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Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (135/?) Revised Version 1
🕑 Added 2025-07-05 21:10:05 +0000 UTCAuthor’s Note: Hey everyone! So there’s just been a few edits in this one! With the biggest edit worth noting of being present in the intro! I just wanted to streamline and better add details in order to better set up the scene leading up to the actual game! :D Other than that, there’s just the typical grammar and spelling edits, in addition to a few rephrasings here and there to improve on flow and such! :D That’s about it this time around! As always, all of the revised sections are highlighted with an underline to easily see what’s been revised! :D
The Crown Herald Town of Elaseer. Riverfront. His Eternal River Boat (HERB) Pursuit of Constance. Pleasure and Recreation Deck. Local Time 1400 Hours.
Emma
If you’d have asked me a day ago what I expected to be doing at the start of the dragon quest, then receiving the honorary rank and title of siege lord definitely wouldn’t have been on my radar, let alone on my list.
“And to you, Cadet Emma Booker, goes the masquerade title of Emirius Bokero — first of her name, Knight-Regent of Arthmilian, Grand Protector of the Realm, and last but not least… SIEGE LORD of the House of Bokero.” Lord Etale spoke, his voice echoing throughout the domed hall as he stood high and triumphantly atop a glorified stool.
The silence that followed was punctuated by the awkward clapping of the curiously named pleasure hall’s staff. Their claps eventually filled the ridiculously proportioned game room that dominated a good chunk of the riverboat’s central atrium.
While this questionable use of space brought about a litany of questions regarding the peculiar layout of the boat, I had neither the time nor chance to really dig into it. Especially given how quick the twins were to drag us and our respective mounts onto the riverboat as soon as we’d agreed to their terms.
Their excitement and enthusiasm for this challenge was palpable. So palpable, in fact, that it had even caught the crew on board off guard as they all struggled to receive — let alone accommodate — the elven pair’s very particular list of requests.
But accommodate they did, which was precisely how I found myself standing awkwardly in the center of this domed room, beneath a fresco of tabletop role-playing elves staring down at us from the dome above; creating an impression that it was us who were the pawns of some grand and eclectic game of Castles and Wyverns.
The magically-imbued art didn’t really help with that assertion, as their painted eyes quite literally followed our every movement.
“And to you, mercenary prince, usurper, and savage barbarian of the Havenbrockian hinterlands, goes the masquerade title of Talnin Heavrockis — first of his name, War Chief of Rockis, and SIEGE LORD of the House of Heavrockis.” Lord Etale continued, spraying both of us in a mist of some ritualistic mana water, but not before Thalmin gave off a startling growl and a stern glare at his ‘masquerade title.’
A fine haze quickly formed around us as a result, before suddenly and quite abruptly, we found the entirety of the mosaic floor we stood upon glowing a fluorescent blue hue.
I quickly craned my head up to see that the dome itself had transformed from a fresco to something more resembling stained glass.
The reason for this was quickly made clear to me, as this glass allowed for a projector-like effect to be cast upon the floor beneath its circumference.
Everything outside of the dome’s light faded into the darkness at this point, after which the glowing floor beneath us started to change.
What had been flat and two-dimensional mosaics of rolling hills, grand mountains, meandering rivers, and roaring seas suddenly rose upwards.
It started small, as I felt the floor beneath us starting to bubble and creak, the formerly smooth surface becoming bumpy and uneven, like the result of a shoddy DIY-er’s first attempt at tiling their bathroom floors.
Then came the visible changes, as waves and protrusions started popping up here and there like cracks and splinters on a wood floor snapping under immense strain.
Fissures started to form along very specific patterns, while water from some unknown source started to fill them the moment they reached a certain size.
CRACK!
Tile and grout shattered.
FWOOOSH!
While large boulders and rock formations quickly took their place.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that these weren’t just any plain old boulders.
Because while we were distracted with the largest and most impressive changes, the finer details bubbling beneath our feet had just as quickly accentuated this flourishing topography.
The cracks that had been filled with water now resembled grand rivers and rapids, whilst larger fissures continued to sink even deeper, forming valleys and canyons that dominated their own region of the floor.
Eventually, the plains and rolling hills were coated with a soft and velvety surface of grass. With swathes of shrub and woodlands emerging soon after; tying the whole scene together as a living, breathing simulation.
“Welcome to the Realm of Israphel.” Lady Evrail spoke through a magically assisted shout. “A land of vibrant life, breathtaking scenery… and warring factions.” Her tone suddenly turned grim as the distant sound of drums echoed somewhere ‘off-screen’. “This adjacent realm is a battleground of intrigue, spilling over into outright conflict and bloodshed. All to fulfil that which is the inherent trend of all realms.” She soon turned to Lord Etale as he nodded firmly.
“To fight for dominance and primacy. To determine the rightful ruling family in this battle for the…”
The orange haired elf paused, turning to his counterpart as they raised both hands upwards, before conjuring a glowing title card that read—
“LINES OF SUCCESSION!” They both shouted theatrically.
“While we typically would provide a tutorial, we simply do not have such luxuries given the condensed nature of this game owing to our fixed departure schedule.” Lord Etale explained.
“This will make this game a… trial by fire of sorts.” Lady Evrail continued. “Though we are nothing if not fair in our games.”
Soon enough, a list of basic game rules appeared before us, hovering ominously over the landscape as the music in the background evolved.
The basic tempo of the drums was quickly joined in by a quartet of shrilly brass and meandering string instruments, creating this soft and melodic classical tune that rose and fell with the opening title crawl.
I was too focused on the rules to realize what this was, and only when the music was over did I figure it out.
This was the game’s menu theme…
However, before I was able to fully grapple with that amusing interdimensional parallel, both the EVI and Evrail quickly chimed in.
The former promptly condensed the rules into a neat little annotated list, while the latter moved on to point out the four quadrants of the map and their borders.
“Each player takes charge of their own kingdom. Each kingdom consists of a crown capital, two regional capital cities, and four towns. While a typical game may involve the expansion of these settlements in both size and quantity, this hastened ruleset has removed that dimension of the game.”
The map in front of us quickly came to reflect Evrail’s words, as a large city consisting of high walls and large towers came to form near the very edge of the map where we stood. While two smaller cities formed further away, closer to the center of the map. Between those and the geographic center of the map were rolling farmlands, punctuated occasionally by the four aforementioned towns.
These miniature settlements, each coming up to about ankle height — save for the capital with its larger towers — were quiet and dormant at first.
That was, until little lights started appearing at each and every little window as high-pitched chatter started filling the air, most of which were confirmed as utter gibberish by the EVI.
“Furthermore, each player will start off with a total of ten nobles, instead of the typical five. Though it should be noted that arcane scholastics have not been fully researched. Thus the arcane development web will start out at its base level.” Evrail spoke informatively as yet another magical projection appeared above us.
…
I couldn’t help but to snicker at what I saw.
“A fricking tech tree…” I mumbled quietly under a muted breath to the EVI, who simply beeped in affirmation.
“Your nobles are not fixed to either the martial or civil path.” Evrail added.
“You may thus assign your nobles as you see fit.” Etale quickly chimed in as yet another projection appeared in front of us.
This one… was about as un-fantastical as they came.
It was an org chart…
Dividing up the nobles in the game into two distinct categories, the aforementioned military path and the latter civilian path.
The former had all the obvious callings of a typical ‘hero unit’ in an RTS game. This came complete with choices of specialization into frontline battle mages, and all sorts of support mages that came with a heavy emphasis on both indirect military support, and surprisingly complex military logistics roles.
This… game… was starting to resemble a major intel-leak on the part of the Nexus.
And it was oh so eye-opening.
However, it would be the latter that truly visualized something that was admittedly somewhat still murky and vague. A concept that, whilst I understood in theory, I haven't yet seen in practice. At least, not on a grand scale.
Within the ‘civilian’ side of the org chart came a whole host of roles that Ilunor, Thacea, Thalmin, and even Sorecar had alluded to — all divided amongst three distinct trees.
Industry.
Academia.
And ‘Diplomacy.’
It was the first amongst these that truly made Nexian society click, as within that specific branch came anything and everything from Agriculture to Mining to Weapons Industries and beyond.
I raised a hand just to confirm my suspicions, Evrail acknowledging it with a nod of her head.
“Yes, newrealmer?”
“Is there a way to assign anyone other than nobles to industry? Like, Academia I get. That’s magical research so it naturally requires mages to staff it. Diplomacy… sure, that’s inherently within a noble’s political authority. But with industry? Couldn’t you have commoners, heck, even merchants participate?”
“You’re misconstruing industry for commerce, newrealmer.” Evrail answered bluntly, though not dismissively. “Commerce, in both the game and in real life, is capable of accommodating commoners. Industry, however, is entirely within the realm of the working nobility, simplified here under the umbrella unit of nobility.”
“The means of production — or at least, production at the scale of advanced societies — relies entirely on magic. And while this magic can be extracted and then divided into niche and specific work for chosen ones, it’s only mages — the nobility — that can truly and unequivocally command mana. Ergo, the keys to industry are contingent on nobles and nobles alone.”
I couldn’t help but to stare blankly at the ten elven miniatures standing in front of the capital’s gates ready to fulfil these roles, whilst the words of one of the scientists in the IAS’ social sciences division echoed loudly in the back of my mind.
“It is worth noting that out of all media, it is perhaps interactive and participatory media that are the most damning out of them all. For within these interactive experiences — these games — is a living, breathing universe. One whose very rules of reality are dictated in their entirety by equal parts objective truth, and equal parts perceived truths of the culture it belongs to. We too are not immune to this phenomenon, so it is going to be fascinating to dissect this if you do encounter this on the other side, Cadet.”
Dr. Tully’s words rang loudly in my mind at this point, though I was just as quickly brought back to reality by Evrail once she’d finished her ramblings on the specifics behind the battlemage’s spec tree.
“Special martial mages such as Aethraship Skylords, Landship Landlords, and Drake Wing Lord-Commanders are likewise locked behind their respective branches within the arcane development web.” Evrail spoke.
“Well thank ancestors for that.” Thalmin sighed as I craned my head towards him. “What? I too dabble in the occasional Lines of Succession game.”
“Fair enough.” I spoke, somewhat relieved that I had a veteran on my side.
“Speaking of, you said we have full points unlocked, correct?” He addressed the two elves.
“Yes.” Evrail responded.
This prompted the prince to turn towards me with a nod. “This means that you can recruit all the commoner units you want to, Emma.”
“So the points are basically population cap?”
“In a sense, yes.” Thalmin answered. “Peasant militias, adventurers, town guards, men-at-arms, and all the way to chosen ones. Though of course, the point value for each and what each unit is capable of doing and wielding varies.”
My brain started running at full speed following that. Especially after the realization that battle mages couldn’t just immediately be specced but required time to train.
The EVI’s summary of the ruleset clearly indicated as such, at least.
“Just so I’m clear on this, this game also has a logistics supply line thing that reflects real life, right? As in, adventurers, chosen ones, commoners, they all need to be armed with enchanted weapons before going out?”
“And training time too, yes.” Thalmin nodded.
I quickly turned back EVI’s condensed ruleset, noticing the not-too-insignificant gap between the production and training time for the peasantry versus the noble’s battle mages.
It was around that point that it all clicked.
“And what’s the victory condition?” I quickly asked.
“Given the condensed nature of this game, we’ve limited it to two options. One — the capture and/or destruction of all enemy cities. Or two — the capturing and/or defeat of all enemy nobles.” Etale responded promptly.
The gears inside my head shifted up a notch at that confirmation, as a wide grin formed beneath my poker-faced faceplate.
“Any further questions, newrealmer?” Lady Evrail asked, prompting me to simply nod once in response.
“Yeah, just one. How exactly do I play this game without being able to well… interact with magic?”
“Ah, yes. That limitation. We have taken that into account!” The elf beamed, as she snapped her fingers and brought in one of the many game room attendants to my side.
“I shall act as your intermediary, my lady.” The brown-haired elven attendant spoke as he bowed deeply. “Your wish is my command.”
“Literally in this instance.” Lady Evrail noted. “Will that be all?”
“Yup!” I beamed. “Let’s start.”
=====
Local Time 1410 Hours.
Lady Evrail
We tried to keep this as fair as possible.
This was an attempt to gauge the newrealmer’s ability to plan, direct, and dictate the course of battle, after all.
Moreover, this entire venture would grant invaluable insight into this savage newrealm’s grasp of war. Testing it, probing it, and projecting it over a truly modern battlefield.
Whilst testing this on a typical newrealmer would have been all for nought — as many would’ve simply fumbled at the sight of the most condensed and basic battle mage’s specialization web — the earthrealmer in particular proved that she was anything but typical.
But whether this anomalous nature would extend beyond mere words, presence, and physicality would be decided here. On the stage of that most civilized of high-stakes activities — contemporary warfare.
This would determine if the newrealmer was as advanced as she purports and alludes to be.
This would bring to light the sort of training in the art of war she received and would define so much of her realm’s capacity and competence for war.
Excitement filled me, as both Etale and I stuck to our typical opening moves. Allowing us to divide our attention between the buildup of our own forces, specialization of our battle mages, and the all-important monitoring of the earthrealmer’s starting decisions.
Decisions which currently proved not to disappoint, but in all the wrong ways.
We spotted a ridiculous buildup of both chosen ones and guardsmen, leaving none to populate the civil path.
Conversely, all but two of the newrealmer’s nobility were placed into the civil path, creating a lopsided polity that teetered on collapse.
We both turned to each other upon that realization, scoffing at it with a series of soft chuckles.
Indeed, the ludicrousness continued as we analyzed the earthrealmer’s two and only martial nobles.
Both of which had been relegated to support mages.
“Neither are true battle mages.” I commented, turning towards Lord Etale.
“Is the newrealmer daft? Or does she think she’s being clever?” He responded, letting out a wispy breath as he shook his head.
“Or perhaps… due to her realm’s mana deficiency, battle mages are a foreign concept to her?” I offered, garnering a bit of a raised brow from the man. “Consider it, Lord Etale. With faint mana and weak manafields, just how could a battle mage truly function? Perhaps this limitation is coloring the way in which her realm wages war.”
“Perhaps… but this does mean she lacks the true elements necessary with which to win said war, let alone wage a sustained battle.” He scoffed.
“Yes… though you must admit one thing, Lord Etale.” I spoke ominously, garnering a questioning look.
“What?”
“She’s establishing a robust industry already.” I pointed towards the complexes forming around the newrealmer’s capital.
=====
Local Time 1415 Hours.
Thalmin
“Emma… what are you doing?” I growled in utter bewilderment at the strategies being employed that were… aberrant, to say the least.
“Trust me, Thalmin. I know what I’m doing.” Emma responded cheekily.
“This is no time to test out novel theories of war. We must focus on the tried and true. If you follow my lead, we can reach some means of assured victory—”
“Trust in the process, Thalmin!” She once more beamed out. “I’m going to insect swarm the enemy…”
My eyes narrowed as my mouth hung open at that response. My mind quickly raced back to Ilunor’s wild theories of the earthrealmer’s potential insectoid nature.
“You’re going to do what, Emma?”
=====
Local Time 1415 Hours.
Apprentice Antisonzia the Second
I took a deep breath as I sat high upon the elegant saddle of a mighty drake golem steed.
Indeed, dressed in both fine armor and the mighty badges denoting my station, I ordered the beast beneath me to prance its way forward, my head held high whilst the rabble gawked and watched on with envy and despair.
Woe be upon ye of lesser standing… you may watch, but not too closely. For the brightness of my being may blind you to your future. I thought to myself as I continued on the path set for me.
This shall be a simple task. A most wondrous task! A task in which there exists no potential for failure.
Though strangely… it would seem as if this task would take me on something of a detour, as I noted a gradual but noticeable shift in the path laid out before me.
Hmm… strange… an unexpected visit into town? Hmmph. The pair must simply be reaping the rewards of their self-directed journey. Gallivanting through town when they should be questing!
I followed the path without question, slowly this time and forging distance between their pace and my own, so as to not alert my prey…
=====
Local Time 1420 Hours.
Lady Evrail
“She isn’t stopping.” I pointed once again to the growing horde. Many of whom were now mounted on horseback, and many of whom were now supplied with some form of enchanted weapon.
“Neither are we.” Etale responded lackadaisically while pointing at his academies. “As I said, this truly is a bizarre path, but novelty should not be conflated with effectiveness.”
“I’m taking my battle mages out of the Academy.” I reasoned, though this only resulted in a wide-eyed glare from Etale.
“For what? We are still in the preparatory stages. Just look at Prince Havenbrock! He’s in the same stage as us. If you open with a half-cooked battle mage, then we’re done for.”
I thought long and hard about those words before nodding in acknowledgement. “Right. You’re right. Besides, if she continues specializing all of her point count into martial commoners, she won’t have much of a base economy to support a protracted engagement.” I nodded… though I couldn’t help but to stare warily at the rapidly growing horde swarming outside the newrealmer’s capital.
=====
Local Time 1425 Hours.
Emma
The stage was set, and my path was clear.
I didn’t need a hyper-advanced virtual intelligence to gauge what the pair’s strategy was going to be.
If anything, the intel from binge-watching hour-long video essays dissecting the intersection between game mechanics and culture had suddenly become practical at this very moment.
It was painfully obvious how this game was supposed to be played.
It was mage-centric, a hero-game, a cross between an RTS, civ-builder, and one of those MOBAs.
Yet… it was the RTS element of it that gave me a unique opening, especially if my gamble paid off.
Which, given how no one had made any opening moves as of yet, was a sure-fire indicator that my hunch had indeed come to pass.
With neither party having completed their preparatory stages, this left a narrow sliver of time before their mages were fully specced into the first-tier martial form.
Meanwhile, with most of my own mages specced into either industry or research, I was churning out weapons by the crate-load.
Plus, with the full pop-cap unlocked, I ignored all semblance of a sustainable economy and pushed hard into churning out ranged and advanced units; all supported by the full-on unsustainable war economy brewing in the capital.
With a deep breath, I watched as the last of the mounted cavalry were armed.
Following which, I ordered the game staff elf to move my pieces forward.
A questioning look was shot from both them and Thalmin. However, after a solid insistence, they eventually and reluctantly acknowledged my command.
All the pieces were in place for a xerg rush as my hoards of commoner units moved up towards the center of the map, first in one solid mass, then…
=====
Local Time 1430 Hours.
Lady Evrail
“She’s moving.” I spoke under a dark breath.
“Hmm?” Was Lord Etale’s only answer. “Oh dear. That… that just won’t do.” He began chuckling, shaking his head as he did so.
“Are you telling me you don’t see that?!” I pointed vehemently, merely garnering a series of flippant hand waves from the elf.
“Yes, but look… they’re marching at a snail’s pace!” He exclaimed. “Even their mounted units will arrive here far too late. By the time they reach the second-tier cities, our battle mages will be ready to annihilate them.”
“That’s not what I’m saying…” I urged sharply, my finger pointing towards the one support mage currently leading the charge.
“Yes? She’s clearly misappropriated the position of a battle mage for that of a support mage. I do not see your—”
A fwoosh interrupted Etale’s ramblings as, in short order, we were met with the earthrealmer’s armies…
At our doorstep.
=====
Local Time 1435 Hours.
Thalmin
“Bold.” Was all I said as I watched the disastrous scene unfolding before me.
Though that was all I could manage out before the gates of infernium were unleashed upon our elven foes, as hoards of commoners flooded the frontlines through the support mage’s grand portal.
Elvaire’s scouting forces, headed by chosen ones and flanked by adventurers, were overrun in an instant as… what I could only describe as swarm tactics were brought down upon Evrail’s frontlines.
Footmen and skirmishers ran forwards and encircled any and all units, while cavalry moved behind to prevent their retreat.
Finally, archers rained hellfire whenever the opportunity arose, blotting out the skies as Emma fought to defeat by detail each and every defensive formation in her way.
About half of the elf’s points were used on martial commoners, with the rest relegated to the homefront economy.
Moreover, they were spread thin whilst Emma’s forces had, in effect, condensed their numbers towards the front.
While this left her homefront utterly vulnerable, the sheer surprise and brazenness of Emma’s tactics, as well as the aggression she showed, seemed to be enough of a distraction for the pair to play defensively.
Soon enough, Emma’s forces, aided by the support mage’s portal-magic specializations, raced forward towards Evrail’s towns.
At which point, another concern quickly dawned on me.
=====
Local Time 1440 Hours.
Lady Evrail
“See that?!” Etale beamed. “She’s losing the initiative!” He cackled, crossing his arms as he did so.
I hated to admit it, especially with the mounting losses on the front, but the man was right…
The mana-hungry weapons of the common foot soldier were running out, equipment was slowly deteriorating due to heavy overuse, and what chosen ones there were simply could not sustain even their own enchanted weapons.
The advance slowed to a crawl as the encroaching hoard stopped just at the gates of my first town.
However, just before I was able to mobilize the rest of my common forces, something unexpected happened.
The second support mage returned.
This time… with carts.
A trail of carts had emerged, popping in and out of existence between the capital and the frontlines, forging forwards through a hastily-constructed transportium network maintained entirely by one support mage.
This was an extreme waste of a noble unit… I thought to myself. And though the tactic wasn’t unfounded, it was typically used in the late game when nobles were plentiful and some could be relegated to such a superfluous role.
To use such a tactic during the opening stages however?
For a pure commoner army, no less?
It was madness.
But it was madness that was promptly paying off.
The hoards were resupplied in short order, as manufactoriums staffed by nobles back in the capitals churned out an overabundance of enchanted weapons and manavials.
Soon, the siege began on my first town.
…
The skies above were blotted out by an endless swarm of arrows—
SWOOSH!
—lit up only by the catapulted fireballs that followed—
CRACKLE
—before finally ending in the first town’s defense points being ground down to oblivion.
Toot…tooot….toooot.
The first town fell, and what happened next was nothing short of barbaric.
=====
Local Time 1445 Hours.
Thalmin
“So that’s how you’re sustaining your units.” I muttered out under a ponderous breath. “Barbaric… but practical.” I nodded slowly. “I approve, Emma.”
“Thanks, Thalmin.” The earthrealmer replied as I watched on at what I could only describe as a locust swarm.
The first and second towns that had been felled… were promptly picked clean of any and all supplies. What’s more, the farms around them were looted, plundered, and sacked.
What agricultural spoils could not be processed on the frontlines were promptly funneled back to her capital, where it was promptly processed and then sent back in short order.
There were few things I could liken this to.
The savagery of nomadic conquerors… or more worryingly… the unquenchable hunger and ruthless efficiency of locusts, insects, and other such arachnous elements.
Soon enough, Evrail’s two remaining towns were sacked, their farms razed and the earth left but a barren brown wasteland.
Finally satisfied and satiated, Emma’s armies marched onwards towards Evrails’s second-rate cities, both of which proved to be a harder nut to crack.
“Do you require aid, Emma?” I asked.
“No, not yet. Hold back and keep your guys fresh, especially your mages. This is going to be a bloodbath once their mages are done baking. So I gotta press the advantage.”
“How do you expect to break through these two cities? Surely you can’t sustain—”
Emma suddenly pushed her forces forward, swarming one of the cities from all sides as her archers began pouring down arrows without mercy.
Eventually, my worst fears were actualized as much of her foot soldiers were felled by the city’s defenses.
“Emma… what are you—”
Then it clicked.
“The martial gap means that the city’s own defenses can decimate my archers and catapults, no?” She asked with a chuckle.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Well… since their mages are still cooking, it seems like the cities are just relying on the same sorts of enchanted weapons we have, albeit a lot bigger. Which means they can’t just level the land or perform big AOE attacks. All of this is to say…” The earthrealmer paused, pointing at the gradual decline of the city’s health. “... they can’t stop all of us. Either they shoot the foot soldiers and allow the archers to rain hell on them, or they shoot the archers and allow the foot soldiers to start scaling the walls.”
I watched not in horror, but in abject satisfaction at the ensuing onslaught.
“And this is… sustainable?” I shot back.
“No.” Emma answered bluntly. “But this whole thing is a big gamble.”
“You’re betting on their defeat before your own fall?”
“Bingo. Either they are defeated or I starve and run out of men. It’s all or nothing.” The earthrealmer spoke with a terrifying glee. “Gosh I love insect swarm tactics.”
=====
Local Time 1450 Hours.
Lady Evrail
I turned to Lord Etale expectantly.
However, all I saw within his eyes was the same revulsion brewing within me.
Moreover, the man was too focused, too fixated on pressing his own advantage; pushing his forces and harassing the lupinor’s.
This didn’t work.
If anything, the lupinor was simply stalling him, micro-managing his units in such a way that took his attention away from my disastrous situation.
It was only after I tugged at his sleeves did he finally turn back towards me, at which point did he notice the barbarians now crowding outside my lone capital’s gates.
However, this realization came at the same time that an angelic tune emerged from his capital, as four battle mages now hovered triumphantly overhead.
This… was in stark contrast to my own capital, as without food and resources from the now-razed towns and cities, my battle mages were effectively trapped in academic purgatory.
Despite this, it was clear Etale still had something up his sleeve.
A card which he was so confident in playing that he remained undeterred by the lupinor’s own battle mages rising out of his capital.
“The earthrealmer’s folly is truly a shame.” He spoke ominously. “For her tactics shall now backfire in the flames of the underworld…”
=====
Local Time 1500 Hours.
Emma
Evrail’s capital was sitting at half health… but my own supply and manpower situation was also looking bleak.
Still, the math showed that this tactic would work.
I just needed to—
DING… DING… DING…
What sounded like some sort of death knell echoed throughout the battlefield.
At which point… my heart quickly sank.
A single battle mage hovered ominously towards my units, my archers doing barely any damage at all, and my foot soldiers unable to even touch them.
That wasn’t the real worry here however.
Instead, it was what was forming behind my lines.
Bbuuurrrrr…. A haunting sound echoed throughout the room.
Bbbbrrrrrr… Then came another.
Soon, I realized Etale’s whole game plan.
And it was one that I simply had no counter for.
“BEHOLD!” He commanded loudly. “THE FOLLY OF YOUR FOOLISH AMBITIONS! WHAT WAS ONCE YOUR ARMY IS NOW MY OWN!”
“Necromancy and undead summoning.” Thalmin reasoned with a disappointed sigh. “I should’ve seen that coming.”
All hell broke loose following that proclamation, as the undead moved to swiftly battle my own forces.
It wasn’t a direct one-to-one scaling of power however, as the dead’s living counterparts seemed at least twice more powerful.
However, it was their sheer number that really devastated my forces, pushing me back into a pocket that was impossible to resupply.
I could see the writing on the wall at that point and so, I decided to cut my losses.
But not without a fight.
I fought tooth and nail while giving Thalmin a subtle nod, micro-managing every unit as far as I could to maximize their fighting potential, buying the lupinor time.
Meanwhile, I made sure to do what was possible to fortify the homefront, but given I’d exhausted my resources… there wasn’t much I could do.
Except for one thing.
“Thalmin.” I whispered. “Take the wheel.”
With those words, I began funneling what few available resources I had left, as the lupinor now grinned widely with wild intent.
“The pleasure is all mine, Emma.”
=====
Local Time 1510 Hours.
Lady Evrail
It all happened far too quickly.
If anything, it was Etale’s myopic focus that led to this outcome.
The newrealmer’s forces were defeated. Indeed, four of her villages burned at the hands of those very men who had once hailed from them.
However, this came at the price of the mercenary prince’s crusade.
A crusade that managed to overcome the undead, and the contemporary forces Etale had left.
It was a simple matter of mathematics.
With my own inability to supply neither resources nor first-tier battle mages, the battle devolved into a one-on-one match between two competitive powers.
Though it should be noted that only one of those powers simply had more to gain, by virtue of their ally’s relatively untouched territories.
The mercenary prince made short work of Etale’s towns and cities through a series of conventional siege tactics made possible by a balanced and proper deck.
If anything, Etale’s undead deck was starting to backfire as a result of their inability to gain experience and rise in rank.
He tried compensating for this, of course, with battle mages that fought hard against the lupinor’s own.
But with both being equally matched in this dimension of the war… the writing was already on the wall.
The rest of the battle played out like a typical game — Etale only managing to draw things out before their ultimate end.
A SHADOW HAS FALLEN UPON ISRAPHEL… A far off voice announced, as the final ounce of health was knocked from Etale’s capital.
We both stood there… unable to grapple with what had just happened.
The lupinor… that was obvious. Nothing needed to be said about a conventional war.
But the newrealmer…
Whilst ultimately a fruitless venture, the sheer audacity — the alienness — of her tactics… her first choice of tactics at that…
…
If this truly was her first inclination — her natural approach to war?
…
It was unsettling.
Comments
SoylentPudding
My only regret is that Thalmin didn't tell Emma she needed to construct additional pylons
Xylophone Smith
israel is a perfectly balanced game with no exploits
