Shadows Igniting (Att The Order of Takhisis)

[Nocticula]

It was cold. But not so cold that you were dead. No, not that cold. You see, as winter approached your body grew rather accustomed to the cold. If you were primarily indoors, and went outdoors, sure, you caught the bloody annoying cold. But what if you lived outside, like the rangers of old did. Friends and accomplices with nature. At one with the cold as the trees themselves who dealt with and learned miniscule methods to deal with the temperatures and means that led ones breath to drift in white puffs before your face. To some, it was a skill, survival.

Nonetheless, Torienthos was still about during the winter season. Like the regiment that he belonged to, The Knights of Etherlight, he was not sent to some garrison in some distant city or land where they would be posted at until the eve of coming spring when the weather would suffice to allow them to roam about again In propaganda of war against those who were unlawful.

So, what was Torienthos doing in the woodlands outdistancing the old and well known land of Sylvanestisia. Hmm. It was an interesting question. For better known inuendos, he and his band of a handful of similar knights were about the process of safeguarding travelers along roadways and paths that bled through rather dangerous territories. Many of their duties sponged up the blood of bandits in their deeds of good nature. Other days might have been recorded as lessening the population of the evil lot o the worlds’ population. There were no definite records pertaining to Torienthos and his band. For they were discreet. Remaining on the slim reaches and edges before the darkness of shadows overwhelmed them and kept their true intents and activities unknown.

What? Were they in concern towards the followers of Takhisis? Well, they were aligned with the good of society. A marksman could easily decipher that there would be an instant of conflict between Torienthos and those who followed Takhisis. So it was…that, whilst within the shadows of the woods that reached the bounds that one knight or another that followed and held to the codes of the dark knights that a source of good would begin to ebb about in the transculency of the darkened reaches of the abiding woodlands. A source of nature in the form of good comradrie that was plentiful, most discreet and remnant in the shadows. Their number left unknown, unable to be obtained, and secreted by nature itself. Yet, their plight was pursuing the dark knights, and basically, anyone who sought to bring destruction to the good of the people.

Easy to figure out now isn’t it? Let us begin the hunt. Prey would begin to be sought. Not large in number. Not godlike in powers. For neither was possessed by Torienthos and his handful of knights this far out. A regiment was in the distance at his command. But the communication with such a number was slow and aged and still unsure of.

Yet, there had to be a source, deeper than the scrambling hordes of conscripts and or para-military that were normally discovered, and blotted out of existence. There had to be something greater to defeat. Something more threatening to defeat. Something more scrutible to sharpen his wits upon. For there was no great good force before him that was written upon records that had erased all evil from the earth. Such had to still exist, somewhere, that he could seek out..and bring a fight to, a war to..a lasting insurgance against a thwarting culture, god, or declaration of laws and beliefs that must be overpowered and shown the proper civil manner of…living.

[The Order of Takhisis]

The song of the morning came against the earth, the snow covered land was at peace. Situated upon the harbor of the Frost Vale. A crisp breeze ran it's course along the shacks and huts in the area, villagers trudging about. Birds that had been vibrant before, now fell still and quiet. A howl arose, like that of a wolf, but not. Men turned to the sound, for it was strange.

Children and women paused, and then from the treeline distant they burst. Infantry in black uniforms, scouts of a much larger force just a bit behind. Banner of the five headed serpent carried upon their right arms, and upon that of the steel beast that emerged from the woods, grinding the dirt and snow together as one. At the lead of the pack, the cupola of the lead vehicle clanged open to present what could only be an officer clad in the same uniform as the scouts save that atop his head was a field cap, a headset and gloved hands. A gesture from said officer, lancing his arm out straight towards the village before the mechanized infantry-knight legion.

Elgg mina jal! Tai'luen naust d' mina! Nau ka'lith whol l' yibin! The old tongue came forth in a yell, a deep baritone voice that was gravelly and yet tinged with an icey begining. The officer in the light tank cupola twirled his right index finger in a go forth and hither gesture, and the legion descended upon the once sleepy village. With creaking gears and thunderous reverbrations, did the mechanized infantry legion approach alongst the dirt paths between shacks and the lone tavern.

A fell time, the terror of that which is the faith of Takhisis had come the Frost Vale village. Plynn nindel uss' karliik! Growled out by a leader amongst the infantry legionary, pointing towards the old village elder standing so defiant in the path of the charge while raising the assault rifle to bear. The Takhisian M22 rifle was a signature weapon, standard issue and it was telltale in it's bark. The elder stumbled backwards, 7.62x51mm rounds zipping through him as spurts of crimson danced forth from wounds. The sound of the body hitting the ground was as if a lump of potatoes in a sack, leaking forth a small pool into the mud and icey slush. The figure of command looked on, spitting to the right. Black juice of the Vlos Lasse.

The vile liquid carried a pungent odor. As the infantry surged forth, some of his legionary tossed torches into the huts and shacks, while others shot down those still fleeing village folk with a lack of empathy or other emotion. To the legionary, putting down these villagers was akin to putting down a feral mutt. They werent of any concern to the greater glory.

There was to be no mercy from these dark knights. Only the faithful would be spared, and there were none in this village.

[Nocticula]

It was unestimateable, the number of men in this army. It though, had many assets that would allow a scout to be able to claim that it was just that, an army of threatening size. It was far too many in number to be considered a roving patrol. Orders were notably taken from a few men wearing distinctive uniforms, however slightly different then those rushing forward, bearing nuiances of evil.

Trained eye a means to better pick out ones target for from a distance. The distance was the very tree-line that the infantry and light armor had charged from. It was of course questionable just how much of the land surrounding the waterside village was fenced by trees. These lands were not his own. The villages upon them he knew not of, nor of the alignment of the citizens within them.

Thus, Torienthos and his men were more-so watching to decipher who was who. Which side would be the one to provide some means of justice. It did not take long to figure out which was which. The Takhisians were watched, well armed with weapons suitable to more than mere militia. With uniforms and bodyarmor that was made no doubt for purposes to fuse them together as one and make some semblance of unity amongst their lot. Yet, it was not difficult at all to determine that they were still fresh to the actual order of battle. The way they shouted. Their demeanor in combat itself that lacked particular form and training that true seasoned soldiers were driven to exhaustion in order to complete.

At first, awhile ago that is, Torienthos and his band of discreet shadow lurkers had been scouting the woods whilst a few of their number were hunting for food. It was one of his men who had distanced himself quite a bit from the others that had come upon the first signs of the army. It was way too much trouble for an army to cover their tracks. The trash that they’d leave at campsites for instance. The tracks alone able to be easily identified via trampled earth and remade paths. An actual paved road to a mere village was impossible to find unless the territory was truly a rich one. That definitely was not the case in this area.

Nonetheless, the tracks were reported with the scouts’ agile return. The others were gathered as they returned from their own chores and beckoning via animalistic companions. In due time, the tracks were followed to this very point. A distance was kept. The sound of people being slaughtered an easily discernable commotion in the farther reaches of the woods they would pass through. Yet, cautious they were as they would approach. For they knew not if there were enemy forces laying in wait.

Nonetheless, they had their own camoflauge that distraught the sight of them from vision nearly completely. Becoming cast in overtures of shadow and a mere mist of faded air they were most adept at sneaking about in such terrain. After confirmation was made as to what was occurring. A few experienced decisions were made. Their dozen or so in number were not enough to take out the entire army. They though, could do a bit to hinder them from being so lethal against their next victims.

His men thus were dispersed with the fluency that each was well trained and known to perform without being babysitted or given further attention to unless a change in orders was necessary. A few would remain in the treetops, to begin picking off the enemy that might still be in the woods themselves. The loners and ones that would not be noticed as they crumbled to the ground from death by well placed shots leaving suppressor clad barrels. Then others, small groups in near instant unison would become crippled and soak the ground with blood as several shots hurtled forth at different targets with precise aim.

Yet, still a few more of his men would go about another task. The setting of traps that would cause injury and confusion when their number would return. Their baggage to be pilfered and food stores dabbled upon with poisons.

It would be a bit of work no doubt. To make their way to the tree-line with all before it finding themselves under their judgement call of death. Or so it could be, depending on their number. For the army was still uncounted. And their entire force could already be at the village in the attack instead. There could as well be no baggage or belongings left behind in some means of a camp if no camp even was set up. They were likely to be on the move after all, such tact might not be of their elk.

[The Order of Takhisis]

These were soldiers of her exterior colonial holdings, and by Her, Nain De'Wyren, Empress of the Order of Takhisis, conscripted early on by passing missionaries of Her favor. They were easily swayed by a bit of riches and shiny baubles.

There had been the basics in training spent on them and to some degree they were versed in rural combat scenerios and so forth given their own homes. Takhisis and the Empress's favored Duke of the South, saw the need to put as much chaos to a fresh land as possible before the true threat would arrive. Full at strength, fresh for war, and facing a territory that had sapped it's strength against the colonial legionnaires.

Such a savage was the infantry officer that as the many bullets connected with the village elder, finding nearly not enough flesh and bone to slow it's progression, his eyes already sought a fresh target. The soldiers if you would call them such, were already torching the huts of these lowly lake folk, or taking it uponst themselves to have a time with the surviving women folk.

First pleasure and then a spitting of the squirming, pleading body upon stakes. The exterior townships that survived in the colonial territories were of an ancient cult of blood followers, believing it gave them strength. The soldiers at the village had already failed to notice it's sentries had fallen, grasping at throats or clutching wounds upon their chests.

Unfortuantely for their killers, their was no camp. This colonial forces would lay waste to the village, pick it clean of it's food stuffs before more then eating said dead or dying villagers as well. To the faith of the legion, a heathen might as well be a pig waiting to be stuck, and in some cases, that could be taken quite literally.

Only when their fell tongue was not answered back did suspicion creep forth. Scouts sent forth did not return, and thus the soldiers of this particular regiment began to grow nervous even as orders were barked to move forward. There was hesitation but only for a moment, as training kicked in, they began to advance upon foot towards the exterior of the village.

Whilst not as expertly trained as perhaps what was killing them off one by one or in small groups as they were seperated into, this land was land they knew. The infantry began to form a loose advancing line while a few pieces of light armor followed behind. The two medium armor pieces remained within the center of the village itself, alongst with a contingent of legionnaires taking up positions.

Amongst the infantry however, four legged beasts known as Worgs, were released. The fell breed of hunter, similiar in nature to a wolf but several more times aggressive and nearly twice the size of such a creature being compared to were already snarling as they bounded towards the treelines with their masters in pursuit.