Fantasy The Border Princes

[LucasGhost]

Turn 3
Koar and Ekol-ekoatl

​

The fading light shines into the simple shrine from the ceiling, giving the small space a warm glow despite the chill in the air. Ekol-ekoatl sits leaning over a shallow bowl of shining copper filled with clear water. His vibrant reflection dances as he disturbs the reflection with a practiced claw, a deep hum leaving the back of the priest’s throat as he contemplates the warped image of the sky above. A small trifle, brought from home, yet he has already spent many long hours peering into it. Koar has stood here for nearly as long, the cobbled together shrine a far cry from the ancient temples he is familiar with. And yet, it seems the stink of this land is lesser here. Tepok, the god to which they give thanks again and again. The mosaic crafted in his image stands as proof of such things. Once or twice, Koar has thought it to move, but he knows to trust his instincts and to cast aside that further glances told him it was not so. That which was sacred did not often repeat itself.

The sound of light footsteps draw Koar’s attention to the door. He is at the ready, always, even here. It is just the warm-bloods seeking the young serpent, shown as they pay him no mind but timidly approach the priest. He is drawn out of his contemplations to speak with them, or perhaps his contemplations have not ended. Yes, they are a part of his thoughts, just as they are a part of Koar’s.

It is not their approval that Ekol-ekoatl is after. He does not seek their praise, their attention, no. It is his success in these lands that he is after. The warm-bloods, they do not think it as such. They think he is soft because he has learned their tongue, believe that he speaks greetings for no other reason than to speak. They are terribly self-centered things. He speaks because he has a desire to do well, and speech is the simplest route to that goal. Some, the warm-bloods who know pain and weariness, they speak amongst themselves. (They take my silence as stupidity, it is their mistake.) While they speak it is of their worries, what will become of them when our purpose here is complete. Ekol-ekoatl knows this, and so he puts their worries to rest, as it will lend them greater strength while we are here.

The warm-bloods are sent off, no doubt satisfied by the words spoken to them. Ekol-ekoatl looks to Koar, a slight nod of his head and the quiet words of beckoning. It takes but two slow steps for Koar to arrive at his side, crouching with one massive hand splayed against the stonework as the priest gestures to the bowl. Koar peers over, and sees the young serpent’s feathered head peering beside his own dully scaled face. Below? Above, the sky shines golden. It is with a steady hand that Ekol-ekoatl dips his hand into the water, sending the surface into a frenzy of ripples as blue bleeds in with purple, bleeds in with gold. It makes him happy, he knows.

While we are here. I often think these words to myself, no matter the task at hand. The path ahead is unclear, it lays marred by danger and uncertainty. I feel that Ekol-ekoatl knows this too, by the way that he too has taken to practice on the grounds. It does not come naturally to him, it does not rush through his blood. Instead of instinct he has thought- a tool like any other. Yet he and I, we take to our preparation differently because of it. He worries, should we rush too soon we will face failure, a quick end. But, if we wait, rest here as the seasons pass, it is only a matter of time before disaster befalls us. There is no long life for him here.

Koar reaches out and places one clawed hand firmly on the skink’s shoulder, all but enveloping him. The hour is getting late, and there is still more to do before nightfall. A moment of resistance, the desire for more time, but not even here will time stand still. The ever energetic priest relents, and together they rise. It is only a moment of the two of them padding about the small space, a routine that was quickly found when the last stone of this place was set. The warm-bloods have been entering this place more and more, and it is a good habit to leave it in good condition. The seeing bowl is tucked away, as first Ekol-ekoatl leaves, and then Koar. The warrior takes one final glance at the mosaic, just to see that all is still, before following the young serpent into the evening air.

---

Action 1: Treasures Found. The Saurus and the Skinks will set up a farm for the unusually large clams that Ekol-ekoatl discovered. If they and the humans of Gordes have the bandwidth, they will attempt an additional construction project as well.

Action 2: Moving Forward. The Lizardmen make use of the training grounds in Gordes. Koar focuses on improving his abilities in melee combat, as Ekol-ekoatl tries to keep up with the training and focuses on his endurance. Koar will try to have Norar get some practice in as well. (If possible, the Skinks and the Saurus will train as well, the Skinks working on their endurance and the Saurus on their reflexes.) They will be joined by and train with Auriel Maza ThatWhichShouldBe and (possibly) deer .

 

[deer]

Shiyama Xiùlán

Weapons skill

36

Ballistic

29

Strength

35

Toughness

40

Agility

31

Intelligence

33

Willpower

37

Fellowship

35

Actions

1. Training: With experiencing a near-death attack and Yŭxuān's words ringing in her ear, Xiùlán would like to train with Brokk and Koar, teaching her the ways to hold her own well enough and sparring with each other at the training grounds. Yŭxuān, on the other hand, may join the others in training.​

2. Quest: Xiùlán will pick up a mercenary job. As they say, more experiences, the better! She will most likely bring Brokk.​

tags: LucasGhost , Auriel Maza , ThatWhichShouldBe​

AFTERTHOUGHT.
The trio's whirlwind of adventures jumpstarted the moment Xiùlán decided to con the Matron, reveling in gold, to survive in the foreign land. Trade and socialization with people from diverse cultures proved important, and Xiùlán understood she was fortunate to have companions like Yŭxuān and Brokk. Their success in retrieving the deed to the Bianchi Ranch and narrowly escaping the bird statue was a testament to their resilience.

However, not everything could go smoothly, and Xiùlán was keenly aware of the unpredictability of fate and unseen forces. Although the trio had secured a place at Bianchi Ranch, the encounter with the statue left Xiùlán questioning whether it was wise to leave Gordes so soon. After all, the hospitality and kindness of the lizardkin were not to be dismissed.

Moreover, despite her initial caution, Xiùlán observed she couldn’t fully distance herself from Ekol-Ekoatl just yet. Whether it was their shared connection from the spirit vision or the bond formed in the face of near-death, she found that allies formed during desperate times were... comforting.

UNFOLDING.
With an excessive scrub down and a refreshing wash, Xiùlán finally rid herself of the grime, dirt, and sweat accumulated from their journey. Yŭxuān was meticulous about appearances and had been insistent on ensuring Xiùlán looked her best—even with the oddity of her hand and tail transformations. However, Xiùlán preferred to handle her needs on her own, not wanting to burden Yŭxuān and felt the need to have time alone for a moment.

Yŭxuān’s reaction to her Gift was filled with slight surprise and lacked any trace of fear. Instead, hope seemed to fill her features, mingled with amazement. Brokk, on the other hand, grumbled something about "something being wrong with the manling". Xiùlán could only shrug and laugh lightly. She appreciated his lackadaisacal comments, even if they were gruff.

As Xiùlán reached to let her damp hair fall down her back, intending to dry it, Yŭxuān stepped in.

“Come, let me do it for you,” she offered.

Tilting her head slightly, Xiùlán wordlessly walked toward the older woman and sat on the bed, her back facing her. Without hesitation, Yŭxuān went to work, gently drying her hair with a cloth. As she finished, something caught her eye—a faint but distinct marking on Xiùlán’s back.

Pausing, Yŭxuān leaned in slightly, her curiosity piqued.

Sensing this, Xiùlán glanced over her shoulder. “Is something wrong?”

“Pull your shirt down, Xiùlán,” Yŭxuān replied softly.

Xiùlán raised a brow, a low growl rumbling in her throat. Quickly, Yŭxuān added, “There’s something I need to check—it might be a wound. I just want to make sure it won’t get infected, but I can’t see it clearly.”

“Hm.” Xiùlán gave a small hum of acknowledgment, her gaze narrowing slightly. With a quiet sigh, she slowly slid her shirt down, exposing her back.

A quiet, inaudible gasp escaped Yŭxuān’s lips as her fingers hesitated above the mark. Similar to tree roots spreading through soil, the marking twisted and branched faintly across Xiùlán’s skin. Tentatively, Yŭxuān traced it lightly with her fingertips.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

Xiùlán shook her head, though her brows furrowed in confusion. “What’s there?”

“A mark,” Yŭxuān murmured. “It could be from that lightning strike… Do you remember? It knocked you out. I was so worried.”

Xiùlán closed her eyes, her expression clouded as she tried to recall. She didn’t remember pain, but echoes of screams bounced in her mind. “I only heard screams."

Yŭxuān nodded and gently lifted Xiùlán’s shirt back to cover her exposed skin. Moving around to face her, Yŭxuān placed a trembling hand over Xiùlán’s and gripped it tightly.

Her voice faltered slightly she spoke. “I… we could have lost you.” She shook her head, trying to rid the tears forming around her eyes. “I prayed to her—your great, great, great-grandmother—for a favor. To wake you.”

Blinking, Xiùlán stared at the older woman, her brows knitting together. She did what? The thought echoed in her mind. If it was her time, it was her time. So why… why go to such lengths?

“Why?” Xiùlán blurted out, her voice free of anger or fear—only genuine confusion.

A light scoff escaped Yŭxuān’s lips as she gave Xiùlán a gentle push. “What do you mean, why? There’s still so much you need to do! Don’t scare me like that again.” She paused, her tone softening, though her voice carried a firmness. “You can’t leave the world just yet…”

And then, quieter still, almost inaudibly, “...and you can’t leave me.”

codebydeer​

 

[palmtree219]

Shawk Skyshrieker

-Turn 3-

-Abandoned Village north of Vidovan-

“Dig-burrow faster!” Shawk paced totally, super menacingly as he inwardly panicked over the iron mine deadline. Stupid-foolish rats wanting greatest-best Shawk to make an iron mine that quickly… Shawk has better things to do! Who knows what he could find out in this sky-cursed land. Warpstone is a given, but maybe he’d find ancient dwarf-thing ruins to defile, demons to enslave, or even… dare he say it… tools and materials to invent shock-booms! Well, that would be nice assuming he figured out what a shock-boom is, but his brain doesn’t want to elaborate. Bah, stupid sky-plot. Shawk let out an enraged shriek at the roof of his under-lair, terrifying the slave rats constructing the mine.

“Hmm… yes, faster, yes yes. IDEA!” His next shrieks echoed through the tunnels. “Big-White! Shawk commands you! Dig-dig there!” He pointed to a spot where three slaverats, including a particularly ugly one, were trying and failing to dig. “And you!” He gestured towards the slaverats. “Build supports as Big-White digs! Smart work! Not dumb-slow work! That’s why greatest-best Shawk is greatest-best!” He then let out a shrieking cackle, clearly overjoyed at his own brilliance.

“Soon, mine will be done and I-we can find loot!”
​

---

ACTIONS
​

1) Excavate and build the iron mine as efficiently as possible to meet the underempire’s demands. Shawk will oversee the work, using the rat-ogre to help dig and build. If, and only if, the mine is built to satisfaction, Shawk will put some time and effort towards making basic tools for his workshop.

2) Explore! There’s a whole world to our south. Shawk will take the rat-ogre, the ratling gunner team, and 3 Jezzail teams exploring south of the abandoned village. He will also take 10 slaves to carry loot. While exploring, he will mark any interesting locations and loot anything that can be freely taken that has any value in the slightest.

 

[Cosmo]

Veer'nan
Turn 3
LadyOfStars

Construction on the wooden wall is helped by both the lumbermill and the smithy, as the lumbermill is able to quickly acquire wooden from the nearby forest and the smithy is able to make tools and fittings to make the work possible, but it will be a Palisade.. They had wanted to make a true Wooden Wall, but they simply lacked the manpower to complete the project, and it was quite the project. If completed, the Palisade will have numerous watch towers along the length and be situated behind a steep ditch with stakes implanted in the ditch to help dissuade those that sought to climb it. They could have the Palisade Finished this turn, if that is what their elven leaders wanted, or they can start the wooden wall construction and finish it the next time the order to build was handed down from high..

[Palisade Vs Wooden Wall: A Palisade is like a massive fence made of logs. You cannot stand on it. A wooden wall is akin to a stone wall, so outer wooden layers around a rubble core {Rocks, lime, gravel}, and can be stood upon].

Decision
1. Build the Palisade [80 gold]
2. Start the Wooden Wall [60 Gold Now, 60 Gold when you finish, must use another build action to finish but finishing it will count as a 'small' construction so you'll likely be able to get another building or two out of the action]

--

Guy, along with a few fellows, went around exploring the nearby lands to see what could be uncovered in the nearby forest. They confirmed that the wood was mostly hardwood [Walnut], there are numerous game animals in the woods, most notably, roaming herds of Chirros, flightless birds of great size [roughly horse sized] that have feathers especially good for bows [Need Hunting Lodge to exploit this resoruce]. There is a danger though as the forest they wander in is covered in giant leeches that hang from the trees and lean down to snatch anyone that tries to walk under them, draining them to husks before discarding them where the Chirros will then pick their bodies clean.. The leeches should possibly be removed first.

Guy also found something else on his search. Along deep reaches of the forest are a host of ancient human burrows, built by their kind long ago to house their fallen kings and heroes, along with their servants and closest warriors, Guy counted numerous mounds, dozens perhaps, all clustered together.

You may explore the burrows, if you wish, this turn.

----

Objective Completed
Units
Pick One
Spellsinger [Hero]
5 Glade Riders
5 Wardancers
10 Glade Guard

Resource
Gain 70 Gold
Pick One
2 Units of Loren Amber
2 Units of Spellwoven Bronze
1 Unit of Elder Oak

Items
Gain 5 Magical Arrows [pick what you want from previous list]
May take either a Magic Spear or a Mount [Great Stag]

New Objective
Kill Gu'rl or the Gorebull. Kill both for a greater reward.

Green Owl Outpost Income
35 Gold
​

 

[Cosmo]

Illumbe
Turn 3
ThatWhichShouldBe

Illumbe and his newfound allies go east to face the Ogres. Hopefully it goes well.

[Scene]

----

Training in Gordes

The training fields of Gordes were put to use once again, it was quite amazing what an opened field of packed dirt and some straw dummies could do when put to work... Although this time the training was a bit odd. To avoid meeting a woman said to be able to see spirits, the training was split in half, but it was... certainly odd, wasn't it? Did Xiùlán not have some curiosity? Her friend.. associate? Yŭxuān kept leaving to go to the training grounds at night and kept trying to dissuade her from accompanying her. Made more strange was Ekol, the skink she may have abducted, but only briefly, was also going with her to the training grounds. They gave excuses, tried to avoid the subject, but why weren't they simply training with the rest of them during the day? Why the secrecy? Brokk often grumbled about it under his breath, clearly not fond of such things, he was a dwarf who preferred things up front and simple.

In fact, why did Ekol and Yŭxuān agree to train only at night with Tiernan and Illumbe? What excuse did they make that sounded believable enough for them to split the training so inefficiently like this.. Did they truly believe? Did they suspect the real reason? Or were they simply humoring them..

But the real question is... Did Xiùlán and Brokk ever go to the training ground, at night, to see what they were up to? deer

[Training Results Paused For Question To Be Answered]

​

 

[Cosmo]

Deathhammer and Verg
Trektek Mechking
Turn 3

They didn't truly know what metal veins were nearby, so before they could start to build, first they had to find. They could have all the grand dreams in the world for a great forge pumping out steel weapons, but if no iron was in these mountains, it would be a short lived dream. Although other metal had its purpose, bronze was exceptional for firearms and cannons, superior then steel was [and considerably safer]. With that said, if Deathhammer was truly banking it all on this, of creating his own forge from which to drown the world in steel and daemon engines, he needed steel... [Fate Burnt] Luckily for Deathhammer, the mountains did contain iron! And lots of it. Enough that they could spend several human lifetimes digging away and keeping the blast furnaces burning. Still, there was something else in these mountains, small blood red stones that, aptly, were known as 'Bloodstones'. They were valuable gemstones that were said to be exceptionally valuable to Vampires who often used them as focuses for magic.

Getting the lumberyard back up and running would be fairly easy especially as they were surrounded by trees making it a fairly prosperous endeavor although most of the woods were softwoods like Pine and Cedar which were ideal for building. The mine of the currently unknown metal was mostly a matter of labor and with a troll at your side, that was easy enough to do so long as the slaves didn't ruin it. The most expensive, and hardest to accomplish, would be the weaponsmith which required a blast furnace and quality tools that they had to somehow create and buy... but as a Dwarf Smith, he did have some advantageous when it came to this even if it was near impossible to actually 'trade' for this with the locals. However, five slaves died during construction.

Buildings [Can take up to 3, if you can afford them]
Lumberyard - 30 Gold
Iron and Bloodstone Mine - 30 Gold
Weaponsmith - 120 Gold

Munch Munch Munch Munch... Mechking
As Verg worked and toiled in the mountains, often having to walk on his hands and knees or outright squeeze through like a giant disgusting gelatinous slug with his boils constantly scrapping and bursting against the stone, just to get through, Verg found... a strange rock. It was about the size of his fist [so quite massive] and glowed green, it warmed his flesh and for some reason, he was drawn by a need to use it in a potion or eat it.. Since he can't brew with it, the little tusked creatures would simply take it from him, he should consume it... rip it from the wall and consume it. Giving it a gentle tug, he finds the stone is very firmly in there. It'll take all his strength to pry it loose from this..

He had the strangest feeling, like Nurgle himself was whispering to him, that if he left, this stone would never be found again, as if it would simply sink back into the rock and be lost. But it was really stuck in the wall and pebbles and rocks kept falling on his head when he tried to pull it out.. He even heard surprised shouts from further up the tunnel as the ground shifted with each tug.. But if he could only get it out and eat it..

Pick One
1. Eat some Rocks
2. Eat some Iron
3. Eat some Bloodstone
4. Eat the Glowing Stone

Fashioning Living Marble Trektek

Deathhammer toiled away in his workshop, carving into the strange marble, enchanting and breathing into it magic, life.. A giant stone protector to help guard his hold and his future engines, what else could be more important? It took many weeks, and much effort, but soon Deathhammer had his Living Marble Ogre, the only question was... How did he wish to bring it to life?

Pick One:
1. Enchanting [Animated with Magic]
2. Daemonology [Stick a Daemon in it]

[Once you pick, I'll give you a few 'upgrade' options for what you built into the Ogre].

Weakening the Collars Mechking Trektek

Verg had a plan, yes, a plan.. or a part of one. But first, he had to weaken these collars, make them able to be removed when it was time to flee with his flock, or time to bring ruin and vengeance upon his captors. He carefully ripped his own flesh open and, with his still melting hand, carved into the slaves the Mark of Nurgle and weakened the steel of the collars, enough that, he hoped, would not get noticed, including his own.. And he was able to do this for a few days before the overseer of one of the larger groups, a human named Anahita, told the stunted ones of what he was doing, they were aware he was carving the mark of nurgle into them, their screams of pain were obvious and very hard to miss as was their bloody backs and sluggish movements the next day, but weakening the collars...

Worship of Nurgle had its uses, he was the god of finality, of acceptance, a good god for slaves to worship, lets them settle into their lot faster but weakening their collars was a clear sign of disobedience, of rebellion... Would the Chaos Dwarfs make an example of them? Would they attempt to kill the troll who keeps causing trouble? Would Verg seize this chance to force the slaves to act?

As the tense moments passed, there was a great horn in the distance as a large beastherd led by a beastwoman in bronze plate was spotted heading for the gates..

I need both Mechking and Trektek to tell me what they're doing about this. You can do nothing and hope Verg isn't breaking out and that Deathhammer won't bring down the hammer. You can attempt rebellion, or attempt to flee. You can start to crack down and murder.. Either way, I need your actions as Gu'rl comes for a conversation.

And for Deathhammer, I need to know what he intends to do for the whistleblower, Anahita. Sending her back into the pens is likely certain death, if not by Verg then by the other slaves of his quickly growing crazed flock. Does he send her back in? Does he 'promote' her with something resembling freedom?​

 

[Dest]

The Order of Silver
Turn 2​

---

A Man and Beast, Chained as One​

---

Gideon grimaced as he was shaken awake, the small squad that still remained in Steyr having taken to a rather difficult to manage sleeping schedule as they continued their duty of ‘guarding’ the elf that had taken residence during the lock down.

“God’s damn it, is it my shift already?” Bleary eyes missed the urgency on Emil Frohl's face at first, but as Gideon's eyes cleared of sleep he took notice. “What has happened?”

“The Elf has been accused of the killing of Lord Kant,” Frohl wasted little time with pleasantries, diving right into the business at hand. “Lady Aicart has requested your presence immediately for a meeting with the Baron, though we can already assume you are going to be tasked with arresting or killing the Elf.”

“Fucking shit, and we’ll not have the rest of the damned Order to help us,” Gideon growled as he pulled his armor on, glaring off into nothing for a moment. “Are the others already ready?”

“They are, Sergeant Commander Holsgeir was on rest shift with me when word came in and went to alert the others,” Frohl followed as Gideon swept out of their quarters, struggling to keep up with the massive man’s pace.

“Good, Ulric willing we all survive what’s coming,” Gideon growled the words, his eyes flashing dangerously. “And Ulric willing our enemy does not.”​

---

“Hurry along now Gideon, don’t want to be late for your surprise after all,” his father’s smile was strained in his memory, though he hadn’t noticed at the time of course. The duo hurried along the cold streets, already deep into the sunset that would be followed by a bone chilling cold that was familiar to them both. Gideon followed with a wide smile on his face, excited at what his surprise could be after so long with their family in poverty.

“Please da, just a hint?” The young Gideon pleaded with his father, screwing his lip up into a begging expression as he did.

“No Gideon, I truly can’t spoil it,” The smile grew even more strained for a moment before his father took a shaky breath, eyes misting slightly for a moment before he seemed to shake himself out of it.

As the duo continued a light snow began to fall, thick clumps drifting down and sticking to the dark furs that the both of them were wearing. As the evening wore on they finally reached their destination, a small clearing hidden deep in the woods near their village. Standing there were a small group of men, each of them wearing padded leather or cloth armor and with weapons at their side.

“You’ve brought the boy?” The most well armored man among them was the one who spoke, hidden chain peaking out from under a long bear fur cloak.

“I did,” Gideon’s father stepped forwards, pushing the young man in front of him. “My son, for the erasure of my debt.”

“Da?” Gideon turned his head to stare at his father in shock, the words resonating within his head.

“Excellent, with him we will instruct our men to leave you and your family be,” The man gave a cruel smile, one of the others stepping forwards with chains in their hand. “Your debt is forgiven, though do not expect us to be se lenient should it return.”

“I understand, it will not,” The grip that Gideon’s father had on him turned to iron, keeping him from running as the bandit, for that’s what these people were was bandits and slavers, forced the chains upon his wrists and ankles.

“No, no!” Gideon tried to fight as he was dragged away, desperately swinging his small fists at his new captors. “Da, Da!” The young boy cried out to his father, the man ignoring him and turning away. “DA.”

And, as the night grew dark and cold, Gideon realized that no one was coming for him. He was alone, left to find for himself as he was dragged off into the forest by his new captors.​

---

Actions

Action 1 - To Capture an Elf - Gideon and his forces will attempt to capture the Ailluin and his allies

Action 2 - The Situation in Steyr - The order will put forth effort to settle the situation in Steyr, the exact specifics of which depending on Action 1.​

 

[Kent]

Ailluin - Turn 3 (Fluff)​

Ailluin looked out the window in silence as his Mother and Wife approaches from behind. They didn't speak, but merely waited for him to speak. Ailluin sighed before he shook his head, "We are embroiled in the conflict of this town. Now, more deeply than ever because of the machinations of that shadow wizard. The position we are in.... is far from ideal. In fact, we have arrived at the crossroads of life and death."

"What's your plan?" Eldira, his Wife inquired. Ailluin turned around and a sinister smile can be found in Ailluin's face. "If you don't like how the table is set up, then flip the table."

"They think they can pull us into their schemes and treat us as mere marionettes?", the High Elf scoffed, "Well, it is time to show them what real chaos is like."

 

[Cosmo]

Leifr Olfsson
Turn 3
Abstracty

The hunt doesn't go as well as Leifr may have wanted, this land was strange and not like that of their beloved homeland. It was too soft and meek, in Norsca, the land, itself, was dangerous and the predators even more so. Those that hunted the land quickly became hunted, themselves, but here? Here even the beast were cowardly and with their limited knowledge of the land and the nearby terrain, it was exceptionally hard to trap them or find the migration routes of most of the prey animals. They manage to get some furs and meats, but the small piles in their ships hold did not fill them with pride or confidence.

Gain
1 Unit of Furs
1 Unit of Horn
But there was a prey all to Leifr's own, he had seen it in his dreams, sent by Olric, himself. That of a massive wolf prowling the woods, challenging him.. Somewhere in the mountains close by, it lurked and waited for him, to prove which of them was the superior hunter. Wolfs often had packs, but in his visions, it seemed to have been traveling alone. Did he face it alone? Or did he employ the cunning of the wolf to bring it down with his pack? What would Leifr do?

Pick One
1. Leifr goes alone
2. Leifr brings two packmates.
3. Leifr brings a pack [5]
4. Leifr brings everyone
[Except for Sadako and two to watch her as she screamed at them in her strange language from her spot tied to the mast]


The Mittherbst Brawl

The original plan to have a brawl where they all fought and improved through experience, pain and blood.. Did not quite go to plan. It started all well and good, until the bragging and boast started. Tales of triumphs, mockery and jest at others, and soon enough, rather then a grand melee free-for-all as was planned, dueling rings quickly were set up as individuals dueled others before moving on to the next to find the Mitttherbst Champion. Blows are struck, bones are cracked, blood is spilt, although luckily no one is slain or permanently maimed as the decree for honorable bouts holds although a few end up with some rather hideous scars.

Because of the shift of focus to single combat and exaltation, there is no growth or improvement for the warband, as a whole. Instead, one figure rose up as the Mittherbst Champion... but who was it?

1. Leifr
2. Astrid
3. Garth
4. Erik
5. Sadako [Someone thought it would be a good joke to let her off her chains]

[NOTE! After the first action is done {will be a scene} it will have a bonus effect if you do end up sacrificing it or whatever you get from it such as its fur so if I forget, remind me that you get a bonus reward from this action after the scene.]​

 

[Cosmo]

Ailluin and the Order of Silver
Turn 3
Kent Dest

The humans called it a 'manor', but it was just a large shack, it lacked the elegance and refinement of the structures of Ulthuan and yet Charles Meyer, this merchant, sat in it, surrounded by his petty wealth as if it mattered. A mayfly sitting upon a pile of shit and declaring to the world that it was better then other mayflies.. But the creature had its use, to get out of this sitaution. The man was desperate, the others were coming to take his pile from him and so he would do whatever it took to escape this and Ailluin could use that to try and escape the blade, once more, coming for his neck. Perhaps there was an issue with him if he had to keep fleeing places ahead of the headman's axe... No, the problem was with the world for not understanding the path to true power and magic.

Still, it was a dangerous time coming up ahead as, hairless apes or not, they could be dangerous in large enough numbers and so Ailluin decided to take a moment of solace with his family and have some tea. A moment of clarity, a moment of peace, a moment to be with his loved ones before the chaos of battle unfolded around them. Eldira, perhaps seeing this as a potential last meeting, wore a silken robe that was normally tucked under her armor, cleaned and pressed. Her long blond hair was tied in a ponytail and there was a small necklace that hung from her neck, a wedding gift. His mother, Eilralei, dressed more reserved and modestly, her hair down and her brestplate still on.

The trio sat around a small table as Ailluin poured their tea, being the first to take a sip as he smiled at them, as if to reassure them that everything was going to be alright.. Both women lifted their cups to take a sip, trying to smile back, trying to find the strength to-To do anything. Their bodies slowly locked up, Eldira tried to scream to her husband about the trap, that the humans had betrayed them, had poisoned them, but as her jaw locked up, as the spider venom ran its course through her body, she saw the smile spread across Ailluins face, her mind screamed no as a tear broke free from Eilralei's eye to run down her chin and drop to the floor...

The spider venom paralyzed, but it did not grant unconsciousness. Both Eldira and Eilralei were awake, they could see, hear, taste and feel every thing, they simply could not command thier bodies any longer. They could do nothing as Ailluin lifted them to the table, they could do nothing, not even scream, as he carved the Mark of Tzeentch into their flesh... Eldira could do nothing save beg him to not with her eyes, to tell him, to scream to him, that this was not him, that this-this wasn't real. Even as the blade was drawn across her throat, her eyes still pleaded for him to tell her this wasn't true.. Eilralei's eyes were distant, as if part of her had already died and gone away. Perhaps, in her mind, she was with her husband and a young Ailluin, playing in the fields, rushing to her arms, her boy, her child.. Before he had become the monster that now plunged a blade into her chest.

As their hearts slowly beat, the blood fell from their bodies and pooled to the floor, the Mark of Tzeentch glowing on their bodies as Ailluin dedicated this betrayal to his patron, and the Change of Ways granted his plea..
​

---

Captain Aicart, from ontop the borrowed horse of Gideon, ordered her men and women forward, manning the walls, holding the gate.. On the other side, refugees beat and battered at the gate with a makeshift ram, the shouting of the Priest Albrecht able to make its way even over the screams and roars of the people, demanding entrance, demanding change, demanding they get to see their loved ones that had been all but imprisoned by the paranoid Baron and the elven murderer that now dwelled within. Hold, she'd scream, ordering the fire of warning shots from crossbows to try and disperse the crowd, but Albrecht worked them up in a frenzy.. They just had to hold, yes, that is what she told herself, again and again. Hold them back with shield and bludgeon, until the elf could be brought to justice, his body thrown to the mob and order restored.. They could hold.

They co-

Clouds rolled in across the night sky, lightning arced across and then the world tore asunder. As if the sky was ice, a crack emerged glowing a bright purple, the crack splitting and crawling along the length of the night and down it came..

A massive purple vortex of fire descended upon the town and touched down on the cobblestone... Houses did not burn, they were vaporized. The moment the vortex touched the buildings, they simply vanished as if someone had come by with an eraser and removed them from this world. There were stunned shouts from around her, but no screams. No screams of fear, pain or pleas of help came from the market. The people there simply vanished, instantly consumed by flames before they realized what happened. One moment, families gathered for dinner, fathers held their wives and grandmothers told tales to their grandchildren and the next they were gone. Ash and cinder, in an instant. The vortex began to twist and dance, carving a line through the town as it moved before, just as soon as it came, it vanished, disappearing into nothing. There was a stunned moment, a deathly silence that descended upon the world before it started. The wails of pain, of sorrow, the cries of the survivors filling the air..

Chloé's voice died in her throat as her mind gazed at the devastation, trying to come to terms, trying to decide her next action. The refugees were no longer beating on the door, Albrecht was not shouting, just as stunned as the rest, maybe.. maybe this broke the madness over the town, maybe she could get aid to the people, ma-

The thoughts died as a second tear in the sky formed and another purple tornado touched down at the heart of the refugee camp. Chloé watched helplessly as the tornado tore a path through the refugee camp, as women and children were incinerated, as she watched hundreds of people die in a moment. Her shoulders sagged as the weight of what she was seeing started to bear down on her mind, "Gods.."
​

---

---

Kaiden and the Order ran amongst the tents, trying to gather what help they could to help the survivors, to treat the few that were not consumed, to do... something, but when they arrived, they saw only blacken earth and the floating ash that was once the people within. The scent of burnt flesh stung their nostrils as well as the thought that they were, even now, breathing in people. Their 'neighbors', their friends.. Their families. Kaiden felt it before the others, the bending of the veil between worlds, something was coming this wasn't over. He had time to shout a single warning as the ashes of the dead started to fuse and join together and where they did, horrors sprung forth into existence. Gangly pink and blue fleshy creatures like a ball with twisted limbs haphazardly sticking out. They cackled and bounced around before pointing at groups of survivors and gouts of fire erupted to consume them.. All around the cmap, more and more daemons came into existence, brought upon by the pain and suffering of the world, of the plots and schemes of the wizard, of the raw power of the spell unleashed upon the town.

At the center of it all, a large daemon floated up, it looked almost like a cloaked figure, but the 'face' was... wrong. Multiple faces peered out all around its shoulders, sneering, laughing, jeering, crying, screaming.. The creatures 'hands' were more faces and from their mouths unleashed burst of flames that consumed daemon and man alike as it rose to the sky, flames exploding from the hem of its robe as it fluttered towards the refugees gathered at the gate..

The refugees panicking under this attack, lifted the ram and swung at the gate with all they had. It cracked and splintered, the daemons from outside, forcing them to want to flee within, but the warrior in Kaiden knew that if they entered hte city in a mad dash, it would only cause chaos, confusion and disorganize the guards.. The town would surely fall and Albrecht, the twice damned priest seemed to pay no heed to it, shouting and urging his followers on. Kaiden also had a sinking feeling that the appearance of daemons was also happening within the walls, stretching the guard to the breaking point..

What did the Order do?

Pick One
1. Fight the horrors, save who you can.
2. Face the Exalted Flamer, stop the daemon before it reached the people.
3. Charge the gate
4. Your idea.
​