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>>852893
You follow Commander Blumstein through the surprisingly busy streets of Jaipur. Although the city has a military base, that's not where she takes you. No, the Commander brings you to a small curry restaurant that's quite literally a hole in the wall.

"Eshan, we're here."

There are just enough seats at the counter for the six of you.

"Come in and make yourselves comfortable." The young chef doesn't look away from his curry as you sit down. "Finally come to make yourselves useful?"

"We were busy elsewhere," Commander Blumstein says. "We came as soon as we could."

Despite his pretty boy appearance, Eshan is the wielder of the Brahmastra, a Relic so powerful that, if it's not handled properly, it can and will turn this entire country, along with most of its neighbours, into a crater as deep as the Earth's mantle. Unfortunately, that kind of power makes it difficult to use.

"What have you got for us?" You ask him.

"If you want to draw out Andhaka, I can point you in the right direction," Eshan says as he serves you each a plate of spicy curry. "You just need to target his operations. If you go after some of his mortal cultists, it won't even be difficult. Right now, I can think of an army moving on Gurgaeon, a military outpost in Bhopal and a new shipment of slave out of Bangalore."

"I can get you wherever you need to go," Francis says. "And damn, this curry is hot."

"That's the point, Francis," Eshan says.

"I'd like to defend Gurgaeon or free the slaves," Selene says. "A hero should defend the people."

"There are some benefits to attacking the military outpost," Natsumi says. "It would make it easier to suppress the remainder of Andhaka's army once we are done."

Although mop-up duty isn't really your problem.

- "We'll defend Gurgaeon."
- "We'll attack Bhopal."
- "We'll free the slaves from Bangalore."

>>852897
>- "We'll defend Gurgaeon."

>>852897
- "We'll defend Gurgaeon."

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>>852897
"Since the lady recommended it, is there anything we need to know about Gurgaon?"

"It used to be a major business centre," Eshan says, "but the Fortune 500 moved out after, well, I'm sure you can figure that part out. It's not destitute yet, but it's been in a state of decline for several years. I'd rather it didn't get worse?"

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Orianne asks. "Defenses, the enemy's strength, that sort of thing?"

"Expect Andhaka's forces to have a lot of guns, but only normal cars," Eshan says. "They won't have military transports. At most, they'll have some civilian-grade helicopters like the kind they use for news reports."

"I'll monitor the situation as usual," Commander Blumstein says. "If there are any issues, you know to pull out."

"That's what she said."

"Not now, Francis."

You finish your curry and Eshan wishes you good luck on your mission. Francis, as always, drops you off in Gurgaon. It's not a massive city, but it was heavily developed before the invasions and many skyscrapers remain.

And yet the streets are eerily empty; people have heard about the incoming troops and have either fled or hidden.

"Looks like it's just us." You look around and sigh. "Where do you want to get started?"

"I'd recommend scouting the place out," Orianne says. "If we can recruit some people, I might be able to make use of them."

"I won't involve civilians!" Selene protests. "It would be an insult to our status as divine protectors of humanity! We should simply find a defensible position and prepare our counterattack."

You turn to Natsumi next.

"We already know where they will be attacking," she says. "We could trap the road."

- [DC9] "Let's scout around."
- [DC9] "Let's set up our defenses."
- [DC9] "Let's place some traps."

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>853063
Split up and do all 3

>>853094
I'm going to have to veto this.

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>853131
...........fine
- [DC9] "Let's place some traps."

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>>853063
"We won't be able to defend ourselves to victory," you say. "We'll need a little more offense than that. Let's set up some traps."

Natsumi looks thrilled that you decided to go along with her plans, while Selene is just happy that you're not conscripting random people to help you fight whatever armed mob of cultists is coming your way.

"We did bring a few things with us," Orianne says. "Obstructing the road shouldn't be too difficult."

The army will be coming in from the south, which makes it much easier for you to decide where to put your traps.

Spiked chains, rubble, radio-detonated explosives, smashing up the road… You do everything you can to ruin the enemy's approach and give yourself a chance to kill a few of them.

There's also Gleipnir, of course. By sacrificing the use of your Relic during the battle, you can let it loose to bind and snare whoever gets in its way. As long as it's only mortals, letting Gleipnir act independently isn't a problem at all.

- [DC9] Have Gleipnir supplement the traps.
- Keep Gleipnir with you for now.

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>853216
>- [DC9] Have Gleipnir supplement the traps.

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>853216
>- [DC9] Have Gleipnir supplement the traps.

>>853314
you sir are a young god

>>853331
y thank you i try its good to play again with mortals

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>>853216
"Gleipnir, I need you to run interference for now."

"Understood."

Your Relic obediently uncoils itself from your arm and spreads out across the street to catch whoever passes by.

"I think that's everything we can do with the equipment we have on hand right now," you say. "Or does anyone have any other ideas?"

"This should be enough to stall them," Orianne says. "We should take our positions next."

You have a few options on that front. The first is to launch a surprise attack and lure them into your traps. It'll get things done faster, but it'll cost you the element of surprise and if you make a mistake, the enemy might be too cautious to fall into the traps. You could also set up an ambush to go with the traps, but the area isn't easily defended; you might be beaten back if you're faced with too much firepower. The last option is to just fall back to the city itself and wait for the traps to deplete the enemy. That way, the enemy will be wounded and tired before they get to you, but it'll also place the city in danger.

- Launch a pre-emptive attack.
- Set up an ambush near the traps.
- Wait inside the city.

>>853352
>- Set up an ambush near the traps.

>>853352
> inside the city
can Selene snipe them from the inside?

>>853352
Ambush

>>853352
>- Wait inside the city.
try to find people to hep out as well

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Hello, tie, my old friend.

>>853359
>>853382
1

>>853363
>>853393
2

>>853433
yes ow we can drop building on people woop woop

>>853462
You mean destroy the city we are supposed to protect?

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>>853352
"We'll set up an ambush," you say. "Selene, find a spot behind us and to the side so you have a clear shot. Orianne, take the left while Natsumi takes the right. Move in to attack as soon as the attackers are on foot. I'll stay back a little and find a spot in the middle so I can provide support to whoever needs it."

The squad disperses and everyone takes their positions, making sure to stay as far away from the traps themselves as possible. After all, it wouldn't do for one of you to get caught in the explosions.

You hear the incoming trucks before you see them, and when you do peek behind your cover, you confirm Eshan's guess. The attackers are all in ordinary civilian vehicles, although there are more than a few guns sticking out of the windows. You let them proceed until they're just in the right spot.

The lead care rolls over a spiked strip and its tires pop. That's your signal.

You push the button on your detonator and the explosives you'd set up explode, taking out several cars. Meanwhile, your Relic makes itself known, immobilizing much of the convoy and snaring a few people who'd gotten out of their vehicles.

There are a lot of screams and aimless shooting. You hear a few more screams, which suggests that Andhaka's people are shooting each other.

It's almost time for Orianne and Natsumi to join the fight.

- [DC9] Run around and hit the convoy from behind.
- [DC9] Hit the convoy head-on.
- [DC9] Stay hidden and wait for an opportunity.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>853489

- [DC9] Run around and hit the convoy from behind.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>853484
not all of them just some to help make chock points if it comes to it.
they can rebuild
- [DC9] Stay hidden and wait for an opportunity.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>853494
1
>>853512
2

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>>853489
An ambush isn't complete without a surprise attack from the rear. You dart from cover to cover and reach the back of the convoy before Orianne and Natsumi can begin their attack. Distracted as they are by the explosions and the chaos, Andhaka's militia doesn't pay you the slightest bit of attention.

Once you reach the back of the convoy, you hide behind some cover and wait.

Natsumi strikes first, cutting two people down with her long, thin blade. She wields it more deftly than Orianne can manage with Joyeuse, but Orianne can put more force into her strikes, which she uses to cut open a car.

You emerge from your cover when you see someone step out of a car holding a grenade launcher. Your punch hits them square in the back and they fall to the ground, trying and failing to twist in pain on account of their shattered spine.

The battle is in your favour and there's little mundane weapons can do against Relics, but since Gleipnir is currently helping the traps, you are technically unarmed. Your boxing is top-notch, but a gun has its own advantages.

- [DC9] No time to waste, continue fisticuffs.
- [DC9] Scrounge up a weapon. There are plenty around, starting with the grenade launcher.

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>853618
>- [DC9] Scrounge up a weapon. There are plenty around, starting with the grenade launcher.

>>853618
>- [DC9] Scrounge up a weapon. There are plenty around, starting with the grenade launcher.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>853641
>>853639
for once we think the same

>>853618
> EXPLOSIONS

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>>853618
You need a weapon. Conveniently, there's one right at your feet. You pick up the discarded grenade launcher, plant your feet on the guy you just crippled and shoot off a grenade at one of the middle trucks.

Sadly, it doesn't explode in a nice fireball, but it does spray shrapnel all over the place. Militiamen scream and grab at their wounded limbs, many dropping their weapons in the process. Unfortunately, you don't have too many grenades to shoot, but Orianne and Natsumi are advancing anyway and you don't want them to get caught in the collateral.

So you toss the grenade launcher aside and grab a good old-fashioned gun that shoots bullets. One in the centre mass to knock the enemy down and a double-tap to the head to make sure they don't get back up. Yeah, it spends bullets very feast, but it's the best way you've found to make sure the target is well and truly dead.

The battle's going your way, but then one of the militiamen - his clothes are fancier, so he might be some kind of officer or leader - raises his hands in praise.

"For Andhaka! FOR ANDHAKA!"

The others join in the foul exultation and attack with renewed vigour.

- [DC9] Time to crush their morale.
- [DC9] Just keep fighting.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>853749
>- [DC9] Time to crush their morale.

>>853755
but my morale was crushed

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>853749
>- [DC9] Time to crush their morale.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>853749
crush their morale

>>853755
>>853769
>>853777
wow we suck

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>853749
This roll will crush our morale!

>>853794
you right it did

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>>853749
They're running on bluster; there's no way this can last.

"You think -"

Before you can even finish that sentence, you're swarmed by a bunch of people with clubs and batons. It is mildly embarrassing and you will never, ever speak of this again. Especially not to Neil.

Fortunately, a rain of arrows falls before you're too badly overwhelmed and the cultists fall. You'll have to thank Selene for the assist later.

Despite the minor set back, the traps and the beating the cultists have received so far allows you to make short work of them. Your uniform is torn and you've got a couple of bruises, but it only serves to make you look manlier.

Or at least that's what you tell yourself.

You gaze at the broken cultists and think of a way to draw Andhaka's attention.

"The city is safe for now, Commander."

"Good, but that's only the first part," Commander Blumstein tells you telepathically.

"I was just about to consult you about the second."

"According to Eshan, you just need to humiliate the cultists or force them to pray for assistance."

That doesn't sound too difficult.

- [DC9] Time to deliver an old-fashioned humiliation.
- [DC9] It shouldn't be hard to make them beg.

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>853892
>- [DC9] Time to deliver an old-fashioned humiliation.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>853892
> - [DC9] Time to deliver an old-fashioned humiliation.
Make them do the chicken dance

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>>853892
"It's time to deliver an old-fashioned humiliation." You crack your knuckles and turn to the rest of your team. "You might want to look away for this next part."

Walking away from a fight is humiliating in general, but walking away from a fight naked? That's several orders of magnitude worse. It's also not very pretty to look at, but it'll hopefully get the job done.

The storm clouds gathering above you are a good indication of that.

"Eamon, what's happening? I'm sensing something strange."

"I believe Andhaka caught the bait, Commander," you answer. "He's coming."

"Francis will be bringing Eshan to your shortly."

"That's an unnecessary gesture," Selene says while flicking her hair. "We are more than enough to handle this foul creature."

In a instant, the Vimana is above you.

"No." Eshan glances at the clouds ahead and jumps down to the ground before Francis departs. "You're not."

- "So how bad is Andhaka?"
- "We'll be fine if we stick together."
- "You can take over, if you want."

>>853971
>- "So how bad is Andhaka?"

>>853971
>- "So how bad is Andhaka?"

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>>853971
"So how bad is Andhaka?"

"He's not so bad in his standard form," Eshan does. "But his combat form…"

The clouds gather together and shift into specific shapes. There's a head and six arms and the ground sinks to make way for a torso that's several miles wide. The clouds solidify into blood-red flesh while the sky burns up ahead. The battle form of Andhaka stands before you, taller than any mountain you've ever seen.

"Who dares?" Every word that comes out of Andhaka's mouth causes the earth to tremble and crack. "Who dares shame my servants? Who dares shame the great Andhaka? I shall break your body and make your women mine!"

"Oh, dear." Orianne smiles wryly. "Perhaps we shouldn't have antagonized it so much."

"The result would have been the same," Eshan says. "In this form, Andhaka's destructive power is immense. We've fought before, but the collateral damage was too great; I had to flee before pushing him too far."

"We'll have to make it count this time," you say. "No matter the cost, we might never have another chance like this."

>>854083
And that's all for today. Relic Quest will return on Sunday November 27th at 7PM EST. I'll also be running Beleaguered Prince Quest this Friday at 7PM EST. You can follow me on twitter @BeleagueredQM for updates.

Goodnight and thanks for playing.

>>854095
Thanks for the run as always
Quick question: is there a reason why Andhaka and Brahmastra seem so OP? I assumed all the top tier relics and eskathos would cap out at a roughly similar power level

>>854095

Such a cock tease
Gg
So we going to end up distrpying this city anyway when we fight him