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>>38234502
>Archery: Target Met; 17, 3, 10

Haste nearly drove you to make a cardinal mistake – not visualising your arrow striking your target. Experience wins out over panic and you go through the full motion of your shooting. Power continues to surge above you, Sala’s wings growing so large and hot you fear that she might ignite the very atmosphere around you. Methodical and calm power rises to its task next to you as Mal casts a spell. Your demonic quarry takes a leaping step forward as he begins his runup.

You see where his foot will fall, how his body will twist to throw the javelin across the battlefield. That is when your arrow must strike and where it must find purchase. You see the arrow piercing the demon’s chest, a blossoming wound that spells it doom from the small amount of astral power embedded in the arrow. You loose. The world meets your expectations.

The javelin flings out of the demon’s hands freely, without the power or direction it would have had, and slams straight into the back of another demon. He howls in pain, his feet slipping and he falls into the abyss. An abyss that will soon be his fiery doom.

>Mal’s Magic: Target Met; 7, 18, 9

Mal finishes his spell, his power surrounding Sala as she begins her descent. He maintains his focus, a wall of force conjured by his will surrounding his familiar and keeping her safe from the stray javelins and arrows. Not that they can hurt her – you see another metal javelin, without the same runes as the one you stopped, literally melt in mid-air from the shimmering heat around Sala. That wall of force knocks countless demons down and into the pitch as Sala collides with the geysers.

>continued

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>>38234527
Then the world explodes, the entire battlefield suddenly becoming a rippling conflagration of doom and destruction that stretches as far as the eye can see. From cliff face to cliff face, the pitch burns so brightly as to block out the moonlight, turning the sky into darkness in your vision. Screams of terror and pain fill the air, even from demons who feel so little of it. The enemy has been cut in two, with half their force on the other side of the conflagration and the other surging towards the wall as if nothing happened and thousands of their comrades weren’t just banished back to their home.

Your heart nearly stops as you feel an enormous amount of sorcery on the other side of the wall of fire, the pitch geysers still bursting liquid fire from the ground at Undine’s command. You can’t see anything but you now know that Gnome’s prediction of devilry was correct. Had they been waiting for you not to be able to see it? Or had they panicked and pulled out their trump card now that you’d damaged their first storm?

“Talon, make ready. This is a summoning!” Gnome snaps, her face growing pale. “Whatever is doing this is likely what brought the demons here in the first place.”

“They’re summoning more demons?” you ask.

“No. They can’t be. Not here. It’s something else,” she says, licking her lips as she eyes the dying geysers of flame.

>continued

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>>38234592
Battle rages around you as your soldiers begin to defend the walls with everything they have. The demons don’t slow in their assault, smashing earthworks and defensive structures as they attempt to scale the walls. Icy ground at the base of the walls hardly slows them as they leap onto the walls, driving their claws and bodies into the wall and physically climbing it. You ignore them, confident in the skills of your soldiers to hold off such a desperate attack. The magic has subsided and you watch with fear for what might come.

Then the geysers clear, not from the pitch fully dying out. No, instead something shunts them aside, a great behemoth of twisted steel that rolls on wheels and is propelled by enormous muscle-bound demons that push it along. It’s as tall as the walls themselves, with great towers of steel protruding from either side that house countless demons with ballistae and arrows bristling from each level. In the centre is a massive head carved from steel, in the likeness of some demon you’ve never seen and with an enormous rifled spike. Something tells you that this is no mere battering ram, as absolutely ridiculous as that seems in the first place. For one thing, there’s nothing to swing it.

“How the fuck do we stop that?” you utter, surprise breaking your façade.

>Does anybody have ideas? What do you do in reaction to this?

I’ll be running for another 50 minutes or so. Given I’m pretty sick (flu or something?), I’ll probably be missing work tomorrow so I might resume for Slice of Life once I get back around 4:30am EST. Otherwise this thread will be for discussions and plans once I stop running.

>>38234620
Have our earth elementals fuck up its wheels so that it can't be moved

>>38234620
PWHAHAHAHA

There's a reason we don't have gigantic tracked/wheeled vehicles in the military IRL. Get a little mud and it'll sink like a stone. Also the reason why tank treads are so wide.

>>38234620

Oh fuck me. It's alive isn't it?

>>38234620
>a great behemoth of twisted steel that rolls on wheels
weak point right there. blast the wheels, or turn the ground into mud and let them sink in. Friction does your work for you.

Although I would prefer talon to personally be focusing his attention on locating and then astral arrowing the enemy devil

>>38234620
So that's a cannon. Sink it in mud tilting down, so if it fires it'll hit the ground in front of it instead of sailing at/over the wall. Sink it real deep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p05mf6rk18A

And this is with !1,500! Horse power

>>38234620
Oh fuck, I'm so fucking excited.

I guess I've gotta think now. Let's see. Focus fire on it with ballistae and all free archers. We want to damage it and suppress their weapons. We need to do something about its wheels. Perhaps we could sally forth. Perhaps that's what is concentrated upon. Perhaps Undine and Gnome work together to bog it down.

>>38234620
Let's get Taira on this. Finally, something that she can act on. If it's not warded with demon bullshit on the wheels, her application of pure physical force will topple that sucker like 2030's American Social Security.

Even if it's stuck, it's still a god damn miniature fortress. Having that thing within range of the Canal District is going to fuck us up hard. It needs to be dealt with entirely.

>>38234754
Oh fuck, you're right.

>>38234620
I wonder what would happen if we had a mass of foxes use force blasts on it? Or maybe toss something explosive at it?

>>38234620
... Oh.My.GOD

Have Undine summon up lots and lots of water from the ground and have Gnome make the dirt lose. We sink it into the ground or at lest make it so muddy it can't properly move. The Ballistaes focus fire on it until it is rubble.

Can Sala heat it up with a firestorm or the like and the Undine can cool it down with ice or really cold water to cause it to shatter if mud does not work?

Fuck this is exciting!

Captcha: edden
This is the opposite of Eden

>>38234821
Maybe we could get undine to freeze it and then hit it with force blasts.

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>>38234754
>So that's a cannon.
It's a drill actually. Usage of rifling as a descriptor was poor as I forgot to finish the description properly.

>>38234706
Gnome nods slowly. "That might buy us some time. It's not being propelled entirely by what's pushing it but without that extra motion it won't be ble to move very fast - it could be hours or days before it gets out of whatever rut it gets stuck in. Unless they free it, but I think it's too big."

>>38234796
Yeah, this is a good point. It's still bristling with firepower for 30m high worth of tower.

>>38234791
So you want to blast the wheels with Taira? Or did you want to do something else using her array of powers?

>>38234821
>>38234860
>>38234882

We don't need a bunch of foxes. Let's just get our heavy hitters, such as Ren and Taira, to hit it's wheels *just* as this Anon's combined Undine and Gnome offensive. Bring that motherfucker down.

>>38234882
Oi don't do too much, we want that for our awesome TYE vs. Demons memorial park.

>>38234620

Well, killing the demons moving it might help, having as many siege engines focus fire on strucural weaknesses would also be good, places like the axles, chains/ropes, even targeting the 'crew' should affect it's effectiveness...

I feel that if there was a way to attack it from below it might be weaker there...

>>38234754
makes a good point, such a massive construction should have a considerable weight, so over-saturating the terrain should bog it down...

>>38234882
We might want to do a sugical strike onto this platform with our NHMKs.

>>38234882
>So you want to blast the wheels with Taira?

Honestly for me I say we astral arrow+Taira blast+Salamander blast+Every other blast we got it.

>>38234884
Well we just need to hit the towers where they connect with the main body to cause them to fall off to render most of it's offensive capability's useless in combination with the mud. A massed Ballistae volly combined with massed magic from most of the heavy hitters should do it.

>>38234930
>Well, killing the demons moving it might help
i figure they can just get more

also, anyone else worries that this is a red herring? to distract us from important stuff? didn't the enemy devil just cast a spell before this came about
yes s/he dispelled the pitch, but maybe have done more? like, maybe some illusions?

Take the DracoGriffs and Fox Knights, gather together Talon and Taira.

And teleport inside of it. Completely kill every single thing inside of it. Then blow it up.

>>38234936
this + have gnome and undone sink it in the mud deep as shit

Could we attach a chain to one of the siege ballista bolts?

Once it's stuck, hit the top of the tower then pull it over Kingdom of Heaven style.

>>38234882
this
>>38234978
Teleport onboard and kill errything there, then set anything explosive in it to blow up.

>>38234882
Can Sal incinerate the interior like she did with the tunnels in Taour?

>>38235012
and then talon died, the end

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Anyway, the main thing is that even if you do stop it then you need to stop it from firing at you at the same time. Also, if Gnome's right then it might keep moving with the wheels.

I'll write up a vote now.

>>38234867
There's not really anything to freeze and summoning enough water to cover it and then freezing it would completely exhaust her, putting her out of the battle.

As for targeting it, you need to target something. This thing is 30m tall and like 30-40m wide. Wheels, bottoms of towers, the drill itself, the guys behinid ti etc.

>>38234975
>didn't the enemy devil just cast a spell before this came about
That was to summon this.

>yes s/he dispelled the pitch, but maybe have done more?
That didn't happen. The drill siege engine just rolled striaght through the geysers.

>>38234991
What's going to pull the chain?

>>38235016
It's not one big tunnel so it wouldn't cascade throughout the entire thing, just a single level.

>>38234978
Blow it up with what? It's pretty huge.

To be honest, there is an easier way to do a ton of damage to it given its nature and one of your folks' abilities.

>>38235065
Can you actually say if it's doing anything right now like launching ballistas or just staying still and being very bad for enemy morale?

>>38235065
>To be honest, there is an easier way to do a ton of damage to it given its nature and one of your folks' abilities.
Knock it over with Sylph's wind?

>>38235065

could we fill it with water?

>>38235065
Can't Gnome rise the ground till it topples?

>>38235065
Melt the tip with Sal's fire?

2.11 Aladria Serat
ABILITIES

Empower Self III – you use sorcery to increase your physical attributes by three points for one hour.
Shadow Teleportation II – you may instantly teleport between natural shadows within a hundred metres effortlessly. By expending some power, you can manufacture the shadow at either end. With extended concentration you may teleport a small party up to a kilometre.
Shadow Projection II - you may project magical energy in the form of material ‘blackness’ into the world up to a close distance. As pure energy, its effects are lethal and corrosive to what it touches.

> As pure energy, its effects are lethal and corrosive to what it touches.

Someone fetch the vampire. She needs to do a thing.

You know I feel like Taira could do something here. Like spiritual fire or something. Most of the infernals are sorcery based.

>>38235065
Does summoning count as sorcery? Undine can imitate the devil's spell and make her own sick tank thing we can ride into battle.

>>38235065
>This thing is 30m tall and like 30-40m wide. Wheels, bottoms of towers, the drill itself, the guys behinid ti etc.
Start by taking out the wheels, at that point it will take it hours to reach the wall and it can not longer breach them. it can still bombard us, which is why we counter bombard with mages/balista/astral arrow to take out any of its long range weapons that are firing at us. that pretty much takes it out of the fight (especially with the fact we are soon going to fallback to the inner walls
Do NOT focus fire on it to the exclusion of all else, there are plenty of other demons we need to take care of / out.

Also, talon, with aid from tarrfin, should try to locate the enemy devil that summoned it and put some arrows in him

>>38235147
>>38235144
>>38235124
>>38235111
Look at the description. It's made of freaking military-grade (I think) metal. Let's take into consideration that if we capture it afterwards we can probably fund another city.

>>38235164

Slash your wrist Talon looks like you need to superpower your familiar.

>>38235164
Oi. She'd be the best for a stealth oriented approach. Have her cloak in with her shadow teleportation, and weaken it from the inside. Then have Ren and Taira rip the entire thing down.

>>38235164
I guess we're getting Aladria and a strike team to board the thing.

>>38235164
She isn't physically all that strong though. So if she was used we would need to bring salamander or Talon along.

>>38235190

That doesn't work. It essentially gives them a fortress outside our walls to ruin our retreat with. It makes the entire canal district a bloodbath and takes away our advantage of focusing solely on demons.

It needs to be dealt with entirely and swiftly otherwise our entire plan goes into disarray.

>>38235219
>Ren

Ren is not here anon.

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SIEGE ENGINE MOVEMENT VOTE
First vote of two, focuses on how to try to stop it.
>1. Try to get it stuck in a huge rut full of mud and poor terrain. If Gnome's right it might eventually free itself somehow.
>2. Blow the wheels right off using the combined force of your anti-siege ranged ability.
>3. Have Taira see how sorcerous the drill is and see if it melts when you apply Spiritual Fire to it. This will require you to teleport onboard with her to support her.
>4. Custom

SIEGE TOWER VOTE
>1. Try to destroy the towers with anti-siege ranged attacks.
>2. Teleport onboard and just cleanse them floor by floor with your heaviest knights.
>3. Have Aladria shred the towers using her Shadow Projection. Will need you to teleport up close and take them out.
>4. Custom

>>38235104
It's coming straight towards the cnetral gatehouse and the guys onboard are firing rapidly.

>>38235144
Little too much ground and weight to lift at this distance for her current level.

>>38235178
>You know I feel like Taira could do something here. Like spiritual fire or something.
>spiritual fire
>a sorcery cleansing fire.
>massive demonic steel drill that appears to be partially moving under its own power.

Also, I didn't think of Aladria. I don't think she could destroy the drill, though. It's too big for her.

Do we actually need to prioritize it? Right now it's demoralizing the enemy greatly. Sorta. can it fire over the walls or what? If it can just take care of the artillery.

>>38235248
>That doesn't work. It essentially gives them a fortress outside our walls to ruin our retreat with
ok this makes no fucking sense at all. none, zero, zilch.

It is outside our walls, we are retreating away from it, not going near it.

>>38235065
Have Taira nuke the thing and grind it to dust while we distract mr. Binary Swords with a duel or some other showy shit? Then have Sala or a fox get us out of combat once Taira has finished her work?

>>38235248
even if this was true, the only change to the plan is "after you do all that, start tearing it down"
Also, so far none of the enemies has shown the slightest inclination to fighting in such a manner. they aren't here to fortify, they are simply rushing the walls with massive strength

>>38235275
>>3. Have Taira see how sorcerous the drill is and see if it melts when you apply Spiritual Fire to it. This will require you to teleport onboard with her to support her.
>2. Teleport onboard and just cleanse them floor by floor with your heaviest knights.

Deviating from the plan like fuck.

>>38235275
>1. Try to get it stuck in a huge rut full of mud and poor terrain. If Gnome's right it might eventually free itself somehow.

>3. Have Aladria shred the towers using her Shadow Projection. Will need you to teleport up close and take them out.

>>38235275
>3

>2-3

It's boarding time.

>>38235275
>3. Have Taira see how sorcerous the drill is and see if it melts when you apply Spiritual Fire to it. This will require you to teleport onboard with her to support her.
>3. Have Aladria shred the towers using her Shadow Projection. Will need you to teleport up close and take them out.

>>38235275
>1
Look at the building where you're at (most likely the siege tower is like 5-10x bigger though). Imagine moving that. Not gonna happen unless super duper magic.
>1
Don't do anything stupid

>>38235275
>2. Blow the wheels right off using the combined force of your anti-siege ranged ability.
KISS

>1. Try to destroy the towers with anti-siege ranged attacks.
we can always try 3 if it fails.

>>38235333
>>38235345
>>38235341
What will we accomplish except getting surrounded?

>>38235275
>3. Have Taira see how sorcerous the drill is and see if it melts when you apply Spiritual Fire to it. This will require you to teleport onboard with her to support her.
Maybe do 1 for good measure as well.

>3. Have Aladria shred the towers using her Shadow Projection. Will need you to teleport up close and take them out.

>>38235345
you want to try to protect BOTH of them at the same time, from a horde of demons? why?

>>38235275
>2
>3

>people want to attack this thing with conventional warfare when we have the means to tear it down in one fell swoop with our super powered allies

Seriously?

>>38235371
We'll also die, and so will a Vampire and a Fox.

>>38235275
1
1
lets leave the stupid heroics for later. its not like we can't try again using another method if those fail

>>38235275
>3. Have Taira see how sorcerous the drill is and see if it melts when you apply Spiritual Fire to it. This will require you to teleport onboard with her to support her.

>3. Have Aladria shred the towers using her Shadow Projection. Will need you to teleport up close and take them out.

>>38235392
I know, its like demons are infiltrating the thread.

>>38235371
Their mobile fortress destroyed and trump card out of the picture permanently.

>>38235405
A very good point.
>1
>1

>>38235275
>1
Less magic used?
>1
Don't charge in like an idiot


Don't risk for no reward. Just disable it.

>>38235275

Doesn't going with double 3s pretty much necessitate the need for a 2 as well? Just as back up?

>>38235425
>out of the picture permanently.
Their trump cards are the greater demon leading them, and the devil who summoned it in the first place
speaking of... its a summon, summons have limited duration

>>38235275
3
2

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Next update will be the last before I probably resume for SoL in three hours. Will set the scene for taking on the siege engine.

CONTENTIOUS VOTE
OPTION ONE
1 & 1. Minimise use of magic that might exhaust or distract your retinue. Instead just try to get it stuck in a huge rut of mud and destroy the towers with anti-siege ranged attacks. Note that it might free itself later if Gnome is right.

OPTION TWO
3 & 3. Take Taira and Aladria onboard with a heavy striketeam to cleanse the towers and destroy the drill.

Rules for voting are to make a post with a link to my post declaring the vote and the number you are voting for. No other text, no greentexting the number. All informal votes will be discarded. Voting window will be five minutes after the first vote.

>>38235491

You expect infernals to play by mortal rules?

>>38235392
>people want to attack this thing with conventional warfare
>Magically turning earth into mud is conventional warfare
>Giant mega balista shooting enchanted bolts that can vaporize multiple demons per hit are conventional warfare
>Wizards blowing shit up at range is conventional warface

>>38235491
>speaking of... its a summon, summons have limited duration
Are you retarded?
This is a physical object full of real demons summoned here from hell, not a summon like what mages make.

>reminder that we have walls for a purpose

>>38235521
2

>>38235529

Oh I'm sorry are we no longer setting where that is all common place warfare?

>>38235371
Protip, we can teleport back.

>>38235521
1

>>38235521
1

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>>38235551
That's not the format, anon.

This >>38235554 is the format.

>>38235521
2

>>38235521
2

>>38235275
>3. Have Taira see how sorcerous the drill is and see if it melts when you apply Spiritual Fire to it. This will require you to teleport onboard with her to support her.

>3. Have Aladria shred the towers using her Shadow Projection. Will need you to teleport up close and take them out

>>38235533
>This is a physical object full of real demons summoned here from hell,
We were explicitly told us they CANNOT summon more demons here mid battle.
He summoned the structure, who was then occupied by existing demons already on the battlefield

>>38235521
2

>>38235521
Can we fevaniucking deal with this monstrosity once instead of twice, when we'll have to do it again later while we're all exhausted from the siege

>>38235558
Protip we're sacrificing people AND OUR FORTRESS ADVANTAGE (I have to capitalize it because WE HAVE WALLS FOR A REASON)

Think of the time, people and effort going into the wall. Think of how easily you want to sacrifice it.

>>38235557
We mean what is common in that world, not in your fantasy land.

>>38235533
>>38235523
This is good because we can then capture it when it has been neutralized.

>>38235521
1

>>38235583
>>38235618
You're doing it wrong.

>>38235627
2

>>38235521
Ah well. We where going to abandon the outer walls in any case.

>1

>>38235658
WRONG

>>38235638
Our fortress is not an advantage against something explicitly designed to destroy it.
It's not like we're staying out there.

>>38235678
Destroy it how? We can easily neutralize it. No need to sacrifice people and possibly ourselves for some glory.

>>38235638

>We mean what is common in that world, not in your fantasy land.

Huh? In this setting it is indeed conventional warfare tactics. Is it ramped up to 11? Yes. But they are all tactics we've used and seen before. I don't see what you're on about.

>>38235521
1

>>38235521
2

>>38235697
The giant drill? The seige towers? The artillery attached to it?

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Okay, so it's Option 2. Things will play out differently than Option 1 but neither was 'bad decision, quest ruined forever.'

Writing now. Also, loads of informal votes.

>>38235647
Last vote that counted.

>>38235707
Uh, no. It's the equivalent of having mines but charging the tank anyway.

>>38235727
>The giant drill? The seige towers?
both irrelevant if it can't reach our walls

>The artillery attached to it?
destroyed in both choices.

>>38235697
Even if we bog it down there is always the chance that one of the infernals have some kind of gift that can continue to push/drive it.

My god. unless the drill had hax lasers or something we just wasted a lot of stuff.

>>38235780
And nothing of value will be lost because then we can immediately move onto the other options.

>>38235780
>Even if we bog it down there is always the chance that one of the infernals have some kind of gift that can continue to push/drive it.
At which point we do one of the other options, and nothing of value was lost

>>38235780
I think we should always choose the option that allows us to do the other(s) in the case that it fails.

>>38235757

Are we even talking about the same thing anymore?
I'm talking about the super ballistas, using terrain and our ability to change it to our advantage, stuff like that, that's pretty common fair. What are you talking about?

>>38235790
The time and effort spent on doing that giving them the chance to gain more ground is what we lose. Trying to bog down such a big thing takes time which the infernals would use to continue to push.

>>38235790
>Wasted a lot of stuff
We aren't sacrificing anybody, they can rest up in the keep for a few hours and they'll be fine for later in the siege.

>>38235816
I meant the options other than 1

>>38235819
The bigger it is the more mass it has, and the easier it is to bog down.

>>38235821
Unless they die?

>>38235819
>The time and effort spent on doing that giving them the chance to gain more ground is what we lose.
Actually, we gain time because even if they free it, it still got bogged down before that happened.

As for effort, they also have to spend effort (and mana) on undoing what we did (and potentially revealing the location of their devil for sniping)
Not to mention that plan 1 was very low effort, plan 3 is massive expenditure of mana from both taira and vamp (whats her name again)

>>38235790
>>38235804

I'm going to say time. That's a pretty big thing to lose when a lot of our plans rely on precise movements.

>>38235864
oh no, there's a risk someone might die on a battlefield, oh wait, nothing they could possibly have been doing that would be remotely worthwhile would eliminate that risk.

>>38235864
>Unless they die?
Or get injured
Or waste a ton of mana with no results
Or talon gets injured

>>38235882
No, we GAIN time. because it takes them longer to unstuck it than it takes us to stuck it

>>38235876
Never mind the enormous morale hit they get. And the enormous morale we get.

>>38235885
This reminds me of trench warfare mentality.

>>38235885
>oh no, there's a risk someone might die on a battlefield
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_ridicule
Nice fallacy.
You might as well say that cigarettes are harmless because you had a risk of cancer anyways.
Taking completely unnecessary risk in situations that are high risk low reward, is a stupid thing to do
That there is some measure of risk in every choice doesn't change the fact that this is an unnecessary risk

Actually, if it WAS a siege tower, wouldn't it be filled to the brim with elite shock troops as it would have been expected to take the walls?

>>38235947
>Actually, if it WAS a siege tower, wouldn't it be filled to the brim with elite shock troops as it would have been expected to take the walls?
yep.

>>38235957
Well shit, /tg/ I though you knew better than this.

The way I see it, some devil spent a whole lot of mana on forming this giant structure that's currently bombarding our first line of defenses after just rolling through a massive wall of fire. If we can take it out with a small squad of our elites, tat's a massive morale hit to the enemies, boost to our troops, we can stay at the wall longer versus the halved army, and we lose less people overall since we took it out instead of letting it hit us.

If it was out of range, I'd rather bog it down. As it is, I think trying to take it out is a solid choice. It seems like a time limit superweapon on the battlefield if we leave it up.

>>38235947
>>38235957
On the plus side, our astral means that Hell just lost a bunch of elite shock troops permanently.

>>38235934
That's not an appeal to ridicule, that's saying that they're already on a battlefield with demons, changing the exact location they are on the battlefield doesn't change that they're on that battlefield.

It's not a charge across an open field fighting their way through the lines of enemies, they're teleporting on and off the rig. the risk isn't particularly higher.

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>>38235813
Things have gone poorly for doing just that. Being cautious can get you burnt poorly in some cases, just as being overly rash can. If things didn't go right, then the siege engine might have reared back up at the worst possible time or might have never been slowed in the first place.

Not picking a side, but I haven't seen anything too irrational from either side. Just different ideas for how they'd approach a situation.

>>38235947
That's if they're a regular siege tower and not just a mobile archery/ballista tower.

>2.

“We’re going to have get onboard it. If that’s from Hell then I’m willing to bet it will melt pretty fast when exposed to that strange fire of Taira’s,” you say, regaining your confidence as you watch most of the demonic firepower bounce off the barriers of the outer wall. “The towers need to be taken before they take the outer wall and lower the barrier and I’m not convinced we can permanently deal with it without destroying it up close.”

“This is crazy, Talon,’ Gnome says.

“Maybe not. Seems to be the effective choice – what the hell are we going to do if it starts coming towards the Crown Wall when we’re on our last legs?” Mal says, glaring at the thing.

You nod and give Gnome, Sala and Undine each a quick kiss before beginning to make preparations. You still need Lynn and her knights to hold the canal and stay fresh – if you pull them then Undine’s trap might fail. That means it’s time to draw on the vampire recruits and show Taour how it’s really done. You leave Phill in charge of calling a retreat if necessary, trusting him to make the right call.

“This is the most ridiculous strike force ever,” Vad says, looking at few hundred assembled nightwalkers in heavy mage-knight plate standing next to the mystic fox knights from the Pride Clan and Taira.

>continued

>>38235957
Wouldn't them fighting in a tight space be to their disadvantage, also I doubt they are going to take care not to damage the drill them selves.

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>>38236002
“Welcome change,” Kirin says, nodding his head at the nightwalkers as his six burgundy tails shuffle around behind him.

“Good thing they attacked at night, huh, sir?” says Captain Terril, who is altogether too chirpy for this sort of assignment. “We can go all out. Clearing close quarters with these heavy suits will be a treat.”

You shake your head and direct Taira to take you in.

“You should learn to appreciate the variety,” Aladria says, happily sniping at your usual attitude.

Then the world warps and things get crazy really fast. Screams, blood and death surround you as you come out of the teleportation swinging. Industrial steel and preternatural ability meets demonic strength and flesh. Fury fills the air as you and your striketeam teleport into the midst of the demonic force on the lowest level of the tower and you clear a path. This siege engine will be a melted ruin by the time you’re done with it.

>That’s the thread.

Next thread at 5pm EST on the 28th Feb.

I’ll probably resume for Slice of Life in about 3 hours if people are still here.

I hope people enjoyed the thread and I appreciate feedback on how it was done. I think I took a little too long at the start of the thread but I'd rather a general strategy in place at the start than having to constantly stop mid-battle to try to build ideas of where to go next even when nothing too unexpected has happened.

>>38235991
Actually it does. Why do you think we have walls FOR??? It's to make them charge US. What if the teleporter gets alpha striked and we can't get back?

>>38236044
We have more than one teleporter.

>>38236040
Thanks for running!

I just have to say, this battle is really exciting to be a part of. My heart is racing with that last paragraph. And throughout a lot of other places. Excellent work!

More importantly, what's to stop them from teleporting the thing away and letting us fall to our deaths/teleported along with them?

>>38236040
Dude it was fucking excellent
I don't know how to give you feedback other than "more like this"

>>38236040
Fuck yeah battle thread gets seal of approval.

Captcha tells me to pick out the cake picture. All pictures are cake pictures. Still fail.

>>38236040
>That’s the thread.
>dat cliffhanger
thanks for running aspir

>>38236040
Exciting thread, can't wait to see how the seige turns out.

>>38236002
>This is the most ridiculous strike force ever

Truer words have never been spoken.

Great thread Aspir, this has been a lot of fun. It only got a little ehhh when you agreed about the Elites, good call on shipping the Engie and gong straight to the battle.

Also, you were on point tonight. My heart was pounding half the time and sunk when I read that the demons literally jumped or first trap. But everything went better than expected. Can't wait to fight the devil/demon lord

>>38236079
The fact that Aspir doesn't do trap options.

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>>38236040
aspie killing it as always, ive been reading your threads for 2 month now and this is the first one ive been able to catch, its a pleasure to read your work.

your work is the highlight of my time on the internet bud cheers for running

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>>38236040
Thanks for the run bro was a good thread.

>>38236040
Best thread in awhile. Don't be discouraged by the lack of customs though. I think it's more a faith in the solid plan already in place then disinterest.

Also props to architectanon for Harrowmont and the map.

>>38236040
Imagining that teleport is fucking incredible. Doesn't even need much description, just knowing the participants and the insanity of it paints an awesome mental image.

>>38236153
>Can't wait to fight the devil/demon lord

I can. I can wait forever for this. Demons pls go and stay go. But leave the women.

Where the fuck is Blackwater ain't no way he doesn't want in on this. I bet Lord Embers dick he wants in on us this

>>38236350
>be blackwater
>bored, phylactery is nagging me again
>use to rule a nation this, should have killed him that
>decide to scry on my old friend Talon
>demons everywhere
>he's teleporting into some mobile fortress with MY vampires
>battle of the god damn century
>no one invited me
>this is bullshit

>>38236349
Oh yeah. Can you imagine a movie version of it? It gets crazy fast.

>>38236350
>But leave the women.
do they even have women?

I just realized how perfect this set up would have been for Felix, mook after fuccking mook, by the time we reached the top he could pull it apart himself. Missed opportunity.

>>38236800
Wait, we didn't bring Felix? Honestly disappointed.

>>38236414
>Implying its not Blackwater's demon army he lent out.

>>38236819
Just looks like Talon, Vad, Taira and Aladria. Plus assorted strike team.

I too am disappointed.

So I figured one way of ensuring death for Mr. Demon Antagonist whose name I've forgotten: Being consumed by a vampire. No idea ho we're gonna keep him subdued for long enough for this to occur, but it sounds like fun.

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Good to see that people enjoyed the thread. I enjoyed today immensely too. It's lots of fun to do this sort of stuff.

If anybody is still here, I'll resume with Slice of life stuff in about 30 minutes. Dunno how long I'll run for, though.

>>38236800
>>38236894
Felix is included with the vamps.

>>38238076
I'm around. Always up for some sol silliness

>>38238076
I'm here.

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Okay, SoL scene vote.

>1. Sylph scene.
>2. Mal, Neir and Marle (their son).
>3. Sarah scene.

>>38238364
>1. Sylph scene.

>>38238364
>2. Mal, Neir and Marle (their son).

>>38238364
>1. Sylph scene.

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Rolled 1 (1d2)

Tie-breaker

>>38238364
>2. Mal, Neir and Marle (their son).

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>1.

Out of all the elementals, and perhaps your entire retinue, Sylph was easily the hardest for you to read. She seemed to run hot and cold without reason, but instead of anger and melancholy she instead switched between formal and teasing behaviour. Mal had thought you crazy when you’d told him that Sylph was sometimes very formal around you, though that probably had more to do with the fact she’d spent almost all her time trying to get in his pants at first.

You wonder if this is how Undine acts towards others?

Undine was far from your thoughts as you made some coffee for Sylph, the wind elemental’s eyes on your every movement. Having long since barred any of the girls or chefs save for Taira from making you coffee you’d gotten used to making it several times a day. So why did you feel so nervous? You banish the thought and finish preparing both cups, placing one in front of Sylph as you take a seat. She’d intruded on you in your study, reading the open door as an invitation. Maybe you should have just told you that Sai hadn’t closed it and you hadn’t noticed.

“I don’t really see much difference between how you make it and others do,” she says, frowning at the carefully brewed and prepared cup of coffee in front of her. “Except that I think you used far too much coffee.”

“There’s no such thing,” you mutter before sipping at the dark liquid. Not your best work, but still a mile ahead of what Undine had once served you.

>cont

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>>38238615
Sylph sips carefully at the coffee before giving it an odd look and drinking some more readily the next sip. Then she places the coffee down on the coffee table, one of her fingers idly tracing out the image of the griffin engraved in the glass. Something was clearly on her mind and, for whatever reason, she wanted to talk to you about it.

“Do you think about having children much?” she blurts out suddenly, avoiding eye contact even as she turns her face towards yours.

That’s a hard question to answer, particularly to a sister of three women you’re currently sleeping with. When you hesitate to answer, instead sipping at your coffee as if in thought, she fills the void.

“I suppose that’s a bit odd to ask. Um, do you ever picture yourself with children much? Or without children? I guess… do you see yourself having any children? Aside from Finn,” she says, adding the last part with a small smile.

You let out a breathy laugh, coffee still at your lips. Placing the cup on the saucer you answer with…

>1. “Yes, lots of children. I’m not sure I’ll let that happen.”
>2. “Yes but only one or two. I don’t picture their appearances much.”
>3. “No. I’m not sure I’m the person for children. Taking care of Finn and being an uncle seems like enough for me.”
>4. Custom

>>38238621
>1. “Yes, lots of children. I’m not sure I’ll let that happen.”

>>38238621
>1. “Yes, lots of children. I’m not sure I’ll let that happen.”

>>38238621
>>1. “Yes, lots of children. I’m not sure I’ll let that happen.”
A whole lot of 'em.

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I wonder if this response heralds something I might have to do in the future.

>1.

“Yes, lots of children. I’m not sure I’ll let that happen,” you say, staring rather pointedly at the flask sitting on a nearby cabinet.

“Neir commented that you’re rather religious about the contraceptive brew,” Sylph says with a wry smile. “At the time she was lamenting Maloric’s lack of a similar devotion. How do you manage it, given how busy things can get?”

You shrug, standing and returning the now empty cup to a nearby desk. Instead you retrieve a bottle of red from the wine stand below the cabinet and pour two full glasses.

“Do you want some?” you ask Sylph, ignoring her question for the time being.

“I’m never one to say no to a good drop.”

You pour a third glass at her answer, taking the three back to the table and ignoring the odd look from Sylph as you place two in front of yourself.

“Do you have something to tell me, Talon?” she asks you, giving you a serious look.

“Not yet. Honestly, it’s easy to slip up. Mal didn’t catch out by forgetting to take it, he simply brewed one of lesser potency because he was short on herbs over the campaign,” you explain, sipping at your wine. “It might happen to me one day.”

“And then there will be a dozen Talon Juniors running around,” she says. “I worry for Gnome’s sanity when that day comes.”

>cont

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>>38238821
The two of you share a smile and a companionable silence for some time. Sipping at nice wine with the luxurious furnishing of your study around you makes for a very peaceful and relaxing environment. It’s probably a good thing you don’t let the girls in her on mundane matters, usually. They’d find it quite enjoyable to spend time with you here and that would lead to things you’d rather stay out of your study.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to do with Maloric. I get along well with both him and Neir, and Marle is a delight but… Well, Gnome had this worry once, when I was younger. Sometimes you click so well with a master that you think of a future that can’t be,” Sylph says, smiling sadly into her glass.

Ah, so that’s what it was about. Gnome had alluded to it being possible for pure elementals and humans to interbreed, but had mentioned she’d never heard of a case before. Clearly that meant something stopped it. At the same time it saddened you to see Sylph so unhappy over things as they stood. It was difficult to think of the elementals as ‘inhuman’, given the way they behaved. Even Gnome, for all her stoicism and experience, acted like an ordinary woman so often. With your Dominion around you, it was possible to interfere in a way previously impossible. You don’t know if that’s a good call.

>1. Tell Sylph you’re sure there’s a chance. Harrowmont is a very special place after all.
>2. Change the topic, trying to cheer Sylph up without bringing up children.
>3. Ask Sylph whether she truly wants children. She makes it sound like Gnome moved on. Is this just a passing phase?
>4. Custom

>>38238834
>2. Change the topic, trying to cheer Sylph up without bringing up children.

>>38238834
>1. Tell Sylph you’re sure there’s a chance. Harrowmont is a very special place after all.
Don't give up!

>>38238834
>1. Tell Sylph you’re sure there’s a chance. Harrowmont is a very special place after all.

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This was 1 when I started writing 15min after the previous update.

>2.

You decide to change the topic. Unfortunately, the topic you choose wasn’t the best.

“I’ve lost count. How many women are you actively sleeping with?” Sylph asks suddenly, interrupting your chain of thoughts.

“Um. Eight,” you say reflexively.

That garners you an odd look. Sylph says, “Given the looks Tsucchi gives you, I don’t think you’re sleeping with her for some reason that escapes me given how much time you spend stroking the tails of foxes. Undine would have more to talk about if you were actually sleeping with Mercenie and Alyce like Gnome fears you are.”

“Fears?”

“Gnome is very competitive.”

“I see,” you say, remember an interesting tidbit from Undine about Gnome and Merce sharing.

“Laryya would be dead if she actually slept with you, as she’d spend all day bragging until Gnome actually murders her. I don’t know who that leaves,” Sylph says, frowning at you.

“Somebody you don’t need to know about. And aren’t you making some assumptions there?’ you say, trying to avoid any possibility of revealing you’re sleeping with Noah.

“Oh? So does that mean you are sleeping with Alyce?”

“It could be anybody,” you say.

“Uh huh. I feel the need to ask how you keep up with them all. Maloric gets exhausted by the two of us rather quickly,” Sylph asks, changing the topic to something you suspect she’s personally interested in.

This is a brilliant opportunity to screw with Mal. You know that Sylph will repeat this and you know it will aid or doom Mal. You’re leaning towards trying to doom him but maybe you should be nice. Mal’s going through a hard time with the little one and all.

>1. Be honest. Admit you’re not all that.
>2. Be vague. Use magic as the one and only excuse.
>3. Talk shit. You are all that and Sylph will know it.
>4. Custom

>>38238834
>1. Tell Sylph you’re sure there’s a chance. Harrowmont is a very special place after all.
Also
> Tell her she needs to have a serious talk about this with Mal

>>38239043
>3. Talk shit. You are all that and Sylph will know it.

>>38239043
>>2. Be vague. Use Talon's unparalled vitality as the one and only excuse.

>>38239043
>3. Talk shit. You are all that and Sylph will know it.

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>3.

“Well, he just needs to man up. I can handle all eight of them at once, but he can’t even handle two? Sounds like Mal,” you say, giving Sylph an arrogant grin. “You shouldn’t go easy on him. Whip him into shape.”

Sylph’s eyes flicker downwards in obvious manner before returning to your face. Then she smiles. “He said you’d say that. Can you really handle all of them?”

“Finn managed to.”

“Tarfinn thought that ‘lining them up’ meant to literally line them up. Rayza was the only one who knew what he actually meant and the only one who actually got any when the others all just thought he was being Tarfinn,” she says dryly. “Gnome says that you limit it to three a day.”

“Bullshit. I’ve done four,” you retort, unwilling to let Gnome sully your good name.

“That’s not eight.”

“It’s also not two. Mal still needs to take lessons,” you say, unwilling to give ground on that particularly point.

Sylph drains her glass, giving you a smouldering gaze. “Yes, lessons. There’s four of us, perhaps I can arrange something to let you teach him a thing or two about endurance.”

You clear your throat, not sure like where this is going. It’s one thing to flirt lightly with Sylph but this is a different thing entirely. “Well, not quite like that.”

“Oh, you just said you could do four,” Sylph says, giving you a questioning gaze.

>continued

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>>38239243
“Not like you’re suggesting. I mean, best to limit it to three. Keep it to new experiences,” you say.

Now it’s Sylph who backs down. “Oh, well, no need to go that far. Two is enough. Perhaps you can give some personal advice.”

The conversation ends surprisingly suddenly, and it’s the next day when you’re speaking with Mal that you’re reminded of it.

“I’m told I’m supposed to take lessons from you about the bedroom,” he says to you, giving you a flat look.

“Magic. All of my magic. Don’t worry too much – it took me months to handle Sala and Lynn, and months more to deal with Sala and Taira. You’ll get used to it,’ you say, patting your friend’s back.

“I don’t know whether to envy you or pity you,” Mal says.

>That’s the SoL

Not really feeling it tonight, sorry. People could probably tell. I think I chose a poor situation and topic with the Sylph scene.

Anyway, as before, next thread at 5pm EST on the 28th Feb.

>>38239248
Thanks for the thread

>>38239248
Thanks for the thread. The siege is going great so far.

>>38236040
>I hope people enjoyed the thread and I appreciate feedback on how it was done
I'm regretting ever sleeping when you run, man. Not because of dumb decisions (as the quest has had relatively few of those), but just to be here live.

>missed the siege thread and delicious SoL
Fuck this shit world and all the shit it throws at me.
Thanks for the thread anyway, Aspir. Fuck.

>>38239248
Thanks for the thread. Loads of fun, and I imagine Talon can use the dominion in other interesting ways.

>>38239248
Do we have any estimate as to the casualty count on either side so far?

>>38239248
Talon's definition of his good name is hilarious. Excellent thread, and if you're looking for more slice of life suggestions, I think that taking Ersa on a tour, or visiting the elves to see how they are settling in might be fun.