V4: Chapter 10:
…
To summarize the Scholar city's current situation:
Tens of thousands of civilians were rioting thanks to me embedding leaders and agitators into the populace. Most of the criminal population were looting and pillaging, because I've armed them with weapons and information. The professional army was forced to fight against the people they're meant to protect, because they can't afford to have a city rioting with an army on the horizon. Finally, the mercenaries were tied up between making a quick buck helping the Scholars, or looting the city.
The former ensured they'd be stuck inside the city for the siege.
The latter gave them a chance to escape.
Needless to say, the whole city was in chaos, and it was easy to see how this situation conferred massive debuffs to the health and siege protection of the city. A rioting city is a hell of a lot harder to keep in a siege that wasn't. Normally, if a player found their city in a riot, they'll be forced to use their stationed military units to put it down… at the cost of losing those units, losing civilian population, and a long, long debuff to happiness.
However, cities that surrounded Citadels had another option: deploying Citadel Guardians to take the city.
And, just as planned, that's what the Scholars did just a few hours into the night.
"They're here. Stay down." I manned a window with a telescope, while keeping an eye on the gates that lead into the innermost, command district of the Scholar's city. The gates arose, and of them started marching the pure-white Citadel Guardians. They were in their specialized, anti-riot mode. Their arms were clubs instead of swords and their skittering legs were far less blade-looking than usual. They still looked a bit like pure-white, faceless Driders with weapons for every limb, but this riot form was far less deadly than their usual one. "The Scholars are deploying their Guardians."
"How many?"
"All of them. They want to end this matter quickly." I answered back, but gestured towards Ayah, who was observing me. "Start packing. These riots and looting won't last long."
The columns of Citadel Guardians marched forward and started grouping off in squads of six. They broke off from the column leaving through the gate and moved with speed and efficiency. Guided by the Citadel's own gaze, they surged towards hot spots with the intent to capture criminals and scatter protestors. Guardian Pacification Protocol was a cheap and powerful way to keep your capital city in check, but it was something that you couldn't use all the time.
For example, it's stupid to use it while you have an army in your city that's gotten past your defenses, because those Guardians could be fighting them rather than your citizenry. It's something that you use while your populace is rioting because of high unhappiness or something like that. A peacetime method of getting rid of dissent, while you focus on making your faction more efficient or while you get happiness-producing buildings up and running. You can only use it every six turns, and after it's used, there's a permanent -1 Happiness in your capital, which doubles every time you use it.
You can only use it five times in a game for efficiency's sake.
Hm?
Why do I know the exact cooldown and limits on how to use Guardians to destroy dissent in a city?
Because… not taking advantage of five turns without worrying about happiness is dumb? There's a whole lot of things you can do when your populace can get as angry as they want, while none of it affects you. Overwork them, implement policies that lower the working age, conscript people into fodder. All of that is easily done when your people can't do shit to you with all your automated, monstrously strong drones stop them whenever they try to inflict punishments on you. Again, though, using them while you're under siege is a terrible idea, since all those Guardians quelling criminals and rioters aren't on the wall. They're also not searching your city for spies and other miscreants who want to do terrible things to your facilities, research labs, and Champions.
Like right now.
My little group of Champions finished equipping themselves within a minute of my statement and the windows were all opened as they did.
We had the choice between scaling the wall, or charging through the opened gate, and we chose the path with the least amount of automated death machines.
Up and over with the help of just a little magic and some elbow grease.
…
Interlude: Rita.
…
Ayah threw the platforms and as they neared the wall, our King casted his spell.
It was a simple spell called Levitate.
Apprentice mages learned it, and once cast, it would ensure that an object would float, while suspended in the air for a few minutes. It was used in construction and the transportation of items. In battle, it was useless, as being struck with any other spell would make it fall apart completely. The most it could do was create an ablative wall against mundane arrows, and there were better uses for power than such a futile defense. A barrier of wind would scatter arrows better.
However, as Ayah led the way carrying our King in one arm, her free hand threw platforms forward, and we all ascended upward as one panel after another floated for a few moments… and fell the instant they were unnecessary. Each platform only had to last for less than a minute, and even the heaviest of us could not overwhelm the capacity of each foothold.
And, so, the massive wall which kept the Scholar's innermost district protected was scaled within a few minutes and we reached the top of the wall… and after dealing with the guards, we leapt forth from the wall's other side.
Our King, once more, cast a spell and our descent slowed, and we touched the ground with nary a noise.
"I'll need a bit of time to recover. Everything's on you lot for now." He spoke steadily, but the sweat on his brow and his controlled breathing told a different story. He was no grand mage, but a diplomat and a leader, but he was the sole individual who could save us from poison and disease and work with Khanrow, thus he was here. Ayah carried him with great care and retreated to the back of our line. "According from our eyes above, we're a straight shot towards the command center of the Scholars."
"Then, I shall take the lead. Conquest with me. Lady Rita and Lady Ilych, fight with us when you see fit." It rankled me to follow another's orders, but I calmed myself when our King nodded. The Vampire muttered a few words and from the ground arose a multitude of ghosts, and they began to walk in a myriad of directions, making noise and leaving footrails in their way. A clever use of Necromancy on her behalf, then she used another spell to conceal us with a faint shimmer of power and a ghostly veil seemed to meld us with the surroundings. "Let the two of us attract the poisons and spells. Strike them down from their flanks when they least expect it."
"And, what of me, Vampire?" Sirena spoke in a hushed voice. Though her figure was muddled, I could see the Saintess cross her arms. Her challenge went unsaid, but it was clear. Even with our King's words, she was not content to follow the leader of the Guardians. It was a matter of faith more than loyalty. "What shall you have me do?"
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"Stay beside Jack. Assist whomsoever needs the most help at your discretion. If you are not needed, then you shall be the force which shall break through the enemy when we retreat." To her credit, Celia did not wither at the question. Instead, she drew her blade as Conquest stood by her side, and they both walked forward out of the alley onto the main road. Our objective loomed ahead of us, surrounded by towards with search light and walled off from even the rest of the inner district. A fortress within the city with professional guards more metal than mortal. "Are you all ready?"
"Ready."
I spoke and so did everyone else, and the plan began.
..
The most elite of the Scholars troops were creatures closer to machine than mortal. Many had their eyes replaced by glittering, red orbs housed in metal sockets embedded in their skulls. Others had additional, metal limbs attached to their shoulders. Nearly all had both their legs replaced by metal limbs with feet that could latch onto walls and surfaces with spike, allowing them to travel on solid terrain with great speed. Not only that, but they were also armed and armored with weapons from the Citadel, thus they were half-flesh, half-metal, and wielding potent equipment.
Still, they could not compare to blooded Champions of the Guardians and the Conquerors.
Conquest was a whirlwind within the fortress. After she roared a challenge and smashed through the main gate with a charge, her many weapons burst from magical sheathes hidden embedded in her armor and clothes. Spears, hammers, blades, axes, maces and more surged forth from her person at great speeds, some smashing into soldiers that came to oppose us, and others just scattering across the battlefield.
Some would question why she would do such a thing, until they witnessed steel and wood break in her hands from the strength of her blows, as she annihilated soldier after soldier only to take another weapon up. While she had more powerful, enchanted weapons at her waist, she held them in reserve. The more common weapons were more than enough for the machine-mortal hybrids that she faced. With single strikes of any weapon she got her hands on, soldiers erupted into masses of flesh and metal, and when she deigned to use her magic, sharp blades of wind or focused masses of lighting killed those training weapons upon her from afar with ease.
Conquest was a storm against which the Scholars had no answer.
Celia, meanwhile, was like a slow, unstoppable predator walking in the midst of prey. Her movements were effortless as she walked with spectral undead following her like a retinue of guards. Ghostly hands stopped those charging at her, taking hold of legs from the ground, and with a flick of her wrist she decapitated those who were stopped. Those that leapt to try and reach her would be struck with spectral spears, doing little harm, but stopping them midair. They would then be dispatched by a blindingly fast thrust through they eye socket, and she twisted her blade as she withdrew it, utterly destroying the brain with two motions that almost seemed like one.
Bullets and arrows aimed at her were slowed or diverted by the specters that guarded her, as she attacked them in turn with one of the pistols she had braced across her chest. Every loud shot of the weapon ended a life, and her specters reloaded her weapon as she continued to walk and kill whatever stood before her. Much like Conquest, she was conserving her strength for the Champions of the Scholars, and the elite soldiery could do little to threaten her.
She was like a glacier moving through the courtyard before the command center. Implacable and unstoppable, the Scholars struggles against her seemed futile.
Then, as they reached halfway to the doors, both Conquest and Celia paused in their rampant destruction of the guards and stepped closer to one another.
The grand double-doors to command center opened, and Champions emerged.
Four in number.
Two of my former people, and two of the Scholars.
"Lay down your weapons and you shall be treated with honor." Celia spoke, while the specters around her coalesced around her. The field condensed and formed like a knight at her back with countless spectral faces moving over its body. "The path the Scholars have chosen is bereft of both honor and righteousness. Children are being used to carry disease. Cities are being crashed into one another. All while a famine that will kill hundreds of thousands looms ahead of us all. Thrown down your weapons and surrender with your honor intact."
The four Champions gave no answer save for the drawing of their weapons.
And, in that instant, we all struck.
I loosed my arrow and it surged forth from my bow. The ancient weapon forged by the Ancients let loose with a loud twang, the bow string sang as it threw the arrow forth. The arrow I sent was heard by my former kin and they immediately leapt away from where they stood, but one of the Scholar's Champions was not so lucky. It caught him by his chest plate, caving it in, and throwing him through the double doors. He struck the arrow before it could get past his skin, diverting it into the ground, even as he crashed into a main staircase that lay behind the broken threshold.
Ilych had surged alongside my arrow, just a bit slower, with her massive blade on her back. Her target was the other Scholar champion. Instead of armor, this one wore robes and wielded a staff of Ancient design. A mage Champion was always deadly, so she charged him and grasped his skull within her gauntlets and smothered his spells before they could be uttered. A moment later the mage's skull broke apart as she smashed him into the wall beside the broken door, and when she let him go she did so while charging at the man whom I had failed to kill, drawing her blade from her back without so much as a wasted breath.
My two former kin, meanwhile, had leapt away and were intercepted by Conquest and Celia.
Conquest caught her foe by the leg mid-leap and swung him onto the ground. He tried to fire his arrows at her as she swung him down, but his efforts were in vain as winds came alive around her and batted them aside. He cratered the ground as he collided with it, but he remained hale enough to cast a frenzied flame at her with a sign of his hands and a whisper. The air barrier Conquest cast should've come alive with flame and enrobed her, but instead the flame collided the Conqueror… and left her unscathed due to her resistances.
He died when she took one of her enchanted blades and severed his skull from his body, while pinned to the ground.
Celia's foe died, too. That battle was too quick for me to notice with so many things occurring at the same time. All I saw was the desiccated corpse of my former kin, laying on the ground, desiccated and bereft of life as the Vampire loomed over her body.
Only one Champion left, and he was being battered down by Ilych with Conquest and Celia approaching to assist, so I believed the battle over.
Then, suddenly, the ground began to rumble, quake, and the familiar noise of explosives began to ring all around us… and the Ancient Citadel let loose a keening wail of warning in the Ancient's tongue.
I only wondered for a second what the words meant when my King suddenly cried out.
"To the Citadel, now! The Scholars intend to bring the Citadel crashing upon the entire city!"
Flashes of a city burning, of so many dying, of all that I tried to help becoming corpses filled my vision.
No!
Not again!
I won't let them do this again!