"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the steam sale is delightful. And since we have no place to go. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

Mar couldn't help but sing as yet another spore "snowfall" was unleashed over Hor. They had amused themselves by making it snow over the town every 5 hours or so. The first two clouds had sent the inhabitants that dared to be outside scurrying into their homes and desperately attempting to keep the spores from entering their homes. Over a hundred of them had been caught a few of which were infected as well as poisoned.

Mastery helped with the infections as Mar could ensure the infection worked as slowly as possible through their system. Without the wind mage to create domes of air, it was almost impossible for the opposition to move through town. At least until Mar decided to give the townsfolk a break from spores so the energy of the Swarm could be used for other things.

Transporting all of the wheat that was needed had not taken as much time as Mar had initially expected. The Workers had found several abandoned carts at the various farms they had gone to, and Mar had been more than happy to let them use said carts and carriages to transport the massive amount of grain that the Workers could harvest.

It made the entire process so much more helpful and while the spores fell over Hor, the Sovereign Swarm collected and made an enormous pile of grain that in time almost looked like a small hill. Ysandra had been busy helping to prepare Henry for his part in the plan, as long as he didn't crack they should work through it quite efficiently.

Mar had considered speaking directly, but they had decided that a less direct voice would be the best way to convey what they had planned. A more relatable perspective than the one Mar could bring to the table, it mattered little at the end of the day. Soon, Mar would be able to relate to each and every one of the townsfolk. The Sovereign Swarm would not be satisfied with anything less than that. So, Mar relayed a call through the Swarm.

"Bring me, Henry. It is time."

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The last day and a half since the night raid on Hor had been an absolute nightmare. The enemy had been content to let toxic spores fall down over the town for hours. It was horrific not only because the spores could potentially kill you, but also because the snowfall trapped everyone inside. All of the refugees and the townsfolk alike were stuck inside of cramped homes and only waiting for the scant hours with clear air.

Helena had been stuck at the Temple of Old Yoss along with the other Acolytes, Yorich, and of course Old Yoss himself. When he had first come it had been like seeing the sun itself come to Hor. His power had smashed through the besiegers and sent them on the run, while also effortlessly creating a barrier over the town. And then he had been branded by the Thrall-Maker.

It had shaken the entire Clergy of not only Old Yoss but all the other Priests, Shrine-Keepers, and Acolytes that were in Hor. A mere monster had struck down a god, and not only that it had also branded said godlike a piece of meat. When Old Yoss finally rose the entire town saw what was on his face. A purple brand that looked like a mixture between a spiderweb and honeycomb marring his old face, stretching from his right cheek up and around to the left side of his forehead. A brand so large the only way to conceal it would be to cover the entire face.

All could feel the alien power pulsating from the brand. Even a blind maggot could sense the horrific intent that radiated out to all of the surroundings. "This is my meat. It will be mine. It will all be mine." It seemed to scream with its very presence. No one had dared to address it and Old Yoss had not spoken up about it. He had ordered them all back to the temple and asked them to undertake cleansing rites of him.

The Priesthood had worked for hours and still, the brand was ever-present on him. Even Yorich had suggested that they should use their talents to help outside, especially once the deadly snowfalls began. But strangely enough, Old Yoss had become even more fixated on staying inside of the temple once the spores fell all over town. Helena didn't know what was going on but she was afraid that what was out there was beyond even her god.

A roaring sound came from outside and everybody in the temple turned as their concentration broke and their prayers died on their lips. Then it came again and dust actually started falling from the ceiling. Everyone in the temple looked around in confusion until the sound hit a third time and finally became intelligible.

"COME! COME AND SEE YOUR HOPE!"

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Mar felt happy with their improvements of the Juggernaut Spider and Henry, it had taken some finagling but eventually the desired result had been reached. The former now had working vocal cords that would let it speak and Henry was given the vocal cords of a champion. He could roar out his words like an entire pack of lions and still be easily understood by all who could hear.

The Juggernaut Spider stood at the head of the throng of Units that Mar had made into a vanguard before the main gates of Hor. Henry had his sword out and posed while waiting for more and more of the Townsfolk to gather on the ramparts, roofs, and whatever tall structure they could find to watch from.

People trudged through the spore-filled streets to reach the wall, while others worked to climb up on their houses or the homes of neighbors. Whatever the result, in time Mar flat that the required audience had been gathered. Or rather it was so when the branded god stepped up on the walls while being surrounded by their Clergy.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"It is time"

"Yes, Sovereign"

Henry stood straighter and looked at the town before glancing to the enormous pile of grain that had been gathered by the diligent workers. Before he started with the planned speech he pointed to the pile and then to the town with his blade. Ysandra and Henry had been adamant about disguising most of the alterations he had undergone by covering most of his body in a dark cloak.

"HOR! This! This will be the instrument of your liberation!"

Mar felt rather proud of the opening line as that had been their idea.

"My name is Henry Longforth! Some of you knew me as the leader of the Light Tamers, or as that drunk Adventurer that stayed in the tavern for too long."

An unbidden chuckle came from some in the crowd and Henry waited to give them a chance to let it out before he continued.

"I was left in the forest to die when we attacked the Sovereign of Halla. But I was given clemency rather than death or life as a mindless puppet."

Henry indicated the gigantic spider and then to a human Fungal Zombie before continuing.

"Now my master has come for you and I have pleaded that you too will be shown mercy. Hor cannot withstand the might of what is facing you out here, and I don't want to see this town be wiped off the map."

"Hah! We have a god's shield!"

Someone shouted out from the crowd and hesitant cheers followed that statement. That died down, however, as Henry did not seem the least bit worried and just waited for the noise to go away before he continued.

"Your shield is mighty indeed, no minion can enter Hor at present. Not through the sky, or on land, or even through the earth and under the walls. But, do not think that your protections will last. My master is powerful beyond your comprehension and knows secrets that not even your "god" could even dream of."

Henry pulled up a brown and withered scroll and wiggled it for a second before he resumed speaking.

"But even if your shield was eternal it wouldn't matter. Baron Heraclius, your fortress has already fallen to us. As we speak the people there are preparing to come to our aid in bringing clemency to Hor. They resisted and regretted it, but they took the deal that was offered at the end of the day. No reinforcements can reach you in time and you are not safe even behind your shield. Your food supplies have been...tampered with by loyal agents that serve the Sovereign even now in this very moment. None of your wells are safe to drink from anymore, it will only take days for you to either die of thirst and starvation...or to become a mindless husk by consuming that which has already been tainted. Only loyal servants such as myself can eat and drink safely that which is in your town right now."

Loud gasps and shouts followed the revelations that Henry presented to them. Then came the hushed murmuring as they all waited for him to speak, despair and anticipation co-mingling until it became impossible to separate them. Henry let the crowd soak in that despair for a minute until he spoke again.

"However, it won't come to that for a simple reason. Your god, Old Yoss, will not be able to protect you after what I am going to unleash on him at this moment. Because you see, you have already failed. For this scroll, this scroll contains the Rite of Skam."

Several people exclaimed in terror and then stopped as puzzlement replaced it. Someone even said that which everybody seemed to be thinking.

"Uh...what?"

Henry twirled the scroll in his hand so the eyes of the crowd would return to it and he came with a saddened smile.

"The Rite of Skam is an ancient ritual that my master has rediscovered. A rite even older than Old Yoss and filled with the power needed to bring him low. I begged to not have it unleashed but your defiance has forced our hands, in this rite lays the power to strip a god of his power and give it to someone more worthy. They are shamed and brought low while a more appropriate being takes their place."

Suddenly the earth around the enormous pile began to shift as lines started to trace themselves forming a circle and then adding several strange glyphs around it. Logistics-Collective busily organized all the moles and skilled digger creatures in the Swarm to work in overtime while Ysandra wove a simple spell from her hidden position.

The growing circle began to glow as a wafer-thin layer of bio luminous moss filled out the lines of dug earth. Every villager screamed as a connecting line spread from the complex ritual circle to the outermost layer of the divine barrier and then began to form a circle around Hor itself. Ysandra was responsible for that as she subtly molded the earth until there were two glowing circles. One green and the other a sickly orange, the former around the pile of grain and the other around the town of Hor.

"In three days your barrier will be shattered, your god will be brought low, and your town will be taken by force. Do the smart thing and give up instead. As long as Old Yoss bears the brand the power of the ritual will be channeled through it."

Henry then unfurled the scroll and stepped up to the enormous ritual circle and he began to read what sounded like a melodious string of nonsense words to the terrified townsfolk. Each syllable was given time to breathe as Henry chanted and then threw a torch carried over to him a deer into the grain.

"As we sacrifice the symbol of Old Yoss's power, know that he is shamed and unworthy. Each day that passed now will weaken him until he is nothing but a shadow of a shadow. And when that happens there will be no mercy for Hor, my master will shatter your wall and make all of you into either food or puppets. Decide if that is the future you want for your children."

And with that Henry threw the scroll into the growing fire and walked back into the crowd of monsters while the shocked townsfolk stared at the harvest being burnt up and at that moment...they believed.