Zero Hour

[Brian]

"It's ... it would be hard to explain but space, as you imagine it, is more complicated...." Eske trails off with a sigh.  "Yes, I could."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn raises an eyebrow.  "I'd be interested in discussing the subject with you more, Gatemaster.  But for the time being -- it would be possible, then, to open gates below the feet of charging orcs and, say, gate them to a location directly above their heads, perhaps at the height of the Keep walls?"

[Brian]

"Normally, yes," he says.  "Except that the Great Seal lies across the battlefield, and I can't make a gate in it, or that crosses it.  Otherwise I wouldn't have had any trouble bringing the Storm-riders through."

"Also unfortunately," Mattias adds, "I believe that the ward is anchored on Elric.  We'd need to destroy him to unmake the ward ... it's too powerful for me to destroy without him just as easily creating it anew, or repairing it before I finished."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn raises both eyebrows.  "You can't access any part of the battlefield at all?"

[Brian]

"It's difficult to make even the small gate from the ramparts to here," Eske says apologetically.

Mattias drums his fingers on the table-top.  "There were ... threads ... leading from Elric.  Many of them went behind him, towards the Dreadmarch ... but at least one of them came towards the keep.  Some of his power comes from something here, in the keep," he adds.

Radagast raises an eyebrow at this.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn makes a thoughtful noise.  "Can you trace these... threads without the presence of Elric?"

[Brian]

"Not right now," he says apologetically.  "But I've already got plans to set up a ward that will reveal all to me.  It will take at least a day ... though we may have that much time."

A guard rushes into the room, and salutes smartly.  "Lord Kevin!  An update from the battlefield."

"They've nailed an orc to a rock and left the field?" Lord Kevin asks dryly.

The guard nods.  "It's in the center of the field, outside of bowshot," he adds.  "It's got no nearby allies, and no way to escape.  We're to leave it alone?"

"Yes."  Lord Kevin frowns.  The guard salutes again, and runs off.

Kevin steeples his fingers together.  "Well, we've got a limited amount of time to work with; that orc only has so long to live, and I don't think we could heal it or otherwise extend its life without it being noticed," he grumbles.

[Dracos]

"Does it matter if we notice?  They can't exactly send many people to march on the field if we're nearby the orc as they'd be instantly sacrificed if we accepted the 'times up' and killed the orc there."

Dracos

[Rezantis]

"Well, you never know. They probably couldn't -get- to anyone we sent out there without us noticing.  It might be worth trying if we end up thinking it's close to dying, in any case . . . but then, Drac, fifty thousand orcs isn't that many to them, either."

[Brian]

"I doubt they'd need to go up to it to kill it," Mattias opines.  "There are no rocks in the center of the battlefield, so they must have carried in their own.  Most likely, they CAN kill the general at a moment's notice, but won't, unless we interfere."

[Rezantis]

"Valid point. Well, scratch that plan."

Rez ponders.

"I wonder how long it'll last for . . ."

[Brian]

"Generals have immense stamina," Kevin notes.  "Historically, at any rate.  Likely it'll last for hours.  Or maybe a full day, and then they'll kill it."

[Brian]

A guard rushes in, and says, "Loremaster Radagast, Lorekeeper Devin says he needs to speak with you about some family business."  Radagast frowns, but rises.

"Carry on," he urges.  "I will return."  With that, he follows the guard out of the library.

[Rezantis]

"If it's all the same to you all, I may take my leave for a time," Nathan ventures, "I'm hungry - as I suspect my men are, I feel I have little to add to this planning session, and I need," his glance flicks to Alec for a second, "to drop past Master Ekim's forge.  Lord Kevin, My Lord Bloom, gentlemen, if you no longer need me . . ." he bows to the assembled and prepares to retreat.

[Brian]

Nathan excuses himself, and leaves.

Rez now moves to Nothing out of the Ordinary.