To tell the truth, Isen likes this, since it allows us to clean this nest as much as possible. It's just that, whatever his preferences, the mission (rescuing marcus) must come first.
If this is really easier, all the better!
(Viscaria nows seems confused as to what the plan is and who is in charge. She says nothing, but the distress is somewhat plain on her face as she wonders if this sort of council-room back-and-forth is going to happen when the vampires are descending upon us.)
I threw my comments OOC about bringing down side passages and trying to climb to a spot above Marcus's location and then tunnel directly there. It's something that the characters can be able to deduce from visual observation.
- It's a trecherous climb, and I don't see anyone with a lot of climbing ability, or mountaineering. Trying to extend that to 10 people is very risky, one false move and everyone goes flying off the side of the mountain. And it's dark, despite the full moon. Or...
- You split up the party, one group climbs and saps into the cave system, while the other does??
- Apollodorus has indicated that Marcus, if he's capable, is to meet them in the middle. It is unknown as to what state Marcus is in, except that he is alive, othewise Laetitia wouldn't have found him, and Sardon wouldn't have flamed the bugler sounding the warning.
Apollodorus will entertain ideas, but you have to keep in mind that this was a mission that had a lot of planning and a lot of contingency built into it. If Mufarjj hadn't been burned and/or Marcus hadn't botched his Magic Addiction roll, it is likely that this would've been resolved more quietly. Apollodorus had to return to Mons Electi to save his life, he then had to nominally explain what had happened. As he was there, he decided to ask others to come with him to help rescue Marcus. I have no issue (as SG) in splitting the party or letting you attack it as you would like, you guys just need to come up with a plan and execute it. It could be a variation of Apollodorus' plan, it could be his exact plan, or it could be something better you guys choose. You have plenty of time to discuss this amongst yourselves (play time, not game time) and it doesn't require a lot of involvement from me.
Alexei seemed to be deep in thought as the options were discussed, finally he speaks up.
"This additional planning, this altenative route, I feel is not the way to go. The alternative is used to potentially avoid combat, take the enemy by surprise, dictate the terms of the battle. These are worthy goals in any plan, but they also involve having more preparation. The alternate route requires perhaps less danger from combat, but far greater damage in getting there, either climbing or using magic. Then from there we shall tunnel down, which I leave to others they will be better at it no doubt. Should whoever is doing it fall though, we could be trapped or stuck before we reach our goal. I don't necessarily think the alternate route provides us with more safety. If we had planned for that more, if we had spies on the inside or greater intelligence of it, perhaps that would help. I think our original plan will work better, and not because I desire a frontal assault or glory more than success. I favor it because I think we shall be more likely to achieve our goals and survive. The main unknown would be how many we fight and perhaps some of their capabilities. Which we would still face with the alternate route, along with the dangers of going there."
In a dry, flat voice, Laetitia replies, "Yes, Alexei, you're right; it is too bad that we don't have a Terram maga who can tunnel through the mountain without incurring any fatigue, or an Intellego specialist who can track Marcus' movement and magically suss out the safety of the terrain. I suppose we will just have to charge blindly into unknown traps, and won't it just be glorious, since of course we'd hate to incur any dishonour in conducting a strategy that utilizes the tools we have at our disposal."
Alexei's eyes narrow as Laetitia heaps her scorn upon him. "I said that glory and honour were not my main goals, success was. There are more variables in this plan than the frontal assault. And tunneling through only potentially avoids some of the inevitable fight. And since we have an Intellego specialist and Terram maga, their talents would no doubt be used to avoid those traps. What do you think woman? That I enjoy triggering traps? That my strategy is to exhaust the enemy by enduring assaults on my person? That I wish them to drown in our men's blood? And will the Terram maga and Intellego specialist fly all of us to the top and incur no risk of falling or being spotted? Or maybe we shall all climb like lizards and mountain goats. The strategy has flaws in it. Acknowledge those flaws and present options and I will feel better about it!"
"I never suggested we climb the mountain only to burrow through it from the top. That would, of course, be silly. Magic that burrows through the earth does not differentiate between drilling through a mountain vertically, or entering at an angle. I suggest that we avoid the entrance; I will track Marcus, and indicate any movement by moving my finger on the map, as Viscaria tunnels through. I suspect we are both capable of Intellego Terram of sufficient magnitude to divine areas that are structurally safe to tunnel through."
I would rather have a clear way out than in. I suggest that you save your tunneling magic to AFTER we get Marcus. Just seal the side tunnels as best as we can then take another route out.
"There is no difference between a tunnel leading in, and a tunnel leading out, except for where you stand."
Except fighting your way in and out. I would rather fight one way.
"Yes, but there is the element of suprise. If we use Arts to tunnel in, rather than out, we may suprise and foil our opponents. If we tunnel in, they may realize what is happening and sap the tunnel making escape more difficult. Just how long, tall and wide a tunnel can you make with little effort, Viscaria?"
So examining where this tunelling is coming from...here's Viscari's spell:
Burrowfingers (Based on Pit of the Grasping Earth)
PeTe 20Voice, Mom, Part
Creates a 700(?) cubic foot space in earth or stone, starting at a point of origin that can be sensed by the caster within voice range. Default opening is a cube, but this can be modified with finesse rolls.
It does not affect noble metals or gems. Base 3, +2 Voice, +1 Part, +1 Size, +1 Stone
The 700(?) cubic foot is the key issue with Burrowfingers, it's not correct. This spell cannot create something so large as it says in the description. It is essentially, Pit of the Gaping Eath, but for stone. To affect stone is an increase in magnitude accounted for in the design of this spell, but it does not account for the amount of stone affected properly. +1 size, as applied to stone is 10 cubic paces (base stone size is 1 cubic pace), which is 30 cubic feet, not 700 cubic feet. To get to 700 cubic feet, requires a +3 size, not +1, which would make it a 30th level spell. +1 size=30 cubic feet or 10 cubic paces, +2 size=300 cubic feet or 100 cubic paces, +3 size=3000 cubic feet or 1000 cubic paces. At its present level,20th, it's 30 cubic feet.
I hate catching mistakes like this after the fact, but it is something that needs to be addressed. I'm fine with altering the spell and dropping another spell of equal magnitude to the change necessary to make this work. It is for this very reason why I wanted to limit or prevent players from starting with self-made spells. Doesn't excuse my not catching it earlier, but I can't allow planning for this story to be based on an incorrectly designed spell.
Yeah, most of my thoughts on getting in and out were based around the assumption Viscaria either cast the spell in front of us or mentioned her capability to do so during Tribunal preparations.
I have no objection to her having the capability, it just needs a little bit of rejiggering. I failed to notice the 700(?) cu.ft. initially.
Although I do not have military knowledge of many here, I would point out that going in we do not know where we will encounter Marcus so tunneling in could just lead us to move away from our tunnel unless Marcus is right there. I would propose to do it once we have Marcus as we know exactly where we want to be then.
Isen is growing bored by all this unneeded banter. He'll say nothing, awaiting for this waste of time to go away.
"Once we have Marcus and any other objective, we can also merely transport our way out instantly. Assuming that we have not crossed a regio. Tunneling out seems to be the better way if we can't transport ourselves. I have said my piece, I shall accept the plan for entrance that we agree on and slaughter any that get in our way. That is the elegance of my plan. Combat is inevitable, whether we go through the front or down some tunnel. Flexibility is at the heart of the School of Ramius, the principals of combat coupled with magical enhancements on the participants lends itself to any combat scenario. Decide how we will enter, you shall have my support and my...considerable combat skill on your side. But I feel I have no real ability to make tunnels, so someone else will have to do that." he turns to the men and examines their gear and readiness.
"I agree, let's follow the plan that Marcus is expecting, and then take things from there. Viscaria chimes in.
Isen smiles, and rejoices. For they'll have the opportunity to try and destroy some of these foul abominations.
Let's go, then. Each moment lost puts Marcus at risk.
The party begins moving towards the entrance to the cave system. Overhead can be a subtle stroke of what sounds like large wings. Anyone looking up will see something in the moonlight that looks vaguely like a mastiff with wings. Every once in a while it veers off the trail the party is following and off in the distance a flash of light and a scream can be heard. As the party nears the entrance Apollodorus halts the group. Sardon takes several side swipes of breathing fire into the cave, befor hovereing directly in front of the entrance and making a sustained breath lasting nearly a minute. The first few swipes had a couple of screams associated with them, but the sustained breath eventually gets a chorus of screams, at least 5 different voices can be heard (awareness+perception of 12+ will provide more detailed information).
"I've done all I can, Apollodorus, find him, or I'll roast you and enjoy you as a snack," he says in a deep guttural snarl before flying off.
Everyone is standing at the cave entrance, the heat from the rocks is quite intense for those not protected by a MR of greater than 20 for Ignem. Touching the walls is ill-advised. The party can go in 2 abreast.
Combat isn't happening immediately, but I'd like to get the initiative rolls out of the way, so please post those at your convenience.
Deykin has Per 1 + Awareness 2 + die roll of 3 = 6.
Since the last thing I saw in the Turbulent Matter thread regarding arms and armour for the turb said "partial armor, melee weapon, bow" and nobody expounded or contradicted or embellished on that, I'm going with Partial Metal Scale Armor (4 Protection, 4 Load), along with the heater shield, short sword, and short bow and arrows.
So: Qik 1 + Weapon 1 - Enc 2 + die roll of 1 (followed by die roll of 4, for a total of 8 ) = 8.