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Secondary Thread
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| Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver |
| Message sent to Everyone in the Agyrian Academy |
| Restless.
Nerta paces in her new tent while the stiffly dressed Captain Axel sighs. His new mistress seemed far too akin to a panther before bars.
"You need not worry m'lady, your soldiers shall see the creatures off with little difficulty."
Truth be told she had little worry of that, not after the entire army had marched in on her heels. No, she was more pensive that the archers were in harms way while she was safe and sound. But she wasn't going to have that argument again.
Besides, Bob was here and the Old Man wanted a word with him about some deed or another. |
| Nerta the Weaver (Foederati) |
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| Letter from Aeravon Velaryon |
| Message sent to All nobles of Ar Agyr |
| It looks like a new noble emerged from our ranks today, yet my lazy servant failed to properly report this. Welcome, Lady Nerta Unti!
For the North, |
| Aeravon Velaryon (Judge of Ar Agyr, Duke of Avalon, Margrave of Fronepu) |
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| Letter from Jacinda the Driven |
| Message sent to Everyone in the Agyrian Academy |
| Found another Dragon's Tear, in the lair of a small pack of monsterkin here in the Seven Rivers. |
| Jacinda the Driven (Adventurer) |
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| Letter from Varan |
| Message sent to Everyone in the Agyrian Academy |
| Undead were protecting another Dragon’s Tear in Zwering, the reanimated Grehkian general who was the final guardian put up a hellish fight. A wearying battle, but nothing a good massage and bath can’t sort out! |
| Varan (Adventurer) |
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| Roleplay from Soren Navaar |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| His room at the Wolf's Den Inn was small, but he rarely traveled with a lot of belongings outside of his weapons. Sitting off to one side was his bow, unstrung, next to a quiver of arrows. Beside that was his spear, and quarterstaff. Finally, his sword rested on his lap as he looked at the man before him. Soren sat face to face with a familiar figure for the first time in years. Long, once dark hair that was gray with age, pulled back and tied at the bottom, a ferocity in brown eyes that Soren knew as one of actual skill and burden, and a figure that looked like it could still fight years later. That was Felix Calanar, former Duke of Nothoi, and man he called Grandfather. Sitting in his lap were two objects wrapped in cloth. He had shown up out of the blue, and let himself into Soren's room without a word, and now, the young lord did not know what to say.
Felix began. "The Calanar network spans continents. Not one of you brothers is left un-watched, even if you don't realize it."
Soren nodded. "Does that mean?"
Felix nodded. "Locke is going to search for Cayden."
"Uncle Locke? He rarely leaves the estate anymore. Why would he go?" Soren asked, concerned more for his brothers than himself. Uncle Locke made him nervous. Of all the Calanar family he knew, it was the core family surrounding Locke that was the most nerve wracking. Every one of them seemed to have the strength and willpower of kings and queens in their own right. Nothing the Navaars could ever amount to.
Felix didn't respond. Instead he continued. "Velden is going to find Lucius, and I am here for you. It's time for your inheritances."
Soren blinked. "Inheritance?"
Instead of explaining, Felix unwrapped the first cloth item. An old set of seals, a map, and family heritage documents, proof of his bloodline, and ancient claim to countless regions that the family once thrived in throughout Beluaterra, a number of them were lands now belonging to Ar Agyr, and an old map of Beluaterra from before the blight took hold. A reminder of what daimon slayers fought for.
Soren swallowed hard, as he looked from item to item, setting many of them aside on the bed next to him. "That is... generous, grandfather, but I don't know how well those claims will hold up today." The last one was a seal for the Consul of Melhed. Taking a deep breath, he set that aside without thinking too hard on it.
"Move the sword," Felix ordered, and Soren immediately obeyed as he unwrapped the second package.
Soren paled. The sword that was revealed was a twisted piece of metal and blade. It looked like it could belong to some fantastic dictator in some fairy tale for children. It almost seemed blighted, and he hesitated to even touch it. The weapon had been worked and reforged over the years into something usable as a weapon. As Soren accepted the sword, he looked between it and his grandfather.
"A daimon's sword. Taken from one of the creatures during the fall of Heen by your great grandfather. He would use their own weapons against them. As the next in line of our family to serve Beluaterra, this weapon is yours should you wish to use it."
Soren, ever calm in most situations, looked down at the weapon and shuddered. "It is... an honor. I suppose."
Felix laughed. "It's no honor. It's a burden."
"Why now?" Soren asked, almost naively.
Felix, still chuckling, almost seemed like a daimon in his own right. "You're mostly free of the Blue Tower these days. Welcome to the family." |
| Soren Navaar (Count of Seven Rivers) |
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| Letter from Aibhlidhn Dubhaine |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Your analysis of coastal defences is well founded Lord Aeravon. We've had several periods when hordes from the ocean struck our coastal provinces and caused extensive devastation. We would need to keep militia stationed all along the coast to have much hope of disrupting such attacks. It's possible in principle but in practice militia tend to desert unless kept a close eye on.
The decision to claim Hopidrii was an experiment at a time when we did have sufficient nobles to manage the extra land. It's unfortunate that we've had three prominent nobles succumb to illness in recent weeks. I'll abandon the region once we've regained Lloringel and Tepmona so that we can then consider which other region to bring back under active control. Bit Havil and Jyl are both possibilities if we consider Thalmarkin or Vordul Sanguinis threats to our borders, or perhaps one of the hinterland regions in the north.
In hindsight - which is sadly much better informed than foresight - I probably should have abandoned Hopidrii before we sailed south. However I don't think that would have made a difference to the hordes as reports from my peers paint a bleak picture of increased raids everywhere since the incident in Keffa. Whether this is normal mischief or the presage of a new Invasion is hard to tell. Either way we will be watchful. |
| Aibhlidhn Dubhaine (Queen of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Rogan McGhee |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| After the battle in Ieara the young nobles second approached, “sir, those peasants were not running from the monsters towards us for protection, they attacked us in cohorts with those beast”. Rogan nodded his head as he cleaned his weapon and gathered himself, “Tippson, they are pure savages and these are strange lands, we need to slip through to the capital and regroup with the main army” |
| Rogan McGhee (Knight of Mhed) |
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| Letter from Soren Navaar |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Lloringel just got blindsided by another horde. |
| Soren Navaar (Count of Seven Rivers) |
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| Orders from Rowan Hawk |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Warriors,
If you are in Lloringel rally your men and prepare for the second wave. |
| Rowan Hawk (General of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Filippo Greybrook |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Why were were there meager units left in the region before the TO completed?
Signed. |
| Filippo Greybrook (Knight of Mhed) |
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| Letter from Greyson Stewart |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Sir Greybrook,
Firstly, I do not consider my original command meager and secondly, the takeover was 90% complete when the horde attacked. I, for one, used all of my time supporting the takeover, when I suppose some scouting would have been a good thing. Lesson learned.
In Honor, |
| Greyson Stewart (Noble of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Aibhlidhn Dubhaine |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Had I known a fresh horde would strike Rengo whilst that from Tepmona was striking Seven Rivers I'd have stayed behind to defend the TO rather than moving to intercept. My bodyguard wouldn't have been sufficient to win us the battle but at least it would have blunted the blow somewhat.
We all make miscalculations on occasion, especially when facing enemies who can emerge from the undergrowth without warning. I made such a miscalculation and have no qualms about owning it.
Now everyone in reasonable proximity to Fronepu return here and I'll dish out gold to allow you all to recruit further troops. Those too far away should make for your nearest bastion and provide regular scouting reports whilst we put ourselves in good order.
Move to Fronepu if you can.
Anyone who needs gold send me your request.
We need to rebuild our strength swiftly and push back hard. |
| Aibhlidhn Dubhaine (Queen of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Aibhlidhn Dubhaine |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Letter from Eugenica Snodaert
Message sent to the rulers of Beluaterra (7 recipients) - 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
Rulers of Beluaterra,
It has been an honor to serve along side you, the Realm Lux Nova will cease to exist. Our last members wil dissolve into the ranks of the Irondale nobility. Nova. Will not longer be able to stop the hordes. Once more ai heave the lukewarm goat bladder to the heavens so I may let the trickle of salty sweet goat wine tickle my pallet. Here is to all of you and for the new Light,
yours until the end times,
Eugenica of Bym from Ibladesh.
yours,
eugenica
Eugenica Snodaert
Pontifix Maxima of Nova
A somewhat disappointing turn of events given that Irondale did nothing to help the Novans in recent months whereas both we and the Vales mounted expeditions to the south. I hope they were at least offered the Fianik coast or the old Angmarian lands around Heen.
This could of course be Irondale prepping for war with Thalmarkin as there's been bickering between the two in recent weeks. |
| Aibhlidhn Dubhaine (Queen of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Aeravon Velaryon |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Sometimes it is just easier to brave the cerulean expanse, Steward Aelanta. The friendly harbors should make it a fairly enjoyable journey.
For the North, |
| Aeravon Velaryon (Judge of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Aibhlidhn Dubhaine |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Judge Aeravon speaks wisely. Whilst our hinterland is so plagued I recommend anyone travelling alone or in a small party take advantage of our merchant fleet to avoid traps and ambushes.
We will get the hinterland back under control and when we do those who are responsible for preying on our good peasantry will taste the full force of Agyrian justice. |
| Aibhlidhn Dubhaine (Queen of Ar Agyr) |
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| Orders from Rowan Hawk |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| My fellow warriors,
I am still wounded, but only lightly so. I was on my death bed in Lloringel but am recovering. I am thankful for the response to get me out of this land, my former home. I am rallying what remains of my men, and I will be here to greet you all to stand against the undead. I had initially set my unit to return to the capitol, but I could not live with myself to abandon you all for this fight. The undead are numerous and we will need every soldier available. I will stand by the warriors of Ar Agyr in the morning and together we will drive out the undead horde. |
| Rowan Hawk (General of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Filippo Greybrook |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Why are there so many rogues? It wasn't like this in Dwilight when I roamed. |
| Filippo Greybrook (Knight of Mhed) |
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| Letter from Aibhlidhn Dubhaine |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| We've had massed rogue outbreaks several times during my reign, the Rainbow Invasion being the worst - that saw a single army of 120k CS ravaging the coast between the Vales and Fronepu. The difference this time is that multiple hordes are appearing regularly in diverse locations across the East.
The Keffa Incident has a lot to do with this as magic became easier to cast and the witches who plague all lands have therefore become more dangerous. But I also see the migration of the Obeah from the Rines peninsula as strongly contributory. That made it impossible for the Novans to properly contain the threat from the Necromancers and now their realm has fallen allowing the rot to spread.
There has also been mention of other hordes north of Thalmarkin and to the west of Irondale but I've not seen scout reports to gauge just how bad the situation is in those parts.
I've tasked our bolder adventurers with seeking out scrolls useful in battle but for the most part we need to rely on our steel and our determination to see us through this period. At least our cities are on the coast so if pushed hard we can withdraw to our havens and hold there. |
| Aibhlidhn Dubhaine (Queen of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Aeravon Velaryon |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Our city-ports are massive bastions with towering walls and strong denizens. However, we cannot rely on this alone to weather us through the upcoming winter. These cities need food and with right now only Seven Rivers contributing the harvests will barely cover the needs. Even in autumn when they are extremely bountiful we are going to start missing food. It is clear that we need to sally forth and brave our way through the sea of hordes, and this is what we are doing, but a long term strategy on how to keep our reclaimed lands our should be defined. If these marauding hordes continue to run rampant it will be a challenge.
For the North, |
| Aeravon Velaryon (Judge of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Aibhlidhn Dubhaine |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| We're in a bit of a pickle as hordes seem to be infesting much of the continent since the Novans abandoned their homeland for Irondale and an extra sword to recapture the lands we've lost in recent weeks will be much appreciated.
Everything's suddenly gone very quiet around Lloringel. Let's hope it stays that way until the TO is concluded. |
| Aibhlidhn Dubhaine (Queen of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Greyson Stewart |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| I must say, with all due respect, that the Queen has certainly just jinxed us.
In Honor, |
| Greyson Stewart (Noble of Ar Aygr) |
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| Letter from Ryosuke Guile |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| A glorious day for all humanity! Well done Duke Remus!
The timely arrival of Duchess Scarlett was well within the Masked One’s knowledge, and together you beat some rather impressive odds. Gethsemene stands as a shining beacon in these troubling times!
Vox Noctis, |
| Ryosuke Guile (Hierophant of Irondale) |
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| Letter from Aibhlidhn Dubhaine |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Unique Item Lost
(Personal message) - 10 hours, 51 minutes ago
As you regain consciousness from your wounding, you realize that you have lost the Vial of Scherzer's Ashes!
In this morning's battle in Lloringel I was separated from my guards in the melee and had a great heirloom of Ar Agyr, the Vial of Scherzer's Ashes, ripped from my unconscious body before being rescued.
A generous bounty will be paid to whoever recovers the Vial. |
| Aibhlidhn Dubhaine (Queen of Ar Agyr) |
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| Letter from Jacinda the Driven |
| Message sent to Everyone in the Agyrian Academy |
| Great Queen,
I have found your heirloom, though I need rest now, where should I meet you to deliver it? |
| Jacinda the Driven (Adventurer) |
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| Letter from Nerta the Weaver |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| The Old Man wonders what's going on in the deep south. With Ar Agyr busy tending local matters there's little talk of another crusade.
Anyone have any news? |
| Nerta the Weaver (Foederati) |
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| Letter from Soren Navaar |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| I'm on my way to Lloringel to assist.
Might I suggest we change the melee and ranged formations?
With melee in box, it means they will last longer, and with the ranges forces in a line, they will do more damage. |
| Soren Navaar (Count of Seven Rivers) |
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| Letter from Nerta the Weaver |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| Not a bad idea Soren, but I'm to ask: Know any good songs to go with the March? |
| Nerta the Weaver (Foederati) |
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| Letter from Soren Navaar |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| A song Priestess?
I might have one up my sleeves here. An old war song. The music is a bit rough
As the drum beat started on that day, heard a hundred miles back
A hundred thousand arrows fly, and the blue sky turned to black.
Yes, that foul hail, you see, it lasted all day long
And the army marched, banners high, burning hearts still strong.
The battle, yes, the battle had begun.
The battle, yes, the battle, nowhere to run.
As the first blows struck, cries called out, judgement for their sins
The warriors march, pure of cause, a thousand smaller wins.
As combatants fall, final breaths, the field becomes a flood
With wolven howls, our heroes push, through sweat, tears, and blood.
The battle, yes, the battle on the rise.
The battle, yes, the battle now, hear our howling cries.
The last foe falls, beneath cold steel, despite the fearsome clash
Driven from the field they say, powerful as thunders crash.
Heroes cheer, victory, still they mourn the cost
A toast held high, a drink or two, for the ones they lost.
The battle, yes, the battle stopped at last.
This pack of wolves must move on, a tale for their past. |
| Soren Navaar (Count of Seven Rivers) |
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| Letter from Nerta the Weaver |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Soren,
The Old Man will not stop singing this now. I hope you're happy. He just mutters about Gor Ault and some ancient war. |
| Nerta the Weaver (Foederati) |
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| Letter from Nerta the Weaver |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| A few more legends have been recorded in the library. Some are more, colourful than others...
Anyone know of any other local stories? |
| Nerta the Weaver (Foederati) |
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| Letter from Gadwin Ardent |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| I came to this land determined to learn of the Old Gods. I have read some of the materials in the library but I would very interested to hear the thoughts, teachings and opinions of those who have followed the Old Gods. Is there one or more among you who would be willing to guide me in these early times of discovery? |
| Gadwin Ardent (Knight of Daisha) |
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| Letter from Nerta the Weaver |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| The Old Man says yes, though I'm more qualified to teach you about hunting.
What brought you here, another with visions from the Gods or just a grudge against the Children? |
| Nerta the Weaver (Foederati) |
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| Letter from Gadwin Ardent |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| I have had no visions. I am no prophet or seer. I also hold no grudges as of note, against the children or anyone else.
I simply heard rumors of Old gods being found again here in Beluaterra. Small bits and seemingly inaccurate in many cases. But what I did hear stirred me. I had to learn more. And so here I am. |
| Gadwin Ardent (Knight of Daisha) |
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| Letter from Nerta the Weaver |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| You must be new or have led a charmed life Gadwin. Hope it continues.
Either way, the Old Gods are the masters of this land and the monsters their Children. We are in contest with the beasts to control this land, a contest we seem to be losing given all the wild lands. Our goal is simple, to win the love of the Gods and vanquish the monsters through the strength of the human spirit.
What had you heard, something different than this?
Actually we've lost most of our Augurs lately. Wonder what they know that we don't... |
| Nerta the Weaver (Foederati) |
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| Letter from Quincy Stormreaver |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| Fellow faithful,
I'm pleased to announce the opening of the temple in Aesh. I invite a priest to preach in my lands at their earliest convenience and and elder to enlarge the temple. Please remove the Dashi influence from my lands as soon as possible.
Iron Within and Sexy Velvet Without, |
| Quincy Stormreaver (Keeper of Law of Irondale) |
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| Letter from Jacinda the Driven |
| Message sent to Personal letter to Nerta |
| Old friend,
I seem to find more coin passing through my hands these days than I have any use for. The Academy in Agyr is grand and can serve as a good home for those of us who still wander, and my gear is as good as any lady's. But the Wolf Lord still has paid no mind to my tries to get his attention, and I think that my little shrines are swept away by the winds and rain soon enough.
If...If I supplied the gold, could you...Bless the shrines I put up? See to it that the folk in those regions tend them? I keep thinking if there is enough to get his attention, perhaps...Maybe it'll be enough.
(OOC Jacinda keeps ending up with truly ridiculous amounts of cash from scrolls and all, and I've been RPing her setting up little shrines when she kills undead champions or monster champions, thought it would be fun to have those turned into actual game mechanical shrines, and that would help the religion too.) |
| Jacinda the Driven (Adventurer) |
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| Letter from Soren Navaar |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Priestess,
I am honored to hear that my song went over well. Perhaps I shall commit it to the Academy Archives in the Seven Rivers Bardic Wing if we ever reclaim it from the beasts that plague it. |
| Soren Navaar (Count of Seven Rivers) |
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| Letter from Ryosuke Guile |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| Faithful Believers in the Old Gods,
I have come across a text within one of the libraries of Fianik, one that gave me pause in my perusal... I can see hints of all of the Divines within this tale. I shall attach a copy of the repaired text here:
"Once upon a time, on the slopes of the Great Mountain, there was a village where the people known as "Happy" lived, their very existence a mystery to the rest of the world, obscured as it was by immortal clouds.
Here they played out their peaceful lives, innocent of the litany of excess and violence that was growing in the world below. To live in harmony with the spirit of the mountain called "Dragon" was enough. Then one day a group of Strangers arrived in the village. They came in darkness, hidden under deep hoods, but no one noticed them: they only saw shadows.
You see, without the Truth of the Eyes, the Happy-folk were blind.
In time, the Strangers found their way into the highest reaches of the mountain, and it was there that they found the caves of unimaginable Sincerity and Beauty.
By chance, they had somehow stumbled upon the Place Where All Good Souls Come to Rest.
These Strangers, they coveted the shining jewels in these caves above all things, and soon they began to mine the mountain, its rich seams fueling the chaos of their own world.
Meanwhile, in the town, the Happy-folk slept restlessly, their dreams invaded by shadowy figures digging away at their souls.
Every day, people would wake and stare at the mountain. Why was it bringing darkness into their lives? And as the Strangers mined deeper and deeper into the mountain, holes began to appear, bringing with them a cold and bitter wind... that chilled the very soul of the dragon. For the first time, the Happy-folk felt fearful... for they knew that soon the Dragon would soon stir from its deep sleep... And then came a sound. Distant at first, it grew into castrophany so immense it could be heard throughout the heavens.
There were no screams. There was no time. The mountain called Dragon had spoken.
There was only fire.
And then, nothing."
I wonder if any might have thoughts upon this tale? I assume it regards Jobo's Mouth and the far past, but am unsure. The Jedin Massif is the only Great Mountain I know of at present. I am most curious about this "Truth of the Eyes", much moreso than the resting place of souls. I would dare not disturb a well earned rest, but I would most certainly seek out this item, or concept, or technique... whatever it is, I would seek it. If any have information, I would be greatly appreciative.
((OOC: yes, the story is inspired by song lyrics, shoot me :P))
Vox Noctis, |
| Ryosuke Guile (Hierophant, Defence Minister of Irondale) |
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| Letter from Nerta the Weaver |
| Message sent to Everyone in The Old Gods |
| That's quite the story, almost lyrical.... By the Gods is the Old Man going to start singing some more? |
| Nerta the Weaver (Foederati) |
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| Roleplay from Soren Navaar |
| Message sent to Everyone in Ar Agyr |
| Outside the court room of Seven Rivers, the local lord was pacing back and forth. "How long do you think it will take to restore production here?"
Captain Oldred, a veteran of his campaigns since Obia'Syela, frowned and gave a shrug. "Depends on the people, my Lord. They are looking for inspiration and safety, and I don't think those times are now."
Soren was about to curse. He had tried not to stand out, but it seemed like he was the only one actively keeping watch. Beasts, the living dead, and more were on the rise. Even now, a few beasts lingered in the Seven Rivers causing problems. Now, he was a Lord, Champion of Avalon, and had responsibilities. Without dismissal, he stormed away from his Captain, who readily followed behind him.
The roads were quiet, even for a cowering populace. There should have been some people on the streets. It wasn't until he was turning down one of the main streets back toward his estate, that Soren began to hear the crowds screaming and jeering. "Captain."
With only a nod, the pair of them started toward the noise. In one of the market squares, at least one hundred villagers were surrounding a creature making a horrible sound. The boar-like beast squealed and grunted. It had been caught in a snare trap laid out by the villagers. Now they were trying to figure out how to kill it. The beast was easily twice the size of a normal boar, with tusks and horns that twisted around the head like a cage, acting as both a defense and a weapon. It would charge forward a step or two, trip, and then get up and back away. Anytime, someone tried to close in, it would swing its head around. Just approaching, Soren watched it nearly gore two men with pitchforks.
"Get the rest of the guards together. We need to control this situation," Soren ordered his Captain, who hurried off without a word.
"ORDER!" Soren cried out to his people. "STAND DOWN!" Nothing.
He grabbed the shoulder of the first person ahead of him and the woman spun around. "Back off -! My Lord!" She bowed low with an embarrassed flush to her cheeks.
"You look higher born. What's the situation?"
The woman stood back up. Even though she was dressed in leathers, Soren immediately recognized her weapon as something a normal person wouldn't be able to afford. "Katria Kadara, my Lord. First born daughter of the Kadara family that manages the land to the east of the Kadara River."
"Situation. Your lineage doesn't matter here," Soren snapped. His grey eyes burned into her. His usual demeanor was slipping after weeks of slaughtering creatures.
"The locals caught a beast, my Lord. We're trying to find a way to kill it. We've made a few attempts, but the creature's hide is tougher than what we have." She drew her rapier, a fine weapon, or it would have been. The blade had already broken, likely on the beast.
Soren cursed and looked back to the beast. He wasn't carrying his usual arsenal of weaponry this time. The spear and bow were for the battlefield. Instead he only carried his sword and quarterstaff. "Katria, clear me a path," he ordered.
Taking a deep breath, Soren let go of his usual demeanor. The man who smiled softly, sat in the background and hummed tunes slipped away. As Katria made a path through the crowd, Soren removed the mask of the Lord of Seven Rivers. He hadn't let this slip since the Temple of the Heralds of Obeah. Over a century of his family's bloodline coursed through him. Countless Rulers and Lords made their names throughout the world, culminating in him. Anything that wanted to intimidate him, astonish him, awe him, would be sorely mistaken. Here was a champion. As he started after Katria, the crowd cleared the way, though the people gave him a wider berth than they gave her.
By the time they reached the front of the crowd, Oldred was returning with the guards, but it was too late. Soren paid them no mind as they started scattering around the crowd to make way to handle the beast themselves. Soren, the quietest of the Navaar brothers stood strong. The look in his eyes, if it were a weapon, would gouge a hole through the boar-creature in front of him. The people want a hero, a champion to feel safe. I'm no hero, but I suppose I can do this much. "Stay here, Katria."
The first step toward the beast was all the crowd needed to settle down. Their Lord had shown up, and was preparing to have a go at the creature. All around him, people whispered. Eyes glanced between the Lord and the beast, most were curious as to where this side of the young Lord had been before. A few rowdier men started placing bets as to what would happen. Comments about whether he would try sword or staff. The second step was enough to make the people freeze and draw the ire of the beast before him. The third and all went silent as the beast pawed at the ground and got ready to make its charge.
Soren inhaled deeply, and as he exhaled, reached for his sword. This weapon was a bit wider than he was used to, but the real test was the weight to it. It wasn't heavier than normal, but there was blood on this weapon. Lots of blood. Drawing the twisted metal blade drew horrified gasps from the onlookers. Nothing about it looked right. Unlike a normal weapon, it was all one piece of metal. as though someone had poorly cut a sword out of a giant bar of steel. The grip was leather, freshly wound and sealed around the hilt to make using the weapon possible. A daimon's sword. If his grandfather spoke the truth, this blade came from a Daimon killed in Heen during the fourth invasion, and was now his burden to carry. Even the beast seemed to hesitate at the weapon's appearance.
Soren didn't let the crowd or the beast linger however. Instead, he stepped forward again.
The boar charged, tusks and horns ready to rip the young Lord to shreds.
Soren waited until the last moment and stepped to the side, swinging the sword with all the momentum he could muster. The blade made contact with the horn cage. Crack. The sound seemed to reverberate through every man woman and child watching. The monster lifted from the ground and went sprawling into the dirt. Soren grinned and stepped towards the beast. "Again, foul monster!"
He watched as it struggled to its feet, cautious of what had just happened, but seeing the threat, it only had one course of action and lowered its head to charge again. The clash repeated. Soren moved aside, and once more the blade made contact. Crack! This time as the boar went down, the unthinkable happened. It's horn fell off, leaving a twisted stump behind. The beast stood back up and shook its head as Soren closed in. It didn't have the room to charge now, so it flailed its head towards him. This time, he caught the tusk on the same side. CRACK! The tusk splintered, and down went the creature once more.
Soren, not missing a beat brought the sword down once more, this time, cleaving through flesh and bone, as he beheaded the beast with a grizzly splatter of blood. Gasps went through the crowd as the townsfolk watched him clean his blade on the hide of the beast before walking away from it. "It's done." Cheers rose up from the crowd as they swarmed in to look at the remains of the monster that had terrorized their homes.
As he approached Katria, he sheathed the weapon once again. He met the lesser noble's eyes, and she immediately looked away under the Lord's new gaze. "Katria, come with me. I don't know enough about the lesser families here, and I need to apprise them of these creatures if we want to get Seven Rivers back to what it was."
"Of course, my Lord..."
This time, he didn't need to have her lead the way. The people immediately made room for him and his companion. I guess people will notice me now, he thought to himself, and held back the sigh. |
| Soren Navaar (Count of Seven Rivers) |
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