Chapter Thirteen:
Drakonsarius had found a note attached to the ninth's journal when he went to go read the next entry. It read, "Going so soon, Knight? I would have come in person, but the task of informing the Earl that his closest advisor was a cultist has landed squarely on me. I shalt leave you with that pompous way of signing off things that originated in Cerulea, May the Star light thy way ✵ - A.
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Drakonsarius could not help but smile at the use of the eight-pointed pinwheel star sign-off.
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He read the next entry in the journal.
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Journal Entry - The Instigator:
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The second Ætharch, known as The Instigator, is a force to be reckoned with. Her name is Ester Noctè, and she can be found in the territory controlled by Mater Anarchia, obtaining information about her is not the issue - the real challenge lies in getting close enough to confront her directly.
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I recommend seeking assistance from a nearby faction to launch an attack on Mater Anarchia in order to take Noctè out. The Free Western Enclave, a far more reasonable Anarcho-syndicalist faction that would likely help with this.
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However, one must proceed with caution while navigating through Umbracrest. This region is where the Covenant of the Void is at its strongest.
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Be careful,
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The Ninth
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Drakonsarius had plotted a course to the Free Western Enclave. He remembered a conversation he overheard about it ages ago. He would need to seek out someone who could convince the Enclave to help him.
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The west was treacherous in many ways but the knight found his landing in a community in the Enclave to be mostly uneventful, he looked around at the fortified buildings and the wall around the community, there were the bisected red and black flags in abundance here. The Dragoon of the Great Spire approached a man and asked him a question, "Excuse me, where might I find a representative of a syndicate?
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The man turned around to reveal a disfigured vintage. Part of his face was scared horrendously. He gruffly replied in a rough Umbracresti accent, "A Voice of the Syndicates? Try the Square." The knight thanked him and moved on.
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In the square, he did, in fact, find a Voice of the Syndicates. An ordinary working man with a booming voice.
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"...And we must stand united against the evils of the Bourgeoisie exploitation! We can not allow them to continue to oppress and exploit the working class. We must fight for justice and equality for all!" the figure declared, his words echoing in the square.
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As the speech came to a close, the Voice of the Syndicates raised his hand in a fist, his eyes blazing with fury.
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The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, their voices raised in agreement with their temporary representative.
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Approaching the Voice of the Syndicates after the speech, Ser Drakonsarius introduced himself and explained that he had been sent to kill Ester Noctè.
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"I need the help of the Free Western Enclave to attack Mater Anarchia and take Notè out."
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"No."
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Drakonsarius was worried by the firm denial, and so he asked why.
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"Mater Anarchia may be a small territory, but the followers of Mother Anarchy are fanatically devoted to her and would do anything she asks." The Voice of the Syndicates tells him, looking up at one of the flags.
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The voice walked him up to the walls. At that moment, a shout from the other side of the wall directed at the walls defenders was heard. "Open the gates! Mother Anarchy demands to speak with the Voice of the Syndicates. We suspect thou art harbouring an enemy of Mater Anarchia!"
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The Voice of the Syndicates froze. He looked at Drakonsarius.
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A soldier on the wall looked down at the Voice, who shook his head. The defender bellowed back, "Our community is autonomous! We don't answer Mother Anarchy. Leave now, or face the consequences."
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The shout of "Mother Anarchy loves her sons!" goes up from what sounds like thousands of troops goes up.
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The air is filled with the sharp cracks of older firearms and the twang of crossbows as the defenders take up arms against the Mater Anarchia soldiers. Meanwhile, a siren wails, signalling the community to brace for an imminent clash.
Within the enclave, the sounds of footsteps, clattering of weapons, and urgent orders echo through the enclave as its inhabitants stand ready to protect their way of life.
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Unfortunately for them, the extreme anarchists had brought an aging steam-powered ram of Vorantine design. The steam-powered ram bore down on the enclave community, Ser Drakonsarius positioned himself strategically, the weight of his sword and shield a testament to the impending clash. The ragtag army of the community stood ready. Drakonsarius, a bastion of order, was poised on the flanks, prepared to fight.
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The gates crumbled under the force of Mater Anarchia's ram, unleashing pandemonium within the enclave. Drakonsarius, a disciplined force amid chaos, charged into the maelstrom. Bayonets thrusted into soft tissues, gunfire echoed, and the air became thick with the scent of burning powder. The valiant defenders fought with unwavering determination, but the relentless onslaught of Mater Anarchia began to wear them down.
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Strategically retreating, Drakonsarius navigated the battlefield with precision, seizing a rifle as he moved toward his airship. Ascending to the rooftop, he gained a vantage point to observe the unfolding carnage. The defenders, though tough, were not experienced in combat and found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and ferocity unleashed upon them.
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Below, the knight witnessed the gates crumbling, defenders falling, and chaos consuming the enclave. His airship became a refuge and strategic platform, allowing Drakonsarius to survey the scene. An electrical storm was approaching from the North. It was almost certainly not natural.
The community had been overwhelmed, and Ester Noctè had been planted into the square and was giving a speech of some kind.
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"Behold, comrades, the impending demise of this feeble enclave and because it is nought but a pitiful charade, a mockery of genuine liberty. Their Syndicates and federations are but illusions, concealing the chains of hierarchy beneath the veneer of autonomy. The Archduchy of Umbracrest is a symbol of the venomous fangs of the snake pit in the northeast. The Overlord of Ashfyre Reach and its Cinder Protectorate is a domineering meat grinder of the proletariat."
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"But let us not forget the deceitful city-state of Noctè, a supposed haven that reeks of hypocrisy. Or the Ember Dominion, who names themselves after Estrin?
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"We shalt not stop, my comrades! Smash the chains of authority and let Mater Anarchia guide Empyrea into a new era where the oppressive systems of old crumble and true anarchy prevail! Down with the puppeteers, down with the oppressors, for chaos is our salvation!"
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Drakonsarius had been lining up his shot as this was happening. The second Ætharch had spread her arms wide. The knight pulled the trigger, yanked the bolt back, and shot again.
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The Instigator was dead before she hit the ground. Cobbled together forces from every Syndicate in the Free Western Enclave approached to liberate their comrades and to march on Mater Anarchia.
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The Dragoon took off in the airship. There was no avoiding the electrical storm.
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The airship plunged into the heart of the storm, battling against relentless winds. The lightning crackled around, each bolt forming dangerously near the airship.
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As Drakonsarius manoeuvred through the chaotic tempest, the airship quivered with every jolt of thunder, and the deafening roar seemed to echo in the very fabric of the storm. The knight's surroundings alternated between blinding flashes of light and oppressive darkness, adding an otherworldly dimension to his flight from the west.
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The storm's fury intensified, pushing the airship to its limits, yet Drakonsarius pressed on. He had been drawn to a word in the next entry when he glanced at it: Pheasantine. The craft was already going east. So he retreated below deck.
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