After my final crash

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Alright... So, I had a major problem regarding crashes last night. By major, I mean that I crashed three times, had a LAN disconnection, and died to power surges no less than three times to deal with.

The last time, my internet was knocked out for over an hour (I fell asleep after 11:30, my time).

So, I don't know anything past when we were called to make d100 rolls for an extra quest item. I don't THINK I rolled high enough for the item, but I'm rather hoping I did...

Anyway, the really important thing is that I don't know what happened after that. Can someone PM me and fill me in?

[Varka]

if you didnt make a roll higher than 80 - I doubt you would have won anything...

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

As I said, the much more important issue is learning whatever was learned after that.  'Cause it's important.

[ZeroVega]

Ah. Alright, well I'll give you the skinny since it's not anything that most don't know. You're still alive and kickin, you get to go home but NOT with the ballistae. To my knowledge we escaped the city some how (most are assuming through the Citadel) and left it to it's fate after evacuating all that we could. As of this time you may use your house in Pranzis if you have one, however it IS occupied and apparently that Bargoer or whatever wasn't really THAT bad afterall. Fin.

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

I wasn't planning on taking the ballistae (that's plural, btw), just giving them back to the Rofirienites.

I'm rather wondering if Pyyran will get a nicely official title, though. 'Cause that had to be my best idea ever - MAJOR thanks to whichever DM placed the first one with the wagons.

If it hadn't been there, I think East would have fallen a lot earlier. Or whichever the one with the wagonline was.

[ZeroVega]

Right well, I doubt Sinthar's General will give you a title for you ingenuity in holding him off. I say ask him though, I'm sure he'll at least give you a duel after laughing at you with his minions.

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

What, we're not going to kick him out?

[ZeroVega]

Well, the way I see it is we could try. Think of it like this though... he has thousands of succubi, bebeliths, dwarven mercinaries, crippling assassins, black rain and undead. He probably had most of the undamaged siege equipment and supplies and he hasn't even had to fortify himself in the city yet. He controlls it and probably the surrounding areas; which means that he'll have time to resupply, place outposts, possibly conscript more soldiers, make more weapons and further reinforce the walls of Pranzis (which I assume are freaking huge).

Once his people actually breached the gates, he crushed us, plain and simple. Now however, he has the city, it's surrounding land and although he doesn't controll all of Dregar, he has what is probably the largest and most secure stronghold that any (or most) of Blood's Generals has ever had. In all rights, he could name himself King and slowly impose his rule if he wanted to. With the Army he has and the Chaos that is running amok, plus any other cities that have fallen to him/other generals or currupt Nobles, who will stand against him?

Also, if we do attempt to take back Pranzis I fully expect the areas to be changed so that you have to OPEN gates to get in. I expect them to be locked and barred. I expect to see archers up on the walls firing down at us. Wizards casting. I expect us to be able to sap and use siege equipment, but at the end of the day I expect us to not win. That is what I expect, but you know... I've babbled long enough and there it it.

[Acacea]

Oh come on, don't you dare say that already. The day after Blood is taken down, really!

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Pyyran's already working on a strategy.

It involves the wholesale slaughter of all but a single breeding pair of fire beetles.

As well as strip-mining coal.

[Faldred]

Stephen_Zuckerman - 6/25/2006  3:13 PM

What, we're not going to kick him out?

Stepping out of character(s) for a sec and engaging in some rapant speculation...

If we're going to kick him out, we need to get started soon.  Sure Broegar has Pranzis, but frankly, it's a bit isolated -- he has no ports under his control yet and still has a lot of territory to control and defend before he can expand.  The best tactic would be to get a large army together and start a true seige of Pranzis, not an assault.  Keep Broegar bottled up, and cut off from any kind of supplies.

Sooner or later, excepting the demons, undead, etc., which admittedly are a large (and probably most fearsome) part of his army, they're either going to start to starve -- it's not like food is much in abundance due to the climate changes -- or get restless/mutinous at starting to starve and no new plunder.  That should hopefully start tipping the balance of forces, and possibly even provide us with defectors or agents-in-place to help gain entrance to the city when we are ready to attack.

Also, it would be wise to find out how the local semi-intelligent monster population (read: Giants) are being treated by the changes in Pranzis.  If they ally themselves with Broegar, that helps him expand faster, especially toward the port of Saudria, and secure his northern flank.  If they are unhappy with Broegar's army being there, it may be possible to come to a temporary alliance with the giants, which would stengthen the siege, plus provide good support for an attack on the city, should one be needed.  (Boulder-heaving giants should help control archers on the walls, as well as bash the gates.)  If the giants stay neutral, then they provide an uncertain check on Broegar to the north, and could be a wild-card in any long-term plan.

So, if re-taking Pranzis is a priority, then an army needs to be recruited, equipped, and deployed to Lorindar, Saudria, and Hurm to begin the seige, or least limit Broegar's expansion while the army continues to build and prepare.  Intel needs to be gotten on the attitude of the giants, and overtures made to them if appropriate.  Raiding parties should be out to harass and hinder any signs of expansion.

Ok... on the challenges of this... Broegar's got a pretty big army, and putting together a large and well-equipped enough force to effectively seige Pranzis is going to be tough.  This is made doubly hard by the political instability following the war with Blood -- getting the various lands to join forces to overthrow him would be difficult enough (each ruler would likely desire the throne in Pranzis as a reward, and there's only one throne and a lot of rulers), getting them to commit enough forces for the length of time a seige would take will take a near-miracle, not to mention the practical issues of putting together the resources to equip and provision an army when the general populace is already going through rough times.  No one can afford to strip their own defenses against possible insurrection and external threats from their neighbors, and that doesn't even account for what may be needed against incursions from the Drow and their allies, or even what the return of the dragons might herald.

Okay... so even if I *remotely* covered everything, and I've probably only scratched the surface, there are a lot of ways this can all play out...

[Harlas Ravelkione]

Now that Sinthar Bloodstone is no more. What power holds the demons in check for Broegar? Some powerful mages in his army could maybe control the undead among his beasties, but the demons and devils are a whole other matter. In fact there may have been serious slaughter in the ranks of his army after the fall of Bloodstone.

However, some serious intelligence is needed before anything may be attempted. This Broegar is a dwarf, and many of his warriors are dwarves. There is information out there regarding this dwarf and where he came from...

[Leanthar]

//Keep in mind... The forces of new cold weather and my other post....Things are different and citizens as well as guards have a different sort of priority (survival) as well. Not saying it is impossible I am just saying it is not as simple as getting an army together. LOTS of stuff happening.

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

//Y'know, I'd love to see these other posts, but I can't for the life of me find them.

[Ne'er]

So, if re-taking Pranzis is a priority, then an army needs to be recruited, equipped, and deployed to Lorindar, Saudria, and Hurm to begin the seige

That's assuming the rulers of the respective cities actually *want* Pranzis to be re-claimed

[Faldred]

Ne'er - 6/26/2006  1:13 PM

So, if re-taking Pranzis is a priority, then an army needs to be recruited, equipped, and deployed to Lorindar, Saudria, and Hurm to begin the seige

That's assuming the rulers of the respective cities actually *want* Pranzis to be re-claimed

That too.     (Although any of them probably wouldn't mind if re-taking Pranzis earned them the throne...)

As I said, I'm probably only scratching the surface of the complexities and possibilities.

[Acacea]

Stephen_Zuckerman - 6/26/2006  8:31 AM

//Y'know, I'd love to see these other posts, but I can't for the life of me find them.

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