[center][h1]Sylia[/h1] [h3]The Battle of Sylann[/h3][/center] [hr] The first incursion began the following week, as scores of refugees, holdouts and terrified mortals were entering the city. The speed at which the beasts came upon them was frightening. Small bands ripping and tearing apart the land. It took a band of mortals led by Hollis, with bows, arrows and swords to deal with the threat and even then many were lost. Sylia herself was concerned, having not realized just how voracious the enemy would be at the chance of mortal flesh. She had suspected it would take weeks to shirk the great inland sea, pillaging and ravaging as they went. It may have even taken months before any might have arrived. But now she knew they were not so mindless. They were targeting Sylann and the surrounding area. It would only be a matter of time before a horde or even any army arrived at her doorstep. Sylia would be damned if she let them do as they pleased. So whilst Galaxor dealt with one of the beasts, she could only hope that her fellow kin would deal with the other and even so, that a few would start mopping up and dealing with the source of this mess. Meanwhile, she would protect those the mortals in her charge and those who thought themselves independent of any aid. As the gates shut and walls took to siege, the mortals in Sylann began enforcing the croplands and the waterways. The city was nigh impenetrable thanks to the walls but one could never be too careful. Another problem quickly became apparent- there simply were not enough able bodies to man every post, defend the wall, the streets, the Council chamber and the Atelier. Already the more affluent were hoarding resources and small bands of personal bodyguards. Those needed most on the frontlines. Sylia did not wish to intervene entirely. Mortals could not ever truly grasp the scope of this Galbaric Incursion. Fear and chaos would reign unless they came together and unified and what greater a unifying force? So she would leave such distastefulness to Hollis, while she enacted a grander plan. The third day came of hit and runs upon the walls by the fiendish monsters of red clay and rancid smells. Whilst from the skies there came attacks of claw and teeth with the occasional spittle of acid. Sylann’s defenders fired arrows and struck down those that managed to climb to the top of the walls but more and more enemies were coming. Upon the fourth day a creature with great claws for digging burst up in a market square, spewing forth a horde of small spindly monsters that hacked and burned what they could. This happened three more times before they were put down by brave mortals. But many feared this would only be the beginning. On the fifth day, the river was breached by black creatures with too many fish heads that dragged many into the depths before they were driven away. Outside the wall, more and more demons were gathering. Some were dragged with great red chains, as they had no discernible arms or legs, just great bulbous bodies and long necked mouths. Then the sixth day came. [hr] Althea shouted down at her goblin archers, “Fire! Fire at will!” Down the line Vaesna, her hand’s sharp blades, also gave the command to fire. The tall syllianth woman- no, Syllianth Warrior, looked out over the wall as arrows whistled past down into the horde of shrieking monsters. They were so far below they simply looked like a bubbling black and red mass. She waved her bladed arm, the metal already coated with black blood, to fire again and again. Most of the goblin archers were firing directly over the lip and back into the wall, as their enemies climbed. Others shot up at the sky, before winged beasts with too many tails and too many limbs plucked soldiers off the wall and cast them into the abyss. There was smoke behind them, as the city fell into chaos. This was the worst attack yet and the screams, oh the screams. Althea hoped Ophelia and her baby were alright. There was a shout and a clay creature, punctured by so many arrows it looked like on those porcupine beastfolk, crawled over the wall. She was swift, as were others, and between her own sword cleaving its head apart and the spears that thrust and pushed- it toppled back over the wall. “Good work men!” She shouted, allowing a bit of pride to well up in her. She couldn’t let herself think of the innocents down below the city, nor what fate would befall them. She had to trust in Hollis and the Goddess. But it had been almost a week of constant fighting and Althea was perturbed to say the least. Even Vaesna, who had slain in single combat the largest clay creature she had ever seen, was beginning to feel the effects of the siege. More and more of them were dying, the goblins and the beastfolk and every time she saw it happen, she felt a little part of her die with them. The Syllianth were made to teach and protect. Not watch as their charges were slain, protection useless. A flying creature vomited a spray of acid at a nearby goblin and in one quick leap, Althea held up her other arm over the goblin, a great shield it had become, and the acid hit it. She grunted as the acid bit into her appendage but it was only a small pain compared to it landing on unprotected flesh. “Thank you Althea!” A goblin woman with large blue eyes, carrying a bow, looked up at her with awe. “Keep firing those arrows, Manda.” She grunted through the pain. “Yes lady!” Manda beamed, pulling out an arrow with an iron head. She fired, the arrow lost in the hail of many. Althea hoped her mark was true. A great booming erupted from below and Althea began to shout but it was too late. Seconds later, she felt the impact of something, then several things, on the wall below. She knew the wall was impenetrable, so what was- her soul shuddered as she saw several goblins begin to peer over the edge and the large hands that grabbed them. “MANDA!” She screamed, rushing to save the small goblin, but it was too late. One moment the girl had been at the edge and then the next she was flung off, replaced by a black spindly hand that pulled up a beast out of her nightmares. It stood like a man but taller than her, with two shriveled black heads and numerous red eyes. It had four boney arms, two of which held nothing but its own clawed fingers and the other two, they were just like her- a jagged black sword, made of bone. Pure weapon. As more carried themselves over the wall, Althea loosed a war cry and faced the one who had killed Manda. Not letting it get a foothold, she used her bulk and slammed into the thing, sending it tumbling back but not over the wall. It had used its sword arms to grip the lip of the wall and flung itself back over and into her. She blocked as it swung, the blow forcing her back. Then it gripped her shield with its free hands, wrenching her arm at such an angle it almost broke before she gave in and then it used the opening to slice her torso from navel to chin. She hissed, reeling back, the cut only skin deep but painful. It would scar, the damn thing would make her scar. What a stupid thought to have. She readied herself as it swung again, blades thudding against the shield she brought up. It went for her shield but she had expected that and backstepped, bringing her sword in for a piercing stab. It parried her, and Althea was flung off balance. Another sword swept from her side, she barely had time to bring up her shield and the blow sent her reeling to the floor. It began to stoop over her, red eyes full of malice. She hadn’t noticed it before, didn’t have time too, but now she did in all of its horror. The things chest ripped apart, revealing rows of sharp teeth and a sucking tongue that led to an endless black. Panic seeped in as the fight abandoned her. There was no stopping these things. Not like this. She began to crawl backwards, her arms becoming hands once more. Not like this. Please, by the gods, not like this. She looked around. Looked for any sort of help. She saw none. Her allies were dying. Her friends and comrades over the last week lay ruined upon the stone. More demons climbed over the wall. Vaesna… Vaesna still fought. Her blades dancing between each swing, each dodged grasp. Althea watched as she cut the hands off a demon and as it screamed, she cut its head off. Two more charged her, half eaten bodies gaping from their bodies and Althea was reminded of her own impending doom. She took solace in the fact that Vaesna would survive. The real hero. There came a burst of silver colored light from the sky, a brightness so intense she shut her eyes. When it faded, she opened them to see that the demon had been pierced through the head by a long spear. Althea blinked and stood, the silver spear beckoning to her. It radiated power and when she put her hands upon the swirling shaft, she felt it course through. Invigorating like a breeze after a summer rain, or the taste of a sweet apple, a lover’s kiss. She felt stronger and was glad for it. She hefted it from the demon’s head and held the point high. She let out a new war cry and charged at the nearest demons, the two that attacked her friend. While its back was to her, she threw the spear and it landed true, right in the back of the demon. It screamed with pain and before it could react, Althea was there, stabbing it in the head with her own sword arm. With a squelch it fell and she pulled the spear free, assaulting the next demon with Vaesna. It fended them off, blocking and parrying until Althea saw an opening and took it, plunging the spear into the fiend with lightning speed. Vaesna then cut off its heads. Her friend’s eyes bulged as she looked at the spear. “Is that why you became so fast?” she asked. Althea shrugged. “It didn’t feel fast. It made an opening and I took it.” The two began to jog towards the next battle. “Althea, even Hollis wouldn’t have been able to do what you just did. Thank the maker.” Althea nodded, her head still swimming from almost dying and suddenly thriving. She could hardly know what to think, especially at a time like this. She just… She just knew what to do. It felt right. “I’m glad you’re still here.” Althea whispered, looking over Vaesna. “So am I.” her friend said and the battle waged once more. [hr] “Oh, to be a divine.” Sylia sighed. She had been watching the battle from a distance. Gathering information and weaknesses. She was not a warlike God to begin with but this, this entire situation across the globe, was troublesome. There were no gods in the pantheon with martial prowess. Certainly they could fight and Galaxor was proof of that. But was this incursion a fluke or a summons? Was it a test or the start of a pattern? She knew struggling would always be a part of the mortal equation. It was only natural to them as it was for her to create. But if these struggles from the realms beyond their own became a normal occurrence, well, perhaps it was time to finally act. She had already saved Althea and a few others from certain doom. The enemy were becoming crafty, adapting strategies when they failed. Already they were building higher siege placements to scale the wall, the twinsword demons had only been a delaying tactic. Soon they would begin to hammer the city itself. Could she let her mortals struggle anymore? She shook her head. “They’ve proved themselves and now I shall prove their devotion to me. To all Divine kind.” She smirked. From the Atelier they [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c2/c1/36/c2c1368f9780fe18c39fcfa99ec31f3d.jpg]came.[/url] [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/25/96/49/2596498ffa46588fa38042852e72cb66.jpg]Beings[/url] of pure metal. Bronze, iron, even steel. Taking suitable shapes for war. Towering over all who dwelt within Sylann. At their head strode Sylia herself. This would not be an army for protection, though they could protect, but for the purposes of war. Thousands marched forth, clearing the streets of any would be foes. Into them Sylia had poured the durability of metal, the knowledge of the earth and the abilities for combat. Wherever they went, wherever the earth had been torn asunder, they began to fill in the holes. And more came from the Atelier. When they reached the gates, every single gate with Sylann, they opened them and marched forth. The world was under siege but didn’t mean one couldn’t fight back. [hider=Summary] Sylia is surprised at how swiftly the invaders find Sylann and begin to attack it. A siege occurs and over several days we see the enemy adapting and trying new strategies. On the sixth day, the worst day of fighting yet, Althea fights on the walls with goblin archers she commands and swiftly loses all of them as the onslaught commences. She almost gives up hope before she is saved by a spear she then gladly picks up to use. After watching all of this occur and realizing that her mortals have struggled enough, she notes that it is time for her to show that their devotion is not misplaced. She creates the Formed, metal constructs created for war and earth manipulation. She then personally leads them through the gates to beat back the invaders from her city. [/hider] [hider=MP] 6MP starting -1MP (Towards War) To create the Heirloom of War. Taking the shape of a spear, it bolsters one’s strengths and speed when fighting. Turning the wielder into a tool for the weapon to succeed. -2MP (boosted with Metal) To create the Formed, metal constructs designed for combat and war. Living weapons. -1 Created with supreme durability, even with lost limbs will they continue on. -1 Blessed with the ability to reform themselves with suitable parts -1MP (Towards War) Blessed the Formed with enhanced combat abilities in the form of resilience, speed and strength. -2MP (Towards Earth) The Formed have control of the Earth and can use it as a tool. Primarily bending and manipulating it for their own needs or as a task demands it. 0MP remaining (4/4 for Earth Domain) (2/4 For War Domain) [/hider]