[2026/05/19 14:20] Sapphire: Previously: http://81.133.27.194/Dungeons&Kittens/logs-2025arm/20260428.html
[2026/05/19 14:20] Sapphire: The magi accepted an invitation to Wizards War
[2026/05/19 14:20] Sapphire: -- ☿ -- ♦ -- ☿ --
[2026/05/19 14:20] Sapphire: The trip overland takes a few days. The better part of a week, even, and you pass through a couple small towns and overnight at a couple humble monastaries. No particular inns, but with the handful of silver coins you bring, you're able to unfurl your bedrolls by the fireplace several times.
[2026/05/19 14:20] Sapphire: You arrive in the foothills of Seneca's Sanctum, a fairly extensive cavern complex that Sarah helped carve out during her apprenticeship.
[2026/05/19 14:20] Sapphire: Mecha, do you have any commentary on the layout of the covenant you trained in?
[2026/05/19 14:20] Sapphire: Sonja, is there anything you're asking your firehawk to keep an eye on as you travel?
[2026/05/19 14:20] Sapphire: Calendar: it is 7 days until the next Full Moon, when the war will begin properly. Should you meet Cato or Pythagora before that sunrise, they are still your sodales and slaying them would be a High Crime. Wizards war must abide by it's veneer of civility.
[2026/05/19 14:21] Sapphire: Scouting, Plotting, Fortifying, and Harassing are all fair game.
[2026/05/19 14:22] Sonja Bikergrrl: Sonja y Ddraig Goch Fach can fly -high- and report back to Mommy if she spots anything.
[2026/05/19 14:22] Mecha: Sarah looks around as she stops moving and honestly just takes it all in." This is home. Hard work rewarded."
[2026/05/19 14:23] Sapphire: do you have Ddraig Gogh Fach's stats handy?
[2026/05/19 14:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: ...she has stats?
[2026/05/19 14:24] Sonja Bikergrrl: familiar golden 1 silver 1 bronze 0
[2026/05/19 14:24] Sonja Bikergrrl: also I got 6 XP I never assigned
[2026/05/19 14:25] Sapphire: oh, we might wish to do that quickly
[2026/05/19 14:26] Sapphire: is there a spell you really like? You could invest some of that xp to it's Mastery
[2026/05/19 14:26] Sonja Bikergrrl: pilum of fire
[2026/05/19 14:26] Sonja Bikergrrl: my swiss army knife spell
[2026/05/19 14:28] Sapphire: i'd have to go look up the upsides of mastery perks you could take
[2026/05/19 14:28] Sapphire: but the base effect it's a spell mastery is an ability in the spell, that adds to it's casting
[2026/05/19 14:28] Sonja Bikergrrl: or I could put it to Ig
[2026/05/19 14:28] Sonja Bikergrrl: 5/13 to 11/13?
[2026/05/19 14:28] Sapphire: that also works
[2026/05/19 14:28] Sapphire: get you closer to a click
[2026/05/19 14:29] Sonja Bikergrrl: let's do that, get going again without delaying
[2026/05/19 14:29] Second Life: Sapphire gave you Fire Hawks.
[2026/05/19 14:29] Sapphire: sent you the notecard for Firehawk stats
[2026/05/19 14:30] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me reads, snickers
[2026/05/19 14:33] Sapphire: Seneca's cavern complex has a set of stairs leading up to it, and carved arches over the entrance, plus impressive iron doors. As you approach, a smaller, secondary door opens and a young man wearing an ill-fitted set of chainmail walks out. "Hello? Are you...." he pulls out a wax tablet to check. "Sera and Syrah?"
[2026/05/19 14:33] Sapphire: You do not recognize this man.
[2026/05/19 14:33] Mecha: Who are you?"
[2026/05/19 14:33] Sonja Bikergrrl: No, Pinky and Perky.
[2026/05/19 14:34] Sapphire: "Really?" he checks the back side of the tablet. "We're not expecting anyone called that."
[2026/05/19 14:35] Sonja Bikergrrl: Last minute additions. You might want to go report to your boss... what's his name, again?
[2026/05/19 14:35] Mecha: Sarah looks at Syra kinda sideways
[2026/05/19 14:37] Sapphire: "Master Seneca, Learned Scholar of Stone" he replies, standing stiffly. On closer look he seems to be around 14 or so.
[2026/05/19 14:38] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me glances to Sarah for any sign of recognition
[2026/05/19 14:38] Mecha: *That's Sarahs teacher right? Mecha has smoothe brain kinda*
[2026/05/19 14:38] Sapphire: indeed so!
[2026/05/19 14:38] Sapphire: furthermore, the person who requested your assistance in the wizards war
[2026/05/19 14:40] Sapphire: "I am Apprentice James, for what it matters," he clarifies.
[2026/05/19 14:41] Mecha: Sarah nods."Yes, yes we are Sarah and Syra. She looks at him."A new Apprentice for Master Seneca. Splendid."
[2026/05/19 14:42] Sonja Bikergrrl: Oh, yeah... I forgot. That's us.
[2026/05/19 14:42] Sapphire: "You forgot your names? well, glad I'm not the only forgetful one here. Come on, Seneca has been waiting and plotting."
[2026/05/19 14:43] Mecha: Indeed lead the way.
[2026/05/19 14:43] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Yeah? Can YOU fill someones' bowels with liquid fire and send fire demons to claw out their eyes at the same time?"
[2026/05/19 14:44] Sapphire: "Of course, right this way." he holds the smaller door open, blanching at Syrah's suggestion. "Oh, dear me not yet. I can only manage a handful of caustic lye the best!"
[2026/05/19 14:44] Sapphire: Behind you, there is the sound of rapidly moving horsehooves. A single rider on rapid approach.
[2026/05/19 14:45] Sonja Bikergrrl: Good start, kiddo.
[2026/05/19 14:45] Mecha: "Sarah shakes her head."
[2026/05/19 14:47] Sapphire: The rider catches up, dismounting. "News for master!" "Yes yes, quite busy, every one inside please. Best not to stay in view of the skies longer than needed."
[2026/05/19 14:48] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Faster, faster! News for Master!"
[2026/05/19 14:49] Mecha: sarah just nods to the rider."Please lead the way."
[2026/05/19 14:49] Sapphire: "News for master!" the rider cheers happily, as they all head inside.
[2026/05/19 14:50] Sapphire: Within is a defendable little space with carved arrow slits into the wall. Notably, from *outside* the walls appeared unbroken, but in here you can easily look outwards. There is a single table with a stack of shields and spears on it, plus several benches.
[2026/05/19 14:51] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Who we expecting, the Black Wizard Thargon at the head of the Great Troll Army?"
[2026/05/19 14:52] Mecha: Who?"
[2026/05/19 14:52] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Long story."
[2026/05/19 14:54] Sapphire: "Oh goodness no," a deeper, more rumbling voice is heard as Seneca himself makes his way into the defensive room. "Archmage Thargon hasn't been heard from for years. Not that I would dare to send him any messages, lest I draw his attention. No. We are expecting Cato ex Tremere, his own apprentice, and whichever mercenaries he has duped into following him."
[2026/05/19 14:55] Mecha: Sarah bows respectfully. "Master Seneca if is good to see you again."
[2026/05/19 14:58] Sapphire: "A pleasure to see my filia again. I trust you've been well, productive in your studies?" He smiles with a gleam to his eyes. "I'm sure the chance to test yourself against a true peer is exciting, no?"
[2026/05/19 14:58] Sapphire: "Master!" The Rider bows, crossing his arm over his waist in a similar manner to how Sarah has been tought. "News! A new castle has appeared overnight, at the peak of Glittermound. Its walls are black as Thargons heart and crowned with jagged teeth like that of a shark."
[2026/05/19 14:59] Sonja Bikergrrl: She's read books, then, solved the mystery of this air thing, without anyone getting burned.
[2026/05/19 14:59] Mecha: Sarah nods."I have been well even working on new spells. I must admit to a bit of excitement at the prospect
[2026/05/19 15:00] Sapphire: "Directly to the war room, then?" He asks. "Unless you wish to use the baths and wash away the dust of the road."
[2026/05/19 15:01] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "War first, vanity second."
[2026/05/19 15:01] Mecha: Bath can wait for me. I do not wish to keep them waiting more than necessary
[2026/05/19 15:04] Sapphire: He nods, leading you through the cavern complex. Each room is quite smoothly carved, usually into circles or hexagons, and you arrive to the Map Room, where a scale model of the ten miles around the cavern resides. "Glitter mound, you said? That would be two days walk from here. Cato establishing a forward base is... dramatic of him, though I suppose it provides us quite natural terms to seige each other
[2026/05/19 15:06] Sapphire: "
[2026/05/19 15:07] Mecha: Interesting."Sarah says as she look at the map and the areas surrounding the new castle."
[2026/05/19 15:08] Sonja Bikergrrl: what sort of terrain is there?
[2026/05/19 15:09] Sapphire: These are the pyranees mountains, so on the norther slopes of rocky mountains. It looks like there are two natural passes that are traversable, including the one you took up here, and quite a lot of trackless rocky cliffs if one wished to go the difficult way
[2026/05/19 15:10] Sonja Bikergrrl: No trees, scrubland?
[2026/05/19 15:12] Sapphire: The rider explains a bit more, and Seneca decorates the relevant hill with a little model of the ringfort. Basically a single layer of circular walls with triangular crenelations but no tower.
[2026/05/19 15:13] Mecha: Sarah looks at this."Master, If I may ask.since this is my first foray into this type of battle what can i expect from our initial meeting."
[2026/05/19 15:13] Sonja Bikergrrl: A wooden fort....?
[2026/05/19 15:13] Sapphire: Shiny black stone
[2026/05/19 15:13] Sonja Bikergrrl: Bookface... you can dig tunnels?
[2026/05/19 15:14] Sapphire: Sarah would recognize that as Obsidion from the description
[2026/05/19 15:14] Sonja Bikergrrl: The fort is on a hill, you say?
[2026/05/19 15:14] D10: Sapphire rolls 3
[2026/05/19 15:15] Mecha: Sarah nods."I can, and I have though Obsidian might be a bit more diffuclt as it goes
[2026/05/19 15:15] Sonja Bikergrrl: Never mind the obsidian, you don't attack the hardest target.
[2026/05/19 15:15] Sonja Bikergrrl: We got any pigs on hand?
[2026/05/19 15:16] Sapphire: "As to how the first meetings will go? Often such battles go to the first person who can pierce the enemies Parma first. That means whoever is *seen* first is in a bad position. And Cato is quite skilled at illusions. I expect his apprentice will have at least the ability to present a wall of fog, from how she fought in Certamen. They also know how you fought there, and may have prepared wards directly against your obvious strengths."
[2026/05/19 15:17] Sapphire: "We could acquire pigs from the villages downhill. I am unsure to what end."
[2026/05/19 15:17] Sonja Bikergrrl: Yeah? Bet they ain't prepared what I got in mind.
[2026/05/19 15:17] Sonja Bikergrrl: Get pigs. Lots of pigs. And bookface - get ready to shift some rock.
[2026/05/19 15:18] Mecha: Sarah pulls out her book and begins writing out plans and ideas."Syra you will need to keep your familiar close for the time being..." Before looking at you."Please explain this plan."
[2026/05/19 15:19] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me just smiles. "You want that fort gone? We can make it go away."
[2026/05/19 15:20] Mecha: How will it make it go away?"
[2026/05/19 15:21] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Ah, bookface... the doyen of the written word. Allow me to teach you some applied brutality."
[2026/05/19 15:21] Sapphire: Seneca leans in curiously to hear this plan as well, much as does James
[2026/05/19 15:23] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Tunnel under the fort. Be sure to shore it up with sturdy timbers. Lay straw on the ground as you go. Get right under the center of the fort. Then, pack as many pigs in as you can. Set fire to the straw. The pig fat will burn hotter'n any flame you have seen, the supports come down, the ground collapses and down comes that fort. Even if not, they're ground zero for a very HOT fire and fuckton of hot smoke. You can cut 'em down as they flee in panic."
[2026/05/19 15:24] Mecha: Sarah just blinks at you.
[2026/05/19 15:25] Sapphire: "....would that not work better with lard rather than pigs?"
[2026/05/19 15:25] Sonja Bikergrrl: you want that castle down, you listen to me, and get pigs. You want them laughing as you warm their feet, you use lard.
[2026/05/19 15:26] Sapphire: "Live pigs burn hotter?" He considers this. "I have not attempted to test this theory for myself."
[2026/05/19 15:27] Sonja Bikergrrl: ( https://www.exploring-castles.com/uk/england/rochester_castle/ )
[2026/05/19 15:27] Sonja Bikergrrl: well, get pigs, get testing :-)
[2026/05/19 15:28] Mecha: I...Ummm...
[2026/05/19 15:28] Sapphire: "Very well. I'll have my seneschal arrange for this purchase."
[2026/05/19 15:31] Sapphire: "How do you plan to get close enough for this without being sighted? The peak of the mound offers very little cover for the approach."
[2026/05/19 15:32] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Can they see underground?"
[2026/05/19 15:33] Sonja Bikergrrl: ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVwmKWVi4PI )
[2026/05/19 15:33] Sapphire: He ponders this for a moment. "While such a spell exists, it is not wildly distributed."
[2026/05/19 15:33] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Good, they won't expect this."
[2026/05/19 15:35] Sapphire: "James, do not take this the wrong way, but you are too early in your training to be particularly good in a fight, should it reach you."
[2026/05/19 15:36] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "I'm sure he can lead your beseiging army."
[2026/05/19 15:37] Mecha: Sarah rises to her feet."I believe I will take that bath." Before walking off.
[2026/05/19 15:37] Sapphire: "That is the other matter. While I can retain a force of decent sword arms, I would assume Cato can bring a larger host to bear. Of course, they are likely not prepared against the power of magi, unless they have a matching mage on the field supporting them. Which, Cato can predict and will likely arrange for."
[2026/05/19 15:38] Sonja Bikergrrl: /me tuts and shakes her head. "Are you -trying- to lose?"
[2026/05/19 15:38] Sapphire: "How do you mean, young Mage?"
[2026/05/19 15:40] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "They expect to be sieged, do they not? You show them nothing, credit them with SOME smarts, they'll get suspicious and wonder what you're at. Get a 'seiging army' for them to hear/see, they'll watch and laugh at how slow they go. Which means they won't be expecting us to get digging and collapsing their fort, until it collapses under them."
[2026/05/19 15:41] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "it's like any bar room brawl, you distract the sucker, then, BAMMO! the old fork in the eye!"
[2026/05/19 15:42] Sapphire: "Meaning we'll need to arrange for a proper mercenary company in..." he frowns. "Just under a weeks time. We'd need to locate a wandering knightly order, convince them to bring a fight."
[2026/05/19 15:43] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Why? your distraction force is just that, a distraction. They don't fight."
[2026/05/19 15:44] Sapphire: "And just camp out, in full view of enemy wizards?"
[2026/05/19 15:45] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah stares at the guy.
[2026/05/19 15:45] Sapphire: "fair, I should let the Flambaue leverage their superior training in the arts of war."
[2026/05/19 15:45] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Chop down trees, make a road, look busy... y'know... like they're going to siege a fort..."
[2026/05/19 15:45] Sapphire: "how much do you expect to pay such a force?"
[2026/05/19 15:46] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Tell me you have -some- forces here..."
[2026/05/19 15:47] Sapphire: "A half dozen shield grogs."
[2026/05/19 15:47] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: tries not to face palm
[2026/05/19 15:48] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "I've given you the key to victory. Up to you how you implement it, but, power doesn't come cheap."
[2026/05/19 15:48] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "Someone mentioned a bath?"
[2026/05/19 15:50] Sapphire: "don't underestimate the power of a good defensive fortification," he reminds. "But yes. this might be a good time to retire to rest and clensing. James can show you to suitable guest chambers. Nicer than your old room, Sarah. Which James is now using."
[2026/05/19 15:50] Sonja Bikergrrl: Syrah: "I should hope they are powerful, that's why you use their power against them."
[2026/05/19 15:51] Mecha: Sarah has already stepped away, knowing where the bathing area would be
[2026/05/19 15:52] Sapphire: ( And approaching ten minutes to end, any points we wish to raise before we wrap?)
[2026/05/19 15:53] Sonja Bikergrrl: Naa. Bathing.
[2026/05/19 15:53] Mecha: Sarah is still going to work some things through in case after the bath thinking about what she knows of the enemy
[2026/05/19 15:54] Sapphire: In that case, you head to the small bathing area,two pools of clean water, with ring wards keeping one nice and steamy hot, the other cold and clean.