The Storm Breaks--The Conquest of Ferravale (Part 1)
(NOTE: This part wasn't actually RP'd. I just added it to flesh out the RP)
The monotonous songs of crickets filled the humid night air, punctuated by the crackle and popping of the bonfire at the center of the clearing, its flames illuminating a scene seemingly out of nightmare.
Dark shapes huddled around the blaze, the firelight glittering dimly in their dark, soulless eyes. Garbed only in loincloths, the creatures hissed and snarled among themselves, conversing in their own savage tongue. One of them, a peculiar blood-red hue in color, stood tall, a head higher than even his hulking companions when they were upright.
Vladmir nodded with satisfaction as he emerged into the clearing through the black trees, his blue eyes reflecting the firelight as well, the golden-orange glow flickering against the silvery underside of his cloak. He stepped without fear through the ring of creatures, addressing the crimson one. "Golem Rakthor. I take it this means your warriors are ready?" He couldn't hide the distaste and scorn in his voice as he gazed upon the primitive beings that surrounded him.
The crimson one straightened and nodded. "Yarr, Zzzzztormfeath'r. Rakthor-tribe ready to tazzzte blood of zzztrong and weak, young and old. Bird or beasssst, female or male, matterzz not. We will flood the foresssst with their blood an' make them fear the name of Rakthor!" Hearing their leader's words, the others all turned their gazes to the conversing leaders, unable to conceal the wild anticipation in the abyss of their eyes. Some of them hissed and began to chant bizzare war-songs in broken speech intersparsed with their own primitive language.
Noting the frenzy that they were working themselves into, Vladmir smiled malicously. "Alas, friend Rakthor, you must wait but one more night for the glorious massacre." Rakthor snarled and spat, about to state his contrary intentions, but remembered the nature of his ally just in time. A growl rumbled low in his throat as he spat, "One night. One night, but no more! We feasssst on corpsssses by morn!"
Vladmir nodded, humouring the savage tribe leader and attempting flattery in order to assure the loyalty of his odd allies. "One night. You are surely a clever one, O might Golem Rakthor."
Rakthor, unconvinced, snarled. "Do not sssssneak and zzzzzlink and try to decieve the Crimson One, foxzzzz. It will be your undoing for ssssssure."
Vladmir nodded and stepped off through the trees, the raven Halfbeak landing on his shoulder as he disappeared into the night.
Behind him, the monitors set up a warchant as they circled the fire wielding crude blades, primitive bows, and barbaric flint-tipped spears.
"We zzzzzheath our bladezzz in enemy'zzz corpsssses
We wet our throatzzz with their blood
Our hatchlingzzzz'sss nesssts are lined with their hidezzz
And our elderzzz lean on staffssss carved from their bonezzz."
Savages, he thought to himself. A weapon to be weilded when it is useful, and cast aside when it is no longer needed. They are expendable, and their one use will be shown tomorrow.
(OOC: Okay, here's the actual RP)
Nightbreath stands upon the eastern wall of Ferravale and takes in the crisp morning air beneath a grey sky. The trees appear black in the dim light, and there's a faint trace of smoke in the air from the village. The Seer gazes to the east, noting that the leaves have begun to turn fiery orange, crimson, and gold with the coming of autumn. The trees burn as the tide of cold draws nearer, he thinks to himself. Then he stiffens, remembering the warning of several months ago: That the storm of war would reach Ferravale as the trees go up in flame. As this thought flashes through his mind, a single harsh cry echoes through the air, and without warning a flock of ravens and crows takes flight over the village. Dark shapes move in the woods...Swiftly coming down from the walltops, ordering the guards to hold their positions, Nightbreath begins scanning the area behind the wall, searching for Scioto.
Scioto is walking but as the alarm sounds he speeds up and rushes over to meet Nightbreath.
Soarwing is circleing and then goes to attck one of the invading shawdows that is entering the village.
Raymond has made his way to the gates and gets out his blade, "What is going on?" He asks and looks ready for the battle thats about to happen, he is head guard so he gives out some orders for archers to fire at the raverns.
Sorrlagg frowns as he smells smoke and looks around to see where he may help, upon seeing the ravens he frowns even more "Oh no" he says quietly.
Ravens are the least of their worries. Wild, animalistic cries fill the air, and suddenly mulitudes of dark, hunched-over shapes emerge from the trees, a white-cloaked figure at their head, whirling a strange object...THRUMTHRUMTHRUMTHRUM--ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZHRHS! It flies through the air straight at Soarwing, the metal spheres wrapping around the owl and rending bone with an audible CRACK! Nightbreath, running to the west, but soon to return, glances to the east and utters a curse in his own tongue.
The owl falls from the sky and lands on the ground, its dead and will never fly again.
Sorrlagg frowns, he tilts his head and blinks at the shapes seeming they look familar maybe, he draws his longbow to fire at whatever they are or a ravern if they get to close.
Raymond looks at the cloaked figure and narrows his eyes, he points to the ravens as some archers fire off their arrows towards the incoming raverns, a couple fall fall the sky as an arrow hits them. Other guars get ready for ground attacks.
Scioto has his own blade out now and stands by Nightbreath looking at the sudden attack, from the walltop he also notes the village as guards from inside start to come help as well.He stays very alert and turns to one guard"You, go make sure my family is ok..go!" the guard obeys and quickly heads down and back into the village.
Nightbreath returns from the west at a dead run, with the jagged katana sword from over his fireplace sheathed on his back, the dagger that claimed the life of Balnor the slaver tucked in the folds of his robe, and the blade-rope Equilibrium now being uncoiled in his paws. He comes to a halt next to the Chieftain, saying, "The storm is at hand! The servants of Strymblak are upon us!" From outside the village, crude, flint-tipped arrows are beginning to soar into Ferravale. The dark shapes draw closer, with a red-hued being at their head, yet the cloaked one stays behind the lines, watching and waiting. The invaders....they're monitors! The first of them reach the walls as the ravens wheel overhead, divind every now and then to assail individual defenders....
Sorrlagg fires off an arrow, he notices the monitors and his eyes go wide, "That can't be good" he says quickly, "And alot of them too."
Raymond growls, he gives the single for the archers to fire, one set at the monitors and another at the ravens again "Fire the arrows!!" One of the guards are grabbed by a raven and screams when he is dropped from pretty high up and lands, he doesn't get back up again.
Scioto nods, "I noticed!" He grips his blade tightly and gets into a fighting stance, a raven goes to try and dive at him and he sidesteps and slices at it with his blade.
The arrows wreak havok among the ravens, sending more than a few of them screeching from the skies to a swift and painful ending on the cobblestone streets. Nightbreath whirls his rope up and over, cleaving an attacking raven in two. Meanwhile the monitors, not nearly as vulnerable to arrows as ravens, begin scaling the walls with bare paws, their claws finding nooks and crannies the stone, and now the r lizards scramble over the ramparts, hissing and snarling and cutting a swatehe of chaos and destruction through defenders with crude swords and primitvive spears, or even tooth and claw. Some of them leap off the inner side of the walls and charge unhindered throug hthe streets, scattering and entering buildings. Screams of terrror fill the air. Nightbreath snarls and yells, "Skarp'lanur! Chieftain, we must reclaimo those buildings!"
Raymond acts quickly and orders some of the guards to the inside of the village to help attck the monitors that have gotten inside the village, he slices at one as it pasts and another guard helps to attack the same one.
Sorrlagg fires off another couple arrows before getting into a fighting stance agaist the monitors, he most likely stands a better chance agaist them than some of the guards do.
Scioto nods, he lets Raymond handle the guards inside as someone has to help with the gates, he stays calm and a guard beside him barely manages to cause one of the monitors to temparyly lose thier grip, he himself slices at it and the monitor falls a few feet but is not hurt too badly excecpt its arm. The feline holds his blade tightly and glaces over at the village towards where his house is but puts faith in his guard to make sure his family is safe.
The lizard in question whirls about and lashes out with its mace-like tail, sending the guard aiding Raymond crashing to the ground outside the walls. Meanwhile the crimson reptile stands upon the walls for a moment, howling in rage, defiance, and victory all at once, as he leaps from the walls and lands directly on one of the guards, slaying him instandly. Nightbreath lunges with the blade-rope at a passing lizard, and while the blade fails to puncture the armor-like hide, the rope coils around the reptile's limbs and throws him to the ground. Seizing the oppurtunity, Nightbreath retracts the rope and lunges with his dagger, peircing the monitor's throat and ending his life instantly. The Seer wipes the blood from the blade upon the corpse and returns to his previous position, whirling Equilibrium over his head until the air howls. Meanwhile, undetected by anybeast, the white-cloaked figure retrieves the bolas and steals off around to the western wall....
Sorrlagg grabs one of the weaker monitors by the thoat and hissses louudly, he breaks the neck and lets it fall dead to he ground, he fires an arrow at another and hits it in the neck, a surprised look on the monitor he hit face, he did use to work for them so a couple were surprised by his attck, but they are now learning he switched to the side of the village beasts.
Raymond finsihes off a monitor he has already wounded and the guards attck a couple others, a rat guard falls over dead from an attck from behind, Raymond barely sidesteps another attck and swings his blade looking to hit the enemy.
Scioto eyes narrow as all over are ravens,crows,monitors and this was a sudden attck, he cussses loudly as another guard falls dead, he stabs down at one monitor that fell and and gets a slice on his lower left arm, its not deep so he tried to focus on the battle only and not his arm so much.
Moonfeather flies into the area, being a guard of the air he sets his sights on attcking any flying theats in the air, his talons sharp and able to grab a crow and slam them into the wall quickly.
Nightbreath whirls his blade-rope again, and another lizard is felled. He brings it up and around to rip a crow from the skies in pieces. Some of the monitor archers, hanging back aways, spot Moonfeather, and a harsh bark from one of them brings their crude bows up with shafts nocked at the hawk. Primitive shafts hiss through the air like vipers, seeking to fell the bird of prey.
Raymond scans the grounds of the village to see where fighting forces are needed most, he frowns as a nearby citizen is killed by a monitor and gets out a throwing dagger and flicks it at the back of the monitor, and keeps his main blade griped in his paw.
Sorrlagg hissses, his tail slams agaist a raven as one goes to claw his shoulder, he fires an arrow at it and it falls.
Moonfeather avoids some arrows by flying higher, one grazes his wing and a couple feathers fall off, he rebalnces himself and dives at a ravern, he grabs it in his talons and drops it dead to the ground and screches loudly.
Scioto stays alert, he looks up as the raverns mix with the gathering clouds in the skies, he grips his blade tighter and orders the guards below to attck the monitors and takes a quick look inside the village.
The next wave of monitors surges into the village, their fearsome features illuminated by torches carried by each of them. Seeing this, Nightbreath shouts, "Stop them! They must not reach the inner village!" He moves forward, fearing none, as he expertly manipulates his weapon, holding back the monitors that aren't slain. However, no one beast can hold off a whole gang of monitors, and some of them edge outside the weapon's radius and reach the buildings. Cursing again, Nightbreath moves up to the wall to get a better view as the crackle of flames can be heard...
Raymond shakes his head, one of the monitors that get in swings a torch at him and he gets a burn on his arm, he kicks the lizard in the gut causeing it to be temparyly winded, but it manages to knock him down and get further inside before he can stand again.
Sorrlagg frowns as more of the monitors come, "This is insane, they keep coming and coming,what the seasons, " He fires an arrow but one of the monitors get in front of him and breaks the string and the two start to fight paw to paw.
Moonfeather circles as he looks down at the monitors and the raverns trying to decide who to attck first, he also notes the clouds as rain be good about now.
- The battle, as well as the RP, moves further into the village where the monitors begin ravaging Ferravale...***
Reassessing the tactical situation, Nightbreath makes a swift decision. Gesturing for a number of the guards to follow him, he sprints further into the village, and looks upon a scene of total madness: Houses are beginning to burn, monitors run wildly through the streets cutting down fleeing residents and guards alike, and ravens soar overhead feeding off the dead and dying...and when there are no more corpses to be had, making some more. Nightbreath winces and charges into the fray...
Scioto rushes inside and gets a look of horror, he shakes his head and orders some guards to try and put out some of the fires, he slices at a monitor and then gasps as he notices one certain home burning and this temparyly freezes him, "My..MY HOUSE!" He goes to rush towards it, violently sliceing at a monitor and raverns in his way, the monitor falls dead as does a couple raverns, the other two get smart and flee from the mad feline.
Moonfeather stays in the air and circles the area, most of the action seems below now but he still has some raverns in the air to fight.
Raymond follows the direction the chieftain looks, but is unable to get that direction as he tries to protect some of the villages, "Go..get somewhere safer"
Sorrlagg pants as he is starting to get tried from all the fighting, his tail tip has also been sliced off but he has managed to slay the large monitor that was fighting him.
Nightbreath meanwhile is engaged with a monitor wielding a mace; a flash of his jagged sword and the lizard is slain. Sheathing the sword as quickly as he drew it, Nightbreath returns to wielding his blade-rope. Slaying several more foes, he coils the rope from his left shoulder to his waist and moves to Scioto's side, once again grasping his sword.
(One of the raverns manages to grab the hawks wind and the hawk Moonfeather almsot crashes to the ground, he manages to twist and slam the ravern into the ground but his wing is hurt bad and he has to retreat.)
Raymond helps Sorrlagg by fighting off a couple raverns aiming to harm him, he swings his blade and another bird falls, guards start to fight monitors again as some thunder starts and a light rain, not enough yet to really put out flames just yet.
Scioto has his blade and slices at a ravern that starts to sneak up on Nightbreath, his arm is bleeding from a wound before but he still fights.
Seeing the raven fall, Nightbreath manages a quick grin. "My thanks, Chieftain." Suddenly, in a brief lull in the fighting where he is, he goes rigid and his eyes flash.
Sorrlagg scans the area his tail swinging back and forth as he waits, what is happening now as fighting slows.
Scioto watches Nightbreath and frowns, "What?" He asks, not getting an answer most likely right away he gets a little worried and asks louder" WHAT?!" He knows that look and he don't like it one bit.
Raymond holds his arm that was burned, the rain starts to get a little more heavy now, he shakes his head as some rain makes any blood mix with mud now.
Shaking his head to snap back to reality, Nightbreath raises his voice to be heard over a sudden roll of thunder, as lightning strikes ground in the distance. "Chieftain! The feather has reached..." He doesn't finish but he sprints off to the west, towards Scioto's home
Raymond slices at one of the monitors who is near death and finishes them off and watches the chieftain and Nightbreath rush off.
Sorrlagg hissses at his broken longbow and the rain is not helping his mood at all as he keeps on the alert for any other dangers.
- The Chieftain and Seer rush to Scioto's home as the battle rages on...***
Scioto races towards his home quickly, blade in his paw as he runs fast, even if he is tried he follows the seer and even gets ahead of him. The house is in flames and this only causes Scioto to grow more worried as he gets to the house, another clash of lighting and thunder and the rain starts to be harder now, th raqin starts to slowly put out some of the fire around the village as Scioto makes it to the front of his home and sees the two guards that was posted there missing thier heads,he grips his blade ready for what ever is to happen next.
Suddenly a scream of terror comes from within the house, followed by maniacal laughter. Nightbreath, now at the door, notes that it is hanging off of one hinge and simply kicks it competely free, shouting, "Hurry, there is no time!" as he enters with his sword out and away from him.
- In the main room of Scioto's home...***
Scioto rushes in after Nightbreath, his sword draw and ready to fight, he growls low and looks at the chaos inside his house, torn clothing,broken funiature and flames. He kicks a chair out of the way.
Nightbreath's head swings from side to side as he scans the Cheiftain's home with both his eyes and the senses that only a Seer wields. His eyelids flicker down for a moment, then his eyes open and he levels his blade at the bedroom. "In there, Sire!" This is punctuated by another shrill cry and another menacing laugh from the bedroom, this time coupled with the high-pitch shriek of a terrified Dibbun...
Scioto growls, his eyes flash battle fire and he rushes into the bedroom ready to attck whom ever is causeing this insane laughter.
- Bedroom...(WARNING: Gore, blood, violence, death, etc., and a partridge in a pear tree. Well actually no partridge. But there is a raven...)***
(NOTE: I had permission to spoof Maxx and Dazzle as their player left RWMUCK and suggested they die in the attack.)
Scioto rushes in his sword draw, his eyes alive with battle light, yeah he is peeved, "Who Dares!"He bellows as he stands ready to fight his foe.
As Nightbreath actually /leaps/ into the room, his cloak fluttering like wings of fog, a cold voice replies, "/I/ dare." Nightbreath gasps involuntarily as a horrible scene unfolds before his eyes: A kitten upon the bed, chest stained with blood, more crimson liquid bubbling from between his lips, mewling piteously for help as Dazzle attempts to both shield him with her severely wounded body and find some way to tend to Maxx's wounds at the same time. There is no sign of Blissa. Before the Seer or Chieftain can react, several things happen at once: As his eyes sparkle once again, Vladmir, standing upon the bed, his incessantly clacking weapon whirling over his head,gives another crazed laugh and clubs Dazzle with the bolas once. Just once, but it's enough. It wraps around her throat, and her head jerks to the side at an odd angle with a sharp CRACK, and Dazzle, tavern chef, wife of Scioto the Chieftain, and mother of Blissa and Maxx, is no more. At the same time, Maxx gives a final gurgle and his eyes go dim. Even as the Chieftain's son breathes his last, the Seer shakes his head in sorrow as he feels two lives slip into the void, but does not linger on it, slowly whirling the blade-rope and saying, "Styrmblak! Thou shall pay dearly for this atrocity." His eyes burn with righteous fury, and it almost seems that a crackling noise can be heard---and not from the infernos blazing oustide.
Scioto eyes land on the cold voice and growls as the bolas sail and as he sees Dazzle die in front of him and the infant die something snaps inside of him and he drops his sword, he tries to speak and the tears rush down his face. "Dazzle! Maxx! ...NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screams out in shock,horror and drops to his knees, is it possible for the chieftain to suddenly be broken?...yes.
And thus the prophecy is fulfilled. /Ah! Bolas! Messenger of ill fate! In the storm of conflict, the steel globes will claim one of our number forever.../ Vladmir hears Nightbreath's statement and laughs once more, then, parrying the blade-rope, hurls the Seer to the ground with unnatrual speed, q, too fast for even the ermine to react, and as the fox departs, the raven Halfbeak appears as if from nowhere, and even as Nightbreath shouts a warning, the bird alights on Scioto's face, and tears savagely at the wildcat's eyes with rending talon and stabbing beak.
Scioto is a bit out of it, he blinks "Where...is......blisa?..Blisa!!" He then sees thje ravern too late and his left eye is basicly torn, as is the left side of his face, a deep scar and blood, the beck gets his shoulder as does the talons and leaves blood dripping, he feels for his sword and gets it and swings at the raven as he falls backwards, tears and blood on his face, he shivers.
"Go ye to the pits thou were spawned in, you foul se'borith'or-spawned worm!" Nightbreath slashes laterally and Halfbeak is slain even as Vladmir escapes. No time to hunt the Styrmblak now, it is not our fate to fell him, he thinks in passing. As two halves of raven fall to the floor with a soft thud, Nightbreath rushes to his Chieftain's side. "My Lord! Are you injured? WE must leave, now!" This is emphasized by screams and rasping snarls and howls from outside, and the sound of claws scraping the wall of the building.
Scioto groans, he mutters something as blood pours from his face and shoulder blade, he shivers and leans agaist Nightbreath, he then passses out from shock,blood loss, and stress.
Supporting Scioto with one arm thrown around the cat's shoulder, Nightbreath mutters another curse as he tears a strip from the sleeve of his robe to staunch the blood, also rustling through one of his belt pouches sewn from bat wings and grabbing a pawful of grey-green powder and dark dried leaves of herbs. He slaps the mixture on the wound and bandages the lacerations. Having done this, he exits the house and grunts as he hauls the cat westward to safety, exiting the house into a bloodstained street-to-streeet fight, ducking through side alleys to avoid the main part of the battle. In an alleyway in the residentail area, near the hs home, he tends more thouroughly to the chieftain before finding a healer and several guards, leaving them to guard the chieftain in the Seer's home, the door locked and barricaded as Nightreath returns to the fray. Meanwhile, in the main square of the village, the defenders have been beaten back, and are forced to withdraw to the south and west, the main square and entry area burning behind them and ovverrun with monitors and ravens. Barricades are hastily rigged at the ends of the streets to hold back the monitors, at least temporarily. Thunder roars and lightning flashes in the stormy skies as Ferravale is ravaged by reptiles amid holwing wind and slashing rain.
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