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COLONISERS: Season 6!!! (Colonisers of Skyfaoll)
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Or I would if the formerly-ragamuffin-now-vehicle slot is always changing.
Well, this is done precisely to prevent canned entries from dominating the meta. The slot will change again next season!
for some reason I remembered it differently
120 HOURS.
cracked pieces shatter,
tearing through the silence,
awakening vivid nightmares.
Flesh becoming canvas
scribbled upon by the mind.
Beautiful chaos emptying,
spilling hidden memories.
Clawing secrets intertwine,
painfully mixing colors.
Twisting horror and beauty.
Razor blade brush strokes
paint this contorted reality.
Scarred crimson carvings
scream the haunted stories,
shattering silent madness.
~ Journey to the Heart...
Spire darted through the winding, twisting forest on the back of her tiger steed, steadily bobbing and weaving around trees that had begun to twist and grow everywhere. Nothing was as it was yesterday, and she knew that tomorrow, the path would change again. She was attacked viciously by several creatures of all sizes, and it was a fight for her life to make it through the dark woods. The Genzians had settled in an area where they could be one with the wilds, but the wilds no longer wanted such a union...~ Bonus Entry ~
Back at Headquarters...
Dozens of patrols were on duty to survey every nook and cranny of Genzian Territory. They had settled in a mountain pass near a forest, but today, the entire territory was a forest. Roots had begun to breach the previous Genzian headquarters, and made every attempt they could to infiltrate Spike Valley Fortress, although thankfully to no avail. Panic was beginning to ensue as patrols were ambushed, attacks struck the two fortresses, and the leylines were corrupted. The aurora was being warped into something much more sinister, amplifying the power of the hostile wildlife, and the Genzians struggled to mend it. After some time, they did manage to work out a solution, but only time would tell how effective it is. To summarize, whenever the aurora becomes endangered, a veil of illusory magic will surround it, essentially blinking it from existence. Once the threats to the aurora and surrounding leylines is eliminated, the spell will be lifted.~ Bonus Entry 2 ~
Now...
A punch flies past his head, and he dodges. A wooden sword swipes at his neck, and he disarms the attacker. A staff swings his way, and it's caught and shattered. As his sparring partners grow exhausted, the Grandmaster stands unscathed against his elite, who, despite their experience, have yet to lay a mark on him. Three arrows fly through the air, and he swats them all down at once. A jinx whirls towards him, and he runs straight towards the mage responsible, slides to them, and throws them into two incoming soldiers. A lancer takes an opportunity to attack him while he's crouched, but gets promptly knocked off his feet and slammed to the ground. The Grandmaster is unable to dodge forever, however, as a well placed arrow hits him in the shoulder, sticking but not causing any significant harm. He turns, and it's Spire, flying through the air. She lands, and approaches."Your stealth skills are improving," he compliments. "I was unable to sense your presence until it was too late."
"Thank you, Grandmaster," she says as she bows. "But I have important news. I believe I have found the cause of the corruption that has stricken our land, and the wildlife."
"HALT!" The Grandmaster calls out. "This is important. Everyone should be paying attention... now. Go on."
"There's a heavily guarded well of energy deep in the woods... a heart, if you will. It's immensely power. I could feel its power from a mile away. However, I couldn't get close enough to investigate without being attacked en masse."
"Hm... are you certain?"
"Absolutely! It radiates with a sick, horrid energy. As I got closer, the wildlife twisted more and more..."
"Then it's settled. I want that heart investigated immediately... and I'm coming with you..."
"Grandmaster..."
"I didn't ask. I want to see it with my own eyes..."
"Very well, s-sir... Shall we leave in the morrow?"
"We shall leave at dawn. I want Kort with us."
"Understood."
"All of you... I shall meet with in the morning... You are dismissed. For those whose weapons have been damaged or destroyed, you may receive replacements from the Quartermaster. I will be meditating..."
A cold chill filled the air. Even with countermeasures in place, nature had found its way into the fortress before sunrise, and it took the entire night patrol to secure the fort itself. The fortress was put on high alert, and it took 4 hours and the entire army's guard to quell what was obviously an ambush. There were numerous causalities, and the journey had to be postponed until noon for the guards to rest...
Morning...
The guards all yawned from inadequate sleep, but they rose anyways to face the challenge of the day. Yesterday, they were attacked by the horrors that plagued the realm. Today, they would launch a counterattack on the heart, the root of this evil that had been tearing away at the place the Witnesses had begun to call home. Before leaving, the Grandmaster assembled his elite, Spire and Kort included, and met on the rooftop."Alright, men and women. Spire has tracked down and located the source of the dark power that's corrupting the wildlife and warping the world. Today, our plan is to confirm her sightings, destroy the heart, and tear through anything that gets in our way. The path will be treacherous. Our journey will be dangerous. Chances are, some of you won't be making it back with us. I will understand all of you who wish to turn back now, and I offer you the chance to do so now, but know that if you do, your absence could be another's death. For those of you that are going with us, know that the wilds will be unforgiving. What nearly killed Spire can definitely kill you if you aren't careful. Trust nothing, and hold nothing back. You've trained years, some of you for a decade or more, for this moment. Now join me in this battle! Together, this evil shall be vanquished!"
• • • • • • • •
Somehow, the air feels colder than it did last night. There's an ephemeral chill, as though the area was 30 degrees colder than usual. Morale drops unusually low as the best among the Witnesses trudge through the wilderness. This journey was a lot faster when Spire went alone, especially with the thick sludge and mud. Each minute feels like several as time drags on. The five mile march is a lot more difficult on foot. Moving slower, the group is easier to ambush, having to fight horrid, wicked creatures around every corner. By the fourth hour, they're only two miles in, being worn down by the journey and difficult walking conditions. The expedition had already suffered casualties, and more were certainly on the way...
Three Hours Later
As the march exponentially slowed to a crawl, it was finally in sight. The very source of the corrupted energy that had changed the land forever. Almost half of the expedition team had been lost on the way, but the Grandmaster wasn't allowing down. In fact, he found himself having to slow down for the others. But there it was... he could feel it. Such power... such ancient, arcane power... he thought it malevolent at first, but now, it sung to him louder than the most booming chorus of an elvish ballad. What had seemed so unnatural moments ago felt right. It seemed so beautiful... so perfect... so -"Grandmaster!"
The Last Genzian found himself leaving his allies behind, rushing towards the heart. He had never known such raw, natural power. He began to siphon the wicked energies as he held off one horror after another, then another, then...
~ Entry ~
(Phew! And with that, Spire is the new leader of The Witnesses. Onto the next one when I get the chance.)
HALLELUJAH!
Yes, this pleases me! ]:-)
This season had a great start, then flooped in the middle (which was mostly my fault, sorry about that), but you bet I will give it the CLIMAX TO END ALL CLIMAXES!
72 HOURS!
While Tetravain didn't foresee this specific outcome, he did know it was only a matter of time until something big happened. As such, the majority of his people and supplies were spared. There were still deaths and losses but they were mitigated as much as possible.
Now, he's built a tower and sent envoys to all the other remaining factions with a message that he wishes to pursue an Armistice among all of them. He hopes they will agree, at least until Faolinq is dealt with. The tower is where he hopes to fully extend the olive branch and gain the assistance of the other factions. He just hopes that the other factions can put aside their greed long enough that his goal of dealing with Faolinq is accomplished. What they do afterwards is not his business unless they seek to harm him or his followers in any way.
~ The Heart
"Nooooooo!" Spire screamed out as she slapped her steed's back and drew her bow. Everyone looked to the newly created chasm as Spire charged forth. The beast that had attacked, they had only seen in legend. A massive creature capable of even more massive destruction. A greatwurm.
"Get back here, Spire!" Kort yelled out. "They'll tear you apart!"
"Master! Master!"
"Are you daft enough to join him in death?!"
At this, Spire stops. Her mind clicks, and she very much realizes what she's up against, and that she doesn't stand a chance.
"Retreat, and we'll wait for them to pass. He should have known better charging on alone. That was very unlike the grandmaster."
"Yeah... you're right..."
She sulks as she turns around. Thw wurm makes their rounds, creating a massive gap between the group and the heart, but they eventually move on. Once the wurm is gone for good, the group pushes on, holding off attackers as they reach the new obstacle in their path. They create a magic bridge to go across, and secure the area around the heart, but lose half of their remaining forces in the imminent struggle.
Here they are, at long last. The heart. All of them feel a strange radiance emanating from it, an essence of extreme, untapped power that they've never felt before. It could be the power to create an ideal world, and rebuild all they had lost. It could be a weapon, allowing them to defeat their enemies and avenge the Grandmaster's death. All of them saw limitless possibilities... except Spire. Through this sight of possibilities to come, she remained true. This power was one of evil and corruption. It reminded her of the Coveted Shard of her homeland, and the countless Stones of Power. Power like this would only create war. Even if they managed to win the day, surely infighting would break out. Other kingdoms would seek this heart, and its power.
Kort approches Spire, weak and battered, and it's clear he's here on business. "Spire... seeing as the Grandmaster... has fallen.. his will is that... you inherit... the throne..."
"Correct..."
"Therefore... I have a recommendation... Our mages... have evaluated the heart... and recognize it... as an extreme source... of power... My thought... is that we weaponize-"
"No."
"What?"
"Would that make us any better than the Czetul of our homeland?"
Someone else comes to her, a mage. "How about we use its power for good? We could regrow and rebuild!"
"The problem with that is that the stone still exists..."
"What if we destroy it afterwards?"
"That would involve using its power... I feel the evil energies pouring from it. It's pure evil..."
"Then... what do you suppose... we do?" Kort pants out.
"The same thing we planned to do... destroy it."
The entire group is startled.
"We made it this far, did we not? I'm not turning back."
"Are you sure we can't use it first?" Another mage cries out.
"No... it's to be destroyed, and we will erect a fortress here in the memory of our Grandmaster..."
"V... very well, Spire..." Kort concedes.
Using a brilliant amount of power, The Witnesses decide that what they'll do with the heart won't involve leveraging its power. In fact, it involves the exact opposite. They destroy it, then build a new fortress in its place.
~ Entry ~
~ Lore Card ~
24 HOURS!
48 HOURS!
~ A World Apart
Some time has passed since the death of The Last Genzian. The Witnesses mourned his loss, but none could compare to Spire's sadness. Some had joined The Witnesses directly, and some were born into it. But for Spire, however, The Last Genzian was everything she ever had. He was a father to her. However, life must go on, and Spire couldn't cry forever as she was promoted to the rank of Grandmaster. Morale was at an all time low as a memorial was made near the newly claimed Isle of Genzfall, and the long life of a legacy officially passed into legend as the Genzians officially went extinct.~ Lore Card ~
Thanks to the creation of a new fortress, those that had fought so hard to make it to the heart were able to more easily defend it. The territory may have been an island at the end of the day, but that actually made things better for the Witnesses. The islands between their main segments of territory would serve beneficial to their navy, and give them a position that was difficult to attack.
Speaking of their navy, they had finally gotten around to setting up trade routes with the allies they had found along the way, as well as among the Witnesses themselves.
~ Lore Card ~
Thanks to their heavy emphasis on forming a solid naval foundation, recovering from the land split isn't a big deal at all. Most of the work required involves reoccupying the Mountaintop Fortress and reevaluating the terrain. We decide that, since our allies have kept on peaceful terms, we will send allies from them.
~ Entry ~
Now with their exact wearabouts concealed, and their territory expanding, the cult saw it fit to expand on their connections to the other factions, to find new followers, and implant new strings.
But even with Faolinq threatening to go rampant a more suitable distraction would be nessesary to achieve such a goal perfectly. And thus, a bargain was made:
The Armies of Midnight might not be reliable long time partners, but all that's needed is for their wants to allign.
Midnight seeks to manifest itself within the plane, and physicality is much harder for it than the mind, but The Cult of The Wheel is well practiced in both kinds of magic to allow for such manifestations to happen with ease, so far the armies have had a steady increase in number; but what will the other factions do when they suddenly find their territories infested by nightmares of their own creation?
That chaos is all the distraction the cult needs to ensure that their actions remain, unnoticed.
(This is for an alliance agreed with @spookoops on dms! ;P)
Oh the sweet discord, so many already following the path of The Wheel, right under the other faction's noses, and so many more to follow.
It is easy to take to the safety of a predetermined path to victory when faced by the uncertainty of death and war; to take advantage of the disbelief, the disagreement, the distrust of the masses towards their leaders.
And what better way to do it than to share? With the help of the Blackbird Syndicate the spread of this Scepticism will foster, with whispers into their mind and from their peers, the main mutual target of the two will be swept in discord, the Tetravian's Followers.
(This is for an alliance with @MonkeyPirate2002 on dms! ;P)
I also saw it, and was wondering if you would catch it! Nicely done
24 HOURS!
Look, please. I have to do the climax. It would be a shame to leave you out.