Legends of Avantris - [FINALE] Waltz for Eternity | Ep. 7 | A Vow Remembered

Episode Date: June 11, 2026

Episode 7 and FINALE of our NEW Gundam-inspired mecha campaign, Waltz for Eternity! This brand-new cast of characters are members of a program of mech pilots within the Cavalon Empire! Neon Odyssey, our 1,400+ page Space Opera trilogy for D&D 5.5E, is live now on Kickstarter! Become a Backer today at https://avantr.is/neon-rpg-yt   🎃Terrify your friends in D&D with *The Crooked Moon,* our 632-page Folk Horror tome for 5E: https://thecrookedmoon.com   🌎Join our *Patreon* to get thousands of hours of content including Avantris & Chill, unedited campaigns, a weekly game stream, 4 exclusive campaigns, monthly movie nights, and much more: https://avantris.com/patreon 👕 Get awesome, beautiful, or hilarious *merch* of your favorite characters including Chuckles, Bitsy, Torbek, and more at the Avantris shop: https://avantris.com/shop 👾Join the Avantris community on *Discord* to chat about your favorite campaigns: https://avantris.com/discord 🔴Watch us play D&D LIVE every week on *Twitch:* https://www.twitch.tv/legendsofavantris 🔗 *All other links:* https://linktr.ee/legendsofavantris    

The fortress known as Castle Ascalon that once welcomed 1,200 hopeful cadets from across the Cavalon Empire, orbits Uthin, the capital world at the heart of the Cavalon Empire. For months, this castle was a school, a barracks, a proving ground, and a place where common-born boys were given the chance to become knights. It was where they learned to move as one, to fight as one, to live and die by the squadron and by their oaths. It is where the rooks of Operation Walt's first awoke and where General Sigurd charged its pilots to live, fight, and die for the Cavalon Empire. But beneath the hangers, beneath the lecture halls,

beneath the training arenas, and beneath the sacred language of chivalry, there was always another purpose. Hidden in the deepest heart of Castle Ascalon is the eternity lance, a world-piercing cannon built in secret, powerful enough to crack the crust of a planet and burn billions of lives into ash. And now, as you listen to the general declare his vision for the future of the Kavalon Empire, you understand this truth. Castle Ascalon was not built to save Uthin from the enemies of the empire,

but to hold the empire itself at sword point. It is aimed at the throne, at the great houses, and at the billions of people who believe the fortress was built to protect them. This terrible weapon is pointed at the heart of your own home, and General Sigurd is preparing to fire. Video feed cuts out, and for a moment you almost feel as if General Sigurd's steely gaze is still on you with those blazing eyes. The camp is silent, save for the countless life forms that thrive in the jungles all around you. The five of you, pilots, weapons of war, can simply release the breath you realize you had been holding and fully processed the totality of the general's words. Billions will die.

Trillions, maybe. And you are the only ones with the remote possibility to stop this apocalypse. No. No! And I'm like, I'm actually like pounding on the screen. like, futilely trying to, like, get to him. The first few hits of your fist, the signal is still very much alive within the cockpit,

but has been deactivated by the general. All the monitors are black. You can't see or hear anything. And with the final hit slam of your hand against the console, the internal lights go off, switched off. Dr. Crescent! Dr. Crescent! Damn it!

Damn it! Is he okay? I don't know. You don't think the general would hurt Dr. Crescent, do you? I think he'd do whatever it takes to further his goals. Yeah. The good news is I... I think Crescent's too valuable.

I think the general needs him alive, at least for now. I don't think that he would just kill Dr. Crescent. Dr. Crescent, I mean the man has knowledge and no one else has. Yeah. You're right. That means that we can't wait around any longer. No, we're out of time. He trusted us.

Dr. Crescent trusted us, and he took on immense risk to contact us. Oh, he did that because of us. Damn it. Keri, I'm sorry I called you a liar. I had no idea. You know that none of us had any idea. Even Dr. Crescent, who built the weapon, didn't have any idea. This whole time, we were pawns, saluting the empress and hailing her glory.

Being used as a weapon against her? Against billions. It's all right, Milo. Keri looks at each of you. I'm a much, uh, part of this machine is any of you. But I think... I think I can help.

Everything we've been doing to repair your mechs. I think I can get you back into fighting shape. I mean, we're so far from Uthin. Do you... What if... What if we just tried to go to the Sorok Dynasty? Do you think they would listen to us? Do you think they would hear us out?

For everything that's happened, I don't think they would listen to me. If they found out that you were here, they would take your rooks, study them, deconstruct them, and learn everything that they could about the empire, and they would do the same to you, before they killed you. I kind of like, kind of like hug myself and think about the torture that Kiri is alluding to. So it's just us. It's just us. Even with the rooks in fighting shape, even if the Saurak dynasty helped, if we could convince them,

we'll never make it back in time. What are we going to do? What of Hoke Squadron? Do they know? There's no way. We were all pawns. They would never follow General Sigurd if they knew. The problem is contacting them.

Even if we had a reliable way to reach out to them, it wouldn't be safe. We'd be putting them in even worse danger than Dr. Crescent. You're right. And is it true what Dr. Crescent said, that it was finished from the mission on Morsi? And the only thing that could have stopped it was your pier sword? That's why I built what I built. to put an end to that horrid machine. And I don't know this crescent,

but he'll have to live with what he's made. Everything that he's done, he may be a brilliant engineer, but I only made a, I only built what I built because I knew that if I didn't, the threat to the Sauric dynasty would be too severe.

We're responsible for all of this. All of Operation Waltz. But we're the ones that made sure that no more of those space station killers could get made. We helped our comrades destroy the Harmonite, steal the Brinsium. We have to make it right. But how?

We're out of options. We're on the other side of the galaxy. I may be able to help with that. What do you mean? Well, all this time we've been working on all of our mechs, I've realized that too much of the Empirosaur was destroyed in orbit. I'll never get her back up and running, not all the way. And there's a lot of technology in there. And I think with a few modifications, I might be able to empower your mechs.

empower them to not get right to Uthin, but close enough that you would be able to save a lot of time and avoid a lot of danger. Even if we could get closer, we could find a ring and get home. How close can you get us? There are a couple of problems. Where I would send you is a waypoint, a crystal that's in Sauric Dynasty territory. You would have to fight your way out. They'd perceive you to be the enemy. And so using this technology,

everyone would know that it was me. Everyone would see the signal, the resonance of everything that I was given when I was granted this powerful and ancient technology. It's not something I invented myself. It's merely installed, you see. So even if you... There's no way to say that you were doing the right thing by helping us.

They will know it is me. They will call me a traitor. I will have to live with that if we do this. And you're willing to make that sacrifice for the enemy? From the beginning, I've been making many sacrifices to save people's lives. This is the same thing. I'm not choosing the Kavalon Empire over the Saurak dynasty. I'm choosing the people that could be saved

if you can somehow stop this from happening. Yeah, that's exactly right. I mean, we're not choosing one side over the other either. This is about more than any of us, the five of us, especially. It's about all of those billions of people that are innocent, that are... Can't do anything to defend themselves. I mean, that's what true knights do.

We have to protect them. That is what true knights do. We protect the innocents across the galaxy. We defend the Kavon Empire. But almost everyone on Kreda is an innocent. And if Uthin goes, Kratah, Viradar, Lithura, will stop there? Will General Sigurd turn the weapon to the Solar Federation?

It's only a matter of time, right? Will Donia be destroyed? When will it stop? It won't stop. Not when he realizes that everything he wants could be in his grasp. Unimpeded. I think he would come to the Saurak Dynasty first. We're the easiest to target.

We're the ones that would be easiest to rally against. I don't know anything about Kavalon Empire politics, but I know that, like yourselves, a lot of lies are being fed to the people of that world and to the worlds of all of Cavan. I it's politics are complicated but if General Sigurd does deal a death blow to Uthin and to the Empress and end that royal line that's lasted unbroken for thousands and thousands of years it would be a matter of would the great houses reject him or embrace him.

Many would kneel. Others would resist. But if he... How long would they resist when Castle Asco on? Then the eternity lance appears in their sky. How long would they stand against him? If he becomes the new emperor. Well, I think there's one good piece of news about that, Milo.

We're not going to find out. Because we're going to stop it. Keri, if you do this, if you make this sacrifice, I will be forever in your debt to do such a thing for billions of lives that the general wishes to send back to the harmony. If I was in your position, I hope that I would have the wisdom to do the same. Varus, this is not about nobility for me or an oath. All the words you've taught me, this is just about doing what's.

right. I can give you a way through. That's all I'm doing. I must apologize for some of the things I've said over the time. For my life, I was taught that you and the dynasty twist the harmony, take control of it, corrupt it for your own means, but over these last weeks I have learned that you are communing with it. You are channeling it. You are achieving communion with respect in a way that I've never seen.

I have much to reflect on. I've learned much here as well about each of you and about the Cavalon Empire. I'm glad that we took this time to survive, that we had this time.

But we don't have any more. We need to work. quickly. If we're going to get those rooks upright, and if I'm going to, I'm going to put my crystal resonance into each of those machines, and we're going to have to plan for how to get you from Sothorus, the world where you'll show up back to Castle Ascalon. Sothoris, do I know? Make a history check. Oh, wow.

I feel like you're good at that. Yeah. I'm pretty good at that. You're studied. Oh my gosh, my character, she. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. My man witch.

My man witch. Very funny. If you see iron wall up there, let me know. I'm not going to look. How do you lose a whole pick? Peggy's up there. I don't know why. Oh, it might be over here.

I think I found it. History. I'm a bit of a nerd with a 19. 19. I don't know if you know much about the world's history itself, but you know it through the lens of the Capitol on Empire, and you think back to the lectures that Dr. Crescent gave. And you think back the, you know that of the Sorok Dynasty,

that one of the most, what's the word for right in between, the empire's territory and the dynasty's territory. It's on the fringe. Like the pivotal? The borderlands. The border. It's on the border. The border is the word.

That border is what I'm looking for. It's the closest forward base of, it isn't a huge military strategic value. So it often doesn't get caught in sweat up. It has other values that are perhaps commercial or these sorts of things. But it's famously one of the closest worlds to the Cavalant Empire that you could still call Saurak Dynasty.

In the words that Kiri is telling you, there's a waypoint there that could be used for teleportation in the same way that you knew there was a tremendous threat that capital ships and other ships would suddenly be able to arrive at Kreta. That didn't happen because of the massive distraction effort and the offensive that went into your initial attack to destroy the Empirosaur. But presumably, if that's the case, you'd be able to journey there. Do I know from the robust academia arc that we had to go quite quickly through, do I get a sense that in that sector that there would be a liminal ring that we could just use our thrusters to take the ether currents to? Because of its forward position, and because the rooks can have like world-to-world journey,

it wouldn't be instantaneous. You wouldn't go, oh, we're here and then look over and see a liminal ring. Oh, shit, it's right up there. Oh, shit. That's, what I just- Even without pulling up your navigation charts, you think that it would be close enough that this would give you a massive jump.

This suddenly turns a journey that could take weeks or months into a journey that would take less than a day. If you can get us to Sothorus, we'll handle the rest. That's it. We'll do the best that we can to minimize the loss of life.

And you have my promise, but we're going to do what we have to in order to make it off that world. to get back to Ethan. It's not just that, though. We get there, and we'll have to kill our way out. And they know you teleported us there.

You'll never be welcomed back in the dynasty. No. No, I would be interrogated, tortured, and killed, just like the four of you if you were caught here. I won't be able to set foot in the Sorok Dynasty ever again. I'll be marked as a betrayer, as a traitor. as somebody who allied themselves with Cavalon.

So what then of you? Will we go to Satheris? Sothoris. Sothoris. Sothoris. Sothoris. Sothoris. Sothoris.

Sothoris. And for someone who grew up with a lift, it's a little tricky. It's like mythical silver. It's like silver. It's like silver. Silver. Um, Carrie gives you a look, but doesn't say anything.

She's still clearly digesting what's happened in the last few minutes. The General's words, everyone's rallying around the need for help. The offer that she's just made, she seems almost in surprise and shock of her own actions, but she's calculating. You can see her more interested in almost the mechanics of the build, and what she'll have to strip with the remainder of the dinosaur head of the Empirosaur for in order to empower your mechs for this way and problem solving, then she does about the politics or how that might personally affect her right now. Okay. What do we need to do? You've got us. We'll work until our

hands are raw. Whatever it takes round the clock to get this done because we're running out of time. And if you do this for us, Keri, you have my word. If we somehow survive this, we'll protect you and make sure that you don't fall because of the sacrifice. I won't speak for anybody else, but you have my word. And I'm sorry again for having the hate in my heart. and I know that it wasn't you killing Raina and Peyton O'Lean. It was your mech destroying their mecks.

And you all just happen to be in them. Yes. If we survive and succeed, I will stop at nothing to find you again. We can protect you and make sure that you are not captured, tortured, and killed. You cannot come with us. I wasn't going to suggest that.

I was going to suggest that we'll find a nearby village. I'm sure it's hundreds of miles from here, maybe more. But there are small fishing and farming villages that still exist. If you just drop me off, I'll be able to make my way. I'll be able to make my way without being detected. Can you find a spaceport and make it off world? Very clever. I think what we all need now is a nice, yummy meal to prepare ourselves for the battle to come.

We won't be thinking clearly and we won't be fighting well if we have an empty stomach. I'm going to get started. You get started cooking and Kiri rushes to work. enlisting you, Wren, you Jace, and you, Veris, as her helpers. I would take full direction. This isn't the first time. There are times where she sent you off into the woods,

into the jungle, the dangerous jungle, for fear of being eaten by terrible monsters in order to grab a hunk of special harmonite that she's detected on her scanners, right? Oh, it needs to be of this resonance, or this resonance, this color. Look for these spots and these shades, or this deep underground.

and you've done it all. And so much of your, so many of your mecks are nearly finished. And now she's ready to work basically all night. And so that direction, that guidance pushes you to cross the finish line, especially with the fresh urgency knowing that at any moment, the general might be enacting as plans, even as you build and work to make these repairs. by morning after a dinner and your experience

working through all of this you look at a nearly completed mechs and she's sort of like tapping a spanner wrench into her hands these mecs are going to be a little different they are the mecks that you're familiar with

I think I was able to restore them to the same kind of order but by merit of having to mix some of the metals with the harmonite, they will be a little more resistant. That's great. I mean, that's wonderful news. I had a little bit left over. And so I want to give you something each of you.

And with that really nice audio transition, let's switch over with some songs. Yeah, it's really nice. It just happened with it. She pulls out for necklaces. and on the end of them you can see that there are some of the harmonite that was used in order to rebuild your mix. I wanted to give you each of these. Something to remember me by.

I don't expect to see you again. And so I think it's important that you have a little piece, not just in the amazing machines that you have, but in something you can carry with you day to day. So here. She reaches out and she holds a necklace to you, Milo. And it's been, what was a hard, rough piece of harmonite gem, has been softened and rounded. It's still asymmetrical, an amorphous shape, but it glimmers with a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of, blue that reminds you of the skies of your home world.

Does it look like it's almost like polished a little bit? Yeah. Yeah, like she tumbled it. Oh, cool. It has that same kind of curves and shape to it. It's still natural looking, but she hands you one, Jace. And it has almost mirror-like sheen and has the same oranges and reds of your mech. But for whatever reason, you don't see your meck in this.

you see Cordoga. You look at it and you feel like you're staring at a sunset and dreaming again of traveling up into space. I would say that the reds and oranges almost remind me of the indominal fire that burns within all kinds. If I had to assign something to it and put an English. I just think if I had to call it out, I think it's a fire that burns within all kinds.

Veris and Wren, you also receive your own pieces of harmony. We have to share one. Yes, yes. It's just one. one really long necklace. It's your get-along necklace. You're going to get a long necklace. When you guys are fighting, you have to wear the get-a-long necklace. We fuse our rooks together.

Oh, no. Are we drift compatible? Oh, that's what it was, yes. What's the main of that film by Guillermo Deltour? I think that the rooks are ready. And with these, you'll have something to remember me by. It looks like the feathers of a cloud wing. I'll take your word for it.

Keri, I know I already gave you a drawing to bury the vibro hatchet between us. But I wanted to let you know that I've only known a handful of nights in the short time that I've been one. And the three truest nights I've ever known are standing right next to me. I know you come from a different culture, and you serve a different, not an emperor, different triumvirate. You have different ideals. And there are no knights of the Sorok Dynasty, but just from this time that I've known you, I think you're a truer knight than many of those of the empire. That's for damn sure.

even though you've never knelt and taken the oath and said the words, and I want you to have this. I hand her a little fold thing. She just looks at it for a moment. Before she lets out a long sigh and takes it from your hand, Milo. She folds it open. It will be a drawing in Milo's marker, colorful style of Kiri, dressed of what Milo would assume a Sorok Dynasty Knight would look like, riding a really cool

dinosaur into battle, probably like a triceratops or a, ooh, maybe a, maybe like a cool, large Pachycephalosaurus for the, a charge, like a brutal charge for the head, the head bonk, holding up like a big Harmonite sword with a big harmonized sword with a big harmonization. Harmonite shield, and it would look, it would basically be showcasing her as a knight, but a Sorok knight, not one that's necessarily piloting a rook. Kiri looks at you're drawing for a long time, and for the first time... You like it. You learn that to call can cry as a few tears pat against the surface of the paper.

Well, I'm sorry. I mean, I know it's... It's all right. Sorry. Thank you. I didn't have a lot of time for it. I never really didn't draw a lot of dinosaurs before. Milo, I'm practicing. Milo, I am so sorry. I'm so sorry about Ash Squadron.

I'm sorry about all of it. It's all right. I told you I don't blame you. It was Operation Waltz that killed them. and it was whatever program led to the building of your machine that killed them. They were two nights, and you fought well. And I'll always miss them, but I feel a lot better knowing that they died to a worthy opponent. You said that you would make it right.

I don't know if that's possible. But I do believe in each of you, and that you will try. You've got my word. We're going to do more than try. We've done several impossible things in the time that we've known each other, so why stop now, you know? We were pawns all of us, but what they never understand is even pawns together can kill a king. Yes, it is our duty. not to General Sigurd

or Operation Waltz but as knights to the Empress I'll take the necklace and I'll put it on and I'll join me that's very funny I take my own necklace and I'll put it on

and I'll say we may not see each other again in this life it is likely but we'll all be together again as faceless in the harmony, in time. I don't need to see your face to know

when I'm talking to you, and I hope I find you in that beautiful choir. I'll look for you, whenever that time may come. If such things can be, then I hope for it as well. Here, she presents the, for lack of a better word, keys, to your rooks.

Let's try them on. I think that they're just about ready. A few more tests, but I think they're all repaired. Come on. She leads you each to your rooks, and you discover that the four rooks of Elm Squadron are repaired, made whole, and improved by, by Kiri's brilliant engineering and engineering and the harmonite you harvested and salvaged from the Empirosaur Supermec.

You get into your cockpits. Kiri and Varus are tightly crammed into rook ironwall as you prepare your voyage. You engage your atmospheric thrusters and blast off into the sky. You pierce the canopy of the crater jungle and soar just above it, passing by hunting, Sarasaur as you travel for thousands of miles over the wilderness. Finally, you see the lights of a village on the edge of the jungle and touch down just on the outskirts, keeping your mecca shrouded in the dense foliage. Kiri has been brought back to civilization.

All right. I think I can track the next few miles and make it from here. Easy. So just to be clear, we basically, like, made sure that we landed on a, the cover of the jungle canopy, like, way far away from wherever this village is so that we're, like, not detected by anything. I would say that it would be very easy with experienced Rook pilots such as yourself to know how close you could get Kiri so that she'd have the least distance to travel. But she'll just have to hike. Gere in fucking T that they don't see the boosters

of your, of your Mecca or anything like that. Absolutely. That makes sense. Are you going to be all right? I know it's a hike, but You know, we didn't want anyone to detect us after all this. We've been surviving in these jungles for weeks. If I get eaten now, it's just, that's my fault. I know you can handle yourself. I just had to ask. Man, how was the ride with Varus with two people in a cockpit? How'd you fit in there?

There was plenty of room. Crammish. She went with me. I have the largest cockpit house mecore. values strength and size. It was uncomfortable. Well, and for what it's worth, you know, we haven't been stuff in our face with bleak steak or hitting the gym lately,

so, Ferris, you're looking a little smaller than normal there, buddy. Is this true, Jase? No, no, no. I'm just, look at how wound up he gets. Yeah, you're fine. You look great, buddy. You look great. What was the seating arrangement?

Have you not seen the... There aren't two seats in there, so it's like trying to fit. fit into the back of a Volkswagen. It's terrible. So there wasn't a second seat, how did you? I made room! We figured it out.

We don't have to talk about it. Okay, okay, we don't have to talk about it. Thank you. Baller Wing is feeling better than ever. Yeah, it's like they were never destroyed. They were never in pieces. I mean, I can't believe it. The way that Breit were handled, I mean,

even just a short test flight like that, it felt good. They are remarkable machines. I enjoyed working on them. I think I've been able to get them as though you just... Just got them. I think I was able to return them as though you... As though they're brand new, honestly.

You're an exceptional mechanic. It's a good thing we didn't kill you. Yeah. Ditto. Yeah. I hope we get to see each other again like with faces and stuff. Not not not faceless and dead. But if if not,

then I think the hearth mother will guide us all together at some point. After all, we're all just protecting our communities. Her communities. I will find somewhere safe to be somewhere in this galaxy. By the time I do, I hope I read some good news

about what you face, what you're up against. It's going to be strange to be, to reset, start again, to reboot. I hope people out there need a mechanic. I mean, you always need a mechanic I mean, none of us could have rebuilt three rooks We always had somebody else do it for us I couldn't have done it

Could you guys have done it? No, no Not a chance Not like this Maybe I'll find a wealthy investor And start a mech building company And take everything I've learned And

No That might be a little not laying low No, I don't think that I want to build any more weapons. I don't think that I want to use that knowledge at all. Well, before you go, I have something for you. It's no harmony crystal. And I appreciate that very much, but take this. And I will reach into my holster and pull out my sidearm. And I'll say, keep yourself safe. In case you need to defend yourself, if you get off world from something less conspicuous than that gem cannon,

then the fine engineering of the Cablon Empire should do the trick. And I'll put it in her hand. Tich. Tichet. She takes it and she nods at you, putting it into her sling pack. Thank you. Thank you, Beres.

Yeah. I guess you're already a trick. So if you kill a guy with the weapon of the enemy, I mean, it's already a wash. This was exactly my thinking. Yeah. Yeah. You know, there's, you're real, you don't get yourself enough credit. You're really smart.

I never would have thought of that. Oh. Well, I see. To help me lay a love. Not dull. If that's what you were blind. Well, thank you. That's very thoughtful.

I pray to Seth, you do not have to use it, but don't be afraid to. I won't be. The only thing I've ever wanted to shoot was that castle. Well, we'll figure out something once we get there. Yeah, and we're going to do it for you. Don't you worry. She doesn't say much more. Giving each one of you a solemn nod or rushing in for a quick hug is whatever feels appropriate in the moment based on your time together.

I'll give her a big hug. I'll be kind of hesitant at first, but then I feel the weight of what's happened and the weight of what she sacrificed. And I think there's something about what she's done, despite her being the person that killed three of my friends, including one of my best friends. Not so long ago, but realizing that she was trying to protect her community just as much as I was trying to protect mine. It's a complex hug. It is a complex hug. And I feel like there's a little bit of, a little bit of the hearth mother in her.

I don't say this out loud, but I internalize it. As the hug becomes a lot warm, a lot more warm, as I then go back to get back into Valer Wing. I would stick out my hand with a big smile on my face. She goes in and grabs it firmly. As she takes my hand, I would try to pull her. and give her like a slap on the back. She'd let you. It's not like a super warm hug,

like Milo, like a bro hug. There's like a stoicism that she's trying to maintain and has over the course of the survival tractor through the jungle, but she quickly breaks because she's an attuned and feeling person. And you know that there's a deep vein of emotion underneath all of this. She takes that hug gladly.

After just a quick hug, I would kind of like release the embrace, but I have got my hands on her shoulders and I look her in the eye and I say, thank you. Seriously, thank you. We couldn't have done this without you. And we're going to succeed because of you. And I'll slap her on the shoulder a couple times and then just smile and take a step back. I believe in you. She turns to you and looks at you. When you get there, I mean after the shift.

Don't wait for the monazia to pass. It'll pass as you're moving, all right? Noted, yeah, okay. Okay, and you have your resonance already plugged in here, so we're going to get right to Sothores? Everything's programmed to your rook that you need. All right, all right. As soon as you trigger your teleport,

they'll know that I'm alive, and they'll know that I have been working against the dynasty. Okay. Here I have one more question. I have one more answer, Myler. I've never teleported before. I've heard about it. It's like proven that I don't die in another coffee goes somewhere, right?

Is this how it's done? Our soul's in our soul's in our. our bodies transfer. We don't just die and get remade. Is that... That's not how it works, Milo. No, I know. There's no way that's real. Think about what you're... You do you yourself? Do you yourself? I don't think the harmony works that way, Milo.

No. I know. I was on the computer and I accidentally went to infosheres.com where truth is stored in the spheres, and I think I saw somebody say that. How many times I've told you stay off that site? I know. I clicked on a link. I'm sorry. Come on. Keri doesn't answer your question. Oh, no. She looks at you, she goes, this is all that I can give you.

And instead of lingering, she turns, hopping down, and starts to make her way deeper through the jungle and the direction of the village. Wait, I'll call down. She looks back up. Beres? No matter of the outcome, for us, in the face of the somber, live with vitality. and thank you. And I'll click my heels together of my rook suit

and I'll give her a salute. I will do the saying. All folks who all stay in new attention, I'll click my heels together as I stand up in the cockpit of valor wing and I'll say, good friend once told me,

go home, live, have an extra sweet cup and cake for us. I'm still saluted. I turn my hand out. She lifts her hand almost for a moment, like as though she's going to salute back to her. And when she catches herself, instead she softly lifts it up and blocking eyes with you, Veris. She just holds her hand up for a moment. And even in the darkness of night and the shade of the jungle,

you can see that she carries a heavy weight and sighs before turning and walking without another word through the trees and into the distance. As she turns and she's walking away, I'll take my hand and I'll reach out. Oh shit. Oh shit. And then I will sit in my cockpit. Oh snap. What time is it roughly now as we kind of like settle in? It's night. Ooh. Oh, I'm so glad you said that. I don't know how long we have to wait, but I imagine there's a there's amount of downtime that we're just kind of waiting until, you know, something were to happen. And I think that in the moment, in maybe the hour, the first hour that she's gone,

I would be sitting in the cockpit of Bright Roar and the, I imagine that the hatch would be open, and I would be holding the piece of Harmonic crystal necklace that she gave me. And I'd be looking at it through the light of the moon and just thinking and reflecting on this last few weeks, however much time we've spent in the jungles with her and wondering, just like I'm sure my companions are if we'll ever see her again. It's amazing looking at this gem because it's not, it doesn't just feel like a rock

when you hold it up, especially in the twinkling light. There are times where it gets hit with the light of the moon or one of the lights from your consoles. And it's almost as though there's a, movement that's constant within the Harmonite. It's connected to something more. And there's a reason why it has so many secrets that are still being unlocked after so many millennia

all across the galaxy. And I'll just keep it tucked in my shirt safe against my chest. And just, I imagine that our keys have big, like, sanded spheres of amber with mosquitoes inside of. That's very funny. And so as I sit in the rook and I will take the activation key that presumably gives us the ability to teleport. And I will begin to power up Rook Ironwall.

You all start to ready, flipping switches, testing diagnostics, making sure that everything is as it should be. And knowing that Curie has almost certainly made her way to the village by now, it's as Don approaches, that you activate the teleportation protocol that she set up. utilizing her own resonance and frequency. Your rooks glow with the shimmering prismatic colors of Harmonite gem tech.

The teleportation is initiated with each of your rooks locked in on the forward base on the world of Sothoris. The colorful crystalline light consumes your entire vision and you feel your body leave you. And that's where we'll take a quick break. Suddenly, you are far across the galaxy is all four of you are standing on a teleportation platform atop a pyramid-shaped military base.

Moments later, a siren blairs as a Saurak troops mobilize, taken completely by surprise as the enemy teleports into their own way crystal. Defense weapon reactivates and soldiers rush to take you out. But your fight is not with them. It is beyond this world. How do we feel? A little nauseous. What I'm going to do, I know that I don't have the luxury. And now that I have been brought back to Sothoros for a little bit, back to Earth, so to speak, I can't just pull, I just go full wing gun and blast off and leave all my friends behind. Right.

I want to follow my pledge to Keri and minimize the death and destruction that I can, assuming that there's enemy ships and soldiers. But I'm willing to fight my way out of here. I'm willing to do what it takes. But I would like to minimize the casualties if I can. That is what I'm trying to do. We're going to treat this.

I'm glad you suggested that or offered that because I'm going to ask each of you how you are getting away from the local orbit of Sathurus because with your skills you could pave a path of safety

through death or you could try to do what Milo is doing and try to get out there riskier and harder to try and avoid casualties and so I'm asking each of you to find a way to

the local telephone station to try to to walk that tightrope as you lift your rooks off and all four of you start to shoot off through the atmosphere into open ether space. How are you defending yourself, defending your brothers, or minimizing casualties, or clearing a path to help everyone get out as safely as possible? Because consequences could be dire. You're in the middle of a military base. I am open to challenge

but I think given your own leader yeah I think given the scene and knowing that I would feel similarly to Milo where we would I would also want to try to minimize casualty as much as possible I would give the command for Ironwall to act as our shield and basically try to take as much of this incoming fire as inconsequential

as I feel that it might be provided that they don't have something that I think could could level us or pierce a hole through our armor. I'm thinking that most of this is going to be pretty superfluous damage and that Ironwall could probably cover for us and give us at least a way through where we don't have to go on the offensive. We can stay on the defensive and try to get away and minimize casualties as much as possible.

That would be the order, the command that I would give in an attempt to honor Milo and Kiri's wishes. I think unless the order is like explicitly don't fire on anything or like don't kill anything, I would, after the queasiness of the teleport wears off, I would as quickly as I think I can manage survey the field of battle around us. And if there's anywhere that looks tactical, like a vehicle depot station, something like that. somewhere I think they might deploy from to either pursue us or currently unmanned guns that they would look to manned

that they would look to man I would try and unless I'm going to be told not to I would try and take out and I would try to do as fast as possible in whatever looks as ferocious as possible to almost like to strike fear in them challenge

of us. Show of force. A show of force. A massive blast. I tried to hit some tanker that blows up a building, but specifically like a- Make a Persevary effect. Like a vehicle building. If I can find one that's like relatively like I'm not about to kill a bunch of-

And for your clarification, the command is not to not kill anybody or not shoot. It's to defend yourself, but minimize casualties. What? You can still defend yourself and do what you have to do. What is, uh, do what? Perception. Oh, baby. It's a 23.

23. You have a menu of options. There is very clearly a scrambling hanger where you can see that men are running to what would probably be some sort of flying vehicle, fighter jet or something, maybe even something that could reach space. You see that there's another tower that's clearly a communications tower. It has the swinging radar at the top, and you can see a tremendous number of sensor devices and instruments at the top. And you also see that there is what looks like a local defense battery, a turret at the top of a couple different points that surround the walls of this bunkered base space. And you can, and they are themselves, you know, the weapons are starting to point up and starting to turn towards you and your brothers. I would remove, snap in an instant, I'd remove the communications tower. And while you do that,

I would respond to the command, I'll say. Right away, I'm leader. I will protect us. I will neutralize a threat. And I'm going to join Red. Where I know that while we want to limit casualties, that I'm not the fastest mech in the world. And if we leave a bunch of these little anti-air turrets

while we're trying to get out of the atmosphere, like I can try to block it, but my goal is any, like, flat cannons or anything that they had, whatever the Sorok Dynasty would have, I'm going to hold my shield and try to tank their hits and rocket towards them and just smash them. And as many cannons as I can. You're already being pelted with a pistol and rifle fire. Lasers are flying at you. Well, it's shocking. It's not just a question of shield, but anything that happens to get through. And one soldier rolls a Nat 20. It's ricocheting as the lasers bounce off of the

incredible Harmonite armor that now shields your service. This is the first time we've seen this. Where we're like impervious. Yeah, yeah, you're not here. You're seeing this for the first time. And as you, I need you to make an attack roll for me, Ram. Oh, I was gonna say. And I need you to make a,

I'm looking at you, Veris. How, what skill makes sense for the purposes of perhaps? I'm just attacking cannons. Oh, you're just attacking. Another attack roll. for me. Or I could do, I don't know. I want to get a roll from each of you to see how well you are able

to defend in this instance. I'm firing on their communications. They can't rally against us if they can't talk. Don't spare as many as I can. If there's a guy in this cannon, I'm just kind of smash it, right? I'm not worried about keeping a cannon operator alive. This is a military installation.

Using the blast flail. That for me, that is a 21 to hit. Okay. 18 to hit. 18. Both of you are able to quickly neutralize the targets that you choose. You're able to destroy in a number of hits, what would have been a large communication tower,

of almost certainly preventing anyone beyond the local proximity of hearing or seeing this attack from being alerted from this terrible assault, not terrible assault, but from your assault. escape what is being perceived as some sort of horrible Cavalon attack. As that same thing happens, Veris, you are blasting using perhaps not missiles, but... No, I'm using my flail. I'm getting up in their business. You're getting up in these business. You're getting down right on top of them.

It's a rook! That's very funny. That's very funny. That is so funny. You come, coom, You race forward your massive massive steel feet literally leaving imprints in the asphalt as you race forward and it's like

taking a snow shovel and knocking over a sand castle as you smash into these turrets. They're not even as tall as you are as you knock them over and they you can hear screams as you do this but it is a matter of life and death

and you've got bigger fish to fry. I would basically punch it in reverse and know that as I'm going backwards I'm trying to keep up with you, but not like super close. I'm covering you from behind as you're moving forward to smash. I drop the shoulder cannon and I start firing from the direction that I've come from

to try to take out some of these other cannons that might be peppered around and watching your back as you're taking out the... Covering fire. Exactly right. That's what I would be doing. Make an attack roll. Milo. Presuming that we're just resistant...

You're fine, thank you. We're presuming that we're not... We're just resistant and not immune. Whatever glancing blows that we would take, I would swirl around with my rings, kind of putting out the fluffy white and light blue, sky blue clouds that kind of... That would be able to heal and repair the shields

and restore the shields to my friends and comrades and myself as I try to basically stay and heal and I'm going to hold on my plasma cannon is I'm going to attempt to any broader, I know the communications were taken out for the broader tower, but if there's anyone beyond that is trying to stand in our way, I would basically try to patch through.

I don't know if Keri's frequency or resonance or harmonite gem tech would allow us to eat more easily kind of patch into their comm system. But I would like to basically implore them. And I will say... Make any computers check. What did you see?

I will say, I know it's hard to believe, but we mean you no harm. We are defectors. Look at the harmonite of our rooks. We have turned our cloaks in the Cavalon Empire and our singular focus

is destroying Castle Ascalon. I don't know. I'm just going to say that. Okay, let's first see if you can get onto the same frequency. Okay. It's your int modifier. 15.

I wanted a 10. Oh, wait, no, Coms is, Kisma. Wait, is it in, sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry, you're right. Oh, so that's, sorry. Sorry, comms. You're right. Still computer check.

I wanted a 10. Hold on. Oh, I got. The other plus four. So I got a 14. I wanted a 10. Low DC. You're able to log in and you,

not log in, but find the frequency and you say this. Now, as part of the skill challenge, I need you to make a full-throated persuasion check as my love. Gladly. Damn. Hell yeah. Hell yeah. Hold on a sec.

Dung-Do-D-D-CH-CH-CH- That's a 17. Wait. 17. 17. All of you are blasting away at these towers and destruction

points, trying to do what you can to minimize the threat to your rooks as the military base comes to life. And you, Milo, hear a voice over the comms. Cavalon, scum!

You think that's that you can trick us, there's no way. Leave now, and we'll escort you. You get a middling response, and as this happens, four hangar bay doors open, and you watch as vehicles lift up on jets and start to circle the entire area, clearly ready to engage you in what would be a dog fight

in the air. Should you continue your, you're wanton destruction, but the voice hears you, and despite the initial destruction that you've done, the sincerity in your voice is strong. You feel you have seconds to respond before all-out war breaks out.

Yeah, I mean, we're just like, allow his passage and we'll spare the lives of all of you. Stand in our way and we'll have no choice but to destroy you all. Leave now or we'll blow you out of the sky. Our fighters will be right along your side. Make any more false moves than you're done for.

I, uh, do we, we're all here this? Yeah. No, I don't know, I didn't cut you off. No, that's it for. No, I just didn't want to cut my L'A off. I just didn't give them my own chance. Um, I think the moment that I hear this, I would, uh, Elm Squad, do you copy, over?

Rejo. I think it's time for us to get out of here. We've been given an opening. Let's go. Minimized casualties. Remember, over. M3 disengaging. On your tail, Elm leader. Heading out. I'll brace the rear. And the moment that I have confirmation from all three,

I would begin to reroute and kind of set course to make a move to leave. The little rings. Yeah, yeah, exactly right. There's another version of reality where you have to end all of these fighters. as they follow you up and spin around you, leaving the atmosphere. But with Milo's quick thinking and jumping onto the comms, making that persuasive argument,

you are instead escorted as you feel, what feels like two dozen other ships, following you up and around. I went shield up the whole time, kind of almost like lifting off but keeping my facing towards them, ready to use my shield wall ability. This is a friendly escort.

No, this is very hostile, and you watch as the base shrinks. Smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller on the surface of the world as you pass through clouds and eventually the atmosphere itself as you enter ether space. And it's here that the ships clearly only low orbit capable pause. And you can feel that there are other ships of war in orbit around this city, around this world that are keeping their eye on you, but they're not attacking.

They want you to leave. Milo doesn't have any sense of the probable court-martials of all these and whatever fate they have, I don't think Milo is thinking about it, but he wants to, he's trying to eliminate

the immediate need to murder, or to kill. Although we already have killed quite a bit. It's almost like an intimidation tactic at this point of a truce. A ceasefire. They recognize the strengths of Mecca, your size, and the amount of devastation and offering to leave

as insane as that sounds was gladly accepted. And you leave the world of Sothoris behind and return to space once more. The Harmonite upgrades absorbing much of the laser fire. of the Sarak dynasty. You fell from the sky weeks ago, but now where you dream to be. And it isn't much longer

until you find an imperial liminal ring. And your rooks give no pause to the outpost guards. You are allowed to enter the ring and are once more swallowed by golden light as you enter warp speed. Damn. Finally, you exit the ring above Uthin.

The ring that you used to go on the missions that changed you forever. And there, ahead is Castle Ascalon, looking so small from this distance in comparison to the capital world of the Capitlon Empire. It is hard to believe that at such a difference of scale, that the space station could pose a threat to the whole world, much less utterly destroy it.

I mean, we are resolute in what must be done. I would say that we are thrusters forward and we are going to get to Castle Ascon as quickly as you possibly can. In formation as we are our want to do and close distance as quickly as possible. You feel a moment of relief knowing that you're no longer in dynasty space.

There is that destination just in front of you and you know that the approach could be much, much more severe. than the relatively peaceful exit from the world of, I have it right here, Sothoris. You have a moment to talk amongst yourself before you make your approach. This was supposed to be our home. It's amazing what can change in several weeks. Guys, I want you to know that I'm all right now. I'm sorry.

for everything that happened on Craida. I have your back no matter what. I won't break formation. I'll follow orders. Elm leader. I will fight with you to the end. I'm all right. Elm 4.

Milo. I think I speak for everyone when I say, thank you. Thank you for telling us. Thank you for giving us that vote of confidence. But we believe in you. We've always had faith, and I know that things were tough. But even if you doubted that you were strong enough for this, we never did.

It's only because you guys are so strong. I ask you to help support you, and then that makes me strong enough. I'm gonna, I'll turn to the calm, we'll say. Home four, that was our home. but so is Uthin so is everywhere in the Cavalon Empire whatever Cavalon is

we swore in duty to protect it and we must destroy our former home disable it, stop it whatever we can and I look down at the world of Uthin how small we feel I can't help but think we once pledged ourselves

to General Sigurd And as Wren said, we were pawned. What if? What if it's true of the Empress, too? Do our vows mean anything at that point? Yes, they do. We did pledge ourselves to the Empress, yes. But we also pledged ourselves to the Twelve.

The Twelve were here before the Cavalon Empire was established by the First Emperor when he beheaded the Tiranark King. as General Sigurd always likes to remind us they will be here long after. They are the ones that have the ideals that we follow and the heroes of Cavalant Eternal on the sepulcharmun

buried there and those lost across the empire in his great history. We can only hope to be so brave and so chivalrous. Elm 3? Elm 4 is right. Don't ever forget. the words alone do not make a true knight. Copy that, home leader. You're right.

Our oath is to the billions of innocent people on that world. It's to them we made those vows. Let us live and die to protect them. For them, for their community, across the Kavanaughan Empire, across the Sorok Dynasty, across the Solar Federation, across the Stardust Rhapsody. That place is only home to the general now. It's a graveyard and a weapon.

He played us as fools. He's responsible for what happened to Ash. He's responsible for what happened on Craydon, Morsib. And he wants to do it again. Knights or no knights, we'll bury him there. Well said. All right. Elm Squad, now is not the time to hold.

hold back. Dig deep. Find your resolve. It's time to strike. The four of you push forward. Your destination is set. The looming space station before you, the weapon that was once your home. The great fleets of Cavalon ships are gone, dismissed by the general. Clearly, it is a skeleton crew aboard, just enough to operate the cannon. Only the most loyal soldiers remain. And yet, it is not entirely to defenseless. Your scanners pick up vessels approaching, four of them in total. And you know what they are before you see them. The four rooks of Oak Squadron rocket toward you. And your calm system crackles with their pilot's voices. Rook Knight's song, piloted by Oak Four, Loramus, flies forward on bat-like wings the color of black and dark crimson. A grim laser sighed in its clutches. as they always do. Rook Deep Terror, piloted by Oak 3.

Daga surges with a great toothy maw and wielding a jagged harpoon, painted with the shades of the sea. And straighters should stay dead. Now they've earned a more painful butchering. What? Rook Sandstrike, piloted by Oak 2, Cateh, approaches with a swirl of sand-like particles that form a cloak as it spins two curved blades

heated like the desert heat. I am grateful for the treachery. This is a duel to the death that I have yearned for. And at the head of the formation is Rook Skornbally, piloted by Oak Leader, Zaro. It is painted with the colors of the roaring forges and furnaces of industry, armed with numerous guns and cannons that make it a veritable squadron of one. Now hold on, boys.

There's still a chance they'll bend the knee and repenting. for turning their cloaks on the Cavalon Empire. We can all still be friends. The moment that I feel like I can get an edge, a word in edge-wise, I would try two comms into them and send them a message if possible. A voicemail, like a comms message.

The four voices that you heard are on the general frequency of the Cavalon. It's clear that they wanted you to hear these communications when they started their approach. And so when Zaro says we can all still be, friends, he knows that he's rolled out the welcome map. Oaks Quadron, this is Elm Leader. Listen, this message is dire.

Castle Ascalon is a world-destroying weapon. We've all been lied to by the general. He's taken Dr. Crescent hostage and is going to destroy Uthin. Do you copy? Over. Yeah, we copy. We copy. Yes, we copy.

Yes, we copy. You hear all of the voices. of Oak Squadron, acquire of them all copy. And we understand your words, Jace. But don't you understand, there's a new order. General Sigurd is the empire, and we are loyal to the empire. No, no, no, no, listen, don't do this.

We need all eight of us to stop this, please. You can't let this happen. billions of people are going to die. For too long, the empire has sat on their hands. For too long, they've been, been stagnating. I know that it will cost many lives. But think, think of the empire that we will build from the ashes. O'Kleader, your oath was to the empress and to the people of the Kavon Empire.

Not to some mutineer. Mutineer. He, the great general, the emperor, is bringing in a new dawn. A new dawn for the Cavalon Empire. And we're just the ones to bring it in. I'm sorry, we should be asking you. Don't you want to be a great lord of a great house

that will last millennia? Thousands of years. Is that what he promised you? All that and more. It doesn't just matter what happens with me and my family and the family of my squadron. No. Don't you understand how many lives will be improved

when we finally tear down that crown and put it on a new head? and you'll spend a billion lives to do it. Sigurd is no more than a boot on the neck of the week. And soon a dead man, as will all of you be if you don't move out of the way. Oaks, Squadron, please, Zorro, Keith, Loramus, Daga. We are your sworn brothers.

You're our sworn brothers. We're all nights, you. Your knights. Would you sacrifice all of these lives for a lordship? Even if it is a great house? Our fight is not with you. Please, don't make us do this. The voice of Loramas chimes in.

Milo, I'm not... I am sorry. I also believed naively like you that there was a gentler way to serve. But there isn't. This is the only way that we can spread the empire and bring peace to the galaxy. Isn't the galaxy more important than a single world? You hear the voice of Catech crackle in on comms.

Rin, you above all should understand. Bloodlines survive because someone has the discipline to make hard choices. Jeez. Zara, listen to me. Don't be a jackass. If you force our hand, we will cut you down. We knelt under the same sword, Jace. I meant it when I said I would die for the empire.

Helm leader. Yes, Elm three. Do not fight for friends. Former or otherwise. What do we do? I think for but a moment. And I come back into the general comms across

across all channels for everyone to hear us and I say. Elm three, you want to know what we're going to do? Yes. We're going to show them that we're true knights who remember their vows. Yeah.

That's right. I will never forget mine. Even though they've forgotten theirs. I just don't get it. You all could have been great. lords and done some good for the people abandoned by the Empress. Oh well, time for you to die at traitor's death. The rooks of Oak Squadron engage their thrusters and prime their weapons.

The pilots, soldiers, cadets, and knights that you once called comrades, maybe even brothers, make their charge. It's now clear to you all. It is either you or them. I need everyone to roll for initiative. First die roll, natural one. It's not looking good folks. A natural 20.

Well, one of us has a death flag. Woo! One of us wore the harm on my necklace, apparently. Oh, golly. Dexterity of valor wing, initiative is high. Uh, three. Just put me at the end. Game Master, just put me at the end of the end of the show.

Uh-huh, uh-huh. That's probably the lowest decks have been here. Let's do this this way. Probably don't need to 30. You need an end up. Twenty-six. Of course. And...

I wish I'd rolled that one. Cut them in half. That's this? 15 to 20. Oh my gosh. 10 to 15. 14. 12.

Bearers your last. And that leaves deep terror at the bottom of the row. Oh. Deep terror. Deep tear is my favorite. Damn. Sand strike, night song, scorn volley, and deep terror. Pretty fucking bad.

Pretty badass. Can I say something cool for the pregame action before Rendon? I was gonna suggest that I would not move till the leader calls the shot. At the top of the round, oh, my goodness. At the top of the round, I will give you the grace of RP. Yeah, before, basically, when we know that this is about to happen, we're all about the strike, tensions are high, I radio in just to the Elm Squadron. Elm Squadron, Milo, you're on Loramus. Loramus, Varus, take Dagger. Ren, you've got Keith. Leave Zaro to me. Elm Squadron, mobilize.

With you, Elm Leader. With you, Chase. With pleasure. We take off. Put yourself in formation. Place the formation, Elm Leader. We'll do it though with what we got with the... Dag is going to be my pitches. We got a little bit of... And then we got... Just put them within... Put them within movement.

Let's go, it's whatever, like, are, I guess you, yeah, you would know which formation you would be flying in. Um, I think it would be, well, we got, ah, shit. I've got, it'll be like this. I think it'll be like this, believe it or not, because we've got the shield on my left. I've got my, I've got my sword on my right, and Milo's bringing up the rear with the spear.

Where am I? You're over here. Okay, okay. We're all kind of just, this is the formation I've chosen. I think this looks cool. Put them closer. Yeah, yeah, fuck this. We got a game game. Yeah, that's great. He's the game, man. That's great.

That's great. I can't tell. I can't tell Derek what to do. How much? Where's my movement? Oh, there it is. Although I feel like I should be able to just be like, that fucking over. I don't know how you're doing facing. Does it have been the numbers or has it been?

The top of the head is like the- Okay. The crown, if you will. Yeah. Not crayon. Or crayon. I love that. What was our, I got 10 hexes. What's your movement speed?

You got it. You get there. You get there. You're good. Everybody's good. Can you walk us through one through four? Yeah, who is who are we looking at here? Yes, number one is the oak leader. That is Zaro. That is scorn volley. Oh, scorn volley. Is that correct? Damn, scorn volley. Number two is Keith. That is sand strike.

Oh, sheesh. That is cool. Damn. Sick. Oak three is Deep Terrier. That is Daga. He's my favorite. That's badass. You need to kill this guy, who destroyed this guy.

Damn. Number four is Night Song. Oak Four is Loramus. And if you could keep them... Was he here? Yeah, but I have a... They're in their own formation, and so I want them to be... So he'll be...

Hold on, here. There. Yeah. Like a Y-wing formation. Damn. Feel free to us. Yeah, yeah, I'm just looking. You're the game, master.

Well, I have a lot of new things. Oh my gosh. A lot of new things, you said. It's important to say these aren't their canon designs. These are, all of these mecks are concept art for our mech miniatures. So we're at NRP.com and by the Mecca Vanguard Miniature Pack.

Hell yeah. And more. And more. All four of these. plus additional three. Uh-oh. And more. And more.

The four rooks of Oak Squadron blast forward and begin to engage you. Wren, you are able to react with cybernetic speed. Hell yeah. That's my boy. I've been a lord. It's not all that's cracked up to be. But you don't have to worry about that.

You wanted a duel. to the death, Keith. You have it. That's really pre-beating. I presumably I'm being buffeted by laser fires. They all just like open up on us. And I'm blazing forward, soaring through. There's an initial volley of small laser, but you are surprised by what feels like restraint.

It's almost as though the punch is being reeled back as it starts to come in. And Kate engages you immediately. Predictable, emotional, wasteful. The only thing I'm about to waste is you, bitch. 26, 46 to hit. That hit. Squad, squad.

Okay. I'm hitting with the icy saber. That is... Elm two, are you aware of where all the burn wardens are in the local area. That's very funny. That's very funny. I like that a lot.

The burn wardens. Oh. He's just got freezer burn, bitch. I'm starting getting my E-10s running. Get it because he has the whole ice thing going on. I like that, Veris. That was really funny. That was really funny.

That was so funny. Berm-b-b-b-b-b-b-bh. Thank you, Milo. I appreciate that. I'm... 31 slashing damage. And then 10. 10 cold damage and Case damage threshold

and mishap threshold is 10 lower against this attack. And I'm gonna strike again. Damn. You move in and you slash against the shields, doing significant damage to the shields like that, when all of a sudden you hear the sand strikes drive as Cate engages some ability, on the rook, the Soroko Dash. By merit of having Dakin damage, it has the triggering damage and

moves up to four hexes away without provoking opportunity. Oh shit, they're rooks too. Fuck. Oh, yes. Four hexes away? Yes, it's going to move directly behind Zaro here. Tell me, tell me we're here. Yeah, exactly correct. This swirl of what a appears to be almost like a desert sand. Flashes in front of you. Vendem injection starts playing. You swipe forward to make your second attack, and there is no more rook in front of you.

The sand strike has merely disappeared until you look to your censors and realize that Keith has already outmaneuvered you into this new tactical position. So I have five hexes of movement left. Is did he do something that makes me think I cannot hit him again? You can pursue. You can pursue. It's still your turn, buddy. It's still your turn, buddy boy. I don't know if you knew this.

You aren't getting up in all the business, though. Oh, don't work. I got my bonus action. That's true. Oh, even better. 28. 28 hits. You rock it forward and lunge in with your next attack. Oh, shit. Before he fades away This one is 33 points of damage

And his thresholds His damage thresholds and shields Were 10 lower Now they're 20 lower Against my strike And I'll just say, especially as he runs away And I begin to pursue him Don't forget you were given an opportunity

You wanted this and I will use my bonus action after striking again. I'll move just a bit behind him out of his view, and the bitter fang will shimmer invisible. Beautiful. Interesting. You disappear into ether space, effectively impossible to track by sensors or by sight, and you make this next slash.

you watch as the shield shatters, dropping almost to nothing, as you use your bonus action to distance your answer. The sand strike, Keith, swirls and spins, recognizing that it can't target you. You have used your own ability. You're not the only one with such tricks. And with a few, Few energy bursts from its rook boosters.

What you perceived as a small swoosh of sand becomes an enormous sandstorm. Hundreds, thousands of kilometers in all directions of feet in all directions suddenly swirls as a massive sandstorm. Consumes not just yourself, but all of the adjacent allies as this, as the Sanfrague uses Sandstorm.

This emanation covers him and all of his allies. And, because we're steel type, are we immune? That's very funny. That's very funny. Thank you. From within the sandstorm, instead of targeting you. We don't know what the sandstorm did? It's okay, if you're not, I just,

All we know is that everybody's enveloped in sand? Everybody is enveloped in this massive sphere of sand that seems to be swirling around them, making the mex almost impossible to see. All right. All right. And I think that Kaith is going to use their ranged attack to target Jace. Bring it on! And I just realized I don't have any fucking dice out. That's actually really funny.

That's going to be a 21 to hit, Jase? I have 22 AC. Wow. A beam of heat launches across the distance, narrowly missing you, Jase, as this beam of light extends outwards, and you hear, Keth, over the general comms that you now all share, grunt in frustration. Milo, that brings the turn to you.

as you observed, you watched as Wren chased Cate back into their own formation and then disappeared just before being consumed by this massive sphere of sand that envelops all of them. I'm going to use my movement to fly to boost. As I will say, I have O-4! And I will rocket pass one, two, three, four, five. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17, 18, 18, 19, 19, 20, 21, 22, 22. Enough. Wow. That's a lot of speed. As I do a wide arcing movement, making sure I stay on the side that Bitterfang is up.

is actually I'm going to fly, there's a bonus action to dash. As my wings unfurl and all of my rockets engage. The rockets on my spear engage as well and that also helps rocket me forward as I charge in my wind lance forms as this huge, surging,

cloud-like energy emerges on my spear as I do a full charge. As I will say, Laramus, you're going to trade in trillions of lives for a lordship. What happened to the words that you said? What happened to your vows?

What happened to being a knight? As I will make an attack. You'll make the attack at disadvantage. As you are hit by the massive swirling sandstorm that surrounds Kate and their allies. It doesn't really matter when I roll two 50s. matter when I rolled two 15s in a row. Well, hold on.

Oh, that's great. Oh, yeah, that's very good. That's huge, yeah. Okay, we were all getting ready to help you. Two 15s in a row, back to back 15s, which will be a nice clean, shubidid-do, sorry, 23. Just him. That's right, that's right, we still have.

I have 15 doesn't seem that guarantee. We still have, I forgot, one, two, three, four, five. Just his. Does piercing versus force matter? No. No, you can add all of this up. Thank you. I like to add all of them up sometimes.

This is an extra, because I moved very far, I get just a giant lance charge. This is gonna look like I'm cheating. It's okay, it's okay. Cheating is based. Yeah, exactly, grinding is cringe. So that's 16. These two dice make it

40. Is that right? 16 plus 14. No, not 40. 60 plus 14 is 30. Sorry. 30. 30. Bad of math. I'm not trying to treat. 60 plus 40? No. So sorry. 16 plus 14. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Is 30. 40. 45. 45. 49. 49 points of piercing damage. Nice job. As I am going to try to knock, um,

I'm going to try to knock, uh, Rook, uh, a night song out of formation back this way. I believe I can do that. I love that. You can move them at least one hex. You've been knocking my ships and mecks around for a while now. Straight away up to one hex. So I'm knocking it out of formation

and I use my final movement to pursue as I'm getting in between trying to break their formation. That is my. It is very difficult to see in this storm of- Damn. And it almost is like crackling of the calms, but you realize that it's actually the pelting of this, whatever this magical effect is

that's able to create this sandstorm that swirls all around you, is pelting, it's like being underneath a metal sheet during heavy rainstorm. Oak Four, Loramas, stand down, yield. All you have to do is yield. And that's my turn. Lormus responds Your mercy slows you

Minded too So I removed it Cool thing to say In the sandstorm you see as this massive Energy side suddenly emerges And cool I forgot he can attack Flies towards you

Yeah the stroke Scythe they also get turns Bat Scyth versus like Like birds The first one is 21 to hit It's coolest shit It's like Gundam Wing versus Epion.

Oh my God, it's great. Or death side. Yeah. Or death side, yeah. I forgot Deadside had wings. The second one is 24 to hit. That does hit. I've never been happier than when you guys said that I would be Epion.

And then I looked up what that was and I was like, yeah. That's the Dragon one. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for not giving me something dumb. You get the poop. You take... You get a pomebable sack of shit.

Come on. Oh, man. The F.S gun. Is this because I don't know what Gendom is? Yeah. You know what? I'm going to save my reaction. Never mind.

You already roll it. I already hit it. 36 points from necrotic damage and you cannot regain shield points until the wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. How much did he miss the AC by? Did he cross the issue? We already know the result. It was good too.

It's cheating. We can use power dice once we know whether I'm going to take it because that's really cool. So the size hits my shield. Does it like drain my shield and like suck it into that? As it flashes through, you watch the energy, what is normally a bulb of energy that surrounds you that protects your rook, gets pulled away and with the side, and it almost looks bigger for having siphoning this,

siphoning this energy. Was it 30? To be, just to be true. It is. When someone's hit by an attack, that's all the reason I'm asking. Oh, was it 36? No, I think that's fair. I guess citizens say, are all these pensions fucking pencils,

I think we're just thinking like, you know, the moment it passed. 100%. Well, right. The question is like, we knew he hit, but we didn't know he was gonna do X amount of damage and do the whole amount. Yeah, well, I'm taking it. But I'm using my reaction to counterattack if I'm.

You may, and I will also say that for the sake of the rules, you recognize that every attack within the sandstorm is at advantage, which is why. Disadvantage. Oh, their advantage. Their advantage? All of them in the sandstorm. That's like super advantage.

Can you make it one more round? I spear set out. High Spearset. Well, I mean, how much damage you do? We got a lot of health. We got a lot of health. I mean, all his thresholds are, I'm about to break a threshold. He's going to get a damage threshold like that.

It's going to be lower by 30. If I hit him twice, he's going to be lower by 40. That is almost certainly going to miss. You know what would be awesome. 18 misses, doesn't allow. 18 misses. Yeah. The nice song.

Yeah. Yeah. 23 is my guess. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. You can react to that. Did you miss?

I missed. But how much? I got an 18, 23. Well, we don't know it's like a 5. Sure, sure, sure, sure. We do know it's not worth it. It's not worth your action. It's about to be my turn.

It's literally about to be a turn. Oh. And I think he, do you, are... I need the heat. Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna attempt to target lock reaction when an attack misses, spend the power out of the total, or is it, uh...

Where's Hank? Yeah, that's the one, target lock. Oh, no. I'm at the time. So I will generate one heat. Where did I have? Yeah, I thought I had one too. And I'm gonna attempt to add a D6 to Milo's total.

You need a five or six. Five up. Well, shit. From this, it's target lock. I mean, I would probably... I think you just call out. You're an inspiring leader. You're an inspiring leader.

You put me on the spot. For a professional role player, you can do it. You can do it. So I see you like going to make this attack, right? And I hear you, we hear all of this. It's wings wrap around it. That's for free to grab that, you guys. Sorry, go ahead.

It's bat wings wrap around a shield in a cool way. And I just know that you need a little extra oomph. And I say, Milo, remember why we're doing this. We're doing this for the indomitable spirit of all kind. Strike, strike true. Chase, as long as long as long as. is you're with me? I'll always strike you. And there's a narrow gap between the bat wings

and my fucking spear goes right in between as he tries to fucking do that thing. Yeah. Oh, he just the death sight thing. That's what I'm thinking. That's what I'm like. Does Knightson have a scythe? Oh, that's fucking cool.

Oh, it's definitely. I'm rolling five. Because this guy probably stole my fucking, he probably, he empowered his own shield. Okay, that's not great. But you know, it was a reaction. Two, two, five, nine, 18, 22 points of piercing damage. Only piercing no force.

Nice. Oh, that might. Thank you, Dave. You are able to break through the shields in your counterattack with your spear, and you watch as they pop out of existence. Similar to the devastating blow that Wren delivered, you now recognize that Knights

song is vulnerable. Damn, let's go, bro. Nightsong shields are down. Oh shit. Can you get more shield points than what's currently at your max? Or is that like the cap you can't get anymore? I don't believe so. It's Max HP or Max SP in this case. To my knowledge, without some sort of special ability.

And all the time we've been working with SP, I've never seen anything that can exceed it in a temporary SP sort of way or something along that line. That's totally fine. I just wanted to make sure. Re-gains, not gains. Right. So I believe...

Take over maximum effect says... Perfect. I'm not going to vent... I can choose to not vent heat at the beginning of my turn, so I'm not even going to roll for it. I don't have anything to shield cycle, so I'm not going to worry about it.

I'm going to move and generate heat because I boost the fucking engines. I pour three power dike. Or I pour three heat into boosting my engines to just crank it up to four heat. There's a massive explosion of energy behind you, and you are thrilled that Kiri's repair.

have put you back into perfect fighting condition. And as I am flying as fast as I can directly at where I believe Zaro to be, I will shout into the comms. Zorro, I wanted to put you in your place for a long time now. You want to dance? Let's dance. And I've got the blaze sword coming in as I'm going to attempt to attack this guy.

I am at a disadvantage. Presumably I don't have any trouble finding him. him. You know, I just have a disadvantage, right? No, yeah. It's still pelting you, but you can see, as soon as you pierce the threshold of this insane sandstorm, you recognize the shape that is scorn volley.

As I'm moving in with the blaze sword, you can actually see the heat coming off the blaze sword and like a little bit of sparking, like it's threatening to ignite. The heat of the, that's coming off of your rook is so extreme at this stage that the sand that is hitting it is coming off the other side of you as glass, as it changes colors and literally transforms mid-eather.

I got a 20. To hit? Yeah, 12 plus 8. You hit, but I'm not gonna ask you to roll damage because you slam into the shields and come to a stop. You didn't reach the AC. I'm just saying that you- You scumbed. Flavors free.

Flavours free. I will use my reaction, because my turn is coming up very soon. I will say, Hell leader. I'm not at D6. We'll see what it happens. Fucking go.

We'll see what happens. You got, you had a 20? Yeah. Six. That hits. A bolstering words of your comrade, Veris, it inspires you.

you as you're able to pierce through the shield pushing your sword in. Um, I will roll 6d10 plus four fire damage. That's pretty good. 18, 19, 20, 29, uh, 37, 43, 47 points of fire damage. As I absolutely crushed this. Okay. Uh, yeah, that does a significant damage to, uh, significant damage happens to this.

shield and then I cannot I'm not a max heat so I can't make a bonus action blazing strikes I I can't add res shields I that's my turn I don't really have anything I do my bonus action which is fine I'm there I'm in the sandstorm I'm up in Sarah's face I told me let's dance we're gonna fucking we're gonna tango baby that's my turn I saw my reaction now I my reaction back the blazeor's threatening to burst of the flame it's fucking spark it and shit it's like the friction of me Swin' it through fucking space and shit. I've had so much ghost.

The ghost is... I got ghosts in my blood. I got ghosts in my blood. Now drinks, Jakes, now. Now drinks and drinks. When are you going to get a real job? Zara's right in front of you. Toe-to-to-to.

Oh, man. I hope scorn-vally isn't folly in us. Scorningly. Scorningly. Does this take heat to do? Yeah. Yeah. It all takes heat.

It all takes heat. Do you just make up something cool that he can do. You're the GM and you can do that. I know, I know. I'm just thinking tactically. Just give me 30 seconds. No, I appreciate your tactical know-how. I just want to make sure that I kill all of you.

And so... Uh-oh. Good luck. Yeah, you guys are very effective. Um... Give us your worst. I'm working on it. Just give me a second. Take your time, man.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're the g-mm. Oh, I think the email may be deploying as we speak. Oh, email maybe deploy. We've exactly 48 hours until the end of the campaign. We have 48 hours until the end of the campaign, folks. Exactly. Buckle up. Hold onto your fucking asses, all of you.

What the ass. I'm... What the ass. Zaro is gonna start his turn by. Where is Sandstorm McGillicuddy? Right here. He's in the center of the right. So he's going to, he doesn't know where Wren is.

So he's going to flip around behind, one, two, three. Moving around and behind who? Valoran. Jace. Oh, one, two, three. No, no, that's the wrong case. Number one is Zara. Oh, Zara.

Oh, Zara. Yeah, but she said, you said, Ston's McCuddy. I'm sorry, you're right. Scorn volley McGillicuddy. It's going to go one, two, three, a round. Oh, he's going to just, oh, get behind you. Yeah, good luck.

That does give you an opportunity to use your reaction if you want to. I'm not worried about him. Dice a mom. No. No. You fall, we're going to worse. No, yeah. Listen.

We were ordering to. I trust my squad. This is all mono-e-mano. Oak leader to Elm leader. Yep. All right. Because we're the knights who remembered our vows. He's going to.

I don't know if you knew this about us. He's going to attack. The first one is a natural one. Look, every rook's got a butt, and get punched in the mouth. He's going to, he pulls out a massive, on one arm, you realize that it's not a sword, it's a drill.

And he starts to drive it forward. And the second attack is a natural 20. We have nothing to do it. I mean, I don't think anybody can do anything about that, except for, I guess I'll die. There's no way, because I can't make it not a natural one. Got it. Right, right, right, right.

And a crits, unless you can force a re-roll or you'd say this is not a crit. Like if you had some sort of brinsium, like spray. Yes, that's what I was going to say, GM. Actually, my work is made a brinsium. So that doesn't work. Only harmonite. No, it's also got brincium. I didn't secret. I found brinsium on Prada.

Oh, did Dr. Crescent upgrade their shit with brinsium? Oh, yes. And- Balls, Mike. They looked like they have brinsium on them. I, that was the intention for humans for us. Oh, no. Pressing literally foreshadow that like, freeze it.

Oh, no. With lightning speed, the leader of Oak Squadron flies around you. You hit him for a tremendous amount of damage, and you watch as his shield almost collapses, but it does not. And before you can turn to swing back at him, you feel one arm grabbed by the mech and this drill, dig in. It's spicy.

It deals. 75 piercing damage and the target cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn. 75? Yeah. So my shield points are 50. Yeah. Which are gone. Those are gone.

And then I take 25. Which is damage threshold of 20 but not a mishap threshold of 30. That's, so I take the 25 damage. If your mishap thresholds 30, then it does not do the missus. That's close. But I do take the damage. Yes.

That's right. That's right. Dude, this guy is going to throw my ball. Oh my god. Gee, tree me up the ass! Holy smokes, everyone we had, Britsium. That puts me at 110 minus 25 is 85. You hear Zaro's voice over the comms.

You always were almost good enough. I made it personal. Oh, jeez. Now I made it personal. Okay, I'm gonna deep shit here, guys. Verris. I can't even shield cycler. I don't have a single shield point.

Oh, my God. Varys, it's to you. You're on deck. Oh. We definitely can't let that happen again. I'm gonna open my coms and I'm gonna open my comms and I'm gonna say, Oak Three, it's not too late.

I was like you once, submission, absolute submission to authority. I urge you. You still have a chance to remember your vows. But if you do not, I won't hesitate to return you to Seth, the faceless. And as I say that the missile pods are going to open up on my shoulders, and fly through the sky.

They have nine hexes, so he'll have one extra square as they hopefully collide with dagger. He is in the sandstorm, so any attack roll against him will be at disadvantage. I'm gonna take it. Where I try. Please, for the love of God. That would be 22. 22? Against Deep Terror?

Does anyone still have their reaction? Yeah, I've got mine. No, you don't. You can't use reactions. I don't have mine. And you're about to go, if you want to go... That was a test. It was a test.

Is he a 23? We just test. Oh, we don't know what his AC is. Oh. I'll use a power die. The target lock for... Iron. I'm just going to tell you,

because I am a transparent GM, that the AC is. is 22. And that for this, you just hit. Oh my god! Okay. And so they're almost going to lose it. But I close my eyes and I hear,

are those wingships? And all of a sudden, the rockets will re- bro, turn back to a maybe a spot they miss and then collide into Dagga's... That's fucking huge, yeah. You see Kiri's face. Use the harmony, veris. That's really funny.

Do it, Mike. Do it. Veris. Veris. Dagger was a good friend. Emphasis was. It was. He was a good friend.

Hold on, I'm making sure I'm using my- Have I ever told you about. About. Sergeant Magath. It's a way he's and chewed on us. Calm down, calm down, over water. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Oh my God.

So first, the smaller, faster missiles will connect first dealing 21 points of damage directly to its shields. And then the larger, slower, heavier, rockets will then make contact doing an additional. These are old D10s, right? Am I crazy? Okay, yeah. Six. Doing an additional, oh, baby, 15, 16.

25, 30, 39, 46, oh my God, 46, 55, 55, 55 points of, points of force damage. 55 points of... Yeah, so it was 21 to the shield points directly, and then 55 points of force damage in general. If there's any shield points, it'd be applied normally. That's wild.

You watch as deep terror sees these missiles incoming. And as soon as they correct their flight, Daga jumps into action. You watch as he pulls from over his shoulder, almost like a cape, a net, and all of them. line of lasers criss-cross in front of the explosion. Most of the missiles explode,

negating much of the damage, negating 26 points of the total damage. Nice. Not all of it, and that's still a significant blow. A huge amount of the shields actually get demolished, but you hear Daga over the calms.

There is. Don't rest... Don't... Hold on, I need to do... Goose, goes, goes, goes. Don't rest is up in honor. We know what soldiers are four. We stand where we're ordered,

then we kill who we're told. Damn. To the harmony then. And I will rock it for, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. I will turn once. And seeing that Jace just got spirit in the...

At the wazoo. I'm going to use one additional heat to try to interpose myself between, um, Rook, Scorn volley and Rook Deep Terror, because those are cool ass fucking names. Oh, I need to see if I clear my original heat. I don't, so I don't have two heat.

So did it look like any of the missiles made it throw? Yes, a lot of it did. I would say that I negated the initial small barrage, but the 55 came through and with that calculation, you suspect that Deep Terror's shields are gone. And to be clear, the way that your damage was set up for those missiles, the first portion of the damage is only for shields.

So if I do it again, he has no shields, they would just bounce off. It's like a shield buster. Exactly right. No, that's incredible. So it wasn't 76 damage, it's like shield damage that whole bit, that's incredible. And so if they have big chunky shields,

it is full damage, but otherwise it's not, right? Incredible. And I think that was my action. That, I don't have a bonus action. That's my turn. Oh, actually, oh. Oh, oh, let me see Hank. As a bonus action.

I will raise my shields, which I believe costs another heat. I know that these are rooks. They don't fuck around. I'm a three heat now. And I am going to raise my shield up, and it will start to glow this almost like bright pinkish energy as I look sturdier and hardier. And I'm going to see what happens here. Son of them.

Nutcracker. Damn. Woo! Okay. Let's see what happens. I'm planning too far ahead here. People are gonna move. People are gonna get out of the way. That's my turn. Shit's gonna happen. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha that's it. That's the strength of... I keep doing... That's fine, just do it. Let's do it. It's right. It's good, man. That's the strength of Elm Squadron.

Let's us see what you're really made of. And all of a sudden he, his chest starts to glow. And he pulls back what you can see in one hand is this net that he used to defend himself and a trident in the other, but instead he's charging up one of his main blasts. As he released, what looks like a almost tsunami of energy racing forward. I need in a straight line, one hex wide, five hex long,

each starship or Brooks are going to need to make dexterity saving throws. Okay. Who? Oh, him too? Mm-hmm. Right? Presumably, he'd have to, like, move, right? Or is it like-

Shoot it this way, right? Like it's, it's, okay. No, he's shooting it through both Barris and J. Dex save, you say? Yep. All right, don't forget we can use something. Oh, I crushed it.

I got 21. The problem is my shields are down. If you fail, There's specifically a one for a Dex check, the dampen inertia. Just keep that in mind. Do we think 13 fails? Do we know what the DC is? Certainly. We do not.

I would say 13 almost certainly fails. But again, it's a reaction when a pilot fails a Dex check or saving throw. So we can find out if you fail and then we can dampen inertia. I will use my reaction. Love that. And my powered up shield is glowing brighter and brighter. And I see this blast and I am about to get hit. and I throw my shield in front of me.

I'm gonna use shield Perry as a reaction. Trigger, mech or one of its allies within one hex is hit by an attack roll or fails a vehicle deck saving throw against a damaging effect. I'm assuming I fail. I guess, let me ask you, does a- 13, does a 13 fail? A 13 would fail.

I use my reaction to add five against to that saving throw. It is now an 18. That succeeds. Ooh, I was ready to, I was ready to, Dammit emotion for heat. Oh, man. What would have been 40 cold damage is reduced by half,

and you are not pushed away, nor do you have disadvantage on all D20 tests until the start of your next turn. Oh my God. Instead? Instead, you just take half. So just 20 points of cold damage as you are So unfortunate. Hit with a tremendous blast.

And that's you, Vera, so that hits your shields. And all right. This, the, this. Would I yield! energy wave bursts into steam as it hits me. Oh yeah. On the heat of my neck. Oh yeah.

And it caused your heat a little bit. Mechanically, not so, a bunch flavor is free, but it, one side of you is absolutely like, covered in frost as that. That. I'm getting, like, I'm getting clipped on my threshold by like single digits. It's just so unfortunate.

Yeah. You're in berserk mode. Deep Terror's gonna stay where they are. Wren. Top of the round. And the sandstorm's still going, right? Uh, it is. Okay.

Hide from me all you want, Keith. You cannot escape the blade. I'm invisible, so I'm assuming none of this reverts an opportunity attack. You've never left range anyway. Well, I'm talking about as I storm past him. Oh, I thought that was Arro. All right. You're good.

You're good. You're good. You're 100% clear. I'm still visible. Someone's over there, get him. Uh. Again! We fall just like that.

Now, so I'm an advantage because I'm invisible. However, I'm at disadvantage because of the sand, so I'm going to roll that one. Ooh, 17. That misses. Okay. I'm going to do this. I now see that Milo is right next to me because I was invisible Keth shot at Bright Roar. That's right.

now. Okay. And prock advantage on my next attack. Okay. And I'm gonna attack again. Okay. 22. Just misses. My reaction. Uh, uh, you can't take yours. You can't take yours. Fuck. God damn it. Son of a gun. Wait, did you miss it? Oh, because the advantage is countering the disadvantage. Yeah. I could use it myself.

You could? I mean, it's... It would be guaranteed to hit. Probably worth it. But I'm only thinking. do I need to be able to do this? Probably. Oh god. Probably. These guys don't fuck around. How bad is his meck looking? Sandstrike? Yeah. All you've been able to do across the entire Oaks squadron

is reduced shields to zero. They're still at full HP. I'm getting a little nervous. If I... God, I'm not gonna make it. Oh, God. My finger is hovering. I'm gonna use...

You're doing it? I see your little video Discord calls up there. I'm gonna use Target lock. I'm gonna use my reaction to Target Lock. And land the strike on Keth. All right? His damage threshold is lowered against me by 10. Here's the thing.

You get a good mishap and we turn the tie to this instantly. That's true. I'm hoping to hit my dream would be to hit a miss half that takes out the sandstorm Ooh my dream yeah yeah yeah all the yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah do you 50 fucking damage and now now remember so I got that wrong it doesn't stack

the the threshold so just at 10 that's right so it's mine it's still it's still lower by 10 it's for that one hit um just for that one hit please please everything you got Please, we need this, please. That's pretty good. That's what we'll like to hear. Okay, I got one more. We need to crush this guy. Yeah.

Crush him. Yeah, yeah. 33 slashing damage. It's gotta be good enough. And five, sorry. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 33 slashing damage and five cold damage. So 38 damage.

Yeah, come on. He is- And his mishap threshold is lowered against this attack. No, he hits the automatic. Explode. Well, my's 35. Gotta be. I still hit mine, right?

If I was 70 to you. Yes. You slash into Sandstrike doing for the first time physical damage. Bro, you're popping off. Cool. To this creature. And you hear Zaro over the comm. Zorro?

No! Whole formation! Oaks Squadron does not break! You hear me! We do not break! And all of a sudden there's a massive energy transform as a shield projector, blasts out and you see Sandstrikes shields come back online with a huge fresh surge of energy.

This guy sucks. Oh, this is bad. Did he mishap? No. Oh, I have to roll on the mishap table because you did 42 physical damage to him, which exceeded his damage. 38. 38, 38. 38. 38. But it's subtracted by 10. The threshold. But the three sholes. Unless his threshold is 49. then you got to have a mishap. The shields come back online. The shields are right. After the hit, after the, after the mishap,

they'll have shields again. Let me just quickly find. Must they explode. That table. Auto explode mishap. I should have more caffeine. Who doesn't love? Who doesn't love more caffeine?

Let's go. I got to imagine, I was aiming at his sand generators. I got to imagine that shit blows up. What would everybody do at home if I like climbed to the ceiling of my head like came down? At home? Yeah, like watching at home. I would literally, I would kill you. In the game, you'd be screaming or you'd hesitate.

This side of the table is the curse side. I would say, I would say he was a good friend. Imagine my jaw like unhinges the throat and then I lung at you as you lunge at me. Yeah, I'll hit you at the chair and then. With that slash, and this is what Zorro sees to trigger their shield projections. You slash forward and you watch as a massive beam cannon on the shoulder of Sandstrike gets severed and floats away into Etherspace. I'm removing one of Sandstrike's attacks entirely as you cause a weapon malfunction. Now you can continue.

That's my turn. That's your whole turn? That was two attacks and my bonus action. I am not invisible because I don't want this guy to, you know. use his attack on Milo or Jace. So purposefully, I'm not invisible right now. The sandstorm finally comes to rest at the start of Cate's turn. And you are now floating in unimpeded space.

All of you confronted with each other, no longer blinded by Oak Squadron's tremendous sandy shroud. Keith races forward and engages you in direct combat being able to finally see the enemy. And you note two things. One. Actually, you know what? You know what? I'm going to roll to recharge Sandstorm. It does not recharge.

Yeah, obviously. So instead of making two attacks, it's going to spend one of its multi-attacks on recharging Sandstorm for its next turn. And then it's going to... to slice in with its Dune blade. It's Dune blade? Dune. Dune. Oh, thank God.

Dune blade is terrible. Dune? Did he say Dune? Fucking terrifying. I've always liked that Hans Zimmer. That's gonna be a 26 to hit. 26 will hit. Oh, too bad.

There's extra stuff that happens if the sandstorms active. That's too bad. Okay, well, let me just roll. Do you more dice than I have right now? Just make it happen, Derek. I don't think he needs to cheat anymore. Considering looking at my character sheet, I do not think it's wise that we encourage the GM to cheat.

You take 41 slashing damage from the one Dune Blade as it slashes into you, hitting your shields and presumably not actually piercing them, but you are put on the back of your heels as you hear pain is irrelevant, damage is irrelevant. outcome is the only measure that matters. Milo, you're up. Jason Lee took a massive hit. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I got, I got drill. I got drilled in my mechings.

You got awesome. You know what I'm saying? The noise he made was so strange, though. I'll look. I'll look and I have my orders. Look a Pillsbury dope boy. I'll look at, um, Loramas and I We'll say, Loramus, you never understood that we don't fight to destroy that which we hate. We fight to protect that which we love. And I'm going to turn and pivot and rock it back over to Jace. Oh my God.

Thank the gods. And he gets to make an opportunity to against me if he chooses to. Number four. The scythe comes swinging down. Brook Knight's song. 23? 23.

That'll hit. But I am going to use my jamming. My reaction. To spend a heat, I believe automatically it succeeds because it becomes 24. Oh, so I'll see. Go it anyway.

Is he six? Because he might have some kind of business. Some sort of baloney. I dropped by four. I do not have any baloney, so that hits, that misses. Okay. Oh, don't trust him.

He's got baloney. But he did blow his reaction on this turn, which is down. His sleeves are full of baloney. I did. Yeah. My wings will wrap around you, Jace. Yes. Embrace me.

Embrace me. The cloudy, light blue swirling mist that's almost cloud-like surrounds you. Are you bloodied, by the way? By whole points. Whole points. Oh, uh, Nizzen? Barely missed bloody. Okay.

You regain 15 shield points. Oh, that's four. fucking huge. I regain a handful of shield points, I believe. That's enormous. How many shield points? 15. Oh, 15. That's my action. You regain the same number, Milo? No. Um, so only Jace goes up by 15? Yep, yep. I go up by five. And you're not bloody, so it does not heal you. Damn, that's okay. As I am going to just stand there.

And that is my, that's my turn. The shield points are massive. We're good, we're good. Nice song regains the reaction and flies into action. That's going to be number four, correct? Yep. Okay, four.

Can you point out four? Right here. This one? Yeah, the loop. Who's right in front of the night song? Bitter Fang and he's not invisible. Yeah, yeah. It's a little true.

Yeah, let's do it. And Sandstrike is right here. So basically he's pincereed between Sandstrike and Nightsong now. I got two swords, though. He has a two swords. I'm holding them both back. One for each of you.

You were sickened by the calculating attack that comes from this dark, spooky, gothic meck. Oh my gosh. Dark and spooky? Loramus makes two attacks.

on your own. The first one is definitely going to miss, but the other side of the attack is going to be, oh yeah, that's going to be 26 to hit. 26 will hit, 26 will hit. And none of us have reactions right now. Correct. You want to do anything? No, no, we can. Nobody can. Oh, okay. 39 necrotic damage. Mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm. Oh. And you cannot regain shield points until the start of your next turn. Jesus. Can't regain shield points at all. That hits my mishap threshold. Oh, roll a D20 for me.

God. Oh, God. Sorry, I'm about to send Zara to hell. 14. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. Your shields are damaged.

The ship's shields no longer protect the fire arc from where the attack originated, so you're now vulnerable from all sides. You don't have any shields anymore. I don't have any shields, yeah. They're all gone. I think that doesn't surprise. You immediately turn off the,

whoop-woop-woop-woop-woop-woop-w-w-w-w-w-w-w- you flip-pick. You flick off the warning danger signs so that you can focus on the attack at hand. And that is the conclusion of Loramas's turn, Jace, you're up. I will, using my push the redline feature, I will choose not to roll to vent heat. Because I now have a single point, at least a single shield point,

I will shield cycler and gain five more shield points to go to 20 shield points. I will then generate one more heat to go up to five as I spin around 180 degrees. And as I do, the friction of me turning around bursts the blaze sword into flame. Oh, yeah. The blaze sword now will do an extra 1D10 fired. damage and I have access to blazing strikes at max heat only I get to make an extra blazing sort attack as a bonus action so I will attempt to make two attacks against Zaro and hopefully send him down how's the time send him to help the

first attack will be 18 a 26 to hit that hits not as good that time that's okay one two three four six seven eight eight plus nine is 17 plus seven is twenty 4 plus 4 28 points of fire. Oh wait, one more. Not bad, not bad, not bad. That's 38 points. I rolled a 10 on that last one. 38 points of fire damage to Zaro on the first attack.

Mm-hmm. Okay. You finally crush the shield points that Zorro has had in front of him this entire time. It breaks and you feel your sword as it slammed into the chassis, of the mek itself dealing significant damage um let me just check this damage threshold doesn't hit it what well now it will come on uh oh it's a 19 to hit

but i think i'm gonna make it hit i think i got to try to make it hit if you want yeah i mean look i'm leaving it all out there probably only need a four you got a 50-50 shot yeah four up i'll spend a heat to attempt to target lock which will have one heat in the chamber. So let's see what happens here first before I push the red line. I got two, which gives me 21 to hit. Does not hit.

Okay. Then I will push the red line, which will be, I just have to make a DC-10 vehicle constitutional saving throw on a success. I do not go to six heat. Come up. I got 16 straight up,

so that's plenty. I do not generate that heat, but I do miss my second attack, which makes me sad. And that will be my turn as I am in Zorro's face, just trying to get through it. Zorro turns to you, scorn volley, taking some damage, but paring with you, parrying with you dexterously.

He turns his rook, and you hear the voice, I was chosen to lead the best squadron in Operation Waltz, and bring a new Don in for the Cavalon Empire. And we're going to do it. it. He turns and suddenly on his chest this massive mech of industry and all of the guns face out as like a shotgun blast this massive cone of energy explodes out hitting both you and Veras. I need you both to make a strength saving throw. Interesting. Well I'm okay at that. Actually I'm very good at that. Strength save you say. Yep. Crushed it.

24. You did not fail the tsunami blast. Good for you. 11. Okay. Unless I don't have a reaction. So yeah, no, that's it. Neither do I.

And even then, I think it's dexterity checker, not strength. Wow, that was a disgusting roll. This is going to be 58 piercing damage coming in. You take half, J. 58 and half is 29? Jesus. You are pushed back one square veris as your shield is pointed in the direction of...

My lord. Deep terror. But you do not see this shotgun blast as it unleashes across the space and you're pushed back. Your speed is halved into the start of your next turn. And you take the full 58. Good God. All my shield points are down. Oh.

And I take 18 whole points, so I'm good on. Mishap threshold. Oh! It's below my damage threshold. So it rushes my shields. Thank God, me too. But then it plinks off of my shield, of my hole. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I took 29, 20 of that comes out of the shield. Nine is not my damage threshold, so I'm still at 65. So both of your shields are obliterated by this shotgun blast and you're now quite vulnerable. It's unfortunate, but you are able to survive this volley from scorn volley and you hear a grunt of frustration from Zaro. Baris, you're up. House Maycor's proprietary technology

for the Bastion shield generator starts to war up to regenerate my shields. Let's go! But with this final hit and it crushes my shields, I don't have at least one shield point. Oh no. And it sputters and there's no shield to generate, which is unfortunate.

You would also recognize that every single one of the rooks that you've been facing have the same shield cycler that you all have. Do any of these rooks here, any of the enemy rooks have shields left? Yeah. Sandstrike just got theirs back. Oh, that's right.

Sandstrike got shield projected by Zorro and definitely has shields. Zorro definitely does not have shields. Daga does not have shields. And Samstrike, I'm sorry. Nizon. Loramus does have shields. but but few fewer.

But we know that Sandstrike just regenerated a bunch of shields. Yeah. Okay. And I, how is your rook looking? Not bloody, but not far off. Okay. It's not quite sparking yet, but I see that Milo just healed. I'll see that Milo just healed Jace, but he was left alone. And I'll say, Elchewy are surrounded! Get out of there! I'm coming! And I'm going to turn, and I'm leaving Daga behind,

and I'm rushing in. And as I do that, I'm going to fire, my missile pods are going to open up, and I'm going to fire my rockets at old Sandstorm McGillicuddy here, as our dungeon walls would say. And I'm going to rush in and try to help my dear friend, Ren, just in case. and

Daga can take an opportunity attack if he chooses to. Who can? Daga. That's a deep tier. Oh, yeah. 1,000 percent. 1,000 percent.

Remember your speed was half, but I think you've still got more than enough head. Oh, yeah. He went like two square. Two hexes. Two hexes. I definitely hit with a 27. Holy.

Unless, do I blow it to make it miss? I can add five to my AC. I'm going to take it. I'm going to take it. I have plenty of hole points. And I need to use my reaction to help my friends. The Pearl Trident in the hand of Deep Terror spikes forward, and you feel all three of its edges pierce into your shieldless back as you take 43 piercing damage.

Additionally, By merit of hitting you, he can pull you one hex back. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, okay. So he hits me, he pulls me back. Oh, God. So hold on, so first I need to take the damage. You said it's 43. Yep.

Okay, I'm just gonna do my normal, or I just add up. So I have 43 that does cross my mishap threshold. So what do I need to roll? Is this a D20? D20? It's a 12. Your mishap is you will begin to tumble out of control. At the start of your next turn, you are going to move at a random direction, the same speed that you moved this turn.

So keep your speed in turn, and you'll get something in navigation. Move one hex, technically. So I get pulled back. Can I just use the rest of my movement or am I stuck there now? There's nothing that says you're stuck there. You get pulled back from the hit and then you can boost forward. Yeah. So I will do that.

No, I'm coming. No, I'm coming, ha! And I'm going to, so my missiles disadvantage if the sandstorm's still there at 24 to hit. It's not still there. Oh, the sandstorm's gone. That's 18 plus 12. Jesus.

That hits. Okay. So, Sandstrikes shields. Oh yeah, let's go, baby. Rip through them. Come on. Rip through them. 23 points to the shields.

And then to the whole end, if there's any remaining shields. It's all in one attack. This is all single attack from my missile pods. 51 points of damage. 23 plus 51? Yeah. Holy fuck. Give it the business.

Two old sand strike. One moment. Let me just see about damage threshold and whatnot. Roll pretty fucking well. On the second roll. Pretty low. Hell yeah. The first strike was just below average,

but the other one was quite above that. I'm rolling damage threshold. The shields can no longer be recharged on Sandstrike as you make a devastating blow. The hit brings it beyond bloodied. As you watch as armor and- Sandstrike beyond-blooded? Sandstrike. Get a flat-ser.

Get a lot, shab. And you watch, as it uses its Sorocco Dash, a swirl of sand blows in all direction. It's going to move. I think they're really cool. They got on a straight line together. They take single line formation. No, I would hate it if they were all scattered

all over the battle. Oh, God. Terrible tragedy. Terrible tragedy. They should definitely clump up together. Nowhere good to go. Well, I don't know. That spot in your partner looks pretty good.

There's an open spot with these two friends. They could all just huddle together for safety. I think they should do that. I think they should do that. Put him on the other side of three. This is number, oh, that's here? No, no, no, no, all the way on the other side. Over here?

Yep. And is he immune to opportunity attacks? From the nature of his swirling sandstorm, yes, without provoking opportunity attacks and ignoring movement costs. Number three. Rook Sandstrike! It's the fences are down! Finish it! Sandstrike is on the edge of death, and that is a very good turn, Verus.

Elm 2. What did I say? Elm 3, but we nurture men. Elm 2. Oh. In canon. Deep terror, however, is at your side immediately, and races forward. To who? To Varus. Oh, okay.

The tsunami blast does not trigger, but two more Pearl Trident attacks swing in. The first one is going to be a 20 to hit. That misses. Next one is going to be a 27 to hit. We're so close. I think I need to take this. I think I think I... Well, this is who?

This is Deep Terror. Yeah. This is the one with the Trident. Yeah. God, we're so close to like cracking this and getting an advantage. Like, we're so close. So he just got 43 damage to me last time that wouldn't mishap me again. But I think I need to save my reaction for one of you.

I have 160 whole points. Oh, that's massive. Yeah, I'm just going to take it. Holy shit. I'm going to take it. 37 points of piercing damage slashes into you, and instead of pulling you, he pushes you one hex over. Like this way?

Yep. Lordy. Another mishap. Oh, but this is so close. 19 on the mishap. 19 on the mishap. Wren and I are salivating. This is so close.

Your speed is reduced by one hex as one of your engines is damaged, and your cruise speed is now reduced by 100 miles per hour. Okay. Something that could happen, this is not that bad. No, no, no, that's, so it's seven. Yep. I don't need clean systems.

I don't need a clean shot. I just need enough left to hit you one more time. Oh, God. That was a cool, fucking fucking cool. And I tried writing some cool shit. I did. You didn't try. You succeeded. Oh, God, hang on. Hang on. Hang on. Hang on. Come on. And then just make it so... Oh, shit.

Bro, we are super close to turning the tide here. I feel it. I feel it in my bones. If one of these guys goes down, it is like the tide turns on our favor. I don't think I can afford to take an opportunity attack. Who's number four? Night Song. I think, right? Yeah. Spooky dark. The real Spooky Dark Gossip.

The Grim Reaper. The Rook Reaper. Um... He's not surrounded by a sand again, is he? No, no, but you do know that you saw the sandstorm sort of pull its energy in and that it looks like it's going to, uh, uh, be possible for me to enjoy that immediately. Yeah. Can you go invisible before you? I can.

I can. I don't know. I'm not going to tell. But I'm gonna roll to attack. I'm not... I'm not... Okay. Arranged attack?

Right backseat, rook pilot. 27. Against whom? Against Sandstrike? What number? Sanctrae? Yeah. Oh.

27 hits. I spin around, and I ignite in a brilliant, light blue, icy white, my core, and I blast out a pillar of frost directly at Sandstrom.

Let's go, baby. As I shoot it with the cry. Up, up, bup-bo-b-b-b-b-b-b-b. Get the fuck out of here. Night song Sees this, the shot fly forward.

I need to make the attack at disadvantage. It's going to use, Loramas is going to use their reaction to cast a wing shroud. As the Grim Reaper cloak itself flies out. 23. That's got to be good enough. Just hit.

Yes! Yes! Mace, let's go! Yes! I'm trying here, folks. I'm trying real hard. This is a fucking scrap. No, I know. No, this was designed to be a coin flip.

Like, this is... You should know it feels that way. That if I had heat, I'd be venting it right now. He's an ice cold. You don't got no heat. Here's a thing. If we take out Sandistrike here, that gives us...

I'm telling you. This is this is this is make a break. This is the tide right here. This is it. This has to be the tide. This is like MVP play of the battle. More sandstorm would be a fucking nightmare. Yeah, and then- 46 points of damage of cold damage. Please, please, please, please, please. I teed you up, bro. You hit something vital.

You watch as all of a sudden this incredible, powerful rook goes limp. You've seen this happen before. this happened before you've watched rooks be destroyed but this time it's up close and personal as sand strikes begins to detonate and explode and you hear over the comms one last line from Loramus I didn't want to die here I didn't think that would matter it died as there's a massive blossom no it's Keith from Keith it's Keith sorry sorry from Keith my apologies Keith is the Eastern European voice I will say that

one moment. Rewind. Rewind. That was so good, too. It's okay. Just run it back. We're gonna run it back. Editor's, editor, cut this.

Do something, do something. Yeah, I don't know. Do something good. Fuck it. Zoro, stable items are failing, failing, recalculating, recalculating, they're still a line. There is always a... As Sandstrike is consumed in flame,

in flames and bursts in the middle of ether space. You've destroyed the second rook of Oak Squadron. Roaks Strike. Yes. Yes! Now. Oh no, it's not even Myel's turn yet. Let's go!

I'm just going to say now, I bonus action and go invisible. Wait, who did I just take off the map? That'll say, you got the right one. Number two, yep. And I will, we try to do some bullshit. You know what I'm trying. I'm trying to cook your ass again, bro. I'm gonna go...

No, I'm gonna go... Be careful. You're gonna get opportunity. Oh, no, he's used his reaction to... Well, and I just went invisible. Oh, that's why I shot first. Why you get posted? So I can go invisible.

What kind of angle you're good? You're good, you're good. What kind of angle you pick? No, you're fine. Am I good at here? I can't, I'm not gonna mitigate. I'm not medigate. I'm not gonna get you're in the heat of battle.

I'm in the heat of battle, bro. Oh my gosh, I'm just trying to take position. Nainee would love to win. I would love to win. For sure. I would love to win. I would love to win. I'm going to position myself here.

You fly forward. This always sounds like the smash theme. Yeah. The sound of Kate's calculating voice still echoing in your ears as you take position to support your squat. Milo, you're up. Let's go, brother. Who's looking rough? Um

You mean from our side or their side? From their side? Is Does anyone look on the verge of death Otherwise I'm going on a night song? No, it's even Stevens. I think but basically nobody's got shields though Which is a good thing

Or very low shields but nobody's like The only one who has shields still is night song So that's the one that you probably want to target. Jake, are you all right? Elm 4, everything's fine Do what you have to do. I recharge my damage control. I don't need it right now.

As I'll say, all right, I'm gonna take care of Night Zone. As I turn, I use my bonus, well, that's me, that's me! I use my bonus action to a blast. As I'm going to turn and kind of look wistfully at Kath, and now there are seven of us. Yeah. And I'm going to just turn, I fly around a long, I mean, I got 24 hexa.

You're just, I'm just, I'm going, yeah, you're just, Is there no chance for an opportunity if you fly? Those are your two allies. Wow. I'm flanked by my allies. And is I'm gonna radio in to Loramas? Lormus, you don't have to go the way that Kate did. It's not too late to yield.

But I will not stop fighting until you do. And I rocket forward, make an attack. No bullshit sand fuckery. All gone. Come on, come on. Come on. on quab 18 hit misses misses I'm using it I'm using my reaction that's a big one that needs to be a big one what do I need can't even hit if you get a five

pro five or six six nice let's go okay heart you hear you hear Laura miss my oh my hands are shaking my aim isn't oh my And neither is mine. Vowlerwing always strikes true because I am a true knight as I lance in one, two, three, four, five, and I get an additional little bonus. A bonus.

Ham boning. Um, could be worse, could be worse, could be worse. Uh, that is 12. That is 18. 18. That is 18, 26, and then 26, 32. Sorry, 32 plus 4, 36 points of piercing damage

and force damage. If it matters. How much total? 36, I believe. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. The tide begins to churn as you are able to cross. the mishap threshold of the Night Song. Huge.

It gains one eye on exhaustion level. Oh, that's massive. That's amazing. Good fucking work, bro. Massive. Good work. So I'm going to write that down. And you managed to do some severe damage to Night Song in this piercing strike that you make.

You do anything else with your turn? That's it. This my whole turn. Yeah. You are both engaged in Mortal. combat. It's live or die as Nightsong takes two final scythe attacks against you. Oh, I get five peer points. Lucky. Lucky. Mine isn't work. Damn you. Oh. I think that the first one's going to miss is a 22. 22 misses. How about that?

Natural funny. You think I'm not ready to die here? You think I'm not ready to die here? Who's hitting them? Loramas? Night's on? Oh God, the Reaper. Flowers are pretty and the box is cold.

Jesus. Babba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-bo-bo-boo. You take 66 necrotic damage and you can't regain Neil shield points. 66, you said. So, hold on. So, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

24 of that is from my shield. Sorry, 26 of that is shields. Okay. So that means 40. 40 points straight of damage. Yep. That's half. I'm bloody.

It's okay. And presumably. And you absolutely a missout. Thank goodness. Roll of you're only for. Mega miss that. And over. Miss-Ap. Critical missat.

A four. That's probably good. Uh-oh. Isn't low bad? I don't know. Your wings take the brunt of this attack. And suddenly you realize that click, click, click, click, click. You can't turn your ship. Control burnout.

Okay. You automatically fail dexterity checks, vehicle dexterity checks, and vehicle dexterity saving throws until repair it. and your ship cannot turn. Can't turn. And ship cannot what? Can't turn.

So I feel like I almost dodge it, and then he just re-swing, slices both of my wings, like feather plates are flying everywhere, and I get a huge gash in valor wings. But Night Song is also looking extremely weak. You're both just flying into each other, engaged. Yeah, alarms are going off, steam is hissing, Jace.

I choose not to vent heat. I don't have any shield, so I can't shield cycler. I will move, but not generate any more heat as I kind of use my movement to shift 180 degrees around Zorro as I use my bonus action to make a blazing sword attack. And as I make this attack, I shout, yield, Zorro! Yield! It's not enough. It's an 18 to hit.

No. 18, 19, 22, 1, 233. You have gotten your reaction back because it's another five, six operation. I gotta just go for it. Unbelievable. I just have to go for it. You gotta go for it.

I'm gonna attempt to target lock. That is actually crazy. Damn. 21 again. So that misses. Where do I go? I have not used my reaction yet, right? I don't believe so.

No. You saved it when you were holding it to like save one of us. Yeah, when you took that attack of opportunity, you saved it. Yep. I will use my reaction. Oh my God. Home leader. Oh my God, because we got to end this.

Make some yield! Oh, hell yeah. Okay. Hell yeah, bro. You hit. So, and as this hit lands, you will notice that Brightworth's chest begins the glow. So for the sword attack, yeah, that's fucking massive. Okay, that's 14, 24, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 323, 324, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 points of fire damage on the first attack.

And then I have my action for the turn. I'm rolling on the mithap threshold to myself. Very good. You're also noticing that this mecca of industry is pouring off the equivalent of smog. This is not clean, bright, steam heat the way that Bright Wharf responds, but it is chugging along, almost like an old, greasy train. As he is starting to wear down from the number of attacks and brutal. slams that you're making. Also for the GM's awareness, I have succeeded on three. Push the red line, a saving throw, so the DC's up to 25.

Oh, bam. And so as I complete this slash, I shout again, Zoro yield! Or feel the blazing heart of Bright Roar as I use Flame Wave. And I will need, it's in a line of five, so I'm going to basically try to angle it this way. right, just like we were talking about before. And I need each of one and three

to make a DC-16 dexterity saving throw. We do not yield! What's the DC? 16. Sorry, and what's the role? Dexterity saving throw, DC-16. For Zorro and Daga. Daga.

I don't have any tools to save them. Both fail. They are engulfed in flame, and will take 5D12 fire damage, and they both have disadvantage on D20 test until the start of the mex next turn. Oh my gosh. Huge. Damn.

The debuffalo is huge. And I vent, I'm gonna vent a heat. So that's gonna be 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Come on. That's pretty good. 13, 22, 27. 27 points of fire damage. And I vent one heat and go to 4 heat. 27 to Zoro gets me down to here,

and 27 to Daga gets me down to, that's massive, bro. An immense amount of steam pours off of Bright Roar, and it almost looks like I've left myself open, because I am just leaving it all out there. Everybody is hurting. You're all sparking, your alarm systems are going off. You constantly have to switch them off so that you can focus on the fight every single inch,

and precision attack matters, and it's getting hard. Not because the mecks are wearing down, because physically it is like a marathon to pilot the mecs themselves, requiring a tremendous amount of your own physical energy in order to keep yourself alive every single second. So, sorry, it's. He has disadvantage on D20 tests.

Well, let's see about something. Okay, doesn't recharge. All he's gonna do is continue to try to punch you with this massive drill arm that he has. It's gonna be a disadvantage and his mishap is also hurting him. There's no way. He rolled a natural five. He swings wide and you're able to, for the first time, jump almost out of the way comically

As he continues to attack, he's been slowed down. And even though this is Oak Squadron, all of the damage that you've been able to do, especially the last hit, has tremendously weakened scornbally. Yield! The Empire doesn't yield!

Barris, you're up. Damn. I will first, I will check to see if I vent any heat. I do not. Then I will use my quick pivot. Uh, very briefly, and I'm gonna pivot towards my dear friend Dagger. Um, let me just see, make sure that I have, okay. I will open the calms, comms addressing Dagger. And I'll say, um, oh two dawns the somber mask.

Will you be next, or do you yield? Deals? Come on, man. Stop running your mouth and show me what your ruck and do. Damn. Then you will break! And the missile pods will open up again. That is badass.

And I'm going to use my breaker missile pods. Oh, shit. Now that I'm not disadvantaged, I have a better shot here. And I'm just doing everything I can to bring these guys down. That is a... 27 on Rook. Deep Terror. That'll hit. Here comes the somber mask. He doesn't have any shields anymore, right? So I can ignore the, those first quick missiles. That's right. Will, will...

No immunities, no resistances, just add it up and give me the total. Doing nothing to the whole itself, but one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. You've got a good shot here actually. Eight. Uh, 21, 22. I rolled pretty low. 22, 26. 32 points. It's a bit adverse.

Oh, wow. Okay. Force damage. Wow. You've been mostly in the 50s and 60s and 70s. Yeah. 34, you say? There's anything else I can do to increase my damage.

And because it's almost his turn, he's going to reduce that damage. He's going to take almost no damage. from your volley. Oh my God. As he reverses, he pulls that same net out. Shish, shh, and your next volley didn't have quite as much of a, as many missiles in it. And they mostly explode harmlessly in front of them.

Ha ha! Your formation has many weaknesses, friend. Then I'm going to burst through and, oh, hold on, hold on, Hold on, hold on, hold on. As at the start of my turn, I need to tumble through space. Oh, that's correct. You would have been moving this direction

and I think you moved three. I used three movement. And so you just continued floating. So you can fire your missiles. Man, I don't think that would have changed. I'm tumbling backwards this way. I believe it's a random direction. Oh, then we'll scatter die.

So, D6. Four, five, six, yeah. Pick a number. We're starting here, we'll go around this way. One, two, three, four. One, two, four. One, two, no. No.

So as I'm doing it, I'm sort of losing control. And that's why I have to use the breaker pots. Because I can't get to him right now. As I fire, dude, then I get the rest of my movement. I probably can't get where I wanted to go. And my movements have by something else, I think. Make a vehicle dexterity check. Am I still slowed?

Oh, actually not bad. 18. You regain the control of your me. Hell yeah. Fire wall. Stay with me. We're at the end of all things. And we're all kinds living shield!

And I'm going to turn, and I'm just going to blast. Hell, yeah. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. And I'm going to just burn heat just to face this mother hunger. Oh, hell, yeah. And get next to Wren. And I regain control. He hasn't broken yet.

And I just boost at him and stand in front of Brick Bitter Fang. And I'm gonna, you know what? That's four heat to boost, five heat. To bonus action and give myself shields. I think I can do that. We're good. Oh shit. That's my whole points.

Those are my shield points. You hear Daga over the comms. Damn it! Damn it! Core heat's rising. Armor breach. Again, all I need is that one clean shot. He flips around as his core once again

glows with that same tsunami blast energy. And suddenly a beam flies forward. He would have actually made a slight adjustment if you could move towards me. He wants to create a single line. He can't see me. that are visible. He wouldn't know that I'm there.

He wouldn't know that you're there. Oh, you're right. Yeah. I don't know this vague direction, we'll say. My apologies. I mean, I think you would. I'm under the maps. You would know where I am.

Maintaining. He would not know where. We have Star Fox 64. Radars. Maintainting game state 1,000% he would just fire into you. You have my friend. So I'm going to pass.

How far is the range? Can he get, can he get Brayorke? No. Just to maintain game state. No? No, that's an insane suggestion. He can't, I'm a thousand million miles away. No.

Brewer has got 10 HP. Don't look over here. If the range is five, he probably can't. If you want to fire through Lorraine. No, no, no. What he's trying to do is just use his most powerful attack against you. You've antagonized Daga, and Daga wants you to go down.

So I need you to make a vehicle dexterity saving throw place. And that's one way to get around to D20 check, I guess. Holy shit. Wait, I'm at a disadvantage, am I? No, he's a disadvantage. So I've recovered control. He's just, he's cheating. You recovered control.

You're not at disadvantage. Nope. Fuck, yeah. 19 plus 2 is 21. Fresh strength save? Yeah. No, it was a deck save, I think. You're going to take half?

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. It might still crush my damage special. 36 cold damage. So 18. Oh. Oh. I throw my shields in and the shield just absorbs all of it as it does not pass my hand. You're pushed back a little bit by this massive blast,

and you watch as the edge of your shield is encrusted in rhyme, but you do not take any damage as you are able to take the brunt of Deep Terror's massive tsunami blast attack. And that's the conclusion of Daga's turn, Ren, top of the round. Okay. Dice is a mofool. Okay. Dice them up. Dude, well, let me ask my squad mates here,

do, does, does Wren feel in this moment that a battle of knights that you would wanna finish your opponents? Or am I about the shadow step, these motherfuckers? Um, I, I think you would know that Veris doesn't give a fuck about that. And Milo doesn't give, Milo would think it'd be really cool

if you finish off two guys at once right next. You know, this is, this is Ren's thing. We all have an understanding that this is like do or die. Yeah. We are not fucking... I just... Okay, okay. That's what you know.

Milo doesn't want to have to kill Lorhamus. Veris wants the mask delivered to Elm 3, or Oat-free. That is some bad ass. One way or another. All right. On... What's his name? Oh, uh, deep terror.

Deep terror. I'm going to swing around and attack. And I'm going to say... Don't miss this. This is a illegal. I assume. that hits but let's see 23. That hits? And just, just hits. Dice them up. Dice them up. Put him in a blender. We're gonna send him to the harmony together. 18, 28, 29, 33, 37, and oh, you got this, bro. You got this, bro.

42 points of damage. He does have his reaction, I think. Because he used it against my... Oh yeah, he used the net. He's the net. Against mine, but I think he got it back? I can't remember. Um, yeah. He would have gotten it back at the beginning of his turn,

and so he's going to reduce the triggering damage by 3D10 plus four. It's probably going to roll three ones. Yeah, really terribly. Okay. You slash in with your initial attack, and you've done significant damage, but not enough to cross his mishap threshold. What you would have had he not thrown his net up?

Nuts. Well, I'll attack him again. He's like the tanking. I know the second attack's coming. Do I have my reaction? No. Use it on your turn. Yeah.

Yeah. I've been doing the same thing. God, one off, but I guess they have Brinsey and Marmer. Um, it's like 28. To hit? Yeah. Yeah. You got this.

Slic and dice them. These all those combo points. That's right. Inviscerate. Span that finisher bro. Oh, not, not. What am I doing? Only 28 points.

Oh, but he's also, if he has a damage threshold, is 10 less. Mishebishop. Both, both is damage and mishap. That is disgusting. Damage and miss half. That is so good. So good.

I love our rooks, guys. Oh, yeah. Okay. That crosses it. So I don't know if we're across it the first time, either. I know you're not the first time for sure, but. if he had shields they'd be more damage than they are now certainly you are continuing to flash into this guy he's holding on

he's holding on I go invisible my love and I'll just move like so you just staying there facing me we're having a duel we're both sparking yes yes you've entered a pretty deadly battle you're hurt hurting very much and so is Laura Miss. Both of you, perhaps it was a heart of ambition, but still the heart of Oak Squadron in front of you, carrying a scythe made of energy.

I feel like we're kind of, I can't turn, but I feel like we're kind of just spinning in like this winged duel. Oof. And I will have taken that hit that I'm going to look, I'm going to get. one final opening as I roll a quite good good quite good oh hold on just let me just double check oh 26 that hits the head yep as I'll say Loramas I don't

want to have to do this but I've changed since the last time we met if you think I don't have what it takes to kill you you're wrong I give you one last chance. Do you yield? We're out, squadron. You've already killed my friend. And you've betrayed us. Betrayed the empire.

Everything we're trying to build. Don't you understand? The Empress is sitting on her hands. Not doing anything for the people. Damn. Only the general is going to help us. You're the bad guys here. a certain point of view.

27. 27. I disagree with your worldview. Sorry. 33 plus a four. Is that's. 33. Get his ass, Milo.

37 points of damage. Exactly. Oh! That's it, baby. Down to the fucking point. That's it. That is fucking crazy. If anybody's getting awesome.

Nothing. This guy's getting on. It's a good time. You said the words, like we all did. Nothing is worth the lives of billions. We'll avenge you, Loramas. And I thrust my wind spear into the dark heart of Night Song. You watch as the scythe is swinging into you, but bravely, you are able to

to focus your spear and pierce the heart of this mech and the explosion that happens before you is so sudden, so spontaneous, so great that by the time the physical part of the size reaches you, the energy of the actual blade has diminished entirely. You feel a hit against the side of your mech's face. It's just the metal. left of Lorimus Nightsong as the rook in front of you extinguishes and falls apart drifting into the ether we may remove the token from the map oh well we're starting us we will and I already used Loramas as final words you know what you

would have heard in those final moments I I don't want to die here. I didn't think that it would matter. It does. Damn. And those words echo in your ears as Jace rockets forward to confront

his opponent. I'll start my turn by attempting to recharge my flame wave. That's a five, baby. That's a recharge. I will not choose to vent heat. I am currently at four.

I have zero shields. I will not shield cycler. I will, however... I'll keep trying. Boot, exactly right. Boost my engines to five heat. The sword temporarily dimmed from the releasing of all of the heat from the flame wave

bursts back into blazing light as I go to make two strikes at Zorro and see if I can put this mad dog down. I swear to God, I have rolled so many tens and 11s. That is another 18. Do you? Yeah. And I'm gonna attempt you know what needs to be done I know I'm just gonna attempt to three

18 and two again I'm gonna attempt to a target lock here it is just not enough I use my reaction oh as I get another fucking 21 The rival comes through in the end can this be true? Reckless power with no precision focus Yeah well two that's 23 exactly exactly what you need uh so i'll roll the damage fire nice i'll roll the damage oh which is going to be oh my god pitiful i'm just chilling now i got all the time in the world look over there and judge him for missing attacks 32 points of fire damage on the first attack now to push the red line i must get a natural 20 oh it's 25's you're

DC? Holy. I must get a natural 20. No, I take one level of ion exhaustion. So minus two on my rolls. On the second attack, it's gonna be minus two here. I got a natural 20, but it's technically minus two. Does it matter or is a .

No, it was still a crit. My second attack is a crit. And as, yeah, yeah, they do. But it's still a hit, it's so auto hit. It's an auto-deafly, it's not automatic. It's not. But as you hit, that sudden ricochet sound reverberates throughout all the space for everyone to hear as you continue to slash into Zorro. As you slash in the first time, Zorro is going to use his reaction and selfishly not protect his squad, but himself as his shields come up, that same projection that he's able, capable of doing.

Jason would suddenly bump into business as you make this next. That's right. Oh, but, oh, shit. I don't get to roll out your dice. That's fine. 19. This is actually pretty good. And I roll to see if it holds up.

Oh shit, I'll go pick that up a minute. The brindium plating is broken. As I roll a 1 out of 10. Oh my god. So if anyone else, Krits is 20, 33, 42, 46 points of fire damage as I roll a massive amount of damage. massive amount of damage. I thought so. I thought so. That's all right.

That's all right. The only reason he survived is because he used his reaction to add shield. The only reason is because he was able to bring that up. As I land the second blow, I'll yell into the comms. Sorrow, I told you once

and I'll tell you again. I'm the best pilot there ever was. That's my turn. I'm sorry. Oh, he's next. Scorn volley is up. Oh my god. Oh no. This is just a slug fest and it's like... I'm also very weak. This is...

Oh, invisible. This is Uscape versus the guy with the knife. And they're just slugging. The British guy. Yeah, the British punk guy. Yeah. Oh yeah. They had knives behind their heels. Yep. They step on the... Yeah. So you can't move back.

Oh no. If he moves one hex over towards Mikey. This way? This way? Towards me. Oh, he's gonna pivot, obviously. Boop. So he's gonna do-

Oh, I'm sorry, I had them flip. Fuck. He can spin around. This is just, he's locked in with Brayor. I mean, if he can, he's got a line. He's not the most honorable guy. You're right. He's gonna pivot to Andy's side.

So he would turn here, one, two, three. Yep. Four. He's gonna get right there. Yep. Five. And you're gonna hear this. Do you think you're the best pilot?

Think again. Again, this shotgun blast, five hexes out, including deep terror. Oh, scumbag! I need both you and Invisible Wren to make- Me? Well, you're in the blast range, strength-saving throws. Oh, you are. I am minus two on my D20 because I have one level of ion exhaustion.

This guy saw! He said strength? Yep. Oh my God. I fail. I think I failed, too. 15. 15 just succeeded. Oh, my God.

The DC was 15. No, I failed. Oh, my God. You are pushed one hex away. Your speed is halved until the start of your next turn. That was the speed thing. So I basically, like, I see him move. I don't think he'd be it.

Oh, oh, you succeeded. Sorry, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I see him move, and Bright Roar is, like, again, every heat alarm is going off. I do the best I can. I actually try to turn and pivot Bright Roar with the sword up, and I catch the full blast to the front of Bright Roar, not truly good.

This massive blast radiates out into space. It's five. Would anyone else have gotten hit? I think it's just deep terror in Wren? Yeah. Yes. I think it ends there. Yep.

Yep. I thought so too. I just wanted to make sure. Both of you've succeeded, you take 20 points of piercing damage. If you failed, you take 40. Oh! Okay. I have to roll a mishap.

I don't have to take a mishap, unbelievably, but I do take that damage. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Just roll a G20 for the mishap? Yep. Two. 12. 12. 12. I think that's probably worse than two. I think you want well.

You are hit and you are spinning in mid-air as you're going to need to make another dexterity check in order to regain control of your... At like, start of my turn? Exactly, correct. You guys watch as Bright World begins to like tumble through space. Yeah. As you watch this full-on shotgun blast, catch me straight in the chest. Oh my God. We do not break!

Varis, you're up. You would look up at the comms and like my square, be like, and the few times that the frames are coming in, your body's like flaming like up and down. Do we have any sense of how Daga feels about getting shot with this giant cannon gun rubber?

That's important parcel to get shot by your leader in a battle. It happens in Bessimus. He says confidently. How is deep terror look at it? We talked about this. Damn it. Keep moving. Keep moving.

We're on the back foot. Berth. How is deep terror? Deep Terror with him. Deep Terror is, both of them are looking really rough. There's a metal, shattered metal of not just their own mecks, but of the destroyed mecks of the rest of Oak Squadron floating in this space. It's actually shockingly pretty.

There's flame and steam and energy flying in all directions. And so when the light hits all of this shattered polymer and glass and metal, sometimes there's a moment where you're like, this is a bittersweet dance that you are all engaged in. And as horrifying as the loss of life is and that you're fighting these brothers that you fought alongside with who were supposed to be your allies. It is cosmic what you're encountering right now. I see that everyone is fucked up. I'm bloodied. But they're, that we at least have the numbers advantage. I look at,

the living shield, we're right. I'm squawksing in a shield, no, no! And I'm gonna make a melee attack with my blast flail. Let's fucking good. Did you get it? Let's fucking go. That's good. Plus.

Yeah, I was... I was over the 90, 20 again. Against Daga? Against Daga. That'll do it. And... You got a 28? No, no, no, no, he's attacking.

I know, I know. I was just saying you got a 20. If this is enough, let me know, and I... It's just weird how numbers work sometimes. I'm gonna tell you... 28 is how much HP he has. Okay. It's just a bizarre thing.

It's just a bizarre thing. That is still well below average, so I think I can do this unless they were really poorly. One, two, three, four, five. It's only 60. 10. Is that right? One, two, three. Yep.

You got it. 17. 38 points of Thunderdand. Jeez. Get out of here. I would like to, these, we're face to face now.

I've been trying to use my missiles to make this guy break. And I would like to flavor this melee attack as he keeps using his net. He's stopping every. everything I'm doing. And finally, I'm going to attack. He catches my hand. And we almost grapple each other. And in this struggle, and we're fighting, and I will lose hold of my flail, but I'm going to catch just the ball. Yes! And we're fighting. May be strong, but it is brittle.

We are round. We bend. You will break. And I was to take the ball. All of my flames and smash it. Finally. And two were the cockpit is. Okay. And I want to put an end in this guy. Go, chill, chill, chill, chill. Impossible!

He reaches, he reaches, bro. Just the hardest shit ever. If anyone seen the end of the film with Adam Driver and Matt Damon, where they duel at the end, I would imagine because, sure, I've been wanting to see that. I've been wanting to see that.

I've been wanting to see that. That happens. That's fucked. All you can see is the arm reaching for that Trident, but it's too far away and it's already twisting and flying. He can't get to it. His fingers are just out of reach. And when you feel that crunch,

the Com goes silent and the mech goes still. And if anyone were to look up at the comm screen where we have are the video projections of each of us, the violet of my eyes would be glowing, a little right of all we are. Some of that, some of those, some of those kind of scales that come up, because the side of my face might be creeping up a little bit as I just pan out. Fuck yeah. I don't even have the energy to respond as that's my turn.

Actually, yeah, that's my turn. I can't do anything else. That's my fucking time. Renn. Can I come privately to Zorro? Yeah. Why not? Why not? I dashed.

Send him a DM, bro. Not, not. Who's there? Behind you. 24 to hit. Yeah, sent him to hell. He's got like one H. What the fuck was you on?

What was this? Uh, 31 points of damage. That's gotta be... With my first slash. How do you want to do this? I com privately to Zorro. He's twice the pilot you are, and he's ten times the leader. Oh!

I open comms broadly. You're right about one thing, though. He'll always be second best. What a jacket. Based! I don't hear any of this. My columns like, I'm like falling through space. I hear none of it.

And I would, I think what he would see is he wouldn't even see me coming, but right before the blades land, I'd erupt out of invisibility. And I'd have the dual blades out, and I'd be twisting in a, like a blender as I just ripped past him. You leave my anger. Yeah. Oh, hell yeah. He's engaged with what he thinks is his true enemy, right?

And so the fact that you just... Oh, wait, wait, wait. I got another one. Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're right about one thing, though. What did I say the first time? He'll always be second best. Oh, yeah.

You're right about one thing, though. He'll always be second best. You don't even rank on the list. That's very funny. We can wreck counter shit. Yeah. This isn't even make sense. Okay, all right, do you think.

I'll leave I at it, Herman. You slash in, and it's a good thing that you chose this moment because, Jace, you were engaged in mortal combat. Just as Milo was, just as Varus was. Zaro was proving to be a tremendous foe, and just before he started to drill down into you again with that terrible strike, you watch as almost like a shadow, like a ghost. Too fast. Wren disables the...

A vital part of scorn volley systems, and suddenly the... Mecco's limp, and there's a... Electricity flows over. Calms, disabled. You do not hear Zaro's last words. But you imagine the scream as a explosion erupts in front of you. It is a filthy explosion. Not clean, not bright, but the explosion.

But the explosion of its house, its world, an explosion of industry, and the fireball that erupts is shaded, shadowed. And you look at it as it fills your visor, fills the cockpit with light, each of you, almost as a mirror reflection of the soul within as you extinguish Zaro. Oak Leader. And that's where we'll take a quick break. Good Lord. Good fight, guys. Good fight. Good. I don't know about you guys. I'm fucked up.

The dice really went in your favor, too. I am shocked at how well you were. I mean, we're on the fucking floor. Say what you want to say. Well, no, I mean, like, we're out of combat. So basically, as Bright Wars, like, tumbling through space, I mean, like parts of Bright Roars are on fire. I'm sparking.

I would be doing what I can't. My comms barely work. I'd be doing what I could to gain control, vent all of my heat, and then basically any engineering checks that I would need to make to basically start to like stabilize my mat. You would immediately shift from, and all of you would do this.

If you're still kind of spinning away, I would try to at least grab you to steady you while you're working on getting control again. You can catch me? Great. All of you would shift into maintenance. mode as you are able to pay attention to systems that you have been ignoring during the heat of combat, and you are surrounded by the wreckage of four rooks. Now little more than crumpled makeshift coffins for the mangled corpses of the slain knights he once called brothers.

Oak Squadron has been destroyed, and you four are all that remains of Operation Waltz. We will avenge them. You guys look rough. Here, thank you, Valiang, for keeping us alive. At least one last time. And I'll do my best to replenish everyone shields. I believe, technically I can keep doing it. There's an element of like, yeah,

as long as we're not under extreme duress, right? Is our necrotic thing gone? Oh, I thought it was for the turn. Yeah. Oh, yeah. It was just like you couldn't. It didn't... It said you could recover shield points.

Oh, it takes a little bit more time for you to finally get the system to respond. But over the next few moments, you do you feel that shield kick back into gear. The physical chassis, the actual... The actual mech that you're piloting is clearly heavily damaged. So are all of your allies. But the shields,

B, b, b, b, b, b... One by one starts to re-engage and kick back in, recovering all of your shield points across the board. I think I feel Ironwall catch me and help write me up, and I would radio in. Dats! Damn! Damn them! Damn it!

They should have yielded. Help leader. Bright rotors damaged. All of our rooks are damaged. Yeah, things aren't looking good. But we're alive. Ren, you all right? Yeah.

Good work out there. They were given every opportunity to yield. They didn't take it. It was them or us and... We still have a job to do. You're right. We have our duty to do. I think I'm stable.

Is anybody fully out of commission? Can we all move on? There's a little more time. Just get near me. And I'll use my cloud wing. I'm going to use a little bit of heat as some vents off to get some shield points to get the bastion shield generator. Technology.

House Titallus of the world of Voltaire I use to get my friends in fighting shape, at least to make the final assault. We know now that there are no more rooks in existence, or rather, no more Operation Waltz, Operation Walt's rooks in existence besides this form. I need, I need a protection, Iowa. Hang in there. You are all readying yourself for this final assault when another signal appears on all of your columns. Alm Squadron! Alps Squadron!

Dr. Crescent! Dr. Christian, is that you? Jesus, that's you, Will? Yes, sir. We're here. What's happening? I have snuck into another room. in order to try and contact you. Are you all safe?

I know that Hooked Squadford was going to destroy you. Have they reached you yet? We... We took care of them, Doctor. And we're going to save you, too. We're going to put an end of this. You better hurry. General Sigurd is running to fire the cannon imminently.

He's refusing... He's refusing to listen to reason. What can you tell us? Have you uncovered any more? We need as much information as we can, and then we're going to make our final assault. Just that the castle is about to prepare to assault Oothan. It is going to be beyond anything.

I regret that I have put all of my science into this terrible weapon. He is using it not to destroy our enemies or as a threat to maintain peace, but to try and take the crown for himself. No. Here, I think that I may be able to offer you some help. Just one moment! You hear the clicking of a keyboard, and suddenly on your display,

you watch as information transmits, there's a data download, and on your display, you suddenly get a readout of the castle in a Canon configuration. No longer in the same form factor that you recall, this one is unfurled, and it suddenly reminds you of those same world piercers

that assaulted Morsib. And you watch as it shows a clear line of entry. Look closely. Look at the diagram. If you can make it to the center, to the core reactor, in time, you may be able to stop this madness. It is going to require you to. to overcome tremendous defenses.

Even with none of the ships that would normally defend the fortress, there are turrets and there are the ways that we might be able to stop you. However, if you can get in there, you have a chance, a small chance of destroying the core reactor before it unleashes its terrible energies upon the world. The world we all call home. the core world of the Cavalot Empire. Okay.

All right, Doctor. We're reviewing the information now. And I'm trying to follow along to see if what he's saying is making sense to what we're seeing. You can see that an assault on Castle Ascalon is going to be a very narrow window. There is its sort of training fortress form factor, where it is wholly cocooned by its defenses. And then there's its attack form factor where it will be unfurled and by then too late. There will be near minutes to follow the path that he tracks for you. But you can see that there are channels of energy that run into the eternity lance at the point of this tremendous space station.

And that those are trenches that one would be able to actually follow up. Even in rooks the size of yours, you would be able to fly up those trenches to reach a center core. And as he shows you and walks you through the steps of that diagram, when do you get there? I'm afraid I don't think that your weapons,

your swords, your spears, even your missiles, will be of any use. I think that the only way to destroy it is going to be by using the cause on your rooks themselves. You remember, don't you? What I told you, I thought about taking that power away, and I am hoping that they still exist, do they?

Yes, Doctor. Yes, they do. You mean to have us detonate ourselves at the core of the eternity lads? It is a terrible thing to ask. It is the ultimate sacrifice. but billions will die if this weapon is unleashed If the general gets his way Trillions Then only one of us needs to make it in

The Destruction of the Corps may require more than just one A chain reaction I think that all four of you will need to be in there Even if it didn't require all four of us We're not going to have come this far and take that chance. We will do so. I am ready.

I will do whatever it takes to get us there. All four of us, all of Elm Squadron, must make it to the core, then. Yeah. Dr. Crescent, thank you for everything. Thank you for risking getting us this information, all the calls, everything. we're going to do what we have to do. I have made numerous calculations, but I don't believe that there's any other way.

Well, we'll all be one in the harmony together. And I look forward to dying in protection of the billions of innocent civilians on Utham. Again, I am sorry to ask. But with what I... Crescent opens his mouth, and then he spits up blood on the camera. As a laser sword emerges through his chest,

glowing radiant light, the golden hue turned orange from the blood that gushes from the wound. The doctor's eyes roll back before his corpse collapses to the ground as General Cigard removes his blade from Crescent's back. The general's scarred face is motionless, statue-like. His piercing eyes seem to glow with the same color as his blade as he looks into the blood-stained monitor. Crescent served the empire well until he turned cloak. We will honor his contributions to the creation of the eternity lance in my new empire.

He has served his purpose. I will fire the lance myself. No, no. Damn you! He turns away and with a rigid motion before he strides off he presses a button and the monitor goes dark. No, Dr. Crescent, no! Damage! He was dead anyway.

He dons the mask early. We will join him soon. Let us not waste time. Do we know how long we have? Is anyone know? Milo, you must know. In your studies, Ren, Jace, do any of you know? He said that we needed to all detonate at the same time

for it to be a big enough explosion. He knew that he was gonna die. There would be like this pause, this long pause as I'm, you'll hear Jace breathing heavily, like into the comms. And I'll say, Elm Squadron, guys, I can't make this in order. I can't command you to do this, but I know what I have to do. And I think you all know what I'm going to say. I hate that I even have to ask of this.

I just, I'm ready. I'm ready. I just, I got to know one thing. Ferris, what's going to happen? You keep, you keep talking about faceless. It's been an honor and I want to see you all on the other side, but if we're faceless, how will I find you? How will I know?

Elmler, Jace, in death we all don the somber mass and become one. That doesn't mean that Jace Lazarus ends, or Milo Arriniah, or Rengorna. The Cavalon Empire will sing songs of our heroic sacrifice for millennia. millennia. Perhaps they'll remember us on the great mausoleum moons with all the other great heroes of old. And even if they don't, and call us traitors, I'll do it all the same. We'll be together on the moons, in the harmony, at the end. That's what matters, Jays. I'm not scared to die. We all knew what we were getting into when we signed up for this. But I'm scared to lose the three of you.

I'm scared to lose my brothers, my family. I love the three of you. It's been an absolute honor. Yeah. I'm sad for my parents and my sisters, but... Hey, guys, I was wondering, if you got the lands and the titles once this was all over, before we learned all this,

What were you planning on doing Once it was all done? Oh, Milo It seems laughable at this point Oh, gods I hadn't considered it Well, I was just going to go back to Valtaria And try to get some land there

And hopefully close to my family And my town You guys could all come come there if you have any other ideas. Oh, that sounds wonderful. What's it like there? It's bright, it's warm. It's islands in the clouds.

Cloud wings are everywhere, and there's battle, there's conflict, there's death. But people take care of each other the best they can. And we have, I always kind of wondered, we have, kind of wondered we have this restaurant in my town that has um authentic cortican bleafsteakene burgers I always wondered if that was actually bleafsteakin cuisine or corticcan cuisine or just themed like cortica there's a lot of corn I would accept this off you think we can look down on it from the harmony

See it from the other side? Maybe by some miracle, we'll find our way there. The harmony will wait for another day. If that happens, Milo, we can eat authentic corticin leaf burgers. Do you think they have loaf of meat? I think they do. I think they have loaf of meat. Wren, what do you think?

I know that you're the one who doesn't really... care about anybody. Are you prepared to do this, or are you going to leave? From what I'm looking at here, it needs all four of us. I don't think three is enough. It was just one I would do it myself, and I would let you all leave right now. You know that would never happen, Milo. I've been in my cockpit with the harmonite crystal in my hand.

The dark facet of the gem and the opalescent vein that runs through it. moving it back and forth, it strikes almost a lenticular effect. There's a reflection in the dark crystal I see faces that stare back at me. And different faces in the reflection of the light crystal. I have three brothers. My first augmentation, I got it eight years old. Alaric. I worshipped him when we were young.

They said that there was a trial of strength of coming of age To trek out into the wastelands of ice and make it back to the Rimehold That if I couldn't they would come was miles out I was crying for what felt like hours I could feel my lungs freezing I have three brothers no one ever came I killed a fox and cut it open for warmth. I found my way back covered in blood, but not before I lost the use of my left hand.

I have three brothers, but I hadn't met them until now. Rann, I really don't like the cold, but we would have come found you. And I, you, Milo, I will fly with you, one last time. Let's go do our duty. Together, you will rest under the elm tree. Together. As brothers. As brothers.

As the first emperor did. With your slain, sworn brothers behind you, your rooks approach Castle Ascalon. As you get closer, it seems even larger than you remember. Now with the horrid context, that has colored your memories of the place. As you get closer and closer, suddenly a line of defense emerges. Scramble interceptors here to stop your assault.

A small contingent of fighters that race forward. Maneuverable, fast, but probably not enough to seriously threaten a rook force like yourself. Still, more than a few could become a serious problem very quickly. And a line of these Cavalon daggers start to race forward under General Sinkert's command. What do you do? I think we are at a point of no return. And

assuming that we are full throttle ahead, I would try my best to lower my shoulder-mounted laser cannon to soften up these defenses. But the moment that I felt like that we were closing

distance, I would begin to just try to cut through them. And I don't even think, at least for me, I don't think it would be a thing where we're staying and we're eliminating all of the these ships, we're just trying to get through because we know that we're on a clock. We don't have the time to sit here and eliminate

every threat. We're trying to create an opening, crash through, and find these energy ports. You race forward, and these fighters are doing their very best to try to overcome your shields and try to out-maneuver you. But I need all of you to roll attack roles as these tiny starships do their best. 23.

I'm making an attack roll with my lance here. 18? 22. 18. 18. Both you and Varus miss. You're not able to get to them in time. However, the two of you are very able, quickly able to knock out the initial assault of these daggers, taking two of the five out. Three of them continue to swim around, and they very quickly are able to bring all four of your damage.

I'm sorry, three of you. I'm going to pick this one of you at random to not get hit. Veris, you don't get hit as you bring up your shield. I need each of you to roll. 4010 and take that amount of radiant damage. Holy she. Oh, we're resistant. We're resistant.

Oh. So roll it and take half. Nice. Oh, easy, piz. 14. 40, 10 plus anything? Yep. I take 10. What do you do with the remaining three?

They're still flying around you. I would look at these and say everyone who is part of of Operation Waltz is dead or is about to be. I'm sorry and we will avenge all of you. And I am going to just fire my, I'm gonna throw my lance out and just send it basically trying to slice through multiple ships

and cutting them. I'll try to absorb as much damage as I can and try to get in the way of fire, not try to fly after them if they're, you know, better than I am. Make another, just firing. Don't let up, create a hole, might start. about the same amount of fly. They're perhaps a little bit faster than you, but you are able to maneuver as a group in order to corner these things. Ren.

I'm just also still blasting, I think, with my cryolaser. Assuming they're far enough away or like we're amongst them, I'd use my swords. One more round of attacks. Oh, everybody? Yep. Sweet. Another 23. Two 15s in a row. 18. Oh, am I capable of me? Melee hitting them or just blasting? Miss, you can melee or you can range.

Okay, if I'm up there, 28. Beautiful. Can I attack twice if I'm melee? Otherwise, I'm just shooting. Fuck them up. 21 to hit the first one. Ooh, not good to hit the second. This formation crumbles against your attack.

These are loyalists to the general, but you are able to snuff them out like a candle. And even though your shields took some damage, you are racing forward. They will not have much time to recover before you are already being assaulted by the next wave of defenses of Castle Ascalon as the turrets and batteries,

these point defense batteries that exist all along the exterior of the entire castle in order to defend this fortress from what should be enemies of the Cavalon Empire begin to engage. I need, in order to get closer, you're going to have to destroy cannons, turrets, and missiles that are flying in all directions. So I'm going to ask, how do you approach that problem

as these turrets begin firing, these cannons begin blasting in air as you get closer and fly in and spiral down towards the trench that Dr. Cresson showed you on his diagnostics on the diagram that he displayed. I will radio in it, I'll say, Helm Squadron, form behind Ironwall, and I'm going to raise my shield up. Oh, hell yeah.

And just repeatedly on my, you know, every six seconds, maintain shield wall as an action. And it gives, as long as they're behind me. And it's a pretty big range that covers hexes, that they have total cover. Oh, hell yeah. And I'm just to all, uh, who.

In that case, and I'm just into all damage. The three of us will basically fly behind you as you create a path for us to get in melee range and start cutting these what I'm trying to do is get us close you produce your own lamps of sorts as you start to fly in you are absorbing laser fire and rail turret fire and even a concussion missile and I'll radio and ultimate best to disable them as I as the green plasma device

the plasma arc in my chest and Valon's chest will basically blast out as I know that I can keep up by using my action to basically taking my, because I'm so fast, I'm just boosting. I can take my time to basically blast out, hoping that the arcs of electricity will hopefully, a little bit of chain lightning, and hopefully maybe fry outside.

Since Veris is in shield wall mode, I'm gonna ask all of you all to make Um, well, Jith Wren, you can, you can sort of fire your range. I need to attack calls from both of you. Uh, if you're using your plasma arc, um, Jesus, another 15th. And dashing in. Okay. I wrote three 15s in a row.

23. 28. Oh my God. I got a natural 19, so that is a 27. Mm. And I'm happy to take all the attacks for, or until we get close. Um, these defenses won't stop us. What was the ACs that we?

23, I got. 23. Oh, am I also? 28. 28. Oh, no, I'm just using your Plasmard feature. Yep. Okay.

You don't even need to roll. Because you are creating the shield wall and everybody else is using their combined forces, these batteries are immediately extinguished. What would have been burst cannons and everything, they don't get an opportunity to do more than a little damage. Let me update the music. here for a moment. Castle Ascalon surges with energy as the fortified lower levels open up

and an enormous cannon emerges that invokes a colossal lance with the adornment of an eight-pointed star. The parapets and crenellations open and steaming exhaust erupt from it as a surging golden energy runs along the castle to fill every power source along the space station. The eternity Lance prepares to fire. You continue to hold shield and blast all of the turrets as you get closer and closer and closer in and very quickly you are able to surge forward to enter the trench itself. Oh, hell yeah. And I think we keep a very tight oh a very tight. I don't we got to know we're like to roll at this point because we're a bunch of dead men, but a very perfect, the best Lance formation

we've ever fucking held. 100%. You know from this flight that there is a very short window moments before this weapon charges that these trenches are part of the lance itself,

that they will fill with destructive energy powerful enough to vaporize a capital ship if you stay within them. You have limited time to make this run. Fast maneuvers are required. The actual castle

is still shifting and unlocking and beginning to break and you are racing up and through towards the core. What do you do as you do your best to stay in formation and make your run up the vent of Castle Ascalon? I think for me what I'd be doing is basically using the time to generate heat and keep my heat at a reasonable level. I don't want zero heat. I don't want max heat. But I'm trying to keep, I'm trying to like basically ride the line where I'm Using my heat to boost my engines as necessary to kind of keep us all in the same formation and do what I can do to where if I need to, I can always flame wave to let out off some heat if anything were to arise that I would need to deal with using my chest cannon.

Okay. What are you doing? Yeah, I think if we're in the trench and we're blasting through and still we're just getting fired upon, then I would be ready. I would just still, as long as we're blocked by Ironwall, I'd be blasting back with the cryocor. Trying to like blow anything up, freeze anything that I can. At this point, I am not trying to make attack at all. I'm channeling all of my energy into maintaining the shield and this protection.

I'm going to let them do all of the attacking, whether it's, you know, shooting with their guns or making their, if they want to shoot, like run off and attack a cannon. But I'm just driving forward and trying to, trying my best to protect them from all the shots. I would, as we go down through this, like these trenches, I would see, does it look like there's things that are closing?

Are the ports closing? You have limited time in order to. I'm so glad that you asked. It's a good answer. Because as you are racing forward, you are no longer in a situation, there are no turrets that are designed to shoot down these trenches. These are channels for energy in order to power the eternity of the

lands itself. Now that you are actually flying forward, what you're finding is that the actual obstacle is the flight itself. It is not a straight shot. As things continue to shift and lock into place, you're watching as sections are closed off, the sections that you're supposed to be following, almost like a maze, as you are continue to race up and towards that core. I need actually everybody to make a dexterity vehicle dexterity check as you continue to race up and forward.

While that's happening, I would effectively be using the- We had a proficiency. Oh, hell yeah. I would be using my 22. Not bad. 27. Oh, I know.

19. Wait, how do I read this? Sorry, what I'm gonna. At your dex and then your proficiency, has been proficient with mex. Plus four, not bad. 17 plus proficiency, 19. 19. I would be using my spear,

and as I see these mechanisms trying to get in our way, I would be trying to effectively setting my spear and try to hit any kind of joints and slicing whatever I can as throwing it in a blasting. You're obviously in, Slow it down. You're obviously in the lead and we'll resolve these checks here in a moment. But because you're watching shifting components move back and forth in the way that they are,

I needed to make a vehicle strength saving throw in order to see if you can stop one of the initial components as it starts to fall into place. That would stop the entire squadron. Oh shit. If it looks like a shrink thing and I look at that Milo is about to like, like, fall. Could I like run up and like jam my arm under it and like, uh, lift it? I would say yes, but let's see how well Milo does first. So I would fly forward. I would see this thing. I'm kind of imagining like this thing's fucking like coming down here. Yeah. And I would try to then use, go ahead, send my spear head and then have it go vertical and try to basically stop this thing.

And then I would fly forward and try to basically hold up and use my thrusters. to get it up, but it's probably not enough. With strength, that is a 13. With a 13. You watch as Milo puts the spear in between the ceiling and the floor of this massive space station level wall to crush down in such a way, but it is not enough. And horrifyingly, Milo's spear breaks.

Oh, no! Milo! No! There's a crash and Milo is directly underneath this following component. And in this moment, Veris, you race forward with your shields and your and your rope. And I'm going to rush forward and I'm going to do whatever I can to basically brace it. Still trying to like if there's shots, right, trying to kind of do two things at once, but try to still defend my friends and use my other arm to hold this thing up so we can all get through. Go ahead and make another vehicle strength saving throw for me.

Roll the knife for one. Plus seven is an eight. I'm going to have to roll some dice. Oh no. Holy shit. You take 66 bludgeoning damage. Oh my God. As you try to shove the shield in,

You have to angle at an odd angle, but you are able to push your arm up and into the space. And what I will say is that it's just enough time for Milo, Jace, and Wren in order to scoot underneath the massive crushing component. As soon as this happens. But as you are yourself trying to exit, your arm. Your rook arm is jammed, and it requires a tremendous amount of strength for you to pull. the entire arm is lost at the shoulder. I'm holding on to my shield. It's holding the flail, the blast flail.

Ah! Ironwall! All we need is the shield! And I'm just going to crank with these first and the arm will rip off as I am trying to catch it with my friends. You make it past this first crushing threshold and you continue to rock it up. Feet after feet, dozens and dozens of feet of feet

elevation as you continue to rock it up to the core. Then, as you make your assault, your calm systems crackle and General Sigurd's voice comes through. Oh, God. The day I forfeited my name, my lands, and my lordship was the day that I knew that this rotten and corrupt empire must fall, and a new order must rise in its place. Since that day, I knew that the people. of the Cavalon Empire could only suffer under the protection of the vein, gluttonous, and weak lords who only squabble at court,

wasting air when they aren't cowering behind their castle walls while the common-born are slaughtered. This is rampant across the entire empire, across the entire galaxy, and the Empress sits on her throne and does nothing. This inaction I will not abide. I will act. I will drive the eternity lance into the heart of this rotted world, into the heart of this rotted empire, the modern day Tyrannarch king.

I will not tire. I will not sleep beneath an ash tree, an oak tree, or an elm tree. The vigil of my new eternal empire will be tireless, and the people will sleep easy. This is my promise. No. No.

General, you've... You've completely lost it. You've gone insane. We're not going to just stand by and let you do this. Do we even think that it's a two-way comms? Is he just, like... Is he just monologuing him? Even if he doesn't hear him.

I'm just... Fuck this guy. I'm just curious. Maybe he doesn't hear me. Maybe he doesn't. You actually get the sense that, while he is aware that you are hearing these words and perhaps is hoping to speak to your hearts. You have a larger sense that he's speaking to the loyalists

on the ship. This is a all-called broadcast. That's being heard by thousands. Damn. I would, no. I would radio in. What are you offering us then? Oh, make your pardon.

Milo, what? I don't know if your response. I'm, I am going to... You offered Oak Squadron Great Lordships? We don't care about that. You're trying to protect the common born,

protect the people. We're trying to do the same thing. The cost of trillions? Uthin, Kratha, Leithora, Viradar, what's next? It'll never stop. If you need you. and blow up a planet to protect the people.

Then there won't be any planets left by the time you're done, General Sigurd. You will be an emperor of Ash. There's no response. No moment of connection where you're talking directly to the general himself. He is on a path, a vanglorious path, to some future that he envisions.

And he does not see the path that you are on as you creep past the massive gates that continue to crush down. He does not believe Elm Squadron could be in Castle Ascalon. Oh! And now you are. You have arrived at the heart of Castle Ascalon, the power source of the eternity lance. the reactor core hums before you, a marvel of engineering as only Dr. Cresson could have designed. It hums with crackling golden energy,

and now that you have left the cacophonist defenses behind you, it's almost quiet as the cannon draws in power and prepares to fire. You feel like there is not much time until it launches and Uthin is destroyed. So we're like, the four of us are there, and it's there. The core is there. There is the core. There is the core, but I won't even make any of you roll for it as you look forward

and you realize that there is a massive power shield around this core. Obviously, as the sacred heart of a station, this size, what energy source would drive something in order to power all of the systems that are necessary? A quick recharge of a rook? Sure. 15, 45 minutes, right? This is something that can power a fleet of ships, all of the energy systems,

all of the amenities of a space station that houses thousands, and it is all being focused into one strike. Does it feel like the core is increasing in intensity? feel any heat from it? Do we feel like everything is imminent? Like, is the core doing anything? Is it, you know what I mean? Like, like, if we were to stay here, we would just get vaporized, if we didn't do anything. It would be very evident to you that the core has these massive arcs of energy that are, like, wobbling off of it. So we know there's basically no return. And it is getting bigger. And it is starting to funnel that energy down the transit.

one of which you just came up with, losing Veras's arm to and losing Milo's spear to, needing to fuel the eternity lands all the way down to the point before the final strike, just like you watch those world piercers above Morzeeb. Did you say there was like a shield around the core? Exactly correct. An energy shield. The shield, just as Oak Squadron before, just as the general. imminently, the shield will break.

And my missile pods will open up. And I'm tracking this all campaign. I had 10 of these breaker missile pods. Yeah. I've used nine. Oh! The doors of these pods will open, and most of these slots are empty. And there's just a few left.

Yeah. And I hit the button, and my final breaker missiles will all go and hopefully because they excel at destroying shields. I'm hoping I can bring the shields down. Roll to attack, and I need to hear from each of you how you are attacking the shield using what tools you have because with the shields up, you're not sure if what Dr. Crescent told you will take effect.

Do I think I could try and hack it and destabilize it or at least weaken it? Or it just seem like we just got to unleash and everybody's just attacking it. No, I think that with a quick scan, you realize that there are interfaces. There are ways that you would be able to, similar to how you engaged with the networks of Morsi, that you would be able to perhaps tap into the computers like lockdown protocol and perhaps try to bring the shields down from without if you were able to make a successful computer stack, perhaps. I'm waiting for you.

I thought, well, are we doing it all at once or? Let's-1-1-1. Let's-I-1-1-1. I want to hear a few suggestions, and then we're gonna make our roles. Milo. I don't have my sphere. I would, and I know that all I need to do

is to self-destruct. And we were trained, presumably, on how to activate and how to initiate it and through the whole process of all the fail safes and all the double, you know, it would be extremely difficult to do, but it would, you know the procedure, by hand. Vallarwing, thank you for everything you've done for me.

I will never forget you, because I will basically put everything, every last bit that I have into the glowing plasma drive in the center of Valer Wings chest. And I would attempt to just shoot a massive lightning arc into the center of this thing, perhaps as soon as they come down, or I'm assisting as Varys' missile pods, in attempting to crackle through and overcharge and dissipate. Mylon and I have a very similar plan.

Only before I activate, I actually, I'm hitting buttons, I'm flipping switches, and I manually override Bright Roar's ability to vent heat. No more ability to vent heat. I essentially make it so the flame wave does not release heat. And so as I also pour every ounce of energy into the core that is at the center of Bright Roar's chest to release as much heat and fire from the center as I can. I am trying to push Bright Roar to critical mass.

Is, okay, attack roll? Technically it's a DC saving throw from the cord, which is Dex and it can't move, so I can't miss. Thank you. Attack roll. Okay. That's an actual point. Oh my God. No way. Let's go.

Okay. You got 24 to hit. 24. I wanted to see how your hacking goes. 19. 19. That's more than enough. You are weakening the shield when all of a sudden it gets slammed by the combined attack of Bright Roar and the other ones. Jesus. And the rest.

And the rest. as this shield is a smash and absolutely carved into almost nothingness. Suddenly you are exposed to the raw reactor core of Castle Ascalon. You are staring at the shields fall down, and you are staring at what you know to be, the explosive heart of this thing. I am sweating. Every alarm that Breitwer has is going off, and I press more buttons and flip some switches

to shut the noise off, so it's just the red lights. Because I don't need to be warned anymore. This is the end. I would imagine that as I did this, the electricity would have consumed Valor Wing and up the wings and completely splintered the wings. And as they got completely fried off from this attack, as I just have my baseline thrusters.

You are all nearly on the edge of detonation anyway. I will, I turned off these blaring alarms so that I can activate my comms and hear myself think and talk to my squadron and I'll say, okay, all right. Brothers, there's nothing left. I know that I said before that the words alone don't make a true night.

but it almost feels right to say them one last time. Then let's do it. We are the ones who remembered our vows. Yeah. We should be the ones to say the words, my friends in another life it would have been nice to eat. Hamburg belief steak burgers with you guys You got your finger down?

I do have my finger now. Yeah, you're coming in, bro. I never cared when I swore the oath the first time for the Empress. It's just a means to an end. Fighting for freedom

to carve my own path, to wield my own power, so I didn't have to answer to anyone. I'd do or say whatever it took. But with you here now, I will swear them again. I will come in and say, I believe I was born for this moment. I believe you, my brothers, were born for this as well. My whole life, I lived out of duty. for the Empress. Well, at the end of all things,

I'll take a small solace in the glory, being a hero. And then I will let go of the calms but continue to speak. As I will say, Iron Wall, you and I are duty.

The living shields. Our duty is over. And I'm going to drop the shield. Oh! to the bottom of the reactor core. It falls and flips over like a playing card as it disappears below you. You're high up looking in this massive chamber.

And I will reach for my Harmony necklace and I'll look at it from the first time, really kind of appreciating the purples and greens of the harmony. And I look and in the purples, I see my violet eyes glowing, maybe a little bit of fear, but resolve. I see the reflection looking back at me. And then I flip and I see the green.

And I think of a green pair of eyes. I think of green glowing lines across stone. I think of a face as I put my pendant back down. I'm ready. four points of the eight-pointed star and I will hold my hand in my chest as I kind of

as Valor Wing will get to one of the points presumably will get on interformation on all sides of it and I'll say hearth mother guide us home and may your love keep us warm and protect us

from the horrors of the night until my friends we gather around the hearth once more. I will flick on my comms so they're permanently on so I don't have to hold the button down. Same. And as I speak to Elm Squad,

I begin to press buttons and start the sequence. I do that too. For my personal nuke activation. I will look up at the screen and see them. I'll follow suit. It's as, it's as, you hit that first button almost on Q there's a shift and the reactor core transforms it's as you are looking at this miniature sun almost with these massive arcs of

energy that starts to expand and all of a sudden the entire space what once was a shielded singular energy orb has fills the space and you can feel the tremendous amount of heat and energy all around you. You watch as that energy pours like lava flows down the side of a mountain down each of the trenches all around you, heading towards the singular focal point at the bottom. You know you have mere moments left before the eternity lands destroys Uthin for good. Okay brothers steal yourselves and I'll find you in the next life. We'll find each other in the name of the paragon.

I will be unyielding. In the name of the Lightbringer, I will be ardent. And in the name of the celebrant, I will be exultant. In the name of the hearth mother, I will be merciful. In the name of the architect, I will be disciplined. And in the name of the dealer, I will be cunning. In the name of the Navigator, I will be daring. In the name of the Codex, I will be wise.

In the name of the clockmaker, I will be certain. In the name of the maelstrom, I will be unbound. In the name of the wild father, I will be enduring. In the name of the faceless, I will be measured. In the name of the heroes, I will be shiverous. You all complete these final sequences in the highly advanced and potent, power sources within the rook surge with immense power, heightened even more by the Harmonite upgrades. Self-destruct is imminent. Then General Sigurd's voice crackles

through one last time. That is it, then? I have lost, well fought, Elm's squadron. I hope that your vision for the future of the empire is the right one. I pray to the 12 that I was wrong, into eternity with all of us. Rook Bright Roar, Rook Bitterfang, Rook Ironwall, Rook Valer Wing, they each self-destruct within a fraction of a second of one another. Castle Ascalon

and the eternity lance within it are destroyed. Across Uthin, people looked up and saw the empire's greatest fortress come apart in the night sky. The explosion did not sound like thunder from the planet's surface, but bloomed like a silent white flower. Fragments burned as they fell through the atmosphere. Some streaked blue, some gold, some vanished before they touched the clouds. By dawn, the entire empire knew it had lost much more

than a space station. By nightfall, every child on the planet knew the name Elm Squadron, the names of the four rook pilots who had sacrificed themselves to save the Cavalon Empire. The Empress ordered four coffins made of stone and steel. Each was sealed empty. No remains were recovered from Castle Ascalon. No armor plating could be matched to a single rook. No body could be named. The next day, the Empress herself delivered this message. People of Uthin. People of Cavalon, worlds of the empire. Castle Ascalon is gone. General Sigurd, who raised his hand against the empire and the lawful crown is dead.

His name will be remembered plainly, not as a savior, not as a patriot, but as one who betrayed the empire he claimed to love. Cavalon is not preserved by fear. It is preserved by duty. The oaths that are sworn. The words that are said by those who are unyielding but never cruel, ardent but never hateful, exultant but never proud, merciful without weakness, disciplined, without blindness,

cunning without dishonor, daring without folly, wise without cowardice, certain without tyranny, unbound without lawlessness, enduring without despair, measured even in wrath. And above all, Cavalon is preserved by those who remember chivalry when power has forgotten it. Damn. Elm Squadron gave their lives in defense of these ideals and in the purest service of the empire. They saved Uthin, the crown and the honor of every banner that flies beneath our stars. No decree of mine can make their deed greater.

No monument can add to what they have done. We can only speak their names faithfully and keep faith with the oath. the oath they fulfilled. By my voice and by the authority of the throne, I name Milo Arrhenia, Varus Volo, Ren Gorma, and Jace Lazarus, Heroes Eternal of the Cavalon Empire. Cavalon endures. On Voltaire, House Tullus returned Milo's coffin

under a bright warm sky. Cloud wings circled over the landing field and widening rings and cried a mournful song. His weeping sisters came forward first, bearing sweets, stuffed animals, folded notes, and colorful drawings. His mother pulled away from the consoling embrace of his father to gently place a bouquet of purple flowers on the lid, wishing loudly that there was a body to decorate with buttons and bows. but there was nothing left. The weather may have been warm, but the box was cold. On Basilicus, Varus was honored in the great hall of House Maycor,

beneath old banners and beneath and behind towering walls. Lord Maycor himself spoke of duty, honor, and the living shield of Basilicus that did not break. His aged parents listened to every word. and stood firm with pride. Their boy did his duty until the end. The officer Brutus did not once lower his gaze and held his salute long for a fallen comrade.

On Scathie, Wren's coffin was carried into the rhymehole with no music beyond the howling wind that whips across the tundra. His lord father watched the procession, his face carved into the same expression, worn by every statue of every dead Gorma for generations in the catacombs below, as Wren's coffin made his descent to join them.

His brothers stood in silence. They had been instructed to show no emotion for the youngest child, but one by one, each had a tear drop frozen to their cheek. On Cortica, Jace's funeral was a small affair. Near Jase's hometown in the heartland, a small military contingent performed simple funeral rites amidst the fields of Braxcorn where he had grown up. There were no ancient banners, no circling beasts, no ancient ancestral crypts, just a coffin, a few officers and an old farmer who had once given him work when no one expected much from him. when the others left she stayed

and it was dark when she left and that was the story that was told it was written into dispatches carved into memorial stone taught to children drilled into cadets and spoken wherever citizens needed proof that duty, honor

and chivalry still persist throughout the Cavalon Empire And that is not where this story ends. The setting sun hangs low in the sky, which meets the shimmering sea at an infinite horizon that stretches as far as the eye can see on the world of Zanar, a small planet on the fringes of the outer rim, far from the grasp of any galactic faction. Nestled along a tropical lagoon on this world, the fishing village of Bessara is quaint and beautiful. especially since the Hedge Knights arrived three months ago. They have protected the town from the threat of pirate raids and predatory beasts that occasionally stalk out the nearby jungle.

And when they haven't been lending their weapons and spells to protect the people of Bessara, they have been lending their aid to the community in whatever ways they could be useful. Jace Lazarus wipes the sweat from his brow as he returns from a long day working in the Starfruit orchard. He raises his hand to welcome back Ren Gorma from a successful hunt, a butchered and processed kujabore atopo, atop the levitating sledge at his side. The rumbling of an engine joins the calming sounds of the lapping waves and crying seabirds as a truck pulls up to the beachside

bungalow. Veras Volo and Kiri step out, returning their tools to the nearby shed after spending the day repairing the dock that had been battered by a recent storm. They all return to a dining table out in the sand, already set for dinner as the smells of delicious food waffes out from the open-air kitchen as Milo Arriniah prepares them a meal for his friends. Each of these young men wears their harmonite pendant around their neck, serving as a memento and the means of their salvation

when the former enemy saved all their lives with the teleportation power of Gemtech. Whether or not the harmony, or the hearth mother were with the Elm Squadron that day, at the very least Kiri was, and she protected them as they protected her. The group of five gather as the shore is bathed in the glittering glow of sunlight. You have no idea how long you'll stay in this village

or on this world, but for now, since you are all together, you are home. It's normal. This is normal. Three months? What? What? 12 weeks.

Okay, hold on a man. Okay, hold on a man. Okay, hold on. This is normal. This is, uh. Some three months, huh? Oh, I'm in shock. I'm in shock.

The four of you have been living on this world for three months, having been transported in that last final moment to safety. And here you lie low, making a new life. life for yourself. The food should be ready soon. Perfect timing. We're back. Successful hunt. There's more meat to cook. Oh, bring it in. Bring it in. Oh, wow, already processed. Ren.

Thank you. Man, I, look, I got to say, starfruit is not like corn. But I think I'm getting the hang of it. I mean, like, I think it's coming up pretty well. I think I'm getting the hang of this. Were you able to finally bring this to yield? I mean, it's growing. This is great. I got to tell you, I was sick of corn. This is a new challenge.

And look, I couldn't be happier with the results so far, all right? Chase, I'm very proud of you. You did a great job, and I think this village is soon going to have a star food and star food alone day to celebrate all of your great effort. Thanks, man. I couldn't do that you guys. Yes, but all I'm going to say is thank God for the hunting. The dock is mostly prepared

since the last storm. It took some time. Hardware store didn't have any WX-42, but we made do with what we had. Really, it was mostly Kiri, so thank you. I help, though. You help some. Is she you too?

Yes. Yeah, Kiri, Kiri's here. Kiri and Veris had just spent some time repairing. Oh, okay. How late is it when we normally have these dinners? Is the sun, like, is there still plenty of sunlight? Oh, yeah, there's plenty of sunlight. Even though it's late, this is the kind of world where there's way more sunlight than nightlight.

As we're eating and we're doing, I guess, our normal dinner ritual. There's some time before dinner. It's not ready yet. Oh, okay. Why are you rushing me? Sorry, sorry, sorry, my fault. Takes time. I would be helping you with whatever you need

now that my farming duties for the day are done. Basically, I would be at your command. I'm wearing an apron. Yeah, and you would be, I would be yours to conduct in the kitchen, and I'm not as good at you as you as you are. No, you know, too many cooks, too many cooks. Okay. Go, go, go.

All right, all right, fine, fine, fine, but. I got it. For as good as a farmer as Jace Lazarus is, Who's up for another round of Flean after dinner? Come on, guys. I know I've got a head store on you a good number of years, but I think you're all getting the hang of it. And I think we gotta keep playing. Come on, come on.

Come on. I'm not, I... I... Renn, you're competitive. Come on, I know. Experience won't matter. You want some of this. Come get some of this.

I think what. The battlefield, the stars of the Flean Court. You'll always be second best. Oh, get out of here. All right, but your shirts and I'm skins, buddy. I think it's pretty objective that at least infleeing Jason's first. Let him have this one. Let him have this one. I mean, fine, it's up to you. Ah, yeah, let him have you forgotten that this morning was leg day?

Ha! Look, and I'll lift up my legs and thighs. You know I'm up before the sun rises these days, buddy. That's what Farman takes, okay? All right. How much longer do we have, Milo? Do you join, can you join us or something in the oven? Oh yeah, no, I mean, I think we probably need to wait.

Yeah, I think we got about, we got about 20 minutes. So who shirts and who skins? I'm not wearing shirts, there's only four of us. I'm easy to know. I'm always skins, baby. You know it. Excuse me. I think I'm going to join the shirts team.

I'll watch. I'm not good at sports. I go skins. Yes, I'm really going to run over the various with fist, We chest ball immediately. Yes. I am funeral.

For the second time. Oh, he's warming up. Look at that. You got a comedy routine now, buddy. All right, come on. Let's settle this outside. You know what? I'm going to make some margaritas to enjoy.

I go to the Margaritaville machine that we certainly have. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. As I will make enough for everybody for when they're done. knowing that we have probably 20 minutes left of whatever sort of boar loaf or whatever is in the oven. And I will sit and I will enthusiastically cheer, but I'm not going to participate in the physical activity. And I would find our beat-up old flea-ball, whatever we have that would suffice as a flea-ball on this remote location, and just begin to get set up and do the usual routine. being like, okay, guys, remember, step one,

and, like, start walking them through it as we play a little warm-up feeling before now. It's required you to teach them all the different nuances of the rules multiple times, and even though the base game is actually quite simple, there's so many exception in, like, little edge cases that you constantly have to, like, pause the game, like, no, no, no,

and it almost always turns into an argument because it always seems to benefit you. Woo! Yes! Boom! In your face, buddy. That's another one. What is this horse shit? These rules are an absolute nightmare.

Yes. Gary, you'll get it. You'll get it. He's making them up as he goes along. I'd like to get a... How many games in the rule is that? One of these days, I'll come across a handbook and I'll show you the rules, buddy,

but for now you got to trust me. I need it then. I need an unbiased Flean judge here. A fleen referee. I can be the referee. How comfortable are you with the rules? That looks good. That looks bad.

That's what I like to hear, Milo. That's what I like to hear. I think Jace's team wins. Yes. Another one. And we would basically do this until dinner's ready and just, you know, killing time. I would, well, I'll let them do that. I'll get everything.

The table's already set out in the sand. I'm imagining. Milo loves strands of tequila. Whatever he could, if he could not have purchased things, they are, there's strands of lights that he would have completely strung up in all of the, I'm presuming there's some sort of sci-fi palm trees around.

That would have this whole outdoor area for congregating by our bungalow, I think would have been very homie. And I think that once the sun's probably setting is getting a little, you know, probably. you know, probably getting darker. I think I would go and I'd set on the, turn on the tiki lights as they start setting the table, start serving the food.

You, you illuminate the space with a number of torches and candles, and the sunset is beautiful. When has it ever been more beautiful than this? When has it ever been less beautiful than this? It seems that you've found a tiny little, pocket of the universe that you can call paradise. And when you look at that beautiful horizon, the shifting clouds, the nuanced oranges and yellows that shift into greens and purples, it is a warm, temperate, and comfortable sight to dig in before a meal. By the gods, I almost forgot.

I rushed to the truck. And I opened the back. door and I lean in and I grab a bag and I will say, Milo, catch! And I'll throw you an object. We swung by Graw-Graw on the way home and they had some sweet cup and cakes. Yes, they do! A huge plastic bag that has a red space emu on it. Oh my gosh. With a little space helmet on it.

Oh my God. The mascot of Graw-Gra. I'll allow it. And if you'll allow it. if you'll allow it. And they don't have it in stock because this is a podunk town, you know, supply chain and all that.

But I put an extra special request to the shopkeeper to try to order these far across the galaxy. Oh my God. You were always the strongest man I've ever met and you're also the sweetest. And I'm going to run up and give you a big hug. This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me.

Man. Well, I got plenty. I don't know how long they'll last, but you'll probably wait until after dinner before we eat them. What a fine. Yeah, no, okay. I immediately housed a pack as I go,

and I will sort the pantry and I'll get ready. That'll be our dessert. Well, I already made a banana pudding, so I guess we have to eat that, but sweet cup and case for tomorrow. We can save it for tomorrow. We can put it in the cupboard later. Yeah.

Okay, everyone come eat before you. food gets cold. I do. I immediately listen to Milo and I sit down to... Keri sits down immediately, ready to tuck in. Really? I put it... I put my fork down. Really? I just look delicious, Milo. Such an accomplished cook. Okay, really? And he's grumpy after losing another game of free. I just don't understand why you keep shouting J-shot three.

Never one or two. It doesn't make any sense. It's just his one. You always do the same thing. I mean, who jumps up in the air and does a crazy? he spin into a backflip and kicks a clean ball. As long as it's working, I'm gonna keep doing it. Why don't we ever score three? Why do you always start eating before Milo says grace? I didn't start it. Just picked up the, whatever.

Milo, Arthmother it up. I will, okay, let's join hands. A lot of thanks I get. Over the lips, through the gums, watch out, hearth mother, here it comes. Yes. That's my favorite one. I love when he does that one. Okay.

Can I eat? And the harmony course. I love when he does that one. Yeah, and I'm going to dig into this meatloaf or whatever Milo made. Bore meatloaf. It is the premium, the key ingredients for the whatever kind of space bore and starfruit

would be, and then also the fish, there could probably be some sort of seafood component that's the fishing village. And I'll dig in. Thanks. Thanks for cooking. I mean, yeah, of course. Thanks for working. the orchard and thanks for helping out around town and don't mention it for hunting and you know

things have been a lot more peaceful lately with the there haven't really been any pirate sightings in a while and there's big scary monsters i guess we scared them off i feel like the people here might be good for a while words likely out that it's not a place to mess with so the steering clear you're not suggesting we leave are you i'll look around well i don't know I mean, I like it here, but I don't know if we can stay here forever. Why not? No, it's stupid. Oh.

I mean, you gotta tell us, you're gonna say that. You gotta tell us. I just miss. I miss my sisters and my parents. I know he can't go back. Yeah, I mean, I... I know. I understand how you feel.

I just... But you're right, we can't go back. I didn't need to bring it down. I'm sorry. I'll have some largarinas. No. You're not, you know, I'll take one, but we're not bringing it down. This is a splash.

I've only had it free. You're not bringing it down at all. After everything we've been through, Milo, I feel like in some ways, they just really like it here. Our duty is done. And I look a bit like a palm tree that maybe as we eat. This is our version of resting under an elm tree. resting under an elm tree. At least for a while,

let's rest. Yeah. And you know, a hedge knight's home is wherever they rest their head. You know, I like that. Who says that we have to be rook pilots to be knights?

It's about protecting people who need it. I mean, that's what we've been doing. Forget the words, forget the rooks. We've been knights this whole time. And you know what, it is wherever we lay down our head. Yeah. And for now, Basara's where we lay our head. So next time a grifter comes into town trying to sell

hyper-cryptocurrency, we'll scare him away again. Man, those hyper-crypto bros really gotta stay away from... It's a nerve. I'm the one of you. Well, they figured it out. Yeah. I'm going to down my margarita. I'm going to down my margarita and slam the glass down on the table.

All right. And I'm going to say, but you know what? Milo's right. It's only a matter of time before we might not be needed here at all. And there's a whole lot of people across the galaxy that can use our help. You're not wrong, Chase. Yeah. I was just, we just finished preparing the dark, I mean.

But, your Elm leader. And you know, we'll go, where Elm leader says we'll go. And all of us, all five of us, as long as you want to stick with us, Keri. Yeah, what's say you, Elm 5? Kiri is a lightweight. She leans forward on the Margaritaville machine that she fixed. and looks at all of you. I said thank you.

To Palm Squadron. To Palm Squadron! To Palm Squadron! To Palm Squadron. Night falls over Basara and the stars come out. The evening is filled with the sounds of conversation, laughter, and spirited a debate as a meal is shared among friends. The sound of peace, the sound of joy.

In the night sky, the stars of Agathos shine down with the light of the 12, and on this night, the brightest star of all rests at the heart of the constellation of the heart mother. These four young who dreamed bigger than their home worlds, who went to war, fought, killed, and survived together. They have no lands. They have no titles. They have no riches. they have no rooks,

but they have each other, and they are all true knights. And that is where this story ends. Thanks for all the session today. Thanks for running the campaign. I mean...