Three CaptainsThe scouts reports continue to come in regularly from the Three Captains, updating command on the Kasgyrite blockade. The reports are more accurate this year, and peg the kasgyrite defending vessels firmly at three vipers, one with no frontal armor, and only four skiffs.
This changes later in the year, when two of their skiffs break off in the direction of their own friendly territory.
After that lost report, however, no further reports come in from the scout, and it seems that the vessel has been detected and destroyed by the Kasgyrite fleet.
Inside the SpireThe marines inside the spire continue to entrench, doing the best they can to build fortifications and longer-term habitation within the warrens. They've got a decent network of fallback positions now, and the Kasgyrites will find it difficult indeed to dislodge them with crossbows- though it's difficult to field construct fortifications from native materials that will stop their grenades for long.
Presumed Lost: 1 Comet
The Western Kasgyrite SpireThe flyby of the skiffs through the western kasgyrite spire isn't terribly informative, given that they're very intentionally staying out of the gun range of the spire, but a little bit of sideline recon using spyglasses shows that there is at least one ship larger than a skiff stationed at their demi-spire.
Central Kasgyrite SpireThe pair of skiffs sent to raid the Kasgyrites are wreaking havoc. Both report successful interception of several small shipments of resources, which should produce a noticeable cumulative effect on Kasgyre's supply lines from this spire.
Spire Kasgyre There is no report from the skiff sent to observe Spire Kasgyre.
Presumed Lost: 1 Comet
The UnfinishedThe Unfinished spire is quiet, a stillness broken only briefly by the arrival of the Marge's arrival. She comes, she drops off the soldiers, and she leaves. The activity of an undertaker filling a grave.
A new letter arrives from the former Wrethan officer, who notes that she's pleased that you've continued sending marines, even past the originally negotiated 96. For seven more squads, you'll be able to establish full control of the spire.
The WrackspireThe Batholith approaches the Wrackspire more closely than any ship has in recent memory. The broken pillars of the wrackspire loom around like something from a madman's dream, with chunks of wreck drifting through the aerosphere with lazy grace, and clouds of iridescent light-warping mist surging up from below, like plums of dust out of some invisible collapse of rubble. Close to the Spires, there's a distinct hum detectable by the crew, an omnipresent hum like a tuning fork being struck just behind the skull.
The Batholith is forced to take evasive maneuvers on approach in order to avoid collisions with several chunks of flying rock weighing in tons. Minor hull damage from smaller specimens seems inevitable, and is endured with military discipline. The dinghies carrying the marines are dispatched as close to the nearest pillar as the transport dares to get, but that still leaves them with a fair amount of sky to traverse. Two out of three squads make it through all right. The last, however, gets caught in a sudden bloom of iridescent mist. Wherever the mist touches, fire erupts. The screaming of the marines and the sudden light of the dinghies becoming torches gives the transport enough warning to raise shroud and back out before the mist consumes them too, but the last squad, and the transport's dinghies, are no more.
Inside the SpireThe inside of the Wrackspire is rather similar to the exterior in some ways. There's a dreamlike, impossible character to the place. Light blossoms dozens of coral-like growths from the walls and ceiling, and winged creatures that shriek and claw defend nests that hitch rides on hovering stones no larger than a man's hand. Odd illusions appear in the air, shimmering like disturbed water and drawing clouds of tiny insects that gleam with emerald light.
Like the air around the Wrackspire, its alien beauty is also extremely inhospitable. The coral growths seem carnivorous in some manner, and reach out to passing marines with tongues of light. One soldier, curious, attempted to touch one of these tongues, and felt a sharp prick in his finger, followed by a sense of well-being and contentment. Several other soldiers repeated the observation before their officer had the good sense to get them to absolutely forbid the action. Over the following weeks, the affected soldiers experienced swellings beneath the skin that itched, and eventually burst from beneath their skin to reveal more coral. Though they report no pain, their cognitive functions are clearly impaired, and exhibit signs of moderate inebriation.
The disturbances in the air likewise seem dangerous and unpredictable. Though, after the coral, the remaining men had the good sense to avoid attempting to touch it, one such disturbance in the air began without warning in the middle of the group. One unlucky soldier had the misfortune of stepping into the disturbance, disappearing completely. Another stepped through partially before stopping herself. Her leg was through, and though she reported no pain and was able to communicate freely, she was unable to withdraw the limb. The glowing green insects swarmed, but inflicted no injury beyond distress. When the distortion ended, however, the soldier's leg was sliced away cleanly, causing her to bleed out within seconds, and nothing was seen of the other soldier.
Our soldiers have been able to establish a base of operations, and there appears to be a land bridge between this pillar and the next in chain, there will need to be additional transports on hand in order to facilitate transfer between the wrackspire component pillars. Soldiers affected by the coral growths have to be quarantined at this point, as the growths are capable of stinging other soldiers. The growths appear to kill their hosts within several months, and it is proving extremely difficult to eliminate all sources of stingers before our soldiers establish camp.
Several men have reported humanoid shapes seen peering down from other fingers of of the wrackspire, and these reports are corroborated by the officer. In addition, one man, already infected with the coral and doomed to die, cleared away an unusually large outcropping of coral growths to find what looked like a chunk of carved masonry swallowed by stone.
Confirmed Losses: Squad C, 75% of squad B.
Damaged Vessels:[/b Batholith has sustained minor hull damage, Batholith has lost all dinghies.
Spire WrethThree more comets have been completed, and two more squads of marines stand ready for action.
It is now the beginning of the year 373 AR.
Spire Wreth's Production Stands At,
13(+8)/y Crystal, 33/65 Banked
19/y Ore, 27/95 banked
19(+6)/y Wood, 28/95 banked
10/y Silk, 14/50 banked
It is now the design and project maintenance phase. You have 5 dice to spend.
E.S.P: 4/20 | 2 Ore, 2 Crystal | Rushed 0 Times | Nothing Invested
Aether Forge 2/27 | - | Rushed 0 Times | Nothing Invested
Windrider Production Line: 31/33 | 8C + 8O + 5W + 3S, + 23 From Any COWS | Rushed 0 Times | 73C, 56O, 126W, 74S
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.
Wreth TerritoryHaze-Maze Marine Presence: K 0/8 | W 1/8
--->
Marines---> Squad G (No Equip)
Territory: 0/4 | 4/4
Resources: 1C, 3O, 1W, 2S
Conditions: Deadly Gas Pockets, significant vertical shafts and steep tunnels.
Miner's Folly Marine Presence: K 0/18 | W 1/18
--->
Marines---> Squad G (No Equip)
Territory: 0/4 | 4/4
Resources: 1C, 6O, 0W, 1S
Conditions: Toxic Stone, Massive Caverns, pitch-black
The Verdant Vista Marine Presence: K 0/18 | W 0/18
Territory: 0/4 | 4/4
Resources: 1C, 0O, 8W, 2S
Conditions: Mostly earth and soil, Unstable pocket caves
The BeltThree Captains Marine Presence: K 0/20 | W 6/20
--->
Marines---> Defense Squad D: Silk Vest (Officer) | Pincushion (1/4) | Suppressor (1/4) | Gauntlets (2/4) | BLOCK | PLACE | Envenomed Bolts
---> Defense Squad E: Silk Vest (Officer) | Pincushion (2/4) | Gauntlets (2/4) | BLOCK | PLACE
---> Support Squad F: Silk Vest (Officer) | Pincushion (3/4) | Suppressor (1/4) | PLACE | Envenomed Bolts
---> Support Squad G: Silk Vest (Officer) | Pincushion (3/4) | Suppressor (1/4) | PLACE | Envenomed Bolts
---> H: Silk Vest (Officer) | Pincushion (1/4) | Gauntlets (1/4) | [50%]
---> I: Silk Vest (Officer) | Suppressors (3/4) | Gauntlets (1/4) | Envenomed Bolts
Territory: 0/4 | 4/4
Resources: 1C, 6O, 2W, 6S
Conditions: Kinetoluminescent Ores, Heavily Infested
Wrackspire Marine Presence: K ?/12 | W 3/12
--->
Marines-->Marine Unit B-A | Cutlass (Full Squad) | Grappling Gear (full squad)
-->Marine Unit B-B | Cutlass (Full Squad) | Grappling Gear (full squad) [25%]
Territory: ?/4 | 1/4
Resources: 3C, 4O, 4W, 2S
Conditions: Unstable Aetheric Phenomena, Broken Spire
Burned MountainMarine Presence: K ?/24 | W 0/24
Territory: ?/4 | 0/4
Resources: 1C, 10O, 1W, 0S
Conditions: Inexplicably Molten Core, Hundreds of narrow tunnels and small galleries.
The UnfinishedMarine Presence: K ?/45 | W 0/45
--->
MarinesTerritory: ?/4 | ?/4
Resources: 8C, 0O, 6W, 2S
Conditions: Unfinished infrastructure, Massive open rooms and halls.
WOSV Chimera - Windrider Class
Loadout
8 SUCKERPUNCH Light Aether Cannons+ (Flanged Heatsinks, Itshana Select) [4 unit Broadsides]
1 Dragun Cannon+ (Sapshot) [Specialized Dragun Bow Mount]
1 Medium Ikusasa Core Crystal
2 Small Basic Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
12 Itshana Select Trim Crystals
4 Itshana Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
8 reams of webbing
Armored Skin
2 Unit of Armor
Location: Spire Wreth
Status: All papers are in order.
WOSV Marge - Transport Barge
Loadout
1 Small Core Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 Small Basic Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
2 Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 reams of webbing
Carrying: 0/6
Location: The Unfinished
Status: All papers are in order.
WOSV Shibboleth - Transport Barge
Loadout
1 Small Core Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 Small Basic Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
2 Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 reams of webbing
Carrying: 0/6
Location: Spire Wreth
Status: All papers are in order.
WOSV Batholith - Transport Barge
Loadout
1 Small Core Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 Small Basic Lift Crystal+ (Itshana Refinement)
2 Trim Crystals+ (Itshana Refinement)
1 reams of webbing
Carrying: 0/6
Location: The Wrackspire
Status: MINOR HULL DAMAGE [3 wood to fix], DESTROYED DINGHIES [Repaired automagically at port]
Comets - Skyskiff Class (x5)
Loadout
2 SUCKERPUNCH Light Aether Cannons (Flanged Heat Sinks)
1 Very Small Select Core Crystal
1 Very Small Select Lift Crystal
4 Select Trim Crystals
2 reams of webbing
Location: Spire Wreth
Status: All papers are in order.
Comets - Skyskiff Class (x2)
Loadout
2 SUCKERPUNCH Light Aether Cannons (Flanged Heat Sinks)
1 Very Small Select Core Crystal
1 Very Small Select Lift Crystal
4 Select Trim Crystals
2 reams of webbing
Location: Central Kasgyrite Demi-spire
Status: All papers are in order.
Comets - Skyskiff Class (x1)
Loadout
2 SUCKERPUNCH Light Aether Cannons (Flanged Heat Sinks)
1 Very Small Select Core Crystal
1 Very Small Select Lift Crystal
4 Select Trim Crystals
2 reams of webbing
Location: Spire Wreth
Status: All papers are in order.
1x Prototype ESP Transmitter
3x Prototype ESP Receiver
MOVE-PLACE x2
(The above is now a link, because the character limit was being a constant irritation)
Author
Topic: Arms Race: War of the Cinder Spires | Spire Wreth (Read 161549 times)