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The Calamitous Bob 237: The Promised Doom
🕑 Added 2025-03-22 15:23:13 +0000 UTCAragan approached her death with resignation, but also with relief. After fighting for so long, her fate and the fate of the world were now out of her hands. It was finished. Everything was over. She could fail no further. Each of her steps felt lighter than the last despite the fear of her imminent demise, and the expectation of a quarrel, or a dagger finding her unprotected heart. She did feel the pulse of black mana hinting at hidden foes not yet able to fully mask themselves. but weirdly, nobody stopped her on the way to the Empress of Harrak. The half-elemental Ascender was sitting on a nightmarish throne with her dragon lounging at her back. A priest was slathering some pink goo on her cheek which ruined the absolute evil impression she was giving. Her new shield waited at her feet.
Aragan stopped before the throne. The Great Black Witch waited patiently for her to talk. That was a little annoying.
“I know you’re going to kill me,” Aragan began with more confidence than she really had. “I have not come here to beg. I have come to face my end as a warrior. I am Aragan, the One Breath, daughter of Draigo of the Whispering Rocks tribe. Remember it well.”
“Actually I was hoping you’d surrender.”
Aragan scoffed to trample the deceptive bloom of hope growing in her heart.
“You expect me to believe you will let me go?”
“Yes. We’re sworn to Neriad. That’s our whole thing.”
She sounded bored.
“Many rulers swear by gods, but their words and actions are often at odds.”
The woman blinked, then frowned. The priest was done with her cheek.
“Anything else?” he asked.
He turned his crooked nose to Aragan. His smile felt warm and a little mocking too.
“Do hurry, young one. There is a queue.”
Aragan turned to find a line of leaders slowly making their way to the throne. She was but the first of many. She recognized most of them as the chiefs of minor clans, or knights who had not been trusted and so had been spared a fiery death on the edges of the formation. It looked like more of the Baranese knights had survived the battle than she believed. Those who hadn’t died the previous day, at least.
“Yeah so if you could just surrender?”
“You would allow it, even if I almost killed your paramour?” Aragan objected although at this stage she was just grasping at threads.
The empress rolled her eyes.
“Almost killed him? Yeah, right. If I killed everyone who believed they ‘almost killed’ Sidjin I’d have to depopulate Glastia. Nah. Look, I’m not killing people who surrender unless they committed vile actions against civilians. I don’t think it was the case for you?”
“Of course not! On my soul I so swear.”
“So if you could just , you know, do it…”
“If this is some sort of ploy to—”
“OH MY FUCKING NERIAD WILL YOU GET ON WITH IT THERE IS A LINE AND I AM TIRED AND IN PAIN. OKAY? FUCK!”
“I… I surrender.”
“Keep your bow, find your tent, and stay put. You’ll get your chance to leave soon.”
This is the part where you salute and leave.
A puff of ghostly heat convinced Aragan that she was, in fact, going to live and also that she was actively sabotaging that chance by talking.
“Alright. Thanks.”
As she left, the two began bickering.
You remember you can just use your intimidation on them, yes?
“I can’t just scare people away every time I’m annoyed with a conversation.”
Yes?
You absolutely can?
“My social skills would go rusty.”
Are my social skills rusty?
“Avarice, are you on my side?”
***
One would think that destroying the fighting forces of two combined continents in one fell swoop would be the hardest part of the campaign but nooooo. Now Viv had a third of Harrak’s total population as prisoners of war milling uselessly on her arable land. The only good news was that they had enough food for the starving masses, and people who had been hungry and stressed for weeks suddenly receiving three meals a day while it was cold outside had a tendency to just hunker down and sleep it off. That made everyone pliable.
Despite that, she still spent the remainder of the day accepting the surrender of leading men and women who wanted to turn their weapons to the most dangerous enemy as a way to keep their honor. Viv didn’t mind it but it was busy work and she couldn’t stand at all right now. At least, she could count on Bes and Lady Azar to turbo process everyone. By the time the sun fell, Queen Rosea was almost done providing amnesty to her own citizens (against compensation, naturally) while the rest of the Maranorians were assigned spots in a newly made camp. Nevertheless, all the mages who had survived the battle were emptying the last of their mana reserves building improvised housing on the shores of the new Lake Solfis. Viv was pleased that the reservoir would solve some of the nation’s water problems even if she had to compensate those whose lands had been consumed. Work continued throughout the night though she went to bed, and by the next morning, thousands of warriors had already left through the reactivated portal network, either on their way home or towards Frostway where they would catch a ship to Vizim.
***
The council had to reconvene in the throne room because it was the largest available space. The benches had been cleared in favor of a large table. Viv was greatly pleased to see that most of the leaders on her side had made it. Bes stood by her side, his shadowy presence comforting.
“Say,” she whispered to him. “Would you mind staying? I guess Ravinport will be freed now, but —”
“Are you asking me if I would return to the position of ambassador of a small city rather than be the right hand of the sovereign of mankind, leading a thousand Imperial-trained civil servants who obey my will with levels of competence and initiative I had never hoped for?”
“Yes.”
“I want a twenty percent increase in salary. And a house. In the old capital.”
Damn him.
“It is done. Although the house you’ll have to pick and repair it yourself. And a house, not a palace.”
“Agreed.”
His voice rose as the last of the guests sat down.
“Milords and ladies, welcome to this summit of the Paramese Alliance. Our first priority will be to listen to General Jaratalassi’s report, then we have an urgent message from Bishop Radus. Finally, we can discuss reparations and celebrations.”
Her guests didn’t look too pleased. Who was Bishop Radus? Oh yeah, the Bishop of Neriad whom she always referred to as ‘hooked nose guy’. Might want to change that.
“So,” Jaratalassi said, standing up. “Our victory is complete. I expect we’ll have to mop up the garrisons they left behind, but otherwise the war is won. My only concern is Helock, because their entire military leadership perished so there is no one left to negotiate a surrender. I suggest we send a diplomatic mission there to accept it as soon as feasible.”
“But who will they surrender to?” A temple guard asked. “The alliance doesn’t have a protocol for traitors.”
All eyes turned to Viv. She considered her options. Rosea leaned forward, and Viv felt her fear. Genocidal Maniac whispered of it.
“I believe it is preferable to address the real issue before we begin. Outlander Viviane, you are now unstoppable, and you have created a weapon of war that is equally unstoppable. No human nation in this world can hope to resist you. If you wish to declare yourself as the undisputed sovereign, then do so. Do not hide behind honeyed words.”
Damnit, Viv didn’t need this at ass-o’clock in the morning when she hadn’t recovered from the battle. Rosea was right to spring it on her though. It was a daring but valid move.
Now what did Viv stand for? Right.
“Look, I’m not going to turn into a tyrant if that’s what you’re worried about. I think we would do better with a political union, but I’m not going to force it.”
Also Enoria and Baran had several times Harrak’s total population. There was no way her administration could absorb the sudden population increase. It was only a matter of time before that changed though. Viv’s belief was that between her power and the technological edge Harrak was developing, eventually she would peacefully absorb the other nations into a united whole with autonomous regions and democratically elected representatives. Except for her. She was the boss.
“I will not demand that you subject yourself to me,” Viv promised. “Let’s keep the alliance as is for now. We still have a war to win.”
Rosea didn’t seem convinced, and Viv couldn’t blame her. One didn’t develop a superweapon unless one intended to use it. The thing was, Viv had developed it specifically for something like Oleander or a massive avatar. Or someone really, really rude. It just wasn’t in the Paramese mindset to accept that someone could be the strongest and not use it to dominate everyone else.
“One last thing,” Jaratalassi finished. “The question of the Sheem and of the Shadowlands remains. Their civilian authorities might object to our demand to capitulate. Unfortunately, without an invasion fleet, this is now the domain of diplomacy.”
He gave Viv a measuring look.
“Or of a demigoddess and her flying engine of doom.”
“I’ll look into it later. Param first.”
The rest went without saying. If the other nations surrendered to Viv, not the alliance, then she would be taking one more step on the path to complete domination. Viv was confident she could take a few and nothing too bad would happen.
Bishop Radus cleared his throat. Quite a few people frowned because there was still much they wanted to discuss.
“I’m afraid I bear dire news. In his great wisdom, Neriad has sent me a vision.”
Radus’s words had the merit of getting everyone’s attention.
“And what does the God of Righteous War say, bishop?” Rosea asked.
Viv was getting the feeling she was trying to control the meeting. It was a little cute.
“Neriad reports that Oleander is alive. He has been teleported to the holy city of Mornyr at great cost to Maranor herself. He is now being attended by her clergy. The city has activated its divine shield. None may come, or go.”
“Shields? How strong are they?” Marruk asked.
Viv remembered. She had attended several councils there, and even maybe kind of kidnapped Sangor’s son from the church of Maranor though she’d never admit to it in court.
“They’re the manifested will of the light gods. By agreement, they all sacrificed a fragment of their power to create a defense that even they couldn’t control,” the bishop explained.
“What?”
“Mornyr has never been conquered or even successfully conquered in all of its history. The shield is simply impenetrable, or has been so far. No siege can be laid either because the defenses also include a divine artillery spell,” Viv explained.
“I knew about the shield, but…” Rosea objected.
“The cannon was only fired once, according to ancient imperial records. Most rulers know better than to defy all the light gods at once.”
“Then we need another solution,” Rosea said. “Perhaps envoys—”
“No.”
Viv stood up.
“I’m going. With Solfis. When I used a sealed spell to destroy Oleander’s arm, Enttiku warned me that I should face the consequences. I will not delay our final confrontation. Only one of us may live, therefore there is no point in letting him recover. I will depart as soon as I’m able.”
“Milady,” Bes whispered, “the armies…”
“Cannot follow. Nor will they be of any use.”
“Actually, Your Majesty,” Bishop Radus added, “Oleander intended to make Mornyr his capital, as a symbol. There is a garrison there that might try to stop you.”
Viv shrugged. There could be five thousand knights and assorted mages facing her that it wouldn’t make a difference. Nothing they had could stand against Solfis, Avarice, or herself.
“What do I care? I can just mix intimidation and a couple of spells and they will scatter.”
“That will cost time which the city can use to fire the lance against you, milady. There are also many civilians still trapped inside: priests, healers, diplomats. It would be wise to clear the front of the city so they may escape the coming battle while you dedicate your attention to the shield.”
The bishop and Viv exchanged a glance. It felt like the clergyman knew entirely too much about what might happen, and given the fact Neriad was kind of a himbo, she suspected another divinity might have a hand in there. At the back of the room, one of the scented candles briefly puffed purple. Viv frowned.
Purple was the color of Maradoc, the God of Secrets and Knowledge.
“Alright. But what Vizier Bes said remains true. We can’t move our armies in a reasonable time frame, not to mention we need them to guard the larger group of prisoners while they’re still here. I suggest taking only riders and going through the ghost network.”
“And I would appreciate you removing that network from the Baranese territory,” Rosea grumbled.
Viv rolled her eyes. So ok violating the territorial integrity of an ally was not good but had Rosea complained when Viv was sending food convoys to her starving cities? No. And now that it was all over, hmm? No gratitude.
“Alright so I take the riders.”
“And the One Hundred. Solfis can accommodate them,” Sahin added.
He gave her ‘the look’.
“Which you should accept, Your Majesty, because they will otherwise board the fortress of their own accord.”
Was there a single person in this entire nation who listened to her willingly?
“Fine. Ok.”
“Milady!” a messenger yelled, bursting from the door.
He wilted under the combined glares of all of Param’s rulers.
“That is, High Lady Avarice is arguing with her peers. Captain Mother thought you should know…”
If the leader of the Bitter Hearts thought Viv was needed then she ought to really hurry.
“I’ll let you guys finish talking about the prisoner handling.”
“And the looting rules,” Marruk said with a pointed gaze at her neighbor.
“Yes, that. I’ll be off.”
Looting rules were very important to the kark. It was also how armies recouped the tremendous spendings they incurred during long military campaigns, so no objections there, but keeping the city in its ‘not currently on fire’ state was even more important. Viv flew out of the palace at full speed, following the twists of angry fate mana. The dragons stood on the path leading down while carts full of wounded waited at a very respectable distance. That wouldn’t do. On the other hand, maybe they could wait five more minutes if it meant preventing a fight.
The dragon’s mental voices were almost deafening. Unsurprisingly, Stormrider was at the head of whatever rebellion was happening. She faced Avarice, her snout reddening with latent heat.
I will never recognize you as a One Name.
You are a twerp.
Avarice watched the larger dragon hiss through half-lidded eyes. She then moved into her rival’s personal space, something that Viv would consider ‘unwise’ at the best of times.
I do not need your recognition.
I AM a one name.
Your opinion does not matter.
The power of her conviction radiated out, as did the truth of her words. She was a one name.
You are too young and too inexperienced.
I will not follow you.
I will not be scared of a juvenile.
Avarice didn’t let up.
You should be scared because I am so young and a one name.
The youngest one name ever.
Stormrider roared. The concerned humans nearby turned into panicked humans.
Perhaps I should teach our newest one name a lesson!
Avarice slowly stood on her hind legs, doing that T-pose that Viv had always thought ridiculous, especially since she tended to do that to creatures she had no hope of defeating. But that had been over a decade ago. Now the dragon doing that was one of the finest casters alive, capable of teleporting mid-flight and deploying an impressive array of lethal spells designed to kill the kind of opponents even dragons might fear. Her one name proved her mental maturity and the power of her belief. Gone was the amusing spawn. What faced Stormrider was the newest, and only one-named dragon of the magical bloodline. One who had dueled Judgment’s killer to a standstill to protect Viv. The future of dragonkind.
You can try.
So it wasn’t that funny anymore, and Stormrider, being at the receiving end of the threat, lowered her head. In a surprising act of maturity, Avarice didn’t immediately use that opportunity to insult the opposition.
You can feel it as I do.
We are being called north and east.
More of us will join the battle.
You can refuse the call, or you can accept it but fly alone.
But if you do come, you would do well to listen to me.
My methods led us to victory against the human avatar of the Slayer Goddess.
Viv was a little annoyed that the memories of close air support and dogfight doctrines she’d read in the army (during the foolish time she’d considered joining the air force) were now ‘Avarice’s methods’. Whatever.
Without loss of life.
For the dragons.
I have demonstrated my wisdom.
Do as you wish. I care not.
Stormrider was temperamental, but she wasn’t a fool.
I feel the call of my ancestors anyway.
I will follow.
Viv nodded while the dragons flew off to their respective corner to sulk and sleep and eat their leftover marinated fish. It looked like she hadn’t been needed after all.
***
“I don’t know. I love a good old charge as much as the next red-blooded…”
Order Master Ered remembered who was in attendance around the command table over the pacified battlefield. He was a little tired of Interesting Times, if he had to be honest there.
“Persons of whatever sex or species like charging, I suppose. I just do not believe we would all be a good fit, speed-wise,” he finished.
The merl elder crossed his thin arms over his skeletal chest and now Ered was feeling bad about it. The empress didn’t look amused, and neither did Rollo. Although, to be fair, they never looked amused. She tilted her head to the side and Ered knew he was in for a bit of tongue lashing. His wife made the exact same face.
“I already received the commitments of King Sangor and the rest of the Baranese knight orders. They say your ancestors defeated Harrak with two thousand mounted warriors. Between the human cavalries, the pakar, and the spider riders, you would be leading a force three times that number. I am personally curious as to how a charging skill that scales with the number of chargers would perform at the head of the largest cavalry force in the history of the planet, but if you’re reluctant…”
“Wait, hold on.”
“We can always find someone else. I’m sure other order masters have lesser versions of the skill.”
“I do,” Rollo confirmed.
The smarmy asshole crossed muscular arms over his chest. In the distance, his husband wagger eyebrows at Ered. That made the old knight very uncomfortable.
“Hold on now, I never said no.”
“You’re taking a suspiciously long time to say yes,” the empress admonished.
“Alright, alright, you got me. We’ll put the kark and merl on either flank and have them move first so we should all strike at the same time. The merls will be wall-side since they can climb it,” Ered added at the last moment, very proud of himself.
The elder trilled something in his native language. He jumped with excitement.
“He speaks the truth. Walls do not stop us. We can help with the evacuation!”
“Yeah no I don’t think follow the massive spider will work as an ordered evacuation technique” the empress said, but then she reconsidered.
“I’ll pray to Neriad. The population is devout, so warning the priests in advance should help us plenty. Alright. We have a plan.”
“We do?” Ered asked with some suspicion.
“Yep. Use the portals, move to Mornyr, you guys clear the front of the city so we can evacuate.”
“And what about the shield? The spear?”
“Solfis and I will handle that.”
***
It was barely a full day after the end of the battle and the field had already been changed with the sort of efficiency Viv would have never believed possible without the help of an army of bureaucrats armed to the teeth with Excel spreadsheets. All of the Baranese had been either reintegrated with their army or, in some rare cases executed, and their infantry was already on their way home via teleporter with Rakan opening a second pair through the Deadshield Woods just to speed things up. The kark were done looting their share. Their civilians were on the way back loaded with spare iron and mana-infused vegetables. The Enorians were staying at Viv’s request since there were still a lot of prisoners to oversee. It was a mess but the sort of mess that was being quickly and efficiently handled. Also, it was snowing. It looked like Lake Solfis would be filled by spring.
“It’s time to go,” Viv said.
A line of cavalry like she’d never seen gathered in ordered ranks next to the entrance to the ghost network, slightly south of Kazar. In the distance, the first pink petals of a Sardanal-blessed replacement to the tree was growing where the old one had burnt. Viv thought it would have been better to plant it in the old capital, but symbols were important too. Kazar had earned its tree back.
Mother, the borglings and their slightly dumber mounts are ready.
Show them your wings, mother!
Fill them with dread!
“Look, I’m still a little tired. Let’s save the intimidation for our enemies.”
The foreigners are not our allies either.
Once the danger passes, they will turn on us.
They fear us!
“Ok but if a city-ending flying castle that fires lasers doesn’t convince them to behave, nothing will.”
It’s about giving it a personal touch.
Business one-oh-one, mother.
A firm handshake, eye contact, setting expectations, deploying a crushing soul aura that promises their end…
“I think you’re mixing your banking and world domination schemes.”
Avarice gave Viv a look that conveyed utter confusion.
There is a difference?
“Please stop, my head hurts.”
***
There were darknesses that went beyond the lack of light. Oleander had lost everything: his pride, his hope, the purity of his body, that of his soul. Most importantly, he’d lost the favor of his goddess. Even as he rested in the shadow of her immense presence, the red non-light radiating from her soul didn’t bring any warmth. Or any of the certainty he’d felt before.
Failure.
He had lost. Not just that, he had lost completely and irreversibly. His army was no more. His power was broken. The best general in history couldn’t salvage this situation because there was nothing left to fight with. No one could stand against either the witch of her dragon or her golem fortress. And they were fiercely loyal to one another. His addled mind kept returning to the problem, poking and prodding at it like a bad tooth. There was no out. He had lost. He wasn’t even sure why he was still alive. He was a failure. A failure. A complete, abject failure who had caused the death of his friends. All of their hopes were gone, dashed by his fault. All the sacrifices he’d made in the name of final peace and the unification of mankind: useless. The families he’d destroyed, the people he’d killed, the noble souls he’d led to ruin: wasted. Because he was a complete and utter failure. Without the veil of zeal protecting his heart, in this place without place and with nothing shielding him, he had only himself to blame.
The corruption buried in his arm and his soul. He was a broken thing, forsaken and deserving of that fate. Despair dragged him down. Despair, and the inability to cope with the horrors he’d committed. It pulled him down a line of power surging from the depth and feeding the Queen of Queens as she sat on her vacillating throne. The deeper he went, and the less the corruption mattered. There was no acceptance below, just oblivion and madness. He went there anyway.
The end wasn’t sudden. It was a slow, progressive death, an abandon of the self until even the part that resisted corroded in the sleep of the exhausted. Like a great ship doomed to sink, he slowly succumbed to the dark waters spilling inside of him. Why even fight? Everything was lost. Everything was destroyed by his fault. He deserved it. He deserved everything happening to him.
At the root of the line of energy, something stirred. Oleander didn’t react. He didn’t resist, because by then, there wasn’t enough left of him to perceive the mortal threat.
The dead god reached for the falling man. On the altar of Maranor, at the heart of Mornyr, Oleander’s flesh bubbled.
***
Solfis has reactors at its back, trailing blue energy across the cloudy sky. It made the dread lozenge travel with a speed that only served to render its appearance even more alien, for nothing this large had any rights to be this fast as well. Like really it was too fast.
“Can you pick up more speed?”
WHY DON’T YOU HELP INSTEAD OF WHINING?
Avarice was catching up but it was taking time so Viv could only deduce her not using portals to just pop up near the hull was a matter of pride. The wind was intense enough that Viv used a colorless enchantment to keep the wind off her face. And hair. She wasn’t sure why Avarice felt the need to compete with four manatech macro-turbines powered by a God Core who had been accelerating for several hundreds of leagues under an air-dispersing shield. Honestly, it was amazing what maniacal engineers could come up with when ‘near-infinite energy’ became a factor. Eventually, Avarice managed to reach the side of the fortress, then crawled around it using handholds specifically designed to accommodate dragons (an early prototype had ended up with too many scratch marks).
Sometimes dragons were just flying cats with pyromania.
Viv decided to keep that thought to herself.
Avarice slithered through the open lens aperture which closed behind her. The command room was barely large enough to accommodate and thankfully, it was empty at this time. Abenezigel stood by the main console with a thoughtful look. He waved at them.
Behind, Solfis’ core floated in the containment tube over the massive orb of the God Core. Twin yellow flames floated there like demon eyes.
//Ah, your majesty.
//I was hoping you would come.
//Welcome to my humble body.
//Tea?
“With pleasure. How are you holding up?”
//I am pleased to report that all my systems are functioning within acceptable parameters.
//Except for the hangar bay which is being fixed as we speak.
Viv shrugged. Fortress Solfis was originally meant to welcome a complement of floating transports just so he wouldn’t have to land, and also because she liked the idea of sky marines. They hadn’t had the time to develop them. It was as the old saying went: you go to war with the army you have. While Solfis talked, long and thin artificial arms emerged from the ceiling to prepare a pot of tea with meticulous precision. The command deck came equipped with a water boiler since Viv knew the importance of liquid excitants for anyone serving aboard any kind of ships. By corollary, there were lavatories in the next compartment.
//I assumed you would be with the cavalry.
//Is there some sort of problem?
“Yes, there is a big problem. Mornyr is shielded.”
//That is not a problem.
//That is a temporary obstacle.
“Look, that barrier was made by the light gods to create a sort of neutral ground. It no longer needs their permission to work. The plan right now is to clear the front of the city to allow its people to safely evacuate, something the servants of Maranor might oppose.”
//So?
“So if we fire the Calamity Cannon on the shield and the blast kills everyone in a three leagues radius, that’s gonna be a problem.”
//I will overload the shield in a single shot.
“How would you know that? There is no way for you to run any sort of math on that thing because first we’ve never had any data on the shield, and second, the branch of mathematics that would calculate that hasn’t been invented yet. Explain where your confidence comes from because it sure as shit isn’t from evidence.”
//I just know.
Viv narrowed her eyes, ready to force a maintenance cycle.
“I’m not firing that thing on a ‘trust me sis’ justification. What in the name of all the gods?”
Just then, she felt a strange call. It was eerily familiar but also rare enough that the timing made her suspicious.
“Hold on.”
The temptation to send the god contacting her a ‘leave a message after the beep’ reply was strong. Unfortunately, that entity contacting her wasn’t familiar. She settled in a lotus position and closed her eyes.
Falling into the in-between had become as scratching her back. The planet-sized soul facing her was one she recognized. It was purple and almost hidden in the non-color that formed the stuff of this strange space. It was Maradoc. The secret god because his followers stayed hidden. And also the God of Secrets.
“Good day you’ve reached Ascender Viviane’s hotline how may I help you?”
“No need for sass, outlander. The knowledge in your golem’s mind is my own. I tried to share it with you as well, but you are halfway up. You are beyond my influence.”
“Shouldn’t you ask before you share mass destruction knowledge with sapient murder machines? That’s a bit of a violation, no?”
The sphere bobbed quietly in the void.
“I can see why Neriad and Efestar like you. They’ve always had a soft spot for snarky ladies who had a decent chance of killing them. I would prefer it if you stopped now, however. My sister…”
The sphere pulsed once and there was something in its depths that made Viv shut up. It was grief.
“My sister is not well. She has made a list of bad decisions that have led her to disaster, but she is still one of us. And despite everything, she is still my sister.”
The sphere opened itself to Viv, showing a belief that couldn’t be a deception.
“There is a chance for you to make a difference for good, but you need to trust me when I tell you that your weapon will work. You must be sure to fire it before the lance fires, and you need to do so within the next two days, or she is lost.”
“We’ll be there the next morning.”
“Good, That is… good. Thank you. And… good luck. We’re all going to need it.”
***
“You heard the news?” the soldier asked in the tongue of the Shadowlands.
“Hush. We should never have come here.”
The soldier looked around the forest east of Mornyr, lit by the first timid rays of a winter sun shining over the leafless canopy. It was the sort of silly and useless patrol officers liked to order. There might be monsters but why even chase them? The city was sealed. Spring had not come yet. There was no food to contest.
He looked up and frowned at a sudden cloud blocking the sky. Freak weather. The gods were angry. The entire city was on edge after rumors of a disaster came from the west, where the black witch’s army was and clearly where they should be patrolling instead.
“You think we could sail back?”
There was no answer. He turned.
His friend was gone.
“Tolin? Tolin?”
Movement in a nearby bush. The man grabbed his spear, then there was pain. He fell. He was dragged forward, leaving only the helmet behind.
The briefly interrupted silence resumed until something whispered angrily, and then a pale hand partially wrapped in black bandage snatched the discarded helmet, too.
***
Dawn came over the fields before Mornyr, the holy city. For the garrison of Maranorians left before their would-be capital, the day started with chores. The news that came back was confusing but uniformly bad so the officers doubled down on discipline. As far as the common soldiers understood, no one knew who was supposed to give orders, or even who was left to give orders. Those few sentries on the eastern side of the massive camp frowned when they saw the glint of metal. Most were struck with disbelief when they spotted a knight in garish white armor coming out of the forest, as the sentries were Vizimans who were not familiar with heavy cavalry. They screamed in alarm when more knights emerged, forming a line a hundred men wide. Then two hundred. Then three hundred.
The camp was sent into panic. Those soldiers not already in armor scrambled while others gathered pikes and polearms under the screams of officers. Archers gathered in squads and the palisade gates were hastily closed. More than a few soldiers eyed the basic half-walls they’d built from the frozen ground and wondered — though not for long — if it would be enough. It wouldn’t. Above the horsemen, white battle standards were raised, soon joined by the blue of Baran when realm knights joined the Order of the White Orchard. Women in shimmering gold armor joined them, raising the flag of Enttiku. The green of Enoria added grim veterans of the civil war in scarred armor, then the black roses of Harrak, and other minor orders: lighter riders from the northern cities, hedge knights, mercenaries. By then, the camp had stopped mobilizing. They were already in position, if still unfed or poorly dressed. The only thing left for them to do was to watch the line complete with strange, short humanoids in feathery clothes riding on top of spiders, some as large as barns, and kark soldiers in full plate atop fierce pakar. By the time they were done deploying, the cavalry line was five riders thick and wider than the entire camp.
The knight in white armor lifted a sword, which caught the sun into a blinding radiance. It shone on all the colors of the rainbow represented in every flag, standard, pennant, engraved shield and cape belonging to hundreds of factions gathered for a single purpose: to ride that camp down and trample it.
“Warriors of Param!” the old man roared. “For that land we share! For the alliance! And for vengeance! Chaaaaaarge!”
The noise of the horns alone would have been enough to freeze the heart of the staunchest defender. The charge was perfectly orchestrated, the wings going first before the center accelerated, their warhorses easily catching up. The ground shook under ten thousand hooves and some pretty thick spider legs. The dragons flying overhead were entirely superfluous and by the time the charge made contact, barely half of the camp was still standing their ground. Ered didn’t care though. He was the happiest man in the world.
***
Viv followed Solfis on dragonback far over the battlefield. The fortress flew in an arc, aligning its main weapon with the city’s central tower. Mornyr was smaller than she remembered from up there. It seemed to lack the entire ring of humble homes that marked most great cities. Instead, the city was temples and palaces hidden behind a shield of impossible proportions shining a dull white in her mana perception. It was deceptive, however. This was a divine construct. It was the closest thing to an artifact a spell could ever get to, and it was fed by the collective will of a pantheon that had put this measure in place knowing, one day, one of them might turn on the others. That was Viv doing it now. As Solfis lined himself up, a massive mana spike erupted from the tall tower overseeing even the imposing Harrakan-made pyramid marking the town’s heart.
“Hmm, Solfis?”
//EMERGENCY FIRING SEQUENCE INITIATED.
Avarice portaled them at a safe distance. Viv looked back at the lozenge, its aperture open and glowing.
Both constructs fired at the same time. Every bit of air left Viv’s lungs from pure pressure. From Solfis, a black ray left like a thin cut across the fabric of space, warping it as it went. From the city came a beam of golden light that eclipsed the sun. The two rays of energy met in the middle, twisting like snakes when their impossible energies pushed the laws of reality to their extreme limits. The power of the sun went close enough to Solfis that Viv saw something melt. The black ray struck the divine shield at an angle, causing it to flash violently.
The sun lance ended its course at the top of a nearby hill, obliterating it in a column of molten rocks.
The light returned to normal levels.
Viv gasped oxygen back into her lungs just in time to swear. Solfis’ left side was belching smoke and her first reaction was that he was dead. That terror abated when she noticed that the central lens was intact, and as such, the core behind it must be fine. Her second reaction was that she was going to lose her mega weapon after firing twice and by fuck was this how every super villain felt when their hard-won creations got bombed at the last minute by five teenagers wearing spandex? She was livid. Against all odds, however, Solfis stayed airborne. Now that some of the smoke was being extinguished by the fire suppression system — never skimp on those — she could see that the damage was barely three weeks of her entire nation’s GDP and would be repaired via a temporary budget deficit. Some of the crew members were already climbing the twisted metal of what looked like a storage space to smother the last embers. One of them waved at her.
Looking back at the city, she noticed that the shield was on its last leg but still holding, somehow. It looked like a perpetually mid-burst balloon with entire segments disappearing. If she timed it right…
//YOU
//DARE
Solfis didn’t use any sort of skill for that one. His fury was conveyed via old-fashioned speakers stuck at max volume. The very idea that a weapon designed by all the light gods to destroy anything could even touch his august body had sent him over the edge.
//YOU PATHETIC WORMS.
//ALL CREW, PREPARE FOR A RAMMING MANEUVER.
Mother?
“Errr what the fuck? Solfis, you don’t have a ramming maneuver?”
The crewmen disappeared back into the bowels of the fortress, presumably to strap themselves to any seat they could find.
“Solfis?”
The four macro-turbine roared. Mana particles instantly formed four blue trails behind the titanic construct. It accelerated violently toward the flickering shield.
“Solfis!”
He didn’t listen.
The gods had planned for armies, archmages, dragons, hell, they’d probably planned for elementals, but they had not, apparently, planned for mountain travelling at one hundred and fifty leagues per hour. Solfis smashed into the city’s defenses in a sound like God’s cat pushing His wine glass off the table. The divine protection shattered with the coming of Solfis, Viv flying close behind. The fortress opened its gun ports to deliver a point-blank range volley against the source for good measure, turning the host tower into a much shorter tower. A turret maybe.
//ONE HUNDRED, PREPARE TO LAND.
//SECURE THE GATES FOR EVACUATION.
Mother.
Viv turned away, trusting her friends to do what they had to do. Below her stood the temple of Maranor. Just looking at it filled Viv with great discomfort. There was something terribly wrong with the mana.
“I know. Time to see what my spell did. Let’s go.”
Comments
Roombot
TO BE FAIR, Efestar did a lot of evil shit and he was redeemed. So Maranor deserves a chance too. The problem is whether Maranor will ever regret her actions and try to atone for them, or continue being an evil bastard masquerading as a champion of humanity. Plus, letting her be corrupted by the dead god is not a great idea no matter what you plan to do with her.
stephan kour
I wonder if Viv's spell caused the dead god Corruption on Oleander or not. I had the suspicion since Efestar's redemption, considering how freaky changed aspeced black mana spells can be. And how freak abominations are.
Jeanean
Also, the "definition" of LIght/Dark Gods is something along the lines of: They are Dark when their doctrine is purely harmful to sapient civilization. And every god that fights against the Dark gods is automatically a Light god. Its not a matter of Light = good Dark = evil While Maranor is kind of fuckin' racist and not what I would call a good person, her doctrine is not harmful to sapient civilization as a whole, and she fights the Dark Gods. Ergo, Maranor = Light God.
Gwalmeich
The light gods seems to all suffer from some form of PTSD and other mental traumas, some more or less severe than others. They kind of fought against inhuman foes before becoming gods, which has left them in poor mental health. Not that it excuse Maranor of her sins, but it those give a certain perspective to her actions. If you had to fight against monsters as cruel and merciless as the dark gods and their minions for millennias, you too would accumulate a certain amount of psychological baggage.
Tiffany Miller
Ugh Maranor does not deserve to be saved. She anx every priest and follower should be executed shes nothing but a threat with NO redeeming qualities. There is no way she is a light god she's dark all the way.
RonGAR
@Angus 1000% Agree!
Szelanaya
True. But that was back when he was evil. With him changing to the light gods side, his aspects shifted and his color became purple.
a passing Fnord
It was sickly green when he was supplying his power for necromancy when he was still a dark god
Matt Cannon
We are told fairly early on that Emeric has kids. Thats why viv's spark of luck wouldn't immediately stand out.
Matt Cannon
"You must be sure to fire [the big gun] before the lance fires, and you need to [start your attack] within the next two days, or she is lost.” The time limit isn't for firing before the lance fires, it is doing anything within 2 days. I assume because Maradoc is watching Oleander get corrupted and that will have association effects on Maranor. So if Oleander isn't dealt with within 2 days, Khaton will maybe start corrupting Maranor ditrctly?
Matt Cannon
The most recent decisive defeat for the Nemetti cane on land. They FAILED at sra but were not truly defeated at sra. That semantic ambiguity could be used by Meca to allow them to try again. Or.... Theh attack again on land, but forfeit fate magic in favor of some actual tactics, strategy, and logistics.
Clifton
Does he have cats? Because it sounds personal.
Clifton
Ah yes, the good old 'you peed in public, now the whole neighbourhood goes' response. Truly, there are sacrifices for civilisation.
Caitlin
On the note if colors, aren't the roses of blue? Because of Solfis' creator?
Jeanean
Oh well...
AzureMaiden
…I cheated 😅 That particular chapter just went live on RoyalRoad, so I reread it on Friday
Angus Losier
I think, ultimately, this is why Judgement did what he did. He saw that Arthur was growing and learning faster than any dragon before, and this gave Judgement an epiphany. Dragons live a long, long time, but mentally, they normally grow slowly - as shown by the mature but dumb dragons we've seen at least 3 times in-story (Meadow, Arthur's brother Gale, and the big red one Stormrider had kids with). By comparison, humans and other bipeds do *not* grow slowly, either physically or mentally. Judgement realized that by having young dragons interact with the other intelligent races, they could, in theory, all learn and grow at the same rate as Arthur did, increasing their intelligence (and thus strength of will and magical power) far faster than any dragons previously. And he considered this such a fundamentally positive transformation for dragonkind he was willing to die to see it come to pass.
Jeanean
It DID sound like a conversation that was very plausible to have happened at some point... Also, your memory is insane... How do you remember something like that, inlcuding the exact chapter?
Hayden Leech
So Nero is getting warped by Khaton the poisoner right?
Jake Lewis
If you think your weapon system doesn't come with a ramming maneuver, you're just not using it wrong enough
AzureMaiden
Yes, between Viv and Frostway back in chap. 198
Szelanaya
No that's... Sarandel?
Jeanean
Was that actually a conversation that happened?
Jeanean
Wasn't Efestar green?
Domifax
For some reason I always have to think of RA3's giga fortresses when solfi's fortress was describes
AzureMaiden
Maybe, but wasn’t Khaton male?
D
'Mr.Immortal' becoming an abomination and fusing / turning into a vessel for the dead god king who got stuck in a botched reincarnation.
DrNutella
It's that Aberant god Khaton we have heard of before. Oleander is turning into the Avatar of Aberants.
Kota
Better make sure not to talk at the theatre as well. Now that I think about it, didn't Solfis once inquire about making urinating in public a capital offence? So many possibilities...
Kota
Yeah, had me confused as well.
Szelanaya
I thought Efestar's color was purple. In this chapter there are multiple mentions of Maradoc's color being purple, which in previous arcs was blue.
JLM
Every Harrakan made weapon system ALWAYS comes with a ramming protocol
Garrett Kout
What do you mean? How else can you interpret "fire [the big gun] before the lance fires, or else shes lost"? The lance fired, and it fired at the same time as Solfis. It seemed less like the god of secrets giving her tips for how to win, and more like a divination. Why would the god care if it took two solfis beams to break the shield? Theres also the direct POV of Nero succumbing to whatever that corruption was, and Viv and Arthur expressly saying "that mana feels fucked up" at the end. It's not really "off screen".
Roombot
“The thing was, Viv had developed it specifically for something like Oleander or a massive avatar. Or someone really, really rude.” Open-mouthed chewers of the world, be advised. Shut your trap or face the fury of the black-hole-gun.
Roombot
I doubt gods can have children, or else there would probably be some by now
Roombot
What was your prediction?
Roombot
Poor bastard. I was hoping he’d have a better ending.
Roombot
Yeah, Nous confirmed it would happen upon her next path-up several chapters back
Roombot
I think he said you must fire first because, as we saw, when the two weapons collided the shot from Solfis wasn’t quite enough to deflect the lance AND completely break the shield. But Maranor isn’t necessarily lost because the madlad rammed himself into the shield to finish shattering it. The result: Viv got to the temple within the two-day window.
Roombot
So becoming a One-Name is the dragon equivalent of reaching a certain step on your Path, basically? Not an age thing at all, but a strength and significance thing.
Anonymouse
“With a sound like God’s cat pushing His wineglass off the table.” You have such a wonderfully descriptive way with words.
Roombot
It seems one of the gods they killed way back when is resurfacing through Oleander’s wounded soul, and possibly hijacking the connection he has with maranor?
Roombot
I honestly don’t think so. They’re now fated to lose if they challenge her by land or by sea, after losing once with each method. She should still mop them up, but they’re not a true threat. Also: Maranor will need some serious redemption after the bullshit she’s pulled, but fortunately there’s a god for that now… and it would be hypocritical to deny her a chance after giving one to Efestar.
AzureMaiden
“So yes, indeed, your question was within the realm of possibilities. Is there a single Harrakan machine that cannot ram its target?” “Honestly I should make it our design doctrine. All of our stuff should be able to ram their stuff. I mean, I would, but I’m confident it will come back to bite me in the ass in the distant future if I did.” *Morgan Freeman*: It did, in fact, come back in the distant future to bite her in the ass. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
RonGAR
@Senko LOL
Senko
So confirmation from Maradoc the gods can no longer guide Viv by influencing her dreams. They either need to use an intermediary or talk to her directly. When this finishes she is definately joining the gods leaving Avarice to rule Harrak.
Senko
Like a certain dark god who's spent the last few millenia stuck with a botched Resurrection that may have just been handed a suitable corrupted avatar and an open link to the goddess of orders power perhaps?
Senko
Order that has just been significantly weakened and has an open wound to let infection in. If there's ever a time she could be changed or consumed this is it. Like Efester returned to the light.
Sæþór
Tftc!
Senko
True though I'm wondering how Maranors priest hood view their world domination plans at the stage and the rest of the priest hood in Mornmyr. "You cost us our neutrality, our shield, our weapon oh and the avatar you let in is now becoming a dark god. Nice going guys."
Senko
Maybe but i suspect it's a much more specific firing of the lance that was meant. Possibly at the home of the light gods. Otherwise it's too quick and off screeny for her to fall.
Senko
In this case it says black roses on their flag so an error.
Clifton
Bes has had another career change - he's now a Vizier.
Diego Rossi
Thanks for the chapter, creat as always.
Diego Rossi
"The fortress opened its gun ports to deliver a point-blank range volley against the source for good measure, turning the host tower into a much shorter tower. A turret maybe." I dubt there is much of the gun left.
D
True that. :)
Hussar L
I listened to Rohirrim charge scene while reading Paramese Alliance's cavalry charge... it was perfect Also is Maranor in I-can-fix-her list now? I'm curious when the Reptilian Fate magic Empire will be dealt with, are they threat to Viv anymore? Thx for the awesome chapter! After previous chapter (which was perfect) it maintained the momentum well
Garrett Kout
"You must be sure to fire it before the lance fires, and you need to do so within the next two days, or she is lost.”" -> bummer, guess Maranor is lost, guess "Diety in charge of Rulers" spot in the pantheon just opened up...someone with the Genocidal Maniac skill seems like a safe choice.
Clifton
Viv now has an Indestructable shield, so not guaranteed win.
Clifton
Sign of a good author is that they can lead the reader along without it feeling like they're being dragged.
Clifton
I believe it's blue roses on black armour.
Birgitte Pedersen
Great chapter though I thougt we would get a “Viv getting shouted at by Arthur” scene for doing her solo thing last chapter. And weren’t the harrakan knights blue rose? This chapter says black.
Jennifer Leigh
It may just be the [specialness] of patreon formatting, but... The first paragraph is in bold. I believe the first line of Avarice talking is not italicized.
KnightRider007
Ok, was it JUST a coincidence that the chapter published to RR today was the chapter where she talked about establishing Harrakan ramming doctrine (Chapter 198)? The one where she said "it will come back to bite me in the ass in the distant future if I did.” Or are you going to admit this is all going according to your plan...?
Angela Roberts
And here it is but not sure it's biting her in the ass.....
KnightRider007
By bizarre "coincidence", the chapter where she was talking about establishing a ramming doctrine was literally the chapter that went to RR today... “Wow. Am I that predictable?” “Honestly, in some ways, yes. Wasn’t it you who said that it wasn’t about what something was designed to do but about what it could accomplish?” “Hm, that made Solfis weirdly annoyed.” “So yes, indeed, your question was within the realm of possibilities. Is there a single Harrakan machine that cannot ram its target?” “Honestly I should make it our design doctrine. All of our stuff should be able to ram their stuff. I mean, I would, but I’m confident it will come back to bite me in the ass in the distant future if I did.”
Alexander Dupree
This was awesome thanks for another great installment
Angus Losier
I think Crest is better off not knowing that his last ditch effort to save his friend resulted in dooming Oleander to a far worse fate than just dying.
SnowReason
I'm assuming Crest really didn't make it since there was no mention of him in this chapter. Wonder if the remaining Maranorians are feeling it now that the logistics arm is fully down. Kind of expected a bit more dialogue involving him either way TBH.
Tsorov
Avarice is arthur, Vivs not so baby dragon. Yes, they stole a flying mountain. Yes, the god core was the thing that the Harrak ritual produced and which was left under the Harrakan palace. No clue about the dead god, I think it's not Maronar herself, but somebody is using the connection between her and her mortal champion to ursup her place.
SnowReason
Regarding the gun, it was crafted by the Gods so if she can steal it she'll only have the one.
Angus Losier
I'm now picturing a divine harem, with an elevated demigod Sidjin along with Neriad and Efestar all competing for Viv's favor. She couldn't have children as a black elemental, but as a goddess? Could be Arthur gets some *interesting* siblings.
Emily Gurnavage
So thats what was meant by the consequences. Turned him into an abomination and likely an Avatar of some sort.
tr13ze
Thanks for the chapter 😁
Angela Roberts
Viv did think she should make ramming a war doctrine. Looks like she didn't have to, they got it! Such a good chapter!! Definitely rereading. So, Oleander turns into the dead evil god's avatar? And then Viv kills him? But some taint remains I'm guessing to pick the slack from Octas' absence? And what happens to Maranor? They can't die right? So she's reduced AND dark or maybe medium grey? Avarice is so, so right. There's a difference?! Rosea will need handling but I'm betting Bes is up to the task. Viv's ultimate plan is good but it won't be easy! And if she's already halfway to godhood will this be the battle that gets her all the way to God?
Red Viking
Solfis' outrage is just *chef's kiss*
Julian
Yeah right, nothing is ever that simple. I suspect the data gremlins did it.
D
Damn, did i read the flow of this stories foreshadowing that well that i could act like a prophet or did ol'Mecanimus read my comment and was like: yeah cool, lets do that. XD Love it. =D
Mecanimus
Let's stay kind. And the questions were answered without me having to type! Yay!
Robert Rosenthal
To quote the fat electrician it’s not a war crime the first time
Val
Like, have you read the book? Or just skipped a year worth of story?
Mecanimus
Not a mystery I just DLed a new copy and then uploaded it.
Jennifer Leigh
I totally forgot that! Someone said that about the landship, right? Edit: apparently I should have read farther in the comments. ;)
Matt Grayson
Ho HO! Many plots thicken. How wonderful!
Mantarok1205
Jolly good!
Sardeed
Ohhh i loved the first part with how the hunter lady saw Viv and their interacrion. Always a delight to read how native people react to the ober the rop mc of a story. The rest of the chapter was fantastic too.
Sardeed
Because he is entertaining. That is why people love a well written villain more then a boring hero. The greatest sin a character can do in a story is being boring....unless that is his mission, to be boring.
Sardeed
What the heck did come from RoyalRoads and just skipped all chapters in-between and read this one first?! No, like seriously did you not read the last 40 chapters?
Arnon Parenti
Avarice is Arthur. God Core is what destroyed old Harrak and is a sentient mana stone inhabited by the old queen and repurposed as a battery for Solfis. Maranor can't be corrupted, she is literally order, the dead god is the one they used Slayer to kill and let them ascend, like everything else Slayer kills he is stuck in the sword.
Kazith
God this story is so fucking good.
T'Ericka
I did. But I assumed avarice was the “child” back up plan she spoke of if things didn’t go her way when she was fighting with author. I thought she stole an actual chalice - I forgot the floating rock thingy was called the chalice. And what destroyed Harrak was said to be drawing the magic to the the capital. It was never called the god core in the old harrak chapters. A complete reread of the series is clearly in need lol
FuriousDee
I hope that was early enough to follow Marradoc's plan
Nait02
How to know you are an evil Queen? When you measure the cost of repair for your super weapon in weeks of your nations GDP. Bonus points if your super weapon is a sentient flying fortress.
deus vault
wow, that was a great chapter.
deus vault
solfis isn't arrogant. being arrogant implies you think you can do something you can not. solfis is a machine of war. his purpose in existence is to deliver death, destruction and despair to his enemies. I like solfis.
Nait02
The God Core is the thing they found in Harrak city when they looked at the ritual site, that created the deadlands. Avarice is what Arthur named herself. Not sure what exactly is up with Maranor, I assume we will find out next chapter, but it probably did not go well for her that most of her power base got wiped out and her champion corrupted by what is indeed very likely the dead but attempting to revive dark god. They did indeed steal the flying rock from Helock. It happened in the 15 year or so timeskip before the journey to the other continent. The Helockian parts of Oleanders army were rather incredulous when it was revealed. The God Core is basically a mana Core with (near?) infinite Energy. It is what is powering Solfis the sentient flying fortress.
RonGAR
@T'Ericka I got to ask, did read the last 20 or so chapters before this one? Or just 'skim' it? I ask b/c of your questions. All these things were prominently highlighted in the previous chapters.
T'Ericka
Thanks! I didn’t remember it ever being referred to as a god core. And in book 5 it was said that you couldn’t make enchantments on floating rock because the mana there disabled or disrupted it. Thanks for the clarification
Jonathan
Great chapter! See now I'm wondering if Maranor planned this. Like she could probably stop it if she noticed and desired, but I'm wondering how much she actually planned versus took advantage of what she had, since the soul warp would be a secret. Also sacrificing the power invested in her avatar and tainting her image in the eyes of like everyone (especially the god city) would be a big hit. Oleander still has the slayer sword though right? If he gets taken over the dark god can use it safely, which could be a gauranteed win unless it crosses some god mechanics (polluting his/her essence). Though that might be the crux of her downfall too.
RonGAR
Oh boy, Rosea is going to be a problem for later. LOL. Its cute but I get it. She doesn't want ever to be the 'weaker ruler' again. She seen what that cost her once, and doesn't want to pretend that the thought of never conquering all the world wouldn't ever cross Viv's mind. But its cute to think she has a chance. At least not for another 100 yrs or so. ---------------- "What's the difference''. - AVARICE. LOLOL FACTS. There isn't any. If anyone thinks Presidents rule the world and not economics, and the ppl controlling it, then you deserve whats coming to you. LOL As for the other dragons, Power rules, but Wisdom should lead! They all have power, but you could tell none of their education, except Avarice, is higher than that of a middle schooler. I wouldn't say they are 'dumb' but they are ignorant of A LOT of things. A WHOLE LOT! Avarice should start a school...LOL ---------------- FLying LOZengE - LMAO. -------- Solfis losing his shit. LOLOLOL -------- Well... they better secure Morynr's city-sized gun as well, or else Queen Rosea is going to get it, and then each city will have one. LOLOL ---------- All in all, a great chapter. So great, I'm going to read it again to see if I missed anything. LOL
The Bandersnatch
The fact that I'm focusing on Neriad and Efestar's penchant for snarky women who have the potential to kill them... says a lot about me as a person lmao
Kennyevilmonkey
God Core was created by the death of the old Harrak, which turned it into the deadlands. Viv found it in the capital and claimed it as the rightful Empress. It was a whole thing. Avarice is Arthur's true name as a Dragon now. It means she is the best and defacto leader of all the magic clan dragons. The fortress is flying because it was made out of the magical floating rock of the Chalice, which they stole a few chapters and ten in-story years ago. Maranor is losing energy or basically dying, because she put a lot of herself, as a god, on the line with that war, and now to make it worse, her champion is poisoned with corruption and further dragging her down. Viv needs to kill Orlander, or Maranor will die.
FuriousDee
They haven't referred to it as the god core before but they have said that it contains equivalent energy to a god and near infinite energy before and using it is the only way they could build the doom cannon. Avarice became Avarice last chapter just after Viv blocked the slayer. They stole the rock at the beginning of the book I think. There was a diplomatic meeting where Viv had to pay reparations but refused to give it back. Just after this she spoke about using it to build the airship.
Bettafish
From the memoirs of Baron Von Warcrime, "If the vehicle is intact, there's one projectiles left"
Moatdog
I mean to go down ur list ALL of which has been said before Avarice picked her name in the genocidal maniac chapter, they stole the chalice in the chapter right after Killing the advisor in old Harrak capital, and the god core was in the same chapter as the old harrak capital fight. We know the core is a power source fam that was just common sense tho
T'Ericka
No I read all the booms and chapters I don’t recall them referring to it as a god core or explaining what it does only that it killed old harrak. Or when did Arthur’ s name become Avarice? Or when did they steal the giant floating rock?
CentaureHeart
I think you missed the last chapters
FuriousDee
God core was the thing that killed old Harrak. Avarice is Viv's daughter's new name. The fortress was built around the Chalice the giant floating rock after they stole it. Oleander has clearly been corrupted and his connection to Marranor might allow him to corrupt her to.
SDCard
Thanks for the chapter! Glad to see Oleander being dealt with quickly and not just disappearing
T'Ericka
I have so many questions. God core? Who is avarice? Has Maranor herself been corrupted or is this the dead god who was trying to be reserrected way back when? Why is the fortress flying? Did they steal the flying rock from Helock or find a gravitite vein? Is the god core what the necracks were surrounding? What exactly is a god core and does this mean reclaiming the dead lands will be easier?
elijah pickett
Right! That's the answer!
Lucas beck
It's only arrogance if you're wrong
HiddenMaster
omg this made me laugh so much when I went to check it. This is great XD
WarStrider72
And the 100 become Helldivers for a day
elijah pickett
Why do I like Solfis so much? He is like 90% arrogance and I love him dearly🫶
Szelanaya
Nah, the landship and having a ramming configuration.
Ranger Science
Yaaaas. I saw the RR go up an hour ago and started compulsively refreshing Patreon… :D
Julian
For some reason that perplexes me, it now works.
Unwillingmainer
As I said long ago, all New Harrakan vehicles and personal must be prepared to be used as a battering ram at a moment's notice. Per the Empress's degree, if not intention. Also, I love how they already named the crater Lake Solfis. Wonder how many more Lake Solfises this world will end up with?
Andrew
Thank you!
Mecanimus
And now?
Mecanimus
Nope
Julian
Epub doesn't seem to work.
WarStrider72
Agressive negotiations huh?
WarStrider72
Thanks for the chapter boss!
Mecanimus
Incidentally there is a foreshadowing to this chapter in this week's RR chapter.
