12.17 - Songs of a Fallen Kingdom, Ch. 2

General Summary

Riven, Domokos, and Sig come to on a frozen lake. They investigate the ruins of a small shrine of some sort, and encounter the wraith of what Riven recognizes as a Templar of the Silent Watch, wielder of a powerful Wardenblade. As the Hobgoblin commander manages to disarm the revenant of its mighty scythe and Riven grabs at it instinctively, the wraith undoes itself--as does the warp of time around them. They find themselves once again in the throes of Cataclysm, the air too-warm and the waters red with the blood of the slain. Before them, a fallen angel rises from the water, the planetar's sword cleaving warden and easterling right and left.
Riven, the ancient weapon of the Warden Templars in hand, recalls the oath upon which the Silent Watch was founded: to safeguard the kingdom from the False Ones and their return. Embracing their oath more completely than they ever had until that moment, the Wardenblade infuses them with is elden power, and Riven's body changes, dark wings breaking through the skin of their shoulders and fell magic rising from the blade in their hands. They take to the skies, along with Domokos and Sig upon Sand-Fury's back, to meet the old enemy of Volskaria in the air.
The planetar makes short work of the Wardens and the Eastern warriors--Domokos spies the Templar himself go down, his wardenblade shattered beneath the planetar. Undeterred, the Hobgoblin steers his wyvern companion straight for the planetar's knee, where he sees deep wounds dripping celestial ichor, and lets loose with a barrage of arquebus lead; hobbled, the angel crashes to its knees, opening it to attacks from the rest of the party. It soon regains its feet however, dealing a nearly fatal blow to Sand-Fury and cleaning up the remaining Wardens. Domokos barely manages to get them out of range, listening to both his own tactical instincts and Riven's barked commands to retreat--as the last Warden of the Night Watch ascends.
Alone, Riven faces off against the Nephalim. Its blade rushes to meet them, impossibly fast--Riven sees their life flash before their eyes, and time seems to fracture--they reach out to try to seize it, lashing out in fear and determination--they grasp hold of something--time stops, the planetar's blade frozen in place, Riven easily dodging to the side, and up towards the thing's exposed chest.
Time ticks once more--and the Wardenblade Scythe sinks deep into the planetar's chest, exploding with necrotic force as it does what it was made for. The celestial, its heartsblood gushing from its wound, drops its sword to grab at Riven, magaing to throw them aside and advance on the remaining heroes. It reaches down for its massive sword, then lifts it to deal the killing blow--only to be split in two from behind as Riven bursts through in a spray of golden gore and dark feathers.
Time stutters, stops, then snaps back to the present. The heroes stand on a frozen lake, the corpse of a fallen angel entombed far below in the ice. From the ridgeline above them, the army of wights observing the heroes disappears, satisfied.
Songs of Glory: Riven (+3), Domokos (+2), Sig (+2)

Report Date

27 Jul 2024