Burned MountainAs the remaining transports and navy forces depart, the ash plumed air around the burned mountain is left empty once more.
Inside the SpireThe marines do their best to make a hellish situation slightly more livable, sacrifice combat readiness in exchange for an edge against the only enemy they've encountered thus far: the killing heat. The conversions are quick and mostly painless, though it takes some officers a bit of time to get used to cannibalizing their own uniforms in order to enhance their odds of survival.
People still succumb to the heat, forcing their companions to tend them and carry them on shield stretchers- both dangerous in the strange bubbles which occasional seal and fill with magma. People die, some to simple exposure, some to being trapped, and still some to toxic gases vented by walls or lingering withing evacuated bubble-rooms. Still, the number of dead is smaller- which is a small miracle considering the heat. The marines who make it out will likely be marked for live by the dozens of small burns marking their feet and hands, survivors of hell itself, but it's at least now seeming likely that they will make it out.
Cutting through the bubbles turned out to be the right path, as eventually the infantry captain discovered a sharp passage, lined with metal and clearly cut into the rock- not a natural formation of the lava tubes like the previously explored caves. Despite the lining and obvious reinforcement, its still in a state of disrepair, and the captain has had to order men to stop and clear rubble in several places. The passage branches, zigging and zagging with slight inclines and slight slopes- its intersection seemingly made with a complete disregard for right angles. With the damage apparently done by the shifting of the mountain itself, the Captain is forced to backtrack time and time again as she directs the men closer to the heart of the Burned Mountain- towards the heartbeat thumping that once seemed so distant and now shakes the walls and floors.
The captain's report makes note of several strange rooms that appear to contain various mechanical devices, and would surely interest scientists and engineers, but her limited sketches and descriptions do very little to illuminate their purpose. Actually exploring will have to wait until the opportunity arises to plant a civilian presence.
Losses: Squad 7, Squad 6
Kasgyre has gained ground at the Burned Mountain
The WrackspireThough still broken and mysterious, surrounded by shifting motes of light and whizzing chunks of broken stone, the wrackspire appears to harbor no enemy force. No ship is in the sky, and there's no trace of dockyards in the chaotic space around the demispire.
Three CaptainsThere is no report from the Three Captains.
The Unfinished'Investigate' is a command that the captain of the Jupiter takes to mean 'make one extra loop, then high-tail it'. The Rubble of the Unfinished Spire peeks up above the mist, a shattered island surrounded by misty shallows hinting at a vaster body of broken stone. The Jupiter captain assesses that it's probable that a transport could probably grab a sample of the stone if need be without exposing itself to too much danger. The rest of the rubble makes the mist in the area too shallow for mistmaws, and the surface beasts don't dare the higher altitudes except to hunt within the Spires. As long as nobody stands around looking tasty, it should be doable.
During the loop, no enemy contact is sighted, for which all involved are grateful.
GlowcoveThe main fleet, after being upgraded, arrives at the Glowcove. The Jupiter and the Dionysus arrive safely at Glowcove.
BlackstoneBefore the Ocker entered Blackstone's aerosphere, the battle continued as it had before- getting worse all the time. The enemy now fields a total of six Windrider Vessels and six of its upgraded skiffs. Gun emplacements are knocked out nearly as soon as they reveal themselves, crushed by overwhelming firepower. While a resistance can be mustered from time to time, it's more bark than bite. When the windrider's came, the gun operators tried and died. When the skiffs came, the gun operators tried and died. When four transports came, there were two few gun positions left to even splash one before the enemy fleet melted the cannons by weight of aetherfire.
No one on the skypainted Ocker dared to breathe when it made its night-run on Blackstone's port. All lights extinguished, all web but the ventral reefed as far is it could be while still keeping the Ocker floating. There was a tense call with a Wrethan Windrider getting a bit close on approach, but they passed on by without so much as a twitch at the camouflaged Ocker.
Much bated breath later, the Ocker launched her dinghies along with the Marine crew- bidding them farewell as they moved in to defend the Blackstone from the presumed Wrethan invaders.
Inside the SpireThe marines arrive to the smell of acrid smoke and the sound of screaming. The Wrethans got here first. It was to be expected, the Ocker had chosen its time well -thick mists and an overcast sky- but the waiting for the right time had given the enemy the time to mobilize.
The civilian populace is in a panic after the initial attack. They're thankful to see the Princess' marines, but they're shocked to see so few. When the enemy made their landing, they brought with them many cannon, likely shipped over along with their veteran forces from the Three Captains conflict. When those cannons, either aetheric or toxic incendiary grapeshot, were fired into civilian structures, the effect was devastating. Some people still fight, hardscrabble groups regrouping in front of the Wrethan line, taking or destroying light sources as they go in order to try and slow the advance. They're armed with whatever they can find- which isn't bloody much. A sword here and there, some nobleman's gauntlet, and then it's knives and tools, interspersed with rocks and bottles to throw.
Most citizens, however, surrender. The large caverns of Blackstone favor the Wrethan heavy guns greatly, and the destruction when they choose to fire those weapons into shops and homes is horrifying. Many capitulate under threat of their homes being destroyed- along with their homes of their neighbors, friends, and family.
The marines, sadly, don't do much to change the equation. The Wrethans outnumber them three to one, and they at least three, if not five, pieces of field artillery with them. They fight in shifts, preventing the superior numbers of the civillians from damaging them through sheer attrition. Their advance in this manner, however, is less effective than it was at the Three Captains for the Same reason. There, the marines had been pushed backward to the point of exhaustion- now the loyalists (poorly equipped as they are) take the role of scouts and watchmen, giving the marines new places to hide as they all fall back before the advance.
The marines do their best to make calculated risks, laying traps, firing from the sides of dark galleries, pitching grenades from on high, and moving away before the Wrethans can focus them down- but it's not enough to really even slow them down. They lose people, but
hundreds of Kasgyrites die as a result. The Wrethan use of their artillery in a populated area is... obscene. The fires from their incendiary cannons light up the dark caves, spreading toxic smoke and sending uncontrolled blazes throughout the homes of the people. The number of Wrethans fighting at any given shift is limited, and they don't hilariously outnumber the Marines. The lack of any solid counter to their cannons, along with the open space within blackstone, will mean that though a direct assault would likely inflict heavy casualties on the friendly force, though it would probably succeed in Delaying the Wrethans.
War was always so far removed, fought on ships by noble sailors, and in foreign spires by grizzled marines. Now it's here, here flame and aethershot to destroy all that Kasgyrian citizens have builts, here to replace with with Wrethan boots. Wrethan boots on Kasgyrian soil, Wrethan boots on the wreckage of Kasgyrian homes, Wrethan boots on the bodies of the Kasgyrian dead.
Blackstone is contested. It will no longer produce resources.
Kasgyre has lost ground at Blackstone.Kills: Roughly a squad of Wrethan marines.
Losses: 50% of squad C.
Spire KasgyreWhile the Princess does what she can to control the fears of the people, another Natalie is produced, and two more squads of marines stand ready to serve. Ships are refitted with skypaint, and the Viperidae and the Anguis are likewise upgraded with the latest and best technology.
It is the beginning of the year 380 AR.
Spire Kasgyre's Production stands at
12(+12)/y Crystal, 73/125 Banked
12(+2)/y Ore, 54/95 banked
17/y Wood, 64/95 banked
10/y Silk, 49/55 banked
It is now the design and project maintenance phase. You have 5 dice to spend.
Viper Production Line: 1/35 | 7C + 5O + 5W + 2S, +15 From any combination of any resource | Rushed 0 Times | Nothing Invested
Vertical Envelopment 2/10 | 3 from each of COWS + 4 from Any combination of COWS | Rushed 0 times | Nothing Invested
AIM (Special Project) 16/27 | - | Rushed 0 times | Nothing Invested
Medium Docks: 5/40 | 5C + 5O + 5W + 5S, +30 From any combination of any resource | Rushed 0 Times | Nothing Invested
The Calm: The calm is a region of the aerosphere with almost no wind beyond fleeting turbulence, and absolutely no aetheric currents. It's frigidly cold, and filled with fine red 'snow' that barely moves. Traversing it with a conventional vessel is impossible due to the lack of energy to fuel the lift and trim crystals.
The Everstorm: As the name suggests, the everstorm is a region of the aerosphere dominated by an enormous and eternal thunderstorm. It's a chaotic region of raging winds and surging aetheric energy that manifests in terrible bursts of prismatic flame. No conventional vessel could hope to survive the nightmarish storm conditions.
Kasgyre Territory Blackstone Marine Presence: K 3/14 | W ?/14
Territory: 3/4 | 1/4
---> Squad A: 2/4 Tpz. Pistols | 1/4 Pistols
---> Squad B: 1/4 Pistols
---> Squad C: 4/4 Cutlasses [50%]
Resources: 1C, 5O, 2W, 0S
Conditions: Rocky, large caverns, very dark
The Hive Marine Presence: K 0/10 | W 0/10
Territory: 4/4 | 0/4
Resources: 1+2C, 2O, 1W, 4S
Conditions: Spider Nursery, narrow and twisting tunnels
—> Hanging Gardens x2
Glowcove Marine Presence: K 0/20 | W 0/20
Territory: 4/4 | 0/4
Resources: 1C, 2O, 6W, 1S
Conditions: Verdant galleries, significant bio-luminescence
The BeltThree Captains Marine Presence: K 0/20 | W ?/20
Territory: 0/4 | 3/4
Resources: 1C, 6O, 2W, 6S
Conditions: Kinetoluminescent Ores, Heavily Infested
Wrackspire Marine Presence: K 0/12 | W ?/12
Territory: 0/4 | ?/4
Resources: 3C, 4O, 4W, 2S
Conditions: Unstable Aetheric Phenomena, Broken Spire
Burned MountainMarine Presence: K 9/24 | W ?/24
Territory: 2/4 | ?/4
--->Marine Squad Siegward: Aetheric Pistols (3/4) | Witchhunters (2/4) | Aetheric Grenades (1 per squad)
--->Marine Squad Siegmeyer: Aetheric Pistols (3/3) | Witchhunters (1/3) | Aetheric Grenades (1 per squad) [75%]
---> Squad 1: 1/4 Tower shields | 4/4 Aetheric Pistols | 1/4 Silk Vests
---> Squad 2: Cutlasses 4/4
---> Squad 3: 1/4 Witch Hunters | 1 squad Grenades
---> Squad 4: Cutlasses 4/4
---> Squad 5: /
Resources: 1C, 10O, 1W, 0S
Conditions: Inexplicably Molten Core, Hundreds of narrow tunnels and small galleries.
The UnfinishedMarine Presence: K 0/0 | W 0/0
Territory: ?/4 | ?/4
Resources: 0C, 0O, 0W, 0S
Conditions: Destroyed.
RKNV Anguis II - Viper Class
Loadout
Bronzewood Hull: Medium Turret Mod
1 Communications Officer
2 Light Topaz Aether Cannons+ (Kettlegun) [2 front, 1 rear]
2 Light Aether Cannon+ (Kettlegun) [1 Front, 1 Rear]
1 Prototype Lance Cannon [Front]
1 Topaz Vanguard Cannon (Top Brz. Trim, Med Mount)
2 Sections Light Copper Armor
1 Medium Topaz Core Crystal
1 Small Topaz Lift Crystal
2 Topaz Trim Webs, Brz. Reinforced.
8 Topaz Trim Crystals
6 reams of webbing
Location: Spire Kasgyre
Status: Shipshape
RKNV Viperidea - Viper Class
Loadout
1 Communications Officer
4 Light Aether Cannons+ (Kettlegun) [2 front, 2 rear]
1 Light Topaz Aether Cannoń+ (Kettlegun) [Front]
1 Topaz Lance Cannon [Front]
1 Topaz Vanguard Cannon (Top Brz. Trim-Turret, Med Mount)
Bronzewood Hull
2 Sections Light Copper Armor
1 Medium Topaz Core Crystal
1 Small Topaz Lift Crystal
2 Topaz Trim Crystals
8 Topaz Trim Webs Bronzewood reinforced
6 reams of webbing
Location: Spire Kasgyre
Status: Shipshape
Natalies - Skyskiff Class (x2)
Loadout
2 Light Topaz Aether Cannons+ (Kettlegun)
1 Very Small Topaz Core Crystal
1 Very Small Topaz Lift Crystal
4 Topaz Trim Webs
2 reams of webbing
Location: Spire Kasgyre
Status: Shipshape
Natalies - Skyskiff Class (x3)
Loadout
Comms Officer
2 Light Topaz Aether Cannons+ (Kettlegun)
1 Very Small Topaz Core Crystal
1 Very Small Topaz Lift Crystal
4 Topaz Trim Webs
2 reams of webbing
Location: Spire Kasgyre
Status: Shipshape
RKNV Jupiter - Battlebarge Class
Loadout
1 Communications Officer
4 Light Aether Cannons+ (Kettlegun) [2 front, 2 rear]
Bronzewood Hull
Medium Topaz Core
1 Small Topaz Lift Crystal
12 Standard Trim Crystals
5 reams of webbing
Carrying: 0/12
Location: Glowcove
Status: Shipshape
Dionysus - Transport Class
Loadout
Comms Officer
1 Small Topaz Core Crystal
1 Small Lift Crystal
2 Topaz Trim Crystals
1 ream of webbing
Carrying: 0/6
Location:Glowcove
Status: Shipshape
Ocker - Transport Class
Loadout
1 VS Topaz Core Crystal
1 S Lift Crystal
2 Topaz Trim Crystals
1 ream of webbing
Carrying: 0/6
Location: Blackstone
Status: Shipshape
Topaz Med Core
Topaz Trim Webs x2
Trim Webs x8
Topaz trim crystals x4
Topaz vanguard x1
Kettleguns x10
Anguis Hull (Viper: 1x vanguard conversion, 10x web conversion)
Author
Topic: Arms Race: War of the Cinder Spires | Spire Kasgyr (Read 153326 times)