daybreakacademy | HERALD OF NIGHT - XELVAK, MAGUS OF LIFE BEYOND DEATH

HERALD OF NIGHT - XELVAK, MAGUS OF LIFE BEYOND DEATH
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Just before finals, a campus-wide meeting is called in the main hall. The High Seeress addresses the student body directly.

“As many of you blessed with Sight are no doubt aware, a presence of great evil is upon us. I have read the stars and signs, and they all point to impending doom. Soon, we shall face our greatest trial to date. And this is but the first.

We have confirmed the emergence of a Herald. The first, to be precise, and the first being that has the capability to bring about Nightfall. This is why we exist. For centuries, Daybreak has prepared, and now the time is upon us. With the blessed radiance, the flames you have nurtured throughout your time here shall bring forth a raging inferno, a cleansing flame that shall scour the Earth and purify it of this fell night.

The operation will begin on the 2nd of July. We have identified the first Herald as the ancient Lich Xelvak. Our records speak of him as a man obsessed with conquering life and death. He calls himself “The Magus of Life Beyond Death”, and we have every reason to believe he has achieved his goals to some measure of satisfaction. The Radiance will be critical in bringing him down.

Beginning on the 27th following prom, we will begin deploying all volunteers to the basecamp being assembled by UN forces near Perth, Australia. Information from the indigenous peoples living within the Gibson Desert, as well as our own Sight, have lead us to identifying the location we believe Xelvak will emerge. Evacuation of the locals is already underway, we are moving them to a lakeside encampment near Perth. Our hope is that they will be able to return once the operation and cleanup have concluded.”

The High Seeress’s tone makes clear that she doesn’t expect this will be the case.

“Although they are skeptical, the UN Supernatural Division has committed the largest joint forces yet to this operation.”

At those words she hesitates for a moment before squaring herself and continuing.

“Most of the soldiers in these forces will not live through the day. And if we fail, humanity itself will not long exceed them. The UN forces have invited us as ‘advisors’ and ‘observers’, and so it shall be our duty to pay witness to the last moments of the brave men and women who will be forced to lay down their lives for an operation against our advisement.

But that is but one of our duties. Our true duty is to destroy the Herald, and it is this task that we are well-equipped. I say truly that no student or faculty is required to take part in this operation. We teach you in hopes that you will bring us salvation, but we understand, acknowledge and respect that not all students will take up the sword. To face battle is a grave decision only to be made by those who are truly willing.

The operation will be split into three parts. Daybreak will hold a presence within the UN’s main control room and will support combat operations. The second will be the bulk of our forces, you will need to use your radiance to break through Xelvak’s magic and crush his twisted undead shell. Finally, a third group will be stationed in the Outlands and will sneak into the Deathspire, Xelvak’s tower and the place he houses his Phylactery. The Phylactery must be destroyed, lest he return.

This will be a dangerous operation. Our vision is closed to the results, and the future, our future, is uncertain. But even still, I have faith. We will make it through this night. We will live. We will fight on. Thank you.”

[From this point on, students may sign up for the operation by speaking to faculty. All students who take part will be subject to a full physical and psychological evaluation (you may post about it if you wish but it will otherwise be conducted off-screen) to ensure they are ready to join the fight. Faculty will simply need to volunteer and sign up.

This is the first official sign-up for the Herald plot. It is open to all players and characters.

Student/Grad Student Characters:
Please sign up for one of the three mission types with your character(s), Control Room, Infiltration, and Combat.

Faculty Characters:
You may either sign up for a single mission, or, if desired, make yourself available for multiple missions, in which case your character will be assigned based on numbers to balance the teams.

Initial sign-ups will close on the 25th, after which we will divide the mission into smaller groups based on the total sign-ups and assign Faculty to each group. From here, players may sign up for specific groups if they wish. The second sign-up round will close on the 29th, and all the characters who haven’t selected a group will be randomized based on their chosen mission.

NOTE FOR COMBAT: Characters are allowed to call in NPC contacts to assist them in the fight, as long as it makes sense and they are in small amounts. If you are unsure of suitability, please direct inquiries to this toplevel.

To sign up, fill out the below form and reply to the appropriate Mission Sign-Up thread.]

code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He gives her hand the lightest squeeze, meant to be reassuring.]

That's an option too. [If it makes her feel better. He'd personally feel better with less kids going out into the fight but he doesn't get much say there.]

But... is there something wrong with using your magic?

[She'd been pretty upset before.]

[It should be more than obvious what was wrong with it. Though she does not want to bring it up, otherwise she might also have to think how every time it just harms Héctor in some way.]

I'm just better at other things instead.

[He's quiet, for just a moment.]

Puella. Is this about before?

[She was pretending like she just did not hear anything for awhile. It was a simple way to just ignore the question all together.]

...I'm not ready yet to use it.

[Or give herself enough time to think of something to say. But...hey, now that she already made the decision to volunteer anyway, why be sad about it now?]

--But it's fine, because I don't really need it anyway! I can still be helpful and there's plenty of other Candles. And everybody said I need to stop worrying about it.

That seer lady will probably be fine with it too, I think.

Is this actually you not being worried?

[Because it sounds like she's stopping because of the worry.]

You can be helpful doing other things. You don't have to use your power. And I think you're right that people will be fine if you don't. If they're not fine, they're jerks and they should be.

But, none of that matters if all this is really because you're afraid of what you can or can't do.

[Héctor...stop making this any harder than it already is.]

I can't do all the same stuff everyone else can. It hurts when I try.

[Or nothing happens at all. That night hadn't been the only time she's tried to understand her Flame, but it was one of the most painful.]

...But when I can, would we still get to be friends?

Ay, Puelita.

[He lets go of her hand then, but only so he can stop and sink down to kneel before her. He grips her arms for a moment, then wraps his own around her. A brief hug.]

Of course we can, mija. That isn't even a question. You and I? We're friends for good. Even if you got the brightest, most powerful flame in the universe, we would be friends.

You didn't mean to hurt me. I know that. It just just means that I've got to be careful. I'm sorry I scared you before.

[He gives a light pat and stands back up, reaching for her hand again so they can keep walking.]

I don't want you hurting either. If using that power hurts you, then I'm glad you're taking it easy.

[Héctor better be more careful. He's probably only lucky now that Puella doesn't quite have the strength to kill undead all by herself yet. But someday she might. After that, regardless whose fault it is next, it will only take one more accident.]

[...But that is way too depressing to think about.]

I found somebody that can train me!

[There are a lot of Candles in this school, young and old. There's a lot of talk about what's going to become of the undead when the time calls for it. He's becoming very well aware of what might become of him, and whether it's her or someone else is a moot point.

It's something he'll have to think about, but not now. Later. Eventually.

He brightens.]

Have you? That's great! Who'd you find?

I think his name was Grimm or something? He's been around here for awhile!

[But he was on vacation for awhile?? Puella had only met him for the first time about 2 months ago.]

But he's got a Flame too.

Ah! That guy! Met him recently, seems like a good man.

[Met, specifically, through a network display of Ekkehardt in embarrassing clothes. Seemed good enough for him.]

I'm glad you've got someone for all that now.

HERALD OF NIGHT - XELVAK, MAGUS OF LIFE BEYOND DEATH

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