Main Gate (Post here first!)

From the walls of New Brimiarde Alfher surveyed the advancing forces. The enemy knew how to attack a fortress. The front lines were already protected by shield bares. There was also the ship to keep in mind. Alfher thought the odds to be good, however. The armies gathered in the fortress city were vast and the siege equipment top notch. The only thing that worried the proud warrior was the strange magics of the low lands.

Alfher surveyed his own garrison. Two trebuchets were mounted on either side of the main gate, with three more positioned behind the walls. Ten ballistae lined the walls. Infantry were stationed at each ballista ready to move or protects it when necessary. Archers lined the walls and more infantry were stationed below. And then there were Alfher's special reserves, the warriors he brought from his home lands. He smiled at the opportunity to command these men.

Alfher gave his fist command, "Archers! Be ready to fire when the enemy comes in range. Wait for my command!"

Having an ear pointed in Lamina’s direction, it isn’t terribly difficult for Naoki to hear. Allowing Lamina to walk away without hindrance or comment, Naoki’s eyebrows take the time to furrow themselves, expressing her frustration.

The girl is fourteen years old. She shouldn’t have gone through what she did, and she shouldn’t have revenge to take. Being a Sun Marshal is acceptable as Naoki sees it because it’s very much a training sort of thing. Without any apparent family, she doesn’t really have anywhere else to go and seeing as how she was willing to, there’s no reason not to care for her and refine her talent to a high degree and present the opportunity to use it for good and such.

But this isn’t training. Well. ... It is, to the extent that Lamina is supposed to be taking actions to ensure Naoki’s safety, in training for scenarios wherein she is tasked with protecting an individual when they are at significantly more risk, and becoming acquainted for Naoki in preparation for any scenario in which Lamina might need to take action in conjunction with or involving Naoki, but just generally speaking. She is a component of a very real invasion force, which has very real intentions to wage war, and she herself has very real intentions, justification, and means to kill someone in cold blood. All of that has to be terribly traumatic, and Naoki has a substantial amount of as of yet more or less unexpressed sympathy, given that she had somewhat similar problems at that stage of her life.

With that stated, Naoki takes a few steps forward - as it isn’t very far to the railing -, and from behind and slightly to Lamina’s left, asks simply, “Which one?”

Simultaneously, of course, Naoki’s earring continues to glimmer furiously as she continues to disseminate orders and instructions to the Isran forces, continuing to orchestrate the battle without interruption.

Jun looked towards Eloria and watched her take advantage of the Depravity's first rune circle, a feature of the Depravity designed to greatly augment a caster's spell. She nodded and sauntered over to the ship's second circle. As she did so the various energies that surrounded her had coalesced into several distinct spheres of many colors. The largest circle hovered over heard head and was green.

Jun never took her eyes off the city's walls as she walked.

When she made it to the circle, she stepped in it. The runes within the circle spun around screeched. There was a sudden spike of mana, a great flash, enough to cause the ship to lurch ever so slightly. A burst of colorful light would be visible from New Brimiarde's walls. But as quickly as the light appeared, it faded. The circle calmed down, reduced to a soft hum. Jun's aura faded until she appeared no different than any other crew member on the deck. The spheres were gone.

It's done, High Lady.

She sighed.

***

At first they were small. The earth barely acknowledged their presence. The grass remained relatively still despite the chaos happening just a few inches beneath. But after a few seconds the earth around the city began to write, bulge, and twist. Then they would begin to appear. Like great white worms the structures erupted outward. They rapidly turned a bright verdant hue and violently sprouted leaves, and fruit. They grew so rapidly that chunks of earth and stone would fly up into the air.

A great multitude of the monstrosities sprang up around the city's main gates. The vines twisted and writhed into the air defiantly, as if determined to carry their deadly fruiting bodies towards the sky. It would take a few minutes, but eventually the entire city would be encircled. But even then, they weren't finished.

It would start with a thud, a brief shivering of the earth, followed by a low rumble. Another thud, another rumble. The forces of New Brimiarde would see nothing and not understand what was happening. But perhaps the upper echelon of officers would understand to their dismay that one by one their escape tunnels were collapsing. What was causing the collapse could be surmised by the nature of the beastly plants which besieged their great city. The large, glowing fruits of the vines came in many colors. But they all had one thing in common. They were absorbing the magical energies around them and using them to turn themselves into volatile, elemental explosives.

These explosives beneath the earth were actively going off beneath their feet wherever they found open air. The ones on the surface were waiting patiently for anyone foolish enough to try to escape the city.

The spell was so powerful that the circle at Jun's feet completely faded away. She did not understand the inner workings of the vessel or the magic of the mages well enough to know how long it would take before it would recharge, or if it had been permanently disabled. But she hoped the magnitude of the spell was well worth the price.

A tear came to Jun's eye, but she couldn't help but smirk at her very own audacity. Druidic magic wasn't meant to be used this way. Va'nei would be ashamed if she could see her now.

The voice would be quiet, speaking more to itself than anything. It twitches and shudders, but not in the usual way that conveys sound. Rather, a shuddering, unsteady vibration. Now and then, a dull blue drop of cold fire would fall from its staring eye.

"There will be nothing left when I am finished. Even his bones will be dust on the wind."

Arya would remain in position, watching the dawnriders begin their assault on the walls. The ground forces would for now hold their position it seemed. In the meantime Arya focused on charging more magical energy.

<Charge 3>

--last post of Isra's turn--