Rise of the Kobold God-King

[Genth]

Travelling through the Hold of Belkzen is a dangerous prospect at the best of times, the Orcish tribes not taking overly kindly to those who appear weak. On the Hillcross-Urgir road, there are only two ways to remain safe – be armed to the teeth, or pay up to one of the tribes for a Pass-Banner, an Orcish totem that promises swift retribution to any who would dare attack a ‘tribune’ of the tribe.

The Flameclaws have long been hired by the Half-Orc Kargin to clear the way in his territory of bandits and thieves, a pocket of Kobold law as opposed to Orcish madness. They are used to, every once in a while, being ordered by their God King to descend towards the Road and dispense vengeance on those who disturb the peace of their land.

Today should be no exception. Kargin send word to Mal, a letter held in the talons of a raven:

“Orcs approach from the south. A band of 20, with blacked out totems and banners. I don’t trust them. I want them gone.”

This alone is not unusual - Kargin has used Mal to edge orcish warbands away from his inn now and then. The blacked out totems is unusual, orcs are very attached to their symbols.

The journey from the caves where the God-king of the Kobolds rested to the road takes a half-night of marching, and another half-night before they arrive at the destination, just into the morning sun. The kobolds are tired, weary of the sun above already, and quiet complaining abounds.

So Mal’s subjects ended up here, on a hill perhaps five miles from the Orc’s location. Above, the sun shines in a sky of bright, almost icy blue, the wind coming from the north and bitterly cold. Patchy grass rises to meter-high scrubs on the tops of the rolling hills, the roadway taking a rather sudden zig-zag – a perfect place for an ambush.

One of the Kobolds, a particularly sneaky youngster by the name of ‘Olk’ returns from his scouting.
“My God-Lord, the orcs have a scaled one with them. Red.” He says, voice rasping and almost annoyingly high pitched. “There are 22 green skins. Light armor. Big swords.” He describes, glancing around slightly nervously. “They’ve stopped for the day, but are only about an hour away. What do we do?”

[Tacitus]

Mal'Torga stands on the rise overlooking the road in the shape of a powerful kobold with ghostly scales that give the hints of muscle and organ just beyond, an ethereal figure of power and authority as his voice rumbles out in a godly bass grossly out of proportion with his small stature, "We were hoping for more time to deal with this problem. Taking them by night would have of course been ideal." He grunts and scans the area once again, his mind racing with possibilities for angle of attack and methods for crushing whatever surprises this band may have for him. He picks out a few places for his troops to take up positions that favor reckless offense that would leave them in the open if not for his ability to impart invisibility upon allies. He selects a few spots in his mind where bear traps can be concealed without much effort on the road should the band attempt to flee further back up[ the road instead of back the way they came and determines the best place to drop a magical trap of his own in the center of the road. Satisfied he has an idea percolating for the coming ambush he glances to Olk, "Regardless, victory will be ours. Describe the scaled one to me more. I must know if they will be added to my dominion or if I must eat their heart and add their power in that manner instead. I must know size, what it has been doing, details!"

[Genth]

"My Lord, the scaled one was red of scale. They looked normal sized for our people. Had a scar on left side, big talon by the look of it." Olk replies, as the rest of the Kobolds spring into action, dashing down into the road to set up the traps, moving to the ordered positions. Olk looks nervous. "Lord, as I said, the greenskins have stopped for the day. If you so order, I will go and watch them until they move, and run back as fast as I can."

[Tacitus]

Spoiler

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I doubt it'd change the post any, but he was just planning, not directing troops into position or to lay out traps yet.

Mal nods to Olk, "Be on your way. Return the very moment it seems that they will be breaking camp. Be wary for any scouts or sentries they may have." He looks to his assembled warband and gives a brief gesture, a simple command for the highest ranking among them to step forward. He barely gives the kobold a second glance as it approaches, "By my grace I will be weakening the hold of the sun on the hillside here, and I expect a rested raiding party once the time for combat arrives. Set watches. Further, alongside the bear traps we carry, has our alchemist made any progress on the creation of ditherbombs and have we any with us, or has he exploded again?" As he awaits a reply he gestures to the hillside on the far side from the ambush and their enemy and several globes of Darkness spring into being, creating a well shaded place for his troops to rest.

[Genth]

Olk bows low and dashes away, holding his body low to the ground and weaving slightly as he moves through the undergrowth. Your other servants seem to be relieved by the darkness you kindly cast for them to use, scurrying across the landscape to burrow and hide within it's cool confines.

The highest ranked Kobold, an older specimen badly scarred by flames, bows and steps forwards. "My Lord. Your generosity is unbound. As for the alchemist, he has managed to transport three ditherbombs with us without.. accident." he says, gesturing to a single Kobold who remains about 50 feet away from the rest of the party at all times, sitting beside a small cart, the wheels attached to some form of rope contraption intended to keep the thing level.

As the Kobolds go to rest, they organize among themselves their own watches and arrangements, the majority of them sleeping in a large heap in the center of the darkness.

[Tacitus]

Mal is perfectly happy to leave the ditherbombs as far away as possible while keeping them close enough at hand to make use when the time for combat comes. Ditherbombs are one of the few nonmagical means that disrupt his ability to reshape his physical form when it receives damage, but the applications of the bombs in both mining and combat are unmistakable. Every few minutes he reinforces the darkness over his troops, staggering two applications to overlap in duration to ensure his troops can rest. He returns his gaze to the potential battlefield and simply waits, running through combat scenarios in his mind while he waits for Olk to return or one of the perimeter sentries to spy anyone approaching their position.

[Genth]

It takes many hours before there is a change, the sun carving its way across the sky as it has done since the Age of Darkness. The wind drops off during the day, until by the time the inky night creeps across the landscape, it is still, and quiet.

Mal hears a pitter-patter of feet from the south, and Olk hews into view, looking distinctly the worse for wear, his eyes pale, evidently in sore need of sleep. His arm is crudely wrapped in leaves, blood crusted from bite marks... likely self inflicted to stay awake.

"Lord, they break camp. They will be here within the hour."

Spoiler: OOC

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Ok, please tell me what your tactics are for the battle, followed by a OM check. Consider your army's ACR=1 for this check, before any modifiers you can apply to it directly.

[Tacitus]

Mal lays a hand on Olk's shoulder on his uninjured side, "You have done well, and you honor this tribe with your vigilance. Retreat to the far side of the hill and rest, you will be cared for more extensively once we achieve victory." He ushers his troops towards him, and with a surge of power the flow of combat begins surging through the lot of them, empowering their bodies to resist harm under Mal's will. He begins describing his plans to his kobolds, gesturing to locations when appropriate, "You lot, take what bear traps we have available and lay them out on the road beyond this point to catch any trying to move up the road and out of our snare. We will lay in wait out of sight in scrub alongside the road on either side with several waiting under cover of invisibility to close the trap from behind once they pass. Timing for this will be crucial as I cannot sustain such invisibility forever. I will plant myself in my ascended form in the road under cover of invisibility and provide every grace that I am able. The scaled one lives, if he resists too much his knees may be broken so long as he is not killed. I want their leader alive as well. Right, lets get to it!"

While his kobolds go about laying traps he selects what position he will hold and lays down a violent trap with his mastery of Destruction in case anyone should charge his position, should his invisibility fade. Once the sentries report the oncoming orcs are within five minutes of reaching the ambush position he reaches out to link his troops telepathically so communication is instant and silent while also providing invisibility to the kobolds that will wait to encircle the enemy from behind. Once satisfied that his troops are in position he veils himself as well and takes up his position, transforming from a mere kobold into a pillar of obsidian and flame that would surely be terrifying for the enemies to behold once he bursts into view once the trap is sprung. Power in him mounts as flames begin to writhe around his hidden form with increased ferocity as his allies feel a rush of power in their bodies, reinforcing their small frames with incredible resilience.

Spoiler

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So, some quick math here. ACR 1, so OM and DV are +1 and 11, Commander talent gives me +1 to OM and DV for OM +2 and DV 12, Morale is +12 (11cha, 1 from the talent), modified by the group's current morale. DV may be further modified by terrain bonuses and circumstance.
DV may be much higher (+10) once my totems are in place, under the assumption of Significant Defenses from my Momentum pool (-11 damage from an attack for 1 point from a pool of 23) and totems which grant a sort of damage reflection and temporary HP.
Being Ruler of the kobolds, being lead in combat by mean may also offer the Bloodied but Unbroken and Loyalty boons, which offers +2 to OV below 1/2HP of the army and +4 to Morale checks.

If needed, Fort vs Fatigue: (1d20+15)[17] vs DC 15

-Resilient Momentum: 1sp, creates a Momentum Pool of 24 points, allies within 60ft of Mal may reduce damage from an attack by 11 by spending a point, no action type listed. Pool remains for 13 hours.
-Blast Trap will be placed 5ft in front of the position Mal will take, which triggers when anyone else enters the square. Search/Disable Device DC 27, Reflex for half DC 27. No Spell Point Cost. Trap lasts for over 2 hours.
Piercing damage, rolls of 1 or 2 are changed to 3. (12d6)[3][6][2][2][2][3][2][4][4][2][6][2](38) [will edit in final damage number Edit: 44 Piercing]

Five minutes before army is set to arrive Invisibility on 10 kobolds, darkness where it will help, start Mind Link with allies, enter Totemic Ascension on the road, use the following totems on myself, which gives them a 60ft range. Releasing all totems immediately, and totems remain active until I leave Totemic Form instead of ending almost immediately.
-Totem of War: Allies gain +4 weapon damage, 0sp [!!This would likely add +1 or 2 OM for mass combat instead of this bonus!!]
-Blood Totem: When an enemy in the area attacks an ally within the area, the ally takes 3 less damage and enemy takes 3 damage that bypasses DR. 1sp
-Scourging Totem: Enemies take 1/2CL [6] Fire damage when entering the area and 6 fire damage at the end of each of my turns. 1sp [this one will be activated likely as a readied action to signal the trap springing.] [Not sure how this would affect mass combat]
-Invigorating Totem: Allies gain 1 temporary HP each round, to a limit of 13. 1sp

Mind Link: Know location and direction to Mind-Linked creatures and any conditions affecting them, all Mind-Linked gain telepathy with others in Mind-Link. Duration is 1 minute per round of Psionics expended. May sustain a second Psionics alongside Mind-Link.

Total SP remaining: 38/42
Symbiat Psionics Rounds remaining: 17/22

Totemic Ascension: AC changes to 21, become Immobile, Spell Immune, can only perform mental actions, or an expanded action set 1/hour. May still create Totems as per the War sphere.

Initially we'll start with an Aggressive strategy, lowering DV by -2, increasing OM by +2, and offering +3 damage.
That means OM +4 (+3 Damage, +more?), DV 10 (+?), Morale +12
OM: (1d20+4)[5]

[Genth]

It takes only half an hour before black banners can be seen on the road, the hazy image resolving swiftly into a band of orcs, their armor haphazard, and clearly from different clans. Being carried on the shoulders of one in the middle is a red-scaled Kobold, wearing clothes of all things, a hooded robe. They have no idea of what is in store for them, and in moments they are in the jaws of the King's trap. Your plan is perfect, and on any other day would have been unbeatable.

...then it was carried out by Kobolds.

The initial stages of the battle go well. The hidden kobolds leap out and attack, peppering the foe from all angles. The orcs yell in pain and two of them go down in the first few moments of combat. Things start to go wrong when the alchemist appears to throw the ditherbomb into the middle of combat. Somehow, one of the orcs manages to catch it on a crude wooden shield and send it flying into the thicket of Kobolds to the south. The effects are devestating, and soon a full third of your force is on fire, and charging into melee combat with the superior orcs. The magics you wove were excellent, and served your minions well, potentially saving lives as their formation breaks, and a full half of the kobolds dive forward to try and take on the orcs in hand-to-hand combat. Five minutes later, and the orcs are retreating, drawing into a tight formation and bursting through the Kobold lines, running at a pace your minions cannot match.

You notice, however, that the Redscale is not among them. And nor is there a body among the wreckage.

You've lost over half your minions. This has not been a good battle.

[Tacitus]

As combat begins to slip and discipline crumbles Mal does his best to try to redirect spell power where he can, doing everything in his power to bolster his troops from the form of an ascended totem. However, once the orcs break his lines he looses a roar of frustration into the psychic network enabling communication with his kobolds as his form of obsidian and fire explodes in a gout of haunting ghostly flame, leaving behind his kobold form. He gestures at the two least wounded of his number and commands, "Find the Redscale! The rest of you, tend the wounded!" With a surge of power he warps towards the fleeing orcs and rushes after them at best speed from the air, intending to chase them down and annihilate their number with a surge of frigid cold drawn down from the highest peaks through his memories. His intent is to leave at least one alive, but in his rage he is happy to murder them all.

Spoiler

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Between a 60ft fly speed and the ability to teleport 200ft with a standard act and 1sp I'm hoping to catch them quickly.
PF's cone of cold has a slowing component for any that fail the save, but I imagine they will likely be dead if they fail.
Cold: (9d10)[51] Ref DC 26 partial

How many rounds was combat? My mental link is measured in minutes and I need to know how many to mark off. I'll be sustaining the link during the chase unless it takes more than like 15 minutes.

Ideally one will be left alive I can then subdue non-lethally, but Mal isn't really trying too hard for that.

[Genth]

As you rise into the air, you see the small band of orcs running down the road in a swift, tight formation. Perfect target for a blast, and so it comes, the creatures barely having enough time to react before their bodies are overcome by the frigid blast of magical energy, toppling like wheat before the scythe. You land, and cannot see a single member of the cohort moving, quite dead from your assault. When you look closer at the banners, you see that they have been painted black in haste, the remnants of a half-dozen tribal markings just visible beneath the paint. There is nothing else for a good 200 feet around you, and you sense nothing.

Yet...

"Not bad. I'll see you tonight, 'King'. Sleep well." speaks a voice in your ear. You almost immediately recognize it as illusory, the slight reverberation not matching the air around you.

When you return to the kobolds, picking up the pieces, they look dejected, downtrodden. The dead are being stacked on the side of the road, stripped of useful items, and the wounded have been placed on crude litters. They say they have found no trace of the Red Kobold, not of how it could have vanished.