My first prompt response, hope it's alright! I just wrote stream-of-consciousness as it came to me, so sorry if it's a bit disjointed.
The sylph’s golden goblet clattered several feet to the council room floor, spilling its glowing amber contents. He surged to his feet, grand monarch’s wings fluttering madly. “This is preposterous. We’ve never encountered this before. You’re lying.”
The salamander shrugged, huffing out a cloud of black smoke. “Much as I dislike agreeing with a sylph, Lord Parthis has a point. No fey has encountered this in our many, many years. How would they only now develop iron in their blood?”
“I never thought I would agree with Sindrus,” the naiad laughed, swirling the bubbling beverage she held in an extravagant champagne flute.
Tallian ran a hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh. Of course the council wouldn’t listen to a simple elf. Emperor Sindrus glared down, his eyes alone nearly lighting Tallian’s tunic on fire, while Lord Parthis looked anywhere but into the center of the hostile council. Queen Ylia only had eyes for her bubbly, seemingly disinterested. Tallian then turned to the silent monolith that was the feared, famed Tyrant Gorr.
“Have you an opinion as well, Tyrant? Any other doubts to throw my way?” Tallian asked, unable to keep the bite out of his words.
The rock troll grumbled and stretched out his long, stony limbs. Then, at length, said, “No.”
Sindrus blinked slowly. “What do you mean, ‘no?’”
“I believe him.”
Tallian couldn’t hold back his sputter of surprise. Of all people, Gorr believed him?
“Then you’ve lost your mind as well,” Parthis scoffed, crossing his arms. His gilded silver plate armor reflected the cascading sunlight the poured in through the center skylight, at least fifty feet above.
“Go on, Gorr. Explain your thinking.” Ylia gestured with her glass, then took a long sip. She was dressed in blue, green and white silks and platinum jewelry over her deep cerulean skin. “This should be good.”
Gorr rumbled out a sigh. He wasn’t one for speech- it was rumored that it genuinely pained him, due to some injury from the Planar Wars. He was the oldest of the council, a patron of the Unseelie Court alongside Ylia. When he did speak, it shook the room, like the movements of tectonic plates.
“It has been eons since any of us has stepped foot into the mortal world. When was the last time any of you fought a human?”
There was silence.
“My point exactly,” Gorr nodded, settling back into his great granite throne with the grinding of stone on stone. His vibrant bloodstone eyes finally opened, casting a glance around at his other councilmembers. “With rising tensions at the planar gates, Tallian has firsthand experience.”
Finally, every pair of eyes landed on Tallian. He gulped and nodded. “Pure cold iron it is not, but the blood of humans burns us. We cannot withstand it for long. If it remains on the skin for more than some short minutes, it can deal lasting damage, even burn through flesh.”
“Do you come with proof?” Parthis asked, slowly settling back into his marble seat.
“I don’t bear the injuries myself, but many compatriots of mine have the scars. A good friend of mine, a dryad by the name of Crimsa, is in intensive care.”
At that, Parthis’s eyes bulged. “One of mine?!”
“Yes, sir.” Ah, so now he cared. Parthis was a relatively young sylph, heavily protective of those in his rings of the Seelie Court.
“How did this occur?” Sindrus interrupted before Parthis could start an uproar.
“Some human mages have developed magic to harness their blood into projectiles. Along with developing more cold iron weaponry,” Tallian paused to breathe deep and wipe a bead of sweat from his brow, “I believe they are preparing to mount an assault on the planar gate and invade Faerie.”
Every councilmember except Gorr exploded into noise and movement. Parthis was up and marching for the door, while Sindrus perched on his basalt throne, his long tail coiling around the stone arm. Ylia was standing on the arm of her coral lounging chair, sending off small messengers of water that flitted off through windows.
Tallian wrung his hands as his leadership descended into chaos, until his gaze met Gorr’s scarlet eyes. Despite the din of three shouting fey, Tallian could hear the old troll’s words as clear as day.
“To whom’s court do you belong?” Gorr rumbled, leaning forward and supporting his weight with his great stone knuckles.
“I belong to the Autumn ring of the Unseelie Court, Tyrant,” Tallian replied.
Gorr nodded slowly, then stood. The grinding of his joints and the loud grunt he released as he rose to his full height silenced the clamor of the room.
“What is it, Gorr?” Parthis asked, one hand on the doorframe and one foot in the portal.
“This one is one of mine. Thus, I have vested interest As do we all when it comes to war in Faerie.” Gorr walked toward Parthis on his hulking fists like a massive stone gorilla, each step shaking the very ground Tallian stood upon. “I would like to request that we meet with our armies and form a coalition between the courts. At least, until we dispel the humans at our gate.”Gorr descended into earthshaking coughs, one fist pressed to his chest.
When the Tyrant’s breathing steadied, Sindrus spoke up. “Gorr speaks the truth. We should prepare for war.”
Ylia nodded, a trail of water dancing between her fingers, and looked to Parthis. The sylph looked repulsed.
“Allying with the Unseelie? Never.” Parthis shook his head fervently.
Gorr sighed and took one long stride closer, looming over Parthis. “The last time the Seelie and Unseelie allied was the Planar War. We only survived because of a united strike between Summer and Autumn. You, young pup, were not around to see it, but if you bothered to read up on strategy, instead of playing sycophant with your brothers, you would learn something.” The rock troll turned to Sindrus. “What say you, old friend?”
The salamander nodded and opened his glowing maw to speak, but was cut off as a forest troll bounded into the room.
“We’re under attack,” the troll said between gasps, “and humans have passed through the Planar Gate.”
TheAwesomeRobot7 t1_j6k2c8s wrote
Reply to [WP] "What do you MEAN they've literally got iron in their veins!?" by Epictauk
My first prompt response, hope it's alright! I just wrote stream-of-consciousness as it came to me, so sorry if it's a bit disjointed.
The sylph’s golden goblet clattered several feet to the council room floor, spilling its glowing amber contents. He surged to his feet, grand monarch’s wings fluttering madly. “This is preposterous. We’ve never encountered this before. You’re lying.”
The salamander shrugged, huffing out a cloud of black smoke. “Much as I dislike agreeing with a sylph, Lord Parthis has a point. No fey has encountered this in our many, many years. How would they only now develop iron in their blood?”
“I never thought I would agree with Sindrus,” the naiad laughed, swirling the bubbling beverage she held in an extravagant champagne flute.
Tallian ran a hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh. Of course the council wouldn’t listen to a simple elf. Emperor Sindrus glared down, his eyes alone nearly lighting Tallian’s tunic on fire, while Lord Parthis looked anywhere but into the center of the hostile council. Queen Ylia only had eyes for her bubbly, seemingly disinterested. Tallian then turned to the silent monolith that was the feared, famed Tyrant Gorr.
“Have you an opinion as well, Tyrant? Any other doubts to throw my way?” Tallian asked, unable to keep the bite out of his words.
The rock troll grumbled and stretched out his long, stony limbs. Then, at length, said, “No.”
Sindrus blinked slowly. “What do you mean, ‘no?’”
“I believe him.”
Tallian couldn’t hold back his sputter of surprise. Of all people, Gorr believed him?
“Then you’ve lost your mind as well,” Parthis scoffed, crossing his arms. His gilded silver plate armor reflected the cascading sunlight the poured in through the center skylight, at least fifty feet above.
“Go on, Gorr. Explain your thinking.” Ylia gestured with her glass, then took a long sip. She was dressed in blue, green and white silks and platinum jewelry over her deep cerulean skin. “This should be good.”
Gorr rumbled out a sigh. He wasn’t one for speech- it was rumored that it genuinely pained him, due to some injury from the Planar Wars. He was the oldest of the council, a patron of the Unseelie Court alongside Ylia. When he did speak, it shook the room, like the movements of tectonic plates.
“It has been eons since any of us has stepped foot into the mortal world. When was the last time any of you fought a human?”
There was silence.
“My point exactly,” Gorr nodded, settling back into his great granite throne with the grinding of stone on stone. His vibrant bloodstone eyes finally opened, casting a glance around at his other councilmembers. “With rising tensions at the planar gates, Tallian has firsthand experience.”
Finally, every pair of eyes landed on Tallian. He gulped and nodded. “Pure cold iron it is not, but the blood of humans burns us. We cannot withstand it for long. If it remains on the skin for more than some short minutes, it can deal lasting damage, even burn through flesh.”
“Do you come with proof?” Parthis asked, slowly settling back into his marble seat.
“I don’t bear the injuries myself, but many compatriots of mine have the scars. A good friend of mine, a dryad by the name of Crimsa, is in intensive care.”
At that, Parthis’s eyes bulged. “One of mine?!”
“Yes, sir.” Ah, so now he cared. Parthis was a relatively young sylph, heavily protective of those in his rings of the Seelie Court.
“How did this occur?” Sindrus interrupted before Parthis could start an uproar.
“Some human mages have developed magic to harness their blood into projectiles. Along with developing more cold iron weaponry,” Tallian paused to breathe deep and wipe a bead of sweat from his brow, “I believe they are preparing to mount an assault on the planar gate and invade Faerie.”
Every councilmember except Gorr exploded into noise and movement. Parthis was up and marching for the door, while Sindrus perched on his basalt throne, his long tail coiling around the stone arm. Ylia was standing on the arm of her coral lounging chair, sending off small messengers of water that flitted off through windows.
Tallian wrung his hands as his leadership descended into chaos, until his gaze met Gorr’s scarlet eyes. Despite the din of three shouting fey, Tallian could hear the old troll’s words as clear as day.
“To whom’s court do you belong?” Gorr rumbled, leaning forward and supporting his weight with his great stone knuckles.
“I belong to the Autumn ring of the Unseelie Court, Tyrant,” Tallian replied.
Gorr nodded slowly, then stood. The grinding of his joints and the loud grunt he released as he rose to his full height silenced the clamor of the room.
“What is it, Gorr?” Parthis asked, one hand on the doorframe and one foot in the portal.
“This one is one of mine. Thus, I have vested interest As do we all when it comes to war in Faerie.” Gorr walked toward Parthis on his hulking fists like a massive stone gorilla, each step shaking the very ground Tallian stood upon. “I would like to request that we meet with our armies and form a coalition between the courts. At least, until we dispel the humans at our gate.”Gorr descended into earthshaking coughs, one fist pressed to his chest.
When the Tyrant’s breathing steadied, Sindrus spoke up. “Gorr speaks the truth. We should prepare for war.”
Ylia nodded, a trail of water dancing between her fingers, and looked to Parthis. The sylph looked repulsed.
“Allying with the Unseelie? Never.” Parthis shook his head fervently.
Gorr sighed and took one long stride closer, looming over Parthis. “The last time the Seelie and Unseelie allied was the Planar War. We only survived because of a united strike between Summer and Autumn. You, young pup, were not around to see it, but if you bothered to read up on strategy, instead of playing sycophant with your brothers, you would learn something.” The rock troll turned to Sindrus. “What say you, old friend?”
The salamander nodded and opened his glowing maw to speak, but was cut off as a forest troll bounded into the room.
“We’re under attack,” the troll said between gasps, “and humans have passed through the Planar Gate.”