The Invasion Begins

[Hina]

I am quitting standing trials. It is clear that nobody here wants to rp with me nor do I think I will be missed in the slightest.

If you are a newbie, you should know that mods and even other players can ruin your character at any time and for any power trippy reason. In my time here, I have had mods simply not reply to my posts for weeks and weeks at a time, had my character waste half a season because a mod made up a rule to have my character thrown in jail, been made pregnant against my will, and also been assigned penalties against my will just because a non mod thought to give me a hard time. You can do a bit of research and find that only staff members have accomplished anything noteworthy in this game, because they are the only ones immune from random bullshit.

I would not reccomend this game to anyone looking to accomplish anything in a roleplaying game.

[Nir'wei]

5th of Cylus, 719.

Cylus had to be the most miserable season of them all. Perpetually dark, cold, wet... how he wished he could just curl up in bed for the full thirty trials and hibernate until it ended. At least Skywatch seemed to be weathering the drastic change - every room and corridor was packed with candles in various states of wilting, stewards crowded the halls struggling to replace them all fast enough to keep the ambient light at a reasonable level, and though the smoke made his eyes water and his lungs burn if he lingered for too long in the higher rooms, they at least kept enough heat radiating through the thick stone walls that he wasn't shivering as he pored through old journals requisitioned by Xithyria. Training in such darkness he could barely see had its advantages, to be certain; it forced him to use more than just his eyes to anticipate what was coming for him next, and weighed heavily on his spacial awareness. However, Xithyria could hardly teach him the proper stances when he couldn't even see what the huge knight was doing... so they'd retired briefly to the barracks to go over the records of old commanders and their heroic exploits. It was supposed to be a simple lesson on the codes of chivalry, a history lesson and a reminder of the importance of their work, done over several hundred arcs; it was supposed to be a reminder on the parts we all play in the greater scheme of the world. A brick in the wall. Some might have called such an outlook bleak and uninspired... but like it or lump it, that was the truth.

He was midway through one exceedingly dull journal when the first calls rose. "Gear on! GEAR ON! Move, MOVE, MOVE!" It came again and again, picked up by one knight after the next as they suddenly stopped mid-conversation, jumping from their beds to gather their things, shoving on breastplates with a panicked fervor as confused whispers and yells echoed back and forth between breathless shouts. In the chaos he abandoned the journals, grabbing his longsword, bow and quiver from nearby and hastily strapping them around his waist and back as he shoved through the crowds. It sounded like an emergency, a truly dire one if they were drawing on reserves from the barracks on top of everything else. Exactly what for, he couldn't be sure of, until a grizzled and heavily-bearded knight whistled sharply and jumped up onto an unoccupied bed to stand over the scrum. "Word's arrived from Storm's Edge. They're under attack and the forces there can't hold position. Flameborn. Everyone, and that means EVERYONE. Mount up. Justiciars, rapid response! Guardians, heavy defense! Inquisitors and Stewards, back lines!" Orders and commands rattled off the walls as Nir'wei pushed again, shoving the armoured men aside to make it to the door before the corridors packed with sweaty bodies... and then he ran.

Vabina had felt his distress almost instantly and stood outside, concerned, practically pawing at Skywatch's front doors until he shoved the door open and practically threw himself onto her back. "Go!" She needed no more than to be aimed at the city's gates and around-face she spun, diving into a full-speed gallop that narrowly missed crashing through wooden market stalls as she barreled through the streets, down the Quarters.

Somewhere down the line, Greyhide appeared in his ear, yelling, confused, worried. He shoved the bombardment of questions aside. "Full alarm. Everyone out, lead them to Storm's Edge, I'll meet you there." The moment they finally broke free of the narrow, crowded, dark streets of the city and into the broad expanse of the Stormlands, he clutched tight as he could manage to the huge lightning cat's back as she leaped forward with an extra burst of power, thundering across the grass faster than his eyes could follow. Somewhere behind him he could hear the thundering of hooves, the screeches of Storm Rocs, the matching footfalls of fellow Zephyrus', even a few crackles of Blitzkins as the hive of knights erupted en masse.

***

By the time Nir'wei arrived at Storm's Edge, the outrider fortress had already suffered its own eruption, and with good cause. Even from ground level, looking out over the barren hellscape of the Stormwastes laid out before him, the specks on the horizon were muddy, but still visible. It was easy to dismiss them, because of the sheer distance... until he remembered that nobody had ever seen them getting so close before. Not to mention, if they were so far away, and yet still discernible from the bleached background without binoculars... they'd have to be massive. Nir'wei swallowed the growing lump in his throat and almost choked on it.

"FLYERS! On me!" someone yelled from within the courtyard. A clean-shaven Justiciar, entirely bald and with a hooked nose that could have put an eagle to shame, stood with his arms folded behind his back and waited for Nir'wei and an assortment of others to gather before him. "You are Team One! Gather gear, mount up, V-formation! Stay with the pack, DO NOT attack until I give the signal!" Bloody hell, they were actually doing this. His stomach felt like it could empty itself then and there. These things were supposed to be unkillable, right? Creatures of pure flame and fury, arrows and swords dropped straight through them... what in Karem's name were they even supposed to do? His hesitation must have been palpable, because the next thing he knew the Justiciar was above him, grappling with the collar of his shirt and shaking him like a doll. "I SAID MOUNT UP!" The best he could mutter out was a shaky 'yessir' in response as he stumbled away and reached for Traveller, awkwardly clambering onto the Sohr Khal's back as the others, those not already in the air and assuming positions, began to rise.

[Hina]

I am quitting standing trials. It is clear that nobody here wants to rp with me nor do I think I will be missed in the slightest.

If you are a newbie, you should know that mods and even other players can ruin your character at any time and for any power trippy reason. In my time here, I have had mods simply not reply to my posts for weeks and weeks at a time, had my character waste half a season because a mod made up a rule to have my character thrown in jail, been made pregnant against my will, and also been assigned penalties against my will just because a non mod thought to give me a hard time. You can do a bit of research and find that only staff members have accomplished anything noteworthy in this game, because they are the only ones immune from random bullshit.

I would not reccomend this game to anyone looking to accomplish anything in a roleplaying game.

[Nir'wei]

As soon as they were all in the air, they saw it on the approach. Even as Traveller beat his wings and drove himself into the air, Nir saw the hazy outline of the first creature on the horizon. A mobile fortress wreathed in flame, capable of putting Skywatch Keep to shame. He almost didn't notice the second perched on its back until they assumed formation and began the approach. Its spindly body blended effortlessly into the dancing flames of the turtle-shell and its reflexes were surprisingly fast for something so huge, the few times it spat its tongue at them and the fleshy lump stopped dead just short of snatching one of the Storm Rocs from the air. Of course they were too far away. Even if it leaped, they'd have plenty of time to scatter before it even opened its mouth. Not to mention, Storm Rocs were dangerous creatures. Sohr Khals equally so. He wasn't too worried for his personal safety, as long as those things remained on the ground and he stayed in the air.

Though, as he glanced to the woman ahead, he did feel a slight pang in his stomach for her. Her wings clearly spoke of an Avriel heritage, much like Vald, though she lacked the feathers over the rest of her body, the taloned feet and hands, the oddly sharp features and the surefire flying methods of Vald. Perhaps a half-breed, or something entirely different? There was simply no way to tell from this distance, but he sure felt sorry for her, surrounded by creatures with wingspans of well over thirty feet - Traveller included. She looked tiny by comparison. "Alright, ready weapons!" the shout announced from up ahead just as the frog below started shifting back and forth, its gestures almost like a cat in the moments before it struck. "Nock, draw, and hold! We only get ONE chance at this, and we're going to make it damn count!"

Suddenly he understood the plan, and by gods was it risky. They circled, around and around, drawing just close enough to entice the creature to make an attack for them but far away that they could avoid it and launch a counter-attack while it was at its weakest. If it went wrong, if they didn't throw absolutely everything in one volley and incapacitate it enough to finish off, they wouldn't get a second chance at luring it in. How many tricks could one prepare to take on a Flameborn anyway, he wondered to himself?

"READY!" Traveller slid himself just a few inches higher as the giant frog-creature reared itself back, crouched low, and then seemed to explode straight off the turtle's back in a bursting ring of flame as it leaped straight towards the head of the formation. "BREAK!" The leader's storm roc did something remarkable. It tucked its wings to its side, twisted sideways, and dropped like a stone, sliding straight underneath the Flameborn's torso while the two limbs of the formation pulled out and straightened at either side. The frog slid right between them both, close to the perfect angle - close to the perfect distance to launch a combined assault from both sides at once. "FIRE!" Nir had enough sense not to waste such a perfect opportunity and lined up a shot right before its uncoiled leg-joint, loosing a storm arrow so that it burrowed into the joint. At the same time a dozen other shots all went off as well and he saw the arrows digging into its side, picking out choice spots around its eyes and face, the joints of its leg, the soft and weak underbelly.

It was a stroke of tactical genius, if there ever was one, and moments before the legs snapped back into position as the frog dropped back down towards the ground, Traveller used the extra inches he'd gained to quickly swoop back out of range with a duck-and-dive. Somewhere down below the ground soldiers emerged from their nearby defensive positions armed with spears, swords, any weapons they could get their hands on it seemed like to begin hacking at the severely-weakened monster while it was still rolling about and trying to find its feet. In moments they'd cut so many pieces out of the amphibian that it'd barely be able to stand even if it could, and eventually it grew still and cold, curling up like a spider exposed to flames. "Remind me I need to shake that guy's hand after this," he breathed in amazement to Greyhide as he turned his attention towards the second Flameborn.

[Hina]

I am quitting standing trials. It is clear that nobody here wants to rp with me nor do I think I will be missed in the slightest.

If you are a newbie, you should know that mods and even other players can ruin your character at any time and for any power trippy reason. In my time here, I have had mods simply not reply to my posts for weeks and weeks at a time, had my character waste half a season because a mod made up a rule to have my character thrown in jail, been made pregnant against my will, and also been assigned penalties against my will just because a non mod thought to give me a hard time. You can do a bit of research and find that only staff members have accomplished anything noteworthy in this game, because they are the only ones immune from random bullshit.

I would not reccomend this game to anyone looking to accomplish anything in a roleplaying game.

[Nir'wei]

As Traveller wound back around in a wide, lazy circle to join the tail-end of the formation, a new weight settled on his shoulder. Of course spirits didn't have any weight, it was just his mind trying to catch up with the sensation, but even knowing that, it still felt real. "Is it just me," Archailist mumbled as the dying frog tumbled to the ground in a heap of flitting embers and ash, "or did that all happen way, way too easily." No. Of course not, surely not. This was just good timing, a good strategy and a healthy spoonful of good luck thrown into the mix. A winning combination. Why look a gift horse in the mouth when the task was only half-finished, too? No, it wasn't too easy. Surely not.

From the other limb of the formation, one of the fliers broke away and descended towards the fallen frog, landing atop its carcass and beginning to heave it away. Why, he couldn't say, but he was willing to bet this was the next stage of their plan to finish off the second Flameborn... though, was it just his imagination, or did the flames sprouting from its massive shell look much brighter and hotter than before? Not just that, but the tongues of flame seemed to be rippling in one direction - directly towards its head, and the gaping maw that pointed straight at the Knight struggling to heave the dead frog. "Hey, guys?" Of course nobody listened. Why would they? He wasn't even a member of the higher command. Just an initiate, there by happenstance and necessity. "Guys!" The closest knight glanced over his shoulder, but dismissed him immediately. Something felt wrong. This really had been too easy. It--

The rippling drew to its peak, seeming to draw everything in at once, like the creature was sucking in one enormous, all-encompassing breath. Then a thick jet of flame spat straight from its mouth, tightening into a literal ball of condensed, yellowish-white heat in mid-air that tore through the sky with the speed of an arrow. The Knight's scream lasted only a moment, but it was the longest and most horrid moment he'd ever felt. Then the ball struck, and he vanished under a dull roar as the ball of flame burst open like a pustule, spraying thick gouts in all directions. Not even a feather was left.

Silence fell over the battlefield as knights stopped, staring, numb at the spot their fallen comrade had been just moments ago. Then with an ominous rumble, the tortoise lifted its head towards the remaining men and the rippling began again.

"SCATTER!" came the cry from the men as they dived from the path of the tortoise, some plummeting to the ground and others rising higher, thinking they could outrun its range. Nir'wei yanked hard on Traveller's reins and felt a sickening lurch as the beast closed both wings and barreled to the side, spinning him upside-down and back around in two, three, four tight turns before he righted them both once more and swept out in another wide arc. It seemed like the only safe place was behind it, but even that wasn't assured. One moment the tortoise was spitting short, fast little pellets of heavily-condensed flame into the ranks like chips of stone, volley after volley erupting after a short distance in bursts of flame and heat that threatened to singe the Storm Roc's feathers as they tried to escape its reach. The next, it reared back and swept a column of fire directly from its pursed lips, flailing back and forth wildly to stop anyone from pushing too close on a frantic offensive.

The best he could do was take advantage of its distraction, no matter the cost it came at. Nir'wei drew his bow once more, lined up a fresh storm arrow, and fired it straight through the back left leg with a loud, grating cry from the creature as lightning bolts scored through its burning flesh and paralysed the leg in place. "Hold it down!" he yelled. "HOLD IT DOWN!" Another arrow, drawn, nocked, shot through the other back leg. If he could nail down all four legs, they could halt it from turning or making an escape and launch a final attack while it was vulnerable... but only if it didn't retreat into its shell first.

[Hina]

I am quitting standing trials. It is clear that nobody here wants to rp with me nor do I think I will be missed in the slightest.

If you are a newbie, you should know that mods and even other players can ruin your character at any time and for any power trippy reason. In my time here, I have had mods simply not reply to my posts for weeks and weeks at a time, had my character waste half a season because a mod made up a rule to have my character thrown in jail, been made pregnant against my will, and also been assigned penalties against my will just because a non mod thought to give me a hard time. You can do a bit of research and find that only staff members have accomplished anything noteworthy in this game, because they are the only ones immune from random bullshit.

I would not reccomend this game to anyone looking to accomplish anything in a roleplaying game.

[Nir'wei]

The beastly horned head swerved towards Nir'wei, steam hissing from around its gaping mouth. In just a glimpse he could see that off-yellow molten heat rising in the back of its throat, congealing and swelling until it looked almost ready to leak down its jaw. In its shining surface of living flame he almost thought he could see his own reflection staring back, hair aflame, eyes glowing bright. A different creature entirely, molded by its ethereal amber glow. Moments before a crossbow bolt shot through the orb with a whistling screech, causing it to burst like a bubble and slop back into the creature's throat, spilling back down around its mouth with a screaming cry. Three more crashed into the side of its head but bounced off the thick wrinkled skin in rapid succession as the knights regrouped and slowly drew back into formation. "You heard him, hold it down!" It seemed the creature required a good few trills of concentration to build the molten fireballs in its throat, especially the larger ones - shooting them down while they were still building caused the bubbles of liquid fire to collapse, sliding back down its throat and earning pained screeches from the partially-crippled flameborn. With every foiled attempt it only became more enraged - and the arrows rained down in continuous volleys.

In the distraction, he turned Traveller upwards, climbing through the air. "Moment of truth." The Sohr Khal churred skeptically. "You're made for this. You can do this. Think of it like the biggest catch of your life." They climbed until the frantic shouting of knights beneath him, circling the giant beast as it tilted its head and struggled to snap at those swooping too close, were barely audible. The dark sky stretched infinitely, a world of its own. Dark clouds so close he swore he could reach out and touch them. The cold air almost oppressively sharp on his face and forearms as they tightened on the reins, and he gave a quick jerk. For just a brief moment it felt like there was nothing underneath him at all as gravity fumbled and lost its grip. Traveller tipped his head back and rolled backwards, all the way over until his muzzle pointed straight down at the tortoise's exposed and battered head, before plummeting straight down. Wings tucked tight, a speeding arrow of a creature, until his wings flung out at the last moment to curb just enough impact to avoid breaking his own legs as they stamped down onto the flameborn's skull, sandwiching it against the ground.

He'd only been astride Traveller one other time during an impact like that, and he'd sworn never to do it again, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Human bodies simply weren't prepared for it, and the sharp yank on both arms and legs as his torso pressed hard to the Sohr Khal's back, squeezing the air from his lungs like the juice from an orange, strained so hard he swore he heard a pop from one of his legs, where it had pressed against Traveller's back at an odd angle. For the moment he ignored the all-over ache though. With Traveller's claws embedded in the creature's head and a spiderweb of cracks running through the brittle leathery skin around the impact site, it seemed the battered creature should surely be dead - yet he saw the telltale shifting of the stunned beast struggling unsteadily to its two functioning legs with the beginnings of another cry.

"NO!" The bow was still within reach, and summoning on reserves of energy he didn't even know were there, he pulled it and drew an arrow as far as he could, shakily aiming it straight down towards the creature's skull and firing an arrow that struck home in one of the cracks and stood there, jutting out and quivering with bolts of static electricity shooting up and down its length. "YOU!" Another arrow, this one bouncing off and landing nearby. His shaking arm had missed the crack, and he took a breath to steady himself as he drew the next one back, all the way until the fletching touched his cheek. The third arrow hit home, earning another screech, weaker than the last. "DON'T!" He didn't know how many he fired. He lost count. Most of them bounced off the thick hide and rolled to the floor, but one after another the few that struck home slowly expanded the cracks left behind, until they caved. The thing was long dead by then, succumbed to multiple wounds, spears in its exposed legs, the arrows of the other archers protruding from every gap of exposed flesh they could reach, until the thing grew still and the smoldering fire in its body slowly snuffed out.

There he finally sat, panting. Two of them. Two had made it this far, and it took that much effort to take them down. And already on the horizon, he swore he could see movement. "May Ilaren have mercy on us all." It truly was the beginning of an invasion. The largest he'd ever seen, likely the largest they'd ever faced. Nobody could be prepared for it. Yet he fumbled for his shortbow, hooked somewhere on his saddle, and clutched it tight. "We... we need to regroup. Come on. The next assault won't catch us off guard."

[Nursia]

I am very sorry that this happened.

However, your edits to try and make sense of the story are appreciated, and a step above what I could expect for something unfairly stacked against you like that.

The medieval tactics and jargon on display made me smile. The composition flowed as good as it could, having to be essentially rewritten from a collaborative story, to a single-focused one. You held your end on this with grace, and I appreciate your dedication to writing.

Enjoy your rewards.
Nir'wei

Rewards

Knowledges:
Ranged Combat (Shortbow): Strafing runs can decimate unarmoured foes.
Ranged Combat (Shortbow): Being part of a full volley.
Ranged Combat (Shortbow): Shooting down means less drop-off.
Ranged Combat (Shortbow): Aim for the cracks and let the arrows split them wider.
Ranged Combat (Shortbow): Even armour-piercing arrows need a little help when going against thick-skinned foes.
Ranged Combat (Shortbow): Draw until the arrow touches your cheek for maximum power.
Leadership: Act first, question later, in the heat of a battle it only slows things down.
Leadership: Saying the right thing at the right time can turn the whole battlefield.
Leadership: Give broken men a purpose and it can unite them again.
Injuries:
Dislocated knee: An acute injury that requires treatment. Once it is set in place, walking on it is not recommended for at least a couple of trials. This can be treated post-treatment with relaxation techniques and herbs from an apothecary.
Renown:
+15
EXP:
+15

Feedback

Understand that all criticisms are done in good faith. It would be a greater disrespect to not say anything in the face of problems. Please contact me through this account's inbox if you wish to further communicate on the matter of improvement, or if you feel as though anything is unduly harsh.

Player #2

Rewards

Knowledges:
Wealth:
Renown:
EXP:

Feedback

Understand that all criticisms are done in good faith. It would be a greater disrespect to not say anything in the face of problems. Please contact me through this account's inbox if you wish to further communicate on the matter of improvement, or if you feel as though anything is unduly harsh.