With Demetrius on the Doorstep, and the Guard Prison having fallen, the citizens had to make stock of what had happened in the city by piecing together what little scraps of information they could find to get a bigger picture. Many of the nobles had fled the city, not waiting around for the roving packs of Vampires in the countryside to reach their estate and torch it. The old Typhonus and Reinard Estates had already been torched, fires reaching high in the sky, and it was only a matter of time before the Vampires who were now free of Guard repression would reach the others. Many yet however stayed behind, wishing to fight back against the surge of infected, having sent only their children and most vulnerable away from the city. Others yet arrived at the Imperial Palace on time before its gates closed ((If anyone wants their noble character to be on ice for a little in a safe environment while they focus on an alt or vampire character, this is the way to do it)). The Imperial Palace had seemingly activated some sort of purple dome, and several mages could be seen patrolling the outside of the dome in Imperial colors. Any Vampires who had tried to get close to the Imperial Palace were immediately disintegrated upon climbing ashore to its walls, so this was one place the Vampires did not try and intrude on. All across the city, pockets of resistance and fights against the Vampires still continued. Mutated and transformed guards were dragging citizens into the Prison to convert them into Vampires, and lock up those who could not be infected. There were yet districts in the city with holdouts however. The Dwarven district had been locked up, with Dwarves having made make-shift siege equipment at street level that opened fire on anyone trying to get close, Vampire or not. Some of the Cielothar had retreated into the trees in their nearby districts, pelting at anyone trying to get close, and setting up makeshift tree houses to stay away from the ground. Some of the Asha had jumped onto any boat they could and tied together a make-shift flotilla just outside of the city, while joining up with the approaching Imperial Fleet to blockade the outside. The government ministries had been captured, but to prevent a bureaucracy take-over, the bureaucrats had been burning papers all night to prevent the Vampires any sensitive information before it became untenable and they too had to flee. Soldiers from the surrounding Breizh, Anglian, Calemberg and Calderliga arrived on transports, but several transports were destroyed before ever making it shore, some dark entity preventing approach to the city, and Demetrius which was also able to use its formidable crimson mortars to sink ships approaching. For now, they held position outside the city, waiting for those inside the city to send a signal, or make some form of progress. Several groups had survived the Greygate attack, the Guard was yet alive but disorganized and many of the holdouts had also fled into the countryside, taking with them stores of food from the noble estates that were left abandoned and open for looting, holding out there until some more long-term solution could be made. Some of these estates had been turned into holdouts of refugees, but none could know for certain whether they already had sanguine hiding among them, and the ever encroaching fumes of other Estates being put to the torch came ever closer, and Calvonth would receiving its dues eventually. Chaos reigned in parts of the city, but there were still brave souls trying to reach out and attack any Vampire they saw, or save those about to be turned. Those without hope were quick to call the city fallen, but with the Chancellor still at large, most of the government having survived without being made into a Vampire, and the Imperial Palace safe, while much of the city was still holding out, hope was not as bleak as initially thought. It was certainly unsafe to venture into the street at any point of the day now, and many still hid in their homes, basements, or attics, but the infected were still in the minority while those clinging on to normality were already planning to solve this mess and kill chaos. Whoever would have thought - that all of this could spin out of control from someone tossing a mirror into an innocuous hole in the ground. And it was far from over yet. To do a quick recap: The Guard Prison has fallen and is occupied by Vampires form the street, but select pockets of guards are still holding out. Demetrius is on top of Imperial Isle, and bombed out most of the anti-air defenses of the city. Xilthruum is not the leader of the assault, but is certainly a stabilizing factor that is helping the Vampires have a free hand at the city for now. Multiple Void Arken were sighted, and rumors have started forming that Exist forces are also on the march to keep their side strong. At least one Void Entity was heard of invading people's minds. Rumors circulated of God Emperor Vess appearing in dire circumstances to save true Unionists from Infection. Noble Armies are unable to reach the city, but have taken up position outside of it awaiting a response from the government. The Rokhaal or Draga Ifritti Ritual no longer works, and anyone who was made Rokhaal last night returned to normal Vampire, but those who are currently Rokhaal cannot be un-Rokhaaled by Vampires. Anyone who wants to put their noble on ice while they Vamp it up or play an alt character is welcome to say they fled into the Imperial Palace and are safe behind those walls. This period will not affect title evaluations (but it is a great opportunity to get lots of roleplay out, as I've already seen tons of nobles have countless hours of fun in the countryside)
