Fall From Heaven NES
- Thread starter TheJopa
- Start date
....Hear me who can hear! Watch the world crumble who can see with sight unveiled with mammon and anger! In this darkest hour of our demise it's not only proud Kuriotate Dragon who perished. It's also hope for the wholekind who has been slain! Our roar of anger had changed into mournful hymn but it still outvoice the sound of bright future sweeping aside as a sand in hourglasses meting the duration of reign of Life.
We have been given a chance. Chance to live and thrive and prosper under clear sky. There are still a few among us who remember the Everwinter and the Joy of the First Spring. Why have been so foolish and thrown our chance away? Why the wholekind let it's heart freeze over with selfish greed that order to exploit your fellow creature without thought of mercy or compassion? ? For whose Hoard have we given up our kindness? Why is the only thing that can thwart our icicles demonic hate that order kill your fellow creature without thought of love or Gods? Whose tainted fluids now circulate in the veins of Creation?
Fools we are! And nothing more! We have opened the gates for those who shouldn't walk on the face of Erebus any more? We bring a taint to this plane and now all we are going to pay for our madness! First the Nature itself will turn away from us! Many will suffer and wither and die! And those who will live enough to watch their children and lovers die will perish from the hands of their yesterday's friends who will spill the blood of their neighbours for a handful of rice.
And much worse things will come thereafter.
But my eyes are full of tears and I can't bear the vision any more.
There is no hope for us. Any hope was swept aside by the blood of divinity on streets of our proud cities. Now they are broken and lies in ruins like the whole Erebus will. It will rumble and mighty empires will fall. It will crumble and legions of hell will welcome their new home with chilling scream. And when all the sinners, all the unfeeling and rabid, all the greedy, mad, bloodthirsty, filthy thief that stole us our future will see by their very own eyes what awaits them after death it will be late. Too late for now is late. The fate of Age of Rebirth is sealed. Now we are standing at the dawn of Age of Despair.
Wake up and smell the ashes!
-Thus spoke Khannan, a Kuriotate Seer.
We have been given a chance. Chance to live and thrive and prosper under clear sky. There are still a few among us who remember the Everwinter and the Joy of the First Spring. Why have been so foolish and thrown our chance away? Why the wholekind let it's heart freeze over with selfish greed that order to exploit your fellow creature without thought of mercy or compassion? ? For whose Hoard have we given up our kindness? Why is the only thing that can thwart our icicles demonic hate that order kill your fellow creature without thought of love or Gods? Whose tainted fluids now circulate in the veins of Creation?
Fools we are! And nothing more! We have opened the gates for those who shouldn't walk on the face of Erebus any more? We bring a taint to this plane and now all we are going to pay for our madness! First the Nature itself will turn away from us! Many will suffer and wither and die! And those who will live enough to watch their children and lovers die will perish from the hands of their yesterday's friends who will spill the blood of their neighbours for a handful of rice.
And much worse things will come thereafter.
But my eyes are full of tears and I can't bear the vision any more.
There is no hope for us. Any hope was swept aside by the blood of divinity on streets of our proud cities. Now they are broken and lies in ruins like the whole Erebus will. It will rumble and mighty empires will fall. It will crumble and legions of hell will welcome their new home with chilling scream. And when all the sinners, all the unfeeling and rabid, all the greedy, mad, bloodthirsty, filthy thief that stole us our future will see by their very own eyes what awaits them after death it will be late. Too late for now is late. The fate of Age of Rebirth is sealed. Now we are standing at the dawn of Age of Despair.
Wake up and smell the ashes!
-Thus spoke Khannan, a Kuriotate Seer.
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The Coup:
Turn 17: A Long Shadow
Part Two: The Old Ways Die Hard
Ejder Sihâbeddîn was anxious. He wanted to act now.
For him, things were very simple. There were no shades of gray. He was a priest of Junil. He upheld obedience and oaths of fealty above all else. He had pledged his obedience to the late patriarch Hüdaverdi Uzunçarsili and patriarch Uzunçarsili had pledged the Orders support to the republic, provided that it was true to itself and its laws. Now the revered patriarch Uzunçarsili was martyred, slain by the rebel priest Soner Çölasans blade. The priesthood was split, but just because someone claimed to speak for Junil did not make it so. Ejder knew where his fealties lie; he would uphold the republic that his sworn master Uzunçarsili upheld. By the parlance of Amurite politics, this made him a representationist. But thats not how he thought of it; he was merely an obedient slave, a most devout follower of the god of laws.
All this brought him to this moment, to this act of defiance against the corrupted senate, the hated puppet of the Reformists, men and women who sought a return to the bad old days when demons were summoned forth and walked the earth spilling Amurite blood, when souls were bought and sold like currency and the good, the order, the laws of Junil were foolishly ignored. This was unacceptable; something had to be done.
Ejder was an eager recruit for the task at hand. It had been Cahid Göyüncs idea. Cahid was the senior member of the fractured Order of Junil, the highest ranking representationist priest. There were others also. Lokman Kasaba and Gülistan Hikmet were two very respectable priests in their own rights, with small parishes who supported them and their drive to restore the senate; each commanded a small group of poorly armed but extremely motivated crusaders (peasants really, but their holy mission made them something greater than that). In addition to the represenationists, there was unexpected assistance from the new order. These were priests who saw the corruption in the senate but instead of wanting to heal the sickened institution, wanted to replace it with something (he wasnt sure what) else. They claimed that the senate would always be the tool of too many voices, many of which were not even followers of Junil, many were heretics, followers of hated faiths, the veil, even the saints cult. Many were unknown followers of the lord of greed. They claimed that the senates goals and motivations were not compatible with those of Junils order. They were especially prone to point to the power of Soner Çölasan blade of faith against the faith shield of the ancient patriarch to provide Junils opinion. This was maddening for Ejder, but today he was glad that some that held these new opinions had closed ranks with members of the representationist priests. The small contingent, barely two dozen in total was led by Prior Marcos Yildizoglu, former crusade commander and now, by virtue of political wrestling, an abbey prior. In addition, the charismatic and popular Sâhîn Summerspring who held Soner to be a martyr and had done much to convince Junils laity of that, was amongst them. What a senator was doing in the streets, involving himself in a potentially deadly and assuredly violent and illegal act, Ejder could not be sure of, but he respected him all the more for it. There were two non-priests also. Two mages had joined them today. The first was Ðzzet Safavî. Ejder did not know too much about him but he did know that the Radicals and their cronies were looking for him, that he was a wanted man charged with treason. This struck Ejder as funny and he snorted; after today they would all be charged with treason. What did he care? The state was corrupt and he knew his faith was pure. The second mage was a young woman, Mihriban Recep. She was barely 20 years old and had only just recently finished her apprenticeship to the archmage Tevfik Turhil.
Ejder surveyed the courtyard. Poor Yilderum Camil had been hanging from the crucifix for over 16 hours. Ejder could tell that he was having significant difficulty breathing. He kept trying to draw his knees up to his chest but the bindings were only loose enough to allow them to bend a little bit. But the former first speaker did not look fearful or lost, he appeared sorrowful, sorrowful and tired. Ejder looked again at Prior Marcos Yildizoglu who had been put in charge of this operation. What was he waiting for? When would they mount his rescue? Night had fallen and the crowds had thinned somewhat (though not too greatly). He knew that the mage Mihriban had provided inside information regarding who in the crowd was a guard in disguise and which of the guards were capable with a sword or whispered spell (though how she came by this information was unknown- though he did have his suspicions).
He could feel the tension in the cold autumn night. He longed to summon Junils faith to him, to feel Junils wrath manifest in a spear of purest divinity weighing in his hand like an uttered prayer. He longed to hurl that spear at the corrupt guards who had sold their morality and ethics for a place of power in the corrupted new regime.
He didnt have to wait long; suddenly Prior Marcos had thrown his peasants disguise revealing shining bronze armour and a wickedly sharp, wide-bladed shortsword. Charging across the courtyard he led his men in absolute silence. It was time.
Edjer muttered the prayer that would cloak him and the men and women he commanded in Junils protective divinity and a second prayer to summon the spear he so longed to wield. His crusaders drew knives and clubs.
With the element of surprise and with advance knowledge of the enemys positions, the battle progressed well. Ejder was able to slay one guard with a thrust that caught him directly below the adams apple and a second with a spear throw from 30 feet.
The enemy was quick to adapt however. Amongst the tearful crowd were several of the radical academics own soldiers, guards sent specifically to prevent a rescue attempt such at this. One of these was Lalegün Yamak, an apprentice of professor (of summoning studies) Leyla Ilahi, and an accomplished summoner in her own right. With a whispered spell, the courtyard was suddenly filled with flying dark wings and horrible cackling laughter. The smell of sulphur and something worse filled the autumn courtyard. Ejder recognized entropy magic; this was something the amurites did not teach; these spells came from somewhere else, no doubt from the hells themselves.
The creatures were flit about, snapping at the crusader peasants and their priest commanders. Liquid splashes of silvery lightning spat from the mage Receps fingers, bringing down several of the demons and the mage Safavî summoned a dancing scimitar of bronze which flew through the air, hacking and cutting the demons. Prior Marcoss bronze shortsword hew many of them in twain as he stood protectively before the crucifix, providing protection to the peasant who untied Yilderum Camil.
In the end the demons were driven off or slain, and so too was Lalegün Yamak, slain by the faith blade of Sâhîn Summerspring. The guards lay dead or had run. The cost had been great. Many of the crusader peasants lay dead, slain by the demonss claws or the guards spears. Lokman Kasaba was dead, completely decapitated by a demons furious clawing, his body chewed up and half eaten. Gülistan Hikmet lay lying in a pool of blood, a spear still piercing his bowels.
As Ejder surveyed the damage, Prior Marcos was already leading Yilderum Camil away. A boat awaited him. He would be safe for now.
Turn 17: A Long Shadow
Part Two: The Old Ways Die Hard
Ejder Sihâbeddîn was anxious. He wanted to act now.
For him, things were very simple. There were no shades of gray. He was a priest of Junil. He upheld obedience and oaths of fealty above all else. He had pledged his obedience to the late patriarch Hüdaverdi Uzunçarsili and patriarch Uzunçarsili had pledged the Orders support to the republic, provided that it was true to itself and its laws. Now the revered patriarch Uzunçarsili was martyred, slain by the rebel priest Soner Çölasans blade. The priesthood was split, but just because someone claimed to speak for Junil did not make it so. Ejder knew where his fealties lie; he would uphold the republic that his sworn master Uzunçarsili upheld. By the parlance of Amurite politics, this made him a representationist. But thats not how he thought of it; he was merely an obedient slave, a most devout follower of the god of laws.
All this brought him to this moment, to this act of defiance against the corrupted senate, the hated puppet of the Reformists, men and women who sought a return to the bad old days when demons were summoned forth and walked the earth spilling Amurite blood, when souls were bought and sold like currency and the good, the order, the laws of Junil were foolishly ignored. This was unacceptable; something had to be done.
Ejder was an eager recruit for the task at hand. It had been Cahid Göyüncs idea. Cahid was the senior member of the fractured Order of Junil, the highest ranking representationist priest. There were others also. Lokman Kasaba and Gülistan Hikmet were two very respectable priests in their own rights, with small parishes who supported them and their drive to restore the senate; each commanded a small group of poorly armed but extremely motivated crusaders (peasants really, but their holy mission made them something greater than that). In addition to the represenationists, there was unexpected assistance from the new order. These were priests who saw the corruption in the senate but instead of wanting to heal the sickened institution, wanted to replace it with something (he wasnt sure what) else. They claimed that the senate would always be the tool of too many voices, many of which were not even followers of Junil, many were heretics, followers of hated faiths, the veil, even the saints cult. Many were unknown followers of the lord of greed. They claimed that the senates goals and motivations were not compatible with those of Junils order. They were especially prone to point to the power of Soner Çölasan blade of faith against the faith shield of the ancient patriarch to provide Junils opinion. This was maddening for Ejder, but today he was glad that some that held these new opinions had closed ranks with members of the representationist priests. The small contingent, barely two dozen in total was led by Prior Marcos Yildizoglu, former crusade commander and now, by virtue of political wrestling, an abbey prior. In addition, the charismatic and popular Sâhîn Summerspring who held Soner to be a martyr and had done much to convince Junils laity of that, was amongst them. What a senator was doing in the streets, involving himself in a potentially deadly and assuredly violent and illegal act, Ejder could not be sure of, but he respected him all the more for it. There were two non-priests also. Two mages had joined them today. The first was Ðzzet Safavî. Ejder did not know too much about him but he did know that the Radicals and their cronies were looking for him, that he was a wanted man charged with treason. This struck Ejder as funny and he snorted; after today they would all be charged with treason. What did he care? The state was corrupt and he knew his faith was pure. The second mage was a young woman, Mihriban Recep. She was barely 20 years old and had only just recently finished her apprenticeship to the archmage Tevfik Turhil.
Ejder surveyed the courtyard. Poor Yilderum Camil had been hanging from the crucifix for over 16 hours. Ejder could tell that he was having significant difficulty breathing. He kept trying to draw his knees up to his chest but the bindings were only loose enough to allow them to bend a little bit. But the former first speaker did not look fearful or lost, he appeared sorrowful, sorrowful and tired. Ejder looked again at Prior Marcos Yildizoglu who had been put in charge of this operation. What was he waiting for? When would they mount his rescue? Night had fallen and the crowds had thinned somewhat (though not too greatly). He knew that the mage Mihriban had provided inside information regarding who in the crowd was a guard in disguise and which of the guards were capable with a sword or whispered spell (though how she came by this information was unknown- though he did have his suspicions).
He could feel the tension in the cold autumn night. He longed to summon Junils faith to him, to feel Junils wrath manifest in a spear of purest divinity weighing in his hand like an uttered prayer. He longed to hurl that spear at the corrupt guards who had sold their morality and ethics for a place of power in the corrupted new regime.
He didnt have to wait long; suddenly Prior Marcos had thrown his peasants disguise revealing shining bronze armour and a wickedly sharp, wide-bladed shortsword. Charging across the courtyard he led his men in absolute silence. It was time.
Edjer muttered the prayer that would cloak him and the men and women he commanded in Junils protective divinity and a second prayer to summon the spear he so longed to wield. His crusaders drew knives and clubs.
With the element of surprise and with advance knowledge of the enemys positions, the battle progressed well. Ejder was able to slay one guard with a thrust that caught him directly below the adams apple and a second with a spear throw from 30 feet.
The enemy was quick to adapt however. Amongst the tearful crowd were several of the radical academics own soldiers, guards sent specifically to prevent a rescue attempt such at this. One of these was Lalegün Yamak, an apprentice of professor (of summoning studies) Leyla Ilahi, and an accomplished summoner in her own right. With a whispered spell, the courtyard was suddenly filled with flying dark wings and horrible cackling laughter. The smell of sulphur and something worse filled the autumn courtyard. Ejder recognized entropy magic; this was something the amurites did not teach; these spells came from somewhere else, no doubt from the hells themselves.
Spoiler :
In the end the demons were driven off or slain, and so too was Lalegün Yamak, slain by the faith blade of Sâhîn Summerspring. The guards lay dead or had run. The cost had been great. Many of the crusader peasants lay dead, slain by the demonss claws or the guards spears. Lokman Kasaba was dead, completely decapitated by a demons furious clawing, his body chewed up and half eaten. Gülistan Hikmet lay lying in a pool of blood, a spear still piercing his bowels.
As Ejder surveyed the damage, Prior Marcos was already leading Yilderum Camil away. A boat awaited him. He would be safe for now.
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Sounds like the AC has gone up.
Or perhaps old man serving Ocean gods for too long couldn't withstand the sight of his wrecked homeland and broke down.
One way or another you are living in interesting times.....
Darksaber1
Secret Emperor
[Lurk Strike] There is a curse. They say: may you live in interesting times.-Interesting Times (1994)
Yeap. Not 1st of June
Though people in US for some reason state month *before* date...
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The Coup:
Turn 17: A Long Shadow
Part Three: Demons at the Abbey
Luwin Born-in-Storm peered through the swirling snow as it fell lazily from the heavens. From his vantage point he could see the monks and priests of Cevedes abbey going about their morning prayers, eating, washing. The clergymen ate together in a grand covered hall, they prayed together in rows outside facing a statue of Junils holy symbol, the balance, blade and shield. They wore long clergymans robes that unlike the sheesh most other amurites wore, left their heads and faces exposed. Luwin thought their exposed bristles and oily hair offensive.
The grand witch Nezakat Vedat who styled herself the next Caswellan and Roderick Bellisam, current first speaker of the Amurite parliament and her apprentice had carefully orchestrated the planned raid upon the abbey but they would not take part. Command had been delegated to Luwin, something he was only too happy to accept. The premise was simple: Yilderum Camil was a traitor and a criminal. He had been sentenced to die by crucifixion. The priests of the Cevedes abbey had led an assault on the troops of the republic, including a respected member of the ruling Academics party, Lalegün Yamak. Therefore, the priests of the abbey were also criminals, guilty of treachery and worse. Luwin was the voice and arm of the law. He had come to arrest the priests of the abbey and bring them, and their protectorate to justice. Of course, the witch Nezakat was never that simplistic. Her divinations had already long-ago revealed that Yilderum Camil was not at the abbey, indeed he never had been. Her true intentions was not the arrest of the priests, it was their destruction. Their very existence was a continuous thorn in her side and a foil to her plans of establishing her long-coveted magocracy. Though very few others really remembered the battles between the first crusaders of Junils order and the Caswellan mages during the civil wars, she did and she knew what power they could bring to bear against her plans if she did not stop them now. They would not be arrested; they would be slaughtered to the very last man. Luwin was there to ensure that was exactly what happened.
Luwin gave the signal to his standard bearer and the boy dipped the heraldry and gave a figure-eight wave of the standard. Immediately, in the streets far below him, militia men armed with shortswords and shield began to march towards the abbey. These were the bulk of Luwins forces. These militia were loyal to the senate and as long as the Academics and Roderick Bellisam controlled the senate, they would be loyal to Nezakat and, in turn, to Luwin. The militia marched, in typical Amurite orderly fashion (something Luwin couldnt help detest as a sign of the Orders influence even as he respected the discipline involved), keeping their pace by striking their shield with their swords as they advanced. Immediately the abbey was abuzz with activity. Breakfasts were abandoned and prayers were hastened as the priests scrambled to prepare to meet the advancing division. The priests, Luwin knew, would be well armed, armoured and trained. Sure enough, many of the priests began to outfit themselves in mail of interlocking horizontal bands of bronze, and to arm themselves with the typical long spear and shortsword of Junils crusaders. Luwin knew these clergymen would be slow moving due to the weight of their amour and weapons but he also knew that they would be empowered with divine endurance and that their amour could turn back blow after blow even as their own weapons skilfully hewed at their enemy. A direct fight between the heavily armoured clergymen and the republics militia would not turn out well for the militia. Luwin smiled: good thing it wouldnt be a direct fight.
Luwins ace was the men and women who shared the high balcony with him. They were a small group, barely 40, crowded in the halls and chambers in the upper levels of senator Korkud Kusçus estate, a prime location to watch the battle in the abbey from and an even better location to sling spells from with impunity. All of them were mages loyal to the Radical Academics and the dream of a new magistocracy where they would be the new power in the Amurite nation and all were loyal to the witch Nezakat which meant that today, they were loyal to Luwin.
Suddenly the steady banging of the militias blades upon their shields ceased and Luwin peered through the swirling snow. The battle had begun. The white snow-clad steps of the abbey gatehouse were suddenly splashed with crimson blood. It appeared that the clergymen were resisting arrest.
A second signal and suddenly the manor halls were full of whispered incantations. The air around Luwin began to shimmer and vibrate. The smell of sulphur and ozone filled the air and suddenly the winter morning was full of cackling, clawed and winged demons that the entropy summoners called stirge, flickering balls of light crackling with electricity and ozone that the air summoners referred to as lightning elementals and something else, the summons of the mind conjurers. Luwin dared not close his eyes, knowing that if he did, he would see these creatures, these mind gobins and he would prefer not to do that.
The soldiers had shouted something about an arrest warrant and a search for Yilderum Camil but had not waited for a response. Instead they had charged the priests, swords drawn and many had fallen to the priests spears and swords. These militiamen seemed courageous to a fault, foolhardy even and many a priest wondered if they had not been ensorcelled with unnaturally foolish bravery to ensure they would attack a highly defendable position manned by heavily armoured holy warriors. It was tantamount to suicide. Despite this, the militiamen were not without some successes. Despite heavy losses, their fool-hardy aggression was beginning to cause some attrition to the defenders and already a half-dozen priests lay dead upon the abbey steps, their rapidly cooling blood instantly melting the snow that fell upon it.
Morale was good amongst the priests however. This was their abbey and, although many of the priests were missing this morning (the so-called New Order faction had been called off by Prior Marco to meet, in secret, with potential allies) they still numbered at least two-thirds of the miltias numbers and one crusader priest was easily the equal to ten of the militiamen, especially in this fortified defensive position.
Suddenly that morale was shaken however as the rear ranks of the priests, who had previously been using their long spears to stab at the enemy over the heads of their fellow priests were struck with jagged bolts of electricity. In many cases, the hearts of the priests stopped completely as the voltage coursed through their bodies. For others their end came as the bronze amour they wore blackened and burned them. Those that survived turned to face this new aggressor and realized that they were fighting some magical creature, a ball of light that flew and flit about almost more rapidly than could be followed with the eyes. These quick little creatures would stay out of range of the priests, flying above and behind them, dodging spear thrusts and sword slashes, only to suddenly close the distance, ducking under a spear or over a sword to deliver a lethal shock of lightning that would strike the defender with often lethal violence.
Just as more and more of the priests turned to face the new aggressors and lend their spears to their brothers defence, the mages second summons appeared. These were the stirges, demonic four-armed, four-winged flying creatures that cackled maniacally as they fought, their claws hewing at exposed flesh and tearing at buckles and openings in the mail. Many a priest was brought low by frenzied slashes to the neck or wrists, the unprotected calves and armpits.
Soon any semblance of formation dissolved as the priests spread throughout the courtyard, fighting the flying aggressors who would dive at the clergymen, strike, climb, wheel about for a second dive and renew their attack. They would attack in waves, ensuring no rest for the weakened priests and putting their divinely-inspired endurance to the test. Only near the gate, where the now heavily outnumbered priests fought the republics militia did any sort of organized defensive formation remain.
Then something strange happened. Priests, apparently under no direct assault, divine blade in hand, protective shield of faith encircling them, would fall to their knees clutching their heads. Blood would suddenly gush from their nose, their ears, their mouths and even their eyes and they would fall to the snow-covered stones, dead. Then another priest would suffer a similar attack. It was only when one of the defenders closed his eyes, even momentarily, that they realized what was happening. Closing ones eyes prevented one from seeing the chaos around them, of seeing the lightning elementals and the stirge, but it brought into stark and vivid view the mind goblins. When one closed ones eyes one could see little creatures, barely 2 feet tall, grappling with the heads of the priests, their fingers sinking through their skin and skulls and squeezing, squeezing and ripping the minds of the defenders who did not realize where the attack was coming from. Some priests were able to figure out to close their eyes and, with eyes closed, they would grapple with the smaller goblin-creatures, able to see and fight them, but their closed eyes left them defenceless to the onslaught of the stirge and lighning elementals and they would quickly fall.
It was all over within a matter of 30 minutes. The priests had fought valiantly, but Luwins mages had won the day with their combined summons. Luwin whispered an air mana spell and he a half-dozen of his higher ranking mages suddenly floated into the air. Behind him he could hear other mages repeating the same spell. The delegation was aloft.
The mages flew into the abbey courtyard and drew their own swords. The spread out and one by one, finished off any of the priests who had not yet died to the summons or the militia. Any wounded man was slain. Any who had surrendered was slain. They even searched the warehouses and inner sanctum, looking for those who were too old or infirm to fight, and finding a couple dozen, slew them too.
Junils order had received a serious blow. Their central abbey, the greatest concentration of high-ranking priests of Junil had been destroyed. Soon the flames were licking at the morning sky, burning the snowflakes as they fell.
But Luwin was uneasy. As he glanced about, he couldnt help but think that many of the best known priests were not amongst the dead. Where was Prior Marcos Yildizoglu? Where was Senator Sâhîn Summerspring? Indeed, many of the New Order were completely absent.
This was not the end of Junils Order. Luwin couldnt help but think that despite the victory he had achieved, his mistresss objectives had not been met.
Turn 17: A Long Shadow
Part Three: Demons at the Abbey
Luwin Born-in-Storm peered through the swirling snow as it fell lazily from the heavens. From his vantage point he could see the monks and priests of Cevedes abbey going about their morning prayers, eating, washing. The clergymen ate together in a grand covered hall, they prayed together in rows outside facing a statue of Junils holy symbol, the balance, blade and shield. They wore long clergymans robes that unlike the sheesh most other amurites wore, left their heads and faces exposed. Luwin thought their exposed bristles and oily hair offensive.
The grand witch Nezakat Vedat who styled herself the next Caswellan and Roderick Bellisam, current first speaker of the Amurite parliament and her apprentice had carefully orchestrated the planned raid upon the abbey but they would not take part. Command had been delegated to Luwin, something he was only too happy to accept. The premise was simple: Yilderum Camil was a traitor and a criminal. He had been sentenced to die by crucifixion. The priests of the Cevedes abbey had led an assault on the troops of the republic, including a respected member of the ruling Academics party, Lalegün Yamak. Therefore, the priests of the abbey were also criminals, guilty of treachery and worse. Luwin was the voice and arm of the law. He had come to arrest the priests of the abbey and bring them, and their protectorate to justice. Of course, the witch Nezakat was never that simplistic. Her divinations had already long-ago revealed that Yilderum Camil was not at the abbey, indeed he never had been. Her true intentions was not the arrest of the priests, it was their destruction. Their very existence was a continuous thorn in her side and a foil to her plans of establishing her long-coveted magocracy. Though very few others really remembered the battles between the first crusaders of Junils order and the Caswellan mages during the civil wars, she did and she knew what power they could bring to bear against her plans if she did not stop them now. They would not be arrested; they would be slaughtered to the very last man. Luwin was there to ensure that was exactly what happened.
Luwin gave the signal to his standard bearer and the boy dipped the heraldry and gave a figure-eight wave of the standard. Immediately, in the streets far below him, militia men armed with shortswords and shield began to march towards the abbey. These were the bulk of Luwins forces. These militia were loyal to the senate and as long as the Academics and Roderick Bellisam controlled the senate, they would be loyal to Nezakat and, in turn, to Luwin. The militia marched, in typical Amurite orderly fashion (something Luwin couldnt help detest as a sign of the Orders influence even as he respected the discipline involved), keeping their pace by striking their shield with their swords as they advanced. Immediately the abbey was abuzz with activity. Breakfasts were abandoned and prayers were hastened as the priests scrambled to prepare to meet the advancing division. The priests, Luwin knew, would be well armed, armoured and trained. Sure enough, many of the priests began to outfit themselves in mail of interlocking horizontal bands of bronze, and to arm themselves with the typical long spear and shortsword of Junils crusaders. Luwin knew these clergymen would be slow moving due to the weight of their amour and weapons but he also knew that they would be empowered with divine endurance and that their amour could turn back blow after blow even as their own weapons skilfully hewed at their enemy. A direct fight between the heavily armoured clergymen and the republics militia would not turn out well for the militia. Luwin smiled: good thing it wouldnt be a direct fight.
Luwins ace was the men and women who shared the high balcony with him. They were a small group, barely 40, crowded in the halls and chambers in the upper levels of senator Korkud Kusçus estate, a prime location to watch the battle in the abbey from and an even better location to sling spells from with impunity. All of them were mages loyal to the Radical Academics and the dream of a new magistocracy where they would be the new power in the Amurite nation and all were loyal to the witch Nezakat which meant that today, they were loyal to Luwin.
Suddenly the steady banging of the militias blades upon their shields ceased and Luwin peered through the swirling snow. The battle had begun. The white snow-clad steps of the abbey gatehouse were suddenly splashed with crimson blood. It appeared that the clergymen were resisting arrest.
A second signal and suddenly the manor halls were full of whispered incantations. The air around Luwin began to shimmer and vibrate. The smell of sulphur and ozone filled the air and suddenly the winter morning was full of cackling, clawed and winged demons that the entropy summoners called stirge, flickering balls of light crackling with electricity and ozone that the air summoners referred to as lightning elementals and something else, the summons of the mind conjurers. Luwin dared not close his eyes, knowing that if he did, he would see these creatures, these mind gobins and he would prefer not to do that.
* * *
The soldiers had shouted something about an arrest warrant and a search for Yilderum Camil but had not waited for a response. Instead they had charged the priests, swords drawn and many had fallen to the priests spears and swords. These militiamen seemed courageous to a fault, foolhardy even and many a priest wondered if they had not been ensorcelled with unnaturally foolish bravery to ensure they would attack a highly defendable position manned by heavily armoured holy warriors. It was tantamount to suicide. Despite this, the militiamen were not without some successes. Despite heavy losses, their fool-hardy aggression was beginning to cause some attrition to the defenders and already a half-dozen priests lay dead upon the abbey steps, their rapidly cooling blood instantly melting the snow that fell upon it.
Morale was good amongst the priests however. This was their abbey and, although many of the priests were missing this morning (the so-called New Order faction had been called off by Prior Marco to meet, in secret, with potential allies) they still numbered at least two-thirds of the miltias numbers and one crusader priest was easily the equal to ten of the militiamen, especially in this fortified defensive position.
Suddenly that morale was shaken however as the rear ranks of the priests, who had previously been using their long spears to stab at the enemy over the heads of their fellow priests were struck with jagged bolts of electricity. In many cases, the hearts of the priests stopped completely as the voltage coursed through their bodies. For others their end came as the bronze amour they wore blackened and burned them. Those that survived turned to face this new aggressor and realized that they were fighting some magical creature, a ball of light that flew and flit about almost more rapidly than could be followed with the eyes. These quick little creatures would stay out of range of the priests, flying above and behind them, dodging spear thrusts and sword slashes, only to suddenly close the distance, ducking under a spear or over a sword to deliver a lethal shock of lightning that would strike the defender with often lethal violence.
Just as more and more of the priests turned to face the new aggressors and lend their spears to their brothers defence, the mages second summons appeared. These were the stirges, demonic four-armed, four-winged flying creatures that cackled maniacally as they fought, their claws hewing at exposed flesh and tearing at buckles and openings in the mail. Many a priest was brought low by frenzied slashes to the neck or wrists, the unprotected calves and armpits.
Soon any semblance of formation dissolved as the priests spread throughout the courtyard, fighting the flying aggressors who would dive at the clergymen, strike, climb, wheel about for a second dive and renew their attack. They would attack in waves, ensuring no rest for the weakened priests and putting their divinely-inspired endurance to the test. Only near the gate, where the now heavily outnumbered priests fought the republics militia did any sort of organized defensive formation remain.
Then something strange happened. Priests, apparently under no direct assault, divine blade in hand, protective shield of faith encircling them, would fall to their knees clutching their heads. Blood would suddenly gush from their nose, their ears, their mouths and even their eyes and they would fall to the snow-covered stones, dead. Then another priest would suffer a similar attack. It was only when one of the defenders closed his eyes, even momentarily, that they realized what was happening. Closing ones eyes prevented one from seeing the chaos around them, of seeing the lightning elementals and the stirge, but it brought into stark and vivid view the mind goblins. When one closed ones eyes one could see little creatures, barely 2 feet tall, grappling with the heads of the priests, their fingers sinking through their skin and skulls and squeezing, squeezing and ripping the minds of the defenders who did not realize where the attack was coming from. Some priests were able to figure out to close their eyes and, with eyes closed, they would grapple with the smaller goblin-creatures, able to see and fight them, but their closed eyes left them defenceless to the onslaught of the stirge and lighning elementals and they would quickly fall.
* * *
It was all over within a matter of 30 minutes. The priests had fought valiantly, but Luwins mages had won the day with their combined summons. Luwin whispered an air mana spell and he a half-dozen of his higher ranking mages suddenly floated into the air. Behind him he could hear other mages repeating the same spell. The delegation was aloft.
The mages flew into the abbey courtyard and drew their own swords. The spread out and one by one, finished off any of the priests who had not yet died to the summons or the militia. Any wounded man was slain. Any who had surrendered was slain. They even searched the warehouses and inner sanctum, looking for those who were too old or infirm to fight, and finding a couple dozen, slew them too.
Junils order had received a serious blow. Their central abbey, the greatest concentration of high-ranking priests of Junil had been destroyed. Soon the flames were licking at the morning sky, burning the snowflakes as they fell.
But Luwin was uneasy. As he glanced about, he couldnt help but think that many of the best known priests were not amongst the dead. Where was Prior Marcos Yildizoglu? Where was Senator Sâhîn Summerspring? Indeed, many of the New Order were completely absent.
This was not the end of Junils Order. Luwin couldnt help but think that despite the victory he had achieved, his mistresss objectives had not been met.
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The following story introduces some characters and their plans that i had previously wanted to keep a secret.
The story is presented here 'out of order' because i had not wanted to divulge it previously. The only one had seen it before is theJopa.
Anyway, so it takes place after The Coup: ,Turn 16: An Opportunity, Part Three: A Radical Idea and before The Coup: Turn 16: An Opportunity, Part Five: Senate Resumes. So, the Radicals have met and Ðzzet Safavî had uncovered that the witch Nezakat Vedat plans to seize control of the Amurite nation and plans to use demons and corrupted officials to do so. Yilderum Camil has not yet been sentanced to death. Nor has the senate voted to war with the Calabim yet.
So, without further adue, here is the missing chapter of 'the coup'
The Coup:
Turn 16: An Opportunity
Part Four: In the Garden
Ðzzet Safavî was on the run. Two days ago he had escaped Luwin Born-in-Storm not with magic but with a bit of sleight of hand and a pinch of the strange snort powder. He had run all night, avoiding the use of any magic so as to not set off an astral signature an accomplished mage pursuing him might follow. He had slept in a barn full of stinking livestock and spent the day like a commoner, slinking along city streets keeping his hood high and his eyes downcast.
After two days of slow, magicless travel, he finally arrived at the offices of the one person he knew he could trust, Tevfik Turhril. Old Tevfik had a colourful history. Once he had been a commanding officer in Tyrion the Caswellans mage army and he had summoned his share of demons in his youth, but those days were long past. When Yilderum Camil built the amurite senate, he had been elected to the post of minister of foreign affairs. What no one had expected was that Minister Turhril would embrace the faith of his former enemies, seeing in it an order and a righteousness that could guide the recovering Amurite nation to wholeness. Indeed, Tevfik became one of the earliest and most influential proponents of Junils influence in political life. His choices cost him the support of the merchants houses and nobles and any crumbling remains of the magocracy and despite his new friends amongst the devout, he was unable to maintain his political career. Now an old man, Tevfik continued to practice magic, teaching at the grand college and balancing a cutting edge academic life with a fulfilling spiritual life that he shared with all members of his family.
Yes, the fugitive Ðzzet thought, this man was just the ally he needed, a mage like him who would put his career and his friends on the line to uphold his faith. Besides, where else could he turn?
Finally arriving at the offices of the former minister Ðzzet was unexpectedly hurried into a backroom by Tevfiks apprentice and scribes. He was given a tub of hot water, soap, a razor and even a fresh sheesh similar to the stained one he currently wore. It seemed his arrival was not completely unexpected. After cleaning himself of the grime and dust of his travels and indulging in a relaxing massage from a smiling young servant with surprisingly strong fingers, Ðzzet Safavî was finally able to relax and put his thoughts in order. He was safe with Tevfik, or so he thought. But, he had been given a warm welcome which suggested he had been expected. None knew he was coming here, did they? He had some questions to ask and the old minister was just the one to answer them.
Quitting the back chambers, Ðzzet was led by the apprentice to a small courtyard built into the side of the academy. Despite the lush grasses and floral and fruit trees, the garden was several floors above ground level and he could look down and see the city of Cevedes bustling with commercial activity. The courtyard was not empty. Several men and women in variously hued sheeshes huddled under the blossoms of a plum tree and were discussing some issue in animated whispers. Fingers and hands were flying about, punctuating points and bringing passion to their words. From their body-language, they were obviously deliberating something of vital shared interest.
The apprentice announced his arrival by clearing his throat and simply stating, Senator Ðzzet Safavî has arrived and suddenly all eyes were on him.
The first to speak was the man he had come to see, the former minister Tevfik Turhil, Greetings young senator Safavî, we were expecting you.
He would have continued but was interrupted by a slightly built man in a yellow and gold sheesh and piercing blue eyes. Peering into his sheesh Ðzzet recognized him as Cüneyt Kasapoglu, a very accomplished mage in his own right, a respected member of the academic faculty and a member of the Radical Academics. Suddenly Ðzzet was gripped by panic. Cüneyt had attended the radicals party at the witch Nezakat Vedats manor where that demon had shown itself. He knew! Suddenly Ðzzet was furious at himself for trusting that old minister Turhril. The fury turned to fear and he was about to cast a spell to assist his escape when he noticed silver glinting from around Cüneyts neck; it was the sword and the circle of the holy order of Junil. And he was not the only one to wear the holy symbol. Glancing around, he noticed that all the men and women here wore the same symbol. They were all followers of Junils code. Indeed, as he examined the group more closely, he realized that he knew most of them, and many attended Junils services on the holy days. These men and women would not be summoning demons, would not be attacking the priesthood or him. Suddenly he felt much safer.
Cüneyt Kasapoglu spoke, Its nice to see you again. No please, dont panic. We are friends here. Relax. Have a coffee. Youve had a rough time of things but I am glad to see that you escaped that treacherous and vile Luwin. When you gasped your muted prayer at the radicals party I thought for sure they would kill you. You were lucky they had been drinking or I think they would have been less lenient. You missed the best part though. Once you had been escorted out, Nezakat introduced her second series of allies, senators of the senate, merchant house representatives no doubt bought with gold as well as Rodrick Bellisam, first speaker himself.
Ðzzet took a step back at the news, stumbling over an intricately patterned marble mosaic, only barely catching himself on a branch of the overhanging plum tree. The motion sent blossoms swirling throughout the air around him and added a symbolic moment of chaos to the one he felt within him.
A women in a pleasantly tight pale blue and white sheesh embroidered with foreign wildlife and with a light complexion and dark, sad eyes stepped forward. Ðzzet recognized her; the young woman was Efromiya Yilmaz, also a member of the radical academics and also an accomplished mage. Her husband of only 2 years had died last year and she had turned to her faith for support. Ðzzet had often seen her in the academys parks, mumbling quiet prayers to herself for her deceased husbands soul. She held out her hand to steady him and mumbled, almost apologetically, Its true senator. I was there. It seems that Nezakat has finally taken an apprentice. She must have promised him power over the realms of mana, over life and death, demons and angels to seduce him to her cause. They spoke at length after your departure regarding their goals. They are determined to take advantage of the rift in the order to crush Junils priests, discredit and dismantle the republic and finally seize power for themselves, setting Nezakat as the next Caswellan.
Cüneyt continued in a much less muted fashion, stopping occasionally to sip at his heavily sugared coffee, Their cabal appears to be led by Luwin Born-in-Storm, professor Leyla Ilahi, the professor and senator Turusan Erkan, lecturer and senator Korkud Kusçu, and Nezaket Vedat herself of course. As you can see, there upper echelon is full of accomplished mages with direct and indirect influence over the senate. A small proportion of their other members also have senate seats. They plan to use that influence to dispatch our armies to distant lands. They are proposing to declare war on the Calabim and between their own votes, their bribes and their backroom blackmails, the vote will probably proceed. With the army leaving, so too will most of the orders soldiers and guards. Combine this with the current divisions within the order, and their primary enemy is severely weakened. They plan a very public and very final end to the splintered hierocracy and without the priests to lead them, they expect the laity to lose their way.
Another member of the group spoke up, That would never happen. We have too much faith to ever abandon Junil. The impetuous speaker was Mihriban Recep, a very young mage of barely twenty years and a former apprentice to Tevfik Turhil. Ðzzet had met her previously but they had never spoken at length and he knew very little about her. Apparently she was a very devout follower of the order.
No, of course that would never happen. But I dont think thats the point. They will use fear and intimidation to control the public. Cüneyt looked exasperated at having been interrupted but quickly resumed sermonizing, all the while gently stirring he already much-stirred coffee, With their enemy scattered they will declare themselves the government and dissolve the senate.
Former speaker Yilderum Camil would never allow it. Neither would his representationist senators or his protégé, senator Aygum. Everyone knows that the Elohim senator, Ettim the Swift is a strong pro-represenation voice as well. What do they plan to do to silence their voice? People will listen to the former speaker. He is beloved by the commoners. This was from Yurdagül Jirecek, an older, plumper woman in a loosely-fitted sheesh known for her recent work with the Arcane Lacuna. Ðzzet had once been her student when studying containment magics and had enjoyed listening to the feisty woman who didnt seem to back down in any discussion, even in the face of overwhelming logic. There was something quintessentially amurite about the matronly figure and Ðzzet liked her.
For once Cüneyt said nothing. He merely stared calmly at Ðzzet with his characteristic blue eyes. The silence was answer enough.
Ðzzet stepped from the shade of the plum tree and sat on the low marble wall separating the garden from the city below it. He looked out over the city and thought about everything he had seen and heard in the last week: the murder of the patriarch, Nezakat and her demons, Rodricks treachery, the coup the Radicals were organizing, the proposal to go to war. Quietly he meditated while the others stood waiting patiently, drinking coffee and enjoying the sunny day despite the weight of the news they had shared. Ðzzets thoughts milled and churned and he remembered something. He had been expected. Old devout Tevfik had arranged for him to meet these eight men and women here, now, with this news. This was no accidental meeting. They all shared a strong faith and they were all mages. They obviously didnt want the Radicals to assume power but they had not yet alerted the order or the militia.
Ðzzet turned, a question on his lips. Tevfik spoke first, answering the unasked question, The answer of course, is that we are attempting our own coup.
The story is presented here 'out of order' because i had not wanted to divulge it previously. The only one had seen it before is theJopa.
Anyway, so it takes place after The Coup: ,Turn 16: An Opportunity, Part Three: A Radical Idea and before The Coup: Turn 16: An Opportunity, Part Five: Senate Resumes. So, the Radicals have met and Ðzzet Safavî had uncovered that the witch Nezakat Vedat plans to seize control of the Amurite nation and plans to use demons and corrupted officials to do so. Yilderum Camil has not yet been sentanced to death. Nor has the senate voted to war with the Calabim yet.
So, without further adue, here is the missing chapter of 'the coup'
The Coup:
Turn 16: An Opportunity
Part Four: In the Garden
Ðzzet Safavî was on the run. Two days ago he had escaped Luwin Born-in-Storm not with magic but with a bit of sleight of hand and a pinch of the strange snort powder. He had run all night, avoiding the use of any magic so as to not set off an astral signature an accomplished mage pursuing him might follow. He had slept in a barn full of stinking livestock and spent the day like a commoner, slinking along city streets keeping his hood high and his eyes downcast.
After two days of slow, magicless travel, he finally arrived at the offices of the one person he knew he could trust, Tevfik Turhril. Old Tevfik had a colourful history. Once he had been a commanding officer in Tyrion the Caswellans mage army and he had summoned his share of demons in his youth, but those days were long past. When Yilderum Camil built the amurite senate, he had been elected to the post of minister of foreign affairs. What no one had expected was that Minister Turhril would embrace the faith of his former enemies, seeing in it an order and a righteousness that could guide the recovering Amurite nation to wholeness. Indeed, Tevfik became one of the earliest and most influential proponents of Junils influence in political life. His choices cost him the support of the merchants houses and nobles and any crumbling remains of the magocracy and despite his new friends amongst the devout, he was unable to maintain his political career. Now an old man, Tevfik continued to practice magic, teaching at the grand college and balancing a cutting edge academic life with a fulfilling spiritual life that he shared with all members of his family.
Yes, the fugitive Ðzzet thought, this man was just the ally he needed, a mage like him who would put his career and his friends on the line to uphold his faith. Besides, where else could he turn?
Finally arriving at the offices of the former minister Ðzzet was unexpectedly hurried into a backroom by Tevfiks apprentice and scribes. He was given a tub of hot water, soap, a razor and even a fresh sheesh similar to the stained one he currently wore. It seemed his arrival was not completely unexpected. After cleaning himself of the grime and dust of his travels and indulging in a relaxing massage from a smiling young servant with surprisingly strong fingers, Ðzzet Safavî was finally able to relax and put his thoughts in order. He was safe with Tevfik, or so he thought. But, he had been given a warm welcome which suggested he had been expected. None knew he was coming here, did they? He had some questions to ask and the old minister was just the one to answer them.
Quitting the back chambers, Ðzzet was led by the apprentice to a small courtyard built into the side of the academy. Despite the lush grasses and floral and fruit trees, the garden was several floors above ground level and he could look down and see the city of Cevedes bustling with commercial activity. The courtyard was not empty. Several men and women in variously hued sheeshes huddled under the blossoms of a plum tree and were discussing some issue in animated whispers. Fingers and hands were flying about, punctuating points and bringing passion to their words. From their body-language, they were obviously deliberating something of vital shared interest.
The apprentice announced his arrival by clearing his throat and simply stating, Senator Ðzzet Safavî has arrived and suddenly all eyes were on him.
The first to speak was the man he had come to see, the former minister Tevfik Turhil, Greetings young senator Safavî, we were expecting you.
He would have continued but was interrupted by a slightly built man in a yellow and gold sheesh and piercing blue eyes. Peering into his sheesh Ðzzet recognized him as Cüneyt Kasapoglu, a very accomplished mage in his own right, a respected member of the academic faculty and a member of the Radical Academics. Suddenly Ðzzet was gripped by panic. Cüneyt had attended the radicals party at the witch Nezakat Vedats manor where that demon had shown itself. He knew! Suddenly Ðzzet was furious at himself for trusting that old minister Turhril. The fury turned to fear and he was about to cast a spell to assist his escape when he noticed silver glinting from around Cüneyts neck; it was the sword and the circle of the holy order of Junil. And he was not the only one to wear the holy symbol. Glancing around, he noticed that all the men and women here wore the same symbol. They were all followers of Junils code. Indeed, as he examined the group more closely, he realized that he knew most of them, and many attended Junils services on the holy days. These men and women would not be summoning demons, would not be attacking the priesthood or him. Suddenly he felt much safer.
Cüneyt Kasapoglu spoke, Its nice to see you again. No please, dont panic. We are friends here. Relax. Have a coffee. Youve had a rough time of things but I am glad to see that you escaped that treacherous and vile Luwin. When you gasped your muted prayer at the radicals party I thought for sure they would kill you. You were lucky they had been drinking or I think they would have been less lenient. You missed the best part though. Once you had been escorted out, Nezakat introduced her second series of allies, senators of the senate, merchant house representatives no doubt bought with gold as well as Rodrick Bellisam, first speaker himself.
Ðzzet took a step back at the news, stumbling over an intricately patterned marble mosaic, only barely catching himself on a branch of the overhanging plum tree. The motion sent blossoms swirling throughout the air around him and added a symbolic moment of chaos to the one he felt within him.
A women in a pleasantly tight pale blue and white sheesh embroidered with foreign wildlife and with a light complexion and dark, sad eyes stepped forward. Ðzzet recognized her; the young woman was Efromiya Yilmaz, also a member of the radical academics and also an accomplished mage. Her husband of only 2 years had died last year and she had turned to her faith for support. Ðzzet had often seen her in the academys parks, mumbling quiet prayers to herself for her deceased husbands soul. She held out her hand to steady him and mumbled, almost apologetically, Its true senator. I was there. It seems that Nezakat has finally taken an apprentice. She must have promised him power over the realms of mana, over life and death, demons and angels to seduce him to her cause. They spoke at length after your departure regarding their goals. They are determined to take advantage of the rift in the order to crush Junils priests, discredit and dismantle the republic and finally seize power for themselves, setting Nezakat as the next Caswellan.
Cüneyt continued in a much less muted fashion, stopping occasionally to sip at his heavily sugared coffee, Their cabal appears to be led by Luwin Born-in-Storm, professor Leyla Ilahi, the professor and senator Turusan Erkan, lecturer and senator Korkud Kusçu, and Nezaket Vedat herself of course. As you can see, there upper echelon is full of accomplished mages with direct and indirect influence over the senate. A small proportion of their other members also have senate seats. They plan to use that influence to dispatch our armies to distant lands. They are proposing to declare war on the Calabim and between their own votes, their bribes and their backroom blackmails, the vote will probably proceed. With the army leaving, so too will most of the orders soldiers and guards. Combine this with the current divisions within the order, and their primary enemy is severely weakened. They plan a very public and very final end to the splintered hierocracy and without the priests to lead them, they expect the laity to lose their way.
Another member of the group spoke up, That would never happen. We have too much faith to ever abandon Junil. The impetuous speaker was Mihriban Recep, a very young mage of barely twenty years and a former apprentice to Tevfik Turhil. Ðzzet had met her previously but they had never spoken at length and he knew very little about her. Apparently she was a very devout follower of the order.
No, of course that would never happen. But I dont think thats the point. They will use fear and intimidation to control the public. Cüneyt looked exasperated at having been interrupted but quickly resumed sermonizing, all the while gently stirring he already much-stirred coffee, With their enemy scattered they will declare themselves the government and dissolve the senate.
Former speaker Yilderum Camil would never allow it. Neither would his representationist senators or his protégé, senator Aygum. Everyone knows that the Elohim senator, Ettim the Swift is a strong pro-represenation voice as well. What do they plan to do to silence their voice? People will listen to the former speaker. He is beloved by the commoners. This was from Yurdagül Jirecek, an older, plumper woman in a loosely-fitted sheesh known for her recent work with the Arcane Lacuna. Ðzzet had once been her student when studying containment magics and had enjoyed listening to the feisty woman who didnt seem to back down in any discussion, even in the face of overwhelming logic. There was something quintessentially amurite about the matronly figure and Ðzzet liked her.
For once Cüneyt said nothing. He merely stared calmly at Ðzzet with his characteristic blue eyes. The silence was answer enough.
Ðzzet stepped from the shade of the plum tree and sat on the low marble wall separating the garden from the city below it. He looked out over the city and thought about everything he had seen and heard in the last week: the murder of the patriarch, Nezakat and her demons, Rodricks treachery, the coup the Radicals were organizing, the proposal to go to war. Quietly he meditated while the others stood waiting patiently, drinking coffee and enjoying the sunny day despite the weight of the news they had shared. Ðzzets thoughts milled and churned and he remembered something. He had been expected. Old devout Tevfik had arranged for him to meet these eight men and women here, now, with this news. This was no accidental meeting. They all shared a strong faith and they were all mages. They obviously didnt want the Radicals to assume power but they had not yet alerted the order or the militia.
Ðzzet turned, a question on his lips. Tevfik spoke first, answering the unasked question, The answer of course, is that we are attempting our own coup.
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The Coup:
Turn 17: A Long Shadow
Part Four: The Witchs Winter
Only the very long-live could remember a winter the likes of which gripped the Amurite nation that year. The balance of power had shifted in a very public and very real way with the raid upon Junils abbey in Cevedes. Many priests and monks had been slain that day. Those that survived had gone into hiding and performed their ceremony and liturgy from hiding, their flocks gathering in stables in the middle of the night, hidden caves far from the city, in basements and attics, knowing that at any moment the republics official police could break in, find the entire congregation guilty of treason against the state (the thinking being that the Order was responsible for the deaths of senators and guards, the release of a wanted traitor and, not least of which, resisting arrest- those that gathered and harboured them were harbouring fugitives and thus traitors also) and haul them off to who knows where.
With the army gone to fight in Calabim lands and the militia weakened and wounded from their assault upon Cevedes abbey, the senate had had no choice but to turn to the Radical Academics and hire their services, at great cost to the public coffers, to police and investigate the population. The radicals did so with the help of their summoned demons and soon enough the sight of a 6-armed fire-skinned Balor patrolling the streets of Cevedes was not so rare a sight.
Along with the change in political and military balance, the economic balance of power had shifted considerably. Those merchants who had sided with the Traditionalists and the Radicals soon found they had their choice of juiciest contracts and trade contacts. Their ships and warehouses were only rarely investigated by the demonic police and then only superficially. None had to pay a fine. Those merchants that had sided with the Representationists, the hidden Order of Junil, or who had spoken against Roderick Bellisams new regime found themselves having to pay fine after fine for trumped up charges that oftentimes had no factual basis whatsoever, ultimately resulting in the loss of their ships and warehouses (and their sale to Radicals or their merchant cronies).
The old noble houses, many of whom had formally become merchant houses under the pressures and laws of the wealth-driven senate were divided almost half and half between those who supported Roderick Bellisam and the witch Nezakat Vedats new regime and those that did not. Oftentimes that division was based solely upon the role of faith and their views on Junils Order. Many a noble family had adopted Junils code and these soon found themselves at the receiving end of the new regimes investigations and arrests.
Indeed it was dire times for all the people of the Amurite nation. While the majority of the people were strongly against the openly corrupt senate and its various puppets, their use of demons and the persecution of Junils priests and monks, there was little they could do.
And thus it was that on the 4th of February, a meeting of seven pro-Order mages and six New Order priests and monks gathered in hiding in a quiet backroom of childrens section of the great library of Cevedes. Amongst stuffed animals and dusty puppets, large print books and colourful educational paintings, a group of thirteen very serious individuals met to discuss the future of the Amurites.
The group was led, at least unofficially, by the wizened old mage Tevfik Turhil. He was a staunch supporter of the Order and openly spoke against the service of priests and monks to a diluted senate made up of heretics, unbelievers and unholy warlocks and witches. He dreamt of a new government where the leadership would be sworn servants of Junils Order, although the government he envisioned would not necessarily be led by the clergy. He and seven other mages made up what had become known as the council of seven. One of these was Behlül Bozbeyli, also a wizened old mage who served, many years ago as apprentice of Tevfik Turhil. He was a specialist in earth magic and had benefited greatly from the discovery of Killmorphs standing stones on Faeng isle. The third was Cüneyt Kasapoglu. Cüneyt was, as far as the new regime was aware, a dedicated member of the Radical academics. His (and Tevfik Turhils) mastery of mind magic ensured that the enemy would not discover his hidden allegiance to Junils order. Through this crafty deception, Cüneyt had been able to relay much of the Radicals plans to the Council of Seven and its allies. Ðzzet Safavî was also previously a radical academic but his open prayers dedicated to the law-giver upon the first revelation of demonic involvement had cut that relationship short. He was now a wanted man and had much difficulty operating in the open. Efromiya Yilmaz was also a radical academic. She had previously had little faith but upon the death of her husband had discovered the strength and support that Junil provided to the faithful and had never looked back. That didnt mean she had to share that fact with the Radicals and like Cüneyt, she was able to act as a spy in the Radicals camp. Mihriban Recep is perhaps the youngest member of the Council of Seven. She too was an apprentice of Tevfik Turhil. She professes her faith openly and has never been too involved in the affairs of the Radicals or their corrupting magicks. Yurdagül Jirecek rounded up the last of the Council of Seven. She was a professor at the academy and former teacher to several of the younger mages in attendance. She was a plump, matronly figure full of energy and passion for her cause.
In addition to the seven mages, there were several priests in attendance. All were supporters of the New Order; they believed that Soner Çölasans open murder of the ancient patriarch Hüdaverdi Uzunçarsili with a blade made of pure faith in Junils Order was a direct message from the law-giver that the ancient hierocracy had been corrupted by service to unrepentant unbelievers, heretics and even demon-worshipers. On the day of the Cevedes Abbey Slaughter they had been involved in a previous meeting with the Council of Seven and whether this was pure happenstance or the result of the councils espionage activities had never been revealed. The result had been that while the Old Order represenationists had been slaughtered, the New Order priests had escaped attack and been free to continue preaching to the laity (though they had to do so in hiding). As a result the laity had mostly come around to their way of thinking: Junils Order was best served by support of a government made up wholly of believers. This would be impossible under a wealth-driven representationist senate. They had their martyr, Soner Çölasan to rally behind. Yilderum Camils escape had prevented a following to rise from his martyrdom in a similar way. Again, this may have been a purposeful intent of the Council of Seven and its allies, or it may not have. Either way it ended up strengthening the New Order at the expense of the Old Order. The leaders of this New Order movement were the senator Sâhîn Summerspring, whos beloved father had been the first minister of culture in the burgeoning Amurite senate. His fathers charisma and leadership, as well as intelligence and mind for detail also flowed in his veins and it was generally accepted that Sâhîn Summerspring was some sort of figurehead leader for the New Order movement. Some even called him patriarch though this was not an official title. The second was the former crusade commander Prior Marcos Yildizoglu. Prior Yildizoglu was above all else, a military man. He had taken great pride in training and commanding the Banners of the True Faith. He was not a political man, but when the republic had sought to make him look like some sort of rebel general during negotiations with the Calabim and had even gone so far as to strip him of his command to discipline him, he had discovered that his sense of justice and fairness would not stand for the corruption and falsehoods that made up the senate under Roderick Bellisam. Soners act against the former patriarch had been a bitter pill to swallow for the strict military man, but, ultimately, he realized that the rebel priest had been right. He had joined the New Order and brought his substantial support amongst the military with him, including the present head of the Banner of the True Faith, crusade commander Seçkin Ilahi. Other priests included Ðsmet Çelebi who had witnessed the Cevedes Abbey Slaughter from a distance but been unable to stop it, Gürel Sihâbeddîn, a young man who had always hated the role of the senate and had sermonized on a New Order long before Soner ever slew the ancient patriarch, Fazilet Akalay, a noble of a minor house and a new priestess who had lost her family to the demons inquisition. She, like Ðzzet Safavî was a wanted woman. The last priest in attendance was Semiramis Polatkan, a heavily scarred women whos congregation had been attacked by one of the Radicals mages, his summoned imp and fire magic. She had managed to slay the inquisitor mage and save a good portion of her congregation but it had cost her; she was now so heavily scarred that she dared not ever remove her sheesh and spoke in a broken voice.
The 13 men and women had been discussing a means to end the Radicals tyranny and return the Amurite nation to Junils embrace.
Prior Marcus spoke in response to Cüneyt Kasapoglus proposition, Im not sure I feel comfortable using my men, my soldiers who only recently fought on distant battlefields for the good of the Amurite nation and the Order of Junil like this. My men are not to be used as pawns in this game.
Cüneyt responded, always quick to interject and speak over another, There is no more danger for the returning crusaders then there is for us, indeed for any of the laity who will be present.
But thats the thing, isnt it? Prior Marcus questioned, We will be in considerable danger- all of us. The difference is that we know we are placing ourselves in danger. We are making a choice to fight and possibly die. These are men and women who just returned from fighting the Calabim and their vampire blood drinking servants. The whole reason they are returning is that the division is too heavily wounded, that there were too many deaths amongst the men for it to continue to operate as a functional unit. Now, these men and women, brave heroes of a distant battlefield will be ill-served by us, their former commanders and their spiritual leaders? This doesnt sit well with me whatsoever.
It was Sâhîn Summersprings turn to speak, And what do you think Nezakat and her puppets will do with the crusaders when they return home? Do you think she will welcome them with open arms. They openly profess their loyalty to the law-giver. Their brave stand against the injustice of the Calabim has won them the support of the common people. They are too great a threat against her regime to be allowed to live, to speak to the people and to encourage dissension against her regime. Sure, she will welcome them with a victory parade as befits returning victorious soldiers, but one by one they will die or be imprisoned. One by one they will disappear quietly into the night never to be heard from again. Are these not the bravest of the brave, men and women loyal to the nation and the order beyond their own bodies and their own sense of safety?
Prior Marcos looked dumbfounded for a second, Yes, of course they are. There are no braver men and women on the face of Erebus. And you are right of course but the deception. My men, excuse me, crusade commander Seçkin Ilahis men are not our tools, a moment of silence descended upon the dark little storeroom in the back of the great library. Finally Marus spoke, I agree. We will fight and we will win and if we have to use the returning crusaders, wounded and depleted as they are, as a rallying point, I am sure they would be most honoured to serve the law-giver one more time, even if it means risking their live.
Behlül Bozbeyli turned to Cüneyt and Efromiya, Brother, sister, then you, as respected members of the Radical Academics have a job to do. You must make sure that the Radicals know that they will have an opportunity to strike at the heart of the underground priesthood. Ensure that their informants and spies learn of the warm welcome the followers of the Order have planned for the returning crusaders. Ensure that they are present en-masse to strike down the priesthood and its supporters once and for all. They must see this as their opportunity to finish the job that Luwin Born-in-storm began at the Cevedes abbey. And when they do Behlül smiled.
Tevfik Turhril turned to the assembled priests, Your job is to ensure that the laity, the hidden followers of Junils Order are assembled for the military procession. This must be a moment of pride and religious defiance. No doubt the Radicals will attempt to arrest the remaining members of Junils priesthood. Our response must be direct and it must, above all else, be witnessed by the people. This battle will not only be for the survival of the Order and the destruction of the demon-servants, it will be for the establishment of a new age. The assembled priests nodded.
The thirteen had formulated a plan. Their months of preparation and groundwork were coming to a head. It was time for a very public, very final confrontation with the Radicals and their puppet senate.
Turn 17: A Long Shadow
Part Four: The Witchs Winter
Only the very long-live could remember a winter the likes of which gripped the Amurite nation that year. The balance of power had shifted in a very public and very real way with the raid upon Junils abbey in Cevedes. Many priests and monks had been slain that day. Those that survived had gone into hiding and performed their ceremony and liturgy from hiding, their flocks gathering in stables in the middle of the night, hidden caves far from the city, in basements and attics, knowing that at any moment the republics official police could break in, find the entire congregation guilty of treason against the state (the thinking being that the Order was responsible for the deaths of senators and guards, the release of a wanted traitor and, not least of which, resisting arrest- those that gathered and harboured them were harbouring fugitives and thus traitors also) and haul them off to who knows where.
With the army gone to fight in Calabim lands and the militia weakened and wounded from their assault upon Cevedes abbey, the senate had had no choice but to turn to the Radical Academics and hire their services, at great cost to the public coffers, to police and investigate the population. The radicals did so with the help of their summoned demons and soon enough the sight of a 6-armed fire-skinned Balor patrolling the streets of Cevedes was not so rare a sight.
Along with the change in political and military balance, the economic balance of power had shifted considerably. Those merchants who had sided with the Traditionalists and the Radicals soon found they had their choice of juiciest contracts and trade contacts. Their ships and warehouses were only rarely investigated by the demonic police and then only superficially. None had to pay a fine. Those merchants that had sided with the Representationists, the hidden Order of Junil, or who had spoken against Roderick Bellisams new regime found themselves having to pay fine after fine for trumped up charges that oftentimes had no factual basis whatsoever, ultimately resulting in the loss of their ships and warehouses (and their sale to Radicals or their merchant cronies).
The old noble houses, many of whom had formally become merchant houses under the pressures and laws of the wealth-driven senate were divided almost half and half between those who supported Roderick Bellisam and the witch Nezakat Vedats new regime and those that did not. Oftentimes that division was based solely upon the role of faith and their views on Junils Order. Many a noble family had adopted Junils code and these soon found themselves at the receiving end of the new regimes investigations and arrests.
Indeed it was dire times for all the people of the Amurite nation. While the majority of the people were strongly against the openly corrupt senate and its various puppets, their use of demons and the persecution of Junils priests and monks, there was little they could do.
And thus it was that on the 4th of February, a meeting of seven pro-Order mages and six New Order priests and monks gathered in hiding in a quiet backroom of childrens section of the great library of Cevedes. Amongst stuffed animals and dusty puppets, large print books and colourful educational paintings, a group of thirteen very serious individuals met to discuss the future of the Amurites.
The group was led, at least unofficially, by the wizened old mage Tevfik Turhil. He was a staunch supporter of the Order and openly spoke against the service of priests and monks to a diluted senate made up of heretics, unbelievers and unholy warlocks and witches. He dreamt of a new government where the leadership would be sworn servants of Junils Order, although the government he envisioned would not necessarily be led by the clergy. He and seven other mages made up what had become known as the council of seven. One of these was Behlül Bozbeyli, also a wizened old mage who served, many years ago as apprentice of Tevfik Turhil. He was a specialist in earth magic and had benefited greatly from the discovery of Killmorphs standing stones on Faeng isle. The third was Cüneyt Kasapoglu. Cüneyt was, as far as the new regime was aware, a dedicated member of the Radical academics. His (and Tevfik Turhils) mastery of mind magic ensured that the enemy would not discover his hidden allegiance to Junils order. Through this crafty deception, Cüneyt had been able to relay much of the Radicals plans to the Council of Seven and its allies. Ðzzet Safavî was also previously a radical academic but his open prayers dedicated to the law-giver upon the first revelation of demonic involvement had cut that relationship short. He was now a wanted man and had much difficulty operating in the open. Efromiya Yilmaz was also a radical academic. She had previously had little faith but upon the death of her husband had discovered the strength and support that Junil provided to the faithful and had never looked back. That didnt mean she had to share that fact with the Radicals and like Cüneyt, she was able to act as a spy in the Radicals camp. Mihriban Recep is perhaps the youngest member of the Council of Seven. She too was an apprentice of Tevfik Turhil. She professes her faith openly and has never been too involved in the affairs of the Radicals or their corrupting magicks. Yurdagül Jirecek rounded up the last of the Council of Seven. She was a professor at the academy and former teacher to several of the younger mages in attendance. She was a plump, matronly figure full of energy and passion for her cause.
In addition to the seven mages, there were several priests in attendance. All were supporters of the New Order; they believed that Soner Çölasans open murder of the ancient patriarch Hüdaverdi Uzunçarsili with a blade made of pure faith in Junils Order was a direct message from the law-giver that the ancient hierocracy had been corrupted by service to unrepentant unbelievers, heretics and even demon-worshipers. On the day of the Cevedes Abbey Slaughter they had been involved in a previous meeting with the Council of Seven and whether this was pure happenstance or the result of the councils espionage activities had never been revealed. The result had been that while the Old Order represenationists had been slaughtered, the New Order priests had escaped attack and been free to continue preaching to the laity (though they had to do so in hiding). As a result the laity had mostly come around to their way of thinking: Junils Order was best served by support of a government made up wholly of believers. This would be impossible under a wealth-driven representationist senate. They had their martyr, Soner Çölasan to rally behind. Yilderum Camils escape had prevented a following to rise from his martyrdom in a similar way. Again, this may have been a purposeful intent of the Council of Seven and its allies, or it may not have. Either way it ended up strengthening the New Order at the expense of the Old Order. The leaders of this New Order movement were the senator Sâhîn Summerspring, whos beloved father had been the first minister of culture in the burgeoning Amurite senate. His fathers charisma and leadership, as well as intelligence and mind for detail also flowed in his veins and it was generally accepted that Sâhîn Summerspring was some sort of figurehead leader for the New Order movement. Some even called him patriarch though this was not an official title. The second was the former crusade commander Prior Marcos Yildizoglu. Prior Yildizoglu was above all else, a military man. He had taken great pride in training and commanding the Banners of the True Faith. He was not a political man, but when the republic had sought to make him look like some sort of rebel general during negotiations with the Calabim and had even gone so far as to strip him of his command to discipline him, he had discovered that his sense of justice and fairness would not stand for the corruption and falsehoods that made up the senate under Roderick Bellisam. Soners act against the former patriarch had been a bitter pill to swallow for the strict military man, but, ultimately, he realized that the rebel priest had been right. He had joined the New Order and brought his substantial support amongst the military with him, including the present head of the Banner of the True Faith, crusade commander Seçkin Ilahi. Other priests included Ðsmet Çelebi who had witnessed the Cevedes Abbey Slaughter from a distance but been unable to stop it, Gürel Sihâbeddîn, a young man who had always hated the role of the senate and had sermonized on a New Order long before Soner ever slew the ancient patriarch, Fazilet Akalay, a noble of a minor house and a new priestess who had lost her family to the demons inquisition. She, like Ðzzet Safavî was a wanted woman. The last priest in attendance was Semiramis Polatkan, a heavily scarred women whos congregation had been attacked by one of the Radicals mages, his summoned imp and fire magic. She had managed to slay the inquisitor mage and save a good portion of her congregation but it had cost her; she was now so heavily scarred that she dared not ever remove her sheesh and spoke in a broken voice.
The 13 men and women had been discussing a means to end the Radicals tyranny and return the Amurite nation to Junils embrace.
Prior Marcus spoke in response to Cüneyt Kasapoglus proposition, Im not sure I feel comfortable using my men, my soldiers who only recently fought on distant battlefields for the good of the Amurite nation and the Order of Junil like this. My men are not to be used as pawns in this game.
Cüneyt responded, always quick to interject and speak over another, There is no more danger for the returning crusaders then there is for us, indeed for any of the laity who will be present.
But thats the thing, isnt it? Prior Marcus questioned, We will be in considerable danger- all of us. The difference is that we know we are placing ourselves in danger. We are making a choice to fight and possibly die. These are men and women who just returned from fighting the Calabim and their vampire blood drinking servants. The whole reason they are returning is that the division is too heavily wounded, that there were too many deaths amongst the men for it to continue to operate as a functional unit. Now, these men and women, brave heroes of a distant battlefield will be ill-served by us, their former commanders and their spiritual leaders? This doesnt sit well with me whatsoever.
It was Sâhîn Summersprings turn to speak, And what do you think Nezakat and her puppets will do with the crusaders when they return home? Do you think she will welcome them with open arms. They openly profess their loyalty to the law-giver. Their brave stand against the injustice of the Calabim has won them the support of the common people. They are too great a threat against her regime to be allowed to live, to speak to the people and to encourage dissension against her regime. Sure, she will welcome them with a victory parade as befits returning victorious soldiers, but one by one they will die or be imprisoned. One by one they will disappear quietly into the night never to be heard from again. Are these not the bravest of the brave, men and women loyal to the nation and the order beyond their own bodies and their own sense of safety?
Prior Marcos looked dumbfounded for a second, Yes, of course they are. There are no braver men and women on the face of Erebus. And you are right of course but the deception. My men, excuse me, crusade commander Seçkin Ilahis men are not our tools, a moment of silence descended upon the dark little storeroom in the back of the great library. Finally Marus spoke, I agree. We will fight and we will win and if we have to use the returning crusaders, wounded and depleted as they are, as a rallying point, I am sure they would be most honoured to serve the law-giver one more time, even if it means risking their live.
Behlül Bozbeyli turned to Cüneyt and Efromiya, Brother, sister, then you, as respected members of the Radical Academics have a job to do. You must make sure that the Radicals know that they will have an opportunity to strike at the heart of the underground priesthood. Ensure that their informants and spies learn of the warm welcome the followers of the Order have planned for the returning crusaders. Ensure that they are present en-masse to strike down the priesthood and its supporters once and for all. They must see this as their opportunity to finish the job that Luwin Born-in-storm began at the Cevedes abbey. And when they do Behlül smiled.
Tevfik Turhril turned to the assembled priests, Your job is to ensure that the laity, the hidden followers of Junils Order are assembled for the military procession. This must be a moment of pride and religious defiance. No doubt the Radicals will attempt to arrest the remaining members of Junils priesthood. Our response must be direct and it must, above all else, be witnessed by the people. This battle will not only be for the survival of the Order and the destruction of the demon-servants, it will be for the establishment of a new age. The assembled priests nodded.
The thirteen had formulated a plan. Their months of preparation and groundwork were coming to a head. It was time for a very public, very final confrontation with the Radicals and their puppet senate.
orangelex44
Partisan
When are orders due? I've been a little busy lately and haven't been able to keep up as I should...
And by the way, Immac, good writing. I won't lie and say I read it all (again, busy, but I'll try) - but the stuff I did was excellent.
And by the way, Immac, good writing. I won't lie and say I read it all (again, busy, but I'll try) - but the stuff I did was excellent.
Ekolite
Deity
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2007
- Messages
- 5,451
Neither have I.
Seeing as both Jopa and Immy have done a ''fresh start'' FFHNES, I am considering running mine as a slightly mmore specific scenario. It may also include ''interesting'' and ''boring'' times, where all the players send in general orders that cover a period of 50 years, 100 years, or possibly even longer. Players will gain a lump sum of gold to use during the BT, but a large part of the devellopment would be automated. This would allow the NES to have specific eras.
Anyway I'm not committing to anything just yet, but I have the beginnings an interesting storyline mapped out.
Seeing as both Jopa and Immy have done a ''fresh start'' FFHNES, I am considering running mine as a slightly mmore specific scenario. It may also include ''interesting'' and ''boring'' times, where all the players send in general orders that cover a period of 50 years, 100 years, or possibly even longer. Players will gain a lump sum of gold to use during the BT, but a large part of the devellopment would be automated. This would allow the NES to have specific eras.
Anyway I'm not committing to anything just yet, but I have the beginnings an interesting storyline mapped out.
All these new FFH NESs give me a warm and fuzzy feeling, could I as a interested outsider ask that you keep room open specifically for new entrants from the FFH forum or elsewhere. It would I'm sure be much appreciated, feel free to tap the talent that has accumulated on the forum, I'm more than happy to provide my economic assistance, and I'm sure others would be equally happy to provide assistance.
I should really be generating some stories... but I haven't quite found my muse.
I should really be generating some stories... but I haven't quite found my muse.
Immaculate
unerring
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,623
@ JOPA, maybe Masada: My trade route that was going to the kuriotates (and until recently) being recipricated, is that gone now? Do i have to find a new country to export to, import from?
