ASNES- Not going to end this time!

[Amon Savag]

Year 4200BC ::::'Update 8'::::

The Tennesee tribe disapears into the mists of time.

Britland lands in Gaul, and is not very greeted by the natives there. WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO!?I hope they kill people.

Fendiar, too, goes through a sort of Golden age. The average person in Fendiar doesn't have to do too much fighting, so he can work on other things. The Qin have become pretty jealous of the power that Fendiar has amassed over the ages, however. Luckily, however, some Qin reject raiding Fendiar and come to Fendiar peacefully and are culture flipped over.

The Nias send envoys to the coalitions forming against them, and recieved a positive answer from the Flint Coalition, who were quite afraid of the might of Nias... However the Tyg were not so easilly amused by the idea of no Nias plunder. The Tyg quickly overran the border patrols and the relief forces sent from Nias homeland and are plundering the whole of a nias colony. On the bright side, however, the Nias convert their main armaments to copper like the Rajai and Fendiar. The counter attack by the Nias could be a quick detrement to the health of Tyg.

Ravindra find the secret of copper, too. Their system of governing is deffinetly turning the upper class people into an ideal upper class. There is a mean coalition of tribes bent on taking over the whole of Ravindra. This could be an extremely bad problem, as this new tribe coalition, the Mughals, have horsemen to work with.

Dark age of the Aztex Empire

The Aztex is plunged straight from a golden age into a dark age. The followers of a cult led by Savag take up arms to convert the land of the Aztex to worship the one true god, Amon. This disunity is taken advantage of by a number of sects within the Aztex civilization. Some break off ties to the Aztex civilization totally. There are some factions that dispersed into the countryside, and others that attracted outsiders to their faction through the aztex culture with the totems and all.

The main force, however, the followers of the new Amon religion, quickly take over the rich lands around the rivers and strangle the life out of the pagan Aztexans. A couple of pitched battles happen between the pagans and this new force, and the followers of Savag happen to win each engagement with tamed bears and cyotes, who provide an extremely important part in the war effort and in the conversion of the people.

As the war continues, the factions that split off gain power and even wage war at times against Aztex. This creates a number of countries around Aztex who are increasingly influential in their respective area, and all are weary of the new power arrising within the country, that of the Savag followers and their war bears.

Soon, however, Savag dies and his disciples carry on the war effort and subdue all of Aztex propper, and convert the whole of the country to the one true god. All totems are destroyed within these lands. The surrounding countries, however, stay tied to their old pagan beliefs and have no qualms about destroying anyone who would be stupid enough to come within their lands to try and convert them.

The Aztex lands are still rich, and these factions are quite jealous of this, and their will to reconvert the people of Aztex to the old gods result in plenty of raids over the borders and a constant state of warfare against every faction. Will the Most Serene Union of His Sacred Holyness Amon Savag survive!? Tune in for the next eppisode of "WhupASNES" update 9!

The Great Rajai War

A couple of twists happen in the Rajai war this millenia. First off, the Han Oi quickly assume power over the whole of the rest of Anjawa. The Anjawa, fearful of the executionist style of occupation that the Rajai bring themselves to perform gladly seek out the aid of Han Oi... Even if it means submitting themselves to a couple of rules that the Han Oi dictate.

Basically, the Han Oi use these new grounds as a buffer in which to engage enemy troops, but not on home turf, so that the Han Oi citizens are not in harm's way.

As this is happening, however, the Rajai are making an extreme effort to subdue what's left of the Anjawa. The Rajai make a new cache of copper weapons and end up expelling army after army of Han Oi, which the Rajai call "Hanoying".

After the whole of the Anjawa region comes under Rajai control, the Rajai set up defenses against the Han Oi, and amassed an army to confront the Fendiar.

The Fendiar-Rajai border had been increasing with activity the whole time. The Fendiar, with their horsemen mercinaries from Kan have been whupping plenty of scouting parties from the Rajai. A scouting party of cavalry always seems to beat a scouting party of footmen... Except in a couple of cases, at any rate. But most of the time this is the rule, and the Fendiar exploit this advantage to capture enemy copper weapons.

Sooner or later, the Fendiar themselves learn the secrets to copper weapons, and now their "well armed" guys are armed with copper weapons. Though they don't spend any money on this, they have plenty of weapons that they took from the Rajai scouting parties.

This all takes a minor turn, however, when the Rajai war council under Rajaraja V try to figure a counter to the problem of cavalry, and they end up agreeing that the best way to fight the cavalry is to shoot them with bows, so every troop readied their bow when they mustered along the border against Fendiar.

Rajai's army marched through an extremely quick pass and ended up surrounding the main mercinary camp of cavalry without them knowing it. That night, the Rajai army lit fireballs and shown the Kan what they're messing with. Everyone who tried to flea were shot down.

Hearing of this, the Fendiar sent their main force to the location of the Rajai army. The 2 field armies met, and the odds were extremely stacked against the Fendiar. The Fendiar general knew this, and he retreated. This was a new ploy to Rajai. Never before had they seen a move so cowardly. They quickly rushed in to kill the enemy as it was retreating and fell into an ambush, and the fendiar put the Rajai back where it had started, but with one less advantage, morale.

This is where we are in the war. What will Rajaraja V do? What will the Fendiar General do? I'm not sure... But I bet it'll be cool. The 2 armies are drawn up on opposite sides of one field. (Now the NES takes a turn for tactics. When making your orders, send tactical orders for this single battle, and then strategic orders for after the battle, as normal.)

At uh Boys!

Tyrion +2 (10)
Lord Iggy +2 (9)
Feanor +4(13)
Das +1 (1)
Grombar +5 (12)
Abaddon(1)
e350tb +1(3)

Trade Routes

Fendiar-Kan[1/3]Anjawa[2/3]
Nias-Ratajok[3/3]

NPC Diplomacy!!!

To:Fendiar
From:Kan

We Hereby throw our sword by your side against the Rajai indeffinetly.

To:Rajai
From:Han Oi

We have learnt a very valuable lesson in these past couple of years, and wish to not continue to lose our brave young men in battle against yours. What say you to a cease-fire?

To:Ravindra
From:Mughals

We're going to slap some butter on yo' bread.

To:Janjaweed
From:Han Oi

We sent our traders, but got lost.... Where is your lands again?

Notes

I'm thinking about changing the style of the NES next turn, now that the countries in the cradle are all becoming pretty civilized.Please, tell me what you think the next style of rules should be. Maybe I should base them off of old "StJNES5" or something like that? That's what I'm leaning towards, but I'll allow you guys to throw some ideas at me considering this is your NES, I just mod it.

Next update will be on Thursday, and that will be the last update for a small while unfortunately . I will try to comandeer a computer and internet as fast as I can after I move.

But anyways... Give me stories and orders... The offer of extra at uh boys for a bad ass within your country is still there. Thank you Grombar for answering the call... It gained you battle browney points as well as at uh boys.

 

[Amon Savag]

 

[Tyrion]

*blinks at the ugly northerners*

To Mughals
From Ravindra:

I fear not unwashed barbarians! Instead i propose we wash you with your own blood!

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Don't change the rules! I like them just how they are!

To: Flint Coalition
From: Nias

I hope our peaceful relationship will continue to be mutually profitable for many centuries to come.

To: Tyg
From: Nias
Vile minions of Irintava! Nias offers peace and friendship, and you scorn it with violence. We shall block blow with blow, and strike back. Sumatra will be covered in burgundy, from the crimson blood of your fallen warriors and the navy blue of the Niasian Battle-Standards.

Or, for the less eloquent:

Now you gonna die, foos!

 

[Grombar]

Any word from my trading party to the Ravindra? Fun stuff for battle planning - I think Das has the advantage over me but Ill see what I can come up with by wednesday.

 

[Tyrion]

The Tapestry had spoken, or more correctly... umm drawnen? While the peaceful expansionist ways had worked to date their work could not be allowed to have all been for nothing in the face of unwashed barbarians riding down from the north.

The Ravindra were not a naturally warlike race, they much prefered studies, farming and trading. But it was now they needed fighting men. For a new Tapestry was to be drawn, on the flesh of those that would seek to destroy the old.

Artuous Skinflayer was the high lord of all Ravindran military forces, and lived a mostly quiet existence protecting missionaries and the like from wild beasts or men. He had always dreamed of a great war to prove his badassness and it seemed the Tapestry had been listening. For from the north poured the unwashed people who named themselves Mughals, they were numerous and some even rode horses a feat none in the Ravindran Army had achieved. For now Artuous was forced into a defensive stance, for he had not the numbers to counter attack and it would be foolish to do so at this stage.

So he set up fortifications along the border, trenchs with sharpened stakes protuding from the earth blocked the way for the horsemen. But Artuous, though capable of disembowling several donkeys at once was no fool. He asked for assistance from the holiest of the holies, he required more men willing to fight if he were to defend Ravindra.

So messages were sent from Tapest to all the towns across the empire, 'The Tapestry Wants You!' a massive recruitment drive began aiming to round up as many young men as possible, they would be paid in gold and armed with the newish weapons, made of a metal that had been found only recently.

Missionaries were to be sent around the Mughals lands to try and locate any other tribes in the area that might be willing to help fight and even while all this was happening shady figures made their ways into Mughal camps in an attempt to lure soldiers into changing sides for a reasonable price.

Artuos was forming The Peoples Army of Ravindra a mighty force that would destroy the invaders and rbeak them before the great Tapestry.


OOC: What exactly can i use At Uh Boys! for?

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Full story found on post 379.

 

[das]

I'm thinking about changing the style of the NES next turn, now that the countries in the cradle are all becoming pretty civilized.Please, tell me what you think the next style of rules should be. Maybe I should base them off of old "StJNES5" or something like that? That's what I'm leaning towards, but I'll allow you guys to throw some ideas at me considering this is your NES, I just mod it.

StJNES5 was pretty grand, but I don't think its time to change the rules just yet. Let me finish the Fendiar first, at least.

Also, if its not too much of a burden, you should keep the population stat (I don't think there was one in StJNES5, but anyway its quite useful).

To:Rajai
From:Han Oi

We have learnt a very valuable lesson in these past couple of years, and wish to not continue to lose our brave young men in battle against yours. What say you to a cease-fire?

Some people never learn. We never learn other people's languages, for instance; so we couldn't possibly know what they're babbling about. But these "Han Oi" don't seem to have learned that we don't really want to talk to them yet.

Anyhow, *stabs envoy*

OOC: What exactly can i use At Uh Boys! for?

Gather ten of them and cash them in for an economy level.

 

[e350tb]

(Sorry I'm late, here's my warrior story abpout a small battle with a hostile Gaullic tribe. Amon, you will not be disapointed).

While King Laman the Mad was recovering from trying to walk the Thames without a boat, a hostile Gaullic tribe, the Helvetii, attacked some Britons, mercilessly killing them.

Laman's advisor, a warrior known as Boglin, decided to destroy the rouge tribe. Leading a force of only 300 Britons, the warrior decided to attack thier villaage from the back.

Boglin himself led the attack. The Britons were more organised then the Gauls, and it wasn't long beofre many lay dead on the ground.

Vercingtorix, the tribes leader, attempted to take on Boglin one-on-one. A struggle began. Boglin took a stone knife to the hip and lot an ear, but eventually, Veringtorix was slain and brutally decimated.

Before they left, the Britons burned anything of use to the Gaullic tribe, and made sure no-one was left alive.

With the 'massacure of the Helvetii', the Gaullic tribes learned to respect and fear the Britons. By 4100 BC, Gaul was a providence of Britland. King Edmund II decided to make a 'government', where the King would have a counsil of advisors voted by the people, instead of just one adivisor of the King's choice.

 

[Tyrion]

Dont suppose i can cash ten in for an elite force of people killers?

 

[das]

Btw, the Middle East looks dreadfully unsettled to me, especially considering how many great opportunities exist there. Hopefully some people will join there soon enough. Otherwise I'll have to speed up my rampage to send as many players packing in that direction as possible.

 

[Amon Savag]

Hahaha... Go for it, das... It doesn't seem like this NES is too popular outside of the ring of players that are already here. I'd like to think of this NES as a decent work of art, myself... But who am I to judge my own piece of work? Anyone who refers a player and the player stays for 3 turns or more will get 10 at uh boys. That person must start in the region of the Middle East, untill I say otherwise.

The reason I'd like to get rid of the population stat is because it's becoming more and more of a chore to do updates. The faster I can get rid of the population stat, the faster I can come up with other ways for the update process to be more of a chore .

Tyrion, if you want people killers, write a story about some bad mother what's in your country who's profession it is to kill, and then send orders about how you now have an elite force of killers and I'll put them in the stats. I'm not against UU's, even though they're not in the rules... Should I have put them in the rules? I thought people would take that garbage as a given.

From: Han Oi from across the border
To:Rajai

We piss on your newly conquered lands! *Pisses across the border* HA!

 

[Tyrion]

Mmm just gotta work out a fitting way for Ravindran's to kill people in an elite fashion... how about wrapping them in paper and setting them alight? Though personaly i thought my commander who wanted to turn their skin into tapestry in my last story was kinda kick ass.

 

[das]

The reason I'd like to get rid of the population stat is because it's becoming more and more of a chore to do updates. The faster I can get rid of the population stat, the faster I can come up with other ways for the update process to be more of a chore

I suppose the precise population number does become rather less important above tribe level. Would you have Jason's farmlands, then?

Still, I am opposed to changing the rules in the middle of a large war.

*throws copper knife with miracilous precision, killing the pissing Hannoid instantly and bloodily*

 

[das]

OOC: For some reason I couldn't come up with a good story based on this update, but wrote this about the previous one only now.

IC:

The Master-Story.

Below there are many small and different things. As the empire spread, more and more of those things were discovered. But none of them were a true surprise; for it was known that any foolishness can exist below the skies. It all lived and squabbled on; ground and sea, jungle and plain, human and mouse, fish and bird, city and village, fairy and dragon. It all was, in the end, futile and senseless; all of it was temporal, even the mightiest of dragon-gods.

And above there was but one thing. There was an endless, eternal empty sky, on such heights to which no mortal bird dares fly. And there it flies, the Golden Bird, eternal and boundless as the sky. Through the sky the Golden Bird flies, that is true; but that also means that it flies above all of the Earth, and sees it all, and so is connected to both the Earth and the Sky, or rather, is meant to rule both.

But below are things that do not understand this. Small things, foolish things, stubborn things; things that have no unity, no oneness that exists above. Theirs is chaos, blatant enthropy, even when masked as order in blasphemous empires. The Golden Bird knows - it must not be so. Before the next age could begin, there must be order and unity below as there is above. Yet there are so many small things below, so many and so different... How to unite them all?

Below there are many small and different things; they have the strangest properties. Amongst those things were humans, beings capable of uniting amongst themselves and subordinating any other things that exist below. But they were weak and squabbling, and merely created other things - slightly bigger things, called empires. Those empires, however, rose and fell, changed in shape and size, merged and divided. They lacked true focus and true endurance.

So the Golden Bird decided to find a small human tribe, beleauguered and besieged, about to die after a short and pathetic existance of struggle. A leader in that tribe was offered salvation and power, focus and endurance. And in exchange, he was to take charge of his tribe, and his tribe was to found an empire, and to march in war until all that is below is united and one.

All things are small and temporal, except for the Golden Bird, the Sky and the Rajai Empire.

---

And that, said Rajaraja V to his warriors, is why we cannot stop.

We all know this, said the warriors.

Good, said Rajaraja V. I know that you all know this. Just never forget it; except for the Golden Bird, the Sky and the Rajai Empire, nothing matters, and our duty is the Rajai Empire. Never tire in its service, and never question its demands.

---

The battles around the satellite-fortress of Luangprabang raged for weeks. The Rajai preparations were preempted. The Anjawan warriors of the south have called forth their northern allies, the Fendiar. Both Anjawa and Fendiar were blasphemous empires to be sure, but admittedly fierce and mighty, not lacking in martial spirit or warrior's cunning; but in the end, they lacked the higher purpose and so were nothing but an impressive obstacle. They had to be overcome, and so Rajaraja V with his most trusted warriors - "the War Council" - watched the Anjawa camp in person from a great hill, counting the warriors and locating the weaknesses.

On the next day, a Conquest Host under his command stood on that hill. He looked to the left; on that horizon was another Host; he looked to the right - there was one more Conquest Host on the opposite horizon as well. The signal and the first attack were one and the same; the slaves have already dragged the fireballs into position, and all the fire-masters had to do was set them aflame and pushed them forth. The Anjawa army was forming; soon, it had to break formation, but more fireballs rolled at it as well, and the Rajai armies swiftly went into action, infiltrating the broken enemy lines and hacking away at the enemy in the confusion. The Anjawa tried to reform; at this point, the archers, the javiliners and the slingers joined the battle as well, having already advanced in good positions and now unleashing their barrage on the enemy, battering and disordering him further.

The Anjawa were a good obstacle indeed, they fought and fought bravely, but in the end they faltered and fell back, and the retreat turned into rout. Rajaraja V wished to finish their army off here, but a scout ran up to him, shouting the Scout's Word of Urgency to make him turn around and listen. Rajaraja V did turn around, and even listened, but not very attentively; he already knew what happened, for there was only one thing that could happen. There arrived the Fendiar.

Lieutenants ran around, calling the Host to order; scouts were forwarded to the other Host Lords. The Fendiar needed to be faced now.

The Fendiar were stalwart defenders, they parried blow after blow; but the Rajai did not land blow after blow, instead landing a multitude of blows at the same time and then another and another. Under this barrage, spears and shields broke; the Fendiar gave ground, but still managed to take Rajai lives in exchange. As they retreated, so did the Rajai. A stronger obstacle still, the Fendiar were.

That was why the battles continued; the armies survived, their leaders survived and their goals survived. So it was for a while now. On the next day, the Anjawa and the Fendiar formed up again; so Rajaraja V marched with his Host to face the Fendiar, while two other Hosts went to finish off the Anjawa; the Anjawa were weaker, so they could be destroyed if most forces were arrayed against them, and until then all that was needed to be done about the Fendiar was a holding action, for then all of the Rajai forces would be brought in against them.

And once more it was a slaughter, for neither the Rajai nor the Fendiar gave any ground or quarter. The Fendiar had the advantage in numbers now; so they pressed on, relentlessly as the Rajai themselves, relentlessly but to no higher purpose, as always. And they made ground, and Rajaraja V was bleeding badly and breathing heavily, as he tried to restore his formations and was forced back towards Luangprabang; but the plan worked, ofcourse, the Fendiar victory was in vain, while the Rajai defeat served a greater purpose, as it always should. The Anjawa were broken while the Rajai were breaking; and as they survived, the other Hosts reinforced them, and turned the tide, once more giving the Fendiar no rest along their entire line. The battle was lost, and the Fendiar had no supreme plan; they retreated, they fled north.

Only the Golden Bird, the Sky and the Rajai Empire mattered, so Rajaraja V did not pursue. Instead, he rested for a brief while, and allowed the herb-masters to tend to his wounds. The army rested; on the other day it arose refreshed and marched south. Rajaraja V looked back upon the bloodied battlefield, from which not all the corpses were yet removed, for sacrifice (as was the fate of enemy corpses) or cremation (the fate of Rajai corpses, for blood of the Rajai was not to be spilt by the Rajai). The obstacles were defeated; the problem was solved. He felt no rage; but he was not emotionless, on the contrary, as he looked at that battlefield, he felt the distinct satisfaction of a sage that got one step closer to enlightenment, or perhaps that of a master that cleverly eliminated a flaw in his weapon design, though after being baffled by it for some time and wasting quite a lot of material and strenght. But the satisfaction was all the greater for it.

 

[Amon Savag]

I suppose the precise population number does become rather less important above tribe level. Would you have Jason's farmlands, then?

Still, I am opposed to changing the rules in the middle of a large war.

*throws copper knife with miracilous precision, killing the pissing Hannoid instantly and bloodily*

Good question. Would you guys want the farmlands? I think that'd be neat... Tuted.

At any rate, we will never be able to change the rules as long as Rajai is around, because there will always be a large war to fight as long as it is around .

 

[Grombar]

Im working on that, well at least I have a few ideas that may help me with that!

 

[Fëanor]

United in Diversity​

[IMG=Right]http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/8479/Amonii.png[/IMG]The Holy Trinity, one of the most fundamental doctrines of the True Faith.
In Short the thee parts of the Holy Trinity consist of:
Amon: The Creator, the one true god
Savag: The Keeper of Mankind and gods avatar to men.
Ursus: The Keeper of Terra, gods avatar to nature.

While the one true faith is still relatively young as soon as Savag died debate began to whom they should follow, some argued that since Savag had no descendants the clergly should elect gather and identify who now has become gods avatar to men, basically meaning that he is the reincarnation of Savag, whom was Gods Avatar of Mankind, other argued that Ursus should be made leader and worshiped, few really supported this idea and while it was undisputed that Ursus was an avatar of god, and a manifestation of gods presence on earth, the clergy argued that Ursus was the keeper of Terra and not the Keeper of Mankind and therefore unfit for to lead them, and after a short debate by the clergy, they decided whom had become the reincarnation of Savag upon his death, a newborn baby whose name became Savag was now the new leader of the Empire, with the Clergy naming a Keeper of the Avatar to rule in his name until the Reincarnation had matured sufficiently.

[IMG=Right]http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/8479/Savagii.png[/IMG]This decision splintered the faith into three major sects:
The Amonii: according to whom Savag and Ursus are only manifestations of god and only Amon is the True God
The Savagii: according to whom the role as Keeper of Mankind of His Holiness Savag means that only he can hear the prayers of men and therefore only through him can god be worshiped;
The Ursines: according to whom the Sacred Ursus, whom is the Keeper of Terra, is the only one that can affect the lives of men and bless them with prosperity and health.

At first the Ursines were by far the largest of the three sects, largely because Ursus was still alive, his godhood proven by the fact that he, like the first Savag, aged many times slower than anyone else, however he too eventually died. His death was a serious blow to the Ursines whom lost the vast majority of their followers, most of whom became Amonii, whom right now are by far the largest of group, the Savagii were the smallest of group but now their ranks have been swollen by the defection of the more prominent Ursines, the Savagii now have most of the influential and important people of the tribe in their ranks, the Ursines have become the smallest sect, however they do have quite some influence as it is they to whom are trusted the raising and training of the Holy War Bears and the Tamed Coyotes, formerly known as Coyote Brothers but that name was changed because the clergy believed it carried too much pagan significance.

[IMG=Right]http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/8479/Ursin.png[/IMG]In an attempt to avoid further loss of followers the Ursines initiated a practice that would soon become tradition for the whole tribe, the Ursines began tattooing the Sign of Ursus, a Bear’s paw, on the front of their heads, which signified their affiliation to the Ursine sect, the Savagii responded to this act by tattooing the Fist of God on their heads, which was followed by the Amonii whom tattooed the Eye of Amon on their heads. These acts has some important effects on the tribe, besides a short golden age for tattooists, these tattoos somewhat polarized the relations between the sects, however at the same time they united the followers of the True Faith against the infidels, whom would murder and scalp anyone who bears one to the Marks of God.

Soon after the death of Ursus is was decided that the Tribe should construct a grand place of worship where both the physical remains of the two first avatars of Amon, Savag and Ursus, could be laid to rest, and where all sects of the worshipers of the True Faith could gather and pray to the One True God, this place of worship was to be called the (Most Sacred)“Temple of the Holy Trinity”.

(The Pictures represent:)​

1. The Eye of Amon aka the Ever Watching Eye, the Mark/Sign of Amon, and the Mark/Sign of God and the Sacred Eye, tattoo used by the Amonii sect.
2. The Fist of God aka the Mark/Sign of Savag, tattoo used by the Savagii sect.
3. The Holy Paw aka the Mark/Sign of Ursus, tattoo used by the Ursine sect.

Orders:
Begin Fighting the infidels in all directions, concentrate mainly on raiding their villages, during the raids concentrate mainly on taking their children that are young enough to be easily converted and brought up as faithful subjects, slaughter the rest and burn what cannot be taken.
Begin construction of the wonder “Temple of the Holy Trinity” Effects: ++ Education* +Culture

*The Builders will need to invent a lot of new, innovating techniques to be able to build it.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Zarak strode around the beach in front of a small Niasian force.

"Sir, is this the place?" asked one soldier.

"Yes it is..." replied Zarak in his perpetually deep and gravelly voice.

"But the jungle's too thick here. We have to go by the path if we're-"

"Gonna get caught?"

"But the jungle sir-"

"Damnit man, do you wanna get killed?" asked Zarak with an incredulous look, "If we took the main road we'd be slaughtered. If you want to take that road, I'll have to stop you. This is my force, and you're doubting my choices and acting in a way that could bring harm. Are you going to come with me then?"

The soldier rose out of a slight cower.

"I'm with you."

"Good."

Zarak drew out a thick-bladed machete from its scabbard on his hip, and swung it at the outermost foliage of the jungle. Other soldiers joined in, and the force began to tunnel into the jungle.

"Move the catamarans to the next bay over and harass the Tyg village Captain. We'll handle the rest."

Without looking back, he resumed cutting a path.

A few hours later, a break in the jungle was visible.

"Now, this is for Nias, for the innocents killed during the Tyg raids. We will not kill the unarmed or the civilians, the old or the weak. We kill those who bear arms against us. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Make Nias proud."

Zarak leapt into the clearing, brandishing his bronze machete and, longer sword.

"Warriors of Tyg, I am Zarak of Nias- I stare death in the face and grin, your faces go beyond that- I laugh. The seas cower and go calm before me, the mightiest jungle yields before my blade. My ancestors have shed the blood of the Pirates of Janjaweed, and my sword hungers for the blood of the Barbaric Raiders of Tyg- come fight, or surrender your weapons now."

Most of the tribespeople had fled before Zarak and his boast. But several spear and dagger-wielding soldiers circled around him.

"Watch your back." he advised to one.

The man looked behind him for a split second, and Zarak sliced his neck open. The fight was on.

The Niasian warrior knocked away enemy spearheads, parried blows and bathed his blades in enemy blood. He leapt in the air and delivered a kick to three soldiers, who fell to the ground.

"Look out, there's someone behind you." he said, grinning at the last standing Tyg warrior.

The man didn't flinch, and tensed to leap into attack. Then, a sword erupted through his chest. As he fell to the ground, a Niasian soldier was revealed standing behind him.

"Had to give him fair warning- agh!"

Zarak fell to his side with a dagger sticking out of his calf, delivered by one of the knocked-down Tyg. The Niasian swung his machete, decapitating the enemy. Grimacing as he pulled the stone dagger out, he rose to his feet.

"Lieutenant."

"Yes sir?"

"Secure the village. Inform the villagers that no harm will come to them if they cooperate with us."

"And if they don't?"

"I have great trust in your... persuasive abilities."

"Yes sir."

 

[Amon Savag]

Is it just me, or does it seem like there's been a huge absence of Abaddon?