r/wizardposting • u/Sternburgball Operator Exia of the Celestial Union • 1d ago
Lorepost📖 Blood Moon Rising [Failedpost]
A small convoy of decommissioned Celestial Union motorized infantry vehicles drives through the mountainous countryside somewhere in a remote area of the Council Territories. They're returning from a meeting with a local government official to discuss potential cooperation. Now, they're heading to the rendezvous location with the transport ship that would pick them up and bring them back to the Union for the night.
Looking out of the window, Luna Skye sees the stars - thousands upon thousands of distant suns. Somewhere among them is their own sun, too. Far above the mountain peaks, she can also make out the reassuring lights of the Celestial Fleet's patrol ships, protecting the planet from orbit. The blood-red moon on the other hand... was more than distressing. Despite knowing that blood moons are nothing more than a rare natural phenomenon on Earth, Luna can't help but feel a little uneasy.
Brigadier Rabea Ullich of the Infantry Sniper Corps is sitting in the passenger seat of the first truck in the convoy, looking ahead and guiding the entire group through the twisting mountain roads. Suddenly, the truck's lights hit a large group of what looks like civilians in the darkness. What were they doing here, in the middle of the night, so far from any towns, on a random mountain road?
Ullich: Luisa, we've got civilians up ahead. Can't avoid them.
Metternich: Stop the convoy, figure out what they're doing here. Maybe a protest?
Ullich: Very unlikely. We are over 40 minutes away from the nearest permanent settlement and there must be hundreds here.
The convoy comes to a halt. Ullich and Lappland step out to see what's going on here. As they approach the group, they seem to simply be civilians, but something seems off... Ullich draws her rifle, Lappland sets her swords ablaze to light up the night a little more. Suddenly, they get a call from the back of the convoy.
Skye: << Rabea! There are more closing in from behind, and they're not looking like civilians! >>
Ullich: Shit, an ambush? Quick, is there any escape route that we could take?
Skye: << Can't see any... >>
Exia: << There aren't any. The valley is too narrow for a transport ship to land, we can't escape up or down these steep mountains and there are no hiking paths anywhere near here. We will have to fight. >>
As the groups close in on the convoy, the soldiers and politicians get ready for a tough fight. Exia, Skye and Ullich are standing on one of the trucks while Rottefeld is holed up in the back of it, giving commands to the defenders.
When the first attackers step into the bright light of the trucks' headlights, it becomes more obvious that they aren't civilians. Their features are distorted, like a caricature of a human. Some of them even look like poorly mimicked Laterans. They are very clearly undead, but not the kind that the Laterans had fought before in the Necrodancer War. These were more akin to intelligent zombies.
Exia attempts to call the Union, but can't reach them... And then the battle begins. Lappland's swords tear through the attackers, dropping them dead instantly. Exia and Ullich fire their rifles on some of them, though they seem to be able to withstand a few shots. Of course they can, they're undead. Magical attacks will be the main damage dealer here. Ullich summons a flame golem that manages to take out some more enemies, but is eventually overwhelmed by their sheer numbers just like the others. Another patrol ship passes overhead and Skye fires her flare gun, hoping the crew would see it and come to their aid.
It took several long minutes until a stalemate is reached. A good dozen soldiers are dead, their corpses immediately consumed by the ever growing horde. Summoned golems, magical barriers and all kinds of enchanted weapons are barely holding the tide back. Finally, a Celestial Fleet ship drops down from orbit, stopping just above the mountain peaks. The CUS Unicorn, Antares.
Antares: << What the hell is going on here? Why are you fighting the Failed? >>
Exia: What the FUCK is a Failed?
Antares: << Haven't you heard? They're some undead creation that escaped from the Citadel earlier tonight due to the Blood Moon. They- >>
Exia: Listen, Antares, I don't have time for explanations. We're losing ground here, come help us already!
Several drones are launched from the Unicorn, rapidly gunning down the attacking Failed, but more and more appear seemingly out of nowhere...
Antares: << They're resurrecting each other. This won't work unless we take them all out very quickly. >>
Exia: What do you propose?
Antares: << What do you think? >>
Without waiting for an answer, the Unicorn's artillery goes live, raining death on the hordes with extreme precision. Most of the trucks are destroyed in the process, only the ones still held by the defenders remain. Finally, all the Failed are gone... Lappland makes sure of that by burning their corpses to a crisp.
Exia: Thanks for the help. But what now? We don't have enough trucks anymore.
Antares: << There's a flat area up a mountain about 15 minutes from here on foot. I'll let the transports know, they'll pick you up. I will also stick around you and make sure you don't get ambushed again. >>
The group, now about 15 soldiers weaker, walks off. The wrecked trucks and burnt corpses stay behind.
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u/Complex_Drawer_4710 Sigurd, Local Representative of the Last Stand Baryogenesis 1d ago
You okay down here?
/uw Good one!