Age of Destruction: Fire Emblem CYOA

CR

Lily points to the south and starts moving to join Hawke and Storm.  Gale sprints past her, rounding the buildings just behind Kelly.  Their new recruit, Rakim, walks past her at a quick jog, rubbing a vulernerary on his wounds.  "Hello... Princess.  I suppose you are my employer, indirectly, so I should introduce myself."

"Save it," Lily says flatly.  "You're a filthy mercenary who butchers innocents for money, and once this fight's over I may or may not run you through, filthy-"

Shep lightly taps Lily on the back of the head with his staff.  "Whoops.  Sorry, Princess.  Allow me..."  He starts tending her wounds while Rakim shrugs and continues on.  "You know, I think I'm supposed to say something here about redemption and letting people make up for their past misdeeds... but I'll save it for later."

Lily bites her tongue.

Storm leaves the theif be and jumps at the mage coming their way.  After he stabs the mage, the mage throws a fireball back at him.  Storm shrugs the attack off and stabs the mage again.  Hawke goes after the mercenary, missing as the mercenary ducks, then returns a rising slash.  The mercenary ignores Hawke to attack Storm instead, leaping to attack past his flying mount.  Storm's struggles to rip his lance free, taking a hit to the flank.  Storm manages to pull the lance free and slash across the mercenary's forehead.  The wound isn't life-threatening, but the blood obscures his vision.  The thief leaps at Hawke's back, barely managing to pierce his armor.  Hawke's mount goes wild, throwing the thief back.  The thief rolls as he lands, unharmed.

The fighter and mage far to the north follow after Lily and Shep, far behind.

Harv attacks the mage barring their way.  The mage easily steps out of the way, reciting a chant and dropping a bolt of lightning.  Harv is off-balance from his attack and doesn't move in time.  Instead, he follows through and hacks at the mage again, nearly severing his arm in a single blow.  Zenia quietly steps past and decapitates the mage.

"I see a crescendo o' agitation in town.  Looks like some compatriots 'ave come to alleviate this 'ere catastrophe," Harv says.

"Carcinan forces?" Zenia asks.  "It would appear so.  I think that young woman's their leader.  Hmph...  We'll hold for moment.  I wish to assess her competence.  If I'm unimpressed, or I think she'll let those bastards escape, we'll step in and take care of them ourselves."

---

Kelly: 8/11
Storm: 6/11
Hawke: 8/12

(A) Take a moment to heal and defend
(B) Press the advantage to attack the incoming enemies
(C) Prioritize visiting houses
(D) Prioritize moving to Zenia

I'm going to stop saying the map's been updated every time. Since my new process is to update the map first and make notes of what happens. I've also updated character sheets to include tier, as well. And added a set of shiny new macros to make things much faster for me.

---

Kelly charges past Hawke and runs down the thief, trampling him before stabbing into his back. Gale joins the fight, blindsiding the mercenary. The mercenary manages to turn and chop her before she tears his throat out.

Hawke flies over the houses to Shep. Shep patches up his wounds, while Storm waits for the mage and fighter to close in from the north. As the fighter hacks into Hawke, the mage throws a fireball. He's overwhelmed and doesn't manage to avoid either. Storm leaps down from the roof and stabs the mage in the back, giving Hawke a chance to slash at the fighter.

The mage manages to throw a fireball at Storm, catching him in the face. Storm tries to stab back blindly, and the mage avoids it easily. As the fighter and Hawke fight, Lily steps in and slashes the fighter's flank. Rakim follows suit, leaping at the mage.

"Don't think cutting down your former compatriots will make me trust you," Lily warns him.

Rakim regards her quietly, then gives a respectful nod of acknowledgement.

With the immediate threat dealt with, Shep takes the opportunity to tend Storm's wounds. "Ah, right... Princess Lily!" he calls over. "I received a warning - there's several setting an ambush in that building by the docks. We need to warn Zenia, or deal with them ourselves. And they think they saw the enemy commander slip into the armory."

"I see - and you think this is a reliable source? One of the villagers told you that?" Lily asks.

"Yes," Storm says. "He was hiding in that house there."

"Thank Grima," Lily says quietly. "So there's at least a few survivors. We weren't entirely too late."

---

Over at the docks, Harv rubs a vulnerary on his wound. "That lightnin' magic bites like a... I dunno. Some sorta arthropod."

"A what?" Zenia asks. "No, nevermind. I don't care. It looks like they've managed to clear
most of the foes in the town center. Should we clear the fools from the end of the docks and greet them?" She points her blade at the three pirates still blockading the shoreline. "Or wait for them to come to us...? What's the custom in this country?"

"There's no consensus on the decorum o' beaheadin' homocidal malefactors, ma'am. But I'd advocate on the side o' forbearance and give them the liberty o' comin' t' us," Harv suggests.

"Your manner of speech is so confounding..." Zenia snarls. "Very well. I'll give them a few moments before I lose my patience and claim the heads myself. Just long enough to figure out what in the gods' names you just said."

"Vulnerary?" Harv offers.

Zenia turns her nose up with a haughty grunt.

---

Gale 11/13
Kelly 8/11
Storm 10/11
Hawke 5/12

Harv 9/12
Zenia 13/20

(A) Prioritize healing
(B) Set an ambush at the port authority
(C) Search for the captain in the armory
(D) Prioritize recruiting Zenia
(E) Prioritize visiting houses

B

Lily's team moves into position around the port authority.  Hawke and Storm fly up to the roof of the houses across the street and the authority, respectively.  Shep patches Hawke's injuries.  Gale, Rakim, and Lily gather at the door while Kelly stays back, ready to charge, taking advantage of the moment of peace to smear some vulnerary across her wounds.

"H-hey, what are they doing?" one of the pirates guarding the docks asks his partner quietly.

"Iunno.  Maybe we been found out?" another whispers back.

"What should we do?"

"Iunno.  Boss said to stand here and not let anyone by, no matter what."

"So we just keep standing here and ignore them?"

"Iunno.  Yes?"

---

Zenia observes Lily's group with interest.  "What are they up to?  Hmph.  Shouldn't they be rushing to do their duty?"

"Iunno," Harv answers.  "Perhaps they're makin' a brief inquiry in tha' port 'thority 'bout the prevailin' circumstance?"

"I doubt anyone's still alive to answer them," Zenia says.  "But I suppose searching for survivors should be their priority over greeting us.  Well, I'm not petty.  I can wait my turn."

---

Who will go into the Port Authority?

(A) Lily
(B) Gale
(C) Hawke
(D) Storm
(E) Rakim
(F) Kelly
(G) Shep
(H) Just stand outside and yell

Lily signals Gale to head inside.  Gale bends over with a smirk, then dashes through the door in the form of a giant, dark bunny.  A surprised yell can be heard coming from inside, and the sound of people rushing to action.  The sound of swords swinging and axes crashing against tables, all accentuated with the sound of Gale laughing uproariously.  "You guys suck at tag!"  Another loud crash.  "Missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me~!"  Someone yells angrily.  "Aw, you almost had me that time!  C'mo-o-o-o-on, at least give me a challenge!"  The sounds of several people rushing.  "Aw, no fair all ganging up on one li'l bunny!  I hate when people do that!  And I'm very vengeful.  Just~ ask~ the prin~cess~~~!"

Lily grimaces.

Gale leaps out of the door with only a few scratches to show for it.  Several of the bandits come rushing out hot on her heels; a few missing chunks of skin where Gale's torn into them.  Lily's group sets upon them immediately.  Rakim swings at the first out of the door, beheading the pirate without any difficulty.  Storm dives down on the wounded mercenary, deftly impaling him on his lance.  Hawke's wyvern slams into a pirate.  The pirate swings back wildly, unable to get past the wyvern before Hawke buries an axe into his head.  Kelly tramples a fighter underfoot before turning and impaling him on her lance.

The last mercenary takes a stand in the doorway.  Lily rushes him with her blade.  He deflects it with his own, and chops back at her.  She ducks low, then slashes with a rising blow.  The mercenary steps to the side and leaps at her.

"Lily!" Gale calls out.  She slams her hips against Lily's and knocks her out of the way of the blow, then kicks out at the mercenary.  The mercenary staggers back, then punches at Gale.  She hops out of the way.

"Gale...!" Lily yells.  She reaches down and places a hand on her tome, chanting a spell before the mercenary can react.  A shadow races out, erupting behind the mercenary and sending him staggering forward.  Gale grabs him into a fearsome hug, quickly crushing his spine.

"Aw, thanks Lily!  Hehe..." Gale giggles as she drops the corpse.

"How cute," Shep says as he runs his staff across Gale's back.

"Uh...  Should we...?" one of the dock-guarding pirates asks.

"Just keep standing here and look tough," his compatriot answers.

At the end of the dock, Zenia folds her arms and regards Lily with a quiet contempt.  Harv continues applying his vulnerary.

---

Zenia: 13/20 HP
Storm: 10/11 HP
Kelly: 9/11 HP
Lily: 8/11
Hawke: 10/12

(A) Cut through to Zenia
(B) Visit the remaining houses
(C) Go search for the enemy leader at the armory
(D) Wait and recover

A

Bee

Lily moves to cover the north as the group starts carefully making their way through town.  To her displeasure, Zenia pushes past Rakim to join her side.  "I never thought I'd prefer the company of a murderous psychopath to a foreign dignitary," Lily mutters under her breath.  Gale snickers behind them.  Zenia gives her an annoyed, questioning glance as the two fighters charge the pair.

Zenia effortlessly parries the axe wielder's chop and returns a horizontal slash to his neck without hesitation.  The fighter drops to the ground, clutching at his throat.  Lily dances back from the other fighter's attack with a quick shuffle, then steps back in with a thrust.  The fighter tries to swat it away but only manages to redirect it into his off arm.  Lily sees movement out of the corner of her eye and expects Zenia to step in to help.  When Zenia folds her arms and quietly observes her, Lily feels herself hit a boiling point.  She raises her rapier skyward, then brings it down in a diagonal slash, whirls around, and rises in a crosses slash.  "GAAAAHHH!" she screams as she reels back, then stabs violently through the intersection.  Zenia gives a slight nod of approval as Lily struggles to kick the corpse off her blade.

Shep taps Zenia on the shoulder.  "Excuse me, but you seem to be injured.  May I?"

"Do not touch me, healer," Zenia growls.  "I am-"

Shep whacks her in the head with the end of his staff, just hard enough to get his point across.  "So long as you're injured, you're my patient.  No more and no less.  Now hold still," he says forcefully.

"Hm...  Ha.  I think I like this one."  Zenia gives him an intimidating grin and lets him go to his work.

One of the mages steps forward and throws a fireball at Gale.  She rolls out of the way.  Storm flies just over her head and stabs the mage.  The mage manages to hold himself together, staggering back to throw another fireball despite bleeding heavily.  It passes inches from Storm's face.  He shrugs it off and presses the attacking, bringing the mage down.

The other mage raises a hand and sends a gust of wind at Kelly.  She winces as it slashes her ear and flank, then raises a javelin and returns the attack.  The mage, rather than avoiding the attack, tries to blow the javelin off-course.  It does not work.

The pirate comes barreling down the road.  Harv calmly pulls out a hand axe and throws it at him, catching his shoulder.  The pirate bellows and keeps charging.  Harv doesn't falter, calmly chucking another axe.  This one embeds itself in the pirate's skull.

With nothing better to do, Hawke visits one of the houses to check for survivors.  He finds an old woman sitting stock still in a large chair.  He shrugs, assuming she's already dead.  He turns to walk out until she calls out to him.  "Oh?  That crest... you're a member of the royal guard?  Hm...  Just like my darling husband used to be before he retired, then passed on..."

"Er...  Huh.  Interesting.  Sorry, but I don't exactly have time to talk right now.  You should be fine here, but maybe hide somewhere?" Hawke suggests.

"I'm too old for crawling under beds and in closets.  Hm...  Oh, I suppose you might be here for that dignitary lady?  Rumor had it she'd be arriving today...  What was her name...  Zani...  Zen...  Zenia?  Ah, yes, Zenia.  Champion Zenia.  Some people call her 'The Countess,' but I hear she absolutely hates that nickname..."

"So we've noticed," Hawke says.

"Now run along, dearie, go back to playing with your friends.  They probably need you.  This old lady will be fine..."  The old woman goes back to quietly sitting in her chair.

Rakim slips into the house where he left the little girl from before.  "Are you still here?" he asks.  A quiet squeak issues from the cupboard as she pokes her head out.  Rakim crouches down a bit and speaks softly.  "Come on out.  I found somewhere better for you to hide."

She steps out and nods, holding what looks like a blanket.  Rakim leads her out of the house, then points towards the docks.  "There.  That ship.  We just cleared a path, so you have time.  Run."

The young girl looks around for a moment.  She notices Gale and subtly ducks behind Rakim.  Gale lets out a soft whimper.  "Oh..."

"Don't worry about the blood in her fur, she's friendly enough," Rakim assures her.  "Now run along, and be careful not to slip on the docks.  They're slick with blood."

The girl nods again, and hands her blanket to Rakim, then takes off running for the ship.  Rakim watches until she makes it to the docks, then turns back to the battle.

Lily observes the exchange silently, only approaching Rakim after she's up the gangplank.  She observes him with a new interest.  "Hm...  Perhaps I misjudged you."

"No, I don't believe you did," Rakim assures her.

"If nothing else, I've decided I owe you a chance," Lily says.  She glances down at the blanket Rakim received from the girl.  "What's this?"

"Her blanket, I suppose.  Though I do not understand why she gave it to me...  I suppose I should hang onto it and return it later?"

Lily's eyes widen in realization.  "Rakim...  This is an Angelic Robe...!?  What would a little girl be doing with something like this...?"  Rakim shrugs and hands it to Lily.

---

Received angelic robe!

---

(A) Pick off the last enemies before moving towards the boss
(B) Visit the last house
(C) Wait
(D) Rush the boss