>>1793990
Awww yeaaah

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Rolled 31, 2, 29 = 62 (3d100)

>>1793990
Fuckin yaa

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>>1793990
Fuck yeah I made it on time

>>1793990
Ready to rape the snek

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>>1793990
Welcome back to Death Among the Stars Quest!

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Battles rage across the Bastion and Urdir systems, the Ahkam throwing fleets of ships in their efforts to avenge all the damage the Armada has inflicted upon them. Only through the combined efforts of your generals were they able to stall the tide of carnage the serpents hoped to inflict upon your worlds.

In Urdir Rethak rallies his forces in the aftermath of the Wraith incursion and the devastating Arc strike against Legion's Home. Reconstructed warships approach from the factory worlds, their long range attacks harrying the Ahkam forces as they closed in while attempting to trap the invaders between them and the fleet already engaged with them.

The beaches of Rukor became warzones as the tides of Reconstructed guided by the Legion fight to turn back the invaders. Allies in the form of the Obsidianborn and Bastion Stonestar fought alongside the living and undead as well, the Lavafather eager to protect his sister world and its people.

Helping hold the line to protect the world from the invading fleets the Armatocere Treeships unleash an intimidating barrage against the Ahkam. Kinetic rounds shatter shields and armored hulls while particle beams gather miniature stars of light before opening fire with the destructive beams that lance easily through unprotected sub-capitals. Their Thorn fighters, nimble non-sentient creations, fight in swarms alongside the Nails and Gunships that descend on the enemy vessels like vicious storms of bark, metal and bone.

The Ahkam forces that had managed to make it past the asteroid belt regroup their split forces after their losses at the hands of the deadly Obsidianborn vessels and Agona's picket fleet. They seem to be hesitating and shortly an Arc signature marks the location of a Storm Gate billowing into creation near the wounded invasion fleet, preparing for an assault against the heavily protected moon.

You watch these events from the bridge of the Charnel Vault at the heart of a fleet over Horizon's Drops moon, waiting for the appearance of the Matriarch before you yourself engage in battle. Kyn'tk slithers with excitement across and through your form, scurrying across the throne while you idly rub a thumb across the wooden mask in your hand. The screens before you displaying the conflicts even as your mind glides through the vast web of your Reconstructed network to witness the battles first hand.

There was much to fight for and battles to tend to. The war continues with the end out of sight.

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Much yes ! The Snek will bow !

Yes! First live thread! Lets drain some snakes

>>1794026
Gas yourself

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>>1794078
In B'Nan the battles were observed by the Voidknight Order, Lorgul and Jareth standing in their Temple with a number of the Disciples. Several of their number let out cheers or shouts as they watch the holoscreens, commenting among themselves as they discuss the conflicts. Despite their near unanimous enjoyment of battle they knew that during the Arc Surge they would be more a liability so they observe, vicariously enjoying the battles from the safety of their distant star system.

Lorgul laughs as he watches the Fury of the Wormstar pursue a heavy cruiser as it attempted to reverse and escape, lashing out with a limb to latch on it. Swarmers that surrounded the bioship funnel along the connecting limb to the captured vessel to wash over the cruiser with the glow of necrotic flame as their flensers chew into the hull, "Ruscuv's having a grand time, I'm certain," he comments and folds his arms across his chest.

Jareth nods, "Without a doubt," he motions to another screen that shows Agona's ships moving to engage the Ahkam forces near Bastion, "Although I think sister Agona is about to get her time to shine."

Nodding the first Voidknight chuckles, "Aye but Ruscuv already has a lead on her kill count."

Chuckling the other Voidknight shakes their head, "I didn't know this was a competition."

"War is always a competition!" Lorgul says and is responded with a round of cheering agreements from the Disciples.

Their enjoyment of the battles was paused when an alert sounds and the holoscreens flicker to change their image. Close to the gas giant on the outer rim of the system where fuel harvesting refineries were being rebuilt on the moons sensors detected a burst of Void energy, the signature revealing it to be a standard Osjiic Empire Void drive. Images from nearby vessels are displayed on the holoscreens, but rather than show a warship like the Voidknights had expected, only a single corvette drifted where it had emerged in the system. It's engines idle as it's weaponry remained locked into a neutral position it sent out a communications request over the standard Empire hailing frequency toward the nearest Armada vessel that was a rapidly approaching battlecruiser.

There was a simple audio file with the request and Jareth grinds his teeth as he hears the voice of 13 Ascendant Blade, the Deathshead Guardian that had lead the assault against this same system recently, "We come not for battle, but for a chance at a parlay. I would have words with you, Voidknights of the Armada."

The Osjiic Empire wishes to speak with the Voidknight Order. How shall they respond to this request?
>Write-in

>>1794218
Let them speak, the Osjiic are not the type to use diplomaty when they can do otherwise. They got me curious.

>>1794218
I guess avoid agressing the osjic at this very moment. We're busy, so have the [ V O I D B O I S] talk to him.

>>1794218
speak quickly.

>>1794218
The two Voidknights glance at each other, Lorgul giving a nod. You do not intercede, merely observing through a Void Centurion in the chamber, trusting your Voidknight with this contact.

The battlecruiser bearing down on the corvette decelerates, coming to a stop easily within range of its weaponry but rather than destroy the unshielded vessel it accepts the communications link. There was a few moments of silence before the holoscreen flickers and changes to show the image of the Deathshead Guardian from the torso up.

13 Ascendant Blade's skull was hidden by it's visored helm, arms folding across their chest, "Refusing to show your face still? No matter," they say with a shrug, "We Guardians are not one for talking but my Emperor sends me with a proposition."

Jareth clicks his teeth together before speaking, attempting at least to hold back his disdain for the other undead, "And what could that possibly be? Our factions are hardly on speaking terms."

"True, all of our interactions have been in the theatre of war. But war is why we contacted you. A war your Armada is currently fighting against the Ahkam Dynasty," the Deathshead lets out a guttural sound it took a moment to recognize as a chuckle, "My Emperor sends his regards for attracting their attention, thus sparing us their fury during this Arc phenomenon."

Lorgul scoffs, "Yes yes, you are very lucky. I was just thinking of how much they destruction they would've unleashed upon your worlds. Could've weakened them for our eventual conquest once the Arc Surge passed."

Jareth shoots a faceless look of annoyance to the older Voidknight but the Deathshead merely chuckles once more, "Again, that is why he sends his thanks. Now, this "Arc Surge", as you put it, our divinations and scientists predict that it will not last much longer.

"With the majority of their forces concentrated in fighting your Armada, this has left much of their systems in this sector weakened with smaller protective fleets," they speak calmly, their form nearly unmoving in the holoscreen. The Think Tanks observing the interaction were unsure if the Guardian was present on board the ship as sensors only detect a normal Void reactor signature.

>cont

>>1794440
"We propose a ceasefire between our Empire and your Armada, allowing us to focus on the Ahkam in an unexpected strike against them. They would not expect us to launch such an operation during the height of an Arc Surge, but our military might would outnumber the defenders. This allows us to strike at one of our hated foes with less resistance than normal.

"This will also likely force the remaining fleets engaged with your forces to retreat to defend their homes. You may use this chance to mop up the Ahkam threatening your worlds or to do the same as us and launch your own retaliatory invasions against them. Neither of our factions enjoy having the Ahkam this close to our territories and this may be the perfect chance to drive them from the Curou sector or to severely weaken them," the undead osjiic reaches up and removes the visor from their helm to expose their skull wreathed in ultraviolet flame, jagged fangs no hinderance to their speech, "If our records of the last Arc Surge are accurate, the Arc may actually suffer from a temporary lull or weakness, giving us further opportunity.

"What say you, Voidknights of the Armada? Will you consider our proposition?"

>The Osjiic Empire proposes a temporary ceasefire between themselves and the New Necrotic Armada
>They wish to launch raids against underprotected Ahkam systems in the sector, suggesting the tactic would benefit the Armada by distracting the Ahkam fleets

How shall they respond to the Empires proposition?
>Write-in

>>1794447
That's incredibly generous, what's the catch?

"Does as you see fit and attack them if you wish it, our Master Lord Jadyk as more important matter in mind than the conquest of your "Empire" for the moment."

>>1794447
This is a double edged sword
While it allows up the opportunity to focus purely on the arkham it also means we lose the chance at stealing more Arc potentials to convert to our cause.

And unlike the arkham and Osjiic we are not actually weakened as heavily as our territories are smaller and thus easier to defend

Having said that there is nothing to stop us using this as a good opportunity to push and take as much of the arkham stuff as possible but this may result in us being over extended for the osmotic to then attempt to take our newly but not yet reinforced territories

I say we accept the offer but move cautiously while preparing for the inevitable betrayal

>>1794447
This is a very good military move, the Ahkam would be getting struck from multiple sides simultaneously and if they're correct in their assumption of them being potentially weakened after the surge then it could very well turn into a slaughter. We could gain MANY more worlds and followers this way, carving a bloody path through serpent territory all the while not having to worry about attacks from the Empire. This doesn't mean we shouldn't be wary, however. We'd have to be sure to keep our defenses strong and ready for potential betrayal at the Empire's first opportune moment.

>>1794447
Muting the connection Jareth turns to Lorgul to speak quickly before turning back to reply, "Very well. We have heard your proposition and find it incredibly generous. More generous than we ever expected of the Empire that we suspect duplicity."

The undead laughs, Voidflame roiling from the gaps and open visor of their armor, "Just as we would view any request from your Armada with suspicion, I am uninsulted by your disbelief. Accept or not, I was merely sent to deliver this proposal to you and to ferry your reply back to the Emperor."

Jareth taps his chin with a claw in thought before waving the hand dismissively, "Do as you see fit and attack them if you wish. Our master Lord Jadyk has more important matters on hand than the conquest of your Empire at the moment."

13 Ascendant Blade leans in slightly toward the screen, his skull a rictus grin of jagged teeth and twisted bone, "Is that an acceptance of our ceasefire proposal?"

Please choose
>Accept the ceasefire
>Refuse
>Other (write-in)

>>1794618
My only concern is the matriarch may pull back we want to show the universe that not only can we face the Arkham we can fight their full force and crush it

How ever the idea of all those Osjiic ships staying busy while we fight is also promising would hate for them to join the party uninvited

>>1794622
During these times of the ark surge we will accept a momentary respite from our liberation efforts of the imprisoned territories known as the Osjiic empire

We look forward to your inevitable breaking of the proposed cease fire so we can continue freeing the sentient beings who your empire has so grievously wronged... since your expression shows confusion, it means yes.

(Voidknights agree but the wording is ambiguous as to the rest of the Armadas plans or possible interaction )

>>1794622
A cautious and tenuous at best, 'Yes'.
>Accept the ceasefire

>>1794622
>Accept the ceasefire

The empire is likely to overextend itself in the following expansion.

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>>1794622
Jareth lets out a small sigh before answering, "Yes, for the time being. A cautious and tenuous at best, acceptance."

With a satisfied nod the large Void-infused undead clasps their hands behind them, "Very well, I will deliver your decision to the Emperor."

The Voidknight lifts a hand to cut the link but the Deathshead speaks, "Pray to your Wormstar and Black Flame, Voidknights. We believe the Arc Surge to be a sign of things to come, our divinations revealing a future marred by wars of many lights and forces. And of a reckoning between our Orders, descendants of a slain God.

"May your flames burn hot and fierce, until we meet each other in battle. Perhaps then you shall your names with me, my distant brother," he says before the screen flickers out.

The corvette rapidly begins accelerating away, it's Void Drive engaging and wrapping itself in warped light and gravity to disappear into the cosmic distance.

Lorgul snorts as the holoscreens resume their displays of the battles in Bastion and Urdir, "Pompous imperial. If you don't break open their skull, I will," he says in a surly voice.

Jareth nods while thinking to himself in silence before replying, "You must know they plan to betray us."

The other Voidknight gives a dark chuckle, "Certainly. It is what I would do if I were making this proposition," he pauses then lets out another laugh, "I wonder if we should stake claims one which of the Ahkam systems we wish to inherit."

>>1794868
The Storm Gate on the outer rim of the asteroid belt vomits forth a new fleet of Ahkam vessels, the injured fleet already on the scene withdrawing toward the newcomers for protection. Attacks from the vessels still in the asteroid belt are flung out at them, the ships waiting for the order to attack while still harrying them from range.

Agona stood aboard her Pyroclastic Destroyer, the stonehulled vessel a small mountain at the heart of the defensive fleet composed of Reconstructed and Obsidianborn warships. A hybrid of the two cultures and technologies she realized how fitting it was that she lead this fleet, the first of the Reforged and liberator of the world she was defending once more.

Far away, deep in the Lavafathers prison she could feel the mind of her sister as she was being Reforged and Reconstructed once more. She almost held hope that Muic would be able to join her on the battlefield but turned her mind to more certain matters.

The invading fleets arranged themselves for the advance, Arclightning leaping from vessel to vessel as sensors detect the presence of several Ahkam serpents. Agona feels a psionic voice reach her mind, the heat of the Lavafathers presence comforting in her moments before the battle.

<Time to make them suffer, to punish them for their hubris. Go forth, Punisher Agona, make them regret their pride.>

Agona gives a nod before her mind reaches out to the fleet around her, sensing the mental presence of Valresko also lending his aid to the battle at hand.

How shall Agona repel and break these invaders will?
>Write-in

>>1794966
Obsidianborn ships in front to tank the brunt of their attacks, reconstructed in the back as ranged support and artillery until they close the distance, followed by the boarding of their larger battleships and command vessels to sow chaos and disorder.

Agona stays near to the back until the ships containing the serpents expose themselves, then Agona can join the fray and personally take them out alongside her boarding parties.

>>1794966
>Write in

Can we get some information on the composition and numbers of the reinforcements so we can at least try to come up with a plan?

>>1794989
I wouldn't mind more specific numbers and composition.

>>1794989
Whoops good point

Agona's Opponents:
>7 Ahkam Serpents
>13 Battleships
>35 Destroyers
>35 Battlecruisers
>45 Heavy Cruisers
>80 Light Cruisers
>300 Frigates
>500 Corvettes
>A whole lot of strikecraft

>>1795017
How about Agona's defensive force?

>>1795017
Also, wew lad is that a lot of serpents.

>>1795025
There used to be more.

>>1794987

I like this, Battle of Cannae style. Obsidianborn ships hold the center and hold blunt force of the attack, while both flanks are an elongated lines of reconstructed ships. Once the Ahkam show themselves the flanks turn inwards to encircle.

>>1795032
This

>>1795017
Reconstructed Vessels:
>1 Pyroclastic Destroyer
>20 Battleships
>2 Mirrorsoul Battleships
>20 Destroyers
>20 Battlecruisers
>20 Hangar Battlecruisers
>8 Torpedo Battlecruisers
>12 Swarm Battlecruisers
>5 Stake Cruisers
>70 Plasma Weaver Cruisers
>20 Heavy Boarding Cruisers
>40 Heavy Cruisers
>80 Light Cruisers
>400 Frigates
>30 Boarding Frigates
>600 Corvettes

Obsidianborn ships
>6 Battleships
>3 Hangar Destroyers
>10 Destroyers
>15 Battlecruisers
>10 Torpedo Battlecruisers
>30 Heavy Cruisers
>45 Light Cruisers
>200 Frigates
>300 Corvettes

>>1795032
>>1794987
Supporting, with the addition that we don't want to give them time. We need to start the push ASAP so we can force conflict before more of the Ahkam reinforcements arrive.

Setting up battle lines and just waiting for the Matriarch to show up would be a mistake.

>>1795072
Can we detach the Hangar BCs, Hangar Destroyers, Torpedo BCs, and have them work on the envelopment with some frigates to screen? Get them in close and take down the Ahkam ships that are launching and servicing their strikecraft while the rest hold the middle

>>1795072

OK we want definitive want the Pyroclastic Destroyer right at the center, perfect to for the job of holding the line along with the Obsidianborn ships and some regular of our regular ships. At each end of line should be compose of Swarm, Torpedo Battlecruisers and Plasma Weaver Cruisers. The Battlecruisers for the speed we need to complete the encirclement and the punch the Cruisers can pact.

>>1794966
Plan looks to be
>Pyroclastic Punisher and Obsidianborn ships hold the line
>Reconstructed fleet attempts to encircle and corral the invading ships with Battlecruisers and Heavy Cruisers leading the charge
>Target their command and carrier ships

Roll me 2d100 best of first 3 please

Rolled 2, 59 = 61 (2d100)

>>1795157

Rolled 52, 63 = 115 (2d100)

>>1795157
Light of the Wormstar guide us
>>1795164
Fuck

Rolled 14, 75 = 89 (2d100)

>>1795157

>>1795164

I am so sorry.

Rolled 96, 36 = 132 (2d100)

>>1795157

>>1795170
>>1795168

Clearly we are meant to win this through our own efforts.

>>1795184
Too late friend.

Rolled 9, 6 = 15 (2d100)

>>1795157
Don't mind me, just cleaning out bad rolls

>>1795210
So glad you did. Damn.

Rolled 41, 71 = 112 (2d100)

>>1795184
Always late. Always.

>>1795157
Conversing and planning the battle with her brother in a span of a split moment Agona's will reaches out toward the fleets in her command. The air shimmers around her as the obsidian glass portions of her armor and skull began to glow with an inner light, her mind uniting the Obsidianborn warships with a thought. With a warcry her commands flood out and the fleets lurch into motion.

The Obsidianborn and Reconstructed fleets move, organizing themselves into a broad wall of ships several layers deep, the Pyroclastic Destroyer and the Treeship forming its core. The stonehulled craft kept their shields burning bright on the front line as the long-range Reconstructed vessels arrayed themselves behind and opened fire with their spinal cannons and swarms of armored missiles.

The Ahkam invaders had organized themselves into a vaguely cross-shaped formation, their heavy capital ships forming the core and wings while the sub-capitals filled in the gaps. Battlecruisers surrounded by flights of corvettes and light cruisers raced ahead of the group, their shields flashing in the darkness of space as they were struck by the kinetic slugs then blossoming with blooms of green and orange flames as the missiles detonated.

They retaliate with their own barrage of kinetic weaponry and missiles, Arc charged weaponry striking hard but the Necrotic powersources of both breeds of warship helped lessen the blows. As both sides drew within the void became illuminated by the discharge of energy beams streaking across the distance, bolts of green and searing blue slicing the darkness. Blossoms of ruddy light erupt within the ranks of the Ahkam vessels, the Obsidianborn attacks weaponizing molten rock and metal to deadly effect.

As they fleets exchanged long range blows portions of the Reconstructed fleet began racing out away from the blockade of Obsidianborn the slower heavier Reconstructed ships. Battlecruisers raced ahead of the pack protected by a screen of corvettes and frigates between them and the Ahkam forces. The other, slightly slower vessels race behind, carrier ships brimming with strikecraft along with the dangerous weaver cruisers. Detonations among the shields of the protective vessels showed that their maneuvers weren't unnoticed as wings of the Ahkam fleet move to intercept the flanking forces.

The hangar battlecruisers began to shed their strikecraft like swarms of insects as Nails and Gunships raced out from the enveloping wings to engage the Ahkam fighters sent after them. Their parent ships stick close, taking up positions to support their strikecraft with ranged strikes as protective sub-capitals establish their footholds.

>cont

>>1795485
At Agona's command Swarmer Battlecruisers and several Corvettes each swerved away from their main packs suddenly, the speedy vessels aiming themselves directly for the interceptors. Under their shields their armor looks almost alive with the swarmer drones clustering their hulls, Arc energy leaping between them as they follow the pull of the larger Arc Swarmers. The Ahkam reacted quickly to the attackers, their strikes focusing on them but the Corvettes proudly throw themselves in the way of the attacks as they rapidly close in on them. Fighters and strikecraft dash out of the way of the approaching attackers or are consumed by the roiling waves of Swarmers.

Smashing into the front lines of the interceptor wings the Battlecruisers unleashed their swarms, the Arc Swarmers guiding their smaller and simpler drones. They reach out like pseudopods from the Battlecruiers then detaching as they swarmed and attacked the nearest foes. Shields fell before the onslaught of hundreds of Necroflensers, walls of the sickly green energy washing over their Arc charged hulls like a flame. They chewed through armor, sensors, and weaponry, crippling their foes before leaping to other nearby vessels as they opened fire, traveling like some infection each time they were struck. The Battlecruisers and their escorts did not last long, brought down by the devastating barrage of retaliatory strikes, but their sacrifice was not in vain.

With the interceptor wings disrupted and thrown into disarray the Reconstructed vessels continue to encircle the invading fleet. Further throwing the Ahkam forces into chaos were the Weaver Cruisers that raced in on the wake of the martyred Swarm Battlecruisers, rapidly closing the distance. From the blockade where Agona and the Obsidianborn ships fought to hold the line, it looked as it a tidal wave of green fire erupted to engulf the sides of the Ahkam fleet. Torrents of turbulent destructive Necrotic force is unleashed from each of the Cruisers, their concentrated attacks vaporizing strikecraft entirely and portions of sub-capitals. The corrosive energy feeds on the overcharged Arc reactors, consuming it as fuel and further enhancing their attacks.

>cont

>>1795488
The Ahkam forces, now mostly encircled with Obsidianborn ships emerging from the asteroid belt and moving to strike from the rear, knew they were in a vulnerable position. They seem to give up hope on the failed interceptor wings, instead regrouping their ships into new formations. These new clusters burn their engines bright as they lurch forward, attempting to charge the blockade once more. Their charge was met by Agona's blockade, swarms of fightercraft descending on the incoming attackers, Nails and Stonestar Dervishes racing alongside Thorn fighters as their weaponry rips into the Ahkam while dodging their retaliatory attacks.

You watch with pride from Horizon's Drop as Agona lives up to her original potential, her skill managing to stall the advance of the Ahkam invaders for the time being.

Roll me 2d100 best of first 3 please for attempting disruption and boarding actions

Rolled 96, 73 = 169 (2d100)

>>1795493
now that all the bad rolls are purged we gotta merc em

Rolled 94, 88 = 182 (2d100)

>>1795493

Rolled 51, 11 = 62 (2d100)

>>1795493

>>1795502
>>1795503

Excellent

>>1795502
>>1795503
NICE.

>>1795502
>>1795503
We gon merc em good, boiz

>>1795493
At another command from the Punisher the encircling ships opened fire, their barrage aiming for the heart of the Ahkam's formation. The crossfire rips into the warships, kinetic rounds and Necrotic energy blasts wrecking havoc on the outer layers of their grouping. The focused attacks quickly began to disrupt them, forcing them to scatter as they attempt to avoid the onslaught, further stalling their advance to break through the blockade.

Clouds of Swarmer Drones protect the Weaver Cruisers they were drug with as Arc Swarmer drones latch onto their hulls, their Necroflenser blasts taking down incoming missiles and brave strikecraft. The destructive sub-capitals burn through the ranks of the Ahkam fleets, their waves of Necrotic energy scattering ships around them as their heavy armor and reinforced shields weather the retaliatory attacks.

They were joined by the encroaching Armada forces, striketeams of frigates and corvettes supporting cruisers and destroyers as they targeted capital ships that became isolated from their allies.

Boarding ships rushed in their wake, their grapnels firing their harpoons with impressive accuracy, the spectral harpoons striking their hulls to blossom into roots that twist incorporeally through solid matter then resolidify. The lines made of nanostructure weaves go taut, the sheer physical forces exerted threatening to rip either the turrets from the boarding cruisers and frigates or snap the cables like twine. Yet most of them hold, the violent jolting of the paired ships mimicking the dogfights between esat grapnel fighters and the Armadas own fighters.

United by their tethers the Armada ships launch their boarding pods as they reel themselves closer to their hooked prey. Embedding themselves into the sides of their targets the boarding pods send reverberations through the hulls from the impacts. Drill bits utilizing corrosive Necrotic energy burn their way into the hulls then blossom open in the interiors of the Ahkam ships to deposit their undead cargo.

>cont

>>1795673
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrm_kb1d-Xc

Agona turns her attention to a battleship several boarding cruisers and frigate had managed to ensnare with Weaver Cruisers driving off its protective guard. The signature of an Ahkam serpent was plain on their sensors as Swarmers wash over its hull in an effort to cripple it as boarding pods dot its surface like tumors. It was the first to be taken captive but even then she sees that several other Ahkam signatures had been isolate with boarding efforts already being attempted and launched.

The engines of the battleship erupt with a crackling ball of Arc lightning that is quickly consumed by a Necrotic flame in a supernatural display but having the very physical effect of crippling the warship and trapping its occupants. Within its halls Reconstructed clash with the battle hardened crews. Shock Trolls with thermal bladed armor clash with similarly armored tyrre, bone dust and blood coating the halls and filling the low-gravity air as they tear each other to pieces. Talons and Lurkers swarm through the passages, fangs and talons wet with the blood and gore of the loyal soldiers while pushing past the drifting corpses of their kin they used as cover to advance steadily in their pursuits.

Soon several Obsidianborn ships converged, boarding shuttles latching onto the hulls and resembling sturdy shelled gastropods from Bastions surface. Creating an air-tight seal with their shells they burn through the hulls and unleash their Stonestar and Obsidianborn soldiers that quickly rush to join their Reconstructed comrades. Stonestar warriors find themselves caught up in a zealous rage, their clattering cheering sending fear through their adversaries.

The crews of the Ahkam warships were well-versed in combat through many seasons of war. They stood their ground and faced their deaths, their lives given with the hope that their deaths would somehow buy the time needed to save their living gods. Epikor elites in armor enhanced with Arc condensers stand guard over the protective bulwark sealing off the bridge of the ship, their halberds and blades cleaving through the undead and stonestar. They fight with a fury that rivaled the tyrre, zealots willing to die in the defense of their masters. They had faced the vast armies of the Osjiic Empire, clashed with the fleets of the Confederation, eliminated feral infestations and rogue undead, even defending against the Sunscale Warbloods. They were among the best of the Ahkam Dynasty.

Yet the foes they faced were unlike any they had before. The Reconstructed felt no fear nor pain, their minds united and guided by the Deep Rot, the power Necrotic fueling and shielding them from the Arc. Dirges floated with them, their telekinetic barriers and attacks sowing confusion among the Ahkam forces.

>cont

>>1795674
The Stonestar and Obsidianborn fought like no other enemy they had encountered. The echinoderms moving with alien ease through the weak artificial gravity despite the cramped hallways. They slip over and around each other, cooperative movements launching each other rapidly to engage their enemies in a melee that was heavily in favor of the multi-limbed soldiers. They utilized mixtures of Cauldron forged weaponry, weaponized hardlight turning their entire forms into weapons while others rely on Lavafather weaponry of jagged glass and glowing metal.

The Obsidianborn, sentient constructs of stone and volcanic glass, fought with an array of forms, no two completely alike in a chaotic display of designs meant only for war and death. Created from the fires and pressure of Bastion they embodied the Lavafathers wrath and they unleashed that fury now. The children of the Lavafather wielded powers and weaponry the Ahkam had no defense form, shards of obsidian and metal flung with supersonic speeds, lashes of molten metal moving like living whips to slice through the unfortunate. Their stone armors resisting the Arc energies of their weapons and shrugging off most ballistic weaponry.

Across the invasion fleet the scene was similar, those warships containing the Ahkam were isolated and crippled, their interiors flooded with boarding parties and their crews slaughtered or captured.

Agona watches events unfold from her Destroyer, her mind reaching out to guide the united forces. She watches as undead, echinoderm, and elemental force their ways to the very doors of the Ahkam. She watches as the ships sent from the asteroid belt join the fray, their weapons carving into the rear of the invasion forces and those that attempted to fleet inward toward the belt once more.

She watches as she holds the line, the Ahkam forces struggling to break her but she was Punisher Agona. Reconstructed from a disgraced hero of the Osjiic Empire into the bulwark and defender of the Armada. She was Reforged by one of your now greatest allies into the juggernaut she was today. She was the immovable object and she watches as the Ahkam invaders are broken against her shield and for once, contentment fills her for a brief moment as she feels their fear.

She is Punisher Agona and she will hold the line.

>>1795675
Okay I think I need to call it for the night, We'll continue this tomorrow afternoon.

Hope folks had fun, I know I did writing it. Sorry for the delays.

I'll be up for a bit longer if folks have questions or suggestions for me.

>>1795675
>>1795681
>She was the immovable object and she watches as the Ahkam invaders are broken against her shield and for once, contentment fills her for a brief moment as she feels their fear.

>She is Punisher Agona and she will hold the line.

Fantastic. Thanks for running!

>>1795681
what exactly does this mean for the 100% canon lore of Agona's career as a pinup model? Is IMMOVABLE SHIELD the name of her new JAV dvd?

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>>1795689
desist

>>1795695
Oh boy lets remember to COMPLETELY disable ALL FUCKING FTL this time guys. Seriously please dont send in agona if the enemy can still ftl jump.

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Seriously Grave I'm completely unable to read Deatshead Guardian as anything other than Death Shed Guardian and every time I do I picture this and I can't stop laughing

>>1795695
How will the ENTIRE voidknight order's "unstoppable spears" fare against this "IMMOVABLE SHIELD"?

Rolled 31, 45, 82 = 158 (3d100)

I wonder if there will be some kind of solar event in honor of the solar eclipse we just had

>>1796082
Just what we want, rampaging anti undead lizards on a solar high

>>1796567
Shit nigga just pour water on them or something I dunno.

>>1796657
> "WE COME TO CLEANSE THIS SECTOR OF THE UNDE-"
> All of our Reconstructed are armed with fire hoses, super-soakers, and fire extinguishers.

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>>1796657
>>1796776

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>>1796878

>>1795979
I don't think we have any FTL interdiction stuff built yet.

>>1797083
No but we CAN ravage their engines and hull enough that fancy storm gates wont do dick all anyway!

>>1796776
>>1796878
When the armies of the sun lizards come marching, airburst bombs full of flame retardant on top of them.

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>>1797260
Time to break out the big guns

>>1797272
kek
I'm imagining the big bad flaming sun lizard leader standing in the open demanding to face the lich in control of the armada and Jadyk comes strolling out with sun tan lotion smeared over his cheekbones wearing shades over his eye sockets and an open Hawaiian shirt and shorts.

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>>1797498
A bit like this, then?

>>1797679
This picture always bothered me a little. Isn't it Father in the void and Mother from the solar, so lizardman should be saying "feel her radiance" right?

>>1797888
How dare you assume their gender.

>>1797923
How dare you assume their individuality. You will adress every identity as "zhwe" until learning if they(em) are an idividual or hive entity, AND ONLY THEN MAY ZHOU USE THE TERM "YOU". scum

>>1797939
And how dare zhwe assume my indiviuality, Zhwe're just as much a shitlord as anyzwhe else here!

>>1797679
Yeah, just missing the sunscreen and Hawaiian shirt.

We'll be resuming the thread later this afternoon

>>1797888
Got it swapped.

The Mother in the Void and the Father from the Solar.

"No matter the strength and rage of the Father, the embrace of the Mother shall calm his flames" - Sunscale proverb

>>1798245
SOON

>>1798245
Any minute now.

Slight delay but think I'm ready to go now

Roll call time, time to fight some more snakes

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>>1799058

>>1799073
aye

>>1799073
HE LIVES!

Well, I mean, you're undead so you aren't technically /alive/, but...YOU'RE BACK! HUZZAH!!

>>1799073

here

>>1799073
Yay

>>1799073
NO BOARDING TILL ENGINES REKT!
Here.

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>>1799073
Fuck yeah more snek time

>>1799073
AYOOOOOOO

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>>1799073
Places to go
People to devour

>>1799073
ready and willing to serve

>>1799223
That is neat as hell. Looks like a leaner Brute that's been empowered by either the Solar or the Lavafather.

>>1799073
Here to fug snek

>>1799269
SNEK
DOMINATION SPIKE
CLIT RING

Throughout the star system battles waged, the lights from countless explosions illuminating the skies of the worlds of Bastion. Thousands of the living, undead, and constructs fought and perished. Space became awash with tides of Arc and Necrotic energy clashing with each other in shocking displays of color even as the battles moved to new locations, the lingering elemental radiation creating dense pockets around the debris of broken fleets that crackle with distorted light or burn with entropic flames.

Newly created storms, fed by the Arc contamination flooding their atmosphere, raged in artificial hurricanes. Typhoons of spiralling water rip at shorelines where evacuated villages are torn apart or wreck havoc on the beachheads of the Ahkam invaders that managed to slip past the blockade still battling lightseconds away from the planet. It was as if Rukor herself was rising up to drive off the invaders, bolts of lightning illuminating the skies in harsh staccato. The Legion continues to guide the local ructu and the swarms of Reconstructed in defending the world, many of the Necrolytes once invaders of this world themselves but now fighting to defend it from their former comrades.

Ruscuv and the Fury continue their efforts in disrupting the hopeful invaders. Backed up by the blockade fleet and the volunteer Armatocere Treeships, the colossal bioship managed to drive a wedge down the middle of the attackers fleet. Thrown into disarray your fleets rush in, forcing the Ahkam ships into close range conflicts as they struggle to maintain cohesion between their numbers. Through the hours of battle Ruscuv continued to show the same delight as when she first engaged the Ahkam, her excitement seeming to infect the Fury and the masses of Reconstructed ships that follow in its wake like a school of predatory fish.

With the supermassive gas giant looming in the stellar distance Agona's furious defense, and aid from Valresko's guidance, manages to stall and break the advance of the Ahkam invaders. The Obsidianborn fleets fight brutally to defend their homeworld, guided by Agona to devastate their eternal enemy and former enslavers. She watches as the Reconstructed and Obsidianborn ships isolate and cripple the warships containing the Ahkam. A flare of annoyance washes through her as she watches a trio of the Ahkam containing vessels engulf themselves within a hasty Storm Gate and evacuate from within the center of a protective formation formed by their remaining fleet. It appeared their departure was unplanned as their vacancy seems to send a panic through the remaining ships left behind as they begin to scatter in chaos.

>cont

>>1799326
There was an alarm of an approaching gravity well but the alarm became an alert of a friendly force as the fleet emerges on the inner rim of the asteroid belt. A fleet of fresh capital warships from Horizon's Drop were a welcome sight, Predator Eitons stealthed vessel drifting near to where they dropped out of FTL. In the command ship of the new fleet Tlacex sends a message to the other Generals in the system, announcing his arrival and desire to assist there whereever he was needed.

War continues to wage in Bastion, the Armada managing to stall the efforts of the Ahkam invaders.

Where shall Illuminator Tlacex and Predator Eiton be deployed?
>Write-in

>>1799331
Are both Tlacex and Eiton in Bastion's system?

>>1799385
Yes. Tlacex just arrived with his fleet from Horizon's Drop.

Eiton and the Arc Disciples have been seeding Bastion with Crit Crawls throughout the system and Eiton wishes to join the battles now himself.

>>1799385
Current locations of the Armada's Generals:

Horizon's Drop:
>Jadyk
>Jor
>Valresko

B'Nan
>Lorgul
>Jareth

Urdir
>Rethak

Bastion:
>Agona
>Ruscuv (with the Fury)
>Eiton
>Tlacex
>Muic (temporarily indisposed)

>>1799402
Have Tlacex hit the invading force from the side, open up a new flank and have Eiton stealth his ships behind them and attack from the rear while they're focused on Tlacex and Agona.

>>1799402
>>1799331

I want to hold Eiton in reserve and have Tlacex assault the rear of the enemy fleet to complete the encirclement.

>>1799331
Eiton and his disciples pick off stragglers.

Tlacex meanwhile drops the hammer on the enemy rear, thrusting in and causing catastrophic damage.

If Eiton sees a an advantage in following up tlacex's great thrust he can ravage the enemy further, but he and his will need to be able to redeploy to HD quickly. The matriarch knows it's the seat of our power and is using these assaults to make us shift defenses away to make her killing us easier.

>>1799422
>>1799425
>>1799434
There are currently two main fleets of the invaders in Bastion.

One is attacking Rukor where Ruscuv is disrupting them. She is focusing on chasing down the Ahkam serpents in the fleet.

The other is attacking Bastion where Agona has stalled their advance and is attempting to pick off trapped Ahkam as well.

>>1799469
Tlacex to Bastion, hitting them hard from a new flank.

Eiton to Rukor, sneak in from behind the scattering, disarrayed Ahkam fleet and attempt to prevent serpents from getting away.

>>1799480

Yeah this.

>>1799469
>>1799480
this

Also can we have our minds start predicting like entry points to HD? We know they are coming here sooner or later, and I want critcrawls laid and ready.

>>1799331
>Send Eiton to assist Ruscuv in disabling Ahkam ships
>Send Tlacex to assist Agona in battling the fleet

Roll me 1d100 best of first 3 please for Eiton moving to assist Ruscuv

Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>1799562
COME ON EITON, FOR PAPA JADYK.

Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>1799562
Show them the remaining if fear

>>1799469
Make Tlacex fall like a hammer in the back of the force confronting Agona, Ruscuv is handling the Snek pretty well. Eiton must stealth his ship and divide them in "Hunting pack" remaining hidden until a ship containing a Snek try to break off or disengage; then jump on him like Piranha on meet smelling blood. Focus on their power systems, disable their possibility to flee and then disengage. The other will assault the ship to take down the Big Snek, the stealth fleet must remain intact, and Eiton fresh; they will both be crucial in the fight againt big Mama Snek.

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>1799562
Crap, too slow.

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>>1799594
Holy moly; Eiton is angry tonight.

>>1799594
>rolls 96. Claims they are slow
No Anon, you where right on time

>>1799594
Nice.

>>1799594
>>1799600
>>1799603
>Eiton teledrains a snek in ship to ship combat

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>MFW the quiet wait before the update after a really good roll

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>>1799711
I see you are a man of taste as well.

>>1799326
>A flare of annoyance washes through her as she watches a trio of the Ahkam containing vessels engulf themselves within a hasty Storm Gate and evacuate from within the center of a protective formation formed by their remaining fleet. It appeared their departure was unplanned as their vacancy seems to send a panic through the remaining ships left behind as they begin to scatter in chaos.

Oh boy, if the Matriarch survives they are gonna be dead. Those three must have really lost hope in this offensive.

>>1799562
"Do not let them escape their fates, Eiton. Teach them the folly of their actions.

With your words encouraging him, Predator Eiton grins with excitement. With a few quick orders to his Disciples and the other stealth cloaked vessels under his command they begin accelerating toward the Ahkam fleets engaged with Ruscuvs. From the orbit of Rukor's moon there was a large distortion of light like ripples in a pond as the stealthed warships held in reserve mobilize. They had been prepared before the invasion and held back, the crews on board twitching with eagerness at finally being deployed.

As Ruscuv and the Fury continue their rampage along the front lines of the conflict, more and more of the Ahkam carrying ships draw back behind the protective guard of the lesser ships. Many of them had suffered damage from long-range attacks and persistent strikecraft attacks but as they grouped up you began to worry they would attempt retreating to regroup in one of their nearby systems. Your fears were not unfounded as one group with at least two Ahkam within began to emit their billowing Storm Gates from their hull, their shields already disabled from previous attacks.

Their escape was interrupted however as detonations of Necrotic flame erupt from their engines, flickers of distorted light racing for them moments before more of the explosions are set off. As several more of the unknown attacks detonate against their engines and render them dead in space the other vessels begin reacting, their weaponry firing wildly at an unseen foe.

A lucky strike does manage to hit one of the stealth coffins loaded full of Crit Crawls that was on a kamikaze course for the Ahkam ships, the ball of flame turning from orange to a sickly green as the Necrotic energy erupts from its fuel source. Eruptions of green and orange flame detonate across other battleships and destroyers carrying the serpents, the coordinated strikes throwing the invasion force into renewed turmoil.

Detecting the disrupting further in the Fury renewed its efforts, emboldened by the reinforcements striking from the rear. Ruscuv gives a cackling shout of excitement, her bloodlust far from slaked as she urges the bioship forward with the fleets commanded by Ruscuv following close behind.

As the initial barrage of suicidal Coffins the Ahkam ships were in heavy disarray as they attempted to regroup, serpent carrying vessels protected by their fleets. They cluster close, attempted to intercept any more attackers but their efforts were in vain as seemingly out of nowhere multiple Reconstructed vessels appear within their ranks and open fire with sudden barrages of Necrotic weaponry and swarms of missiles. Sower Corvettes, along with standard stealthed frigates and corvettes, struck out violently with everything they had in their arsenals.

>cont

>>1799949
With their cloaks failing their hulls become illuminated as hardlight plating flickers into being over the unshielded vessels. Attacking so close and in the midst of their cluster the chaos they sowed was impressive as Ahkam vessels recoil and attempt to retaliate. The smaller vessels were much quicker than the Ahkam capitals, their maneuverability allowing them to move easily between the grouped ships that could not track them fast enough nor without fear of striking their allies at such a close range. Necrotic flayer turrets slice into their hulls at near point-blank range, closer than any warship is designed to be attacked, the corrosive beams wrecking havoc on their hulls and weaponmounts.

Fighters from the Ahkam moved into retaliate, their numbers quickly overwhelming multiple Reconstructed attackers but they were too late to truly stop the devastation the unseen attackers had inflicted.

As Ruscuv's forces continue to push into the invaders their forces were increasingly splintered and cut-off from each other. In the ensuing panic there were several escapes, at least three battleships pulling emergency escapes much like the Ahkam Muic had faced did. Their exits do more damage to the moral of the remaining forces as they were abandoned and their remaining serpent overlords were being hunted down.

As the chaos fell upon the Ahkam invaders their ships came to be boarded, Intruder Coffins dropping their cloaks to latch onto the sides of crippled ships and beginning to carve through airlocks and hulls. Their deadly cargoes, the newly craft Arc Vipers and Savages, are unleashed upon the unfortunate crews alongside Dirge supports. The Ahkam soldiers had never encountered the Arc infused and enhanced undead, their confusion and uncertainty leading to their grisly demises as Eiton's creations prove themselves for the first time in true battle.

Throughout the battlefield Eiton and his Disciples guide their cloaked ships, striking devastating blows and crippling the ships they detected the Ahkam serpents on board. As much as he wished to board the vessels one-by-one he knew the time for dueling the serpents would come, so he satisfies himself by rendering them unable to escape their eventual fates.

As his personal vessel emerges from its pocket of twisted light Eiton gave a shout of delight as it streaked past a battleship, the acid-drop missiles he left in his wake melting through their engines and several turrets while carving into their side with flayers and flensers. He could feel the Arc charged throughout the system, the Surge uniting him closer and closer with the Arc itself. This close to the Ahkam he could practically smell their fear through the energy source they shared and manipulated.

>cont

>>1799955
He reaches out, attempting to sense the Ahkam in the ship as his own rewraps itself in its cloak to avoid the pursuing strikecraft and retaliatory strikes. Through the Arc he could feel them, a beacon of indignant rage and fuming frustration.

Yet, as he connected with the Arc, he felt something, a presence that drew his attention sharply. His head jerks to the side and for a brief moment he swears he saw a blur of movement, like something standing by his side but all he could feel was a lingering Arc signature. Focusing intently on the strange signature he reaches out his mind, realizing that your attention was on him as well in that moment.

And then he hears it, a voice that resonates with the Arc itself in his mind like a whirlwind of blades, filling him inexplicably with a sense of both dread and hope.

"She comes for this system. Her rage will bring ruin to you all unless Jadyk faces and dethrones her. You must protect and guide him, Predator Eiton, or else the the glorious future of the Armada will fall into shadow. Lord Jadyk MUST claim the Arc for himself or he shall never have the chance again! Do not fail! The path to salvation and victory is the path of the Abomination!

As he reels from the overwhelming psionic contact he turns to see the results of his attack, the Think Tank of his vessel proudly displaying the results.

>11 Ahkam Capital ships with serpents on board have been disabled and await boarding

>>1799966
>Send Tlacex to assist Agona in battling the fleet

Roll me 1d100 best of first 3 please

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>1799975
For Mother!

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>1799975
Glory to the New Necrotic Armada!

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>1799975
Praise the Spoop

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>1799975
DOOM

>>1799987
>>1799989
>>1799990

So it's not just me then. Huh.

>>1799992
What is this fuckery!?

>>1799987
>>1799989
>>1799990
ouch

>>1799992
>13 seconds too late
oh man

>writing

>>1799992
WORMSTAR DAMMIT

>>1800002
I demand a recount! THERE ARE HANGING CHADS!

>>1799997
>>1800002
>>1800003
>Not waiting for the Doom slayer's coming

baka famalam-shamalamadingdong -whizbangboom

>>1800019
We need to make one of those.

Infused/Enhanced Human general when?

>>1800113
When our berserker officer woman becomes an immortal

>>1800174
Do we have to wait?

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>>1799987
>>1799989
>>1799990
>>1799992

>>1800174
She would make a bad-ass Doomslayer

>>1800113
We also have the rogue necromancer we could make into a general

>>1799987
>>1799989
>>1799990
Fucking hell, poor Tlacex. He's going to be so disappointed.

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>1799975
Why do the dice gods hate us

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>1800358
They want us to suffer to humble us.

>>1800363
So is that going to make us more or less likely to do what Arc Guy suggests?

>>1800347
I bet the Wraiths are behind this!

>>1800392
>inb4 the bad rolls actually reveal a shitload of wraiths

>>1799975
As Eitons ambush is unleashed alongside Ruscuv's Fury against the Ahkam Illuminator Tlacex sends his fleet to cross the asteroid belt. To close the gap quickly and join the battle quickly he sends several groupings of cruisers with frigate and corvette ahead while taking the rest over the field.

The sub-capitals spool their advanced Skip Drives, gravity warping around them as they disappear from view with brilliant flashes of light and radiation. They reappear mere moments later in orbit around the supermassive gas giant closer to one of Bastions sister moons. The lights of the battle allowed them to orient themselves quickly and they race off to approach the battle from the flank.

As they rocketed toward the battlefield they were the first to see the shimmer of Arc energy near the upper atmosphere of Bastion. Much like Eitons attacks upon the Ahkam they unleashed their own surprised attack. Emerging from a shimmering mirage of Arclight, a small fleet of Ahkam craft aimed themselves toward the orbital platform where the Wormstar Finger reached up from the clouds of Bastions atmopshere. There was a brilliant discharge of Arclight from the battlecruiser at the heart of the stealth fleet as it opened fire with it's spinal Arc cannons.

The bolt of radiant light streaks across the void to strike the platform with devastating effect as several pylons and sizable portion of the platform are twisted into a glowing crater in the aftermath. The platform rocks violently as kinetic rounds strike it, the space elevators vibrations sounding like impossibly loud thunder on the surface as the anchor city strains from the stresses. Tremors shake the ground and tears split the foundation in sections but somehow it holds.

The defenses of the platform react quickly but their targeting is thrown off by the attacks, the defensive turrets swaying in their attempts to strike their attackers. The beam of the orbital lance does manage to slice through several corvettes as it sways, missing it's target of the battlecruiser. The missiles and strikecraft of the platform that managed to escape their hangars and pods streak across the distance in retaliation for the attack. Several cruisers in the stealth fleet unleash their strikecraft and shuttles, alternatively racing to engage the incoming strikeforce or plummeting down into the atmosphere.

>cont

>>1800436
The battlecruiser and a pair of heavy cruisers began to rain drop pods down into the storms below, heralding the descent of several frigates and corvettes that follow in their wake. They are met with instant resistance as anti-air forces on the grounds open fire, tracking the encroachers but a good number of drop pods manage to reach the ground along with groups of shuttles. Missiles and anti-air flak fill the air but their bunkers and nests were quickly targeted by the sub-capitals punching through the storms.

The battlecruiser looked to be recharging for another of its attacks but as the star of Arclight grew in intensity it came under attack as four brilliant lances of sickly green light pierce the eternal storms of Bastion and slice into it's unshielded hull. Portions of its armor are superheated then sublimated as its torn apart in the torrent of corruptive energy, one beam managing to punch through to the other side in it's brief seconds of attack. Moments after the beams faded the capital ship is engulfed in flames as it's broken apart in a series of explosions finalizing in a large blast of Arc energy that sears and damages several of the ships nearest to it. Portions of the broken ship and others rain down onto the planet as well leaving trails of flame until they disappear into the storms below.

As more of the surprise fleet descended into the storms of Bastion Tlacex and his fleet finally neared the battlefield and began to open fire with his long range weapons. Yet as the distance shrank there was an alert as a singularity of Arc energy was detected alarmingly close to the approaching fleet.

With a shout his fleet swerves to avoid the suddenly billowing Storm Gate off their flank, several of the slower heavy cruisers engulfed by the clouds. Arc lightning flashes violently as the storm billows and swells until suddenly shadows began to appear with each flash of light. Kinetic rounds and bolts of Arc energy are the first things to emerge from the storm, striking into Tlacex's fleet and wiping out several frigate and corvettes.

From the Storm Gate a new Ahkam fleet appeared, the presence of two Ahkam serpents detected on the battleships at its core as they engaged the Reconstructed fleet, likely just as surprised by the close range FTL exit. The new fleets turned on each other, both fresh to battle and eager to fight but the Ahkam fleet had the drop on Tlacex, opening fire as they attempted to come about.

>cont

>>1800442
Agona sees Tlacex's plight and with a command a portion of the blockade separate and races off to join them as other Armadan ships close to the new battles turned to assist as well. She sends a comm line to Tlacex on board his battleship, her voice determined and confident, "Fear not brother, you do not fight alone."

Tlacex gave a laugh, his beak pulling back in a toothy grin, "I came to assist you, but it seems it is I who needs the assistance!" he gave another laugh despite the situation then returned to shouting commands as his ship lurches from a kinetic slug striking the shields.

A small fleet of sub-capitals descend upon Bastion, falling through the eternal storms to open fire upon the surface. Ahkam strikecraft duel with atmospheric interceptors while they come under fire from anti-air systems but the sub-capitals bombard their positions. They focus on several locations, the vessels setting down to establish beachheads on plateaus and mountain-sides where the lavaflows were sparse after wiping out local defenses.

The very crust of Bastion seems to rumble with the Lavafathers building fury, his volcano spewing grew sprays of glowing magma and caustic plumes of smoke into the air. From the volcano itself his voice rings out roiling with rage as the ground quakes.

<WARRIORS OF THE AHKAM! YOUR SOULS WERE FORFEIT THE MOMENT YOU SET FOOT UPON MY WORLD AND HARMED MY CHILDREN! YOU SHALL BURN!>

Bastion has been invaded!

Roll me 1d100 best of first 3 please

(terribly sorry about the unexpected delay)

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>1800449
INTO THE LAVA!

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>1800458
Well, the Lavafather's temper is flaring today

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>1800449
MAY THE RIGHTEOUS FLAMES OF THE LAVAFATHER CONSUME THEM

>>1800449
>Tlacex gave a laugh, his beak pulling back in a toothy grin, "I came to assist you, but it seems it is I who needs the assistance!"
At least he's taking it well.

>>1800458
NICE.

>>1800449
Through the connection of Agona and every hybrid Reconstructed-Obsidianborn on Bastion you could feel the Lavafathers anger as the indignity of having an invasion force land on his world. The ground quaked and new rivers of magma began to rush and flow as the molten heat of the moon bubbled up to the surface. It was hard to tell just how far his influence truly spread but the very moon itself seemed to quiver with his rage.

The Ahkam wasted no time in establishing their beachheads, landed sub-capitals becoming fortresses as they discharge their ground troops. Several return to the air after depositing their troops and lift up to provide cover for their strikecraft and engage the atmospheric fighters and interceptors. Hovertanks and mechs moved across the rough landscape, APCs carrying troops in their wake as they make their way toward their targets ranging from stonestar villages to Reconstructed or Obsidianborn fortresses to the factories that provided for the Lavafathers fleets.

Aerial Reconstructed swooped in to attack, Devils and Drakes diving in with swarms of Scourges to harry the invaders. Strafing with beams of Necrotic energy or rain down explosives in their midst, Scourges landing on vehicles to tear into them in a frenzied rush to sabotage as much as they could before they're driven off or shot down.

An army of the Ahkam soldiers made their way marching through a valley that was relatively easy to traverse, geyser fields spraying great bursts of boiling water and steam into the air. The toxic, boiling water splashes the vehicles but their armor protects them as they make their way through. A mech cresting a hill covered in lichen swivels its cluster of sensors toward the air at the sound of a shrill whistling. A moment later the hill it stood on erupts in an explosion of molten metal, sending the mech sprawling through the air as it's pelted with liquid metal and jagged stone. More of the detonations of searing, liquefied metal erupt among their ranks sending mechs into the air or splattering and hollowing out the tanks and vehicles.

From a distant ridge where the Volcanic Crawlers were hunkered down they rained their artillery of compressed globules of molten metal and stone. Their stony hides nearly make them blend in with the stone and disappear from sight until their body jerks with each volley, the large bored cannons rising from their armored backs launching the glowing artillery through the air.

The assault rained down on them, scattering portions of their vehicles and forcing numerous APCs to expel their troops as they were engulfed with the weaponized slag. Many of the soldiers found themselves boiled alive as the artillery strikes disrupted the geyser field, sending boiling cascades erupting chaotically around them. The geysers burst up, engulfing platoons of soldiers, cooking them in their armors and vehicles, the invaders quickly learning why the Stonestar never waged war in such violently unstable areas.

>>1800713
Another army moves in on where a shield dome protects a large stonestar city on the distant reaches of the Lavafathers mountain range. The city was newly created to help house the millions of stonestar that had migrated across the globe to be closer to the Lavafathers seat of power. A mix of Reconstructed and Obsidianborn designs the city was a joint effort with Agona designs making it a veritable fortress and as such much of the stonestar population of surrounding cities and factories had been evacuated to the densely protected city. Surrounding the city where it sat perched up against a mountain side and sprawled out along its base was wide plains, criss-crossed with rivers and lakes of flowing, bubbling lava.

The army moved, establishing a foothold behind a ridge near the vast plains leading up to the city itself. A frigate floats above the army, it's auxiliary auto-cannons and esat fighter escort driving off the aerial attackers while it targets the city itself with it's main weapons. Turrets flash with light as they lance out with particle beams, the shield glowing bright as it weathers the assault. From the foothold artillery began to rain down on the shields, bombardment tanks stabilizing themselves with their stubby legs launching explosive and kinetic rounds to strike the shields and help bring it down.

As the mechs and tanks arrange themselves to invade the city with APCs protected near their centers they tried to ignore how the ground rumbled constantly under them, sending pebbles jittering across the stone. The invaders lurch forward when the shields began to flicker, the close-range attacks helping overload the shields somewhat faster than expected, the army hoping to cross the fields of flowing lava in time for them to fail.

Mechs skip over the rivers of liquid stone, Arclight propelling and supporting them above the dangerous surface. Hovertanks and carriers rumble in their wake, the tanks elevating their particle and ballistic cannons to open fire as well.

Passing over a river of lava with a jump, the pilots of the mech likely had no idea what happened to them as a pseudopod of the molten liquid reaches up with blinding speed to snatch the mech and completely submerge it in the river. Chaos erupted among the ranks of the approaching invaders as an army of Obsidianborn and hybrid Reconstructed rise up from the rivers and lakes to launch their ambush.

Choirs of Obsidian Requiems and Dirges rise up from the lakes of magma, their armor of glass and stone glowing with their internal heat as they begin lobbing lumps of lava and flinging shards of obsidian glass at supersonic speeds. Molten Trolls charge from rivers, the lava streaming off their bodies as jump-packs send them careening into the sides of hovervehicles where they begin belching their liquid metal blood and carving into their armor in a frenzy.

>cont

>>1800718
From the midst of a lake of lava with a single island in the center of the plains, there was a great rumbling and cracking of stone. Surrounding the island three pillars suddenly rise up, lifting from where they laid below the surface of the lava and locking into place like a trio of towers. Magma rushed away from the hill and three pillars as it rose up, revealing the hill was more than just an island in a lake of lava.

Streaked through with red telekinetic crystal and geokinetic obsidian, the fortress rises from its hiding spot below the lake and floats into the air. Nearly as wide as the frigate was long the floating fortress rains the magma still clinging to it as portions of the stone slide away and weaponmounts are unveiled. Appearing as a mostly circular platform with three tall towers bristling with weapons at its edges it floated into the air where the Ahkam army started in disbelief at the floating mountain.

Necrotic flayers and geokinetic weapons open fire from the nearly countless ports, carving into the approaching army as it drifts towards the frigate and foothold. Artillery sent to strike it glow against the shields projected by the pillars, that while not as strong as the one protecting the city, was allowing the fortress to rapidly approach the Ahkam invaders.

The frigate turns to face the approaching threat and opens fire with its turrets, the shields glowing bright but the cannons at the top of each tower swivel and open fire with great beams of Necrotic energy. The fortress was dangerously fueled by a Necrotic reactor that could've powered a heavy cruiser against Agona's suggestions for proper power source sizes. The experimental mobile fortress pumping it's energy into the three starship class flayers that slice into the frigate, quickly melting away a portion of its hull before a large explosion detonates from its side and begins to list dangerously until it collides with the jagged ridge.

Yet still, more advanced upon the Lavafathers volcano itself where the avatar of the mountain had once struck a blow against the Matriarch in her first visit to the moon. They march to avenge her and to punish the Stonestar for staying loyal to their imprisoned god and driving them from the moon. The Ahkam that now proclaimed loyalty to you had spoken of her rage for the moon and it's people, the Stonestar once being her prize and hope for making her mark upon the other Dynasties with her new race of warriors. Vle'Karak even suggesting they were to be her replacement for the unpredictable tyrre.

The volcano leaks its fury as new rivers of magma flow down its slopes, the column of smoke rising from its peak raining ash upon the landscape around it as the rains held back. Three frigates moved in with a handful of corvettes, their armies approaching in their shadows as they target the population centers of stonestar assembled around its base and slopes.

>cont

>>1800719
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRmwFBK0cyk

The ground begins to quake violently suddenly, rents tearing open in the stone to belch forth new geysers of molten stone and boiling water and steam. The voice of the Lavafather roars out, many of the invaders clutching their heads in alarm at the psychic bellow.

<I should have incinerated the Matriarch when she foolishly came to this world the first time! Now you shall all suffer in her place!>

The mountain range of the Lavafather was far from defenseless as hidden bunkers and fortresses revealed themselves as they opened fire in a staggering barrage of missiles, Necrotic energy, and geokinetic weaponry. But still the voice of the Lavafather rumbled out.

<The sins of the Ahkam are many, peoples of many species and states of life and undeath suffering at their whims! You who follow them are just as guilty for enforcing their wills upon the weak! Face the fury of that which was dead, that which has been through Death and been Reforged in Eternity!>

The great lake of magma that Agona had first established contact with the Lavafather began to churn their erupt as a mass of obsidian rises, glowing from the heat. It lifts itself, elevating above the tumultuous surface of the lake. Cracks appeared, running through it and leaking magma from within.

<Face my champion, hero of the Armada and Obsidianborn! Arise, Punisher Muic! Arise and unleash your justice upon these sinners!>

As her name was heralded out the chrysalis of obsidian blossoms with a wave of Necrotic energy, green flames erupting from the figure standing on the floating platform. Punisher Muic stood in all her Reforged glory, her armor shimmering with her internal heat and wreathed in green and orange flames. A great blade of shifting magma extends from her fist as she swings it, aiming for the nearest approaching warship and with a shout of barely restrained rage the platform rockets forth, propelled by the Lavafathers own geokinetic strength.

>cont

>>1800722
The platform ceases suddenly, Muic pushing off with a mighty leap and a bellow. Sailing through the air she thrusts a hand forward, a bubble of telekinetic force deflecting incoming weaponsfire and even detonating several missiles. Unhindered she collides with the prow of the frigate, the impact causing it to dip slightly. Taking her blade in both hands she twists it and drives it into the hull before she began running, each footfall leaving a glowing crater of melted metal as she carves a large furrow along its side. Slicing through the armor several explosions erupt behind her, the corvette reeling from the unexpected assault.

Nearing the rear of the ship she reabsorbs the liquid metal into herself and lifts both fists above her head before bringing them down in a mighty strike that leaves a crater in the armor. Fingers sinking into the cracked metal she began to vomit forth a torrent of her molten blood and it pools around her, the metal of hull starting to glow with an intense heat generated out from around her until she began to sink through the vessel itself. Explosions ripped through the heavily damaged ship as it lists and begins to fall. There was another explosion but a streamer of flame and trailing liquid metal marks where Agona leaps from the frigate to a nearby corvette to unleash her anger upon this one as well.

From her Pyroclastic Destroyer Agona watches her sisters rampage from a distanct. Her delight at seeing Muic Reforged, and temporarily power-boosted by the Lavafather himself, washes from her and encouraging those minds till united with her, the blockade beginning to fight harder and harder to assist Tlacex.

The Punisher Order had once helped free Bastion and establish it as your greatest ally. Now, they continue their service in protecting their adopted home and eliminating the would-be enslavers once more. They stand as defenders of Bastion, perfect hybrids of the technology and strength that were making the Obsidianborn and Reconstructed feared throughout the sector.

>>1800724
Dang, sorry for that wall o' text. ended up being nearly 13k characters, I think I got a little carried away.

Need to take a break but I'll be returning in a bit if folks are still around to keep playing. I know it's late on a Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning but there is a few bits that need to be done before the true end of the thread.

Hope folks are having fun still, even with the delays

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>>1800722
MUIC IS BACK BABY

>>1800740
I'm game if you are

>>1800740
With all these juicy exposition? We're craving for more!

>>1800766
Will we get to see more Dats species pics?

Absolutely beautiful.

>>1800802
Well sure, once I churn 'em out. Been distracted by coding a hexagon-shaped hex-tile map lately.

>>1800808
No rush, just excited lol

>>1800740
Actually, sorry to do this to you folks but I should call it here for the night.

Going to resume the thread tomorrow/today in the afternoon, hopefully sooner than I was today.

Gotta make a big decision for the quest tomorrow and want as many people as possible to vote.

I'll be up for a bit longer if folks have anything to discuss, suggest, or question that doesn't get too spoiler heavy

>>1800836
Thanks for running!

>>1800836
That's fine, it's late and I gotta fucking sleep.

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>>1800836
Thanks for running Grave
I'm gonna hit the sack since its 4:35 in the morning but great job
I can't wait for more later

also
>mfw Muic is rendering down the invasion force down to molten slag

>>1800872
You could say that she's /spoilers/ hot stuff /spoilers/.

Once we have this invasion thing handled we should really think about putting a dent in that resource stockpile.

>>1801335
Building more ships is always a good idea
And with how much we will loose in this we should double our amount at least

>>1800836
You think we will get to the matriarch fight?
Also if you need some good sci fi books to read try ringworld by Larry Niven
The difference races and ideas in that book would be perfect to fule your imagination

Anyone else think that Stonestar hero who killed a snek with no Reconstructed help should become an Immortal or a new Punisher?

>>1800740
Glorious graves, simply glorious.

>>1801826
Yes, but not now, it's too soon. We should watch him and keep a eye on his progress for the moment. See if he is worthy of this great honor.

>>1801969
And see if he is an elemental power potential
That's a mouthful, lets just call potentials power users potentials, and power users elementals

>>1801360
>>1801335
Might i suggest we make another ship build queue

I put together the last one just to bulk out our battleships but I wasn't really thinking about various smaller ships just the larger ones so unless someone wants to really think out a list I can just smash together another ship list to spend all our resources or the majority there of if no one has any objections

>>1802296
well one thing that we may want to to increase our construction yards, I don't have the knowledge of what ships and modifiers on those ships we can build to make a list but I can make some recommendations

More joint work to make more obsidian ships, they do well agents most enemies and very well when fighting those odd robots we recently encountered
More anti wraith enabled ships, I get the feeling that they will come into play more seen because we may take out the akham as a threat in this sector a new enemy will need to be introduced to keep the game as complex
Some ships for each order

And a fuck ton of everything
Also I think I realized something, the 3 voices who don't want us to take the power and who want us to bring hope to the galaxy. I think they want us to take the Matriarch alive.

>>1802320
>I think they want us to take the Matriarch alive.
If so they damn well better speak up about it.

I'd also like some justification for why exactly they don't want us to take the Arc.

>>1802583
Scary voice called us mean names

Fear ensues

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Time for some new art! It's the Osogo's turn.
At first I thought them to be more skeletal-like, but then with the official description my mind jumped from horsegoats to llamas and that fluffy dragon from Neverending Story.

>>1803262
Oh and I forgot the descriptions from Graves
>Osogo: Large hexapods they stand on four limbs, the frontmost pair used as powerful arms with large sturdy but simple hands. Standing at 15-18 feet at the shoulder when fully grown they tower over others constantly. They have four eyes, two facing forward with the other two placed on the sides allowing for a wide range of vision. Their large ears are quite expressive and mobile, movements and gestures of the ears used in much of their body language. They have relatively short but powerful jaws of blunt teeth for grinding the roots and tough fruits they evolved to eat. They have fur that grows denser in the winter and sheds in the spring, the eldest and matriarchs developing dense manes of wiry hair. Their furs are commonly pale whites, tans and darker browns and rarely black. A rare mutation similar to albinism in humans gives the osogo rare red fur and hair.

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>>1803263
Next are the Osijic.

Osjiic: Towering humanoids they are densely muscled and broad. Coming from a high gravity world they stand typicaly 8-10ft tall with certain members growing to reported heights of 12-15ft tall with genetic tampering or cybernetic enhancement. Commonly sporting cybernetic prosthetics such as limbs or organs. Their skin is rough and gray, their blood an oily black. Males and females do not show sexual dimorphism in appearance of strength. They have six fingers with one opposing thumb.

Pretty much a hulked-up Protoss with mouth.

>>1803262
Ha, I had something more skeletal in mind too but I like this llama-bug a lot actually. The fluffy fur makes sense since Horizon's Drop is technically exiting an ice age.

>>1803273
Pretty accurate to what I thought but Osjiic don't have digitgrade legs, having a single knee while shaped like an elephants, their legs sturdy and treelike from their high gravity world.

>>1803286
Oh ok, I'll fix it quick.

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>>1803289
And now, here is a fixed Osijic.

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>>1803293

>Stonestar: A five-limbed radial species resembling an echinoderm the Stonestar are soft-skin and traditionally suited themselves in stone or chitin carved into segmented armor. Modern-day Cauldron forged armor is form fitting reducing their profile significantly. They possess five eyes on the dorsal side of their body, a mouth similar to a hagfishes at the end of each limb. Each limb of a stonestar grows a stingwhip like nematocyst they use for combat and hunting. From the center of their body to the end of each limb ranges from 5-7ft. Their stone armor was rarely decorated except for ceremonial instances and for shamans and chieftains but the modern stonestar have begun experimenting with different colors and patterns for their civilian armors.

Before the descriptions I'm imagining literal starfish. Not much has changed!

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>>1803294
And now a repost of the last batch of fanart

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>>1803298

>>1802320
We'll need more ships with ion weaponry if we're going to fight the machines. I seem to recall they're quite good at disabling electronics and such.

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>>1803301

>>1803262
I like it but the proportions make it look smaller than they are. Osgo are supposed to be giant right?

More extended legs, and smaller head/shorter snout, maybe a less extreme bend in the centaur spine is how I saw em.

>>1803303
Good call. Ion, kinetic, and Arc seem like good bets. Kinetic and arc from them working decently in the last fight, and Ion because it sounds like tech specifically designed to disable electronics. We do have that, right?

>>1803569
Oh, and I guess that includes geokinetic. The Lavafather's work seemed to hold up pretty well.

>>1803306
would you a netu

i would

>>1803569
Can we make solar ships?
We should have a good stock of each elemental ship type.

>>1803709
I ship Roshaka and Nekris.

>>1799966
>She comes for this system. Her rage will bring ruin to you all unless Jadyk faces and dethrones her. You must protect and guide him, Predator Eiton, or else the the glorious future of the Armada will fall into shadow. Lord Jadyk MUST claim the Arc for himself or he shall never have the chance again! Do not fail! The path to salvation and victory is the path of the Abomination!

All the more reason to take the ark now. The voice of nekris has helped and guided us true without fail and without malice. Yes when he first contacted us he came on a bit too strong, but that could have been him acting in desperation, as he might have thought that he would not get another chance to talk. In every other communication we was the lethal calm exactness he was in life.
Do not let caution or fear turn you away. This is our one chance to take the ark, and we must have it. For the salvation of us and all the galaxy we must have it. Now or never

>>1803918
I get the feeling we will spend half a thread arguing what to do when the time comes

>>1803967
I know I've been vacillating back and forth on it.

We'll be resuming the thread later this afternoon to wrap it up. Won't be a long thread since there just needs to be some decision making

>>1803293
Looks good

>>1803294
That's a great stonestar. Armor looks good too

>>1803312
hm you may have a point. The proportions do seem a little off. Could be a younger osogo

>>1804052
decisions like if we will try to take the power?

>>1803967
Think of it like a deathbed request, nekris died and is taking the power is his last request

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>>1803918
> Lord Jadyk MUST claim the Arc for himself or he shall never have the chance again!

So the question the thread needs to ask is do we want Jaydk to gain the arc and complete his transformation into the skeleton that is all in one or leave our apotheosis incomplete and forever be stuck trying maintain an incomplete circle and wondering at what could have been

>>1804014
I wonder how she feels about his disappearance

>>1804590
Who ?

>>1804628
Whoops mis linked

Meant to replay to this one
>>1803885

>>1804587
Is there even a choice?
Seize fate. Seize the Arc

>>1804746
I suppose she would be secretly sadened behind her visor, hiding her humid eyes. But she is a soldier, she know the truth of war...still she would make the grieve of her most secret and wild hope...and fantasm....

>>1804813
Can love Blume on a battlefield

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>>1804821
>Can love Blume on a battlefield
Tell me

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>>1804832
>tfw we consume the ark
>tfw we never left our tomb and all of this was a mad fantasy
>tfw still in a dream snake eater

>>1804860
>Jadyk start to laugh maniacly as he realise all what he as built, all what he as realise, all his dream, his children, his people are but the dust dancing in the wind of his lonely tomb.

Alright, sorry about the delay. Time to get this started again

Roll call time, sound off!

>>1804892
Here

>>1804892
IT BEGINS.

SOON WE'LL HAVE A DOMINATION SPIKE CLIT RING READY FOR THE MATRIARCH.

>>1804892
OY CUNT

>>1804892
Ready

>>1804892
Damit Grave, was going to go sleeping.
Alright, here.

>>1804892

here

Rolled 87, 32, 73, 46, 20 = 258 (5d100)

>>1804892
Yo, bad rolls and all chief

Rolled 96, 24, 65, 22, 64 = 271 (5d100)

>>1804938
100

>>1804938
Breddy gudd, bad, breddy gud, bad, shit.
>>1804945
Great!, shit, meh, shit, meh.

Tonight's gonna be interesting if this holds.

Rolled 74, 5, 84, 35, 98 = 296 (5d100)

>>1804945
Your doing it wrong

>>1804957
Okay, SHIT WHAT YOU DOING!?, Good, Shit, Great!

>>1804892
Overjoyed at the return of Muic you take several moments to watch as she unleashes her anger upon the Ahkam forces in retribution for her brush with the True Death. Satisfied to see that she was doing fine upon her return and that she had the surface defenses of Bastion well in hand you turn your mind to other matters.

The Charnel Vault drifts in orbit over Horizon's Drops moon, the flagship surrounded with your personal fleet. Once more you were seated in front of the same long table you had earlier in the day. You send out a thought and after a few moments several holographic images appear around them one after another.

First to appear were Necromancer Jor and then Eiton who bow their heads. Ruscuv appears next, the Fury taking the time to chew into the hull of a captured Destroyer as its pilot tunes in to the meeting. Valresko and Agona do not appear, the two Generals too distracted guiding their collective forces in the battles. Rethak was the last, his newly gained wounds mostly indistinct through the holographic image, the Immortal taking a break to attend the meeting while they continue to battle the invaders in the Urdir system.

"Thank you for your time. I know you are quite busy right now but time is of the essence," those gather give nods or bow their head,s looking at you expectantly.

You were about to continue but Eiton cuts you off, "Forgive me, Lord Jadyk, but we must address this Arc presence that contacted me, it shared some vital info."

Rethak looks to Eiton, "Arc presence? Some spooky voice in your head?" he asks and Eiton gives a quick nod, "One of my Officers and I both heard a psionic voice and one of my Arcdancers said they detected a very powerful Arc presence or entity when we did," he looks to you then, "It saved the Legion and myself today. Warned my officer of an Arc bombardment that vaporized a chunk of a continent and alerted me to an attempted assassination by the Wraiths."

Jor scowls at that, "So the Wraiths are attacking us? Perfect."

"The Wraiths were a possibility. Urdir was the system we had first contact with the Wraiths after-all. Either way, this "Arc presence" is what I wished to discuss," you look to Eiton, "You said it had vital info?"

Eiton gives a nod, "This Arc presence, whatever this entity was, spoke through the Arc itself. They told me that the Matriarch is coming for Bastion," his single eye focuses intently on you, "They said you must face her or the Armada will fall to ruin. I believe they are correct, I can sense an immense source of Arc energy approaching now that I knew to search for it. And it will arrive soon."

>Predator Eiton claims that he can sense the Matriarch Quantac'Vrix approaching the Bastion system

Do you wish to depart for the Bastion system?
>Y/N

>>1804986
> Y
It's chow time boys and girls.

>>1804986
>Y
Yes but delay the time of our arrival, and once there deploy the flee to prevent all from escaping this sector.

Tell Tlacex to join us at the Charnel Vault as soon as we are here. He will probably be a crucial element in the fight to come.

>>1804986
Y

>>1804986
>Y

>>1804986
>Y
Time for the spooky scary skeleton to fuck shit up

>>1804986
Oh but also leave enough forces to defend horizon.

>>1804986
>y

>>1804986
>Y
Time to eat some snek.

>>1805005
I would actually prefer Muic or Agona over Tlacex. The Ahkam have been shown repeatedly to underestimate the power of the Punishers and the Lavafather.

Of course, Ruscuv is definitely going to want a piece of the snake-pie, as is Eiton.

Honestly, we roll well enough, we can just jump her scaly ass with every hero we have (except for our poor Void boys).

>>1805049
Definitely. I wouldn't put it past the Big Mama to arrive as a huge flashy distraction while her own personal fleet burns the homeworld.

Rolled 14, 81, 8 = 103 (3d100)

>>1805058
It would be foolish to make a plan that needs good rolls to work

>>1805069
>>1805058
Exactly. The dice are swingy as fuck tonight.

>>1805069
>>1805080
...What if we let Grave roll?

Wait, he might roll once or twice for the Matriarch, her fleet and her surviving children, and we'll be rolling for Jadyk and the hero-band.

>>1805100
He already does that behind metaphorical QM screen

>>1804986
"Very well. I shall depart with the Charnel Vault shortly," as you spoke the flagship begins making it's preparations with the fleet that would accompany it.

Jor drums his fingers on the table he was seated at in the Necromancers Spire in Iti'a'Ropku before he spoke, "Valresko and I will stay to oversee the defenses of Horizon's Drop while you're away."

"Wormstar watch over you, Jor. Thank you," you say with a nod to him.

Ruscuv speaks up finally, having been distracted by an attempted attack by several sub-capitals, "Between the Fury and the Charnel Vault we should be able to stun or injure her long enough to get in close so you can do some real damage, brother Jadyk."

"She may arrive before I, but I have confidence you will be able to delay her until I do. Do not underestimate her, even with our power Necrotic, sister Ruscuv," you caution and she gives a thoughtful nod. You look to the rest of them, "Continue to defend our worlds. The conflict will only intensify.

"May the Wormstar watch over you all," you say and they each salute before their images flicker out leaving only Eiton's behind.

The Predator was silent at first before he spoke, "This Arc presence...I sense a familiarity, but..." he trails off, his eye turned down in thought.

"Do you believe it to be Nekris?" you question bluntly, making Eiton look at you.

It took him a moment to answer, "I believe that it may be Nekris. The Arc Surge has been acting...bizarre. There are times where I feel as if there is something watching me through it but when I try to focus, I only feel the Arc itself. Sometimes I think I recognize it, like sensing one of the Disciples or Arcdancers approaching from around a corner but..." he trails off then gives a shrug.

"Speak with Vle'Karak, perhaps. He is much older than I and has had much longer to learn the intricacies of the Arc. He may have some insight," Eiton suggests before shaking his head, "But for now, Lord Jadyk, I must return to the battlefield."

You give a nod, "Of course, Predator. I will join you on that battlefield shortly."

Predator Eiton salutes with a fist against his and bows his head before his image flickers out.

Do you wish to speak with Vle'Karak briefly before you depart?
>Y/N

>>1805153
>Y
I would like at least something resembling confirmation of it being Nekris.

>>1805153
>Y

>>1805153
Y
Bring him fucking aboard if we can.

At worst, sensing him will bait the Matriarch/piss her off into making a mistake.

>>1805153
>Y
>>1805163
Ya bring him if he wants

>>1805153
> Y
Vle'Karak is legitimately a Cool Dude and I'm glad we have him on our side now.

>>1805153
>Y

Any insights into the Arc is going to crucial, both for defeating the Matriarch and for deciding what to do about the competing mysterious voices that want us to either claim or refuse to claim the Arc.

If Nekris lives on in the Arc somehow, we need to know. And if it is, how does he know about this Abomination term that the Three spoke of?

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>>1805153
Vle'Karak was with the other two Ahkam still in the Colosseum. The epikor twins had departed to retrieve food for themselves when a Harbinger drifts over to the large green serpent. Lifting his head from where it rested on a coil of his body his tongue flits out, "Lord Jadyk?"

The Reconstructed nods its head and speaks with your voice, "Indeed. I would speak with you," it says with a glance toward Cve'jok and Dne'tec who look over curiously.

Nodding Vle'Karak shifts, coiling into a more upright position, "Of course. Does it concern the invasion?"

Pulling its legs up under itself to sit in the air in a mimicry of your own habits the Harbinger nods, "In a way," you go on to briefly explain the circumstances surrounding the Arc entity, its warnings and advice, speaking in a voice low enough to exclude the younger serpents, "Predator Eiton suggested I speak with you."

He had been silent as you spoke and remained silent in thought for a time, "In all my years I never heard anything speak to me through the Arc. This may be a symptom of the Surge though," he hisses softly, "I spoke previously about how I could sense entities and presences within or traveling through the Arc. I sensed one of them on board the vessel when you first encountered them on our way here to renounce the Dynasties. Just as I can now sense Quantac'Vrix approaching the Bastion system, the Arc warping around her like a gravity well."

"I am about to depart for Bastion to meet her face-to-face," you mention and Vle'Karak gives a nod.

"I wish you luck in your battle against her, I do not envy you," he says with a faint chuckle.

"Vle'Karak, my friend, answer me this," you say through the Harbinger and he looks at it expectantly, "Do you believe this Arc presence could be Nekris? The coincidences are just too many and Eiton believes he may recognize it."

He thinks for a few moments, his remaining eye staring off in the distance before looking back to the undead before him, "Could it be? I think so. Is it him for certain?" he shakes his head, "I cannot guarantee it. For all we know, it could be more than just one entity.

"Whomever this entity or entities are or whatever their goals are, their advice and warnings have so far only benefited and protected the Armada," he says, looking to the Harbinger.

Was there anything specific you wished to question Vle'Karak about before you depart?
>Write-in

>>1805292
When this is over I'll be sure to find a place for all three of you within my armada.

Time to face the false god.

>>1805292
What dose abomination mean?
Can he and the other 3 snakes meditate on the ark and the ark entity as we fight

>>1805308
>What dose abomination mean?
>>1805292

Seconding this. Does he know of any stories or examples of organizations or entities that have forbidden the claiming of all elemental powers? Even just myths about something that claimed or commanded all the elemental powers?

Relate to him our encounters with the Three that forbade us from claiming the Arc, and whether he has any idea who they might be.

>>1805346
Yes this

>>1805346
Big V previously mentioned the Jadyk is the first person to EVER possess more than one elemental affinity.

The only way we'd learn more about that kinda thing is if we could loot a Crystal archive from waaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day during the time of the original Necrotic Armada.

>>1805368
Yea Vle'Karak isnt a perfect source, the best way to learn about this stuff farther would either be a bargain with the masked or the Sun Eater

>>1805292
"They claim the path I am on is that of the Abomination. To take the Arc means I would become one. There have been those that claim I must not go down that path while others encourage me to. I am unsure what to think of it," you say, the Harbinger letting out a laugh.

Vle'Karak hisses softly, "Well, an Abomination is a very broad term," he gives a small chuckle, "I myself stated that proclaiming our loyalty to you would make us Abominations in the eyes of our kin. In general the undead could be called abominations by going against the order of life and death.

"I do not claim to be all knowing, Lord Jadyk. My knowledge is limited to my experiences and knowledge I have sought and accumulated. If we are to assume the Abomination they speak of you becoming are centered around acquiring the Arc for yourself, then I would say that perhaps you are already an Abomination."

He chuckles again as the Harbinger stares silently at him, "Forgive me, Lord Jadyk. What I mean is, you are already an Abomination to certain circles. What would the Sunscale think? Knowing you have become a hybrid of the Solar, Necrotic and Void? Much of their culture revolves around the Solar and Void and their battles against the Necrotic. I am certain the Lavafather and his subjects view us Ahkam as abominations in their own way as well.

"I suppose what I am rambling about is this. What is an Abomination to some, can be a savior and holy figure for others. It is all a matter of perspective, Lord Jadyk. They can claim you are an Abomination and blasphemy all they want. What matters is how you and those loyal to you view you," he bows his head toward the Harbinger, "I will follow you, should you take the Arc or not, I have already pledged my loyalty to you."

You are silent for a time then nod, "I thank you for your advice, Vle'Karak."

The serpent hisses faintly, coiling up into a comfortable pile, "I will have Cve'jok and Dne'tec join me. We shall focus and meditate on the Arc. Perhaps we can glean some answers for you."

"I would appreciate that," you say through the Harbinger, "I shall leave this Harbinger here should you learn anything."

>>1805390
Sorry folks, need to take a break for a bit

>>1805399
RIP

>>1805399
It's all good pimp daddy-o
>>1805390
So ya lets take the fucking power

>>1805399
actually, I think this is a good point to close the thread.

Hope folks had fun, even with this short session. Hoping to have the next thread up on Saturday or Sunday. It'll be quite an eventful thread