While the CAF stretches its forces thin across the globe to reinforce Ancestra, Ascension Academy begins to recover from the devastating events of Fallbrook. But the darkness has no intention of letting them rest.
Deep within the Academy grounds, the sacred Mother Tree has become corrupted—its once-pure energy now tainted by a sinister presence. In a sudden, chilling moment, every inhabitant of Ascension Academy is struck by the same haunting vision: The Door appears, heralding a dark awakening.
During an assembly, a towering specter, draped in shadows and bearing the command of one of the Darkness’s generals, War, steps into the Grand Hall and it delivers a message, not just to Ascension Academy, but to every major power across the world:
Declaration of War
Original link to video
Show/Hide Transcript
Long have we waited. Shrouded in darkness, forgotten by time.
But no more...
I am war!
General of the Army of Darkness. The Harbinger of the End.
No longer bound by the chains of time, I ride in a field of battle once more.
In the wake of the Summer Solstice, the balance of the world shall shatter!
The frozen crown of Isedel will crumble beneath our onslaught.
We shall drown the snows with blood and raise its towers to ash.
To those who would stand against us, know this:
Your swords will shatter.
Your courage will crumble.
Your gods will fall silent.
Then there will be no sanctuary, no quarter, no mercy.
From the frozen wastes to scorched deserts,
Kingdoms will kneel, cities will burn,
And the Age of Light will drown in shadow.
When our banners rise, the world will remember...
Darkness is coming.
Without warning, the Academy’s protective barrier collapses. Seizing the moment, the Dark Order launches a brutal assault on the sacred graveyard where generations of students lie buried. Though Ascension Academy’s defenders repel the attack, the cost is great, several tombs are desecrated, and the bodies of former students vanish without a trace.
Events[]
Prologue[]
War is Coming[]
Corian Morrad debriefs Ascension on the declaration of war.
The next three weeks are quiet; as the academy recovers from the previous events, several people work on relocating the graves and creating a substitute graveyard near the greenhouse. A memorial for the fallen was planned. At the docks, Professor Berion informs the guards of incoming reinforcements from Concordia who will help defend the school. Conversely, Lieutenant Azalea Wildflower was requested to aid Concordia and will leave on the next transport boat.
Later, Corian Morrad, the magistrate of the Cross-Allied Forces, arrives with reinforcements, and they head to the stadium to debrief the cadets. Morrad confirms that every major nation received the same declaration as Ascension. Concordia has been bolstering its defenses, especially after a suicide bombing incident by one of former Professor Finn's missing lieutenants. All CAF forces have been withdrawn from Abagua, following the Inquisition and Arcane Alliance engaging in war. They intend to deploy more troops to defend Ascension, including members from Faltavius Institute.
At the assembly, Professor Berion explains the current situation: Ascension Academy was ordered to deploy to the Kingdom of Isedel to assist them in the war against The Darkness. They will dedicate the following weeks to preparing for the mission. Additionally, the cadets will be reviewed on their accomplishments from the past years, in hopes of earning a rank on par with their future allies. Other groups will join Isandar, including the Path of Six and Skorge of the Seven.[1]
Change in Leadership[]
Zackary relays new information from his meeting.
After the assembly, the squad leaders meet in the war room, as they were requested by Zackary Fang before Headmaster Kei pulled him aside. There, Professor Briar appears to give them information for the north. The general, who has been missing since the events of Bump in the Night, has been searching for his greatsword, for it holds the Darkness's power. In the north, they need to figure out where his weapon is and reach it before him.
Zackary enters, relaying that in preparation for the north, the leadership system will change. Zack was selected to be a strategist in a 3-person team that will cooperate on decisions and objectives for the academy. He believes this change was most likely due to the amount of miscommunication and disagreements that occurred in Fallbrook, including his own. Zackary is pulled aside again but returns quickly, revealing that Chipz, who he is not on good terms with, will be his partner on the council. This leaves one more spot for the commander,[2] later occupied by Augusta Anders.[3]
Visit from the Feywilds[]
Over the next three days, Ascension continues their preparation for the war. More reinforcements have arrived, including griffin riders and a professor from Faltavius Institute. Many barricades and palisades have been constructed to protect the school from outside forces. At the morning assembly, Professor Berion promotes Aquilo Keth'Or to Guard Captain, entrusting him with the protection of the academy; the new professor, Lavender Vera, introduces herself as an abjurationist and a healer.
Headmaster Kei begins to explain the change in the command structure, but he is interrupted when the hall doors open. Approaching the cadets are three green guards, a goat, a mantis-like woman, and a grand, winged woman above them. Some of the cadets figure out who she is: Titania, Queen of the Fae, and Professor Briar's wife. Afraid, Briar creates multiple illusions of himself that scatter across the academy, leading Ascension on a wild goose chase to retrieve him. Eventually, they bring Briar back to Titania, who explains that there is an ongoing war in the Feywilds, and they will leave the next night.
Through all the talks about departure, something forms in Briar's person, needing to stay at the academy. He pulls out a book that draws itself towards Kei. Retrieving the book, Kei flips through the blank pages until sylvan words start to form in them. Briar calls it a Tomb of Purpose, a book will show whatever the reader needs it to show. Morgan reads the page and transcribes a riddle that leads them outside of the academy. Kei, Morgan, Risei, Dars, Mason and Tia head out to the location from the riddle, and Kei speaks a name: Uriel.
Responding to the name, a large ent erupts from the ground, calling for Akiyama, only to be surprised at the group in front of him. Kei introduces himself and alludes to an event that the ent, Treeman, can assist him with. To ease the cadets' confusion, Kei explains that he needs to promote them, as they will be fighting alongside veterans and registered armies. According to Akiyama's records, they'll need to go through a graduation ceremony (the cadets will not actually graduate, however). Treeman explains that when they are ready, each squad will need to answer a riddle and retrieve an item to start the ceremony.[3]
Prelude to War[]
After a class led by Augusta Anders, Headmaster Kei assembled all of the students to begin the promotion ceremony. The cadets go to the forest outside the school where they meet Treeman. Morgan starts the quest by giving each squad a specific word from the Tomb of Purpose, and Treeman gives them a riddle that sends them to a location to retrieve an item.
Crystal Thorn leaves first, heading towards the Crystal Thorn Cave. There, Morgan speaks the word: Elanwa. A portion of the mana spring whirlpools and sprouts a fountain as Lux collects the water.
Ardent Veil leaves second, heading towards the Greenhouse. There, Deeta and Dars speak the word: Ignara. A flame lights upon a rose outside, but it does not burn, almost illusionary. Dars gently plucks it with his axe.
Ignis, along with Jamie, is the third to leave, heading towards the Pheonix Statue at the front of the school. There, they speak the word: Ashara. A stone feather gently falls from the statue, and Risei retrieves it.
Vanguard, along with Aedrick is the fourth to leave, heading towards the Old Graveyard. There, they speak the word: Thalanor. Aedrick stumbles upon a grave surrounded by a swirling wind. Lyshteia and Augusta grab a handful of the soil.
Gallant is the final squad to leave, heading towards the Mana Cave. As he lays his hand on an attunement crystal, Cortez speaks the word, and a piece of it breaks off. Then, they all speak the word: Solaneth. The shard shines as Cortez's light affinity pours into it.
The cadets begin the ceremony
Everybody reconvenes, each with an item they need to put together. First, Tia places the soil on the ground. Dars plants the flame-born rose and Morgan waters it. Risei places the phoenix feather which floats over the rose, and Cortez places the light crystal which sparkles above them all. Everyone watches as a group of buds sprout from the soil, one for each cadet in the academy. As they pluck the buds, they return to the Mother Tree to continue the ceremony.
At the Mother Tree, Berion begins his speech, highlighting Ascension's achievements in the past three years:
- "Resolving a diplomatic conflict in Esperia"
- "Putting an end to the Ymra Crisis"
- "Warding off the hidden Blackguard offensive in Aldoria"
- "Bringing the Inquisition to bear and holding the doors for peace open between Duat and the Cross-Allied Forces for two years"
- Discovering the cure for the deadly plague that affected the Lycans of Valendor
- Remaining successful in containing the The Darkness for the past three years, when it has fought back numerous times
To aid them in the coming mission, Berion, on behalf of the CAF, promotes the cadets to Junior Lieutenants of the Cross-Allied Forces. At the end of the day, everybody gathers to say their goodbyes to Briar, Titania, and the rest of the fae that inhabited the school. Partaking in their last bit of peace, everyone boards the ship, setting off to Isendar.
Episode 1: Journey to Isedel, Part One[]
Shelter from the Storm[]
After sailing for several days, Ascension docked at a small port town, restocking some supplies for their march. Around town, there are frequent mentions of a prison break at the high security Makx Kareth, which has set loose many dangerous criminals. On their second day of hiking, they took a known route suggested by Augusta and Ellie. Along the way, they saw many refugees and caravans heading in the opposite direction, escaping the war. Far behind them, a blizzard approaches, prompting them to increase their pace.
Ahead, they see a camp with people inside. Two men and one woman walk towards them with weapons drawn, halting their march. Professor Blazeheart explains that they are under orders from the Cross-Allied Forces to travel to Isedel. The woman introduces herself as Greta, the chief of the group, and offers to feed and shelter Ascension so long as they help her group pack up. There was an avalanche further north, and the forests have been abnormally quiet, she mentions. Professor Berion sends Zack and Victor to scout ahead for a new path and living location while everyone else helps the militia.
A group of students on the front wall hear clashing and a yell from up the ridge. Quickly, they alert the camp and deploy a small group to assist. Joining the battle, they see a blond human male fighting two trolls. Levius Lux recognizes the man as his younger brother, Joshua Lux. As the battle continues, a large behemoth tramples into the area, causing everyone to retreat to the camp where the rest are defending. They try to hold the behemoth outside, but it storms through them, moving the battlefield inside the camp. After dealing enough blows, the behemoth retreats, and the group takes out the last trolls.
After the battle, Joshua introduces himself to some of the students and professors. Only a few people know this, but Joshua and Levius's family were caught in an attack on Ancestra. Their sisters were taken north, possibly to Isedel, and their mother's location is unknown.
After the militia leave, the Ascension settles down in their new camp. A group watching the front noticed a figure far off in the mountains at an outpost. Soon after, the figure returns, accompanied by four others behind them. They stare down at the encampment and walk off once more. Joshua says that they could be part of a group of raiders that live in a cave down the path. Due to the unsafe location, the blizzard, and the possibility of a raider attack, Professor Berion opts for a small group to negotiate with the raiders so they can move through the cave and to a new location. However, the chances of a successful negotiation are low, so the rest of the academy will lie in wait behind them.
Chipz, Leneth, Lux, Professor Lavender, and Vanguard Squad approach the mountain pass where a line of raiders blocks the way. Augusta sees the wear and icons of the raiders and realizes that they are cannibals. Chipz tries to negotiate with the raiders, but they are keen on eating the students, especially Augusta who they recognize. As expected, the raiders draw the first attack, sending the rest of the academy to move in. The overwhelming force of Ascension pushes the raiders into the expansive cave, where reinforcements appear.
A Controversial Reunion[]
There are two paths in the cave that are filled with raiders, causing Ascension to split into two groups. Group A slowly pushes upwards towards a camp while Group B heads towards a tower. In Group B, Lux pushes to the second floor, where he sees a man getting attacked by other raiders. Lux runs to defend him, followed by the rest of the group. The man looks unkempt and seems out of it, ignoring the battle in front of him and trying to cast something on a chest. The man pushes Gavin out of the way, referring to him as a cadet. At that moment, Gavin realizes who the man is: their former professor, Finn. Professor Nisha looks him over for any injuries; Finn is wearing a torn-up prison outfit, his hands and feet are frostbitten, and there are large scars across his body that glow red every time he coughs. Detaining Finn, the group heads towards Group A.
Group A continues to fight the raiders as Berion arrives to reinforce. Augusta notices a large item stuck in the ice that they would later find out to be a key. Eventually, Ascension, joined by Group B, pushes into the camp, fighting the last remaining raiders. The sight in the camp is horrifying as some find mutilated, cannibalized corpses piled inside of the tents. After the battle is over, Berion orders that any unconscious cannibal should be given the option to flee or die, and the bodies should be burned immediately.
At this point, everybody has seen Finn, and there are mixed reactions. Jamie took no time to threaten his life, but Chipz successfully talked him down, saying that they should return him to the authorities. However, an argument sparked about whether they should take him back into custody or not. This escalated into a screaming match involving Ryder and Risei, who still cares for Finn despite the things that he did to her. Some students don't care what happens to him, some only care for the information he can provide, and a few believe in second chances.
Meanwhile, Finn explains to the professors where he's been. Finn says that there was a mole in the prison, a CAF Officer. Somehow, they corrupted and imprisoned enough people to make a small army to destroy the prison. Finn followed this group but quickly split off and escaped with the warden as they took a boat to the north. He says that the group took something from Makx Kareth that could give them immense power. At some point, Finn was captured by the cannibals and forced to open the chest.
Later, Iris enters, telling the professors that she's been permitted to sedate Finn with her venom to prevent anything from happening overnight. Finn protests, saying that they don't know what will happen with his body, and Chipz enters, asking who gave Iris the order. She explains that it was Berion's call, but Chipz says he'll watch Finn, uncomfortable with injecting him. Iris, having to repeat that her venom is not lethal, blows up at Chipz, creating a scene. Crescent and Nisha break the two up, and Iris leaves to cool off.
The Key to Treasure[]
As the day nears its end, Victor returns, reporting that he and Zack found a route to a new location. Zackary offered to stay, and the academy would leave once the blizzard ended.
With the large key in their possession, Augusta forms a small group to return to the tower with the chest. Professor Nisha inserts the key, and as she opens the chest, a bright blue light beams from the chest. Inside the chest is a sheathed dagger and an amulet. The dagger emits a frost that permeates the chest but does not affect the amulet that sits next to it. As Augusta picks up the dagger, the temperature drops in the room, and the walls frost over. When she wears the amulet, her body immediately heats up; she quickly gives it to someone else.
Augusta holds on to the dagger, and they decide to give Misty Flame the amulet, as she is the most susceptible to the cold. If needed, they will rotate the amulet to Iris Sularis and Risei Evo.
Episode 2: Journey to Isedel, Part Two[]
Welcome to Stagfield[]
The next morning, Ascension packs up and travels along the path discovered by Victor to reach the other side of the mountain. They reach a small settlement, where they encounter a black-haired human and a hooded man. The human, Emrik, identifies himself as a Cross-Allied Forces officer on the same orders as Ascension. He and his colleague, Yvonna, were stationed at Stagfield, trying to evacuate the remaining villagers. He had just found Isaac, the hooded man, before Ascension showed up. Finn steps forward, having recognized Isaac as one of his travel companions before he was captured. After learning about Finn's situation, Emrik leads them to Stagfield, where they could settle for the day and hopefully escort everybody else to Isedel.
Ascension enters, exploring the village. It has a tavern, an inn, a church, and a prison for Finn. In the prison, Finn requests that the officer notify the CAF higher-ups of his presence. He claims a corrupt CAF officer named Myrin Stone started the prison break from within. Finn refuses to elaborate until he can be protected by a superior.
After their meeting, the junior lieutenants disperse into different groups. One party heads out to find a behemoth to slay it for its hide. The blacksmith offered to forge them plenty of daggers as payment. Another party would leave shortly after to clear out a cave of roaming undead. The rest of the academy assists the villagers and keeps watch on the walls. With permission from Professor Berion, Zackary orders Risei, Gavin, and Lyshteia to get information from Finn before he is released to the CAF.
Chipz and Victor meet Isaac
Due to the ongoing war in Abagua, Arashi Crystal plans to return to her family, and she says goodbye to friends. She would leave for Abagua the next morning.
At the inn, Chipz and Victor formally meet Isaac, the hooded man from earlier and a tattoo artist. Isaac explains that he was traveling north for work when he met Finn. They rode in a caravan for some time before it was ambushed and ransacked. Everybody scattered, and Isaac couldn't find Finn anywhere. Isaac doesn't have high opinions of the Cross-Allied Forces and is skeptical about Ascension imprisoning Finn; Chipz reassures him and allows him to talk to Finn once the interrogations are over.
Visiting Finn, A Secret Discovered[]
Lyshteia is the first person to visit Finn. He offers to answer her questions truthfully as long as Tia answers his. Tia learns little information outside what Finn told the professors; she finds that Makx Kareth is in the middle of an ocean, away from any civilization. Finn escaped with two other people, one being the warden, but he does not know their whereabouts.
Tia interrogates Finn
Finn, on the other hand, learns a lot about Lyshteia, focusing his questions on her wand. He figures out that Tia is partly fey and wields an extremely rare unicorn wand; however, he suspects that it is not a wand as there are many steps to obtain a unicorn wand. Tia tries to maneuver around the questions, but she slips up, alluding that the wand is her. Finn offers to name the culprits of the prison break if Tia retrieves his wand or tells him what she really is.
Lyshteia confirms his suspicion. She is not human, but a unicorn trapped within a human body. In exchange, he says that the group is called "The Marked Circle." It contains darkness-corrupted individuals who were brought to the prison; their leaders are Thaddeus Vey and Mal-Ra Kin.
Isaac visits Finn next, catching up with him since their last situation. With permission from Chipz, who was monitoring the conversation, Isaac leaves to get food for Finn. Finn tells Chipz that he finds Isaac insufferable but more trustworthy than the people inside the prison. When Chipz questions Isaac's trustworthiness, Finn reveals that he helped the warden escape. Chipz realizes that Isaac, who has been roaming freely, could be a prisoner just like Finn. Isaac returns with the food, and they continue the conversation. Chipz, unsure of what to do, watches Isaac intently.
The visit is cut short as Dars and one of the townsfolk barges in, alerting Chipz that the hunting party is in danger. Joined by Zackary, the three go to reinforce the rest of the team.
Hunting Party[]
Shortly after meeting, Cortez, Dars, Mason, Misty, Leneth, Jamie, and Professor Blazeheart begin their excursion to find the behemoth. Following a trail of dried blood, the squad finds the behemoth lurking in the forest. They're surprised to find out that this is the same behemoth they battled in the previous camp, as it holds the same wounds.
The team ambushes the behemoth, focusing on its legs to cripple it. Although it is wounded, it remains strong, able to shake off the seven-man squad. They try to hold it down multiple times to give Jamie a clear coin shot, but it is difficult for him to find an opening. Eventually, the creature emits an enormous roar, and Jamie shoots his coin into its mouth, causing it to rupture throughout the behemoth's body. The rest converge on the behemoth, toppling it over and killing it. The hunting party begins to skin the behemoth, gathering hide and meat in bags.
However, an antlered beast, larger than the behemoth, quickly approaches them. As they hide, the beast begins devouring the behemoth. It notices the party and tries to scare them off multiple times and then focuses on Dars chasing him away from the carcass. Dars continues to taunt it, and the team attacks while Mason and Leneth continue skinning the behemoth. The two are forced to rejoin the battle as the antlered creature is much tougher than the behemoth, picking up trees and giant balls of snow to hurl at the party. One of these attacks pins Misty to the ground, making her an easy target for the beast to trample, leaving her unconscious in the cold snow.
Dars, badly injured, retreats to Stagfield to get treated and call for reinforcements. Everybody else groups up, realizing that Misty is nowhere to be seen. Leneth runs out to find her as Augusta and Victor, and Tia arrive, followed by Chipz and Zack. Even with their reinforcements, the party still struggles against the beast, taking longer to kill it than the behemoth. As the final blows are dealt, the creature falls onto Blazeheart, crushing his body. The junior lieutenants lift the beast and retrieve Blazeheart, whose bones are broken.
A small group returns to Stagfield to get Blazeheart healed. Misty was found by Leneth and taken to the village already. The rest of the party drags the antlered creature back to Stagfield, where they would harvest it for meat and hide.
Expedition Party[]
tba
A Deal Struck, A Secret Revealed[]
tba
Trivia[]
- On Episode 1 of the mission (aired May 24, 2025), Finn returns. His last appearance was in the final episode of GMA: Dark Tidings which aired September 17, 2022.
VOD's[]
Ignis[]
- Chipz's POV: Episode 1 (1), (2), (3) / Episode 2
- Victor's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
- Risei's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
- Hoshi's POV: Episode 1 (1), (2)
Ardent Veil[]
Vanguard[]
- Zackary/Finn's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
- Augusta's POV: Episode 2
- Ryder's POV: Episode 1
- Iris's POV: Episode 1
- Lyshteia's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
Crystal Thorn[]
Gallant[]
- Misty's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
- Leneth's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
- Cortez's POV: Episode (1), (2)
- Narali's POV: All VODS Expired
General[]
GMA[]
- Aedrick's POV: Episode 1
Teachers[]
- Berion's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
- Crescent's POV: Episode 1
- Blazeheart's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
- Nisha's POV: Episode 1
- Lavender's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
Army of Darkness[]
- Cypher_Stories's POV: Episode 1
- deadmanwalking289's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
- Gigabits's (Joshua Lux) POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
- MM_016's POV: All VODs Expired
- OfficialMountainKing's POV: Episode 2
- PandazKayPie's POV: Episode 1
- Sgt_Smile's POV: Episode 2
- ZexalNexus's POV: Episode 1 / Episode 2
Gallery[]
TBA