Varica: Children of the Sky

I think I'll officially start lurking this NES now. The persistance of Fulton in modding it and a grand update at first glance must mean something of a great NES despite the fact that I don't know the first thing about the setting.

The front page contains all the information you could want on the setting. What do you need clarification on?

To: Hroth V, Chosen to be Emperor by Haeka
From: His loyal servant Vigvitr of the Hrafn

For a while we shut our mouths against the foul rumors spread about us in the capital. Not because they were true, but rather they were so laughable that we could not consider any right-thinking man would believe them. For it was easy for any clear sighted man to see through the lies. For supposedly we ourselves would place ourselves on the throne in your place. The liars here have caught themselves in their own lie, forgetting that we have given you our oath of loyalty and would never invite the wrath of Haeka by being oath-breakers. If this was not enough to betray their lie, they add to it, forgetting that we are far away from the capital fighting in the Emperor's war. Though I suppose that they think that our cousins the ravens would carry us to the capital to overthrow you. While their imagination should be commended, their accuracy should be denounced. If we had such powers over the birds of the air, we would have surely had them carry us to the capital of the Manische first, so that we might avenge our father.

Realizing that the only response by right-thinking men is laughter at such fables, they attempt another lie, claiming that the priest who serves at our father's temple in Varica, one Helgiverðr by name, is the one who will overthrow you. We must admit, though scorning the lies, we are flattered that the liars consider the Hrafn so great warriors that a mere twenty-five of our priests would be able to overpower the entirety of Varica's garrison. But they forget themselves again, for what priest of Haeka would commit the most heinous act against Haeka of slaying his anointed? What abomination is unthinkable for a man is doubly unthinkable for a priest of Haeka who has proven himself to be Haeka's own instrument of justice when he exposed the Princess of Xanfa for her crimes against your own august personage.

All of these lies cause us only one thought, one of your enemies is attempting to turn you against your greatest allies, our own humble personage, so that you might be weakened by the absence of our counsel and the strength of our arms. To act, as they have, to weaken your own reign is clearly treason. Thus we strongly urge you authorize your magistrate Tomakin to investigate which of your enemies seek to weaken your throne. It is better to unmask their treason now, while it is still young and infirm, than to let it grow into full strength and maturity.



To: Regent Hroak
From: Vigvitr, King of the Hrafn

The High Priest of Werar who all men know to be close to Haeka, has called our fight a holy war, and proclaimed that Haeka is with us. Indeed we know this to be the case, considering how victory has crowned all our armies. Nevertheless, we hear that you have brought into the camp of Varica a witch convicted not by men but by Haeka himself, namely the Princess of Xanfa. All men know witchcraft is an abomination before Haeka. Therefore the men in our army fear, that Haeka's wrath will burn against us and he works for our enemies just as he has to this point worked for us. Now we know that the Darkness can be renounced, but we have heard no such renouncement from her lips, nor have we heard that her instruments of witchcraft have been burned by her own hand, nor heard of even a rumor stating that she has stopped being what she had been judged guilty of doing.

Therefore we ask that the High Priest of Werar, as the one closest to Haeka, as well as one knowledgeable in the ways of witches along with some priests of Hrafn examine her, and her possessions, and the people around her, to determine whether or not she has stopped the witchcraft that she was judged guilty of doing. And if she has, and she makes a sacrifice that is acceptable to Haeka, so that all may see she dwells in His pleasure, we will say no more on the matter. And if not, let her be killed as is the witches reward or placed in a temple of Haeka, where perhaps her soul might be saved. But if not, know that the Hrafn will not move, for we will not fight beside a witch, for to do so invites the wrath of Haeka. Verily we would rather our right arms wither, our shields crumble to dust, our shades never find peace, and our descendants forget our name before we would fight against Haeka.

I made a mistake in the Great Happenings section. I said this in the update:

Rumours began to spread in the capital about the loyalty of Vallari and the men who supported him. These rumours sought to discredit, Villieldr, the Hrafn priest posted in Varica, and through him Vallari and indirectly the Hrafn regent herself. The wildest of these rumours spoke of a plot to overthrow the Emperor and replace him with his Hrafn cousin, Vigvitr. Few admitted to believing in the rumours, but Vallari and Villiedr found their reception in certain parts of the city to be less friendly than they once were.

Please note that it has been changed to this:

Rumours began to spread in the capital about the loyalty of Vallari and the men who supported him. These rumours sought to discredit, Helgiverðr , the Hrafn priest posted in Varica, and through him Vallari and indirectly the Hrafn regent herself. The wildest of these rumours spoke of a plot to overthrow the Emperor and replace him with his Vigvitr, who can draw a line of inheritance to the Imperial throne through Jyanna's stepfather, Hroth IV. Few admitted to believing in the rumours, but Vallari found his reception in certain parts of the city to be less friendly than they once were.

Thanks to Strategos for pointing out the mix-ups with the Hrafn priests.

@das,
Yes, I meant regent. Thanks for pointing that out.

The full sentence should be:
The northern states supported him with vigour, but with their most prestigious leaders in the field, their effect wasn't as great as the kings and former kings present in Varica.

@Matt0088,
There is a lot more to the setting that just what is posted, but players have freedom to play with it as they like. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Even more so if you'd like to play. If it seems too dense, I can set you up with a minor tribe that would be more story oriented and give you a lot of freedom.

Responses to diplomacy coming tonight, I have to go help out with my bro's jack and jill now.

Cul's announcement has wiped the followers of the Voice and Phridia into a frenzy in Gibraly territory. The kings of Rheni, Dolu and Teraldur are all heading to Skav to see the slain Sargothi. They all send missives to Cul, but are be too repetitive to list. They are all filled with the highest praise for Cul. Additionally, Vallari wishes to come to Skav to examine the supposed Sargothi to study it and compare it to ancient lore.


To: Vigvitr, King of the Hrafn
From: Hroak, Imperial Regent

I have indeed taken Callista into my protection. The judgment against the Emperor has interpreted (OOC: at Hroak's suggestion) as exile from the lands of the Hrothnani. While she has committed crimes abusing her power and sending many to their deaths, we have seen no evidence of witchcraft from her. Indeed, it was her champion who was struck down by strange circumstance.

Just as you act to clear your people's name from slander, so will I act to clear a member of the Imperial house from slander. Let the Werar send a representative to tesk the Princess of the Xanfa and prove her innocence.


To:My honourable nephew, Vigvitr, Lord Eternal of Rohefna and King of the Hrafn
From: His Imperial Majesty, Hroth V

I will never question the loyalty of my Hrafn servants. This obscene slander will be dealt with. I invest Tomakin with the power to seek out those who spread this slander.

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

Everybody, here is a list of major players in Varican politics. There are others at work too, but they are less well known or working in secret.

Hroth V - Twelve year old Emperor of Varica. Rumoured to shy away from violence and known to be somewhat pompous. On campaign with the army.

Elissa - Mother of Callista, Grandmother of Hroth V. Supported Callista in Varica then returned to Validira.

Matteo - Father of Callista and King Naxis, husband of Elissa. Respected Advisor of Hroth V. On campaign with the army.

Callista - Mother of Hroth V and Jali, first wife of Hroth IV. Misused her power to protect Hroth V, ordered the deaths of many. Exiled from Varica, on campaign with the army.

Venci - Second wife of Hroth V. Mother of Horsha and Hornung.

Horsha and Hornung - Twin sons of Venci and Hroth IV. More warlike and physical than Hroth V. Now five years old. Live in Varcia.

Jali - Seventeen year old Daughter of Hroth IV and Callista. Unwed, lives in Varica

Hroak - Regent and leading Imperial General. Experienced in both politics and battle. Leading the Imperial Army

Hronu - Led a revolt against Hroth IV. Now a recovering alcoholic and possible Phridian. Commands the Imperial Raeka, on campaign serving Haecadem.

Coil - Commands the Imperial Tiaka. Spoke out against Hroak. On campaign serving Haecadem.

Vorchk - Imperial Champion. Has recovered from crisis of faith. Serves in Varica.

Vallari - Hrothnani High Priest. Failed in bid for regency. On route to Skav.

Helgiverðr - Hrafn priest and warrior. Keeper of Adalbrandr's tomb in Varica.

Tomakin - Magistrate of Varica.

Phridia - Schismatic Validiran priest. Dead.

Voice of Hroth - Gibraly millenarian Prophet. Dead?

Taka - Previous regent. Accused of attempting to kill Matteo. Dead.

I may have missed a couple of other major players. I have left off many player characters.

To: King Cul
From: Jyanna, Warrior-Maiden of Hrafn

Though we ourselves are far away, fighting in an Emperor-ordained war, we wish to send to your lands a party of skilled weavers, so that they might immortalize your deeds in a tapestry to hang in the temple of Adalbrandr in Varica. For it is good to celebrate the deeds of great warriors in the temple dedicated to a great warrior.


To: Hroak, Imperial Regent
From: Vigvitr, King of the Hrafn

As the ones given the holy task of prosecuting the Princess of Xanfa through the most holy arena of judicial combat, we will not let others reinterpret the articles for which the Princess was found guilty, nay even the most esteemed Regent who serves the Annointed of Haeka, the Emperor of Varica. For we love the justice of Haeka more than the acclaim of man. For you say that there has been no evidence of witchcraft from her hands. But what more evidence do you need than the judgment of Haeka himself? For on the charge of divination, in trial by combat, she was found guilty by Haeka. Now lest some impious man seek to twist the charges she was found guilty of, let us meet with any potential objections. For we know, as all men know, that certain priests have the duty, given to them by Haeka, to seek his will, which is known among the common men as divination. But this is reserved only for priests of Haeka, and then only when following the most holy rituals and observances which were given by Haeka himself so that we might know his pleasure. But that the Princess is not a priest of Haeka, nor followed the required rituals is obvious to all.

But there are other forms of divination, which is abhorrent to the sight of Haeka, which among the common man is known as witchcraft. Now there are many forms this witchcraft can take, as is common knowledge. Indeed, we ourselves are somewhat familiar with witchcraft, for in the days of our father, Adalbrandr, a great effort was made to investigate the kinds of witchcraft and what steps were needed to thwart them on account of our people gaining the enmity of a certain powerful witch. Now the ways witches can divine the future, such as through the blood of infants caught in a silver bowl or by asking questions of an evil spirit, is not important here to relate. For regardless of which method the Princess of Xanfa used, it is clear by Haeka's holy judgment that it was abhorrent to him.

And if one is found guilty of one witchcraft, it is obvious that they have practiced more. So we hear others say, though we would make no claims ourselves on how many magics the Princess has practiced without investigation or a clear word from Haeka. But others say that for it is well known that witches are seduced by the illicit powers they gain, and so continue down the path to their certain destruction.

Fulton said:

@Matt0088,
There is a lot more to the setting that just what is posted, but players have freedom to play with it as they like. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Even more so if you'd like to play. If it seems too dense, I can set you up with a minor tribe that would be more story oriented and give you a lot of freedom.

Click to expand...

Actually, I remembered the general setting when I got to the actual history spoiler on the front page, certainly very different...and interesting indeed. However, due to my commitments to other NES which have started recently, I'm quite busy handling 5 NESes. So, I'll remain a dedicated lurker/commentor, and I'm not really the story happy player either (considering that my writing ability and stories utterly suck).

Going through from the start, it's been a very good read so far.

The Strategos said:

To: King Cul
From: Jyanna, Warrior-Maiden of Hrafn

Though we ourselves are far away, fighting in an Emperor-ordained war, we wish to send to your lands a party of skilled weavers, so that they might immortalize your deeds in a tapestry to hang in the temple of Adalbrandr in Varica. For it is good to celebrate the deeds of great warriors in the temple dedicated to a great warrior.


To: Hroak, Imperial Regent
From: Vigvitr, King of the Hrafn

As the ones given the holy task of prosecuting the Princess of Xanfa through the most holy arena of judicial combat, we will not let others reinterpret the articles for which the Princess was found guilty, nay even the most esteemed Regent who serves the Annointed of Haeka, the Emperor of Varica. For we love the justice of Haeka more than the acclaim of man. For you say that there has been no evidence of witchcraft from her hands. But what more evidence do you need than the judgment of Haeka himself? For on the charge of divination, in trial by combat, she was found guilty by Haeka. Now lest some impious man seek to twist the charges she was found guilty of, let us meet with any potential objections. For we know, as all men know, that certain priests have the duty, given to them by Haeka, to seek his will, which is known among the common men as divination. But this is reserved only for priests of Haeka, and then only when following the most holy rituals and observances which were given by Haeka himself so that we might know his pleasure. But that the Princess is not a priest of Haeka, nor followed the required rituals is obvious to all.

But there are other forms of divination, which is abhorrent to the sight of Haeka, which among the common man is known as witchcraft. Now there are many forms this witchcraft can take, as is common knowledge. Indeed, we ourselves are somewhat familiar with witchcraft, for in the days of our father, Adalbrandr, a great effort was made to investigate the kinds of witchcraft and what steps were needed to thwart them on account of our people gaining the enmity of a certain powerful witch. Now the ways witches can divine the future, such as through the blood of infants caught in a silver bowl or by asking questions of an evil spirit, is not important here to relate. For regardless of which method the Princess of Xanfa used, it is clear by Haeka's holy judgment that it was abhorrent to him.

And if one is found guilty of one witchcraft, it is obvious that they have practiced more. So we hear others say, though we would make no claims ourselves on how many magics the Princess has practiced without investigation or a clear word from Haeka. But others say that for it is well known that witches are seduced by the illicit powers they gain, and so continue down the path to their certain destruction.

Click to expand...

To: Vigvitr, King of the Hrafn; Haecadem, King of Werhold
From: Hroak, Imperial Regent

In the name of preserving the harmony of the Empire and to expunge the charge from the Imperial Mother, we shall stay restrain from arguing the point and let the priests of the Werar decide the true guilt or innocence of Callista. Let them judge her. She will be sent to Werar or examined by the priests that attend Haecadem's army should they accept the responsibility. I will carry out their judgment on her, whatever it may be.


From: The Representative of his Magnificence the Emperor, Regent Hroak
To: Kings Haecadem, Vigvitr, and Goros; the generals of Kings Cul, Naxis, Tyrion, and Haergar II

My lords, the Emperor has asked for your advice on the war. The Manische have offered to meet us to discuss peace terms. I believe that vengeance has been satisfied, but I have lost nothing in this war. I ask you, especially Goros and Vigvitr who have lost the most, if their vengeance has been satisfied.

We have freed many lands from the Manische and slain many of their warriors. But it grows ever more evident that the Manische are nearly as great as Varica in the number of warriors they can bring to bear. Do you advise that we continue the campaign to prevent a possible turnaround far from home and in the enemy's home, or should we come to terms with them, leaving a potential enemy on our border?

King Haecadem, High Priest of Werar, humbly accepts the Emperor-ordained duty of judgment in this matter.

---

"When has the number of men determined victory? What determines victory is the righteousness of one's cause in the eyes of Haeka. Our cause is righteous, while the cause of the Manische is blasphemous, and the difference this makes in the war is clearly seen: despite their earlier aggressions, they are now driven back to their lands and pleading for mercy, huddled behind their walls, as though the Black Fortresses had protected the Sargothi from the justice of Haeka. And on the battlefield, they fight stalwartly when they are assured of victory, and confident in their numbers; but once their supremacy is put into doubt they tremble and break and shatter, and their princes barely keep them on the battlefield, and when those princes themselves are injured they do not dare to sally out and fight; whereas the servants of the Emperor fight on bravely no matter the circumstances, and have often prevailed in grim encounters when they seemed completely outmatched. Our injured wish only to recover sooner so they can go back to the battlefield; our armies, even if forced to leave the battlefield, are bitter only because of their misfortune but never because they believe themselves doomed to defeat.

This has been a long campaign with great loss of men and gold, but has anyone expected it to be an easy and small raid when we set out to fight the men who have slain Adalbrandr? Clearly already that should have made obvious the power of the enemy, regardless of how much land and how many men they might have. If any of the kings had come here seeking to easily gain wealth and glory and sacrifice nothing in return, then he would be a fool; yet none of the kings who marshaled their men to the Emperor's banner for a campaign against his sworn enemies are fools. This is a true holy war, and what is fought for is more than mere lands and wealth, but rather it is a matter of honour and revenge and the commandment to those who follow Haeka to defend his light against those who would denounce him.

If we should now make peace upon their feeble pleading, then can we come back home and say that all that we have set out to do has been achieved, when we have merely bloodied the enemy? To retreat now is to leave a duel unfulfilled and our honour forfeit. Rather, we should press on and trust in the righteousness of our cause, which has already all but delivered the most fearsome warlord of the enemy into our hands. We should storm the fortress and then press on to the very capital of this false emperor who refuses to acknowledge Haeka. Our duty shall be fulfilled only when we have demonstrated clearly to the people of the east that there is only one Empire and only one Emperor in the world, and that he is ordained by Haeka himself; and that all others are impostors and pretenders whose claims to the imperial title shall be inevitably disproved upon the battlefield."

Thane Rutor Lassa of the Huroto contingent speaks his mind on the matter.

"We speak as if we are the only ones who are blessed, but such speech is dangerous. Pride could turn Haeka's light away from us and we could all fall into the darkness."

"Let us look at our position. We have taken much land and one fortress while laying siege to others. Our men are strong and our supplies vast, but we are far from home in a foreign land. In three years we have had many victories on the battle field, only to see more armies appear over the horizon. I ask this, has our enemy even begun to fight? How many more armies will appear over the horizon? How many of these God Weapons will we see and how much more powerful will they be? Do we have the answers to this? Ignorance kills all."

"If next year we should become trapped and slain who will protect our beloved lands when these devils march there? Should we continue to stretch out our arm only to have it hacked off? I say no."

"I propose that we hear what they have to say. If there terms are reasonable considering our position here then we should accept them. Then we fortify the lands that we have liberated and captured. Even if they should in later years attempt to attack our lands they will first have to go through our defenses close to their home giving us ample time to gather our forces and meet them before they ever set foot on our sacred land."

(OOC: Anyone else want to weigh in on this? Nutranurse, foolish_icarus, this would be a perfect time for you to appear on the scene, especially since you’ll both be called upon to send more warriors unless Hroth V can be convinced to make peace. Currently, he is leaning towards continuing the war.)

For the record, the Manische messenger hinted that the Emperor would renounce his claim to the Sisiric in exchange for the return of Jozioc/Rohefna.

From the Darian March…
Has Varica not had enough of war? I support the Emperor as any good Hrothnani, but we have already made great gains and secured the northern and western borders. Should we continue to focus our energy against the Manische, then we leave ourselves open to attacks from the Gamars, the Nakar, the Fulanti and even my Darian subjects. The Manische are not the Sunta. They will not be cowed easily.

From the Rheni…
We see no reason to support this war. It concerns us not in the south. We should rather guard against Cirici and Yumin aggression, or take advantage of the opportunities given to us by the defeat of the Sunta and turmoil in the thune states to expand Varica into the unknown reaches of the world. Let us focus on rebuilding our strength. We are still not what we once were in the time of Hroth III, but it is within reach. Let us restore the entirety of our former glory.

From the Oerdan…
Those far from the Manische may say what they will about the war with no fear of repercussions. We among the Oerdan are surrounded by war. As the nearest kingdom to the Manische, we support a continued war effort in order to build a buffer between the west and the Manische, like the Werar have built between them and the Manische by freeing the Sisiric. Once we have secured our borders fully, then we can negotiate peace from a position of strength.

From the Gibraly…
This war must continue. The Manische are a blasphemy against Haeka. If we make peace then we betray all of the warriors who have died in this holy war. If we leave them, they will fester and like a sore. The infection will grow until it consumes us, lest we burn out the infected flesh now.

:S I'm sorry, Fulton. I can't participate in the NES. Being diagnosed with epilepsy has taken a lot out of me (mostly from the meds) and that coupled with running two other NES's has seen me not be able to give my full attention to the NES. I'll be lurking though, I like your format a lot (enough to even copy it for a different NES).

Scratch that. I'll give this an honest shot. I'll respond tomorrow when I get the time to look over everything-- I'm too interested in your NES to give up so easily.

I see you nutra!

To: Ever-victorious Hroth IV, Emperor over all of Varica
From: The Son of Adalbrandr, Who was Reckoned Chief Among the Mighty Men of Varica

As the chief among those seeking vengeance, chief not in greatness nor nobility nor deeds of valor, but chief in loss and desire for vengeance, we feel it our right to speak. If it was for our own behalf, perhaps our victories gained, the trophies won and noble warriors taken captive, might have been sufficient. But your own Excellency has been robbed of your greatest warriors and so must be recompensed for your loss. So the Empire of Varica should be recompensed: for the death of our kinsmen, Rodull Champion of Hroth, the city of Rohefna. For the death of our warriors, each song-worthy and battle-brave, the city of Rissik. For the death of Adalbrandr of the Raven Throne, the city of Zioc and a son of the self-proclaimed Empire of Mannioc to serve perpetually in temple of Adalbrandr for as long as Haeka allows their “Empire” to stand. But we speak here only of the fulfillment of vengeance. What is best for the Empire of Varica, and what kind of threat their existence offers, others no better than us. We recommend the counsel of the King of Werar, for he knows the nature of the peoples we face more than any other in Varica.


To: The Justice of Haeka, Hroth IV, Emperor over all of Varica
From: King of Assfell

My lord, after considering the matter, we realize that we have acted with haste and anger where prudence and wisdom were needed. We plead only our youth, for all men know youth burn with passion, carrying them where grey-headed wisdom does not trod. Thus we ask you to forget our request, when we asked that Tomakin, magistrate of Varica, to investigate rumors concerning our personage. For we are sure that Tomakin is busy with weightier matters, such as prosecuting the banditry and insurrection which occurred in Gibraly.

OOC; I swear that I thought Hroth IV had died a few years ago and that Hroth V now reigns (if not rules?)

(OOC: I'm behind schedule on prepping for my trip today so no time for a long in character response. Hroak and Hroth V decide to continue the war. The Bexian, Rheni, Dolu, Gibraly, and the Darian March are asked to raise more troops for the front. I'll be back on the night of the 5th with an in-character response.)

From: Hroth V, Light of Haeka, Emperor of Varica, penned by his regent, Hroak, General who Pacifies the South
To: The Kings, thanes, and warriors of Varica

Your words have convinced me, loyal kings of Varica. Haeka has seen fit to test us to prove that we are worthy of sharing in his divine light. We face a nation of demons and soul-suckers who seek to steal the light of the world from us, as they have slain those who brought us hope and defended us from the night.

To turn away now would be to turn away from the light of Haeka. There are dark times ahead for us and the world. The Manische are but one manifestation of the corruption that taints the dark spaces beyond man’s knowledge. This will be a long, bloody and sorrowful struggle for the men of Varica. Many thousands are sure to die, and many years we will need to face the foe, but face him we must, for me as the heirs of Hroth. If we do not stand up to the darkness, then who will? The Thune squabble among each other, the Sunta are broken, the Nakar re corrupted by the heresy, the Nimosans are weak and aloof.

It is we who must stand against the darkness. I am ashamed that I considered for a moment that we should treat with the Manische. I will expunge this shame with my own blade. We march for Mannioc. Though it will be a long journey, I do not fear it for I walk with the greatest men since the day my ancestor founded Varica.


From: Lord Damarkes, Defender of the Darian March
To: Emperor Hroth V

My lord, I wish that I might send the forces you require for your campaign, but there are woeful portents from the mountains and skirmishes on the plains. I cannot join your forces for fear that the Darians will rise against me. The west is weak, my lord. Without the east to support us, I fear for what will become of the marchlands.

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

All other Varicans lords have answered the Emperor’s call, except for the Rheni.The Bexian will feed into Hroak’s army, while the Dolu and Gibraly will filter into Haecadem’s army. The Tera and Romadi have promised to reinforce their contingents.

Of the minor tribes, the Yamar and Bendar will reinforce Haecadem while the Isok and Trossa will reinforce the Imperial Army. The Vomer have refused to send warriors, claiming the same excuse as Lord Damarkes. The Ropp and Rokina have also refused to send warriors, citing the attacks on their people from the Fulanti of the Boreol.

Tomakin has dropped his investigation of the rumours.

Just a reminder that orders are now overdue. I still require them from Alex and Hunter. Get 'em in guys. I currently have orders from foolish_icarus, Vert, Strategos, and das.

4,000 words of progress on the update so far. Only really started yesterday.

8,400 words done. I've finished the Hyren and Darian Wars plus at least 3/4 of the Manische War. I'm also done all the foreign troubles and other happenings. The two extra wars are making the update longer than previous ones, but I'm making some awesome progress the last couple days. Should be out on the weekend sometime.