"Gods may sleep, vanish, or lie. But war stays honest."
—Branwyn, Commander of Stormwatch's East Wall
Stormwatch Fortress – Day 13 After the Depth War
The repairs were nearly complete.
Stonework around the East Gate had been reinforced with obsidian alloy. The outer ramparts now carried three new ballista towers, each automated by rudimentary crank-golems. Every inch of the keep's shadowed side had been relit with ember-lamps linked to a geothermal line from the Heartforge below.
But no one celebrated.
Because the war room wasn't quiet. It was focused.
Jag—the Nameless Bastion—stood before a rotating table map. Branwyn flanked him, her fingers pressed against a sector grid labeled Ashen Vault.
Ashra, now recovered but visibly distant, stood near the window, sharpening a new curved dagger—the old one lost deep in Chain Root.
Rialt spread the parchment scrolls.
"No rifts. No gods. But something mechanical, buried beneath the ash hills. Something old. And it's still active."
[System Update: Incoming Strategic Conflict – Ashen Vault Campaign]
Region: South Ash Hills
Terrain: Broken Plateau / Mineral Dense
Objectives:
• Discover the Vault Core
• Defend excavation teams for 14 days
• Establish 3 forward towers
Bonus: Secure Relic Transport Route
Time Until First Wave: 3 Days
[Warning: Opponent is not anomaly-class]
[Hostiles: Clockwork Marauders – Machine-Type Raiders]
Enemy Traits: Organized | Long-Range Armaments | Tactical AI
Behavior: Siege-based | Territory Recapture Attempts
Jag leaned forward, tapping a red circle on the lower plateau. "We'll build a forward bunker here—overlooking both passes. Ashra, you'll command the eastern ledge. Garron takes the lower trail."
Branwyn frowned. "We're back to defending against armies. Mortals. Machines."
Jag nodded. "We fight them like we fought the Crownless. With walls, range, and grit."
[Preparations Unlocked: Strategy Mode Enabled]
Resource Pool: 750 Gold
Available Constructs:
• Basic Tower (50 Gold)
• Mage Relay (100 Gold)
• Reinforced Barricade (75 Gold)
• Oil Pit Trap (60 Gold)
• Ballista Mount (120 Gold)
Hero Deploy Slots: 3
Available: Jag (Front), Ashra (Flank), Branwyn (Anchor)
3 Days Until Conflict
Day 1: Scouting & Excavation
Rialt led the first engineering team into the hills. Beneath layers of volcanic ash and scorched earth, they unearthed bronze pylons inscribed with mechanical glyphs.
"This isn't just a vault," Rialt reported. "It's a weapon repository. Possibly a launch silo. They had rail lines. Cannons. A perimeter defense of arc-volt pylons."
Jag marked each position on the war map.
"Then we turn their weapons against them."
Day 2: Fortification
The team spent the full day building outposts:
• Tower A: Ballista and Archer Deck – Overwatch Ridge
• Tower B: Oil Trap and Mage Relay – Central Pass
• Tower C: Reinforced Bunker – Vault Entrance
Ashra inspected each personally.
"They'll test our flanks first. Small skirmisher drones. Looking for holes."
Branwyn barked orders to the militia.
"Lances on the west. Crossbows left of the rune line. No one moves unless a horn sounds."
Day 3: Simulated Assaults
Jag ran mock drills.
[System Alert: Strategic Simulation Complete]
Forecasted Attack Path: 3-Leg Flanking
Main Threat: Arc-Snipers and Siege Spiders
Estimated Pressure: Moderate–High
Suggested Tactical Response:
• Split arrow volleys on wave start
• Anti-armor mages focus fire middle lane
• Deploy Oil Trap post-wave one to stagger second
That night, a fire burned on the hilltop.
The commanders stood beneath the stars, overlooking the ash basin below.
Branwyn exhaled. "Feels different."
Ashra answered, "Because it is."
Jag finally spoke, voice low but steady.
"We're no longer surviving divine punishment or warped gods. We're fighting real enemies. People. Machines. Ideas."
He stared down the ridge.
"This war... is one we can win with tactics. Not prayers."
System Log – Strategic Status Report
Stormwatch Morale: 94%
Supply Line: Stable
Command Structure: Active
Fortification Rating: B
Siege Readiness: 87%
[War Campaign Begins Next Chapter – "Ashen Vault Act I"]
All progress, towers, and hero deployments will influence future chapters.
Prepare accordingly.