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

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

Deep down in the dark dungeons below the Great Hall it was difficult to discern how much time had passed. Had it been but a few hours or a full day? No sunlight and nothing to do to pass the time made it impossible to tell. Given that his captors had bothered to torment him with the lure of food and drink, it must have been more than a few hours. Not counting the time he was passed out.

Though the chains were of ordinary making he had not attempted to break free, for he would not have the strength for a fight in case he was caught in the escape. No, the King patiently bided his time, lying in wait for the perfect opportunity. He knew Thurion would come for him.

But when the being known as Velkar appeared before him, with that smug look on his face, Thyrian strained against his chains enough so to make the wall behind him groan in pain. "Come to gloat, have you? I didn't know gods could be so petty; lower than us mere mortals!"

Of course what the smug nerf herder shared with him had to be annoyingly cryptic, that was until he produced Thyrian's own sword only to hide it outside his cell. It wasn't enough to make him suddenly trust the mischievous one, though.

"You enjoy playing games, Velkar," he snarled at him from behind the bars, eyes glowing red with anger. "You see us mortals as mere pawns, to be moved about as you please without any rhyme or reason. Destroy our lives just for the hell of it. Lacking in honour!"

He sat back down on his knees, leaning his back against the wall while Velkar had his laugh.

"You 'divine' beings are supposedly immortal; invincible. You have no idea what pain or loss is, and you will never know death. I pity you, for you shall never know what it is to truly be alive."

He slowly exhaled, his breath akin to hot steam. "I, on the other hand, learned how to die a long time ago. I can only hope the third time will be my last. I believe after today, my purpose will have been fulfilled."

"My faith and hope lies with my brother, for he is tenfold a better man than I in every respect. His is the example I've tried to hold myself to, as a father and king." His eyes flickered with fiery determination. "Thurion is bringing his full might against the Crone and her minions as we speak, and I cannot wait to bask in the glory of his victory before this day is through, be it in this life or the next!"

It was his turn to laugh, assured of his brother's imminent victory even if the man himself was anything but. "You had best make yourself scarce, God of Mischief, or you too shall perish!"

V Velkar ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

​

Drums and horns were sounded throughout their march northward to the ruined capital, adding to the symphony of steel plate, chainmail, and leather rustling and creaking with each step of the march to war. Spirits were high among the Valkyri warriors; for many, moments like these were their sole purpose to live for - a chance to prove themselves in battle and, if the fates willed it so, to die and be reborn in the golden halls the Gods. To even partake in a battle of such magnitude and epic proportions was considered the greatest of honours.

The Beorni and Aelvar had their own philosophies regarding the waging of war. The huge bear-men were pacifist in nature, raised to dislike violence in all its forms, though they have always recognised there are times when such things are inherently unavoidable. To stand aside and simply let the invader lay claim and bring harm to their homeworld was never even considered. The Elves, meanwhile, have ever been a passive force; they were the custodians of the land, never seeking direct conflict with others unless threatened, and like the Beorni they had no interest in conquest or political gains.

The Three Kindreds would need to utilise all their strengths in the impending battle for the fate of Midvinter, and would prove the ultimate test of brotherhood and camaraderie, where any and all prejudices were cast aside. They were all Children of Midvinter.

Riding atop his mighty gryphon steed all decked out in armour and bearing the colours of House Heavenshield, Thurion and Skywalker sailed above the massive host below. Joining him in the air were the Dawnguard shuttles placed under the command of his youngest, Thirdas, as well as Queen Ióunn and her Prince-Consort Thrand riding atop their winged horses. And, as ever, his wife Coci atop her own gryphon Clouddancer.

They reached the vast stretch of flat land sitting between them and the ancient capital, the decrepit state of which gave many a men pause, as well as a surge in outrage. Though they had set out at an early hour, the skies were black with the corruption of the Crone emanating from the portal hovering just above the city. The dark minions had no love of daylight, and would also serve to keep the Sun God from aiding his followers. From the swirling gateway to the Underworld the Crone would be able to spawn forth more legions at will.

Below him the brave men and women of Midvinter formed up for battle, placing heavy shields up front and archers at the back, along with cavalry on both either flank. Descending from the skies, Skywalker landed at the head of the army. Thurion would lead the main force while the others had their own tasks to deal with.

The beat of the war drums came to a stop. Thurion cast a scowl at the ruined capital, knowing the Crone dwelled within. No doubt she had made her own nefarious preparations. He turned back to his troops and paraded Skywalker before them.

"Rise up, Children of Midvinter!" His powerful voice carried far and wide, reaching each and every ear, prompting a massive cheer. "Three decades ago, on this very battlefield, my father led the good people of Midvinter to victory against the Usurper. Many of you who stand here today are veterans of that struggle, same as me. I had not thought to revisit these blood-soaked grounds in the same spirit ever again, but today leaves us no choice!"

"On this fateful day, we rise up once more to cast down yet another false tyrant! Before our very eyes the Crone corrupts and lays waste to our most hallowed of sites, dating back to the founding of this world as we know it! She has our noble King in her vile clutches, who so valiantly held the line against the tide of darkness so that his people could flee the capital! It is our solemn duty to free him from his bonds and deal with this Hag for good!"

All at once the still-working gates of Tháinbroek were thrown open, and from them poured the minions of the Dark Queen; demons of every shape and size, grotesque and brutish in appearance. Corrupted souls of former men and women who were not chosen upon death to feast with the Gods, now made to fight their living counterparts.

"The forces of hell are upon us! Stand with me now, brothers and sisters! Fight not for Gods or possessions - fight for the man next to you, and fight for Mother Midvinter!" Thurion drew his sword brimming with power. "Front ranks, form shieldwall!"

All along the vast frontline Valkyri shields were locked together to form a wall of steel with which to weather the impending charge. "Artillery, commence firing on my command!" Great siege engines in the form of trebuchets and ballistae prepared to launch their projectiles. "Fire!" Levers were pulled, sending huge chunks of stone and volleys of long spears sailing through the air to smash into the unflinching enemy, crushing and piercing scores at a time.

"Archers, knock arrows!" Aelvar and Valkyri bowmen prepared to loose on command. "Loose!" A wall of arrows met the encroaching enemy, sending countless back to their dark realm. "Another volley, loose!" Even more demons fell dead to the ground, riddled with arrows. But the enemy did not stop. "Archers, commence fire-at-will!"

By now the hordes of darkness were moments from charging straight into their shieldwall, and so Thurion took to the skies atop his gryphon to oversee the battle from above. "Stand as one, brothers and sisters!" One last unified cheer from his troops before the first attackers smashed into the shieldwall, and thus the chaos of battle commenced.

Coci Heavenshield | Nida Perl | Jericho | Alva Heavenshield | Eyna ​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

And as predicted, Thyrian got his gander up.

Velkar just stood and let the man vent his spleen, he was right some of the points he made, the Gods do play with their toys, but it is for purpose even the actions of the god of mischief. Not that the Valkyri ever see it that way, some do, some know, but they are usually shunned for being devil worshipers. But all they had to do was to take a moment and look inside themselves, and in so doing, would find him there. Not.. not physically there, but within their own sense of mischief.

One day they would realise that they needed him, without him there would be imbalance.

“You know nothing, Thyrian Hearthfire”, he turned away with a grin, and in so doing the veil of green illusion turned inward and Velkar vanished, just as the back door to the dungeons clicked open.

00000

​

The timing had to be right, Kära and Théo waited just outside the walls of Thainbroek, or what was left of them, hiding waiting for the signal. The blast of horns rang through out the city, it was strange to them, sounded like it came from the bowels of the planet, and horrid to the ears. It was their call to war, and the city erupted with yelling and scouting as the horde began to move out.

They had to be quick, who knew what plans the Crone had for his uncle, now that the battle was about to start. Théo signalled to his aunt to stay close to the wall as he worked the lock. It gave way quickly, not through anything skill of his but by the damage sustained in the initial attack on the capital. Slowly, he unsheathed his sword, in his other hand he held his lightsabre, he could still use it even if not connected to the force.

With his foot, Théo pushed open the door, his saber ready to cut down anything that poured out of it, but nothing or no one did. He moved inside, Kära to follow and just as he rounded the corner which would lead to the cells, he saw the last of the green illusion vanish. “Sh*it”.


The light has come, Thyrian born of Ashes. The ethereal voice of Velkar whispered among the stone walls of the dungeons. Théo stood with sword at the ready just in case the mad god of mischief appeared again, not that he could do much against the God, Théo knew that but he would try if Velkar had a mind to threaten them all.

“Get him out”, Théo would stand guard as Aunty Kära worked the cell door, to free her husband. “Quickly”. Every bone in his body, every fibre of his being was itching to get into the fight. To fight alongside his brother, father and mother and everyone he held dear.


Thurion Heavenshield | Nida Perl | Eyna

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

“Shall we begin?”, she spoke to her Knights of the Dawnguard. “You know the plan, stick to it, and stay close”. The knights moved out in silence, forming up their position behind the shield wall and awaited the signal from their grandmaster. The shield wall was boosted by the force, each one with their arms extended to connect their force shield, and anything the hags force could throw at them was stopped. Already the field before them was littered with the corrupted flesh of the horde that had fallen in the name of their Queen. But this was only the first wave, there would be much to come, and more still if Grima had anything to do with it, there would be something up her sleeve, Coci had no doubt of that.

Thurion took to the sky, leading the army forward, Skywalker cut through the air like a hot knife through butter and Coci could not help but marvel at them both. “Always one for the dramatic”, she said to Cloudancer moving anxious next to her, wanting nothing more than to join them both. She could not have to wait long.

Coci threw her legs up and over Cloudancer’s back, and without any need for instruction they left the ground behind them. They banked hard right and skimmed around the edge of the battlefield, just high enough from the reach of any weapon. She was looking over the movement, taking note of the defences and trying to find a hole. The horde was much more organised this time, a lesson learned by the Crone and there was very little to find fault with. “I guess we will just have to make a hole”.

Cloudancer head turned back, and swoop down low to the ground before Coci could jump off right behind the shield wall. “Go, help out Thurion”. The majestic gryphon took to the sky to join her mate.

Coci moved up in line with her Knights, there was no need for commands, they knew her plan, they had practiced this move for weeks. A grin curled Coci’s lips, her black eyes narrowed, the grandmaster had not been idol in training and now was the proof of it. Her small group closed in around her, and in unison began to run toward the field at full speed. As they approached the shield wall, they jumped propelled by the force. The force shield opened, and before their feet hit the ground on the other side, the Knights of the Dawnguard and their grandmaster vanished in the force. The Jedi Shadows had entered the fray, like silent wind.



Thurion Heavenshield | Nida Perl | Eyna

 

[Kära Hearthfire]

Following closely behind her nephew, Kära was heartbroken at the sight of her home laid to ruin; an entire city, home to over a million souls, reduced to a ghost town overnight. These streets were vibrant with life just 24 hours ago, with people's faces the outsider queen had come to recognise over the years of her husband's reign. At that moment, Kära realised that the city had truly been lost. Even in the case of complete victory this day, Tháinbroek was forever gone - its spirit defiled by the Crone.

Thankfully it did not take long to reach the dungeon underneath the once-splendid Great Hall. Already she could sense Thyrian's presence getting closer and closer, weak though it was. By the time they rounded the corner, she was already shedding tears of joy knowing she was to be reunited with her love. So swept up with emotion was she, that she did not even register the traces of the God of Mischief lingering in the hallway.

The first cell proved empty, so did the second one. It was within the third cell that she finally laid eyes on her husband, chained up like some animal. "Thyrian," she whispered, prompting the fallen king to rise and stumble towards her. Reaching out as far as he could until the chains restrained him, Kära in turn reached through the bars until their fingers touched. "Kära," he whispered back as they held eachother's hand. "I though you just another dream...!"

Kära inspected the lock on his cell door, but she had little patience for picking locks at this time. She brandished her lightsaber and effortlessly shattered the padlock, pushed aside the iron bar, and swung the door open. Stepping inside the cell, she clasped the cheeks of her chained husband and planted her lips on his for a hasty kiss of reunion. "I am as real as could be," she told him with newfound joy, before being replaced with concern for his wounds.

"Are you well enough to make a break for it," she asked. "I am now," he replied. "Stand back..."

Clenching his fists, Thyrian's fiery eyes intensified as he summoned his strength. Focusing on his wrists and ankles where he was chained, these areas began to glow bright red under his skin, creating enough heat to melt his restraints into nothing, freeing him. Upon taking his first step however, he collapsed into his wife's awaiting arms. She held him there for a while, just happy to feel his embrace once more.

"Thank you," he mumbled into her shoulder. "Don't thank me. Thank your brother. Thank your nephew." He'd not even registered the other person keeping watch just mere feet away from them, and so turned his head to confirm Théodred's presence. With Kära's help he stumbled towards his nephew and placed his forehead against his. "Thank you, Théo. Truly."

A nearby window caught his eye next, and from it he could see the battle which now raged outside the city. "The battle is already underway," he realised.

"We don't have much time," Thyrian then turned to Kära and Théo. "Velkar is here. There is no way of discerning his true motivations, but I do know this: It was he who freed Gríma from her banishment. They marched into the Great Hall together, side by side. It appears the two have partnered up." His gaze turned to the piece of cloth on the table.

"However, he also unlocked that door shortly before you two arrived, and he made sure to leave me this..." he said as he pulled on the cloth to reveal his sword Brimstone hidden under it, still covered in demon blood from his last stand.

As he grasped the sword and held it up, the runes upon the blade flickered to life and the entire thing was engulfed in flames. "Let's go. We still have work to do."

Théodred Heavenshield ​

 

[Bors Greythorne]

​

The shieldwall was holding. It ran several ranks deep, and anyone seriously wounded was quickly replaced by fresh bodies to maintain the bulwark against the unending horde smashing itself against their wall of steel again and again. Bors' job, along with several other officers, was to maintain the morale and efficiency of the front line, to make sure gaps were quickly filled and any enemy breakthroughs were swiftly dealt with.

So far, so good.

"You lot - shore up that gap," he shouted at a nearby group of warriors itching to partake, pointing with his axe. "Get these wounded to the back lines - don't worry, lads, you'll be back in the thick of it soon enough!"

He'd made sure to keep Thora close at all time, giving her a taste of the brutality of war while keeping her behind the relative safety of the shieldwall. From there she could take a few potshots at any demon deciding to show their ugly face, and in case things got too hairy, he would escort the young lady to the back where the enemy could not reach them. His promise to his lord remained his chief concern.

"Look out," someone shouted just as a ferocious giant charged clean through the shieldwall, rampaging through the ranks of warriors even as spears were thrust in its gut and back, showing no signs of slowing down. "Thora," he old boar cried out as he placed himself between the behemoth and her, shield raised.

The behemoth never reached the two however, for at that moment Arnor had appeared to challenge the worthy opponent with the mighty roar only a Beorni could muster. Already his otherwise pristine fur was marred by the blood of his defeated foes, and this one would fare no better against him. Charging into one another, the two giants faced off with animalistic fury. Arnor, however, was not alone.

Nina ran up her guardian's back with unmatched agility, leapt off his shoulders with sword in hand and planted it deep into the enemy's neck and shoulder. Watching it all unfold, Bors rushed forth to strike a blow against the creature's foot, cleaving several large toes clean off which caused it to lose balance. Arnor then delivered the death blow by grabbing hold of its jaws, and with a sickening crunch he ripped it from the giant's skull. Black blood poured undlessly from it, and the beast fell to the ground as dead as could be.

Nina collected her sword from the body of their fallen foe and together she and Arnor headed off for further prey. Bors returned to Thora, but not without carefully prodding the dead thing with the tip of his axe. "See that, lass? Add 'Giantsbane' to my list of names, hah!"

Thora Heavenshield ​

 

[Eyna]

Coci Heavenshield // Thurion Heavenshield

The debrief passed.

Many things passed.

A warm wind carried the smell of smoke across the field. Although she did not feel ready, Eyna was entirely prepared to lay her life down for this. Without the Heavenshields she lacked direction, and although Eyna had been on Kashyyyk, the idea of returning there was about as off-putting as it could get. The Jedi meant well but the girl was far from being at peace, and their constant presence was overbearing when put in comparison to just the two.

And even then, that was to assume that she could return there at the end of this very day.

Lightsaber in hand she would let the charge of men and women rush past her. It pained her to go against what Coci had told her, but in this very moment Eyna truly saw no other means of ensuring her own survival. The fear of death was a new one, but the anger and sheer burning hatred that she felt towards the man that had put her in this position was not. She had acted on it before and deep inside of her she also understood that it wouldn’t be the last.

Electricity sparked at the tip of her fingers and spread along the blue blade in her hand. There was no peace here for as long as the enemy would throw itself upon their ranks. The girl gritted her teeth and assumed the mantle that she deep down knew that she had been raised as a child to assume, a mantle that she had already donned so many times before. The grip around her saber paled as the color of the blade slowly began to change.

From blue.

To white.

To red.

The girl had chosen her reality, and it was not the one that she wanted.

It was the one she needed.

 

[Thora Heavenshield]

There was nothing for it now, the army had moved forward, all her family members in the thick of it from the start and she was afraid for them all. In the distance, she could see her grandpapa and grandmama riding off into battle without a thought for anything but victory for Midvinter, and seemingly, without fear in their hearts. It was not the same for her, she was terrified.

Around her, people yelled, screamed at the top of their lungs a battle cry like is natural to the Valkyri, but this, all of this did not fill her with the same blood cry. Why?

Bors was close by, he said he would take care of her, didn’t he? Why is he not? She felt so alone, and realised that her papa was right, she should not be here. She was going to cause more problems simply because others would want to protect her. Thora started to breath hard, anxiousness grew in her gut and she wanted to run. Even more so when she saw the horde advance on their position and some broke through.

She covered her ears; the roar of war rang right through her brain and she wanted nothing more than to block it out. “Stop!”, she yelled but no one would hear her plea, this was no adventure not what she wanted at all. “STOP”, but the mayhem continued as tears welled in her eyes.

Thora flinched as a roar the Beorni sounded beside her, the big bear taking down a foe with easy and ripping his face clean off, her aunty Nina just as blood thirsty, she could not believe it was the same woman. “How can I trust any of them again”, they were all not what she was used to, not what she had seen of them.

When Bors returned to her, he would see on her face the disgust of it all. He prodded at the corpse of the monster at his feet, she did not feel any pity for the creature, she was numb inside. The tears started to flow down her cheek, but then while Bors was not looking the monster he thought he had killed moved and took up his weapon once more and was about to swing it at Bors’ legs.

Without thinking, Thora scooped up a discarded weapon for one of the dead and ran toward the monster and hacked off his arm in one scream as the weapon made contacted with flesh. The monster roared in pain; Thora backed away horrified at what she just did.


Bors Greythorne

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

The personnel shuttles-turned-gunships circled over the battlefield, using their limited armaments to strafe the waves of enemies charging the shieldwall. Had it been any other battlefield, Thirdas would not have bothered worrying about the state of each and every man and woman fighting for their lives below his feet. But these were his people, his kinsmen. His family.

Knowing this made him take the greatest care to make his shots count as he looked down his scope from where he sat with his legs dangling over the side of the shuttle, focusing on the bigger threats. Some of the Crone's minions were more squishy than others, requiring only a single well-aimed round through their deformed skull to splatter their brains, or lack thereof, upon the ground.

The big guys, like the one he got to watch Arnor wrestle into submission, possessed thick scales that were more difficult to penetrate. Fortunately, switching to explosive rounds seemed to do the trick. But there was only so much a single rifle could do. Should have called in all those favours the guys owe me, he thought to himself.

Until now, the armies of Midvinter had enjoyed complete aerial superiority, allowing them to act with impunity in the air. This was about to change however, for from the swirling portal hovering above the city of Tháinbroek a dark shroud poured forth. As it drew closer, the shroud turned out to be a vast flock of those gargoyle-looking things from before. "Ah, faen...!"

Those bloody things were fast too, and were able to catch up and overwhelm several shuttles. Thirdas' own was swarmed, ripping open the cockpit with sheer numbers and tossing the two pilots to their deaths. The vessel plummeted to the ground, crashing on the open field away from the safety of the shieldwall.

Largely protected by his Antarian armour, he awakened from the crash with rivulets of blood running down his face from a nasty cut across his forehead. But he was alive, and so he pushed aside the piece of wreckage pinning him in place only to find himself surrounded by encroaching enemies. Some hundred meters away stood the shieldwall still weathering an unyielding assault. He was cut off and alone.

Scrambling to his feet, though his head pounded and ached, Thirdas made for one of the ship's turrets and ripped it off its tri-pod, hefting it about like an assault cannon. "Ya'll want a piece of me, huh? Then come and get it, you sons of schuttas!" He opened fire indiscriminately, blasting apart scores of demons as they charged him, thinking this lone survivor would make for easy prey.

They thought wrong. All they'd done was piss him off. During a brief pause from firing Thirdas ran his fingers across his face, painting it with his own blood, only to shower the area before him with blaster fire once more.

Gunny would have been proud if he could see him now.

Coci Heavenshield | Nida Perl ​

 

[Thrand Hearthfire]

Riding on the back of Skywalker, Thurion watched as countless winged demons poured forth from the sickly-green portal. A few shuttles were quickly overrun and made to crash, greatly diminishing their air support with each one. It had been taken into consideration, however.

The mighty gryphon dove for another behemoth seeking to break through the shieldwall, his razor-sharp talon digging into its flesh and his powerful beak ripping open its throat. Once the giant was put on its back Thurion let Skywalker finish off his kill while he signalled a man carrying a red banner who in return held it up and waved it back and forth.

~oOo~​

From their hidden location in the nearby trees, Thrand was made aware of the signal by one of his lookouts. With him was Queen Ióunn as well as an elite unit of Valar, the winged steeds clad in elven armour akin to those of their riders. "That's the signal," he turned to Ióunn. She would not join them in their charge, but had her own task to undertake. "Give them hell," he told her before their lips met for a deep kiss, after which Thrand leapt unto the back of his white winged steed and turned to his troops.

"Ride now, for your Queen and for Midvinter!"

Emerging from the woods, the Valar took to the skies to challenge the airborne enemy and relieve the besieged shuttlecrafts. They soared with unmatched grace, allowing their riders to snipe the enemy from above with ease. If need be, they could also charge into the rear of the enemy on the ground, only to pull out and escape to the skies once more.

"Strike from the skies, brothers!" Thrand charged forth at the head of the flying wedge formation, his namesake's greatsword held aloft as they met the winged devils head-on, carving through them with great ease with each swing of his sword.

Meanwhile, Queen Ióunn of the Aelvar would summon the forest spirits to wield nature's wrath against their foes...

Ióunn Ar-Olwa ​

 

[Bors Greythorne]

His boast soon came to an end when the foul thing grasped for life yet again, only to have its arm severed. "Agh, faen!" He practically jumped out of his boots, and proceeded to hack at its head repeatedly, leaving it an unrecognisable, gruesome mess on the ground. Once satisfied and certain it was finally dead, he stepped off its corpse and collected himself with several raggedy breaths.

His attention then turned to the girl who now stood with weapon in hand, trembling all over. "Oh, sweetheart," he stepped towards her and carefully took the sword from her hands, dropping it to the ground with a clang. Bors then scooped her up and took her into his bossom to embrace her tight. "It's alright now, we're both still here," he comforted her, even as all around them a war was still happening.

Again he was reminded of his pledge to her father.

"Come along, let's get you away from here. This is no place for a child." He carried her like she was his own, walking through the ranks of soldiers facing him one after the other. They were heading to the rear, to where the archers and siege engines were firing away at the enemy from relative safety. It would certainly take a lot for the Crone's minions to find their way here, through hundreds of thousands of warriors standing in their way.

Here triage centers had also been erected to tend to the wounded coming from the front, and several Jedi from the Dawnguard either aided the healing efforts or offered battle meditation for the fighting men. It was certainly far more peaceful than over by the shieldwall, and the crest of the hill provided a good vantage point to take the vast scope of the conflict.

He sat her down on the trunk of a fallen tree, drawing laboured breaths as he sat down beside her. "Nor is it a place for an old coot like myself," he added to his previous statement, realising just how out of breath he was from just that one bit of fighting. He put his arm around her and held her close.

"I should never have brought you aboard that ship in the first place. You would be safe and sound at home, and not forced to bear witness to all this... ugliness. I am truly sorry, my lady. Your lord father was right to be cross with me."

He handed her his canteen of water in case she was thirsty.

Thora Heavenshield ​

 

[Ióunn Ar-Olwa]

She sat high in the saddle, her eyes ever watching the sky and waiting the signal from Thurion. Beside her, her husband sat restless everything in him wanting to join the battle. A product of his blood enhanced by the fact his father’s destiny unknown to him. Thrand comes from a long line of warriors, just the same in his extended family, and it is what make the Valkyri a formidable race, that they have endured for centuries in a place that others would have perished.

“Come back to me safe”, she said as their kiss ended before he took to the skies. Ióunn did not have to wait long before it was her time to join the battle. Around her shifted her guard, ready to follow her and they did not have to wait long. She unsheathed her Aelvaian sword and pointed it to the sky. And in unison her Valar and the guards flew.

They turned in the air coming from the right, a subtle signal in their minds from her ordered them to disperse on either side of her position and the plunged into the fray. Once she was clear, her Valar pushed high into the sky well above them all, and her sword pointed directly upward toward. The power from the Frostvatn pulled to her, bending to her will and the lake in Averlorn cracked, the froze lake had not succumbed to his for centuries. The Queen was the only one capable of this, it would only ever answer to her. The swirling column of the nexus expanded and streamed with such power toward the sky and spread, running at speed across the sky toward her.

In its wake, thick dark clouds formed and among them lightning shot across the clouded field until reaching her. The air thickened with electricity, rumbling of thunder added to the mix of the battle and suddenly, lighting flashed and a long chain of it shot to the tip of her sword. Ióunn filled with power the environment around her gathered to her and she unleashed it’s power on the enemy below.

From the tip of her sword lightning streaked and destroyed the monsters that it hit. Yet, from the portal and streaming in from the ruined city of Thainbroek they still came in wave after wave. This would be a bloody day.

The Crone watched on, her eyes fixed on the source of the lightning, something needed to be done to remove that threat. This power from the Queen of the Aelvar had not been anticipated, and so she issued orders to one of her groups to take down the Queen. From the ruined city, covered wagons raced over the plains. And in them magic weapons that would see an end to it.

Thrand Hearthfire

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

The news that Velkar had appeared to Thyrian comfirmed Théo's first thought, that the green illusion had not been in his imagination. "What did he say? .. second thoughts I don't want to know", it was probably more of Velkar's trickery and mischief. But it did seem strange that the God had provided his uncle with his sword. Maybe there was more to this creature of a god then lets on but there was no time to ponder it now. It was indeed time to get the hell out of here, as his army was waiting for him to returned to them with both the king and queen. Théo started back toward the door they had entered but something stopped him, a thought entered his mind which was probably not of sound mind. They were so close to the throne, the Crone and her main henchmen. Just meters away and if they were to succeed, the war would be ended sooner rather than later.

"You know, we could end this here and now", he turned to seek the face of his uncle and aunt. It would just take one of them, even if that meant the rest of them would not make it but this was much greater than any one man or woman. He knew what it was he asked of them, of himself for that matter, and what they would all leave behind if they were to fail. Théo paused for a moment, his mind filling with the idea and if there was an alternative. Of course that was, they had planned for it in fact, but now being so close to the thought of end it, to victory it was almost impossible to pass up. He could hear his father's words on this idea as clearly as if he stood by his side. But Théo knew that if his father was here, he would sacrifice himself to save him and others before putting a thought in his head about his own safety.

"Lets do it, lets try", he whispered and was half expecting a clip over the head from his uncle for being insane. "If we take her down, regain Thainbroek we end this war". He held up his sword, nothing extraordinary about it, no royal insignia or force blade, just a regular Valkyri forged sword of fine Northmark steel. His other hand reached for his lightsaber Ice clipped to his belt and ignited the ice blue blade, it hummed in the dull light of the dungeon, yet he could not connect to it through the force but it still felt right in his hand.

"I don't have the force anymore uncle but I have something far stronger than that. I have the blood of the Dawnbringer", he said with heavy ernest. "And that, is all we need", damned if Théo was going to allow the throne his grandpapa fought for and others that followed him, be for nothing.

Thyrian Hearthfire

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Slashing and cleaving through a group of gargoyles while soaring above the battlefield, once given pause Thurion noted yet another wave of enemies charging forth from the ruined capital. He decided there and then it would be the last wave; their shieldwall had stood firm against the unrelenting tides, and constant death in the form of arrows and field artillery helped grealy in thinning the enemy numbers before they could even reach the defensive line.

The enemy flyers that had blackened the skies even further with sheer numbers had suffered great losses by the elven flying cavalry led by Prince Thrand, and the elven queen herself wielded powerful magics. It was time to win the field with one last decisive action.

Giving the signal to at last reveal their Valkyri cavalry on both flanks, the command to charge the enemy as the last wave hit the shieldwall was made. From both sides powerful steeds of war thundered forth at a gallop, catching the assaulting enemy completely by surprise as they were pierced by spear and cleaved by axe from the side. So many of their foul kind fell in such quick succession that the remaining chose rather to flee and risk facing their mistress' wrath than to stay and be utterly destroyed.

But when they turned and fled the field, back towards the capital, they would only find yet another cavalry force attacking from the rear. The Northern forces had skirted the city and now joined the field alongside their besieged brothers, cutting any stragglers off from reaching the safety of Tháinbroek's walls. They were utterly devastated, and not a single demon was left standing by the end of it. The first phase of this climactic battle was completed.

What concerned Thurion however, was the notable absence of the Crone herself.

With the enemy forces routed for the time being, he bid Skywalker set down amidst his forces on the ground so they may catch their breaths. "Disband shieldwall," he shouted, and a loud roar of clanging metal sounded from the center of the vast formation, growing more distant as it trailed down the frontline in both directions, allowing the stout infantry to let down their guard if only for a moment.

The cavalry reformed on the flanks, now bolstered by their northern reinforcements, and from the skies the noble Valar and their elven riders descended. "Uncle," Thrand appeared at his side, bloodied greatsword resting upon his shoulder. "You know as well as I do, this is hardly the end of it." Thurion nodded and seized the moment to clean the blade of his own sword. "That I do. But this was never about winning in the field, Nephew. That right there," he gestured towards the capital and the swirling maelstrom of a portal still hovering above it menacingly.

"There lies our true objective. If we cannot find a way to close shut the portal, the Crone's forces will be forever endless." Of course, his thoughts were on his brother's wellbeing. He prayed Théo and Kära's mission would prove a success. The fact that Gríma had yet to show herself did not ease his worry.

The army reformed ranks in preparation for battle, and their Commander appeared before them once more. "Our wall of steel has held firm, bolstered by the selfsame steel in our hearts! We have taken the field, and now before us stands the once-shining jewel of our world! Fight with me now, and you shall forevermore be my brothers and sisters - be you Valkyri, Aelvar or Beorni!"

Skywalker cried out as he took flight once more, and Thurion pointed his sword to the city before them. "TO THE KING!"

Altogether the combined might of Midvinter charged across the field, be it on foot, on horseback, or by air. They strode forth unopposed, stepping over their fallen foes as deafening battle cries roared across the plains.

It was only by the time that they closed in on the city that Thurion finally laid eyes upon the distinct silhouette of the Crone herself, presenting herself upon the crumbled main gatehouse with spear in hand. It did nothing to slow his or anyone else's advance however, as he charged straight for her in the hope to end it all.

​

A smirk accompanied the growing cackle of the Goddess of Death however, for as the armies of the living drew close she unveiled her most powerful servant; a towering creature of shadow and flame of shadow and flame, given "life" through countless souls harvested by Gríma herself. It tore through the main gate where she had stood a moment ago before evaporating into thin air, and the greater demon roared an infernal challenge to the approaching army. Accompanying it was more of the Crone's minions, pouring forth anew with replenished numbers.

Having to suddenly halt his rapid descent and dodge the initial attack by the greater demon, Thurion was thrown off his gryphon mount and sent crashing into a decrepit building on the outskirts of the city. While the dust still settled, he scrambled to his feet; with the aid of the Force he'd managed to control his fall enough so to prevent injury save a few scrapes and bruises.

Looking up through the hole in the roof he'd crashed through, Skywalker hovered above looking down at him with concern. "I'm alright! Go - don't worry about me! Help out the others!" Stepping out onto the streets of Tháinbroek, Thurion began navigating through the ruins in hopes of finding either Gríma, or his brother. The city he once knew had been turned into a maze of rubble and debris, making it a slow process.

"I've made it into the city," he contacted Coci through their Force bond. "Don't ask me how."

Coci Heavenshield | Eyna | Nida Perl | Alva Heavenshield | Jericho ​

 

[Thora Heavenshield]

As he carried her back from the front lines, she rested her chin on his shoulder and looked at the battle which grew smaller and smaller with each step. Her grandpapa on the air with Skywalker was only a dot now and vanishing fast, and she wondered if she would ever see him again. Thora recalled the days in Fridheim playing with Alva at war, pretending they were storming a castle but the reality of it was galaxies apart. She felt the tears welling in her eyes, not knowing the reason for them. A loss of innocence, or that she was not a true Heavenshield that would charge head long into all of this? Or that she let her papa down because of it.

“None of this is your fault Bors, I am not sure it is even mine, but I don’t want this I don’t want to be part of it anymore”. She looked at him with sadden eyes, for making him feel so at fault. Papa was right, she should not have come, but Thora was glad she did. For now, and finally, she knew what she was.

She remained by Bors’ side, until she could gather herself once more, and sat looking around her. Thora had not come all this way to be useless, even if she could help with the wagons that took the injured to safety, or carted water to the herbalists and healers. “I don’t want to take you away from your purpose though”, he was a warrior at heart and had his own destiny to meet head on. What that was Thora did not know, but she would no longer be a burden to him. “Leave me here and go fight along side your kin, and by that, I mean my family”.

Bors was set free of the promise made, at least in her mind and heart, “I am going to help these people, that have already given so much to Midvinter, and help as best I can to heal them”. Whatever that was, no matter how menial the job given to her, she would perform it with pride and her own set determination, and purpose.

Thora leaned forward and kissed Bors on the cheek before she stood and turned toward the makeshift triage. It was not really a sight for children either, but somehow this was different, alarming as it was to see her people suffer and in such grave circumstances, she pulled strength to herself and something inside her felt stronger for it.

The healers were too busy to notice her come close, they did not shoo her away, but instead one of the yelled for her to grab all the bandages she could find and return with them. She now had a job to do, and nothing or no one was going to stop her.

Bors Greythorne

 

[Nida Perl]

It should be strange, Nida thought, that they’d grown closer on the eve of such a decisive battle. Nida only tentatively approached the idea of progression, comfortable staying still. Maybe the idea that they may not survive to spend the next sunset together urged her on, and because of her anxious nature it should’ve felt strange, but it didn’t. It was as natural as the sun creeping upwards through the morning fog, sending streaks of light though the pinhole gaps of fabric in their tent, rousing them out of a dreamy sleep.

She didn’t want to let him go.

Only vaguely aware of their urgent commitment, Nida spent the first minute of being awake completely still, save for the fingers curling into his hair. She wanted to commit everything to memory; his face, his scent, the heat of his skin, the way his large body practically encircled her own as they’d slept. He was home, and she was going to be selfish in taking a moment to simply adore him.

It didn’t last, and they had to leave. So many things were left unspoken as they hurried to the others, but their gestures and the looks they gave each other said enough.

They headed towards the gathering of combatants; Valkyri, Beorni, Aelvar and foreign Jedi standing at the ready, united by their cause to protect Midvinter. The pull of battle meditation from the Knights was strong, and so Nida easily found herself slipping into a quasi-meditation, lending her ability in the Force to those who would need it.

The hardest part for her was being separated from Thirdas—every moment he was out of sight, she imagined the worst. Feared that he’d be taken from her, and there’d be nothing she could do about it. Again, it was a selfish thought, but love always seemed to put a rose-tinted lens on these things. She knew he was strong, she knew he was a skilled fighter, but she’d watch many strong, skilled fighters slip into death while she could not save them.

Love it patient, love is kind. But war is neither of those, and soon her worries were replaced with reality, and Nida thrust her hands forward to contribute to the Force barrier. The gates to the city had been opened, and out poured the demons like a sea of pitch.

Thirdas Heavenshield | Coci Heavenshield | Eyna

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

Under their cloak of stealth, the Dawnguard Knights and their master moved across the field of battle, they had not engaged yet. They had a target to get to. It was hard going however, getting through the line and getting close to the field commander for the horde was no easy take. Bodies everywhere from both sides, the constant wave of enemy pressing forward and coming close to them.

There was no need for verbal command, they had reached their point in which the Knights would deviate off in groups to take out brute that looked like they were command, cutting them down and sending their troops into disarray. With their leaders gone that were directionless, not all of them mind you, some just lived for the kill, and any kill would do.

Coci came in range of one of the bigger fish, standing on the peak of a rise to overlook the carnage below. The creature was foul by any standards, and she could smell him before she saw him, the seemed to be living dead flesh, as if pulled from the grave before the flesh had melted to the soil. This was the way the Crone worked, her army of the death when looked upon set terror to the heart, their souls she owned, their bodies ripped from the ground to form her horde.

The foul creature raised his arm, holding his gigantic battle axe above his head, a signal to a unit behind him to move forward, yet that would be his last command. Sticking out of his back was the blue tip of her lightsabre, plunged right through his body. For a moment, the creature looked puzzled as to what just happened, he turned his gaze to her now standing in full view of him. There was no sense of any emotion in Coci, simply because there was none, in her mind the foul creature was already dead. In a last attempt he tried to bring the axe down on her, but his big body fell backwards to the ground.

In the distance, the portal seemed to heave as if to spew anew more foulness on Midvinter, and that is precisely what happened. Out of it flew winged creatures, cutting through the air and taking down ships and anything in their path. Some would sweep the ground and grabbing with long talons plucking people up and tossing them aside all broken upon the heaping piles of corpses. It was a sickening sight made even more so when a group of them targeted Thirdas. From her position on the field all Coci could do was watch as his ship crashed, dirty exploding into the air and black plumbs of smoke thick the air.

Cloudancer was on her way to Fridhiem by now, so Coci had to get to her son on foot.

Thirdas Heavenshield

 

[Eyna]

Coci Heavenshield // Thurion Heavenshield // Nida Perl

It was a loss of consciousness, a surrender to instinct and reflex. One girl, one lightsaber, one swift cut across the field. Amidst the blue blades of the Dawnguard was a red one that struck at whichever opponent came the closest. Despite her lack of focus there was still grace in how the girl moved. Aided by the force that she would spend one moment in one place and in the very next moment she was gone. One movement, one attack, one survivor.

One of the undead was cut in two before she disappeared.

Another was kept in place as her lightsaber spiraled towards it.

The anger that burned, the hatred that boiled beneath her skin kept her going forward. Anger over who she had become, and hate for what her father had done to make it happen. But there was no denying that this was something she found easier to revel in than the peace she had tried to strive for in the last few weeks. This life, the self-hatred and doubt was all too easy to fall back into for her to resist. Eyna had thought she knew better, but she saw now — in this very moment — that a life of peace was not hers.

Strife was as much of a motivator as it was a tool.

As the demon from the gate made itself known, Eyna would not flinch. Her focus set on the gryphon in the sky and broke off from the rest of the group. On the mount that had once carried Thurion Heavenshield there was now no-one. It was a matter of finding him then. Eyna set off to find a way over the walls between her and the city.

This was her task now, this was what she needed to do.

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

​

Secluded from the others amongst a heap of scrap metal and burning fuel, the lone ranger made his stand against his own waves of demons slowly surrounding his location. He was cornered, his back against what remained of the cockpit without any sort of escape plan. His finger had frozen in place upon the trigger of the assault cannon blasting apart scores of enemies at a time.

A sharp spike of pain interrupted his steady barrage, and upon realising a set of shadowy talons belonging to a particularly sneaky demon had been embedded into his right shoulder Thirdas reached for his axe and severed the arm from his ambusher, before ripping what remained of it from his own flesh. Looking up he found several more enemies having scaled the wreckage from behind only to appear above their intended prey.

Another hasty strike from his axe cut down another, whose body fell down on top of him causing him to lose his balance. He was now on his back, resting against the wall of the crashed shuttle with the body of his slain foe clinging to his leg through rigor mortis, pinning him in place. Having made sure not to drop the assault cannon, he held it up as best he could with a weakened shoulder to fire off another barrage of blaster fire, but he was rapidly running out of steam.

At this rate, he would soon be overrun and torn into pieces. He'd saved a pair of grenades for that very outcome. His family would have to forgive him for not leaving them a body to burn or bury.

"Thirdas, you've sure gotten yourself into some deep shit this time...!" With each moment that passed his grip on the large weapon became harder to maintain as blood seeped from his fresh wounds, numbing his right arm little by little.

Then the dreaded click came when next he pulled the trigger, causing the barrels to spin but no shots were fired. Cursing, he pushed it aside and instead reached for his mother's rifle, firing point-blank rounds into the enemy whenever they thought to throw themselves at him. While lighter to hold, having to pull the bolt back with each shot fired proved even more painful with an injured shoulder.

Soon however it too ran out of ammo and was discarded, limiting him to his sidearm, his combat knife, and his Valkyri handaxe. He fired off a few rounds into the nearest demon and finished them off with a melee strike, repeating this for as long as he could keep up. Unable to move due to being surrounded and almost buried beneath the corpses of the slain, much of what remained of his strength was needed to simply push the next demon off him so that he would not suffocate.

His hand grabbed hold of the pin on his spare grenades, and when all seemed lost Thirdas closed his eyes and thought of his mother and father. Of all things to feel when facing imminent death, he felt a deep sense of regret. He felt he was letting everyone down. And, he thought of Nida.

"Mama," he whispered upon opening his eyes to find yet another demon standing over him, about to go in for the killing blow.

Coci Heavenshield | Nida Perl ​

 

[Thyrian Hearthfire]

Following close behind their nephew out of the dungeons, Kära aided her husband as climbing stairs proved difficult for the King of Midvinter after such long hours in captivity. His black armour was rent and barely clung to his body due to several pieces being bent out of shape, but it still offered better protection than nothing - not to mention he still suffered from his wounds.

By the time they made it to the outdoors, Thyrian drew his first breath in freedom since before the Crone's invasion. But it was a short-lived moment of triumph as he got to lay eyes on just how terrible the damage to his ancestral home was. He'd prepared himself for the worst, yet the reality surpassed even that.

"Everything is gone," he realised while his shoulders slumped, only for Kära to pick him up. "We're still here," she soothed his spirit with a kiss on his bearded cheek. "You're still here, my love. We will make things right." The two shared a gentle smile, basking in each other's company for but a brief moment until Théodred spoke.

They were bold words. For the three of them to take on the Crone by themselves would likely prove a suicidal proposition. Thyrian grumbled at first, tilting his head up to gaze up towards the ruins of the Great Hall sitting upon its lonely hill. He'd faced Gríma while at his best only to suffer the gravest of defeats without even getting close enough to swing at her. It was humiliating, thinking back on it.

But when he next laid eyes on the way the Crone's minions had defaced his blessed father's statue, he immediately came to share Théo's bold statement. He was the heir to the Bringer of Dawn, chosen by the man himself to succeed him as Protector of the Realm. And he would rather die here and now than to let some Hag Sorceress defile the seat of kings any longer.

"We'll do more than try," he replied with stone-cold vengeance in his eyes. While Kära had her own reservations, she would gladly follow her husband into the afterlife, whichever form it takes. "I should wish to spare my brother having to face her a second time," he then added in a softer tone of voice, looking off towards the fighting in the distance.

"We make for the Great Hall," he decided, nodding towards his nephew with regained sense of pride and purpose. "The flames of the phoenix shall burn brightly one last time..." He no longer needed help from Kära to navigate the streets of Tháinbroek, walking upright with flaming sword held at his side for all to see.

Along the way the party of three were waylaid several times by the occasional patrolling demons, only to cut down any opposition in unceremonious fashion. They reached the stairs that would take them to the entrance of the Great Hall only to find it guarded by more of the Crone's minions. It would seem they had not expected their being there and were caught off-guard, only barely having time to brandish their terrifying weapons of slaughter before being carved through by the trio. Each that fell to the ground would end up tumbling down the steps and form a pile of corpses at the bottom, and by the end those that remained at the top trembled at their unstoppable approach.

Kära reached out and had the Force grab hold of the stragglers, choking them until their necks broke before Thyrian incinerated them into piles of ashes.

Before long, the three had entered what remained of the once-splendid Great Hall. There stood the shattered throne of his father - his throne. But no Gríma Hagraven.

"She must have gone to join the fighting," Kära quickly deduced, peering down the hillside towards the main gates only to see the hulking, fiery behemoth barring entrance to the capital. "By the Gods...!"

Thyrian's thoughts were elsewhere. He instead stood staring up at the swirling portal above their heads and, at that moment, realised his ultimate purpose. "I must close that gateway," he simply stated.

Théodred Heavenshield ​