Difference between revisions of "Third Mortal Epoch"

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== The Dreikathi Invasion ==
== The Dreikathi Invasion ==
===Amal: Guardian of the Ankyreans===
In the frigid expanse of the Western Tundra, a group of Indyuk hunters
on the trail of a snow faex stumbled into the Ankyrean containment lab.
Once inside, they unknowingly triggered an explosive device left behind
long ago by the Order, which sent up a beacon seen all across Sapience.
A myriad of adventurers fell upon the lab, drawn by the explosion that
took place. Atrapoema, Zynti, Alaron, and Xavin, amongst others rushed
onto the scene, finding a hidden chamber leading into the bowels of the
lab.
Once inside, the collective group came across the bodies of the
unfortunate hunters, one barely hanging onto life just long enough to
explain their partys folly in causing the explosion. It was in this
chamber that the adventurers found a peculiar mechanism, to which
Atrapoema promptly activated, resulting in the release of a long
contained creature. This massive monstrosity of hashed together body
parts surprisingly posed no initial threat to the gathered adventurers,
and it even had a name.
The creature, which was quite clearly the result of an amalgamation of
various races, called itself Amal and claimed to be a guardian for its
masters, the Ankyrean Order. Seemingly childlike in mentality, this Amal
asked after the status of its creators, to which the group responded
that the Order was indeed, all but extinct, save for one survivor.
Attempting to lead the creature to Delos to see Qeddwyn resulted in Amal
running off instead to Spinesreach, where the simple-minded construct
hoped to find his makers.
Such was of course, not the case. Once inside the city it quickly became
apparent to Amal that Spinesreach was under the occupation of not the
Order, but what he considered as Rellyw. His mental faculties being
unable to process this sent him into a rage, slaying many of the citys
guards, and its citizens. Relentless was his ferocity, the likes of
which had never been seen from a mere mortal creature. The onslaught
seemed endless before finally Qeddwyn arrived to calm the savage beast.
As the last surviving Ankyrean, Qeddwyn was the only one able to order
Amal to stand down, which he did, much to the delight of the gathered
citizens.
Qeddwyn attempted to soothe Amal, and related how the Order was no more,
and that he was all that remained. This was deeply unsettling to the
poor creature, yet Qeddwyn seemed to afford it some level of comfort. As
Qeddwyn tried to probe the creature for information, it was discerned
that Amal had been created for more than just a simple guard, it seemed
he had been made to defend against a more specific threat. Yet when
asked just what this threat was, all within hearing were struck down by
an overbearing force that bent reality around his words.
Clearly not able to gain any more information at this time, Qeddwyn
decided it would be best to take Amal away from Spinesreach and back to
his shops in Delos. There he could keep him from harming anyone else
while attempting to find out more about this mysterious creature, and
what his true creation was for.
===Polemarch Andolso: The Invaders from the East===
On the eastern horizon of Sapience, out across the vast ocean waters
there appeared in the sky, a faint glimmer of dark blots. As time went
by, a myriad of onlookers gathered on the outskirts of Delos to look
eastwards with questions amassed. Just what were these shapes? To say
that an air of apprehension was predominate would be an understatement,
many of those gathered were long use to being cautious of anything such
as this. Their caution would not be unwise, in fact, they had much to be
weary of yet they knew not at the time.
As the shapes drew closer, it soon became clear that there were indeed a
trio of objects, slowly taking the form of what could only be called
airships. For as they drew near they were apparently large hulks that
effortlessly flew through the skies above. They seemed to be making
straight for Delos, and the apprehension of those gathered merely
increased tenfold, for they had no way of knowing if they would be met
with friends or foes. When the great ships finally halted above them,
their questions in that aspect were answered, and answered firmly.
The largest of the ships, on reaching the sky above Delos, immediately
dropped long cables from its deck, to which a flood of alien creatures
streamed down into the midst of the onlookers. Caught off guard by the
abruptness of the assault, those gathered were quickly overwhelmed and
dispatched, the battle quick and fierce. It was then that the airships
began to brand apart, the lead ship slowly making its way to west of
Sapience, while its two companions began to turn northwards.
As they flew over the Ithmia they split away again, one heading into the
Eastern Ithmia, towards the Heartwood while the other crossed into the
Dry Plains, angling for the City of Spinesreach. Residents and
non-citizens alike rushed to both locations, fearing the worst, and as
before they would not be wrong in their fears. It was Spinesreach that
was struck first, as the ship headed there settled atop the citys
Institute, its hull sprouted openings, to which pulsing orbs of energy
poured forth. The bombs, for indeed there was no doubt of this, slammed
into various places of the city, detonating with concussive force and
wreaking havoc on those within its walls.
As the destruction was visited upon the northern city, so to was it
brought to the Heartwood. The third ship positioned itself directly
above the Great Oak, and was soon to release its own bombardment.
Flaming death and destruction came upon the Great Oak and its
surroundings, slaying all within an instant and leaving the area nothing
more than a charred ruin of its former self. If the bombing was not
enough to drive the point home, the insertion of more of these foreign
beings into both the Heartwood and Spinesreach was. Fighting for their
lives and their homes, the citizens and allies of both valiantly fought
the invaders off.
With the destruction going on below, the two airships turned to the
southwest heading to link up with their lead ship on the western fringes
of Scidve. There they landed, and quickly began setting up a forward
base of operations, to which the denizens of Sapience were quick to
stumble upon. When they arrived they found a hastily assembled camp, and
an army of invaders waiting to greet them. Hostilities soon flared, and
fierce fighting went on for quite some time before finally, the leader
of these strange beings made his presence known.
Known only as the Polemarch Andalso this creature spoke only the little
known language of Herolian, yet to those who knew some of it, his
message was quite clear. Sapience was under the invasion of a massive
army from across the sea, their lands and their resources had been
claimed for their Autarch. This Andalso left one final warning,
surrender and be spared as slaves for the Grand Parade, or be crushed
beneath the boots of their indomitable might.
Despite the attempts at attacking their base, it seems quite clear that
the force will not be easily overcome, more so with the fact that not
long after setting up camp, one of the airships departed back from
whence it came, with the promise of more troops to come. The outlook
does not bode well, but only time will tell how the events will unfold.
===The Incursion into Shadow===
Almost a month had passed since the arrival of Polemarch Andalso and his
army. Arion, the Truthseeker sat on His throne in Mostyn, brooding, for
there was something strangely familiar about the invaders. His other
half whispered to Him the Truth, and He struggled to hear it. But as
always, the memories of Lanos remained just beyond His reach.
Silently, an airship drifted in from the horizon - the same airship that
had been coming back and forth from the Dreikathi homeland since the
initial invasion. Arion turned His gaze outward, focusing His attention
with hungry curiosity upon the vessel in an attempt to gleam more
information. The God frowned. Something was not right. The airship was
there and its occupants were clearly visible there, clearly tangible.
Yet they were beyond His touch, their existence a complete foreign
entity in its metaphysical makeup to Aetolia. Before these invaders, His
powers were no greater than the strongest mortal. Arion stirred
uncomfortably in His throne, His fingers strumming impatiently upon the
armrest. He did not like that thought.
The whispers continued to torment Him, the incessant sound constantly
holding promises of revelation. It was enough to drive a lesser being
mad. Arion forced Himself to ignore the unintelligible buzzing of His
brother - He had long ago given up trying to access those memories.
Lanos knew the Truth behind these recent events. Of that fact, the
introspective God was certain. Arion sighed heavily with regret,
relaxing His posture slightly as He let His thoughts drift aimlessly. If
only Lanos had been stronger, if only He saw through Severn's trickery.
Sudden realization filled the Truthseeker as His thoughts converged on a
single name: Severn. Abruptly, He slammed a metallic fist into the
throne and leaped to His feet. Of course, Severn was the key. He had
been blind to not realize the fact sooner. Everything pointed to that
single being.
Pacing angrily across the throne room, Arion's mood darkened as the
pieces began to fall in place. The Kerrithrim shared a similar nature
with these invaders. They were beyond the influence of the Gods, carved
from an unrecognizable source of essence. Yet contrary to this,
Severn displayed a kind of understanding of the beast. He began to dwell
on the death of Lanos, the original Lord of Truth. He had known
something, this much Arion had concluded from the whispers and
half-thoughts, despite being unable to make any more sense of it. Why
had Severn behaved so rashly, taking action to kill Him? Arion knew the
Artificer best, or so He liked to think. His Brother was not wont to
take needless risks.
Even further back did the Truthseeker take His thoughts, to the very
beginning of this age. The one selfish action which began it all: The
Grand Artifice. An illusion of depth unprecedented in Aetolia, an act
which would surely have used almost all of His essence, but for what
purpose? To cover up the actions of some foolish mortals and their
projects gone awry? To sate Severn's own desperate need for recognition?
No. There had always been a goal, an angle, a greater meaning behind His
actions. This was no different. Their Father, Varian, was always so
proud of His creation, but when Severn changed that creation, when He
made it His own, the Celestine's reaction was tantamount to a slap on
the wrist. Varian clearly condoned Severn's actions. Dazed, Arion sat
tiredly back in His throne, shocked by the implications. His father, the
very Lord of Creation, had cause to deceive.
"Father, enough of this!" did Arion rage at the heavens, "Tell Us of
these creatures, why are they beyond Our touch?" Yet only an
impenetrable silence greeted His questions. "I demand that You answer
Me! This isn't fair!" A part of Him still hoped He was wrong, that the
wrong conclusion had been reached. Yet as the silence dragged on, His
father's guilt sunk even more deeply in the Truthkeeper's mind. The
Maelstrom added His own demands for answers, though Arion knew not if He
was simply emboldened by His own words, or upset by any conclusions
reached Himself regarding the inexplicable nature of the invaders.
Sickened, voice tinged with bitterness, Arion responded to the silence
with a threat, "You leave Me no choice, Father. I will bring Our Brother
back and He will tell us the nature of these creatures."
Arion summoned both His own order and that of Severn to His throne room.
His Order was quick to obey and grudgingly the order of Severn
cautiously presented themselves as well. Heated words were traded
between the two factions, as Arion demanded knowledge of the entrance to
the Shadow Plane. The Manipulator's order debated internally on the
matter, not fully trusting such a long-time enemy. Desperate to get her
Patron back from the plane of Shadows, Villi agreed to cooperate with
the God, much to the dispute of her peers. And with that, Arion bade
both the servants of the Artificer and the Templarate alike to seek out
the gateway.
Villi was quick to contact Mordia, a priestess high in the service of
Severn. Upon explanation of the situation, Mordia cautiously shared that
while she did not know the location, she knew who did. Argas, a Minotaur
captain, was quick to respond to Mordia's summons. He did indeed know
the location of the gateway, but became angry and defensive when asked
to share the knowledge - it was a secret entrusted by Severn to the
Minotaurs and they guarded it jealously. Eventually, Villi and Mordia
talked reason into the stubborn bull, who in turn conceded he would
discuss the matter with the High Shaman.
As the minotaur made to depart, the thick gauntlet of Arion quickly
grasped Him by the throat, as the God appeared. "You will tell Me NOW!"
He screamed, eyes flashing violently with impatient rage. Bewildered and
shocked, Villi and Mordia voiced their outrage at Arion's actions. As
Mordia summoned up the essence of her Lord to strike, the intruding God
disdainfully tossed the minotaur towards her and effortlessly blocked
the attack. As Argas rose to his feet, the Truthkeeper snarled
viciously, contempt dripping from His every word, "If you won't tell Me,
I'll just remove the option." A hand struck out to grasp the minotaur's
head, wrapping around it completely. After a moment's pause, Arion
tossed the minotaur aside once more, stating "I've seen all I need,"
before vanishing.
Not long passed before a bright gold light cleaved through the sky to
strike deep within the Tarea mountain range. Arion glanced around the
minotaur village with contempt. The knowledge He had obtained from
Argas' mind informed Him the gateway was guarded by the village, long
kept hidden by the Artificer. Hurriedly, the minotaurs began to throw
themselves in vain at the advancing God. He cut easily through their
ranks, pushing the mortals away as He bellowed out a taunt, a slight
maniacal edge to His voice, "Your pitiful servants die like the snakes
they are, Artificer!" He continued His way through the village, reaching
the concealed gateway to the Shadow Plane. A mad gleam entered His eyes
as surveyed it, and the God chuckled softly to Himself, "All too easy."
Fires raged through the village in wake of Arion's rampage, thick plumes
of black smoke rising up into the sky. The smoke above the mountains
began to contort, darkening noticeably like tendrils of ink. The
impenetrable shadows gave way to a swirling vortex, a gaping maw in the
sky itself, which lead on only to blackness illimitable. Beasts of
shadowy darkness charged out of the black chasm in the sky as the
Truthseeker ascended towards the portal. Grasping the blades of Truth
and Valor, Arion charged toward the gate. The madness in His voice fully
evident now, as He shouted one last time, "Aha, ahahaha! I am coming,
Artificer!" The shadow beasts lunged toward the Truthseeker, an insane
hunger evident in every inch of their being. Arduously, Arion fought the
beasts and the darkness itself back into the opening until He stood at
the edge of the Shadow realm itself. Without hesitation, He stepped
through. Behind Him, the hole on the sky closed, as though it had never
been at all.
In wake of all this, many mortals often glance worriedly towards the
west where the invading army readies itself for war, silently hoping for
Arion to return soon with answers.
=== Death of a Soldier ===
Menacingly, the great black shape of the invader airship crept across
the sky above Sapience. It flew low, its hull full of fresh troops and
supplies to fuel the army that had amassed on the western side of the
continent. As before, many eyes were trained upon its path, some
studying it, questioning its origins, yet one pair of eyes gazed upon it
with a grim determination. One being knew more of it than the rest, he
knew that only he could strike a mortal blow to these trespassers.
So it was Amal who stood atop the Great Rock, eyeing the airships flight
with a mind clear of fear, questions, and second thoughts. With a great
leap, he took to the air, soaring upwards with the aide of his powerful
wings. He crossed the distance quickly, pulling himself onto the deck of
the ship where he promptly took to dispatching the soldiers present.
Their cries echoed across the sky as they fell to their doom, and Amal
pushed forward. Showing his unrelenting strength, he managed to stop one
of the massive propellers with his bare hands, shattering it like
kindling. The other propeller fared much the same way, Amal sent it
crashing into the ocean outside Ashtan.
Its means of propulsion destroyed, the airship fell from the sky and
crashed down atop the Shooting Star Inn. The inn was consumed in an
instant, along with much of the airship as an explosion sent up a
massive ball of fire. Yet before the fires could even die down, Amal
cried out for the people of Sapience to come to his aide. Atop the Great
Rock a vast host from all walks of life, and unlife, answered the call
to arms. Amal let them know that he would dive head first into the base,
drawing the enemys attention so that the force could attempt to overtake
the base. Though perhaps even he misjudged the ferocity of the troops
there, as almost all of the force was wiped out in the initial charge.
Yet they persevered, and Amal was able to slaughter enough of those
outside the walls so that the others could mop up the rest.
Amal's actions were enough to provoke a response from the apparent leader
of the invasion forces. From atop the back of a great wyrm, rode the
Polemarch Andalso, a Dreikathi as he would later be labeled. Immediately
after making his presence known, Amal went onto the offensive against
Andalso, raining down blows from all angles. Yet despite the fury of his
onslaught, the Dreikathi seemed unphased and easily thwarted the
assault.
Both Amal and Andalso took to the skies above Scidve, fighting atop the
back of the massive wyrm as it circled above the onlookers in the camp
below. Amals attacks were unrelenting, yet it seemed that no matter how
hard he struck at the Dreikathi, he could gain no upper hand. With but
minimal effort, Andalso locked with Amal, and with an almost bored
motion, broke the soldier's neck with but a twitch of his wrist. A great
cry of anguish rose up from those watching, as the lifeless body of Amal
fell from the sky to crash into the forest of Scidve.
With Amal dead, the Dreikathi unleashed more of his horde upon those
present, pushing them from the camp. To the defenders of Sapience the
Polemarch gave one final statement:
"In two months time, the army marches."
Of the Divine, only the Maelstrom reached out to the gathered mortals,
bidding them to be vigilant and await the return of His Brother Arion,
with the Artificer hopefully in tow.
Only time will tell if the Truthseeker will return with His wayward
Brother, and perhaps the desperately sought for knowledge of the origins
of these invaders.


== The Discovery of Delve ==
== The Discovery of Delve ==
Daskalos
147

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