Log:Post-Apocalyptic Dwarves, Scene 10

Post-Apocalyptic Dwarves 2020/04/10 Ascendant Artemis Citlali Ellbeth Fauna Moonshadow Titan Thunder The Mountain

10 The assault on the dwarven city to rescue the fae captives continues. Other than Moonshadow, the heroes are once again close together, mostly at the inner end of the Fifth Hall, where Ascendant is using Artemis's corpse to beat up a single dwarf. Meanwhile, Thunder is at the outer end of the Sixth Hall, facing 11 aerial soldiers with no more support than an illusory dragon, so far. Pursuit from behind has been blocked, at least for the moment, by Ellbeth collapsing tunnels.

Ahead in the dungeons, Moonshadow has found some of the fae captives in another large magma-encircled cell. Not only are they chained to the wall, but they have additional magic-suppressing chains fastened about them. 

Nohrbor greatly wishes there were some sort of libation he could procure as he floats along as if reclined in some invisible chair. "If only there were drink worthy of the Bloodlit in these once Godless halls to celebrate the coming of the Godflora! The true sign of a successful civilization is their achievement of fermentation and brewing!" He waves dismissively as he manipulates Artemis' corpse to raise both her hands to bring down on her dwarven opponent. "Surely you understand the folly of standing against our might! Even in death, my Bloodbound sister can trounce you!

The battered dwarf, alas, is still on his feet, just...

Moonshadow steps up to the Fae who spoke to her, and says, "Are you ready?" She touches him, and attempts to bring him Astride the Boundary with her.

Ellbeth calls out to Ascendant, "Wghen the last of these aerial warriors has fallen I will summon up a flagoon of the finest Fae bloodberry wine." Hoping it will motivate the clearly insane alien to stop messing around and get down to serious business.

Moonshadow pulls the fae mage from his bonds, though she feels faint from the exertion....

No entry for 'thanks Moonshadow, in a parched voice, in the fae language.'

He thanks Moonshadow, in a parched voice, in the fae language.

Titan sets Fauna down, and flies over toward them, remaining in the air, but just trying to be imposing...and get the soldiers' attentions away from Thunder, "Your weapons are useless against the Titan. You. Should. Run."

The battered dwarf engages his jetpack and retreats at full blast from the corpse of Artemis in the dirction of the Fourth Hall!

Six dwarves fire on the illusory dragon!

Needless to say, it does little, but is enough to make the illusion quite unbelievable.

The dragon distains to dodge or avoid the incoming fire. To those taken in by the illusion the railgun rounds simply bouce off it's scaly hide.

Two dwarves fire on Titan.

The remaining 3 keep on targeting Thunder, coordinating their attacks.

Titan gets shot a couple of times, but doesn't seem any worse for wear after them. Well, no worse than he already looked. His clothing is still pretty shredded from the first fight. He gets spun around by the incoming fire, but he rights himself.

Watching the incoming fire, Thunder weaves around two shots, one narrowly missing before the third hits him and moves him back a couple of steps. Scarily enough, the shot didn't even look to do more than move him. And he looks at the dwarf that shot, "Not bad! You might try an axe next time! That thing didn't even get past my skin!"

Fauna flies high above, to get out of the way and watch for a moment that she needs to grow very large for distraction and distruction purposes.

Ellbeth advances to the doorway into the sixth hall but no further. Taking as much cover as she can she seems to do little, unless you have mental awareness. Seeking out to the nearest dwarf's railgun she attempts to mentally link into its operating code, and set the overheat protection sensor threshold to below the ambient hall temperature.

Ellbeth feels in her mind the charge in the memory location of that couple of bytes of code. Such a small change but with significant effect. The railgun beeps and shuts down.

Nohrbor is spurred by Ellbeth's promises of wine. He straightens up from his lounging as he lowers Artemis's body to the ground, allowing it to lie face up in gentle repose. "Then these dwarves who steal the dreams of birds shall be dashed upon the ground! The sooner we can drink to our glorious siege!" In his hand appears a spiritually manifested spear of energy as he takes off towards the next room to join the fray properly. On his way, he extends his spear to swipe at an aerial dwarf.

Moonshadow waits for the room to stop spinning

Nohrbor swings away and bats the dwarf at full speed, jarred a bit by the impact himself, but not even phased by it.

Titan flies over and just tries to punch one of the flying soldiers. "You shoudl have listened...to the Titan!"

Thunder calls to the others, "Leave one conscious! I need my sword before we get out of here!"

Titan strikes the soldier solidly, sending him into a pillar and knocking him unconscious.

Thunder moves to the one with a non-function gun quite quickly, and reaches out to try to grab him.

Thunder, after grabbing the dwarf with the non-functioning gun, simply holds the dwarf hostage, turning him to face his comrades so shots might hit the dwarf instead. "Alright. Time for you and me to have a talk. I'll have you know that I am barely using my strength right now. If I wanted to, I could rip your head clean off or use you to club your buddies there. I need two things. One, where would prisoner's gear be stored. And two, where would prisoners be held. You have until the counter of three else I am seeing how sturdy you are and if a dwarf can explode. One." He starts to tighten his arms around the unfortunate dwarf.

The dwarf sets his jaw, not that you can see that under helmet and beard. He trust to soldi dwarven armour!

Ellbeth reaches out mentally again. This time to a flight system. All she does is try to reverse the sign of a byte. What was positive is now negative. For the dwarf though it's more of an issue if she succeeds. Climbing means descending. Going forward becomes reversing. Going left is going right, and going right is going left.

The first dwarf successfully flies well out of the fight.

Ellbeth 'feels' the byte sign change and can't help a grin, even in these circumstances. She remembers when she accidently set her game mouse to reverse.

The leader of the dwarves appears to take Thunders suggestion. "Maces! Charge!" 4 dwarves charge at Titan. 3 dwarven charge at Thunder. 1 dwarf charges directly away from Thunder.

Titan is knocked backward, into the wall, hitting it solidly. "Ow. Okay, that stung." He looks completely aware of his situation, htough.

The dwarf whose jetpack is in reverse hits the side wall obliquely, stunning himself. He slides along the wall toward the back of the hall.

The dwarves cheer as it become evident Titan isn't invulnerable....

At first trying to block with the dwarf in his grasp, Thunder moves around, and unsuccessfully does so, probably accidently giving the dwarf a close shave before he dances around the literal charging dwarves and turns to face them. He meanwhile looks to see where the shout of axes came from. Leader-type! Yep! Perfect target.

Nohrbor is highly motivated by the grand battle, laughing exuberantly. "You'd scatter like valrexes before us if you had any good sense to you! It is my utmost pleasure that you do not!" he boasts as he soars at the three assailing Titan. He brings his spiritual spear overhead, spinning it for momentum before swinging it down in a wide arc to try and strike three of the flying dwarves.

Moonshadow says, "Give me a few seconds to recover my strength..."

The rescued fae nods. "Likewise."

Fauna enormifies, reaching out for the leading voice dwarf to eliminate the coordination factor provided.

Nohrbor's sweep knocks the dwarves away from Titan, one bouncing off the wall so hard that he's left temporarily witless. He finishes his taunt. "It grants me the amusement of scattering you myself!" He looks over and up at Titan. "Now is not the time for stinging! Summon thy fury most righteous, for are they not the instruments of your Beloved's torpor!? Fortify thyself!" he tries to rally Titan.

Titan springs up from the ground and flies over to one of the flying soldiers..a.nd tries to repeat what he did previously, striking him.

Titan strikes one of the warriors, sending him careening into a wall and slumping to the floor.

Ellbeth pulls the headphones out of her always carried laptop and winds the volume up to FULL. Breaking into a dance she gyves to the music as she advances into the ixth hall. A third of the way toward the far door she chuckles, "Huh. Almost forgot." Pointing back to the doorway between the fifth and sixth halls she once again brings down the ceiling in a cascade pf rock.

Ellbeth makes the pointing gesture look so natural, an integral part of her dance. It hardly seems related, the pulsing beam spreading from her fingers, the stream of dust falling from the roof as rock becomes dust until the ceiling caves in and blocks, at least for now, the doorway.

Descending on the dwarf he stunned, Nohrbor charges spear-first to put him down for the count.

Nohrbor strikes true, rendering the dwarf unconscious. He laughs and spins his spear with a flourish. "Be you still clay-witted enough to stand before our divine might!?"

Six of one, half a dozen of another. Citlali stands by Ellbeth... her eyes flickering about the area as the fight devolves into chaotic insanity. She shakes her head and mutters something about battle being the last resort... just before her eyes flare with golden light and a pulse of energy leaps from those eyes towards the nearest target to her. She's not a soldier, but she has power... let's hope she can hit!

potent enough however as Citlali stands before Ellbeth, basically using her body as a mage-shield... even as the flying Dwarf tumbles out of the air to the ground... landing like a stricken albatross... though with a beard.
 * Zzzzooot!!* The blast is pure cosmic energy. Unrefined but potent-ish. It is

It's not blind panic - they're dwarves, after all. Still, a tactical retreat is clearly called for. The three who are in any state to fight instead each grab a fallen companion and make a retreat - unfortunately in the direction the heroes also want to go...

The scattering of the enemy in some ways complicates things - some of the heroes have to give chase while others have to make sure those in the sixth hall can't regroup and come at you from behind. But they are injured, divided, demoralised, and the heroes can run them all to ground without great effort. Civilians are not to be seen. If the army can't handle the heroes, what chance do they have?

Ellbeth dances over to a fallen dwarf and pulls off his helm. Turning it upside down she uses her transmutation ability to keep her promise and fill it with bloodberry wine, then offers it to Ascendant.

That done, the heroes can follow the halls deeper into the volcano, through the industrial sector with its great forges, and at last to the door of the dungeon. Where two dwarves tell the heroes to turn back, though no doubt they are trembling in their boots.

The dwarf captured by Thunder is not saying anything.

Meanwhile, Moonshadow has managed to free two more of the fae, at great effort each time.

Ellbeth steps forward and stands looking at the two dwarves for a moment. Then she slowly shakes her head, and gestures for them to stand aside.

Luckily, it turns out that this third one is pretty handy with lockpicks. And at concealing lockpicks on her person. She begins to free the others....

Ascendant looks back at the collapsed hall as he accepts the helm of wine. "It seems I hath forgotten mine sister in the previous hall." With a shrug, he smiles to Ellbeth and raises the helm goblet. "You are true to thy word, fair Sorceress," he smiles, and drinks deep of victory and wine.

Moving closer, Citlali remains mostly quiet as she observes and waits to see what is going on and where things will progress next.

Moonshadow invokes the Harvest Moon to bring forth watermelons for the dehydrated fae.

Rather, the captive dwarf doesn't say anything until faced with Titan.

Titan says to the dwarf, "Two things: Where can we find out gear? And where are the Fae prisoners. We will be on our way once we have found both. It is that simple. Please...help keep this simple. It's in your best interest.

The dwarf provides the information. It's not like these monstrous mutants couldn't work it out themselves given a few minutes in the dungeons. He describes how the fae are being held in two of the large dungeon cells (the first two on the left) and where the cache of confiscated gear is.

Titan nods. "And where can we find the keys to release hte Fae? To get them out of whatever shackles they're in?"

One of the dwarves regards Ellbeth, and holds his axe ready. "Your offer is kind, ma'am. But we cannot forsake our duty. If you do not leave, we must fight."

"You'll find them in the guard room," says the captive dwarf, through gritted teeth.

Nohrbor swaggers towards the dwarves, spear in none hand, helm half-filled with wine in the other. "You think your idle threats can make us quake? Your halls lie in ruins! Your army, scattered! Step aside as the goodly mage has allowed you to generously without a thrashing, and we shall leave and be done with you!"

The dwarf looks at Nohrbor. "Nay. I believe we shall be defeated here, and perhaps perish, faced with overwhelming force. But we will not desert our post."

Nohrbor gestures with his helm-flagon, "The weapons are ours. The fae people are ours. We are reclaiming what has been stolen by your thieving, cowardly brethren. If you wish to die a thief, then by all means, stand where you are."

Ellbeth thinks, silently oO(I'm not a mage. I wonder how long it will be before I lose that misconception.)

Titan nods to hte captive. "Where do we find that guard room?"

The dwarf indicates it's just through the door the two overbrave dwarves are guarding.

Citlali can't get at the miliary channels, but manages to find some civilian radio chatter. Enough to learn that the dwarves have amassed a large force at the main gate and are getting on with clearing the way into the mountain....

Titan nods to the captive, "Thank you." He then turns toward the two that are guarding the door. "You two. Stand aside. We just want out things and our people...and then we'll leave. You wont' die, even if the Titan has to smash you. Palanir, on the other hand, should I find him..." He just strides forward, intending to brush them aside, patting Norhbor on the shoulder.

Listening in her head, Citlali nods and turns. "Ellbeth. It seems that these people make use of primitive communication channels. Some are encrypted. But those that are not speak of forces gathering behind us."

The dwarves will not be brushed aside. True to their word, they stand their ground and oppose Titan with their energy axes. Not that they stand a chance, even against Titan alone.

Once there are enough watermelons for the fae to get rehydrated, Moonshadow starts blasting the wall next to the door with Dark Blast.

Thunder tosses the dwarf aside, then looks at the two overbrave dwarves. "Hey, uh... just making sure? You did say you need to guard the door, not what's beyond it?"

Ellbeth nods to Citlali, "I suspected as much. It's why I blocked three doorways behind us. We are under time constraints though. There is no time to waste."

Ellbeth turns to Ascendant, "Is it your custom not to honor your dead? You have left your sister's body behind?"

Titan grabs a hold of the dwarves while they try to take a swing and smashes them together, leaving hte brave guards unconscious on the floor.

Thunder shrugs, "Eh... let's move." He heads through, looking for the place their gear is stored.

From inside the dungeons, the echo of Moonshadow's blast can be heard.

"Shall we force the doors then?" asks Citlali as she steps forward. She lifts her hands and charges them with energy, "Combined assault?" She asks. "Since we -are- on a clock."

Titan nods. "Anyone able to pick the lock? Otherwise, we'll just try brute force."

"Nay, but you did offer wine in trade for knocking those dwarves from the sky. I had intended on retrieving her body to lay her somewhere to rest," Nohrbor answers with another sip of wine. "I lost sight that you were caving in the halls in our wake."

Ellbeth nods to Ascendant, "I shall fetch her," she assures him and teleports back into the sixth hall to retrive Artemis' corpse.

Nohrbor adds, "And I shall honor her still by retrieving her weapon and shield. It's unthinkable for an Ashildr to be without their weapons on the battlefield." He smiles at Ellbeth's offer. "You are most generous," he says as she teleports away.

Ellbeth can hear that they already have machinery clearing the blockage to the hall.

Thunder shakes his head, "We need to brute force it, I think. Even picking a lock might be a bad idea?" He moves to flat out kick the door hiding their gear hopefully down.

Titan nods, and goes to hit it the same time, winding up for a large punch.

The combined might of the heroes doesn't exactly knock the door down. It shatters the obsidian into which the door is embedded.

As Titan and Thunder approach the door, Citlali begins summoning power from within. Hands and eyes begin to glow... and then more brightly before she releases a torrent of power from both spots at the door... a grunt of effort coming from her... as much as if she had shoved a car out of the way or some such.

Beyond the door (now easily pushed over) is the now-dusty guardroom, with various side chambers. A bit of exploration turns up among other things a rec room (with TV showing some sort of soap opera), keys, a locked room containing confiscated equipment....

There's another heavy door leading to the cells, but you have the key to that now.

Thunder glances behind them, then looks to the others, "Our things first, in case they break through?"

The sounds of Moonshadow's blasts continue to echo from the cells.

Titan nods. "Yeah, grab your things, especially if there's more fighting to do." He tries to find the keys and prepare to move forward when people are ready.

Nodding, Thunder moves to unlock the door after trying however many keys it takes if they're not labelled and goes through to get their things. His sword in particular, and Artemis's weaponry.

Norhbor retrieves Artemis' shield bracer, and her sword and scabbard.

Much of the other gear in here clearly is of fae manufacture.

Ellbeth returns to the area in front of the dungeon door carrying Artemis. "I have her. The Fae were escorting Princess Linandre. They are sure to have a healer with them. Probably a Master Healer, capable of returning this brave warioress to life. Oh, and the drawves broke through the sixth hall. They'll be here rather shortly. Yes, the pun is intended."

Thunder makes sure it's his sword as best as he can before starting to gather up the fae equipment and carry it with him towards the dungeon. Super strength and all is good for something at least!

Indeed, the distant whine of massed jet packs can be heard in the distance!

Titan opens the door, heading forward, trying to quickly move in toward where the cells are.

The cells are there as described. Loud sounds are coming from the first one on the left, said to contain the fae mages.The second on the left should hold the non-mages.

Nohrbor has finished his wine and cast the helm aside. "If they have none, it matters not, for it would only interrupt my Bloodbound sister's revelries in the glory of Hod's feasting halls."

Titan tries the keys to see if they unlock both cells.

Titan manages to open both cells, and indeeds find the fae imprisoned as described. Though Liandere is conspicuously missing. On the other hand, Moonshadow is in the first.

When the cell door opens, Moonshadow looks up and says, "Thank you heroes, but our Princess is in another castle."

Titan raises a brow, "How did you get in here? Where is Princess Liandere?"

Thunder blinks, then looks to the others, "Did she just quote Mario Brothers?"

The echoing whine of the jet packs is becoming rapidly louder....

Moonshadow says, "I got her out and back to the Embassy."

Nohrbor telekinetically grasps Artemis to help easy Ellbeth's burden if she will release Artemis' body.

Titan nods and looks to the Fae, "Do we have everyone? Anyone missing?"

Ellbeth is almost prefectly happy to release Artemis to Ascendant. But will keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't leave her laying around some place else.

A head count - made trickier by the fact that the people in the second cell are still chained to the walls - shows that all are accounted for.

Thunder moves to the second cell to begin releasing them, using keys if they do open the chains. Or looking for a switch since something seems to be interfering with his magical strength.

Thunder can only unfetter the prisoners so fast... and the jetpacks sound close now - perhaps only just outside the dungeons!

Titan can hear them coming. "Keep freeing them. I'll hold them off." He heads back to the door that they knocked down, and tries to hold it up in place.

Thunder continues to work on freeing the prisoners. "So what do we do once we get them free? Escape plan's not exactly solid, I think."

Ellbeth tries to see if she can blink teleport the prisoners out of their chains. As the magic dampening is not affecting her.

Artemis's body floats over to Nohrbor, now laying face up in gentle repose. Aside form the blood spattering from using her as a bludgeoning weapon. He slides her shield bracer onto her wrist, then resecures her scabbard and sword to her belt. Her hands are then telekinetically folded over her chest. "There, my Sister. Now you have your weapons to accompany you in Hod's realm and those beyond on your journeys," he smiles. His attention finally returns to what is at hand.

The door holds up, but Titan is slowly driven backwards by the sheer firepower on the other side of it.

Ellbeth drops her shielding, trusting in Titan to hold the door, Hodor, and opens a gate to outside the dwaven city to where Ghost's comatose form was left.

Moonshadow starts herding the fae through the gate.

Ellbeth says, "Hurry, through the gate. Thunder, you are called, young man. Go first if you would in case anything awaits."

Ellbeth holds the gate open as the prisoners travel through it.

The freed prisoners start pouring through the gate....

Thunder nods, then moves to hurry through once he finishes freeing the prisoners. He keeps his sword at the ready just in case once he gets through as he heads for the nearest opening just to be safe.

Ellbeth nods and hurries through herself.

Norhbor goes through the gate once the prisoners are all through, Artemis' body drifting behind him.

Titan waits until everyone else is through before he shoves off from the door and dives through the portal himself.

Moonshadow follows the prisoners through the gate.

Ellbeth closes the gate as soon as Titan comes through.

As the portal closes, close by Ghost's body and not far from where the prison cell from the last escape is lying, the Mountain, who has been keeping watch on the side of the volcano, spots the escapees...