SLNES I: Masters of Ethereal

From Akhoowoo
To Senda

Ng'graa released some of the human souls his soul-eaters collected during the last raids against villages loyal to Senda. As to gain their ticket to the afterlife he send them to roam the streets of Senda by night and to howl the following messages:

"I'm a swordsmen, the apocolypse horsemen
What makes me smile is another's misfortune
I like to see your body in flames scortchin'
I like to see a part of your brain auctioned
I like to see inside of your main organs
I like to see inside of your veins pourin'
I find beauty in another's pain
I find beauty in the spirit of god but I don't fudgin' change
I find serenity in torture"

"Fellow people of Senda,
don’t be as foolish as i was.
Don’t try to stand against the pack.
Else you will mauled,
and suffer for ever."

"Surrender yourself."

"Dont fight the fear,
let the fear overwhelm you!"

"The pain! the pain! aaaahh!"

"Lower your lance and find peace in servitude!"

ooc: the first one is from "jedi mind tricks"

Terrance888 said:

To the Barbarian City of Kess-fal

I speak and I hear. I am Wendell the Tall, Wizard of Marburg, Ruler of Pordos and persuer of honor. I offer greetings from the south, of the Valley of Pordos and the River of the Bluebane. I have heard recently of Dark-elven intrusions by those under the following of Arya and would like to offer any aid in defense against these aggressive elves. In addition, I would like to offer trade in the form of a defended road between our cities. The Marburg Confederacy knows only tolerance for all races: Halfling, Elven, even 'Barbarian' Humans such as yourself. Peace and trade would be profitable for us all. Speak and I will hear your reply.


To the Goblinoid City of Yalek

I speak and I hear. I am Wendell the Tall, Wizard of Marburg, Ruler of Pordos and protector of merchants. I have heard of new trade routes with the Dwarves of Arthurdin, and we have marveled over items attributed to your craftsmen. In return, we wish to strike a new, closer path between our cities north from the Citadel of Horace's Point to increase trade if you wish. We can offer many exotic foods: Smoked deer, Spices, Salted Cave Fish and other delicacies and stables. We also offer crafts of sharp metal and wool work from our cities. Trade and peace will be profitable for us all. Speak and I will hear your reply.


to the Halflings of Horace's Point

I Speak and I hear. We have met, King Landi, before. Now, however, I bring good news. Our brave halflings have conquered the Bandits of the Bluebane, and with the Dwarves of Arthurdin, pacified the lands. Peace new reigns in the valley as new towns, villages and cities bustle ever larger and more prosperous than before. Once again, I give you the offer of joining us in our victory. You may retain your kingship as a high noble within the Confederacy, as the Major of Solace retained his leadership and countless prefects of Pordos Valley retained their burrows. Speak and I will hear, my friend.


To the Dark-Elven Wizard, Arya

Well met, we are. I am Wendell the Tall, and you are Arya the Terrible. Do you wish to connect our cities across the lake? From Horace's Point to Sephira and Ceros? Trade and peace in this region will be a greater tool against the blood knights can useless conflict. Join me in this quest for peace and I will join you in your quest against your ancient foe.


To the Great Centaur Wizard, Steedi

We have success in the north! And I applaud your success in the south. Hopefully, I will be able to shift troops southward and we can march against Lakestone together, or against the flanking forces of Jolang. We must discuss detains in private. I will relish the day when we can cement our friendship in peace.

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From Kess-fal

Wizard Wendell of the Halflings to the south,

Your words come at a strange time for our city. We have routed Elves encroaching on the grasslands, emerging strong from their woods. For the first time in many years, the Barbarians of Kess-fal went to war against another city. For long we have isolated ourselves in the Crata, becoming farmers and going to war against the evils of the grassland. This enemy was organized. They aimed to conquer us. Never have we faced such a challenge. Are you an enemy of the Dark Elves, or a friend? Speak this first, and we will decide whether or not a road between our realms is acceptable.

From the Orcs of Yalek

Certainly, Wizard Wendell. Trade would be most welcome between our realms. Already we conduct proper trade with Lord Arthurdin and his Dwarves. Having more goods going through this network will only allow the three of us to prosper.

From Horace's Point

Wizard Wendell,

Horace's Point is forever in your debt for assisting us in cleaning up the valley. It is excellent that such an achievement has occurred in my lifetime. Our water mages will soon come back our castle. Our future can only be decided by the water mages. What they decide, I can either accept or veto. If they decide to join you, so it shall be. If they decide to remain independent, please do not offended and understand we will always be close allies. The areas around our castle, like other realms of great power, offer brilliant surges of power. These areas are also quite dangerous and one must be careful when treading around our castle.

To: The orcs of Noskepak
From: Elatair, leader of the Elatanlor of the elves of Aurelia Forest

So far your words have been cryptic and you have been neither friends nor foes. Now we are much nearer neighbors I feel I must ask whether you would accept trade between our peoples facilitated by an elven or orcish road, whether you would prefer to remain isolated and have nothing to do with us or whether you have more bellicose desires. Trade would see you as the hub of trade between the Sul Mountains and the Central Forests. Such a position could make you rich indeed.

Vertinari118 said:

To: The orcs of Noskepak
From: Elatair, leader of the Elatanlor of the elves of Aurelia Forest

So far your words have been cryptic and you have been neither friends nor foes. Now we are much nearer neighbors I feel I must ask whether you would accept trade between our peoples facilitated by an elven or orcish road, whether you would prefer to remain isolated and have nothing to do with us or whether you have more bellicose desires. Trade would see you as the hub of trade between the Sul Mountains and the Central Forests. Such a position could make you rich indeed.

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An eagle flies to the forest, delivering a message:

As written by Governor Meldrock of Noskepak said:

Elves from the forest,

Your message is an interesting one. A Wizard in the Central Forests. I remember times past when the Central Forest was nothing but a haunted lagoon. During the Age of the Southland Orcs, Noskepak was a bastion of trade and contained a great fort in which many battles were fought over. The fort has since vanished, along with our wealth and prosperity. When the Empire crumbled, our city gradually declined into madness. Orcs went missing. Some returned with blue in their eyes, strange and effected, wishing to install their will upon our folk. Order has since been restored. But every season, they return outside of our realm and unleash havoc upon any attempts at trade or travel. For this reason we have been forced to isolate ourselves. We currently hope that a dirt path to the Halfling kingdom of Aiolia will serve us well. But in the past, it has only resulted in more death.

These Orcs should be several hundred years old. Yet we see the same faces. They come. They kill. They go. They are fierce, but not in the ways of the Code as most Orcs are. I fear any trade between our peoples would be effected by these beasts. Perhaps if you found the source of their power and eliminated that threat, we would be more willing to discuss any deal you might have to offer.

- Governor Meldrock of Noskepak

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I shall devote what rangers I can spare to tracking down the source of this evil and then raise an army to assist in its defeat. I trust that, when the lair is found, Noskepak might consent to sending some of its warriors to assist in the destruction. I would also like to request permission for my forces to enter the hinterland of Noskepak to try and locate any clue as to the source of the evil. Likewise any more information you have gathered over the years would be a great help.

OOC: Did you get my PM Starlife?

Draft for a thesis lineout, by student Orinari of Palinan

Introduction: Who are the people of Gwynedd, and how they survive.


Of tribes, clans and families


Marriage


Religion


Economy


Fighting


Reversal

From Akhoowoo
To Senda

Another enslaved soul is send directly to the governor of senda, delivering the message:

"Dearrr Senda'graa,
i am the medium for the voice of Ng'graa Akh'rrr,
he is asking you to surrender your city, hand him the keys. Resistance is senseless. Lower your guards. If you are trying to fight him, he will scratch of the flesh from your skull personally, and after a long and painful death he will enslave your soul and keep it looked in the darkest dungeon of his soul, He will connect every limp of your body, every bit of your soul, every memory you cerises and every person you love with barbed wire. Leaving you in agony for eternity, because he is who finds serenity in torture.
If you give in and hand over your city he will spare you and he will grant you peace in servitude.
Ahhhh..aaaaaaahh.. Whaah!! Grrrrrrrrrnnnnhh!!!! Do you acept?"

Notes of Drael, Master-Warlock of Haru Gom
Entry, 14 Avalor, 1st year of Juukeshi

I have upon occassion ruminated upon the nature of my master, the wizard Juukeshi. Only now though, have I put my thoughts down on paper.

The stories I hear from travellers from afar tells of many powerful near god-like wizards coming to our world recently and each claiming dominion over people drawn to them as I was to Juukeshi. These stories say to my and our people that these Wizards are just like us--for the Halflings a Halfling wizard, for the Orcs and Orcish Wizard, etc.

These stories have had the unfortunate effect of giving my compatriots, those under my charge, a similar impression that Juukeshi too must be a Dark Elf. To their dissapointment, I have not been able to provide an affirmative answer. Indeed, it appears the lack of presence from my master has allowed the smattering of doubt to creep into some of my charges' beliefs. At first, they would dare say nothing, for the sense of power only servce to remind them that something did indeed exist, even if they did not see it. Then, a few began to imply that perhaps I was deceiving them in some way, but they too would not openly question this. But recently, with our growth and merger with the High Elves, the question has been asked explicitely to me: "who is Juukeshi?"

When I ask myself this question, the proper way to answer is to examine the facts that I do know first. Then I must make inferences based on those facts towards a conclusion.

First, Juukeshi can communicate with his followers. I know this because I have personally experienced his communication. It is, however, not speech from a mounth to a person's ear, but directly into a subject's mind. So far, only myself, the other Warlock, and the two dopplegangers have had the experience of directly communicating with Juukeshi. It is this small circle of communication that I think is causing this creeping doubt among the follwers. Oh, if only Juukeshi would speak to everyone! But my entreaties to him on matters of governance have gone answered, Juukeshi provides directions but only for what he wants; I have been left to manage the state of affairs otherwise.

What of Juukeshi's physical presence? If Juukeshi were to appear amongs the populance, surely that would erase all doubts. Yet he has not appeared to them nor to me. When we explored the fortress, we found a place that appeared more a prison than a castle. The large solid inner building only has rooms and chamber on the outer edges, there are no entrances to what may be inside. It could be solid marble through and through, or there could be an inner chamber. Other than the extensive catacombs--empty--under the fortress, there is no sign of any person having visited. If there is, then Juukeshi is inside, possibly trapped.

I have discussed with the others whether we should attempt to breach these walls, but when I did so I had such a chill up my spine that I knew not to try. The wards on the walls tell me of the magical nature of the walls, perhaps of barriers. I believe that when Juukeshi came to this world he arrived with this fortress, trapped within the inner sanctum. Even though Juukeshi appears trapped, he has never asked for release. Thus to the question of physical presence, I cannot say one way or another. Perhaps he has no corporeal body, or he is forever locked within the walls.

Ultimately, it is not relevant to our cause what the physical form of Juukeshi is. What is most important is that his power exists, can be felt, and can cause great things to occur on our world. Hopefully, Juukeshi will show this power soon.

In the meantime, I have been discussing with the others what to do. This cult we have been working with appears a good venue to reinforce our master's will into the minds and hearts of his subjects. As a Warlock, I must admit a general distaste for mystical sillyness that gets in the way of the true magical arts. Nevetheless, installing a religious order in service of Juukeshi will keep the simple farmers and workers with a strong belief. I would ask Juukeshi for his assistance, but I suppose that once again I am on my own in this endeavor.

To the Barbarians of Kess-fal

Of the dark-elves of Arya, I can only say that agressors are enemies of peace, and therefore enemies of Marburg. I would gladly work with you in peace against the war they prescribed. In this way, they would be considered our enemies. However, I would think that if I am able to force them to accept my protection of you, that trade would still be acceptable. If they accept the truth of peace and let go their uses of aggression, they would be no longer enemies. In hopes of friendship, then, a road will be built to your great city from Horace's Point with an internary of the Drua'Dan Village, and many units will be sent to enforce peace against the dark-elves.


To the Goblins of Yalek

And so our road will be extended to your great city, and embassies and markets will be built. And further afield they will extend to your north of various towns of the Goldteir mountains.

OOC: (Nearly 400 up to 700 clicks of roads to be built this turn! Ho boy. Prepare for maps and stuff. Also Starlife: Can you make a map with all the villages/roads but without names/only numbers? They block some of the features I am trying to see sometimes)

From Elatair
To The World

I hereby announce an alliance between the elves of Aurelia Forest and the gnolls of the southern Maldia Plain. The cities of Griskglan and Lan'Elatair stand united in both war and peace!

Vertinari118 said:

From Elatair
To The World

I hereby announce an alliance between the elves of Aurelia Forest and the gnolls of the southern Maldia Plain. The cities of Griskglan and Lan'Elatair stand united in both war and peace!

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From: Mysterious Wizard

Getting allies won't protect you from the true master of this world. But you have your toys, I'll have mine.

Northen Wolf said:

From: Mysterious Wizard

Getting allies won't protect you from the true master of this world. But you have your toys, I'll have mine.

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From: Elatair

On the contrary friends do not stand in the way of mastery, only domination. The elves are masters of the forest, but we do not dominate it, we have befriended it. I doubt such industrious, short-lived goblins would be able to see the difference between domination and mastery but to the elves, who live in both the past and the present, such differences are clear. He who stands alone falls.

Excerpt from the Book of the Fallen Age said:

There was once a time in Ethereal in which the Specters ruled everything. The Specters were supreme beings from various regions of the Nether Sphere. Unlike Wizards, they did not wish to form empires or engage in diplomatic discourse or even merge with society. No. Rather, the Specters had the single goal of wishing to disrupt everything in their path. They wanted to turn Ethereal into a massive source of mana for their larger goals, which was the complete conquest of the Nether Sphere. They wanted to turn the Nether Sphere into a massive conductor which they would then use to reach higher consciousness beyond dimensional travel, and perhaps achieve godhood. This thirst for power was never-ending, and it was a curse given to them by a mysterious object found floating through the Nether Sphere long ago - and never found again. The moment it came into contact with them, these ancient Wizards were transformed. No longer did they even have a humanoid form. When looked upon, creatures in Ethereal would sometimes disintegrate, or disappear from space and time.

They succeeded for a time. Ethereal was once a much larger dimension. It held many continents and many islands with great civilizations and large swaths of productive land. Instead of a select few races, there were literally hundreds of different races. The Avians and the Merfolk, for example, are two notable ones that vanished from Ethereal due to the Specters. Like parasites, they bled into the world and soaked up all life in their path. Great fires broke out all over Ethereal, and slowly places burned into oblivion and turned into nothing more than wasteland. Eventually, this wasteland turned into Nether, and Ethereal's size was dramatically reduced. Within the Current Land, many races united and were assisted by benevolent powers from other dimensions. They made a stand on the last continent. Different races refer to this stand in different names, but it is usually referred to as the Battle of Horrors. It resulted in much death and destruction, but the magical forces of many obscure heroes ended up saving Ethereal from complete annihilation.

Beastmen were the most numerous race. There were many kinds: Centaurs, Minotaurs, Tigrans, Wolfens, Canians, and other land, mammal-based races. They were all united by a common bond, which was that they all had the blood of a god-Wizard from long, long ago. Nearing their defeat, the Specters saw this diverse race as a perfect candidate for their 'experiments'. The Wolfens and Canians and other groups of 'dog-like' Beastmen were tortured. The result was the Gnolls.

The Specters succeeded in completely draining the Gnolls of the blood of the Beast God. Now part of their soul contained distant memories or pieces of the Specters. In some ways, this backfired on the Specters. While some Gnolls indeed became vicious, authoritarian killing machines, others used their newfound heritage and the constant flow of torturous memories to create societies based on eliminating those factors from their lives. Many attempted to find peace from the constant chatter of Specters ingrained in their minds, and thus some of the Gnollish kingdoms became great bastions of academia, religion, and philosophy. Disgruntled at this, the Specters incited a divisive war between Gnolls. This resulted in great bloodshed, and many Gnollish packs fled to various regions of Ethereal. Soon after, the Specters were defeated entirely and purged from the Nether Sphere.

Despite the differences within the Gnollish race, they all have the memories of the Specters ingrained in their souls. It is how they react to these thoughts and how they nurture their civilizations that make them so different from one another.

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Halflings of Bluebane
The Halflings of the Blue Bane river are a funny sort of Halfling. They love more openingly than most other Halfling burrows and are not afraid of the ‘Giants’ of the world. Mostly they live in peace, under distant guidance of various distant lords, a relic of an Ancient Empire of which the Bluebane was a march of. They spend as much, and perhaps more time swimming in the cool waters of the river or its tributaries as other Halflings spend tending the gardens, and fish and fishing is a much bigger supply of food than in other Halfling communities.

Leadership and Organization
The most basic Halfling dweling is a Burrow or a Bugalow: below and above ground respectively. Doubiers (Double-Teired) are those with a sizable area both above and below ground. Each dwelling is enhabited by a head (called Master) of household, a relatively wealthy Halfling. His family, friends and hired workers also live with him in this small unit. Usually, these dwellings are clustered into small villages often called Burrows, Lowings, Rows and Squares. Each village picks the most promising and experienced bachelor youth and names him or her Prefect or Preferta, a representative of the village and the leader of the able-bodied in defense. When an army gathers, they lead squads and files.

The Thanes are the first of the ancient lords, and they often claim noble blood as well. However, this does not make them stuck up as they could be, and often just live in a Doubier in their chosen village. Some Thanes are just content with collecting some tribute from their ‘gifted’ lands and ignore their defense. However, popular thanes are only created by wandering among their holdings and actively defending them. They are rather distant for most Halflings, but trust them the most when marching to distant lands. They are the leaders of companies and platoons if they march off to war.

The Comants are chosen Thanes by any Overlord that can gain power over a large area of land or a large group of troops. Commandants are comants who control a region for defense, tax collection or any such. It has been many years since comants are raised since it was may years since the last Overlords fell. Road Defense is an example of a Comant duty. Commanders are leaders of a marching army. The First Comant is the ABSOLUTE leader of any operation.

Notes: In a Marching or Gathering army, the First Prefect and First Thane are used to denote second-in commands. In the same way, the First Slinger, First Spear and the First Sword are the second in command of prefects in their battalions. This is only for the Halflings only. The other races in the Marburg Confederacy continue to use their own units, but have to have an equivalent unit in the Army itself. (General/Colonel=Comander, Colonel-Major= Thane, Major-Lieutenant=Prefect (Their actions are closer to Sargeant as a locally raised figure of importance)) The Confederacy itself is a series of councils that are directed by Wendell himself, who is usually standoffish except for the most bizarre events he has a taste for.



Culture
The Halflings have the same basic culture, of course, as others of their kind. However, like all culture groups within a species they have their unique flavor. This is what I will focus in this manuscript.


-Values
Of the values of the Bluebane Halflings, it suffices to say that they place the highest value in respect. This is not of Honor, where one sees status according to code. Nor is this delegated as something forced, like respect in courts, or crushing and confusing etiquette. What they desire most is the respect of each other, the feeling of belonging within their burrow, their village, their region, and their country.

They are courteous if need be, deliberate and self-imposed to fix wrongs as they see it, and above all, diplomatic of each other’s needs. This brings about a curious sensation of entering a realm of butlers for a first-time visitor. However, reciprocally of this respect is the best way to maintain friendship here, for they find it in their duty to pass word of those who slight them for no reason. It is their desire for belonging that Wendell, himself desiring the same thing, easily united them under one banner.

Other values that the Bluebane Halflings hold in regard are honesty, diplomacy and deep friendship. However, these are all derived from their basic values for respect and trust.


-Beliefs
Of the Beliefs o the Bluebane Halflings, much could be said, but then nothing can be understood. The best that can be put concisely within these pages is that they believe in an entitled of Ultimate Good and Just, as well as many other lesser gods. It is impossible to pray to the Ultimate Good and Just itself, as one must think too high of oneself to do so. More Shadowly gods are available for greater rewards, at various prices: one would be stricken by a bout of greed in exchange for a successful merchant trip, for example, and can risk losing all his respect from his peers unless he has the willpower to contain and pray to the god despite the urgings.


-Traditions
Traditions of any culture are countless, and range from the great to the mundane. Therefore, I would simply introduce the most celebrated and common Halfling Traditions of the Bluebane.

Stone throwing is perfected to an art by a river. Throwing contests are for distance, skips, speed as well as tricks. They are split to upriver, down river, cross river contests that are nearly unique for thousands of clicks. This is in addition to the more common rocky field, dense and light woodland as well as the flat plains contests. Stone-throwing is also supplemented by slinging in this region. These contests are to showcase one’s grace, as well as sexuality in their form.

Another noteworthy hobby is swimming and fishing both as a pastime and as a necessity. Summers are boiling, and these acts cool the Halflings down. In addition, they build strong bonds within the community: no festival is complete without a long swim or a fishing contest. Their hooks are the finest for miles around for fly or cave fishing, made by small Halfling lands. Large-catch fishing often require crews of Halflings to offset their comparably smaller size.

Festivities are based on the four seasons. There is Fertility Friday in the spring, The Midsummer Festivals in the Summer, the Harvest Day in the fall and the Silent Night’s Eve in the winter. However, the favorite day is Harvest Day. The runs of riverfish are to begin, and nets of fish often pull the fishermen many clicks upriver before being able to be dragged in. With the fertile land, harvest is a joy year after year. Great dances and contests abound. The Fertility Friday is known mostly for displays of winter masterwork during the months not tending the fields. New craftsmen are often enjoined at this time. This is also a favorite time for Halfling couples to marry, in hopes of a family by the next year. The Midsummer Festivals are great days for swimming and individual4 fishing contests while Silent Winter’s Eve is known for running contests and the best rock-throwing competitions of the year (even if the rivers do freeze, they offer a special challenge).

starlife, mind going on chat?

A message to Sadenk Ironlaugh, headman of the Ironlaugh Guild in Asketra:

Greetings

There has been good business between us, cleverhands. Your innovativeness, ambition, and ability to step out of the realm many goblins are comfortable dealing with has lead us to you yet again.

Asketra is a plutocracy, and the families that control it have grown complacent in their wealth. This lack of ambition is poisoning the city, and new, forward looking leadership must step up, lest your prospective investors, such as myself, move on to other manufacturers with cheaper prices and less hassle, though they have inferior products. I feel that you are the one to spearhead this change.

So this I state.. I shall give you alone every military contract Aiolia will create, in advance. You will use this money to gain market share, until eventually you are the richest, most powerful, guild in the city. This is a free gift, and no strings are attached. My motive is simply to generate goodwill, and show that the kingdom is friendly to all goblins.

This contract will be over at the end of the year, when production will be shifted internally.

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Ferdinand, a nobleman of the city of Tysis and secretly a member of the Tyssian underground devoted to breaking the tight grip that Drumus, the dictator, held upon the beautiful city considered himself to be a man who was deeply concerned with his own secuirty. You couldn't be a nobleman and a member of the underground at the same time if you didn't have secuirty.

So when Lucius came out of his bathroom, experimenting with Feridnand's perfumes and wrapped with his towels, Ferdinand could not help but stare agape at the figure.

"Ah! Mr. Ferdinand!" Lucius said. He walked into Ferdinand's closet and put one of Ferdinand's coat against himself to test its size. Disappointed, he hung the coat back inside the closet. He snapped his fingers and a white suit immediately formed over Lucius's skin. "I think we have much to discuss!" Lucius winked.

Ferdinand quickly mumbled an agreement. "Yes, yes, of course! Of course," he said. "We have several several cells mobilizing as we speak. With you on our side, we should be able to..."

"Speaking of which..." Lucius said. "Is there some kind of major public event coming up soon?"

"...Well there is the major public execution of the underground members coming up in 10 days... are you planning on freeing them?"

"If I can, if I can," Lucius replied. "But tell your warriors to ready yourself to attack the main gates in 14 days. I am bringing my own army in."

"An entire army?" Ferdinand said. "Even my network cannot fully cover up a movement of that many troops and blind that many patrolling soldiers. How do you intend on just taking the city in 14 days?"

"I will handle the distraction," Lucius smiled. "No worries. No worries at all. Just you get those soldiers ready, alright? And tell everyone in the underground not to go to the public execution. Well, I'll be seeing you." With that, Lucius walked into the closet and vanished.

....................................................................................................................................................

10 days later...

Executioner Gordon was an experienced man. Unfrotunately that meant that if something went out of line with his experience, he panicked. He also was an observative man. That meant that he was easily distracted from the task at hand.

For example, when suddenly a strange sound began to emanate out of the air in the execution of several suspected rebels, he could not help himself but look around in wonder.

And from the far distance, he saw with growing horror the visage of a knight clad completely in black, holding a massive lance and charging towards his direction. The knight broke through the ranks of panicking soldiers, and leaped through the lines of civillians which cleared a wide berth around the knight's path. Then the executioner's eyes grew wider than it was commonly thought humanly possible as he realized that the knight was headed straight for him.

And the citizens of Tysis, the dictator of Tysis which had leaned outside his balcony to take a better look at the events below, the soldiers, the prisoners, and even the horses stared in bewilderment as the knight leaped onto the podium upon which the executioner stood, drove its lance completely through him, and continued going until he impacted the large vat of tar that had been stored. The tip of the lance contacted rock and caused a spark, and as all things in works such as this go, the whole thing exploded in a bright orange column of fire, from which a man in white suit somersaulted out of it and raised his arms outward as if saying "Ta-Da!"

Everybody stared at the white suited man, who dropped his hands as if disappointed. He clicked his fingers and all those who had been tied to the stakes to be burnt felt their bindings loosen.

The dictator Dromas was the first one to regain his senses. "You! What do you think you are doing here?! Guards, seize him! Forget about those rebels!"

But Lucius held out a finger as if tutting the furious dictator. "My, my," Lucius said. "Is this what you call a spectacle around here? Where's the music? Where's the party?"

The dictator could barely keep himself from exploding. "Wha...who do you think you are?! Why are you doing this? Why do you appear now?"

Lucius let out a laugh as the soldiers surrounded him. "Well, think of this as a game of one-upsmanship. You drive this entire army crazy and made them kill thousands of their own people. So now, we get... to dance!"

And as the strange man finished his sentence, strange sounds began to emanate out of the air once more as if played by an invisible band. A cry of delight rose out of all the civillians that were present as they began to move their bodies by the rhythm of the music. The soldiers, even as they attempted to resist the strange magic, could not help themselves but lock steps and shake in tune with the rhythm. They raised Lucius on high as if celebrating a war hero of some sort, and paraded down the streets with the rest of the revellers, leaving behind the bewildered dictator on top of his balcony.

Wendell sighed as he put the finishing touches on a staff. The last of a set of six, these he made himself, by hand. Joyous afternoons passed meditating while his hands carved through patterns of ages. Then, time and time again he will guide small mana crystals into the wood, casting spells for them to renew themselves from the and protect the wood. The crystals themselves are carved so that every shred of light reflects with a magical glow upon it, and seems to tell a story of water and the sea.



He had spent a long time talking to the Mages. Although their magic is skillful, and their technique impeccable, they still labor under the illusion of the Sea Goddess... as far has he himself felt, there are no major presence yet. Hours of theological and magicarial discussion ensued while the scoutings are working their own magic, and his crystal eye caught a glimpse of their work.

As he finished his gift, he smiled. His only hope is that they won't refuse.

I still have 2 days with orders and culture template, but this is way more fun than quickly writing orders:

Goblin Clan Union Rage, Promotional Video

Link to video.