Mazera Mega Story Thread

My first post in this thread. Just letting people know I've "adopted" as Cypher puts it, the Illians. Oh, and I have a story.


Dunmanios, priest of winter, entered the throne room of Auric Ulvin. The ruler of the Illians sat in meditation. He appeared fine but his pale face and slightly shivering hands suggested otherwise to Dumanios, who frowned worriedly. If Auric could not bear the normal cold of Garduk, how would he possibly be able to become the god of winter?

As Dunmanios moved slighty closer to his lord, he realized with a slight surprise that the air around Auric Ulvin was much, much colder then the rest of the city. Of course, he realized. The power of winter is amplified around it's master. But before the priest could get any closer, Auric, with his eyes still closed, lifted a hand. Nothing appeared to happen, but Dunmanios felt a powerful presence sweep through his body and mind. The shock sent him to his knees. That was when Auric's eyes opened.

"Ah, Dunmanios. Make your report," he said, rising from his position. The priest of winter swallowed.

"My lord, our scriers have detected Amurite mages attempting to undo the Wintering of Erebus," he said nervously. The Wintering was the complete enclosure of Erebus in ice. Auric had coined the term himself. "Their mages are casting sun and fire spells to try and warm the land." Auric considered this. The Amurites must be destroyed, but without the Doviello- who custom to their nature were raiding everyone they possibly could, outside a handful of shock troops under Lucian who had pledged themselves to him- they would be slaughtered by the magic of fire their mages wielded. After a moment's thought a solution occured to him.

Auric walked over to a solid crystal of ice and muttered something under his breath. The crystal formed images- the Amurite-Illian border. He muttered something else, and an aura of ice energy surrounded him before fading out. On the crystal, Auric (and Dunmanios, who was watching hesitantly) saw blizzards begin to form on the edge of Illian territory. They did not venture into Amurite lands- in fact, Auric had cast a binding spell to prevent them from doing so- but they would be free to move into unclaimed land. He spoke.

"Dunmanios. Your priests are instructed in the ways of blizzard calling, are you not?" The priest nodded. Auric continued. "Your priests will begin to move them about the edge of our territory. Do not bring them into any other empire that has not pledged itself to Winter, we do not yet have power to destroy them when they declare war. Oh- and take care that they do not tuch Tasunke, who should be travelling to Garduk."

----------------------------------------------------

Blizzards begin to slowly spread outside of Illian lands into the wilderness.


It's not much. I just wanted to do some ice magic.

That's excellent. It was actually a very interesting read. Good job

Ok, I moved into my apartment today and I won't have internet until Thursday. I'm putting Tasunke in charge of the thread. Keep writing stories and submitting them, don't do anything too "big", like..Destroy a nation. I'll be back on Thursday, probably with at least two stories and some big updates. So keep it up, and honor the temporary ruler of this thread, Tasunke.


Khazad survive until Thursday.

Another Lurchip Story


TDLR:


Spoiler for a few of the liberties I took in making this post.


Hope this adds something interesting to the story.

-Colin

The letter and the Meeting

Letter to Auric, from some days ago



Auric read the letter, many thoughts were still spinning in his mind. Before his mind truly had time to catch up with him, he heard some ancient murmur ... roughly translating into "glamour off"

Ok, I found an open connection on the side of the building. I'm gonna do this quick because I'm cold and I wanna go back inside.




Quick and simple. The internet is jumpy so I'll try to find a more solid connection tomorrow.

I can't flesh out a real story now, but I plan on writing a episodic story about a Calabim Caravan owner who is secretly smuggling 'subjects' from Kuriotate lands to the Calabim slave market (even Kurio cities have poor people - what better way to put them to use?)

Vengeance (Voice of Dragons Three)

Not sure if I should reply to the meeting as if it were an RPG. So instead I've got another story. This one about an Illian, an elf, and a giant bird-demon of winter. It occurs just as Tasunke and Mal'deGrashni are... materializing?... in Auric's throne room.



Summary: Illians now have an Aquilan (like Fiacra from AoI scenario, giant bird) in their service. Wherever an Aquilan flies, blizzards will follow, according to the Bestiary.

Ok, snagged another bit of internet. It's slow so I'll just have to do a small update.






Ok, this is a little game. In the 5 days I've had no internet, I've been scouring my old laptop for stories I'd written I found several involving War Chief Corane, Warlord Ishlar Kafahn, and High Chief Votakara. I'll let you guys guess as to what has happened to Votakara. Tomorrow, once I have my internet, if someone has the right answer or has gotten close enough, I shall post the story of the battle with the answer to Votakara's predicament.

Also, the Mithril Golem is confirmed however, it cannot be used as of yet as the metal it is made of still needs to be prepared for such movements. Lucian of the Doviello has discovered an enchanted weapon that burns so hot it can melt pure mithril (Just to keep things a little balanced), but he's been in Urslo with Mahala so there's not much to worry about yet.

Third, I will control the Infernal and Mercurians. I'll control when they enter the story and what they do. I may pass off control of the Mercurians to someone else if they ask once the Mercurians are established.

Keep going, I should be back tomorrow.

I will await Tasunke's response to the golem invasion, and then come up with the next part of the story then.

-Colin

Judecca and a small contingent of Hell riders rides out to meet the invading force. Judecca does not know much of the force, but he has gathered enough intelligence from hawks and spies to know where the force is, and where it is heading. therefore this will be an exploratory mission.

He rides to the hilltop where he knows the army will be approaching. He has time to conjure a powerful firespell as they approach. Once he sees the massive army, he realizes that meeting them directly in the field would be a mistake. Therefore, he commits himself, and the rest of the hippi defense force, to participate in hit and run tactics, as well as limited guerilla warfare.

Now, however, is not the time for subtlety, as he has already concentrated many magicks into this offensive spell. He waits for most of the army to march into the vale, and then he sets it off, killing several of his thrall servants by the shockwave of the mere casting.

The sky turns into fire, nearly, as a massive barrage of fireballs races through the sky, slamming into the luchuirp army. Most of the fireballs, are deflected by the mages reflecting and dispel hexes, although some get through. Of those, some are partially deflected, leaving singed hairs, and broken or singed golems, while others simply slam into the ranks, exploding golems, and taking out many more golems, at least partially, through the flying shrapnel. Two Luchuirp mages ended up being killed in the confusion. One by shrapnel from an exploding golem, and the other by a rampaging golem, with its enchantments damaged, who killed the mage before another was able to strip the motor function from the enchantment, disabling the golem. While the adepts were sent to heal those golems that could be recovered, the mages sent a barrage of magic against Judecca. Lightning, Fireballs, and other curses and hexes were slung at the Mage-priest.

However, Judecca was ready, and reflected most as his cohort retreated behind the hill.
He turned the corner to slam another couple fireballs, and some lightning of his own, into their flank, although the mages were ready this time, and reflected the attack, sending a couple of fireballs towards Judecca, distracting him, while they summoned a Host of Einherjars, whom rallied at once and charged towards the riders. Judecca summoned some balors to fight them, while causing an earthquake under the Einherjar's feet. Many of them tripped and fell, a couple fell between a crack and were trapped momentarily, while those able to move charged full speed, to do battle with the Balors. The Luchuirp threw fireballs at the balors, although fire was of No use against the Original Demonkin. Support magic ended up working in the Balor's favor, and the Einherjars were slewn. Then the Balors charged at the army, and the golems all at once sent fireballs into the dirt ahead of the balors. It caused such a fly of debri as to distract and wound the Balors long enough for a massive Host of Einherjars to be summoned. Under the cover of continuous fireballs, the Einherjar pounced upon the Balors, striking key blows and sending them back to Agares.

By this time Judecca had rode to the front, where the weakest concentration of forces were. He was able to reflect the dismal defense as he created a large earthquake in front of the army, temporarily trapping them from moving forward, buying him time.

For the next couple days The two armies exchanged magicks, neither losing any real forces after the initial engagement. Although the Luchuirp were being slowed down, which was buying the hippus precious time. After this however, Judecca began to run low on energies, and had to withdraw. The Luchuirp had nearly reached the first Hippus city, upon the outskirts of the north. This city had been recently won over from the goblins, and had only a host of settlers and pioneersmen. Alexander had sent word for the city to evacuate, unsure of how the Luchuirp would respond to the hippus cities, and not willing to risk the lives of his kinsmen.

Judecca used several of those evacuating kinsmen in a sacrificial ritual, in order to restore much of his energies, yet still he withdrew, seeking a larger fighting force to more directly battle the Luchuirp.

I have adopted the Grigori. You shall remember their name! (Or not.)

---

The war against the Yokaido goes on. Though they can be stalled and diverted, they can not be pushed back into the mountains the came from. Cassiel and his ministers search for any possible means, and turn a speculative eye towards their neigbors.

The Chislev have other concerns, but do not appear to be interested in drawing and quartering their Grigori neighbors. The Bannor are also distracted with their own quests.

But the Clan lands to the west, including the Grigori's newest lands... peace and diplomatic relations with the new Orc warlord is easy. Making use of those new and exposed lands is less so.

Cassiel and his council turn their eye further abroad. To the far northeast, past the Yokaido, the Amurit's interest in mana nodes and the arcane is well known: messengers are sent through neutral nations with an offer: extensive and preferential access to many of the mana nodes of the Grigori nation, in exchange but for any assistence, knowledge or otherwise, that might enable the Grigori to face the arcane powers of their foes.

But it is to the southwest, Deirdra's Austrin, that the most significant possibilities exist. The Austrin are masters or bronze working and maybe even more powerful materials. They are wanderers of another sort, but also share many themes of the Grigori philosophies for personal excellence, and many Adventurers find themselves sharing the same path as an Austrin wanderer, and sharing food or fare as well. Perhaps they can be made agreeable to share their knowledge even further.

But most immediately advantageous, to Cassiel's wise council, is the Austrin's philosophy. Though born and spread in the name of Empyrean religion, the suggestion that any and all can be redeemed through proper service is not an idea to be dismissed easily. Austrin professors and priests are already pleased at the sincere interest of the Grigori messengers in just how their ideals are applied.

Soon, perhaps already, the former clan lands will begin producing more effort and value for the war. Already Cassiel has spoken, reminding all in the Grigori nation that the new orc subjects are just as justified in Grigori philosophy as humans, confirming that they have the same rights as any other Grigori. The door has been open, he has said, to any who wish to live and prosper through the Grigori way... so long as they, to, are willing to defend the Grigori nation. Special effort to spread this message has been sent to the East and in other areas where war has made more suffer, where refugees of the gods wars might be more inclined for a more secular homeland.

More quietly, orcish and goblin converts to the Grigori philosophy have been sent to the lands of their savage cousins who accept them on account of their skin. There they are in prime position to further escalate goblin attacks on the Yokaido, who's forces already show signs of over-dispersal...

---

Summary: The war stalemated for now with the Yokaido on Grigori lands, the Grigori are looking abroad for help. Peace with their neighbors is a given, but the knowledge of the Amurites (in exchange for mana nodes) and Austrin would be a major victory for their war effort. Friendly relations with the Austrin are especially desirable long-term, as they would discourage the Bannor from attacking the Grigori while the Austrin remain at their backs. If the Bannor are deterred and peace is kept between them and the Austrin/Grigori, then the Bannor will also be freer to focus on their conflicts to the west.

Most important at present, however, is that the Grigori are emulating aspects of the Austrin Empyrean philosophy of redemption. Effectively a reform similar to getting a Tolerant/Immigration trait (being discussed in the FF Grigori Brainstorm thread), the Grigori are seeking to use it to both accelerate adoption of their western Clan conquests and to send orcish Grigori to spur further goblin attacks against the Yokaido.

The Lurchip encounter the first hippus town.


For Tasunke, when writing responses.


-Colin

To Colin

A message, written on parchment that was wrapped around a swallow, which was pinned to a cat that was tied to a dog which has been glued to a farmer. The farmer has been sewn to his horse, and the horse is painted bright blue and yellow. None of them seem very happy about the arrangement.

Our dearest friends, Oh noble Dural,

Long have we been neighbors, and yet you have not once invited us over for tea! Our crumpets are stale and the pot has gone cold. What shall we do with the presents?

We shall be invading you in exactly eleventy-six and thirteen eighths days. We fully intend to rape your valuables and pillage your women. Please mount an adequate defense, for we have a whole day of festivities planned, and we wouldn't want to disappoint the audience.

Your staunchest ally,

Perpentach

Ok, internet is finally set up. Map is greatly updated and I have several stories to post, including some that I rejected at first, but gives more character to the...Characters. But, yes. There are going to be changes. Including, the fate of the Khazad.

Map updated. Lots of changes. Dural grow, Balseraph and Dural at war, Sheaim spread on Deadlands, as do Scions and Elohim, Calabim expand towards Austrin, Austrin lose land due to massive losses, Hippus gain land then lose it to the Luchuirp (This actually happened), Illians gain land, Khazad gain a little land, the Bannor gain some Chislev land, Svartalfar spread toward the Hippus, and the Sidar gain a lot of Malakim land. Also, we could use one more nation on the Deadlands for the obvious final showdown. Whoever gets their nation there first gets to join in on the fun.




And just to make all those who loved Dot's old avatar jealous, a story that will not be in spoiler tags.


Behind the Scenes


Faeryl Viconia rolled over and placed her arm on Corane's chest. It had been what, three, four times now? It didn't matter. The Archos were a powerful ally and if bedding their brute of a leader meant closer ties, so be it. "Corane.."
Corane stirred and looked into Faeryl's eyes. "Yes, Faeryl? Is something the matter?" The dark elf shook her head and ran her hand across Corane's chest. "No, I was just thinking about our plans. For the Hippus. Why did you choose the Hippus next instead of the pathetic Elohim or the demoralized Bannor?" Corane smiled at this.
"It's always your attention to detail that gets me. Indeed, I could have attacked the Elohim or Bannor, but why? I gain nothing from their annihilation. Not yet, at any rate. No, the Hippus are Mazera's suppliers of horses. The best kind. I don't want to pay those filthy humans for my horses which I'm just going to use to kill them." Faeryl nodded and laid her head on his chest.
"And why did you ask me to get the Svartalfar involved?" Corane wrapped an arm around Faeryl. "Your nation has been quiet since you absorbed the Ljosalfar and Hamstalfar. No one would suspect you to attack, much less attack the Hippus. If you can keep them demoralized from being unable to beat you in your nation's trees, we can easily storm through Clan and Ngomele lands and attack them from the southern front. I have spoken with the Khazad and they will assist in any way they can, including providing us with mithril weapons. We divide up the Hippus lands three ways, Ulvin gets his king, you get the mithril and iron you desire, and I get the land that rightfully belongs to the Archos."
Faeryl waited for him to finish his tirade before trying to speak. "That explains it. I'm glad you're so open with me. Makes me feel like I can...Trust you.." And with that, it became a fifth time.

The Hell Riders Make their move, and Judecca's dark ritual

To say the Dendrinni were agitated was an understatement. Their most respected generals had been slain by the sinister Svartalphar. They demanded for blood, and cried out in defeated pride, and bitter anger. Judecca saw the sorrow and hate of these men, and in them he saw a new banner for his Hell Riders to ride under. In a meditative ritual, he told them to concentrate their hatred and fear, and to focus on it, while he bestowed upon them the unholy taint of demonic prowess. In a painful and sorrowful torment of ritualistic soul mending, their souls had been infused with a demonic power as if they had made the journey through many of the layers of hell.

He let the natural leaders of the Dendrinni to command his hell-riders, with the new leader of Captain Ostanda. To this captain Ostanda, he had given a special ritual, which had created him into something much more than a human, closer to a demon lord or a balor, although more of a cross-cambion, without the pure genetic semigenousness of a cambion. Nay, instead his soul was a close replica of the hardest and most cruel Balors, imprinted upon the memories and the genetics of a powerful horselord. He was truly a work of art.

Meanwhile he rounded up all of the Svartalphar Prisoners' of War and via a dark ritual, sent them straight into the machine of hell, in exchange for further dark power, to strengthen a mighty ritual.

Tasunke stayed with Auric, to continue discussing the Illian's place in the war, while Mal'DeGrashni disappeared into the shadows once more. Mal' reappeared deep within Doviello territory and pulled some well entrenched strings, which doubled with a personal meeting with Mahala, ended in the Doviello commiting to a full scale war against the Luchuirp. With the majority of the Luchuirp off in Hippus lands, the Doviello easily over-run 5 major cities, with minimal recurring losses. The help of well entrenched agents helped out, with things like opening gates at night, disposing of key archer commanders and various other garrison commanders. The Royal Guards were an obstacle, but most of them were defending the central core cities, or the hippus front. Not many of them were patrolling on the Fronteir of the Doviello. It was an amazing sight to see a mob of beastmen take down an Iron Golem using grappling hooks and sheer numbers. The only Doviello casualties were from pre-emptive fireball strikes, which were few and far between. Once the fighting met at the melee level, the luchuirp were quickly overwhelmed, like a grasshopper being overrun by tiny fire ants.

The entire hippus nation was on the move. Aside from minimum border garrison, and supply caravans, as well as those with not a horse to their name, half of the nation moved northwards, to join the Doviello, and occupy the captured Luchuirp cities. The other half moved south east, to properly garrison those cities on the fortress-border between the hippus and the Archos/Svart armies.

Meanwhile the Dendrinni led the hell-riders south to meet the forward army of the Archos. captain Ostanda struck his staff into the ground, and the entire forest floor seemed to sizzle and goop. He left his army to the nearby fields, and hover-walked over the goop to meet face to face with the lead Archos commander. He asked for parley, and would meet the commander in person. The spiderkin agreed, and they rode to a forest clearing in order to delegate. Ostanda dismounted and walked towards Rurdrin. The Archosian charged, and several svartalphar assasins surrounded Ostanda. Suddenly the visage of Ostanda began to glimmer, and several "shadow" Ostandas began to move about, fighting against the assasins. Not used to fighting against their own weapon, the assasins were taken aback, being easily sliced by the real Ostanda in his hippus war-dance of blades, an age old tradition favored by followers of the Manes. It had been lost to most followers, but the Dendrinni were quick to the temper, and quicker to the blade. If anyone could fight on ground as well as on horseback, it was the Dendrinni. Most Dendrinni captains know of the war-dance quite well. As the Archos captain finished his charged, he ran right into Ostanda, which unfortunately for him, was part of Ostanda's last minute plan. He had yet to try out some of his newfound powers, and right now he was gripping the war-mount of Rurdrin with a burning fist. He then spread taint through the mount, until it withered and died, almost as a plant would. He then landed a blow with his now clawed hands, and with a swing he took half of Rurdrin's jaw clean off. Then he grabbed the Archosian and severed the Jugular with his blackened teeth, and then finished off the war commander with the same withering taint his mount had fallen to. The Archosian army went into a frenzy, and men and spiders started running full speed after Ostanda. Ostanda quickly mounted and rode away, towards his army, under hail of arrows and spiderwebbing. He set webs and trees to flame with his mind as he rode.

He crossed over the melting mud-soup with the grace of a demon, while half of the army became bogged down in the mud, the rest spilling over towards the sides, heading for the clearing where the Hellriders were waiting to cut them down. However the ones trapped in the muddy holdings were already his. He needed to only be touching part of the mud, and fire instantly sprang through the earthy muck onto all trapped inside. It not only caused severe pain, but hardened the muck around them, making it impossible for them to escape the taint which was slowly but surely spreading though the alight and hardening muck. While the fire and the mud was certainly a hindrance, it was merely a distraction for the taint that would eventually destroy even their very souls. (sending them to Mulcarn's vault, at least, except for those that completely succombed to the taint, whom simply withered away into nothingness, a mindwiped soul floating in between the fold's of creation, waiting to be gathered by Ceridwen, or maybe even Ars Moriendi.)

As the Rest of the army rode out of the forests (they were mainly recon and spiders), they were showered by the demonic spines from the nightmares' manes. The large spiders were tatooed by the flaming hooves of the nightmares, as they rode over them in order to fight the rest. A spider did not have much time to sizzle and throe from the burning gashes, as the next wave cleaned them up with fiery hacks towards the leg-joints and neck. Powerful and resouceful spiders bit into Nightmares at no avail, as their giant fangs simply bent against the unholy skin of a Nightmare. One was actually able to knock off a rider and eat the nightmare, only for Ostanda himself to later rip the spider apart with his bare hands. The nightmare itself was largely undamaged, although still required serious healing before it could do anything from walking to fighting. The hell riders and their flame swords fought against the Spiders' poison and webs, while the crippled remnants of the Archosian army slipped back into the forests.

Judecca meanwhile rode towards the Svartalphar border, mostly alone. He happened to pass by a Svartalphar army mostly unseen. It was not that they did not visibly see him, but his magicks prevented them from noticing him, or giving him any thought at all. He then affected them with mind-spells to make them delusional. This particular war-party then rode on with feelings of extrememly arrogant pride, and without their usual cunning nature. It would surprise Judecca if the war-party would even last a single barrage of archer fire.

It was when Judecca first entered the Svartalphar forest that he activated his spell. Activated by drinking some of the victim's blood he had stored in the vial, tainting the rest, and spilling it on Svartalphar soil. Suddenly a shock wave of blacker than night fires blasted through the forest, turning a mysterious landscape into a barren Broken Lands. As the black fires spread outwards, emanating from the center like a giant ripple effect, real red fires started shooting up from the ground in various places, as well as sulphur, and ammonia. Nothing mortal could survive this desolate fire-scape. The central ripple began to move with his feet, the black fires only able to stray so far from his feet, but leaving permanent damage to the landscape. No trees could grow here any further. As he walked, he permanently destroyed acres of irreplaceable forests. Any forest animal trying to live on such desolate land would easily die, although if Judecca saw any, he would end their life swiftly and painfully. He was able to kill off small scouting parties, but eventually he was met with a large enough Defensive force as to merit some level of resistance. He however controlled the Broken-lands quite ultimately. Arrows fired at him could be met by searing hot flames, to melt away any resemblance of the arrow that had been fired. However, even with the terrain on his side, there was only so much gain from tactical demonic warfare. Soon it was obvious he would have to activate the second part of the spell. He used flares of blinding light to slow down the ever growing defensive rally force, in order to terraform as much as possible. Finally he was able to singe over half of a fully forested Megapolis into a barren scene of broken hovels filled with elven zombies. At this time however, when the illusions were getting close enough to strike against his demonic hide, and when the arrows were proving too numerous, he decided to unlock the second part of the spell/ritual. About half of the current defensive force was gathered upon the blasted hell terrain. That half was about to immediately die. Surging black energies coursed through the entire cursed land. A whitehot bright light shined from the pure vacuum created by the vanishing of the energies, as all living and unliving on the lands was eaten by the vacuum in time/space, except for Judecca of course, and the lands were replaced by hell-fires springing thousands upon thousands of Balors to aid Judecca in the cause. Standing in the middle of the hell-fire, surrounded by thousands of Balors, Judecca began to feel at home, maybe even a slight amount at ease. He then commanded the army of balors to accompany him, and continue to set the Svartalphar nation on fire, the good ole fashioned way.