A Nation Awakes

AK510-40 Dark Autumn Start Week 1 [Charon Watching, Shale Watching, Cycles Guiding]

Moonday (afternoon)

"Cool!" shouted Jo. "Let's go and have a look!" he was out the door and onto the lift before anyone could catch their breath. They scrambled after him. There were quite a few fervent prayers of thanks uttered, as the lift rocketed up to the storage level.

When they entered the storage chamber the smell of magically energised kellum hit them like a wall. The storage racks were purposefully animated and were pushing the warforged bodies towards a hole in the floor. Each body was inserted into the hole, as fast as the mechanism could manage. Todd realised that the bodies must be going to the animation chamber. Seconds later they were all charging back to the lift. When they arrived at the animation level they were greeted by the sight they'd prayed for.

The three hundred foot wide chamber held two enormous stone constructions. One, like a shapely bulbous teat descended from the ceiling. The other was it's opposite twin. Between them crackled a thick incandescent energy whose colour wavered erratically through the rainbow. A colossal metal arm was taking warforged bodies from a hole in the ceiling and placing them in the energy pillar before returning to retrieve another. They watched a body as it entered the pillar. It jolted violently as it hit the energy and then went slack and slid down the sides of the stone mound. It hit the floor below and crumpled into a heap. A few moments later the warforged opened its eye and climbed shakily to its feet. It moved to join a small crowd of other newly animated warforged huddled together in a confused group.

Jo of Kell introduced himself and then the Namer. Ethan Named them 'Saighdiuri Amhran'. As 'Soldiers of the Song' he told them they must follow his orders and those of his companions. They all arranged specific salutes.

Ethan: Arm outstretched palm facing away.

Appleby: A hand smack to the heart, snapping to a horizontal salute.

Charmer: Crossed arms and a raised eyebrow.

Todd: Covering the face with a cloak and breathing deeply.

Jo: A confused and distracted spin and question about what was going on.

Ethan named each new arrival. This continued for several hours until the magical energy they had produced in the elemental reactor was expended. Jo enthusiastically kept count. In the end 1700 warforged were animated and Named. Ethan and Jo decided that their education should commence immediately and called upon the Ibixians to assist in their combat training. They were brought to the training level and were assigned to various groups each specialising in different skills. Jo of Kell began to research a series of tests to determine the potential of each warforged they had animated. It would all take time. Time they didn't have.