The Imperator War Chronicles — Ten Legendary Campaigns

Volume II

... II: The Flame-Chase Journey Era After the Second Siege of Okhema, the Imperator seized absolute control of the city and officially set her ambitions in motion. Ever since Tribios spread the prophecy of salvation, the Imperator had been plotting a crusade against the Titans to claim the Coreflames. The Daythunder Knight Seliose proved that humans could kill a Titan by force. The peace treaty with Kremnos and the submission of the allied nations cleared the path ahead for the Imperator. Over the previous fifty years, some brave souls, inspired by the prophecy, also set out in pursuit of the Coreflames, but none made a mark. Then, at the end of Light Calendar 3910, the Imperator's grand Flame-Chase Journey began in full force. ... 6. Siege of the Grove of Epiphany Time: Light Calendar 3930. Location: Grove of Epiphany. Key Generals: Apollonius, Cerydra When the Imperator drowned Okhema's Elders in the lake and declared her dream of slaying the Titans, the world dismissed her as a raving despot. History had seen plenty of tyrants make wild claims in their lust for power. Even Okhema's archrival, Castrum Kremnos, brushed it off as a cheap stunt to rally support. After that, the Imperator's actions seemed to be proof that her previous speech was just a moment of passion because, for the next twenty years, she seemed to be quietly, silently, and methodically building her forces. Spies from Ladon who escaped Okhema claimed she had gathered thousands of Chrysos Heirs into a specially structured army, one strong enough to flatten any city-state in half a day. Fear rippled through the states, except for the ever-restless Castrum Kremnos, eager to test their blades. But bound by the peace treaty, all they could do was sharpen their weapons in silence. Light Calendar 3930. "Dux Helkolithist" Apollonius, once a sage of the Grove and now an Advisor of the Flame-Chase Army, was sent as an envoy to the Grove and did not return after three months. The Imperator then dispatched "Dux Carminum" Verginia and one split body of "Dux Fatorum" Tribios to the Grove. They, too, vanished without a trace. Rumors swirled that the Four Sages from the Lotophagist, Caprist, Nodist, and Venerationist schools hated the Imperator, imprisoning her envoys and plotting to overthrow her rule. Not long after, the Imperator herself showed up with a small retinue, oddly without the famed warriors "Dux Gladiorum," "Dux Fragoris," and "Dux Brumalis." The scholars of the Grove, seeing her seemingly weak force, lowered their guard and welcomed her beneath the branches of Cerces. But the Imperator's few dozen followers weren't what they seemed. They were the first elite Flame-Chase Army, all Chrysos Heirs trained and battle-ready. That very day, the Grove of Epiphany fell. The Imperator threw the Four Sages into prison and proudly displayed her greatest prize: the Coreflame of "Romance." She then declared her next target would be Georios the Earth Titan, who was slumbering deep beneath the Oleinus Plateau. ... 7. The Oleinus Skirmish Time: Light Calendar 3956. Location: Oleinus Plateau. Key General: Cerydra It wasn't until Mnestia's fall that the world finally realized Seliose and Tribios hadn't sparked a mere ember, but a blazing wildfire capable of turning the skies red. Now, the Imperator was pouring the lives of thousands of Chrysos Heirs, including her own, into the flames, determined to melt away this apocalyptic cage. No one dared underestimate the Imperator's ambition anymore. Knowing the Flame-Chase tyrant had set her sights on the god of Earth, the city-states and tribes blessed by that Titan banded together to defend their god. But unlike the powerless Mnestia, Georios, one of the Foundation Titans, had the strength to level mountains and carve valleys. Also, no one knew exactly where they hid. So the Imperator was forced to lie low for years. Since Light Calendar 3950, tremors rocked all over Amphoreus, as if Georios sensed their fate. In early 3955, an unprecedented quake tore through the Oleinus Plateau, and Georios's battered divine form rose from the abyss. The Imperator realized the Titan would soon be out of control because of the black tide, so she stopped waiting. At the end of the year, she led her Flame-Chase Army west in a massive campaign from Okhema. Early in Light Calendar 3956, they crossed the Tretos Plains into Oleinus, only to be ambushed. Oleinus, Odressian, Icaria, and Handak, four farming city-states once under the Earth Titan's protection, united to block the Imperator's advance. These city-states had been ravaged by earthquakes and were poorly armed, their forces mostly farmers, not a match for the Flame-Chase Army. But the Imperator didn't come in swinging like before, unleashing brutal slaughter. Instead, she ordered her Chrysos Heir elites to swiftly break the lines, focusing on wounding and disarming rather than outright killing, rendering their resistance powerless. After the battle, the Imperator didn't punish the prisoners. Instead, she left Apollonius and others behind to help with disaster relief. The Imperator declared that humanity would never forget the blessings Georios once bestowed. Precisely because of that, the revered Titan needed their loyal creations to set them free when they were dragged into endless torment by the black tide, take up their divine authority, and continue protecting humankind. Many hostile city-states had hoped the Imperator would be disgraced for staining her hands with innocent blood, but the Oleinus campaign actually managed to largely reverse public opinion. As a prelude to the assault on Georios, the Flame-Chase Army came out unscathed, in both numbers and reputation, and even won over some farming city-states. It was a victory on every front. ... 8. Assault on Georios Time: Light Calendar 3957. Location: Oleinus Plateau. Key General: Terravox In Light Calendar 3957, a split body of Tribios infiltrated deep behind enemy lines and located Georios's divine form. By then, the Mountain Dwellers, fiercely loyal to Georios, had joined the battle. These warriors were impossible to reason with, neither moved by logic nor lofty ideals. They refused to let their creator be slain. Thus, a war was inevitable. Led by the legendary Mountainbreaker Geocles, the army of Mountain Dwellers shielded Georios from the front lines. Each one of them was born with godlike strength and equipped with unlimited, top-tier gear. Their formations were nearly impenetrable. The dromas cavalry was a nightmare for the Flame-Chase Army. Even Chrysos Heirs, with their divine blood, struggled to gain ground against the stampeding beasts. The Imperator trained her soldiers to target the dromases' eyes, legs, and riders, setting traps made of refined iron, but still couldn't tip the scales in her favor. At the critical moment, reinforcements arrived, one never before seen on the battlefield. A giant dragon named Terravox stepped slowly out of the retreating Flame-Chase Army and into the dromases' ranks. Its footsteps made every dromas tremble and kneel. Its roar and stomp crushed even the best-armed Mountain Dweller. With Terravox holding the front lines, the Imperator ordered Seneca to lead elite troops around the flank, capturing Geocles and other Mountain Dweller leaders. Ultimately, the Imperator led her battered army to the chasm above Georios's resting place. Hysilens and several Chrysos Heir warriors plunged resolutely into the abyss. After a fierce battle, only Hysilens returned in disappointment. The depths of the earth were not a good battleground for her to exercise her strength. But it was still Terravox, the great dragon, who turned the tide. Silent and alone, it dove into the chasm. The ground shook violently, and three days later, the Georios's Coreflame finally rose back to the surface. When Georios fell, violent earthquakes ripped through all of Amphoreus. Land split apart, rivers changed course and flooded, and city-states crumbled into ruin. At the darkest hour, a roar echoed up from the abyss. Terravox, who had inherited the divine authority of Earth, tore the cracked land asunder, using its own massive body to fuse it back together. Its godslaying act unleashed a cataclysmic quake, but it was also the one who stopped it. After the battle, the Imperator led the remaining troops back to Okhema. Soon after, she publicly honored the mysterious giant dragon Terravox with the title "Dux Terrae," and declared their next target: Talanton. ... 9. Dolos Riverbed Melee Battle Time: Light Calendar 3959. Location: Dolos Plains. Key Generals: Labienus, Seneca In Light Calendar 3953, the fifty-year peace treaty between Kremnos and Okhema came to an end. That same year, Kremnos crowned a new king, Eurypon. At the time, Amphoreus was still reeling from Georios's final agony, but the Kremnoans didn't seize the moment for conquest. Instead, after Georios's passing, they anchored their mobile fortress to the east of Janusopolis, where Talanton's Coreflame was located. They then stationed their troops on the Dolos Plains, claiming they were sent by the Temple of the Three Fates to protect the Titan of Law. Janusopolis welcomed this move that played one enemy against another with open arms. The Imperator didn't panic, for she knew Kremnos was after a decisive showdown and nothing more. In Light Calendar 3959, she ordered Labienus and Seneca, old acquaintances familiar with the Kremnoan army, to lead over three hundred Chrysos Heir warriors and tens of thousands of mortals boldly into the Dolos Riverbed. When the two armies met, no formal challenge was needed. They silently drew their blades and clashed immediately. Unlike a bloody war, this battle resembled a grand Kremnos Festival, with both sides holding back and suffering few casualties. This was a stark departure from Kremnoans' usual "Valorous Death Before Glorious Return" ethos. The reason behind this was that their new king, Eurypon, was no ordinary ruler. A Chrysos Heir himself, he easily dominated the Kremnos Festival, showing unmatched courage and a bold vision for reform. The new queen, Gorgo, was equally formidable, matching Eurypon blow for blow and sharing his doubts about old traditions. Under their leadership, Kremnoans, once fixated solely on blood and glory, began to take a broader view of the world's fate. In the battle at the Dolos Riverbed, Eurypon and Gorgo personally took the field, clashing evenly against Labienus and Seneca. After the fight, the four retired to their tents. What they discussed remains a mystery. Soon after, Kremnos announced a full withdrawal. Janusopolis, sensing impending disaster, was about to issue a divine edict calling on allied forces to quell the threat when the Flame-Chase Army suddenly appeared at their gates. While Labienus and Seneca held the Kremnoan army at bay, the Imperator and Hysilens led the remaining two hundred Chrysos Heirs on a daring trek across the eastern ridges of the Campa Mountains that cut off Okhema from Janusopolis, and struck directly at the doors of the Temple of the Three Fates. ... 10. Siege of Janusopolis Time: Light Calendar 3960. Location: Janusopolis. Key General: Cerydra ... After linking up with Labienus and Seneca's main forces, the Imperator sent envoys into the city to demand surrender, while she set up camp outside Janusopolis and held position. When the city refused to surrender, the Imperator deployed troops to guard all key roads, cutting off any external reinforcements. She then pressured the city relentlessly, claiming the Kremnoan army was also eyeing the tripartite prophecy and inviting Janusopolis to accept Okhema's protection, but the offer was turned down again. In the end, the Imperator chose to initiate a secret negotiation, the details of which no one knows. Legend says this secret talk was aided by the famed 300 Rogues of Dolos. Led by the Dolosian native Cifera, the ninety-seventh of the 300 Rogues, "Bladed Black Velvet" Ferrum, joined the cause. Ferrum spent three days digging a secret tunnel, based on an escape route revealed by Tribios, that led straight to the chamber where the Scale of Justice was located. Cerydra herself led a small team, including Dux Gladiorum, through the tunnel and into the city, where they unexpectedly ran into several stubborn priests... ...