Lore Day #1 - City Structure of the Fort-City Cathaire
Welcome to the flourishing city of Cathaire, which sits on the border of Shadow and Light! This Fortress-City hugs the large river to the North, and has a large stone wall built around most of it. Half the city slants downward and follows the stairway down into Shadow, and in this place sits the town of Lowland. Up above on the plateau lies the Upland, where most agricultural work for the city takes place. By the river sits the rich district, with a fence around it though the gates are always open to visitors, known as Riverside. In the center of the three lies a bustling market which hosts a numerous amount of businesses both day and night, altering between Light and Shadow. Following the cobblestone toward the Northeast one would find the coliseum, where any dragon can see fierce gladiators (and even a wendigo) fight to the death, and make daring bets. Below it, one can find the fighting pits, where volunteers may test their metal while bartering for coin. Around Cathaire lies a plethora of conquered yet unclaimed territory, where the current queen intends to build within the next few months. Construction for a Shadow temple is underway after a petition signed by the people of Lowland.
Pictured above from left to right is Upland, Lowland, and Riverside. Lord Xandras resides over Upland, Lord Valdis over Lowland, and Lord Haemon over Riverside. Each town has their own features, taverns, inns, peoples, and culture, though some are more welcoming and accommodating than others.
(Disclaimer - I am terrible at drawing maps lmao)
Recommended to the reader to listen to rainstorm sounds while reading
“Help!!” A voice screamed from the path, the rain falling steadily sideways. The woman stumbled and tripped upon herself as she ran to where she knew the Shade hunters resided. She slipped upon the wet ground and fell, but managed to crawl back up before resuming her pace. Wylde’s ears immediately perked to the sounds of distress and went to answer the door, startled to have the Coatl woman barrel into his chest.
“What’s wrong, ma’am?” Wylde stood back a little to read the horrified expression on her wet and blood splattered face. She apologized and caught herself on the doorway, struggling to speak.
“There’s what?” Urion spoke up, stepping forward from the kitchen, sandwich in hand. He didn’t seem bothered by the scene before him, or perhaps he didn’t notice the red spattered on her drenched clothes. She looked to the small group of them, eyes pleading.
“A monster! It..it..took my wife, ate her whole…”
“And you think it is Shade?”
“How could it not be?” She began to shake, weeping. “Please, you have to help us! It’s mad, it kills anything it looks upon!”
“Consider it done, madam.” Wylde pat her shoulder and went to get his armor. They were down a few members, the Knight of Sky training many leagues away and Darton visiting with family, but he thinks that perhaps they could handle it as is. He was trained primarily to slaughter Emperors, after all. Through years of experience, he knew slaughtering Shade wasn’t that different. “Shahrzad, you’ll be coming.”
“Suppose I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” The Mirror stood up from his seat beside the fireplace, looking toward him with clouded eyes, though his heat signature could locate the Altus Pearl easily. “If it’s Shade, I can tell you. I don’t think you want to go without it.”
“Precisely my point. I trust you to dragon shift once we get to the area.” Wylde makes quick work of his gilded armor, looking to Urion as he buckled his bracers. He knew the strength of the Ridgeback, but considering the last time they faced a beast, he lost an arm… Granted, he did get one hell of a replacement. “Urion, will you be coming? We could use you.”
“Mmm… Yeah, sure. Lemme finish my sandwich, all right?” He continued to munch on it as he went to his room to equip himself. Huh, easy enough, Wylde supposed. He went to the Coatl woman once equipped, taking her hand.
“You are more than welcome to rest while we take care of this – it is more than safe here. Dry off by the fire and use what you need.” To that, she nodded and thanked him.
Moments later the three of them left for Riverside.
The scent of blood was easy to follow.
It created metallic trails for it to sniff out, greedy, hungry, needing.
They started hiding now, but it could hear them breathing, crying…
Mistakes made before teeth made contact with flesh to rip and devour.
Still it wanted more, more, more, more, m o r e, M O R E –
A noise along the road made it twist its head. Its body was made of branch, bone, and dark fur, the horns like twisted vines that formed and held around a skulled face. The shape seemed to be similar to a deer, save the horrible, large teeth attached to its jaw, black and dripping with voraciousness and drool. Its eyes glowed white inside of the sockets. It seemed to not notice them just yet, the slant of the rain and breeze pushing their scent away. Wylde stood under cover of a nearby building with Urion just behind, and the Mirror-like, rope-skinned dragon that was known to be Shahrzad in the alley, watching as well. The creature snarled and lowered its body closer to the ground, planting its massive front claws against the wet ground, rain dropping and trailing along the grain of its form and disappearing into the cracks.
“It’s larger than I thought it would be…” Urion muttered, his bear trident and metal arm and claw and the ready. His eyes didn’t move from it. “We know it’s a Shadebeast of some kind, but…”
“No, it’s a…kind of Wendigo first and foremost. The fact it has Shade could be due to a bad meal.” Wylde corrected. “You can tell by those claws, the proportions.” Wylde’s gaze followed it as it crawled a few steps forward, but he didn’t move a muscle, hardly breathing. It lifted its head slightly to sniff, suspicious, though it still was a considerably measured distance away. “As to whether or not it is an enchanted thing or an actual monster, we will find out. Don’t move just yet. It is just an animal, after all.” The Wendigo distracted itself with a mortal carcass laying in the street, forgetting completely about the chance of hunters. It sat on its haunches and took it in its claws to lick and crack the bones for marrow. Urion visibly flinched at the sound.
“Will it eventually go away?”
“Not until it’s full, and even then it’s hard to fill a Wendigo’s stomach.” Wylde observed the terrain and pointed across the way. “Urion, I need you to cross over while it’s still scavenging, look for survivors as you can.”
“You know I can fight it, right?” Urion looked at Wylde, his tone offended. “I’m as much a trained killer, as you.” Wylde furrowed his brow and took his eyes off the beast to look at him.
“I know that, but you are younger, and much less experienced than the two of us and I believe –“
“No, I’m gonna fight with the two of you. You drug me out here, and so I’m gonna be more useful than looking for survivors.”
“Urion, telling you to look for survivors isn’t a slight against you, this isn’t the time for this. Do as I say.” And with that, Wylde turned away to trail the Wendigo again, but… Oh dear…
“You just don’t think I can handle myself with a false arm, isn’t that it?” Urion didn’t want to reveal he was afraid, feigning another reason so he wouldn’t have to be alone. The pain of having his arm bitten off whole by Xaolou was still fresh in his mind.
“Urion, please…”
“Don’t “please” me, you golden-“
“It’s gone.”
Urion leaned enough to see, and his heart seized a little seeing the lack of animal there. Shahrzad huffed behind them and moved around them, body low, to go investigate. If it tried to eat him, it would have to work through the poison of his skin, claws, and teeth first. He had little fear of what a hunger demon could do. Wylde came around the corner, the drops sliding from the edge of the roof and hitting into his ivory colored hair, causing him to shiver a little but it didn’t break his focus. He stayed in shadow as best he could. Shahrzad searched, only blind in the least important way in his opinion, heat signatures reading cooler all around him as he searched for that burning cold blue he knew as the Shade. The rain fooled his sense for such things, and so he sniffed for a scent he could use.
“Can you find it?” Wylde whispered out to him. Shahrzad ignored him, seeking and searching for anything he could until – His head lifted sharply at the sound of growling, and the air was knocked out of him. Wylde moved as quickly as he could, rain drenching him down in moments as his blade and body flashed toward the two fighting and tumbling figures. The Wendigo seemed unphased by the poisonous blood beginning to drench its maw and the clawing Shahrzad was inflicting in return, scratching like a cat with his hind legs. Wylde used his draconic legs to bound into the air and sink his blade into the shoulder of it, holding on, which caused it to whip violently to try and tear the Pearlcatcher from his place just barely out of reach. Shahrzad took the time to roll away and try to rip at its skulled face and neck but caught its arm instead as it twisted and turned. The Wendigo dropped and rolled across its back to dislodge the little attacker and managed to crush him with its weight, which also managed to push the enchanted blade deeper in. As it rolled back onto its feet, Wylde was flung across and against a building, feeling something snap. His breath left him a moment before he endeavored to get onto his feet again. Shahrzad was pacing and galloping around it to disorient and try to grab the blade, but it moved just fast enough to swipe and bite at the Mirror. Urion was frozen where he was with shock, the grip on his trident harder than anything he had held in his life.
“Urion!!” Wylde yelled, grabbing two daggers from his waist, looking to the Ridgeback still hiding around the corner from the fight. It seemed to snap him from something, looking at him. Wylde nodded to him and he leapt back into the fold, just smaller than the Mirror and dwarfed by the monster. Urion admired him for that, he admits, gathering up all courage he could muster, taking in quick breaths before he charged toward them with a cry. His prosthetic arm sprouted larger bear-like claws, dodging the Wendigo’s wild and angry swiping, stabbing through the wrist and planting it into the ground before using the momentum to swipe at the beast. It reared its ugly head to try and bite, freeing Wylde enough to jump and grab onto the magic blade still embedded inside of it, using his weight and his legs to pull it out. It let out a guttural scream, oddly human he noted, and Shahrzad took the opening to latch his fangs into its neck. It seemed to turn more defensive, backing away from the three, and pulled the trident from its arm and threw it at either of the assailants. Urion was forced to roll away, using his claw to stop him from losing his footing. While the Wendigo endeavored to rip the Mirror dragon from its neck, Wylde slid beneath and stabbed again into what seemed to be its core. It screamed more and used one more burst of energy to sink its claws into the dragon attached and throw him when he let go. Wylde only managed to dislodge his blade before another claw came for him as well. It retreated quickly, its black blood spreading into puddles and coating the ground around it while the rain spread it. It whimpered and howled into the darkness, and as soon as the three reoriented enough to attack again… It was gone.
“Quick, let’s track it!” Urion yelled, racing toward where it left. Wylde’s hand on his shoulder halted him.
“No, we can’t. Later, we can. The rain has probably washed the trail away by now, and Shahrzad...” He stopped and his eyes widened. “Shahrzad!” He turned and ran toward the half dragon, who was already shifting down into a bipedal form again, wearing only expandable trousers. It was obvious that between the three of them, he suffered the most damage. He didn’t even lift his head.
“Urion, go get a doctor now! Oh, Eleven, let’s hope they’re still alive…”
“But Wylde-“
“There is no time to argue, young man! Go now, or you’ll be discharged!” Wylde glared at him, teeth bared. Urion only paused a moment, he just wanted to help… But he nodded and dashed off toward the center of the city.
“You know, maybe I should fight with a weapon from n-now on…” Shahrzad looked up at Wylde with clouded primary eyes. Wylde returned his look and chuckled, being careful not to touch him and stay out of the acidic puddle of blood around him.
“I think that would be wise. Stay with us, all right? Can’t lose you.”
“Of course not… Wh-who else could put up with you idiots…”
Wylde laughed a little, though not too much, holding onto his ribs. He was fairly certain something was broken in there, but it could wait.
About ten minutes later, Shahrzad was handled with the able hands of Dr. Jacque, who was fully equipped to deal with the poison of the Plague dragon man. He was given a closed room at the infirmary so no disease was spread. Though, it didn’t stop the pair of them from visiting with sanitary masks once they had been treated as well.
Coughing, spluttering, wheezing as the rains and the night drew to a close, the beast crawled toward the water’s edge in the open space away from Riverside. Its form started to shrink, the branches falling away and the fur and bone subsiding into bare skin. It collapsed onto its side into the cool water just at the break of the shore, breathing heavily while newborn sunlight filtered through the trees. He opened his eyes and sat up as best as he could, coughing up blood, a young man with thicket colored hair. Morgan lifted a hand and wiped his lips, then raised his head to look from whence he came.
“Oh no…” He cracked out, holding his hand to his bleeding neck. How could he have not seen this coming? He knew the moon phases, he knew when to move, when to isolate himself into the deserts of Lightning, but… He miscalculated, this once, and it made a deadly mistake. “No no no…” He felt nauseous at the sensation of a full belly instead of the constant, gnawing starvation he had come to know and accept. He had slaughtered and eaten multitudes in the city where he worked and lived. Tears began to fall and he slid back down into the water, resting on his elbow, his wounds making a trail of black at the movement of the water. If he bled to death, so be it. He was tired, so tired… He looked up to the sky and in the corner of his eye, he caught movement. He turned enough to look…
A ridgeback man, who had seen the whole thing. He hadn’t seen him before. The man raised his hands.
“It’s our little secret,” said Dodge. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
WBW: What kind of industry does your clan have? Do they export/trade any items, or are they self-sufficient?
Cathaire does all sorts of regular trade of goods, but they focus most on furs, textiles, weapons, and glass works. They make a name for themselves in expensive goods. However! They have a large fighting arena, which is a massive attraction to the city. They make money there through gambling, registering new foreign opponents for combat, as well as loss and victory fees.
Gruoch worships the Shade, believing It is an extension of Lightweaver, calling it Her Shadow. She goes out once a week and performs sacrifices to it in the core of the Hewn City. Knowing she and her husband desired a special child with the Face of Death, like Findlaich, she implored It to give her the baby she wanted so desperately. She was tired of disappointment after disappointment, and as wonderful as their current progeny was, it wasn’t enough.
She bargained her eternal service. Whatever the Shade willed, she would do it.
She was given a clutch of three, the children deeply infected and rooted in the Shade. Duibhin, Ciardha, and The Chosen Son.
Upon the setting of the eggs, she returned to the Hewn City again, asking again for favors. She asked for a mighty protector for her son. She believed no mortal being could provide guard or be worthy enough for such a special child, he needed eternal protection.
She bargained her soul. A small piece of Shade was broken off and placed into her core, which would take over her being by the time her son came of age.
A part of the Shade was formed and shifted into a dragon form, the shape of a crow-like Skydancer. He was given the name Dovev. He will take any form necessary to protect The Shaded Prince.
Her husband does not know of the dormant parasite inside her.
Velius could often hear screaming from the dark shadows of the Sunbeam Ruins, from the five tortured mouths of an Emperor before it finally stopped fighting and submitted itself to death. But these cries were different, this creature seemed disturbed, aware… Or at least one of its beings still gripped to a ghost of life. He lifted his brown head from his braille letters, his dull yellow eyes fixed on an indiscernible point in the air.
“Did you hear that?” the Mirror mostly whispers, his hands frozen on the lifted paper. He gathered the attention of Findlaich and Onrad, who are discussing their battle plans. Findlaich furrowed his scarred brow as he looked at him.
“You know you hear more than most. What is it?”
“A crying in the wood, I… It doesn’t sound like the other voices, sir, it sounds..different,” his eyes shifted to where he knew the Imperial and the Nocturne most likely were. He glances toward the exit and gets up, swiftly following the string to the outside and letting go to travel further into the wood. Findlaich only has time to grab his sword before following.
“Onrad, come along,” he gruffly instructed, “Your magic might be useful here.” The Nocturne wrinkled his nose in distaste.
“But sir, the plans, the war, we’re needed here. Who needs the blind boy?”
“I need him. He has a direct line to the Lightweaver, do you think I want that line severed?” He sharply turned and pointed at him with his sword. “Now as for necromancers and sorcerers, they are a dime a dozen.”
Onrad shrunk a little in silence then slunk out of his chair to get his staff and followed.
Velius followed his hearing, his arms stretched far out in front of him to push away the bramble and branches in his path. The voice, or voices, started to grow in volume…and the air got colder. He could feel the darkness closing in around him. He felt he had a good sense of direction of whatever it was until his concentration was broken by a loud trampling, growling in frustration.
“You two might scare it away if you go trudging around like that. Did you try to break every twig you can?”
“You don’t want to be harmed, do you, Velius?” Findlaich looked at him and then into the deep dark in front of them. “We’re here to protect you.”
“Protect me…” Velius spat, “Sure, if that’s what you want to call it. It’s in there.” He points directly ahead. Just then, a loud crash and a deafening roar, Findlaich yanks Velius out of the way of a falling tree, a large Emperor breaking out of the darkness and attacking. Findlaich throws Velius to the side and faces the beast with a brandished sword. Onrad falls but lifts his hands to still his master’s blade.
“Wait! We could use him! We could fix him!”
“He is a monster, they must all be destroyed!’’ He dodges one of the five heads and slashes at the throat, cutting it and making it squeal.
“What is better in a war than a monster?! Let me heal him!” Onrad finally gets up on his feet and lifts his staff. Findlaich grabs Velius by the nape of his neck and runs back toward their base.
“Do your best, I won’t come back to find you!” He yells. Onrad was already prepared, chanting and lifting his hand and staff to look up at the fiend as the five visages scream at him and thrash under his black magic.
Findlaich throws Velius into the cave and hurriedly approaching him, striking him across the face with the back of his hand.
“Don’t go running off into the woods again! Perhaps next time we won’t come to fetch you!” He shouts at him. Velius shrinks from him, working his way to stand.
“I had a feeling, I had to…”
“This isn’t Caesar’s lair, you are not permitted to do whatever you like before checking with me first. You have your place, you stay there. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, this will definitely help us in the fight, Your Grace,” Onrad’s voice echoes triumphantly from the entrance. Findlaich and Velius turn to look, puzzled at the sight of another dragon with them, one with white skin, naked, sporting gashing red stripes all over its body. It lifted its glowing blue eyes to look at them. Onrad beams and puts a hand on its shoulder.
“Meet our Emperor, Samael. He is the key to winning this war.”
The mouth of the thing opens, a cracked voice leaves its dry lips, cold and monotone.
