Prologue: The Mad Scientist

[Xbow]

Immediately before the target has been located, Akoragh begins the loading and prepping procedures. The amount of explosives that's going to be needed will be a direct guess based off the size of a bullet in comparison.

[MundayKnight]

"Did you just say he is going to be shooting over our heads? With an untested piece of technology? Sir this may be the most exciting thing I have done since the semester exam!"

Hurin begins walking forward slightly so that he can observe more efficiently. Hurin begins

Dice roller error:

[dice=UMD][1d20+6[/dice] is a badly formed tag (please see the FAQ for help)

Dice umd:

1d20+6

(1)+6

Total = 7

mumbling under his breath "Okay get yourself lined up at the tree straight north of you and wait for us to give further instruction."

[jalroy]

Gnar was confident in his ability to use the wand as instructed, he learned the necessary skill easily the other day with ease due to his abilities with magic. And this field test with the cannon was the most ideal way to test out this new skill, but one he wasn't going to complain about either. He was confident the drow wouldn't be hitting them directly, as McKenzie had said.

"Yes, Sir". Gnar rushed out to the point as instructed, getting his shield ready just in case, and waited, the wand in hand.

[jalroy]

Gnar positioned himself at a safe distance from the target and held the wand close, activating it as he was instructed.

(Use Magic device check +7)

Dice Roll:

1d20

2

(Total of 9, fail)

His first attempt speaking into the wand seemed to have failed however. After a few moments he tried again to tell the Drow where the target was with the wand.
(Use Magic device check +7)

Dice Roll:

1d20

3

(Total of 11).

Gnar growls at the wand his failure to get it working "What is wrong with this bloody thing?!"

[Adamah]

After a few minutes of struggling with the wand, and some rather loud swearing, Gnar and Hurin finally are able to send the fire order to Akoragh.

[Xbow]

Akoragh shouts, you gave me half of it. How many yards out is it?

[MundayKnight]

Again Hurin finds himself

Dice umd:

1d20+6

(16)+6

Total = 22

toying with the stick "About fifty meters."

[Xbow]

FIRE IN THE HOLE, Akoragh shouts and

Dice Roll:

1d20-5

(16)-5

Total = 11

triggers the cannon.

[Adamah]

Hurin and Gnar hear a sound that they have no real way of explaining. Kind of like a giant creature hurtling through the air at an unimaginable speed over their head, quickly followed by a loud crack of splintering wood as the target before them disintegrates along with several trees behind it.

After the cheering dies down and the three reassemble at the cannon, MacKenzie smiles and says, "now imagine what an exploding shell is like."

Two more weeks of training passes, part of the time spent calling in artillery strikes, the fighting underclassmen attacking walls and trenches.

Finally, after a particularly grueling day Sergeant MacKenzie motions the three over and says, "you three seem to have this down pretty well. I'd love to spend another few months practicing all of this but the truth is we're running out of time. We have to get to Trunau before the spring melt begins and the orcs attack. So take tonight to gather your things and say your goodbye's. Tomorrow you go to war."

With that, he leaves the three for their final night at the academy.

 

Do anything last minute that you need to, then when you're ready roleplay your character getting up and meeting everyone early in the morning.

[Xbow]

Akoragh, wakes up early to pray for the well being of himself and other classmates. Despite being a drow, he resembled more traits of an elf. With that finished he took a shower, ate, and awaited at the proper location with an uneasy look in his eyes.

[jalroy]

The training had been tough but he'd endured through it, well aware he needed to improve their skill with the cannon before they took on the Orc horde. Dracknor was relatively quiet during the entire process, yet he was also paying attention to this new skill as it was a kind of warfare he was not familiar with. Dracknor was more used to spells or combat with sword and shield, and expected that if Gnar was going to fight an Orc, that was the best way to do so.

The night they were given to prepare, Gnar spent in his room mostly. Unable to visit his parents, he wrote them a letter both to thank them again for sending him to the Academy, to update them within basic terms of what his current mission and that tell them his good byes for now. He didn't believe this would be his last letter to them, yet he wrote the words on the letter to give them his assurance of love n gratitude in case it was. Then Dracknor added his own words of triumph to the letter before he finished.

Gnar and Dracknor both believed they could survive this battle, especially with the training they'd been given. Yet they spent a good hour debating like they often did, speaking for hours in the privacy of his own room. Eventually he got the sleep he needed before the journey. Still, he rose slowly before finally arriving to the Quartermaster early to hand him his letter to deliver to his parents, and then to their assigned location.

He was dressed in his armor and weapons, wide awake and well fed. He gave a toothy grin to Akoragh and patiently waited.

[MundayKnight]

Hurin spent the night as most, practicing combat. Tonight found him riding on horseback trying to counter a set spear without moving himself out of the way. While it took a while he eventually found the optimal method was to reach out with his lance and put it squarely in the elbow of the spear-man, making sure that he could move the spear at his own whim. After a few more hours of this work he scrubbed down Firemane and crawled into bed.

Hurin awoke much later than he expected giving him precious little time to grab his things and go get Firemane before making his way to the meeting spot.

[Adamah]

Meeting the Sergeant and the Professor on the steps of the main building, the two greet the cadets and usher them onto waiting horses and ride off into the early morning light.



After a few days of riding, they meet up with the additional troops at a crossroads and ride west, then north into Isger, a vassal state of Cheliax. Many did not trust the Chelaxians, especially since there seemed to be little difference between the demons assaulting the world in the north and the devils who controlled Cheliax. Nevertheless Cheliax and the Hellknights were instrumental in combating the demons, and sent lots of troops to the Worldwound.



With the recent activity to the north, the roads were literally clogged with soldiers. That, combined with the slow speed the horses pulled the carriages containing the cannons meant their progress is not as fast as it could be.



Isger doesn't seem too different from Andoran, with the exception of a lot of Asmodeus worship. Besides that, the trip is fairly uneventful, if slow, for the cadets. Over the course of two weeks they cross some plains and mountains, and stop to spend the night just outside Eranmas, a port city where they would catch a boat across Lake Encarthan to the crusader nation of Lastwall on the other side.



That evening, Sergeant MacKenzie invites them to sit by his fire as they enjoy dinner. "I know we haven't spoken much in the last few weeks. That was on purpose, I didn't want the Chelaxians overhearing our plans. Though they've never shown much interest in Trunau. Tell me, do you have any questions about what's going on that haven't already been answered?"

[jalroy]

Gnar sat quietly for a few moments at the question, and had been respectful and quiet for most of the journey, taking some time to practice his sword arm when the chance arose. Dracknor had one or two outbursts at the Chelaxian's, since he didn't approve of devil worship, but these were just words and not actual actions that could take offense. He was a Half-Orc after all, and they were known for their tempers.

Finally he spoke up on the question that he wished to know. While Gnar knew that true Orcs were aggressive and difficult to negotiate or come to peace with, he knew it was possible when they were given enough reason. And the idea of killing all of the Orcs to prevent future raids wasn't an appealing idea either. So he wanted to know what was the goal after defeating the attack.

"When we defeat these Orc, prevent their raid on Trunau..." He spoke confident in their assured victory with their troops and cannon, "What do you intend to do then? Will you pursue the Orc to their tribal home? Defeat them from future raids? Or seek a diplomatic solution of some kind?"

`

[Adamah]

Sgt. MacKenzie chuckles darkly at that.

"Let's get something straight here," he says, "We're not preventing the raid, we don't have enough men for that. We're going to use these cannon along with you and the rest of the soldiers to try and help Trunau survive another year."

"Orcs are going to carpet the land. Their yearly raids are always bad, but we have reliable intelligence that something has been stirring in the north. Whether it's connected to what's happening in the Worldwound or not, we cannot tell. But it's organizing the Orcs in a way we've never seen before."

"No heroics cadets, I'm serious about this," he looks at them sternly, "If you manage to survive this, then you will have passed your exam with flying colors. Protect yourself and your fellow fighters. There's an old saying, 'the objective of war is not to die for freedom, it's to kill the other guy so you can enjoy your freedom later.' Take it to heart."

"Anything else?"