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[AlleeCat]

Ethnon
"Well... The, uh, enthusiasm is appreciated... We need to create a few wards around the city. One in each district. Here..." She rummages around in her bag and pulls out some scrolls, "Are some diagrams. Try to follow them exactly; Transdimensional magic is a science, not an art."

[Rolepgeek]

Waiting until an apparent lull in the discussion, Maruko spoke, bowing at the same time, politely, the one used to indicate respect towards a military superior.
"Milord Captain, I would like to be of assistance. I have knowledge of leading and training men, of speaking with them, and of battle. I was one of the...mercenaries sent to aid in the siege. I would like to know where I might be of most use in the battle to come and the preparations for it."

He spoke clearly and respectfully, quickly enough to convey the information without being misunderstood, and kept one hand on his blade, as he often did, and as many of the men surrounding seemed to; nervous, in the wake of the attacks. Any man would be.

But not any dwarf...

[Harry Baldman]

"Thank you!" says Ethnon, grabbing the scrolls.

Peruse the scrolls using my advanced knowledge of dimensional topology. See what they do as I wander off, presumably toward one of the places I need to ward.

[GiglameshDespair]

"W-What happens to the place the city would appear at?" Alicia said, the idea of being suddenly teleported into the ocean not making her happy. She wasn't much of a swimmer. And there were sharks in there, she heard, and worse beside.

[AlleeCat]

Alicia
"Well, actually, the entire area at least two kilometers below us would be transported along with us. Meanwhile, everything at our destination would switch places with us. If we were to, say, end up in the middle of the ocean, we would have a nice spire of obsidian, marble, and earth below us, and Forrah's Crag would still be underneath us, wherever we went." She scratches her head, "That said, if we don't end up under a leyline intersection, all the buildings held up by magical means within the city may sink anywhere between 5 and 15 meters lower, which may actually ground some of them. Small price to pay of our lives, though."

Maruko
"Ah, master dwarf! I wish I had a task for someone of your rank and stature, but I'm afraid all of the tasks I need completed are of a trivial matter. The soldiers on the walls could use a resupply, if you're willing to carry a few barrels of arrows. Some of them are a bit shaken from last night as well. It was the worst we've had. Most lost friends and loved ones. They could use a morale boost, if you can give it."

Ethnon
[[ROLL: INT + Thing From the Far Beyond (17)]]
Some of it is a little complex, even for you, but as far as you can tell, the wards will form a sort of fence around the city, defining the boundaries of the area that will be transported. The instructions, however, are simple enough to follow. You'll need to place six wards. Five on the walls, and one in the center, on the side of the Archmage's tower, where the leylines intersect.
The locations on the walls are easy enough to get to and set up; Just draw the diagram in alchemist's chalk, sprinkle some bonemeal on it, (both of which are readily available in this town) and channel energy into it at the right frequency to let it link to the ajacent wards. The one to go on the Archmage's tower requires a little more fine tuning, though, as it's the main control ward. It might be helpful to find someone to help you channel energy into it. Or you could forgo the help and do it alone, if you feel confident enough.

[kj1225]

"Well, this jiggery pokery is a bit much for me. If I may take my leave? Um, with anyone else who may wish to as well."

[Harry Baldman]

Well, I hardly know anyone around here, do I? And it would be awkward to ask, too.

Thus, if I don't find anyone competent-looking (and, more importantly, willing to help) on the way to my destination (or in the shops if I'm missing some ingredients), commence the warding! Start with the most difficult one, obviously.

[Rolepgeek]

Maruko
"Ah, master dwarf! I wish I had a task for someone of your rank and stature, but I'm afraid all of the tasks I need completed are of a trivial matter. The soldiers on the walls could use a resupply, if you're willing to carry a few barrels of arrows. Some of them are a bit shaken from last night as well. It was the worst we've had. Most lost friends and loved ones. They could use a morale boost, if you can give it."

"No task is too trivial, so long as it is aidful, and there are none to be had that would be more useful. I will see what can be done, about both of those issues."
He bows respectfully and takes his leave after learning of where the arrows are and which section requires resupply. As the dwarf walks towards where the ammunition is being kept, he keeps an eye for lounging soldiers, bearing an air of authority and purpose. He could obtain their help in carrying the arrows, and if they were unassigned, perhaps he could convince them to fight by his side, or under his command. It was not a true command, but it was some small reminder of what he had once been, and it would be some slight comfort.

[AlleeCat]

Ethnon
[[ROLL: INT + Thing From the Far Beyond (27)]]
You're quite certain you've done an excellent job setting up the main ward. The surrounding ones should be trivial compared to this one. What a helpful Ethnon you've been!
As you leave back across the force bridge from the Archmage's tower, smiling at a job well done, three Imperial soldiers block your path. "Halt! What were you doing to the Archmage's tower?"

Maruko
The barrels are, in fact, directly beside you. Davora sends one of his lieutenants with you, who is supposed to be manning this section of the wall anyway. The tall elven lieutenant slings a few barrels over her back and shows you where to go as you follow suit.

It's only now that you see that the walls are in total disrepair. Soldiers are doing what they can to build up the defenses; hauling large stone blocks into place to plug up gaping holes, nailing and magically adhering boards onto smaller ones, and cleaning up blood and ichor off the floors. Large quadrupedal machines, what look to be forgeborn or golems, assess damages from outside the walls and spray some kind of mortar in between the loose stones and into cracks.

As you drop off the arrows, you notice most of the soldiers have a sad air to them. They drag their feet and work slowly, some even sitting slumped against the inner walls, refusing to move. Davora wasn't kidding when he said they'd been hit hard.

[GiglameshDespair]

"So why isn't the Archmage helping? Has he got a plan?"

[AlleeCat]

Alicia
"The Archmage isn't helping because he's an old fool... Pardon my language... He thinks that if we can hold out and target Skaal himself, the his army will disperse. The only thing is, we tried that. We lured Skaal into a trap, and he escaped, killing a lot of good people in the process. The only objection the Archmage has is that he doesn't want to teleport the city anywhere if there's even the smallest chance of ending up off course. Hopefully tomorrow morning we can try to talk some sense into that old wrinkled head of his."

[GiglameshDespair]

"So couldn't Skaal and just attack again? Or attack somewhere else?

[kj1225]

"Actually, when you think about it killing Skaal should be easier if he's leading. They will need to do something about the walls won't they? That would give us a lot of time to target Skaal. Or... the Archmage himself could."

[AlleeCat]

Alicia and Kyle
"Skaal won't know where we went when we leave, buying us time to find out his weakness. He's not strictly... mortal. We've tried conventional weaponry, but that never seems to work; He's got an exceptionally thick carapace. That he seems to be immune to most magic. We're at a loss for alternatives at the moment."

[kj1225]

"Does he have bones?"