Tiny Alexandrian Flags (Part 4)
So, you were on an airship;.
That airship had special features designed to fight demons.
You fought demons.
The demons died.
In the process of fighting the demons, you blew up a chunk of mountain, releasing what is, according to Selerik, a piece of primal chaos that'd been hollowing out a section of it at what is no doubt Asumit's behest, to flow down the side of the mountain in question, revealing a network of new tunnels carved by it amongst other things. You've returned to Alexandria now because you've got to report this mess. And also, the airship crew needs their brown pants.
Razen isn't looking forward to this 'reporting in' business. He's not used to explaining how or why he's been fighting stuff (excepting a few instances with the town guard which turned out well enough he supposes). In any case it doesn't sound particularly interesting and worse yet he missed out on fighting the demons because he'd been hit in the head by a stupid mainsail.
Merek makes his way with the others to make that report all the same, with his cloak adjusted about him, hood up. He has most of his gear with him, while he nods a bit to the others also, he's quiet though as well.
"Sooooooo....." Halani says, letting the word drag out as she stares off in the direction where the mountain they left behind stands. "Just so there is clearness on this.... This one didn't do it."
Walery is willing and ready to make his report, his demeanor fairly tactical and his observations hopefully relevant.
The airship is going fast.
Really, really fast.
Like, super fast. As fast as they can.
IT won't be too long before they're back across the range to where the military encampment of airships, 'Assassin Fleet' was. The fakes, that is, with some real omnes mixed in.
Razen is holding onto the railing like it's a lifeline, his eyes open stubbornly, but it's clear that he's afraid. They're in the sky. By magic. He tightens his grip.
Walery watches the operation of the ship as we fly. The technical aspects are fascinating, of course, and he's familiar with most of the bits. They're moving quite briskly, the wind ruffling his hair, but he seems pleased that it's all working out.
Merek is content to assist where he can, while he shifts about.
GAME: Merek rolls craft/artifice+1: (9)+7+1: 17
Halani has gotten herself some cover from the wind... it would be a rather anticlimactic end to her second life if she were to fly off in the wake of the speeding airship, after all.
Your airship returns to the field as the mana-storm over the red-ridge portions near the Desolation kicks up a notch.
You disembark to the other airships where you meet with more senior military officials. The story is shared.
They listen, stone-faced.
Finally, one of the government/military officials sums up the situation well.
"Fuck."
Merek makes his way with the others also, then he nods as they explain it all to the officials also.
Merek makes his way with the others also, then he nods as they explain it all to the officials also.
Walery will add what tactical insight he can bring to the issue, in case it helps.
Razen is entirely unhelpful; having been unconscious the whole time, but he stands sotically beside his companions backing them up.
"Big bomb, yeah? Fly it right into the middle." Halani has tactical insight, too. She also adds helpful descriptors with her hands, starting them clenched tight together and then releasing them, splayed, as she makes a 'pshhhhhhhht' sound.
There's a lot of staring from the soldiers.
"...well," offers one, "it could work; Collapse part of the mountain, fill the gaps..."
"How do we stop the flow, though? It's alive, right?"
"If what they're saying is true, it's a chaos beast. Heard of those things before. Heard one was locked up by wards some years ago. Wonder if its the same one."
"Can't be. Locked up by wards."
"You read the stories. Those things always get out eventually ."
Merek seems to be thoughtful about it, "We need to take care of this before it makes an issue, I'd say it is possible the wards shifted," he offers, while he nods to them all as well.
"Or... We blew up the wards." Razen states with wonder.
Walery has to wonder, "What sort of wards are they? Could anyone reset them, or do we need a special wizard?
"It wasn't this one..." Halani mutters, denying responsibility for the second time this day.
GAME: Merek rolls Was It Halani: (5)+Was It Halani: 5
"No, I don't think you did it. This was Asumit. This was his gambit in response to the fleet. So, welp. You've got a new assignment," says the official, "Looks like you're fighting primal chaos." Oh good.
Razen grins widely and grips his heavy flail tightly. "Oh, I hoped that it might come to that!"
"I am alright with that, will we have access to the ships for this?" Merek asks, while he looks to the officials also.
"To be honest? I'm not sure," admits the uniformed man, glancing to the others, "We don't know what impact mana cannons will have on it, amongst other things. You might, but we need to verify if we won't just be kind of... spreading it? You know? Everything it touches is at risk."
GAME: Selerik rolls knowledge/the planes: (20)+12: 32
Halani's eyes widen in... delight isn't right. Anticipation? She raises a fist. "So... this one gets to punch it after all, yeah? Right in the jiggly's?"
"... Does primal chaos have jiggly?" Merek asks Halani, lifting his brow.
Walery asks the uniformed man, "So what is it we actually have to do? Shoot something? Cast some spell?"
Halani looks at Merek oddly. "It's all one big jiggly."
"Right, why'd I ask, I should've known that," Merek says.
Walery hrms. "I see. Is there a way to dismount the weapons from the ship and use them from land? Alternately, we could use the weapons from the landed ships. Do we think the ships could outrun them if they gave chase?"
"We could try, but there's a risk you'd be overrun, and there's no guarantee it'd go where we want it to go," replies one of the sailors, "right?"
"It's possible we can bring a few siege engines," Merek offers, while he nods a bit as well. "I suppose we can try to take the machines we can use from the ships," looking then to the others. "So, this ward, was created by...? It's possible we will need to seal it again."
Halani frowns. Perhaps thinking. Perhaps annoyed that she can't punch it after all. "This... ah... I am not great at drawing, so...."
"I have a bow." Razen offers this helpfully, but doesn't sound particularly as though he thinks that'd do much good.
"You can worry about your bows, I don't even need my firearms, I have THESE GUNS," Merek offers, while he shifts his arms to give them a show-off as well.
"And ranged magic," Merek adds.
"..." There's a lot of staring at Merek, as if to say 'did that guy really just go there?'. Apparently yes.
"We'd send more airships and level the grounds but hat'd give away Assassin Fleet's actual strength. I imagine that's what Asumit may be counting on. So, instead, let's take this opportunity to deal with the beast. Then we can send you into assess what damage was done to the mountain. Reasonable?"
"I think that is manageable," Merek offers, with a nod to the officials, squinting then to the looks at him, while he sighs, lifting his shoulders a bit also.
Walery nods slowly, and agrees, "That makes sense. We'll get it figured out."
Halani, at least, seemed to 'get' Merek's boast. She gives him a quick punch in the right arm, and then flexes her own right arm for good measure. "Yeah, yeah, we'll get it figured!"
Merek nods a bit then to Halani, while he smiles a bit, "Alright, we can manage it," he says also.
"All right. So, we're going to take you back out and observe it, then we'll put you down once you're ready. Anything you need, you can get," they add..
Walery looks things over, but says, "I think I'm set."
Merek nods to all the others, "I am too."
Razen grins, hand on his weapon where it hasn't left since the beginning. "I have everything I need here."
GAME: Merek refreshes spells.
Soon, the airships are departing with you on board. This time, they're able to track (the very large) crawl of chaos moving across the earth along the mountain range, having moved down it considerably since you saw it.
You've had time to prepare. It's gonna be a fight.
A bad one.
My, it's a rather large lightning storm starting up here, isn't it?
GAME: Walery rolls perception: (10)+10: 20 GAME: Razen rolls perception: (11)+9: 20 GAME: Merek rolls perception: (11)+13: 24 GAME: Merek used a Artificer's Goggles.
Walery looks at the storm, mutters, "That doesn't look like a normal weather phenomenon."
"I think." Razen starts, looking around. "That this storm is magic." He sounds less than pleased.
"Not magic..." Halani quietly suggests, her voice dropping to a level hard to hear. "Chaos..."
GAME: Merek used a Scroll.
"..no shit," mutters one of the sailors to Razen when he points it out. That's, naturally, when he's incinerated by a lightning bolt that strikes the airship.
Your airship is now smoking.
...and on fire...
... and on its way down...
Razen stares at the smoking spot before clinging to the nearest thing (the mainmast) for dear life. "I KNEW I HATED THESE THRICE BLASTED SHIPS!"
The blast of lightning knocks Halani off of her feet... only a quick snatch at the rigging as she tumbles by even keeps her on board. Her whispered awe of the storm is replaced now by a grin. "Don't worry!" she calls out to Razen, "Dying, it's not so bad!"
GAME: Merek rolls will: (7)+11: 18
Merek looks through the goggles, then he uses his scroll. He blinks a bit and next the ship is seeming to be landing, "Ah well, it's magical, it's the... Well not important, it's a lot, we can manage all this ya?" he says also.
GAME: Razen rolls Reflex: (17)+1: 18 GAME: Walery rolls reflex: (20)+9: 29 (CRITICAL SUCCESS) GAME: Halani rolls reflex: (16)+17: 33 GAME: Selerik rolls reflex: (15)+9: 24 GAME: Merek rolls reflex: (20)+6: 26 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
So, there's the airship spinning and going down. It's hard to even so much as hold onto your lunch, let alone something solid, but you're managing.
For the moment.
The crew is doing its best to restore control over it, but then there's a thunderous impact and the airship eventually slides to a halt.
...you're not /dead/. The crew did its job.
Of course, not all of them were so lucky as you, if the cries of the injured are any indication ,and the bodies strewn around the impact site.
.... and in the distance that flow of chaos has now diverted.
Diverted towards you.
-TBC