World Revolution

[Brian]

"Fair enough," Lord Roger sighs, nodding at Nathan.

[Dracos]

"Nathan, calm thyself.  We have scouts and wizards.  We can spy opportunity.  I'm not mad, you know.  Now enough dour spirits, we're stormriders, just because the odds are against us does not mean we lose heart here."

Dracos

[Rezantis]

"I'm the last to suggest we can't accomplish anything, but I don't see much to be gained by a flank raid except endangering our men for little gain. If we can find a strategic target, I agree with you, but . . ."

Rez sighs.

"Well, you are the king, and I'll go with what you decide.  I suppose I'm not really in a position to be throwing stones."

[Dracos]

"Don't worry."  Dracos smiled.  "Anyhow, anything else or should we all get to lending our hands to getting ready to go through a gate?"

Dracos

[Brian]

"Right," Warrik says, nodding in approval.  "We shouldn't stay here for too long, because they know where we are.  We shouldn't attack them directly, because their numbers are too great."

"I'm not convinced," Sir Harold says, frowning.  "Our options are limited, and I see that we have two choices.  Either we throw ourselves into the teeth of defiance and cost the Dreadmarch as dearly as we can, to the last Storm-rider.

"Or we go to the keep, and fight our way to the gates, protecting our women and children, and delivering our information and assistance to the defenders of Storm-wall."

"I'm sure there are more options than that," Warrik says placidly.

"Well," Erik mumbles.  "I'd say our scouting mission was a mixed success, either way."

[Dracos]

"Hmm... When the moon rises, the front of the keep is clear, isn't it?"

Dracos

[Brian]

"It is," Eske says, nodding.  "But ... a wide gateway, I would need to place twenty or thirty meters, thereabouts, short of the battlefield.  I expect that would be inside the edge of the Dreadmarch encampment.

"It's entirely possible ... but we'd have to be quite swift -- even if they couldn't enter the field, and we all made it, their archers and any Jotun they had to fling stone ... those things could cost us greviously."

[Dracos]

"What about a small one?  Maybe half of us?  Or less?"

Dracos

[Brian]

"A small what?"  He shakes his head.  "If you were willing to abandon some of your men -- they might not expect it the first time, but after then, we'd be walking into a death trap if we attempted it again."

[Rezantis]

"Well," Rez comments, considering, "I suppose the safest plan is to gate around and empty the temples . . . and to try and hunt down the loremaster who's maintaining this seal.  He'll be in the middle of the dreadmarch, true, but we can work out what to do about him once we've found him - does that sound logical?"

[Brian]

"Yes.  We can certainly try to find that loremaster," Mattias agrees.

[Dracos]

"Hmm... There is much to think about.  But let's go about bolstering our ranks with those still at the temples.  More options may appear."

Dracos, with that, closes the meeting, sending the commanders off to help oversee turning this place into a deathtrap and getting their men ready to go.  When they are ready...

"Eske, can you open a portal near the farthest temple from this point?"

Dracos

[Brian]

"Yes," he says.  "Certainly.  How many do you plan to send there?"

[Dracos]

"All of us.  There's safety in numbers.  If you can handle that, that is, Loremaster Eske."

Dracos

[Brian]

"Certainly," he says.  "Will we end up back here, or somewhere else?"