[IC I] The Wellspring Saga: Aurora Tenebrosa

[Lord Of Mantas]

With half of the remaining zombies dead and all the cultists dead by the hands of the party, the defenders atop the walls of the Sixth Circle Precinct made short work of the remaining three.

Spoiler: You Win! Or at least, everyone who isn't Aldric does.

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Have 405 XP, which brings you up to 12675 XP total.

"Well, if you lot aren't just the best thing we've seen all night!" The apparent spokesman for the group dabbed at his forehead, glistening with sweat in the dim lamplight. "Officer Jon Thyrvalson, at your service."

"Lieutenant Pyotr Haetta, Third Circle Precinct." Haetta flashed his badge. "We've got civilians from Myrkvi University in need of shelter."

"So you're the ones High Command was talking about, huh? Makes sense. Open the gates!"

As the other three officers leapt down the stairs to open the gates, two loud gunshot reports came from the hilltop shrine where Aldric had been located. Thyrvalson turned toward the noise. "Friend of yours?"

"Indeed - although the fact that he's not shooting at anything here leads me to believe time is of the essence, before whatever it is gets over here."

Pyotr looked toward the gate, which was beginning to creak ever so slightly as the officers strained to open it.

Aldric

Of the two shots Aldric had fired, only one connected, but it was enough to make one of the Herald's heads explode. The other two dove behind a couple of reasonably sized gravestones, apparently trying desperately to figure out where the shots were coming from.

Spoiler: Round 3 begins for you and you alone.

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Have fun!

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric settled in on the north side of the balcony his rifle resting on the railing and started reloading with one eye on the graveyard.

"The apocalypse has a lot fewer monsters than I imagined," he called out into the night. "Just a bunch of d***s in robes."

Nudging aside his eyepatch, he again cradled the rifle and stared down the iron sights with his baleful red eye.

"I like fighting monsters, you know? I'm good at it! So, I'll make you a deal. I'm going to shoot one of you in the head ... and then last one alive gets to run tell the biggest, baddest, toothiest bastard you can find that I'm waiting on him. You've got 5 seconds to shove your friend out into the open so I can kill him instead of you. FIVE ... "

Spoiler: OOC

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Round 3, Aldric reloads and moves
If no one moves until Round 4, Ready Action: Shoot (with focused aim) the first person to break cover

[Lord Of Mantas]

Aldric

A moment passed, and both Heralds leapt out of cover, attempting to run to the next headstone...

Spoiler: Actions 1

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But, in their rush to escape Aldric's bullets, they may well trip.

Odds are 40%.

Number 1: (1d100)[27]
Number 2: (1d100)[83]

Spoiler: Round 4 Begins!

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Any Herald who does not trip is now in partial cover. Any who does is now prone and completely exposed.

Everyone Else

Thyrvalson could not help but raise an eyebrow as Aldric's taunts rolled across the street. "...bit of a mouth on him, what?"

"First I've heard of it." Haetta also had raised his brow.

With a groan, the gates finally opened, the survivors of Myrkvi (along with Calantha, who was still hard at work comforting a particularly roly-poly goblinchild) hurrying through to shelter.

[Nefarion Xid]

Spoiler: Focused Aim, Rapid Shot

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Cultist 1 (or whichever is prone) first, then 2 if he drops.

(1d20+3)[9]
(1d8+6)[11]
(1d20+3)[23]
(1d8+6)[12]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Aldric

Given the cultist's low profile from being close to the ground, it proved harder to hit him than usual - but Aldric's keen marksmanship training paid off, as the second shot hit the Herald square in the head, exploding it in a shower of blue ichor. The lone remaining cultist moved once again, the headstones getting shorter as he got closer to the edge of the graveyard.

Spoiler: Round 5 Begins!

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The lone remaining Herald is in partial cover.

Everyone Else

Two more shots rang out, the air tense as the rest of the party awaited Aldric's return.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric didn't have any more taunts for the cultist, he just breathed out slowly and waited for the man to break cover.

Spoiler: Readied action: Focused Aim Shot + Archaeologist's Luck

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(1d20+7)[24]
(1d8+6)[7] Edit: 9 damage, forgot the +2 from Archaeologist's Luck

[Tychris1]

Henrietta

Going to each of the bodies strewn outside the precinct, Henrietta slammed her great sword down on each of their heads and watched as their once whole necks became assorted chunks of flesh and viscera. Wiping her hands and helmet clean of the blood, she stood beside Lieutenant Haetta at attention, and watched the gate slowly creak open. Sheathing her blade, she folded her hands behind her back and then turned about face as the creaking gate moaned its laborious and life saving task. Marching over to the crowd of Myrkvi survivors, Henrietta began to motion for them to move towards safety.

The young Lieutenant paid no mind to Aldric's comments on the surface, though internally she began to form a portfolio of emotional responses and actions from it. "Keep your heads down please, move quickly and don't stray. No shoving, you'll all be safe soon enough."

[Jade_Tarem]

Juno

As the cultists fell, Juno's aura of general menace faded, along with her eye-glow and other dramatics. She settled to the ground near the entrance opposite Henrietta and just provided reassuring scenery.

[Lord Of Mantas]

As Aldric's final shot rang out across the fields, the cultist fell to the ground, finally dead.

Spoiler: You Win!

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And you get 100 XP for everyone, bringing the total to 12775.

After a second scan of the area revealed no further signs of life, Aldric hurried down from the shrine to join the rest of the party, and they at last stepped through the gates to safety.

***

As the vault door creaked open and the refugees poured inside, Calantha turned briefly to Aldric.

"What we just did... I'm going to need a breather before I can think about doing anything like that again."

She squeezed his arm.

"Don't worry about me. I'll still be here when you get back."

And with those words, she proceeded to follow a family of moogles over to a set of cots. Simultaneously, brother and sister let their minds wander back to when they had first met.

Spoiler: Aldric

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Your memory being fragmented had, of course, been nothing new. The mechanical things - shooting a gun, doing arithmetic, how to be charming, intimidating, or sly, how to see through lies, knowledge of the esoteric - all these had come naturally, to you. But the details of how you acquired them - your memory of your life - had always been fragmented. Large swathes were painted in black. Among the six constants, however, had always been her.

Calantha.

Another new memory begins to surface, the headaches that accompany them now almost normal after having so many in close succession. As fuzzy as it is, you can recall a time when you were living in the wilds... in some kind of forest, you think, nearer to Aidzen than anywhere else? Memories of gun practice, of hunting.

Of missing Calantha, and not remembering where she was, or how to find her.

It has been a month since your memory has cleared up, one of the longest times it has been consistent - and almost all of it has been spent with her. It was in a small hamlet, about 10 miles out from Gottenburg itself, where you finally found her. Why you were there, you can't remember - but in such circumstances, after finally being reunited, were you in any position to question it?

And so the two of you had gone back to Gottenburg, living together in a small apartment in the fourth circle, before all this had happened.

Haetta then turned to Thyrvalson.

"I need to speak to the officer in charge - I have information about whatever the hell this all is, and it needs to be disseminated to them and High Command, now that we're not actively in danger."

Thyrvalson rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"The officer in charge is Lieutenant Hakinn, but... Well, you'd best come see for yourself, sir."

Haetta motioned the others forward with him, and the procession moved forward toward a corner of the Vault that had apparently been sent up as a makeshift clinic. Auga was there, now, a few clerics and doctors hovering over her as they tended to her wounds. And in another bed was a man who had clearly seen better days. His right leg and arm had been completely removed, the black charring and shrapnel buried within making it clear that this could only be the work of an explosive or bomb.

Weakly, he turned to the party, coughing. "So... more of us have survived, then. Excellent." He smiled, even as he was clearly struggling not to grimace from the pain. "I'd shake your hand, but, well, I seem to have lost myself."

Haetta bowed somberly. "Lieutenant Pytor Haetta, fourth district. What happened to you, man?"

"Four hours ago. Bunch of particularly stubborn cultists tired rushing us en masse and using ladders to scale the walls. We managed to repel them, but... not before one of them chucked a bomb right at a bunch of my boys who were already wounded." Hakinn coughed, weakly. "They're just fine now, thank Order. Should recover fully. We need all the men we can get, if we're to survive this. If the alarm hadn't been sounded when it had... I've no doubt we'd probably be overrun, now."

"You can thank these brave men and women here for that." Haetta gestured toward the party, in particular Amala and Octavia. "They were the ones who uncovered the plot - and for saving my life from these Heralds, as well."

"Heralds? Is that what we're calling the robed ones, now?" Hakinn chuckled. "Well, then. Good to finally be able to put a name to a face, so to speak."

He then turned to the party. "The entire city owes you a great debt, my friends. Not only for saving my replacement, but for saving everyone else as well. If we make it out of this, I have no doubt it will be because of what you did."

Haetta's eyes widened. "Replacement?"

"Come now, boy. You don't seriously think I'm in any condition to lead the men in this state, do you? No, right now, what they need is a man who knows what's going on, and who can still wield a musket or sword with the best of them. And you fit the bill perfectly."

Haetta looked very nervous. "I've... I've always just worked under the Captains and Commander..."

"No time like the present to practice being the head honcho." Hakinn smiled once more, then turned to the rest of the officers present."As the lone surviving head of the Sixth Circle Precinct, I hereby order you all to follow Lieutenant Haetta's orders until such time as an officer of Lieutenant or higher is formally appointed."

A small 'aye-aye' broke out among the officers, and Hakinn laid back.

"Good. Now, let me rest."

Stepping out of the clinic, Thyrvalson rubbed his arm.

"So... what happens now?" He seemed to be asking the party as much as Haetta.

Spoiler: OOC - Everyone

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To reduce the cutscene-feelingness of this, I will now afford you the opportunity to post some reactions.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric could still feel his pulse throbbing in his eye. The red one always did that when he felt this way. It wasn't fear or anger, just macabre sort of acceptance that more bodies were about to pile up. He still didn't quite understand what has happening and no one had properly explained it to him, but at this moment he didn't care.

"Unless Auga is feeling up to taking her rifle back, I'll take some additional 5.56 rounds."

He lit another cigarette. It was at least a three cigarette kind of night.

"I'll be on the wall if anyone needs me."

[Othniel]

Snorri

Snorri beheld the entire exchange in patient silence, finally speaking after Thyrvalson's question, "Now? Now I could really go for a drink."

[Jade_Tarem]

Juno

"Now?" The Half-Celestial folded her arms and her wings at the same time. She'd actually practiced that move in front of a mirror prior to the mock battle at the carnival - feels like months ago - specifically to look more badass. Now, though, all she felt was tired. "Now you tell us who and what you've managed to contact throughout the city. We need to send out a signal, radio and magical, that everyone will pick up. Then we start organizing search parties. Given the situation outside, they'll need to be large in number and heavily armed, and I'd start with trying to connect to other pockets of likely resistance - the various martial orders, the Archon's personal guard... any likely holdouts, really."

She hesitated, as she knew how grim the news could be if they actually agreed to her next suggestion. "And someone needs to get outside the city to contact other nearby towns. See if this has spread to the rest of Bastion or beyond..." With that, the paladin relaxed and began moving further into the encampment. "Meanwhile, I'm getting a drink. And... if it's all the same to you, I'd like to see a healer. A smarter one than me, that is."

[Tychris1]

Henrietta

"Juno's right, city in chaos, need to organize, need to message others." The giantess snapped off a salute to her new commanding officer "Permission to organize search party?"

[Estralita]

Octavia

Having helped to finish off the zombies, Octavia finally put away her swords. She silently listened to the others discussing things. She didn't really know what she would contribute, either as Octavia or Azata.

Once things were more settled, Octavia found her voice. "I-I would like to join the search parties. My parents are out there somewhere."

[Lord Of Mantas]

As Juno, Octavia, and Henrietta spoke, Haetta nodded, turning to Thyrvalson.

"They'res right. There are still others trapped outside, and we need to find and rescue them - but if we're going to make any headway on that front, or in retaking Gottenburg, we need orders, and allies to coordinate with. High Command is still operational, so Tower Iustitia must still be unbreached. Is there any news of other holdouts?"

Thyrvalson, to his credit, needed no time to list off the answers to that particular question.

"So, going from the inside out... The worst news of all is that the Heavenly Palace has gone completely dark. Not a single peep from inside the First Circle. For the Second Circle, the Cathedrals of the Three Aspects are still unbreached, so there's some good news. No surprise there, given that they have some of the biggest and most heavily defended vaults, but the reports coming out from there say that apparently some of the biggest attacks are being centered there to compensate... which doesn't give me much hope for any of the civilian targets. For the Third Circle, from what we've heard, the Opera House and its vault have been overrun. At this point, there's no getting around it - that place must be cursed."

"The facts, please."

"Right, sorry. In better news, the Iyeronim I Medical Center is still operating, as is the Royal Library and the Third Circle Precinct. Fourth Circle, more good and bad news - Tower Iustitia, of course, is still standing, otherwise we'd all be right f***ed, but the Castra Divini has fallen. We've got reports of some of the Divine Army holed up in pockets around the circle, but they're all scattered, leaderless."

"The Fifth Circle... well, as you all know that district's mostly residential with some businesses, so not a whole lot of civic buildings there aside from the precinct. Of course, each neighborhood has its vault, but who knows how long those will hold out. Their precinct... it's the only precinct that's fallen, unfortunately. The lads at Icani-Hellas are apparently still holding out - one of them got a radio, he pops on every hour or so. And as for us, well..." Thyrvalson shook his head. "The trouble with urban sprawl is that you've not got the same planning you have with the other spots. Already seen a lot of zombies and those Herald guys out on the streets, what with there being hardly any vaults around here. The Royal Courier's Office is down for sure, and the Temples of Leviathan and Titan..."Thyrvalson looked very sadly at Juno. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but they haven't let out a peep in the past hour and a half."

Spoiler: Landmarks - Everyone Knows This

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First Circle
Heavenly Palace - The only building in the First Circle, home of Archon Iyeronim V, and the seat of the Bastionese government.

Second Circle
The Cathedrals of the Three Aspects - Apart from serving as the biggest centers of worship to each of the Aspects in all of Bastion, these three were turned into heavily defended places of retreat in the event of war, and are constantly staffed by more militant members of the Church, as well as Knights of the Open Palm.

Third Circle
Opera House - The information here is spoilered.

Spoiler: Everyone Except Juno

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The Gottenburg Opera house has long been a staple of the city, and a centerpiece of its musical culture. However, seven years ago, it burnt to the ground under mysterious circumstances, and was rebuilt at great expense over the next five and a half years. Throughout that time, strange accidents kept happening, with many of the men tasked to work on it reporting strange visions and auditory hallucinations centered around people burning and screaming.

Spoiler: Octavia and Henrietta

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You also remember a popular urban legend regarding the burning of the opera house.

The fire occurred during a production of Blosshimins, where, during the climactic aria, a half dressed clown burst onto the stage and screamed that a fire had broken out in the back and that everyone had to leave immediately. People were at first hesitant to act, but someone in the crowd began laughing. Soon, the entire theater joined in. The clown desperately repeated his warning and the audience only laughed harder at the avant-garde humor. Only three people made it out in time.

Iyeronim I Medical Center - A training place for Oracles, Clerics, Alchemists, and all others devoted to the healing arts, and one of the centerpieces of medical research on Bastion.

Fourth Circle
Tower Iustitia - Tower Iustitia serves as the headquarters for both the Knights of the Open Palm and the Custos Pacem, and is also home to the most advanced radio tower in all of Teien. From here, and a good way into the middle of the country, the generals and higher-ups of both organizations can direct operations within and outside the city.

Fifth Circle
Icani-Hellas - Originally an arms manufacturer, Icani-Hellas has, in the past ten years, transitioned into something more ambitious, with the stated goal of creating mass aerial transportation. Currently, they have been experimenting with using elementals to power giant airborne dirigibles, or, as they've been commonly referred to, blimps, with a massive dock being constructed currently in the sixth circle as a testing operation. Before the attack, the first test flight of their latest prototype was scheduled to occur shortly after New Years Day.

Sixth Circle

Everything here is largely self explanatory, but if you want more information, feel free to ask.

"But the biggest thing is this. Getting outside the city? Even to the other circles? Impossible, thanks to those goddamn magic bubbles in between each of 'em. We sent a squad to try and get through the one outside the city, and nothing - they couldn't walk through it at all. And according to high command, trying to teleport or fly through it doesn't work either, Aspects know they've tried. So until further notice? We're stuck here."

Haetta pondered this information. "As we were escaping, Aldric did some investigating on a device we found at Myrkvi. It was an exact replica of the ones we uncovered at the carnival, and it was sending out a stream of energy like the other ones fueling the bubbles - a stream of energy with the magical properties of a Shield spell. If it can do that, it's not so much of a stretch to imagine it might be disabling other magic means of travel, as well. But if we can find the others, and disable them..."

"Then we shut off the bubbles! But... how?"

Haetta slammed a fist into his hand. "We already disarmed one, right under their noses. We can do it again. All we have to do is scout them out, infiltrate the lairs of whatever foul creatures are guarding them, and blam."

"With just us?! I don't know if you've noticed, lieutenant, but there aren't exactly a lot of us down here. And there are others in need of rescuing, supplies to recover..."

"All true. We'll have to seek out opportunities to help others, as well, if we are to maximize our chances of saving everyone. But that will require some preliminary planning."

Haetta turned to the rest of the party.

"In the meantime, since several of you have already expressed the desire for a drink, I suggest you take this chance to rest while you can. When you are ready to set out, I will be upstairs in the main office."

He then looked to Octavia and Henrietta.

"Of course, since you two are keen to get started sooner rather than later, I certainly wouldn't mind a hand with the planning - or you could see if there are other volunteers here who are willing and able to help with the search."

And with that, Haetta ascended the stairs - save anyone interrupting him.

Spoiler: A world of possibilities has opened up for you...

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And from hereon out, the world gets a lot less linear.

As you have probably by now realized, the first act of this game revolves around the liberation of Bastion from the Heralds of the Eldest. While your overall objective - to take down the Resonance Generators and restore access to the other circles, and eventually the outside world - is set in stone, how you go about it is not. There are still survivors and valuable resources out there in Gottenburg, and people who are willing to give resources and help to those who come to their aid, now and in the future.

Rescuing Custos Pacem or Divine Army men who are trapped, allowing you to respond to more potential objectives at a time. Retrieving caches of weapons and armor to arm them, or of food and water and entertainment to keep up the health and morale of the survivors. Destroying enemy lairs and strongholds to decrease the risk and challenge of moving through the streets undetected.

And, of course, all the opportunities you have to roleplay at whatever vault or landmark you take shelter in until you are once more ready to fight.

Speaking of which, you are now free to explore the vault and interact with its members as you choose, or, alternatively, if you're feeling up to it, you can join Haetta right now and see what missions are available.

If Nefarion, Jade, and Othniel wish to continue with their stated actions, I will post followups tomorrow, as well as any followups the others might wish.

[Tychris1]

Henrietta

Listening to the conversation between the two Custos Pacem officers, Henrietta kneeled down and scratched Harrison behind the ear. The Wolfhound began to pant, rhythmically waving his head from side to side looking at the other members of the party and the Custos Pacem. He tipped his head in confusion when looking at Aldric, but a quick bump from Henrietta snapped his attention. Jotting down notes regarding the state of Bastion and her various Circles. Her eyebrows scrunched in pent up fury at the pitiful state of her home, slowly spreading throughout her face, and finally revealing itself to Haetta as she looked up from her notes and stood at attention once more. "At your service." She said simply and plainly, none of the contempt in her face eking into her voice, and with that she followed Lieutenant Haetta up the stairs to assist him with planning.

[Jade_Tarem]

Juno

"Wait! What's the aerial situation? If the streets are choked, maybe I can make contact with some of the dark areas by flying over the worst resistance. Give me a sack of radios and I bet I can get some parts of the city back on the grid." She drove an angry backhand into the wall behind her. "Either way, I'm going to pay a visit to the Dragon Temples before I rest. They'd be packed with paladins, clerics, and monks. I once saw Svama punch a golem in half. Short of a huge bomb or the earth opening up right under them, I can't picture them all being defeated so quickly."

[Othniel]

Snorri

Snorri turned to Juno. "I would offer to go with you, but I cannot fly. More to the point, I believe it was said that some sort of magical bubbles have sealed off the circles from one another, and that even flying through them is impossible. It looks like we will have to find some way to shut them down."

"Half a moment!" Snorri called after Haetta as the man made his way toward the stair, "Earlier when we were investigating those devices at the festival, I grabbed one of these." Reaching into his pack, Snorri took out the strange crystal he'd "recovered" from one of the devices, offering it to the man. "Perhaps someone with more a more research-oriented perspective on magic or technology could glean something from this, or find some way to make it useful for our side?"

"At any rate," he continued, "I wish to be in on any planning. Certain aspects of my - ahem - profession have given me ample opportunities to sneak in to places where I am unwanted." He paused and raised a hand to forestall a comment, "Not for anything nefarious, mind you, but we of the Söngvari Hópur sometimes walk into danger, and experience has been a good, if unforgiving, teacher. Perhaps my experience could be of some help."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Haetta and Thyrvalson, having stopped at the bottom of the stairs, turned back to Juno and Snorri as they spoke up. Thyrvalson was the first to reply.

"Not gonna lie, going out there alone right now? Pretty damn risky. But as far as I know, there ain't no abberations we've seen that fly. If you were to put your talents to scoutin' for us..."

Turning to some shelves, Thyrvalson rummaged around for a minute before handing Juno a radio identical to the ones he, Haetta, and Henrietta were carrying.

"You just strap it to your shoulder like so, then press this button to talk and release it when you're done." Thryvalson gave Juno a very firm pat on the shoulder. "Your talents could very well be a game changer for us, Panja. I'd tell you to give 'em hell, but, ah, I'd rather you came back alive, so... just try not to get in over your head."

He then turned to Aldric.

"As far as 5.56 mm rounds, we don't have the money to afford a lot of fancy-schmancy guns like they have in the higher circles, but we did have a guy transfer over recently who bought a few extra magazines with him. They're all yours."

Spoiler: Aldric

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You now have 16 additional 5.56 mm rounds.

Haetta then turned to the rest.

"Anyway... if the rest of you would follow me?"

Aldric and Juno

It had taken some convincing, but a loaner radio had been found for Aldric, and after gearing up once more, Aasimar and Tiefling pleasantly clove-scented human had ventured out into the Sixth Circle together, ready to take on whatever the world could throw at them.

In truth, not a whole lot of scouting was done, as Juno, acting as aerial reconnaissance, was most focused on finding a path to the temples as quickly as possible. Even so, however, she did spot a few things that seemed important.

Passing through the eastern sector, the Post Office, as Thyrvalson had said, was overrun - and not merely overrun, but encased in what appeared to be some sort of meaty, film-like organic matter. Even from a distance, Juno could not help but shudder, but thankfully, she managed to keep herself and Aldric far away enough that she was not affected by seeing all the grisly details of the sight. She did, however, get close enough to spot that while it was quite closely guarded by patrolling monsters, there did appear to be a relatively unguarded way to access the building via a nearby aqueduct.

Passing through the southeastern sector, the two then passed near a local landmark, a relatively new inn called the Pugnacious Penguin. Surprisingly, the inn appeared to be inhabited by the living and not-dressed-as-Heralds, a welcome change of pace.

Or it would have, had the men surrounding the place not also born armor that bore more of the look of ruffians and face-concealing scarves than anything official. And been pushing around a bunch of rather ragged-looking civilians into erecting defences.

And punching an older gentleman 10 feet across the yard when he stumbled and yelling indistinctly at the others.

But the two pressed on, and finally, they reached the twin temples of Titan and Leviathan. Like Myrkvi university, the sacred sites were located at the top of a hill outside the walls of the old city, up a winding marble path...

And to a complex surrounded by one singular pearly-white set of walls, pockmarked and cratered through what had clearly been a relentless attack.

To Juno's immense relief, the complex had not yet fallen - although the little radio tower, gilded as it was to try and blend in with the rest of the complex, had apparently taken a direct hit. Her fellow panjai, along with several of the svamai, stood and flew atop the walls, facing their hated enemy.

A Herald in black and red-dyed robes stood at the head of a veritable small army of abberations. Azure heards, hunched dog-like figures, the odd zombie or two. It was a horde.

Spoiler: Sanity Attack!

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Vs Juno: (1d20+3)[22]
(1d4)[2]

Vs Aldric: (1d20+3)[15]
Sanity Damage: (1d4)[3]

The horde was not the only thing the Herald was leading, however. In the middle of it all, a large siege engine stood, a rather oddly shaped nozzle at the front facing toward the walls. The front was heavily armored, having been apparently constructed from several sheets of crudely welded-together metal sheets, and a metal tank - along with what appeared to be many hoses and a series of magically-maintained flames heating the tank - exposed at the back.

"IMPUDENT WRETCHES! YOUR FEEBLE RESISTANCE IS AT AN END! YOU HAVE FOUGHT LONG, AND LOST MANY, AND ALL OF IT FOR NAUGHT! YOUR BLOOD SHALL RUN DOWN THE STREETS OF THIS PATHETIC CITY, AND YOUR ENTRAILS DECORATE ITS WALLS! YOUR EYES SHALL ROAST UPON THE COALS FOR OUR MEALS, AND YOUR SKIN SERVE AS OUR COATS! BUT... I am not without mercy. Open your gates, let us in, and I promise that I will let my minions kill you before I start skinning and gutting you. Otherwise, not only will we swarm your gates and batter them down, but I shall unleash the HELLHOUND'S TONGUE UPON YOU! YOUR COMRADES SHALL DIE BY THE SWORD, WHILE YOU BURN IN FLAMES, AS IT SPITS RAW, FLAMING, IFRILL TO SEAR YOUR FLESH! AHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Spoiler: Aldric

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Ifrill is a highly flammable/explosive substance produced by magically refining rock oil and sulfur, and ignites when heated and exposed to air. It has been experimented with in the past as a more devastating alternative to alchemist's fire, but has widely been considered far too dangerous for practical uses.

And those hoses on the siege engine look remarkably puncturable. If you were to shoot one in just the right spot, above where the flames are being fanned...

Snorri and Henrietta

Minutes later, Haetta, Snorri, and Henrietta were huddled around the radio, the lieutenant going over everything that the group had found in exhaustive detail.

"...and so, as far as I can tell, Sir Ulftyr seems to have betrayed us to these Heralds. From the looks of it, Myrkvi appears to be one of their main, if not the main base of their operations, and they've completely slaughtered everyone there who didn't make it to the vault in time. As far as the identity of the Eldest goes, I have nothing conclusive, given that it was rather difficult to nail down concrete details between the skewering with hot pokers and incoherent rambling. But... Mister Hákonsson and the others did find something. The symbols their clerics carry - they have a symbol on them that's commonly found in Precursor Ruins, one usually alleged as representing their inner strength and power."

A long silence came from the other end of the radio.

"If what you say about Sir Ulftyr being behind this betrayal is true, then it is no surprise that he would invent such a lie about the origins of magic, as well. That arcana has all along been a craft honed from such aberrations..."

Spoiler: OOC - On the "Alleged Origins of Magic"

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The discovery of arcane magic has been a fairly well documented one.

55 years ago, Sir Ulftyr, along with his friend Father Asger, were soldiers in the Percellan Hunters, and heroes of the War on Hell. Ulftyr, as a paladin, served the cause of Order, while Asger was a cleric of Change. One day, while on patrol, they came across a strange, bulbous creature, luminescent blue in appearance and quite hostile. They were able to slay the creature with relative ease, but not having seen its like before, were naturally confused as to where it had come from. They decided to break away from their standard patrolling orders to track where it had come from - and made an incredible discovery.

Following the creature's trail, they came upon a cave, and following it deep into the earth, found what appeared to be a building older than recorded history - with an architectural style unlike anything they had ever seen. Within in that ruin were yet more of the creatures, along with various mutated wildlife; what particularly drew their attention, however, was what appeared to be an ancient tome the approximate size and weight of a mans torso. When they opened it, they could not decipher the text - but found themselves to be suddenly infused with a strange power.

According to the history books, Ulftyr and Asger were then given a vision by the Aspects, explaining the origins of the ruins, and these powers. Contrary to normal religious doctrine, Mankind had not been the first sapient creatures to set foot on the surface of Eldin, but, rather, were the second. The first had been a mighty civilization, a people known as the Fyadir - or, more colloquially, the Fey. The Fey had been strong, gaining power not only from the blessings of the aspects, but also from their own makeup. They had an inner strength, a power unknown to men, symbolized by an inner third eye with a strike down the middle.

But the Fey had grown proud, decadent, sinful, and corrupt. In their sorrow, the Aspects had had no choice but to punish the Fey, wiping them from the face of the earth in a great cataclysm and burying their civilization beneath the ground.

Spoiler: The Symbol

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It is this struck-through third eye symbol you have seen on the Eldest's symbols - thereby marking that story as a lie. Did the Fey, perhaps, once worship the Eldest? Was that how they got their power? Why they were buried beneath the earth?

It is not a comforting thought.

Man had been the second attempt to populate Eldin, and a far more successful one - but now, on the verge of being driven extinct, the Aspects had deemed the demons too powerful to drive back themselves, and had thus deemed Ulftyr and Asger worthy to contain the gifts of the Fyadir, and spread it to everyone else.

Emerging upon the surface, Ulftyr and Asger found themselves confronted with a pair of roving demons, and engaged them in combat - but not before discovering that they had gained the aid of a different kind of magic unlike anything they had seen, as Ulftyr found himself able to bombard them with a storm of ice while Asger found himself able to turn the both of them invisible.

Reporting their findings, an investigation of the ruins was ordered, and more artifacts and texts located. Using these, Ulftyr and Asger honed not only their ability in the newfound craft, but found a way to teach and spread it to others, a tradition that continues to this day.

Of course, there was the small thing about Asger growing jealous a few years after the War on Hell and unsuccessfully attempting to kill Ulftyr before fleeing to parts unknown - likely Grafhall, if the rumors are anything to go by - but hey, details.

"Regardless, we must soldier on. Gottenburg owes you a debt of gratitude for bringing this information, Lieutenants, Mister Hákonsson. But there is still much work to do."

"If what you say about these resonance generators being the key to destroying the shields and releasing us from bondage is true, then finding and destroying them needs to be the top priority. At the same time, however, we cannot ignore the importance of finding and helping survivors, as well as rescuing those of the armed forces and Custos Pacem trapped within our walls."

"As such, we leave the choice to you - you have the sight on the ground, and only you can make the decision."

"First, we've had several distress calls from a squadron of trapped Custos Pacem officers and soldiers of the Divine Army, trapped at the Royal Wharf. It sounds like they've been surrounded by a veritable horde of these Heralds, and a tactical guerilla strike may be just the thing needed for them to break out. On the other hand, a stream of light like the ones you've reported coming from the resonance generator has also been narrowed down to the Icani-Hellas airdock - and destroying it would bring us one step closer to narrowing the gap between the fifth and sixth circles. Contact us as soon as you've made a decision. High Command out."

Some minutes later, Aldric and Juno also radioed in with an additional two leads: The first, signs of suspicious activity by an unknown third party at an inn called the pugnacious penguin, where a band of thugs appeared to be rounding up survivors of the attack. The second, the fallen Royal Post Office now covered in a large, organic, meatlike growth, and guarded in a rather suspicious manner by the hordes of aberrations the Heralds used as foot soldiers.

A relatively unguarded route in close, via the aqueduct, was also noted.

Thyrvalson came in shortly thereafter, walking over to Henrietta.

"I know you said your radio wasn't working, so I brought you another one. I'm no professional repairman, but I'll see if I can get yours back up to snuff before you get back, eh?"

[Nefarion Xid]

Scampering up a convenient drainpipe of the nearest building with a good view, Aldric took position behind a chimney and gestured for Juno to hold a moment. Sure he'd gone undetected on the approach, he took his time and carefully aimed for for what he judged to be weakest point on the ifrill canister.

Spoiler

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I'll waive my surprise round and act on Round 1 so I can make a full attack

(1d20+7)[20] Apply your own range penalties
[roll]18+6[/roll]

(1d20+7)[13] Second attack on the canister if the first one doesn't cause something awesome to happen. Otherwise he picks a target that wasn't killed in the blast and shoots them in the head.
[roll]18+6[/roll]

Grit 5/6

Edit: Damage was 9, then 8

[Jade_Tarem]

Juno

Seeing an entire horde arrayed against them, Juno figured that now might be the appropriate time for her to use the last of her magic. She called for Titan's aid one more time, and readied for battle even as the visions took her again.

Spoiler: OOC

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Juno casts Aid on herself (SLA, CL 3)

Aldric's shot went off and she squinted at the ifrill machine sat there for a moment. "So...?"

[Tychris1]

Henrietta

Accepting the radio, Henrietta exchanged her malfunctioning one with her newly acquired one with a quick clinch to her shoulder. "Appreciated." She grunted before looking back over the map and slowly musing, stroking her chin. Things had fallen into place a little, the skeleton of society still in place despite the severance of districts, and with the aid of her newly found associates the law had real muscle. But there was only so much to go around, considering their small numbers, and so Henrietta turned to Haetta and said "We need more men. More boots on ground. Royal Wharf, first target."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Aldric and Juno

The bullet struck steel. It pierced steel. Ifrill flowed through the hole.

And the resulting explosion shook the very earth itself as over 2/3rds of the siege force was wiped out in a single blow.

With a roar of triump, the flying panjai and svamai swept toward the southern rim of the crater that had just been formed, those who could not fly tossing down ropes to join them.

Those abberations that had survived the initial blast turned toward Juno and Alric and screeched.

"The Princess returns!"

Calling from across the crater, a female monk in Titan's vestments with bobbed brown hair called out toward Juno, even as she was fist-deep in zombie.

"Juno, you magnificent bitch! If I didn't want to smack you so bad for ditching us I could kiss you! Er, not in that way."

"Less back-handed thank yous, more fighting!" A viera cleric wearing Leviathan's vestments promptly sliced apart an abberation of her own, her movements quick and stylish.

Spoiler: Juno

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You know the two women quite well, by reputation if nothing else. The human, Gabriela, is one of the many orphans who grew up in the temple after being left on their doorstep, and has been actively competing with you for as long as you can remember me. Whether it is out of jealousy, admiration, or both, you've never been able to pin down for certain, but what is clear is that she has long considered you a rival.

Akira, on the other hand, has been much friendlier on those occasions when you've talke to her. The daughter of two priests from Kastali, she was sent to the Temple of Leviathan at the age of 8 to learn the ways of magic. A notable beauty among the priestesses, she is renowned as much for her kindness and charm as she is for her abilities with a Naginata, which has won her no shortage of admirers.

Roll for Initiative.

Spoiler: Which you won, but since you each already took a full round of actions, the abberations now go.

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Henrietta and the others do not get a post, sadly, as I recieved their actions too late.

The abberations, picking themselves up, began to charge the small house on the hill where Aldric had been hiding, even as he began firing away at them.

Spoiler: Aldric

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While you have not seen the like of these creatures before, you note that they are similar to some monsters that have been reported living in Fey Ruins.

There are two kinds - a weird, Jellyfish-like one with an almost vestigial man-like body, known as a Belabra, that has barbed tentacles and acidic blood that sprays everywhere when it is slashed, and a form of mutated corpse known as a Choker, with large hands adapted for wrapping around peoples necks, rendering them incapable of speech.

Spoiler: Round 2 Begins!

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Have fun.

[Nefarion Xid]

"Magnificent bitch?" Aldric hissed to himself, "Oh, no love for the man raining death and destruction from the sky I guess. Hmph, maybe I'll get more respect if I grow wings."

After squeezing off two more rounds, he shouted to Juno. "I think this lot may be a little stronger than the bog-standard zombies we've seen!"

Spoiler: Rapid Shot, Focused Aim

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(1d20+7)[15] vs C2, who's already taken 8 damage
(1d8+6)[9]

(1d20+7)[14] moving to C1 if C2 dropped
(1d8+6)[13]
Grit remaining ... 5/6 or 6/6 if shooting the tank counts as dropping a target

"I mean ... not a lot!" he added after seeing one choker drop and the other flail as a bullet tore through its body. "Like ... ten percent?"

[Jade_Tarem]

Juno

The paladin had let out a cheer when the tank exploded, but several things had happened before she could react further. She'd flushed at the princess line, but Aldric was still firing, and snarking. She decided to pick her battles. "It's not the wings, it's the aura." She waited, trying to pick out which bad guy would be silly enough to take the lead. "Speaking of, bonus points if you can get her to break her vows before we leave."

A choker went down and then another volunteered to absorb attacks. Juno sighed. "Time to go stab the overly-friendly monsters. Wish me luck." With that, she dove toward the injured beast, swinging as she went.

Spoiler: OOC

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Moving down to attack. This will provoke an AOO.

Attack: (1d20+9)[12]
Damage: (1d8+6)[9]

[Othniel]

Snorri

"I will accompany you to the Wharf," Snorri agreed, "If you will help me get to the Temples afterward." The bard held out a hand to seal his proposed compromise. "Deal?" Turning to one of the officers, he asked a question, "What do you have for supplies here? Potions, weapons, etc., anything that might be useful to those of us going back out into the chaos?"

[Estralita]

Octavia/Azata

Octavia followed the others anxiously, but not saying anything, quietly worrying about her parents.

Her parents really woudn't like that she had gotten involved. Sure, getting kidnapped wasn't her fault, but sneaking out and volunteering to help find and disarm the generators was. Somehow, in the darkness with the creatures, it was easier to interrupt and act. As Azata, she knew how to act like a lady, but a lady wouldn't be in this position in the first place. They were respectable now, and needed to act like it.

Hearing the sounds of the danger Juno and Snorri were in roused her to speak. "Should we help them? Or go look for survivors now?" she asked timidly. She was so out of her depth.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Aldric and Juno

Though Aldric's shots were true, Juno's strike was less so, and the Choker swiped at her once, then twice. The belabrae, in turn, floated ever closer toward Aldric.

Spoiler: Actions

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The Choker takes a 5-foot step backward, then attacks with its freakishly elongated arms.

Attack 1 (AoO): (1d20+6)[21]
Combat Maneuver Check (on successful attack, does not provoke AoO): (1d20+8)[18]
Damage: (1d4+3)[4]

Attack 2: (1d20+6)[17]
Combat Maneuver Check (on successful attack, does not provoke AoO): (1d20+8)[20]
Damage: (1d4+3)[5]

However, the Aasimar paladin proved to be far too deft for the Choker, and was easily able to avoid its grabby claws.

Spoiler: Round 3 Begins!

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Have fun!

Octavia, Snorri, Amala, and Henrietta

"You will forgive my presumptuousness, Miss Octavia, but by my eyes, you seem in reasonably good shape - and if you can stand it, far better to strike while the iron is still hot. As for supplies..."

From below the table, Haetta pulled out a small case of potions, pushing them toward the party.

"We must ration our supplies carefully, for there is no telling what we will need in the days to come. Still, we must also recognize that without the proper tools, you cannot act to reclaim the city effectively. As such, take these. They will help you."

Spoiler: Potion Case

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3x Potions of Cure Light Wounds
1x Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
1x Potion of Heroism
1x Potion of Barkskin

***

From atop an ruined apartment building, scored by the marks of battle and fire and blood, the intrepid foursome looked out over the waterfront, the water murky and cold under the dark smoke-choked moon.

The target was a rather large warehouse at the waters edge to the west, which, by the sounds of the shouting, was currently occupied by an increasingly desperate squadron of the Divine Army. In the streets below, throwing bombs, molotov cocktails, and spells, were the Heralds of the Eldest, who appeared to be mostly concentrating on trying to force the defenders away from the second-floor windows so as to approach the doors to the Wharf and force them open. Gunfire and flame choked the streets below, the soldiers screaming and yelling in concentration and in pain, while the Heralds took cover behind planters and hissed and screeched.

Looking over the eastern edge of the building, down into an alleyway running from north to south, the team could spot a group of the eldest carting what appeared to be barrels of gunpowder toward the East-West thoroughfare leading toward the warehouse.

Scanning the immediate area for routes of exit in the event the worst came to pass, the party took note of four main structures. The first of these was the makeshift wooden plank that acted as a bridge to the next apartment building they had come from, over to the north. Second was a set of fire stairs on the western side of the building - exposed to the elements, but at the same time lacking in surprises. In the center of the building, a wooden hatch lead into the apartments themselves. And fourth, on the southern side of the building, in the main street itself, a rather rickety-looking water spout.

[Nefarion Xid]

"Juno! These guys are getting in my comfort zone!"

Nearly unfazed, Aldric switched targets to the unidentified horror on his right.

Spoiler

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(1d20+7)[11]
(1d8+6)[10]

(1d20+7)[12]
(1d8+6)[10]
+1 attack and damage since they're within 30 feet

Grit 5/6

[Estralita]

Octavia

Octavia took a deep breath and nodded. Once the decision was made, Octavia felt calmer. Her parents were probably fine, and she could do better here, following orders.

***

Octavia looked over the chaotic scene biting her lip. "How about I start off sneaking up on the one with the gunpower?"