OOC Info: This is a Storyweb based off the actions of the Kathar. This should be taken as an inclusion to the Storyweb progressions, and a set up for roleplay to be had in-game for the Kathar's members and outsiders who are interested. The signup for Storyweb Groups can be found here. Rumors traveled through the sewers the way a flood might - rapidly, rushing through the dark passages and alleyways with great force. They whispered and promised of something, a machine, hidden away from the prying eyes within the depths of the sewers. Supposedly it had been stolen away from some larger organization that specialized in the creation of magical artifacts, the nature of their products more fantastical and impossible than the next. The machine in question was purported to do many things, though none of these claims could be substantiated. All of the rumors agreed on one point: it was currently in the hands of a group known only as the Assembly, a small organization known to very few. They were highly skilled, highly dangerous, and lethal to the highest degree. These rumors travelled by way of mouth until they landed in the lap of Sovereign A’eollaja, the bold leader of the city’s resident Kathar. Wasting no time, she drafted up a plan to claim such a treasure, and her people were quick to oblige. So the grey-skinned elves armed and prepared, scouring the sewers. Ivran and Lau’rella, as the most light-footed of the group, were delegated as scouts, expected to locate the machine and relay its position back to the Sovereign. The latter had no luck, but the former was able to find it after four days grasping about in the near blackness of the waterway. The cistern the Assembly occupied was virtually inaccessible, with two points of entrance on opposing ends of their cavern. The one behind them had been walled off by an impossibly thick barrier of ice and stone. The other remained open, and served as a chokepoint for entrance. The base itself was a bastion - like a crude mockup of a castle, entirely composed of smooth stone faces. Such a feat would’ve been impossible, the Kathar thought, until a harsh grating noise brought his attention to the outer wall. It seemed as if a man was waving his arms about, and the stone there wove itself to his bidding. A mage. One quick glance confirmed the machine’s presence in the center of the courtyard, and it was all Ivran could manage without getting closer. Marking the path off on a piece of parchment, the scout returned to the Boneyard armed with valuable knowledge. Ivran’s knowledge went into use immediately, as dimensions and plans were drafted up for the assault to claim the treasure. There was no other way to get everyone inside - it would have to be a full frontal. The vanguard would lead the assault, supported closely by the mages. In the meantime, flank and retrieval would scale around the sides and enter the castle. Flank was tasked with the removal of enemies inside, while retrieval worked with Alice to recover the their loot and members. The group drilled and practiced for several days after, to perfect their strategy, before heading out in force. The droves of Kathar traveling through sewer passages in a near-silent procession drew the attention of all the underbelly’s denizens, the sounds of their bone armor and footsteps echoing up and down the chambers. Ivran led the group at the forefront, his voyage to this particular part of the sewer qualifying him to expedite the process. Lau’rella had joined with the vanguard, and Ivran would eventually join the retrieval squad. The Kathar approached the sole entrance, timing their arrival at the dead of night. They had proceeded as silently as possible, so as not to sound the alarm, the process of which was painstaking but well worth the effort. A’eo nodded to Alice, who opened two starry pathways to the side of the encampment. Both squads flank and retrieval disappeared through them, beginning their set-up process. Hagmer and Riviel both began their shift into their Beastlord forms, mutating heavily into a black and auburn wolfish hybrid respectively. Anri and Lau’rella followed suit in their Half-Drakon forms, before sounding the warcry. They tore across the space, the mages following in tow. Command moved behind them, issuing support as necessary. The roars of both pseudo-hellions drew the attention of the camp, as lights began to go up immediately. The response was nigh-instant, the opponents’ skill becoming quickly apparent as archers began to hail their arrows upon the approaching Kathar. The speed of the volley took the attackers off guard, and would’ve ended in serious injuries if not for the mages in their employ. Alice dismissed them with a wave of her hand, causing them to float uselessly for a moment, before losing all velocity and clattering to the floor. Asher flicked his finger towards the ceiling, before a spire emerged from the stone floor to view the battle. The eye floating betwixt his horns glowed as he surveyed the status of enemy numbers. From on high, all was clear to the Saivale. Twenty two enemies stood between the Kathar and their goal. The Vanguard rushed forward, to deal with the Assembly members that flooded from the gate. In the meantime, both flank and retrieval teams had set to scaling the walls. Ivran and Keith’iel had been tasked with securing the rope and footholds, a task they had managed marvelously. The two were the first over the wall, taking advantage of the forces rushing to meet their Vanguard. All of the members of both squads made it over unimpeded save for Lothera, who fell halfway up the wall. The tumble breaks her leg, rendering her useless for the task at hand. Cavaris sends the woman back to rendezvous with the main force, and the injured Kathar has no choice but to limp back to Command. With her partner now safe, Cavaris and Kel’ran set to do what they had been ordered - create chaos while the retrieval time did their job. The Crimson Witch dug deep, before summoning a flurry of crows to harry the opponents below. They streamed in from every possible entrance, having been nearby already. Kel’ran leapt into the fray, his clothing and skin tearing as he pounced from the ramparts. His muscles swelled and ripped past their normal limit as he morphed into his Varghul form, landing upon one of the enemies and killing them instantly. It was only a few seconds before he leapt once more, savaging any unfortunate enough to cross his path. Aq’uello, Ivran, and Keith’iel proceeded low to the ground, creeping down the stairs towards the machine. It was a strange contraption that seemed more like a large tube - comprised of sleek glass and metal that seemed as if it could fit a human occupant within it. Clockwork gears made up a majority of the machinery, though it seemed as if it were currently powered down. A member of the Assembly stood nearby, donned in a cerulean robe. Under the cover of the ravens, the three charged forward from different directions. Their opponent noticed too late, throwing both hands wide in an attempt to stop them. Lightning arced between his fingertips, the three approaching Kathar able to taste the ozone as the static crackled through the air. Ivran dropped to his knees, sliding past the mage. His shortsword slashed across the back of the man’s knees, causing him to fall forward. Keith’iel managed to shove the man forward, right onto the crimson blade of Aq’uello’s blood-sung weapon. The grey-skinned elf plunged it up into his adversary’s gut, allowing it time to strengthen itself from his blood, before tossing the body aside. A quick check of the pockets revealed a decent sum of regals. The group wasted no time, beginning to wheel the device towards the gate. At the forefront of the battle, things didn’t fare well for the vanguard. Lau’rella and Anri fight back-to-back, becoming whirling cyclones of death, tearing through the opponent with their claws and tails. Both receive a fair amount of slash wounds to the arms and legs, and a few crossbow bolts, but they continue to push through. Hagmer and Riviel similarly partner up, but it’s clear that the former Hellion beast is being surrounded. It’s clear to any spectator that his opponents had practice with dealing with large animals - they encircled him with nets and spears to stay out of his reach. Riviel was fury itself, utilizing any means to cut down the enemies keeping Hagmer down. Her claws shredded through flesh, her teeth ripping into the necks and armor of enemies. When she’d freed her ally, the two pressed on to get the main gate open. The mage and command group followed close behind, but with their vanguard so pre-occupied, it was an inevitability that armored enemies would slip past. More enemies had emerged from inside the walls, numbers Asher hadn’t accounted for. Capricci had kept up for the most part, but the onslaught of troops and mashing of bodies quickly broke the neck of their beloved violin, rendering them largely useless. The bard retreated back with the priestesses and the Sovereign, to recover. The twin Silven mounted an offensive to drive back the waves of enemies, working efficiently like a well-oiled machine might. From the inky blackness of the cistern ceiling, a silken Allorn banner impaled itself in the ground next to Asher. It was delivered to the bard, who would hold onto it while the two diverted the onslaught. He held his breath until the moment the Assembly was upon him, before simply dismissing them with a disinterested wave of his hand. Eight spears emerged from the ground, managing to impale four of the nearest. Alice spread her wings, which unfurled like a pair of starry sails. She increased the gravity of the nearest enemies to the priestesses, before drawing her dagger to fight alongside her brothers’ spearmen. The Saivale was a blur, her figure blinking in and out of existence as she warped back and forth between enemies. Bodies piled up before the priestesses and sovereign, which helped to dissuade away all except the boldest of attackers. Five such charged forwards with reckless abandon, shambling toward the Kathar despite their injuries. Tavyani and Om’brosa are both assaulted, each taking a slash before A’eollaja was able to respond. Hands burst and grasp from the ground, grappling their enemies long enough for the priestesses to dispatch them. From behind the gate, a retreat had been called by the earthen mage who’d been expanding the castle earlier. There was a cry soon after, as the very same mage was run through by Aq’uello. Blood stained the once-safe fortification, and there was a scraping noise as the ice that had blocked off the rear entrance was moved - the method by which was obscured. The few members of the Assembly managed a full retreat, leaving behind their former base of operation and the machine they’d been guarding. The sounds of the enemy retreating echoed through the chamber, as the Kathar were left with the eerie sound of victory. It took a moment for them to process it, before a triumphant howl from Hagmer and Riviel kicked off the celebration. Alice opened a portal back to the Kathar Cistern, and the group managed to extract with little loss, save for a few injuries, and the machine they’d sought after. Its purpose was no clearer, though the humanoid-shaped space within the pod was some indicator as to how the device was meant to be intended. Rolls Spoiler: epic rolls https://gyazo.com/7b22a767ec38536da70de10260c7644a - scout https://gyazo.com/06b322c08fd51915513330f40a09da8c - command https://gyazo.com/6a7b5cdce521753924948a330b111f89 - mage https://gyazo.com/0a132f9b5db5be663c6877a83178ee21 - vanguard https://gyazo.com/a91e688450ce6baed4b0eb8be0d0b989 - flank https://gyazo.com/42bb59dbb6cb1266ebb45a1bd33ec2e1 - retrieval
