The Meteorite

This was inevitable. A meteor such as this only comes around once in a century, and the magical potential it contains is unspeakable--it is said that every meteorite comes bearing communiques from the stars, and pieces of their cores made for the most potent sacrifices one could offer in divination rituals, on top of all the uses of their metals in magical implements! In such uncertain times, a portent from the firmament couldn't fetch a higher price--one that would be paid for in blood. An all-out war was the only thing anyone could expect.

The snow was stained with blood in almost concentric circles for some distance around the crater, the nearly 280-foot meteor pulsing with intense magical power. Wisps coalesce from the embers hanging in the air, soon growing into full-sized elementals that harass anyone who tries to maintain control of the area, protecting their dear source of magma magic. They're weak in the snow, though, and the War Bearers fight ferociously, scattering the elementals into ash as they appear. The area is mostly locked down, and the spellweavers have time to get into position and begin their work.

They begin to envelop the whole of the meteorite in a bubble of magic, preparing it for teleportation to Lantern Bearer headquarters for study and breakdown. Three separate factions have tried to lay claim to this meteorite up until now--the Anz Vaskhul, the Verdant Grasp, and several groups of mercenaries and bandits acting on the behalf of different miscellaneous interests. The majority of third parties have been frightened off by the presence of the General, who circles the area brandishing her odachi, sneering mask challenging anyone to dare take what is now decidedly the property of the Lantern.

The forest is quiet for a time, but the spell the weavers are working will take a few hours to complete. The Lantern steadily reinforces the area as best it can with a few squads of War Bearers, but this operation is very far from the Lantern's primary territory, making getting reinforcements all the way out here difficult and complicating the spell. Much of this zone's defense rests solely on the shoulders of the General.

Things only devolve further when, as dusk begins to fall and the meteor is expected to be transported any minute, one of the spellweavers' arms unravels into arcane magic as he pushes himself just a bit too far! The medics seize on him quickly and stabilize him, sealing off his wound and soothing his pain, but there's simply no way to get him a new arm and he's in no condition to continue casting, leaving a single weaver with the task.

Some of the other War bearers join in the ritual and devote what energy they can, kneeling in a circle around the meteor and allowing the weaver to channel magic through them. Finally, things seem to be back on track...

Not before long, though, a group of heavily armed Grasp warriors comes barreling out of the fog, overwhelming the unprepared ritual group! Several soldiers are slaughtered right away as Grasp spellblades decapitate them with swift war-axe strikes, ducking back into the snow and bunkering up with shields to soak up any retaliation, eventually vanishing from sight. The roaring winds cloak their movements as they readjust for another attack, leaving everyone on red alert. The General stomps, roaring and swinging her odachi, slamming her gauntlets together. "Face me in battle, cowards! You're no match for me, come on!"

A particular Grasp warrior takes her up on that offer. A swordsman comes dashing out of the snow, their distinctive sliver of dawn clashing against Kenzo's dusk, putting her on the backfoot! She snarls at her sibling's intrusion, reacting with a fierce strike that sees Pallavi nearly knocked off their feet, but they nonetheless deflect it and duck under Kenzo's blade, slamming their shoulder into her and knocking the wind out of her!

The other Grasp soldiers take advantage of the opportunity and launch another attack while Kenzo is distracted, but this time face much harsher opposition. A particular Khesil War Bearer captain rips through three of them with her naginata, evening the numbers and giving the other Bearers a chance. The battle is grueling, with both sides enduring severe casualties, and the siblings can only maintain each other's attention because either one would decimate the other's forces if left unopposed--and no one else on the field could hope to oppose either one.

Another interloper makes their entrance--the Mad Mage! Doubtless contracted by the Grasp, Zura themselves charges out of the snow, bowling over multiple War-Bearers with a blast of jade force magic, lifting one into the air with their telekinesis and slamming him into the ground, killing him on impact. Kenzo and Zura lock eyes through each other's masks, but Kenzo has her attention forced back to Pallavi as a strike slices her mask clean in half and leaves a gash across her snout! She hisses, retaliating with a brutal overhead chop, leaving a deep gash across Pallavi's chest. They recoil, quickly spinning magical bandages around their chest and steeling themselves for Kenzo's next strike.

The Bearer soldiers struggle to cope with Zura's presence on the field, rallying against them and trying to overwhelm them, but the constant assault from the Grasp soldiers threatens to completely destroy them in concert with Zura's terrifying powers. Zura bursts into the air, lifting all of their clawed hands, palms to the sky. All twelve of the remaining Bearer soldiers besides Kenzo go tumbling into the air, Zura threatening to end the Bearer occupation in one stroke...

Slipping out of a Lantern waygate, a magehunter finally responds to Zura's presence! They leap and pull Zura out of the air, crashing a lethal punch with their spiked gauntlets into Zura's mask, cracking it and doubtless shattering Zura's jaw. Zura howls in pain, blasting Najwa away with a wanton force gust that knocks over several Grasp soldiers and darting into the snow, trailing blood from under their mask. Najwa leaps to their feet, quickly changing focus to savaging the vulnerable Grasp soldiers with their claws.

Pallavi and Kenzo lock blades, the two both taking the opportunity to glance towards the gore-littered battlefield--seeing Najwa and the Khesil captain taking full command of it, scattering the Grasp into the wind and securing the Lantern's claim to the meteorite. Pallavi's crest pins back, and they jaunt backwards, deflecting one last blow from Kenzo before they dash into the blizzard on a gust of wind, disappearing with the rest of the Grasp ambushers.

The night falls quiet, and the Lantern is wise enough to swiftly reinforce the area. Their control goes uncontested, and the meteor is eventually transported back to the Headquarters, leaving a barren crater and a field of crimson snow and corpses.