QUOTE ( The Vertani Return)
"No, please stop, I beg you. NOO!!"
The sword plunged into the chest of the townswoman as she knelt before the warrior begging for her life. The sword slid out with little resistance and the body fell lifeless to the dusty ground. The sounds of fighting rose around the tall warrior, swords clashing, spells being cast, screams of the townspeople dieing. The warrior turned as he heard the approach of another, to face his general.
"I want all the townspeople slaughtered." he told the soldier. With a salute the soldier strode off to attend to the task. The town was in chaos, fighting was everywhere but the town soldiers had proved little trouble for the General's army. A voice called to the general and he walked over to one of his men who was holding the struggling form of a woman, passing the portal that had been created to allow them to travel once again to this plane. "You won't get away with this. The people will push you back to your own plane once more!" yelled the woman. The general stopped before her and struck her with the back of his hand. "Silence," he said, through clenched teeth "We may have failed the last time to bring you to heel, but we won't fail again."
"The cities will unite again to stop you" said the woman before spitting in the general's face. Wiping the fluid from his face he said "I think not. The cities are even more fractured then they were the last time we were here and your town will once again stand as a warning to those who would oppose the will of the All. And the head of Angela will stand at the gates of what will be left of New Thera" The general drew his sword and raised it above Angel's chest and drove it down with such force that it skewered her body and drove the point of the sword into the cobbles. He pulled the sword free and then lopped off her head. Handing it to a nearby soldier he said "Put that where they will see it." The soldier took the proffered head and moved off to follow his orders.
From the shadows of a secluded lane-way, a young villager watched with fear as the Vertani general killed the mayor and decapitated her. She continued to watch as the general walked over and conferred with a group of Vertani mages. Without staying to watch anymore of the slaughter she turned and ran down the lane-way. She came out before the doors of the Lucretian Athenaeum and ran inside. "Nissa!" she called, "Nissa, where are you?"
"Over here." came the hushed reply. The girl hurried over and found Nissa hurriedly writing on a scroll. "Nissa, the Vertani have returned, they are pouring out of a portal in the town center. They just killed Angela and they are planning to destroy the town."
"I know Maejin. They haven't reached the Athenaeum yet, but it will only be a matter of time before they do. It will not be safe here."
"What can we do?"
"Take this note to Ashtan. Tell them what has happened here. Get them to send aid if they can." replied Nissa, handing Maejin the scroll.
"But what about you?" she asked
"I will stay to defend the Athenaeum and to give you time to escape. There is a wormhole that will take you to Ashtan through there," Nissa pointed toward the door that lead to Nissa's office, "Seal the door behind you and take the wormhole. Go now!"
"But..."
"No buts, you must go and inform the other cities that the Vertani have returned so they can marshal their forces and not be taken by surprise."
"Alright," replied Maejin, a tear falling from her eye, "may the gods protect you." Maejin headed over to the door, pulled it open and hurried through. "Lara," called Nissa, "help me to close and bar the doors."
Maejin locked the door of the office and then toppled a heavy cabinet to block it, hoping that Nissa would forgive her for the broken items within. Maejin had known of the wormhole before, used for quick travel between the historically aligned city and village, and knew that Nissa kept a vibrating stick close by for travel through it, but had never had the need to use it herself. She opened one of the drawers in the desk and grabbed the stick. Tucking the scroll into her tunic, she grasped the stick and poked the empty air. Out of nowhere, a swirling vortex of colour engulfed her and disappeared, leaving the room empty except for the sounds of screaming from the room beyond. An instant later the other end opened up and spat Maejin on the ground. Standing, she brushed herself off and looked around to get her bearings. Once she knew where she was, she hurried off. She came across a group of Ashtani citizens. "Please, I need to see the Overseer." she said when she was within earshot. The group looked at her, saw her troubled state and took her to the Overseer.
"Would you like some water?" asked the Overseer.
"No, thank you. Nissa sent me with this," she replied, handing over the scroll Nissa had given her. The Overseer took it and opened it. His eyes widened when he read what was written. He looked up at Maejin "This can't be true."
"It is. I saw it with my own eyes. The Vertani have returned and are slaughtering my village. They plan to destroy it to serve as a warning. You must send help."
"I will, at once."
(Ashtan): Overseer says "Citizens of Ashtan, gather your weapons. The Vertani have returned and are laying waste to Thera. We must assemble a strike force quickly and march to village"
(Ashtan): Citizen says "What? The Vertani? How is that possible?
(Ashtan): Overseer says "There is not time to explain. Assemble as quickly as you can at the city gates."
"Maejin, thank you for risking your life to bring this information to us. A force is assembling at the city gates to march to Thera to destroy the Vertani forces."
"Thank you," she said with a sigh of relief "We knew you would come to our aide. I would like to join those who are assembling at the city gates"
"It would be safer for you to stay within Ashtan, where you can be protected."
"I know, but I must return to my village and help whoever has survived."
"As you wish."
Maejin stood and walked out of the office.
Overseer tells Archon "Archon"
Archon tells Overseer "Yes Overseer?"
Overseer tells Archon "I want you to take command of the forces assembling at the gates and lead them to Thera. I will join you when I can. I need to contact the other city-states and warn them that the Vertani have returned"
Archon tells Overseer "Of course."
Maejin returned to the city gates and watched as Ashtani fighters gathered. "Ashtani," called the Archon, "The Overseer has ordered us to march to the village of Thera to take it back from the Vertani. He will rejoin us as soon as he is finished warning the other cities of the threat. Move out!" The gathered Ashtani marched out of the city gates and down the road toward Thera with Maejin following. They arrived at the village gates to find destruction all about them. Corpses of the townspeople lay scattered on the road and the buildings burned. A squad of Vertani soldiers turned a corner and faced the Ashtani forces. "AHSTANI, MAKE THEM PAY! ATTACK!!!" cried the Archon, as the Ashtani forces swept into Thera to lay waste to the Vertani. The battle that ensued was terrible. The Ashtani forces outnumbered the Vertani squad, and quickly overwhelmed them. As they were finishing them off, the Vertani General appeared with reinforcements, surrounding the Ashtani. They fought, each citizen utilising his or her own abilities, but it was no good. They were wavering, their lines began to crumble and the Vertani closed in. Suddenly, there was a high pitched noise in the air, and a hole opened next to the Archon, and out stepped the Overseer. "Overseer, the battle does not go well, they have us outnumbered and our lines are beginning to fall"
"Fear not Archon. I have contacted the other cities and they are sending fighters of their own."
"How soon before they arrive?" asked the Archon. As if in answer to his question another high pitched noise was heard and several holes opened in unison, followed by blazing gateways of light. Through these portals poured the forces of the cities of Sapience. Occultists stood with priests, Shallamese stood with Mhaldorian, thief stood with merchant, good stood with evil, rivalries forgotten. With the increase in numbers, the invading force began to fall back under the onslaught of the citizens of Sapience. The Vertani general called a retreat of the Vertani forces "Fall back to the portal, and return through it to our plane!" he yelled. As the citizens pushed forward, the Vertani fell back, losing many in their retreat. The Vertani portal came into view as they continued to push forward, Vertani forces quickly disappearing into it. Four Vertani mages surrounded the portal, keeping it open and protecting it from direct attacks. The Vertani General was the last to leave and as he passed through the portal, nodded to the mages. As the Sapience forces rushed to lay waste to the mages, the General's voice trickled back through the portal "Thera shall stand as a warning to those who would defy the All." The mages raised their hands, power streaming from themselves into the portal. It began to grow brighter and brighter. The forces slew the mages surrounding the portal, but still it grew brighter. The leaders called a retreat and the forces fell back, moving as quickly as they could to the village outskirts.
In the chaos of the retreat, none of them noticed Maejin who had ran into one of the burning houses. She could hear a babe, screaming for it's mother. As she searched the house, a beam came crashing down and had trapped her within. She called for help but the sounds of battle and retreat overpowered her small voice. Most of the Sapience forces managed to make it to a safe distance before the power the portal had been building up erupted. Those who didn't were incinerated along with everything else that was left in the village.
When the light and the dust cleared, all that remained of the town of Thera was a crater in the ground, still smoking from the power that had consumed it. The only thing that still stood was a lone pike, with the head of Angela upon it, protected from the power of the explosion, in a final display of Vertani might. The Overseer stepped forward and grasped the pike, his hands stinging from the still hot metal. He pulled on the pike but it would not be moved. He grasped the head and managed to free it from the pike and buried it. The gathered forces all bowed their heads as one, for those who had lost their lives fighting back the Vertani and for the Therans, who had once again lost what they had worked so hard to build.
The sword plunged into the chest of the townswoman as she knelt before the warrior begging for her life. The sword slid out with little resistance and the body fell lifeless to the dusty ground. The sounds of fighting rose around the tall warrior, swords clashing, spells being cast, screams of the townspeople dieing. The warrior turned as he heard the approach of another, to face his general.
"I want all the townspeople slaughtered." he told the soldier. With a salute the soldier strode off to attend to the task. The town was in chaos, fighting was everywhere but the town soldiers had proved little trouble for the General's army. A voice called to the general and he walked over to one of his men who was holding the struggling form of a woman, passing the portal that had been created to allow them to travel once again to this plane. "You won't get away with this. The people will push you back to your own plane once more!" yelled the woman. The general stopped before her and struck her with the back of his hand. "Silence," he said, through clenched teeth "We may have failed the last time to bring you to heel, but we won't fail again."
"The cities will unite again to stop you" said the woman before spitting in the general's face. Wiping the fluid from his face he said "I think not. The cities are even more fractured then they were the last time we were here and your town will once again stand as a warning to those who would oppose the will of the All. And the head of Angela will stand at the gates of what will be left of New Thera" The general drew his sword and raised it above Angel's chest and drove it down with such force that it skewered her body and drove the point of the sword into the cobbles. He pulled the sword free and then lopped off her head. Handing it to a nearby soldier he said "Put that where they will see it." The soldier took the proffered head and moved off to follow his orders.
From the shadows of a secluded lane-way, a young villager watched with fear as the Vertani general killed the mayor and decapitated her. She continued to watch as the general walked over and conferred with a group of Vertani mages. Without staying to watch anymore of the slaughter she turned and ran down the lane-way. She came out before the doors of the Lucretian Athenaeum and ran inside. "Nissa!" she called, "Nissa, where are you?"
"Over here." came the hushed reply. The girl hurried over and found Nissa hurriedly writing on a scroll. "Nissa, the Vertani have returned, they are pouring out of a portal in the town center. They just killed Angela and they are planning to destroy the town."
"I know Maejin. They haven't reached the Athenaeum yet, but it will only be a matter of time before they do. It will not be safe here."
"What can we do?"
"Take this note to Ashtan. Tell them what has happened here. Get them to send aid if they can." replied Nissa, handing Maejin the scroll.
"But what about you?" she asked
"I will stay to defend the Athenaeum and to give you time to escape. There is a wormhole that will take you to Ashtan through there," Nissa pointed toward the door that lead to Nissa's office, "Seal the door behind you and take the wormhole. Go now!"
"But..."
"No buts, you must go and inform the other cities that the Vertani have returned so they can marshal their forces and not be taken by surprise."
"Alright," replied Maejin, a tear falling from her eye, "may the gods protect you." Maejin headed over to the door, pulled it open and hurried through. "Lara," called Nissa, "help me to close and bar the doors."
Maejin locked the door of the office and then toppled a heavy cabinet to block it, hoping that Nissa would forgive her for the broken items within. Maejin had known of the wormhole before, used for quick travel between the historically aligned city and village, and knew that Nissa kept a vibrating stick close by for travel through it, but had never had the need to use it herself. She opened one of the drawers in the desk and grabbed the stick. Tucking the scroll into her tunic, she grasped the stick and poked the empty air. Out of nowhere, a swirling vortex of colour engulfed her and disappeared, leaving the room empty except for the sounds of screaming from the room beyond. An instant later the other end opened up and spat Maejin on the ground. Standing, she brushed herself off and looked around to get her bearings. Once she knew where she was, she hurried off. She came across a group of Ashtani citizens. "Please, I need to see the Overseer." she said when she was within earshot. The group looked at her, saw her troubled state and took her to the Overseer.
"Would you like some water?" asked the Overseer.
"No, thank you. Nissa sent me with this," she replied, handing over the scroll Nissa had given her. The Overseer took it and opened it. His eyes widened when he read what was written. He looked up at Maejin "This can't be true."
"It is. I saw it with my own eyes. The Vertani have returned and are slaughtering my village. They plan to destroy it to serve as a warning. You must send help."
"I will, at once."
(Ashtan): Overseer says "Citizens of Ashtan, gather your weapons. The Vertani have returned and are laying waste to Thera. We must assemble a strike force quickly and march to village"
(Ashtan): Citizen says "What? The Vertani? How is that possible?
(Ashtan): Overseer says "There is not time to explain. Assemble as quickly as you can at the city gates."
"Maejin, thank you for risking your life to bring this information to us. A force is assembling at the city gates to march to Thera to destroy the Vertani forces."
"Thank you," she said with a sigh of relief "We knew you would come to our aide. I would like to join those who are assembling at the city gates"
"It would be safer for you to stay within Ashtan, where you can be protected."
"I know, but I must return to my village and help whoever has survived."
"As you wish."
Maejin stood and walked out of the office.
Overseer tells Archon "Archon"
Archon tells Overseer "Yes Overseer?"
Overseer tells Archon "I want you to take command of the forces assembling at the gates and lead them to Thera. I will join you when I can. I need to contact the other city-states and warn them that the Vertani have returned"
Archon tells Overseer "Of course."
Maejin returned to the city gates and watched as Ashtani fighters gathered. "Ashtani," called the Archon, "The Overseer has ordered us to march to the village of Thera to take it back from the Vertani. He will rejoin us as soon as he is finished warning the other cities of the threat. Move out!" The gathered Ashtani marched out of the city gates and down the road toward Thera with Maejin following. They arrived at the village gates to find destruction all about them. Corpses of the townspeople lay scattered on the road and the buildings burned. A squad of Vertani soldiers turned a corner and faced the Ashtani forces. "AHSTANI, MAKE THEM PAY! ATTACK!!!" cried the Archon, as the Ashtani forces swept into Thera to lay waste to the Vertani. The battle that ensued was terrible. The Ashtani forces outnumbered the Vertani squad, and quickly overwhelmed them. As they were finishing them off, the Vertani General appeared with reinforcements, surrounding the Ashtani. They fought, each citizen utilising his or her own abilities, but it was no good. They were wavering, their lines began to crumble and the Vertani closed in. Suddenly, there was a high pitched noise in the air, and a hole opened next to the Archon, and out stepped the Overseer. "Overseer, the battle does not go well, they have us outnumbered and our lines are beginning to fall"
"Fear not Archon. I have contacted the other cities and they are sending fighters of their own."
"How soon before they arrive?" asked the Archon. As if in answer to his question another high pitched noise was heard and several holes opened in unison, followed by blazing gateways of light. Through these portals poured the forces of the cities of Sapience. Occultists stood with priests, Shallamese stood with Mhaldorian, thief stood with merchant, good stood with evil, rivalries forgotten. With the increase in numbers, the invading force began to fall back under the onslaught of the citizens of Sapience. The Vertani general called a retreat of the Vertani forces "Fall back to the portal, and return through it to our plane!" he yelled. As the citizens pushed forward, the Vertani fell back, losing many in their retreat. The Vertani portal came into view as they continued to push forward, Vertani forces quickly disappearing into it. Four Vertani mages surrounded the portal, keeping it open and protecting it from direct attacks. The Vertani General was the last to leave and as he passed through the portal, nodded to the mages. As the Sapience forces rushed to lay waste to the mages, the General's voice trickled back through the portal "Thera shall stand as a warning to those who would defy the All." The mages raised their hands, power streaming from themselves into the portal. It began to grow brighter and brighter. The forces slew the mages surrounding the portal, but still it grew brighter. The leaders called a retreat and the forces fell back, moving as quickly as they could to the village outskirts.
In the chaos of the retreat, none of them noticed Maejin who had ran into one of the burning houses. She could hear a babe, screaming for it's mother. As she searched the house, a beam came crashing down and had trapped her within. She called for help but the sounds of battle and retreat overpowered her small voice. Most of the Sapience forces managed to make it to a safe distance before the power the portal had been building up erupted. Those who didn't were incinerated along with everything else that was left in the village.
When the light and the dust cleared, all that remained of the town of Thera was a crater in the ground, still smoking from the power that had consumed it. The only thing that still stood was a lone pike, with the head of Angela upon it, protected from the power of the explosion, in a final display of Vertani might. The Overseer stepped forward and grasped the pike, his hands stinging from the still hot metal. He pulled on the pike but it would not be moved. He grasped the head and managed to free it from the pike and buried it. The gathered forces all bowed their heads as one, for those who had lost their lives fighting back the Vertani and for the Therans, who had once again lost what they had worked so hard to build.
