Paz-Durkh: Arrival and Preparation

[Freemage]

Fresh off the great victory at Pocahontas, the Jokers evacuate from the town before dawn's first light, leaving the remaining Cavalry troopers to try to comprehend the upending of their world, and perhaps maybe even decide that a life of militarized banditry isn't the easy road they'd believed it to be, after all (and those that don't will be given another opportunity to reconsider their life choices as they walk back into town after being stranded by vehicular breakdowns).

The road is level and clear as you drive along, and spirits are high as you begin up the mountain track that leads to the mining village. The road is treacherous and slow-going, even with the need for haste driving you onward; you don't reach the settlement until almost dusk (though the sky is brightly illuminated by the Ley Line that passes directly over the settlement). Upon arrival, you see that some legion units have already arrived, and others come almost immediately after your own. Of course, yours is the only SET, but the rank-and-file Legionnaires, coupled with the doughty dwarves, will doubtless make for a formidable force under your command.

As you alight from the vehicles, a particularly thin Legionnaire with Corporal's stripes comes running up, immediately identifying and saluting Artemeisia. "Ma'am! Corporal Reginald Montesque, reporting. We've had confirmation of multiple bandit raiders being successfully interdicted by teams on their way here; that should thin out the Cavalry numbers considerably. I have orders to turn command of the defenses over to you immediately." He looks visibly relieved to not be 'in charge' during the upcoming fight.

"My understanding is that we should expect the remaining bandits to assault the settlement starting around noon tomorrow. Even with the losses they've taken, they'll still outnumber us, but by much less of a margin. The full contingent from the Legion, unfortunately, won't arrive until sundown the day after that, so we'll have to hold the town until then."

Surrounding the settlement (really, 'village' is giving it more credit than is due) are a number of impromptu barricades, a scattered array of more serious spiked fences, and some trenches to slow down attackers, and people running hither and yon, all working diligently, but perhaps lacking focus. Cpl. Montesque lays out a map of the settlement, to give the commander a better idea of what she's looking at. It's a collection of homes and workshops, all built in a semi-circle against the mountain slope, surrounding the mine entrance. The impromptu defenses surround that, and go up onto the slope above the mine-entrance, forming a rough circle if viewed from above.

Artemeisia quickly identifies three 'zones'. The outer defenses, obviously, are being built up to hold the line as long as they can, but they lack time and materials to make a full-blown palisade. Inside that, it occurs to her that the defenders, if forced back, could make the bandits pay dearly fighting through the array of oddly shaped buildings that surround the mine entrance. Finally, as a last redoubt, the mine itself could be used if the defenders have been so heavily battered that they have no choice but to retreat. In the event of a complete disaster, further losses could be mitigated by abandoning the effort to save the settlement itself--have any survivors retreat into the mine, leaving the geodes near the entrance as easy pickings. Of course, that would constitute a complete failure, but it might spare the lives of some of the defenders.

OOC Comments

Okay, folks, the defense of the town during the Siege is going to be a Mass Battle. It's going to be five "rounds", barring the total destruction of either side before then:

Day 1, Midday
Day 1, Evening
Day 2, Morning
Day 2, Midday
Day 2, Evening

You have one scene to post a description of how you, personally, help prepare the settlement for battle. Any reasonable notion will be accepted. The post should be accompanied by an appropriate Skill roll. Some obvious possibilities:

Construct outer defenses: Repair
Construct trap-style defenses in the village area or the mine entrance: Knowledge: Engineering
Drill the miners on their new weapons: Battle
Bolster morale with speeches, songs and so forth: Persuasion
Scouting the terrain immediately outside the barricades, in case the opportunity to raid the attacker's position arises: Tracking or Survival

Of course, since you guys are PCs, there's all sorts of other options--I encourage creativity and the unexpected, just keep it plausible (if you have an idea but would like to know what skill to roll, ping me in the Hangout). These rolls will generate a bonus for that may or may not come up during the siege. So outer defenses will matter most early on; if the defenders get pushed back, though (triggered by losing certain numbers of tokens), village/mine defenses will kick in. Bolstered Morale will affect rolls to see if the defenders rout, but only the first two rounds. I'll make other, similar rulings going forward.

[Echo]

Notice 16 3 raises - Persuasion 9 1 raise - Tracking 5 Success

Echo Notice Roll: [dice]0[/dice]
Notice Wild Die: [dice]1[/dice]+1

• Wild Die Aced: [dice]6[/dice]
  • Wild Ace Aced: [dice]7[/dice]

Echo Persuasion Roll to Boost Moral: [dice]2[/dice] (included -2 for MAP)
Persuasion Wild Die: [dice]3[/dice] (included -2 for MAP)

Echo Tracking Roll for Gathering Intelligence: [dice]4[/dice] (included -2 for MAP)
Notice Wild Die: [dice]5[/dice] (included -2 for MAP)

Echo uses the time the men are working to do patrols as a falcon getting as much intelligence as possible about the coming forces, and their disposition. When the men reach lulls in their work he will join them, performing for them as a bard with tails and songs to keep their spirits up.

After performing his duties he reports back to the group assembled for intelligence and explains the potential difficulties of the terrain and pitfalls of trying to set up ambushes in those areas.
"To be honest, my experience here is less than some. But I think if anyone where to try and use those area they would be isolated from support and quickly overrun by the bandits.
"Once the engagement begins I think my best contributions will be in tormenting the enemy by flying in and attacking as a giant tiger while disrupting movements with electrical storms and electrical fires. Alternately I can have my duplicate go out and cause havoc as well. We will be most effective at disrupting their activities and coordination rather than actually harming them."

OOC Comments

When the battle starts she should be able to contribute mechanically the best by using her Fighting as a tiger/lion.
I understand this will put her at risk of taking personal wounds, but heroes are never the ones who stand on the sidelines.

[Freemage]

Despite what Echo might have expected (based on the unit the Jokers disabled), there are relatively few other high-powered vehicles coming (some, to be sure, but not the potentially dozens that could've been coming). And several of the bandits she spots moving furtively through the trees and rocks a few miles out seem to have come through significant combat, already. Yes, the Legion definitely inflicted some losses on the raiders before the siege could begin. Still, the terrain around the mining community is thick with cover. Echo sees a few good places for the defenders to move to, if they drive the raiders from the barricades and want to prevent them from re-grouping, but the positions are too isolated to man during the initial siege.

Her time with the troops, and especially with the miners, is very productive. Her songs trigger a cavalcade of boisterous cheers, and she's sure that the troops are well-buffered against the initial shock of actual combat.

OOC Comments

There are conditions in which the raiders will fall back, at least temporarily, if they are badly damaged by the defenders; if this occurs, there's going to be an opportunity to engage them in the 'fourth zone' of 'outside the perimeter defenses' in order to try to inflict additional damage before they can re-group and attack the town again. If you guys get the option to do so and take it, Echo's Track roll will give a bonus at that time.

The Morale Check bonus (+2) will apply in full after the first round of fighting, and at half-strength (+1) after the second round. This can be key, since a blown Spirit roll can turn even minor losses into a complete rout.

[Peta Chante]

Notice 5

Notice [dice]0[/dice]
Wild: [dice]1[/dice]

Of little use in the technical preparations Herra volunteers to lead scouting parties to identify likely enemy positions, ambush sites, and other useful terrain information.

"Unfortunately, I am an arena fighter not a strategist. Trained to fight and die in someone else's war. But, I am also not one to stand around and wait for the battle to come to me. Perhaps we should harass the bandits as they approach. It may reduce their combat effectiveness and keep them from conducting a well organized assault."

If the idea has merit, she shares some possible locations from her scouting foray.

Scouting Survival 7 Tracking 5

Survival [dice]2[/dice]
Wild: [dice]3[/dice]

Tracking: [dice]4[/dice]
Wild: [dice]5[/dice]

[Freemage]

By taking the low road, Herra manages to isolate some decent places for pursuit and advantage that Echo missed--but they are positions that would likely get overrun during the initial attack, if people were to man them, ending up isolated and surrounded by the enemy. Part of the problem, she realizes, is that the hoverbikes used by so many of the bandits have a ceiling of 100'--way too high to be able to properly box them in for an ambush.

OOC Comments

Similar to what Echo found, Herra's efforts will add to Echo's in a bonus in case of the Bandits being in retreat, but it's a REALLY bad idea to try and harry them on the way in, unless you're willing to sacrifice someone to do it. You need to get them running in order to really take advantage of the overlooks and other sniping positions.

[SnackHappy]

Jacob scans the outlying defenses on approach to the mining camp intent to find ways to better defend the little people. Surely someone could have done a better job at directing these men.

In a hurried voice Jacob rattles off questions as fast as they come into his head”Hey Montesque!, who be in charge of these here barricades? Do we have more supplies available to shore these up? How many people are available to help me out? There’s quite a bit we need to do here.

Trying to sound tough and not his usual jovial self, Jacob begins trying to organize the men working the barricades and outer defenses. Each time he points out a weakness he tells the people working it both how Sasha would destroy it and the best way to prevent her from doing so. When the miners don’t understand he shows them exactly what he means and gives them examples. When necessary he uses Sasha as a means to lift or move materials to help them with fortifying the outer defenses.

OOC Comments

If it’s possible perhaps set up choke points to funnel enemies into. Essentially trying to make them look like weak points however trying to turn them into almost kill zones.

Rolls

Notice [dice]0[/dice]
Wild Die [dice]1[/dice]

Repair [dice]2[/dice]
Wild Die [dice]3[/dice]

Notice: 7 Repair: 9

[Freemage]

Jacob and Sasha manage to get the barricades into some particularly cunning positions, allowing for the defenders to be shielded even from higher-flying bikes while still having an upward field of fire. All in all, he's confident that he's made the outer defenses very tricky to get past; it will cost the bandits dearly to try. He also realizes that he can repurpose some of the MDC materials used on some of the buildings to bolster the barricades into a more durable and lasting presence.

OOC Comments

So long as the defenders are at the outermost barricade (hereafter referred to as Zone 1), they will get a +1 Fortification Bonus to their Battle rolls. (Since he got a Raise, the bonus is permanent in Zone 1, as the barricades are now sturdy enough to hold up to weapons fire).

[Artemeisia]

OOC Comments

Notice:[dice]0[/dice] Wild Die [dice]1[/dice]
Constant Effects: One Eye (-2 Range penalty), Sense Ley Lines, Danger Sense
Temporary Effects: Name (Duration)

Ah, a very strategic problem, interesting, is the thought that crosses Artemeisia's mind as they arrive at the town. She surveys the area like she owns the place, taking in the surrounding and making an initial analysis of the situation. It's a wonderful problem, a defensive puzzle like this. Grinning with satisfaction she appreciates their success in Little Pocahontas.

When the other Corporal transfers command to her, she accepts with confidence. "The 7th SET and your brave warriors will protect these fine people." The map and Cpl. Reginald become her sole point of attention until she has asked all the possible questions she can think of. The defensive zones are a great opportunity. Her only addition is that booby traps in the town would be effective. With the eclectic town layout, it would be hard for the approaching enemy to predict ambushes and traps.

She's not necessarily a team player, or a great leader, but she loves a problem. Unfortunately her main weapons are insults and dirty tricks, which don't inspire folks too much. Artemeisia surveys the troops and the townspeople to find out if any of them have devious and nefarious skills that could be used to trap the town in unusual ways. Other eclectic and potentially useful skills are equally valuable. Putting them to work is the next step.

A stand up fight is probably what the enemy is expecting, and throughout history, a larger force has been stymied if not destroyed by unconventional warfare. Unfair, cheating, dishonorable, cowardly, evil, all these labels mean nothing to her, she is here to protect the people, to complete her mission, to win.

OOC Comments

Identify unconventional skills: Knowledge: Battle [dice]2[/dice] Wild [dice]3[/dice]
Convince people to be creative: Persuasion [dice]4[/dice] Wild [dice]5[/dice] + Autoace (4)

[Freemage]

Artemeisia realizes that the layout of the buildings, in particular, allows for "false breach", where the defenders can fall back, but a second group, laying in wait, can then catch pursuers in a pincer movement, cutting them off from the other raiders; the first group of defenders then loops around to serve as the ambusher for another breach, and so on. The dwarves seem to enjoy the idea of using their homes as traps for these thieving raiders.

OOC Comments

There's a fixed +1 Fortification bonus to Zone 2 now, as well.

[Erin Tarn]

Pep Talk 8

​Persuasion (pep talk?) [dice]0[/dice] Plus +2 racial +2 Comm band....
Jimmy = some local miner kid. Granted 40 year olds are kids to Roath....

• The moon hung like a sickle blade over Paz-Durkh, and Jimmy stood quietly staring down at the makeshift barricades in the lunar light below. Tomorrow hundreds of warriors might be gathered there, and they would come screaming across the narrow strip of ground, making it be bloodstained, hauling their ladders, weilding magics, maybe piloting large power armors and carrying deadly weapons. They would be baying for battle and death, and the sound would terrify him, seeming to penetrate his skin like needles of ice. Jimmy was more frightened than he had ever been in his young life, and he longed to run, to hide, to throw away his ill-fitting armor and race away anywhere, even towards the CS.
  
  He was the son of a now dead miner. Now a miner himself. His fragile mind pictures the enemy coming, wave after wave, their raucous battle cries sending their hatred ahead of them. The shallow wound in his upper left arm was both throbbing and itching. Mining was dangerous, war was insane. Tomorrow he might be dead. Jimmy sighed and spoke aloud, "This is madness. Please don't let me die here today."
  
  Jimmy looked over at the dark skinned man next to him. When the old man had first arrived Jimmy had seen him as a dark god of war. A Legion SET warrior. Flowing black cloak. Black armor. Frightening helmet. Obvious magic weapons on his belt. The man, helmeted had been the vision of the embodiment of a Warrior Mage. Once the old man took off his helmet Jimmy had scoffed. Ancient. Old. Washed up. The Legion had sent old men?
  
  "Relax, lad,” said Roath, laying his flaming sword on the ramparts. The old warrior Mage stretched his huge hands to the brazier, warming them, then sat with his back to the wall, beckoning the youth, Jimmy, to join him. Jimmy had never been this close to Roath, and he saw the lines of age etched deep into his broad face, giving it the look of ancient granite. The eyes were bright icy blue, though, beneath heavy brows, and Jimmy wondered at why he felt better when the old man spoke.
  
  "I have been both defender and attacker. I have been both company commander and lowly private. Trust me son, you have the best position here. You don't have the stress of planning and you are at the top of a wall being a defender for a place you believe in. Those men and women who have to scale up the barricades and this wall are only in it for greed and they don't want to die either. They have a harder job and no loyalty to the cause. Jim Baker I have lived through so many wars and battles, you men here listening to me, stay close to old Roath. I am not dying here! We shall push back the attackers and win the day. Trust an old man who knows. This is our day. We will win."
  
  Jimmy reflects, he knows my name. Those assembled near Roath nod and cheer, this is their home!
  
  Roath makes the same speech many times at different locations.

[Freemage]

Roath's quiet conversations settle the nerves of those not used to fighting. The miners are resolute not to be driven from their homes, not to let the fruits of their labors be stolen from them. Grips tighten, faces grow somber and grim as the old warrior speaks, and softly spoken vows are whispered into the dark night.

OOC Comments

Again, +2 to Moral after Round 1, down to +1 on Round 2; total modifiers will thus be +4/+2 for those rounds. It'll certainly help hold the line.

[Scyleia]

"I will scout the enemy forces with Herra as well to see what else can be learned from them."

She skulks off into the woods and all but disappears as she goes.

Rolls:

OOC Comments

Stealth 1d6+6: [dice]0[/dice] Explode: [dice]4[/dice]
Wild Stealth 1d6+6: [dice]1[/dice]
Total: 17


Notice 1d6+2: [dice]2[/dice]
Wild Notice 1d6+2: [dice]3[/dice]
Total: 5

OOC Comments

Scyleia is opportunistic and, if possible will attempt to abduct a stray troop (taking a leak or something, if possible a leader type) for interrogation.

[Freemage]

OOC Comments

Give me a Fighting roll to subdue a bandit, then an Intimidation roll to interrogate him.

If you want to take him back to question him back at your camp, that will require a second Stealth roll to get him past other patrols.

[Zakkael]

Zakkael watches from above as the flurry of activity picks up the pace with the transfer of command to Artemeisia. She may not fancy herself a leader, but she sets about her task with an impressive focus.
This town is in good hands.

Jacob's gunwolf seems to move mountains as he shores up the fortifications along the perimeter. His straightforward analysis of how he would attack the town has clearly made an improvement.
These marauders will break upon our fortifications like waves on the rocks, and the rocks shall be unmoved.

Herra and Scyleia disappear into the surrounding land, hunting for any advantage the terrain can yield.
Heaven guide their path, and may the Light reveal this land's secrets.

Echo is a force of nature, setting about more tasks than a mortal would be capable of.
That one is a wonder. Her gifts are truly that; gifts, to those who would seek to defend themselves against such wanton violence and hatred.

Roath's comforting voice bolsters the hearts of those who have never had to take up arms in defense of their lives and livelihood.
His wisdom and experience is invaluable, and in short supply on this world. I hope they listen to him.

Zakkael flies away. He finds a quiet place away from the commotion. He alights near a small grove of trees, sets aside his shield and staff, takes a deep breath, and kneels, folding all four of his hands together.

Faith - Communion

Communion - prayer for protection
[dice]0[/dice]

Wild die faith
[dice]1[/dice]

Ace wild die
[dice]4[/dice]

2nd Ace wild die
[dice]5[/dice]

Majestic Light of Heaven, let me be your vessel. Let me be your hands upon this earth. May I do mighty things in your honor, and may my deeds point others towards the Light. Heaven, defend this place from those who would seek its ruin. Deliver the First Apocalyptic Cavalry into our hands, and let it be so that all will know that a legion of angels, some earthly, and some from above, will see evil deeds punished and good people protected.

Satisfied that his prayers were heard, he returns to the town and begins to walk around the buildings, muttering additional prayers of protection and might. He blesses several areas of particular defensive need, preparing to create barriers of pure impenetrable force to stall the enemy's approach.

Faith - Barriers

Faith - preparation of barriers
[dice]2[/dice]

Wild die faith
[dice]3[/dice]

As he finishes his tour of the fortifications, he takes flight again, circling over the town and shouting. "I have heard from Heaven, and I say to you: the enemy will crash upon our walls like waves against rock, and we shall remain unmoved! The enemy has been delivered into our hands because the Light has decreed it! The Light of Heaven strengthens your hands for battle and prepares your trigger fingers for war! You are called to defend your lives and your livelihood from evil that would take it for their own, and your calling is just! The Angel of Justice has ruled in your favor and against those who would bring unbidden violence to your doorstep! Take heart, for the Light has overcome your enemy! You need only to see it through to the end. Victory is at hand!"

[Freemage]

Zakkael's rituals and preaching serves to further electrify the defenders, filling them with a fervor heretofore unseen. They are no longer merely fighting to defend some rocks, or even their homes; they are fighting to defend an ideal.

OOC Comments

Hm... Right.

The Flock and the Shepherd [dice]0[/dice]
Group Wild [dice]1[/dice]
Bennie Extra Effort [dice]2[/dice]

The inspiration he has bestowed upon the Legionnaires gives Zakkael a +1 on his actual Faith rolls during the Mass Combat scenes, as they add their own prayers to his.

[Scyleia]

OOC Comments

Give me a Fighting roll to subdue a bandit, then an Intimidation roll to interrogate him.

If you want to take him back to question him back at your camp, that will require a second Stealth roll to get him past other patrols.

Finding a distracted bandit was easier than anticipated, now the fun part... Sneaking up on the bandit, Scyleia attempts to knock the unsuspecting bandit out to be interrogated back in town.

Rolls:
Fighting: 18
Stealth: 9

OOC Comments

Fighting 1d10: [dice]0[/dice] Explode: [dice]4[/dice]
WIld die 1d6: [dice]1[/dice]

Stealth 1d6+6: [dice]2[/dice]
Wild die 1d6+6: [dice]3[/dice]

After returning to the town, Scyleia seeks out Zakkael.

"The incoming force is large, but not as large as we were expecting. Does your offer still stand for additional armor protection?"

[Freemage]

The bound bandit is brought back by Scyleia, presumably for interrogation purposes.

OOC Comments

Okay, someone gets to spend the night interrogating this guy. It's an Intimidation roll to get him to spill any useful information.

[Peta Chante]

When the bandit is brought in for interrogation Herra watches as the others use conventional means. A little uncertain of her abilities after the robot pilot so recently shrugged her off, she is hesitant to try again. However, the lesson in the ring was getting knocked down meant getting back up...or dying. Focusing her mental energies on the bandit she attempts to wrestle control of his mind. Know she can't exactly read his thoughts, she watches warily for signs of misdirection.

"Tell us what you know about the plan of attack and the strengths and weaknesses of your forces."

Psionics 9 Smarts 5

Psionics: [dice]0[/dice]
Wild: [dice]1[/dice]
Total: 7 + 2 (mentalist) = 9

Smarts [dice]2[/dice]
Wild [dice]3[/dice]
Extra Effort: [dice]4[/dice]
Total: 5
-1 Bennie

[Freemage]

OOC Comments

Since this is over a period of hours, I'm going to take the Psionics roll as writ, actually--she at some point manages to crack his initial resolve to resist, and force him to answer.

Smarts [dice]0[/dice]

Her defense set his difficulty for the Smarts Trick--he got a success, but wasn't close enough to a Raise for me to drop an Extra Effort GM bennie on it, so he only manages to Stall, not Mislead.

Mechanically, no benefit, but some reason for the party to be cheerful does get through.

Herra manages to get him to answer, but he plays word-games and commits sins of omission. She never actually falls for the traps--at least twice, he tried to give her a statement that would've led to potentially disastrous approaches to defense, and she saw through the ruse--but he also manages to resist giving her much by the way of useful intel. She does learn, though, that the attackers appear to have lost roughly 20% of their forces before arrival, due to interdiction efforts like the Jokers' disabling of Hellfire's Hellions, and that includes some of their own heavy artillery. Also, leadership of the bandits seems to be in a state of confusion, as there's no one, strong central figure to take command of the whole group, and several are jockeying for position.

OOC Comments

If the party had completely failed to stop the Hellions, the attackers would've had a +2 Artillery bonus and 300 troops at the start of the battle. The success of the other teams was determined by your own team's results. In this case, that means the attackers will only have 240 troops, and their artillery bonus is only +1 at the start. And since you took out both leaders, they've dropped from a d10 Battle to a d6, and their own Morale die went from d8 to d6, as well. In short, Herra didn't get 'useful' (tactically) intel, but she damn well determines the Legion has been kicking ass up to this point.

[Zakkael]

Zakkael turns to Scyleia, smiles, and nods. "But of course, Scyleia. May the Light of Heaven bolster your courage, and be proof against the barbs, slings, and lasers of the enemy. You shall be protected by the Breastplate of Righteousness during the fighting."

[Echo]

Echo asks for the name clothes and equipment to be stored for her. She also asked too be placed in the cell with the man before her is placed.

While there he will be waiting with his leg broken and a terrible wound in his side.
When the prisoner arrives Echo studies there man carefully and starts asking him apparently inconsequential questions.

OOC Comments

This is just meta opportunity for my upcoming battle related rolls.

[Erin Tarn]

Roath wanders about, not quite aimlessly like a old man lost on a battlefield, but with purpose, to inspire those he can with gentle talk. Afterwards he will spend his time by Arte's side assisting her as she needs. The old Line Walker is glad to 'just' be a private in this war. Having been a Commander before he is relaxed just assisting this time.

[Hassun]

After hearing the news, Hassun retreated into the area surrounding the town. Scouting, he looks for any beasts that might be ankle top help in the fight.

OOC Comments

Tracking[dice]0[/dice]
Wild Die [dice]1[/dice]
Total: 4
Assuming no minuses, if anything is found, he will try to convince them to assist in the fight.

Psionics [dice]2[/dice]
Wild Die [dice]3[/dice] Exploded [dice]4[/dice] Exploded [dice]5[/dice]
Total: 13

Returning to the town and seeing the preparations completed so far, Hassun a says "the turtle's shell will not protect it from the fires flames."

Drumming to aid in the preparations, he begins a war dance, calling the spirits to their aid.

[Zakkael]

Zakkael continues his flight and sermon until all corners of the town have been covered. Once finished, he pays a visit to the mine. While there, he kneels and says a prayer. "Divine Light of Heaven, shine on this operation. Give the workers guidance and safety, that the fruit of their labor may be brought forth to do the work for which these stones were made. Strengthen our hands, prepare our minds and bodies for the fight ahead. Deliver these raiders into our hands, but let us not miss an opportunity for mercy, that those who are willing can turn from their wicked ways and set their feet upon the right path."
He resumes walking among the buildings, taking stock of sight lines and appropriate places for defense. He continues muttering prayers until the time approaches for action.

[SnackHappy]

As the day winds down Jacob continues to survey the work him and the miners have done to finish up the outer defenses. Giving each miner a little encouragement over the good job they have done in its construction as he passes by. These boys may well live through this. Least they listen good.

[Scyleia]

After seeking Zakkael's Blessing....

"You have my gratitude for the boost in protection. Please, let me know if there is anything I can do to be of service to you."

Seeking out Artemeisia next to inform her of intention...

"Artemeisia, I would like to go track the enemy and act as an early warning to you as they get near. Also, if they decide to take rest for the night, I would like to attempt to remove some of the key leaders if the opportunity presents itself. I will take the utmost care and precautions in my actions. Unless there is something here you need me for..."