Giant Volon Emerges Near Ystets, Potentially Catastrophic Consequences

The volon-infested city of Ystets is now under siege by an enormous volon beast, the likes of which nobody has ever seen before. Estimated to be roughly 700 metres tall, military officials deployed in the city are referring to the beast as “VOCATH” (Volon Catastrophic Threat).

Witnesses describe seeing VOCATH emerge from the forests north of Ystets, where Ystets Lake resides. Some speculate the giant volon came from the lake, but this claim is currently unconfirmed. No definitive evidence has been publicly released regarding VOCATH's origin.

VOCATH has most recently been observed in the northern districts of Ystets where it has begun a rampage, demolishing critical infrastructure and buildings alike, and either killing or consuming anyone it comes across. Currently, VOCATH's death toll is between 20,000 to 24,000 – the exact number is unknown, and it is unclear how many of those casualties are military, civilian, or disguised volon in nature.

Widespread panic has spread throughout Ystets' remaining population, sparking an urgent evacuation order from local military forces. Over half of the city's populace has left Ystets and many fugitives have taken refuge in Era, Lower Miyatama, or Karma's Gateway. While both Miyatama and Karma's Gateway have been inundated with humans and genofexians respectively, Era's mayor has announced the opening of a refugee camp to provide relief from the VOCATH crisis, generously sponsored by Veirr Heavy Industries.

If you have been displaced from your home in Ystets, consider making your way to Era for the best chance at finding some respite.

~~~

Martial Law Declared in Ystets, Heavy Artillery Deployed, Napalm In Effect

Ystets has turned into a total war zone in light of Vocath's devastation in the area. Few civilians – if any – remain in the city, and local governors have declared martial law as military forces occupy the entire area.

Video feeds from our helicopters have captured footage of napalm firing at Vocath from long distances to ignite the giant. Although volons are known to catch fire to an invariably fatal degree, Vocath's sheer size has caused it to resist the flames, even with sustained barrages of napalm. The footage shows Vocath burning in several different areas while still causing widespread chaos in Ystets. See below for live footage – viewer discretion is advised.

[...]

The giant volon's death toll has risen to over 60,000; exact numbers are still unclear at this time. Citizens anywhere near Ystets are advised to move as far away from the area as possible. Vocath remains a serious and unpredictable threat to civilization as a whole, and should be avoided at all costs.

~~~

Vocath Subdued in Ystets City Centre

The giant volon ravaging the city of Ystets has finally been subdued near the city centre after constant barrages of military ordinance. It is yet unclear whether Vocath can be considered “deceased” due to its foreign biology, but its rampage has ended for the time being.

Its strength (and, by extension, its ability to shapeshift) seems to have been diminished by the constant napalm fire. Although volons are notably susceptible to fire, Vocath seemed to possess a high enough level of intelligence for it to effectively smother the flames with its own shapeshifting anatomy when struck with napalm. However, during the past few hours, it has lost cohesion, decomposing into a pile of flesh nearly a kilometre in diameter. At this time, it does not appear to be able to move, but it should still be considered extremely dangerous until a public statement is issued on the matter.

“At this time, we believe Vocath has been neutralized,” stated one of the military officials deployed in the city, “but we are still unfamiliar with that thing's biology. For all we know, it could get up and begin terrorizing the city again at any moment. We can't say for sure.”

Ystets has been completely quarantined from outside society; civilians are not allowed to enter the city under any circumstances and are advised to stay far away from the area if possible. According to local officials, rescue efforts will begin once they are completely confident that Vocath is no longer alive.

~~~

Maxie shambled into her workplace's bright lobby a couple days after being assigned to Ystets Lake. Everything looked... fuzzy. Unfamiliar. Humans went about their days, walking to and fro, but she felt a distinct lack of belonging after the rise of Vocath. Why was she even here...?

To give a report, an errant thought blinked through her mind.

To give a report. And to do that, she needed to see her boss. And to see her boss, she needed to take the elevator. And to take the elevator, she needed to walk forward and to the left. Things were starting to make sense to her.

So she did just that. Max walked forward and to the left, passing by the reception desk without a word. The grey door leading to the elevator was right in front of her, and with the press of a button, the doors opened to reveal an empty chamber.

Max stepped inside. What floor was her boss on, again?

Three, her thoughts echoed.

“Three,” she said aloud, pressing the respective button. After the doors closed, the elevator rose to the third floor, and she found herself looking down a corridor with doors on either side.

Her boss's room number?

302.

302, she remembered.

After stepping out of the elevator, room 302 was just to her right.

Knock, knock.

“Come in!” a masculine voice answered.

Max turned the doorknob. Inside the little office space was a human sitting behind a desk. Upon seeing her, its eyes lit up.

“Max!” it exclaimed, standing up. “Y-you're here! I thought we'd lost you when I heard about Vocath in Ystets, and you weren't answering our calls!”

“Yeah... sorry,” Max said.

“No no, I should be saying that to you!” it replied, looking both shocked and apologetic. “I had no idea the lake was going to be so close to that huge thing.”

“It's okay,” Max said, followed by a long silence.

“...Um, so? You're okay? Unharmed?” it continued, surveying her body.

“Yeah,” Max said.

“Good... so, uh–”

That was when it realized. The human went totally still, staring at her with a wide-eyed, horrified gaze.

Maxie opened her mouth.