End of Empires - N3S III

Iltu rode atop his elephant, looking one last time at Magha. Its walls stood tall and impervious, stained with the blood of Satar caught outside the city. But it was all behind him now. The war in the north was over for Krato. The War Chiefs had regained their honor and had driven their foes away. The old cities along the Yensai were once again in the hands of Uggor people. But now, one of the most unlikely foes had risen in the very heart of Krato.

Iltu had gotten word of a rebellion in Krato. This news set a flame in his heart. It infuriated him that after all he had done for the Council, they had let a few rebels take some of Krato’s land. It was an insult to him. He had fought the deadliest armies in all of existence, and saw countless men perish in battle and on the march. And yet his last foes would be a few farmers who follow some false religion. It was time things were put back into order.

“Alright men!” He shouted from his elephant. His men lined up in formation quickly, some instinctively grabbing their shields. “We shall begin our march south. We’ll arrive at Lotumbo, re-supply, and then push back the Twe[1] and Gorai back to where they’re supposed to be. We have faced much more dangerous foes than them my friends!”

The men seemed a little happier. They had expected a northern campaign into the desolated Satar-plains. But now they were coming home, years of valuable combat experience now under their belts. They were hardened by war, and were willing to die for Iltu. Now they would finish their journey home sacking and pillaging the worthless tribes of the west.

They began their march, reaching Yashidim after a rather slow and lazy march. Iltu understood that his men needed some time to relax and have peace. Pushing them too far would end in disaster. However, it was now time to quicken the pace. The men were given a day’s rest at Yashidim, giving them time to chase around women and have their fill of food. The next day, Iltu rode out in front of them, ordering a halt.

“Men, we near our homeland once more,” He said, stirring the men’s hearts. Do not do as you did in Yashidim in Lotumbo. Be respectful and noble, for we are heroes returning home from an epic war that will be remembered for ages. But still, I urge you to be weary. Some news has reached me that the Algoli Exatai, Twe, and even some traitorous Duroc are causing trouble in Krato. To these heathens and barbarians, our return brings the end of their reign of terror. Along the western lands we shall destroy those who have harmed us for eons. And into the heart of our land we will meet our fallen brothers in combat. Now let us go forth, and return to our home.”

Horns blew triumphantly as the army moved forward, singing songs of war and jpy. The War Chief was coming home.


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“So it is agreed. The Yensai Brosli Uggor [2] will bring 350 men to guard Cartogog during its reconstruction.”

The Chamber of the Great Chiefs was filled with representatives from the great families of Krato. The victory over the Satar had reached the Chiefs’ ears, and were now focusing on internal issues. Namely, the rebuilding of cities. With the greatest of foes now defeated, and Iltu’s return fast approaching, it would soon be time for Krato to regain its former glory.

“The Buci Sogo Uggor [3] will provide goods and materials to rebuild Hala, provided someone will drive out the rebels,” a man said, sitting back lazily in his chair. “In addition, we expect the right to appoint anyone we want to the position of Low Chief of Hala.”

“That is outrageous!” Another man shouted, standing up. We’ve all noticed the Buci Sogo gaining more and more power over the Duroc lands. They already have a Low Chief from their family in Asandar! And now they want to control Hala once it is rebuilt? I’m sorry friends, but the Cartu Cotun Uggor [4] will refuse to continue having our men defend the western border if all we can look forward to is the Buci Sogo running the ports and cities.”

“Fine. We do not need a Low Chief appointed there anyways. But we will rebuild Hala in whatever way we see fit.” The man crossed his arms, glaring at the man across the table. “But the issue still stands,” he said. “Who will take care of the rebels? Iltu is gone with almost all of our troops. It could take months to return them to their proper families. We need someone to raise a force to crush the rebels.”

The men discussed for a long time which family should have their greatest military mind become War Chief. Eventually, it was narrowed down to 2 choices. Yeridur of the Swenit Jiressa Uggor [5], or Tikaf of the Eso Sogo Uggor [6].

“Yeridur served us well in keeping the Algoli Exatai back while Iltu was gathering his men. He has displayed bravery and courageousness beyond that of fat Tikaf.”

“I believe you forget Tikaf has done a magnificent job containing the Duroc, and has spent many days learning their strengths and weaknesses. He is clearly more suited to fighting them than Yeridur. Brains will solve this problem, not dumb muscle, which is all Yeridur can bring to the battle field!”

It went on like this for about half an hour. Many Chiefs tried to calm the representatives of the Eso Sogo and Swenit Jiressa Uggors, but soon the entire argument devolved into shouting and insults. Finally, both men were brought to opposite ends of the room so they could calm down.

“I have an idea, you dull witted brute!” Shouted the Eso Sogo Chief.

“And what’s that you arrogant slug?” The Swenit Jiressa Chief replied.

“What if both were promoted temporarily to War Chief, and then sent to attack the rebels. Yeridur can come in from the west, and Tikaf can strike from the east. Whoever succeeds at putting down the most rebels will earn the title permanently, while the other will become his servant.”

“Sounds good,” The Swenit Jiressa Chief said with a smirk. “I hope Tikaf enjoys cleaning elephants, for that is the fate you have dealt him today.”

So the stage was set. While Iltu came from the north, ravaging Krato’s enemies in a triumphant return, the two War Chiefs Tikaf and Yeridur would compete for the title of War Chief.

[1] The Twe have fallen out of Krato's favor now that it is clear they won't bring Krato victory against the Algoli Exatai.
[2] Translation: Good Tree Family
[3] Translation: Three Goats Family
[4] Translation: Ten Sheep Family
[5] Translation: First Lion Family
[6] Translation: Red Goat Family

OOc: Sorry Vert, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And I'm really desperate. Or maybe I'm not, and I just want to have some fun.

'And so the Kratoans finally fell from grace and so we did declare formal war upon the Uggor and all their kin and declare there shall be no peace, no mercy for the bringers of war and so the fate that would have befallen barbaric peoples such as the Satar fell on the Kratoans. We will not rest till they are purged and the Shadow is gone from these lands.'

A letter found neatly folded in the centre of the Chamber of Great Chiefs signed by a sun with a lone boy inside it and a dark shadow surrounding it. This symbol is a well-know Oneist symbol.

This is going to be exciting.

You mean boring. We just beat you; a bunch of Hashshashin ninja Cathars or whatever the hell those people are supposed to be aren't a big deal compared.

das said:

a bunch of Hashshashin ninja Cathars

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lurker's comment: Get to the Alternate History Thread and make it happen. (Since you apparently weren't up for random Armenian princes of dubious import. )

... can we call the Cathars by the names they choose for themselves Bons Hommes et Bonnes Femmes

@ Das
How do you fight twenty-five armed men in their home territory where they are liked and known and hidden? You will be fighting shadows and ghosts not an army. Also I do not believe we are Cathars. For a start we believe in one perfect god, how has made this world, and his imperfect shadow that seeks to corrupt the Dream (this world) to her own ends. Secondly we do not believe fragments of the One are trapped inside our corrupt and imperfect forms as we do not believe people can be corrupt from the start! Lastly we are not ninjas or hashshashin. We are more akin to a resistance movement objecting to the side lining and systematic belittling of Duroc customs and beliefs since the merge. We have never raised a sword against the Uggor except in our own defence but now it is clear they are damned and so they shall die.

Technically I was just mocking you and did not put any real significance in the words used, and certainly did not expect you to reply to it in detail, though I suppose I should've. But fair enough!

in their home territory where they are liked

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You are an annoying religious minority in your own home (or are you? North King?). You are not liked.

You will be fighting shadows and ghosts not an army.

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We've beaten shadows before. Also, ghosts.

Also I do not believe we are Cathars. For a start we believe in one perfect god, how has made this world, and his imperfect shadow that seeks to corrupt the Dream (this world) to her own ends.

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Sounds like Cathars to me (okay, I suppose I see the nuance you are going for here, but it seems ultimately irrelevant).

Secondly we do not believe fragments of the One are trapped inside our corrupt and imperfect forms as we do not believe people can be corrupt from the start!

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That's very nice, now write your damn philosophy essay already.

We are more akin to a resistance movement objecting to the side lining and systematic belittling of Duroc customs and beliefs since the merge. We have never raised a sword against the Uggor except in our own defence but now it is clear they are damned and so they shall die.

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Ah, I see. So... sort of like the Hashshashin, then, but in some ways perhaps more similar to... uh... ninjas?

First as I have said before the rebellion was not my work but a reaction to it therefore someone must like us somewhere if they are willing to rebel for us. Secondly other differences between us and the Cathars are that we do not believe we exist but rather are merely all elements of a dream of a true being, which we call the One or Untor and worship, and our purpose is to defend the Dream and those in it from the influence of the Shadow. We are not pacifists we just don't like killing the Uggor as we view them with pride like a father views his son. Thirdly you are making me reproduce it in bits and pieces here, which is very clever as I will probably contradict myself now. Finally no we are not ninjas as, for a start, we do not kill for payment but I do see a similarirty in the Hashshashin as long as wiki is telling the truth about them.

That's very nice, now write your damn philosophy essay already.

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Seriously, you're on the roll now, there will be no better time from my experience.

First as I have said before the rebellion was not my work but a reaction to it therefore someone must like us somewhere if they are willing to rebel for us.

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It doesn't seem as though the rebellion had anything to do with you judging from the update, actually. It's more like you just tagged along after it started over entirely different grievances and then we decided to use this opportunity to destroy you because you've been meddlesome.

First as I have said before the rebellion was not my work but a reaction to it therefore someone must like us somewhere if they are willing to rebel for us. Secondly other differences between us and the Cathars are that we do not believe we exist but rather are merely all elements of a dream of a true being, which we call the One or Untor and worship, and our purpose is to defend the Dream and those in it from the influence of the Shadow.

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IN ANY CASE I wasn't really talking so much about your theology, but rather about your organisation and typology. It is a minor socially-active provincial religious commune. There have been many of those in real history, in different times and different parts of the world, with great differences in theology and ritual, but major similarities in their actual structure, way of life, role in society, origins, composition and what have you, as well as their fate, which was eventual destruction: from within or from without, by their own fault or faultlessly (admittedly, there were some interesting exceptions, such as the Safavids or indeed the Muslims, but you really don't look like one of those; your timing is all wrong, for one). Cathars, Bogomils, Yellow Turbans, White Lotus, Hashshashin, Sarbadars, Taborites, the original Anabaptists, Zealots, the list goes on and on and on. Don't tell me you don't see their essential similarities.

Finally no we are not ninjas as, for a start, we do not kill for payment but I do see a similarirty in the Hashshashin as long as wiki is telling the truth about them.

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The ninjas are appropriately enough shrouded in mystery, but I'm pretty sure they started out more or less like you as communal self-defense (doesn't matter much if it's a religious community or a simple village in this case), and later, much like the Hashshashin, moved on to more businesslike assassination. In other words, my point still stands.

This group doesn't seem to be the leadership of the Duroc rebellion as much as an outgrowth (or resurgence) from it.

We pre-dated it considerably. Our actions, such as assassination and sabotage, must have allowed dissent amongst the Duroc to finally be vented in a rebellion. I may have put out propaganda but I'm not sure. NK could clear this all up if he wanted to. The Order is not leading the Duroc rebellion and our purpose is not to rebel against the Uggor. They attacked us and we will fight back.

How many updates have you been going for Vert?

Since update one as one form of Duroc oneist group or another. I merely put this on the back burner when I let the Duroc merge with the Kratoans and NK can testify to that (I sent quite a few pms to him). I have been openly playing again for at least two updates. Last turn I got trashed remember?

This group doesn't seem to be the leadership of the Duroc rebellion as much as an outgrowth (or resurgence) from it.

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I haven't really been following this too closely, but I think the Cathar ninjas had indeed been around for a long time, mostly hiding out at a poorly-hidden secret stronghold and writing pretentious and oh-so-ominous letters to the Kratoan Council of Chiefs until the latter finally paid attention to them and seized the stronghold in question (?). Supposedly the, uh, Yellow Turban Thuggees then hid into the countryside/went into the underground/whatever, and the Duroc just happened to rebel later, when Krato was distracted and weakened, presumably because they were being repressed and saw the violence inherent in the system. This may or may not have had something to do with the Taborite Sicarii or any of their prior or subsequent activities (jokes aside, the Order of One probably was a factor, but not the leading one; possibly it provided the specific short-term cause for the current uprising, but NK himself says there were other and more global grievances involved, i.e. the clear degradation of Duroc social and political status under the Krato, and probably that little mass arrow fodder levy too). And I already told you what happened next, as I see it.

I only skim read sections about nations that do not massivly effect my own....

das said:

I haven't really been following this too closely, but I think the Cathar ninjas had indeed been around for a long time, mostly hiding out at a poorly-hidden secret stronghold and writing pretentious and oh-so-ominous letters to the Kratoan Council of Chiefs until the latter finally paid attention to them and seized the stronghold in question (?). Supposedly the, uh, Yellow Turban Thuggees then hid into the countryside/went into the underground/whatever, and the Duroc just happened to rebel later, when Krato was distracted and weakened, presumably because they were being repressed and saw the violence inherent in the system. This may or may not have had something to do with the Taborite Sicarii or any of their prior or subsequent activities (jokes aside, the Order of One probably was a factor, but not the leading one; possibly it provided the specific short-term cause for the current uprising, but NK himself says there were other and more global grievances involved, i.e. the clear degradation of Duroc social and political status under the Krato, and probably that little mass arrow fodder levy too). And I already told you what happened next, as I see it.

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Seriously, I'm doubting they could listen in on the Chiefs' debate and gather any useful information without getting caught. 25 men isn't enough to do any major harm either, no matter how awesome they are. Krato (with a little help from Moti ) beat the Satar, who, much like the Order of the One, had a seemingly limitless number of amazing god-people who could kill everything.

Without precious Hala, Kratoan aid (let's face it, now that they have no cities, this rebellion ain't gonna last long), and a large military, the Order of the One is doomed to sneak around in the shadows.

You beat the Satar due to an incredibly lucky stroke, after the Satar defeated the most powerful empire in the world, the Trilui. And Faron. And the Hu'ut. And Gyza. Need I go on?

You know full well that HAD I decided to kill Krato and Moti alone, I could and would have. But I acted in an in character manner, rather than seeking to protect my own borders. Of course, like the Satar, Krato and Moti's current unbridled arrogance is very IC. But like I said, don't get ahead of yourself.

You destroyed Farou, but Faron still stands!

For the moment.

You beat the Satar due to an incredibly lucky stroke, after the Satar defeated the most powerful empire in the world, the Trilui. And Faron. And the Hu'ut. And Gyza. Need I go on?

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The Uggor are far more awesome then all those civilisations you defeated taken together. Just so you know.

(Also, you didn't quite beat Gyza. Or Faron. Or Trilui. Or the Hu'ut.)

You know full well that HAD I decided to kill Krato and Moti alone, I could and would have. But I acted in an in character manner, rather than seeking to protect my own borders.

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I know, but I like to think that you just outsmarted yourself as usual. Anyway, this war would've been much more interesting had you actually tried and destroyed us as I had anticipated; I had some pretty neat plans to thwart you despite all of your advantages, but now I will never know how it would've turned out.