Beluaterran Observer/Issue 1

Beluaterran Observer October 1010

Speculation: Post Invasion Power Blocks

The fourth invasion has seen enormous upheavals in the political fabric of Beluaterra- Alliances have been forged, wars waged, realms lost, and we have even seen the birth of a few young realms. It is clear that if humanity survives this invasion, it shall be a new Beluaterra that emerges. Let us expand on the ideas we presented in our first article; let us speculate on the powers to be, the realms we feel are best placed for survival, and what their political stances might be after the Scourge. The Prophets once chided humanity, who were prepared to give away only their second best treasure, their life, against the Scourge. In the editors opinion, one of the more telling prophecies. Maybe those of you who fought in the third invasion shall recall the realms that survived it- It was certainly not as brutal as the current one, yet those realms which chose an ally in the non humans fared substantially better- Sint comes to mind first. Initially allied with monsters, they were quick to abandon them when the avatars of their "gods", the daimons arrived. Sint essentially did the same thing this invasion, first leaving their friends in Heen for the daimons, then abandoning the daimons in favor of the beings of Light. But this policy of throwing away their honor has been Sints greatest asset. Had Sint not done so, it would have been a dead realm. Who is to say that this is a wrong policy, when its success is apparent by Sints survival? Many realms chose to side with an invaders (or lights) this invasion as well- Avalon, Bara'Khur, Enweil, Hetland, Melhed, Meridian Republic, Sint. All these realms live (except Avalon), indeed, news has come that Riombara was hours from being destroyed by monsters when the Temple to the light was built in Grehk. Now let us look at realms which did not choose a faction to ally with- Heen, Mesh, Old Grehk, Thalmarkin (Mesh allowed monsters to place militia in its regions, but then attacked them). Heen and Mesh are dead, and Old Grehk and Thalmarkin live, though they fought hard, they too would have been destroyed. The undead have not yet destroyed a human realm, that doesn't not appear to be their goal on this continent. Back to the matter at hand, the statistics speak for themselves. The realms that survived showed a flexibility to adjust their national policies, were willing to compromise, and make allies of different factions. Now, of the realms that do survive, which ones will be able to overcome the blight left by the invasion, which ones will be able to forge the new Beluaterra? Melhed we can leave out, its policies are insular, and rarely involves itself in continental affairs. Riombara too can be left out- The South is ravaged, the population of the once great Eno is a paltry thousand men and women. While Riombara can grow to be a power, it has years of slow recovery ahead of it. Bara'Khur will be content in aiding its federated partner, Enweil. That leaves but Enweil, Hetland, Sint, and Meridian Republic. Enweil is still powerful- 5 duchies, a good army, perhaps not as many nobles as it would like- yet strong. A strong ally in Bara'Khur, a realm which will support it in most wars it would wage. Enweil would certainly scramble to create colonies and spread its influence further, perhaps recreate Avalon, and try to retake the duchy of Fwuvoghor. This brings us to the other realms involved- Hetland and Meridian Republic. Will they stand idle and allow their historical enemy to march through their territory, and take lands which they claim? Meridian would certainly not hand over Fwuvoghor without a fight. The editors doubt there will be any peace after the invasion is over. A epic war is in the making, perhaps larger than even the great war, a war which will last a very long time, a bitter and bloody stalemate. This is where realms of Fronen, Sint, and Riombara come in- their forces could be the tipping point in this war. Sint has been a historical enemy of Enweil, yet even in the great war, it was too far away to launch more than a handful of attacks against Enweil. Thus we can focus on Fronen and Riombara. Riombara is no friend of Meridian, no doubt it wants its Islands back. Yet would it ally with Enweil, a realm it has been at odds with since longer than time itself? We cannot say. Stranger things have been known to happen. Yet Riombara will also be busy with retaking the South, and may not play a larger role on either side. In comes Fronen. Also an old ally of Enweil. Or is it? It has not allied with the daimons, as the Enweilian Federation has. Once a bastion of the Blood Cult, perhaps still so, yet it exiled its founder for treason. In Beluaterra, every small issue counts, every letter, every skirmish. We cannot hope to predict with accuracy what will come next, yet we have ventured to hazard a guess today. Only time can tell what will truly come to pass.

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The One- Fact or Fairy Tale, Conqueror or Liberator?

Readers may or may not have heard of the one- the warrior who united the armies of man, giving his life to forge a seal that was supposed to have sealed away the powers of Darkness and Light for all eternity. Interestingly enough, all four factions seem to have a different take on this man. Let us begin with the version of the undead, the one most of us know about. Long ago, Man faced extinction in the face of a great enemy. Men fought, and for a time, held their walls. But the evil was a tireless thing, and men are not innumerable. Shrouded in flame and with claws that cut stone, it swept across the world, laying waste to all in its path, leaving only queer uninhabitable landscapes. It was from these desolate landscapes that the First of Many rose and struck out against men as a second plague. The battle-weary men fell to become the Many and set out to increase their number, raising every man they slew and body discovered into their ranks. And so it was that destruction had two faces for men: the evil which wasted their land and the dead risen. For a time, men despaired, seeing no hope in the face of darkness, until the wisest noticed that in the lands through which the dead traveled, plants were found once more to grow, and the twisted landscapes slowly reshaped themselves. Whatever foul magic left by the great evil was drained by the passage of the dead. With time, a great conqueror rode to meet the Many. A warrior of great prowess never before or again seen, forgotten by all but the dead themselves on the tides of time. Before the arrival of the great evil it was beneath his banner that the entirety of man stood, and he signed with the Many a pact for all time. No longer would the dead destroy as the evil had, laying waste to their own source. Instead, they were were to become defenders, and to them all the bodies of the dead would belong. And so it was that side by side, Man and the Dead stood against the evil that plagued the land, chasing it back to the dark corners from where it emerged in endless numbers. The great evil, however, did not retreat without a fight: that which animated the dead was sealed for all time, forever preventing the innumerable dead from growing in number... In this version, there is no explicit mention of the Light. Yet, Tarchennan of the dead, spoke this of the Servants of Light- "Those... creatures... are a taint upon the world. There is no evil greater than what they once taught man, no darkness deeper than the knowledge they left. The soul of Man is no weapon, but they force it into one." Perhaps the great evil is a reference to the beings of light? Tarchennan also said- "As we were, we stand again. Once more the swords of Man, raise twice as it was then, and before the blade let the darkness fade." According to the dead, men and dead fought together against the Darkness, and the people who claim to be of the Light are themselves a part of the darkness. Now, let us see the version of the Light- Long, long ago, a terrible darkness was upon the land. There were terrible wars, and many people were killed, and many others were enslaved and ruled by brutal beings who had no mercy, and no kindness. "But in the midst of the darkness, a light began to shine. A brave man started drawing people to him, fighting against the darkness, and pushing it back with the power of the light. Soon he had a mighty host of warriors following him, and they faced the darkness. The power of the light shattered the darkness, and the brave man, using the ancient powers that still flowed free in those times, he bound the darkness and sealed it up behind a seal that was never supposed to break. But to make sure that there would be hope even if it did break, he gave his life to seal up the last of the power of the light along with it." No mention of the dead at all. Most enigmatic. The daimons or monsters did not come from within this seal, both say they come from another world. Indeed, there were daimons on Beluaterra long before the seal broke. This is where we enter the realm of speculation- What if the daimons and monsters are not the darkness or the light, just evil conquerors, and the servants of Light and Undead the main players representing the Light and Dark? Both Undead and Lights came from within the seal. Did not Marta also say- "For a long, long time, it held. But there are other powers that work in the world besides that ancient darkness and light, though they all come from them, one way or another. Some of those powers weakened the seal, and cracks started to appear. Those cracks let through the Monsters of Gilgamesh, the Daimons of the Netherworld, and the Undead of the Pact. But the cracks only let some of the darkness seep out. The seal wasn't broken completely. Until now." What if daimons and monsters are these other powers? Marta claims they came from the seal, but unless there is some explanation for why daimons were on our island from before the seal cracked, her argument does not hold up. Recall the ravings of Valachi, former God of Netherworld. Then they were taken for mad rants, but now, examined in context to our theory, seem to make a little bit of sense. Perhaps it was some daimonic ritual, or maybe an experiment in Prudents lab, which caused the cracks in the seal to widen... "They stir once more! But not all is lost... no, she shall face her ancient foe... I will see to that. Our archives... extensive. THE RITUAL! It is not lost! As the mountains breed chaos, the earth itself will rise up in order... IT IS NOT LOST I TELL YOU! And so near... so nearly complete... The dragons stir in truth for the first time since the gods walked our plane. Before them comes fire and death and destruction, and in their wake all hope is lost... but He stands from his throne watching all of chaos for the first time, to oppose... There is much death to come. I came to spread the word! The beasts stir, and their Goddess awakens! The men at the edge of Chaos ready their arms, and the earth trembles beneath their feet. Death comes... They awaken! The walls are giving way, and through the cracks they crawl into our world! Those who fight, they will die. Those who resist, they will die. Hope is such a small thing now..." Now, back to the topic of the One- Prudent dismissed his existence as a human fairy tale. But this is doubtful. That man surely existed, and the more we learn of him, the closer we are to finding a way to end this invasion.

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Ramblings on Realms

Avalon- Cteduul's walls were breached but last week by a huge monster army. It is said they put up a brave fight, yet the democracy created by Enweil in ages past was finally destroyed. It was certainly surprising their allies in the Netherworld failed to aid them, instead choosing to assault Hetland. Soon enough, Avalon will be just a page in the history books. While the Observers editors are unhappy to hear of the fall of yet another human realm, who isn't at least a bit happy to know that the realm of Dead Angels, Grim-Reapers, and funny symbols involving parentheses is dead?

Bara'Khur- The self styled realm of heroes has certainly come a long way in the invasion. From being a realm that was content to merely join easily won wars, it has managed to stay on its feet for a good portion of the invasion, savvily entering into federations with Enweil, Avalon, Fronen, Melhed, and an alliance with the Daimons. A former Bara'Khurian, Sherilynn Delsantos is even sitting on the throne of Netherworld. Bara'Khur has certainly played its cards well, and we lay odds this realm will be standing once the invasion is over. It may not be a realm of heroes, but its certainly a realm of politicians.

Enweil- Beluaterra's Giant took quite the beating this invasion, yet seems to be bouncing back. Left red faced after numerous defeats at the hands of Riombara and Dominion of Alluran before the start of the invasion, Enweil has managed to survive a Monster assault, forming federations with Avalon and Bara'Khur, and alliances with Daimons and Fronen. Having coffers that extend to the abyss is sure to have helped though. Will Enweils good fortunes hold out? In the end, will they be able to convince their partners in the Netherworld that their own realm doesn't need "purification by fire?" Who knows. Perhaps we shall see the old Enweil rise again after the invasion, dominating continental policies once more, ever willing to wage war to expand its own borders and impose its will on lesser realms.

Fronen- Boasting of a powerful militia army, well filled coffers, and a envious position around the lake, Fronen has remained dormant for the most part, sending its troops to the ill fated defense of Ossmat. Fronen is in federation with Bara'Khur and Melhed, and at peace with daimons. Monsters recently declared war on them. Perhaps its time Fronen woke up.

Hetland- Ahh, Hetland. Sent its troops to the defense of Mesh and Heen, yet sadly, both those realms fell. No strangers to the political arena, its nobles once famously spoke of daimons as their gods. In what can only be described as a remarkable turnaround, the very same nobles are now sacrificing themselves to the enigmatic faction of Light. Nonetheless, Hetland (with substantial help from the Light) has managed to turn back the daimonic assault. Will they survive the wrath of the Monsters, the faction they were allied with before the Lights built their temple in Creasur? Only time will tell.

Melhed-Once known as fence sitters, Melhed seemed to be doing well until yesterday. They were negotiating a pact with the dead, yet counted the daimons out, and were ambushed in Fronepu, loosing its walls to the netherworld. Is this the beginning of the end for Melhed? Or are the daimons just passing through? Melhed is rich, perhaps it can snatch victory from defeat, provided its rusty armies work in unison.

Meridian Republic- Beluaterra's Dark Horse, Meridian was formed in Rines, when the city seceded from Riombara. Meridian negotiated an alliance agreement with monsters. War was declared upon Meridian Republic by Enweil, Avalon, Bara'Khur and Netherworld hours after it was formed. It expanded swiftly, quickly taking four duchies for itself. Meridian is well placed, with walls guarding its inner core of regions, gold aplenty, and a seemingly powerful army. Meridian seems to be living up to its motto, "By casting aside your sacred honor, you can indeed gather an even greater honor: the accomplishment of your true goal." All that remains to be seen is the realms true goal. How does it plan to proceed now that its northern flank is secure?

Old Grehk- A shadow of its former glory, Old Grehk fought hard against the forces of the dead, making assault after assault, until finally the undead armies overwhelmed them, pushing them back all the way to Ossmat. Ossmat too fell at last, but was returned to Old Grehk by the dead last week under mysterious circumstances. Has Old Grehk agreed to a pact with the undead? Perhaps in the worst position on the continent, Old Grehk faces the daimons on the west, undead from the north and east, and monsters to the south. The editors wish them luck.

Riombara- The realm of the Highborn on the High Horses, Riombara, seemed in a good position at the start of the invasion, large and oiled army, defensible position, and a good ally in Dominion of Alluran. However, Dominion fell to the monster tide, Riombara too started loosing ground. Riombara managed to hold ground in Grehk, driving back monster hordes, and rejected a treaty from the monsters after a heated debate. Rines seceded to form Meridian Republic, and Riombara signed peace with monsters, which persisted until recently. Riombara seems on its way to recovery after retaking Irombro. Perhaps the realm shall bounce back.

Sint- Sint. One wonders how it has managed to thrive for so long. Forged an alliance with the daimons, abandoning their age old friends in Heen to a fiery death, and now word has it a Temple of Light has been constructed in Firbalt. Sint has abandoned the Netherworld once more, as swiftly as they became allies. The ends justify the means they say- and there is no denying that Sint has done what it perceived necessary to survive. Sint has a knack for surviving, and the editors feel it will pull through once again.

Thalmarkin- Targeted by the undead from day one, Thalmarkin has managed to push them back against all odds. Once reduced to Unger alone, and written off by many, this hardy realm clawed its way back from the jaws of death. Much strife have these people endured, and the editors hope they shall prevail in their struggle.

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