WAR ♞ MARCH ON CENTRAL WEST PLATEAU

[boardmaster]

MARCH ON CENTRAL WEST PLATEAU
20 AUGUST (GLADIA) 2016

The quiet, seemingly unremarkable town of Friedgood doesn't seem like a prime target for a Noir attack. Ask any outsider what a Friedgood local's favorite activity might be, and they’ll likely respond "I don't know, digging?" They're not wrong: Friedgood's primary industry comes from the excavation of precious stones and minerals in the nearby mountain ranges and volcanoes. Those who don't make their living from mining most likely still enjoy digging, as the town is a hot destination for archeologists from the school of Pigeonsblood looking to uncover the ancient secrets of Gammon.

More important than shiny rocks, however, is Friedgood's strategic location within the country, specifically the checkpoint known as Platform 42 and 5/8ths. It forms a stark contrast to the sleepy town it resides in. This bustling travel hub is known as the "Gateway to Gammon", and boasts fast transport to almost anywhere in the kingdom. Security is tight here, with grim-faced Gammon soldiers working around the clock to ensure that criminal activity doesn't stand a chance. Keep your contraband at home — an infraction will cost you heavy jail time. Friedgood is also the only town with a road providing access to Grantebrycge, Gammon's illustrious University town.

By conquering Friedgood, Noir hopes for universal access to all of Gammon.

On the 20th of Gladia, amidst strong winds and persistent thunderstorms, Heroes will arrive to the Central West Plateau. Even surrounded by tall mountain ranges and ominous volcanoes, its ancient wall is truly a daunting sight. A marvel even by modern construction standards, it was built over 300 years ago to defend against hostile nomadic tribes, and remains as strong and sturdy as the day it was built. It also provides an important environmental buffer to the people of Friedgood — the wall is resistant to lava.

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

ONE ♙ The War of Three Armies
It’s time to head to the battle, Hero. You may be walking, riding a mount - your own, or a borrowed spider or boar - or hitching a ride from someone else. It’s a miserable trek to the plateau, but at least you’re not alone. Once you arrive, Verdoni is there to greet you, accompanied by another Gammonian, the commander of this battle.

Pinta [ so god damned salty about not being a naval tactician and assigned to ships ] Ah, yes, the vaunted Heroes I’ve heard so much about. The name is Pinta, ah... naval tactician to Gammon’s armed forces. Ask why and I’ll show you a bloody hell. Anyway, welcome to the Central West Plateau! During ancient times, the volcanoes were said to be a wall of flame that protected Gammon. But if that stopped the Othellians, I suppose I wouldn’t be here, ahaha! Now, with them dormant, we must instead rely upon our steel and our wall. It’s strong enough to protect Gammon even if every volcano in the area were to erupt all at once! At least that’s what the locals say. They didn’t sound too dodgy, but... moving on! If you have any questions, our men will be glad to explain; show you how the cannons work, where the traps are and whatnot. Again, this really isn’t my expertise—oh! Our wizards have been creative as of late. We’ve these wind platforms that will fling those Noirs up, up, up! Into the air! Try not to get caught in them, yeah? Our navy will take care of our seas. They’re an outstanding lot, they are. All we need to do is focus! Gammon shall not sink here!

You’ll then be handed a magical bracelet. The miners use it protect them from toxic air, so this is a precaution; should you need it, it should last for the duration of the battle. Now all you have to do is wait and prepare for the battle. Acquaint yourself with the battleground: explore the Defense Wall and see what traps there are. It may give you some ideas of your own. There are also war cannons aligned on the top wall and within its interior. Otherwise, check your supplies or rest and collect yourself for what will come. Your mount may also want attention.


TWO ♙ Fellowship of the Bling
Initially cloaked by thick fumes of sulfur, ozone and the dreary overcast of the storm, the Noir battalion finally arrives. Their general, Spicy Spice, steps, nay, struts forward.

	Why is it that every time I come around, that Cochrane Bridge wants to go down? [ ADJUSTS HER WORLD CUP BRA ] They can’t keep that wall up forever.
Let’s make this a quick one, so we can get out of this smelly rain! [ gets ready to fire her gun in the air when she remembers something ] And don’t forget, target their puny pathetic healers, first. [ raises gun high above her head, signaling for the attack with a BANG! ]

On her cue, the Noir Vanguard rushes forward with a fearsome war cry, followed soon after by the Rearguard.

ENEMY ♟ Mounted Noir Soldier
Weak against None	Strong against Fire	Immune to None
These soldiers gallop onto the battlefield with their imposing GOLDHORN GOAT mounts. These are bigger and stronger than the average goat, and their golden horns tend to ABSORB SPELLS directed at their riders. Some spells in a soldier’s arsenal: GRISTRELKI sets fire to the rain — literally. It converts the rain in the sky into a barrage of fireballs. Pray your umbrella’s fireproof! With the PLAMEVODA spell, they can turn hot water (i.e. those from geysers) into bubbling hot lava. When combined with a strong cooling spell, the spell can trap you in rock… That is, if the lava doesn’t kill you first! DVIZHE SMERTI is a dangerous spell that paralyzes its target, rendering them unable to even speak or blink. This can be cured with mana exchange. Hurry before Noir strikes with a rain of fire!Of course, the soldiers are capable of HEALING SPELLS to assist their injured allies and mounts. The VANGUARD is lead by an impressive wall of massive shield units, armed with various melee weapons: swords, maces, and daunting battle axes. Herd them into the traps around the battlefield to render them immobile! The REARGUARD, armed with bows and arrows, will try to overwhelm the HEROIC VANGUARD. HEROIC DEFENSE back them up with long-ranged attacks and the cannons! If they get close enough to the wall, the Rearguard will relentlessly attack the Defense! Both units are under strict orders to prioritize an attack on the HEROIC SUPPORT. If they see any Hero or Gammonian soldiers helping each other or performing rescues on the battlefield, they will give chase IMMEDIATELY. DROPS: Shield with Noir Emblem, Flame Staff, Assorted Non-Magical Weapons, Golden Goat Horns, Lava Lamp

In the heat of battle, you will feel the ground beneath you shake and tremble. In a turn of events neither side could have predicted, a dormant volcano in the distance erupts, raining down fire and scorched earth on the area. More alarming, however, is how the resulting earthquake sets off powerful, white-hot geysers on the battlefield. Stay alert! To make matters worse, the approaching lava makes Noir’s fire spells even more deadly, and Noir shows no signs of letting up on their assault.

Spicy Spice You think a little bad weather is going to stop us? Don't make me laugh. [ laughs anyway, then falls into a coughing fit ] Urghh, damn these fumes — Oh whatever, Send in the riders!

THREE ♙ The Desolation of Noir
Undeterred by the eruptions, the geysers, or the bad weather, they’ve called in their aerial units, fierce griffon riders who’re trying to fly over the wall and into Friedgood. Don’t let them pass! Make use of your resources and shoot them down: Heroes with long ranged weapons or magic will find their skills useful here. Learned how to fire a cannon? Now’s your chance! If not, protect your allies, Hero and Gammonian, as they line up their shots.

ENEMY ♟ Noir Griffon Rider
Weak against None	Strong against Fire, Lightning	Immune to Wind
For the first time, Heroes will witness firsthand how Noir’s legendary griffon riders—often called masters of the skies—live up to their name. A griffon’s powerful wings not only lets them soar at great heights; they can whip up terrifying BEAMS OF LIGHTNING. Griffon riders are armed with JAVELINS which they can also throw and cast the same spells as their counterparts on land. However, they share a closer bond with their griffon mounts. Upon losing their master, the griffons will go BERSERK and proceed to kill everything in sight. If a Hero gets caught in a griffon’s talons, the creature will drop them into their boiling demise at either a GEYSER or VOLCANO. DROPS: Mount Treats, Riding Gloves, Noir Lance, Harness, Griffon Feathers, Griffon Talon

The lava is fast approaching and Noir can no longer take the heat. The griffon riders are maintaining their assault, but the rest of their army is falling back to escape. Time for you to retreat too before Gammonian soldiers seal the wall and you’re trapped on the plateau side. Fried Heroes ain’t Fried Good.

• Defense, continue shooting at any enemy target in range! Be attentive and aid your allies as they retreat back to the wall. Do not fear, you have the advantage.
• Vanguard, fall back! Watch the skies for any griffon riders on the way to the wall. Once you arrive, take down enemies who try to breach. Letting even one enemy pass could spell disaster.
• Support, grab the wounded and check the wall’s condition! Any damages should be repaired immediately to prevent the lava from entering Friedgood.

FOUR ♙ There and Back Again
The wall closes, sealing the lava and ending the battle. Hopefully no one got left behind.

Spicy Spice Now I'm wishing that I didn't wear these shoes (I hate heels). Better get up out my face! [ trips on her way out ] Oh shit!

Catch your breath, Hero. You won. First, check up on everyone and heal your wounds. If you borrowed a mount you might want to take the time to say farewell, since the trip back to Friedgood means you’ll be parting soon.

The people of Friedgood are grateful. They know what would have happened if you lost. There’s no time for fancy parties. They’re pulling out whatever they can find for a makeshift street party right then and there.

You can find bowls of Splotched Richard - a dessert pudding - and Bangers and Mash. If you’re in the mood for something strong you can get pints of Guileless or Pale Noir, maybe a Lasker Train Bomb if you can find someone who’s willing to mix it. Or perhaps you fancy a CreamAle, the favored drink of Grantebrycge.

You’re welcome to stay out and party as long as you like - the party is for you, after all! In fact, the people will respect you more if you get drunk and pass out on the side of the street. But for Heroes who’re tired from the war, you’re always welcome to stagger into the Bollox Inn for a room, free of charge.

Comments

[fuhrinkaed]

I see. [He takes a deep breath, then spins his staff around from being on his back to being ready for combat.]

In that case, I'll stay with you until we both fall back. I promised, didn't I?

[Truth be told, he wants to go wild for a little longer, anyways. This is just a good excuse to actually act on that want.]

You take care of the ones at range. Anyone of them crazy enough to come in close will have to deal with me!

[sealeted]

Sounds like we've got a plan, then.

[She claps him on the back, gentle and—

recover(ed);

—powered with a healing spell that pulses through him, erasing bruises, salving burns, and sealing up cuts as it works its way through his body. He's not at one hundred percent, because she doesn't have that much mana to burn, but he's definitely in a better state over all. She steps away, satisfied, and then unslings her bow, pulls an arrow back, and selects a target.

She fires, without hesitation.]

Let's do our best. I want to sit down and take breather.

[fuhrinkaed]

[Now that recover(ed) has recovered Ed, he takes a deep breath and prepares himself to give it his all.]

Thanks, Hakuno. We'll clear through this in a minute. Maybe two. [It doesn't take long for one of the griffons to respond by trying to come in close by dive-bombing the King--but Ed is already expecting an attack on her and jumps up to meet it head-on. He catches the head of the griffon under an arm, putting it in a headlock. The rider tries to stab a javelin at him, but with his staff he shoves the attack out of the way as he pulls the griffon down early from its dive into what can only be described as 'a DDT.']

[The bird is woozy, and the rider falls off onto the ground--Ed takes a second to glance over at Hakuno and make sure she's okay.]

[sealeted]

[Damn, son. She managed to shoot down another griffin at a distance most likely lethal for its rider, but that was from a distance and not nearly as ballsy as straight up grappling a magical beast. She's impressed, honestly.

But, Hakuno isn't so impressed that she forgets to deal with the downed soldier while he has the beast at bay. A quick Curse—

gain_con(stun)

—leaves the unfortunate attacker paralyzed, just like some of the other Heroes were. But Hakuno is far from inclined to mana transfer with this one.]

[fuhrinkaed]

[He notes the spell, feeling her mana doing something to the soldier and seeing how he's stopped moving--well, that's pretty obvious. But the griffon's shaken off its confusion and shrieks lightning at Ed. He tries to punch it like he'd done to some fire earlier, but it's not quite a spell and he can't get a hold on it to break it apart--He winds up losing the feeling in his arm for his troubles.]

[His staff clatters to the ground, as he stumbles back. Wait. ...The rider's right there. He's got an idea. Ed picks up the paralyzed rider by the collar.]

Hey Griffon. Griiiffon. [He's got its attention, apparently, and it clearly looks at the rider, then at Ed. He moves the man over the ledge of the wall, as the bird stomps forward menacingly.]

I'm going to drop him. What happens after that is up to you. On three.

[The creature charges, making Ed let go before the count's even started. It claws at him, but can't strike a meaningful hit before, with the choice between saving the rider and getting revenge, it decides to save its friend and flies off the cliff after him.]

[His bad mood might be making itself a little apparent, if Hakuno's paying attention between bouts of archery.]

[sealeted]

[This is a new and surprising side of a young man who had previously been completely at odds with common sense in regards to women. Hakuno supposes there has to be a trade off of sorts; nobody's good at everything, yes, but nobody has nothing they excel at either.

It's a sharp contrast, perhaps, but hardly an unwelcome one in this situation.

Hakuno won't rebuke him for his taunting, but she does make sure it doesn't come back to bite him by firing after the diving griffin, crippling one essential wing and leaving the rest to gravity.]

Keep going!

[fuhrinkaed]

R-right! [He's shaking out his left arm. It burns like hell, but he's able to move it again. He combines his staff and the scimitar into a scythe--shoving the grip of the one into the open dragon's mouth of the other.]

[He hefts it over his shoulder, glaring skyward. Lacking good ranged options, he attracts the lightning bolts to the metal of his weapon before touching it to the ground to disperse the shock.]

[Realizing plan A isn't working, the riders decide to move to plan b: Coordinated javelin throws with some soldiers charging in for close combat.]

Take care of those! [He probably means the airborne weapons, as he's already charging straight ahead into the fray with the riders, his weapon's current form proving unexpectedly well-suited to reach enemies on their griffons.]

[sealeted]

On it.

[add_barrier(weapon);

The javelins clatter and even bounce against the shield she summons up for them. It won't last forever, naturally, but at least when they finally fall they won't have the precision and starting force of the initial throws.]

Keep an eye on your mana, and let me know as soon as you start needing more.

[fuhrinkaed]

Roger!

[He sinks the scythe into the side of one of the soldiers, hooking it in and twisting his staff to detach the weapons from each other. His staff goes CRACK against the skull of that griffon, sending it reeling as he pulls his sword out of the rider with his offhand and kicks off of the bird right into the second enemy.]

[If they thought to attack in unison, they would probably have the advantage--but Ed's raw ferocity and showmanship is downright offputting--nobody expects the little guy to be this vicious. It doesn't take long for the enemy to be down around him, and without his having to resort to the drill.]

[He pants for breath for a second, as the shield gives and drops a javelin's shaft on his head.] G-geh.

Think I'm about halfway tapped right now. You? [How many riders does Noir even have?! He looks up to check and with all the debris and fire he still can't tell.]

[sealeted]

I'm coasting at about... thirty percent, maybe?

[She's been as attentive as possible to keeping above that, but the barriers don't come cheaply.]

I might need your help, when you get a moment.

[fuhrinkaed]

Alright... [He works out a kink in his left shoulder, kicking a rider who was trying to stand again, just to make sure he stays down this time. No movement? Good. He turns and walks towards her.]

Um. Hand holding assistance, or are we doing some cool magical combo attack? I'm down either way, obviously.

[sealeted]

Hand-holding. I'm not really comfortable whipping out experimental attacks for the first time in the middle of a real battle.

[Not that she doesn't think the two of them couldn't whip up something really cool, like her co-op barrier with Sion, but it's a cautious, sound principle she plans on sticking to.]

[fuhrinkaed]

Then what about experimental boosts? The problem I'm having is that they seem to be out of reach... if I had a platform...

[He takes her hand, grinning.]

Anyways, it's the first idea that came to mind.

[sealeted]

I could give you one right now, maybe.

[If he's thinking of a stairway to heaven, he'll have to deal with her mana issue first.]

[fuhrinkaed]

--one is fine, if we really need it. For now... Let's take advantage of the pause and recover. I don't think this break'll last too long.

Er... sorry for getting your hand all bloody. [HE JUST REALIZED WHAT A MESS HE IS.]

[Whoops.]

[sealeted]

Oh, don't worry about it. It's just that kind of day.

[She doesn't hesitate to take his hand. She's put up with far worse, after all.]

[fuhrinkaed]

Yeah... you're telling me.

[He scowls, looking out at the volcano and the spreading lava flows.]

I hope it ends soon... I d-don't think they're going to accomplish their objective, and the sooner they realize that the fewer casualties there'll be.

[sealeted]

Well, it might just sit them on to keep fighting until the end, in hopes of making even a shred more damage. It's hard to tell, sometimes.

[fuhrinkaed]

...Maybe...

[He takes a deep breath. Seems they've got more company.]

Alright, time to get back to work. [He cracks his neck.] S-sorry in advance if I break something. I'm still a little bit angry.

[sealeted]

Well, as long as you don't take a tumble and I have to rush in, we should be good. Use your head, even if it's running a bit hot right now.

[She claps him on the shoulder and readies her bow, sliding back to give him room to get started.]

[fuhrinkaed]

N-no need to worry about that.

[He moves his scythe forward, preparing to charge again as soon as something comes in his range.]

I don't usually win fights by being stronger than my enemies.

Let me know if you need anything in particular, okay?

[sealeted]

Yeah. Give them a few extra swipes for me, okay?

[She says it so sweetly, like she's asking him to dole out hugs or candy instead of possible dismemberment.]

[fuhrinkaed]

No need to worry about that.

Sometimes, even a guy like me can't hold back.

[I hope you're ready for some more brutality Hakuno because this derp is aiming to disarm. Or disleg. Healing magic means that it's all good and they can put it back on eventually so there's no real harm! Right?]

[sealeted]

Right.

[It's so cute, how he's under the impression that she's willing to waste mana on these creeps and thugs.]

[fuhrinkaed]

[Not at all--he figures they'll heal each other. They've got to have something like magical parity, right?]