Unti Family/Nerta/A5S4

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Letter from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene I didn't expect to run into Valesmen up here. I take it the battle against the Dread Necromancer hasn't gone well. Do you need any aid? Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Letter sent, the cloaked woman checks the bounty board outside the Temple. Seems the Valesmen had been busy in their takeover, with a lot of notices bearing the mark of Fheuvenem's Eagles and other lords. There was some mess in a stables... "Guess that's mine." Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Yao Ling Pryde Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "I have no need of using the portal myself," Yao Ling said to Emperor Ehrich. "Though a thought has come to mind that a portal like this could be most... useful if it were to be between more... friendly regions. I can't say it is possible. This may have been a one-time, time-limited gift from the gods. But if it were possible to have a more permanent portal, between more secured and friendly regions, would it be of interest to you?" Yao Ling Pryde (High Shugenja of Daishi)
Letter from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Greetings Priestess Nerta, Alas resistance against the relentless waves of undead has been unsustainable for some time but the deterioration and this new opportunity were both sudden. Do you come this far north often? I regret I know little of the Old Gods. With respects, Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Letter from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene I wander throughout the north, helping to slay monsters and protect people in the name of the Gods. Admittedly the last time I was through here there were Irondale banners, but things change. I was hoping your people would have more insight into what the Dread Necromancer of the Sunken Kingdom seeks. They have grown bold since Keffa, but it sounds like we are all in the dark. As for the Old Gods, you probably know them by other names. They are the powers of Beluaterra and your people have spent months battling the servants of the Crystal Maiden. The Soul Crusher, the Deep One, the Cursed Seductress. As you can imagine, we don't like her much. The Followers focus on the other 5 Gods. But what is most important are displays of human excellence and, of course: killing monsters. So long as you do the good work of protecting people and battling the Inhumans you're alright in our books. After these months, none would doubt the dedication of the Valesmen to that task. But leave it to a priest to preach when there is work to do. Do you need anything? Ooc: this video explains a lot of the basics if you don't want to read. https://youtu.be/nK3MIwRxw40 Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Letter from Boffin Barthold Message sent to Personal message to Nerta I am interested in your "Old Ways". Will you do me the honor of a visit that I might learn more? Boffin Barthold (Knight of Gethsemene)
Letter from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene So you want to learn more about the Gods. I'm happy to share a tale or two but, what would you like to know? Most warriors are drawn to the Wolf Lord. The Savage Scream, The Beastmaster, Tree Shaper, Life Bringer. He is brutal in countenance and fury, as only life can be. One doesn't worship the Wolf Lord so much as honour him with thought and deed. But perhaps you are seeking to protect and guide, placing you in the care of the Dark Mistress. The Pale Wanderer, Gift Giver, Life Taker, she who eases the burdens of a harsh life and provides tools to tame the wild lands. A Goddess of civilization while the Wolf Lord is one of the wilds. There are others aside, but these are the two main ones that draw attention. Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Letter from Boffin Barthold Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene This is quite helpful and I enjoy the lore you've shared. I will visit the temple. I'm curious, as a priestess, which do you serve? Boffin Barthold (Knight of Gethsemene)
Roleplay from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "Continuing our earlier conversation Priestess Yao Ling, I believe the inherently temporary nature of the portal has already been revealed and it continues to shrink daily. By accelerating our route here the portal gave assistance in our most desperate hour of need but I do not see them as either that viable or desirable in a more enduring form. A key advantage of our new homeland is that the Vales are now far more centrally connected by conventional routes so from the Vales point of view the portal route has fulfilled its exceptional purpose." Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Letter from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene You're welcome to join us Boffin. Hopefully you find what you seek. As for my beliefs: I follow all the Gods, but The Dark Mistress has made it abundantly clear that I should not ignore them. Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Letter from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Priestess Nerta, Your speech and explanation is well received and wonderfully illustrated. I do not have further practical tasks I would ask of you at this time but appreciate our meeting. A better understanding of your beliefs is useful as well as interesting. Your focus on the virtue of deeds against the insidious rogues being as important as theological scripture is encouraging from the point of view of constructive relations. There have been occasional disturbances with members of your religion attempting to overhaul temples of our Daishi faith particularly in Irondale but your more measured approach suggests these might be the shortcomings of individual lords rather than any indication of a wider problem. I will be glad to try to promote good relations between our faiths where goodwill remains dominant. If you are venturing further and should be returning along the northern coast then by all means call upon us on your return and I will see whether we can expand on the accounts in the south which may be of interest to you in the light of your beliefs. I was curious in a personal capacity to read about the references to the study of alchemy within some of your religious traditions. In Iato we were attempting to form a guild with a particular emphasis in that field, the Liber Alchemical, but alas it will be a while before we can establish a guildhouse in the north. You would be welcome to visit in due course. In the meantime I bid you safe and productive travels. With highest respects, Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Letter from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to Ehrich Weisz Your majesty, I can understand your curiosity. The Dalesmen are very.... Valentic in their approach to things, which is quite different from the eastern style in Thalmarkin and Ar Agyr. Since our faith is very decentralized and personal in character, no two Followers will hold the same practices. This constant evolution and growth has seen the faith thrive for almost two decades now, but it does occasionally cause conflict. If you ever have trouble with the Dalesmen, I suggest bringing it up with them, but I can always act as an intermediary. Now since the north west lacks a Guardian at the moment I'll be in the area for some time yet. The quests tend to pile up. When you, or your people, have time I would be delighted to record what you have learned through bitter experience. As for matters of alchemy, that is old magic. Hardly more than parlor tricks compared to what I have seen in recent years. But then again, such modern magic is the reason why the Dread Necromancer is so powerful in the first place, so there is wisdom in such old ways. Still if you have an interest in scholarship you may wish to visit the Agyrian Academy. It's as old as the faith and has a great deal of knowledge & lore, much of which has apparently been forgotten. There used to be an Annex in Firbalt but I think it was lost during a fire... Best of luck to you your majesty and, though I wish it under more auspicious omens, welcome to the north. Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Letter from Boffin Barthold Message sent to Message to everyone in the Old Gods I greet you all, and look forward to continuing the fight against the cursed one. I am eager to learn your ways. Boffin Barthold (Knight of Gethsemene)
Letter from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene I was just corresponding with your Queen, perhaps your messengers might reach her before mine? You are free to read the attached in that it relates to some of what we have discussed: Letter from Ehrich Weisz (Personal message to Aibhlidhn Dubhaine) Queen Aibhlidhn, We have tried to maintain a narrow corridor along the southern edge of the Vales, but even those last outposts are unlikely to hold more than a few days now especially if we can be successful in moving our capital. Ships have been charted to evacuate as many of the population as we can but it is a desperate and miserable situation as the devastation that built up along our frontier now overwhelms our lands. The time to withdraw the main body of your troops is likely arrived too if that is not already under way. We bid you safe travels back to where-ever can hold the line next. There seemed to be some hope that the undead were becoming more reluctant to be target densely occupied lands, but when we dared hope that might offer a chance to retake Ete they fell upon us again with renewed vigour suggestive of deliberate ambush. There were stories of a dread lieutenant with particular malice leading a regiment of damned knights amongst the massed hordes in the final battles but as the slaughter spread, reliable information was displaced by the impending terror. With regards, Ehrich Weisz Emperor of Shattered Vales Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Letter from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to Ehrich Weisz I fought one of those death knights in Bessimir when it tried to ambush Guardian Balin. Tell me, did the eyes change colour? Often a blue fire becoming more a witchfire green. When that happens the Dread Necromancer has taken direct control of the thing, enhancing it's strength and providing it with a bounty of other abilities. Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Yao Ling Pryde Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "I understand your view on this, and bow to the superior wisdom of your experts on the matter." Yao Ling turned and looked towards where the portal lay with a sigh. It had felt permanent to her senses, but she had not taken the time to do measurements. Whatever the case, she could understand the emperor's reservations. Portals could be dangerous things. Still. It seemed a tremendous opportunity to waste. But it would take a great deal of cooperation to make it work. It had taken a god to make this work, along with some brave adventurers, and one reckless priest ready to burn a great deal of her own magic to get that god's attention. It had worked. Not the way she intended or hoped, but it had worked. And perhaps this way was for the best. Yao Ling smiled at the emperor again. "Fulcrum did good by your people in forming the portal as he did, and in encouraging all to come in search of it. I shall name him the patron god of the rebuilt temple in Gethsemene. Unless you have another in mind." Yao Ling Pryde (High Shugenja of Daishi)
Training Match Boffin Barthold, Knight of Gethsemene meets his challenger Nerta Unti, Dame of Agyr, Priestess of The Old Gods for the agreed training match. Nerta has decided to use the 'trick moves' strategy while Boffin has chosen the 'neutral' strategy, giving Boffin the advantage. After a series of blows, Nerta wins the training match.
The End Approaches message to everyone in the vicinity of Gethsemene The portal has continued to shrink, and is now visibly no more than half the size it was initially. More alarmingly, the undead and monsters are now frequently seen marching back and forth along an invisible line just outside the city of Ete—a line that seems to be gradually moving closer to Tsamn, and the portal. Just after sunset today, the shrunken portal began to ripple and flicker. It lasted only a few minutes, but the soldier who was attempting to step through when it began nearly lost his foot. He was able to pass through afterward, and the flicker has not yet recurred, but the colouring of the edges of the portal has taken on a slightly purplish tinge, and little sparks of violet energy occasionally run down the sides of it before grounding themselves in the earth beneath the portal. The scholars investigating the portal are all in agreement that it cannot last much longer.
Letter from Nostalgia Fate Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Oy, I almost lost my foot going through that thing. If anyone can find half of my servant's hand in the fields of Tsamm, it would be greatly appreciated as well. Nostalgia Fate (Countess of Gor Ault)
Letter from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Countess Nostalgia, Welcome to Gethsemene, albeit by most unusual means. Alas there have been too many dismemberments in Tsamn of late to hold much hope for its return. We bid you safer travels on the more conventional stage of your journey home, Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene One stable monster down Nerta collects some coins and eyes the host stepping from the portal. The banners weren't Valesmen but those of of Arfordir. Hopefully they wouldn't go on a rampage this time... Distracted by the sight of Nostolgia's arrival, Nerta ends up crashing into a man exiting the temple. The impromptu meeting leaves them tangled against the bounty board. "By the Gods, get off..." Mid shove Nerta scowls. "Oh wait, you're Boffin? The Old Man plays games." Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Boffin Barthold Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "A thousand pardons, Priestess!" Boffin replies as he stands and offers his hand as befitting a knight of his station. "I hope I caused no injury, though some would say you were due after what became of my ego at the Academy!" he laughs. Boffin Barthold (Knight of Gethsemene)
Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "More than some would say I'm due much worse than a tumble." Pausing she adjusts her cloak. "Well... that's not important." Wrinkling her nose at the hand she accepts the help. "The fight you mean? Were you the one that got hit with the bucket? You'd not be the first to join the Followers after a fight." Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Letter from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Personal message to Nerta The fall of the south After meeting with Nerta Priestess of The Old Gods there was a renewed effort to collate into some order the forlorn tale of the final days of the Vales’ southern holdings. Particular interest had been expressed in the features of the sprawling hordes of undead and whether any signs of the necromancers’ malign hand could be detected amongst them. A polluted balefire light in the eyes of possessed undead was a notorious sign the priestess had referred to, but the enormity of the slaughter had shaken even veteran soldiers so wild accounts of grotesque horrors were many and hard to verify. Throughout the past month there had been repeated accounts of a headless horseman seeming to appear in advance of the undead attacks. An outrider or messenger of foul purpose, his steed alone was fearsome to behold, and its eyes were sometimes remarked to burn with an unholy flame although the towering black mount showed no other sign of decay. The horseman’s decapitated body still bore his own severed head beneath his arm, but the eyes were remarked to be cruel but dull. The headless horseman had arrived just before Ete first fell to the masses of undead. They swarmed in terrible numbers but did not immediately press their advantage into the rural lands beyond and scholars had suggested occupied lands might be beginning to hold less concerted appeal to reanimated and beastly horrors alike. This proved a cruel false hope as the Vales rallied, and accompanied by a couple of bold Nothoi commanders, fought their way first to clear Drinilla and then on to purge Ete itself when some of the horde appeared to amble away. Celebrations to retake the city proved premature and the vile undead regrouped in what now seemed an act of cunning ambush slaughtering the Vales forces while they were separated from the unallied Nothoi knights during the forlorn takeover attempt. This was one of the bitterest defeats and despite fielding a considerable 330 man force the undead were barely reduced from their already superior numbers. On that fateful day another Dread Lieutenant appeared amongst the undead ranks, evidently some slain nobleman returned by foulest intent. His eyes blazed with wildfire as he strode the battlefield with a damned regiment of lean, armoured warriors that our bravest knights could not repel. That despite our fiercest resistance we had not even dented the enemy’s numbers that day foretold that the final days of the Vales’ resistance in the south were at hand. Amongst the Dread Lieutenant’s host monstrous beasts marched as one with the undead. Abominations were common and where we thought we had slain a monster one day; we often faced it again in reanimated form when night came. Huge primitive monsters compelled by unliving power to walk upright again were often marked by an amulet glowing with the kind of fiery light normally only sometimes seen in the eyes of the possessed undead elite. The Emperor's own unit was nearly wiped out facing down a large undead troll-like creature which wielded a discarded battering ram, for it a club swung easily with one hand. It had pieces of bloodied man-sized armour used to patch up its original mortal wound which had near severed it from shoulder down to its hip. When it advanced on our ranks, we could see limbs of the fallen soldiers the armour had been seized from still writhed within, fused to the undead beast to form a most wretched and terrible foe. The dread legion bolstered by these grotesque horrors and swarming beyond the fortified line at Ete had become unassailable and overwhelmed the last hope for sustained resistance. The extent of the misery and suffering it is yet to soon to relate. Footnotes for Nerta Unti's records: Huge Battle Fought (2021-10-08 18:17:17) Rumours spread of a huge battle in Drinilla: Nothoi, Shattered Vales vs. (rogue) Estimated strengths: 450 men vs. 210 men Attacker Victory! Huge Battle Fought (2021-10-09 06:17:12) Rumours spread of a huge battle in Ete City: Nothoi, Shattered Vales vs. (rogue) Estimated strengths: 510 men vs. 380 men Attacker Victory! Huge Battle Fought (2021-10-11 06:11:07) Rumours spread of a huge battle in Ete City: (rogue) vs. Shattered Vales Estimated strengths: 580 men vs. 330 men Attacker Victory! Soon after this battle > 1350 "men" numbered in the enemy horde. 55k c/s Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Letter from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Personal message to Nerta Roleplay from Ehrich Weisz Player experience level: mentor Player play preference: rp (Personal message to Nerta Unti) - 22 hours, 5 minutes ago Roleplay from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to everyone in Daishi (49 recipients) - just in The journey north An unexpected election had been required against the backdrop of these grim events and the Vales reluctantly decided to back the painful decision to relocate. A generous offer was extended to us just at a time our hopes were lowest and hence we began planning for the arduous journey north to save what we could of our culture and civilisation. The portal originally conceived to assail the amassed undead hordes bent its light to render assistance in an unexpected form and the mundane journey that had otherwise been planned was miraculously spared us. The assembled ships of all shapes and sizes now strained with desperate refugees rather than the original armed troops they had been commissioned to transport. Many of the ships flew the Irondale flag as an old friendship was rekindled in the time of the Vales’ greatest need. Gethsemene has its own culture which bristled somewhat against new-comer lords especially where they were followed by a stream of destitute refugees. With Margrave Ulv raised to lord of the city he wasted no time in constructing a new missionary temple to Daishi. One of the many small ways the Vales culture was being kept alight, with the simple temple standing as a small beacon of hope on a harsh new frontier. At the temple a popular custom emerged for prayer ribbons to be pinned to the oak door often tied with tokens of their lost or missing loved ones. A horseshoe for some lost farrier or tattered toy for a missing child. Pale ribbons were employed to seek contact with family thought separated during the migration. Dark or black ribbons denoted mourning for those slain in the slaughter and stampede. There would long be a sense of mourning for the south in this city particularly, but the Shattered Vales was named from a history marked by adversity so the determination to rebuild remains fierce. Our lustrous shattered shards will again be repurposed and cut deep if pressed. Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Roleplay from Boffin Barthold Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "A bucket indeed! Some peasant left it in the floor and I was tripped! Ah well, a noble victory on your part still." Boffin Barthold (Knight of Gethsemene)
Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene ​​​​"Tripped?" Glittering eyes dance. "And here I thought I threw it. Silly me." ​​​​​​Slapping Boffin on the back, Nerta gestures toward Market Street. "Let's get you some food and figure out what fool thing you've been tricked into by the Old Man. Did any of the Gods speak to you? Both figuratively and, if you're really cursed, literally." Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Boffin Barthold Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene He sighs and walks along, "Very well, a bet is a bet. " Boffin Barthold (Knight of Gethsemene)
Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Passing Boffin a flagon of ale and a meat pie. "Alright, first thing first: we don't believe in a lot of things. No one 'believes' in the trees and the mountains, they just are and so are the Gods. There's life & death, fate & fortune, light & dark. Even if you had the good fortune and sense to never come to this land you'd know these things are true." Nerta bites into her own pie, mindful of grease. "The thing is here on Beluaterra, on Monster World, these things have opinions about our existence. Humans came here, ages ago now, and tried to make this land ours. The monsters fight us to retain their home, and we to claim it. All while the Gods watch and judge." Eying the still crackling portal. "Life, who we call the Wolf Lord, wants the strong to survive. He delights in testing us, and everything else, constantly. By contrast, Death accepts is all as we are. The Dark Mistress is a kindly bitch who shares her gift when we are ready stop fighting." Nerta sighs and waves a hand. "There's more is course but those two are the most popular with new Followers. Well... Except the Dark. The cursed Crystal Maiden always seems to find someone desperate enough to teach necromancy. She offers power to the selfish, asking only that one cause suffering and pain. She hates what is. She wants all the Gods dead and everything to be anguish." Gesturing to the refugees. "Something you Valesmen have now learned first hand, and the Novains before you." "As for the rest: we all have a fate, the Ice Queen sees to that. But thankfully fortune, the Mist Walker, helps us along when that destiny overwhelms. Usually. Sometimes he just messes with travel. Tricksters are like that." "The Masked One is the last, and a strange one. Syncretism from another faith, or so the scholars say. They represent balance and judgment, yet gets attention from infiltrators and rogues. The light can be complicated what can I say?" "So. Do you wish to learn more about any of the Gods, or shall we move onto other things?" Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Boffin Barthold Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Boffin smiles at the serving maid and drops some coin in her hand. "Oddly specific, these 'gods' you've named. Are there only the six you mentioned or are there others? " He takes a deep drink from the flag on. "Regardless, "he grins "at the moment, Life sounds most interesting of all! " Boffin Barthold (Knight of Gethsemene)
Crashing Down message to everyone in the vicinity of Gethsemene Through the night, the portal flickered several more times—fortunately, no one was trying to cross through when it did—and the violet lightning crackling along the edges grew much more pronounced. At dawn, it became clear that the portal was weakening when a single unit of undead approached the portal. A few hours before dusk, the portal flashed and a bolt of violet lightning forked upward to the sky. As if this was a signal, one of the remaining lookouts cried out, "Look! The city!" To the southeast, the undead had gathered outside Ete City, and now began to march toward Tsamn in a massive wave. At their flanks ran groups of monsters, slavering and howling. Mere moments later, out of the clear blue sky, another lightning bolt forked down, striking the portal with a shattering crash of thunder. For a short time, the portal snapped back to its original size, the colour returning to blues and greens. The last lookouts all ran toward it and leaped through, and none too soon. From the Gethsemene side, they could see the ponderous wave of undead and monsters rushing toward the portal. The portal itself began to distort again, its shape now twisting and the air around it shimmering and refracting, much like it had before the portal had opened. The lookouts—and those who had been watching the portal on this side—scrambled to get away from it, calling out that it was going to collapse. For a few more minutes, nothing else happened, and they wondered briefly if they had been worried over nothing. Then there was a tremendous thunderclap, audible for dozens of miles around, and the portal vanished, along with a chunk of ground several feet deep. Perhaps, then, it was only in their imaginations that they heard the echoes of thousands of skeletal feet tramping, and the howls of ravenous monsters.
Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene ​​​​"Six is all there are, and five are all we need." Walking to the window, the woman leans on the sill. "Life calls to most at first, but be wary: the Wolf Lord is ever hungry..." The rest of the warning is cut short as the purple energies of the gate shift and writhe. As green witchfire overwhelms the lattice of power, Nerta grimaces. "The Dread Necromancer has taken control of the gate. Looks like we'll need to fight, try not to trip on buckets this time. Wait..." ​​​​​Blinded by the last crack of power that slams the door on the Sunken Kingdom, Nerta laughs as the dead wail. "Or the Trickster will change our fate." Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Boffin Barthold Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene At the mention of the Necromancer, Boffin grimaced and teaches for his sword, only to stop the presentation of the blade in mid stroke. As the gate shudders and falls, he smiles and sinks back in his chair. "Hungry, you say? Then we are well suited, one to the other!" He laughs as he does yet another pie from the bench. "As you see, Lady, so am! " Boffin Barthold (Knight of Gethsemene)
Roleplay from Yao Ling Pryde Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Yao Ling saw the lightning bolt come down and smiled at the familiar laughter in the background. "Fulcrum's still with us!" she shouted to the shrine guardians and pointed towards the stabilizing portal. Beyond it, the last lookouts on the other side were running towards it. "Get the shrines! Bring them to me!" Yao Ling watched as her shrine guardians ran forward to grab the mobile shrines they'd built in Gethsemene after the portal formed. They brought the three shrines to her, pushed them together to form the single large shrine they had been built to be, and stepped away. Yao Ling removed her long cloak to reveal the shining Armour of Righteousness she wore. Then she reached into one of the pockets and pulled out the Vial of Divine Floodwaters. She had received both during the portal event in Keffa, and now here she was using them again here. Not too far from Keffa. The irony was appropriate. She poured one drop of the divine floodwaters onto the shrine and looked towards the portal as the last of the lookouts passed through it and kept running. Beyond them, the undead were on the march towards the portal. Yao Ling nodded. Of course they were. "Fulcrum," she intoned slowly. "You stabilized this portal so all with ears to hear could retreat from that horde. Now I ask you to destabilize it again so that horde cannot follow them." She poured one more drop of the divine floodwaters onto the shrine, capped the vial, and slipped it back into her pockets. Then she stood behind the shrine and waited as the seconds turned into the minutes, and the sound of the undead marching began to come through the portal. The portal began to flicker again, changing colors, twisting, and going out of focus before her very eyes. It snapped and crackled until Yao Ling's eyes teared up against the pain of it all. But she continued to watch. She had to see how the magical flows worked. The more she knew, the more she just might be able to use in the future. She was still watching when the magical flows finally came apart in a flash, a boom, and a magical conflagration that seemed all too familiar. The shockwave washed over the shrine she stood behind, her hair flapped like a flag in the wind, and animals and people alike protested the assault behind her. When the explosion faded, a new crater filled the town square, going down several feet into the earth. Yao Ling nodded. This also she had seen before, back when the portal that brought Obeah into this world exploded in Keffa. This is what portals did. Sometimes they could prove useful. Sometimes they were a threat. But always, always they collapsed in the end and destroyed everything around them. There was always a great cost to dealing with them, but sometimes, sometimes the cost was worth it. Yao Ling turned from portal crater to see the Vales' flags flapping in the wind. This time, the portal had helped save a nation from destruction and given them a new chance to live. This time, the portal had been worth the cost. Still, the undead armies remained, on the other side of that exploded portal. And with the Vales gone, that left Nothoi and Creasur to hold the line for humanity. She turned back to the shrine and nodded at the mark burned into it. "Thank you for the help, Fulcrum," she said to the god that had left his mark on the shrine. "Now I ask that you continue to watch. The undead are still out there, and I fear we shall need your help again. Or the help of your brothers and sisters." She heard the familiar laughter again and let out a long breath. The last time the gods had walked the earth openly to cleanse it of the Daimon Blight, they had destroyed much of the land with it, driving it to the bottom of the oceans. She greatly hoped that amount of power would not be required once more. She greatly hoped that Nothoi would be able to hold the line. But when push came to shove, if it would take the powers of the gods to aid humanity, she would call on them again. Whatever the cost, humanity had to be defended. She only prayed that the cost would be worth it. Yao Ling Pryde (High Shugenja of Daishi)
Roleplay from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Disarray spread suddenly through the city in the moments before the portal snapped shut in a storm of vibrant lightning. "That was a little too close for comfort High Priestess Yao Ling, I am glad you and the shrines to Fulcrum were here to buttress our faith. And Priestess Nerta, I was worried for a moment that we were about to get another look at the undead fiends at far too close quarters. I was impressed to see you were one of the first scrambling to arms, with your sparring practices over the past few days very opportune. I will pray thanks to Fulcrum but will be glad to know your prayers offer thanks in the names of your own gods too." It took a while to exhort the various tradesmen to pick up their tools once again but the endeavour to unveil the new capital monuments were eventually resumed. The warriors and sentries having scrambled to gather weapons to hand were not readily inclined to be parted from them again. Tensions remained even during the various unveiling ceremonies across the new capital and news of the vast horde that had immediately descended upon Tsamn overshadowed the day. Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "Seems like you'll get along well with Ioulas then, Boffin. That's another one who is all for 'tits and wine' or however he said it." Skulking near the back with Boffin as magic is wrought, Nerta nods as the Emperor of the Vales in Exile acknowledges her presence. "I'm a Guardian your majesty. It's what we do. The real question is what are your people going to do?" Hefting her spear the woman seems in unusually good spirits as she eyes Yao Ling. Maybe another match? "Trapped on the other side of the world and with the gate closed you've got a bit of respite from the Sunken Kingdom. But that kind of quiet can leave a people restless and adrift." Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "Priestess Nerta, our proximity to most realms is increased by our new position. Only the more monolithic Nothoi/Ar Agyr alliance block is more distant from us. I have no doubt our connections with our neighbours will provide plenty to keep us busy but there is much to be done to establish our northern territory first. We will not lack for purpose." Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Roleplay from Yao Ling Pryde Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "I will always be available to help you in times of need," Yao Ling said to the emperor. "Call me, and I will come. I am happy that my efforts helped in this case." Then she paused and looked to where the portal had stood with a shake of her head. "Now my own people stand in the way of that horde, and I must return to them." Yao Ling bowed her head to the emperor. "It has been an honor and a pleasure. May Fulcrum look over you while I am elsewhere." Yao Ling Pryde (High Shugenja of Daishi)
Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Nerta frowns as fingers drum on her spear. "I mean no disrespect your majesty, but a nation of warriors needs a bit more than police work and raising flags. Your people have fought against impossible odds and lost. You lost loved ones and your homes. The very Vales themselves. It is only by charity that you now live here. So while I understand that you have games to play with other kings, and do not wish to speak of some matters in public: I hope you spare time restoring the vitality of your people." The woman glances to Boffin, just a short ways off. "They need a win, but until that comes you need to remind them why they should keep fighting. Why they should keep living and caring. It'd be a shame for the Valesmen to survive every horror of the Dread Necromancer only for the last curse of the Crystal Maiden to kill you in your beds." Distracted for a moment, the woman sighs. "By your leave your majesty." Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene Nerta turns her attention turning from the Emperor to the Shugenja. "So you're Daishi then? Come on, you owe me a tour of these temples, some anti-daimon runes or the like. After we can spar..." Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)
Roleplay from Ehrich Weisz Message sent to Message to everyone in Gethsemene "Priestess Nerta, you are now making unwelcome presumptions. It is only you who talks of police work and flag rising being our only prospect but it would be rash to embark upon other things without attending to the basics of realm building first. You are also not of our realm or even allied so would not be party to our plans unless you wish to make that commitment. The Vales persists because it could mobilise with significant strength and unity of purpose, the offer extended to us was very generous and appreciated but not charity, had we not come here we would surely have gone to carve out a place in the desert where our new allies have their own ambitions. I am under no allusions of the difficulties we face but we have only been here a week so your assumptions do not strike me as valid and it is an indulgent form of lecture which assumes we are ignorant of the difficulties of our own situation. We have not compelled you to visit or remain so your leave is freely granted." Ehrich Weisz (Emperor of Shattered Vales)
Measurements
Letter from Ryosuke Guile Message sent to Message to everyone in the Old Gods This Priestess of Revenon has made some audacious claims: Letter from Thúraya Montgomery Message sent to everyone in Tor Sir Ioulas, I know not of these "old Gods" they sound like heathenistic fools who have not witnessed a true God like Revenon. He is the Saint of Saints, the true Sinless of them all, sealer of the 7 Demi-gods of Sin, the Dead God. He has so many titles. Others who try to claim to be God are false! Cleanse your sins of the false Gods! Cleanse your sins! Evil will perish under the God Revenon! signed, Thúraya Montgomery Godsworn Jailer of Reven Dame of Wudenkin Priestess of The Saints of Revenon It would seem we've been labelled as Evil, somehow? Odd, considering of all the faiths on the Isle we are the only ones actively seeking to secure humanity's survival... Vox Noctis, Ryosuke Guile (Hierophant of Irondale)
Letter from Acalan Osoro Message sent to Message to everyone in the Old Gods The priestess has also made some audacious claims about her bust size, according to local records! Name: Thúraya Montgomery Bust size: 88cm Waist: 77cm Height: 5'8" Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Weapon: Sword or Bow I suggested a lovely tailor back East because I can see no other reason to advertise such information, but apparently this offended her! Perhaps this is an odd Revenon custom with which I am unfamiliar? Acalan Osoro (Knight of Haji)
Letter from Nerta the Weaver Message sent to Message to everyone in the Old Gods Traditionally the Temple has ignored the other faiths. As Ryosuke said, we're too busy trying to secure the future of humanity to worry about petty politics. However if there is an interest we can hold a conclave and try to come to a consensus. Or leave it as a matter of kings. As for the Prisetess being offended by fashion advise. Not everyone is as worldly as yourself Acalan. Finally, Hrogar I know not but perhaps Nerta met the man in her travels. Either way, good to have you here. Perhaps the temple should discuss the Ranger stipend. Allia knows a thing or two about finances after all. Nerta the Weaver (Foederati)