Active [Vindrel - East Empire] The Shadow of Illyros

[Maxxob]

Maverick Six | Marcus

The provincial capital of Vindrel, a frontier outpost caught between untamed wilderness and the splendor of the Empire's order, hummed with the noise of marching soldiers and the clang of forges. The setting sun cast a golden hue over the marble statues that dotted the town square, their weathered faces gazing stoically toward the looming eastern mountains. Despite the veneer of imperial pride, tension lingered in the air.

Inside the Vindrel garrison, the atmosphere was heavier still. The stone walls of the briefing hall were lit by torches that flickered in the draft, their light reflecting off maps pinned to wooden boards. The room was small, almost suffocating, with the faint scent of iron and parchment lingering in the air. At the center stood Alexas Maximus, clad in her golden centurion armor. Her blue eyes, sharp but weary, scrutinized a report in her hand. A faint scar under one eye twitched as she read, the small detail adding to her otherwise commanding presence.

Her armor, though polished to a shine, bore faint scratches from recent skirmishes, and her stance betrayed exhaustion. She shifted her weight slightly, adjusting the red cape draped over one shoulder. The young centurion looked up briefly as Marcus entered, her gaze assessing him before softening into a smirk that didn’t quite reach her tired eyes.

Alexas Maximus
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“Things might have been different there if you had joined it…” she remarked, her voice low and tinged with dry humor. She let the comment hang for a moment before shaking her head and waving Marcus forward. “But enough of that. You’re here now and this other problem is what matters.”

She strode toward a wooden table bearing an unfurled map of the Illyros ruins. Her gauntleted hand hovered over the marked location. “Illyros. Used to be a thriving town—until they tried to bite the hand that fed them. The Emperor’s wrath left nothing but rubble and stories of restless spirits to keep locals away. That is, until people started vanishing.”

Her voice hardened, though the fatigue never left her face. “Merchants, villagers, even a patrol sent to investigate—gone without a trace. One scout made it back, half-mad, babbling about shadows and strange clicking sounds. You’ll be interested in this.” She plucked a small metal shard from the table and held it up, the faint glint of its surface catching the torchlight. It was jagged and worn, but unmistakably unnatural, like the fragment of some crude machine.

“Found this embedded in a tree near the scout’s escape route. Whatever’s out there isn’t just a band of raiders or wild beasts.”

Alexas turned her full attention to Marcus now, crossing her arms over her armored chest. “You’ve got experience with these kinds of things—abominations, monsters, whatever the hell they are. I won’t insult your intelligence by sugarcoating it: this is going to be ugly. But if we’re to avoid panic, we need this handled quickly and quietly.”

She gestured toward the map again, indicating several marked entry points into the ruins. “Your call on how to approach it. If you need anything—supplies, information, whatever—ask now. Otherwise, I’ll have a scout guide you to the outskirts of Illyros. After that, you’re on your own.”

Alexas paused, her expression softening ever so slightly as she regarded him. “Try not to join the list of missing, Marcus. We need someone to bring this nightmare to an end.”

With that, she stepped back, leaving the table and the choice of how to proceed firmly in Marcus’s hands. The room seemed to hold its breath, the flickering torchlight casting ominous shadows over the map.

 

[Maverick Six]

Marcus Banecroft
Interaction: Maxxob
Titles: Human (Mundane), Hospitaller, Eastern Empire Military E, Abomination Fighter, Rico's Roughneck, Peacekeeper
Language Key: | "Common" | "[Terran]" |

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The Ordeal

Would things truly have been different?

It hadn't really been too long ago that Marcus was some fledgling recruit who was still technically in the reserves. But simply put -- it had not been enough for him to assemble every now and again. He had been taken with gods-given urge to never be idle. In his previous state, he was better off dead. So it was instead that he wandered the lands in search of experience and strength derived from little more than his efforts. He could feel that something had changed. Not just his armor -- which had become bronze colored rather than black through the hands of blacksmiths....but something within. He could swear that he felt himself tingling.

"Perhaps I have been gone, for too long." He said, his voice unwavering. He read over the report, noting the victory which had been accomplished at yet grizzly losses. Yet to the hive, he could only wonder how much those lives were worth. A more grievous blow against them would need to be struck.

Now was s time to put it to the test.

He had been summoned for a mission and as it stood, he was shaping up to be alone. While his face had been concealed by his helmet, one could see his scarred eyes through their slits. He stared into Alexas' own eyes with a grim focus, his eyes only leaving her when she placed a piece of metal scrap onto the table. He picked it up and looked into it

"Chittering and scrap metal. Hmm. It could be insects. I had seen one which appeared have gravity powers. They can mutate in strange ways." He placed the piece back down.

"But I will keep an open mind. For all I know, we could be dealing with spirits. I am no stranger to the ugly." After all, he had encountered many things that appeared to hide within the nooks and crannies of the lands. Dead which walked and otherworldly abominations which clawwed their way into this world from the great beyond to violate his mind. His own comrades bleeding out and dying in his arms

"I'm ready to die. Yet I have no intention of needless sacrifice." He'd expected to meet his end during Rico's Raid. But it seemed he and his party were one of the few spared. It couldn't have been without purpose.

Crossing his arms, Marcus took a moment to look over the map -- inspecting the map many entries points. Already his mind was conjuring ways to approach. It did not take very long for him to decide -- in part due to how scant the information he had was. There was a quiet as he took some time to look over for some minutes. From within the armor, one might hear faint murmurs as he burned certain details into his memory verbally.

"I will move on Illyros and enter the city in the morning -- bar extenuating circumnstance. While I am prepared for shadows, I would prefer to have as much daylight as possible. I will take for myself, three days rations just in case. If I take four, presume me dead. I will keep these entry points in mind but ultimately, my approach will depend on what I see when I get there." The manner in which he approached was described to the fullest extent as he had decided. In the face of unknowns, he'd just have to see about certain things whenever he reached that place.

He would leave the map there, committing it primarily to memory. However, he stopped before exiting. His eyes traced over her weary features once more. And he said one thing before parting.

"Take care of yourself -- sister." ​

And just like that, he left. He couldn't have been inside for more than ten minutes and yet already had set out for the task at hand with the aid of a scout.