To Far Away Times

[Brian]

"We marched for one, very good reason," Markham says, looking at your sternly.  "For the protection of our people.  Staying still would have left us as nothing more than sitting ducks when the Dreadmarch approached.  We'd be slain, and our legacies destroyed.

"I've no great desire to see the people I rule crushed beneath the fist of any being so vile as those in the Dreadmarch."

[Dracos]

"Neither do I.  But fighting a force that big entirely by ourselves is not wise, Lord Markham.  Sitting in the citadel would leave us well defended sitting ducks, but still sitting ducks.  Think about it, could you take the fortress with a thousand times our number here?  How about a thousand thousand times our number?  Even if all of us were there to defend it, it would merely be a holding measure.  Split in fragments, the dreadmarch would merely roll over us piece by piece and crush us individually.  If we are to have a hope at all, we cannot act simply out of fear for ourselves."

Dracos

[Brian]

He shakes his head.  "I will not condemn our people to an easy death.  I am still king, not you.  We set out for the citadel in two hours," he says, as though the conversation is over.

[Rezantis]

"I don't believe what I'm hearing.  A king guards the well-being of his people, but not just for the next season!  You would doom the rest of the world so that you can go and hide behind some large walls? HAH! You're doing exactly what your brother wanted the stormriders to do!"

Rez glares, visibly seething.

"Let me also point out that you're only king because your brother stole Phil's torc."

[Dracos]

Dracos frowned, eyes narrowed.  "While I bear you no ill-will from that, as it was your wicked brothers doing, I see your course as madness.  If you seek to hide behind the title, then I see no other choice.  I challenge you for command.  I shall not let the storm-riders bury themselves in a vault and hide from the world until they die, alone and cowardly."

Dracos

[Brian]

"I don't have time to fight you," he says.  "You may run off and die however you wish."  With that, he strides towards the entrance to the tent, Mattias giving him a wide berth, and one of each of the three vassals conspicuously between the priestess and every storm-rider except for Farwell at all times.

"Oh, aye, you're more than welcome to be a coward, Markham," Farwell warns.  "But make no mistake, we'll not let you damn us all to a doomed life when we can still fight for that dim hope.  Your madness ends here, I think," he says, one hand on his blade.

Mattias blinks, and vanishes from sight.

[Dracos]

Dracos shakes his head, thundering as he follows, his hand grasping the hilt of his blade in preparation. "HALT MARKHAM.   You cannot simply flee.  I will not stand by and allow your cowardice and foolishness to doom our people."

Dracos

[Brian]

Markham whirls around, just outside his tent, and draws his sword, backing away to give himself room to manuever.  Everyone outside of his tent clears out of the area, giving him space.

Farwell steps down to allow you to challenge Markham.  "Fine," Markham growls.  "Time is short, and you'll waste it with games, when we should be working to save our people, not chase some stupid heroic dream of conquering the inevitable."

[Brian]

<Brian> Okay.  You're currently standing in the snow outside of Markham's tent.  It's dark, but not too dark to see him and his sword, which glows in the reflected light from in the tent.  "Why do you persist in your foolishness?" he growls.
Dracos draws his blade. "It is not foolishness to choose a path of small hope over a path of certain death."
<Brian> "You seek to end life, when you should be saving it," he says.
<Brian> It's currently phase 0, you're both considered to have held actions.
<Dracos> "Wrong.  I seek a path that gives us a chance to live, instead hiding in fear until we are cut down like dogs."
Dracos prepares to defend, sizing up Markham, getting a feel for his movements, his general speed and flow of motion, his skill with the blade.
<Brian> "Enough of this!"  Markham moves to attack you.
<Brian> roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=14 ]{14}
<Brian> You are missed.
Dracos swiftly moves to strike at Markham, swinging his blade hard and fast at the other storm-rider.
<Dracos> Roll 3d6 for I want blood!
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 3d6 for I want blood! --> [ 3d6=18 ]{18}
<Brian> Your sword flies out of your hands, and vanishes into the tent.
<Brian> Markham rolls his eyes.
<Brian> roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=9 ]{9}
<Brian> The point of his sword is at your throat.
<Brian> "This game is over."
Dracos narrows his eyes, leaping backwards and to the side as fast as he can move. "Not yet."
Rez tries not to laugh, and begins to draw his sword. "Phil, you're never living this down."
<Brian> Please make a dexterity check.
<Dracos> Roll 3d6 for I miss my old dex.
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 3d6 for I miss my old dex. --> [ 3d6=10 ]{10}
<Brian> roll 1d3
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 1d3 --> [ 1d3=3 ]{3}
<Brian> You get a nasty cut that just misses your jugular as you roll away.  You think you can see your sword in the tent, though.
<Brian> Rez: Farwell grabs your arm and holds you back.  "Wait your turn, my friend.  Wait your turn."
<Brian> Markham scowls.  "I'll let you conceed here," he says, lowering his blade and watching you scurry into the tent.
Dracos moves backwards for his sword, grabbing it and calming himself, breathing hard.
<Rez> Rez puts his sword back. "Yeah, I know . . . dammit . . ."
<Dracos> "I refuse to bend to that, Markham."
<Brian> You're bleeding across your armor, but it doesn't affect your movement, at least.  Inside the tent, the vassals all have their swords drawn, watching you warily, and crowding around their priestess.  They don't stop you from getting your sword, though.
Dracos lifts his blade and prepares to have another go at Markham, making sure his grip is firm on the hilt so he doesn't have another embarassing and nearly fatal incident.
<Brian> Markham doesn't even raise his sword, merely waiting for you to approach him.
Dracos moves forward, striking swiftly downwards towards Markham's shoulder.
<Dracos> Roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=12 ]{12}
<Brian> You miss.
<Brian> roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=16 ]{16}
<Brian> So does Markham.  "Maybe you won't drop your sword this time," Markham says in a bored voice, "but you'll still lose."
<Dracos> "Don't be so cocky." Dracos holds his ground, slashing horizontally at Markham.
<Dracos> Roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=11 ]{11}
<Brian> You miss.  Barely.
<Brian> "You're one to talk," he snorts.
<Brian> roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=12 ]{12}
<Brian> He also misses ... barely.
Dracos doesn't even respond, focusing on following swiftly the attack and giving Markham little breathing room.
<Dracos> Roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=11 ]{11}
<Brian> You miss again.
<Brian> roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=14 ]{14}
<Brian> As does Markham.
Dracos continues his attack, bringing his blade back in an upwards diagonal strike at Markham's torso.
<Dracos> Roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=13 ]{13}
<Brian> Miss.
<Brian> roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=5 ]{5}
<Brian> roll 2d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 2d6 --> [ 2d6=9 ]{9}
<Brian> roll 1d5+2
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 1d5+2 --> [ 1d5=4 ]{6}
<Brian> Dracos, you take four body (after defenses) and 39 stun.
<Brian> The armor across your chest is broken open, you're on your knees, and you're DAZED.
<Brian> Markham waits for you to recover enough to climb to your feet before continuing.
<Brian> "Had enough?" he asks in a bored voice.
Dracos takes a second to recover before standing up, glaring something fierce at Markham as he lifts his blade, continuing the fight.
<Dracos> roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=14 ]{14}
<Brian> You miss.
<Brian> Markham rolls his eyes again.
<Brian> roll 3d6
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Brian ... : 3d6 --> [ 3d6=11 ]{11}
<Brian> He misses ... but you think if he were paying full attention, he would have hit you.
<Brian> "Does this really need to go on?" he asks.
<Rez> Rez shakes his head and mutters to Farwell, "He's better than this, dammit, what's wrong?"
<Dracos> roll 3d6 for god dammit
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 3d6 for god dammit --> [ 3d6=10 ]{10}
<Brian> You hit.
<Brian> Roll your damage.
<Dracos> Roll 2d6+1d3 for I need some good news
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 2d6+1d3 for I need some good news --> [ 2d6=7 1d3=3 ]{10}
<Brian> Please roll 1d5+2 for your stun multiplier.
<Dracos> Roll 1d5+2 wipe smug grin off face please.
<Chibi-Suu> Them bones was tossed for Dracos ... : 1d5+2 wipe smug grin off face please. --> [ 1d5=5 ]{7}
<Brian> It'd take a lot more armor than he has to stay up after that.  Your attack cleaves through his breastplate, dealing a total of 5 body, and 54 stun (after defenses).  Markham goes down.

[Brian]

Farwell looks down at the fallen king, his blood spilling across the snow.  "Well," he says finally.  "I think we can agree that a man who loses his sword and keeps fighting is better than the one who goes down in a single blow.

"I find it symbolic, actually.  Markham wants us to hide, and we'll be crushed ... but Bloom, Bloom says if we lose our weapons, we don't give up, and we keep fighting, and by doing so, we win!"

A ragged cheer comes from the onlookers around you, waving their swords in the air.  Nodding, Farwell says, "I stand before him, and call him Lord Bloom, once more.  No more of the treachery that has brought us this far to carry us further!  Instead, we forge a new destiny!"

[Rezantis]

Rez joins in the cheering and sword waving.  'Cause, you know, he CAN.

"HAIL!"

[Brian]

Rez's cry is echoed again by more warriors.

This thread closes, and we move on to World Revolution.