. On the ground is a much smaller weapon than what the first person had, but bearing the uncanny similarity in its craft. She immediately stands up casts a spell, breaking the sphere. She scoops up the weapon from the ground and runs around the next corner, on the path to get to Gary's office from a different hallway. "The sphere is blocking too much of the hall for both of us to get line of effect on her! We need a different plan to stop her!" Tristan says as he tries to peek past the sphere down the hall.

The Aegis CO in the castle confirms orders. Then the Aegis CO relaying the city's status speaks up over the link, "We've spotted something in the sky! No bigger than a person and trying to use the cloudline to conceal itself. We can't be sure what it is besides that it's pointing something directly at the castle. I'm getting spotters to identify it right now."

Spellcraft to identify the cast spell.

[Thokk_Smash]

As the mage breaks through the Resilient Sphere, Ezekiel considers a drastic option--drawing upon the time of the future at the expense of being totally immobile for a brief moment. He is sorely tempted, but discards it. While he can fire around the sphere, merely damaging her will do little if he is delayed from reacting to her next move.

He nods to Tristan as she flees. With a wave of his hand, he dismisses the Resilient Sphere. Cast Ghost Sound of us running down the hall, with Captain Nevis yelling for us to stop, he thinks to Tristan. Once you do, go to the opposite end of the hallway and ready yourself to stop her. She'll probably discern the illusion, and then she'll think that we want her to think people are following her. That might tempt her into doubling back, and so I will stay here and listen for her footsteps if she returns. If you hear them, send to me and I will ready to shoot at her when she comes around.

As well, the Aegis members outside have located a figure flying in the clouds above the city. It is pointing something at the castle. I am almost certain that is their spotter.

To the city CO, he thinks, Inform me of their findings as soon as you have them. Prepare ranged countermeasures and await my instructions, but prepare them subtly so we do not tip off the cloud figure.

Tristan gets +3 to Listen, +7 dodge to AC, and has Improved Uncanny Dodge while within 60ft of Ezekiel.

[Aldurin]

We'll try, but with how high that is we won't have any chance of hitting it until we fly up pretty far ourselves. I'll only have those trained in aerial combat pulled for this, just to be safe.

The skeletons seem weak, just a distraction. I've got Aegis around the basement entrances. Are we authorized to clear down and enclose on the target?

Roger that. I don't think we can do anything to foil the spotter right now if they're also using unconventional equipment. I just wish I knew if it could see us right now. Tristan casts the Ghost Sound and quickly moves to position, continuing flight to prevent from making footsteps. Past the illusion Ezekiel can't hear the footsteps of the mage anymore, and Tristan sends back that he doesn't either. Seconds pass with no sign of the mage coming from either direction, and instead both of them hear the sound of the cobblestone floor being ripped out near where the mage was last heard.

[Thokk_Smash]

Roger that.

Affirmative. Use the Passwall tunnel the mage left behind, if any Aegis are still around it. Move in quickly, but carefully: she has a strange weapon of similar make to the weapon that destroyed the walls.

Ezekiel listens for the mage, anxiety kept tightly bound inside. When the sounds of cobblestone being uprooted sounds, he quickly but as quietly as he can moves to the end of the hallway she had gone down and peeks down it. Tristan, do you have a Telepathic Bond prepared?

Move silently with -5 penalty for moving 25ft: [roll0]

If she isn't visible in the hallway, he'll use another move action to get to the end of the other hallway: MS: [roll1]

[Aldurin]

Ezekiel makes it to the corner, to find that 10 feet down the hallway a waist-high pile of cobblestone surrounds the bright orange glow of lava pooling at just below floor-level. Tristan peers out from the other end of the hall. Didn't see her. In the lava? None of the doors appear to be opened along the hall, and there's no invisibility to see through. Footsteps of the Aegis begin to echo through the halls, only moments away from being close enough to reinforce.

[Thokk_Smash]

That would be the obvious answer, Ezekiel thinks to Tristan. No sign of invisibility and the doors aren't closed. If she's strong enough to cast this, she's strong enough to cast Mind Blank, correct? Detect Thoughts wouldn't be of use here, then.

Markus (AKA: Aegis Breach CO), bring three men to support the king and Captain Nevis in Gary's office. Inform me of the Captain and the king's status. Send the rest to secure the area around this hallway, specifically the rooms adjacent. And I need a caster with a Create Water prepared, or with a scroll here yesterday--there's a few hundred square feet of lava in our basement right now, and we need to get it put out now.

Gesturing to the lava, he imposes his will upon the world once more. Another shimmering globe of energy surrounds the lava closest to him, cutting off the majority of the molten earth from the walls. If nothing else, it would delay the destruction of the surrounding walls.

[Aldurin]

Probably, what bothers me is that she couldn't have cast both Stone to Lava and Fire Immunity without either quickening one of them, unless she cast Fire Immunity in advance. Which still doesn't explain how she dislodged the cobblestone. We're dealing with some very capable or very prepared people, though I'm questioning if it's both given how off-the-cuff some of their actions seem. As Aegis members run past both sides of the hallway Tristan floats over to the nearest door in the direction of Gary's office, immediately shouting through the link as he looks in. The lava is spreading towards Gary's office! She's somehow using it to tunnel towards the king! As this happens Ezekiel can see the surface of the lava in the hallway begin to darken as the top layer begins to cool off. It doesn't seem like the Resilient Sphere is impeding whatever is happening.

We've got better eyes on the cloudline target! The Aegis CO in the city sends through. Female Water Genasi, lightly armored. She's holding the device like it's a spyglass instead of a weapon, though we don't have recognition on what it is, still. We can engage to disrupt her right now, but we aren't properly positioned to quickly subdue her.

[Thokk_Smash]

To all Aegis on the basement level, stay out of the rooms between this hallway and Gary's office! Be careful of the floor turning to lava beneath you! Ezekiel yells through the mental link. He takes off flying down the hallway back to Gary's office. Tristan, follow me and get that scroll of Fly ready to cast on the king or the Captain if we need to.

When he reaches Gary's office, he says, Captain, milord, we need to get out of the basement immediately. The mage has somehow turned herself into lava and is tunneling toward us right now. He reaches out to take the king's hand and brings him out of the room.

Ezekiel thinks hard for a moment on the options. Get the men in position as quickly as you can. I don't want her getting away. How long until your men are in position?

[Aldurin]

Aegis soldiers flood the hall and take up positions, avoiding the path of the lava. Ezekiel and Tristan make it to Gary's office as the lava crosses the hallway to the office. Screw it,I've got one Limited Wish I can burn on Telepathy Tap, so I can hear their communications when we're close. Do you think that's better than saving it for an emergency Revivify? Tristan sends as he glances at the migrating lava.

"What the hell-" Nevis stops as he sees the wall in the office begin to glow from the heat. "EVERYONE GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" The formation of guards exits the room with the king in the middle. "How is she doing that?" He yells at Ezekiel as they see the lava start encroaching down the hallway towards their entrance. It's not quite to the intersection but will make it there in moments.

It'll be about a minute to intercept. We've got a plan to chase her into a cloud then freeze the cloud with magic to disable her.

What's going on? I just got out of a fight with an assassin, who's dead on the third floor. Had a weapon that seems to shoot small metal orbs in a wide-angle blast. I can't outthink what I don't know about.

[Thokk_Smash]

A thought crosses Ezekiel's mind, and he pulls up beside Tristan as they fly. Speaking as softly as he can while still being heard, he whispers, Lady Nevissine seems to have dispatched yet another assassin on the third floor. I just wish we knew how many damned assassins they managed to get into the blasted castle. Use the Telepathy Tap; we'll just have to make sure they don't get a shot at the king. I'm talking in case they have a Telepathy Tap of their own. If you can use a Limited Wish, they can too.

To the captain, he shouts, I have no idea, captain! Just keep the king moving! We'll find an alternate location when the area is secure!

To any Aegis clerics in the area: if you have Create Water prepared, douse the lava when it passes by!

When the CO begins to explain his plan, Ezekiel interrupts him before he can say it, I trust your tactics, son. Keep an eye on her and report any changes before your plan.

((Since Ezekiel isn't there and doesn't know exactly the CO's assets, he really can't advise for or against whatever plans the CO may have. If you rule that he can't interrupt the CO before he says his plan, well, just ignore that sentence before the colored words.))

A group of assassins interrupted the speech; there's a Guards and Wards on the fourth and third floor, and skeleton undead on the third floor. I dispatched a beguiler who used a strange weapon to explode the walls, and now there is a mage in the basement who is turned into lava and is trying to engulf the king. The mage has a weapon of similar make to the beguiler's. We may be dealing with a new kind of weaponry manufactured by the enemy. Gary's office is no longer secure--what's your opinion on the next best place to secure the king?

[Aldurin]

Gary's office compromised? That mage either has blindsight or there's something else that allows her to track you. A scryer with a telepathic bond is the obvious guess. Either way they must have been prepared to kill the king at any point of the castle. Also important: elaborate on "dispatching" the beguiler.

"Roger that" Tristan whispers back. He casts Limited Wish and stays just ahead of the lava flow as he listens. I got it, she's working with a spotter that's guiding her movements and updating her on our position. Their communication indicates they can't overhear our telepathy right now. They know about the dead assassin, and that the beguiler was taken alive, but don't seem too concerned about it. Also their wording indicates that the mage is in the lava, but isn't the lava.

Nevis keeps the king close to Ezekiel as he talks with him. "Think they memorized the castle layout in advance? Even if they have a guide they seem to have plans for dealing with every safe location here."

Several Aegis members come from ahead and drop several cubic feet of water on the lava with their magic. Steam blasts out from the impact point, scalding Tristan and the rear guards slightly as the glow of the lava disappears, only to come back within moments. She sounds unphased. The partner referred to something in her possession called 'phlogiston'. Must be related to the lava.

The basement level is now subject to concealment, with total concealment around the lava itself.

[Thokk_Smash]

Knocked out severely, but alive and in the custody of Aegis personnel. There seems to be a scrier in the clouds in telepathic contact with them. If they've prepared for assassination within the castle, would it benefit us to change the setting and leave the castle?

Ezekiel keeps the king moving away from the glow of the lava. I think that's the assumption we need to make, he says to Nevis. They've obviously planned extensively for this. Which means it might be wise to take the king away from the castle, if they know every nook and cranny as well as we do. Either way, we should get the king to the first floor, where that damned lava hopefully can't follow.

Hopefully the steam clouds the spotter up for a bit. The Aegis in the city are preparing to attack the spotter in the clouds, but they need a minute to prepare. Can you get a feel from their conversation of how many of their group is left standing? From what you can tell, would the lava be able to follow us up the stairs to the first floor?

He hurries the king and Nevis to the stairwell to the first floor, making sure there are guards both in front of and behind the king, blocking him from view from the lava. He gestures for Tristan to fly up to his side, away from the lava. Turning around, he flies backwards to get ready to intercept any possible spells or weapons that may come from the area of the steam.

[Aldurin]

Get out of the castle, but make sure their spotter in the sky is disrupted before you get far into the city. Also kill the beguiler on your way out. If he's still breathing then he's still fully capable of escaping. You have two better options to take alive for interrogation.

"Good, let's move, men!" Nevis shouts to his guards as they move the king to the first floor. Ezekiel can see from the stairwell that guards and Aegis are now on alert all over the layout of the castle. Down in the basement the lava has seem to stop chasing them, but Ezekiel feels an extremely warm draft push up the stairwell as the orange glow from within the steam brightens.

The ground floor is starting to melt around the castle entrance! Tristan sends back. They seem to have predicted our move to enter the city. Are the two Aegis soldiers done transporting the beguiler? Because our enemy seems to be relaying that he's still moving.

[Thokk_Smash]

Roger that. Once we get into the city, there are multiple choices: one of the several Aegis outposts in the city, or else taking to the tunnels below the city. Which would you suggest? Also, I fear the mage below may plan to bring the whole damn castle down, so get out as soon as you can. Do you know where my father is?

Bullsh*t, he thinks to himself as the entrance begins to melt. Out loud, he says, Captain, we'll go to the second floor and then fly down to the ground outside from there. You, I, Tristan, and whichever guards you trust most will escort the king through the city to a more secure location.

Where is the beguiler right now? Where did the soldiers take him? If you can contact the men taking him, give them the kill order. He's become too much of a liability.

As he ushers the group to the second floor, he asks Tristan, Moving of his own volition? Are they giving any indication of his actions?

[Aldurin]

The tunnels would put less civilians at risk, but might be familiar terrain to them as well. Though with their means it sounds like stopping them is the priority. Take out the spotter and coordinate a path through the streets that disrupts line of sight without them completely losing your trail, then have your Aegis setup up kill zones on the path where they can bring ranged pacification on them.

Jeremiah's barred off one of the office rooms to keep our noncombatant staff safe. Seems like they aren't targets.

As Ezekiel sends the kill order he sees Markus running up with one of the Aegis members that was restraining the beguiler now pulled along by the arm, lacking his longsword and crossbow and looking very confused. "The bastard is already loose and we don't know where." Markus growls as he pushes his subordinate forward.

"Why are you mad at me? We just talked things out, and he turns out to be a nice guy and this was just a misunderstanding." Ezekiel can see the effects of charming as the soldier turns to him. "I'm sure you'd like him. Oh, I let him borrow my weapons since he said he needed some and you took his."

Tristan curses loudly as he helps direct the guards and the king to circumvent the part of the floor that is melting, seeming like its seconds away from collapsing. Sounds like the beguiler is already off of castle grounds, but they're not specifying where. But we still need to get out of the castle before the lava mage gets to us.

"How about we ask if he wants to join the Aegis? I'd vouch for him and I'm sure he's out there taking down the rest of the assassins right now." The charmed Aegis soldier continues.

[Thokk_Smash]

Unfortunately, the beguiler has escaped the castle. Consider him in your calculations in the future. He charmed one of my men without killing him, so perhaps they are actually looking to keep collateral damage to a minimum. Outside of this damned lava destroying the castle.

Ezekiel shakes his head at the soldier's question. I wouldn't hold his breath, if I were him. How did he wake up, soldier?

Did the soldier say how he got conscious in order to charm him? Get a mage to Dispel that charm effect as soon as is feasible. If it seems like the castle will begin to collapse, evacuate the building. Sir Rhuidhen is barred off in one of the office rooms with the noncombatants.

We may need you to intercept the spotter sooner than anticipated. We are going to lead the mage on a path through the city such that they will follow without keeping line of sight on us. I need you to gather the Aegis along that path and prepare to rain hell down on them when they go through. How long do you need to get in good enough position to intercept and harry the spotter, if you can't outright disable or kill her?

Captain, can you get your trusted guards here in twelve seconds or less? he asks Nevis as they move toward their new exit point. We need to leave the castle immediately. We'll be taking a path through the city such that the Aegis can engage the assassins as they follow, but we'll need as many bodies around the king as we can get.

[Aldurin]

Ok, I'll try to meet you in the city once I get the people in the upper floor to an escape route. Killing may be the best choice at this point for all targets. I'd rather have to deal with using Speak with Dead for an interrogation than extra casualties from trying to capture people that make it impossible.

We'll deploy right now, most of the men are in position. ETA of about 30 seconds to get into engagement range. Slightly longer to set up ambush checkpoints in the streets. I'll provide directions once they're in place.

Didn't say how. I'll get the mess in the castle sorted out.

"I think his shirt has a passive healing effect, that was the last magic item I was about to remove before he woke up. I quickly realized he was uncomfortable so I removed the gag and that's when he explained everything." The charmed soldier keeps going. "Oh, and I let him know that you have his stuff, so he'll know to find you after this is over so he can get it back."

Ezekiel notes that there's no spell component pouch among the items he confiscated, unless it was in one of the bags of holding he had yet to search.

"They're on their way already." Nevis says from the other side of the lava pool. "Hurry up before you're cut off!"

Sounds like they're about to make a move!

As Nevis finishes shouting the pool of lava emits a blinding glow and searing heat from the center, Ezekiel can barely make out a glowing rod that seems to be held above the lava by a hand as he feels his own skin burn from exposure.

Ezekiel takes 25 fire damage from proximity to the heat source.

[Thokk_Smash]

Roger that. Stay alert. I'll keep you apprised of the situation.

Roger that. I'll inform you of what route we end up taking so you can adjust their positioning appropriately.

He looks up to captain Nevis, but too late as the lava pond has fully encroached upon the area. He pushes the charmed soldier further away from the lava as the painfully bright rod emerges from the lava. Get the king away from that thing! he yells at Nevis as he considers his options.

Tristan, I am going to try to encapsulate the mage in a Resilient Sphere--cutting line of effect for a moment should prevent the heat from killing me, right? If the Sphere doesn't work, get the king and the captain out of the castle and start on a route that you can cut off line of sight from behind easily while still allowing them to stay on your trail. Tully, in the city, is getting the Aegis in the city into position to set up kill zones along that path, so tell me where you go so I can tell him. I'll meet back up with you as soon as I can. The king is the top priority, Lieutenant.

Taking a split second to focus, he changes his subconscious directives to his men: focus on hardening their constitutions in lieu of boosting their combat abilities. Letting go of a determined breath, he squints and raises his hand to the area of the lava out of which the hand is raised. With the memory of the stars above in his mind, he imposes his will on the world once more to summon a shimmering globe of pure force around the hand and the woman to which it is attached.

Change Major Aura to "Grant Constitution" (Everyone within 60ft has their Constitution increased by +5)

Taking to the sky, Ezekiel rockets across the pond of lava to return to the group with the king. Tristan, keep an eye on that pond until it is out of sight. Captain, let's get the king out of the castle, now.

Raising his voice, he calls out to the Aegis around him, If anything comes out of that lava, aim any damage or immobilization spells you have! Lightning Bolt, Enervation, Black Tentacles! Don't use fire spells, she'll be immune to them! Show them the Aegis of Gerthom will not be so easily broken!

He inwardly curses the heat, but does not let it show on his face. Raising his voice, he calls out to the Aegis around him, If anything comes out of that lava, target them with any damage or immobilization spells you have! Lightning Bolt, Enervation, Black Tentacles, anything of the sort! Don't use fire spells, she'll be immune to them! Show them the Aegis of Gerthom will not be so easily broken!

Turning, he takes off in another direction that will take him around the lava. Follow the plan, Tristan, he thinks as he vaults over an obstruction in his way. Get the king out of the castle, and I'll meet up with you later. Keep me informed on their conversation for as long as you can hear it.

To the Aegis he passes, he calls out, To any clerics in the area, I'm in need of healing!

Knowledge (Arcana) on "Phlogiston": [roll0]

[Aldurin]

Ezekiel sees the sphere form around the woman just below the lava, the sphere itself becoming glowing as the trapped heat builds up, but it's a relief from the heat. He makes it over the lava and gets forty feet away from the resilient sphere when it vanishes, the resulting burst of heat causing the lava to splash in a short range, but burns Ezekiel worse than the first exposure. Fortunately the king and Nevis are already to the edge of the city streets, and don't look like they feel the worst of the heat. Tristan flies slightly ahead of Ezekiel in a backwards strafe, showing signs of singing in his robes and light burns on his exposed skin, but still vigilant. The mage is coming out of the lava with that rod again! That object must be the heat source, actively melting the stone to form a path of lava. The communication indicates that she'll have to surface to chase us through the streets, probably because they're only paved with about six inches of cobblestone and the dirt below should burn before it melts. The sounds of various spells being cast roar from where the mage was, but the field of burning light is still there. Looks like she's still standing somehow. Maybe. It's like looking directly at the sun so I can't confirm.

"The squads are formed for the street ambush, you'll need to call them several blocks ahead to give them time to set up. Spotter in the sky hasn't noticed our aerial formation yet."

Ezekiel takes 30 fire damage from the heat wave.

[Thokk_Smash]

The king is almost outside of the castle with Nevis. We need that spotter distracted soon. Tell me when the men engage her.

Ezekiel suppresses a groan of pain as the heat blazes back. He turns around, coming level to Tristan as they strafe backwards. Unless there is a limited time during which the mage can use that damned rod, he cannot see much that will stop her from keeping the thing out to keep them blinded and burned. Calling out to the Aegis, Whoever has Dispel Magic prepared, target that rod if you can! Fall back if the heat will overwhelm you, but everyone else continue to lay into her if you can manage it!

He falls back from the lava, moving closer to the king and Nevis while keeping the mage in his sight as long as possible. With some luck, the item will be suppressed long enough for me to get some shots off and possibly strip her of her magical defenses. Is it possible that rod can grant her immunity to fire as well as its other properties? If she can use that rod with impunity, then it will be more difficult to target her.

Captain, the Aegis is preparing to set up kill zones along the route we will take in order to contain the enemy when they pursue us. Our destination is the closest defensible Aegis outpost. We'll be taking a route that will allow us cover from behind while keeping pursuers engaged. Are you and your men ready?

Spot check, not including any penalties for the painful brightness: [roll0]

[Aldurin]

Roger that, do you have a route in mind yet?

Ezekiel is able to make out the silhouette of the mage through the fire, she seems to be moving unhindered, executing somatic components with her free hand. She's also running right towards them. Tristan has to turn away his face to lessen the rate of burning. It might be granting her fire immunity, but if not thensomething has to be since with what we've felt at a distances that should have immediately surpassed the capacity of Protection from Energy at direct contact.

Dispel Magic seems to be doing nothing to the rod. Also looks like the castle structure won't be compromised as long as she continues after you. We'll continue to consolidate our forces and keep the castle defended until further orders.

When Ezekiel passes that along to Tristan he continues thinking. If we can't stop the rod and can't reliably harm her while she holds it, we'll have to expand our options to anything that gets her away from that object. Submersion in a body of water might create a strong enough steam blast to destroy at least her arm if not her whole body, and large pieces of terrain could do the trick as well if the manage to hit her before they melt. Though in the city our only options for that would be to somehow lure her into the water reservoir below the city or collapse a building or tunnel on her.

[Thokk_Smash]

We'll be taking a circuitous route to the Aegis outpost furthest away from our location. Set the men up along this route. He describes the route he plans to take. Have any casters use See Invisibility. The beguiler is in the city somewhere, and he may be skulking about.

Roger that.

Do you have a spell that can determine what spells she has on herself? he asks Tristan as he moves further away from the mage. If that rod is strong enough to be considered an artifact, then dispels will have no effect on it. The spells she has on herself will not be as durable. As well, do you think that the weapon that the beguiler used could cause a structural collapse of a small building onto the mage?

Captain, we will be taking this route to the furthest Aegis outpost, he says to Nevis, quickly outlining their route. If your guards have any potions of See Invisibility, it would be best to take them now. The Aegis will be positioned along the route to provide kill zones and distractions. Let's move, people!

As the group begins to run away from the woman, he calls out, To any clerics in the area, the Lieutenant and I require healing!

He lets his mind travel across the mental link to Jeremiah. Jeremiah, what is your status? There are three known assassins: a beguiler with a weapon that can blow up structures; a mage with something called "phlogiston" that burns bright as the sun and can create lava; and a Water Genasi that is acting as spotter.

[Aldurin]

Roger that, first ambush point will be two blocks down that route, with two more squads set up after the fourth and sixth blocks. A combat cleric will fall into your formation after the first ambush to deal with healing.

Still on route to the capital with my contingent, nothing eventful yet. Still within an hour away from the city, and I hope whatever the hell this assassination attempt has turned into doesn't drag out that long.

Problem is, stuff like Arcane Sight still requires me to look at the person to identify their their magic auras, which I can't reliably do while she's like this. Tristan grits through the pain of the burns as he keeps pace with Ezekiel. And firing a weapon we know very little about in a way that risks civilian casualties is too much. I'd honestly recommend just shooting that thing directly at her if we're at that stage of desperation. If both items are from Aeternus, then they might interact differently than other objects.

As they pass along the first block of the route with the mage in pursuit, Nevis shouts back. "Dammit, we don't have those on hand! It's the Aegis who has had the preparedness to bring invisibility countermeasures. These ambushes had better work!"

For simplicity sake I'll call the lengths of the city blocks sixty feet, allowing the round-by-round progress through the route to be measured in blocks. Each block gets a 10-foot wide alleyway and the streets between the blocks are about 25 feet wide.

[Thokk_Smash]

Tell the men to use non-fire spells for damage, and if any of them can drop some form of dense, heavy object onto her that would be excellent. And for the love of Heironeous and Corellon Larethion, distract that spotter as soon as you can!

That makes two of us, friend.

I don't suppose you have a Wall of Iron prepared, or a scroll of such ready? he asks Tristan as they run down the road. He inwardly curses that they used Limited Wish earlier, but there is no time for regret or frustration. That would be something heavy and dense we could drop onto her. If you don't have Wall of Iron, do you have See Invisibility? When my True Seeing runs out, we'll need you to spot for the beguiler if he's skulking about.

He looks down both alleyways in the split second that they pass out of reflex, hoping that the beguiler isn't in them. We'll all do our duty, Captain! Just focus on keeping the king alive!

Spot check, probably at a penalty: [roll0]

[Aldurin]

Aerial squad is engaging the spotter now.

Ezekiel sees nothing in the first block's alleys, and as they reach the second block Tristan answers. I've got See Invisibility, but not Wall of Iron. I do have one more Wall of Force, but given the unknown location of the beguiler I don't feel certain about using it now to stall the mage. Ezekiel does notice that the glowing source of heat is now farther above the ground behind them, indicating that the mage is now flying in her pursuit of them.

I've got a way to fight the mage now. Relay your location and slow her down if possible.

[Thokk_Smash]

What about a Solid Fog? That's a pretty useful spell to have prepared everyday, eh? Nevissine says she has a way to fight her, but needs her slowed down. And what are they saying on their communication?

If you can reach any of the men in the first ambush, tell them to cast Solid Fog around the mage if any have it. We need that mage slowed.

We're two blocks away from the castle heading [this direction]. We'll be trying to slow her down. Give me word when you begin your work.

He keeps running, risking a glance back at the blaze to see how far she is from them.

[Aldurin]

Ezekiel manages to estimate that the mage is 100 ft behind them, only a few feet off the ground, still close enough to catch any of them if they come to a dead stop. They pass into the third block of the route without event. Tully confirms the orders.

The problem with Solid Fog is that the amount of heat the mage is generating will make a steady enough draft to repel the fog if not burn it up outright. But if you think it will do something then I'll drop it at the first ambush point. Tristan continues. Communications indicate that the spotter is under attack, and apparently the mage has trouble seeing without her assistance in this state. Also sounds like they want to wrap this as soon as possible and then leave the capitol immediately. The beguiler is confirmed to be after us still, but no details have been communicated.

Understood, I'll be a few moments out before I'm able to enter the route. I can see her glowing from here, so just give the call and I'll move in.

[Thokk_Smash]

Nevissine needs her slowed, but she didn't say how long she needed to be delayed. If she's blinded like us while in that state, then a moment's delay may be enough to give Nevissine a chance. Wait until after the men spring the ambush to see if they can delay her at all, if they have a Solid Fog ready or other way. However, if the heat aura does burn it up, will it at least slow her down before it dissipates?

Keep moving, she'll catch up in an instant if we stop! he calls to Nevis and the group.

The plan is a Solid Fog to slow her down. It may conceal her for a moment, but with the amount of light and heat she's radiating she should still be vaguely visible while it's up. Will that be a problem? It will only be able to hold her for a few moments--will that be enough?

Looking back, his piercing gaze stabs the faint haze that is the mage as he slips his bow from his shoulder. If the opportunity presents itself and she is moving, he won't fail to take the shot.

Threatening Gaze on the mage.

[Aldurin]

I'm not sure it will, but it's probably still worth trying. The group crosses the alley in the fourth block, Aegis on both sides though the group on the side of the alley furthest from the castle is facing the other way as they seem to be fighting something out of Ezekiel's view. The five on the other side are still in place and spring their trap. A Black Tentacles spell appears under the mage and reaches up, but she moves through them effortlessly. Freedom of Movement, means Solid Fog won't help. I really think all that's left to do is shoot the ground in front of her with the beguiler's weapon at the next block, since I think the blast is the only thing we have available that will slow her down without trying to collapse the city on her instead. Some more spells hit across, having no effect until the mage suddenly drops to the ground and begins running instead. Fly must have been dispelled, that will make that strategy better.

I'm getting reports of the ambush being intercepted, likely the beguiler but they haven't confirmed yet. Spotter is currently in combat with our forces, apparently trying to escape in the clouds rather than fight back.

Not if she has Freedom of Move- yep that looks like Freedom of Movement. She still seems to be slower somehow, so I'll be able to strike when you call it.

[Thokk_Smash]

She should be slower on foot, too, which will be convenient. The beguiler seems to have engaged the men on the side opposite the castle, which is confirmation of his general area. We should kill the mage before he can get closer to us, though.

Tell the men to begin invisibility and disguise countermeasures--See Invisibility and this month's phrase-counter phrase. Have them relay the position of the beguiler to you if and when they locate him.

I'll be using the beguiler's weapon to destroy the street in front of the mage to momentarily stop her. That will be your cue. Don't miss.

Reaching into his bag of holding as if he were drawing his bow, he takes the great crossbow from where it has been resting. Captain, keep the king running; I'm going to try to slow her down!

He hefts the large and cumbersome crossbow, feeling its weight for just a second. He has not trained with a great crossbow, let alone whatever this is; but he is not trying to hit the mage herself, just the road before her. With any luck, the years of training and battle-honed reflexes will be allow him to use it moderately correctly. He recalls what the beguiler did to fire it before and prepares to imitate it.

In a fluid motion, he turns and raises the weapon to his shoulder awkwardly. Bringing the road before the mage into his sights, he breathes out calmly before pulling the trigger as he had seen the beguiler do before.

Since it is a weapon, Ezekiel should be able to draw it as part of a move action since he has BAB >1. Also, he'll fly for that move action for the extra 30ft to keep back from the mage as long as he can.

Wisdom check to let Ezekiel remember how the beguiler seemed to use it: [roll0]

Alternately, I think that since it's a weapon, making a BAB check (since BAB is a measure of one's combat skill through experience) would help him to suss out how it could be used: [roll1]

Do I need to roll an attack roll to hit in front of her? If so, this is the roll without feat bonuses and with a -4 non proficiency penalty: [roll2]

[Aldurin]

The world seems to slow as Ezekiel draws the weapon and aims it. The weight distribution feels so alien for a ranged weapons, the weight at the front feeling lacking and the whole device feeling much more dense now that he wields it with the intent to use it. The strange telescope mounted on top seems to zoom in stronger than his own spyglass, and is cluttered by some kind of overlay in a thick neon green. A crosshair doesn't stay in the center of the view while text rapidly changes as he moves. He manages to point it at the ground paces in front of the mage, and finds the trigger yielding, if having a strangely mechanical feel to the pull.

A number ticks down by one in the overlay of the scope, and it feels like a giant is trying to impale his shoulder with the butt of the weapon as it crashes into him and almost makes him lose his flight orientation. Ezekiel manages to make sure that he's facing away when the explosion occurs, shielding his eyes and not feeling the ringing in his ears as strongly this time. The king and the royal guard around him stumble from the shockwave but continue ahead, and Tristan doesn't seem to be out of commission, either.

As Ezekiel turns back to look he hears a heavy thud as he makes out two silhouettes in the glow of the rod, which seems to have dropped to the ground. The blinding glow disappears as Nevissine picks up the rod, seemingly unaffected by it, as she stands over the mage who is currently compressed against the ground by an invisible force. The mage seems unable to move. The crater between them and Ezekiel is impressive, and the windows and loose panels of the nearest buildings have been blown have.

She's somehow imbued fire into her very being, which must be what makes her immune to fire and conveniently allows me to hold her down with an Antifire Sphere. The weapon I confiscated seems nonfunctional in space where fire doesn't work, so I can't move or she'll try to kill us all again. Can you come over and do the honors while I search for whatever she was containing that rod in? Unless a dagger in her throat is the acceptable containment measure right now. A lot less ways for her to escape if she's dead.

No damage taken, but Ezekiel is currently Dazzled.

[Thokk_Smash]

Blinking the stars from his eyes, Ezekiel runs to the crater. He puts the strange weapon onto a holster in his belt as he feels the bruise on his shoulder forming. Definitely useful, and absurdly powerful...but it is so easy to use. Though slightly difficult to pull the trigger, and rough on the shoulder, it boils down to "aim and pull".

Tristan, keep a watch out for the beguiler, he thinks to his lieutenant. Can that Arcane Sight of yours detect magical disguises at all? Seeing the magic in them or something? If so, put it on and get ready to put that Wall of Force up if the men start acting charmed.

The mage is in my custody, but not dead yet. Have the ambush squads on the fourth and sixth squads fan out and search for the beguiler ahead of and parallel to the king's entourage.

What is the status of those men that the beguiler accosted? And what is the status of the spotter in the sky?

He nods to Nevissine. She gets one chance to talk, and if she doesn't then she gets an arrow to each eye. Find the container quickly, and I'll make this quick too. I don't want the king to be out of my sight for longer than necessary.

Putting his foot on the mage's stomach, he pulls his bow out and nocks an arrow. Call off your spotter, and the beguiler, he demands, drawing back the bow. Or I start with your kidney, and move onto your spleen, and then your liver. Do not, test me. It is obvious who sent her, and equally obvious that she would not know anything substantive about her employer. But she deserves at least a chance to save herself.

Take 10 on Intimidate (thanks to Marshal class feature) for total of 32, possibly including any circumstance bonuses.

[Aldurin]

Orders confirmed. The squad attacked by the beguiler was being led around, the guy knew that distracting them was the most important thing. The spotter is still fleeing and making good use of the clouds to disrupt aim.

It's not True Seeing, at best I can tell if the school of magic. I'll use it anyway to make sure I can react to enchantment and illusion effects. Tristan says as he floats nearby and keeps watch.

The mage grimaces when Ezekiel interrogates her, then wheezes out some words. "Fine . . . container . . . in right pocket of robe." She then goes back to focusing on breathing through the compression she's subject to. Nevissine checks the pocket and pulls out a slightly larger cylinder that is made from a smooth and shiny metal he doesn't recognize, but different from the weapon. Nevissine gets it open and puts the rod in there.

Got the last bit of telepathy. 'Disengage, I'll be fine. Get out of the city before they get here.' What is she referring to? Tristan looks towards them with a worried expression.

The container is a perfect fit. I'll check the rest of her pockets before I let this out of my spell, to make sure this isn't a decoy copy meant to burn us alive.

Checkpoint! Go to level 16.

[Thokk_Smash]

The beguiler and spotter are going to start to flee. Capture her if you can, but begin preparations for an evacuation. Do not let the civilians catch on until we want them to.

Jeremiah, I have one of the assassins in my custody. She's called off her accomplices, but their mental communications imply that there is something coming to the capitol. Are there any reports from the Aegis on the shoreline? What is the closest secure location to the capitol we could take the king?

Do it, but be quick, please. How long would it take to evacuate the city? I'm afraid there may be a larger force coming to the city, planned for after these assassins were supposed to have finished their mission.

I don't know, Tristan, he says. His mental tone conveys worry, but it does not show on his face. Keep listening until they stop talking.

Your employer is playing a larger game than assassinations, he says, keeping his bow trained on her. He attacked the conference en masse as a start. I've heard a report of a shining orb hovering above Florikeme. I am not an idiot. What else is your employer planning? He moves his foot slightly off of her stomach to allow her more talking breath, but he keeps his arrow trained above her spleen.

Take 10 on Intimidate again for 32.

[Aldurin]

I'm getting reports flooding in from all borders of cloud trails in the sky, converging towards the capitol. Reports are inconsistent but all they can confirm is that these things are 'something metallic'. The reported speed is inconsistent, but I wouldn't give more than an hour. As for secure locations, the capitol was supposed to be that secure location. We don't have much in the way of safehouses near the capitol, but if whatever is coming is only coming by air, then the Underdark might be the better call.

Roger that. Aerial squad is still in pursuit. Any idea what we're evacuating from?

'Cease communications, then. They might bring in mind-reading effects.' And then silence. Tristan brings out manacles and two rags, holding them so that the mage can't see. We should make sure she's blindfolded and earplugged as well, just in case she has the same affinity for escape as her friend. That way even if she can still cast while bound and gagged, she can't target.

Nevissine goes through the rest of the pockets as the mage answers more questions, still struggling to breath as the Antfire Sphere forces her down. "Don't know 'bout the orb . . . nor the conference until he publicly declared it. He wanted you dead, with the king if possible. Supposed to be in a way to send the city into a panic. Thought he was crazy, then he gave us the means to do it." Nevissine pulls out some magic items and the strange weapon Ezekiel saw the mage drop in the basement.

Looks like that's the right container. Evacuating the city proper is something that takes hours, if not a full day, when we have the convenience of teleportation. If we consider declaring an evacuation now, even if the populace knows the assassination was a failure they'll still panic. Surface evacuation routes might leave people more vulnerable, but the Underdark tunnels are going to be impossible to properly coordinate an evacuation into. We'll lose hundreds if not thousands just to getting lost and/or eaten by the deeper fauna. The city will also sack itself if we evacuate under a panic, with everyone looting everything.

[Thokk_Smash]

There seem to be metallic somethings approaching the capitol in the cover of the clouds. I assume them to be the constructs that attacked the peace conference, but I lack confirmation on that. Hold off on those preparations; I do not know if evacuation will be the best choice. For now, begin to spread word that the assassins have been defeated, and the king is safe. Hopefully that will quell any rising panic for now. Await further instructions on the protection of the city.

Is there any way you can get confirmation on the things inside of the clouds? If they're those constructs from the conference, then our men can prepare anti-water contingencies for them. And I...I feel the stars calling out to me. They're whispering of new powers open to me, and I think...I think one of them might be the ability to walk through shadow. I could send the king off through a Shadow Walk with other key figures. That just leaves the rest of the city to worry about. Any ideas? Hole them up in the tunnels below until the fight's over?

Get the cuffs and blindfold ready, but out of her sight until I'm done asking my questions. There are metallic things inside of the clouds, converging on the capitol. They will be here within an hour. It might be the constructs from the conference, it might not--she might know. Do you have a divination that can uncover what is in those clouds?

Drop the Antifire Sphere, Nevissine. I need her to be able to talk easier than with that pressing her down. What have you been able to learn about those constructs from that one Sir Horthun and Jonathan brought? There are metallic things approaching the capitol in cover of the clouds, but their identity is not confirmed. They will be here within the hour; evacuation is out of the question. I know that targeting their supply of water will work, but do you know what else might work? Given every sufficiently powerful mage in the city, we might be able to construct a Magic Circle against Water sufficient to hamper any construct in a large area.

When the field pushing her down releases, Ezekiel gives the mage just a second to breathe. Then he presses his foot back down on her stomach to keep her reminded of the situation. His bowstring audibly tightens as he draws the arrow back, his voice a feral growl. You have failed at your task; you are only alive by my mercy. That mercy only lasts as long as you are useful to me. Otherwise, you are nothing more than a liability, and I do not take kindly to those. And so, I suggest you answer my questions truthfully and succinctly. I know there are things coming to the city; I know that you all planned to be gone by the time they arrive. Tell me what is coming, and you get to live past their arrival. Don't, and you won't have to enjoy the castle's deluxe prison cell. He readies himself to interrupt any sign of spell casting from her, his intention obvious.

Take 10 on Intimidate for 32. Readied action to shoot her to interrupt spellcasting.

[Aldurin]

I'll start demanding better identification from the outposts and get back to you. As for the city, getting them below ground is probably the best bet with what we know. Shadow Walk is nice, but we still need a destination that is safe from Aeternus but still able to support life.

Roger that. Will you need me present for any strategic discussion before we deal with whatever is coming?

I don't know if I have time to prepare and cast Scrying, and specifying something I know so little about means it might not work at all. Anything else will require whatever those things are to be far too close to afford time to divination. Tristan responds as he keeps the restraints out of the mage's view. Nevissine nods to Ezekiel and the mage stops looking like she's trapped under a boulder.

By technology alone, this war is far out of our depth. Looks like that construct is actually a suit of armor grafted to a person's skin that then takes control of them. It isn't magically animated and uses materials and manufacturing techniques that turn it into something very dangerous. If Aeternus truly can mass produce those things then that's what is coming towards us, if not more. And factoring in these weapons and materials that the assassins were using, it may be that Aeternus has discovered something that completely trumps magic.

Dispel Water is probably the best way to shoot down those things if the survivor accounts are accurate, but whoever is casting it needs to be on point since it looks like these things are designed to exceed dragons in flight speed. A Magic Circle Against Water is a good thought, but if there was a way to modify spell parameters beyond the limits of metamagic, I'm pretty sure I'd know about it. As it is we're going to have to make do without that against what might be the worst air raid Gerthom has ever seen.

The mage scowls and tries to hide the desperation in her face. "We were told only that we wouldn't be spared from the destruction of the city if we were still in it. I don't know what's coming, but considering the equipment we were given everyone should be scared of it." She seems to fight with herself on something then speaks. "I'll explain the items we were given if you let me live and don't leave me here for whatever Aeternus sends."

[Thokk_Smash]

Do you have contacts on other continents that could give us actionable intel on their status? I'd like to at least get the king to safety before this mess starts. Do you think you'll arrive at the capitol in time to reinforce us? We need every Aegis we can get for this battle.

I will want you and Markus at any strategy meeting we hold before the air raid. We are going to bring the citizens into the tunnels under the city before the raid begins. Have the Aegis begin preparations for such. Keep me informed on the citizens' reactions, and whether we will need to quell any panic.

Markus, give me a sitrep on the castle. There appears to be an air raid comprised of those constructs from the peace conference coming from all directions to the capitol, so we will need every Aegis on deck for this. They will be here within an hour. We'll need to begin preparation for an anti-aerial assault. I'll call for you if and when we hold a strategy meeting to prepare; I just hope we have enough time to do so.

He can only imagine the vision he cuts right now: flame-riddled face with blood smeared across it, bloodshot eyes glaring down at her. He gives her one last death glare before he nods. If you cooperate entirely, and do not give me reason to doubt your cooperation, then I will ensure you live through the attack that is coming. That means you do not attempt to escape, and accept that your stay may not be entirely comfortable. You must understand that I will not hesitate to order your death if you attempt to escape. If you can accept that, then we have an agreement.

He motions to Tristan to bring the manacles. He keeps his arrow trained on her until she allows Tristan to put the cuffs on her, though he allows himself to look a modicum more relaxed. Where is the castle's spymaster? We know you attacked him; what happened when you did? And how did you infiltrate the castle without us noticing?

Tristan, we'll be bringing the citizens into the tunnels to keep them mostly out of harm's way. We'll be preparing anti-aerial contingencies for the things coming our way. What do you believe our best avenues of defense to be?

Don't sing his praises too highly, now. I'll have every Aegis member that can prepare Dispel Water, and have the citizens brought to the tunnels until the battle is over. I wish there were a way to get the citizens out of the danger zone, but we simply do not have the time. I do believe we should bring them into the tunnels below the city, just until the danger is passed. I'll have some men prepare Magic Circles against Water around the tunnel entrances to keep the constructs from getting to them. Should I have the Aegis on the outskirts of the city and country harry the things in the clouds? If their destination is here, they might not stop if a few dozen of them are destroyed.

Did the assassin you killed have any other strange weapons on him than the one you mentioned? I don't suppose one weapon that shoots exploding ammunition will do too much good against the oncoming storm that is approaching.

[Aldurin]

I'll see if I can get into contact with some of my friends over there, but we don't have much beyond what can be seen by the Aegis at the borders.

Roger. Target has evaded the aerial squad, no confirmation on how and what direction.

Undead are cleared out, the melted parts of the castle have cooled down enough to be safe to touch but we have a big hole where the balcony was and a bigger hole where the front doors were. The structure will still hold up but it's not a secure location to hold out against an army. Found the pieces of what we assume is one of the assassins over in Nevissine's office. Crazy woman set up some kind of high-tension wire trap, given the wires . . . and the blood splatter.

The mage looks surprised at the first question. "You guys have a spymaster? Nevermind, whatever it was with that wasn't us. As for infiltration, I cast Invisibility and walked in. It's easier to dodge patrols than you'd think."

These people must be professionals in whatever it is they did before, she may be trained in lying. Tristan walks over and cuffs the mage as an Aegis cleric approaches and heals away both their burns. The main thing that comes to mind is horizontal cover. If we want to intercept aerial units that are meant to charge us, then we'll want awnings and overhangs to prevent them from having a direct path. Since those things that attacked the conference didn't use ranged weaponry, they might be foiled by forcing them into indirect paths to their targets.

I don't even know if it's possible to intercept them before they get her, and if you did make that order you'd end up sacrificing people for something that might delay the incoming forces. The assassin didn't have anything else in hand, and I damaged his bag of holding when I killed him. Also means I don't have any spare ammunition for his weapon. I don't think these weapons will help against those constructs, seems like these are made for killing people.

[Thokk_Smash]

What is the situation in Florikeme that we can tell? Is that globe still hovering over it?

Have the aerial group fall back and regroup with the rest of the Aegis. We'll have to cut our losses with the spotter. Distribute whatever Aegis aren't bringing the citizens into the tunnels across the Aegis outposts in the city. We'll have to use those as our secure locations for counterattacks. Begin fortifying the outposts with awnings and overhangs to prevent direct access from the air. As fast as you can. Markus will be joining you soon.

Have your men regroup with Tully's forces and begin fortifying the outposts in the city. Those are where we'll make our stands instead of the castle. Bring every weapon from the castle's vaults as can be carried before you go. Are Gary's secret caches intact after the lava got near them?

After you give your men their orders, rendezvous with me, Captain Nevis, Lady Nevissine, and Lieutenant Edgeworth at the outpost nearest to the castle. We'll have a very brief strategy meeting to consolidate our planns.

Ezekiel narrows his eyes at the mage, gaze piercing through her very soul. He jerks his head to Tristan and begins to walk to the nearest outpost. Explain this weapon, he demands, gesturing to the great crossbow on his hip. Everything you know of it. I have the beguiler's bags of holding, so I assume those hold the ammunition for it. How long do we have until whatever is coming arrives? And what magic items do you have on your person that may prove useful in the battle?

To Nevis, he says, We're going to have a strategy meeting once we are done interrogating the mage. We'll need to coordinate the guard along with the Aegis.

To Tristan, he thinks, We'll be using the Aegis outposts as our secure locations to fight back from. We're going to have a very brief strategy meeting with Captain Nevis, Nevissine, Tully and Markus. Tully and Markus' men will begin to make the awnings and overhangs as quickly as they can. Where can I get an item of Sending or Correspondence? We need to reach out to the other countries, see if there's a safe place we can Shadow Walk the king.

Nice work with the wire trap. Shame about the bag of holding. We're going to have a brief strategy meeting at the Aegis outpost closest to here. The castle is no longer a sufficiently defensible position. What items did the mage have on her? We'll be fortifying the Aegis outposts in the city and using those as our locations to fight back. We'll be making awnings and overhangs to prevent direct aerial access from the constructs. What other tactics do you think we should employ to improve our odds? Do you think we could somehow utilize that fire rod?

[Aldurin]

Still there, also apparently flashes of some kind of lightning storm are coming from under it. Part of me is thankful we're not the biggest fish in the military sector, as much as I don't want to imagine what Florikeme is going through.

The room appears to be undamaged by the lava, I'll move whatever is there to the meeting point along with other critical supplies from the castle.

Roger, I'm on my way.

As they begin moving the mage in restraints towards the meetup point she reluctantly explains. "The weapon you hold is some kind of ranged device that uses a contained explosion for propulsion, supposedly the effective range exceeds a mile. The scope bears tactical data, though since the weapon wasn't for me I don't know what it all is, but you should see things like a count for loaded ammunition and markers to identify moving creatures. Two types of ammunition were provided, both loaded into those blocks of metal you have. The kind you have loaded is tipped with some kind of strange material that creates those explosions on impact. I don't know if it will trigger on creatures, but it's probably safe to assume that if it doesn't then it will on whatever is behind them. The other type doesn't explode, and can supposedly penetrate adamantine armor with little loss of effectiveness. The flat end of the ammo has inscriptions indicating its type, so you can tell which is which."

"Mine is apparently a sidearm, not meant to be a primary weapon and more useful for short range defense. Like the rifle, but can be fired one-handed and uses lighter ammunition, supposedly its effective range is best within 100 feet. No special properties on the ammunition for it. The rod is a new material called phlogiston, radiating searing heat constantly without any magical enchantment upon it. I used desert magic to become immune to fire, Mantle of the Fiery Spirit, so antimagic wouldn't leave me vulnerable to it. Energy Immunity's damage limit would be blown out immediately by that stuff. I don't even know if it decays or has a limited amount of time before it stops burning."

"The one she's holding is meant for close-quarters engagement. Fires a group of metal pellets in a wide pattern to tear through flesh. Extremely accurate at close range, but not reliable for shooting down anything you're not close enough to smell the breath of." She proceeds to explain the full details of operating her sidearm, but can only give an approximation for the rifle and the weapon Nevissine holds.

"Aeternus contacted us a month before, through some kind of mundane Sending device that we destroyed before the mission. He sees the world for what it is, and has plans to change that. I've seen the filth that Thylle tries to ignore, the plights that too many people are indifferent to, and I've taken a lot of money from Verix and others to make that problem worse just so I could live better. Stuff you can't see from the comfort of Gerthom. Heh, turns out that trying to do something for others is still a bad idea. The Aegis is seen as one of the few roadblocks to making the change smooth, and he wanted it destabilized by killing you. Our equipment was provided via a strange metal pod two weeks ago so we could prepare. We weren't told much else specifically, except that we should avoid all major cities for the foreseeable future after the mission."

She seems to fight with herself on another topic, then speaks. "I'm equipped with Slippers of Spider Climbing, Ring of Spell-Battle, Headband of Intellect, Amulet of Health and a Cloak of Resistance." Appearing more defeated in her mannerism now, she continues. "You're not actually serious about fighting against whatever is coming, are you?"

There might be something in the armory or Gary's stash, but I don't have a solid idea. A magic item shop would definitely sell it under a more peaceful state of the city, assuming the owners of the local places aren't already being moved underground. I'll take a look at the mage's spellbook to see just what she's equipped for, though there won't be any time for me to copy anything useful over to my own. Might tell us more about this group we're dealing with.

Found four more of those ammunition containers for her sidearm. Spell component pouch is really heavy. Some scrolls and a few potions as well in her bag of holding. I don't sense magical auras off of anything else she's wearing beyond what she called out. Honestly you should switch out the explosive ammunition for that other kind the mage described, if you want to use that weapon. Unless the phlogiston can physically stop their charge then those constructs will probably still get some good hits in before it kills them, and it produces enough light that you might cause more of the enemy to converge on it. Either way someone has to hold it when it's out of the container or it will burn its way into the ground until we lose it in a magma vein.

When they get to the outpost, Markus is already there with the supplies. The royal guard armory has about fifty heavy crossbows and fifty longbows with plentiful ammuntion, and more miscellaneous melee weapons aside from what the surviving royal guard is equipped with. The items from Gary's office are more concerning, alchemist's fire being the most innocuous of the items to catch the eye, alongside a large pile of poison and antitoxins that are indirectly labeled through a system no one present can identify. Nevissine spots a set of a (relatively) cheaply-produced brand of sending rings, and gives one to Ezekiel. "These things use Correspondence, but only trigger once per hour. Make sure each use of it counts."

Tully comes in shortly after. "Ok, we're setting up around the outposts for shooting upwards, however awkwardly that works."

The Tristan keeps the mage to the back, gagged and blindfolded along with the other restraints. She's remained cooperative through the walk there, and doesn't cause a problem.

You are now able to fully operate the sidearm without checks, and can operate the more complex functions of the rifle and other weapon with less strenuous checks. You will still have some hidden penalties until you gain the familiarity to count as proficient with them.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel listens intently to every word the mage says. She does not seem to be lying, and in fact her demeanor seems to display utter defeat. Not a bad attitude to see in a prisoner, but her reasoning for taking on the job still strikes a cord in him. It is true that the world is imperfect. He cannot argue that there are places, numerous, less fortunate than Gerthom where innocent people struggle to simply live. And it reminds him, that what he needs to be focusing on is the safety of the people of the city. He will need to make it clear that they are a priority during the meeting.

I'm serious about protecting the citizens of my home, he says simply. If that means fighting whatever's coming to provide cover for their escape, so be it. Rest assured, I will ensure your safety.

He takes out the metal blocks and counts the strange ammunition within them. Small, cylindrical with a flat end on one side. Very, very strange, he thinks as he looks at it on his palm. Small, but he can imagine what it can do if properly aimed. Or even improperly aimed. If its range is truly over a mile, then with the proper training he could extend that even further. If they do end up fighting, then he might want to get more comfortable with its use--as long as there is enough ammo to allow it.

Let me know the highest level of spell she can cast. Decipher her scrolls, and if you have the time her potions. What items are you currently outfitted with? Could you benefit from her Headband of Intellect or Amulet of Health? Also, I can change my load out for four new spells, including those of up to fifth level. Dispel Water will be one, Wall of Force probably another. What are your suggestions for the other two spells?

Okay, so we won't be using the rod. Inspect the items inside of the spell component pouch and tell me what spells they go with. Give those scrolls and potions to Tristan for him to decipher. Tell me honestly, what do you think our chances are of successfully holding back this siege? If we fall, then the citizens in the tunnels are as good as dead. It might be better to begin an underground evacuation, and do our best to keep as few from being killed as we can. At least then most of the citizens may survive even if the city falls.

Surveying the gathered men and women, he says, We have little time to spare, so we must make this brief. Our first priority is ensuring the safety of the citizens. Tully, how long until they are all in the tunnels? We'll need to post a few Aegis members at each tunnel entrance to create a Magic Circle against Water to prevent the constructs from getting into them. Every mage able to should be preparing Dispel Water. These constructs move fast in a straight line, and so those casters must be ready to prepare them the moment they come within range.

Captain Nevis, how many men are under your command? If you can spare any, their help in reinforcing the outposts would be appreciated. Otherwise, you should send them below with the king and the citizens to maintain order below.

In less than an hour, I will be able to cast Wall of Force seven times before running out. One hundred and fifty feet of wall per casting, and they will last about a minute and a half. What are your opinions of when I should cast them, and where? Casting them when they arrive would buy us some time where they must come down to our level to strike at us.

I would like your honest opinions on the best way to defend against this siege. If we are to stay and defend, then I have already said my thoughts on using the outposts as our points of defense. I can use this weapon to shoot some of them down before they arrive, but without knowing how many of them there are I cannot say how useful that will be. Then when they close in, we use Dispel Water to disorient them while the others focus fire with bows and crossbows. If things begin to turn bad, we can fall back to the tunnels and then seal them up with Walls of Stone.

His father's words ring in his head once more, and he clenches his fist. Eyes softening, he says, I will not consign so many of our fellow countrymen to such danger if you all are not committed to such a plan, however. We must look to our future, and the future of our citizens. It may be that, with the entirety of the Aegis and the Guard together, we can keep casualties to a minimum while we escort the citizens through the tunnels to Megidyme or another Thylle country. If we can repel this siege, it will be a great blow against Aeternus, and the world sorely needs a spot of hope in these times. But I formed the Aegis as a shield to defend the people, not as a sword to be wielded against every foe.

My friend, tell me you have more intel on the things in the clouds. Numbers, appearance, anything.

Looking on the quintet of rings, he puts one on at a time and sends his mind out with each one separately.

He remembers hearing of a skilled and powerful psion in Drybowl, high-up due to his expertise at growing potato in the arid soil of Drybowl. He had met the elan once--pleasant kind of sort, if a bit too capricious for Ezekiel's taste. Mister Valen, this is General Ezekiel Rhuidhen of Gerthom. I am unsure if you were at the conference, but I am sure that you have heard of the fallout of its attack. I just foiled an assassination attempt against my life by contract killers hired by Aeternus, and reports from my men indicate clouds filled with those constructs converging on the capitol. I know that they are dependent on water, and Drybowl is the most disadvantageous place for water to be. Is that a safe place for King Sarodin and other persons of interest to be transported via Shadow Walk? Also, do you have any idea whether the Astral is still trapped?

Grand Crusader, it's General Rhuidhen. I just foiled an assassination attempt sent by Aeternus against my life. Gerthom capitol is under imminent attack from the constructs that attacked the conference. I realize Florikeme is also under attack, and I am not asking for aid. What is your situation? Where are you bringing your survivors? Which of our allies on the continent are able to accept refugees?

[Aldurin]

(He sounds distracted throughout the reply.) The Aegis kid? You sound familiar. I'm really in a busy point right now, tearing apart one of these constructs for study, but I'll humor you with what little of this schism's attention span I can spare. There hasn't been any sign of an assault, though granted we can't really see or hear beyond the capitol right now because of a sandstorm. From their described behavior at the conference, these things are inept in close-quarters. The design indicates that they're more for charging and skirmishing. They might try to fly parallel with the streets and pick off anyone that shows themselves, or try to dive in from the sky and dispatch their target in one hit as they did for their entrance into the conference building. Basically force them to have to turn a corner or something before they can reach you, since I doubt they can maintain speed under precise maneuverability as well.

As far as I know the Astral is still a deathtrap. You'll want to call up Ulwiss on that matter, they probably have a Gate open so they can see what's in there. Can Drybowl keep your king safe? I don't know. Safer than other cities if I'll have a say in it, but our parameters for safety may not apply anymore if we continue to face new tactical paradigms. I can't promise much with how busy I am, but describe what you're planning to do about this incoming assault. Something might come to mind.

He has control of Atropus, and parked it right over our capitol! Its negative energy field has almost completely collapsed our hallowing and we're encountering new undead that are coming from the collapse points. I'm in the thick of battle right now, so I can't spare the attention to think of escape routes. We're moving our own civilians to the outer countryside, but we're getting reports of lesser undead showing up there as well. Wherever you get your people, don't let it be near Florikeme.

Let's see . . . 9th level spells, and she has so many inscribed here that she categorizes these spells by region or general element before spell level. There's hundreds of them in here. Apparently mercenary work pays extremely well for scrolls and scribing materials. I've already got a Headband of Intellect, but the Amulet of Health might help. Control Winds comes to mind for you to use. It probably won't stop those things, but you can throw off their trajectory at the last moment to make them crash. You sure you can't stare at the sky until you can cast Prismatic Sphere? If not, Wall of Stone would let you create terrain barriers, and unlike Wall of Iron can be shaped however you want it to be.

I don't know enough to give real odds, only limited experience with a technology level that at least rivals magic, if it doesn't outclass it. Our odds hinge on factors I don't know, production scale, deployment procedures and combat specifications. Evacuating means we probably aren't directly exposed to this danger that I can't quantify, but then we face the dangers of the Underdark as well.

I'm getting better reports. Flying suits of armor exceeding a thousand, and ten sightings of a large metal cylinder moving in formation with those that are nearby. They aren't attacking the outposts out here, just continuing for the capitol. I'll make it there before they do, but not by much.

Ezekiel manages to count through the ammunition of the weapons as the others talk. "We'll have the civilians underground in half an hour, though space constraints mean that they can't all be in the safer tunnels, I'll need to divert some of my forces to take point in the tunnels that might have wildlife in them. Wall of Force could be used to create an invisible crashing point, if these constructs really do move faster than dragons. Do something to draw attention to yourself, then cast the spell and watch them break from their own speed." Tully says. Some of the others nod.

"I have eighty men under my command, but their training is more specialized towards defending the king. Many could be spared to protect civilians in the tunnels if the Aegis would do better on the surface." Nevis replies, giving an encouraging nod to Tully.

"Evacuating seems like the way to go. To follow up an assassination attempt with an assault must mean that Aeternus wanted the city's leadership disrupted for the battle. We are faring better than that, but we also have to consider that we may be facing slaughter instead of conquest. If we fail at holding down the city, everyone could die. If we leave, then we'll be able to react more fluidly to bad situations, and at least prevent a total loss. We've already lost our capitol once and rebuilt stronger from it, we shouldn't let attachment to a location put lives at extra risk." Markus says. "Jeremiah Rhuidhen suggested evacuation without even knowing the full details. He's already underground helping the civilians. But if the army comes to an empty city they might try to collapse the whole earth to find us. A distraction effort should be made. We make enough of an appearance of a hunkered-down city that the civilian contingent can get enough distance to render pursuit nearly impossible, without tipping off the enemy. If we play it safe and defensive while using flashier magic, the people that stay behind have a better chance of escaping alive after stalling for long enough. I volunteer to stay behind and lead the others who will make that plan work."

"I hate splitting forces when we're on the back foot, but Markus' suggestion makes sense." Nevissine says. "But those who stay will need to maximize their defensive tactics, and even have options for the possibility that getting through the outpost structures is a non-issue for the enemy."

Six rounds in the large, close quarters weapon that Nevissine acquired. The sidearm holds twelve rounds, and has four extra clips of twelve rounds each. The rifle has one explosive round loaded, one spare clip of five explosive rounds and three spare clips of the mundane rounds, which bear a blank headstamp instead of the "E-94" inscription. Ezekie notices that the explosive rounds are tinted slightly darker at the tips, as well.

[Thokk_Smash]

We're planning to make chokepoints around the areas we're setting up for defense. Making awnings and overhangs to keep them from having direct access to us. I have access to over a half-dozen Wall of Force castings, so I'll be using those at key times to halt their forward movement just before they hit. I could cast Control Winds at a strong enough power to create a tornado, but that would be little more than a stalling tactic, and wouldn't let me shoot at them through the winds. Several castings of Wall of Stone would let me create a chokepoint for if they come down to street level.

Do you believe the constructs can fly through solid stone? Did they do so at the conference?

Atropus?! I won't take more of your time, then. I'll have my people evacuate away from Florikeme. Godspeed, Logan.

With any luck, some of the scrolls she had on her are of similar power. If you can spare the attention while keeping watch on her, decipher the scrolls Nevissine found in her pouch. Unfortunately, the stars are gone for the day; this'll be the best I can manage. I can create powerful enough winds to cause tornado-strength winds, which should be enough to stop them in their tracks. That level of wind strength should be cast far away from the troops, though, to keep our own weapons from being neutralized.

Jeremiah reports flying armored suits as being in the clouds flying towards us, in addition to ten large metal cylinders in the formations as well. When they get close, I can use the explosive ammunitions of this weapon to damage those cylinders. Jeremiah says he and his contingent will arrive not long before the suits of armor arrive. They will be able to replace the men who go into the tunnels to help with the evacuation.

I'll have one of these rings left to use--do you think it worthwhile to try to contact Gary with it?

We'll be fortifying the outposts through the city and employing stalling tactics when the enemy arrives. We'll buy the evacuees enough time to get to a safe distance before following in the tunnels. Brief your men on those tactics on your way here, and have them ready to defend when they arrive. They should focus on lockdown spells, flashy spells to hold their attention, and make sure they have Dispel Water ready. Florikeme is under attack by Atropus, so we can't send the evacuees there. If you can, contact the other countries to see if they can house our people.

Slightly disheartened by the relatively little amount of ammunition for the powerful weapons, Ezekiel takes the box with the single explosive ammunition and takes out one bolt of the regular ammunition and pockets them. Even if he has to use the rest up in the battle, they'll want a few after this to analyze. Maybe even reproduce.

Captain, I do believe your men would serve better in the tunnels. You have my thanks.

Jeremiah's intel shows there are of suits of armor exceeding one thousand converging on our location. There are metal cylinders somehow flying alongside them. When they begin to close in, I'll begin to pick some of them off with this, he says, laying a hand on the strange weapon. Desperate times call for desperate measures. If the explosive ammunition can damage the metal cylinders, that might be enough to draw much of their attention to me. And then when they close in, I can cast Control Winds to divert most of their course. If some get too close, I can cast Wall of Force to stop them and then retreat to a safer distance.

I can cast Control Winds seven times. Several of those castings could be to create pockets of disruptive air to limit their flight path towards us. While the suits are being buffeted by the winds, the men can take that time to cast Dispel Water on them and weaken them further. I can create winds as strong as a tornado. As you said, we mustn't focus on protecting the city over defending ourselves, and so I will make them that powerful if it will give us the most benefit.

Jeremiah is on course to arrive shortly before the suits arrive. We will need to be ready to dispense his troops to the outposts, and keep an eye out in case the suits begin to attack them preemptively.

In the interest of hunkering down and fighting defensively, might it be better to focus on defending only one outpost? Although that might tip them off that there are not as many creatures in the city as there should be, I suppose.

Lady Vefir, this is General Rhuidhen of Gerthom. Gerthom's capitol is under imminent siege from the constructs that attacked the peace conference. Has Ulwiss been able to gather any information about the constructs? Their weaknesses, or weak points, perhaps? Have you been able to inspect the Astral, and do you know if it is still a deathtrap?

Vorn, Oide, where are you? Gerthom is about to be under siege by constructs under the command of Aeternus, and I could use your advice, if not your direct help. You once told me a story of Hunters of the Wind: archers who could shoot an arrow through a tornado and hit a man on the other side with ease. Are those stories true?

I figure if Ezekiel can grasp the workings of a gun through a single battle, perhaps "trial by fire" is a viable way of testing out new Sagittarius (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?117933-The-Sagittarius-Base-Class-PEACH) Marksman Techniques. If not, well, at least he'll be able to talk to his beloved mentor before this thing goes even more sideways.

Oh, and "Oide" is (I'm pretty sure) Gaelic for "teacher". I'm not sure what language you want to use for Elvish, so for the meantime I went with Gaelic.

[Aldurin]

Pretty sure that the constructs went through the weak, ornamental parts of the ceiling in the Millennium Complex. They also apparently had to mob into the large doorways in order to break the down, so I doubt they have anything close to Earthglide going on. Since these are aerial units you're fighting, Control Winds in a tornado form should force them to clump together, then all you need is someone with some good evocation or conjuration spells for killing them off once they're grouped, optimally you put a Prismatic Wall in the middle of the tornado but you don't find people that know that growing on trees. I don't know how the constructs hold up to crashing, but your idea of throwing up barriers to intercept them is solid.

We're still baffled by the constructs, the one we're examining is made of metal that we can't identify. Aside from their dependence on water as both fuel and coolant, I can't really say much about their weaknesses. I'm looking through a Gate to the Astral Plane right now. It's filled with infinite floating traps that do some form of planar disruption to people who get too close, I almost lost someone earlier who didn't heed the danger. I do think that these things are made to react fast enough so that even people who teleport or plane shift elsewhere will get caught in the effect during the single instance that they're in the Astral Plane. Basically, don't do ANYTHING that involves teleporting or plane shifting conventionally. The only travel we're able to get away with right now is Shadow Walk since it doesn't involve the astral in its function.

I'm too far away to help, unfortunately. But you're right that some archers have been skilled enough to shoot through winds. It's an intuition thing, you have to realize that the force of wind is not a singular mass, but more like a cloud of invisible ribbons that move in their own ways. Then it's just a matter of shooting in between those ribbons of wind. Unfortunately you'd probably have to practice a good bit to get good at that with your Greatbow, so it might not be relevant for whatever Aeternus is throwing at you right now.

Roger that. Can't change up the magic in my squad without risking arriving late, unfortunately.

The people at the table nod in agreement with Ezekiel's plan. "A single outpost makes sense, but we should have lights and noise coming out of the other outposts to feign occupation. Since you were the primary target of the assassination it is likely that they'll focus on you if you're spotted, which could be turned to our advantage." Tully muses. "I can handle coordinating that. Some lamps, some Ghost Sound trinkets and a few other effects should make it passable."

The captive mage begins struggling against Tristan's hold and trying to talk through her gag. He looks confused for a moment then removes the gag. You'll want to hear this, Zeke.

When the gag comes off she immediately begins speaking, clearly distressed. "Dammit you guys should be running! You can't fight against him! Think of what I was given, what do you think his actual troops will be like?"

"We're not taking advice from the enemy, and weren't you hired to make sure that some of us died?" Markus says as he moves over to restrain her. Tristan holds up his hand to stop him and lets her speak.

"Yeah, I was hired to do a job and I messed that job up, but I refuse to die because other people are too stubborn to take the right tactical choices. Give me my spellbook, let me prepare some stuff that will help in this fight, have someone use my Ring of Spell-Battle and order them to shoot me if I don't cast the spell I call out in advance during the battle. Your own wizard already knows that I have the versatility and means to make the difference.!" She begins to breathe erratically and is showing a mild panic in her demeanor.

She just started arguing over telepathy with one of the other assassins we fought, telling them to abandon a rescue plan because she wanted to try to help fight this battle instead. Sounds sincere, and from what I can guess their loyalty to each other is stronger than their loyalty to Aeternus, even through his ideology appeal. Tristan sends back to Ezekiel. I can oversee her spellbook studies to make sure she doesn't try anything, and I'll hang on to her scrolls once she identifies them for me. But we'll need someone in a supporting role that can afford to monitor and properly threaten her into maintaining cooperation if you think we can trust her on it. If you do accept that, try to make it a hard enough sell so that she has less evidence on my use of Telepathy Tap.

I don't like this. Tactical mathematics is easily tipped by the presence of 9th-level casters, but she tried to kill you earlier. Our tactics may work against the constructs incoming, but the payloads for the cylinders are strong enough unknowns that I can't say for sure how useful that is. The Ring of Spell-Battle will allow one of us to monitor her casting, but that still doesn't make her escape impossible. We are in desperate times, but are you sure we need that desperate of measures?

And if you think there's no one better to try to contact than Gary, then I guess that's fine. But even if he is alive there might not be much we can learn from him.

[Thokk_Smash]

Aeternus is sending upwards of a thousand of those things at us, including strange metal cylinders whose payloads are unknown to us. We'll be focusing on defense until the evacuees are far enough through the tunnels that they're out of danger. We may have found someone who could cast Prismatic Wall, even Prismatic Sphere--of course, she also happens to be one of the assassins who failed to kill me. Desperate times, right?

Finally, Aeternus seems to have begun to manufacture weapons that equal, or even surpass magic. They are ranged weapons, made of metal and stylized after crossbows. There is one each for long, middle, and short range, and each is dangerously lethal. He gave his hired hands these, so we should all be prepared for his true troops to have them as well. Spread the word as you can.

Heard and understood. Aeternus sent assassins after me equipped with strange weapons I have never seen before. Their power rivals or even surpasses magic, and there is a weapon each for long, middle, and short range. The long range weapon is able to obliterate a castle gate, for instance. If he gave his hired hands them, his main troops certainly have them. I realize there is little you can do to prepare for such unknown variables, but I thought you should know.

It is a start, at least. Perhaps it may be useful yet. Stay safe, Oide. I will contact you again when this is over. The world needs someone with your strength now more than ever.

Ezekiel turns to face the captive mage, listening with a neutral expression despite her blindfold. It is undeniably true that a mage capable of casting 9th level spells has the power to tip the tide of even such a lopsided battle. It is painfully tempting; he had been considering strong-arming her into helping before she had offered.

The ring on its own doesn't grant the wearer the ability to tell what spell is being cast, correct? he asks Tristan, getting to his feet leisurely. He lets the pause between her final words and his response lengthen, testing her nerves and observing whether her erratic mood continues. It will have to be a mage skilled enough to verify the spell each time without fail. The most skilled mage here, aside from her, is you, my friend. And I am not sure we can afford to pass up her offer with so many unknowns ahead of us. She wants to survive--that, at least, is a fact. The two of us can work together with her--if we stay close enough to her, you can alert me if she casts something other than what she says and we can properly contain her.

Walking to the mage and Tristan, he motions for Tristan to back away a few feet. With her still blindfolded, all she can feel is someone walking away as he looks at her for a few moments more. Tully, Markus, are there any soldiers under your command capable of casting Mark of Justice? he asks his COs as he lifts off her blindfold.

He stares her straight in the eye, his face showing grim determination. He can feel the power of the stars influence his words, causing them to ring with authority as he says, Let me make one thing clear, he says, voice soft but carrying a strength that belies his thin frame. If our tactics seem stubborn, or ill-conceived to you, then it is because we are worrying about more than just ourselves. We swore an oath to defend the people of Gerthom, against any danger. The fate of thousands of innocents rests on our ability to delay what is coming. Women, children, the infirm--people who simply wanted to live their lives in peace, that are now threatened by the man you agreed to work for.

My one priority is ensuring their safety, and the safety of the men and women under my command. I cannot deny that the power that you wield can aid me in that. And while I will not say that I know you, I think you are tired of making the world a worse place for those who are already at rock bottom. He sighs, and allows his eyes to soften for a moment. We are not blind to what you call the world's "filth". But what does Aeternus have planned that will make their lives better? What has he brought into this world except destruction on a scale larger than even you conceived?

He searches her eyes for any reaction before his own gaze steels. The stars, yet hidden from his sight, grant him their insight once more as his senses catch any sense of ill-thought or ill-will from her. And perhaps most importantly, I think you are a fan of continued living. And as I said before, your life remains unceasing right now due to my mercy and your continued compliance. And I also will remind you of my stance on liabilities. He lets his hand rest on the sidearm that is hanging from his side, as if he is weighing his options. He must admit, the weapon is more maneuverable than his greatbow in tight quarters, and would be easier to use in a pinch.

So this is how it will go if I am to allow you to help me protect you and everyone else in the vicinity: you will submit to any and all conditions we require of you. You will allow my lieutenant to oversee every second of your studies, and identify for him the scrolls you had on your person. You will accept that if you deviate at all from the plan that we set for you without my express permission, I promise that will not hesitate to put a half dozen arrows into you. ((Assuming Markus/Tully say there is someone who can cast Mark of Justice: You will submit to a Mark of Justice that will trigger if you act against us in any way, which will be removed once we are away from the city and the creatures attacking us.)) Do we have an agreement? His voice is sincere, both in the promise to remove the Mark and in the promise he makes.

With over a thousand of those things coming after us, and the unknowns that are the metal cylinders, she will be a useful asset. Tristan and I will work together with her, both to contain her and help focus the enemy's fire on us. It is a shame Detect Thoughts requires Tristan's concentration; it would help us to further ensure her cooperation. We could have made it a requirement that she fail to resist the Detect Thoughts or else we just shoot her. Do you have any other conditions we should impose upon her?

Burning the extra luck bonus on both Diplomacy and Sense Motive, replacing the +4 luck bonus with a one-time +23 luck bonus to each.

Taking 10 on the Diplomacy check for 60 (10 + 2 (Cha) + 19 (Ranks) + 6 (Synergy) + 23 (Luck))

Taking 10 on Sense Motive for 59 (10+ 7 (Wis) + 19 (Ranks) + 23 (Luck))

[Aldurin]

Be sure to let me see those weapons if you survive. And be careful with your assassin, if they're anything like the top-dollar underdark mercenary groups then the army might not be your biggest problem.

That's good to know, I'll get the word out immediately. If you can, try to send us one so we can study it and devise cou- The message cuts off, with no further response.

The world needs more things than just us. Be safe, Ezekiel.

Can't think of anything besides making sure she doesn't use Silent or Still spell in her preparations, and that she doesn't prepare any spell that can remove the Mark. She may be bold enough to risk the downside of the Mark if she can cast a spell that makes retribution against her impossible during battle, but if she is then you can leave her to die.

As Ezekiel looks into the mage's eyes he gets the feeling he can read a lot about her. She does seem willing to help, and it is less of a conversion of loyalty but rather the reality that she lacks the selflessness to commit to whatever ideals she has. I have a cleric that can prepare the spell shortly. Tully sends back.

"Ok, I accept the conditions." The prisoner is still shaky and nervous, but calmer now that she has regained some degree of influence back over her situation. Her eyes show that she fears Ezekiel now, for the fact the he controls whether she lives or dies, as well as how either way goes. At least she seems sincere about her intentions for the short term.

Sounds good, Zeke, though the Mark of Justice will have to be finished close to before we begin fighting due to the casting time. "We'll start the preparations now since our time is tight, unless you need me for anything else." Tristan says as he stays vigilant with the mage.

[Thokk_Smash]

I agree, and she and her allies were quite well-equipped. But she wants to live, and right now if we fall then she dies as well. Hopefully that is enough until we can properly contain her in the future.

Ezekiel grimaces at the sudden disconnection of the battle mage's communication. With the way things are going, Aeternus probably has sent his troops to Ulwiss as well. Depending on where they entered the Material, perhaps Ulwiss was closer to them. He disregards the conversation, not without remorse as he takes off the ring. Hopefully, the largest concentration of mages in the world will be able to at least survive.

During her studies, instruct her not to prepare any spells with Still or Silent. She seems as though she will be cooperative in the immediate future--she fears that I will end her life if she makes the wrong move, so with luck that fear will extend until after the attack. I dislike controlling others through fear, but I did not see another way to ensure her aid.

Ezekiel nods at the prisoner's acquiescence. You may begin your preparations, he says, both to Tristan and the prisoner. Mentally to Tristan, he says, Prepare a casting of Heroics, if you can, to grant me the ability to shoot farther without a decrease in accuracy.

Walking to Nevis, he gives the unused Correspond ring to the captain. Use this to tell me when the evacuees are a safe distance away, he says. He gives one ring each to Tully, Markus, and Nevissine. Keep these handy for after they recharge.

In the interest of keeping her under control, might it be useful to have an Aegis member attached to her during the attack, with one of the sidearms trained on her? If Tristan gives the word, then they can fire on her before she can cast.

After I have meditated, I will need a casting of Fly in order to more quickly set up my spells.

Before he begins his meditation, he tells Markus and Tully, I've had an idea--I'll place a Control Winds area above our defensive position and to the sides about two hundred feet away. When they get too close, I'll activate them to prevent them from being able to approach from above. This will force them to attack from the sides, and allow us to focus our defenses on the sides instead of the air. It will not be surefire, but it will give us greater protection. If that will make directing the soldiers difficult, I will place them further away so we can still effectively give orders. Take that into account when the men prepare the defenses.

Finding the highest spot on the outpost, he spends ten minutes in intense meditation. The stars are invisible, but not gone--merely overpowered by the sun in the sky. Yet, he can still feel their pull as he breathes in, breathes out, and the power within him morphs and changes in his soul. Images of expanding stone, feelings of vibrant force, and the howl of rushing wind consume his senses as he masters the new powers granted him. With a final exhale, he opens his eyes, in which a soft glow fades as he readies himself.

The Aegis mage casts Fly on him, and he wastes no time zooming to his target destinations. He flies to three of the cardinal directions away from the defensible outpost, gauging the distance away. Drawing on the destruction of the forces of nature, he wrests control of the winds in that area--two dozen feet above the ground and leaving two hundred feet from the edge of the wind to the outpost. Zipping back to the outpost, he flies two hundred feet straight up and then enforces his will on the winds there as well, fully extending his domain.

Running in the air for a half-mile in the direction he had left open, he wrests control of the winds in one last area, high in the air and to its full space. Even if the wind area is horizontal, if the suits come in at an angle then it will at least trip up some of them.

Returning to the outpost, he closes up key streets in the two hundred feet dead space with Wall of Stone to further impede their movement towards them. Finished with his preparations, he hurries back to the outpost proper to take up his shooting position.

Ezekiel will position the three Control Winds surrounding the outpost such that the remaining spot is the direction Jeremiah is coming from. They are 600ft in radius, high enough to be above the buildings, no calm zone in the center. They overlap so that there is no safe zone to slip by horizontally. The one in the sky above the outpost is 640ft in radius and two hundred feet from the top of the outpost. The one in the sky away from the outpost is, roughly, 1,500ft away at the epicenter, 140ft above the ground, and 640ft in radius. Use up to five castings of Wall of Stone to plug up key streets and create chokepoints on the ground.

Okay, I think that's everything. Let's get this thing going!

[Aldurin]

The person with the Spell-Battle ring should be the one that is the threat to keep her in check, making it a two-person system leaves in too much delay to be safe. Tristan makes the most sense, as long as he casts his spell directly after the prisoner to keep her in check.

Everyone acknowledges Ezekiel's orders and preparations begin. Once he finishes placing the Control Winds he comes back to find out that the Aegis cleric still has a couple minutes left to finish casting the Mark of Justice on the mage, with Tristan close by. Her name's Ylerial Fanosk, we should run that by someone familiar with the criminal underworld later to get an idea of the group she's a part of. With what I've watched her prepare for this assault it's clear that they are definitely one of more successful mercenary groups, and might have killed us all if they didn't overestimate the tactical power of the items Aeternus gave them. Between the two of us we're better equipped to deal with the swarm of flying armor, but our options for dealing with whatever the larger cylinders are bringing are more limited. And of course without knowing what they bring we aren't even sure if our focused kill spells will do the trick. Ylerial has preparation spells she wants to cast immediately if you'll allow her, it won't disrupt the casting of the Mark of Justice.

The preparations are mostly complete as glints of metal become visible on the horizon, followed by the trail clouds. The terrain of the city looks bizarre, with the stone barriers and makeshift roofs turning the area surrounded by Control Winds into an arena for horizontal movement and tunnel engagement. Jeremiah gets into the city minutes later, as the metal in the sky becomes more distinct. His own squad consists of eight Aegis members, each more powerful than the average but not quite up to the ability of the officers. "We don't have more than a couple minutes." Jeremiah says between gasps for breath. "They've still ignored the other cities, and have stayed at an impractical altitude to fight. Where should we deploy?"

[Thokk_Smash]

~~Back to the beginning of the preparations~~

Tully, Markus, the constructs are designed for skirmishing, coming in fast and dealing fatal damage. I will prepare choke points; have your men prepare the same, where we can try to pick them off before they get too close. Our focus should be on keeping them at bay, and not fighting them in close quarters.

~~~Back to our regularly scheduled pre-siege time~~~

If you believe the spells will not be capable of being used against us in the future, then yes, she can cast them. Were there any useful spells in the scrolls she had on her?

Ezekiel welcomes Jeremiah with a grateful grip of the hand. We've created choke points around the outpost to keep them from swarming us. I've placed a Control Winds above the buildings to keep them from flying straight at us, to force them into the winding streets. I've left the area you arrived from uncovered by the Control Winds as of right now. Deploy your men to engage them at a distance; if any have a Magic Circle against Water prepared, have them cast it at the junction uncovered by the Control Winds. I will activate the Control Winds soon, before the constructs arrive, which will make communication difficult. Remain in telepathic contact at all times.

Tully, Markus, the enemy approaches. Ready the men, and prepare yourselves. Remain in telepathic contact with me at all times; verbal communication will become difficult when the Control Winds are activated.

Ezekiel moves a little bit away from the Aegis cleric casting Mark of Justice. The cleric was warned about the loudness of the strange weapon, but he does not want to risk interrupting the spell. Taking out the strange great crossbow, Ezekiel puts his eye to the scope and tries to get it focused enough to see the metal cylinders. He takes a moment to assess what exactly it looks like, as well as the flying constructs flanking it. When it looks like they are within a mile, he will fire using the explosive ammunition. He aims for the cylinders that are on target to hit their outpost if not stopped.

Auras active: Master of Scouting (+3 to Listen, Spot, Search)
Steady Hand (+7 ranged attack rolls)
Aura of Courage (+5 morale to-hit/damage/saves vs fear)

Firing at the first cylinder that comes within a mile that will hit their outpost. I'll roll any checks in the OOC when you ask me to, just because I don't know how many I'll be rolling.

To-hit on the cylinder: [roll0]

[Aldurin]

Tristan takes Ylerial aside and they begin casting preparations. She'll be casting Frostfell in your Control Winds areas so that the windchill turns them into dry blizzards, and supporting with an elemental monolith. Ezekiel notices a frost layer forming around the buildings near the Control Winds areas, and Ylerial saying complicated verbal components. The scrolls are spells for bards and dread necromancers, to bolster her own versatility, nothing in here that seems useful enough for right now.

All Aegis elements confirm that they're in position through telepathy. The scope of the weapon appears to animate its overlay as he points it at the oncoming swarm, the individual armors are highlighted with details he can't understand, the most apparent thing being a measurement of their speed, though he doesn't know the distance/time conversion it indicates. Whichever target is closest to the center of the view has its labeling turn to red as a crosshair appears. When the details become more visible, and Ezekiel can tell that they're little more than 10 seconds away, the highlighting turns blue on the large cylinder he's aiming at, and the distance only reads at about 2000 feet away. He even notices that the crosshair moves itself to account for projectile drop, though it is compensating for so little at that distance it's almost hard to believe it. The kick of the shot knocks Ezekiel back a few feet, and the flash of light and thundering roar comes from where that cylinder was. The nearby flying armor units seem to temporarily lose flight control from the shockwave, and the only thing that can be seen where the cylinder was is a small burning cloud.

The Aegis cleric silently signals to Ezekiel that she has about 20 more seconds to complete the casting of the Mark of Justice, and he sees Ylerial crush an aquamarine in her hands as the largest air elemental he's ever seen appears above them. As the army closes in it becomes apparent that everyone has only a few seconds before they can hit the outpost.

You get one round of actions before they hit the area of the Control Winds.

[Thokk_Smash]

Once again, this weapon exceeds every expectation, both in terms of damage output and backlash for using it. Even anticipating the recoil, the kickback still makes Ezekiel grit his teeth in the concentration needed to not lose his stepping. Still, he cannot argue the results as one cylinder seems to cease to exist for a moment.

Still, that moment of realization leads to the realization that these things are FAST. With so little time, and so many things to do, he has to make a fast choice. Everyone, remember your orders! Mages with Wall of Force or other defensive spells, prepare to cast them if any enemy slips past the winds! Archers, focus fire on any enemy that comes within range, send them off course! Do not waver! We will show Aeternus the strength of the world he has too soon discarded!

Focusing his will, he sets the wind above the outpost to dangerously fast speeds. The tornado-strength winds blow straight toward the sky, keeping the constructs away with the buffeting force. He will have to activate the other areas as soon as he can.

Activating the Control Windd above the outpost at Tornado speed, blowing up from the ground instead of a cyclone.

[Aldurin]

Gerthom Capitol, Siege Holdout (BGM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqHzPMk38S4)):

The sky itself seems to darken as the full formation of the aerial assault dives for the outpost from all sides. The smaller armored units end up going off course from the wind, passing over the outpost and some of them crashing into nearby buildings. The nine larger cylinders seem to only be slowed down by the wind, but are batted out of the way with the help of the air elemental. They all tumble into buildings near the outpost, and from all around Ezekiel can hear them opening with a synchronized metallic clang. For the brief moment that he saw them at close range, they seemed devoid of details aside from the front of the cylinder which was slightly rounded. The Aegis begin backing up closer to the outpost and putting defenses against the crash sites for the cylinders. The smaller armors that survive the first wave, still in the hundreds, swing wide and enter into a formation where they fly in a wide circle around the outpost and varying heights, the highest going a few hundred feet above the ground. Each of them is out of range of the upward Control Winds, though the lower armors in the formation are well within the lower areas. Everyone reports no visual on the cylinders and what they're doing.

[Thokk_Smash]

Okay, so far so good. They're all still breathing, at least. Ezekiel looks around at the small army of armored enemies, eyes narrowed as the sun glints off of their silver hide. Standing tall as he glares at them, he lets the weapon hang at his side as he raises his hand. Tristan, Ylerial will not be able to cast other spells while concentrating on the elemental, correct? he asks his friend.

With his next breath, Ezekiel begins to exert his will on the area to the south of the outpost. The wind in that area immediately kicks up--no, that would be an understatement. It erupts into a flurry of destructive motion, blasting the low-flying armors away from the outpost with a stream of continuous wind. Ezekiel watches with satisfaction as they tumble and crash through the air.

I will need about ten more seconds to erect the other two areas of Control Winds, he tells his officers mentally. He flies a little into the air and cranes his neck to try and see whether he can see the the payloads of the cylinders.

I hope it's not too much of a liberty to say Ezekiel had another Aegis cast Fly on him if the previous casting ended.

Spot check: [roll0]

Change Major Aura to Grant Constitution as a swift action.

Auras active, range 60ft:
Master of Scouting (+Int to Listen, Spot, Search)
Steady Hand (+7 ranged attack rolls)
Aura of Courage (+5 morale to-hit/damage/saves vs fear)

[Aldurin]

The wind whips up to the south and the frost layer visibly intensifies as several dozen of the enemy fly off course, some slamming into rooftops farther away. The ones that don't crash seem to slow down, the flames coming out of them dimmer than the others. The dust is still settling around the impact points of the larger cylinders, and all Ezekiel can see from the places he has view of is humanoid figures of some kind climbing out of the wreckage, but he can't make out any of the details. A few of the Aegis members closer to them begin trembling and backing up within the outpost, their faces pale as they become transfixed by the figures. No descriptions come in, yet.

Yeah, but she says she's got that handled and will drop concentration on it when other spells are in higher demand. Her plan is for the elemental to interfere with how they assess the situation, putting less pressure on us as it becomes factored in. Tristan sends back, throwing a Disintegrate at one of the obscured humanoids. The spell seems to hit and the creature moves in reaction to it, but doesn't disappear. A couple of Dispel Waters come from the Aegis, and a couple hundred of the flying armors enter freefall, some of them juggled by the windstorm above the outpost. Markus sends through that they only have a couple more castings of those left among the Aegis, but that whatever the cylinders brought might be the priority.

Not advancing multiple rounds in case you want to react differently to the circumstances.

[Thokk_Smash]

His soldiers are well-trained, highly motivated, and the best men and women he knows. They are human, yes, but they have dedicated themselves to protecting their country. Whatever is coming from those cylinders...for it to bring his Aegis such dismay despite their training...he must definitely make stopping them the priority.

Get one of those humanoids into a solid fog. Make it invisible, if you can, he orders Tristan. He relays the command to Tully and Markus as well, hoping that some Aegis have the spell prepared. Even if we can't see them, if we delay them getting to us then that's a start.

Bringing the weapon back to his shoulder, he places his eye to the scope and uses it to observe the humanoid Tristan had just injured. It is an impressively complex mechanism--perhaps it can give him more insight into the strange humanoid. After that moment, he shifts the view ever so slightly. Taking that moment to line up the shot, his finger squeezes down on the trigger with more surety than before. The strangeness of the pull, the odd mechanical resistance is becoming more familiar. He aims for a spot right next to it, the wreckage rather than the humanoid itself. He still can't tell whether it will work on living beings as well as objects, and he only has four rounds left. Well, three, now.

Spot check with the scope: [roll0]

To-hit the spot on the wreckage he wants: [roll1]

[Aldurin]

The scope's view doesn't see through the smoke, but it does create a green outline of the figure inside. From the shape it's hard to tell what kind of humanoid it is, and nothing seems out of place in how it moves. When he pulls the trigger the scope seems to suppress the brightness of the blast, and when it subsides the display fails to identify anyone in there. The building that was fired into is now collapsing as the supporting walls were blown outward.

Solid Fog pops up around the outpost, obscuring the crash sites and the figures within. Ground reports no engagement with the new contacts, which have been hampered by the magic. In the sky the formation of flying units begins to tighten as they seem to test for the extent of the wind, avoiding the currently active fields of wind after a few of them brush into it. Several dozen of them seem to leave the formation and fly upwards and away from the outpost as well. The Aegis cleric finishes casting the Mark of Justice and stands by for orders, and Ylerial's air elemental moves to overlap with the flying enemies as it swats them off-course, leaving more inconsistency in the shrinking sphere of metallic death around them.

[Thokk_Smash]

Tully, Markus, if any of your soldiers have area of effect spells, have them focus on the solid fogs one at a time. Have them use any damaging spell that doesn't require precise targeting. I'll be creating another wind area directly above us to prevent the armors from diving onto us, so it will become much louder. Do your best to keep the soldiers coordinated.

Tristan, have Yleriel direct the elemental to continue to disrupt them up there. I'll be creating another wind area directly above the outpost to prevent them from diving onto us. Do not keep your eyes off of her while the noise increases. Keep damaging the humanoids in the fog while they're hindered; Fireball, Explosive Cascade, anything that doesn't need line of sight. Do you have any Dispel Waters left? I still have my full repertoire, but I feel we will need them when those humanoids leave the fog.

Breathing deeply, he draws on the dwindling winds in his soul, dredging up ever dram of strength he can muster. Starlight, star bright, he whispers again, voice lilting with a strange deepness. By my will, bring the wind around me under my control.

Slightly above the outpost, the winds kick up in a furious rave. Though difficult to see, the domain spreads as wide as Ezekiel can make it, blowing from the center to the outskirts with tremendous strength. At the same time, his aura changes--the Aegis around him can feel themselves more agile, better able to avoid an attack.

Casting Control Winds with 640ft radius, with the bottom 10ft above the outpost at tornado strength.

Changing Major Aura to Motivate Care (+7 dodge to AC)

Auras active, affecting all within 60ft of Ezekiel:
Master of Scouting (+3 to Listen, Spot, Search)
Motivate Care (+7 dodge to AC)
Grant Constitution (+5 morale to Constitution)

[Aldurin]

The new wind field catches the flying units by surprise, and many of them are thrown off course. After a few more moments of circling, the remaining swarm breaks its formation and flies away in every direction.

I have a couple on hand, but they're out of range, now. We can't let them take us by surprise while we're dealing with the new arrivals. Tristan sends back as he pitches a fireball into one of the Solid Fogs. The fog is blasted away, finally providing a clear view of one of the new humanoids. It has a masculine build, and wears a mask and shoes of metal that are featureless. The rest of the body is exposed, but is obscured by a strange twitching coming from every part of the skin that seems to emanate something akin to messy sketch lines. The fire does not stick to it, and when an Aegis arrow sticks into its chest it doesn't react. The arrow itself seems to turn to slowly turn to dust where it contacts the creature, the flickering dark lines eroding away at it. The creature turns to look at Tristan through the narrow eye slits in its mask, and the wizard immediately backs up from the edge, goosebumps now visible. Ezekiel finds something terribly wrong about the creature as well, even though he can't place what it is. While Ylerial can't see it, she reads the reactions of Tristan and Ezekiel enough to slowly step away from the edge as well to avoid seeing it.

DC 35 will save against the Frightened status, unless you're immune to nonmagical fear effects. Shaken on a successful save.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel has seen many things in his life. He has seen men ripped apart by trolls; seen an arrow sticking out of his own throat; and plumbed the upper depths of the underdark, with all the horrors that implies. And in all his years, he has never seen anything even resembling this...parody of a humanoid. His mind has long since been steeled against fear of any kind, but he can acknowledge that this...thing should not be. This looks nothing like the armors; he has no intel on it, and that worries him almost as much as the unnatural wrongness that rolls off of it like a wave.

Keep it together, Tristan, he thinks, raising the weapon back to his shoulder. His aura changes to one of courage and hope, bolstering his soldiers' morale. He looks through the scope, aiming it at the ground at the thing's feet. In the second before he pulls the trigger, he makes note of what the device says of the thing, if it says anything at all. He pulls the trigger and watches the number of shots click down with a grimace.

He keeps the scope to his eye, checking whether the green outline of a target remains, as he floats down to the roof. He thinks to Tristan, What do you make of that thing? Do you have any idea what could be causing that protective field? I only have two rounds of the explosive ammunition left--with luck, we'll be able to take out one of those things with each round, but that will still leave five of them. It seems conventional arrows have minimal effect on them, and we do not know for sure whether they depend on water as the armors do.

Cast a Dispel Water on one of the other Solid Fogs on my signal. Right after we see whether it reacts to the spell, I'll destroy it so it can't move closer. Does Yleriel think the elemental can push through the Control Winds to engage one of those things? If not, it might be better if she casts another spell to help take out one of them.

To Tully and Markus, he thinks, Have the men keep an eye on the area for the armor swarm. Inform me when they reappear. Have an Aegis member bring adamantine arrows to the roof, if we have any.

The idea is to have Tristan ready an action to cast Dispel Water right before Ezekiel acts, so the humanoid he frees doesn't get a chance to move on its turn.

To-hit for the rifle: [roll0]

Changing Greater Aura to Aura of Courage (+5 morale to-hit/damage/saves vs fear)
Active Auras:
Master of Scouting (+Int to Listen, Spot, Search)
Motivate Care (+7 dodge to AC)
Aura of Courage (+5 morale to-hit/damage/saves vs fear)

Move action to float to the top of the roof.

[Aldurin]

The scope says nothing about the creature itself, but it does separately outline the mask and shoes with the faint label "Alloy 12". After firing the shot, the area disappears in light and the outline of the creature turns to red and blinks three times before vanishing. The blast subsides to reveal nothing present where the creature was, save the crater and the nearby building damage.

After a few moments of shouting over the noise with Ylerial, Tristan sends back a response. I don't know what that is, and I'm afraid to know. It's like a living disintegration effect, but then why does it wear the mask?! Tristan regulates his breathing and is visibly struggling to calm himself. The Air Elemental is moving to engage, but she has other spells ready if it has no effect to follow up. I'm ready for you to give the word, but I don't know if I can look at those things for too long.

Ezekiel can't tell why the fire isn't sticking to the creature.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel notes the red beeping and sudden disappearance with mild concern. The explosion is terrific, to be sure; but does it truly have enough power to obliterate it so totally? Or did some contingency whisk the thing away at the last moment? Well, he cannot worry about such unknowns yet, he thinks as he turns to Tristan.

Just breathe, Tristan, he sends, firm yet kind--just because the fear has not taken him over does not mean he cannot understand Tristan's terror right now. Fear of those things is a natural reaction--but for our families, for each other, we cannot give in without a fight.

The three gems on his belt glow, then dim as he projects his voice to be heard above the thunderous winds. My friends, heed my words! These things are unnatural, and their intentions disastrous! Though they may give you pause, know that I have faith in each and every one of you! These things are nothing but mass-produced, soulless nothings--with our spirit, with our faith, together, we will overcome!

Making a decision, he bends slightly and drops the strange weapon to the ground. We only have a few Dispel Waters left, and only a few of those explosive rounds. We will not be able to dispel all of the fogs, so we must use those explosive rounds to blow a few away. I am skilled at bypassing the tough hide of monsters--hopefully, this thing's durability can be similarly minimized. If my arrows are unable to kill it, have Ylerial direct the elemental to the creature whose fog you dispel.

Drawing his bow with a flourish, he makes a cutting motion to signal Tristan that fluidly transitions into drawing an arrow. When the fog is lifted, he takes a split second to assess the creature before letting his arrows fly. The deadly projectiles cut through the air, their flight galvanized by Ezekiel's words as they split and spin in midair. They thud against the inhuman creature, clustering together to better pierce through to its core. To himself, Ezekiel feels more comfortable than he has in a half hour--with a bow in his hands instead of that weapon that smells of smoke and fire, the rapidly devolving world seems a little more right.

Swift action use all three charges to activate Ezekiel's Rally. Anyone who can hear gets a +3 competence bonus to AC, a +10 movement speed, +3d6 damage per attack. They can make a saving throw against a fear effect once per round (with a +5 morale bonus from his Aura), and make a save against any of these conditions once per round: confused, dazed, entangled, exhausted, fascinated, fatigued, feebleminded, nauseated, paralyzed, sickened, slowed, or stunned. If these things can feel fear, a take 10 Intimidate for 32 to demoralize them for the duration of the rally.

Drop the weapon as a free action.

Auras active:
Active Auras:
Master of Scouting (+Int to Listen, Spot, Search)
Motivate Care (+7 dodge to AC)
Aura of Courage (+5 morale to-hit/damage/saves vs fear)

Full attack with regular arrows, sadly. In the recruitment thread, you allowed the use of the Clustered Shots (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/clustered-shots-combat) feat, so if it's got DR, it only applies once. (Link to the recruitment thread to show I'm not making things up) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16881229&postcount=115)

[roll0]
[roll1] + [roll2]
[roll3] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[roll4]
[roll5] + [roll6]
[roll7] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[roll8]
[roll9] + [roll10]
[roll11] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[roll12]
[roll13] + [roll14]
[roll15] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[roll16]
[roll17] + [roll18]
[roll19] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[roll20]
[roll21] + [roll22]
[roll23] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[roll24]
[roll25] + [roll26]
[roll27] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[roll28]
[roll29] + [roll30]
[roll31] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[roll32]
[roll33] + [roll34]
[roll35] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[roll36]
[roll37] + [roll38]
[roll39] (Dispel Magic in case it works?)

[Aldurin]

The speech seems to help the Aegis, who turn around and begin sending projectiles into the fogs. As the attention turns to the next creature to destroy, Ezekiel sees that the Solid Fog has thinned severely where the creature is, allowing it to turn its mask towards Ezekiel. He gets the same feeling of wrongness again and sees that the creature doesn't even react when the Dispel Water hits the area, trying to step forward before the arrows hit. Something is immediately off as half of the arrows bounce off and fall to the ground, the arrowheads in ribbons. The shafts of the ones that stick immediately break off and the rest isn't visible. Blood drips down from the creature, not as much as a normal creature would bleed in that circumstance, though. The blood is red, and when it runs down the creature's leg it goes past the boots normally, but then erodes small indents into the dirt when it hits the ground. The creature staggers backwards, bracing itself against a broken chunk of wall. It seems to hold the creature's weight but the hand on it lowers as the wall begins to powder where it makes contact with whatever is coming from the skin. The wounds are concealed under the unnatural emanation, so the blood is the only visual indicator.

The air elemental monolith immediately follows up the assault, slamming the creature against the remains of that wall. Ezekiel can faintly hear some bones crack from within the creature, and the wall it is pressed against quickly turn to dust, leaving an uncanny humanoid dent within the structure. The creature is still standing, but it is bleeding more and the blood is eating more of the ground before it dries up. Ylerial says that the elemental hurt itself when it hit that thing! She says to back up from it so she can try more potent energy damage!

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel looks at the results of his archery with mild disconcertion. Is it a living creature underneath that metal mask, or is that "blood" just red-colored liquid? Is its entire body a weapon, he wonders as the pooling blood dissolves the ground beneath it. Those armors are created for skirmishing and hit-and-run; these must be designed for long, close-combat encounters where even fighting them is the wrong choice. What has Aeternus done to these things? Another thought strikes him--if its whole body has been turned into weapons, will it detonate and explode when it is damaged sufficiently?

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he gives a curt nod. That thing's entire body seems to be designed to be deadly, he thinks to Tristan as he scoops up the weapon from the ground as he moves next to his lieutenant and Ylerial. Even damaging it threatens to injure, if you get its blood on yourself. I'll begin the process of changing the ammunition for this weapon. What spells can blow away the Solid Fog aside from Dispel Water and Gust of Wind? We need to conserve the Dispel Waters for when the armors return, and Gust of Wind leaves the caster too close to the fog for comfort.

Bringing to mind what Ylerial had managed to tell them of the weapon, Ezekiel manipulates the area surrounding the metal rectangle with ammunition. Finally getting it free, he puts it into his pouch and rummages for the other rectangle. He nods to Ylerial, a sign of acknowledgement of her aid thus far.

Tully, Markus, have the remaining casters with Dispel Water prepared stay alert for the return of the armors. Dispel Water has no obvious effect on these strange humanoids, so we must save them for the enemy we know they will work on. Is there any wizard with Adamantine Touch prepared?

Adamantine Touch is a Wiz/Sorc 5th level spell from BoED that makes a touched weapon adamantine for all intents and purposes. I assume it would work with 50 rounds of regular arrows, assuming anyone actually has it prepared. I swear, this will teach me to not buy adamantine arrows in character creation.

Move action to get next to Tristan and Ylerial.

Standard action begin to reload the rifle.

Swift action continue rally.

Auras active:
Active Auras:
Master of Scouting (+3 to Listen, Spot, Search)
Motivate Care (+7 dodge to AC)
Aura of Courage (+5 morale to-hit/damage/saves vs fear)

[Aldurin]

I had one with it prepared, but he already used it on my arrows.

An Aegis rogue gets to the roof of the outpost with a cluster of adamantine arrows in hand as four spheres of flame fall from the sky and slam into the humanoid. The flames roll off of the blast point and some embers reach the outpost, though it doesn't ignite. When the smoke clears the creature is mangled on the ground, the erosion effect turning on itself as the body rapidly turns to dust, leaving the dented mask and boots untouched in the crater.

Dispel Magic is the only thing I can think of to remove the fog besides those options. I have one available if you want me to use that to expose the next target to shoot. Tristan sends over right as the roof begins to shake. Looking over the edge Ezekiel can see that one of the remaining creatures is still where it was left in the Solid Fog, except that a lopsided slice of open air is visible through the fog all the way to the outpost itself.

Those things are attacking at range, somehow flinging whatever blackness that is that's eating away at everything! We're starting to take casualties on the ground! The outpost looks heavily damaged from my view, it might collapse on their next volley.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel motions for the rogue to place the arrows into his quiver. The arrival of Ylerial's meteors is a welcome one, and his grip tightens on the metal box with the piercing ammo. They are doing well, he thinks to himself, despite the oddness of the strange things. If they can keep them at a distance, he can pick them off while they try to get to the outpost.

And then the roof shakes beneath him. He easily keeps his balance, but the implications of the shaking bring a grimace to his face. Jeremiah's confirmation of his fears, and the sight of the strange creature within the solid fog, bring a plethora of swears in various languages to the forefront of his mind.

Without missing a beat, Ezekiel sends to Tristan, Erect your Wall of Force in the path of one of the creatures. If they are indeed flinging disintegration effects, then at least it will prevent them from hitting the outpost immediately. I hope you had Ylerial prepare Maze--whisking away one of those things into another dimension for up to ten minutes would be immensely useful. If she doesn't have that, have her some powerful spell to debilitate or otherwise prevent one of them from targeting the outpost.

Have one the men with Wall of Force prepared cast it in the path of one those creatures. Tristan will do the same with another, and the prisoner will eliminate another. If anyone has Resilient Sphere prepared, have them cast it in the path of another creature. Even if they can destroy the force barriers, that's one shot that isn't killing or threatening to take the outpost down.

Also, get your most stealthy rogue and have a mage cast Invisibility on him. I want one of those metal pieces left from that creature the prisoner just killed.

With a few quick yet slightly imprecise movements, he gets the metal rectangle into the proper slot on the weapon. Bringing the scope to his eye, he breathes evenly as he lines up the shot. Hands steady and eyes sharp, he brings the scope's sights to line up with one of the strange creatures' heads. If these rounds can pierce adamantine armor with little effort, then hopefully it can pierce this "Alloy 12". Bracing himself against the recoil, he pulls the trigger.

Move action: finishing reloading the ammo.

Standard action: Firing at the head of one creature. To-hit: [roll0] + 5 (Aura, since it's a weapon damage roll) [roll1]

Swift action: Continue Rally

[Aldurin]

The weapon strikes the creature, knocking it head over heels. The metal mask isn't breached, but it's clearly caved in to what should be a fatal amount. The creature begins to lose mass as it slowly eats away at the ground, now motionless.

Ylerial casts a spell and one of the other creatures vanishes, but the black wisps of energy seem to come from nothingness, though in lesser amount. She says it's somehow eroding the maze! How can it do that?! The hand of the creature becomes visible, poking through the barrier between reality and the temporary. It seems like it will still take a few moments for it to create enough space to fit its whole body through.

The other creatures attack, visibly swinging their arms in order to fling the energy towards the outpost. It's partially cut off where invisible barriers have been thrown up, but the coverage isn't perfect and the outpost takes more damage. The roof begins to sink and twist. At the same time the flying armors out in the distance seem to cluster together, and make a dive for the outpost. They're taking the angle that leaves them the least exposure to the Control Winds, and the Aegis only have moments to react before they come in range to strike. The commanders report that the casualties leave their defense at three quarters of its fighting force, most of them occurring when the black creatures used their ranged attacks.

[Thokk_Smash]

Despite the satisfaction of the headshot, the durability of the mask brings Ezekiel some pause. Is that metal, this "Alloy 12", even tougher than adamantine? It's just one thing after another with these creatures--and what is this now? This blackness can penetrate through extra dimensional barriers? It must be more than a disintegration effect, he thinks to Tristan. Is it possible it can interact with and destroy magical effects as well as mundane objects? This is insanity.

He takes stock of the situation in a split second: five of the creatures dead or incapacitated; one inconvenienced, and soon to join the fray once more; and four still hale and ready to fire blobs of disintegration. And to complicate things, the armors have begun to come around for another pass. If they are allowed to close in, the situation will go from bad to worse between the new assault and the failing outpost. Something has to give, and it isn't the rooftop (though that'll happen anyway).

I'm going to erect a Control Winds right around us, he sends to his commanders. We'll have maybe fifteen feet around the outpost to evacuate the building before it collapses. Between the winds above and those around, the armors should be unable to close in for a few moments while we try to regroup. Once the winds are on, I can erect a Wall of Force in the direction of the creatures, and then we can begin an organized retreat in the opposite direction. Jeremiah, Tully, Markus, do any of your soldiers have Magic Circle against Water prepared?

Tristan, if you know Ylerial has a spell that will be useful in this situation, tell her to cast it. Perhaps a Prismatic Wall would deter the creatures from following, at least for a bit, but I leave it to your purview. We will still need to be wary of that one creature in the Maze until the winds blow it away. If any of the armors are within range after I cast my spell, use Dispel Water on them. Do you know if Ylerial would be capable of creating a Magic Circle against Water powerful enough to keep the armors at bay from one of the tunnel entrances?

He floats slightly above the roof in anticipation of its failure. The dwindling winds in his soul are diminished, but there is enough yet for one more burst of power. Gathering the power around him like a cloak, with a phrase of power he throws the invisible aura out into the area around him. The wind blows away from the outpost, as strong as the wind above, like a localized tornado. The buildings to the sides will stand no chance--with any luck, they will damage the armors and creatures even as the wind blows them away.

"Move action": float 5ft above the roof.

Standard action: Cast Control Winds around the outpost, 80ft diameter of calm around the middle. Only spreading the area out to a 400ft radius.

[Aldurin]

Ylerial says she can use a Prismatic Wall to help our escape route, but she's starting to panic again. We need to pull out while we can still get distance on the enemy we don't understand! Tristan seems to be trying to keep her calm as they float in the air, the roof sinking beneath them.

The new source of wind blasts away the nearby buildings, along with the present of the strange creatures which tumble through the debris as they fail to hold against the wind. The flying armors get close enough that Ezekiel can see that they've clung to each other in small clumps of ten or so to power through the wind more effectively, but they are still significantly slowed when they get into the area of calm. Tristan intercepts with a Dispel Water but their movement isn't stopped. The armors lose their formation and seem to slam into people and structures at random. Ezekiel takes [roll0] and [roll1] piercing damage as two of the armors manage to connect with their spearlike arms. As he reels from the blow he sees that Tristan and Ylerial are knocked away from each other and are both bleeding heavily. Ylerial lets herself fall to the ground, and a sphere of rainbow radiance obscures her, devouring rubble and armors alike upon contact. That's a Prismatic Sphere! Neither of us can break it with dispelling, we'll have to leave her.

The Aegis leaders send through that their force is broken and falling into confusion and panic, demanding a retreat. Most of the Aegis appear to have taken wounds when the armors broke through, and are now trying to navigate around them and regroup.

[Thokk_Smash]

The hits send lancing pain through his body, and Ezekiel rolls through the blows as the armors fly past. Looking around, he surveys the battlefield and knows. Perhaps he had been too cocky in waiting this long to call for the retreat. Perhaps he had underestimated the enemy with what he had known. Nonetheless, it is painfully obvious that they must retreat now or else risk total breakdowns in the troops.

With a wave of his hand, he changes the area of his control. The wind immediately dies down around them, and in the distance near where the strange creatures were blown to the wind kicks up tremendously. Fall back! he bellows, bypassing telepathy in favor of immediacy. All members of the Aegis, retreat! Fall back to the tunnels! Any mage with Dispel Water prepared, cast it before you begin to move; other casters with delaying spells or spells for retreat, cast them! Anyone else, drag the casters while they cast!

He flies down to ground level, bellowing orders and directing the retreat. He clips the weapon to his belt as he moves; he has neither the time to change the ammunition, nor can its rate of fire compare to his bow. Jeremiah, Tully, Markus, do your best to keep the retreat organized. Tristan, cast your other Dispel Water to clear the way for the retreat. Begin to fall back, but keep within 60ft of Ylerial--I'll be behind you.

He sets down near the sphere that contains Ylerial. He hesitates only for a moment; it would be so, so easy to simply leave her there to fight the rest of the armors and creatures herself. "Anyone who falls behind gets left behind"--that is a phrase he's heard of many militaries of the past, and he is sure she would agree with that herself. But that is just not how he does things. Doing right isn't always easy, but damned if he won't do it anyway.

He gathers the powers of the stars around him to lend his voice power. Ylerial, we're retreating, he yells, concern obvious in his voice. I've blown the strange creatures away, but it will only be a matter of time before they return. The armors are all around, we need to get out of here before they can get distance to charge again. I promised I would get you safely out of the city, and I always keep my promises! So please, come out of there and help me get you away from these monsters!

Looking at the enemies all around, he reaches into his soul once more. In a deep part of himself, there is a light--a fire that burns low but steady. Now he fans the flames, and he can feel himself become more secure. The power of law with all of its splendor wraps him in its embrace, and he awaits Ylerial's response with a serenity that makes a mockery of the enemies invading his home.

Standard action: change windy area such that their surroundings are no longer windy, but about 400ft away is windy to keep the disintegration-creatures occupied.

Move action: Move to ground level about 15ft from the Prismatic Sphere, sheathing the rifle as part of the action.

Free action: order troops to fall back.

Free action Diplomacy on Ylerial, burning the Concurrence diplomacy luck bonus for a one-time greater luck bonus on Diplomacy: [roll0]

Free action: Stop maintaining Rally, which lasts for 1 round after I stop maintaining it.

Swift action: Activate Law Devotion for +7 sacred bonus to AC. AC for the round with this is 62 (Touch: 47, FF: 47)

Auras active: +3 Spot, Search, Listen
+7 Dodge bonus to AC
+5 morale to-hit/damage/ saves vs fear

[Aldurin]

Ezekiel can't hear anything from within the prismatic sphere. When the last of the Dispel Waters is cast, there is still over a hundred of the flying armors in pursuit, and Ezekiel can see the disintegration emanation from the other creatures rising from beyond the rubble they were blasted behind. After a moment Ezekiel hears Ylerial's voice within the sphere, but speaking verbal spell components instead of words. Before he can react the sky turns dark, immediately followed by him taking [roll0] bludgeoning damage as he becomes buried in snow.

DC 25 strength check to escape being buried in snow, as per Frostburn's rules on the matter.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel notices the sky darken just a smidgen late, and even his preternatural reflexes cannot get him out of range of the plummeting snow. The gashes on his torso from the constructs tear open further. His grunts of pain are muffled by the pounds of snow he has found himself under.

Well, so much for that, he thinks to himself as he grimaces beneath the snow. Keep the soldiers retreating, I can get myself out of this! If any casters have delaying spells, have them cast them on the armors to slow them down!

His soul wells up again, the sounds of evaporating water hissing in his head. His eyes glow a soft blue as an invisible force expels itself from his body. The snow around him immediately evaporates, banished into the air with a twinkle translucent stars. He reaches his area of influence to its max, seeking to drain as many armors of their fuel as he can after the snow is eliminated. When the snow is gone, he takes a split second to assess the situation. In that split second, his focus turns from fight to flight, and those around him feel more hardy, better able to push through and survive.

Fall back, fall back! he yells, taking flight. He flies in the direction that the soldiers are fleeing, drawing the strange weapon once more. Hopefully he will have enough time to cast another Dispel Water on the armors before the disintegration creatures come within range; if not, this weapon will allow him to most effectively combat them while still retreating.

Casting Dispel Water, so dispelling 3200 cubic feet of water within 260ft of Ezekiel. Fingers crossed that lets him get a few dozen armors as well.

Swift action change Greater Aura to the one that gives everyone within 60ft a +5 morale bonus to Constitution.

Move action fly nearer to the soldiers, drawing the rifle as he does.

[Aldurin]

As Ezekiel retreats he sees Ylerial exit from the Prismatic Sphere, looking extremely pale and nauseated. Two figures immediately join her from the wreckage, the beguiler from the earlier assassination attempt, and a water genasi in sky blue robes. The beguiler casts a spell and they immediately disappear. Are they after us or just retrieving her? Tristan sends. Suddenly the sphere seems to warp and become jagged like a bubble made of splintering wood, exploding in a burst of light seconds later. Where the sphere once was is now one of those creatures, missing both legs and an arm as it persistently drags itself forward on its stomach, too slow to catch up but fast enough that it can barely avoid from sinking into the ground from its own disintegration.

Ezekiel is now 240 ft from the entrance to escape underground. Tristan, Jeremiah, Tully, Markus and the four remaining members of Jeremiah's squad are slightly ahead and the only other ones left above ground.

You can spellcraft the beguiler's spell. Also make a spot check.

[Thokk_Smash]

I wouldn't put it past them for it to be both at once, Ezekiel sends back with a frown of irritation. He had considered that her allies might make a rescue attempt, but a siege tends to distract someone fairly well. As he flies backwards, he calls upon the serendipity of the stars to aid his sight. He has heard of powerful casters being able to transpose themselves and others onto the Ethereal plane; perhaps he has done that, or perhaps he has simply made them invisible. With a little luck, perhaps he can tell.

After flying closer to the group, his voice rings out, Tristan, cast Haste on us. Do you have a Forcecage prepared?

If any of you have See Invisibility prepared, cast it now and keep an eye out. We'll be making for the tunnels without delay.

Reaching into his soul, a sense of impossible immobility and durability comes to his mind. Stretching his power out, he casts Wall of Force behind them, defending their escape route.

Moving backwards while retrying that Spot check. Using the enhanced luck bonus on it. [roll0] (not including any penalties for moving while spotting)

Moving back to the group. Casting a 40ftx40f Wall of Force to cut off pursuers, or at least hinder the disintegration thing.

[Aldurin]

"No Forcecage, sorry." As Tristan casts Haste, Ezekiel spots the dust of footsteps through the battlefield, less than ten feet from himself as it seems to have barely made it past the wall of force. He spots the footprint trail that leads back to where the beguiler disappeared, and notices something large and reptilian lurking among the buildings to the sides, as if stalking them, but can only catch glimpses. He then finds himself under a barrier of stone, going just above him from the ground a forming a concave wall from the ground, blocking his and Tristan's path just twenty feet from the wall of force.

You're cut off! We're coming back to help! Jeremiah sends.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel growls in anger as the wall of stone appears. One of them must have shape changed, or else they've called in yet more thrice-damned reinforcements. They've turned invisible. The beguiler is between the wall of stone and my wall of force. There's a reptilian creature skulking around the buildings in that direction, be careful of it.

Tristan, if you've prepared True Seeing again, cast it on me and take the weapon. I'll alert you if they try to target you, and keep your mind on the ring of spell battle.

Ezekiel snarls as his bow seems to materialize in his hands. He does not waste time with words; with just a thought, the protections of the Law instead wreathe his bow in divine might. Taking aim at the beguiler, he rains down hell upon him with the fury of an avenging god.

Swift action change Law Devotion from +AC to +to-hit. AC is 52 this round (37 Touch, 37 FF). Commander's Improved Uncanny Dodge makes it so Tristan has Improved Uncanny Dodge as long as he's within 60ft of Ezekiel, in case they to after Tristan. Relevant buffs up: +7 dodge bonus to AC and +5 Constitution for Tristan and any allies within 60ft of Ezekiel

Full attack with adamantine arrows. If he has DR that isn't adamantine, Clustered Shots makes it so it only applies once to the full attack regimen. Doing more than one Dispel Magic because he's gotta have more than the invisibility buff on.

Edit: I forgot to take into account the +1 to-hit from Haste. If he's within 30ft, then the +1 to-hit/damage from Point Blank Shot also applies; if he's not, ignore "1" from those added to-hit/damages

[roll0]+2--Haste
[roll1]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll2]
Dispel Magic: [roll3]
Dispel Magic: [roll4]

[roll5]+2--Haste
[roll6]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll7]
Dispel Magic: [roll8]
Dispel Magic: [roll9]

[roll10]+2--Rapid Shot
[roll11]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll12]
Dispel Magic: [roll13]
Dispel Magic: [roll14]

[roll15]+2--Rapid Shot
[roll16]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll17]
Dispel Magic: [roll18]
Dispel Magic: [roll19]

[roll20]+2--1st iterative
[roll21]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll22]
Dispel Magic: [roll23]
Dispel Magic: [roll24]

[roll25]+2--1st iterative
[roll26]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll27]
Dispel Magic: [roll28]
Dispel Magic: [roll29]

[roll30]+2--2nd iterative
[roll31]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll32]
Dispel Magic: [roll33]
Dispel Magic: [roll34]

[roll35]+2--2nd iterative
[roll36]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll37]
Dispel Magic: [roll38]
Dispel Magic: [roll39]

[roll40]+2--3rd iterative
[roll41]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll42]
Dispel Magic: [roll43]
Dispel Magic: [roll44]

[roll45]+2--3rd iterative
[roll46]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll47]
Dispel Magic: [roll48]
Dispel Magic: [roll49]

[roll50]+2--4th iterative
[roll51]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll52]
Dispel Magic: [roll53]
Dispel Magic: [roll54]

[roll55]+2--4th iterative
[roll56]+1
Dispel Magic: [roll57]
Dispel Magic: [roll58]
Dispel Magic: [roll59]

[Aldurin]

Ok, and I think that was Greater Shadow Conjuration that was cast. I'm running low on useful spells now, only got a few at 2nd level and below left after this. As Tristan moves to cast the spell on Ezekiel he suddenly shouts. "It's Time Stop, brace yourself!" Before anyone can react, the ground is suddenly covered in blood with both a set of humanoid and multiple sets of reptilian footprints leading the trail away, there's also blood splatter on Ezekiel, Tristan, the Wall of Force and the Wall of Stone, but nobody seems harmed. When Ezekiel receives the True Seeing nothing is revealed, and the wall of stone behind them crumbles away to the magic from Jeremiah's squad. "Hurry! I saw some strange velociraptors chasing something away into the wreckage, we might not get another chance to escape!" He shouts over.

[Thokk_Smash]

Already tensed with anticipation, Ezekiel receives the warning of the Time Stop. In that split second, his hand reaches for an arrow, knowing full well it would do nothing to prevent the actions done in a Time Stop. That split second seems to last minutes, but is finally broken by a splash of blood hitting his face.

He does not blink, but only curls his mouth in distaste at the feeling of warm blood on his skin. It wasn't the first time he'd been covered in blood, either his own or another; his own more times than another but the feeling is the same either way. Still, when he realizes that the blood around them is not from himself or Tristan, a sense of bewilderment comes upon him despite himself.

What the hell just happened? he asks Tristan just before the wall crumbles. A caster of Time Stop is invulnerable during the duration, aren't they?

The call for a retreat brings him a momentary pause--the fire of impatience and rage blazing inside of him warring with the discipline engrained and beaten into him from basic training until even today. The beguiler, the Genasi...they dared to come back after the assassination attempt, after being harbingers of this unearthly siege. The feeling of anger, having built itself up ever since the first explosion of the strange weapon that signaled an absolute paradigm shift in battle as he knew it, that sent a clarion call of war throughout his country and the entire world, is welling up, threatening to overwhelm his better judgement. His discipline and training do their level best to restrain him, but he is a second away from doing something he may have regretted.

Ultimately, it is not Jeremiah's voice, or Tristan's, or even Ezekiel's own training that pulls him back from the brink. It is his father's voice that pierces through the haze of frustration and rage. Reminding him of his duty to the soldiers under his command, to get them back to their families safe and alive. He has the weapons, to allow those who are qualified to study them; he got the citizens out before the siege, and with luck they will be able to get to safety with the majority of them safe.

Fall back to the tunnel entrance, he says firmly, motioning for the group to run with chopping motions of is hand. Run for it, go, go, go!

He flies quickly toward the tunnel entrance, reaching the manhole first and flipping around with his bow at the ready to fire at anything moving near them. Come on, come on, he mutters, scanning the vista for any hostiles.

Run action to the manhole. With a 90ft total fly speed thanks to the Haste, he reaches it in less than 3x his speed, so he probably gets there first. The others should be able to get there in one round too, with a 60ft land speed from Haste.

Rushed Spot check to scan for any enemies: [roll0]

[Aldurin]

Everyone manages to get to the manhole and get underground, Ezekiel sees that the armors and other creatures are still held back by the terrain and magic. No sign of the assassins or the reported velociraptor. Tristan is still too baffled by what just happened to answer Ezekiel's question. As soon as they get underground they find an unfamiliar drow elf in dark robes of gray and brown. "Greetings, I'm here on behalf of Vorn Einpfeil. He says that every capitol in the world is under assault, but that Drybowl is one of the few to get out unscathed. He's hired me to provide a teleportation circle to there for your and the civilians." He looks at the condition of everyone. "It is best if we handle this deeper underground, initial reports have indicated a lack of subterranean tactics, so we shouldn't face interruption if I place the circle further within the tunnels."

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel is the last one to enter the tunnels, motioning for the others to hurry ahead of him. He takes one last look at the city, his city. Destroyed, in ruins, and with monstrosities of all sorts roaming through the wreckage. They've rebuilt before, and will do so again if he has anything to say about it. With a determined grimace, he steps onto the ladder beneath the manhole and closes it tightly behind him.

He drops to the ground to find a strange drow to greet him. His eyes narrow slightly for just a moment, the only outward sign he gives of surprise. An envoy of the Underdark sent to finish them off? An assassin from Verix, taking advantage of the confusion to destroy anything from Thylle that's left alive after that? He brings his bow up, and has an arrow out of his quiver before the drow can finish reassuring him.

Jeremiah, lead the way on the path we designated earlier, he says, giving a curt nod to his his second-hand man. He puts the arrow back into the quiver, and his bow on his back. He motions for the drow to fall into step beside him. Are my people in the tunnel safe?, he asks, first and foremost. Once the drow answers that, he goes on, You have my sincerest gratitude. What has Vorn been doing to combat the threat? Do you have any intel on the creatures in the city right now? He does not dwell on the fact that Vorn apparently works with a dark elf; his mentor's history has always been a mystery to him. He does, however, keep his eyes on the mage as they walk.

Taking 10 on Sense Motive for 40.

[Aldurin]

"Got it." Jeremiah takes the lead while the drow keeps up with them. "I just arrived moments ago, so I know little about the current events here and afar. I was merely hired to assist you with your evacuation, so don't expect to do anything more before we part ways." As Ezekiel looks at the drow it strikes him that he can't get a read on what he's thinking, not even his attitude towards the situation. It brings to mind something that Gary brought up a few years back. Amoral mercenary work was a thriving industry within the underdark, with specialists in almost everything who would only bother to get of their asses for the right pay. Supposedly those that operated in the underdark beneath Thylle took extra care to make interrogation and divination ineffective against them, so that they could get preference for Verix espionage missions. This person's affiliation to the network seems very possible, especially as it becomes apparent that the coloration of his robes serve as a passive camouflage when underground. The tunnels wind deeper for a few minutes, during which the occasional sound of collapsing buildings can be heard. Eventually they reach the rear of the crowd, where both surviving Aegis and royal guard are watching the rear.

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel nods, and he keeps his expression studiously bland to match the drow's inscrutability. Though he balks at accepting aid from yet another member of the Underdark, the second in a single day, he chooses to trust that Vorn had arranged for his aid. And if the drow has indeed been hired on, then he will most likely complete his task without delay: the better to move onto the next job, and the next paycheck. How deep into the tunnels would you prefer to place the circle? I'd prefer you begin to cast it as soon after we catch up with the group as you can.

When they reach the tail end of the refugee trail, he flags down a senior-looking Royal Guardsman. Bringing him to the side so no citizens (or the drow) can overhear, he says, Soldier, send a message to Captain Nevis: we delayed the enemies as long as we could. They do not appear to be pursuing us. An ally has hired a drow mage to cast Teleportation Circle to teleport the citizens to Drybowl. Have the Royal Guard consolidate the evacuees and maintain a perimeter while the circle is cast and the citizens use it. I will direct the Aegis to do the same. If he still has the Correspond ring, he should have the king use it to inform Drybowl that we will be arriving soon. Sharpish, now.

Once they have reached a spot that is mutually agreed to be good for the Teleportation Circle, Ezekiel gestures to the drow. If you would, he says, intoned as a demand despite the diplomatic phrasing. Mentally, he says, Tristan, keep an eye on him as he casts it, just in case. When we get out of here, I'll be buying you a drink to take the edge off.

Jeremiah, have one of your men back Tristan up while he keeps tabs on the drow. If you have any communication spells available, try to get in touch with Drybowl and get a feel for the situation there.

Tully, Markus, gather the remaining Aegis and distribute them around the crowd to help with control and defense of the citizens.

Ezekiel takes a moment after finishing his instructions, a silent time to himself to think. They are not out of the woods just yet; and even if they arrive at Drybowl, there will be yet more enemies to fight, both without and within. This battle has not ended with a victory for either side, and it is merely prelude to the conflict that is unfolding above. Yet, for the moment, he is safe; his father, his friends, his people are safe. And he says a short word of thanks to Heironeous and the stars for that.

Knowledge (Geography) for a good spot in the tunnel, maybe?: [roll0]

[Aldurin]

The mystery drow is cooperative and puts down the teleportation circle. Jeremiah pauses for a moment, "I think they're busy, I was rudely cut off. Wait, isn't teleportation unsafe right now?" He looks accusingly at the drow. The drow sighs and casts a spell, appearing on the other side of the room. "That was dimension door, it must be safe now." Tristan says, finally speaking again. Nevis comes back and reports that the city is flooded with refugees, but will still try to take them in.

[Thokk_Smash]

Through the casting of the circle, he watches his commanders and how they seem to be holding up--Tristan especially. The others hadn't seen blood suddenly splatter across the ground, hit them in the face out of nowhere to leave a coppery taste in their mouth. Tristan is competent and a good man, but his soldiers do not all have his stoicism in the face of tragedies. How are you holding up, Tristan? he asks mentally, privately.

He says to Nevis, Begin to gather the king and bring him here. If the circle checks out, we'll get him through first, then begin sending the citizens through. We need to get as many through as we can while the circle lasts.

Mentally to his men, he says, I'll go through first, and relay to you whether it is indeed Drybowl that is the destination. He claims my mentor sent him, and it is not well-known who my mentor was; but still, prudence is never a sin. If I don't respond within ten seconds that I have made it to Drybowl, subdue the drow. Don't hold back, kill him if you have to.

Moving to the drow, he takes a moment to look at him. His eyes hold wariness, but also a minimal amount of gratitude. You have my thanks, he says, offering a hand for the drow to take, or not. I hope in the coming days, we can count on you to at least be on the side that's against Aeternus and his insane machinations.

Without further ado, he steps onto the teleportation circle and allows the familiar feeling of being pulled along by an invisible thread take hold of him.

[Aldurin]

I . . . I think I'm fine. Just between the battle, those creatures and whatever happened with that assassin, I need to rest it off. Tristan seems to be barely able to focus on keeping a watchful eye on the drow.

The drow doesn't take up the offered handshake. "This circle should last for three hours, but you should be quicker than that. I'll manually dispel it early if we become under assault and the defensive line is breached, but my contract with Vorn only extends to providing the means of escape, not fighting for you. Don't delay."

Upon stepping through the teleportation circle, Ezekiel sees the walls of Drybowl's capitol a few hundred feet away from him, sand littered with what appears to be the remains of the armors all the way there. A guard approaches from one of the groups salvaging the material. "You're in charge of the Gerthom survivors, I assume?"

[Thokk_Smash]

Ezekiel takes a moment to place a hand on Tristan's shoulder. I don't know how much time we will get to rest, but you'll get as much as you need, he reassures his friend.

Outside Drybowl, he nods at the approaching guard. To his commanders, he thinks, The destination is Drybowl. Begin evacuating immediately. Tristan, Markus, come through to help coordinate the evacuation on this end. Jeremiah, Tully, you're in charge of the evacuation on that end, and of any citizens who cannot make it through the circle. Have the Aegis maintain a defensive perimeter, and tell Nevis to coordinate the Royal Guard to help with the evacuation as well. If you can, make sure my father gets through before it gets cut off, please.

He moves to meet up with the guard. I am, he says. His voice is calm, yet with undertones of urgency. King Sarodin will be teleporting shortly, followed by the citizenry. The city was evacuated before the attack, so the majority of the citizens are in the queue to be teleported. The enemies are swarming the capitol, so we will be evacuating them with all haste to get as many out before they breach the tunnels. Our time limit is three hours, but we'll be looking to get it done in two. What is the situation in the city? Where can we direct them to?

In case not every Gerthom citizen can get over, I wanna keep it as magic character with a martial character, otherwise I'd order Jeremiah to come to Drybowl instead of Markus. Especially since Jeremiah was an OOC I came up with.

[Aldurin]

The guard gives Ezekiel the plan on where to direct the refugees in the city, and the evacuation proceeds smoothly. Jeremiah and Tully come through last. "That guy is a stonewall. Couldn't even small talk anything out of him beyond a name and a means to contact him for hire. I figure the mage we pay for will be more consistent than the mage we try to recruit from capture, should it be necessary." Jeremiah hands a folded piece of parchment to Ezekiel. "The remaining Aegis are going to need a break. Between the losses and what we faced they'll need to recuperate before we can fully get them back into action. I can handle the details, to give you a chance to seek out the leadership elements within the city. Kings and emperors will be less relevant than Generals when we have to figure out what to do next."