Order of the Trident
- Class Introduction -
Sylvella swam lazily along the combined lines of Sharks and Mermaids, gathered to strike at an Atlantian outpost. As she passed by each of the assembled forces, she used her shared vision ability to show them the depredations of the Atlantians across their shared ocean environment. Entire kelp forests harvested beyond recovery, reefs bleached white, fish breeding grounds decimated with detritus and refuse polluting the alkalinity such that stocks would no longer replenish. She could sense the growing rage her visions inspired as she passed their ranks and felt the vibrations within the water as they flexed and swam in tight circles, readying their weapons.
As Commander of the Centre Trident Tine, Slyvella was a veteran of many battles over the centuries, against a myriad of enemies to the ocean depths. Indeed, it was Sylvella that led the recovery effort of hundreds of surface made arbalests from sunken war vessels of the middle ages. Large crossbows that required a crank for human arms to ready the far greater draw weight of the weapon, the arbalest was an ideal weapon when modified slightly by the fey transformation magics of the Mermaids and was easily drawn without a crank by the far greater strength possessed by both Mermaids and their Shark allies. Bolts fired by these weapons were unimpeded by water dynamics and carried the frozen touch of Mermaid magic with them to pierce and freeze the hearts of their quarries. Sylvella herself preferred the trident as it served as both a weapon and a focus for her other powers.
Reaching the end of the arrayed forces, Sylvella spun swiftly and sliced a slender arm through the water, signalling the advance upon the outpost. She already knew the location of their sentries and had planned this assault to the smallest detail. Today, many Atlantians would feel the wrath of nature for their misdeeds. Around her, the Trident brigade burst forward with almost dizzying speed. Easily keeping pace with them, she crested a low ridge rising up from the ocean floor and came within visual sight of the Outpost. Waving her trident before her, Sylvella’s magic stirred the sediment and silt of the ocean floor around the outpost with increasing currents and eddies. In mere moments, visibility around the outpost plummeted to blizzard like conditions were this battle occurring upon the surface world. Cries of alarm and panic sounded from the Atlantian sentries and billeted warriors as they struggled to ready weapons and identify their quarry.
The delay was telling for them, as the Trident brigade fell upon them, using senses unimpeded by the swirling silt and sediment. Sylvella felt the vibrations of hundreds of arbalest steel cords releasing with stunning force. The silt and sediment was quickly joined by the blood of Atlantians, something that only infused and frenzied her forces. Out of the murkiness a figure came into view, and she saw the fierce countenance of the Atlantian commander who was moving determinedly toward her. She could see the defeat in his eyes, despite the rage there also. He was determined to take her down, even though his own forces had been decimated. She watched as he pulled back an arm to throw his own trident, but he was neither fast enough nor skilled enough against a being who had grown up as a young mermaid before Atlantis had even slid beneath the earth’s surface. Her free hand gestured contemptuously toward him and the water surrounding his arms and legs froze instantly, halting his throw in its backswing. Pain etched his handsome features, and she momentarily lamented a lost opportunity to play further with her quarry as she swam lazily closer. Bringing her face close to his own, she felt and heard the expletives of his final words as she plunged her trident through his chest. Her eyes stayed locked on his own as life fled them before she removed her weapon and returned to her forces now engaged in cleaning and breaking down the outpost for the ocean and its denizens to reclaim it.
Sylvella’s lips drew a hard line as her heart regretted the slaughter and death this day. Even after centuries of intermittent battle, she still regretted the loss of life, despite her own rage at what the humans, turned Atlantians had done to the world’s oceans and waterways. Nature needed to fight back, or they would all perish. Such was the justification she told herself as she wiped away her own tears.
As Commander of the Centre Trident Tine, Slyvella was a veteran of many battles over the centuries, against a myriad of enemies to the ocean depths. Indeed, it was Sylvella that led the recovery effort of hundreds of surface made arbalests from sunken war vessels of the middle ages. Large crossbows that required a crank for human arms to ready the far greater draw weight of the weapon, the arbalest was an ideal weapon when modified slightly by the fey transformation magics of the Mermaids and was easily drawn without a crank by the far greater strength possessed by both Mermaids and their Shark allies. Bolts fired by these weapons were unimpeded by water dynamics and carried the frozen touch of Mermaid magic with them to pierce and freeze the hearts of their quarries. Sylvella herself preferred the trident as it served as both a weapon and a focus for her other powers.
Reaching the end of the arrayed forces, Sylvella spun swiftly and sliced a slender arm through the water, signalling the advance upon the outpost. She already knew the location of their sentries and had planned this assault to the smallest detail. Today, many Atlantians would feel the wrath of nature for their misdeeds. Around her, the Trident brigade burst forward with almost dizzying speed. Easily keeping pace with them, she crested a low ridge rising up from the ocean floor and came within visual sight of the Outpost. Waving her trident before her, Sylvella’s magic stirred the sediment and silt of the ocean floor around the outpost with increasing currents and eddies. In mere moments, visibility around the outpost plummeted to blizzard like conditions were this battle occurring upon the surface world. Cries of alarm and panic sounded from the Atlantian sentries and billeted warriors as they struggled to ready weapons and identify their quarry.
The delay was telling for them, as the Trident brigade fell upon them, using senses unimpeded by the swirling silt and sediment. Sylvella felt the vibrations of hundreds of arbalest steel cords releasing with stunning force. The silt and sediment was quickly joined by the blood of Atlantians, something that only infused and frenzied her forces. Out of the murkiness a figure came into view, and she saw the fierce countenance of the Atlantian commander who was moving determinedly toward her. She could see the defeat in his eyes, despite the rage there also. He was determined to take her down, even though his own forces had been decimated. She watched as he pulled back an arm to throw his own trident, but he was neither fast enough nor skilled enough against a being who had grown up as a young mermaid before Atlantis had even slid beneath the earth’s surface. Her free hand gestured contemptuously toward him and the water surrounding his arms and legs froze instantly, halting his throw in its backswing. Pain etched his handsome features, and she momentarily lamented a lost opportunity to play further with her quarry as she swam lazily closer. Bringing her face close to his own, she felt and heard the expletives of his final words as she plunged her trident through his chest. Her eyes stayed locked on his own as life fled them before she removed her weapon and returned to her forces now engaged in cleaning and breaking down the outpost for the ocean and its denizens to reclaim it.
Sylvella’s lips drew a hard line as her heart regretted the slaughter and death this day. Even after centuries of intermittent battle, she still regretted the loss of life, despite her own rage at what the humans, turned Atlantians had done to the world’s oceans and waterways. Nature needed to fight back, or they would all perish. Such was the justification she told herself as she wiped away her own tears.