Geo-Politics Progression Departure At Havenreach

Milena Cadieux, Florian Peirgarten, and Angelica Howlester sat on the back of their transport ship, l’Oiseau Blanc, a large pleasure yacht designed for the dignitaries of Regalia to the Ithanians. She was a sleek long pearl-white vessel with pink colored sails, yet bearing the Regalian flags, and a figurehead of the first Sovereign of Ithania. The sun was out, seagulls flew overhead, and Milena was busily fanning her face while casting a sideways disapproving glance at Erick von Eisner who stood further down the deck with Elias von Eisner. Her disapproval came from Erick’s actions, acting against her instructions. She huffed, taking a sip from her tea in contemplation, barely paying attention to the conversation between Angelica and Florian who sat opposite to her at the tea table that was daintly served on the viewing deck of the ship.

As she glanced sideways off the bow of the ship, she could make out La Portée du Paradis, or as it was more commonly known among the Common speakers: Havenreach, the city built on top of the cliffs at the mouth of the Dusois river. She could see the busy port of trade ships bound for Regalia, and the incoming vessels bearing the flags of the House of Trade. She glanced up at the pearlescent roofs of the Mayor’s palace, reflecting the sunlight down like a light-house during the day. The hustle and bustle of this major trade city was alluring, and even if she could only visit it for several hours today before having departed it, she wished she could stay longer. But alas, duty had called her back.

Milena folded her fan shut abruptly, standing up from the deck while striking out any creases her chair might have made in her dress, and stepping to the side of the viewing deck, putting her hands deftly on the balustrade with its golden painted storks and swans. She imagined herself staying longer in this wealthy and cultured city, dancing at the ballrooms of the mayor and meeting many interesting and powerful people, placating foreign dignitaries in the rose garden of Mademoiselle de Trutroite, the famous perfumier who practically invented a whole range of fruit inspired perfumes. A soft sigh escaped her lips, Florian and Angelica just aware of her change of scenery behind her, and halting their conversation momentarily to look at her in wonder.

It was in this moment that Milena noticed something off about Havenreach. At first it looked like a rope from the ship stretching across the sky above the city, as if she just had not noticed one of the ropes from the sail above dangling in front of her. But the line did not move as the ship caught the waves, it was static in the sky above the city. Milena waved for one of the servants to come closer with the parasol, as she tried to squint her eyes but could not make out what it was due to the bright sun shining into her eyes. Just as the servant reached her with the parasol, all hell broke loose.

The line in the sky ruptured open like a brick being thrown through a window, fault lines appearing further and further until they spanned the whole of the city and parts of the sky literally falling down as if they were shards of glass. A red black darkness appeared in the sky above Havenreach, swallowing the sunlight and the gleam from the roofs of the city. The momentary shock of it all was difficult to comprehend, and in the first few seconds it was as if something in the far distance was taking place, but no effects could be felt on the ship. Then, just as Elias pointed to the event for Erick to turn around, some kind of shockwave emanated from the darkness in the sky, it traveling down the cliffs and ripping the sails of the ships in port to shreds, those that were still arriving quickly crashing into each other. The shockwave was powerful enough to shake the very ocean around the ship that Melina was on, an intense vibration occurring that made keeping one’s eyes on the city nigh impossible while the servant accidentally smacked Melina in the head with the parasol as the servant lost their footing. Milena fell over, hand reaching for her head as she was caught by Florian who had already stood up with the intent to drag Melina away from the balustrade as the event started, coming just in time to prevent her from falling onto the deck.

The vibrating of the air and the ship made the most unholy noise, like a thousand buzzing flies and hornets all vibrating in unison, an ear-shattering noise as those on the deck covered their ears and dove for cover. The whole ship tilted to one side, a cascade of crystal carafes and glasses smashing on the floor while Angelica tried to hold onto the table for dear life, it luckily being bolted to the deck of the ship to prevent it from sliding in rough weather. A nearby servant got covered with boiling tea, the captain yelled some profanities in Ithanian, and one or two mast crew were struck overboard as the ship attempted to prevent itself from tipping over.

As calmness on the ocean returned, everyone quickly came to their senses, and Melina struck Florian away like some petulant child to reach for the railing of the ship, dragging herself back up so she could see what was happening to Havenreach.

Her eyes widened as she witnessed a massive black Dragon clawing its way out of the crack in the sky, and despite the massive distance between the ship and the city, still being able to make out the bright red crackles of lightning and light that emanated this being. Followed by it were smaller black beasts, raining from the sky like a putrid ash, crashing into buildings and the streets below. The city was too far for sounds to reach the ship, but Melina could clearly make out the one thing that would reach: the Temple bells of God Empress Ness’s Serene Motherhood, followed by an orchestra of bells from each Unionist Temple signalling calamity and emergency all across the city. Explosions erupted from the streets and buildings as the Black Dragon landed on the Mayor’s palace, holding onto the main tower, the brickwork crumbling and parts of the building collapsing from its sheer weight.

The von Eisners argued with the captain to turn around and try to organize some sort of defense, but the captain would not, and the crew hurriedly prepared to leave at full speed. Xian’ghua Xia’Fem dropped to their knees in a vocal prayer to the Loong Dragons for protection and mercy to the people of the city of Havenreach, while Melina stood frozen by the railing, unable to look away, but also powerless to help. She watched as the Dragon’s tail, likely not even aware of where it was going or caring, crash through the balconies of the caves of Monsarvin, balconies where Milena herself had once stood years ago, during the Ball of the Moonlit Orchestra.

Fires erupted all over the city, with the Temples going silent one by one, the skies darkening around the whole cliff face until there was only one parting of the clouds: Right above the Temple of Serene Motherhood, where small blue flashes could be seen from the highest tower flying down at the streets below. Iranela dei Ithania was assisting one of the deckhands, horribly burned by the scalding tea, and making him comfortable, while Constanzo dei Feirdo was running across the deck and inspecting the sides of the ship, ensuring there were no holes, and that no creatures from the black rift had followed them to the ship. Reynard Benac had equipped his bow, reaching into one of the nets on the side of the ship to be in a prepared position should Constanzo shout out any enemies in the water, though luckily, no such call was made. Ana Cervantez was meanwhile quick on the draw, having opened one of the alchemy drawers and mixed together a Poultice of Seafoam Bubbles, tossing it down the side of the ship to where the sailors had fallen overboard, causing the Poultice to rapidly bubble and fizzle and cause a hardened sheet of seafoam to form under the sailors that attached itself to the ship that was now traveling at high speed, allowing them to easily climb back up to the ship, and making sure no man was left behind.

The city slowly disappeared from view, the ship passing by a few Regalian warships that had struck sails and came to a halt as they attempted to communicate with someone on the coast through signalling about what to do. Milena was still glued to the railing, before Angelica finally convinced her to turn away and go below deck with her to recuperate, Florian following them, as he cast one last glance at the city of Havenreach, now completely swallowed in black-red darkness, the highest tower of the Temple of Serene Motherhood crumbling and crashing down, dousing the final ray of light that was visible on the horizon. Florian groaned, knowing that whatever had decided to ruin Havenreach, knew exactly to target Regalia’s major trade hub in the area, and that this would likely add yet another problem to the plate of the government to deal with, as Havenreach was the major staple for all Ithanian wealth to be shipped to Regalia.