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[Parsely]

P R O L O G U E
-S E L E S H T-
OOC Thread

It was mid-year, the time of heat, when the earth spat flame and the Bulrakian wrought out lumps of metal by the hour, and the days were hot, and the sky brightened. The sands trapped the heat, and the earth took it in, warming the World.

The Holy Fortress. Rumors circulated about the palace, word of brigands striking down merchants and travelers, killing men and their animals alike. Burning yurts, even razing wells. Filling them with heavy boulders and poisoning them with carcasses. Outriders in the West? It was simply unheard of, and all dismissed them as hearsay.

Sharif Ippa, a great warrior and well trusted by God, entered the servants quarters and gathered up the eight Favored. He spake, his voice dark. "By talkative ladies and drunken warriors, word of the banditry has spread, and it has reached the Prophet's ears." His brow furrowed, and he looked at each one in turn. "You will remove this worry from the Grand Shaykh's mind." Without another word he turned and left. Thus appointed, the brave young aspirants made preparations and rode from the Holy City within a few hours, along with two of Sharifa-Captain Nimia's finest warriors, both acting in official capacity as observers..

The wind was coarse during the days as they rode hard for Thraysh, the mid-summer storms kicking up waves of sand, in some places enough to drown the heedless in the space of moments. There was no telling if they'd get there in time to catch the bandits before they could move on. The sun rose and fell 3 times as they made their way, and slowly the constant howling died and the earth hardened. They found themselves among grassy fields littered with boulders, stray, as if they had fallen from a careless giant's pockets.

Dol's sharp eyes searched the horizon. Suddenly he spoke.

: Brother Shabi, what do you make of that?

The warrior-archer riding beside Dol sat up straighter at the sound of his master's voice. He looked in the direction he was pointing. Indeed, a low, grey shape could be seen poking up just beyond a low rise.

: The omens foretold this. Not only that, but this is quite near where the Oin peddlers were attacked.

He withdraws his bow from its scabbard and strings in one quick motion, an arrow is already in his hand. He glances momentarily over his shoulder at the young retainers, bobbing quietly in the saddle, quite tired after the long journey.

: I shall ride ahead. Have the young lords make ready.

He dug his heels in and hissed, spurring his horse into a gallop.

---

Dol returns from leading the mounts to ground just as Shabi appears over the hill before the ruins. He drops from the saddle without waiting for the horse to quit and trots over to his master. Dol crosses his arms and waits patiently for him to collect his thoughts.

: Well?

: I was very close. By my count, over a dozen. They all wore swords, and there were a few bows among them as well.

Dol cursed under his breath and ran a gloved hand across his face. Shabi dropped to one knee and began to draw in the sand, describing what he saw.

Turn 1 Deployment Phase

Code: (ENEMY) [Select]

Hafiz       | 28/28 | G1
Mercenary A | 21/21 | D18
Mercenary B | 21/21 | F7
Mercenary C | 21/21 | F14
Mercenary D | 21/21 | J18
Mercenary E | 21/21 | L10
Mercenary F | 21/21 | L11
Mercenary G | 21/21 | P5
Mercenary H | 21/21 | P16
Mercenary I | 21/21 | S17
Archer A    | 20/20 | C8
Archer B    | 20/20 | C15
Archer C    | 20/20 | C17
Archer D    | 20/20 | D12
Archer E    | 20/20 | M14
Archer F    | 20/20 | M6
Archer G    | 20/20 | M2

Spoiler: Enemy Stats (click to show/hide)

Detailed Stats


Mercenary
Level 1 Mercenary
Iron Rapier (E)
HP:  21
STR:  5 
MAG:  1 
SKI:  6 
CON:  8 
AID:  7
LUC:  2 
DEF:  2 
RES:  0 
SPD:  5 
MOV:  5
 
Archer
Level 1 Archer
Iron Bow (E)
HP:  20
STR:  5
MAG:  1 
SKI:  6 
CON:  7 
AID:  6 
LUC:  4 
DEF:  6 
RES:  1
SPD:  5 
MOV:  5
 
Hafiz
Level 3 Bandit
Iron Club (E)
Fortune
HP:  28
STR:  9
MAG:  0 
SKL:  2 
CON: 11 
AID: 10 
LUK:  0 
DEF:  5 
RES:  1
SPD:  5 
MOV:  5

Spoiler: Player Stats (click to show/hide)

Powder Miner/Cedomir Adamic
Glowcat/Sariya Akkad
Swordstar/Lucian Rai
Xanmyral/Titus "THE King" King
BMM42/Yilda Ismir
F.O.E./Tyria
Haspen/Aalberg
Tiruin/Alessa

Spoiler: NPC Stats (click to show/hide)

Detailed Stats


Name: Dol
Level 1 Rider Trainee
Slim Lance (E)
Fortune
HP: 16
STR: 4
MAG: 0
SKL: 3
CON: 4
AID: 3
LCK: 2
DEF: 5
RES: 2
SPD: 3
MOV: 4


Shabi
Level 1 Archer Trainee
Training Bow (E)
Pass
HP: 16
STR: 4
MAG: 1
SKL: 5
CON: 4
AID: 3
LCK: 4
DEF: 3
RES: 1
SPD: 6
MOV: 4

Dol nodded.

: I see. How do you think we should approach this?

Shabi thought for a moment.

: There are several entrances, we could perhaps take them by surprise-

Dol held up a hand.

: I was speaking to the young lords, here.

He looks up at the sun hanging low in the sky, then helps Shabi to his feet and turns to address you directly.

: You have some time before night falls. Come up with a plan and then get some rest. We take them at dusk, and we're doing it your way.

He lets his decision hang in the air for a moment before heading off to retrieve the packs where he let them off the horses some miles back, Shabi is stunned for a moment before he finally jogs after him.

Set up all PCs and both NPCs anywhere along Row U or Column 21 (the grassy border outside the ruins).

[Powder Miner]

:"Wellll, if we're talking strategy, I say we go up the big side entrance and just go in there and storm them and see if we can't get 'em that way."

[Swordstar]

"Hmmph, I couldn't care less which way we go, I'll teach those bandits to respect me no matter what. Assuming any of them are left alive, that is."

[F.O.E.]

"I suggest we, er, divide and conquer as it were called. The eastern entrance isn't as heavily guarded so we'd need less people over there."

[Haspen]

"LET'S BURN EVERYTHING! The castle and the guys inside!"

[Swordstar]

Giving the fire mage a withering glare, Lucian shook his head.

"You're an absolute idiot. Now lets get this over with so that we can return and I can get away from you rabble."

Lucian deploys to 16-U

[Haspen]

"Burning the thing down is the fastest way to get over it!"

Aalberg deploys @21.F

[Glowcat]

: "I agree with Tyria that we shouldn't funnel ourselves into a narrow approach and surrounding the brigands would make it harder for any to escape. Though Sir Adamic also has a point in that we'll need a powerful vanguard to take ground, especially if we approach the southern hall."

After seeing Aalberg and Lucian's exchange

: "... Though it seems our strategy will be forced somewhat. As long as we avoid being surrounded we should come out of this with our hides intact. Dol and Shabi could probably clear the southwestern room and prevent trouble from that angle. With another if we wish to avoid casualties. Aalberg needs at least another person to join him, if only to prevent him from burning the place down when we're still inside. And Lord Rai will be overwhelmed unless we hit the southern hallway in force."

She addresses Cedomir specifically

: "I can provide you healing support whichever course you decide upon."

To Alessa

: "How about you Alessa? Feel like joining me or supporting one of the other flanks?"

[Tiruin]

"I'd rather stick with you here Sariya"
     ^{And I'd like it if..um, everyone still called me Syra. It's a...thing we had for our identities.}

Alessa took a calm breath to check up the rest before lowering her voice only for Sariya.

"Not that you can't call me by my real name anyway. I'm...just nervous is all. "[/sup][/sup]

She gestured to the talk beforehand on her reluctance about the whole situation on killing or other gory details.

[Xanmyral]

The hulking mountain of a man that was Titus stared at the sand drawing, kneeling and hunched over to get a better look, squinting his eyes until they were eclipsed by his eyebrows to make sense of the scrawlings. There was a moment of rare silence from the man as he squinted at the rough map, but he was listening, and he spoke soon after, his eyes not leaving the map.

"So what'yer telling me is that we, US, attack 'em from angles an' spread out?" With a grunt the man lifted his bulk up and shivered slightly. In excitement.

"Just SMASH 'EM! Head straight to the heart and CRUNCH it!" The man quickly hefted his hatchet and thudded it into the sand next to the map, shifting it slightly from the impact, the axe embedding itself just before the scrawled main entrance.

"THERE! Break the WALLS AND their WEAPONS! None o' this fancy-smancy plannin', it ain't needed. Save it for when the sands pick up, not for a calm in the sky. Tinder Man and Silver Lass can have their TIFF, but GRAB'EM by the scruff and pull 'em back. Splittin' the force just means one of us could get the SHAME of being killed by this lot, an' I ain't for having that on us. In the EAST, splittin' meant DEATH! Just 'cause we're to the west where the soft-bellies live don't change the rules."

[Swordstar]

"ExCUSE ME? What gives you the right to call me a girl? I am the son of a sultan, and you will show me the respect I deserve. Take a lesson from our healer, she knows to call me Lord. You are a brute, so you cannot be expected to understand the proper way of behaving, but you will not call me a girl."

[Blade Master Model 42]

"There is more than one healer gracing your presence, may I remind you." Yilda said snappily, tapping her foot. "Really, I have no idea why we're doing this by committee. Especially when some of us are clearly not fit to be making plans."

[Xanmyral]

The bulk of flesh that was Titus looked at Lucian, then Cedomir, then Lucian, then Cedomir. He put one of his meaty paws up to his chin and rubbed it, stroking a non-existent beard, as if contemplating something.

Raising the hand in a shrugging gesture towards Lucian, the man simply made a comment. "Yah look girlier than 'er, no offense ta her. Suppose'in my mistake there, EH?" The man chuckled heartily and loudly to himself, slapping the side of his knee at his own joke.

The man gave a shit-eating grin to the possibly fuming man. "LIGHTEN UP a bit, SILVER SUN! Let's take our energy out in a WHOLESOME and MANLY way, yeah? There's bandits over there that need their arses kicked, and us with our SPIKED SABATONS on!" He lifted his hatchet and thrust it in the air at the last comment, obviously excited about the prospect of fighting, putting it away back in his belt and patting it.

"Don't matter much WHERE we get 'em, just that we stick together!"

[Glowcat]

"I'd rather stick with you here Sariya"
     ^{And I'd like it if..um, everyone still called me Syra. It's a...thing we had for our identities.}

:Oh, right. Sorry, Syra.

:Whatever we decide we shouldn't dawdle and take whatever path chosen with conviction. The longer we sit around arguing the greater our chances of being discovered by a patrol or sentries.

Internally she reflects...

I'm afraid to even bring up the question of who should lead us in the future so as to avoid these issues when we appear to have so many... dominating personalities in this party.

[Powder Miner]

:"Ey, I agree whole-heartedly with the stick together idea! Group like us, we're unstoppable, if we're together, we'd just be one big blob of wrecking. But if we're split up, you know, we stand to have a hell of a lot of a bad time. So... can't be arguing about this and splitting off in five different groups, guys!"