The Hunt for Lisirra

[Maltruism]

"Let The Next Issue be Raised!"

HEAR YE, HEAR YE....

Let all that would see justice be visited upon that most loathsome of immortal atrocities, Lisirra, look well upon this announcement and rejoice!

The event has begun!
The thread has been posted!
The die has been cast!
(...and I am desperately trying to take up space...)

How will YOU fare amidst "A Plague of Ghosts"?

Be patient though, I must still attend to the establishment of the individual groups.

[Maltruism]

Okay, as I see it, there have been no complaints thus far...lol

The groups will be.....

From the East: Kasoria / Fur / Maude / hundreds of troops / thousands of ghosts - came through the swamps

From the South: Duncan / Ulric / Yavanna / same compliment of troops and ghosts - Came up from the city docks on the lake

From the west: Llyr / Oberan / Woe / ditto troops and ghosts - down from cave-riddled mountains

From the North: Finn / Aleksandr / Turkey Co. & ghosts - poor bastards, this is where Calaglin did his thing, and the most enemy defenders are amassing.

It's not too late to request any last changes.
I know everyone said they were okay with these groups.
But I saw ideas kicked around since then that would need a swap or two.
Otherwise, I will do posts to start each group off, after I shake off the hangover I will surely be bringing upon myself at the Renfaire this weekend.
I intend set up a situation where there will be options to either go in with the group as ordered, or to follow some reckless impulse that may split the party.
Don't be a fool...stay with the party....

[Maltruism]

The first individual group's thread has started.
Kasoria, Fur and Maude.
You are coming From the East.

As I said somewhere before, I am not all hung up on strict posting order.
But I will expect to see a post a week, more or less, from everyone.

This will apply to the other three groups as well.

[Maltruism]

Okay,
I now have the western group's initial approach up.
From the West
Ingenious name, eh? Who'd have guessed I would call it that?

It also occurs to me that the northern approach is best served by the initial lead-in post that took place at the stone wall.
A Plague of Ghosts

I did have a single post claiming I would have links to the others there. But this topic really ought to serve that purpose well enough.
So I deleted that replay and Finn and Aleksandr, along with the NPCs Calaglin and the Turkey Company, can go ahead and pick up right where the big explosion left off.

[Maude Coaley]

Our Hope ...

[Oberan]

The true Etzori hero: The Incinerator!

[Maltruism]

Okay loyal Etzori.

The rout of Rhakros is on!

I managed to come up with a slightly better title for the last group....
Southern Exposure

And....I can't help myself. I did this the last time I took over a battle event.
If you like metal even a little....and are okay with an immediately loud start....

This is battle music.

[Maltruism]

Okay,

Just to preempt the possibility of more people asking about what freedom they have with the NPCs around the battle.
And can they assume tactics and orders to account for their PC's actions.
I more or less gave this response a few days ago...

Keep it on a small scale and sure.

I mean like, in the pandemonium of battle, there is sure to be some folks who will be doing just about everything imaginable.
And there will be enough conflicting orders that someone will undoubtedly have issued an order accounting for them, even if it was an order that was completely misunderstood. We've probably all played the game where you tell the person next to you something, and they say it to the next in line, and so on and so on, until you hear it after it's gone through a dozen people and has changed considerably.

Figure orders to have this tendency to some degree.

But don't go so far as to have the half the Etzori host do something insane. This very confusion is what accounts for both any action being likely to be done by someone, AND the fact that very few overly radical actions are being done by very many.

It is only getting inside that is the one goal shared by all. However it can be done will be acceptable, and if an idea, however radical, looks like it's going to work, you can bet others (NPC'S) will go for it as well.

There are plenty of soldiers of higher ranks than your PCs, and not every order anyone thinks they may have heard, and are choosing to follow, has to have come from the Under-Marshall him or herself. They could just as well be shouted by a mere "Highmark". My write-up of the army is outdated, done when we were not populating the world in millions, but the ranks are still serviceable.

With the possible exception of anyone that has prior training, you are all 'Marks'. / In archer ranks, you are 'Bows'.
A 'Highmark' is like a corporal. / In archer ranks, a 'Highbow'.
A 'Mastermark' is like a sergeant. / in archer ranks, a 'Wingmaster', who ranks over a Mastermark when both are mixed.
At this point it is rare for such increased numbers of troops to be all melee or all ranged.
So, 'Braxton' is like Lieutenant.
'Flightmaster' is like Captain.
'Shieldarm' is like major.
'Under-Marshall' is like Colonel.
And Marshall is like General.
Right now there are only two living Marshalls, though most only know of 1- Marshall Drulik Webb
And then of course, the CIC - High Marshall Brogen Pahrn. Praise be to his name!!

[Maude Coaley]

I'm going to be a little bit difficult and post some facts and a couple of questions.

Question 1: There are two suns in the sky during Saun. Are both suns up in the days and down in the nights or is there a daytime sun and a nighttime sun? I have been reading the season lore but it's not clear to me how the two suns work.

• Saun is the hottest season with high temperatures that can become unbearable to work in.
• Night time provides a small relief to the heat and though the temperatures aren't so excruciatingly hot, exposure to the sun without proper water and shade, as well as rest, can be fatal.
• There is a constant humid mist enveloping Rhakros during Saun. The heat of dual suns within the sky press heat upon the jungle and roasts all within a blanket of hot, smouldering heat and wet air.
• It’s hard to breathe, hard to run, hard to move much outside of the journey from the streams and water.
• Even the jungle seems quiet during this time, however, just as dangerous to those who let their guard down.
• The weather during this season is often calm with scattered showers and light rain.
• Water is incredibly important for survival

Question 2: The lore also provides a description of the city’s appearance and the quality of the water there. Should we assume that this info is valid? I think you can see that if everything is valid it means that the living Etzori are in an extremely hot place and need a lot of water to drink, but ...

• The whole city is built of a special local green stone (big blocks of it)
• Water runs from building to building in tracks carved into the stone
• Due to Lisirra and her many experiments over the course of time, the water glows a soft, radiant blue and purple ...
• The water also acts as a light source at night
• Somewhere in the city there's a former "fountain of life" which Lisirra has poisoned
• Lisirra uses the fountain's toxic water to brainwash people and make them dependent followers of herself

[Maltruism]

I don't think it's ever been established exactly what the orbit dynamics are in regards to which suns are up at which times. I would assume there is some point where both are in the sky at once. But mostly it's just that the normal nighttime hours, are not dark for these 40 days, due to this second sun. It gets cumulatively hot, for lack of a cooldown period. Figure four hours midday, where it is dual-sun hot.

Etzos has a long history of hostility with Rhakros, and has invaded before, so it stands to reason that the army has taken precautions, including bringing light, quick-assembly pavilion tents for quick shade and lots and lots...and lots....of water. On that subject, there is no shortage of water, and yes, there is danger in drinking from the fountain, as well as the city channels and irrigation systems. But the trip in brings every group past many sources of water, which will need nothing more than simple boiling and/or distilling to be purified, even the swamp water.

There is the Enan'uh Lake and River to the south. There are all that river's headwaters and streams coming down from the Dordain Mountains to the west. There are the swamp and many connecting streams in the Jungle. Really, only the group coming from the north does not have a lore-stated source. But again, Etzos has done this before; they would be prepared. And with the bulk of the army being ghosts, there will not need to be so much of it as usual.

I'm already figuring some extra Endurance points for everyone just for being in the jungle in Saun, but I am not requiring details of how you all avoid heatstroke and dehydration. Still, showing some effort in this regard could win you some favor. But it can be assumed that there are non-combatant camp followers, medics, engineers and such whose duties are to see to such things.

yes, Curmantain stone is used in all building construction, but much of the wall is earth and wood with only some stone. I'm honestly not finding the bit where it says this stone is green, but that is hardly any big deal. Sure, let's say that Rhakros is largely green in color . But the water in the channels is what gives off the blue and purple radiance. That glow alone would give most Etzori pause to drink it. Etzos knows more about the history of the fountain than other cities on Idalos and its citizens are less likely to indulge, but I only say less likely.

So yeah, quite a bit of Rhakros lore is outdated, but mostly only in a game-mechanics sense. What you ask about is all pretty much true as-is.

Did I miss anything?