(Wow this was a long one, but it is the last major battle after all and against a "Final Boss" character!)
Miasma Battalion:
Mission 11: Battle of Oakenshield
Difficulty: 5/5
BOSS: Marla (Dark Mage, ??/F) 100/100 (Level 17) Items: Mysterious Staff, Elven Crown
SUB-BOSS: Elven Assassin (Assassin, ??/F) 50/50 HP (Level 10)
1: Lieutenant Amanda (Soldier, Claymore 24/F): 40/40 HP (Level 6) Items: Black Claymore +3 to ATK, Superior Elven Armor: +2 to DEF
2: Arastine (Stalwart Defender, Axe, Gauntlets, Tower Shield 49/F): 55/55 HP (Level 8), Items: Paladin Armor, +5 to Defense Rolls, RIng of ATK +1 to ATK, Ring of Def +1 to DEF
3: McKayla (Cleric, E. Jewelry 26/F) 13/13HP (Level 5) (Spells: Heal, Shield, Gravity, Dispell, Drain Life) Items: Elven Jewelry, +1 to Healing Spells, Black Bow
4: Moira (Dark Mage, Magic Staff 32/F): 17/17 HP (Level 7) (Spells: Shadow Bolt, Drain Life, Summon Snakes, Cocoon, Poison MIst) Items: Elven Bracelet, +3 to Attack Rolls, Spider Shawl (+1 to Def)
5: Astrid (Soldier, Fencing Rapier 20/F): 40/40 HP (Level 7), Items: Elven Armor, +1 to Defense Rolls
6: Oola (Soldier, Barbed Whip 22/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3), Items: Elven Armor +1 to Defense Rolls
7: Rixa (Archer, Longbow 26/F) 20/20 HP (Level 8) Items: Bone Longbow, +4 to Attack Rolls, Doubles as a Melee Weapon, Ring of ATK +1 to ATK
8: Beth (Dark Mage 25/F) 15/15 HP (Level 5) (Spells: Shadow Bolt, Carrion Swarm, Curse of Agony)
9: Elendra (Cleric, 19/F) 9/9HP (Level 3) (Spells: Heal, Shield) Items: Shriveled Heart of Nergal +1 to DEF
10: Anko (Rogue, Martial Arts 27/F) 21/21 HP (Level 7) Ring of Attack, +1 to ATK, Ring of Defense, +1 to DEF, Elven Armor, +1 to Def
11: Eisenhilde (Reaver, Crossbow/Spear, 25/F) 23/23/ HP (Level 8) Items: Blade of Hel +1 to ATK, Tyris' Mace +2 to ATK, Elven Chain Mail, +1 to Def
12: Minuette (Soldier, Sword/Shield 19/F) 25/25 HP (Level 4)
13: Avaricia (Mage, 19/F) 13/13 HP (Level 5) (Spells: Fireball, Lightning, Stone Throw)
14: Kuu'rin (Rogue, Daggers ???/F) (Level 5) (16/16 HP), Elven Daggers +2 to ATK, Ring of ATK +1 to ATK, Ring of DEF +1 to DEF
15: Kaede (Soldier, Claws/Biting ???/F) 25/25 HP (Level 4)
16: Bee (Archer, Short Bow 18/F) 10/10/HP (Level 3)
17: Bianca (Rogue, Scorpion Tail/Claws ???/F) (20/20 HP) (Level 6) Ring of ATK +1 to ATK Ring of DEF +1 to DEF
18: Kendra (Warrior, Zweihander) 45/45 HP (Level 8) Elven Armor +2 to DEF, Enchanted Zweihander +3 to ATK, Ring of ATK +1 to ATK
18: Courtney (Archer, Crossbow 21/F) 10/10/HP (Level 3)
19: Fedosia (Soldier, Poleaxe 29/F) 20/20 HP (Level 3)
20: Tihana (Mage, 18F) 9/9 HP (Level 3) Spells: Icicle
21: Amaia (Cleric, 18F) 9/9 HP (Level 3) Spells: Heal, Shield
22: December (Soldier, Mace/Shield 30/M) 35/35 HP (Level 6) Items: Slaver's Beatstick, +3 to ATK, +4 against Elves, Ornate Elven Armor: +3 to DEF, Ring of Attack: +1 to ATK, Ring of Defense: +1 to DEF
Black Legion Elves: x40
Oakenshield is a massive sprawling and rich city. The city is paved white, with ornate buildings, temples and shops lining the streets. At the heart of the city lies a massive hollowed out tree, which serves as the palace of Anemone, the Sorceress Queen of the Wood Elves. The city is normally peaceful, and is the most historic and valuable site that the Elves hold. Today however, the usual on-goings of city-life have been interrupted. Toxin's forces have arrived, and the city has fallen under siege.
What remains of Toxin's forces have lined up outside the city walls. At the center of the Army lies Miasma Battalion. While Toxin and the rest of the Army battle the Elves, Miasma is to retrieve a mysterious artifact from the largest Elven Temple in the city. The Elves will be too busy defending the Tree Palace, so only minimal resistance is expected at the temple...
The battle begins with Toxin summoning all of the magic at her disposal. The display is daunting to say the least, and all of the Magic users in Miasma begin sweating when they're reminded of just what their Overlord is capable of. With a deft swish of her hand, the central gate of Oakenshield implodes, leaving a massive hole in the city. A cheer emerges from Toxin's army as they begin an unorganized rush into the city. The promises of treasure, slaves and rape on most of their minds.
Miasma and the Black Legion head in after the first half of Toxin's army has charged through. Marla, Crown glowing and wielding her Raven Staff. leads the group herself, with her party of Elven soldiers. One of the Elves is sticking closer to Marla than usual. This Elf is heavily bandaged, wearing dark clothing and a lower face-mask. Her pupils are completely dark. Veteran Miasma soldiers recognize her as the Elf that tried to assassinate Marla way back during the beginning of the campaign, and succeeded only in murdering several Miasma members. Somehow the dark mage had managed to resurrect her, and apparently bring her to heel.
The group faces minor resistance at first, attempting to stay at full health for the Temple raid. A few Elves try to shoot at the group from nearby windows, however they're picked off by accurate shots from Rixa and Moira. (Kills for Rixa and Moira) After taking enough fire, Marla activates her crown and the earth shakes underneath the building where the elves are hiding. The group hears cries of terror from the offending Elves, before the buildings collapse completely.
The group heads through several different roads and turns before finally coming to the Elven Temple itself. The building and adjacent pillars are massive, with ornate elven runes drawn into the architecture and sealed door. However, the design isn't what captures the group's attention. It's the massive amount of Elves standing guard at the temple steps, with the familiar figure of Princess Kia at the top. Those trying to count the Elven defenders lose track at about 50...
Kia is standing at the top of the stairs. One hand is resting on her sword, which she has planted on the ground. The other is waving a letter back and forth.
"So...you've finally arrived. I guess that letter wasn't a feint after all. You should have kept better watch of your soldiers, witch. It seems one of them has betrayed you."
Despite having her facial features hidden by her mask, those nearby can tell Marla is somewhat taken aback, however she quickly regains her composure.
"So what? You've chosen to die here instead of at the palace? Who cares? While Toxin's busy ravishing your mother, I'll have my fun with you first~ Maybe after a few hours of torture, you'll happily disclose who my little rat is." Marla says, tightening the grip on her staff
"You won't have the luxury of finding out. You're going to die. ALL of you are going to die. You've trampled over our sacred forest, murdered my kin, murdered my lover...you've even brainwashed some of my sisters to serve your perverse goals..." Kia draws her sword with her free hand, pointing it at Marla, though her eyes catch Rixa's.
"I don't care if any of you were forced into this. The sins you've committed against my people are far too great to just you walk away." Kia crumples the letter she was holding. You notice a crazed look in her eyes as the lust for battle begins to take over her. "You know, this letter told me to target you, but I won't rest at that. ALL OF YOU are going to die RIGHT HERE"
vs
Elven Defenders:
Princess Kia (Warrior-Princess, ??/F) HP 100/100 (Level 16) Items: Elfcalibur, +10 to ATK, Mithril Elven Armor, +7 to DEF, Ring of ATK +3, +3 to ATK, Ring of DEF +3, +3 to DEF
Severa (Mage, ??/F) HP 50/50 (Level 10)
Elven Soldiers x?? (Level 5-7)
Elven Rangers x?? (Level 5-8)
Elven Fencers x?? (Level 5-8)
Elven Priestesses x?? (Level 5-7)
Elven Assassins x?? (Level 5-8)
With a roar, both sides begin their clash. Casting a shield on herself, Marla orders the Black Legion Elves front and center to take the brunt of Kia's forces attack. Kia leads the charge downwards, while Severa remains up-top channeling a spell. Four Black Legion Elves thrust their spears at Kia, only to have their spears, and their midsections, completely eviscerated by the raging Princess, who is trying to clear a path towards Marla and Rixa.
Amanda and Arastine lead the Miasma charge forward, staying in a close-knit formation very similar to the one they took when fighting Acid. Any Elves that try to attack them end up facing a bloody end. One blonde elf cradles the stump of what used to be her arm after a swing from Amanda. Another Red-Headed youngling gets run through by Minuette's sword after bouncing off her shield. Oola and Kaede begin using their respective abilities to pull any nearby Elves into their ball of death, allowing Kuu'rin and Bianca to deliver the lethal blows. (Kills for Amanda, Minuette, Kuu'rin and Bianca)
Marla stands in the back, casting her own spell. Two Elvish Rogues attempt to jump her, however with a few quick, unseen swings, the pair are brought down by Marla's Assassin bodyguard, who had been hiding concealed. With a swing of her staff, she launches a ball of dark energy at a cluster of Elves that were defending their backline. Any Elves that were near the shadowy ball suddenly find themselves lacking gravity. They begin to scream as they float into the ball, dropping their weapons, before exploding in a massive spray of gore. The Miasma Formation gets closer to the steps, and to Kia.
Severa, finishes casting her own spell, and throwing her hands into the air, a massive bolt of lightning descends from the sky and lands in the midst of the Black Legion Elves, frying them and sending a few flying in every direction. The Black Legion has already taken massive damage, and begins to fall back, drawing more attention to Miasma.
As the Miasma Formation continues staying close and slaughtering anyone that comes nearby, the Rangers at the top of the steps begin to aim and fire at the group. Arastine, Minuette, and December cover their comrades well enough, along with magical shielding support from McKayla, Amaia and Elendra, and are able to keep a good portion safe. However, Courtney and Beth take arrows in the left eye and throat respectively. Both of them fall behind in the formation. As Beth lies in the dirt, gagging and watching the boots and sandals of her comrades step around her (and sometimes on her), she reflects on how unfair this all seemed. (Courtney and Beth have died)
Anko, leading the other Rogues in Miasma, break away from the formation under orders from Amanda to get up to the top of the stairs and deal with Severa and the rangers. Meanwhile, Kia has finished dealing with the remaining Black Legion Elves that she was in combat with, bringing her current total kill count to 9. Seeing the approaching Miasma forces, she raises her sword and charges straight into the formation.
The shield wall tries to hold against Kia's attack, however the first cleave shatters Minuette's shield, slicing off both her arms and gashing through her chest. (Minuette has died) She takes some glancing blows from Arastine and December (-5) HP but is able to dance out of harm's way before taking too much damage. With the Rogues on their own assignment and one of their main defensive pillars dying, the formation begins to break up and everyone finds themselves embroiled in individual battles.
One Elven Soldier lunges her spear at Kaede, only for the wolf-girl to tackle her to the ground. With the full weight of Kaede on her, the Elf can do nothing as Kaede bites down on her jugular, feeling the elf thrash and convulse under her. A Fencer cuts her on the back twice, however Kaede is able to deftly maneuver on all fours and swipe at the back of the girl's legs. As the fencer collapses in pain, Kaede straddles her from behind and begins raking her claws all over. (2 Kills for Kaede)
Kendra manages to impale two Elven Fencers on her Zweihander. As they both struggle in vain to free themselves, an Assassin lands behind her. Before she can land a fatal blow, The Elf finds her swing drastically slowed. Before she can notice McKayla's Gravity Spell holding her down, Astrid opens a few new gaping holes in her. (2 Kills for Kendra, 1 Kill for Astrid)
Amanda, Arastine, December and Oola close in on Kia, who easily parries their blows. Oola manages to wrap Kia's free arm in her whip, however this time, Kia easily pulls on the whip as brings the larger Orc towards her. As the orc tumbles towards Kia, off-balance, Kia smashes the pommel of her sword into Oola's throat, completely crumpling her larynx. Elendra tries to heal the downed Orc, but a fireball from launched by Severa catches her fully in the side. She never knows what hits her, as Oola finally succumbs. (Elendra and Oola have died)
Marla waves her staff and a tornado of fire appears at the top of the steps. A few Elven Rangers find themselves engulfed in the flames, running around and screaming. Severa is able to dispel the flames before they wreak too much havoc, however as the Tornado dissipates, she sees Anko, Bianca and Kuu-Rin land in front of her. Severa holds out her hands and a blast of force knocks Kuu-Rin rolling down the stairs, however the defenseless mage is unable to weather blows from both Anko and Bianca. Anko lands a fearsome gut punch to the Elven Mage's stomach, while Bianca stabs downward with her daggers, putting an end to the Elven Mage. (Elite Kill for Bianca)
Kia, not even noticing her friend's death, continues trading blows with the trio of Amanda, Arastine and December. December manages to catch Kia in the shoulder with her a downward swing of her mace (-10 HP). Gritting her teeth, Kia swings her sword in a Whirlwind, knocking all but Arastine on their back. An arrow from Rixa lands in her chest, (-15 HP), which catches the warrior's attention. Seeing the woman that she believes murdered Shara, Kia launches herself at the Archer.
Eisenhilde, who's mace is sheathed in blood from three twitching elves behind her (3 Kills for Eisenhilde), engages in combat with Amaia backing her up with healing and shielding. The speedy Reaver is able to dance around Kia's blows and cracks her Mace against the Elf's clavicle, (-15 HP) eliciting a sharp cry of pain. Kia, noticing Amaia's back-up support, disengages out of combat with a kick to Eisenhilde's stomach. She charges Amaia, who can do nothing but scream in terror and put her hands up. One swing of Kia's sword is all it takes to send her head flying. (Amaia has died)
Back on the temple steps, the Elven Priestesses try to regroup with Kia in order to heal her, however the Miasma rogues wreak havoc on the Healers, who have been outranged by Kia's mad charge. Anko bashes two of the girl's heads together with a sickening crunch (2 Kills for Anko), while Bianca and Kuu-Rin go on a stabbing spree. (1 Kill for Bianca and Kuu-Rin). They are joined by Marla's Elven Assassin, who single-handedly manages to finish off the remaining Rangers and Priestesses.
Kia (60/100) closes in on the backline of Miasma soldiers, cutting down two Black Legion Elves that mindlessly try to stop her. An Icicle launched from Tihania clips Kia in the thigh, slowing her down a bit (-10 HP). Rixa and Bee launch two arrows at the Elf. While Bee misses, Rixa's arrow connects with the side of the Elf's cheek (-5 HP). A Shadow Bolt from Moira hits her in the gut, knocking her down to her knees (-15 HP). A group of Elven Soldiers try to aid their Princess, however a swing of Marla's staff sends them flying into each other with multiple bone-crunching thuds.
Marla begins to mock Kia as the battle turns in Miasma's favor. "Cease your struggling, princess. I'd rather not ruin your perfect visage anymore than I need to. After all you'll have to look pretty during your eternity of serving me."
Marla casts a heavy Gravity spell on Kia, who struggles to overcome it, as McKayla heals up the damaged Miasma members who begin surrounding the Princess. The remaining Black Legion Elves begin cleaning up the remaining defenders, some of whom drop their weapons and attempt to retreat.
"I-I yield...I am yours to command." Kia spits out, seemingly defeated.
Marla approaches the downed Princess, cupping her chin in her hand. "See? Was that so hard? If you had just given up from the start, all of your friends might still b-"
While Marla is busy gloating, the Miasma soldiers nearby notice Kia's sword glowing a bright white light. Those nearby feel a massive energy radiating from the blade, and suddenly the Gravity spell is null.
"Fool, I'd die fighting a thousand times before ever submitting to you!!" Kia is suddenly back on her feet, and with an upward swing, strikes at Marla. While her Magic Shield absorbs some of the blow, she receives a nasty gash up her midsection and through her mask. The energy from the blast launches the dark mage backwards, badly injured. (Marla -40 HP).
"I'LL KILL YOU ALL" - screams Kia, in a berserker rage, eyes locking with Rixa as she prepares for one final charge. (Kia gains ATK +10)
Arastine, Kendra, Amanda, Astrid and December all try to hold the Princess down, however in her current state, she feels no damage or pain. Her glowing weapon easily bats away Kendra and Amanda, who suffer grievous wounds. Astrid is knocked unconscious and Arastine is knocked backwards, barely able to hold on to her tower shield. December's attack is parried and riposted, as Kia impales the girl with her blade. Lifting her sword up high, with December still on it, she swings the girl towards the Miasma backline. December's body is launched, entrails flying free, as the body lands on both Bee and and Tihania, knocking them down. (December has died)
Moira and Rixa launch one last attack at Kia, who is rocked back by the hit, but keeps charging. (HP -25)
Glowing sword in hand, Kia swings down at Rixa, who blocks with her sturdy Bone Bow. Rixa blocks two more swings, however she is no melee fighter, and eventually Kia's blade swings down and catches Rixa through the shoulder and into her chest, fatally wounding her.
"That was for Shara, you bit-" Kia's words are cut short as with her last inch of strength, Rixa grabs an arrow from her quiver and slams it down into the Warrior-Princess' right-eye, lodging it into her brain and finally ending her life. The two bodies collapse on top of each other, and cease moving. (Kill for Rixa, Rixa has died)
With Kia's death, the remaining Elves thrown down their weapons and retreat. The few Black Legion Elves, along with Marla's Elven Assassin, guard the dark mage, who is screaming in both agony and rage, clutching her wounded face. Some of the remaining Miasma members who haven't been killed or knocked unconscious, move to chase the retreating soldiers, however, Marla suddenly orders them to stop.
"LEAVE THEM! HEAL YOUR WOUNDS AND GET READY TO ENTER THE TEMPLE!" She screams. Her mask has fallen off, finally revealing her pretty face, which has been marred by Kia's nasty cut.
The remaining Miasma members gather together and begin letting McKayla heal their wounds. With the Elves defeated, there should be no resistance awaiting them in the temple. That is...unless the urge to rebel still manages to exist inside certain Miasma members.
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Anyone who survives this battle gains a Level-Up in addition to anyone they may have killed during the fight.
Individual Decision:
With Kia defeated, your leg of the campaign is seemingly over. The Eye of Abbadon lies within the temple, waiting for Marla to claim it. You don't know what it does, or what Marla and Toxin intend to do with it...but you do know that you've been plotting against Marla for what seems like ages now. This is a now or never opportunity. While Kia managed to wound Marla, the Dark Mage is still leagues more powerful than you, and she still has some Black Legion Elves who have survived the battle. If you let Marla do what she came here to do, chances are good you'll have survived everything. Or do you go the extra mile, and try to take her down...?
A) Betray Marla (This leads to one more chapter, and a final boss fight)
B) Let Marla claim the eye (This ends the campaign. Anyone who is left alive survives, and is technically no longer a Zako!)
This is an individual choice. Your character can either choose to betray Marla or not.
