Fantasy &nbsp; Setting Summer Dawn

Archie · Sep 22, 2018

"Well met," Duran started, continuing his conversation with the Elven Scout who introduced herself as Jilaina. It was a name that sounded good in his opinion, vastly superior to the ugly wood elf names in Cyndara. Perhaps the wood elves could yet learn from the light ones once Uxul managed to deport them all and end the tyranny of the devious and corrupt priesthood.

"My name is Dur-..." Duran started, turning to face the scout before hearing rumbling on the ground. In the distance, large shapes started materializing, their bodies, some of them twice Duran''s own large size, emerging from the black depths of the unending forests.

"F***!" he exclaimed. Duran found his boar panicking, tugging on its restraints.

"Get on the boar and get to the village! I will hold them off!" he stated with characteristic bravado. His moments of heroism emerged most often when there was blood to spill. However, that escape plan was dashed shortly, as Duran saw the ground around him go dark. A large shadow had cast over the fields, and he was blown back by a gust. A giant bat - one that even Duran, with his years of surviving in the wilderness - had not seen, swooped down towards the. Duran reached for his blade and his shield, but, in the process, his panicking, stolen boar left his grip and started following the horde of beasts converging on the village. He slashed at the flying beast, but discovered that he was not its true target. Rather, the scout was. The beast, veering on a flight path towards the Elven woman, missed Duran's poisoned blade by more than a yard, and grabbed the scout. Duran's eyes widened. The scout elevated into the air, and Duran was certain that she would not survive. He looked around him, and all he could see were eyes - red, brown, and some yellow. Teeth, smiling daggers at him, from two dozen large mouths. 4-legged beasts of all kinds were digging their hooves into the ground, kicking the dirt like bulls prepared to charge.

And yet in this moment, all Duran could think about was the mutiny. The cruelty of the Gods of the forests - they had given Duran this one chance to finally sway the mainstream of the Orcs, this single opportunity to avenge his tribe, obviously wronged by the Myst Queen and no one else. Yet, just as quickly as it arose, it had collapsed. Duran knew from countless contracted murders that a force was at its most disorganized when it was either partying or plundering. In the case of Uxul's army, the Orcs were doing both. The undisciplined mass had no means of communicating with itself over the distances of the town, separated by buildings, while those buildings were clouded in smoke. The cries of Orcish warriors and screams of civilians would prevent any trumpet orders from getting through, not that command by noise usually worked anyways.

Duran needed to get back to the village. At times like this, it was impossible for anyone to command like a general. Sending orders was meaningless, as they would not be received nor followed. The only style of leadership that worked when an army lost all discipline was "follow me". Duran trusted his gut, and for some reason, in spite of his obvious righteousness and correctness of belief, Uxul did not seem to be the kind of person who could pull that off. Duran, having just arrived, knew nothing of Uxul's plans, and was entirely unaware that stealing the Crystal and removing the deterrent for the beasts was exactly what Uxul intended. It did not even remotely occur to him that Uxul, a man he had just praised for his infinite wisdom, would doom the entirety of Cyndara to genocide by beast when Orcs could simply have ruled lesser races in place of the Priestesses - a far more efficient solution in Duran's mind.

Duran had survived for years in this forest. He knew that beasts followed prey, but respected predators. The only thing to do in the face of all of these beasts was to become one, to establish his own dominance over the pack that faced him.

The ground was dry, and full of dead leaves. A flint was on the right side of his belt, a flask of alcohol on the left. Duran knew what to do. He reached slowly towards his waist, making eye contact with a giant boar - twice the size of his own - staring at him with its red eyes, crusted over from disgusting yellow eye discharge. Duran's left hand reached his belt.

In an instant, he drew his flask and threw it against the ground. The beasts roared in unison. Duran's left hand fumbled for his flint as he mercilessly hacked at it with his poisoned sword. A single mis-cut would have poisoned his blood stream and killed him there. The boars started charging. Sparks flew after seconds, the result of Duran striking his flint so hard that it fell to the ground. In an instant, the ground immediately in front of Duran illuminated in a tower of flames, fueled by the alcohol and tinder lying on the ground. Duran spun, slashing off the jaw of the first boar to reach him. His left arm reached for the roundshield on his back, and he bashed a second boar with its poisoned spikes. A wolf pounced over the boars falling carcass, slashing at Duran's shield, before Duran put his weight into his shield, curled his shoulder and head into it, and dashed forward, running into the wolf and a giant tiger-like creature behind him. The beast was skewered, but the spikes on the shield were not nearly deep enough to kill it in a single blow. Aware of this, Duran withdrew his shield several times and bashed the creature in the face three times, leaving its head a mangled, bloody pulp.

The forest fire spread like a disease. Duran's solution was both a respite and a problem. The fire was a wall that prevented beasts from attacking him from the back, but it spread fast enough that it meant Duran had to keep advancing through an endless stream of beasts. Normally, Duran would not have worried about animals. Scimitars like his were perfect for unarmored creatures, capable of gutting even the largest creatures, and his signature black armor set would protect him from being mauled.

However, earlier that day, before arriving to Delan, Duran had ditched his helmet. That made him vulnerable to all attacks in the face.

The towering orc cut the legs of a giant white wolf charging towards him, before bashing another in the head, following up with a kick to the windpipe enough to crush it. However, a smaller creature - a grey wolf about a meter tall, vaulted over its mother's suffocating body, and slashed Duran across the left side of his face. Duran bellowed before swinging his scimitar with enough forced to sever the creatures' head. When he was done savoring the stream of blood emanating from his body, he noticed, looking down at the decapitated wolf, that an eyeball was hovering over it. The eyeball was attached to a red chord, that led all the way back to Duran's field of vision. That wolf had just taken out his left eye.

"Rrrraaaaaah!" Duran shouted, reaching his shield hand up to his face, and ripping out the chord, throwing his left eyeball to the ground. He could feel blood gushing down his left cheek. With one eye, Duran would look even more fearsome than he already did, but he understood it would make it impossible for him to tell distances. He knew that he would never shoot a bow again in his life.

A boar bit into Duran's armored sword arm as he ripped out his own eye. Duran withdrew it, the clash of the boar's teeth against the solid steel of his gauntlet creating a screeching sound that made the orc shiver. Duran squeezed the pommel of his Scimitar, and used it to bash the boar's skull in between its eyes. Duran used the respite to stop his bleeding. Swooping down to the ground, he reached into it with his left hand, and rammed a fistful of dirt into his empty left eye socket.

Duran wanted to pound on his chest. To intimidate the beasts like he did with every other beast that attacked him when he was alone in the wild: to play chicken with them until they left him alone. However, there was no time for that. Duran felt his backside getting warmer and warmer. The fire allocated no time. The beasts had paused in their charges, leaving five yards of distance between them and the Orc who had just pulled out his own eye, standing above six animal carcasses. Duran took a step forward, and some of the beasts took one back. His status as prey or predator in the simple minds of the animals had shifted, even if only a little.

Duran eyed his opposition. There were four large boars, a creature he had never seen that looked like a ram, a wolf, and something barely resembling a deer. Duran's heart was pounding. His veins expanded against his armored suit. Blood was flowing through his body like a flood. This was the feeling he had when he wanted to smash something.

At an instant, the giant orc leaped towards the largest beast, the boar. He threw his famed Scimitar, which had accompanied him the last ten years, at the second most intimidating foe - the ram. The scimitar flopped through the air, not aerodynamic like a hatchet, but it served its purpose of being a distraction. He put his shield in front of his face, and the creature jumped to Duran's right to evade a shield bash from Duran's left arm. Good, Duran thought. At that moment, he shifted his weight to his right leg, leaped into the air, and grabbed into the Boar's fat neck with his shield arm, wrestling his way onto the creature. The boar bucked, but Duran's long arms formed a chokehold around its neck, Duran's right hand grabbing onto the interior straps of his shield in order to form an unbreakable grip.

The creature was smarter than Duran expected. Instead of fleeing as he intended, it threw itself onto its back and rolled, putting all of its massive bodyweight on Duran's armored body. He leaned his head into the back of the boar's fat neck so it wouldn't impact the ground first, and used his back to cushion the fall. Still, when the boar finally hoisted itself upright, Duran's head felt like it was spinning. he could hear a loud ringing noise in his ears, and nothing else. The dirt he had shoved into his eye socket earlier was starting to pour out from the force - it came in brown, and emerged maroon, coated with his blood. His body was shielded by its armor, which did not bend - or Duran's chest would have collapsed - but he still coughed like he was choking.

However, Duran's arms held tight. The beast, in spite of the valiant effort, did what all beasts did when faced with an unsolvable predicament. It ran. With the fire blocking off the path up the hill, and the charging stampede cutting off its ability to turn left or right, it could flee in only one direction - towards Delan.

Duran finally had time to take stock of the situation. He had lost an eye today, and his poisoned sword. The latter was correctable, but his depth perception was not. However, Duran, his arms wrapped around the fat neck of a giant wild boar, half-choking it as it sprinted at full speed ahead of its pack, felt like he was flying. Duran could feel drops of blood escape his socket, swept up by the gushing winds around him. However, in spite of everything, he felt nothing but exhilaration.

He squeezed his legs together, and started moving his right foot outwards and inwards to kick the wild boar under him. It raced forward, to the point where Duran could see over the heads of the mere three rows of wild creatures beating his boar in the race to Delan. Seeing the town reminded Duran of his mission. He needed to find Uxul. He needed to get all the Orcs to the rooftops. And, most importantly, he needed to find out why the boars were attacking a town guarded which he thought was guarded by a crystal.

Yatasal

Zazz · Sep 22, 2018

Meanwhile, up in her non-carnivorous tree, Azaria the Shadowhand of Everreach crouched on a sturdy branch. Her eyes widened as the scout was snatched from the orc by a great flying beast. Well. That was something. The halfling watched, twin daggers wielded, as the orc was then attacked by wolf after boar after wolf after boar. There was no end. The green beast set an abrupt fire to the forest floor, causing the halfling to shield her eyes. A moment later, his eye was hanging from its socket, until he promptly ripped it out. And then filled it with dirt. What an idiot, Azaria scoffed, thinking of all of the sharp twig bits he had just stuffed into his eye socket. She shook her head, even as the ground below shook her tree.

The fire grew nearer to her hiding spot. Carefully, she leaped from her perch to another tree, counting on the noise of the Mystland's creatures to cover her own. She set out to find the scout, to see if she even lived. She had heard noises in the trees; Azaria followed the sounds, quietly scouting the thick trees. She held no desire to tangle with the beasts below.

When the halfling found the scout, she was staggering towards... "Pyrrhus?" She crept closer, to make sure, and landed from her final tree just as the Sumennan collapsed. The halfling straightened and walked up to the centaur, carefully eyeing his current party. Especially the short, horned woman riding upon his back. "Friend," she greeted tentatively, announcing her presence. She knelt to examine the scout and her wound. "She is alive." The halfling grasped the woman's hair and turned her head to view her face, and raised an eyebrow. This was no 'Jilaina Revess'. Not at all.

"She is hurt badly. A... large bat attacked. The beasts are wild."

An elf with white hair hopped down from his boar to take a look at the fallen girl, too. He pulled something from his pack and held the vile up to the girl's nose. "This should wake her."

SilverFlight · Sep 22, 2018

Pyrrhus put a steadying hand back behind him to help his passenger. Looking where she pointed as the hoard of monsters flooded into the light.
"Stars above!" He exclaimed. "I've never seen anything like it."
A rustle from the nearby underbrush put him on edge. He did not recognize the woman that stumbled forward, and with her fair face and red hair she could have been from either side. But she had been attacked clearly. The great winged beast that had dove into the trees. She had been its target.
Then she collapsed quite suddenly, and Pyrrhus found his feet already moving, just then however a familiar face appeared beside the fallen scout.
"Azaria!" The centaur cried and shifted to try and scoop the halfling up in a great bear hug. "I thought it'd be ages before I saw you again! But, what are you doing here?" He set her down happily and watched as she examined the scout.
"The beasts are much wilder than usual." Pyrrhus agreed, "We watched that blighted at creature go for her, but let me see what I can do to heal her."
He knelt slowly, taking care not to dump Ora off his back. He shifted the unconscious elf to prop her back against one arm while he turned her damaged wrist so he could see it better.
Desrick shifted in his saddle when Lohr approached.
"Be careful. She could still be dangerous." He said in a cautious tone.
Pyrrhus gave the orc an unimpressed look. "Not with injuries like this she can't. It will take me a good long while to heal...but perhaps I can repair it enough now to subdue her pain at least."
The centaur focus his energy for the second time that day. He felt the strain like a dull ache pulsing through his body. It was easier to spread healing through the notes of his music, but that was indirect, and less effective for serious wounds like this one.
He looked down and waited for her to open her eyes.

Yatasal
Desrick meanwhile turned his boar. "We don't have time to stay, catch up when you can Pyrrhus. Ora, if you want to continue on with us you can ride with me." He offered her a hand.
"We need to make sure the scouts are clear, then I think the temple is our best chance as finding survivors...the beasts are no doubt a sign of Cyndara's anger."

Yatasal

Uxul had begun barking orders even before the first ugly snout appeared through the houses. He had his soldiers form ranks, those with shields up front, spearmen behind. He had suspected there might be some upheaval from the forest, but the stampede that came was much more than he was prepared for.
The lines nearly broke the first time the tide of creatures fell against it.
"Hold together! Keep your spears high! Saw men do NOT stop cutting that tree!" He roared , they had half of the trunk cut now, and the workers were chopping furiously.
His warriors were used to fighting monsters. With no crystal in their own villages they had to learn how to best the animals that wandered into their settlements. Cyndara's ire had always been for them. The Evereach elves were not so experienced. The first few went down with screams cut off under hoof and claw. Then, great spurts of flame erupted from their mages, catching straw rooftops and dried lumber piles. Uxul swore as the village around him collapsed into utter pandemonium.

Archie

Mythee

Nevina

Zazz · Sep 23, 2018

The halfling was scooped up into strong, friendly arms. "Hyuhh-" Azaria patted the centaur's back lightly, her pale face red from lack of air, even as her cold eyes took in the horned dwarf riding her friend. Once she was back on her feet, she dusted herself off and gave a casual jerk of her head towards the mess in the wood elf town of Delan, even as she eyed the horned woman. "That, apparently. I followed a secret mission from Everreach into Cyndara and this is where they ended up. It was not the first, and likely will not be the last."

Shifting her gaze to the Sumennan Pyrrhus was now attending to, along with the white-haired elf, Azaria said to both Pyrrhus and the orc -who clearly was not part of the uprising- grimly, "Her hands may not be dangerous, but her eyes and ears are." She knew exactly who this Jilaina Revess was, but she would let the girl dig her own grave.

Flutterby · Sep 23, 2018

Ora shifted a little on the back of the centaur, as Pyrrhus followed her gesture. It was an uncomfortable place, and it felt wrong, to ride a being that had the face of a man. But he seemed kind, and looked to where she pointed straight away. It was oddly comforting to know that the stampede of beasts was surprising to the Cyndarans, too.
It was not as comforting to see what those beasts could do to a living thing, as a stranger stumbled out of the brush and collapsed in front of them. She was undoubtedly Sumennan. Ora wanted to tell Pyrrhus to stay put, to not waste time and energy on someone from the other side, but the next moment another female figure appeared. He was excited to see this one, a friend, and even scooped her up for a hug. This woman eyed her a little suspiciously, but Ora met her eyes with a blank face. It was a weird day for them all.

Yatasal
When the centaur knelt, Ora gingerly hopped off of his back. She moved away several steps, standing where she would not be in the way, and where it would be a little more difficult for the she-elf to stare at her. The short woman averted her eyes as the healing began, choosing instead to watch the village from afar.
Fire had begun to creep across the forest- she only noticed because of its light, so different from the crystal's- and soon it would be met by the fires starting in Delan. No doubt Evereach mages trying to fend off the creatures of the night, destroying to entire town in the process. Ora's jaw tightened, and she glanced up at Desrick with a frown.
Maybe he felt her concern, or just had his own, voicing similar thoughts quickly. Ora swallowed softly and took his hand without hesitation. It took considerable effort to swing herself onto the boar, even with his help, but she managed with minimal huffing and puffing.
From behind him, clutching to his back, she reminded him softly, "If we don't stop them at the crystal, there won't be much to survive for." That was all she said- if he wanted to go to the temple first, then to the temple they would go.

Yatasal · Sep 24, 2018

SilverFlight said:
Pyrrhus gave the orc an unimpressed look. "Not with injuries like this she can't. It will take me a good long while to heal...but perhaps I can repair it enough now to subdue her pain at least."
The centaur focus his energy for the second time that day. He felt the strain like a dull ache pulsing through his body. It was easier to spread healing through the notes of his music, but that was indirect, and less effective for serious wounds like this one.
He looked down and waited for her to open her eyes.

Quinn thought that she'd be blurry waking up, that the world would take a bit to come into focus. But as soon as her eyes were open, the pain in her arm made her wide awake and well-aware of her terrible situation. The centaur was leaning over her, as well as several new people. The horned woman who had been on the centaur's back. An orc, different from the last one she had met. A... dwarf? Halfing? Sheesh, who could tell? And some sort of elf that must've been from Cyndara.

Quinn scooted into a sitting position, but her arm immediately disagreed with this sudden motion and Quinn barely bit back a cry. Tears stung her eyes though, and she tried in vain to move her fingers or hand. But she couldn't feel either. Thousands of questions and thoughts swarmed her mind, but more than anything she focused on her situation. Who were these people? Did they mean her harm? Where was she? Still in Cyndara, judging by the sounds of the forest around her and the fact that there wasn't a sun here. Her heart leapt into her throat when she thought of being in the sun, but she shoved that desire down too. Story, she'd need a story... She somehow doubted that "evereach scout" would fly. Maybe... stupidity? Mixed with a desire for family? Yeah, that could work. Probably wouldn't work very long, but these were Cyndarans after all. She might just be able to fool them with whatever story her blood-loss affected brain could concoct.

"I... Where am I? Am I near Delan?" Quinn asked, cradling her injured arm. "Please, I don't mean to cause any trouble."

She'd just have to play this out, just until she could figure out where the blasted bat creature had dropped her. That, and how to convince a group of complete strangers to take her into an Evereach camp. More likely she'd have to sneak off on her own, and in the meantime she might learn a thing or two to report to Lassard once she escaped. These people might be involved, which would make whatever she could learn about them even more useful.

Zazz · Sep 24, 2018

Azaria held back a snort at the scout's attempt to spin a story, gathering information. Or maybe she was really just that disoriented. The halfling, in the most serious expression, told Jilaina Revess, "Nay, you are in the forest near the base of Darkfrost Peaks." The white-haired man furrowed his brow, but said nothing, slowly putting his little vial away. "Why would you think you were near Delan?"

Yatasal · Sep 26, 2018

Zazz said:
"Nay, you are in the forest near the base of Darkfrost Peaks." The white-haired man furrowed his brow, but said nothing, slowly putting his little vial away. "Why would you think you were near Delan?"

Quinn frowned. Darkfrost Peaks... Oh sun above, I knew I should've gotten a map. Lassard is going to kill me when I get back.

"I was headed there when the..." Quinn shuddered, not even lying about her disgust with the creature that had attacked her. "...the creature... thing attacked me. I'm from Summena, I don't know my way around here, but I was hoping to just be in and out, you know? Of course, this is a large country and that was probably a vain, foolish hope but still I had to keep at least that hope alive because everything else seems to be going wrong and..." Quinn let her voice trail off as she stopped rambling. If they thought she was someone who tended to spill more information instead of doing the smart thing and keeping her mouth shut, they might drop their guards. Or they might put them up higher. Quinn had had both reactions to the "rambling love-sick girl". Of course, she was already spinning a web of lies for this particular character that was nestled in a grain of truth: her half-Cyndaran mother. She bit her lip and her chin quivered. Tears threatened to fall, and Quinn went ahead and let them. She wiped them away with her good hand.

"Sorry. I guess I got carried away. I'm... I'm Jilaina. Jilaina Revess."

SilverFlight · Sep 26, 2018

Desrick paused in thought. "You make a good point...what do you suggest? To the crystal then? It will be dangerous. The beasts have been goaded fairly fiercely, but if we can break the orc lines, even in one place, that might be enough to stop them."
Desrick turned his boar swiftly. "Well then...hold on tight." He kicked the animal into a gallop and lead the way down into the heart of Delan.
The chaos was palpable, everywhere high elves fought and died as the beasts surged into the village. House walls were toppled, gardens were trampled, fences were demolished. Everything about the square was in very bad shape. Only the orcs seemed to be able to content with the creatures and were holding their own as their workers cut deeper into the tree.
"Stay together!" Desrick called to the team, "If you see an opening, we will all rush it at once!"
Mythee Flutterby Archie

Pyrrhus looked confused for a moment, then caught on to what Zaraia was trying to do and frowned.
"Az, she's hurt, and very confused."
He turned to the injured scout and spoke tenderly: "You're safe with us my lady, but I suggest you stay out of Delan for a little while. We're not far." He shot Azaria a look,
"It's too dangerous with all the beasts, you can stay with us for the mean time though. I'll keep you safe. My name is Pyrrhus."
he regarded Azaria as she spoke next. She did have a point. he would have to be careful what he said around the scout. She was still a summerlander after all.
Zazz Yatasal

mothspit · Sep 26, 2018

High above the heads of the unsuspecting party, there came the sound of leaves rustling, the soft ache of stressed tree-branches. Something --- Or someone --- was in the trees. They were quick, faintly hopping from branch to branch in order to climb higher. As a few small leaves fluttered down to the ground from their perches, so did a fast arrow, firmly planting itself into the earth at their feet.

From high above, a voice echoed all around them..

"You have entered my domain. Speak your truths, lest my arrows decide it for you!"

Thwip. Another arrow came from the dark sky, though yet again hit only the ground. This person; Whoever they were, their tone was not malicious in nature, but those arrows spoke a different tune. If one were to look up, sure enough, where the trees just touched the sky, a large den sat alone along the center of two branches. There was no light to illuminate the area, save a single lit candle, which could be seen through the home's front window. Yet, the origin of the voice was nowhere to be seen, hidden somewhere by the shadows and foliage.

"I see chaos, I see death, I see my family in agony.. Are you the cause of this? All this.. pain?"
This last line was practically spat, and littered with intense vitriol. Man, she does not sound happy..

Mythee · Sep 26, 2018

"That so?! Interesting thought, but I appreciate your vertical shape more than your wisdom, so how about you grab on, first!" Falsedge reached an arm out low to Razah to help her up to relative safety, hanging onto the lion's feathers with her other hand. From the sound of a scream nearby, the forest creatures were already making short work of someone. Evereach scouts, hopefully.

SilverFlight
====

Valac followed from the orc camp, trailing just far enough from the group not to worry about getting in the way of those two sets of hooves as he undulated forth. It wasn't enough, however- at this speed, the two mounted units ahead were kicking up some dirt that got into his face. "P-pah! Fsthfft-" He flicked his tongue to dust it off, taking some more distance, but was suddenly distracted by the sound of screaming from... overhead? He looked up, where a woman was struggling against a bat creature.

He watched with horror as she harpooned herself back to land and collapsed in front of Pyrrhus. The naga approached them, holding his breath until she was conscious again. "Oh, thank goodness." He exhaled and leaned away, rarely having to worry so much in one day. He knew he had to harden himself for what lied ahead, aware that the stampede headed for Delan could very well not be a victimless one.
To console the Summenan over her injuries, Valac tried to inspire confidence in Pyrrhus' healing.
"Jilaina, I'm Valac." He gestured to himself as an introduction. No matter how much he was telling himself to stay calm right now, the anxiety this critical situation had induced in him remained spelled across his youthful face. His voice was laden with worry despite the reassurance he was trying to provide. "You're in good hands, I promise. That orc you just saw galloping off to town is Desrick. Just earlier today, he was in critical condition, but Pyrrhus' magic helped to restore his health. You'll be all right!" He smiled, then turned to Pyrrhus' friend who had shown up just now. "Nice to meet you, too. Um... I might be able to help with the town, so I'm going over there."

With that and a quickening heartbeat, the young naga departed after Desrick, unsheathing his sword in a hurry and casting a few quick glances to the sky in case any other giant winged creatures were looking to pick up a target.

Yatasal

Archie (ooc: if you want to cross paths)
=====

Meanwhile, from the height of their enormous mount, Falsedge was experiencing a child's fantasy perspective; the viewpoint of a giant, stomping through town. The turtle-lion- turtlion? bounded over homes, the brief scrape of its claws sending sprays of rooftiles onto the street, where they were further shattered underfoot by the horde now engulfing Delan. It wasn't time to be questioning the initiation of this rampant destruction, and it wasn't time to be enjoying her unusual ride, either. The pleasant rush of air working Song's hair into a glowing frenzy nearby just barely made it through the soldier's tight, oiled-back ponytail, an analogy for her mental state. Keep your eye on the prize, Khuda... how could she best achieve their goals of repelling the Summenan invasion?

She peered around the buildings, surprised when she spotted someone atop a boar mount, not unlike those she had seen ridden by the orcs in the center of town toward which he now rode. "Huh. That... Desrick?" As little as she knew about him, it would never cross her mind that he was with them. He was a peaceful man who cared for this place and the adoptive family that lived here. So, what was he doing? Negotiations? Surely not. He'd seen what they were doing with that saw.
He wanted to stop the crystal from falling, and save his other people.
Alas the turtlion seemed content with directionlessly wrecking base and hiss-roaring at anything- or anyone- scurrying across its path.
"Song. Is there any way we could direct ourselves toward the tree with your talent for annoying creatures? That or I'm gonna need a corpse on a stick."

Nevina

Zazz · Sep 27, 2018

With the sound of the first arrow whizzing down to the earth, Azaria had her bow armed and black arrow notched by the time the second one was let loose. Sure, she could not see the archer above them, but judging from the angle at which both arrows had struck, she had a pretty exact estimate of where they were hiding. "Show yourself!" Instead of aiming for the attacker, Azaria struck the candle through the open window with a well-aimed arrow, watching it fall and blow out. She didn't know how well the other archer could see in the dark; Azaria, at least, had the slight benefit of her father's eyes. She listened carefully for a rustle in the leaves, putting up a hand to silence the others.

Nevina · Sep 27, 2018

Bright eyes flashed at Falsedge, a mischievious smirk dancing across the light fae's face, "I've no idea what you speak of, though I am talented in many things."

For all of Song's faults, she was at least equipped with a decent sense of observation: Through all of the majestic beast's rage, she had begun to notice a pattern for each time it slashed at the air, growled, raised it's hackles, spread it's feathers, when it snapped, and when it leapt. The thing it chased after the most? Firstly, things that ran away from it. Secondly? Well.

Pulling out one of her ornate daggers from a boot, Song scooted further up the beast's head, scratching it behind one of it's horns while a fond smile, whispering, "Who's a good Sir Aubade? Yes you are!" Gripping a horn, the fae leaned over, waving the blade in front it's eye. It took a moment for the lion to pause in gnawing a soldier's boot, pupil staring intensly at the intruding object. In that moment, Song angled the blade, catching the light so that it glimmered across it's rich metals. With a dancer's muscles, she pulled her arm back and threw the blade. The shining, moving object did it's job, and the lion quickly pounced after it. She might have thought the creature as playful, had she not seen it plow through an army of soldiers.

The creature had lost sight of the dagger, but maintained the same direction she had thrown it in. The luminescent crystal grew large before them, as did the enemies that surrounded it, "I did my part." She called back at Falsedge, her tone smug, but the quiet fear of Summena quickly flashed once more in her mind.

((

Mythee

SilverFlight and @ anyone else who wants XD))

Yatasal · Sep 27, 2018

SilverFlight said:
"Az, she's hurt, and very confused. You're safe with us my lady, but I suggest you stay out of Delan for a little while. We're not far. It's too dangerous with all the beasts, you can stay with us for the mean time though. I'll keep you safe. My name is Pyrrhus."

Quinn smiled sheepishly, wiping another fake tear away from her cheek. "Thank you, Mr. Pyrrhus. I really appreciate it. It's been hard, being here all by myself and not even knowing really what I'm doing." Looks like she got one, at the very least. "Az" or whatever her name was would be more difficult to convince, clearly. And now when Quinn glanced at her furtively she could've sworn she knew her from somewhere. But where that would be, she didn't know. Or couldn't recall, anyway.

Mythee said:
"Jilaina, I'm Valac. You're in good hands, I promise. That orc you just saw galloping off to town is Desrick. Just earlier today, he was in critical condition, but Pyrrhus' magic helped to restore his health. You'll be all right! Nice to meet you, too. Um... I might be able to help with the town, so I'm going over there."

Quinn nearly gagged when she saw the half-snake boy. Why was everyone here so ugly? It--he--seemed to be nice enough, but watching him slither away made Quinn turn pale. She hated snakes and lizards and anything else of that sort. How could anyone associate with such a creepy low-life? She barely listened to a word he said, just stared at his snake... tail...

VenusMother said:
"You have entered my domain. Speak your truths, lest my arrows decide it for you! I see chaos, I see death, I see my family in agony.. Are you the cause of this? All this.. pain?"

At the first arrow, Quinn let out a small yelp. It landed dangerously close to her leg, and she scrambled to her feet. At the mysterious voice and the second arrow, Quinn jumped back and almost took the opportunity to run. Instincts and her gut told her that this group still had information that she could bring back to Lassard. Besides, she didn't know the land and would have no idea where Lassard's camp even was... If he was still alive. Sun above, what if the beasts had killed him and the other Summenan generals? What if this was all for naught?
No Quinn, you can't think like that, Quinn reminded herself. Lassard's smart. He won't get himself killed.
She just needed to wait and see what the day would bring.

mothspit · Sep 28, 2018

Zazz said:
With the sound of the first arrow whizzing down to the earth, Azaria had her bow armed and black arrow notched by the time the second one was let loose. Sure, she could not see the archer above them, but judging from the angle at which both arrows had struck, she had a pretty exact estimate of where they were hiding. "Show yourself!" Instead of aiming for the attacker, Azaria struck the candle through the open window with a well-aimed arrow, watching it fall and blow out. She didn't know how well the other archer could see in the dark; Azaria, at least, had the slight benefit of her father's eyes. She listened carefully for a rustle in the leaves, putting up a hand to silence the others.

From her perch -- A set of branches spanning behind the room of her home -- She crouched slowly, so as not to disturb the leaves, and carefully pointed another arrow at the fellow archer. Trileon watched her tentatively. As her return fire flew through her window, snuffing the candle's light, there came the sound of glass shattering. Looks like something was broken inside.

If that was my cup of berry juice, Myst Queen permitting I'll have that girl's head. ..Or at the very least, an apology.

Though not much for fighting, these travelers looked.. Summennan, and that meant trouble. What were Summennan doing this far into the forest?

"A bold request, considering it is you who is trespassing. I was coming back from the mountains when I witnessed a stampede headed for Delan. Now, I see Summennan's within arm's reach of my home. You understand why I am careful."

Yatasal said:
At the first arrow, Quinn let out a small yelp. It landed dangerously close to her leg, and she scrambled to her feet. At the mysterious voice and the second arrow, Quinn jumped back and almost took the opportunity to run. Instincts and her gut told her that this group still had information that she could bring back to Lassard. Besides, she didn't know the land and would have no idea where Lassard's camp even was... If he was still alive. Sun above, what if the beasts had killed him and the other Summenan generals? What if this was all for naught?
No Quinn, you can't think like that, Quinn reminded herself. Lassard's smart. He won't get himself killed.
She just needed to wait and see what the day would bring.

Whatever the reason for their presence, she could not afford to lower her guard. She had been observing them for some time now, just before the Centaur attempted to patch up the fallen Elf. She was asking for Delan -- the source of all the chaos Trileon was witnessing from the tree tops. What did she have to do with Delan? Still, that would have to wait for now, as it looked as though she were injured. Trileon's good nature shined through her thoughts, unwilling to let someone suffer even from the most minor of scratches. Even if they were Summennan.

"You there. With the injuries. Centaur's are noble creatures, and though their magic is great, I have found the land to be.. much more effective. Do you require aid?"

Flutterby · Sep 28, 2018

Ora watched the injured Sumennan from the back of the boar with a scowl. She was all doe-eyed and rambling, trembling at the thought of being lost in the woods, crying about things falling apart. Either she was very, very lost and desperate. Or she was laying it on nice and thick to get in with the group. The fact that she, a Sumennan, was this far into Cyndara, heavily suggested the latter.
Ora responded to Desrick, without moving her eyes, saying, "Yes, I think the crystal. Stop them at the source, and maybe the beasts will go back to where they came from. Leave Delan be."

The dwarfling chewed on the inside of her lip, and then called out to the other part of the group.
"Be careful. Watch out for the summerlanders." It felt odd to say, since she was one, but they would know she didn't mean herself. She meant the injured scout. The only thing keeping her from saying outright that the woman was a scout for Lassard, was the fact that she appeared to be some sort of faerie, even though she was clearly of mixed heritage. But what business could she possibly have here?

Her musings were cut short by Desrick spurring the boar into a gallop. It was an uncomfortable ride, one that left her with no hesitation when it came to clinging to Desrick for balance. Nothing like Pyrrhus, and even less like the ponies she had grown up with. It was a relief when they reached Delan and had to slow down. Well, for a moment, before she got a look around at what was happening. The town was already utterly destroyed, and Ora seriously doubted her direction. Would it have been better to leave the orcs be? To go to the temple and run with those sheltered there? Should she have gone home when she hesitated at the border, days ago?
Probably.

Desrick shouted something about waiting for an opening, but with so much chaos, Ora wasn't sure what that would even be.
There was an extra bit of scuffle at the edge of her vision. She turned her head, and saw a large beast plowing through the crowd, pushing aside even other beasts. Clinging to it, riding it even, were none other than Falsedge and Song.
"That thing is making a pretty big opening." Ora said over the din, tracing its path ahead. If it didn't turn, it should go straight to the crystal. And they could follow it in.

Yatasal · Sep 29, 2018

VenusMother said:
"You there. With the injuries. Centaur's are noble creatures, and though their magic is great, I have found the land to be.. much more effective. Do you require aid?"

Quinn jumped when the voice spoke again. She certainly wasn't expecting to be addressed. That, and she was kind of hoping that she would be protected and ignored, a perfect position to be in. I guess that was too much to hope for. "Um... Me?"

Realizing that she was in fact the only one with injuries, she cleared her throat. She could feel her hand now, and move it a bit. But it was still heavily injured and though the Centaur's magic had worked wonders, she needed the full use of her hands if she was going to survive in the ugly, murderous jungle that was Cyndara. How anyone lived here was beyond Quinn. Certainly only the ugliest did, the Sun herself probably too ashamed to shine here.

"I... Well, I guess I could use some help. But Mr. Pyrrhus has done a good job," Quinn quickly added, not wanting to offend the centaur. Or anyone in the group. It looked like she had already offended Az, but that couldn't be helped now. "I can't move my fingers very well though."

mothspit · Sep 30, 2018

Yatasal said:
"I... Well, I guess I could use some help. But Mr. Pyrrhus has done a good job," Quinn quickly added, not wanting to offend the centaur. Or anyone in the group. It looked like she had already offended Az, but that couldn't be helped now. "I can't move my fingers very well though."

Trileon watched the elf's posture curiously. The way she looked at the Naga boy.. Was this her first time in Cyndaran territory? If that were the case, this was the perfect opportunity to learn what Summennans were doing here, especially with the chaos in Delan. For a brief moment, she wondered if, by some chance, they knew her mother from the Summer Plains. Though, she quickly pushed the thought out of her head. The probability wasn't likely-- Not all Summennans know each other. Not only that, but the knowledge of being half-human has brought her more harm than good. Better to not mention it.

Trileon carefully, and slowly, so as to not disturb the leaves, returned her arrow to it's quiver and her bow around her shoulder.

"..Contrary to what you might be thinking, I do not wish to fight any of you. I can help-- The Cyndaran night has cultivated remedies your Sun could never hope to see."

With all the grace of a sleuth jungle cat, using both hands and feet, Trileon scaled the thatched roof of her home, lowering herself to it's side. There, she began unraveling a long wooden ladder, letting it drop all the way to the bottom. She crouched down to where the top of the ladder met the side of her home, elbows resting across her legs. By extending one hand, in the space between the branches and night sky, those with adept eyesight could see she was unarmed.

"You both may climb up. I would extend my help to.. Pyrrhus, was it? But I do not think I am in the position to do so. If you can hoist yourself up, the branches provide ample pathways to the top."

SilverFlight · Sep 30, 2018

"Now don't worry at all Jilaina...my goodness are you quite well?" He had seen her disgusted expression but couldn't imagine what had cause it.
Pyrrhus was on his feet in an instant when the voice sounded all about them. His hand was at his sword sheath but he didn't draw it. Instead he stepped protectively over Quinn, keeping his equine forelegs on either side to shield her from more arrows. When the strange voice offered to help Pyrrhus removed his hand from the sheath slowly.
"Hmm, I don't like that. I can't protect you if you go up there." He said gently. Then he called up: "Come down first. Let us see you, so we know you are a friend. The stampede was provoked. High elves from the summerlands are trying to take Delan's great crystal. It will be death and destruction for the wood elves if they succeed. There are several tribes of orcs helping them, the blighted traitors."

mothspit

Yatasal

Zazz

~*~*~

Desrick smiled as he caught sight of the tiny figures on the back of the giant beast. "So it is!" He laughed. Then he steered the boar to run in the creature's wake. When it collided with the line of orcs Desrick dismounted and with a fervent battle cry he set about the enemy orcs with his axe.
"We must stop them from cutting the tree!" But even as he bellowed orders to his team the trunk gave a sickening crack. It seemed to happen in slow motion: the branches lowering themselves slowly to earth, falling faster and faster as gravity reached for them. Then the ground-shaking crash that reverberated throughout the entire area as the tree connected with the ground. A burning house not far off toppled from its foundations, littering the base of another tree with flaming debris. Now it was a race to get to the crystal, preventing the other side from stealing it away, and on top of this, the forest was very near to becoming an out-of-control inferno.
Desrick swung his axe at every challenger, besting one, two, three before the numbers began to overwhelm him. Without support, he would tire quickly, for the orcs, even with their line broken and many engaged with the beasts that now ran through, there were enough of them to overwhelm the small number of warriors.
Desrick had to throw himself to the ground to dodge a manticore as it bowled into another, less fortunate orc, but this left him completely exposed to attack, and he gritted his teeth as another orc moved to try and put a broadsword through his heart.

Archie

Zazz · Oct 1, 2018

About to offer to carry the injured lady up the ladder, Lohrithe whipped his head around to look upon Delan at the sound of the great tree falling. In Cyndabrynde's darkness, he could see the blaze of fire in the village... and the fallen crystal.

"I must go," he said quickly, decidedly, mounting his boar once again. "I must help Desrick." Without further hesitation, the drow raced off towards Delan, praying his friend's wound was still healed and that he was okay. Ora, too, but mostly Desrick. He could not bear the thought of losing Desrick. Not to these Sumennan elf-beasts. Not to these orc traitors. Lohrithe roared and swung his great sword as he entered the fray, the gold glinting off the blade in the firelight. He took out a few traitors along his way, beheading them like butter as he rode to his friend's side.

He found Desrick on the ground, about to be struck with a sword, and unleashed the orc within him; with a battle cry he swung off of his boar while it ran and shoved his own blade straight through the attacking orc's side. Ribs crunched and the orc was sent sideways, hitting the ground and sputtering. "Traitor," Lohrithe snarled, and pulled his sword from green flesh. Blood spilled, then poured as the life left the traitorous beast.

Lohrithe extended a hand to his friend.

SilverFlight · Oct 1, 2018

Pyrrhus looked round to the dark elf but he was already back on the boar and turning to spur it.
"But, wait!..." Lohr was gone before Pyrrhus could utter a protest. He smiled to himself and flicked his tail, drawing his attention back to the problem at hand.

Desrick gritted his teeth, prepared for pain and death when suddenly a familiar voice rose above the din, then the orc that was poised to strike his killing blow faltered. The blade ran him through mercilessly. He landed in the dirt, dead-eyed and still, leaving Desrick completely unharmed. Standing over him, silver hair bronzed in the light of the fire and disheveled from the ride and the fight stood Lohrithe.
Desrick caught his breath. Steeped in battle, bloody and fierce the drow could not have been more beautiful. His hand was in Lohrithe's before he knew what he'd done and he let himself be helped to his feet.
No words would come to him at first, struck out of him by Lohr's presence. A blade came flying in from another attacking orc and Desrick moved. In one fluid motion he stepped around Lohr, countered the broadsword and sent a fist straight into the traitor's face.
"You're late." Two words and a tusky smile as he turned to face the drow again. He placed himself at Lohr's back, ready to defend against whatever would come.