Dominico stood looking at the map on the wall. His face was drawn and pale with dark bags under his eyes. He had slept very little in the last three days, ever since the sun disappeared. The room was full of little wax piles and ash as remnants of the many candles and torches that had been used to light the room for three days straight. Finally, on the fourth day a dawn appeared and the sun returned to the sky. The relief was fleeting as the reports began pouring in about what had happened in those three days. Dominico contemplated all of the red pins in the map, most of them in Castann but dozens scattered throughout the rest of the Accord. At that point Legate Castus Tiber entered the room. With a grim face he picked up another red pin from the pile on the table and strode to the map, placing it into the town of Vara’s Bounty.
“Reports suggest it was a big one here. It took the town by surprise by manifesting in the well and climbing out fully formed. It slaughtered hundreds, they had no clue it was coming.”
Dominico was already numb to the reports and just closed his eyes for a few moments, unable to stop himself from picturing the horror of a fully fledged Demon emerging amongst the civilian populace. Well over 300 pins were set in that map and they just represented the Demon sightings they had heard of. Most of those were in Castann or on the borders nearby but others had appeared at sites all across the known world. The sky turning dark had caused widespread panic throughout the Accord of Nations. This was only made worse as Infernal creatures started to appear. The first Dominico knew of this was when runners from the Felidi Legion stationed in Ravanusa came bursting into his study. They were matted with blood and wild-eyed, reporting that demons had come to Ravanusa. They needed help. Dominico dismissed the idea of Demons but was not going to refuse his allies help. He himself rode up there with a company of two hundred Blackcoats. He saw it with his own eyes. A creature that stood the height of a troll with flames wreathing its body was tearing buildings apart amongst a small tide of imps and lesser Demons. With the combined forces of Blackcoats and Felidi Legionnaires, they defeated the creatures.
Upon his return to Mirandola, Dominico had no less than thirty separate messengers with similar tales of Demons appearing. He sent what Blackcoats he could to aid the nearest but the reports just kept coming in.
In Ilac city, several demons appeared in the lower portion of the city. The tenth entered battle with them, the priests of Vindicta and Mars leading the way. The enchantments they gave to the weapons of the tenth legion made the battle turn in their favour and they emerged victorious, chants to both Mars and Vindicta being taken up across the city.
In Mestreeh, Clymenia sensed the return of the demons and took her Templars across the border into Castann. Dominico disliked the fact that it took the actions of his enemies to save the Herekore grove, but was grateful it was preserved.
The most devastating report was one of the last ones he received. Castann has fallen. The Oba of Castann was slain in the battle at Oracle Mount, the Oracle Tamahine also dead. With the obliteration of their capital city, the loss of Oracle Mount and most of the free Castanni slain, this left so few of the people of Castann. It would be a long time before there was any chance of them being a nation again.
Three days of darkness. Three days of Demons running rampant across the world. So much loss of life. But on the fourth day the sun returned. The second seal may be broken, but one still remains. Vakivalta expended an enormous amount of power in those three days of carnage, but it would be some time before that level of influence could happen again. Dominico wasted no time in dispatching a company of Blackcoats to the Wastes. He would lend whatever aid he could in protecting the third seal. He just hoped that others would follow suit. He sent so many letters that day, encouraging people to aid in the protection of the seal. With the last letter dispatched he placed his head on his desk for a moment. And finally slept.
IC Information – Everyone, no matter where they were will see the sky go black for three days straight. Many places in the world saw demons and imps emerge and run rampant, slaughtering thousands gleefully. Feel free to have been involved in helping combat demons wherever your character was. They are tough creatures who caused the death of many trained warriors, priests and basic civilians alike. At the end of the three days, day and night cycle returned to normal and the Demons numbers drop away drastically. There are still some around, they can walk this plane now, but most return to the Crucible.