Battle Report #1: Arlon Rail
By: Artem/Airmed
Date: 64th of Radiant, 999 AOR
Location: Arlon Rail near Tinsberry Farm
Allies: Easy Marx
Foes: Corn Swarm
Others: Punch Boys
Overview:Encounter on the Arlon rail. Our train came to an abrupt halt amidst fields of corn. Some sort of strange corruption had stopped us on the tracks. The corruption took the form of giant elemental corn monsters. They were strong and really tested our ability to work together as a team. It appeared there may have been some sort of magical leyline leading out of the corruption creating the corn swarms.
Easy Marx:
Airmed - Taking a defensive role on top of the train, I was able to gain a sight advantage to assist with healing and battlefield control. My healing spirit aided The Punch Boys and a soldier who were on the opposite side of the train while I used my healing spells and crowd control to attempt to mitigate as much damage as possible.
Chief Paws - The agility of Chief Paws was very noticeable during this skirmish. The corn swarm would lash out and grab a hold of us and Chief Paws assisted with limb removal to loosen its grip.
Corky - While remaining hesitant to run full stop into the corn field, Corky spent his time looking for the perfect time to strike, and when he did it was devastating. Catapulting Stefano through the air right into the heart of the swarm, the final blow was delivered by way of bludgeoning and fire damage.
Gyome - Gyome quickly deduced that this monster likely did not react well to fire. This was the case. Gyome strategically dropped bonfire after bonfire to create limited movement opportunities for the swarm to advance further. With the fires set by Gyome I was able to create a stream of wind to fan the flames directly over the corn swarm.
Leozumin - Running headfirst into the cornfield Leozumin confronted the corn swarm in melee combat. With his defenses bolstered and his punches strong, Leo stopped the corn swarm in its tracks due to his sentinel like abilities. This helped take the focus off the rest of us and allowed us to gain control of the situation.
Others:
The Punch Boys - While The Punch Boys fought diligently on their side of the train it appears they had stretched their resources somewhat thin. One member of the team Ferd may have not survived without the aid that was provided to them by us.
Findings: We defeated the corn swarm, assisted The Punch Boys via healing, and stabilized a few civilians. The Punch Boys while strong, seem to have to be lacking in the healing department. This may be an area of improvement for them to consider and for us to keep in mind in future interactions with them. I believe the corn itself was not sentient but rather the corruption had mutated it into what we saw. Perhaps this is anomaly is evidence that we are within the triangulation of a snarl.
Population Impact: Both fields were completely burned to the ground and likely resulted in a significant loss for the farmer. However, if the corn swarms continued to grow, the damage it would have caused is 20-30x more devastating. There was one casualty in the beginning of the battle of a solider dying from an intracranial hemorrhage. There was likely nothing any of us could do at that point, as the field doctor I took the liberty of preparing the body for his family to receive back home.
Areas of improvement: This was our first battle as The Easy Marx that tested our ability to work together and read the environment. In future encounters it may be helpful to have someone from the team direct any on lookers or civilians away from battle to safety. There were a few civilians, including the conductor, who remained close to the battlefield and could have easily been harmed or killed.
Teamwork Rating: A-