Chapter Text
Prologue:
Dark Ripples
To say that Shadow Weaver was given a cold welcome would be an understatement, it was more accurate to call it a hostile welcome. Immediately upon being identified by the Soldiers of Brightmoon, she was chained up and brought forward to see the queens of brightmoon.
The sorceress could feel the burning hatred from the crowd that surged forward, but Shadow Weaver could feel a stronger emotion…fear. No doubt the message of Gareth was especially directed towards this kingdom, the citizens were terrified and they needed someone to take it out on.
Shadow Weaver was such a candidate for emotional lightning rod. This rage provided no amount of comfort as she was escorted through the halls of Brightmoon Castle. Brightmoon has had to deal with the vast tensions fired up by Gareth’s Declaration to the entire continent. This threat of war was demanded to be answered by the entire Coalition of Etheria, the united kingdoms of Etheria that have formed from the remnants of the rebellion mere days after the Crimson Revolution took over the Fright Zone.
And Ziadroth grew from the ashes of the Horde like a monstrous oak.
The harsh stormy Spring night of the surrounding landscape was sharply contrasted by the brightly lit interior of the Castle itself, but perhaps the ominous fog that surrounded the entire kingdom had brought the atmosphere and tension in the air up to eleven. This fog was unlike anything the region has had before.
Shadow Weaver was brought to kneel before the throne, in the harsh light the sorceress thought for a second that Angella and Micah were sitting there looking upon her in deep disappointment. Such a thought was dashed in an instant when her eyes adjusted and gazed upon Adora and Glimmer.
Adora had a look of utter surprise upon her face while Glimmer had a hateful glare carved into her eyes, but before the daughter of Micah could speak, The daughter of Shadow Weaver spoke first. “Weaver?! What are you doing here?” the warrior queen shouted and stood up at the same time.
Adora approached her maternal figure, surprisingly cautious in her steps as if she was expecting Shadow Weaver to unleash some sort of attack. Glimmer reached out to Adora, but retracted her hand just as gently when Adora looked at Glimmer with a small confident smile. A gentle assurance that things will be okay
Shadow Weaver took a deep breath through her nostrils and exhaled harshly. “I have come to offer my services as a court sorceress. The ruling kingdom of the coalition needs a full court, especially in these times of war.” Shadow Weaver stated gently but Glimmer snapped again.
“We could ask Casta now could we?!” Glimmer gritted her teeth in a slowly bubbling anger. “Yes, you could. But Ziadroth has dominion over the black garnet and will no doubt learn to harness its power in the coming months, and I know the power of the garnet well.” Shadow Weaver stated.
“Glimmer, I think it's more important to realize that this is Adora’s mother. Hell this is the mother of Gareth and Catra! She could definitely help us with possible plans they had.” Bow spoke up to which Adora had a soft smile of relief. Even Glimmer could see such valuable intel.
Immediately Adora furrowed her brow, something was off. Especially given recent events, “how’d you escape Gareth’s revolt?” Adora asked, her tone suggested both confusion and a slight undertone of anger which caused a pang of regret in Shadow Weaver’s heart as her mouth dried momentarily.
Shadow Weaver explained as clearly as she could “the fact is that I did not. Months before the portal incident, I escaped the fright zone. I have been living on my own ever since, I-” the calm tide of the sorceress’ voice was drowned in the violent storm that was Glimmer’s outrage.
“You could have fucking helped us! You bitch! you could have saved my mother!! Hell you could have fucking stopped Apophis from opening up the damn portal in the first place!” Glimmer practically screamed in anger, slamming her fists onto the arm rests of her throne as hot tears rolled down her face.
Shadow Weaver allowed Glimmer’s rant to hang in the air for a few moments before she continued. “If I had known about the portal project I would have helped. I’m sorry…” The sorceress’ voice wavered a bit as she forced back some tears.
Glimmer rubbed her eyes and Adora went back to comforting her wife. General Juliet of Brightmoon stepped forward, gaining the attention of the two queens. “My queens, we could put Shadow Weaver into a secure room, as we are still building the dungeon. Until you two can come to a decision of course.” She suggested, occasionally looking at Weaver who remained kneeling.
Adora held Glimmer close, who was shuddering from rage and sadness. All the warrior queen could do was offer a gentle nod of agreement. Glimmer was too caught up in her emotions to make the decision.
Before the guards could move towards her, Shadow Weaver stood up and allowed herself to be escorted out of the throne room. Going down several flights of stairs, and thus several floors of the castle, they reach the Larder which even down here in the dank darkness still had the wonderful aesthetic of Brightmoon, though made haunting with gently glowing magelight lamps.
The sounds of construction were heard as the dungeon was being made from empty halls that had been originally intended for more peaceful storage but must instead be made for war efforts.
Shadow Weaver was escorted into one of these huge rooms and the door was locked, the magelight flickered to life highlighting the various amounts of Amarand-made cheeses and she sat herself down onto a large wheel of cheese. fuck she could go for some wine
In those minutes she began to contemplate if she should go away. It's clear that Glimmer hates her guts, no doubt Adora told stuff about her disastrous attempts at being a mother.
Shadow Weaver rested her chin onto her hands and removed her mask, pinching the bridge of her nose and letting out a small groan. She let go of her nose and stared out into the unanswering darkness, all 3 of her children were leading kingdoms. Catra and Gareth rule over Ziadroth and Adora...well she’s queen of brightmoon.
But now they were going to war with each other. She knew that it would be a monstrous war, one unlike anything else this planet has ever seen. But...she knew that she had to choose one side, she already made her choice coming here.
She would rather help protect those she had wronged than further cause them wrong. The only way to bring this war to an end was with the coalition, she knew that Gareth would be no tyrant...but that was to his own people, many people will die because of him and she couldn’t help him bring such death to the scarred world.
After a few more hours, the door’s lock shunted open and Shadow Weaver was fast to put her mask back on as Glimmer entered the room, though Shadow Weaver could see Adora and some guards outside the open door. It was obvious that Glimmer being pregnant would be escorted.
Glimmer clasped her hands together and twiddled her thumbs gently. A lot of strong emotions were going through her mind but she put those aside, she insisted to Adora that she wanted to break the news to her.
“Shadow Weaver, I have come to inform you of me and my wife’s acceptance of your proposal.” Glimmer brought her clasped hands up to her face and breathed deeply. “ however yooooou will be under strict supervision until we deem you can be trusted” Glimmer explained to Weaver.
Shadow Weaver chuckled warmly. “How many swears did you have to hold back?”
“Aaaaa metric fuck ton and a shitting half” Glimmer said with a defeated sigh and lowered shoulders.
Shadow Weaver tapped the sides of her cheese wheel seat and moved some locks of hair past her face. “We need to secure our side of the continent. But you will swiftly see that it is a far more difficult task than you can imagine.”
Glimmer gave a warm smile to Shadow Weaver. “Oh I'm sure we can imagine...Kara” she said, calling Shadow Weaver by her true name.
Contrary to popular belief there is more than one continent on Etheria, and Salineans rarely travel beyond the western sea and the Horde have only the most rudimentary knowledge of these lands.
The continent in which the Coalition and Ziadroth, and all its various peoples, call home is known as Uridex. But there are other continents, for Uridex is simply the center of a much larger and beautiful world.
To the East of Uridex, beyond the seas that Ziadroth controls, are the beast-filled lands of Draalsiv. Land of immense swamps and ancient ruined Eternian structures. Where creatures of horror wander, in ancient times the most advanced natives traveled to Uridex. These were known as the Luzargans, the most well known of their kind is Rogelio.
To the icy north of Uridex, lie the mysterious lands known as Tundreeze, the only whispers of what lives there are known as the Gorikki. Mighty ratfolk barbarians, whose existence have never been recorded outside of the tales of sailors.
To the Southwest of Uridex is the almost tropical paradise of The Iris. Where rumors of treasure and a civilization that uses first ones technology arouse both ambition and horror among those who have been infected with the knowledge of such rumors.
The continents were kept isolated, never allowing the knowledge of each other to exist. Thanks to how the Eternians and the Etherians, in all of their diversities, were ruled by the tyranny of the God Serpents.
In this age those who possess full knowledge of these lands, that Etheria is breathtakingly massive, belong exclusively to pirates and other seabound scoundrels. From all walks of life and all corners of the planet, these seabound marauders are the connections of Etheria that the gods of old feared and never wanted.
Sailing the briney and tropical waters of the southwestern sea was the Spectral Kraken, this immense mobile fortress bears sigils of Krakens upon its black sails and decorated with tendrils and eyes. Making it resemble more of a creature of the deep than a mighty vessel.
The captain of this vessel awoke from her slumber. Her ruby red eyes adjusted to the flame lit darkness of her cabin, her amazonian body shifted from the bed as her raven black air shifted against her scarred back. Her pointed ears twitched gently in the humid darkness.
The captain absentmindedly rubbed her fangs with her tongue, still as sharp as ever. This was Captain Eveline Kruzer, the only vampire still alive on Etheria. She grumbled as she got out of her bed, the candles illuminating her ivory skin, devoid of any color whatsoever. It was a stormy tropical night which suited her just fine as the sun never liked her.
She put on her clothes, long jacket and placed a lit cigar in her mouth. Grabbing a bottle of blood rum, Eveline shook off the hangover she had the night before, she shifted her ruby eyes to the sleeping vixen woman on the other side of her bed. She mumbled something to herself before pressing the bottle to her lips and taking a deep drink of the smoky red ichor.
It was only then that she became aware of the knocking at her cabin door, she let out a low groan and approached the door to her cabin and swung the door open. “What?” Eveline growled lowly, A member of her crew stood at attention.
The Luzargan crewmate shuddered a bit from the clear annoyance of the captain, she cleared her throat as her purple scales shuddered in the rain of the storm. “W-wake up call c-c-captain” she said, her big blue eyes looking up at Eveline’s hooded ruby eyes.
Eveline moved the cigar in her mouth a bit before talking “Right, get the duchess on a rowboat back to The Iris, I need to talk to our prisoners down in the brig” Eveline said, jerking a clawed thumb over her shoulder. The crewmate nodded in response to this, though she waited until Eveline stepped away from the door frame before she did anything.
Eveline walked across the deck, her crew composed of the many species known across the planet. Most of them primarily from the wild continent of Draalsiv, many mercenaries from the various violent species serve the various pirate crews of Etheria. Their bloodlust serves them and their seafaring masters well.
Eveline pulled up the collar of her jacket to shield her a bit more from the raging storm, even as her full brim hat blocked some of the rain. Opening a wooden hatch in the floor, Eveline entered the armored innards of her mighty warship.
Immediately in the large hammock-infested crew quarters, many of the lazing crew members snapped to attention as their mighty captain walked past them. She paid them little mind, she had more important matters to attend to.
Deep inside the dark, cold damp innards of this mighty artificial beast lie various compartments needed to ensure the Spectral Kraken is fully operational. Like the mighty organs of a deep sea beast, each one is specialized for its purposes.
Among these lay the brig, and it is here that extremely valuable intel can be recovered from a special type of prisoner that have become extremely valuable during these dark ages.
Ex-Force Captains.
From when the Horde once existed. These were those who survived the monstrous Crimson Revolution and did not bend the knee to the Emperor and Empress. The mysterious ‘Loyalists’ have been in hiding since the violent revolt, one of many changes in a world now fearing the new immense Dieselpunk Dominion of Ziadroth as it has awakened with its Emperor’s declaration of war.
The kind of war Ziadroth is capable of unleashing terrified the many Pirate Lords and various criminal empires, as the ambitions of this empire will extend beyond Uridex and will no doubt start turning its terrifying gaze upon them, hungry for new territories to subsume into itself.
Eveline did not dread this new Dark Age of Etheria, this so-called Great War , in fact she wished to embrace its uncertainty with open arms and a greedy gaze. Uridex is going to erupt in flames and blood, and Eveline wishes to exploit that to her greatest desires.
She spat out her cigar and took a deep swig of her precious blood-alcohol. Moments of intense silence like these almost make her wish for her First Mate. Seahawk was a brash dumb idiot, always prone to igniting the Spectral Kraken on fire, but her beloved warship could withstand it. The singing on the other hand…
“Damn idiot didn’t have the guts to be a real captain, even if I practically raised that man” Eveline snarled to the darkness of her mighty vessel as the storm raged outside. A storm like this swallowed Seahawk...a simple rowboat like the one he rode away from Eveline couldn’t survive. Even if it was drifting off to Salineas waters…
Eveline slammed the bottom of her drink against the nearest wall, it made a low dull thud in the creaking of her mighty vessel. She made her way to the brig and approached the first cell, pulling out her flintlock, she rattled it against the bars of the cell, waking up the gaggle of prisoners.
“Alright you damn Hordelings, I am not taking any of your damn flak. So listen up and listen well…” Eveline snarled, looking at the defiant eye-patch wearing merfolk in particular. Her tentacled hair was particularly irking the vampiric captain.
“Now given how Ziadroth and the so-called Coalition is paying an extremely high bounty for Loyalists such as yourselves, I could just ship you off and let you go...you know die...buuuut” Eveline gave a twisted grin and leaned forward. The dim light of the candles made her eyes glow even more.
“I have a better proposition, you can join my crew...and tell me all about Ziadroth’s Emperor and Empress. Which sounds like a great deal” Eveline then leaned backwards and aimed her pistol directly at the Merfolk’s other eye.
“Now do we have an Accord? Or no?” Eveline finished with a grin that would make even the most vile creatures in hell jealous.
Elsewhere, in the bitterly frozen lands of the Ice Kingdom, a strange distorted portal tears itself open. Screams leak from the portal as corrupted energy seeps into the air like a cancerous stench, a woman cloaked in a large red robe steps forward and out of the portal.
The woman squinted her ruby red eyes across the landscape, scanning for anyone in the vicinity. The woman smiled, revealing large incisors in her mouth as she extended a pale clawed hand and waved the screaming maw of dimensional hell shut.
“Ah, I think I finally found it. They will be so very pleased” she said to herself, in a voice those of both the Coalition and Ziadroth would find extremely familiar. The crimson cloaked woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a strange bat-like mask. “but…I gotta be sure. Can’t make the same mistake fucking twice” she hissed gently before putting the mask over her face.
The woman began making her way south, away from the icy hellscape. “If this is the correct place, then I can’t be late for the fireworks! After all…” the woman turned towards you and showed her face to be much like Adora’s but a vampiric visage.
“This will be one hell of a party! Oh dear reader of mine~” Lady Crimson purred before cackling and walking into the blizzard, vanishing from sight and leaving nothing but the echoes of her laughter in the air.