Vashtalyn gets a big basket full of dawnweave blossoms.

Sen'azala wields Winter, a recurve diamond plate bow.

Raymesin wields Wheelspinner - the Blade of Souls.

Bhandn wields a beautiful greatsword engraved with sapphires.

Victus wields Barathrum, the imperial oathlands alaricite greatsword.

Mirari wields Valediction, a alaricite misericord with ornately carved ivory shadow hilt.

Ballard, a grizzled mariner, 4 Thrax Guards arrive, following Romulius.

Ballard, a grizzled mariner have been dismissed.

6 Grayson House Guards have been dismissed.

A Walking Skeleton have been dismissed.

Alek, a would-be jeweler apprentice have been dismissed.

Tamorin, a bubbly Whisper Assistant, Evensong, a twittering songbird arrive, following Anisha.

2 Greenwood Tribe Blood Warriors have been dismissed.

Tamorin, a bubbly Whisper Assistant have been dismissed.

Evensong, a twittering songbird have been dismissed.

Willen have been dismissed.

Benny The Beaver have been dismissed.

Frostbite, a Paladin's wolf arrives, following Anisha.

Frostbite, a Paladin's wolf have been dismissed.

1 Kennex corsairs have been dismissed.

Shekies, A black and white marbled cat with yellow eyes have been dismissed.

2 Culler Brutes, Thomas Culler, Harriet Culler, Richard Culler, 1 Culler Boatswain arrive, following Torian.

4 Thrax Guards have been dismissed.

2 Culler Brutes, Thomas Culler, Harriet Culler, Richard Culler, 1 Culler Boatswain leave, following Torian.

The defenses of the city have been expecting this. With holding onto the Seawatch Gate, it's expected for his forces to try a different assault, and so they have been slowly moving on the coast. There's thousands upon thousands of demons that are aquatic in nature, many looking like very Wrong Fish or particularly twisted alligators, that are entering the Gray River. The ships there will shortly come under attack, and the main body is gradually moving into the river to start their assault. There's a little time of preparation yet.

((Pre-battle roll, no damage assigned on fails. Can use any leadership, social, or war check at normal to try to improve the forces present. Difficulty for offensive checks has been dropped to normal by the presence of supernatural allies.))

Mirk checks command and leadership at hard. Botch! Mirk fails completely.

Ian checks command and intimidation at normal. Ian is successful.

Mirk checks command and leadership at normal. Mirk is successful.

Victus checks command and war at normal. Victus is successful.

Anisha checks charm and manipulation at normal. Anisha is successful.

Sabella checks charm and propaganda at normal. Sabella is successful.

Ariella checks command and war at normal. Ariella is successful.

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

Eirene checks command and war at normal. Eirene is successful.

Liara checks command and leadership at normal. Liara is successful.

Aleksei checks luck and empathy at normal. Aleksei is successful.

Oriana checks command and streetwise at normal. Oriana is successful.

Azova checks charm and manipulation at normal. Azova is successful.

Imi checks command and leadership at normal. Imi is successful.

Mirari checks charm and seduction at normal. Mirari is successful.

Sorrel checks charm and performance at normal. Sorrel is successful.

Raven checks command and war at normal. Raven is successful.

Mihaly checks command and leadership at normal. Mihaly is successful.

Tamsin checks command and leadership at normal. Tamsin is successful.

Preston checks command and theology at normal. Preston is successful.

Fortunato checks wits and propaganda at normal. Fortunato marginally fails.

Sen'azala checks willpower and leadership at normal. Sen'azala is successful.

Lou checks command and leadership at normal. Critical Success! Lou is spectacularly successful.

Romulius checks command and war at normal. Romulius is successful.

Acantha checks command and leadership at normal. Acantha is successful.

Calandra checks charm and performance at normal. Calandra is successful.

Thea checks command and leadership at normal. Thea is marginally successful.

Nurie checks charm and empathy at normal. Nurie is successful.

Aconite checks charm and seduction at normal. Aconite is successful.

Reve checks command and war at normal. Reve is successful.

Raymesin checks command and intimidation at normal. Raymesin is successful.

Vashtalyn checks charm and sewing at normal. Vashtalyn is successful.

Romulius wields Threnody, an alaricite longsword.

Raja checks command and intimidation at normal. Critical Success! Raja is spectacularly successful.

Mia checks command and leadership at easy. Mia is successful.

Ferrando checks composure and intimidation at normal. Ferrando is successful.

Tikva checks charm and performance at normal. Tikva is successful.

Bhandn checks command and intimidation at normal. Botch! Bhandn fails completely.

Torian checks command and leadership at normal. Torian is successful.

Jeffeth is just so swole it inspires confidence.

Godric checks command and occult at normal. Godric marginally fails.

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

Acacia checks charm and sailing at normal. Botch! Acacia fails badly.

Titania checks command and leadership at normal. Titania is successful.

Fresh off the boat from Eurus, Imi has found her way to the gathering throng of defenders here to pick off demons from river. She strolls among them and begins to speak about defying the evil coming to take their homes and lives. The paladin pats people on shoulders, shakes their hand, assures them that she'll be at the fight with them.

Princess Sabella Grayson - the People's Princess, the Second Pinkest, favored by Gild - has come to defend the people of the Lowers. And she is /furious/ - her usually smiling lips are set with grim determination in the wake of the news of her baby sister's death. The blonde princess sits atop a majestic griffin (her name is Mary-Ellen, and she's just lovely) with one of Prince Niklas' coronets looped on her arm like a very oversized bracelet. To the people around her, she lifts her voice: "AZAZEL AND HIS MINIONS HAVE NO PLACE HERE! THEY SHOULD BE AFRAID TO FACE US, FOR WE ARE THE PEOPLE OF ARVUM AND WE WILL NOT LET THEM WIN! MAKE THEM REGRET EVER COMING TO TAKE OUR HOMES!"

It's not a sound, exactly, that reverberates in the air, nor is it the concussive feeling of a shockwave. No, this is something in between, like the memory of a very slow drumbeat, a deep, low thrum coming at intervals. A moment later, the people arrayed on the bridge start to get excited and point. Then the thing that they're pointing at comes into view -- an enormous dragon, its scales a pale silver that seems to glow in the sun, flying towards the Lowers at incredible speed. Next to the sheer size of the dragon, the rider is almost impossible to see, a figure dressed mostly in black. At first, the sight brings a stirring of panic, but as the dragon comes in at an angle to back the defenders and face Azazel's demons, panic turns to exhilaration. This is OUR dragon. It's going to fuck shit up for US.

Thesarin checks command and war at normal. Thesarin is successful.

From the skies above Arx, a blue dragon swoops low, wings within feet of grazing the tops of buildings. Mirk sits atop the dragon in gleaming rubicund armor, a long red cloak streaming behind him. He and Nyx circle above the army, and Mirk shouts to the people below, his voice carrying with a practiced skill. "A thousand years ago, Arx fought the Reckoning. The Copper Guard stood with the Compact then, defending them against the Abyss. The Abyss was defeated that day, but at a terrible cost. Today, we stand with you against the Reckoning once again to see to it that Azazel is defeated and the Abyss no longer threatens our people. As Arx endures, we remember."

"Well, ain't this a lovely mess," Godric mutters to himself, his voice roughened by years of cigarette smoke and bitter experience. "Whoever thought fightin' demons would be a walk in the park clearly never met one up close." The old coroner pulls at a darkened apron with gloved hands. A medic is a medic. He's come to help stitch up any within the battle to come. Anyone paying close attention to him and his apron might see a brilliant blue eye 'blink' while he grins and tucks a smoke to his lip. Despite his grizzled appearance, there was a keen intelligence in his eyes, a sharpness honed by years of dissecting corpses and piecing together the mysteries of death. "Suppose it's just another day at the office," he mutters, more to himself than anyone else, even as a few of the inquistion assistants stand next to him, each ready to help in yanking a body from the field. "Just another bloody stitch in the grand tapestry of life and death." A puff upon smoke to throw it into the ground and stomp it out, "Alright, you sorry lot," he calls out, his voice carrying over the din of those preparing for the fight. "Let's show these demons what we're made of! They may have their fancy gateways and dark magic, but we've got something they'll never understand: the will to fight for what's ours!"

In all of the hubbub it helps to have someone familiar with the lowers directing traffic where necessary. That's Lady Oriana Inverno, directing soldiers to cut across that dock or block off that side street, the kinds of logistics that are probably not very exciting to describe at any particular length, thus bringing this sentence to an end.

The better part of a hundred of House Grayson's larger warships have been tied up, end to end, all the way across the Gray River, blocking it over near Sovereign Bridge. It is a wooden wall of sorts, and the ramps placed between the vessels mean soldiers can walk along them as if on land. In advance of the battle, Liara walks among them, offering words of encouragement, of hope, then as the horde comes closer, she paces further across towards where one of the griffins that arrived waits. She looks up to Sabella with a quick smile amid it all, then her gaze turns, searching for a few others - Tamsin, Lou and Vashtalyn among them.

Calandra Whisper, once a Culler, arrives from Nightengale house while adorned in a mix of leather, jewels and a little steel silk. The mix suggests she is not used to battle and wasn't fully ready for this. The armor even has a bee design rather than her own nightengale and was likely found or borrowed. She looks over the gathered forces nervously and sucks in the soft worried breath of one who hasn't seen many battles up close. She then pulls herself together, putting her whispery charm and grace as she starts to put on a show of the Whisper songbird come to battle, even singing softly a Lower boroughs lullabye of hope that those nearby hear and might be encouraged by.

"Oh, the griffons are back," Sapphire remarks, as if this is the most interesting thing going on, today. She stands near Prince Victus Thrax, for some reason. Likely she is given a wide berth by those who don't know who she is, due to her strangely twisted face and her long, long knives. The rest give her a wide berth because they do know.

Fortunato arrives in his steelsilk and fireweave, and his fireweave barbecue apron. He has a light scarf wrapped around his indistinct face, his eyes are gold-bright above the terminal edge. He bears his staff in hand, and a gold paintbrush tucked between it and his off-fingers. He assembles with the assembled. He says a few things about holding, about the Lowers being the heart of Arx, but his own heart doesn't seem to be much in the speech. Lacking much in the way of expression, he still seems just -- worried.

[[MAGIC - CANTRIP - Instpiration]] Vashtalyn is here with the little cabal that she's become a part of. She is passing among the troops and people present, once again, her mere presence giving an aura of hope and inspiration to those she passes and interacts with. She is gentle, graceful, charming as she hands off little dawnweave ribbons for people to wear, or dawnweave blossoms, so long as she has supplies. When those run out, she's back to giving little ribbons to as many as she can, each one infused with hope, glowing with warmth and radiance. A light in the darkness. "Don't forget hope," she tells those she gives the ribbons and blossoms to. "When the darkness threatens to consume us, remember Hope." She smiles softly, moving among the people of the Lowers, who have gathered up whatever comes to hand in order to fight. "I am carrying your hopes with me, in my heart," she says, her eyes shining with compassion and empathy. "Set aside your fears. Cling to the brilliance of hope, and Jayus' light will protect you." Once she's passed out as many ribbons and blossoms as she can, she finds her way back to Sabella's side, where she intends to stay.

They come for Raja's home, the very same home Raja grew up and became the woman she is today. Anger seethes from her and she stands clad in shadowmeld and cardian snakeskin. Her dark eyes burn in hatred towards the minions of Azazel. With a snarl, she lifts a hand. "MY COURT!" She calls to the grouping of thugs, criminals, merchants, sailors, and whatever else has joined her cause, "WE FIGHT THESE BASTARDS! WE MAKE THEM BLEED! THEY DESERVE NO MERCY!"

Nurie moves amongst those defenders especially who are first timers--people who aren't necessarily battle hardened warriors by trade. Her gentle charm works its mundane magic here--not only is she an expert in soothing silken nerves, but appears she knows how to find what people most need to bolster their courage. A touch to the arm, a whispered naughty joke, an impish scrunch of her nose, a murmured reminder of how brave and strong everyone must be. Reminders of what they've been through, together. And what they protect. Nurie listens and hugs and cheek kisses, and stands silently now and then too, and tells others how she's gathering strength from them too.

The fastest way for things to devolve into the bad kind of chaos, is when people fall prey to panic and anxiety. So in those first few moments before battle, Azova begins checking on people who look like they need a kind word, or someone to pray with them, and she sees to them. Not the injured yet, but those in need of a little spiritual bandaging before the bloodletting begins.

A large shadow sails across the assembled and the flapping of wings causes a breeze that might be welcomed by anyone in full armor. It's another griffin! This one being rode by Princess Tamsin Grayson. She circles around some of the Grayson troops on the ground, her scythe used as an implement of pointing and gesturing, indicating the mass of ugly demons that are beginning to make their way along the riverway. "We held Bastion! We held Setarco! We held Lenosia, and Sacum! We're not about to give them Arx. NONE GREATER!" Her words are not just for Grayson's guard contingent but for anyone in the sound of her voice.

"JUST GO!" Bhandn's voice can be heard thundering at some of the civilian stragglers he's been trying to get evacuated from the riverside. There was more than a little resistance, as if some people didn't quite understand the threat that was impending. Either way, he's got no patience for it, and has Fidelis out and is covered head-to-toe in rubicund. There's an air of nervousness about him; city fighting has not been something he's done virtually at all. Not since Bastion. It's probably that nervousness that explains why he isn't really trying to address the troops.

What do you get when a madman gets pissed off enough to survive the battle of Seawatch Gate? A madman who armored up, grabbed his swords, gathered his men, and came back for more. Prince Romulius Thrax, Knight of Fathoms, is here on this battlefield. Bainteoir on his back, Threnody slowly unsheathed as he beholds the armies of darkness approaching. His eyes look upward at the Dragons that fly above. He smirks ever so faintly. "Alright then! You are the Lowers! We are the Lowers! These bastards will not beat us on this day. "MAKE THEM PAY FOR EVERY STEP THEY TAKE! EVERY LIFE THEY TRY TO CLAIM! TELL THEM TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF OUR FUCKING CITY!"

[Magic, use 1, Call the Raven] Sen has found herself a rooftop with a good view of the river and surrounding streets. She's been crouched there for some time as forces gather, stringing her bow, counting her arrows. Next to her is a wolf that's a bit large for the species, but seemingly entirely ordinary...other than the fact that it, too, is perched on a rooftop, and who knows *how* it got up there. She tips her head toward it for a moment, then sets her bow down, and stands. No speeches today. Instead she curls the fingers of one hand, a raven feather suddenly there where there hadn't before. And then there's the rustle of wings. The rustle of feathers. All along the rooftops, there's black smoke, and then ravens. Dozens and dozens of ravens. The Prima's eyes narrow, she lifts her hand, and she blows the feather off her hand. It catches the wind. Sprouts black wings. And with that first raven in flight, all the rest follow, flying down, down, down to the water, a massive flock that can, at least, serve as a very unexpected distraction. Murder of Crows, eat your heart out.

Reve is prowling through the crowd, but his focus is predominantly at two places. One is obvious, Azova, being his wife. The second may be less clear but it is none other than Nurie Baseborn that he's sharply focused on. His commoner cousin. Reve does not look particularly pleased with either being present, but despite his glowering, he is occasionally moving through those that are plotting and planning, pointing out little tidbits of information to them. He's attempting to be helpful at least.

Raymesin has spent the time since he got back from the battlefield at Harrow Hall in Arx. Most of it, he's been... elsewhere. But some of it has been spent in the Lowers, organising, pushing and flat-out bullying the denizens to do what's needed to reinforce the Borough against attack. He's been making the place more defensible (and not for the first time), laying in nasty surprises in the streets and the alleys, and generally making sure that things will be ready. And now the time has come, and the baulks of timber are being turned into barricades, the barrels of caltrops are being scattered, and the forces at his command are making ready for the fight. He's got more to worry about right now than who's standing near Victus. And his own battlecry echoes forth. "UP YER ARSE, AZAZEL!"

There's a confident strut as Mirari Corsetina walks down the street glittering in full steelsilk and adorned with a variety of weapons. So many different pretty ways to gut the enemy. Mirari stands with Romulius as she prepares to fight. There's a twisted grin on the woman's face, she's almost excited for the carnage. "I call this one Valediction," she says of the ivory hilted misericord in her hand, twisting it to gleam in the light. But there's no time for chatter, or even snarky comments, thousands upon thousands of demons and Mirari's lips turn into a little smirk. She winks at the collection of soldiers and definitely not pirates that come along with her, a bit of charm before the battle starts. "I'm going to enjoy every single kill! Let's fuck their shit up boys and girls." Then Mirari turns to Romulius and says, "I bet I can kill more than you, prince."

Standing with her soilders is Countess Thea Wyvernheart. She is ready as she gives a speech of sorts to them. Though her eyes drift for the briefest of moments to the griffins. "LET'S GOOOO!" she cries, loudly to her men.

"WE, ALL OF US, STANDING HERE TODAY ARE THE HOPE OF ARVUM AND THE WORLD. WE WILL PERSEVERE TODAY AND DO OUR BEST TO SEND AZAZEL'S FORCES BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM!" Yeah. Lou has taking to yelling things out lately, and this so she lets her booming voice do the speaking and inspiring for them. For those who have not seen Lou's latest companion before, there's a Deer that seems otherworldly that's standing nearby and Lou, herself, has a primordial presence about her. She's gently petting the shoulder of the deer before she looks out across the river, eyes wide with curiosity as she takes in those misshapen alligators and other demon-like beasts that are making their way for the shore.

"Yeah. All of them!" rumbles Jeffeth after Raymesin, lifting his warhammer high above his head.

Seren checks composure and performance at normal. Seren is successful.

The Faith Militant has once again taken to the field. With most of the units at Sea Watch Gate - Templars of Arx, the North and Crownlands - still waiting, the units of the Lycene and Isles Templars are here in the lowers. As battle approaches, Preston gathers his Knights Commanding together and speaks to them, dispatching them to their battles before he plants Crusader to the ground and kneels "Gloria, we ask not for a long life or for protection. We thank you for this chance to serve, and to show our devotion. We have honoured our oaths, and dedicated ourselves to training and preparation. For generations, for this day. We ask simply that when the end comes you help us meet it with honour, with our heads held high. And if we fail you, we ask only your forgiveness, knowing we deserve none. We will earn now our place in the shining lands, whether that be now or in many years time." And he rises. The Knights repeat these words to their formations and they all rise as Preston does and turn to prepare for the fight.

A portion of the river is blocked off by ships flying phoenix-emblazoned flags, and at their fore is a ship with fiery red sails, Captain Ariella Igniseri at the helm. She doesn't use her voice, possibly because she doesn't have one after all her bellowing yesterday, but she does signal the Igniseri fleet behind her with a specialized flag language known by all in the Granato navy. Evidently whatever was said was inspiring, because a raucous cheer sounds from the decks of that cluster of ships as everyone runs to their posts.

Prince Victus hefted his greatsword over his shoulder. His eyes glance to the sky at the beat of wings. Looking to the clouds and beyond, before his attention falls upon the gathering forces. It would all look pretty typical for him, a general preparing for battle... were it not for the fact that he'd brought a damn Fractal to the party. It doesn't make him look anymore confident - or maybe that's just how his face always is. Either way, they are here. Ready to spill blood and shatter mirrors. "The enemy comes." He calls out over the assembled soldiers, namely those who bear Thrax's colors, those hardened faces from the civil war. "Kill every last one of them." The command given, his sword falls, pointed to the ground before sparing a glance to Sapphire. "The first Reckoning this fun for you?"

THIS TIME, Aleksei isn't going to immediately trip over his feet. Just watch. He's not usually one for the big speeches, but he's been moving in and out of the crowds, touching base with soldiers, guards, and civilians alike. He hears chattering about the griffins and laughs. "Yeah, one of them at the shrine said that Skald sent them," he says, absolutely delighted by the fact. He lingers near Nurie for several moments when the time comes near, a hand setting at her back, a whispered word and kiss pressed warm to her cheek. And then he's ready.

Benny has decided that he's just going to be a house sized beaver for the time being. There is a bit of a 'thump' to the ground as he waddles through the lowers. He's being SUPER careful not to wreck anything. But the river mouth makes him squint his eyes, "That won't do." he states. And where is Acantha?! Acantha has popped her head out from behind his shoulder, "Welp, time to do that thing you love...and not in the shrine of Magnotta!" she tells him as she smooches the top of his head and then slides down his back and off his tail. "Come on Whomper, lets try to keep these demons out!" she shouts to the big willow spirit.

Raven lifts a hand as those few Iron guard who've volunteered stir restlessly "For your families, for your home, but today we are fighting to AVENGE SIR AINSLEY!!" she lifts her sword and the guards echo "For Sir Ainsley!"

The Red Culler is quietly watching from a higher vantage point as is her nature. Acacia glances down to her family and give a slight nod, expression serious and stern, before returning to her watch.


Anisha Whisper, once Radiant, has not been an unknown face in the Lowers - helping take over and run the People's Tournament, among others. Now, in resplendent steelsilk, and with an alaricite blade in hand, she wanders among the people, and murmurs, reminding them quietly /why/ they fight. Not for any big or noble reasons, as the commanders up front might be doing, but with a gentle touch and an earnest murmur, seeking the personal reasons why the many many folk celebrated being alive very recently.

She is, of course, making her way circuitously to join her fellow Whispers - but for now, she's happy to be one among the crowds.


While she has no words to give, Seren arrives as an inspiration to those who want to see magic on the side of the defenders. A dragon forged of pure starlight, with bright beams connecting the joints like tracing out a constellation, flies overhead. It doesn't cast a shadow; the sunlight seems to pass right through the smokey-cyan coloring of the beast. But Seren rides atop, waving her bow as the dragon loops, flips over, and performs a quick aerial acrobatics show for the defenders below.

Tikva is playing on her balalaika, standing side by side with Sorrel as Nightingale circles above her. She's playing hard and fast, and as the Iron Guard calls her husband's name, she pitches her voice to join them. "FOR AINSLEY AND THE CITY OF ARX--"

Eirene has her own battle song playing in her head. She gets to the chorus and sings, in her rough Lycene tone, "Sound the horn and call the cry, HOW MANY OF THEM CAN WE MAKE DIE!"

When the Rivens arrive at the river's mouth, it isn't from within the city, but aboard ships that sailed down the Mother and clung to the coast before arriving in Arx itself. They had sent the Twainfort's refugees ahead of them as the prepared for war at Bastion or siege at the Compact's capital, and it's the last of their dromonds and war galleys that come into sight now carrying thousands and thousands of soldiers -- more than ten thousand men and women flying flags of Riven blue and Sylvas green, all armed, all eager for justice against the horde that took their homes. Mihaly, Eirene, Thesarin and Mia greet them all with fire and fury, rallying them with speech and battle cry alike. "FOR THE TWAINFORT! FOR ARVUM! FOR THE TWAINFORT! FOR ARVUM!"

It's a good day to beat the drums and sing the BATTLE SONG OF THE DESERT RAIN FROG. Sorrel stands next to Tikva with Frog perched on her shoulder, thumping percussively and calling out with her friend loudly. Her cabal is here. Her friends are here.

[MAGIC] - Armor, Armor, Everywhere] Apollo is up on a rooftop. He likes it up on rooftops, and particularly when it becomes clear that there are so many aquatic shards coming. Away from them is nice. He's got a friend up there with him, a young man with rather disturbingly smooth skin and a good degree of social awkwardness that some people who've been in the Lowers for awhile might recognize. They're up to _something_, up there, chanting with knives over a heap of leather with blinking eyes. There's a final word or two, not legible over the din but for how rough and loud it is, and then laughter. The black leather and its eyes are gone. And out there in the crowd, on the backs of those who showed up barely armored, clothing turns an inky black hue, malicious eyes blinking open on them. They'll have someone watching their six, better believe it. Their six, and everyone else's.

There's a mass fire from the ships of the Compact as the demons sweep in, and some of the first ships are mass of fighting as they are swarmed by writhing demonic creatures. The Gray River turns red with the sheer mass of death from archers on the shore and the platinum ballistae on the walls firing their bolts into the river which explode, but even with the wall of death put down by the fleet of the Compact and the army on shore, the demonic forces come on, and it doesn't take long before thousands of them are skittering up the rocky bank and moving to land of the Lower Boroughs. The main body of shards are moving far slower, and are more vulnerable, but the thousands of slihering or skittering demonic beasts moving on land are more than enough to worry about, as the first ships of the Compact begin to sink underneath the attacks of massive demonic beasts in the water.

((Round 1: Any offensive checks at normal, if you're using magic note it in your pose.))

Mihaly has fought in a lot of wars in his long career of a knight. But nothing, nothing has truly prepared him for this. Even as his helmet is secured over his head, with his visor lifted up. And during his time as Sword of Riven, he's never had to draw The Twain with actual violent purpose. Not until now, at least. The blades might be steel, but there is an odd shimmer about them as they're drawn, looking far more than perfect. Clearly the man has invested in making sure these scimitars are ready to be used. The Old Knight looks over at his wife. Then back at the toops with and around him, and the Knight Commander of Riven calls out. "FIGHT NOW. FIGHT TO DAMNATION. AND A BLOODY SUNRISE. TO DEATH."

Oriana checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Oriana is successful.

Tamsin checks command and leadership at normal. Tamsin is successful.

Since dragons in the Lowers is apparently a thing now, another indigo dragon apropos of nothing rather noticeably lands on the Murder of Crows, wings held out just in case the east wing of overnight bunks promptly collapses underneath her. Despite some not terribly quiet dubious creaking, however, it seems to hold up for the moment. Whatever conversation between her and her rider (is that Ferrando?) is hard to make out, but the guy seems to be pointing out a few spots for further explanation. After all the sort of pre-action navigation briefings are over, they move on to a secondary phase, which may or may not be practicing their intimidatingly scary and startling ambush yells.

Mirk checks mana and occult at normal. Mirk is successful.

Ian checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Ian is successful.

Victus checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Victus is successful.

Mirari checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Mirari is successful.

Morrighan checks mana and occult at normal. Morrighan is successful.

Azova checks mana and medicine at normal. Azova is successful.

Ferrando shouts from nearby, "GRRRARGH!"

Bhandn checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Bhandn is successful.

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

Tikva checks charm and performance at normal. Tikva is successful.

Imi checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Imi is successful.

Torian shows up. Apparently he's not been seen much outside of the Culler family, busy making deals or leather goods or what not probably. When he shows up he's wearing what looks like a raw dragoonweep, or at least mostly raw? From certain angles, thanks to the leather wrap around it that let's it serve as a necklace, maybe it looks like a skull? Do they come in skull-shape or is it a trick of the wrap? Has it been worked? No Matter, when he shows up, as if on practiced cue, many of the local residents arrive as well, pouring forth from the various homes, warehouses, and secret places that the Culler Brood occupies. They represents all type of common folk, from respected legitimate sailors down to men and women known to be murderers... all standing up to defend their homes.

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

Titania is kneeled down at the dock her hands touching the water as she seems to be lost in some form of prayer or whispering to herself! But as she knees there her whispers become louder, "I call on you my friends of the Dolphin clans and those of the sea who will aid us. I call on you to come help keep the city and the world safe! Mangata I ask for your aid in this! Come!" she

Anisha checks charm and manipulation at normal. Anisha is successful.

Calandra checks charm and performance at normal. Calandra is successful.

Preston checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Preston is successful.

Seren checks composure and performance at normal. Seren is successful.

Reve checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Reve is successful.

Romulius checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Romulius is successful.

Liara checks command and leadership at normal. Liara is successful.

Sen'azala checks dexterity and archery at normal. Sen'azala marginally fails.

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

Eirene checks command and war at normal. Eirene is successful.

Fortunato checks wits and artwork at normal. Fortunato is successful.

Acantha checks command and leadership at normal. Acantha marginally fails.

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

Raymesin checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Raymesin is successful.

Thea checks intellect and medicine at normal. Critical Success! Thea is spectacularly successful.

Ferrando checks dexterity and streetwise at normal. Ferrando marginally fails.

Titania checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Titania fails.

Acacia checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Acacia is successful.

Aleksei checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Aleksei is successful.

Raven checks mana and occult at normal. Raven is successful.

Raja checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Raja marginally fails.

Godric checks intellect and medicine at normal. Godric is successful.

Mia checks command and leadership at easy. Mia is successful.

Sabella checks charm and propaganda at normal. Sabella is successful.

[CANTRIP] As Nyx circles, Mirk calls upon the winds. This is smaller, subtler than his normal feats of magic, bidding the wind to carry his voice. He whispers in the ears of generals and commanders, noting larger Abyssal threats and warning them of them. It's not for long, however, as the dragon begins to breathe out ice and tearing a swath through the demonic hordes below them.

Sorrel checks charm and performance at normal. Sorrel is successful.

[MAGIC 1] Jeffeth smacks his hammer against the rocky bank, sending a fierce reverberant shockwave through the front line of skittering demons. He punctuates it with a "Rrahargh!" as the hammer smashes into the rock and sends chips and pieces flying everywhere.

Lou checks wits and medium wpn at normal. Lou is successful.

Thesarin checks command and war at normal. Thesarin is successful.

[MAGIC 1] As the enemy starts rushing forward, Imi takes her place at the front of the battle. "DEFIANCE!" she cries out and draws her big, two-handed greatsword. The diamondplate blade sparkles in the light, but a moment later it's glowing on its own. Brightly blazing might be a better word. The Paladin of Defiance squares her shoulders, takes her stance and begins hacking away at demons that come up on the shore. The blade cleaves through bodies like a hot knife through butter, and each swing is responsible for something splashing back into the water.

[MAGIC 1] Sabella nods to Liara, then gives Vashtalyn a flash of a smile - a welcome friend among the sea of faces. "Stay back and safe," she says. "We held Bastion, we will hold Arx!" The princess sounds entirely confident. However, there is the briefest of looks of panic when she sights Sapphire. A problem for another time. The signal is given for Mary-Ellen to join the others in the air, and the griffin lifts to circle with Tamsin. "BURN THEIR BANNERS!" Sabella calls out as her griffin sweeps low and a wave of force comes from her hands to repel the advancing demons.

Vashtalyn checks dexterity and sewing at normal. Critical Success! Vashtalyn is spectacularly successful.

[Magic 1 - Song of the Nightengale] - Calandra stands toward the back of those gathered for battle, but then it is possible the slender Whisper singer is not trained in combat. She starts to sing in a gente lifting and lilting voice. The refined and trained voice of a girl from the lower boroughs that holds the accent of such. She turns her tone to mix and blend with any other singing that might be near by. If Tikva and Sorrel sings, she matches her tones and notes with their tones and notes. Her singing helps to give courage and hope to the people of the lower boroughs, being infused with the power of spellsinging. It seems to have more an effect of helping the others here in their fight than being an attack in itself, but such is the way of the Whisper singer.

[Magic - 1] Acantha is trying to focus on magic since it is the start of things. Benny is working on blocking the way of the demons and the Willow spirit is doing the smacking of demons. Acantha is...overwhelmed though with trying to keep up with everything that she is unable to summon up the itty bitty beavers at the moment.

Oriana is directing soldiers when time runs out, and the horde attacks. "Ack!" Oriana blurts, before stabbing some kind of a snake-eel-lamprey-flukeman thing in the head. She then scampers to try and find the high ground.

[Magic - The Darkest Blade] Here for a moment and then she's not, a shadow moves across the battlefield and a blade extends from their hand. Mirari moves with grace and ease, it's almost a dance, light on her feet the woman finds her first target, the blade finds their throat and she watches as the blood spills. It brings a delighted smile to her face. That was fun! Mirari hacks demons like she's chopping up herbs for a perfume. The blade is an extension of her, and each swipe is a vicious one.

Nurie checks luck and sewing at normal. Nurie is successful.

[MAGIC 1] Fortunato raises staff and brush together, his eyes half-lidded. Once again, light works, wends its way from beneath the surface of his gloves to lash out, to wreck an arc of elysian light against those crawling and skittering up the bank.

[MAGIC - 1 use - ATTACK] As Tikva fills her lungs to let out a sonic blast, Nightingale sings with her in a wave of throbbing energy so that their combined wave hurtles into the oncoming shards clawing their way out of the river. The shimmering spectral wings sweep as the bird circles.

[Magic 1] Spying the beasts, Thea takes a breath. Looking around, she is quick to tell everyone,"COVER YOUR FACES,"her yell loud. Upon her cry, Thea places her hands on the ground, and takes a breath. With a look of concentration on the large beats, she looks over and watches as a large plume of poisonous smoke appears, rising from under their feet.

[MAGIC - 1] Tamsin circles over the mass of demons, flying high in the sky on her griffin. She salutes Sabella, Liara, and Vashtalyn before swooping lower. Words are hard to hear given the rush of wind that blows her hair and the griffin's mane, but she shouts something and waves her scythe. An arc of black energy leaves the sharp blade of Quietus and surrounds enemies below, bringing death where elegies are shoutered.

[MAGIC -Defense First Use- Scattered Stars] With the Twain in his hands, Mihaly drags the blades across each other. As each blade passes, the constellation appear glowing as dots and lines of white light. An instant later, hundreds of small motes of starlight away from both blades, like countless bits of pollen suddenly being taken on the wind. The motes do not attack the incoming horde, but float about the gathered forces of Arx, misdirecting blows meant for others, defending them, deflecting them, and protecting those they float about.

Sapphire turns and stabs one of her long, ghostly daggers into Victus. Don't worry! It doesn't hurt. She doesn't give any warning, of course, but he feels nothing at all. "I'll be back," she assures him, and then throws the other dagger - real hard. It sails the length of a street and thunks into the arm of a shard. It doesn't hurt it, either, but within even a heartbeat she has teleported from one of her daggers to the other, and one slash of her arm is all it takes to rip the shard apart in a shower of gore. THAT probably hurt.

Eirene wheels a finger over her head in signal as she and the Riven soldiers dismbark. She has command of her battlemedics, who instantly spread out and start taking up their stances with their units. "Go go go," she shouts as she points towards the swarm of shards coming up the bank. "Choke the rivers with their dead," she adds. She wields no magic at the moment, just her own decades of command experience. Her troops rush out to stab with pikes, swords, and unleash arrows on the enemies.

[MAGIC 1] It's one chance, before the injured start flowing in. Before that gift within pulls at her to find and reach the most wounded. Azova looks out over the sea of demons, and tries to zero in on those that look like they will be the biggest pain in the arse. That one, right there. It's not going to be able to tell, she hopes, who in the crush of people fighting them has sent this message their way. But that demon is going to find itself in sudden, blinding agony at every pain point there is. "Never piss off the healer." she mutters under her breath, looking satisfied. Doubly so if it shrieks in pain. Only then does she turn her attention to her true purpose.

Romulius holds Threnody in his hand, Ainsley's blade, and as the calls for Ainsley's name is a battle chant, Romulius looks up towards the sky. "Hope you're watching. We're gonna kill the fuckin' lot of 'em." Then he turns his eyes towards Mirari as she makes that bat. "I'll take that action. Keep track of how many you kill, I expect to check our balances after this fight." He grins ever so softly. "Don't go easy on me." He seems to look around a moment, spotting Raja in the crowd, nodding once to her. Then he returns his attention forward. "Here they are..."

He lifts his blade high. "TO BATTLE!" he laughs, his blade slicing through the enemy as they try and leap upon them. "Make this river red with their blood!"

As the skittering horde makes it's way up the rocky coasts, their foul forms and twisted bodies erupting over the beaches, Raja lifts up her dagger into the air! "FIGHT! FIGHT FOR YOUR HOME! FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY! LET THE BLOOD OF OUR ENEMIES FLOW THROUGH THE STREETS!" Then she is charging forward to meet head on with the oncoming hordes!

[Cantrip: Suggestion] Aco is somewhat far back admist the defences. The Radiant's inkwell eyes scanning the area from her third story perch. She uses it to have some vantage of what's coming. None of her usual attendants are in her company. Instead the Radiant's bonded Prima, Serpent, lingers nearby her. Aco's lips move as she whispers something into the air while the Great Serpent strikes out.

[Magic] Ariella has spent recent weeks telling her crew stories of Captain Alonso Redwave, /their/ Captain, whose name and history Azazael ate. And so, as the first wave of demons writhes and skitters up the side of the Red Bargain, a roar of, "FOR ALONSO!" rises from the ranks, and every body aboard that ship begins fighting, with Ariella's phoenixfire blade at the lead.

Aconite checks charm and seduction at normal. Aconite is successful.

[MAGIC - 1ST USE - ATTACK - BURNING BLADE] The air surrounding Morrighan shimmers and warps as waves of heat begin to radiate from her, eyes burning bright with the colors of fire. Readying Demonslayer in hand, she glides her hand over the alaricite blade, and in an instant the metal glows white hot before bursting into flames. A wolfish smile quirks her lips before the dame moves forward with the first attack, and swings her weapon in a fiery arc, sending forth a wave of flames to crash into the front line of the horde.

[MAGIC 2 - Flay There] Apollo has done with his preparatory mischief. Hopefully nobody absolutely freaks out about that. He turns his attention, then, to the masses of slithering beasts rushing in. A series of precise slashes in the air before him, his other hand yanking hard, and some of those nasties are divested of their skins in a hurry. Next to him, his youthful-faced friend is doing much the same.

It's a good day to be a tanner. So far.

[[ MAGIC 1 Raven]] Raven swings her sword forward commanding her men forward and only once they are engaged does she summon the inky blackness at her command, the seep out from her skin and writing and twining into spiteful tendrils which sprout from her and delve into the flesh of demons and then suddenly fly apart sending chunks of demons in every which direction.

[MAGIC - 1 - Charging Crusader] As the skittering beasts emerge, Preston moves up to one of the units of Templars - judging from their banner and axes, from Maelstrom - and he smiles at one of the Godsworn at the front before he draws Crusader up. Preston begins walking forward, out in front of the Templar troops, and the Paladin of Gloria places his hand on the flat of Crusader. A bright glow begins to spread from his hand across the sword blade, and a high pitched humming fills the air. Preston holds the blade aloft for the Templars to see and then begins to jog - the Templars following. As the enemy close, that jog breaks into a run and then the two sides clash. Preston swings Crusader in an arc, the charged metal cutting into their demonic flesh with ease "We protect the inncoent!" Well, it's not a /bad/ time to educate Demons on important Glorian principles.

[MAGIC] Seren's starlight dragon flaps its wings and sends the pair moving across the amassed demonic horde. While the bow Seren has in hand looks serviceable, she doesn't use it. Instead she begins to hand-dance and look up at the sky. A moment later something is falling, a star shooting across the heavens and streaking toward a group of the enemy. KABOOM! The falling star lands and bodies go flying from the impact, many on fire, a lot of them dead.

Sen'azala picks up her bow, draws to her ear, and fires. Her arrow sails the distance - there's something to be said for an adept's strength, even without active magic use - but it sinks into the ground just behind one of the oncoming demons. Her eyes narrow, and she immediately sets another arrow to string.

[MAGIC 1] The enemy arrives at the docks, and Raymesin is there waiting for them, with the Wheelspinner's lightning-bolt rubicund blade in one hand and a sooty black blade in the other. When he starts to move he's brutally effective, and there's something odd about the way he does move - his enemies aren't moving as fast as they should be, making them an easier target for the knifeman's blades and for the blades of those with him. And Raymesin goes through them like a knife through water, and the Ulbran forces with him join him in the slaughter.


[Magic - The Truth Hurts]
With a protective Wolf once belonging to a Paladin at her feet, snarling protectively at the demon hordes, Anisha is now daringly moving forward - she does have her rapier, which, admittedly, she's mostly using to parry - smiling at the song of her fellow Whisper, she somehow finds herself among the frontlines - and now it isn't the balde she's using, but Whispered words, and the occasional touch, brushing against the nearest demons, to inflict wounds upon them and draw out their very essence.


[MAGIC 1] With a subtle nod to the Fractal, Victus... gets stabbed?! He blinks. No pain, no blood. STILL. THAT WAS UNCOMFORTABLE. Shuddering, he leaps into the fray at last. As he approaches the horde, Barathrum begins to shimmer, its sharp edge touching the ground and dragging a groove behind him. That same groove sputters with salt water, marking his trail all the way to the front! He stops on his heel, wrenches his blade around, and spins in a vortex of steel! The whirl leaving a brief pocket of dead shards around him, a brief respite before the horde fills it right back in.

[MAGIC 1] Once upon a time, for years, this used to be Aleksei Morgan's home. He had a room of his own at the Murder of Crows, a layabout Champion, and it wasn't until his entry into the priesthood that that changed. "Be safe," he tells Nurie, and then he's diving into the fray, as graceful as a dancer. His leathers are not the unending darkness of Shadowmeld, but instead the rich blue-black of a starlit sky. Prism's champion. His sword slices through legions of the oncoming throng effortlessly

Torian [Magic, Use 1, Unwashed Masses] Torian stands barking orders, the Axe of his fallen brother Orathy in one hand, and that dragonweep in the other. The criminal element of the city has always used code and signals and the like, but this man is shouting practically in tongues. The people, his people at least, seem to respond in a way that generally suggests a trained military. They are but the poor and unwashed, somehow coming together as if they were one body, and one mind...

[Magic 1 - Utility - Fortify] "Hold them back!," Mia commands the cluster of guards that accompany her here, and its all that need be said for the blood warrior at her side to draw his blade with a snarl and three Twainfort soldiers to follow suit. "And I will hold the walls." It isn't quite clear what it is that Mia means until there's a dull rumbling sound, barely worth noticing in the din of battle, save that the soil around the gate begins to crawl up it, strenghtening the stones that hold it in place.

With a grim determination, Godric wades into the fray, his apron fluttering around him like a macabre banner, which blinks towards those it once called brothers. "Alright lads, time to earn your keep," he growls, his voice barely audible over the din. With practiced efficiency, he begans to assess the injured, skilled hands moving deftly despite the tumult around him. Inquisition guards, forming a protective circle around him, their shields raised against the onslaught of demonic forces. With their cover, Godric is able to focus on his task, pulling the wounded from the field and administering quick stitches to stem the flow of blood. "Steady now, steady," he murmured, his voice a calming presence amidst the chaos. "You'll be alright, just hold on a little longer."

[MAGIC - 1] Another day, another battle. Once Lou finishes hyping up those gathered at the boroughs, she wields Pathfinder, the alaricite blade. The sword seems to fit her hand perfectly. "Okay, Deer, let's do this," she speaks to her companion. Deer snorts and looks ready to do battle, kicking up into a rear and lashing out with her front feet as several of the shards come forward. Meanwhile, Lou guards her flank, trying her best to make sure the Primordia beast doesn't take a hit from anything that might get behind her, slashing and stabbing at anything that gets too close. She's definitely moving a lot faster that she did before in battle, for those who've trained with her previously.

[MAGIC 1] After a glance up at the griffin with arched eyebrows, Liara climbs up onto its back. It takes flight, and with it, the Princess of Bastion receives a better view of the battlefield than she might ever otherwise have hoped for as a commander. It follows Sabella and Mary-Ellen the griffin, at first, then Liara lifts Elvesbane aloft in an acknowledgement of Tamsin. Then she passes low over the fleet, spotting where threats loom, and she calls to the crews of a couple of ships, "Move to the right and watch out below the water. Tighten the ropes so they cannot drag down the ships." Her words carry as if straight to their ears, her intentions made clear, and sailors reposition, some making fast the ropes that bind the many ships together, an effort to make it harder to drag any more beneath the surface.

[MAGIC - 1 use] There's a squeeze to Azova's hand and then Reve's, and then a bright laugh when Aleksei swoops in for a cheek kiss. It's returned rather cheekily to the tip of his nose, just before the dark tied sweeps in. Nurie takes a moment, watching it roll in, moving to to the side so she's out of the way of the larger combatants. "Are you ready?" she whispers near the opening of the alley, as audible and loud clip clops of horse hooves sound for those nearby. She studies the pack of beasts that approach, and though she might shiver just a little, her fingers raise to weave nimbly, as if she were reordering threads, tugging here, tugging there, and then with a scisoring of two fingers cuts a knot or two, standing back as if to avoid getting caught in the unravelling. A crisscrossing of cuts and wounds open up in some of the nearby creatures, as if some of the threads that comprise them had been suddenly and chaotically cut.

[[Magic #1 - Defensive - Threads of Hope]] As the demons start to come in, Vashtalyn weaves a radiant shield of hope and inspiration around herself and it expands rapidly outward, bright enough to blind enemies. It might also make things a little easier for allies to attack. The protective shield expands outward to a hundred yard radius. Seeing some in danger, Vashtalyn twirls her fingers, using threads of light to snatch them out of danger, including Titania, as the seamstress sees the Lady is in trouble. Then she's back to concentrating on holding the shield, her presence still radiating hope and inspiration.

There is, somewhat unreasonably, now an indigo dragon tearing through the Lowers at near street level doing a ridiculously up-close-and-personal clearing of Shard infiltration in the streets like some sort of daredevil low-altitude acrobatic canyon run. This is an almost suicidally crazy thing to be doing given the speeds and clearances and the only reason it's not immediately disastrous is that the rider/co-pilot of this whole operation is a graduate of the Mae Culler school of Lowers Rooftop Tag and knows the weird-ass layout of this city like the back of his claw. Er, wing. There may be a liiiitle bit of a adjustment needed to dial-in the handling of this manuever as the initial run through the city results in more chaos than actual damage to either the enemy or (fortunately) the flyers. "Hahahah!" Ferrando cackles. "No, no, I think we've got something here, Boo. We got this. Just gotta break harder left at the Tragedy next pass."

[MAGIC 1, ATTACK] The lambent dragon is flying especially high as it comes in range of the battle, and its brilliance makes it invisible as it, coming out of the sun, dives straight at the abyssal beasts assaulting the ships on the river. The dragon breathes a line of pale fire, its light blinding, that causes the creatures in its path to sizzle and melt away with the reek of something very foul burning, a mix of noxious chemicals and hair. There's brief panic among the sailors to see the fire so close to the ships, but it becomes clear that this isn't actually fire. It's light. Pure, searing, blinding light. It passes over the wood of the ships without them catching flame. A few sailors are shouting some kind of greeting and pointing, perhaps having recognized the figure on the dragon's back. But that figure is moving too fast to easily be made out at a distance, slicing away the limbs and heads of anything that tries to grab at the dragon as it swoops low, leaving a secondary trail of maimed abyssal creatures in the dragon's wake.

Reve goes momentarily too still as he sees shadows of the demons, the skittering of the shadows. His eyes flick to this and that movement and his lip curls. He lofts his halberd and is on the move, the blade sliding through air and demonic foes alike. He is naturally fighting close to the healers, fancying himself as defending them, and when Azova's causing a demon to shriek in pain? His head turns swiftly and he peers at her. It is a brief reprieve, that look, followed by sharp grin.

Torian checks command and leadership at normal. Torian is successful.

Titania is busy on the docks as she is trying to call on their aid and water back up, her eyes closed as she continues to pray to mangata for her aid in this fight! She is pulled back out of harms way and blinks as she takes a break, "Shit." she mumbles and hops what she did was enough to call on their aid.

[MAGIC] Banging on her drum as Tikva plays her balalaika, Sorrel sings loudly in a manner designed to intimidate and potentially injure the enemy. She blows a kiss to Frog, and watches with a primal intensity in her eyes.

Vashtalyn glances up to see Tamsin on her griffin and smiles, giving a wave back, before she focuses once more on the shield she has created.

Eirene barks a laugh and gives a salute to her friends on dragonback. Nice.

"I never go easy on anyone," Mirari assures Romulius, then the steelsilk-clad woman catches sight of Thea and her poison cloud and smirks at the woman with appreciation.

[Magic - Champion] "Find your heart and hold your steel," Thesarin calls out, standing as the fighting is directed, calling out into the soldiers. "We stand today at a second Breaking of the World, and as we stand so too the world. The line we hold is between sagas of heroes that will be sung a thousand years. For all our people, for all our tomorrows, hold your ground and I, I, I will stand beside you."
"I am Thesarin Redhands, and I will stand against this horde beside you to victory or death. I am river-wolf, the ague that walks, the flood that laughs. I've brought death to from the beaches of Stormwall to the walls of Arx. I've brought death to man and beast, islander and Bislander, Knight of Solace and Bringer of Silence, to the giant of Bastion and Braxus the Bloodsniffer and today we bring death to them who would tear out our tomorrows, our people, our past and our future, our families and our children. I am Thesarin son of Vahari, the Wildfire of Greenwood, and where I walk death and ash follows."

IS a fractal even here? Yes, though mostly just confirmed in flashes as she eviscerates the mid ranks of Azazel's breaching army. She is darting, zipping through space as little more than a shadow (a smiling one) between the enemy and Victus. She kills three demons in a flash, but as soon as one turns to see who is behind them she is gone again, touching down next to the High Lord of Thrax to compliment his technique before the blood all hits the ground.

While some of the ships of the Compact are certainly having a rough time of it, and there's significant losses among the front squadrons, the battle on the banks is going quite well. Well enough that the Banners of Azazel shrilly scream at the presence of yet more primordia, dragons and great basts, "KILL THE INSECTS ATTACHED TO THE THINGS THAT MATTER! KILL THEM!" And numerous flying demons and beholders sweep to obey.

((Difficulty of the luck checks is tiered to what someone is connected to, with the more powerful beings attracting much more attention. The most powerful connections are daunting luck checks, the significant ones are hard luck checks, and everyone else is easy. Breaking down everyone into 3 rolls was challenging so if you don't see your name in any of the 3 rolls let me know.))

Apostate has called for a check of luck at daunting.
Critical Success! Lou is spectacularly successful.
Sen'azala marginally fails.
Sorrel fails.
Tikva fails.
TIE: Mirk fails. Aconite fails.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at hard.
Nurie is successful.
Ian is successful.
TIE: Apollo is successful. Raja is successful.
Victus fails.
Ferrando fails.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at easy.
Critical Success! Vashtalyn is spectacularly successful.
Critical Success! Imi is spectacularly successful.
Godric is successful.
TIE: Titania is successful. Romulius is successful.
Bhandn is successful.
TIE: Jeffeth is successful. Eirene is successful. Mia is successful.
Fortunato is successful.
TIE: Mirari is successful. Morrighan is successful. Mihaly is successful.
TIE: Azova is successful. Jasper is successful. Raven is successful.
Oriana is successful.
TIE: Thea is successful. Reve is successful.
TIE: Preston is successful. Seren is successful.
TIE: Ariella is successful. Liara is successful.
TIE: Acacia is successful. Raymesin is successful. Thesarin is successful.
Calandra is successful.
Aleksei marginally fails.

Jasper wields Celebrant, the diamondplate bastard sword.

Sabella checks luck at easy. Sabella is successful.

Victus checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Critical Success! Victus is spectacularly successful.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at easy.
Anisha is successful.

Aconite checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Aconite fails.

Somewhat shockingly, riding a dragon into battle attracts a significant amount of hostility from the opposing side. Between projectiles and fliers, even Nyx struggles to deal with them, though Mirk has his staff and his winds to defend them. The dragon briefly swoops low, seeking to avoid the mass on manpower, and lands near Imi, needing a few previous seconds to recoup.

Tamsin checks luck at easy. Tamsin is successful.

Ferrando checks dexterity and stealth at easy. Ferrando is successful.

Ballard, a grizzled mariner have been dismissed.

4 Thrax Guards have been dismissed.

Sapphire is with Victus when the shadow passes overhead, revealed as a griffin swoops out of the way -a piece of masonry wreathed in green fire. She is no boulder-puncher, but she is so, so fast. A blur, really. Does she scoot Victus out of the way, or is that his own reflex? When it hits, the impact happens just shy of the High Lord's feet, and Sapphire stops a few steps away, bending down to gently release a white rabbit she was cradling in the crook of her arm. "Be sure to tell your friends," she calls after it, "how heroic I was!"

Spotting trouble, Imi begins to fight her way over to Mirk. She slays some demons. She cleaves them limb from limb and leaves them as screaming stump monsters crying out that they can still kick ass. She silences them before flesh wound jokes happen.

[Magic 1, Defense, You Can't See Me]While wheeling around for another pass, Ferrando and the indigo dragon seem hemmed in by some converging fusillades of Abyssal fire and lightning, when... abruptly, the whole scenario just seems not very worth of being paid any attention to by anyone for a few moments, and then afterwards dragon and rider and flying away, apparently unscathed.

The beat of the lambent dragon's wings is palpable as they impact the air and the enormous beast climbs again at a speed that really doesn't seem like it ought to be possible. It's in this moment that it's finally, and very briefly, possible to recognize the rider, as the frenetic pace of his movement stills for a moment while he re-orients and takes in the battlefield. It's Ian. Somehow he's standing on the climbing dragon without losing his balance, his alaricite sword in hand. We're breaking lots of the laws of physics today.

Vashtalyn continues to hold her shield, one hand raised, fingers still twirling to weave threads of golden hope and inspiration into ribbons of light that snatch allies out of danger. This time, she sees Sorrel is in trouble, and she wraps a ribbon of light gently around the Thrax Princess to lift her into the air, and then set her gently back down out of danger. She gives the Princess a warm, soft smile, filled with raidant hope, and then her attention moves on to continuing her weaving. She does dig into her belt pouch with her free hand, withdrawing a little sewing needle she's using maybe as a focus, as she prepares an offensive weave.

Victus grips his sword at its halfway point, using it to drive forward and spear another shard. It sails up and over his head, arcing a lovely crescent of blood on its way through the air. The momentum carries him to turn right around, just in time to see Sapphire reappear after wreaking havoc across the battlefield. He returns the compliment with a salute of his own, before a shadow creeps over his form. He's got just enough time to crane his neck and regard the comet of green death hurtling his way. Before he can even utter a curse, he's... somewhere else. His body teeters a bit from the sudden shift in space, having moved in the blink of an eye. "Fff-" In a stroke of luck, this puts him right in the path of Aconite's assailant! On instinct he swings, cutting down the demon in one clean swing. Not a hare on anyone's head is harmed this day. Team work makes the dream work!

Raven pauses briefly and her eyes widen as she looks up to see Griffons and Dragons and was that-...that face on the Dragon looked really familiar! There's no chance to confirm-a powerful presence noted as Sapphire strolls by sewing demon destruction in her wake. She calls "And who are you?" towards Sapphire "So I know where to send the thank you rum to!"

Lou is not so unaware of her surroundings that she can't see that Tikva is about to get impaled. "Deer! Please. Take me to my cousin!" she calls out, heart racing as she throws herself on the back of the Primordia and hoping against hope they race to Tikva's her aid. Deer, seeming to understand the urgency, doesn't balk at Lou's present distress. She takes off, leaping and bounding across the battle field, while Lou reaches down and swings Tikva up on the back of the Primordia, sweeping her away. "HOLD ON!" Lou calls out to Tikva, "JUST HOLD ON." She guides Deer to a place where Tikva can be relatively guarded and Lou drops down next to her cousin, getting back into battle stance.

[Aconite] The hypnpotic gaze of the serpet and the Radiant's convincing whispers are aimed as turning some of the enemy back upon itself. Weaving whispers in Rex'alfar the Radiate attempts to halt the tide but her various bonded companions appears to draw attention. She's not fast enough to defend Flopsy and is distraced suddenly by incoming attackers but that too is evaded. The Radiant nods her thanks to Victus and Sapphire before turning her attention back to her spells.

Sen'azala sees the demon just before it reaches her, but as fast as she is, it is also very, very fast. Its claws scatter across her strange armor in a blow that does no actual damage...but would have, if it were any close. She lets out a hiss. Next to her, the wolf snarls and side-dances near the edge of the roof.

"You better fucking not." Romulius tells Mirari and he leaps into the fray! Yet over the course of the battle, his voice can be heard. "SEVENTEEN! EIGHTEEN!" The Blackblood Prince was keeping track of his kills, Bainteoir drawn from his back to wield alongside Threnody, the blades working in harmy as the enemy tries to strike him, but fail.

Between one breath and the next, Tikva and Nightingale are suddenly saved in the whirl of Deer's speed. "Lou!" she exclaims. Her eyes are overbright, shining, as she lifts her balalaika. "Thanks. I owe you one," she says. "It's not that I don't love the adoring crowds, but this audience is /rude/ as shit." And then her fingers fly again on the strings, marshalling her internal force for more spellsinging spellslinging.

The initial breach attempts by the demonic forces did not go well for them, as the forces gathered at the banks in the Lowers is vastly stronger than Azazel anticipated. It's not without losses, particularly among the many regular boroughs inhabitants that had been rallied and trained to help resist the Reckoning, but it's still a disaster of a first attempt by the demonic horde. Still, the first of the ogres, minotaurs and ettins are climbing out of the water and on the bank, and truly impressive number of sea trolls, which has a white rabbit grumbling about how annoying they are since they regenerate, once he hops indignantly away from a woman that saved him. The primordia above are joining in the fight, the massive beings swatting away various champions of Azazel. The shrieks of griffins fill the air, matched in turn by the roar of Azazel's forces, and thousands of shards swarming ashore.

((Round 2: 463 victory points, again checks at normal, be sure to note magic and the count someone is at))

The sheen of Mihaly's diamondplate armor gets black with ichor real quick, the Twain blades getting bloodied for the first in perhaps a couple hundred years. Steel they may be, but the cleave limbs like alaricite. Clearly the old man has been practicing that dual wield technique that the pair of scimitars demand. Motes of starlight fly of the blades, giving his swings this slower motion look than they actually are, keeping his back to Eirene's. "I'm really missing Southport right about now." he utters back towards his wife, before severing another limb from another Shard.

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

Aleksei checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Aleksei is successful.

Bhandn checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Bhandn is successful.

Mirari checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Mirari is successful.

Victus checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Victus marginally fails.

Lou checks wits and medium wpn at normal. Lou is successful.

Morrighan checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Morrighan marginally fails.

Mirk checks mana and occult at normal. Mirk is successful.

Azova checks mana and medicine at normal. Botch! Azova fails badly.

Anisha checks charm and manipulation at normal. Anisha is successful.

Ferrando checks dexterity and streetwise at normal. Ferrando is successful.

Seren checks composure and performance at normal. Seren is successful.

Liara checks command and leadership at normal. Liara is successful.

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

Aconite checks charm and seduction at normal. Aconite is successful.

Nurie checks luck and sewing at normal. Nurie is successful.

Titania checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Titania is successful.

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

Sen'azala checks willpower and leadership at normal. Sen'azala is successful.

Preston checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Preston is successful.

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

Fortunato checks wits and artwork at normal. Fortunato is successful.

Thea checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Thea is successful.

Raymesin checks willpower and theology at normal. Raymesin is successful.

Calandra checks charm and performance at normal. Calandra is successful.

Eirene checks intellect and medicine at normal. Eirene is successful.

Imi checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Critical Success! Imi is spectacularly successful.

Oriana checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Oriana is successful.

Vashtalyn checks dexterity and sewing at normal. Vashtalyn is successful.

Mia checks command and leadership at easy. Mia is successful.

Sorrel checks charm and performance at normal. Sorrel is successful.

Thesarin checks strength and medium wpn at normal. Thesarin is successful.

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

Tamsin checks command and leadership at normal. Tamsin is successful.

Raja checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Raja is successful.

Godric checks intellect and medicine at normal. Godric is successful.

Ian checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Ian is spectacularly successful.

Acacia checks charm and sailing at normal. Acacia is successful.

Romulius checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Romulius is successful.

Tikva checks charm and performance at normal. Tikva is successful.

Sabella checks charm and propaganda at normal. Sabella is successful.

Reve checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Reve is successful.

Raven checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Botch! Raven fails badly.

[Magic - 2] Ariella keeps swinging and slashing with that magically blazing blade, slamming her boot against her charred victims to send them overboard with splashes drowned out in the roar of battle.

Still reeling a bit from the past ten seconds or so, Victus puts a hand to the side of his head, briefly pulling back from the battle. Hissing a breath through his teeth, he lets out a sharp whistle. "Sapphire!" The prince crouches down, providing a convenient springboard, while he points with the tip of his sword toward a particularly colossal enemy.

[MAGIC 2] Jeffeth swole-y swings his hammer around, batting shards for yards. Some of them smash into others and explode outward.


[Magic 2 - Your Own Truth] While she /is/ sweeping her alaricite rapier out and making a cut here and there, Anisha also uses the blade to weave forward as though she's directing a symphony. Or, perhaps, painting a canvas. Shifting onwards, all black, and crimson and glinting metals. She looks over to the dragons and griffins overhead with a small smile - and a small salute to Imi as she finds herself in the latter's wake. Draining Primum can only go so far, and Aconite has the right idea, so with a hypnotic gesture, Anisha ensures that the horde turns upon itself when some of their number appear to be dangerous, high-profile targets all of their own.

Maybe that's the reflections that can be seen in the Mirror's Edge as the Perfect Whisper dances along the battlefields.


[Magic 2 - The Mirror Shatters] "Is that all? Do try to keep up!," Mirari shouts a Romulius. It's a little game. Because if this might be her end, Mirari is going to have a great fucking time. Blood splatters and she revels in the carnage, slicing through the demons. And yet, when they come for her, in a flash of a moment, Mirari shatters. Like a rock that's hit a mirror, pieces go everywhere. Each one reflecting the image of Mirari Corsetina. It's hard to tell just wince one is Mirari. A self-satisfied smirk on her face. "Bring it on, fuckers!"

[Magic - 1 - Attack: Hemophilia] As demons and monstrosities pour up onto the streets from the river below, Eirene grabs her sword and starts slashing at the air in front of her with surgical like cuts. Even though she doesn't strike anything, the ones in range of her magic open up with profusely bleeding wounds. Black blood tinged green stars pouring down from their inflictions and staining the stones with their ichor. A snarl on her lips, she shouts more of the song lyrics playing in her head. "Dawn has broke, the time has come, Move your feet to a marching drum - We'll win the war and pay the toll, We'll fight as one in heart and soul." She looks over at Mihaly and smiles back. "I haven't asked what's left of it, but I bet our beach is still standing."

[ Magic 1 - Blur of Shadows - Offensice] Raja spins about as more shards come her way. Her curved blade slices through a grotesque throat that spews out ichor instead of blood. She turns to fight the next enemy, going back to back with a tall elven-looking woman with skeletal wings. "I feel I can learn a trick or two from you, Naisha!" She calls to her. A spray of ichor showers over her as 'Naisha' manages to tear apart the next shard in a dramatic display of prowess. "Yup. I most /definitely/ could learn a thing or two from you." She laughs, uncaring of the blood and vicera that is spilled around them. "To your right!" She calls to the skeletal winged woman! Then, shadows come together at Raja's feet and she appears to be melding into them as she spins about, using the shadows of the creatures near her to increase her movements and slaughter the creatures before her.

[Magic: 1] Mirk offers Imi a small salute, then Nyx launches them both into the sky again. He raises his staff to the sky, reaching out, and lightning begins to fall from the storm clouds overhead. Unlike Azazel's storms, this is blue-white and pure, killing shards and demons in its path. The lightning resolves into the form of a massive humanoid, here to do battle against the Abyss. "I'm glad you could join me," he says quietly, a small smile touching his lips for a moment. It doesn't last long, as the battle rages on, and Nyx swoops towards one of the sea trolls, trying to grab it in claws and start to rip into it. Apparently being a dragon means picking a fight with the biggest, meanest demons to prove that you can.

[MAGIC 2]% The fighting is intense. Imi wades into the middle of some of the demons and her blade, glowing like a shaft of sunlight, cleaves through demon after demon. "You shall not have Arx!" she cries at them in defiance. "You will not get to your goal!" The paladin weaves damage everywhere she goes, leaving body after body just laying dead on the ground. Some get smoke to ash by the intensity of the blade's glow.

[Magic 2 - Lullaby of the Lowers] - Calandra continues her gentle song, bringing notes and verse known to the lowers into a gentle song of encouragement and hope. It is infused wit a subtle magic, helping to spur on those fighting and fight back despair and give hope.

Oriana sticks and moves, sticks and moves, taking cover or climbing to high ground and then opportunistically picking off foes. She's not a rampaging behemoth of a fighter, so she'll have to get by on these attacks of opportunity to help out where she can.

[MAGIC - Use 2] There's a deep and loud whinny that echoes from the alley, and with a burst of speed, a rainbow-maned-and-tailed unicorn clears Nurie's head with a leap that make her laugh with delight. That's weird enough, but it opens its mouth--well, MAW, and just...swallows one of the sea-trolls completely up while it's still dripping seawater after it's clambered up to land. There's a blaze of heat around Glittermaw that makes him almost seem to sparkle. Nurie straightens, the tip of her tongue poking out the corner of her mouth frowny concentration face that those who know her would recognize if they could look, as she continues to snip and unravel invisible threads, even if she has to blink back some tears at the hideous pained screaming of one of the shards until a cut opens up on its throat and silences it.

[Magic, use 2] The wolf next to Sen'azala springs to the next rooftop down, and, without actually looking, the woman does the same, at an angle that has her riding the wolf by the time they land. The wolf is suddenly larger than a horse, but as it continues running, springing fearlessly from rooftop to rooftop, it seems to have no weight at all. Sen is not looking where they're going; her eyes pale, turn white, and she runs a hand over the arrow she's drawn, then sets it to string, pulls back, and fires. This time the arrow sails the distance, a white and black streak of danger, and plunges into the eye of one of the emerging ettins.

[MAGIC 2] As the sea trolls lumber up out of the water, Sabella urges Mary-Ellen in that direction. The princess and the griffin are well matched in intent, and as the flying beast charges the sea trolls, the princess releases another wave of blunt force from her hands to topple them onto one another and some back into the water.

[Magic - 2nd] Tikva turns in a pirouette beside Lou and Deer to blast an advancing ettin in the face with the FWOOM of a sonic boom that ought to be a thunderclap, her hand coming down on the balalaika's body and then lifting with the directed blast. "We stand together, we defyyyyyyyyy you," she belts.

Torian [Magic - 2 - Offense] Seeing his people do their duty, which the poor masses all know means probably dying, get the Culler leader and his little group of "officers" to charge in now, Thomas, Richard, and Harriet Culler helping to relay orders around as he moves in swinging that Alcarite Ax of his... It's been blessed, maybe it'll work on those trolls the rabbit doesn't like. I mean who likes trolls anyway? Not Rabbits, and not Torian!

[MAGIC 2 - RISE] With the first wave of attackers destroyed, Raymesin pauses with his hands - and the daggers in them - outstretched. While the Ulbrans keep on fighting, he calls out to the battlefield. "RISE." And some of the fallen do just that, picking their weapons back up and heading back into the fray with life-ending wounds visible and life's blood still draining out. And if the overtall Paladin's face is looking rather less fleshy than usual, well, the shadows of his hood must be telling lies.

[MAGIC 3 - Flay There (offensive)] There's a certain kind of power in relative anonymity. Does anyone even think Apollo and his tanner buddy up on that roof matter? Seems like not really. They might not even register as /in the fight/, and that's super. Apollo can't possibly manage /unassuming/ in a load of Shadowmeld, but he's got plenty enough experience being at least /relatively/ unobtrusive.

Time to assess. He's not so close that he can hear Mopsy's annoyed mention of the sea troll regeneration; he takes aim, instead, at the minotaurs, and ogres, shouting something ugly as he repeats his previous spell - slice-slice-slice YANK - noting aside to his tanner friend that those hides will be spectacular. When things are going this well, so far, why not? Besides. It's morale-boosting. For at least the two of them. Ever seen flayed minotaurs? Now they all have!

[MAGIC - 2 - Charging Crusader] Now deep in the thick of the skittering demons, Preston and the first line of the Templars are beginning that cycling - the front line passing back and others stepping forward to relieve - when Preston is beset by a particularly beastly demon. The demon, possibly called Greg, bares its teeth and Preston wedges Crusader between its teeth to stop Greg from latching onto his arm. The glow that was fading begins to spread again from where Preston's other hand has come up to reinforce his grop on the blade. The glowing pulses, the Paladin infusing the blade with the mote of Gloria left within him. Unfortunately for Greg, divine and demon is not a happy mix and the dream resolves this impossibility as his upper mandible and head explodes into ichor and smoldering unpleasantness as Preston staggers back into the Templar lines.

[Magic 2 - Offensive: Dawnfire] As the ogres and ettins and other creatures she's familiar with from the Bastion defense rise u out of the water, Vashtalyn at last lets her shield go for the time being, the golden light fading away. Yet, her presence of hope and inpsiration remains, a radiant light in the darkness of the assault. The seamstress rises up into the air a little bit, her feet just lifting barely off the ground of her chosen area to make her stand, threads of magic keeping her levitated, and she begins to weave her little sewing needle in a complex series of gestures. Once she's done, she pulls back on a golden ribbon within the weave she created, and a horizontal sheet of dawnfire sweeps toward the enemy army, slicing through them like a sheet of aurora borealis light, a curtain of glorious hopeful dawnlight, radiant and bright. It'll set enemies on fire, and inspire hope among nearby allies.

Torian checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Critical Success! Torian is spectacularly successful.

Acantha checks command and leadership at normal. Acantha is successful.

[Magic 1 - Off. - Agony Blade] Drawing Celebrant, Jasper dashes towards the nearest shard once he has successfully situated himself in the battle and guts his foe, twisting the blade as its sharpness supernaturally rends the foe left to right. Blood sprays everywhere before he kicks the cleaved foe aside, lopping the arm of another and the legs of a third, shocking his body against a fourth to stab them through the heart with the sword. It comes out with the organ still trying to pump out blood, while his foes collapse on the floor in anguish. Cleaning his blade, he steps forward to face more foes in the fray.

[MAGIC 2] Ah, now we're really in it. Fortunato's lash does not whip out this time, not with demons so intermixed with non-demons (and potential demon-friends, we suppose!). Fortunato takes the light from himself to reshape it into illusions, misdirection, showing people in places where there are none, showing walls or rubble where there are fighters. These are quick bursts, attempting to confuse the attackers without also, er, confusing his side. (You are not actually a wall.)

[MAGIC - 2] Across the skies Tamsin flies on the back of her griffin. She looks for the bigger demons, the ones she doesn't want touching her friends in any way. Finding one of the bigger, meaner looking Wrong Fish, she points her scythe at it. "Your life is short, your master is a fool, time for your heart to abort, and end this life so cruel." Black energy leaves the blade of the scythe and surrounds the demon, ending its life. And so it goes, oen after another she composes some song, rhyme, or other elegy to end the life of this demon or that.

[MAGIC 2 - ATTACK] The dragon banks, an incredible hairpin turn, especially for such a large being, and Ian... jumps off. He still has all of the dragon's speed as momentum as he slams into one of the ogres, blade first. And then he has his OWN speed. He's hanging onto the ogre, dodging its attempts to dislodge him, while the dragon turns and comes in to blast it with light. Ian turns his head to shield his eyes from the brilliance and, as the ogre starts to fall, leaps up an impossible distance to once again land on the dragon's back. He's got blood splashed all across his face, now, and is grinning wider than anyone with ogre blood splashed across his face ought to be grinning. The dragon looks back for a moment, and he gives it a thumbs up.

[magic 2 - wildfire] And then the horde is at the beach, and Thesarin pulls his helm over his face, turning his back toward the soldiers on the beach--he doesn't doubt that they'll follow. He just shouts out something in the forrest tongue, some kind of war chant that's picked up and repeated by assembled Riven soldiers (even the ones born to the Compact; perhaps the War Chief has been a bad influence). And then he's first to meet the advance, leading from the front, sword in one hand, blood-red axe in the other, and he rips and tears into the monstrosities that approach them; and with his cuts and strikes, flames form around his blades and in his footsteps, burning troll and minotaur as he begins to rip and tear through their ranks.

[MAGIC 2] Seren floats above the fray, well flies really. The star-chased dragon flapping its might wings and moving her to a position between shore and boats. She appears to be waiting, picking her target, looking for the right cluster of enemy to unleash her magic on. There! Seren does her little hand-dance and and then points, sending another meteor crashing to the ground and exploding among a knot of alligator-kin.

Thesarin says in Crownlands shav, "WE CUT WTH-OUT A KNIFE! WE LIVE IN BLACK AND WHITE! YOU'RE JUST A PAR-A-SITE NOW! CLOSE! YOUR! EYES! AND! SAY! GOOD! NIGHT!"

[MAGIC 2] Well, what would be Azova's attempt to let the chaos of the battle fall away and just focus on that tug of those near death who might need her - goes glaringly wrong in the bling of an eye. Whatever it is she feels from that, she has no chance to help them defend themselves against losing their battle to remain alive. Instead, she is slapping her hands over her ears and wincing at what she heard. Is that blood on her hands when she pulls them away?

Liara leans to ask her griffin, which is really rather polite and obliging, to go to Sovereign Bridge. And it does. She flies right on up and there, with a call to the armed citizens and whatever soldiers are up here, she points towards the mass of sea trolls making it up onto the shore far, far below. "Turn your focus to them!" The griffin then, having landed on the edge of the bridge, takes flight to swoop downwards once again, on towards Sabella.

[MAGIC #1 Aquatic Sanctuary] Titania is hand to hand fighting this time, cutting through the demons, as she moves along she comes to a point and her skin starts to Shimer blue like the sun hitting crystal blue water on a warm sunny day. A large barrier forms where she is standing enough room for those who are around her to be protected from physical damage for the moment.

Thea turns toward the shards, fighting along side her soldiers and every other persson here. Her blade cuts through easy enough, a growl coming from her throat as dertermination crosses her feattures.

[Magic Utility -Second Use- Celestial Flare] "COVER YOUR EYES." Mihaly suddenly shouts, slashing the last shard out of his way, giving himself some space. Raising one of the Twain, a beam of starlight streaks down onto the blade, causing the weapon to glow. The glow grows into a blinding amount of light before he points at the front of the battle line, that beam streaking out like a shot. Before it detonates in a white flash. It doesn't damage anything, but it's sure as hell probably going to blind any demon in the blast radius.

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

[MAGIC - 2] Lou flashes a wide grin at Tikva as she starts belting things out at the ettin coming before them. She takes a careful moment to size the creature up, and then steps in to attack it, finding the best way possible to get in close without taking damage. Deer also joins the fray, turning and kicking back with both hooves. The two of them make a bloody mess of the creature, in an attempt to finish off the damage that Tivka already wrought. "Indeed we do, cousin! Indeed we do!" she calls out.

[Aconite][MAGIC - SUGGESTION - ROUND 2] The Radiant continues to target larger more dangerous opponents, weaving suggestion enough to turn the wave against itself. She falls back a bit to try and make herself a less flashy target.

Raven decides to switch tactics for a moment, droping her free arm and swinging her sword and then stops suddenly and double-takes, totally cast off her stride "SAPPHI--!" it's not alarm but gobsmacked and knocked totally off her stride in what surely must be awe or admiration. Yeah, that's totally it.

It's hard for Bhandn to not be distracted by what's going on. But he's an old hand at compartmentalizing in a fight, and now is arguably no different. Bhandn swings that be-sapphired greatsword in wide, certain arcs, severing limbs and heads. Curiously, he doesn't seem to be drawing on abilities other than those he was born or trained with (i.e. - muscles in this case). He focuses on holding the line, nothing else.

[Magic 2 - Utility - Fortify] It's a strange thing to see someone standing so still in the middle of so much chaos, and yet Mia's faith in her people is unwavering. She barks out no new commands, barely moves froms her place at all, her expression one not of fear or of rage, but of intense concentration. The thick coating sealing the stone around the gate begins to spread across the city walls, filling cracks here, reinforcing a loose stone there, hardening Arx's mighty walls against the oncoming onslaught of ogres and ettins and beasts. Gerrin, the blood warrior who never leaves her side, snarls as he buries his axe in a man's shoulder, cleaving his arm from his body, and Mia only blinks as the spray catches one side of her face.

[MAGIC 2] Using her mace as a drumstick -- it's called Percussion for reasons -- Sorrel rhythmically bashes in the face of something horrible that gets just a little too close to where she and her friends are, and Frog chirps loudly but musically at it to let it know that it's just part of the music of the battle.

Sapphire looks back, her mismatched eyes fixing on Raven. "Send it to the Leer," she calls. "With a note that says 'thank you Sapphire'!" Then Victus crouches down, and her face lights up. "What a gentleman," she gasps, working into a run in those few steps and letting her boot hit Victus on the broad shoulder so he can help LAUNCH her up, right into the face of one of the first approaching sea trolls. She sinks a blade into its eye and grabs on to it, attaching herself to its back and hacking and hacking while it claws for her. Do they regenerate? Sure. But not as fast as she destroys. When she hits the ground, the troll is little more than a pile of goo, oozing towards the gutters.

[Magic -2] Acantha is more focused this time. From the river mouth there is a bubbling of water and then a splash as a handful of spectral beavers pounce from it and dive into the mass of demons. Benny is doing his thing as well, so is the willow spirit.

From certain vantage points, the non-sight of the indigo dragon tearing up and down the slope of the Lowers from unreasonably close to ground level is the almost cartoonish spectacle of a fast-moving upward burst of dusty wind emerging from the street space between buildings, interspersed with the scattered parts of formerly intact shards and sea trolls. Every so often, one particular sea troll seems to take an extra-long (and presumably extra-fatal) ballistic trajectory back off towards the bay. Ferrando and Beaufortmax very possibly shouldn't be having quite this much fun saving the city, but they'd have to stop for a second for anyone to tell them that.

Godric's grizzled face brakes into a wry grin as he hears a soldier's complaint about not getting their candy. With a shake of his head, he leans in close, his voice low but carrying an unmistakable edge of authority. "Listen here, lad," his tone firm but not unkind. "You think I'm handing out sweets like some bloody street vendor? You want a candy? Earn it. Get back out there and do your damn job, or I'll personally escort you to that cold slab myself." The soldier's expression shifts from disappointment to determination as he realizes the gravity of the situation and that Godric is not joking around. With a nod, he gritted his teeth and pushed himself back up, ready to rejoin the fight. "That's the spirit," Godric yells after the soliders with a nod of approval. "Now go on, make me proud."

Demonslayer drips with the ichor of the fallen and Morrighan is relentless in her assault against Azazel's army, bolting from one creature to the next with reckless abandon. Her fiery-hued eyes glance upward towards Mirk, smirking while she takes a moment to observe him. How far he's come. "That glorious bastard," she praises, proud, but that one moment of distraction leaves her open. Catching movement out of her peripheral, the Last Daughter half turns on her heel, slipping out of the way in a small spin, evading claws that would have otherwise tried to dig into her armor. She readies Demonslayer for another attack. "Nae goin' t'get me t'day you worthless piece o' shite."

[MAGIC - Use 1, Fair Winds] Acacia smiles a little as thus begins the battle. A playful little breeze begins to pick up around her. She lifts her chin to the ships out in the harbor and smiles a little more. Strands of rich red locks begin to slip from their braid and start to dance as the wind picks up. Perhaps for effect, the Red Culler whistles a little tune to encourage the wind, perhaps to signal the ships to let them know where they need to go with smoother sailing, with ramming force, as necessary, with a fresh breath of high spirits with which to fight their foe.

"Hah! YOU KEEP UP!" Romulius shouts to Mirari, the man swinging his blades with precision, decapitating a beast here, kicking a demon off of him there. He's in the thick of it and /loving/ it! He's already nearly completely covered in blood! He spews no magic, he spews forth no insults, merely a battle cry as the Dark Slayer makes his bloody masterpiece. "PUSH THEM BACK!" he calls.

Victus' grin spreads ear to ear as Sapphire brings that troll down into a whole puddle. "YEAH!" He pumps his fist. That's the most joy gotten out of him since they left all those damn spiders in that gods-forsaken desert. He catches himself before long and quickly resettles into the stereotypical stoicism. Serious face for serious matters and all that.

[MAGIC 2] Aleksei moves through the crowd of demons like they're water parting around him. There's a moment where he laughs, sword slicing through three at a time in a wide arc, and then he starts //singing//. He's no spellsinger, and he's not even a performer, but it's some old Oathlands battle song, rousing and joyful as he cuts down the oncoming horde.

A number of ships of the Compact are ablaze and sinking, and a few have rammed particularly large foes, like a monstrous stone giant trying to wade ashore, but the battle on the shore is holding. Azazel is screaming threats at his minions on the banners, though most of the shards carrying the banners charging the shores don't last more than a few seconds ashore running into the grinder prepared for them. They try to augment this with more attacks from the air, beholders blasting downward indiscriminately. ((Luck round inc))

Apostate has called for a check of luck at daunting.
TIE: Critical Success! Sen'azala is spectacularly successful. Critical Success! Aconite is spectacularly successful.
Sorrel is successful.
Tikva is successful.
Lou fails.
TIE: Mirk fails. Acantha fails.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at hard.
Nurie is successful.
Victus is successful.
Ferrando is successful.
Apollo is successful.
TIE: Ian fails. Raja fails.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at easy.
Aleksei is spectacularly successful.
TIE: Critical Success! Calandra is spectacularly successful. Critical Success! Mia is spectacularly successful.
TIE: Liara is successful. Vashtalyn is successful.
TIE: Thea is successful. Imi is successful. Godric is successful.
TIE: Reve is successful. Romulius is successful. Morrighan is successful. Mihaly is successful.
TIE: Thesarin is successful. Seren is successful. Azova is successful.
TIE: Preston is successful. Raven is successful.
TIE: Jeffeth is successful. Bhandn is successful. Sabella is successful.
TIE: Jasper is successful. Raymesin is successful. Ariella is successful. Fortunato is successful. Anisha is successful.
TIE: Oriana is successful. Titania is successful. Eirene is successful.
Mirari marginally fails.
Botch! Acacia fails badly.

Ian checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Ian is successful.

Raja checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Raja is successful.

Tamsin checks luck at easy. Tamsin is successful.

When Calandra sees that her Culler sister (Acacia) is in danger, she focuses in on her. Using the magic of her song to help encourage the very wave to steer Acacia's boat to safety. Her magical song is protective and subtle. The effect may or may not be noticed. She starts to sing and old lowers dock song about boats steering to safety though.

The colossal splash that the dead ogre makes when it falls into the water is more than enough to draw the attentions of Azazel's forces; a hail of boulders are launched at the pale silver dragon as it twists, almost serpentine, in the air, avoiding every one. It climbs, banks, and prepares for another high speed dive. Ian, on its back, is clearly shouting something to it. He gestures, points.

Faster and faster. Wolf's paws are barely touching the rooftops now, airborne again within seconds at most, as they plunge further toward the river. Sen already has another arrow out, but when Wolf shifts suddenly, she flings it away and hunkers. There's another leap, twice as far as they've covered, and it sails them *over* Mirk and Nix, close enough to rustle hair, as Wolf slams into the demon lunging for the Spirit Walker. Sen actually laughs.

Nyx is currently dueling with a troll near the water's edge, while Mirk peppers its hide with arrows from an alaricite-backed bow, but the pair of them don't notice the second demon until Wolf rips it apart. He swallows, a little nervous to realize how close he came to getting hurt, but he meets Sen'azala's eyes and offers her a nod, then turns to say a few words to Wolf before launching back into the fighting.

Mirk says in Draconic, "You have my thanks, ancient hunter."

The snatches of Aleksei's song are ultimately familiar to Tikva as he whirlwinds by, and she picks up the refrain, her fingers flying over the strings. She knows the words - well, most of the words - of a lot of old martial songs, and there's nothing like singing in tandem to bring out the power for a spellsinger. She and Sorrel got a little separated by the chaos of the fight but she tries to make eye contact with her and spread the song while they weave through the fight. It's a meme!

Normally, having a bonded Fractal assassin might draw some unwanted attention to the Prince of Maelstrom, but with dragons and giant primals flying around...well. Sapphire is covered in gore and grinning white through it when she reappears by Victus. "Your turn?" She asks, gesturing with her chin to a pocket of fighting off to the east, where a few of the civilian defenders are pinned behind a stone building, crouching down to avoid beholder fire and the pounding fists of an ogre. Her hands are already busy, cutting at the air and primum and opening a blood wound in the fabric of time and space - one that has a twin wound, just above said Ogre.

Godric watches with a mix of dread and determination as the beholders swoop down from the sky, their baleful gaze turning the battlefield into a maelstrom of destruction. A clench of his fists, his jaw set in a grim line as he prepared to face the monstrous creatures. "Alright, Blinky," he mutters to his apron, his voice tinged with grim humor. Reaching into a small chest next to him, withdrawing a small vial, its contents shimmering faintly. Before he can act, a soldier approaches, dragging two wounded comrades behind him. Godric's attention shifted, his expression softening slightly as he takes in the scene. "Alright, that one's gone," nodding towards the fallen soldier. "Find out their name, treat 'em with respect, and for the love of all that's holy, find someone to sit with 'em. No one dies alone on my watch." Turning back to the soldier still standing, albeit barely, Godric's demeanor hardened once more. "And you," Godric's voice low but commanding. "You think I don't see you trying to shirk your duties? Get back out there before I personally drag you back myself. We've got a city to save, and I'll be damned if I let a coward like you stand in our way." With a final glare, he watches as the soldier scurries away, his resolve renewed by the coroner's stern words.

There's a tremendous degree of murderous frustration in Azazel's forces as they fail to get a toe hold in the lowers, venting much of their fury upon the supporting ships of the Compact as brutal fights break out aboard most of the fleet's decks. The ground battle has a massive surge of amphibious demonic creatures, many of them looking like twisted half-seaweed made creatures, or what would have been mer-people gone terribly wrong. They make landfall and rush to obey the screamed orders of Azazel.

((Round 3: 948 points, checks at normal still.))

Anisha checks charm and manipulation at normal. Anisha is successful.

Aconite checks charm and seduction at normal. Aconite is successful.

[MAGIC 3]Aleksei is right in the midst of shout-singing -- he's not actually a great singer, you guys -- along with the much more talented Tikva, when his chorus cuts off there in the middle. "Heads up!" he calls to Lou, leaping up onto one of the demons, and then using it as a springboard to slice his sword in a downward arc and neatly sever the head from another -- that was aiming its attack right at Lou's blindside. "Hah!"

Calandra checks charm and performance at normal. Calandra marginally fails.

Victus checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Victus is successful.

Bhandn checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Bhandn is successful.

Mirari checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Mirari is successful.

Morrighan checks mana and occult at normal. Morrighan is successful.

Sabella checks charm and propaganda at normal. Sabella is successful.

Eirene checks command and war at normal. Eirene marginally fails.

Tikva checks charm and performance at normal. Tikva is successful.

Ian checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Ian is successful.

Liara checks command and leadership at normal. Liara is successful.

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

Godric checks intellect and medicine at normal. Godric is successful.

Raymesin checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Raymesin is successful.

Thea checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Thea is successful.

Seren checks composure and performance at normal. Critical Success! Seren is spectacularly successful.

Aleksei checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Aleksei is successful.

Fortunato checks wits and artwork at normal. Fortunato is successful.

Preston checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Preston is successful.

Vashtalyn checks dexterity and sewing at normal. Vashtalyn is successful.

Acantha checks command and leadership at normal. Acantha is successful.

Ferrando checks dexterity and stealth at normal. Ferrando is successful.

Raven checks mana and occult at normal. Raven is successful.

Nurie checks luck and sewing at normal. Nurie is successful.

Mihaly checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Mihaly is successful.

Tamsin checks command and leadership at normal. Tamsin is successful.

Reve checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Reve is successful.

Acacia checks charm and sailing at normal. Acacia is successful.

Mia checks command and leadership at easy. Mia is successful.

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

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

Lou checks wits and medium wpn at normal. Lou is successful.

Mirk checks mana and occult at normal. Mirk is successful.

Titania checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Titania is successful.

Sen'azala checks willpower and leadership at normal. Sen'azala is successful.

Imi checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Imi is successful.

Oriana checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Oriana is successful.

Raja checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Raja is successful.

Torian checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Torian is successful.

Azova checks mana and medicine at normal. Azova is successful.

Sorrel checks charm and performance at normal. Sorrel is successful.

Thesarin checks strength and medium wpn at normal. Thesarin is successful.

Romulius checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Romulius is successful.

Calandra sucks in a soft breath after Acacia is rescued and then another soft breath her song breaking apart and then fading into an unhelpful silence. She is on her feet and seems okay though.

Eirene takes Mihaly's warning seriously. Last time he tried that, after all, it blinded him. She shields her eyes with her rubicund gloves. (Funny thing that, Eirene in gleaming rubicund instead of her usual black leathers). But it still catches her off guard and she doesn't issue any new orders to her soldiers or weave another spell.

[Magic 2- Blur of Shadows] A surge of creatures swarms around Raja and her skeletal-winged companion! It leaves the pair frantically slashing and dicing! Bits of shard meat fly t his way, a hand may even fly the next way! One larger shard creature thrusts it's sword directly at Raja, which she parries with her knife and spins out of the way. "Not today, Azazel!" Then her own dagger is thrust forward into the mouth of the shard that had attacked her. "Fucker." The blade is drawn back. Once more, she calls upon the shadows to move around her. she glides with the shadows, using the eenemy's own shadows to accelerate her slicing and dicing, CACKLING in glee as blood and ichor utterly coat her and her surroundings!

[Magic 2] Nyx finishes ripping a sea troll limb from limb, then Mirk and the dragon are airborne again. He raises his staff to Ian and Ferrando, signaling to both, and bids the wind to carry a whisper: "Care for a dragonflight? It'd be more impressive with more of us, but..." At the signal, Nyx begins to fly over towards Ian, so that the two dragons are parallel, a cold white light gathering in his mouth. Mirk calls to the winds, and as one, dragon and druid unleash a blast of ice into the demons below them, razor-sharp shards glittering in the sunlight and shredding them like a rain of arrows.

[Aconite][Magic - Suggestion x3] Serpent dips in, moving through the water as easily as it does on land. It winds around it's allies saving Benny from a beating. Aco moves a bit to the side towards a low roof nearby the landing she's perched on. She mostly tries to turn the ones she can see, flying shards and immensely tall things. The white Rabbit stays near Anisha. Aco's ready to jump if she needs to to keep herself out of harms way while the Spirit of Serpent continues it's striking attacks.

[MAGIC 3] Sabella calls out, "Liara! Tamsin!" She manages to smile through her grim expression when she sees the high lord lady headed her way. The princess also hails Mirk and his dragon as they aid in the attack against the sea trolls. "Let's push them back!" Mary-Ellen swoops in again, putting Sabella in the perfect position to use her magic to repel another, knocking it to the ground so the soldiers below can cleave it apart.

[MAGIC 3 - ATTACK] Tikva sends another blast of thunderclap outward with the combination of her weave and the slap of her hand against the body of the musical instrument. The timing hits perfectly so that the shard she was aiming at explodes in a burst of thundrous noise /right/ at the end of a musical phrase. She wavers a little on her feet even as she grins, reaching into her instrument case to pull out some of that precious alaricite she's going to need in a moment, and Nightingale's bloom of song trills through the demonaic horde as she swoops through the crowded airspace. They sing in tandem; they fight as one.

[MAGIC 3] This has become familiar. There's a comfort in the familiar, getting lost in the practiced movements of two-handed sword use. Swing from upper right to lower left. Reverse. Slash from the side. Skewer. Imi becomes a murderous machine, sending her blade of light through one demon and then the next. An alligator's head falls into the pile around her. Fish scales and blood drip down the blade, searing with fire against them and leaving the air smelling more foul than a meatgrinder already does.

Imi says in Celestial cant, "Sentinel! Send your judgment among these foul demons! Strike them from the face of this world! DEFIANCE!"

[Magic 2] Wolf, demon bits raining, seems to spring off of the air itself, down again toward the ground. Sen slings her bow over a shoulder, gets her feet under her, and then, for just a moment, it's the strangest sight of a wolf riding a wolf. Then the Venandi is rolling free, claws out, eyes glowing, teeth sinking into the demons they've landed amongsth while Wolf herself circles and comes in at them from the other direction. There's furious carnage, but for the demons, it doesn't last long.


[Magic 3 - Your Own Truth] Wolf (not that one! Killian's Wolf!) and Whisper wander their wondrous way, shadows coalescing into new forms behind her, making at least two of the trolls tear into a bunch of shards at their own, and at least one of them falls (temporarily?) when said shards act in screaming and desperate self-defense. Leaving the creatures to each other, Anisha moves along, finding one shard, and whispering to it a particular truth, before gutting it from behind with her rapier, showing it away with some small amount of difficulty, making her way, this time, towards Eirene.

"Midnight mare and blood-red roan," She offers by means of greeting, cheerfully, joining the Southport medic in song with a twirl and a curtsey.

"You know, I think this is the first time we /share/ a battlefield. It's interesting to see you in your element like this. Want a hand?

One of her gloved hands has an alaricite rapier. Frostbite is at her flank, and a demon rabbit that was her constant companion as Radiant is once more following her (and gets a smile, and at one point a wave to Aconite).
he other hand is empty, though, and Anisha is offering that to Eirene as though she wishes to take her dancing.

Bloody Whispers.


Victus has reach, though not quite enough to start boxing into the sky. He's focused on being a boulder in the middle of a river, letting the demons wash over him. His armor manages to catch most of their blows, and there's several more he simply shrugs off with his unnatural stamina. So far, so good, as few get past him. Once Sapphire returns to his side, it looks like she's brought just the thing to equalize! Although the prince doesn't look particularly excited to go through a BLOOD PORTAL cutting through REALITY. But if ever there was a time to throw caution to the wind... "Eh, fuck it, this'll look great in the stories." He braces Barathrum against his side and rushes forward, a very quick 'THANKYOU' uttered as he passes Sapphire by. Hurling himself through the wound, Victus is deposited right above the raging ogre. He hefts his sword above his head and drives it straight down the center of the ogre's skull. A spray of blood coats his front, the prince holding on for dear life as the beast howls in pain and teeters to the side. He leads the fall shoulder-first, tanking the brunt of the ground and rolling onto his knees. Looking across the field to Sapphire, Victus raises both arms in the air. "SUBLIME!"

[MAGIC - 3] "Woah!" comes the Tenacious Griffon's response to Aleksei coming in and essentially doing all sorts of acrobatics to save her life. Lou gives him a grateful look. "Thanks! And keep up the singing!" she encourages him. Deer also bows her head in Aleksei's direction, her eyes flashing a deep golden color, for saving Lou also saves her as well. Once the threat is at bay, Lou refocuses her attention on the much smaller shards and away from the ettin she'd been helping Tikva with, as they seem to be the bigger danger at the moment. She once more looks for a path of entry to get back into the thick of things and finds one to her liking, then smoothly inserts herself with battle mode in tact once more. Deer also goes back into action, kicking, head-butting, and knocking them generally out of the way. Her usually tan coat is now mired by all the blood that's been spilled today.

[MAGIC 3 - ATTACK] Ian gives Mirk a salute when the two dragons fly parallen, but as the silver dragon starts its dive, he gauges his distance and jumps. He lands on one of the Kennex ships, dropping into a roll to deflect any injury the fall could have given him, and meets the attacking demons with alaricite and fury. The dragon, in the meantime, banks again suddenly and joins Nyx in the dragonflight. The searing white light of its breath follows hard on the cold summoned by dragon and druid together.

[MAGIC - 3] Hearing Sabella's cry, Tamsin brings her griffin around to join her cousin's. "NONE GREATER!" she roars above the rush of the wind. She rushes along with the other blonde and swings her scythe. Another elegy falls from her lips and more demons die from it.

[Magic 3 - Offensive: Dawnfire] Vashtalyn is on offensive mode now, so she's no longer weaving ribbons of light to snatch people out of harm's way. But she's still sending sheets of dawnfire into the enemy ranks, or balls of it. It is a versatile spell, capable of being woven to shapes to suit her needs in the moment. Balls of dawnfire, sheets of it, curtains of it, ribbons of it, are woven and sewn and flung across the enemy lines. Her little needle gleams in the light as she aims weaves for the creatures that are attempting to come ashore, her expression still calm, her demeanor still radiating hope and inspiration to those around her. The sheets of dawnfire set enemies ablaze, and leave allies untouched, instead filling them with hope and inspiration.

[MAGIC 3] As a new line of corrupted amphibious folk rise out of the water, Fortunato returns to shaping his light in a swift crack of illumination. The lash snakes and wends, a perfect, clean brushstroke for pain. His air of worry has not really changed.

Pushes for the moment to the rear line, Preston catches some of the demons that make it through - the fading glow of crusader making patterns in the air as it sweeps down and across the backs of the enemy. The Carnifex whistles for one of the squires, sending him back "Bring up the next formations to relieve. We may be able to hold. Force them to try the gate again or something else." Preston also grabs the shield before he looks back at the squire who is running and he bellows "And don't get cocky"

[MAGIC - Use 3] Whole-Troll Sashimi must taste better than it looks, because the rainbow unicorn continues to chomp his way through a couple more, without even so much as a burp. Sparkling hoofprints gleam in the middle of the carnage, though breeze brushes them away quickly. Nevertheless the mix of blood and water down below glitters now. Nurie continues to concentrate on her invisible thread cutting. One of the twisted merfolk crawling up reaches for her, only to lose a hand. She startles when she realizes just how close it is, giving a little shriek. She might have even stomped its face, but it promptly loses its grip and splashes back down into the bloody water.

Torian killed a troll? He killed a troll! Holy shit he killed a troll... He can't hardly believe it himself, and in his shock he finds himself falling back a bit, pulling various sharp leather working tools from his vest and apron, throwing the various knives at whatever gets close to him as he starts to fall back and try to gain an accounting of his people, looking for the black sashes that identify them among the throngs. Meanwhile various small demons collect the sharp ends of his working tools with their bodies.

Getting slightly winded from expending so much power in the initial onslaught, Mihaly decides to take a more physical approach, using the Twain to carve a series of shard and imps around him. And upon seeing Eirene a little stunned by the flash of starlight to blind the horde, he goes on the offensive, slicing and cleaving through what's around her to keep his wife somewhat protected in the middle of combat. "Just keep thinking of that beach, I tell myself." Blood spray across the visor of his helmet, ichor dripping off the shimmering scimitars, the Old Knight trying to pace himself so he's not tired out physically either. This battle isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.

[MAGIC 3] With the reinforcements - possibly more like re-inforcements - adding themselves to the fight, Raymesin goes back to the more personal slaughter. Wheelspinner and the Wheel's Edge flicker and flow, and again the enemies in Raymesin's section of the front are slower than perhaps they were expecting, making easy meat for the knifeman and his cohorts. And if anyone's wondering why Raymesin's wielding a weapon of mere rubicund, the ease with which the Wheelspinner shears through blubber and hide might suggest that there's more to the lightning-bolt blade than meets the eye.

[[ MAGIC 2 Raven]] Raven glances over at Sapphire, watching attentively a scant second or three then looks at the sword she was just waving ineffectually around managing to keep demons off but not dispatching any and somehow manages to look embarrassed and lifts her free hand, calling forth magic and refocuses her effort on those sinister writhing black tendrils that deliver her spite strait too those damned demons.

[Magic 3 - The Darkest Blade] The shadowy woman moves with acute darkness, clear and decisive. The blade extends from her, like a part of her, they move in unison. Each attack is vicious, and the Corestina celebrates it. Every limp body, kicked to the side, added to her on going tally. From time-to-time, she glances down her should at Romulius, less to check on him and more to challenge him. Mirari isn't picking off the weak ones, she throws herself in the fray, she makes it worth, she kills and kills and kills. An indulgent smirk on her face.

[MAGIC 3]This time, Seren really takes her time. She circles around the battlefield, watching as the Arvani cut the demons down. What she spies as a potential problem is a giant made of stone, one of several no doubt. She does her thing, and another star streaks down from the firmament to strike at the Abyssals. It impacts in the chest of a stone giant, and not only is there a shockwave that knocks many surrounding demons onto their ass, but the giant explodes in a spray of granite shrapnel and, for quite a radius, more demons die from the giant grenade.

[MAGIC 3] Azova shakes off whatever it was that impeded her the last time, and after doing a quick check on both Reve and Nurie, plunges into the crowd of soldiers and citizens to find who is calling to her. She's easy to keep track of at least, in her all white and flame sigil'd armor and charms. And slowly, she and Orion pull someone out from under some fallen debris and back to safer ground; perhaps towards where Godric is, because this injured fellow could no doubt use some cheering up and the Coroner over there seems pretty into his particular brand of encouragement. It's once they pause there, at the triage site, that the magic happens. Wounds begin the process of closing up, and skin eaten away by fire or acid starts to mend. Not a lot, but enough to help just a little.

The surge carries on, and Thea countiunes to fight. Her blade slices with ease, her eyes set on a glare. "Gods---she grunts,"as she keeps moving, wave after wave of demons coming at her.

[MAGIC - 2ND USE - DEFENSIVE - FIREWALL] It's not hard to miss the sight of a dragon, given it's not-so-small-stature, and when Morrighan spies Mirk and Nyx to be in a spot of trouble, that's the direction she goes. Her armored feet slam against the ground as she moves quickly, running with one hand outstretched while her eyes light like burning embers. "Oh no you don't, you ain't goin' tae set foot in this city, you fuck! The rot must be cleansed! Purified! I'LL BURN TH'WHOLE FUCKIN' LOT OF YOU! IN LAGOMA'S NAME!" she yells, attention turning towards the shoreline where Azazel's army begins to emerge. Torrents of flame erupt from the earth, pillars shooting upward to create a wall of angry, flickering flames that serve as a temporary barrier to prevent the enemy forces from driving further in - and burning the fuckers as they try. There's a wolfish smile as she flicks her eyes to Mirk, "Ask an' ye shall receive."

[Magic 2 - Offensive] Upon spotting some of those amphibious demonic creatures, Jasper rushes towards them once the army decides to pay attention to them. He charges in, the impact of his blade throwing one of those mutated mer-people back into the water in pieces. He ducks under the attack of a far more terrestrial demon, sinking the point of his blade into its knee, rending it apart from the rest of its body before yanking the sword upward as he rises to his feet, severing the other leg at the femur. Now he runs down the battlefield, his enemies left in pieces and in deep pain before death claims them once he stabs through their necks, skulls or hearts.

Sir Bhandn might not be killing trolls, and he might not be putting out the sheer amount of destruction and death that the adepts and other practitioners are, but he /is/ standing fast where he's positioned himself. Thus far, he hasn't taken serious hits, a blow here and there that armor has completely nullified. He is breathing a bit heavy, but that's to be expected from someone who's been wearing a full plate suit of rubicund and swinging a heavy diamondplate sword around. If nothing else, he's happy he's back in fighting form.

[Magic - 3] Acantha is coming too close to danger, but that is something that they all signed up for. Those with the assistants were going to be those that were targetted heavily. Benny has picked up the corpse of a demon and is battering the masses with it as he moves to start building a dam. Out of the corpses of the demons that have fallen. Willow is just thrashing people with it's branches and stomping with its roots.

[MAGIC 4 - alaricite, offensive - Flay there, the sequel to the sequel] Apollo tugs his tanning buddy aside, and the bag at his feet, too, when Sen'azala and wolf go leaping over the rooftops right on past them. Doesn't do to get in the way of the allies. His eyes fall on the seaweed-like creatures in the river, and he asides to his friend, "Is that seaweed? It makes lovely necklaces." It's really probably not that convincing, but not because his friend doesn't like seaweed /or/ necklaces. Right. Shard mermaids. Shardmaids. "Well, fine," Apollo says, "those could make nice necklaces, too." There goes that spell again. It's kinda fun how the blood billows in the water like when you pour cream in coffee but haven't stirred yet. "Rough to retrieve, though. Mm." Well, maybe he'll change tactics and target the stuff on land.

[Magic #2 - Mangata's Deluge] Her eyes look to the harbor nose wrinkling, "Please Mangata guide them here we need them." she prays as she continues to fight the demons in hopes that the Dolphins are out there to help those in the harbor. She shivers in blue hues as she puts her hands up in front of her and unleashing a torrential blast of water, enveloping and disorienting the demons in front of her.

[MAGIC - 2nd use] Liara hears Sabella's call to her and Tamsin about the sea trolls, and after words with her griffin, it wheels, diving towards the streets of the Lower Boroughs, and a dense formation of soldiers on a borough street who have not yet been committed to the fight. She lands the griffin just before them. These are not recent volunteers, but long-time veterans in House Grayson's service, and it is clear that Liara expects them to comport themselves as such. There are no exhortations, just a clear instruction: "Advance. Drive the trolls back to the river." Power carries on her words, an infusion of confidence and hope, and then the griffin takes flight once more, shrieking. A horn sounds and the soldiers march forward.

[MAGIC - Use 1, Fair Winds] Acacia falters and falls back, perhaps a little bit of blowing back, but there is Calandra, song in her heart and on her lips keeping her from nothing more than a little ego damage. "Hey? I aren't I the one who is to be denfending you?" she grins and plants a kiss on Calandra's cheek. "Back to busines. Go get safe," she nods and steps back into postion. Again the winds begin to rise and lift and Acacia wills her fair winds back the flags on the mast signalling the crews to continue their assault and allowing for faster and easier to sailing in which to attack and hit demons.

[MAGIC 3] BOOM! Right on cue, one of the demonic horde has its head explode under Sorrel's mace. The singer grins at Tikva, nods once, then picks up the random Oathlands song that her singing friend picked up from Aleksei. Apparently, this is the anthem of this part of the fight.

[Magic 3 - Utility - Fortify] Mia's lips begin to curl with the effort of shielding the city walls, revealing a flash of teeth. Her fingers curl, tightening to fists, and sweat beads on her brow, leaving salt-streaks through the blood that has spattered across it. "we. Will. NOT. FALL!," she cries out over the clash of swords and spears and fire and screams, as if her words alone were enough to keep the walls of city intact.

Reve continues to utilize his halberd, striking true with his weapon of choice. The flash of movement from Azova is enough to cause him to pull back to her and maintain his fight close to the healer's side. At least initially. Sometimes particular enemies that draw too close pull him away, like a cat chasing a butterfly, but he typically manages to pull back to his home point. When he hears a shriek in the distance his eyes narrow and he leaps atop a crate in an attempt to scan the crowd and check on something. Catching sight of Nurie he leaps back down and his battle resumes.

Sapphire claps for her new friend, her soulbuddy! She just applauds, here in the battle. And then she dives right through the throat of some kelp-ridden abomination, her entire being thinning into a sort of scythe blade in a way that is visually pretty distressing to look at. Don't worry about it. She's a shapeshifter, it will be fine.

[Magic 2, Attack, Rock Bottom] Not that a full-on Abyssal assault by a continent's worth of ex-Shardhaven residents is a quiet occasion, but it's briefly less chaotic in the streets of the Lowers due to the absence of a certain indigo dragon that had been recently going full-on Queen of the Highway through the main streets. There doesn't seem to be any sign of them until from high above, even up past the level of the Sovereign Bridge, there's a sleek shape that is plummeting in apparent free fall, accelerating all the way down until at about fifty meters above the emerging stone giant there's a sudden crackle of shimmering copper iridescence as the dragon's form converts to an indigo glow and suddenly explodes forward the remaining distance. The collision with the stone giant resounds with a shuddering THUMP that is almost more felt than heard, a spherical shockwave from the collision radiating out in all directions tossing shards away and rippling through the shallow water. In the wake of this hellacious collision, Ferrando and Beauformax quickly flap to gain altitude, apparently having suffered none of its damaging effects. There's also a fairly distinctive Rando-sounding whoop of delirious joy that's a lot less audible than the thump.

A headbutt knocks a shard to the ground while Bainteoir stabs through the skull, the blade ripped out while Romulius swings Threnody, blade of Ainsley, and devapitates two more. His eyes lift towards Mirari, giving her a nod and a cheeky smile. "Focus!" He calls to her before he throws himself bodily back into the fray. "IN OUR WAKE!"

Eirene seems pleased Anisha knows her song, seeing as other people are joining in with Aleksei's number. "Stunning as always," she says with an appreactive glanve. Then her husband joins her and mentions their beach. "Dont' distract me with the image us of three frolocking in the waves," the doctor adds with a dry laugh. "They're making little headway, but the attacks feel fiercer."

[magic-3-wildfire] Thesarin rages, and fire rages with him; an axe takes one of the ettins at the knee and its collapsing bulk send both heads toppling toward the ground, a mermaid's shark teeth catch on Thesarin's bracers and he reaches his hands into its mouth and pulls until it comes apart in his fingers, steely thews straining just a moment under his tattooed skin, and all the while he's laughing, glorying in the kills. "You know the secrets, Azazel. That a thousand years the Rangers and the Wolves stood at the Breaking of the World. And now, at the last, it's yet so. Ain't there some humor in it?"

Ariella checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Botch! Ariella fails badly.

Godric watches as the Azova and Orion approach, hauling a wounded comrade out from under the rubble. A wince as he can't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the injured soldier, knowing all too well the pain and suffering that came with those wounds. Stepping forward, his gaze lingering on the wounded soldier as Orion lays him down gently. Watching with a mixture of awe and curiosity as the magic begins to weave its subtle, healing touch, closing wounds and restoring damaged flesh. "Well, I'll be damned," his voice filled with wonder. "Looks like we've got ourselves a bit of a miracle worker here, eh?" Despite his gruff demeanor, there is a moment of genuine warmth in his tone as he addresses Azova. With a gruff bark, Godric's attention snaps back to the soldiers now healed by the mysterious magic. His demeanor shifts back to its usual salty exterior, as he bellows at them to get back on their feet. "Alright, you lot! No time for lounging about like pampered nobles at a feast! Get up off your arses and back into the fight! We've got demons to beat back and a city to save, so quit your dawdling and earn your keep!"

The number of trolls on the banks has been winnowed, even if some are stubbornly trying to regenerate back and take a truly dedicated degree of massive overviolence to keep them from doing so. Thousands more shards reach the banks, and one of the ships of the Compact swarmed by spider-like demons crashes into the shore which promptly swarm off. A number of nox'alfar spider cavalry are quite indignant by demon spiders and showing what real giant spiders can do, however, and deeper within the Lower Boroughs a gargantuan spider is walking around and eating flying demons here and there.

Enough shards have it on board other ships that they are turning the siege weapons firing down towards the shore, as beholders attack from above.((Luck round.))

Apostate has called for a check of luck at daunting.
TIE: Tikva is successful. Sen'azala is successful.
Acantha marginally fails.
TIE: Mirk marginally fails. Sorrel marginally fails.
Lou fails.
Botch! Aconite fails completely.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at hard.
Nurie is successful.
Ian is successful.
TIE: Apollo is successful. Ferrando is successful.
TIE: Victus fails. Raja fails.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at easy.
TIE: Eirene is successful. Sabella is successful. Anisha is successful.
TIE: Oriana is successful. Mirari is successful.
TIE: Acacia is successful. Romulius is successful. Bhandn is successful. Preston is successful. Aleksei is successful.
TIE: Titania is successful. Reve is successful.
TIE: Imi is successful. Thesarin is successful. Mihaly is successful. Jeffeth is successful.
TIE: Azova is successful. Fortunato is successful.
TIE: Thea is successful. Calandra is successful. Liara is successful. Vashtalyn is successful. Mia is successful. Godric is successful. Raven is successful.
Seren is successful.
Jasper is marginally successful.
TIE: Ariella marginally fails. Raymesin marginally fails. Morrighan marginally fails.

Tamsin checks luck at easy. Tamsin is successful.

Raymesin checks dexterity and dodge at easy. Raymesin is successful.

Morrighan checks dexterity and dodge at easy. Morrighan is successful.

Ariella checks dexterity and dodge at easy. Ariella is successful.

Mirk checks dexterity and dodge at easy. Mirk is successful.

Sorrel checks dexterity and dodge at easy. Sorrel is successful.

Raja checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Raja is successful.

Lou checks wits and dodge at easy. Lou is successful.

Acantha checks dexterity and dodge at easy. Acantha is successful.

Aconite checks charm and seduction at normal. Aconite is successful.

Victus checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Victus is successful.

Thea checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Thea is successful.

Mirk's continued survival is mostly Nyx, the dragon ripping to pieces anything that gets near, as Lightning lights up any fliers that come near them both. However, it's not entirely up to his allies: A few spiders slip past them, which Mirk crushes with his staff before they can come close enough to sink fangs. So far, the entire team seems to be in one piece.

A string of obscenities pours from Ariella's lips as she rolls across the deck in pursuit of her sword. Before she can get to her feet, she sees a flying imp swooping in her direction, but manages to kick it away from herself before it can strike.

A ragged, tired cheer starts to spread over ships as the word spreads among the sailors that it's the Sword of Stormward who has come to their aid. There's some effort being made to swarm Ian as he fights aboard one of the ships, but it's not like he hasn't been in this position before. In the meantime, the lambent dragon Ian was riding is sticking close with Nyx and Mirk, flying in tandem with the other dragon as they continue their aerial assault.

A shard's serrated tail whips through the point where Raymesin had been a moment before, only to find that he isn't there any more. The overtall Harlequin moves with a supernatural speed, reflexes combining with a raw grace that someone his size and shape simply shouldn't be able to display.

Vashtalyn seems to be far enough behind the ally lines that she isn't getting hit by anything, or she's just been really lucky so far. Occasionally, she does have to swing herself aside to avoid this or that, but with most of the enemy's attention on the very powerful beings and their familiars, the seamstress manages to continue to sling spells, though she is starting to look a little tired. She lifts a hand and wipes at her brow, then unhooks the dawnweave blossom she is wearing, preparing to sacrifice it if necessary so she can keep going.

Azazel's Legions are trying to storm the beach by throwing a weight of numbers against the defenders, as thousands upon thousands of shards swarm upward. Their losses are catastrophic, which seems a matter of supreme indifference to the mouth on the banners.

((Round 4: 1501 Victory Points, checks still at normal))

Aleksei checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Aleksei is successful.

Bhandn checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Bhandn is successful.

Liara checks command and leadership at normal. Liara is successful.

Azova checks mana and medicine at normal. Azova is successful.

Tamsin checks command and leadership at normal. Tamsin is successful.

Mirari checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Mirari is successful.

Sen'azala checks willpower and leadership at normal. Sen'azala is successful.

Reve checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Critical Success! Reve is spectacularly successful.

Ian checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Ian is successful.

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

Victus checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Victus is successful.

Fortunato checks wits and artwork at normal. Fortunato is successful.

Raymesin checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Raymesin is successful.

Eirene checks intellect and medicine at normal. Eirene marginally fails.

Tikva checks charm and performance at normal. Critical Success! Tikva is spectacularly successful.

Mirk checks mana and occult at normal. Mirk is successful.

Anisha checks charm and manipulation at normal. Anisha is successful.

Mia checks command and leadership at easy. Mia is successful.

Seren checks composure and performance at normal. Seren is successful.

Mirk checks mana at normal. Mirk is successful.

Ferrando checks dexterity and streetwise at normal. Critical Success! Ferrando is spectacularly successful.

Thesarin checks strength and medium wpn at normal. Thesarin is successful.

Raja checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Raja is successful.

Sorrel checks charm and performance at normal. Sorrel is successful.

Raven checks mana and occult at normal. Critical Success! Raven is spectacularly successful.

Thea checks intellect and medicine at normal. Thea is successful.

Ian checks mana at normal. Ian is successful.

Godric checks intellect and medicine at normal. Godric is successful.

Nurie checks luck and sewing at normal. Nurie marginally fails.

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

Vashtalyn checks dexterity and sewing at normal. Vashtalyn marginally fails.

Morrighan checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Morrighan is successful.

Aconite checks charm and seduction at normal. Aconite is successful.

Calandra checks charm and performance at normal. Calandra is successful.

Imi checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Imi is successful.

Torian checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Torian is marginally successful.

Preston checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Preston is successful.

Sabella checks charm and propaganda at normal. Sabella is successful.

Jasper checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Jasper marginally fails.

Lou checks wits and medium wpn at normal. Lou is successful.

Acacia checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Acacia is successful.

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

[Magic 4, sacrifice]n} Even a werewolf can be easy to lose track of in this mad melee, and for the moment, Sen escapes notice. She's a white furred blur as she darts further toward the river, weaving this way and that. Wolf follows her a few steps, vanishing into smoke when she would otherwise slam into one of the shards. It's the trolls that have her attention, and when she reaches the water she leaps at the nearest, claws digging in as she scales it like some sort of hideous mountain, and then starts *tearing* at a speed that's difficult for the human eye to even recognize as movement.

Acantha checks command and leadership at normal. Acantha is successful.

[Magic - 3] Once back on her feet, Ariella hurls herself back into the fray, wreathed in trails of flame from the edge of her rubicund saber.

Romulius checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Botch! Romulius fails badly.

[MAGIC - 3rd use]As the sea trolls start to thin out, Liara calls to a few people, namely to Sabella, Tamsin and Vashtalyn, "We need to clear them from the ships!" Her griffin - very obligingly - takes her soaring over the battle below, and out across the river. Not all of the vessels are tied together like the ones below Sovereign Bridge and so, availing of her high-up vantage, she picks out a few that are less hard-pressed, and the griffin dives closer. She directs the crews, pointing, "Row forward. We must retake those vessels."

[MAGIC - 4. MANA AT NORMAL - SUCCESS] "You're not much of a dragonride like that, you know," Mirk sends to Ian on the winds. He raises his staff to the sky, pressure and static building the stormclouds in overhead. It is Lightning, however, who brings down the thunderbolts, using the fuel that Mirk has created and then some, as lightning strikes shard after shard in a continuous volley that illuminates them in blue-white light. Nyx, meanwhile, continues to join Ian's dragon, acting as a united dragonflight to more efficiently tear apart anything in their path.

With a shield now Preston breaks into a small run - the grandmaster seems rather implausibly fast and limber in armour - as he tucks his shoulder into the shield and almost goes flying as it impacts into the demons. As claws skitter along his diamondplate armour, preston reaches up and stabs down over his shield into them - the fresh set of Templars rushing in to control and fill gaps left by wounded and dead colleagues.

The flames only last so long, and soon the barrier falls, but the charred, smoking corpses provide enough satisfaction to the pyromanic that she can't help but grin. "Play with fire an' you're gonna get burned shitheads," she barks out in laughter, and moves on to her next target. Morrighan gradually eases herself closer to Mirk's position, Demonslayer swinging in glinting arcs at demons in her way, cutting as many down as she can. "Oi, I know you're all kinds o' somethin' special now, but please try an' nae be the center o' attention Mirk. I cannae watch out for your ass th'whole time," she quips to the Halfshav, her shouted words trailing off as her attention diverts upward, time enough for her to leap out of the way, evading an attack from a beholder above - and promptly flips it the bird. "I'll kill you next!"

Titania checks mana and empathy at normal. Titania is successful.

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

[Magic:2 - FAIL]| Eirene is about to slash open more demons with her magics when she finds herself having to leap out of the way of a dive-bombing beholder. "Fuckin' eyeballs." She glances around to ensure Mihaly and Anisha both are unscathed. She's not being effective in the fight as much as she'd like, but she's currently unharmed and hasn't exhausted her magics yet.

Acacia wields Defiance, a diamondplate dagger.

[Magic 3 - The song of the Gutters]] Calandra gathers her voice again, picking up notes and words from her childhood in the Lowers. She weave together a gentle song that sweeps beneath the noises of the battle, reaching to the ears of the warriors of the lowers who are nearby, to the common men, the soilders and the brawlers defending their homes. She sings words they remember from their mothers and notes they heard in their sleep in the cradle. She sings them a song of a hope and a song of home that encourages and inspires in a subtle weave of gentle whispery magic.

[Magic - Attack - Use 4, 1 alaricite given] With the stirring conclusion of the martial theme Aleksei began, Tikva strums up another chord. But this time, Tikva's voice climbs and climbs, arching in one long screaming scale up beyond the range a human voice ought to reach. She aims her voice for the shards swarming around Romulius and her husband's blade, and throws the crumbling alaricite up into the air in a rain of glittering dust that poofs in the air around her. Nightingale's wings sweep and the sonic blast hurtles two of them away from him. She's breathless and panting after unleashing this burst, and hardly anyone can probably hear her whispering to Ainsley's ghost.


[Magic 4 - Sacrifice Dawnweave - The Truth Hurts] Frostbite the Wolf-Hound snarls and snaps as more of those terrible aquatic shards comes closer, tearing one down and savaging it, while Anisha gives a little smile and nof of greeting to Mihaly from opposite sides of Eirene.

"The water will be less crowded than here," She notes. Drawing from her sleeve a piece of Dawnweave. "A pity - I was going to see if I could keep this as a souvenir," She muses. "Oh, well. I'm sure Messere Vashtalyn can procure more for me.

She kisses the cloth; stains the fabric deep crimson, and then flings it into the air, even as it starts dissipating; becoming strands of smoke and shadow that fly outwards, hitting at several of the shards and the Beholder whose dive-bombing she so graciously side-stepped.


[MAGIC 4, Sacrificed Dawnweave] The celestial dragon, sparkling like stars at night, makes its way around the battlefield until it holds its position near the ships. A star is called down, glowing bright until the moment it impacts and sends baddies flying.

Victus wrenches his greatsword free of the Ogre's corpse, taking a brief moment to just look at the slain monster. Wow. He did that? Too bad it only counts once. His clawed gauntlets run down the length of the shining alaricite, sweeping off the tainted ichor of Abyssal blood. Steeling himself, hauls his weapon over his shoulder once again and makes for the shore. Heavy bootfalls carrying him across the muddy, blood-stained ground. "NEVER IN OUR WAKE!" He echoes Romulius' war cry, the prince leaping over several shards and swinging to leave a mortal gash along a low-flying beholder. He has to skid to a stop, just before he spits a mouthful of salt water into the river. "Eugh." Still not used to it.

[Magic 4 - A Shadow Kiss] There's no apologies for her behaviour, rather Mirari embraces who she is confidently. Then she turns to face on of the approaching horde's and she stops to make eye contact with them. The woman then blows the demon a kiss. Sure enough, the shard starts to choke, as those the very breath is sucked out of him with that little kiss. The creature hits the ground, gasping for air. Mirari watches and her emerald eyes just light up, it's enough of a distraction that she misses the moment when Romulius falters. "Shit," she mutters under her breath, brief relief when Tikva comes to the rescue, giving the woman a simple nod, before Mirari goes back to killing.

[magic 2] Seeing the thousands of shards come closer and closer, Thea exhales. With a deep breath, she calls out-again--"Cover your faces!" Because you know, no one wants to take out your own defenses. Then her hands are back on the ground, watching her large targets closely. It's there, where the large group of shards and deamons reside that an even larger plume of smoke rises from the ground like fog, covering them all. Poisonous air as they breathe it all in.

[MAGIC - sacrifice item, offensive - Flay there 4: if it ain't broke, flay it] "I'm a little concerned about how we're going to clean all this up," Apollo says, sidelong, his attention settling on the horde in its masses now that some of the more distinctive monsters have been handled. Whispers: "Nice for him he doesn't care." A pause, then: "But we do." And there's another shout, slashing in the air, skins dropping. Good thing they're not bananas.

[MAGIC 4 (Mana, normal, success) ATTACK] Ian's presence aboard one of the ships is able to very quickly whittle the shards down to the point where the sailors around him are pushing them back, and at this point he runs, full speed, up some of the rigging, jumps, and lands on another ship, right in the middle of a bunch of very surprised shards. They were winning this fight a moment ago, steadily taking over this cog. Now they are not. It's not so much that Ian can be seen in the press as that the effect of Ian can be seen in the press, the falling (or occasional actual launching) of shards, the spray of limbs and gore. Like they'd all unexpectedly run straight into a one man meat grinder. Pharus, the pale silver dragon he had previously been riding, gives Mirk a Look. Maybe he didn't hear that sending, but the bond between dragon and rider means that he nevertheless knows that a Look is called for.

Sapphire is a shadow of death, appearing here, and there, just long enough to leave sprays of blood and ichor and twisted limbs in her wake. What does such a battle look like, to her? Like a hundred blossoming vignettes of death, each hanging in the air with a beautiful meaning. Life, and the promise of it continuing - the greatest lie of all.

[MAGIC 4 - sacrifice given to Apostate] "WE WILL NOT SURRENDER TO YOU!" Sabella shouts toward the horde, her hand reaching for the coronet on her arm. She concentrates on it, and the mirrorsilver crushes in her hands and dissipates into golden dust as silent tears fall from her eyes. It's unlikely anyone hears her says 'I loved you so much,' as she does so. Then, she angrily wipes the tears from her cheeks and gives Liara an affirmative response, charging as one with Mary-Ellen toward the ships to channel her power against the shards. One by one, they are knocked from decks, crushed under their own weight or pushed beneath the water to drown.

Apollo takes stunning stygian and emerald Keaton signet ring from it's complicated.

[MAGIC 4 - Dawnweave Sacrifice] The sword glowing like the sun arcs and arcs, back and forth Imi chops through trolls and demons as she makes her way across the battlefield. Where she goes she sends up a cheer. "Arx! Defiance! Arx! Defiance!" She seems to be heading for somewhere specific, and stops when she gets near Titania. "Want some company?" she asks instead of crying out for defiance again.

[MAGIC - 4 (Defense) & 5 (Offense) - Alaricite x2 Given] For the briefest of moments, Lou and Deer get completely surrounded by shards and it looks like they're about to completely get creamed. Lou reaches out and gently touches Deer on the haunches. Now you see them, now you don't, as they seem to blur a bit and blip to another location not too far away, leaving some very confused shards in their wake. Lou then goes back into attack mode and starts hitting some of those shards from behind, while Deer assists with more head butts and body slams as she maneuvers around the shards. The two work together in synchrony to make quick work of those that were just trying to kill them moments ago.

[MAGIC 4 - steelsilk sacrificed] Fortunato pulls out a square of steelsilk with his spare hand. It dissolves into shreds of light and ash almost the second he's touched it. The hard line of light scythes out again against Azazel's army and the worry around Fortunato's eyes begins to shade over into anger. "What's the point, Azazel?" he asks. Perhaps it's rhetorical. "What's the fucking point? You killed all those people for nothing, you're here for nothing. You /want/ nothing but nothing, to be the last thing existing. You're a made thing, so what, who isn't? What's it all for? Is it just all you can think about? All that power, and only one thought in your head?"

Acantha wields Icebreaker.

[[ MAGIC USE 3 Raven]] Raven holds her sword as a matter of comfort, of familiarity though she still moves with something akin to embarrassment as she easily avoids attack and presses forward her head turning in quick furtive peeks as she watches the way Sapphire wields her power. Raven turns her attention to her inky black appendages and with no where the style as the mastery of the fractal Raven does seem to have improved her form somewhat using her magic not just as a tool, but as a force itself.

[MAGIC 4, alaricite given] continues to fight, and his enemies continue to move slower than might be expected. He's almost dancing through the enemies, and in the process he's turning them so that the Ulbrans with him can shiv them in the kidneys - and if the Ulbrans with him have managed to get their attention, Raymesin's quite happy to do the shivving in the kidneys instead. Or where the monstrosities might keep their kidneys, anyway. Whatever one hits in the general mass of the body is usually quite important.

[Magic 4 (sacrifice) - Attack - Get Off My Lawn] As the demonic shards swarm and break, swarm and break, Mia's hands fall. The walls will hold. The walls will hold! The look of strain on her face turns into a smile, and it's cold one, full of fury that has yet to be unleashed. "We move forward!," she calls out to her unit, reaching one gloved hand back into her Oakhide quiver. A single arrow is nocked, raised to the sky, unleahsed. The wooden shaft splits into a series of hideous thorns, all of them piercing a beholder's eye, raining down ichor and ooze as it flails blindly in agony.

[Magic 3-Defensive- Shadow Step] and more come along, the blades lash out and the claws try to rip at Raja and her companion. A pair of overly large sea monsters both come at Raja with wicked, cruel intent! Both of their oversized weapons come crashing down towards Raja! In an instant, shadows swarm up and around her and the clubs crash through the shadow and into the ground, leaving a cracked hole where they land. Raja reappears on the other side of her skeletal-winged companion who turns, using the sharp barbs of her wings to essentially decapitate the brutes. "Good work, Naisha." Raja says with a grateful smile to the woman who proceeds to tear apart shard after shard with a determined ferocity.

[MAGIC - Use 4 (sacrifice) The severed hand flops around, which seems to give Nurie a real case of the heebiejeebies. As she raises her hands to try and cast again, they're shaking just a little, and she kicks her borrowed boot out a little, like she has phantom tickles at her ankles. When she first catches sight of a beholder though, she gasps aloud, hands covering her mouth to keep herself from shrieking, dark eyes wide. She might well have frozen in place, but suddenly Glittermaw is there, and his hoof comes down to solidly splatter-stamp that severed hand flat. Nurie's spell fizzles, but she has a moment to throw her arms around the unicorn's neck for a moment, hugging him tight before she's looking back up with more determination than before.]

[MAgic #3 Calm before the Storm] There is a feel that starts to radiate from around Titania a soft breeze, its a feel like your walking on a beach in the summer with the breeze in your hair, she watches the demons as they come in, "YOu don't want to be here, go back." she says in a supper calm silky voice. She looks over to Imi and she grins, "I love some."

Godric surveys the nearly empty triage area, a mix of satisfaction and mild disappointment flickering across his weathered features. The magical healing had worked wonders, clearing out the space faster than he could have anticipated. He couldn't help but feel a pang of pride knowing that his efforts, along with the mysterious magic wielded by Azova. "Well, would you look at that," he continues to mutter to himself, a grudging admiration in his voice. "Seems like we're making some progress after all." Turning his attention to the few soldiers who remained, lingering uncertainly in the wake of their healing, the old coroner raising an eyebrow in amusement. "Right then, you lot," he calls out, his voice laced with dry humor. "Seems like it's just you, me, and ol' Blinky here. Unless you fancy a chat with a blinking apron? Would it be one blink for yes then? I suggest you get back out there and lend a hand. The demons aren't going to defeat themselves, you know." With a mixture of reluctance and relief, the soldiers scurry off, eager to rejoin the fray rather than face the awkward prospect of conversing with a piece of cloth.

[magic-4 (sacrifice) -wildfire] Thesarin stands on the beach against the trolls; as massive overviolence is what it takes to keep them down, massive overviolence is what he's more than capable of providing. Azazel is sending his forces out to die, and Thesarin is happy to accomodate him; inhuman strength and speed matched to a fury and visiousness that is all too human. Foes and floatsam alike smoulder and burn in his wake, and if the press of monsters and bodies pushes a Compact soldier too close... well, a wildfire can hardly discriminate.

Torian leads his people in a battle of attrition, and despite the apparently one-sidedness of the battle, the common folk take heavy losses as well. There's a certain amount of strategic falling back that happens at this point, the scattered forces of the black-sashed Culler family and their unafilliated neighbors massing together now, spears and pitchforks together, to try and shore up theri communal defense. Re-grouping, Torian rallies their forces near where Acacia has been signalling the fleet. Catching his breath, he looks up at her and yells up over the noise of battle. "My love, I find myself with the sudden urge to stop putting things off... marry me!" Was that a question? It's supposed to be a question. He's not even KNEELING what kind of proposal is this? The in the middle of a battle kind, that's what!

[MAGIC - Defensive - Marginal Fail] Jasper has some trouble getting back to friendly lines in order to make a push with them. After all, not even the enhanced prowess of magic can last long against a horde of inhuman foes. Wielding Celebrant, a sword fashioned he commissioned to Dame Ida in case the battle of Lenosia was won, he lifts it in order to defend himself against the incoming attack by a cleaver-like appendage, sparks flying as he tries to defend himself; he needs to work on his defense.

[MAGIC 4] Aleksei is starting to feel his reserves begin to flag. He draws an alaricite queen from a pouch on his belt, flips the coin into the air, and then his sword slices through coin and demon flesh alike. The alaricite dissolves into pure primum dust, dancing down the length of the blade, sinking it /deeper/ into the horde of demons.

[MAGIC - CANTRIP - Inspiration] Vashtalyn hears Liara's call and she lifts her hand in acknowledgment of the High Lady's words. She starts to lift the dawnweave blossom she pulled off her dress in order to gather it's primum, but a gust of wind blows it out of her hand. With a soft sigh of frustration, she scurries after it, her braid sliding over her shoulder as she bends to pick it up. She rolls out of the way of a demon's weapon just in the knick of time, and gazes up at the beast in terror for a moment, before someone else cuts it down. Breathing hard, she pushes herself back up to her feet, her dress muddied and her hair falling out of her braid in wisps around her face, as she tries to recover her equilibrium. For now, she doesn't choose to sacrifice the blossom, and instead closes her eyes for just a moment, gathering the hope and inspiration around her once more, restoring her aura to encourage those around her.

Jeffeth is just smashing things. No magic.

A great deal of the shards and trolls have been forced back into the river, and some of the heavily armored shards are drowning or being swept down stream into the massed ships of the Compact firing down upon them. Dozens of abyssally twisted wyverns land among the ranks on land, screeching and lashing out with their barbed, poisoned tipped tails as more ogres rampage around. ((Luck round))

[MAGIC 4, Alaricitex2] Flying near Sabella, Tamsin pats her griffin. "Good going, now let's see about some more of these trolls that keep getting back up!" As the mighty creature makes a strafing attack that sends claws through many a troll, Tamsin continues to send her death magic through the creatures.

It's fair to say that the Ferrando/Beaufortmax combo have, after working out some initial kinks, gotten into the stunt flying groove faster than expected. It's not a good time to be one of Azazel's forces on the beach right now, but it's an even worse time for any that have actually managed to get up and into the streets itself, as they are getting mowed down by a dragon flying almost too fast to react to that's making blind turns around tight corners at intersections and slashing through about 1 1/4 dragon-sized gaps at speed like she'd been living here instead of Cardia since she was hatched. Any even marginal signs of progress the river invasion had been making are getting stomped out fairly quickly.

[MAGIC 4 - ALARICITE GIVEN] "Just a Mercy, Coroner. Just a Mercy working on Lagoma's behalf." Azova insists, doing her best in the moments after that casting to help the less injured back to their feet so they can re-join the battle. "And, one who is enjoying your motivational speeches. I'll be back with another." she adds, allowing a brief flash of amusement to show before she and her erstwhile assistant delve back in to the fray like they aren't poorly armored healers. There's a look back over her shoulder of course, to keep track of her spouse whom she knows is following closely. And true to her word, another soldier with grievous wounds is brought back for healing.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at daunting.
Critical Success! Aconite is spectacularly successful.
TIE: Tikva marginally fails. Lou marginally fails.
Mirk fails.
Sorrel fails.
Acantha fails.
Sen'azala fails.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at hard.
Critical Success! Apollo is spectacularly successful.
Critical Success! Ian is spectacularly successful.
Critical Success! Ferrando is spectacularly successful.
Victus is successful.
Nurie is successful.
Raja is successful.

Apostate has called for a check of luck at easy.
Critical Success! Azova is spectacularly successful.
Critical Success! Jeffeth is spectacularly successful.
Mihaly is successful.
TIE: Eirene is successful. Raven is successful. Seren is successful.
Sabella is successful.
TIE: Oriana is successful. Mirari is successful. Bhandn is successful.
TIE: Reve is successful. Aleksei is successful.
TIE: Titania is successful. Jasper is successful. Mia is successful. Anisha is successful. Raymesin is successful.
TIE: Liara is successful. Godric is successful.
TIE: Imi is successful. Ariella is successful.
TIE: Thesarin is successful. Vashtalyn is successful. Fortunato is successful.
TIE: Acacia is successful. Calandra is successful.
TIE: Preston is successful. Morrighan is successful.
Thea is marginally successful.
Botch! Romulius fails badly.

Tamsin checks luck at easy. Tamsin is successful.

So many of them!

"Forty-One...Forty-TWO!" Romulius shouts as he cleaves through two more. But as a troll approaches, Romulius swings his blade and misses wildly, finding himself knocked onto the ground and vulnerable! "C'mon bastard!"

Tikva checks dexterity and dodge at easy. Tikva is successful.

[Magic 4 Dawnweave Sac] Acantha summons another small cadre of viscious beavers to attack the demons. But the magic starts to come with sacrifices and honestly she's not too sure how well wading into demons with Icebreaker is going to go. Probably poorly.

Acacia's blades are draw as she moves into the fray to pick off a few of the enemy that get in her way. Torian's voice has her turning and she gives him a look, her nose scrunches and eyes squint a moment before she spins to take another slice at another foe. "What?!! Like now?!" she hollers back looking rather stunned by this latest development. "Are you mad? Have ye hit your head?!"

Tikva dodges rapidly to the side as a flying shard's axe almost hits her balalaika. Still breathless from belting out that last attack, she squeaks, "Rude!"

After giving Mirk a Very Pointed Dragon Look (he doesn't know why it was called for but it definitely was!) Pharus twists in the air and breathes his blinding, searing light straight at a beholder who thought it was going to get a good shot on the other dragon in the Flight. Bright light is damaging to the eyes, it's true, but it doesn't normally make eyeballs explode. This time, it does. Fortunately, it's just other beholders around to get covered in beholder eye goo.

The battle is obviously going poorly for Azazel's forces. They are causing a great deal of havoc, and the loss of life among the fleet of the Compact is enormous, but they are still struggling to keep anything alive that lands on the shore. There's some more organized units of shards that make it ashore and even form a shield wall, a phalanx which the more powerful allies of the Compact probably find adorable, but the rush of hundreds of ogres tries to turn to the tide. ((Round 5, 2117 Victory Points. Rolls still at normal.))

Mirk checks mana and occult at normal. Mirk is successful.

Bhandn checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Bhandn is successful.

Aconite checks charm and seduction at normal. Aconite is successful.

Mirari checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Critical Success! Mirari is spectacularly successful.

Tamsin checks command and leadership at normal. Tamsin is successful.

Raymesin checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Raymesin is successful.

Somewhere in Lou's vicinity there's abruptly a near-blur of large indigo dragon and rider that unexpectedly screams out from in between two buildings near the shore and basically bulldozes a line through a large group of shards that had suddenly emerged from the sea near her. Said dragon is long gone pretty much before she can comment.

Jasper checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Botch! Jasper fails badly.

Victus checks strength and huge wpn at normal. Critical Success! Victus is spectacularly successful.

Morrighan checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Morrighan is successful.

Azova checks intellect and medicine at normal. Azova is successful.

Sen'azala checks willpower and leadership at normal. Sen'azala is successful.

Preston checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Preston is successful.

Vashtalyn checks dexterity and sewing at normal. Vashtalyn is successful.

Aleksei checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Aleksei is successful.

Liara checks command and leadership at normal. Liara is successful.

Calandra checks charm and performance at normal. Calandra is successful.

Acacia checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Acacia is successful.

Seren checks composure and performance at normal. Seren marginally fails.

Ian checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Ian is successful.

Reve checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Reve is successful.

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

[Magic - 1 alaricite - Manipulate Poison] Serpent slithers and strikes amidst the shadows. Hissing at the Wyvern's and returning poison with an attack of their own, striking at the beasts before they can get to Wolf. Aco sees a nearby Wyvern and smiles wide. She seeks to take posession of the poison and to wield it as her own.

Thea checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Thea marginally fails.

Acantha checks command and leadership at normal. Acantha is successful.

Mia checks command and leadership at easy. Mia is successful.

Anisha checks mana at normal. Anisha is successful.

Anisha checks charm and manipulation at normal. Anisha is successful.

Ferrando checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Ferrando is successful.

Godric checks intellect and medicine at normal. Godric is successful.

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

Sorrel checks charm and performance at normal. Sorrel is successful.

Lou checks wits and medium wpn at normal. Lou is successful.

Raja checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Raja is successful.

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

Tikva checks charm and performance at normal. Tikva is successful.

Nurie checks luck and sewing at normal. Nurie is successful.

Fortunato checks wits and artwork at normal. Fortunato is successful.

Eirene checks intellect and medicine at normal. Eirene is successful.

Romulius checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Romulius is successful.

Imi checks dexterity and huge wpn at normal. Imi is successful.

Sabella checks charm and propaganda at normal. Sabella is successful.

Raven checks mana at normal. Raven is successful.

Raven checks mana and occult at normal. Raven is successful.

Up on the rooftop, the pair of tanners ought to be such a juicy, easy target. But they're just so... forgettable, with everything else going on. Not only that, Apollo's got a super duper good vantage point to see which way all those nasty wyverns are flying. One, barreling down toward Romulius, a man who might have been a brother to him. But he doesn't even have to say anything: he's got eyes down in the crowd, and there's a Lowers youth there, eyeball blinking on his weird black clothing, to shout "DUCK!" right in Romulius' face before he, too, drops prone. Nobody needs to know it was Apollo. He's satisfied.

Raja yells to Romulius as she hears his voice over the fray. "Oh is that all?!" She spins around, having made her way through the battle to his location, which just so happens to be near where Torian and Acacia are, "SAY YES!" She yells to Acacia. "DO IT!" She lets out a huge WHOOOP as she evicerates a drowned looking thing, guts spilling with a wet slurpy sound onto the ground.

Thesarin checks strength and medium wpn at normal. Thesarin is successful.

Probably, one of the flying shards was on a trajectory for Sorrel. Luckily, Jeffeth happened to leap and snatch it by the tail and pull it to the ground. Then pounds it into the rock with several swings of his hammer.

[MAGIC - 5. Sacrifice - 1 Alaricite.] Mirk and Nyx are occupied fending off these demons, so the save from Pharus is appreciated. Mirk sighs and says, "Never fails to remind me of my place, hm? I'm not really a warrior, am I?" He chuckles at himself, but offers them both a raise of his staff in a salute. Then, with a gesture and a word, he begins to sweep up the ice shards from earlier with a howling gale of wind, sending them flying along ground level to shred the shards below. Nyx, meanwhile, is busy breathing out even more ice, committed to this dragonflight in spite of his rider's snark.

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

Titania checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Titania is successful.

Torian fights his way closer to Acacia, so that he can fight at her side or back to back if the numbers of the enemy force it to be so. "Yes now, there might not be a later." He shouts out then, pointing with his axe as needed to try and get the attention of some of his people that act as runners during the fight, relaying messages. "Find a godsworn!" They are SUPPOSED to be relaying orders, focusing on the fight, but there's dragons and things so maybe the fight will be okay if one of the Culler runners focus on finding 'a priest' instead. Maybe they'll all be dead before it makes a difference. Who knows!

[MAGIC - 6 - Alaricite Given] Lou seems to duck just in time as a dragon comes whooshing by her to lay down a line of shards that were about to attack. "THANK YOU!" she calls out as the dragon keeps going, then she turns to affix Azazel's forces with a dark glare. "I'm starting to feel especially targeted," she growls in their direction, then goes to target some of their forces of her own and do what she can to make then feel that way. Deer also scoots out of the way of the dragon to give it room to do its work before she goes back to busting in some demonic heads.

[MAGIC 5, Dawnweave Sac] Tamsin flies up into a cloud and then comes down like a dive-bomber. She comes across some demons, letting her griffin tear heads off with its sharp claws while she swings her scythe and mutters the next spell.

[MAGIC - 5 - 2 alaricite sacrificed] Now the alaricite dust is shining around Tikva like a rain of glittering ash and she is practically dancing through it, the motions of her hips and hands through the balalaika music as she sings another blast, hurtling sonic force towards the ogres guided by Nightingale's wingbeats. "Our shore! Our city! For Ainsley, for Arvum, for a bright damn tomorrow!" Never mind if there are tears amdist the sweat and grime and glitter. Never mind. The fight's far from over and the show must go on.

Well. That's a...Preston peers at the beast that has landed not too far away. Yes. That appears to definitely be some kind of a wyvern. "Well. At least it isn't a fire demon. I suppose." Preston's distraction lets the demons get close and he ends up feeling the tug as one tries to rip his shield away. Preston swings Crusader with a degree of pent up vengeance, repeatedly slashing at the creatures until the only tug he feels is its dead weight before its claws slip from the shield. That duty done, Preston looks back at the wyvern and sighs before he lowers his visor and just breaks into a run "This is a terrible idea!"

Using magic when they are trying to get back doesn't quite work. Jasper's running back into friendly lines, until he comes afoul of an ogre. An attempted attack at the large creature misses, and he loses his balance. Prospect looks grim right at that moment but he braces himself for impact...

[Magic Defense -Third Use- Wave of Night] There's a push coming, and Mihaly has to do his part. "I'll be right back." he states to Eirene before striding forward, channeling starlight once again into the blades of the Twain. And wading through death this way and that, scimitars flickering, he gets to the front of the battle. "For Jace. And for Mia. For Laveer." he mutters to himself before unleashing the channeled power in his swords, causing a massive wave of the night sky, dappled in flickering notes of stars and constellations to erupt forward. Like a massive wave of water, this eveloping black is meant to try and push back large portion of the horde in front of them. To give the Arx forces a moment of breather and recollect. There's nothing that harms the demons, but it is meant to get them to get thrown back and over each other. Like, well. Like a huge wave.

[Magic - 4] "Get OFF MY SHIP," Ariella barks as she surges forward, jamming her flaming sword down one imp's throat, then picking it up whole and using it to swing at the next.

[MAGIC 5, Alaricite given] The brightly glowing sword continues to swing. Imi keeps up around Titania, killing off anything that comes near enough to be a danger. Imps in the air? She swats them with the sunsword. Demons from the water? She starts a pile in front of them.

[[MAGIC 4 Mana check @ normal success]] Raven shakes her head at the battle field proposal "Thank the GODS I'm an awful human being that no one's ever going to pull that nonsense on me." she calls over towards Acacia "Find me after! I can give you tips!" as if proposals are a pesky problem a woman of action shouldn't be subject to. She begins to sweat a bit as redoubles her focus on shredding demons wholesale "FOR SIR AINSLEY!"

Sapphire clasps her gore-covered hands. "Aw, a wedding," she says. "Maybe I should go perform it..." No. No! She came here to save orphans, or something. Heaving a long-suffering sigh, she looks around for someone in need of saving. She doesn't have to be happy about it, does she?

[MAGIC 6 - offensive, item sacrifice - Flay there 5: that particular wyvern] Apollo, then, can turn to a hasty flaying he really means. That the beast is flying - and at speed - makes that a pretty gross affair, blood spraying on everything below as the skin tears. At least he has the good sense to tug so that the defenders aren't blanketed in wyvern-skin; it lands on a rooftop. And the rest of the wyvern? Well. Ever seen a turkey canon? Enough said.

[Magic 4 - Offensive: Dawnfire - Dawnweave Blossom] Vashtalyn finally gets her inspiring aura back, and once again, her feet lift off the ground as she rises up into the air to give her some perspective on that phalanx of demons that are rolling in. But Liara said to attack the ones trying to bring down the ships. Decisions, decisions! After a moment, she weaves another horizontal sheet of dawnfire, and sends it toward the phalanx, brilliant prismatic dawnlight slicing through the enemies. Her focus is on them.

[Magic Fail, Sac given] Seren's dragon brings some more elevation to matters. The Civashari woman gives it a pat, though there's a question there about whether or not it can feel such a thing, and then turns her attention back to the battle. As she starts to do her hand dance, arrows are fired in their direction and Seren's dragon has to dive out of the way, wooshing overhead in a maneuver that stops the caster from casting.

Apollo takes a gold-trimmed cloak in indigo white hart with a black mink mantle from it's complicated.

Vashtalyn checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 25 higher.

[MAGIC 6, Dawneave sacrifice ATTACK] Ian doesn't so much climb the mast of the caravel he just liberated (well mostly) from the abyssal forces as he runs up the rigging again, single lines stretched at impossible angles. At the apex of this run, he jumps, and lands on Pharus' back again. He points at the mass of ogres trying to make it ashore, and the lambent dragon builds up a little bit more height and then dives. Angry beholders have taken note of the dragon that eyesploded one of their own, but as the dragon sweeps by the ogres, those beholder beams become friendly fire, and it's the ogres that start falling to them. Ian, in the meantime, is back to fending off a few opportinistic (and very optimistic) shards that are trying to leap aboard the dragon while it sweeps so low to the ground.

[ Magic - 3- Attack: Hemophilia]- Eirene runs her hand along the flat of her blade as she holds it before her eyes. She then flicks her free hand at the coming trolls and their wounds just won't close. Bleeding all over the place, blood splurting out violently. "Can't fuckin' heal if your wounds don't fuckin' close..." Then she stops as Mihaly plunges into the battle. "You better not die, you star-eyed-son-of-a-bitch," she yells after him.

Romulius finds his revenge, Threnody swung at a troll's neck, the blade cleaving head from shoulders. 'Duck!' he hears, ducking down low as he goes prone. His eyes lift to Apollo, giving him a nod. He turns to Raja, laughing. "WHAT ARE YOU AT?! Gimme a minute!"

Magic 4 - Alaricite given - Soothing Siren Songs] Calandra continues to her song of the Whispering nightengale, continuing to encourage to the people of the lowers to fight on and have faith.

Torian checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Torian is successful.

The smoke must had worn out Thea more than SHE even thought, because she tries to lift her sword. And well---It didn't go all slashy and dicey as it did before. Maybe more of a pokey, sharp end goes here and that was that.

[Magic 5, sac] Sen leaps from the toppling troll to the ground, and then springs for the oncoming ogres. She's lucky, and she likely doesn't even realize it; in the space between monsters, one of the wyverns nearly gets her. It's thrown off by Azova's sudden presence. Sen moves on, but for a moment, Azova has the sensation of a spectral wolf looking at her. Someone noticed.

Sen leaps at the ogres, and now her eyes are white again, her claws trailing white and black flames that freeze the air around them. She lands on one of them, and bites deep. Its veins become visible, black and then white, spreading from the injury throughout it's body as it falls, screaming and flailing.

[MAGIC 5] "You got the beat!" Sorrel calls to Jeffeth with a grin as he smashes one of the flying shards with his hammer. The whole battle is a symphony of noise and sound and magical music.

[MAGIC 5 = steelsilk sacrificed] Fortunato draws another square from his bag -- no, it's gone. Ash and illumination. The ogres rise, the phalanx rises, wyverns fly, Fortunato sends his elysian line across the embattled shore. "What a pointless waste of life, Azazel," he repeats. One more time.

[MAGIC 3 - alaricite sacrificed] Victus barrels his way into the enemy ranks like a ferocious undertow, cutting his own line right through several shards attempting to hoist their shields. "Too little too late." He barks at the dead, just before he's forced to spit another swig of salt water on the ground. With a growl, he wipes his bearded chin. Looking over the battlefield proper again, his eyes dart from one flash of steel to the other, until he finds Sapphire again. "You're performing well enough already, save it for the encore!"

Whatever it is that Morrighan hears on the wind, she barks out a laugh and flashes an impish smile in Mirk's direction while skirting around the corpses at her feet. Today she was better prepared, and the joy of battle is plastered all over her face. "I ain't goin' t'say you're wrong, but this is jus' th'beginnin'," she shouts while raising Demonslayer high overhead, leaping at a shard as her arms swing down, slicing through the creature with no small amount of feral viciousness. "Jus' die already!"

[Magic 5 - Sacrifice Given] Acantha is summoning Itty Bitty Bennys still! The murderous little round beavers dive into the demon horde, biting and ripping. Taking demon hide with them. Benny is still beating back demons as he builds his demonic body dam. It's art! Whomper is still cracking demon ass with gnarled spectral limbs as well.

[MAGIC 5 - sacrifice given to Apostate] Sabella continues to press against the shards on the ships, with Mary-Ellen keep her exactly where she needs to be to deal devastating damage. The People's Princess will not stand for this! "YOU'RE UNWELCOME IN OUR LANDS, AND WE WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DARED TO TAKE!" The blunt force that comes from her hands is deadly, causing shards to cave in on themselves as her grief and rage come to the fore.

[MAGIC 5, alaricite given] Raymesin finds himself an ogre-shaped friend; he pauses before he leaps in and holds up a bar of shining metal; it turns to dust in his black-gloved hand, and then he leaps into the fray once more. He has more trouble with it than he did with the smaller foes, but it, too, moves more slowly than it should, and he has no problem climbing it and planting the Wheelspinner in its spine. And while he's doing that, the Ulbrans with him back him up, keeping other ogres from getting too close; when the ogre he's climbed has been appropriately shivved, Raymesin leaps down with raw grace, landing neatly, and the group scatters to avoid the ogre's death throes, Raymesin's blade parting the wingsail of a wyvern on his way past it.

[MAGIC 5] The next piece of alaricite is simply crushed to dust in Aleksei's off-hand; he doesn't /literally/ inhale it, but it's almost like his body draws it in, using the power of it to strengthen the slaughter of his blade as it cuts down the endless waves of enemies.


[Magic 5 - Magic At Normal Success - The Trut544h Hurts] With Frostbite standing guard against the approaching phalanx of shards and ogres, Anisha is free to continue making sharp, jabbing motions with Mirror's Edge, each of the motions sending off a little puff of shadow, each of the twirling smoke-projectiles glinting, reflecting - like the alaricite the rapier is made of - as it jabs into the nearest ogre and draws out not blood or flesh, but something equally ephemeral, and Anisha shivers, a slightly sinister smile spreading on her lips.

"We have them," She assures the married couple by her. Shivering slightly. Looking to Calandra, to Aconite, and to Seren as they go, spreading her arms in beatific supplication.

"We have them."


[Magic 5 - The Mirror Shatters - Alaricite Given] In shadow form Mirari moves like she's gliding on ice or across a dancefloor. There's an ease to her moves, it's like dancing, and so she finds herself in all parts of the street. It's then when she sees an Ogre going to Jasper and the woman puts herself between the horrible creature and the falling prince. This should give him a chance to get to safety. The Corsetina returns to her normal form and shatters like a mirror, so many versions of Mirari all reflecting back a self-satisfied shit-eating grin. The woman is ever amused with herself, it's hard to know which Mirari the Ogre should go after. Choices, choices, and he picks the wrong one. Will the real Mirari please stand up?

Titania continues the attack, moving with graceful speed, "Oh my sweet friend who thought we be like this some day." she grins at Imi, "If you need healing let me know!" she stabs one and then uses her foot to push it off her blade.

[Magic 3, Attack, Rock Bottom] Feeling that the mean streets are back to being mean for the right reasons, Ferrando and Beaufortmax shift tactics once again into a more offensive stance. Rather than divebombing out of nowhere, this charge attack is instead quite obviously lined up for one of the shield-walling groups of shards, mostly so friendlies can see them coming and get out of the way. With that signature iridescent coppery shimmer as the effect charges, dragon and rider abruptly blast through the entirety of one of the phalanxes as a bolt of indigo energy, crushing half of them and sending the rest flying like they'd been blasted by a very large reptilian bowling ball, which isn't all that far from the truth really.

[MAGIC - 1 alaricite given]Liara remains out over the river and, in an effort to stem the losses among the fleet, she calls further direction to the crews below - power and hope carry with her words once again, the direction understood even amid the chaos. "Ram them!" is called to the crew of one disengaged dromond, which then rows towards a captured vassal, ploughing into the side of it. Her griffin soars then and Liara catches a glimpse of Vashtalyn's dawnfire cutting through the ranks that came ashore, then after this, the griffin dives again, knocking a few shards from the deck of another ship.

Acacia gives Torian a look as she twines her finger into a trolls hair and slits its throat. "Fecking man,"' she mutters under her breath her cheeks flushing to a high pink. "You do this now?" she calls out and then grunts as she shoves a corpse aside. A glare is given to Raja as Acacia slides her blade into other. "Don't you encourage him, Miss Raja," she barks and tosses her next victim to the ground. "Tell you what, kill me 13 more of these feckers and another on top of that, and aye, I'll wed you tonight, you mad marten. Right hear and now when the horns of victory call," she shouts, adding softly. "Gods knows why, you've lost your mind, clearly," she adds, though there is a slight smile under her breath, and it's back to the fight.

[magic-5,alaricite-Wildfire] Thesarin looks to see the ogres forming up a phalanx, and starts to laugh. "Greenwood will endure. Riven will endure. My children will be safe from your like. We'll build the world again, and the bones of Azazel's hordes will be our foundation." He holds his weapons out and charges them, tears and flame streaming down his face, links of Alaricite chain melting and falling as he rushes them, Mihaly's stars at his back as he starts to punch a hole in the front rank--and in the ogres that form it. "HAS ALL THE PIT A THING SO TERRIBLE AS VAHARI'S SON?"

[MAGIC - Use 5, sacrifice 2] With Nurie steady on her feet, Glittermaw returns to grazing. He slurps up a twiste merfolk, snatches a flying demon from the sky with a satisfying crunch and swallow, and then makes to take off an Ogre drumstick for good measure. Nurie looks around at her fellow non combatants, tugging and pulling her invisble threads here and there to drop an approaching shard into bloody mess. She looks a little green when some of it oozes towards her boots. But that determined fire is still in her eyes."

"Thank you," Jasper looks at Mirari with a serious face even as he rises to his feet, starting to withdraw to recover -- and get back to the fray. "I owe you one. Or several." He grins at the Mirari that is closest to him even. Rare enough he does this in peace, let alone war. Meanwhile, the knight starts to drag a dawnweave blossom out from one of his gauntlets.

[Magic 5 (sacrifice) - Attack - Get Off My Lawn] Another is nocked against her bowstring, the sooted diamondplate bow raised arc her arrow high into the sky. Mia holds, and holds, and holds, patient, waiting for one of the wyverns to come into the exact line of her sights before releasing that single shot. It sails gracefully, then splits into another hail of thorns that slash through the creature's wing, shredding it into a series of bloody sheets. The creature goes careening wildly to one side, desperate beats of its intact wing doing nothing to keep it aloft, only to make its crash landing that much more chaotic. The beast slams down against the silty riverbank and skids across it, howling with impotent rage.

Godric turns back to the triage field, his eyes scanning the area to assess the situation. As more wounded soldiers are brought in, he can't help but feel a sense of resignation settle over him. "It's never-ending," he mutters to his apron, his voice tinged with weariness. The constant flow of casualties is a harsh reminder of the brutal reality of war. Amidst the chaos, calls ring out through the streets as a few cullers, additional runners seeking someone to marry Torian and Acacia, the old coroner's attention perks up at the unexpected news. "Marriage, in the midst of all this?" he murmurs to himself, a flicker of hope lighting up his weathered features. Despite the darkness of the situation, the idea of love blooming amidst the chaos brings a glimmer of warmth to his heart, shown in a wry smile as he turns back to his duties. "Looks like you've been through quite the scrap, eh?" he says with a faint smile, trying to lighten the mood. "But you're in good hands now. We'll get you patched up in no time."

Azova stops mid-stride when she finds herself in Sen'azala's path; and, grateful she appears to have accidentally spared her what could have been a dire injury. No words are exchanged; none needed really. She dips her head politely, and gets out of their way, helping someone else to limp away to the triage area set up. And that's where she remains at least for now, working away to stem the tide of injuries with old fashioned medical knowledge. "There's someone getting married in all this? Hah! In the middle of the apocalypse. Well, why the fuck not. Reve! We should renew our vows!" And then she cackles to herself, waiting for the glare.

"As you say, my Lord," Sapphire tells Victus, with a sweeping bow. Nothing to worry about there, I'm sure. Then she's off again, a twist of shadow and murder coiling and springing from abyssal to abyssal.

Torian groans but doesn't look back, he's got demon killing on his 'honey-do' list now! "You should have counted the troll!" he calls out, but he doesn't let it stop him from swinging Orathy's Vendetta just as fast as he can, trying to rack up those numbers before Acacia decides to alter the deal! No chance he pulls a 'I'll do it after the game' with this fiance, she'd never allow it!

There's a scream of incoherent rage that echoes from every maw on every banner across Azazel's legion. The forces start to break off- the flying foes immediately turn and fly towards the coast, while most of the shards stand and die as the more significant foes slouch off in the water, pursued by ships of the Compact and those that can fly running them down. The Gray River is thick with the corpses of Azazel's demons, and his legions steadily, steadily pull back, with his screams echoing all over the city.

They have won.

The Lower Boroughs hold.

Raven calls to Sapphire "Hey! Sapphire! How are you doing the demon-melting-thing? That's somehow less messy..." she's forced to focus on not becoming a puddle herself as the battle continues to wage on but she's not too proud to fish for tips.

Reve strikes at one of those fiends, whirling and twirling, then moving on to the next only to halt when he hears his name. His head is instantly whipping in the direction of his wife and he calls back, "Little busy here!" Except evidently he is going to be indulgent, because that next target he chases? It's abandoned in favor of Azova. "Nurie!" Is he summoning her for the vow renewal or just checking she's okay? So hard to tell. Especially since he's making one final attack.

"Hell if I will. The count is from...," Acacia grits her teeth as a fits slams into her chest. A puff of air releases and she shoves them back with a roar of fury. "Count starts from now. Big ones! Mean ones. Like this..." she explains as she hooks her arm around the next one's neck and cuts hard and deep. "26 plus one for luck," she adds noting Torian moving fast through his count.

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

Sapphire appears next to Raven, stretching her neck one way, and then the other, with a pop. "Creatures are made of these very very tiny particles. If you cut fast enough, you can split them. With truly disgusting effects - sometimes explosive."

After circling once more, looking for more demons, Nyx lands beside Morrighan. "I hope you're not too disappointed by the end of the battle," Mirk says to Morrighan, his wry tone a little lighter, relieved by the victory. "Does anyone need to be ferried to the hospital?"

Jeffeth picks up a severed shard head and punts it after a fleeing demon, beaning it in the noggin. "UP YOUR ARSE AZAZEL!"

Fortunato turns away from the screaming withdrawal. His curses are quiet, but persistent. For all the victory, he remains furious at the need.

Watching the wave of night pass over and past him, and seeing Thesarin run with it to cause havok, Mihaly wobbles slightly on his feet, suddenly tired from expanding his ability as much as he had been. His eyes are still blindedfoled, but even with it, there is a glow coming from behind it. At that point, he moves back to find his family.

"Oh don't worry, I always collection," Mirari assures Jasper with a wink, and once she is sure he's okay, Mirari is gone. Laughter escapes her lips as she hears the scream of rage. "That was fun!," she says in a twisted tone, sauntering back over to Romulius and looking at the Islander prince. "Not bad," she tells him, and that's probably a compliment as far as the woman goes. Blood splattered and high on violence, Mirari takes a moment to just enjoy another moment before she turns to walk off.

Naisha is truly a badass. The tall elven woman with skeletal wings extends her wings, spinning and delivering a flurry of blows to the enemies around her. For a moment, Raja pauses in her fight just to observe the former seraph's prowess in battle. The enemy retreats back as the lines stand firm and Raja lets out a cheer of victory! "FUCK AZAZEL! FUCK AZAZEL!" She begins to lead a chanting cheer around her!

Acantha knocks into one of the demons as they start to flee and she gives a whomp of excitement. Then she looks to Benny...who is off just piling the corpses of the Demon Dam neatly and PRECISELY. No stray demon limbs! She rushes over with Willow and he takes time out of his precious building to hoist Acantha to the top of the pile, "AND STAY OUT!" she shouts at the retreating demons from atop the demon corpses.

Torian is killing as fast as he can, but the enemy is turning to run! "Hey, come back here and let me kill you so I can get married!" he shouts over the noise. There's always SOME slaughtering when a beligerant pulls back from a battle, and in some ways it's easier than a stand up fight. Still, he can only run and kill so fast before his people have to start trying to hold him back for his own safety!

As the enemy begins to retreat, Vashtalyn sits down right where she is, and gathers her breath and her strength. "We did it!" she calls out then, rising to her feet once more, hope and inspiration surrounding her once again. "You held onto hope, and you prevailed!" She lets out a cheer, along with many other voices, and tears are streaming down her face. She's so proud of everyone who fought and saved the Lowers.

Then... it's over. Victus covers one ear as the rage bubbles over from the routed army, but the sound can do nothing to wipe the smile from his face. The real smile, not just the tiny, faded mark of one. He even allows himself to laugh, a small chuckle before he runs his hand over his gore-covered face. A shame the river is polluted, he could really use a quick rinse. "Still here. Still standing. Just a little while longer..."

The pale silver dragon and Ian, his rider, harry Azazel's forces as they withdraw, but don't chase them far. The dragon is visibly exhausted. The rider probably will be, once he's no longer insulating himself from collapse with his magic. He drops dexterously off the dragon at the river's edge, right near Victus. "Your Grace?" His voice is... really not as respectful as it ought to be. There's an elation there that talking to his High Lord doesn't call for. "Princess Alarissa asked me to give you a message." He slips a note out of an inner pocket of his coat, where it has been protected from the slick of shard blood and demon goo that cover his armor, and hands it over to Victus, while hopefully not staining it too much.

There's an undeniable smugness to Morrighan's features as she sheathes her blade and pulls her helm up and away from her head. She shakes out her fire-hued curls, and glances aside to Mirk. "I was hopin' t'burn more shite, but t'day wasn't a bad day," she says, lips pursing prior to looking at all of Azazel's fallen army. "I could burn all these though, nae sure what they might be disposed of," the dame adds, nudging one with the toe of her boot before looking back to the Halfshav proper, but also can't help to give a pointed stare, somewhat jealous, of the fact he has a damn dragon.

Preston stops running as the beast launches into the sky and he turns around ready to run to the next and...there is no next. As some of the Templars start to seek to run after, he bellows "Hold! Templars reform!", a shout taken up by the various Templar Knights Commanding as they reform their formations and cautiously withdraw back. Preston flips his visor up and unfastens his cheek guards before he begins to stroll back towards the command area for the lowers "Send the Lycene to reinforce the Seawatch, move the Isles into reserve at the Shrines if we have the space. They will return to the gate soon I fear."

The battle picks up, the battle intensifies, Romulius's blade slashing through foes left and right, a punch here, a bite there, a tackle here. Until after a few more swings of alaricite blades and then.... A road of deafening sound. The enemy flees. "Heh...fuck off Azazel." Br smirks, turning to Mirari and giving her a smirk. "Not bad at all." He bumps her with an elbow before she walks off, approaching Raja. "Still alive, eh?"

Morrighan says in Draconic, "Glad to see you, finally."

Thesarin stands up from a crouch on one of the ogres' chests, where he had been beating what's left of its skull into a paste. He stands up shakily, the flames starting to sputter and die around him, and he raises one red, leather-wrapped fist into the sky. "HERE WE STOOD!" He turns aroud, beating his bare palms against the armor over his chest. "KIN IN HONOR!"

Raymesin looks around the battlefield, at the retreating demons and the screaming banners, and decides that right now is a very good time for a little sit down. "UP YER ARSE, AZAZEL!"

Thea takes a deep breath, wiping the sweat from her brow. She looks around and starts aiding the wounding.

Sen'azala tears apart the last few shards nearest her, and then she stops, knee deep in the shallows, breathing heavily. There's no sign of the wolf that was with her. After a few moments of glaring after the retreating forces, she swipes the back of a clawed hand across the blood dripping from her muzzle, and allows herself to look tired. Very tired, in fact, which is probably a feat for a werewolf.

Raven pauses and exhales, dispelling her magic. She gestures towards the guards who remain standing, "Any of the wounded report to saving grace, the rest of the Iron Guard, grab wagons and start cleaning up this shit! PEOPLE STILL LIVE HERE! c'mon! Our work ain't done yet!"

Reve leaves, following Azova.


Anisha exhales, a shuddering breath. Wiping her rapier clean and sheathing it, giving Mihaly and Eirene gentle squeezes of the shoulders before she slips away, towards her other family - the Whispers. Beaming bright at Calandra and Aconite, making her way there, with Frostbite and Flopsy following her.

"Well fought, my dolls and darlings. Well fought. No wonder the Eater is so angry at us, mm?" She suggests, with a smile.

"Are we celebrating anywhere?"


A slight grin flashes as Torian collects the debt, but then she's back to business taking out any enemy that crosses her path.

Ferrando lands pretty much next to Ian, because to be fair he flew straight here and hasn't really worked out dragon parking yet. After giving Beaufortmax a little fist-to-claw bump he lets her do as she will for a bit and walks over to Ian and Victus. "More are coming. We're just the impatient ones," he adds cheerfully.

Titania starts to go around checking on people seeing if anyone needs healing or even a drink.."Raymesin." she moves in his direction, "Are you alright?" she looks him over with worry filled blue eyes. Then she spots Ian and his Dragon there is a smirk that forms but then it fades and looks back to Raymesin.

Raja turns to look to Romulius, a smile plastered on her face. "I am! Teamwork." She gestures to the wide array of people, entities, and forces present from all walks of life from light to shadow, rich to poor, all unified. She smiles and nods. "This is beautiful." She then calls out to Torian as he chases off some stragglers, "Hey! There will be other battles to come to increase your kill count! You can't get married iffen yer dead!"

Vashtalyn goes to help ensure the wounded get moved to places where they can be healed. She just generally wanders around, giving hope and inspiration to those who need it. Eventually, she wanders her way out, headed off to maybe make more blossoms for the next fight.

Apollo is poised to do all of that terrible nonsense again, further turkey-flinging and such, but he sees the retreat... and lowers his blade. It's not even bloody. It's probably disappointed in him. He tucks it in its sheath, then turns to his friend. "Shall we clean up?" he wonders, and - look. He had a whole /plan/. He was gonna slide down a gutter or something. But they get to take the stairs. What a luxury. He wanders down, pulling down his cowl. So impractical in this damnedable heat, but he looks alright. There's a little chin-up to Romulius as he looks at some of the mess - trying to sort out the mess -he- made from everyone else. Well, at least up to that rooftop for the wyvern skin, anyway.

Torian realizes that, particularly with Dragons tourning back from the route, that chasing the enemey back to whereever they came from won't help him get married but will probably help him get dead. He starts the long slog back towards his beloved and, hey, there's a wounded one that's not dead! He runs over to deliver the cou-de-gra... He's not the only one though, and he races to try and pump his numbers up be slaying the critically wounded enemy that remains!

Jeffeth galumphs up the rocky beach and back toward the city proper. He reeks of whatever two days' worth of shard and demon innards, blood and goo smell like when hit with the summer heat. "I'm going to take a bath," he grumbles.

As the demons break, Liara's griffin takes flight, and she directs the Crownlands' fleet, or such of it as is intact enough to even move anywhere, to sail some distance into the Bay of Thrax, harrying the horde with arrows and bolts, but calls them back before getting overstretched. The griffin chats about this and that on their return.

The dragon that Ian was riding finds a place to land near where the wounded are being packed up, ready to serve as ye olde lifeflight technology to get a number of people at once back to the House of Solace.

Mia doesn't need to seek out the cry of House Riven's words, or even pause to recognize the voice. One gloved fist raises to the sky as first she, and then the guard that had been surrounding her, echo it back. "For kin and honor! KIN AND HONOR! KIN AND HONOR!" The words become a steady beat, like the war drums themselves.

With the demon forces retreating and the chaos of battle subsiding, Godric's focus shifts to his usual duties as coroner. Stepping out onto the streets, he moves with purpose, his worn boots carrying him from one fallen comrade to the next. His task is a somber one, but one that he approaches with a sense of duty and respect. As he marks each fallen soldier for the dead and ensures that someone is able to stay with them until family is found, he offers a silent word over them. Any nearby might think he's having a small conversation with the dead before he moves onto the next. Godric carries out his duties with a quiet determination.

When the enemy forces break, Nurie doesn't pursue, though the rainbow unicorn might at least until they're fully gone, no harm in another snack or two to deprive that greedy Azazel of a little more of his excessive forces. Nurie leans against a post, still looking a little green around the gills, but a little whicker and snort into her face makes her smile. "Thank you," she whispers, before the unicorn heads back for alleys unknown. She waves a hand to her cousin, beaming in relief once she sees both Reve and Azova are already, with Azova probably attending to the wounded. But she remains, looking at the carnage that litters the area. And probably she's thinking about helping clean up.

"I've got to get back to the House. You're all welcome to celebrate there, just don't take down the barricades or unblock the exits not used as a bottleneck. But I need to watch beneath. Good job." Aconite tells the Whispers and turns to the river for a moment. She watches the distant forces as they pull back. Then the Radiant immadiately scurries down off her perch and she and her companions turn to head back towards the heart of the city, stopping long enough to pick up the horses to get there faster.

Raven spots Aconite and gestures "See? I told you, we got this, Radiant!"

Victus is loose on his feet, armor plates and coat creaking in protest as he almost rubbernecks his way around to Ian. Ian and his dragon, that is. "Lord Ian." He says with a surprisingly chipper tone, both arms spread to regard the whole sight before him. "The fuck is this?" No energy left for pleasant formalities, it seems. "Have you met the assassin that's bonded to my soul? She was the one flashing around everywhere." Oh. Right. Letter. He takes it from the Kennex with a muttered thanks. "Appreciate that. Hope she's still alive... Heh." Over to Ferrando then. "We should stay impatient for a whole lot longer."

Sapphire appears, helpfully, either going up on her toes to rest her chin on Victus' shoulder...or just making herself tall enough to do so. "Who wrote you?" Oh, he's not opening it.

"She was fine when we left," Ian promises Victus. "No reason to think that's changed." Then, with a look at Ferrando, he admits: "I did volunteer to be sent ahead with that."

Raja gives Romulius a pat on his armored arm before trudging towards the front yard of the Culler Den. She pauses to look at all the bodies and .. parts.. of bodies around the Culler area. A sigh comes from her. "How do we even dispose of all this?"

As the people filter, Preston begins to make his way back up to the walls "Time to spend some time in the Shrine, the firepit will need a clean by now."

Raymesin looks over at Raja from the Ulbran side of things. "Humans down th'Pit," he says. "Demons an' shards, let th'river carry 'em away." He's slumping, exhaustion drawing deep lines across his face and making his bones even more visible beneath his flesh than usual.

Sen'azala ducks herself into the water several times. It can't *possibly* be hygienic, especially not with all the...stuff that's been in it during the battle, but it at least washes a lot of the gunk off. She steps out, shakes herself thoroughly nose to tail tip, and stalks her way toward where the wounded are being collected. She is...*not* exactly a comforting sight to any of them, but she's a strong pair of shoulders like this.

Raven says, "The sea will take care of it. Scavengers will make short work of it."

Guy, a hunting kestrel arrives, delivering a message to Titania before departing.

"Is she also bringing a dragon?" Victus asks, before he *startles* at the sudden appearance of Sapphire. "Fuckin'-" Deep breath. Exhale. Relax. "My wife. You've met her once or twice, I think." He turns the letter over in his hand. The blood on his hands is leaving it a bit dirty, so he's being somewhat careful. "I assume she's bringing more dragons. Which would be nice."

Jasper is tired, but he came out of this one unscathed. Sheathing Celebrant, he removes his helmet as he regards the battlefield. For now, he stands still, just watching people as they commemorate that the day was theirs.

Raven says, "You heard the queen's blade, Guard! Humans in the pit, toss shark-kibble in the river!"

Raja looks to Raymesin as she draws closer to him. A hand goes to his shoulder, "You doing okay there?" she inquires of him. From a pouch she pulls out a waterskin. "No booze, just clean water. Refresh yourself." She says, offering the small skin to Raymesin.

"Damn right it was." A team effort, a hand bopping Raja's shoulder. Never seen you fight where those blades weren't pointed at me. Good shit." He leans to whisper something before laughing and starting to walk away. "My army for a horse!"

Wiping her blades off on some fabric laying about, Acacia slides her blade home. "Alright, time for a drink and a bath," she says with sweet satisfaction to herself, the battle fatigue only now seeping in. Looking around to make sure Raja and Calandara are okay, she lets out a Culler whistle to them before heading off to reunite with Torian.

"Well yeah I did kinda invite myself along, but I don't need all THAT much sleep and I woulda felt bad about letting you go ahead all alone, so," Ferrando admits. "Besides, it worked out! I didn't crash, you didn't crash, letter got there." He yawns despite himself. Apparently the battle adrenaline is starting to wear off a bit. Or at least it was until Sapphire shows up just like that. "Gyah," he declares before composing himself. "Oh. Hello!" he says amiably enough before looking at all the people who outrank him in basically all aspects of society. "Well, guess I'd better find a place for a dragon to sleep for the night and get my own ass to bed. By your leave, m'lords."

Acantha sits down on the top of the body pile and breathes out, "Still got more fights. But lets take a break for a few?" she looks to the towering beaver. "We'll find you some nice wood back at the Lodge and then come back to work on things." she states as she offers out her arms. Upsies please.

Raven pauses to cast a curious glance over at Victus and his companion but with a wearied sigh turns to get her hands dirty and help clean up, falling silent at the unsavory task.

"More dragons," Ian agrees with Victus. He nods to Sapphire, but thankfully has never actually seen her in this guise and so doesn't know that he needs to suppress a panic response right now. "A lot more dragons. They're about a day out, give or take."

When Liara finally arrives back to shore, she dismounts. The griffin is busy saying how not all of them snarl like the ones on Liara's armour, really, not all the time, but then points out the one on her cloak and how it looks a lot like cousin Charlotte. So it goes. The Princess of Bastion moves to find some of her officers to receive information and make further arrangements.

Torian is showing the fatigue of battle, and he's trained his people well in the art of 'stab them when they are down' so he's running like crazy to try and claim kills. By the time Acacia finds him he's panting and at a loss for targets, his axe hung on his belt, hands on his knees as she says, "I only got 23."

Titania nods her head looking around, "Are you okay Raja?" her eyes fall to Ian and Victus, its been a long while sense she has seen the Highlord. Turning to make her way over to them.


It's time to leave, what with the battle won. And Anisha is feeling it. Giving a salute to Liara, and a few kisses to people she knows and recognises. Moving her way in the same direction as the Radiant, no longer followed by a rabbit.


Raja reaches up to pull her hood off her head. Sweat and gore run across her form. She wipes the grime from her face, looking more like a smeared mess "I am fine." she says to Titania, "I just need to eat.. and get cleaned up.. " She frowns. "The fucker will be back. We have to ready ourselves for the next attack."

Acacia grins a little and cants her head. "Hmm, that's too bad," she grins as she grabs him by the front of his armor and jerks him into a quick kiss, if he allows it. Drawing back she looks to the bloody battlefield and harbor and back. "Let's go home. Work to do. This ain't over yet. You ready?"

Raja awwwws audibly at Acacia and Torian.

"We held the day," Thesarin announces as he makes his way back to Mia and the rest of Riven. Covered in ash and blood, scratched and still wincing, but he stands tall. "We'll see it through. We'll... how I said. We'll remake the world."

Shots Raja a warning look, but there's no heat in it, and then smirks just a little and turns back to Torian. "Come on. Before Raja gets ideas about dresses."

Rurik, a prodigal assistant leaves, following Mirk.

Titania nods her head to Ian, "Lord Ian." her eyes look to the dragon then back to Victus, "Your Grace, are you in any need of healing?" she looks him over to see if he is hurt in anyway.

Raymesin takes the waterskin from Raja with a weary hand, and drinks from it. "Thanks," he murmurs, but most of all he's just letting people get on with stuff while he takes a breather.

Guy, a hunting kestrel arrives, delivering a message to Titania before departing.

Ian nods to Titania. "I'm alright," he says. "At least right now. Going to be tired in a few minutes here." He'll take advantage of the last bit of time that he has strength to keep the adept magic around himself to track down Raymesin. "Lowers held," he says, with a flicker of a smile. "Let's have a drink when this is all over."

Raja smiles at Raymesin. "I am goiung inside and getting freshened up. Keep the skin." She pats him on the arm before rising up and heading to the Culler den.

"Tomorrow?" Victus arches a brow before taking a look around the battlefield. "... Tomorrow. Just gotta survive until then I suppose." Looking over to Ferrando, he offers the man a nod. "Yeah, go do your dragon stuff. Don't need my permission, I've only seen 'em." A look to the sky. "Very big." What an astute observation. Then over to Titania. "I'm alright, thanks. I had a guardian most of the time. Just not the angelic kind." A weary glance to Sapphire. "But I think we did pretty good."

There's a spatter of blood all along Mia's side and across one half of her face, none of it hers, and all streaked with the salt of drying sweat and who knows what other gore. She peels one glove from her hands, wiping the worst of it away from her eyes before she blinks once, then twice, then thrice at Thesarin, at Mihaly, at Eirene. She's beginning to hope again, but it isn't showing in wide-eyed wonder. It's showing in steely determination and words of there being another day, and another. "First, we make Azazel choke on his own hunger and greed. And then we find another home to make our own -- for ALL our people."

Titania nods her head to Victus and then looking to Ian, "You did good Cousin." she gives him a small smile and then turns to walk off she is still but she isn't going to mention what happened at the gate nope. She moves about, "Raymesin, do you need any help with anything?"

Ferrando feels like Highlord permission is a good catch-all authorization to go extemporaneously find a real actual landing spot and thusly with one final bow hustles off to do that and also probably figure out the least unsuccessful way of apologizing to his wife for extemporaneously going to Cardia with no warning whatsoever right before the end of the world.

Nightingale House <NG> is now unlocked.

"We did so well," Sapphire confirms. "I'd say you barely lost a few thousand non combatants. Or, well, the 'we found a peasant and handed them an axe' combatants." She looks, perhaps, a little more concerned at the mention of more dragons. "*Which* dragons? Is she bringing?"

Godric stands up from his solemn conversation with another fallen soldier. As he stretches, his gaze sweeps up and down the street of the Lowers, taking in the grim aftermath of the conflict. The sight of the river of blood washing ashore does not escape his notice, and he can't help but feel a chill run down his spine at the stark reminder of the violence that has engulfed their city. With a heavy sigh, he pulls his coat closed over his apron. His hand comes to rest at the back of his neck, fingers massaging the tense muscles as he tries to shake off the weariness that threatens to overwhelm him. But even as he tries to push aside his fatigue. A breath out. Godric's gaze settles on the stretcher-bound soldiers, among them, he spots the soldier who had cheekily requested a candy earlier in the battle. With a faint smile, he reaches into his pouch and withdraws a small wrapped toffee. "Here you go, lad," he says gruffly, holding out the toffee. "A little something to sweeten the day, eh? You've earned it."

The dragon that Ian rode in on has already left, having been loaded up with some of the wounded to take somewhere for medical care (and probably scare the shit out of some mercies), and so Ian is relegated to hitching a ride on a cart headed for elsewhere in the city. He's asleep within minutes of sitting down.

Raymesin gives Raja a thumbs-up as she turns to depart, then nods to Ian. "Lowers 'eld," he agrees, "An' folks came to 'elp. Definitely 'avin' a drink, when this is all done." And then to Titania, "Me, I'm just tired. I ain't stopped fer days, an' now I fought in a battle, an' more ter come." He exhales. "So much ter do, so little time."

Titanianods her head, "Tell me what I can help with them, I am here now." she looks out on the harbor spotting the Dolphins and those that came in that helped. She breaths a sigh of relief. "Thank you." she whispers. Her eyes look to Ray, "You need to get some rest, before the next round your going to push yourself to hard." she says in a soft voice.

Victus cocks his head in thought for a moment. "Ehhh..." Gears in his hand start spinning, searching for information that wasn't even a week old. Everything else has just been so... well, *everything*. "She's got a special connection to Valar, and I'm pretty sure he's the one she took off with." A beat. "He's their king, right? So... I guess we can expect *a lot* of them. All the important ones, anyway."

Sapphire coughs. "Ah, well, no, their king is technically Malar. Last I saw him, he was leaving me in Jaidaral to avoid a fight with Cynara. Valar is the *old* king." She looks thoughtful. Uh oh. "Well! That was fun, I'll see you soon."

Victus blinks at Sapphire. "... Uh-huh." He offers a small wave to the Fractal. "See you on the next gore-soaked field I guess."

Raymesin inclines his head to Titania. "I'm gonna stagger off, get a bath, an' fall inter bed," he promises. "Might stop off at th'scribe an' get a note writ ter Tanith."

3 Armed Confessors leaves, following Godric.

Titania nods her head, "Okay." she touches his arm and smiles turning to wonder off in helping with some of the wounded.

Raymesin stays where he is for some time, sipping at the water Raja gave him and staring off into space. And then - eventually - he levers himself to his feet and staggers off uphill.

Culler Den <CD> is now unlocked.

Acacia shouts from the Culler Den <CD>, "unlock b"

Acacia shouts from the Culler Den <CD>, "Why am I shouting that?"

Culler Den <CD> is now locked.