Nuria, Grim, Eli McGraw and Lurtor were sitting in the Cold draft tavern, listening to Administrator McIvinson explain all of the security protocols that would be put in place for the Colony General’s inspection in a few weeks.
Colony General Malthus himself would be coming to their settlements, and possibly provide them more financial support to expand their operations. They all knew the Doomwyrm Rider problem made it imperative to increase security, but what was good security against an Annihilation Dragon.
As they argued about that, none noticed Lord Malaganth was in the tavern. He stepped from a shadow and approached their table. Only Tal’al’oon at the bar saw the approaching uthvelor, and put a hand on his pistol just in case.
Lord Malaganth interrupted saying, “Your worries about the Doomwyrms are justified. They will continue their attacks, as hit and run for now. But more important than that is the threat at your city limits.”
“What is more dangerous than an Annihilation Dragon?” asked McIvinson in confusion.
“Another has taken the mantle held by Pelonious IceGuard. In taking the mantle of Warmonger’s Frost General, this individual has unleashed an army of IceGuard on this settlement. They march here now, and it will take your clone army to protect this city,” continued Malaganth.
“Wait? We are about to get attacked by IceGuard,” said Nuria, “But I banished Pelonious’ army at Mt. Sandspire, and Eli shot him in the face.”
“Pelonious has suffered final death,” said Malaganth, “The new general is called Belinda Frost. And she feels you four killed off her family and kidnapped her nieces and nephews. The first step of her plan is to beseige you here with the IceGuard. The second step is to travel to the far north, to the penninsula where the Tower of the Cloud Slavers is. There she will create a superstorm that will freeze this continent.”
“No worries,” said Lurtor, “We can just hand out artifacts to protect people from Chill.”
“Cold temperatures have far more effects than just killing your people. And this is not just cold, this is a superstorm. Even if we kept the people safe, your equipment and structures would break in the cold, the crops would die off, and the gale force winds would still be deadly.
In addition the loss of life among non-humanoid species would be catastrophic,” said Malaganth.
“So we have to stop this Belinda Frost,” said Eli McGraw, “No biggie, I can shoot her in the face the way I did Pelonious.”
“The Tower is controlled by the Cloud Slavers, aliens from Ses’urs,” said Tal’al’oon from behind the bar.
Malaganth added, “Yes and they do not take orders from anyone. Which means Belinda Frost will have to convince them to do so…Maybe you can be more convincing…”
Nuria said, “But if we can find Belinda Frost, I can tap her with my rod, and her entire army will be banished, and Jemison Post will be saved. Sounds easy enough.”
Mission Challanges
1- Do you stay to protect Jemison Post or do you quest to the Tower of the Cloud Slavers to find and stop Belinda Frost? (if so how do you travel that far north, by air, by boat, by tracked truck, if you go by foot it will take too long)
2- The Tower of the Cloud Slaver is 10 floors tall, but as they are giant floors, the tower is quite massive and impressive. Do you try entering through the front door? Or do you try and scale the tower from the outside? Or do you drop off on the top floor via aircraft?”
3- Once inside, you must convince the Cloud Slavers of your good intentions OR you will have to fight your way past them?
4- What do you say to the Cloud Slavers to turn them on Belinda Frost?
5- You don’t know her skills or capabilities, and she will have the drop on you, but IF battle occurs what battle strategy do you use against Belinda Frost?
6- If you plan doesn’t defeat Belinda in combat how will you stop her Superstorm from forming?
Defenses- STAGE 1 THE DOOR
The Door has four massive locks on it. But you don’t have time to quest the Glacial Wastes and collect them (weeks and weeks). But you do have one of three possible options.
A) Blow the Door: Fuck those Cloud Slavers. They wanna keep us out?
We can blow the door S.A.R. 15.
B) Pick the Locks: A few jiggering of this and that (T#8) and the door should come open. How do you check it for traps as well?
C) Talk to the door guard: A Cloud Slaver is breathing on the other side of the door, he or she has a looming presence, and lots of air leyas in your Leyas sight if you have it up. What do you say to talk your way past?
STAGE 2: Cooking with Fire
You are inside the tower, and you have twenty Cloud Slavers (page 258 DR Core book) staring you down. They are in the middle of some sort of ritual. At one end of the room is a familiar looking Olgog. It looks like Lost Icicle the friendly White Fur Olgog who visits the bar in Jemison Post all the time, and first gave Grim and Lurtor friendship when none other would do so.
It looks like Lost Icicle was sacrificed at some point.
What do you do?
Option A) The Party is Getting Started!!
Draw weapons, and begin attacking the Cloud Slavers. Nothing will get in your way.
Option B) This Party is Ending Now!!
Use the Leyas, Smoke Grenades or Other Gear combos to drive out or disable the Cloud Slavers without causing any death.
Option C) This Party deserves a Soundtrack!!
Talk your way into the ritual, and see what is going on and if you can get past them without violence.
STAGE 3: Belinda Frost and her Crew try to bring down a new Ice Age
Has Refuge ever had an ice age? They wondered. Either way it seemed this artificed tower had some surprises in store for everyone. Belinda Frost was currently raising a storm and targeting the settlements of the Glacial Wastes. If she was successful it would be disasterous. She is on high floor of the tower, and the room is designed to be a Leyas focus for Air and Water Leyas.
Option A) Lets Rock out, with our Thermonuclear Weapons Out
Try and Threaten Belinda with all the harm you can do to her if she tries to unleash this weather weapon. Better bring a big threat if you step up this way
Option B) A Professional doesn’t waste words
Having the drop on Belinda as she is deep in her work on bringing a new Ice Age, you decide to not monologue like a bad villain and instead step up and eliminate some fools. Belinda is currently inside and igoo (S.A.R. 20).
Tell us how you strike at Belinda Frost (F.S. 8 Frost General of Warmonger, 4 attacks. Water lvl 6, Air lvl 6, Shadow lvl 6, Shapeshift lvl 1, General lvl 2, pair of End of Worlds Claws Nnghai, Zela shears) and what weapons you use.
Also describe how you would take down her two Bodyguards.
1-Snowy Touch, is a white fur Olgog and master Water Mancer (F.S. 6, L.R. 6, Water Lvl 6, Air lvl 2, General lvl 2, Troubadour lvl 2, Shadow lvl 3 4 attacks), he uses a spear tipped by an End of Worlds Claw Blade, a pendant of grown armor and an artificed Shadow Walk cloak.
2- Blizzard Blue is a blue and brown furred Bestial with a natural blue mohawk (F.S. 7, L.R. 6, Water Lvl 6,Earth lvl 2, Air lvl 2, General lvl 2, Shapeshift lvl 2, Shadow lvl 3, 4 attacks) He has natural Bestial Claws (ignore all armor, and gets 8 attacks if he only uses his claws). He also wears a pendant of grown armor and a Shadow Walk cloak.
Option C) Diplomatic Attempts against a General of Warmonger’s
“You murder-hobos killed my family, you kidnapped my nieces and nephews. You sick monsters have unleashed an army of killer clones, and imprisoned my old friend Bysos Borak for no crime other than getting hired by people you don’t like in an area you decided to take over!” roared Belinda Frost as her aura raged, “And no amount of money or apologies will give me back those people I love, or the months I was trapped wandering the ice alone. Those months of loneliness, and hunger, where I barely survived.
When the only two settlement around are the ones that killed your family, what do you do then???
That is when your only choice is to become an Outlaw…
I was lucky to have Snowy Touch save me, and showed me the way to survive in the harsh terrain.
But I was luckier still when Queen Unixah gave me the path of Warmonger, and the tools to hurt you the way you hurt me.”
(look back to Glacial Wastes Mission 1 Events and Mission 2 Events for more info on Belinda Frost and on Snowy Touch.)