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    230 Results with the "fortress al-mir" tag


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      War Machines

      War Machines Cover
      by Tower Curator “We cannot communicate, can we?” The mechanical creature turned at Agnete’s question. The gears and panels making up its ‘face’ turned and shifted. A ratcheting noise came from somewhere deeper within. It clearly heard the question. There was no indication of understanding. It didn’t nod or shake its head, it didn’t speak back to her even in that language the clockwork eye used. It just… stared. Communication wasn’t a skill Agnete thought of herself as possessing under normal…
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      The Final Hurdle

      The Final Hurdle Cover
      by Tower Curator Arkk stood at the edge of the encampment, his eyes scanning the rows upon rows of soldiers assembled before him. They stood silently, their armor immaculately shined and the tabards in solid black with violet edges. Each bore the crest of Company Al-Mir on their chests, shields, and banners. Their faces were determined, showing no fear… or much of anything else. There was an eerie blank look to every one of them if looked at a little too close. Savren did good work. The ritual circle powering the ten…
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      Emergency Aftermath

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      by Tower Curator “Damage report?” “Constructions two, four, and five have suffered catastrophic structural failure. We have been unable to stop the bleeding in any and, in the case of five, stockpiled ordinance went up with the blast. Eight of our engineers were killed in the resulting explosion. “One and three suffered minor damage thanks to your timely intervention. It will set us back but is salvageable. The alchemical explosives the enemy planted under six failed to explode and merely caused a small fire…
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      Eggs

      Eggs Cover
      by Tower Curator “How do you suppose the others are fairing?” Olatt’an leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. “Certainly a difficult question,” he said. “Idealistically, quite well. Realistically? The situation is pure chaos. Four different factions on two different sides, none of whom seem to trust their supposed allies, all likely believing they have tricks up their sleeves that the others don’t know about. All of whom likely believe they can deal with whatever tricks the others have come up with,…
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      Interlude on the Ground

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      by Tower Curator The damp air of the tunnel clung to their skin as the soldiers huddled together. Dim glowstone lights flickered as a tremble ran through the ground. At the center of the group stood Eadric, the unit’s seasoned hypeman. His voice was a steady beacon amidst the low murmur of anticipation. His words pulsed like the beat of a drum, charging the air with energy. Soldiers, gripping their weapons, nodded along, their fear transmuting into a steely resolve. Eadric moved among them, clasping shoulders and…
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      Fracture

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      by Tower Curator “Zullie!” Arkk barked as the tower rocked again under fire from the Eternal Empire airship. “You told me we would have defenses.” “All things in time, Arkk. All things in time…” “Don’t exactly have time,” Arkk snapped back. Brickwork, reinforced by the tower’s magic, cracked and fractured under the sustained bombardment. Small cracks of daylight made it inside before the lesser servants could repair the walls. The Eternal Empire’s continued cannon firing was getting…
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      Thinning the Barrier

      Thinning the Barrier Cover
      by Tower Curator Golden eyes looked over a golden battlefield. Streaks of color lined everything. The grass, the trees, the soldiers. Even his host body now sported a thin stripe of gold from hip to shoulder. It was a wonder this body hadn’t been bisected, though he did suppose it was a lucky break. Switching bodies would have been a waste of his efforts. The startled, frozen battle didn’t remain paused for long. A dazzling display of magical might should have seen his enemies surrendering immediately and…
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      Magic Toxicity Levels

      Magic Toxicity Levels Cover
      by Tower Curator “Have you been able to take any readings of ambient magic?” Arkk asked as he and his tethered group walked along a line of lesser servants. They all made sure to keep in physical contact with the servants at all times. So far, no one had gotten lost in the Maze which, given the scattered lesser servants who felt right next to each other yet couldn’t find one another, seemed more like a miracle than not. Yet it couldn’t be a miracle. Not when the god of this realm was the one pushing them…
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      The Lines

      The Lines Cover
      by Tower Curator It took time to recall Kia and Claire. With the end of the war, they often spent their time quietly moving around Mystakeen, acting more like the mercenaries they once had been than whatever Company Al-Mir had turned into these days. They hadn’t taken to the peacetime as well as most of Arkk’s other employees. Every few weeks, they stopped by to see if anything interesting was going on, bringing the heads of anyone causing trouble in Mystakeen, from bandits to unruly barons taking advantage of the…
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      Fortress Al-Mir

      Fortress Al-Mir Cover
      by Tower Curator What did one do when confronted with a pre-Calamity monster? Die. There wasn’t much more to it than that, Arkk figured. He would try to fight back. It was only natural. Looking at the creature before him, he had no doubts that his little dagger wouldn’t scratch a room-encompassing monster with stars for eyes. Even had he a proper sword or Ilya’s bow, making it angry was all he would accomplish. And yet, it was a bit difficult to fight back when it wasn’t attacking in the first place. The eyes…
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