- April -
Nine Months Until the Fiendlord's Invasion
Romance and redeem Lucifer (I can fix him!)
(6 vs. 3+2) The romance is a success, but the redemption is not; alas, it only leaves Lucifer more determined than ever to conquer Avalon, so that nothing might stand between him and his love!
I create a psionic amplifier of nearly unfathomable power that can still be conveniently concealed on my person. Also, if I have time, I train a few psionic assassins to augment our defenses.
(6) The device is as small as a wristwatch and doubles Black's psychic power, but without inner strength to match, the strain is overwhelming! His brain can't take eight minutes of this, never mind eight months!
Having gotten confused on the way and traveled to a very different Avalon initially, I now return with a platoon of small, intelligent and fluffy four-eared space raptors wielding rapid-fire railguns in tow.
(6) Strife shows with THREE platoons of space raptors. The citizens, mistaking them for some newfangled breed of fiend, form a mob and chase them out. They decide to join up with the Fiendlord instead.
Take the librarian's offer and seek a sage that specializes in magical barriers. Ask them what would be required to create an impregnable, everlasting barrier around the city.
(1) "Nothing is everlasting; entropy conquers all! You make a mockery of my art, simpleton. Begone!" The sage chases Bridges out of his office.
Begin the ritual chanting to bring back the accursed armies of the Dead! for the side of good of course, totally wont conquer the heroes afterwards.
(3) At the dead of night, bearing spells most profane and reagents most foul, M. Monkey conducts a dark necromantic ritual in Avalon's graveyard! When the morning sun comes, one (1) skeleton has risen from its grave.
Start training up some more soldiers. A mere thousand shouldn't be asked to defend the whole of this great city alone!
(5) Devastator's call to arms is answered; the army's ranks swell! Recruitment eases off by the end of the month, but if it continues at the new rate, the army's size will have doubled by December!
Research further into his life, looking for love interests, friends, notable companions, allies, pets, does this person have a known human side? Has anyone ever, that is known, offered them any kindness, anything but a bum deal? If so, who, how, and how did the Fiendlord react?
(3) No, he doesn't have any of that. He's the goddamn Fiendlord.
Start digging a moat around the outside of the city walls.
(4) With the entire army set to digging, the moat encircles the city within the month. It hasn't been flooded yet, though.
Study all available information about the Fiendlord's tactics. There are many ways to attack a city; we can't risk leaving ourselves open to one of his primary methods. Is the Fiendlord flexible in his techniques, or does he consistently rely on a single overwhelmingly effective approach? Should we expect a lengthy siege or a rapid assault? Do his forces build ramps to overcome walls? Dig tunnels? Deploy catapults?
In order to achieve victory, we must know the enemy. After all, we shouldn't devote too much effort to the walls if the Fiendlord has many winged beasts that can simply carry his forces over them.
(3) The Fiendlord has neither the patience nor the need for sieges; he takes a city in a single overwhelming attack. His vast wealth of conventional and unconventional troops makes his tactics hard to predict. Most of his army attacks by land, but Lucifer leads an aerial Dragoon Corps.
Bridges
Black, Psion of the Fifth Noosphere (Amplified)
Imp
Devastator, Aide to the Blade
Egan
Strife
M. Monkey & Skeleton (1)
Zultan
Gophers
1,000 Avalonian Soldiers
...And 200 More
Largely Intact Wall
The Nameless Blade of Kerr
Dry Moat
Intel: The Fiendlord's attack will probably come after dark, when the dead are at their zenith and the living their nadir.
It is now
May. Eight months remain. What do you do?