Eleyna has joined the Command Tents.

Galen has joined the Command Tents.

Enyo has joined the Command Tents.

Leta has joined the Outside the Gates.

Aneka have been dismissed.

3 Iron Guardsmen have been dismissed.

Meeka have been dismissed.

Ignacio has left the Outside the Gates.

Tessa wields a twisted vines steel bow accented with topaz and amber.

Archeron wields Intricately forged ancient steel recurve bow.

Isla, a small silver fox, 1 Velenosa House Guards, Claudio, the chivalrous knight, Sofia, a saucy sailor's aide arrive, following Cadenza.

Ignacio has joined the Outside the Gates.

Archeron has joined the At the Arrowslits.

Lucita has left the Along the Towers.

Lucita has joined the Along the Towers.

Orathy has joined the On the Battlements.

Amarantha has joined the Outside the Gates.

Elyse has joined the On the Battlements.

Elyse has left the On the Battlements.

Elyse has joined the Outside the Gates.

Thorley has joined the Outside the Gates.

Norwood has joined the Outside the Gates.

Kael has joined the Outside the Gates.

Corban has joined the Along the Towers.

Corban has left the Along the Towers.

Corban has joined the Outside the Gates.

Waldemai has joined the On the Battlements.

Griza have been dismissed.

3 Iron Guard Trainees have been dismissed.

1 Velenosa House Guards have been dismissed.

Golden, an Oakhaven bloodhound have been dismissed.

Cadenza has joined the Outside the Gates.

The gates of Setarco. Mid battle, even. The murderdogs, such as they are, have died - helped to an early grave by the Valardin cavalry. Led by Duke Cristoph and Sir Norwood, the charge was memorable and bloody - but the tactics of High Commander were incredibly smart with their orders, and many more lives were saved. Which is just in time, because a mass of horrors approaches the city. Land creatures and sea creatures, melded together by foul magics and diseased minds raise a cloud of dust as they move on feet, tentacles, antennae - one particularly horrifying thing - is that a snake with the eyes and mandibles of a spider, and a halibut's tail to help it move faster in the water? - slither across on its belly. They are, each of them, half the size of a person or more. Some, like the squid horses, are easily half as tall as the walls of Setarco proper.

And of course there's the regular army too, but they aren't regular by any stretch of the imagination. With them comes the wave of hunger and fear, the feeling like you'll never be full again. And they can't all be soldiers. If they're all soldiers, then who is commanding the monsters?

It's hard even to think as coherently as all that, but then the song of Lucita, Tikva, and Sorrel is pushed across the battlefield as the Choir aims its songs well, and they work very hard to drive back the darkness. It is hard, so hard - and there is little doubt that continued singing might yet take a terrible toll.

Serafine checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 10 lower.

Waldemai has left the On the Battlements.

Ianna has joined the Command Tents.

Ignacio wields Ardor, a diamondplate longsword.


Well then, that's a sight. Serafine stands at Leta's side, looking at at what comes, the creatures, the clouds, the horror of it all. She's not a coward, she's seen foul and horrifying before and did her job. BUt this is quite different. She looks up at the woman by her, her dark eyes wide, wider than she's ever betrayed. She reaches out to squeeze Leta's wrist, arm, something, her dominant hand hefting her own diamondplate blade. The Velenosan princess takes a long, slow, albeit trembling breath.

Luis wields Ascension, a dark rapier.

Merek checked willpower at difficulty 15, rolling 3 higher.

Sparte has joined the On the Battlements.

It will not be the first time that Tikva has paid a toll for the force and strength of her song, and if she is lucky, neither will it be the last. She and Lucita and Sorrel have joined hands, and from their twined fingers and focused will, she draws strength to sing away the dark. This is why there are candle's flames on her armor. One small light in the dark-- that's what she's here to be.

Tessa has joined the On the Battlements.

As the army of Nope approaches the Setarco, Thorley grips the Eventide blade in his hand tighter and looks aside to Norwood. "So. Giant squid horse things, or ground troops first?" he asks as he spits to the side. "Gentlemen! Hold the line!" he calls out to the troops before them. "None make the walls!" He may not buy into that himself, but the sailor come knight prepares for the onrush.

Caspian is moving with Sparte and his men over to the side of the wall where the the army is approaching from, readying themselves to defend that point. As he moves with the man he says, "This isn't looking good, Sparte. I don't think we're gonna beat them head on. Feels like we need to pull something clever...but I'm not sure what."

Tessa has abandoned her war horse in favor of the bow that's more comfortable in her hands and periched up on the battlements the veiled, tiny lady has the sort of gleam in her eyes looking on the horrific creatures that are assulting them that she usually saves for expensive jewelry. "It's apity, I should like one of them for a pet," she mutters as she knocks an arrow.

Merek holds onto his sword, and shifts it above his shield. He is in the back lines, and he sees what is coming. To his credit, for some reason he seems to not give in to the hunger and presence, nor does he seem to shrink back from his duties, at least for the time being. People are singing for them, fighting for them, some already dead for them. And now he must stand, to strike back at the enemy, and perhaps even to give it all in defense of the people. This is the life of a soldier.

Norwood stands firm as the (un)holyshit comes at them, his grip on Queensguard tight as he glances towards Thorley. "Don't try to be a hero." Terse as the other man tries to be gallant. "Laurent!" Absent their Duke Norwood calls out to what remains of their forces that have gathered back after that charge. "For the queen!"

"Impressive. Just like old times!" Theron calls out cheerfully as he digs in, after his prayer. Then his expression is all seriousness as the horde descends, and the other horde charges forward. "Hold the line. Alessia, you're my pike, stab and cut, stab and cut, I'll give you the gaps in the shield. Keep them away." He forms up with the soldiers to his left and right, offering them a nod. "Let's put these bastards back where they belong!"

Elyse has been here and there during the battle - keeping her head down and striking where she can so she doesn't get swarmed. Taking up a position slightly behind Theron, rubicund dagger in hand as she eyes the Things that approach, frowning slightly as she considers the options. "Depends on what gets here first, I'd say. But if you pin em down I'll go for hamstrings."

Upon the beach and joined with the force spearheading the defense of the city, Luis quickly checks the staps of his armor, prayer beads around the guantleted free hand, and the dark shadowy rapier in the other. He watches the coming horde, taking a step to steady himself as the prayers continue and the slit of his visor faces the sea. Behind him, amidst the larger forces, are the Scarlet Igniseri forces, the Cavalry sweeping out to the side of the army to ready a charge, while the pike and footsoldiers form with the bulk of their landforces, crimson ranks amidst the greater army.

Alistair has made his way to frontlines as he bears a diamondplate weapon. Normal steel and iron has difficulty finding purchase on the hardened hide of the abyssal tainted creatures, especially of the type that are spewed against them in the thousands. Alistair's hands clasp the hilt of his blade tightly, his knuckles whitening as he surveys the calvacade of monsters that lopes, leaps, sprints and slithers its way towards them.

Marcos travels through the lines of his people as the forces against them line up and march in turn. A hand on shoulder there. A word and even a smile though he doesn't feel like smiling. Then he moves to the fore of his group and waits quietly.

Alessia shudders at the sense of hunger as it starts to creep in again, even after touching Theron's blade. Then the choir's song drives it back, at least for now, and she can focus once again on what lies ahead. Her amber eyes are fiercely focused as she marches forward with the rest of those who have weapons that might actually do some good, her face protected by the hardened leather barbute on her head. She nods her head to Theron. "Just give me enough room to swing so that I can dismember a few of them, and maybe lop off a few heads, Cousin. I wouldn't want to hit an ally by mistake," she adds under her breath.

Juliana has been standing in the back, in the shadows, watching since she arrived. Not a word said to anyone and though there is a sword in her hand, the young noble seems to be doing no more than watching, as if the scene in front of her is being veiwed from far away.

"What the fuck kind of old times are you thinking about?" Shard calls across to Theron as she readies both cobalt cutlass and her red blade in either hand, and steadies her stance. The Valorous Few are on either side of her, standing steady...more or less, though there's plenty of chatter in the ranks, and it's not at all pleased at the oncoming nightmares.

Waldemai pushes into position among the shield wall. He absent-mindedly starts to twirl his hammer, the better to crack skulls with, oh, yes.

Sparte eyes the incoming assortment of oddities. He glances over to Caspian, lifting an eyebrow at him. "You were saying something about the seafood earlier." Sparte picks a likely spot on the wall, laying his swordstaff in position to thrust at anything attempting to scale the wall. "Clever would be nice, but I think our job is to buy time for the clever sorts to be clever. Paper Guardians, to defensive positions. Protect the archers and the approach to the singers."

Demura clenches the given broadsword in both hands, hyer eyes narrowed as she shifts from one foot to the next. She's as ready for battle as she's ever going to be.

Corban is not back on the battlements to carry a swooning Tikva. No, he is outside of the gates of Setarco, among the infantry, among the Telmarines. There is no grand speech. Just the touches on the shoulders. The soft word of encouragement: "You know your jobs. Trust your officers. Trust your brothers and sisters. The Telmarch fears no enemy." No shouts above the din. Just man to man, as many as he can reach before the enemies crash against them.

Roran still works with Driskell on the walls along the tower. The twin flames that were brought from the eternal flame in Arx, the black robes and white robes praying.

Kael stands his ground next to his companions, now down one with the Duke Laurent gone to the healers. The Keaton looks sidelong, first to Norwood and then to Corban standing yonder. Each is offered a swift nod, a curt thing, before he pivots slightly and eyes the brave women and men that have joined underneath his banner. He offers a chin-up nod and immediately thereafter bows his head deep, respectfully. It is kept a series of beats in that low pose before he turns and readies himself against the foes that come. As much as he can. Prayer, a great deal of it, happens to be involved.

At the rear with the healers, Ianna gets the stretcher teams ready to run out after the next encounter. They've drilled, and they're freshly returned from delivering the wounded cavalry to the hospital. The stretchers are bloody, but they are prepared.

"Tor-Southport was pretty fucking awful, Shard!" Theron calls back across, then winks to Shard in response. "And then there's the extracurricular battles and other stuff. Don't worry about it. Just watch for the charging line. FORM UP!" He shouts, digging his heels in to brace for impact. "The Gods are with us!"

Ian walks from archer to archer in the lighthouse, steadying them with a hand on a shoulder or a few words, sharing his serenity. "Get ready. Take careful aim. Not until they're in range. Not yet."

Valdemar remains ahead of the shieldwall formed by the Thraxian soldiers, cobalt greataxe in hand. This is what he has been preparing for, what he has been drilling them for, and he has every confidence that they remain behind him, ready to push back anything that gets past that first line of warriors armed with cobalt, diamondplate, and alaricite. There is some swearing, of course, once it becomes clear just what is in that cloud of dust, and the heir to Grihem's point is not immune as he mutters, "What the bloody fuck..." Still, he does not take a step back, waiting for the enemy to get within reach of his axe.

Lucita's armor has tiny, subtle notes as an all over texture, protective, defensive music, such a simple pattern as part of her armor. She has her fellow singers and the priests beside them in her peripheral vision, hands linked as they continue to sing.

This is not something that Dario can even begin to comprehend. There is nothing in the entirety of his life experiences that has prepared him for something like this. For a moment the Marquis just freezes and stares in wide-eyed horror at the events unfolding before him. And he begins to feel the terror seize in his chest and the pressure there begins to build and everything just goes woozy. Fortunately the discomfort in his stomach and the spewing of his last meal (clam chowder) over the wall keeps him from feinting. Unfortunately he is really hungry and has to push back the instinct to run after his frantic last meal. For those below that was the very least of their problems. He wipes his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket and gets his shit together. Dario then finds the nearest officer and tells him to order the archers to fire when the forces are in range. He then sends orders to Galen that he is transferring command of the Pravus calvary to reinforce the Oathlanders after their heroic charge. He stands by his removed position at the siege engines to order them to fire when the enemy is in range. He /really/ misses his clam chowder. So hungry. So horrified. He guts through it and does his job.

Madeleine stands alongside the trio of singers, with the other Godsworn not too far away. "Courage, loves," she says with her smoky voice unwavering. Grey eyes turn towards the monsters and she faces them with a confident prayer on her lips. "The goddess has told me not to fear. We will prevail."

Archeron getting his archers into position at the arrow slits and crennelations along the wall, Archeron pulls his own irridescent cobalt bow into position, nocking a fresh arrow and drawing the bow back. He calls out to his archers, calling on them to hold until the enemy comes close enough for their arrows to fall on them effectively "Mmph. Cousin. You have got some ugly little friends in your army."


Regla bellows her commands yet again, "Shields, hold! Pokes to rear, stab from behind shield cover!" She raises her blade, "Archers! Hold! Get them in range!"

Apollis, with his sister Amarantha never far from his side, trails after Princess Cadenza. "We ought to see if we can spot their commanders. Some -- thing -- must be leading this horde," he says in his creaky, honeyed southern voice. He pulls his bow off his back and gets it ready while moving carefully toward a good vantage point while keeping the two Lycene women near him.

Orathy had started to walk back to the battlements after basically saying he wasn't going to die in the field. He's not. He doesn't fight like that. He's not a knight or a soldier. He is a rogue, that fights with tactics that require objects to duck behind and use and stealth. If the city starts getting invaded, that's where he'll be... where his stealth can win him some merits in hacking things up. Until then, he might yank a certain fair Lady or TWO out of harms way.

The knight clad in gleaming steel and gold armor raises his diamondplate blade as he marches with the formation with the Torean infantry, displaying rows of shields and swords. Ignacio calls out to them as they follow the orders from the high commands, "Stay strong men! We fight for Tor, the Compact, but more importantly, you fight for the lives of the men standing next to you!"

"Was I? I don't remember," Caspian admits back to Sparte with a shrug of his shoulders to the man. "Probably something about this fish and potato sandwhich I had here. It was good. I want it. I'm so hungry," he says, reaching the portion of wall, facing out to the approaching enemy. "Lets hope those leading have something up their sleeves."

Keeping protectively to one side of Cadenza, Amarantha seems more on guard than on look out. No more scouting for her, just protecting the Lyecen Princess. "Smart. Let's try not to get close though." The blonde shakes her head, trying to clear it. "Don't want to die as fish food."

The High General had ordered the lines of pike and shields ahead in an upside-down 'V', providing an arrow formation with its head in the direction that helps keep the incoming forces kept from the city gates and walls, though who knows how long that'll hold. With the archers behind the lines and the cavalry making its motions back around for another pass, Talen is seen speaking with his generals in the war tent, before he passes on the next barrage of orders. A portion of Mirrorguard operatives are dispatched back to the city to find news of the impending naval battle and the proximity to the harbour while the men struggle to keep the line. It is then that the generals pass their orders ahead, though what those are is also unknown until they're truly heard.

Leta has both hands on her sword, tip resting lightly on the ground as she waits. She is tense, and taut, and fighting against the void in her stomach with gritted teeth and a song, hummed forcefully under her breath. Feeling the hand at her side, she glances to Serafine, letting the song break on her lips for a moment, then nods and forces herself to smile. "We killed one, didn't we? I hardly broke a sweat. So, we just got to sweat a bit harder this time, is all! Just a bit more."

Pulling that hood up she would nod then, her hand still holding that sword. "You read my mind, Lord Apollis..." A smirk pulled at Cadenza's lips then as she gives the nod. "Let's move...." And with that she moves quick with the siblings in tow. "And yes....not too close....."

Orders are relayed from the Archduchess to her troops. The Velenosa cavalry and archers are instructed to hold the beasts, if possible, while those with magical weapons (diamondplate, alaricite, Cobalt) are ordered to find the commanders and cut them down. Remaining infantry will remain near the trenches and pits. Pike and shields are to hold the line with those infantry.

"Fuck yes!" Theron shouts in celebration at the receipt of the orders. "Understood! Move out, move out!" He gives his sword a good whirl, as he gets ready to mobilize with the rest of the magical weapons infantry. "Let's go, Alessia!"

Apollis smirks as Amarantha and Cadenza echo the sentiment of not getting too close. "Right, don't want to do something dangerous in a war," he says with a little bit of sass. He then rubs his belly and licks his lips. "The sight of the monsters really should've helped stave off this hunger."

Alessia braces herself, planting her feet firmly, staying just behind Theron, and glancing around for just a moment, to get her bearings so that she's aware of allies around her. Then her amber eyes swing forward again, and she draws a breath, then lets it out, firming her resolve as the hideous approaching horde threatens the city. As orders are delivered, she nods in response to Theron's shout, though she is definitely not celebrating. She dashes after him with her diamondplate weapon wielded in both hands.

Caspian does not have a magical weapon. Sadness. He looks to his puny rubicund knife, letting out a sigh, "I should have saved up for a diamondplate dagger. Or find someone who was willing to lend me their cobolt one." Looking over to Sparte, he ask, "You going to go with the commander killing squad?"

"Well, Norwood. Ain't so jealous of the weapon anymore. If I die, make sure you get the Duskblade." Thorley rumbles, before gripping the darksteel blade and goes to join the hunt for the commanders.

"Steady heart!" Norwood calls to the massing calvary, hoisting Queensguard up once at his former position. No horse means he'll stay right here until given one though, and casts Kael a nod back at the Count. "I'll do my best."

Elyse glances over at Caspian, holding up her own dagger of Rubicund - her cutlass, alas, still made of steel. "I know how you feel, Caspian. Alas, I didn't quite have the time for anything better before we left the city." keeping an eye on Shard, however, waiting to move on the Vice-Captain's orders.

Merek listens to the orders, and lifts his brow, looking over all the soldiers towards the foe, and considers for a moment. "We should've brought some siege weaponry, locatiing the commanders will be difficult," he tells Aneka and his guards, as he shifts along the line he's at, watching everyone ready for the full fray to come.

"Valardin forces - Our Cavalry will assist in keeping the creatures at bay. Form up, let them attach the chains, so you can trip, trample, and hold them back. Archers, volley before the cavalry goes out!" Alis calls out, relaying the orders out into the field. "Experienced knights and soldiers with elite or 'special' weapons, form up in groups and head to the east to find the commanders. You kill them, this ends faster." And, finally. "Pikemen and Knights with shields - HOLD THE LINE with the infantry and and help push the enemy into our terrain traps."

As the order filters down from the Archduchess, Alistair grabs a Confessor to send the younger man running back to the command tents with the High Inquisitor's assessment - He does not believe there is some commander to strike down on the field. Though he may be wrong. He will try to seek them out if they exist.

Galen having received the word from Dario via a troop the Warlord nodded, "Those Calvary can fall in with the remainder of the cavalry, lead the charge behind the archers being order to fire on the beasts, don't forget to make sure the chains are tight and be ready," then he glanced to another man, his helm being lifted and latched more for appearances than anything else, "Elite weapon troops, move with the others into the eastern coming enemy...Locate and unleash the fury of Thrax on their commanders," then he looked toward yet another soldier, "Pike and shields hold the line, regular infantry work with them around the trenches and pits, lets put as many of those fuckers in them as we can..." a hand folded over his chest, "For Thrax! For the Compact!"

Marcos relays the orders to the men in the trenches near him via shout, adding at the end. "Stay true, Lions! Stay true of heart and true of aim! Support each other and maintain the pride!"

Shard mutters to herself as she pushes off after Theron, slanting a look toward Leta. "Hunting party again it is. Hooray. Elyse!" She calls back, and points with her red blade. "Keep them steady! And /alive/, preferably."

Madeleine prays. For the girls. For the soldiers. For the Compact. For strength against the hunger gnawing deep in her gut. "Help me help them," she asks, pouring a little water into her hand and staring into it. "Show me the way to victory. Help us help you," she asks fervently.

With a sidelong look to Shard, Theron inclines his head to Shard, focusing on the mission ahead. Eastwards, they said. "Make it rain, make it rain, make it rain," he's muttering to himself as he heads on over east. "They can't fly if their wings are heavy, make it rain."

Talen lowers his head a little after the orders are relayed, perhaps in prayer. In the command tent, clearly the decision has been one made with some thought-- but that doesn't stop one wanting it to succeed with due gravity.

Orathy moves toward Juliana Pravus and folds his arms across his chest. He has a diamondplate axe at his hip and merely grunts acknowledgement to Juliana, before he says, "Oy, stick with me eh, if I be running, you be doing the same."

Sparte glances to Caspian, then to Elyse. After a moments thought he gestures to the two of them. "If I'm needed elsewhere then I have to answer the call. You two keep an eye on each other." He pats Caspian on the shoulder in passing. "You're my second so looks like you get to lead this lot. If you're having trouble fall in with another unit and let their commander tell you what to do, we're a small part of the force here anyway."

Elyse tosses Shard a quick salute, and offers a cheery grin to the Few who are not armed with the special weapons - and thus, staying behind to hold the line. "Time for an adventure, you lot. And now you know you're in trouble, given I'm in charge." but she steps into their ranks, joining them at the front, making sure they're all in order as she can with a quick glance.

Leta squares her shoulders and hoists her sword, giving Shard a somewhat less than enthusiastic look. "Hooray!" she smiles through a grimace and follows after, glancing over her shoulder at Serafine to verify the other woman is with her. "No heroics, aye? I mean - no more than - well, just as much heroics as this whole business calls for, and no more. I ain't paid for extra heroics, either."

Caspian looks over to Elyse, giving her a little grin, shrugging his shoulders, "Our paulpers and our struggle, right?" Looking over to Sparte he gives the man a dip of his head to him. "Got it. Stay safe out there," he says, patting the man heavily upon the back. "Bring back a head or two!"

Cadenza checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 14 lower.

Sparte has left the On the Battlements.

Apollis checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 18 lower.

"You're paid by the head, Leta, we just established that. Standing record is thirty," Theron calls out to the mercenary knight.

Upon hearing the new orders coming down the line, Valdemar hefts his weapon and nods before yelling at the shields and pikes behind him, "Nothing gets past this line! You hold this ground! They do not reach the walls on our watch!" He then moves along with others carrying the appropriate weapons to the east, ready to seek out the enemy commanders, an eagerness in his step in spite of the heavy armor he wears.

Sparte has joined the Outside the Gates.

Amarantha checked perception + survival at difficulty 40, rolling 27 lower.

Sybilla, the Lenosian lady's maid have been dismissed.

3 Iron Guard Trainees have been dismissed.

1 Velenosa House Guards have been dismissed.


Welp, now is as good a time as any. With the new orders coming down the line, Regla raises her cobalt blade to the sky, and the lowers it quickly, "Loose!" she orders her Archers. Here's hoping that was the right command to give. "We hold this line! We are shellbacks! We are the House of Navegant! We hold!" she yells, her units replying with a unified cheer.

Demura forms up with the rest of the Valardin forces, moving out to engage the commanders. She shoulders her way forward, falling into line behind the various other large men with pointy weapons. There is no hesitation in her movement, she's ready for a fight now.


There's a grin from Serafine to Leta, the former adjusting her helmet, black hair streaming out from under it. She tugs on Leta's armor, testing, checking. "Same goes to you, wench, no heroics. We've got plans, aye? Fat and happy ol' biddies, you and me. Watch my ass, I'll watch yours. Promise."

Orathy appears in front of Jules and the girl blinks from whatever far place she has been living in, her eyes lifting to the big Culler before taking a deep breath and reaching out to touch the back of his elbow with a free hand but otherwise just turns her eyes back to the raging battle.

Staying with the rest of the special weapons-ass-kicking-squad formation, Theron glances around as if watching for threats; the sigil of Ostria displayed proudly on his shield, silver, in relief against the deep blue that's his personal twist, along with the seven, instead of three, heads. "Blind them and cut the heads. That's the right order, right, Shard?" He asks the Valorous Few lieutenant.

Archeron turns to look at his archers and then out to the enemy as they come closer, and he nods before calling "Loose" and he lets go of his own bow string. The volley of arrows from Tyde archers go up in a ballistic arc, the odd rattling as one or two arrows strike another mid air as they dip and begin to fall towards the enemy, gravity accelerating them down. Like a swarm of super angry bees. Or one lazy tumbling porcupine.

Norwood checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 4 higher.

Merek checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 23 higher.

Thorley checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 31 higher.

Theron checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 2 higher.

Luis checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 1 higher.

Corban checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 21 higher.

Kael checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 7 lower.

Alessia checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 1 lower.

Demura checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 36 higher.

Waldemai checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 7 higher.

Sparte checked stamina + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 13 higher.

Leta checked stamina + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 23 higher.

Regla checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 23 higher.

Shard checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 11 lower.

Valdemar checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 21 higher.

Alistair checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 4 higher.

Serafine checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 9 higher.

"It's a writhing horde," Apollis announces to his fellow scouts, Amarantha and Cadenza, as if they couldn't tell. "I can't tell any of them apart - who their commanders --" he says as he puts a hand up to move his hood a little.

Elyse checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 0 higher.

Caspian checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 20 higher.

Ian gives a few last steadying words to the archers at the lighthouse. "Make this volley count. You know what rides on it. Loose!" A second or two after a hail of arrows from the walls blackens the sky, a second one, this one from the lighthouse, does the same with an eerie, rushing hiss.

Marcos checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 0 higher.

Merek lifts up his weapon over his shield as the foe approaches. If he had any hope of running to the main liners for the elite weapons, it seems it will be a little more direct, but he's watching the way the battle shifts too, keeping his thoughts on the situation and best tactics to use. The mirror shield is shifted to prepare for the lines being charged in turn.

Pressing on with his shield in front, Theron is grimly determined to make great strides. He spots Sparte on the approach. "Well, then, Fatchforth. Pair up with Alessia, you'll attack from the left, she'll attack from the right, I will press with the shield. Let's go!"

"They might not have any." Amarantha snorts, giving her brother a hard nudge with her elbow. Still looks like she might bite either or both of her fellow scouts. "Monsters don't need them. Men might but who knows--none of this battle makes any fucking sense." To the princess, she arches an eyebrow. "Return or keep going, your highness?"

Frowning from the shadows of her hood she let's out a soft frustrated growl. "....they're too many....." Cadenza looks to her two fellow scouts and nodded as she started to whisper softly. Knowing she has some other orders...she's torn between doing her job or doing....her other job.

Waldemai pushes forward against the onslaught behind his shield, putting the hammer down on anything in reach in front of him.

"Let's get a little closer," Apollis says to Cadenza and Amarantha hoping they will have an easier time that way.


Regla raises her blade again, "Archers!" she bellows, they all draw in unison, "Loose!" she yells and the twang of bow strings and the whistle of arrows leaves the Navegant forces. Arking skyward, Regla takes a moment to scan the field for friendly faces, Marcos, Estaban, et all, it's a wasted thing in this chaos but she had to do it. Then, comes the horde, "Gloria...please...sing to me..."

Caspian has joined the line. Because he was ordered by Galen, he's infantry, right? Him and the Paper Guard...or Paper Knights, Paper something, join the flanks of the line. Not in the front, but instead guarding the sides against any monsters that might seek to encircle them.

Sparte falls in beside Alessia to Theron's rear, taking the left guard. Sparte grins over at her before turning his attention to the enemies coming their way and stepping into action. His blows arn't powerful ones, but enough rapid thrusts to get the job done. What does he do, now that is finally fighting? Sparte sings. He isn't as good as the choir, but apparently he can't help himself. It is almost like he wants to get the attention of the monsters.

As the horde comes closer Norwood keeps in step with Kael and with focused attention goes~ to~ work~!

In the tense moments before the clash of armies, Ianna finds herself praying. This is novel, and she is not praying to anyone or anything in particular. Just a simple, pure entreaty to any benevolent force out there.

The black blade flashes as Thorley's red armor is about to get a little redder. Flanking on Norwood's other side, the Sword of Westrock Reach's blade slams into the first hordling he comes across before he's moving to try to continue. "Stand firm against these damned creatures! We will prevail!"

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

Archeron checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 18 higher.

"Steady. Steady. Steady. Don't swing until you see the claws of their hooves." Corban gives instructions that only make sense in this circumstance. "Or the snout of their gills." He grips his diamondplate sword tightly, his eyes just glimpsing at the crossguard and its CT and MG.


Moving with the spearhead, arrowtip, or inverted V, it really depends on who one asks, Luis has his rapier at the ready. As the foes draw closer, the rubicund saber at his hip is drawn as well with his left hand. Both blades out, the man readies himself and then as the lines clash, he's striking where he can, parrying with rubicund and making openings to maximize the damage of the alaricite blade he holds with his main hand. He will move with the others, clearly used to working in formation and taking down any enemies that get within reach, ensuring that those to the right and left of him do not need to worry about their flanks as it were. The Igniseri's armor flashes and is speckled with the blood and viscera of his enemies, and yet the battle is only just engaged and so the man paces himself, slipping into that soldier trained step, strike, push back, strike, step, motion that will carry them on using the least amount of energy despite the massive battle.

Amarantha stares at her brother for a very long second. "Are you suicidal?" The blonde questions, blinking. Tightening her grip on the knife, she'll shrug. "Fine. Fine. Not like you'll listen if I say otherwise."

Marcos raises a gauntleted hand and waves it forward towards the approaching army. "Loose!" He takes silent grime satisfaction in watching the arrows shoot out into their foes, knowing each hit may be a life saved. "Archers fire at will! Soldiers brace!"

Cleaving into a pirate with his sword, Theron grins as the man's head comes loose. There's another slash as it is ripped, and he places the head into his backpack. It might be a grisly sight to his teammates and his pikemen, but he doesn't care. "Fifty-nine to go, Your Grace. Let's get this done."

Talen has eyes of steel and a composure to match as the battle wages, but there's rumour he has said something akin to, "Blot out that sky, archers."

Tessa lets an arrow fly and is already knocking another one. There's a sort of smooth mechanics to the way her hand smoothly rolls from bow string to quiver and back again, loosing well aimed death on the enemy. Her expression is lost behind veil but occationally a down right gleeful giggle slips past it.

Alessia moves to slightly behind and Theron's right as he gives the order, and glances briefly toward Sparte, giving the man slight nod, before they move to engage the enemy. She tightens her grip on the runed handle of her glaive and when it's time to strike, she jabs for one of the eyes on one of the crazy creatures, but just barely misses it. She spins the weapon back up with one hand though, dancing back, before settling once again to keep the formation with Theron and Sparte. She joins in the song as well as Sparte begins to sing, and while she isn't the best singer, she does have somewhat of a voice, adding hers to that of Sparte and the Choir in hopes to keep the strength of the song spreading outward.

Amarantha checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 14 lower.

Apollis has rolled a critical success!
Apollis checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 35 higher.

Cadenza checked perception + survival at difficulty 30, rolling 32 higher.

Demura raises her blade, waiting for the archers to fire before she engages. She has no words now for the people around her. She fights by example, not asking for anything she wouldn't do in return.

Regla checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 7 lower.

Sorrel continues to sing with her choir, glad to add her voice to strengthen the troops, her song drifting with Tikva's and Lucita's across the battlefield. "Joined strong by unity // Faith, hope and victory // Together we have greater might // Forever holding in the Light // The darkness will be banished // Abyssal forces vanquished // As one people we do fight // To persevere o'er endless night!"

Tikva checked mana + performance at difficulty 40, rolling 3 higher.


Serafine is at Leta's side, watching her flank and defending the taller blonde, slaying, so far, every enemy that has stepped within range. "Leta!" she laughs, a reassuring battle-cry as she bends her focus into the fray.

Sorrel checked mana + performance at difficulty 40, rolling 19 higher.

Lucita checked mana + performance at difficulty 40, rolling 37 higher.

As the armies crash against one another, Valdemar lifts his axe high for his first strike, bringing it crashing down with a loud, harsh battle cry on one of the pirates who seems to be in charge, though in truth, it is difficult to tell. The cobalt blade thunks into his foe's shoulder and though it does not sever the arm, the force of the blow does send him reeling to the ground. To make sure that he stays there, the Grimhall heir brings a heavy boot down on his head as he steps forward to engage the next enemy.

Alistair charges forward with the bulk of soldiers wielding magical and metal-favored weapons, the High Inquisitor keeping pace as they meet the charging horde of ravenous abyssal creatures head on. The rolling sickness and madness in his stomach almost causes the man to lose his lunch, though he keeps his cool with that same unblinking and calm features that a few have found themselves facing when the Inquisition comes knocking. Now though that ice cold nature of his is being put to work killing demons. He barrels himself into a crab and frog hybrid, kicking away the beast's snapping pincers before he sheers the front of the beast's head, destroying the crab brain just as the frog legs twitch and the creature flips backwards so that it can die a twitching death. The man takes little time to savor the brief victory as some kind of fish and horse hybrid barrels into him, sending him skidding across the ground and giving him barely any time to regrasp his blade and drive it into the fish guts of the abyssal creature as it tries to crush him once more with its prodigious girth.

Archeron begins to nock another arrow after the first is loosed and he gestures to the others to do the same. Trying to keep them firing in a volley, he begins to draw the bowstring once again. As they get ready to fire, he sweeps his gaze across the enemy lines, trying to spy anything interesting that super needs an arrow in it's face.

Caspian is the little knife fighter that could. Okay, not that little. His blade might be small, but he ain't, and when he comes face to face with a Shard that looks like a cow with a cuttlefish's head he drives his redsteel dagger into the neck of the beasts and twists before dragging the blade out, causing the beast to spray it's blood and let out a pained, gargled cry. He has a fey grin on his lips, a man who has forgotten life and death and is lost in the thrill of battle.

And there's the line. In recent history, Setarco has seen no such battle, nor any need for it. Perhaps there are Prodigals watching from the trees and now they see well how the Compact responds to threats. As one unit they move, and as the monsters, and the men crash into the line - the line, remarkably, holds. It's a brave thing they're doing, and more than a few look like they're going to drop - until the Choir's voices come across clearly. It's a song they have sung much this day, but now they are answered by more voices. In this battle between light and dark - the battle for the survival of Setarco, the lines hold fast, singing their defiance along with the Choir as arrows arc over them in flight on their way to embedding themselves in the monsters, and the battle is well and truly joined. Some few are cut down immediately, others injured and dragged away by healers - but the line holds, and the final battle for Setarco is engaged at last.

Leta strides towards the front, standing just behind the line bristling with spears. She plants her boots on solid ground and holds her sword over one shoulder. It's cramped quarters for now, and the sword is big enough that the fighters to her left and right might not appreciate her taking liberties. So she doesn't. She keeps an eye on the line, and steps in wherever shields or spears risk failing with big cleaving blows and spear-like thrusts. There is nothing fancy to her fighting, no subtlety to her footwork, no smile on her face, just glittering diamondplate clearing an arc to her left and her right as needed. And someone's singing, so Leta sings along - few words are fully uttered - matching the pitch of each grunt and snarl to the melody.

Smash go the Telmarines into the line, the great red wall of armor the match for the monsters and pirates. Lord Corban is at the front of them. Always lead from the front, he said. And so he practices what he preaches, ready for his sword to sink into the beasts. Like that tentacle monster. Ask what happened to that one. (He died.)

Shard isn't nearly so successful with her own attacks, but she keeps up with the other magical weapon wielders at least, delivering blows where she can on already engaged targets, and trying to keep out of the way of return strikes. As the singing starts up she mutters a little, and certainly doesn't join in. She might even give Sparte a squinted look, but in the heat of battle that's all she can spare. Her attention is on slimey monster things and undead sea men instead.

The archers in the lighthouse are firing at will, now, dipping their arrows in holy water before nocking and firing. The infantry and pike, swept up in the moment, beat their shields and chant in time; their voices, mixed with the twang and rush of firing arrows, becomes the percussion of this symphony of defiance.

Marcos steps into the first man who comes screaming up to him with primal hunger, taking the man's wrist apon a his armored shoulder rather then a sword. The red metal claws on his gauntlet jabbing upwards and into the man's unprotected neck and sending blood everywhere. He shoves the man off to meet the next..and the next. Unable to pause to get a clear picture of what's going on in the chaotic swirl of first contact.

Lucita harmonizes with the other singers, helping blend their efforts together into a strong solid song, working their way through the prayful songs and those helping maintain their focus on protection and inspiring of their troops along the battlefield. She has learned to let each woman takes the lead sometimes, so there is a chance for a quick sip or water or an passage a little easier on the voices. It seems to help Lucita to sing strongly a little longer. Hands still linked with the others and a nod of approval and of relief is given as other voices join in with them.

Merek pushes forward with his shield and starts to arc his diamondplate blade in swings, while the duskstone is gleaming along with the glimmer of his rubicund mirror shield. He hears people sing, and then his voice rises to sing along with them. If they are going to meet an epic enemy in an epic battle, might as well let all defiance be known to those that watch, to even the gods, he launches forward, his orange glassed visor revealing little of his gaze as he almost DANCES with his method of combat, a style reminiscent of Eurusi he has seen that he rarely shows. They say you should fight for what you love. Humanity... The dance, the motion of the waves. And love. He remembers Mangata's words, "And she said the best of us is love!" he exclaims somewhere in his song.

Norwood and Queensguard are one as they heave into the incoming horde their long association showing in each sweep and thrust of the diamondplate sword. He is focused, lips shut firmly rather than going to join the song. His attention is narrowed to the men on either side - Thorley, Kael - and the enemy before him and Queensguard.

Tessa keeps firing, a sort of smooth motion knocking and launching arroes. She knocks aside her empty quiver and snags another one then starts over again.

"HOLD IT!" Theron lets his shield slam against the offending axe of a pirate, the talons of a mutated creature. It is the latter that he tries to slice past, protecting the shieldman to his right and letting Sparte take the blow against the pirate before toppling the creature and stabbing it. That's a head he doesn't collect, but incoming is another famished follower of the Gyre and that one he kills with a sneer, his entire life flashing before his eyes, ten or more years of bloodshed in places both light and dark, night and day, alone and alongside comrades. He sings along, though, but this is no singer; he mutters the lyrics to the songs that the Choir shouts forth with their voices and lets others who are musically inclined to fill in the blanks he leaves behinds. The Sword of Ostria is a killer, and a damn fucking good at that. As others shout to hold steady, he does, slamming the shield forward and digging in, pushing forth once more, now singing loudly and out of key, but there's nobody to listen in the clash of metal with metal and wood. Kicking up a head in an intermission, he places it in his backpack. Fifty-eight. You'll get your five score, Eleyna, and he'll prove it.

Tikva's voice might lack some of the power and finesse that Lucita and Sorrel bring to bear right now-- it may be that her long, long day's concert is beginning to get to her. But she supports it through the whole of her body and will, and keeps her words on track with Sorrel's lyrics, and keeps her eyes wide, tracking as much as they can see from high atop this tower.


"So serious!" laughs Serafine to Leta, when the blonde takes a pause from her slicing and cutting and defending, practical in her space and frugal with her footwork, Leta is something to admire. As it is, Serafine focuses on her contracted world, defending her lover from what the blonde cannot readily see or focus on, Serafine devoting most of her efforts to speed and quick kills, aiding those near her when Leta's between swings.

Waldemai pushes with his shield, and any critter in reach gets a whack with the hammer. A lot like another day in the forge, really, if you ignore all the teeth and talons and the fear and the singing...well, maybe not a lot like another day in the forge after all.

The prayer beads that Madeliene handed out dangle from Thorley's wrist as he smashes into the land. As a seahorse/seal/man combonation rushes at him, the knight's blade cleaves through it's side as he brings the blade around and rams through it's throat. Spilling briney water, bilge and blood, the creature gargles to its death as the knight glances towards Norwood and Kael to check on them as he continues on his gruesome task, already a harsh breath in his chest as Eventide is brought around to cut at the tentacles that make the torso of another creature.

Demura is holding her own, surrounded by her own army. She swings the foreign sword with efficiency, moving foward with and leaving death in her wake. She flinches as her downswing connects, taking down an enemy with little fanfaire.


Regla has no shield, so blocking with her blade will have to do. Parrying with it, that will have to do as well. However, the one thing she can do is be a warrior, and stab, and swing, and stand alongside her men. "HOLD!!" pause, "Pikes! Aim for the Head!"

The crash.. because there is a crash, like one wall of steel slamming into a wall of hardened flesh, not so much a ringing as much as the ground shakes under the pressure and the air groans as the two armies meet. It's that sound that causes Juliana to flinch to draw back a step as her breath catches and a silent groan answers the sound of the armies meeting. It's that which holds her attention, eyes focused not on men dying but in the struggle between two forces that try to topple the other.

Madeleine is no singer but her voice is rich and full of devotion. She makes sure the girls have their drinks at the right moment and continues her own endless string of invocation and prayer, though she lacks the special something that gives the trio power. The curvy woman continues to be support in whatever way she can lend.

Talen bellows forward, the Mirrorguard to notify the healers and labourers, "Keep the dead behind friendly lines, do NOT let them fall to our foe, do not let our injured linger!" Then, with that, the next barrage of commands come. It is for the cavalry and archers who engage the beasts to keep it up, to take down as many as they can, to slow the rest. The infantry and pike to hold the line around the trenches and pits they board over and to only withdraw to the next row when they must. For the elites and heirloom wielders to take down whatever commanders they can, should there be any, as they watch the effect of their current tactics and constantly seek to adapt.

The swordstaff in Sparte's hands strikes true into the pirate as Theron serves them up on a shield-platter. Sparte slams down the shaft of the weapon into the ground to catch a strike before it can slip through to Theron from the side, planting his boot in a kick on the offending threat before shifting his blade back into a thrusting position. Sparte is grinning ear to ear, still belting out the melody. He pauses long enough to shout out. "Carry the song on your blade and let them taste our resolve!"

Let it never be said that Kael Keaton did not try. He does, in that steady way that he has even if his typical skill is lacking. His blade is drawn, the forces upon him, and then there are those that fall around him. Perhaps it is allies' blood that distracts him, that unfocused him, for his strikes are not as sure as they could be -- how *does* a blade land cleanly on a squid-horse, anyway? Not the squid portion, Kael. Not the squid portion! A tentacle downed likely does nothing to truly harm the beastie that he faces, but it was before him, and thus that was his target. Black ichor is his likely reward.

For a moment, the Archduchess of Lenosia, clad in white with her hair streaming down, emerges from the command tent and lifts her voice, bellowing over the battlefield as the new orders begin to filter through the ranks, "Lycenes! Hold the line! Show these beasts that the South DOES NOT KNEEL! Fight for your Archduchess! Fight for the Hundred Cities! Fight for the Compact. WE STAND!"

Still those two godsworn stand on the wall along the tower, watching and praying with their lanterns, observing.

Valdemar swings the greataxe in his hands faster than anyone has a right to, the ancient blade flashing here and there not only to kill pirates and monsters, but to deflect blows that come too close to the big Mourning Islander. When he has a chance to do so, he looks around, seeking those among the human enemies who might be giving commands and fighting his way toward them, without wandering too far from those he is fighting alongside. His deliberate march forward keeps him near Theron, Sparte, Caspian and the otherss as he screams as the next enemy to step up to him, "Back to the depths with you! For the Mourning Isles!"

Somehow SOMEHOW among all of this Norwood finds his Dad-Humor bone tickled, "Good job disarming them Kael!" The horrid pun gets called out over the fighting as Norwood sidesteps his own HorQuid and rams Queensguard true into it's horrid bulk.

Tessa checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 40, rolling 13 lower.

Tessa keeps an eye on Kael on the field, following the Count with the arrow head and then tilting to the side. Some archer ing the battlements has him covered... or maybe is shooting him.

Alis pulls a chair from the command tent with her as she steps outside of it. And then, stands atop it. "VALARDIN!" she projects her voice, holding her crackling flail aloft. "We have not broken, and we will not break now! You fight for the safety of all Avrum! All of the Compact! Fight for Gloria, for the Sentinel, for Mangata! WE WILL HOLD!" Climbing down from the chair right away would be somewhat anticlimatic after that, so she stands there. Tall (for once), to see what she can see and show the troops she is paying attention to what they are facing down so bravely.

Caspian checked charm + performance at difficulty 30, rolling 8 higher.

The thing with 'hordes of enemies' is that there is always another enemy to take the last fallen one's place and Luis continues to carve through them with the lead group, ensuring that what goes down, hopefully stays down. Rubicund saber flashes red in the light of day as a Pirate's arm is forced wide and the follow up lunge of the dark rapier easily slips through the man's armor, puncturing heart and back before being drawn out swiftly, with the aid of a boot to the pirate's gut. The motion is used for the next step forward and the return draw of the combat rapier takes the inner flesh of the underarm of the next pirate. Blood flows freely and armor dangles, cut loose from the slash, while Luis finishes that one with the curved edge of the saber. Slowly he continues to work through the enemies as they come, moving with the force and making room for the next enemy to take its place.
When there is mention of the heirloom and cobalt weilders to seek out the commanders, Luis looks around, "Are we moving in deeper?!" he calls to those around him, attempting to get a feel for where they are headed to next. He will not abandon those with him however, ensuring that those closest will be protected as he is more comfortable moving as a unit.


**********************************************************************
Reports from Setarco are sketchy and the messenger service is openly scheduling retraining on communications and message running, but for now they're publishing the reports with disclaimers at the bottom. The fleet battle is ongoing, and one of the ships seems to be baiting the glass shark* with an anchor**.

*disclaimer - there is no such thing as a glass shark, but we don't actually know what it might be
**disclaimer - even if there were such a thing, anchors aren't hooks. Or they are, but not like that. Glass sharks don't grow that big and anyway - you know what? Even the disclaimer is ridiculous. Send those heralds to training.
**********************************************************************


Galen stands from the command tent and steps outside, each placement of his feet intentional, his stormy eyes reaching out across what he can see on the field from behind the slits of his helm. Finding something he could literally step up on he would inhale deeply. "THRAX!" he screamed, the deep melody of his voice transforming into something much louder, more powerful in its nature. With one hand he hoisted his cobalt broadsword into the air, "We fight for Thrax...But more than that we fight for our families! Our loved ones! We fight for the Compact! We fight for our neighbors, our friends, and enemies alike! We fight for our faith, for the Gods...We fight for the very Isles from which we came." he bellowed, "If you live through this day then live with honor, and if you die then do so well and take as many of those sons of bitches with you as you can!" The Warlord then screamed at the top of his lungs and thrust his sword higher into the air before turning to head back into the tent.

Driskell speaks to his fellow priest Roran, the arch lector of Lagoma, giving a gesture to all the soldiers fighting as they pray, "The spark of hope was small, but now you can see it burning bright like a conflagration. Souls exercising their highest power, that of free choice and standing in unity to deny the Abyss."

And then, Caspian begins to sing. He looks over to Sparte, Theron, Vlademar, and the others he fights along with. His voice likely doesn't carry over the sound of battle, but he at least tries. He sings a song of war, honor, glory, and most of all, victory, of going home back to friends and loved ones with joy in your heart. He sings this even as he cuts into the neck of a pirate.

Regla checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 14 higher.

Ian checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 4 lower.

Tessa checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 4 higher.

Norwood checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 6 higher.

Theron checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 1 higher.

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

Alessia checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 15 higher.

Leta checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 19 higher.

Luis checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 15 higher.

Merek checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 1 lower.

Alistair checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 10 higher.

Eleyna checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 28 higher.

Shard checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 27 higher.

Regla checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 13 lower.

Caspian checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 10 higher.

Marcos checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 13 lower.

Serafine checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 13 lower.

Valdemar checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 13 lower.

Thorley checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 35 higher.

Corban checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 17 higher.

Archeron checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 22 higher.

Kael checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 11 higher.

Isabetta checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 30, rolling 10 higher.

Dario checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 0 higher.

Marik has rolled 1 3-sided dice: 1

Waldemai checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 11 lower.

Sparte checked stamina + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 25 higher.

Demura checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 3 higher.

Isabetta has joined the At the Arrowslits.

Talen checked composure + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 17 higher.

Archeron is just about to launch a volley when Galen starts yelling about Thrax. Archeron lets out a sigh "I suspect the enemy fight because of Thrax as well." He comments, mostly to himself "Revenge is a powerful motivator. And the past is full of things to be aggrieved over." But his voice lifts "Tyde - Loose!" And the next wave of angry bees slash tumbling porcupine launches up into the sky, a temporary moving shadow that falls on the heads of the enemy.

Elyse checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 11 lower.

Galen checked command + war at difficulty 40, rolling 7 higher.

Barely with any space to counterattack, Theron just holds steady as he lets Alessia and Sparte do most of the heavy lifting. Alas, no heads this time around but they do get an exceptionally defensive shieldman to take the blows for them. He's laughing loudly, now, singing an old ditty about a man who is married to a woman he detests but without whom he cannot live without. Wood splinters as he takes a corner hit with the shield to protect the fellow shieldman to the left's head, and he sinks his sword forward to keep a foe at bay.

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

Ianna checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 30, rolling 50 higher.

Marcos checked command + leadership at difficulty 40, rolling 6 lower.

Orathy has left the On the Battlements.

More enemies, always more enemies, but thankfully with the aid of working at moving as units and mixed unit tactics over the past half of a year, Luis has managed to make himself well familiar with what it is like to stand beside any sort of weapon wielding ally. He fills in gaps with both blades, protecting his shouldered allies by setting their foes off-balance and then moving back to his own. The line keeps moving, the initial crush and press against them having been rebuffed soundly and now it was a matter of keeping that momentum up and so Luis continues to encourage those with him to push the enemy, slaying them as they encounter them, and leaving a trail of dead and dying in their wake. "Lagoma, may you cleanse their taint with your eternal flame," he calls out to the goddess, drivign his rapier through the neck of the next, and steps forward, using the pirate's body as a dead shield against the next demon creature. A mess of teeth and snapping pincers.
The body at the end of the rapier is maimed and eviscerated as Luis uses his saber to deflect and position the creature in such a way that when the mutilated body of the dead pirate is destroyed, viscera and matter spilling everywhere in a macabre shower, he steps in, rapier freed to take the demon in the head and with a twist of the man's grip, something inside the creature audibly pops and it collapses to the ground instantly. And yet there is always more, and so Luis plods on with those whom are with him, slaying and killing, a soldier trained for this specific task.

Orathy checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 40, rolling 36 higher.

Elyse grunted in her struggle - having discarded her cutlass and taken up a small shield she'd found who knows where. Using it to help hold the line and push, bracing her boots in the ground to push against the line. Thin as she was, she was more relying on those others in the Few to help her push as well. She'd sneak her own blade out and forward, seeking the little gaps where a dagger could slip in and cut here or there before being pulled back.

Corban smashes his diamondplate sword against a seabear, sending it toppling it over to the ground on the dirt of Setarco. And then he spins around to stab a -- oh, wait, that's just a normal pirate (well, zombie pirate) -- and hauls him off one of the Telmarines to his right. The Telmarch Voice holds with his men, strong on the line.

Orathy has been standing a statue, by Juliana Pravus. There's not a single twitch in his expression as his dark eyes watch the field of carnage below him. He was not a solider, he was not a knight. But he was a fighter. His gaze sweeps toward Juliana... then back toward the position they were lurking in. It was somewhere by the wall outside the wall.... whereever! In the chaos it had become clear that he was on the fringe of a line that's ... holding or not holding? So confusing, but his black bladed diamonplate axe slips free and into his hands and he... aims for whatever gruesome creature comes toward his position, be it a squid with an eagle head, or some horse with a snapping shark head. Whatever these things are, he goes to crush them.

With his attention split perhaps too many ways, it takes Ian a while to catch that the firing of his archers has gotten unfocused and ragged as they get swept up in the excitement, and then it takes him a few minutes to get them back on task again. He's still keeping calm, but there are hints that this is, in fact, his first command. This being one of them.

"Apollis! Take the back, shoot anyone who tries to follow us." Amarantha calls out, shaking her head in mild disbelief. "We need to make sure the commanders hear about this. Doesn't matter if one of us eats the dirt in the process, just keep running." And with that, the blonde starts running--keeping ahead of Cadenza with blade drawn. Just in case anyone tries to stop them. To the command tent, they go!

Thorley moves forward, remembering not to get too far from breaking ranks with Norwood and Kael as the knight's black blade is more than stained red with demon and unholy filth. The knight continues his attack, blade cutting into the cursed and damned.

Amarantha has left the Outside the Gates.

Amarantha has joined the Command Tents.

Apollis has left the Outside the Gates.

Apollis has joined the Command Tents.

Cadenza has left the Outside the Gates.

Cadenza has joined the Command Tents.

"....shit....." Cadenza stays low as she moves with Amarantha. Her sword still drawn, Cadenza stays hot on Amarantha's heels but looks back to Apollis. Frowning as she looks but she moves back and keeps going. Time to let them now what they found.

Want to know who figured out that the fleshy bits are better to attach than the cephalopod bits? That'd be Kael. Covered in an inky darkness that must smell like the inner, fermenting bowels of something long since departed, he maneuvers far more gracefully now than he did before. He moves to strike against a beast near Thorley, grunting appreciation when the knight finishes it off.

Dario checked command + war at difficulty 40, rolling 12 higher.

Apollis turns toward Amarantha and a gives her a nod holding out his bow and trailing behind her and Cadenza as he runs making sure to cover them if needed.

Now they are in the thick of it. A trio of tainted pirates come rushing at Alistair, the three of them dog piling the High Inquisitor and trying to bring him to the ground. Thankfully he is a rather large man, able to keep his own for a moment before another fighter and a Confessor come to help him, pulling off two of the assailants and allowing Alistair the opportunity to grasp his sword and swing it at just the right height to lob off the pirate's head. He kicks the decapitated corpse into the loving embrace of some kind of lobster panther. Body and head of a lobster and legs of a large feline. It is properly horrifying. Even more horrifying are the noises the creature lets out as it devours its defeated ally. 'Moist' is the best way to describe the slurping sound of the Abyss chimera. Those slurps turned into hisses and howls as Alistair and the two warriors who assisted him leap upon the creature and start hacking away at its many lobster limbs.


Regla is doing all she can to hold the line with her men, all she can to cut down the horde of death that slams in to her units line. "Hold them! Hold!" she bellows at her Marines.

Caspian continues to battle along with his Thraxian buddies, and Theron, because Theron is Thraxian in spirit at least! At an approaching priate he parries two swipes by them before replying with a wide slash, still singing his song, though pauses to call out, "Sparte! Theron! Vald! And, Elyse, if you're close enough! All your limbs still attached?!"

As the armies move, the healers move in to get the wounded to the hospital tents and handle the dead. Ianna's in the field this time, working with a stretcher team to help identify fallen soldiers that have treatable injuries. She's focused entirely on her work, leathers getting spattered with blood, gore, and unidentifiable muck.

"Kael, Thorley!" Norwood calls out as one of the Snake/Spider combos comes slither/crawling - it's not one that Norwood has ANY interest in taking on alone. Queensguard points at the advancing creature as Norwood tries to get the pair's attention so they can go at it together.

Tripping over a fallen enemy, Valdemar stumbles forward for a moment. That single misstep, however, is all it takes to put him on the defensive, using the haft of his axe as much as its blades to keep enemy weapons, teeth, claws...anything that threatens his well-being away as he attempts to regain his footing. Even as he fights to remain whole, he chants at those who would kill him, the defiant battle chant of his family after every clash of blades, "Grim! Grim! Grim!" Hearing Caspain's question over the noise, he quickly but clearly nods his head once before swiping at the next spear to come close to him.

As the sounds of the choir swell, joined by the voices of the Abandoned in the trees, a sense of courage takes hold of Alessia, and she becomes quite a bit more bold in her tactics. Pushing back the dark hunger that ever threatens to overwhelm them, features grim behind the shelter of her barbute, she dances forward, glaive spinning in her hands as she takes a swing at the grisly creature Theron is facing, using her full strength this time to send the glittering diamondplate blade through the hardened skin, slicing through to lop off its head. Huffing a breath, she's no longer singing, as she gives the glaive a brief flick to rid the diamondplate of sickening goo, before spinning the weapon back up in both hands, holding it before her. She sees Theron going for another, and jabs her weapon forward as well, aiming for a leg. It is a leg, isn't it? Of course it is.

Sparte shouts back at Caspian. "I wore armor, I've got a pink flipping ribbon on, and I'm so hungry I'm coming up with recipes for the things I'm fighting. Do you have any idea how many ways there could be to cook a squid horse?! Stop worrying and get back to singing!"

Marcos grabs one of his wounded men and shoves him back behind the line. "Keep together! Hold!" His voice almost lost to the screams and sounds of the battle itself. He pants heavily trying to stay with his men at all costs.

"My friends! It is with resolve that we finish this! Push forward! Be like justice that these monsters, human or not, deserve! Swift and brutal!" Theron is no commander, but he is a Sword. And Swords lead by example. He is the shieldman and he does not let his companions be imperiled. The shield splinters again on the bottom left corner and he pushes forward, jabbing the sword at the neck of a creature that he lets Alessia finish off with grim resolution. "We're racing to see who gets to the commanders first, Wild! That's what we're doing here!"

Against such monsters, who can stand? The Compact, that's who - and so they do, holding the line. But here and there some get through, and now the creatures reach out blindly. One punches Elyse hard, and the woman goes end over end, barely catching herself upright at the last. Waldemai swings his sword and hits the man next to him - it's not a fatal blow, but it definitely causes a lot of cursing on the line. And nearby, Serafine hears the commotion and turns her attention to it for the briefest of moments... only to be grabbed around the waist by a creature with more arms than an octopus. They squeeze her until she spews blood from her mouth and then they throw her away and back behind the line, discarded and lifeless on the ground.

Serafine has died.

"Got it, Norwood!" Thorley calls out, taking the cue from the other Sword as the knight comes along the side, his blade slices along the long side of the creature, ripping it asunder as the blood comes pouring out with guts. "And I thought they smelled bad.." he starts to say before Serafine is suddenly grabbed. "FUCK!" he calls out as he swings the blade around.

Merek checked willpower at difficulty 25, rolling 4 higher.

"Sparte," Theron watches with horror as Serafine is grabbed, and he is shocked for a moment, "No. Alessia. Take her back to Her Grace. She is a Princess of Velenosa and we will not leave her on the ground. GO!" He slices forth more brutally now, relentlessly, cutting a man into his ribs and letting him bleed out on the floor, smashing his greaves onto his head for grisly effect.

Leta checked composure at difficulty 25, rolling 15 lower.

Isabetta checked composure at difficulty 30, rolling 13 lower.

Orathy steps away from her and into the fray, Juliana doesn't even blink. There is no protest or abdonishment to be careful. Perhaps she doesn't notice really, her eyes on the line watching as tenticles strike out and the bodies of many are tossed here and there. Her blue eyes catch hold of Serafine's body as it is tossed lifelessly back towards the wall, just staring at her until movements of others obscure the corpse from view.

"Norwood, Kael! Cover the recovery of the Princess! We will not let more fall!" Thorley calls to the pair, trying to hold their part of the line as the Velenosians move to recover one of their own.

Alessia checked composure at difficulty 30, rolling 13 lower.

Merek looks to be doing well, singing a ditty about rising up, then he looks aside. Just to see what happens to Serafine. And so it seems like all time stands still, but something of his resolve seems to be bolstered. He holds up his blade and no one can see behind the visor, but something in him seems to be doing its best to fight. He lets out a loud shout, growling to the skies, then he takes up his blade, "BASTARRRRRRRRRRDS!" he shouts, and regardless how useless it is he begins to cleave through the foes, "NO MORE, NO MORE FRIENDS." Bloodlust and fury rage within him, fueling him, Aneka and his guards move into formation around him while he moves with the rest of the unit, and starts to twirl his blade about.

Isabetta is stunned by the horror of it all, lowering her bow to gape in disbelief while her hands shake visibly. The arrow she had in her other hand drops with a clatter and it is that which fails to shake her free of the grip of terror. Instead a sob escapes her lips and she scrambles for her dropped arrow, her chest heaving with rapid breathing and still wracked by quivering sobs. She has to wipe her eyes to see well enough to loose further arrows.

Regla checked composure at difficulty 30, rolling 7 higher.

Norwood has rolled a critical success!
Norwood checked composure at difficulty 30, rolling 12 higher.

Elyse stumbles, staggers, and is pushed back from the line, her shield not big enough to cover her entirely. Working her jaw for a second, wincing with the pain - probably cracked, but not broken. Taking a few moments from the back line to recover herself - taking a moment to look over the field - likely having missed the fall of Serafine - but looking around when the cries and exclamations begin to rise around her. Clenching her teeth for a moment, to let the pain focus her into a rictus grin, before she pushes back in, directing the Few around her to help reinforce the surrounding lines.

"Fuck!" Caspian shouts as the the monster takes Serafine and squeezes the life out of her. But he doesn't have much time to mourn. That comes after. He turns his attention to the creatures breaking through the ranks, moving to the closest one to flank it and try to slay it, doing his part in helping the line hold.


Regla's eyes for only a moment scan to see what just happened. She would sob if the battle allowed it, there will be time for mourning later. "Archers! Cover any recovery efforts! Marines, we are holding this line! We hold it against all! We hold so that others may live!"

Norwood had engaged the sword creature but at Thorley's call Norwood looks backwards but his expression doesn't flicker even half a bit. Instead he steps forward to skewer the snake/spider and then falls back. Blood washes over his boots as he goes to cover those who are taking away the dead princess. "Fuck you," gets tossed off as he engages again his face utterly expressionless as he goes back to work.

In war, even the fiercest knights fall, but in this war, the Choir must sing, and Tikva stands firm and fierce with Sorrel and Lucita, singing a high, stalwart chorus.

"WE WILL STAND!" Theron shouts as he channels his hatred and anger and fear outward, letting slightly more agile motions allow him to smash his shield into a creature and then overhead slash it with his blade. He'll be looking for the super octopus later. It has a date inside a pot in Abyss. "HOLD THE FUCKING LINE, BANNERMEN OF VELENOSA! THIS ISN'T OVER!" He roars with the indignation of someone who has seen a comrade fall. "OUR SISTER FELL SO WE COULD LIVE, AND WE WILL AVENGE HER!"

Driskell wields a black obsidian blade.

Amarantha has left the Command Tents.

Amarantha has joined the Outside the Gates.

Apollis has left the Command Tents.

Apollis has joined the Outside the Gates.

Cadenza has left the Command Tents.

Cadenza has joined the Outside the Gates.

The words from the Swords -- both, of course -- are heeded from Kael. He had been fighting alongside them and continues to do so. First with the spider creatures, joining the two other men to work in tandem to defeat the twisted foes before them and then, should recovery efforts be made, standing with his makeshift unit to aid.

Serafine is in the middle of it, she's ... she's grinning, this is what she's made to do, to fight at her lover's side, to protect what she loves most, and that's her family. The Lyceum is her family, her sister is in the command tents with her brother-in-law. Her companions. And then... Leta. Leta is her family. Serafine is a fox, Velenosan, snapping her teeth and cackling with enemy after fallen enemy and then-

Her attention is caught, she looks to see a fellow take a hit, there's that split moment of a heartbeat when she considers shifting her stance, just a hair before she makes her decision-

The world tilts. Pressure, her eyes go wide and she's looking at her Leta, her beautiful Leta, mouth opening to cry for help.

Cracks inside of her, splintering sounds of bone and then there's just black velvet spilling through her head, nothing left in the discarded body to be grieved over; Serafine is gone.

Archeron strokes his thumb against the grip of his cobalt bow, before he nods to the archers "Aim higher, push the enemy back if we can so they can grab their fallen. Try not to hit anyone important." The Tyde fires off his own arrow before he looks over at the rest of the troops, with various people yelling "I hope no-one gets emotional and gets themselves killed. That would be regrettable." He murmers at his firing line, taking a moment to shove a handful of arrows in his quiver.

Madeleine places her hand over her mouth in silent horror. But she stands firm and continues to pray, adding words for the Queen of Endings to be with them now that she's needed.

At some point in the chaos, Shard seems to hit some kind of stride. Her strikes start landing more, and they're fast, vicious, always with the cobalt weapon first, and then her red blade as followup into the already open wounds. She's no dancer, there's nothing pretty about her movements. She darts and dodges in jagged, sharp motions that are rough but incredibly unpredictable, and they seem to serve her well for the moment. Right up until Serafine falls. It's unclear if she sees it happen or if she merely hears the reactions--but she spins suddenly, silently, and darts as fast as she can toward Leta. Leta and the octopus monster, but mostly Leta, with every bit as much determination, or, somehow, /more/, than she was just fighting with, both weapons readied.

Sparte checked willpower at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Apollis has left the Outside the Gates.

Leta fights. Her eyes search the enemy hordes for signs of commanders, but what does a commander even look like? She searches for fancy hats, for bejeweled tentacles and banners held high, but in the absence of orders, of anyone pointing where she must strike, the knight-mercenary holds her ground, cleaving her way into the throng only to flow back again as the gap she clears is filled in. Her armor takes a few glancing strokes here and there, but she stands her ground. Then she turns her head to look to her side, and Serafine isn't there. She blinks, she searches for a moment, then raises her eyes, just in time to see Serafine's body tossed away. "No. No. No. No. No," she stops, the fight forgotten, the din of it deafened by the roar of blood in her ears as she rams her way through the line to where the Velenosa Princess fell. There she drops to her knees, greatsword cast aside as if diamondplate was naught but waste iron, and leans over Serafine, "Come... can you stand? The... Mercies, we can make it to the Mercies..." she says as she touches her gauntlets to Serafine's blood-soaked lips and removes her helmet, bending down to whisper so the dead body can hear her, "Please."

Dario just stares over at the sight of things. He feels sick and it shows in his flush skin. He makes his orders and dispatches them standing near the mechanics of the trebuchet where he can best view the field below. He has a stream of runners going up and down the walls. "This is your home! Your blood! Your families! These are our cities! Our hearts!" He shouts in grim detachment despite the panic. "Show them your Lyceum pride! Show them your Pravus sand! Dig deep!"

Orathy manages to club something and slice through another something... things with fangs, things with bills, things with snapping claws... squid things? Hard shells, soft shells, he uses his axe like a meat cleaver. He eventually leaps back to get a small reprieve, looking back over toward Juliana. That unblinking look has him leap toward her and give her a shake, yelling at her in the din of all the chaos around them.

The scouts are back and running out of the tents again! Amarantha stays in front, dashing through the fray and chaos to try and reach Alistair. Blue eyes scan the path between them and the inquisitor, searching for any threats. If one appears, Amarantha will protect Cadenza at all costs.

Cadenza stands outside of that tent, that bracelet being placed on her other unadorned wrist. Taking a deep shuddering breath she looks up then as she looks to her fellow scouts. "....for my home....for my family....for the compact...." A soft smile as she looks ahead. "....into the fray, scouts....." Holding her sword tightly in her hand she runs in after Amarantha.

Elyse spots Leta when she goes to kneel, and knows the pain she likely feels. "Leta!" calling out to the fellow Few. "ON YOUR FEET! Do not let those who have taken her from us go without their deserved punishment!" trying to get the woman to focus, to come back to the fight, least she be the next casualty. But she stays behind the lines, where she was directed, knowing that going out there would only add to the targets.

Sparte doesn't realize Serafine has fallen until others start to react around him. It is at that point he glances over and falters himself before shaking his head, gritting his teeth and shouting in a more strained voice. "They'll take more from us if we don't push back!" Sparte steps forward with a thrust of his own weapon and a gutteral scream at the enemy line.

Things are getting chaotic, and Demura tries to keep up, hacking at anything unnatural that gets in her way. She hears screams, and she turns to see the commotion, frowning briefly before she turns back to fight. Her world has just become hack and slash, move and advance.

Tessa continues to shower death down on the enemies. Arrow, arrow, arrow. A series of giggles spills out of her after a particularly good shot right to the eye. "This is fun!"

Apollis is trailing behind Amarantha and Cadenza with his bow ready to fire at any threats that might seek to drop the Lycenes. "Fucking for the Lyceum, I guess," he says with a small smile.

Apollis has joined the Outside the Gates.

Driskell unsheathes a rather beautifully dark obsidian blade as he holds a lantern in the other hand. He's praying for the light of hope not to be extinguished in the darkest of moments for those souls in the plains as he works with Roran.

Lucita has moved just enough to reach an arm around each of her friend singers, standing between then and trying to offer and take comfort from them as they continue to sing. Oh how she sings the words remain in sync with the other singers though her eyes close for the space of several bars, finally opening again to focus on the ongoing battle. Her color is a few shades paler but there is an expression of sadness and determination to not falter, not now.

"SERAFINE!" Theron snarls out his comrade's name as his battle cry, repeating it with every deep exhale of air; letting his emotions emanate from him, power every motion of his limbs with murderous precision. "NEVER FORGOTTEN!" He stabs the beast in front of him with seething fury. "AGAINST THE NIGHT! LEAD US INTO VICTORY, GODS! SHOW US THE WAY!"

Norwood glances behind him at Leta but not for long. He steps to place himself firmly between an on-coming enemy and the woman on the ground. If an enemy is going to attack the kneeling woman, he's going to make them go through him first.

"Grieve later! Avenge now!" Thorley calls out as he works with his fellow Sword and the Count as the three try to fill in the gap, engaging with what monstrosity comes near.

Galen theron caspian sparte = You guys may die.

grim

Valdemar only notices the the fallen woman briefly; he does not know her, but sees how the others are reacting to her death and so launches himself into the fighting more fiercely. Swinging his axe with fluid motions, he steps up beside Theron to watch his fellow Sword's back as he seeks to avenge Serafine.

Alistair finishes hacking the various legs and antenna from the lobster creature, turning to watch as Soldiers of the Compact give everything that they have. Including their lives. Torn and shredded asunder by the vile Abyss Chimera creatures. The High Inquisitor starts shouting commands to his Confessors before he turns back to the horde. "Sentinel Guard the Righteous." The man whispers under his breath. "Sentinel give me strength so that I may see justice done." he punches and slashes the arm off a charging pirate, watching as some kind of preying mantis creature spears one of his Confessors and rips him in half. "Give me the will to see this battle through." He takes Watcher and readies it for more combat.


Regla's attention is still focused on the fight, but then she's looking back and seeing another soldier falling to knee over Sera's body, "Marines! I want a detachment with me now!" she bellows out. "We are covering recovery! Move!" she bellows, as she moves with her men in tow up next to Norwood. "We have this! GO! Get them both off the field! GO!" she bellows at Norwood, and Theron, Valdemar and the others. "We're the reaction force! Let us do this! Get back to the line!" she screams at them.

Alessia swings her weapon back, and hears the horrible commotion not far from where she is with Theron, just in time to see the beast grab hold of Serafine. Her amber eyes widen in horror as Seraphine is squeezed to death, just like that, and then discarded like a ragdoll. It's hard to see her expression behind her barbute's visor but it is no doubt grim, and she stops, staring for a moment. She's never seen anything like it. Then, she hears Theron's voice. It urges her into motion. Still horrified, she swings into motion, moving toward the fallen Serafine at Theron's urging, keeping her glaive held before her as she pushes in that direction, trusting Theron to hold the line. If there are any beasties in her way, she'll be doing her best to help cut them down.

Ianna's stretcher team makes it to Leta and Serafine. A quick examination confirms what many suspected. "She's gone," she tells Leta. "Up," she urges her. "Fight for her." The princess's broken body is moved onto a stretcher and carried off. Ianna stays with Leta for a moment, resting a hand on the other woman's armored shoulder until she rises.

It's with an utterly blank expression that Alis passes on the next set of orders to be given; "Cavalry! Form, up with the last of the other units, and trample whatever is in your way as you head east to the heart of the army marching from that direction. Clear a path, because following you will be a group of scouts that lead the following... any with diamondplate, alaricite, cobalt weapons that are either masters of their weapon or built like a brick fucking wall... you will go, and dispatch the commanders you are led to. We believe they are able to wield magic, so be careful, but be merciless. Remember what they are here to destroy." Then, to one who will run her commands to the knights and pikes. "Keep tight formation and slowly draw back towards the walls. When you are in range, the siege weapons will fire with flaming projectiles at the largest beasts. Remember, all of you. Steel bends, honor holds. You do the Oathlands and your Highlord proud."

Roran has left the Along the Towers.

Roran has joined the On the Battlements.

More orders filter out for the Lycene soldiers from the Commanders tent. Cavalry are to lead a charge to the heart of the enemy army. Those with special weapons are to dispatch the enemy commanders when they are found. Avenge Serafine Velenosa.

"WE'RE GOING TO KILL THEM ALL! SWORDS OF THE COMPACT! BEARERS OF COBALT'S WEAPONS WILLING TO RISK YOUR LIVES! FOR EVERY ONE OF OURS, WE'LL TAKE A HUNDRED OF THEIRS! LET THEM KNOW THE MIGHT OF OUR HOUSES!" Theron whirls his sword overhead, fighting without reserve, going after the enemy with bounding might as the sword impacts the side of a squidhorse. It's for someone else to finish that off, because he's kicking at the shin of a pirate and decapitating them with hatred. He's not the type to do anything by halves, even if the way he fights is entirely his own, elegant and deadly, like the elite Ostrian that he is, trained from youth and sworn into perennial service. Handpicked, trained, chosen. "FOR SERAFINE!"

Alessia sees that Serafine's body is well-in-hand by the healers and their litter-bearers, and then swings back to the battle, giving herself a shake, fighting her way back to her place with Theron.

Galen "Cavalry ride through the army eastward, make a path! Lance and stampede any and everything!" Galen said, a sly grin creeping over his lips behind his helm. "Drag chains to take them off their feet, anyone with a specialized weapon work with the infantry into the heart of the enemy behind the scouts lead," with this he pointed his sword in such direction, "Archers and pikemen keep holding the beasts, backpedal once in range we will have siege weapons firing." he paused briefly, "Remember, we fight as one, one family, one people...Support one another or we all fall!" then he quickly sticks his head out of the tent, looking for those bravely stupid Thraxians he loves, "You two, fall in and destroy those targets with the next units that run out...We found what we were looking for!" he screams out to Caspian and Sparte, his words echoed by Thrax troops around them no doubt to make certain his orders were relayed properly.

Through the people behind the walls comes the Archlector of Lagoma in shining Aeterna as he makes his way from the tower, a gilded lantern with sigils of Lagoma all over it in his hand, heading for the battlements and where the seige weapons are.

Tessa has no cobalt weapon, does have arrows and distance. And up in the battlements Tessa continues her relentless firing, non descriminant of who is being attacked.

ONLY once Serafine's body is taken up by the healers does Norwood step away. Alis' orders come through and Norwood doesn't go back to exactly where he was no matter what someone else might be yelling. Instead he runs to go form up with the other weapons of fing-serious destruction and falls in beside Kael again making sure that he's at the Count's side. "YOU WILL MAKE IT HOME." Norwood is just shy of yelling over the battle as he takes his place, "ON MY HONOR."

Demura bleakly forms up with the Valardin unit heading towards the commanders, cobalt broadsword held in front of her. There is grim determination in her step, slashing out at things as they come near. She steps in with the rest of the Valardin contingent to slowly move forward, her rubicund armor splashed with gore.

Merek lifts up his sword and slashes it forward, as he pushes away the assaults with his shield, shifting back to the line while they prepare, and looks over to the call, before he shouts, "FOR SERAFINE! FOR THE FALLEN!" He then continues his song, refusing to give up, refusing to yield as he fights with the Compact.

Gripping the Eventide tightly as he hears the orders, Thorley grits his teeth. "Alright. We got our orders." There's a glance towards Cadenza and the other scouts as he moves to take his place, shifting in position so that Kael is between the two Swords to protect the young man.

"Leta," Shard says, rushed, "/Leta/, listen to me. You either go back with her, or you come with us, now, but you decide, you decide right now, and if you're coming you stay with me, you stay /right with me/, and we kill the /fuck/ out of these things, do you understand? We kill the fuck out of them and you stay alive." She throws a hurried glance toward the other wielders of magical weapons starting to head off.

After his generals-- Eleyna, Alis and Galen-- announce his plans, Talen steps to the fore of the pavilion and looks out at the hordes from the north and the east, and how his formations manipulate themselves to the threat, molding to adapt. "This is it," he says, in a breath.

Once Ignacio catches glimpse of Cadenza heading towards the front, he makes his way towards towards her side as the battle wages on. While others scream out for the fallen, issuing out threats, or taking command of other soldiers, the knight does none of these things. With silent determination he makes his way toward the Princess to be at her side.

Driskell says from the edge of the wall in a prayer up to the gods and others, "Look down upon humanity, gods that reign above. Look up, fiends from below. Look upon the fields and see the reminder that humanity takes its responsibilities of caretakers and guardians of this world with joy. That mortals with short lives stand together alongside one another when the world was threatened to turn to darkness and when it would appear that the Abyss would destroy all that was good and right forever. Look upon the free choices souls have made to honor oaths sworn. As the world endures, we shall remember! The spark of hope will not fizzle, the last chapter here has not yet been written."

Caspian gets the orders passed along from Galen, nodding to Sparte, then looks over to Theron, telling the man. "Hey! Looks like we get to fight together again." He looks over to Sparte, "You ready, bud? Lets try not to die doing this."


"Marines! We cover their retreat! Shift with me and cover the healers! Move!" she bellows over the sounds of battle, doing as much she can. Regla looks back to Shard, to Leta, "We have you covered! Move your asses!" she screams at them. "This is what we do! Let us do! Move!" This also directed at anyone else near by, Norwood. She holds her Cobalt cutlass high and waves it to rally her marines.

"Look at me. You can't die, your Highness, my thistle, my..." Leta begs of Serafine in a husky murmur, gauntlets cupping her face, shaking her, feeling the lifelesness in the body beneath her. The battle may rage on around her, but she pays no heed to friend or foe or shouted orders. It is only when Ianna comes and Serafine is raised onto a stretcher that Leta looks up, still reaching forward to grasp Serafine's hand for a long lingering moment before letting go, her eyes wide, staring through the people speaking to her. "Aye... right..." she nods as she climbs slowly to her feet and grabs her sword, but one might doubt she's listening at all, though she nods to Shard and starts to turn towards the front again, "I hear you... kill."

Galen grabs hold of a soldier near him, "Make sure Sparte has a mount when he rides out." then the Warlord nods toward Talen, "We will succeed or fail here Talen, regardless...It has been an honor leading battle beside you."

"You hear me," Shard says, sharply. "/Stay alive/." She raps Leta's shoulder heavily with the flat of her red blade, soaked as it is, and moves off toward the others, making sure Leta is with her every step of the way.

Orathy only needs to look at the battlefield once more... before he actually grabs Juliana and doesn't give her a choice about following. They're breaking and running from the fight.

3 Culler Hoodlums, 2 Culler Brutes, Cyrus, Juliana leave, following Orathy.

Alis does her best to look resolute rather then grim, and she gives the others standing there with her a respectful incline of her head. "It has indeed been an honor. May the Gods look kindly upon our choices."

There is, perhaps, a rather wary look from one Sword to the other when they move to protect him. Kael shakes his head and mutters grimly, "The three of us in this together." That, it seems, is going to be that. Still, there are orders to be seen to, and the Keaton Count is marching forward with the two.

Regla checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 6 lower.

Ianna tries to catch Leta's gaze before she heads back into battle. "You heard Shard. Live for her, and send these fuckers back to the Abyss."

Thorley checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

Merek checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Ianna checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 17 higher.

Tikva checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Shard checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 9 lower.

Luis checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 5 higher.

Leta checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Eleyna checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 6 lower.

Theron checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 10 lower.

Roran checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 7 lower.

Alistair checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Waldemai checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 7 lower.

Driskell checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 16 higher.

Isabetta checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 13 higher.

Alis checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 8 lower.

Ignacio checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 8 lower.

Elyse checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Sorrel checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 10 lower.

Apollis checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 8 higher.

Tessa checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Valdemar checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

Galen checked luck at difficulty 5, rolling 3 higher.

Norwood checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Alessia checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 2 lower.

Cadenza checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 15 higher.

Enyo checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Amarantha checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

Kael has rolled a critical success!
Kael checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 20 higher.

Demura has rolled a critical success!
Demura checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 10 higher.

Marcos checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Lucita checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Corban checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 5 lower.

Ian checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

Talen checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 2 lower.

Dario checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

Sparte checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Caspian checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 0 higher.

Sparte falls back at the call for soldiers to join the calvary, eyes spying the telltale colors of Betsy's Iron Guard barding. The one horse dressed that way present. Sparte calls over to Caspian and Theron. "One of you, ride with me. I'm joining the calvary for this push."

Madeleine checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 9 higher.

When fresh orders are given for those with special weapons, Valdemar hefts his axe and continues to defend himself against those Marinites around them as he waits for the cavalry to do its thing. Once those on horseback begin to lead them toward the enemy, he falls in behind them, keeping pace with the rest of those who have been commanded to do the same, keeping an eye out for those magic-using enemies that they were warned about.

Cadenza makes her way up front with her fellow scouts and to head out with the army that she is to lead sent by Talen. She was resolute in her task as she looks to see.....Ignacio by her side. Staring at him long and hard she just nods before looking back to their destination. There was an eery calm as she then roared out. "MOVE OUT!!!" And with that....it's off to deal with...the four.

Ignacio takes moderate damage.

Sorrel takes minor damage.

Alessia takes moderate damage.

Apollis takes minor damage.

Amarantha takes minor damage.

Regla takes moderate damage.

Theron takes minor damage.

Roran takes very serious damage.

Alistair takes minor damage.

Waldemai takes moderate damage.

Ian takes minor damage.

Caspian moves up with the scouts, letting Theron get on Sparte's horse, because the man is no rider. He opts to be on foot. Though he does squeeze through to get close to Cadenza, calling out to her, "Cadenza!" He lifts his hand to her. "Be careful! I'll be right here for you. I'm not letting you do something stupid alone!"

Under Dante's leadership the siege weapons are doing a grim business, but even then it's hard to get through the protective barrier that seems to spring up at just the wrong moment. Still they try and they have some success - a shout goes up as they manage to land a large pile of rocks on an equally large duckbear.

And then suddenly there's something on the field. A shadow? A trick of the light perhaps? It starts killing - and kill it does, taking out whatever the scouts saw. The enemy mages, perhaps. Or the leaders. The ones who were protecting the army. The ones who were controlling the monsters. The shadow kills them all and then starts to return to Compact lines and then just... vanishes. From shadow it is, and to shadow it shall return.

What?

In the intervening moments, the monsters break free of their masters and start rampaging, running through the lines and spitting acid places, ichor and tentacles, hooves of creatures that should never exist finding purchase and injuring everyone and anyone at random. Even those on the walls aren't safe - the venom arcs and sprays and is very painful, to say the least.

"Do you have my back, Lieutenant Shard?" Theron calls out across to the Valaorous Few, glancing sidelong at her. "This is the ultimate of all runs. The most beautiful of all marches, and it all starts with that feeling caught in our throats. COMPACT! TOGETHER! NOW!" He doesn't even think about it, making a running start to Sparte's horse as he tells the lieutenant of the Few, "Watch over my cousin for me!" Then there's a monster rampage and acid sprays at his helmet, burning through and sizzling at his cheek, but not deeply enough to cause damage for long. He shakes his head, a shiver running down his spine as adrenaline keeps his heart pumping fast. "Fatchforth, I'm an infantryman, just take me close enough."

Archeron checked luck at difficulty 15, rolling 9 lower.

Aeterna protects from dirt, not whatever it is that's drenching the archlector of Lagoma. The man gives a stout yell as liquid soaks through his robes. But the man still works to lift that lantern and as each projectile is to be fired, he's lighting it with Lagoma's eternal flame, gritting his teeth even as things burn.

Amarantha dashes up to Alistair, about to inform him of the new orders--Then everything falls into chaos. Acid falls on her armor, melting through the leathers and dissolving until it hits skin. With a hiss of pain, she turns her blade onto whatever monster is nearest. "Fuck it." She grunts, looking towards Cadenza and Apollis. "Change of plans, I guess!" Nodding towards her brother, she places her self nearby Alistair--trying to both fight by his side and block some of the blows directed towards him.

Thorley checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 22 higher.

Merek ducks and weaves and somehow manages to not get hit with the acid and strikes, but he sees as others do. He also notices the shadow that moves and kills amongst the fields, "That..." he seems to have his thoughts, but he moves back with the line to hold the walls next, taking up position with his shield up and sword above the top, as he moves with the shield wall that's stillthere while they prepare to meet the foe.

Ianna checked composure at difficulty 15, rolling 7 lower.

Tikva's voice cracks, breaks in a startled, choked huff as she flinches away from the venom spray. Then she squeaks, "Sorrel? Are you--?" and then she remembers herself. She shakes herself visibly. Sorrel and Lucita are still on their feet, but the time to stop singing is not now. And so she resumes, her fists balling at her sides, her chin lifting into the chaos, and she sings out: "WE HOLD FOR THE LIGHT! HOLD, KEEP UP THE FIGHT!"

Talen shouts from nearby, "Pike and shields, what remains of the infantry, anything and -everything-. Fall back, cut down those beasts you can, and rope what you can't. Siege weapons, upon the walls, light up and fire. Take the rest those," squidhorses, "bastards down!" snarls the Archduke Consort, gunmetal eyes ablaze, composure breaking for all out bloodlust now."

Elyse blinks for a moment at the shadows, but she gets lucky - her shield is still up and in place, though she has to cast it aside when the acide sprays begin to chew through the wood. Tossing it back into the ranks of the Things that stampede, before she ducks back into the shelter of the Few ranks. Using the shields present to cover her while she looks out over the field.

Marcos continues to stand with his people. "HOLD! HOLD! WE ARE THE WALL!" He can sense the change in the battlefield. The rampaging creatures that attack their own as well as the forces defending. Beside him a man is spashes with acids and goes down gurgling a scream and Marcos pales under his helm. "PRESS FORWARD! ATTACK NOW! DRIVE THEM INTO THE SEA!" He steps and slashes with his weapon. Step slash..

Ian had just returned to the windows in time to catch sight of shadows... doing... things. At the same time, he takes note of a spray of venom headed for the tower and, pulling that hideous (singed, ichor-stained) scarf up over his nose and mouth, steps RIGHT into its path. He doesn't manage to catch it all, but he bears the brunt of it. It sizzles as it runs down his temple, leaving a mark behind, before he wipes it away.

As they were moving for the commanders - Thorley gapes as the shadows rise up against their enemies and smite them down. The knight is grimly able to hold it together as he glances aside to Norwood with a 'did you see that?' look as he frowns faintly, falling back on the attack as the knight gets nailed, but his armor holds together, and he continues to fight. "Drive them back to the depths!"

There is a benefit of being a walking tin can. The benefit of being a walking tin can is that when monsters spray venom and ichor, you are in the tin can and it can't hurt you. So when Lord Corban is sprayed by the things rushing the lines, he is left with nothing more than scalds on his red armor, able to focus his attentions on the enemy.

Oh shit. Ianna is out in the middle of the field when all hell breaks loose. This is not where the healer wants to be. She freezes in panic, not sure where to go, what to do. People forget that fight and flight are only two of three options. Freeze is the third. A few long moments too many, and she remembers to breathe, then run.

And then the shadow comes out and starts killing. Caspian is quite surpised by whatever that was, watching as it goes off to do it's work. He can't see that far. He also can't see quick enough that the shadow did their work for him, and the acid that comes from behind him as a response. Rather it goes over his head and some of it gets on Theron, the man avoiding it by sheer luck. "Holy shit!" He reaches up to touch at his helmet. "That was close!"


Moving with his own shadowy blade, Luis continuse to slay pirates and demons as they come at him. It's a wonder that he can see, or think of anything else when something suddenly changes on the battlefield. He senses the demons lose their focus, their shifting and spitting, it is a massacre, and right in the middle of all the ranks, both friend and foe. Luis steps into the next confused pirate, running him through the heart as he sheathes the cutlass in the man's ribcage, then hoists on the hilt, using the pirate as a shield against the flying acid and ichor. Continuing as such, he will move and march with the others, clearing what remains, working through the demons that get near, and flensing pirates with his good sword, ensuring that the demons are rebuffed from their lines and sent back out into the pirates to cause the most destruction to the enemies.

Apollis grabs ahold of Cadenza's arm as their target is seeming destroyed. He looks over toward Amarantha, his emerald green eyes wide. He shakes the acid from his skin with a hiss. "Well, yeah, change of plans I guess," he says. He keeps Cadenza close as he looks toward Ignacio and Amarantha and Alistair. He intends to keep Cadenza safe no matter what.

Sorrel's song wavers for a moment as she's hit with acid, looks utterly grossed out and grateful to be wearing armor, and then she finishes the note she was singing. She takes Tikva's hand tightly, singing in harmony. This battle is unpleasant, and the smell of rotting squidhorse and duckbear defines awful.


Acid, pain, what in the hells just happened. What, in the complete name of all the hells that may or may not exist, was that. It burns, it hurts, Regla cries out in pain as she drops to a knee and grits her teeth to fight through the pain. Fighting back to her feet, she turns to look at her marines and starts checking them over. Then comes Talen's orders and she bellows out to those with her, "Marines!!!! WE ARE LEAVING!!!!" she screams out at the top of her lungs. "Fall back!"

Madeleine retains her calm demeanor as she watches the shadows move. "Gods be good," she says softly. There's acid vomit but none blemishes her white robes. "Keep strong," she reassures the singers. "Keep the Faith!"

Demura presses forth, slashing and moving as things go completely out of control. There is a flash of cobalt as she swings on a large beast, felling it effeciently. Acid sprays across her rubicund armor and she hisses out a very impolite word and continues to fight.

Alistair grunts a rather large looking insectoid, opening its belly even as it leans forward to spray him and his Confessors with its corrosive acid. Alistair hisses, protecting his face as he steps away, pulling at his clothing and swating at his body to try and push the acid off as another maddening creature that is made of thousand legs and the head of a wolf snaps at him before snapping in half several of the Gyre's pirates. The High Inquisitor's gaze snaps towards Amarantha and the others who seem to be rushing towards him. One of the man's personal Confessors seems to meld out of the battle, his throat scarred from an old brush with death. "We should capture some. To study." he remarks ominously. Alistair grunts seeming in agreement, and the Confessor lets out a smile as he gathers some Inquisition goons. Right now though Alistair focuses on the fight. His eyes track the passage of the shadow, his brow furrowing at the chaos it reaps.

Norwood's armor is the freaking best in the whole world, as it absorbs the blow that takes Norwood HARD and knocks him almost completely off of his feet. Thorley's look gets completely missed as the knight gathers himself on his feet again and rushes forward to try to get back to Kael's side again. There's some distance between them but he'll do his best to get there. Thorley gets SEEN and a fistpunch skyward acknowledges it until it's time to let Queensguard bite into the horde again to try to push through towards those commanders.

"You talk so /damn/ much," Shard calls back to Theron--snaps almost--even as she's moving to follow him. And then pure chaos. She's fast, but not fast enough to avoid the crushing blow from a rampaging monster that practically whips her into the ground with what /should/ be bone smashing force. Should be. And yet, somehow, she rolls up to her feet, muddy but seemingly no worse off. The Valorous Few captain snarls and returns the favor with her own whip fast strikes, first the cutlass, then the red blade. "I have had /enough of you/."

Archeron is lining up a shot when he has to duck and try to avoid a barrage of tentacle slaps that lick around the crennelations and arrow holes, a furious rampage of appendages from the nightmare creatures of the never-should-have-beens. Leaning heavily on the stoneworks as he stands, he coughs and gestures to his archers "Fire as you like. Take them. But if you see their commander, she is mine. If someone has to do it, it will be me." And so they start just plinking off arrows rapidly, trying to bring down this rampage of nightmares as quickly as possible.

As Ignacio looks to his surroundings as his expression is unreadable from under his helm. A monster bolts towards the scouting group which Ignacio ended up with as he came to Cadenza's side. The creature, some mixture of stag and wolf leaps towards them but the knight ends up being in the way, either by design or just bad luck but he is able to get his sword around and in front of him to stab his sword deep the foul abomination, but the momentum of the beast keeps traveling, stabbing one of its antlers into his side causing blood to seep out from his armor and knocking the knight to the ground with a loud groan and growl through his muffled helm. The low grumble, which is very unknightly of him, "That piece of shi...."

Lucita holds tight to Sorrel and Tikva, an arm around each friend, singing along with them as they link hands in front of her. Her gaze goes to Madeleine and the the others around her before drifting back to the carnage of the battlefield.

"Ooo," Apollis says as he hears Alistair's plan. "Yes. Let's," he agrees.

Alessia is just getting back to Theron's side, when the shadow appears on the field. She doesn't quite see what happens, or maybe it's a trick of the light. Who knows? It distracts her a bit, however, maybe more than a bit. And then the monsters start rampaging, and a stream of acidic goo spews across her armor, melting through the hardened white leather in places, and she hisses in pain. At first, she doesn't seem to see what's going on, but when she does see what happens, she lowers the visor on her help to protect her eyes, at least, but leather isn't that much protection against acid venom. "Ugh... Hadrian is not going to be happy," she groans. "Maybe I need better armor anyway." She glances around, getting her bearings. Monsters. Venomous spittle. Fighting. Pain. Serafine dead. Other people around her, getting spattered wtih venomous spittle too. Pure and utter chaos. But she returns to the line, next to Theron, opposite Sparte, slicing at monsters and tentacles and flying hooves to undercut, maim and dismember where she can along the way.

Alistair glares at Apollis, as if to say 'Leave the procurement of demonic beasts' to the Inquisition. He accents this by decapitating one of the Gyre Pirates, grabbing the foe's head to then bash it into another pirate's head and cave in his skull.

Kael is thankfully on the opposite side of a beast when the spray happens, no skill at all about it, that was just luck. Incredibly good luck, but luck nonetheless. His sword arm slows with the manifestation of the shadows for a reason completely other than fatigue. There is a hint of wonder there, surprise, but a crash of a tentacle (undoubtedly someone's kin getting him back for earlier) into his side has him pressing on. His head, thankfully still attached, returns to the battle at hand.


Regla notices that the unit under the command of Lord Marcos Saik, has not gotten the orders. She knows the man, she knows he, alongside her very close friend Estaban is only a small fraction of what remains of House Saik. "Marines! Change of Plans! Cover!" she yells as she moves her unit to link with Marcos. "Marcos!" she yells out, "Marcos! Get your units back gods damnt! New orders! Move your ass! My unit will cover and fall after! Move!" She turns to face her marines again, "We hold here until Lord Saik's forces fall back! On me and hold! We fall back on my order with House Saik!"

Dario cheers with the death of the duckbear before he grabs a skin of water and drinks. He pours some water on his face to try and not lose it completely. He just grabs a guy, some commander or another and he tells him, "If I don't live make sure everyone in Pravus that survives says a prayer for that poor poor soul that vanished out there and for those who knew her after this is over." He takes a breath and looks back over the walls to what awaits, "Pass that along to a few people." And then there is something in the field below. And he just can't quite catch it. Acid interupts as it sprays around them. The Marquis turns and just does his job. He issues orders, sends them along the walls to his troops, keeps the weapons firing as long as they have the targets and ammunition, and he reacts to the battle. No more speeches.

Apollis grins at Alistair with a grin as to say lemme help youuu.

At the order to fall back is given, he moves up to where Cadenza is, moving to her side so that he may protect the princess, drawing his second blade, Fox's Heart, and wielding a dagger in each hand as he readies to guard her as they begin their retreat.

Valdemar stops in his tracks, for a moment at least, when he sees that shadow...or whatever it is...appear and begin to kill the enemy, in the direction he had been ready to run in. As the beasts of the enemy army begin to rampage, he is suddenly quite grateful for the heavy, expensive armor he is encased in as he smells acid and who knows what else all around him. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the shadow-killer is gone, and new orders are issued, yelled out above the din of battle. "Thrax, back to the walls! Stay in formation, kill everything in your way, but by the gods, get back!" And he does the same as he orders, greataxe arcing toward any hapless Marinite or monster that gets near him or those he fights beside.

Marcos hears his name and ducks under a blow while delievering another. He spies Regla and her marines and nods grimly, reversing his order and his direction but at a steady and orderly pace.

Isabetta doesn't get hit by any of the acid and is thankful for her murder hole. She can't get a great view of the battle field and frankly she's still kind of shaking from the horror that's been going on this entire time, but she's back to flinging arrows at any monsterous thing she can sight at. There is a sort of numbness to the way she aims and shoots.

As she goes to move that shadow shows up. A gasp as she happens to miss that hit of acid. Those blue eyes wide under that hood she just looks around. Looking to Caspian she smiles and give him a nod before looking to Ignacio and frowns. Concern but she just takes a step back as she looks to her scouts. "Yes....but hell now what?" A pursing of her lips as she touches that bracelet. Closing her eyes for a moment she does something she normally only does in private: she holds the recently gifted bracelet tightly and prays. "Gods.....please hear us. Protect us. Protect your servants against these foes." Opening her eyes she looks up, her sword being regripped as she looked to her fellow scouts. "....we fall back...." And with that she tugs her group with her to do just that.

"I'm trying to work on it!" Theron calls out to Shard, laying a pirate low as the horse trots forth and he manages to angle his sword into the neck of a pirate, just in time to reach it -- he's ditched his shield by now, wasted, abused poor thing that it is -- and place it into his backpack. He looks over to see that there's a monster approaching from the side, bounding towards him -- and he rolls, rising to his feet and kicking back as he slices the sword in a wide arc to catch the creature's tail. Blood sprays over his armor and he's laughing now, loud enough that he's back to killing, killing, killing. There's going to be a massacre here and there's one Mazetti very invested in making good on it. He runs to Shard so as to offer a hand. Probably a dangerous proposition since she just said he talks a lot. Noticing she's back on her feet, though, he nods, and continues the mad dash.

Ignacio The knight pushes himself to his feet, using his blade to support him to his feet. With a sharp jerk, Ingacio pulls the broken piece of antler out of his wounded side as he works to keep close to Cadenza. His gauntleted offhand held over the fresh hole in his armor as blood trickles out of it. Wounded, but not discouraged, the man pushes onward doing what he set out to do.

Noticing the general withdrawl on the field, Ian goes about rallying his archers again, many of whom are fighting back pain from their own encounters with acid. "Give them some cover. Come on. Red! Stop gawking. You're literally jumping at shadows right now. We were fighting a vomit monster yesterday, Erikson. You should be an old hand by now." The fact that he's keeping his calm with a chemical burn shining red and angry on his temple definitely gives him some moral high ground here.

Caspian looks over to Ignacio, noticing now in the chaos that his friend is wounded, wincing to the man as he remains close to Cadenza. "Shit Iggy, how bad is it? Can you get back into the city?" He ask the man, watching out for more pirates or rampaging beasts as they begin their retreat.

"We'll cover your retreat," Apollis says glancing from Cadenza to Amarantha. "You retreat. We'll be right behind you," he says as he steps up next to Amarantha. He bites his lip and then turns away from the Velenosa Princess. "Ready, sweet sister?" he asks as he glances toward Alistair doing all sorts of cool stuff.

Tessa squints, her shoulder leaning against the battlements as she draws another arrow, trying at least to give some cover to those facing the foes directly.


If all is going well, Regla's Marines will be covering Marcos Saik and his units retreat. Staying and holding until his unit has begun to fall back with the rest. She'll hold as long as is needed, against orders, because damn't, we need everyone to get back and this is what her force is on the field for. "You tell your Baron that he owes me for saving your ass Marcos!!" Regla yells out at the top of her lungs over the field to Marcos. "I mean it! Estaban owes me for baby sitting you young Lord saik! Move your ass!" With that, she orders the shell backs to hold, "Hold! We hold until they've gone! We retreat when they've regrouped! Tears in our wake, never at our wake Marines! We hold!"

The Warlord of Thrax strolls out of the command tent, his cobalt broadsword resting blade first on his shoulder. There is a lightness to his steps, his lips pursed behind his helm whistling, he heads straight toward the battle, his personal guard right behind him. "THRAX! I JOIN THE BATTLE!" Galen screams out. The appearance of the Warlord on the battlefield would find his Thrax tabard that covers the front of his sea beast etched armor blowing slightly as he moved, his cloak of northern bear trailing behind him like a cape and that helm, with metal shards jutting out much like Kraken tentacles looking fierce, "LAY WASTE TO THESE INFERNAL BEASTS AND LETS GO HOME!"

"Don't be such a sap." Amarantha says with a soft smile, shaking her head at her brother. To Alistair, she offers a sheepish look. "We were here to take you to some mages. To kill them, your highness." A dip of her follows, interrupted as she slashes as a nearby monster. "Seeing as they're dead, would you like a bit of help?"

No venom or acid finds Leta as she walks through the press of bodies to the front, following Shard. Her sword drags at her side as she stares at the sea of rampaging beasts ahead and stops. The battle ebbs and flows around her. She lifts her helmet to kiss her sword, lips touching the thistle inlaid on the flat of her blade. Turning, she calls to Shard, "Are you goin' forwards or backwards?" Then she raises the great two-hander, twirls it above her head, and starts to kill anything that comes within reach, big loops and glittering arcs of diamondplate carving a clearing around the stretch of ground she's claimed.

"I have no idea anymore," Shard replies to Leta, between sword strikes. "We're going where the rest of them are going and the meantime we're fighting these fucking things and sticking together."

Isabetta has left the At the Arrowslits.

Throwing a dismissive wave to Caspian, Ignacio follows along with the retreating Cadenza, his gauntlet covered in his blood as he grumbles, "I am fine Caspian, I don't even feel it. Just a graze."

Demura stands with her Valardin kin, fighting through the horde. It's not certain which way they're heading, there is just a mess of gore, blood and beasts. The unfamiliar sword in her hands swings wildly, making an attempt to keep things from moving against their back.

Joining in the fallback, Thorley makes sure that he and Norwood assist in making sure Kael gets safe back to the walls.

Seeing Galen is now joining the battle, Caspian looks over to Cadenza, the group presumably still in the process of retreating. "It seems orders are getting confused. We need to get things under control. I'm going to go to Galen and get things clairified," Caspian says, and the man runs over to Galen, calling out to him. "Your highness! We heard orders to retreat to the walls, is that still happening?!"

As Talen makes the call to fallback to the walls and bring the siege weapons and artillery fully to bear, Alistair sweeps his gaze across the battlefield... taking a deep breath and trying to get a sense of the evil that perverts the field of battle. His gaze slides to Amarantha briefly, "Start falling back." He nods to her and her companions, since he won't have to do any mage killing today it seems.

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

Ian checked command + leadership at difficulty 1, rolling 39 higher.

Elyse checked command + leadership at difficulty 1, rolling 18 higher.

Caspian checked strength + small wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 61 higher.

Merek checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 32 higher.

Eleyna checked command + leadership at difficulty 1, rolling 71 higher.

Leta checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 62 higher.

Waldemai checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 50 higher.

Alessia checked dexterity + huge wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 61 higher.

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

Alistair checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 43 higher.

Demura checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 51 higher.

Thorley checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 36 higher.

Shard checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 52 higher.

Corban checked stamina + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 61 higher.

Regla checked command at difficulty 1, rolling 27 higher.

Sparte checked stamina + huge wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 72 higher.

Galen checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 59 higher.

Talen checked command + war at difficulty 1, rolling 32 higher.

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

Kael checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 64 higher.

Amarantha checked dexterity + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 21 higher.

Apollis checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 1, rolling 33 higher.

Valdemar checked strength + huge wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 35 higher.

Alis checked command + leadership at difficulty 1, rolling 40 higher.

Enyo has rolled a critical success!
Enyo checked command + leadership at difficulty 1, rolling 35 higher.

Ianna checked intellect + medicine at difficulty 1, rolling 52 higher.

Ignacio checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 49 higher.

Dario checked command + war at difficulty 1, rolling 54 higher.

Marcos has rolled a critical success!
Marcos checked command + leadership at difficulty 1, rolling 26 higher.

Driskell checked mana + theology at difficulty 1, rolling 65 higher.

Amarantha checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 55 higher.

Madeleine checked wits + theology at difficulty 1, rolling 46 higher.

Roran checked mana + theology at difficulty 1, rolling 47 higher.

Archeron checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 1, rolling 45 higher.

Tikva checked mana + performance at difficulty 1, rolling 86 higher.

Lucita checked mana + performance at difficulty 1, rolling 87 higher.

Sorrel checked mana + performance at difficulty 1, rolling 44 higher.

Tessa checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 1, rolling 32 higher.

Luis checked strength + medium wpn at difficulty 1, rolling 87 higher.

"We're falling back to the walls while killing these fuckers!" Galen says cheerfully, his blade swinging down from his shoulder, "By the way...You should duck!" and with that his other hand swiftly gripped his blade and the Thrax Warlord swung at what might appear to be Caspian's head, though when the man ducked his blade would rend entirely through the body of a beast coming up behind him, a death dry escaping it as a horrific spray of...Whatever these things have flooded the air. "Hahaha!" Galen laughed, a touch of his normal playful and musical tone finding its way into his voice. "Look alive!" he exclaimed drawing his blade back to himself to prepare another swing, "You're buying the next round," he added toward Caspian.

It is with their arms around each other that the Choir has been singing, and despite her weariness, Tikva's arms loop around Sorrel and Lucita both as her voice arcs high and pure and clear in a single long extended note of defiance and hope. Her song has transcended words. It is will and sound, supported by breath and strength, a blended effort with her friends upon this wall.

Demura falls back, skewering things left and right as she tries to stay near Norwood, Kael and Thorley. If she wasn't wearing a greathelm, you might see the steely resolve on her face. Instead there is just an emotionless winged helm. Such is life.

Madeleine calls out in eloquent prayer as chaos erupts, keeping her calm demeanor for those atop the tower. "Even the storm waxes and wanes! Even the tides ebb and flow! We must move with the battle and follow the current where it takes us!"

Tessa checked dexterity + archery at difficulty 1, rolling 56 higher.

Hewing, cleaving and stabbing a few pirates, Theron starts making his way to the city. He's still collecting heads of those zealots, and his rubicund and cloak are stained with blood, guts and gore. He probably doesn't reach those sixty pirate heads, but he'll settle for about twenty before his backpack starts losing its stitching and he has to collect all those again. Then it's back to fighting to kill instead of taking trophies, stabbing the enemies in the heart or severing their spine with brutal, deadly efficiency, on his return along with the rank and file to Setarco. He notices an Ostrian banner on the ground and, with a grunt, lifts it, waving it to rally Ostrian soldiers to him. He kicks back into an opponent's shin and kills them with the banner through the eye socket, burying it there while he waits.

Norwood is not trying to be awesome at ALL. In fact, living is what he's going to do and making sure that he doesn't die, and that Kael doesn't die, and Demura doesn't die, and that Thorley doesn't die. Just, basically, no. one. die. "Looks like you might have to keep me in the running for that Name Witness." #liveanotherday

The white clad Archduchess of Lenosia, with Enyo at her side, steps outside the tent. She's pale, but her bright blue are defiant as she calls out, her raspy, exhausted voice ringing out the House Velenosa motto, the only words left in her to offer the Lycenes that have died here. The beloved sister that has died here. "NO ONE MAY HARM US UNPUNISHED!"

The sight of their commander, sprayed with acid but still calm and focused, treating everything that's happened over the last few days as though it were just another war, seems to have an effect on the archers under his command. Or maybe that scarf he's still wearing is providing unintentional comic relief. Either way, the disordered and sporadic fire of arrows from the lighthouse suddenly becomes a ruthlessly accurate barrage as his men focus on the task at hand and start firing arrow after arrow into the enemy forces. The pike and infantry bang the butts of their halberds on the ground and strike at their shields, chanting: "Grim. Grim! GRIM!"

Apollis shoots off arrow after arrow as he weaves and rolls through the mass of fray, keeping an eye on his sister Amarantha. He gives her a smile as he plants an arrow into a beast just beyond her. "Keep an eye out, Mara," he calls out to her. He fires off another arrow and huffs, "This is fun."

While actively retreating the entire time with the scouting group, Ignacio turns as one of the strange beasts advances, slashing his blade forcefully downward and lopping a head off in the process sending black ickor into the air. He turns back to the group, picking up his pace to keep pace with the lighter armored scouts.

Tessa is quite enjoying landing arrows in enemies, making a personal game of it. 10 points for an eye and single shot kill. "Someone has got to get me some nice jewelry if I get up to a thousand."

Caspian does duck when he is told too, and he looks above him as the monster is cut in twain. Looking back to Galen, he scoffs, "I had it handled! You just wanted to show off!" He claims, then turns around as another monster charges him. It's...what is that? It's just four legs and a mass of tentcles with a deformed head. It swings some of those limbs at him and Caspian cuts at them to ward them off before he slips under the thing and thrusts up through it's jaw, jamming the blade into it's skull. "See? I'm too good to die! And too handsome!"

Marcos yells out, "Lions! Form ranks!" as he'd looks about and noted his lines in disarray with the orderly retreat. The yells from Regla causing him to grimice and scowl. And like magic his remaining soldiers snap to and within heartbeats push back the forces they're fighting on retreat and form up into lines that a parade master could be proud of. And Marcos certianly is.

Alis leaves the command tent so that she can start to climb the battlements and look out over the field. With each step she shouts encouragement to the troops, directing pockets of them to shore up an attack here or a group on the defensive over there. "Setarco will not fall! Show them what the Oathlanders are made of!"

It's not been clear what Enyo's been doing most of this time, not being one to shout orders like some of the others, despite being in the command tent. But as things seem to come to a head she steps out of the tent next to Eleyna, a hand dropping away from the Archduchesses arms before she lifts them instead to her mouth, cupping it. There's one deep breath in, then she's shouting at the top of her lungs, "GO FOX LEGION! TEAR THEM A NEW ASSHOLE! FOR VELENOSA!"

Merek slashes through the foes as he moves back with the others, taking what he can as his blade is shifted about and he remains with the shield wall, rubicund shield up as he swings his weapon.

The choir together swells in beautiful music, and Sorrel reaches out to put her hands on the shoulders of both of her choristers, the music and the harmony together urging on the battlefield with new vigor.

So Cadenza was retreating but she stopped. She knows what she was told....she knows her other orders....but she was a stubborn fox. Turning back around in one swift action that rubicund cutlass was raised high. With her friends and loved once by her side she let out a yell. "For Princess Serafine!!" And with that, though she was retreating, she began to hack and sash her way through on the way back. Though her face wasn't seen in the shadows, tears streamed down her face. Whether it was sadness or rage....no one knew. Whatever it was....she was taking it out on anything that got in her way.

Alistair is taking his time in the retreat, tending to the duty of vanguard as he hacks and slashes at any pirates who find the courage to charge at the slowly falling back lines of Compact, or the mindless beasts who come rampaging through everyone. He watches as some of his Confessors try their best at roping and capturing at least one of the demonic creatures for future studying, though when one of the teams gets overwhelmed Alistair surges forward to strike the beast dead and order the Inquisition agents back to Setarco.

"Yes, your highness!" Amarantha chirps in response to Alistair's command. Then she's slicing through monsters with much more glee than anyone should have in this situation--venting all that fear and hunger into stabbing as many moving things as she can. "Retreat, you ass." She'll call to Apollis, carving a path to where they've been ordered to go. The blonde will wait for botH her her brother and Cadenza. "Princess! Be careful."

Dario does not allow the methodic pace of the trebuchets to dwindle as boulders hurl into the chaos below. The Pravus archers and their bannermen forces send arrows to cover the the fighters outside the wall. The people of Pravus and their bannermen hold strong. The Marquis takes orders from the command tent as they come. He makes decisions where he needs to. He does it in a grim and shocked state. But he gets it done despite the horrors. He does his job for Ischia, for Pravus (and cousin), for the Lyceum, and for the Compact.

Once more into the breach. Ianna and her healers are out in the field again, trying to find more lives to save. She dodges a charging... rhino-eel? What the hell is... no time to think about that. It's time to find fallen soldiers and get them to safety.


Regla's unit, stays on the field. She does not retreat, she does not faltar, she stays, watching the young Lord Saik's forces fall back. "Marines. It's an honor to be with you. We hold until they've falling back, we are Shellbacks, we are never the first out of the fight. We will be the last out of this one. Hold until I give the command to fall back. You all make me proud! Give them nothing with out making them pay for it! Fight! FIGHT!"

Elyse catches sight of Ianna and her healers moving, and directs the Few under her command to move in with their shields and spears to hold off the tide while they tend to wounded. Though she's keeping back for now, Elyse uses the opportunity to keep an eye on the fighting, trying to keep those in sight and her unit from getting overrun by something on a rampage.

Upon the wall high above the battle as arrows fly in dark clouds, trebuchet fling huge boulders to crush the insanity that rushes towards the walls and defenders who are fighting to the very inch of death, there's a figure by himself now in black robes that are open and billow behind him with the ocean breeze. A boring and dull priest named Driskell holds the lantern of Lagoma in one hand, the dark shining obsidian blade in the other as an enchanting, smooth and low voice raises in a rite of focused prayer and beseeching. His words reminding the gods and fiends that humanity pay such a high price together here to keep at bay a world being lost, that the choices and costs of maintaining the dream are paid through the extinguishing of a life to be sent to the wheel, his words calling out to the demons and abyssal abominations and other Unseen Things, "By the Sentinel's reflection, I see your lies! By Vellichor's reflection, I see your secret! Begone, demons! I cast thee back to the Abyss! Humanity has chosen today not to walk willingly to the darkness!" as his hands raise up with the weapon and lantern.

Lucita's voice rings out, each note precise and clear, arms around her sister-singers as they pour themselves into the music, setting it forth across the battlefield, across the walls to the healers and command tent, to each of the troops, to the priests and the scouts. They sing for them all.

"Fuck you," Apollis calls back as he makes no attempt to fall back. Shooting arrow after arrow until he is spent and has none left. "Oh," he says as his hand reaches for another arrow from his quiver. He turns toward Amarantha and nods his head as he runs past her. "Fucking run!" he yells.

Shard raises her voice even as she continues to hack and slash and anything that gets near her or Leta. "Valorous Few! Drinks in the city when we're done for those that survive, and Audric's paying!" Lower to the other woman, she says, "Looks like we're heading back to the wall."

Galen swings his blade and smacks Caspian with the flat of it on the shoulder, "You're not as handsome as me and my moustache...The Warstache of Thrax I shall call it from henceforth." the Warlord mused as another creature moved toward he and Caspian, "Back to back?" he asked, beginning to move with side steps toward gates, "And of course I wanted to show off...Half of doing something great is pretending you know what the hell you're doing and if you can look like you do its a bonus!" Galen exclaimed, then he glanced around the battlefield, stormy eyes noting each Thrax warrior, "FIGHT MY FRIENDS! FIGHT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT!" he called out just as a...Porcupine flamingo rushed toward him, "Casp, look at that!" he called out before swinging his sword up overhead and bringing the blade down through the creature, as his ears heard the chanting of Grim, even he joined in for a moment, "Grim, Grim, Grim!" bellowing out before he laughed maniacally.


Once the creatures begin to go beserk, they seem a bit easier to kill. Alessia is still on her feet, and even more grimly determined. At the call to fall back, however, she simply flows into aiding the army in their retreat, holding back the frenzied horde. She dances smoothly now between the squid-monsters, slashing at tentacles, glaive spinning, the diamondplate blade glittering with hints of Mazetti colors in pale blue, gold and silver. She spins, she sweeps, she strikes at the hideous things, falling back with the rest of the infantry. She slices the tentacles off of a monster here, and sweeps hooves out from under another before spinning again, glaive swinging down in a shining arc to slice off the head of that beast. She tugs the blade back up, spinning again, giving true now to her namesake as Glaivedancer.

"FOR OSTRIA!" the Glaivedancer yells, swinging at another pirate squid-beast, spinning on one foot, and then striking its head off. She slices another, spins, and falls back with the rest of the army, ever more toward the walls. "FOR VELENOSA AND THE PRINCESS SERAFINE!" Another beastie goes down. "FOR THE COMPACT!" She seems filled with the fury of battle now, fiercely laying the creatures low, aiding in covering the retreat of the rest of the army alongside Theron and Sparte.

Sparte checked dexterity + ride at difficulty 1, rolling 42 higher.

Valdemar tears through anything in his way, unless it happens to be a friendly soldier. Step by step, he makes his way back to the walls, joining back up with the Grim Legion. "Grim! Grim! Grim!" they all chant as they hew their way through monsters and madmen alike, until they reach the walls.


When demons break free of their restrains, all hell breaks loose, that's exactly what happens, and there's something in the way Lord Luis moves that suggests the man has experienced such an explosion of willful destruction before. The pirate that he had been using as a shield against the acid is tossed to the ground, the rubicund blade that had doubled as a handle is flicked out to the man's far reach, scattering the blood in a slicing arc. His helm dips a little as he focuses on the closest oversized demon, the one that is much larger than the rest, and as the lines break, and formations crumble to scatter, Luis begins a determined march that increases in pace until the Igniseri is running, stepping on bodies, slashing and cutting those whom he passes until there is little room left, and he flips the handedness of his blades, sheathing the rapier at his back.

The saber now in his dominant hand. Close enough to see the demon tentacle horse monster thingy, he propells his arm forward, sending the saber spinning end over end to impale into the side of the creature about thirty hands up. Ten more, break-neck running steps has him leaping at the end to catch his foot upon the fore knee of the beast, which turns his forward momentum into a vertical leap, sending him up, riding the creature's own step upwards and springboarding to the hilt that sticks from its side. Catching hold with both hands he vaults himself up onto the beast's back, landing in a crouch.

Watching from above what amounts as the beasts head and back, Luis is able to survey the scene of the battlefield, feeling the creature moving beneath him as he watches it head for walls, crushing ally and foe alike beneath it's massive hooves. The rapier is drawn and Luis leaps forward, the four feet of alaricite blade extends forward, with the full weight of an armoured bringer of death behind it. Wit ha satisfying crunch the blade bites deep, cutting through hide, tendon, muscle, and bone as it penetrates the neck. Leaning in and curving his momentum to the side, Luis rolls around the creature's head, swinging under as the blade circumnavigates through flesh and throat, cutting till the blade comes free. Out of momentum, Luis reaches out, snagging a tentacle with his gauntleted hand and uses it to swing with pull of gravity until he finds solid ground beneath his feet. A moment later the head of the beast, severed now, stretches the last piece of flesh that holds it aloft to the point of breaking as it lands with a sickening, yet final thud behind him.

Turning, Luis steps atop the creature's dead head, watching as the body teeters and then falls, and he climbs over it's leg, walking along it's now horizontal side to grab the hild of his saber and yank it free with the trailing spurt of dark blood. Boths swords out to the sides in wicked arcs, he leaps from the dead demon to re-enter the fray, aiding ally and slaying foe until it is done.

Roran sublimates his pain in ladying blessings voer the ammunition for the siee weapons and lighting them, watching each ariborne projectile gleaming with flame that burns bright. "May the warmth of the Blessed Lady Lagoma embrace you!" Roran yells into the distance, gritting his teeth, a look to Driskell when he hears the man.

Though he started weak, Kael most certainly has hit his stride further into the battle, and here at the finale he is in top form with a renewed rush of adrenaline. Then again, a great many of the forces rally. He makes certain to work with unison with those others near him, assisting when there needs to be assist, and likely expecting -- and relying upon -- aid when it is necessary in turn. It is a fluid thing, the Count's style typically a defensive thing, looking for moments of weakness and striking then. Occasionally there's a chin-up to Norwood, a grunt of gratitude to Thorley, and an inclination of his head to Demura. Small things, likely missed in the fray, and yet done nonetheless as they follow command.

With a giant roar, the soldiers advance, and the Compact sticks and drives them back. On their way in, siege weapons and archers at last find purchase in the bodies of their enemies. They kill, and they kill, and kill some more - and together they stand. Until at last a horn echoes across the battlefield, and suddenly without a word they start to retreat.

Not that the Compact wants to allow this, mind. Infuriated by the losses they've suffered, maddened at the injuries, united as the Choirs sing - they want to follow, and they want to kill. And they start to press, but that horn sounds again, and then suddenly the wind whips at the Compact's soldiers contemptuously, pinning them to the walls of Setarco so that they are unable to leave. Helpless they wait, trying to absorb the shock of what just happened, waiting for death.

But death does not come.

Instead, the remaining soldiers and monsters march back the way they came, and vanish from sight. And only when they are gone are the soldiers released.

Victory, but foreboding lies heavy in their hearts.

At what price comes the battle?

Merek launches at a demon hybri and sinks his diamondplate blade into it, then smashes it in with his mirror shield, until he's... Placed against a wall, by the winds. He blinks a few times.

Madeleine has left the Along the Towers.

Norwood has left the Outside the Gates.

Thorley has left the Outside the Gates.

Caspian checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 30, rolling 11 higher.

Tikva has left the Along the Towers.

Confessor Imori have been dismissed.

2 Grayson Guardsmen have been dismissed.

Confessor Warren have been dismissed.

5 Armed Confessors have been dismissed.

Caspian moves to Galen's rear, protecting the man's flank as they retreat to the gate, looking over his shoulder briefly. "What was that? Some kind of spikey bird?" He ask, brows lifted high. But then the windows push at him, and the man goes tumbling, rolling along the ground until he sticks his knife in the ground to hold himself in place. Once the wind is gone he slowly pulls himself to his feet, panting, "What the fuck?"

Retreat. The worlds dimly filter through to Leta, and she nods her assent to Shard. Then she starts backing away fron the front, and with every step back her sword comes down, cleaving limb from limb and head from shoulders, lopping off hands and tentacles alike in a wide arc to her front and sides, holding back any thing that dares draw near. She fights as always, with economy of motion, no flourishes save those the momentum of her sword imposes. She makes no sound, and her face is a grim business-like mask until her footsteps stop, and her boots are rooted to the soil. There, the grass is dented. Maybe this is where Serafine's body fell. Maybe not. One patch of trampled dirt looks much like the next. But there she stands, defending a few square feet of dirt as if there were anything of value to them, until the wind blows her back towards the walls.

Alis has left the Command Tents.

Sir Rhys, a Valardin Knight have been dismissed.

Laurene, a military adjutant have been dismissed.

Ian once again gets between the singers and an incoming projectile -- one of his own archers' arrows blown back in by the wind. He lifts an arm to protect his face, and the arrow bounces off the thick leather of his coat. He watches the retreat of the Gyre's forces. "It's done."

Archeron has left the At the Arrowslits.

Valdemar has left the Outside the Gates.

Sparte manages to already be on the retreat from a harrying pass with Betsy when the wind whips up. Neatly thrown from his horse the two manage to land clear of anyone else and each other. Which is good, nobody wants to have a horse land on them. Tentacles or not.

Demura has left the Outside the Gates.

2 Lyonesse Trained Guards leaves, following Demura.

Tessareaches down and finds her quiver empty but... well timed. She straightens and slides bow into the straps on her back and straightens. There's a thoughtful look in her eyes as she heads down from the battlements.

Shard stops when Leta stops. Stubbornly, looking both irritable and torn. Eventually she tries to push it. "We have to keep--" But they don't really have time for arguments, and the wind wins out anyway. When it's over, she looks more than irritable, she looks infuriated, but none of it is directed toward her fellow mercenary. She stares out over the plain full of the dead, now empty of the enemy.

As the battle ends, the army begins to pick up the pieces, and the reports start to filter in, the Archduchess of Lenosia only then learns, in the aftermath of the Defense of Setarco; her sister is dead. She stares blankly ahead, the pale face utterly expressionless.

Galen is blown back with Caspian, once the pair are released from its powers he sighs and shakes his head, "It never ends with them does it...Can't just fight to the end," the Warlord carefully sheathed his blade the faint sound of metal scraping echoing from it as he did, "Well done," he extended a hand toward Caspian, "THRAX! Into the city...Commanders on me!"

Pulled back from the fray by the gusting winds, Luis drops to his knee and leans into it, covering visor with the back of his hand and sheltering in the leeward side of a dropped larger demon, he will ride out the winds, but when they are done, he rises and the foes, along with the adrenaline of battle, have faded and gone. "Lagoma's Flame and to Gloria be the glory. We have stood," he tells the sea, waiting a moment longer, and then he turns, seeking family and friends, comrades and company, congratulating, encouraging, and mourning as each needs.