The Stike at Kobal Keep ---&RPaward

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Aria
Posts: 218
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2015 12:11 am

The Stike at Kobal Keep ---&RPaward

Post by Aria » Mon Jan 10, 2022 8:26 pm

The Strike at Kobal Keep
A dramatic retelling

As Aria crouched, keeping her breaths easy and ears straining to track the ponderous footstep above, the Aes Sedai wondered how it came to this. Around her in the shadowy basement mausoleum of the infamous Kobal Keep waited the rest of the strike group. Warder Ryzom had lead this group into the heart of the Blight in search of Justice, the legendary blade of Artur Hawkwing. With the help of the distraction team from Draz Gaidin, their infiltration was supposed to be undetected, especially after they easily neutralized the remaining sentinels in the Keep.

And yet as they entered the basement, filled with confusing mixture of shadow artifacts and refuse alike, it was Ryzom who first noticed the encroaching footsteps ahead, halting the group with a raised finger. All turned to the iron wrong staircase that they had sealed secure behind them.

It was a small group of five designed for infiltration deep into the Blight. There was two Yellow Ajah Sisters, Aria and Shiva Hakar. Both were critical as any injuries or wounds behind enemy lines would otherwise prove disastrous. Then there was the Blight-wary pair of Ryzom Gaidin and his Aes Sedai Ysabelle de’Vallio of the Green that would be the core of the strike group. Gilbert the pathfinder rounded out the group as the rear guard. Although, tiny in number, they had enough fire power to level a fortress. The Trolloc investigator above would find a quick end if he was unlucky enough to come down. And yet, Aria felt a sense of unflinching foreboding.

The footsteps stopped above the closed staircase. There was a muffled rattling from the other side of the iron. All eyes turned to Ryzom. The normally gregarious Warder kept a calm face, but he made a gesture with his hand. Follow my lead. Whatever they did, they would have to be careful. Whatever curious shadowspawn poked their nose into the hornet’s nest would have to be dispatched quietly or else wake the entire Keep.

Aria placed a hand on her sword hilt, baring an inch of steel. She would prefer to use the One Power, but who knows if there could be a rare Dreadlord in the vicinity that could sense the use of Saidar. The rest of the strike group too tensed up, weapons at the ready at Ryzom’s command.

The explosion of power tore through the moment of silence as the iron staircase crashed down to the basement floor. Through the plume of dust, four figures landed from above on top of the rumble. Black cloaks hung unnaturally in the debris. Four figures stood in the gray light drifting down from the jagged hole in the ceiling. Three wore crisp black leather outfits like congealed night, a sight that would strike terror into even the most hardened Borderland soldier. They bore the ancient symbol of Aes Sedai, an arrogant corruption of the original meaning. Their faces were immediately known by any that knew the dangers of the Shadow’s army. Mikhan the Master Genocide, Sazi the Shadow’s Terror, and Nevaeh the Betrayer. The only Trolloc was no mere brute, but Trill, the assassin of the night, blade stained with the blood of countless Aes Sedai. A lone Dreadlord could bury an entire army, but the potential of three such in one place was unthinkable. It was the Dark One’s luck.

Cruel smiles appeared on the Night Generals’ faces as they regarded the trapped rats before them, vision of torture floating in their faces as the ambient light of the room darkened as they drew in immense power from their Dark Master.

At the same time, along with her Sisters, Aria desperately embraced Saidin and pulled in as much power as she could hold, it felt like the word begin to slow, seconds ticking into minutes. The hair on Aria’s arm rose at the elemental forces collecting in a room to a crescendo. The room boiled with world-breaking energy and killing intent.

Then time returned as Ryzom roared, “Aethan Youna!” and charged. Let me be your shield. With that, the room exploded into lethal energy. The stone walls melted like ice and shards of molten rocks geysered across the room. But most of the Dreadlord’s lethal weaves were aimed at the charging Warder. It was a suicide charge, but intuitively the only gambit that may their saving grace. Aria ducked to a knee as shockwaves flashes above. She grasped threads of all five Elements, send them rushing after the back of Ryzom. Her Ward Against Damage barely managed to wrap around the Warder as the first of the city-breaking weaves crashed against him.

A tumult of fire, ice, and lightning collided against the hastily erected shield of Saidar around Ryzom. The impact of hostile energy around him was like a halo of intense blinding firestorm, gray stone melting beneath his feet like spring snow. Although Aria’s Ward held for the initial onslaught, the immense destructive power of the combined Dreadlord savagely tore through the layers of protection before the Warder reached halfway. Aria grimaced as she felt her Saidar threads snap back to her, barely braced herself against the recoil.

The first fireball exploded against the now exposed Warder. It melted his breastplate immediately, tongues of flame wrapping around him. It must have been pure agony, yet he continued his berserker’s charge unflinching. Through the storm of exchange of primal forces, Ryzom let the momentum of his charge carry him forward. When the Dreadlords realized that he would not halt before their bombardment, they tried to scatter, but Neveah was just a second too slow, as the Warder collided into her, send the Empress of Pain crashing against the opposite wall and pausing her destructive output. Still ablaze in flames, Ryzom swung his sword to scatter the other Dreadlords from their tight formation.

Dark General Mikhan ducked away from Ryzom’s swing, exposing him enough for Ysabelle’s devious fireball to catch him. The battle experienced Green Sister seized the opportunity to follow with two more fireballs that boiled over the Dreadlord. Even with the power of the Dark One’s gifts, a Dreadlord’s body was still merely human. Mikhan toppled, writhing to the ground, as the Green Sister’s righteous flames chewed through his corporeal form.

Fighting grimly through the flames consuming his body, Ryzom stumbled forth, plunging his sword into Nevaeh, staking the Queen of Nightmares against the stone wall with his half melted sword shard. That would be his last action as Sazi poured liquid flames at his back until the Warder finally collapsed under the onslaught.

Ysabelle stumbled, reeling under the flashback of pain through her warder bond. She collapsed to bended knee, her iron will the only thing keeping conscious. The shadow assassin Trill leaped from the shadows, pouncing down at the vulnerable Sister. Inches before Trill could sink his steel fang into Ysabelle, Shiva catch the shadow assassin with a Hammer of Air, sending him on a collision course with the wall. Trill tucked into a roll, bounced off the wall with bended legs and leaped back. But this time he was intercepted by the watchful Gilbert, and the two tumbled and wrestled across the ground, steel flashing and sparking.

Dreadlord Sazi turned his bone-melting fire towards the Aes Sedai, but Shiva and Aria countered with torrential weaves of ice and wind, shielding their grieving sister. And second by second, the Aes Sedai weaves held holding the Dark General’s flames in a standstill. Then, Ysabelle, finding deep a last reserve of strength in her bottomless grief, raised a hand and added a stream of fire to join her Sisters’ powers. That was enough for the combined powers to consume and pierce through Sazi’s black flames. The Sultan of Sin’s eyes opened in surprise as the Aes Sedai weaves washed over him, screaming in rage as his disintegrating body was reduced to atoms.

As the wave of Power silenced in the room, Aria and Shiva rushed forward, their duty not finished. They kneeled over Ryzom’s smoking body. His entire body was a unrecognized charred mess of melted steel and blackened skin. Gilbert pulled his sword from the still body of Trill, and limped forward. He left the task of Ryzom to the Yellow Sisters as he scooped up Ysabelle before she could fall.

In tandem, Aria and Shiva extended weaves of Spirit into Ryzom’s blackened shell, desperately searching. And then they found it, a tiny dying flicker of life in a cold dying shell. And they fanned that tiny ember with all Five Elements, fighting through their exhaustion. That kernel of life glowed faint and weak, but it glowed none the less and there was a tortured gasp of air from the Warder’s scorched lungs. But to stabilize that life sapped the last of the Yellow Sister’s strength and it still may not be enough. Resourceful Shiva took a dagger from her belt and skillfully carved through the thick black eschar over Ryzom’s chest, allowing him to inhale through the vice grip of the burned tissue.

A few pebbles trickled down the open stairway. Aria drew her blade, but the face that peered down was a familiar relief. The curious face of Draz Gaidin peered down the hole. He had led the decoy team, and must have doubled back.

“So when are you going to invite me? I could hear it from a league away…” The Warder’s face paused as he took in the destruction below, the bodies of the Dreadlords, and the ragged Aes Sedai leaning over the burned figure of his brother. “Mother’s milk in a cup.” He cursed, dropping a rope ladder over the edge, and neatly sliding down and landing next to them. “Is he?”

“Barely.” Aria says grimly. Ryzom’s pulse present, but so thready. His breathing was agonal, but still breathing.

“We must go.” Gilbert carried the nearly unconscious Ysabelle in his arms.

“And Justice?” Draz peered at the back.

“We have lost today.” Aria shook her head. “We have to cut our loss.”

Draz picked up Ryzom and slung him over the body, and the assault team quickly made their ascent as the inhabitants of the Keep began to wake up

“It was no loss, sister.” Shiva replied fiercely as she ascended. She gestured down at the remains of the Dreadlords. “We have cut the head off the Shadow today. Justice may wait, but this is a victory. Ryzom staked his sacrifice on that.”

“She is right.” Ysabelle whispered. “The price is paid. Tar Valon burns through Kobal Keep today.”

And the assault team retreated from the Kobal Keep, with grim determination and hope. Justice will wait.



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Last edited by Aria on Tue Jan 11, 2022 4:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Jenda
Posts: 358
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:33 pm

Re: The Stike at Kobal Keep

Post by Jenda » Tue Jan 11, 2022 11:52 am

Pretty epic writing, Aria! I enjoyed it. (I don't remember being there lol)

Aria
Posts: 218
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2015 12:11 am

Re: The Stike at Kobal Keep

Post by Aria » Tue Jan 11, 2022 4:17 pm

Jenda wrote:
Tue Jan 11, 2022 11:52 am
Pretty epic writing, Aria! I enjoyed it. (I don't remember being there lol)
Oh oops! Sorry! Accidentally got some wires crossed in the editing!

Siro
Posts: 501
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 3:38 pm

Re: The Stike at Kobal Keep

Post by Siro » Sun Jan 16, 2022 10:09 pm

Fun read. I enjoyed the way it was based on a log.

Awarded 7 Qps.

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