Without a Home (Shrike7)

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

"Just Al, please. Or Alberik, if that's too informal for you. Nice to meet you, Anya." The woman replied, nodding as she strode over to the table and started picking through the weapons. She tried to pick one that was similar to the sword at her hip, for obvious reasons. after selecting one of appropriate length and weight, she hefted it as she walked into the ring as well, giving it a few test swings as she settled into a one-handed stance that felt natural. "Alright." She said simply, focusing on the woman in front of her, letting Anya take the first move. Point of this was to try and get her better at defending herself, after all.

((Full defense.))

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 58, PP = 68, EP = 123, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Alberik uses full defense gaining 30 Dodge, 30 + 39 = 69 Dodge!

Attack (Anya) : Miss

"Yes ma'am." Anya replied blithely, and then seemed to struggle internally for a moment before visibly relaxing, and even managing to smile as she replied; "Nice to meet you too, Alberik. I've heard a good deal about you." She promptly attacked the very moment that Alberik stepped into the ring, lashing out with her short wooden sword in a simple overhand strike. Alberik, despite her general lack of practice in swordplay, reacted quickly enough to turn the weapon away before it could touch her, and the larger woman quickly back off rather than attempt to push past Alberik's defense, testing her. "You'll have to learn to attack, as well as defend. Unless you intend for us to do all of the fighting." Anya replied, and her tone was flat and emotionless, free of any accusation or scorn, but also possibly test.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Alberik raised her own practice sword and stepped sideways, batting Anya's sword aside perhaps a bit too exuberantly. "I plan to rely on my other abilities to provide offense in actual battle, but I find myself overwhelmed physically far too often, thought this may be a good chance to learn how to defend myself better." She said simply, watching Anya's movements for a second. "Of course, no sense neglecting attack as well." She said as she started moving forward, waving the blade about cautiously before going for an actual strike, aiming for the scout's side...

Spoiler

Defensive Fighting 20!

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 58, PP = 68, EP = 123, Status = Fine

Rolls

Spoiler

Alberik attacks with 20 point defensive fighting! 59 Dodge!
Attack (Alberik) : Miss. Unfortunately, that left you with a +1 bonus to your attack roll.

Attack (Anya) : Miss again!

Anya caught Alberik's cautious strike on her wooden sword and pulled it upward as she dropped into a crouch, deflecting the blows momentum so that it passed over her head. The blond woman pulled her blade back when Alberik's sword was out wide on the opposite side, and on the opposite side of her body. The soldier quickly stepped in to capitalize on the opening in Alberik's defenses, but the fact that she had to come in close due to her short blade gave the planeswalker just enough time to reorient herself and catch the blow on the flat of her practice sword. Anya seemed surprised by that, and quickly backed off.

"Your guard isn't bad. You should be able to hold off a grunt, maybe even two if you don't get surrounded or cornered. But you won't hit anything flailing around like that," the soldier said critically even as she set up for another attack. "What happens when you run out of steam and can't use your powers anymore? I know you mages can last for a while, and this isn't going to be your fight anyway, at least not at first, but it's always good to have options."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

((Yeah, that sounds about right. Glad to see I can avoid the negatives, at least. XD))

Alberik's final guard was a bit hasty, the practice swords meeting with a loud clack before the scout backed off. The outsider reset her defense again. "I do run out of steam faster than most mages, since I rely more on my inborn abilities than the spells I'm capable of. I'm putting all my effort into defense right now, if that's barely enough to hold off a grunt or two, then I'm likely in trouble pressing the attack regardless. Best to call for help and try to hold the line until I can get some backup." She explained cooly.

She did try, however, gripping the sword in both hands as she advanced again, focusing a bit more on the angle of the swing and putting a bit more strength into it, trying to guage how hard she could press before her defense faltered enough to become a problem...

Spoiler

Defensive fighting 10, this time

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 42/58, PP = 68, EP = 123, Status = Bonked

Rolls

Spoiler

Alberik attacks with 10 point defensive fighting! 49 Dodge!
Attack (Alberik) : Miss.

Attack (Anya) : Hit.
Damage: 3 + 3 + 26 = 32/2 = 16 damage.

"Perhaps...." Anya replied quietly, and when Alberik came forward with a two handed strike the woman reacted immediately. Suddenly darting to the side, Alberik's swing missed Anya completely, and she felt a painful smack against her lower thigh as she did so, the soldier's wooden sword hitting her just above her knee. Anya took another stepped forward and planted her foot as if to spin, but stopped herself instead and turned to face Alberik as she backed off. Even as unpracticed as Alberik was, however, she recognized the followup to the attack pattern well enough, the initial strike meant to strike the opponent behind the knee and the second directed against the back of the opponent's neck to decapitate them. Oddly, it seemed like a tactic that would be meant for a longer, heavier sword.

"Hrm. It might be prudent for you to rely on your other abilities for offense after all, at least until you've acquired some more practice. Your defense isn't bad, but your attacks are still fairly predictable. You might be able to hit a grunt who wasn't trying to defend himself like that, but a better trained opponent would make short work of you in a real fight, assuming you relied solely on your sword at least." Anya commented calmly, once more waiting for Alberik to strike at her.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

The outsider grunted as her swing was sidestepped and she felt the strike to her knee. She had seen the tactic before, and knew where the next blow would have landed. She watched Anya back off, and stood fully again, giving her bruised leg a shake as she nodded. "Everything else comes so easily to me, like remembering something I simply haven't done in a while. Fighting with steel feels like I've never bothered to try, before. Puts me on much more even ground than I would like." She said with a bit of a smile, advancing again, this time, she forgoed defense entirely, simply seeing if she had the ability to strike the woman at all, aiming a long swipe towards the woman's midsection, changing the angle halfway through to hopefully foil the obvious defense against such an attack.

((normal attack this time, no defensive fighting))

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 26/58, PP = 68, EP = 123, Status = Double Bonked

Rolls

Spoiler

Attack (Alberik) : 4 + 21 = 25 == Miss. The dice do not love you.

Attack (Anya) : Hit.
Damage: 3 + 3 + 26 = 32/2 = 16 damage. Again.

"Hrm." Anya grunted at Alberik's statement, and then waited for her to come in to attack. As Alberik obliged her, however, the outsider stumbled slightly over a dip in the grassy terrain that she hadn't noticed before, allowing Anya to easily avoid her strike and return with one of her own. Alberik felt Anya's wooden blade bop her on the top of her head as she stumbled past the woman, not really hurting all that much save perhaps for wounding Alberik's pride. Taking a ready stance once more, Anya said; "That was more bad luck than anything. You can do it. Try again."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Alberik rubbed the back of her head a bit, frowning. She didn't say anything in response, just set her jaw and tried again, moving up to the woman and swinging once more. It was starting to feel rather futile, but she knew she was likely to lose before she ever stepped into the ring.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 9/58, PP = 68, EP = 123, Status = Triple Bonked!

Rolls

Spoiler

Attack (Alberik) : 7 + 21 = 25 == Miss. The dice do not love you.

Attack (Anya) : Hit.
Damage: 3 + 4 + 26 = 33/2 = 17 damage.

Anya remained utterly still as Alberik rushed toward her on the attack once more, and for a moment Al thought that she might be able to hit the woman. Suddenly, however, the soldier's wooden blade flicked upwards and batted her strike aside before coming up and landing a solid hit on Alberik's shoulder. That was probably going to leave a mild bruise come the next morning, but Anya showed no hints of allowing Alberik to rest as she said; "Again."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

The woman took a step back, trying to roll her shoulder to feel out the bruise. "Again won't help unless I know what needs to be changed." She grumbled. She did attack again though, this time moving to barely combat distance and trying an assortment of different attacks and angles, trying to slowly work past her guard.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 9/58, PP = 68, EP = 123, Status = Triple Bonked!

Rolls

Spoiler

Attack (Alberik) : 15 + 21 = 36 == Hit.
Damage: 6 + 6 + 9 = 21/2 = 11 damage!

This time, Alberik managed to find a way past the woman's guard, landing a surprisingly powerful hit on Anya's side. She stepped back and away from the strike, and then paused to nurse the site of the hit for a moment before saying; "You see? You just need to practice. I can try to teach you more, if you've got the time today." She smirked, "And don't mind getting a few more bruises."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Alberik backed off a tad as well. "I obviously need the practice, and i'll be here in the camp for tonight and tomorrow. If I can spread word that anyone with questions can find me here, then I'll stay and train until you can't stand my ineptitude any more." She says with a chuckle. She dropped her guard as a gesture to stop for a moment, and looked around, wondering if any of the assembled had questions for her already.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 58, PP = 68, EP = 123, Status = Fine

Anya lowered her weapon as well, nodding and saying; "I think what you said was straightforward enough, but I don't see why spreading the word of your presence and availability here would be a problem. You might even get a few other sparring partners to work with, which should be nice." The soldier smirked at Alberik's self deprecation, but then turned toward one of the other soldiers and said; "Stannis, why don't you go and spread the word eh? Alberik looks like she can use a break anyway."

A very young man nodded excitedly and quickly jogged off of the sparring field, and none of the other soldiers around them did anything more than nod respectfully to Alberik. Anya, however, gestured for Alberik to follow, and if she did the blond woman led her over to a table for practice weapons, laying her own sword down. They were also alone there, everyone else out of hearing distance so long as they kept their voices down, which is what Anya did as she rounded on Alberik and said; "So. I assume you have a plan besides sending the scouts in to act as assassins, and then unleash whatever troops you've managed to sneak in once the alarm goes up. You do have a backup plan, right? Or at least an extraction directive? Someplace for us to try and retreat to in case things don't go according to plan? I'll be in that first wave, so I would like to know that I'm not playing hopscotch over the meatgrinder without some sort of safety net."

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Alberik nods, following the woman out of the practice ring and over to the table, resting on it while Anya voiced her own concerns. Alberik nodded at the question, staying quiet as Anya seemed to want to.

"Yes, there are two or three areas I know of that have likely been converted to slave pens since I was there. Too open to enter into originally, but some of the first squads are being sent to secure them, letting us use them as more places to enter from, as well as fallback points and places for supplies. Orcs will have posted guards, but they should be few and hopefully lax." She explained, going over the locations in her head. The cafeteria, the hall she had first seen an elder lord in, the grand hall she had only seen from the outside...

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 58, PP = 68, EP = 123, Status = Fine

Anya gave a nod in return, showing relief as Alberik spoke, "So there will be someplace to evacuate to in case things go belly up. Good. Will we be going there to secure them so we can get more people in? Have you asked the mages about opening full portals into these areas once we've got them secure? If we can capture a few orcs, the mages we bring might be able to use them to speed up the ritual to raise the portals from the other side." Despite the fact that she had just suggested using human sacrifices in order to power their rituals, Anya didn't even bat an eyelash. As far as the orcs were concerned, the scout seemed to have no hesitation when thinking of taking their lives, even if some were rendered helpless.

(After answering these, post what you'll have Alberik doing all day. I figure we can just skim over it here and get on to the start of the battle. She is, as before, free to keep training and stay to answer questions of anyone that pops up, as she has no other obligations to worry about save planning the attack.)

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

The outsider nodded, leaning against the table holding the practice weapons as she recovered from the exertion. "Yes, to all of it. To be honest, the war council said very little about my plan, though they said it should work. I was hoping for the ability to hammer out the details with the ones it would affect most, thank you. Looks like I was thinking in the proper direction, thankfully."

She signed a little before continuing. "And doubly yes on the captives. I have a plan that may halt the war with the orcs entirely, but I need to find someone in that fortress that has been to the capital in order to do it quickly and efficiently. The higher the rank, the better. If you see the chance to capture any sort of leader, do so, but don't put anyone at risk because of it. There will be plenty of chances, and you won't be the only one hunting."

Alberik didn't show much reaction to the scout's callous attitude towards the orcs either. They were 'enemies', after all, and what happens in a war is almost never considered good or just after the fact. She did decide to speak up about it, though. "The orcs are still a yound race, Anya, try to temper your hatred with that. All civilizations start out barbaric, if you look far back enough. Once intelligence wins out over strength in the leadership, you may be surprised at the changes that you'll see from them." She said with a faint smile, then shrugged and hefted her practice blade once more. "I feel recovered enough, another round?"

Alberik alternated between practice and questions most of the day, though by the end of it she felt she had gained more progress in the latter than the former. She left for her bed once people began leaving the fires to bunk down themselves, feeling sore and bruised, but hopeful. The next day started early, the woman getting up once the light of morning hit her bed, stopping at the kitchen to get some bread on her way down to the camp again. A few hours there told her that everyone who wanted to talk to her had done so the day before, so she wandered to the library and buried herself in the mass of books there once again. She stopped at nightfall, and walked down the the fields once again, taking her time and trying her best to clear her cluttered mind and collect her scattered thoughts. They were waiting a few more hours, until the dead of night, so she had time...

((Finally! Skip ahead to wherever you need to!))

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 58, PP = 68, EP = 123, Status = Fine, Arcane Shield

Spending much of the day with Anya on the training field, Alberik was often approached by those searching for answers regarding the details of her plan to retake Gods-Reach from the orcs. Not all of them were members of the militia, however, as both Telvesh (the leader of the Falling Leaves) and Arikur (the leader of the Blue Falcons) stopped by to give Alberik reports on their numbers. She spent much of her free time sparring, and left the field later covered in bruises, but also far more learned in the arts of swordsmanship. She and Anya had shared a meal as well, and the scout had spent most of the day with Alberik, being apparently off duty. The woman had merely shrugged at Alberik's words regarding the orcs, replying; "Yeah, maybe you're right. I wouldn't really say that being young is an excuse though, and I sure as hell am not going to be showing any orc mercy today, not unless he looks valuable enough to capture." She lifted another training sword, this one longer and thicker than the weapon she had used previously, "I think another round would be good, yup." She proved far more proficient with the longer blade, both offensively and defensively, and her blows stung a great deal more as well.

The rest of the day went largely without any surprises, and the same could be said for the day after that as well. Finally, as night began to fall, all of the forces she had assembled for the battle stood at the ready around her, and the portals that would carry the brunt of their forces into the ancient fortress were ready. All they required now was for Alberik to contact the mages holding them at the ready and provide coordinates, an easy task given the woman's telepathic abilities.

Telvesh stepped up beside her, followed immediately by Arikur and Greyback, who had decided to join in on this battle, something that she had seldom done previously. Four other mages stepped up as well, completing the group that she would need for her initial push. An Arcane Shield had already been placed over Alberik by one of the mages who would not be actively participating in the battle, an effect that would protect her own magics from being disrupted by enemy casters. The squads were all assembled and ready, the scouts lined up near where the first portal would open while the heavier troops were assembled in tight formations, waiting for the real battle for Gods-Reach to begin.

The tension in those around her was thick enough to cut with a sword, as each and every man and woman prepared for what might be their own death, or the death of a friend. All that was needed for the battle to begin now, was for Alberik to take the hands of the two men beside her, and carry them all with her magic to the place where it would begin.

Spoiler

Alberik, due to spending the day training and planning, has gained one of a number of things. Firstly, she has gained 4 experience just for the planning stage of her attack on Gods-Reach.

Secondly, she may choose to gain any one (and only one) of the following:
An additional 6 experience.
A +10 bonus to Body.
The Skill with One Handed Swords Talent.
The Duelist Talent.
The Pain Resistant Talent and 2 experience.

Current Assault Force Numbers:
200 Mages, about 40 of whom can cast convincing illusions.
80 Falling Leaves (elves,) including 10 knights, 40 scouts, and 30 soldiers.
150 Blue Falcons, including 20 knights, 40 scouts, and 90 soldiers.
400 CCM troops, including 40 knights, 100 scouts and 260 soldiers.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Choosing the Duelist talent, will add that and the extra 4 XP in when I update/rewrite the character for 3.5. Should be soon, probably. Maybe. I hope...

Alberik stood with the group she'd be taking in with her at first, calmly watching the assembled force. In the moments before a battle her mind always calmed, allowing her to fully focus on the task at hand. She offered a smile to whoever she made eye contact with as she scanned the crowd, then took a deep breath and went to work. She spent a moment to cast a few minor buffing spells on herself, as well as on Arikur and Telvesh, the two most likely to be in the front should something happen on the first phase, before the attack could start in earnest. Once that was done, she closed her eyes, focusing her mind on the memory of the first night she spent at God's Reach...

The outsider solidified her mental image of Sera's room, setting the location in her mind, then stripped away all the furniture, leaving it blank. her mind went through all the possibilities of what the room could contain now, judging the safest place for the small group to appear in, and finally deciding on the doorway between rooms. The orcs would need that spot would need to remain clear if they were going to access the back room, and there wasn't a physical door there before, it was unlikely of them to add one, leaving it the least likely place in the location to now be obstructed by something. She had no idea what would happen if you tried to teleport into an object, and her flashes of insight (memory?) she had experienced on the matter were sketchy and seemed to suggest both safety and danger, so she did the best she could to avoid the matter entirely.

"Okay, prepare yourselves." She said quietly, but purposefully. Reaching out and grasping the hands offered her without opening her eyes, she focused on the distance between here and there, the line seen from above linking the two locations. She then focused and expended some of her energy, mentally stepping sideways away from the world into somewhere else, and then back again where she wanted to be, having drawn the small group outwards and back again with her.

Not wasting a second, she opened her eyes and looked around. The air mages should have begun casting immediately, if there were slaves in the room, she would do her best to keep them from suffocating as was planned for any orcs they had appeared beside.

Spoiler

Arcane Armour to buff self resistance by 6 points, costs 2 EP to cast, 0 upkeep.
Lesser strength on Arikur and Telvesh each to buff their body each by 6, 2EP to cast, 0 upkeep.

Instant Transmission, 6EP

Something from wind magic to breathe air into any suffocating slaves? Or perhaps telekinesis, if that can grasp air. If neither of those work, then crap, ignore that last statement.

If i forgot anything, lemme know. gonna go see about updating the sheet now, may have enough time, may not

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Without a Home (Shrike7)

Spoiler

Alberik: HP = 58, PP = 68, EP = 111/123, Status = Fine, Arcane Shield, 2x Lesser Strength (+16 Body for Arikur and Telvesh,) Arcane Armour (+16 Resistance)

Rolls

Spoiler

Edit your updated sheet in as soon as you can, please. I need to update the status bar.

Alberik's spellcasting:
Casting: Success.
They're 2nd level spells, and as such get multiplied by 2. All spell have their effects multiplied by spell level except for Utility ones, not just damage ones. I also changed it at some point so that it automatically rounds up instead of down, so it's 8 instead of 6.
Alberik has gained 16 Resistance, and Telvesh and Arikur gain 16 Body.


Alberik teleports for 6 EP.
Casting (Mages) : Success. Air Drown was successful!
Attacks: All hit.
Damage: 3 + 1 + 6 + 2 = 12 * 4 = 48 damage.

Phase 1 is successful!

The image of Sera's bedroom appeared in Alberik's mind easily enough. She remembered the last time that she'd seen Erik smile, in that room, as the two of them had looked over the map of the world that Sera had kept on her wall. With a brief flash of light, she and the eight people connected to her vanished, and appeared there once more.

It had changed somewhat since she had been there last. Firstly, the bed was gone, replaced by a row of much smaller cots. Secondly, those cots were inhabited by a half dozen orcs, all of whom were quite surprised by the sudden appearance of nine strangers in their midst. Before any of them could speak a word, however, the wind mages completed their magic, tearing the air from their lungs in one swift action. The main room of Sera's apartment was full as well, but the mages had covered that as well, and the only sounds that the orcs made were their own choking breaths. They passed out within seconds of the surprise attack, and Arikur and Telvesh silently strode about, slitting their throats just as quietly.

There hadn't been any slaves present here, and by the look of things this place had been a barracks for the common soldiers. None of them had been wearing their armor or had any weapons in hand when the group had arrived, and as such her initial plan had gone over perfectly. The door leading outside was still closed, and not a single sound had been made by their foes that might have been heard by outside. "Call to the others Alberik," Telvesh said quietly while making his way toward the door leading outside, while Arikur searched over the dead orcs to make sure that none had survived.

Spoiler

Current Party:
Telvesh, last of the Falling Leaves
Arikur, leader of the Blue Falcons
Professor Greyback
5 wind mages

Current Assault Force Numbers:
200 Mages, about 40 of whom can cast convincing illusions.
80 Falling Leaves (elves,) including 10 knights, 40 scouts, and 30 soldiers.
150 Blue Falcons, including 20 knights, 40 scouts, and 90 soldiers.
400 CCM troops, including 40 knights, 100 scouts and 260 soldiers.