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The Short Crusade
A variety of Noble families provide a slushfund of finances to Erwin and Therese Braunschweiger, who engage in a campaign of recruitment and religious fervor in the greater Calemberg region, summoning what amounts to a crusading army of peasants and disgruntled fanatics who mount a series of ships with the intent of following a pilgrimage to Nordskag, then veering off to Tryllelande to invade. Since Riften Vaedra the Foreign Minister is present on the ships however, part of the finances are quickly understood to have come from that family. Thirty or so ships eventually set off from the south Calemberg harbors, making their way through the Shoenn river, but are immediately apprehended by an Imperial squadron of warships at the mouth of the river, searched, forcibly disbanded, and sent home with all their equipment confiscated. On the way out, one of the bureaucrats on the vessels explains to Riften Dragic (and the other Ministers) that none of them have the authority to circumvent the Marshal Diet if war is declared at all, but war has yet to be declared, and so an unflagged military action is entirely undesirable, should Regalia not become known as a rogue state that does not follow the conventions of warfare in this day and age. The Bureaucrat remarks that "some are still loyal to due process of state", while letting slip that their plan was tipped off by a spy who had infiltrated Tryllelande, who in turn discovered Vampires who were infiltrated in Tryllelande, who in turn were spreading news of the Braunschweigers launching a covert invasion, and tipped off the Regalian Navy to prevent an incident. Several days later, the Noble Council of Tryllelande also publishes the warnings sent to them by Vampire infiltrants, which specifically name Houses von Schwarzkrau, Vaedra and Blàrach as the ones having funded this ill founded expedition, causing the gossip mill to go wild at Court. Seperately from this whole event however, 4x Darkwalds are called down on Tryllelande, who use their expert infiltration and subterfuge skills to avoid detection and hardcore cleanse Tryllelande of its Vampiric presence, while also committing some training to the locals in dealing with Vampires, reasoning that even though they are heathens and pagans, they are the first line of defense against the Dorkarthi menace. On the way of the sudden massive Darkwald incursion in Tryllelande that proves too great for even Coraveau to manage (especially since Hexenblood is helping the Darkwalds in full force), Haqet & co. are ejected from Tryllelande, making some implicative pointers to the idea where the inserted warning of an invasion by Braunschweiger and co. came from. Even though Haqet's group attempts to use subterfuge, they are seemingly outclassed at every turn by what one can only assume is the hand of the Draconic. Tryllelande's military is also proving increasingly more resilient, for reasons that will become clearer further in.
Dorkarthi Overtures
Haqet, Raoul and Valerica go to Dorkarth to inform them of the Braunschweiger invasion plan, requesting assistance from Dorkarth concerning Tryllelande. Surprisingly, the Dorkarthi Princes resolutely say no, for two reasons. Firstly, Haqet's group burned through a lot of Vampires in Carrhen, and while the act of using lesser fledgeling Vampires as cannon fodder is inspirational in the sense that it endears a true strategic mind, it is not inspirational in the sense that the Dorkarthi do not think they are just the next cannon fodder for Haqet to use in their plans. Secondly, Tryllelande is separated by an Ocean from Ellador, which yet has three distinct forces on it that are very Anti-Vampire. The Dorkarthi Princes remark that their security is still fragile in the face of two massive anti Vampire forces, and by sending armies or even Dreadforts south, they risk exposing their flank to the Dragon worshiping Isldar who are waiting for an opening to strike at Dorkarth, unfortunately having to relay that they are too busy to deal with "an irrelevant barbarian kingdom only suitable for occasional slave raids".
Barratt Puddles
CC-Delle, Alloe, Lillio, Niell, Nimaella, Xvonn, Kannilon, Gellun, and Runnan, travel by ship to Barratt, attempting to reach the island. While approaching the island from afar, their presence seems to immediately activate an island-wide defense network, this time even more severely than witnessed before in living memory. All the draconic statues start linking lightning together, unleashing what can only be described as a gatling musket worth of lightning shots, nearly three every second at the vessel the Bralona were on, completely incinerating the wood and splintering it to such a degree that even the very wood the ship was made of is splintered to fine sawdust. The Bralla and Bronn are unceremoniously thrown overboard as puddles and piles of metallics, sinking to the bottom of the seastrait. There, after reforming, the group forms a circle and considers their options while talking in sign language. Eventually the group agrees that their current plan is not feasible, the defenses would on average kill them every three seconds or so, allowing them to reform only briefly, move several meters, before being "killed" again. Returning to regalia, the Bralla act as floaties and the Bronn as engines to steer back to Regalia, though in departing, they do make the observation that there is something very eerily familiar about the draconic statues circling the island, in that they are nearly identical to the ones in the Bralona homeland, except those never shot lightning.
Ordvall Fartgap
Wulf Grofsmid and Tarakona Daevaar travel to the Ordvall landgap, allowing Tarakona to travel down without a need to breathe the noxious fumes. Tarakona explores the hole for a few hours before coming back up to remark to Wulf that it is exactly what scholars presume it is, just a normal sinkhole with a large gap of underground gas that seems part sulfuric in nature. It is supposed that the gas could be trapped for airship production, but that the area is too remote and cold for industrial harvesting to make a notable dent on the dwarven gas market. They go home after.
Seraph Exploration
Haqet travels alone to the Seraph Ruins in Jorrhildr, eventually arriving after a long flight in the cold to the small gap in the shield. It is here that Haqet already verifies the passage of time, the hole in the shield has equalized the temperature and environment inside and outside, and there is now a notable thick layer of snow on the inside, many of the plants having died as a result and some of the carvings being completely covered in ice. Haqet travels further in, though seems to trigger some kind of defense mechanism halfway up to the mountain structures that light up a large blue ring all around the mountain, followed by blaring horn noises from the mountain itself. The echoing noises cause localized avalanches which obviously do not bother Haqet, given to flight, however out of nowhere, Haqet is smacked from behind like a baseball by a bat, and launched into the ground below. Recovering, Haqet is able to verify that the statues that stood further out, the centaurid constructs had come alive, shedding the stone casings that were built around them, exposing what could only be described as a creature that was part flayed organic, part mechanical with Seraph whitestone and runes, and part magic with flowing energies in purple and white blue. These constructs immediately charged to attack Haqet, and while Coraveau's might was great, Haqet was sized like an ant fighting these colossal creatures, where Coraveau's shots and cuts seemed to not even cause noticeable pain in these beings. Flight was chosen over stupidity, quickly leaving the area through the gap in the forcefield, which seemed to repair itself just after Haqet had left, the centaurid creatures retaking their positions on the pedestals that they had stood when Haqet arrived, and what looked like small hovering drones erupting from the mountain behind, carrying pieces of stone that started mending themselves back in place to re-encase the massive centaurid creatures.
Avaineiral, Camilla, Aylin, Trent, Amaira and Arun arrive several days after Haqet has left, only to find the forcefield closed, and the centaurid statues completely repaired and turned back to stone. When using their Magic in the area, they receive visions and bits and pieces of Haqet's actions there, eventually deciding that they came too late, and to take what little they discovered back to Regalia.
Welcome Colonizer, how do you wish to die today
Riftan, Huitzilin, Avael, Ailas, and Wulf travel to Tryllelande as foreign dignitaries, eventually meeting with the Noble Council that has since declared a regency over the dead King's youngest son who is still an infant. On their way up to the King's Castle, the group remarks that there are several large Fin'ullen warships in the harbor, bearing the flags of Ïlha Faiaal, and numerous batallions of Fin'ullen Tideguard unloading. In the meeting with the Noble Council, the Foreign Minister delivers what essentially comes down to an ultimatum:
As a final kick in the rear, the Tryllelande Noble Council publishes a draft letter from the Foreign Minister called the "Steel-Dawn Decree", in which the Minister claims the plan to invade any country, regardless of sovereign status and relation, under the pretext of cleansing Vampires and Cahal, declaring Marshal Law, and using mind control technology to pacify the locals, while also disregarding all collateral damage to local areas. This particular draft letter, though just an accusation without proof for now, sends some extreme concern, even among Regalia's own suzerain entities who believe that the state would protect their sovereign borders and respect their own military authority (for example, Ithania, which does not allow Regalian troops onto its soil without approval from Ithanian High Command). The concern seems to be growing that Regalia has seen a hostile take-over from extremist fanatics, and that a coalition of kindness proposed by Madelyn de Azcoissia is now dead.
With the time in between the numerous sabotages, the purging of Vampires, the arrival of Fin'ullen marines and warships, Tryllelande's military has severely become shored up, daring them enough to also send dignitaries to the other Velheim states in the north warning them of Regalian Imperialism and Colonialism, proposing a greater northern alliance against "the fate which befell Carrhen", while the Noble Council of Tryllelande also publishing a general denunciation from the Tryllelande northern Velheim peoples to denounce House Viduggla as a traitor to the Old Gods, to the Velheim people, and to the North for doing the bidding of the colonizer, and playing a part in their underhanded schemes to sabotage the Tryllelande military.
Avox Petrou attempts a solo exploration of Tryllelande's defenses, but unfortunately and unknowing to the recent developments, is very quickly shot out of the sky by Fin'ullen crossbow archers, limping back to the Foreign Minister's ship that is just leaving port to hitchike back to Regalia with Ellon wings filled with crossbow bolts.
Another ship of Hexenblood people attempts to dock, but has its docking rights denied, on account of the Tryllelande country considering any Regalian vessels as hostile, told to leave or the coastal defenses would open fire.
The Power of Nordskag
News arrives from Nordskag in particular that Haqet's ally Raoul has frequently been seen feeding on people, whipping up the population in a fervor against Vampires, and particular Haqet's allies and cause. The anti-Imperial sentiment seriously diminishes as a wash of anti-Vampire attacks seriously damage the population of Vampires in the region.
Anathema arrives in the region to attempt to investigate the anti imperial sentiment, but is swept up by the sudden discovery of the King of Nordskag poorly kept and beaten bloody somewhere. He is promptly hurried to the Royal Castle, where his sister receives him, though Anathema observes a member of the Allorn secret service in the Queen-Regent's advisory entourage with concern and interest. In a short interaction between the King and the Queen-Regent, the Allorn service agent is seen nodding in the direction of the Queen, who promptly reaches for her Skagger Axes and strikes down on the King, who rapidly forms Raven wings, reaching for Coraveau to deflect the attack, and immediately strike back after, which in turn is deflected by the Allorn secret service member jumping in front and taking the blow instead.
This time Anathema decides not to simply be a bystander, rapidly expanding flesh and bone into a monster and pouring at Haqet like a fountain of gore, pushing enough force to eject Haqet and themselves out of the throne room and taking a whole wall with them as they plummet down the cliffs of Kongehjem, the capital of Nordhjem which was built on a tall cliffside. A fight ensues on the way down between the flesh monster and Haqet, before Anathema crashes into the ground and turns into a Sarlac pit with tendrils that lash at Haqet in the sky. Haqet reasoning that the ruse is up, opts to instead fly away, summoning a flock of crows to peck and gnash into Anathema's flesh from all sides, distracting them long enough to create a getaway.
Anathema slinks into the sea and returns to Regalia, just in time to hear the general announcement that the Queen-Regent of Nordskag has proclaimed that the Allorn serviceman who gave his life for her had delivered a letter in which an informant in Regalia had claimed that the Foreign Ministry was openly discussing using the chaos in Nordskag to replace her with a puppet, seriously damaging the Nordskag-Regalia relations. She proclaimed that while the King was absent, and with regency powers invested in her, that she would declare Nordskag would refuse to aid the Empire in any military campaigns, and would retain a foreign dignitary of their own separate from the Empire until either the Emperor or the King was found, because she refused to acknowledge the false pretend government.
The Weakness of Nordskag
In Regalia, Meriyaan, Laerilas, Therris, Elissandre, Reine, Jovi, Sentara, Gilles and Natharia prepare to board a ship on their way to Nordskag with intent. As they complete their boarding procedure, all of a sudden, a group of black cloaked individuals force themselves on board, showing the black seal of the Black Hand of the Palace, seperate from the Ministry of Information, the actual spy service of the Crown Regent himself (and Emperor, if he was present). They immediately start searching the ship top to bottom and searching the people present also, who know better than to try and hide anything from the Palace's spies.
Eventually the group completes their search of Laerilas, and discovers him holding the rusted and decayed spear point fragment. The spies look over the fragment for a moment, comparing it to what seems like a sketch, before pulling out a piece of paper that looks like it has the royal seal on it. They seem to read the paper for a moment, before simply nodding, handing the item back to Laerilas, and disembarking remarking that "everything is in order".
Assuming this was just a fluke search that inevitably did not stop them from anything, the group sets on their way to the Vaarda gate in Nordskag. They arrive, attempt to do some simple investigation on the area but uncover very little, as this gate is most likely hundreds of years old, and the stonework has decayed considerably with lack of maintenance. After a while, the group agrees to insert the decayed spear point into the dais, which fits perfectly, lighting up the whole dais it stood on and shifting stones on all sides of the portal. Eventually with a screech and ear-splitting thundering noise, the portal comes to life, forming a swirling blue mass of magic and energy between the stones reaching as tall as the Arch Temple's tower.
For a moment nothing happens, part of the group steps closer to investigate, a creature steps out of the gate that might best be described as some otherworldly horror, lacking a face, but having a distinct humanoid shape, several sets of wings, and large claw and pincer shaped hands and appendages, with a tail of a snake and all manner of horns and sharp objects protruding from it. The group brandish their weapons, expecting a boss-battle, but another steps through, and another, and another, and with every second that passes, a dozen, several dozen, a hundred, several hundred, and a thousand start coming through, some flying at higher altitudes to avoid a stampede on ground level. Laerilas attempts to hurriedly remove the spear, but it is completely lodged in place, unsure whether this was because of the damage, or whether someone on the other side is holding it open.
Before long, it seems like thousands upon thousands of creatures are spewing forth, Natharia falling to her knees and whispering "the Great Betrayer" as she witnesses the mark of the Old Gods devil on them all, with twisted and mangled Velheim and Cellik Old Gods worship markings and tattoos, them become so numerous that they blot out the sunlight from the area. One passes by the group, seeming entirely unphased by their weapons held in preparedness to defend themselves, they seem entirely uninterested in picking a fight with the party, for reasons yet unknown.
Elsewhere in the world, in Tryllelande, in Drowda, in the Cains, in Middeskag, in Arlora and Hedryll, in Kirkmuir and Keldwyn and Hvalba and Ruttswyn (New Silverwind), in Dercia and Connorock and Myre and on the volcano of Ashhaven and finally on Zeswyn, Vaard gates light up and burst open.
A variety of Noble families provide a slushfund of finances to Erwin and Therese Braunschweiger, who engage in a campaign of recruitment and religious fervor in the greater Calemberg region, summoning what amounts to a crusading army of peasants and disgruntled fanatics who mount a series of ships with the intent of following a pilgrimage to Nordskag, then veering off to Tryllelande to invade. Since Riften Vaedra the Foreign Minister is present on the ships however, part of the finances are quickly understood to have come from that family. Thirty or so ships eventually set off from the south Calemberg harbors, making their way through the Shoenn river, but are immediately apprehended by an Imperial squadron of warships at the mouth of the river, searched, forcibly disbanded, and sent home with all their equipment confiscated. On the way out, one of the bureaucrats on the vessels explains to Riften Dragic (and the other Ministers) that none of them have the authority to circumvent the Marshal Diet if war is declared at all, but war has yet to be declared, and so an unflagged military action is entirely undesirable, should Regalia not become known as a rogue state that does not follow the conventions of warfare in this day and age. The Bureaucrat remarks that "some are still loyal to due process of state", while letting slip that their plan was tipped off by a spy who had infiltrated Tryllelande, who in turn discovered Vampires who were infiltrated in Tryllelande, who in turn were spreading news of the Braunschweigers launching a covert invasion, and tipped off the Regalian Navy to prevent an incident. Several days later, the Noble Council of Tryllelande also publishes the warnings sent to them by Vampire infiltrants, which specifically name Houses von Schwarzkrau, Vaedra and Blàrach as the ones having funded this ill founded expedition, causing the gossip mill to go wild at Court. Seperately from this whole event however, 4x Darkwalds are called down on Tryllelande, who use their expert infiltration and subterfuge skills to avoid detection and hardcore cleanse Tryllelande of its Vampiric presence, while also committing some training to the locals in dealing with Vampires, reasoning that even though they are heathens and pagans, they are the first line of defense against the Dorkarthi menace. On the way of the sudden massive Darkwald incursion in Tryllelande that proves too great for even Coraveau to manage (especially since Hexenblood is helping the Darkwalds in full force), Haqet & co. are ejected from Tryllelande, making some implicative pointers to the idea where the inserted warning of an invasion by Braunschweiger and co. came from. Even though Haqet's group attempts to use subterfuge, they are seemingly outclassed at every turn by what one can only assume is the hand of the Draconic. Tryllelande's military is also proving increasingly more resilient, for reasons that will become clearer further in.
Dorkarthi Overtures
Haqet, Raoul and Valerica go to Dorkarth to inform them of the Braunschweiger invasion plan, requesting assistance from Dorkarth concerning Tryllelande. Surprisingly, the Dorkarthi Princes resolutely say no, for two reasons. Firstly, Haqet's group burned through a lot of Vampires in Carrhen, and while the act of using lesser fledgeling Vampires as cannon fodder is inspirational in the sense that it endears a true strategic mind, it is not inspirational in the sense that the Dorkarthi do not think they are just the next cannon fodder for Haqet to use in their plans. Secondly, Tryllelande is separated by an Ocean from Ellador, which yet has three distinct forces on it that are very Anti-Vampire. The Dorkarthi Princes remark that their security is still fragile in the face of two massive anti Vampire forces, and by sending armies or even Dreadforts south, they risk exposing their flank to the Dragon worshiping Isldar who are waiting for an opening to strike at Dorkarth, unfortunately having to relay that they are too busy to deal with "an irrelevant barbarian kingdom only suitable for occasional slave raids".
Barratt Puddles
CC-Delle, Alloe, Lillio, Niell, Nimaella, Xvonn, Kannilon, Gellun, and Runnan, travel by ship to Barratt, attempting to reach the island. While approaching the island from afar, their presence seems to immediately activate an island-wide defense network, this time even more severely than witnessed before in living memory. All the draconic statues start linking lightning together, unleashing what can only be described as a gatling musket worth of lightning shots, nearly three every second at the vessel the Bralona were on, completely incinerating the wood and splintering it to such a degree that even the very wood the ship was made of is splintered to fine sawdust. The Bralla and Bronn are unceremoniously thrown overboard as puddles and piles of metallics, sinking to the bottom of the seastrait. There, after reforming, the group forms a circle and considers their options while talking in sign language. Eventually the group agrees that their current plan is not feasible, the defenses would on average kill them every three seconds or so, allowing them to reform only briefly, move several meters, before being "killed" again. Returning to regalia, the Bralla act as floaties and the Bronn as engines to steer back to Regalia, though in departing, they do make the observation that there is something very eerily familiar about the draconic statues circling the island, in that they are nearly identical to the ones in the Bralona homeland, except those never shot lightning.
Ordvall Fartgap
Wulf Grofsmid and Tarakona Daevaar travel to the Ordvall landgap, allowing Tarakona to travel down without a need to breathe the noxious fumes. Tarakona explores the hole for a few hours before coming back up to remark to Wulf that it is exactly what scholars presume it is, just a normal sinkhole with a large gap of underground gas that seems part sulfuric in nature. It is supposed that the gas could be trapped for airship production, but that the area is too remote and cold for industrial harvesting to make a notable dent on the dwarven gas market. They go home after.
Seraph Exploration
Haqet travels alone to the Seraph Ruins in Jorrhildr, eventually arriving after a long flight in the cold to the small gap in the shield. It is here that Haqet already verifies the passage of time, the hole in the shield has equalized the temperature and environment inside and outside, and there is now a notable thick layer of snow on the inside, many of the plants having died as a result and some of the carvings being completely covered in ice. Haqet travels further in, though seems to trigger some kind of defense mechanism halfway up to the mountain structures that light up a large blue ring all around the mountain, followed by blaring horn noises from the mountain itself. The echoing noises cause localized avalanches which obviously do not bother Haqet, given to flight, however out of nowhere, Haqet is smacked from behind like a baseball by a bat, and launched into the ground below. Recovering, Haqet is able to verify that the statues that stood further out, the centaurid constructs had come alive, shedding the stone casings that were built around them, exposing what could only be described as a creature that was part flayed organic, part mechanical with Seraph whitestone and runes, and part magic with flowing energies in purple and white blue. These constructs immediately charged to attack Haqet, and while Coraveau's might was great, Haqet was sized like an ant fighting these colossal creatures, where Coraveau's shots and cuts seemed to not even cause noticeable pain in these beings. Flight was chosen over stupidity, quickly leaving the area through the gap in the forcefield, which seemed to repair itself just after Haqet had left, the centaurid creatures retaking their positions on the pedestals that they had stood when Haqet arrived, and what looked like small hovering drones erupting from the mountain behind, carrying pieces of stone that started mending themselves back in place to re-encase the massive centaurid creatures.
Avaineiral, Camilla, Aylin, Trent, Amaira and Arun arrive several days after Haqet has left, only to find the forcefield closed, and the centaurid statues completely repaired and turned back to stone. When using their Magic in the area, they receive visions and bits and pieces of Haqet's actions there, eventually deciding that they came too late, and to take what little they discovered back to Regalia.
Welcome Colonizer, how do you wish to die today
Riftan, Huitzilin, Avael, Ailas, and Wulf travel to Tryllelande as foreign dignitaries, eventually meeting with the Noble Council that has since declared a regency over the dead King's youngest son who is still an infant. On their way up to the King's Castle, the group remarks that there are several large Fin'ullen warships in the harbor, bearing the flags of Ïlha Faiaal, and numerous batallions of Fin'ullen Tideguard unloading. In the meeting with the Noble Council, the Foreign Minister delivers what essentially comes down to an ultimatum:
- Tryllelande signing the Navigation Acts, proposing Tryllelande become a staple port.
- Tryllelande become subject to the Empire. (thus nullifying the point of Navigation Acts because they represent a form of steady integration regarding financial, legal, and military submission)
- Tryllelande accept military stationing in their lands to fight the Sanguine threat, establishing that negotiations with Vampires is unacceptable and that they must be exterminated.
- The presentation is made in the sense that if any of the terms are declined or disrespected, that the Ministry declares this a failed negotiation, which provides a casus belli (thus not an express declaration, but a reason to declare war if they should like to use it) for Regalia.
As a final kick in the rear, the Tryllelande Noble Council publishes a draft letter from the Foreign Minister called the "Steel-Dawn Decree", in which the Minister claims the plan to invade any country, regardless of sovereign status and relation, under the pretext of cleansing Vampires and Cahal, declaring Marshal Law, and using mind control technology to pacify the locals, while also disregarding all collateral damage to local areas. This particular draft letter, though just an accusation without proof for now, sends some extreme concern, even among Regalia's own suzerain entities who believe that the state would protect their sovereign borders and respect their own military authority (for example, Ithania, which does not allow Regalian troops onto its soil without approval from Ithanian High Command). The concern seems to be growing that Regalia has seen a hostile take-over from extremist fanatics, and that a coalition of kindness proposed by Madelyn de Azcoissia is now dead.
With the time in between the numerous sabotages, the purging of Vampires, the arrival of Fin'ullen marines and warships, Tryllelande's military has severely become shored up, daring them enough to also send dignitaries to the other Velheim states in the north warning them of Regalian Imperialism and Colonialism, proposing a greater northern alliance against "the fate which befell Carrhen", while the Noble Council of Tryllelande also publishing a general denunciation from the Tryllelande northern Velheim peoples to denounce House Viduggla as a traitor to the Old Gods, to the Velheim people, and to the North for doing the bidding of the colonizer, and playing a part in their underhanded schemes to sabotage the Tryllelande military.
Avox Petrou attempts a solo exploration of Tryllelande's defenses, but unfortunately and unknowing to the recent developments, is very quickly shot out of the sky by Fin'ullen crossbow archers, limping back to the Foreign Minister's ship that is just leaving port to hitchike back to Regalia with Ellon wings filled with crossbow bolts.
Another ship of Hexenblood people attempts to dock, but has its docking rights denied, on account of the Tryllelande country considering any Regalian vessels as hostile, told to leave or the coastal defenses would open fire.
The Power of Nordskag
News arrives from Nordskag in particular that Haqet's ally Raoul has frequently been seen feeding on people, whipping up the population in a fervor against Vampires, and particular Haqet's allies and cause. The anti-Imperial sentiment seriously diminishes as a wash of anti-Vampire attacks seriously damage the population of Vampires in the region.
Anathema arrives in the region to attempt to investigate the anti imperial sentiment, but is swept up by the sudden discovery of the King of Nordskag poorly kept and beaten bloody somewhere. He is promptly hurried to the Royal Castle, where his sister receives him, though Anathema observes a member of the Allorn secret service in the Queen-Regent's advisory entourage with concern and interest. In a short interaction between the King and the Queen-Regent, the Allorn service agent is seen nodding in the direction of the Queen, who promptly reaches for her Skagger Axes and strikes down on the King, who rapidly forms Raven wings, reaching for Coraveau to deflect the attack, and immediately strike back after, which in turn is deflected by the Allorn secret service member jumping in front and taking the blow instead.
This time Anathema decides not to simply be a bystander, rapidly expanding flesh and bone into a monster and pouring at Haqet like a fountain of gore, pushing enough force to eject Haqet and themselves out of the throne room and taking a whole wall with them as they plummet down the cliffs of Kongehjem, the capital of Nordhjem which was built on a tall cliffside. A fight ensues on the way down between the flesh monster and Haqet, before Anathema crashes into the ground and turns into a Sarlac pit with tendrils that lash at Haqet in the sky. Haqet reasoning that the ruse is up, opts to instead fly away, summoning a flock of crows to peck and gnash into Anathema's flesh from all sides, distracting them long enough to create a getaway.
Anathema slinks into the sea and returns to Regalia, just in time to hear the general announcement that the Queen-Regent of Nordskag has proclaimed that the Allorn serviceman who gave his life for her had delivered a letter in which an informant in Regalia had claimed that the Foreign Ministry was openly discussing using the chaos in Nordskag to replace her with a puppet, seriously damaging the Nordskag-Regalia relations. She proclaimed that while the King was absent, and with regency powers invested in her, that she would declare Nordskag would refuse to aid the Empire in any military campaigns, and would retain a foreign dignitary of their own separate from the Empire until either the Emperor or the King was found, because she refused to acknowledge the false pretend government.
The Weakness of Nordskag
In Regalia, Meriyaan, Laerilas, Therris, Elissandre, Reine, Jovi, Sentara, Gilles and Natharia prepare to board a ship on their way to Nordskag with intent. As they complete their boarding procedure, all of a sudden, a group of black cloaked individuals force themselves on board, showing the black seal of the Black Hand of the Palace, seperate from the Ministry of Information, the actual spy service of the Crown Regent himself (and Emperor, if he was present). They immediately start searching the ship top to bottom and searching the people present also, who know better than to try and hide anything from the Palace's spies.
Eventually the group completes their search of Laerilas, and discovers him holding the rusted and decayed spear point fragment. The spies look over the fragment for a moment, comparing it to what seems like a sketch, before pulling out a piece of paper that looks like it has the royal seal on it. They seem to read the paper for a moment, before simply nodding, handing the item back to Laerilas, and disembarking remarking that "everything is in order".
Assuming this was just a fluke search that inevitably did not stop them from anything, the group sets on their way to the Vaarda gate in Nordskag. They arrive, attempt to do some simple investigation on the area but uncover very little, as this gate is most likely hundreds of years old, and the stonework has decayed considerably with lack of maintenance. After a while, the group agrees to insert the decayed spear point into the dais, which fits perfectly, lighting up the whole dais it stood on and shifting stones on all sides of the portal. Eventually with a screech and ear-splitting thundering noise, the portal comes to life, forming a swirling blue mass of magic and energy between the stones reaching as tall as the Arch Temple's tower.
For a moment nothing happens, part of the group steps closer to investigate, a creature steps out of the gate that might best be described as some otherworldly horror, lacking a face, but having a distinct humanoid shape, several sets of wings, and large claw and pincer shaped hands and appendages, with a tail of a snake and all manner of horns and sharp objects protruding from it. The group brandish their weapons, expecting a boss-battle, but another steps through, and another, and another, and with every second that passes, a dozen, several dozen, a hundred, several hundred, and a thousand start coming through, some flying at higher altitudes to avoid a stampede on ground level. Laerilas attempts to hurriedly remove the spear, but it is completely lodged in place, unsure whether this was because of the damage, or whether someone on the other side is holding it open.
Before long, it seems like thousands upon thousands of creatures are spewing forth, Natharia falling to her knees and whispering "the Great Betrayer" as she witnesses the mark of the Old Gods devil on them all, with twisted and mangled Velheim and Cellik Old Gods worship markings and tattoos, them become so numerous that they blot out the sunlight from the area. One passes by the group, seeming entirely unphased by their weapons held in preparedness to defend themselves, they seem entirely uninterested in picking a fight with the party, for reasons yet unknown.
Elsewhere in the world, in Tryllelande, in Drowda, in the Cains, in Middeskag, in Arlora and Hedryll, in Kirkmuir and Keldwyn and Hvalba and Ruttswyn (New Silverwind), in Dercia and Connorock and Myre and on the volcano of Ashhaven and finally on Zeswyn, Vaard gates light up and burst open.
