Iron Dawn: Of Science and Sorcery Obscura
By Jave Harron
Notes: For this chapter, consider the Lantanese subs and gliders like the ones in Waukeem's Promenade.
Chapter II: The Annihilation of Lantan
Alivina checked her battle plans. Her next target was the isles of Lantan. The gnomes there had the only industrial facilities on this world, albeit primitive by her standards. They had barely even discovered the steam engine, and had yet to discover mass production and assembly lines. They had not truly found many uses for gunpowder, or 'smoke-powder' as they called it. They would have to be eliminated. She would have to wipe them out before they could pose a threat. Even a world with a primitive amount of industrialization was harder to conquer than a world with no industrialization. She would have to work fast. Her zeppelin corps, all elite Tarantian trained officers, would lead the assault this time.
In the skies above Lantan, strange shapes to the gnomes began to appear. The gnomes experimented with lighter-than-air craft before, such as hot air balloons, but never had they saw armored zeppelins in such numbers above them. However, they were speechless and interested until the first bombs began to fall.
Unlike anywhere else in the Realms, the gnomes of Lantan were toying around with the idea of a technologically advanced air force. Their standard unit was primitive, however. It was merely a hot-air balloon with a small cannon mounted on the side of the basket. Because a good deal of gnomes were absent minded when designing it, they did not take into account the recoil of the cannon. The basket would be knocked back whenever the cannon was fired. This made the basket unstable and even dangerous for the gunner.
However, it would be the only defense they would try against Alivina's army. As the attack balloons rose, they did not anticipate another type of aircraft appearing in the skies. Alivina's biplanes shot down the armed hot-air balloons within mere moments.
Then, the gnomish defenders then launched their next air unit. Ballista-launched gliders with brave but reckless gnomish pilots came next. One such glider was displayed in Waukeem's Promenade in Athkatla, capitol of Amn. The only weapons they had were crossbows in the pilot's hand. They had not been tested in combat before, and it was unknown how they would fare.
Of course, they also stood no chance against Alivina's army. Crossbow bolts filled the skies, but did little or nothing to damage the Overwoman's armored zeppelins and biplanes. Machinegun fire again filled the sky, and gliders fell like a flock of birds hitting a brick wall.
After the gnomish air-force was eliminated, Alivina's army got to their next phase. Zeppelins began to saturate the island with bombs, and biplanes did strafing runs on defensive positions on the island. The sparse defensive emplacements were meant to defend against primitive land based armies, like orcs and barbarians. There were no anti-aircraft batteries on the island, aside from the 'air-force' which had just been shot down. Gradually, the more numerous gnomish defenders began to falter. Alivina's bombing and strafing runs carved their numbers up fairly quickly. It seemed as though the island was doomed. In fact, it was only the beginning.
The gnomes of Lantan also had an experimental navy. Like their glider, they were experimenting with technological vehicles for defense. The gnomes had a small force of submarines. These submarines were small craft made of enchanted glass and armed with a small drill on the front. The gnomes had originally intended the subs to drill holes in the hulls of any invading ships, but they were unprepared for ironclad vessels and advanced submarines. A few depth charges and torpedoes killed wiped out the gnomish navy within a few moments.
Soon, the only things the gnomes had left to defend themselves with were a few poor-trained ground troops. The gnomes had figured their technological devices would ward off any invaders, so only a small force was needed to finish off any that slipped through. Each of the ground forces had an arquebus or a repeating crossbow. The only melee weapons they had were a few hammers, daggers, and short swords. As for armor, all the gnomish defenders had were small leather vests lined with padded materials. They were made to withstand arrows and crossbow bolts, not explosives and bullets. Alivina's troop transports soon stormed a captured beachhead, and her riflemen began to teach the gnomes this the hard way.
For the gnomes that were missed or avoided her bullets somehow, her inferno troopers finished off with their flame throwers. Again, the tightly packed groups of gnomes got the worst of it. Alivina's grenadiers began to throw mustard gas grenades, choking the gnomes. Biplanes would occasionally perform strafing runs. Soon, the forces of Lantan had been eliminated.
The towns and cities scattered on Lantan were kept up to date by a set of crystal balls and telepathic mages skilled in divination. They were called the 'mage-net,' and served as sort of an early warning system. However, with the news the military had been destroyed, panic ensued.
None of the gnomes knew that Alivina was intent on wiping them out, not on conquering them. Alivina's ruthless soldiers began to wipe out go from house to house along various coastal villages, and kill anyone they caught inside. Gnomish men, women, and children were all killed by the Overwoman's relentless patrols.
Gnomes kept records of their all citizens, unlike a good deal of human cities. This helped with the census, or population count. Alivina's agents had acquired a list of the citizens in each city, and would not move on until each person on the list was killed off. Even if the person did escape the city, a patrol of clockwork automatons would chase after them. Unlike human troops, the automatons did not tire. When one had exhausted its energy supply, it would broadcast a radio signal and another, freshly fueled automaton would take its place. Using such a system, Alivina eradicated the gnomes on the small villages in the country side.
For the large cities, she used a far more insidious attack. She would drop huge bombs full of mustard gas and slaughter hundreds in mere hours. Her gasmask wearing troops would them storm the cities and kill anyone that survived. Alivina began to check the names off her list, but only a one citizen of Lantan remained unaccounted for: Boddyknock Glinckle. He was off traveling in the city of Neverwinter to the North, and was reported to have helped the hero of the city stop the Wailing Death plague and later the siege by Luskan troops. He was a high-level sorcerer, and would need to be eliminated urgently. He was currently residing in the Government Distract in Athkatla in Amn.
However, Alivina also heard rumors of people infused with the essence of a dead god on the plane. They were called 'Bhaalspawn,' and included several races and gave the individual godlike powers. She had also heard about a fellow named Jonelth Irenicus trying to steal the soul and divine essence on one such individual, but was thwarted. That same Bhaalspawn was now somewhere in Amn, but Alivina had a method to find him.
The Bhaalspawn had traveled with a fellow named Anomen Delryn once, who also lived in the Government Distract. Alivina would 'persuade' Anomen to sell out the Bhaalspawn's location, then kill him to ensure he would not seek reconciliation and warn the Bhaalspawn about her desire to find him.
She was going to Athkatla next. How she entered would be a fun ordeal itself. She would have to take Anomen alive, then kill off him and Boddyknock. Once she had set up the plan in her head, she began the preparations.