War on Empyria [NSFW, Anthro, all species allowed.]

@Cerebrate  
she read into it further, attempting to discern why one would want this

@Jinx  
looked like he asked mainly because an ecclesiarchy force had him on the ropes and the trade princes he had worked with before had abandoned him, he added a note asking to be allowed to haunt them if you were to let him die.

@Cerebrate  
she decided upon sending support, a dispatch given a letter written in response, and a battalion from one of the fortress’ sent out ahead to their territory

@Cerebrate  
“I’ll see to it.”
 
Indra and his group of seven begin their journey out the Sanctum’s gates, moving in procession past the capital’s consecutive rings of agriculture, necropolis, habitation, and industrial districts, each divided by compartmentalizing walls, before finally exiting through the largest of defenses bordering the city limits.
 
[ 🎶 ]  

 
Crossing polluted stretches of exterior landscape designated as the city’s waste-outflow watershed, used for dumping of toxic mining tailings and industrial waste, and as a precluding barrier against Floranim infiltration, the group then finally set out toward the old Empyrian capital.

@Jinx  
Tartarus: “should i go with them? the little snake is much less likely to try anything unwise if he sees what he’d be up against if he did.”
 
@Coriolanus  
Stilt soldier: “the city alone is as big as Teslania. and it was the epicenter of the eldritch plague… good thing the premier told us where to look.”
 
“yeah, i don’t want to imagine stepping through this muck for days and fighting off the possessed.”

@Cerebrate  
You are to remain here. Ive sent special forces with them. Theyd be surrounding the king as hed never know. They have standing orders to leave a hell portal open if they are to get caught, so that demonspawn may finish off the trecherous snake.
 
I do not need you for appearances, i need you here in case of attack. We are simple war mounts as far as the outside world knows.

@Jinx  
“ah, right, good thing i kept quiet… then again, anyone that heard me talk is some flavor of dead now.”

@Cerebrate  
Exactly. Everyone believes the empress is in a proper fortress somewhere in cabal territory. They do not know that the simple war beast ridden by general cerus, is actually the empress.

@Jinx  
“or that technically cerus is the bug king, and there is no queen sitting atop a massive eggsac.”

Possibly that too.

@Jinx  
(shift to the snake and his?)

@Cerebrate  
(I suppose. Youre in charge of story here.

@Cerebrate  

 
“They have their excuses. Mostly security. Also, they think I will spoil them… maybe every husband also doesn’t like me paying attention to children from other men.’

@Okelkinam12  
“or they see your task fulfilled in bringing them into the world and want to make sure they only know their own version of the truth, starting to think sending you back is not in your best interest.”
 
the train had by now hit a good pace, the other prisoners finally relaxed.
 
Cabalite: “you know what? you trader boys aren’t half bad, i’ll let our empress know of your help.”
 
Ecclesiast: “much as it irks me to agree with a hell priestess, your aid today will be remembered.”
 
Teslatic: “we’re not going to be ungrateful either, swing by the technologist nations sometime and you’ll get a discount.”
 
once they all retreat out of earshot again, the uruk Minotaur grins at her.
 
“basic networking, invest effort, and look forward to profit. completely forgot to introduce myself, i am trade prince minos, don’t tell anyone else, mylady.”
 
 
@Jinx  
the eastern Jungles were a wild and exotic land, as if all the life that doesn’t exist in the badlands was put here instead, towering over it all are ancient cities of the formidians, long taken as residence by the serpents, who eagerly take advantage of the still intact floater technologies and hellish magics, that is how the slithering King was able to send his distress message, it was a hail mary attempt to find aid against the cult’s encroachment. for all the skill the snakes posessed and all the ability of their guards and living statues, the truth of the matter was that the cult had numbers beyond reckoning and the Serpents lacked the ability to burn so many so quickly.

@Cerebrate  
as it was, a messenger had already teleported there to deliver the message that help was being sent
 
as for said help, the battalion was currently using individual portals to move the entire battalion quicker.
 
the special forces team had all arrived by now, and using their vast knowledge, had set themselves up in advantagous spots. Some sitting high in the ceilings, others in the darkness of corners or hidden among drapes

@Jinx  
the king similarly pulled back his units just enough to encourage the cult to run into the set ambushes, and they obliged, malformed cultists, their swollen limbs acting as clubs and claws made up the first line, followed closely by wilder looking creatures which on a second look one may still recognize as having once been people, then the least obviously mutated came, the preachers that serve as artillerists and healers.

@Cerebrate  
the cabal battalion sent was armed with Juggernaut frontliners, essentially they were like hell knights, except in heavy armor and weilding large shields and shot-pikes (shotguns mixed with pikes). Behind the large beasts sat cabal infantrymen, specifically medium range machinegunners and such. Behind them sat the brawlers. Brawlers were outfitted in various kinds of armor, depending on the engagement, and held drum fed shrapnel guns (crude shotguns, but extremely effective if one can manage its unweildy power). Many spearmen, swordsmen, and beserkers sat behind them, and finally the twurly wurlies hidden away in the back

@Jinx  
before any engagements began the ground rumbled and tore open, a… mess of flesh, tentacles and teeth was the first obstacle to overcome, though the seprentine were quick to unload their poison weaponry at it, one old floater construct seemingly summoning a ballista bolt and chucking it with comparable force into the maw.

nyanta had finished packing his things and breathed out a shakey breath. He had spent the last couple of hours helping his caln pack their things and get ready for the trek through the jungle to the Panthera home.
 
Well Midnight, we always did want to see the world but. I am afraid we are going to see hell first before anything else.  
he sheaths his sword and fixes the bandages on his hand before closing his room door Its weird and sad to leave home.
 
he looks out to the empty tree tops and housing, the market and the school
 
I have no idea if i am ready but is seems Hylia is saying we are. with one final look at everything he runs and jumps from the treetop making his way down to the jungle floor

@NyantaStarhunt  
Midnight: “you have prowling down pat, and besides you got your shoulder advisor right here. maybe we’ll see a place not on fire next.”

@Cerebrate  
he smiles and breaths in deeply dont look back. Hey i have heard Panthera is a beautfiul place that uses buildings and ruins as well as the trees.

@NyantaStarhunt  
“ruins you say… that may become a problem, if those are old enough they may be from the war in heaven.”

@Cerebrate  
Nyanta they maybe but none the less interesting to see wont it be? I am also excited to see the many different types of cats out there i have only ever met the clan leaders. I heard that our scouts even saw some cheetah folk. But i dont know if those are true.

@NyantaStarhunt  
Midnight: “if you remember about the cheetah you know they live in the steppes, and work for the coin lovers.”

@Cerebrate  
Which dosnt make them persay bad people but yea. that could be an issue in the future. he looks around the forest and jungle as he walks. soon getting to part he is not so familiar with well according to the Panthera guide its in the heart of the forest. and that is this way so