Of the troops in the smoke grenade radius, only 4 make the Fort Save (their helmets gave them a bonus; I guess most of them didn't have them secured, from their D20 rolls). The rest spend the round coughing and trying to get smoke out of their lungs.
Fortunately, those 4 know who to target (i.e. they're not aiming at the illusionary "Dwarves").
:
A miss against KAC when counting cover
Bullets wing the wall right above Tamrat's head, startling the Captain more than a bit.
Two fire at Sharlavaka:
And one fires at Thalin:
At this point, some reinforcements arrive. A hovercar of Vul Faldihr Defense Forces appears at the Azlanti flank and starts hammering into them with mounted multiwave lasers.
Unfortunately, their aim is a bit off; they only manage to take out two of the troops this round. But more from them later.
Top of Round 4
Updated map is coming.
Sharlavaka continued to float over the Azlant, raising rounds down on them. It wasn't like they could stop him. He was making a strange hissing noise as he fired down. It was unlikely any of the other crew who might be listening would notice that this was him laughing. He didn't do it often.
Seeing that the tide of battle is about to fall heavily more into their favor, Eshenvral loosens the grip on his hologram. It still performs as it was designed, reacting in time with the Azlanti by providing false targets for them to 'kill', but it will soon loose power and collapse.
With his mind free of that mental weight, and not willing to use the last of his intensive magic, the elf grips the ambient energy surrounding the Azlanti and spontaneously creates a swarm of microbots around the largest cluster of still-living troops.
Okay, a lot going on. Here's a new map:
The pale yellow line is the smoke grenade. The goldenrod line is Esh's robots.
The smoke grenade provides concealment to those inside it, and presumable to those outside from those firing in. So that's 20% miss chance both ways on those.
The Microbots specifically call out the creatures firing out, so no 20% miss chance on them, from your perspective, unless they're also in the cloud.
Six-Pack launches a frame grenade, to the same coordinates it launched the previous smoke grenade. Sending slivers of shrapnel tearing through enemy troops.
Joyride targets the closest visible Azlanti.
Thanks for making us look good, Six!
Thalin continues trying to pick off one of the leaders while trying to keep from falling behind the enemy's front line. Apparently those shots in his direction distracted him, though . . ..
Tamrat is busy barking out words of encouragement, evidently.
Six-Pack is the only one who's hit so far this round (Sharlavaka, Joyride, and Thalin miss).
At this point, the Azlanti platoon is starting to get a little nervous.
Against Sharlavaka:
Covering Fire against Sharlavaka:
Against Joyride:
Meanwhile, in the back, the hovercar once again aims very badly, but manages to pick off one more Azlanti.
At the top of Round 5, two Azlanti have wandered onto the roof to try to take out Thalin and Six-Pack. The rest of the ones in the back have all turned and are firing up toward the hover car, which has taken some hits and is starting to struggle. It's got one round left in it, if things go the way they've been going. No more reinforcements seem to be coming from off-map, which indicates Defense Forces have been effective in engaging them, at least.
Party may act.
Floating over the Azlant still, Sharlavaka fired again.
Taking a breath to steady himself, Eshenvral leaves cover and crosses the street, taking his Red Star from it's holster and trying to line as many of the opposition up in his sight diagonally. Mentally he directs his microbots to move and help cover the hovercar, clustered over the four standing next to each other. Once confident in his aim, he launches a string of arcing plasma from the gun.
The holograms follow his preprogramed routine, and begin to 'rappel' down the building and flood the street in front of Eshenvral, and make a show of reloading their phantom guns. When fired at, they continue to try and react accordingly.
The explorer continues to pull back, moving to behind the roof extension that probably indicates the front door (about 3 squares, I think), even as he moves to trick the same fellow he just missed.
Tamrat says to Thalin over the radio, "Come on! Keep moving!"
Six-Pack moves around Thalin remaining low, offering a stranger show of force. The pseudo-centipedal drone chitters and beeps.
James takes another shot.
Much better round. Sharlavaka nails one through the mist; Thalin's trick attacks finally bear fruit, finishing off a second Azlanti.
Esh drops a third injured one. Joyride injures a fourth.
Unfortunately, there are more Azlanti to step up and take their place. Moving through the smoke, they move up and take aim. Unfortunately, two are distracted by illusionary Dwarves.
On Sharlavaka
On Joyride:
On Thalin (moving out from around the corner of the roof)
The Alzanti in the rear are significantly more effective. They take out the Hovercar that was assaulting form above; it crashes somewhere off-map. One of the Azlanti is shot down before it does so.
Top of Round 6
Map to follow.
That didn't sound good... hope they bailed. Just when I was hoping to hitch a ride...
Tapping his wrist, a series of clicks and clunks signified Sharlavaka was reloading his weapon. Too soon for the enemies tastes the noise ended and the heavy weapon opened up once more.
The microbot field will be in effect for the rest of this turn. The smoke grenade has another 4 rounds left.
Sharalvaka manages to (barely) finish off another troop.
James takes a shot at a trooper, pushing his luck. Anyone think that hover vehicle is servicable?
Six-Pack launches another frag grenade into the fray to soften the front line.
The elf takes up position next to Tamrat, aiming his plasma gun straight in front of him into the Azlanti forces.
Botting Thalin:
Trick Attack w/ Survival & Take 10:
Single-Valve Plasma Ring vs FF:
As Tamrat considers his options, the Azlanti return fire, such as they can.
Two on Sharlavaka:
One on Tamrat:
HIT
Two on Thalin:
HIT
One on Six-Pack
Ignoring the light fire pinging off his armour, Sharlavaka responded in kind. The Azlant weren't a danger to him, but they were tenacious. So he followed above them, firing down into the ranked troops.
As he moves this time, Thalin seeks cover behind the roof peak just "S" of
Eshenvral's position. Continuing in the same theme, though.
Tamrat action, round 6.
Attack: HIT
Damage:
Top of Round 7
Ignoring the light fire pinging off his armour, Sharlavaka responded in kind. The Azlant weren't a danger to him, but they were tenacious. So he followed above them, firing down into the ranked troops.
As he moves this time, Thalin seeks cover behind the roof peak just "S" of
Eshenvral's position. Continuing in the same theme, though.
Both Thalin and Sharlavaka hit, though their attacks are not fatal. The less injured troops from the rear have moved up, but this point.
Tamrat, Esh, and Joyride/Sixpack left to act in turn 7.
Scowling and realizing this was taking too long, Eahenvral made the tactical decision that it was time to use the last of his Higher tier magic to help clear a path. Electricity arcs along his cyberlimb, twisting in arcane patterns as he takes aim For the five lined up in front of him. Then with a crackle and boom, it surges forward through the line to char flesh and destroy armor.
Satisifed that he's gotten the most out of his magic, he steps back behind their brave captain, not wanting to be struck by their retaliatory fire.
His illusionary dwarves likewise make their last stand a daunting one, holstering phantom weapons and drawing powerful looking hammers. With a warbled war-cry they charge forward to draw Azlanti fire away from the party one last time.
Unfortunately, 3 made their save, taking 22 instead. However, two are killed outright.
Also, SIX of the Azlanti remaining are duped by the "dwarves" and waste their round dropping their rifles and drawing their curved carbon steel blades for combat against nothing.
James crosses the street to get a better angle on the Azlanti closing on Six-Pack and shoots. His mind wanders... What would a blinding flash-bang grenade to to those ledge walkers? He chuckles to himself... All things considered... Life is good!
Six-Pack fires yet another grenade into the troops below. Then, the drone "crouches," remaining low to the ground and being an obstacle such that the Azlanti cannot reach Thalin or are at least slowed down.
Joyride's shot finishes off the leading attacker of Six-Pack/Thalin, whose body drops off the roof. The grenade causes its usual chaos.
Tamrat takes another shot at the closest Azlanti, saying, ”Keep firing!”
Of the remaining 16 Azlanti, 6 are confused and preparing to use melee weapons against imaginary Dwarven attackers. That leaves 10 to attackwith their rifles. Of those 10, 4 are still inside a smoke cloud (20% miss chance, both ways), and all but 3 will be firing through soft cover (+4 to your AC).
On Sharlavaka:
HIT
On Tamrat:
HIT
On Joyride:
HIT
On Six-Pack:
(through cover):
On Thalin (through cover):
One in the rear not bothering.
As if to commemorate their illusionary brethren, three Dwarven miners come out of a side street and join in the fray, managing to finish one off with their mining tools.
Top of Round 8
Eshenvral leans himself into line of sight long enough to get a grasp of the current situation, and notices the dwarves miners coming in to provide some Calvary. To help give them an edge, he waves his hand in their correction and summons an expanse of Greese to trip up their opponents.
Two of the four Azlanti at the rear of the main body fall prone.
Unsure of how much longer he could fly, Sharlavaka landed near the rest of the party, brushing off the mark where the attacker had hit. Still, Sharlavaka returned fire.
"What are you doing? You have at least six more minutes of that."
As the rest of the party prepares to act (Tamrat, Thalin, Joyride), the Azlanti have evidently had enough. Laying down covering fire, they begin to retreat back into the open areas of the city at large.
Those who have not yet acted can take pot-shots at them as they depart, if you choose. Having not entirely succeeded in driving back evacuees from the Old City, their new goal is to re-join a larger force and get the hell away from these super-men that have utterly devastated their platoon.
"Thought spell only lasted one minute. Appologies." Sharlavaka kept firing into the retreating forces, to make them aware returning was a poor plan.
Six-Pack advances watching over the retreating troops, James watches through the interface on his forearm.
He looks for evidence of where the hovercraft crashed... there may be wounded that need hep.
As you "escort" the Azlanti out of the Old City into the hazy pink light of Zothune's perpetual "day", Joyride checks for the hovercraft. It appears the vehicle crashing into the roof of a two-story synth-stone building. Evacuation of the vehicle and the building seems to have been successfully completed, at least for anyone not already dead or killed on impact.
You're able to make for the rendezvous point with Exsilium, the sounds of battle in the city streets echoing from many locations in the distance. When you arrive, Irina is waiting by the airlock ramp.
"Whew, glad you all made it. We were starting to get a little worried. And Otis is a really questionable pilot."
As you board, Irina fills you in.
"We managed to get in touch with Gardathir leadership; apparently they've determined Morgrym was taken. But that's not the half of it."
Irina pauses ominously. "Evidently he had some big-deal plan to give us an edge in battle. Some sort of super-weapon. They want us to rescue him. From that."