Having just taken Madino, I'm left with a single turn to prepare a bit for the next event in the game. I mostly just have everyone hang out, since I honestly have no clue what's next (although looking at the map, I see the tower that Claude went to right up in the northwestern corner). I do note that Holyn is level 19, and near promoting, and while Sigurd is level 20, I've been informed that he's a prepromote and can't class change, so I won't waste the time.
After ending my turn, Shagaal walks to Silvail, having escaped Madino in the chaos, and asks Eltshan what he's been doing this whole time, angry that without his assistance, Madino was lost. He then accuses Eltshan of conspiring against him with us to take over Agustria, and Eltshan is offended by the claim. Shagaal mentions his father, King Imuka, claiming he'd be sorely disappointed with Eltshan, and asking of he has a problem with the accusation. Eltshan is at a loss in this situation, and eventually caves, saying that he will ready his troops. He says that he's proud to be a holy knight of Agustria, and that should he die, he will choose to die fighting. He then asks Shagaal to watch over Silvail, while he mobilizes alongside his troops (please don't tell me this means what I think it does...) After leaving the castle, he gives his men a final speech, and then with a rousing yell, he gives the command to attack.
Shagaal then complains a bit more, and strengthens the castles defenses.
Shit. I was worried about this. Eltshan is coming to me, and has a damnably powerful force of knights, in both number and personal strength accompanying him. This is going to get ugly.
Looking over the Cross Knights, they're all powerful and well armed, but only have swords for close ranged combat, though they are all armed with javelins. Eltshan himself is a positively terrifying foe, with incredibly high stats, and the Mistoltin sword buffing up his skill, as well as making up for his own lack of skills with an innate critical skill (and +20 to skill, so he can get more criticals off of 52 power. Great...) They all have a decent way to go, and so I begin fortifying my defenses, leaving Sigurd, Cuan, Ardan, and Fin to guard the central path to Madino, leave Lex to guard the far eastern entrance just in case, and have Holyn and Aira guarding the western entrance. I have Beowulf, Noish, Alec, and Fury on standby, and all the mages, archers, and healers ready to assist from behind the lines.
I just pray that he doesn't turn south to Agusty and force me to warp Sigurp over there to hold them off.
It appears that they aren't heading for Agusty, having bypassed the main road to the castle, so I have everyone await the fierce battle that's sure to come. Lachesis also waits near the main guard, giving them support through charisma, and also awaiting her chance to talk down Eltshan so that he doesn't slaughter us all. Soon enough they reach us, and the battle begins. I then remember that Jamka and Aideen are now lovers, and thus I have Jamka share his money with her, and let her repair the sleep staff. I just hope I can knock out Eltshan long enough to deal with his knights and get Lachesis to speak with him. Sylvia rejuvenates Aideen after she gets the sleep staff repaired, and she runs over to the edge of the cliff—
But just can't reach him. He's presently active, and I'm presently screwed, because he's gonna destroy whoever he attacks, unless by some miracle he attacks Sigurd and doesn't critical him.
Since I doubt they're gonna flank me or anything fancy like that, I rein the standby horsemen towards the center (leaving Lex at his spot to hopefully distract some enemies), and have them prepare to counter the cross knights hit-and-run tactics with their own.
"This is the Demon Sword Mistoltin. If you don't wish to become it's prey, then don't come anywhere near me." Those were the final fateful words Lex heard, as Eltshan sought him out at his post and nearly destroyed him in a single stroke.
Sigurd himself tries to talk down Eltshan after he showed that he was truly going to fight, but it was fruitless, as Eltshan is resolved to do this.
Oh god, this is really bad... Wait, Eltshan is close enough, that thanks to Sylvia (I have never been so happy to have a dancer type unit in my group before), Lachesis can reach him! In tears, she begs her brother to stop fighting one of his closest friends, but he believes that should Shagaal fall, Agustria will as well. Lachesis explains that Shagaal is the one who fielded troops first, and that if he stops these attacks, Sigurd will as well. Eltshan agrees to try to talk Shagaal out of this one more time. He then hands Lachesis the Earth Sword, giving it to her as a memento of him, just in case. He then travels back to Silvail to speak with Shagaal, asking him to withdraw the troops so as to avoid more futile fighting, stating that he is sure Agusty will be returned someday. Shagaal calls him an imbecile and asks what he's babbling about, finally stating that he "knew" that Eltshan was working with us. He then demands that someone seize him, and declares that he will be beheaded as an example. Eltshan sadly seems to accept his fate, noting that this may be the end of Agustria as well, before we return to the party, unaware of Eltshan's fate.
Sadly, it appears the cross knights are still ready to attack us, and so I have everyone continue the battle, having Aideen fix up Lex from his nigh-fatal wounds. With some assistance from everyone, the party is able to fight off the cross knights, leaving only on left in critical condition after all is said and done.
Come Silvail phase, Shagaal now speaks with a man named Trabant (who basically looks like a brown Alvis), asking if his wyvern knights are ready (goddamn it Shagaal, if it's not one thing, it's another with you isn't it?). Trabant replies to the affirmative, and then Shagaal gives the order to attack (to a Zyne recolor no less), and they fly in from north of Blagi tower. Having Holyn dispatch the final cross knight, I then have the healers prep everyone for the next round of combat. Knowing what they're liable to do, I have Ardan guard Madino, and then send everyone onto the area north of Madino to meet them as they fly in, hopefully for Jamka, Midir, and Levin to send them crashing down. I note that Papillion has a Renewal Ring, and will thus try and feed him to Sigurd, since a self healing badass lord is quite possibly the most convenient thing ever.
As the wyvern knights draw near, I have the party close in as well, waiting for them to make landfall so I can strike. Holyn activates the Power of Love with Aira and gets Luna simultaneously, destroying a wyvern knight as Aira weakens another and lets Lachesis take the scraps. Midir fills one of the wyverns full of arrow, and Jamka mirrors his action with another one, while Levin eviscerates a third (though sadly doesn't get a bonus damage critical). Azel and Sigurd team up on Papillion, and Sigurd claims his Renewal Bracelet. Fury then engages the wyvern riders in the sky, while the others are unable to reach anymore due to them being out of reach.
Come the next enemy phase, Trabant sees that Papillion failed, and abandons Shagaal. After fighting off the remainder of the wyverns, I decide to call it quits here, having just defended Madino from a fair of major threats. Next will be the seizing of Silvail.
Final note, I will be taking a short hiatus until either Wednesday or Thursday, since I will be on vacation. I will have my laptop, so I can go on Tvtropes, but since we plan on experiencing a good deal of what the place we're vacationing at (The Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells, for the curious) has to offer, I don't think I'll have time for these huge updates. See you guys next time, on Genealogy of the Holy War!
