Faction Darkness in the Blood | An Age of Strife Story

[Volturius]

I. FORTRESS MORTIS​

The effectiveness of the Imperial Knights could not be disputed.

Pillars and rocks, each were used with the power of the Force, and brought a violent and gruesome end to the initial horde of enemies. Those that avoided similar redeath, were brought down by the powerful jaws and claws of Volturius' pets. And when the righteous carnage was complete, it seemed time to move into the fortress proper, as the cloaked Volturius joined the other Imperial Knights and pushed forward.

Free of combat for the moment, Volturius deactivated his lightsaber.

Once inside, it was evident that the fortress had been desecrated, it was almost beyond belief. Volturius spied the bodies and gore that were present, his lips contorted into a snarl within his mask, before he uttered a low whistle. The three vornskr padded into the hallway, falling in behind their leader. Another of the Imperial Knights, Dionus Bharro, spoke with a degree of wisdom behind his warnings; that was most certainly the biggest concern, for if the gathered forces didn't steel their minds, they could fall to the same influence that permeated the fortress...

It did not take long for the procession to reach the meeting room. In some ways, it felt that was the intent. The steadily increasing pressure in the back of Volturius' mind told him that something truly dark was waiting, though he remained uncertain as to what. That was soon remedied, as the Imperial Knights entered the chamber, and were presented with - what appeared to be - the perpetrators of the tragic and corruptive state of events.

The tall figure spoke.

Volturius flicked his free hand, which caused his vornskr to recede into the darkness of the chamber.

Then the floors began to shake, walls would crack, and more unliving would approach. The source of power was the relic on the pedestal, it glowed and swirled with the intent and evil of the dark side, calling and taunting. The removal of that relic was likely key to defeating the alien that barred the Imperial Knights in the pursuit of purity and order... and then battle resumed, as charge was met with charge, force against force!

"Push for the relic, surround it, cut it off from the enemy," Volturius shouted through the mask he wore, as he activated his crimson lightsaber once again, and rushed forward to engage the acolytes that stood in his way. "Remove the source of power, they will fall!"

Like a flowing shadow, cast in glowing crimson, Volturius began to dodge and weave between deadly swipes of curved swords; and he, in turn, lashed out with equally deadly slashes and thrusts of his lightsaber, as he started to fell the devilishly impure before him...

Dionus Bharro | Imperius Anathema | Aoki-Barran Mira | Michael Barran​

 

[Marcus Voss]

Operation: Fortress Mortis
Location: Concordia
Tags: Lucien Dooku | Aoki-Barran Mira | Michael Barran | Seydou of Thyrsus | Imperius Anathema | Volturius | Dionus Bharro

Marcus quickened his pace as he he began to hear the feint noise of combat. Whatever was happening, it was big, and he had no intention on missing it. The more the Inquisitor ventured through the fortress the more gore and horrific scenes he saw, he could not wait to be done with the place. As he neared the rest of the Knight's he found the aftermath of the conflict. Slightly disappointed at having missed it, he pushed on. It seems the Empire was effective in their purification of the fortress, so far at least.

He leaped into the chamber landing just behind the procession. Without a seconds thought he flung his cloak out of his path and grabbed two sabers from his waist. Both activated in a blaze of blue light. It was only then he saw the tall figure. Mysterious, he'd have to deal with that later if someone else didn't. Then he took a moment to analyse the knights, no one unexpected so far, some unfamiliar faces, and one odd looking fellow, hopefully a capable group.

With two lightsabers in hand he charged at 2 of the acolytes in his path, cutting down undead as he went. The Inquisitors work on Bastion had certainly left him yearning for combat, and here it was. He enjoyed the thrill of a fight. His blades clashed against those of the acolytes, and in a flurry of movements one sword fell out of a hand. On and on the fight went, more and more enemies flooding in.

The rest of the Knight's were also dealing with their own fights, and he figured while the main force was preoccupied with the main group of Knight's, he might as well attempt to attack it from the side, where it seemed more vulnerable. Slowly but surely he cut through to the left side of the chamber, hoping for an opening to occur.
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[Michael Barran]

3rd post

DARKNESS IN THE BLOOD
AN AGE OF STRIFE STORY

CAIRN_ONE
IMPERIAL KNIGHT-COMMANDER OF SERENNO
DRUID-GRANDMASTER OF THE HIGHLAND BROTHERHOOD

TAGS
Lucien Dooku Aoki-Barran Mira Dionus Bharro Sahar
Seydou of Thyrsus Imperius Anathema Volturius Marcus Voss

BORN OF BRIGHT STARS III: DANCING WITH THE DAMNED - PART 3

SUNRISE COURTYARD, EAST WING,
FORTRESS MORTIS, CONCORDIA (LATE 877 ABY)

<"Lord Barran, this is Lord Bharro - can you hear me?">

Dionus Bharro, a legend among Imperial Force-Users - was patching through to Michael Barran on the comm-link.

No bad.... Gallous, even.
One o' the competition I think I can actually get along with.
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Unexpected though the chatter was from the long-standing Felist powerhouse, the Druid was no doubt slightly relieved that an experienced warrior had joined the fray, sighing a little in the assured safety of the warriors making their way in from the south, though Lord Michael understood that he was still too far away to be of any use to knights working their way in from there. And in this realisation, Barran could see something of a choice forming, but in all professional courtesies and respect for the authority who had stepped forth to aid them at this late hour, knew it would be much better for the sake of internal-ideological relations if the final say left entirely in Bharro's hands in the end.

<"I'm not sure what your location is, but there is something foul at work here. There may be a stolen artifact at the source of this. Proceed with caution... Out.">

<"We're further in, the east wing is closer to the north than we are to the south.... and I can guarantee there most certainly is something foul at work here, I can feel it right down to my bones! But we're presented with a choice I'm leaving with you personally, so please pay attention.">
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Both Barran and Aoki were sat, back to back with meditative poses set in perfect alignment, helping Mira to listen in on the comm-link chatter whilst they used their senses to track the movements of the undead, helping them both to muster the strength, stamina and focus needed to overcome the challenge the Pellaeonist duo realised they would be facing together either way. It had been some years since the Druid last sensed a presence as dark as that which had been emanating from the north, though with the armament of intel he'd gotten from the warfighting titan on the comm-link, there was something of a comfort in knowing what he would be facing in the end, though deep down Lord Michael knew he wanted the main threat eradicated all the sooner. And yet, like most constants to the life Barran lived, it was often the case that he'd toil for what others were freely given.

<"First option, my subordinate an' I could chance the ticking clock by moving south to relieve the pressure on your units there. We've fought on worse deadlines before after all, an' if you think on that one, what's one more heavy deadline to the pile?">
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Such was the way of the Empre at the time for one who sacrificed everything, time and time again for the sake of realm and father alike, even surrendering his right to properly enforce Imperial law until his own father stepped forth to lead; giving all the glories to harsher peoples in the hopes it would keep his new home, his newfound responsibility, even if it meant gifting the competition a chance of glory on a silver platter. No choice would be ideal on this occasion, though there would be a comfort of safety that went with the second option, for anything could be conquered with a united front from the cream of the Imperial crop, even with the time-constraints considered. But the coordination efforts in any operation would meet it's fair share of complications and variables alike, so as far as gifting the last say was concerned, this one occasion was quickly accepted as an exception to the slights of sudden diminished responsibility.

Envying neither Bharro's seniority in rank nor the difficulties of the decision-making process he was suddenly being faced with, for none would willingly take on such responsibility without at least some form of protest or derision in reply. But ultimately, the Warden's chain of command dictated the deference long before their boots ever touched base on Concordian soil, and long before the Empire lost comm-link contact with the local garrison.

<"Second option, you put your faith in me! I'm capable enough with a decent rundown ahead o' time, an' so's Knight Aoki here. With us two, we can snap everything back to at least something close to normality, an' in one fell swoop at that.... Up to you though, Bharro. Cain One standing by.">

 

[Dionus Bharro]

Objective: I - Fortress Mortis
Location: Concordia
Tags: Lucien Dooku | Aoki-Barran Mira | Michael Barran | Seydou of Thyrsus | Imperius Anathema | Volturius

Whether by some malignant intent or otherwise, the transmissions would be garbled to the point of being unintelligible when Michael responded to Dionus as they drew closer and closer to the aforementioned antechamber. Even as the disembodied voice rumbled through them, Dionus spoke again through the channel - this time in a hushed tone:

<“Lord Barran, I do not know if you can hear me, but we have arrived in the antechamber. Make your way here as soon as you can - we have found the source of this befoulment. We will need your aid to survive.”> Battle would be joined soon after, with his charge into the ranks of the mysterious cultists who flanked the tall figure at the center.

"Push for the relic, surround it, cut it off from the enemy,"

"Remove the source of power, they will fall!"

Volturius’ words cut through the din as Dionus’ lightsaber clashed with the otherworldly blades of the cultists. Sparks would fly as the energy of his blade met what appeared to an edge lined with cortosis, with the blade of energy itself flickering dangerously. By the grace of the force, Dionus’ reflexes were able to compensate for the moment between the clash and his blade’s sudden failure. His body flowed as if nothing happened, with his hilt crashing deep into the side of the cultist’s torso. A crack rumbled through the cultist’s body and through Dionus’ grip, but he wasted little time in following up the strike with the one that would kill him.

The massive armored Knight warrior clutched the cultists' face as if a primate grasping a melon, and heaved hard to the side - bringing it down onto the unforgiving stone surface of a nearby column. The result was loud, and quite predictable. Viscera flew through the air and splashed all along the Knight Commander’s arm and front pectoral plate. Dionus loosed his grip with a calloused edge and turned to face the others. His warriors, along with the other knights accompanying them, had engaged the hordes of undead and cultists with a ferocity to be admired.

That allowed him to focus on one figure in particular - the source of the taint that permeated the temple to begin with. His hard eyes met those of the alien figure, who in turn glared into Dionus as if peering into his very soul. The disembodied voice returned: <“You have no hope of defeating us. Bow before me, and return to your birthright... son of the House Bharro!”> Pressure began to build between his eyes, causing Dionus to squint half in concentration, and half in a rising anger that threatened to well up within him.

For years, he had put his rage and anger to the side in exchange for the peace that could be given through Order. A fire burned in his heart; a determination to prevent some foreign creature to rob him of the peace he had thus far found.

As if on cue, the artifact glowed with a renewed brightness - an... allure that called to something deep within Dionus.

Something dark... and powerful.

‘No... NO!‘

With a burst of energy, Dionus surged through the writhing mob of Knights, undead, and cultists alike joined together in battle. The pure-white hue of his lightsaber surged from his hilt, cutting through flesh and sinew as he made his way to the one figure that was the source of this impurity.

Finally, the Knight Commander leapt through the air and brought down his considerable bulk onto the creature. His boots landed mere feet away from the enemy, and with a stroke as quick and powerful as one could imagine, set about decapitating the enemy in one final strike.

Yet, his blade stopped - as if snagged by some unseen obstruction in thin air. But realization soon flashed across the Knight’s gaze. The creature’s hand rose up in a casual manner, and with a flick of a wrist Dionus’ blade was cast much like a riposte to the side. Dionus kept his grasp of his blade, but was soon thrust backward as the creature lashed out with the force. He was quick to right himself as he wheeled about and brought his blade to bear, only to clash with a blade of pure energy clutched in the creature’s hands.

There was no lightsaber hilt, or any visible indication of an ignition source. It appeared as though... the blade of energy was within the creature’s hand.

Unabashed, Dionus renewed the attack, with the two blades joining in a series of attacks and counters even as the battle raged on below them. One way or another, this would end - but whether it would be the end of this creature and its force cult, or that of the Empire... would remain to be seen.

 

[Dionus Bharro]

AN AGE OF STRIFE STORY
DARKNESS IN THE BLOOD | NARRATIVE CONCLUSION




On the planet of CONCORDIA, the home of an Imperial Knight Chapter had fallen silent. In response to this unusual circumstance, a contingent of notable Knights and military personnel were dispatched to investigate and determine the situation on the border world - led by LUCIEN DOOKU, DIONUS BHARRO, AND MICHAEL BARRAN. The reality of the situation struck harder than anything those deployed could have possibly imagined.

Former brothers in arms descended upon them; their flesh dessicated and ruined through the foul machinations of the DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE. Faced with the total desecration of the formerly proud Imperial Chapter Hall, the contingent pushed deeper into the ruined halls, only to find the source of this befoulment - an ancient relic of dark origins, with an alien figure manipulating its corruptive energies into the overwhelming presence of the Dark Side into the entire region.

Battle would be joined, with many Knights, soldiers, enemy cultists and undead alike falling. Defeat appeared imminent, but was avoided as the Alien Sorcerer was defeated through the actions of Lords Bharro and Barran. Upon the mysterious force user's death, the seemingly endless hordes of undead would fall in an instant, and the powers of his cultists would leave them almost defenseless to resist the counter attacks of the Imperial Knights before them.

While the relic would fall into the safe hands of the Imperial Contingent, tragedy would strike anew in its place. LUCIEN DOOKU would seemingly disappear, neither being found alive nor amongst the scores of dead in the Chapter Hall. Despite tireless efforts to locate him, he was nowhere to be found. With the leader of the Imperial Knights mysteriously disappearing, the future of the august Order appears uncertain within an Empire that appears increasingly resentful of its very existence.

While efforts to locate the HEIR APPARENT to the Empire are ongoing, an emergency meeting of the Triumvirate, Moff Council, and the senior members of the Imperial Knights has been called to decide on a successor - whether it be temporary or otherwise...

~THE END



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