The Ballad of Echo Company - Episode 1B - The Best Laid Plans

[Novabomb]

Pvt Gabriel Ginger seeming to be overlooked by the krieg mages, and glad for it, is now close enough for some mage hander trickery. He takes a look for explosives on the targets, but finding nothing he does the civil thing and donates one. Minus 1 pin naturally.

Spoiler: OOC

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Slight of Hand (1d20+10)[18]

[Waistcoatwill]

Amidst the stinking gas, explosions, and roar of gunfire, something snaps within Doc. Many of his allies have been badly injured by these maniacs and he has got to at least try to stop it.

With a wordless scream he pulls out his scalpel and lunges out of cover and across the room, sprinting for the mages and leaping through the buffeting winds. At the last minute he sees a floating grenade and tries to vear away. Half-blindly, he swings away at the knee of the nearest mage, hoping to at least distract them.

Spoiler: Actions

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Move and bonus action dash to go 50' up towards the mages. If that doesn't get him far enough he'll use his action for another dash.

He starts off running at the wind wall mage, but will try not to get caught in Ginger's blast if he can. If he ends up next to the wind wall acolyte or the Kriegshielder he'll try to attack them.

(1d20+7)[24] for (1d8+4)[11] damage.

[JbeJ275]

"Catchall, get to cover and keep your head down, stop the staffers trashing all this stuff if you can but I don't want you attracting attention. Jukebox with me, we can't let that Krieger get another spell like that off. And thanks man, you're a lifesaver."

This last line was a bloody mouthed cough, as the last on the inhaled poison was spat from Sal's lungs with a glob of blood and bile. Then he ran forward through the now emptry lanes of fire, stopping 65ft away from the kriegshielder and slotting an energy pack into the underbarrel on his hellfire rifle. Then an orb of compressed gas shoots out from the end of his rifle, carrying through the wind wall undisturbed and breaking apart just under the kriegshilder while also tearing at the raised stage under his feet. All the while Sparky continues to hum, replacing the faded broken shield that helf off the gas for those previous moments.

Spoiler: OOC

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Big bad mage takes (4d8)[21] damage or half on a succesful DC 16 Con save. Sal and those near him get (1d8+5)[10] Temp HP.

[Cavir]

Having dodged the lightning bolt and the plan moving forward, Sgt Xilo joins the stage assault counting on those behind him to keep the soldiers busy. He darts towards the stage with elven speed. Just shy of the stage he leaps forwards into the wind wall which helps keep him aloft just a little bit further. It's enough to reach the duplicated acolyte that Gamble is engaged with. Xilo lands on his feet with the bayonet on the end of his M1 being thrust down into what is probably just a magical image. Xilo expects this and continues his attack with a 3/4 spin that powers a stabby jab into the other adjacent mage. "Gamble, get the big guy, I'll finish this one."

Spoiler: OOC

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Attack 1 (1d20+10)[17]
Damage (1d8+5)[6]

Attack 2 (1d20+10)[27]
Damage (1d8+5)[7]

[Continental Op]

Wolf seems content (dare I say happy?) to keep up his fire on the Kriegers. Having those soldiers attack the team's back could be disastrous, so Wolf keeps firing at any of them that he can see. But he may be slowing down on the suppression, depending on how much ammo he has left.

[MrAbdiel]

The Skyknives begin their assault on the stage. It's no picnic - the second desperate charge into the hellfire of enemy action some of them have faced today, and not a little dangerous. Lightning bolts flashing, mustard gas and fire billowing, the entire room begins to gain enough dispersed smoke and toxin that it stings the eyes just to keep them open. Yet on they go; mad as hatters; and such madness may be what wins the war, in the end.

Sgt. Xilo vaults up on the stage, clearing the height in a long legged leap through the windwall that throws his air around and delivers him a critical extra inch or two; a display of such elven élan that, were the Skyknives not fighting desperately for their lives, they would each be very impressed indeed. One thrust of the bayonet catches the last mirror image of his opponent in the chest, dissipating it. The officer-magus is forced to throw up his hands to catch the falling barrel of Xilo's weapon which threatens to slash its bayonet into his next; and a contest of strength follows with the Kreiger stepping back, wincing, white knuckle holding back the insistent, downward angle of the Sgt's bayonet towards his chest. Then Doc is there, in a blur; dropping to one knee on it between the enemy officer-magus's legs, with a movement so swift it appears to be just a blur of army green and a wink of surgical sharp steel. Blood gushes down his inner left thigh, turning the grey fabric to red-black so swiftly, his imminent departure from this world seems almost supernaturally expedited. Not fast enough, as he looks down at what would certainly have been a mortal wound, the bloodloss drains the strength from his arms, and the elven sergeant overpowers him, forcing the bayonet past the protestation of the Kreiger's failing arms, through his breastbone, through heart, grooving the side of his second thorassic vertebrae and, following through as the mage sinks backwards, through an inch and a half of hardwood floor, nailing him to the ground upon which he died.

Spoiler: Thunk!

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Between Doc's sneak attack and Xilo's double stab, one magus is down!

On the other side of the stage, Pvt. Ginger softballs a grenade from one hand, to the second, and then to his third, most magical hand; which ferries it gently behind the protective curve of the windwall. Salamir storms to the front of the stage just as the grenade goes off, hurling shrapnel in greivous shards all up the mage's left side. It's a testiment to the Kreiger's discipline that even this does not disrupt his concentration enough to break the Windwall. Yet there are shards of that grenade's payload that might have saved his life, if they had spun on their natural course and struck Pvt. Salamir on his approach; and those shards are instead caught up in the windwall and thrown vertically to scatter and ping off the ceiling, harmlessly. The Teifling is left at premium range to release the shatter spell; and when it impacts the officer-magus, he lets out a pained and awful shriek, releasing a plume of blood from his mouth and fragments of bursting teeth. When he hits the ground, extremely dead, he does so like bladder of fluid; the mushy, deflated shape of him as uncanny as it is gory, with all his bones wracked to pieces.

Spoiler: Boom, Crash!

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Between Ginger's frag-curveball and Sal's shatter, the second magus is down!

The windwall dies down, and K'ral takes his shot: it smacks square into the centre of the ghoulish Kreigshielder's back, and the figure totters, the magical glyphs stuttering and shifting on his great arcane work, but returning to motion in short order. But with the fall of the off-sider mages, it's on for young and old. The Lieutenant blazes away from her cover; O'hara's LMG chatters a wagging line of divinely infused ammunition; Gamble rushes in and swings recklessly with his bat; Jukebox scrambles awkwardly onto the stage and bangs off a short from his kneeling position at point blank. Some of it connects; some of it even seems to find purchase; and the supernaturally toughened foe is forced to hunker somewhat under the assault - though the fact that this is all the fusillade produces is both frustrating and alarming.

Spoiler: All in!

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O'hara's Sacred Flame is resisted; the LT misses; Gamble misses once, and hits for 14 damage the next time; Jukebox hits with a shot for 6 damage. The monsterous Kreigshielder seems highly resistant, but not immune, to such damages. He has begun to look more than trivially injured. K'ral takes his shot (I rolled a crit for him. :( and deals a whopping 43 damage, but the blighter passed his concentration save on his effort to get the Shield back up and running, so he continues his work.

At the entrance of the room, Ordo pushes painfully to his feet and bangs off two wild, off-target shots at the two Kreigsoldat remaining on his side of the conflict. The return effort is calamitous: one of the soldiers who had broken pinning picks up on the spacing in Wolf's bursts, and makes a mad rush from his cover to Ordo's. Both men go down in the collusion, but Ordo fails to fend his attacker off; jitters from the lightning bolt tweaking and spasming his muscles and giving the soldat room to slam his knife home into the paladin's guts. He sprawls backwards with a roar of frustration that peels off into a wail of mortal despair; ruined and dying, his defeater kneeling over him, knife in hand.

Spoiler: Shhh...

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Ordo fires twice at the enemy soldiers and misses twice; one charges him, hits, and does 7 damage, taking him to 0. He's dying, and at the mercy of the enemy soldier above him.

Three other soldiers and pinned, and cannot find their aim on Wolf while keeping their heads down; bullets zing by the feral corporal, missing their mark. But it's enough cover for the final soldier to make his own rush, bayonet first, and makes and wild lunge as Wolf's submachinegun betrays him, and clicks dry.

Spoiler: Blitz!

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Three pinned soldiers shoot and miss Wolf. One unpins at the end of this turn.
The other two will unpin at the end of next turn, when it's clear Wolf is out of ammo. The second unpinned soldier charges Wolf, and gives him a good old stab - 22 to hit, for 10 piercing.

As the situation with the rearguard starts to reverse, some of the support staff choose the worst time to find their courage. A group of three men and a woman fall on Catchell, kicking and striking with clumsy fists; one wrestling for his gun as he tries, bloody-eyed and coughing, to fend them off. He cries out, but behind a veil of white coats and charcoal grey dress uniforms, he falls silent.

Spoiler: Revenge of the Nerds

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Catchell rises from prone to a crouch, and dodges. Despite this, four limp-wristed geeks flail at him hard enough to take him to 0. He's unconscious, dying, and at their mercy.

Looking back over his shoulder, sneering with fury and eyes flickering with wicked purple light, the Kreigshielder whips a hand back behind himself, and in doing so, scatters a hideous wave of necrotic energy that roils out, bleaching life from the swarm of attacks on the stage! With no living allies there, he has nothing to lose; and spares a fraction of his power in a last ditch effort to clear the board of interlopers!

Spoiler: Raaagh!

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Everyone on the stage (Xilo, Doc, Gamble, Jukebox) are exposed to this Disrupt Life attack. Make a DC 18 Constitution save, or take 17 Necrotic damage, half on success. Gamble succeeds, and bulls on contently. Jukebox fails, and the attack once again strips off his shield, and causes him a remnant of suffering.

[JbeJ275]

Sal initially seems deadset on taking down the shielder, but the sound gurgling and spluttering from Catchell has him turn. With a frustrated growl Sal jams a clip of Phelengtos rounds into his rifle, then begins opening fire on those troops remaining in the rear of the room. One directed at Ordo's attacker, another at one of them men beating on Catchell, the third whipping towards the soldier currently pressing their advantage against wolf. All of these rounds show streaks of burning blackness, shooting across the room with all the hate of the hellpits they were mined from.

Once these bullets expended he wastes no time running to Catchell, awash in demonic flame from head to toe he dives at any remaining support staff, screaming an infernal curse and trying to drive these cowards off before they can do further harm to Catchell.

Spoiler: OOC

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Ordo's attacker: (1d20+9)[21] for (2d6)[5][5](10) + (1d8)[3]
Wolf's attacker: (1d20+9)[10] for (2d6)[4][6](10)
Catchell's attacker: (1d20+9)[26] for (2d6)[3][5](8)

Intimidate on the Support staff: (1d20+5)[10]

[Waistcoatwill]

The wave of necrotic energy repels Doc, making him turn away from the Kriegshielder for a moment. He doesn't need his fine-honed surgeons senses to notice two of his allies down and under imminent threat.

Following in Sal's wake initially, he soon passes his comrades as his time on the track and field team pats dividends. His smack talk never had much effect back then, but he gives it a try anyway.

Hey! You! Schweinhunt! Get off our pal Ordo! I'm gonna make schnitzel out of you!

He closes on the Krieger standing above Ordo, brandishing his bloody scalpel and pointing with his left hand. At the same time he activates the Skyknife ring, focusing its healing energy on Catchell

Spoiler: Actions

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Move and dash action to run 50 feet towards Ordo's assailant.

Bonus action healing word from the Skyknife ring to heal Catchell for (1d4+1)[5] hp.

[Cavir]

Sgt Xilo

Thanks to the help of Doc's deft slicing, the bayonet penetrated the Kreiger's defenses, all the way through the enemy and into the floor. Xilo didn't bother wriggling the bayonet back out. He left the M1 right where it was, a temporary grave marker. "Sal, Sparky could be real useful up here!"

Instead the elven sergeant draws his family sword as he rushes at the Kreigshielder. An upward diagonal left to right slash of the Kreigshielder's back, another step to get just past the mage, then with a twist of his wrists and a spinning turn toward the Kreigshielder another slash, this time downward right to left. The Kreigshielder would have to deal with the Skyknife's dancing sword in front of him if the Kreigshielder tried to continue focus on the mission to defend the beach.

Spoiler: OOC

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Moving to be just past the mage so that a directional spell can't hit us all at once. Two attacks with the sword.
Attack1: (1d20+6)[7]
Damage: (1d10+4)[12]

Attack2: (1d20+6)[21]
Damage: (1d10+4)[6]

[Novabomb]

Pvt Gabriel Ginger
Seeing that 2 of the four have been rebuffed by the Kriegshielder, that is where he directs his efforts.

As the Sgt makes his attack, Ginger uses the distraction to find a suitable optical barrier, and snipe his target.

Spoiler: OOC

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Bonus Action hide (1d20+10)[17]

Attack (1d20+7)[22] Dmg (1d6+4)[6] Sneak attack (3d6)[8]

[Continental Op]

Wolf is surprised by the bayonet, but the shield from Sal's creature deflects the blow without major consequences besides the new hole in his shirt. He then lets go of the M1, trusting the strap to keep it by his side for when he has time to reload. But the more immediate need is the Krieger; Wolf snarls "Not today!" in the Krieger's face and pulls his M1911 .45 sidearm. He plugs the soldier in the chest until he goes down.

Spoiler: OOC

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Wolf does take the 10 damage from the bayonet, but it was all temp HP so I thought it would make sense in game terms if Sparky's effect "deflected" the attack.

Using his re-skinned hand crossbow, Wolf makes three attacks (b/c of Crossbow Expert):
Attack1: (1d20+9)[17] and damage: (1d6+4)[9]
Attack2: (1d20+9)[15] and damage: (1d6+4)[7]
Attack3: (1d20+9)[25] and damage: (1d6+4)[8]

If the Krieger goes down, Wolf will use his move action to get closer to the other Krieger soldiers who were recently pinned. Any left-over attacks would go to them, if Wolf can see any with half-cover or less.

[MrAbdiel]

In a storm of boots and fists, Catchell receives the healing energy from Doc's Skyknife ring and wakes with a gagging cry. Salamir's threat seems not to find its mark - the situation is desperate enough the combating non-combatants are making snap decisions - but following through on that threat helps, as one of the labcoated attackers staggers away, wailing, covered in deadly hellfire. O'Hara turns from his efforts in the assault and releases a prayer of sanctuary over the beleaguered lad; and between violent threat and supernatural aid, the mob thumping Catchell disperses with gabbling howls of fright.

Spoiler: Get away from him, you darn, dirty Kreigers!

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Doc heals Catchell back to conciousness. Salamir's intimidate doesn't quite do it; but between killing one, and O'hara throwing a Sanctuary on Catchell, the remaining geeks scatter, ceasing once more to be an active, hostile force in the fight.
There's a chance that some more of them will find the heart to fight and give it a shot - but the only way to deter that possibility is having someone constantly browbeating them to keep out of the way, or to start executing them. Otherwise, you're trusting they'll accept their fate, which is less than a sure thing.

Cpl. Eugene "Wolf" carries on his duel with the soldier that rushed him. For a moment, the soldat manages to get his hand under Wolf's wrist and holds the pistol up and away from a straight shot, straining against the reversed situation with the weapon in his other hand. But he's forced to duck as one of Sal's hellfire rounds rips overhead, and in that moment of distraction Wolf is free to twist, pull the trigger, and sink a bullet through the top of his enemy's shoulder, down into the cavity of his chest - with two more after for good measure, kicking away the slackened enemy and rushing over to the remnant enemy squad. Still shaken by the gunfire that pinned them and not keen to meet the fate of their brave friend, they throw down their guns, and tentatively raise their hands.

Spoiler: Aufgeben..?

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The second round from Sal's attack misses the mark, but all three of Wolf's rounds hit and execute his opponent. The two Kreigsoldat he rushes to engage appear to be surrendering!

Doc, scalpel in hand, faces off against the soldier standing over Ordo's unconcious form. This close, the halfling can see the calculation in the enemy's eyes. The healing spell fired across to rescue Catchell from death has alarmed him - standing over a fallen but not dead enemy, he realizes he is fighting one Amcaran, and if he delays, he is likely to be fighting two. He makes a feigning jab towards Doc to put him back on his heels, but then plunges downward, with an executioner's stroke towards Ordo, seeking to remove him from the fight entirely. The soldat has not, however, correctly conceived his situation - he is already fighting more than one enemy. The right side of his body erupts in testament to Salamir's infernal marksmanship; and when it seems he will survive that long enough to follow through on his profane intention, K'ral's bullet crosses the width of the room, punches in one shoulder and out the other in a freakishly clean penetration, and he flops to the side, dead. For the moment, Ordo is safe.

This moment passes quickly. The last soldier on that side of the field, having earlier recovered from the shock of sustained fire, has made the same calculations as he predecessor. He charges forth, bayonet first, and veers away from Doc at the last moment, dipping the point of the weapon to stab into Ordo's stomach before whipping it upward in a guarding slash at the halfling!

Spoiler: Oh no, Ordo!

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A lot of action over here. The enemies that remain wise up to the healing magic, and stop counting downed opponents as out opponents. Between K'Ral's shot and one of Salamir's scorching rays, the enemy that put Ordo down is killed - but another Kreigsoldat, the last upright enemy soldier (discounting the two who appear to be surrendering to Wolf) - charges Ordo's downed body, and strikes him. Attacking a downed opponent in melee is an automatic critical hit, which equals two failed death saves. After which, he is required to roll another, which I'll hide behind this helpful spoiler tag.

Spoiler: Ordo's Status. Free look if Doc passes a DC 15 Medicine check; otherwise he'll have start working and hope for the best.

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Death Save for Ordo - (1d20)[20] Edit: Hahaha, would you look at that? Ordo recovers 1 HP spontaneously and regains conciousness; but he's going to play possom. He's going to use the help action for Doc to attack the guy, giving advantage as he suddenly grabs his would-be killer's leg, as if the stab has some how invigorated him.

The Lt. looks accusingly at her sidearm, and holsters it. Her contribution of violence came from her spells, most of which are exhausted; but her ability to help the effort has not ended. She rushes up, hunkering against the front of the stage, and reaches out with her mind, attempting to reave intel from the enemy's mind while she has a chance. Jukebox waddles into combat alongside Xilo and Gamble. He's not a natural fighter - he's a soldier, plain and simple, and he pokes and lunges with the exact, unmodified bayonet drills everyone was taught. They prove ineffective as the Kreigshielder bats the blade away, with an open palm. Xilo's skill finds an opening, after a feinting strike; driving the a bayonet between the ribs of the ghastly officer in what would have been a killing strike on a lesser opponent. On this one - a concerted annoyance, one that is added to the accumulation. It's Gamble's battering that makes the difference, for the moment; one blow thumping meaninglessly off the enemy's shoulder, but the backhand swing striking its head with a satisfying crack that knocks the hat off its head, reveally the full, tight-skin-skull face with its sunken red eyes, and wisps of decaying hair. The blow seems to have displaced a flap of skin, which now droops lazilly from its dry bone base down over one cheek. Finally, with this sustained assault, the Kreigshielder gives up trying to ignore the squad; he turns both hands from the incantation wall, and the matrix of runic images there halt, and dim. Now, finally, your enemy turns his attention entirely to you.

Another pulse of draining energy races out, striking everyone on the stage. Jukebox slips the worst of it, but the accumulation of suffering is mounting on him, and the feathered fighter is rapidly wearing down again. Gamble bulls through this drain like the last, only to receive backhand blow from the caster that throws droplets of the goliath's freezing blood in a spray as he staggers back. The bruiser is mighty, and tough; but damage being heaped on him from these non-physical vectors is mounting; and he, too, is beginning to look worse for wear. Lt. Bathory yelps and hisses, the necrotic wave washing over her, stinging but not badly injuring.

The enemy is proving hard to damage, but not invincible; and almost completely devoid of allies, the question seems to become not whether he can be overcome, but will he exact a cost for his downfall?

Spoiler: The Situation!

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Gamble crits again, once again inspiring Xilo! I think I'll make 'You can have an extra inspiration but you must be down to 1 max at the end of your turn' standard, because of the extra inspiring stuff we have. So if that puts Xilo up to 2, that's fine for the moment. Bathory uses Detect Thoughts, but she'll need another turn before she gets to roll to get anything juicy.

The Kreigshielder ceases trying to manage the shield. He's turning all his attention to the squad now. He uses his legendary action to create another necrotic wave (DC 18 Con save for Xilo, or take 21 Necrotic damage, Save for half). He uses his action to make a paralyzing touch attach at Gamble. Gamble beats the DC so he's not paralyzed, but he still takes a gob of cold damage, and is looking pretty rough.

Enemies:

1 Defiant Kreigsoldat, presently in melee with Doc, in the midfield, standing over the critically injured and possibly dead Pvt. Ordo.
2 Surrendering Soldat, now unpinned, at Cpl Wolf's mercy.

1 Kreigshielder, very resistant to damage but now beginning to look haggard, and angry.

[Waistcoatwill]

Doc screams in fury and disgust at the Krieger appearing to murder Ordo in front of him. With his free hand he whips out one of his "combat cocktails", rolls through the Krieger's legs, and stabs it into Ordo's thigh.

If the lad was still this side of the veil, the blend of adrenaline and poppy extract should have him back on his feet, if only briefly. Either way, Doc was seeing red and the Krieger had to pay!

Here's your free laparotomy, see how you like you murdering schmuck!

Spoiler: Actions

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Doc uses his bonus action to use his med kit on Ordo to bring him back up to 1hp if he's still alive.

He slashes with his scalpel.

(1d20+7)[20] for (1d8+4)[6] piercing damage plus (3d6)[13] if Ordo is still alive/now on 1hp.

If the Krieger is somehow taken out, or if Ordo is clearly dead, then after that he'll use his move to head 25' back towards the stage where the will no doubt be more folk in need of his care soon enough.

[JbeJ275]

Sal hauls Catchell to his feet as the labcoated Vulkers turn tail, and presses a syringe into the muscles of his thigh, jamming down the plunger hard as army drugs flush into the soldier's system to help him keep fighting. Over the barking sound of gunfire he shouts to Catchal. "Shoot, the Krieger" gesturing with his head and horns to the ongoing knifefight Doc and Ordo were engaged in, all the while staying between Catchell and his previous attackers, and moving steadily towards the stage to ensure he could still direct Sparky.

The construct itself continued its journey towards the stage, though it remained too far to shed its barriers on anyone in the melee with the Kriegshielder at this moment.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Catchell is healed for (1d8+5)[8]

[Novabomb]

Pvt Gabriel Ginger
Continues to take measured shots at the shielder. His concentration has got to break at some point.

Spoiler: OOC

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Att (1d20+7)[15] Dmg: (1d6+4)[10]

Stealth if needed (1d20+10)[17]

Sneak attack potentially (3d6)[9]

[Cavir]

Sgt Xilo

Under normal circumstances, this would be an unfair fight. A skilled swordsman against an at-first-glance unarmed opponent. Even more unfair with three armed soldiers against this one enemy. This enemy wasn't helpless and is the key to the success of the whole invasion. This is war, not a duel. Fairness is not a factor.

"This is it Skyknives! Everything you've got and we'll save those grunts on the beach! Jukebox, hit'em low. Gamble, use his head for a home run through the wall!"

For his part, Xilo shifts his body slightly back and down as he brings his longsword down heavily through the Kreigshielder's wrist. Hard to cast when missing a hand. Doubly so missing both hands, but one strike at a time.

Spoiler: OOC

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Inspiration point to Gamble and Jukebox.
Commander's Strike for Gamble to hit again. + (1d8)[2] damage
Inspiration point for my own attack.

Using his family longsword, since the M1 is back sticking through the acolyte and into the floor.
Longsword: (1d20+6)[21] or (1d20+6)[22]
Damage: (1d10+4)[5]

EDIT: Well, those were horrible damage rolls.

[Continental Op]

Wolf stares at the two Kriegers, his pistol pointed between them. Despite his obvious heritage, he does not speak the language. He struggles to tell them to back up away from their rifles and against the wall. "Away...wall" More to himself, he says, "Crap, why didn't I listen to Grandad more? What is Krieger for back up?" He motions with his pistol for them to go backwards.

When they have a little distance from their rifles, Wolf risks a quick glance at the room to see how the rest of the squad is faring. He turns back to the two soldiers, making sure they are not trying anything. Between Gabe's shots, he yells "Surrender! (Aufgeben?)...Damn it, can anyone tell the Kriegers we are taking prisoners?!"

Spoiler: OOC

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The italics is for Wolf trying to speak Krieger.

[MrAbdiel]

In the backfield...|

With Wolf keeping his wary eyes on his prisoners, neither of them plucks up the courage to be a hero; and with a loaded weapon pointed at them, they make no desperate dive like their thrice-shot companion.

Doc makes his double-move; scalpel slashing up swiftly and opening a bloody, final wound up the last fighting soldier's abdomen, abdominal muscles slit and snapping, and he topples over backward without so much as trying to dodge. The syringe in the other hand jamming into Ordo's thigh. The reaction is immediate - too immediate, in fact. Ordo, now that Doc has a second to glance at him, appears to have made his own way back to conciousness moments before, and has snared the enemy soldat's ankle in his rictus grip, making him that much easier for Doc to finish. The blast of revival fluid into his system makes his eyes bulge and he wheezes as his heart and lungs go wild; but at least he's stable, and in the Doc's best estimation, will pull through if there's no additional stabbing.

Catchell, wiping blood from his eyes and coughing as the additional healing magic has drawn him back from the brink of death, is too far to hear the sergeant's rally call clearly; but he hears the Sal's directive, and that's enough. He fumbles for his gun, racks the bolt with his bloodslick hands, and forces himself to a weary crouch.

On Stage...

Jukebox jabs with his fruitless but valiant thrusts; the Kreigshielder begins ignoring his attacks, and the little corvid is delighted to land a strike in the desiccated meat of the enemy's thigh - to no effect, robbing the kenku of his pride. But with the extra encouragement from the elven sergeant ringing in his ears, Gamble storms on, a living battering ram; missing once, blocked once, and then finally clocking the Kreiger's scalp again so hard than bone chips fly. In that opening, Xilo is free to make his own lunge; though the husk of the enemy presents no traditional vital points for the sophisticated elven killing thrust that has made their swordsmen the envy of the fencing world. His cuts run shallow; the melee effort not enough to put down the malefic mage.

Another contemptuous flick of the hand, another pulse of necrotic energy, and the Kreigshielder returns to the offensive. This time, the wave is telling. Lt. Bathory cries out but holds her invasive spell, with desperation. Jukebox throws himself backward, but clipped by the deadly power, his defensive roll turns into a slack tumble, and he lies in a crumpled patchy heap of wounds and feathers on one side of the stage. Even Gamble, who has been eating bullets and farting shrapnel since he crawled out of the Naphto surf, takes finally just too much wicked energy; and with a stiff armed, staggering swing the enemy easilly sidesteps, his huge body collapses to the boards of the stage with clap like a gunshot. But with the melee force repelled, the rest of the squad is free to fire. K'ral and Ginger's shots fly from their perches; Ohara opens up with a streamer of bright rounds from his LMG; even Catchell pops off a round down the field at the necrotic magus. It's hard to know which bullets strike and which do not, but the sustained fire, with promise only to gain additional firers, begins to hammer against the magus's frame, punching holes through his longcoat, throwing plumes of dust and black gore out the back of him. Angry - no, perhaps irritated - the magus looks around amidst this storm of lead as a normal man might peer determinedly through horizontal rain. He touches his temple with a grimace, glances briefly to the Dhampir at the edge of the stage, and then finally to Sgt Xilo, picking his moments to harry and slice at the enemy without getting in the fire lanes. Sickly green light begins accruing in the magus' palm, and the fingers of his right hand shift; pinking and ring folding to the palm, middle and index pointing ahead, thumb straight up.

"No!" The Lt. barks out; "don't let him-"

But it's too late. The magus gives Xilo a final contemptuous look, and then lifts his hand, lowering his thumb and fires a ray of hideous, disintigrating energy...

...into his own temple. Within less than a second, the perforated, battered and beated husk of the necrotic magus turns to dust heaping where he stood; all that remains of him being the officer's cap knocked off earlier, resting now where Gamble lies silent on the stage.

"Dammit!" Bathory curses. "Dammit, they're planning something. Something... I don't know. I almost had it. Dammit." She rubs her temples with her fingertips, trying to banish a migraine brought on by the truncation of her Detect Thoughts spell, and then looks around blearily. "Doc! We need you up here again!"

The battle, it seems, is over; the enemy defeated or retreated; the shield centre captured. The silence that follows the sustained gunshots and spellfire is almost overwhelming.

Spoiler: Victory!

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The last defiant soldier falls; and even some ratty attack rolls from certain members of the party are unable to drown out the accumulation of damage, which passes the Magus's critical threshold. Rather than risk critical intel being plundered from his mind, he disintegrates himself!

Jukebox and Gamble are unconcious on the stage, though I don't doubt the squad will save them - folks have been judiciously saving their Skyknife ring heals. Xilo, a final heroic DC 18 Con save for 24 Necrotic damage, half on success. After that, your objective is secure!
With blood and valor, in the face of catastrophic reversals, you have purchased a critical victory on Naphto beach!

[Cavir]

Sgt Xilo steels himself through yet another black burst, but doesn't think he could make it through another. The blast disrupts the elf just enough to prevent him from stopping the magus from blasting itself into oblivion. Sgt Xilo barely gives himself a second of reprieve before his attention goes back to the rest of the room. "Two men down up here! Secure the prisoners then status report!"

The sergeant takes two strides to Jukebox and takes a knee. Using his own Skyknife ring he pours some healing energy into the kenku. Hoping that's enough to keep him going for now, Xilo moves over to Gamble. He pulls out a healing kit to keep the goliath alive.

[Waistcoatwill]

Doc sees the limps bodies fall on the platform and sprints back over, giving Ordo one more dirty look as he does.

Take it easy sarge, those are delicate tools you've got there. It takes more finesee than swinging that pig-sticker of yours. Allow me.

He gently moves moves Xilo's hands out of the way and mixes up a strange paste that looks similar to the insides of thr pos-gel pack, applying it just under the big warrior's nose. Before long he starts coughing, puffs of dark miasma being expelled with each spasm. A smidge of colour begins to return to his cheeks.

Back on your feet slugger, well get you patched up properly in a bit.

Spoiler: Actions

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Move plus dash if necessary plus bonus action healer's kit to get Gamble to 1hp.

[JbeJ275]

Seeing that those who had been downed were no recieving medical attention, and taking just a moment to have his own coughing fit, Salamir scrambles do examine the captured shielding unit, with the Magi's death it was now undirected but there was no damage to the infrastructure of power drawing itself, if they could hold this position there was the potential to draw out further shielding power from the krieger circuits, and depending on whether the Krieger's managed to rally a force to counter attack before reinforcememnts arrived it might be neccesary to know how to quickly sabotage the power draw.

[Cavir]

Sgt Xilo gladly steps out of the Doc's way. He glances around looking for any other exits. He picks up the officer's cap then walks over to the dead acolyte where his M1 still stands. He wipes his sword using the acolyte's clothing, sheathes it, then yanks his M1 free, also wiping that blade clean.

Standing by the edge of the stage for a good view of the room he gets the troops back to business for a little while longer. "Come on Skyknives, you know the drill. Gather the prisoners together. Search them one by one. Send the searched ones onto the stage. Once that's all done we can search the area."

"K'ral, keep overwatch. Catchell, cover the doorway. Ordo and Wolf, cover the unsearched prisoners. Gamble, Jukebox keep an eye on the prisoners put on the stage. Ginger search the prisoners, I'll cover you. Doc, O'Hara, see to our wounded, then theirs."

"LT, we have one more Sending rod. HQ should know about this. We need MPs for the prisoners and we need resupply. Maybe you and Sal can figure out how the contraption works?" Xilo hands the officer's cap to the LT.

[Continental Op]

Wolf keeps the two Kriger soldiers against the wall, his pistol ready. He tries to follow the Sarge's orders and get the other non-soldiers still alive to join them, but the language barrier gets in the way again. He resorts to yelling in Amcaran, "Hey, you guys in the coats! Get over here, with these other two."

If that doesn't work, he asks Ordo to help round up the others. Whenever Ordo joins him, Wolf holsters him pistol and reloads his M1A1 Thompson, and asks the Kriegers, "Any of you Kriegers have food around here? You know, Food? (das essen?)"

[Novabomb]

Pvt Gabriel Ginger
Thoroughly searches the prisoners with all 3 hands.

[PartyOfRogues]

K’ral heads to the ruined bunker above, scanning the situation down on the beach, then looking for a vantage point in the rubble overlooking the beach and trenches.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Perception: (1d20+9)[13]
Stealth: (1d20+10)[11]

[MrAbdiel]

The Lieutenant makes the 'call' while the squad secures the area. The cleanup is a labor, but compared to eating bullets, it's a holiday. The fight has been chased out of the last couple of soldat and the gaggle of nerds; exhausted and despairing, they are put to one side and kept under guard with no further issues.

Gamble, Ordo, Catchell and Jukebox have all taken serious injuries that will require long term care. Almost everyone else has something to remember the fight by; a scar here or there, where a bullet of blast found them. But somehow, no one died; not an Amcaran body joins the Kreiger dead in this wicked den. Everyone that ran in through the smoke and the poison and fire is atleast capable of limping back out again; and that seems downright miraculous. O'hara insists on leading a spontaneous prayer of thanks; and no one objects, even if few are ready to indulge right now.

Exploration and examination of the room shows no additional exists, but no shortage of arcane glyphing on the north wall's perimeter - designed, the Lt surmises, to transmit the conjoured magical power from the distant Kreigshielder apprentices to this location, to be coalesced and harnessed by the now disintegrated Kreigshielder himself, under the watchful eye of his local assistants. The whole glowing arcane map fades to invisibility over the next three minutes, bleeding off its tremendous energy as the shield to which it corresponds, and whatever cryptic data swam in that stream of power, is lost entirely.

K'ral has the best view of the aftermath, from the surface level. Emerging into the light of day, he witnesses the allied ships out to see fire their salvos overhead again; this time they hammer into the bunkers on the Defiant wall on target, shaking concrete and stone; driving the enemy before them. Every one in four bunkers is still covered by a flickering violet energy field, but everywhere else men are at the walls; the Amcaran landing force has hit the cliffs, thrown lines up to climb, and swarm up the ramps in streams of men and machines. The enemy is in full flight; and overhead, harassed by a gratifying paucity of enemy planes and fire, more big-bellied aircraft full of fall-troopers soar inland to deploy their warrior cargo. With the Kreigers on their heels, the beach is yours - though the cost has been high. Yet only with more spilling of valorous blood will the world come to peace again; you know nothing more certainly than that.

Spoiler: OOC Congratulations!

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Glory to the warriors! You've complete the mission! I'm gonna take a week or two to percolate on what's coming next; but in the mean time, for those who have stuck through:

You level up! In addition to rolling your new hit dice, as a result of the rest-time you're going to get before being deployed again, you may reroll one of your existing hit die if you want, taking the new result if it's higher - that's why I asked you to take notes of the individual rolls! :D When I catch up on my posts, I'll do a little IC shuffling of positions and squads - but the spoiler is you'll be merged into an elite, small squad; and the surviving NPC's will be assigned to another. You may see them again in the field, but we'll be down to an all PC party. Next thing will be a non-combat scene for people do some non-combat stuff, then redeployment!