Innverse Stats | 10.31

Name	Text
Teriarch	Those who lived became legends, each one having a famous name and deeds. For you see, the Draconic Titans had been made like their Ancestors. Just like the last Dragonlord of Flames, just like Teriarch, they were old stories.
Shirka	—And he had so many names. So many that General Shirka hadn’t been able to even read through them all in the few minutes she’d stolen to herself to read the report Strategist Ulhouse had generated via Pallass.
Pallass	—And he had so many names. So many that General Shirka hadn’t been able to even read through them all in the few minutes she’d stolen to herself to read the report Strategist Ulhouse had generated via Pallass.
Edellein Blackwing	She doubted General Edellein knew; whether the Eyes of Pallass did was another matter, but soldiers loyal to 2nd Army had dug the files out of Pallass’ secret libraries. Files on old Dragons, friend and foe, marked with confirmed deaths, possible sightings—files obsessively tended to in the hopes one of them would one day return. That those old ages of myth and legend would come again.
Pallass	She doubted General Edellein knew; whether the Eyes of Pallass did was another matter, but soldiers loyal to 2nd Army had dug the files out of Pallass’ secret libraries. Files on old Dragons, friend and foe, marked with confirmed deaths, possible sightings—files obsessively tended to in the hopes one of them would one day return. That those old ages of myth and legend would come again.
Pallass	She doubted General Edellein knew; whether the Eyes of Pallass did was another matter, but soldiers loyal to 2nd Army had dug the files out of Pallass’ secret libraries. Files on old Dragons, friend and foe, marked with confirmed deaths, possible sightings—files obsessively tended to in the hopes one of them would one day return. That those old ages of myth and legend would come again.
Shirka	Shirka was no Ancestors-follower, someone who thought the Oldblood breath and wings were blessings that made you better than other Drakes and longed for a Dragon to lead and inspire. She had always, privately, considered Dragons to be more like roaming nightmares, unstable Named-rank adventurers with all the problems that entailed.
High Passes	Now here she was, standing in the thin air of the High Passes, breathing in the scent of metal, heart hammering in her chest, listening to a thudding sound of a monster coming her way. And to her left, on a small ridge of rock, scales glistening under the wet mists drifting through this valley, was the Dragon.
[Soldier]	Painted yellow armor, non-reflective, shields grasped in tense hands by [Soldiers]. Arrayed in combat squads, spaced out around Shirka’s position like the angriest set of interspersed warts in the world, no one group next to each other.
Shirka	Painted yellow armor, non-reflective, shields grasped in tense hands by [Soldiers]. Arrayed in combat squads, spaced out around Shirka’s position like the angriest set of interspersed warts in the world, no one group next to each other.
Shirka	Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.
Saliss Oliwing	Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.
[Soldier]	Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.
[Mage]	Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.
[Battle Alchemist]	Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.
Shirka	There weren’t as many soldiers as Shirka would have liked. The rest of her army was elsewhere, and the vanguard of her forces seemed small when compared to the Brass Dragon standing silently in the mists. If Shirka looked to her right, on the Dragon’s other side, she would see a small party of [Servants] surrounding a woman in pink.
Shirka	There weren’t as many soldiers as Shirka would have liked. The rest of her army was elsewhere, and the vanguard of her forces seemed small when compared to the Brass Dragon standing silently in the mists. If Shirka looked to her right, on the Dragon’s other side, she would see a small party of [Servants] surrounding a woman in pink.
[Servant]	There weren’t as many soldiers as Shirka would have liked. The rest of her army was elsewhere, and the vanguard of her forces seemed small when compared to the Brass Dragon standing silently in the mists. If Shirka looked to her right, on the Dragon’s other side, she would see a small party of [Servants] surrounding a woman in pink.
Magnolia Reinhart	Magnolia Reinhart’s people, and to the rear of both forces was Lord Xitegen and his tiny retinue of Humans and Golems, most of them deployed, like the Golem whose body was essentially a giant quiver for arrows, rooted in place and aiming upwards, ready to spew projectiles into the sky.
Xitegen Terland	Magnolia Reinhart’s people, and to the rear of both forces was Lord Xitegen and his tiny retinue of Humans and Golems, most of them deployed, like the Golem whose body was essentially a giant quiver for arrows, rooted in place and aiming upwards, ready to spew projectiles into the sky.
Rhir	It wasn’t a sight to set the Demons of Rhir into flight, let alone even another army. But for the Dragon and this force would have been outnumbered by any regional power; they were a fearsome and bloody enemy to take on, especially given their reputations and leaders, but not one for world-shaking combat.
Teriarch	But for the Dragon. He had not moved once all the planning had been done and they had heard that heartbeat begin to sound through their feet. Teriarch had alighted on the cliff, as mortals rushed about in nerves, and sat there.
Shirka	Like a cat. Be it so sacrilegious, that was how Shirka thought of it. Like her old cat, Spikeclaw, sitting with his chest out, tail curled behind him, all four paws close together on the ground. The only differences were that Teriarch’s sinuous head could arc up and that he had a proper mane of metal, which rippled behind him in the occasional breeze.
Teriarch	Like a cat. Be it so sacrilegious, that was how Shirka thought of it. Like her old cat, Spikeclaw, sitting with his chest out, tail curled behind him, all four paws close together on the ground. The only differences were that Teriarch’s sinuous head could arc up and that he had a proper mane of metal, which rippled behind him in the occasional breeze.
Shirka	His eyes seemed so vastly tired, wary, and, Shirka thought, afraid, like every [Veteran] looked. Not blinding fear, but the fear of someone who was about to race towards death again. The fear of the waiting that would vanish as soon as you met the enemy and you did what you did best.

Teriarch

Those who lived became legends, each one having a famous name and deeds. For you see, the Draconic Titans had been made like their Ancestors. Just like the last Dragonlord of Flames, just like Teriarch, they were old stories.

Shirka

—And he had so many names. So many that General Shirka hadn’t been able to even read through them all in the few minutes she’d stolen to herself to read the report Strategist Ulhouse had generated via Pallass.

Pallass

—And he had so many names. So many that General Shirka hadn’t been able to even read through them all in the few minutes she’d stolen to herself to read the report Strategist Ulhouse had generated via Pallass.

Edellein Blackwing

She doubted General Edellein knew; whether the Eyes of Pallass did was another matter, but soldiers loyal to 2nd Army had dug the files out of Pallass’ secret libraries. Files on old Dragons, friend and foe, marked with confirmed deaths, possible sightings—files obsessively tended to in the hopes one of them would one day return. That those old ages of myth and legend would come again.

Pallass

She doubted General Edellein knew; whether the Eyes of Pallass did was another matter, but soldiers loyal to 2nd Army had dug the files out of Pallass’ secret libraries. Files on old Dragons, friend and foe, marked with confirmed deaths, possible sightings—files obsessively tended to in the hopes one of them would one day return. That those old ages of myth and legend would come again.

Pallass

She doubted General Edellein knew; whether the Eyes of Pallass did was another matter, but soldiers loyal to 2nd Army had dug the files out of Pallass’ secret libraries. Files on old Dragons, friend and foe, marked with confirmed deaths, possible sightings—files obsessively tended to in the hopes one of them would one day return. That those old ages of myth and legend would come again.

Shirka

Shirka was no Ancestors-follower, someone who thought the Oldblood breath and wings were blessings that made you better than other Drakes and longed for a Dragon to lead and inspire. She had always, privately, considered Dragons to be more like roaming nightmares, unstable Named-rank adventurers with all the problems that entailed.

High Passes

Now here she was, standing in the thin air of the High Passes, breathing in the scent of metal, heart hammering in her chest, listening to a thudding sound of a monster coming her way. And to her left, on a small ridge of rock, scales glistening under the wet mists drifting through this valley, was the Dragon.

[Soldier]

Painted yellow armor, non-reflective, shields grasped in tense hands by [Soldiers]. Arrayed in combat squads, spaced out around Shirka’s position like the angriest set of interspersed warts in the world, no one group next to each other.

Shirka

Painted yellow armor, non-reflective, shields grasped in tense hands by [Soldiers]. Arrayed in combat squads, spaced out around Shirka’s position like the angriest set of interspersed warts in the world, no one group next to each other.

Shirka

Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.

Saliss Oliwing

Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.

[Soldier]

Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.

[Mage]

Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.

[Battle Alchemist]

Angry wart formation. Shirka thought Saliss had once coined the term; a group of armored [Soldiers] holding a position, be it pit, trench, or uncovered space, led by an officer, augmented by a [Mage] or other specialist like a [Battle Alchemist]. Dedicated specialist squads in the back, ready to rush in.

Shirka

There weren’t as many soldiers as Shirka would have liked. The rest of her army was elsewhere, and the vanguard of her forces seemed small when compared to the Brass Dragon standing silently in the mists. If Shirka looked to her right, on the Dragon’s other side, she would see a small party of [Servants] surrounding a woman in pink.

Shirka

There weren’t as many soldiers as Shirka would have liked. The rest of her army was elsewhere, and the vanguard of her forces seemed small when compared to the Brass Dragon standing silently in the mists. If Shirka looked to her right, on the Dragon’s other side, she would see a small party of [Servants] surrounding a woman in pink.

[Servant]

There weren’t as many soldiers as Shirka would have liked. The rest of her army was elsewhere, and the vanguard of her forces seemed small when compared to the Brass Dragon standing silently in the mists. If Shirka looked to her right, on the Dragon’s other side, she would see a small party of [Servants] surrounding a woman in pink.

Magnolia Reinhart

Magnolia Reinhart’s people, and to the rear of both forces was Lord Xitegen and his tiny retinue of Humans and Golems, most of them deployed, like the Golem whose body was essentially a giant quiver for arrows, rooted in place and aiming upwards, ready to spew projectiles into the sky.

Xitegen Terland

Magnolia Reinhart’s people, and to the rear of both forces was Lord Xitegen and his tiny retinue of Humans and Golems, most of them deployed, like the Golem whose body was essentially a giant quiver for arrows, rooted in place and aiming upwards, ready to spew projectiles into the sky.

Rhir

It wasn’t a sight to set the Demons of Rhir into flight, let alone even another army. But for the Dragon and this force would have been outnumbered by any regional power; they were a fearsome and bloody enemy to take on, especially given their reputations and leaders, but not one for world-shaking combat.

Teriarch

But for the Dragon. He had not moved once all the planning had been done and they had heard that heartbeat begin to sound through their feet. Teriarch had alighted on the cliff, as mortals rushed about in nerves, and sat there.

Shirka

Like a cat. Be it so sacrilegious, that was how Shirka thought of it. Like her old cat, Spikeclaw, sitting with his chest out, tail curled behind him, all four paws close together on the ground. The only differences were that Teriarch’s sinuous head could arc up and that he had a proper mane of metal, which rippled behind him in the occasional breeze.

Teriarch

Like a cat. Be it so sacrilegious, that was how Shirka thought of it. Like her old cat, Spikeclaw, sitting with his chest out, tail curled behind him, all four paws close together on the ground. The only differences were that Teriarch’s sinuous head could arc up and that he had a proper mane of metal, which rippled behind him in the occasional breeze.

Shirka

His eyes seemed so vastly tired, wary, and, Shirka thought, afraid, like every [Veteran] looked. Not blinding fear, but the fear of someone who was about to race towards death again. The fear of the waiting that would vanish as soon as you met the enemy and you did what you did best.

10.31 – Pt. 2

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