[h2]Turn 1 - World Events and After-Action Report[/h2][i][b]Month:[/b] Ostrob [/i] [i][b]Year:[/b] 300AWH[/i] [center][h2]After-Action Report:[/h2][/center] [i][h3]NORTH[/h3][/i][list] [*][i]The Artium Confederacy tribal elders gathering at the Great Pines is interrupted by raiding skirmishers of the Aberysian Northern Campaign under the command of Phillip of House Nudden. Greatly underestimating the significantly larger Artium force at the gathering, Nuddens forces receive a major defeat. Phillip Nudden, the heir of House Nudden is maimed in the attack. [/i][/list] [list] [*][i]The Meeting of the Union’s Council of 13 concludes with reports noting the dangers of the encroaching Bloodied horde to the north as well as various other conflicts. [/i][/list] [list] [*][i]Current reports show the Unions subterranean forces and the defenders at Barby are under siege by the Riglers of the Vex’lir Swarm. A violent assault is underway by the Vex’lir following a catastrophic backfiring of a Union artillery piece.[/i][/list] [list] [*][i]Resident Orator of the Union, Gwendolin Sliverton is to march south, first to the Sacrosanctian Expeditionary Forces citadel at the Stage, then onward to relieve Union defenders at Barby.[/i][/list][i][h3]EAST[/h3][/i] [list] [*][i]A Lamashi relief force marches north, destined for Evernyx, hoping to reinforce the principality currently fighting in the three-way conflict known as the “Northern War”.[/i][/list] [list] [*][i]The Padishah of the Empire of Lamash, Zirgun Agazi-Haster and He Who Brings Benefits proclaims his intent to form a grand council of Yuwanist Powers to address the current state of the Sacrilege War and Yuwanist inaction. Messages are sent out to the East’s greatest states and asks them to attend this grand council at Oracheos.[/i][/list][i][h3]SOUTH[/h3][/i] [list] [*][i]The Battle of the Pripat Marshes concludes in East Ouroborasian victory. Western forces are routed while a minority are taken as prisoners. The overall conditions of the frontlines do not change. It is suspected that those taken prisoner by witches at the battle will likely be taken as familiars or otherwise transported to Solomonata.[/i][/list] [list] [*][i]A major gift-giving ceremony takes place in Göl Kasabi, the ceremony a prelude to the future marriage of Principe Synogchouta Daveithai and the Duchess-in-waiting of Vlachia, Cassiopeia Dragcumir. The best of luck to the ‘happy’ couple.[/i][/list] [list] [*][i]A host of Aberysians, including Gryph Knights, arrive in Western Ouroborasia through the town of Gryke. They are currently under the command of Her Holy Grace, The Princess Weshland, Champion of The Justinian. The reinforcements may be the much needed help that the people of Gryke have been searching for in these trying and ever darkening days of Ouroborasian history.[/i][/list] [list] [*][i]The Ghouls of Uudhin launch a major naval invasion from the Eudekesh Sea, many thousands of Ghouls rising from the coastlines waves to march onto the southern shore of West Ouroborasia. The navy of the Kasabioi also join the invasion, its ships attacking ships of the Excelsiorum Expeditionary Forces. The South may never be the same again.[/i][/list] [list] [*][i]The Kasabioi Navy, masquerading as Excelsiorum forces using commandeered ships from the earlier initial attack arrive at the island of Arban, allowed in by the defenders as they fly the flag of the Holy Domain of the Excelsiorum. As the morning fog settles, they begin to make their move...[/i][/list] [list] [*][i]Parchment pinned in the main hall of the Black Academy of Solomonata announces that Prof. Charlarensis is offering extra-credit for aspiring students, either witches or squire-blackguards that are willing to take part in a dangerous mission to persuade certain individuals to join the cause. For more information, report to Charlarensis’ chambers. [/i][/list] [list] [*][i]Gushwar-Ouroborasian Slave trading continues as normal.[/i][/list][i][h3]WEST[/h3][/i] [list] [*][i]Mountebank Knights of the TQLR arrive in Moramond, South-Eastern Aberys. They mostly are in small numbers and are spreading the word of their great turquoise master as proselytizers, while also performing random altruistic acts. Word of their presence, as well as their proselytizing, spreads quickly.[/i][/list] [list] [*][i]Attempts by the Aberysian forces to execute and later repulse the Mountebanks end in a humiliating duel, The Aberysians are soundly defeated.[/i][/list] [center][h2]World Events:[/h2][/center] [list][*][i]The Blizzards of the Far-Northern Subcontinent briefly subside, allowing weak rays of light to gleam down upon the permafrost and tundra.[/i][/list] [list][*][i]Following the Padishah's declaration of forming a council concerning the Sacrilege War, the price of weapons and iron rises in the Far-east as speculators predict a high increase of demand in the near future. [/i][/list] [list][*][i]The Eye of Justinian gaze turns southward, glaring now over Ouroborasia. [Divine intervention may interrupt IC posts in South][/i][/list] [list][*][i]In a small hovel, somewhere nobody really cared about, someone saw the end.[/i][/list] [center]|================================|[/center] [center][h3]A Small Urban Hovel, Somwhere in Petrix, Archonnen[/h3][/center] [center][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSS_tDfeLOk&ab_channel=CryoChamber]Something felt wrong.[/url][/center] No, everything felt wrong. The light moving through the thin slits at the top of the wall was strangely faded, grey instead of golden. The room was a complete mess, paper, parchments, painting tools and canvas' scattered across the dingy room. Water had clearly flown down from the cheap alternative to windows, and judging by the thin but wide puddle of water stretching across the floor, someone had forgotten to change the rain-catching buckets. A price the inattentive paid for living in a basement room in the urban sprawl of Petrix. Whoever lived here must have left it for hours. That someone, an adult human man with messy, curly hair was busy looking around his ruined living and workspace, wondering what Demiurgic force did this, remembering that he was indeed that someone and he did, in fact, live here.[i] What was I doing last night...[/i] He wondered. He looked down at his hands, even with his sight blurred. They were shaking erratically, so much so that when he moved to pull himself out of bed, he slipped and fell to the floor. Dyes and chemicals had mixed into the water, forming strange swirls of colour. [i]'What was I doing last night'[/i]... he wondered again. He crawled, then brought himself to his feet even if barely standing. While the morning light from the window was impossibly grey and faded, a bright, blue, light glowed instead from the other rooms entrance. The man, who then realised he did not even know his own name, knew something was deeply wrong. A small part of his mind told him to flee, to go to the door that led out into the city street. But the glowing blue light was so beautiful and drew him to shuffle closer. he shuffled again, near the turn to the next rooms entrance. the blue light changed to gold in a flash, the light streaming through even stronger. He neared the turn. He hesitated, filled with a sudden and overpowering sense of terror. Luckily, he remembered he lived here and everything was fine and walked into the light, now blue again. The next room was even worse than the last. Paint covered the walls and furniture. The floor was littered with brushes and tools... and what seemed to be maps? Dry blood covered the top of cabinets where a headless chicken lay. Some of the brushes and droplets of paint and blood seemed to be levitating, floating as they orbited an object on the far side of the room, immensely glowing in blue, gold and now red light. What ought to be peculiar if not an impossible sight was ignored, for the man knew that he was a mage. A mage and, and that's right! A mage and an artist. The chicken was clearly a sacrifice. There must be some curse he placed somewhere last night. He didn't know if he even knew how to make curses though and couldn't see any anywhere. But he was certain that was why. As he drew closer to the glowing object more and more became clear to him. He was an artist that lived in the city of... Pridos? or was it Petrix? He wasn't quite sure, but he knew he was an artist. He worked as a contractor for the clerisy. He was put in a team of artists, paid a commission to make a... Fresco. He knew now that the glowing object was a canvas. Justinian be blessed, his concept piece was something [b][i]holy[/i][/b], even radiating light. He was relieved. He did not know what happened last night, but he knew he was immensely stressed. He had little time and the Clerisy were not forgiving if he came up with nothing. He decided to use magic, looking back at the chicken. He played his strengths. Magic and, and... and a one of a kind inspiration. One of the traders he met (ah, he must live in Petrix then!) showed him a picture. He said it was made using pigments from a place far to the south. Hypernot? Hyper, well he forgot. But it was a painting, unlike anything he had ever used. It seemed to move and glow even without magic... just like this one. He smiled then, knowing that he had created a masterpiece. He ignored that what should have been a quick walk of a few seconds instead went on for a whole twenty minutes. He ignored that more objects, previously stationary had now begun to levitate as well. He ignored that beyond the room, perhaps the entire universe no longer existed. The glowing canvas was covered by a thin sheet. The last barrier between the nameless man that no longer was and the perfect painting for those clerics Mural. The nameless man gripped the sheet, ignoring that his arm was see through and distorted, his fingers floating in mid-air. As he and the room faded away, he saw his painting. To his horror, it was not the beautiful painting that the merchant returning from Hypernotei first showed him. That inspired him and gave him hope. Instead, it was a message. A message given esoteric and yet physical form. A message that perhaps only a single being in this entire world truly understood. The nameless man could not possibly accept nor perceive this message, so instead, he only saw a swirling torrent of darkness, filled with the screams of endless souls. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/OCARuGL.jpg[/img][/center]