Iron Kingdoms: Tides of War

[Cynical Cat]

"Can't be done," said the Mechanik. "Mechanika is adding mechanika to items. They get heavier, not lighter. Although we can make you stronger."

[Charon]

Akina pursed her lips for a few moments. "Vell, makink me stronger is better den makink de suit lighter. Dat vould be goot. Now den, I don't have de armor here but I vill have it dropped off to hyu before de day is over wit ya?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Okay. Call it two weeks for everything then."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Excellent... here is to hoping that we dont die between now and then eh Akina, would be a pity, poor Malkamar would not have the pleasure of your company anymore...."

[Charon]

Akina snorted. "Two veeks. I had best be very impressed den." And then she realized that one of the others was there. The Umbrean woman quickly turned and looked at Corey. "Vhere ver hyu sneakin' about den? Comin' out of novhere like dat." The Umbrean shrugged her shoulders. "Hyu is just jealous me tinks." She winked at Corey and smiled. "But vhat are hyu doin' here? Buyink more of hyur magic?"

[Comrade Tortoise]

"That is indeed what I have been doing. Been here a while actually" Corey thought for a second "In regards to my jealousy, Malkamar is not my type. Not that I would turn him down mind, but nothing to get excited over"

[Charon]

Akina blinked once or twice at Corey's comment about Malkamar. Obviously her mind was having a little trouble wrapping around the concept. Finally she grinned. "I knew hyu waz a girlyman, but I didn' expect dat!"

[The Nomad]

On hearing Laszlo's comment about his gauntlet, Angus looked hurt. "Hey, I did it myself, field repair, never a peep or a burn!" He seemed to be lost in thought. "Come to think of it, it's felt hot, of late. Forget about the godsdamn coil," he seemed about to throw it over his shoulder, then thought better of it and pocketed it, "how much and how long for a full-blown repair? Perhaps adding a better calibrating valve for a tighter control of fluid dispersion and increased accuracy?" It seemed a good idea to invest his money in repairing a solid asset rather than jury-rig a potential bomb, though he wasn't about to empty his purse for the valve.

The bomb will come later, tee hee! he thought with glee, grinning stupidly before the mechanik even answered.

[Cynical Cat]

"I'll have to take the thing apart and see what its guts actually look like," said Lazslo. "No promises until then."

[LadyTevar]

Teghe had what he needed, and moseyed back to where they were staying. He dropped the potions he'd bought for Rogan (damn the man, spending Teghe's money like that! Hope the woman gave him crotch-itch) in the bogger's room.

Then Teghe gathered up his bullet-making paraphenalia and went to find a quiet little place he'd be out of the way as he molded and engraved as many rune bullets as he had materials for. He had a feeling he'd need every one he could make.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Corey shrugged

"Nothing girly about what I do.. In or out of battle. No offense or anything, as you are an exception to the rule, that females are... troublesome"[/i]

[The Nomad]

"Meh," Angus said, "can you put it back together quickly if I need it at short notice?" He began outstrapping the gauntlet.

[Cynical Cat]

"Aye, I should be able to do that. The casing, at least, seems conventional."

[Charon]

Akina grinned and then winked to Corey as she turned and headed for the exit, her hips swaying ever so slightly invitingly. She turned her head to look back at Corey. "Hyu dun' know meh very vell at all den little tvig." She smiled and turned her head back to the exit, waving the back of her hand to Lazslo as she headed out "I vill see hyu in two veeks den Lazlo. Do not disappoint, ja?"

The Umbrean stepped back into the fresh air and took a deep satisfied breath before she started heading back towards the inn.

[Cynical Cat]

"I like my spine unbroken, ya," the mechanik joked. "Anyone else? My schedule, she is getting pretty full."

[Comrade Tortoise]

Corey laughed, both at Lazlo and Akina.

"I will see you in two weeks Lazlo.... dont do anything I would do in the mean-time"

he headed out the door after Akina

"So, Akina, you up for going to get a drink?"

[Charon]

Akina glanced behind her to Corey as she lifted her hands up and put them behind her head, stretching her back like a mountain lion.

"A drink? I tink I coult use vun or two of doz."

[Cynical Cat]

"Ah," said Laszlo. "All of you come at once I see. Yes, well, I have what you ordered."

The sound of distant thunder caused the smith to turn his head. "Hmm. Not quite storm weather I would have thought. Still, can get the dry lightning in summer."

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Pistons wheezed as the great machines stepped forward. The earth shook and smoke billowed from their backs as six hulking warjacks advanced in the center of the line. Their carapaces were painted red and marked with the three sided sign of Khador as they slowly stomped forward.

Behind them was a spread out mass of hundreds of young men wearing leather reinforced greatcoats and armour of reinforced boiled leather. Axes and blunderbusses were in their hands as they marched down from the hills. Behind them marched ranks of steadfast pikemen in heavy armour and the man o' wars, towering over ordinary men in their steam armour. Behind them came the artillery and behind them the logistics wagons.

Uhlans on great horse and armed with guns and great axes guarded the sides and formed the van of the advancing war host. A young officer wearing red enameled mechanikal plate armour under his great coat saluted and approached a figure in warcaster armour, complete with a smoke belching arcane turbine on his back. "Kommandant, the uhlans report Laelese forces massing ten miles away."

"How many?" said the warcaster as he turned to his subordinate.

"Between fifteen hundred and two thousand," said the kaptain. "Cavalry and regular infantry with at least six warjacks."

"Laelese warjacks," said the kommandant. He was a man of average height, clean shaven and bald. His shoulders were broad and powerful. Scars marked his face. "We shall show them the might of the Motherland. "

[Charon]

Akina was quiet as she listened to the thundering more.

"Mheybe tings is diff'rent here. But vhere I kom from. T'under vitout clouds means der is unt army comink to keeck hyur head in."

Akina shrugged at this almost bland statement and then began to examine her improved gear.

[Comrade Tortoise]

"You are.... right..." Corey said "I have heard those sounds many times before, there is battle afoot or their will be soon. If it is not too close, are you still up for those drinks?"

OOC: For some reason I did not register the thread as having new activity, it did not inform me of new posts....

[LadyTevar]

In the little corner where Teghe'd set up his apparatus, the gunmage looked up from the bullet he'd just finished enspelling and frowned. "That was a might close to town..."

[Hotfoot]

Rogan was putting his clothes back on as he heard the thunder. He looked outside to see what the weather was like, raising an eyebrow at the lack of thunderclouds in the sky. "Hmm, well, I guess that's nature's way of tellin' us to keep it down next time, love," He flashed a sly smile to her as he checked himself over quickly. "Sorry to cut this visit short though. I would stay longer, but me mates might get worried that some lovely lass had made off with me to do wonderful things to me, make me not want to go back to work'n all that." He winked to her playfully. "Promise I'll be back though, you've made sure of that."

[The Nomad]

Angus knocked at the door and came in Lazslo's workshop without waiting for an answer.

"Good afternoon gentlemen," he said to Lazslo and his apprentice. "Is the gauntlet ready? There seems to be trouble brewing over the horizon, and I would hate to find myself short of an useful implement when the situation calls for it, not that I plan to assault a warjack division, thankyouverymuch!" he delivered in a single breath, taking a small purse from his trenchcoat and holding it by the strings above the shop's counter.

[LadyTevar]

Rogan was putting his clothes back on as he heard the thunder. He looked outside to see what the weather was like, raising an eyebrow at the lack of thunderclouds in the sky. "Hmm, well, I guess that's nature's way of tellin' us to keep it down next time, love," He flashed a sly smile to her as he checked himself over quickly. "Sorry to cut this visit short though. I would stay longer, but me mates might get worried that some lovely lass had made off with me to do wonderful things to me, make me not want to go back to work'n all that." He winked to her playfully. "Promise I'll be back though, you've made sure of that."

Outside, Teghe was leaning up against the wall of the store, just waiting for Rogan to finish this -latest- visit to this particular merchant. As Rogan exited, the gunmage spoke quietly. "You've been coming over here a lot the last few days. Still not found the right piece of jewelry yet? Or just enjoying the piece*?"



(*Peace and Piece sound a lot alike. Rogan's choice how he hears that )

[Cynical Cat]

"Right here," said Lazslo. "Use it in good health and make sure you have enough accumulators."

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Two Nomad warjacks lead the way, flanked by pair of Mules. Both designs were old, but capable. The Nomads were heavy 'jacks armed with a heavy cleaving blades while the Mules had massive battlefists and steam powered cannon that hurled explosive shells. A pair of warcasters in articulated plate followed their machines into battle, while musket armed soldiers lined up along the flanks and pike armed heavy infantry followed behind them. At the rear field artillery was wheeled into positions to provide supporting fire.

The air howled and then geysers of earth erupted as the heavy Khadoran pieces opened up. Two Destroyer warjacks, armed with a heavy cannon in one arm and a mechanikal axe in the other, formed the vanguard of the Khadoran offensive. Behind them came Juggernauts, also armed with mechanikal axes. The Destroyers opened up on the lead Mule. Earth fountained up into the air and pieces of armour caparace sprayed over the ground.

Frost crawled over one of the Nomads, encasing it completely and hardening into ice. More shells hit the Mule, blowing open leaking holes in its torso and left shoulder. Shots from the Widowmaker's long range rifles picked of Laelese soldiers. The lines closed as the Winter Guard and the Uhlans advanced.

Soldiers of the Winter Guard fell here and there, victims of musket fire. The Uhlans, with their heavy armour, took only a few casualties. They charged and hit the Laelese line, running men through and trampling men right and left. The Destroyers blew open the Mule's carapace with their cannons and then the Khadoran warjacks engaged the Laelese warjacks in a brutally uneven and one sided melee. Khadoran Man o' Wars, wearing steam armour and armed with mechanikal frostmauls ,joined the melee. They flanked and smashing the Laelese warjacks while a wave of icy mist rolled over the Laelese, robbing them of strength and warmth.

Laelese gunmages, wearing black great coats, fired rune bullets and blasts of sorcery into the Man o' Wars, dropping several of them as the warcasters unleashed fire and lightning at the Khadoran steam armoured troops. The Uhlans wheeled and plowed into gunmages and warcasters, riding them down and slaying them as the Winter Guard tore into the disintegrating Laelese army with axes and blunderbusses.

All discipline broke down. The gun crews broke and ran and the rear ranks joined them. In the span of a few minutes the Laelese ceased to be anything but a retreating mob and a few isolated pockets of men desperately making their last stand.