by James Hunter
“No,” I said, pushing my coffee away and standing. “This is all wrong. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I feel it in my gut, and so far, my gut hasn’t led us wrong. Osmark’s played us like a fiddle. He knew we were watching, and he was smart enough to mask his movements. And now he’s marching on us. We should assume he knows what resources we have available and what state our defenses are in. Despite that, he’s still coming, which means he thinks he can take us. And let’s just assume he also has a few more nasty tricks up his sleeve.”
“Jack,” Abby replied, hunching forward in her seat, “what you’re saying is true, but what else can we do? I don’t see another option on the table. I mean, if you have an idea, I’m sure everyone’s open to hearing it, but making our stand here seems like the best choice considering the circumstances.”
I faltered, uncertainty and unease worming around in my belly as I stared at the map. We couldn’t win a war of attrition against the Imperials. Even with the six named Dokkalfar clans at my back, we didn’t have their numbers or battlefield advantages. Aside from his personal faction, Osmark also had twenty-four big hitters backing his plays. Moreover, we’d invested our faction skill points into State-Craft and Merchant-Craft, while Osmark had invested in the Battle-Craft option. So far, we had beat them by outthinking them. By playing a different game. If we were going to win again, we needed to do the same here.
Falling back on conventional tactics would cost us everything. I was sure of it.
As I stared at the map, the inkling of an idea started to form in my head.
Something radical, different, and entirely unconventional. And even better? Unexpected.
“There.” I jabbed one finger at a tiny flyspeck of a town situated in a small dale, sandwiched between the Storme Marshes on the south and the Avilynn Wood to the north, bordering the foot of the Vasterberg Steppes. “Enlarge that town.”
The map flickered and blurred as the town swelled in size, taking on finer detail as it grew. Ravenkirk. It wasn’t much to look at, nor was it impressive in size, but the Imperials would pass right through it to get to Rowanheath. In fact, there was no other way, unless they wanted to trek through thick woods, which seemed unlikely considering their bulky siege weapons.
“This is the solution,” I said with a wide grin.
“Jack, I’m glad you’re excited,” Abby said, sounding slightly concerned that I might’ve finally lost a screw, “but I don’t see how this little place helps us at all. It’s insignificant and indefensible.”
“Exactly,” I replied, slapping a hand on the tabletop. “No one will ever notice it—Osmark won’t even think twice about it because no one would be crazy enough to take a stand there. Not when we have Rowanheath. But what if we pull the same trick on him he just pulled on us? Let’s make him think we’re focusing all of our efforts on Rowanheath, but actually focus on Ravenkirk. Cutter, you said the thieves and the smugglers owe you. Do you think it would be possible to smuggle a large number of troops out of Rowanheath and into that town without the Imperials noticing?”
He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair. “Aye, I suppose so. But no way we could take siege weapons—the tunnels are too tight.”
“That’s fine,” I said, waving away his concern. “We just need to move troops and builders—engineers, miners, crafters, alchemists. Tonight, under cover of dark, we’ll sneak the bulk of our support forces out of the city and into Ravenkirk.”
“But even if we manage to accomplish such a thing,” Otto interjected, “to what end?”
“For the biggest ambush anyone has ever seen,” I replied, feeling a cold flutter of panic.
FIVE_
Change of Plans
“No,” Otto said, shaking his head. “An ambush would never work. They’ll have far too many men and weapons. It’ll never work—not if we need to keep the pretense of preparations here at Rowanheath.”
“Just listen,” I said. “Osmark is preparing for a ranged battle with siege weapons, right? Well, what if we took him on in a place where his siege weapons would be useless? We go to that town, we take over, and we turn it into an absolute death trap—except it won’t look like a death machine until the Legion is too far in to do anything about it. We can build traps. We can turn those homes into bunkers bursting with weapons and troops. Then when the Legion rolls through, none the wiser, we spring the trap.”
I waved a hand toward the Storme Marshes, just to the south of the town. “Heck, we can even bring up some of the Murk Elf War Bands and stage them out of sight in the woods. This is the perfect place for a major upset. Though we’ll engage their troops, the real mission will be to destroy their siege weapons. If we can wipe those out—burn them to the ground—it’ll be a major blow to the Imperials. Then? Well, we retreat to the safety of Rowanheath. Not only will a preemptive attack buy us extra time to finish fortifying Rowanheath, but without their siege equipment, they’ll never be able to breach the outer wall.”
“Holy shite,” Cutter said, staring at me with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open. “That might work.”
“It might,” Otto grunted, folding his beefy arms across his chest as he stared at the map. “It might, indeed. But the Imperials are only five days away from Ravenkirk. Will it be possible to prep the town in time, without the Imperials noticing?”
“Yes,” I said snapping my fingers. “But it’s going to require a lot of work, planning, coordination, and the right skill set. Display State-Craft,” I said, flicking one hand out, dismissing the map and bringing up an emerald green skill tree, which floated in the air for everyone to see:
“Pffh,” Cutter said, tossing his hands into the air and rolling his eyes. “Not this bloody thing again. I can get on board with this business in Ravenkirk, but nobody wants to rehash this old argument, Jack. I’m sick to bloody death of talking about the bloody faction skill points.” Admittedly, I could understand his reluctance. After uniting the Dokkalfar clans, the Alliance had earned itself another level up—shooting us to level 3, and unlocking 5 new Proficiency Points to invest.
Except, we hadn’t invested them yet, despite several weeks going by.
Everyone had been adamant about dropping the whole lot into the Battle-Craft Skill Tree, not a terrible choice considering an entire legion of armed soldiers was marching our way … I’d vetoed the vote. Three times. Osmark was smart, resourceful, and extremely powerful—we would never beat him using predictable, common-sense strategies. He’d see through us a mile away and adapt. And once we spent those Faction Points, they were gone, and there was no getting them back. Measure twice, cut once, that’s what my dad had always told me, and it worked more often than not.
“Listen,” I said, spreading my hands out on the table. “I know no one wants to talk about this, but this is what we’ve been waiting for. I honestly believe we can knock them down at Ravenkirk, but we’ll need some of the skills in the State-Craft Tree to pull it off. Display ‘Industrialist,’ ‘Patriotism,’ ‘Stratagem,’ ‘Sabotage,’ and ‘Civil Unrest,’” I said, my voice a whip crack of command. The skill tree disappeared, instantly replaced by five floating popup windows:
<<<>>>
Faction Ability: Industrialist
“Work smarter, not harder” is the mantra of the innovative Industrialist—a savvy bureaucrat who always finds a way to speed up production, slash costs, and better manage subordinates. Moreover, the Industrialist can stretch resources, ensuring a little goes a very long way.
Faction Ability Type/Level: Passive / Max Level
Cost: N/A
Effect 1: Decrease production time and cost of all buildings, city infrastructure, Keep projects, and siege weapons by 20% (stacks with other bonuses).
Effect 2: Reduce all mercenary hiring costs by 15%; daily upkeep costs for mercenaries reduced by 15%.
Effect 3: When looting corpses or settlements, receive 10% more coins and precious gemstones; 12% improved chance to receive unique and rare loot drops from mobs for a
ll faction members.
<<<>>>
Faction Ability: Patriotism
Give the members of your faction something to fight for and to believe in! Patriotism increases the morale of NPC-bound faction members, boosts satisfaction among NPCs in faction-controlled territory, and can even help persuade neutral parties to your cause. Patriots also have the uncanny ability to sniff out double agents, enemy rogues, and those utilizing the Dignitary ability “Anonymous” to pass by unnoticed.
Faction Ability Type/Level: Passive / Max Level
Cost: N/A
Effect 1: Increases morale of all faction-bound NPCs by 15%, making them less likely to revolt or engage in acts of Civil Unrest stirred up by Saboteurs.
Effect 2: Increase overall reputation and disposition with all neutral factions, cities, and townships; additionally, 20% increased chance of persuading neutral parties, factions, and townships to act in your faction’s favor.
Effect 3: 15% chance to preemptively identify any enemy-faction agents utilizing the Dignitary “Anonymous” ability.
Special Ability: Once every (10) days, a City or Town Commander can activate a special “Call to Arms” attack, rallying all the non-combat NPCs to arms in defense of a specific city. Doing so significantly reduces morale, though, so use with care.
<<<>>>
Faction Ability: Stratagem
Sometimes the victor of a battle is not the superior physical force, but the one with better tactics and superior mental prowess. Stratagem favors those waging defensive battles, altering the flow of combat by maximizing the effectiveness of troops and by providing superior communication and military direction.
Faction Ability Type/Level: Passive / Max Level
Cost: N/A
Effect 1: 15% increased damage to all enemies while battling in faction-controlled townships, cities, or territories.
Effect 2: 12% increased Base Armor for all faction members while battling in faction-controlled townships, cities, or territories.
Effect 3: 10% increased attack range for all range-based weapons (including siege) while battling in faction-controlled townships, cities, or territories.
Effect 4: Faction leaders can create a “Regional Faction Message”—similar to the “Universal Message” function, but less broad—which allows faction leaders to directly message all faction members inside a faction-controlled township, city, or territory.
<<<>>>
Faction Ability: Sabotage
Though nothing is more intimidating than a legion of troops stretching across the field of battle, sometimes there is nothing more effective than a well-placed bomb planted in the dead of night. The Sabotage ability allows your faction to undercut enemies with greater ease and opens two unique subspecialties: the Infiltrator and the Combat Miner. The Infiltrator subspecialty enables Rogues to infiltrate enemy camps, sow dissension, lower troop morale, acquire valuable enemy intelligence, and—at the highest level—poison food and water sources. The Combat Miner subspecialty allows Miners to use their skills to craft deadly bombs, tunnel under fortifications, and even demolish enemy structures.
Faction Ability Type/Level: Passive / Max Level
Cost: N/A
Effect 1: The Dignitary ability “Anonymous”—which allows faction members to pass unnoticed in hostile faction territory—increases in duration from (1) hour to (2) hours. Additionally, Anonymous can be used no matter a player’s enemy status.
Effect 2: All faction members utilizing the Dignitary ability “Anonymous” do 35% more damage to enemy buildings and structures.
Effect 3: Access to the subspecialty Infiltrator Skill Tree for all faction members with the Rogue class.
Effect 4: Access to the subspecialty Combat Miner Skill Tree for all faction members with the Miner class.
<<<>>>
Faction Ability: Civil Unrest
Show those in opposition to your faction the error of their ways! Civil Unrest can decrease the morale of NPC-bound enemy-faction members and boosts dissatisfaction among NPCs in enemy-faction-controlled territory, potentially leading to property damage, full-scale riots, and even revolt! Additionally, Civil Unrest can help persuade enemy parties to divulge valuable information and join your cause.
Faction Ability Type/Level: Passive / Max Level
Cost: N/A
Effect 1: 15% improved favorability when interacting with opposing-faction NPCs with low morale.
Effect 2: When interacting with opposing-faction NPCs with low morale, there is a 10% chance of inciting unrest, which can result in property damage, further reduced morale, full-scale riots, or even revolt.
Effect 3: 15% chance of receiving rumors or enemy information from opposing-faction NPCs with low morale.
Effect 4: 15% additional chance to persuade opposing-faction NPCs with low morale to act in your faction’s favor.
<<<>>>
“Just look at these skills,” I said, waving a hand at the popups. “Even with Rowanheath and all six Murk Elf clans at our back, we still don’t hold a candle to Osmark and the other factions supporting him. We’re the underdogs—we can never forget that, and we need to act like it. These skills are custom built for folks in our situation. If we use these, and our heads, we can pull off something crazy here.”
“I’ll admit,” Otto said, an introspective look dashing across his hard-edged features, “I’ve had my suspicions about you, Jack. When you walked away from the Battle-Craft skills early on, I thought you were unfit to lead. But then you took Rowanheath, and you did it in two days—a feat any military tactician worth their salt would’ve thought impossible. Then, to prove it was no fluke, you somehow managed to defeat a Dragon, resurrect the Nangkri Dynasty, and unite six warring clans under your thumb.”
He paused, his frown deepening. “This”—he nodded toward the skill descriptions loitering in the air—“I don’t understand it. It is counterintuitive and goes against everything my training as a Battle Warden and resistance fighter tells me to do. But, time and time again, you’ve proven yourself, and you’ve proven your ideas are effective. Abby trusts you. Chief Kolle trusts you. Amara trusts you. Anton trusts you. Even Cutter—who trusts no one—trusts you. So, I will trust you in this, too. I move that we distribute our five remaining Faction Proficiency Points into these skills.”
“Seconded,” Chief Kolle offered, a ghost of a smile playing over his lips. Of all my supports, Chief Kolle was the closest thing I had to a mentor, so his vote meant a lot. “All in favor, say Aye.”
“Aye,” came the response from every person around the room.
Quickly, I pulled up my interface, toggled over to the Faction tab, and distributed the points accordingly. I closed out of the screen and rounded on Otto. “Thank you,” I said with a tight-lipped smile.
“Thank me by winning,” he replied gravely. “Now, where do we go from here?”
“Right,” I replied with a grin. “Well, here’s what we need to do. Cutter, you deal with the smugglers. Tell them we need to move a lot of gear and a lot of people, and we need to do it unseen. Find out how we can make that happen. Chief Kolle, can you and Amara head over to Yunnam and call a meeting of the Dark Conclave? We’ll need the War Bands prepped, equipped, and staged in three days tops.
“Anton, I want you to head back to Yunnam and brief Vlad about the change in plans—then get him up to Ravenkirk ASAP to get working on weapons and defense. Otto, you and Xiu start rounding up troops. Figure out how many people we need here to hold the walls in case things go south, then send everyone else that you can.
“Abby, I’d like you to get in touch with Morgan Sellsword, the Merc Warlock. Let’s see if we can’t get some extra hands down there.” I paused, running a hand through my hair. “Okay, if anyone has any questions, run them through Abby—she’ll be the point of contact on this one. Let’s make it happen.”
SIX_
Ravenkirk
I raised the axe again and threw my body into the next swing; the blade slammed home i
nto the thin trunk of a pine tree for the seventh time. This was the one that did the trick. The tree creaked, tottered, and fell with a whoosh, the soft pine needles cushioning the impact. I reached up a shaky hand and wiped away a layer of sweat rolling down my face. It was hot and muggy this close to the Storme Marshes, even at night.
I stowed the axe back in my inventory, then bent over with a grunt and pulled the fallen tree over to the pile of other such trees, fifteen feet away. Cutter was leaning against the stack, pretending to sharpen his wood axe with a rough whetstone, even though he’d been “sharpening” the blade for the last half-hour. “If you get it any sharper, you’re liable to accidentally chop your arm off,” I said, hands planted on my hips.
“Now Jack, you can’t expect me to keep hacking at tree trunks with a dull blade—what’s that thing they always say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? Better just do it right the first time.” He offered me the broadest, most mischievous grin accompanied by a quick wink. He was such a liar, and we both knew it. Instead of calling him out for his BS, though, I simply snorted and shook my head. Cutter was Cutter. Getting him to work was like trying to train a dog to talk.
“Come on, help me haul this back into the town,” I said.
“Ahh,” he replied with a frown, leisurely gaining his feet. “And here my axe was finally sharp enough to use. Oh well”—he dusted his hands off and stowed the tool—“it’ll be ready for the next time, I suppose.”
I rolled my eyes, grabbed several of the trees, and heaved them over my shoulder. IRL, I never would’ve been able to carry so much weight, but I was much stronger inside of V.G.O. Cutter muttered as he picked up the other trunks and followed after me as I left the Avilynn Wood behind and headed for the sleepy little hamlet of Ravenkirk. Well, it had been a sleepy little hamlet, until we moved in. The sound of heavy hammers ringing against metal echoed in the air as we made our way past the farthest buildings and into the town proper.