You follow Commander Segirius down into the barracks in a daze. As you descend, he explains a little more about the situation, though it’s hard to focus. Maybe this man has gone insane from the Mist, just like Cormorant.

“The day the mist came, there were two hundred and fifty one Boundsmen stationed here, including myself. We have approximately twelve hours from this time before dusk. As soon as the sun sets, the wraiths will come.” He pauses, a look somewhere between annoyance and sorrow playing across his face. “Every time they have come, we have died. Every dawn, we find ourselves here again. Some of our men were cooks and stablehands, once, but now every one of us is a soldier.” Years of fighting and training will do that, you suppose.

As you enter the barracks, you see Magpie and Talon being interrogated by an eager swarm of Boundsmen, begging for news of the outside world. The states of nations and the fates of friends and family members. The pair seem overwhelmed, but short on answers. Neither seems particularly knowledgeable about international affairs.

((I seem to have flubbed the previous threads link, let me try this again:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Lion's%20Road%20Quest ))

“We have lost this battle thousands of times, and I feel as though we’ve exhausted every available option, but…” He regards you with an appraising eye. “...perhaps a new perspective is what we need. How would you like to take command of the Gate from now until the next dawn? It’s not as though any of us-” He gestures to his fellow Boundsmen. “-have anything left to lose.”

You notice that several of the Boundsmen have overheard your conversation and are looking your way hopefully.

>Perhaps you should consult with Magpie and Talon before you make a decision.
>There is no question here, your duty and status as a noble requires you to help these men.
>You need to leave, and you need to leave quickly. Gather Magpie and Talon and make a break for it as soon as possible.
>Hmm, perhaps escape is the best option, your fate should not be an eternity trying to win an impossible battle. But making your escape now sounds impossible. With companions such as yours, stealth and deceit should be on the table.
>Other?

>>27551193
((That is somewhere between amusing and annoying. Well, you can find it if you search for the tag Lion's Road Quest on suptg))

>>27551193
> Perhaps you should consult with Magpie and Talon before you make a decision.

>>27551193
>Perhaps you should consult with Magpie and Talon before you make a decision.
Maybe we should tell the men that the Crusade is expected right behind us, and that they would be better served waiting for them?

I think that if we die here, we end up trapped in this specific location.

>>27551226
this

>>27551247
That's pretty much what's going to happen. If we die, we're stuck here forever. As for the guys from the Crusade being behind us, doubtful that they'll be able to help us - this place warps time and space, after all, and for all we know, they might all be dead or years ahead of us.

Maybe that mysterious mark that has appeared on us will change things this time, though.

((Well, that was oddly unanimous. Writing now.))

“Truth be told, Commander, I’m not officially in command of my…” It takes you a moment to search for an appropriate word as you realize that you aren’t sure who really is in command. “...detachment. I need to consult with my compatriots before making a decision.”

Segirius gives you a stiff nod. “Very well.” He turns to the crowd of soldiers surrounding your allies. “Are you Boundsmen or are you barmaids? Get back to work, we have a long night ahead of us.” As the soldiers file out of the barracks with some grumbling, you heard Segirius mutter. “Just like every other night.”

Talon and a wide-eyed Magpie approach you. “Segirius asked me to take command of the fort until dawn, but I wanted your opinions before I make a decision. Talon speaks first in that barbaric manner of his. “We are cursed now. We have joined the undying. Running will not save us.” Magpie shakes her head desperately. “No, if we leave now, we can make it. Back out the Boundary, back out to the Crusade… or, or further north! We can keep marching to Straevos!”

Well, that was of questionable helpfulness.

>Talon is right. You need to help these men.
>Magpie is right. If you there is a chance that you can still escape this curse, you have to take it.
>Other?

>>27551475
> Talon is right. You need to help these men.
We can't run away, even if we want to. The mists will bring us back here, like they did to these men.

If Magpie tries to run, tell her that she'd be safest with a large group instead of risking her life out there alone. And, screw it, we'll protect her ourselves if that'd help her feel better.

>>27551550
((Alright, going with this.))

“Talon, either you’re right and we don’t have a choice, or you’re wrong but we’re honorbound to stay here anyways.” The poacher nods and leaves the barracks silently. You turn to face the thiefling. “Magpie, I can tell that you’re thinking of running off on your own, but you’ll be safer here with the group. And if I have to, I will protect you personally.” The girl is shivering, but your words seemed to have reassured her, at least for the moment.

With that, you head back to the Commander.

“We’ve decided. We’re staying. We cannot abandon you.” You make a fist with your right hand and you clap it to your heart in a salute, and you think you hear a faint golden voice praising you for taking command of lesser men.

The Commander returns your salute then claps you on the shoulder. “Alright, before the Mist claimed us there were two hundred and fifty one Boundsmen here. Some of them were originally support staff, but these thousands of night of fighting have been more than enough to make them respectable warriors. We have… eight hours until nightfall. I’ll gather up a list of some of the usual preparations that we’ve tried in the past, but feel free to get creative.”

>You are in command of the First Boundary Gate

>You have: 2000 man-hours to spend before nightfall

Possible Preparations
>Sharpened Stakes (300)
>Additional Ranged Ammunition (500)
>Reinforced External Barricades (800)
>Reinforced Internal Barricades (500)
>Internal Traps (500)
>Perimeter Scouting (300)
>Weapon Improvements (400)
>External Traps (600)
>Other? (varies)

>>27551811
> Sharpened Stakes (300)
> Reinforced Internal Barricades (500)
> Weapon Improvements (400)
> Internal Traps (500)

Are the stakes for the barricades? If they aren't, replace them with
> Additional Ranged Ammunition (500)

I guess we'll fight them inside the fortress, instead of going outside. And if it's possible, see if we can place some oil barrels outside so we can light them on fire once they're all in the courtyard.

>>27551927
((I'm going to give this one 10 more minutes to see if anybody else pops in, then I'll start writing))

>>27551927
((Oh, and yes, the stakes apply to all barricades. And I think that gathering the barrels into an appropriate rolling position would be possible with 300 man-hours.))

>>27551984
then do it

>>27551811
Ok, hang on, what do we even know about these wraiths? Are they floaty-type wraiths? How are they typically armed? Do they always attack in a certain way or from a certain direction?

These guys have been fighting the wraiths for subjective years, what can they tell us apart from "the wraiths will come"?

>>27552009
((Very well. Writing.))

>>27551927
Liking this. Lets bottleneck them into a trap that allows us to flank them on all sides I say

>>27551927
Wait, hang on, that's not 2,000 man hours, that's only 1700. LRQM, what's happening with the other 300?

You saw nothing.

>>27552107
oil barrels

>>27552092
((500+500+400+300, what he originally posted was 1700 man-hours, with the addition of the oil barrels that's exactly 2000))

>>27552107
Oil barrels. We bottleneck them, put them on fire, and kill them off in the passageways.
You can delete the post, select that little checkbox and click on the Delete button in the lower right.

You make your decisions. The blacksmiths will prepare the weapons for the pitched battle to come and the carpenters will reinforce the internal barricades and prepare wooden spikes to enhance their deadliness. Those more skilled at the art of trapmaking will prepare a variety of obstacles within the halls of the keep and, finally, a series of barrels of oil will be dotted around the exterior of the keep.

You take a patrol of the keep, surveying the ongoing work.

You notice Segirius working with the blacksmiths, Talon working alongside the trapmakers and Magpie sitting on the fort’s outer wall, staring longingly at the still-visible Boundary and looking utterly alone.

>Approach Segirius. He has experience with these creatures, perhaps you can refine your plans with his help.
>Approach Talon. The traps are vital to your plan, any additional knowledge of their workings could prove vital.
>Approach Magpie. You need everybody on your side in a good mental state, even the thiefling.
>Stay on your patrol. You need to make sure that everything continues to go smoothly around the fort, not just focus on a single area.

>>27552190
>Approach Segirius. He has experience with these creatures, perhaps you can refine your plans with his help.
We still know *nothing* about these 'wraiths'. Like, seriously, nothing. >>27552053

>>27552190
> Approach Magpie. You need everybody on your side in a good mental state, even the thiefling.
She could probably help with some traps. And we can't have her running away in the middle of everything.

>>27552219
This.

((Writing.))

Segirius.

The Commander of the First Boundary Gate. There is still too much you don’t know about exactly what you’re fighting and, as they say, knowledge is power.

“Ah, my lord, what can I do for you?” Segirius sets down the whetstone and sword that he was working with and looks up at you as you approach.

“Commander, there is far too much that I don’t know about the enemies that we will face tonight. What can you tell me?”

Segirius looks down. “They’re deadly, but not on their own.”

[CODEX // Incomplete, based on Segirius’s knowledge: Wraiths]
Wraiths are creatures of solid Mist that is more than capable of shredding through armor. They are utterly single-minded and are therefore easily tricked. The problem is that they are rarely found on their own.

Wraiths come in all shapes, ranging from the size of a small dog to the size of a particularly large human. Wraiths are not capable of flight, unless their form happens to have wings, but those are fortunately rather rare.
[/CODEX]

>Press him for more information about the wraiths themselves.
>What about their patterns of attack?
>Other?

>>27552460
>>What about their patterns of attack?
Also, ask him what they think of fire.

>>27552481
This.

If they're easily tricked, could we maybe make a couple decoys that would force the wraiths into our traps?

>>27552460
Okay, we have / had eight hours, and even with issuing orders, hopefully we'll still have time to go talk to Magpie once we're done with our infodump, right?

Right?

“How about their patterns of attack? Where do they strike from, how do they do it?”

Segirius thinks for a moment. “They attack from every side, but they never form within the keep itself, always outside… they don’t have any particular strategy, they just mindlessly hunt down anything that is alive inside the Gate.” His eyes narrow. “They always succeed.”

>Anything else?

>>27552481
((Oh, I forgot to mention fire.))

"Fire kills them just as well as blades and bolts."

>>27552588
nope

>>27552625
Fuuuuuuck.

>>27552599
If we make decoys, will they work?
If so, let's see our trapsmiths and tell them to add some scarecrows on top of them, so that they rush them instead of us. We could probably throw some meat on those decoys, as well as crappy armor and swords.

>>27552588
Probably. We should talk to everyone, to improve as much as we can.

>>27552641
"We've tried decoys before, but the Wraiths... they hunt life, not the shapes of humans."

Lets prepare bonfires / burning oil to defend the weakest points, hopefully without barbecuing ourselves or getting suffocated by carbondioxide.

>>27552735
((You're at the limit of your available man-hours as it is, and you're already partway through preparations with the original plan. Do you want to sacrifice something else to make these preparations instead?

>>27552786
No. No changes to the plan.

>>27552786
((I'm going to assume nobody is going to want to make that sacrifice, next post incoming.))

>>27552786
Nah, let's see how our companions are holding up, and fill them in on what we learned.

As for a plan, we need to use the fact that they're mindless against them. Trick them into the barricades, lines of fire and our traps, so we can screw with them royally.

>>27552735
Wait, we don't need to make any sacrifices, this is *already* part of our plan. That's why we're distributing those barrels around. They're full of flammable oil.

>>27552914
Also, I'm with this guy. Go check on Magpie, particularly.

"If there's nothing else, I need to get back to work. The wraiths aren't going to wait for us to finish talking."

As you leave, other matters regarding the barricades grab your attention. When you get a chance, you go back out to check on Magpie, but she's disappeared. Hopefully she's somewhere inside of the fort...

-

You find yourself on the external wall, your preparations complete. You stare out at the Mist, waiting. The red glow of sunset is muted by the ever-present Mist, until...

The sun dips below the horizon.

The Mist doesn’t roll in so much as it simply begins to solidify, about as thick as it was at the Boundary. It forms an all-encompassing hemisphere around the fort, about seventy five meters from the fort’s outer walls. The sun, dim at the best of times, is completely hidden, but somehow there is still enough light to see by.

Segirius stands at your side, grimacing at the forming wall.

“Twelve hours. If you have anything you want to say to all of the men, and the lady." He adds as a grim Magpie makes her way to the top of the wall. "Now’s the time. I’ve given this speech enough times.”

Are you feeling talkative?

>Something inspirational
>Something witty
>Something angry
>Something resigned
>No need to say anything. Everybody knows what’s at stake here.

((Feel free to insert ideas for things to talk about for whichever option you choose.))

>>27552934
((Ah, I was imagining something slightly different with the bonfires; them being inside the fort rather than external. I... I'm not sure why I thought that.))

>>27552946
> Something inspirational
Nobles lead by example.

>>27552946
>Something inspirational
Fits the character, but I got nothing that could inspire these men, except that the Crusade IS coming. They have experienced time pass by, so the arrival of the Crusade is inevitable.

>>27553105
But IS it coming?

((Anyways, writing.))

((sorry that took so long, originally I was going to write out the speech itself, but I realized I couldn't actually be THAT inspirational))

You close your eyes and exhale. You hear the golden voice within you, whispering, but you can’t make out the words. They’re on the tip of your understanding. You’re

so

close.

You can’t quite grasp it, but you can follow its lead.

You draw your rapier and point it towards the wall as it continues to solidify. The words flow from your mouth much like the roar did in the battle against the mouth-demon. You make comparisons to historical last stands, both those that are famous and those that you didn’t even realize that you knew about. In fact, you’re pretty sure that the details you mention from some of those battles aren’t in any textbook anywhere. But you make sure to mention one critical detail, one problem with the comparison to last stands.

In a last stand, the hero dies.

Tonight, the heroes will be victorious, unmatched champions in the face of the darkest.

Tonight, the heroes survive.

In your heart, a lion roars.

“Spoken like a son of the Celestial Lion. Well said, my lord. Now, our first order of business. Will we engage them from the outer walls first, or will we begin the battle from within the keep?”

>Outer walls.
>Keep.

>There are twelve hours until nightfall.

>>27553461
((err, twelve hours until dawn))

I'll help a bit.

"Men. The trial that stands before us shall be one of the most bitter fought in your lives. You shall be called upon to test your very souls in this confrontation. They shall give you neither rest nor pity- our foe is savage and merciless. Yet, as I stand here looking upon you, I feel no fear. We would not ask this of you, if we thought this impossible. We shall have our victory, we will spit in the eye of death, and we shall take for ourselves the everlasting glory that is only accorded to heroes! Heroes! Present arms! For honor! For home! For the sake of a tale worth telling, ready yourselves! Tonight, you become immortals!"

>>27553461
>Outer walls.
May as well whittle them down as they approach before we have to retreat further into the keep.

>>27553481
>Tonight, you become immortals!"
Considering that they're apparently already immortal, and it *really sucks*... that's probably not a good line.
>>27553461
Fire on them from the walls, rake them with volleys of crossbow bolts and arrows. See if we can't whittle them down a bit... uh. Assuming they actually have numbers. That's a point. Do they *have* fixed numbers?

>>27553461
Keep, that way we wont have to deal with them materializing among us!

>>27553572
((If they do, the Boundsmen have never reached the end of them.))

>>27553593
((The wraiths only materialize inside the wall of Mist that's surrounded you, they won't spontaneously appear within the fort))

((Anyways, writing now.))

“We fight from the walls.”

Segirius nods. “Good, we can rake them with a few vollies before they fall upon us. But they WILL make it to the wall eventually.”

From the wall of Mist comes an unnatural howl and then a sound not unlike that of the baying of hounds. “It’s time.” Segirius grimaces as shambling shapes begin to pour out of the Mist from all sides, an immediate volley of bolts and arrows slicing through their ranks and pushing them back, but more wraiths pour forth to join the oncoming horde.

>Wait for another volley before retreating.
>Fall back to the keep, now.

Surviving Defenders: 254
Hours Until Dawn: 12

>>27553728
>Wait for another volley before retreating.
One more volley.

>>27553728
>Wait for another volley before retreating.

Rolled 16 + 5

>>27553773
((Writing))

The next volley comes when the wraiths have crossed a few strides more than half the distance to the wall. Again, the wraiths are cut down and pushed back, but you know that now you’ve begun to push your luck.

“Back! Fall back! Into the keep!”

With a practised obedience, the men begin to file down the walls, a few remaining to give a handful of shots off while their routes of egress are too packed for trying to fall back to do any good. You, Segirius, Magpie and Talon all make it down the walls, trotting across the courtyard into the main keep. As you turn about behind the first barricade, you catch a glimpse of one of the crossbowmen who stayed behind being mauled by long legged wraith that leapt over the entire wall. After the fatal blow, the Boundsman does not bleed out, but rather he bursts into a cloud of Mist that rapidly dissipates.

>Man the first barricade personally.
>Fall back to the second set of barricades, you can still issue orders from here.
>Elect a lieutenant to lead the defense and join the archers and crossbowmen at their murderholes on higher floors.

Defenders remaining: 243
Hours until dawn: 12

>>27554001
>Man the first barricade personally.

We are going to need a miracle if we are going to survive this, lets hope that we can actually make a difference personally.

>>27554001
> Man the first barricade personally.

Rolled 5

((Writing.))

Rolled 70

>>27554179
((Whoops, wrong size of die. This is modified at -25))

>>27554211
I reaaaaaally hope this isn't "number of defenders we lose" again. We're getting slaughtered by the dice rolls.

>>27554240
it is

((I calculated all of this based on averages, but /tg/ dice hate everything))

You decide to help man one of the first layers of barricades personally. The golden voice murmurs vague approval. You step up to the barricade just as the first wave of wraiths rush in.

And promptly impale themselves upon the barricade spikes, dissolving into Mist upon death. The second wave rushes in behind them, not having learned from their predecessors. Another wave mostly smashes itself against the barricades, the few stragglers who make it through being promptly cut down, though you see one claim the life of the life of a Boundsman next to you. You personally dispatch several; like Segirius said, they are not particularly smart.

-

It takes them a while, and they do manage to whittle through some of the Boundsmen while doing it, but the constant bashing against the spikes causes them to eventually break down and splinter away.

You still have the reinforced barricades, and the smell of burning outside suggests that the oil is still doing its work.

>Remain at the first barricade.
>Fall back to the second barricade, leaving the defenders at the first barricade to stand without you.
>Signal a general retreat to the second barricade.
>Head up to the murderholes.

Defenders remaining: 198
Hours until dawn: 11

>>27554294
What's the status of the barricades we're currently on?

If they're still doing well, hold there with your companions. Else, order a retreat to the next barricade.
Hope the archers are at least withering their numbers down.

>>27554364
((The barricades are intact, the spikes are just blunted or splintered. The next waves are going to be able to essentially ignore them.))

>>27554392
Fine then, order a retreat and burn this barricade down.

>>27554294
>Signal a general retreat to the second barricade.
Let's not push our luck.

Rolled 26

>>27554440
((Hey, that's doable.))
>>27554444
((Writing. This roll's modified at -30 for the suggestion of burning down the barricades.))

>>27554484
I mean, retreat with our men, not burn them along with the barricade. Just to clarify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5braVaanAMQ

>>27554504
((Hahaha, I figured as much. The -30 instead of -20 means you lose 10 less defenders than you would have, actually 6 since the roll was so low.))

These barricades are useless without their defensive spikes. It’s time to fall back. But before you go…

You grab a burning brazier from the wall and chuck it onto the wooden barricade.

Woosh.

The entire barricade bursts into flames at the slightest touch of fire.

You did not think it was quite that flammable, but apparently it was. The other retreating Boundsmen from other sections of the first layer of barricades follow your lead and ignite their barricades as well.

-

The barricades burn for quite a while, preventing any of the wraiths from even getting close to the second barricade. For a full hour, not a single defender has died. But that might change soon. The flames finally die down, extinguished by Mist or simply burning through all of the available fuel.

The next wave of wraiths rush in.


>Hold them at these barricades.
>Join the murderholes above.

Defender Remaining: 198
Hours Until Dawn: 10

>>27554627
> Hold them at these barricades.

>>27554627
((Also, if you guys would like, I can roll my own dice and fast forward to the last handful of hours. This sequence was less tedious when I imagined it in my head.))

>>27554627
>> Hold them at these barricades.

>>27554676

This

Rolled 14

((Alright, writing. I guess rolling hour by hour does preserve the dramatic tension a bit. Modifier on this roll is -25))

File: 1380839576493.gif-(229 KB, 500x300, bulldogman.gif)

229 KB GIF

Rolled 17

>>27554770
((You lucky bastards.))

The wraiths impale themselves upon the second barricade’s set of spikes, killing themselves yet again. The similarity to the process you say a couple of hours ago is eerie.

-

Another hour passes, this time the more tightly packed defenders are better able to watch each others’ backs. For another hour, not a single defender dies, but the spikes on this set of barricades are ruined as well. They’re still usable, but the wraiths will be able to put a fight before they go down.

>Continue holding this set of barricades.
>Fall back to the third and final set of barricades.
>Join the murderholes above.

Defenders Remaining: 198
Hours Until Dawn: 9

>>27554851
let's do a repeat of the first barricades

>>27554922
We need to hold them a bit longer here, really. We've only got one more set of barricades, and we really don't want this breaking down into room-to-room fighting with five or six hours still on the clock.
>>27554851
>Continue holding this set of barricades.

Rolled 2

>>27554922
>>27554945
((I'm gonna say, burning the barricades and falling back if odd, holding these barricades if even. Modifier is -25 if burning, -20 if holding.))

>>27555010
I like that roll

>>27555010
So we hold the barricades, and we do a kickass job.

>>27555010
Dice do not want us to lose men it seems

>>27555010
((/tg/ dice pls))

You can hear the golden voice calling out from within you. This is no time to fall back. Hold them here, trust in your preparations.

Clarity.

Your rapier darts out, picking out one, two, three targets. Dead, dead, dead. The wraiths slam themselves against the barricades, damaging them but failing to break through.

And the wraiths die.

Die.

Die.

The golden voice roars its approval, and you roar in response. Your pride of Boundsmen fight all the harder for your display of prowess.

-
You’re tired. Whatever just happened, you need to rest, just for a moment.

The barricades are almost entirely torn to shreds now, but they did their job. Not a single Boundsmen fell to the wraiths. It’s been three hours since a member of your pri- a Boundsmen has died. You can hear murmurs of wonder coming from their ranks.

>Fall back to the third and final barricade.
>You can still hear the golden voice. Hold here, barricade or no barricade. The battlefield is yours to command. When you will it, these wraiths die. When you will it, your pride lives. When you will it, mountains fall and nations rise!
>...or, the murderholes, you suppose.

Defenders Remaining: 198
Hours Until Dawn: 8

>>27555154
> Fall back to the third and final barricade.
Set this one on fire, too.

>>27555226
agreed

>>27555154
>Fall back to the third and final barricade.
It's time. Set the shambles on fire to buy some time for the retreat and kill some of them too

>>27555154
>You can still hear the golden voice. Hold here, barricade or no barricade. The battlefield is yours to command. When you will it, these wraiths die. When you will it, your pride lives. When you will it, mountains fall and nations rise!
Hold on, guys. Our Lion tattoo/birthmark/magic sigil thing is going off big time. Let's see if it can give us a boost. I know we all love fire, but let's try it out.

((Writing now, unless there's a rapid swing or something in the next couple of minutes.))

Rolled 73

>>27555332
((hurr durr forgot my roll, modifier is -25))

>>27555273
Yeah, but for all we know, that thing wants us to perform a heroic sacrifice or a last stand.

No, the golden voice is lying. Holding here is foolishness. You order the men to begin setting the shattered remains of the second set of barricades alight.

That’s when they strike.

They come in through the external arrow slits beside you, arrow slits that you thought were too thin to allow entry. They’re smaller than Sigirius described, swarming, swarming, swarming.

So many Boundsmen die trying to light the barricades. When they finally succeed, the hordes of tiny wraiths stop, but the ordinary wraiths are still oncoming.

You’re almost to the third barricade when you hear it. A voice, tiny almost. Female.

Magpie.

A wraith the size of a large wolf has her pinned, halfway between the second and third barricades. You can hear the baying outside of the next wave approaching. What do you do?

>Leave her to her fate. Fall back to the barricade.
>No member of your pride can be left to this fate. Even if she is just a thiefling, she is one of yours. ((Roll 4d10, whoever picks this option and rolls first is the roll I’m going with. Matches are good, high matches are better))

Surviving Defenders: 150
Hours until Dawn: 8

Rolled 2, 8, 9, 2 = 21

>>27555496
>No member of your pride can be left to this fate. Even if she is just a thiefling, she is one of yours. ((Roll 4d10, whoever picks this option and rolls first is the roll I’m going with. Matches are good, high matches are better))

>>27555521
backing this

>>27555521
>8,9, matching 2's and the total is the same as last 2 post numbers
Well...I feel good about it

Rolled 4, 8, 5, 3 = 20

>>27555496
> No member of your pride can be left to this fate. Even if she is just a thiefling, she is one of yours.
Rolling.

Rolled 7, 2, 1, 5, 4 = 19

You roar and dash back down the hallway. You hear one of the Boundsmen scream something about being fucking nuts, but you don’t care. She is under YOUR protection. And you will not allow a pile of upjumped water droplets make you into a liar. The golden voice roars with you.

Nothing can stop you.

>>27555635
Did we do good?

NOTHING.

With a roar, you plow through the wolf-wraith with your rapier, eviscerating it instantly. With your offhand, you easily heft Magpie over your shoulder and sprint back to the barricades. A handful of wraiths outpace you and catch up, but they’re no match for you. With a mighty leap, you vault the barricades as well as their defensive spikes, crouching into a protective roll around Magpie. Once you finally settle, you let Magpie down, and she backs herself against a wall, crying.

The Boundsmen around you easily dispatch the rest of this wave, and you catch your first break in a long time.

-

The baying outside signals the approach of the next wave of wraiths.

>Defend this barricade.
>Fall back to the barracks.
>Head up to the murderholes.

Hours Until Dawn: 7
Surviving Defenders: 150

>>27555702
((Yeah, just barely. The matches are the most important thing and the beasties failed to even get one. Honestly I was expecting Magpie to die here. Planning on it, even.))

>>27555758
>Defend this barricade.
Third barricade, same as the first two.

>>27555758
>Defend this barricade.
This is the third set and the spikes are still good on these.

>>27555801
Also, have Magpie retreat to the safest place. If she can't move, have one of the guys carry her. We can't look after her with all this insanity going around.

>>27555758
Damn it... these barricades are going to hold for *maybe* two hours, then we're kind of fucked. Oh well, not much else we can do right now.
>Defend this barricade.
... Uh, *someone* is manning the murderholes, right? That's not meant to be just our job?

>>27555878
((Yeah, Talon and the crossbowmen and archers are up there. But that reminds me, you didn't pick up extra ammunition.))

As you make your preparations to meet the next wave, an annoyed Talon descends from the stairs. “Out of ammunition, Hatchling. No more thinning the herd.”

Rolled 56

((Writing. Roll is at -9.))

You grab one of the Boundsmen. “Soldier, get her up to the Commander’s room.” He nods. The Boundsmen don’t bother setting up any sort of medical base since they always come back to life, so you figure the Commander’s room is the safest place. Besides, she doesn’t have any severe wounds, so she doesn’t need any sort of medical attention.

With Magpie safely off the frontlines, you turn to the oncoming wave of wraiths.

-

The loss of your ranged weapons is painful. The swarms of wraiths pack the halls now, tearing through the spikes of your barricade and the Boundsmen behind it when you get a chance. You hear cries of agony from a couple of the other barricades.

This is not going well, but you’ve survived another hour.

>Hold this barricade
>Fall back to the barracks.

Surviving Defenders: 103
Hours Until Dawn: 6

>>27556009
What's the status of the barricades? And what traps do we have inside the fortress?

>>27556022
((The spikes are ruined but the barricade is otherwise unharmed. I haven't been describing them, but the traps have been helping you out the whole time, but there aren't any traps inside of the barracks.))

>>27556009
Fall back to the barracks.

>>27556009
Hold the barricades. Falling back is only going to split our men up and expose them further. Discipline and coordination are our main advantages over the wraiths.

>>27556009
>Hold this barricade

>>27556071
Oh, okay then. Hold the barricade, if it's slowing them down, it's good for us.
Only retreat (and set it on fire) once it's pretty banged up.

If we have no fire support, I think we should lit the barricades on fire and retreat further.

Rolled 34

((Holding the barricade. Rolling at -7, and writing.))

The battle goes better than you were expecting.

You resist the urge to sally forth and the golden voice is reduced to a faint murmur.

Your sword arm is getting sore, but none of the Boundsmen even seem fazed by tiredness. They might be used to it.

The familiar howls of an approaching wave drown out your thoughts.

-

The barricade lies broken. You are the only man left at yours.

>Fall back to the barracks, setting the barricade alight.
>Hold this position. You can barely hear the golden voice now, but it is encouraging you, telling you that you can win, that none can hope to stand against you.

Surviving Defenders: 76
Hours Until Dawn: 5

>>27556241
>>Hold this position. You can barely hear the golden voice now, but it is encouraging you, telling you that you can win, that none can hope to stand against you.

>>27556241
> Fall back to the barracks, setting the barricade alight.

>>27556241
>>Hold this position. You can barely hear the golden voice now, but it is encouraging you, telling you that you can win, that none can hope to stand against you.

>>27556241
Have the others retreat. We light the fire, and we hold the wraiths off until our allies are safe.

>>27556241
>Hold this position. You can barely hear the golden voice now, but it is encouraging you, telling you that you can win, that none can hope to stand against you.
We won't be making it at this rate the dice are killing our men. And we will have to do this all over again...

This Endless Eight Quest now

Rolled 38

((Rolling at -3 and writing.))

>>27556412
And everyone's dead in the next hour.

>>27556438
Truly, we will never escape this keep at this rate, which only makes what I said earlier more likely

The golden voice whispers to you, and you can’t help but smile at the oncoming horde of wraiths. Errant thoughts playing at being demons in the night. Pathetic. You’ve seen more terrifying things in the clouds.

A wall of shields is raised on either side of you. Your pride fights with you.

-

You’ve seen this scene before. All the men fighting alongside you have been long since struck down. You stand alone, and perhaps that is how it was meant to be. You are the only one who can really make a difference; their fates are irrelevant. You boredly regard your rapier. The point has long since dulled, but it doesn’t matter. You can still fight, and you can still win.

>Keep fighting here.
>No, this isn’t right. These men need to live.

Surviving Defenders: 41
Hours Until Dawn: 4

>>27556488
> No, this isn’t right. These men need to live.
We're not alone in this fight. We need to keep our allies safe - retreat and burn down the barricade.

>>27556488
>No, this isn’t right. These men need to live.

WE LIVE AND DIE AS BROTHER MEN!

>>27556488
>Turn around and present rear to the wraiths so at least we are prepared for the inevitable rape we are going to receive

>>27556488
>No, this isn’t right. These men need to live.
The dice are fucking slaughtering us here. Fall back again,

>>27556488
>No, this isn’t right you stupid lion. These men need to live.
Man fuck this Lion. Ever sense it came up our men have been dying left and right

Rolled 9

((Rolling at -10 and then writing.))

>>27556636
See? The lion gets men killed.

Thus we should never listen to him again

>>27556636
Ok. Uh. We... miiiiiiight make it? At this point a single bad roll is us fucked, though.

>>27556636
Yeah, we're not listening to the Lion anymore. That dude wants us dead.

You come to standing in an empty hall amongst the ruins of the third barricade. In your daze, you don’t even notice the wraiths charging down the hallway towards you.

A rough hand grabs you and then pulls you back into the barracks, the door slamming behind you.

A rather chuffed Segirius is grinning madly at you. “Boy, this is the first time we’ve lasted this long. I don’t know what it is ab…” Suddenly, as he gets a closer look at you, he goes quiet. “My lord, your eyes. They’re…” He stop again. “Nevermind. We have a chance to rest, no sense in wasting it worrying about nothing.

You hear the wraiths begin clawing at the barracks doors.

-

The doors to the barracks lasted longer than you had imagined, but they’re finally splintering, the wraiths eager to get inside.

>Prepare yourself to fight.
>Fall back to the Commander’s Room (There are no more fallbacks after this, and it’s a rather small room...)

Surviving Defenders: 41
Hours Until Dawn: 3

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>>27556761
((I can feel my grammar slipping away. It is not a good pain. Also, forgot my image.))

>>27556761
> Prepare yourself to fight.

>>27556761
>Prepare yourself to fight.
We're nearly there. Come on...

>>27556761
>Prepare yourself to fight.

>>27556761
>Prepare yourself to fight.
Well, I guess we need to fight at least a little more before we fall back to last room

Still hating you lion

>>27556761
>> Prepare yourself to fight.

Rolled 8

((Usually I would wait longer, but this seems clear enough. Rolling and writing.))

The doors shatter, and the wraiths pour in. You hear a rather feminine battle cry and vaguely register that Magpie has rejoined the battle, dancing into the wraiths with a pair of wicked curved dagger while Talon stands back to back with her, a spinning cyclone of death with his glaive. It is a wonderful sight.

-

The hour passes, and the tide of wraiths finally comes to an end, for the moment.

When the last wraith falls, all of the Boundsmen begin chattering excitedly. Segirius just shoots you a massive grin.

Surviving Defenders: 33
Hours Until Dawn: 2

>Hold the barracks.
>Fall back to the Commander’s room.

>>27556938
Hold the barracks. Don't relax just yet.

>>27556938
>Hold the barracks.
Last time, then retreat for the last hour

Rolled 8

((Rolling with no modifier and writing.))

>>27557048

Wow, the dice just seems to love us tonight.

>>27557048
>33-8=25
>If they crit next roll, we lose at the last second
This be a little terrifying

>>27557078
((Yeah, I was just amusing myself with that thought.))

>>27557078
You know what's worse? If we die here and get raised the next night, there'll be nothing we can use to make the barricades or arrows considering how we burned it all down. Then again, maybe resources return as well as men, but still.

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>>27557078

Surely the dice wouldn't be that cruel.

More Boundsmen fall as the tide of wraiths continues, but not as many as you would have thought. This room isn’t reinforced, but the close quarters are working to your benefit.

-

Shield walls reform at the doors, and everybody prepares for the oncoming wave. Nobody needs to say anything any more. You all know what is at stake, the first predawn rays of the sun turn the sky a muted blood red.

There is a howl, the loudest you have heard yet.

>This is the final push. Hold the barracks and push these things back into the night.
>Fall back to the Commander’s room, force the wraiths into an uphill battle. (You will probably lose a significant number of your remaining Boundsmen, regardless of the roll.)
>The golden voice still dances at the back of your mind. Sally forth. Victory is assured. Nobody else can be counted on except for you…

Surviving Defenders: 25
Hours Until Dawn: 1

>>27557166
>This is the final push. Hold the barracks and push these things back into the night.

>>27557166
>>This is the final push. Hold the barracks and push these things back into the night.

What do we say to death

>>27557166
>This is the final push. Hold the barracks and push these things back into the night.
HOLD THE LINE

and to this...
>The golden voice still dances at the back of your mind. Sally forth. Victory is assured. Nobody else can be counted on except for you…
I say, shut the fuck up Lion voice. We don't like you

>>27557166
> This is the final push. Hold the barracks and push these things back into the night.
Can we use the beds or whatever there is in the barracks to make some sort of impromptu barricades?

>>27557166
Fuck you Lion voice, the dice hate you,

>This is the final push. Hold the barracks and push these things back into the night.

>>27557197
>I say, shut the fuck up Lion voice. We don't like you

Hey hey hey, don't diss on our super mode, I can see situations where it could come in handy.

>>27557194
not tonight

>>27557201
((They're kind of what the Boundsmen used to make and reinforce the rest of the barricades.))

>>27557211
>Super Mode
>All it does is get those around us killed
This be a shit Super Mode son

Now I wish we had Heart of the Wolf. He would understand teamwork

>>27557235
I guess it's going to be super useful in one-on-ones, if we ever get a chance for those. It's obviously a glory seeker, trying to inspire us to do the impossible at the cost of those around us (maybe it's even powered by their deaths, who knows).

>>27557235
>Forgetting that it saved Magpie

>>27557235
That is kind of the fault of /tg/ dice, though.

>>27557235
if
knew
I knew if you
seen
what
I've
you
know
understand

>>27557276
But if you look at the rolls that had the highest casualties, you can see it correlates with listening to the lion's voice.

Just saying

((It's time. I don't want to take the blame for this, one of you, roll that 1d25. Good luck.))

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Rolled 19

>>27557291

>>27557300

Ouch

Rolled 18

>>27557291
Rolling.

>>27557300
God damn it.

Rolled 20

>>27557291

>>27557300
Fuck. So, uh.... what happens to all the dead Bound? Do they just stay dead forever now?

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Rolled 23

>>27557291

>>27557300
((It is done. Writing.))

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>>27557300
>>27557310
>>27557315
>>27557321

The howling falls silent.

You’re starting to lose your nerve.

You have to do something, have to hear something.

You spin your rapier.

Fwsh. Wsh. Wsh.

And then you see it. Your rapier is spinning as fast as you can make it, and the thing slips into the barracks and in between two of your rapier’s revolutions. You don’t know how you see it, but you can. It flits through your spinning rapier then suddenly it’s next to you.

It smiles at you, then guts the nearest Boundsman. Before he even fades to Mist, the thing is on the next Boundsman, slashing and tearing. Nobody has even begun to react.

It dances to Segirius, slashing down overhead with all of its claws. Fortunately, the Commander is able to react, throwing himself out of the way. Finally gathering yourself, you rush towards it.

And your rapier simply shatters, half a day of quite thorough use proving to be too much for the poor thing. As you throw the useless hilt to the ground, Talon throws himself at the beast while Magpie slides behind it. As they charge to strike it in unison, it leaps to the ceiling with a mocking laugh.

The Boundsman’s sword that you picked up is perfectly aimed. It neatly bisects the creature’s face and the thing goes limp, swinging loosely from where it is pinned to the ceiling.

It falls to the ground, broken.

It’s over.

Nobody has anything to say. Not you, not the handful of surviving Boundsmen, not Magpie or Talon.

Segirius stares at the rising sun, expressionless. Then he looks down at his right arm as his sword clatters to the ground.

His hand is turning into Mist.

He turns to you, and tosses you a tiny signet ring with his other arm. “If you ever escape this place… tell them…” He swallows. “Tell them that we died fighting.”

As he fades away, the thick, Boundary-level Mist from outside rushes in, and everything goes white.

((That’s all for tonight! Thanks for playing folks, and thanks for sticking around through that meat grinder, haha.))

>>27557518
See you next time.

>>27557518
See you next time, man. Tonight was damn fun.

>>27557518

It's occurred to me that we would've JUST lost if we hadn't burnt down the barricades earlier.

Man that was close.

>>27557590
Yeah, this was close. I was afraid we were going to face some giant thing that is going to rip through the barricades and beat us senseless with our own men. Instead, we find out that there are smart versions of these things, and that they can move faster than the eye can see.

I just read through the first two threads, and then this one.

Well! This was an interesting story...

I wonder what the... Lion... mode... thing... was, and what would have happened if we'd kept choosing it again and again.