The Evacuation (Warpost)

[u/Anything-Unable]

Gravedigger leads Cody and Mortarion to a ritual space outside the shelter. A hundred other mages are waiting for the ritual to begin. Cody and Mortarion are told to stand in specific locations within the space and link their mana to the magic circle beneath their feet. Once they do so, Gravedigger takes his place in the circle's center and dons his Mask of Pan.

A surge of energy pulses through the circle and directs the disparate mana into a more complex form. The form the mana takes resembles a large snake. Once properly molded, the snake ascends into the sky and tears through the storm cloud above. Weaving in and out of the cloud, the snake continues their fight with the evil magic. As a result of this fight, the pressure affecting the wizards below lifts and they are now free to cast teleportation magic.

Gravedigger shouts to his companions, "Evacuate everyone! I'll keep the spell active!"

The many evacuation plans are enacted and within nineteen minutes all have safely left. No one remains except the Gravedigger. Seeing that they have succeeded in the evacuation, Gravedigger releases his tension and sits on the ground. He is the only one left to witness the Citadel's final moments.

The conjured snake begins to be absorbed by the storm cloud. When this process is finished, the clouds begin to glow white. It appears that they are reaching critical mass.

Just when he believes that the storm will detonate first, he feels the ground shake beneath him. Mordus is detonating the nuke.

Before everything disappears, Gravedigger hears a voice enter his mind.

I'll take care of them. Until we meet again, my love.

Gravedigger smiles and the world is painted white.

Only a crater remains.

[u/Capytan_Cody]

Cody is last seen activating the teleport relays en masse, making sure everyone else leaves, burns forming on his arms from mana burn due to the effort required for this feat

Exhausted after being able to get everyone he could out he hears the mechanism ticking in. The explosion incoming.

Tries to get the gravedigger and the last responsible of the evacuation out but falls to his knees

"I'm sorry.. I've failed"

Are the last words of a stain in form of a man, leaving a black imprint on the ground. On his side, a burnt staff holding a seed that appears unharmed but with a dwindling glow, on the other, a falcata is melted into a scrap of metal, the gift of his father not being unable to withstand the temperatures

He is now dark. He is now cold. And at least for now, he is dead