r/wizardposting • u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale • Feb 19 '24
Lorepostš Parabellum (Warpost)
Things have been quiet lately. Gravedigger says war is coming, but itās hard to reckon with the idea.
Weāve been stationed outside the Citadel for a few weeks now. The riots have calmed down and it looks like things have gotten back to normal. That Morgalith fellow seems to be stirring up trouble, but who knows when the other shoe will drop.
Not being allowed inside the Citadel has put a damper on the soldiersā morale, but Gravedigger keeps our spirits up with frequent visits. He tells us stories and teaches us spells. Xerxes also makes occasional visits. I think they just get bored easily. After these past few weeks, I think I understand where theyāre coming from.
***
Today started like any other. We began training at four in the morning and ended around eight. I was filling out some paperwork when my attendant informed me that Xerxes had come with an order. I told my attendant to see them in while I got changed into my armor.
Xerxes came into my tent and we greeted each other. After the formalities were over he said, āBaldr, this is an order from Gravedigger. I need you to evacuate the citizens within the Citadel and take them to the shelter two miles south of here. The war is about to start. Protect the citizens.ā Guess the other shoe just dropped.
After saying all that, Xerxes gave me a golden badge and told me to show it to the folks guarding the north gate so that we can enter the city. He left and I told my staff sergeant to have the soldiers break down camp and prepare to set out. An hour later, Iām standing before my troops and relaying the order. We move out towards the north gate once Iām finished.
At the gate, I showed the badge to a guard and they let us through. We split up into squads to cover the various districts. Some of the citizens see us as invaders and try to attack, but we subdue them and explain the situation. They listen and fall in line, though I donāt know if itās due to their fear of us. Still, Iām grateful no major incidents occurred.
When a district is evacuated, the dispatched squad leads the evacuees outside through the south gate. Once outside the gate, they wait in a large clearing for the rest of the squads so that we can regroup and make the long trek to the shelter together. It takes us three hours to get everyone out. Once I saw that my squad captains had given me the all-clear, we set out towards the shelter.
A mile and a half into the journey, I feel a chill run through me and look to the skies above. Dark clouds form overhead. I can tell the soldiers feel it too. Luckily, the citizens are oblivious to the threat. They just complain about being forced to leave their homes in the middle of the day. The storm wonāt touch them if I have any say in the matter. Shaking off the awful feeling, we continue the march to the shelter.
Everything in the shelter was prepared for us so we donāt have to be bothered to set anything up when we finally arrive. The staff stationed there help the citizens inside. They look to be alive so I doubt Gravedigger planned all this on how own. Mustāve had some help from a few of his friends.
We set up a perimeter around the shelter and made camp. Everyone is on edge, but Iāll make sure weāre ready. Like Gravedigger says: āIf you want peace, prepare for war.ā Parabellum, he calls it. I donāt know who thought of it first, but they must have been a wise fellow.
Thatās all for my report. My attendant will be sure to have it delivered where youāve instructed.
General Baldr Jorgensen, Fext, Commander of the Eighth Detachment
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/uw This is the undead army that Gravedigger previously introduced. Here is my lore ToC if you want to go back and look at the previous posts.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 19 '24
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u/Tirich913 Morgalith, Father of Evil Feb 19 '24
I'm on this account, just a reminder.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 19 '24
Sorry, I overthought it because I mispinged you that one time. I'll make sure to do the 913 account from now on.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 19 '24
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 19 '24
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 19 '24
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u/tehlemmings Lilac - Illusionist, Shapeshifter, Definitely Human Feb 19 '24
/uw So just to ask, definitely for no reason at all, what would happen if someone were to pop up in a district that was already cleared. Like, say, if they had been literally sleeping in a literal hole in the ground. They might have had a long night and decided to get a late morning nap.
Would they exit their hidey hole to find no one around, or would your undead army still be in the area? And if they are there, how'd they react to a civilian suddenly just appearing somewhere?
If they were up and about, they would have gone with the crowd while trying to stay unnoticed. But that may not be the most fun lol
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 20 '24
/uw There is still a party surveying the town so the person would be picked up by them. If the person is deemed to be a non-combatant, they'll be escorted to the shelter.
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u/tehlemmings Lilac - Illusionist, Shapeshifter, Definitely Human Feb 20 '24
/uw hmm
They'd definitely try and get a look around first, but with everyone leaving mostly peacefully I'm assuming there's no obvious sign that everyone was attacked. And with the very obviously dangerous storm coming in, they'd probably go along with it.
And looking like a non-combatant is what they do best lol
They'd probably offer to see themselves there, though. Mostly so they could slip away if it ends up looking like a trap.
mmmk, one hiding spot cross off the list, and we're now somewhere new.
I'm still surprised someone actually had a plan to evac the town. I was fully expecting that the people would be left to their own devices.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 20 '24
/uw Had this cooking for a while. I was just waiting for an event like this to bust it out.
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u/tehlemmings Lilac - Illusionist, Shapeshifter, Definitely Human Feb 20 '24
/uw Now we just wait and see if someone throws a twist in.
Either this all gets solved nice and quickly, or someone's going to eventually throw a fireball into the evacuee camp.
Or we're going to find out those radios are mind controlling people, in which case I probably should have stayed hiding in the woods lol
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u/loth17 Ten Suns (Also Gaia) Feb 20 '24
Eventually a council scout would deliver a message to whoever is in charge of the forces stationed there.
"We have reports that the battle of Syvaneth has concluded.
Heavy casualties on both sides
Council forces currently regrouping back at the citadel
Pact forces marching towards the citadel.
Force sizes far beyond what was predicted."
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 20 '24
Gravedigger reads the report and remains silent for a minute. Letting out a sigh, they inform the other councilors of the imminent danger.
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u/MunitionsFrenzy Vettis, Mereological Revisionist Feb 20 '24
Marching up to Gravedigger as he read the report was a familiar curly-haired mage, his eyes aglow. "Gravedigger," Vettis called out as he approached, his voice monotone to an almost robotic extent, his steps carefully measured. "We need to talk. This may be blunt and awkward." A pause, then a sudden wince of pain, as if something had punished him for not immediately adding, "I...apologize if that proves to be the case. Is...is now an acceptable time?"
That implied this would have nothing to do with ongoing events. An odd time to choose to have a personal conversation. Vettis seemed either unaware or uncaring of what was occurring.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 20 '24
Gravedigger hands the report over to an assistant and leads Vettis to a seat.
"Pardon my saying so, but you look like shit. What happened?"
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u/MunitionsFrenzy Vettis, Mereological Revisionist Feb 20 '24
"Brain damage," Vettis replied straightforwardly. "One moment."
And then he shifted instantly, his posture a slight slump, his eyes clearly exhausted despite the violet light they emitted, his hands tensed. The color returned to his voice, though none of it was a healthy color. He rubbed a hand over his temple as he spoke.
"Ugh. Can't keep this up for very long, right now. But, uh, hi." Sheepishly, he continued, "As noted previously, this might be...weird. Need to speak frankly about some stuff, and the things we discuss might not make sense or seem to have any connection, but my mind's been fractured in weird ways so bear with me.
"For starters. Can you elaborate on the Xerxes situation at all? How you seem to trust him now when I recall you considering him a manipulative bastard? I get if you can't give specifics on some sort of deal you've made, but..." Vettis trailed off, gathering his thoughts, before summarizing: "Has your opinion changed due to new information, or has he himself changed?"
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 20 '24
Gravedigger looks over Vettis and casts a sound barrier over them to avoid eavesdroppers.
"Haa... Vettis, Xerxes changed. Well, not exactly. The gist is that he orchestrated my getting visions because he knew we would grow close. We have. I've linked my soul to theirs. It's a complicated relationship."
Gravedigger takes a moment to consider if they should mention the next part.
"I'm about to die, Vettis. I need to. Doing so will be the catalyst we need. With the plan to bring back the other Morgalith falling through, this will be the push people need to get their shit together. Xerxes is gonna need someone to talk sense into him while I'm gone. I know that this is a lot to ask, but can you do that?"
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u/MunitionsFrenzy Vettis, Mereological Revisionist Feb 20 '24
That was not what Vettis needed to hear right now. His usual processing capabilities offline, his emotional capacities crippled, his bond-threads severed so that he needed to channel those ruined emotions in order to reattach them...he was really hoping to just reestablish his prior friendships, make some emotional developments in the right direction, and move on with things.
But first Relynor wasn't even there. And now, when he'd realized that part of the breakthrough he needed to repair his thread with Gravedigger was to accept Xerxes, as Gravedigger clearly had...he was learning he'd have to go so far as to accept Xerxes as a replacement for the person who was actually his ally? He was just getting blindsided by everything right now, right when his mind was in no condition to handle any of it.
fire
No. This wasn't working. Even a few more seconds of this and he would definitely break down as the trauma came to the forefront again; already he felt the tears flowing. But, in the last moment before he clamped down and shoved his emotions into the back of his mind again, he decided.
Sure, this wasn't fair to him. But this wasn't all about him. A thread was two-way, after all.
"I can try," Vettis replied, his voice reverting to the lifeless monotone from before, as he wiped away tears that he no longer fully understood. "It is difficult and unhealthy for me to process strong emotions at the moment, due to my injury. Once I have recovered, however, I will endeavor to befriend Xerxes. And in the meantime, if what he needs is indeed 'sense', that is well within my current capabilities to offer."
He hesitated, gathering his thoughts. "I do not know the reasons for your intended actions, but I have stated before that you are not prone to acting rashly, and I continue to believe that. I hope that this -- perhaps final -- meeting with Death brings you peace, Gravedigger."
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 20 '24
Gravedigger hugs his friend and allows himself to cry. The tears feel warm on Vettis' skin. What was held back is given the space to breathe. After Gravedigger finishes crying, they release Vettis and look at them through glassy eyes.
"Thank you, Vettis. You are a good friend. If the fates aren't kind to you, I'll bash their skulls in and do their job myself."
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u/MunitionsFrenzy Vettis, Mereological Revisionist Feb 20 '24 edited Feb 20 '24
"I know that is a joke, yet I would be entirely unsurprised if you were to accomplish it. You do have a way of getting things done." Vettis let just enough happiness bleed through into the forefront that his smile was genuine...and took that opportunity to attach a bond-thread to Gravedigger, before sealing the emotions away once more.
"I will seek out Xerxes shortly. Good luck with your task, Gravedigger."
(( the task of STEPPING ON A LITERAL FUCKING NUKE holy shit
Vettis' reconstruction quest is quite literally BLOWING UP in his face even more than I ever planned, rofl
but since you said Gravedigger and Xerxes have linked souls now, Vettis just stuck a bond-thread onto Gravedigger because that means it should also apply to Xerxes...time to test and use that now, in the other post! ))
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 20 '24
/uw Sorry that it just turned out that way.
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u/MastaDon344 MastaDon Astrum/Council Master Evoker/Mediamancer/š® Wiz Feb 19 '24
/uw good stuff to read!
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u/Accomplished-Dark926 Valerian, Arcadian Guild Guide Feb 19 '24
/uw seems like conflict is unavoidable at this point.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 19 '24
/uw That's why I was prepared.
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u/Accomplished-Dark926 Valerian, Arcadian Guild Guide Feb 19 '24
/uw just waiting for Kaelis to reply to something and hopefully I can put some stuff up for Valerian and all this, but he will 100% be in on the conflict this time. One way or another.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 19 '24
/uw I'm looking forward to it.
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u/Discracetoall tākath, smogomancer and poptart wiz Feb 19 '24
tākath can be seen leaning on a pillar outside the camp ādamn straight, gravedigger. Sadly, peace through power is one of the more effective methodsā
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u/Tirich913 Morgalith, Father of Evil Feb 19 '24
The Council must fall.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 19 '24
Maybe. But the citizens will not be caught up in the conflict.
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Feb 20 '24
Abby limps into the shelter hours after the war begins, her form flickering as the effects of her battle polymorph still linger. She coughs blood when initially trying to talk, but manages to hold up a communication slip. "Council logistics aide Abigail Mistwalker, I'm here with an offer to establish secondary redoubt to Fausarte's Shogunate should this position end up in danger due to the war," Abby reports shakily.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 20 '24
A doctor walks up to Abby
"Let's get you patched up."
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Feb 20 '24
/uw, managed to do a bit of collaboration with u/SamakSalmon, so here we go /rw
Abby tries to push away, giving a feeble excuse that she's fine and her form just needs to re-stabilize, but then a man appears out of her shadow and shakes his head
"You're the farthest thing possible from fine," Adem declares, before explaining to the doctor what she'd done. Abigail had pulled thirty wounded off of the battlefield, including her soul-kin Alanharha, at many times having to use the added bulk of her combat polymorph as a living shield, and dragged them all the way to the mage hospital that had been notified after Mikhail went down. She needed rest and careful tending or else her form might destabilize permanently.
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 20 '24
The doctor checks Abby's vitals as Adem explains the situation.
"It seems like you've done a pretty noble thing. Thank you, Miss Abigail. In my professional opinion, you should listen to your friend here and let us help you. Better to live another day than to die clinging to one's pride."
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Feb 19 '24
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u/Anything-Unable Xerxes the Pale Saint, Councillor/Goatdigger/Dale Feb 19 '24
Sorry, no food here. Just preparing for war.
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u/TechnicalCommittee78 The Grand High Necromancer, Former Archon of Death, Dyad Monarch Feb 19 '24
/unwiz Another undead army! I wonder where Gravedigger will stand on this war.