Fantasy A War of Monsters

[Morridan]

**Within the Citadel**


The second dark rift that had been opened in the wall erupted in a flash of blinding energy. A moment later, and once everyone's vision had re-adjusted, they would witness a truly horrific sight. Gor'Logk was standing amongst them, pulling rather hard against a dark red hand with black finger-nails. This fist that had grasped Gor'Logk's arm was as big as his entire body. Hundreds of skulls, many of which were of men and giants like Gor'Logk were tied around the wrist like some form of macabre wrist-band . "Gor'Logk will deal... with consequences... later." He smashed his fist onto the large hand, causing a horrific cracking noise as the hand hesitantly let go. A voice boomed outwards like a tsunami washing over everything ushered forth. "DO NOT FAIL ME AGAIN, GOR'LOGK!"


The red hand slowly submerged back into the rift and with it, a thirty foot tall rhinoceros creature with three bladed-bone horns walked through. The creature was on two thick legs which bulged in a frightful display of power and strain under its weight. In fact, each step it took now caused a small vibration in this dark citadel. The feat of even causing a slight ripple, being a major accomplishment. Yet it was a clear shaking of its very foundation, if not ever slight.


Following suit was a four-armed elephant creature with some sort of 'melee' weapons in each of its three-fingered palms. The nightmarish Katars it wielded seemed to be made of the same otherworldly material that the circular toothed-axe Gor'Logk wields is made up of. Both creatures kneeled in front of Gor'Logk. The sight of which would strike humor through most. Even when kneeling, these two creatures were still a 'head' taller than Gor'Logk. But that humor would soon pay tribute to a realization that Gor'Logk was just that impressive of a warrior. That even much larger foes knelt in submission. All of course, except for that abyssal-crimson hand.


"What... do you want... with Gor'Logk?" He rolled his shoulder, placing the large toothed-axe teeth down on the floor, causing a scuff in the surface upon contact.


**Within Kariat**


The old Commander sighed. "Hunters... Our lives and the prosperity of man rides on your decisions. It depends on all of the actions each hunter in every city makes. You are our future. You are the hope of normal men. Do not still your tongues. This is important."

 

[Firelava]

The Tyrant headed the call. Each time he went forth with his Lord he gained much biomatter to make more creatures. He was followed by a group of larger scions, each around 12 feet tall and resembling the lieutenant that had come during the first attack. Behind them came a few larger creatures, each a living battering ram. A few larger, yet stranger creatures where behind that.


The first creature had a spider like body, ranging up to 40 feet tall. However it only had 4 long legs that arched up before reaching the ground. The underside of the monster writhed and was a large bloated sack. A observant creature would see that small scion heads pressed up against the skin of the sacks, seeming to be eggs that held small scions.


Above this loomed the Tyrant's best creation. This creature was the height of 8 story building and had 4 long tall limbs. Each such arm was tipped with a 8 foot long talon that sunk into the ground. It had dozens of tendrils that hung under its body and its forward body was low to the ground to allow its huge mandibles to strike. Its had two limbs that hung under its body. Each clutched a massive cannon like shape that had three holes at the tips that had crystal spikes sticking out. The creatures together generated a massive spore cloud that obscured the numbers of the creatures.


At the head of this came a reborn Tyrant. He was more massive now, for he had enhanced his form for siege combat. He walked forward and roared, echoed by the other creatures around him. He quieted down and looked at the Lord. A weird shimmering tone would be heard that only those who knew how to translate it. " You have called me. I heed. What would you have with my titan-scion? "


( The new Tyrant )

 

[DescriptedEnd]

A quiet yelp forced its way out of Avon's throat at the sudden yelling, a flight response immediately clawing its

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way into Avon's brain. In reality, she recognized that there was no real danger as of now that she could tell; it was simply the fact that she was caught off guard and she never handled yelling well, whether it be a command or from anger. After just a few heartbeats, she calmed herself down and slowly looked up at the male. "I apologize," she responded, withholding her stutter. At this point, she had her permission for speaking. Taking in a steadying breath, she cleared her throat and straightened her posture so she stood up straight. "I was just wondering, sir," she began, voice flat with a hint of confidence in it. While his was booming, hers was direct and but even toned. "Is there any way we could possible predict when the monsters are to attack?" One question at a time, silly girl, she echoed to herself, as her mother had repeated to her so long ago when she was very young. Something she told herself when she felt she was getting out of hand. It was a solemn reminder of when she and her parents got along. When was the last time she'd talked to them? It had been quite a few years, she knew that much. Even if she stopped by now - if she ever got the chance again - there was a good chance that they wouldn't want to talk to her or that they'd be dead already. She couldn't focus on that now, however. She refocused herself to the group around her.

 

[Morridan]

The old Commander nodded, quite at ease it seemed, giving her a rather forward response. "The Gaiomancers below are one with the flows of the earth. If there are any who tread on, or through, the earth then we will know exactly how many. The Aeromancers guild has but a few members, but they are all trustworthy. And I can assure you, anything bigger than a bird that flies in these skies will be known before its form can even present itself to a normal man's eyes." He stood there with his back hunched slightly and his hands behind him.

 

[ThunderDire]

Alcina


Okay today was probably one of the weirdest days of her life. One minute the destruction of a small village was occurring, the next she was teleported in a very dark building with the Lord of Monsters. What a turn of events. A guy that she hadn't seen in years appears out of nowhere, and then asks"Help me once again". It felt like having a ex. Though she knew that she would never say no to Kazanna, at least not when he needed help. Raising a hand to her forehead, Alcina swayed slightly, obviously not use to teleportation. When it came to flying, she was fabulous, though....well....teleportation, that's all there was to say. Regaining her composure she listened to Kazanna as he spoke in what seemed a spell to bring the other monsters here, though it ended as quickly as it started. Clearing her throat, she took a step back and raised her gaze to his face. "Yes I remember, what would you like me to do Kazanna?" Yet even though the question was asked thoughts roamed her mind "he really is very tall. Maybe destroy something? why is it so dark in here, like geez ever hear of a candle, there quite nice, oh and they have fragrances too." Taking a second to scan the area, she confirmed her own thoughts as the room they were in was pretty large. "Your going to need a large fucking candle...".

 

[DescriptedEnd]

She nodded, his words bringing peace to her mind. She still kept her back straight, a sign of respect - as much as she could muster up - hands held

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tightly behind her back to help keep herself straight. There were still many more questions that burned through her mind, threatening to spill out in rapid succession. Stay calm, silly girl. Once again, such words were echoed through her mind with the voice of her mother. It was enough to help her single out the more important ones. Taking another deep breath, she looked him straight in the eye. "Are there any known weaknesses of these? Or are we just supposed t0 get lucky?" Her words were spat out with venom lacing each syllable?, and she immediately snapped her head back in surprise. The amount of anger she had built up at these creatures had been quietly building up, and most of it came out with that one sentence. She immediately shook her head and bowed down. "I am so, so sorry," she repeatedly muttered with an extremely apologetic tone. After 4 times, she glanced up, looking for any kind of anger in the surrounding eyes.

 

[Morridan]

The old Commander chuckled at her words. After the many apologies, he had stepped forward, motioning with his now frontward hands for her to rise. "If history has shown anything, Hunter." He paused, giving her a bleak stare before a smirk found itself across his face. His wrinkled eyes seemed to instantly acquire many more 'crows-feet' at their corners. "It is that these creatures do not possess much luck. Where-as mankind?" He clasped his hands in front of himself. "We have had much in the way of survival. But to ask me if I know of any weakness that they have..." He closed his eyes. "One. One weakness." He cracked his eyes open, casting her a searching gaze. "Death."


He huffed, knowing that the answer he gave would not be what she wanted to hear. And so he instead allowed her to see the same stern, and earily still, stare that he would when ushering an order. "Our plan, as it has always been, will be to kill them en-masse. To show them that to defeat monsters, we shall cast off our humanity as a snake sheds its skin. Each generation of warriors is to be stronger than the last. Each one born into the suffering of the last of their kin. We will become monsters... but not like those that hunt us. We will be the beasts that haunt their dreams. Humanity was shown horrors. But like all tools, we will master it like no other creature alive. Whether it be through the wicked dark arts, the brightest of light, or even the previously 'forbidden' arts of blood magic that spawn horrors out of one's flesh itself... We will do what we always have. We will do what we must. They will be die. And we will live. The details do not matter."


He turned from her slowly shuffling his way across the stone floor with his hands now placed back behind him. "Their life. Use that as your aim." His speech was quite magnificent to say the least, but it did seem to leave those who did not get swept up in the 'glory' of his words a bitter taste of reality. Despite all of the years of fighting, struggling, and suffering, nobody had even once found a blaring weakness that would cause all monsters of every type to crumble. Not one significant chink in the armor that would not have been fixed by the creatures themselves. But still, the commander ended this bleak, yet hopeful, 'song' with a laugh. "Though I suppose you could go for the eyes. Most have those." He offered a smirk to her again, looking to the Hero standing with them and chuckled. "Good a place as any to start, wouldn't you say?"

 

[Kazanna]

Gulthan


With a shrug Gulthan shook his head, "He is right, Death... is the only real weakness they have. The fact that most of them are mortal... though I have heard rumors abroad that the lord of monsters can resurrect fallen beasts with a motion of his hand..." He closed his eyes for a long moment, he didn't want to believe it himself, Kazanna had been his friend long ago, to know that his old comrade was so corrupted as to use his spell-force to resurrect such monsters was beyond his truth.


Gulthan turned back towards the display he'd erected, motioning to the center of it. "There is a point, here, that we must defend more readily. It is an access shaft, it is the point where they will attack if he is guiding the beasts again. Which, we know he will be." Gulthan made the image magnify on the spot, displaying the sharp outward jut of one of the observation towers, the tower itself was one of the only structures that would be above a lava flow, and it was nearly a mile high. It stood beside the great mountain, right beside the gate.


With a motion towards it, Gulthan spoke once more, "We need volunteers to man it. To check to see if it's safe, and if need be, to collapse it if they breach it. It is Kariat's only real weak point, as it was constructed after the city was deemed complete. I rejected the initial proposal, but it was to be used in case the volcano became uncontrollable as an evacuation method after the lava flow had reduced..."


He looked among the hunters, his old face showing a firm resolve, "Are there any volunteers to man the Parapet of Fire?" he asked solemnly.


Kazanna


Raising his hand, much the way the hero of men, Gulthan did at that moment for the hunters, Kazanna created a scale model of Kariat, access points, tunnels, and the great gates. Most of the monsters present, would scarcely believe it was actually the city they had just assaulted, as it was much like an iceberg, only the tip was ever exposed.


Kazanna motioned to it and said firmly, "They have added onto my great city. Constructed a tower that is outside the protection of my spell seals." He nodded to The Tyrant, "That, shall be your breach, Tyrant. Your troops, your strongest, Will break that tower down, and then you will enter into the city as rapidly as you can. You will however, not be there for general warfare. Strike, and run, attack, and fall back. Do not attempt to create a hive within Kariat, the stone will burn you alive, Believe me, I created it with you in mind those years ago."


He stepped into the center of the display, mounting the now physically tangible steps to lead him up to the front gates, "Gor'Logk, Your beast there, Shall assault the gates. I honestly don't expect it to get through, Though, If it can..." He shrugged lightly, his armored shoulders rolling as he did. "It would be most entertaining to see. Just be careful, the city cycles it's power on and off. It draws mana from the stone itself, it will rebuild itself around the ram if it gets stuck, so be sure to pull it out if it does."


He moved towards the heart of the city, a tower in the very middle, the tower itself was a construct that served as the cities real heart, here, the barrier was born and energized, within the molten core of Kariat, lay the most heavily guarded item, "The Bastion of Fire. The first of the relics we must attain." He motioned to Alcina, "That, is our goal my dear. You and I, shall infiltrate when the barrier drops, and we shall regain the Bastion, leaving the city exposed, at which point..." He motioned to the others, "You are all free to do as you please. Just leave within an hour. The city will purge itself and rebuild after that, the bastion is contained there, it requires half of the cities true power to maintain the barrier around the bastion." He glanced among them, and motioned, "Any questions?" He looked bored, like he'd explained such stratagem a billion times.

 

[Morridan]

**At the Citadel**


Gor'Logk didn't make many movements when the orders were issued. The giant flesh-master seemed almost oblivious to the directions given except for subtle shifts back and forth on each of its legs when he was spoken to directly. And upon being told to withdraw his 'wall-breaker' beast, Gor'Logk placed both feet firmly on the ground, flat footed, waiting for the end of the orders to come before ushering out his own brand of speech that could only be noted as 'slow'. "No worry, but... Gor'Logk asks you... Can Gor'Logk sink... The land? After you... Get the item." His question didn't seem to reflect any of the problems proposed. Instead, this flesh master seemed to seek the total annihilation of the city, mountain, and fields surrounding it. "These annoying walls. Walls will not... be built. They... And the fire-mountain... Will drown. Yes?"


His stance stood proud on the citadel floor as if this question he had asked was something that would be possible to accomplish. And by the almost arrogant way Gor'Logk stood there, despite having no facial features, it seemed as if he hinted it would come to pass if given approval. The bone-like mask slowly shifted and cracked as if the giant flesh-master was smirking off to one side. A zigzagging fissure breaking loose to reveal teeth behind it.

 

[Firelava]

The Tyrant grinned when it heard that it would lead the assault and get its choice of food. This city was not a good place for a hive, he could feel heavy presence of something that was anathema to his type of warfare near here. To hear that this place had been built to repel him he shuddered. He had been a young monster at the time of the first war, and never fought a major engagement. He had the mind to avoid the hunters when he was lose before falling back through the portal.


He leaned in and looked at the other creatures that where here. He had heard stories of each. Gor'logk he had always thought of as a lesser beast, too slow to fight with the Tyrant at all. It was his master that had prompted the Titan-scion breed to be made. The Dragon girl was known as another biological type. He had made many attempts to copy her toxins, and thought there where some good strains of toxin that emerged, he had never gotten it right. He had never seen her truly fight a worthy foe, only her feed through the eyes of scout scions.


He then asked his only question for his lord. " The humans are free reign, but why would they hide something we need in a city you made? And specifically to thwart something like me? " His shimmering tones would maybe be understood by the dragon, and he was unsure of whether or not Gor'logk had the intelligence to understand his language.

 

[Kazanna]

Kazanna


Kazanna motioned towards the location of the bastion again, muttering, "Because I had it put there... It is how I gained this..." He raised his arms, and his shadow expanded over the room. "It is one of the parts of a greater whole. The Armor of the Lord of Monsters. A set of armor forged to keep..." He looked to Gor'Logk, "His master at bay... for eternity if it is used properly. It can grant a mortal immortality... but at a cost..." He smiled lightly, his shadow retracting, "I used to be the hunter, the killer of your kind, I was the most feared of all of them..." He turned to Alcina, "I fought with you even, I nearly took your life, But you won't remember. Because that's how it works, You lose all memory of me, Because you were the guardian of the Blade of Kings. You don't remember because that... Is how it works..."


He turned to Gor'Logk, motioning towards the city's image, "Destroy the entire thing, It is my final work of art. Crush it into nothingness Gor'Logk." He turned to The Tyrant, "Take what you will from the city, but you have one hour. The core of Kariat will function even when the city has fallen, it will rebuild itself eternally. That is how I designed it. The spell is perfect." He turned back to Alcina, "Your decision Maiden of the Rose?"


She was the last part of his plan, the last one he needed, he would need her manipulation abilities to successfully move into the city with low detection while the rest of them caused havoc outside. He would need her hands to remove the bastion from it's held point, and he would need her help to add it to his own armor, to equip the bastion as it was meant to be worn.

 

[Hibiscus]

Allon looked across the display hoping to give his input on the battle about to ensue, but his intelligence did not go as far as strategies. He instead focused on the tower, an apparently viable space for them to attack. If it was something they could demolish if it got overrun then it seemed reasonable for him to go, his faith would most likely be able to topple it. Although, it was supposed to be an escape if the volcano malfunctions, which led Allon to believe that it might be worth it to defend as much as he could.


"I shall be there at the Parapet of Fire, since I believe I'm the only one capable of destroying it here?" Allon glanced around at the other Hunters, but not recognizing much destructive force in their weapons, he met his conclusion. "The tower is built on the premise the volcano will malfunction, and even so there are places to go if it does, so I see reason to only protect it til we start losing lives.". Allon crossed his arms, he had kept true to keep body count low and admitted his service into something greater.


The room still silent, Allon again looked at all the Hunters, wondering if any others would join him. Many things could come up that tower, and with their versatile skills, he would need more then himself. If they were to protect the tower or, better yet, protect the people, they would need to learn to have synergy with each other. They did not need to pray to his god, but they needed to work together as if they did.

 

[DescriptedEnd]

Avon's stomach proceeded to tie itself up in knots with the new information, the facts processing slowly in her head. There's no way, there has to be

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something else.She flinched, then shook her head. It was too late to be thinking about such things. Instead, she had to focus on now. "Yes, death," she breathed out, voice quivering slightly as she took in a breath to calm herself down. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't scared; she was terrified. Of course, she had always gone to battle with fear in her mind. But now that everything was becoming organized - there was going to be group, the monsters had their own alliance - it was slowly becoming more and more real. She had additionally acknowledged the fact that she may not come out alive. But as she stood there, once again staring at her feet, the dread only continued to climb. She glanced at the other hunter that spoke. She wasn't sure how she would respond; sure, she could go with him, and screw around over there, but she might be needed on the front lines. Instead, she waited for any sort of directions. She wasn't exactly comfortable making the decision for herself.