Faction We Are All Bound by Purpose [Open to Dawnguard, PM to join]

[Bors Greythorne]

Rather than the two of them boarding the ship right away, Thora suddenly rushed the old man and clinged to him in a heartfelt embrace. It was enough to completely overwhelm Bors, who was not accustomed to such random demonstrations of caring for another. He certainly was not the cuddly type, and even now he hesitated to return the gesture simply because she was the daughter of his liege lord. But he did, by settling one hand upon her back and the other upon her head.

"Death comes for us all eventually, little lady," he uttered softly, visibly shaken by the act of love on her part. Enough so to have him drop to one knee before her, so that he may look her in the eye. "I am at the end of my life, Thora. All I have left in this world is you and your papa. Everything else I've ever held dear awaits me in the afterlife. I could not bear the thought of outliving either of you, not when there is so much good you can still offer this world of ours."

He took her small hand and pressed it to his lips. "I will promise you this: I will not go out there tomorrow to seek death. I place my fate in the hands of the Gods, as all men do." His lips pushed aside the deep wrinkles on his face to form a smile, before it was his turn to wrap his arms around her. As the two embraced one another, Bors stood and lifted her off her feet, turned around and carried her aboard the awaiting ship.

The first ship set sail, followed by dozens more, each filled to capacity with troops and supplies to be taken downriver. They would then march the rest of the way to meet up at the designated rally point - one Old Grey-Boar knew well. Bors sat at the bow of the ship, and had started whittling on a piece of wood to pass the time. His back was turned to the direction they were heading, so when suddenly the lookout cried out that other vessels not of Northmark had been spotted through the mist it came as a surprise to the old man.

"Lower your bows," he commanded as arrows had been hurredly nocked. He let out a deep sigh as the approaching vessels drew closer. "They are men of the Eastmark." At the head of their host fluttered the Bronze Boar Banner. "House Greythorne."

The two rivers, one from the north and one from the east, conjoined into one wider river leading south towards their destination. It was only natural that the eastern forces would likewise send their men downriver for the sake of speed. The leading vessel met at the middle, with Bors and his Eastmark counterpart both standing at the bow. The man at the head of the host was also an old man, though still a decade younger than Bors, and carried himself with that same pomposity and arrogance their father did.

"So... Still alive, I see." The man raised an eyebrow, head held high as if to look down upon his elder, even though Bors was the taller of the two. "Hmph. Still an nerf herder, I see." The two longships lined up, allowing people to cross over to the other vessel if they so wished. Needless to say, Bors and his younger brother remained where they stood, glaring at one another with boundless resentment.

"Thora," he settled a hand upon his lady's shoulder, never once breaking eye-contact. "Meet my brother - the esteemed Lord Brindal Greythorne." Never before had sarcasm been more obvious. "This is Thora, daughter of Théodred Heavenshield. You should be on your knees, brother."

"I only kneel to two people," Brindal was quick to reply. "My own liege lord, and the Crown. The Heavenshields are neither. I see now you've sworn yourself to them, forsaking your own flesh and blood." He spat into the river. "I suppose it is only fitting for a dishonoured traitor such as yourself--"

"Unlike you, I do not kneel so readily to someone who murdered his own king to seize power! And you were quick to forget your vows when the Usurper fell, grovelling before Thrand knowing he was too good a man to execute you on the spot!" Both men were now seething with hatred for one another, until Brindal resumed his holier-than-thou stance just as he was interrupted by one of his men, giving the two a reason to leave well enough alone for the time being. Bors sat back down, but was no longer in the mood for whittling wood.

[member="Thora Heavenshield"]​

 

[Thrand Hearthfire]

Even the magical beauty of Averlorn, Woodland Realm of the Aelvar, now seemed mundane when compared to the amazing places and creatures the pair had encountered in their maiden voyage across the stars. Their first stop had been Umbara, the world his mother once hailed from before she and father met. From there they traveled to several more worlds, all in a bid to see more of what the galaxy had to offer, knowing that life existed beyond the bounds of Midvinter. Ióunn had been the first Aelvar royalty to even set foot among the stars, let alone interact with a whole 'nother world. No doubt there would be more voyages into that infinite void to come for the couple, but for now they were back home.

Thrand pulled back his elbow, prompting a creak in the arching wood of his longbow. His arrow nocked, he aimed for the target hung from a tree in the distance. Upon release, it soared through the air at breakneck speed only to embed itself into the tree, clipping the target. "Darn it!" He stomped his foot in brief disappointment, but then chuckled at his own behaviour and failure. "I'm getting there, though," he added with a boyish grin while leaning on the longbow. Of course she would make her shot with her eyes closed, for the Aelvar had many decades and centuries to perfect their skills compered to Valkyri.

"I'd like to see you try and pull back this string though," he teased Ióunn as she nocked her own arrow. Elven bows were of much more delicate design, their arrowheads sharp and deadly. Valkyri longbows were thicker and longer, requiring far more strength and their arrows were duller, relying on blunt force to get the job done. "I bet if I were to give yours a try I'd break it in half."

As she took aim however, the pair were approached by a member of the Queen's personal guard. On his left hand sat a black raven busy cleaning its feathers, and in his right he carried a small piece of paper. Thrand dropped his bow and accepted the message, knowing it would have come from outside Averlorn. He was in for a shock as he started reading.

There was no outburst of anger or a shocked gasp. Rather, his shoulders slumped and his heartrate increased, and a lump had formed within his chest. Upon handing Ióunn the message to read for herself, his hands trembled so much he almost dropped the tiny scroll. He didn't know what to do, or how to react when being informed of the fallen capital and his father's uncertain fate. He had to sit down on the nearest rock, head in his hands.

"Father..." At first he struggled to collect his thoughts, paralyzed with fear. But his father was yet alive, he could sense it - and that was all he needed to know to make a decision. He rose from where he sat, picked up his longbow and proceeded to split the target in half from the sheer force of his arrow.

"Midvinter calls to take up arms, and Averlorn shall answer. Assemble the army," he instructed the guard that had presented the message, who then turned to his queen for confirmation. The Prince-Consort may be the commander of her armies, but only she had the power to declare a state of war.

[member="Ióunn Galadorn"]​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

As the wings of the mighty Cloudancer expanded allowing the pair to glide on the cold air, Coci would not take her eyes of the ground below. Looking for anyone that needed help, but the stream of refugees had not reach this far along the trail toward the Western pass yet. Cloudancer turned with a dip of her right-wing wheeling toward the north directly for Thainbroek, coming in from the western side.

In the distance she could see the roof tops of Daal. After the great ruinous war, in the ashes of what was left of that village, rose another. It was in defiance to the Crone and what she had done there, all but destroying it in a show of her might and intent. The Valkyri would not allow it to remain in ashes, to vanish from existence because of her, so a small group of settlers began to rebuild and to honour those lost to them all forever. Cloudancer flew low over Daal, heading toward the capital and the last known co-ordinates of [member="Jericho"].

It was the flash of a lightsabre she saw first, and it belonged to Jericho. Coming at him was a small group of the unholy creatures of the Crone, they were familiar to her, they were hard to take down, but they were not invincible, they were creatures born from the darkness in the bowls of the underworld of the realms of the gods. Coci took Cloudancer high into the sky before starting a dive toward the nearest creature to Jericho, Cloudancer’s wings tucked close to the body almost crushing Coci’s legs, the wind hard against her making her lean forward and press herself to the fur-feathers in order to streamline as best she could.

Coci was prepared for what was to come next and in good timing, she sat up as Cloudancer reared up in the air and large sharp talons grasped the creature by the head and body piercing it through. The scream and bellow were angry but gurgling with blood filling it’s mouth. Cloudancer sore high before discarding the waste she carried, letting it fall to the ground dead.

A high circle in the air, the vast wings cutting it with a graceful motion before setting Coci down on solid ground. She sensed the presence of two others close by, Jericho’s children no doubt and sent Cloudancer to protect them, whether they wanted it or not. Coci shed her outer robe and ran toward Jericho. Three more creatures lumbered toward his position, “Jericho, the knees”, she yelled knowing this was their weak spot of the large brutes.

She ignited the purple blade of her saber and ran forward. The force pulled strong to her and her focus set, the air shimmer around her and the illusion formed. In the eyes of the foul creatures there were now ten figures standing before them, all with the guise of Coci. It disorientated them, they hesitated, it was in their eyes a sense of doubt.

That was enough, for Jericho and Coci to take advantage and attack. The nearest brute lashed out at her with a clawed hand, which went right through her, the illusion cut but from behind, the purple saber slashed at its legs and it fell to the ground roaring in pain, and furious with confusion. The roaring suddenly stopped, as the purple blade removed its head, black blood corrupting the ground and snow around them. In a brief moment of pause, Coci looked toward Thainbroek in the distance only to see the swirling black smoke of fires rising in the air.

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Eyna"] | [member="Alva Heavenshield"]​

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

https://youtu.be/8wZDZPy9Llg​

​

Hours had now passed. Or had they? The passing of time was the least of Thyrian's concerns as he mustered one last strike of his sword to slay yet another demon of darkness. Hundreds of vile corpses surrounded the throne, all felled by the king's own hand. Having drawn upon every ounce of his strength, both physical and of the Force, he was now out of breath and staggered from sheer exhaustion. The enemy showed no sign of stopping, as while he had defended his throne demons and worse had continued to pour forth from the swirling portal hovering above the ruined capital. The last time they had invaded the mortal plane, thanks to the efforts of many brave defenders they were never given time to bring forth their greater demonic kin; their dark queen was banished back to her own plane, and the gateway was closed. This time, there was no army waiting for them on the other side.

They knew that the king was growing tired, and decided to sit back and watch the fool of a mortal exhaust himself until he was no longer a threat. They were toying with him.

"Come on then," he roared at them in defiance, even as he panted for air. "Don't... don't keep me waiting! I'm still standing!" In his hands, the flames upon his sword Brimstone burned just as bright as the fire in the man's eyes. It did not tire, but the man did wielding it would eventually.

It was then that the foul beings all of a sudden lowered themselves as they proceeded to back off, leaving the king unchallenged, yet still lurked about in the background. They had received orders to stand down, and instead snickered gleefully at what awaited the pitiful human. Thyrian winced in pain at the slashes and cuts that had managed to pierce his armour, now that he had time to recognise their existence. At the entrance of the massive throne room now stood a tall and slender figure, great spikes protruding from her head making for an impressive silhouette. She took her time entering the hall, as a cackle most sinister filled the empty space between them.

"O, what mighty king stands before us this day, to be able to slay so many of mine darling pets. There he stands, alone and unafraid, thinking he has nothing more to lose." The tall being drew closer, and her face came into view. None other than Gríma Hagraven, Mistress of Darkness and Sovereign of the Dishonoured Dead. The Goddess of Death. "How very precious... wouldn't you say?" Her head turned as if she were addressing somebody else in the room, and sure enough another being appeared at her side. Thyrian recognised him.

"You!" At Gríma's side was none other than the disgraced god [member="Velkar"], whose domains were fire and mischief. "You set her free?!" The king mustered his strength once more, expecting to fight one or both beings. But as he brandished Brimstone yet again, an unseen force violently pushed him aside, slamming him into a nearby fallen pillar. "Quiet, you. This last stand of yours is over, little king. And this throne..." Gríma held out her hand, and as she closed her fist the ancient throne dating back to the very first High King was reduced to rubble. Thyrian could do nothing but watch, and all at once his remaining energy scattered to the wind. He was beaten.

The Crone did not leave things there however, as shadowy tendrils appeared around the fallen king and bound themselves to his flesh, causing him tremendous pain. They then proceeded to drag him before the Dark Queen, on his knees and unable to put up a struggle. "Oh yesss," she uttered in sheer malevolent delight as her blank eyes rolled back into her skull. "So much darkness buried within your soul. I can feel it..." She walked up to him where he was forced to kneel and leaned down to look him in the eye, clutching his lower jaw between black talons. "I know who you are, son of Dawnbringer. I took an eye from your precious brother, before we were so rudely interrupted." Next she whispered past his ear. "I wonder what I shall take from you to begin with? It seems we have plenty of time on our hands."

Thyrian pushed his head forward in protest. "Silence, Crone! You think your threats inspire fear?" He spat some blood unto the floor and spoke through gritted teeth. "Twice I have been to the other side, and twice I was brought back. Death holds no fear in my heart. Do your worst, for while you're busy karking around all of Midvinter is rising against you!" But Gríma just snickered in response, tracing the side of his face with one of her talons. Then a sudden jerk forward, forcing Thyrian to grovel on the floor before her. She lifted a foot and placed it atop his head, pushing him further into the dirt. "I hope that they do. And I shall be here to welcome them to a hell the likes of which none living could ever dare imagine."

Another tendril wormed its way around his neck, strangling him into unconsciousness. Gríma stretched for a bit before making herself comfortable upon the crumbled throne. "Oof, still a bit stiff. Nothing like a bit of torture to loosen up the joints, though," she put her feet up on the Valkyri king. "You were correct, my dear Velkar. Seizing the capital turned out to be child's play."

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Jericho"] | [member="Alva Heavenshield"] | [member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Eyna"]​

 

[Ióunn Ar-Olwa]

For Ióunn, coming home was bitter sweet. The freedom that she experienced with Thrand travelling among the stars, was short. A few weeks of it, to be able to taste the sense of doing what you want, when you want and without thinking of duty. All they had was time with each other, without all the trappings of being mindful of protocol, appearances, and responsibility. The worlds they visited, were extraordinary, the people extraordinary especially in her eyes and the landscapes of them all so vastly different to her home, not just Averlorn but Midvinter as well. It was like a dream come to life, it had been a dream come true for her.

But regardless of all that, regardless of her travels meeting all her expectation of what lay beyond the stars, it was nice to be home. Back among her people and the place she knew well, every blade of grass, tree and creature welcomed her back with the strength of nature that filled her resolve as Queen, and their protector. What their travels taught her, was that Midvinter was just as special and beautiful as all of them, it reinforced in her mind that this majestic world was worth dying for.

Ióunn was about to reach for Thrand’s bow, and show him that she could indeed use it to great ability, the size of the bow did not matter, and it was not about strength of the arm but technique. However, her grin dropped away with the approach of the messenger. A raven had been dispatched, Thrand received the message and quickly it became obvious that something was very seriously wrong.

She went to Thrand placing a hand on his shoulder as he read the message, “Thrand, What is it?”, he did not answer but simply handed her the small parchment. Ióunn read for herself, the horrid news of the capital of the Valkyri, and the King, their father. Thrand and herself had been in that war of the first visitation of the Crone, they were young and wanting to do their part to fend back the foul beasts. Her face went pale with the memory of it, the war took her father’s life, and thereafter her mothers, the images of that day had not nor would not be forgotten. She swallowed hard, trying to steel herself for what was to come.

Thrand stood and declared war, Averlorn would answer the call to arms, Ióunn’s looked at the messenger and nodded, giving her consent to rally the Aelvar armies. “We must make haste my love”, she came to him, “We must stand strong and advance to the King, our father”, she embraced him, for little comfort no doubt.

[member="Thrand Galadorn"] | [member="Alva Heavenshield"] | [member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Jericho"] | [member="Eyna"]​

 

[Velkar]

Before him, walked the cold hard truth.

And for once, he had been looking it in the eyes.

His deceptions always came with a price, usually paid by others, but not this time. Well, Others were not alone in the debt, and it was hard for him to watch the murder of many and even in this war of necessity, which it was, their blood would be on his hands. This was nothing new to him, no matter what he had said or done, the blame would fall to him. Father would make sure of it, actually his father did make sure of it, even now when Velkar was not given a choice.

Had he played right into his father’s hands? Had this been some convoluted plan of his all along?

If it was, then Velkar walked right into it and was trapped in the web of lies laid so deftly by the Allfather. The death of many angered him, Velkar was a lot of things but he was not a murderer, but what angered him more was that his father had lied to him all this life. Used him like a pawn in some vicious plan and those that suffered for it, including him, now stood in the capital of Midvinter. The heart and soul of the people his father professes to love above all else. They were play things to him, twisting them in his game of amusement as he sits on high watching the cards fall where they may. Velkar’s card had fallen on the top of the pile.

The fool in the deck.

Even though everything seemed lost, Velkar had one last card up his sleeve yet to be played and he would bide his time before throwing it on the table. His mind was dark with metaphors as he strode into the Great Hall following Grima as she walked with triumph to the throne of the king. Thyrian Hearthfire looked at him with utter contempt was well he might, especially since he was correct. Velkar grinned at him in reply.

“The gods giveth, the gods taketh away”. His eyes flicked from that of the postulant king to Grima, before setting firm his gaze in the kings flaming eyes once more. Velkar’s words held much meaning in them, whether the King was clever enough to see it was another matter entirely. But probably not, there was too much rage in the man kneeling before him.

But Velkar had his part to play in this piece of theatre. He stood back and with a well practice flourish of his hand, as if to dismiss the matter entirely, “Victory will be yours today, .. Mother”.

The word stuck hard in his throat.

​

​

[member="Thyrian Hearthfire"] | [member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Jericho"] | [member="Eyna"]​

 

[Thrand Hearthfire]

Horns were sounded across the woods of Averlorn as the Elves gathered their army, far more organised than their Valkyri counterparts; spears and shields lined the walls of the armoury in a neat manner, each and every one perfectly fitted to their respective owners. Armour was kept within the soldier's private abode and their responsibility to maintain. The same was true for the Prince-Consort, who had rushed to the palace to gather his things. One piece of armour after another was donned, and clutched to his side he held an ornate helmet adorned with a long, white horsetail which distinguished him from his men. He emerged from the palace dressed for battle, and on his back in a long sheath rested the greatsword of his namesake.

Placing two fingers between his lips he let out a loud whistle which was carried by the wind up the mountainside, summoning to him the noble winged steeds Annith and Sleipnir. While awaiting their arrival, Thrand inspected the mustering army lining up before him, falling into ranks with pin-point accuracy, none stumbling or hesitating in their step. There was no boisterous chatter or playful tests of strength between comrades-in-arms; they were professional and rigid, yet so fluid in their every motion.

"Attention!" By the time their Queen appeared on the scene, their forces had all fallen into rank and file. At his command they put their feet together and held their weapons close their chest, creating a thunderclap of unison. Thrand held out his hand as Queen Ióunn descended the last steps, head bowed in respect. "Brothers! Once more Midvinter summons us to fight in Her name! All of you have taken oaths to defend your homeland - now is the hour to fulfill them all, for Queen and Country!"

Swooping down from above their Valar steeds made their landing, just in time to march off. Thrand gave the pure-white Sleipnir a pat down his long face and placed a kiss upon his muzzle, before turning to his beloved. Hidden from view by their newly-arrived mounts, he leaned in for a gentle kiss, savouring every last moment of it. "For you, my love. For Father..."

In unison the army began its march north, through the forest and under the mountains via the secret passage one required the necessary knowledge to summon forth. Thrand and his queen rode at the head of their army, heading for the rally point chosen by his uncle. All he did the entire journey was pray for the safety of his father.

[member="Ióunn Galadorn"]​

 

[Nida Perl]

The Crone?

Nida turned her worried expression towards Eyna, and the pair shared a look of mutual confusion and concern. Whoever the Crone was, they did not sound like someone she wanted to face in battle. Coci moved in to embrace her son and impart his task, kissing him before seeing herself off.

To Nida’s surprise, Thirdas’ mother turned to her and placed a gentle had at her face. Nida had always found Coci to be a kind woman, if somewhat intimidating, and hoped that Coci liked her. If she were to one day reach a fraction of the wisdom or power Coci and Thurion had, Nida would consider herself satisfied. But now was not the time to cast hopeful glances towards the future, especially when the prospect off tomorrow was looking hazy. She gave Coci her bravest smile and tried not to think of her mother, as she already felt the unshed tears begin to sting her eyes. “I promise you that I will look after him.” She was far better at mending Thirdas’ wounds after the fact, than keeping him out of trouble herself.

Coci departed, leaving the command of the Dawnguard in the hands of her son. Everything was moving so quickly and concisely, especially with Thirdas’ trained ability to handle war. Nida was not one to vie for control, and so she nodded when Thirdas instructed her to take charge of the field hospital. Normally she would turn something like this down, citing her lack of experience but the dire situation allowed her to put aside those concerns for now. "I will do my best." If Thirdas thought her capable, then she would rise to the challenge.

“She’s a good fighter.” Nida chimed in while one hand instinctively grazed her own waist to feel the metallic hilt of her saber against her fingers. While trained in saber combat, the Jedi’s weapon was not one she often used. Even though she’d be manning the hospital, Nida felt as though she’d have to do her share of fighting as well. “She reminds me of you.” Her smile was soft, though not without worry lines.

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Eyna"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Jericho]

Dreams do come true, the sky had brightened and a glow of glistening white light shined from the heavens. Lily witnessed something she had hoped for. A great creature with a noble warrior swept down from the heavens to join the fight. Lily pressed on her cheeks, cupping them with excitement as she witness the great beast surge downward onto the deformed beasts. Her eyes widen with surprise and awe; this was like a fairy tale for her having to see something so epic come to her father's aid. She couldn't help but let out a playful squeal as the mighty creature came over to the zeltron twins without even thinking. While Micah only could ponder why and how Lily could be so easy going in this situation. Thought having to admit to himself that her lightheartedness did give him a sense of ease in this tension, maybe that was why...

--------

Jericho was focused, he pinpointed they movements watching and learning their techniques with his lorrdian eyes. The force brewed around him showing him an invisible line to their attacks. He dodged and waived with no wasted movements, then he felt a familiar aura come down from behind with great speed and ducked down as the great creature impaled one of the monsters with its mighty claws. He gave a quick nodded as she made her attack and stated the weakness of three lumbering brutes that made their way to him. Coci made quick work of one while Jericho turn his attention to the other two.

He raised on of his fist and pointed to fingers and focused. The force circulated around the tips of his fingers charging up for but just moment and in an instant the creatures wailed with horrific pain as they both toppled over themselves on to the ground. There was no sound, there was nothing that could be seen by them. The only thing they knew now was the cold feel of the Midvinters snow and that their knees missing as they attempted to crawl away. "Sleep now, find true peace." Were the last words they heard before darkness took over their line of vision then sound of a crackling saber.

The warrior made his way over to [member="Coci Heavenshield"] and stood next to her after the fight was over looking the direction she was. "Lady Heavenshield" He calmly said with a bow of his head, showing his respect and his thanks for coming to his aid. "We have little time....What is our next move?"

 

[Eyna]

Interacting with: [member="Nida Perl"] // [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]

Thirdas Heavenshield, Nida Perl, and Eyna Lastname. A trio of characters with nothing or everything to lose. The latter the first, the former the last. As Thirdas mentioned the Antarian Rangers Eyna couldn’t help but lift her eyes from the ground to look at the man, even more so at the mention of Dorn Company and Task Force Raider. That was just about the only thing needed to put a pretty knot on all this. She had a the beginning and the end, a Perl and Coci respectively. Now she had an Antarian Ranger which was the bridge between the two. Part of her had to keep from asking if he knew Amon Vizsla, but that felt like a given.

“I…” She began as Thirdas asked about her abilities. “Yeah.”

She grabbed the rifle as it was handed to her and held it with a practiced grip. Wasn’t quite the rifle she remembered in her head but it was similar enough that she understood how to use it. The kid weighed it up and down in her hands and got a feel for aiming down its sights before she lowered it again. Nida sponsored her, and given the frequency of Eyna’s injuries there was really no other person who could do so other than Coci herself, or Bjöern. Though Bjöern was far more likely to dish out than cash in, so to speak.

Eyna’s wounds still stung, and she had gone through healing. That probably said something.

“If I get mad I can choke people and fling electricity at them, though I am told this isn’t what I should be doing.” Eyna said with little to no weight behind her words. She seemed to be making attempts at jokes, and while the content was there but the delivery was most certainly not which made her words seem more like a statement than what she tried to make of it. Thinking little of it Eyna tried to think of more things. “I can find mnemonic trigger sometimes, makes me remember my, uh,” The grip around her rifle paled, just a little. “Father’s life as a soldier.”

She eyed their surroundings as they made way towards their destination.

“What should we expect, Thirdas?”

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

The girl seemed to hesitate before accepting the rifle, which in turn made Thirdas hesitate in offering it. But she did accept it, and so he did offer it. Never a good sign to see a soldier hesitate, before or during a battle, but then again, she was not a trained soldier. She took a few moments to familiarise herself with its weight and feel, and the experienced sergeant watched with great interest. "You've got good balance. Good stance. These guys got little recoil and are easy to use; just point and shoot at what you want dead. Simple as that."

He proceeded to pull out more gear from within the shuttle, among them his custom-fitted armour which he proceeded to strap onto his torso. As he did, Eyna began listing off skills and abilities, some of which gave the young sergeant pause. "You, uh... You can do all that, huh?" His eyes turned to Nida for a second as if to seek confirmation of the girl's claims even though none were truly needed. "I just tend to shoot things. It's worked out for me this far," he shrugged.

She then asked him what to expect. "Well," he started by opening up a crate filled with grenades of all sorts, picking among them as if deciding on groceries at the market. "I wasn't there to see for myself last time. I've heard much of this 'crone' however. She is only mentioned in the darkest and most terrifying tales, the kind one does not share around a campfire. She goes by Gríma Hagraven. In the beliefs of my people, she is the embodiment of doom and despair." When he was finished, he'd equipped a dozen or so grenades before turning to face the two ladies. "The Goddess of Death. She commands demons created from the souls of the dishonoured dead - those that the gods deem unfit for their golden halls in Beornskald. And she uses them to build her army, the same one that now occupies the capital and holds my uncle, the king, captive."

"So yeah, I've no idea what to expect. It's probably a lot worse than whatever you're imagining right now." No sense in sugar-coating it now. "The entire world is mobilising against the Crone. Tomorrow there will be a great battle for the fate of Midvinter. We either win, or we all die together." The last thing he pulled out was his mother's trusty sniper rifle, locked and loaded.

"We'd best get underway," he said as the shuttle's engines were warming up. "After you, ladies."

Once they were onboard along with several Knights of the Guard, the ship would take off followed by a dozen more of various designs and head north in formation. Thirdas sat next to Nida with their hands entwined, and found that there was nothing he could do to mask his concerns. His leg drummed up and down in rapid succession without him knowing. He'd gone to war many times in the last couple years with the Rangers, but this was the first time the war impacted him on a personal level. It was his home come under attack. It was different. He'd been too young to be of use last time, and he was determined to make up for it.

"I'm afraid," he whispered for Nida's ears only as they sat together, ashamed to admit as much. And yet being close to her proved invaluable to his own morale. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes for what seemed like but a few seconds. "Here I thought we wouldn't get into trouble, this time around."

It took several minutes for the pilot to address his passengers. "Coming up on a stream of survivors now!" This stirred Thirdas from his state of serenity with Nida as he stood and made for the cockpit. "Keep going! Tell the last two shuttles to land and help out those in need! We need to locate the stragglers and keep them safe as they make their escape!"

He returned to Nida and Eyna. "We'll continue on until we reach the end of the flood of refugees. That's where the fighting will be, if they are being pursued."

[member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Eyna"]​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

It was a long journey from Fridheim in the west to the Crownlands, having to march around the vast mountains acting as a natural border between the provinces. The weather was on their side however, for nothing slows down a military campaign like heavy snowfall, and thus far nothing but overcast. In a few more hours it would darken, and given that the Crone was at her most powerful in darkness it made sense to hold off on attacking until morning.

Still riding at the head of his host, Thurion was glad to have his grandchild Alva to keep him company in spite of the danger she was putting herself in by joining him. Her company kept him from ruminating on the darker thoughts which yet lingered within the back of his head, still containing doubts about his own worthiness after his last failure to defeat the very same evil they now face once more. If he'd done a better job the first time, there would not have been another, and his own brother and countless others now paid the price for his inadequacy to defend his people.

But looking over at Alva in her father's saddle, looking so young and innocent, strangely gave the elder strength; a certain boldness and courage in knowing that he had no choice but to succeed this time. The alternative was too heartbreaking to even imagine.

"Did your mother ever told you how she and I met," he suddenly asked as the two bobbed in their saddles next to one another. "You know that she and I are not of the same blood, and yet she is my daughter. Just as you are my granddaughter." He reached out to pull a lock of hair behind her ear so as to see her face better. It was also a way to dote on his grandchild.

"She grew up on a world called Tatooine. That is where I found her, in her moment of mourning the recent loss of her father. His name was Atticus, the owner of the local scrapyard. It was not an easy living for either of them." He gave his beard a good stroking, purposefully leaving out a few minor details regarding Alva's blood-related grandfather, such as his heavy drinking following the death of his wife. "I attended the funeral out of respects, just another stranger at the time. Your mother expressed her desire to find a better life for herself elsewhere in the galaxy, and so I took her on as my padawan - my apprentice. She became very dear to me in a very short time, and she quickly became among the finest Jedi I have ever known."

"I was once adopted, as a young boy. So when the time came, the decision to adopt Valae was made without reservations. That is how she became a Heavenshield, and why you sit in that there saddle at this very moment," he turned and smiled at her. "She loves you very much, you know."

​

Finally they'd reached the only mountain pass safe and wide enough to march an army through without the risk of an avalanche. "Look, up ahead. Westgate Pass, the point which connects three of the five Marks." It was also here that all forces from the Westmark joined up, as all required to pass these set of gates to enter the Crownlands. Thus their numbers were increased as men and women from villages from all over Westmark fell in line, all recognising the authority of their liege lord and the Heavenshield banner.

Only now that they were no longer obstructed by a wall of mountains could they look towards the capital to see how the grey clouds turned evermore black, and in the far distance one might even make out the unnatural green light of the swirling maelstrom of a portal hovering above the ancient city of Tháinbroek. It was enough to send a wave of uncertainty among the men, and the liveliness of a Valkyri army on the march turned deathly quiet. All you could hear as they marched through Westgate Pass was the constant rumbling of footsteps accompanied by the occasional whinnying horse.

Thurion's fingers grasped around the grip of his sword resting inside its sheath, seeking its strength so as to not buckle under the pressure and his own insecurities making themselves known once more. "Not much farther until we make camp alongside the rest of Midvinter's armies. This will be the greatest battle of our time," he stated the dire situation they all faced, eyes straight ahead in an unflinching stare. "We are all afraid, Alva. There can be no bravery without fear."

[member="Alva Heavenshield"]​

 

[Thora Heavenshield]

“Sometimes gods can be wrong”, she said looking into his old eyes as he kneeled before her. A shift in the air, flowed across the waters of the river toward the ships. Someone had come, unexpected. Before long they were surrounded by other long boats bearing the banner of the Eastmark, the Bor. Thora was not familiar with this banner, although it was easy to guess which House it belonged to.

A big man stood proud on the bow of the lead long boat, his manner and sense through the force, formidable and as he looked to his brother who stood next to her, there was hatred in his eyes. Too long a history had passed between them that could be rectified it seemed, they had been on opposing sides in the pass and each one not allowing the other to forget or forgive. Thora could not fathom fighting like this with her own brother, Boo was so dear to her and she missed him terribly.

“I don’t care if you knee down on your wretched knees or not”, she yelled out over the swirling waters where the rivers join. “I would not trust any words that fell from your foul mouth”, the Heavenshield temper was building without fetter.

“If you are here to fight, then fight”, she moved to the side of the boat and leaned toward the fat man, calling his bluff if their agenda was to clash with the men and women of the Northmark. With Thora’s words the Northmark people stood up and grabbed their weapons prepared to engage at her word. And as the ships moved closer with to each other with the current, Thora jumped and landed on her feet on the deck of Lord Brindal and her training saber ignited.

The men gathered around Brindal laughed at her threatening their lord, a young girl of all things, daring to stand up to him. Her hand thrusted out toward them, and with a strong force push, they flew over the side of the ship into the river. The rest that were laughing stopped immediately.

“Well?”, she asked with a sense of authority, and by now Brindal would realise, she meant her word. “Are we going to fight, or are you going to fall in line behind us as we go to defend Midvinter”. The choice was his now, he could die right here right now, or redeem his sorry ass to the crown.

[member="Bors Greythorne"] ​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

The bodies of the last foul creature fell hard to the snow under the cut of Jericho’s abilities. For the moment, they were all safe and Cloudancer remained guarding her charges. Coci’s eyes lifted to the green portal in the distance over Thainbroek knowing what this was and what was descending from it, spewing out its foul darkness. Everything, every part of her wanted to move forward upon the city and fight to release Thyrian but they would only be going to their deaths. They were only two, and the last war took much more then them to vanquish the Crone.

“I know”, she said, “But we can not face them alone Jericho”, she turned away and looked toward the west. “He is on his way”. She walked over to one of the creatures on the ground, looking over its corrupted carcass, the carrion will not even eat from this.

“This is a beast of Grima, the Goddess of Death”, she turned to Jericho trying to find the words to tell him of this, that the gods of Midvinter are true, that they exist. “Years have passed since she attacked Midvinter, and on that day we lost some many men and women in that war. And even with the numbers we had, we were on the verge of defeat. It took another god to vanquish her, sending her back to the under realm. And now we face her again, and this time she would have learned, this time …”, she did not want to finish what she was saying.

“More than anything, I want to go Thainbroek now, but we have to wait for Thurion and the rest to join forces, if we stand a chance of defeating her”. She placed a hand on his arm, knowing that every fibre of his being was charged with the need to fight for them, all the people locked in the grasp of that murderous creature.

“She knows we are coming, no doubt she is counting on it”. Coci was already reconciled that these few days ahead were probably her last. But that did not equate to others, they had things in their lives, people in their lives that mattered to them and they did not have to die here. Not in a war that was not their own.

[member="Jericho"] | [member="Thurion Heavenshield"]​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

The horse’s legs caked in mud by the time they had broken through the lands of the fens and entered the forest that lined the Northmark. Beyond the forest was the plains that would lead them to the Crownlands and to Thainbroek. The night had fallen hard, a sense of ill on the air and thick within the trees, settling in their hearts and setting them to despair. Théo looked around at the faces of the men and women that had travelled with him, a long line of soldiers with all the equipment needed for the battle and tonight they could camp within the safety of cover.

This forest was known to him well enough, from childhood and the scene of yet another battle for Midvinter, so many years ago now. The Vinterbound had advanced toward the capital from the north and destroyed everything in their path. Among these trees now standing in peace, they had fought and won that day. War was not new to his people, it was in their blood brooding ever strong and setting their purpose to a sense of worth. It was never called for, but it was always answered when the time to stand up and fight was the rallying cry. Théo has the same blood pumping through his veins, all his family did, not just the Heavenshields, but the Hearthfires as well.

His mind turned to his uncle, as he rode along in silence toward the position, they would make camp. Words that he had spoken about him, to his father and others seemed to flow back into his mind and he realise he had been too tough on him. Thyrian is a great King and will never allow Midvinter to fall without a fight, his father the same, and no doubt all of Théo’s opinions were in loyalty to his papa. He had to let go of this, the idea that the wrong person is on the Throne, that was not correct, and he knew it. For so many years, Théo had been at war within himself over it, that it clouded his judgement and could not see that Thyrian held in him the same nobility and strength that his grandpapa had, that his father has and that he has.

No matter what happens come the morn, he would fight for his King, his uncle and Midvinter. To the death if needed. Because what was the point of living if all was lost.

More oft then not, he checked himself in these dark moods, brooding over things out of his control and in the hands of fate, or others. Enough, he thought with set determination.

He threw his leg over the back of his mount; the horses were spent from ploughing through the fens and rest was needed by all. If one could get rest on the eve of the day of reckoning. The camp was swiftly constructed, his tent blazon with the white stag and ready for him. The camp fires lit and already the smell of cooking meat, filtered through the trees and summon his hunger, he entered his tent to change out of the damp muddied clothing that clung to his body and would partake in a meal of meat and bread, washed down with a tankard of ale and alone, he preferred that, it gave him a chance to go over the accounts of his army. A list of the numbers of men and women, their skills and abilities, how many had come to fight with him against a foe that did not sleep, and on the morrow would give their lives under his command. There would not much sleep for him tonight.

The flap of his tent opened, “My lord, the scouting party has returned”, the soldier stood aside as the leader walked in. “My lord, Thainbroek is ablaze, there are fires all over the city and a black smoke thick in the air. There are people on the roads moving in all directions, some coming this way and will be upon us shortly. There..”, he hesitated unsure of what to say, to describe what he had seen. “There is a vast cloud, green cloud swirling over the capital the likes I have never seen before”. The scout looked to the others who faces hardened with the news, some of them know of this, had been in the first war against the Crone.

“Green?”, he repeated, this only meant one thing, only meant one person responsible for this. Velkar. “That damned two faced bastard”, Théo roared with venom, the men in the tent looked at each other surprised having never seen their Lord so angry. He dismissed them all and once alone again, he leaned on the table, his head lowered, “You have condemned us all”. But what did they expect from the God of Fire and Mischief?

The hours went passed, the night damp and a soft fall of snow filtered down through the tree tops. It always snows in the north, that was a certainty. Théo pulled up the cowl of his long cloak, making sure it hides his face as he walked through the camp from fire to fire, spending a little time with his men and women. On the eve of battle, he would not be held up in his tent detached from those he leads but would spend the night in their company, trying his best to instil hope where there is none.

He would walk among them as their equal, not their liege lord for tomorrow they will bleed the same blood. For King, Crown, and Country.

https://youtu.be/nSVRIbofkFw ​

[member="Thurion Heavenshield"] | [member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Eyna"] | [member="Jericho"]​

 

[Bors Greythorne]

Bors barely had time to react when Thora suddenly leapt onto the other ship - watching the little lady berate her elders had been astonishing enough! He was about to ask her to stop when she jumped ship, too slow to reach out and grab her.

"Thora, stop! Get back here this instant!" It was out of concern that he called for her, but she was too busy humiliating his brother by displaying her powers to listen. The sound of men splashing about in the river easily coupled with the shouting of those same men made for quite the scene, causing more than a few chuckles from the Heavenshield longships. Bors did not laugh however, as he struggled to hurry after the daughter of his liege lord despite his poor sense of balance and stiff joints.

"This brat is a menace! Muzzle her or someth--" Grey-Boar swiftly turned to his brother and pointed at him accusingly. "Hold your tongue!" He grabbed Thora by the shoulders and turned her on the spot to face him. "Are you alright, little one?" He did not look amused, even though she had only the best intentions of standing up to his younger brother. However he did not berate her either, but rather offered her a nod. He then leaned over the side of the longship and pulled a few soaked men back onboard, joining the others who did the same.

"Bors! Get that girl off my ship right now, or I'll have both of you thrown overboard!" Brindal was fuming, his pale face having turned bright red. Bors kept his hands on Thora's shoulders in case of another loss of temper on her part. He scowled at his brother, lord or no, but inevitably did as told. "I look forward to seeing you on the field of battle tomorrow," he said loud enough for all to hear as the two made their way back to their own ship, causing more chuckles as it was well-known that Brindal Greythorne had never actually partaken in battle in person. He was more of a, how do you say, "supervising" commander, leaving the fighting to his officers.

While the Greythorne ship stayed behind to fish up the last of their men, the Heavenshield ship carried on, taking the lead downriver. Bors sat Thora down and held her by the hand, just in case she had any more crazy ideas. "You should not have done that," he finally said while gazing towards the horizon. "I know what you did was out of loyalty," it was in her house words after all, "but you shouldn't try and bully others into submission, or you'll be no better than my brother. Right now it doesn't help anyone to rile up a lord of the realm, no matter how detestable he is. We need his fighting men."

But then Bors leaned in to place a kiss upon her head while cupping her cheek. "Though, I appreciate the gesture. It was pretty funny, wasn't it?" His wrinkles were pushed aside as his lips formed a smile, followed by a chuckle of his own. "Let's keep this to ourselves, shall we? No need to tell your father."

He was about to pull out his knife to resume whittling, but as they rounded a tall cliff obscuring their view the crew laid eyes on those unnatural green lights hanging over the destroyed capital, giving everyone pause. Bors dropped the block of wood he'd been working on as he slowly stood and placed a hand upon the bow of the ship, eyes wide with a terrified wonder of sorts. He looked to Thora and put his arm around her, holding her close for safety's sake. "Pass the word on to the other ships. No lanterns until we make it farther south. Don't want to let the enemy know of our whereabouts." A man at his side nodded and made for the stern of the ship to signal the others. "And keep shouting to a minimum!"

[member="Thora Heavenshield"]​

 

[Alva Heavenshield]

As Fridheim grew farther in the distance, Alva couldn't help but glance back over her shoulder once or twice. It felt odd marching away from home, away to war. But as she looked, she saw so many proud Valkyri soldiers doing the same thing. Blue eyes shifted forward, focusing on the horizon. And her eyes caught her grandfather in a sidelong glance, his armored form riding at her side.

She could feel his steady presence in the force, too. Alva knew enough to sense it, to use it to fortify her own. The force was a comfort, even if she knew so little of it. However, Alva would draw upon that light if needed.

Blinking, she turned to [member="Thurion Heavenshield"] as he spoke about her mother.

Alva shook her head softly, brown waves, like her mothers, moved in the breeze. “Please tell me,” said. Her mother had only mentioned Tatooine a handful of times. And she'd known that was where Grandfather originally met her... but she hadn't known that was when her blood-related grandfather had passed away—Valae rarely spoke about him. It was a painful part of her life, one that she kept away from Alva.

There was another pang. Alva felt bad for leaving her mother behind, but she had to do this. She was human, but she was Valkyri, too. Her gloved hand rose to her chest, where the Heavenshield heraldry held her cloak fastened closed. “I know,” Alva answered, nodding steadily though she was close to tears.

When they reached the mountain pass, she looked up in awe. How could she not? Even for the dire circumstances, it was a sight to behold. She swallowed hard as she spied the clouds churning, turning an ominous shade of black. Every face seemed to pale, even Grandfather's – and Alva looked to him for reassurance. He was frightened, too. Reaching out, she placed a hand upon his arm, for her comfort and his as well.

“What is it?” she asked, nodding towards the swirling mass that loomed above the capital. “Is it... really her?” To Alva, the Crone was merely a villain from stories... but to others, she was quite real.

 

[Ióunn Ar-Olwa]

​

She could feel the might of Annith beneath her, wings tucked tight against her legs as they pressed through the passage that would lead them to ice plains of Midvinter and the southern area of the Crownlands. This was not going to be an easy war for any of them, all the peoples of Midvinter would suffer greatly once more even in victory, if the fates decided. If this was their end, Ióunn would not be anywhere else but beside her husband, if they are to die, they die together.

Ióunn reached for his hand, just as they passed through the waterfall of light that only appears when summoned by the Aelvar, and the rock face rolls back as the illusion drops away. Instantly, the wall of cold winds hit them, whistling down from the mountain ranger that divides the two realms, and the chill ran through her body like ice. They would press forward, in formation with Thrand and Ióunn at the lead. In the distance, the swirling portal was a blur, emerald green and in any other time, it would be considered beautiful to behold.

But there was no beauty within it, only sorrow and despair did it let loose on the capital of Midvinter. She squeezed Thrand’s hand, no doubt his mind running with fear for his father and all that lived there. How far the foul fends had spread across Midvinter, they did not know but would find out soon enough. In her saddle she turned to two of her soldiers, “You are to wait here, and if any survivors come toward our realm, take them in and shelter them”. Her decree would be done without question and they would stay close to the passage.

She looked for Thrand’s eyes, to give him hope, there were no words that she could say that would quell his heart for his father. “Whatever is written in the stars for us all, it will remain a constant forever, and a reminder to others that we were once”. Ióunn could sense that Thrand wanted to take flight and head directly for his father, take on whatever stood in his way, but that would be the end of him, and his father would not want for that.

“Your uncle rides for Thrainbroek, as I am sure all the Marks come to Thainbroek’s aid”, she turned the head of Annith toward the West, “Come, we will join his ranks before the night has fallen. Then onward to your father”.

[member="Thrand Galadorn"]​

 

[Eyna]

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] // [member="Nida Perl"]

Yes, she could do all those things despite her better wishes. Eyna didn’t pride herself on the fact that her soul had been thrown into a jar of pitch and set on fire against her wish, but she wasn’t going to deny that such a thing had its uses to her. As Thirdas explained the threat more clearly, Eyna gave the man a nod as he talked. If anything her abilities would probably come in useful, it was just a matter of if Coci would approve or not. Which wasn’t to mention her husband, Thurion had been the Grandmaster of the Silver Order once.

… Maybe today they would allow an exception. Eyna weighed the rifle in her hands as she looked out the window. Thirdas and Nida was doing that thing people did in the movies, the thing that Coci and Thurion did as well. Forehead to forehead they whispered something that wasn’t for Eyna to hear and she let the noise of the engine drown out what little it could. The moment was over as they came over the survivors on the attack on the capital however.

Eyna glanced down at the survivors as they marched en masse. Easy prey, had they not been there. Thirdas talked to the pilot, Eyna continued to look down at the flood as it poured out of the city. As the commander of this little group came back, Eyna gave him a look of determination.

“Got it.” She said and went back to looking at the people down below. “At least we are minimizing collateral. Should allow us to make some of the more drastic choices in battle, should the necessity arise.”

Drastic such as levelling a whole city.

… A pyrrhic victory was still a victory.

 

[Jericho]

Despite the warriors stoic nature on the outside, shock and awe had overwhelmed his person. Gods? Creatures of the under realm? What reality was this? A worlds of gods and men roaming the world ever so casually, this was not a world that he was familiar with though he had trained here and heard stories of such things to him they were just that; Stories. His eyes gaze followed her as she looked to the green portal not too far off from their location watching as darkness flowed down, knowing only death followed it. The Valykri were a sturdy and powerful people to the rest of the galaxy they were more than a formidable foe. To see them in such a state, to Jericho, was almost unfathomable; their world was just so different.

He had to face many challenges in his life, this was no different. Despite the odds and what they were going to have to face off, whether it was gods or monsters, he would find a way, he had to. With a breath he was about to move ahead before being stopped by the woman, her hand placed on his arm as if she already knew what he was going to do. The warrior let out a breath and looked to her then to his children then back to the the portal. "I understand. Then we must just ready ourselves for what is to come." The warrior calmly said as he sat down to the ground only to begin to float going into a meditative state gathering energy. His children watch from afar and felt the force and knew what to do following suit.

One with the force. Calm before the storm.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"].