---

It was the middle of the night when the sentry bells began to toll. Loud rings sounded out into the cold, midnight air, rousing Light Bearers from their sleep within the mighty walls of the Dogfalls Stronghold. Older, more experienced fighters bounded from their sleeping arrangements and grabbed the weapons stashed at the foot of their beds. Armor was quickly thrown on before they moved to make their way out into the courtyard where a gathering was beginning to form.

The newer, slower moving Light Bearers took some time to awaken from their sleep before they finally realized what was happening around them and quickly got suited up for battle. They, too, eventually made their way to the courtyard. Up upon the walls stood the sentries and an older woman with greying hair and even greyer eyes. She held onto a staff for support as she gazed out to the crashing waves of the sea just beyond the cliff face.

Silence seemed to engulf the night as each Bearer waited for the commands to go defend. It was as if the night itself were holding its breath, the only sound being the crashing of the waves on the rocks. Then, quietly at first, there was a rumbling. The very ground began to shake before up from the sea rose a wave of darkness. It crashed onto the shores, engulfing the water and rocks in black soot before continuing along the land. Creatures of various sizes and forms began to claw their way out of the darkened sand, their eyes a glow of hellish fire and their screams filling the night air.

The older woman straightened as she watched the creatures spawn from the abyss. She clenched her jaw and her grip on her staff turned white from pressure. “Dogfall will not be overrun tonight! We shall prevail!” And with that scream of protest, the woman raised her staff and slammed it down onto the top of the wall. Suddenly, a dazzling bright sigil illuminated the night as it blazed to life on the exterior of the walls. Any Grim creature that found itself before the light screamed in anguish and fizzled out of existence but still more came as the wave crashed into the protection of the sigil.

The woman turned from the outer walls and gazed down upon the large crowd of gathered warriors. “Light Bearers! Tonight we fight within the abyss! May Aleathen bless us all with swift victory!” A cheer rose from the crowd as she raised her staff, a large gate directly behind the blazing sigil opening up to let the Light Bearers through. War had found itself upon Astrya’s shores.

---

---

The sun was just beginning to set upon the mountains of Mistmoor. It was mid spring, so a pleasant time to be out during the twilight. It was comfortable and quite warm, a short lived reprieve from the long, harsh winters of the mountains. Terrain Kar sat upon a bench, gazing out at the sky as the stars began to make their appearance. Her thin tunic and pants were more than enough to keep her comfortable while she watched the sun set.

With a flick of her wrist, she pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes. She had been training most of the day and her body was quite sore from the workout. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the swordmaster’s frustration with being cooped up inside the mountain stronghold for so long, or that he had a vendetta directed solely at her, but that day’s training had been rougher than her typical ones. She found herself on the defensive far more than she would have liked and when he smacked her so hard on her side that her ribs quivered, the man had called it quits. She was thankful for it to be over and when she took a peek at the hit location, a purple bruise had already begun to develop. It was unpleasant to say the least, but she had learned a grave lesson. Never leave your side open for a misdirect if you’re not willing to take the blow and she only learned after being stuck, that she was very much not ready to take that blow.

She let out a loud sigh as she rested her arms along the back of the bench, allowing her eyes to close as her head hung back, exposing her face to the last of the sun’s dying rays. She would have to talk to that man. If he had a vendetta against her, for whatever reason, she would have to find a way to sort it. She couldn’t take many more hits like that. Of course, she could simply learn a better tactic for her fighting but that would take time and she wanted to make sure she didn’t end up with a bruise on her every time she attempted a new flourish or technique. Her mother would take the man apart if she learned what had happened that day. Even being a blessed Light Bearer didn’t bring that woman’s overprotectiveness to a mild simmer.

Terrian released a low sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Please,” she quietly begged the gods above, “Please don’t let my mother learn of today’s training.” She peered up at the darkening sky. “Please”

Lig

---------

Location: Her family's beach-house on the coast of Dogfall Interactions: None yet

---------

Lig didn't know why she was here. Hell, she'd rather be anywhere else beside the place her mother told her lies, the place she blinded and deafened her brother Arig. Her mother was long dead, having been stoned for blasphemy, since she "claimed" that Lig's father was a king from a faraway land. She never knew his name, nor his whereabouts, both Arig and Veer remaining completely silent, and they did know her father's name, they were raised around him when their mother had an affair with him.

She somehow ended up here again, due to a note that her supposed kingly father sent to her, it was like a prophecy, it read: "When the day comes that light dims and darkness reigns supreme, a duel shall usher forth an age of corruption and the fall of the kingdoms.", Lig didn't know what this meant, she didn't want to know what it meant. What was the "duel" this prophecy foretold? Was she going to be somehow involved? Lig didn't want to be involved in another battle, or a duel, for that matter, Veer tried to kill her in one over who got their mothers' belongings, she stabbed him with Desolation, and he's now in a coma thanks to it.

Lig had no regrets, she didn't need to regret putting Veer in a coma, after all, he did deserve it.

Then, she felt a sudden sharp pain in her temple, which knocked her to the rickety wooden floor of the beach-house, Lig reached for Desolation, prepared to attack whoever was there.

But there was no one, or so it seemed. Lig was very aware of the silhouette standing at the entrance, she pointed Desolation at the shadow and yelled "Whoever you are, I am not afraid to use this blade on you!"

The silhouette raised its arms in confusion, "What now?"

She recognized that voice, the low timbre in it that always could send shivers down one's spine, it was Arig, was he sent here? She now heard the tapping of his cane, trying to get used to the surroundings around him since he was blind.

Now in the dim light of the old oil lamp, Lig could make out Arig's milky white eyes, that smug smirk never ever leaving his face.

"What're you doing here, A?" Lig said flatly.

"I can't hear you, remember?" Arig said matter-of-factly.

Lig rolled her eyes, even if Arig couldn't see it, she couldn't practically do anything, since he was both blind and deaf, if only she could try to undo it. But alas, her magic doesn't let her try to feel for others, she never has and her magic will never let her. It won't even let her reverse that spell, if she wanted.

---

---

BANG. BANG. BANG.

The harsh thudding echoed up the walls, a desperate rhythm—fast, erratic, panicked. A figure slammed both fists against the iron-bound doors.

“Please!” came the cry. “Please, help me—let me in!”

Torches flared above, casting their light down on the man below.

He stood hunched, gasping for breath, one hand pressed to his side where crimson stained the white of his torn undershirt. His cloak—tattered and muddied—hung in ribbons off his narrow shoulders, and the once-fine traveling garb he wore was ruined with dirt, ash, and what looked like dried blood. Long black hair clung wet to his face, his skin pale and slick with sweat. Scratches marred his arms and neck, thin but numerous, as if he'd barreled through brambles or clawed his way from a collapsed structure.

When he looked up at the wall, the torchlight caught his eyes—wide and silver-grey, shimmering like glass caught in moonlight.

“They’re coming!”] he shouted, voice hoarse, shaking. “I was with a caravan—we tried to outrun the wave—please, I don’t want to die out here!” He staggered forward a step before crumpling to his knees, hands trembling.

For a moment, silence. Then murmurs on the wall.

“Could be a trap…”

“Grim wouldn’t beg, would they?”

“Look at him. He’s barely standing.”

“Light have mercy… open it, just a crack!”

Chains clanked. Mechanisms groaned. The gate began to shift.

And Kaiji, still kneeling in the dust with dirt under his nails and blood on his breath, allowed himself the faintest smile—too quick to be caught, too quiet to be real.

Just a crack was all he needed.

---

Off the shore of the Dogfall stronghold, a fiery light began to appear just under the water’s surface. The water began to roil and as the light moved, the boiling water followed its path. Steam began to rise as two large horns finally broke the surface. Any moisture that was previously on them was burned away from the intense heat they were producing. As Algrimar stepped through the tide, his body slowly rising with each step, the water around him reacted violently to his heat. It bubbled and popped, steam bellowing out as if to provide the monster of a man some kind of protection from the cool night air. As he finally stepped out on the rocky shore, the sand beneath his feet sizzled with each new step. He left scorched footprints in his wake as he casually took his time to approach the stronghold, a vicious grin on his face.

He was a monster of a man. Standing at almost 8 feet of height, he towered over the Light Bearers. Truly a visage of demonic fire, his body looked to be made of cooled lava, cracks forming along the muscle lines and exposing a deep burning fire from within. His face resembled a carved skull, his eyes two burning orbs within the black sockets. With claws on each finger and terrible spikes protruding from dangerous places along his body, he could ferry fear and despair into the hearts of any that looked upon him. And he was not alone.

Kaiji had gone off ahead. The boy didn’t seem to have the same appreciation for headon tactics like Algrimar did. He was more of a sly Grim, one who used his human visage to his advantage to get behind their protections and disarm them from within. Algrimar much rathered face his enemies face to face before burning them to ash. It was more fun but Kaiji held his own skills. He could corrupt the sigils. That was an ability that even Algrimar couldn’t ignore and as Kaiji took advantage of the sliver of an opening the guards provided them, Algrimar called out to the stronghold.

”Rejoice, meager humans.” His voice reverberated through his chest, a deep gravelly sound that rang out over the snarling sounds of the lesser grim around him. He threw his arms out to his sides, his fiery eyes dancing in the dark of the night. “For I have come to grant you salvation!” He continued his casual pace as he approached the stronghold, drilling his gaze into the gloriously bright sigil that barracked him and his fiends from making their grand entrance.

”I will be your light!” He paused just a few feet from the sturdy wall, the vicious grin on his face growing to crack his face in two. He inhaled deeply before he opened his mouth wide and unleashed a blast of hell fire upon sigil and stronghold walls. The flames crashed into the sigil, disbursing in all directions as the light held strong against his attack.

When the attack finally ended, Algrimar only smiled, a thin wisp of smoke rising from his jaws. It would only be a matter of time before that sigil fell and he and his troops made their way within the walls. Despite his dislike of lesser grim, Kaiji was skilled at what he did.

---

---

Arig stayed for the night, with him and Lig sleeping in Lig's old childhood bedroom.

BOOM!

Lig's eyes opened to see a fiery hole burst into the roof, now everything was on fire. The smoke stung her eyes and she coughed violently, enough to wake Arig up, he immediately shut his eyes again, the smoke was stinging his eyes too.

Lig picked up Arig bridal-style and ran out of the beach-house, but what she saw made her freeze in true fear.

The very thing she was scared of. Algrimar.

---

Far before the bells began to toll, Hwei was awake. In a nook of the soldier's barracks, as far away from chaos as one can hope, he sits, head bowed, before his altar. He's been at it for a few hours; he sleeps rarely these days, preferring to spend his time in fervent meditation than unaware in sleep. The younguns need it more than him. Instead, breathing in rhythmically the scent of heady incense, mantras whispered beneath his breath, Hwei asks the gods once again for mercy.

When the bells toll, he is ready. Putting out his incense and rolling up the contents of his altar - a tiny carved figure, an incense holder, a mat, a tiny book of prayers, and two smooth, dimpled stones - into a small pouch, he gets to his feet, passing by others as they prepare their equipment for the battle ahead. He, however, has precious little to prepare. "Earthly things are but a burden," goes the saying. Still praying, he arrives at the gates just in time to watch Algrimar's flames light up the night sky.

Hwei takes a moment to reflect on such a sight. Surely, the flames of eternal punishment must be similar to these flames of pure evil. In order to escape such judgement, Aleathen's directive is clear: fight on the side of the light. Hwei focuses his energy, priming his body for battle. His senses, heightened by his spiritual state, catch the conversation happening at the side gate, left unguarded by the sigil. A traveler, begging for protection?

No. Hwei would be foolish to disregard the way his skin crawls at the voice of the stranger outside their gates. Assuming the stance of speed, he darts towards the gate, vaults his way up the wall, and throws himself down to the other side with his leg outstretched, intending to hit the Grim (for what could it be, but a Grim?) square in the face. He doesn't know if his kick connects, but what matters is that the darkness is kept out.

"Strongholds aren't strongholds if they are opened, you know," he says, feeling the goddess's blessing filling him, spilling over the brim, heart as sturdy and peaceful as the walls at his back. "Aren't you a sneaky one, though? It almost worked, too."

---

---

One second, Kaiji was hunched in the dirt, the image of suffering carved perfectly into flesh and ash and the next, a blur of blessed movement struck him across the face.

CRACK.

His head snapped to the side with the force of the kick, body toppling into the dirt. Dust billowed in the twilight air as murmurs of alarm erupted from atop the wall.

"Was that—? Did he just—"

"Who is that? Who jumped down?!"

Kaiji groaned quietly, dragging his body a few inches across the ground, one hand bracing against a rib that might have cracked (for real). A thin trail of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, painting his pale lips a little too perfectly. but his silver eyes flicked up now, framed by matted hair and mud. And in them, not fear. Not yet. "Wait," he gasped, voice hoarse, like cracked porcelain. "Please—you're wrong—I’m not one of them!"

He coughed, deliberately low. When he lifted his face again, his expression had changed: confusion laced with hurt, like a wounded dog wary of a stranger’s hand. And still, he didn’t rise. He stayed small, ever unthreatening. "You think I’d come here alone if I was a Grim? They’re right behind me—please, I’ve seen them. I’ve seen what they do." His voice caught, just right. “I-I didn’t want to die screaming like the others.”

Then, barely a whisper. "I just wanted to be somewhere safe."

He looked at Hwei then, truly looked, at the sigil’s glow behind him. At the fire in his chest and the steel in his calm. A smile almost dared to twitch at Kaiji’s lips again, but he didn’t let it show. Not yet. Instead, he dragged himself one more inch forward, shaking fingers stretched toward the sigil-guarded gate.

"Don't leave me out here."

---

The sigil wasn’t falling. Algrimar ground his teeth in frustration as the light bearers flooded through the sigil to face him and his army head on. Where was Kaiji? Why had he not succeeded in his goal yet? The monster of a man let a snarl rip from his throat as he bore his gaze down on the hunters as they ran out to meet him. Perhaps the boy was finding a bit more resistance in getting in the stronghold than he anticipated. Maybe these particular Bearers weren’t as stupid as the usual bunches they would face at other villages and fortresses.

Before the Bearers were upon him, Algrimar reached out to grab two of the lesser grim by his sides and hurled them, one after the other, over the barrier of the stronghold. The hound-like beasts snarled as they soared through the air, landing on the protective barrier above the fortress. ”Find Kaiji! Devour anyone who gets in your way!” The two grims began to run along the barrier, making their way over to the other side of the fortress to aid their sneaky little friend.

As the bearers finally drew close, their weapons ready to strike, Algrimar reached out to grab one by the face, holding him just out of reach of his sword’s range. The man screamed as the heat from the grim’s hand began to bear into his flesh, scorching him before igniting his head in flames.

He locked his gaze on another attacking hunter, the man freezing mid stride as his eyes were trapped within the creature’s thrall. As the man stood entranced, Algrimar inhaled deeply before breathing out his hellfire upon the attackers. His flames first engulfed the trapped bearer before he finally turned his head, sweeping his attack back and forth before him, igniting any bearer within his range. He finally threw down the now still corpse of the man he was holding onto and turned to face the fortress once more. ”Is this the best you can provide! This will not sate me! Bring forth your best or I will burn this place to the ground!”

Strolling into the mayhem, he drove his claws into a fighter that was doing a decent job of keeping his lesser grim at bay. Violently ripping his claws out, he whirled around to blast another group of fighter in his flames, Grim and Bearers alike. As that group fell to the ground or dove into the tide to rid of the flames, a path was opened and his fiery eyes locked on the child who just came out of a beach house that had been set ablaze. She was carrying another man in her arms but all Algrimar cared about was the light that shined in their aura. A light bearer, a young one at that, not even 30 yet. Young Bearers were the best to watch burn.

He took a step towards the girl, a vicious grin crossing his face. ”Let me burn that pretty skin right off you, child.”

---

---

Lig knew she had to get out of here and quick, when she heard that Algrimar is going to try and burn her skin off, she knew which one of her weapons would come right in handy. Desolation.

Without putting her brother back down, Lig quickly went to get her katana from its holster slung around her hip, she struggled for a bit, but was determined to put an end to the thing that made her and generations of her family fearful.

Lig pointed the blade at Algrimar, and when she knew by the ring of her ear, he was an immediate threat, so Lig surged the blade forward to his leg...

---

Boy, that was one satisfying kick! Hwei draws himself up his full height, taking a better look at the man (?) hunched over in front of him.

"Close the gates," he calls. "I'll take care of this one. If they need saving, I'll save 'em. If they mean to deceive, however..." A cheerful grin plays upon his face. "Well, let the goddess decide! Right?"

Anyway. To the matter at hand. Being closer to the stranger has Hwei doubting himself. He has to admit, this one is tricky. Surely, nobody is that good of an actor; yet, he's seen Grim that can shapeshift, that can copy voices, cast illusions, and all sorts of trickery. If this stranger is truly a just a poor, innocent soul, then a) Hwei needs to apologize for kicking them in the face and b) he needs to bring him into the stronghold. But with Algrimar at the door, it's a risk he doesn't think he can take.

It's never been a better time to clear ones' mind from evil and shift his thoughts towards the light, and so Hwei does just that. Just one single moment of clarity and peace, despite the chaos reigning around him, despite the precious time spent. (Spent. Never wasted.)

Breathing out slowly, he opens his eyes, hoping to see the truth unveiled.

"The stench of the abyss cloaks you, traveler," he says. "Come and receive the goddess's purification." Summoning the sigil behind him, Hwei outstretches his palm, intending to try and purify the stranger. He's only done this a few times before, but-- he has to try. "Not a single soul shall perish without an attempt to save it," goes the saying.

---

---

Kaiji flinched as the sigil flared to life behind the man before him, burning brighter than a midday sun in a storm-sick sky. Its warmth was suffocating, holy and unyielding. The monk’s hand extended, palm open, glowing with intent. This was the moment. Kaiji’s breath hitched with fear flashing in his eyes, but not fear of the Light. It was far too well-timed.

From above, the hounds let out a shrieking howl before dropping on either side of the two men.

With a sickening crunch of flesh and stone, one landed just behind Hwei while the other lunged straight for his left side, massive jaws snapping open wide to clamp onto the monk’s outstretched arm before he could lay his hand upon Kaiji. The Grims were monstrous: part-canine, part-shadow, ribs like black iron pressing through flesh, eyes blazing like coals.

And in the second of chaos, Kaiji stood. No longer broken, no longer weak—his limbs moved with fluid precision as he shed the illusion of trembling. Blood still streaked his face, but it no longer hindered him it framed his smile. "You almost had me," he murmured, voice far too calm. “Almost.”

He flicked his wrist and let the venom rise. Ability Trigger: Mamba’s Whisper

His voice shifted, dropped into a tone so low it slithered into the mind rather than the ears. "Sleep, candlelight...fade away." The words wrapped around Hwei like a snake around the throat, weaving into his thoughts, pressing into his sense of self with soft, suffocating warmth. It wasn’t just a command, it was a pressure, an emotional weight, a suggestion formed from darkness and despair.

You’re tired. So tired. Why fight?

---

Well, she had quite the backbone to her, huh? Without even dropping the man in her arms, the young woman dashed forward with the sword in her hands. Algrimar stared at her for a moment, unsure of what he was seeing. A young light bearer, carrying a fallen ally, had just drawn a sword and charged him with said ally still in her arms. If the man had eyebrows, they would have risen high at the sight. This was probably the stupidest thing he had seen someone do in the times of his battles. Well, perhaps not the stupidest. He once had a man charge him with his bare hands, like his fists would even make a dent in his armor. So this was probably the second most stupid thing he had seen. At least she had a weapon in her hands.

Algrimar watched her dash forward, sword pointed directly in front of her before she took a swing at his leg. He crossed his arms, unmoving even as the blade of her katana made contact with his armor. There was a loud clang of metal on metal before the brute of a man began to laugh.

”I’m afraid I have to acknowledge your bravery, child.” He reached down for the katana, his large gauntleted hand attempting to coil around the blade. ”To come at me with dead weight and even attempt to strike me through my armor. It was stupid, but incredibly brave. I’ll enjoy eating the flesh off your bones.” As he reached for the blade with one hand, he unleashed his gaze upon the girl, locking his eyes on her own with a sadistic grin on his face. He moved his free hand, its palm a glow with hell fire. He reached towards her head, a dark laugh leaving him as he extended his arm. Such a foolish fight. The girl would have been better off running for her life than trying to fight him.

There was a loud crack of thunder and just before Algrimar’s hand touched the girl’s head, a bolt of bright light slammed into him. It was strong enough to send the brute crashing into the beach and forcing him to slide along the sand. He situated himself upright, digging his claws into the sand and halting himself. Eyes like fire locked on the older woman at the top of the wall, her staff raised high and the bulbous head glowing brightly.

The old woman was panting, her grip on the staff weak and her arms quivering, yet she kept the staff held high, a beacon of light in the midnight sun. Algrimar sneered at the woman as he slowly stood to his full height again, rolling the shoulder the bolt of light had hit. ”Let’s see you do that again, old hag!” He called out to the woman before turning his eyes on the child again. He will finish the girl first than find a way to drop that sigil so he can personally thank that woman for such a hit.

---

---

Tarrian was content to just sit there for a while longer on her bench. She was going to wait for the sun to dip below the horizon then go seek out something to eat for dinner. She was idly gazing up at the sky as the stars were slowly popping into existence. She traced a few of the constellations with her eyes. Some of them were still incomplete, the night sky not being dark enough yet for the fainter of stars to appear but she still found a few that she could recognize. Usually night brought worry but Tarrian always felt like the night was a peaceful time that she enjoyed.

As the guard made their rounds, Tarrian let her eyes linger on them for a moment before turning her gaze back to the sky. When he paused, however, she focused on the man. It was Erik Ostriecher V, son to the man who had taught her a harsh lesson just earlier. She puckered her lips a moment as he tried to comfort her in a way. She had seen the way that man trains, she knew it would not be a gentle training for her but she hadn’t expected a large bruise and almost broken ribs harsh.

“I think,” she pondered a moment as she leaned her head back, still watching the guard in the corner of her eye, “He must learn a new way to train. If I am not mistaken, he was treating me like a Grim to be slain. I have never been so abused by an instructor before.” Her hand slowly rose to the bruise on her side, a frown planted on her face before she sighed and sat straighter.

“I apologize. I know he is your father. I should not speak so ill of him to you.” She turned on the bench, pulling her leg up so she could face him properly. “I see you are on patrol this night. Do you require companionship? I do not have anything planned for the rest of the evening and it seems it’s going to be a nice, warm night.” She wasn’t quite ready to head inside to simply eat than sleep. She could take some time to give a friend companionship while he spent his evening patrolling the walls and making sure their home did not come under attack.

She also knew Erik from a relatively young age. His father trained her own father and other light bearers that earned their gifts. The man had a tendency to take the world upon his shoulders and is hesitant to give even a sliver of that weight to others. She wanted to make sure he wasn’t stressing about something behind the scenes. She would hate to learn that he had lost his way because someone didn’t take the time to check on him from time to time.

---

Tarran followed Erik’s gaze towards the horizon, her gray eyes scanning the sky as if looking for an answer to the many questions that floated around within her head. A silent companionship lingered between the two light bearers that was only broken when Erik turned to face her once more. When the knight finally spoke up, Tarran turned her gaze from the darkening sky. He spoke of learning to accept that though the methods his father taught were more on the harsh side, they were necessary. For a grim would neither take nor give any quarter.

Tarran knew this, at least as well as any who had never fought a grim but heard of their terrible destruction from another’s tales. She knew the grim were terrible beings that needed to be slain before they slayed you but until one finally battled such a creature face to face, it is hard to understand the severity of their savagery, the incredible bloodlust they displayed, and the intense drive they held. There were few things that could stand up against that ingrained instinct that Grim held within their souls. It was as if the only thing they could think about, longed for, or, hell, lived for was the destruction of anything that was alive. The greater grim were beings of vicious cunning that used the lesser grim as simple pawns to wipe whole civilizations from the map. She knew this. She was taught this, shown a glimpse of it from the goddess herself and yet, she still pouted like a small child denied a sweet treat after finishing their plate.

Her hand rose to her bruised side before she sighed deeply. Of course, Erik was right. He was always right when it came to most things but it didn’t make Tarran any happier to accept the truth. His truthful answers simply forced the young noble to act like the adult her age would suggest she was. Being close to thirty and not seeing much outside of the walls of the stronghold, one could say she was quite sheltered, if not a tad spoiled.

“I may not be a full fledged knight, such as yourself, but I have been learning my lessons well and I imagine I will be promoted to knight in the coming graduations.” It was a fool’s dream, she knew. Her mother would never allow Tarran to take the title of knight. She was reluctant to allow her fair daughter to even learn to wield a sword in the first place but her father demanded such a thing of her, that if she were to ever have to defend her land, she could do so with skill and pride. When her blessing came and transformed her into a light bearer, her mother all but cried herself to sleep that night. She could not believe that her sweet, wonderful daughter was selected by the goddess and only wished they could reverse back time to before she began her training with a sword. She swore that Tarran’s father was to blame. That if Tarran had never raised a sword in the first place, she would have not been chosen at all.

Tarran bounced up from the bench, giving a sly grin to Erik as she tucked her hands behind her back. “You have nothing to fear. I know the best ways to slip past those guards. They will never know I am coming along with you.” She gave the knight a quick wink.

Clotted cream and candied walnuts were a delightful little snack, paired with a proper aperitif, a little bit of snacking before the feast. Off in the distance Dogfall shone like a hundred stars in the sky compact into a single fine point of celestial grandeur. A lighthouse in the night, a point of pride and purity defending itself against the wretched refuse and remains of a world washed under consumptive chaos and shadow.

All really rather melodramatic, Kohi Dei mused as she took another delicate spoonfull of cream into her mouth. Letting her tongue taste every bit of the sweet little succulent treat. Handing off the dish to the side, she bestowed her favor. "A delightful little treat, well done." She spoke in a singsong little lilt, handing off the plate to a small chittering insectoid creature. A little bit of pustulating writhing flesh skittering away with the fine china in mandibles, bringing it to the rest of her awaiting staff. A mixture of masochistic manservants beaten and broken till they obeyed their mistress without question and a set of centipede like beasts that they rode apart. A cloud of winged locusts with tease like knives and tendrils like a creature from the abyssal ocean flew about into the air as she looked on.

Soooooomewhere off in the distance a horrible loud roar went into the night from an unsightly sight, a knight built in armor to give one a fright. Heaven forfend, such a creature thus bellow, the Grimm were ruthless, but ill mannered bed fellows. Nonetheless, Kohi got to her fight, One gilded heel following the next as she raised her arm in a gesture of command, the swarm gathering as a tide of shifting creatures and eldritch forms of mutated flesh poured forth. She wouldn't send them at the walls, that wouldn't do. They'd need to track the lines of supply that ringed the city, the ways that the little residents that traveled between the fortresses went. Some went hidden, others ran smuggling, others still marched troops.

Battles were brutish affairs, but strategy itself was elegant, a snap of her fingers, a sashay of the hips, and her voice echoed out in a mezzo-soprano. A one, a two, and a three.

"Hey there, Dogfall, do you have the time?
I've been waiting for this moment since the moment I arrived.
Girl dressed in silks from Oakenhaven and shoes from Mistmoor-ee
Feel blessed to spend a moment seeing me!"

One kick, two kick, legs that didn't quite going for days, the creatures snatching a woodland vagabond hiding in the countryside and ripping tendons from thumbs and feasting their way up. Deftly stepping over the corpse, she continued singing.

"The air and aroma, helping one breathe
A raw and rustic haze, helping me succeed
Drawing you in and bringing me you
And when I step on your neck, it goes so blue~"

Tap tap, click, a flourish and pirouette, waving a hand in the air to thank an audience of nightborn monsters, letting another shelter be swallowed in a termite horde.

"All it costs is a morsel now!
For your soul, I'll show you how!
I'll take your hand and organs too!
In just one dance, I see my dreams. Come. True!
Dreaaaams come truuuuuueeeee~"

Fixing her sunglasses upon her hat, Kohi strut and sashayed as she went hunting through the countryside, hunting any sign of profit to gain and pain to inflict.

---

---

The sun fell low beneath the horizon, the last golden rays washing over the landscape, their warmth giving way to the cold indifference of the stars beginning to pepper the blue-black canvas overhead. Just as Erik and Tarrian turned to leave, a chill breeze blew past them. Not a soothing one, blowing clean the last of the sun's heat - but one that sent a ripple of unease up their spines.

As the sky grew dark, a flock of birds suddenly erupted from the treeline just beyond the walls. Scared by something. Ordinarily no cause for alarm - often a sign of a hunting animal making its last kill of the day in their midst. But something didn't seem right this time. The sun was setting just a little too fast. The chimes of sparrows and the coos of pigeons had ceased. The low thrum of insects had gone silent. Even the sounds of the city beyond the wall seemed to grow into a timid murmur behind them-

TINK. THUNK. TINK. THUNK.

The unmistakable ring of metal-on-wood pierced the cool air, and the pair of Light-Bearers swore they saw, for a brief moment, a flash of gold beneath the treeline. Another chill ran up their spines at the glance. Suddenly, a sentry, about a dozen feet from them, yelled in abject terror as he curled into a ball. "Gods! Oh gods! Aleathen, save us!" He shouted as his fellows rushed to calm him. The echo of the wood impacts drew nearer still as the man stammered and mumbled incoherently, his wits nowhere to be found.

The two Light-Bearers found their attention drawn to the treeline, just in time to witness a single dark blur racing towards the gate, then two, then another. A muffled cry from the gate guards reached their ears as four impish creatures began to pound and scratch at the gate. Just four monsters - no cause for alarm, yet-

A deathly chill struck both Tarrian and Erik simultaneously, and drew their gazes to a clearing just below the walls.

A pair of golden eyes bore into them. A woman in a white uniform stood alone, drawn blade in hand, silent and unmoving. The two Light-Bearers were, of course, able to tamp down the inexplicable fear that washed over them, but several sentries collapsed at the sight of her. She remained still, simply looking at Tarrian and Erik - saying nothing nor making a move towards the gate as her underlings did. More of the lesser Grims began to pour of the treeline behind and around her, making for the gate.

However, she stood still. Waiting for them.

---

Location: Stronghold of Dogfalls Interactions: None

---

The sound came first. There wasn't a shouting voice, nor the rumbling of thunder, but a ringing resonance, like sunlight caught in crystal—vibrating through the cracked bones of the land. The surrounding Grim paused, their snarls faltering into a confused silence, heads tilting toward the source.

And then the air split open.

A lance of gold tore through the veil of night, not from above, there was no sky to break through or stars to lend her their strength,but from within the black itself. It carved the shadows with divine defiance, slamming into the blighted earth with a scream of holy fire. The impact burst like a thunderclap. Black ash surged into the air, curling in agony. The Grim shrieked and recoiled, but not from heat, but from something far worse: Hope.

She stepped through the smoke.

Her boots kissed the blackened ground with reverence. Her armor shimmered with a pale, internal heat—white and gold catching in every fractured reflection like light remembered from a better age. Her hair, soft rose-gold, rippled like a banner in a wind none could feel. And behind her were wings. Not real ones, but streaks of incandescent brilliance that burned through the dark like memory: a star’s echo set ablaze.

She did not speak, at least not yet. Her hand lowered, palm open toward the writhing horde, and her eyes lit like twin suns—small, fierce, and unrelenting. They charged her anyway. Twenty. Then thirty. Limbs too long. Mouths too wide. The Grim shrieked like rusted iron and surged as one—convinced, as always, that light would fail.

Nova closed her eyes. "Aleathen… I am the last light. Let me burn for them." When she exhaled, it came as a whisper, but the world heard her.

Ability Trigger: Purity Nova.

Suddenly, she erupted. There was no warmth or mercy for these fiends. Only radiance, a searing wave of gold and white that detonated outward from her core like the rebuke of a forgotten god. The first wave of Grim were vaporized where they stood, twisted into ash mid-scream. Those behind howled and writhed, flesh unraveling like parchment in flame.

When the brilliance faded, she stood in the heart of a crater, shoulders rising with every breath, her glow still clinging to her skin like embers to coal. She looked for any remaining survivors and spoke. “I’m here now,” she said, voice low but clear, unwavering. “You are not alone.”

---

---

Bells rang out across the night as Colt was roused from his sleep. "Shit." He mumbled groggily as he rolled, fell out of bed with a thump, and clambered to his feet to prep. "Shit shit shit shit shit...!" He repeated, glancing out the window and shielding his eyes as a brilliant sigil of light lit up the horizon. "Looks like we're on." He said, as he began to work on the straps of his gear, stumbling downstairs. He burst into the night, rounding onto the cobblestone street only stopping short near another cottage nearer the church

The sight of his father, mounting up and preparing to ride gave him pause. The pair's eyes met. "Izolde is on her way to the market square. Not to worry Colt, I'm simply going to the church."

Colt nodded. "Out the gate." He affirmed, and his father saluted. "Alathean's light be with you, son."

The older man whirled his steed around, and Colt clicked his tongue. "Always is." He said, as he took off for the gates. As he neared closer, a battalion of guards drew into sight, spears, bows, and swords drawn as creatures pounded on the gate. "Avalon!" One of them cried over his shoulder. "Get your ass to the ramparts, we're-"

A brilliant bolt of light exploded from the sky, suddenly, and just audible from the other side of the gate was the voice of a familiar soul. "Ha, Nova beat me to it again." Colt said with a grin as the guard shrugged at him. "Crack the gate, I'm on it."

The gate of the stronghold lifted ever-so slightly, and Colt took a running start. He dropped into a slide, scattering the ashes of the Grim that Nova had vaporized. He stood, jogging forth as he punched Nova on the shoulder. "They had to do this in the middle of the night, huh?"

---

Algrimar took a step towards the child as she brought her glistening sword in for another attack to his side. The large Grim grabbed a hold of the sword with one hand, locking it within his grasp. With his second hand he reached down to grab a hold of the disabled man’s head. ”You weren’t ready for this, child. You couldn’t even leave your kin behind to fight properly.” He growled as he ripped the man from the poor girl’s grasp. With a flourish, he threw the screaming man to the lesser Grim behind him as the girl drew a second weapon, this time a large-headed hammer. Algrimar allowed an eyebrow to raise at the sight of the weapon. That, unlike her katana against his armor, could really do some damage.

As she released the sword to grasp the hammer with both hands, the large Grim tossed the weapon to the side with a huff. He charged at the young girl, his armor flashing in the light of the moon and his claws whistling as they cut through the air. Claws and gauntleted hands met the hammer over and over again. The beast of a man had expected the girl to be quicker than him but what he hadn’t expected was for his sense of sight blackening the moment after they started truly fighting. Algrimar stood up hastily, his head whipping around as he tried to listen for the young light bearer. The hammer crashed down on the man’s knee, crumpling that support and forcing him down to it. He let out a roar of pain and frustration as swung his arms around him in a wide circle. He added his fire breath to the mix, lashing out in a wide berth around him. As no more attacks were coming his way, he took a moment to focus his insight, closing his eyes for only a fraction of a second as his will crushed her little spell of blinding.

His eyes snapped open and he grabbed a hold of her head as she came barreling towards him with her hammer at the ready. She had expected him to still be blind and so was making an easily countered frontal assault on him before he could get his bearings. ”Nice trick.” He stood off his bent knee. The girl’s hands dropped the hammer as they clawed at his armor, trying to get him to let go of her head as he lifted her off the ground. ”You had me there, for a moment. Too bad it was only for a moment.” His hand ignited, setting her whole head ablaze. Her screams were added to the cries of the grim and battling heroes. Eventually she grew silent and he crushed her skull in his grasp before tossing her now lifeless body to the lesser Grim behind him.

A ringing sounded just above Algrimar and he peered up at the darkened sky. He felt a sneer form on his face. There was only one person he knew of that could make such an entrance and if she was arriving, it would be a turn of the battle unless they could get that sigil down. A deep growl reverberated from his throat as her illuminated form came crashing down into the ground before the gate. As she ignited, the larger grim let out a deep sigh of frustration. He stood there, watching as she cut down swathes of his lesser grim.

”Nova Andromeda!” Algrimar called out as he slowly stalked towards the woman. ”You dare to appear on my battlefield.” He gave a dark laugh as he picked up a writhing grim next to him. His hand crushed down on the creature’s scruff as the large man hauled the writhing beast of its feet. He hurled it at the light bearer, the creature snarling and clawing at the air in a frantic attempt to get a hold of the glowing woman.

”I wonder how long it’ll take for your light to diminish.” He snatched a flying Grim out of the air before hurling it at the woman, this one a smaller form with wings and sharp talons on its hands and feet. ”Let’s see how long your light lasts in my domain.”

The Greater Grim paused for a moment as yet another light bearer came from within the gates. His dark orbs locked on the boy as he ran past Nova, giving her shoulder a gentle punch along the way. Did this boy think this was all a game? Rage boiled in the Grim’s chest before he unleashed it with a mighty exhale of fiery breath. The flames screamed through the night air, heading straight for the two light bearers.