Opportune Strike

Military: Skirmish

As the Saltieunni reel from the consequences of a total racial upheaval, the explorers attempt to "step on the toes" of the Saltieunni to draw their aggression upon them.

in an attempt to expand their reach, the Saltieunni had placed an encampment in a moderately risky position. Although it was well fortified from the exterior, and would be considered "hidden" for it's initial stages, the implementation of their terraforming process made the location become increasingly obvious.   The Saltieunni however, having partially recognized the threat of the expedition had a safety mechanism which made them certain that no matter who came, they would have a large chance of success in dealing with the intruders, yet - plans rarely survived on contact with the enemy.   the numerous siege weapons that were laid around the exterior of the fort started to rain down faire against the explorers, only to be returned fire upon by Marrok whose lances struck them to their core andshattered them apart. Starting with those furthers away, whilst Vivian struck the ones of the forward walls, tearing them apart with destructive glee.   Ferrous would attend to one siege weapon of his own - his shield blocking the ammunition before it could properly be fired, whilst pennie supported her allies directly. Serena though - with her sanguine connection, drew forth a great wave from the fleshy walls that were used in defense of the structure, siphoning blood away, and drying out the gate that was to be used to guard in it's entrance, leaving her only a casual stroll away from entering.   The Mage's assault was creative and destructive, as she swept away many saltieunni with the waters, though the elevated guisers doubly served in order to allow Marrok to swiftly snipe them down, as the remaining guards rushed down upon Vivian, Ferrous, and Pennie.   Once the battle cleared, there was some opportunity for exploration, in which they discovered more tubes in which deviants were being produced. Though the tubes had been shattered before they could be awakened, and their bodies remained inanimate due to the actions of Serena disrupting the operation.   Additionally, there was a chitin-forge where a strange Deviant had clearly been at work. With signs of him having spent a great deal of time crafting various hammers and smithing tools which were often thrown into a pile of trash nearby - though whatever final product they had made was clearly missing, as demonstrated by the gauntlet they had left behind.   This gauntlet - acquired by Pennie Weaver, was forged of the Saltieunni materials and permanently attached itself to her hand.   Also present within the fort was a hunting stable, composed of sentient meat creatures who - ignored by the adventurers, have broken out and started wandering the mainland.   The last thing that was to be found on the main level of the fort, was a simple library in which many of the psychic books that the saltieunni imprinted information on could be found, acquired and later read by Marrok to add to the collective known information of the Expedition.   What was happening in the cellar however was far more important to the Saltieunni than any research or books they had converted; but rather, there was a ritual ongoing, as a sacred chamber had a large number of foes which the explorers would have to slay, in addition to a crystalline structure far more dangerous than anything else in the room.   In an attempt to disrupt the adventurers and set up defensive fortification, the Saltieunni had brought over a blessed artifact from their city - a massive leyline essence crystal, something which could channel powers from their originating leyline, and allow them to bring the power of their "god" to bear.   The only issue presented by this matter, was the distance that the magic would have to travel allowing them to interfere with the power and direction of the force, allowing them to move it, even as the godly powers would have decimated them if they had faced them outright.   Slaughtering the worshippers, the party quickly wove in numerous strikes against the crystal, damaging and throwing off the further strikes of the god before they could greviously harm the party.   Though, as it grew increasingly unstable the threat it presented grew, and as the god was going to attempt it's greatest set of strikes against these adventurers, they leapt into action. Lances shattering against it's surface as Vivian and Pennie assaulted it and disrupted it's magical flow.   as they opened up a gap, Ferrous slammed his horse and self into the astral projection of the god and slammed it away from it's hosting crystal and exposing an opening in which Serena leapt up with her frozen artifact and slammed it into the crystal. Overloading the pillar with icy it's powers and causing it to shatter.   Letting out a horrific screech the god felt only pure rage towards those who had transgressed and destroyed one of the things it somewhat valued, which made it imperative that it punish these explorers. It would send out it's greatest forces to destroy them. and it would do it immediately.   More immediate problems however prevailed upon these adventurers - such that while the massive energy contained by the crystal had been spontaneously frozen in space by Serena's magics, it still would be released just as soon as her crystalline containment faded, and thus made it a matter of urgency for them to vacate the area before the Saltieunni's god received an early christmas present.