Vibria seems certain it is an infernal dragon come to take them down...
[color=red]"No, it's not," Vibria says softly. [color=red]"That's an Infernal dragon. And he doesn't look very happy with us."
Kenza is pretty sure Vibria's gess is wrong on this one. The beast is snow white, rainbow hues glimmering from its wings. Powerful legs and human like forearms. From the bestiaries she has read, this has all the hallmarks of a Faerie Dragon. Exactly the sort Poena claimed did not inhabit Transylvania.
Kenza is confused.
On the one hand, she knows what she knows.
On the other, Vibria is the expert, and, so far, her advice has been quite sound and useful. She can also see a demon trying to pass as a faerie.
Everyone, keep calm, ready yourselves for evasive maneuvers and battle stations. No aggressive move until I say so!!
She glances at vibria, tense, quickly releasing the words
Are you sure? He looks just like a Faerie beast from Novgorod. Isn't there a chance you're mistaken?
Is it possible for a Farie to appear normal to some people but have a different appearance for someone else specific?
Either that, or Vibria is confusing this dragon for the legendary Rainbow Demon as described by Uriah Heep of Jerbiton.
OOC, I am imagining a scenerio where Vibria is being tested somehow...
Or it may be possible for an Infernal dragon, which is made of lies, to seem to be different things to different people, so as to sow dissension.
Vibria, who looks nervous, if not scared, shakes her head. [color=red]"I'm certain. That's Infernal."
She again goes over her arsenal and doesn't see anything that she can do that will affect the dragon, barring an incredible stroke of luck, and she feels like she's in way over her head.
As far as I know, 2 ways:
- a Miniature (as in HoH: S) directed to someone, although that takes some finesse
- A Mentem effect to, in short, create an illusion in one's mind.
When in doubt, trust the specialist.
Nervous:
Ok, Vibria, we're at a disadvantage here. I'd try to disengage, but you're the Dragons pro. What should we do??
Vibria thinks about who we have combat- or magic-wise, and unless we have some real heavy hitters, she's not liking their chances. Unless they can lure it someplace where they can out-maneuver it or use the environment to basically trap the dragon while they paper-cut it to death.
Looking around, does she see anything like that? (Per 0 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 7 = 10. 11 if this counts as a "thing of value", which it probably doesn't. She's willing to spend a point of Confidence for an additional +3 (there has got to be someplace to lure the dragon around here somewhere), and I have a Fortune score of 7 I can use, for up to an additional +7, if needed. (That makes the roll a potential 20.)
Hmmmm....
Say at 15+ you spot a gap between two cliffs that is stragegically perfect. It is close enough. If you fly between and execute a 360, you will have a narrow space that negates his size advantage. You could also deploy units to the cliff where they will have cover and can counter attack from.
Dare I say it?
Of course I do.
Make it so!
Okay, you have space and a short span of time. How do you wish to deploy defensive forces?
Do we have any magi who are powerful in Herbam or Terram? I'm thinking if we can get him close enough either to the ground or the walls, we can Rego trees or the ground to snare him. It's not Creo, so it shouldn't be affected by the dragon's Resistance.
If not...split the force into thirds, have one third on each side of the cliff, the remainder on the ship or on the ground. I'm thinking our best bet would be Rego magic that bypasses the dragon's MR (but we still have to deal with his toughness) or low-levels spells that we know really well that can penetrate.
Or both.
I have no idea if "concentrating fire" on one particular spot to weaken a spot works in Ars, but if so, and if we have magi that can do that, so much the better. Or if magi who are used to working together can do so.
Yeah, I'm basically just throwing stuff on the wall to see what sticks, here. Rorry, Raggy.
The ship manuvers deftly, and the dragon makes a slow wide arc and turns to follow. Vibria paces back and forth verbally brainstorming. She mutters and repeats to herself. Then Jacsik's face lights up.
[color=green]That's it! That's a genius idea!
Sadly, that's not how it goes. Rego doesn't ignore MR, it's being not animated/moved by magic which does. So if you use Rego to twist or animate a tree, it will be resisted.
Of course, if you use Rego to make trees or stones fall on him...
Kenza, keeping cool despite the situation
I can try and use a Pit of Gaping Earth to weaken the mountain, hopefully creating an avalanche to bury it. Barring that, I can spam Trap of the Entwining Vines on it: If we get him low enough, even if it doesn't penetrate, we can still block its path*.
Speak up, man!
- This is the same principle that allows a magus to stand on a magical bridge: Once created, it acts as a real obstacle, even if, should it fall on the mage, it won't hurt him.
Jaksic smiles. [color=green]You just repeaated it. Like Vibria said, use magic on the mountain. Cause an avelanche as the dragon comes at us through the pass.
Vibria grins. [color=red]"We. Are. Brilliant!" she says between quick, passionate kisses.
She turns to Kenza with a blush.
[color=red]"Who do we have that can bring down the walls on that dragon?"
I can cast Pit of the Gaping Earth at selected spots, which should be enough.
And if we can delay the beast long enough... She searches and quickly find a burly man in his mid-twenties Bodeslav! Seize the Wall wand, get ready to pile some on boulders!*
- I thought about it, and a wand to create Walls of Protecting Stone seems like a great item to have around, be it to create fortifications, build bridges, or to trap enemies. If he can put them on existing boulders, the added weight might make them fall.
[color=red]"I can hit some vulnerable-looking areas with a Pilum of Fire, try to bring down an avalanche that way."
Decide on your several methods and employ them. Make your own spellcasting rolls, make a generic toll for a few NPC magi (basically checking for botches), and once we have all that, Vibria makes a Leadership roll for the timing of her orders...
Okay. Vibria will target one side of the cliff above the dragon. A couple of magi will target the same side. A couple of magi will target the other side with whatever they have, and Bodeslav will target a cliffside with the Wall wand.
Three casting and rolls and Finesse rolls for Vibria. A casting and Finesse roll for each magi. And, finally, a Finesse roll for Bodeslav to target the wall.
Vibria's casting rolls are: 39 + die rolls of 5, 5, and 3, for Casting Totals of 44, 44, and 42 (not accounting for any Aura modifiers). Her Finesse rolls are Per 0 + Finesse (Ignem) 3 + die rolls of 9, 4, and 6, for totals of 12, 7, and 9.
The "don't screw this up, lads" rolls for the magi are ...which shows me nothing was rolled, and Coyote Code seems to be glitching. So. Luckily, Invisible Castle seems to be back up, so...rolls of 1, 7, 7, and 4. The exploder die on the 1 was a 5.
Not sure if you need Finesse rolls for them, but if you do, the rolls are 9, 4, 3, and 5.
Bodeslav's Finesse roll is 8.
And Vibria's Leadership roll is Pre 1 + Leadership 2 (or 3, if they count as Soldiers) + die roll of 6 = 9 or 10.