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BASE LEVEL 3 PCs: Verden NPCs:

As the dark magic enshrouds him, Kiba sinks to his knees, the injuries mounting up and proving too much to persevere through. "Sir!" Fraught at seeing their General collapse, the healers rush towards him. The armored knight and the mage still standing also move to take up defensive positions before him, futile as they know it to be in the face of so many standing enemies. Kiba shakes his head and waves the clerics off. Unsure but knowing better than to question, they hesitate. "This is how it should be." "Don't say that, sir, we can still—" A stare from the General causes the rest of his words to peter out. His arms sag, Rhongomiante falling from his hand and rolling in the trampled grass. "If you can find it in yourselves... let them go. They only... followed me." With that, he's silent. And at that, the remaining escapees falter, lowering their weapons and looking at each other, then down at the ground. It seems there's a lot they want to say to each other, but the gravity of their moment of judgment and their leader's death begets solemnity. They only wait. MAJOR VICTORY! Final Results: "Excuse me!" The sound of footsteps interrupts the heavy atmosphere, and the party turns to see the young boy from the men that were defending the village jogging up to them. Instead of the sword at his hip from earlier, he now carries a bow slung across his shoulder. "I'm glad you all haven't left yet. Our elder wanted to ask if you would stay in the village, at least for the night. You may be outsiders, but you did help us, and we can't just let that go. So... won't you come? They're preparing space for you now." After a moment of thought, Johanna nods and steps forward, having dismounted from Idriss after Kiba had fallen. "We'll take you up on that offer. Thank you very much. My guards are injured as well, and we wouldn't mind someplace to regain our bearings." "Great! Oh— and the elder said to give you this, as thanks." Received Pure Water! "Are they...?" He looks towards the remaining prisoners still standing. "They're in our custody for now," Johanna replies. "We'll bring them in, too, and decide what to do with them. They won't be of any more harm to your village, we swear." As they are, the Allied Guard follow behind Fless into the Warriors Village with the convicts in tow, arms bound and weapons confiscated. They show no resistance, resigned to whatever may come of them. As they proceed past the front "gate", little more than a wooden structure erected at the entrance, they enter into a world few have ever seen for themselves. It's not as strange as one might expect from a culture so removed from the rest of the world. The houses, simple log buildings with thatched roofs, look similar to cabins one might have seen in the wilderness, if their roofs, slanted up on all four sides into a steep and pointed peak, are a little oddly shaped. The densely forested ground has been leveled out into soft meadows, and the tended grass feels like a cushion beneath the Guards' weary feet. The houses are widely spaced apart, giving the village an open, breathable feeling. Another dwelling, larger than the others, sits on a rocky incline near the rear of the village. Luckily, none of the attacking prisoners had managed to break past the entrance thanks to the warriors' strong defense, so the interior remains untouched by the battle. In the darkness of nighttime, few are out and about, but the Guard can see some animals scattered around: some from the nearby wilderness moving around, some of them work animals in stables or tied to fences either asleep or grazing. "The places you'll stay are still being prepared," Flynn says, leading them over to an open, roofed shelter, "so you can wait here until that's ready. Um, will whoever's in charge come with me? The elder wants to see you." "That would be me," Johanna says, stepping forward. Flynn seems awestruck by this, though whether it's from her or Idriss' massive size is unclear. "Wow... so... you're really the leader...?" Choosing to ignore the comment, Johanna turns to the others. "While I'm gone, I would like you all to discuss what should be done with the remaining prisoners. I would like to hear what your consensus is by the time I return. Thank you all for fighting bravely today."

Two bursts of bright light flash in the dark sky, wounding the general. He manages to retaliate with a blow of his own, doing sizable damage. As Michi follows up, their fireball landing true, Kiba staggers. The combination of his injuries makes his retaliation weak, and it misses the mage hiding in the brush. "A bad man... weighted... hmm." Cheat Sheet:

One bolt from Rhian's bow is enough to knock the distracted mage backwards, impaling their chest and ending their life almost immediately. Cheat Sheet:

Kris' attack injures the mage, who had spotted a shadow moving out of the nearby trees. They turn to counterattack, their magic buffeting at the girl sharply. Cheat Sheet:

Verden to G10, Heal Argos. [ ENEMY PHASE ] "They're here, General." "Then we move forward. Dying here with our dignity intact is a better ending than what we had before." "Yes. Anything is better than rotting in a cell for people like us." Knight 4 to E7 and attack Dulcibella. Walking forward, he throws a spear at Dulcibella, who takes a moderate blow. She tries to retaliate, but her arrows ping harmlessly off the knight's armor. Mage 5 to E6 and attack Ceridwen. Taking cover behind the knight, the first mage approaches and strikes at the Dragon Knight with wind magic, heavily wounding her. Kiba to F7 and attack Ceridwen. A well-aimed javelin blow knocks Ceridwen off Ynddi's back, knocking her unconscious. "Ceridwen!" Damn it...! Mage 4 to F6 and attack Johanna. A second blast of wind slices at Johanna, who throws an arm up in front of her face against the gale. Cleric 1 to E3. Cleric 2 to D4. "Guards, this is our opening! Strike now with all you have!" Turn 9 Anthropomancy wanes further. Cheat Sheet:

That wasn't the reception she was expecting, necessarily, but a moment's thought reveals that there's little reason to be surprised. Father had often warned that few people in the world, going about their daily lives, are eager to get involved in anything dangerous, even if that danger included being saved by someone else. If your goal as a Knight is to become a hero, you'd better get rid of that idea now. People only react like that in storybooks. As the two young men walk off to examine their fallen and tend to injuries, Johanna rearranges herself on Idriss' back to compensate for the new injury as she pulls a vulnerary from her pack. The leader of these prisoners is still further ahead somewhere, so she can't let herself rest easy on any laurels. "Ceridwen." The other Knight looks dazed, her eyes fixed on the corpses but her gaze far away. "Ceridwen!" Once she's gotten her attention again, she speaks more quietly. "Don't get distracted. We still have work to do, and I don't want to add any of us to the body count." Move to F8 and Vuln. Seymore to H8 and Vuln. Cheat Sheet:

The cadence of the jongleur's words implies mischief, and he frowns at the suggestion of a meaning that eludes his grasp. Treat her right...? What is that supposed to mean? "I don't appreciate being mocked, madam," he says non-aggressively, not taking his eyes off the terrain stretching before them. "I was merely offering aid to someone who could use it."

It's still strange to be called 'Knight'. Kane had told him to select a code name, for reasons he still doesn't quite understand, as it makes operations that much more difficult if he has to remember how to address everyone, and he doesn't think he'll ever grow accustomed to it. After helping her onto Bradwr's back, he turns to start walking again, mollifying his destrier's nearly-inaudible exhale with a passing rub down his nose. He resumes his place at the front of the group, alert for any sign of threat. "I don't blame you for your weariness. This terrain isn't fit for travel. All this sneaking around..."

"An admirable thing to say, but..." Smile on his face, he glances around to each of the others, then back to the exhausted girl. "It looks like the others are holding their own. There's no shame in conserving your energies for where they are most needed. And I won't stand by while you suffer." He pauses enough for her to draw up alongside him and offers his hand to help her onto Bradwr's back.

Despite the undercover nature of the mission and Kane's ever-ebullient confidence in their success, Ferdiad can't help but feel like they must stick out like a battle standard atop a high hill. Leaving a broken wagon, seven people and their beasts trampling through the fields of Perus... even in such a remote location, there could be someone who might catch on. The birds, too, have eyes. In half-armor, he travels at the front of the group, back straight and posture tall, walking in front of even Kane, leading his horse over the grasses with one hand, lance leaning point-up against his shoulder in the other. He keeps half an ear out for the snippets of conversation floating around behind him, but his eyes are trained forward, scanning the brush and the horizon periodically. The mask Kane had picked out for him, suggestive of a soldier's visor ( "Well... to be fair, you did say 'Knight'" ), does not offer the full visibility of going without the device, but he had acquiesced to the... wardrobe demands when he'd agreed to follow him. "..." After a moment, though, it's the sound of heavy breaths and slight wheezing that finally draw the first words out of him in over an hour. He turns to look at Lizaveta, slowing his pace just a little. "Miss, would you like to ride? You are light enough for Bradwr to carry without much trouble."

From the trees, a single blast of dark magic sails forth, biting through the knight's armor and incapacitating him instantly. Spurred by her anger, Ceridwen's lance deals a modest blow to the knight's armor. He tries to retaliate, but once again the axe glances off Ynddi's scales harmlessly. "Ceridwen!" Did she forget all I just said? Frustration set aside in favor of action, she moves to follow up her fellow knight's strike with one of her own before the enemy can react. B9 and attack Knight 8. Unfortunately, the knight reacts to the swoop of Idriss' heavy wings and manages to duck behind a tree to avoid the axe's first swing. His own retaliation also swings wide, however, and Johanna punishes him for his miss with a blow that heavily damages much of his armor. [ ENEMY PHASE ] Knight 8 attacks Johanna. In a last ditch effort, the knight lashes back out. Not expecting such a desperate move, Johanna takes a heavy blow that nearly knocks her off Idriss' back. The angle makes her miss her first strike, but she recovers quickly despite the pain and the second swing of her axe connects, felling her attacker. These dragon knights were women. Women had liberated the Warrior's Village. Somehow, that was even worse than just being killed -- at least that wasn't the kind of fate that brought shame. What kind of a man was he...? Flynn could feel his ears burning. Pointedly ignoring Ceridwen and Johanna, he staggers to his feet and turns around to his brother. "Fless, hey-- h-how are you holding up?" Even if he hadn't actually fought, he knew his brother was kind of... well, he had a soul about as soft as a feather sometimes. And just like that, the battle is... over. The groans and yells, the crashing and scraping of metal: gone. He stands in the middle of it all, clutching the hit of his sword that he didn't really get to use. To his relief. Not that he'd admit that. Then in the darkness, a figure jogs up to him and says his name. "Huh?" He looks from his brother back to his sword. "Uh, I'm okay." Fumbling a little, he sheathes the blade, frowning. Would it ever see use, if he hated whenever he had to draw it? Then he remembers that others had been fighting. Dragons! He looks up towards the bulky reptilian shapes some paces away, at the pale-haired woman pulling her hand away from the newly-received gnarled gash on her leg to examine how badly it was bleeding. "Who... are they?" "They're... dragon knights, I guess," Flynn replies, casting a very brief look over his shoulder again. "They're with the rest of them--" He points to the shadowy figures in the trees. "Dragon Knights...?" His eyes slowly light up in recognition. "Like... th-the ones in the mountains?? In the stories?" He turns around to follow Flynn's gesture. A militia? Where did they come from? No one else lived in the woods around the village... "Excuse me." Heavy steps and the sound of softly jangling armor make him spin around on his heels again, then immediately tilt his head back to find the pale-haired woman sitting atop the most massive beast he's ever seen, deep scarlet scales like plates of steel on its body and a ridged, horned brow giving it a threatening appearance. She looks down with stern, but kind, concern at the two young men from Idriss' back. "Are you men of the Warriors Village?" Straightening up as tall as he could -- which really wasn't all that tall compared to the massive scaled beast resting before him -- Flynn nods. "We are." There's an edge to his voice that lifts it to the unspoken question of 'so what of it?' "You're dragon knights, aren't you? Kinda far away from home, huh?" "Uh, Flynn--..." Johanna is briefly taken aback by his tone, considering they had just helped them. But she recovers quickly. "We are the Allied Guard, under joint command of Captain Joshua Levenheit of the Dragon Knights and President Kirov." The Warriors Village is far removed, but... even they should know about this. "We're searching for the prisoners who escaped from Soniere some days ago. Those were the men that attacked you." "Escaped prisoners...? Flynn, shouldn't we h--" "We've got our own men to deal with Fless," he replies, cutting him off before the other boy can finish. "We should tend to our own wounded before running off any helping anybody else." Looking back at at Johanna, he adds (in an only slightly more respectful tone than before): "We don't know anything about those men other than that they attacked us. We don't exactly associate with outsiders." Like you. "C'mon Fless, we should get going..." ------ "Sir!" A man comes running up the path, looking harried and sweating. "There's reinforcements! I'm not sure where they came from, sir, but they're defending the village! Two soldiers riding giant lizard beasts, and other men coming from the east!" "..." "Sir? What should we do? Should we abandon the village?" "What of the others?" "They... they're dead, sir. Most of them." Kiba is silent for a moment, then turns to the remainder of those who'd followed him. "We left that prison so that we could find honor again. Those of you who can find it past today are free to go." He turns back to the frazzled messenger. "That goes for you too. There's nothing left for any of you here." A tense second passes, and then the messenger bows solemnly to the General and sprints for the northern tree line, disappearing out of sight. Kiba waits for several more moments, but no more footsteps can be heard joining him. "We will not retreat this time?" one of the mages beside him asks softly, firmly. Staring forward, Kiba frowns. "No, not this time... Rhongomiante and I will stay here and answer whatever comes up this path. I have said my piece." All hold. Turn 8 Argos recovers 2 HP. Anthropomancy wanes slightly. Cheat Sheet:

"A fine crowd. I will do my utmost for you all." Ferdiad will choose Fire.

"I promise I will do my utmost to protect you all. Such is the way of the knight."

(...) Cheat Sheet:

Argos' first strike connects, and the mage staggers back before retaliating with another fireball. This one knocks Argos off balance and makes him miss his second strike, though it clips at the fringes of the mage's robes. Seymore to J7. Cheat Sheet:

[ ENEMY PHASE ] Mage 3 to J8 and attack Argos. Despite Argos' taunt, the mage proves a decent shot and his fireball collides, even amidst the trees. "We're under the attack from the rear!" "Dragons??" As Ceridwen and Johanna descend into the fray, the knights momentarily panic. "Keep your focus on the village! General Windamier's orders are to secure it!" "Where did these reinforcements come from? I thought this village was the only thing around here!" When the sound of low, heavy wing beats had reached his ears, he'd cast his eyes to the dark sky, squinting as the bird-like shapes grew larger and then came into view. What was...? No way! "Dragons! There's dragons--! And they've got people on them!" In a clash of scraping steel, they'd pounced on the armored soldiers. The dragons are on their side? Real Dragon Knights! Just like the daring men he'd only ever heard of in stories -- now he definitely had to prove himself in battle, to show them he was capable. "Flynn!" Hand gripping the hilt of his sword trembling, Fless' eyes widen at the gleam of thick-plated scales under the occasional flash of lantern and moonlight. "Dragons??" And then, as the remainder of the knights draw closer, he decides there's more immediate worries than whether the beasts would eat him. Stumbling back a few steps, he tries to lift his blade. "A-Aahhhh...! Get back, you brute!" Knight 7 to D9 and attack Flynn. Knight 6 to C10 and attack Flynn. Knight 8 attacks WV2. A man of the Warrior's Village didn't fear death -- he simply feared a death not noble and proud. But it was much easier to repeat that over and over inside than to actually feel it while your vision blurs and your hands shake around a weapon that's meant to protect you. Every shallow breath was an agonizing reminder of the second knight's axe blade slipping down the edge of his own sword and meeting its mark with little resistance. Still, Flynn clutches the blade tighter -- tight enough to try and quell his grip unsteadied by nerves and blood loss -- and raises it as high as he can take it. "You bastards'll never take this village! Not while one man still stands here -- I won't let you!" Impassioned as the spitting remark may have been in spirit, the fact of the matter is it still comes from the mouth of a mortally terrified boy swaying on his feet. "S-so come at me with all you got! I'll still take you down!" Turn 7 Argos recovers 2 HP. Cheat Sheet:

(...) "And you won't be of any use to them if you're swarmed by the enemy and killed," Johanna fires back sternly. "If we're going to help the villagers, then no one person does it alone. Understood?" Cheat Sheet:

Surprised by the dragon knight's sudden appearance, the knight takes a wounding blow from her lance. He lashes out to retaliate, but even his axe only scrapes against Ynddi's scales. "Ceridwen!" Spurred on to back up her comrade who had rushed in alone, she takes off after her, grip tightening on the handle of her axe. The battle below comes into clearer view once she's out of the cover of the canopy, revealing a group of villagers fending off the heavily armored knights in little more than light armor and swords. "Good work, but I will not have you charging in blindly like that." C11, attack Knight 5. Cheat Sheet:

[ BASE LEVEL 2 ] Verden NPCs

[ ENEMY PHASE ] Soldier 2 to O6 and attacks Seymore. The spearman tries to strike out at Seymore in the trees, but misses. In retaliation, Seymore lands a hefty blow with his hatchet. Fighter 3 to H9 and attack Johanna. Rushing forward, the fighter attempts to catch Johanna off guard. However, his footsteps are heavy and she hears him coming, avoiding his swing and countering with two swift blows of her own, putting him down. The assault on the Warriors Village continues, with Windamier's knights not having yet noticed the winged approach of their adversaries. The cover of nightfall and the clashing sounds of battle obscure and drown out Ceridwen and Johanna's advance. Knight 6 attack WV1. Knight 7 attacks WV1. Knight 5 attacks Flynn. Knight 8 attacks WV2. Turn 6 Anthropomancy wears off. Cheat Sheet:

"The village-- ah!" The Warriors Village. Under attack? It seems like a foolish decision for a band of escaped convicts to target a place rather well known for its militia. They must be desperate. "Good eye, Ceridwen. Yes, let's fly ahead and assist the villagers, but stay low to the trees and be careful." The already weakened archer is not difficult to take down; one shot of Naomi's magic ends his suffering. Ducking into the trees, Argos swings twice at the swordsman, crippling him. His enemy's blade chops into a trunk in retaliation, missing Argos entirely. Cheat Sheet:

Ceridwen's final blow crushes the hapless swordsman beneath the weight of her lance, leaving him in a crumpled heap in the grass. The archer is struck by the fireball, leaving them on their last legs. Further south, a strike from Kerr's spear also brings a swordsman to his knees, further opening up the path west. "Good work, everyone! We're nearly clear of these trees! Keep on your feet!" Attack archer 4, Canto to H10. Cheat Sheet:

Despite the mercenary having concealed himself in the trees, Rhian's shot finds him, piercing his gut. Cheat Sheet:

Two blows of Kris' knife follow up one after the other, leaving the archer on his last legs. [ ENEMY PHASE ] Archer 3 to P7 and attack Seymore. The bowman's shot veers off a trunk of a tree and misses, and he takes a hatchet in compensation. Archer 2 attacks Seymore. This arrow hits home, but Seymore's counterstrike brings him down. Merc 2 to L13 and attacks Kerr. (...) Merc 1 to L11 and attacks Johanna. The swordsman rushes up and strikes at the knight. Though Idriss moves so that his blade glances off his scales, his rider subsequently misses her counterstrike as a result. Mercenary 3 to K12 and attacks Ceridwen. The final swordsman feels intrepid and advances on the Dragon Knight, only to find that his sword harmlessly glances off the scales. He takes a lance wound to the shoulder for his hubris. Knight 6 attack WV1. Knight 7 to E9 and attack WV1. Knight 5 attacks Flynn. Knight 8 to B10 and attack WV2. Turn 5 Argos recovers 2 HP. Anthropomancy wanes further. Cheat Sheet: