The Last War on Kehra

[Mythy the Dragon-Wolf]

OOC Thread

@All

Mecca - the city on the border of all the three kingdoms, and a place appropriately named, as it is a destination for many in any year. Pilgrims to the Temple of Divinity, merchants and craftsman of all walks and calibers. It was a symbol of prosperity, with The temple situated in a beautiful park of the town center, with fountains, trees, singing birds. Farther away from the temple and center started the stores and taverns, and even farther people's residences began to mix into the fold, until at the edge of the walls there were some of the grandest, noble mansions one could know.

Today, as times before, it was a neutral and sacred ground for the meetings of the three kingdoms. In the past few months, many disturbing things had been happening. Peoples - be they important, normal, noble, peasant, had disappeared or been murdered. And it wasn't only that, various relics from ages past had been stolen. There were few to no clues, but those that were found all seemed to indicate a single group was behind this, although there was no indication of whom. Bandits made no sense, and there was no single cult nor terror group that seemed capable of such things. As such, representatives had come to finally piece this together, and to then bring forces to bear and destroy the threat.

@Quiet One

The one who led the troops of the Tehen was General Abernathe, a man of tact, distinction, and ruthless tactics. He had brought a full regiment of the soldiers under his command, as the Tehen had usually had the most troops, and - admittedly - were the primary guardians and caretakers of Mecca, which was prevalent in the architecture. Amongst the troops were some promising young season-borne from the academy, meant to bolster the ranks and learn from those who made their life in the military, fighting bandits and monsters.

With them, was a trouble-making, prodigal Autumn-borne by the name of Viola. She had been skepticized by some of the others given her lack of a conventional weapon until quickly set straight by a demonstration. As it was now, she awaited her own orders with the rest of her squad, as did the rest of the soldiers.

@Quiet One @Silvir

The leader for the Demetian forces was Lord-General Domoran. Well respected and proven, he was a middle-ranked leader in the hierarchy of the Demet. With him, he had brought three platoons of soldiers, and a number of specialists. One of the specialists was named Deckard, who before had proven himself capable by using a number of half-destroyed runes to decipher one of the clues, thanks to his skill in scrapping old materials and runes to create other items.

And another was accompanied by a very odd sight for a Demet, even more so for Tehen and Vetna. Moradin, standing beside his metallic man of a creation - Zipper - was both an object of fascination and fear for the onlooking citizens, and the assembled troops. More than once a curious apprentice would approach to ask questions, only to let nerves get the better and retreat from the imposing metal skeleton.

@Kraveing_Volkf @Sairen @Boba Fit


There was the Vetna there as well, with a number of ranger teams. Less troops than the rest, and yet only a few rangers, in turn with the animal companions they shared a mental link and soul bond with, could tuen the course of any battle. In with one squad of them was a (very) short Vetna named Reia, and her fox Yuki. She was a point of interest for two reasons. She was shorter than almost everyone there, except for some Demets, and the fact that if she was left alone, someone may very well end up with less in their possession than before.

And among them were some drifting Vetna which had been asked to come specificlly for this, by the Lord-Ranger Yutaro. A drifter, named Nuriel, and her Raven Le'avi. He had been seen in many places, his skills easily seen as he took on jobs and hunted for his own food. This one had been invited once Yutaro had been made aware by one of his compatriots.

Another one who came was Marikoth, with a companion in his eagle Armkek. He was an assassin, but one well known in the kingdoms and often used when a force of troops was impractical or unwise to be sent. He was trusted by those who knew him, and those who didn't would sense nothing amiss from him.

@Heyitsjiwon

The anticipation was thick in the air, and it woudl be felt even by the people of Mecca. One, Caelis Wolffe, was in his hometown, for business or pleasure was of his own knowledge. His familial ring had been vibrating for the past day. A strange beat, similar to that of a heart, that never seemed to stop - simply to ebb away. and then flow back.

@All

As the day wore on, the soldiers and agents were allowed free riegn to wander and do buisness, to interact as usual until their leaders called for them. In the distance, over the mountains of Demuro - the Demet capitol - a sky of grey clouds approached. It wouldn't be soon until a rainstorm reached them, the clouds were obvious in that intention.​

 

[Kraveing_Volkf]

Boredom, Reia never liked having to 'be at the ready', standing around waiting for a 'superior' to come by and tell her what to do. She could be doing so much more right now, she could be roaming around liberating people of their heavy coin purses, or seeing how far she can go before encountering a street too far to jump. Or she could be in the forest hunting.
As it stood right now this was boring excessively boring.

'Aren't we here to fight some murderers?'
"Something like that."
'But we are doing nothing.'
"Yup."
'Are we safe here?'
"Should be, doubt anyone would be stupid enough to try and kill anyone right now."
'You'd be surprised.'
Reia gave Yuki some chin scritches to try and help her calm down.

When they were finally allowed to do as she wished Reia wasted little time darting off. She wanted to find something fun to do, so she made her way to the markets. She figured she could have some fun taking a coin purse or two. Who knows how long before she has to go back so she may as well make the best of this.

 

[Quiet One]

Once Abernathe gave the dismissal Viola was off into the city center. She didn't even touch the ground to get out of the barracks and into the light, instead vaulting over tables, chairs, and some of her fellow recruited season-borne. She couldn't really blame Master Ardell for releasing her from her training and sending her here. She'd been a real nuisance, not that Vi was particularly sorry about that. Find your center. Master your nerves and your body. Strength is not the same thing as power...blah, blah, blah. The redhead hadn't asked to be Autumn-borne; she didn't have to let the "gifts" of her god define her. What was wrong with having a little fun?

Her poor little home town didn't have cobbled stone streets like Mecca, nor did it have this eternally fresh coating of paint. She'd been let out in the market district. Well, one of them. The streets angled into each other as they spread out from the Temple. Viola didn't need a bird's eye view to see the triangular shape. Hm. This city which was praised as the point of unity between the three kingdoms divided it even here. The Vetnan markets had more trees and green. There may even be a park, which tempted her for later. For now, though, she wanted to get something for Mavel, her little sister. She opened her coin pouch and pouted. Three silver for each night she was expected to be here, and nothing more. Either she was going to have to go hungry, or she would have to find some way to turn a profit from this forced trip.

"Need music," she mused to herself. "No one'll pay for a girl dancing without music, even if I were down to my skin. Well, maybe, but I'm not doing that."

Vi shook her long locks of red, orange, and blue hair, puffed out her very modest teenage chest, and marched into the crowd. Maybe she could at least have some fun while she waited.

~<~>~​

Moradin walked along the streets with no small amount of confidence. He'd had little experience with Tehens or Vetnas, but what experience he did have was of being looked down on. With Zipper by his side, though, people gave him a wide berth. The titanic golem looked down at him every now and then, but most of the time the brass and steel man was looking all over the place. Moradin couldn't help but smirk. Zipper could be so like a child sometimes, always interested in seeing something new.

"I think we should see if the shops have any of that Vetnan wood. That stuff burns great in the forges. What do you think, Zipper?..." Silence. Moradin sighed. "Gods be damned Zipper, you better not have wandered off."

He'd wandered off.

Zipper had wandered into a flower shop. Almost immediately his great size knocked over one of the vases. The golem turned at the sound of the vase breaking and looked down. He saw the shards of porcelain and reached down to gather them all. Getting every piece he could find he put the fragments on a shelf and started piecing it together by hand.

But the shards wouldn't stay together. He opened his chest cavity and pulled out Moradin's hammer, having seen it bind hot metal together before. But any time he hit the pieces they just got smaller. He looked at Moradin, shoulders slumped, head down. Moradin came up and pat his leg, the highest he can reach. "It's alright, pal. Not everything can be fixed."

Zipper's head only drooped lower. Then he saw something across the street and instantly straightened up. A bakery!

He gathered the shards of the vase and ran across the street. He barged into the kitchen where some bakers were making bread. He found some raw dough and started sticking the bits of the vase in it, stacking it up back into the shape of the vase. A quick blast in the oven later and Zipper gently set the vase down on the shelf it originally fell from, ribbons of bread holding it together. The machines glowing eyes looked down at his maker for approval. Moradin chuckled and nodded for him to come along. "I don't think you're much of a gardener, Zip."​

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

Muffled voices filled the room to the apathy of the lone occupant. Such was the norm around here. Soon, there would be knocks on the door before someone entered. It was routine. No deviation in this domain. Like clockwork, sharp thuds came from the door. "You may enter." A clear and confident voice pierced through the room. The large wooden doors opened and a portly man entered the room. The man came before a table desk and slightly bowed towards the occupant of the room. "Mr. Wolff, I have come with the payment as you have requested."

Caelis stood and replied "Pleasure, Mr. Higgens. I suspect your taverns will be doing quite well these coming weeks." "Aye, you know what they say. War is good for business... well, at least the beginning parts of it." "War, you say? I suppose so." These past few weeks had been rather queer. The atmosphere had been tense and there had been a massive buildup of military presence. In fact, his ring seemed to be a constant reminder of the tension. Something was coming. What is was... who knew, but these were indeed profitable days for merchants.

Caelis himself found selling weapons a bit too morally objectionable even though many weaponsmakers and sellers were making a figurative killing so to speak. However, whenever conflicts arise, it would quickly turn literal. He did not want to become a merchant of death. No, there was still plenty of money to be made during these times. People were stockpiling food for emergencies. Building materials were in large demand to reinforce walls and make some last minute repairs. Metals were also in large demand as requests to make personalized armors came in during such times. Thus, yes, War is good for business, but what kind of business was important as well.

Mr. Higgens, the proud owner and purveyor of several pubs and taverns around the city, continued to speak "Right, here is the payment for the ale that you brought in, and here's the bonus for bringing it in so quickly." as he handed Caelis two pouches. Caelis dumped the contents of the bags onto a scale that sat on his desk. He waited for the scale of stabilize as he adjusted the counter weights. Caelis looked at Mr. Higgens and said "Pleasure doing business, Mr. Higgens. You can pick up your shipment in the warehouse where there will be several attendant available to help load the barrels." The two men shook hands and Mr. Higgens took his leave.

Caelis took the gold coins off the scale and deposited it into a small safe behind the desk. The safe served as a temporary holding place before all money would be deposited at the bank every two weeks. Caelis then walked over to a mirror that stood by a wall and checked his appearance. Today was a rather important day. An entire regiment had entered the city, which meant that many more mouths to feed and maintain. The Wolff Trading Company had historically been a vendor to the government and the military, offering its services in both times of peace and crisis. He planned to go over and try to see the quartermaster today. If things worked out, the Wolff Trading Company would be getting a contract worth a small fortune today.

With everything set, Caelis took his first step out of his office. The building that Caelis was in was a well kept house near the center of the city. It served as the Wolff Trading Company's administrative building, and Caelis' place of residence when he was in the city. His family owned a small manor a bit further away where they lived in comfort, but they occasionally met important clients there as it was the official headquarters of the firm. Still, this building was the center of the company's operations and most people who lived around here knew. This was why Caelis typically walked around with a whip. Originally, he used it to usher horses when he used to head caravans himself. However, he quickly learned that it also served as an effective, non lethal means of dealing with thieves as well. He thought that killing a thief wasn't exactly an appropriate punishment even though many disagreed. Still the whip could allow Caelis to stop thieves as most people find it hard to try and run after they've been whipped in the leg or even caught by the whip. Thus, it would often been seen neatly rolled and held by his belt, which also helped to deter most people if the sword wasn't enough already. All of these experiences enabled Caelis to walk through the city with confidence as he continued on his way.

 

[Kraveing_Volkf]

Reia walked calmly through the crowds of people buying from market stalls, or walking toward stores, or just trying to go home. Every fifth or sixth person she passed wound up losing their coin purse, or having an item taken from a bag they were holding, both wound up in Reia's backpack. Yuki often letting Reia know when no one was watching, letting Reia's learned hand swipe what she wanted.

Reia's little crime spree continued until she reached the end of the street she was on, she was debating turning around or going down the next street when Yuki noticed someone.
'Thats one of the soldiers. I think that they call them 'season borne' or something like that.' Reia turned and looked before giggling some.
"She looks like fun~" The woman definitely looked like she would be fun to hang out with, the ribbons around her arms kinda looked like those ribbons you see dancers using to distract people. "I'm going to go say hi."
'Why?'
"Cause, she looks like fun and I'm bored."
'Fine...' Yuki yipped some before climbing up from Reia's shirt onto her shoulder.

Reia moved over toward the red haired season borne, grinning ear to ear. "Hi. My name is Reia." She giggled, before this almost immediately got followed by a yip from Yuki as if the fox was introducing herself also.

 

[Mythy the Dragon-Wolf]

< @Quiet One @Heyitsjiwon >

Caelis walked through the crowds of the merchant district, which seemed to be running rather normally. There was an increse in the number of people that were present - most notably mercenaries. soldiers, and others whose blades (or bows, or sometimes exotic weapons) were for hire. But something was amiss as he walked down one of the streets where the barracks of the arrived soldiers had been made. A crowd had surrounded something which seemed to be a man made of Metal, taller than any Vetna. The merchant would hear the chattering of the owner of a bakery with which he had business dealings with, seemingly telling off the metal man.

Moradin and Zipper would be getting an earful from a stout Tehen, the owner of the bakery that Zipper had used to fix the vase. Oddly enough, after the very beginning and having seen how Zipper was acting, the baker had began to scold him more like a child. Though it was likely that he simply was making a point, as his face wasn't as red as expected from a man of true anger. The Vetna who owned the vase was standing by and watching quietly, though if it was from fear of the metal man or if it was simply that he was content with the broken vase, it wasn't clear. Eventually, the Tehen turned to Moradin and spoke, rather calmly.

"Twenty silver." he said to the Demet seriously. "For the bread and for the repairs I have to make to the door." he gestured to the bakery door, which was now leaning slightly away from its hinges thanks to the exuberance of Zipper's opening of it.​

 

[Quiet One]

Viola's problem of getting money for a gift wasn't something she could realistically take care of, and as Master Ardell often said "no point in sitting on a task you can't manage." At least, not until she learned how to manage it. That was something she sometimes disagreed with when it came to her master. Her sideways way of looking at the world meant she didn't see the same limitations. She could, and eventually would, figure out how to bring back a souvenir for Mavel.

But, for now, she might as well have a little fun. The best part was that Mecca's people weren't used to season-borne pranks. Vi snuck into an alleyway in one of the many market squares and watched the commotion patiently. She'd gotten pretty good at reading lips and waited for someone to say something crass. Sure enough, two teen boys in front of her tried - and failed - to discreetly stare at a young woman's bouncing behind. When they whispered what they'd do with that shapely rear to one another, Viola decided to teach them a lesson, cupping her hands in front of her mouth and blowing hard. Their words caught on the wind and flew at the woman, who turned and slapped them.

Vi giggled, but she wasn't done yet. One of the boys, actually thinking he could turn the situation around in his favor, went up to her and started to apologize. The devious Autumn-borne then projected her own whisper to his friend: "I think the other one's cuter." The other boy went forward to strut his stuff, and by the time Vi had gleefully slipped away the two were fighting in the public square, the woman of their affection long gone.

She didn't get far when she all but ran into a girl. At least, she looked like a girl. She wasn't even five feet tall and clearly wasn't a Demet. The little white fox on her shoulder confirmed she was a Vetna. A Vetna that was eye level with her chest.

Her concern that she'd been caught in her antics evaporated as she assessed that smile. There was a bit of naughtiness to it she liked. "Viola." She looked at the little creature and cautiously reached out to stroke its ears. "Cute spirit animal. How old is she?"

What she really meant was how old was Reia, but first and foremost this was the first Vetna she'd actually met in person. Rumors concerning their height could be greatly exaggerated.

~<~>~​

Moradin sighed as his golem got an earful, then he did himself. Zipper was his helper and apprentice, not his slave. He kept him reeled in as best he could, but whatever force was in the rune that sat between his eyes - the rune that gave him life - also gave the golem free will. He couldn't control him. Not that he ever would.

But Zipper could learn. And seeing the way he had his great metal head hanging low and his arms limply at his sides, Moradin suspected he had learned from this. He took out his coin pouch and produced two gold coins - the equivalent of thirty silver. "Give the change to the Vetna across the street."

He led Zipper a couple feet down while the two shop owners met in the middle and discussed splitting their payment. The crowd lost interest in the businessmen, though many continued staring with rapt attention at the sullen machine. Moradin reached up and around, patting his back.

"Hey. Don't worry about it. This place isn't like home," he said to his companion. "They make things breakable here. Now you know to be more careful, right?" The machine nodded. "For what it's worth," Moradin added with a chuckle, "I admired your ingenuity when you fixed that vase."​

 

[Kraveing_Volkf]

Yuki was about to yip again when she was scratched, which resulted in a soft happy moan coming from the small fox. "Shes Yuki and shes sixteen. She can be a handful but shes quite nice."
'I'm not a handful.'
"So...your a season borne? You dance? Wanna have fun? We can run along the roofs."
'I doubt she wants to risk falling and breaking her legs.'
"Or...we could dance or...you know...distract people for fun money making opportunities."

Hmm thinking on it Reia didn't have much she did that others could also do. Stealing, running along rooftops, those were things that most don't do. So...that left dancing. Maybe she should learn a new craft. Well she will think about that when shes back home, for now, Viola.

 

[Sairen]

A black bird of ominous descent cawed as he flew over the heads of peaceful citizens. The streets itself had plenty of life but one Vetna just shuffled his way through. It wasn't often he came to Mecca, the noise was always a reason he more or less kept away. Even the night life felt a little too loud at times but this visit wasn't an ordinary one. An old acquaintance, as he calls him, needed him for something important. Lord-Ranger Yutaro was someone he met in his early years as a drifter and ever since their paths crossed quite often. The fact that he needed to send word his way only told Nuriel that it wasn't that couldn't be ignored.

The silver haired man wanted to wrap his head around what was needed, but it wasn't as if his time was too valuable. There wasn't anywhere special he needed to be but the message was vague. Even when he asked Yutaro directly there still wasn't a clear answer. Nuriel simply needed to be patient and wait ask asked.

The rich black raven had soon returned and landed onto Nuriel's shoulder. "I see you've came back."
'You think I would just leave you?'
"Never said you would."
'Then why question my return?'
"… I just thought you would have found something."
'I see you're being paranoid again. Ever since we've gotten here you've been on edge…'
"I'm not paranoid, just curious is all. All of this strange and I just want to know what we're getting ourselves into."
'True, but all there is to know is what we've heard. Something is going wrong and we're here to help solve it. What more do we need to know?'
"There's plenty that we need to know Le'avi."

Nuriel didn't like being held in the dark about things. It gave him reasons to be suspicious and with all three kingdoms meeting for this one issue only told him the scope of the issue at hand. Le'avi might be calm about this but Nuriel was going to keep his guard up. Yutaro has never steered him wrong in the past but that could easily change.

 

[Boba Fit]

Marikoth & Armkek

Marikoth grumbled a bit to himself as he began walking down the street. Too much military and funny business going on. His spirit animal was flying overhead looking down streets for him as well. What he was looking for, however, was something that most people would think is obscene. He was looking for a bar. More specifically, a bar where women dance in scantly clad clothing. Why might you ask? Well, simply because it reminded him of home. In the forest villages, clothes were worn but things were far more.....liberal. If he was lucky, Marikoth may even be able to find a dancer of his own species. He would pay heavily for her.

As he was walking down a street, Armkek started squawking from up above and then flew down and landed on his shoulder. "Hmm. You say you haven't found a strip joint yet...but? But what?" More squawking ensued.

"Ahh, you found some girls that looked like dancers in the streets.....and one had a fox?" Even more, squawking continued.

"Well, Lead me to them then." The eagle squawked one last time and then flew off.

Marikoth followed it down streets and intersections until he came to a street where he saw the girls in question. Armkek landed back on his shoulder as he approached both girls.

The Eagle began squawking to the Yuki as Marikoth was approaching. Saying something akin to, "My friend would like to enquire on if you are both dancers and if so, what kind of dancers?"

Marikoth was odd that way, in the sense that when dealing with other Vetna, he let his Spirit animal do the talking quite often. He wasn't much of a speaker.​

 

[Silvir]

He walked the streets of the city aimlessly, allowing his mind to wander as time passed by. His platoon and a few others in the company had been permitted leave for the rest of the day which left him with very little to do. As his Captain, had been thoughtful enough to make sure to mention that he couldn't buy a bunch of scrap while in town. But no matter he thought releasing a frown that was tiring his facial muscles. There was sure to be some sort of fun to be made in a town like this or interesting things to at least observe and take notes of mmm yes, some old runes or even mechanics that did not rely on magic at all those where never boring either. Before he noticed Kane had stopped in front of the mass of people that signaled the start of the market districts. A mental sigh echoed where before imagination had run wild as he had to endure the presence of this many people while making his way forward.

Many other soldiers showed in the masses from the different armies present. Curious one couldn't be sure if the military tension was between countries or something else with this many troops in one place. Hopefully it was the later as he had little interest in drawn out conflict and right now he didn't know of much that could go against the combined forces. Or did he even know of anything at all that could do that?? A cold line ran along his spine at that possibility and he laid eyes on a large hulking metal behemoth. "So, that is where they went"

 

[Kraveing_Volkf]

Reia practically jumped when she heard a birds squawk from behind her, and when she turned to look she was more surprised to see an eagle and another Vetna. The bird seemed to be talking to Yuki, "Rude." Reia grumbled.
"Um...he wants to know if you and Viola are dancers...and if so what kind. Not sure what he means thoguh." Yuki was quite confused, this was a first for the small fox, someone approaching and expecting their spirit animal to do the talking. Or maybe the guy couldn't speak, that would make sense.
"No. I can dance but I'm not a dancer. I'm a scout for Vetna." She glared up at the man, trying to work out why he was staring, what he wanted. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to talk to my new friend." She gave a huff as she turned toward Viola, "Sorry about that, he apparently wanted to know if we were dancers and if so what kind."

 

[Quiet One]

Vi watched this exchange go back and forth, and once things had become clear she finally smirked. She had been about to show Reia just how talented she was at walking on rooftops when this strange man showed up. Showed up and then said absolutely nothing. It was creepy, and the Autumn-borne had been ready to release her ribbons if necessary.

"Not the sort to bare our nethers, if that's what you're going for," she replied with her arms crossed over her chest. Perhaps if he'd approached differently, and showed he obviously had the money to afford it, she'd be that type for him, at least for one night. He was kind of good looking despite the creep factor. "But shy of that line...well, if you have the coin for it..."

She laughed and turned to Reia. "I don't think he has the coin for it. Now - you mentioned rooftops."

Viola threw her arm out at a sign hanging over one of the shops. Her ribbon wrapped around its base and held firm. She backed up, then ran until she lost purchase with the ground. She pushed the wind beneath her feet, making her loop over the sign. Vi released, making herself sore into the air. She retracted her ribbon as she sailed and planted herself on the rooftop of a six-story building. She looked around, then smiled down at Reia. "I think I see a park! Come on!"

 

[Mythy the Dragon-Wolf]

< Everyone >

It was late spring on the world of Kehra, where storms were common and quick to come, especially at the base of the Demetian mountains where Mecca was founded. Thus there was not an eye batted at the large, dark cloud as it quickly darkened the sky and began to cover the city. Many of the people were wearing rain gear once they had seen and prepared for the eventuality of rain. There was no warning of what was coming next, save for one man. (@Heyitsjiwon) Caelis' ring suddenly began to vibrate harder than it ever had before, to the point where it felt as if his finger would fall off from the vibration. The moment it stopped, was the moment everything changed.

From the sky, a large hunk of sleek black stone surrounded by pale scarlet flames hurtled down from the sky, lighting the city up with a similar light. It seemed to be aimed right towards the divine temple.. and it was. It smashed into the building, causing the holy site to be razed, and most likely slaughtering every single human inside it. Then, from the smoke, a large creature - towering over the closest buildings - made of the same black, sleek stone with the same pale, scarlet flames emerged from the wreckage and smoke, sweeping its arms and uprooting a few nearby trees. Screams began to echo in the streets as a type of creature no one had seen before started to run in the streets, cutting down soldier and civilian without thought or care. Their skin was grey as ash, their eyes glowed pale-scarlet, and their weapons were cruelly barbed and hooked, ripping flesh and tearing organs.

Where they came from, no one could tell. But it was a matter of minutes before Mecca was aflame with fear, chaos, and death, with soldiers fighting for their lives all over the jewel of unity.

< @Quiet One @Kraveing_Volkf @Boba Fit >

A swarm of the same creatures began to flood the streets soon after the short Vetna turned away from the taller male. The two young men whom Vi had just had her fun with had been just about to duel with some rapiers (or so it seemed, perhaps this was all for show). One was cut down instantly, the other getting one good jab in before he lost his head, many of the creatures going down every road, into every door, and straight towards the two. Even Vi seemed not to be safe, as a duo of them quickly clambered onto the same rooftop, brandishing blades and advancing on her with foaming grins.Their eyes glowed with pure hate, and with the glee of a bloodthirsty beast that was killing. Only shouts and gibbering came from these pseudo-men, Hinting that no reasoning would touch them.

< @Sairen @Heyitsjiwon @Quiet One @Silvir >

None of the four were with the others, but all four could see one another. Moradin and Zipper were in the midst of the attack, one of the crazed things leaping onto the back of the metal man, aiming to destroy the strange and wondrous creation. Deckard, Caelis and Nuriel were all just down the street from the Demet with his golem, and thus in the path of the advancing hordes. There was time to meet up, time to group to survive. But, as doors were forced open and screams echoed from the dead, dying and frightened. One of the first to go down had been the old baker, who had smacked his killer over the head with a rolling pin in a show of final Demetian defiance. The Gardener had run into his shop, but two of the things followed him to lead to an unknown fate.​

 

[Boba Fit]

Marikoth & Armakek

As the clouds rolled overhead and things began to go downhill rather quickly, Marikoth turned his attention from the girls, who wanted nothing to do with him, to the darkening sky. Then as soon as the creatures appeared, he once again turned his focus. As the pack was running towards Marikoth, Reia, and Vi who was now on the roof, Marikoth first drew his 2 throwing knives from his waist. With a throw that was so smooth, it would have made an MLB pitcher look like a bumbling fool, he threw the blade in his right hand at 1 of the creatures advancing on Vi on the roof. The moderately long and extremely sharp blade implanting itself in the head of the creature, effectively killing whatever brain was there.

Marikoth turned and hurled the other blade at the leading creature heading for Reia and himself. The blade went in through the eye and once again killed the brain. "Arma, blade retrieval." He said as the eagle took off with speed to go and retrieve the blades from the downed creatures. Marikoth looked at Reia and spoke to someone else for the first time.

"The roofs with your friend. Strategic advantage. We need to stick together if we hope to survive." Was what he said as he bounded over and jumped, placing a few steps on the sign pole, the grabbing the top. He hauled himself up with his arms and then leaped over onto the roof. Rolling when he landed. He held his hand out, palm up in wait for the blade that was a few seconds away from dropping in his hands.

He wasn't someone to give out orders, but these were dire circumstances now. Reia could get on his case about being "bossy" later. If they all lived.

Armakek swooped down to grab the knife out of the creatures head on the roof. With deft speed and skill, he snatched the handle in his beak and flew on, pulling it out. He banked hard and then Dropped the blade into the open palm of Marikoth and without breaking stride, flew over the swarm to where they couldn't reach the bird, and to the fallen creature. Grabbing the blade in its beak as he flew on, he banked hard and came back over the horde to drop that blade into the open palm of Marikoth's other hand now.

The eagle banked upwards to provide overwatch for the small group and then be able to swoop down and retrieve blades with speed if necessary.​

 

[Kraveing_Volkf]

Viola's motions were quite amazing, Reia giggling at them as she imagined all the fun they could have running across these rooftops. She was about to follow when the sky darkened and a...meteor? Well it was probably a magic attack of some kind, but it hit the temple, and from that collision came these...what were they?

Figuring all that out would have to wait as Reia readied her bow, loosing one arrow toward an incoming foe's eye. As she did this she noticed another falling with a dagger in its eye. "You aim for the eyes too? I think we can be good friends~" She giggled before turning. She kicked off a wall and up, grabbing the sign before going up from there to the awning, then using windowsills to reach the roof itself.

She quickly readied her bow for another shot. "Vi, how good are those ribbons for dealing with foes?"

 

[Silvir]

There was that moment of silent awe as the rock fell. No one really understood at first what was going on and then it struck ground and in a few short moments all hell broke loose. It was a good thing there where plenty of soldiers on standby leave allowing the patrols waves of reinforcements to trickle in from the crowds of battle ready troops. Now if something could be done with the crowds of panicking people all around them running in all directions and screaming loudly.

The waves of grey beings tore into the panicking masses with ease only slowing down at the pockets of defending men fighting a desperate fight. And this was only what Kane could see on his street before he stumbled forward from a blow by one of the beings. The blunt weapon screeched across his armor as the barbed wire gridded along it. Cursing over his breath he turned and punched the being with his steel clad fist, worried that the strike had harmed his crossbow.
Pulling a knife he stepped in close with it raising one arm blocking the swing before it could get momentum and then rapidly jabbing the knife into it's chest before shoving it backwards. Quickly trying to find where his other countrymen where he raised his voice in a used squad leader manner over the chaos "REGROUP" Changing to his battle staff he raised his voice a second time. "FORMATIONS" They really need to buy some time now. Finally he spotted what he was looking for and headed towards the large golem.

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

Caelis couldn't help but at least watch the commotion that was taking place around the metallic man. Although he had never seen a creation like it, Caelis suspected that it was the work of an expert runesmith. He had seem smaller versions of metallic figure move of their own volition, but it wasn't to this scale. Still, it was a sight to see. Thankfully the issue seemed to have been handled peacefully and the baker was getting compensation. Caelis couldn't help but think that the metallic creation shouldn't be walking around freely like that if it was capable of causing such a commotion, but as long as there wasn't a huge issue that came from it then no one would be too bothered.

Thus, he continued to walk down the road. However, as he walked, Caelis noticed his ring starting to ring violently like never before. He stopped in his tracks and his hand instinctively reached for his sword and whip. Caelis began to look around, but at first there seemed to be nothing wrong. There wasn't any suspicious people near him, or really anyone who seemed to be even looking at him. Then he noticed the sky start to turn an odd hue. His ring then stopped and so did his heart for a second. A red light pierced through the rainclouds and was in a rapid descent. Next thing he knew, in the horizon, Caelis saw the light strike the temple and a large plume of smoke and dust kicked up into the air. It was followed by a deafening explosion that also made him take a step back from the sheer force.

Caelis took a few seconds to try and process what had happened. A comet or something struck the temple... an ominous sign, but before he could reach any other conclusions Caelis started to hear screams and yelling. Soon he saw these... demons running through the streets, indiscriminately killing everything that moved. The city was under attack, and the enemy was inside. Caelis then began running. There were thousands of civilians inside the city. They had to be brought out to safety. Alas, it appeared that the demons were already there as Caelis watched the baker cut down just down the road. It looked like he would have to fight through to get back to his house. He took his whip in one hand and his sword in the other. He started to run towards the demons, who at the moment, seemed to be distracted and chasing after easier targets. This was just fine for Caelis. He whirled his whip around and delivered a severe blow at the leg of one of the demons who was chasing after someone. The demon fell and seemed to struggle to get back up. Without a doubt it's leg would be difficult to use for a while.

Thus, without going for killing blows, Caelis simply tried to disable or slow as many of these things as possible as he continued onward down the street. It took too much time to stop and kill. He would simply have to rely on his speed to injure as many of them as possible as he continued on his way back. Caelis shouted at anyone who was running away "Get to the Wolff Trading Company's warehouse! Tell my steward to get the wagons ready to leave with basic supplies!" Caelis was thinking that there would be a lot of injured people, children and women who wouldn't be able to run that far from these things. Thankfully, a caravan had returned earlier today, and thus there was several horses and wagons waiting to be dispatched again. Plus, the warehouse seemed like a safer place to be. It was fortified to withstand a riot... a lesson that the Wolff family learned many generations ago when a large riot led to instances of looting. The plan was to get as many people who needed help to get there and then load them up on the caravan and head out of the city. However, that was only a plan. He had to get back first.

 

[Quiet One]

For a moment Viola was frozen by the sight of the tragedy unfolding. Some kind of stone monster destroying the Temple, so massive that she could see it from her perch atop the roof. The scarlet fire, spreading from the monstrosity across the trees and buildings set around the holy site, filled her with a sense of unexplained dread. This was clearly magic, but not like any of the magic she knew of. The fire was not a pure element, and that titan was not of Demetian make. This was...dark.

She was snapped out of it when Reia and the taller Vetna joined her on the rooftop. It didn't seem to be helping, though, as the sickly-looking grey creatures began to climb their building. Some used their rusted, spiked weapons, while others literally clawed into the stone on the way up. As her new - friends? - slew some of them, she was at least relieved they could be killed. At Reia's question she whipped out her ribbons.

"Let's see." Two of the creatures climbing the building soon got red ribbon tied around their necks. Viola took a deep breath and jumped. She was stopped with her arms sticking straight up as she pulled at her foes from their necks. Their grip gave out and all three plummeted, Vi pushing wind with her feet to slow her descent while her enemies fell at normal speed. She glided during the fall until she was on top of one and hit the cobbled stone with a thud

Vi winced as she rubbed her sore knee. She may have slowed her own falling enough not to be deadly, but not enough to avoid a slight sting at her kneecaps. The one she'd jumped upon had broken his neck on impact, but the other was slowly getting up, battered and broken, but not dead. And worse, there were others coming down the street. She sucked in air again and lashed her other ribbon around the still living monster. She placed one foot in front of the other, bent her body, then twisted back, pirouetting in the air and throwing the creature at her enemies. It collided into one sword first.

Vi huffed as she took in what she'd just done. That was the first time she'd taken a life. In fact, two! But she didn't have time to think about it as one of the creatures bore down upon her with its red, hateful eyes and a spiked lump of metal somewhere between a sword and a scythe. She was much faster, though, and dodged the downward and side strikes. She wrapped a ribbon around his feet and tripped him up, grabbing the blade. It felt...wrong in her hands. Tainted. Maybe even cursed. She swung it down at the monster.

"All yours." She ran for another shop, leaping and swinging back to the rooftops. She felt her hand. It wasn't injured, but it had a sort of slimy feel to it, despite there being no residue on her palm. She looked back at Marikoth and Reia. "Don't touch their stuff. It's...weird." She looked down at the chaos below. "What's our play? We gotta help clear the city, right?"

~<~>~
​

Zipper swung back and forth in a panic as the thing tried to cut him open. It got a few small scratches, but otherwise could do nothing to the golem. Moradin leapt up and grabbed his legs, pulling the creature off his friend. It turned, snarling, only to receive a punch in the face.

"From experience, a good bashing can sometimes improve ugly things," Moradin said and wailed on him again and again. The creature staggered back, but Moradin kicked it in its private place - evidently a weakness even for these things, and stole its sword, stabbing up through the head. He grimaced at the feel of the metal. It left him feeling more unclean than any brothel ever had before.

"You alright?" he asked his companion. Zipper nodded. "Good. Time for my Ironshooter." The golem opened his chest and the stout runesmith pulled a thick bit of triple-barreled steel out, along with a charging stone. "Didn't think I'd actually be using this."

He jumped onto his friend's back and one-armed his gun. The next creature to come at them got a high-velocity ball of molten iron to the face. So did two more before he had to reload with fresh iron pellets. "Zipper, I want you to use your strength where you can, alright?"

The machine turned his head back to look at his maker. What did he mean by that? "Do you remember that bar fight on the way here?" Zipper nodded. "Do that!"

Another monster came up and Zipper grabbed its head. He planted one of his wide metal feet against its body and pushed. The metal wasn't going to give, so the flesh would have to. The creature dropped with a dislocated head. Another came and Zipper grabbed its arm, tugging on it like the head and ripping out the shoulder socket. Then he backhanded the thing and it dropped.

Moradin nodded and fired at one that was trying to sneak up on the golem. "Now you're getting it! Come on! We have to find any of the higher-ups that are still alive!"​

 

[Sairen]

The warmth of the suns rays were beginning to dwindle as the grey clouds were closing in. It happened often and the rains were always quick to come. Considering the fact that they were at the base of the Demetian moutains it hard to see a week go by without rain in the spring. The citizens of Mecca were already adorned with their rain gear but Nuriel welcomed the rain when it came. After all he lived outside in the elements. With so many years of being out there he became use to whatever nature had to throw at him and his raven.

Once the dark clouds filled the sky there was a strange still in the air. Nuriel only believed it was the calm before a somewhat nasty storm as he has witness before. Though his raven thought differently. He started to get anxious as if he should be on alert. "Calm down Le'avi, we've seen worse storms that this." He said to calm the bird but it didn't seem to work.The raven flew off the Vetnan's shoulders and began to circle above his head. Nuriel couldn't understand what was wrong with him until he saw the strange object in the sky. It was a large black stone with unnaturally pale flames. The once darken city now held the unnatural glow from the stone and flames.

Nuriel watched, like most others, but was trying to place the trajectory of the stone. Where was this thing going to land and was he far away from it. The blast this thing would create once it crashes would kill hundreds in an instant. Sadly this stone landed right onto the Divine temple causing a shock wave shaking the ground. Nuriel covered his face with his arms as a cloud of dust, small debris and smoke rushed its way down the streets. When most of the dust cleared the once oddly lit city became dark, the air was still and sinking feeling was filling his gut. Now he understood what Le'avi was freaking out about.

Hundreds were dead and it wasn't long before the shrieks of terrified civilians were filling the streets. These creatures only came to slaughter as they were easily mowing down person after person. People tried running, many making their escapes down the streets in any way possible. Nuriel wasn't running instead he took out his dagger and started moving towards the danger. He needed to find Lord-Ranger Yutaro. Thats if he managed to leave the Divine Temple when everyone was dismissed temporarily.

Nuriel took out his dagger and headed in. As people passed by running he was able to slip through them with ease. The creatures were another obstacle as they were swinging their jagged swords around to maul who ever was in their path. Le'avi know just what to do as he flew in front of a creatures eyes distract it. The creature placed its attention onto the raven and it gave Nuriel the perfect chance to strike. He got close enough to send his blade through the creature's neck. In the corner of his eye he could see another making his way over. Nuriel quickly took his blade back and moved out of the way of his new opponent as he took a swing. He was quick to get back up and moved in. The creature swung downward but Nuriel managed to roll out of the way and used the chance to disarm him. With a quick strike to his arm the creature dropped his weapon and with another quick slash to it's neck the creature was down. There were many more and it didn't look the numbers were dwindling as the creatures infected the town.

No matter, Nuriel continued forward. "Le'avi, find me another way towards the Temple!" He called and with a caw the bird headed further ahead with his Vetna following behind.