Author: Serafina, Posted: Wed Oct 9, 2019 5:46 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

“Profits are up, incidents are down, things are going well, Jasuin.” Serafina was leaning across the bar at The Second Circle, conversing with one of the finely dressed men that staffed the bar. He was something of her second in command, watching the day to day operations of the establishment when the goddess was not there. Serafina had been much more involved in the day to day operations before she had ascended, and now that she had other duties to fulfil, Jasuin had taken on the role of her business manager, so to speak. “I suppose with the imminent doom of the world as a whole, people are finding comfort where they can,” she said. Normally, she would have held a rather happy tone about such a prospect – but she knew what was truly happening in the world.

She had been tasked with leading an offensive front, and while preparations were still being made, she was working on tying up a few loose ends. “Caranna can help you while I’m away,” she added to Jasuin, nodding down to one of the well-dressed courtesans that The Second Circle employed. “She can help keep the girls in check, you keep an eye on the men, and you can split the rest,” she said. She opened her mouth as though to speak once more, but snapped it shut again as she felt something tugging at the metaphorical strings of her mind.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, Serafina was able to visualize the individual that was making an attempt to contact her. She could see him on the battlefield, visualizing him, and he appeared much as she remembered from when they had made one another’s acquaintances. Trafalgor, the one who had come seeking knowledge of the gods, and the one who had brought her a rather memorable tribute. He was asking her assistance, and as she could visualize his environment around him, it seemed he was already a part of the onslaught.

“I’ve got to go,” she said to Jasuin, who nodded solemnly in understanding. “I’ve got to go help a… someone,” she said, hesitating before finishing her sentence. It was a strange thing for her to do, almost calling someone a friend, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to do it. Jasuin looked a bit confused for a moment, before nodding once more. Serafina left the epicenter of the bar and made her way to her quarters quickly. A quick wave of her hand completely changed her attire into something more battle appropriate. Then, she disappeared from that spot.

Moments later, Serafina materialized alongside Trafalgor, hands on her hips. “Didn’t take you long to call in that favor, then, did it?” she asked him, a smirk briefly crossing her face. Unlike their first meeting, Serafina did not hold the nonchalant and carefree demeanor she usually did. She seemed quite a bit more serious than usual, though that did not negate her flirtatious nature. “Circumstances could be better, but I suppose it’s still a pleasure to see you again, Trafalgor,” she said, giving him a nod and placing her hand on his shoulder in a show of familiarity, a friendly smile spreading across her crimson lips.

Her gaze followed his out into the distance, where she could see the onslaught that was headed towards them. “Yeah, can’t say as though that looks all that good,” she said, frowning slightly. She shifted from one leg to another. Unlike her usual attire of flowing skirts, the goddess wore tight leggings made of a black fabric. Her torso was still covered by an intricately designed and patterned corset of red and black leather. On her back, two long yet thin swords were sheathed, along with a multitude of daggers hanging from a belt around her waist. Her blonde hair, usually worn down in loose waves, was tied into a tight braid – it was clear she was prepared for a battle.

Her gaze shifted to the other two with him – his companions? The first was a smaller girl, who had come over to her rather casually. Trafalgor had clearly not informed her of who it was that he had planned on summoning to their assistance. Serafina had to stifle a laugh as this girl offered her some potions – the goddess, thanks to her divinity, didn’t need the same amount of replenishment when it came to magic as a mortal would. “I think I’ll be alright,” she said, flashing her a rather quick smile, though the smile did not carry the same warmth the one she had greeted Trafalgor with.

The second of the two companions of Trafalgor seemed to be rather suspicious of Serafina, and truth be told, she could not blame her – she knew she carried a very overwhelming aura of power when she arrived unbeknownst anywhere. She could sense that this other companion was not one of the living – something that had once been dead but now no longer was, and that was something that rubbed Serafina the wrong way. Fortunately for this one, today her focus was on something entirely different and she didn’t have the time to speak her distaste for the undead, as it were. Right now, they were both on the same side.

“I don’t know that I will be able to wipe them out,” she said, addressing the three of them, though her eyes were fixed on Trafalgor. “I will be able to take out a good portion, I’m thinking,” she added, furrowing her brow slightly. She fell silent, and it was clear that she was working out a game plan in her mind. After a few moments, she nodded. “Let me give this a try.”

She took a few steps forward so that Trafalgor, Attie, and Lixue were behind her. The mass of Void beasts had gained quite a bit of ground on them – but Serafina wasn’t concerned. She knew that using a vast amount of her power as she was going to would put her down for a bit, but it was a risk she was willing to take.

Serafina’s arms, which had lay dormant at her sides, slowly raised up into the air. As she did, the ground beneath them and in front of them began to quake somewhat, cracks beginning to spiderweb throughout the earth towards the creatures advancing upon them. Just in front of the mass of creatures, the earth split open, and shrieking, moaning voices could be heard. A green hue glowed from within the crack, and soon, shadowy beings began to emerge, the moaning and shrieking voices clearly coming from them. Serafina had summoned the souls of the damned, and tasked them with defeating the creatures. “So far, so good,” she said, turning to look at the group behind her, giving them a flashy grin – the use of power had caused her fangs to protrude ever so slightly. Before she turned back around, the whites of her eyes turned blood red, and she snapped rather quickly back to face the hoard before them.

The crevice that had opened in the ground began to glow brighter, and soon, green flames of Hellfire began to lick up from the opening. Serafina’s arms had dropped down to her sides now, her hands clenched tightly into fists. The cracks in the earth began to spiderweb again, massive amounts of Hellfire beginning to engulf the creatures as they approached the crevice. Serafina’s hands relaxed, and at that moment, a collective scream seemed to ring out from the damned souls that had emerged, and they began to latch on to the void beasts, pulling them into the crevices, engulfing them in the green flame before they disappeared.

The process continued on for several minutes, eliminating the majority of the creatures, leaving a number that would easily be handled by the available forces. Serafina, clearly having exhausted a large amount of her power, fell to her knees, her palms on the dirt holding her up. She was panting, breathing heavily – even a god could be driven to exhaustion, it seemed. Her voice labored from her breathing, she managed to crane her neck around and call out to the group. “You can take them now,” she said, pushing herself back so that she now sat down upon the ground. She would be fine, but it would take her a few moments to return to full strength. “And you owe me!” she called back to Trafalgor, though there was a playfulness hidden in the seriousness of her tone that showed she was more than happy to come to his aid, and in turn the aid of those who were with him.

Author: Cao Lixue, Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:44 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

As Lixue awaited Attie to hand off a knives Trafalgor quickly finished the mana potion that was previously offered to him. Pointing directly at Attie and getting not only hers but Lixue's attention he would jokingly order her to remain the kind and caring person she is. Even with the situation and serious conversations that had taken place Lixue could not help but smile and giggle at the exchange. However, Trafalgor's finger would soon rest towards the Presitess' location.

Taken aback by the sudden shift in concern as the man's priorities at first were to make sure to reduce the danger that she would cause others. Now his priorities have shifted to her wellbeing as well. Confused by the sudden change and barrage of scolding that the man had placed upon her. While she would of like to have the time to process all of the information Lixue simply nodded with a neutral expression. While she was not sure how to process everything that had orrced she knew for certain that she was not going to allow her desires to get the better of her around her new friends.

Feeling cool steel on her palm she turned to Attie who had a serious expression on her face. Cocnered that she was about to face another bout of scolding from her younger friend, but the Undead Priestess was relieved to discover that it was merely an exchange of tactical doctrine for how they should act. With the discovery of a new far larger horde, it was doubtful that their teamwork would be enough to overcome such odds, but if her last moments were with other who expected her, the short unlife would be for nothing. The approach was simple but may work as it could allow her to siphon energy from the beast to possible make an escape route if or when the battle would be lost. Grasping the knife tighter as they approached the battle lines, "It's better than no plan".

Still exchanging battle plans with Attie as they regrouped with the main force, the comment from the Captain caught her ear. "Oh I may have something"! While it was not a rabbit, it may be effective against the Void Creatures. Shuffling through her cheongsam making sure to not add anymore wear and tear to her clothing, the Priestess produced twenty five warding talismans. " I would have made more if I had known we'd be up against such poor odds, but it's better than nothing". Offer her talismans to any who wanted them she was aware that it would not be enough to turn the tides, but anything that could be used to push the odds in their favour was a blessing. However, Trafalgor seemed to have a far better trick up his sleeve.

Standing with Attie with a knife at the ready as the Void beast charged ever closer keeping an eye on both the beast and Trafalgor. Staring at the necklace that the Monk produced, it was too far away to get a clear view of the pendant, but it must be a relic of some sorts for the Monk to place such faith in it. As he bowed and prayed no doubt the pendant was some sort of religious artifact to a god or other powerful being. Concerned for what might appear from Trafalgor pleas she trusted the Monk that it would most likely be beneficial. 

Soon Trafalgor's plea would be answered as an overwhelming presence appeared before the man. Unsure of what being stood before him Lixue stayed back as she was unsure of what the woman that stood before them was. As she focused on the unknown being she did not notice Attie's movements until she appeared before the being. "Wait no Attie". Whispering at her navie friend was lost among the orders from the Captain. Still fearful of the Unknown, but she could not stand by while her new friends may very well be sacrificed by some omnipotent being. Following after Attie Lixue would keep her eyes on the being while preparing the last of her magic to wisk away her friends to safety if need be.

Author: Attie, Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 7:46 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Attie handed the mana potion off to Trafalgor, hoping that the magic increase would help him in some way. She also hoped that the interjection would relieve any stress that Lixue might have. Getting cornered and having to give uncomfortable answers could be difficult sometimes. When Trafalgor pointed her and commanded that she kept her caring nature, Attie held up her hand to her forehead in a sort of solute. 

"Yes sir Baldy sir!" She said teasingly. 

She relaxed her hand and looked to Lixue. Attie felt that Trafalgor was trying to help but…there were some things that couldn't be helped by a motivational speech. Especially when it came to things like self-deprecation. At times it could feel wrong to not be pointing out ones own flaws and being harsh on oneself. It was addicting in a way to hate oneself, even if it was unreasonable. Pointing out their good sides could help but ultimately it was up to the person with the self-hatred to choose to like themselves. Though, this could have just been Attie's own personal experiences. Attie decided not to share any of these thoughts, as she didn't know if she was right or wrong or if speaking them at all would help her new friend. Instead, she would just stick to being the goofball. It was what she was best at.

Attie handed off the knife to Lixue then turned to pay attention to the rest of Trafalgor's speech. She had missed some of it due to her own thoughts but she managed to catch the last part of how life determines who a person is or something along those lines. After he was done, Attie turned to Lixue with an easy-going smile. She then saw the army begin to cheer and she realized that they were winning. Until Trafalgor and others discovered thousands of new Eldritch beings. Attie was out of magic and she knew that even with mana potions, any new spells would cause massive damage to herself. So, she grabbed her whip and stood next to Lixue, determined to protect her new friend. She looked over to the girl with a somewhat serious expression. 

"When they get near, I can trap them and you can stab them." Attie said, "Then we both will be able to help without using magic. We will just have to be careful to pick off the ones near the edges. Does that sound like a good plan?" 

Attie had no clue if it was a good plan but it was the only thing she could come up with. If they worked together they would be able to help fight the monsters. She knew that they were likely going to die. Suddenly, a new person came to join the battle. Attie's eyes opened wide since this was a potential new friend and somebody she recognized. It was during one of the bug battles that Attie had seen the person but she had never gotten the chance to actually talk to the lady. Attie walked over to Trafalgor to see the two as she wanted to get to know the new person. 

"Hi!" She said with a smile, "Do you want some potions before you go into battle? There are a lot of creatures so if you might need something to help replenish your magic." 

Attie was too much of a dummy to realize this lady was a goddess. 

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Tue Oct 8, 2019 2:05 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Trafalgor could see the underlying fear in her eyes, even as she told him that she should be able to control herself as long as she wasn't forced to cast any more. To that he gave a firm nod and smile… and then her next words caused him to frown fiercely and open his mouth to cut her off… and proving once again that Attie has as absolutely impeccable sense of timing, his young friend interjected herself into the conversation with an offer of potions and other supplies.

Trafalgor shook his head and chuckled before taking one of the proffered mana potions. "Thank you, my friend," he said before downing the drought in one go, recorking and giving the empty bottle back to her. He then centered his emotions as the potion went about refilling his personal magickal reserves, sent a bit of that magick to focus on healing the damage he'd done to himself, and then took a deep breath. He sharply pointed a finger at Attie and narrowed his eyes at her. "You." He made sure he had her attention… and grinned softly at the wonderful young woman. "Never lose or change that extraordinary caring nature of yours."

He then frowned sharply and turned both his focus and finger at the steel-eyed mage. "And you," he began, leaving his expression the same, "Never again attempt to use that word to describe yourself within my presence. I despise hearing a person as iron-willed as yourself disparage themselves using such falsehoods." He dropped his finger and placed the hand onto his hip. "Do so again and I will be forced to chastise you most fiercely…" He waited a beat before giving the woman a lop-sided grin. "I get three times as verbose and twice as stern as I usually am, all while lecturing you like a schoolmarm."

He glanced down at the knife the girl had accepted with a sad smile, understanding how she probably intended to use it if worse same to worst, then met her eyes again. "That should not be necessary, but I'll not stop you. I am a man of my word and, as naive as it sounds, I trust others to be true to their word unless they give me proof to the contrary."

Trafalgor turned away from the women and began to walk in the direction they had been going before. "Come, my friends. I swear that as long as I still draw breath, none of these abominations will touch you."

He waited until he was sure that both of them were with him before speaking out again. "Some words of wisdom that you both might be interested to hear… It matters not how one obtains their life in this world. It is what one does with the gift of Life that determines who you really are." Having said his piece, Trafalgor glanced over to see the last dozen creatures being cut down. A cheer rose up as victory was achieved, and, with it, the spirits of everyone he could see around the battlefield lifted accordingly.

However, Trafalgor did not join in with the celebration… as his gut had suddenly clenched tighter than a freshly riveted band of steel. His eyes shot all around the battlefield, looking for whatever was making his instincts scream at him.

Then he saw another that was not celebrating either. "The Captain…" he said softly, then followed the Rosenite's gaze to the far hill where the retreating adventurers that were too tired or injured had been going… and to were they were all now running or hobbling back towards the rest of them as fast as they could manage. He didn't know which of them started sprinting first… he just knew that by the time he had reached the foot of that far hill, the Rosenite Captain was right by his side as they fought gravity and their own weariness to reach the top of the hill as quickly as possible.

And as they crested the hill and came to a halt, the sight before Trafalgor caused his heart to drop into his stomach.

There must have been thousands of the damned things. They were about two miles out, but even so, Trafalgor could tell that their two hundred-something strong force of soldiers and adventurers wouldn't even be able to make a discernible dent in that mass if they tried to stay and fight… even so, he did not take his eyes from the abominations as his mind raced. The last skirmish hadn't been a large enough affair to call for the ultimate trump card currently at his disposal… but this one… well, this one might just fit the bill.

Even as he heard panic start to set in to the rest of the soldiers that had followed their commander up the hill and morale plummeted around him, both the Captain and Trafalgor stayed calm. Finally, the Captain's voice rang out with a firm order for her troops to stand firm… and then ask him in a much quieter voice, "You got any more rabbits to pull out of your ass, Magic Man?"

Trafalgor chuckled at the woman's crude wording and gave a firm nod. "Actually, I just might. Be ready, though. If what I try doesn't work out, I will open a Gate back to the southern border of Laeto for everyone to escape through with enough time to avoid a pointless death on this damned hill. You all just save your strength and let me handle this."

He then walked calmly down the hill as the Captain called for her soldiers to form up properly and stand firm behind him once again. He got about fifty yards down the hill before he came to a complete stop, planted his staff into the loam, and reached into the neck of his robe to pull out a golden necklace with a very special token as its pendant.

On the small token was the emblem of the Goddess of Death and Debauchery - a wolf's head with a snake wrapped around it's neck and a crown of coriander flowers.

He grasped it firmly in his hand, closed his eyes and bowed his head… and sent his thoughts into the small token. 'Serafina, if you can hear me, I am in need of your assistance.'

A few seconds passed… and then a familiar, yet overwhelmingly powerful presence appeared beside him, causing him to open his eyes and turn to the beautiful woman with a smile. He placed one hand over his chest and bowed deeply to her with a greeting. "Serafina, as always, it's a pleasure to see you again. I hate to call in my favor so soon after being gifted with it, but I feel that the situation called for someone with more firepower at their disposal than I." He finally raised his head and turned to look out towards the distant, but steadily approaching horde.

"This is the biggest mass of Void creatures I've seen since arriving on the Plains… and our small force," he turned and gestured to the top of the hill, "just finished killing double our number of the damned things in open combat. The only smart move was either to Gate to safety or call in support." He looked back at the gorgeous blonde with a shrug and grin. "And I figured blowing off some steam and showing the Rosenites what a real goddess can do would just be icing on the cake for you."

Author: Cao Lixue, Posted: Mon Oct 7, 2019 11:53 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Continuing to press forward while not making eye contact with Trafalgor as she could sense his displeasure from her denial and attempts to play his concerns off as a joke. Lixue was barely holding herself back as it is and Trafalgor's offer only added fuel to the fire. How could she explain such a personal matter to a complete stranger even if they fought side by side? No doubt upon their first interaction the Monk's pause was him contemplating wheater or not to rid the world of a monster such as her. Losing herself deep into thought and self flagellation the Undead Presitess did not even notice the large abomination about to break through the Rosenite. 

The crackle of lighting snapped Lixue out of her self deprivation as she looked to the large abomination as it atomized upon contact with the lighting. Looking to the sky as she did not recall any thunder on the horizon. Clearing her mind and remembering that she was near two other mages she looked to Trafalgor how had slammed his staff into the ground using the last of his magical might to rid the world of another abomination. Looking back to the remaining pieces of the void beast she wondered if she should be removed just like the beasts she had fought against. Trafalgor's concerns were valid as he was right to be concerned about her losing control of herself, but gorging herself on the living only made her desires stronger each time she gave in.

Still looking to the void beast even as it's entire being had been removed from the world, only Trafalgor's brought her attention back to the present. Merely shaking her head at the man's question as she knew he was not joking. Lying was not her strong suit and she was only getting used to the act to cover for what she had become. Her next words were partly comforting as the acceptance was all she really wanted from others as she tries so hard to be useful and that she does not mean other harm. However, the second part ending Lixue small moment of comfort as the Monk now stared into her dull grey eyes. His last final question and promise was understanding enough that her current comrade could be trusted with the truth. "I should be fine as long as I refrain from using magic, but I cannot promise that I will be able to resist outside interference. If you cannot expect that then maybe you should treat me like the rest of these mon..". As she was about to forfeit her life to Trafalgor Attie appeared before the two other them offering supplies in hopes of easing both her comrade's concerns. Even though Lixue smiled to Attie it felt there was no joy to be had from the Undead's smile. "Thank you for the offer Attie, but those do nothing for me anymore.. though I could use one of those knives to put any concerns to rest". Still holding her smile Lixue opened her hand to accept the knife, however, the joyless smile felt off as the Former Priestess may do something drastic.

Author: Attie, Posted: Mon Oct 7, 2019 5:20 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Attie was happy to see that her behavior was cheering up Trafalgor. She knew how hard the battle had hit on him and he really needed a reason to smile. Her attention turned back to Lixue as she began to explain that now was not the time to answer questions, which Attie could hardly argue to although it made her a little disappointed that she wouldn't get the answers right away. But she refused to show any of that disappointment and opted to keep a cheery behavior. Attie then watched as Trafalgor used electrical magic to destroy a large abominations that was causing Rosenites trouble.

Then she started to follow the two, making sure she was right behind them and watching all sides for any surprise threats. She also watched as Trafalgor and Lixue were having their exchange, not really knowing what to do. Attie wanted to remind them that they probably needed to leave. But at the same time she didn't want to interrupt their conversation. She could see how Lixue wouldn't want to talk about whatever was going on with her but she could also see why Trafalgor wanted security when it came to them.  Another thing was bothering her. Trafalgor was using way too much magic and Attie knew how using too much magic could result in a disaster. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a mana potion, offering it up to her friend. 

"I have some mana potions, if either of you would like them." She explained, "I also have health potions, some food, and other supplies. Oh! And if either of you run out of magic, I do have some spare knives you can use as weapons. They won't cause the most damage but something is better than nothing."

Attie wanted to continue to be useful to them, even if she couldn't use as much magic as before. She would find a way to support them! After all, helping friends was what a good friend did! Besides she didn't know what else to do while they were having this exchange. 

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Mon Oct 7, 2019 3:39 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Trafalgor chuckled slightly after seeing Attie return to something resembling her usual antics after emptying her stomach's contents off near the boulder, but he suspected it was somewhat of an act. No matter though. The important thing was getting safe. "Agreed, Lixue." They all turned and started to make their way in the same direction the other retreating adventurers were headed… and after a few steps, Trafalgor caught up with Lixue and directly, if quietly, confronted her about what he had sensed. Her immediate, and frankly transparent, denial quite irritated him… but he reigned in his anger quickly. He could understand her desire to not announce her nature to the world at large, and less likely to her companions, but in such a combat situation, his primary concern was with whether or not she herself would constitute a danger to anyone else.

Brows still furrowed as they walked, Trafalgor still leaning firmly on his staff for support, his irritation returned twofold at her insinuation that he would joke in these circumstances. He stamped on his intial biting retort and turned his head as his attention was caught on the Rosenites' right flank. One of the larger abominations was threatening to overwhelm the edge of the formation… and while support was shifting that way quickly, he didn't think it would get there quick enough to save those about to take the brunt of the assault. Trafalgor took one wide step forward and slammed his staff into the ground, sparking a not insignificant portion of his remaining magick to shift the elements within the earth in front of the Rosenite line.

With a force of will he knew he would pay for later, Trafalgor pushed the natural electrical charge within the ground deeper and deeper… he then opened his eyes and gasped a breath that he didn't realize he had held. The difference between the way he used his magick and the way he had found others used it… was that Trafalgor manipulated the elements at their base level within the World around him using his strong understanding of the forces at play, while others allowed their magick to completely shape and fuel the entire effect of a spell. Trafalgor's way, however, changed the World in such a way that the World itself created the effect he desired for him. And what he had learned very early on in his magickal training is that Nature abhorred an absence of any kind.

In the area where he had pushed away all other traces of electricity, the World naturally sought to correct the imbalance…

There was a low rumbling from the scattered clouds above their heads… and then a series of lightning bolts struck the tallest thing in the area… which just so happened to be the huge abomination that had been barreling towards the line of soldiers. As chunks of flesh and gore atomized from the superheated strike of electricity from above, the creature collapsed and moved no more except for a few twitches as the remaining electricity looked for an exit through its corpse. 

As the resulting thunder rolled into the distance and the ringing in his ears lessened, Trafalgor turned to stare impassively at the mage next to him. "Does it look like I'm joking?" he asked mildly. He then gave a sigh and relaxed his features. "Look, Lixue. I honestly couldn't care less what you are. I only care about whether or not you could potentially be a danger to anyone else in your current state." He turned his body so that he was directly facing the younger-looking woman and made sure to maintain eye contact with her. "Can you assure me that you will maintain control of yourself as you are now? If so, then, on my honor, I will let the matter drop here," he promised with a smile. 

Author: Cao Lixue, Posted: Mon Oct 7, 2019 12:43 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

While she held out her hand to assist the Monk as soon as they touched the man froze even as she tried to help him up. "Umm Sir, are you okay"? Still tugging on the man to help him up as this was no time for him to meditate as she looked to the Rosenites as they had just begun to intercept the remaining Void Beasts. As she looked back to the Monk still in deep thought his friend had ducked behind a corner to purge herself out of sight from prying eyes. 

The Monk had returned from his long contemplation and smiled at her with appreciation. However, for some reason, something did not sit right with Lixue as the Man had gone from being as stoic as a rock to now friendly and bursting with comradery. While he seemed fine with the Woman who had retired behind a rock, in fact, they seemed quite close by their actions. His demeanour only changed when he had made contact with herself. Now that the roles were reversed she felt pressure on her arm as he bolstered himself with his staff and her previous offer. His weight brought her out of her train of thought for the moment as she had to stabilize herself even though the man was not placing his full weight on the lithe priestess. Missing part of his thanks from being lost in she had gotten the gist of his thanks, "It was my pleasure to help as we're all in this together". Still unsure about the man as he might know of what she truly is, but since she had no proof on the matter it could of very have been fatigue from his overuse of magic. "Yes that magic was my own, but yours was spectacular as well I would like to ask where you learned it, but this is not the time or place to exchange techniques". As he bowed Lixue bowed shortly after as she was surprised as this had been the first person to greet her in such a way even those within Karith seemed to adopt the handshake over a bow. "Believe me that idea was not my own". Sighing as she thought back to Korg and the other Adventures who seemly had no fear of death.

Easing the tension as he joked about their means of entry, he then went on to introduce himself as Trafalgor then introduced his companion that had returned from her exughtive state to now invade the Undead Priestess' personal space. Whatever had taken place behind the rock seemed to have returned the Woman's vigour, even after Trafalgor had introduced her as Attie, Lixue had no time to process where she had heard that name before as Attie threw a barrage of questions at the poor girl. " This is really not a time for questions, but I am Cao Lixue though Lixue is fine". Looking at Attie more she had recognized the name, but she looked different. " I do believe I we have met before, but your wearing far less padding than before". The memory was vague as Attie had not really made a big impression on their first encounter, but the fact that someone such as herself had such a powerful magical ability spoke volumes of her talent even if it's hidden by her persona.

Clapping her hands to break up the conversation, "Anyway now is not a place for conversation as we're all at our limits it would be best to leave the battlefield". While she made her way to follow after the other Adventures who were making their way out of the village Trafalgor rushed to her side with a hushed voice as her fears were realized. Halting her progress as the offer caused her hunger to flare up more as there was now a willing subject offering to fill her needs. Turning away from Trafalgor, "I.. don't.. know.. what.. your.. talking.. about". Forcing out her words as she struggled to hold back her own hunger as it clawed more fiercely at her mind. "Please don't joke.. about such..thiinngs"!

Author: Attie, Posted: Mon Oct 7, 2019 9:36 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Attie felt like she could barely stand. She was not ready for that spell yet. Before the war started, she had been practicing advanced transformation spells. The dragon transformation spell was one of the spells that she had just started practicing. The fact that she was able to pull it off at all was incredible but there were always consequences for performing a spell that one wasn't ready for. Attie could feel her stomach churning and that all of her mana was gone. Suddenly, she was being pulled into a one-armed hug by Trafalgor and she felt relief flood through her mind. Attie knew she shouldn't have used the dragon spell, she should have used a smaller animal like a Hippogriff or something else. But the job was done and Traf was safe. That was all that mattered in the end. She pulled away to explain what happened with the villagers. 

"I managed to get them all organized and put together." Attie explained, "I couldn't open a gate big enough for their caravans so I had them take only what they could carry. They are safe now so we don't have to worry about them anymore." 

She smiled after hearing his approval and was happy to see that he was alright. When he summoned his Iron Wood staff and another person called out to them, Attie knew that now would be a good time to duck behind a boulder. She quickly ran behind a large stone and puked. Even with her potions, Attie didn't know if it was a good idea for her to stay on battle. Any extra spells might cause too much of a strain on her. But she couldn't leave these people behind. Attie reached into her bag and used clothe to clean herself up then returned to the others. She would just have to deal. To suck it up and keep everything as hidden as she could. 

"What kind of spell did you use for the ice magic?" She asked the undead girl, "I'd be really interested in knowing what kind of magic you used. Also what's your name? Where are you from? Also have we met before? You look familiar."

Attie was keeping up her inquisitive and cheerful nature as she talked. 

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Sun Oct 6, 2019 8:15 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

He could see the Rosenites ahead…

A furious, bestial roar accompanied the wave of heat from behind him, but still Trafalgor didn't turn to look behind him. He was almost there… less than two hundred yards. He just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

It wasn't until a shadow fell over him and the gust of air nearly blew him off of his feet that he reacted to whatever was going on behind him, but by the time he'd turned his head, he was already being lifted away from the ground. Refusing to go down without any fight at all, Trafalgor drew back his fist and twisted his body around in the the claws of the… dragon? Since when had a dragon been on the battlefield?!

The amused voice of his young friend within his mind drained all of the rest of the fight out of him and he finally allowed his body to relax. He'd completely forgotten that he hadn't broken the Telepathic Bond between them when he went to delay the horde… Trafalgor let out a helpless chuckle as they flew over the Rosenite defensive line. *You couldn't have picked a better time, Cub.*

In what seemed like no time at all, Attie had dropped him a fairly safe distance behind the Rosenites, landed next to him and had transformed back to her normal form in a flash of light. He had fallen to his hands and knees, taking deep, even breaths, and glanced over at the girl next to him with a proud grin. He sat back on his heels, reached out, grabbed Attie by her shirt, and pulled her close to him in a one-armed hug. "Thank you for pulling me clear, Cub. I owe you one." He tightened his embrace for a moment before loosening it to allow her to pull away if she desired to. He then glanced up towards the village and noted that it looked deserted. "The villagers?"

After getting her explanation, his grin widened even further. "Good work. I knew I could count on you." He ruffled her hair affectionately, then drew his arm back, and focused inward for a moment. His magickal core was slowly refilling as he rested, but he knew it would be some time before he could perform magick on the level he had been during the short fight again. That being said, he still had enough for several easy spells… and he could speed up the process slightly.

With a small exertion of magick, he summoned his Iron Wood staff into his hand from the aether and stood it upright next to him as he drew in a deep breath. A new voice startled him out of his next action and he turned his head to look up at the woman offering her assistance. He really must have been tired if he missed someone approaching them in the middle of a combat situation like this. He immediately reached out with his magick to get a sense for her - and to see if he could identify her based on what he had sensed during his Dashing Strikes.

As soon as he felt her, however, he froze as he sensed her own wrongness. This, indeed, was the one responsible for the ice explosions he had sensed, but in the chaos of battle, he hadn't been focused on deeply identifying every aspect of her signature. That was not the case with her standing directly before him. Without a doubt, the woman before him was undead. It had only taken a single trip to Inferos and interacting with Serafina to forever memorize the feeling of Death magicks. Further than that, he could feel the twisting chaos within her and the look in her eyes showed traces of her having some sort of internal struggle. Her mind fighting for control against her instincts, perhaps?

He knew intellectually that the undead caused a fundamental imbalance in the cycle of Life and Death… and that his own Path of Seeking Balance in the World called for him to remove this woman from the 'Life' she held within her that allowed her to function as any other. However…

His instincts told him that this was an ally.

He looked beyond her to where the Rosenites were going about the business of mopping up the last of the abominations with the assistance of those adventurers that had long-range attacks at their disposal… and his gut feeling solidified his decision for him. There was a larger Imbalance to correct right now… and this woman was clearly helping to counteract the present disaster. The rest of it was irrelevant for now.

He returned his gaze to the mage and gave an easy smile as he replied. "I can, but assistance offered freely from a comrade is always appreciated." He reached out his free hand to grasp the crook of her elbow firmly and, hoisting himself up with both his staff and her help, he returned to his feet and released his grip. "Much obliged, friend. You are the mage responsible for the ice explosions," he stated plainly, then bowed his head for a moment. "While I have much to say regarding your means of entering the field of battle, your scope of power cannot be denied." He smiled to show he was only half-joking and went on. "I am Trafalgor," he introduced himself, placing his free hand on his chest, then gestured towards Attie, "and this is my companion, Attie. I thank you for your assistance in clearing a path for everyone to retreat safely."

He paused for a moment, hesitating a bit as he looked beyond her to make sure no one else was nearby, then pressed on. "I will be direct, as we have no time to observe the normal niceties," he said in a low tone, so that only the three of them would hear. "Is there anything that I can do to help you with whatever it is you are struggling with? Magick? Blood? Flesh?"

Author: Cao Lixue, Posted: Sun Oct 6, 2019 12:23 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

As Lixue and company retreated from the void beasts, holy arrows pierced and forced the beasts back following a voice boomed through the battlefield in the direction of their retreat. "GO! FALL BACK TO THE VILLAGE"! Looking to the source she would see a large man in garb similar to her own. While Man's attire differed vastly from hers it seemed familiar to her.

"Don't have to tell me twice"!

"Thanks for the assist".

The group of adventurers would thank the Man as he charged past all but Lixue who stared at him as his body glowed with holy power. Following his movements watching him charge right through the beast's lines. His movements and style reminded her of her Brother's more close combat approach using magic to enchant his body to further improve his own physical prowess. Breaking further from the Monk, Lixue still watched his movements even when it looked as if he had run his body ragged. Stopped her retreat the other adventures would continue on all expect for Korg. "Lixue what are you doing come on"! Still looking at the Man who had served as a rearguard for their retreat, "But that man he looks like he's at his limit, I can't leave him to die"! Telling Korg to keep going the Orc reluctantly continued to retreat. Reading her spell she was well aware that saving this man may cause her to lose control, but she had to try.

With her spell at the ready, another feat of magic was prepared before her own. Nearby the ship a bright light shone through the blackened horde transforming into a dragon. Releasing her spell as she watched the dragon swoop down and pluck the Monk from his certain demise. Now that he was safe she regrouped with the Adventures and Rosenites as the Faux Dragon terrorized the void beast lines.

"Mad you didn't get to play the hero"? Korg teased Lixue as she met up with the rest of the group and the Rosenites. Simply shaking her head as she was too focused on controlling herself than making light of a desperate situation. "Hey we're you going I was just joking"! Leaving Korg, for now, she approached what appeared to be the Rosenite in charge. By how she barked orders and kept order among the ranks it would be safe to say that she was in charge. The Captain was far taller than Lixue with sun kissed skin and a mix of green and red eyes. "Good day are you one of the adventures that were aboard the ship"? Before she could speak Korg rested an arm over the Undead Priestess, "She sure is and one of the reasons we're not all five feet under"! The other Adventures cheered still in high spirits even when faced with death. "So how'd you make all those ice explosions I've never seen anything like that"! Korg would continue to nudge Lixue as she tried to keep her cool as the line of Rosenites gave off quite a bit of magical essence. The Rosenite Captin's brow raised as the Orc mentioned something rather interesting, "You were the one that released all that magic early… impressive for someone so young" The captain's interest was peak and the Girl gave off an odd aura, one of death and unending hunger. Leaving her inquiries for later, the Captain focused on the task at hand, "Are you able to cast"? Lixue shook her head as she was barely keeping her sanity with all the life energy around her. "A shame, but you did help us immensely as well as the other two returning, we should be able to mop of the rest of these beasts with the remaining adventures". Turning away the Captain went back to her troops reading them to brace for an enemy charge. The remaining able bodied adventures with ranged weaponry would station themselves behind the Rosenite line while the others would move off to the side to flank the enemy when they charged. Lixue and the others unable to continue to fight would be ready to leave as they would be more of a hindrance than a help.

As they weakened group readied to depart the Faux Dragon that had plucked the man from certain demise had landed nearby chancing back into their original form. Jogging over to the Monk and the Woman how seemed just as exhausted as she was. "Can you stand? If not I can assist". Offering a hand to the Monk first as he was more of an interest to her. "All of those who are unable to fight are leaving as to not hinder the rest of the group".

Author: Attie, Posted: Sat Oct 5, 2019 3:15 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

While looking for Trafalgor, Attie was busy trying to protect some of the adventures. She spotted a Chomper that was trying to kill one of them. Using her flames, she sent a column of flames towards the monster, burning it to a crisp. She held out her hand to the man and lifted him to his feet before sending him to run to the Rosenite lines. But instead of running there herself, she continued to help other adventurers and to continue searching for her friend. 

She didn't have to search for very long. A booming voice caught her attention and she looked up to see Trafalgor shining brighter than any beacon. He was dashing into the horde, causing waves of destruction to the Eldritch abominations. She watched as he destroyed masses of the monsters faster than anybody could imagine. Yet, she knew that he was spending up his magic. She couldn't see it visually but she could guess it. After all the portal opening, transformations, and other magical feats….his time had to be running out. Attie quickly snatched another mana potion from her bag and chugged down the liquid. Magic overwhelmed her senses as she tried to concentrate. Flames erupted from her body as she made her way over to a now exhausted Trafalgor. She had to get there before the monsters did. 

He was limping over to the Rosenite lines and was so close but the Eldritch were getting even closer. Attie's emotions began to boil over as she realized how close to danger that her friend was. She would not let another friend die! Rage burned throughout her body, soul, and mind as a bright light burst from her chest. The light swirled around her body and covered her like a cocoon. Suddenly, a dragon flew from the cocoon and headed directly towards Traflagor. Attie had transformed into a dragon. Her scales colors began at the bottom of her tale with a shade of purple that slowly turned to a bright orange as it went to the head. Attie's scales were the colors of the dawn itself. 

She blasted flames at the monsters who threatened to catch up with Trafalgor before she swooped down and attempted to gently pick up Trafalgor. Attie didn't know if he would recognize her in the dragon form and she wished that she had a way to tell him. But her mouth was different and she couldn't form human words with it. Until she remembered the connection that Trafalgor had made earlier. 

"Hi Baldy." She mentally sent to Trafalgor as she carried him over the Rosenite lines, "Seems like you were having a rough time so I decided to drop in."

Attie gently put him down far enough from the battlefield so that he wouldn't have to worry about running as much. She landed next to Trafalgor and turned back to her human form, exhausted. 

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 5:06 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Trafalgor reached up with one hand and wiped the bits of ichor that had splattered onto his face away, flicking it to the side before leaning to his right just in time to see the insane crew of the ship disembark with various battle cries and immediately launched themselves into the fight.

"Well, that's one way to make an entrance…" he said as he stepped away from the bow of the grounded airship and surveyed the battlefield. A glance back towards the village caused him to freeze in surprise. "When did the Rosenites show up?" he asked no one. Well, that changed his entire battle plan. He looked back towards the adventurers and estimated that they wouldn't last more than a few minutes. They showed no cohesion amongst themselves, even though quite a few of them seemed very skilled on their own.

Enough.

He could already see some falling to the enemy. He had no more time to waste. He closed his eyes and firmly turned the hourglass upright. "I come to you with empty hands," he recited as he lowered his stance and placed each of his fingers on their opposite, forming a temple with his hands. "I have no weapons," his magick flowed throughout him as he began pulling in the magick from the air around himself. "But if I am forced to defend myself," he slid one foot forward, "my principles," the other slid back, "or my honor," both hands formed fists and came together at his navel, "should it be a matter of life or death," left hand raised in a high guard position while his left drew back as if to strike, "of right or wrong," he inhaled deeply, held it… and released, "then here are my weapons." 

Trafalgor's eyes snapped open, alight with holy magick as his entire body become nothing more than a conduit for his will and magick.

"Empty hands."

His hands opened, aglow with bright light and then Trafalgor moved.

He felt, more than saw, the explosions of ice and force as he blurred forward into the fray, stopping through chance in at the edge of the pathway the mage had cleared towards the village. He didn't see the blast from his young inquisitive friend that laid waste to a large swath of the enemy. No, he simply recognized her magick from familiarity. He did not hear her call his name or the orders being yelled out across the battlefield.

He felt the wrongness of the enemy all around him. One attempted to attack him and was backhanded into oblivion out of hand by Trafalgor as he turned his attention to the largest concentration of the abominations, crouched slightly and called upon his magick to form dozens upon dozens of spectral blades, imbuing them with holy light magick as he went… and then willed them to strike out like arrows at every abomination still in direct contact with the adventurers.

"GO! FALL BACK TO THE VILLAGE!" he bellowed out as he aligned his hips with his objective.

And then he dashed straight into the horde, body shining like a beacon, arms blurring as he struck each abomination he passed… and when he reached the other side of the horde, he slid to a halt, and dashed back through the largest concentration, lashing out with a fury that he refused to let himself feel. Only once he had made it completely through the enemy once more did he forcibly knock over his mental hourglass, his magick almost completely spent and body nearing exhaustion from the extraordinary feat he'd just forced his mortal body to perform. Still he remained on his feet and allowed himself a moment to get his bearings.

In his body's state, turning back to the enemy would only lead to his senseless death… and so, without turning his head back towards the horde, Trafalgor forced his body into a limping jog back towards the Rosenite lines only a few hundred yards away. He knew the enemy was behind him, but he felt no fear. He had done his absolute best to save as many as he could. If he died, he would die knowing that he had given his all for the safety and survival of Revaliir. He had no reg-… No.

He had a few regrets… but Daphne would understand if he died here. She understood where his Path would lead eventually. And perhaps he would regret not having the courage to find out the truth in Ataiyo… but still, it didn't matter.

He just needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. He could see the Rosenites ahead…

Author: Attie, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 4:21 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Attie suddenly heard Trafalgor's voice inside her mind as she flied through the air. He was informing her of the mental link that he had opened up and how the rest of her thoughts would be private. He was going to check up on any nearby threats while she traveled towards the sky. Attie was fine with this as she suspected that Trafalgor was far more powerful than he looked. 

"Okay! Be safe in the high altitude." She mentally responded back. 

She continued to fly towards the village, enjoying the feeling of wind flowing through her feathers. It was much easier to enjoy flying when one wasn't dead tired. Attie's small form allowed her to be faster than Trafalagor but he was far higher than she was. She then got the mental message that he was going higher up, probably to scout any flying threats or maybe to ensure that they were going the correct direction. Suddenly, she heard the cry of a hawk and saw Trafalgor catching up towards her. She listened as she explained what he saw and especially at the part about the large group moving towards the village. As they approached the village, Attie could see that it was a horde of Eldritch abominations as Trafalagor explained their next plan. 

Attie wanted to help him in battle but she knew that the villagers needed the help. Instead of going with the hawk to battle, she swooped down to the village. The villagers were running around and in chaos, terrified of what was happening. They heard the battle in the distance and thought it was all over. Landing on the top of the village well, Attie transformed into her human form and put her fingers in her mouth to create a piercing whistling noise. This got the attention of everybody. They looked to Attie with eyes filled with fear. 

"Everybody! Go to your homes and grab as much as you can carry!" She shouted, "We don't have time for caravans so grab any food and supplies that you can. NOBODY is to bring anything that isn't useful. This is a matter of life or death. If you don't do this quickly, you WILL perish. Once you are done gathering your stuff, gather in the center of the village. A portal will be opened up for you to send you to a safe place. Do I make myself clear?!"

The villagers all nodded and scrambled off to their homes. Attie could hear the sound of Trafalgor making his first strike in the distance. She went to every house to ensure that they were taking only the necessary items. In a matter of moments, there was a crowd of villagers waiting in the center of the village for the portal to open up. Attie realized that Trafalgor was going to take longer as she heard another strike. She sighed and took a mage's stance, holding her hands up towards the center of the village where people had parted to allow her to do what she needed to do. This was a spell that she had used but was not the best at. She couldn't open gates as large as Trafalgor had. But she could open them up for people. Wagons and carts wouldn't fit but people would. Her hands glowed as a bright blue oval gate opened. The portal would take the villagers right to Malmak where many other Bohar villagers were. Villagers quickly began to pass through the portal as Attie worked to keep it open. In a matter of moments, all the villagers were safely away in Malmak. The villagers left a lot behind, including several personal items. However they were escaping with their lives which was much more important than any one item. 

Attie didn't waste anymore time. She took out one of her mana potions from her bag and chugged the bottle of liquid. After that, she transformed into a bird and flew to the battlefield. What she saw, astounded her. There was an airship that obviously crash-landed, though it looked pretty put together for something that supposedly crashed. A group of Rosenites had joined the scene and more were coming via teleportation and gate magic. Magical blue circles were appearing and ice was dotting the field. The adventurers from the ship were fleeing to the Rosenite defencive line. But there was one issue.

Where was Trafalgor? 

From Attie's perspective, all she could see was the airship and the adventurers. The airship hide him from her sight. She landed, transforming back into her human form, and held out her hands towards some of the approaching monsters. Her hands glowed with a bright read as a sphere of light appeared in the group of monsters. The light expanded then exploded, sending flesh of the Eldritch beasts flying. The monsters were either burning or had been obliterated in the blast. Fire erupted from Attie's hands as she focused on protecting herself while finding Trafalgor. 

"Trafalgor!" She shouted, "Where are you?!"

She knew that he was too strong to die so he had to be around here somewhere. Attie burned the monsters with fury as she desperately searched for her friend. 

Author: Cao Lixue, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:25 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Spriting from the lower to half of the ship towards the deck was one of the few remaining members of the mercenary group that once owned the airship. Kneeling over and out of breath, the merc looked towards the cockpit at the group of an orc a wood elf and an odd pale human. "Were losing altitude"! Silence came over the entire deck as the group of adventures spanning from human to merfolk looked towards the Orc at the helm.

"I thought you said you could fly this thing"!?

"Well it's flying ain't it"?

"No, we're currently gliding, preparing with our future date with the earth"!

"I thought you elves liked Nature"?

Rage winked the Elf's smooth features as the Orc casual dismissed their impending doom. Too flustered to respond to the Self Appointed Captain anymore he looked to the Pale Young Girl, "Deal with him before I put an arrow in his head"!

Tilting her head in confusion at the Blond Elf as she probably knew less about airships than the Orc. Time was not on there side as the ground grew closer and closer with every moment. Looking up to the crow's nest, "Do you see anything that could be used to soften are landing"?

An Owl Kenku swivelled his head along his body as he surveyed the area around them. "There are a few rivers nearby along the plains that could be used to soften the landing if we come in slow enough. Also further head was tons of those Void beasts who seem to be marching on a nearby town" Bopping his head the Kenku refocused his vision, "A line of Women most likely Rosenites by the sheer number of women fielded appear to be acting as a line of defence".

"Well then are best bet is to slow down and..".

"Full Speed ahead"!

"What"! Snapping her head back to the Orc, "Korg we can't crash the ship into the ground we'll die"!

"No it will be fine Lixue, you can do your magic and protect us"!

"I can't envelop an entire ship in a protective spell"!

"Actually" A few of the other members of the adventures entered into Lixue and Korg's conversation, "If the young lady and all of us worked together we could very well place a protective spell over the ship for a small time". Focusing on the group of mages while refusing to look towards the Orc as no doubt the man was beaming at her. " If we cast the protective spell on the moment of impact it should reduce a majority of the damage to the ship's hull".

“See it’ll all work out you’ll do you little magicy tricks and will squish some monsters in the process”! Excited that his plan would actually work out Korg gripped the ship’s wheel tightly creaking the wood as he set his focus forward. Lixue would have protested this idea, but the other adventures onboard with the exception of Ahriman who was still scowling at the Korg cheered at the idea of entering the battle with style. While Lixue wanted to protest the reckless idea the Undead Prostess could not argue with using the ship as a makeshift battering ram against the void beasts.

As the Ship sunk lower the Owl Kenku kept their heading while the adventures on deck look over the railings peering at the tongs of Void beast while announcing their current elevation. "One hundred feet, fifty feet, brace for impact"! Holding onto the rails the adventures braced for impact. As soon as the ship was about to make contact with the ground Lixue and the other Mages onboard casting an archprotect around the ship. As the ship made contact a protective layer of magic protected the ship and the crew from suffering major damage. However, the void beasts below the ship were instantly crushed as the earth cried out from the impact. Clouds of dust and Void beast parts obscuring the ship as it slid forward with it's remaining momentum. Continuing to slide forward going slicker with Void Beast blood unaware of any potential allies within its path. Perhaps it was an act of an unknown divine being or pure dumb luck but the ship's charge halted mere inches from Trafalgor flicking loose ichor in the Shapeshifter's direction.

"Perfectly Landing! Alright lads and of course lasses, let's get to know them on a more personal level"! Roars came from the now downed airship as an Orc dressed in nothing but a leather loincloth adorned in all manner of trophies jumped from the ship drawing his warhammer and facing it below his body as he came down upon one of the Void Beast crumpling its form drowning the Orc in ichor. While the dust settled more and more adventures from all walks of life flooded out from the ship. Some staying on the ship to take advantage of its elevation raining down magic and arrows onto the beasts

While their entrance was currently flashy, their placement could have been better. The adventures were not trained soldiers as such no defensive lines were made only pockets of skirmishes dotted the frontlines as each adventure showed off their unique talents. However, the beasts would begin to overwhelm and kill a number of adventures despite their talents. With a majority of the adventures now flanked they would either be broken or entirely wiped out.

As the adventures' battle looked dire pale blue magic circles formed around pockets of the beasts. In moments deafening explosions echoed across the battlefield dotting the field with ice and frost. Bits of ice and snow, as well as frozen Void Beast parts, rained down from the sky giving the adventures a path of escape. "Fall back"! The voice of a young woman echoed out from the ship as the adventures retreated leaving the ship behind to meet up with the defensive line. While Lixue managed to provide an escape route for the others the mana it cost her put her dangerously low. As the Pale Presitess retreated with the group she could feel her hunger growing more and more fiercer as the moments passed.

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 11:50 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

In enough of a hurry to be willing to take Attie at her word, he turned to the northeast. "Very well, let's go." With that, his body became covered in his own glow of magick that slowly shrunk as his body transformed into his falcon form. Once complete, he glanced over to ensure Attie had changed as well and, seeing her ready, opened a Telepathic link between them. He probed at her mind's edge with a soft imaginary tap of a finger against the 'wall'.

*Attie, I've opened a temporary mental link between us. You can just direct a thought at me and I'll hear you fine, but the rest of your thoughts will be private. I'll get us pointed in the right direction, then get some altitude. I want to check for nearby threats. You just keep on the bearing I set and I'll catch up in no time.*

With that, he launched himself from the ground, flapping furiously to gain altitude until he could comfortably soar for a few moments. He then oriented himself towards the distant village and focused on locating the tell-tale rippling of the air that indicated a pillar of warm rising air he could use to quickly ascend. Thankfully, there was one almost directly in their path. He glanced over at the slightly faster blue jay and sent another message.

*Okay, keep on this track. I'm going higher.* A few seconds later, he caught the edge of the thermal and began a slow bank to stay along the inner edge of the pillar of warm air as he ascended rapidly. Within a minute, he had a much better view of their surroundings. A few seconds of searching easily found Attie and he followed her line of travel with his sight. Many miles in the distance was the town he had seen before… and further beyond that he could just make out the sight of a small cloud of dust being kicked up from some large group moving across the plains.

He couldn't tell what it was at this distance, but his gut told him it wasn't anything good. Having now gotten a better idea of the situation, he banked out of the thermal and drew his wings back slightly to begin a slight dive. As his altitude decreased, his speed increased, allowing him to quickly catch up with the smaller form of Attie. He flared his wings a bit with a cry (to announce his presence) to slow his speed as he finally caught up with her, still about a hundred feet above her. *Okay, it looks like the village still hasn't begun to evacuate. I counted ten buildings, but one was a barn of some sort. There was some sort of large group moving in the direction of the village a few miles beyond it, but I couldn't tell what it was. I'll check again as we get closer.*

They flew onward, Trafalgor going up a thermal for a better view twice more along the way. The second time, they were nearly to the village and Trafalgor's gut clenched as he looked beyond the village to identify whatever the group approaching was. As he'd feared, it looks like a small horde of creatures from the Void were moving in the general direction of their destination, but not directly towards it. They were still a few miles out, but he had no doubt that they would change direction as soon as they noticed the village. *Attie, the group beyond the village is not friendly.* He thought hard for a few moments, then grimly continued. *I believe a change of plans is required. I need for you to start evacuating the village and get them to gather absolutely only the essentials while I go delay the enemy. Once I've bloodied their noses, I'll fly back and open a Gate to let them escape… We'll decide what to do from there after they're all safe. Okay?"

He didn't wait for her response before banking out of his current thermal and tucking his wings back sharply to dive off in another direction so he could keep their focus off of the village as long as possible. As he selected the best place for him to attack the small horde of about four hundred from, he noticed an unexpected sight in the distance. An… odd and damaged looking airship was flying a mile or so beyond the horde on the opposite side from him. He didn't know what, if any, help it may be able to give in this instance, but he didn't feel that relying on it would be prudent. Putting it out of his mind for now, he completed his dive, flaring back to land atop one of the many loping hills in the area and transforming back into his natural human form.

He glanced over his shoulder and could make out the village about a mile and a half to his south, then turned his eyes eastward to the small army of abominations from the Void about the same distance and angled more towards the village then him.

Well, he couldn't let that stand at all.

He quickly summoned his bow from the aether and called forth his full core of magick. For Trafalgor's normal spell usage, he usually did not need to call upon his entire core. Instead, he would gather magick from his surroundings and only use a bit of his own magick to set his desired spell into motion… letting the gathered magick from the world fuel it. However, when he needed to perform much more powerful spells… well, his magick always worked best with a bit of self-hypnosis.

And so, in his mind he called forth his mental image of the core of his magick… an enormous hourglass… and with a thought, he turned it. And with that, Trafalgor opened his eyes, his body now a conduit for the magick within himself and the surrounding area's natural flow. He called forth a spectral arrow and drew back the string of his bow, taking aim at the distant army with an impassive mien. He imbued the magical arrow with the power of holy light… then flowed even more magick into it and his bow… the arrow grew brighter and brighter, but Trafalgor's eyes did not blink, nor did they stray from his target - the largest grouping of abominations near the center of the formation.

Suddenly the arrow's head seemed to splinter slightly, giving it a crystalline look, and Trafalgor's eyes narrowed slightly. He drew in a slow breath, held it, then released. His lungs emptied and, in the space between heartbeats, Trafalgor released his attack. 

A streak of light cut across the landscape, digging deeply into the earth exactly where he had intended it to with an explosion of light that would have temporarily blinded anyone looking directly at it. Thankfully, Trafalgor was prepared for it with his eyes already closed, knowing without a shadow of a doubt his aim was true. He opened his eyes to the sight of a very upset horde now trying to cross the intervening mile between them as quickly as possible. He would have time for one, maybe two, more shots before he would have to abandon his ranged attacks and make his escape.

He manifested another arrow and drew his bow back once more. A few moments later had another streak of light reaching out to kill another dozen creatures near their right flank… and then he repeated the process on the left flank to winnow their numbers down further. Hmm… It seemed his overestimated their speed a bit. With a small smirk, he nocked another magical arrow and began the process of charging it up as he drew his bow taut one final time. There… right in the center of the formation was a group of grotesque bulging forms that didn't look like good news for anyone native to Revaliir. He exhaled, waited for that precise moment between heartbeats, and loosed his last attack straight into the lead meat sack. When his vision cleared, he dismissed his bow and mentally turned his internal hourglass back onto its side with no further need to draw on his full core.

He gave a nod. "That should keep their attention on me. Time to lead them on a merry ch-…" he trailed off as his attention shot into the sky. The air ship that he had noticed before seemed to be coming directly towards him… in fact, it looked as if it were on a crash course! Trafalgor braced himself and prepared to transform and escape if it looked like he needed it, but his original plan was now shot. If anyone survived this crash, he couldn't in good faith leave them to fight the abominations by themselves.

Author: Attie, Posted: Fri Oct 4, 2019 9:14 AM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Attie listened as Trafalgor explained what he had been up to during the war. Apparently he had been going from caravan to caravan, using his Gate Travel to help them all escape to Mamlak. He mentioned a Rosenite contingent which made Attie wonder how long they had been fighting in the Basin. It couldn't have been for too long as the war had just began. She then listened as he talked about another village northeast and ten miles away from here. If there was a fight near it, Attie knew that they had to get down there to help all of the villagers escape. Trafalgor then asked a question about when she last took her break.

"Oh uh….some time ago?" Attie said nervously.

Her hair was a bit of a mess and her limbs were tired from all of the carrying and flying that she had to do. When Trafalgor insisted that she rested, Attie knew that it would be illogical to refuse. If they wanted to get to that next village, she needed to have full energy to help out. Her eyes widened at the sight of the jerked meat and she quickly snatched it. She had forgotten to eat that morning and felt as though she was starving. Claws formed from her nails and her teeth morphed into the jaws of a bear. Attie tore into the meat with her powerful jaws and started to gobble the meat down like a wild animal. 

When she looked up, Traflagor had already left to help out the fifth house that she had mentioned. Attie found herself a pile of hay and flopped down onto it, curling up into a small ball for a short nap. She slept for a while, leaving the rest of the organization up to Trafalgor and the villager head. Minutes passed as Trafalgor worked to get the village cleared out. By the time Attie woke up, he had gotten everything cleared out and was asking her about any injuries.

"I'm fiiiiine." Attie said with a yawn, "I flew most of the ways so I didn't get into trouble."

 Her mind was still sleepy but she was standing and looking around, trying to get a sense of the area. It seemed that Trafalgor had taken care of the village and gotten everybody evacuated.

"I'll transform into a blue jay. Having a smaller body while flying makes it easier to fly." Attie explained, "Lets go. We gotta get there in time." 

Attie held out her hands and a bright light began to glow from them. The light grew larger and began to swirl around her body until the magic covered her like a cocoon. The light faded away to reveal a small blue jay instead of a human. Attie, now with beautiful blue feathers, began to flap her wings and soar into the sky. She checked to see where Trafalgor was so that she could follow him. 

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Thu Oct 3, 2019 8:57 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Trafalgor gave an easy chuckle at Attie's nickname for him and her exuberant personality. He was glad that she was still the same cheerful ball of inquisitive energy he remembered from many months ago. Even the short tirade of questions and explanations from her were a welcome normality in the craziness of the last several hours.

"I see you have things well in hand, Attie," he commented as he looked around at what had already been done. "Good work. I've managed to transport several caravans already escaping to Mamlak using Gate Travel. One was dangerously close to an ongoing battle with a Rosenite contingent. I will definitely assist in any battle we come across, but I feel that my efforts would be best utilized evacuating villages in the dangerous areas as quickly as possible."

He turned towards the northeast as a rumble could be heard in the distance. "I saw another village about ten miles to the northeast. There was a battle going on a bit further beyond it, but I didn't have a chance to check the village." He turned back to Attie and gave a nod to her. "I'd like to get this village cleared out as quickly as we can so we can check the one to the northeast." He finally took in the full appearance of the woman and narrowed his eyes at her. "Attie… when was the last time you took a break?" 

The woman didn't look… haggard, specifically… but the signs of exhaustion were beginning to show if you knew where to look. "I think you should let me finish up with getting everyone here ready and take a rest. Twenty minutes should be enough, okay?" He reached into the pouch at his hip and pulled out a small bundle of cloth, holding it out to her. "Here, it's jerked meat from an antelope. Eat some while you rest and I'll check you over for injuries once the villagers are cleared out." He then turned and quickly made his way towards the fifth house that had been indicated to him by Attie a few moments before.

"Hail! Attie sent me over to help. Remember, just get the essentials. There's a battle going on about ten miles away and there's no telling when they'll move this way. Yes, miss, let me get that for you. You can grab the extra clothing." Something from the next house over caught his eye, causing him to turn. "Sir! Please leave the shelf! I can assist getting you to safety quickly, but it's paramount that you not waste time with trying to load down the carts to capacity! Food, clothing, medicines and bedding only! Animals and pets, too, but nothing else!" He dumped off a load in the cart and turned back to verify the fifth house was clear before moving to the sixth.

In just under the twenty minutes he'd estimated to Attie, the entire village was ready to make way. He jogged up to the front wagon and knocked on the side to get the driver's attention. "Okay, everyone's ready to go. I'm going to open a Gate right ahead of you, just steer your carts directly through it and you'll be right outside of Mamlak. Don't stop when you get through, either. Keep moving so that everyone behind you can make it through. There will be guards with further instructions once you all get through, okay?"

He got an affirmative response and then turned to concentrate. Quickly, a large, tall and wide Gate opened up about twenty feet ahead of the lead wagon. Once it was stable, Trafalgor turned and called out. "Okay, forward! Make sure to keep moving once you're through." The wagons began moving forward one after the other and Trafalgor made sure to count them as they passed. When the final wagon was approaching, he gave a wave. "You're the last one through! Fair winds and safe travels!" The driver waved back and was then passed him, then just as quickly through the Gate. A few seconds later, Trafalgor allowed the Gate to collapse before turning to where Attie was and walking over.

"Okay, let's give you a quick check over, then we can go. Anything hurt? Arms? Legs? Head?" he asked, giving her a thorough once-over with his eyes, but not actually touching her. She looked a bit tired, but there were no obvious injuries. He knew that Attie was very self-sufficient, but if they were going into a potential combat situation, he wanted to make sure she was as healthy as possible before ending up in said combat situation. "If anything is hurt or sore, I can heal you. The food I gave you should have given you some energy back."

After making sure Attie was ready to go, he gave a nod and turned to the northeast. "Okay, our next target is about ten miles that way. If you have something you can transform into that can soar using air thermals like a hawk or falcon, you'll want to use that form. We're going for endurance over speed here since there's a lot of villages spread out. Let me know if you get tired, too, so we can take a break."

Author: Attie, Posted: Thu Oct 3, 2019 7:56 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Attie was busy helping an elderly woman pack her things. She was only taking a change of clothes, some old personal items, and her cleaning items. After putting all of this into a bag, Attie helped her down the stairs of the house and out the door to one of the wagons. The elderly and children had priority seating due to them being generally weaker when it came to travelling. Suddenly Attie spotted a man who was having trouble carrying one of the crates of food that they would need for the trip. She rushed over and held the opposite side to steady the balance of the crate. They worked together to carry the crate over to one of the wagons. She then went to the next house to rush one of the men who was trying to take all of the furniture. 

"But I made all of this. I can't just leave it behind!" The man insisted. 

Attie tried with all of her might to resist rolling her eyes. 

"I understand that you put a lot of effort into them." Attie said, "But which is more important? The safety of your children or your furniture?"

At that, the man surrendered and stopped trying to add the extra furniture to the carts. Attie made sure that he got over to the wagon then went to check a few other houses. By the time she was done, four out of seven houses had been cleared out, not including the village head's house. There weren't many village houses but there were large families that lived there. She was standing next to one of the carts when she spotted Trafalgor among the villagers and ran over to him with a big smile.

"Hi baldy!" She teasingly said, "No this isn't my village. I'm just here to help. The village head is busy helping getting the fifth house cleared out. They are almost done. These guys don't have a good news system and are far enough from the battle to not know. So I gave them a warning and decided to help them out. What about you? What are you up to? Oh, are you gonna be in the battle? I am! I got a book about war and battle and everything!" 

She knew that war was going to be hard and rough but she saw it in a particular way. She could either be sorrowful and gloomy or she could try to put on a smile to cheer others up. Attie decided to go with the latter. It seemed more useful. 

Author: Trafalgor, Posted: Thu Oct 3, 2019 6:50 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Trafalgor could only thank his many, many years of extensive physical training for his excellent stamina as he soared over the last few trees along the southern edge of the Laeto Rainforest. He had not been flying for very long, but his day had also not been a short one thusfar. When the call to arms had come down and the battlefields of Revaliir determined, the leadership of Gulu convened to decide what to do. It was quickly decided that Gulu would fully mobilize in support of the coming war. The active duty guardsmen and hunters quickly organized hunting parties to gather food in preparation and train every able-bodied man not already employed in a craft into a functional militia.

While that was going on, the many craftsmen in Gulu began to spin up their productivity to prepare materials for the war. The potter and his apprentice were turning out dozens upon dozens of small pots while the blacksmith began to turn out spears (being the easiest weapon to train for a civilian's use) aplenty. The bowyer and fletchers were hard at work turning out new bows and arrows and the women of the village were hard at work turning out cloth products in bulk. The local supply of Cotton Reed had been ordered to be completely depleted in order to meet the demand. Blankets, clothing, towels, and clothes of various uses were being made in droves. Not least of which being produced were pre-made bandages, medicinal salves, and antiseptics for use by Trafalgor and his apprentice Tor when they joined with the healers' faction during the battles.

Trafalgor had left Tor to organize things on that front while he Gated to Mamlak to seek an audience with the King. It took some doing, and a personal promise of a favor from Trafalgor, but within an hour, he had secured a large area of land outside the gates of Mamlak for refugees from the Bohar Plains. It would just be up to Trafalgor to get them there. Thankfully, he had long ago mastered Gate Travel… which he then quickly used to travel from Mamlak to the Iron Woods in Laeto.

A quick explanation to Daphne, an embrace and kiss later, and Trafalgor was airborne, heading south towards the Bohar Plains. 

He could already see signs of battle in the distance, his improved eyesight in this form allowing him to identify many skirmishes going on. He noticed one caravan of refugees dangerously close to one such battle and banked hard to intercept the caravan. A quick landing and transformation back to his natural form had him running down the road towards the caravan. He managed to flag the lead cart down and get them to slow so that he could give a rushed explanation and offer. The group quickly took him up on his offer causing Trafalgor to open a large Gate in the middle of the road and waved the caravan through quickly.

Within five minutes the entire group had safely made it through and Trafalgor closed it behind them. He transformed into a raven and flew directly through the battle nearby. After spotting someone that looked like they were in charge, he landed quickly once more and changed back, rushing over to catch the woman's attention while sending a few bolts of lightning and fire into the distance towards some of the larger monstrosities making their way towards the line of Rosenites.

Once he had informed the commander that the caravan had safely been transported to Mamlak, he bid the commander farewall with an abbreviated bow, turned and launched one last bolt of lightning into the center of the enemy horde, then transformed and flew off to find more villages to evacuate.

He repeated the process of Gating a half dozen more caravans he came across before he came upon a village that hadn't already been evacuated. They seemed to be in the process of doing so, however he could make out some people fussing about consequential things from high above. He gave a mental shake of his head and dove towards the center of the village with a cry. He landed on the ground, a few people stepping back from him in surprise, before transforming back into a human and turning to look for who was in charge.

Instead of a village leader, he spotted a familiar mop of hair and smiled broadly at the woman.

"Hail, Attie! Is this your village or are you doing the same as me and helping with the evacuations?"

Author: Attie, Posted: Thu Oct 3, 2019 3:16 PM, Post Subject: [EVENT]Evacuation [O]

Many of the villages in Bohar Plains had heard of the incoming abominations from The Void. However, Attie knew that there were many small villages who didn't have the best organization or the best news system. The word needed to be spread all around the Bohar Plains before it was too late. People needed to start evacuating to saver places. The Void wasn't as much of a concern since the bug attacks drove most people away. But she knew that the Plains were still filled with plenty of people. The Eldritch monsters were probably already bleeding into the plains and many villages would probably already be under attack. However, she still had to spread the word that they needed to leave now. 

Her regular form was a human but she had managed to use a transformation spell to turn herself into a bird. As a bird, she was harder to see and would be able to fly farther than walking. Her feathers were a deep blue as she had chosen the form of a blue jay. Every second counted so she didn't allow herself to rest unless she absolutely had to. Finally, she managed to get to a village and landed on the soft grass. Everything seemed peaceful but she knew that in a matter of weeks or perhaps even a day, this field would be covered in blood from battle. 

Attie began to grow and morph into her human form as she looked at the village to see if there were people there or not. Unfortunately, there were still people there. Apparently they hadn't gotten the warnings yet. She bolted over to the village waving and shouting for the villager's attention. Times were desperate and the faster that they escaped, the easier it would be for the gods and the warriors if they didn't have to worry about rescuing as many people.  A farmer who had been busy picking produce saw her first. He stood up and waved back to Attie in a friendly manner but stopped halfway through. He saw the desperation on Attie's face and his eyes widened with concern. Attie managed to approach him, slightly out of breath, and began explaining the situation. 

"Sir, I need" She let out a breath of exhaustion, "I need to talk to your leader. Right now! Its involving the safety of the village!"

The farmer nodded and quickly led her to the village leader. Once she explained the situation to him, he began to start organization of evacuation right away. Many other villagers were disgruntled as they were expecting the gods to be able to keep the Eldritch at the Void. After all, weren't the gods supposed to take care of that sort of thing? It was only until Attie described the monsters and their massive armies that all of the villagers were willing to leave.  Attie decided to stay to help them work on evacuation and packing, as she was too tired to try to fly all the way to the next village. 

She began helping with the organization by gathering the carts and carriages that the village had along with horses and assigned them to each house. Once that was done, she began helping some of the villagers pack up the stuff that they needed for the trip. Attie had emphasized how they had to leave behind most of their furniture and supplies and only take what they needed for survival. Despite this, there was a lot of people to help pack even though they were only taking necessities for the trip. If only they had a few more hands to help.