[center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjU0LmE0MjMyMy5RU0JXYjJ4allXNXBZeUJEYjI1bWNtOXVkR0YwYVc5dS4w/jmh-angelus.cap.png[/img] [b][color=9e0b0f]Collab With [@AdorableSaucer][/color][/b][/center] Driven away by the massive flying ark, Vulkandr and his forces retreated to avoid reaching severe casualties. Rather than retreating straight back to Mt. Eldahverr like cowards, the fire titan and his Jotundar army proceeded to hug the massive Cauldron’s base and swing back to the forests from the south. They encountered nearly no resistance among the way, or any that would definitely harm them. The river that Shenghsi brought upon the Sandravii desert was situated too far for the army to even see, thus they were unaware that they had been cut-off by this raging river. As soon as they reached the forest, Vulkandr bellowed to his forces to run amok and set fires to the surrounding timber. Still, the fire titan was cautious this time, making sure that the skies were clear and that no other distractions would lead them astray from their mission. Soon, the outer perimeter was up in flames and it burned deeper into the forest at a rapid pace. At this point, Vulkandr indeed expected the inhabitants to flee or feebly attempt their hopeless battle against he and his forces. Terrified ooks, squeaks and howls sounded from the woods as birds and beasts retreated from the smoking edge of the jungle. Panicking boars and primates were trapped by the flames and reduced to charred cadavers before the fury of the fire giants. The massacre rampaged through the woods for a long time; however, as if the giants had crossed an invisible border, a quaking roar boomed through the air as they entered deeper into the jungle, followed by equally menacing tremors through the soil that grew stronger and stronger as a great moving mountain blotted out Heliopolis. The jotundar forces felt the effect the most prominently, swaying to and fro, from the massive tremors that threatened to topple them over. Yet with his massive pillar-shaped legs, Vulkandr seemed nigh affected by them. While he could feel them resonating within his body, vibrating the rock and and rippling the magma ichor within, the fire titan refused to fall over. He grimaced over the lush forests, trying to find the potential source of the quakes, yet was unable to see anything. Perhaps the threat lurked directly underground. A sure sign of cowardliness. Vulkandr rose one of his massive legs high into the air, still being kept balanced by the weight of the stable one, before crashing it down on a fresh grove of young trees. The sudden impact rippled across the forest, rivaling the opposing tremors in raw power. Large cracks began to form from ground zero, large enough to easily swallow animals, as they ran deep into the wilderness. Suddenly, magma began to shoot up from the cracks, forced up to greet the virgin air, as they surged high into the sky and onto the trees below. The timber and wildlife that were closest to the surges were instantly melted into oblivion, with the ground instantly becoming dry and infertile as they were given a molten bath of desolation. The giant hollered loudly into the air - bits of lava leaving his gaping maw - while he awaited to challenge the threat which dared to cease his fiery march. [center][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGqeBGQs_fs]”Titanic Battle of Elements”[/url][/center] A second ear-shattering roar challenged Vulkandr’s, the shadow of the moving mountain becoming apparent through the smoke and foliage. It was soon evident that it had been no mountain at all, but rather the towering shell of a colossal turtle that dwarfed the jotundar. As it walked, the earth shook and the trees quivered; the beasts of the woods all cowered behind its massive form. The turtle’s crusty eyes squinted in the flames and the monster let out another deep roar. Its glare fastened on the lava inching its way through the trees and the turtle began to retch. After a few gulps, it vomited out a small lake’s worth of water, near all of which evaporated to cool the lava. The monster testudine’s size was immeasurably gargantuan - both in height and more so in width. It’s size easily dwarfed the barge that the fire giants had encountered in the northern expanse. Both sides were guarded and both by two different beasts of burden. However, Vulkandr wasn’t going to back down - not even from a creature of such unprecedented proportions. He knew enough about what he was combating, unlike Shengshi’s barge - that he had no visible knowledge of - and while it was strong, it surely was not a god. And if it wasn’t immortal… It could be killed. Such a task wouldn’t be easy, but it already gives the fire titan a chance, no matter how small, in potentially beating it. As the giant turtle regurgitated its surging flow, Vulkandr could see his fellow Joutndar brethren bracing for impact, as the water began to slowly cool the lava. The fire titan was not going to let this slide. He hastened its speed, revealing a surprising amount of speed that many would not consider possible. His pillared legs took enormous strides, stomping upon chunks of jungle woodland, while his body temperature began to rapidly rise. He halted directly in front of his forces, using his body to separate both the giants and the surge of water pouring their way. Then, his flaming arms began to extend back, before clapping his hands together in a brunt holler. Just as the water reached him, the rapid disturbance of the air exploded as powerful flames formed an umbrella-like force-field to keep the water from advancing upon them. The aquaforce simply surged around them, only taking a few straggling joutndar that were too far in the back or beyond the perimeter of the shield, but Vulkandr was nonetheless undeterred. As the water began to subside, the Fire Titan planted his bulky arms into the ground and released his fiery ichor into the ground. The bubbling magma bolted towards the turtle underground, before opening large holes underneath the giant turtle’s front feet. The lava underneath would then gush like a surging geyser, burning into the creature’s soles. They would rapidly begin to grow larger and larger in diameter, potentially to the point where they could engulf its feet entirely. If he could eliminate the creature’s ability to move, it could allow him to rally his troops to the creature’s side and backend, allowing the jotundar to commence their assault. In the meantime Vulkandr began to bolt towards the water turtle, quaking the ground with each step. It set its sights upon the creature’s occupied front limbs, attempting to climb it once he’d get his hands on it. He was going to punch the living crap out of this monster, even if it’ll kill him in the end. The turtle’s stone-skinned feet were large and heavy - too heavy to dodge the lava traps. It rumbled in pain as it tried to pull its forelimbs out of the holes, snapping its monstrous, beak-like jaw at the approaching Vulkandr, but due to its impairment, the turtle could not move in any angle that would reach him. Instead, it wrestled and pulled at the ground, ripping and cracking it with gruesome forces, all the while snarling at the little too brave jotundar who wanted to follow their master’s charge. With his movement compromised for the moment, Vulkandr leapt upon the reptilian’s right leg and plunged his molten fists into its leg. Then it proceeded to climb, each time pouring molten magma into the creature’s body, all while the joutundar below began to circle around the titanic beast. The Titan climbed before reaching the turtle’s vulnerable head, its eyes glowing a frozen blue underneath its purplish-grey armored eyebrows. The very top of the head was otherwise exposed. And then the Fire Titan rose his fists into the air, glowing a hot yellowish-orange. With a thunderous grunt he bashed them upon his beast’s cranium, with impressive explosive force. And then he proceeded to do it again… And again… And again… Molten residue flew off Vulkandr’s fists with every pounding, each attempting to burn into the skull and melt through the tough scales. The helpless beast thrashed and shook its huge head, desperately trying to shake the giant off. However, even as it shook, other jotundar began to close in around it. As its head swung from side to side, pulling with it destructive windshear, its seared feet finally pulled out of the ground. The turtle craned its head backwards with a thunderous roar and began to charge forward, dragging its head along the ground to shake off Vulkandr. The joutndar horde right infront of the charging beast would feel the worst of it, as many were flattened by the huge lumbering head. Only those that were able to flank the turtle’s body would survive the massacre of their brethren. The Fire Titan, meanwhile, held on to dear-life as he found himself being dragged alongside the crusted ground below. His grip was indomitable, but it wouldn’t last forever. He was already beginning to slip, already reaching the tip of the turtle’s left eyebrow. Vulkandr bellowed as he rose one of his fists in the air - the magmatic ichor spewing from his vacant fist - only to reform into a large blade-like weapon. Engraved in strengthened obsidian crust, with a fiery core within, the Titan proceeded to inject it into the creature’s body. He aimed for around the creature’s eye, however the blade would strike just underneath the eyelid. He latched on for a few more seconds as the molten poison surged into the creature, before the blade broke and he found himself falling back onto the ground below. The turtle’s enormous eye closed at the pain, and while the beast did not look to be blinded, the molten sword formed a black spot on the otherwise water-like, blue eye. The stone-skinned eyelid closed over the wounded orb and the beast nearly tumbled over. Now, it began to slow down, turning around to face its adversary, though it was evidently warier now than before. With ragged breathing and one closed eye, it stood still and calculating, waiting for its enemies to strike first. Vulkandr’s efforts were not in vain, yet he knew all too well that this battle isn’t over just yet. His efforts need to be concentrated on either blinding the turtle beast completely or, more directly, in blasting open the turtle’s vulnerable head from the wound he caused. But with his opponent looking more wary upon the situation at hand, the Fire Titan needed to plan his attacks carefully. So as long as it remained on the creature’s blindside, could he have a chance in beating it. Vulkandr formed his hands over his chest, as a fiery substance began to charge up in the space provided. Then, with a sudden release, the Titan fired it at the creature’s head. It needed to know what else this creature could do before it could continue its assault. The turtle had not been particularly fast, but in this, at least, the angle was satisfactory to allow a simple turn to put the magma ball on a trajectory towards its shell rather than its head, upon which the magma splattered like a rotten fruit. The stone shell glowed red at the heat, but the turtle seemed unharmed overall and shot Vulkandr a hateful glare - however, it kept its position all the same. The Fire Titan continued to eye the turtle carefully. Surely fire of any kind will prove useless against it, but it seemed that the defender was keeping up its defensive position. Unsatisfied, Vulkandr injected his burly arms back into the ground as magma rushed underneath. This time, they seemed to surge around the beast, as cracks could be seen forming on the surface. Suddenly, large mounds began to rise from the ground, each forming at a diagonal position. All nine that had formed would be facing the massive guardian - their cauldrons armed and ready like battle cannons. The beast shoot quick looks where it could, quickly placing its armoured underside on the ground in preparation. Then another surge of energy from the titan forced the volcanic batteries to fire their concentrated beams of magma fire upon the giant. They curved at an angle, each finding their mark upon the turtle’s hardened shell. Smart was the defender for shielding its vulnerable underbelly from taking more unwarranted damage, yet the lava would still find itself slowly burning into the colossal shell. This wouldn’t do for Vulkandr. But with the beast becoming distracted by the make-shift cannons, the giant proceeded to make another mad run towards the creature’s lowered head. At the height were it was situated, he could jump onto it with little effort at all. Meanwhile, several of the joutundar proceeded to find themselves running towards the colossus itself and attempting to leap back onto its head to issue more explosive hits. Several would find themselves at the base of its shell and began to make the perilous climb up its shell like mere ants. They may not be able to hurt the beast directly, but that won’t stop them from figuring out how to if at all. The beast rumbled and Vulkandr suddenly found himself slowly closing in on the shell, as if he had sat himself on a large moving belt. Soon, however, it became clear that the head was retracting in under the stoney shell, along with its limbs. The titan’s projection fell short as the turtle’s head began to retreat into its shell. Vulkandr would only find itself punching the ground below him and while it attempted to run towards it, it would be fruitless. By the time he got anywhere close, the head had already found refuge within its fortress of a body. Even as he attempted to brute force into it, he would find it fruitless to enter. The joutundar would also find themselves being pulled in by the turtle’s retracting limbs, forcing most to hop off. But to those who would find themselves still latching onto them, they would be instantly squashed by the claustrophobic conditions from within, turning them into a reddish-orange paste of molten ichor. The turtle had essentially turned into a massive mountain of a fortress. Their lava could barely scratch the surface of the beast’s nigh-destructable shell and with all of the weak-spots being safe-guarded within, it had virtually became invulnerable. Vulkandr roared infuriatingly, pounding both fists together, as he took a big step back to think about the next point of action. Hurting it directly didn’t seem to work. Brute force would hardly scrape it and lava would only find itself flowing down its shell or solidifying to become one with the turtle - adding the armor to its arsenal. Even the jotundar would have an even harder time scouting the massive kilometer-wide shell for any breaks in the carapace. Perhaps given a hundred years or so they could eventually break through, but no time of that caliber was available to them. The titan needed some additional support. But in order to secure their chances, they needed to first completely immobilize the turtle from just standing up and walking away. So the Fire Titan plunged his fists into the ground once more, but proceeded to make an ever-expanding hole underneath the beast. It was nearly equivalent to that of his initial plan, only it planned to bring the entire creature down with it. Once it encompassed the shell’s diameter, could it fall into the molten substance. With it seemingly becoming compromised, Vulkandr rose back onto its feet and rose its arms into the heavens. There it began to issue a variety of different bellows, grunts, and hisses, in various different pitches and tones as if it was chanting to the skies above. But it was not the aether gods that he was appeasing to… [hr] [color=f26522][b]”GAAAAAAGHH!”[/b][/color] Sartr’s raged seethed ominously upon hearing the humiliating defeat with Slaevatein and his dragon army. He kicked over a large boulder as it was launched itself into one of Muspellheim’s many lava pools, dissolving slowly within. He then proceeded to sulk upon his throne, with a solid grimace planted firmly on his fiery face. To say that he was utterly displeased was an understatement, yet one that didn’t cause him to go fully ballistic. Sartr knew deep down that these first few battles was to test the air for what the gods could do, not necessarily as assured victories. They were simply test runs and nothing more. Still, the fact that his proud hydra was close to victory, only for it to be snagged away by the vile Shengshi had him smoldering nonetheless. If the hydra and the dragons could lose so brutally to foes like the ones on the River God’s ship, he feared the worst that could befall on the giant Vulkandr and the jotundar as a whole. Then his ears picked up something - a faint rumbling in the air. The fire god rose to get a better ear to the noise, before recognizing the call of the Fire Titan himself. What a coincidence for the two to be thinking about one another at the same time. Sartr continued to listen, eventually recognizing that it was a chant for assistance. They had secured a giant turtle guardian in place, but need further assistance in wanting to exterminate it. The flame god’s frown turned to a gleaming smile, with his fires flickering even more so in excitement. [color=f26522][b]”Oh valiant Vulkandr,”[/b][/color] Sartr rumbled praisingly, [color=f26522][b]”How your loyal prayers shall be answered generously. The great river god Shengshi had blighted my mood just mere moments before, but alas I shall not let his victory go undeterred![/b][/color] The flaming god proceeded to step off his throne before plunging his massive arms into the ground. [color=f26522][b]”Let the fires ruin the dobbling beast for its foolish attacks.”[/b][/color] he announced pridefully, [color=f26522][b]”Let his cowardliness become his utter downfall. Let the guardian of the Nanhe feel the wrath of the mighty Sartravius!””[/b][/color] [color=f26522][b]”“AND LET HIS FORESTS BURN TILL NOTHING REMAINS!”[/b][/color] [hr] On the surface, a massive quake began to violently rock the entire battlefield before it. Vulkandr’s chanting had long since ceased by then, as he ordered his forces to makeway for whatever their fiery god had planned for them. Their prayers will be answered. Their savior was coming to help them. And as they watched patiently for their reinforcements to arrive, the shaking suddenly seemed to stop. That was until the lava surrounding the turtle monster began to bubble. And then, it would feel something big pierce through its underbelly as a jagged spear of rock and obsidian emerged from the molten pool. Rising from the depths of molten ichor, the spear-tipped mound began to rise continuously, stretching for hundreds of meters into the air. [url=https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/008/609/608/large/dope-pope-zsummitkaiju-new-render-1-by-dp.jpg?1513891625]It was as if a mountain was forming right in front of them - a mountain that was engulfed in hellish flame. It towered over the battlefield, with large fiery debris falling off its rocky hide. It rose higher and higher, until four gargantuan legs fully pulled itself from its lava bath.[/url] Its venomous yellow eyes opened itself to the world with utter malice, and once it rose to its full height, even it dwarfed Shengshi’s proud turtle beast. And with an earth-shattering roar, the massive creature bellowed out a cry that would resonate for miles. The wrath of Sartr had been unleashed, in the form of his own walking mountain of fire - the “Molten-Fortress”. The turtle, which had been tipped onto its back from the impact and then - thankfully - gathered enough momentum to roll back onto its feet again, fixed its functional eye on the mountain and the ever-encroaching jotundar. It shot Vulkandr an icy-eyed, hateful glare, but it was short-lived; more important was inspecting his flanks, one of which contained a volcano on legs and the other of which filled with what remained of the fire giants. The turtle looked ahead - its earlier charge had put the army of fire between it and the forest. A gamble was to be made for survival - one that counted on the walking mountain adhering to the normally slow movement speed of stone. The fire giants could be shaken off - even Vulkandr, and so the turtle made its decision. With a roar that could shatter rock, the colossal turtle charged straight towards the Nanhese jungle with speed unforeseen - for a turtle, that is. The fiery mountain slowly turned to face this petty turtle, but by the time it could even turn its head the creature had already retreated into the bush. So there it stood, over a sea of burning green, looking down at what it was left with. The creature bellowed another roar of victory before it proceeded to lay down. Vulkandr simply laughed at their glorious victory, roaring to his fellow jotun brothers that they had won the battle thanks to their glorious fire god. They in turn would raise their arms and shout victoriously as they rallied to their leader’s position. Then, from atop the living mountain, the Molten-Fortress’ summit - already slightly chipped off from impacting the guardian’s underbelly - began to glow before a powerful explosion blew off a huge chunk of its top. It bellowed lava and fiery debris everywhere, until leaving only a mere crater in the middle. But it wasn’t a mere random act of self-destruction. Rising from atop the volcanic fortress, Sartr rose to greet his proud warriors with his hands straight in the air. [color=f26522][b]”“You’ve done your fire god well!”[/b][/color] he boomed with a hearty laugh, [color=f26522][b]”I have nothing but praise for my valiant warriors of Sartr. Fellow Slaevatein had failed me today, but you all have done me proud! Let this mark as a glorious day for the start of our glorious conquest!”[/b][/color] Vulkandr and his forces stood to attention and cheered at their master’s statement. [color=f26522][b]”But!”[/b][/color] the God continued more composurely, [color=f26522][b]”. We must prepare for the next stage of our conquest, along for the battles yet to come. Head westwards and establish a camp with our new pet. More allies will come to your aid in due time, including the Hydra and his forces. For no doubt the gods will be scrambling to hit us next, but we will be ready for them! We won’t move an inch! This is only just the beginning - And we will not surrender to my pitiful brothers and sisters!”[/b][/color] Sartr then proceeded to return to Muspelheim, along with the massive turtle burrowing underground with him. Vulkandr soon bellowed out to his joutndar army and they proceeded to head westward to assemble and plan their next attack. The clock was ticking. [hr] [hider=Monster Fight!] - Vulkandr and his bois start setting fire to the jungle south of the Cauldron. -This angers Chuanwang, who comes over to challenge them. -Vulkandr makes lava on the floor, so Chuanwang vomits up water all over it. -Vulkandr then traps him and starts smacking him in the head. -Chuanwang thinks this is hella annoying, so he charges ahead to shake him off, smashing lotsa jotundar in the process. -Vulkandr stabs him in the eye before he is thrown off. Chuanwang, now blind on one eye, starts going on the defensive, going turtle-mode. -Vulkandr and co.’s efforts are wasted on its shell, so the fire giants pray to Sartr for help. -Sartr agrees and makes a volcano “turtle” under Chuanwang. -The volcano turtle is big and scary, and together with Vulkandr and his bois, they make up a big force. -Chuanwang thus retreats hella fast. Sartr then comes out of the mountain and congratulates his bois, but then wants them to go westwards and establish a “camp” of sorts. -Mt. Turtle then buries down again. [/hider] [hider=MP Summary] [b]Sartravius[/b] [b]Before:[/b] 5 MP | 10 FP [b]Spent:[/b] - 2FP (Molten-Fortress - Name TBA) [b]After:[/b] 5 MP | 8 FP [/hider] [hider=Chuanwang retreats from the skirmish, Age of Monsters, colourised.] [img]https://media2.giphy.com/media/ZGxAgGUKmXWlW/giphy.gif[/img] [/hider]