Lovejoy

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@CollectorOfMyst @shylarah Ugh sorry guys. Had some unexpected company show up. Updates will be up tomorrow.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@vietmyke Great post! I was really looking forward to seeing Galahad's response and it was worth the wait!

As for the mysterious red-eyed man, I think it might be interesting if Galahad has been dreaming/envisioning some manner of powerful foe for the past decade and the vision that the Aspect showed him during Culmination was a... erm... actual culmination/amalgamation of these decade-long dreams. I just really like the idea of Galahad preparing for a hypothetical foe across the sea in his mind that'll be incredibly powerful and that's why he has an obsession with becoming the strongest mage ever. Let me know what you think!

@OppositionJ Okay! I think after your reply we could probably have @vietmyke respond, followed by me placing you guys on the transport to Cero City after which we'll be done with the Lanostre portion of the prologue. :)

@shylarah @CollectorOfMyst Will have the post done late this morning or tomorrow. I assume you guys are fine with me advancing time to the following morning? Also, I will have that Alexandre post for you as well, shy.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah @collectorofmyst

Will have an update for Omestris as well as your Alexandre PM on the weekend, shy. Have had a hell of a week but things will be back to normal soon enough.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarah Yup.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@shylarahGood to see you back! I'll have a reply for you in the Aleksandre scene in the next couple of days. :)

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

The Black Glacier, Lanostran Frontier

---

"Lanostre is under attack..." Tatiana spoke. Behind her, out across the ice, explosions were lighting up the horizon.

... And then they answered.

"You are wrong, summoner," all three of the seraphs spoke at once, their heads turning in unison to face her.

The voice that filled the air was that of a human male. It was a deep baritone, a voice honed for speaking, in an accent none of the inquisitors could recognize.

The seraphs began to tremble in place, as if they were struggling against some external force. It was to no avail, as their limbs began to contort in unnatural angles, their arms and legs snapping backward and sideways. Their frozen faces melted into expressions of torment as their ceremonial armor began to liquefy, the etched patterns on their breastplates turning to mush. Black streams of melted ice flowed forth from their hollow eyes.

Suddenly, the lancer and archer exploded in a shower of ice and mist. It was if a bomb had gone off within them. The swordsman however, remained seated on this throne. Except, it was the swordsman no longer.

The figure sitting casually on the throne with one leg draped across the other appeared human to them, but it was nothing more than an approximation of a man. A likeness.

The man seemed to be not much older than they were. Tall, with handsome features. He wore a plain black cloak, and a decorative sword hung from his waist. His every feature had been carved from the black ice of the Glacier, except for his eyes. They were red like fire. Three large birds, also carved of the glossy obsidian-like ice of the Glacier, were perched on the throne, their lifeless eyes watching on.

"I'll be waiting."

The words echoed in Galahad's mind.

This man. It was the same individual from his vision. The one who awaited him on that battlefield. Galahad had seen this man in his dreams, and here he was, not but ten feet away from him.

But the man's eyes were not focused on him. They were trained on Tatiana. His eyes, like burning rubies, were staring at her with a sad, almost mournful expression.

"Your Lanostre is important to him. Thus I would not bring harm to it. I am here only for them," the man spoke in his alien accent, lifting his chin toward the distant battlefield, where a third Varyan steamship had been reduced to a smoldering pile of iron.

"Lord Dara often thinks of you, Lady Leviatan. He remembers your days training together and looks back on them fondly. When he learned that you would be in Lanostre during the time of our assault, he despaired, for he knew that you and your companions would rush out to meet my fleet on the ice, where you would have perished along with the Varyans. As his protector, I could not let him suffer your passing."

Cillian stepped forward.

"What is this? Who are yo--"

"Glory to the T'saraen garrison, for giving their lives in service to this undertaking," the man interrupted, his gaze still focused intently on Tatiana, "Their deaths kept you here while the Varyans burn out in the sea."

He looked to the ice behind the inquisitors where dozens of motionless seraphs lay broken and shattered on the blackened frost. There was something else in his eyes then. A look of yearning. "Your Glacier is a magnificent thing indeed. I borrowed its power to create this beautiful tableau. It is but a memory of a battle that one took place on this earth, one drop in the sea of history. Your people... your Goddess, have misunderstood this tragic creature and the wealth of knowledge it possesses. No matter. Soon all will be as it should."

The man on the throne then turned his attention toward Galahad, his wistful expression hardening into stone.

"Warleader. Do not interfere in my work. Within moments the Varyan fleet will be purged from this world and my fleet will continue eastward to our destination. You and I are heading in the same direction, but I plead with you. If you value the lives of those under your command, do not follow in my path. Let this be our final meeting."

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@vietmyke @OppositionJ

So I originally had this post as a prompt for vietmyke, but I think it works on its own. I figured I'd put it up while waiting for vietmyke's reply. :)

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@CollectorOfMyst *bonks you over the head repeatedly* SLEEP.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@CollectorOfMyst Cool! Sleep well!

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@CollectorOfMyst @shylarah Beautiful post! Honestly, I think it works really well and makes sense for him to kind of unload at this point. This trip has been pretty stressful for the two of them and some manner of release was inevitable. Ziotea already let out some steam on Rose (and the room), so I think Oren can be forgiven for going on a mini-tirade.

Now, while I love the idea of Oren suggesting an investigation into everything they've encountered so far, there is a bit of a conundrum here that might require you to edit a few things in the post. It's a tiny thing, but Rodion is already in Cero at this point, so he and Ziotea investigating the archives isn't possible. Also, there isn't much time for them to do much of an investigation once they arrive back in Magnagrad, since they are due to arrive in Cero with the rest of the warband in a few days' time. Now, this doesn't mean that some kind of investigation still can't take place. Only, it won't take place at the Seminary, but instead on the Karamzina.

For the sake of streamlining things, I'll let you in on something that Oren and Vivica @Scout would probably be aware of. The Karamzina was originally meant for Mother Indira. It was supposed to be the vessel that would take her on her post-invasion scientific expeditions into El, but she was forced to embark on another ark when she was called to fight along with everyone else. To remind you, the Church wanted a powerful summoner on the warfront and Father Dara was supposed to take this role, but since he absconded from the Seminary, the task fell to her instead. Thus, the Church gave the Karamzina to Warband Phoenix for their support mission. Oren would most likely be aware of this fact, and would wonder if perhaps Mother Indira left any clues on it.

I know it sounds kinda out of nowhere, but I think it's a decent way of fixing the time issue. Let me know what you think!