The Wrath of the Aspects

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

Spoiler

 

The Wrath of the Aspects

 

“My prince, something lingers in the air…”

 

The silence was broken by the loud, ominous swooping of wings.

 

“Sweet Mother… Sound the alarm!”

 

The city of Linandria was all of a sudden bustling with panic. The deep, vibrating blast of the Sirame warhorn sounded as wood elven warriors rushed across the square with their armour strapped on, longbows in their arms, climbing onto various buildings and taking their positions there, atop vantage points. A posse of Paladins and Clerics led by the Keeper Leric stood ready by the clinic. A commander was shouting orders.

 

“Stay sharp, boys!”

 

Prince Artimec rushed down the main street with the gold cloaked El’Ceru Rhathalas at his side, looking up just in time to see it.

 

 

Two massive, dark green wings eclipsed the evening sun. A resounding, ear piercing roar made every elf of Linandria grit their teeth and root themselves firmly where they stood, frozen in shock. This was Jak’ol of the God Oak, the Incite of Fire; as its necromantic creators had called it. This was the cursed beast that had been born out of the Mother Tree of the Savannah, the monster responsible for the death of many brothers and sisters of the Druidic Order. Prince Artimec tightened his grip around Talon- his trusty staff. For him, this was going to be a do or die battle of revenge. For others, it was merely about survival.

 

“Archers, LOOSE!”

 

A volley of frostoil-dipped bodkin arrows ripped through the air from various parapets across the woodland city. Some embedded themselves within the dragon’s thick leathery hide, while most simply bounced off its scales.

 

“Take cover!”

 

The archers dived behind walls as Jak’ol the cursed released a thundering ROAR and swooped down onto the city a vengeance, a torrent of dragonfire pouring from his mouth, hotter than any furnace. Much of the city’s main square was bathed in hellflame. Not everyone was lucky enough to avoid the fiery wrath. Beneath the flapping of wings, and the warriors standing bravely atop the walls, the common folk cowered deeper into their homes.

 

Out strode Leric into the charred remnants of the city center, Keeper of Xan and herald of the Paladins, several of his subordinates at his side. He bore an ironwood longbow and pulled it to full draw. A serrated arrow, shimmering with deific power, materialized within the string, and the keeper loosed his shot- just as the Dragon was cresting upwards after the peak of its dive. The projectile guided by Xan slammed into Jak’ols’ belly and exploded in a burst of light, resulting in an eardrum shattering SCREECH of pain. The Sirame archers continued to fire, tearing small holes in the beast’s thin wings.

 

The dragon flapped its beleaguered wings and landed with a shattering crack upon the Linandria bridge, decimating the railing and straining the support beams of the structure with his immense weight. The paladins dove for cover as another incomprehensibly massive plume of dragonflame ripped through the main gate and further defiled the Mali’ame city and incinerated all fighters unfortunate enough to be in its path of destruction.

 

Out of the smoldering remains of the once grand square approached the druids of the city, the order Naelurir, with Prince Artimec the Hawk at their head. The drui Sparrow, Windswept, and Wolverine lent their power to the Hawk, whose eyes began to emit a bright faeish glow as he stared down the monster of the god-oak. The dragon thrashed and fought, spewing out flames, decimating any warriors foolish enough to charge it upon its place on the bridge.

 

And the Aspects are our strength.

 

An explosion of mangrove roots erupted out of the lake on either side of the bridge, binding about the Dragon’s legs and eventually slithering upwards to tie up its wings, as if the lake itself was inciting its revenge upon the eldritch creature. The Wolverine and Windswept druids’ eyes fluttered, they soon collapsed as their energy had been spent, leaving only the Sparrow druid Arahaelth, who poured all her essense into to Artimec to keep the larger-than-life beast subdued, before she herself fell.

 

As Cerridwen protects all life.

 

Arrows rained down upon the bound beast, which struggled and thrashed with the fury and strength of a thousand men. Leric rained down his holy missiles, whittling down the foe. None noticed the lone druid of Wisteria, who stood under the colossal statue of the Springmother which dominated the entrance of Linandria. Renn’s body was overtaken with the power of her gods as she channeled all her energy into bringing forth the wrath of Cerridwen.

 

The wooden colossus groaned.  

 

 

The inanimate body of Cerridwen came to life, raising its massive staff of judgement over the entrapped dragon. By the time the beast looked up, it was too late. A loud CRACK resounded as Jak’ol was hammered down by the wrath of the Spring Mother, the sheer force of her strike shattering the bridge and sending the Dragon down into the depths of the lake.

 

All went silent. The lake bubbled.

 

Jak’ol burst out of the water, onto the lakeshore on the other end of the bridge. His wings were in tatters, his body riddled with arrows. Yet, the beast still had strength left in it, and would not be felled so easily. The Wood Elven warriors bellowed a proud warcry, mounted their steed and galloped off after the Dragon, refusing to let it escape. The Paladins with Leric at their front spearheaded the charge. Jak’ol began to bowl through the woods, collapsing trees with his massive bulk, attempting to flee. Leric slung himself onto Prince Artimec’s horse, and the two warriors thundered across the woods in pursuit, with the rest of their posse in tow.

 

As Cernunnos brings about the end of all things.

 

Calius, the Druid of River, had not been standing idle this whole struggle. His had climbed up atop the oaken behemoth that was Cernunnos’ statue and now sat between the god’s horns. His eyes were closed, yet bright beams of power could be seen beneath his lids.

 

The Horned Man awoke.

 

 

The leviathan emitted the loud creaking of wooden joints as it lethargically lifted one leg. Then the other. It stepped into the water, causing the lake to churn. Calius sat atop the Herculean construct in an unshakable trance, guiding it with the power of the Aspects. Cernunnos turned, then barrelled into the forests in pursuit of the dragon.

 

The chase had gone on for some time now. Leric sat behind Artimec on his galloping steed, repeatedly loosing holy arrow after holy arrow into the Dragon’s hide. The dragon roared and screeched and flapped its tattered wings, its intent now only to live. The pursuit came to an end as Jak’ol ran himself up against a cliff, with a steep drop to the water below.

 

The behemoth that was Cernunnos had caught up now, bowling through the carnage that the dragon had caused. The elven warriors of Linandria backed away out of reverence, making way for the massive avatar of their god to raise his gargantuan staff…

 

...and deliver the final blow.

 

SMASH. A sickening crack was heard as Jak’ol’s massive spine was shattered by the overbearing weight of the Horned Man. No other would have been strong enough to deal the fatal blow. The bastard beast of the God-Oak did not even release a final cry as its body tumbled down the cliff and into the water.

 

The sea turned red with the blood of Drakaar. The Cernunnos Colossus lumbered into the ocean, the water only coming up to its knees. He lifted his staff, then delivered one, final, hammer of justice onto the Dragon’s corpse.

 

Spoiler

Prince Calius standing victorious over the Dragon, piloting his avatar- Aspectron.

 

Cernunnos’ picked up the beast like a man might lift his bride, straining under the dead weight of the massive creature. He laid the corpse onto the shore for all to see. A massive roar of cheering erupted through the battle-weary warriors. Cries of ‘AVE XAN’ and ‘AME AME AME’ carried out across the bloodstained shore. Calius had gone comatose between the horns of the statue… it would prove to be a challenge to get him down.

 

For Leric and the Paladins, this had been a glorious hunt in the name of their patron. For Artimec and the Druids who had come so close to death- Arahaelth, Aria, Leo, Damai, Aydalyn, and of course Renn and Calius, who had more or less awoken their gods to fight… it was revenge. The deaths of drui and the destruction of the Savannah Grove had been avenged.

 

The dragon was slain.

 

 

 

---

 

OOC: Sorry if I forgot you. There were like 30 people there. I cut it down to the essentials.

Credit to infamousgerman for the screenshots

 

[Kaelan 1918]

((

))

 

Lyemar breathed a sigh of relief as the beast was finally slain. His hands and fingers cut and raw from the repetitive motion of knocking an arrow, drawing the bow back, and releasing. 

[LadyRebecca 1050]

 

The sparrow druid (now vegetable) would probably have rejoiced with the others after the dragon was slain if she hadn’t been virtually incapacitated in both mind and body.

[Destroyer_Bravo 1054]

"Dragons are pretty much militarily inviable once they land on the ground. Grouding it was a good story, though.

 

It's a wonder how these haven't been used in conquest yet, though."

[HedgeHug 2049]

Just now, Destroyer_Bravo said:

It's a wonder how these haven't been used in conquest yet, though."

"Bekauze dah Azpektz hab nub inturezt tu fite in lat waaghz, lat skah'hed" A cloaked shaman replies.

[Destroyer_Bravo 1054]

Just now, Hedgehug said:

"Bekauze dah Azpektz hab nub inturezt tu fite in lat waaghz, lat skah'hed" A cloaked shaman replies.

"You've mistaken the aspects for the skygods there"

[Gone 869]

A mali'ker finds herself in the tavern after the events. Nestled away in a corner surrounded by empty wine bottles Maelil peers around in confusion. Hearing people discuss the statues and dragon she exclaims "I didn' hallucinate that?!" 

With a stiff groan she pulls herself free, bottles clinking to the floor and is seen wandering off while muttering something about stone statues and fish, now wooden statues and dragons. World ending. The usual hangover nonsense.

[sidmmvv 203]

Brother Wolverine, Leo, had long awoken from his passed out state, witnessing the claims of victory by those who had watched the colossal wrath of the grand statues slay the Jak'ol. All the cries of victory brought him a small joy, but not enough to suppress the immense pain that he had felt watching Sister Sparrow lie still in her comatose state for the next few days.

[Ford 1996]

Maaz's frown was not turned upside down upon hearing the news.

[Bvie 1754]

Lily gives a sigh of relief, hearing her friends survived the encounter.

 

Alone, however, she contemplates things....How the Aspects themselves gave such glorious aide to these few druids in their time of need and how the druids celebrated this... ....yet the mere mention of imagining the Silver Stag coming to fight the Darkness sends other clerics into such a fastidious uproar.

[Farryn 860]

Elvira, thankfully out of the realm of death that she nearly ventured into that day,  remembered clearly what she did that day. First, she helped a certain Azdrazi and removed taint from her. Then, she tried to help Artimec. Instead, she got Ara back to the clinic and got her into a stable condition. At such stage, Elvira vanished her light, hoping for rest. Then a woman had to fall into labor, Elvira just facepalmed and vanished her light, proceeding to assist there. Once the child was born, the Adherent happily accepted sleep.... then Ara was dying.

 

Perhaps Elvira was stupid in thinking she could save Ara, even though she was suffering from terrible clerical exhaustion? She could have refused, stating she couldn't heal in such state. However, Elvira heard everyone's pleas, them beggingAra not to die. She could not let Ara die, she was Katar's wife and she knew Katar would be distorted if she was to go. Afterall, Elvira was a cleric of Tahariae, she would not let death easily take such a precious soul. So Elvira used her light to try and give Ara a second chance, praying to Tahariae with all her might to save the woman so many loved. Her light drained her life and she felt burning pain throughout her body, but Elvira kept it going until Ara fell into a comatost state, at least out of death's reach. Elvira barely managed to utter the words "...safe... in coma... alive..." before collapsing into Seyer's arms.

 

She was quite ready to face death... yet a single voice told her: 'Not this day, you still have a duty to do'. Thus, Elvira did not accept death and she slept, knowing everything would be fine. Although the White Stag did not fight with the Golden Lion against the dragon, the Stag at least saved  lives and protected them from death's clutches on such a grim dark day.

[drfate786 1690]

The figure chuckles "Maybe its coming will be soon?"

[_Owen 47]

Yelfir slumps his shoulders over with a small chuckle escaping his lips. taking a seat upone a tree branch he closes his eyes and listens to the wind

[Guest]

Alistair's eyes snap open his features overwhelmed by grief.

[Calioos 91]

Calius stands upon the mangled bridge, looking to the now obscure distance that the battle had created. Trees parted or knocked over entirely, ground torn up and stall demolished. With a sigh he'd look up to the towering statue of Cernunnos himself, casting a soft smile across his lips.
"Blessed Aspects... I'm not going to be the one cleaning up this mess."