Battle of Stormwall - The Support has started at Outside Arx - City of Stormwall - Mountain Gates.

Felicia has joined the a cozy campfire surrounded by boulders and wooden perches.

Reigna smiles to Olivia when the Ashford lady arrives and directs the pack mules to a free spot. "Not to worry, we're in the waiting phase." Reigna tries to project a sense of serenity, slipping back into her reserve as she looks around the area. There are lots of healers, cots at the ready, orderly types lining the walls. She looks to Olivia and asks, "Do you have colored ribbons? We're using the ribbon triage method, you are familiar with it, yes? From the training?"

Olivia directs her guards to set things down and turns to help unpacking some of it, picking out the medicines and salves and setting those apart from the bandages. Then glancing back, she bobs her head. "Yes. Lady Eirene used it in Farhaven. I suppose I'm a veteran, at this point, or nearabouts." That's said with a certain humor, the idea of her being seasoned at anything war-like being a little ridiculous!

Eilonwy is present, doing her best not to fuss and ensuring her blades are loose enough she can draw them if needed. She nods to Reigna as she explains the colored system in place.

Petal arrives while adorned in quite a bit of wild flowers. She even has her armor engraved with such. She tots along a basket of healing supplies and a blue bow is on her back. Her most noticeable items it he antler grown with peach and yellow clothe roses she wears. She looks completely like a Shav with this gear. She also pads up alone, suggesting she is a bit of a free agent in this all. She gives a somber smile to those here and starts in the direction of Eilonwy.

It's rather sudden. With little warning, winds begin to blow through the tunnels, indicating that a fierce storm is forming in the ocean.

"Excellent." Reigna offers Olivia a smile then and makes another visual check, confirming the triage clinic is set up properly, people are standing where they need to be, the medicines and bandages and such are accessable. She's nervous. That much is obvious. She's very nervous. She's flanked by a pair of guards though after one of them knocks over a roll of ribbon and Reigna turns to them and points to the perimeter of the room. "Go. Rest while you can. Please." As the wind picks up, whistling through the space Reigna swallows tightly and bows her head as she begins to pray.

Tovell has joined the a cozy campfire surrounded by boulders and wooden perches.

Petal drops an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

Felicia posts one of her novice's to watch their proverbial backs. The rest arranged to help protect the shamans as she takes up a spot to squint down into the city itself. Distinctive for the red-gold rubicund tint of her armor against her fellow knights, for all that they all bear the distinctive black and silver King's Own tabards. The redhead's great sword, 'Persuasion' held loosely prepared in one fist for now. There's a grimace, as the wind picks up,"Seems that the weather is not to be kind today."

Eilonwy has joined the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

Reigna has joined the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.


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For many military thinkers in the Compact, the strategy used by the pirate king called the Gyre made little sense. If he had as overwhelming force as was claimed, why the glacial pace in attacking? Why the slow approach, rather than quick strikes with force upon near helpless settlements and force the Compact to reach on his terms, rather than slowly approaching and letting the Compact mass forces? But if he is as mad as some claimed, who can say? And so at House Crovane's ducal holding of Stormwall, the largest gathering of military force for the Compact since the Crownbreaker Wars is seen, with nearly virtually all of the Northlands rallying to their eastern most ducal vassal. Tens of thousand of northmen line the beaches and walls of Stormwall, and they aren't alone. Tens of thousands of House Grayson and House Valardin and all their bannermen stand with them, and tens of thousands of templars and knights of solace of the Faith militant stand as well. Meanwhile, near the Lycene city-state of Setarco, the largest gathering of Compact naval forces since House Marin's was destroyed in the Reckoning have gathered to smash one of the three fleets of the Gyre. In the face of that, some thought perhaps the Gyre would rethink his strategy and turn away.

He hasn't.

At Stormwall, hundreds upon hundreds of ships, each swarming with figures, have appeared on the horizon. Many of the ships oddly look like they shouldn't even be seaworthy. Some looking more like wrecks dredged up from the depths, but sail on they do. They are coming.
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Olivia has joined the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

Petal has joined the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

Mia has joined the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

Sir Jeffeth Bayweather stands near the entrance to the tunnels completely still. His dark red rubicund nearly black when its in the shadows. Diamondplate sword drawn in one hand, a kite shield held loosley at his side in the other the huge knight in plate stares down in the direction of the tunnels before slowly looking over to Felicia. "They told us to expect the enemy to do unexpected, unnatural things." Jeffeth growls lowly in Felicia's direction. "I would assume nothing that happens today is hapenstance."

Petal double checks that the tent is secured with the stakes. She seems nervous, not being the most battle-brave of people. "Okay, Sir Jeffeth." She says in his direction.

Petal wields Blue Rose, a steel bow.

Mia had come with the Riven troops -- clad in bright, shining armor that had barely had the chance to pick up a smudge, let alone its first true dent. But she was no combatant, a fact which she knew perfectly well. And so though she had donned her leathers and her rubicund early that morning, though she had made her rounds among her vassals and their soliers, speaking of courage and of strength, she had then left them in the hands of her husband to come here -- to the healers' tent, where those who fell would be brought. But that doesn't mean she took off her armor. Or that she'd set aside her sword. Ohh, no. Mia Riven was not fool enough for that. Not after the last time. So she stood grim-faced and stern, waiting for the worst of it. One way or another, she expected to see a good bit of blood today.


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At Stormwall, as the enemy is sighted on the horizon, flashes of lightning are seen in the sky, and rain begins to fall as one of the city's namesake storms begins to swell. Many of the soldiers wrap cloaks around themselves and swear under their breaths, but through the slow approach, at least a few of the enemy vessels are seen to capsize. Good fortune, that.
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Khanne is up on a hill closer to the port, able to see the waters at least somewhat, and the skies above. She has other shamans with her, all calling to the Spirits of Water and Wind. It all depends what they face, what sort of beings are coming. What they do... all rides on that. Those further down the path might see the group of shamans as they work to the slow, soft beat of a steady drum, Others nearby keeping watch, ready to protect them as they work, if need be. The Spirits seem to answer the call, as storms winds blow in from the sea.

Sir Tovell Telmar stands in his steel plate. His helm is in the crook of his arm and the King's Own stands with Sir Jeffeth Bayweather and his companion knight of the king's own. Ten King's Own in all along with their subordinates up to guard the shamans. He breathes quiet and slow. He wears a warm smile and just seems to be basking in every breath. The man rolls through his prayers. Sticking to the Oathlander true dozen Gods of his version of the Pantheon. Tovell prays. He prays for the knights. For the innocence. He prays for the chance to do right by the Gods. His armor isn't so shiny. He does not ask for much. Just the chance to do something in their Light on behalf of the King. That's Tovell. Super nice guy. Pretty much most of the time. "Can I get you some water? Anything?" And then it starts to rain. "See... Tovell says." He smiles, "It's going to be a blessed battle."

Ainsley stands not far from Khanne. His silver eyes turned toward the sea and the horizon. One of his hands holds the shining alaricite blade that is Threnody. The other hand holds up a gold plated oil lantern. Inside that lantern flickers a flame that does not blow or twist at all within the wind.

Felicia grunts acknowledgment of Jeffeth's call, it can rain, she's not worried, her heavy badger fur cloak will keep most of it out, hopefully, and if wet and miserable is what it's to be, well, that's what it is. The twelve King's Own forms a loose outer ring for Khanne, Ainsley and the others, mostly silent and vigilant.


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At Stormwall, fire fills the night sky despite the swirling rain, as burning pitch is launched from the Port of Stormwall's defensive trebuchets towards the approaching ships upon the order of Princess Marian Redrain. Enemy ships are ablaze, but fire rains down in return, and Prince Edain Valardin and Prince Jericho Valardin are seen on the beach shepharding particularly short sighted infantry away from falling boulders. In their defense, many protest that full helms and night aren't a great combination for avoiding burning rocks. Some enemy ships are lost, and an excellent shot from a trebuchet fired by Lady Emily Deepwood has one ship capsize and slow the advance into the port, but hundreds still come on, and soon the massive enemy fleet will be in range to attempt to land on the beach. Enemy fire lands on the port, and word is Marquis Malesh Stonewood has been badly hurt.
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Outside Setarco no storm comes, but on the horizon the darkening of the sky from the masts of the ships that make up Maelstrom's End are visible even from the Silken City. As the people send prayers of hope and strength from the city, hundreds of ships approach the Compact's fleet.
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Jeffeth has joined the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

Jeffeth has left the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

Jeffeth has joined the a cozy campfire surrounded by boulders and wooden perches.

Frowning deeply, Sir Jeffeth Bayweather looks down at the city below a light sigh passing through his teeth. "Maybe I should go down there?" It's muttered to no one in particular, just himself as he peers down at the city.

"There are plenty enough people to run into the teeth of the Gyre, if we abandon our posts, there will be none to insure the most vulnerable as safe." Felicia notes grimly,"Not that it makes it any easier when you can see smoke and fire and the array of ships before us. But if they break, below, this is where all of those will have to pass, and our duty to keep it open for them."

Petal is sitting just out side the healers tent while looking pale and nervous. She glances over to Felicia, giving her a nod at her words. "You make a point." She then rises to her slippered feet and studies the mountain passes.

The large knight frowns deeply. She's right of course. It was what he already knew. But it does cause the mountain of metal to pace a little, eyes locked on the city below. Jeffeth keeps his hand on his sword-hilt, his shield arm swinging in the wind. The only answer he gives Felicia is a grunt.

Up on the hill, the shamans continue their drumming chants, watching the storms of the Spirits roll over the waters. Khanne's eyes as well are turned that way, though she, in the moment, is quiet. Waiting, her mind working, open to hear the Spirits should they whisper to her.

Petal checked mana + agriculture at difficulty 30, rolling 32 higher.

Petal has left the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

Petal checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 9 lower.

Petal leaves the medical tent, trying to be subtle and sneaky about her leaving. She is not. Despite being small, she is not used to armor, even leather armor and she makes a decent amount of noise. The tiny seamstress continues toward a narrow path leading deeper into the mountains and turns her back on the group, still trying to be sneaky and still failing at such. She draws her forest blade, rolls up the left cuff of her jerkin and exposes a pale tiny wrist marked with the scars of many past cuts. She then slices into her own flesh, wincing in response. She even gasps with the sudden stinging pain. She allows her blood to fall to the ground.

Petal wields enchanting forest hairpins with flower jeweled tips.

Sir Tovell stands his ground and his guard in defense of the shamans. He Grits his teeth and prays on his own accord as he watches what occurs below.


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At Stormwall, thousands of the enemy are making landfalla at the beach, while a smaller force is trying for the port. The enemy does something unexpected, and starts to rain fire down upon the beach, irregardless of their own troops being engaged in the fighting.
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An odd thing happens. Near where the little seamstress has cut herself, white flowers bloom from the ground, strange and beautiful. One could almost swear that they shimmer faintly during their spontaneous and inexplicable growth.

"If Lord Malesh doesn't arrive soon. I'm running down there and carrying him back here myself." Jeffeth grunts before turning, his eyes catch Petal turning away from the group. The big man follows, eyes set on Petal. When she starts to cut into herself though, Jeffeth's eyes raise to hers. ANd he gives a little nod. The large man then turns his back to her, getting in the way of anyones vision to see what the seamstress is doing.

Though when flowers start to bloom his brows raise high. But he remains steadfast, giving her room to work.

Felicia can't help but note the movement of Petal, well, rather, no doubt one of the other knight's note the motion and the redhead in the rubicund elects to shift her spot to observe Petal with silent, non-judgmental curiousity.

"I'm going to close my eyes a moment, while we can." Eilonwy tells the other healers. She steps out of the tent and looks to the warriors minding their security. "Kick me when the wounded come up?" She asks and finds a near tree to settle up against. She glances towards where Petal crept off to and decides to take advantage of the scant minutes of shut eye she can get back against a tree.

Ainsley might as well be made of stone, for all he stands there in his armor, holding sword and lantern. The flame within his lantern flickers and burns bright despite the weather. He stares down at the beach as the enemy starts to rain fire down.

Petal stays in the mountain pass with her flowers, seemingly watching over them. She looks in Jeffeth's direction, her brown eyes somber and her cheeks pale. She likely realizes she wasn't as sneaky as she intended. Shen then looks over to Felicia, sucks in a soft breath and gives her a nod.

A few moments later and Mia is stepping out of the healer's tent, one of the flaps lowered against the rain brushed brusquely aside. Her eyes fall to the soldiers surrounding them, asking her question pointedly, directly. It seems she's a woman accustomed to receiving answers quickly. "Which one of you is in charge of passage through this tunnel?"

Reigna continues to direct people to and fro, though she herself remains seated, trying to get as much rest as she can for the time being. The mystical flowers are not noticed sadly, instead, the Keaton countess sips her tea and has another cup. Waiting.

"He's taking too long." Jeffeth grunts, looking over to Felicia. "I'm going to go feth Lord Malesh and bring him back." She's not his commander, but he feels the need to tell her anyway. The large man nods to Petal before breaking into a run in full armor down the mountain pass to the heart of the city.

Jeffeth has left the a cozy campfire surrounded by boulders and wooden perches.

Petal moves toward Jeffeth and Felicia, whispering to them each in turn. She likely choose them since they seemed to notice the flowers and what she did already. She could really work on her subtle! Even that crown with the antlers and flowers bit over the top.

In her constant watching of goings on, Khanne sees Petal out of the corner of her eye. Though what she sees next has her jaw dropping and eyes going wide with restrained fury. She sets her jaw tight then and turns away, her breaths coming a bit faster as she focuses more closely on the Spiritual world around her, now more cautious than ever.

Felicia nods in the direction of Tovell with regards to 'who's on first', even as she asks,"What do you need my lady?" and then Jeffeth is off and she can't help but grimace, nodding for Petal's words as she reaches out to clasp her shoulder carefully given her armor,"IF we need to retreat, we'll bear that in mind." she assure's.

Well that was fast. Rey is evacuated with the other wounded (many of whom were stable enough to be evacuated in the first place because of her), an arrow in her leg. She's clearly already started to work on her own wound herself, despite being pale and crying from the pain.


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At Stormwall, hundreds of the enemy vessels have tried to land simultaneously, and while Valardin's cavalry charge has cut down many on the beach, tens of thousands are forming up ranks miles down the shoreline and starting to march towards Stormwall. The enemy continues to try to assault the port, and rains down fire upon the defender as Stormwall's trebuchets continue to claim losses. But soon, the land bombardments will be a distraction compared to the massive clash of troops on the beach.
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Sir Tovell watches the knight take off and just shakes his head. He runs his metal fingers through that ginger hair and waits. Petal just gets a stare.

A small light of recognition touched Mia's eyes as Felicia spoke. "You were the one with me for the griffon, weren't you?," she said. But then, straight to business. She indicated the healers' tents with one gloved hand. "We've decided between us -- we want the ones with the lightest wounds in the back, since they'll still have the strength to carry themselves there. The horribly injured in the tents nearest the lines, so that they can receive treatment first. And if we're forced to retreat, so the ones that can't walk on their own won't be in the way of those who can. We'll be breaking any unopened medical supplies into small packs, light and easy to carry. If we pull back, I'd say that anyone who can still carry one should; we'll need them all, in the event of the worst."

Petal gets fresh gauze bandages for one's arms from a woven willow basket lined in white wool.

If Olivia notices the departure of one woman from the medical tent or what comes after, she makes no show of it. So who can say? But when the wounded begin to arrive, that signals a clear change in action, as she rises from the cot where she rested and waited and moves immediately toward the approaching column. "Come along, this way. Do you have any being carried or otherwise seriously injured?" She'll start handing out green ribbons to those who walk ahead, gesturing them toward a more spacious waiting area, while checking on those more visibly wounded. Rey herself is ushered toward a cot. "Come, sit, let's get the weight off that for now."

Petal starts to bandage up her own wrist, not wanting to bleed to death or anything like that! She keeps her dagger instead of the bow for now and goes back to guarding over her flowers. She looks pale-cheeked and nervous. A soft breath is sucked in response to Tovell's stare and Khanne's reaction, but she keeps silent.

"Aye." Felicia grins from behind the barbute, nodding acknowledgment,"Phipps, Carnot." she calls to two of the novices,"Get on it. The rest of you adjust for the coverage." she calls to her people with a dip of her head to Mia before she moves back into her own position.


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Outside Setarco, the volley of arrows slows as the fleets crash together, and Captain Ariella Igniseri is the first injured among the Compact's forces. But she breaks off the arrow with determination and keeps shouting orders, undeterred. As the fleets sail even closer, Admiral Wash Kennex rams one of the invading fleet in a perfect maneuver, sinking it even as a ship of Southport sinks beneath the waves. It's early in the naval battle yet, still too close to tell who might win.
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Hearing activity, Eilonwy opens her eyes. She pats the tree and returns to the tent to wash her hands and get to work looking a little less strained for a few stolen minutes of rest. "Well then, lets begin our long night." She says briskly.

At the arrival of the first wounded, Reigna gets to work. Rey is taken care of by Olivia so the next batch of wounded are sorted by their triage conditions. She is just about to wake Eilonwy when the woman wakes up and Reigna flashes her a grin. "Our job has begun, well timed, Mistress." With that, the work starts in earnest.

Khanne doesn't have time in the moment to confront Petal. The fire upon the beach grasps her attention from the view atop the hill. She rushes about, speaking to the other shamans before returning to her post before the offerings laid out. She lifts her arms, palms up to the sky and tilts her face towards the clouds. "Spirits of Storm, you have come when we called, you have joined our efforts in fighting the darkness. We are honored by your presence, but the enemy uses flame upon us, flame upon our troops! We ask of you, to rain upon the beach, put the fires out!"

Ahhh, orders being given crisply, with work seen to quickly. Mia could almost, almost smile. A sharp, short bow of thanks was given Felicia's way before Mia was striding back into the medical tent, to begin assessing wounds and distributing colored ribbons to anyone not in immediate need.

Malesh arrives, following Jeffeth.

Once her wound is bandaged, Rey, still very, very pale from blood loss and pain, and probably going into shock besides, picks up looking after the other wounded with the rest of the healers. She can't work as fast, and so focuses on the people not in bad enough shape for the not-injured healers to be looking after.


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The storm becomes noticeably more violent during the battle, wind and rain battering several of the enemy ships. Suddenly, the darkened sky becomes blindingly bright as lightning strikes several of the ships which had been raining fire upon the shore. Not a single bolt - but for several seconds, lightning strikes again and again, and the enemy vessels catch fire, and then explode in a cataclysm of flame, fury, and shattered wood. Immediately after that, it appears that the enemy fleet begins to withdraw.
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The large form of Jeffeth Bayweather eventually can be seen rushing back up into the mountain passes, with a bundle in his arms. The man is a bit winded but doesn't seem all that exhausted from rushing up the mountain side with Lord Malesh Stonewood in his arms.

Thumping up, Jeffeth bellows out loudly after panting. "We have orders to watch the dead to make sure they do not rise and attack us." He continues rushing up, bringing Malesh to the first healer that becokns him over. "Knights. If the dead do rise, we're to cut off the heads of those that do!"

As Malesh is carried into the hospital space, Reigna grabs a red ribbon and heads that way, making quick time as she directs him to be put on a cot in the designated red area. There is a quick examination made and she ties a red ribbon around one of his wrists as she tries to get a handle on his injuries.

Ainsley has rolled a critical success!
Ainsley checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 34 higher.

Malesh is a tall man, and all the bulkier in his pretty pretty perade armor. Jeffeth manages to make him look like a babe in arms though, and then Malesh is laid out and the other side of his armor is seen it's quite clear that he was the bullseye to some abyssal weapen hurling flaming pitch. He's not on fire at least, not anymore, but he is likley still warm if not smoking in some parts. He's dead too... no, wait, he's just passed out and limp. Hopefully that's all it is, right?

Ainsley's lips quirk just a little bit when the sky suddenly brightens and lightning begins /destroying/ gyre ships. A tilt of his head is given toward Khanne, but he otherwise turns his attention to the beach. "Well done, my lady... Thank you Spirits of the Storm." He lifts the lantern a little and peers toward the beach, frowning.

Hearing that warning, Eilonwy looks about. "I want every healer at least armed with a knife. If you have no weapon, see me and I'll loan you one of mine." She says clear and brisk.

There was a good, solid several seconds during which Mia stared mutely at Jeffeth -- likely more as a result of his pronouncement than the bundle in his arms. But then training took over from logic, or at least from the logical part of her mind that was sputtering 'What? Rising corpses? Whaaaa---?' at that particular moment. "Here!," she cried in reply, indicating an empty cot for the Marquis.

Reigna nods to the words being spoken around her, and seeing that Mia has Malesh in hand, she moves back and says, "Do we have any holy water to combat the wounds?" She looks to Eilonwy and Olivia, "We brought some, yes?"

Setting Malesh down, Jeffeth looks down at the man as he stands. "You'll be fine, Lord Stonewood." The big man straightens, moving aside Reigna and Mia. "Should let someone with a weapon know if we have any close to death." The large knight rumbles, moving away from the body he looks over to Felicia and Tovell, yelling once more. "Cut the heads off any dead who rise!" What is he saying? He has no idea. This isn't Jeffeth, this is just a man who hears and acts. Emotions will happen later.

Olivia is just crouching down in front of the cot where she directs Rey when someone starts calling out about undead. Oh my. Oh my indeed. Still, as frowny-faced as the thought turns her, she goes back to checking on the arrow wound. "It's missed the most important bits, fortunately. That you could walk up here is proof enough of that." Once it's tended, clean and bandaged and free of splinters at least, and Rey is back to working, she turns toward Reigna's inquiry. "Ah, I believe so. I did also bring some of my mixtures. They're untested but some might, in theory, have some kind of effect."

Felicia checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 6 higher.

Felicia whistles sharply with the sound of one impressed at the lightning that streaks down among the enemy, only half an ear out towards Jeffeth, though from the noise she makes and the press of her lips within her helm, accepting of the information,"Behead the dead." she can't help the dry amusement in her tone, for all the solemnity with which it's taken. A look towards Tovell, her fellow knights, Ainsley and then a quiet noise,"I'll go play headsman." she elects to go with, moving to prowl among the incoming wounded in search of those who might be unnaturally stirring.

Well, at least he was unconscious. That would certainly make the healers' work easier, and involve significantly less instruction of 'Here, bite down on this' -- which was probably for the best, really. Mia's bedside manner was more about efficiency than comfort, and with a red triage ribbon tied around the Marquis Stonewood's arm, that meant that time was of the essence. Laying out her supplies, she directed two of her guards -- likely to their chagrin -- to gently peel of some of Malesh's armor so she could get to work on the worst of it.

Tovell just stares. Knocking off heads does not sound very knightly. Not under these circumstances. He just frowns and stares. He looks off to the battlefield and rocks in his armor. He looks to the other knights. To the people around them. Tovell just draws his sword and waits where he can stand guard while Felicia plays off with their heads.

Reigna is focused, though the lightning strikes do pull her eyes up from her patch job, and she nods, satisfied and gets back to work. She seems to be multitasking barking orders which Gigi is relaying back and forth. The first wave of wounded are seen to, and she looks to Felicia, "All the healers have knives. Knives won't cut through bone quickly." She looks around the room with a grim expression and points to a cot in the black tent. "Use that bed. We'll need a headsman. Someone find an axe or heavy sword. Get some screens up. No one needs to see that."

"And a bucket preferably. The less blood on the soil the better." Eilonwy notes to Reigna. She watches over the healers and stands at the entrance of the tent also listening to the trees quietly for a moment.

Olivia is one hundred percent not beheading anything! Nor does she look like someone who should be asked to behead anything! Pointedly ignoring most of that talk, lalala, she heads over to the supplies to bring out some vials, presumably what Reigna has asked for. And then she goes to her own little basket to retrieve something as well. Then its back to making rounds among those who've scored yellow ribbons as Mia deals with their more critical red case.

Khanne watches as the storms grow more violent. She is consumed by her work, not looking to the healers down the pass and behind her. She watches as the bolts strike the ships, one after another, smiling as she looks once more to the heavens, thanking the Spirits.

The decapitations by Felicia go mostly without incident. Mostly. One corpse had fallen slightly a bit beyond the row of white flowers that had mysteriously bloomed. When Felicia hacks its head off, the corpse thrashes briefly, and the head hisses incoherently. It then rolls over the white flowers, and promptly explodes. It's just one of those days.

"Use my sword if you need it," Mia muttered, distractedly, to... who was it saying something about headsman?

Tovell just stares with a slack jaw and prays at what he just witnessed. He stares. He looks again down to the battlefield below. Tovell is tempted to go join the fighting. It's hard for him.

Malesh's armor has done a good job of keeping him alive, he'd surely have been dead right there if not for it. Still, it's designed for court and parade and showing off, brightly polished and colored. Still, steel is steel and here he is, his caprice being removed as he drools on himself. The skin onder his steel and padding is thankfully free of the sticky pitch. It's burnt, to be sure, from the conduction of heat through the steel. Some of t's already bubbling and blistering, some of it's only red, but in a few places the skin is just gone. Cooked away.

Felicia touches the pommel of Persuasion,"I assure you, the blade and I are strong enough for the purpose." the cot in the black tent is noted with a grunt, choosing to go stand in the black tent as requested so that at least the severely wounded don't have to see her standing nearby in event that someone starts twitching that shouldn't.

Petal has been quietly lurking near her flowers during this all wit her wrist band bandaged up. She seems impressed with the storm. When the head explodes, Petal looks surprised and tries to hop a bit out of way of such. She checks on the condition of her flowers next.


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It's the crash of battle outside Setarco, when the fleets drive together, that sees the first hard losses. Five ships go down in that first pass, but six of the enemy's are sunk. To an accountant, this sort of parity means the Compact will win. But at what grave cost? The sound of sailors sinking into the depths is covered by the clash of battle above the waves.
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Jeffeth stands at Felicia's back after the screen was set up for privacy of the beheadings. When one of the head explodes, Jeffeth watches it quietly. Hm. Then looks back to the rows of dead, moving bodies when they need to be moved for Felicia to continue to hack.

Did that head just explode? Did it hiss? Reigna just stares, her brows dipping down into an uncertain expression, "Did..." She shakes it off, lips pursing. "I am not asking now, but someone tell me later if I saw what I just saw." Reigna finishes the last of her stitching and she grabs a rag to clean her hands, looking around at the others.

Well, now. Yes. Felicia could pretend surprise when the head hisses, when it explodes, but she'd be a liar, for all that it's shocking enough to make her pause before she continues her rounds. It's not a pleasant task, but it's one that she chooses to take on the role solemnly to insure the safety of the others. Trying to at least keep things... contained, per request, as much as possible.

Olivia makes another round through the medium-injured, and eventually returns to Reigna's side, having brought some of the vials along. Glancing over at the hiss, she then turns back to murmur something to the Countess.

Malesh is medium-well, but that's likley more than medium-injured. He groans, shifting in his cot some, listing between a hazy wakefullness and fainting again.

Rey may be in shock, or may be VERY focused on what she's doing, but she doesn't seem to have noticed the hissing, exploding head. She pointedly hasn't noticed it. This is the behavioral version of fingers in ears and yelling 'LALALA'.

Reigna listens to Olivia's words and she looks over to Petal and the circle of the flowers and nods to Olivia, "Thank you, my lady. I will keep that in mind." She moves over to Malesh and takes a bottle of holy water, blessed by the priests of Mangata and she looks to the burned man, his wounds covered in loose dressing. "How do you fair, my lord? I have some holy water to run over your wounds, do you consent?"

Eilonwy does her best to over see things, as people look unsettled about flowers exploding a body, gentle hands direct people back to the wounded. "Let's make my Lady over there work as little as possible." She nods to Felicia and gives the healers encouraging smiles. She squeezes Reigna's shoulder lightly. "Help me keep them focused, distracted surgeons make mistakes." She murmurs and looks to Jeffeth. "Would you stand in the doorway?" He's a nice, big, view blocking lad. "You can call out when we have more incoming."

1 House Lyonesse Adept Guard arrives, following Jacque.

Malesh is half-stripped and on a cot, redand blistered from heat damage. He's half-out of it or more, but on the waking sign if his growing moans are any indication. He's not verbally consenting to Olivia's holy water offer, but one might argue the moaning is his consent.

Petal is standing by a pathway leading further into the mountains among a bunch of white wildflowers.

Jericho rides in from the Stormwall battlefield, looking amongst everyone to see who survived and what familiar faces seem to have made it. He stays by Edain though, making sure his Lord remains safe and sound. "You alright cousin? You look tired." he says to tease the fellow, attempting to keep that fire lit. Moralityyyyy!

Rey has a bandaged leg, and is pale as a sheet and probably in shock, but she's working anyway, letting a lifetime of training take over.

Felicia's the headsman. Literally. The dead being brought to the black tent seem to be her duty to insure that they wont return. She takes no joy in it, and there's likely whispered paeans to Death given under her breath, but well, she's making sure that there's not going to be any rising dead from that tent, for certain.

Khanne is further up the hill, overlooking the port as she and the other shamans work around a fire. There is a gentle, continuous soft drumming. The chanting, for the moment, is reduced down to thanking the Spirits of Storm. Khanne watches what she can see of the fray while the healers work further down the pass.

Don't mind us, just cutting off dead peoples heads over here.

Sir Jeffeth Bayweather stands in front of a tent trying to block view of Felicia beheading the dead. The big knight calls out to Eilonwy as the cavalry starts to ride into the pass. "Cavalry approaching. Friendly." The big man booms, watching the approaching riders with interest.

Tovell keeps guard of the shaman with his fellow King's Own. The knight keeps watch and listens for reports. He looks from time to time to his sister knight on headsman duty. HE seems a bit bewildered. He prays constantly.

The cavalry moves down the mountain pass, but there's sounds of foes in pursuit. Distant, but getting louder.

Riding into the pass, armor smudged with pitch and broken arrow bits stuck in leather, Alban looks around, "High Lord, are you unhurt?" He looks to Edain and then starts to see just what the cost of that battle was. "Any dead must be burned lest they rise." He tells whoever will listen then rides down to make sure as many men and women make it as possible to the pass. "They are coming!" He calls out, like that wasn't already known.

Hearing the call, Eilonwy alerts the healers and steps out. "What is the word, are we moving or standing fast?" She calls out, looking at all the warriors. The Northerner stands tall, looking over wounds and getting ready to send injured back to the women healing.

If the sound of Jeffeth's bellow wasn't enough to draw Mia's attention, then the sound of approaching hoofbeats certainly did. The Countess snapped her head up to squint towards the opening in the tent, before calling down the line, "More incoming!"

Riding in along with what remains of the cavalry, Jacque pulls the arrow sticking out from his side. It comes out clear; the armor held. He drops the projectile as he wheels about, watching as the enemy comes in hot pursuit. "Prepare the ranks, Lord Alban! We don't have time to chat!"

Preston approaches from the city, the slow pour of Faith Militant beginning. Riding on one of the Templar warhorses, Preston turns the horse to look to one of the remaining Templars "Get the infantry organised as we come into the pass. Pike and shield wall. We will withdraw down the pass in good order." Preston looks across to the booming voice of Jeffeth "You have the Solace, Sir Jeffeth." No further explanation is given, but Preston does look forlornly towards the rapidly cut off city. "And send a runner back to the Solace Waystation. Let Arx know. The enemy fleet is retreating, its destination unknown."

Petal is by her flowers at the mountain path. She hears the sound of pursuit. The seamstress then says in her heavily accented voice. "If we need to retreat, this way.." She says gesturing behind her. "And Miss...Lady Reigna this way!" She says, maybe remember that she is pregnant.

Reigna and Eilonwy are directing the flow of wounded, each incoming injured getting a ribbon with a color to designate the severity of condition. All the black banded ones are taken to the black tent, a tent that several orderlies are erecting curtains around. Poor Dame Felicia seems to be in charge of beheading the dead. Reigna is working in the red tent, hands red to the wrist as she tries to staunch the worst of the bleeding. The person she is working on however, seems to be going south and fast and she slips a black ribbon over the red and moves to the next. As the sound of hooves arrive, she looks up, eyes wide. "INCOMING!"

"Step over the flowers, not on them please!" Petal calls out.

Esoka rides in hard, the Riven horsemen along with her, having formed up with the Valardin knights. "The Chief has been through harder than this. Don't worry," she tells one of the heron knights. The sound of Mia's voice makes her crane her neck, and raise her sword high. Hello, there. She's sweaty and there's some mess covering her armor, but it seems to be enemy mess she's inflicted, rather than any bleeding of her own parts.

Olivia turns to once more make ready to handle 'intake' with the arriving column cavalry. Moving up to the first of the riders, she calls up, "How fare your numbers?" And then with a frown at the sound that follows, "Do we need to begin evacuating?" And then just as quickly, she's looking back toward their own cots. "Green ribbons, please make yourselves ready near the rear. If you've the strength to bear a treated yellow with you, you may do so and follow."

"Lady Khanne, try to stay behind me." says Ainsley, moving now to step infront of her. His sword is held out. And then he lifts his voice and calls out, "I have a lantern with The Eternal Flame! Someone come take it so I can free up my hand."

Ainsley drops a gold-plated oil lamp etched with the sigil of House Grayson.

Terese is riding with at least a thousand Templar knights, the hooves pounding the ground like thunder. They're fighting and delaying the foes and then make their way to the pass. Pulling up the reins, she looks quickly over the upcoming field of battle. "Captains, count up!" she orders so she can give numbers to her superiors.

Rey moves to take up the lantern, although not fast, thanks to the bandaged leg. Someone more determined might grab it before she can.

Holden is one of the last to arrive with the retreating cavalry, having hung back as long as he could to help facilitate the retreat and protect those making their way in. He forms back up with the other knights, his armor as dirty as the others, but seeming uninjured for the time being.

It sounds like a hiss, very distantly on the wind. "Feeeeeeeast." Hundreds of voices in unison, hissing that single word. "Feeeeeeeeast."A row of beautiful white flowers that had bloomed across the path begin to wilt, then blacken, then turn to dust in the wind, vanishing before the unholy voices."FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!"

Khanne nods to Ainsley, letting him step in front of her and between whatever comes. She starts to direct the other shamans with her to keep watch, stay safe, let those set to protect them do their jobs. "We do not need to act as heroes today. Do what we must, do it wisely," she advises. She was about to reach for the lamp when she sees Rey approaching and gives her a nod instead.

Thena checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

Rey picks up a gold-plated oil lamp etched with the sigil of House Grayson.

With a nod to Esoka, Jacque steels his resolve. He'll just be a blade among those that remain. And that's exactly where he needs to be, right now. Those unholy sounds prompt the newly made knight to murmur, "Lagoma, protect us."

Mia checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

"Form ranks!" Alban calls out to the Valardin Cavalry with a nod to Jacque at the order. "Cavalry form ranks!" He wheels around trying to get the Valardin Cavalry in line so that they can try to repel the coming forces again. "Get fresh lance and hold!" He blinks at the sudden hissing, "They're only flowers! Dragons of Valardin are /not/ flowers! FORM UP!" He orders.

The large man takes a step forward as Preston looks down at him, frowning gently. He looks over to the side as if trying to locate someone in particular. Sir Jeffeth Bayweather is not a commander. But he is a big man with a big voice."Solace! We guard the march!" His diamondplate sword is drawn slowly as he moves away from the tent, moving forward in the mounting pass, ready to hold.

Lagoma's Mercy takes up her lamp and whispers a prayer of thanks for her light. She holds up the lamp, and seems to take strength from its radiance.

One hand is raised high in reply to Esoka -- it, too, is covered in a fair amount of blood. And none of it is hers, by the looks of her. Was that a flicker of relief on her face? Likely. But there'd be time for emotional reunions later. For now, it was back to work on the burned and the bleeding; she had an arrow to pull out of a man's leg, after all. With one ear open to listen for the sounds of an order for the healers to move, she heard those cries -- and she heard them all to easily. The sound that came from her, then, could only be described as a gurgling as she tried to swallow back the fear that rose up in her throat.

Petal checked composure at difficulty 20, rolling 6 lower.

"Fuckers." Eilonwy spits. She looks to Reigna and nods. "Make ready to pull back. Take the greens and yellows up the pass." She orders and starts grabbing packs to send healers with her. "Any as can't move on their own go with me to the rear." She calls out and looks to the warriors making ready to stand fast there they work.

That hissing sound, the words that follow, make Khanne's eyes go wide and she swallows, her cheeks turning a bit more pale than usual; the fire having warmed them to a bit of pink, that is all but gone now. She looks towards the sound, breathing deep. "Spirits....." she whispers, biting her lip.

Petal looks terrified when the white flowers she seems was standing within start to wither and blacken. Not only terrified by really sad, like someone like she loves was injured. Her cheeks are pale and her brown eyes are wide. "No..." She says, looking down at the blackened blooms.

Dear gods. The sound of cavalry, friendly cavalry, is one thing, but that unholy chorus that follows, she whistles sharply to the least green looking of her novices to take over making sure that the dead of the triage camp don't join that chorus, wading out to see the lines forming up and heading back to her companions,"Start evacuating the wounded!" she shouts,"Move now before whatever... /that/ is gets here, we can't afford to wait until they're upon us." is her advice for Mia and the others,"If there's need of it, take my horse."

Ainsley tilts his head toward Khanne, his voice lowered toward her.

Jericho turns his head to that ghastly sound, and Jericho takes a breath as he hears it. "Move out! Pull bakc now! Gather the wounded as fast as you can and make for further into the pass!" he calls out, turning to face whatever enemy doth come for them. "Courage! Courage all! The dawn will come!" he tries to keep up morale.

Thena draws her diamondplate dagger for the first time since the battle began, hissing orders to a young man beside her and then calling, "Solace! Prepare the wounded for transport! Fall back to the passes, troops are waiting there to cover!"

"We do not have time to be afraid! We must hold fast!" Jacque shouts, "Protect those that evacuate the wounded! Form ranks!" He's apparently assisting Alban in this task, riding close to the Farshaw lord. "If our position becomes untenable, what would you have the men do?" He asks, in a lower tone, though he is still resolute. The fight hasn't left him. "Fighting retreat!" He calls over the din.

Malesh rolls to his side. He's not in fighting shape and he's near half naked now, but even he is not so hurt as to be able to ignore all this noise and movement. "What's happening? Is the city fallen?"

While it might not concern the knights, to Olivia there is apparently a *far* greater significance to the wilting flowers, and she pales at the sight. "Oh, oh no... That, that is not good, that is not good." Clearly disquieted, she nonetheless turns back to her prior effort, organizing the evacuation with her other healers. She's already directed many of the greens back, and now it comes to seeing who among the yellows can move. Upper body wounds? They're ushered from their cots and hustled along, as best they can manage. A few with leg injuries receive worried, sympathetic, pained looks... as she starts moving further back.

Terese lifts a brow at the weirdness being chanted. She bops the side of her clawed gauntlet to her faceplate letting it fall down, a few templar captains behind her do the same thing. She shouts as she sees Valardin cavalry forming up ranks, "Fresh lances! Close ranks. Hold fast and make a wall!"

Petal wields Blue Rose, a steel bow.

Preston unfastens the Templar lantern from his saddle and hands it across to his squire, Balian, who lifts it on a pole so the troops can see it. Preston gently wheels his horse back "Templars. Our allies have brought their cavalry to this pass. They seek safety, against our ancient foe. Do you feel your heart beat? That isn't fear. That is history. That is the reckoning. It is Crownbreaker. It is the Crusades. Each and every Templar who fought before you, who lives on in you, beating in your chest. We will give our allies safety. And we will hold this pass as long as we must." Preston looks to find his remaining Battle commanders "Pike..." and Preston did start the day with 12,000 so he hopes some survived, along with his 42,000 infantry "Form up and hold. Infantry? Shield wall to the front. Knights? We will sweep the break throughs."

"Go, go! Greens and yellows with me!" Reigna's voice rings out, even as she whistles, and her dog, Oaken who has been growling and barking towards the source of those voices, moves to her side. She starts moving, trying to motivate those who are capable of moving on their own to start moving. "Fall back! Move!" Reigna starts the retreat, trying to keep eyes on her people, looking around for Khanne. "Watch the flowers, step over them if you can! Go!"

"Fight." Comes Alban's reply. "Fight as long as we can. Hold the pass, as long as we can." He says to Jacque. "We lose to much if we do not give them time to retreat. They will be overrun." His words are grim, measured, determined. "We Fight!" He tries to bring his men up and then rides up to Preston, "Brother Preston. Those who are able will charge and wheel back with you. Give the word and we charge as one."

Khanne takes but a moment at Ainsley's murmured words. She replies to him in kind before taking action. She starts to direct the shamans, many whom gather up their things, leaving the ritual offerings there at the fire, ready to follow orders to safety. Hearing Reigna, she shouts back, "You go! We're coming to. Go!"

Ainsley lifts his voice now, calling out a clear command, "Shamans! Evacuate with the wounded, go now! After the greens and yellows with Countess Keaton!" He lifts a hand toward Khanne, gesturing for her to go so he can cover her and the other Shamans.

Rey does a little hop-limp, withdrawing as the wounded are evacuated, still holding the lantern high. The warm light of the eternal flame gives her skin less of a look of ghastly pallor.

That was all it took -- one person, talking sense to her. A sudden blink and Mia began barking out orders down the line. "Evacuate the wounded! Evacuate the wounded! Fall back to the pass! Green ribbons, yellow ribbons, on your feet and to the pass behind Countess Keaton." With swift gestures, Mia picks out three of the guards -- ones that seem too disconerted to be clear-headed or of particularly great defensive use at the moment. "You. You. And you. Oversee the stretchers. NOW."

Jeffeth's eyes flick over to Malesh. "You're going to be fine Lord Stonewood, go with the healers. Go now!" The huge knight marches away from the healers tent to stand with those holding the pass. Shield held up just behind the actual shield wall, sword held behind them. The huge knight waits for the enemy to arrive.

Another lantern of Lagoma appears, clutched in the nervous hands of Thena's current runner. "Stay by me until I say otherwise," Thena barks to the poor man and he does. Just standing here with zombies coming, holding this here lantern.

With a resolute nod, Jacque states to Alban, "As you say. Be ready, though. We might want to make use of the terrain we still have to assist their retreat. Hasty or not." The Valardin digs the standard into the ground, emptying his left hand, which he uses to grab at the guard of his blade, giving his right time to rest against the presumed hungry, ravening horde. After a few moments, it is time to grip the sword again, a bead of sweat running down his face. "Honor holds."

Malesh says, "Evactuate?" he mutters, dragging himself from his cot. He fetches up his spear, nothing more than a prop for parades in his hands, and uses it as a crutchnow. Somebody tries to pick up his cot with him on it and he curses him away. Jeffeth too gets a sour look but at least no foul language. The wounded man stands as tall as he can while bent against his spear, "You want to do me good kind knight?" Malesh asks, talking to Jeffeth through pain gritted teeth, "Keep the enemy at bay, and let me see if I can't do what I came here to do." He's very resolved, but is certainly in no shape to fight. Whats he come here to do? Die? "I can still lead."

The chanting grows louder, "FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!" And then they come into view. It is not a reassuring sight. The enemy, most of them, appear to be crawling. They are horrifically emaciated, looking starved, and they are bound by leashes while they crawl. All the leashes, hundreds of them, perhaps thousands, are held by a single figure, and even the most credulous citizen of the Compact, trained for centuries to believe that demons are symbols that do not truly exist, would know what that creature is. It stands easily twelve feet tall at the shoulder, its batlike wings effortless slicing through the earth behind it. It appears not to be truly flesh, but some dark mist that holds its horrible armor together. And then the creature raises the hand that holds the leashes, and points towards the Compact forces, saying a single word, in a voice that no human could make. "Feast." And he lets the leashes go. "FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!"

Seeing to the Healer's retreat, Eilonwy does what she can for the lower body injuries. Last minute braces and quick bandages to get those that can manage a hobble going." She looks to Mae. "Don't linger. Get this group going, if I can get help to move the critical I'll see them up. I grew up in these lands. If we can't evacuate them..." She doesn't say it but she looks to Felicia and readies her own blade as well. "Now, all healers, move, up the pass. Soldiers! Anyone who is scratched and can carry, to me! The less dead we leave the better we all sleep!" Eilonwy yells.

Eirlys has been keeping to Edain's side she will take time to get close to Khanne after whispering something to Edain and she presses something into the shaman's hand before moving back to Edain's side.


**********************************************************************
At Stormwall, the beaches are clear of Compact forces after they stage a successful withdraw, with most of the infantry filling the city and manning the gates. Panic from the handful of civilians that had thus far refused to evac was a problem, but Count Thesarin Riven managed to restore order and get them out of the way of the incoming troops, while a short and brutal battle at the docks secured that from the last attacking by ship. But now a hundred thousand of the Gyre's troops are attempting to scale the city, and ladders are being brought up by the thousands.
**********************************************************************


Esoka brings her horse to a short stop, trying to steer him around flowerbeds. His response to this is a snort, but he steps sharply enough. He's a creature with a parade bearing about him, and he has his rep to maintain. Another backward glance at Mia, and low bow of her head, and she forms up with the rest of the horse to defend the evacuation of the wounded. Sticking with Holden, who she seems to have decided is a decent chap to have beside one in a scrape.

Felicia returns to the gathering around the shamans, Khanne, Rey and Ainsley, attention turning towards Khanne,"You say hold, we hold, you say move, we move. As long as there is one of us standing. We'll be here." she assures grimly, attention captured, arrested by that massive sight. At least there's no-one to see the paling of her skin under her helm, but what she calls for the dozen King's Own is,"While We Stand!" to help remind them of their duty in the face os such a thing.

Jeffeth checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 8 lower.

Tovell has rolled a critical success!
Tovell checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 12 higher.

Petal checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

Jericho looks to Eirlys and Edain. "My Lord..." he says a moment before he cracks his neck, looking at the beasts that approach them. "Hold the line! If they seek to find our allies, they will fall on our blades first!" he calls out. "Fear no darkness!"

Olivia continues with the evacuation. It's not quite chaos, but things are getting there. Still among the lagging yellows, she does what she can. A man struggling to his feet, she passes a crutch and moves on. The rest he will have to do himself. Near another, she organizes spare hands to bear a stretchers. Then she reaches another man, just as the demon comes into sight. She hasn't even seen it, focused on a patient, when suddenly she's yanked, almost off her feet. "Wha- let got!" This is no foul play, but one of her own guards taking her arm and dragging her. "Apologies, m'lady, but no more. You're going. Orders."

Alban checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 14 higher.

Petal seems really shaken. She is looking very pale and terrified. She puts away her blood stained hairpins and draws her steel bow. She glances once more toward the blackened flowers.

Jericho checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 30 lower.

Ainsley checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 20 higher.

Edain checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 12 higher.

Holden has rolled a critical success!
Holden checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 21 higher.

Jacque checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 18 lower.

Malesh checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 13 higher.

Terese checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 8 lower.

Esoka checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 11 lower.

Reigna checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 18 lower.

Thena checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 9 higher.

Mia checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 10 lower.

Khanne nods to Eirlys, a brief pass of emotion in her eyes. Her fingers close around whatever it was pressed into her hands as she says to Felicia, "we move." To Eirlys, she touches her arm and says, "be safe." And she moves with the others, ensuring Ainsley and Felicia are close at hand.

Tovell checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 10 lower.

Eirlys checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 35 lower.

Preston checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 6 higher.

Khanne has rolled a critical success!
Khanne checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 11 higher.

Ainsley covers the very back of the shaman's retreats. His alaricite blade is held up before him, he places himself firmly between the demon and the retreating people. He lifts his voice and calls out, "Men! Grayson! THERE IS NOT GREATER THAN US! GLORIA IS WITH US! HOLD YOUR BLADES WITH HONOR AND FIGHT!" He pours every ounce of command and bravery into his voice. "FIGHT WITH ME! I FIGHT WITH YOU!"

Rey shakes, physically trembles, but pale and terrified though she might be, she holds firm and only holds the lantern higher. It's an incredible, probably foolish amount of trust in Lagoma's light. She evacuates with the wounded, faithfully lighting their way.

The big man slowly lowers his sword, eyes going wide at the sight. His breath escapes him, the whole world going quiet for a moment. Not hearing Felicia's cries, but only 'Feast' spoken by the abyssal creature over and over. Sir Jeffeth Bayweather stands there in the quiet of his own mind. Still. There's shouting on either side of him and Jeffeth slowly blinks back into the present, bringing his sword and shield up. Jeffeth does not cry out, the only rallying cry that is called is in his own mind. The man sets his feet, and in silence prepares to hold the line.

That is not a sight that Alban ever wanted to see, but he shakes himself clear of it. "Hold! Ready to Charge!" He calls out to the Valardin Cavalry who wait behind the shield wall, waiting for it to split and open so the Horse can charge through and do their damndest to drive the feral emaciated hungry things back. Alban however, has his eyes on the thing that was holding the leashes, "By the Light of Gloria! We! Will! Hold!" He shouts, standing up in his stirrups as he tries to keep the troops rallied.

Preston lets his horse slowly trot backwards, keeping it steady with gentle pets of his hand "Gloria guide our hands. We must protect the wounded. Protect the innocent." Preston reaches for his sword and draws it "One charge, Brother Alban, Dame Thena, to catch the edge of theirs and blunt it. Then we wheel round, through the centre of our infantry, they close and we withdraw in good order backwards to the Grayson road. It should give time for the wounded to be moved." Preston looks to the Templar infantry "We are just going to go for a spot of hunting, lads. But, we will leave some for you." Comes the false bravado. Preston then digs his feet into his horse to spur it on "For Gloria!"

Felicia does not want to retreat, particularly, but, her duty is clear, and as Khanne makes her decision the King's Own position shifts to cover the retreat of the shaman, the redheaded female knight inclined to retreat last to cover her fellow's and the shamans with a grim respect for those preparing to face the beast beyond.

Malesh opens his mouth to give the speech of his life but only ends up coughing. He screamed himself pretty horse when he was on fire, but he's not now and he's bandaged and salved and with a little swallowing and working his tongue to get some liquid in his throat. "Stand your ground!" he manages to yell out, "Hold! For your mothers, for your brothers and sisters... Hold! For your children, for their children and theirs, HOLD THEM BACK!" He's not holding anybody back personally, he's barely holding himself up, but maybe that courage (or is it delerium?) will help steele some souls. "Run and we die tired, the enemy free to take the next town and the next. Hold hear, stand and fight, give your loved ones a chance!" It's not his best work, but it's something.

It is when the force seems most overwhelming, and the situation dire, that Holden truly lifts his voice to join the others and bellows, hefting that flail into the air before him, placing himself among the other cavalry, standing his ground, "If it is a feast they wish, let them choke on our blades, taste their own innards and our horses' hooves! Let the dirt of our land be the last thing they choke upon as we grind them into it!"

The evacuation held her attention a moment longer than it should. Mia was in the process of hauling one of the stragglers from the field onto a stretcher to be carried off when the shambling of the hordes became distinct from all the other din of battle. She turned, almost as though on cue, to catch the dropping of leashes and the first fresh cry of "FEAST". Standing frozen for a moment, and then a moment longer, it was too much for her mind to process. Frozen where she stood, the Countess did something she'd never yet done in her life, futile though it might be -- her hand fell to her sword, drawing it as though it may (ha!) do much of anything at all to keep that beast at bay.

Reigna screams at the sight of the demon. Yup. She just screams and stumbles, and her fear seems to rattle more and more of the healers. Reigna is terrified and there is no mistaking that. It is not until there is a rallying cry that reaches her, that reminds her there are warriors there, between her and the giant scary thing. And the dozens and hundreds of smaller, scary things. She is spurred back into motion, even as Oaken nips at her as if to encourage her to get moving. She's in motion once again, "Go, go!" Is she encouraging those around her, or herself?

Tovell stands tall. He looks to the demon and the situations. He checks himself and his guts. And the ginger knight guts it out with not a problem. "Hold strong.... to King, and..." Guys? Guys? He looks over his shoulder to see cowering novices. Oh well. Tovell merely goes to his horse. He mounts. He looks to the shamans and the evacuating. The man looks back down the pass. He tugs his helm on his head and straps in like the cold hard cheap steel he was encased in. "Knights of the King's Own." He tells the men, "See them to safety." Tovell draws his sword and he starts to spur his horse down in the direction of the danger. All bold and stupid like he just grins over to Felicia. Like he feels like the Gods are behind him. And he starts down with sword drawn towards the beast by kicking his horse to action.

"SOLACE!" It's loud, Thena's really loud, and the next thing that follows is a barrage of names. Several Knights of Solace cavalry wheel away from the main fray and move back towards where the healers are working. "Help them move the wounded, tell the infantry to move up the pass, archers cover the transports, /move/."

Rey whispers a desperate prayer as she looks back, mid-retreat, and sees the cavalry prepare to charge: "Light their way. Please light their way home. Please light their way safely home."

"Kin in honor! For Gloria, for Mangata, for the Compact, hold!" Esoka barks to the troops around her. To little effect, but she at least tries to add her yelling to the more practiced yelling of her commanders. Mostly, she just keeps her sword ready to hit things very hard, when they come.

At the sound of Reigna's screams Eirlys yells at her. "Reigna you can do this! You are strong, Go with the healers! Go. Stay strong for Squall!" She turns back, holding. "May the Spirits and Gods be with us!" She cries out loudly.

"Hold!" Jacque glances around. The soldiers around him aren't exactly encouraged. He shakes his head in frustration. If he has to meet the enemy alone here, he will.

Looking at Mia, Eilonwy thrusts out her hand. "Give me your sword! I'll see to those that can't evacuate, get out of here!" She orders and offers up her knife so the woman isn't unarmed. It seems she won't leave the terminal to the mercy of demons.

The troops are terrified. No one can really blame them for that. But Ainsley's words stop many of them from turning and running, wanting desperately to believe that if a paladin could save them once, maybe he could again. A cheer, defiant and wild, tinged with all-too-understandable panic, rises at Holden's words. And then the troops hold the line, and cavalry gathers at near Alban and Holden sides, ready to join them in a mad charge against the oncoming wave of zombies. And despite how little her troops heed Esoka's words, one thing does. The demon stares directly at her, and it bellows in a horrible voice, "Bring the Godtouched to me! Feast on the others, SHE IS MINE TO CONSUME! FEAST!"

Thena checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 20 higher.

Ainsley checked composure at difficulty 20, rolling 10 lower.

Khanne minds the flowers as she follows behind her shaman, though with a look of disgust, as if she is avoiding them for personal reasons. When Reigna screams, Khanne shouts. "Rei, You get your ass moving and Go!" Once the other shamans are in the throng of those evacuating, some helping carry patients, she stops. "Ainsley, Felicia....thank you for your protection. Stay and help the others... You can do more here for us all."

Esoka checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

Olivia is, at this point, not running so much as she is being half-dragged half-carried by the pair of men with her. Evidently, they've orders not to lose a third Ashford scion in so near as many months. She only gets vague looks back over her shoulder as they push her along, and her light blue eyes go saucer wide at the sight- as much of it as she can see beyond the increasingly dense wall of soldiers and mounts. Maybe it's for the best.

Ainsley sees the demon staring at Esoka and he lets out a growl of rage. A brief look is given toward Khanne and he says, "I must stay-" And then he's moving, as fast as he can, to Esoka. Bellowing to the demon as he goes, "IF YOU WISH GODSTOUCHED YOU SHARDLING PIECE OF SHIT TRY YOUR LUCK AT ME!"

"Tovell!" Felicia roars after her fellow ginger. Gods damn it, they have a duty, and for the novices and the others she does what she can to remind them, retreat, stay with the shamans, at least it's easier than trying to get them to stay still for it. Still, at Khanne's words she nods,"The rest of you, stick with Lady Halfshav, you, you're in charge of them until you reach Arx, or myself or Sir Telmar return." she shifts towards Wrecking Ball, mumbling under her breath,"Mother, have mercy today."

"Charge on Alban's signal," Jacque murmurs, steeling himself. He stares at the demon. He has a target. He stares at the horde in front of him and slowly, very very slowly starts digging into the horse's flanks without giving him his head yet. "Valardin! Dragons! Roar!"

"Ahhh /fuck/. BRING ME CUDDLES!" Thankfully someone knows what Thena is yelling, and the stodgy warhorse is led up. Thena mounts the rather low-key beast with a bit of help, then kicks him forward, trying to get through to Esoka.

Rey continues in this vein, praying, entreating, flat-out begging a goddess who may or may not be listening to protect what looks to her like a hopeless charge. She's continuing to withdraw with the healers and their charges.

A shudder runs through Esoka. Which is, perhaps, a logical reaction to having a demon stare at you and yell murderous things at you. Her knuckles tighten white around her sword, and it takes her all her warrior's training to hold her ground. She does, though. Her eyes briefly flick behind her toward Ainsley. And Thena and Cuddles. That gives her some resolve.

Seeing the demon call for one of the compact's blood, Eilonwy sucks in a breath. She backs out of the healer tent and runs to the tree she'd napped against earlier. She kneels and grips the roots tight.

Eilonwy checked mana + occult at difficulty 40, rolling 37 higher.

Alban checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 30, rolling 28 higher.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 60 higher.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 6 higher.

Esoka checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 28 higher.

Petal checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 7 higher.

Jacque checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 45 higher.

Felicia checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 49 higher.

Terese checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 7 higher.

Preston checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 8 higher.

Thena has rolled a critical success!
Thena checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 84 higher.

Eirlys checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 16 higher.

Alban checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 16 higher.

Holden checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 20 higher.

"I'm going!" Reigna yells back, and she puts her shouting to deed and continues to lead the wounded as far from the invading demon and minions as she can. She is going, but she's watching, looking for those she loves, letting the wounded go first as she brings up the rear, eyes on the battle behind her.

Jericho has rolled a critical success!
Jericho checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 125 higher.

Sigurd Nightgold is on horseback and delves into the mountain passes. Past whatever is going on with this demon and what not. To take command of the line of evacuating wounded and retreating troops.

Eirlys checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 20 higher.

Khanne checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 9 lower.

Malesh checked mana at difficulty 80, rolling 68 lower.


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At Stormwall, more and more ladders go up, though it seems that the entire enemy line falters with Violet of the Crimson Blades shoots at -something- in the darkness that dissolves when an arrow strikes it. Still, it's but a momentary distraction, as the Gyre's forces are trying to swarm the walls in ever increasing numbers as pike men and archers desperately try to batter them down.
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Tovell checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 30, rolling 9 higher.

Ainsley checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 30, rolling 27 higher.

Behind Preston, slowly the remnants of Templar cavalry begin to fall in from his side of the line. A sweeping line of charge. Lances, long spent, have been replaced with swords and other weapons. As they get close to the enemy, the diamondplate of Banisher is held out as his part of the Templar charge wheels left, kissing the edge of the ravenous horde. As the enemy come close, he swings the blade low and lets the momentum of blade and horse part flesh. Twisting his other hand in the reins he looks back, bellowing over the roar of hooves "Dame Thena. Back to the passes. Pick up stragglers." As he leads the cavalry - and no doubt the evil ravenous eaters - back towards the infantry and pike line of the Faith Militant. He keeps turning his head, waiting to see if he needs to wheel back and cover any snags.

When it is time, the forces engaged, and the shields open to allow for the cavalry to move Alban shouts, "DRAGONS ROAR!!" And he swings his blade forwards and leads the cavalry charge forwards. He gallops forwards, pushing his steed as hard as he can. He urges it to leap but it's not enough, the horse is ripped out from under him and he manages to get his feet clear of the stirrups before he goes flying and hits the ground with a roll. He charges forwards, slashing and cutting as he makes a bee line right for that twelve foot tall monstrosity doing everything he can to leap over and twist around the undead, "For GLORIA!!" He shouts as he charges to engage the... whatever the hell it is. Demon? So be it. Demon then.

Malesh is leaning on his spear and alternating between yelling words of encouragment and shouting out some orders here and there. He's back away from the line and that offers perspective those in the thick may not have. He grits his teeth and his eyes scrunch up for a moment. Standing hurts, but what else can he do but run or stay and try to contribute? "The leashes!" he shouts out suddenly, eyes open wide again. "CUT the LEASHES!" he screams. Is he mad? "Severe their connection!" Is it a plan? Does it make any sense to anybody but him? is he even making sense to himself? Noneo of that seems to matter to him. "No commander leashes his army unless they NEED the leashes. Cut the leashes, severe control!"

Petal fires off an arrow at the incoming creatures even while still standing in patch of dead blooms and while still looking quite spooked.

Terese pushes with Templar knights on horseback forward on another charge, lances shattering against fiends and then dropped while swords are drawn and used to slash them down. But she hears something and she echoes it onwards, it makes sense. "Cut the leashes! Nothing deserves to be enslaved!" she shouts to her knights.

Riding down to strike at the ravenous horde, Jacque slices his sword forward with determination as he faces the enemy's creatures. He shakes his head from side to side as he makes a pass through the ranks of the dead to support those trying to get there directly.

Once more, Holden charges forward without hesitation, falling in with the rest of the cavalry in a charge straight into their enemies, that huge flail swinging through the air and making good on his promise to make more than one eat dirt if possible, with crushing force.

Cut the whaaaaat? Oh Terese, she sees they're already loose! "Belay that, cut the fiends down!"

Ainsley glances back briefly to Esoka, and flashes her an almost deranged smile. All eagerness and revelry. His hand comes up and he snaps his visor down, lets out a roar and then starts running, running, running ... and joins Alban in springing up off of a rock and straight at the batwinged thing. Slashing out with his alaricite blade. Shouting as he goes, "GLORIA SENDS HER REGARDS!"

Jericho lifts his blade and screams "CHAARRRGGGEEEE!" and he and Thena seem to take the lead as they start decimating the zombie ranks. Soon enough, Jericho's blade is drenched with blood, as he cuts through the enemy. An enemy is decapitated, another two are run through in the same strike, while three more at decapitated at the same time! "Steel Bends! HOnor Holds!" he calls out to his Valardin brothers. "FOR THE COMPACT!"

Finally, as swords clashed once more, some semblance of sense returned to Mia -- and movement returned to her feet. Catching sight of the tail end of the retreating wounded, and the healers ushering them along, she -- sword in hand -- simply strode towards them, bodily taking hold of some of the stragglers to draw them along with her, even if they were as frozen as she'd been a moment eariler.

It can't be said Esoka doesn't falter, in the face of that. But, with her comrades beside her, she steadies herself and rallies to fight, charging forward alongside Ainsley. "Gloria guide our blades! And strike at the heart of you!"

Thena completely and utterly ignores Preston, continuing to urge Cuddles closer to Esoka and her horse. Her dark eyes, ablaze with seething anger, are trained on the demon looming before them. Cuddles blithely trundles over several of the now-unleased creatures, and Thena, lips curled in a silent snarl, dispatches a few more with her diamondplate blade.

Having stayed back a bit to tell Felicia and Ainsley they did not have to follow her and the others themselves, Khanne was there to witness the release of the fiends and the demon calling out. She gets a wave of anger and reaches for her bow, quickly nocking an arrow. She lets it fly towards one of the hungry, emaciated monsters crawling on the ground, but this time... her arrow goes nowhere near its mark.



Fingernails flail and dig at his kite shield held forward. Sir Jeffeth Bayweather cuts the chaff down readily, swinging his blade into the creatures one after another. The large man uses his size to create a bubble for his comrades in the shield wall, bashing back a group of the undead, before stepping forward and slashing his sword into the mess. Then his eyes catch Alban's sail into the air as he charges at the abyssal twelve foot creature. "Lord Alban!" Jeffeth shouts out, starting to cut his way forward towards the Lord.

"Prevail Through Calamity!" Jacque shouts as he continues to engage the zombies, cutting them down as he makes a straight line for the demon. He holds the diamondplate sword pointing straight to the creature as the others start to attack from their jumping. He'll be charging straight away. "This one is for the Firebird!"

Eilowny huddles down, tucking into the roots of the trees. As she does, she whispers to the tree. She gets low enough to press her brow to the bark.

Edain checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 12 higher.

Reigna stands at the furthest edge of the battlefield, the last of the healers forming a wall blocking the wounded from the zombies across teh battlefield. Her eyes are on Khanne, then Jacque and Edain, Thena. The chaos of the battle seems to have her in its grip. Her hound is at her side, hackles raised, head lowered, body defensively postured.

Malesh takes serious damage.

They charge forward, meeting the horrible charging zombies with a cacophany of shrieking horses and clanging steel. The zombies try to rip and tear and stab, desperate to eat anyone they can get their hands on, even trying to tear down horses to the ground, and here and there a knight is swarmed under tearing hands. Strangely, roots shoot from the ground and begin to grab at zombies. The demon focuses his attention on Malesh, "You dare pray? The gods will not heed you. Bow to me in supplication." He clenches a fist toward Malesh, and the Lord of Stonewood finds himself choking, a black mist seeping from his mouth and eyes, as a few brave souls ride over the zombies to attempt to reach the demon.

Tovell checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 27 lower.

Jericho checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 25 lower.

Thena checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 34 lower.

Preston checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 5 higher.

Jacque checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 15 lower.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 20 lower.

Petal checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 70, rolling 28 lower.

Alban checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 23 lower.

Eirlys checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 9 higher.

Malesh checked composure at difficulty 30, rolling 12 lower.

Felicia checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 30 higher.


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At Setarco, the battle is well and truly joined - the captains and admirals of various fleets all working together to deliver what they hope to be a rout to the Gyre's Fleet. And it's working, though the lookouts at Setarco can see ships of the Compact sinking into the waves, more of the Gyre's fleet are sinking than the Compact's. So far. Still, there are many wounded, among them Prince Jasher Thrax - bleeding and injured still he stands, doggedly determined to stand against the pretender-king of the Mourning Isles.
**********************************************************************


Khanne checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 12 higher.

Terese checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 30, rolling 8 lower.


**********************************************************************
At Stormwall, a brutal push by the enemy against the city's walls is beaten back by a valiant rally by Lord Michael Bisland, who leads the defenders in a counter push that shoves off the walls and temporarily forces the ladders off all the walls. Thousands of dead litter the base of the walls below the city, but tens of thousands remain, with the ladders already being raised ontop of their mounting dead.
**********************************************************************


Malesh stands a little taller now, his body fighting for air and pushing him to better posture despite the pain. He'snot a fighter though, not like these brave souls around him. He's just a man of books who knows things. The grip on his spear faulters and his knees go out next and in that moment he crumples to the ground like a scarecrow cut from it's post. Half burnt he pushes himself up to hands and knees, but can't bring himself to crawl. He's a spent man, kneeling there in the cold and muttering to himself.

Esoka checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 33 lower.

Rey checked mana at difficulty 25, rolling 11 higher.

Seeing the roots start to rise up, Eilonwy focuses on them and continues to talk to the tree. "My skin is bark, my name your name. I am the forest and it is me. Tie down our foes from the sea, aid the warriors of land." It's a rushed prayer, but the best she can manage. She stays small, terrified, letting her tears roll onto the roots as she watches the defenders take on such terrifying foes and shivers.

Thena checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Preston wheels his horse around. The small cadre that came with Preston are fresh, but others are showing fatigue. Preston lets out a sigh as he sees Alban off his horse. He nods to the others "Someone get a horse to Brother Cockybritches over there, and get him out. Gloria would not like his falling. I will get their attention." Sadly, horses are probably more numerous than knights. Preston pulls his visor down and launches a second charge straight at the demon. His cloak billows, and shows the red lines on his armour that mark him out as the Knight Marshall of the Templars. Banisher lifts and he points it in front of him, ready to turn and strike the demon if he can. And not go flying this time. "Gloria, guide my hand, and protect my foolish head."

Ainsley checked mana + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 36 higher.

Cover the retreat. It's not glorious, but Felicia didn't join the King's Own for glory. Persuasion is used to lay waste to any of the zombies that stray into her path, trying to buy time for those unable to defend themselves to retreat. She does what she can to help them, with no time for now to pay particular attention to the massive demon beyond.

Jericho looks to that demon after being one of those riders to brutalize and massacre the zombie ranks. Either way, he sees the Demon and he fearlessly charges at him! blade lifted over his head as he attempts to cut the demon down!

Petal draws her bow, shooting off an arrow in the direction of the demon and missing. She still seems very frightened.

Mia checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 30, rolling 17 lower.

Holden checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 3 lower.

Ainsley does not immediately leap up to attack the demon again. Instead he leaps upon a rock or a fence, and holds his blade forward. Steady, his silver eyes blazing as he calls to the demon, "The Gods do hear us!" His sword is pointed straight upward and he calls into the air, "GLORIA HEAR ME NOW! SEE MY HEART, GUIDE MY HANDS, LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH AND FIGHT THIS FOE WITH ME!"

It starts at his hand, but then soon wreathes all of him. Ainsley glows golden with a holy light.

Olivia checked mana at difficulty 30, rolling 3 lower.

Khanne grabs another arrow, nocking it swiftly. This time, she stills herself, taking a deep breath. She does not release the arrow until she exhales, perhaps silently praying this one hits a freaking zombie.

Rey was going to withdraw with the wounded. She was right on the verge of doing so. Then she heard the demon speak to Malesh, and now, NOW, something clicks in her mind. She turns around. "The gods are with us!" She speaks these words with perfect, innocent conviction, the conviction of someone somehow not jaded by a world that so often seems to indicate the contrary. She raises her voice, praying louder, an exhortation to Lagoma to make lambent this, their darkest night.

Tovell checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 70, rolling 32 lower.

Reigna seeing Malesh kneeling, fallen, Reigna finds herself in motion. While she starts to sing the canticles of the gods, the words pouring from her with all of the fervor and faith as she darts forward, seeking to hook her arms through Malesh's and begins trying to drag him back towards the line of waiting medics. Even as she does this, she continues her prayers, singing through the Triad of Creation and moving into the Triad of Arts and Sciences, her words growing louder as she sings to Vellichor.

Tovell is one of the few that made it around the beasts to fight the big demon. He dismounts and loses his mount somewhere to the malive behind him. And with his steel longsword in hand the knight of the King's Own just keeps praying and fighting the big badguy. He doesn't do so well yet.

It seems like the retreat has... well, perhaps slowed? Amidst the healers behind the main line, Olivia, with a bit of protest, pulls away from one of her guards. "I'm going to pray- surely there's little more risk in that than what we face already." She moves over toward where she's spotted Eilowny, since apparently its to be a similar sort of prayer. On her way, she takes out a strange pink bloom from her basket, and then joins the woman in her soft words.

Esoka tries to meet Thena's eyes, briefly, in the thick of all this. "I told Calaudrin I'd look out for you. So. We'd best not to do anything overly stupid." Is fighting a demon overly stupid? Maybe. She gives it a go, though, launching her blade at the thing. "GLORIA HEAR US!" she calls out, adding her voice to Ainsley's. "WE STRIKE AGAINST THE ABYSS THIS DAY! GUIDE OUR BLADES, SHIELD OUR HEARTS!"

Cover the retreat, indeed. Mia Riven was no soldier -- and that much was made obvious by her flimsy attempt, at the tail end of the line moving through the pass, to beat back those... things, whatever they were, that were clutching at those who fell behind. Whose bright idea was it to give her a sword, again?

Sigurd comes back around, having ensured the evacuation line kept moving and meets up with Mia at the tail end of whatever is happening. He'll stand to ensure those retreating can do so, past him and Mia.

Eilonwy checked mana + occult at difficulty 40, rolling 11 higher.

More of the zombies are being fought back by those guarding the pass, but a number of them begin to swarm over Mia, biting and clawing at her. The demon is surrounded, and Ainsley's glowing sword slices into its shadowy form, making the creature roar with rage. It backhands Tovell harshly, sending him flying, ignores Holden's ineffectual stab, and then sees an opening as Esoka stumbles. It raises one fist high, and a terrible, massive sword manifests, a blade of black flame burning against the sky, radiating a palpable sickness. It bellows at Esoka, "YOU ARE MINE!" as the blade swings down toward Esoka... who is pushed out of the way by Eirlys, placing herself in the terrible sword's path.

Mia takes critical damage.

Tovell takes critical damage.

Eirlys checked stamina, willpower + survival at difficulty 900, rolling 841 lower.

Eirlys checked stamina, willpower + survival at difficulty 700, rolling 643 lower.

Eirlys is incapacitated.

Eirlys falls unconscious.

Eirlys has died.

Malesh fights against Reigna's tugging arms. At least at first. He's a broken and spent man though, and he's hardly got air in his lungs let along the strength to fight as he's pulled back. It's not for lack of trying though, he really wants to stay, he's just not strong enough to get a vote on the matter.

Thena locks eyes with Esoka and offers a tight smile. "Well he'll fucking kill me if I let something happen to /you/." She tries to slash at the demon and misses quite handily. But when she hears the beast, sees it attack Malesh, she clutches her string of prayerbeads in her off-hand and starts murmuring. "I fight for Lagoma. I fight for Gild. I fight for Death." The litany grows louder as she lists out the gods, each one of them. And when they have been listed she adds, "The gods are with us. The spirits are with us. In the names of them all, you do /not belong here/!" And then she launches into the cadence of a prayer, one that the Solace and Mercies at least may recognize as the Sanctuary of Silver.

Eirlys starts to chant in Oathlands Shav it sounds like a prayer possibly to the spirits as she barges ahead as she sees Esoka about to take the hit and she literally body checks Esoka out of the way before the blade hits her body. She jerks as it goes through her. Her prayers cut off with a scream as her body becomes lifeless.

Brother Cockeybritches may have lost his mount, but he has not lost the fight. He cuts through undead and pulls free of them to close on the demon itself. Bringing his sword up the alaricite gleams in the storm, water turning the ground to churned mud thanks to the passage of all the calvary from before. Still Alban tries to fight closer to the demon, to get within range to land a slash, a cut, even a knick would be sufficient, it would be a start. A start. Then there are others who are charging with him, and prayers begin to form, Godtouched bringing their own clarity to the fight and he tells the Demon, "You will not succeed here. You will fall before the might of the Gods and Gloria!" Then the demon summons forth that wicked black blade and Esoka is saved by Eirlys sacrifice, "No!" He shouts, hoping the wounded are getting free and clear but he cannot give up yet. Else the sacrifices would be in vain.

Holden joins the charge on the demon itself, but there are still a lot of zombies in and around him, and it hampers his attack. He catches a blow along the way, and it throws him off. His swing against the demon doesn't manage to connect at all with anything, drawing a growl of frustration from the knight. He turns just in time to see Eirlys intercept the blade for Esoka and his eyes widen in shock. There are no words, and no time for inaction either, only renewed fury.

Jericho rushes at the Demon, only for it to knock him aside and dismount him. But it's when he sees Eirlys be stabbed that his eyes widen. "NOOOO!!!!" he calls out, rushing over to her as he slices through four zombies in rage. "EIRLYS!" his fiance, his love....and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

Petal has her steel bow lifted and seems to be almost be trying to guard the blackened flowers even though they are probably already dead and gone for good. She looks to Eirlys as she is taken down and a soft frightened gasp escapes from her lips.

Joining on the attack, Jacque sees himself lose his mount as the horse decides to upend him right after a failed slash at the demon. Rising to his feet, the Lyonesse-nee-Valardin prepares to defend himself. He looks between the zombie hordes and the demon, thinking about a course of action.

Malesh struggles, and Reigna is not very strong. She yells for help, her personal guard taking over the task of dragging Malesh off the field, regardless of his complaints. The sound of Eirlys' name being shouted, whips Rei's head around in time to see her friend's body crumpled on the ground. Her singing pauses, the prayers to the gods paused, but she just starts her prayers again, louder, even as she cries. She sees Mia go flying and tries to rush to the Countess' side, to start dragging her off the field as well.

Rey lifts the eternal flame high and prays, her pale skin reflecting its golden light almost as though she herself were glowing. Whatever words she speaks are being drowned in the rage of battle or whipped away by the gusty wind, but she's still praying with the fervor of someone who holds no question in her heart that this is where she is supposed to be, and what she's supposed to be doing.

Felicia's attention goes towards Sigurd, and Mia, Khanne and those others behind her before she grimaces, it's only the shouts rising above the roar of battle and that hideous blade that are visible above the milling mass of allies and enemies, but she wades in the direction of those battling the thing, aiming to thin the herd of those headed towards the rearguard to provide as much aid as she can,"Mother have mercy, do not take me home this day." she offers all but under her breath to Death.

Gasping, Eilonwy looks at the people being over run and the shaman felled. "Rise. Rise and defend the children of your soil." She tells the trees. She presses as much of her body against the tree as she can, willing her feelings to be felt, her fear, her anger at the invaison, her sorrow for Eirlys, her hope. "Please forest, help us." She looks to Olivia. "Touch the tree, imagine it's all connected, every tree, and plead to them to help us." She offers Olivia a hand to link up with her.

Esoka raises her blade and is ready to meet the charge...until Eirlys meets it for her. And falls, for it. There's no scream, from her. No time for shock or grief or anything else. Her bronze skin has gone a shade plaer than usual, and she raises her blade. Both to face whatever comes, and to keep anyone else who wants to dive in front of swords for her back.

Sir Tovel Telmar wakes up sometimes later. After he went butt over heels tumbling into a ball of pain. He tries and gets up to get his bearings.

Petal looks over to Eilonwy and Olivia. For some reasons she seems to think she an help them. She moves in their direction and puts way her bow, drawing her hairpins again. "I might be able to help, its not blood magic, its....the nature one." She says in her heavy Shav accent. She gets ready to slit her writs.

As Preston charges in, though and around the smaller zombies, he closes in on the large demon. As he nears, the knight strikes down and back as he passes - feeling the heavy touch as his blade finds the enemy. He doesn't have time to look back as he wheels his horse back. What he does have time to see though is Esoka and Eirlys. His jaw sets and he continues on "Pray while you withdraw!" He remonstrates to Thena and Esoka. Before he spies Eilonwy and he blinks twice. Despite everything, Preston gestures "Tree Stroking!" as he sails past Thena at a gallop. "Gods. Gloria, look after your faithful servants, as they withdraw. Know we fought with honour, and we abandon the field not for lack of courage, but so that we might fight again tomorrow, and win."

Gripping his sword, Jeffeth Bayweather looks on blankly as Eirlys goes down, blanching. His shield goes up in front of him, sword held out at his side. Holding his shield up Jeffeth starts to pull back from his ineffectual assault. The large man rushes to where Tovell has been knocked to. Going to try and help his fellow knight to his feet. "Sir Tovell, up you get!"

6 Crimson Blades Sergeant, Oak, the brown-coated War Horse arrive, following Tobias.

As the horde swarmed the entrance to the passage, a pained cry came ringing out from behind the rubicund of her barbute. That their monstrous claws had made their way past the leather Mia wore, sinking themsleves into her flesh, was no question. She was down on her knees, trying to pry one of the monstrosities back from the exposed skin where a her armor had been rent. Coated in a slick sheen of bright red -- one that was most definitely hers -- it appeared that the only thing keeping her from fully succumbing to the Gyre's forces was the cluster of guards in Riven blue hacking brutally at her attackers.

Olivia reaches to touch a part of the tree, and then when Eilonwy offers her a hand as well, her brow furrows slightly, as she's still carrying her odd black and pink flower. She decides to set it in the earth before the tree. "That was my plan," she answers, albeit a little weakly. "Though it doesn't seem to be working today." When Petal coems over, she just glances to the first woman, since it's not clear she really knows what they're doing.

The demon laughs in triump as Eirlys crumples, a hideous sound like bending steel. But something very strange happens as the blood of Eirlys Greenmarch touches the roots of the trees that had been called to defend them. A green haze rises from them, an angry shimmer that forms into what might be a tree, or a man, or something in between. Its voice is like leaves, or rain... or a storm. "She was the daughter of the Forest. She was beloved of the Old Gods. She spoke with our voice." The apparition expands, becoming indistinct, but its voice becomes louder, a thunderclap, "AND YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE." It collides with the demon, and its armor and sword shatters, leaving a staggering shadow, howling and wounded, open to attack.

Alban checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 43 higher.

Jacque checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 47 higher.

Preston checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 39 higher.

"I've never needed to bleed for the trees to know me and answer." Eilonwy shakes her head to Petal and offers a hand. "You've bled enough." She settles her back against the tree, picturing herself like the tree, bark and offering a hand to Petal. "Now! Pray with me! To the forest."

Jeffeth checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 42 higher.

Felicia checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 80 higher.

Esoka checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 28 higher.

Ainsley checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 55 higher.

Thena checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 71 higher.

Holden checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 81 higher.

Eilonwy checked mana + occult at difficulty 40, rolling 20 higher.

Terese checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 26 higher.

Jericho checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 52 higher.

Tovell checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 52 higher.

Khanne stands, stunned as she watches the demon raise a hand, the blade suddenly forming and coming down towards Esoka. She watches as Eirlys pushes Esoka out of the way and takes the blow meant for the Dame. Her eyes well up with tears of disbelief. Her fingers clutch around that which is held so tightly in her hand. A couple of tears fall from her eyes but soon, she is sniffing, and running towards Eilonwy and Olivia. She glares at Petal as the woman prepares to give her blood to magic again. "It is blood.. there is enough of it on this field already." She places her hands on the tree and closes her eyes.... until the tree turns green and hazy. She had abandoned her bow, putting all her energy towards the tree, the item Eirlys gave her still clutched in ehr hand.

Sigurd checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 31 higher.

Khanne checked mana + occult at difficulty 40, rolling 8 higher.

Esoka turns to nod to Preston at the word 'withdraw.' Seeing nothing else for it. Though she does bend to try and heft Eirlys - or what's left of her - as they go. And then...the voice of the spirits sounds. And her resolve returns. "We will have our vengeance, spawn of the Abyss!" And she charges forward with the others, to try her sword against the thing.

Rey checked mana at difficulty 25, rolling 9 lower.

"BACK DEMON! BACK TO THE ABYSS WITH YOU!" Ainsley cries at the demon, when he sees it is has had its armor and sword knocked away. He leaps off of his perch, and slams his glowing sword down into the shivering shadow.

Petal reaches out for Eilonwy's hand with a small one of her own. She sucks in a soft breath aware of Khanne's glare, but she doesn't respond. She joins the prayer, speaking in Northern Shav and praying to the nature god.

Petal checked mana at difficulty 15, rolling 3 lower.

It's around this time Tobias Telmar comes out into the pass from the city. He's clutching his side as a trinkle of blood drips from his mouth. He looks injured, with battered armor and winter cloak... and when he comes out into the pass, the demon gives him pause. "Huh. I came to see the healers... but it looks like you're all busy."

"WHAT did I fucking TELL you," Thena shouts at Preston's back before whirling...well, it's Cuddles so it's more of a ponderous rotation...and striking out at the suddenly vulnerable demon.

Well, the vulnerability definitely persuades him. And Jacque is rushing towards the demonic figure with diamondplate in hand, stabbing forward in this moment of weakness at the creature's leg.


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The fighting at Stormwall reaches a fevered pitch, with tens of thousands of the attackers lying dead at the foot of the walls but most now streaming into the city. The Compact forces have fought street by bloody street but have been driven from the port, and have fallen back to the Crovane castle as a last bastion before potentially surrendering the city entirely.
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Holden wheels around with renewed fury, and bolstered courage as the demon's armor and sword is shattered before them. That huge flail is brought around with as much force as the armored knight can manage to collide with the thing, echoing "You do NOT belong here."

Olivia checked mana at difficulty 30, rolling 13 lower.

Jericho looks at Eirlys before he rushes that Demon, swinging his blade as if to decapitate the monster that just figuratively ripped his heart from his chest.

Alban may not have glowing godtouched powers, but he does have Faith, and alaricite. At Preston's words he starts to pray, well, sing, a battle hymn to Gloria, then to the rest of the twelve. Gloria gets much more than anyone else does as he grabs his blade with both hands to swing with extra force, trying to do his best to send that blessed metal through the demon's shadow form. It is not rage, but grief, that mars Alban's features. "You will pay demon!" He shouts, "Her sacrifice will not be in vain! By the Light be Cast Out!"

Reigna checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 25, rolling 8 lower.

Felicia follows the path of that green thing. It's charging, she'll charge behind it, the path of least resistance to join those helping to try and strike down the terrible thing. Persuasion may be no alacricite, but damned if she's not at least going to try.


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The waves wash over the rapidly sinking fleet at Setarco. The Compact fleet has lost some ships, true - but not anywhere close to the numbers of the Gyre's fleet. No, this was a resounding victory for the Compact who chose to stand together to guard Setarco. As the Compact carries the day, High Admiral Victus shouts loudly to the open sea, "You come at us swinging Marin, you fuckin' best do better than this. The Isles didn't budge and neither will this Compact. The Compact stands, united and unbowed. Next time," he says with a sneer as the sharks circle below, "bring friends."
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Reigna tries to get to Mia and get a hold of the Countess of Riven but just doesn't have the grip to do it. She swears, her prayers faltering as she falls back, screaming as one of the zombie creatures snaps at her. She falls back and tries to call for more help even as she retreats, lest she fall victim herself. Gigi, her apprentice is soon at her side, shouting, "They need a medic to go to the castle! They're asking for you to go!" Reigna stares at her assistant even as she falls back, looking around, "Someone help Countess Riven!"

Sir Tovell Telmar carries forward and goes hacking back at the fiend after he was helped up. Every praying. Just steel in his hand. A big dent in the front of his armor the size of a big ol' can of demon slap.

6 Crimson Blades Sergeant, Oak, the brown-coated War Horse leave, following Tobias.

The shadow claws desperately at its attackers as the suddenly vulnerable demon is surrounded. Although it resembles nothing so much as mist, countless cuts in it produce cracks, like the surface of a mirror, and light begins to leak through those cracks. The remaining zombies crawl back toward it to attempt to assist their master, but are being run down by those who were engaged with them. Finally, the writhing demon starts to collapse inwardly, as if it were being drawn down into the ground, clawing at its attackers, until it at last shatters completely. Shards of a smoking glass-like substance remain on the ground where it once stood.

Sigurd charges forth and is one of the last to press and attack the demon with his diamondplate blade. Probably not the most impactful blade but he can at least help some upon the damnable thing.

"Angry later. Withdraw now." Says hypocritical Preston as he charges his horse back in for a final charge at the large demon, watching as other strikes hammer into him and timing his charge to come in between them. As he passes Alban and Ainsley he bellows "By the Gods, get to a horse and to the rear. There is nothing left to win here. If we get to the road, we can rally, rest and support the sally!" He pauses as he wheels his horse back "But, uhm. Grab some of that glass first. Carefully. And with a cloth."

As soon as the demon falls, Jericho rushes to Eirlys, dropping his sword and falling to his knees. Tears threatening to rush forth from his face as he looks upon the woman he loved..he starts to whisper. "Eirlys..? Eirlys...wake up, come on..." he looks then. "HEALER!" He calls as he holds Eirlys in his arms.

Curiously, Jacque reaches for a shard of that glass. He's wearing a gauntlet and surely that doesn't mean direct contact. Right? Preston did tell folks to pick some up!

Rey never withdrew with the other healers, and when Jericho calls for one, she runs forward, heedless. Are there still zombies hanging around? Rey is blindly sure of the power of Lagoma to protect her mercies, it would seem.

Reigna grabs the nearest riderless horse and swings herself into the saddle, her eyes look over to Jericho's cry and her jaw sets and she directs one of the orderlies over towards Eirlys' body and Jericho. She wheels the horse around and shouts to Eilonwy, "They need healers in the castle! I'm going to ride there. Don't forget to finalize the dead! Our fight continues!" And with that, she puts heels to her horse and sees about riding back to the castle.

Sigurd pulls a loose length of silk from his belt, black and what not and wraps about a shard and continues to wrap it further before lifting it up. "Like this?"


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From the passageway near the tunnels leading to Stormwall, a force of cavalry has managed to hold off a terrible attack, and those near would swear they heard something that sounded like the shattering of a mirror. The valiant defense was not without cost, as Lady Eirlys Greenmarch gave her life to protect Dame Esoka Greenblood.
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Eilonwy whispers to the tree, thanking it and watching for the roots to relax back into the soil. She looks to Olivia and Petal with a smile of thanks before looking and seeing Khanne with a surprised start. "Oh. Thank you." She tells the shaman and looks to the warriors. "Behead any dead!" Though presumably they know, she just has knives and that's hard to manage with.

Esoka hacks at the demon with the fury of all the gods she can muster, until the thing falls under the combined onslaught of the warriors of the Compact. When it's done, she just breathes. Alive and unhurt. Then, falls to her knees beside Eirlys. Another shudder runs through her, and tears run down her face. She doesn't bother to try and keep them back. "I will help carry her, your highness. If it please you," she chokes.

Olivia remains by the tree. She seemed uncertain of all that was going on, a little desperate, if what she or the others were doing served much purpose. Seemed. Though hardly in a position to see Eirlys' clash with the demon, she sees- or maybe senses? -the apparation that appears in the fallen woman's place. And for the first time since Petal's flowers died, she looks a little more confident, even smiles, although there's a tear in her eye. So focused on things ephemeral, she only catches Reigna calling for them a little late, and pulls herself up again. "Oh, oh yes."

Ainsley tears off a piece of his under tunic, and reaches down and carefully collects a piece of the shard. He looks at it with repugnance but holds it nonetheless. He turns then and surveys to see if there are any zombies left ... finding now he, tucks the demon shard away someplace safe that DOES NOT touch his skin. He looks toward Esoka and Eirlys, his eyes briefly closing. He leans down to tear off another piece of his tunic and wipe down the blade of his sword before sheathing it. He turns to find Khanne, striding toward her. "Lady Khanne, are you injured?"

The demon destroyed, this way is safe. Jeffeth grabs Tovell by the arm. "Go get healing." Before the huge knight turns and starts running in the direction of the city. He pauses for just a moment, looking around at those still up and fighting. "They're not retreating." Jeffeth bellows. Looking down at the city. "We need to go help them!" The knight of solace shouts out, looking like he's on the verge of breaking into the sprint.

Rey's leg is bleeding again by the time she gets to Jericho and Eirlys. The smear that was Eirlys. But she seems to have forgotten the pain in the excitement of the moment. She'll probably pay later for how much she pushes her frail body, now.

Terese hacks and slashes and then the demon is gone! "Gods be praised! Templars, on! On!"

Reigna has left the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

Oaken, a massive Oakhaven bloodhound, 2 Novice Keaton Huntsmen, Gigi, an apprentice physician's assistant leave, following Reigna.

Felicia elects to collect one of the glass shards, tucking it in her belt with her gauntleted hand for now as the injured and standing are surveyed, her gaze goes to Alban, but it's Wrecking Ball she whistles for as a charge is called.

Felicia has left the a cozy campfire surrounded by boulders and wooden perches.

Tovell has left the a cozy campfire surrounded by boulders and wooden perches.

2 King's Own Guardsmen, 3 King's Own Novice Guardsmen leave, following Tovell.

Wrecking Ball, a black stallion, 2 King's Own Guardsmen, 3 King's Own Novice Guardsmen, Tovell leave, following Felicia.

Jericho is weeping. He knows Eirlys is gone. He holds the woman in his arms as he just breaks. "No....." Then Esoka comes up next to him, as his eyes lift to that castle. "I will slay every single one of them if I must. Every. Last. One." he hands Eirlys to Esoka. "Take care of her. Please." he says then as he wipes the tears from hsi eyes. "MOUNT UP! WE RIDE FOR THE CASTLE!" he gives the order and storms for the keep with the others.

Ainsley checks on Khanne, and then finds himself a horse and ... rides off.

Ainsley has left the a cozy campfire surrounded by boulders and wooden perches.

2 Grayson Guardsmen leaves, following Ainsley.

Thena slides from Cuddles' back and sneers at the pile of dead demon glass. "Asshole," she snarls but...she does pick some up, carefully, and pocket it. Then she grabs Cuddles' reins and leads the horse towards the healers. Not joining the final charge, it seems. "What needs doing?" she asks.

Looking at Thena, Eilonwy straightens her shoulders. "The umm, dead. We were told to behead them so they do not rise." She eyes the demon. "Dunno if that's still the case." she notes and looks to Olivia. "Get the healer's tent squared away, now that we aren't fleeing?"

Esoka takes up Eirlys' body. She'll see it safely to some place among the healers before she rejoins the battle. And she'll weep over it, but there's many tears to be shed this day.

Preston strokes the side of his panting horse as he plods along the tunnels "Thena, we should muster the troops and injured out in the road. Make sure if things go badly that our duties are seen to. We can loop around the road back to the front of Stormwall with scouts to see if there is any sign of a successful Sally to support."

Eirlys puts Ornate Wooden Box in Blue Cloth Delivery Backpack.

1 House Lyonesse Adept Guard leaves, following Jacque.

Sigurd stands back up and tucks away his weird gains. He probably doesn't deserve it quite much. "Those ambulatory should assist moving the injured as well." Sigurd was supposed to be in charge of the passes. "The passes are still clear, and safety is that way. As long as the forces at the castle aren't routed." Sigurd takes his large sword and assists in beheading the dead.

"Eilonwy." Thena offers a deeply tired smile to the woman she met so long ago, and nods. "I gave that order, yes. I suppose we should be cautious but...it seems the worse is past, here anyway." She sucks in a breath. "That spirit you called, you and the others. Thank you." And there's Preston. "Yes. Let's get everyone out of here before anything else decides to lumber up."

Looking up at Thena, Eilonwy nods. "Didn't think my knife would do much on...what ever those were. Glad the forest answered." She tells Thena and looks about with worry.

With finally a bit of room to breathe, Olivia collects herself, collects her basket, and moves back to join the effort that is now being resumed. As Sigurd starts giving orders, she goes about doing as best she can to get the wounded moving once again. "We'll get them moving, cousin."

Khanne pulls back from the tree, looking up at it. Whispering, she says, "Tree Spirit of forests, roots strong in the earth as branches reach for the sky, thank you. You will not be forgotten, nor the aid of the Storm Spirits. Thank you." She stands and asks Eilonwy, "should we go find the healers? I can walk with you."

Preston slowly plods his horse down towards the exit out towards the Grayson road, mopping up a few of the infantry, getting injured Templars dragged towards the rear and some hope of relief "Don't tarry, Thena. If they fail, that fleet could always return now the trebuchets are silent. Or be half way to Arx by now."

Nodding, Eilonwy lets out a breath. "Last I heard, we were all being sent up the pass. Not a bad idea with the dead about here. Probably should see to clean up." She looks to the dead demon. "That can't be good for the trees."

Esoka stays by Eirlys' still form for a long time. Even after she's gotten it to a safe place where it can't be mussed with by demons. Tears running down her cheeks. They're still flowing when she finally manages to stir herself back toward the others. Her armor is bloodied, but none of it's hers, somehow. She finds her horse again, who still looks proud, despite all the hardship he's seen. She just leans against him for a beat, drained.

"I'm glad too," Thena murmurs to Eilonwy, before rallying herself to start organizing the retreat again.

Eilonwy says in Northlands shav, "We'll have to make good with the trees, all this blood."

Eilonwy's eyes looking to Khanne's as she speaks more softly in their tongue.

Olivia has left the an ivory canvas medical tent embroidered with lagoma's flame.

2 Ashford House Guard have been dismissed.

Khanne says in Northlands shav, "At least we stopped Petal from...."

Eilonwy says in Northlands shav, "I know. Even I know better. Perhaps we can gather soot from the fires to cleans the soil and plant some new trees."

2 Grayson Guardsmen arrives, following Ainsley.

2 Grayson Guardsmen leaves, following Ainsley.

Khanne says in Northlands shav, "We will. We will do what we can before we return to Arx, then come back and do more."


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The city of Stormwall seemed lost, as the defenders were forced back to the castle of House Crovane that stood at the west of the city, with its gate to the mountain passes. Reinforced by all the defenders, the forces of the gyre swarmed ever closer, and the defenders bleed them for each step, as they drew deeper and deeper into the city until they sieged the castle itself. And then, the Compact forces road out the west, abandoning the city of Stormwall... as it started to blaze. Incendaries everywhere throughout the city went up, while tens of thousands of the Gyre's minions were trying to navigate the confusing castle and the narrow roads. They died burning by the thousands and thousands, as Stormwall blazed withe a light that could be seen for miles away, and it's said the ash could be detected in the air from as far away as Old Oak. Thousands of the gyre's soldiers tried to hop the walls, only to be ridden down and cut down by the Valardin cavalry waiting in the passes. The city of stormwall was burned to the ground, but of the Gyre's forces that landed, they were killed To The Last.

Still, at least a significant portion of that fleet withdrew, and questions remained, what happened to Darkwater Watch?
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