>> Well, we are talking about a Dara Happan commander here (Jorkandros
>> Blinder). Probably well in the category of "at this distance, they
>> couldn't hit a barn gate" arrogance...
> I'll certainly agree that the guys in charge *were* idiots. I'm just
> saying
> that *Broyan* shouldn't expect it (assuming your enemy is a complete
> tactical idiot is another good way to get your donkey handed to you...).
> And the quote is "elephant", not "barn gate", just btw.
> (http://www.civilwarhome.com/sedgwickdeath.htm)
The joys of translating idiomatic phrases...
>> Sure. So, what calming powers over storm can you field?
>> Solar magic? Do I need to spell the elemental succession to you? Storm
>> beats Fire, and Earth nags Storm.
> Hmm, you better recalibrate your elemental wheel there, chief. Storm beats
> *Water*, not Fire.
> Air and Fire are neutral to each other on the Elemental
> Wheel. (Water beats Fire). Now, where in the Empire might we find Earth...
> say, is that Lodril over there?
Bad luck - he is a known fire deity (at least to the Orlanthi).
Still, I might be afraid of a regiment of Kadone grounders while the Bat is near my own camp. Just imagine: the Bat approaches across the Aurochs hills, as it crashes down. The land, rather than killing the bat, folds to entrap it... unfortunately it will starve to death, its spirit will wreak havoc among the summoners, and it won't be available for only a while. Unlike the Mad Sultanate...
>> Lunar magic? Wait, we have the Bat, and it will eat the enemy magic.
>> Whichever it is.
> Which is why I was advocating that Broyan try something devious, not a
> head-on power-on-power attack. See, I'm trying to give the Sartarites a
> chance of defeating the Bat, whether the Lunar commanders are idiots or
> not.
So you are looking for desperate cunning plans?
A super-critical concentration of Eurmali or the Puppeteers might be able to distract it to an illusionary target (say, the Lunar camp)?
Put all people inside Whitewall into the Otherworld Hide-out while the Bat is in town (there won't be any Lunar regulars there at the time), and let it go starve-crazy? Or import some of those Far Point Roof Sharpeners to cushion the landing?
I agree that dealing with the Bat ought to be major "There's always another way" juju. But it shouldn't be expected from the ultra-traditionalist king of the Volsaxar.
>> Great. So they know everything about taming the Sky Bear and
>> infiltrating
>> Earth ceremonies.
> While there are differences between Alakoring and Heortling Orlanthi,
> there's still a *lot* of correspondences between them. The Lunars have
> been
> dealing with Orlanthi for a few years by now, they know more than just the
> Star Bear.
>From the Tarsh campaigns, they know to be wary of earthquake magics. From
the Sartar campaigns, they know to be wary of wyter-forming magics and the
ensuing discipline, but also have learned that if you meet them at a place
where they cannot move much, in a set battle, mere brute force will crush
them, even if led by a hero like Tarkalor. From the advance to Boldhome,
they learned that a single traitor can do in an entire rearguard. From
Boldhome itself, they learned not to expose their leaders to native magic.
While they have learned to quell uprisings and suppress the Orlanthi, I doubt very much that the Imperial Lunars understand the Orlanthi. Hwarin's cult may still come closest, besides the Tarshite rustics.
>>> All I'm saying is that a Power-on-Power attack is something the Lunars
>>> *should* expect, *especially* Storm Power, and something the Orlanthi
>>> should give a *lot* of thought to.
>> Sure. So, if you cannot counter the storm, make sure it won't harm you.
> Yep. But from the Seattle folks, I was getting flack that they wouldn't
> even bother to do that much.
Now they did their library search, maybe they go back to the old myths. Like Umath and the First Harp (which I believe to be extremely helpful against the area-effect scream attack). Or maybe they look up Sartar's talent, changing the drum song magic into a sweet musical breeze. That would require some masters of Change... conveniently present at Whitewall.
Countering the maw of chaos with a maelstrom of water is another proven method (discussed on the Whitewall list, along with the trembling shore defender myth, IIRC).
>> Broyan has faced Lunars only during the recent raids against southern
>> Sartar - a totally different scale of warfare. Otherwise, he is very
>> much
>> a non-entity, as far as Dara Happan field commanders are concerned.
> Umm, so? You should be more cautious of a general you *don't* know much
> more
> than one you do - he might just have a trick up his sleeve... Broyan's
> reputatin with the Lunars isn't the question, the question is how will he
> take on the Bat.
>> Fact is that Lunar magicians will swear that no storm nor thunderbolt
>> nor
>> can stop the Bat. (Neither could Sunspears, or similar effects.) The Bat
>> is a magic-stopper.
> But that's not *just* because of the bat, but defensive magics and
> precautions *as well as* the bat's natural defenses. Or at least, that's
> how *I* would run it as a narrator. Use Solar Magics to ensure a clear
> day, etc.
That would mean that you have to send your people into tac-nuke radius. And, to boot, the valuable (Dara Happan) ones rather than expendable Provincials.
> Which is why you need to be devious. Teleporting onto the bat to take out
> the controllers has (seemed to) work in every incarnation of the battle
> I've heard of...
There must be a reason for those chaotic tick stats, after all...
A scream - unheard
a tongue - entangled
a glow - enshrouded
a demon banished.
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