Order of Helwyr Summary Report - Attack on Jun-lei

[Hodgeling 403]

 

A narrative report on the Chromaweave’s attack on Jun-lei.

Published; 18th of Sun's Smile, Year 235 of the Second Age

By the Order of Helwyr

 

[!] This post contains information relating to the Chromaweave Eventline.

 

Battle in the Outskirts

 

Upon our encroachment, as plans were settled, assignments dictated - we met with the first wave of forces from the ever-encroaching voidal influence; three large crab like insectoids that set upon us, with fangs, and claws alike - the speed and maneuverability of charging bulls that sought to crush us and pave-way for the horrors to come.

Their backlines consisted of two, reality-warping sights that seemed to drain mana from the void directly into their non-existent maws of ever-hungering abyss; threatening to barrage us.

Yet with a singular echo, a command to stand their ground did the forces ambling with them set their sights on holding their ground - a potion of Auric finding purchase, a first of the weavers evaporated in an instance; lines clashed with chitin, reality warped to aid the enemies that stood firm.

 

Auric ladened blades met, and clashed - as small tears erupted, otherworldly influences seeping with each attack as Galathol’s gravity shifted, slamming him into a rock nearby as his feet found purchase - threatening to tear him to the west should he not stay grounded.

A bite, turned an arm to feathers; akin to those of Ixris’ that walked the world.

Another impaled, turning scales right back to scales - a falter of the spell amidst the accursed; before two more folk met an impalement - Arakawa to his side, before mana flared within his system, boosting his spells - and Telemachus felt his strength bolster, both delivering fatal blows in a simultaneous glory to dispatch the lots, before they collapsed back unto the children left at the center-most point.
 

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The Gates of Jun-Lei

 

The defenders gathered in the square, constructing a ballista at a point of elevation. The Helwyr distributed barrels of Auric Oil. By the Chromaweave’s first warning, all weapons glistened and dripped with the amber venom. When colors ripped through the skies above Jun-Lei, the Terror lay just beyond. Aberrations born from boils on its back fell from that rift and upon the town. Defenders divided thrice, and ours hustled to defend the gates.

 

Composed of primarily spellblades, mages, and a templar, we faced down two horse-sized creatures. They moved like hounds, though sported insect-like antennae and chitinous armor. Two more descended from above, woven together from the void. They appeared like aberrant jelly-fish, fleshy and armed with tendrils. Aganar and Lothric met one hound with a hammer, blade and blue fire - though its maw met with Aganar before it perished.

 

The second hound descended on the party. It slashed with its claws and lashed out with its maw, but a careful and deadly exchange from Celadon and Rumilith saw it torn asunder, scattering its dismembered form down the hillside.

 

One of the floating Weavers re-appeared at the flank, whipping its tendrils out to grapple with Aeth. A palm-strike from Irulan sent disruptive magic shuddering through it, rendering it panicked and weak, offering a chance for Aeth to retaliate with spear in hand. Its tendrils sought to drain color from the defenders, drawing it from them like blood. Auric blades dismantled those tendrils, and the acid from Adonael’s summoned spider reduced it to a bubbling pool of sludge and many colors.

 

The Weaver to remain last descended slowly upon the group. It saw those it called foes and knew it had been beaten. In the end, it sought to undo itself. Rumilith acted quickly, her immense form emerging to bulwark against the torrent of chromatic energy - saving those from certain injury, though sustaining some herself.

 

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Defending the Square

 

The defenders of the ballistae engaged a group of six Chromaweave Weavers. Upon engaging in combat with the weavers, the weavers released a bombardment of arcane energy, injuring all the defenders rather severely and disorientating them. The ballistae, operated by Eiko and Koi, was loaded and a bolt was shot and fired at the first Weaver, killing it instantly.

 

Afterwards a second bombardment followed, hitting several of the defenders but missing others. Ariselle attacked one of the Weavers, severely wounding it, and two of the Weavers drained Ariselle and Velia of their color and mana. Lenore charged at the weaver who was draining Ariselle and killed it with her hammer. Velia was drained fully and lost consciousness. A second bolt from the ballistae was fired, hitting the Weaver draining Velia while Ariselle moved to attack it, the combined efforts killing it. Three of the remaining weavers formed into small puddles and moved to attack the ballistae.

 

The puddles moved to attack the children at the ballistae (Gwen, Eiko, Koi, and Khura). The ballistae was destroyed and Ariselle moved to attack one of the Weavers at the bottom of the stairs. It grabbed her and shot her off the stairs with chaotic energy. Meanwhile, Koi moved to knock the barrel of auric oil down the stairs to damage the Weavers, but they floated above it. Reinforcements from group 2 arrived as Lenore charged up the stairs to engage the Weaver attacking Gwen and Khura.

 

 Irulan and Celadon attacked the Weaver at the bottom of the stairs, the Weaver moving to grab Irulan and drain her of some of her mana. Eiko and Omekko’ii engaged with the Weaver at the top of the stairs, and managed to kill it with a staff coated in auric oil and a sword. Gwen and Khura managed to kill the second weaver; Khura hopping onto the Weavers back and using auric oil coated gauntlets to severely damage and wound the Weaver, with Gwen using auric oil and throwing it at the Weaver, causing it to explode. Lothric and Ariselle engaged the final weaver, Lothric using an abjuration blast to injure the Weaver and Ariselle slashing at the Weaver, killing it with the combined efforts of Irulan and Celadon.

 

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Convergence

 

Once the weavers were slain, the members of group 1 rendezvous with group 2 and group 3. An avatar of the Chromaweave appeared with a small orb, powering a spell. Lothric formed a ritual circle for Adonael to spearhead; alongside Irulan and Gwen, the four of them empowered a greater ward barrier to protect their group from the Chromaweave’s immense drain. Those within the barrier were unharmed. Those outside the barrier were drained of their mana and color, forced to exhaustion. The Chromaweave’s herald was struck down with a polearm by a Child of Ixris, fading away like dust. A second spell was prepared, however the orb floated upward and the Chromaweave consumed it completely -  absorbing all the colors and mana it had stolen, from the people and village of Jun-lei, and escaped. 

 

Despite this, there were no casualties.

 

 

[!] Irulan sat on the ramparts with one boot dangling from the edge. The wind that raced through the Fjord of Chambery whipped at her hair. Though, this didn’t seem to bother much. She wrote carefully on her missive. The elf spared a glance to the skies, monitoring the bleeding hue of dusk for a moment.  

 

From our exchange it was clear that the Chromaweave has amassed an army of aberrations at its disposal. There is no distance it cannot travel. There was a purpose to the attack on Jun-Lei. A place that is so vibrant and rich with life and color. That, then, was its true ambition. The Chromaweave’s pawns and Heralds were nothing but a tool to acquire a more valuable treasure.  In the end, the Chromaweave fed upon the strength and colors of Jun-lei. Trees were rendered grey, hillsides the same. Color was sapped away entirely from the defenders. All of which was amassed in an orb of chromatic hues - pulled up toward the skies and fed on by the Terror within. 

 

Jun-lei survived, that much is to the credit of the brave denizens who sought to defend their home, and their friends and the Helwyr who had come to their aid. However, it cannot be understated that this was also a victory for the Chromaweave, who has stolen something precious from us. It will no doubt be stronger next time. We must do more to prepare.

 

The success in Jun-lei was largely due to the cooperation between foreign nations and organisations. The Chromaweave is a threat to the world, and there is no room for division if we wish to survive it.

 

Abjurations, Holy Magic, Auric Oil. Prepare your cities, your villages, and your families - by ensuring you have at least one of these things at your disposal. Keep your eyes to the skies, and be wary of the sudden shift of hues.

 

Irulan Acaln’sae,

Master Alcemydd & Heliwr of Tal’andria

 

Edited June 4, 2025 by Hodgeling

[BonesOfTheEarth 2252]

Adonael finishes reading the report, and sticks it on his fridge with a gold star sticker for Irulan.

[Nectorist 12871]

Woah, I didn't know Irulan could write such a good story. This is great. I hope she makes a sequel. Lorian thinks to himself as he flips through the report summary, reading the contents diligently, even if the title had completely ignored. Finally, as he gets to the end, the young elf fits the pieces together in his mind.

 

Oh, wait, this is real! Cool...

[Hodgeling 403]

Thankyou to the other contributors on this! Wherever you all are :)

[lemonke 6014]

"Irulan? I KNOW HER!" Said Gwyn the witch.