>>2331219
>>Head back to the Lubrian camp
hi Smiley

>>2331219
>>Head back to the Lubrian camp

>writing

"You head back to the Lubrian camp" You say. "Get them moving, cross the river to the south, and sweep up below the enemy force"

"Solid plan" She says. "Think you can hold them until then?" She asks.
"Hold them?" You ask with a snort. "You'd best hurry. If you guys aren't fast enough there'll be none left for you"

Altea smiles. "Oh, how I've missed you" She says, as she rubs your head.
"I missed you too" You say.

"The Northern style looks good on you" She says.
"Thanks" You reply. "When should we expect your forces?"

"3 hours... minimum" She says. "That's if they're all ready to go, and the snows aren't too deep"
"And if they aren't ready?" You ask.

Altea spreads her wings. "Well, then we'll miss the fight, won't we?" She says as she takes off.

"The pressure's on now, isn't it?" You ask Coral.

She gives you a thumb's up.

Alright. Let's get this started. First thing's first...

>Find Lyvia

>Go to the commanders

>Find whoever leads the scouts

>Other

>>2331302
>Find Lyvia

>>2331302
>>Go to the commanders

>>2331302
>>Go to the commanders

>>2331302
>>Go to the commanders

>>2331302
>>Go to the commanders

>writing

You head off to the command tent. Above you there are still giant fireballs being thrown into the camp from somewhere across the river, but your army's mages are countering them pretty effectively.

Inside the tent, a few of the lords are in a heated argument, while several others stand by.

"Welcome to the shouting tent, lad" The moustached lord who made your suit says. "I'm told the man who yells loudest gets to decide what our troops do"

"Surely there's a better, more time efficient way of deciding things" You say.
"We've got plenty of time" Another lord says. "The Legion will ne'er break our defenses at this rate"

"You think they don't know that?" You ask.

...

"The lad's got a point" The moustached lord whose name you really should know by now says. "I said: THE LAD'S GOT A POINT"

The man's impressive bellow grabs everyone's attention, giving you a moment to speak while the shouting has stopped.

You step up to the map at the center of the tent. "They Legion may be brutish and savage, but they aren't stupid" You say. "They know their fireballs won't hit us. They know they can't cross the river without getting slaughtered. Yet they're attacking us anyway"

"You think they're planning something?" Someone says.

"I think we should be ready" You reply. "Commander Altea has gone back to her camp to muster the Lubrian forces. If conditions are on their side they'll be on the legion's forces in 3 hours"

"You want us to wait for them?"

>Yes

>I want us to beat the Legion before then

>We need to know what they're planning before we decide anything

>Other

>>2331343
>>We need to know what they're planning before we decide anything

>>2331343
>>We need to know what they're planning before we decide anything

>>2331343
>We need to know what they're planning before we decide anything

>>2331343
>>We need to know what they're planning before we decide anything

>writing

"Before we decide anything, we need to know what they're planning" You say. "Do we have eyes on the other side of the river?"

"A few. We found out that we'd lost contact with several of them after the fireballs started coming in" Someone says.

"And the ones we haven't lost contact with?" You ask.

"Those are the ones who haven't seen anything"

"What about up high?" You ask. "Flying scouts are fairly common in Lubars. Do we have any?"

"Just a few. Sprites won't catch up to them though. We'll have to wait for them to come down"
"Which they should be, right now"

"Good. We'll hold our position until then" You say. "Once the scouts return and we have a better idea of the landscape, then we'll decide on a course of action. Any objections?"

...

"Alright then" You say.

>Go find Lyvia

>Wait here for the scouts

>See if you can spot them

>Other

>>2331372
>>Go find Lyvia

>>2331372
>>Go find Lyvia

>>2331372
>>See if you can spot them

>writing

"I'm off to make sure the Queen doesn't do something crazy like charge across the river to take them on singlehandedly" You say. "Be sure to inform me when the scouts arrive"

"Will do, my lad" The moustached lord says.

...

You think it might be too late to ask his name at this point...

...

When you reach the riverside you see that the ice wall is already up, and Lyvia is working on strengthening it.

"Looking pretty good" You say to Cheska as you approach. "How's our girl doin'?"
"Oh no. You're not bringin' me into this whole parenthood thing" Cheska says. "I'm barely old enough to be an aunt, never mind a mom"

"Fine, fine" You say. "How's the wall coming?"
"If they can get through this, I will commend them as I encase them in ice" Lyvia says. "Where did your mother go?
"Back to the Lubrian camp to muster her forces" You say. "In a few hours they'll cross the river and sweep north to attack whoever's doing this"

"We still don't actuall know where they are" Cheska says.
"Workin' on that..." You say.

>Get on top of the wall and check things out.

>Reward Lyvia for not doing anything stupid

>Ask Cheska for her insight

>Other

>>2331443
>>Get on top of the wall and check things out.

>>2331443
>Reward Lyvia for not doing anything stupid
Then
>Get on top of the wall and check things out.

>>2331443
>>Reward Lyvia for not doing anything stupid

>writing

>>2331443
>>Reward Lyvia for not doing anything stupid

"But first..." You say, as you pull a piece of candy out of your pocket and hold it out to Lyvia. "Here. This is for keeping your cool"

Lyvia happily chomps the candy without even breaking her concentration on the wall. "Fankou" She says.
"No, thank you" You say as you pet her head. "I know that staying here and putting up the defense is not what you wanted to do, but it's helping immensely"

Lyvia looks very proud of herself.

"Now, think you can raise me up to the top of the wall? I want to get a look out there" You say.
"Sure. Just get close to it and I'll make you a pillar" She says.

You nod, leaning in to give her a peck on the forehead before heading over to the wall. You give her a thumb's up, and then a pillar starts forming below you.

To be safe, you put up your bucklers as you rise. When you get to the top, you look out.

You can see them under the cover of the trees. There are a few open spots where the fireballs are being launched from but otherwise, everyone is hiding and waiting...

"But waiting for what?" You say.

Cheska comes up beside you on another pillar. "You know, given their past tactics they've probably got something monster-based lined up" She says. "Sling some fireballs, wait until we blind ourselves with our own defenses, then roll up with something big enough to break through"

"I can't see anything..." You say.

>Ask what she would suggest

>Try and focus

>We'll know more when the scouts arrive

>Other

>>2331483
>>Try and focus

>>2331483
>Ask what she would suggest

>writing

Rolled 74 (1d100)

"But I'm open for suggestions" You say.
"They have no way to actually control monsters that I know of" She says. "If we make a particularly strong point in the wall look appealing, whatever they've got will probably smash it without thinking"

"Good, good" You say. "Anything else?"

"Honestly though? I'd say they were planning on getting around our defenses somehow" She says. "Either by going under, or over"

You nod, and look up. The sky is covered by thick clouds that even you can't see too well through. If something were up there...

"I'll keep my eyes out" You say. "Now give me a second. I'm gonna try and focus. Maybe I can spot something"
"Can I help?" She asks.
"By being quiet, yes" You reply.

"Boo" She says. "I'll be below if you need me"
"Alright" You reply.

Cheska gives Lyvia a signal and the pillar under her shrinks back down, leaving you to do your thing...

>Roll 1d100 with focus
>Focus is more or less your goal here, but a high roll will still help.

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>2331503

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>2331503
Couldn't lyvia just...sing?

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>2331503

>writing

You squint your eyes and try to see if you can get into that head state... but it seems like you can't force it to happen.

That's a shame. It really is the kind of thing you'd want a switch for, as opposed to something that just kinda happens...

You've still seen more than enough to report back the positions of the guys throwing fireballs, so it wasn't a complete bust.

Just when you're about to give Lyvia the signal to bring you down, she starts to sing. That state that you couldn't attain suddenly comes into your reach, and everything clears up.

The trees all but disappear, revealing everything beneath. You were right, they are waiting for something. But it's not on the ground.

You look up to the sky and your vision pierces the clouds. You see some kind of flying monstrosity. It may once have been a dragon, but it looks like a device of some sort has been grafted onto its body.

>Try to see more

>Notify everyone now

>Other

>>2331531
>>Try to see more
Unless, you know, the dragon is attacking immediately.

>>2331531
>>Notify everyone now
gotta get that counter ready
maybe have Lyvia start forming large ice spears to launch at it when we can

>>2331531
>Try to see more
Yell out to Lyvia and Cheska what we've currently seen too, though. Just keep them informed as we find out more, you know?

>writing

>>2331534
Once we remove the control device you know it'll turn into a clumsy dragon girl royal, right? We need to be careful!

You try and get a better look at the device. Some kind of control mechanism, perhaps?

...

Nope. That's just a giant cannon.

As if a regular dragon wasn't dangerous enough, they strapped a giant cannon to this one. You also see multiple airships flanking it.

You give the signal for Lyvia to let you down, jumping off the pillar about halfway and using your springboards as stairs.

"It's a dragon" You say. "Up in the clouds, they've got a dragon and a small fleet"
"You sure it's theirs?" Cheska asks.

"Would anyone else strap a giant cannon to a dragon's chest?" You ask.
"No... not that I can think of" She says. "Can we fight that?"

"I could fight it" Lyvia says.
"Not without backup" You say. "Do we have airships?"

"You're askin' the wrong gal, Yuu" Cheska says.

>Report back to the commanders

>Find Pip

>The Lubrians do...

>Other

>>2331555
>>Report back to the commanders
have Lyvia start making giant ice things to launch as AA fire

>>2331555
>>Report back to the commanders
>>Send message on situation to Lubrians.

>>2331555
>Report back to the commanders
>Have cheska be a runner to get pip and have her send pip to the command tent

>writing

"I'm gonna go report back to the commanders. They'll want to know about this" You say. "In the meantime: Lyvia, stay here and keep this wall going up. Cheska, go find Pip. She'll have a way to get in touch with the Lubrians and I want them to know about this as well"

"You're the boss" Cheska says, as she strides off.

"Can I fight the dragon if it comes down here?" Lyvia asks.
"Only to defend yourself" You say. "Don't put yourself as risk, okay?"
"That is... fair" She replies.

You give her a quick hug, and head off.

"Keep an eye on the sky. I'm not sure what that cannon is capable of, but it's first blast is probably going to be aimed at you" You say.
"I will" She replies.

You break into a run as you go to the commander's tent.

"Airships. They've got airships, and a giant dragon with a cannon strapped to its chest" You say.
"What? Where?"

"Up, in the clouds" You say. "I saw them from the wall. Do we have any way to fight that?"
"The north lacks a real combat air fleet. The storms are too harsh for it"

"He didn't ask for what we don't have" Moustache replies. "But the Lubrians do have an air fleet, so we are not without anti-air weapons"

"We brought them, right?" You ask.

"Of course we did" He replies. "Shall we bring them out?"
"Do it" You say. "We'll need every bit of firepower we can get"

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be tomorrow.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time.

>>2331579
We should load cannons with chainshot. Those are ship cripplers and I reckon good on dragons too.

The northerners are quick to get ready. When Pip shows up she's quick to inform you that their ground forces are unparalleled when it comes to combat.

"So how do the Lubrians keep beating them?" You ask.
"Like they said. They've got no airfleet" She says. "But it looks like they've been working on ways to destroy ours..."

"You get a message off?" You ask.
"Yep" She says.
"Think they'll reply?" You ask.

"It was the kinda message where the reply is them showing up and blowing the west side of the river to high hell" Pip says.
"The best kind of reply" You say as you walk up to one of the anti-air cannons currently being set up. "Just what are these supposed to do, anyway?"

It looks like a giant ballista on a 360 swivel. Attached to the bolt there's a thick looking chain running to a reservoir of some kind...

"It looks like... docking chains?" Pip says, before flagging someone down. "Are we tryin' to board these ships?"

"That's the plan, yes" The person replies.

>So we steal their ships?

>We can't just shoot them down?

>How accurate are these?

>Other

>>2333051
>>So we steal their ships?

>>2333051
>So we steal their ships?

>>2333051
>>So we steal their ships?

>>2333051
>So we steal their ships?

>writing

"So we steal their ships?" You ask.

"We steal their ships" The person replies. "The lords have always wanted a navy. Nice of the Legion to bring us one"

"You're probably gonna want me up there..." You say.
"Yup. Odds are the captain of each of those ships are armed with a boon" Pip replies. "And you can't use chain climbers"

>You could bring me up

>I could try modifying one...

>Other

>>2333130
>>I could try modifying one...
>>Other
I am also pretty tough and could use my mageblade to protect myself while I get launched from a cannon if necessary.

>>2333130
>What if I attached myself with a chain flare to the end and then cut loose once I got enough momentum?

>writing

"I could modify one" You say. "I did a bit of work with soul-powered machinery at the archive. It shouldn't take too long"

"Really?" Pip asks.

"Yeah. It's a simple matter of replacing the channeling crystal and reattuning the device to it" You say. "Should be done before these guys are even finished setting up"

Pip looks impressed. "Mind grabbing us one?" She asks.

The person nods and heads off, coming back a few seconds later with a chain climber.

You thank him and sit down so you can get to work, prying off the cover with your mageblade and getting a look inside.

"Absorb that for me, would you?" You ask Pip.
"Sure" Pip says, as she touches the crystal and takes in its energy.

Once it's gone, you create a new form to take its place. It looks more like a bit of rocky coral than the fine crystal that it's replacing, but it should do the trick.

After that, you force some energy into it, pushing the mana out of the lines and replacing it with soul. It takes a bit of effort, but eventually the climber spins.

"Well I'll be damned" She says. "Didn't think they taught you that at the academy"
"Soul devices were a big topic while I was there" You say. "They taught me a lot about it, though I think they might have learned more than I did"

"Will it carry you?" She asks.
"Yep" You reply, giving it a quick couple of spins to make sure everything works right. "Now, let's-"

>Go back to Lyvia

>See how the set up is coming along

>Where'd Cheska end up?

>Other

>>2333210
>>See how the set up is coming along

>>2333210
>>See how the set up is coming along

>>2333210
>>Go back to Lyvia

>writing

You walk around the camp with Pip, getting a look at how everything is coming along.

"Looks like they're almost done." You say.
"Everyone I asked said they drilled this set up for the event of a surprise attack," Pip says. "So they're used to setting all this up quickly, while under fire"

"Neat," You say. "There sure are a lot of these"

"They won't all hit their mark, but they'll all be aimed at a single ship," Pip says. "The ones that hit will all re-anchor their chains to the ground and prepare to fire again, the ones that mss will pull back in and do the same"

"Don't the ships have their own chains?" You ask.
"Yep" She replies. "Once you take control of one ship, you can use it to board others. So realistically you'll only have to hit one or two from down here"

You nod, as a distant roar pulls your attention skyward.

Looking up, you see the dragon beginning to descend. The cannon on its chest is starting to glow.

"Guess we're getting started," Pip says.

"Did we come up with a way to bring that down?" You ask.
"You know, I think everyone got kinda focused on the fleet..." Pip says. "That is a very large cannon"

>Order the ballistae to fire on the dragon

>Go make sure Lyvia stays safe

>Shoot something at it

>Other

>>2333303
>>Go make sure Lyvia stays safe
Can't help but think they'll try again and they have some kind of countermeasure for her.

>>2333303
>>Order the ballistae to fire on the dragon

>>2333303
>>Order the ballistae to fire on the dragon
There will be time to grab a ship later, unless that dragon wrekes everything.

>writing

"Who's in charge of these?" You ask.

"That would be me" A white haired Elf replies.

"Give the order to fire" You say.
"At the dragon?" She asks. "What about the ships?"

"If the dragon takes out half our firepower, it won't matter how many anchors are ready to fire" You say. "Shoot the dragon"

The elf thinks for a moment, and then nods.

"Sound it out! Ballistas on the Dragon" The elf shouts. Each of the crew repeats it in turn, and the order goes down the line. "Ready! Aim! ... Fire!"

The giant ballistae fire in sequence, their bolts arcing through the air towards the dragon. Most of them miss and immediately start to pull back but three of them hit their mark, nailing the dragon in the arm, stomach, and chest.

"Good shots" Pip says. "Now what?"
"I hadn't thought that far ahead..." You say. "I guess now..."

>We drag it down

>I'm gonna go up and stab it

>Other

>>2333364
>>I'm gonna go up and stab it

>>2333364
>>We drag it down

>>2333364
>We drag it down

>>2333364
>>We drag it down

>writing

"If you say 'we go up and stab it' I'm demoting you" Pip says.

"Whaaaat?" You ask. "Why would I say that? That would be crazy! It would look awesome, but crazy!"

Pip pats you on the shoulder. "Do we have the pull to drag it down?" She asks.

"We'll anchor the ballistas with earth magic and reinforce the cranks" The elf replies. "But I don't think we can get it all the way down..."

"It doesn't have to come all the way down" You say. "Just bring it into maggic and missile range. From there the archers and mages can shred it"
"That we can do" The elf replies. "Hits, bring it in! Stagger chains, keep that cannon pointed somewhere else! Misses, loose a half round. Aim for the wing!"

"Good work" You say to the elf.
"It's our job" She says.

>Stay here and keep an eye out for the ships

>Head to Lyvia

>... you sure I can't go stab it?

>Other

>>2333411
>>Head to Lyvia

>>2333411
>>Head to Lyvia

>>... you sure I can't go stab it?

>>2333411
>Tell them to get some lightning magic running through the chains on it. Focus on the one in the chest especially, stop its heart.

>writing

"Have you ever nailed a living creature with these before?" You ask.

"Not that I know of" The elf replies.
"These look conductive. Try getting some lightning mages to run some magic through them. It should keep it from pulling back too much" You say.
"Excellent idea" Pip says. "I'll go find the mages"

"I'll go make sure the queen is safe" You reply. "I'm honestly surprised that she's not flying at it right now..."

You and Pip head in opposite directions.

Lyvia is still at the wall, though the wall is now finished. She stands in front of it, flapping her wings idly and looking like she wants to fly away.

"Stay grounded, Lyvia" You say.

She startles and turns around. "I wasn't going to fly away!" She says.
"You were thinking about it" You say.

"I should be doing something more than just building walls..." She says.

>You can have the first hit on the dragon

>You can board the airships with me

>I'll give you candy if you stay put

>Other

>>2333435
>>You can board the airships with me

>>2333435
>>You can board the airships with me

>>2333435
>>You can board the airships with me

>>2333435
>>You can board the airships with me

>writing

Rolled 97 (1d100)

"Once they realize their Dragon isn't getting a shot off, they'll have to come down and do something. When that happens, we'll chain them and board them" You say. "Feel like stealing an airship with me?"

Lyvia nods excitedly.

"Alright" You say as you look back up to the sky.

A lightning bolt runs through the chains holding the dragon, as several more of them are fired. The dragon lets out a pained roar.

"I feel bad for it" She says. "To have machines grafted onto its body, and then die without dignity..."
"They show monsters about as much respect as they show humans" You say, as you put a hand on her head. "We'll make them pay"

The ships start to lower through the clouds.

"And that's our cue. Come on" You say.

You and Lyvia head back to the ballistae, where they're already preparing to fire.

The ships have their cannons trained on the camp. This could get messy...

The sound of chains fills the area as the first ballista fires, then the second, and along the line until they've all sent their bolts.

Two of them manage to get a good hit on the foreward airship, and of those only one is in a good place to board from.

You head to that ballista, where the boarding team is already readying themselves.

Time to get this started

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>2333457

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>2333457

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>2333457

>>2333458
>>2333459
This is the best part of the focus being high.

And thus Yuu begins his career as a sky pirate.

>writing

You're first to get your climber on the chain, and you look back at the crew.

"See you all at the top" You say, as you turn it on and ascend.

Lyvia flies next to you, easily keeping pace with your climber... you wonder if you could upgrade this thing. You're glad it works, but it could definitely go faster.

Maybe when you link up with the Lubrians you could talk to Gretchen. She was interested in Soul devices...

Focus on the task at hand, Yuu. They're not just going to let you board the ship.

You put out your bucklers as some of the Legionnaires get the idea to try and shoot you off the chain. It doesn't work, but they make a valiant effort.

When you hit the end of the chain you unhook your climber and vault over the rail, floating your mageblade into your hand and attaching the climber to its vacated peg in one smooth motion.

As soon as your feet touch the deck, you bound forward and go on the offensive as Lyvia flies by and rains a line of ice spikes into anyone not fast enough to get out of the way.

You move into the gap created by her assault to continue your own. Between Lyvia doing fly-bys, you carving down anyone in your way, and your floating blade backstabbing anyone who manages to guard, the Legion doesn't last long.

But you didn't see anyone with a boon... was there no commander on this ship?

Lyvia lands on the deck beside you. "That was far easier than you made it sound. Are you certain I cannot bring down the other ships myself?" She asks.

"It was easier because they were all aiming for me" You say.

A shadow takes form behind Lyvia, already poised to strike. When it takes form, you see that the demon has a boon. Were Lyvia alone, this person might have a chance to kill her.

But you're here, and you quickly bring your floating blade around to stab him in the side through the ribs. You then grab the handle and use heartbreaker.

"And you have no way of dealing with these guys" You say.

Lyvia looks spooked. As the demon crumples to the floor you give her a peck on the head. "Which is why I said to stick close to me" You say.
"O-okay" She replies.

"Now..."

>Let's clear out the rest of the ship

>Find the cannon controls

>Fire an anchor at the next ship

>Other

>>2333476
>>Fire an anchor at the next ship
We can leave the rest to our backup I think.

>>2333476
>Destroy the boon real quick.
>Fire an anchor at the next ship
Boss rush. We're looking for boons, lads!

>>2333476
>>Find the cannon controls
boom boom bitches

>writing

Rolled 82 (1d100)

You pick up the bone blade the demon was about to use on Lyvia and disintegrate it, before turning to the task at hand.

"Alright, we can leave this ship to the team coming up" You say. "Now we find an anchor and move on to the next-"

A blast rocks the vessel, and it starts to tilt to one side...

No no, 'list' is the term when it's a ship.

...

You shake your head. Correct terminology is not important when the airship is being bombarded. They must have seen their guys get wrecked on this ship, and now they're cutting their losses to try to stop you from going to the next one.

Over the side of the ship, you see 4 ships worth of guns trained on yours.

"That's bad" You say, as you start looking for the anchor launcher. Before you can find it, 3 of the ships that were aimed at yours are hit by something.

"Where did that come from?" Lyvia asks.

You look around until you find a fleet coming up from the southeast. All their ships are flying the Lubrian flag.

"They're early" You say with a smile. "Come on. That bought us some time, but this ship might not stay afloat forever"

"That bought you some time. I can fly" Lyvia says.
"Aww, you wouldn't let me drop, would you?" You ask, as you grab an anchor launcher and point it at the closest ship.
"I would... make some attempt to rescue you" She replies. "You look a bit too heavy for me to carry"

"If it'll stop me from falling to my death, any effort is appreciated" You say, as you fire the anchor.

The chain hits a good spot, and you get ready to depart...

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>2333489

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>2333489

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>2333489

I see you guys have been keeping up with your sacrifices to the dice gods.

>writing

Again you lead with the bucklers. The ship you're heading to is the only one that was shooting at yours, which wasn't hit by the Lubrians. You take this one out, and the teams coming aboard the last ship will have an easier time getting it steady.

When you spot someone on the rail charging up a spell, you fire off a disruptor. The area above where the chain hit looks a little too crowded for a proper landing, so you hop off early and use your springboards to take you the rest of the way.

These guys seem a little better prepared for your boarding attempt, quickly putting you on the defensive with magic alone.

But fortunately, you're not alone. You brought the strongest ice mage in existence with you.

A single blast from Lyvia turns the tide completely, forcing the quick enemies to defend, and freezing the not-so-quick ones.

You reward the quick ones for their resourcefulness by sweeping in under them as soon as they put their shields down. A few you slice, a few you dice, then there was the big guy in the armor who you just pushed off the side with a soul wave...

By the time you've taken out the captain, the Lubrian fleet is within range to fire their own anchors.

Looking back at the last ship, it's now realigned itself and there are more teams getting ready to board other ships.

"This is going well" Lyvia says as she lands on your back.
"I agree" You say. "And now that you've said that, something is going to go horribly wrong"

"Wh-what?" Lyvia asks.

You chuckle and bring a hand up to stroke her hair. "Relax, I'm kidding" You say. "Let's-"

>Group up with the Lubrians

>Group up with the northerners

>Keep going with just you and Lyvia

>Other

>>2333507
>>Group up with the Lubrians
lets go meet our friends

>>2333507
>>Group up with the Lubrians

>>2333507
>>Keep going with just you and Lyvia

>>2333507
>Keep going with just you and Lyvia
...Did we get the guy with the boon on this ship?

>writing

"-group up with our allies" You say. "It's time for you to meet the rest of the Lubrians"

You look back and do a quick check of the ship you're on. Combat crew dead? Check. Captain dead? Check. Boon destroyed? Check.

That sounds like everything you needed to take care of. So as the crews from the first ship start making their way over, you aim an anchor at the ship the Lubrians are boarding and fire.

"I'm pretty good with these" You say after the anchor hits home.
"A necessary skill" Lyvia says, as she flies off of your back and heads for the ship.

You chuckle as you attach your climber to the chain and make your way across. Everyone is too distracted by the Lubrians to shoot anything at you. Something they will no doubt regret when you arrive.

The battle for the deck is in full swing when you arrive, and the first person you go for is the Captain.

He's clashing with Lulu when you spot him, but there's a melee between you and them...

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>2333532

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>2333532

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>2333532
Forgot focus

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>2333532

>>2333533
god damn, why i cant i get these good roll on others i quests i participate in?

Holy shit these dice tonight

>>2333533
>>2333534
>>2333535
If we were on the other side I think I'd have suggested Smiley call the game early a few hours ago.

>writing

The most powerful Yuu indeed, Namaki.

You jump up, hopping once off the face of a Legionnaire, and again off a springboard. Then you hold your arm out.

Lyvia catches it as she flies by and tosses you forward, past the fighting to where Lulu and the captain are duking it out.

You send your floating blade ahead of you, which the captain narrowly dodges. Then he narrowly dodges your other blade.

His attempt to strike back is blocked by a buckler, and you respond by hitting him in the back with your floating blade, then kneeing him in the face when he's reeling from that, then taking his head off while he's reeling from that.

Very effective combo. You'll have to remember that one in the future.

"Yuu?" Lulu asks. "Holy crap. Where'd you learn to do that?"

You tilt your head, then notice that she's looking at your floating sword. "Oh. A trick I came up with during the big tournament up north"

"I guess it wasn't enough for you to bring the entire northern army with you, huh?" She asks.
"Well I didn't manage to get the entire army..." You say.

Lulu laughs. "We can catch up later, right now there's still-" She turns back to the fighting just as Lyvia does another fly-by, raining icy death on the Legion before swooping around to land on your back.

...

"I take it back. You did need our help" Lyvia says.

...

"Uhh... who is this?" Lulu asks.
"Oh, this is Lyvia" You say. "She's the Pale Queen"

Lyvia licks your cheek.

...

"I guess we have a lot of catching up to do..." She says. "Later. Once we've taken the rest of the fleet"

"You may have trouble with that" Lyvia says, pointing out to the rest of the Legion fleet.

"They're running" You say.

"Retreating" Lulu replies. "Their attempt to hit our forces while we were separated has now failed"

>Should we give chase?

>How come you guys came so early?

>Where's everyone else?

>Other

>>2333571
>Go spear another ship to dock. The bigger our airfleet and the smaller theirs, the better.

>>2333571
>>Where's everyone else?

>>2333571
>>Should we give chase?

>writing

"Should we give chase?" You ask.
"Oh, of course" Lulu says. "We want Lutain, and we're gonna push them right past it. Hell, if we can keep the steam going we might just push them all the way back to the capital"

Lulu barks some orders, telling her people to clear out the rest of the ship and start it on a pursuit course. Then she grabs a device on her waist and shoots up several lights.

"Where's everyone else?" You ask.

"Derrick's leading the ground charge with Marybell and Rhea" Lulu replies. "He was the one to give the order to march, once our scouts brought back word of the Legion advancing on your position"

"For which I will have to thank him" You say.

Lulu snorts. "Seems like you had things handled" She replies. "If anything, us showing up just made them run"

"We'll catch them" You say. "For now, I'm gonna head to the other ships and make sure the other teams are alright"

"Do that. And if you see Pip, tell her I'm here" Lulu says. "I hate to say it, but I missed that mouse..."
"Should I use those exact words?" You ask.
"Of course not!" Lulu replies.

You smile and hook your climber to the anchor you rode over, before heading back to the other ships.

"She seemed nice" Lyvia says. "A bit young for a command post though..."
"You're younger than she is, and you're a queen" You reply.
"I am not younger than she is" Lyvia replies.

"In human years" You say. "Go on ahead to the other ships, I'll catch up. Just stay airborne and hit them from afar"
"I can do that" She replies, as she breaks away and flies to another ship.

When you get off the chain, there's already a crew securing the ship you're on.

You can't help but smile. This is the first real blow you've dealt to the Legion. No more skirmishes. No more night time invasions.

You're on the offensive now. This might be the first blow, but you'll be damned if it's the last.

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be next Wednesday, but I'll keep trying to post or do mini-late-night runs between now and then.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time.

>>2333612
Were Yuu's eyes pretty much glowing the entire time he was going from ship to ship?
Is everyone impressed as fuck?
Any demons surrender?

>>2333622
Pretty much
Yes
You'll find out later

>wasting all our good dice before the final battle with terry
Surely this won't come back to bite us in the ass

>>2333840
...Maybe we can get him to monologue and land a suprise attack?

After clearing out the rest of the captured ships you received an invitation to join Altea on the "Lion's Tooth", the newest ship in the Lubrian air fleet.

So you make your way over by chain, with Lyvia flying close by.

"There he is" Altea says as you dismount the chain and hop onto the ship. "Pry out the chains and fire the engines. We're giving chase"

A shout of affirmation goes up among the crew, as a few of them go and pull the docking chains back in. Then the ship starts to move.

"What about the forces on the ground?" You ask.
"The enemy's ground force is in full rout" Altea says. "We'll keep an eye on the situation, but otherwise it's full speed to Lutain"

"I like the sound of that" You say.

"And I like what I'm hearing about the assault" Altea says. "Did you actually clear two decks singlehandedly?"
"Lyvia was with me" You say, as you look around. "Where'd she go? She was just with me..."

You spot Lyvia just as she aborts an attempt to land on the deck, picking up speed and circling about to try again...

"Ahh... Perhaps I should have waited until she'd landed to give the move order" Altea says. "Landing on a moving airship is an acquired skill..."
"I've got this..." You say, as you wave Lyvia towards you.

She takes notice and heads in your direction, only just barely braking before crashing into you. You manage to keep your feet on the deck, thankfully...

"My thanks" Lyvia says. "I was having some trouble finding a way to land on this ship without embarrassing myself"
You smile and put her down. "That's what friends are for" You say, as you ruffle her hair and turn back to Altea.

>How far is it to Lutain?

>Who else is on the ship?

>Like I was saying...

>Other

>>2347565
>Who else is on the ship?

>>2347565
>>Who else is on the ship?
>>Like I was saying...

>writing

Only seconds after you've put her down, Lyvia climbs up on your back. You hardly even take notice.

"Who else is aboard this ship?" You ask.

"Thinking about forming your landing party already?" Altea asks.
"Just curious" You reply.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that Madelaine is with us" Altea says. "She and her companions are below"
"Why?" You ask.

"They're in the drop zone" Altea says. "The bottom of this ship opens up so it can drop troops off quickly. Much of the ship's fighting force is still down there"

"Neat" You say. "But anyways, as I was saying. Lyvia pulled a lot of the weight back there"

"I did hear that as well" Altea says. "Sounds like the two of you make a fairly potent pair"
"To be fair, we're both pretty potent on our own" You say. "Right?"
"Indeed" Lyvia says.

"Now, I must send our orders down" Altea says. "This was a solid victory, but we'll need to keep our forces coordinated moving forward"

"Anything I can do?" You ask.
"Not right now. Conserve your strength" She says. "When the fighting begins again, I'll want you on the front lines once more"

>Head down to meet Madelaine

>Ask if there's a way for you to join the ground forces

>Other

>>2347675
>>Head down to meet Madelaine

>>2347675
>>Head down to meet Madelaine

>>2347675
>>Head down to meet Madelaine

>writing

"Alright" You say. "I'll head below, I'm sure Madelaine will be surprised to see me"

"I'm sure she will" Altea says, as she puts a hand on your head. "Good work, both today, and in getting the Northerners' support"
"It was my pleasure" You say. "There aren't many people who want to crush the legion as much as I do"

Altea laughs, taking her hand off your head and putting it on Lyvia's "Yes, and good work to you as well, your majesty" She says.

You look back and see that Lyvia is very much happy with the praise.

Altea smiles and then heads off, leaving you to go below.

"I have never seen one of these up close before?" Lyvia says.
"An airship?" You ask. "They're neat, right?"

"Indeed" She says. "Such things did not exist in my time. It's curious to see how far people have progressed in my absence"

"What were things like back then?" You ask.
"Well... there were no generators" She says. "That means no monster barriers. Devices were rudimentary things at best. A huge city like Garhan would never have lasted as long as it has"

"Why's that?" You ask.
"Because I wouldn't have allowed it" She says.

>I guess you were in charge...

>Why not?

>Other

>>2347728
>>Why not?

>writing

"Why not?" You ask.

"Humans became belligerent in large numbers" She says. "Whenever their congregations grew too large, they felt that I had become a nuisance and would try to shoo me off"

"I can't imagine that going too well for them..." You say.
"It would, for a time" She says. "Fighting all the tiny, scurrying humans was tiresome. They were incapable of causing me serious injury, but their spells and arrows still stung terribly. So I would allow myself to be driven off, and then send an endless barrage of snow to them in return"

"And they'd get the message?" You ask.

"Without fail" She replies.

"Interesting..." You say. "Were the other queens like this?"
"I am uncer-... wait, queens?" She asks.

"You, Vyula, Titania" You say. "They call the huge monsters across the ocean Kings, so it's only fair that you get a similar title"
"I see" She says. "I am uncertain as to how they interacted with the humans. Vyula seemed to have a more symbiotic relationship with them"

"How so?" You ask.

"She would impose... I believe 'a tax' is the proper term" She says. "I found it to be a strange thing since she had no need for human riches in the first place"

"You did say she was a hoarder" You say.
"That does not explain why she would allow humans to live freely in her territory..." She says.
"Oh, come on. We're not so bad once you get to know us" You say.

Lyvia settles in on your back. "Hmm... I suppose not"

You chuckle, and reach up to scratch her head. She gives your cheek a little lick.

"You taste sweaty" She says.
"Fighting does that to you" You say. "Come to think of it, where are we even going?"

"I assumed you knew the layout of this transport" Lyvia says.
"Never been on it before" You say. "Hey Coral"

Coral pops her head out of your shirt.

"Can you point me towards Madelaine?" You ask.

Coral searches for a signal, then smiles and points down the hall.

"Excellent"

>1/2

Coral leads you to a large area at the bottom of the ship. There are a number of carts here. All of them are attached to the ground, yet each one's been chained to the ceiling...

Altea did say the bottom opened up. Those must be so they can drop the carts in a more controlled way.

You spot Betsy before Coral even points it out, giving your sprite a raisin, some soul, and an appreciative head scratch as you approach it.

"They are inside?" Lyvia asks.
"I assume so" You reply, as you tap on the window.

You hear movement from inside, as well as Meyu grumbling about something.

"I told ya for the last time, I'm not-" Meyu says as he opens the door, stopping when he sees you. "Oh, it's the kid"
"Hello" You say.

Madelaine pokes her head into the doorway. "Hey, long time no see" She says. "Heard your mission went well"
"Very well" You say with a smile.
"So... who's the dragon?" She asks.
"Which dragon?" You ask.

"The one on your back" Madelaine replies.

...

>Introduce her

>There's no dragon on my back.

>That's QUEEN dragon on my back to you

>Other

>>2347873
>This is my daughter.

>writing

"This is my daughter" You say. "Her name is Lyvia. Lyvia, this is Madelaine, Meyu, Zaine, and... where's Gerard?"

"Off being an idiot" Meyu says.

"Hang on, can we just back up a few steps here?" Madelaine asks. "She's your daughter?"
"Pretty much" You say.

"It is nice to meet you" Lyvia says.

Meyu sighs. "So where'd you find this one, some orphanage up there?"
"Lyvia? Absolutely not" You say. "She's the Queen"

...

Meyu and Madelaine exchange a look.

"I've... got nothing" Meyu says. "I'm assuming there's a story behind this"
"Of course" You say.

"Come on in then. We've got some time before the drop" Meyu says as he steps away from the door.

You make your way into the cart, careful not to bump Lyvia's head, and sit down.

Meyu shuts the door as Lyvia settles down in your lap.

"So?" Meyu asks. "Just what did you do up north, and how did it end with you adopting this child... err... Queen"

>I won a tournament

>She's actually a giant monster...

>You mean aside from what I usually do around children?

>Other

>>2347728

I'm curious to know if Lyvia thinks there are areas where humans have gotten overall weaker since her time period. It's nice to know how we got better, but did the old era also have areas they excelled in that became lost magic/science now that she knows about?

>>2347833
I also wonder where Vyula had/has her horde, nevermind Namaki (providing it's in different locations and Otuna isn't sitting on it). This could well be beyond an issue of neat loot and up to a matter of international security for Vyula's especially if humans used to be stronger in some areas.

Makes me also wonder if Lyvia had/has a lair for her dragon version somewhere and if it's important at all.

>>2347967
>>You mean aside from what I usually do around children?

>I won a tournament, and also she's actually a giant ice monster the size of a city.

>>2347967
>>I won a tournament
>>I'm the only one mentally equipped to handle her in the kingdom. Probably because I'm a natural genius.

>>2347980
I also want to support this

>>2347973
She's stated that magic was more powerful before the arrival of the Black God, if that's what you're asking.

>writing

>>2348001
Somewhat. The world has changed a lot certainly since before black god changed. My question though would be were there non environmental changes. Like has magic knowledge degraded or did they have technological superiority in some regard that would still be applicable even post change? The creation of things like the Howling Tower etc would certainly seem to suggest so, but I'm not sure as to how it could be applied at present.

"I won her in a tournament" You say, as you hug Lyvia. "Isn't she great?"

Okay, Lyvia might get mad at that. But it was worth it for the look that Meyu is giving you right now.

"I'm kidding, of course" You say. "I mean, I did win a tournament. But that just allowed me to meet with her"

Meyu sighs. "And?" He asks.
"And?" You reply. "I dunno. I just did what I usually do when there's an adorable person"

...

"I mean she is a little different from the other kids, yeah" You say. "For one, none of them are quite as powerful as she is, as far as I know none of them hate clothing quite as much, and none of them were once titanic, immensely powerful beasts from ancient times"

"Could you maybe start from the top with this one?" Madelaine asks. "This was something that wasn't in Hella's report..."

"Certainly" You reply.

>1/2

"So how long ago did you thaw?" Madelaine asks Lyvia.

"Gilna says it's been a year" Lyvia replies.
"What could have caused that?" Zaine asks.

"I am uncertain" Lyvia says. "I believe it has something to do with the Pools"
"You do?" You ask. She hasn't mentioned this before.

"Kukuri was the one who froze me, and I have much experience with the spell he used" Lyvia says. "The ice I was encased in could only melt if he allowed it to"

"But Kukuri died sealing Mirkulus, didn't he?" You ask.
"And his soul endured in the seal, allowing the spell to endure" Lyvia says. "It is possible that he retained some form of consciousness. But it is far more likely that something stirred him"

"How? A year ago the ruins were still ruins" Madelaine says.

"Not quite... I spoke with someone at the archive who said that they might be in one piece now, but the restoration began some time ago" You say. "I'll send a sprite back to him when I get a chance, see if the timelines match up"

"What could have happened a year ago that would have sparked the ruins to come together?" Madelaine asks.
"It didn't sound like it was a year" You say. "He said it had been something like 5 years"

"It would likely line up with the first time the Legion contacted the Black God" Lyvia says. "If it weren't the heroes reacting to the evil they sought to destroy, then it was the Deviants reacting to their master that caused this..."

You nod.

>Ask why Meyu's been so quiet

>Maybe Cheska could tell us when that was

>Ask what Madelaine's been up to

>Other

>>2348109
>>Ask which ruins were associated with who.
>>Ask why Meyu's been so quiet

>>2348109
>>Ask why Meyu's been so quiet
>Ask what Madelaine's been up to

>writing

"I don't think I've asked this, but... who were the other Deviant souls?" You ask.

"There was Raligos, who you've seen already, Mirkulus, who could alter the form of those he touched, Rashkan, who could raise the corpses of the dead, and Erring, who would turn those who weren't careful into his puppets" She says. "Those are the only ones I had any experience with... the others I only know from what Caiah called them"

"They were...?"

"Anarik, the Deviant Soul of War, Turun, the Deviant Soul of Action, Sarok, the Deviant Soul of Existence, and Astil, the Deviant Soul of Time" Lyvia says.

"Those all sound terrifying" Madelaine says.
"I agree" You reply. "Though to be fair, so did Raligos and he went down like a chump"

"Easy for you to say. He was pretty terrifying to me..." Madelaine says.

You look over at Meyu. "What's the matter?" You ask. "You've been awfully quiet"
"Oh, I'm still stuck back at the part where this girl was a giant monster" Meyu says. "You kids go on ahead. I'll just be ponderin'"

>Ask if Lyvia knows anything else about the other souls

>Ask how long he's been cooped up in this cart

>Ask if they've heard what's happening outside

>Other

>>2348211
>Ask if Lyvia knows where some of the other souls were sealed and which heroes sealed them.

>writing

"So which heroes sealed which Deviant souls?" You ask. "And for that matter, where? If we know that, then we can at least kind of know what to expect from the other ruins"

"I do not know" Lyvia says. "I don't even know the elements of the other souls..."

"Do you know what they looked like?" You ask. "Raligos was pretty windy. Maybe the others will be obvious"

Lyvia thinks for a moment. "Yes... I suppose they are" Lyvia says. "Anarik was said to be a massive, shining, metal eagle, Sarok was a dragon of some sort, and Turun was a golem"

"And Astil?" Madelaine asks.
"I heard little of Astil" Lyvia replies.

"Well Anarik is obviously light, Sarok and Turun are definitely fire and earth" You say. "Which leaves energy for Astil..."

"So Turun was sealed by Selifan, Sarok by Rukhu, Astil by Dakka, and Anarik by Titania" Zaine says. "Going by the elements of the heroes from the story"

"Titania..." Lyvia says.
"Have you... not read the story?" You ask.
"I got the gist of it from the maidens... but I did not hear the heroes' names until now" Lyvia says.

"You'd think that would be the first thing you would do" Madelaine says.
"I was busy" Lyvia says.

>Titania was like Lyia, by the way

>Busy doing what?

>Brainstorm the unknown souls' abilities

>Other

>>2348287
>>Brainstorm the unknown souls' abilities
>>Who sealed Raligos, Mirkulus, Rashkan, and Erring?
>>See if we can match the souls with ruins.

Also, the infobin has been updated. Scroll to the bottom for the info on the champions and the souls.

>writing

>>2348307
Huh, so Vyula wasn't a hero? I kind of presumed all the giant super beings that got turned into girls became seals other than Lyvia and what some of them like Vyula might have been able to cheat out of it with some reincarnation.

"So what kind of power would the deviant soul of war have?" You ask. "Would it... make people fight each other?"

"That sounds like the kind of thing Raligos and Erring could already do" Madelaine says.
"I guess..." You say. "What about the other ones?"

"Action is about as vague as it gets" Madelaine says. "That could mean anything"
"Maybe it stops action and like... freezes you?" You ask. "Sounds like it'd be hard to beat..."

"So was Raligos" Madelaine says.
"Unless you had the will to beat him in your own mind" You say. "Maybe they're describing what you need to beat them"

"So you need war to beat Anarik?" Zaine asks.
"And that's where the theory falls apart" You say. "Also time... not really sure what that entails"

"Maybe it's like you" Madelaine says.
"We've already got one bad guy like me" You say. "It could be-"

An alarm sounds off outside the cart.

"That's not the drop alarm, is it?" Meyu asks. "We should still be a ways off..."

>Go find Altea

>Head up to the deck

>Stay put

>Other

>>2348325
>>Head up to the deck

>writing

"I'll head up and see what's happening" You say. "Come on, Lyvia"

Lyvia gets off your lap so you can stand, and then climbs onto your back again as you exit the cart. You jog back the way you came until you reach the deck.

Things are moving quickly here as well. You head to the side of the ship and look down.

In the distance you can see a town, but you're nowhere near it.

"What's going on?" You ask a passing crewman.

"Ground forces hit a snag. This ship and a few of the others are dumping their forces to assist" They say.

You nod.

>Stay on board

>Go down with the rest

>Other

>>2348367
>>Stay on board

>writing

You head back down and apparently, someone did come around to let everyone know what's happening.

"So what the shit did I have to go up to the deck for?" You ask.
"If you'da stayed put, I'da told you to stay put" Meyu says.
"Well, either way. I'm gonna stay with the ship" You say. "I'll send Coral with you guys. If anything bad happens, send her up to me and I'll head down"

"Got it" Madelaine says, as Coral floats over to her.
"Take good care of her" You say.
"Of course I will" Madelaine says. "You should go if you're not coming down, the floor will be opening soon"

"Gotcha" You say. "Good luck down there"

Madelaine gives you a thumb's up and a wink. Coral mimics this action, as you say goodbye and shut the door.

You then head back up to the deck, where Altea is overlooking the field below.

"You're not going down?" Altea asks.
"Nope" You reply.

"Good" She says. "This reeks of a trap..."
"How so?" You ask.

"Their choice of location for a counterattack" She replies. "Surely the city would be better fortified than this place, and yet they've decided to try and hold us here"

"So that means they've got something prepared here"
"I believe so" She says. "Either way, keep your head on a swivel. If anything's up, you'll probably see it before we do"

>Is there a lookout post?

>Do we know how bad things are down there?

>If you know it's a trap, why are we still here?

>Other

>>2348405
>>Is there a lookout post?
>>Do we know how bad things are down there?

>writing

>>2348405

>Is there a lookout post?
>Do we know how bad things are down there?

Rolled 9 (1d100)

"Is there a lookout post?" You ask.
"On an airship? No" Altea says.

"Aww... what do we know about what's happening down there?" You ask.

"The Legion's ground force stopped running and decided to fight" Altea says. "Quite abruptly, too. Our cavalry trampled a good number of them. The rest have bunkered down in the woods below and are attempting to hold this position"

"Because they have something planned" You say.

"Could be chain launchers, more airships, another dragon..." Altea says.

You look up, down, and all around. You can see through the clouds more easily now. You aren't sure if that's because they're thinner here, or if it's because your eyes decided that you need to be able to see through them.

Either way, there are no ships or dragons above, and you don't see anything too sinister below...

But the Comomder says something's up, and her intuition isn't usually wrong about these things...

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>2348428

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>2348428
Little chance of a focus on this one.

>writing

Slow night.

>>2348444
Different night caught me by surprise. I only really happened to check in by chance.

You look over at Lutain, and notice something odd...

"It looks a little bright" You say.

Altea turns to look as well. "That is strange..." She says.

You set your feet. "It's getting closer. Something's been fired!" You say.
"You're certain?" She asks.
"100%" You reply.

"Shit" Altea says. She turns and shouts to the helmsman. "Evasive maneuvers!"

The ship suddenly tilts, making you glad that you steadied yourself.

Whatever was fired from Lutain grazes the side of the ship, rocking it to the point where you think it might just tip the rest of the way over. But the helmsman manages to gain control again.

"A fireblast at that distance?" Altea asks.
"No... it didn't look like that" You say.
"You got a look?" She asks.

"It was solid" You say. "I didn't see much, but it looked the same as the shot the Pride fired at the prison when we broke in"

"They couldn't have..." Altea says.

"Commander, what now?" The helmsman asks.
"Take us down, and signal the other ships to do the same" She replies. "We'll drop the troops that the ground forces requested, then move to the city at a low altitude. Hopefully this gun of theirs has a lower limit..."

>Ask why they'd have a weapon like that

>Shouldn't we land and advance on the ground?

>Ask how long it would take to reach the town at full speed

>Other

>>2348467
>>Ask why they'd have a weapon like that

>writing

>>2348467
>Ask how long it would take to reach the town at full speed(at low altitude)
>Ask why they'd have a weapon like that

"Why would they have a weapon like that?" You ask.

"They most likely stole the plans when they invaded Locke" Altea says. "There were quite a few of them on the Pride itself if I recall correctly"

"No, I mean why have that specific weapon?" You ask. "Surely there are other ways to build a long-range launcher. The Pride's gun was built to punch through the armor on the Kings"

"Tell you what: when we reach the city and take the weapon, I'll let you personally interrogate the person who made it" Altea says. "Until then, I'm more worried about not getting destroyed by it"

"How long until we reach the city?" You ask.

"Our maximum speed suffers a bit this close to the ground..." Altea says.
"How long?" You ask again.
"30 minutes" She replies.

You look back out at the city. It seems like the cannon's almost ready to fire again...

"You don't think we'll make it" Altea says.

>What about up in the clouds?

>Where's the Rook?

>Depends on how many bullets they've got...

>Other

>>2348488
>>Where's the Rook?

>>2348488
>Where's the Rook?
>Other
Bombing run?

>>2348497
We'll drive closer and hit it with our mageblade.

>writing

>>2348498
If we had a bigger Chaos Engine to channel, I wonder if we could just make a Ship relative length mageblade...blade?

"Where's the Rook?" You ask.

"You aren't planning on going in there alone, are you?" Altea asks.
"Of course not. I'll bring someone with me" You say. "The ships aren't safe, and for all we know the ground forces aren't safe either with that thing online. I'm gonna go in under it, blow it the heck up, and then I'll either hold out for you guys or get the heck out"

"I'm coming too!" Lyvia says.

"Not this time" You reply. "You're about the only person I can think of who might be able to block a shot from that thing. If the ship can't evade in time, you need to put up an ice wall"

"But..." Lyvia says.

"No buts" You say, as you lift her off your back and put her down in front of you. "Stay here. Guard the ships. If I blow up that cannon, it'll all be for nothing if we lose half our fleet anyway..."

"Alright" Lyvia says.

You ruffle the Queen's hair, and then turn to Altea. "Where's the Rook?"

"On the ground. The supply carts will be behind the main force" Altea says. "You're sure about this?"

"Not really. But we'll lose half our ships before reaching Lutain if something isn't done" You reply.

Altea nods. "Go. Take the chain down. Ask any of the drivers which cart has the Rook in it" She says.

You turn to leave, but Altea puts a hand on your shoulder.

"I expect one hell of an explosion" She says.

"I will provide" You reply. "And I promise not to get stuck under it this time"

You hear her laugh, and she lets go. You head to the chain launcher and fire it at an open spot on the ground, using your modified climber to head down...

"Here goes..."

That's all for tonight!

Next thread will be tomorrow, starting at around the same time.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time.

When you hit the ground, you immediately head to the carts.

As Altea said, the drivers know where the Rook is, so it doesn't take very long to find.

You sep up to the back of the cart and knock on the back door. Overhead, another of the airships narrowly evades a blast from that cannon.

The back door opens, revealing-

"Gretchen?" You ask.
"Hey big guy" She replies. "Need the Rook?"
"Yeah" You say.

"You're just in time! I finished putting the finishing touches on that thing we worked on" Gretchen says.

You tilt your head. "What thing?" You ask.

"The... thing" She says. "The uhh... umm..."

You snap your finger. "Right! The-"

>Side thrusters

>Back booster

>Forward wave shooter

>Other

>>2349775
>>Forward wave shooter

>>2349775
Wave shooter doesn't make much sense since we can just take one hand off the handles and shoot the wave ourself. I feel the need for speed.

>Back booster

>>2349775
>>Back booster

Gonna go *FAST*

>writing

"-back boosters" You say. "I didn't think we were going through with that"

"We weren't?" Gretchen asks. "Welp, too late now"

You step into the cart and pull the Rook down. "As much as I'd like to stay and chat, I've gotta get going" You say. "How do I work the boosters?"

"I put the activator down here" Gretchen says, pointing to one of the footrest/pedal things. "Toes down turns it on and up, toes up turns it down and off"

"Gotcha" You say. "Thanks. This should make my life much easier"
"Happy to help" Gretchen replies.

You mount up and add some energy to the engine to get it started, not even needing to slot your mageblade in anymore.

The path to Lutain cuts through the fighting, and you may need to borrow someone for this...

If you're right, Pip, Cheska, Derrick... there are plenty of people here who could help. Pip's been a good partner for all your previous missions. But right now you need something blown to high hell, and you can think of no one better than Cheska for that...

Then there's Madelaine. Compared to Cheska and Pip she doesn't bring as much to the table as far aas you know, but she does have your sprite at the moment.

You turn the throttle and start moving. You'll have to decide on the go...

>Go find someone to bring (specify)

>Go in solo

>Other

>>2349902
>Bring Madelaine

>>2349902
>Bring Madelaine
At the very least we can send Coral to ask for some covering fire

>>2349902
>Bring Madelaine

We have really seen very much of her, It would be nice to catch up. Plus sprite.

>writing

You watch as the Lion's Tooth drops the carts and soldier-laden platforms onto the battlefield below.

Betsy is easy to spot and you turn the Rook towards it, pulling up beside them as they're getting out.

"Madelaine! Giant cannon in town. Gonna go blow it up. Need backup" You say, offering her your hand.

Madelaine looks surprised and turns to Meyu.

"Well I ain't gettin' on that thing" He says. "You sure you can take it out?"
"Nobody's going to get there as fast as I can" You say. "I'll arrive before word of a breakaway even has a chance to reach the town, find a way in, get to the cannon, and blow it up"

"Alright, I'm in" Madelaine says, as she takes your hand and gets on behind you. At the same time, Coral zips back into her spot on your collar.

"Good" You reply. "Hold on tight"

You turn the throttle and speed away. The forest isn't thick, but it's difficult to move through. If you were working with normal eyes you might not even be able to manage it.

But spotting the quickest way around each obstacle is easy enough, and you blow past several groups of Legionnaires.

None of the footmen give chase, but a number of Raptor riders do... in here they have a lot more agility than you do. Even though you're faster, every swerve costs you some a bit of your lead...

This might take some finesse...

>roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>2349971

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>2349971

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>writing

Also Focus

Really slow again tonight.

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>2350055
Just got here.

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>2349971

You speed up. The turns become more difficult, but the new addition to the Rook makes it easy to keep moving forward.

After a few more turns you manage to find a small path. Looks like an animal trail or walking path. It's narrow, but it's straight enough for some real speed.

"Hold on a little tighter" You shout, as you max out the throttle and hit the boosters.

The sudden force surprises you, and you almost lose your grip on the handles. "Almost" being the key word there.

The riders, who once had a chance in hell of catching you, are left in the dust as Lutain gets that much closer.

The path takes a sudden rise, then makes a sudden turn as the ground runs out. You keep your speed and take it like a jump, flying over a creek and landing on a road on the other side.

There's nothing on the road between you and Lutain, but the entrance is guarded...

>Bust through

>Circle around to another entrance

>Other

>>2350055
Dont underestimate us lurkers!

>>2350111
>>Bust through

>>2350112
Why would you lurk?

>writing

>>2350120
I like to watch
>>2350111
>Bust through
Our Mageblade is free, make a ram

You put a buckler ahead of you, putting more power into it and making it bigger until it covers everything in front of you.

Despite the fact that it probably looks like a big red disk to everyone else, you have no trouble seeing through it. Which is nice because it means that you get to watch as everything they throw at you bounces off.

The shield crackles and strains, but it holds long enough for you to ram straight through the meager defense force.

Now that you're in the city, you have to find the cannon. A task made easier as it fires another shot. You note the direction and the distance, then get moving.

You don't make it far. A rock wall comes up in front of you, so suddenly that you barely manage to stop before hitting it.

"Shit" You say.

You wheel the Rook around to backtrack and find another way, but there's another force coming up from behind.

"What now?" Madelaine asks.
"We'll have to break through again" You say, as you give the engine a rev.

Before you can start moving, something catches your eye. You look over and see someone waving you into a narrow alleyway.

They don't look like a demon, but that doesn't mean they can be trusted...

But if they intend to help, it could save you the time it would take to break out of this and find a new way to the cannon.

>Head for the alley

>Break through and backtrack

>Other

>>2350212
>>Head for the alley

>>2350212
>>Head for the alley

I'm on the fence here but...

>writing

You bite your lip in annoyance at the delays, and head for the alley. Friend or foe, the alley might lead to a better way...

...

Or it could lead to a dead end.

The wall swings out behind you and seals the exit, making you wonder if you've been duped... until a head pokes out a window above you, and a rope comes down.

"This way, quickly" The person says.

You exchange a look with Madelaine.

"Don't look at me. I didn't pick this" She says.
"Well... in for a penny" You say, as you drain the Rook and grab the rope...

>1/2

When you reach the window you throw yourself in, ready for just about anything...

But there's just one dude here. Young kid, couldn't be older than 11. He's got a dagger on his belt but otherwise, he's unarmed. His eyes are brown, too... so definitely not a demon.

"You're Yuu Gallant, right?" The dude asks.

You scowl. "I don't believe we've met" You reply.

"We haven't. Cyclops said you'd come when they started firing the cannon" He says. "You're here to destroy it, I assume"
"Destroy, power down, neutralize in some way, yes" You say, as you give Madelaine a hand getting through the window.

"Good. I can take you there" He says. "It's this way"

"Not out on the street, I hope" You say.
"Of course not. When the Legion built the cannon, we built a tunnel underneath" He says. "It starts here, and we can open it up right underneath"

>Who's we?

>Why haven't you guys destroyed it then?

>Lead the way

>Other

>>2350271
>>Who's we?

>>Why haven't you guys destroyed it then?

>>2350271
>>Who's we?
>>Lead the way

>writing

"Who's we?" You ask.

"We're the resistance" The boy says.
"The resistance hires kids?" You ask.

"I joined to fight" He says. "And you aren't that much older than me"

"He's right you know" Madelaine says.
"Not helping" You reply.
"Not trying to help, I'm trying to get this moving" She says. "Cannon? Remember?"

"Come on, the entrance to the tunnel is this way" The boys says.

You follow him down to the ground floor. There are already some people here, but they all just mind their own business as you head in.

"This goes all the way to the cannon?" You ask.
"Comes up straight underneath, like I said" He says.
"How come you guys haven't done anything to it?" You ask.

"We... can't" He replies. "It's guarded by a demon named Dufud. He's big, he's scary strong, and he has-"

"He has a boon" You say. "One of the flesh weapons"

The kid nods.

"Won't be a problem" You reply.

You reach the end of the tunnel and stop.

"Alright. We're right underneath it" The kid says. "Say the word and I'll open it up"

You take a breath and try to plan things out in your head...

>Have everyone focus on the demon first

>You take the demon, they take the cannon

>Other

>>2350310
>>You take the demon, they take the cannon

>>2350310
>>You take the demon, they take the cannon

>>2350310
>You take the demon, they take the cannon

They have a chance at randomly hitting important bits in the cannon. They don't really have the same chance against a Boon-wielding demon captain.

>writing

Rolled 41 (1d100)

"When we go up, you two focus on disabling the cannon. I'll handle the captain" You say.

"You bet" Madelaine says. "Looks like you're with me, kid"
"I'm not a kid" The boy replies.

"Can we get this going?" You ask.

The boy nods and holds up his hands. They glow brown, and the earth above you opens.

"Awesome" You reply, hopping up using a springboard.

"Who dares?" A voice calls.

You turn to see a very large man with an equally large bone scimitar. He stands between you and what looks to be the controls for the cannon.

"I dare" You reply.
"Come to destroy my charge?" Dufud asks. "Many have tried. All have failed"

"Nothing like a combo breaker to liven up the day" You say.

>Roll 1d100 with focus

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>2350371

Rolled 98, 17 = 115 (2d100)

>>2350380
Rolling twice more in case no one else does!

>>2350433
Very slow night.

>writing

Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>2350371

This quest is at a terrible time for me usually smiley, but i love catching up on it in the morning. Stayed up far too late on energy drinks to finish a project and figured I'd pop in to say thanks for the quest before i turned in.

Madelaine and the kid come out of the hole, and you signal them to run past the big demon.

As they go, Dufun moves to intercept them. Before he can even set his feet, you hit him in the face with a buckler.

"Ah, ah, ah~ You want them, you've gotta beat me first" You say.
"You think you are threatening?" He asks.

"Oh, sorry. Let me rephrase that:" You say. "If you think you can turn your back on me and live, you're gravely mistaken"

...

"Get it? Gravely? Because I'm going to kill you?" You ask.

Coral gives you a thumb's up.

"Coral gets it. Tiny high five" You say, holding your hand up to your collar. Coral gives it a clap.

Dufun appears to have gotten tired of your antics already, and he turns to Madelaine and the kid with a spell charging in his hand.

You launch a disruptor through him, and then run up and stab him in the chest while he's wondering why his spell just failed.

"What did I just say?" You ask.

He looks down at you and smiles. "Missed" He says.

You use heartbreaker, then pull your blade out and grab his as he falls over. "I'll be taking this as well" You say, as you begin the process of destroying the boon. "How's it goin' over there?"

"I think we might have this" Madelaine says. "You?"
"Just about... finished" You reply, as the flesh weapon turns to dust. "How are we destroying this thing?"

"We found a way to block the barrel. Next time it fires it should-"

A loud explosion and the sound of twisting metal cuts Madelaine off.

"-should do that?" You ask.
"Precisely" She replies.

Alarms start going off all around the building.

"That could be a problem" Madelaine says. "Back into the... tunnel...?"

You both look back to the tunnel entrance, as the kid is about to hop in. "We'll be in touch" He says, as he disappears and closes the entrance behind him.

"Also bad" Madelaine says.
"Come on, let's find a way out before that alarm has this place swarming with demons" You say.

That'll be all for tonight! Calling it a bit early because I'm tired as fuck.

Next run will be tomorrow.

As always I'll be sticking around for question/suggestion time.

>>2350487
Thanks for the thread!

>>2350483
Five bucks said he's the one who put the earth wall in front of us in town, I think he did that to force us to "owe him one".