username: deimar

[jatharin]

( On this occasion, King Deimar in silvered splendor: tussled, armour scratched and drenched in blood and soot, surrounded each way by his men or Rathakku's creatures. He screams, just as harpies swing in: )

Fall back — fall back, fall back — ( An infantryman politely keels over, arrow driving through his ribs. Deimar stops to stare — ) ...maybe with less enthusiasm than that.

( But then, he's led to take cover off the field, and he can mutter into his pendant: )

Greetings, greetings. Your king speaks. Deimar. ( As if, perhaps, some need the reminder. ) Let's cut through pretence: Alem is lost. The merchants are offering their... obscenely costly help with evacuation. If we had any alternative or dignity, we would decline. It won't surprise you that I've agreed, gratefully. Go to Hassir. Yes, it's a monastery old and true. No, you cannot bring your wine.

( And gentler, firmer: ) It will have you. All of you who go, Hassir will have you, and it will save you. Make a new life, away from this mountain. Away from our blood's burden, away from Hell.

( Then lighter, in this breezy tone: )

...which, I regret to inform you, is opening nice, creaky and wide beneath our floorboard. You've heard the old stories: the Motherless Children beget their devastation, bolstered by whatever souls they consume in their putrid wasteland. They're breaking through. Terrible creatures. Filthy. Ugly, too.

To all men and women of Alem who are strong, gifted and able: I won't tell you to take up your weapons and join me below in glory. If you die there, no one will mourn you, no one will weep over your bones. No one will even remember you. No, they'll live peacefully, happily and oblivious to your sacrifice. But they'll live.

So. You have your choices: Hassir or Hell below. What say you?

( ooc: brainstorming post if you want to ICly figure out where characters are headed. Hell officially starts to open on March 18, but feel free to forward-date responses & threadjack at will. Good luck saving humanity! )

Comments

un : deft hand of little deaths (voice)

[scrapgege]

Hmmmm, probably better if I stay here.

[jatharin]

And where is here?

[scrapgege]

Hm, down below, for now? I'm probably more useful trying to contain the whole thing as best as I can. It won't kill me, after all.

video; un: owllady

[traaaaaash]

... I gotta see these "filthy, terrible creatures" for myself.

[ Listen. Eda doesn't trust monarchs. And she is, for this particular moment, reminded of the way Emperor Belos has hunted her as a supposedly destructive wild witch for ages. ]

[jatharin]

Every sword, arrow or claw is valued. At some kind of rate.

[traaaaaash]

Uh huh? What rates we talking about?

in person

[stephanivien]

[ When Deimar first started broadcasting, the din of the surrounding battle sounded familiar, and as he moves to retreat, Stephanivien begins to put his firearm and aetherotransformer to good use, making his way steadily towards the cluster of knights defending their king, and cutting his own path to reach Deimar. By the time Stephanivien makes it almost to Deimar's retreat, his aetherotransformer is overheated and sparking, and in intervals his gun seems to transform into some sort of automated crossbow, blasting down harpies and other undesired creatureas of Rathakku's armies alike by littering them in a broad cone spread of arrows. As the enemies clear away, he reaches Deimar's side, and as the transmission speech ends he turns to Deimar with grin. ]

You have such a way with rousing speeches. Truly inspirational.

[jatharin]

( Excuse the man with the bloodied grin for showing it off, red and smeared. )

Would you rather I lied to them?

[stephanivien]

Never claimed I didn't like it. And your forces are better prepped that way, knowing what is in front of them.

[ Stephanivien's grin is just as rake-hell wide, though less bloody, which really is more a function of being primarily ranged than anything else. ]

Never been to any of the hells before, so there is no time like the present.

un: mansbane

[bravelyrunsaway]

Lightning take you, that's where you're headed, isn't it?

( what the searing SHIT is going on, he helped lend energy to patch that nonsense up for longer and now deimar's about ready to leap down into its throat. )

Time to what, go shove a few demon orphans around, love? Of course it is.

[jatharin]

I'll take the ones with mothers, too!

[bravelyrunsaway]

You'd take about anything right now, you absolute owl!

un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ Five wondered if Deimar would come up with a real plan, but it's not hard to see right through his speech. 'Living peacefully' isn't a real option and he knows it. ]

You expect it'll be contained to Alem if Hell breaks loose, or are you that confident we can stop it?

un: doubletap | audio

[dog_eat_dog]

There's no reason to think it'll be contained. If they could barely hold it back at the throat, what makes you think the mouth will do any better?

[somebadnews]

I don't. [ Most of what Deimar said was bullshit, but it'd be nice to hear him admit it. ]

Which camp does that put you in?

[jatharin]

In my vast experience of stopping hell, contained to exactly one incident, I'm not completely certain.

un: wei wuxian

[weifinder]

They consume souls?

( a pause. )

Deimar, in your understanding, what do these Motherless Children appear as?

[jatharin]

( For once, nearly serious: ) Their physical aspect? Or their ability?

video. un: a_civil_serpent - set on the 18th.

[inferus]

( well, this was the least inspiring and unmotivating speech he has ever seen any king or general or royalty make - evidence of his age, of his lack of experience as a king, of his numbness to the world around him. it has entirely failed to express why those sacrifices are truly important - only to speak of how they will be forgotten and how anyone who runs can live freely as if it would be that simple.

Wrath is in the room of seals: waiting, feeling as the fractures grow larger and Hell stronger beneath it. it is to be expected. )

The people- this world will only survive should enough soldiers go below to prevent Hell from spilling out.

It isn't about being remembered.

This is the battle against the end of times. Running away does not guarantee happiness nor freedom. Soldiers swear their oaths to give their lives for their kings, but this is the battle for yourself, for humanity itself. Pick up your swords or doom your families and this world to what happens when Hell breaks free from its cage.

( and the video turns toward the Hell as it fully opens up below - the creatures start to spill out, claw out, some swerve to avoid him entirely recognizing him for what he is, and the video cuts. )

[jatharin]

( He waits out the words, the speech. Hears everything. Worse, for his heart, he listens, and his smile deepens bittersweet.

After, when his men appear far more motivated, when they take their swords and their bows and come together in formations, he lets slip Wrath's way, in passing: )

...you do it better. You do. ( On any other day, the admission might sting him. ) They deserve better than Haiva, and maybe better than me. I suppose it won't matter, shortly.

audio | un: off scarlet

[westviews]

So it's come to this. I don't think you're going to get enough volunteers to buy enough time for an escape, and I doubt Hell stops at city boundaries once it's poured out.

[Is this helpful? No, but it's realistic.]

audio | un: manic marbles

[saintclaire]

I just don't understand what we can do about this. It feels like we're being asked to stop a natural disaster.

[In the next city –– if there is a next city –– she swears she is going to be useful against this sort of thing. Can demons be made to respect the law? The thought is completely ludicrous, but it's there.]

[jatharin]

You can't force man into a doomed battle.

voice | un: wooden sword

[vdovy]

I think it's time you tell us what Rathakku is truly after so we can help protect it.

[jatharin]

( He seems, for a moment, flabbergasted. Then, exasperated: )

Oh, for... truly? Now? You'll ask this now?