✅ They came at night leaving fear behind [Maddyn]

[Sliucha Sindosa]

Continued from here.

So, there was a Colossus that needed dealing with.

Sliucha supposed there was nothing saying that they had to deal with it in conventional fashion, of course. Perhaps they could wind up driving it off more towards Arakmat, and letting the Undying Theocracy deal with it. Perhaps it'd turn out to be similar to the GLAM, where it was more of a non-typical Xet specimen that could be reasoned with. But all the same, it was nevertheless wise to at least be ready for the most likely scenario where they simply had to bash its head in with a rock. (Very likely, quite literally.)

Either way, word was to be spread throughout the leaders of the desert communities about the situation. And in the meantime, Sliucha made her return to Ziel Aerca to see what might be done on her end.

First and foremost? Making sure that the relevant parties were also informed. She'd see about immediately arranging a meeting with the General of the Provincial Guard to help spread awareness of what was currently going on in the desert!

 

[Maddyn]

Sightings were rare, but ever in that south of Hakaar Fortress. But sightings there were, of the bronze orb that drifted across the desert and scattered light far and wide in warning of what lurked beneath the sands. Tremors and quakes were distant, and the side effects thereof of word spreading far and wide amongst soldiers and merchants alike, was that the Colossus was quite lacking in anything that might have been suitable as a food-source.

It’s paths slowly, but surely expanding within the Arakmatian Desert as reports were largely in line with the information provided by the Lord Thane/Dao of Earth, but some… little forays, north and south alike, belied that the Colossus was starting to excavate and expand its tunnels and hunting ground.

And the Provincial General rarely far away from Ziel Aerca these days. Settling in and with a penchant for micro-management of those that hadn’t belonged to the Legions in the re-structure. Integration of the ‘foreign’ elements and bringing them up to what the once Guardsman perceived as the ‘baseline’ of acceptability.

Available to meet Sliucha either at the training grounds, or most happy to come to the Lady Governor’s Offices. Whichever proved to be most convenient for Her Imperial Excellency.

 

[Sliucha Sindosa]

Look out for the bronze orb. Move away from the bronze orb!

A careful watch kept, and in the meantime? Let's see about organizing something to do about it.

Meeting with the Provincial General! Uh, really felt like it didn't entirely matter either way... let's say have him come to her offices, then? That way, Sliucha could have her folks more easily organize any relevant papers, maps, materials, and so on for the General's perusal.

Schedule something - with a good amount of urgency, it was important - and prepare for the General's arrival once the time came!

 

[Maddyn]

Provincial General!

Much the same as he’d been within the Legions, actively avoiding anything to do with conflict and striving to maintain a firm grip upon what was seen as a future retirement. For those within the command structure of the Lauryl deployment? The running theme? Try to die of old age, and ensure that as many of the Command did likewise.

No such thing as ‘overkill’, no such concept as not enough supply lines and retreat positions and fortifications.

And even if there wasn’t a whole lot of patriotism when it came to the Legions? The support of what was going on in Moonstone - or at least, Ziel Aerca and the Third District - remained ingrained within the area. Tentative wariness about anything that moved away from the stability to the south, but open to the suggestion of applying overwhelming force to any issues within the Midlands.

North, far, far north? They’d happily leave that one to the Hakaar Legion for now given a choice.

“Reporting for duty!” As the functional second within Moonstone reported to duty to the Lady Governor.

 

[Sliucha Sindosa]

Greetings!

Snacks? Beverages? Refreshments?

And, settling in. Where? Well, time for the Provincial General to get the sort of update that unfortunately complicated one's life. Not one that Sliucha liked to give, but then, there were all sorts of unfortunate complications that seemed to crop up in her life. Misery loved company?

Xet Colossus - bronze orb - we're taking care of it, make sure your people are aware of the situation in the desert, watch out for the marker, and are doubly vigilant about the known ongoing issue until it was resolved. Which, Sliucha was currently working on ASAP. The priority at the moment was minimizing further damage dealt by the Colossus in the meanwhile, and given the possibility of SETA caravans in the area being disrupted, and the fact that the Provincial Guard were watching over them?

Far better to the snarling of transportation for a little while than to have their people needlessly consumed.

Everything make sense so far? Further questions? Other concerns?

 

[Maddyn]

Coffee please! Snacks? Would pass on that, unless Sliucha had some small plain biscuits that existed purely to dip in said coffee. Anything else? Would pass.

And the matters before them, dregs from the Xet Invasion that could have been left quite without given the choice. But whatever had ended one Colossus’ slumber beneath the desert sands belied that the old problems could always rear their ugly heads given enough time.

Hopefully, enough time for the Provincial General to retire somewhere nice, and ideally far away from anywhere where someone might want to kill him. It was a short list of localities within the Imperium, but a man could dream.

Colossus could be tracked? Well that at least solved one of the key issues from the soldier’s perspective.

Issues?

And that gave the soldier pause, mulling things over and taking his time. Measured and calm, no running the risk of charging headlong or doing anything for King and Country, or whoever was in charge these days back in Aelyria Prime.

“Timeframe for the tracking versus moving to correct this problem and removing from Moonstone? I’d rather not run the risk of it vanishing and coming back to haunt us a few Era’s down the track.” Big, big believer in boring and stability. Where the soldier had the pragmatic approach to the idea that if he was employed to do the murder for the Imperium, then he’d be thorough. Where much like the General of Hakaar Fortress? The pair aligned in their world views when assigned to Moonstone: threats on the border were to be taken down immediately and without restraint.

 

[Sliucha Sindosa]

Given the choice, well, Sliucha had to imagine that there was plenty about Moonstone that would be different. But, alas, it remained the case that things were a lot more interesting about the Principality than Sliucha or the Provincial General or plenty of other people would have liked, one imagined.

Now, timeframe?

"Well, ideally, as soon as possible?" Sliucha shrugged. It honestly might be the case that Sliucha headed back out soon enough that the Provincial Guard didn't even really have time to fully muster or anything. "I wanted to make sure that you were informed - but I'm planning on getting this done as quickly as possible. Heading back out, collaborating with the authorities in the area as needed."

On not letting this Colossus get away, the two of them were agreed.

"Coordination will be key here. Your counterpart in the Fourth Legion wanted to make sure to pass that along," Sliucha couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure if everybody does their part, that we'll be able to decisively handle the matter."

 

[Maddyn]

As soon as possible, which was not the same as ‘Deploy Now’, and that at least left the soldier relaxing just a little bit. Possible, ideally meant time to acquire resources, to bring in additional troops potentially and all that might ensure that the mission went more to plan than not.

For every Legion that had claimed to be a ‘veteran’ force, the reality was that there’d been very little conflict within the Western Border, and so, even those that had once claimed such status were.. well, a decade older, and a decade of largely building roads and clearing out the wilderness rather than fighting against the Xet.

They remembered, had largely lived the conflict, but still, time had continued to tick on by.

“We won’t be sending any ‘green ‘ units into the conflict, but I’d like all local members of the Guard who were integrated into the Legion to be sent to Hakaar all the same. They need to observe and cover the supply lines, can start proving their value in logistics rather than the front lines. Thoughts?”

 

[Sliucha Sindosa]

"If you think it's feasible without terribly compromising our ability to operate elsewhere, then certainly," Sliucha nodded at the suggestion. "But there's still the rest of Moonstone to take into consideration. I don't want us to be lacking elsewhere, not when the Fourth Legion will already be cooperating on the matter."

For all that the Provincial General had, with Sliucha's various directions over time, been weaned off the worst of the Legion's habits? There nevertheless remained the pressure from the governor that 'throw more manpower at the problem' decidedly remained not a tactic to remain in the Provincial Guard's repertoire.

That it was being limited to all 'local' members of the Guard was a good start, but Sliucha would make sure to just drive that point home.

"Can I leave it to you to coordinate with the local authorities and the Legion on the matter, then?" At the end of the day, it was a matter of trusting that folks could take on the responsibility!

 

[Maddyn]

Colossus was a problem, but it was hardly the only one that was set against Moonstone in potentiality. When the frontier that Prince Moonstone had bargained for was so dreadfully narrow, and sandwiched as it was between the Xet, the Lamian’s, Fae’rel and the Great Mountains? Prince Threllius de Lylles had hardly ceded prime real estate to the ambitions of the Elf Shei’yein.

Was it not for the Western de Lylles Palace, it could have been argued that the entire realm of Moonstone had been entirely suitable for being ceded and treated as little more than a ‘buffer state’ against anything that might have impacted the rest of the Imperium.

“I’ll arrange matters with the Fourth.” The Provincial General agreed with a nod, “This shouldn’t be too problematic. So long as we can keep the creature on the surface at least. If it goes underground, things will get messy very quickly and I’m not sure we’re positioned to be able to handle the threat.”

Surface? Achievable. Underground? No. Please no.

“Additional resourcing, explosives or alchemy options? Heroes of the Imperium, that kind of thing?”

 

[Sliucha Sindosa]

Indeed, that much everybody certainly seemed to be on the same page about. If they were going to deal with the Colossus, it would need to be above ground.

Resourcing?

"Some sort of bait, I'm told, to actually get it to surface." Somewhat unfortunate, but Sliucha didn't see any other way around it. "A sufficient grouping of livestock should hopefully suffice." Now that Moonstone was in a position where it had food in excess, at any rate.

Additional resourcing? Very little. "I can look into possibilities there, but I don't think we really have anything on hand." Sliucha's own alchemical creations didn't really stray much into that kind of destruction, after all, nor did they have access to proper explosives, considering the Imperials tried to keep that on lock within their own military. "I don't suppose you've got any strings you could pull?" Friends with cannons, as an ex-legionnaire?

As for Heroes of the Imperium? "If you've got a throughline with the Titan of Aslan, that'd be wonderful. Otherwise, I'm not sure how many of them out there are at the caliber that's needed to actually help with taking down a Colossus." Too many cooks spoils the broth. Best not to have too many folks about if they weren't actually going to help.

 

[Maddyn]

“Contingencies if it goes underground?” The Provincial General added as something of an afterthought, where that? Treated as one of the worst case scenarios given the challenges that came in redeploying or finding an escape route that wouldn’t result in a complete rout of their forces.

Bait, livestock. The means of at least luring the Xet creature but there remained the reality of keeping it above the ground.

“Rope, grappling, means of trying to keep it tethered perhaps…” though how effective that would be given the Colossus’ colossal nature and size remained to be seen. On one hand? Titan of Aslan had managed such in the short term, on the other? Had seen some of Sliucha’s magical feats and the concern there remained purely upon the Xet’s resistance to magic.

And the visual dismay, cradling his cup of coffee with both hands at the whole, lacking allies, lacking Heroes.

It wasn’t a huge surprise, but it really would have been nice.

“I can probably lean on Medonia’s reassigned Provincial Guard, but whether the de Lylles Guv there releases people is another matter. I hear they still have pirates in the area.” With a sigh, “Lacking in cannonry. The Alyxandrya naval shipyards are likely to have the same issue where they’ve got their own issues.”

 

[Sliucha Sindosa]

Contingencies, hm? "I'm not sure what we'd really be able to do there," Sliucha pondered. "Diving in after it certainly wouldn't be the option. I suppose we'd need to figure out a way to pull any resources in the area back, that'd probably be the most apparent priority." Pull out of the area without any losses, so that they could regroup and give another attempt a go later down the line. Presumably, then, an orderly retreat back to Hakaar - or whatever the closest location might be.

Rope, at least, was something to look into. Although the amount of it that would be needed to make an impact against a Colossus...

"Never hurts to ask. I'd imagine they're the only ones with something to lose, based on their answer." By now, Moonstone was rather used to the rest of the Empire doing very little to help, but one supposed the Provincial General was a little green to that feeling. All the same, it wasn't exactly a good look if they were to refuse. No cannons, though? A bit of a shame - but probably par for the course. There were problems all over the Empire these days.

"We can, of course, also attempt to petition Arium and Centripax to see what they're willing to send," Sliucha shrugged. Again, didn't hurt. "But at the end of the day, I'd expect us to take up the brunt of solving the matter."

 

[Maddyn]

Really did not want to go into the Nightlands.

Where the threat of the Rodenti around Candaceburg had been such a longstanding issue simply due to the Legion’s being functionally dead weight within the Nightlands. Their tried and true tactics while…. Suspiciously bad… for anything that wasn’t an open field, were a complete and utter liability in the dark of the world.

And the Provincial General wasn’t high on his own supply about what ‘veteran’ soldiers could do unlike those that had commanded the field in the Zerdargia War or the Sherian conflicts alike.

“Certainly doesn’t hurt to ask.” The General mirrored when it came to Arium and Centripax, and a wry, “I doubt very much Midpoint’s Legion will do anything much if I ask, but given how many Colossus hit Centripax during the war, we might be able to gain support from the Veldar at Primus Gaudeo.” As if they failed? It’d be that Legion which was going to be forced to step up into the conflict anyway. This might just save time and lives alike.

 

[Sliucha Sindosa]

Sliucha didn't entirely like the idea of just sitting around and waiting to hear responses from others, but if it was for the sake of being able to decisively deal with the Colossus? It was perhaps the best course of action. At the very least, it remained much the same as usual - the right moves had been made, the petitions had been sent. Whether or not they would get a response, Moonstone could at least say it had tried. Why not aim for the propaganda win?

And at least with SETA, they could reasonably have faith that word would get where it needed to go. Even if Centripax wasn't fully within SETA's scope.

At the end of the day, Sliucha was still prepared to try and personally just bash the thing's head in with a rock, if need be. But ideally, wasn't it good if she wasn't fully required for such a thing? There was only one her - and if they ever had this problem again, who was to say that she wouldn't be occupied with something else? The ability for Moonstone to be able to handle matters without its governor, it felt like a good thing to try and develop, to encourage. In the same way that, these days, running the Principality no longer required Sliucha for every single little thing.

"Anything else?" Sliucha asked of the Provincial General. If not? Then they'd want to get underway as quickly as possible.

 

[Maddyn]

Technically speaking, the Veldar? Provincial Guard. Reality? Not so much where their deployment and mandate while limited to Centripax was still tied heavily to the Imperial Legions just as the Alyssans at Midpoint Fortress were.

The Arakmatian Desert though really wasn’t a place for the Alyssan’s given their skillset was entirely focused upon cavalry within the Heartland Plains and the defence of the Fortress itself.

But waiting on potential allies was also time where the Dao’s own means of tracking the Colossus was ticking away.

“I’ll send word abroad, but either way, we’ll muster at Hakaar Fortress. The sooner we’re in position, the sooner we can relieve Moonstone of this particular burden.” The soldier went on with a grim smile and a sip of his cup of coffee that had been significantly depleted over the conversation.

“We’ll leave on the morrow, and have the supply train following the day after. Two days to arrive to the Fortress, and then when we have a suitable site for your bait… it’ll be a go.”

 

[Sliucha Sindosa]

Very good.

Whether they'd have the luxury of actually waiting around for reinforcements? Unlikely - but again, it didn't hurt to ask. At the very least, they could say they had - that it wasn't as if Moonstone had stubbornly refused to do so. Whether or not the Empire would actually respond was, of course, up to them. And worst-case scenario, they were told that "it'd been taken care of," and perhaps that could add to the Principality's prestige.

In the meantime, though?

It seemed like Sliucha and the Provincial Guard had matters sorted for now. So, she'd let him leave and go do his own thing - and she, in the meantime? She'd make sure to write those letters, see about getting them sent. Ask if the Empire had anything that it was capable of contributing to the matter of taking down a Colossus.

What else might she do in the meantime? Grab what equipment and supplies she could, really. There were at least a few people about that she could try and hit up for information. Might as well take advantage of whatever they had, right?

For instance, Skaeve and the GLAM. Considering the latter had been involved somewhat with the Xet... perhaps they'd know something about a Xet Colossus? Anything? Knowing was half the battle, right?

 

[Maddyn]

Time.

Resources garnered, but everything came at the cost of time.

Kalendryas might have been dead, but the impact of each and every passing moment remained. The more that they could bring to bear also meant more time that the tracking of the Colossus would fail, expand its territory and prey upon those within the midlands of Moonstone.

Letters off and away! SETA sending off, and knowledge seeking to be found, to be had.

Lady Skaeve and the GLAM.

Testing, experimentations had continued over the months. The GLAM fed. It hungered.

It’s collective consciousness remained voracious and with the added insight, that much like the parasite that had been attached to the Colossus, this too was much the same. Same, same, but different. As if observing a Warden Shark versus a Killer Whale. Except with the singular benefit that Benevolence kept The GLAM as an ally rather than seeing Sliucha et al as a meal.

Lady Skaeve’s eyes aglow, and the distant, duality of voices overlaid speaking as if a choir.
“Colossus are not…” Lady Skaeve started, “They are the opposite of food. But food clings to them.”

“How can we assist?”

 

[Sliucha Sindosa]

Hi Skaeve! Hi GLAM!

(Receiving regular reports from the Order on helping keep the GLAM under control, and so far? So good... at least in the sense that they weren't out of control. More work, more study was needed. And as ever, Skaeve was diligent about the work, even considering the circumstances she found herself in. A lot of resolve from the saurid, for sure.)

As for what Sliucha needed?

"If you have any idea of how to deal with a Colossus, it'd be appreciated," Sliucha noted. "Weak points. Weaknesses. Any information at all, honestly. We don't know much about them except that they're really big, and that they're Xet. Can they even be reasoned with?"

 

[Maddyn]

Lady Skaeve and the GLAM’s reports? Straightforward and coming from a mixture of what The GLAM knew of the creatures along with the Saurid’s own research on the matter post-Xet Invasion.

The GLAM? Merely seeing it as something to scour and otherwise not concern itself with. It could hardly harm it, nor could the reverse hold true. Non-magical, and so without anything worth considering sustenance - and so, unable really to use the Colossus as a Host either.

Skaeve on the other hand? Reports that were inconsistent and largely hearsay, details from the Xet War. With the information largely garnered from the Battle of Centripax and eye-witness statements.

Two Elfin Mages bearing swords had dispatched a Colossus using Sorcery to empower themselves rather than via magical spells.

The Titan of Aslan had managed to cause harm, though whether this was due to its Divine nature, or simply due to being a Giant with gigantic halberd? Suspicion was more due to the latter than the former.

The remnants of what had been the Observatory implied that Froglocks had a special relationship with Colossus, and that a prominent Bard had been on the scene there prior to the Xet moving through the Great Mountains in earnest, but what had transpired? Only the name ‘Ko’riel’ had been attached without further information beyond ‘Makes bad soup’ in relation to the Froglocks themselves rather than the Colossus.

Cannons had been used, but the accuracy thereof was questionable and hadn’t actually done any confirmed kills. Rather, they’d been used to herd the Colossus and had acted as one of the few physical means of changing their course of trajectory.