Part 6: Day 4: Evacuation

A couple orders of business before we meet up at the Great Hall! First, let's check out our new Heroes.



In addition to the turn order and hero selection, we can also equip items here! The number next to an item is the item's rank - a hero must be at least that advanced in order to use it.

Alette's Bracelet is a simple item that benefits anyone, so I'll go with what seems to make sense and give it to Alette.



Rook is a Hunter descended from a long line of Skor woodsmen. As huntmaster of Skogr, he wrestles between trying to raise his daughter Alette to be strong and self-sufficient and trying to protect her from harm - something he wasn't able to do with his late wife.

Since he promoted last battle, I'll go ahead and spend the Renown to increase his Rank, rounding out his Exertion and Break.



Egil is a Raidmaster who specializes in defense of himself and his allies. An orphan who has trained since childhood to use his shield, he almost definitely has a thing for Alette.



Alette is Rook's daughter, who has shown great interest in becoming a hunter ilke her father since her mother died wen she was a child. As an Eagle Eye, she specializes in piercing through enemy defenses.



Triggvi is a Spearmaster who doesn't have many friends. He's more or less the spear equivalent of that guy you knew in high school who spent way too much time talking about his knife collection.



Iver is the only varl living in Skogr, having wandered in to help the build the town without ever giving his reason for leaving varl lands. He's Rook's best friend.



Next, the Market! Here, you can trade Renown for supplies or equipment. For sale here:

Lightning Runestone: 10% critical chance, enemies are more likely to attack you over your allies.
Worldhook: +2 Break.
Statue of a Sightless Man: 20% chance to dodge Strength attacks, +2 Strength.

The items are tempting, but I'll have access to better down the road, and I want to stock up on Supplies. I spend 9 Renown to get 27 Supplies, and leave the equipment alone.



Next, let's take a look at the surrounding area!

Skogr's located approximately at the ass end of nowhere. East is the Vetur Sea, which few bother traveling - there are no ports of note along the east cost, the northern waters freeze over every winter, and nobody knows of anything beyond the sea you could sail to. South of Skogr is the Baa Harbour, a mess of ice and rock that made mankind finally give up trying to settle any further to the east. Nothing beyond that but the bleak and uninhabited Ravenhead.

North of Skogr is Blotsbalkr, eastmost of the varl settlements. Throstr, fourth of the varl kings, built it to be his seat of power, then died almost immediately. Only the most tenacious or foolish varl remain there now.

The road southwest from Skogr leads through a number of small towns - Bitra, Rike, Haukstorp - and continues past all of them at great length before ending at the distant and dubious city of Boersgard. The western road hits Frostvellr, a dying down next to a dried-up lake that doesn't welcome outsiders. Past Frostvellr is the Setterlund, a desolate arctic wasteland, followed by a network of roads connecting most of the varl territories.



And finally, a chat with Iver.



A few, sent them inside. Gods, this is bad. I'm out of practice, Rook.
Look. As long as I've known you, you've always wormed your way out of talking about dredge. This would e the time to start talking.
I can tell you they rarely stop for rest. The sooner we leave, the better. They'll follow us until we're tripping over tired women and children. Then they'll attack. Even after we're wiped out they'll keep coming, trampling corpses in their wake. There's no end to them.
...How did anyone survive the great wars?
Ask the menders. I wasn't there.
But I know you've fought your fair share.
Yeah. I've killed enough slag for one lifetime.
That's why you're going to save us now.
Don't lay that on me. Come on, let's get inside.



Time to figure out what to do about this.



The great hall is an utter din, filled as it is with dozens of terrified families.

Don't stop worrying yet.
I haven't. What in the depths is going on? Dredge milling around, ransacking houses?

The chieftain's wife finds you, pushing through the crowd.



Don't know. I wouldn't expect it to last.
I've made some decisions. But tell me straight, what would you both do in my place?
I'd have left by now. They're already outside the doors.



The chieftain sighs a deep and heavy breath, slumping. He looks years older.

I imagined us fighting back and "saving the town", but... nonsense. Iver's right, of course. We can't just wait to be slaughtered.
Where do we go? If dredge are coming down from the north...
Frostvellr, to the west. It's close and it has walls. I intend to be free of Skogr in one push, nobody left behind.
I wouldn't. If they follow us we're done.
What do you suggest?



And now it's time to make our first major decision! How shall we handle the evacuation of Skogr?

Should we evacuate immediately? This will get us to Frostvellr quickly, but we run the risk of the dredge biting at our heels the whole way there.
Should we create a distraction? This will help the villagers escape safely, but combat will be brutal and fighters may be lost.
Should we seize the warehouse? This will help us survive in the long run, but lives will almost certainly be lost on the way.

An additional question for people who vote to create a distraction: Should Alette come and fight with us, or stay to keep an eye on the chieftain?

Voting will last for 24 hours.