# They didn't have a clear picture of what humanity was capable of. What little they knew of the Histories came from what they extracted from the members of the Lost Expedition they captured. The descriptions they were getting from the terrified humans they were torturing/assimilating/eating and all around mind-raping wasn't exactly clear. They've been locked up for milleniae, so they didn't have a frame of reference for what they were hearing outside what they knew. The ability to harness lightning in every home. Metal wands that shoot instant death. Metal steeds that come to life when humans sit in them, carrying them wherever they wish. They went in basically assuming they were fighting an if not equally powerful opponent, than one that was scarily close to it for what a cattle race was meant to be capable of.

# Shock and Awe. The Hours wanted to send a message to the whole of mankind: The Gods are The Gods for a reason. After they almost instantly annihilated the first City they more or less realized as one they weren't on an even playing field. This just spurred them on. Their successes either emboldened them or they just figured they'd already come this far, so why stop now. The only thing scarier that Mob Mentality is divine mob mentality.

# Military and private security presences were probably tipped of where to go and what to do to get the drop on a few of the Hours' forces, or had bases or wards placed atop sites sacred to certain Hours. Not enough to actually hurt the Hours, but enough of an unexpected struggle they started slowing down as they assessed their opponents.

# This would be around the time one or two New Gods from Blood popped up from the fighting, so the Hours rapidly started losing steam.