More than Nothing: Skunks

[Part of the Party Time journal]

Years of peace living at Belesia has seen our heroes honing their abilities rather than idling by and doing nothing. Now Ughhh (Juris) can command a single target with one word for a short duration at conversation range, Moomba (mom) can turn herself and her gear invisible for as long as she holds her breath, Raah-min (Rose) can teleport "sprint" distance, and Jerghon G (DL) can use... smooth jazz? Ooookay. To balance all these a little they cannot spam these powers, each having a one turn "cool down" to keep it simple.

Eventually they are summoned by Lord Valois to a war council where they learn his cousin the King of Belesia passed away without an heir, and because the King married a Nakatskuni (a race of giant sized Japanese people, also derogatorily called "Skunks" ) noble woman the closest male relative to the crown is now Edo Wardthri, the current king of Nakatskuni! As the Belesian lords don't like that they've elected Lord Valois to be the new king instead which has upset King Edo who has launched an attack to claim "his lands".

Deployed with Marshal Poi deNa, their first battle is to hold Saint-Omer against the invading "skunks" where Ughhh simply opens the gate and walks out to accept a duel challenge that turns out to be a trap... for them, because that puts him into conversation range and he convinces their leader to basically surrender.

They then pursue the forces of Prince Yushun (Edo's son) in the North who hold a high hill and make use of their giant bows to annihilate much of the Belesian cavalry before Raah-min can get close enough to teleport up there and take them and the Prince out, while ambushers from the woods are stunned and confused by Jerghon G's "smooth jazz" which proves to be their undoing. 

The next mission involving stealthily poisoning enemy supplies during a storm at Black Pool sands is easily handled by the invisible Moomba who times her power to dodge the patrollers. Summoned by King Valois to bring forces across the Bergerac bridge the team loses only a small portion of cavalry men against the flanking archers and blockades to reach a massive field battle where both kings are present.

Casualty rates are high as half of King Valois own soldiers turn against him due to bribery but our heroes still come out on top, though they are all badly wounded and the last soldiers standing. 

[Inspired by the Hundred Years' War]