Answering the Call (BT-CotS InterDiv)

[Sieve]

They were still holding the trench.  The Shadowspawn had come close but none had made it to the ditch below the trench with the earthen spikes.  None made it until the lurks came.  Like Gale, Geirrin had been caught in the eyeless gaze of the Lurk until someone shouted trying to break them from the gaze.  He could not say who it was but someone in thei ranks finally destroyed the lurk as the ground beneath it exploded.

 

While caught in the gaze a handful of Trollocs had made it to the sharpened stakes in front of them.  Carefully he wove flows of Fire and Spirit, as many as he could handle at once and reached out for the Trollocs in front of him.  Geirrin began to form a shield of air but he was too late.  The explosion that tore the bodies to pieces pelted him with blood and gore.  As it struck him he doubled over and vomitted.  He wiped his mouth with his coat's sleeve yet he realized that it was covered in blood and gore as well which brought on more vomitting.  Saidin winked out and he felt as if he would fall to the ground.  Light he was exhausted.

 

Geirrin glanced at the black coated men around him weaving death and destruction for the Shadowspawn and quickly embraced the source again.  The sweet life of Saidin entwined with the foul scent of a midden heap filled him.  The taint made him want to double over but there was nothing left.  Quickly he wove a wall of flame in front of him and Gale and tied it off.  It would only last a few minutes tied off but it was better than nothing.  Let the Trollocs try to pass through that.  One thing he knew is that they hated fire.

 

Geirrin caught sight of another Lurk coming their way on an angle that would pass by the wall of flame.  He shifted his gaze to its feet refusing to look at the face.  He deftly wove flows of Air and Fire as lightning crashed down around the Lurk.  Geirrin's aim was off so he wove it again as soon as he realized the other had missed its mark.  Over and over again he wove it, as many weaves as he could do at once not waiting to see where the others landed.  When he looked the Lurk and Trollocs around it for twenty paces where a smoldering pile of body parts.  The laughter had returned, he was alive.

[Briwan Dragain]

The trench held. For the moment, at least. Gale could scarcely manage more than two flows on his own, but he focused on making those weaves powerful. The strain was starting to get to him already - that was never a good sign.

 

Then Geirrin went down from an explosion. Gale himself had lost a step or two in surprise, but his legs were too sturdy for him to get dropped just yet. It took him a moment to realize it wasn't the explosion that had gotten to the man, however. It was the blood. Gale felt revulsion and disgust scratching at the Void surrounding him but he refused to give it purchase. There were other men down, vomiting or screaming in sudden rage or shock. Some in fear. But their leaders were strong and there were enough men that didn't stop the attack.

 

Gale stepped quickly in front of Geirrin, letting the Dedicated recover while he watched his back. The Shadowspawn were almost too close for fireballs, the backlash of the weave liable to hurt some of their own. He was forced to shrink the weave down to limit this, but now he could handle two of them at once. He wove quickly with the others, protecting those that had gone down in an effort to keep the line.

 

Abruptly, a wall of flame spread out in front of him. Gale followed the weave back to Geirrin who was in the midst of tying it off. Lightning was something Gale couldn't manage yet but he could help in other ways.

 

"How do you be?" Gale was in the midst of asking, shouting over the explosions that erupted all around them. But this was no time for chatter and whatever Geirrin's response was got lost in the thunderous crash of lightning. Dirt and blood washed over the line in varying degrees, sometimes a stray body part leaping its way somewhere near them. The smell of death was almost unbearable.

 

"Easy, Geirrin!" Gale shouted to be heard over the crashing bolts. "Fortune preserve me, he do be dead!" Or what passed for dead among the eyeless. The lightning had been getting too close for comfort in Gale's opinion. While none from their side seemed to hold any injuries, there were few strong enough to manage a laugh. Geirrin was one.

 

Their lines were holding, however. While a good many of the Shadowspawn had spilled into their defenses, only a handful could pull themselves out before they too were dispatched as easily as the rest. Gale couldn't see much beyond the firewall ahead of him and there were others going up along the line, some urged forward as if that alone could repel the horde's advance.

 

And Gale found himself suddenly joining in with a light chuckle. Light, but he was alive. The Shadow had tried and they were all still standing. The chuckle didn't last long, however.

 

There was still work to be done.

 

Gale held the Power tightly, forcing flows of Fire and Air outward so and so, weaving them as deftly as he knew how - trying to repel those that slipped between the fire shields. Despite the growing weariness in him, this wasn't half as hard as he'd expected. The Light send there was no second round.

[Arath Faringal]

Arath shivered as the gaze of a Fade slid over him.  Even within the void, and with prior experience with the evil creatures, it was a horrible feeling.  A fiery arrow shot from his hand and drove through the middle of the eyeless head, exploding as it came in contact with a trolloc right behind it.

 

Turning back to his troops, he was pleased to see that they all still stood.  More or less.  Some were actually kneeling, or doubled over as they emptyied their stomachs, but all still lived.  Seeing a few of them covered in blood and gore, Arath rolled his eyes.  Did none of them remember their basic training?  He had thought that shielding yourself from explosions had become second nature to everyone during Saidin training.  He would need to remind some of them apparently.

 

Looking out over the fortifications, Arath was surprised to see that there were almost no attackers remaining.  A few dozen were still foolishly persisting, driven on by livid looking Myrdraal.  Most were attempting to leave the battlefield however they could, though the effort was generally futile.  Confident that the Asha'man could clean up the remaining shadowspawn on their own, Arath wheeled his horse around and set off in search of Covai.

 

As he closed in on the Storm Leader, his gaze swung apprehensively to the north as several more horns sounded.  "I don't think they're going to be so easy to repel this time," Arath said to his friend.  "I can't believe it was so easy with the first group."  A little ways off he saw the healers pull a spear sized trolloc arrow from the shoulder of an unfortunate Dedicated who screamed in agony.  Other than him, there didn't appear to be any other serious injuries.  "What should we do to get ready for the next wave?"

 

OOC:  Feel free to start the much scarier second wave at any time.  We can take it :D

[Liitha]

Elmira found herself stuck in the group as it was riding out, in the distance she could hear horns, and all she could think about was how to get out of there, this was not what she was shaped for. She found her group merged into another, and as they rode up over a hill she looked down to a swarm of spawn, and as the smell hit her she almost turned over in her sadle, it had been bad when she expected it, now with all the added elements she wasnt sure she could handle it.  As time passed she did her best to wrigle her way to the outskirt of the growing army, and backwards, she was a mother, a lier, a vendor, a backstabber when needed, but not a soldier.

 

Elmira

DF

----------

M'belas head yanked up as there was a knock on the door, she called out the door to enter. As the report was entailed to her, her eyes grew darker, she may keep her mask, but her eyes grew as dark and cold as they could get before ordering a minimum of trusted names to be alerted they were in charge of the place, and then to round up the rest and get them down to suport rooting out the army. Everything made more sence now, it seemed she had discredited that dreadlord too soon, what she disliked though was how long it had taken for reports to reach her of this, someone was going to pay that was for sure, but first she had a task to handle.

 

She hastily draped herself in her cape, and steped outside the hidden backdoor she had set up herself, droping into the woods she wove her gate, she was not going to wait around for the rest, nor lead them and put herself up to be vaunerable for mistaces of people she wasnt sure she could trust. No she had always been sort of a lone wolf, ironical as wolves was something she hated intensly. She arived behind army lines close to a camp, she looked down at the red spot in the snow, looked around and saw the severed soldier drawing his last breath, oh well he should have known to not enter the plain next to the camp. She huridly found her way off it in acordance to woodstick paths staked out to avoid patches of travelgrounds. Ariving at the camp she required a horse among those left and rode out after a quick word with the highest ranking soldier she had been able to identify.

 

She did no mercy to the beast as she drove it into working harder then one would if one was expecting to return on it, she was not, if she drove it to its death she could care less, as long as it first got her close to enemy lines. When the battle started and after it was done, there would be no need to hide her presence or depend upon surprise momentum, she could just travel rigth back to her headquarters.

 

Finaly she arived close to the area suposedly invaded, she could see hurt and runing spawn here and there, and aproached more slowly. Passing a fade strugeling with turning around a group of franatic trollocs she asked for further intell, eventualy she left the horse behind and snuck up on a ridge between trees, her eyes was emotionless as she looked down and across, seeing black clothed men. She could hear trumpets in the distance, aparently the first contact had been made much like she had suspected by the signs already seen. She felt channeling somewhere to the north of herself, well it seemed news had reached around and others of her kin was ariving less anonymously as such. She could hear the sound of what must be a bigger attachment of spawn and darkfriend army was closing, she would wait till they were close enough to be a distraction before adding her force, the more chaos they worked under the better for dreadlords. And the better for her if someone else passed the first weaves, less likely for her to be called out or drawn too much attention too before they could locate where different weaves came from.

 

M'bela

Mae'shadar

Bidding her time

[Covai Seriba]

Covai nodded in agreement. "Something's wrong. I'd like to say we're simply better prepared but..." Covai's gaze took in the shaken Dedicated and Asha'man sacttered around. Most held their composure, whether from sheer defiance, force of will or experience Covai couldn't tell. Still, their training had led them all towards a day like this. A few upset stomaches could be understood, but he couldn't afford to tolerate them, not now. Pausing from his conversation, Covai addressed the Asha'man.

 

"Get your backsides moving people! Don't let the first wave go to your head. There's no way a force like that could have conquered Sheinar. The rest of them know where here, and they're not going to be happy." Covai allowed himself to grin. "So lets make sure we continue to spoil their day! Frontlines fall back for some rest. Anyone who hasn't been on the front lines step up! Healers, get moving and patch up who you can. I want a tally of wounded for both sides within ten minutes. And for LIGHTS sake can someone tell me the moment Krissin's forces report back!"

 

Turning his attention back to the Attack Leader, Covai lowered his voice. "For the life of me I'm not sure. I'm going to send squads out to start weaving wards and some other nasty traps in the area around us. We don't have any archers, so any sort of advanced or extra attack before they reach the walls is vital." Covai looked his friend up and down. "How are you holding up? Think you can take a few squads back out there and show them how its done?" Covai was glad Arath didn't even hesitate. It was good to have a friend you could trust watching your back.

 

Turning his back to the dead bodies outside the fortifications, Covai whistled loudly for attention. "I need some volunteers. Anyone who wants to set up some nasty surprises for these shadowspawn get your hides over here. I'm looking for Asha'man strong in earth and fire. Healers carry on as is." Covai was pleased to see the determined look in the eyes of the Asha'man and Dedicated who stepped up. He was about to hold back the ones fresh from the battlements, but their gazes stopped him. These men now knew what it was they were fighting, and they were determined to win. Covai would be a fool to hold them back.

 

"Five man squads men. Spread out and set up a death trap out there for the bastards. Spikes, pitfalls, grenades, exploding wards, I don't care what you do, just make those shadow scum pay for what they did here!"

 

OOC: Use your imagination here guys. This is the end of phase one. As soon as the CoTS start posting their arrival, double time it back to the defenses before you're caught. Also for the CoTS, feel free start beating the tar out of Krissin's forces that headed to the Sheiner Capital. They're the guys you get to wipe out :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Briwan Dragain]

Gale released the Power almost gratefully. It was never really easy to release the Source but the continuous efforts of using so much of his energy so quickly turned him about a bit. Colors went out of the world and smells lost their potency. It was a blessing. But the sickness still lingered outside of the Void, the horror of what he'd seen and the carnage he inflicted lurked in wait for when that precious shield lowered in his mind. Gale kept the Void up against it, fearing for his mental state for the battle.

 

His voice held little emotion when he turned to check on Geirrin as they slipped back. Neither bore any damage so the healers pass by them quickly. Gale had yet to manifest any noticeable talents. He wondered if he'd enjoy Healing more than killing. Light, but he didn't like to kill - even if his victims deserved death more than any other creature. He prayed he never need get used to the carnage.

 

"How do you be?" He asked the Dedicated. "I did fear for your sanity but you do seem well now." Gale tapped his lip in thought, the Storm Leader's words replaying in his mind for a moment. There would be more of them? "Fortune prick me, I do no believe we do face the strongest wave, yes?" He surveyed the damage done from the battle, noted where their defenses had fallen.

 

"The fire wall you did weave did be quick thinking." Saved his life, likely. He suspected it wouldn't be the last time just as he suspected today would give him plenty of chances to repay the favor. "I do think our defenses do need some improvement. Do you have any ideas?"

 

Gale thought while Geirrin spoke, trying to come up with something that would be effective against ground troops.

[Arath Faringal]

Arath gathered the volunteers to him and walked out onto the bloodied fields.  Here and there he saw brief flashes of movement, as badly injured shadowspawn struggled to move.  Quick flows of air or fire stilled their movements forever.

 

"Remember what we always tell you about not tying off fire weaves?  Forget that for now.  Start at the far end of the field and work back toward our center.  There may be dreadlords in the next wave, so try to invert your weaves, but be careful with it.  We can't afford for someone to blow their bloody leg off because of a fool mistake."

 

With that, Arath set to work warding the battlefield.  He set a variety of killing weaves all over the place.  Small weaves of fire, set to detonate when anything walked through them.  Larger weaves which would explode in a firestorm only after nine or ten enemies had walked through.  Working with another Asha'man he dropped a large pit twenty feet into the ground and lined it with sharp, fire hardened spikes.  An inverted illusion made the ground look as solid and body strewn as the rest of the field.

 

One particularly nasty ward he was very proud of.  When triggered, this one would set spinning a large air razor at about waist hieght, which would quickly begin to spiral around in an ever widening circle.  It wouldn't last long before unraveling, but it would be brutally effective while it lasted.

 

Keeping a close eye on those who accompanied him, Arath kept at the task.  The wards would be needed all too soon, and he wanted to be back to the relative safety of the main group quickly.

[Liitha]

M'belas head snapped up as she felt weaving to east, her eyes was drawn towards Fal Morran, what in the bloody goatsgut was happening, her reports had not included the city, she contemplated moving, but then descided if Sammaels dreadlords with the help of the presumable incomes she had been feeling here and there couldnt handle whatever, then they were doomed anyway, because the force infront of her was very real as well. Besides if she left now there was no saying she'd be able to sneak back in on these guys, as reaching for the power now could very well make them aware of being watched, bloody men being able to feel female channeling. No for now she was safe from her watch post and she would stay there till the armies arived, though the massive  channeling in the distance clearly spoke of a battle for sure, and if she had any doubts the sounds of blastings carying on the wind whiped those away. Things were being blowed up, she couldnt make out the sounds of cries and shouting that was sure to be there, but she could hear the blasts if faintly.

 

ooc will leave it to others to defend the city, that would be heavily armed as such and with as much shadowy people as normal likely hence a bloody mess to sort out as there would be no knowing of who is friend or foe almost. + asumable enough dreadlords in the city to respond to someone closing in on the city since its Sammy's nest. So is going to leave it to those of you that had located yourself closer to Sam to shine in taking down the forces being stuid enough to try enter the city.

[Sieve]

Geirrin stared at the wrything forms that littered the ground as far as he could see.  He was not laughing anymore and felt like sicking up again.  He had released the source as soon as it was over not really wishing to see the gory detail.  He heard the Storm Leader's voice calling for those in the front ranks to fallback for some rest while telling the healers to come forward.  

 

Gale spoke first asking if he was alright, making a comment about his laughter.  "I'm fine" he replied "The laughter is just something I've always done, ever since I was a child."  Come to think of it some people in his village thought he was half mad at times.  An odd thought but better than thinking on what lay before them.

 

"No, I guess not.  Just Trollocs and Lurks this time.  If they are expecting worse then we are in for a tough fight."  Light this one was tough enough he thought.  "Wonder what they will throw at us next?  Well best not to think on that until it comes."

 

"The only thing I can think of is laying some of those traps in front of our trench."  Geirrin pointed out to where the Attack Leader's detail were setting traps for the next wave.  Geirrin took a mouthful from waterskin and spit it out.  Then he wiped his face and hands clean, well as clean as could be for the moment.

 

Geirrin Hale

 

------------------------------------------------

 

Valeran surveyed the field with satisfaction.  He was far from the strongest in the power though he knew how to fight.  He revelled in any chance where he got to kill Shadowspawn.  He was surprised how many had never experienced battle before, sicking up at the death and destruction.  Those certainly hadn't grown up in the Borderlands.  He was happy to see that none of them had fled or shirked their duties.  As soon as they emptied their stomachs they got right back in the fight.  Valeran tried to offer encouragement to any of those around him who seemed to be shaken.  

 

Valeran nodded as the Storm Leader spoke.  The Shadow possessed far worse than Trollocs and Myrddraal.  The Trollocs and Myrddraal were bad enough though they had worse to throw at them, much much worse.  They would face whatever the Shadow threw at them.  The Light send that they could hold.

 

Valeran jumped at the chance to go out in the field with the Attack Leader to set some traps.  They moved with a purpose knowing that the next attack could come at any moment.  Once or twice he shouted at a fool who almost triggered a trap and blew them to bits.  Old habits died hard.

 

He stared at the Attack Leader a moment as he set some traps that Valeran would never have thought of.  It seemed the uses for the power were nearly endless.  They worked their way back to the fortification setting traps on the way.

 

Valeran Kertovni

[Jehaine]

Martyn looked around the battlefield, still holding on to saidin. Despite the Taint assaulting his senses, he dared not release his hold on the Source, already knowing from experience what Arath had said over how the attacks would last several waves. Trollocs generally weren't that concerned about casualties, proven once more by the way the first wave attacked.

 

Surprisingly enough, he didn't report to Arath for 'trap duty'. Instead, he wove Earth to raise the ground he stood on a little, allowing him a good view of the battlefield. There were several groups out laying traps to hold back the next waves, and if they attacked, he would be the one sounding the alarm and making the first weaves to buy the others some time to reach the safety of their fortifications.

 

He took a deep breath, the scent of blood, gore and death sliding off of him. He had grown up in it, and it felt reassuring in a way that his body hadn't forgotten the lessons he had learned long ago.

 

 

Martyn

Keeping the Watch

 

---

 

Calaun had seen the first wave fail miserably in breaching the enemy fortifications. However, some Trollocs she had appointed as scouts mentioned a large group of black cloaked humans heading for the city. If they were on the move, it meant they wouldn't have been able to entrench themselves like the larger group on the plains.

 

Nodding to the scout, she ordered her Fist to follow her as she pursued Kassian's group. Though some grunts of protest were heard, they remembered the promise of blood the female Myrddraal had given them, and followed her as she made her way through the forest. Her troops were getting restless from the lack of fighting, and she knew it would end up adding to their bloodlust later on. She just needed to wait for the right moment to strike...

 

 

Calaun Ontrix Seyr

Myrddraal

 

---

 

Rebecca rubbed her chin, watching with interest as the first wave was dispatched. On her own, she could do little, but she was taking her time to assess the enemy forces. From the look of how effective they had been, she suspected most were still green when it came to dealing with Trollocs, or perhaps even battle in general, which could be used to her advantage.

 

Alone, she stood no chance against a force of channelers several hundred strong, but she raised an eyebrow when she detected channeling near the city. Sammael's city. Biting back an oath, she realised she needed to leave that to him and the Dreadlords stationed there, allowing her to take out the bigger threat currently on the other side of the plain. She doubted he'd let them escape with their lives anyway.

 

There were others present here as well though, undoubtedly biding their time for the sheer fact that the main force wasn't attacking yet. Trollocs were fanatical in combat, and it took a strong presence to keep them in line. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she climbed up a tree for a better vantage point of the fields in front of her to memorise where traps were being laid out. The Asha'men groups had stopped in quite a few places, and it would be up to her to slice them, allowing Shadowspawn to unexpectedly move in where they believed their traps would keep them at bay. She'd need to take care to keep her weavings inverted however, even with these Asha'men being able to figure out why their traps would be winking out one by one they wouldn't be able to do a thing about it until she got spotted.

 

Pulling the dark cloak further around herself, she tied off an illusion that bent the light around herself, tying it off before preparing some other weaves. As soon as the second round of battle would start, she would be ready for it.

 

 

Rebecca

Prepped for battle

[Briwan Dragain]

The thought came to him to perhaps lay down a very thin, sharpened line of Air across the field before their pit fall traps. Lay it high enough and the Shadowspawn were sure to charge  into it without seeing a thing. So long as they didn't come up against any of them that could channel, but as far as he knew none of the Shadowspawn could.

 

"I do no worry so long as you do be sane," he surveyed the battlefield, glad to have saidin gone for the moment. The added details weren't needed. "Do you think it do be possible to lay down Air like a razor wire? I do think that would slow down their lines, yes?" He pointed to where they'd have them set up, hidden before the traps they'd already put down. Some of the other Soldiers and Dedicated were clearing out the pits, resetting traps for the next wave. Light, Gale was so ready to go back to the Farm. Not without his friends, of course.

 

Geirrin's traps, or perhaps more accurately the Attack Leader's traps, would make a good addition to the team. He saw some of the other Dedicated already laying some of them in, setting up the more explosive ones farther from their front line.

 

"Whatever they do throw I know I plan to kill it." The emotionless quality the void gave his voice made the line especially chilling. Yet, everyone on this line felt the same way. The Light help them if they did not. Gale turned his eyes to the horizon, to the smoking town and the charred battle field. This was a war they were fighting. It was only now that the realization really sunk in and settled in the back of Gale's mind. All of the nations were at war with the Shadow and if this was a sign of things to come, they'd need to prepare themselves for it.

[Tigara]

Ikki busied himself Healing minor injuries to a few other Asha'man near him. Most of it was hardly worthwhile, but he needed to keep his mind off the battlefield. It was a sickening sight and the smell was worse. He finished Healing the small cut on a Solider's arm and looked out across the cesspit of a field. Other Dedicated and Asha'man were out resetting traps in all sorts of deadly forms. he was tempted to make a thick layer of wards around himself so that they wouldn't be able to come near him, but doing that would likely get him in trouble. Mainly it would prove him a coward. He had to stay strong for this.

 

Ikki

Dedicated

 

~**~

 

Tigara swore under his breath. Those Asha'man were better than he expected. That first wave was decimated with them taking but a few injuries. This was a perfect example of why you test your enemies strength before launching your full attack.

 

A tall Domani Dreadlady approached him. She was very beautiful, but he knew her to be very cold. Shana was dangerous indeed. "Tigara, it seems we have a formidable enemy in front of us. I think it would be wise for us to link for this battle." Tigara nodded as he let himself be pulled into a circle. He liked linking with a single woman best. It gave him control of the circle.

 

He filled himself with the One Power through himself as well as Shara, wielding saidin and saidar. Inverting the weave, he sent massive amounts of Air, Fire, and Water into the hazy clouds overhead the ranks of the black coats. The massive clouds thickened and rolled furiously. A massive downpour signaled dozens of lighting bolts to fall down on the ranks. It was unfortunate he could not see them from where he was. He enjoyed seeing people die.

 

Tigara Kazim

Dreadlord

 

~**~

 

Terra snuck into the Asha'man ranks while part of them ran off to the city, when no one was paying attentio to who was joining as long as they were in a matching Black Coat. She laughed softly to herself at the naivety of these fool men. She hung near the back with her ability to channel masked and her Mask of Mirrors tied off. Nothing to see, just a simple Tairen Soldier of middle age. But she had to wait. She couldn't go spoiling her cover by killing now. Once they were attacked in the city, then would she have her fun.

 

 

Terra Cyrene

Sneaksy

[Arath Faringal]

Attack Leader Kirrisin grumbled to himself as he led his forces around Fal Moran.  He didn't care much for this borderlander weather.  Freezing rain was not something he usually had to put up with in his native Andor.  An easy weave kept the water from touching him, but the chill remained in the air.  Ignoring heat and cold was all well and good, but it didn't change the fact that he could no longer feel his nose.

 

Personally he didn't see why he had to be doing this in the first place.  Yes, the surrounding countryside had been ravaged by the enemy, that was obvious.  But the capital city?  There hardly appeared to be any damage at all.  Surely if the trolloc armies had taken the city there would be far more damage.  Even from the outside Kirrisin could tell that relatively little had happened to the city itself. 

 

Nevertheless, he followed his orders.  Splitting his forces in two, he had sent them around the outer walls, meeting up on the opposite side near the eastern gates.  Nobody had seen anything of note.  No trollocs or fades, no enemy channeling, nothing.  Oddly enough, there were no friendly people on the walls either, but that didn't bother the attack leader too much.  The Asha'man's reputation had spread, and people probably just didn't want to be seen.  Nor would they challenge the black coated 'monsters'.

 

Aware that his alloted hour and probably past already, Kirrisin decided to change his plans.  "Alright men, we're going inside.  We haven't seen hide nor hair of a bloody trolloc since we started looking around the city.  We're gonig to talk to the people inside and see whats really been going on."  Ignoring the startled glances of his men, Kirrisin channeled.  A large gateway appeared in front of him, opening up on the other side of the walls of Fal Moran. 

 

Not waiting for his men, Kirrisin took the first step through the gateway onto the deserted streets of the Shienaran capital. 

 

OOC:  Okay, feel free to start beating these guys up.  There are about 100 of them, so it won't be a simple thing, but give em a good harassing until phase 3 starts.  There are some PC's who are with this group, so don't slaughter everyone.

[Jehaine]

- "Wait for it..."

 

Calaun had her arm raised to her side, waiting for the Asha'men to start entering the gateway. The Trollocs were getting restless from following, and it was an effort to keep them under control without using her gaze, but she somehow managed. Her gaze, she believed, was best used on enemies, and while fear was an excellent motivator to keep troops in check she believed it ultimately sabotaged the natural killing instinct the Ahf'frait were infamous for.

 

- "...Wait for it..."

 

More of these black coated humans were entering the Gateway now, leaving a little under two thirds of their number on the field. Only a little bit more, and she'd be able to use their own Gateway against them. Only a little bit more, and there'd be only half their former number left to face them. Only a little bit more... She readied her weapon, crouching down like an athlete would have preparing for the start of the attack. Around her, she could hear the Trollocs doing the same if they didn't already have their weapons out, but her eyes were staring at the patch of snow between her and the Asha'men. No need to give her presence away if one of them looked back into the eyes she did not have.

 

- "...NOW!! LOK'TAR OGAR!!"

 

As the battle cry echoed throughout the field, the rustling that was heard as a hundred Trollocs burst out of the thickets, the bloodlust in their eyes matching her own gaze, now trained directly on the row of Asha'men. Some froze, some tried to push through the Gateway, some were hastily preparing a couple of weaves.

 

It did not matter.

 

Their ranks were unorganised, their defenses painfully absent. They were a dangerous force, but even the mightiest enemy can be bloodied if attacked in the rear. Thus, when she crashed into the line along with the first of the Trollocs, her axe finding black coats of men that were bunched together. Screams of fear, pain and death blended together with battle cries and guttural roars into a chorus of war. This would be a great battle in the Great Lord's honor...

 

 

Calaun Ontrix Seyr

For the Horde!

 

---

 

From her vantage point in the trees, Rebecca looked down on the field. She had hid the glow of saidar as best she could, inverting all of her weaves just in case there were women amongst the enemy forces, and had been sabotaging the weaves that were placed as traps. Oh, they were still there, if these Asha'men could see their weaves like she could hers, she doubted they'd miss anything less subtle.

 

No, when the second wave would charge these black coated men would soon find that most of their traps would fizzle into uselessness, only taking out one or two Trollocs where they should have taken out a dozen. She didn't intend to join the fighting herself, as an assassin she preferred doing her work in the shadows anyway. The Trollocs and other Shadowspawn she knew was lying in wait would be more suited for direct combat anyway, and be much more useful as long as they managed to breach the enemy defenses. Until that attack would come, she kept weakening the traps that had been set out so the Shadowspawn could at least have a chance at ding what they were there for: Kill humans.

 

 

Rebecca

Not too arrogant to play support

 

---

 

Martyn didn't like this. There were many Trollocs and Myrddraal out, but he had yet to see the first Shienarian leave Fal Dara. No troops had been sent out either, the dead they had seen were just simple farmers and villagers, some wearing leather jerkins barely fit to be called armor, but none wore the coat of arms of the Shienarian Army. Another look at the city told him its walls and buildings were undamaged, what in the Light were they doing down there?

 

He felt an itch in his neck, and assumed it to be a side effect of his unease. Looking around from his vantage point, most Asha'men weren't in a better condition, being their first time at seeing -- and fighting -- Trollocs and Myrddraal. And he knew the worst was yet to come. Still holding on to saidin, he culd almost see them move behind the rows of trees, getting into position. From what he could tell, it would be an attack from several sides at once, worrying in itself even though they had saidin on their side. He only wondered whether it would hold up against inexperience and fatigue among their own number...

 

 

Martyn

Having a feeling

[Liitha]

ooc 1 where are BT forces its becoming unclear too me, 2 we are now in phase two where dreadlords and bt is to come to a tie, 3 the city is not abandoned at all and its where sammael sits which is why it would be preferably that you kept to covais orders and not bother with it if it had fell, because it would enforce phase 3, sam couldnt ignore so big a hostile force inside his city

 

ic

M'bela smirked as the first few weaves filled the air togheter with that of a weave of army forces, both of men and beast. Savouring the scene infront of her for a moment, then letting saidar fill her and quickly leting simple fireballs fall, just to test out the enemy, sending them randomly here and there. As long as confusement ruled she felt safe, and after there was stones around her as well forest to shield her, and she could always drop back behind the ridge to shift her position to somewhere else.

[Jehaine]

OOC: From what i understood, the main BT forces are still at the village where they portaled in at. Kassian's group (the one we get to kill) has been sent ahead to Fal Dara to seek aid while Arath and friends hold off the Shadowspawn raiding the countryside. I don't know about the other stuff though ^^;

 

To clarify, Calaun is leading her Fist against Kassian's group near the walls of Fal Dara, and Rebecca's placing inverted weaves set to interfere with whatever channeling takes place near them to sabotage the traps the Asha'men led by Arath and Covai just set up. She can't alter them directly because she can't see saidin weaves, but she can put a wrench in the cogs with saidar though.

[Tigara]

OOC: Terra infiltrated Kassian's group and is going to stab them in the back once they start retreating from the big circles the Forsaken are supposed to be leading. Tig made a storm that Arath was going to have Aslan stop. (Did he mention that to you?)

[Arath Faringal]

OOC:  There are 300 Asha'man several miles west of Fal Moran, in what was a big field.  They're fortified themselves against ground forces pretty well.  There is also a group of 100 Asha'man currently entering Fal Moran.  They are the ones that get almost completely wiped out.  They get wiped out because the attack leader Kirrisin is an arrogant moron and doesn't follow orders.  He still doesn't know that the city has fallen, and he's a big enough idiot to think he can do whatever needs done by himself.

 

So feel free to start killing them.  Just not all of them.  Like I said before, there is at least one PC in the group, and there will be an attempt to rescue them before the BT flees completely.

 

And yeah, if you could get Aslan to stop that storm that Tig decided to start up, that would be great.  He was in the first part at the farm, so I know he's out there :D

[Covai Seriba]

OOC: The BT forces arrived in an abandoned field, it was the first line in Arath's post at the start of this thread. They then split into 3 groups, 200 stayed behind and fortified the area, 100 went west with Arath and passed though the village, and have since returned to the main force. The final 100 is with the NPC Kirrisin at Fal Moran, and don't realise it is held by the Shadow. Covai felt the city had fallen but send them to check anyways. You guys can deal with them as you like. Like Arath said, Kirrisin is a fool and would still be likely to enter the city even if it was occupied, not aware of the Dreadlords/ladies and the threat they pose.  Arath's post was to move things along, so we can edited if it'll work better for you, just let us know (PM me or preferabley Arath ASAP so the RP doesn't drag on to far)

 

At the moment, lets have everyone focus on the main battle in the abandoned field. You've got 300 channelers holed up in a fort. The first wave of Shadowspawn has been repelled, and by this stage the DLs have just arrived and start to join (which the BT will only just begin to realise). My understanding is whilst the DLs have experience working together in circles and such, they're still just a handful (if someone can verify how many please??) versus 300, so the BT manages to hold them at bay through sheer force of numbers. As for the storms, HUNDREDS of lightening bolts seems a bit far fetched at the moment, especially for a circle of just two people. Aslan will be stopping the storm thanks to his Cloud Dancing talent, so to keep things realistic, could you tone the storm down a bit? (Sorry to take the wind out of your sails) When the forsaken turn up and the large circles start forming, you can unleash one like that as we get the hell out of there :P

 

After we've sorted the details about Fal Moran and Kirrisin's group out (OOC wise via PMs to myself/Arath please), we'll have the Forsaken turn up and move to step three. (This means hold back on the backstabbing for the moment Tigara :P, and Jehaine's post may have to wait as well.) Arath or myself will post for the BT side as soon as we get those PMs and can set the BT side up properly for what the Shadow need.

[Liitha]

okey M'bela is watching the main force, as is jehaine from what i gathered, and such their effects should be noticed there. Hence consider stage 2 begun for the main force, shadow forces would contain of everything from shadowspawn, through ordinary dfs into dreadlords. All considering all over there is a force to be reconed with in the two countries as they wouldnt fall + save them from the wt forces in kandor in a strike if not, however utilizing an army spread out over an larger area is not as easily done in a snap, dreadlords further away can always travel in as mainplot they may know how too, but they still need to know that they need too and where to travel to, the remainder is on foot, and hence would relly on local enough forces that could walk or ride in as we need to realisticly consider the distances of a country ;)

 

tig go ahead and triger war zone in the city, if they entered that is what it would be, and its Fal Moran, not Dara ;) asume Sammael to lead the dreadlords and other armies in an attack on his city...while sending probably a messenger to shol arbela to notify semirhage about the need of her presence as long as she is not in equal troubles ..as she aint she would come, asumable to help towards wraping up the end to that battle so the fleeing PCs may have seen her female presence or not...then i think we will say it as so that they probably by then with the storms raging and whatnot, + probably more then enough time to bring in satisfuying reports of the main battlefield, that they would join in a circle in the city with the strongest dreadlords there + urge others of strength or rank to lead minor circles as well to back it up

 

and then travel in to the mainbattlefield, where the situation should be in more or less stalemate (ie enough forces to somewhat stop further progress but not enough to chase the bt out), those in the city on our side can descide if they are in the chosen circle or another, and whater if so they are leading a minor circle of a handfull dreadlords or (remember no all male circles, it takes a female to make a circle). Asumable there would be more as there is limits to sizes on circles and probably time in the situation, + in the end while stronger the chosen themself are still human an important point to remember, so if for nothing else if they were to strike they would want someone guarding their backs while doing so ;)

______________________

ic

 

Sweat was runing down M'belas back as she was runing behind the ridge for a safe spot to make up a gateway, she had moved several times, but they were strugeling, the ground forces was a distraction, but not really effective in their own capasity as such without the joint distraction of the dreadlords. She had long lost contact and oversigth of the group she had brougth with her from her village, though she knew a handfull was out of the field, too injured to figth or in a couple cases dead, the rest she had no idea about. The forces was major, and as she had observed them more had come back obviously returning and such doubeling their numbers, she wondered if there was many more out there they had not located as of yet.

 

Someone had made up a minor storm on their side, she had little knowledge of weather though, enough to help herself where needed, but otherwise not a field of interest to her, it gave a gloom seting and some added cover, but the water also made it slippery and she was not to happy about being wet. So far the black coats had dug in well, and there was no way they would get them out with the forces here presently, they needed reinforcements, there was no dreadlords here to save for weaving gates to move arimes, and in fact the reality was alone those wouldnt do any good.

 

Her eyes cast towards the city where Sammael sat, she could but hope that something was being aranged there, though from the glimts of lights in the sky now and again, and dust going up, as well as a colum of smoke here or there, something was going on there too, it was too far away for her to guess at the size. This was not something they could not handle, she was sure of that, the question would just be at which cost, and how long it would drag out, she had seen doubt in the eyes of a young woman she had sent into the city some time ago with the information of the situation as she could deduct it to the best of her abilities.

 

Steping through the gate she looked around before climbing up a new ridge towards some trees that would give shelter, but no, she herself was not in doubt, with her rank she knew their size, depending though of the planing of the enemy, and their real number it was just a mather of cost and consequenses versus time. It was a question also of how much they were dependant on the infrastructure elsewhere, and how much forces they could pull from the gate itself, if things was happening elsewhere then it could take time if they had to wait for a campaign launched from the fortress, her hope was on the arival of the keepers though, she could expect them sooner if they had the chanse to do so, and she would rather be lead by them as well.

 

Her eyes wandered towards the direction of the bligth for a moment, she did not trust this new mistress of the dark, she trusted her ultimate master, but chosen was humans too, and she knew to little of this woman to give her much trust. M'bela had lived to long, and served to long to make the mistace of trusting anyone superior short of the Great Lord himself if not given proof that she had reason to trust someone, she worshiped Semirhage, had been nothing but loyal, and trusted her as much as she would any short of herself to make the rigth descisions. And Sammael, if nothing else, she respected him for the knowledge of his battle skills, and she wouldnt be sorry to see him in the lead, he had proven himself in the ages of legendes, she knew he was capable.

 

Her eyes drawing back to the field bellow she opened herself to let saidar flow, she had done her best, but it was chaos, and the best strategy had been to advice the dreadlords to move rapidly, and such make it harder to estimate their numbers, as well harder to plot up ways to take them effectivly out, in and out, striking and then gone again, but it wouldnt do to root the force infront of them out, they needed an active leadership and plan. She saw a couple head apear further down and waved the two up to her, scaning the ridge she made sure no one else was close, then wove flash fire around her little group, satisfied that it was well set she started pushing it outwards rellying on her skill to allow her weave to keep togheter over the distance enough so that it would reach the outskirts of the black coat circle. All her focus went into this weave now, allowing herself to trust her instructions to the others to cover her at need.

 

M'bela

Mae'shadar

__________________________________

 

Aslan had withdrewn towards the circle of the group where he would be safely sheltered working on healing, that was untill lightning started flashing in the sky. He saw someone fall some distance over, grabing the nearest man he could he trust the guys hand onto the bandage he was holding down with preasure with one hand, as he was trying to wrap with his other, and trusted the bandage over into the guys other hand. A confused look on what he notised to be an intiates face and he mimiced finish with his lips, sound being to great to really talk at the moment. There was no time to explain the man was too injured to take a full healing, he could only trust that the dedicated had some sence about healing and had been to the infarmary. He was already allowing more saidin to fill into him as he moved towards a more undisturbed spot looking at the skies.

 

He felt a chill go down his back, would his discoveries hold, seeking out he felt there was something about the weaves above he could not distinct, while some he could, it was a mixture, they had females among their rank and someone had at least linked or more, it could mean an aditional factor to acounting their numbers, they could make do with fewer then maybe. There was no time to contemplate over it though, he was already weaving strands of saidin togheter, he didnt need to figth the weave directly so the mixing of the two halves made no difference to him, he was treating it as a natural weather ocurance.

 

Releasing his first weave against it, he felt the skies budge a litle and then slowly giving way. He was working on circeling air to push them apart, and thus push any left over lightning in them away from their dug in circle of the plain, and out towards the ridges where they maybe could do harm to the dreadlords if they had any luck. Instead of figthing as a joint aim with their army, they were coped up on the heigths and inside the forests sorounding the plain, striking from an distance in an inlusive tactic from what little he had observed. 

 

His eyes focused now on the sky, using all his sences to read the motion, manipulating weather was not an easy feat, and doing it wrong could just as easily strike back at you. He had learned to desciper some of the motions that went on, but also learned that weather and airmovement was inheritdly complex. Poking with strands of air he found an airstream moving in and sucking skies along with it, and focused his effort towards pening up in leak.

 

Aslan

Ashie

Cloud Dancer

 

 

[Tigara]

OOC: I'm just clarrifying this. So from Terra's view, Sammy comes down with a big circle and a horde of Trollocs and start to bash into the Ashies. Shortly after, Semi pops in with a cluster of dreadies and make another big circle and the Ashies start retreating. Terra goes all knife in the back and pwns them as they retreat and kills Kassian.  Terra gets sucked into a circle and they all Travel to the main battlefield where the current forces are at a stalemate. Is this correct?

[Talavin]

OOC: *blush* oh look, I've been putting this off for a month... yeah... I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen, sorry everyone

 

IC: Chaos. It was the best word that could describe the situation. The Black Tower started out well, organizing themselves into legions, but it didn't hold up for long. Ever since they stepped through the gates, the unease could be felt buzzing through the air. The men all followed eachother like sheep, uneasily shifting along, following their commander. They could see the huge storm vaguely in the distance, although it was slowly dissapating, and they could imagine the sounds of battle. However they themselves were very cozy, and in no way in danger.

 

It was the anticipation that truely ate at them. If you threw the men into battle, they would fight, and they would fall back on their training and not panic. The nervousness in these men, however, slowly ate them away. All it would take was one spark, and the entire legion would fall into panic. Ze'el relished the tension and near-panic. Truly these men were all fools, they boasted about their bravery when they were safe in the Inn, talking about how they would kill countless shadowspawn when the time came. He could see those same people now, sweating, showing signs of hysteria beginning to creep in. Men were jumping at the smallest of noises, many men nearly blowing eachother up in their panic.

 

Ze'el was one of the only ones that stayed calm, carefully observing everything, including his own comrades. He was loath to admit it, but he felt a little anxious... everything was calm... too calm. Especially for an area drenched in battle. A few people joked around, nervously attempting to disperce the atmosphere surrounding them, but the answering laughs were just as nervous. A few audible gulps were heard when the Attack Leader commanded them to make Gateways. Ze'el stepped cautiously into the city; he knew he wasn't strong enough in the One Power or a blade to survive open warfare... he would have to use his brain. Either way, Ze'el was determined survive, one way or another.

[Wolfsbane]

   The sky churned.

 

   The weaving to ease it, to sooth the storm was a simple one, but he let it continue to boil and mass shadows above his city. Battles on bright warm days never felt right—this was a more acceptable setting. Like a massive crucible of roiling clouds and slashing light, the sky broke rain that fell in striking sheets, and it fit his mood. Like a glove.

 

   An absent finger drew along the length of his facial scar, curling in his beard, as he ignored the movement around him. The Dreadlords fumbled into line as they organized, his conscious becoming aware of them as they joined the circle. There were other circles, smaller than his, about the city, and he wanted it that way. Massing together would make themselves large targets and with the power that roared in his veins, he doubted he would need more added to his pool.

 

   Except for Semirhage, of course, her joining would be… necessary… as soon as she received his message and Traveled here. She had her uses—since he donned the guise of Dakhaim and asserted his control over Shienar—he had come to depend on Nemene more and more.

 

   “Do I play with the flame, dancing across a corin’dar’s edge, with my Lady of Pain?” his gloved hand scratched at his beard as he drew in a breath. Saidin moved rampantly throughout his city.

 

   He toyed with the Power, savoring the pull and draw, as he reexamined his wards around Fal Morran. Little alarms, the quiet clangs as saidin pulsed in his city and he could point to each spot in his mind. Their tactic was simplistic, the little black coated fools, a separation of their forces into 3 groups, then each fans out towards the main hold.

   They wouldn’t get within eyeshot.

   He released some of the more nasty wards, already content more than a handful of the boys had found the cost of attempting to Travel out of his city, as the smell of burning flesh snaked its way through the Void. Much like the rain that dropped inches away from him but never touching him, the scent was familiar and strong, but easily ignored and dismissed. The barrier sparked and flared little wisps of smoke as it pushed the water away from the stones at his feet.

 

   “Fal Morran is mine. I won’t destroy it, nor will I have it destroyed by a group of boys thinking they know what saidin is.”

 

   The Dreadlords were silent, masks of servitude and fear plain on their faces, as he wove. Sammael would destroy the Light’s hope today. The Destroyer of Hope had hungered for a skirmish for the last month or so, and he would make sure this one would do.

 

   Satisfied he wove. The Trollocs and Mydraal were already in place about the city, his dark servants eager to taste more black-coated flesh. They would have their revenge. He would purge his throne of these madmen. Sammael motioned for the Dreadlords to advance, their emotions and thoughts and reactions a muted buzz in the back of his mind, as the threads spun around him. Saidin and saidar reached up into the sky, slid between the clouds, ran along its doughy flesh like veins. With a beautiful crack of light, six pillars of bright blue fire descended down into streets across his city. They met their targets, he had absolute confidence, as the wards tugged, and he wove more sky fire and lightning bolts.

 

The Asha’men’s advantage had been their clear view, able to deflect and counter anything the Dreadlords threw, but in urban combat… They had sacrificed their sight lines for more cover, and if the boys had only channellers to worry of then that might be fine. But Mydraal and Trollocs lurked in the shadows and buildings of Fal Morran, in waiting, circling them back into the line of fire.

His temple pulsed as they moved. If only he had managed to preserve shock-lances in a stasis box, or some remnant of weaponry from before the hundred fools sealed him in the Bore.. He had never had a deep interest in the mechanics or machinery behind his war weapons, that they killed and granted him an advantage was all he could concern himself with.. But with shock-lances.. those might be Shienar soldiers marching and slaughtering Asha’men, not Aginor’s creations…

But one made do with what they had. Defending on his heels had always been his strength, and he’d make do with monsters to root out this infection.  By the Dark Lord he’d tame Jumara if it would make his growing army unstoppable, as he was certain it nearly was. 

        Another clash echoed among the city streets as his group advanced and Sammael relished the quick work of the slaughter.

 

-Sammael

The Destroyer of Hope

 

[Wolfsbane]

OOC: Those that messaged me, much appreciated. Accuracy is one thing I strive for and am glad I have you guys there to make sure this follows as closely as possible and grants an authentic feel to everyone involved.

PS- if there is anyone that has RP'd as Sammael before (Emp's posts as him I've read) I would appreciate any forwards to past posts. I enjoy the character deeply and would like to hold true to the already RP'd side of The Destroyer of Hope. This Dark Side stuff is awfully.. contagious...

Cheers,

 

-wolfs

[Tigara]

Terra got shivers as fire and lighting rained from the sky, as well as those pillars of blue fire. That had to be Sammael, and logically, a circle involving at least one Dreadlady. She just hoped they remembered she was in here. She had been picked to infiltrate, so they better not kill her.

 

Trollocs and Myrdraal started to appear from all sides and the Asha'man wove their simple, yet deadly weaves. Not that she could see them, but she knew their effects. It was her time. Drawing in more of saidar, she skillfully wove boiling blood and internal drowning to various Asha'man in various locations. Killing just around her would have been stupid. Her targets dropped, but not in a way that anyone suspected her. They had just been killed like anyone else would have in their current circumstances. They might have been attacked by fire and lighting, or from a Myrdraal blade, or a Trolloc axe. Most were too busy trying to fend off attacks that they cared little as to why their neighbor dropped dead.

 

She slowly made her way to the front, where that fool Kassian was hard at work cutting weaves, blocking others, and attacking. If she could kill him, things might fall apart. She might as well have fun with it, since she really needed to get out of here before the Trollocs broke though the ranks. They didn't care who they killed. She wove a slight Pain weave, focusing on his shoulders, slowly increasing the force. He began to hold his right shoulder, which to him would be a moderate ache. Perfect. She tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around yelling. She dropped her mask, revealing her feminine self, and as she did, put her palm forward, then blasted him with a red-hot burst of flame from the palm, killing him instantly. As his dead body fell, she spun around and put up a wall of fire facing the other Asha'man that she hoped were too shocked to react right away, then ran towards an alley. She wove a folded light weave for what little good it would do. It would shimmer like crazy as she ran, but it was better than having her in plain sight. A fireball streaked past her just as she ducked around a corner.

 

Weaving a nasty explosive ward and a static field in front of the alley where she disappeared into, she took off through alleys, taking the long way to the other force, where she would link with Sammael's circle. It did not take long before she found them, and she was linked with them. Suddenly aware of everyone's emotions, she exuded a feeling of personal satisfaction with a job well done.

 

Terra Cyrene

The Slayer of Kassian the Fool