princeofskotos: (Default)
Avshar ([personal profile] princeofskotos) wrote in [community profile] imperial_stage2012-04-30 01:07 pm

The Battle for the Capital

Who: Avshar and warriors from everywhere in the Empire
What: All the kingdoms of Dagaria gang up to tear Avshar down from the throne.
Where: Directly outside the Imperial City
Warnings: Violence, blood, death, etc


[The night before the final battle]

The various kingdoms of Dagaria have, for once, put aside their differences to march on the Capital and take down Avshar. The two armies are close enough that if you climb up a hill in the Dagarian Encampment, you can see the thousands of camp fires of Avshar's army in the distance. The nomads aren't letting you get any sleep either. Occasionally one of them will wheel his horse just out of bowshot range to shout insults or even to just give wordless shrieks of hate. Even more distracting, though, is the drums. Somehow their sound is traveling all the way here, in an endless one-two beat like the heart of a demented god. It may not be enough to distract hardened determined warriors of fame, but among common rank and file, tensions are high and men are nervous. It's also very difficult to sleep.

[The morning of the battle]

Contrasting the grim business of the day, the sun is out shining merrily, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. If anything, it looks like today is going to be uncomfortably warm.

The two armies are lined up. Avshar's forces formed in a mostly disorganized swarm, anchored on one flank by a series of forested hills that were difficult to get through, and by the ruin of a small fort that had a few archers and a large dart thrower stationed in it. The army is slightly larger than the forces arrayed against it, and there are various demonic creatures spaced throughout it, but overall it looks like the average quality of troop may be a bit lower than the opposition.

Avshar himself is leading from the very center of his army, beneath a large battle standard of Skotos' emblem. The Standard waved back and forth three times, and the army came to a halt. You can dimly hear Avshar's voice in the distance. He appears to be giving a speech to his men to raise morale right before the fight.

If any of you want to do the same thing or make any last minute confessions, now is the time to do it.

[The battle!]

Avshar's cavalry flowed towards the Dagarian army like a tide. As they got into bow range, the nomads abruptly turned aside in a huge confusing mess that none the less seemed controlled somehow. As they turned, they started firing arrows, emptying quivers as fast as they could into the Dagarian forces in a deadly hail of needle pointed arrows. Occasionally a band of Nomads would run closer to unleash a few heavier arrows that were more suited for piercing heavy armor. Thus was the battle style of the steppe nomads. Eventually arrows ran low and scimitars came out, flashing in the sun, as the nomads charged in for melee range. What their fighting lacked in military precision, it made up for in sheer ferocity.

Avshar himself stood at the back of the army for now, considering his options. He had some truly horrifying spells he knew, but if he devoted too much power to a single spell and it somehow failed, he might be in trouble. Eventually he nodded to himself, coming to a decision. Let it be something minor, for now. The Dagarians would surely see it as the forerunner of something greater and more terrible. It will make them nervous. He reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a tarot card. "For thine gifts, Skotos, I thank thee."

He crushed the card in one hand and started chanting. As he did, the card burned in a blue flame until nothing was left in his hand. An almost imperceptible wave of force spread across the entire battle, multiplying the power of any magician present. Avshar himself, at the card's focal point, was no exception.
greyerrant: (helmet)

[personal profile] greyerrant 2012-05-04 04:56 pm (UTC)(link)
"Thrust, thrust, STEP. Thrust, Thrust, Step!" Garviel bellows, trying to make sure the company keeps the rhythm even with the close press of the melee, clearing a path for himself with long, sweeping strikes of the chainsword, his enhanced physiology and power armor allowing him to reap a significant toll of both man and horse.

worshipisbad: (NPC)

[personal profile] worshipisbad 2012-05-04 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Then came the screeching hordes of humans.

Oh, they died by the droves but for every one that fell, two more stepped up in place, climbing over the corpses of their comrades. If they couldn't plunge their primitive weapons into horses, they climbed up to drag down the riders, fanaticism burning sharply in their eyes.
greyerrant: (There is only war)

[personal profile] greyerrant 2012-05-05 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
"Reform the turtle! Don't let them...."

Loken growls as arrows pierce his men through, downing Legionares, beastmen, and cultists with equal abandon, and then he sees the demons striding towards them.

"Throne..." He growls, "Fall back. Now. Reform at 300 paces. This is my fight."

worshipisbad: (NPC)

[personal profile] worshipisbad 2012-05-05 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
Even the humans staggered backwards. Some looked ready to flee but the Commissar put a pistol to the head of one soldier and pulled the trigger, reminding the rest that retreat wasn't an option. But what could they do against that?
nightskysword: (smirk)

[personal profile] nightskysword 2012-05-06 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
Somewhere near Loken, a magic seal of a style he probably remembers from his first lifetime appears in thin air, resolving in a flash of purple light into a white-armored woman holding a sword.

Her eyes first dart around the battlefield, assessing the enemy and assuring the fact that she's standing far away from any Sawan troops. Once she's sure of that, she turns to address Garviel.

"Well, 'Cerberus', I'd say it's time for that favor I offered you, don't you agree?" Archer says with a smirk, drawing a sword.
greyerrant: (There is only war)

[personal profile] greyerrant 2012-05-06 05:26 am (UTC)(link)
"For Belka, humanity..."

He raises his bolter, unleashing a torrent of explosive magical bolts down range, cartridges of Belkan make spiraling out of the shell ejector in a brass rain.

"And honor." He brandishes his chainsword in response to the Demons' challenge, and stands beside Signum.

nightskysword: (flames of battle)

[personal profile] nightskysword 2012-05-06 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
"They went a little crazy with the Cartridges after my time, I see," Archer says, legitimately smiling now. "Let's give them hell, Berserker."

With that, she launches herself forward in a flight-assisted countercharge, sword slashing at the first of the demons and smashing back its clawed appendages.
greyerrant: (helmet)

[personal profile] greyerrant 2012-05-07 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ Garviel charges pell-mell after the flying Archer, his chainsword a shrieking wall of adamatine teeth and ceramite blade as he wards any of the demon's bites off, counterattacking with short blurts of the bolter. He growls at Archer. ]

Concentrate on offense, you have the mobility advantage here. I'll do my best to keep their ire occupied.

nightskysword: (attack)

[personal profile] nightskysword 2012-05-07 02:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Archer acknowledges the suggestion with a yell, sidestepping in the air around a striking claw and spinning to slash down hard on the offending arm, cutting a gouge through it. The roaring creature's other limb is blocked by a purple shield in the shape of another magical circle.
greyerrant: (There is only war)

[personal profile] greyerrant 2012-05-10 01:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Loken doesn't show any mercy, snarling like an angered dog or wolf, he throws his battered form forward, scything into the wounded demon's defenses with a nigh-psychotic intensity, the unfettered fury of a man who cares little for life and death, caring only to destroy his foe.

"You misbegotten spawn of darkness, die!"

nightskysword: (attack)

[personal profile] nightskysword 2012-05-10 03:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"Laevatein!"

Now that she has the demon's attention, Archer loads a Cartridge into her sword and invokes its first Noble Phantasm. Pausing for but a brief second in the face of the attack, Archer waits for an opening and intones "Fiery blade - SHIDEN ISSEN!"

As the demon's remaining claw strikes down at her, Archer charges inside its reach at blinding speed, cutting and charging through the demon itself, or so it appears, trying to cut it apart with one strike of her fiery, mana-charged Noble Phantasm.