Jasper wields A long and curved sword with a black blade and a darkened steel crossguard.

Calista wields The Dread Thorn.

Geralt gets a pair of iridescite earrings set with beautiful emeralds.

Desma gets City of Swords black opal Oathlands steel hairpins from a leather utility belt featuring gold hued pouches.

Geralt wields Shardscourge, an alaricite two-handed axual.

Martino wields an ornate sabre named Glass Splitter.

Apollo wields Malice - an ominous black dagger.

Lianne wields Twilight, a duskstone-adorned dagger.

Mikani takes the Black Swan Queen's crown.

Jaenelle wields a small statue evoking the image of a tyrant.

Silvio gets a tiny iridescite crown of star iron thorns with diamondplate ends that cradles a milky epiphanite sphere.

Mikani takes a pair of iridescite earrings set with beautiful Emeralds.

Mikani takes a waterproof brown canvas pouch from Black Leather Holster Hip Bag with Crimson Accents.

Mikani takes Ore Perfume from a waterproof brown canvas pouch.

Mikani puts a waterproof brown canvas pouch in Black Leather Holster Hip Bag with Crimson Accents.

Mikani puts Onism Rapture Sharkskin Jacket in Onism Armor Pack.

Mikani puts a braided leather bracelet with a dangling tassel clasp in a black pouch with a vibrant red rose on both sides.

Mikani puts Onism Armor Pack in Orenda Armor Pack.

Mikani puts Orenda Armor Pack in Black Leather Holster Hip Bag with Crimson Accents.

The Lyceum has never had a shortage of pragmatic realists, and moreso than any other fealty, most of the hundred cities were immediately abandoned and evacuated to make for the safety of Arx or Lenosia. And mostly Arx. It speaks to the high regard in which Jaenelle and House Velenosa is held that many of the least sentimental members of the entire Peerage have faith that Lenosia migh thold, rather than immediately going for Arx. With the exception of a defense at Ostria, almost all of the city-states have already been razed and destroyed, and a number standing vacant as the tide sweeps in towards Lenosia, a city which went untouched during the first Reckoning, and never fell during the Elven War.

Azazel certainly means to change that.

It's slow at first, the great horde approaching from every direction. Many of the domains have been trapped, bleeding the approach. There's been other snares set as they come within range of Lenosia itself, but still they come on. Thousands of creeking siege towers and siege weapons are among the shards, many helpfully looted from other city-states. There must be hundreds of thousands of them on the plains outside Lenosia, and with them coming ogres, ettins, giants, minotaurs, and a thousand other type of beast from the shardhavens.

There is a little time yet before they enter range.

((Pre-battle round, anyone that chooses to can do a social check or war check at hard to try to bolster the troops))

Jasper checks command and war at hard. Jasper is successful.

Silvio checks charm and propaganda at hard. Silvio fails.

Jaenelle checks charm and manipulation at hard. Critical Success! Jaenelle is spectacularly successful.

Apollo checks charm and manipulation at hard. Apollo is successful.

Jan checks command and war at hard. Jan fails.

Calista checks charm and seduction at hard. Calista marginally fails.

Mikani checks charm and propaganda at hard. Mikani fails.

Pasquale checks command and war at hard. Pasquale fails.

Arman checks command and leadership at hard. Arman fails.

Theo checks command and manipulation at hard. Theo fails.

Lys checks willpower and propaganda at hard. Lys fails.

Cerys checks command and war at hard. Cerys is successful.

Geralt checks command and war at hard. Critical Success! Geralt is spectacularly successful.

Martino checks charm and propaganda at hard. Martino marginally fails.

Harlex checks command and intimidation at hard. Harlex marginally fails.

Desma checks command and war at hard. Botch! Desma fails completely.

Lianne checks command and leadership at hard. Lianne is marginally successful.

Noelle checks charm and manipulation at hard. Noelle is successful.

Quenia checks command and war at hard. Quenia is successful.

Jeffeth stands at the front gates of Lenosia next to his Smash Bro, Geralt. A behemoth of a man, Jeffeth is decked out in Alaricite drip and star iron everytang. He is particularly menacing today as the whole of his body has been dipped in purple. Purple body paint covers every inch of his exposed skin, and his armor is painted purple. Half his face is purple, the normal half, while the disfigured half is painted orange to highlight the severity of his deformities. On the massive expanse of his breastplate is painted the fox sigil of Lenosia. With the fox against the backdrop of purple, Jeffeth is basically Velenosa's banner embodied in a war machine. He hefts his hammer with both hands and takes a ready stance with a steely resolve and defiant mien against the oncoming horde. He's also wearing an iridescite tiara with glittering diamonds that match Geralt's earrings (thanks Berenice!)

Berenice checks charm and seduction at hard. Critical Success! Berenice is spectacularly successful.

Isolde checks charm and propaganda at hard. Isolde is successful.

Noah checks command and leadership at hard. Noah is successful.

Ariella checks command and war at hard. Ariella fails.

Timing is everything! Unfortunately for Marina, she’s never been good at everything. An ill-advised visit to her cousins in the Lyceum has left her stranded among the Daviegas who evacuated to Lenosia - her ship having been smashed to bits by the Abyssal horde in the process. And even if she had her ship, where would she go? Redreef Shores was lost, already. And so it is that the prettier - and slightly less disconcerting - identical twin of Countess Ember Redreef joins the Lycenes in defending their capital. Although, anyone who looks too closely at the red and black leather-clad Islander is still likely to do a double-take: Her eyes appear to be dark pools of water. If not for the fact that she wears an all-to-easy, self-assured grin on her face, well, that actually doesn’t make her seem less unsettling. She draws her rubicund sword with laughter flowing freely.

Mikani wields Swallow's Protection - Diamondplate Fighting Sticks.

Silvio looks great, in dark leather and shimmering purples, and he appears to be trying to parlay that by itself into encouragement for the troops. But honestly no matter how on point your eyeliner is, there are limits to how far this can go as a propaganda coup. At least he holds the alaricite blade he borrowed like someone who knows how to use it a little bit.

Akamos is nervous, although none of the troops around him would know it as he jokes amongst them,  bragging with others as to who will make the first kill or the most. The First Knight of Caer Morien is keenly aware of his position and readies Tsunami, testing his grip on the huge trident and silently praying to the Gods for courage and strength.



The Elder Prince, Arman Velenosa, begins to walk behind the parapets of the
mighty walls of Lenosia, bedecked in tenebrous shadowmeld and flowing steel
silk with ample indigo accents matching the colors of his House. He offers
curt nods and tight smiles to members of his family as he passes. "My
apologies for the mirrors," He comments vaguely before moving on.

He then begins to mill about the troops, greeting them and offering soft
encouragements. He takes particular time to speak with the Artiglio
contingent, whose members have served House Velenosa loyally for centuries.
He moves off to speak to some of the House regulars and borrows one of their
shields. He starts to bang his cane against it rhythmically before his voice
picks up and he addresses the collective soldiers defending Lenosia. His
words precisely timed with the beating of that stygian cane upon the shield.

"Friends! Today One Hundred cities stands as one! And you heroes stand upon
the precipice of history. The options are simple. We win or we die. The
vicious host that approaches will offer no quarter. It is victory or the Lyceum
is lost. Forever. This is Lenosia, home of the Foxes of House
Velenosa! I have often heard the insult that Foxes cannot fight! That we
prefer guile, deception and subterfuge. Perhaps so! But on this day I tell
you and all our naysayers... today these Foxes, you and I, are absolutely
RABID!"

Prince Arman turns to face the encroaching horde, the tempo on which he
bangs on that shield increasing before he thrusts his cane toward the
enemy and bellows, "Now show them your FUCKING TEETH!"

Noah is the ARCHDUKE, which doesn't really mean much, but still. He was raised Grayson and he holds /some/ sway. He walks through gruffly giving the 'we got this' speech. However, he's also been up at the 'battle line' more than a few times today. It's as if he's checking on something.

When Noah returns from his walk off /EVERYONE/ in the party is handed a small vial that says: Drink me. Noah's deep voice offers, "IF the winds change, drink this. You'll know what I mean."

From there, Noah takes his place at Jaenelle's side.

Before the beginning, there was a chanting coming from Geralt. The man is not of Lycene, but he brings the North to Lenosia. This gutteral throat chanting is coming from the Baron De Lire has the takes a particular black kind of ink, drawing in certain shapes, images, and other such stylized designed intrinsic to his shamanistic culture. The chant is an old one, something about the spirits watching over your souls as you embrace combat for the first time. Or the last time. The man's own face is smeared in this ink. First he marks his wife, Lys, and then is relative Mikani. The giant of a former Crovane stands tall in bloody-looking rubicund. But the weapon to his back is strange looking. As if someone decided to smash a battleaxe and maul together. Whatever it is, it's probably going to be effective in some fashion.

War is not the place that one would have found Noelle in a typical day. Yet here she is, dressed in leather armor and walking around at Desma's side. Where they go she stops to talk to soldiers, getting as many as she can at once involved in a conversation of anything but the battle ahead of them. She reminds them of what they fight for by talking about how bright and sunny the day is, about how great the wine in the Lyceum is, etc. She builds their pride by bringing up subjects that tell them: This is your home, and it's worth fighting for. For now, she manages to not look like she's scared as shit. She focuses on the job and does it.

Ever since Pasquale has reached Lenosia he has been spending time with the soldiers. Today is no different. He's chosen to join the Malespero troops for this fight, where he can give them reassurance and confidence through the simple fact that he's fighting alongside them. He's aiming for confident and strong but instead settles into a bout of coughing that leaves a number of soldiers looking at each other worriedly.

The life of a Knight is one of servitude and can take a person to a variety of places, but today Cerys wouldn't be anywhere but Lenosia. Brandishing a large spear, Cerys stands near Arman, listening to the man's speech and stomping the end of her spear to add to the dramatic effect. Familiar with battle cries and makings of war, the woman holds up her weapon and shouts, "We Survive! We Thrive! We Win!," then the woman looks around to get a good sense of her environment, but mostly she focuses with a serious expression on the coming hordes.

There are a lot of emotions going into this battle today. Calista was not built for battle, but she is here, dressed head to toe in shadowmeld, with the Roses of Tor behind her. This is too much to bear. They have lost their lands and while 'home' is where ever the people are, she cannot help but feel she has let both her mother and her brother down. She turns to her people, with words to inspire them. Does it reach them? Marginally so.

This is Berenice Velenosa's home.

She is not known for her generosity, except in a very /noble/ sort of way -- the peerage sort, not the character sort. She is charitable as a princess is, raising money that's not hers and giving it away. But she does not often part with what /is/ hers.

Today, though, what's hers is everyone's. Any item that will bolster those she stands beside. She has spent her time with the commanders and the troops, pressing painted lips to cheeks, and offering such promises of spirit for their survival. For their victory.

And now she stands on the battlements: not in the thick of what's to come, but no less armed. She appears in a dress of steelsilk and spidersilk, the cape embroidered meticulously with a map of the Lyceum and all its sigils. She is dressed for her home, for she has no intention of giving it up today.

While everyone else is hyping up the troops, Fiora goes and does her own thing. She scouts the areas around the walls. She stalks the top of the walls. The Malvici looks for the best perches, the deepest shadows. She keeps to herself and is just a grim presence, all duty and little chatter.

Pasquale wields True Shot, an alaricite bow.

Mikani stands with the force of Magnotta to her back. She pulls her fighting sticks from her holsters and readies herself for what is to come. After the war paint is put on her, Mikani looks like a different force than normal. Wild. Her armor ink black and indigo. Akamos gets a slight bump from her shoulder as her dark eyes stay focused on the field.

Theo is ever his father's son and is literally his shadow as the elder prince walks and he too offers nods and quiet encouragements. When he hears his father's apology about mirros there's a bit of a smile seen. But he doesn't speak yet. Going quiet. He's always done his best work in shadows after all. A hand lifted as if to have those around to take on his father's battle cry.

The Marquessa of Igniseri stands ready with the rest of the Lenosia troops. She takes some time to give some speeches about war strategy to those she stands near, as she's bedecked in her latest pieces of armor, a steelsilk gown and a pair of fireweave boots which she did not own before, each bearing a fiery pattern or a phoenix motif. She calls out over to her troops at the end of her speechifying and remarks, "Remember, WE WILL NOT BE QUENCHED." Even if some of them know that might not be the case entirely, she at least gets the message across. The Igniseri troops let up a roar that might not be as loud as others, with their smaller army, but it's heard all the same.

Jan stands not with her husband but towards the front with a batch of Malespero's soldiers. She looks over her shoulder and calls "Hold on to your butts, boots, and battle axes! This is gonna get weird. FOR VELENOSA!" she bellows lifting Glinting Gale into the air.

Desma stands with the rest of her family and her wife Noelle, armed and armoured up, her gaze steely as she looks out at the approaching horde. Her keen eyes narrow as she identifies particularly dangerous looking groups in the massive swarm, especially nearer to the Malvici and Magnotta positions and she points them out, giving orders to runners to give to subcommanders to focus bow and artillery fire on those when ready. The rest of her time is checking over her equipment between studying the battlefield and mentally trying to work out contingencies and fall back locations for the troops in worse case scenarios.

Desma stands with the rest of her family and her wife Noelle, armed and armoured up, her gaze steely as she looks out at the approaching horde. Her keen eyes narrow as she identifies particularly dangerous looking groups in the massive swarm, especially nearer to the Malvici and Magnotta positions and she points them out, giving orders to runners to give to subcommanders to focus bow and artillery fire on those when ready. The rest of her time is checking over her equipment between studying the battlefield and mentally trying to work out contingencies and fall back locations for the troops in worse case scenarios. She starts sending too many orders, secondguessing herself and doing far more harm than good as she starts panicking that she isn't doing well

Lys is dressed in all black except for the glittering jewelry that she has begged, borrowed, and stolen. She raises her voice toward the troops, but perhaps she's just a little /too glittery/ or perhaps the oncoming horde is just /too big/. For they don't seem to be rallied at her voice. At least none of them out right flee. She'll turn toward her husband, gloved fingertips touching Geralt's elbow as he paints her face. Her lips curling into a bright smile--

Her head jerks toward Arman and she smiles bright to show him /her teeth/.

To Geralt she says, "You're going to want to be behind me, my love, for my opening salvo."

She pulls two swords from her back and then screams out to those gathered, "BEHIND MY SWORDS!"

She then strides out onto the battlefield, past the front lines so that /she/ is first, slamming down the points of the diamondplate rapier and the alaricite longsword into the ground before. Then the most beautiful sword even scene is pull from the sheathe at her back, and she draws it backward behind her, blade pointed downward. Her teeth are shown to the oncoming horde.

This is probably the first battle Isolde has partaken in, in quite some time. She's not known to be a fighter though she's certainly keen to defend her loved ones no matter the cost. She maintains an optimistic demeanour when she speaks to the gathered troops letting them know that -she- thinks they can win that means they can.

"We've never fallen before. We won't fall now!" She ends her speech by turning to face the direction where the horde will be coming from.

Standing within a space set for the Malvici war command, the Duke Martino Malvici is near-to one of his own commanders as well as others from the fealty. His gaze across to his rows of Malvici soldiers, those who have been brought up to Southport to defend Lenosia and the Lyceum. His breath deeper as he begins to speak those generals near-to him. his voice firm but straining, the battle causing a difficulty in his speech with those around not inspiring as much as he would have cared for, "In this, some will perish and some will die. But that sacrifice will give us another day." Promising some people they'll die likely not inspiring all the glory and hope. Those green eyes of his darkening slight as he gazes once more over his shoulder, over towards where the beasts of the Abyss begin to mount their attack.

Apollo is not going to step on the brilliant leadership of House Velenosa, here. The absolute best thing he can do is sweep those armed to fight, note any with lingering uncertainties, and make damn sure they're on board, and look. He's not trying to be /intimidating/, per se; he'd rather sway than terrify. But all the same, he looks a little like he might murder somebody in an alley, and he's fresh outta alleys, so. Experience may vary.

Mikani raises her arm and shouts to her troops, "By Sea and Sky. We will not fall today. We will vanquish those that aim to break us. Can I get an Ooh-rah!" She cheers on her troops and they whoop with her and let loose their battle cries.

Apollo wields Malice - an ominous black dagger.

Harlex Valtyr emerges among the gathered and even his usual dour and intense demeanor cannot draw the attention or dread of those around him. There is so much more at stake. His military black attire gleams with those hints of gauntlet-claws, a promise to rend lurking between stars. He draws a sword that radiates the strangest hues, and despite it all he has the calm and cold attitude normally reserved for steel. There is a look back toward the battlements, catching sight of something, as a sailor might look to the familiar star guiding him home. Then he fixes his focus ahead. The Nametaker is silent as the grave.

Lianne, in dark oakhide and shadowmeld, in Nilanzan blue, in /pants/, gives one last rallying speech to her duchy's troops and one last hug to Pasquale and Jan both, just in case, before joining some of her cabal on the battlements. At a small distance. The odd necklace she wears with its peculiar black crystal might upset some folks. Unintentionally. That's just its nature. Her dark, unadorned crown is less concerning in that regard. It simply is what it is. And it's hers, set heavy atop her head, a line already creasing her forehead. She stands, patient. Ready.

Jasper Steelhart once lost his home.

It will not happen again. And he will be redeemed in this battle.

Making the rounds with the archers, Jasper instructs them to shoot at the bigger targets. His eyes fix upon the Eater's collection of misfit shards and he sneers. "When they come into range, shoot them. Make them bleed, make them suffer. Give it all you got. Protect your homes. Protect your families." As he draws his sword, his face looks pained while a sound rings ever so slightly in the air. He breathes in, breathes out, holding the sword in both hands and resting it against his shoulder. When the Archduke passes by, Jasper fixes the coronet laid on his helm before taking Noah's bottle before stowing it away in a bag. His alaricite armor shines in the sun in contrast to the black of his tabard and cloak. "Kill them all!"

Jaenelle stands on the walls, which everyone knows anyone with the last name of Velenosa probably shouldnt be doing heights of any kind. It just isnt safe! In one of her hands is a small statue in her likeness, though unlike the original, this one has been dipped in a shiny alaricite shell. It swings in slow circles as she watches the impending doom approach. She is quiet, though it always is like that, when she is focused. But slowly she smiles, and this is not a smile many see, for it is usually reserved for more private moments when she allows the tyrant of the statue out to play. "We will not end here," she begins, her voice soft but hints of steel touch each word. "The Lyceum is not a place for the weak and these are clearly lacking," her words drip in distain now, the softness slipping easily as the statue continues to swing. "We will not let them force out existance into history books, but wo;; show them exactly why we usually fight within the hundred cities. Others are not prepared to face us, we know this." The statue is slammed suddenly against the stone wall, "We will not die here, and when we are through Gods help any who remain."

The chatting from Geralt grows louder, the sounds from his throat grows more fierce. It's not exactly a song, but the man is preparing for something. He gives a nod to his wife, standing behind her, while his hands pull free the muaxe from his back. He continues to chant, stopping only for a moment to look to Jeffeth. "When Lys is done, I want you to throw me as hard as you can into that fucking horde."

Jeffeth grunts to Geralt and grabs the back of the barbarian's breastplate with one hand, preparing to one-arm yeet him at a bunch of ugly assholes in the first round of battle.

Calista closes her eyes for a moment feeling the feels, nodding to no one in particular. "I've fucking got this." She replies and grips the Dread Thorn in her hand even tighter.

And the enemy comes on. The drums have a thundering steady beat, matching the ground shaking footfalls of the massive beasts. The first farther traps begin to go off, the enemy marching through green mist, traps and snares, through pits and spikes, as they begin to come into range of the siege weapons. Trebuchets fire on both sides at the most extreme range, then the catapults, and then the ballistae launching their massive spikes through rows of shards and hopefully bringing down the larger monstrosities. In any normal foe, the sheer fire from Lenosia would be devastating, but here it is vanishing like ripples into a river. And still they come on.

The sky is thick with incoming boulders, and scores of beholders and tens of thousands of winged demons and imps sweep forward, as the first arrow storms launch. The Battle of Lenosia has begun.

((Round 1, can do any check at hard, note if you are using magic. Failed checks will result in damage, unless someone with a spec crit opts to save that person.))

Calista checks charm and seduction at hard. Calista is successful.

Jasper checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Jasper is successful.

Harlex checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Harlex is successful.

Cerys checks strength and huge wpn at hard. Cerys is successful.

Silvio checks charm and propaganda at hard. Silvio fails.

Apollo checks dexterity and tanning at hard. Apollo marginally fails.

Jaenelle checks charm and manipulation at hard. Jaenelle is successful.

Berenice checks charm and seduction at hard. Berenice is successful.

Jeffeth checks strength and huge wpn at hard. Jeffeth is successful.

Arman checks mana and occult at hard. Botch! Arman fails completely.

Fiora checks dexterity and archery at hard. Fiora is successful.

Lys checks willpower and medium wpn at normal. Lys is successful.

Ariella checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Ariella is successful.

Quenia checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Quenia is successful.

Theo checks command and manipulation at hard. Theo marginally fails.

Marina checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Marina is successful.

Isolde checks charm and occult at easy. Isolde is successful.

Noelle checks charm and seduction at hard. Noelle is successful.

Akamos checks dexterity and huge wpn at hard. Akamos is successful.

Noah checks dexterity and small wpn at hard. Noah fails.

Jan checks command and war at hard. Jan is successful.

Pasquale checks mana and archery at hard. Pasquale is successful.

Geralt checks willpower and huge wpn at normal. Geralt is successful.

Desma checks dexterity and archery at hard. Desma is successful.

Martino checks charm and manipulation at hard. Martino is successful.

Lianne checks intellect and occult at easy. Lianne is successful.

Mikani checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Mikani is successful.

[MAGIC] Let's get this party started! Jeffeth rears back, taking Geralt along with him, and swings his arm to one-arm yeet the giant Northman at the first wave of on-coming shards. (That was just a cantrip though!) The real magic is when Jeffeth's throwing arm swings back down, grabs the shaft of his war hammer, swings it high and brings it crashing against the ground sending a devastating shockwave at the approaching front line of monstrous fiends.

[MAGIC - HIT'EM HIGH] "FUCK-" Lys takes several steps back so that she gets a running stard. And then she rush at the two swords stuck in the ground and swings the gleaming liquid-like sword like at bat at them. Sending both swords into nothing but /shattered pieces/. The pieces flying up in a spray of alaricite and diamondplate up into the night sky to slam into the Beholders. "-OFF!"

[MAGIC] Taking up with a group of archers, Fiora stands at the edge of the wall with her bow in hand, an arrow knocked but not pulling back the string or taking aim just yet. She surveys the crowd below, letting the men and women at her side worry with the mundane targets. When a beholder starts getting too near, that's when she strikes. Sibilant whispers come from her lips and she stares daggers into the beholder. Suddenly, its shadow moves at odds to the movement of the creature. A dark beam lances from the roundish shadow, lancing through the floating eyebag and sending it crashing to the ground.

[MAGIC] Marina doesn't wait for the horde to reach her, she lunges at the shards, laughing as if this were a game and the Abyssal creatures were old friends. Old friends that she is goign to stab really fucking hard. As her red blade swings through the air, it glints like blood and smashes into an enemy, who is immediately enveloped in dark, inky tendrils of water that pull the shard down to the ground. Her smile grows, advancing into the fray.

[MAGIC - Frozen Rage] The last sound of that chanting comes off into a howl of nothing short of rage, causing the man to take on a sheen of frost over his body, jagged icicles coming off his axual. His eyes turn as blue as a glacial as he radiate cold. Which is just in time as Jeffeth picks the man and literally ejects him into the horde. And Geralt, the Baron of De LIre howls with laughing, cackling with an insane glee, cleaving into the first thing he sees, careening through the air like some kind of impromptu missel. "I'LL FEAST ON YER BONES!"

Jan bellows and sword still held aloft gestures the sword off to one side and then her other hand in another, orchestrating those of Malespero's forces to break off from one neat square and becoming an offensive wall to meet the onslaught with Jan there in the front lines herself by the time they meet their ghastly foe.

"ARCHERS! NOCK! DRAW! LOOSE!" Desma cries repeatedly, directing volleys of arrows into the oncoming horde. Her troops are well trained, disciplined and their officers help maintain order and a steady tempo and she fires along with them with deadly accuracy

[MAGIC] Isolde cannot maintain her composure entirely when she sees the winged demons but now isn't the time to fall prey to her fear. So shuts her eyes briefly and exhales to calm her spirits until she's ready to take one of them on. She keeps her attention on a demon sweeping toward her and says something in a strange tongue, abhorrent to many ears, to the creature. Dark mist extends from her fingertips and a hordeling manifests that jumps into the air and rips the attacking demon apart. Whether the thing is made of flesh or not, its damage cannot be doubted and it roars into the air.

Isolde says in Abyssal, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!""

[Magic] Harlex steps forward with a slight shift in his stance. He takes off with speed beyond comprehension, boot crushing into the exoskeleton head of /something/ to give him air enough that when he swings, there's a horrible black howl and the air bends and warps into shredding waves that turn those flying horrors into ribbons. Viscera and gore rain down like confetti.

Silvio checks 'permanent wound save' at hard. Critical Success! Silvio is spectacularly successful.

Despite the terrible damage, Silvio does not take a permanent wound.

Silvio checks 'unconsciousness save' at hard. Silvio is successful.

Silvio remains capable of fighting.

[MAGIC: Offensive: (Agony Blade)] The black blade of Jasper's sword seems to emanate a red, unholy light before he launches himself into the fray with abnormal speed. He is but a blur to the common naked eye as he weaves his way into the enemy's ranks, slamming his sword into a shard and rending a limb from it without skipping a beat. There are unholy screams of pain when the blade lands its attacks, cutting through flesh with the ease of alaricite. And if he's done with one, he'll soon get to work on another, his fighting style aggressive.

Arman checks 'death save' at easy. Arman is successful.

Arman remains alive, but close to death.

Arman is incapacitated and falls unconscious.

Arman checks 'permanent wound save' at hard. Arman is successful.

Despite the terrible damage, Arman does not take a permanent wound.

Noah checks 'permanent wound save' at hard. Critical Success! Noah is spectacularly successful.

Despite the terrible damage, Noah does not take a permanent wound.

Noah checks 'unconsciousness save' at easy. Botch! Noah fails badly.

Noah is incapacitated and falls unconscious.

[MAGIC - Drain Primum] Surveying the oncoming army, Noelle spots the mass of flying demons. She tilts her head back, watching them fly closer, and a kind of calm comes over the former princess. She begins blowing kisses! Of all the things to do on the battlefield, she just presses her palm to her lips and then holds her hand out and blows. Energy begins leaving the winged targets, flowing into Noelle. Those creatures drained begin to drop from the sky.

[MAGIC - Protective Gale] Mikani raises her arms and a gale-force wind surrounds herself, Akamos, Noelle and Desma. The wind works to throw off the arrows and other projectile weapons. It also lets her family to do what they do. "Stay back!"

The combat is brutal, worse than anything that Akamos believed it could be. Legends will be born this day he knows! With a cry of "Caer Morien!!" he slams the three pronged Tsunami into the nearest fell creature, dropping it before the next is smote similarly.

[Magic] Theo stays close to Arman but he gets ready to do his work once the beholders get close and all he does is smile. Who smiles during a battle? This Prince of Velenosa as he makes a ghostly duplicate of himself but that duplicate wavers a little as he tries to work on what it is he is doing. He takes on one beholder in particular to fight with. He does this for a while going in and out between the beholders but its not really him that is doing it but his doppleganger because Theo stays close to his father and checks to make the elder is alright as he fights. "Noooooo." He sees what happens and he lingers by Arman and tries to fight off any that try to get to his father. "You can't die on me Father! You just said all those words!" Huffing out his words.

[Magic - This Sword Is On Fire]
"That was not very inspiring, darling," Ariella informs Martino helpfully, failing to do any inspiring herself in the process. Perhaps she would say more inspirational things to the Malvici Duke, but the horde approacheth and she does not hesitate to into battle, bobbing and weaving around other armored bodies in a race to the front of the line. And the moment something Abyssal crosses her path, she raises her sword, which ignites with red hot fire on the downswing and makes the strike all the more painful for its recipient.

[MAGIC - Coldfire] Lianne breathes deep as she sees the sky darkening, readying herself for the coming fight. This is all a very new experience for her, so used to working behind the scenes, using magic from afar. That simply isn't possible here. Time to try out a new trick. A twist on an old one. The fire she shoots at the airborn enemies is pure black, gorgeous and horrible, the nethicite dust it leaves behind as it scorches enemies to a crisp just as dangerous as the hope-draining flame itself.

[MAGIC - offensive - STORM OF THORNS] Calista murmurs a few words under her breath and feels the crackle building up from the very center of her body. She raises her hands to the sky, signaling to the Torean Army to charge forth and she sends them off, a deluge of sharp thorns bursts outwards from where she's standing. It's setting the mood for battle, is it not?

Just a normal fighter at the moment, Quenia goes charging with the rest of the Igniseri troops into battle. She's had a lot of training over the years to prepare just in case this sort of scenario happened. She's cognizant of the people around here and makes sure that when she goes into battle that she's taking the best advantage possible of the space around her. Her footwork is in sync with the person next to her and she teams up with them to fight off several of the demons. Her sword slashes easily through her target with a forward thrust, which feints down to a side swipe, cutting thick into the side. She and her partner then move on to the next demon, Quenia distracting while they get a chance to get in and make their own attempt at an attack. This goes on and on, as each new demon steps forward.

For all of his life, Silvio has avoided direct conflict. He has slithered out of it, fought socially, destroyed people for the hell of it, snarked and lambasted and slied. He has wielded gossip like the blade in his hand now, and as he exhorts the men and women to strive against the foe, they can see it in him: the uncertainty behind his polish, the way his serenity is a mask. Maybe that's what makes him a target. Maybe it's just unlucky. He is afraid. How in the everloving fuck could he not be afraid? Look at them all. He raises the gleam of his small blade. "Is that the best they've got? Come on. This is nothing. None may harm us--"

That's when he sees the boulder flying for him. He can't get out of the way fast enough. He dives mid-sentence and barely saves himself from it crushing his skull as it smashes across him anyway. He pants on his knees and elbows, wheezing. He doesn't finish. He says, "--fuck."

Raising her spear, Cerys runs with it, launching it into the core of the enemy in front of her. There's a moment where it impacts and then it slips into the creature. The silver-haired woman is there to pull it out, hold it at her side so she is ready to fight some more. As she holds her weapon, she sees Arman take the hit and she tries to help him, looking over at Theo and works with him to protect Arman, or at least provide some additional cover or try to help get him to safety.

Moving his right hand out across his chest, Martino's fingertips are pointing across to a Malvici General as he is watching the imps begin to sweep forward. "Brace the pikemen back, sound that horn and have their feet plant in the ground, their spears high. Aim up to throw and replace that spear with their second." The act seeing his pikemen momentarily without a weapon, a risk on their lives from the Malvici Duke as he does what he sees needed to keep back those flying demons. Martino is glancing after his command to the Malvici General towards Ariella, "/One/ of the few things for I to work on." A flickering of his lips afterwards as he is watching her rise up and head off into battle itself.

[MAGIC] Berenice looks at that oncoming horde, and her head lifts. Her hair is a curtain of dark curls down her back, wild and free -- and perfect. She raises one hand with that same perfect grace, and then makes a gesture as if plucking one of those many enemies among the incoming army. She smiles. She blows a kiss. And then she makes them hers. One by one, little patches of rebellion across that demonic horde, luring them to fight for the incomparable Berenice Velenosa.

She's prettier than Azazel, anyways.

And THIS is why Noah doesn't pray often. He took one moment to pray to the Gods. He followed the rules. /He followed the rules/. He draws his blade up and .... hits air. Just air. This of course means he's going down on their attack. As the attack comes for him, he knows it's going to hit and he knows it's going to be ugly. His last concious thought is to make sure Jaenelle wasn't struck and then he finds himself in the sweet arms of blackness. Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.

[MAGIC]Apollo sees them coming. Was a time he'd be scared by much less, and in truth he isn't unafraid now; he just wouldn't have been here, onceuponatime. Bigger than his fear, though, is his anger. He waits for beholders to close some range, and then stretches his black blade out before him, tracing a square in the air. He shouts -something- in a godsawful language as he's doing it, but it cuts short in his throat as he drops prone to avoid an incoming boulder.

Apollo says in Abyssal, "A fool and their skin --"

Arman is digging through a satchel looking for something as the arrows and boulders fly over the walls, that's where he probably should have been looking as one of those boulders smashes into him, sending the Elder Prince flying backward and crumpling into a heap on the ground.

[magic attack] Pasquale takes a moment to drink from a flask and check where Lianne and Jan have ended up before turning his attention back towards the approaching enemies. He takes a few steps forward, just to get a better view, and then makes a slow sweeping gesture with what would normally be his sword hand. Shards of something that might be sooty glass (but probably aren't) gather in a swarm around his hand, shifting and glinting as his will draws more into the swarm, before being flung with a forward gesture that sends them shooting off in a glinting volley towards the oncoming wave.

[MAGIC - Withering Opinion] Apparently Jaenelle has moved on from her anger and is now disappointed. It might be worse. She looks up as demons and imps begin to soar throughout the sky and sighs, "that is cheating. I expected better of you. Cowards." Especually now that her husband in on the ground and she just rolls her eyes upward. Not exactly at Noah, but just the whole situation. "You too," she tells the now unconscious body of her husband, hands on her hips and everything. "Get him out of here!" she shouts to anyone who would like to drag Noah out of harms way.

In the first attack of any domain of the Compact, the horde of Azazel seems to shudder under the initial assault from the Lenosian forces. The sheer degree of magical assault seems to catch the horde off guard, as thousands upon thousands of shards go down almost immediately under the assault. There's a roar from a giant skeleton dragon at the rear, and the horde rallies and presses forward, with a large group of shard mages at the front calling down fire upon the Lenosian lines.

((I'll mass check, if someone fails, they can use magic on themself to lower difficulty.))

Apostate has called for a check of luck at normal.
TIE: Critical Success! Jan is spectacularly successful. Critical Success! Mikani is spectacularly successful.
TIE: Noelle is successful. Cerys is successful.
TIE: Jeffeth is successful. Noah is successful. Silvio is successful.
Jaenelle is successful.
TIE: Isolde is successful. Lys is successful. Marina is successful.
TIE: Akamos is successful. Ariella is successful.
Lianne is successful.
Apollo is successful.
TIE: Fiora is successful. Pasquale is successful. Geralt is successful. Martino is successful. Jasper is successful.
TIE: Theo marginally fails. Berenice marginally fails.
TIE: Desma fails. Harlex fails. Arman fails. Quenia fails. Calista fails.
Kalakh fails.

Quenia checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Quenia fails.

Harlex checks stamina and survival at normal. Harlex is successful.

Calista checks charm and seduction at normal. Critical Success! Calista is inhumanly successful in a way that defies expectations.

Berenice checks charm and seduction at easy. Berenice is successful.

Theo checks command and manipulation at easy. Theo is successful.

Geralt checks willpower and huge wpn at normal. Geralt is successful.

Quenia checks 'permanent wound save' at hard. Quenia is successful.

Despite the terrible damage, Quenia does not take a permanent wound.

Quenia checks 'unconsciousness save' at easy. Quenia is successful.

Quenia remains capable of fighting.

Jan checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Jan is successful.

Jan spies from the corner of an eye Arman get smite by a boulder "Turdblossoms! Press onward!" she commands her troops even as she wades through the battle and stands in front of the fallen Arman "Someone get him out of here! I will keep these booger-nibbling taint goblins off of you!"

The horde comes on with a mass rush of tens of thousands of shards towards the front gate of lenosia, only to run into the combined forces of many of the ducal vassals that have been rallied and waiting for that. The aerial attack is more difficult to response, as archers do their best, but it's largely falling on the mages particularly as the beholders begin blasting holes in the defenders ranks.

((Round 2: 159 Victory Points, same tier of checks as before.))

Apollo checks dexterity and tanning at normal. Apollo is successful.

Noelle checks charm and seduction at hard. Noelle is successful.

Marina checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Marina is successful.

Jasper checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Botch! Jasper fails completely.

Cerys checks dexterity and huge wpn at hard. Cerys is successful.

Berenice checks charm and seduction at hard. Berenice is successful.

Ariella checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Ariella is successful.

Fiora checks dexterity and archery at hard. Fiora is successful.

Calista checks charm and seduction at hard. Botch! Calista fails completely.

[Magic] Harlex is moving through the horde like a feather on the current. His sword strikes leaving wounds that wave with heat from their speed. But soon he is overwhelmed, deep in the throes, and looking back to see those flying hellions near to Berenice is becomes ensnared and lost in a deluge of demons. Then there is a horrible sound, a guttering scream of rage, and a glint of metal before something half a man, wearing the narrow eyed visage of a beast, bursts forth. Weapons, tooth and claw breaking upon his armored form and a long, malicious cloak casting a maddening eclipse over those in its shadow. Sparks dance from the dark metal fangs of the helm as the Sword of Lenosia draws Mirror Blade into his free clawed grip. Time to die.

Harlex checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Harlex is successful.

Martino checks charm and manipulation at hard. Martino is successful.

Jaenelle checks charm and manipulation at hard. Jaenelle marginally fails.

Isolde checks charm and occult at easy. Isolde is spectacularly successful.

Jan checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Botch! Jan fails completely.

Lys checks willpower and medium wpn at normal. Critical Success! Lys is spectacularly successful.

Mikani checks strength and small wpn at hard. Mikani is successful.

Desma checks dexterity and archery at hard. Desma is successful.

Pasquale checks mana and occult at hard. Pasquale is successful.

Akamos checks dexterity and huge wpn at hard. Akamos marginally fails.

Jeffeth checks strength and huge wpn at hard. Jeffeth is successful.

Theo checks command and manipulation at hard. Theo marginally fails.

Lianne checks intellect and occult at easy. Lianne is successful.

Artorius checks strength and huge wpn at hard. Artorius marginally fails.

[MAGIC] Fiora remains where she is, bow ready to be used but not. She scans for another target, looking for something like an officer, and this time focuses on a figure of authority instead of a beholder. Once again she whispers some words under her breath, a lot of 'sss' sounds to whatever she says. Again a shadow animates, rising up into 3-D space and stabbing an officer with a reflection of their own sword. Down they go, the shadow dissipating.

Silvio checks charm and propaganda at hard. Silvio is successful.

Quenia checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Quenia is successful.

Cerys is pretty strong all things considered, it comes from years of training, so when there's cover because of Jan's magic works, Cerys takes the opportunity. With her spear braced for any possible attack, she grabs Arman's unconscious body and hoists him over her shoulder. "Sorry, Uncle, I'll do my best to keep you safe," she tells the man. Who may or may not actually be her uncle, but close enough. Either way, Cerys is trying to get him somewhere she can put him that will allow him to remain safe enough while the battle continues.

But this, /this/. Surely /this/ can be a propaganda coup. Silvio puts his back - and his will - into it, striving back to his feet despite the pain and the blood. One of his legs is definitely not working right but he's just-- he's going to stop thinking about that right now. The show must go on and the world loves a showman. "You see? They can strike us down but we shall not fall to this!" He raises his dagger, grinning beneath the crown of his plumed helm. "Punish them, Foxes!"

[MAGIC - FLAY THERE] Apollo leaps back to his feet so, so quickly. This is not about laying down until you get smashed. This time, he tracks the incoming boulders _and_ horde, racing aside to get a clear path. No time for timidity - those beholders are taking out the people ahead of him, - his blade slashes through the air, and he reaches with his other hand like to grasp at something unseen, yanks hard.

And pulls the skin right off a beholder, peeling it like a grape. Only grosser. Way, way grosser.

Apollo says in Abyssal, "A fool and their skin are soon parted!"

[MAGIC] More shards find themselves subject to a watery death on dry land as Marina crashes into them like a wave. Tendrils of inky water dart out from her sword with every swing. Her laughter rises above the chaotic din as she beckons another foe forward.

Harlex continues to rip and tear his way through the hordes. Slaughtering scores. He is a dark red speck amidst the violence. But he is hunting for that prized kill, somewhere out in the throngs.

[MAGIC - Drain Primum] Continuing her stand with the Magnotta troops, Noelle spares a glance to look at her wife, then the others. "I'll keep the aerial hazards out of the way," she makes a big promise. Then it's time for the fastest kisses in the South. She double-hands this now, looking up at imps and sending blown kisses in many directions. Primum flows out of the demons and into Noelle.

[MAGIC] Jeffeth is out there like a giant muscle-bound Grimace, and Lenosia is his McDonald's. Those flying shards are becoming a real nuisance and it makes him angry. He jogs a few paces out of the fray, grabbing his hummer near the end of its shaft, spins and launches it into the sky. It only needs to find purchase against the belly of one flying beast to sending a devasting shockwave through the sky at others in its vicinity, and it does! And - luckily - Jeffeth brought two hammers to this shindig, so it doesn't even suck to lose that one.

[MAGIC - Defensive - DIAMOND SKIN] The hordes descend upon them now and even though so many of the shards go down from the Lenosian attack, they are a never ending assault. As they come in closer and Calista charges in with her army, she says something to the ring she wears and suddenly her entire body is shielded by what appears to be faceted diamonds. They are strong and do not take the damage inflicted on her. She becomes reflective and distracts some of the assailants who come at her, turning their attacks upon themselves. But as she is so caught up into this moment of magic and majesty, she fails in her efforts for offensive damage. She is pretty though. So shiny!

[Offensive Magic: Tendrils of Shadow] - Ducking his head as boulders are going over, Martino is moving to pivot and stand closer to the edge of the parapet. Leaning over the edge of it, his sharp green eyes are making sight of the shard mages near-to the front. Lifting his hands up before his chest, pulling the gauntlets from his wrists. Tucking the two leather gaunlets into the wide belt worn around his waist all before deftly moving his hands. Dark threads of shadow begin to form along his own, his green eyes tracing the movements of it to connect his tendril of his own shadow onto that of a few shard mages. Closing his fist, yanking it to his side and turning, the Malvici Duke's tendril inflicts a bolt and shock of pain upon the mages. Dragging them down to the ground with that newly formed connection.

[Magic-Shadow Blend] Once Theo sees that Arman is safe thanks to Jan and Cerys he continues on with the fighting. This time he blends into the shadows and tries to be a target difficult to find as he tries to help with any holes that are happening in their defense. He doesn't say anything and just keeps working so he doesn't give himself away. When one monster gets close his sword finds it but it doesn't go as far as he wanted and Theo once again finds the shadows to hide in.

[MAGIC] With the next demons making their approach, Isolde says a few more words in that language to her hordeling. Her voice is more gentle with them, affectionate even. As though she's making suggestions to a friend. It jumps into the air and starts to wreck some more demons before the princess gestures toward a particularly malevolent entity attempting to target a distracted Jan. The hordeling jumps midair and tackles the creature before it can do the woman harm.

Isolde says in Abyssal, "Show them who is boss""

[MAGICx2] Berenice lifts her gaze, and she can see the enemies in the air whose attention she's suddenly drawn. Both hands lift, drawing a line with forefinger and thumb in the air, center and out. Her hair billows in the breeze, and the radiance of sun against skin offers distraction enough to have the demons tumbling past.

And then she smiles again, watching those same imps that were trying to murder her a moment ago. "You fight for /me/ now, darlings," she coos, and sets them upon their brethren.

"Get the Consort!" Lys shouts in the direction of Geralt, and then she spots Calista being overwhelmed. That beautiful sword glimmers and gleams as she cuts Beholders and Imps in half. Cutting her way through the horde toward the Duchess. She slices and dices a whirlwind of sword work. She kicks a downed Beholder away and then calls to Calista, "Get down, my lady!"

And then she slashes the wings off of an Imp that was diving for Calista.

[Magic - More Frozen Rage] There's really one thing that Geralt has learned since opening himself to magic. And that is how to fuel his battlelust and rage properly. The large man is in the throes of a berserker rage, the ice and cold that radiates his off his body is in stark contrast to his bellows of laughter as he cuts, cleaves, and smashes his way through the horde with Jeffeth at his back. He brings the ground with the maul side of his weapon in a reverberating strike, causing spikes of ice to errupt from the ground in front of him, impaling imps and shards alike. "THEY'RE DYING FOR ME. ALL OF THEM." Now, finally he's able to wield the monster within, but for a good purpose. There is a joy in this. For him, at least.

But somewhere in the back of his head, he hears Jaenelle. He hears his wife. They're yelling about something. His icy blue snaps to the spot where Noah fell. 'You should do something about that. You should probably help him.' "ONE MOMENT, DUKE GUY." he roars, the axual cleaving a swatch through the chaos towards the downed Archduke, covering and defending Noah from the horrors around him. "SHOULD WATCH YOUR BACKSIDE. I GOT YOU." He can only use one hand handling his axual, but his other hand reaches down to pick up Noah by the belt. "HOLD ON NOW." And he starts to draw back, changing the grip on his weapon to better be used with one hand, if slightly awkwardly. At least he doesn't use Noah as a weapon. Slowly, yet surely, he's able to move to the back of the battle lines, placing Noah out of harm's way. "SOMEONE TAKE CARE OF HIM. I DO NOT HEAL. I HURT." Trying to talk while in the middle of a battle rage is not the easiest thing for him.

[Magic]
Slash! Sizzle! Ariella cuts swathes through the Abyssal horde, sending demon pieces flying in her wake, without taking too much damage herself so far. She starts getting into a groove before long, getting a bit flashy with her flaming blade and doing a few unnecessary tricks. Nothing improves one's morale more than showing off for one's self, after all.

[MAGIC - Songlessness] Lianne may be aware of others falling, struggling, but she keeps her focus on the incoming enemies. Spying the beholders blasting through the defenders, she turns her efforts on them. This trick is far less showy than the lat, but it's certainly effective, a silent denial of their abilities. She watches still and imperious as they fail. As if failure is all they'll ever know. Should an air of grief and sorrow seep out over the battlefield, well... one doesn't need hope to press on when survival is on the line, right?

Lianne says in Abyssal, "Azazel will not succeed, and neither will you, his sad little allies."

Lets her shield continue as she lunges at the nearest foes with her fighting sticks. She lays into them viciously as her fighting sticks flash in the light. Her movements are fluid like water as she flows from one attack to the next.

Jasper checks 'permanent wound save' at hard. Jasper fails.

Jasper has suffered a serious wound!

Jasper checks 'unconsciousness save' at hard. Jasper is successful.

Jasper remains capable of fighting.

Jan swings widely and wildly "Hey! Hey! Gherkin-swallower! Lookit how tasty my haunches look! hyah!" trying her best to distract attention away from Cerys and the prone Arman even as she doesn't come at all near hitting any of the foes around her.

Somewhere, somehow, Berenice hears someone call Noah 'Duke Guy.' She smiles.

[MAGIC] Jaenelle is focused on Noah, she really doesnt want to have to get married a forth time. It is a lot of work. She moves to attempt to drag Noah away herself but thankfully she heads someone scream about Duke Guy and looks towards Geralt as he comes rushing over to help her. "Thank you," she tells him, letting Noah's body fall back to the ground so Geralt could grab hold. She might even kick Noah's foot as he is pulled to safety. Only she is allowed to hurt him though, and she shouts after, "do not let him die!" Her focus is back towards the imps and she growls.

[MAGIC]The Marquessa of Igniseri doesn't see the attack coming at her because it's from behind. One of the demons gets up close and takes a chunk out of her side. It's stopped, of course, by the steelsilk, but not before leaving a hefty bruise that's going to leave a mark for some time to come. "Aaaarrgh! FUCK THAT HURTS!" comes the not-very-lady like from Quenia, who has almost never cursed until after she got that wolf bite on her arm. "YOU FUCKING SON OF A OGRE'S ASS." She spins around and as she does, fiery flames come shooting out of her hand toward the demon that bit her, crispfying it to pieces. It seems there's something to all that Igniseri study she's been doing in the past. This leaves her partner a little mystified, but they continue fighting the best they can around her with the smell of burnt demon nearby. Quenia then goes back into fighting stance and continues to hack and slash at the monsters before her.

Jasper is in the midst of trying to get to the shard mages, the biggest threat by sheer numbers, when he is struck by something something powerful enough to cut through alaricite and steelsilk like it's nothing. He collapses on the floor, struggling to raise himself, before he's moving forward again, decidedly less quickly than before. Human-levels kind of fast instead of inhuman kind of fast.

[Magic Utility] Once again Pasquale draws magic around him but this time there is nothing to see, only sensation and the half impression that there is something that can't quite be seen. Not with normal eyes. For many in a zone around him their suffering fades; pain fading to numbness, anguish becoming a challenge to hold onto. A little smile shapes Pasquale's mouth into satisfaction as everything comes together. Another quirk of the mouth proving that he's still very aware of what Jan is up to.

Artorius fights amongst the masses, making his way up to the front ranks as the troops are cycled, occasionally and when possible, and then he's swinging his massive sword, not in long strokes but in quick jabs and strikes at this enemy and that, his expression one of focus and determination.

Calista drops when Lys shouts at her to get down. She's literally pulling herself out of tunnel vision and her skin returns back to normal. "Thank you, Baroness!" She calls back with a smile. This is some crazy shit. She gives a look around to see what is all happening around her and it moves as if in slow motion even though nothing has happened to time. Calista is assessing the damage before she has to get back onto her feet and get on the move.

Good chance Lianne, also focused on beholders, caught that trick of Apollo's. Now is not the time for thinking about that terrible talent. She'll think about it later. Or not. It's not a pleasant thing to think on.

Noah is picked up by a burly man, called Duke Guy, and still naps. Maybe kicks a foot in deep duke dreams. Probably drools.

The first frontal assaults at Lenosia are absolutely disastrous for the demons. The beholders and winged beasts are falling out of the skies by the thousands, and the initial attempts at the walls are beaten back so badly and so decisively that the gates of Lenosia are opened for a sally, as the cavalry of the combined Hundred Cities breaks through the lines of thousands of shards and puts them to flight. As more and more magic falls upon the horde of Azazel, it starts to give ground, organized at first, and then in a complete rout. Shards by the thousands just drop their weapons and run, and like every rout, it doesn't help them. They are being run down and the fields around Lenosia are coated with the dead of the abyss.

Very little of the horde brought against Lenosia survives, and of those that do, they will reach Arx much later than other forces.

"U WOT M8!?" Jeffeth rears back and launches his warhammer to bonk one final retreating shard - a giant one - in the back of the head as they flee. "How was that easier than trying to ride an albino moose?" he rumbles. (It was an elk)

Noah wakes up.

Arman wakes up.

Chances are with everything going on, Apollo is not thinking about what to make with beholder-skin. ... right?

Well. Maybe when they all start running away. The best thing he could make with it is probably a /gift/.

Berenice takes awakening dawnstone stygian sunburst pendant.

Berenice takes an elegant iridescite pendant set with a rectangular blue sapphire and matching briolette.

Berenice takes a mirrorsilver filigree tiara with strands that contains a ruby and other gems and hold them close.

This is not what Geralt was expecting. When he sees the horde start to break and then all out into a run, he starts to go after. "NO. NOT FINISHED WITH YOU."

Lys checks dexterity and athletics at hard. Lys fails.

Jeffeth checks strength and athletics at hard. Jeffeth is successful.

Jeffeth adjusts his tiara to a jaunty angle and galumphs back toward the city gates. He reaches out and snatches a passing Geralt by the collar and drags him back with him. "Save it for Arx," he rumbles.

Harlex sheathed Mirror Blade as the rout is finished. Scores of demon Names -- wait, do they have Names? The Nametaker cares little. He moves, swiftly, a scratching beast scaling the beaten battlements until he stands atop them. He is himself as that armor recedes and his sword smoothly returned to the other scabbard on his belt. He is really only here for one thing. One princess that is.

And just like that Theo remerges again when the horde retreats and can actually be heard cheering. But now he's going to check on Arman. Priorities. He is his Father's son after all.

Oh fuck, there goes her husband. "Not another one!" Lys grits out and runs after Geralt, and attempts to jump onto his back to keep him from chasing after the horde. "Jef! Help!"

How did Geralt get so damned fast? She slips on blood and abyssal squish, and misses as the barbarian runs off only to get caught by Jeffeth.

Mikani checks dexterity and small wpn at hard. Mikani is successful.

Jasper hobbles back to the gate after all is said and done, sheathing his sword and stomping on the skull of an agonizing shard as he returns to the stronghold. "Do we have a healer?" For all that he is -bleeding- profusely, and his armor looks messed up in a hundred different ways, he seems to be holding it together quite well. Even if he favors a leg over the other.

And just like that the battle is over. Quenia sheaths her sword, then holds her side as she limps over to wherever the healing tents are. "Ow," she mutters quietly, setting down unceremoniously so any healers might aid her. She'll see additional treatment, of course, when they get back to Arx too. She lets other folk chase down the retreating demons.

Artorius will grab a mount if he can find one easily and join in the route, always up for a good chase, within reason of course, but not finding a free horse too easily he instead focuses on locating members of his house.

The hordeling is given an affectionate pet when the shards and demons are routed and seem to be fleeing the scene. And the creature looks around getting ready to rip more things apart but sees that they has so few enemies left. Isolde grins at this and the demon in her control fades into mist. For now... anyway. "Cousins. We did it." She says to her family, wherever they are in the battlefield, raising her voice. "WOO!" It only then occurs to her that there are still wounded and her glee is tempered as she scours the battlefield to ensure everyone who needs help can get help.

At some point, as the monsters die before their blades and the main horde retreats, Silvio realizes that-- the first true, real battle of his life, his first and real bloodying on the battlefield, his dark taste of a demon war-- it's over? they won? They won so hard it was a rout?

Eyes wild, he pulls the helm off his head, leaving his hair a tousled mess and his entire aspect a little demented. He starts to cackle with fey delight.

With the army of the enemy in rout, Fiora steps back and sheathes her weaponry. She says a quick prayer to Gloria and then looks around. "I'm a medic! Let's get the wounded into the courtyard so we can start taking a look!"

Jan looks over her shoulder "I'm a medic! Bring the wounded over, I'll set up a triage station!" she sheathes her sword and removes her cloak, "Bring me the wounded!"

Fueled with frost and rage, getting grabbed Jeffeth is still an impressive thing. There's few things that could probably match him for sheer strength. "MORE. I WANT MORE." he growls in defiance. Until of course the weight of Lys on his back and her voice seems to sill him enough. At least that his body isn't so cold and his weapon doesn't keep having that frosted look. "WWANT...WAnt. Want..." he pants. "Huh. Oh. Oh *spirits*, my fucking head."

Berenice draws in a deep breath, watching the horde falter. Watching it /fail/. There is a slow, feline smile -- /lupine/ smile -- that curves across her red-painted lips. And then she whispers words to those departing: the vicious whispers of defeat, of their weaknesses laid bare. She cuts them from the inside out as they run from her, and she smiles to do so.

And then her gaze lowers to those left behind. /Her/ people. She presses to the edge of the battlements, leaning over to catch sight, finally, of Harlex. Her dark knight. She reaches for him as he scales the battlements, drawing him up and in to her to finally catch his mouth in a kiss heated with victory.

Lianne watches the retreating, routed horde--hardly worthy of the word anymore--with muted suspicion. Yes, the Lyceum is unfathomably formidable, but she worries, for a moment, that this swift victory might be a trap, that perhaps there's some terrible beast waiting just out of sight, ready to pounce once defenses are down. No matter, there's work to be done now.

Hearing Jan's call that a triage station is being set up, she heads down to help. She'll just... keep this crown on for now. Just in case. It suits, speaking to duty, to wages grimly paid.

[Magic - Chain Lightning] As the hoard turn and run. Mikani screams a gutteral sound as she stretches out her hands and lightning erupts from her fingertips to dive into the foes closest to her. The lightning jumps from one shard to the next shard frying them.

Inhaling deeply, lifting his chin just-slightly more, Martino's position above the rows of Southport citizens and Malvici troops allows him to assess the damage to his own numbers first. A wave of his left hand to send a few more to charge and rout of, to stab and skewer corpses to efficiently claim that they are, in fact, dead. Or undead. Or whatever state of being that unalive demons are classed as. Pulling his gloves out of his wide belt, Martino is sliding each onto their designated hand before adjusting his jacket once more. A glance to a Malvici Commander, "See that we are moving now onto Arx. I believe Lady Eirene is awaiting us." Turning on his toes, the Malvici Duke's broad steps are soon off from the battlements, down to wherever he's camped out to prepare for the next move.

Arman seems to come around, eyes flickering open to see his son standing over him. As it appears the fighting has ended he mutters dourly, "Managed to not get stabbed, clubbed or crushed at I see. Well done." He attempts to get up but wheezes softly, "Now go find me a bottle of Rogelivitti and a Mercy."

Noah was taking a delightful dirt nap. However, he slowly comes to wake up. Noah puts a hand to his jaw and studies the blood on the field. His first objective is to find Jaenelle on the field and make sure she's still standing. Check. Then an awful, horrible realization hits him and he draws his blade. It's not in defense. It's not to attack. It's to use as a makeshift mirror. Blue eyes stare at the metal and then once convinced his hair and his face are fine, he puts it away.

The fight seems like it's over as quickly as it began, and Ariella stands amidst the gore, scanning the area around her with a low whistle. Then she is off to look for Quenia and any other Igniseri present, even if only to make visual contact and ensure their wellbeing before zipping off in the direction of the Malvici camp, still-bloody sword kept free of its sheath for now.

Apollo, when he sees his wife set to the task of healing, does go hunting for hides. Why not.