END OF ARC 1: DAY 168 BATTLE

[asgardmods]

[The grey dim light of false dawn has just settled on the city when the sirens sound. The piercing shriek of a modern warning system begins, and within seconds is joined by the low, haunting wail of wood and bone horns from the Elven camp outside the Gate of Fire. A minute later, there is Thor's post to the network.

And now, as the sun slowly rises, the light reveals clouds of dust in the distance, far off to the North and West. In that time, the city will be awakening with a start. Anyone with connections to a god-supported group or to the elves will be roused and rushed off to their jobs. Folkvang comfort house will open its doors, revealing an interior cleared of equipment and converted into a shelter for those who must flee the incoming violence.

The whispers on the streets are of disbelief and fear. Is it really the end of days? Surely the walls will hold against any mundane army. Surely it will all be over soon... right? Healthy natives are saying goodbye to their loved ones "just in case". Perhaps you should be too.

Later, the armies arrive. First the enemy, made up of humans, monsters, and five dragons. The lesser giants look almost human, except for the flame or frost in their eyes and the warm or cool tint to their colouring. But the king of the fire giants is something else. He is tall and broad and strong, riding on a huge, splendid black boar. The queen of the frost giants is equally intimidating, in armor that looks made of glacial ice itself, seemingly too ornate to be practical but clearly worn as if it is. Her mount is a great white serpentine creature that radiates dangerous cold. The other kinds of creatures are uncountable in their variations, but all well armed.

They dwarf the small forces of Asgard and the forward units of the elves, but just as battle is about to break the sound of a great number of clockwork machines heralds the arrival of the full forces of Alfheim. They are joined soon by the modern outfitted soldiers of Utgard, and then the masses of people collide like conflicting waves of water. Above them fly the dragons, and one great flying ship that seems to have come from nowhere but fights on the side of the gods.

What will your characters do? Will they join the front lines? Hide in the shelter? Man the Arena-turned-war-hospital? There are a million things to do in a battle, but not even those hiding will escape the smell of gunpowder and metal and the sounds of battle.]


[ooc note: your characters are welcome to come up with any frost/fire themed monsters you like! They may not directly combat the giant king or queen. They may not fight dragons without first checking in with the mods in this post (and two dragons are already claimed). Try to consider that there will be a second battle, so you can vary what you're doing. Also make sure to read the plot post thoroughly, especially with regards to character death.

Make sure to include the rough time of day in the subject of your top-level comments, as well as if your thread is open or closed. This whole log will only cover Day 168. If you need mod participation/NPCing, please ask us asap and give us some allowance to be slow, since there's a lot going on.

There is a log for the downtime on days 169-170 here, and a full-event log for those staying in the shelter at Folkvang here. There will be a second pair of battle/downtime logs for the second battle (Day 171-172 with downtime on Day 173) posted on Nov 8.

Important note! There will be a lightning speed commentspam thread for taking down the most familiar dragon in this post beginning today at 6pm CST. At that time there will be a mod plurk to let everyone know we're starting. We will also ask those who can to join the AIM chat (asgardchat) at that time so we're all on the same page. It's a thread we want to get done from start to finish as fast as possible/within two evenings, due to mod business. Please don't feel left out if you can't participate in that thread. It's partly an experiment in seeing if this kind of thing works for us, and there's lots else you can do!

Have fun, everyone! If you have questions, please ask on the event post so that everyone else can see them/the answers. Thank you!]

Comments

[hollowchild]

[On his way back, he'll probably notice the crowd of faceless citizens. Sophie's in the middle of them, up on a crate so as not to get lost in the throng of people taller than her. From farther away she seems to be giving orders, and from closer up it becomes apparent that she is giving orders, sending frightened people off to the Folkvang Comfort house and less frightened ones off to the Hospital. When she sees him, (having a face makes you stick out in a crowd) she gestures for him to come over.]

[daddyissues]

[He likes women who take charge-- I mean. Yes, tell him what to do. Connor waits for the crowd to thin out a bit, then heads over to her crate.]

[hollowchild]

[Once the citizens have been directed, she hops down off the crate. It almost seems like she's relieved to see him, even if her expression doesn't change much.]

Connor. I've been in contact with Conan. The hospital needs help moving supplies. Want to come? Otherwise the Folkvang house is taking people in.

[daddyissues]

I think I'm still qualified to carry things. Lead on.

[hollowchild]

[Leading on! It's less leading than going in the same direction as some of the citizens, but hey.]

We'll be moving supplies from the Hospital to the Arena. That's where the field hospital will be, I believe.

Are you all right?

[daddyissues]

Seems like a good place for one. How are you sure that the safe zone is actually safe?

[ignooooooooore >_>]

[hollowchild]

Me, personally? I'm not sure of anything at all. Folkvang is likely a shelter for a reason, but I can't afford to use the baths, so I don't really know. I wasn't ever intending to seek shelter.

[She shrugs.]

If this is really what they say it is, the end of the world...I'd rather not be hiding and waiting. That seems worse.

[daddyissues]

I've never hidden, and I'm not going to now. I just have no idea what I'm supposed to do.

[hollowchild]

I'm sure there will be no lack of things to do, if you want direction. Now that Hel is mostly empty, I was planning on staying near the Arena. I'm not sure anyone really knows what we'll be facing.

[daddyissues]

Hang out, play it by ear.

Did anyone think to pack board games?

[hollowchild]

[That gets a little smile.]

Likely not. A terrible oversight, for sure, even if I don't think I could sit still that long.

[daddyissues]

Twister?

[hollowchild]

Pardon?

[daddyissues]

It's a game that doesn't involve sitting still. I'd sort of have to show you to explain it.

[hollowchild]

When there's time, you'll have to do so.

[daddyissues]

It's on my to do list now.

[hollowchild]

Mm.

You're going to stay at the Arena, then?

[daddyissues]

Probably. They'll find something for me to do, right?

[hollowchild]

I'm sure they will. I think Merlin and Arthur and that lot will be there, and some of the healers, of course.

[daddyissues]

...where are you going?

[hollowchild]

[a little shrug]

Out into it, probably. At least to watch the walls. As long as the fighting is mostly out there, Asgard may stand.

[daddyissues]

Or one building of it.

[hollowchild]

Let's hope they don't get that far. Once the walls are breached, it will be quite a thing to push an army out again. Our odds seem long enough already.

I understand wanting to stay. But if you want to come with me...

[daddyissues]

I might get in the way.

[hollowchild]

[stops, turning to look at him]

You were a fighter before, weren't you? You aren't helpless now. It just feels that way.