The Esoyan Civil War [IC] [All-Tech]

[Nuxipal]

Bridge of the IKN Orphan Soul

Viridiana looks over the deployment and shakes her head. "Our forces on Ronganadi found some flag on our island. They promptly removed it. Seems one of the forces allied to Krieg has decided to try and claim the lands were were promised for this operation."

Shaking her head, Elamain said, send a message to these allies of Krieg that they may fight alongside us, but it doesn't give them claim over our islands in Ronganadi, which reminds me.. we need a renaming committee over here as soon as we get the outposts fully established and the big island converted."

As the two discussed how to best organize the new territories, their forces still had to assist in putting down native rebellions. Specialized weapons had to be brought forth to begin clearing the dangerous territories of Shiyque of its fauna, including the native sentient beings.


Aulyana Peninsula

6 Battalions of the Mri Imperial Army had landed and begun operations with an over flight of the 39 Destroyer Mk.iiis. While the local resistance had been fairly paltry so far, the toxin rounds for the JAPs were starting to be fired into the surrounding area. The weapon was pulled from the old ordinance computers to be fabricated specifically for this continent. It'd been awhile since it was needed, but here was something that seemed to fit the weapon's specifics.

The guns began firing into the wilderness and as the shells detonated a grey-green cloud billowed through the surrounding jungle. The weapon was a chemical toxin designed specifically to attack the cell membrane of any living being it came into contact with. However, life with a cell wall was completely unaffected as the toxins couldn't penetrate the additional barrier to dissolve the membrane beneath. The resulting death screams of various creatures near the contact site would fill the air for moments before fully dissolving beneath the artillery strikes. Additionally, the Rocket Artillery systems were being prepared with the same weapons to clear their path through the jungles and forests of the land around their landing site.

[Bakivaland]

Bakivaland formally withdraws itself form the Esoyan Civil War...

[Hahoalki]

The next step began once the odds and ends reached about 1900 meters below the surface of Onuia Island, it began to spread out. The matter devoured by the utility fog was fed into the soliton forge, allowing it to produce large numbers of Q-Batteries, which would be useful later on. The cave thus escavated began to grow. A few more warp motes unleashed their payloads of utility fog and soliton forges, which began the process of turning about a sixty cubic kilometers of rock into a sprawling underground fortress.

The "shell" of the fortress was femtomatter-reinforced degenerate matter with Langston Effector Grids on the inner and outer surfaces, held up by a network of mass-streams. Sixty soliton forges were inset in the shell, at the vertices of a truncated icosahedron. And the interior was a labyrinth of metric looms, plasma chambers, computronium blocks, and empty spaces - some as large as 250 meters across.

The entire process didn't release many vibrations - at least, not enough to be seismically measurable - though a decent amount of waste heat was released, causing a 5 degree celsius spike in temperature throughout the regions of Onuia directly above and adjacent to the site of the fortress. This would be the first "major" sign of activity observable from below.

Shortly after the structure was completed, Hahoalki began digging tunnels to uninhabited areas on the surface of Onuia. Upon reaching the surface, using a supply of organic feedstock, the utility fog would begin to construct nanotech-infused biotechnological structures that almost perfectly mimic the local flora. Fake insect eggs appear in the vicinity of these plants, and these grow into near-perfect mimicries of local flying insects. These latter then proceed to spy on the inhabitants of Onuia, allowing Hahoalki to form a picture of the local culture, and the "handles" by which it could be manipulated.

[The Ancient Caste]

1-1 /// INTO THE UNKNOWN

-{The Seer, Meclya}-

The Seer continued their inexorable wanderings. The hostile biosphere of Esoya seemed to have no effect on them, the flora seemingly nontoxic while the fauna kept their distance, as though subconsciously aware that the entity in their midst was not an intruder nor disruptive force, but merely an observer.

Soon, word began to spread among the natives of Meclya of the Seer, and beyond through their communications. Sightings, at first, of their tall, gaunt form watching over settlements. Then, an incident, the Seer trespassing into the bounds of a village for a closer look, stopped by the barrel of a gun. Rumor obscured what had transpired, but they all spoke of it…singing. A language of song and harmonies, that soothed the mind and eased the soul. It was permitted among the people of the settlement, before it departed back into the forest. Similar events began to pop up across Meclya, fragments of its songs replicated by the natives, but never perfectly-some notes, some tones were simply beyond their range of vocalization.

All the while, the Seer wandered. And saw. Gradually, it began to work its way northward, to the border between Meclya and Gabirane.

-{Deep below the surface, Ancient Citadel}-

Silence.

Silence filled the chamber. Draped over the blank walls and engraved floors like funerary shrouds, the chamber was devoid of all disturbances. Indeed, even the engravings on the floor were minimal-decorative, yes, but with purpose.

At the geometric center of the room, a creature lay. Spiral shell adorned with countless masks, slime-coated tendrils resting along the haft of a scepter, it meditated, the bioluminescent organs along its shell and body blinking in slow synchronicity. And it Saw.

Across the hidden windows into reality, it Saw the beings the people of this world venerated as Gods. It saw the turbulence in the ethereal realms adjacent to this world that heralded a coming storm. It saw many things, both real and unreal, past and future. As it emerged from its false dream, the memories seeped from the open wounds of its psyche into the engravings, carried away in streamers of flayed dream-flesh to be processed by unknowable mechanisms. Bowing its shell, the creature rested, letting its tattered mind recover from the strain of reading the Tapestry of Fate.

[Royal Frankia]

Central Bleora



The bombardment had not slackened, as naval guns and siege mortars joined the campaign to smash Krieger formations. 165s, 325s, and 900s were brought into action for the first all along the line. Probes reported massive devastation of the surrounding terrain, though they could not as yet tell what the effect had been upon the enemy. What had once been in regards to topography looked as though it might have to be surveyed again for accuracy.

Over the heads of the Kriegers would come the roar, as though an express train were about to descend upon their heads. A telltale sign of the Gerricht, the 900mm gun of the Royal Army. If the Kriegers understood Frankian, they would realize that this was their day of Judgment. Its impact would cause a terrific shaking of the ground, which could be felt some three hundred miles away.

Hard Fighting

Vra Ersa sipped her coffee, noting the progress so far. The landing zones had been uncontested and fortified, though the Natives had remained illusive. She had an eye to provide them with advanced weapons and enroll them in the Militia of the Sovereign of Sovereigns. This would check their abuses against the Kriegers, and allow them to wage modern war in the correct manner.

Bitter fighting had started as soon as the Greenclad had arrived. Even as the Engineers had erected a series of bastions and marshaling yards, the regiments had got themselves in action to expand the area of the Rammenflieg's control. Over earth, watered with the blood of the Esoyan folk, advanced the Greenclad with the green banner of the Atkana.

The pings of shard rifles and the roar of the quads could be heard as the Greenclad ventured forward. Companies had been in the firing line for two days, without relief or support beyond the occasional sortie by Killercraft. Overhead, the battle for the skies of Esoya raged with an intensity not yet seen so far. In the lull, the Regulars watched the antics of the flyboys to take their minds off of the bitter struggle ahead.

Captain Attan vra Ghent looked across the field through his visor, noting the lie of the land even in the sheer darkness. His Company, the Companie du Ghent, had advanced with the Neustrians against the Krieger center. They had made their way over a hellish landscape, coming to grips with the enemy wherever possible. Such fighting had devolved into bitter hand to hand fighting, with the foe only being driven off with much work with bayonet and dirk.

The dead and wounded had been shuttled back to the landing zone. Their number had been mounting, but such was the price of elan. The Kriegers had been given the opportunity to recover their dead and wounded, as had been done upon Neustria and Septimania when those worlds had known bitter fighting. None has yet had come, which cheered the artillerists who were determined to fulfill their time table for their annihilation.

Vra Ghent took a swig from his canteen, savoring the cold water on a night that had grown hotter with each hour. The rats had taken to the corpses of the Kriegers, fighting over the remains that had been eviscerated by the ferocious shelling. Veterans of the Greenclad chased the scavengers off with entrenching shovels, but more came to feast on the harvest reaped by the guns.

Several leagues to the west were the Companies of the 3rd Regiment Austras, who had been perhaps thrown into the worst fighting upon the front. While their Neustrian brethren had proceeded in a methodical fashion, the Austrasians had launched attack after attack after attack against the Krieger positions as soon as the initial bombardment had ceased. Much less support had they been given, but for those of Austras this was nothing new. The elan of Austras would drive the Kriegers back, even if their advance outpaced the technicals.

Vra Ersa's communique to halt had been disregarded by Jacque vra Opronn, who saw only victory and glory before him. With scarcely six thousand effectives, he had launched a great assault. Beside the Rammenflieg was the banner of the 3rd Regiment, inscribed with such words sacree as Septimania and Neustria. They would attempt to bypass strongpoints and infiltrate the enemy positions, to send to the Most High those that the Fates had demanded. The roar of quads kept pace with the Austrasians, to provide cover for the main effort upon the left that would, hopefully, take pressure off the Natives in order for them to rally to their liberators.

The Talestrians upon the right had heard word of vra Opronn's offensive, in the face of being outnumbered several times over. It went against doctrine to risk the lives of one's men in such fashion, which even a Talestrian could rationalize. These cousins of the Great Folk were more of the Old Folk than that of the present, with a drop of Patagonian blood that had set them apart. They, however, did not wish for it be said that they were not equal to the communitards of Gerwanna and Austrasia.

The Companies of the 9th Regiment pressed forward, relying more upon their technicals and mechs for immediate fire support. Their power armor, of green and orange, perhaps matched the fauna that had once been before the guns had gone to work. Creatures dashed before them, some that invoked pious invocations from the many Saints of the Atkanite or Catholic faith. They advanced in twos and threes across a landscape destroyed by war, regrouping only to assail a position that was still standing.

Vra Ersa noted the progress and setbacks from her headquarters, dispatching reinforcements to areas threatened by the inevitable Krieger counter-attack. She had no hope that the Austrasians would accomplish all of their objectives, but she could not deny their gallantry. Such war waged by the Great Folk, in which only those without courage feared death in battle.

[Laka Strolistandiler]

The Redemptive- a reconstructed outdated conventional battleship,- was considered by many species in the Admiralty to be quite beautiful in his white-blue-green livery, mandatory for hospital ships as per the Agreement. The ship’s crew, know knowing much more about their patients, would begin preparations to receive the wounded by activating and inflating the inflatable modiles of the ship, further increasing the amount of beds and capabilities provided. Although inflatables were extremely vulnerable to any danger, any attacks on the hospital ship were deemed unlikely. Aboard, two surgeons- a collective organism named “Josh” and a nameless sentient colony of thermite-resembling insecticoid-like beings were particularly busy in one of the modules- they simply couldn’t get the rotational speed of it right! Their primary point of argument was wether it should be catered to the goods of the patients or to their own- both surgeons specialized in mammal and mammal-like species chest surgeries, yet comically enough both were comfortable in gravity 1.5 times higher than that of humans. “Josh” believed that they should sacrifice comfort for the good of the patients, yet “thermite” was of the opposite side- after all it was them who are going to sit at the ward and oversee hundreds of robotic surgeons perform surgeries on a near conveyor line of patients- and if they were uncomfortable, than it would be quite possible for them to mistake some of the issues. Despite robotic surgeons being constantly overseen by dozens and dozens of other robots, even the most qualified systems would sometimes make mistakes- which is precisely why they were here.

---

Near the orbit of the planet on which the battle was on, the PT boats would get onto a stable medium-altitude orbit and dispatch a large object being towed by them- the object being the High Operational Organization Platform-Lightweith, Army (HOOP-LA), a very mobile orbital medical station, which would immediately begin to deploy it’s inflatable wards and operating rooms. Attached to the 2000-ton station were four Orion multi-use space shuttles- essentially glorified ambulances, these ships were able to make multiple fast trips to-and-from the lower atmosphere, picking up casualties and getting up to the sky as fast as possible. All that they needed now was a signal from below- indicating what type of treatment the locals would need and where the shuttle should land at.

[The Harbingers of Chaos]

Harbinger of Chaos Space Hulk
Chronicler’s territory

Smog and flame filled the air. The sound of grinding metal and screaming engines perforated the ears of all who could hear. Blood and molten steel mixed together in gigantic vats, providing the molds for the war machines endlessly produced in this accursed place. Standing atop lifted platforms were the dark priests of the True Mechanicum chanting hymns and praises to the true Machine God, not the emasculated trinity their Martian brothers had thrown themselves behind. The Chroniclers of the Warp knew that the Machine God laid within the Warp along with all that is holy, that which the Imperium they came from rejected was what they should've embraced long ago. Located above everything perched in what was once a command port, was Auikan Thuss, the first prophet and Magos of the forge established here. His bionic eyes looked down upon his forge watching as hordes of servitors worked away at creating new, blessed machines and uplifting others into their holy state. He saw all that he had done to establish a haven for true progress, progress is driven by the great power of the Warp, and he could only feel pride.

"Requesting Magos Thuss to Scrying Chambers." Thuss' silent contemplation was interrupted by blaring klaxons, the voxcaster calling him to his soothsayers. Pressing on the activation rune to his door, Auikan walked outside of his dorm and made the trek towards his destination. The screams of those yet to be transfigured into Servitors rang out below him but Auikan paid it no mind. They didn't yet realize the blessing he was bestowing on them but they would one day and then they would be thankful. As he arrived at the Scrying Chambers he found Antanax, a faithful Tech Priest who had committed to the cause very early. Anatax sat in deep meditation, servo-skulls flying around his head playing hymnals to the Chaos Gods as the Eight-point Star was mounted onto the walls around him. His mechanical legs, all eight of them, were folded to allow him to sit. Auikan could remember when Anatax had asked to have the bottom half of his body removed so he may move closer to the Machine God. Auikan had accepted the request without a moment's hesitation.

"Ah. Priest Anatax, what have you called me here for? Has the Machine God given you a revelation?" Thuss said the bionics implanted in his vocal cords gave his voice an element of the synthetic. Anatax awoke from his meditation, his eyes glowing a bright yellow, a minor gift from the Gods.

"Status Report: In my meditation, I received a message from the Gods. There is a fractal Imperium with a planet by the name of Esoya in a state of insurrection. Suggestion: Initiate war preparations and bring the population to the truth of Chaos." Anatax's voice was just as mechanical as the rest of his body, sounding like a text-to-speech machine.

"Yes, that would certainly be pleasing to the Gods but we must keep in mind our...limitations."- Auikan said -"Our forces are mainly servitors and while they serve the Machine God well, we will need more time to produce everything needed for a campaign of such size. A raid would be better suited to our current conditions"

Anatax's face morphed into a grimace, "Querry: Our numbers were last recorded in the billions, how could it be that we lack the resources for this campaign? Potential Explanation: Magos Auikan Thuss has succumbed to cowardice."

"Silence!" Thuss yelled, "You're lucky I don't take your head for this slight!" Silence filled the room for a few seconds as Auikan contemplated ripping the bionics from Anatax's body and leaving him for dead, "Here is what you will do. You will accept the forces I allocate to you and you will go to that planet and take as many slaves and resources as you can fit through a warp rift. Am I understood?"

Anatax looked at Auikan for a brief moment, seemingly deep in thought before responding, "Affirmative."

Esoya
Tsu

The opening of a warp rift was never a peaceful process. First came a deep, unexplainable sense of unease and a deep primal fear that none could exactly explain. Then came the first flickers of energy breaking the barrier between reality and the warp, sending strands of purple and pink and colors incomprehensible to the human mind into the air, and finally, it happened; with a great rip, a gash in reality was torn open by the powers of Chaos and out came the forces of the Dark Mechanicum. Thousands of servitors and skitarri poured through the rift, the demon engines known as Decimators marched through, their crane-like hands waiting for something to crush between their talons. The heldrakes came next, roaring as they crawled from the rift which expanded to compensate for their mass before flying off to cause havoc among the populace. Finally, the main piece of the expedition came, dragged in by thousands of servitors. The Fell King of Pavrax and Knight Tyrant, Solomon Greygorn. 100 feet of corruption dragged into reality to bring ruin to the corpse-worshippers. Anatax and the other priests watched on from a hill above, ready to begin the desolation of this Imperial planet.

They made base in a nearby cave system, hiding all their dark arts inside the confines of the cave. From here Servitors and Dark Skitarri would strike out raiding villages in Tsu and bringing back the survivors to the caves, where the priests would attempt to turn these survivors into servitors with what materials they had. Soon they would reveal themselves but for now, the Chroniclers of the Warp would remain in the shadows, waiting for the moment they could milk this planet for everything that it was worth.

[World of Krieg]

Observations Post Charlie-Lima, Onuia
The post was detecting the change in temperature, with the sergeant in charge, Zaal Muntike, quickly giving orders. "Guardsman-40523, send a transmission to Forward Operations Post Alpha-Lima." The Guardsman rushes to communications, beginning to log the changes in temperature and sending them to a Communications Center. A small patrol began to search the area around the Post which they worked on concealing. It was likely only a matter of time now.

Central Bleora
Krieg positions were desperately holding on against the bombardments, starting to dig in for dear life. A Valkyrie began to search for the enemy artillery positions, with a group of Avengers not far behind to provide C.A.S. The Krieg were refusing to retreat, instead, sending small groups to attempt a hit and run on the Frankian forces. The Krieg positions that were being bombarded were taking losses however, with some reporting a 10% casualty rate, while others reported up to 60%. Artillery had begun returning fire against the Frankians wherever possible, though, this was only in rare instances.

Gabirane
The Natives were keeping surveillance over the area, with a group reporting to the communications center about what they spotted. They attempted to keep surveillance on The Seer, though how well it would go, well, only time would tell.

Aulyana
The Natives were attempting to fight the Mri in Guerilla warfare, setting up traps wherever they could, while trying to launch hit and run attacks. Mortars were firing from concealed locations throughout the areas, however, as the guerilla forces were having to move constantly, it was safe to say the Mri could likely find them if they played their cards right. The wildlife were fighting back against the Mri, with some of the more dangerous wildlife, such as a large animal that managed to flip a baneblade previously, beginning to hunt them at night.

Tsu
When the Skitarri attempted raids, they began experiencing massive resistance, with artillery, mortars, and traps being used. Traps included trip-wires, landmines, claymores, and deep pits. The Natives were not giving up without a fight here.

[Hahoalki]

Observation Post Charlie-Lima

At first, there were no signs of anything odd. Then, about three hours in, one of the Kriegers on recon duty stuck his shovel under a patch of turf - a patch that looked no different from the hundreds of others they had overturned that day - something odd happened.

There were a number of austere grey tendrils penetrating the soil, mixed in with the roots of the grass. These tendrils shone with a diamond-like lustre in the sunlight. And they were leaking a grey, oily substance from their tips.

Looking down at the hole where the patch of turf had been, there were more bright tendrils, and the oily substance was beginning to build up, spreading out, forming structure at a visible rate... as if the oil was alive. It was also clear that the tendrils reached deeper, though how much deeper was anyone's guess.

Onuian Wilderness, Multiple Locations

Small bulbous shapes emerged from the dirt in the underbrush, quickly disappearing. These blobs of OPA-coated nanotechnology were, in essence, delivery vehicles for nanites. While the locals had been infected by certain insects, with nanites then spreading from person to person, there were only 20,000 people on the island.

That wasn't enough to turn the tide.

Thus, Hahoalki elected to postpone Zero Hour, instead spreading the nanites to population centers in Juswoidal, Xespeau, and Xuskait.

The invisible blobs could be detected by thermal radiation or low-frequency radio waves. But being small, they would have no more cross-section than a medium-sized bird. For all intents and purposes, they were invisible.

Unseen, the blobs grew wings and took on an aerodynamic shape. Then, in sparse unseen flocks, they began to fly high over the ocean, making their way to target's Hahoalki had detected while in orbit. Within the week, barring something going wrong, they would have spread their nanite payloads throughout the region.

It was beginning.

[Royal Frankia]

Onwards

Enemy artillery fire reflected off the shielding array of the batteries. Bright flashes of light seemed to linger above the bastions. Enemy Killercraft were engaged at long-range by anti-air installations and those Wings slated to obtain air supremacy.

The thousands of craft battling over the skies of this world were regarded as the Knights of Old come again. Such fighting was likely to be inconclusive, or flounder upon the air defenses in the present cycle. A number of wrecks over the battlefield would provide some shelter to those caught in the open.

The Greenclad would not let up, and sought to bushwhack the bushwhackers. They would feint a withdrawal, only for the artillery to shell the oncomers to death in the evacuated works. The pounding would, hopefully, bleed whole regiments white.

Most casualties had occurred in the West, where the Austrasians were close to a breakthrough. If the Kriegers deployed their forces piecemeal against the Royal Artillery, they would be destroyed piecemeal. Craters of immense size appeared to the Children of the Atkana, some several kilometers in diameter.

The 910s went to work methodically, against the strongpoints in the Krieger firing line. A sudden Encrypted relay could being their wrath almost instantly. The Greenclad who watched the onslaught swore that no living thing might survive the whirlwind of Eversteel.

The number of shells expended had been phenomenal, but nothing compared to what a warship of the Dread Fleet were to expend in the firing line. Shells from the ship manufacturies were being shuttled down, with stockpiles erected in the event of emergency. In the distance the artillerists could note sheer devastation as they relocated following a bombardment of areas that had been sited on the map.

Moving these pieces required precision, as well as towing equipment. Once relocated and guaranteed ammunition, the bombardment would resume again until the Krieg line broke somewhere. Such was the main role of the guns, with the infantry merely driving back the dazed survivors at the point of a bayonet.

Shouts of Sala Atkana and Durra could be heard across the Krieger formations. It was only a matter of time before the enemy was routed and driven to the far north. This was the primary mission, to guarantee breathing room for the battered Natives. All of this came with a mounting casualty list, but nothing on par with the other conflicts of the Great Folk.

Go West

Seer Apronn made the sign of the Star over a dying Ranker, muttering half a dozen Psalmas in quick procession. He had been given charge, grudgingly, of those whose death had been ordained by the Fates. He listened to confessions of sins and noted the last wishes to be followed to the letter.

Some of the youths feared death, and asked for the One to prolong their existence if just for one more day. Others, however, welcomed death like an old friend or cursed that they should fall so far from the Realm Eteranl. The Seer felt in his soul that this operation had been a mistake, as much of a mistake that had brought on the Grear War between Laptev and Barlat.

The Seer returned to the crater where a dozen men lie. The quadfire was deafening, for the turrets were raking any Krieger that dare rise above their parapets. His robes were shielded from the mud, though it did not filter out the smell of Napha Storms that were raging on the distant horizon.

The Captain, a tall Austrasian with a walrus mustache, smiled. He produced a flask, containing a potent brandy that was popular amongst the Austrasian rank and file.

Drink to our victory, Seer. Soon, the banner of our Faith and our Sovereign shall float above their City of Paradise.

He ducked as shellfire fell upon the scarred earth, where only the Atkana knew if any thing might grow there again. Shielding arrays were tricky, and the occasional shell worked mischief. Clods of earth covered the Austrasians and the Seer, with some fearing that they might be buried alive.

The shelling stopped as soon as it had started. The Captain brushed himself off and took a swig from his flask. He passed it to the Rankers around him, whose eyes bore the thousand league stare common in battles of attrition.

You see, Seer.. They can't hit worth a damn. They will not hold for long, Sala!

The Seer drank deep and muttered a prayer for those who were about to fall. The Captain made no comment, and sought to join with his Company that was some three leagues ahead. He gave one last nod to the Seer, before disappearing in a sea of green uniforms.

In the distance, several eruptions were noted where enemy positions might be. A number of pieces had been shifted to dispatching the Krieger artillery, now having exposed itself to defend a line that was on the verge of collapse. The Austrasians were betting that they could take the guns themselves, should the offensive continue as it had proceeded since the landing.

The Center cannot hold

Nothing will remain upon the wide earth.
Not a man, not a bird, not a worm.
The endless void shall be consumed,
As well as all who traverse the greatest ocean.
Only the One, without Beginning or End,
Shall remain, Sala.
The Light in the darkness,
The Whole that need not the part.
Let those with Faith fear not,
For what is this life compared to the Hall of the Atkana?




There was a shout, as the Most Pious fell upon the enemy. It was as though lambs had become lions, it was as though the ghost Feylor led the van. Heavy boots slogged through the mud and past the broken bodies of the slain.

The banners of Neustras and of Vreizh upon the few mechs were seen moving northward. San Gerwann had been moved to the frontline after much effort. It towered over the battlefield, and brought its batteries to bear against those bastions still belonging to the enemy. With each discharge, a great bloom of grey smoke poured forth.

The few mechs thrown into the assault now were expected to aid in the thrust to the north. These were slow vehicles, compared to the technicals and other light shuttles. Still, they were capable of surviving horrible conditions that most vehicles could not.

They drew enemy fire like crazy, but the Ram's head gazed defiantly in the direction where the Krieger line was about to be no more. Napha would be sprayed into any bastion that still held. Fire, the Light of the Atkana, would scour the land in order to cleanse it of all of its impurities.

Sala, Sala!
Like the leaves in autumn,
Shall the Impious fall before the Righteous.
Onwards, onwards, onwards!

[M-101]

MSS Moraine & MSS Momentum, 70.000 km above Esoya...

The dissonance of mechanical gadgets doing their jobs gradually peters out as the number of unequipped and unchecked Comps and spacejets dwindled. While not being ordered hierarchically, the Comps made it up with the Compendicomms, the nickname they gave to the heavily encrypted "telepathy" system, making the Comps a sort of semi-hivemind. Through the two ships, the Comps have been reminding their fellow Comps through the Compendicomms that the Comps' part in the Esoyan Civil War is neutral on the outside, and Krieg supporters on the inside. To uphold their neutral image, direct attacks toward Bleora natives and Bleora supporters are not allowed, except for self-defense. The Comps must also be careful while helping Krieg-leaning forces to avoid suspicion.

Southern shores of Bleora...
A group of spacejets consisting of 15 Kirisamae-class fighters and 3 Xylem-class cargo spacejets is approaching Bleora through the southern side. It must be noted that these cargo spacejets are designed to carry extremely heavy equipment/payload, and although technology in stasis fields certainly helps at securing cargo during extremely fast flights, the Xylem can only reach the speed of 35 Mach, which is the lowest compared to other spacejets.

"Heh, Kirisamae," a Comp chuckled through the group Compendicomms, referring to the class of attack spacejets the Comps are currently using. "I wonder which one of us came up with the idea?"

"The Ordinary Attack Spacejet," another Comp copiloting a cargo spacejet laughed. "With her Mini-Comperro and Warcrime-Colored Master Spark."

The Compendicomms group exploded in laughter, eventually calming down when they reached the rocky shore. The Comps wasted no time setting up several fabricated buildings, meant to be an outpost (until it was large enough to be an operating base, of course). The secret telegram from the Kriegs made them expect they will be welcomed by a flurry of bullets, yet there were none, at least for now. Beside, aren't the Comps presence here are purely neutral?

[Elysian Treaty Organization]

Now Playing: CMO OST 4

<MARKSMAN 4 - REPORT>

<REPORTING, MULTIPLE HOSTILES, ORBIT OF SOL>

<UNDERSTOOD. SCRAMBLING MULTIPLE NTFs>

<FS 2-33 | SCRAMBLED.>

<FS 2-34 | SCRAMBLED.>

<ECG 2-45 | SCRAMBLED.>

<RCG 2-36 | SCRAMBLED.>

<LOGGRP 2-67 | SCRAMBLED.>

<FORCES ENROUTE.>

A single green line crawled across the computer screen, and the fleets jumped into action. Men haphazardly rushed to their stations as they prepared for immediate combat, the stress of constant action drills written on their faces.

Frankly, the reports coming in from Esoya were horrifying. Constant and horrifying news of chaotic sacrifices and war-crimes of all sorts came through the pipeline, steeling the scattered collection of sailors for what awaited them - restless combat, for months at a time.

Carts filled with bomb-pumped nuclear warheads rushed towards a mixture of docked escort carriers and frigates as they readied themselves for the inevitable. Hundreds of prototypes or newer missiles were rushed into production for this crusade, this righteous war against the enemies of decency.

Soldiers checked weapons as they boarded ships, the motley collection of logistics tenders loaded for bear. Captains finished final checks on a variety of sensors and weapons as they buckled in, the crash-gear preparing for the maneuvers each ship would pull. Strikecraft wheeled into hangars, the USVs loading themselves with all sorts of exotic weapons. Thousands of final checks occurred on the spot as crews crawled over each little bit of their ships, ensuring each ship was up to par.

An Admiral gazed down at his screen, watching as the scattered blips of the fleet reported green. He was a veteran - the Dagger War had etched itself into his mind, the fiery sinking of the Dolos constantly rattling itself around.

In his years of service, there had never been a naval battle where he had the initiative. Each and every single one of his battles were defensive actions fought to hold off the Mayflies. He was rotated out of the big offensive, his ships delegated to a rear-guard role while the newer and better ships, fought the brunt of the offensive.

Unlike the Dagger War, he would be bringing the full brunt of Elysia on his enemies. Hundreds of new weapons were scattered across his fleet, the result of constant naval modernizations and research. Four of his ships had no spinal railgun - it was replaced with a formidable EWAR array and missiles. The spinal laser had been retrofitted with a FTL drive, giving it a range of a few light-minutes.

Well, it was time. The Admiral picked up his radio - a ceremonial tool for sailors, and transmitted a fateful message.

"Jump."

[America1775]

After arriving though a portal, American troops along with engineers begin constructing military bases and airfields in Southern Bleora in preparation for the additional troops coming in from the sea. Meanwhile on the coast of Bleora, several thousand troops aided by fighter-bombers from the Ford Class Super Carriers offshore and AH-64E Apaches make landfall. Whether it will be a meat grinder for the Americans is completely up to the Krieg and their allies.

[The Ancient Caste]

1-2 /// Footsteps of Doom

-{Ancient City}-

The Ancients were not so ignorant in their senses. The tremendous upheavals on the surface reverberated throughout the world as ripples in a pond, and at long last they had disturbed the creatures deep within.

Potential threats to the City would not be tolerated. With the ether riders to the north, the tech-virus to the west, and the light-worshippers waging war in the center of the great continent, the Caste had decided to enter motion. Within the vast galleries of the City, a horror long silenced was soon to be reborn. Horrors hung vivisected upon monuments to strange and terrible creatures, extensions of their Lord’s being, aberrant and reality-corrupting blood seeping into channels flowing inward, ever inward, to an altar…upon which a great skull resided.

As the blood defied gravity, seeping upwards, it made contact with the skull…and burst into writhing shadow. In a moment’s passing, great whiplike shadows emerged from the base of the skull, ripping through the air and digging into the flesh of the chained Horrors, their howls of agony muted by the Darkness that consumed their bodies, their aberrant being twisted and obliterated under the uncaring scythe of the Cosmic Harvest, cannibalized as fuel for the creature attached to the Skull. Slowly, greater and greater forms of Shadow emerged from nothing, combining and coalescing as the skull gained a long, thick neck, attaching to an elephantine body, wide and stocky with a tail like the gashed strokes of a madness-addled artist lashing in the air. The Skull flared to life, eldritch scratching flickering in and out of existence as a Mind was once more wrought from Essence. A Mind that knew destruction, and hunger, a creature whose sole instincts were to kill and consume. Writhing upon its altar, the Horror lifted its skull to the air and roared deafening silence, as though all sound in the room was pulled towards it and consumed rather than expelled away from it. Dozens of limbs erupted from its umbral flanks, solidifying into claws that surged downward and dug into the primeval stone, lifting its bulk into a standing position as its jaw hung open, the darkness within ravening for a meal.

An Ancient stepped forward. Tall, stocky, hunchbacked, it bore a similar horned skull as a false face, with two bioluminescent eyes staring from the sockets. The Horror snarled, advancing on the Ancient, before the latter cast out an offering. A Lantern, suffused with blue light, dangling from one hand. The Horror growled as it opened, and the Essence within drifted out, pulled towards it by the force of the ravenous Shadows within. As the blue mist was absorbed, its head shook slightly, before the sockets ignited with the same blue light. The snarl tapered off, the Horror bowing its head to its new Master.

The Ancient climbed atop the Horror, the Shadows melting into them for a proper mount as the great Beast took to the air, folding in on itself as the Master guided it into the disused byways of Reality, walking through dimensions of noneuclidian angles and maddening fractals before clawing back into Reality upon the surface. An errant claw struck a patch of forest, reducing it to naught but inert dust, the gas expired and congealed. Taking to the air, massive wings formed from the Horror’s umbral limbs as it began to fly west, to Bleora, the heart of the upheavals.

-{The Seer}-

The Seer’s stay in Gabirane was short-lived. The gaunt figure was wandering through the territory’s biomes before being seen halting, head turned downwards. After several minutes in this position, it had sharply looked up, turning to the north as strange sigils flickered into existence around it, knotting together into a sphere that hurt to look at before it vanished, only a slight vortex in the wind a sign of its long-gone presence.

In the hinterlands of Tsu, it reappeared in similar fashion. Its duty had changed. From general observation, to observation of the Ether Riders. Slowly, it glided across the ground into the lands of Tsu, seeking out what it had been ordered to watch.

[Royal Frankia]

The Bloody Road South


The arrival of an expeditionary force in what was perceived as the Protectorate of Bleora would be seen as a threat to the Natives. Even as the Krigers gave way under the ferocious bombardment, she could not neglect her rear. She could spare but a single battalion to counter the forces to the south, who had somehow arrived through a portal by the will of the Fates. If the Fates had brought them here, Vra Ersa reckoned, then they would surely die here.

Killercraft squadrons were ordered to strafe those who wished to project power into this region, weakening for the moment the effort above the skies of the Greenclad. They would swoop first upon the American fighters at several mach, unleashing a storm of quadfire at a close range without warning. The Knights of the Ever Blue Sky and the Champions of the Void would aim to send the Yanks fleeing back to Washington.

Squadron Commander Jan vra Marbeck led nearly two hundred Killercraft into battle, maneuvering like a madman through the craft of the foe. Craft after craft his targeting computer brought as an offering to the quads. It was better than the simulations, for with each time the quad spat another accursed craft would be brought down. He would note the bravery of the Yankee pilots, with those who were bound to eject not being fired upon by the Last Knights of the Void.

Far from the battle overhead, a few of the great guns would turn their attention to the south. The enemy were within range of these monsters, and with what word the probes had brought anti-personnel ordinance would be the order of the day. Artillerist Erlanna vra Polycratus watched as the 910 raised its barrel, the monster that had caused so much suffering for the Kriegers for the past few days. It now brought its fire to bear against the Sons of the Potomac, against the Braves whose bravery would now desert them.

The roar of the gun was deafening, shaking the very ground beneath the feet of the gunners. More cries were heard in the distant, as multiple shells now were dispatched against zones where Old Glory had sought to claim a foothold. Over the heads of the Americans some of the shells would burst, creating a whirlwind of Eversteel that would eviscerate anything that did not hug the ground for dear life. Other shells would impact the great earth and detonate their charge with great force, to disrupt landing zones and cause as many casualties as possible. This shelling was but to delay the Americans, as the troops sent south to drive them back

Siege mortars focused on the American bases, that were supposed to support the Yanks as they moved north. It was felt preferable to shell these to render them useless for the Yanks as they trod over mountains of their own dead. These would be bypassed by the relief force, which was moving rapidly through a warzone. Within a hundred miles, they would attempt to enlist the aid of Native stragglers they would encounter. With the Kriegers on the point of breaking, the fresh threats to the Natives were deemed to come from the south.

An appeal was made to the Natives to join the fight against the foes to the South by Frankian officers. Promises of land, gold, honors, and titles were made to all who emerged from the jungle. All who enlisted in this Bleoran Guard would be armed and placed under the control of Rankers who aspired to be Non-Commissioned Officers. A few thousand would perhaps drive the Americans into the sea, if the shelling did not force them to turn tail and run. This was up to the Fates and the will of the Natives, for the Grognards of Neustra there was little time. The enemy was soon to be upon them in earnest, once they had recovered from the initial shock of being on the wrong side of a shellstorm.

The 27th Battalion Neustra had been kept in reserve, to exploit any possible breakthrough that might be possible. Now, it had been diverted to the south, passing through a war ravaged land mounted upon technicals or utilizing the few shuttles. Most were armed with quads, to be deployed against either threats from the ground or the air. They had no illusions that the Yanks outnumbered them, but that did not matter. The wildlife was more plentiful here, but the Grenadiers did not bother with sightseeing.

Over their heads they heard the transit of shells, to close forever the eyes of the poor souls ashore. Some Rankers took off their caps and offered a Sala, before inspecting their kit and arms. The Battle for Southern Bleora was about to begin, in which the One Most High would witness many a warrior fall in her name.

[Nyetoa]

SIC: The Nyetoan high command has determined that an attempt to secure the Northeast of Esoya is preferable over entering Bleora and attempting to push the main Krieg forces out of Esoya. The Nyetoan government has already set up an extensive propaganda campaign to invigorate the Nyetoan people. They have also created a plan known as Strategy F to try to hide a potential failure and twist the narrative into seeming like it was a success. Nyetoan generals have planned out a large invasion of Esoya with a map being planned out for the invasion.


White= First Week offensive and landing
Orange=Week 2
Blue=Week 3
Green=Month 1 and second landing
Purple=5 Weeks
Pink=6 Weeks
40,000 of the 50,000 soldiers and most of the armoured support will be used in the first landing while 10,000 soldiers and the remaining armoured support will be used in the second landing. Nyetoa contacts multiple other native allying nations as they believe that the odds of pulling of this invasion alone are slim, and the odds of holding the gained lands are slimmer. Operation Beanstalk will only be executed once high command is confident of its success. This operation is highly sensitive information and is incredibly secret to ensure Krieg is caught of guard.

[World of Krieg]

Onuia
The Krieg squad quickly sent someone to communications, reporting what they had seen to Command, directly to the Harbinger. Defensive positions were alerted to a possible incursion, trenches being dug, MGs being set up, artillery being prepared, and other defenses being built. The Harbinger sent one of his right-hand men, Themistokles Archonis, to oversee the territory's defense. Krieg patrols were searching for anything notable to report, after having been informed of a possible Men of Iron presence in the province. Rumors were spreading throughout Krieg camps of a man hunting natives and being gone before anyone could report anything had even occurred. Part of the rumor stated the man hunting was a Catachan Jungle Fighter, possibly a Catachan Devil.

The bird(?) things were seeing eldritch abominations in the forests, things that shouldn't even exist. Some were able to tear through trees with ease, others looking like something only possible in the warp.

[Tantria]

350 km away from the coastline of Xuskait

On the seemingly endless surface of the ocean, a groups of various warships could be seen sailing through the waves.

It's the 3rd Federal Navy Fleet, led by TFS "Bravery" Battleship, the first, and at the moment, only nuclear-powered battleship in Tantria Federal Navy, and TFS "Badger" Amphibious assault ship, with around 12 tiltrotor aircrafts on it , along with a few cruisers, destroyers and submarines below them. Most of the time, they stay relatively close to the coastline of Tantria, but now they're here, sailing rather close to the brutal battlefield by the name of Esoya, just barely close enough to get them actually involve in the conflict.

What exactly are they up to? Escorting? Ever since the war broke out in Esoya, none of Tantria's ships to sail through the ocean surrounding it. Patrolling? They are far away from Tantria's territory, so that's not the case either. Involving in the conflict? While refering military involvement as a possible option, Tantria never officially announce its inolvement in this conflict yet. It seems like the exact reason of they being here still remain unclear, and only the Tantria government itself know the exact reason behind this.

[M-101]

Due to unexpected circumstances happening within their homeland, the Comps are withdrawing from the Esoyan Civil War...

[Hahoalki]

Onuia
The Krieg squad quickly sent someone to communications, reporting what they had seen to Command, directly to the Harbinger. Defensive positions were alerted to a possible incursion, trenches being dug, MGs being set up, artillery being prepared, and other defenses being built. The Harbinger sent one of his right-hand men, Themistokles Archonis, to oversee the territory's defense. Krieg patrols were searching for anything notable to report, after having been informed of a possible Men of Iron presence in the province. Rumors were spreading throughout Krieg camps of a man hunting natives and being gone before anyone could report anything had even occurred. Part of the rumor stated the man hunting was a Catachan Jungle Fighter, possibly a Catachan Devil.

The bird(?) things were seeing eldritch abominations in the forests, things that shouldn't even exist. Some were able to tear through trees with ease, others looking like something only possible in the warp.

As the fortifications are dug on Onuia, more of the lustrous root-like objects are discovered. Some are too thick and sturdy to be removed by shovel alone. All are leaking the same strange grey oil. What is clear is this: something is using these objects as a branching network of pipes to send the grey oily stuff to the surface. And that something is somewhere deep underground.

As of yet, no men of iron have been seen.

Meanwhile, in Xespeau, Xuskait, and Juswoidal, the invisible drones observe the eldritch horrors, and give them a wide bearth. They have their programming - to seek out human population centers. And that's precisely what they do.

As the flocks descend on major trade hubs - whether coastal, riverine, or landlocked - they focus on delivering their nanite payloads to the local water supply. Having done so, they make their way to landfils (if available) and wild places (if not), and scavenge for materials to make more nanites. Once this is completed, they move on - silently and invisibly - to cities further out, where the cycle will be repeated.

The nanites infiltrate both the local ecosystem and human hosts, both of which can serve as vectors for further transmission. For now, all hosts are effectively asymptomatic - capable of infecting others with nanites, but not affected by them in any way.

Thus will the entirety of the Northwest Provinces be infected by nanites within the week - barring interference.

[Ukcross]

The Ukcrossian Expeditionary force, after a small air battle with the Ukcrossians coming out on top, land at the left tip of Xuskait, and with some small skirmishes with the natives they manage to set up a small base with anti-air guns shooting any native planes flying by. 900 Soldiers from the 5th Combined Arms Division move in a large group toward the city of Shaiset, while the aircraft carrier starts launching scout drones. A detachment of 3 APCs and 66 Soldiers encounters a group of natives. The First APC is hit by machinegun fire, while the soldiers start to scramble out the first APC is hit by a Rocket Launcher killing the crew and wounding some soldiers. They scramble to cover and Return fire. Meanwhile 2 nearby patrols are pulled off route to support the small convoy, but as they near the location they are also pinned. The fleet sends a small group of 3 destroyers and a cruiser down the strait to scout the coast with air support.

[Royal Frankia]

Pax Frankorum

The Atkanites had lit their holy fire within the Holy Sanctuary, eying it as a mother might a babe. Words were whispered before it, even as a storm of shells rained down unabated upon the wide earth. Invocations were made to the One, the Most High, and Her Saints that dwell within the mortal realms. No offerings were made to the Atkana, save the offering of flesh and blood for the glory of Her name.

How many days had passed? How many leagues of ground had been gained? How many lives had been lost? Such was immaterial to Vra Ersa, who sought only the City of Paradise spoken of in the Krieger Annals. Should this bastion fall, those who sought to exterminate the Natives on the Path to Ascension would capitulate. Once the Rammenflieg floated above the city of cities, those realms that orbited it must too acknowledge the might of the Sovereign of Sovereigns.

The Austrasians had gained the most ground with the most blood, though that ground had been ruined by the duel between the artillery of the belligerents. The Greenclad were exhausted, but fought on to take obscure points upon the maps. They would surround an enemy bastion, cutting it off from the outside world, and await the artillery to concentrate upon bringing about its fall.

The Neustrians were more methodical, preferring to expend vast quantities of munitions rather than lives. The ground they took would likely never see anything grow upon it again. Few of the enemy they encountered, and in the distance they awaited the sight of the spires of the City of Paradise, the City of Lamentation. This high citadel would now be targeted by the artillerists of the Eternal Realm, with the city's infrastructure sure to fell the weight of colossal shells. As the Americans had found to their woe, so would the inhabitants of this city that had sent forth her armies to commit xenocide upon a foe that was woefully outmatched.

Vra Ersa had kept back the Natives from seeking revenge, preferring that any civilians of the enemy be left as they were. The Cosmic Pax was to be known in these lands, for perhaps the first time in their history. Local laws and customs were to be respected, with those who flocked to the Rammenflieg armed and equipped for the campaigns in the country of the Kriegers. Resistance to the Sovereign's Scepter would be dealt with punitive campaigns that would lead to either the destruction or the expulsion of those that had taken up arms against the Greenclad. '

As the first shells rained down upon the City of Paradise, a transmission would be sent to the Krieger regime.

In the Name of the Most High, we demand that you lay down your arms and evacuate the Province of the Sovereign of Sovereigns. Should you not do so, you shall prolong the slaughter that will lead to the annihilation of your fighting men. Your high walls will be brought down and your City of Paradise shall know the Holy Fire.

[Never Gonna Give You Up Rickroller]

The soldiers continued moving through the forests, and General Drogton sends a message to Lieutenant Alastair, saying they have made it to the destination. They are also nearly there, but an unknown, wild beats attacked, but after shooting it it ran away.

They nearly make it to the diverge in the River in Bleora, but suddenly, natives attack them, they are outnumbered, but are wearing some of our armour. They manage to kill a load of our troops, but they manage to kill them all before anything bad happens.

The troops then arrive at the destination, and meet with the General and discuss what happened.

[Thunderbird12]

Soldiers of the 100th Fire's watch arrive at the Esoyan boarder. Commander Ferdinand of the primary fire's watch division jumps out of his team's truck and starts to give orders to his men.

"Bleibt zusammen, treibt hinter mir vorwärts und bewegt euch um jeden Preis weiter, es sei denn, wir sehen eine Stadt oder feindliche Truppen, das habt ihr!"
(Stay together drive forward behind me and continue moving at all costs unless we see a town or enemy troops, you got that!)

The soldiers continue to drive their trucks into the Esoyan forest going deeper and deeper until further notice.