Fantasy The End Of Vahlana (IC)

[Oreo Cookie]

"Am I hearing ya right? Just two silver?!" Minerva asked, her eyes widening in disbelief. Welders selling their creations for cheap wasn't that much of rarity, but a munificent dwarf was practically unheard of. She had assumed his kind was nothing more than a bunch of gold hungry craftsman. A low laugh escaped her. She had come in fully prepared to spend an arm and a leg just to get a decent blade. It looked like her stash of gold would be spent on more meaningful things later today, like the top shelf drinks from the local tavern. She combed through her pockets with a smile on her face and grabbed the last of her spare change. A pair of silver coins were placed onto the table along with the pocket lint that covered them. "This is mighty generous of ya, hun. In fact ya just made my day."

She sat idle with her arms crossed while the welder worked, her gaze slowly drifting from one side of the cluttered tent to the other. The words the dwarf spoke seemed distant, but her eyes did briefly flick over to him at the mention of killing elves. She herself never had the pleasure of killing a full blooded elf, whether they were a bad seed or otherwise. Her interest in the old dwarf grew sightly. Perhaps his past experiences could prove useful to her future. Her inquiries could wait for a later time. She had other matters to attend, although she'd probably find herself in this tent again if the welder's weapons were as good as they looked.

Minerva seemed to not notice when the two men finally took their leave. Her eyes were fixated on the fire her soon-to-be sword was forged in. The silence within the tent stretched on, and her patience stretched thinner. Yet she said not a word. This was partially due to her not wanting to disturb him while he worked. Ah fuck it. Resisting the urge to tap her foot, Minerva broke the silence by clearing her throat. If small talk was going to pass the time, no matter how briefly, so be it.

"So why's someone like ya'self in Vahlana? I thought ya kin preferred mountains to forest." It was a question she was genuinely curious about.

Brax

 

[Croaker]

Rodolfo Albern Hawthorn Sylas Von Rothenburg III​

Rodolfo, the meek and timid boy he was, tried to hide his smile when Lakan relayed that she was familiar with his uncle. And did she say she would be willing to take him to the man? What luck! What joyous fortune for the lost little lamb! Even Gregory seemed to sense Rodolfo's spirits lifting, and clacked his teeth encouragingly.

Shuffling his feet in nervous excitement, Rodolfo ate up everything Lakan said about the tome he had passed her. He was quite glad there was someone else who appreciated the volume's worth such as he, and her reaction alone to the book was a much-needed pick-me-up. Of course, he was still anxious to go see his uncle, it had been a years worth of travel, and every second surely counted. Still, he could wait a little longer. Maybe this alchemist would accept the book as payment to be his guide? That would certainly ease Rodolfo’s mind.

It was in the midst of these thoughts when the noble found himself suddenly impacted by an unexpected weight. While the boy was tall, he was lean and thin with not much muscle to his name. Not able to ready himself against the sudden impact, Rodolfo instantly crumpled under the weight, letting out a pathetic squeak on his way down.

Pitifully, Rodolfo wiggled his way out from under the woman and got to his feet. He quickly dusted himself, pushed locks of silver hair from his face and surveyed the situation, mustering an, “O-oh dear” before taking in the woman before him. She was... peculiar, something about her features were familiar, almost elven but not quite.

"Meeting your uncle may have to wait. Quick Help me get her upstairs."


Rodolfo nodded, and helped Lakan move the girl.
Desert Rose

 

[Ch3rryBlossom28]

Aurora watched as the centaur slowly came out from the brush a little more. She could tell that the centaur was still nervous despite how she spoke. Aurora herself didn't give off a threatening vibe ( at least she hoped she didn't) but Knight on the other hand. That was an entirely different story. The dire wolf was massive even for his breed and could be very protective of her. When she spoke elvish rolled off her tongue. "Havo dad Knight." At that the wolf immediately stopped growling and sat down where he was standing. One of his ears perked forward at the centaur and the other turned sideways to hear around them.

"My purpose huh? I would have to say that it was a mix of thrill and hunger? I get to sharpen my skills and Knight here gets to eat breakfast." At the word breakfast Knight looked up at his partner.

"I haven't seen you around before. Name's Aurora. What's yours?" Aurora knew that the introduction might have seemed strange. After all who just gives their name to anyone they meet? Aurora had always been out casted by those she was raised with and knew how it felt to not have nay friends so she always made sure to try and take the friendly route first.

Ridge

 

[Brax]

KILGRIN
​

"Tis just a normal sword."

Sure, Kilgrin was money-hungry. But sitting on a vast empire filled with riches, getting his materials for some of the cheapest prices he had ever seen in his life; well, it permitted quite the business model. Due to Kilgrin getting his materials wildly discounted, and he did the maintenance himself so it was free, this allowed the dwarf to sell his swords and art at a much lower price than other welders. His more extravagant pieces were ones he put hours and days into; those were the pricey ones. But just a normal sword? It only took but a few moments to properly craft such a weapon. On top of that, cheaper prices kept customers like Minerva coming back each time they needed a commissioned piece of work.

"It ain't generosity. We all got reasons for doin' w'at we do. I would not be 'helpin' ya if I could not eat."

Wasn't that the truth? A few minutes had passed, Kilgrin was spoken to. Not expecting the break, the dwarf looked up at the woman briefly before turning his attention back to the sword. "All my kin's still t'ere. I travel between places." This, of course, was among other things -but they were not noteworthy for a regular customer. "I spent plenty a time in my youth here in Vahlana. Some dislike it due to history, but 'tis the very same reason I can't spend too much time away."

Kilgrin began chuckling, furthering his explanation.

"'n to be honest wit'cha, dwarves ain't swell customers. Even at my prices."

Removing the sword from the fire, Kilgrin took his time to lay it back on the anvil. He was intoxicated but held his liquor very well. The dwarf had over a century to learn how to do so, after all. Reaching his hand into his pocket momentarily, the dwarf removed a small metal box from his armor. Flicking up a small latch to open it up, the dwarf removed a hand-rolled cigarette and placed it between his lips before extending his arm towards the female to offer her one.

Oreo Cookie

 

[Ridge]

As the large canine relaxed so did Swallow slightly however she kept tight hold of her staff. The bond the two seemed to have was heartwarming for her, the beast he normally encountered either needing dealing with in a good or a bad way and thankfully this needed neither as it was clear her was under a good command by the elf.

Slowly nodding as her question was answered Swallow was feeling slightly more relaxed but the caution was still present as normal. “Food. Good.” Her nod followed gain before she slowly bowed her down slightly. “Name is Swallow. Warden of the Forest.” She stood herself up straight again before giving a awkward but still a generous smile towards her.

She looked around as he forest seemed quiet again. Her shoulder soon dropped and her staff returned to its normal position, held at the top and the bottom on the ground. “You are elf, yes? I am centaur, believe or not.”

Ch3rryBlossom28

 

[Desert Rose]

With the help of Rodolfo, Lakan got the intruder upstairs and onto some cushions she used for a bed. She looked at the slight point in the ears and grew even more curious of the stranger. “Calm down..” she tried to ease the woman’s mind. “What is it you need help with?” Lakan whispered.


The Brunette looked at the two strangers one clearly an elf and the other most likely human. “My… people… they are trapped.” she whispered.


“Where?”


“In the towers...” the woman whispered.


“The towers?” Lakan whispered and looked around, “you mean the ones surrounding the city?” she clarified. The fae woman nodded. “Then we should go to the council about this right away.” Lakan said looking at Rodolfo, it seemed like the perfect plan since he needed to find his uncle anyways.


“NO!” The short woman cried in a state of hysteria grabbing onto Lakan’s cloak making her back away.


“But…”


“Belmont… he… trapped us… to steal our magic.” The fae cried.


Lakan’s eyes went wide and she helped calm the fairy down before looking up at Rodolfo and slowly moving closer to him “if what she says is true…” she whispered to him her voice trailing as she didn’t really know what to do.


Looking aghast, Rodolfo scoffs. “T-that can’t possibly be true! A Rothenburg would never keep another living creature against their will, servant, slave or prisoner.” The boy looks between the two women, clearly distressed by this information.


Rodolfo nervously whispers to Lakan, “The woman is clearly hysterical. She’s obviously been through a traumatic experience, there is no way the my uncle would keep a whole race of people captive. I-it goes against everything our family stands for...”


The alchemist looked at Rodolfo not convinced. “You don’t really know much about Belmont… do you?” she whispered. It was a bit alarming to hear the fairy’s accusations, but not at all surprising. “He’s not the nicest guy around, he likes to act like he is… but he’s pretty cut throat.” Lakan explained to Rodolfo.


“Please… help my people.” The fairy begged.


“How?” Lakan asked.


“You can free them with magic… free their souls.” She pleaded.


“I’m an Alchemist, and magic is pretty foreign now a days not many practice it in Vahlana… Rodolfo?” Lakan said and then looked to the half elf wondering if he might have any suggestions.


The apprentice necromancer sputtered before the two ladies. Had he been an automaton, smoke may have billowed from his ears. The poor boy’s mind was having a hard time handling all the information presented to him.


Still not convinced by what he was hearing, Rodolfo turned to the small woman upon the bed, his eyes skeptical and analytical. He spoke quietly. “I… I am not practiced in the arcane arts, not to a sufficient degree at least. Though I have spent my fair share of time reading tomes that detail arcane tradition, I am far from proficient.”


Rodolfo paused, his eyes glancing back to Lakan as he tried to study her body language. There was a sigh of disbelief, before the boy took to his knees, finding himself level with the girl on the bed. ‘She’s pretty.’ He thought to himself.


“Say I do believe your story... what kind of magic is required?”


“I just want to free the souls of my people.” The fairy begged them.


“I’ve heard of incantations done for that sort, it also can be revised in an alchemy form, but I would need your help Rodolfo.” Lakan said and pulled him aside.


“Whether she’s telling the truth about your uncle… what’s the harm in helping her? It’s like freeing the dead.” She said looking around the shelves for any books that could possibly give her some insight.


“I don’t have anything in my library that would have the proper inscription.” Lakan frowned unsure how to help the fairy.


Rodolfo sat in thought for a moment. Lakan had a point. Chances were that humoring the fairy girl would be the best way to handle the present situation. Magic was a delicate beast, one that had to be handled with care, but should a ritual be done properly with the intended outcome impossible to accomplish, chances were the magic would simply fizzle out of existence.

“I… I may h-have a book that could help us.” Rodolfo reached into his satchel and began rummaging through it contents. He pushed past the bones of his closest friend, Gregory, and clasped the leather bindings of a tome ages old, a scripture from times of yore, written by some of the first Rotheburgs to ever grace the face of the planet.


Hand emerging from his travel bag, Rodolfo held up a volume for all to see. It was thick, stuffed with yellowing pages and loose sheaths of paper. The text filling these pages was handwritten and reinked by many a generation of Rothenburg. It detailed every major scientific or arcane finding anyone of importance had in the field of necromancy. Most of the entries were written by ancestors of Rodolfo, but a small handful of chapters had been borrowed by the scant few who practiced such taboo arts outside of Rodolfo’s own bloodline. The cover was thick, black branded leather, silver foil and filagree decorating the outer edges while the center was adorned with a silver cast skull. Rodolfo’s fingers held on very dearly to the volume, making it clear he would not let anyone else touch the thing. His arms trembled while holding the book, not because of its mass – though it was quite hefty – but rather, the weight he felt carrying his family’s legacy. The book was more than knowledge, it was a symbol, a soul. As long as this tome existed, the Rothenburgs would never truly perish.


Lakan took in the presence of the book and moved closer to him while he looked for what they needed. As soon as he found what they were looking for she read over his shoulder “I have all of the ingredients.” she stated getting up and going downstairs beckoning Rodolfo to follow. The fairy slowly made her way up and followed as well but took her time.


“Ground bones, dragon’s tongue…” she began to speak them out loud as she pulled out various jars. That was one thing about the girl she could read something and instantly remember it. No one appreciated her talents though. Finishing up everything they needed for the ritual all that was left was Rodolfo’s part.


Lakan held up the black thick liquid in the vial and looked at the fae woman. “I’m not a magic user so this is the alchemist way. In order for this to work you simply drink it and once he says the incantation the souls should be freed.” Lakan said a bit nervous but also extremely excited as her body surged with adrenaline.


Rodolfo didn’t need the book to recite the incantation required for the ritual, but if he were being entirely honest with himself the tome was somewhat of a familiar comfort for the process – something to ease his mind – and so he kept it open and gave the lines of text a once over. Everything looked familiar.


Giving the fairy girl a reassuring smile, Rodolfo waited for her to drink the alchemical base. Once she did, he wasted no time in starting the chant. He wasn’t expecting anything to happen, he was still convinced the fairy had been mistaken, Rodolfo was convinced she was delirious due to a traumatic experience. Though… there was a small voice in the back of his mind that believed. He tried to ignore it.


The ritual Rodolfo now spoke was one of the oldest in the grimoire, as it was the foundation for most necromancy. When the Rothenburgs first came to be, they were known as re-animators. They were people of science, alchemists and tinkerers obsessed with bringing back the dead. Eventually they found ways to have magic help influence their science, and then later evolved to mostly magic based techniques. This particular ritual was written in that middle period. The alchemical base was used to access the bloodlines of the drinker, to unlock death’s clasp on the souls connected to the subjects. From there, the spell coaxed the souls forth.


About midway through the reciting of the spell, Rodolfo’s eyes rolled back into his head. The words he spoke were no longer his own and no longer singular, his lips seemed to barely move, yet still words punctuated the air with such ferocity. Ethereal winds wrapped around him, blowing back his hood and tangling his wispy, silver hair. The whispers of astral forces thrummed through out the room as...


The fae woman didn’t question them and she took the vial from Lakan’s hand and drank its contents in one gulp. Her face scrunched at the horrid taste splashing over her tongue to the back of her throat and down, but the woman had worse. Immediately after her face turned pale and she collapsed her body convulsing into a seizure like state.


“Oh no…” Lakan said and turned to Rodolfo only to see his eyes roll back and the wind began to pick up blowing all and any loose content around the room. “Rodolfo….I…” She tried to speak but the Fae’s screams drowned her voice out.


Outside of Lakan’s shop a storm cloud began to form swirling over the city. Bolt of lightning struck the 4 towers making them collapse killing the guards instantly. The citizen’s began to scream in panic and tried to take shelter. As a grey mist began to engulf the city and spread out across the land around it. Another bolt of lightning hit the shop destroying the roof as thick rain began to pour down


Lakan screamed in fear “Rodolfo… what is happening?” she demanded and as the roof began to collapse over them she pulled him out of the way. Her eyes went wide when she looked upon the fairy who was now floating. A loud shriek as though from a banshee the woman witnessed the fae’s soul being ripped out of her. The body dropped to the floor dead and the soul was whipped away from the wind.


Banshee like screams were heard throughout all of Vahlana as the fae’s souls were ripped out of them and the souls of the dead came for revenge.


“What have we done…” Lakan whispered before quickly getting up and pulling Rodolfo out of the building for safety. Not that it was safe outside but it was better than having her shop collapse in on them.


The cloud only seemed to grow as the souls entered into it and the mist grew darker. Everything began to break and the plant life started to die. The high council met together and tried to use what magic they could, but it was hard to fight against the unknown.


Bryson the human mage threw up a shield where most citizens retreated. Even the shield was no match for the mist. As the fae souls went up into the cloud so did the air down below, it was like a vacuum sucking out the air from their very lungs. The land echoed of screams and screeches and began to spread out destroying everything in its wake. The land was under the fae’s wrath and judgement for what it had done to them and the freed souls were not so forgiving.


Everything was black…

(Please look at Lore content before posting) Brax Croaker Balfnaught1 Kloudy Ridge Ch3rryBlossom28 Meredith Oreo Cookie

 

[Balfnaught1]

Drakka was lounging in his hut wondering how he was going to waste the rest of his day, when everything changed. The world seemed to turn itself around, and suddenly everything was fading to black....
Consciousness returned slowly, and Drakka had a slight inclination to stay down, to accept defeat. This was soon overpowered, however, as his greed returned.
He stood, surveying his orcs. Most of them were struggling to their feet, and the bearded dragons were rousing themselves as well. He was lucky to be one of the first awake. His throat could have been slit while he lay sleeping.
He looked around and surveyed his surroundings, it was devastation. The forest he had called his home for years looked as if the water had been sucked from it.
Good riddance, he thought. I hated the place anyway.
He looked to the skies, free from the foliage that had once blocked it from view. He saw a colossal storm cloud hovering over... where Vahlana was.
A split-second decision, no thought involved in it, no plan, nothing. Simple greed and arrogance prompted his next choice.
"Knights, mount up! The rest of you, get up and follow us!
While the majority of his soldiers forced themselves to their feet, many stayed on the ground. Ordinarily, Drakka might have given them a bit more time to move. Such as it was, however, he was not in a forgiving mood. He raised his axe, and brought it down on a still-sleeping orc's head. That woke them up.
They stood ready, waiting. Many of them had spent their entire lives in this clearing. They were ready to fight.
With a roar Drakka urged them on, him and his three knights on their bearded dragons clearing a path through the undergrowth for his soldiers.
After what seemed like forever, but was not in fact very long at all, they reached the border of the city proper.
As his dream of a decade was realized, Drakka and his tribe tore into Vahlana.
Desert Rose

 

[Croaker]

Rodolfo Albern Hawthorn Sylas Von Rothenburg III​

Bleary eyes slowly opened, only to be greeted by the harsh radiance of the noonday sun. Squinting, Rodolfo looked about the alien and arid landscape, assessing what lay before him. Curious... He did not remember crossing a desert. In fact he remembered no such landscape on the way to Vahlana at all. Had he made a wrong turn? Gods above, how much longer would his trip become with this detour?

Suddenly, memories flooded into the young man's mind. In an instant, he shot upward, using his hands to push himself out of his prone position. A mountain of ash and sand cascaded over him as he unearthed himself. 'Ash?' he starred at it curiously. 'Charred body of the gods, why is there ash?' Rodolfo took another look around the environment. Barren. Any and all plant life seemed ocher and pliant, civilization was null and any trace of other life was absent.

Rodolfo looked to the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks as he contemplated what had transpired. His eyes momentarily met the empty sockets of a humanoid skull, just inches from him. It clacked its teeth in a confused manner. A sad smile crossed Rodolfo's face as he knelt down to unearth the rest of the skull. "Oh, it's just you, Gregory. For a moment there I thought you might be the skull of someone who had died... err, I mean, someone who had died more recently... Let's dig you out of here, you old bag of bones."

Pushing thoughts of calamity into the back of his mind, Rodolfo focused on collecting Gregory's bones, and his few possessions. A burlap sack was picked up during the dig, where all things would be stored, as well as a few of his books – including a slightly charred version of his family's Grimoire – and Rodolof's boots, which were quickly donned. Sadly, not all of Gregory's pieces could be found, for it seemed some of the smaller bones had disappeared into the wastes. "Don't worry buddy," Rodolfo reassured is faithful companion, "we'll get you some new ones. A-and I'll keep practicing necromancy. We'll have you up an running again in no time, I promise."

Gregory chattered his teeth in an excited fashion.

 

[Ridge]

Swallow Tring ​

Standing with a smile for her answer, the ears that sat atop her head began to twitch. What was that sound. It wasn’t anything she heared from the forest before. With little traveling it was new but it didn’t sound good either. Taking a hold of her staff into both hands she gave a simple bow to the elf and a nod to the wolf beside her. “Must go. Hope to meet again.” Quickly she vanished, galloping through the forest it didn’t take her long to make it to the edge of the tree line that showed the city. Her heart sunk as birds were falling from the sky as the were either injured or dying. Gentle creatures footsteps were running past her like a stampede as th forest burst with fright. It scared her, more than her own home did. More than her past memories and more than anything she had felt before.

Overwhelmed by the sights she only just caught sight of the blackness that was spreading. Her feet felt stuck as if the ground and become stone, red eyes couldn’t leave the sight of the world seeming to die and it pained her greatly. Shaking herself awake, it wasn’t the time to be afraid. Yet there was no helping it, nothing had happened like this, not to Swallow. Taking a breath she began to run into the forest for her life. The creatures around her joined as they ran like a stampede away from what ever was coming.

Halting herself she saw a small hollow in a tree, gazing back the land was dying quicker than her heart was racing. Reaching up onto her hind legs, her hand stuck in as she moved around feeling for anything that could have been in there. “Ow!” She screamed. Before the pain could set in fully Swallow grabbed whatever was inside pulling out to find a bird. Not taking a second look she began to run again. With a tear crawling down her cheek it felt like the end.

Desert Rose

 

[Ch3rryBlossom28]

Before Aurora could get around to answering she heard strange loud screams in the distance. Aurora instinctively grabbed her bow off her back along with an arrow. Knight jumped up, pinned his ears back and began growling in the direction of the scream. Looking towards Vahlana there was what looked like a giant storm cloud over it. Aurora barely registered the centaur's, Swallow's, words but she did see the girl ran past her. The only thing that was going through her mind was that her father was there in the city.They may have their issues but he was still her father.

Aurora began running towards the city, Knight fallowing beside her. As she got closer to the city their was this mist that began to cover the land. Aurora and Knight began to slow as their vision started to haze and the world went black around them.

Aurora was the first of the two to wake. When she opened her eyes it took a moment for her vision to return but when it did she was no where near prepared for what she was seeing. There was destruction everywhere. Her beautiful forest gone. Even from here the city of Vahlana looked destroyed. Tears began to fall down her face and she rushed her wolf's side. "Knight wake up! Knight please wake up!"

She waited a few moments and when just as she was beginning to believe her companion had not made it, she felt him stir beneath her. Aurora released a breath she didn't know she was holding. The wolf lifted his head and she wrapped her arms around his thick neck. After releasing him she went back to looking at the city. The mist was gone but the sky was still dark as dark clouds still covered the sky. "Come on boy. We have to see if Father made it." Aurora picked up her bow and arrow that she had dropped before moving towards the city once again. This time she moved a little more slowly for she didn't know what could be lurking.

 

[Oreo Cookie]

Mulling over the welder's words, it took Minerva a couple a seconds to notice the cigarette that was offered to her. Smoking was something she only did once in blue moon, usually after celebrating a victory of some sort. Of course she was willing to do anything that took the edge of her hunger, and so she plucked the cigarette from the dwarf's stubby grip and gave a nod of approval as thanks. She briefly regarded the cigarette held between her two fingers then cast her gaze to the dwarf and his long white beard.

Another question arose within her mind and she opened her mouth to ask it, only to be interrupted by the familiar sound of panicked screams. She had heard such screams many times throughout her travels, but never expected to hear them in Vahlana itself. It was music to her ears. Her temporary enjoyment was lost upon hearing the second set of screams, this one inhuman and otherworldly. The sounds of distant thunder and explosions also reached her ears, and the woman glanced over to the dwarf.

"Quite the commotion, wouldn't ya say?" She dryly remarked as she got to her feet.

Something major was happening and she wasn't going to miss it. She winked at the dwarf and exited the tent only to be met with a downpour of rain and a stampede of panicked people. She held her ground as people continued to trample on by, her eyes immediately focusing on the growing mist. Darkness enveloped her before she realized it and her whole world went black.
~
Laying on the ground, Minerva awoke with a killer headache, a grumbling stomach, and a terrible case of déjà vu. She rose into a sitting position and cursed as the sudden movement caused her head to throb. It quickly became apparent that the marketplace was no more. It was now replaced by a wasteland that stretched on as far as the eye could see. The woman dusted herself off before taking a stand. The cigarette she was given earlier was still in hands and she placed it between her lips as she scanned her surroundings, searching for anyone else who might've survived this ordeal.

 

[Desert Rose]

Lakan began to stir as blurred eyes slowly opened. "Rodolfo....." She whispered for that was the only person she remembered. Sitting up the woman looked about and sighed in relief to find the elf near her holding a skull in his hands. She might have been slightly disturbed had it not been for what had just transpired. The once beautiful forest was now a wasteland. Was it their fault? Had the fae woman trick them into destroying? Thoughts raced in her mind and she wished she was unconscious again.

Slowly the woman stood up and brushed her tattered clothes off from the dust. It was a strange sight to see something so barren it made herself feel so empty. "We should find any others, it's probably not safe to be alone." She told him holding back tears. It reminded her of when she woke up and found her parents dead from the explosion she had caused. Was this... her fault too? Were hundreds of deaths now on her hands? It was a weight the young woman couldn't bear. It made her wish she didn't survive through that, but now that she did... Lakan would accept the consequences just as she did with her parents. The woman already knew she was going to hell for her actions prior to this moment and as hard as she tried her "helping" only seemed to make matters worse. Belmont was right, she should have quit long ago.

Magic drew her in it was her drug, one that she could never give up. Alchemy was the closes thing she had to using magic and despite the few errors, she had managed to do some amazing accomplishments. The problem was, the errors outweighed the success and it lead to some form of destruction. Lakan's eyes looked down at her right hand, she still didn't have feeling in it so she often checked to make sure it wasn't injured and bleeding without her knowledge. There was a slight purple essence surrounding her hand that caused alarm before it began to burn. She screamed from the pain and clutched her hand to her stomach gripping it with her left until it finally subsided and it was normal again. Shakily she looked back to her elf companion. "We should search for other survivors... hopefully the council made it." she whispered a tinge of fear echoed in her voice.
Croaker

 

[Desert Rose]

Belmont was in the center of the city when he awoke pushing past the pain in his head he searched the once beautiful landscape and saw the devastation. He knew this was caused by the fae but he also knew they couldn't have done it alone. Someone in the city helped them, and if they weren't already dead he would make sure to make their lives hell. The elf looked around and saw Bryson dead upon the ground and he sighed "your shield was not in vain my friend." he whispered looking over at the number of people he seemed to survive.

There wasn't much time for him to think or even react as a sound was heard and he turned his gaze west only to see a large group of orcs approaching. "You will not have Vahlana..." his voice said coldly as he began to recite an old spell. He was a necromancer after all and he wouldn't let the lives lost be in vain. The dead rose and made their way to face the orcs. It would at least slow them down. On the east two towers still stood along with the wall between them. He began to scream out orders trying to get the injured citizens to the towers in hopes of seeking shelter for the time being.

In his movements he came upon Rodolfo and Lakan. Judgmental eyes stared at the young woman accusingly. His eyes however settled on Rodolfo and the skull he was holding that was chattering. "What are you doing here?" He asked curious and slightly nervous as he beckoned the two to follow him. "No matter, we don't have time. Vahlana is under attack!"

"I need anyone capable of holding arms. We cannot let Vahlana fall." Belmont cried out as he turned to face the oncoming storm. His eyes went wide when he saw dragon like creatures... something he had never seen before. It would be a miracle for them to survive a fight with the orcs.

Balfnaught1

 

[Balfnaught1]

Drakka cursed as he saw the... things rising up in front of his army. Why couldn't they just surrender? As his orcs smashed through the once-living, he noticed something quite disturbing: they kept moving. A decapitated corpse crushed one of his warriors' windpipes with skeletal hands. A quick decision had to be made. His mind was racing. They had already lost dozens to the opposing horde.
"Cut the legs! Disable them! You cannot kill what does not live!"
Ever-obedient, his orcs started severing the legs of the creatures. It did not remove them from the fight, but it drastically reduced their danger level. The once-living were wholly ineffectual against the Bearded Dragons, however. Their grasping claws and teeth proved ineffective against solid hide. The massive lizards crushed corpses with their weight, severed bodies with their claws. Drakka himself contributed, fighting from his mount, his axe parting flesh like mud. It was an uphill battle, but for now, they held the advantage. He looked up, and saw the city around him. It would be his soon, he would make sure of that. Finally, after much battle, Drakka, his Knights, and a few dozen warriors broke through the once-living. The rest of his horde were still engaged in battle, but it was turning their way now. They would lose a few hundred, but they would still have the majority of their warriors by the end of this. They'd have made up those numbers and more within a year. Orcs bred fast, and grew faster.
Drakka and his retinue left the rest of his horde to finish the battle. They stormed through the city, moving through it deftly and easily. Drakka knew nothing of the layout of Vahlana, but he knew the general layout of a city after all his time raiding, and roughly worked out the path to its center.
After some journey, they reached a clearing. Many citizens were gathered in it. In the middle of it, but somehow above everything was a strange, elfin man. He seemed to be the leader, shouting directions and orders to the populace, until he noticed Drakka. He locked eyes with the man, his gaze promising death, and destruction.
Desert Rose