Not sure if I posted these in the thread or not, but I sent them with my orders last turn;
Volmoros
The Herishba had spoken. The Archbishop had spoken.
The Union of Uld'ar and Renegade was weak. Pathetic. The industry was there, but the power, not so much so. The other states of Barsaive showed no respect, Uld'ar for all its riches, was utterly insufficient and clearly lacked the ''greatness'' that Il-Javaskar demanded. That the church and the people demanded. For too long Uld'ar had looked upwards, and not outwards. Looked to markets and minerals, and not to glory and strength of arms.
In these difficult times, this was unacceptable. The alliance with the Throalians had collapsed after an explosive disagreement regarding Pilseta. Uld'ar had asked the Throalians not to aid the Skyjalfar, the witch-elves who's sorcery endangered hundreds of Renegites on the borderlands. They had even been warned that if it came to it, Uld'ar would come to the aid of Pilseta to destroy the source of this ungodly power. Yet Throal, outrageously, went against Uld'ar's requests and Pilseta was defeated. Throal would not recognise the superiority of Uld'ar, and this was worrying. All the more reason why the Reformation was a necessity. Why it must be done, and done now.
The Generals of Uld'ar were aristocrats, idiots not worth their weight in clay. They strutted around the Kaer with an undeserved arrogance that was an offense to the humility of Il-Javaskar. Thankfully, with only two seats on the Herishba, the Generals could easily be dominated in politics, and their objection to the Reformation would count for little. The Army would need a strong, awe-inspiring leader and neither of these Generals would cut it. With a single, pre-decided vote, they were expelled from the chamber and removed from their positions. Without ceremony, the pair were arrested and locked away in the dungeon tower of the Kaer. They could not be allowed to rally support for themselves amongst the army. Needless to say they had not taken kindly to their new homes. Bah! They should be thankful that they still have their heads upon their shoulders, thought Edoris, briefly. He chided himself, recognising the voice of Aeron in his mind, and not his own more balanced disposition.
Over the last few years, Ragnor Huldimun, governor of Renegade, had become the right hand man of Edoris. His eyes, ears and hands in South Kerosyn, as well as his confidant and friend. It was unusual for the Archbishop to open up to anyone but God himself, but Ragnor enjoyed his full trust. Together, the two men inspected the troops, now leaderless and unsure.
They were based at Heliema, a small, central province of Kerosyn which did not fall under the jurisdiction of either cities. This land had, until recently, been under the full control of the Generals, a tiny enclave of military dictatorship and tyranny in a land renowned for its relative enlightenment. It was a strange, disconcerting place. Both Ragnor and Edoris were urban men, used to congestion and overcrowding. Used to precarious high rise buildings of six and even seven stories, barely held upright with iron scaffolding, and dank subterranean neighbourhoods for the poor where all kinds of depravity endured, hidden from the eyes of the church.
Heliema was perhaps the very antithesis of the men's usual habitat, a sparsely populated province, seemingly with more trees then people. The province was dominated by the gigantic fortress, Argorollak, the former occupancy of the generals. Around this fortress, there were several small satellite villages, which served the interests of the army. There were blacksmiths and forgeries, brothels and bakeries. And it was in one of these villages that they found their man.
A blacksmith he was, his father, now gone to the Vault of Il-Javaskar to offer up his soul in tribute to God, had been renowned across the whole of Kerosyn for the production of the finest steel weapons and armour money could buy. The man had learnt much from his father, and when he inherited the monumental steel forge outside the village of Herudeshgek he had continued his great work. Argarashgon Volmoros as he was known, commanded great respect amongst the people of Heliema, and even the soldiers who tended to look upon the lesser inhabitants of Heliema with contempt.
It was unsurprising. He was a model of a man, the very thing an Uld'ari soldier aspired to. He was exceptionally tall, even for an orc at around 7ft5, and had skin as grey as stone. A symbol of beauty in Uld'ar. Grey skin was associated with power, wealth and civilisation, green and brown skin with poverty and barbarism. His face was chiselled into a visage of perfection with strong features and eyes of dark ebony. However it was not simply his physical attributes that appealed. He was intelligent, and extremely devout, a result of his father's insistence that he attend church school in Renegade, and finally he has a particular way with people that commanded both their trust, their respect and their affections.
They observed him for several days going about his business in the village, and on the sixth they found him in the village yard. As is typical when performing military training in Kerosyn, he wore nothing but a large sack of javelins. His throws were impressive, splitting targets at the furthest end of the extensive yard. The face of Muldar Edoris was known across the entire land, the work of thousands of statues and wayside shrines, and Volmoros had studied in Renegade, however he showed no acknowledgement of the two men. His face was marked with the furrowed brow and fiery eyes of determination and vivid concentration. The pair stood there awkwardly as the man worked his way through the sack of javelins until all but one remained.
Finally he turned, his eyes rapidly relinquishing their reddish hue and returning to a deep shade of black. ''My Lords'' He said with a slight bow, waiting for them to speak. The two men asked him to accompany them to a local Inn, where Volmoros himself was a regular.
They sat at a small table in the corner, and told Volmoros that he had been selected to lead Kerosyn's men to battle. At first, he seemed uneasy. He was but a simple blacksmith, not a leader of men. However as the night drew on, and Edoris was finally able to convince him that he was the man for the job. Edoris was famous for his ability to find exactly the right man for the job, a fact that Renegade's governor stood as testament to, and if the Archbishop himself was convinced he could fulfil his expectations then who was he to disagree?
Finally he was won over, and the three travelled by horseback back to Argorollak.
A few days later, Volmoros stood, clothed this time, before the assembled troops at the Fortress. ''Men!'' he cried, ''My name is Argarashgon Volmoros! I am your new General, and under my command you now fall. The Archbishop of Kerosyn, our immortal leader, demands that I transform this meagre force into the greatest body of men Barsaive has yet seen and I plan to fully oblige with this command!...''
The assembled men, the thousands who made up the majority of the army stood to attention, eyes blazing as Volmoros gave his speech. Argarashgon Volmoros would prove to be an inspirational leader, and it could be felt in the very air that he would lead them to great things.
Deep in the heart of Argorollak was a chamber almost identical to the Council Chamber of the Kaer. Designed as a refuge for the government of Kerosyn in case of invasion, threat, or war. The Council now assembled there, huddled around a round wooden table upon which a map of eastern Barsaive was depicted. For hours, the council ''discussed'' its next move. A euphemism widely used to describe the bitter infighting which plagued its ranks. Here in the War Room, the table was dominated not by the Archbishop, or by the ranks of elected Chieftains, but by Volmoros as he negotiated his way to an agreement.
Very soon the wagon would begin to roll. He had but a few short months to train his forces to an acceptable standard before he himself would lead them to War.
--
A declaration of War, widely distributed amongst the people of Uld'ar
Declaration of War.
The Union of Uld'ar and Renegade hereby declares war on the Kingdom of Sjykalfar.
The Witch Queen Anabella has long proven herself an untrustworthy and dangerous neighbour, and threat to the Union cannot be tolerated. For her war crimes in the Pilsetan War, including use of the art of Necromancy, the Grand Council declares her an enemy of the state.
The Council commands General Argarashgon Volmoros to lead the armies of Uld'ar in its rightful cause. He is commanded to march east immediately, and not to rest until the city of the Elf Queen is won and her person captured.
Elf kind is not to be trusted. The Council calls on the people of Uld'ar to be wary of spies and infiltrators, and to report any sightings of Magicke to the local town hall. Sorcery is an affront to God, and is not welcome within his realm. The people are also asked to be wary of Throalians, who have been known to assist the elves in the past. This is despite their numerous crimes against life and their deceptive ways.
The Council calls on every able-bodied man to train in arms and to prepare for War. While we hope that the Pilsetan War can be resolved easily with our involvement, it is unlikely for that to be the end of our struggles. The people of Uld'ar are a civilised and respectful race, and in other cases violence might be discouraged. However, understand that God commands that I, Archbishop Muldar Edoris, lead his people to glory and it is clear that the destruction of the Sjykalfar race will be an important milestone in the pursuit of greatness. No matter the brutality, or the bloody ways of war. God will not judge, for it is in his service that it is done.
People of Uld'ar, seek solace and sanctuary in your faith, and strive to achieve the great balance of the elements which Il-Javaskar teaches. In life and in death, it is your upmost duty to serve Him through the command of I, his divine prophet. Wives and Children of the people, take pride in your manfolk as they lead Uld'ar to unprecedented strength and spread the word of God to the Godless.
Many will be lost on this campaign of valour, but do not shed tears for in their death. The fallen of Uld'ar will only serve God closer as Angels of the Sanctuary. Go to your Temple and pray for them, and for Uld'ar, and for God.
Edoris
