WAR ♞ BATTLE OF GRAUPERA

[boardmaster]

BATTLE OF GRAUPERA
16 APRIL (LATHYRA) 2016

It is a dark and stormy night; the rain falls in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it is checked by a violent gust of wind —

Not exactly. The rain is still light, but the suns are well below the horizon when the Airy leaves Graupera, setting the stage for Blanc and Noir’s first battle in two hundred years. The weatherman says showers will turn into storms later in the evening, but he doesn’t warn for the milky fog that will soon blanket Capablancan seas. The light from your ships, the lighthouse and the fortress walls serve as our Heroes’ only guide...

The same sleeping bat with sugar powdered around the corners of its mouth hangs from one of the ship’s masts until Commander Lisbrand arrives.

Lisbrand As I’m sure you’re all aware, Noir intends to take us by sea: Capablanca is a key strategic location for launching an attack on the coast. Should Noir capture Graupera, there’s no telling how far they’ll advance with their next move. You will be fighting not just to defend Capablanca, but Caissa as well. I trust you will all perform as well during the battle as you did during preparations. Blanc’s fleet will be standing by to absorb the task force into its ranks; I expect you’ve all completed what naval training was available to you at this point. [ a swift but beady eye is cast over the recruits ] You will need every last bit of it. [ picks up a pen and chucks it with deadly precision at the bat on the ceiling. ]

Verdoni [ immediately casts a wing forward to deflect the dangerous pen on time. then, he drops to the floor and transforms, wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. it’s warm. ] I suppose I need not remind you all of the weather conditions. Noir will enter Blanc territory with the storm, so brace yourselves. I will not lie — Noir has a significant advantage over us in this weather. Expect them to turn the elements in their favor and use lightning, water, and wind magic against you, your crew, and your ship. As most of you here will recall, Noir does not fight fair. They will use every tactic in and out of the book in order to destroy anything that stands in their way. It might do you well to remain alert at all times and to prepare for any scenario. So long as each Hero’s crew focuses on protecting their respective ship, you should be able to hinder their advance. Should the worst come to pass, retreat to the nearest allied ship or make your way to the shoreline to reinforce the last line of defense.

Basic info on the war can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.

ONE ♙ Preparation
Only fools rush into battle! In preparing for war, the first step should always be protecting yourself. As such, Heroes will need to mount barrier generators that convert distilled water into large spherical barriers of pure mana on all ships. They will also need to calibrate the ones installed at Fort Graupera. Be sure to stock water by the barrel. When the enemy’s artillery fire hits these mana barriers, the blows as well as any shrapnel will be dispersed and dissipate in the air. Use them wisely; while the barrier is active, the ship will be unable to move and nothing can enter or leave the barrier. The ships also need to be stocked with ammunition, healing supplies such as potions, spare parts and other materials for repairs on the water. No one wants a leaky ship, right?

Once that’s done, get to know your teammates! Meet up with them at your assigned ship and use this time to get acquainted with each other's strengths and weaknesses, discuss plans, and figure out the roles assigned to you. The knowledge might come in handy in the coming hours…

All Heroes assigned to a crew are required to fight on the deck. The soldiers won’t be pleased to discover someone hiding in the ship’s hold. You can be a cabin boy or girl and run supplies, but they'll expect them by the truckload! Nobody gets to slack off in war! If you are not assigned to a crew, discuss your battle plans with your allies to tighten the shoreline defense. Those participating in the naval battle will need your assistance to secure Graupera!


TWO ♙ Sailing Into the Storm

Heh, blind as a bat and wet as a rat — that’s them. Wait, what do you mean the Airy's gone already? I bet Lei ran off because he needed to wax his chest. Fine! I got time to spare, so I’m going to kill the rest of you. I can’t wait to see the looks on your faces when I plunge right in...

A ♙ As predicted by Secretary Verdoni, by the time Noir’s fleet is in range, the weather has changed. Heavy fog reduces visiblity to near-zero, and rushing without stumbling is a feat for the brave thanks the mixture of rain and seawater washing over every deck. Thunder rolls in the distance, a messenger of the double-pronged storm advancing on Blanc. Roaring gusts of wind rip and tear at clothes, Carriers, and you! Watch out! Lightweights and those not exercising caution are likely to be blown right overboard.

Especially once Noir starts firing. Wind and lightning whip through the fog and both Coxswains and Heroes on Graupera proper will need to aim and time their barriers just right. Call it too soon and you waste precious resources; miscalculate and the ship and/or the fortress may take damage! If the barrier generator runs out of power, Quartermasters will need to replenish its water supply! But if the machine takes direct damage, it has a chance of exploding in a shower of fire and dangerous ricocheting parts, drastically decreasing your ship’s defense and maybe even knocking holes in the hull! Protect your ship to protect the fortress; the Blanc army can only put out so many fires. Should your ship take a hit, it’s also the Quartermaster's duty to respond accordingly lest the craft turn into a flaming monstrosity. Gunner’s Mates, return enemy fire with cannons and other long-range weapons available in your ship’s arsenal! The mana cannons in particular deal heavy damage, but they drain equally large amounts of mana. There’s no time to wait for your mana to replenish in the middle of a storm, so grab the nearest Hero for some up close and personal refueling!

If you don’t, Noir mages will take this opportunity to gather mana and send spells of tidal waves. And if your barrier’s down by then? Say goodbye to your ship and pray that you remember those swimming lessons. Your allies on land should be able to assist you once you reach the shore. Go ahead and join the shoreline defense; your shipwreck has probably left them with a few more holes in their defense and a few more fires to put out, anyway.

B ♟ The two forces clash! The noise is deafening as shouts from both sides mix with howling of the wind and the crashing of waves. Now that the armies are going head to head, Noir soldiers make use of their landing bridges to board Blanc’s ships! Noir mages simply use water magic to surf or wind magic to jump and do the same. But boarding is when Noir soldiers are vulnerable; make use of your resources and home turf advantage to take them down! They’re not the only ones who can take advantage of nature’s blessings.

Enemy soldiers who successfully board will begin to destroy anything they see. Should the ship be successfully hijacked, Blanc’s soldiers and the Heroes may have no choice but to jump into dangerous waters. Chance of survival is slim: waters are rough and ships are constantly rocking. It’s more than likely you'll be crushed between them or beneath them, Noir soldiers and mages will be taking potshots at you, and the strong currents are sure drag everyone into the depths. Once you’re in the water, you’re as good as dead. You are going to need some help.

ENEMY ♟ Noir Soldier
Weak against None	Strong against Lightning	Immune to None
When these soldiers cry “PERUN!”, run. When they cry “PERUNIKA!”, run faster. These battle cries mean you're about to be zapped by A FEW THOUSAND VOLTS OF LIGHTNING BOLT! The clues and advice left by our surfer friend Antonio, the mayor’s cute butler Charles, and the notorious assassin Black Lightning might help you out here — draw LIGHTNING WARD SYMBOLS to protect you and your allies from lightning damage. WARDS DRAWN BY KINGS are most effective. During battle, you will hear these mages utter other spells you might want to keep in mind: “VELES” is a support spell that summons streams of water. Whoever drinks it will receive a vodka-flavored MAGICAL BOOST! Soldiers like to make a game out of it at parties. “VELESIA” is an offensive water spell that INEBRIATES ITS TARGETS UPON CONTACT. The water it summons possesses a faint alcoholic aroma. It also tastes like vodka. “STRIBOG” is a wind spell that summons a powerful wyvern-shaped whirlwind that can hurl people overboard, destroy ship structures, and even send ships off course!

Noir’s bridges were a good idea, but ideas are meant to be stolen. Use them to move to an ally’s ship if your fellow Heroes and soldiers are in need of support, especially if Heroes have been knocked out or hurled off. The injured can be transported to safety on the backup ship, but beware of Noir soldiers chasing you down! They're as persistent as a rash.


THREE ♙ Crashing Against the Shores
To those who remained on the island or returned from sea, the battle is nothing but alarming lights and frightening shouts in the distance. But that doesn’t mean you can relax. Enemy projectiles that fly past the ships will shake parts of the fortress, and any Noir magic that gets past the naval defense will set any kind of material on fire or blow out chunks of wall, armaments, and you. Use water to make short work of any fires, and remember to reinforce damaged areas, or the fortress will suffer.

Distressed cries fill the air; those watching the naval battle closely will notice crewmembers who have fallen into the ocean. Neither Hero nor Blanc soldier is safe. While they have managed to get away from the main battle, they are now weak, disoriented, and require assistance. Row out in rescue boats to collect and heal the soldiers and your fellow Heroes before they turn into casualties. You may need their help later!

Allies aren’t the only ones reaching the shoreline. Some Noir ships will break through Blanc’s naval formation. If the fortress’ weapons don't take them down, then it’s up to you to take care of the rest. Noir soldiers will disembark and fight Heroes on the shore. Defeat them, destroy their weapons and seize their ships before they lay siege to the fortress! Blanc will thank you for these finely captured contributions to the war effort.

Noir General...? Huh! I just let you rats win! If I didn’t, there’d be no way to find Lei and punch him in the chest later! Give him my kind regards! AND TELL HIM I HIT ON HIS HOT GIRLFRIEND. I think they’re still dating. My intel said they were — [ his voice fades out as the Noir fleet retreats ]

FOUR ♙ Triumph Over the Seas
The thunder of the storm and the blasts of cannons filled the air with deep, resounding booms throughout the battle, but what cuts through the noise is the eruption of roaring cheers from the army that seems to shake the world of Enprise — Blanc has won its first official victory over Noir. The world will know of their triumph. Capablanca celebrates once news reaches the shore; as our Heroes look toward the resort city, they see an entirely different sort of sea — the lights of the city pushing back the night. First in little specks, then in a brilliant flood of color that paints an aurora in the sky: warm, real and bright.

It’s time to go home, Heroes! Or at the very least, back to Capablanca. Dock your ships and then put those sea legs back on dry land. You will be greeted with much enthusiasm from the citizens of the city. Hugs, cheek kisses, more hugs, hand kisses; some even brought pen and paper and are earnestly asking for your autograph. A few forego the paper and make you sign something else entirely. Children swarm in, tugging on uniforms for attention.

The recognition doesn’t end there. As a reward, hotel and resort owners start inviting heroes to stay at their establishments for a few days. For free. Continental breakfast included. Don’t abuse their hospitality or your reputation might suffer. And the freebies don't stop there. Locals also seem to have taken their hero worship to the next level. Small gifts will be given to their favorites. They contain things like pasta, pastries, good luck charms, potions, and even jewelry for Heroes they really like. Someone might even get a “special coupon” for La Coniglietta, a cabaret renowned for its racy shows and voluptuous wererabbit performers and staff.

If you prefer to spend your nights in well-deserved peace and quiet, then you’re always welcome to your new room at the completed Fort Graupera. Time to rest on your laurels, Heroes.

Comments

a

[endoftherepublic]

[that's a neat spell you've got there, Adra. Several neat spells, actually. Unfortunately for Hux, he's too far away to reap the benefits, though he views the results --the barriers, the translucent wings--with interest. The beachhead is not a great place for him to be--too much close combat. But he's managed to find himself an outcropping of rocks further up the beach and there he has set up his blaster--currently in Sniper Mode--on one of the lower rocks, shifted up onto his shoulder so he can easily aim down the sight.

He's picked off several Noir soldiers so far, and is now at the point where he's picking his shots carefully. He only has so many bullets, which is an irritant, and he's not nearly close enough to the weapon stores to refill his stock. So now, he must be judicious. As it is, for the moment Adra's display has temporarily distracted him. They're both currently a bit removed from the fight, so he can take a moment to observe. However it seems that Adra's singing, though lovely, has attracted some attention anyway. A couple Noir soldiers have broken away from the general skirmishes and are making their way quickly towards the elf.

Hux mutters an annoyed curse before shifting to look back down the sight. He might have to waste some bullets on this Hero, depending on how he fares against the soldiers.]

[hymnals]

[ As a King, Adrasteius boasts robust healing magic, protective barriers, and spells to keep his allies better, faster, strong. But he does not enjoy much luck. He spots the oncoming soldiers and quickly, literally changes his tune--the hymn becomes more hypnotic, with a gently sinister undertone. On hearing it, the soldiers' slow down, both in movement and in spell casting. Bolts of lightning strike Adra's barrier and dissipate.

But the soldiers have merely been delayed, not stopped. Adra's barrier will not hold forever. He will not hold forever. He scans the battlefield frantically, and notices Hux--locks eyes with him.

Come on, he seems to say. ]

[endoftherepublic]

[Well. That answers that.

Hux doesn't hesitate, then, to aim down the sight and start to pick the Noir soldiers off. The first one, as it's unexpected, is a clean shot that Hux makes without any hesitation. The gun jolts against his shoulder as the bullet fires and a moment later, the first soldier drops onto the sand, the man's forehead blown clean off from the shot that came through the back of his skull. It's gruesome, but it certainly does the trick.

Unfortunately, as Hux jerks back to quickly remove the casing from the gun and bring the next bullet into the chamber, the other soldiers have quite clearly noticed their comrade's facing becoming pulp and the fact that he's no longer alive. A few of them turn, then, to focus their attention on Hux, leaving a few others to continue their focus on Adra. Hux is just looking down the sight when one of them fires off a lightning bolt towards his perch, and he barely ducks in time to avoid it. Instead he is showered with chunks of rock and debris. For a moment, he can feel panic seizing in his chest again; he shouldn't be here, he should be on his ship, commanding his troops from afar, not in the line of fire, he's a general, this isn't--

--it's not--

--another burst of lightning cracks off the rock, startling him again, and he sucks in a breath, trying to focus, to let it out slowly. Control. Order. Discipline. He is a general. Is this how a general acts?

Hux's teeth grit and mouth presses into a line--with them firing off spells, he won't have time to take proper aim with his sniper. He reaches down to flick the switch that will shift the gun back to a blaster, and turns to slide down to a lower outcropping as gears whirr, barrels shift, and the gun changes shape and form.

He pushes onto his knees, then, before raising himself above the line of rock; already the soldiers are preparing another spell. He lifts the blaster, now fully transformed back to its normal state, and fires. Two bullets explode from the barrel at once with a crack; they strike a knee on one soldier and a shoulder on the other. The first soldier crumples into the sand as her kneecap shatters; the other drops to a knee as his shoulder spouts blood, thick and red. The shots are less accurate than Hux would like, certainly, but they serve as a well enough distraction. He hopes that it will be enough encouragement for them to come closer so he can shoot at a closer range, therefore calling for less in the way of accuracy.

Hus has only seconds before they start firing again and he will have to duck behind the rock, so he glances over at Adra, going a quick visual scan of the elf and his situation from where he is. ]

[hymnals]

[ The bursts of gore are nothing new to Adra. He's been alive a long time, and he's seen wars far more brutal than this. Even so, he grimaces as he watches the soldiers die. To him, all war is tantamount to murder, on both sides of the equation. Unavoidable, perhaps, but something to be mourned all the same. His heart aches for the fallen, even as their comrades keep coming for him, even though he was beaten half to a pulp by them mere hours prior to this moment.

But though he takes no glory in their deaths, he's still invested in his own survival--and Hux's, warmongering general though he may be. Adra makes a motion with his hand, creating a static barrier that surrounds Hux; so long as he keeps position, the Noir soldiers' spells will bounce harmlessly off of him.

Another gesture and he's reinforced the barrier around himself. The Noir strike at him with their weapons, with their fists, desperate and angry due to the loss of their company. His barrier shimmers as it's barraged, and eventually begins to crack.

Adra draws his sword. He cannot fight with it to any effective degree, but it does still have some use. As one of the Noir hisses a spell, Adra activates his rapier; searing pulses of holy magic follow, burning the soldier right through the gut.

Adra's mouth twists in sorrow as the soldier falls to the sand.

But he's distracted, open--his barrier breaks, and another soldier slashes at him. Adra parries weakly, but it's clear he won't be able to fend this guy off for long. He is not strong, and he's not even holding the rapier correctly. ]

[endoftherepublic]

[The barrier shimmers into existence around Hux and he blinks, once, briefly distracted by its appearance. He flinches, moving to duck behind the rock again as one of the soldiers hurls a bolt of electricity at him, but when the spell reflects harmlessly off the barrier rather than striking the rocks or, worse, him, Hux is reemerging from behind his current hiding place, lifting the blaster and firing off two more shots towards the soldiers coming towards him. From his periphery, it's clear that Adra might not be in a good situation in a moment and--yes, there, the barrier shatters. Hux makes an annoyed noise in his throat, shifting his position just slightly, right on the edge of going outside the barrier. He needs a better vantage point than this, but he's unwilling to give up his defensible position behind this barrier.

The second soldier slashes at Adra and Hux lifts his blaster again, this time aiming at the Noirian's back. His gun cracks and jerks as he fires off two more shots in quick succession, the casings ejected automatically when his gun is in this form and falling to the sand at his feet. He pays them no mind, watching as his bullets strike the solider first in the shoulder and then in the spine; enough to make him stagger. Now, for the soldiers attacking Hux himself--and he turns his attention back towards the other two, both of which are now way too close for Hux's comfort.

He jolts, flinching as one of them casts a spell, and though it only deflects harmlessly off the barrier, it's enough to make his shot not as accurate as he would like. Instead of a clean shot to the chest, the bullet grazes off the Norian's shoulder. Hux curses under his breath for the wasted bullet, and shifts his stance again to get a better shot]

[hymnals]

[ The soldier attacking Adra collapses to his knees. Adra blanches as the man begins to bleed out on the shoreline; conflict plays out clearly over his face. Ultimately, though, he looks back to Hux, sees his situation, and makes a quick decision--to rush over there, now that his own antagonists have been largely neutralized. He casts again before he moves, reinforcing the spell barrier shimmering around Hux's perimeter, and then breaks into a sprint.

The soldiers, however, are still focused on Hux. One casts another lightning spell, as though determined to shatter the barrier, while a second--the one with the bleeding shoulder--lunges with a short sword. ]

[endoftherepublic]

[At the same time as the additional lightning spell is cast, Hux is firing off another shot at the same soldier, and though their spell strikes the barrier, a bullet also strikes them square in the chest, knocking them back onto the sand. As for that other soldier, well--Hux does not have a sword. He's been trained for this sort of situation, true, but those were all in spars and simulations. Granted, "accidents" in such a situation were known to happen, but this? This is far more real. There will be no reprimand for this soldier if he happens to cut Hux open. No bacta to heal him up afterwards.

He stumbles back on the sand, lifting his blaster just in time to block the oncoming blade from the side. The sword screeches off the metal, and Hux can't help but wince for it. The soldier pulls back with a yell, ready to make another thrust at him, and he ducks, rolling to the side in the sand to avoid it. He immediately brings himself up into a crouch, taking half a second to quickly calculate the man's weight; unfortunately, Hux is much slighter than this soldier, so a body attack would not do him much good. He swallows, stumbling to his feet, searching for a way to find some distance as the soldier turns, moving to come at him again]

[hymnals]

[ Fortunately, Adra's magic extends beyond healing. Ice comes to both of his hands as he moves, and when he's just a short distance away, he stops to focus and cast the spell. Murmuring the incantation, he throws out his open palms, sending two lines of skittering, shimmering ice towards the soldier lunging at Hux. Frozen crystals appear on the soldier's arms and legs, multiplying until they've fully encrusted his armor, until they've locked him squarely in place.

No longer a threat.

What now, then? ]