The Three-Edged Sword: Rallying to War

[Kitharsis]

"A wasteland," Kitharsis says solemnly.  He looks at his friend the Seraphim.  Kitharsis always considered Jharm so devout and disciplined, having no idea his home was constantly battered by an endless war.  Such circumstances would make a hardened man, or crush him.  He wonders if anyone remembers what this land was like before the forces of Darkness and Light went to war.  He mourns for the life that Jharm may have had under different circumstances. 

"I hope, once this is resolved, that your world can thrive once again."

With renewed vigor, Kitharsis begins digging into the many pouches at his belt.  He retrieves some blank rune stones with nothing carved on their rough surfaces.  Holding the pile of stones in one hand, he delicately picks one up in the other.

"It would do no good to crowd Veldanya's ship.  I will prepare for some of my friends to join us with these rune stones."

The blank rune stone in his hand begins to glow as Kitharsis imparts some of his power into it.  A symbol traces itself onto the surface of the stone.  Satisfied, Kitharsis drops it into an empty pouch at his hip then plucks another rune stone from the pile in his other hand.

"I can do this as we travel.  I am ready to depart."

[Shadow Chorus]

A crack of Green lightning blasts its way from Gulgrim's outstretched arm and Copper rod, vanishing through any material in its way as it shoots into the sky. A moment later, nothing much appeared to have changed, with the majority of the ships conjured existing too far away from the ground to be easily visible. Another moment later, and the sound of jet engines burning through the sky could be heard as the ramshackle shape of a massive Blitza-Bomma began to descend. As it circled overhead, a second Jet sound could be heard, growing louder as if careening directly towards the companions.

"Zoggin' idiot's gonna run 'imself inta da roof." Gulgrim muttered to himself, pointing his Copper rod toward the noise and unleashing another bolt of green lightning. A moment later, a flash blinks out as an Ork with a rokkit pack strapped to his back appeared through the roof, still keeping his crashing momentum as he sped toward the ground. In a smooth movement, the copper rod retreated into Gulgrim's Cybork arm and the same arm swept up, grasping the descending Ork by the throat. The Stormboy's pack guttered and faltered as it tried to fight against the Avatar of Gork and Mork's iron grip, and the Ork in question gagged as his windwipe was compressed by unfeeling metal fingers. Slamming the Ork into the ground with a bellow of "Report ya Zogwit!" the rokkit pack finally cut out, the planted Ork coughing and sputtering as his neck is released, but a moment later, still supine on the ground, he brought a hand up to his head in a sketchy salute.

"Stormboy Naff Gitkrumpa reportin' sir!" The Stormboy spat out a toof, catching it in his free hand as it fell, and scrambled his way to his feet. "WAAAGH!!! Gulgrim's Battlefleet Goff-ic arrived like you wanted. All ships operashunal, we'z ready fer da fight!"

The Warboss crossed his arms and looked over his shoulder at the rest of the Companions. "Well, me boyz are prepped fer combat. Not dat dat's 'ard, considerin' we'z Orkz. Show me da battle-lines, an' I'll get 'em deployed."

[Veldanya Venalla]

The Seraphim watches as the Ork Warboss starts shooting green lightning about and then another Ork manifests and gets choke slammed by Gulgrim.  The Seraphs around the room look between the scene and their leader with a mixture of confusion and concern, a few reaching towards their weapons before Jharm gives a slight shake of his head.  Turning to Soul Reaver he nods.

"Unfortunately as you can see as was the case with Gulgrim, those crystals have far reaching effect, and the closer we get the stronger the effect.  Best option would be having Vee land us a few miles outside of the city and some of my people and myself can provide assistance to temporarily pierce the barrier."

Turning back to the table he gestures a short distance away from the first fort.

"At present this is the rough position of the front lines.  Your people will have little trouble in spotting it Gulgrim, especially from their ships.  As for us, there is a large enough platform just down the hall that Vee can land her vessel on and we can depart from there, stop off to summon in your forces Soul, and then make for the front lines and the fort while my people and Gulgrims Orks can push forward."

Once everyone is prepared he leads them out of the room.  Two armored Seraphs stand at attention outside the door and salute the Seraphim as he passes, their gaze following each of the Companions as they pass.  Further down the hallway Jharm walks through a set of double doors that lead out onto a large square platform, giving the Companions a clear view of the city.  Sunlight shimmers off pure white walls seemingly made of some sort of stone, tall spires reaching up high into the heavens.  Should anyone approach the far edge they would see what looks like a large circular pool that seems to be filled with what could loosely be described as bright glowing water, massive power radiating from the pool.  As Vee arrives on the platform her eyes seem to glow slightly for a moment as she seems to tap at the air in front of her before her eyes return to normal.  A few moments later the roar of twin engines can be heard from above as a ship descends and settles onto the platform, a ramp lowering from the belly of the vessel.  She looks to the Companions and gestures at the ship.

"I present the Aisgeim, she was once one of the crowning achievements for my people."

Without waiting further, she makes for the ramp and heads up inside.  Upon entering the Companions see a large cargo hold, stairs leading up to parts of the ship.

"The bridge is up this way, follow me, mind your heads and shoulders though, she naturally wasn't designed for some larger figures present."

She chuckles and heads up the one set of stairs, taking a final puff of her cigarette and letting it drop to the floor.  Passing various doors she eventually passes through one at the end of a hallway as they reach the bridge.  The viewport giving another impressive view of the city.  Numerous screens and consoles are situated on the walls aroudn the room, with two large consoles set up so those seated at them are facing out the viewport, clearly pilot stations.  Slipping into one the chairs a soft hum can be heard from speakers somewhere in the room

"Welcome back my....Vee.  The Aisgeim is fully prepared to depart, the crystal is at full charge and wards are in place.  New occupants have been added to approved passanger list."

Vee seems to ever so briefly glance up towards the ceiling before she gestures as some of the chairs situated around the room in front of other consoles, their size clearly intended for a more regular sized humanoid shape.

"Feel free to have a seat, though I believe some may be a bit out of luck.  Should you wish to stand, there are some hand holds in the ceiling you can make use of if and when things get bumpy."

Once she is certain all the Companions are on board and situated she starts to press some buttons and flips a few switches.

"Entry ramp retracted and cargo bay sealed."

The slightly muffled roar of the twin engines spinning up can be heard before a moment later the Aisgeim starts to ascend and spins around before the engines roar loudly and the ship takes off, the Seraph city turning to a blur beneath it.  A few minutes later the Aisgeim starts to slow and descend before it lands.  Jharm gestures out the viewport.

"This is as close as we can get and still have a reasonable chance to manifest that portal you will need Soul Reaver.  Lower the ramp Vee, this shouldn't take long I hope."

He heads back downstairs and down the ramp.  Those who follow will see land of mixtures white rocks and dirt and golden grass, a forest nearby of thick white trees with golden leaves.  A group of Seraphs approach, their attire similar to the ones who assisted Gulgrim with bringing his forces in.  He gestures at them as he looks at Soul Reaver. 

"Here they are, we are ready when you are Soul."

[Soul Reaver]

Soul Reaver nods, then proceeds down the ramp.  Even here, he can sense the influence of the Warp Seal generated by the distant crystals.

He had spent the journey thinking about what forces might be most effective in the coming battle.  Creatures that wielded shadow, darkness and poison would not be the best choices - he would instead rely on flexibility and raw physical power.

Standing amongst the white and gold landscape, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and exhales slowly.  Focused, he begins to gesture and speak the words of the spell that will call upon his chosen forces.

Space distorts inward and then tears open, red wisps of Warp energy licking around the edges of the newly-born Warp Gate.  A few moments pass before three hulking figures step from the opening.  To the left, the blazing form of a Fire Daemon, its massive axe wreathed in flames.  To the right, reflecting the flickering inferno, the metallic form of a Steelheart, wielding a two-handed mace the size of a full-grown human.  And at the forefront, his ashen brow framed with twin pairs of horns, a darkly majestic Shadowlord: a Daemon Prince.

Behind the three Greater Daemons, a small entourage of spiked Cruelbeasts and a couple of fat, waddling Daemonspawn emerge.

With a forced, fang-filled grin and glowing red eyes burning with barely-restrained malice, the towering Shadowlord gives a small bow toward Soul Reaver.

"We have come, as summoned, ready to serve."

The Warp Gate snaps shut and Soul Reaver looks over the squad.  On the journey here Soul Reaver had formulated a plan that would allow him to keep these troops close right up until they were in the midst of the enemy territory, where they could be more safely unleashed.

"Follow my lead, Blightwing."

Soul Reaver performs a different set of gestures, and the Shadowlord, Blightwing, contributes with casting of his own.  Suddenly, the entire group of Daemons dissolves into huge plumes of black smoke.

Soul Reaver strides back onto the Aisgeim.

"Vee, you will need to register several more passengers.  It would be safest if they stay here with me for now.  When we are ready to begin the battle, they can be released - air-dropped or otherwise."

Behind Soul Reaver, the qualms of smoke move with a will of their own, organically pulsing, writhing and flowing through the air until they form a roiling black cloud at the back of the ship.

Soul Reaver seats himself once more, staring straight forward and with jaw clenched.  Small beads of sweat can be seen on his forehead.

He did not summon Blightwing lightly - keeping it close would make it easier to maintain his grip over the creature.  But even so, summoning and controlling so many powerful Daemons as well as maintaining a mass Discorporate spell was proving taxing.  It would get easier once the Daemons' natural desire for destruction could be given more free reign.

[Kitharsis]

The Ork always did things unconventionally, and summoning his troops is no exception.  The Stormboy makes quite the entrance, alerting the Seraphs into an apprehensive reach for their weapons.  After a display of Orky decorum it appears that Gulgrim and his troops are ready for battle.

Kitharsis drops another charged rune in the pouch at his waist.

Vee's ship is impressive, and larger than Kitharsis first expected.  Although, ceilings are always too short, and Kitharsis ducks his way through on the way to the bridge.  He grabs onto one of the hand holds in the ceiling as the ship takes off.

Soul Reaver summons his Daemons, impressive as they are.  He is glad they are under Soul Reaver's control.  And yet he can see as they chafe at their bonds. 

The next runestone Kitharsis infuses is given some extra attention as he glances up at the black smoke collecting at the ceiling.

[Fallen Templar]

Much like the Seraphs, Phaerys was briefly caught off guard when Gulgrim's subordinate materialised out of thin air in a remarkably ungainly fashion. What information on the Warboss that Soul Reaver and Kitharsis had provided the Ataran during their travels together had made for an... interesting picture.

With everyone about as ready as they could be, it was time for them to depart. The Aisgeim looked to be a worthy craft for carrying them into battle intact. Had it not been such an improper time, Phaerys would have had more than a few questions for Veldanya about her ship. Of course, he knew better than to distract their pilot mid-flight.

Along the way, the Aisgeim would touch down to allow Soul Reaver to summon reinforcements from Inferno. Cruel, cunning, and utterly terrifying to the eyes of mortals. They were certainly powerful, the Ataran had no concerns about that. Rather, could they be expected to enact their part of the plan without slipping the leash?

Once Soul Reaver returned inside the ship to speak with its pilot, Phaerys followed close behind, with the intention to also offer a suggestion of his own for when the battle would be joined.

"Veldanya, if this vessel has a suitable vantage, I may be able to assist in surface bombardment prior to the assault. I believe it would increase our odds of successfully securing a foothold."

[Shadow Chorus]

Gulgrim followed along behind the rest of the Companions and boarded the Aisgeim with the rest, but the entire time he seemed to be communicating with his ships in Orbit via a mechanical screen that seemed to emerge from the side of his Cybork arm, establishing some form of hololith connection with his vessels far above. As the others made their plans and preparations, Gulgrim commanded his battleforce with the care of an experienced general; though his orders, barked shortly in Ork jargon to various Nobs and sub-bosses under his command, largely amounted individually to 'Go dere an' krump it' or 'hold 'ere an' kill anyfin' dat shows up.', taken in aggregate the Warlord was marshaling his forces at an incredibly fine level, commanding groups of Orks as broad as whole warbands or as narrowly as individual mobs of boyz depending on the situation's needs.

Overhead, the screeching engines of Ork ships could be heard descending into the atmosphere, tailed by the roaring blaze of several Roks careening straight for the front lines to crash cataclysmically to the earth, disgorging hordes of Boyz to prep for the coming engagement.

After the bulk of commands had been issued, Gulgrim brought up one final hololith, and the face of a particularly veteran Ork, his face covered in scars and with a massive, wild-looking hair squig tied back into a great orange tail adorning his head, appeared before him. This boss was decked in furs and bones, skull-shaped pauldrons jutting with massive beast horns, a targeting squig standing on his shoulder linked into a big shoota, allowing the Ork to wield a massive choppa in one hand and an enormous klaw built from the skull of a massive feline beast on his other fist. This Beastboss looked to be of impressive size, though perhaps not as large as Gulgrim typically presented himself. "Varoz da Squiggoff 'ere ta krump for ya Boss." the Ork greeted, saluting with his beast klaw.

"Varog, you'z an' yer Beast Snaggas got da important job dis fight. Load up on yer' Squighogs; you'z runnin' interference fer our attack. When da rest o' da boyz get stuck in on da front lines, you an yer' ladz are gonna punch on through ta hold up an' 'arass anyone 'round da fortress we'z gonna be smashin'. Plenty o' trophies ta take, so get yer ladz gud and ready fer krumpin'."

The Beastboss grinned viciously, the targeting squig on his shoulder hopping about in excitement. "You'z got it boss. Me boyz'll be 'dere ta smash up da uvver lads reel gud."

Gulgrim nodded and cut the connection, looking up at the rest finally. "Everyfin's in order. Got some o' me best ladz ready ta run interference on our target ta help ease up our assault. Ded tuff dey are. Dey'll hold up da enemy just right."

[Veldanya Venalla]

Jharm simply watches from a short distance away as the three large demonic figures emerge from the Warp Gate and acknowledge Soul Reaver, before they disappear into plumes of smoke.  It was not a decision he was fond of making, but his past choices and left few options for being picky about assistance.  He followed the other back onto the Aisgeim, watching the smoke plumes warily before turning his attention away and focusing elsewhere.

"General Drayvon, myself and the others will be en-route momentarily.  Are you managing to hold the front line still?

After a few moments he finally gets a response

"We managed to hold and have begun to finally push the Shaiton back closer to the fort with the assistance of the ones you call "Orks".  I must say though, their method of deployment is...haphazard to say the least.  Some of their landings have almost "landed" right amidst our forces, but one can not deny their motivation."


Jharm nods and then once more shifts his focus elsewhere.

"Lady Nethanya, how goes your forces?"

"All things considered we are doing better then anticipated.  Those Orks are proving to be ample distraction and helping to alleviate the pressure on my troops to protect against the forts bombardments.  I was unsure at first of the new devices you suggested but they are working quite well."

Vee on the other hand has already returned to the command deck and slipped back into the pilots chair.  She doesn't seem to pay much mind to Soul Reavers suggestion, though the warrior can almost feel like a presence somewhere around him is watching, almost monitoring the plumes.  Once all have boarded again, the ramp recedes and the hatch closes as the Aisgeims engines roar to life once more and the vessel rockets into the air and heads for the front lines.  It isnt long before they are flying over the battlefield, display monitors scattered around the ship seeming to show the outside view.  The surrounding land is in sharp contrast to the almost idealic terrain they were standing on but a short while ago.  The land itself looks almost lifeless, various shades of brown, grey, and black as opposed to the brilliant whites and golds.  What few trees can be seen are also just as lifeless, withered husks or shattered stumps.  Far below can be seen the two main armies with a sizable building, most certainly the target of current assault.  As the Aisgeim slowly starts to descend in altitude the battlefield becomes clearer. 

Battalions of Seraphs march towards the fort, clad in arrays of silver and gold.  Large devices looking to be crafted of seemingly a mixture of stone and steel reside on hills closer to the rear, occasionally the rear parts brightening quickly before the front end erupts in an explosion of light as an orb is launched far into the distance to come crashing down on the opposing forces while at the same time a multide of flashes and streaks of light can be seen as shields manifest seeming to block similar projectiles bearing a blackish purple color.  Further forward the front line can be seen, silver and gold crashing against a tidal wave of blacks and purples, blotches of green visible as Orkish Rokks crash into the ground and divulge their occupants.  Upon the top of the fort are large glowing crystals, flashing almost constantly as large beams of more blackish purple light blasts out, targeting the Orkish Armada in the air.  The Aisgeim slows significantly as Vee watches the battle unfold.

"Other then the colors, almost reminds me of home."

She then clears her throat and continues.

"While it looks like your fleet is certainly keeping their attention Gulgrim, I'll be damned if I'm going to risk flying the Aisgeim in close for any extended period.  Thus I recommend ya'll make your way down to the front of the hold.  There's a smaller hatch there that should make a rapid drop much easier, cause I'm sure once I fly in closer, those crystals wont hesitate to lock-on, or whatever it is they do, and start blasting out that purple light in our direction, say nothing of the forces on the ground potentially.  Thus, im not thinking your offer of artillery support will be very possible Phaerys."

Jharm nods and makes his way down into the hold, finding the hatch that Vee referenced on the opposite side.  Finding it leads to much smaller airlock its clear that should the lock be cycled that any within would either be able to jump (or perhaps depending on other factors, be sucked) out behind the Aisgeim as its flying.  Vee looks around for a moment to verify that any others on the command deck have also headed downwards.  Shifting in her chair she takes a few breaths and flexes her fingers.

"Alright, lets show them how we can truly fly."

Her eyes seem to glow for a moment as a few beeps can be heard from the console in front of her before she places her hands down on the armrests of the chair.  A moment later the temperature of the command deck starts to drastically plummet, ice forming around both Vee and the chair until it almost looks like she is frozen over.  From a speaker within the airlock Vee can be heard.

"Right then, I'll take us down, give ya'll a warning and then off you go to cause whatever sort of ruckus you can so we can try to get into that fort.  Don't worry about me, I'll be able to join you once ya'll are safely off and the Aisgeim is out of harms way.  Oh, I would recommend trying to hold on to something perhaps, since we are going in close, things could get quite bumpy."

After waiting for a few moments for everyone to make whatever last second preparations necessary, the Aisgeim suddenly surges forward and down, the engines rumbling loudly as the room seems to rock and shake about as the ship clearly seems to turning and rolling at incredible speeds.  A second later Vees voice is heard once more.

"Yep, those things are quite quick but we're holding our own for sure.  Gunna try to drop you as close to the gate as I can get, here we go!"

Then with a single emergency klaxon the outer hatch hisses open and all the occupants are likely either forced out by pressure/inertia or jump out to find themselves about 10-15 feet above the ground nad landing in an area awash in blood as its clear the Aisgeim blasted the area a moment ago to give the Companions a moment before battle occurs.  All around them are scored of heavily armored Shaiton, pitch black armor, lined with purple accents.  The enemy forces show no hesitation as they turn their assorted melee weapons against the sudden arriving group of attackers.

Jharm wastes no time as the hatch slips open, taking to the air before descending down to almost collide into the enemy forces.  His sledgehammer crushing the nearest Shaiton as if the armor was nothing, a shield of light shimmering on his other arm to block an incoming sword as a brilliant beam of light erupts around him, burning the surrounding Shaiton as he begins to work his way closer to the front of the fort, roughly 20-30 feet away or so.

"For the Light!"

Meanwhile the moment the Companions "disembarked" the Aisgeim rocketed upwards and out of range of the large crystals.  Back on the command deck the temperature rises once more as Vee seems to "thaw" out and lets out a heavy breath.

"Well now, time for me to join them."

She looks up affectionately towards the ceiling.

"You keep yourself out of harms way now, Who knows how accurate those Ork weapons are, not sure I'd trust them not to accidentally hit you or something."

The voice from earlier resonates from the speakers.

"Very well, do be safe down there."

She simply smiles and makes her way down to the cargo hold and to the back airlock where the others were a few moments ago.  Stepping inside, her eyes glow for a moment before metal plates start to slide up from her chest armor under her coat, moving upwards and covering her head.  A few seconds later another single klaxon sounds and the outer hatch hisses open.  Moving to the edge she gazes down at the battlefield a distance down as she slips the two revolvers from their holsters.

"And here we go...I swear this is reminding more of home then I'd like..."

She then swan dives out of the Aisgeim and starts rapidly descending downwards.  Gesture with her one gun-wielding hand a large chunk of ice manifests under her feet and she shifts, looking almost as if she is riding the frozen projectile downwards.  As the ground draws closer and closer she suddenly leaps off the ice and disappears into a shadowy portal, a similar portal appearing closer to the ground, only a few feet above the Shaiton forces and in close proximity to the other Companions.  She effortlessly seems to land on a Shaitons helmet, balancing perfectly before kicking off into a backflip as both the ice projectile crashes into the ground, instantly freezing those directly under it and piercing the surrounding area with razor sharp shards of ice.  As she is flipping through the air her revolvers bellow to life, the booms one could almost mistake for the sound of an Orkish weapon.  The woman begins to shift and move about, her arms twisting and turning so that any motion leads to one or both of her gun barrels blasting into an enemy in what could almost be described as a dance of death.

[Soul Reaver]

As the klaxon sounds and the hatch opens, the black pulsing mist at the back of the Aisgeim is forcibly sucked out by the air pressure difference.  Soul Reaver takes that as his cue and rushes to the hatch, hurling himself out feet-first.

He chants as he falls, and a white sphere of energy pulses into life around him before fading from view.  The black mists reform around him as he falls, swirling like a vortex with Soul Reaver at its epicentre.

One bolt of energy from the Shaitan forces glances off Soul Reaver's magical shield before he can reach the ground, but it fails to do any damage.

Controlling his fall, Soul Reaver lands in the midst of a cluster of the enemy, Blooddrinker already in his hands.  He lands directly atop one of the creatures, bearing it to the ground and simultaneously driving his crimson blade straight through it in a reversed two-handed grip.

The nearby Shaitan take a step back as he lands, and this gives just the room needed for the black mists to reach the ground around Soul Reaver's landing spot.  The mists coalesce back into physical form, and a troop of Cruelbeasts appear in a perfect circle around Soul Reaver.  In a single, coordinated movement, the muscled, spiked abominations each step forward and swing their weapons, cutting or bludgeoning down a Shaitan to consolidate their position.

Soul Reaver stands, spattered with Shaitan blood.  Out of the corner of his eye he can see Vee's dramatic arrival - it seemed she would more than hold her own in this battle.  Taking on a battle stance, Soul Reaver prepares to lead his Daemonic forces forward.

[Fallen Templar]

Phaerys leapt from the hatch along with the others, his own descent was a more gentle one as a controlled gravitic distortion adjusted his velocity. On the way down he hurled an explosive orb of plasma into the amassed ranks of Shaitan. The blast would help break up their formation and leave them more susceptible to the Companions' oncoming charge.

When he landed, the Ataran strode forward with hands held out beside him, his palms already emanating a golden light. A shard of metal the size of a spear quickly materialised in each hand, made from a dense, silvery alloy. They remained in mid-air when he let go, drifting together and hovering beside him as though they were carried in an invisible quiver.

The Companions were making good headway thus far. A foothold was quickly being carved out, but they also needed the impetus to clear a path through this onslaught and proceed to their objective.

Phaerys brought one of the spears forward, pointed towards the Shaitan horde. With immense gravitic force he launched it into the enemy's midst, passing cleanly through several of their ranks like a ballista bolt, penetrating flesh and armour alike as though it were tissue paper. Any Shaitan who weren't killed outright by the attack were left grievously wounded.

The Ataran remained a short distance behind the front-line fighters, using Soul Reaver's own summoned daemons as a defensive screen. From his position, he prepared to lay down additional fire support and cover their advance.

[Shadow Chorus]

As the hatch opened, Gulgrim flung himself out of it, the earth buckling under his weight as he landed, stone and earth flinging outward from the force of falling Ork mass. In the split-second that these small bits of debris are rising, just before they fall, a green spark arcs from Gulgrim's form and dances and darts between the scattering detritus, imparting each bit of upturned terrain with an iota of Orky violence. Instead of falling as gravity bid, each flung speck of earth suddenly shot out in all directions as if fired from a gun, impacting violently against nearby shaitan and exploding in crackling green flame, a hail of meteoric WAAAGH!!! Grenades creating a cascading ring of popping detonations around the Warboss's impact site.

As Gulgrim rose from his crouched position, both his hands rose up holding one of his twin Big Shootas, Mork's Teef and Gork's Teef, and as they came up, they came alive, spitting death at rapid pace at any enemy unlucky enough to find themselves traced in the line of fire, the incessant DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA of Orky firepower playing counterpoint to the battle around.

From just outside the visible radius of the fight came a loud thumping boom and a crashing sound as thumpa grenades from Orky grenade launchers detonated in the distance, scattering Shaitan as Varog and his Beast Snaggas came charging onto the field, riding astride massive squighogs, enormous beasts made of sharp teeth and bad tempers, grenade launchers and sluggas blaring, choppas and klaws slashing, bashing, and snapping wildly in all directions, the hollering of Orks on the warpath ever-present. Varog himself, the largest and most heavily scarred ork in the mob, seemed to be plowing a path of destruction to try and clear the way for his Warboss, acting as the tip of the Ork assault's spear.

Far in the distance, the sounds of Orky firepower could yet be heard as the rest of the Orks touched down on the front lines, falling in Roks and descending on ships to greet the main bulk of the enemy army while the Companions and Varog's vanguard punched further in.

"Yeah, dis is what we like best!" Gulgrim howls, cackling madly as he unleashes hell on the Shaitan forces arrayed against him, bullets, blades, and Orky WAAAGH!!! energy thirsting for the escalation of violence that only a being so primordially designed for it could crave.

[Kitharsis]

Kitharsis wastes no time in leaping from the hold.  A whirling mass of sand appears, swirling around him as he falls.  He lands with a roll, springing to his feet and unsheathing his sword.  As it swings through the air the flame mechanism activates and throws out a flourish of flame.

The Shaiton waste no time in advancing on the drop team.  Before getting surrounded, Kitharsis tosses out a handful of his prepared runes.  As they hit the ground they activate with a burst of light.  Two sandstone elementals materialize, one on each side of him.  To his rear, a giant armored scorpion phases into existence after a sequence of runes paint themselves on the ground.  It's pincers are the size of boulders, and its massive tail ends it a vicous spear like barb.

Kitharsis charges into the Shaiton forces before him.  He blocks a blow with his sword, as his now typical sandstone swords skewer the Shaiton before him.  His molten blades finishes the enemy soldier as he leaps over its body.  He catches the next with an upward swing, his swords searing through the Shaiton's shield and severing its arm.  The three floating swords slash and pierce, always returning to a neutral position at his side.  Kitharsis dances through the Shaiton, his molten blade igniting with each swing, punctuating his attacks.

The sandstone elementals wreak havoc to either side of him, dealing heavy blows and shrugging off any hits they receive.  Their bulky forms bend and break the armor of the Shaiton forces.  The blunt force of their blows dealing massive damage.  The three of them advance toward the fort in front of them. 

The giant scorpion guards their rear.  It's heavy claws severing any unfortunate Shaiton in half if they get too close.  Its lightening fast tail pierces through Shaiton armor like a hot needle.

[Veldanya Venalla]

The arrival of the Companions leads to almost instant chaos amongst the Shaiton lines.  The demonic forces and sand creatures manifesting in their midst shatters the resolute bulwarks that were once holding fast even as waves of bullets and blades slice down scores of defenders.  It isn't long before the forces of Light have pushed to the gate of the keep.  Jharm raises a hand, a single flash of light shooting upwards before a series of booms can be heard from the rear as the Lightcannons unleash a barrage centered on the entrance.  The orbs of light crash into the door, shattering the hinges and causing the large fixtures to collapse to the ground.

"Onwards!  No doubt one of their Generals awaits us within, protecting the Crystal Ward.  We destroy that and my people can better assist with reinforcements!"

Without any hesitation the Seraphim rushes past the broken gates as the Seraph forces work to form a perimeter around the breeched entrance.

Vee on the other hand seems to be rather enjoying herself as she continues to spin and twirl about, leaving either corpses either riddled with bullets or perforated with razer-sharp spikes of glistening ice.  Hearing the Seraphims words she lets out a slight sigh

"Bugger...and just when I was starting to finally have some fun.  Course, that said...it sounds like these "Generals" should certainly put up more of a challenge then their troops seem to be."

With a flourish of her hand she sends out a wave of ice, spearing the nearest rank of Shaiton as her form once more disappears into a shadowy portal behind her to reappear a few feet back, right at the now broken gateway.  Turning she takes off after the charging Seraphim, her long coat trailing behind her as she cant help but grin as she wonders what awaits them inside.

Jharm continues down the entryway, not even seeming to wait to confirm that the rest of the Companions are behind him or not.  Turning a few corners he quickly arrives at a set of large doors currently closed.  Without even breaking his stride he brings his hammer and and slams it against the doors, sending them flying into the room they are securing.  Said room is large, seemingly something akin to an entrance hall of some kind.  There is little in the room beside a large ebony crystal floating above a pedestal, power radiating from it marking it almost certainly the ward preventing the opening of non-Shaiton gates in the area.  Standing in front of the crystal is a large armored figure.  The armor looks to be forged of a pure black metal, the edges adorned with runes pulsing in purple.  Strapped to the figures back is two large greatsword, his arms crossed in front of him as he simply stands and watches the Seraphim and the Companions enter.  A masculine voice rings out from under the helm, deep and resonating with a hint of almost sarcasm at the edges.

"Ahh...well done Seraphim.  I've been expecting you.  He said you would almost certainly be arriving with others unknown to us.  What a rather odd sort they are I must say.   We've got "big green and angry", "tall dark and brooding with a dash of demon", well these two at least seem interesting, "lots of tattoos and sand creatures" and "Metallic automaton being" and then we have.."

His gaze falls on Vee and he seems to pause for a moment, his armored head tilting slightly before he continues.

"Strange...a strange one it seems.  Let's face it though, we both know why you are here.  I see little reason to waste further time on idle banter.  Come then Seraphim, lets see if you're time away and your compatriots are up to the task."

The armored figure uncrosses his arms, reaching up behind him to grab at the twin swords and draws them.  The blades seem to be crafted of a similar dark metal as his armor and begin to glow with a purple aura as he slams the tips down into the ground, the glow spreading to encompass his entire form.

"Tis only fair that you get first strike I think."

[Soul Reaver]

The Cruelbeasts move in careful formation, displaying coordination and skill at arms belying their feral appearance, the Daemonspawn lending their strength and flabby bulk wherever it may be needed to shore up the advancing line.

Once enough space has cleared, the Fire Daemon, Steelheard, and Blightwing the Shadowlord coalesce just in front of Soul Reaver.  Blightwing points a regal, taloned finger and shouts a guttural order.  Without hesitation, the line of Cruelbeasts part while the Fire Daemon purses his lips and spews forth a roaring blast of fire through the gap, igniting several of the Shaitan and forcing the rest to fall back further.  The Steelheart then charges forward, the few Shaitan counterattacks ricocheting harmlessly off its metallic flesh, swinging its enormous mace in huge sweeping arcs.  Bones crunch and ragdoll bodies fly metres through the air, lifelessly hitting the ground with a thump several second later.

The Daemonic forces surge forward through the gap, sinister balefires of Daemon magic flickering from Blightwing's fingers to sow bladed agony amidst his enemy.  They move swiftly and efficiently, Soul Reaver responding with blade and magic wherever the foe tries to rally.  He knew that speed was of the essence - the enemy had to be kept off-balance, or the small, elite force might find themselves overwhelmed.  He trusted that Phaerys would have no trouble keeping up.

Fortunately the Shaitan seemed unprepared for the sheer power that was being arrayed against them: from the corner of his eye Soul Reaver could see Kitharsis' sandstone creations pounding enemies into paste, while Ork Roks screamed down from the skies, belching forth hordes of green-skinned warriors who made up for their lack of discipline and marksmanship with noise, numbers and bloodthirsty enthusiasm.

With all the chaos around them, it is not long before Soul Reaver's forces reach the keep just behind Jharm.  In a flash of light, the seraphim blasts the doors open.

Soul Reaver issues orders to Blightwing - the Daemons were to prevent any Shaitan from attacking their rear.  They would continue to do as much damage and sow as much chaos among the enemy as possible, but if necessary, would ensure they could fall back to the more defensible keep entryway and hold it for as long as needed.  With his commands issued, Soul Reaver runs after Jharm into the heart of the keep.

He halts a few steps behind the seraphim.  He takes in the room, the crystal, and its Shaitan defender.  The creature was clearly powerful and seemed confident in its abilities.  Arrogantly, it invites Jharm strike first.

Soul Reaver would not waste free time if it was given.  He steps behind Jharm, where he begins to chant, mana surging through his veins.  His eyes fixed forward, he holds one hand facing up and partially open.  His fingers tremble with effort as motes of white light begin to gather and arc above his palm...

[Fallen Templar]

Phaerys steadily advanced with the rest of the Companions as they gained further ground in the assault. He darted here and there, providing support where it was needed most. One moment, two more of his alloy spears shot through a gap between Soul Reaver's Cruelbeasts to impale several more Shaitan. Soon after, the ones in front of Kitharsis' sandstone elementals began to stumble under the now unbearable weight of their armour, making them easy prey for crushing fists.

As the battle raged on, the group's smaller numbers in the face of the enemy meant that Phaerys couldn't afford to stay in the back lines forever. The Ataran surged forward, his last remaining spear brandished in his grip. Tendrils of fiery plasma extended from his form, pouring into any gaps in the armour of any Shaitan unfortunate enough to be close by, melting them from the inside out.

It had been a bloody fight, but in the end they had reached the walls. The main Seraphim forces were now providing support, even as the green tide of Orks continued to crash against the Shaitan army. Artillery fire rained down like the hammer of a vengeful god, splitting the gates asunder and allowing the Companions entry. Thus began the next phase of their assault.

Now within the enemy's stronghold, Phaerys kept pace as Jharm led the way. Soul Reaver had sent his own minions back to deter any would-be pursuers. Had it not been their only escape route, Phaerys would have blocked off the passage behind them as well for good measure.

They went further deeper into the fortress, eventually coming into some kind of large hall once Jharm had breached the doors. Inside was their objective... and a guardian assigned to defend it. The armoured figure's offer of allowing the Companions to make preparations before the fight came as a surprise to the "metallic automaton being" in question. Was this mere bravado, or did it truly have the power to back up its confidence? The Ataran was not about to let the advantage go to waste.

Phaerys broke down his last spear into so many tiny, razor-thin shards, drifting together into a clump in the palm of his hand. Next he imbued them with great heat, causing the shards to glow a bright orange and the surrounding air to shimmer. All the while, he studied their new opponent in detail, performing cursory scans of the entity's armour and comparing observable data with his own knowledge. Perhaps there was a weakness in the material, or a means to disrupt its magical nature...?

[Shadow Chorus]

Gulgrim left the carnage of the exterior battlefield behind almost reluctantly as he followed the companions deeper into the fortress, eventually standing before some cocky git in not-quite-spikey-enough armor who thought he was 'ard enough to let someone else get the first blow. Well, the Warboss would be zogged if he was going to give up the opportunity to take him up on that.

"Don' mind if I do." Gulgrim chuckled, swaggering forward as if the general's boast had been to himself rather than to Jharm. As he stepped up next to the Seraphim, not waiting to see if the Angel wished to strike first, Gulgrim began to wind up his Cybork right arm theatrically. "You know wot dey say. Mork 'its ya hard when you'z not lookin.'" the arm came back as if prepped like a bullet, fist just shy of his toothy grin.

"AN GORK 'ITS YA HARDER WHEN YA ARE!" The Avatar of Gork and Mork bellowed, swinging out with a vicious haymaker that was still definitely far too distant to actually connect with the general, standing as he was still across the room with Jharm. However, in the wake of the swing a spectral fist the size of a bus appeared in the air, following the arc of the punch to launch itself directly to the center of mass of this armored figure.

And of course, as is the sneaky way of Mork, a second spectral fist rose up from the ground behind the target, arcing upward in a mirror of the first, aimed like a kidney shot to reflect the haymaker coming from the front. Kidney shot might have been a bit of a misnomer however, seeing as the second appendage was no smaller than the first, the balled knuckles being larger than their target.

[Kitharsis]

Loud booms echo from behind, as Lightcannons blast through the keep doors.  Kitharsis takes this as the signal to charge forward.  It would do no good to run into the keep only to sandwiched between whatever is inside the keep, and the Shaiton following after them. 

He fishes through a pouch on his belt and produces three more rune stones.  With a quick flash of power to ignite them, he tosses them to the side as he approaches the destroyed keep doors.

A sandstone elemental, larger than the other two, bursts forth from the ground.  This one is equipped with a massive spear, giving it even more reach and destructive force.

The other two runes each summon another armored scorpion.  These two are smaller than the giant one already wrecking the Shaiton forces, more the size of a man than a school bus.  But the two new scorpions were quicker, agile, and worked as a team in taking down any approaching enemies.

It appears that Soul Reaver's forces were given the same order, and Kitharsis's desert force accompanies the daemons in defending the rear of the Companions as they enter the keep.

Inside the keep, Kitharsis follows Jharm and the others until they come face to face with the guardian of this ebony crystal.  The figure taunts them, egging them on by seeming to allow them the first strike.  Cautious, Kitharsis can't help but assume a trap.

He extends his palm toward the armored guardian, who was now glowing an eerie purple.  From below, sand begins to rise from the floor.  It quickly rises and covers the figures feet in a blink.  The sand grips his armored boots like a vice, making it near impossible to move without considerable effort. 

While this is happening sandstone spears are forming in the air orbiting the armored guardian.  Once formed they will thrust forward and attempt to impale the figure. 

[Veldanya Venalla]

"Strange....a strange one it seems."

The woman squints her eyes slightly at the statement from the armored form.  She then closes her eyes as if thinking but just then all hell breaks loose as the Companions take the proffered "first strike".  Scowling slightly she slips her guns into their holsters and holds her hands close together, palms facing each other.  An orb of ice begins to form between them before.  A moment later she smirks and spins in place, practically slinging the orb in the direction of her opponent.  The moment the orb leaves her hand shards of ice begin to rapidly fire from within it, the orb racing towards its target before sailing over and circling back around, continuing to speed around the room as ice shards continue to fly from within it.  The Seraphim seems to stand stoically even as his comrades charge in against the armored form.  His glowing eyes travel across the room as he grips his hammer tightly and crouches down slightly as if preparing to leap.

A deep chuckle comes from the armorerd figure even as the giant shimmering fists come at him.  In a flash his one of his greatswords is front while the other is behind, the Orkish assault crashing against the weapons with a resounding boom of force just as the sand spears come flying in at their target.  A faint purplish shield forms around him, the barrage of ice shards shattering against the barrier.  The large crystal at the center of the room suddenly flashes and thrums, seeming to pulse with a dark insidious power.  A moment later the figure seems to melt into the floor in a pool of shadows, the spears embedding themselves deep into the floor.  The figure reappears standing atop the crystal, the dark glow of the crystal seeming to flow up into him as he chuckles. 

"Ah very well done.  You may have even succeeded at one time, but my Lord is with me now.   Let us see, perhaps a....test of your reflexes."

The figure vanishes and it is at this point that Jharm finally reacts, launching himself forward, his hammer glowing brightly as he charges at the crystal itself.

"By the Light, your Lord shall fall....and you beside him!"

The hammer smashes into the crystal, a spiderweb of cracks radiating from the point of impact.  A pulse of shadowy energy erupts from the crystal before the cracks seemingly vanish.  There is no time to react though as a  portal appears and the armored figure springs forth.  At the last second the Seraphim manages to block one of the greatswords with his hammer but the other slips in and leaves a large gash across the warriors chest, silvery blood splashing from the wound and down onto the floor.

"Yes! Just so!  Hehe, I have always wanted to say that."

He then chuckles once more as similar portals manifest by each of the other Companions and a similar figure suddenly leaps from within, greatswords slicing through the air towards their respective targets.

[Kitharsis]

The guardian of the keep disappears, resulting in the companions' attacks doing seemingly nothing.  He now stands atop the large glowing crystal.  The crystal appears to be flowing into the guardian, empowering him.  The guardian guards the crystal, and the crystal guards the guardian.

Kitharsis stands in a defensive guard with his main sword.  The floating sandstone swords dance around him covering his flank.  If this guardian can teleport so easily it would do well to be prepared.

Jharm launches forward, delivering a heavy blow to the ebony crystal itself.  It cracks, but they fade just as rapidly as they were created.  A sound plan, but more force is needed to break through whatever defenses this crystal has.

There is no time to approach the ebony crystal and aid in its destruction, as portals open near each of the Companions. 

A copy of the armored guardian leaps out, greatswords slicing at Kitharsis.  He meets one of them with his main sword, the molten edge activating as it swings through the air.  As the swords collide his molten edge threatens to melt through the guardian's greatsword.

Two of his flying sandstone swords meet the other greatsword, attempting to parry the blow.  The third flying sword surges forward directly at the armored guardian copy.  Kitharsis intends to skewer the figure while its two greatswords are occupied.

As the two of them meet swords, sand starts amassing at their feet.  This bolsters Kitharsis's footing, while creating an unstable surface for the armored guardian. 

[Soul Reaver]

Soul Reaver watches with some trepidation as Jharm's hammer blow cracks the crystal, but fails to destroy it.  The attack had clearly caused some sort of temporary disruption however - it didn't seem to be completely impervious.  He would stay his original course.

However, Soul Reaver is forced onto the defensive when a portal opens before him and a greatsword-wielding Shaitan Lord springs forth.  Blooddrinker leaps up to intercept one blow after another with shrill metallic clangs.  Normally he would have taken a more aggressive stance, but he was absorbed in the casting of his spell and could not divert too much focus from its complex weaving.

But he would need a moment's breathing room for this final stage.  Lunging forward and twisting his red sword, Soul Reaver locks the enemy's blade into Blooddrinker's jagged crossguard, then forces their point downward with a circular motion.  With a final arcane word, Soul Reaver draws his arm back and completes his spell.

Closing his hand, he plucks a lance of blinding white light out of the air: a Spear of the Apocalypse.  With a grunt, he hurls the devastating projectile like a javelin at the heart of the crystal.