The Eternal Empire
The Imperial Codex
Next she turned to the young woman in sailor's garb. "There are several issues with bringing more of the crystals. First, each individual crystal has a high ether cost to maintain. Each of the crystals we're bringing with us takes three mages in order to keep it running for the duration of this mission. Second, each crystal weighs about forty pounds, a bit much to carry and fight at the same time. That's why each crystal has a designated carrier. As for their range, they each have a range of 100 feet, and the fields they project will be visible, a transparent blue dome. Don't worry, you won't have any trouble seeing where you're safe. As to maps, those will be handed out shortly." she said. "Oh, as to why only three of them, each of those crystals takes about a cycle to make, and we can't make more than one of them at a time. Plus these portable crystals are a recent invention, less than twenty arcs. We simply haven't made many of them yet and we aren't betting everything on this mission in case it fails." she said, her tone calm.
Then she turned towards the next person to speak, a soldier that had a foreign look to him. "We appreciate the offer to help with navigation. Keep that map handy, in case of emergency." he said, smiling slightly. "As for the signs we saw, it burrows through the magma, causing breaks in the surface. It essentially cracks the surface of the magma when it moves, makes it look there's ridges running through the lava. Of course, this also causes it to spurt out little magma plumes, so they aren't exactly safe. Be careful around the cracks." she said, her tone calm. When he gave his experience, she gave him a considering look, then nodded. "In case something goes wrong, be prepared to help maintain a crystal. Other than, I do not know your training, so I cannot tell you how best to use your abilities." she said, her tone calm.
Next was a man with a prominent moustache and a cloaked golem. She'd wondered at the attempt to disguise the necromancy construct, but she supposed less civilized places still had hang-ups about magic, not to mention that war with Ellasin in Rharne that had happened recently. "If you can tame, you can keep it. I don't advise trying though." she said, her tone calm. Next was another soldier, this one from the mage branch. "We have tracked the beast back from where it hit, it's a sort of plateau formed by several of the lava flows connecting. That's the area we'll be investigating today. " she said, her tone calm.
When all the questions had been answered, she pointed at bridge that connected the platform they were on to the volcanic rock plain they would be traversing. "Crystal teams, form up in front of the bridge, seperated." she said, her tone one of clear command. The crystal carriers, the three mages assigned to each carrier, and the five infantry assigned to protect them all formed into three groups of nine people each. "Local units, on your assigned crystal." she ordered, causing each of the pre-existing groups to form up on their crystals. This led to three groups with an even mix of infantry, archers, and mages. "For those of you who volunteered from other regions for this mission, pick a group. Once everyone's in a group, maps will be handed out and we'll get underway." she said, her tone calm.