((Sorry for the long waits. I am trying to get back on track.))
Shadowy assassinations and very quite. But make sure they are particularly gruesome like melting there faces or decapitation. When soldiers find there commanders mutilated they'll run the rumor mill. Then they'll slowly ditch the army without leadership to watch over them.
Only get showy when we need to scatter a group of hardened people soldiers. In that case just super fire ball there camp when sleeping or bury them in a rock slide. An when we do so, do it with something covering our face to make us look menacingly.
Another thing would be to create a new personality that we'll call the Black fruit. We'll leave notes near the crime scene that leave boggling reasons why we did things the way we did. Like "face melted for intimidating sheep." Or "Because I can". I really want our shadow felt among the General's army.
Also ask about the ranks the general has and how we can tell. The Ranger of these Garrison guys should know about that stuff.
We should also ask about getting ranger support somehow. Offer to provide a distraction while leave for help. No use staying in a crumbling fort right?
And now, back to Ala'tirn and Balaroh: Part 1Unsure of what to do in this somewhat awkward situation, you approach Balaroh and try to comfort him.
"I'm....sorry for your loss." You say, a bit uncomfortable. You have never been great in this type of situation, and as such you are pretty lost on what to actually say to someone who just lost a number of his friends and comrades.
Balaroh gives you a solemn smile. "Its the way of the world. There will be far more bloodshed before peace reigns."
You nod, in agreement. After all, the Atlovans and their pets dont show any signs of disappearing any time soon.
Again, you look around the fort. You notice that no one seems to be leaving. Instead, as you noticed when you first arrived, people seem to be crossing the bridge towards the main keep. This still puzzles you. Surely, with a significant portion of the fort compromised, abandoning it would be a better option?
"They arent leaving..."
"Why would they? It is a long march to our allies lands, and there are many creatures, tribes and hostile humans between us. I find it unlikely that the Generals would order another attack so soon, especially after losing so many troops. Unless....."
"Unless?" You press, curious.
"Unless they actually finalized the agreements they were in the process of negotiating with the local tribes.....or they got reinforcements." Balaroh conlcudes.
As you hope the enemy has not received reinforments, you, as well as everyone else in the courtyard, turns towards the gates as they are opened for a Ranger scouting party. The lead scout dismounts his horse so fast he is almost a blur and, before he has even settled one foot on the ground, he runs towards the Lead Ranger.
"Sir! Dire news! We have just spotted a troop of flagless warriors march into the city held by the Generals. We counted roughly three hundred warriors in total, as well as a tall cloaked man leading them." He says, half shouting, half panting.
The expressions of the Rangers fell, as does the expressions of everyone in earshot, including yours. You know what a flagless warband means. Everyone does, the war between Atria and the Atlovans has been going on long enough for everyone to know the signals of Atlovan activity.
A Flagless warband, otherwise known as the Ghost Troops or Flagless ones. Indicative of the darkest hearts of the Atlovan forces and their pets. If one sees a flagless warband, you run as far away as possible unless you outnumber them. They are extraordinarily tough to deal with.
Aside from the reputation these warbands hold, they also signal another horror. An Atlovan flesh-smith is in the area.
Many rumours, myths and even legends exist about the Flesh Smiths. It is said that they are the most evil of the Atlovans, those who have been thoroughly corrupted by their demonic blood, which drives them to twist, shape and bend the creatures of the globe to their will.
They are identified by their dark or black cloaks, their sadistic drive to inflict as much pain and terror on the sapient species as possible. Some say that the Flesh Smiths magically record the screams of their victims and play them as music when they work their foul magic.
Every continent is plagued by them, and those who have gone missing are said to be taken by the Flesh Smiths to fuel their hellforges and to be remade into the flesh smiths abominations, of which there are many different types. The most notable of which are the Void Striders.
You shudder as you think of the Void Striders. You have only ever had the displeasure of facing one once before, and it was one of the most difficult fights of your life. Void Striders are named such as it is believed they straddle the line between the after-void, the first stage of the ascension to the afterlife or descent into the underworld, and the mortal plains.
They are created only below ground, for reasons unknown to all but the Flesh Smiths. As far as the general public knows, the Void Striders have to be created from captured sapients. Any will do, seemingly, as elven, dwarven, human and even Atrian Void Striders have been noted. They can withstand a wide range of temperatures, which makes them immune to a number of elemental based magics.
They do have very notable features, however. Due to the magic worked on them to reincarnate them as the Flesh Smiths creations, they receive darkened, sometimes blackened, skin which looks to have been burnt or charred. They also have purple or black hair and light coloured, milky eyes. Some are even completely white, colourless, giving them a haunting, ethereal look.
The thing you remember most about them, though, is the fact that they get stronger the more you damage them. Cripple their initial form and they will activate their demonic blood and become a lesser demon. Cripple that form, and they will release their hold on the physical body and become an archwraith.
This constant shift in capabilities and styles of fighting can cause fatal mistakes in less experienced troops, and even among the more skilled warriors, they can be an overbearing challenge.
Fortunately, they are rarely seen in groups larger than five or six. Unfortunately, they were autonomous, retaining almost all of their mind from before their conversions. They are unfortunately irretrievable. They are completely loyal to their masters and all attempts at rehabilitation have lead to failure.
You share a worried look with Balaroh, who looks as concerned as you do.
"Did you see any Shkahl?" The Ranger Leader asks, worry even in his voice.
"Yes, commander. The majority of the Flagless band limped and lumbered, indicating they were Shkahl. We also saw at least 1500 human soldiers training in the Citadels training grounds. However, we had to pull back soon after as the Flesh Smith sensed our presence and warned the General he was talking with. We barely escaped." The Lead Scout says.
"Were you followed?" A Ranger from the crowd asked, sternness in his voice.
"Not that we know of. But from the looks of it, they will be attacking soon."
With that, the rangers starting hurrying, commanding the garrison into action. Civilians and supplies were moved faster, the cellers the enemy used to gain access were filled in with stone, dirt and anything the defenders could get their hands on, the walls were shored up where damage had been done and defensive positions set up in the keep across the bridge.
As this was going on, you aided the garrison in moving various materials to where they were needed. You helped set up mage stations and archer bastions in the keep, setting up soul-shield potion stacks for the mages to keep them combat ready and arrow stacks for the archers.
As you worked, you thought about the other enemy mentioned. The Shkahl are an enemy you have never fought before, however you have heard much about them. From what you can piece together, they are a skeletal race, considered undead by most. They are almost entirely made up of bone and skin, with only very small, childlike musculature and tendons. They rely on their magic infused flesh to give them the power to move.
They have pointed ears and crimson eyes with yellow pupils. They have an impeccable sense of direction and a fantastic sense of smell. No one knows whether they are a more natural occurrence twisted by the flesh smiths or whether they are a creation, but one thing is certain, the Atlovans create them from corpses.
The Shkahl are tough, skilled fighters and have great proficiency with metal. They wear armour that looks far too heavy and bulky for a Shkahls thin frame, but they manage with armour so thick it would be impractical for most. It barely slows them down as well, by all accounts.
They are independently minded and loyal to their masters, just like the Void Striders.
But they can be confuse when leaderless.
A cunning plan starts to formulate itself in your mind. You smile as you put the pieces together......
End of Part 1. Part 2 tomorrow.
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Topic: (SG) The World of Ricovero - Ghost in the Rain (Read 16128 times)