Mazera Mega Story Thread

Sorry, I've been a little busy lately.

Anything happen with the Illians lately? Or their allies/enemies? I have a few stories planned but haven't had the time to post them.
 
Well, urm, I've adopted the Amurites. Quite a lot has happened to them.
x
 
Mines Achieved, and the Dovollio threat to the lurchip homeland temporarily abated.
Spoiler :
The Lurchip finally made it to the mithril mines. It had been a long, hard march through the hippus territory, with constant harrassing attacks from the hippus horsemen. But the fireballing might of the golemic army (and their willingness to avoid torching all the hippus towns in their path, avoiding them if they could) seem to have made many of the hippus willing to let them go through and do their own thing. While not pleasing to the hippus leaders, there wasn't anything in position that they could use to prevent the Lurchip march. There were no guarantees that would remain for long though.

Settling down, the lurchip smash their way into one of the mithril mines, rapidly erecting massive defenses with their golems working night and day. Golems were stationed all along the walls, with the royal guard in key positions overseeing the defenses. Slingers also took their places, and a constant outward watch was maintained. Meinwhile, within the fort, the entrances to the mithril mine were enlarged and reinforced, to allow for the most rapid extraction of the precious ore. Then armies of golems, under the supervision of adepts and wizards proceeded to start extracting the mithril. It would go much faster without the need for the miners to rest, and there was a lot of metal needed for the mithril golem.

************

Meinwhile, back in the lurchip lands, the cities were beset by the horde of dovollio rampaging over the borders. The great cities with their massive stone walls (and the walls raised by adepts proficient in earth magic), made them near impregnable fortresses against the dovollio raids. The territory around them however wasn't faring nearly so well. However, the call to war had had some unexpected benifits. While many citizens worked on pouring out iron golems and gargoyles to defend their cities, a former clockmaker had come up with an ingeneous way to make a golem out of spells and parts from his clocks. Then new golem (named a Clockwork golem of course... lurchip are well known for their highly descriptive naming system... ;)) had immensely faster reflexes than the iron golems, and was a miracle of engineering. On the other hand, it wasn't quite as... sturdy, as the much renouned iron golem, but a few were put into production to test against the dovollio.

On a different note, there had been experiments with a new material called gunpowder. While very promising in the field of mining (if it ever could be controlled that is), its application for warfare was much more dismal. Simple rain made it moist and unable to fire, while even when dry it had a tendancy to explode in the users face, usually with significant force. Many golems had been destroyed testing this. For now, it had been discarded as an idea to put further research into, as it was also discovered that an elemental mage would have a ball working against them. Not only did water make it not work, but fire and lightning would prematurely ignite it, turning it into a far greater hazard to the user than to a properly equipped opponent. Oh... and golems were NOT well suited to using this material, and no dwarf would be foolish enough to be caught dead near one of these things - if they were, they soon WOULD be dead.

Lastly, a few dwarven druids had been seen smashing dovollio that had come near whatever they were guarding (or just protecting themselves, who knows). They had however refused to speak with the lurchip leaders, feeling that they were too involved in the world of politics to listen to the world of nature. Aka, unless the lurchip stopped being such a bunch of goody twoshoes, they would have nothing to do with the lurchip leadership.

*******

The city of Tia'Ran had turned into a central staging point for the lurchip home defense. Partly due to the presense of the royal guard, defending the city from sorry assasins and their ilk, who had been plaguing other lurchip cities, and partly due to the importance of the mithril golem, refugees from all over had gathered at the city. And with the influx of refugees, there was also an influx of golems. Lots and Lots of golems. While not as large a force as had been sent down to capture the mithril, it was the second largest army in the Lurchip nation, only topped by the capital defenses itself (and the offensive army of course). In an effort to protect his adopted nation, Barnaxus gathered a large force of iron golems, adepts, mages, priests, obsolete wood golems (but still fireball capable), and the new clockwork golems. Then, while still leaving a large force to defend the city, he took his army out and proceeded to smash the dovollio raiding parties. Mud golems followed behind to rebuild the wreck that the dovollio hordes left, and most importantly, repair the roads for rapid reinforcement. Careful overuse of fireballs smashed the smaller dovollio parties, and eventually, they were forced to organize their raiders into a cohesive force to defend against the counter-attack.

The ragtag mix of dovollio forces faced the steady lurchip army across the field of battle. The dovollio outnumbered the lurchip easily, but the lurchip magic began to change that quickly enough. Shamans and mages behind the dovollio lines began casting countermagics, and the mages soon ended up in a magical duel that left them unable to deal with the regular forces. Hosts of the Erenhjar met pit beasts in combat, maelstroms met maelstroms, outbursts of chaos were met by application of law. The lurchip army still had one major advantage though, and they showed it when the dovollio warriors started charging at them. With the dovollio in full charge, the lurchip golems all summoned fireballs and cast them at the charging horde. Massive explosions of fire scattered and slew many of the hulking raiders, but many more charged right through. The massive barbarians ran straight at the lurchip lines and met them with a titanic clash. While each iron golem was significnatly stronger than a beastman, or even a battlemaster, there were 3 dovollio for every golem, and hacking away with their axes and clubs soon began to whittle away at the lurchip lines. So barnaxus sent forth the new clockwork golems.

A clockwork golem is a giant machine - standing 15 feet tall, with massive arms, and visible gears everywhere, it is an intimidating sight. And it moves FAR faster than one would expect from a construction of that size. The clockwork golems sped forward increadiably fast, and began clubbing all around them with their massive hands. The golems all charged the righthand side of the field, and the dovollio were driven back before these giant monstrosities. Slowly, but with gathering momentum, the lurchip forces began driving up the dovollio lines, smashing through them. Brave as the dovollio were, they couldn't stand up before these mechanical monstrosities, and soon they were put to flight. As soon as the barbarians were out of range to possibly attack again, the Lurchip adepts went to work repairing all the golems. Even though many had fallen, few were beyond the adepts skill to reconstruct. Uneasy at leaving the city less well defended for so long though, rather than feebly attempting to chase down and kill the many dovollio survivors, Barnaxus turned the army back to Tia'Ran. Minor raids could be dealt with individually, but there would be no more major ones for a time.


my usual explanations
Spoiler :
Haven't seen anything from tasanuke, and I felt the story needed to be furthered some. So the lurchip force made it to the mithril mines intact, and are now forting up until enough mithril is gathered. Then they just need to return with it...

I also decided to introduce a few new units for the lurchip, as a counter to the increased dovollio raids. Also, as someone mentioned that they weren't too fond of the idea of gunpowder being used, I had them delve into that a little bit, then reject it as unsafe science. I also added the bit about making mages VERY happy to have their opponents using it. If it is decided that gunpowder won't be used, this can be shown to be the reason why. If gunpowder is decided to be used, well, the lurchip have made a little bit of progress on it, but not much.


Hope you all enjoy the stories.

-Colin
 
Staying out of character for this post, I have some comments/questions to ask in general.

Mimic and I have figured out the course and future happenings of the Grigori-Yokaido war. Since I have more time/interest/drive to write more than he does, I'll be more or less writing the war as a whole. But Mimic is not getting thrown out of the game for lack of role to play.

Second, as a question, I've been trying to figure out who is what state religion. Can a list of nations-religions be added? Of special interest right now are the Hippus, the everyone in the Grigori neighborhood.

Third, how many unique features/wonders are in play right now? Is Acheron the Red Dragon out yet? How many/where are various Unique Features?
 
The Chislev March Towards War

---

Catori marched through the Grigori lands on his way to war, and did not like it. Many of his Chislev brethren didn't.

It wasn't the battle ahead and that the Chislev empire stood little immediate gain; no one truly thought that the Grigori would turn over their once-captured territory to the Chislev. Many has suspicions of what might happen after, but it Was Not Talked About.

It wasn't the Grigori populace and cities. Even orcs who he wanted to strike down welcomed the Chislev columns as heroes, and children watched in justified awe as they marched down the streets. The cities had many amusements and delights that the Chislev warriors agreed were acceptable as anything back home. It wasn't like what marching through a Bannor settlement had been; these people greeted them as champions, heroes, not occupiers.

It was the land itself. It had been far too easy to tell what the Grigori-Chislev border was. You simply had to follow the row of trees on one side, and the vast fields of maize on the other.

At first, they had accepted it easily enough. It made a clear demarcation of borders, and was a wise enough way to reduce confusion and claims over the borders. It was a good supply of food, far from the Yokaido lines.

But when two days had passed and barely a grove had been spotted, they had come to realize that it wasn't just a border, or an ideal place for agriculture. It was a Grigori style. Where there had once been forrests, they had been cut down to make way for fields or workshop centers or hamlets and towns. Trees were a decoration, something to line the road and reinforce the soil.

Everywhere else, they were seen as mere fuel for growth and the war effort. As they passed through towns, they saw the wooden and marble palisades that had been thrown up to stem the Yokaido raids, they saw the buildings that had come from those trees. Actual forests were few and far between, hardly enough to supply a city for all it's needs.

It made many of the Chislev uneasy. Their cities were wide as well, but they used wood sparingly. A forest cut down provides an immediate benefit, yes, but a forest nurtured and harvested can provide far more over time. To strip the land to it's very roots...

Catori had asked a Grigori about it, about how they intended to manage without their own forests or trees. With a blank look, that Grigori had told him that they traded for most of their wood these days anyway. And besides, he had continued, magic could eventually sprout forth new trees, which could be cut again for benefit. The first nation to master such nature magics, he had explained with a speculative gaze, exploring his own thoughts, would have a significant economic advantage over the nations that didn't...

Catori left that man quickly, quietly appalled by his lack of appreciation for the gifts of nature. Nature wasn't something to be exploited with axes and saws. The Chislev were masters of the forests, had fought much of their war from within the Bannor's own forests, fighting with the tree cover and exiting for raids or attacks. It was how they waged war.

Catori was glad once they reached the front. The endless plains of Grigori farms, towns, and cities was behind him. The Yokaido ahead of him, a true challenge, understood the value of forests. The foothills and mountains infront of him were covered with forests, some thick, some sparser, all with undoubtedly many unique threats and opportunities for ambush, attack, or defense.

And then he saw the Grigori archers and catapults, with torches and flammable oils at the ready.
 
OOC, in response to dean the younger. Right now, the Lurchip are following Runes of Kilmorph, and have the holy city. The hippus right now are a little involved with council of esus, though I'm not sure if they're actually following it. The svaltar are following either Esus or FoL (not sure which atm), the lanuan I believe are following OO, and I believe the sheim are following Ashen Veil. Otherwise, I'm not sure who else is following what.

As for other stuff, Acheron appeared a few pages back, on one of the islands off the coast. Orthus hasn't appeared anywhere, but Lucian has been seen carrying an ax that burns so hot it is capable of cleaving through mithril - I am aware of only one ax that fits that description ;). If I remember right, leviathan has also appeared, but don't quote me on that one. As for unique features, I believe that the illians have Legatum Frigius (sp?), but that is the only one that I am aware of.

Lastly, for wonders, I had given the Lurchip the guild of hammers (free forge in every city and +1 production from engineers), the RoK holy building, and the mines of gal dur. I think it has been assumed that each race has produced its national wonders. Aside from that however, I am not aware of any other wonders that have been claimed.

-Colin
 
See, I'm glad I asked about the wonders. After the war, I was going to have Cassiel invite dwarves in to spread the Guild of Hammers. Still could, I suppose, but... ;)

Alright. Acheron's at the sea, the Leviathan is there as well, Lucian has Orthus's axe. Those are the big barbarian baddies of yet, and most the heroes (except for Grigori adventurers, who I'm using as my named characters across the place).

Not sure there are 'national' wonders, per say. Each nation has a favorite, but many share the same wonder.

Well, I've got to finish my present war first anyway...
 
By national wonders I mean things like heroic epic, the dural special buildings, etc. Not world wonders that are perferred by different races (like the amurites and catacomb liberalus or the dovollio and that colossus wonder that grants +2 xp to all units).

Another thing that I'm not sure about is guilds (from orbis or from FF). I'm not sure if they're being used or whether they would be allowed. We would also need to decide whether to use the Orbis versions (much stronger, but world guilds) or the FF versions (weaker, but national). We'll need confirmation from cypher on whether or not they are being allowed, and if so, which ones. They are somewhat mutually exclusive.

-Colin
 
Ok, the first part I answered is straight out of my notes.

Amurites, none
Archos, Council of Esus
Austrin, none, but follow Empyrean philosophy
Balseraphs, none
Bannor, Order
Calabim, none but large Council and AV presence
Chislev, Fellowship of Leaves
Clan of Chaos, Empyrean
Cualli, Council of Esus
Doviello, White Hand
Dural, none
Elohim, Order
Grigori, none
Hippus, Ashen Veil
Infernal, Ashen Veil
Illians, White Hand
Kahdi, none
Khazad, Runes of Kilmorph
Kuriotates, Empyrean
Lanun, bordering on OO
Legion of D'Tesh, none
Luchuirp, Runes of Kilmorph
Malakim, Empyrean
Mazatl, Empyrean
Ngomele, none
Scions of Patria, none
Sidar, none
Svartalfar, Council of Esus
Yokaido, Ashen Veil


As for the unique features, I actually wrote some of this stuff down.

Aifon Isle, somewhere in the ocean
Broken Sepulcher, near Sidar territory
Dragon Bones, none, no dead dragons
Letum Frigus, Illians
Mirror of Heaven, Sidar
Mount Kalshekk, Mazatl
Pool of Tears, Archos
Pyre of the Seraphic, Clan of Chaos
Yggdrasil, near Svartalfar territory

The Archos have corrupted the Pool of Tears, the Broken Sepulcher is indeed broken, the Sidar have the Mirror of Heaven because they took over the former Malakim territory, and Yggdrasil was in Ljosalfar territory, but its location is unknown since they were destroyed. I don't know the location of the other features because the Elohim are being stingy with their knowledge.

Acheron is on Rinwell Isle, which is the holy place of the OO.

Lucian does have Orthus's axe, but Orthus isn't dead, otherwise we'd have seen his skull on a spike somewhere. Rumor has it he's lying low near the Yokaido mountains after losing a battle to Lucian, in which he was spared. The Leviathan is out there in the ocean somewhere. Last seen close to Lanun waters, but that was in a story about..A week or two ago.

For the wonders, I will once again refer to my notes.

Catacomb Libralus, Amurites
Code of Junil, Elohim
Crown of Akharien, Kahdi
Dies Diei, Kuriotates
Dragon's Horde, Rinwell Isle under Acheron
Form of the Titan, under construction, Tebryn's Sheaim
Guild of Hammers, Luchuirp
Guild of the Nine, Hippus
Heron Throne, Lanun
Mercurian Gate, under construction, [OMITTED]
Mines of Gal-Dur, Luchuirp
Mokka's Cauldron, Illian territory with Mokka
Nox Noctis, Svartalfar
Prophecy of Ragnarok, Os-Gabella's Sheaim
Song of Autumn, Ljosalfar, destroyed
Stigmata on the Unborn, Tebryn's Sheaim
Syliven's Perfect Lyre, Ljosalfar, lost
Tablets of Bambur, Luchuirp
The Great Library, Dural
The Great Lighthouse, Dural
The Necronomicon, Rinwell Isle

As for the guilds, we'll be using the FF version because I actually know them. So far there is..

Masquerade, Balseraphs
Kingfisher Brotherhood, Lanun


I hope I got everything.
 
In a woods, darkly dreaming...

Passed by time and gods alike, waiting to break free...

---

That Carrow found himself far from the preparations for battle and deep in woods which even the Svartalfar dared not tread should have surprised him. For most others, not being surprised at such a turn of events from his prior exploits in the war could only be attributed to the plan of the gods.

Sod them, then. He knew why he was here. It wasn't for gods, or else he would have been forbidden this quest long ago, but for an angel. And he only followed that angel because He refused to wield his powers at all, never to harm anyone. Non-intervention was the one vice of the divine that Carrow was inclined to look kindly on.

---

"Carrow," Cassiel had told him all those weeks ago after his lauded return from behind Yokaido lines. "I have a task for you, a dangerous and risky endeavor that may well lead the gods to turn their backs on you forever."

Cassiel was not a moralistic fool. He was benevolent and fair, but mainly because he thought it right and proper. His way of achieving his ends had always been to convince others to agree with them, and to do that he would often make the argument he knew they would capitulate to.

Not that Carrow the Hunted needed much convincing. He wass an embittered mistheist, the sort of atheist who does not so much disbelieve in the gods and their agendas as personally dislike them.

"Let them," he replied. "What would you have me do for the Grigori nation?"

"I ask you to find me a certain foreign individual, and convince him to join us," Cassiel answered, the understatement of the task at hand apparent from his tone.

"Where might I find him?" asked Carrow, not at all reacting to being sent on what might unkindly be called a fetch-quest.

Cassiel signaled, and an orderly Carrow recognized brought forth a number of documents. They were old, older than the Age of Rebirth, and one contained a badly scaled map.

"We have gone through great effort to locate this person," Cassiel said. "I believe you may well be my best agent for this task. This one has reason to hate the gods even more than you do, but you two should at least have some common ground."

Carrow had doubted it, but changed his mind after further discussion.

"Remember," Cassiel had said as he had left. "There will always be a place for you in this nation."

---

That had been weeks ago. Now he walked through the forests, wondering just what he was supposed to do about the figures following him.

Stepping behind a tree to question his follower personally, the decision was taken from Carrow's control when a large limb bashed him in the face. Though not enough to knock him unconscious, he was unable to resist as his captors bound him and carried him through the forest.

How they knew their way through the forest, he was still too dazed to understand. They walked paths he doubted even the elves knew. The followed invisible trails, avoided obvious paths, and the only clearing they entered was one surrounded by tall trees, trees that hid the manor at the heart of the walled compound in the middle. With the moon just so above the highest tower, Carrow knew that he had found his destination.

Into the manor they entered, and Carrow was dumped onto the floor. Snarls and the sound of claws on stone warned him against fleeing, though he had no intention of doing so.

In the center of the chamber, slouched in the moonlight on a stone throne that must have been older than the Age of Ice, sat the leader of these not-men, not-beasts. He took in Carrow with about as much curiosity as a gnat.

"Baron Duin Halfmorn?" asked Carrow, not content to be the victim of these circumstances.

"That is what I used to be called," the Barron replied, absently inspecting his fingernails. "I have all sorts of titles now, some given to me and some I appropriated for myself. Halfmorn the Slaughterer. Halfmorn the Man-Stealer. The Barron Halfmorn, Scourge of the Gods. Before their fall, the Svartalfar would call me the Thief-Wolf, the Scourge of the Forest. But most now call me the Baron. Which one of those titles impresses you most?"

"I like the Scourge of the Gods one myself," Carrow admitted easily, causing the Barron to howl in laughter. Many of his attendants simply howled, until he silenced them with a gesture.

"Well, you certainly aren't a devout come to slay me or convert me, then," he reasoned. "A wise decision: those who try to slay me or bring me into submission to their gods soon find themselves in submission to me. So tell me, human: just what business do you have with me in these woods, which not even the Svartalfar roam?"

"Your lordship was three quarters right," Carrow said. "I am not religious, and I have not come to slay you."

"But you have come to convert me to your cause."

"Yes, your lordship," Carrow answered.

Rather than slay him on the spot, the Baron burst out laughing. "I was right!" he crowed, looking into the pack at the door to prove his superiority. "I knew that the nations of Mazera would seek power, even that power defiled by the gods, once the Age of Ice had ended. So tell me, hume, what nation or group are you from? Though I have not left these woods since the last age, my ears are sharp and my minions better at finding out the happenings of this world. Are you Bannor, convinced you can wield me for a greater good? Are you Sheaim, hoping to use me to reverse your fortunes and turn your enemy's living armies against them? Or are you a human slave of the Svartalfar, who dare not enter these woods on their own?"

"I come as the messenger of Cassiel of the Grigori," Carrow answered.

The Baron's cheerful demeanor vanished at the name.

"Cassiel," he said. "So that fool is still around, leading his little humans to talk and talk and never fight?" the Baron asked. "Unless he's changed his ways, he probably seeks to deny me from other powers. That seems typical of him: vocally against any war, but always trying to balance others just as firmly. But I can't see him having changed so much as to seek me to start another war."

"We did not seek this war: it sought us," Carrow said, and the Baron noded at the sage observation. "But requests for your help in that conflict is not the message I come to bring. This is it," he said, pulling and leaving a sealed letter before the Baron.

The Baron picked it up, broke the seal, and read it once, twice, and looked at Carrow with something bordering on offense. "Do you know what this letter says?" he asked.

"I do," Carrow answered.

"And this is truly what Cassiel has to say?" asked the Baron.

"Yes, your lordship," Carrow answered.

The Baron flew into a rage. "An immigration form? Cassiel devotes his sages and wisemen to track me down, and sends a messenger all the way here to deliver a piece of bureaucratic drivil?" he demanded. "What is that ArchAngel thinking? You," he said, pointing at Carrow. "Explain."

"It is as it says," Carrow replied. "You and your breed are offered a chance to come to the Grigori lands, under the classification as refugees of the Gods' wars. If you accept, you and your bonded will be granted citizenship and will be free to live as you see fit within the laws of the Grigori nation."

"So long as we also play our part in your war effort, you mean," the Banor said with centuries of hard-suffered cynicism.

But Carrow shook his head. "Only if you or yours choose to," he said. "Even if you agreed to leave and walked today, by the time we might return the war is likely to already be over. What you hold is the first copy of the revised immigration policy, which no longer stresses or pushes towards military service. You will be accepted by the government as equal to any other race or condition inside the nation."

The Banor looked at Carrow with something close to hate. "That's very easy for you to say," he snarled, the transformation changing his face as he spoke. "You, a human, who will almost always be accepted for the race you are. You wouldn't be half as confident and serene if you truly understood what it means to be cursed by the gods. You expect us to believe your and Cassiel's assurances after so many centuries of observation and persecution?"

At his unspoken prompt, Carrow was rushed from behind and restrained while the Banor approached, flexing his wolven claws.

"It's easy for you to say that your countrymen are so accepting and enlightened now," the Baron whispered, closer to growling low and dark in the moonlit night. "But we'll see how sure of your countrymen you are after you truly understand us. That is my answer to Cassiel."
 
Spoiler The Calabim Caravan, II :

Ghain smiled as the caravan finally reached the gates of Prespur city. It had been a hard trip back from Kwythellar, having travelled near the borders of two pairs of warring nations. When struggling for their lives, soldiers seem to pay little respect to "honest" traders, and Ghain had lost over a dozen guards to several minor skirmishes.

Still, it had been a success. He had brought twenty-six dozens of human slaves aswell as half a dozen of centaurs with him, and they had all gone at a good price. He recalled a noble of the house Ilyth having paid him double the usual price for the four svartalfar he had stowed up, as well as two of the centaurs.

Now, he was considering what to do. He could restock on guards and supplies, and take another trip through the warring lands of the Sheaim and Austrin, but it would be a gamble with his life, no matter the amount of guards he brought. Besides, he had money enough to live pleasently until more peaceful times...

His line of thoughts were broken as someone sat down opposite him. He looked up, and his heart almost skipped a beat as he recognized one of the Svartalfar he had sold only a couple of hours ago. Had the slave somehow escaped and wanted to punish him for his offences? The Svartalfar were slippery, after all. He broke a sweat as he reached for a knife in his belt, but the Elf raised his palms in a mediating manner, and Ghain relaxed.

The Svartalfar smiled - no, smeered - briefly at Ghain's panicked reaction before delivering his message: "My new master has need of your talents. He is in dire need of some... hard to come by goods, and he knows that you know he pays well."

Ghain nodded slowly, thinking things through. The elf rose from the table. "Just meet at his mansion if you are interested."

The Svartalfar left, and Ghain was too lost in his own thoughts to notice the two small wounds on the neck of the elf. Bitemarks.


OOC: I now, officially, have a plan. For now, it only concerns the Calabim. I'll PM.
:devil:
 
Very nice story, like a continuation from this one http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=8347795&postcount=143 by Tasunke.
A continuation of this, as a matter of fact, which was a continuation of Tasunke. Which makes Carrow the most-referrenced Adventurer to date. Ah, Carrow. Always good to be hunted, whether by Yokaido grunts or snakes or anyone else.

Sounds like people enjoyed that one. Good.

As a forewarning, I intend to start the Yokaido again tonight. It'll probably reach it's conclusion on, say... Sunday? Depends on what other events pop up. I'm going to try for at least one morning and evening piece, plus any appropriate responses.
 
Wow! I really like your stories, Dean_The_Young and Diamondeye. Your really good at writing.

x
 
Ok, Diamondeye controls the Calabim so if you have any plans involving them, you might wanna speak to him. Expect some updates and an updated map today.
 
Oh by the way, what is the Official Svartalphar response to the fact that at least a tenth of their forest has been burned down by Judecca and his Balors, with a small fraction of that having been turned into hell terrain (at the border)
 
The final advance didn't start with much in the way of drama. It wasn't a siege to be marked with a shower of arrows, there weren't weeping and cheering crowds as they walked down the streets, nothing dramatic or fanciful as would be depicted in later years. The most appropriate thing would have been a ceremony involving the city governor, and there wasn't one of those either.

They woke in the barracks, they assembled at the designated time early in the morn, and they walked out of their barracks, past the empty sleepy streets and out of the town with only a few convicted civilians and fellow guardsmen to watch them leave. And they marched, and they marched, and they marched, until they stopped for a field lunch. And then they marched again, with the city long ago vanished behind them except for hints of smoke from beyond the horizon.

Lest anyone think that these men were far from the front, to have gone so long without battle, they weren't: they had left from Corel, the great fortress city of the Grigori that had stemmed the tides of the Yokaido invasion.

It wasn't until late afternoon that the columns of troops came to the first sign of the war: a formidable castle guarded the bridge of the river Neimba. It had been built of Grigori marble after the Yokaido had been initially pushed back, and remained the farthest any Yokaido force had reached since then. Even now, the forested hills the Yokaido still occupied dominated the horizon.

Under the protection of this castle and many similar ones across the front, the Grigori and Chislev armies made camp, despite the early hour. They could have gone farther, could have reached the foothills by nightfall, but the Grigori had warned against it. The vipers were the most dangerous at night, when you couldn't see them before they struck. The worst time of all in those woods was at night, when hanging snakes appeared identical to vines until you pushed them and they bit and sunk their venomous fangs into you...

Tomorrow, once the sun rose, the armies would march again. And they would march into those hills, and would surely be opposed. But for now, they would enjoy a temporary rest before the chance for a final, more permanent, rest.
 
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