[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter XII - Journey to the Millennium Tree

[Aaron Clausen]

>>>> [GM]
>>>> As Oz makes his way to a clear spot to begin sniping from, his
>>>> unit is efficiently carrying out his orders. In short order
>>>> they have managed to pin down the minions on the dam and on the
>>>> shore of the lake. One of the skycycles is struck in its jets
>>>> and spirals into the hillside with a loud boom.
>>>>
>>>> At the same time Jacek the Borg and his men have joined the
>>>> firefight as well, and between all of them the enemy, for the
>>>> moment is prevented from storming the camp.
>>>>
>>>> As with Ted's shot, there is further damage to the dam, making
>>>> crossing very difficult. Still, the minions do have a route
>>>> across the frozen lake.
>>>>
>>>> Once Oz is firing, he hits two of the targets [Damage: 70MD,
>>>> 30MD]. Neither is fatal, but both hit Kydians, doing some
>>>> serious damage to the armor.
>>>>
>>>> The Splugorth minions are not idle, and three of Oz's men and
>>>> one of Jacek's are hit. Jacek's man is killed.
>>>>
>>>> Through his scope, Oz can see Splugorth reinforcements coming.
>>>> There are somewhere between ten and fifteen Kydians coming up
>>>> the hill on the other side of the dam and preparing to cross
>>>> the frozen lake. Behind them Oz catches sight of two Kittani
>>>> hover tanks. It appears the Splugorth have fully noticed you.
>>>> [/GM]

>>> [Alex]
>>> Without turning, Alex responds, "I don't have any answers here.
>>> The best I can do is try to keep the girl under control."
>>>
>>> Back to the demon child, "If you do anything I don't like, I will
>>> give into temptation from my dagger, don't let yourself think
>>> that concern for Ted will stay my hand."
>>> [/Alex]

>> [GM]
>> The child nods. She closes her eyes for a moment and then opens
>> them again.
>>
>> "It would appear," she says in a childish, and yet somehow very
>> ancient voice, "that Ted, indeed all of you, have a considerable
>> amount to be concerned about. I could be of assistance, if you put
>> away that dagger."
>> [/GM]

> [Alex]
> Without verbalizing it, Alex thinks to herself and the dagger, 'I
> think I know what the demon fears most now.'
>
> She will radio, "She is under control for the moment."
> [/Alex]

> [Oz]
> Over the open radio channel, Oz relays the Splugorth reinforcements
> positions. "Bad guys have reinforcements on the way, including a pair
> of hovertanks." He keeps shooting, trying to pick off individual
> targets. [Strikes: 5, 22, 6]
 > [/Oz]

[GM]
Only one of Oz's shots hits a target; a Kydian running along the dam 
[Damage: 120MD]. The Kydian drops to the ground and lays motionless.
[/GM]

> [Oz]
> Over the encrypted guard channel, Oz gives further orders to his
> sergeant. "Prepare to retreat. Get a driver down into each of those
> vehicles and get the engines started up. If those tanks get into
> firing position, order the men to pull out."
>
> He beams a laser communication signal at Jacek, trusting that the full
> conversion borg would have a laser comm receiver. "If those tanks
> start firing on us we're pulling out. I've got drivers moving to get
> the vehicles ready."
> [/Oz]

[Jacek]
"Agreed." Jacek replies. He and his men return fire, taking out a few 
more Kydians.
[/Jacek]

[Ted]
Ted fires more bursts [11, 9, Natural 20!]. Two of the shots hit targets 
[Damage: 20MD and 28MD]. The Kydians return fire, but miss wildly 
[Strikes: 4 and 7].
[/Ted]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper looks to Oz, "Is our goal merely to break that dam ?"
> [/Vesper]

> [Oz]
> "Heavy weapons, check anti-personnel fire. Your new target is the dam.
> Blow it before those tanks get here. Scouts, if you're down near that
> ice, get the bloody hell out of there." Oz continued to focus on
> picking off individual Kittani, just like his riflemen.
> [/Oz]

[GM]
The heavy weapons train on the dam. Shot after shot hits the dam, and 
its superstructure begins to visible disintegrate. The Splugorth Minions 
seem to have figured out what the objective is, and all but the hover 
tanks begin running towards the nearest shoreline, some towards the 
company, some away from it.

The tanks return fire and one hits the heavy weapon emplacement on the 
trooper carrier [Damage: 150MD], disabling it.
[/GM]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper uses the mystical energies to call up an Icestorm demon
> knowing it will be invisible in the snow. Instructing it to shatter
> the ice below the Kydians  and then move to brake the damn. It's
> allowed to use it's magic as well as physical might.
> [/Vesper]

[/GM]
The demon itself is all but invisible, but a cold wind blows about it. 
It races away towards the dam and the reservoir.

A few moments later, the ice in the lake begins to crack. Several 
Splugorth minions fall into the water in full gear, disappearing below 
the surface. The newly exposed water seems to boil, and the pressure 
from whatever it is the ice demon is doing quickly takes its toll on the 
damaged dam.

Three large cracks appear in the dam and water begins to spill through 
them. The hover tanks, seeing the danger, suddenly turn and try to head 
back to the farther shore.

And then the dam breaks, huge chunks of concrete and steel, many tons 
apiece, simply crumble and collapse. At least a dozen minions disappear 
into the wrack and ruin. The lake itself suddenly pitches forward and a 
great wave sweeps the hovertanks away. The roar of rushing water is 
deafening, and anyone caught in it would be swept away and pounded 
mercilessly.

When the cataclysm is complete, the lake is gone. A muddy expanse 
leading down to the original riverbed is all that is left, and only a 
couple of bodies of Kydians can be seen. The central third of the dam is 
completely gone.

But the worst devastation is below the dam. Where the Splugorth army was 
just a few moments before is a vast lake of rushing water. The 
Millennium Tree stands like as an island in a sea of chaos. Many of the 
Splugorth minions have been swept away further downstream, perhaps a few 
hundred are straggling in the current or crawling up the banks. Sadly, 
it seems a few defenders were swept away, but it seems a fair enough trade.

As to the small pyramid that had been channeling the energy from the 
rift, it has been knocked on to its side, and is glowing with a harsh 
red light, and several Kydians around it can literally be seen melting 
as the intense energies go wild and scorch the area around it.

A cheer rises up from the defenders of the Millennium Tree and they rush 
ahead to pick off the remaining Splugorth troops.

Over the radio an excited voice shouts out "We thank you, whoever you are!"
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen