The Gathering Storm (Undead Event Part 1)

Liliana lay on her chaise of gold cloth, yellow eyes drilling through the fool of a man who lay prostrate before her, forehead flat to the ground. She felt an uncharacteristic rage at the man as he quietly shook from fear, fear of failing Aristorath’s Great Plan. Her Great Plan, really.  “Shush." She said as he let out a low wimper. “I said be quiet you blubbering imbecile." She snapped and the man fell silent, going completely still. “What is it about sticking a knife in someone that you people do not understand? Just stab the blade in and twist it. Very simple. So how is it  Kyren fails to take out an unconscious girl and a single worthless Heanta, then that thug Lazarus, who’s sole job is to kill things, and Yalera, both fail to kill or catch a couple of fucking Humans?" She asked.

The man looked up. “Do not look at me. I will kill you, so help me." She said. “Aristorath’s Great Plan is almost complete, and now the Order-of-the-fucking-Sun are on their way to poke around. This is unacceptable. Everything we want, Human, will be snatched away if they make it here, and you have the audacity to bother me with failure after failure!" Liliana stood up, Carmine appeared in her hand and she tried to drive the staff’s blade through the man’s head. A gentle hand caught hers, and Aristorath stopped her from dealing the fatal blow. “Hush, my dear Ariella. Hush now. Do not worry, the Great Plan will not be stopped.” He said. He gently caressed her face and it took all of her will not to recoil from him, as she smiled sultry. “I am sorry, my love. I just can’t bear the thought of a future without you." She said. Aristorath stared back, glassy gaze caressing her form. “Do not fear. I will complete the Great Plan.” He smiled. “What about the order?" She asked, at the same time driving a suggestion into his mind. Lead a force, take care of them personally. Aristorath paused, looked around, and then shushed her gently. “I will lead a force, my love. I will take care of them personally. There is only a small amount left to do. You will oversee things while I’m gone, yes?” He asked her.

“Of course I will." She said reassuringly. “Anything you need." He pressed a kiss to her cheek, and she suppressed a gag as he pulled away. “I will move out immediately, lure them into a trap.” He said. “You, get up and prepare yourself. For the Great Plan!” Aristorath said. Liliana sat back down, waving coyly as he glanced back at her before gathering a force of necromancers and undead to deal with the approaching threat. When he was well out of sight, she sat back down, cursing under her breath. Imbeciles, the lot of them. She had half a mind to go and wipe the Order out herself, but she needed to maintain the ruse. If Aristorath knew how much power she really held, he might rebel, and she needed the fool. All of them. At least until her plan was complete.

Calixto Village, one and a half days after attack on the Hold

After a day and a half of gruelling travel, Rowan had finally arrived at Calixto village. A sorry sight awaited him, as the bedraggled residents piled ancient corpses up outside the village, and lined up their own in neat rows, awaiting burial. His arrival was noted by one of the men on watch, who went running as soon as he'd begun approaching the village, and eventually emerged from the houses with a surly looking woman in light armor, a straight sword on her hip. "Ho, Eldari. What business do you have in Calixto?" She asked, hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "I'm from the Order. Are you the Mayor of this village?" he asked. "I'm Marshall Evaline Raynard." She replied. "Well met, Marshall. I'm Rowan Aratis. My niece is in your village, along with a friend."
He explained. The woman before him nodded. "Ah, your niece is she?" She asked. "You know her friend is a heanta, right? Brought allot of trouble on us, so she did, bringing that girl here. But she also saved our hides, so you'll understand if I ask you not to harm her." Rowan raised an eyebrow, his stare icey. "Fear not Marshall, I mean the heanta no harm. Is she well?"

The woman met his gaze. "Good. As well as she can be, considering she almost died fighting that abomination." The woman shrugged. "You should see it. We haven't moved the thing, everyone's to afraid to go near it." She said, nodding towards the village. "I need to see my niece first, and talk to the Heanta." Rowan said. "Aye, I figured you might. The Eldari's still sleeping. The healer can't figure it out." She said, nodding towards the village. "Come on." The Marshall said, leading him towards the centre of the village. "Just out of curiousity, is there more of the order on the way?" She asked as they walked. "They should be. I don't know how far behind. I was sent ahead to help defend the village." Rowan explained. "Well, you're a bit late. But I wouldn't be surprised if they send another attack soon."

The woman stopped outside a house near the centre of the village. "They're inside. When you're done, come speak to me. Maybe you can explain what that Thing is." She said, pointing towards a large form in the village square. Rowan nodded, and stepped in through the door. The table was covered in healing supplies, and a tired looking man was working away at it. He looked up suddenly. "Can I help you?" The man asked. "I'm here to see the Eldari and heanta." He replied and the man nodded. "Of course. First room on the right. I tried to get the heanta to sleep in a proper bed, but she refuses to leave The Eldari's side." He explained. Rowan nodded, and walked towards the room. He opened the door slowly, and stepped in. Vala sat dozing in an armchair, covered in a light blanked. He took a step into the room and she snapped awake and jumped up, standing between him and Fayla defensively. He raised his hands to calm her, and it took her a moment to realise who he was.

"Rowan!" She said, wrapping her arms around him. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see you." She said. He stood awkwardly, before patting Vala on the head. She seemed to remember herself, and jumped away quickly. "How did you know we were here?" She asked suddenly. "A young Knight arrived at Sunshield Hold and told us what had happened." Rowan explained. "You're with the order? Nevermind, you can heal right? Can you try to heal Fayla?" She asked quickly. Rowan nodded, and stepped over to Fayla. Vala hovered over him, watching intently as he lay a hand on Fayla's shoulder. He attemped to heal her, but couldn't find what was wrong. After several minutes of silence he took his hand away with a sigh. "Strange. I can't find what's wrong.. I don't think I have the skill for this." He said with a frown.

He looked at Vala. "What exactly happened to her?" He asked. Vala shook her head. "I'm not sure. Someone attacked her near Serenity Valley. I arrived in time to stop them killing her, but she was already unconscious. I thought it was poison but, you're resistant to that and the healer found no traces. I didn't know what to do so I called on some friends, who brought word to the hold, and Cinderon." Rowan nodded, put a hand on Vala's shoulder. "You did good. Thank you." Rowan said. "Now, I'm going to talk to the Marshall, see what I can learn. Kairi will be here soon." He said. Vala nodded and sat back down. "I'll be here. Don't bother telling me to go to a real bed." She said. Rowan chuckled as he left. "Wouldn't dream of it." He said, before heading out to find the Marshall, and await the arrival of the Kairi and the others.

Kairi's dark braid billowed behind her as she rode with her small contingent at maximum speeds towards the small Mondolin village of Calixto. Rowan Aratris had left about two hours ahead of them, desperately trying to get to his niece and her Heanta friend who had been beset by spellcasters, the kind of which Kairi had never seen before today. Fayla had been critically injured by one such spellcaster, and Lilian Toral had come to Sunshield Hold for help, as she trusted Kairi and the Hold was closer than Mith Silvanus. It was then revealed that the enemy party had sent a pursuit after Lilian, to try and stop her from reaching the Order. The attack had caused inflicted damage and casualties on the Hold before the source was neutralized, and it was clear that these incidents were just a prelude to something called the 'Great Plan'. Kairi had no idea what this 'Great Plan' entailed, but the power of the small glimpse they had seen of it, Kairi was deeply concerned what might happen if they do nothing.

Kairi was broken from her reflection by one of the troops she had brought as part of the reinforcements for Calixto. "Knight-Lieutenant! Calixto is ahead!" Kairi nodded to him and surveyed the settlement that rose from the horizon to meet them. Calixto had clearly seen conflict. A large pyre of what appeared to be bodies piled high was burning serenely, while villagers and militia alike were repairing whatever damage they could. Kairi called her party to a halt and dismounted quickly. A haggard amd tired-looking militia member approached them with an appraising look on her face. "Hail. My name is Marshal Evaline Raynard." The woman saw the crest on Kairi's clothing and bowed respectfully.

"You are from the Order? Mister Aratris told us to expect you soon." Marshal Raynard looked to the scene of recovery behind her. "Truthfully, we could have done with you when all of this happened, but I'm grateful you made it at all. Katie?" The marshal called over a small girl who was struggling with a piece of wood which was a bit too big for her. Kairi smiled and took the piece of wood from her as Marshal Raynard knelt down to address the young girl. "Will you get Mister Aratris for me? Then we can take a break and get something to eat." The girl nodded and ran off excitedly, while Raynard turned and took the piece of timber from Kairi gratefully.

"My daughter. She wants to help, a bit more than she can manage." Kairi gestured to her troops as they began to unload parcels from their steeds. "We brought some things to help, but it's not as much as I would have liked. We didn't know what the situation was up here, so we prioritized speed." Raynard's expression was stony as she nodded and gestured to the pyre. "I understand. I've been marshall for five years, Mondolin military for fifty before that. I've never seen anything like what came at us here. We lost a lot of people protecting your Eldari and Heanta friends." Raynard looked back to Kairi, her expression softening slightly. "But if Vala is correct, chances are this 'Great Plan' of theirs wouldn't include our survival." Kairi nodded somberly, than gestured to each her companions. "I see. Allow me to introduce my friends. Arthur, Tristan, Aether, Nichol, Marie and Bethany. I believe you might have met Lilian already." Raynard nodded respectfully to each person as they were introduced. Kairi then gestured to the four men that were assisting the villagers with their supplies. "Hawkins, Ryder, Moxley and Jericho will provide whatever help they can for the village." Raynard nodded to the men, before turning as she heard her daughter's singsong voice trying to draw her attention. "Mommy! I got him! I got Mister Aratris!"

Aether was behind Kairi on a horse. Much like everyone else. Except Nichol was on the same horse as Arthur. That didn't surprise him. What did surprise him was the fact Kairi let the recruit in on this mission. The boy had strong potential, and could hit a lot of targets at ranges that puny bow of his shouldn't be able to shoot at, but still...he was a child. Aether didn't argue it too much since speed was of the essence. Watching Kairi explain to the marshal and introduce them, the blonde traveler nodded when his name was called. As did Nichol.

The marshal's daughter brought Rowan to them. Before even he could mutter anything, Nichol was jumping over him and landing nearby. "Where's Fayla? How is she?" The same monotone voice...Aether had to wonder what kind of shit the kid had already seen to be so...cold. And there were Harbingers that were masters of ice magic, and they were warmer than this kid. So he stayed silent, awaiting to hear where he can help out at...or go to someone with a briefing for a mission.

As the group got close, Arthur was miles away. Gwyn. I cannot let her know about Nichol until I get to ask her what truly happened to our parents. He thought, as they all stopped. He was knocked out of his thoughts when Kairi said his name. As Nichol disembarked their horse, Arthur followed suit, Looking around him. He walked over to Kairi. He was going to try and smile, like usual, but felt like it would be a lie, not only to those around him, but to himself. "Where do you want us, Kairi?"  
-
Tristan said nothing, instead going his own way, using the same path he had seen the marshal's daughter use. The Heanta gave off a vibe of "Do not get in my way". After a few seconds, he saw Rowan leaving a building. Figuring his daughter was in there, he passed by Rowan, barely even looking at the Eldari on his way. Opening the door, a little bit harder than he ha originally planned to, he saw the familiar red hair, and then noticed that the person attached to it was alive. HIs stone exterior cracked, if only for a moment, and he let out a breath of relief. He then steeled himself for Vala's next move.

Rowan hadn't been idle the last two hours. After a talk with the Marshall, he scouted the edges of he forest and killed several lookouts watching the village, and searched for signs of a second host. He seen none, but he did find signs of a large force's passage through the forest, leading back towards Serenity valley. The trail was old, left by the attack several days before. Follow that, and they'd likely find the enemies encampment, or atleast where they came from. When he was done, he returned to the village and helped out constructing makeshift barricades between buildings, leaving a tight corridor between buildings that they could funnel the enemy through, if there was a second attack. He would prefer to find the enemies base, but decided to wait for Kairi to arrive before venturing towards the Valley.

He was lifting a final log into place, when the Marshall's young girl came dashing up and stopped next to him. She was practically bouncing on the spot with energy, but seemed a little hesitant to speak. He gave her a gently smile. "Do you need something little one?" He asked, and she nodded quickly. "Mommy wants you! There are people from the sunshine friends here!" She said. Rowan nodded and followed after her as she dashed back towards the entrance. Rowan passed Tristan on the way, giving him a nod. They hadn't talked about it, but he knew the heanta was Vala's father, and there was definitely some issues between them, but it was none of his business.


Bethany dismounted as Kairi indroduced them, and the girl the Marshall had sent to fetch Rowan returned. Rowan wasn’t far behind the young girl who proudly told her mother that she’d successfully fetched him. Rowan nodded in greeting, and Bethany noticed with a smirk that he greeted Kairi with a warmer smile. "Glad you all made it." He said. Nichol immediately approached Rowan, asking after Fayla. "Still out. I couldn’t heal her, but my healing skill is limited." Rowan Said. Marie, the hold’s head healer, stepped forward. “I will go ahead and see if there is anything I can do.” She said. She looked at Marshall. “If you have wounded, prepare me a place to work and I’ll see them when I’m done.” She said. The Marshall nodded and gestured to a man nearby to show Marie where Fayla was.

Bethany noticed Lilian watching them as they left. She elbowed Lilian gently. "Go with them. You must be worried about your friend." Bethany said. Lilian smiled softly. "Thanks." She said, walking after them. Bethany listened as Rowan explained the situation. "There was an attack, not long after Knight Toral left here. Either the enemy’s force isn’t large, or they underestimated just how much fight these people have in them, because with the help of Valatrix the force was defeated." He explained to them. "The undead does not seem to be the worst of it though, you all need to see the thing that Valatrix killed..." He said, leading them towards the village square.


Vala was dozing in the chair next to Fayla’s bed, when the door to the room burst open. She was on her feet in an instant, fangs bared and claws out, ready to shred the intruder before they could reach Fayla. It took her a moment to recognize who was standing before her, and while she briefly considered shredding him just for the hell of it, she dropped her hands, face becoming passively cold as she straightened and stepped back. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a chill in her voice. Last time she’d seen her father, she’d said horrible things. She hadn’t wanted to, but she’d been so upset she couldn’t really think straight. He was here now though, somehow, and she wasn’t sure what to say, so she just stood there looking at him, and considered punching him because she could feel tears building, and didn’t want to cry in front of him.

Fortunately for him, a stern looking woman walked into the room like she owned the place, pushing past Tristan. “Scout Bahamut, could you please step outside while I examine the patient.” It wasn’t a question but an order. Her keen blue eyes turned to Vala. “Do you mind?” She said, gesturing to Fayla. Vala cleared her throat to steady her voice. "Please, if you can help her.." She said. Lilian walked into the room after the healer, and Vala could see the concern on her face. "You look terrible." She said to lighten the mood. Lilian wrapped her arms around Vala. "Look in a mirror." She said, hugging her tightly. "Stay with Fayla, I need to deal with something.." She said, nodding towards where Tristan had gone.

"I’ll ask about that later." Lilian said, releasing Vala and moving standing against the wall. As Vala left the room, she heard the stern woman speak. “Sit down girl, before you keel over.” Vala closed the door, walking past Tristan into the kitchen Area. She looked at Tristan, felt awkward and quickly found something else to look at. "You joined the order of the sun?" She asked.

After Kairi had made the introductions, Arthur immediately asked where he and the others were needed. Kairi thought for a moment before making a decision. "I have no specific orders for you all. Feel free to take a look around and help out where you think you'll be of most use. Once I've spoken with Rowan and Vala, I'll call everyone together to discuss our next course of action." Tristan immediately set off without a word, and Kairi stared after him for a moment. The Heanta had said nothing since the attack on the Hold, and Kairi remembered the sight of him going on a killing spree of undead before they pushed out of the fortress. Kairi had made a note to keep an eye on him, but had said nothing to the man directly. One crisis at a time. Kairi then saw Rowan approach, following the marshal's daughter. Marshal Raynard knelt down and put a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "Good girl. Now, why don't you head over to Uncle Kurt's house and get something to eat. I'll follow you over soon." The girl nodded and sped off while Nichol asked the Eldari if Fayla was alright. Rowan told them that while Fayla was stable, she was still in a baffling state of unconsciousness. Kairi nodded to Marie Reinhart, the Hold's most senior healer, and the woman delivered her instructions to Marshal Raynard for a triage area to be set up in order for Marie to treat any wounded the village had. Lilian accompanied the healer, and Rowan continued his debrief.

Rowan explained about the attack that had occurred just after Lilian and her father had departed for their respective destinations, and that Vala had helped the Calixto militia repel the attack. Kairi shared Rowan's conclusion that the enemy had clearly thought that the village would be a pushover, though Rowan did point out the creature that Vala had to contend with. Kairi nodded in understanding. "Indeed. Another such creature arrived late during the attack on the Hold. It took most of what we had to put it down." Kairi thought for a moment, then made a decision and looked at Rowan inquiringly. "I need to speak to Vala. I have a few more questions that need answering. Do you think you she would be amenable?" She then gazed in the direction that Marie had gone to treat Fayla. "I'll then speak to Marie in a while, see if she has an opinion on what is afflicting Fayla." She then looked at Rowan with a less professional and more earnest expression. "You've been here for a little while. I assume you had a look around the surround. What's your opinion on the situation?"

Nichol nodded, but continued on to her. He slipped in unnoticed by the red headed woman who was more occupied with Tristan than little him. When Marie came in, Nichol retreated as well, catching a  glimpse of an interaction with Lilian and the woman. Shrugging, the boy made a perch at the roof. With lots and lots of arrows. If anything bad comes close, they're getting an arrow to the face. Or knee. Depending on if he wanted to end them, or just their adventuring career.

~

Aether stayed with Rowan and Kairi. Though was mostly silent. Looking at the creature, he did frown. Listening, he had a question. "Don't suppose she said that after she killed this one, the rest lost all coordination and all?" If not, that was at least on less thing to worry about. But then again, the last one enhanced her undead. He couldn't help but think what else they could do with their soldiers if they could not only enhance and modify them, but also transform themselves. Then the great plan business. Looking at the tall man, he stayed silent to listen to his opinion as well.

Tristan wasn't shocked by how cold Vala sounded, when she asked him what he was doing there. His eyes narrowed, if only for a second. He could read her body language, and figured that she was probably going to hit him. He was about to answer, when Marie pushed past him, and told him to wait outside. Standing still for a second, he nodded, and moved out of the room. pushing his back against a wall, he slid down, into a sitting position, and stared at the sky, as Vala entered soon after. 

Her question didn't go answered for a little bit, as Tristan continued staring at the sky. He finally answered, dropping his head down to stare at the ground. "Yes." His voice was a whisper, as if being loud would mean Marie couldn't heal. He finally looked at her, and was brought back into the current situation that they all sat in. "Is the situation bad here?" He knew the answer, he could see it. But he wanted to see how much had actually happened. And how Vala was dealing with it.
-------
Arthur nodded at Kairi's order, and was about to leave, when Rowan appeared. He did stand there, and listen to them talk about what was happening. After, when Kairi asked Rowan what his opinion was, was when Arthur walked away, and went to help in whatever way he could.
(OOC:Arthur is gone for a bit, until things kick off, as there isn't much for him to do)

Rowan showed them the creature, Kairi explained that something similar had attacked the hold after he’d left. ”Gods, there are more of those things?” Bethany asked. Rowan nodded. ”It was originally a necromancer. Vala said he’d stabbed himself with something, before transforming. He transformed again right before she killed him.” Rowan explained. Aether chimed in with his own question, and answered a question Rowan had been meaning to ask, that there had been a necromancer at the hold. ”Yes. They lost direction when the necromancer died, but they’re still dangerous. They’ll attack anything that gets close, so even if they wander off they pose a threat to others.” In other words, they needed to be dealt with regardless. They had no idea what magic was doing this, or how long it lasted.

Kairi mentioned that she needed to speak to Vala, and wondered if she’d answer her questions. Rowan nodded. ”She’s cooperative. Won’t leave Fayla’s side though..” He said. ”Might want to wait a few minutes, probably wants a minute alone with her.” Bethany said. ”That or he really needed to go. Looked pretty angry.” Rowan looked at her and she shrugged. But he agreed that Tristan probably wanted to check on Vala. Kairi asked him if he’d checked out the surrounding area, and what he thought of the situation. He lead them towards he boundary of the village. ”I’ve scouted towards the forest to check for signs of another force. I did find the path the enemy took, so we could follow it back to their camp.” He said.

”I want to go further in, but I decided it wasn’t safe to go alone. But if we can locate the camp, we can catch them unawares and put a stop to this. I suggest leaving a few people here to help defend the village in case they send a second attack.” He said.


Tristan walked past her and went outside, where he slumped against the wall. Vala sat on the step of the house, wrapping her arms around her legs. He’d joined the order. Tristan asked her what the situation was like, and she did her absolute best not to gesture to the village and say, Take a fucking guess? Or something equally sarcastic and mean. ”I’m surprised you care.” She said and winced. Well that was just mean. She fell silent, not looking at him as she tried again to compose herself to not say something to hurt him. ”My best friend is in a coma, there are walking dead men trying to kill us and I brought them down on this village. Oh and I think I almost died. The situation is a resounding fucked.” She said. ”I’m hurt, and exhausted and I could really… Use a father right now.” She said quietly enough that he’d struggle to hear. Not wanting to appear like she needed him, she quickly added, ”To protect Fayla.”

Nichol headed off immediately at Kairi's order, and once Rowan had filled them in on the attack that had occurred just after Lilian left, Arthur then moved off to assist where he could. Bethany expressed her incredulity at the prospect of more of the massive creatures like the one that attacked the Hold. Rowan explained that this particular creature had once been a necromencer, who utilized some sort of device to change into the abomination that now lay burning in the pyre. Kairi considered the ramifications of that for a moment, which gave Aether a chance to ask his own question, wondering how the unbdead behaved once their commander had been slain. Rowan confirmed that the undead soon lost coordination and leadership, but they remained feral and dangerous in and of themselves, so any strays still needed to be destroyed. When Kairi broached the possiblity of speaking with Vala, Rowan noted that the Heanta would be cooperative, but she would insist on staying at Fayla's side. However, Bethany then mentioned that someone would want a minute alone with Vala, someone who had looked pretty angry too. Kairi searched her memory, noting that one individual had seemed off, and had made a beeline for the center of the village as soon as they got here. "Do you mean Tristan? Do they know each other?"

Rowan then led the group to the edges of the village, and began to fill them in on the scouting sorties he had undertaken before Kairi and the others arrived. Rowan noted that he had found tracks from the undead force, and he believed he could reliably find the enemy camp. Kairi considered this for a moment, and her options therein. "We need to find the exact location in order to better fine-tune our plan." She looked to Rowan, decision made. "By the sounds of it, we need to act fast. However, we need to make sure we know what were up against before we commit. Rowan, will you take a small group into the woods, maybe one or two others. See if you can find out exactly where this camp is, and what we'll be facing. I'll ask around and gather as much information as I can here and try to come up with the beginnings of a plan." Kairi looked towards the village, and saw Nichol perched on a rooftop. "Your group will need to be quick and quiet. I recommend taking Nichol." She looked to Rowan again. "Don't take any risks. If things get too dangerous, fall back." Kairi then turned to Bethany. "I'm going to talk to Marshal Raynard again. Will you let me know when Vala is free to talk?"

"Joy. Either the necromancer Bethany and I offed didn't have the chance to do this to herself or she didn't have it. Which then begs the question if others could do something similar to her and strengthen their undead." That was all he had to say on the matter. Everything else seemed to be along his own thoughts. Except on one thing. "Nichol is gifted, and can use magic, and clearly has seen some shit, but he's still a child. It couldn't be helped back at the hold, but let's not expose him to unnecessary danger here. I may not be as nimble, but I can fly. Even if only for short periods of time."

Hopefully that trade off would be worth it. Plus, he doubted anyone was going to stand there and let Nichol pelt them with arrows.

Tristan gave a half-hearted chuckle at Vala saying she was surprised he cared. "You aren't the only one." He said, knowing that his presence was merely tolerated within the Order. He stood up after she was done explaining what had happened. "About as bad as I thought." He allowed Vala to finish. He stood still for moment, before walking over to her. After a few seconds, unsure of himself, he placed his hand on her shoulder, expecting a hit to come from the contact. With a small smile on his face, he said, "I won't leave this spot. I've faced down Onyxus, I don't think a few undead are going to uproot me."

Rowan looked at Bethany as she mentioned that Vala and someone would probably want a minute. Rowan figured she meant Tristan, though he hadn’t been aware Bethany knew about them, but Kairi was left out of the loop, and asked why. ”He’s her father.” Bethany said without missing a beat. Rowan grimaced. It really wasn’t their business, but there was no changing it now. ”It’s true. I mean, I guessed because Vala mentioned him by name before I joined the order. Its one of the reasons I was… More welcoming.” Understatement. He’d been his usual angry self with Tristan for most of the first few weeks after they met, but he had to admit the man was a good tracker, and didn’t cause trouble so he’d cooled off.

”I met him a few weeks after this happened.” She said, pointing at her eye. ”I attacked him immediately. Turns out, he’s not like other heanta though, so we killed some bandits and bonded over looted whiskey.” Rowan looked at Bethany curiously. So, heanta got her eye. Well, he wasn’t surprised, though he was led to believe asentari skin was tougher than that. He didn’t ask though, in case he upset her. With that out of the way, Kairi began to work on a plan, but they needed more information, which Rowan agreed with. She asked him if he’d take a small team and scout out the base before they committed to anything and Rowan nodded. ”Good call.” He said. Kairi suggested he take Nichol, and Aether took issue with the idea.

”I’d agree too, but this might be bigger than us. Nichol has experience with scouting and those goggles are more than just for show.” Rowan said. He didn’t want anyone but himself getting close to that camp, so he decided to take them both. At the very least if it did go south, Aether could protect Nichol, and they could use Aether’s flying to their advantage. ”I’ll take you both but I don’t want either of you getting close. If there’s trouble, you need to get back here and tell Kairi, not save me.” He said. He looked at Kairi. ”Soon as we find Nichol, we’ll go.” Rowan said.


Tristan took her insult in his stride, agreeing that what she had said was about what he expected. When she asked him to protect Fayla, he stood up and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Vala did indeed nearly slap his hand away, so it was just as well she had her arms around her knees and not loose. He told her he wouldn’t leave. He’d fought Onyxus, and undead didn’t scare him. Vala nodded slowly, though the undead didn’t scare her either. Or the Mages. It was whatever was behind this, that was the thing that scared her, because they were hellbent on killing Fayla, meaning she must have seen something they didn’t want her to see. ”Good, I’m counting on you, Tristan.” She said. She spotted Rowan approaching, waving to someone.

Vala stood up and looked at the roof. There was a kid up there, though she hadn’t noticed him. ”I should find Kairi. Stay here, ok?” She said, before walking towards him. Rowan nodded, and she heard him telling Nichol they were going to scout the forest. If she was in better shape she’d insist on going but she knew they wouldn’t let her, and she’d be a liability. Vala spotted Kairi and Bethany, and walked over to them. ”You look like shit, Vala.” Bethany said as soon as she noticed her, and then hugged her. ”Everyone keeps saying that.” She said, looking between Kairi and Bethany. ”Thank you for coming. I didn’t expect to see you though.” She said to bethany. ”Undead men and necromancers? You think I’d miss this shit show?” She said and Vala smiled. ”I suppose not.”  


Rowan led the group out the gates and into the forest, reaching the trail a few minutes after leaving. He didn’t go straight onto the trail but kept a good distance where they good see it from the cover of the trees. ”Eyes open. They might have watchers in the forest.” Rowan said. ”They came from serenity valley so we’ve a trek ahead of us, once we get close though we’ll slow down, get eyes high up if we can.” He said, looking at Nichol. ”Keep quiet, and If we get attacked, get Nichol out of here Aether. No arguing.” He said to Aether.

Kairi expressed mild surprise when Bethany revealed that Tristan was Vala's father. They did share the same striking red hair, but Kairi would not have figured out the connection on her own. "I see. She will probably want a bit more time then." Bethany then reminisced about how she had met Tristan, encountering him not long after she had lost her eye. Kairi remembered that story very well indeed, having witnessed the act during their mission together in Yoniva. It wasn't surprising that Bethany would've been hostile to seeing another Heanta so soon, but Kairi was glad that the Asentari was able to see past Tristan's race in order to co-exist peacefully. When Kairi suggested the idea of sending a scouting party out to try and find out exactly what they were dealing with in the forests of Serenity Valley, Rowan agreed that it would be a logical course of action. Kairi then nodded thoughtfully when Aether expressed his opinion on the matter, in particular the idea of bringing Nichol with them, but Rowan responded quickly and decisively for Kairi. The Eldari made it clear that at the first sign of trouble, Aether was to retrieve Nichol and return to the village, rather than risking themselves to save him. A pang of concern echoed in Kairi's gut, but she fought hard to keep it from showing on her face. Rowan excused himself to go and find Nichol, and the two were off.

As if she had heard Kairi talking about her, Vala soon approached the Human and the Asentari. Bethany quipped that young Heanta looked a bit worse-for-wear, but Kairi simply laughed and shook her head. "I think considering what you had to fight off here, you look rather well." Vala thanked the two of them for coming, and Kairi's expression turned stony. "I'm sorry we didn't get here quicker." Kairi gestured to the pyre of burning undead. "I sent Rowan ahead because he would get here faster, but the Hold was attacked by a force of these... creatures." Vala then expressed surprised at Bethany's presence, to which the Asentari simply pointed out that she didn't want to miss out on all of the excitement. Kairi nodded in agreement. "If what we've seen so far is any indication, there's going to be a lot more where that came from." Kairi then cast an inquiring look upon Vala. "Vala, could you tell me exactly what you told Rowan when he got here? What exactly happened to Fayla? And what kind of force did you and the Calixto militia have to deal with?" Kairi was well aware of the enormous creature that occupied over half of the pyre, but Kairi hoped to get every detail, including any she had missed so far. Potentially thousands of lives depended on it.

Beth had an interesting way of meeting other people. Not that he couldn't hold his own liquor. Aether was given his orders, much to his disagreement, and sulkily went off to grab Nichol. Who also didn't like the orders. He wanted to stay and defend Fayla. It took a bit before Nichol relented. And off they went.

~

The two stayed with Rowan until they found the trail. Rowan gave the orders and general outline. Aether nodded with a worried look. He can get up high whenever, but abandoning his men was never something he was good at. Or, well, they weren't always his men. Nichol simply nodded and immediately went up into the trees. The boy seemed to like high places already. Off they went, with Nichol being...surprisingly quiet up in the trees. Even Aether was mildly impressed. Well, hopefully they won't run into another giant hoard without finding the necromancer controlling everything.

Watchful, ever watchful...

Aristorath swept into the spartan settlement, knowing that the next few days were crucial to the Great Plan. His Great Plan. The settlement, a large camp that served as his forward reconnaisance outpost for his operation. The outpost monitored activity outside Serenity Valley, making sure any prying eyes stayed away and any that didn't never left. Formerly staffed by mercenaries from the Free Lands, it soon became very clear early on that the undead agents that now occupied the settlement were a much more efficient use of resources. They didn't have to be fed, watered or paid, and they never questioned orders. Efficiency. Tranquility.

Aristorath had often visited this outpost to collect reports with little complication, but now something had changed. A lone Eldari girl had trespassed in his realm. The girl had witnessed Liliana and her undead retinue, and though she had been struck down during her frantic escape, her death had not been confirmed. Then Liliana had sent an experienced necromencer, by the name of Kyren Mellis, down to a small Mondolin Village called Calixto to eliminate the Eldari. Kyren had failed, and the subsequent attempts to hunt down the Knights that had left to get help were also unsuccessful. A series of setbacks to be sure, but Aristorath had not lived as long as he had without an appreciation for contingency.

So now Aristorath had come to this outpost, and he was here to directly supervise his response. He had increased activity in this area, with more undead units reinforcing the outpost and generally creating a large racket. Aristorath's aim was to draw any investigative eyes that came forth, and he knew they were coming, and deceive them into thinking that this outpost was the main facility. He was aiming to draw all of the enemy's attention squarely here, and safely away from the main facility in the Valley itself. He created vast numbers of undead, including more armored and powerful types, and he increased patrols in the area ten-fold. However, he did leave an clear route in for any intelligence units that approached, so they could get a full view of the strength he brought to bear here. Now, he simply waited, safe in the knowledge that he had thought of all variables. He was fully in control.

Watchful, ever watchful...

Kairi disagreed with Bethany, mentioning that Vala looked good all things considered. She nodded in agreement, giving Bethany a sly look. Kairi then apologised that they’d taken so long to arrive, but Vala shook her head. ”All that matters is you arrived before they attacked again. I don’t know If the village would have held out again.” Vala listened as Kairi explained that they had suffered their own attack, the culprits of which had followed Lilian all the way to the hold. Worry and dread hit Vala, as she considered that Andreas had set off on a much longer journey, and wasn’t as fast. She’d sent him, and if anything happened to him it would be on her. She prayed to Na’Kora, hoping he made it ok.

”Allot more is right.. Anyone killed in range of the Necromancers can be brought back almost immediately. And some of those undead are… Very old.” Battle of Serenity valley old. They had set up in a smart place. Kairi asked her to explain exactly what had happened, and so Vala filled her in on everything from the moment she’d found Fayla until Rowan had arrived. She left out what she had seen, right before she’d decided she didn’t want to die and had ripped that Thing a new one with a power she’d never used before. The Demon Matrix below her throat glowed purple for a moment when she mentioned her new power. Powers, possibly.

When Vala was done, she looked in the direction of the house. ”I want to get back to Fayla.” She said. ”You might as well come and see how that healer you brought along is doing.” She said, before turning and walking towards the house. ”I’m going to go make myself useful and keep an eye out on that forest. If anything besides Rowan and the others comes out of there, I’ll roast them.” Bethany said, moving off towards the makeshift barricades being constructed.

Vala passed Tristan and gave him an awkward nod, before going into the house, and slowly peeking in the doorway. The healer, who’s name she hadn’t gotten, had her eyes closed, her hand on Fayla’s forehead and stomach, face a mask of calm, giving nothing away. As Vala joined Lilian, sitting on the arm of the armchair next to Fayla’s bed, the healer took her hands away and looked up at them and Kairi, if she’d followed. “I’ve done all I can, but I’ve never seen anything like this before.” She said as she stood up. “There’s no physical or emotional damage, but there is a… Darkness, as if something tore a chunk out of her very life force. Magic most likely, and very dangerous at that, so caution is advised. It can be fixed, but I lack the required magical power.” She said. “She needs an Eldari Healer, or someone of similar power.”

”Her mother is a healer. I sent someone to try and get her.” Vala said. The woman looked at Vala. “Her mother?” She asked and Vala nodded. ”Mariel Shor.” She replied, and the healer nodded. “Then there is hope, if Councilwoman Shor arrives. Of course, this village needs to be standing when she does, or we’ll need allot more than healing to fix things.” The woman said, looking at Kairi. “I will attend the wounded, get as many back on their feet as I can. If anything happens with the girl, get me at once.” Marie said, looking at Vala and Lilian, before heading for the door.

After Marie left, Vala stood up and clenched her fists. ”I can’t fight, not in the way needed, I’ll only get in the way. So I’m staying here to protect Fayla.” She turned deadly serious, no hint of the usual kindness in her eyes, only heanta bloodlust as she continued, ”when you find who did this Kairi, kill him for me. No mercy.” Lilian nodded behind her. ”Yeah, kick his ass.” Vala’s expression softened and she smiled. ”And please be careful.”


Aether grumbled but followed along, and Nichol came willingly. When they reached the forest, the kid took to the trees, while Rowan and Aether stayed low. Rowan set a quick pace, but not one that either of the others couldn’t keep up with, and kept an eye on the forest ahead and around them as they followed the trail. His heightened senses helped him stay alert, and the lingering smell of decay told him they were on the right track.

They were travelling for maybe an hour, when Rowan spotted something ahead. He found a better vantage point, discovering that maybe three hundred feet ahead of them, a settlement had been set up in the forest, and by the looks of things, there was plenty of activity. Rowan looked at Aether and Nichol, up in the trees if he hadn’t come down. ”I’m going to get a closer look. Nichol, keep eyes on me if you can. Aether, keep eyes on Nichol. If something goes wrong, you know what to do.” He whispered, before quickly moving off into the forest towards the camp. Rowan made his way through the trees, barely disturbing a single leaf as he passed, approaching the camp.

As he got close enough to get a good look into the camp, he noticed two things. One, that had been far too easy, almost like they were expecting him and two, they were so fucking outnumbered. There was at least a hundred undead milling about, if not more, and he spotted several robed figures. One in particular, a man with a knotted staff, stood out, as he gave orders to the others. This was their leader, Rowan guessed, the man behind their great plan. This was bad, worse than they expected. And with their proximity to serenity valley, they could raise more dead. While it was smart, it made him sick to think about these bastards raising the corpses of the fallen Eldari he’d fought beside.

Rowan slipped away from the camp, cautious that he might have walked into a trap, and made his way back to Nichol and Aether. He’d seen enough, knew the layout of the camp and had the semblance of a plan to present to Kairi when he got back. He nodded to the two kids. ”Lets get out of here.” He said, leading them back. He quickly filled them in on what he’d found once they were safely away from the camp, before picking up the pace, intent on getting back to the others as quickly as possible.

Kairi nodded when Vala told her that she was just glad they arrived and potentially staved of a follow-up attack on the village, though the Human still had a lump of guilt in her stomach that there was more she could have done. But Kairi was also an experienced professional, so she compartmentalised her feelings of the past and focused on the here and now. Vala confirmed Kairi's supposition about the potential for an increased enemy force, noting that some of the raised undead soldiers were very old. Kairi saw the implications of that information at once. Given that Serenity Valley was the site of one of the bloodiest battles the continent of Ka'Lesa had ever seen, it was likely that the powers behind this operation were drawing from the raw material left at the battle site itself. Kairi inwardly shuddered at the thought of those brave soldiers, who gave their lives for their respective peoples and homes, being desecrated long after their deaths in order to serve a new master.

Vala then explained fully the events of the last week, detailing her experience from her finding Fayla in the forest to the attack on Calixto. While Lilian had been sent to the Hold for help, Lilian's father had set off for Sindaron in the hope of getting help from Eldari healers for Fayla. Given that Lilian had been pursued by a force to the Hold, Kairi prayed inwardly for Na'Sora to make sure that Andreas to be safe. "I see. The enemy has gone to great lengths to try and silence anyone who has first-hand knowledge of what happened to Fayla. If that is the case, we may have an advantage if we are quick enough and, more importantly, clever enough." Kairi looked towards the forest. "This will depend on what Rowan's team finds, of course..." Kairi's gaze lingered on the forest for the briefest of moments, before Vala brought her attention back. The Heanta wanted to go back to Fayla, and Kairi nodded. "Sounds good. Lead on." Bethany then offered to make herself useful by patrolling the outskirts of the forest and dealing with anything that came out. Kairi smiled appreciatively. "Good idea. Let me know if you see... the scout party."

Following Vala to the house that was the temporary medical ward for Fayla Shor, Kairi was unsure why her composure was being affected so. Despite this uncertainty, the sight of Fayla lying on the bed with Marie working hard to try and help her brought the Knight-Lieutenant back to reality. Despite the veteran healer's best efforts, Fayla still remained in a baffling state of unconsciousness. Marie gave her prognosis, that what afflicted Fayla was some sort of dark attack on her very lifeforce. The kind of maliciousness it required to use such an attack was alarming, but Kairi simply nodded as she looked at Lilian's and Vala's concerned faces, her expression giving nothing away of her own concerns.. "Then we protect her until Andreas and Councillor Shor get here." Marie instructed the two young women to go and find her if anything changed with Fayla, while the healer began treating the wounded in the village, and Marie then left.

Vala stood up, hands clenched into fists and frustration pouring from her like a wave. The Heanta told Kairi that she would be unable to fight, as she was still recovering from the attack on Calixto, and she would remain to protect Fayla. Kairi nodded in agreement. "After what you went through, I was going to say the same thing. In any case, we do need to leave a presence here, to ward off a counterattack." Vala's expression hardened, and she told Kairi, in no uncertain terms, that she was to kill the one responsible for what was happening. Lilian chimed in, agreeing with Vala. Kairi stared at them for a moment. Though Kairi Thorne had decided a long time ago that killing was an absolute last resort, it was clear that what they faced now was a force of pure malice and evil. The fallen Eldari in the bed nearby and the damage caused to the Hold was proof of that. Kairi nodded, her decision made. The creators of this Great Plan had to be stopped decisively, no matter the cost. "You have my word."

Then, the small figure of Katie Raynard charged in, holding a woven basket with fruit and bread in it. The girl hefted the basket on to the small table beside the chair Lilian sat in. "Mama says to give you this. She says you all need to eat to be strong and beat up the bad people." Kairi smiled as she knelt down beside the courageous and tough young girl. "That's very kind of you. Can I ask you to do a favor for me?" Katie nodded eagerly and Kairi put a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "Can you go and find my friend Arthur for me? I need to talk to him. I'll be over with your mother when you find him." Katie grinned and saluted, as if she was a Knight of Mondolin. "Right away, Miss Kairi!" With that the girl sped off with boundless energy, and Kairi could do nothing but marvel at the girl's enthusiasm, despite what she and her village had been through. Kairi turned to Vala and Lilian. "I'll check in before we leave." With that, Kairi left to find Marshal Raynard. It would not be long before they confronted the gathering storm.

Aether stayed in place, but kept an eye out on more than just on Nichol. He didn't see much in the way of patrols...far off in the distance. Frowning, he half wondered if there should have been a bit more this far out. It was almost as if they were wanting to be known how many there were. It was almost similar to the Gnoll. You knew the numbers they had, but they certainly fought better than a bunch of undead. Aside from a few specially enhanced ones...

Nichol used his goggles Eagle eyes to scout. There was more that he could see than what Rowan can. And it was almost too easy. Taking out a bow and a couple of arrows, he kept track of Rowan, ready to let a few fly if any snuck up on the man. There were a few that walked past him, but nothing that would indicate an actual trap. The arrogance! Once Rowan was done, he headed back towards them.

And off they were gone again. Aether had a thoughtful look on his face, while Nichol stayed in pensive silence. Just what was the idea here? "I can't help but think they're a little arrogant, even with the numbers. That seems to be literally the only thing they have. My guess is the special ones are harder to control, so they use them sparingly...even so...if there's going to be a fight, I'm in on taking down the leader."

"I'll help protect Fayla. I wanted to do that in the beginning..." Instead of being out here, and barely doing anything.

As they walked back, Aether spoke up on the enemies' arrogance. "Maybe." Rowan replied. "But we still can't underestimate them. Nothing feels right about this, but then again why should it, Its not like this happens everyday." He said. Aether wanted to take down the leader, and Nichol wanted to protect Fayla. "I know, but we needed to scout the enemy, and your goggle are make your eyesight sharper than mine." He said. They continued their march back to the village.

They made faster time back, not needing to be as careful of stumbling on an unknown enemy camp, and soon the village and its makeshift barricade came into view. Rowan spotted Bethany at the edge of the village, watching the forest intently, and she nodded to them as they passed. "Glad to see you all in one piece. Kairi will be pleased, Aratris." She said, watching him carefully, before turning back to the forest. Rowan frowned, but responded with a nod. Rowan spotted Kairi in the square speaking with Marshal Raynard. He made a beeline for her and the Marshal noticed his approach. "Ah, the scout team is back. Well, how bad is it?"

Rowan looked between them, filling them in on everything he had seen. "We found the camp, its not far into the valley. I'm pretty sure I got a good look at the guy in charge. He's human, but something wasn't right with him.. He looked.. Old, but strangely ageless. I'm not sure how to explain it. I counted four other necromancers, and atleast a hundred undead. Some of them very old. It makes sense why they set up in the valley." Rowan said. "After the battle of serenity Valley, many of the dead were simply buried on site. There was simply to many to bring home, and the humans didn't give anyone much time. No one wanted to respark the war."

Kairi found Marshal Raynard with a group of militia members. The Marshal was doling out clear and succinct orders to her people to keep the recovery effort on track. Kairi waited for Raynard to finish her orders before approaching the veteran soldier. "Marshal, do you have a few moments?" Raynard nodded and dismissed her group before joining Kairi. "What can I do for you, Knight-Lieutenant?" Kairi smiled at the Marshal and waved away the formality. "Please, call me Kairi." The Marshal nodded and allowed herself a small smile in return. "Understood." Kairi's expression turned serious as she continued. "We've sent a scout party into the forest to try and ascertain the location from where the undead are coming from. Once they have returned, we will try and formulate a plan of attack." Raynard looked incredulous as she absorbed Kairi's words. "You actually want to go in there? Is that wise?"

Kairi considered her words as she moved beside the Marshal and looked towards the forest that loomed beyond the village perimeter. "I don't see an alternative. If we do nothing, they could come for Calixto again, not to mention the danger to other settlements in the area. Also this Great Plan of theirs puts even more pressure on us. Whatever their Plan is, I have a feeling we'll be better off if it was stopped." The Marshal nodded in understanding. "Fair. I wouldn't be opposed to those lunatics being sent packing." Kairi's gaze returned to the Marshal. "I'm going to lead a team in to attack the leader directly. Some of my friends will remain her if you'll permit, along with the troops I brought from the Hold. Fayla is still unconscious and Marie is still treating wounded, and possibility of a counterattack once we move in cannot be underestimated."

Then, a familiar figure moved into view, striding quickly towards them flanked by two more familiar figures. The Marshal asked Rowan, Nichol and Aether of their findings, and the imposing Eldari began his briefing. The leader seemed to be Human, but with a strange ageless quality to him, and he seemingly had a contingent of about a hundred undead and a few higher ranking followers. Rowan described the undead as being very old, Second Great War old, and Kairi had to remind herself how old Rowan actually was, and that he had actually been at Serenity Valley during the tumultuous final act of the war. After Rowan described what he had witnessed, Kairi looked pensive. "Indeed. The thought of those who fell in battle so long ago being defiled by becoming a puppet for this person is a notion that makes me sick to my stomach. But something seems off. They made no effort to conceal their numbers or disguise their camp?" The Marshal shrugged. "Maybe they just aren't that clever?" Kairi shook her head. "They were clever enough to keep tabs on Fayla and anyone who came in contact with her. Though the attempt was rather crude, they still made an attempt to silence any contacts or witnesses."

They quickly returned, with Nichol immediately heading back towards his perch on the roof of the building Fayla was in. Assuming they didn't move her. There he would stay except to take care of himself. Or if called on by his brother or the Knight-Lieutenant.

Aether went with Rowan. As soon as they found Kiari, they started their report, with the Marshal being there as well. As Rowan began, he couldn't help but think of the humanoid Archons that inhabited the eastern part of their continent. It would be the same description that he would give of them. He let the Marshal and Kiari say their thoughts before he started with his. "I think they could have if they so wished. The necromancer back at the Hold was overconfident. It's okay to be confident in your abilities and skills, but to be so overconfident as to be arrogant is where you'll get yourself killed. I think they might have known we were scouting them out, but just left us be so we could spread fear here instead of making plans. With respect, their leader may just stand back and let the other four handle the assault, if they allowed us to get so close and see what they got. But another attack is coming.

I may have some ideas on how to slow down the tide, creating kill zones, etc. Using whatever it takes to funnel and slow them down. But I do want a crack at the leader. I take it we'll use a two team approach? One team goes after him while the other assists with the defense?" The blonde looked between everyone there. Nichol would want to stay. Maybe that Vala lady too. Tristan may be a good choice to bring since he was awfully bloodlusty...second thought, may keep him here and take Nichol's brother instead? Rowan for sure, probably Kairi. Guess he'll find out soon enough though.

Arthur surveyed the damages that had happened in the town. It weighed on him, cracking through his usual upbeat nature. But, more than that, he felt angry. He had never felt this pointed of an anger before, but he knew where it was going to be directed. His hand gripped Excalibur's hilt tightly, but softened, when a young girl approached him. He recognized her as the daughter of the Marshal. She told him about Kairi needing to talk to him. Nodding, he made his way over to where he saw Kairi, Rowan, Marshal Raynard, and Aether. Walking up, he waved his hand as he approached. "You wanted to talk to me, Kairi? I'm guessing the plan has been decided on?" He said, once again putting a hand on the hilt of his blade.

(Sorry for lame post.)

Aristorath smiled in satisfaction as he received feedback from the magical proximity traps he had left strewn around the forest in preparation for what he knew was coming. Ever since the failed attempts to stop the witnesses who had fled to Calixto, as well as their messengers who had traveled to Sunshield Hold and Endaron, Aristorath knew that it would not be long before some meddling mortals would come to his forest and stick their noses in where they didn't belong. But he was nothing if not pragmatic. He had prepared for outside interference, by inflating the size of the camp he was in, and thus drawing attention firmly to him and keeping eyes from drifting further afield to where the actual Great Plan was nearing its final stages. The plans and the execution came to him in a dream. It was his dream. Was it his dream? He knew his thoughts and actions were definitely his. Were they his thoughts? They had to be. How else would the Great Plan - his Great Plan - be so very near completion? His brilliance, of course. His brilliance. No one else's.

However, now Aristorath decided it was time to show his enemies just how brilliant he really was. Using his necromancers as essentially batteries, Aristorath used a spell of illusion projection he had learned in his youth to create an illusory facsimile of himself. The spell was a rather mundane one when compared to the possibilities of magic as a whole, but as usual his resourcefulness allowed him to take an otherwise ordinary spell and make it brilliant. He was not only able to sense and interact through his illusion as if he was physically in its place, but he was able to greatly extend the range and duration of the illusion as well. This required more power than he could muster by himself in his aging and heavily-modified body, but he at least had plenty of willing follower who were more than happy to give their service in aid of the Great Plan.

The illusory Aristorath strode serenely through the trees, its controller safely stowed away in the necromancer forward camp. Clearing the treeline, Aristorath paid no heed to the shouts of alarm from the sentries that were watching the borders of the forest, nor the Asentari that sounded an alarm of her own. He continued his measured stroll towards the center of the village, where some people fled while others trained weapons on him. As he approached, the light in the area seemed to darken the closer he got, until he reaached where some people were gathered, including the Eldari and his lackeys who had found the forward camp, as well as the Order soldiers who had come to help and the Marshal of this sorry excuse for a settlement. Aristorath stopped several yards short of the group, and the light had dimmed to the point that the Aristorath copy could be seen faintly glowing. When he spoke, his voice seemed to boom through everyones very bones.

"Greetings, mortals. My name is Aristorath." Aristorath smiled malevolently. "Do not worry. I come only to deliver a warning before you do something... regrettable. By now, you are probably forming a plan of attack against me and my followers. But before you act rashly, allow me to offer you some advice. Do not throw away your lives so quickly. I know you have scouted out my camp and believe that you can put together some 'plan' to destroy me. However, my Plan has been in motion since before all of you were born, and you cannot stop it. Like death itself for mortals such as yourselves, it is inevitable." With that final word, the illusion vanished and the lighting slowly returned to normal. Deep in the forest, Aristorath smiled and gestured to his  necromancer underlings. "We must prepare for battle. I believe we will have visitors soon."