The War of the Fallen Son

[awdz]

Frustrated that none of her attacks demonstrated any weakness in the golem, Awdz mentally communicates her findings via the empire's communication system to all in range.

Switching targets, she puts her bow to better use against the lesser enemies, occasionally using the powers of nature in a dark cyclone of destruction among them. She uses the various attack forms to see what weaknesses the lesser enemies have in hopes of determining useful area of effect spells to damage many of them at once. Again, she mentally communicates her findings and calls across the empire for any available Gifted to come help.

Possibly of more use, she keeps an eye on how the dragons fighting the giant golem are holding up; when they are hurt, she darts in close just long enough to cast healing and then scoots out of range of the most dangerous attacks.

[Unicorn's Lady]

Sorry that I'm late to the party! Herman has been very sick for the last couple of weeks (although he is better enough now that he was able to go back to work today) and for the last few days I've been also fighting a cold. So this is a bit longer than I originally planned on, but by the end of it I'm caught up with the rest of you.


As she phased in she felt the hot, dry air hit her, although it was far cooler than Dralk where she had just come from. Ochre had come home to Carmo with strange cargo on her disk. "Nellie! Saucy!", she mentally screamed. Being Gifted sometimes had some odd benefits, one was being able to communicate with your mind with other Gifted over far distances. Although deep in her culinary experimentation, Ochre's scream jolted Nellie back into the here and now. With her small legs blurring Nellie made it from the southwest side of the village to the pad just as Saucy was reaching it from the Mad Nellie and the Saucy Saris tavern. Both stood a brief moment in shock, for on Ochre's cargo disk was an unconscious hatchling.

"Quickly!", said Nellie, "let's get this little one into the guildhouse." And faster than a squirrel chatters the three of them pushed the disk into the guildhouse and set the hatchling gently down while Ochre was explaining to them what happened.
"I was near Dralk, getting some cobalt ore when suddenly draconic screaming and the sounds of fighting came over the hill. I dumped my load of ore and flew as fast as I could back towards Dralk, straight into a battle. The hatchlings were screaming as they were being mauled and the guards were bellowing warnings and challenges as they thew themselves at the strange looking obsidian golems. Being small I went unnoticed, so I bundled this one onto my disk and pulled for all I was worth through the portal to Bristugo. I then healed this baby as much as I could and came through to Carmo."

After they got the hatchling all snugged in, Nellie turned to Saucy and said, "We must get ready for more wounded. We have the space and Carmo is far from the battle. Saucy, we're going to have to have you watch and wait here. Caring for those that are brought through. Start cutting up bandages from these cloth bolts and here's a large supply of Granny Nuffle's punch. Only use the punch if someone is still ill or hurt. Hatchlings and bipeds can be sequestered in the guildhouse, Nathaniel's house, and the six houses on the south edge of the village. There is a lot of room in the gambling hall for adult dragons and if an ancient one comes through they will have to rest on the Greens or the plaza. Worse comes to worse, start putting them out on the prairie just north of the village. Ochre and I will be working on saving those that we can.
She'll mainly be at Bristugo to heal and bring them here and Since I'm a scout, and a small one at that, I'll be at Dralk looking for wounded to bring to her."

Nellie then grabs her largest disk, a club with the crafter's name still faintly seen on the bottom of the handle (if you look hard you can make out the name, Gnerf) & a Zhurian blackened dagger that glows fitfully like a dull ember, dons her enamelled green iron armor, and grabs a bunch of spun sugar and Granny's punch for herself. She tucks the sugar and punch near the top of her pack for easy access with the club's handle sticking out so she can grab it at a moment's notice. Hefting the dagger she looks to see if Ochre is ready.
Ochre grabbed a few of Granny's punch too and grabs up the cudgel that Aelia has given her knowing the magic in it will her heal the wounded faster as well as helping her if she needs to defend anyone. She decides against armor since she isn't returning to the combat, but will be setting up a aid station in Bristugo. Chillfire and Mememeow come up to see what all the hubbub is about. Ochre tells Mememeow to help Saucy and then asks Chillfire to come with her to Bristugo to help bring folk through to Carmo after she's done first aid on them. Then she quickly casts the spell Gift of Speed on herself, Nellie and Chillfire. Ochre continues to cast the Gifts of Alacrity, Armor & Dexterity on Nellie, and the Gift of Alacrity & Power on herself.
Nellie looks at Mememeow and Chillfire and gives a quick nod. She then looks to Ochre with a tight, almost feral smile which is mirrored on Ochre's face. She begins to loudly chant, which is quickly taken up by Ochre, Chillfire, and Mememeow; "The Blue before the Darkness! The Blue before the Light!!" Saucy shakes her head at the four Carmo Pioneers and proceeds to brief Mememeow about the situation as the other three allow the binding of the shrine to call them to it.

"We Remember!!

Trogador!
Shian!
Bufford!
Cyanoaphros Ketos!
Atropa Belladonna!
Sulfur Skyrider!
Fireopal!
Kumo Blood Born!
CrystalMist Krishinkk!
Daruque Thunder Wings!
Darqueshadow ThunderWings!
Talsa!
Daylenn frostfyre!
Dierdra Frostfyre!
Tenkako!
Keserith!
Fierce Wyrm!
Knoble Wyrm!
SiLang!
Jaraiden!
Tokoz!
Rylentarr!
Remo!
Akeroth!
Telepeloci!
Spoty!
Metaniono!
Frith-Rae!
Saphire!
Thicklesip!
Tagath!
Lovwyrm!
kirrus!
Tsargoth!
Shymmer!
Icabald Percival Dragon!
Takora Drakan!
Tekka Midnightflame!
LungTien Temeraire!
Sephiranoth!

We remember the attacks on Bristugo, Kion, Dalimond, Harro, and Mahagra!
We remember the freeing of Feladan!
We remember Aughendell!
We remember Rachival!
We remember Palmyra!

WE REMEMBER!!!"

Nellie and Ochre chanted ever louder mentally to all who could listen.
"Rise up Oh Gifted!! Dralk is being attacked!!"

As the three of them leave the shrine at the Bristugo portals they hear Tagath's call, "Chiconis under attack by mage golems! Help us here before Chiconis falls!". Followed moments later by "Come help in Chiconis! It is under attack!" by Awdz.

"Chill, you stay here", Ochre ordered, "and help any walking wounded through to Carmo. Nellie, go to Dralk and see who you can help. I'm going to make a quick trip to Chiconis to see who I can bring through." As Chillfire stations herself near Bristugo's pad and Nellie runs through the portal to Dralk, Ochre quickly runs to the nearby vault and grabs her cargo disk before also flying through the portal to Chiconis.

"Oh! The fighting is fierce here too!", Ochre mentally chatters to Nellie as she flits through Chiconis' battlefield, checking each of the fallen; resurrecting those she can, healing as she goes, gathering those who can't walk onto her disk, and shepherding as many as she can through the portal to Bristugo. "I've filled my disk!", calls Nellie to Ochre, "Luckily the enemy isn't noticing me since I'm so small. They must think I'm a small lost grass beetle. On my way to Bristugo! Meet you there!"

When they reach Bristugo, Ochre has Chillfire lead those who are ready to Carmo where they can safely recover while she continues to heal the rest that she and Nellie have brought through. Nellie in the meantime goes back through the portal to Dralk to drag back those that she can find, although she leaves the dead since she is only a scout and cannot resurrect. She prays to Istaria that more help will come.

"Valkoth with five other great dragons are fighting heroically, but things don't look good here. I'm even having to use my bat occasionally and I've got a sugar buzz." reports Nellie to Ochre. Then a strange deadness happens in the connection between them and a few minutes later out of the shrine staggers Nellie swearing, "Well Stuff A Duck!!" Ochre flits over to Nellie casts the Gifts on her again as Nellie quickly eats another piece of spun sugar and then run through the portal to Dralk again. She comes almost immediately back hauling another load of wounded. Some of the enemy are attacking the portal, I don't know how long it will hold. "Saucy! Mememeow!", Nellie mentally shouts, "Go to my fish oil & wine stores and fill as many bottles & vials as you can and give them to Chill to bring back to me. Parts of these obsidian obscenities burn! And dip some long feathers in the oil to use as wicks in some of the bottles! I might not know how to make fireworks, but I bet they'll be interesting!"

When Chillfire returned with a bundle of Nellie Cocktails Ochre said, "Wait a moment Nellie, I have something for you." She flits to the vault and pulls out a scroll tied with a ribbon that has Dalimond written on it. "Take this. If you can't get back through the portal, then this will bring you and your cargo disk to Dalimond. And here take the rest of Granny's Punch, you'll need them to heal as many as you can." Nellie grabs up the bundle of bottles, the punch, & the scroll and dives through the portal again to Dralk.

Back into the madness. The roaring of challenges, the screaming of the wounded, the clashing of armored bodies and sharped talons. From the pad Nellie can make out the shape of the portal, it is dark. "Ochre", Nellie reports, "The portal is dead. I won't be able to bring more through to you that way. I'm going to see what I can do here and then use the scroll to bring who I can back to you." She hides behind a rock and ties her bottles and "cocktails" to her arrows. Two thirds of the arrows just have bottles and vials, but one third are with the oiled feather wicks. She steps out from behind the rock and starts to rapidly fire high arcs into the middle of the enemy near the pad, but not where there are defenders to harm. The arrows bounce harmlessly off, the bottles and vials breaking on the obsidian, the attackers barely notice, but the wine and oil seep into the joints between and pool on the ground. A glowing, hot piece of ash floats down and touches an Edari. WHOOSH!! It is engulfed in flames! Burning inside and out! It screams and thrashes, bumping into other Edari and setting them on fire, and the hot ash continues to rain down. Nellie shouts, "Yeehaw!!!" She pulls a torch out of her pack, lights it & sticks it in the ground, and proceeds to shoot her cocktail arrows after she lights their feather wicks. More Edari go up in flames! Out of arrows, Nellie now starts lobbing bottles & vials as far as she can, lighting those with wicks in them. (I'll let Kaerisk decide how much damage was done)

Oops! I've been noticed! Time to move on, thinks Nellie. She proceeds to scurry away from the torch, moving from shadow to shadow, dancing through the earthen spikes, working her way up to where she last had seen Lomak. Lomak though is not to be seen at their field camp, so Nellie proceeds to pass out all the punch to those that can use it, tells all the conscious wounded that if they are bound outside of Dralk then they need to recall to their shrines and work their way to Bristugo where Ochre has an aid station, and bundles who she can onto her cargo disk & proceeds to read out loud the scroll that Ochre gave her.


Nellie Lovett/Ochre Tekton of Carmo on Order

[Kaerisk]

(@Unicorn: For the sake of argument, let's say they were aimed at the Sword/Shield Edari types, since they have the most ooze exposed except the Wizards. It'll help clear a path for the gifted in Dralk to reach the Edari-Ancient.

Also, +10 points for realistic HZ attack situation. /recalls and portals back

Real posts to follow, just been busy.)

[Unicorn's Lady]

(@Unicorn: For the sake of argument, let's say they were aimed at the Sword/Shield Edari types, since they have the most ooze exposed except the Wizards. It'll help clear a path for the gifted in Dralk to reach the Edari-Ancient.

Also, +10 points for realistic HZ attack situation. /recalls and portals back

Real posts to follow, just been busy.)

*Grins Merrily!* I sooo wanted to write, "Ok DM! How many and which type of dice do you want me to roll?"

[RuneDragoon]

(Azaraen @ Dralk - please forgive lack of formatting, something in my keyboard buggered mid writing - bold text will be speech)

No wonder the Earthen elemental was weakening. She could feel it more clearly now as it fell down and sunk into it for the second and last time, returning to its spirit state heavily drained and very quiet: The ground was corrupted. The war was tainting its essence with the foul substance of blood mingling with the unnatural black ooze. Moreso alarming was that the earth was being tricked into favoring them.

She watched and sparked a rage within her. Whoever was responsible for these dark nature-decimating beasts would answer to their crimes... after these were done.

Of course, then it became obvious that more was happening elsewhere, as a weak spirit finally reached her ears. It had been decimated by the tainting there as well.

Helian`s Heart is falling... the titan devours the life... it whispered to her, before it wisped away weakly into the ethereal and fell silent. Another spirit had been shattered and passed into silence.

Her rage had grown... and she closed her eyes to focus it. She contemplated attacking them herself but... no. If the ooze corrupts the ground, it would probably be fatal to her. Right now perhaps it was wiser to get to the other defenders and rally the message that had been whispered, and call up an elemental to cover the ground that had been quickly overrun where the earthen elemental had been.

The earth has become weakened, Fire, come to our aid! the lady called. She was promptly answered by two Magmatic beasts rising right out from the magma pools below. The ground is corrupt, if you can, try to burn it away... we need it cleansed!

The lumbering magmatic beasts bubbled in anticipation as they felt the burning fury of the already existing fire elemental. They knew that for them, the tar was like a delicious candy... and it needed to be eaten. They climbed up the hill on searing tendrils, and went about focusing on the ground by flattening their massive hulking mass. Weaker edari caught in the magma are incincerated, and some of the stronger who manage to survive (but ended up getting caught in it anyways) find their feet locked in the creature`s grasp, unable to move. They melt slowly into its bulk, screaming. Under their bulk, the tainted ground was melting into them, and with it the taint and blood was burning.

ThE PATh iS CLEaR foR YoU noW... We LIke hOW they TAstE... aND hoW THeY bUrN! the magmatic masses bubbled (although to anyone but Azaraen, it sounds more like hissing and bubbling magma).

Meanwhile the fire elemental has found a delicious edari-dragon. The creature swiped furiously, but by now the spirit has consumed so much tar that it was shining white and hotter than a forge. The living blaze roared in delight to have found such an interesting shape, much easier to eat than the plated boulders... It hissed and wrapped firey tendrils around it. The dragon struggled and tried to bite it... slash it... and spike it with the earth, but the charged heat of the creature only made it worse. For every attack, the edari was burning itself and feeding the flames. Eventually the fire had enough of a grasp around the beast that it simply moved it into the center of its bulk. Result: Stone stuck into a blast furnace tends to not survive long.

Dark and Light were also still busy sowing their chaos about. Light decided it would be best to wrap itself around one of the defenders, acting like a fountain of restoration and vigor: Valkoth would do. He was the leader here, and perhaps through this he could gain more appreciation for the little lady he would have tried to eat once (And decided not to after the incineration incident of another dragon... but the thought crosses his mind every so often). As the spirit appears and enwraps him, it doesn`t impede his abilities or his range of motion. Instead, his wounds close, he is filled with strength, and those in a small radius feel the same although to a much more miniscule degree.

Darkness was happy to do the opposite: It was looking for one of the generals. Azaraen wanted one captured, perhaps it could do so and use it to its advantage. ((Kaerisk: Could you update me on which is still in dralk and if darkness suddenly taking control of one of the generals for its own ends would be acceptable... will finish that part of this update after information))

Taking the opening created by the appearance of the magma elementals from below, azaraen simply stepped through them. They knew her and prevented her from feeling so much as any of their heat, allowing her to tread right through the magma to the citadel. A boulder edari attempted to accost her on the way and found itself stuck and immobile in the molten mass. Worse off, they were being dragged into the pool. A last thought was `Well, that was a bad idea.``

Azaraen rushed quickly up to the other defenders, where valkoth was beginning to panicabout the strange light-thing holding him. Azaraen looked at him a moment.

Oh, dont worry about that, its healing you... More importantly though, a decimated spirit came to me and said chiconis is being attacked, and moreso, by some kind of titan... and the titan is decimating the life there, which means I can`t give them a more spiritual presence. The spirits there are too weak right now. The travel gate is damaged too... but you all needed to know what I was told. Lets hope we can pull through here. azaraen huffed after a run. Well, thats that... She decided to run behind the lines instead of being out in the open near the shrine. The earthen corruption was just too great right now for that to be safe.

[RuneDragoon]

((Azu in Chiconis))

... Heh, they LOVED that didn`t they ... One point for me.

Then the Titan appeared. It gave a speech. Azu took no notice of it however, as she reeled over the size of... whatever that thing was, which proceeded to decimate much of the area. This was bad.

The attack then began. They had to take down that titanic creature, and of course, perhaps leftovers of it could be archived for research. New research was always good.

Hovering over where the floating citadel had been, she figured she could fire spells at it from there. Thinking a moment, she came up with an odd plan and attempted to test it. She began to sing arcane words, and almost dance with then in the air:

A weak point of distortion opens up in the vicinity of the titan`s back right foot. It is very hard to notice, but any arcane mages may pick up on it more quickly than a primalist.

A highly annoying but not so damaging flurry of firebolts come flying at the titan following it and continue just long enough to attempt to distract it from the portal forming near the limb.

((If the portal snaps open and manages to catch the titan`s leg in it, it will suddenly snap shut quickly as the mass the portal can handle is exceed by the titanic stoneflesh object. The now severed leg will find its way over a lava pool in dralk.))

[LungTien Temeraire]

- OoC on - (just a question, should we consider all of the younger dragons, including hatchlings, and everyone unable to fight in Chiconis and Dralk have fled away for safety?)
- OoC off -

As he was flying towards Maurger's construct, LungTien glanced at Callihan below, who was struggling, against the ancient Edari general, and he hoped he would take that opponent down, in order to allow the bipeds to get a way towards the titan.

The black ancient dragon turned his head back towards the gigantic golem with a grin, before to cast a powerful icy bolt at its head, and then fly in circles around its massive shape, careful to not go too close from its threatening tentacles and arms. Noticing some non-Gifted dragons were following him, he roared at them:
-Don't get too close and be ready to avoid its attacks! Just throw your most powerful spells from a long range!

Temeraire, after that, focused back at the titan with bared teeth, ready to throw more bolts as well as other spells at it. This time, Maurger was going to pay for his crimes.

[BrightCat]

((I'm pretty sure those who were in danger have left unless they were captured or unable to escape.))

[C`gan]

Tagath did an aerial scouting through Dralk one last time. The wurms had all been melted. Further combatants here were not as necessary as at Chiconis. Although the portal was useless currently, something could yet be done. Using his farthest vision, he found Brysmendrik forlornly sitting away from Dralk, as usual. Tagath dropped beside him.

"Go away. Leave me in peace," Brysmendrik whined, his usual dejection dripping with every word.

"Dralk needs you, Brysmendrik. You know the portal and pad construction. You know how to repair the portal so our wounded may be taken elsewhere and healed, to return refreshed," Tagath pleaded.

"I haven't worked on the portals since that horrible day in Draak. Leave me alone."

Tagath glared at him. "You have a job to do, yellow. You saved Dralk then. You may yet save Dralk again if you get that portal operating."

"Everyone says I saved Dralk. I killed Draak!"

"So, you will let Dralk fall this time, then let the forces advance across Istaria to destroy Chiconis and all of Drulkar's children? You mock Valkoth and Semeneth both with your existence that way. Go and drown in your sorrows at Draak, then. The Aegis can make use of your worthless corpse. I will enjoy killing it repeatedly until there is no corpse left of you." With that, Tagath flew off and blinked between yet again to Chiconis.

It took a moment for the words to sink in, but Brysmendrik acceded the point. He flew back south, landing at the pad. His claws started flying in a desperate attempt to get the portal working. Within the hour, the blue disc suddenly hummed to life once again.

Tagath reemerged at Chiconis to join the battle against the mountain golem. Though the fight was not going well, the lesser forces remained vastly less than before. It was time for more help. Tagath looked north.

C`gan?

Having just hauled another silo of nickel ore for Heather, C`gan's heart lept at the mental summons so far apart.

Tagath? What's wrong?

Come to Chiconis for battle. We need archers. There is a mountain golem to be fought. Tagath projected the image of the huge attacking thing.

On my way. Have a spellcaster ready to throw flame attack on me the instant I step off the pad.

I will. Awdz is here. Murial is here. They fight well. I will fight well while you get here.

Tagath bespoke Awdz. Awdz, C`gan comes to help with his crossbow. He requests flame attack when he arrives off the pad. With that, Tagath turned his attention to the lumbering thing. He saw the odd air beside it, and the odd shimmer growing near the one leg. Distraction! Easily done.

Tagath headed directly for the eyes of the foul thing, roared a challenge, then blinked between and behind it, casting both incandescent unrelenting winds and incandescent grazing winds and breathing lightning.

C`gan hurried to his house at Acul, changed into his strongest armor, grabbed sword, shield, and crossbow, and ran to the portal. Focusing his thoughts on the beautiful citadel at Chiconis, he jumped through the portal and found things vastly different. The crystal citadel was gone. The bridge was mostly not there, but no debris anywhere suggested such a massive amount of stone had been demolished. He felt the slight leeching of his strength still in the area from the Edari's magic, but being no magic user himself, he could place no discernable source. Instead, he concentrated on the moving mass coming toward Chiconis and burst into a run to attack, pausing only momentarily for the requested buff.

[Kaerisk]

(@RuneDragon: Taking control of the generals would be fine, except for the Edari-Ancient, since he's sort of the last boss for Dralk. I don't think anyone's even injured the two other generals though, so turning one against the other could be humorous.

@Lung: Yes, most likely everyone who could not fight was evacuated during the first or second waves. As with war, there may always be stragglers...

@C`gan: I actually had already brought Brys out, but I like your post better, so we'll go with it ;p

Let's say it didn't take an hour though, to repair it.))

[Kaerisk]

Flame washed over the Edari-Ancient to little effect, but it did obscure the horrific twisted faces of dead hatchlings that sometimes swelled over its hide. Ausixen hopped back as Callihan ran into the Ancient, knocking him back some feet.

"Thanks for the help!" Ausixen exclaimed, turning his body around and returning the favor to the Edari-Ancient, tail-whipping him across the face. As the Ancient stumbled, Ausixen caught sight of Awdz's Dark Cyclone, pouring through the ranks of the Edari.

"Callihan! Help me push him!" Ausixen exclaimed. ((I'll let Calli add his part here if he wants))

With a great deal of force, Ausixen pressed his claws upon the sotneflesh of the Edari and pushed as hard as he could. The Soulflame nail burned against the stoneflesh as if reflecting his determination. The general recovered and leapt back from them, but right into the trap Ausixen wanted.

The Dark Cyclone rushed over the general, its natural energies tearing apart his stone form. As it past, leaving the general covered in black blood, Ausixen saw his chance. He stabbed his claw into the blood, igniting it with the Soulflame Nail. The Edari-Ancient screamed and burned from the inside out. When it fell, its broken and burnt husk shattered against the hard ground.

"Now is the time! Join together to attack!" Ausixen shouted, rushing through the now opened lines and up the hill towards the distant Edari-Titan.

[Kaerisk]

Maurger laughed as he watched the battle ensue below him. How insignificant they all looked from this height. How insignificant their power truly was compared to him. He had become a god in his own lifetime, creating life, and taking life just as indiscriminately.

"Master! Move!" One of the Edari Grunts exclaimed. He felt his foot being moved.

Maurger had brought a small squad of grunts with him to the battlefield, though their purpose at this point was little more than distraction. They had first been employed to help finish the digging and construction of the Edari-Titan he now wore - perhaps, ironically, fulfilling their intended purpose: to build.

Simple though they were, they felt something was wrong. Small bolts of fire hit against the chest of the Titan, weakened by distance. Maurger trusted his Edari; they were also his children. Stepping into the bolts of flame at the urging of his Grunts, he moved out of the way of the ripping spell just in time - instead, his hapless children were torn away from Chiconis and dropped off in some distant location to die. It made Maurger seethe with rage. Who would tear apart his children and creations in an attempt to get to him?

His huge calcite eye gazed over the battlefield. No, not the gnome. She had turned to aiding the army. Lungtien? No, he had just taken to the air and began to throw bolts of ice at him. A dangerous gambit that would end immediately in death, if not for his desire to find the one responsible for such an inordinately powerful spell.

There. Hovering over where *his* city should have been.

One hand flew forward, as if to swat Lungtien away, but instead, Maurger opened his palm. The Darklight flowed through the massive tricut. From his open hand erupted a massive beam of energy, directed at Azu.

[BrightCat]

Callihan blinked for a moment as he saw the dark cyclone begin tearing through the ranks of the enemies and Ausixen’s plan became clear. Callihan took a few steps backward before charging forward and hurling his full weight into the Edari ancient helping to move it into the oncoming cyclone’s path. However, the golem leapt back doing their work for them. The white and yellow drake leapt back out of the cyclone’s way as it began to wash over the ancient golem and decimate it.

Callihan stood panting for a few seconds trying to regain his bearings again. All around him were the savage sounds of battle; it was deafening. Callihan shook his head trying to regain his focus. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. He couldn’t remember a time when he fought this hard or this long.
He saw the Purple Phoenix charge his way up the cleared path towards the Edari Titan. They weren’t finished yet. Summoning another healing breeze and several primal spells to bolster his strength, Callihan ran up behind Ausixen keeping pace with him.

Callihan looked up as he saw a black blur fly overhead and recognized LungTien fly towards the Titan. His heart skipped a beat as the Titan lifted a massive hand revealing the massive tricut in its palm, but it didn’t seem to be aiming at LungTien. The Titan unleashed a terrible beam from its hand at something in the distance. He glanced back for a split second trying to see what the Titan was aiming at, but he couldn’t see.

Callihan returned his focus to the Titan ahead of him trying to think of a plan. If he got hit by that massive beam it’d all be over. It was a good thing that he was Gifted and bound to Chiconis. If he were struck down he’d be able to rejoin the fight almost immediately.

[C`gan]

Tagath watched his attacks apparently get ignored. Such a thing could not bode well.

When the titan raised his arm and fired the beam, Tagath saw that such a destructive beam could not be allowed to harm anyone. He looked to the northeast and saw the answer, but he must be in time.

Between was never as scary as it was now. He must go back in time, find his prey, and take it to where it must be dropped. As Tagath reemerged over the mithril field by Last Stand, he found his prey easily ambling along. Tagath had harvested Mhedon many times before, so the mithril was an easy haul. Tagath landed on Mhedon, looked back to the southwest and jumped between again, reemerging high over Chiconis.

The arm was raising, the tricut was glowing with energy. Tagath dropped Mhedon with the hope that the mithril boulder golem would take the full force of the beam instead of the hapless target.

[LungTien Temeraire]

LungTien Temeraire, who was following the titan, blinked as the huge arm raised towards him, just while he was between the golem and the place where Chiconis' floating rooms used to be. He managed to dodge the dark beam, before to realize he wasn't, himself, the target.

Turning briefly his eyes towards the beam's direction, the black ancient didn't saw who or what was targeted, from his position. He quickly focused back at the titan, before to prepare a Primal Cast, and then throw three bright and loud blasts at once, aiming, this time, at the construct's head.

Temeraire hoped these spells would do more damages than his previous bolts, and that reinforcements would come as soon as possible, fearing Tagath and he wouldn't be strong enough to stand against such opponent. Then, seeing Ausixen and Callihan dart towards Maurger's titan as well, and some Gifted bipeds following them, the black Helian's will strengthens. LungTien continues flying around the golem, comforted.

[RuneDragoon]

((Well then, posting continued! Darkness in dralk)

She wanted it. It would find it. One of them anyways... but there were clearly three here and perhaps useful to reduce the number to one. It was what darkness does: sows confusion, chaos, and destruction into the hearts of living and nonliving. Thus, it was only natural that it would do what it did best.

It floated without form and consequently, without visibility to any mortal senses over the battle, looking for what the lady wished of it... and eventually it found two of them.

This particular opportunity was challenging for such a quiet spirit... which to take for itself? Perhaps it should save the intelligent khutit for the lady and decimate the boulder... or try to take the ancient after they destroy each other. The latter looked fascinating, even if it could be impossible to take the ancient, and would eliminate two important components of this attack.

It floated over to the khutit, observing the battle so far and barking orders. The heated air suddenly felt as icy as winter as a shadow coalesced behind it, with dark tendrils trailing behind a point like smoke... before the khutit realzied what was happening, the tendrils had enwrapped it and sunk deep into the core of the creature. It came to the realization it was being possessed and controlled by... something. It couldn't speak or move anymore. And that something was starting to whisper into its head, an unusual thing for a spirit normally silent to most.

"I know what your master does~ I know what your master is~ I know where your master is~ I know what your master does~... but you are mine now~ shall remain mine now~... you are mine now~ I'll show you what your master does~ When others are his... not mine~" it whispered cryptically into the khutit's mind. Indeed, the silent spirits of darkness were highly familiar with Maurger's darkness, even if they said nothing for the most part usually. It kept whispering it again and again... purposely annoying and torturing the khutit's mind... just enough for it to be kept preoccupied trying to blot out the voice so as to have difficulty resisting the forced movement. It was fun for darkness anyhow.

The boulder-edari the khutit perched on hadn't really noticed anything, although it questioned briefly why it was staggering in a circle on its back. Darkness had to learn how to work its new 'armor' and gain a higher access to its mind for its skills, but once it figured out which limb was which, it stood much steadier and dismounted.

Darkness had a plan before it had taken the khutit, and now it was time to let it roll, literally.

"We.. may have ... them... suffered heavy loss... from the.. pincer. They however... recovered the... travel gate..." the darkness forced it to say. With language similar to a mind lasher, it may have been partially obvious something was a little off, but perhaps it could also just be battle fatigue.

The boulder looked at him oddly. Yes, something didn't seem right, the khutit was reporting information that it already knew. The air was getting cold as darkness allowed some of its tendrils to release from the khutit's arms, but no other place. They trailed out behind the khutit visibly like smoke, its victim starting to flail madly as if it would help release it.

The other general had let its guard down and alarmed by the sight, quickly mauled the other general as it was clearly affected by some sorcery. It wasn't over however, as this was all the plan... in its panic, it had made itself more susceptible where before, it would have been too strong to take over. Darkness jumped on this opportunity and dug itself right into the more suitable armor form.

Thus it was that the cycle began again as it filled the general's mind with a flurry of whispers to overload its thoughts. It was much harder to figure out what limb did what this time... darkness found itself staggering in a circle for several minutes like a confused drunkard.

Once it had the general, it felt much more content. This particular form would be useful, it was battle hardened and strong. Now, it thought to itself, its time to try to trick the ancient edari into killing it, or somehow come into possession of it as a worthy trophy for the lady.

Either way, it figure the best way would be to start small: By rolling over and mauling several of those who had been its underlings previously on the way as it looked for the ancient.

[BrightCat]

((It’s long battle time. :3))

Another Edari golem fell prey to Selarth’s claws. They sliced ragged gouges through the thing’s body sending bits of rock and dark ooze flying. Selarth stood atop his downed victim looking for the next, his gaze wild with a savage fury. Those blood red eyes of his flicked quickly across the battlefield scanning over defenders and enemies. The blight dragon paused a brief second when he caught sight of the Edari Ancient. It was more towards the back shouting orders at its troops and striking down any defender that got near.

A wicked smirk curved Selarth’s maw. Yes, he would take out the big one. Chances were that it’d probably kill him if he fought it alone; he wasn’t at full strength, but the urge to fight a strong opponent compelled him. Evading the attacks of surrounding Edari troops, Selarth charged his way across the battleground towards the third Edari general.

The Edari Ancient saw the blight dragon’s furious approach. It was the same one that had taken out the wizards earlier. The golem snarled in annoyance that Selarth was still alive. Seemed the other troops were incapable of taking the dragon down. The Ancient figured that if you wanted something done right you would have to do it yourself. The Edari Ancient spread its massive wings and lowered into a battle stance challenging Selarth.

As Selarth neared the large golem dragon, he could hear the cries of the hatchling souls that were trapped within the Ancient’s horns. However, Selarth was deaf to their pleas and felt no sympathy for them. He was a murderer himself and one largely without conscience. If anything it made him angrier with their annoying noise.

The Edari Ancient reared up onto its hind legs and brought down its forepaws with a tremendous force, its claws glowing with a magical energy. The ground beneath Selarth heaved as spikes of earth shot upward to impale him, but the blight dragon had seen this trick before with the Edari Wurms. Selarth quickly leaped up into the air using his wings to gain extra height evading the earth spikes. He landed in front of the Edari Ancient which struck out at him with its heavy forepaws trying to rend him with its claws. The smaller dragon dodged back out of the way and tried to dart around to the Edari’s flank. However the Edari Ancient was not unexperienced and much smarter than the troops that Selarth fought earlier. The massive golem quickly whirled around and smashed its tail into Selarth which sent the blight dragon flying backward with a sickening crunch. Selarth was sent sprawling to the ground a few of his ribs and sternum cracked from the golem’s blow. The thing was made from stone, it was like getting run over by a boulder!

Gasping for breath Selarth tried to quickly right himself, but the Ancient was already on top of him bringing its forepaws down to crush its smaller opponent. Massive blight thorns burst from the ground around Selarth and rushed upward at the Ancient blocking its blow. The vines began wrapping around the golem’s limbs much to its annoyance. Selarth slipped out from under the Ancient as it fought with the vines. Within seconds the Ancient tore through them and was after Selarth again. It unleashed another wave of earth spikes at Selarth trying to strike him as he fought to put distance between them. Selarth leapt up into the air again; his ribs might be broken, but his wings still worked. The Ancient opened its maw and spit a blast of lightning at Selarth hoping to stun him and bring him down, but Selarth evaded again.

The blight dragon cursed. He couldn’t get one attack in! This was going to be much harder than he expected. He couldn’t keep flying either; each wingbeat brought a stabbing pain in his chest as his flight muscles moved over his cracked bones. It was then he got an idea, he’d take that thing down from the inside out. Selarth dove down and tried to latch onto the Edari Ancient. The golem whirled around trying to catch Selarth, but the dragon landed on its back. The blight dragon summoned up more blight thorns to tangle up the ancient’s limbs. However the ancient wasn’t falling for Selarth’s tricks. It leapt clear of the thorns and bucked around trying to dislodge Selarth from its back.

Selarth clung to the ancient tenaciously. He imbued his claws with a golden energy allowing them to dig into the golem’s stone flesh. He hooked in with three of his paws and began clawing away at the ancient’s back with a hind paw gouging out deep furrows. The Ancient roared with fury and then reared up and fell backwards trying to crush Selarth, but Selarth suspected it’d try a trick like that and was ready for it. He leapt clear as the Ancient crashed down onto the ground. Selarth took advantage and trying to ensnare it with more blight thorns while it was down. It partially worked, the vines wrapping around the Ancient’s hind legs and tail.

While the golem was busy with the vines Selarth leapt onto its back again. He placed a forepaw over the deep gouges on the Ancient’s stone hide and began pouring every last ounce of blight energy he had left into the golem. With any luck it would begin to destroy the beast from the inside out.

Selarth let out a strangled roar as the Ancient’s jaws clamped around one of his hind legs. The Ancient’s stony jaws and sharp teeth cut through scale and flesh and crushed bone. It dragged Selarth off and flung him, but the damage had already been done; blight was now coursing through the ancient slowly destroying it.

The Ancient knew that unless it was cleansed the blight would slowly destroy it, but at least it’d have the pleasure of killing this blighted wretch. With a mangled hind leg, Selarth’s mobility was limited, but he wasn’t about to give in. He would keep fighting to the very end. He was Gifted anyway, death wasn’t going to stop him.

In a last ditch effort, Selarth leapt at the golem and tried to slash at its face, but the Ancient swatted the blight dragon down and clamped down on his with its jaws. Selarth gave a strangled snarl as it grabbed him by the neck and with a quick but savage shake, broke his neck. The golem dropped Selarth's body and looked at him with contempt before moving away to continue fighting as long as it could.

[LungTien Temeraire]

- OoC - Oh no... Selarth is dead... - OoC -

[Kaerisk]

((OMG! They killed Selrath! You...

;p Good post, though! I'ma rescue him. ;p)

Maekrux bled freely from several puncture wounds, having fought through many swords and shields to reach this point. The scales around them had browned and blackened from the corrupted steel of the swords, but still he pressed on. The weakened Edari Ancient came against him, calling up the rage of the earth against Maekrux - the Ancient was desperate to kill as many as possible now. The spikes impaled Maekrux's chest, the shadow energy shocking and burning him after the fact, as the corruption of the ground had not yet dissipated.

But Maekrux had been watching the battle, and knew the Ancient would be desperate.

"Now!" Maekrux shouted, leaning into the spikes to tear open the weakened and blighted stoneflesh of the Edari-Ancient. Its black ooze-blood spilled out onto the dragon's claws.

The battlemage had circled and threw his flame spells onto the Blue Phoneix's claws, setting alight the black ooze. As soon as it began to burn, Maekrux dug his claws into the chest, holding him with all his strength as the Ancient thrashed. Before long, the weakened Ancient had burned to death from the inside out.

Maekrux stumbled as he pried himself free from the spikes. His head was woozy from blood loss. The healer with him came to his aid, but he shooed her away.

"No, see to Selarth. I'll be okay. The mage and I shall create a perimeter. We will need all the help we can muster to push them out of Dralk completely," he said. The healer went tot he fallen blight dragon to see about resurrecting him. Maekrux himself summoned a refreshing breeze about him, the blood at least staunched by the spell. The Blue Phoenix and his Imperial escort clashed with another pair of Sword and Shield while the healer worked.


(To recall, or not to recall, that is the question.)

[LungTien Temeraire]

- OoC again - *wonders if Selarth will eat the healer, if Azu will be hit by the titan's beam, and if his own character will get a cow or two soon... - OoC off -