Dominion NES

I'm afraid I can't get very good quality images for a duel.
So here's what it looks like, with some of the equipment shown:
 
Thanks for your efforts Ldi.

If anyone wants to know, i am using the cross-dressing guy with the crown on the left.

It is a 'father illearth' unit and (s)he is wielding a sword forged in both fire and ice, a shield forged from the bloody tears of virgins as they are sacrificed upon our alters and the crown of the Eriu Slyph Banshee, oh, and an elegant evening gown made from the hide of a hydra for armour. (Sorry seon, but its just breathes like cotton and fits like silk. My cross-dressing unit just won't take it off)
 
In the cold land of Ulm, Mictlan and Ermor agreed to a champion's fight in order to settle their quarrel.
The fight was to be held in a large field previously used by Ulm knights to joust and tourney.
Mictlan's champion moved from Ermor, and was given right of passage through the last standing Ermorian province, Bavaria, in order to reach Ulm.
Ermor's champion waited for Mictlan to have sent its own, and arrived a bit later to the chosen location.

Without more delay, let us present the opponents:

For Ermor, Bune the Ice Devil.
Ruler of the icy realms of Inferno, his large body is composed of ice and he is constantly surrounded by a wind of infernal cold. He fights using his barbed, poisonous tail in addition to more conventional weapons.
He wears an armor cut in hydra skin, wields a sharp shimmering sword allying the strength of all the elements.
He is also protected by a massive round shield made of beaten bronze and set with ever-glowing coals, and his head is clad in black steel.
He dons an amulet protecting against magic and one bringing luck, and wears boots of unicorn leather.

For Mictlan, Pedoseion, the Father Illearth.
This fallen king of Elemental Earth was reawakened by sacrificial blood.
He too wears an hydra skin armor, and his head sports a crown that renders him ethereal.
He wields the sword Ember, that is both hot and cold at the same time, and a shield that looks like a mirror of clotted blood.
He dons an amulet of antimagic and wears a golden ring set with seven enchanted stones that increase his regenerating powers.

As already stated, the arena is set in Ulm, a cold and desolate province whose population has died or fled Ermor's rule.
There, the dominion of Ermor is still strong, but magic has always been weak in these lands, and remains easy to resist.

Both champions enter the battlefield and cast some spells to prepare themselves.
Pedoseion summons the power of the earth, hoping to use this magic to dissipate the fatigue that the devil's cold aura would bring.
Bune blesses himself with the Emperor's blessing, and then freezes the soil in front of him, hoping to trip Pedoseion as he reaches forwards.

Pedoseion advances to strike Bune. His huge earthen body emerging from the earth breaks through the thin ice crust summoned by Bune as if it didn't exist, and the fight begins.
Both fighters are skilled, but Bune is far more agile. He evades Pedoseion's blows with ease, and parries those few that land. But Pedoseion is bigger and more resistant.
The fight is tight. Neither fighter tires. Bune's boots let him move without fatigue, and Pedoseion's magic nullifies fatigue too. His sword's magic protects him from Bune's cold aura.
Pedoseion isn't as nimble as Bune, and many hits land, cutting through his armor and shield as if they didn't exist and harming his huge body with ease.
But Pedoseion's magic is strong, and most wounds he suffers close as soon as they are delt. His etherealness doesn't protect him from the magic sword of Bune, which shone in violet ghostly flames ever since Bune blessed himself.
Furthermore, the blessing of Tiberius Drusus Nero Claudius made Bune's sword far deadlier than other weapons. However, when Bune lands a blow, Pedoseion's shield bleeds and Bune's amulet of antimagic would shine, protecting him from hostile magic.
Sometimes however, the amulet's power and Bune's natural magic resistance aren't enough, and he would suffer from the wound he just caused.
But he, too, recuperates and regenerates his wounds, albeit slower than his opponent.
Pedoseion can't hit him much, and although the fire of Ember would hurt Bune, his sword and shield protect him from most of the heat, and he relishes in the cold of the sword.
The fight is long. It looks like only a deadly blow would have any chance of terminating the fight, as both fighters regenerate wounds faster than they are delt.

Spoiler :
But Bune's blows were crippling, and Pedoseion couldn't regenerate all the wounds he suffered.
Bune managed to hack at Father Illearth's lower body, and sent shards of earthen soil away from his enemy, who started limping.
Bune struck fast. Water magic let him strike more often than his enemy, and his tail lashes distracted his opponent, making it hard to parry all the hits.
Bune feinted, struck, retreated ans struck again, while Pedoseion tried to strike precise blows at his enemy.
The battle tide changed when Bune lashed with his tail downwards, forcing Pedoseion to lower his shield to parry the blow. Then Bune, using his unnatural speed, struck left, striking Pedoseion's weapon arm and cutting it down with a mighty blow.
The King of Earth shouted in pain as his limb was separated from his torso. He bashed the devil with his shield, hurling Bune backwards. Despite the shock, an evil grin distorted the ice devil's already ugly face. Without Ember to protect him, Pedoseion would now suffer from Bune's chilling aura.
Bune just had to wait. He moved towards his enemy, lashed, struck and dodged in a deadly dance around the King of Earth.
Pedoseion chilled and slowed down. It became harder and harder to parry and dodge Bune's attacks, and bashing him with his shield wasn't very dangerous. If only he could corner him and crush him...
After a while, Pedoseion was totally chilled and stopped moving. He wasn't dead, but he was frozen. As Bune struck, each blow landed. When Father Illearth's shield managed to pierce Bune's magic defenses and deal him wounds he had caused, the devil waited for his wound to heal, and struck again.
Finally, Pedoseion was reduced to a stump, both his arms severed, and Bune struck and cut off the earth giant's head.

Father Illearth was dead.

Mictlan had lost the duel. Ermor had won.


Spoiler :
For the grisly details, Bune had a better defense, and struck more often.
This wasn't decisive, however, as Pedoseion regenerated so much. Pedoseion's shield was almost the only thing that damaged Bune, as Pedoseion despite all his skill could hardly hit the devil. But the effects of the shield were often negated by the already strong magic resistance of the devil, further enhanced by his equipment and the local dominion. The cold of the province also helped Bune, making him somewhat defter and stronger.
The most decisive factor however, was Tiberius Drusus Nero Claudius's blessing. It casued Bune's blows to deal more afflictions, and to cripple Pedoseion. This was the most asymmetrical factor in the battle, since it gave Bune much higher chances to deal permanent damage to Pedoseion than the other way around.
 
I will uphold my end of the bargain and retreat. I would ask that the nations of the world leave me one turn to get all my people and soldiers back to my lands.
 
Wha?

:band::high5::cheers::trophy::spear::thumbsup:

Only 2 words: PAR-TEE!

I won! The Ashen Empire resurrects from its ashes! (Well, not resurrect-resurrect, just undead-resurrect)

I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON! I WON!
:goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob:

EDIT: You shall not worry, Mictlanese people. Ermor will let you go in peace to your lands. Even though we are undead, we still keep our words.
 
LOLs milar.

I expect unforseen consequence from this event...
 
I figured this would truly upset the balance of power and make for some interesting potentialities (assuming i lost- which i didn't know would happen).

To: The Newly Independent Nation of Man
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your provinces (man and kymrui) and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.


To: The Newly Independent Nation of Maverni
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your province and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.


To: The Newly Independent Nation of Eriu
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your provinces (tirNaNog and Eriu) and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.


To: The Newly Independent Nation of Kitajima
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your province and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.

To: The Newly Independent Nation of Cyprus
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your province and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.


To: The Newly Independent Nation of Machaka
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your provinces (Desert of 100 tombs, Machaka) and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.
 
To: The Newly Independent Nation of Man
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your provinces (man and kymrui) and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.
You get two answers from these provinces. Kymriu welcomes independance, but the province of Man wishes to remain in Mictlan's empire.
The Man delegate says the following:
Only by bribing one of Mictlan's fighters, the honorless Bune, did Ermor manage to trick Mictlan. We want to remain part of the Goddess' empire, so She can defend us from our neighbours' destructing dominion.

To: The Newly Independent Nation of Maverni
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your province and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.
Most of Marverni citizens wish to remain Mictlanese, but some want to accept independence. This may well lead to some trouble in the province.

To: The Newly Independent Nation of Eriu
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your provinces (tirNaNog and Eriu) and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.
A council of Eriu tribe chiefs elects a new king, and his first decision is to ask Mictlan that they keep their protection and accept Eriu and Tir na n'Og be a protectorate of Mictlan.

To: The Newly Independent Nation of Kitajima
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your province and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.
Kitajimans erupt in joy at these news. They immediately invade the dungeons where their slaves were held for blood sacrifice and free them. They also start attacking Mictlanese priests and all symbols of Mictlanese authority. Some even say they see the work of Shizen behind this victory.
Mictlan will have to state what the priests do and if/how they leave the island.

To: The Newly Independent Nation of Cyprus
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your province and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.
As soon as the Mictlan priest finishes reciting his message, the other Mictlan/Cyprus priests decide to kill him and sacrifice him to the Holy Mantis. Obviously, this is a madman, and the Cypriotes refuse to believe that such utter (censored) can be the real will of the Mantis. Therefore, they decide to continue to act as if they are a province of Mictlan in every way.

To: The Newly Independent Nation of Machaka
From: Mictlan


We will be withdrawing our soldiers from your provinces (Desert of 100 tombs, Machaka) and will no longer be performing any tax collections from your people or mana from your lands. Any of your citizens that wish to return with us to Mictlan are welcome to do so. Your independence is sacred; do what you can to keep it for as long as possible.
Here again, the two provinces, which have hardly anything in common (one is lush plains, the other is desert on the other side of mountains) don't react the same way.
Desert of a Hundred tombs immediately declares it forfeits independance and returns into Mictlan's empire.
Machaka is more troubled, and the province is in turmoil for the moment, no formal answer is made.
 
OOC: I don't know yet.
 
Crows:

Spoiler :
Lady Gwen stood looking towards the great construction that would soon hold the Forge, but she didn’t see it, being lost in thought. No-one had expected this. The might of Mictlan broken. She could already hear the crows calling for a feast.

“I say we should go for it, if we make the right deals we should be able to take at least Eriu, Kyriu and maybe Man, then use those resources to become the power we truly deserve!”

“Yes, even if we claim little know, it was Mictlans assistance that prevented use from seizing the Jotun and Magni; we could finish this fued once and for all!”

“Maybe, but look at Mictlans explosive power! What is to say that others, Abysia or Pythium haven’t been preparing for just such an event!”

“Lady, Llywhen, what do you say? You’re from Eriu, aren’t you”

Gwen turned to look at the ministers, representatives and sycophants that crowded the balcony of the palace, all staring at her. For the first time in nearly a century she felt truly foreign.

“Weal, it isn’d me choice-“ she cut herself off, noticing her accent coming through, “Sorry, well it isn’t my choice. Also, Vanheim is my home now, and have been for over a century.”

Mikhail, the descendant of refugees from Bogarus some 80 years ago, snorted “Yes, see? Just because you have a heritage to a place does not mean anything. Besides, it is for his Lordship to choose.”

With that, everyone turned to look to Thorndai, standing quietly to the side. After a moment he spoke.
“Will wait and see. The Mantis has asked for a grace period. Therefore, this topic has no point in discussion for another seven years.”

With that Thorndai was silent, and Gwen looked back towards the Forge. Apparently, it was almost ready for a demonstration, something Gwen had been consirned about for years.

Ah well, she thought. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Mímir said. Yes, you will. And would it kill you to talk to me? We’ve hardly spoken since I signed the peace Treaty with Mictlan.
 
gone for one day and look what happens, the world collapses...
 
To Kymrui:
We wonder that perhaps some of your population might wish to leave for Mictlan proper. We hope that you will allow this. Also, some of the independently-minded people from Man and Maverni may wish to join you- in this case we hope you will allow them to make homes in your emergent independent nation.

To Man:

Your independence is yours to do with as you please. We will accept you as friends and a protectorate of Mictlan for as long as you wish and should you ever wish to rule yourselves without our involvement we will be happy to step away.

To Maverni:
The majority of your population wishes to remain with Mictlan. To avoid bloodshed and civil war in your lands we will remain. If, with time, the independent forces within your lands form a government capable of uniting the people, then we shall step away and you will be free to rule yourselves however you like. In the meantime, those who wish independence are encouraged to organize themselves peacefully. Let no more blood be shed.

To the council of Eriu tribe chiefs and their newly elected king:
We welcome your decision to adopt us as a protectorate. We recognize your formal independence but at the same time will extend our gauntlet upon you and provide you with what protection we can. We trust that the fey of the island know beset how to rule themelves and should they wish to renounce our protection at any time we will do so peacefully.

To the Newly Independent Nation of Kitajima:
We congratulate you on your new independence. Your people are free to do with as you like and are free to return to their families. We ask only to leave without bloodshed and in peace. We remind you that any further attacks upon our people will be treated as a declaration of war. As our reputation no doubt precedes us, we will not remind you what we will do to you should you declare war upon us. You have independence and the choice to do with it as you wish. We suggest you act responsibly and with wisdom and allow us to leave in peace. Remember that we have no will to fight you. Should we return to your island we will bring devils and fire and no one will be left alive on the island within 31 days of our arrival. Your children and pure ones will be taken and sacrificed upon our alters. Your men and mothers, brothers and sisters will all be slain. Your farmlands will be pillaged and your treasures taken. Your cities will be but steaming piles of corpses for the crows of Vanheim to feast upon. And so, while we may wish to have peace, we remind you that our armies and navies are waiting upon your humble decision. Be intelligent now.

To Shizen:
Bring your island back into your fold peacefully. We beg you to avoid more blood.

To the independent nation of cyprus (its people, not its priest):
You must choose. Once you were free. Since that time we have merged our cultures and our strengths. Your sailors have seen the many shores of the world; your soldiers have fought half the world. Our cultures have shared strengths and have shared secrets. You have no choice but to choose a government to represent you. If you feel that we have abandoned you, do not. We will continue to extend our protection to you as we do the people of Eriu but it must be a decision of your priesthood: not our priests. If you wish true independence for yourselves or wish to ally yourselves with another of the would-be 'gods', then you must choose that and we will step away. in any case let there be no more blood.

To the Desert of 100 Tombs:
We can barely remember a time when you were not part of our nation. We accept your independently choice to continue your path alongside ours. Let us continue to prosper together.

To the Machaka:
You have always been an independent and rebellious people. Your confusion does not surprise us. Should you choose independence, we suggest you sign peace treaties with your other neighbors. Remember that if you turn your swords upon us, your declaration of war will be the final act you take.
Machaka is more troubled, and the province is in turmoil for the moment, no formal answer is made.

To the Victorious Nation of Ermor:
We will respect the decisions the independent nations take. It is their choice and certainly we are surprised by the number that wish to retain one degree of association with us or another. Be satisfied with the provinces you have reclaimed.
We hope that this agreement will also bring peace between us. If we return to your lands there will be no contest of champions; we hope no more must be said of any such occurrence and we can focus on rebuilding the peace between us.


OOC: Good story Darksaber. I'm having a little difficulty finding the time to write my own story.
 
In response to the PMs asking WHY?

The Mantis only wishes to end the bloodshed. Once we were a woman, a girl who fell in love and before we truly knew what had happened the world had exploded into blood and fire, war and death. And so godhood was thrust upon us, the minds of first dozens, then hundreds and now thousands and tens of thousands scarmble about in my skull every day and every night. The bloody sacrifices of priests continue in our name and we tremble at the horror that has been wrought in our name. We have done what we can to bring peace to our people, to defend ourselves and our allies honorably. We fought battles chivalrously and sacrificed our soldiers so that peace might come to ourselves and our allies. But as a consequence we, the mantis itself, has grown into a great and TERRIBLE empire, a great haven for believers and a curse upon the lips of the infidels. It is not the dream of the Mantis to have her blood-drenched fingers spread across half the globe and yet she cannot turn a blind eye to the plight of her people. You can see the confusion this might cause me and hopefully by this battle of champions, the blood of many might be spared.

And so, the burden of leadership we bear as best we can in the hopes, the true hope, that peace and prosperity might come to all.
 
From: Ermor
To: Mictlan


If they wish to remain within your nation, we have no problem. However, we feel that this is still a violation of the treaty we wrote.

OOC: If I had been you, I would have just destroyed Ermor.
 
It is TECHNICALLY not a violation of treaty as they were indeed given independance. The leaders of those nations could do whatever they wanted with their independance, hence their name. If they wished to go back immediately after their freedom, then it is their choice as a free, independant state.

Story coming soon
 
We would like to make a proposal. Mictlan remains a protector of those former provinces wishing it for another two turns, during which time effort is made to enable them to exist on their own. This would also be to make sure that at the very least, they can put up a resistance against the other nations that will come swoping. If Mictlan requires money for this indevour, Vanheim could provide some.
-Lady Gwen Llywhen, servant of the Storm Lord.
 
To Ermor:
We do not think it is a violation of the treaty. Ultimately the sole and only judge and arbitrator of these sorts of problems is violent war between nations. Let it not come to that... We suggest that you be happy that some have chosen independence. If you can suggest a constructive solution we would be happy to hear it. Otherwise....

To Vanheim:
We think thats a grand idea. I think those nations best suited to early independence are Man/Maverni and the kingdom of Eriu. Since they are in your backyard, let us focus our efforts on strengthening them first. Does this suit you?
 
From Shinuyama to Mictlan
The people of Kitajima have long sicne demanded they be reunited to their home nation of Shinuyama.
You seem to have finally seen the wisdom of letting them free. There shouldn't be any further hindrance at letting them join Shizen's nation. We also believe that only a quick intervention of Shinuyama can prevent rebellious elements from committing plunders and acts you would deem warlike.
For this reason, after only a few years allowing Mictlan followers to leave the island, Kitajima will be reunited to Shinuyama. Waiting wouldn't be wise.
 
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