The Dying Light <link broken> Ithanian nobles being massacred by Daendroque troops The Emperor had been sitting on a powder keg, and he was well aware of it. He had sent troops around the various corners of the Empire to soften the blow, but he forgot for a moment in his own arrogance that he wasn’t dealing with ignorant children. The forces that conspired against him anticipated his moves to ensure a peaceful transition in the Empire and aimed their moves elsewhere. Since the 11th creed’s implementation, the entire plantation population of Slaves had in one fell stroke been made free, causing huge financial losses for the plantation owners in Lusits and Daendroc. Queen Juliana’s nepotism and unstable reign had already made the political spectrum of Lusits extremely fragile, and a financial collapse of their economy from the top down severely aggravated anti-Regalian sentiments in this once so loyal kingdom. From the south, scores and crowds of Elven refugees swarmed into Lusits looking to claim their citizenship from the local cities, overwhelming the various city states and Viscounts in control of the southern border. Within days, barons and Dukes of the west and southern lands banded together, marching their levies in secrecy north while they used the Elven refugee flows trying to reach Ithania’s splendor and richness as a cover to avoid detection. On the 24th, all void broke loose in Hivre Haute Puisse, the richest of the Ithanian Princedoms and seat of the capital Bijoux vert plusse-rême. Soldiers of the various barons and plantation owner mercenaries flooded out of the refugee camps and public administration centers, storming the relatively unprotected castles and palaces along the Plaisance river at the heart of the capital. Panic and utter terror immediately gripped the capital. Ithania had long neglected their military expenses in favor of relying on Regalian troops for security, which resulted in only a small token militia of Imperial guardsmen available in the Palais de Suprême veriteé. In the south, the plantation owners had grown fat and wealthy off the Elven wars, now their funds being funnelled in an open rebellion against the Emperor in the heartland of the financial backbone of the Regalian Empire. Bands of thugs and mercenaries stormed the shining marble palaces with the gold plated roofs and the walls decorated with jewels from all over Ithania. They put any and all to the sword. The first to fall was Duke Reginald IV of Kade-Schwarz, the Imperial Guard Commander on location to protect the various Kades and Ivraes which were vacationing there to escape the war in Torse. The rebels started massacring the Ithanian nobility by first rounding them up in the courtyard of the palace before shooting them down one by one with crossbow fire. Those who survived the initial impact due to jewels in their corsets bouncing off the bolts were then mercilessly struck down with the sword. Looting happened all over the various palaces, all over the city and soon all over the countryside as well. Soldiers attacked the marble walls, cutting the jewels down. Various Ivrae de Vixe court ladies were tossed down the waterfall balconies from the fifth floor, their screams almost inaudible from the utter chaos in the city below. Fires broke out all over the city, and the ravage that consumed it even frightened the rebel barons and Dukes who now realized they had unleashed a monster onto Ithania, unable to control their own looting soldiers anymore. They were Daendroque ex-slaves and brigands, people who had always suffered in poverty while the Ithanians lived in excellence and opulence. This became less a political fight against the Emperor and more a social struggle from the poor to eradicate the rich north of them and claim their wealth by the sword, an old Daendroque tradition. Duke Reginald IV’s entire household had their throats slit: his wife, their children, Duchess Mathilda and even Archduke Philipe Berrois de Vixe, a patron of the poor people, was ironically stabbed by the very people he had tried to help all those years. The aunt to the Emperor, Aliandre Kade, was captured by the rebels as a valuable hostage while the majority of her entourage were put to the sword. It was said by the locals that days after that, the pristine crystalline and snow white palaces which always formed a shining beacon at the elevated parts of the city had rivers of red flowing out of them, turning into hellish scenes of agony and death. What little Regalian forces were still available tried to defend the docks as much as possible, allowing the fleeing Ithanians to run onto ships to escape the massacre. Eventually they too were overwhelmed and the last ships sailed away, finishing the day with a barrage of cannon fire at Fort Sainte Vladaise to prevent the rebels from acquiring cannons. Untold amounts of Ithanian but also Regalian nobility had been killed there, and the second richest city in the Empire had in one day of chaos been reduced to rubble. By the time the rebel leaders finally regained control over the city, the damage had been done and sent out shockwaves of terror across ithania. The Daendroque cities back south who had not joined the rebellion promptly shut down their city gates for the Elves and countrymen who tried to flee to the city for safety, causing massive refugee camps to form around the walls of the city states of the Daendroque Governorate. The Regalian Government tried to scramble what available fleets were ready to set sail to Ithania to secure the other cities which were now wide open to invasion by the rebel host. It was certain this rebel host could be defeated, as it was not sizeable and had no coordinated leadership, but the situation was dire either way as they had proven to have the motivation and capability to kill any and all who they opposed. The State was effectively engaged in a race against time to secure the various cities and prevent any further bloodshed before moving on the counter offensive. The Emperor summoned the war cabinet, sending out the relevant communications to summon the war hosts. He decreed that the Statue was now no longer their top priority, rather saving Ithania from utter destruction was now paramount. Since von Treppewitz was re-located, Ulric Typhonus had retired and the Duke of Dragenthal was unavailable, a summons was made to any and all able bodied and skilled men of leadership to take up the banners of the armies under their command. The Darkness <link broken> Fire illuminates the dark deep In Regalia, a group of five made their way down the hidden catacombs underneath the city, They traversed the great greenbed lake, the various Vampire dens and the blackmarket boats without much trouble. Descending in the deeper levels, the Virtue took the lead of the group at front, followed by the Stone Mage, the Soul Mage and the Spirit Mage, with the Isldar at the very back of the group. They passed the great doors of the Etheldriën, the last sewer remnants of an Elven city that once stood where Regalia now is. Beyond here, nobody had any idea where they were going, they just trusted on the Virtue’s ability to sense where they were going. The hallways were dark and ominous. The stonework looked warped, alien almost. None of those present had ever laid eyes on anything like it, as this stonework was thousands of years old and likely dated back to the Meraic civilization. Water still leaked down the hallways and tunnels, even light pierced from above as a testament to Elven architecture. Even though the Humans built their city over the ruins of an Elven metropolis long abandoned, the Elves had turned the ruins of Meraic into sewers as the Humans would later do to their buildings. Faint skittering could be heard down the various hallways, though the group paid no heed as they were traveling much, much deeper. The next level looked even more alien and twisted. The tunnels mouthed out into massive caves with huge open ceilings, yet utter darkness was all around them. Their torches did not light enough anymore, though the Virtue had a solution. He used Blinding Light Magic to light up the tunnels, revealing massive winged snake like statues positioned all over the cave. Some were fallen over, mostly the stone had crumbled from untold age. The statues were positioned in such ways it almost looked like they walked into a graveyard, or more specifically a battlefield. Some of them were frozen in motion as if fighting one another. The Stone Mage and the Soul Mage paused for a moment, staring at these statues with an uneasy feeling about them. The Virtue and the Isldar eventually pushed for them to move onwards. They carefully maneuvered between these massive statues, some of which even as tall as the Cathedral towers above ground. The air was getting colder and more difficult to breathe this deep, but their cause was more important. They had to find what he was hiding down here. When they passed from the massive caverns, a huge underground ravine separated them from the passage to the lowest level. The Stone Mage and the Virtue proceeded to build a bridge out of Stone Magic. The full length of nearly 100 yards was finally bridged after half an hour with a jigsaw puzzle of stones and rocks. The group passed over it, not sure what to expect on the other side, but confident they would be victorious against whatever would try to stop them. They were very wrong. Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. The constant dripping sound got on the nerves of the Soul Mage. “Where is that coming from?” he asked nervously, while trying to sound casual. The Virtue turned around for a moment, looking at the others before he muttered “Probably just some leaking water. Who knows how far the water flows down here. There’s springs all around us”. The Isldar stepped forward “Have you been here before? How will we know what we will run into?” The Virtue paused for a while before turning back as he continued walking “Let’s keep going”. The group cautiously followed in pursuit, an uneasy feeling beginning to creep over them as the dripping started to sound louder and louder. A few minutes down the corridor that just didn’t seem, to end, some droplets fell onto the Isldar who had an initially harmless reaction as if being jumped at by a spider “Ah! Ah! That’s voiding cold!”. She tried to wipe it out of her face as the droplets ran down her forehead, though her vision went red as it was rubbed into her eyes. The Stone Mage had noticed, walking closer to light her with his torch. He picked up a droplet with a finger and tasted it before he turned back to the others “That’s blood”. The isldar was now frantically trying to wipe it out of her face while the Virtue suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. the Soul Mage and the Spirit Mage wandered closer to the Isldar to try and help her while the Stone Mage walked closer to the Virtue to try and talk to him. The Virtue just shook his torch in front of him, then proceeded to wave a hand in front of his eyes. He turned to the Stone Mage as he muttered to himself: “Clever rot, how could I have been so blind”. As his eyes met with the Stone Mage, his tone suddenly soured as he yelled “Did someone talk?! Which one of you vermin talked?” The Stone Mage looked towards the others who were frozen in motion staring at the Virtue before looking back at the Virtue “Maybe I... Hm… Maybe the Lord talked to him? yeah, yeah tha-” Before he could finish his sentence, the Virtue backhanded him across the face with an angry look on his face. He yelled “Idiots idiots idiots! We’re right where he wants us!” Suddenly a look of dread passed over his face as he turned his gaze up, raising his torch. The ceilings were filled with scribblings, runes and glyphs drawn in blood, various parts were still wet as they dripped down on the floor below. He stared back at the others in the group with widened eyes as he half whispered: “Run you idiots”. There was a moment of complete silence broken finally by the Soul Mage asking “Wh-what?” Before anyone could reply or do anything, the glyphs lit up with a red hue, the whole hallway shook and a thundering roar could be heard echoing through and beyond. The whole group started sprinting to the exit, or rather the opening back to the bridge they had built an hour ago across the underground ravine. They tried to run across the bridge though as they reached halfway, a massive wingless dragon crashed through the wall behind them. It stared at them with slitted golden eyes, reaching its neck higher above as it looked at them from afar. It was easily 50 yards from them but it was clearly almost as large as the Regalian Unionist Cathedral. It was wingless, scaled almost snow white with a blonde hair mohawk running down its neck and back. It has massive black claws and rows of teeth ready to pounce. The Virtue turned to look half amazed and terrified of what it could do, before he whispered “Of course, the conduit. It’s more than I even thought it would be”. The Dragon promptly opened its mouth, breathing a violet fire towards the group on the bridge. The Virtue raised his hands, creating a dome of barrier Light that deflected the fire away from the group with cinders passing through, landing on the clothing of the various members. The Virtue turned around the others yelling “You’re on your own now. Run or die!” before he jumped off the bridge into the darkness below. Stunned, the others began panicking, running down the length of the bridge while the Stone Mage tried to sabotage the bridge behind them, knocking stones away. The Dragon started pursuing them on the thin bridge, and as they passed it, the Stone Mage caused one massive stone shock wave to collapse the bridge. The Dragon crashed down into the dark abyss below with a screech until they couldn’t hear it anymore. The group tried to catch their breath, now short of the Virtue, but still very happy to be alive. The Soul Mage started to congratulate the Stone Mage, though the Spirit Mage was still very much alarmed. “Did any of you hear the fall?”, she suddenly blurted out moments before the Dragon suddenly levitated next to the edge near them on various swirls of wind. The group immediately started sprinting again as the Stone mage yelled “Now that’s just unfair dad!”. The Dragon jumped towards the ledge, climbing onto it before it began chasing the group through the massive cavern with the snake statues. It crashed through a couple of them, pushing them over but before it could reach the group, another wingless Dragon appeared behind it, latching onto its back and biting down on its neck. This dragon was scaled green and yellow with intricate brown horns on its head and spine. It stared at the group with its slitted golden eyes before the white Dragon turned on it and this colossal battle commenced. The group frantically tried to avoid the falling stone and the dragon legs crashing around them, rushing towards the exit and hopefully safety. Fire flung around them, the roaring and screeching of the Dragons echoing in the caverns as they scratched, bit and burned each other. The group eventually reached the gates to the upper level which the Soul Mage promptly started closing. The Isldar reached for his shoulder and tried to pull him away as she yelled “You idiot! They are bloody Dragons, you think a gate is going to stop them?!” They rushed further and further until they could no longer hear the rumbling and crashing of stone. They paused to catch their breath as they all looked at one another. The Isldar muttered “You think he’s dead?”. The Soul Mage shook his head “No, we are probably alive because of him right now”. The Soul Mage looked at the Stone Mage again as he jokingly said: “Disapproving father huh?”. The group let out a collective nervous chuckle before they all agreed to continue moving to the surface, hoping they hadn’t unleashed some apocalypse on the surface. The surface seemed calm as ever. People were shopping, a few drunkards were laughing at a woman who had dropped her basket of potatoes. All looked peaceful. And underground, Dragons were fighting. The Isldar started wandering off as the group split off, patting off the charred spots on her coat while saying to herself: “Dragons. Bloody Dragons though”. OOC Notes what is common IC knowledge: Anyone can know there is a rebellion going on in Ithania. It is now called The Dying Light Rebellion. Anyone can know Duke Reginald IV was killed and other various nobles. Anyone can know the Emperor summoned the hosts and troops to war. Anyone can know the movement of Regalian fleets. No information is available to anyone about what happened in the Darkness, unless they know the character and those characters inform them IC.
That last part... That's what happens when you don't listen and don't include people in your plans. C:
Charlotte walked up-and-down the bedroom that morning. Anton had already left to rally the duchy, she was alone now. And the thoughts were swirling in her mind... Ithania, ransacked. A massacre. Did they reach Havensreach? Corvus Hall? Chateau Walerius? Charlotte had nine cousins, aunts and uncles from the Andreas line of house Walerius residing in Ithania, along with members and staff of her new family. Where's Ashford? She stopped her waddling, staring out through the stained glass. Where's Ashford? He must have returned to the manufactures in the duchy already. He ... must have. With a quick motion, she pulled out the chair nearby and settled herself, her sleeping lying all over the floor around her. Clear the head. What would mother do? 'Mother.' She uttered while rising up from the chair, strolling downstairs to seat herself by Anton's desk, quickly searching through the letters and documents stacked up, the question echoing in her mind. 'What would mother do?' Charlotte jumped up from the desk after reading the report on the situation with a visibly paler face. She strode over to her own stash of writings, pulling out a couple of sheets. This'll work. Initiate something or at least promote some talk. With that in mind and the question still buzzing in her mind, she approached her servant girl to get dressed and as soon as she had her coat on her shoulders, she set off. To Cadar estate.
The Ravenstad Response There was an altogether chilling silence about the Ravenstad town-house: the saccharine sound of nothingness was briefly distupted by the occasional burst of scribbles, and the stabbing wind, breaching holes in the building's quaint Ithanian walls. A young freckled boy, dressed all in black, with ruffled pieces draped upon his neck and wrists, made his way clumsily up the long marble stairs, to the Duke Ravenstad's office. The boy (upon reaching the summit of marble steps) clashed harshly with the plastered wall: clearly he'd been running for some time, his face flustered, almost as reddened as his auburn locks. He offered a cloddish bow to the Duke (sat at his desk in thought). "Yer Grace... er. M'lord, I've news I must relinquish" the boy scurried over to the table, dropping down a summary of the events that had taken place- the rebels, the blood, the sorrow. The Duke peered over the notes, his face becoming graver as he read on. Though his expression was not that of sadness, but of anger, and confusion, that of which the servant had seen before. The boy backed away, his head remaining low, as the Duke crumpled the paper in a clenched fist, and stood from his chair. "Off with you then! Fetch me my sword, Iglebod!" (@Tyler Connell) "Ready the horses, rally my guard!" The Duke marched for the marble stairs; his gaze falling upon the altar beside them, as he paused, if not but to question its meaning, that of which he had never questioned before.
Official Response of House Alvaris Michael was in shock when he heard that the city was sacked. Noble families dead, the city looted and razed? Ithania was a second home to him, and it enraged him to see these Daendroque barbarians strike one of its most precious cities. He wanted to go there, and kill every last one of those rebels... No, he needed to remain calm, perhaps he could help in the war effort, but his rage needed to be controlled. He would need to contact the Imperial Fleet, and request to assist in this war. Michael marched back and forth on what he should do for the war. He could fight, but his skill in strategy was far greater. He doubted if the Regalians needed a true strategist, it was just a bunch of uncoordinated insurgents. No, that was foolish, strategists would always be necessary, no matter how small the enemy. He headed back to the Alvaris manor, and went to find Elias. "Elias, come along! We have a war to fight!" @_Kota
That night, several candles were lit in House du Polignac, for lost friends, for a destroyed city and for the fear most of the people in Ithania lived in. We leave the house and look at the Union Church, where a small group of people had gathered, sitting in silence, all dressed in pure white to show their innocense. Behind them was a large sea of candles, which were lit just moment before. And as the candles shrunk and their wax had gathered at the bottom of the candles, the group left, tired and cold, yet they were relieved that they were safe. And as we walk away from the group, we see their carriage drive off in the night, and even without words, one could see how these children and adults felt.
I liked the second section of this post quite a lot. DnD's Underdark seemed to have a heavy influence on the 'Deep Dark'. Coolio.
An enraged Charles Ardor marched to his home and began furiously penning a letter. To the Grand Admiral of our Imperial Fleet, Heinrich Ober-Pelzenland, The news of our kin being slaughtered by the hundreds has urged me to pen this letter. The Ithanian Kingdoms is my first home, where me and my kin grew old. Seeing those treacherous Dukes and Barons desecrate it boils my blood, Grand Admiral, I would like to pledge myself to service the Fleet and to retake the Capital of the Ithanian Kingdoms back and give those traitors a taste of their own destruction. I would like to provide my expertise and help our advancing forces. I eagerly wait your response. Signed, Charles Ardor, Rear Admiral of the Imperial Fleet.
I can't help but think this specific detail was referring to a specific person.. HI OTT. Y'KNOW. BLONDE MOHAWK AND YOU.
Are the virtues powerful enough (in terms of magic) to block non-physical attacks with barrier light?
Oh man, the Darkness part sounds immensely fascinating. An ancient, alien hallway filled with mysterious statues. Just saying, it'd be nice if regular players can get even a glimpse of something like that in-game somehow. Spark the imagination and such.
I believe Dragon's fire is considered magical. I'm pretty sure the dragon was summoned, or conjured or something, which may have made it magical as well.
Barrier light cannot block magical attacks. I'm not sure if stone or ice or evergrowth is an exception because they're naturally physical. But I know someone (or me i don't remember) asked what all can barrier light block and it was answered it could not block non physical attacks, as in it could block a sword or blunt object (for a certain amount of hits) but nothing like fire magic or other kinds. Meaning ethereal or devoid magic weapons would also pass through. Also on the wiki it says most of this.
Been a while since big deal IC stuff actually appeared in its physical in game form. I was really hoping I would get to see estel and her foggyness, and have to hide away in the ruins of regalian houses while battles took place, but reading it was cool too. I think they just have the fear of regalia turning into a 3fps city again, or crashing the server, lol.
It wouldn't have to even be the event itself, but just some mysterious location that leaves players in wonder, kinda like the old Dwarven Ironhall (or whatever it was called), or even how the sewers used to be in Regalia v1 with that vast chasm of lava.
Virtues are technically semi-deities. They have access to potent magic, and are much stronger in wielding it.
They are planned at some point in time, but the world staff work schedule is sort of "me and some against the world". No lack of of work ever, and the priority planning puts us that much further away from implementing anything like that soon.
Or maybe... Estel Statue communicated with the newly-freed Elves, encouraging them to attack Ithania therefore attracting the attention of the Regallian millitary... So that Estel Statue can strike while the Regallian millitary is elsewhere. Meanwhile, one of Estel's virtues prepares to unearth a conduit to strengthen Estel's power... Hehe.
IC (For Aiden as he's the active one, plus the WIP one): "Of all the damn times fer me to come to this city!" Aiden would half-shout-half-mutter after reading a flyer tossed at him. "I might as well go wander the forests and get away from this mess before I'm involved!" OOC: Well, this ought to be fun. I'm certainly looking more and more forward to the whole magic issue that will be coming very soon.
To the most esteemed Grand Admiral, Heinrich Ober-Pelzenland; My name is Anselmo Castro, and it is my great pleasure to write to you- though also my great shame to interrupt you. As proven by our current Arch-Chancellor in office, not all those descended from Daendroc are rebel savages. An ample example would be the Dressolini as well, for they too arrived from Daendroc as an example that exposure to the superior culture of alt-regalisch may in-turn civilize our own, as seen by the period of “Bella Agitazione”. I wish to also partake in making an example. As one who’s the appearance of the Daendroque, but accustomed to Regalian living, it would be an honor to serve the Imperial Fleet during this time of stress. I am sure you may take advantage of my experience in the battlefield over the years and my knowledge in the Daendroquin and elvish tongues however you deem necessary. In short, I would like to participate, voluntarily, in this conflict. With the due respect, Anselmo Hernandez Castro del Fuerte.
So, I saw the signs up about recruitment for the new war. Gotta talk to them commanders. Who be dem commanders again. -.
Dragons... I never thought Massive would actually do it... Awesome... Though I'm a little curious as to how the opportunity came up for this characters to find this place and plan out a search party...
