Mazera Mega Story Thread

Os-Gabella Seeks to Sponsor the Church of the Veil in Archos Lands

Os-Gabella of the Sheaim has sent emissionaries to the Archos, to make a request: allow the Sheaim to sponsor and fund a Temple of the Veil in the Jotnar capital. Os-Gabella promises that the Temple will submit to whatever restrictions that the host government seeks to enforce, and will partake and support whatever the aims of the government. This offer comes at no cost to the Archos: the Sheaim government will provide the funds for the temple. No change of religion is requested or sought.

Os-Gabella has made an attractive offer: she sympathizes with the Archos and reminds that the Veil seeks to go beyond mere humanity, and that above all the Veil worships knowledge and power, a universal calling. The Veil could offer... community organization in the service of the Archos, and Mother.


 
EARTHQUAKES

A series of earthquakes threw the nations of the Grigori, Hippus, Clan, Dural, Archos, Chislev, Bannor, Ngomele, and Elohim into disarray. Several of these nations had not prepared for an earthquake, much less several one after another. The Chislev suffered the worst, as the first struck in the middle of a battle against the Grigori. The Grigori were better trained and were able to cut down a quarter of the enemy before they retreated.​
 
Trans-Dimensional Rift Chaos

The mass earthquakes in Mazera caused thousands of casulties, but none were expecting the fit and healthy people in nations that weren't affected by the earthquakes to dissappear without a trace.

Thousands, or perhaps tens of thousands of people have vanished, leaving only a faint trace of magical energy in their place. There are no links between the effected, and no suspects. The magical experts in Namaris, from Amurite, Khadi, Grigori and Sheaim lands have all tried to trace the magics back to their source. Some are still recovering from the ordeal. The only information they could get was that the magics are coming "From the land beneath your feet, and the skies above."

Most notably, Dain of the Amurites dissappeared last week, but re-materialised yesterday outside Valledia the Even's tomb. This re-materialisation has given hope to the people of Mazera that their loved ones aren't pernamently lost in the Ethers. Dain is currently under the care of the Ordine, after he collapsed, shouting something about Ley Lines and Energy Movements.
 
The Junon Cage Collapses: The Gate Appears

The Junon Cage, the distinctive cage on the Junon sky line hiding nothing at all, has vanished in the wake of the earthquakes. Where the Cage was is now only a massive hole descending deep into the ground, with no bottom in sight. Initial explorations were limited by the length of rope, but magical scouts and techniques uniformly vanish at various points.

Those with magical talent feel great amounts of ether from the Rift, but are unable to determine what form or fashion. Nothing sent in has found anything, and nothing has emerged either. Nothing in Arcane Lore adequetly explains it.

For now, the city of Junon has taken precautions. The district around the Rift has been evicted, and a secretive joint garrisson/research facility has begun construction to investigate the nature. At the most mundane, it might just be a massive pit in land rich with mana deposits. At worst... it could be something else.

For now, the Gate is nothing. What it might lead to some other day... will it be known as Heaven's Gate, Hell's Gate, or something else entirely?
 
EARTHQUAKES

A series of earthquakes threw the nations of the Grigori, Hippus, Clan, Dural, Archos, Chislev, Bannor, Ngomele, and Elohim into disarray. Several of these nations had not prepared for an earthquake, much less several one after another. The Chislev suffered the worst, as the first struck in the middle of a battle against the Grigori. The Grigori were better trained and were able to cut down a quarter of the enemy before they retreated.​

---

No sooner had they retreated did they prepare. No sooner were they prepared did they begin. Delay, any delay, could turn catastrophic.

And so they went down their lines of warriors, inspecting and examining the injured. The ones with mere cuts and stabs were left alone. The ones with crushed limbs or torn ligaments were ignored. The ones with teeth and claw marks were pulled from the formation, weeping.

They gathered, those cursed. Lined in neat rows, chained to the ground and to eachother. Rows, sometimes hundreds long, of proud warriors, forced to kneel. Behind each stood a healthy comrade, war-club ready.

The nature of the curse was hard to define. For some, a mere scratch or bite was enough. Their features lengthened, their skin and hair coarsened, and at the first snarl the comrade behind them bashed their skulls in from behind. Others could be greiviously wounded, and yet not change at all. Time could vary between minutes or hours.

And so the formations lasted as long as it took. Each man cursed into a Feral Werewolf, slain by his comrades, his neighbors only praying that he not lash out and curse them as well. Others stayed in those chains for hours, waiting to be struck down. Those who lasted were mad with relief, delirious with joy at being saved, and broken with terror at the prospect of returning to the next battle, lest they be forced to repeat the trial of werewolf. Only afterwards could they be treated.

That was the Werewolf Doctrine, as designed by the Chislev. After each battle, sequester the wounded, constrain them, bind them, and kill any who begin to transform. Then, and only then, were the wounded cared for. It was far better to go out fighting, to be decided one way or another, than to wait in those bloody chains.

It was harsh. It was cruel. It was necessary. Werewolves could multiply their number through the wounded alone. More than one field hospital had been slain and reborn when a wounded man turned Feral.

It is also a losing proposition. For every werewolf killed in the chains, another four wounded men die for lack of treatment. And the bodies left behind on the battlefield could still rise again on the Grigori side.

The Chislev were not large enough to pay those sort of man costs. All that kept them doing so was the knowledge that as bad as Werewolf Doctrine was, ignorring it was worse.
 
Have you heard?

What? You haven't? You haven't heard the news? You haven't heard of... Marathon?

By the life of me, how could you not? All of Midgard is celebrating!

Who? The Men of Marathon, of course! Who else? Led by Atudire of Kalm, Hero of the Sword, Giant-Slayer, no less. He led his militia and recovered Serpentine into battle, triumphing over the Chislev assault in the North. After so much woe among them, he put their army out of its misery.

But then our scouts returned, and we heard: we heard, we saw the Stygian Guard, advancing down the Meliah River. Approaching Midgard itself. Our garrisons might have held... or they might not have.

But Atudire, Atudire my friend, he waited not a minute upon hearing. He gathered all men who would come with him, half his militia and all the Serpentine. They took off their armor, lay down their shields in the care of their remaining comrades, and ran with only their swords. Took off, they did, for over twenty-six miles to intercept the Stygian Guard at the one part of the Meliah river in which men could fight the water-born demons, the Marathon fording.

It was impossible, they said. They could never arrive in time. A fool's errand.

But Atudire is no fool. He knew his adepts... enchanters all. Speed that makes a man Blur. Haste. He even had mages cast regeneration on his men, so that their stamina would replenish even as they ran in formation. Their blades were enchanted, their bodies Altered by the power of the Tower. It is said even the trees bent to make way for them.

Oh, it must have been a most awesome sight: well over three hundred soldiers sprinting across the country side! Three hundred Grigori, racing to meet the enemy! Miles and miles passed under their feet, but not one, not one I hear, tired or gave up! They ran, they raced, nearly beating the messenger birds. And when they around, Atudire's messengers had prepared for their arrival: a garrison's worth of armor, waiting for his men before the Stygian Guard's arrival.

The battle, the battle was hard and bloody, no doubt. Even as those brave men held for more reinforcements, more Grigori arrived, while the Chislev thralls have not the wit to be awed by such feats. But could there have been any doubt of the result in our minds, after such an accomplishment? No, of course not. Their near total destruction was more than obvious: it was proper.

Oh, to herald this moment evermore! Remember Atudire's name, my friend: it will be in the Bards memory forever more. Atudire of Marathon: he who fought one battle, and than ran his army to the next. A feat beyond normal mortal endurance.

Ah, it is the mark of a new age, my friend. We are on the cusp of something new, something great: the birth of the Grigori Man. Stronger, faster, braver than all the rest, with no need for the gods. Only man-crafted magics to Alter him, Soon enough the Gods own champions will try to emulate us! Oh, what an irony!. Won't it be such a beautiful thing to see?

So drink up, my friend! Tonight, at least, even the Overlords have been beaten. And the city is safe. Nothing could-

---

Double Grigori Victory over Chislev

A small Grigori army has pulled two amazing victories in immediate succession against the two-pronged Chislev advance. Dealing with the land-bound army, a Grigori force of militia and recovered Serpentine engaged in a decisive battle with the remnants of a Chislev force decimated by the recent Earthquake and werewolf attacks. In the focus to address them, though, the Meliah River was left too-lightly guarded, and became a fast avenue of approach for the Chislev's Stygian Guard.

Atudire of Kalm, a Hero of the Sword for his efforts of single-handily slaying wild Hill Giants years ago, led the core of his force to meet the Overlord's servants at the Marathon Ford, an area of shallow water in which the Stygian Guard could be fought. Enhanced by numerous enchantments and Alteration magics, the Grigori were able to run the great distance to Marathon. There they found pre-placed equipment with which they suited up and faced the Chislev thralls for long enough for more reinforcements to come to their aid.

The Chislev stock of Drown and Stygian Guard was heavily invested in the attack, so much so that the greater number of their thralls have been destroyed or incapacitated. The Stygian Guard especially were destroyed in a failed attempt to break through the Ford and wreck havoc in the Grigori river-ways: the gamble, however, failed, and now the Chislev have seen their last two armies collapse in succession. Little remains between the Chislev and the rapidly-recovering Grigori armies.



Explosions in Midgard

During the celebrations in Midgard following the victory at Marathon, a series of explosions went off across the market district of Midgard. The Market is devestated, and many were killed and injured. Natural suspects include the Chislev or Undercouncil, but no word yet as to whether any tell of "Witness Death" was left behind.
 
Flauros' absence continues
The leader of the Calabim has seemingly disappeared somewhere in the Grigori lands. The only known facts about this strange disappearance is that Flauros and some of his closest men left the caravan of Medicos on their way to Hippus lands and has not been seen since.

Flauros's sister, Alexis, has taken over government of the Calabim. While she is known to be more ruthless than her brother, it is still considered a significant improvement compared to the reign of Lord Ilyth.

D'Teshi forces ambushed!
Several groups of D'Teshi soldiers situated in the newly conquered Cualli lands have been spontaneously attacked by Cualli militia. The attacks were masterly coordinated and their effect devastating coupled with a massive series of Calabim raids on the D'Teshi supply lines. Imminent retreat to their original borders was cut off by the very same Calabim raiders, and the D'Teshi forces in Cualli have been almost annihilated in one fell swoop of the Calabim and their vassals.

Medicos arrive in Hippus lands
Ordine Medicos from the Bloody Mercy Citadel in Prespur have arrived in Hippus lands to take care of the wounded. Their presence is direly needed after the sabotage on the Hippus Ordine Citadel and the recent earthquake. The Medicos, many of them of Hippus origin themselves, are working selflessly day and night to care for the many victims of the quake.
 
Spoiler Comillo, Pt. I :

He felt the earth shake beneath his feet, heard the sound of the horse toppling to maintain its balance. It was tied to a nearby tree, barely visible in the light from the small campfire. He stood up to calm it and put back the dry bread into the saddlebag. He had no appetite tonight anyway. He heard a sound and turned around, sword in hand.

"I hear you go by the name of Comillo now," the figure said.
"It is my name. What is yours?"
The man came closer, took off the hood. "I am Melusine. You may recognize me."
Comillo's eyes narrowed. "You were the right hand of Flauros. You fight well."
Melusine could not conceal a little smile. "You too. Seeing you now, I do not regret my inability to kill you."
Comillo lowered his sword an inch. "Is that an offer of reconcilement?"
Melusine frowned. "We are both Grigori. I consider us reconciled already."
Comillo nodded, accepting. He lowered his blade another inch.
"I heard Flauros disappeared. Do you know anything?"
Melusine shook his head. "Nothing other than what everyone does. They say he disappeared nearby, along with his personal guard."
Comillo looked only mildly interested. "Are you looking for him, then?"
Melusine shook his head again. "I was looking for you. The Grigori need all their adventurers."
This caught Comillo's attention. "What for?"
"Cassiel. He's gone, too. Been gone for a long time. Everyone's concerned. I want you to join in on the search."
Comillo nodded. "I'm travelling towards the Hippus lands, then. I will keep an eye open."
Melusine nodded, content. "I am on my way east, then," he said and left as silently as he had arrived.

Comillo stood thinking for a couple of minutes, when suddenly another earthquake rippled the earth and threw him off his feet. He was about to get up when the ground beneath him gave way and he fell into darkness.
 
OOC: Loved your piece there, Diamond


---

Volonna cursed silently as another spider scuttled pass the cave entrance. She was safe, at least, from the larger ones, which could not enter, but if a hoard of smaller spiders entered, there would be little chance she could remain hidden. Not that she wouldn't if it came to that, but then her objective would be forfeit.

"Damn Archos," she whispered again. Was this coincidence? Malevolent design of an angry deity? Or simply the result of her own actions?

What should have been a journey of a week to her destination had been expanded greatly. Normally she could have been to the coast and back in this time: as of now, she had barely made ten leagues of progress in the last month. Oh, they had certainly moved more than that, from one hidden cave to another, but maintaining secrecy had slowed them to a crawl.

As always, the temptation to return to her last god dwelled in her. With but a prayer Esus would doubtlessly cloak her in his protection, hide her and her cargo beyond the sight of these spiders. And as always, she refused: she served a higher cause now.

Retreating from the entrance, she returned to her involuntary companion. Cassiel remained where she had left him, meditating in an attempt to cleans himself from his drugged state. She regretted doing so, but he had left her no choice: the Grigori cavalry had been too close, and with but a hail he could have ruined her efforts.

Even in his drugged state, he responded to her presence. It was not... fear, or alarm, or even a lack of trust. But Cassiel emitted an air of disappointment in her, sadness for her.

It... hurt. Even though she had resigned herself to this, she still held his regard highly.

"We will be remaining here, my Lord," she informed him.

Cassiel never ceased to disavow his status. "I am no person's Lord or Master," he reminded, though they both knew she would not change.

"The spiders remain too close. It is not safe to move."

"It would be if you signaled our cavalry or rangers," he replied. "They would be well placed to protect us."

"From the spiders," she answered, "but not from the greater threat."

"I would trust them," Cassiel said, "just as I trusted you."

She bowed her head in recognition of what it meant. "That would make two mistakes on your part," she replied.

"My life is not important," Cassiel said. "Lives come and go. It is my message that must live on, and I have faith that it would be remembered even with my death."

Volonna looked up sharply, her will strong. "No," she said. "You are more important than even you realize. I, we, the Grigori and the world, we don't just need your words: we need you, my Lord. We need your voice as well."

Cassiel's eyes dimmed. "Even now, you still insist on placing too much faith in me, and not what I teach. There is nothing more to say on this subject."

He looked genuinely sad, and all too alone. No one to share the truth of his philosophy with, to understand it as he did. Volonna was not, could never be, such a person. There had been one, many years ago, with whom he was able to share everything, but she had died as Cassiel would not.

Even so, Volonna sat beside him, extending her cloak around them both for warmth. They sat in silence, the spiders above marching on.
 
Spoiler Comillo, Pt. 2 :

He woke up when the first rays of sunlight could reach him in the small crevice. With sudden realization of what had happened, he got up and looked down at himself. Minor bruises covered his body, and he has sustained a nasty wound on his left elbow. He groaned and looked for his sword in the rubble. It was dented, but usable. He was about to try and climb out of the crevice when he caught sight of something behind the fallen rocks... A faint light. He had been camping overhead a secret corridor or cave of some sort.

Carefully, he lifted a couple of the rocks away, widening the opening into the tunnel, making sure that the massive stones did not fall onto his feet. After a short worth of work, he climbed into the tunnel and followed it towards the faint light he could see in the distance. It flickered slightly, and he realized it would have to come from a torch or, at least, fire.

He didn't have to walk for too long before finding the torch, in a primitive clamp on the wall. He tried his left arm, but his elbow hurt and he could not carry anything with it. Taking the torch would yield him unable to defend himself with his sword, but the tunnel ahead was dark. Finally, giving way to his curiosity, he sheathed his sword and took down the torch with his right hand, continuing deeper into the dark tunnel...
 
Spoiler Black Medicos :
Even for one as informed as him, Caqui offered no resistance of any sort as his eyes were blinded. This was standard procedure: very, very few people knew the location of The Facility, let alone that it was a major headquarters of the Organization that was whispered as the Black Medicos. Not that they called themselves that, or anything else.

Caqui wasn't quite sure where he was no, to be honest. He knew he had boarded a boat at one point, but that could mean anything in Mazera. He could be in the Southern sea, or the middle of the continent. Wherever he was, he did not care to know. Nor did his employers. They simply requested to speak with him, and so he had followed their instructions.

After enough time, walking down into the Earth, his blindfold was removed. He was in an impressively clean facility: they were not called the Black Medicos for no reason. These halls harbored knowledge that could save half of Mazera from sickness and disease.

And the other half could perish from what was concocted in these laboratories. A howl of... something echoed the halls, and his escort shifted on his feet.

"A beast experiment," one of his regular escorts whispered to him. "To see what the real limits of Alteration are." They knew his position in this Organization better than he himself: they guided him away from some things, but were ever able to share what he was deemed worthy to know.

Caqui nodded. "And how have the Ordine Medicos progressed on that front?" he asked civilly. It was open knowledge in these halls that much of the base knowledge here came straight from the Medicos archives and laboratories.

"Not enough, yet," said the other, "though that might change after an Archos spiders is killed. We're looking not only at advanced regeneration, but at something new to either of us: mana-inserts. Put a mana crystal right into the body itself."

Caqui wasn't familiar with the concept, but shivered none the less. "It sounds painful," he said.

The other shrugged. "Not necessarily, though incompatibility isn't something to twaddle with. Not pretty," he surmized. "Only one proper match per person, and that's for the rare person with any compatibility."

"How do you determine someone's type?" asked Caqui.

"By trial and error," came a third voice, and Caqui immediately turned and formed a position of respect. So did his two watchers. "While you can test for any compatibility with unrefined mana crystals, unfortunately, one must go through every mana type and await a reaction to determine which type," said the Chairman, though whether it was a man, or even human, was impossible to tell under his thick cloak. It probably wasn't a centaur, at least. Probably. "Welcome, Caqui," he/she/it greeted.

"I come at your call," Caqui replied.

"Rise," the Chairman said. "We have much to discuss, and you have much to see."

The walked, walked along an executive path to look over the many underground labs in the Facility. Watching, Caqui saw men and women of multiple races working over bodies, vials, and all manners of research. One group was dissecting a corpse that took Caqui too long to realize was merely an unresponsive Drown, but that at least seemed beneficial and scholarl.. The team dissecting a live pit beast, summoned and promptly subdued by mithril-armed guards, less so.

"We have made many advances lately, thanks to your wise work," the Chairman said. "Many advances indeed. Far more than what we could glean from the Medicos alone. Thank you, Caqui."

"It was a pleasure," Caquie said, and it was, even if he couldn't said why. "Whatever best serves you."

"The cause, not myself," the Chairman corrected gently. "But I believe you deserve to observe what your efforts may amount to."

"March poisons and medicines from the Cualli, knowledge of effects beyond compare."

"The secrets of the plague zombie, of tying living diseases to undead hosts, from the Sheaim."

"Knowledge of dragons, of the Mazatyll Wyrm itself."

"The practice of binding enchantments to both living and non-living targets, traded by the Amurites."

"A king's ransom of gold, mithril weapons for an army, from the Hippus."

"Captured demons for study from the former Austrin."

"The secrets of creating Drown, traded from the Lanun."

"Elementary knowledge of mixing mana with potions, derived from the Medicos knowledge of the Balseraph druggists guild. A shame they would not deal with us directly, but we make do with what we have."

"And, of course, our own knowledge of the Plague and more from the Medicos."

"Caqui, do you know what these mean?"

"That you have gathered much knowledge from across the lands," he said. "As for what you intend to do with it, I do not know."

"One day you will remember," the Chairman promised, and that was the heart of Caqui's employment: to recover memories sealed away. "But for now: much of it is only in potential. But the first of our projects is much closer to completion. Observe: Project Magdalene."

Caqui stood and looked down the glass, and recognized what he say.

Their lay Rivanna the Wraith Lord, stripped and bolted to the table. Though still beautiful by elven and human standards, the open surgical wounds marred her once-flawless figure. Even the inflamed regions, where surgeons were currently operating on and removing yellow shards of crystal.

"I must thank you again for obtaining such a marvelous test subject," the Chairman said. "She has been quite responsive for our purposes."

"Which are?" Caqui asked, looking away from the elf being cut open and operated on below him.

"To graft magic and flesh," said the Chairman. "Project Mageline is the first step: we seek to not only master insertion of mana crystals, but to make it more effective as well. To make it part of her being. She should not merely be able to channel mana magic: it should be her nature. And more so with the other enchantments."

"And what when you succeed with that?" asked Caqui.

"Then we know it can be done," the Chairman said, "and that opens the possibilities even more so. If we can bind mana and spells to a person, why not to a beast? And why not choose what spells we wish as well? The followers of the Overlords Drown and make their thralls fearless and unfearing. The Hippus make berserkers beyond par. The Veil binds illnesses to their corpses."

"But these are unthinking, unmotivated. What if we could bind disease to a living host, to spread it intelligent fashion? What about when we can field warriors who can cast basic magics with a thought, and no need for years of study? Why, our opportunities would be endless."

"And what then?" asked Caqui.

"Then," the Chairman said, "we move to our final goals."
 
D'Teshi forces ambushed!
Several groups of D'Teshi soldiers situated in the newly conquered Cualli lands have been spontaneously attacked by Cualli militia. The attacks were masterly coordinated and their effect devastating coupled with a massive series of Calabim raids on the D'Teshi supply lines. Imminent retreat to their original borders was cut off by the very same Calabim raiders, and the D'Teshi forces in Cualli have been almost annihilated in one fell swoop of the Calabim and their vassals.

I'm not really playing them anymore (No time), but there are two issues with this:

  1. All D'teshi recon units are completely invisible unless they attack first. You may obliterate the rest of the army, but the recon and Thanatos will remain.
  2. How could the calabim raid supply lines? They do not exist for the D'tesh. It's a shambling horde of zombies. There is no food or medicines to transport... Maybe a few weapons, but they're more likely to just take from those they killed.

Also... The Recon units would protect a few Chosen of D'tesh. Using those mages, a few well-placed raids could recoup all of their losses. All they need are fresh corpses.
 
zombies1024.jpg

I beg to differ.
 
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