On the morning of the 7th of November, the forests in Brissiauds and extending into Dragenthal shook as a murder of Hinterlandish Ravens ascended to the skies. All over the forest realms, the loudly screeching birds amassed in massive coordinated swarms, racing towards Regalia. Once appearing in Regalia, they first frightened the locals by seeming like massive clouds of black dust. However once descending onto the city, they all took perch on the roofs of the houses all over the city, the buildings, the temples and the city walls. They simply watched, silently, looking at the Regalians going about their business, giving a sense of discomfort to the people below. General Marknid Vladislav is left with 30,000 troops as the 10,000 troops belonging to Krupp’s Consular position may not fall under general command. Marknid then proceeds to move his troops to attack the city of Väll, a major Rië city occupied by 20,000 defenders. General Marknid starts with the usual assault tactics, however is caught by surprise because of the ferocity of the Elves. Much reminiscing the Elven war of 302 AC, the Elves actually employ self immolating Elemental mages to ignite whole battalions of Regalian soldiers at minimal casualties for the Elves. Despite the Regalian naval bombardment, their steadfast defence means the casualties of the Regalians outnumber the elves 9 to 1 on the actual assault phase. This strong defence only barely dented when the Regalians reached the walls, though was utterly repulsed. The Elves, fearing that their entire city would be exterminated by the genocidal Ailor, practically fought possessed as if devoid of the fear of death, knowing in their mind, that loss would show them no mercy. It was this Elven furor that repulsed Marknid’s army and eventually forced Black’s fleet to retreat in the face of massive casualties of the Regalian army. A third of the army was annihilated, mounting to 10,000 casualties while 20,000 men made it safely back to the fort landing. Further attempts to counterintelligence at the front delivers no news, however Audrey d’Ortonnais did have a sealed report delivered to her in all secrecy. Furthermore, scouting efforts revealed the further Elven states had mobilized. Ullarna and Unta’alsur had drummed up their troops, combining their two lesser armies into a larger army with the intention of marching on Marknid’s army and ridding the Teled Methen bassin of the last Regalian occupation force. Admiral Krupp used three battleships and an assortment of smaller ships to send a massive fireship attack on the elven city of Milaï causing massive casualties and property damage in the city. An attempt of Krupp to negociate on behalf of the Empire failed. Sending Cerridyn and Eske Ulfmaerr, the Elves bound them and stabbed ceremonial daggers through their hands, before binding those daggers in place with bandages to both stop the bleeding but to also prevent the two from removing the daggers. They were then permitted to return to the Regalian landing or encampment with the daggers still in their hands, accompanied with the message that the Elves were well aware that they had momentum and that Regalia was buckling under the weight of three coalitions attacking it from all sides. There would be no peace settlement where the Regalians would gain any Elven land and only upon the return of all religious property would the Elves be open to negotiations. Ombre’s attempts to sway the Ithanian sovereign to commit to the war ended in embarrassing failure. Upon attempting to convince the sovereign that she could expand her land through Daendroc, the sovereign seized Ombre by the jawline, squeezing her cheeks together, digging in her long painted nails while endless chains of ivory and gold dangles and clattered with the sudden move. She muttered merely in high poise Ithanian: “Do not think me foolish to not know that the men you call masters and ask for handouts are turning the front into a faux-filati, I am not going to risk my sovereign lands to be pillaged and debauched by the horse fronteurs and lovers, because you so desperately want to take my troops to the front”. She then dismissed Ombre and barred her from returning for the same purpose, though she was permitted to retain her honorary rank. General Hamelin d’Vaud further attempted to assault the city of Milaï, but found themselves blocked by a Regalian blockade and Krupp undergoing his attempts of diplomacy.
Eirain Augustyn Gave an amused sigh at the news. She was not surprised. The young woman had a maid of hers capture one of the crows perched outside of her business shop, and decided to keep it inside of her home. Feeding it bits of meat and insects.
"Good rot, the heralds cometh in droves. How about that. I wonder what that says about.. the amount.." "..." ".. POISON, SHIORI -- GET THE POISON! WE CAN'T LET 'EM LAND ON MY HOUSE! MAE, FIRE - LOTS OF IT! WE'LL DONATE THE MEAT JAN.. Er. Hm. AH! HELP ME POISON THIS GRAIN!" @Icaruscien @Lumiess @essentialess
"Yeesh. Birds givin' me bad-juju. Though, ya' think slum folks could catch 'em, fatten ' em up, then eat? I'm a goddamn genius." The Shendar Silven spoke to the guard that trailed closely next to her. She continued to limp down the street with her crutches.
Xavier sat in his bed that morning, his hands folded across his lap as his physicians began leaving his room. His denim blue eyes peered from behind his mask, staring at the massive window in the Buerg Eleng master bedroom. The room sat rather quietly, all but the distant squawks came from the other side of the window as the Hinterlandic Ravens flooded by in such a large number. As he peered at the wonderous sea of black and burgundy swiftly pass by, one after the next, in pairs, or jumbled nonsense, Xavier gave a quiet nod, speaking quietly as his eyes flickered with ambition and excitement, his voice filled with awe as he muttered that old Ravenstad song: "O' heed, the Raven's Call.."
The pale blonde woman blew a strand of hair out of her face as she came face to face with the ink colored bird. It was perched upon a nearby tree branch much lower to the ground as the fur covered woman was seated on packed snow. “I don’t like the look of you and your kind. Bad times ahead, bad times.” She would rumble. The imprinted Avanthar turned her gaze away from the creature, staring up into the sky, thinking, plotting.
Merina gazed up at the birds with interest, even going to far as skidding across the park's frozen river to sit in the middle of the rose filled tiny island. Her emerald eyes stared at the raven not far from her until it eventually twisted at look back. For several moments, the deemed 'butterfly woman' and black bird held each other's gaze before it squawked and fluttered upwards into a tree. "How odd. I wonder what type of bird that is."
Susumu looked out his windows as the sky darkened. He looked up towards one of the fences around the Bluesteel Keep, noticing a couple of ravens on it. He picked up a stick, and drummed the metal bars, scaring them off. It was then he looked behind him, noticing a couple hundred others. He dropped the stick and the timid Allar immediately ran inside, deciding that he would simply wait before he checked up on events on the noticeboard at the tavern for today's news. Those birds were frightening, afterall.
Dune rushed inside as the murder flocked above the city, hiding out in the tavern for the whole morning. The everlooming thread t lurking on the rooftops above filled the silven with terror, he wouldn't dare step outside unprotected.
Velencia wandered down the main roads while she kept a watchful eye on the flocks that were perched upon every high crevice in sight. Their beady eyed bodies of sleek ebony opposed the falling ivory flakes in a dark contrast that sent shivers down Velencia's spine at a mere glimpse of the pesty fowls. "Couldn't have picked a worse time to descend, only making the city a grislier place with their colors." With the thought on her mind she'd hurry on her way, her hood pulled tight 'round her head as if the light material could protect her from any flurry of attacks the little sin colored birds could deliver upon her or any other passerby in a matter of seconds.
Edmund Karhter watched the ravens darken the skies, as he walked towards his house. He muttered an old parable out loud. "Dark wings, dark words..." By the time Edmund reached his house, a messenger was there waiting for him, "Ser Karhter, news of the battlefront."
Cerridynn Ulfmaerr sat against a cold wall of stone with her knees drawn up underneath her chin. The blue of her dress was now a dirty, almost grey color whilst her hair was a knotted and unkept mess. The woman had her head tilted down and her eyes scanning her hands as if the world was laying in them, as if the future could be told through the simple lines tracing her palms lovingly. Her eyes remained focused on everything but the healing scabs that were her wounds-she hand't accepted that the scars were there and probably won't until she was made to see them for what they were. What kind of violence had Varfal blessed upon us?
Aelfric walked down the frost covered streets, a bit paranoid by the sight of the ravens. The Reverend's gaze was locked upon the many ravens lined up upon the rooftops of Regalia. The elderly Ailor's pace was as swift as he could go, stumbling at times, kicking up snow as he shuffled about. Aelfric's gaze was one of confusion, fright, and awe as he traversed the streets, wondering why they came, and how long they would call the Holy City home.
Callus can be seen in the slums throwing daggers at ravens, and gathering them in a bag. Bird stew for dinner tonight! And he plans on selling off the ones he doesen't eat
Nouveau huffed as she scurried along the streets, glancing to the ravens on the occasion the staring grew to be too much. She kept an arm tightly around her swollen stomach, a quiet string of curses escaping her lips as she threw her focus at the recent trouble brewing. “If only those dense men knew what ability we could offer. Truly, they aren’t thoroughly thinking this through...”
Gochni sat at his desk, desperately drumming his fingers. "What the Void does Krupp think he's doing? Audrey.. Oh Audrey, we're going to have a talk"
